A Golden Afternoon

by Gallifrey

The King of Hearts

A Golden Afternoon
by Gallifrey

Chapter Five
The King of Hearts

Twilight rose early the next morning. The bedroom faced to the east, yet Twilight felt no warming sunshine caressing her face as she awoke.

Hoping to wake up under the tree didn't work then, she thought.

Stumbling out of the bed, she yawned and stretched, popping a few joints as she did so. Boy did it feel good. With a happy smile on her face, she trotted gaily to the door, completely unaware of the sinister plot the blankets on the floor were devising for her. Twilight's legs got caught in the quilt, leaving her to the whims of gravity, the heartless force it is. Rubbing her sore snout, Twilight picked herself up and ventured downstairs to the kitchen.

"Good mornin' sunshine!" chirped Applejack, "I got pancakes waiting on the table for ya."

Drawn towards the pancakes like a moth to a flame, Twilight dived into eating her tasty treats— just like a moth, however, she got burnt.

"Ahhh!" she exclaimed.

"Ooops, forgot ta mention: they're hot," said Applejack with a sheepish grin.

"Nah warries," said Twilight with her tongue sticking out, cooling it off.

Applejack gave her a glass of water.

"Thanks," said Twilight, draining it in one.

"Where you gonna go from here then? To the King?"

Twilight nodded.

"I feel I must. He clearly plays a very important role in goings on around here; though that's to be expected, given that he's a king, it's kind of his job..."

"If that's what you feel is right," said Applejack neutrally.

---

Twilight left Applejack's home feeling an odd sense of both hope and trepidation. Following a blue path for a time, she started wondering just what she was going to find at the end of it. Just who was the King? Twilight tried not to think of that; she had several ideas about who it might be, but she hoped they were all unfounded. Other questions bounced around the maelstrom of her mind; was all of this the mysterious King's doing?

If this were reality, then a powerful and sinister force was definitely in motion, and Twilight was at the proverbial eye of the storm, untouched by the malevolence, for now...

Or, more preferably, if this was but a figment of her imagination in her sleep, then she should be waking up soon. That was certainly the more preferable of the two possibilities. Less consequences to deal with.

Hooves guiding her along on autopilot during her contemplation, Twilight took no notice of where she was going.

"Oof!"

Twilight bumped into a firm and unyielding object, startled, she fell back on her haunches.

"Are you okay, miss?" asked the deep calm voice of Big Macintosh.

"Big Mac! You're here!"

"Eyyyup! Just doin' mah job, checking these here gates. Now, forgive me, have we met?"

Twilight looked behind his huge red frame to see some tall bronze gates, with towering stone walls either side. Behind was a castle that looked unerringly similar to Canterlot Castle itself, but now instead of warm and inviting, it looked proud and imposing, as did the stallion looming over her.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and kinda. What is it you do again?"

"I'm sort of the caretaker around here if you will," he drawled, "though a word of advice."

"Yes?"

Big Mac looked around cautiously, and leant down so his eyes were level with hers.

"Run," he whispered. "You should run, and not look back. You don't want to be around here, it's too dangerous."

Twilight's constitution wavered, reason suggesting she heeded the words.

"I have to get inside," said the mare determinedly.

"Why?" asked Big Macintosh simply.

With one word, the stallion brought Twilight's entire logic to its knees.

"I-I don't even know," she stammered. "I just want to know what's going on!"

"You'll be playing a mighty dangerous game if you want an audience with the King," he warned.

"I've gathered as much," said Twilight, "what's the best way to get in?"

"Well, ya certainly can't just walk in here," said Big Mac, tapping the gates for emphasis, "but if you're as determined as ya look, there is a tunnel round yonder, that the White Rabbit uses to get in and out quickly."

"Thank you so much!"

"I didn't tell you nothin' though, ya hear? If anyone asks how you got in, just say you don't know, you should be fine with that."

"Yes sir," she said, saluting with a hoof. "Applejack's doing fine by the way."

Confusion coloured the stallion's face.

"Who?" he asked.

"Oh... nevermind," said Twilight disappointedly, turning to leave.

"You take care now, I'll keep an eye out for ya in case there's any trouble, okay?" He smiled genially at her.

"Thank you, I may well need it."

"Good luck!" he called as she left. Twilight waved goodbye, feeling much lighter of both heart and hoof.

