With the unsettling events of the Mangled Mad Prince passed every pony, normalcy returned to Equestria though under the surface, true evil has grown. With the return of old friends and villains, the final clash of Harmony and Disharmony will erupt.
With Eyn Spyyr put to rest, and proper respects payed to him, the events in Equestria calmed back to its usual trot. The only gossip inspired story being presented among the papers was a blooming love between Luna and a successful Captain of the Night Guard, whose origins and means of success have remained unknown to many on the force. With nightmares and a strange tension building in the air, the peace is threatened with an enemy that only the late Eyn Spyyr had faced before. Mystery and challenges and the rise of an Ancient Evil await the ponies in Equestria.
Once upon a time was how the best stories would go. Stories told of heroism, self-discovery, and merit that would ultimately lead to happiness in the end. Endless sacrifice made on part of the hero and the reward for their suffering would be eternal bliss and happiness. The holy grail of once upon a time stories is the conclusion. They are all the same. They lived happily ever after. Such tales are cooed to those meandering souls that lay in lace, protected by their porcelain towers, and doted on like dolls. Princes win their princesses and live happily ever after. An orphan finds love in new parents and lives happily ever after. The villain is stopped and the world lives happily ever after. Such happiness is slathered on all stories, as if laying in an analogy that is ignored for the sake of bliss would make the world a better place. With fantastical tales told, the horrors of reality plague those where the stories have died. An empty heart, broken with the force of disappointment and weathered by time, echoes a lost imagination buried in the shells of the suffering. Heroes become villains as easily as villains turn hero. Some choose to take neither side, holding a position that only they know the meaning of. Boundaries blur and intentions illusion, as the narrative collapses into the non-fiction.
Eyn’s eyes snapped open as he rose quickly, screaming out to the echoing walls of the shear cliff that bathed him in everlasting darkness. His scream whimpered toward the end his head fell. Dragging himself over to the side of the wall, he guided his hoof along the stony surface, gaining his bearings in the darkness. Looking upwards, what sunlight made it into the deep hole, reflected off his soft milky eyes. They stared unblinking and without direction, blinded by the fire of betrayal and scorn of one he had not harmed nor wronged in anyway. Looking back into the darkness, the coolness of the shade brought a small smile across the face of the Northern Prince.
“Happily ever after?” Eyn spoke out to the darkness, consumed in pain and the void of being forgotten. Images shot through his useless optical nerves, generated not from his surroundings but his struggling brain to make sense of the world.
The fantasy world of the imagination took him over as he stared blankly, looking around at the new scenery. White arches decorated in the purest of the Snow White Winter Blooms that grew around his castle. A cool chilling wind rustled his fur, the most pleasant reminder of home along with his parents, smiling approvingly as he stood on the stage of the garden amphitheater. A warm reception as the din of a crowd focused into view over the glare of the sun off the snowy landscape that cast his land in a crystalline glimmer.
Then a revealing darkness emerged within the brilliance of the white crystals. A dark mare fitted in a dress befitting of her glory and splendor that the wind left Eyn’s lungs as his heart sputtered with anticipation and love. Her hooves moved delicately and slowly as she proceeded down the aisle, the din silenced, leaving Eyn’s pounding heart to be the only sound in the theater. Her flowing dress trailed behind her, two fillies holding up the edges as others tossed more Snow Whites on the pathway behind her. Luna raised her head only slightly, her intense gaze melting upon seeing Eyn’s eyes forcing her to smother a smirk as she rose up the stairs and beside Eyn.
“We have come here today…” The pony behind the podium spoke, but his voice died out as Eyn locked eyes with Luna. His heart raced at the moment, biting his lip to hold back his jubilation.
The murmur of the royal wedding advisor to the crowd died out before a larger pony, set in the same white as the surrounding though glimmering with her own brilliance stepped up to the podium. “Celestia.” A hushed whisper filled the air. Not from the crowd, but from Eyn’s unspeaking mouth.
“Eyn Spyyr of the Northern Kingdom, do you take my sister, Luna, Caretaker of the Moon and soother of dreams to be your lawfully wedding wife?
“I do.” The words rolled from his tongue with never truer words. Luna’s cheeks reddened as she waited for her part.
“My dear sister, Luna. Do you take Eyn Spyyr,” her speech turned to an inaudible mumble. The gray alicorn turned his head back to Celestia to see her still talking, yet no sound made it to his ears.
