Prologue
‘I’ll do it,’ I said.
‘What?’ Pulchra asked.
‘I said I’ll do it,’ I responded, ‘look, you can be at peace, but I can’t. I have an unfulfilled destiny remember. It’s either that, or going to some limbo like place.’
Pulchra stared. It was lucky I had become so accustomed to covering up my emotions. I could feel my stomach squelching and something inside me was cracking. I suppose it had been silly. I suppose it wouldn’t have working very well, but if I could . . . When I had been introduced to the idea, well, the one I had thought of was Starburst. But there were more important things now. She needed it. She was in danger of all I had endure and suffered. I couldn’t let that happen. Something inside snapped as I was reminded of Starburst’s state. I didn’t know how long it had been but I was almost certain he wouldn’t have recovered in any way. Her protection, and Pulchra’s peace, were painfully more urgent now.
‘Look,’ I went on, ‘I didn’t mention this before but I know one her enemies very well. I’m more qualified for it than you are in a way.’
Pulchra nodded. Cadence hadn’t been listening. She had been concentrating. Pressing her hoof to that rather irritated ball and chain, which was attached to me, and holding down for ten seconds to unlock it. It was odd. Before Cadence had arrived neither I, nor Pulchra had been able to see any of our real surroundings. All she could see was white light, because she could be at peace, whereas I, well, it doesn’t really matter what I could see. The point was that it represented a place for those with unfulfilled destinies.
We were underwater, in a lake. It was most likely to be that hidden lake in Canterlot. There was no light shining in from above. No wonder Dusk had never been able to free me as he had promised to. Starburst had flown me up to the entrance once. I had peered through the crack eagerly but was not so enthusiastic about squeezing through it. I didn’t want to get stuck. Starburst had eventually been able to persuade me that I would fit. We had sat inside and gazed at the lake together. So quiet. So peaceful. That was until I somehow managed to catch my brace on a piece of rock slightly dislodged from the wall. It had taken a while for Starburst to free me. After we got out, I had informed him that I had been right. I had got stuck.
‘I’ll have you free in a moment, Mom,’ Cadence told Pulchra.
My mind snapped back to reality and the smile that had formed on my face slowly began to fade. At least my eyes were starting to get used to the light now. I watched as bubbles floated passed me and was suddenly struck by the fact that I wasn’t wet. It was odd to think about despite the fact I was used to my body not feeling much at all. I wondered if I could walk and if so how? Did I walk while in water too? I wasn’t being affected by any sensations one usually has while underwater and I didn’t seem to be experiencing much of a gravitation pull either.
‘It shouldn’t be this way,’ Pulchra sighed, ‘I should be protecting and rescuing you, not the other way round.’
Pulchra and I exchanged a meaningful glance, before I gave a nod.
I had a sudden urge to see my own foal. How old would she be now? Was she safe? It was impossible to know but I took some comfort in the feeling that I would know if she were dead. The memory of my foal being ripped from my forelegs flashed before my eyes and I repressed a shudder. Suddenly, I didn’t want to think about my little filly anymore. All my memories were interwoven and thinking about her made me think about . . . Don’t think about it. DON’T THINK ABOUT IT! Almost overcome by repulsion, I stifled a shriek. I felt sullied, unclean, infected. Fortunately, Pulchra and her daughter had been occupied enough not to notice my odd behaviour.
‘You did your best, Mom,’ Cadence replied, ‘no-pony could ask more than that.’
‘But my best wasn’t good enough,’ Pulchra responded sorrowfully.
‘You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,’ I commented, thinking of the harsh light I put myself in.
I knew how she felt. I felt like I had let everypony down. My death had caused so much sorrow, so much damage. Even though much of it was out of my hooves, I still felt responsible for it. What had happened to everypony? Was Lost Heart safe and happy? Had Cross-Stitch managed to reunite with her family? How many others were . . ? Wait, I already knew that. There had been twenty eight others. That was eighteen since me. I doubted anything much had changed for Arachne and Lamia. They were probably just the same as ever. Were my foalhood friends Ivy and Light Heart married and happy? I stopped myself. I was thinking too much.
The moment the ball and chain was off Pulchra, everything seemed to speed up. Fortunately, I realized this would happen moments before so I had those instances to prepare. I quickly took hold of Cadence’s left foreleg while Pulchra took the other. I don’t know how we were able to hold her but somehow we managed it. Our speed became so rapid that we were by the edge of the lake within a few seconds.
Everything began to change before Cadence had even had a chance to get up and look around. The world around us seemed to become cloudy. We were surrounded by smoky light of shades varying from almost bright white to almost stormy grey. Pulchra and I were suddenly being pulled in opposite directions, she towards resting in peace and I towards whatever training was required to become a guardian angel to Cadence, Pulchra’s daughter and my murderer’s intended victim.