Forgotten Kingdom

by Invisible Cadance

Chapter 5: Learning Curve (Luna's Story)

Princess Luna stumbled forward through the dark corridor. Dust went up all around her for every small step she took. Her heavy breathing constantly echoed through the room together with the clop of the Unicorn she was following. A warm fluid rolled down her hooves. It was too dark to take the time to check what it was. Both of them avoided using their magic to light up the way. Pain coursed through her wings every time she moved them, and the rest of her body hurt as well with every movement. It didn’t help that she often found herself walking into the bars of the cells.

The road went upwards. She was forced to take small steps in order to not trip on the stairs and fall. At the top she found the wooden hatch closed again. She used her horn to physically open it up and move through. The hallway she appeared in was better lit up than the basement, but the light gave few clues. On the dusty floor were three pair of hoof prints, two pairs walking towards the hatch and one pair walking towards the exit. The Unicorn’s movement still coursed through the castle, but not in the same strength as it had done in the basement.

She followed the marks stumbling until she reached the exit. The two broken doors had been pushed aside from their place on the road and left huge marks on it. In the forest she could clearly see the red Unicorn looking back at her before galloping further in. It was dark outside with the full moon giving the place its only light. She stared at its features for a moment; the place she had spent a thousand years in. It stared back at her with empty eyes, but it wasn’t her moon, she hadn’t been the one to raise it up in the sky this time. She pulled away and stumbled into the Everfree Forest.

The forest was known for its vile creatures, and most ponies did their best to stay away from it. It had grown much larger since the castle had been in its prime. Growing uncontrolled and unchallenged, it had taken over large parts of land that could have made good spot to raise a village. She had already been through the forest once tonight; a second time didn’t bother her.

The Unicorn continued to keep a high pace without breaks, and soon Luna lost her among the trees. Unlike the castle, it was impossible to hear any clop to follow. Melanite, the word rang weirdly inside her head. Do you still call the castle your home? It wasn’t much to go on, but the ruined castle of Bolivianite seemed to her as good place as any to start searching. She had learned through the village of Everlasting Shine that the ruins now resided in a large cavern. The villagers were too frightened to enter, and had made their best to shut off all entrances. Her sister had been down there once when the villagers first came with their complaints, but she had found nothing noteworthy inside.

After hours of running, she finally approached Canterlot. It stood tall in the distance, and the sun had already started going up. Her legs were getting numb, but out on the open fields she had managed to catch up with the red Unicorn and could follow her easily. The city looked so calm and welcoming with its waterfalls among the white houses, and the castle sitting on the mountain shelf. Unicorn Range didn’t lie far away, but the sun was standing high in the sky when she finally sat her hooves inside Everlasting Shine. The wounds on her hooves had started to heal during the journey, but she found herself looking at them whenever she could.

Wooden houses covered much of the small village; most of them sharing the same colour, red. Dogs barked angrily while cats meowed constantly as she stumbled through. The cows and the pigs were no better. All of the animals seemed to be lose, but not so happy about it. The cats dug holes while the dogs sat on top the roofs. The cows played around in the mud, and the pigs stood on an open field eating grass. Neither task seemed to prevent them from emitting as much sound as they possible could. All that was missing were the birds.

The Unicorn moved quite slowly through village. The sound of her panting and hooves could be heard among the animals. As they approached the town hall, the houses started to change colour from red to yellow. She had no time to check it out further as the other pony headed straight in for the small house that served as the town hall. A bright red glow appeared followed by the sound of a loud crash. The large sign hanging on the wall fell down as the front door was smashed inside. Splinters were blasted off in all directions, and Luna could feel the air from some of them. Soon thereafter another similar crash could be heard, this time coming from inside the house.

She stumbled through the broken door into a large room. A large wooden table stood in the middle of the room taking up most of the space. It had been burnt on one side. Torn down wallpaper with blue flowers adorned wall, and silver frames lied on the floor next to a large hole in the wall. The hole revealed a dark staircase that lead down. Red light that seemed to be coming from further down reached the top of the stairs.