He saw the question asked and turned to Luna to see her answer. To just see her lips form “I do.” The world around him began to blur as she raised her head and opened her mouth to say what she wished to say, but darkness exploded forth from her dark form, taking over the white scenery.
Eyn’s broken body hit the cold dirt at the bottom of the crater he had been tossed. The heart that had pounded so fiercely for his love now beat with the stutters of survival. With his wings cut from his body, horn broken from his head, and leg missing from the explosion, what life force he had left leaked onto the dirty ground he had fallen against.
“I do.” Eyn spoke into the dirt, smiling once before his face relaxing as his final breath passed from his lips. His eyes remained slightly open as if looking to a bright future; the future in his fantasy, the happy ending that reality had taken.
A rush of sensation as breath filled the chest of the living soul in the room. His eyes snapped open as his dark mane fell from around his head. The world folded back into shape, forming the dark silhouettes of the barren bars of the barracks. The ears on his head moved around as the subtle sounds of talking and the clicking of hooves materialized from the silence.
Rael quickly stood at attention at the bedside. The door to the room opened slowly implying the posts reporting safety across the lands, but the attention remained in his posture. Shining Armor stepped into the room with another guard. From what Rael could pick out, the conversation consisted of Cadence and Twilight. The courting of Princess Cadence wasn’t something secret though the rumors of marriage had spread far among the ranks.
“Rael, always good to see you at the top of your game.” Shining Armor noticed the Head of the Night Watch standing beside his quarters. “I would expect you to go home for once instead of sleeping here. This isn’t a prison.”
“I am quite aware, sir, but I don’t have a home or family to go to.” Rael spoke with resolve.
Shining Armor paused at the new information from a pony he had long talks with. “I’m so sorry to hear of such news. What-“
“Barn fire, sir. We lived in the far outskirts of Ponyville providing a simple life for a simple stallion like me. There was a storm, the barn caught fire and my parents attempted to put it out. That was when it collapsed. I moved here an enlisted in the Royal Guard shortly after.
“My condolences.” Shining Armor’s attention drew to the side as a stray thought hit him and sent him into thought.
“I grieved for them already. My heart is still heavy for them, but I hope to protect others from losing their loved ones.” Rael nodded and grinned softly. “Not as laid back as the farm, but the structure feels nice.”
“And you excel at such focus. That is why you are Head of the Night Watch now. Don’t think it as some reward for being my friend. You’ve truly proved yourself.” The white unicorn spoke.
“Flattery is unneeded. Is your shift up?” Rael’s voice rang with appreciation for the compliments.
“Not even close. I came to deliver a letter to you.”
“Head of the Guard turned Messenger Pony?” Rael chuckled as Shining brought the scroll forward.
“From Princess Luna.” The head of the guard spoke teasingly.
Rael’s cheeks reddened as he took the scroll and read its contents.
“She wants me to meet her in the maze at midnight. Says it is to be her personal bodyguard as she walks the hedges with double pay though minimal breaks.” Rael spoke aloud.
“It will be more than double. You are the best we have I’m sure you’ll impress her.” The white stallion chuckled. “You might even get a smooch.”
“What?” Rael spoke far too quickly and with too much volume.
“Just don’t get overly downtrodden if she doesn’t reciprocate that crush you have. I know I was lucky with Cadence since she was Twily’s foalsitter.”
Rael didn’t say a word as he tightened the paper into a roll and sliding it into his bag.
“We will talk later, Head Guard.” Rael nodded as he left the room through the door Armor had entered.
“Always nice to talk to you.” Armor responded.
Rael entered the staircase down from the barracks and smiled.
She is noticing you.
“I know.”
Hopefully you’ve won her over.
“I am sure I did.”
That is unless it is beginning.
“What if both?”
Troubling.
Rael spoke to the empty echo of the staircase with his mind talking back to him.
Midnight arrived slower than Rael had desired. The expectation of having a night stroll with the Princess, despite it just being a guarded stroll, had slowed the passage of time around him. All he desired was for the time to come around for his chance at flattery. The Royal Gardens sat in almost ominous twilight as the moon hung overhead. As Rael approached the entrance of the maze, the sight of its pale glory only brought a serene smile to his face as he rounded the final corner.
“You are late, Head of the Night Watch. What took you?” Luna called from the night.
She stepped forth from the overhanging flowers and vines that had grown over one of the trellises. Her flowing mane and dark coat instantly froze Rael’s heart as he sputtered for an answer.