---

Soon, Twilight stumbled upon a small and inconspicuous hole in the ground that she could only assume was the tunnel Big Macintosh had told her about. She took a deep breath, and all but dived head first into the narrow passage. It was horribly claustrophobic, and Twilight felt nauseous from it, her heart racing in her ribcage. When she saw light ahead of her she scrambled madly towards it, desperate to be free from the suffocating hole.

Once she was out she made a mental note.

Today I discovered I am claustrophobic, and it's highly unpleasant.

Twilight looked around; she was now inside the Castle's grounds, and was feeling jumpy. Having no idea where to go, but feeling that the front gates would be unwise, she started trotting around the castle in the hope of a back door or something of that ilk.

The unicorn, rather than being reassured by the lack of anyone keeping guard, felt unnerved, as if someone could see her, but she couldn't see them.

"H-hello?" she called experimentally, but feeling foolish instantly, as if she expected a reply.

"Hello," said a cool voice from behind her. Bolting around, Twilight saw that it was only the Cheshire Cat. "How are you getting on?" it asked, floating lazily up to land on a small pillar against the walls of the castle.

"Okay I suppose, I mean I am inside after all."

"You are? This looks like outside to me," it said, looking around.

"You know what I mean," said Twilight, with a hint of irritation.

"You're inside, but you're not yet inside, do you know what you're doing?"

"Not particularly," said Twilight honestly.

"I could help you I suppose..." it said lazily, snapping one of its paws. Twilight gasped as a door materialised in the wall. "You're welcome."

Now that Twilight had a way in, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Go on," goaded the Cat, "what's the worst that could happen?"

"I could die?" suggested Twilight.

"So negative," said the Cat with a shake of its head. "What do you have to lose?"

Twilight thought about that for a moment, and was drawn to the inevitable conclusion.

"Nothing," she squeaked.

The Cat merely gestured for her to enter, grinning maniacally. With a small sigh of acceptance, she forced her hooves into motion. She looked up, but the Cat had vanished.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself, as she nervously entered the Castle, sneaking about the tall and empty corridors. She found herself with a dilemma: she wanted to find the King and discover who he was, yet stay as far away from him as possible. She found this form of stalemate unbearable, so she simply wandered the castle, waiting for Fate to make up her mind for her.

As far as she could tell, it was identical to Canterlot Castle in its interior, so she knew full well were she was and where the throne resided. Deciding to take some initiative, she made her way upstairs, so as to look down on the Great Hall without being spotted. Opening a door and shutting it softly behind her, she found herself on a dark and secluded tier of the Great Hall, where she had an excellent vantage point. Peering down, she was disappointed to see that the throne was vacant.

Sighing in quiet frustration, she slumped down and kept to the shadows. It would only be a matter of time surely before he made an appearance...

An hour later, Twilight was started out of her light snoozing by a voice, the last voice she wanted to hear drifting up to her, confirming her fears.

"You know what to do with him, yes?"

"Chop off his head?" said a fearful voice she did not recognise.

"Precisely."

"Nononononono," whispered Twilight, "anyone but him."

As carefully as she could, she slunk around and gazed down beneath her, letting her eyes confirm what her ears were telling her. The long, lithe figure of her least favourite draconequus was sitting on the throne, stretching and cracking his back.

"Servant!" called Discord languidly.

"Um, yeah?" asked the voice of a mare Twilight vaguely recalled, but couldn't put a face to. She came into view, and Twilight realised that it was the voice of Spitfire the Wonderbolt.

"I do believe I am ready for dinner on this twilight evening," he said lazily.

"Uh, don't mean to burst your bubble, your Highness, but it's like lunch time outside, so—"

Discord held up a paw to silence her, and with a snap of his fingers, evening descended.

"I am ready for dinner," he repeated.

"Sure. What are ya feeling this 'evening?'"

"Beef, oh and ice cream, blended together."

"And to drink?"

"Something sparkling, surprise me."

As Spitfire left, Discord snapped his fingers again, conjuring up a plush red footrest. He leant back and yawned, and Twilight hid herself lest he look up and see her.

Twilight heard a few unidentifiable sounds, along with some broken humming. She lay still for a few minutes, heart racing, head spinning, at a loss for ideas.

"Let's not keep up this charade of hide and seek any longer, Twilight Sparkle," he said wearily.

Twilight's heart jumped to her throat in terror.

He knew?! How long has he known?!

"Celestia save me," she whispered desperately.

Comments

[Evil-Lovieness]

I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!! Ahem... That it all...

[Gallifrey]

2069173
Aha! I suspected your suspicion correctly too!
SUSPEPTION.

[DaemoN67]

Dun dun duuuuun...