Is this where you are, Melanite? What are you trying to accomplish? Twilight, are you here as well? Why? Luna allowed the questions to hang in her head as she walked down. A dim blue light left her horn and lit up whatever parts the red light missed. The staircase took a sharp turn after sharp turn all the way down to the very bottom. Cold stone met her hooves in the large cavern that was before her. Her light lit up a big part of the place, but as not much as the Unicorn’s. Red gemstones were everywhere in the walls and reflected most of the light, some were even stuck in the ground. A small red castle stood out in the distance with walls of the same colour covering it. The clop of hooves echoed through the cavern.

She followed the Unicorn through the middle of the cavern, her light giving away her position to anypony who might care. When her sister had been there, the castle had been empty. The distance between them became smaller for every step. She pursued her captor through a tall wooden gate that stood out among the ruby walls. Fighting equipment lied all over the courtyard in a big mess. A few ponies stood still close to the walls unarmed. They didn’t move an inch as she passed by. In front of the castle was a set of stairs made out of blue garnet, it led up to a large double door glittering like diamonds. The Unicorn rushed up to it, and the door opened up with a shriek that echoed all over the place.

Luna stumbled upwards so fast that she could feel the scabs on her hooves being ripped open. She made a final push towards the door as the red pony closed it with another shriek. Her body hit the door so hard it sent her flying down to the ground, and the light from her horn went out. Pain shrieked through her entire body, and a fluid from her hooves was colouring the floor red. Everything around her was cold. The sound of multiple horns filled the air as she pushed herself up. Rumbling accompanied it, and soon ponies clad in armour streamed out on the courtyard. They were all coming from the sides of the stairs. Most of them were carrying torches along with the armour, but some of them carried swords and other weapons in their mouths. An ear deafening scream from a mare accompanied them. She couldn’t say if it was from fear or pain.

“Our time has come!” a Pegasus screamed from within the horde of ponies. She was easy to make out, as she was pushing through the rest until she was in front of them all. “The princess of evil has returned to do us all a tribute. We shall not fail our queen, not again.”

If it only had been empty instead like it was supposed to be. They must be the children of those served Ametrine, and now they serve Melanite. “Citizens of Boliviantie!” Luna called out in response. The words rang in uncertainty within her head, but her voice was cold and firm. “There is no need to end this in battle. I’ve only come to receive the answer to my questions.” And to neutralise Melanite should she be a threat. Her mother was dangerous, but somepony surviving for a thousand years would be worse. “If you want, there’s a life for all of you on the outside where you’ll be able to see the sun and the moon. It’s time to end this folly. How long have you been living hidden away like this?”

“We know who you are. We know what you did to us and our queen. We have waited so long for this moment. Everything we’ve done have been preparing us to take you down. Now your time has come, Princess of ruin.” The words came from most of the ponies in a large chatter. It was all magnified by its echo.

They’ll never love you if you fight them, Luna thought. It didn’t work when I was foolish enough to try it. The horde was starting to rush up the stairs. Around her were only the ruby walls, the diamond door behind her, and the low roof that would make it hard to fly. She made her decision as the first ponies were starting to get halfway up. Her horn glowed together with the door for a second before the door flew open with a shriek much louder than when her captor had opened the door. Her legs bent underneath her, and she fell down to her knees. Acid was rumbling around in her stomach, and she could feel a foul tasting clump forming in her throat.

It swished through the air before it her back and forced her to hunch forward. She looked back to see an Earth Pony standing over her with a shield and getting ready for another attack. What’s happening with my magic? It’s draining me. She bit down her teeth hard as her wings flew up and knocked down the pony. A slight scream escaped her when she forced herself up and stumbled forward. The air filled with chants from the horde; there were so much of it that she couldn’t make out the words. A loud cry over voiced them all, and soon only the hooves hitting the floor was to be heard.

The door led her into a large hallway with golden walls. Torches hung almost everywhere on them. They gave the hall a warm light. The roof had the engravings of a pony guarding a treasure; it ended with her throwing it into the lake. The hallway was quite thin with only room for a maximum of three small ponies to walk side by side. Ahead of her the hallway divided into two new ones. There were no signs to tell which way lead where.

“Please, let me go. I’ve done nothing to you. I beg you, don’t do this.” The plea was followed by a scream of pain from the same mare as before.