“I was captivated by the moon and my pace was slowed, Princess.” He bowed to hide his burning face.
“I am only pulling your reins. You are early. Now come, I wish to walk.” She retorted.
“Yes, Princess.” He bowed and followed at a comfortable distance.
The walk started silent with only the occasional sighs from the night wind and the hushing of the leaves in the trees that decorated the exterior of where the maze rested. The hooves of the two ponies softly hit the ground with dulled clops. After nearly five minutes of slow and aimless walking Luna broke the silence.
“I have been in your dreams, troubled unicorn. I know of these events from my past and I am under the impression that your dreams are not natural. Knowing the one in which these dreams are portraying, I would guess his remnants have been spreading the nightmares. Knowing your past, you relate well with his history of fire.” Luna spoke.
Rael paused briefly as he stared into the darkness, caught slightly off-guard with the princess’s knowledge of his history.
“You know what happened to my parents then?” Rael’s voice fell lower than he intended.
“It was in your psyche evaluation. I would have guessed that such event would have left you as one of the weaker guards but instead it has seemingly fueled your desire for greatness.” Luna spoke adamantly.
“I would wish that such events would never befall any other pony in all of Equestria. I’ve devoted my life to making sure everypony is safe.”
“An admirable quality, indeed. One that easily does not go unnoticed especially from those that value such qualities. I have also taken it upon myself to observe you during your work and you’ve shown more than great work prowess. You went out of your way to help ponies that were lost, escorting elderly home during the night, returning a doll to a filly that had dropped it the night before, sacrificing your relaxation period to find her.” Luna stared upon the pony before her. “With your dreams and actions, you remind me…” She shook her head. “Walk.” She continued through the maze.
Rael followed closely keeping his golden eyes set on the dark pony in front of him. The slurry of the thoughts that boomed in his head had muffled his inner voice. He did not picture nor plan for this to happen. “Pardon my prying, but I remind you of who, my Princess?”
Luna continued around, slightly faster walking out to a larger opening with a large tree in the center of it. She eyed the tree as she slowed before turning her attention to the pale glow that filled the night sky. She sighed before turning to Rael.
“No matter which turns I take, I always end up at this tree. I always walk back to where I lost him. We all have secrets now, don’t we? I trust this knowledge to you for you give off such a trusting and kind aura. I am not one to believe such nonsense, but I would trust a guard of your caliber to keep secrets.” Luna spoke as she began slowly pacing around the tree. Rael held his position behind her and on her outer side.
“I know a great number of secrets and none have ever left my lips, Princess. Yours will be treated with the same respect as I have given those if not more.” Rael bowed his head as he walked.
“The alicorn that attacked us during the cellist and electronic pony’s concert. The one that nearly took my sister from me was a pony that many years ago had me courted and had asked my hoof in marriage. It was the happiest day of my life. After he revealed his intentions and his love of me, he invited me to this maze. I had seen him enter this maze countless times during his stay here in Canterlot. I never once questioned it. The same day, my sister relayed the news of his kingdom’s collapse and the death of his parents. He needed to be told immediately.” Luna’s voice stammered slightly as she spoke words that weighed on her tongue more than anything had ever done so before. “I was already dressed up. I walked into this maze and stumbled into this alcove where I found him. His happiness was unparalleled while I carried news that I knew would break his heart.” Luna stopped walking and sunk her head low.
“Miss?” Rael asked raising his hoof out to her feeling the pain radiating from her.
“It was the last time I saw that brilliant glow of happiness in his eyes. I was refused anymore courting and the marriage was cancelled, as the old rules demanded that royalty only weds in royalty. Seeing as he no longer had a kingdom in which to be royalty of, he was stripped from his title… stripped from me.” Luna’s voice had grown heavy as every word fell from her mouth like the tears falling from her face. “I was forced to turn away from him, watch him suffer, watch as his entire life was ripped out from under him. I watched as the kindest pony in all the lands being rewarded with the greatest injustice.” The tone collapsed briefly into anger before dissolving back into a soft sadness. “I never stopped loving him and through it all, through his madness, he never stopped loving me.” She shook the sadness from her and turned back to Rael, her eyes still glistening from the tears, but her face tightened back to a more formal stance. She breathed in deeply before speaking once again. “You will speak of this to no pony.”
