Apocrypha

by Somepony New

Prologue

It was the eerie howl of timber wolves that summoned her into consciousness. Evening Star fought to regain her senses as she shrugged off the laze of her unwelcomed slumber. Her blonde mane had matted against her coat and her body ached from lying on the cold stone floor. Through bars in the door, the flickering light of two wall lanterns fought against the shadows of her cell; the scent of their burning oil overpowered by the unpleasant stench of dried sweat and mildew.

As her eyes adjusted, she made note of a pair of shackles securing her hind legs to the floor. She collected herself, testing each of her restraints for a flaw that might free her; she found none.

How she got here she couldn’t fathom, but somepony was going to pay for this injustice. It wasn’t until she brought herself to her hooves that she could see the two armor-clad, white pegasi stallions standing guard over her. The fires of indignation ignited in her jade green eyes.

“Do you have any idea who I am? Do either of you realize what you have done?” Her nostrils flared as she snorted her protests. “You will release me at once! You have no right to hold me here!”

Her voice reverberated throughout the barren chamber, but the demands fell upon deaf ears. Neither of the guards had moved even an inch from their posts.

“Are you listening to me!? You will let me go, right now!” She grew louder and more agitated with each disregarded outcry. “Hello!? Can you even hear me!? I said, you will let me go!”

No response.

They couldn’t hear her—that must have been what it was. Nopony would just stand there and ignore her direct orders. Something about that didn’t make sense. She didn’t feel the presence of a silencing spell. In fact, she didn’t sense any magic at all—not even her own.

Evening pulled harder at each of her chains, desperate to break free. The shackles were forged of moonsilver—a rare metal with magic suppressing properties. As long as she was restrained her magic would be useless.

One of the guards coughed.

That had settled it. If she could hear them, they could hear her. Yet, she didn’t understand. Were these muscle-bound dim-wits unaware of who she was? Soldiers did as she commanded if they knew what was good for them. These two were no different; she would have to set them straight.

“I, Evening Star, daughter of Queen Sol, and future Princess of Equestria, am ordering you to release me this instant… or else!”

“Or else what, ‘Princess’?” The younger of the two guards glared back at her.

“Sergeant Cover!” The other guard frowned. “We are under strict orders not to speak to the prisoner.”

“I can’t help it, Doc. I’ve had to deal with this traitorous horse’s demands for the past two years.” He stomped a hoof on the ground. “Do you have any idea what I’ve had to put up with?”

“That’s Sergeant Trine,” he grumbled. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

“You won’t have to worry about that.” Evening made her best effort to look smug. “Sergeant Cover... was it? When I am released from this filth pit, you’ll be lucky if you are only court-martialed.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about me if I were you. As I see it, the only way you’re leaving this cell is if you’re about thirty pounds lighter.” He drew a hoof across his neck and smirked.

“Cloud Cover!” Doc waited to make sure he had the flippant guard’s attention. “Once I can tolerate; twice is pushing it. Disobey orders a third time and I will have no choice but to report the matter.”

“I do not think that will be necessary, Sergeant,” said a stern, yet softened voice. “I am already quite aware.”

The guards immediately snapped to attention as a third, taller, winged pony entered the room. Sporadic stains of dirt and blood plagued her lilac coat. Atop her head rested an oversized golden tiara, held in position by an elongated unicorn horn that rose out through her undulating, translucent pink mane.

Evening Star breathed a sigh of relief; everything was soon to be sorted. The guards would be punished for their impudence, she would be released, and shortly thereafter she would assume her rightful position as a Princess of Equestria, just as her sister had.

“Leave us.” The princess glanced at each of the guards before turning her attention on the cell door.

The guards raised their right foreleg to their chest in salute. “Yes, Your Highness.” They both headed for the exit in what appeared to be a practiced manner.

“Oh, and Sergeant Cover…” She paused until he turned to face her.

“Yes, Princess?”

“Wait for me in the Great Hall. We shall be discussing this incident further.”

He swallowed and lowered his gaze to the floor. “Yes, Princess.” He saluted once more, this time with less enthusiasm, before departing.

The cell door had not been opened for more than a second before Evening started in on her sister. “Starlight, oh thank goodness you are here. These ruffians have been treating me like some common Earth Pony. I don’t know how I managed to get here, but I am so glad to see you. I want that Sergeant Cover or whatever his name is to rue the day that he disrespected me. Well, what are you waiting for? Are you going to let me out of here or not?”

Starlight opened the door to her cell. “I am afraid I cannot let you out, Evening. Not after what you have done.” She hung her head.

“You’re joking.” She laughed. Evening looked Starlight up and down. “Why, whatever happened to your beautiful coat? Is that… blood? Are you alright, Star?”

“It is not my blood, but that is not what is important right now.” She brought her eyes up to meet her sister’s. “How could you do it, Evening? Why would you do it?”

“Do what?”

Starlight stomped her hoof on the floor. The stone tile cracked underneath, releasing a thunderous clap, and the room darkened. “Do not feign innocence with me!”

Evening backed into the wall, but Starlight followed her. “Sister, you’re scaring me. Does mother know you’re doing this?”

“Stop,” she muttered, taking a step forward.