It wasn’t much to go on, but the screams were better than nothing for Luna. She stumbled left when the hall divided itself and continued to follow it. Soon enough some of the other ponies found the courage to start yelling again behind her. The hallways continued to separate themselves, and she was forced to take turn after turn until she reached one where a small door was open in the middle of the wall. Behind it was a passageway with stone walls instead of golden ones. She quickly moved herself inside and kicked the door close with her hind legs. Torches were lit on the walls here as well. Coat hair was lying all over the place along with wooden planks. She grabbed three of them and used them to block the door.

The wooden floor made a quiet sound every time she stepped on it. The passageway extended itself a short way before continuing down with a staircase made out of stone. She moved slowly down, yet the stone still rang every time it touched her hooves. Voices started appearing the further down she got, and a mare’s screaming was among them. The scream went on for a few seconds before stopping, and then it started again.

“What are you doing with her?” one of the voices asked, only barely over voicing the screams.

Luna moved down the remainder of the steps in a hurry, but she stopped once she arrived in a large room filled with cells. They were all blocked off with steel bars. Torches hung on some of the walls and gave the room a warm light, but none of the cells had any torches. Feathers and fur lied in them as a testament that somepony had been locked in there. Rats moved through them and gave away sounds every time they hit something. At the end of the room stood four ponies, two of them Unicorns armed with spears and an unarmed Earth Pony, around a wooden pole that stretched out towards the roof. Light was creeping down it towards a screaming white mare who was roped stuck to it.

I if I fight them, they'll never love me. Is it better than letting them sacrifice her? She slowly started to move forward; her hooves barely touching the floor.

A strong purple light filled the entire room. Her eyes closed themselves automatically as a response. Slowly she forced them open and adjusted. It gave away no features of the room, but the light on the pole glowed brightly and showed the way as she rushed forward. She kicked with her front legs and hit something hard. It fell down with a crash as she pulled back. The purple light vanished with a loud scream, and the torches went out with it. Only the light on the pole remained as a light source. In front of her stood the Earth Pony and one of the Unicorns; the other one had fallen down on the floor. The spear was still sheathed on the standing horned pony. His long red mane did nothing to help him as she used her hind legs to kick him down.

“You’re here!” The green Earth Pony smiled as he said the words before attacking. His legs were much shorter than hers, and she brought him down with a kick from a distance long enough for him to be incapable of reaching her.

Luna sighed at the look of the three ponies lying on the floor. In a nearby cell were a pink Earth Pony and a purple Unicorn locked inside. Two blue balloons and one yellow balloon covered the pink pony’s flank. She had a long curly mane. The Unicorn had a five pointed star as a cutie mark, and a very straight tail and mane with a blue stripe. She lied on the floor with her eyes closed without making a single movement. Her saddlebag had been ripped open and revealed a large book inside. Three fleur-de-lis covered the white mare’s flank. The rope had cut deep in her, but most of the wounds were on her left side. They looked shallow, but enough to bleed slightly.

The Princess picked up the spear from the older looking Unicorn with her teeth. “Hold still,” she said to the mare that was shaking as much as the rope allowed her. The sharp side went cleanly through the rope and the white Unicorn fell down to floor. “Take it slow.” She aided the mare up to her hooves.

“Thank you, stranger.” The pony’s voice was soft as a whisper. She had a long messy pink hair with a light tone. Her body was thin and slightly taller than most ponies Luna had met. She was a delight to lay eyes on.

“What are you doing here?” Luna asked while searching the younger Unicorn. There was a great deal of candy paper hidden beneath his armour along with a picture of a young mare standing together with a filly. She continued her search until her hooves hit clinging metal. Using her mouth, she pulled out a small key from the armour. Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle. The two ponies in the cell were the same ones she had seen in her dream. They were also the ones that had saved her from the Nightmare Forces. “This is not a place for you to be in.” She moved to the bars and searched until she found a small keyhole.

“I didn’t want to come here,” the Unicorn replied. “It’s too dirty for my hooves. They forced me to come with them here since the ponies in Canterlot have some serious issues.”

“Princess Luna!” Pinkie called out. She was sitting over Twilight’s body. “Princess! Hurry! She needs your help now!”