Rael gave her a soft grin, lowered his hoof, and bowed his head. “Of course, Princess.” His mind flurried with thoughts about the situation. Only one tugged at his mind and pushed at his lips. “My mother always told me that love is a timeless force, the strongest in all the lands.”
“Rael, you sometimes surprise me with your words. Your actions towards others always remind me of him.” Her voice chokes at the thought of whom she wished to think about. “Like my life is on a loop.” You are dismissed Rael. Please, leave me to my thoughts.” She turned from him and flew into the sky, quickly vanishing from view. Rael looked around where he stood.
“Great.” The dark pony spoke as he began walking toward the way he had entered with Luna.
Minutes pass and the surrounding hedges felt exceedingly out of place. Rael sighed as he found himself momentarily lost in the maze while the echoing calling of food teased his mind.
“Lost are we?” Spoke a gruff voice from behind the Night Guard.
Startled, Rael leaped around and came face to face with a pony wrapped in rags, much of his face and head were hidden underneath of a hood. His heart raced as he searched his mind on how to react to this figure that stood slightly taller than him. Whoever it was stood without threat to him so Rael attempted diplomacy in the only way he knew how.
“And who are you and why are you in the Princess’s garden?” Rael asked with his tone of authority.
“Such a strong will and power you have, dear colt.” He wheezed a half laugh before being immobilized by heavy coughing. “I am ‘me’ of course. Follow me.” The older pony turned and began walking into the confines of the heavy hedges. Rael followed, though kept a mild distance.
“Why are you in the garden?” The question was repeated and being answered with a series of coughs before the old pony craned is neck back.
“I am the caretaker. I make sure everything grows the way they should without incident.” He manages a chuckle with only a minor wheeze.
“I know of no such caretaker. What is your name, old one?” Rael felt the hairs on his back prickle at the sense that something in the air wasn’t mixing correctly.
“I have already answered the question in complete truth. I am me, just as you are you.” The pony continued. “It does not matter what we call each other as long as we know who we are.”
“You sound a bit too philosophical for being a caretaker of the garden.” Rael remarked, eyeing the pony thoughtfully and carefully. “And where would a caretaker receive such terrible burns?”
“Gardens tend to be great at growing dreams into thoughts and ideas. The longer you sit in here, the more your mind expands and the bigger your dreams become.” The caretaker spoke wistfully. He stopped in his tracks and lowered his head and coughed heavily. Rael closed the distance he had between the supposed caretaker and himself.
“Are you going to be okay?” Rael put a hoof on the old pony’s back and rubbed it.
“Even though you don’t trust me, you came to my aid.” Coughed the ragged pony.
“You are in need and if you were a threat, I would try my best to defend myself, which, pardon my pretentiousness, but you don’t seem too capable of putting up too much of a fight.” Rael tossed a small chuckle at the end to imply what he said was to be said in jest.
“Unless I so happen to be a powerful wizard.” The caretaker chuckled.
“We all have our stories. Feeling better?” Rael commented upon feeling the pony’s shoulders relax.
“We all have stories, some have more than others.”
“You seem to have quite the story to you.” Rael patted the old pony on the back.
“About as much as you. Take the next right and you are out of the maze, let me just catch my breath here.”
“I’ll wait. I don’t have to be anywhere except bed and the start of my shift.”
“You remind me of someone from my past.”
“And who would that be?” Rael questioned.
“I don’t quite remember. In my befuddled brain, he feels like a half remembered dream.”
“Well, maybe one day you will meet this pony again and it will jog your memory.”
The old pony smiled at Rael. “This is the most my memory has been jogged since I woke up.” He lifted his hooves and pushed the hood off of his head revealing the age of the pony underneath. His mane was white and the age was prevalent around his eyes and beard that hung off of his snout. “I don’t know why I kept that hood up. It is a gorgeous day.” His horn lit up softly as his clothes were pulled off and folded nicely onto his back. Despite his age, his body appeared to be holding up better than Rael would have thought. “Let’s get out of here shall we?” He smiled warmly.
They continued on their way, making the next right and walking out of the hedge maze. The older pony plopped down into the grass and smiled, spreading his legs out, letting them creak and crack from the stretch.
“You remind me of someone from my past too, but I don’t know who.” Rael mentioned.
“Well then maybe one day we will both figure it out and shake our mystery pony’s hand. I would probably have to apologize to him.”
“Why apologize?”