“Mother would not approve of you treating me this way, Starlight.”

“Stop it.” Two more steps.

“Where is mother? I want her to know, just how you treat your bigger sister since you became a Princess. Don’t you think she should–”

“I SAID STOP! She is dead, Evening! She died! Because of you! Because of your jealousy—because of your betrayal, she died!” Her lip quivered and voice wavered as she glared with unblinking, tear-filled eyes that burned with rage. “Because of you, I… I have lost everything.”

“She’s dead?” Evening couldn’t believe it. “Mom’s dead? How? Why!?”

Starlight turned away from her sister. “Malice. Malice killed her.”

“How… how did he get to her!?” she demanded, tears beginning to well in her own eyes.

“We had a trap set. We knew he was going to attack tonight. Adam, mother, and I were prepared for his assault.”

“Why wasn’t I told!?”

“Do I really need to say it?” Starlight shook her head. “Malice has spies among us. There is almost no way of knowing who has been compromised. With that threat, we could not afford to tell anypony. Everything had been going according to plan, until you drugged me—until you betrayed us.”

“But all I did was send you away so I could spend some time with him! The potion was harmless! How was that a betrayal?”

Starlight looked back at her sister. “Who do you think it was that gave you the potion, Evening? What did you think it would do to me?”

“It’s not… I didn’t… I just…” Evening couldn’t take any more. Her whole world had begun to fall apart around her. Her mother was dead, and she was responsible? How was she at fault? None of it mattered, she was gone. She would never see her radiant smile or hear her reassuring voice again. She collapsed to the floor and sobbed.

Starlight sat with her and began stroking her blonde mane, sharing her grief. She had almost managed to fix the tangled mess before Evening was ready to speak.

“I only wanted–”

“I know what you wanted, Eve. It was not yours.”

“I just wanted him to love me!” Her voice cracked from the strain of her sorrowing. “The way he loved you. You always got everything; I wanted just this one. Was that so wrong?”

She sighed. “Yes, Eve. It was wrong. His heart is not your to take, nor it mine to give away.”

Evening sniffed. “Is mom really…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it again.

Starlight only nodded.

“I am so sorry, Star. I want to take it all back.” She wished the Elements would smile upon them and somehow fix what she did; that she could rewind time and undo what had be done. Sadly, she knew better and so did her sister.

“I know you do.” Starlight hugged her.

Evening sat in her sister’s embrace for a few moments before letting go. “Can you ever forgive me? I mean, after all I have done – after all this – can you forgive me?”

“Of course, Eve. You are my sister. Of course I can forgive you.”

Evening began to feel relieved. Even after being partially responsible for their own mother’s death, Starlight forgave her. She could feel pressure being lifted from her shoulders.

“However, Equestria cannot forgive your actions.”

The weight slammed back down on her. “What? What do you mean?”

“If it were just me that you had wronged, that would have been the end of this.” Starlight closed her eyes for a moment as she stood. When they opened, they were cold and dead. “But your actions wronged all of Equestria. Her citizens: they are demanding your punishment.”

“Punishment? For what?”

Starlight held her eyes in a fierce gaze. “For betrayal of the crown, resulting in the death of the Queen, Equestrian law dictates only one punishment: death.”

“But it was an accident! I didn’t want to mom to die!”

She shook her head. “It matters not, Eve. The law is the law. It is also why I am here.”

“Why you are here?” Evening didn’t understand. What possible reason could the law have that would require Starlight to be here? Especially an infraction with a punishment so severe. It finally dawned on her. “What are you going to do, Starlight?”

“The only thing that I can, my sister. I hope that you will be able to forgive me for this.”

“You don’t have to do this! There has to be some other way!” There was no life in her eyes. She was really going to do it; Starlight was going to execute her. But why? Nothing she did could warrant this. Just because some stupid old law stated so, didn’t make it right. It wasn’t like she meant to hurt anyone. It was all an accident.

Starlight’s horn began to radiate with a magical energy. The same energy also built in her eyes as their color faded into a solid white void.

“No, please! Don’t do this, Star!”

“I am sorry.”

Pink strands of magic struck out from her horn, encircling Evening. As the power spun around her body, she could feel the shackles that held her drop away, but it was too late.

“Why? Why are you doing this!?”

The air spiraled into a cyclone and enveloped her. Gusts of wind burst out of the cell, extinguishing the lanterns. As the torrent of energy began to fade, Evening’s cries of outrage died out with them. When the spell finally subsided, Evening was gone.

Starlight trembled, fighting back her tears as the howls of timber wolves sounded in the distance. Equestria was in need of her strength – even if she didn’t feel strong at all. She just felt alone.

Author's Note:

I would like to thank NotSoSubtle for taking the time to help me with this story. I had a frame, but he helped build it and flesh it out. It would not be the story it was today if it weren't for his help. I would like to doubly thank him for the name Evening Star. It was the perfect fit in so many ways that you will come to find out as you continue to read. He even helped me find a suitable name for this story. Thank you, NotSoSubtle for your patience.

I would also like to thank FrontSevens for his feedback. It has helped me greatly on the path to becoming a better writer.

Pre-read by: NotSoSubtle
Proofread by: FrontSevens