“Canterlot is in peril?” A clump got stuck in Luna’s throat as she turned the key around. The bars slowly pushed open and allowed her to enter. “What happened to her?” she forced out of herself and joined the Earth Pony over the body. There was only a very slight breathing, and when she put her hoof on the throat she could feel a very slow beating.

“I don’t know,” Pinkie admitted. “One moment she was all fine, and then this bright light came and blinded us. After that she was on the floor like when we fought the meanie queen.” The Earth Pony made large gestures to accompany her speech.

“Magic,” Luna declared. “Something in this place is disturbing it. There’s nothing I can do for her here. Yanhoover is nearby; they’ll give you the assistance you need. She will be fine.” As I was. “What are you doing here? What has transpired in Canterlot?”

“We came to rescue you,” the pink pony answered. “Only now, you came to rescue us instead. We read about a curse that was placed on you before you were banished. We searched for more answers in Canterlot, but it was just a place full of meanies who didn’t want to party. So we came here to find you, but you found us instead. There’s an evil queen who rules this place. You should be careful with her; she’s the one who turned everypony in Canterlot to meanies, I think. She’s the one who trapped us here after we fought thousands of her minions.”

Melanite, Canterlot, I caused this, and I need to end this. “I appreciate your concern, but you shouldn’t have come here. It is not for you to amend the wrongs I’ve done in my life. I’ll make sure the way out is clear, and then you need to head to Yanhoover. Three knocks and you’ll know it is safe.” She raised herself up from the Unicorn and made her way towards the staircase. “You should let a hospital take care of you as well,” she said to the white mare as she passed by. The beauty tried to cover her wounds before nodding.

“I can’t let you go out there on your own, Princess,” Pinkie said defiantly. “We did not come here to let you do this on your own. We came here to help you; we risked our life to help you. Let us do it. There can’t be any party if we have to say goodbye to somepony. It’s not the party I want. They’re meant to be fun and happy; not sad and filled with tears. Queen Verdite is strong, and if you go alone, we have to say goodbye to somepony.”

What kind of leader am I? One who needs help all the time? Or one who is strong enough to defend her people? “I can’t thank you enough for rescuing me from the control of the Nightmare Forces,” Luna started without turning around, “but I can repay you. I am the reason this is happening. I am the reason you’re all in danger. I need to be the one to end this chapter and bring a closure to us all. Go to Yanhoover; that is a royal command!” She didn’t wait for an answer, but went straight for the stairs. Mumbling came from behind her.

Am I doing the right thing? Was this really the right choice? The floor gave out sounds every time her hooves hit them. Some echoed for long, while others died out as soon as they had come to life. The torches were still lit at the upper level and gave away a warm lively light that didn’t exist on the lower floor. The wooden planks stood unmoved at the door, guarding it with their lives. More lied around on the floor unused. She pushed her right ear towards the door. It was cold to the touch, but there were no sounds coming from the other side. First she moved one of the planks and placed her ear back onto the door. When the same result awaited her, she moved the next one until the door was clear.

She looked quickly at the door and then towards the staircase. Downstairs there were ponies willing to help her. No! She let out a sigh over the thought before opening the door using her front legs. Kicking it close had been easy, but the door resisted going the other way. It made no sound other than her grunting as she cracked it open. Light poured in from the outside, and she opened the door further until she could peek out. The corridor extended itself in two ways; both of them empty. The roof had the engravings of a pony traveling up a mountain. The pony reached almost all the way to the top before turning back. There was no explanation engraved for the decision.

She kicked the door hard three times and the sound echoed behind her. It quickly died out in the hallway. You have to win their love. Ending this tyrant rule will be a start. She raised her head high and trotted in the same direction the engraved pony had gone before turning back. It took her to another crossing that looked the same as the previous ones. The right one had the story of a blacksmith earning a new hammer. On the left was the story of a pony winning the heart of another in a duel. Parts of the wall had completely fallen apart and revealed a large circular room. A well stood in the middle of the room, and from it a bright light poured out. Close to it sat two red Unicorns. Both had a long red mane and tail. The one to the left was slightly larger than the one to the right.

Melanite, Luna thought and moved inside. The walls were decorated with the same golden wallpapers as all the hallways, but the roof told a different story. A red Unicorn stood tall in the centre of attention as she first defeated a black Alicorn. She went on to torch a city sitting on a mountain. Its defender, a white Alicorn, came out to defend it, but was defeated by the Unicorn as all that remained of the city was ashes. Queen Verdite. “It’s over!” she declared and the two Unicorns turned towards her. Their blood-red eyes glowed strongly in the light. The larger one had a golden crown sitting on her head. A white crown adorned her flanks while the other one had a simple ruby for a cutie mark. She made it here as well.

“The lost princess has returned to us,” the crowned Unicorn declared. “I wish we could have met in simpler times. Alas, such is not the case. You must not fault my daughter for what she did to you in the castle. I am Queen Verdite, and this is Princess Amber, my beloved daughter.”

Luna sighed at the words. Not Melanite. “What is it that you wish? Diplomatic ties? This is not how you start them. Not by killing my friends.” She looked on her hooves when the words left her. Scabs covered her wounds, red as blood, and as red as their hair.

“Don’t act innocent!” Amber lashed out and raised herself up. “You killed our family. You crushed the hope an innocent child had to meet her mother. All death that comes to you is well deserved.”

“I killed Ametrine,” she admitted. The images of the proud Unicorn walking in her castle still lingered in her mind. “I did a lot of things that I regret. I wish I could make them all right. But this is not one of those things. She was a tyrant that sought only destruction.”

“We should not dwell on these things,” Verdite said. She sat motionless and allowed only her mouth to do all the communications. “Both of us have wronged each other, and if I’m not mistaken, you were a tyrant as well, Nightmare Moon.”

She looked back at the destroyed wall, and then up to the engravings again. The form was all too familiar to her. It was her and her sister. Her colour palette was darker than current blue, as dark as when she was corrupted. “I sought to win the love of my beloved by promising others a kingdom.” The words left her almost as a whisper. “They didn’t appreciate what I gave them, so I made the wrong choice to win them back. I have amended it for so long now. Ametrine was not like that. She thought she could hide her plans from me, but she was wrong. Your ancestor plotted to destroy everything and rule over the ruins.”

“Instead you allowed this place to fall to ruin!” Red light covered Amber’s horn, and with a crash the wall in front of Luna fell to rubble. Behind it was another hallway that looked much like the ones she had already passed through. “This is all you left! We rebuilt our kingdom! Now we shall lay ruin to yours!”

“Is that why you’ve invaded Canterlot?” Luna raised her head up high and made herself look as tall as possible. I need to help them. They need to know that I care about them; that I’m worthy of their love. “Is this all about revenge? None of you was alive then, and if you will not listen to the truth. I have nothing more to give you.”

“Excuse my beloved daughter,” the Queen said as calmly as ever. The light from the well approached Verdite’s horn, and she let out a loud moan as it touched. “She is quite as stubborn as some your delicious friends. We have moved on from such things, but we were once a kingdom of our own. Now is the time for us to rise up again and carry with us our beloved Queen’s wishes. I can’t let us stand in your way, not again.”

“Peace would be a mu...” Luna was cut off as both Unicorns horns glowed similarly red. Two red waves shot out and combined themselves into one large. She acted without a moments rest and returned the fire. Her own blue magic was swallowed up and she fell down to her knees, her horn no longer glowing. The wave covered a large area around her, and she had no means of escaping it in time. The energy burnt through her coat and blinded her when it hit. She could feel her old wounds opening up again. Her body moved itself, and despite her struggles it wouldn’t listen. It came to a quick stop as pain was sent through her back. She was falling, but she never noticed that she flew up in the air. Her legs bent themselves beneath her when she landed.

Her sight slowly returned in blurriness as she lied still. There was no pain, nor could she fell anything. A blurry red carpet was in her face. Far away two creatures moved around swiftly. They never made a sound. A bright light rose up around them. It circled around the room before heading towards her. She pushed her front hooves forward trying to grasp the floor. Slowly she moved forward with her entire body. Something pushed her on from behind as her horn started to glow strongly. She was starting to put some distance between her and the others. The light engulfed and blinded her at the same time. Her nostrils were filled with the smell of burnt fur. Somewhere in the castle were ponies who had offered to help her, and she had refused them.

Sister, Pinkie, Twilight, I’ve learnt nothing.