“I don’t know. I just know that I need to apologize for something I did.” The pony smiled. “Best to not get muddled in the affairs of one’s past. We will find our long lost and half remembered friend at some point, be it through the darkest of times.” He chuckled. “It was a pleasure to have met you, Rael. We should talk again sometime. I quite enjoy it.
Rael stared at the pony thoughtfully. “How do you know my name?”
The old pony looked back at him thoughtfully. “Captain of the Night Guard Rael Ize isn’t a pony that can hide in the crowds and not be admired by his fans. Such kindness does not go unnoticed.”
“And will you now tell me your name?” Rael raised his eyebrows.
“Ah, yes, mystery aside, Mr. Wisps. Wiley Wisps.”
“Mr. Wisps, a pleasure to have met you. If there is ever a time I have to clear my head, I will surely return to this garden and visit.” Rael smiled and turned to leave the garden.
“Whatever you need, you can find me in the hedge maze most of the time, it tends to need the most upkeep, and don’t worry about getting lost, I’ll find you if you enter. So long Mr. Ize.”
Rael gave the old pony a small nod before turning the corner and making his way through the streets. He never felt anymore distant from the rest of the ponies than he had ever felt before like he had woken up after centuries of being asleep. Was it just the effect of the winding and seemingly never ending corridors of greenery that caused it, the shock of Luna’s story to him, or that nagging feeling that he had to find somepony and say something to them about something that rested at the tip of his tongue.
He walked through the streets slowly, trying to collect himself and figure out the meanings to his thoughts when the scent of smoke burnt his nose and snapped his attention back to the real world. He raised his nose and ran in the direction it smelled the most intense. He quickly came to a burning building. The pegasi were sending as many rain clouds as they could pour onto the building, but the flames rose without much resistance. A golden-eyed pony ran towards Rael screaming.
“My little filly is in there! You have to save her!” Her voice raised in fear and alarm.
Rael quickly galloped toward the door, blowing the door from its hinges with his magic and charging into the blaze. From garden’s green to fire’s red, Rael’s mind focused heavily on the degradation of the building, calling out periodically, hearing a crying pony through the loud roar of the fire that surrounded him like a baker’s oven. The crying became louder as he moved through the house and to a back doorway to a side bedroom. The crying was on the other side.
Rael kicked the door open, splintering it and revealing a room filled with smoke, but largely not yet burnt by the fire that roared outside. A small filly sat crying over another pony who was laying on the ground in front of her.
“Help, Mister! She isn’t moving!” The filly cried out, pushing on the unconscious pony lying in front of her.
Rael coughed as he got his first lungful of smoke. Using his magic he sealed the door and moved what smoke was in the room out to give them some precious moments of clean air. He knew he couldn’t grab both of the ponies and guarantee their safety, but listening to the creaking of the house, there wasn’t time. He hoisted the mint coated pony onto his back, using the straps of his armor to hold her onto him while he used his magic to lift the filly into a magical safety bubble as he moved as quickly as he could, carrying a full grown pony on his back.
Agility and speed had all but died from carrying those trapped in the building. In the short time he had been in the room, the hallway had completely fallen apart into a fiery chaos. Overhead rafters had fallen into an “X” pattern at many moments along the way. He moved slowly, listening to the condition of the house through the din of the burning wood. He managed to squeeze himself around a few of the logs, suffering minor burns. The door to leave the burning structure stood only three yards away. He pressed on until a large creak caught his attention as the front of the house collapsed over the doorway out, locking him in the oven with the now crying filly and the limp other pony.
His heart raced as he felt tears begin falling from his face as a panic began to set into his heart. “There has to be another way out!” He yelled to comfort the filly and himself. He trudged toward the collapsed part of the building and tried to find any holes that may have been left by the collapse that he could squeeze through, but none existed. He turned down the side hallway and saw a window that was still standing, but the creaking of the house threatened this opportunity of escape and may have been the final warning of the house’s imminent demise. The Night Guard charged with all of his strength, preparing to get enough speed to break through the window frame and be free.
The bone in his shoulder shifted as he hit the glass frame, shattering it just barely and falling through the window, hitting the ground with his face causing the protection bubble around the filly to fail only briefly. He caught the filly before she hit the ground and rose to his hooves, feeling his shoulder shift to the side and the rest of his body fall in that direction. Upon inspection, the leg sat at an awkward angle, but it wasn’t broken, just dislocated. Rael didn’t look back at the building as he dragged himself toward the crowd, the two ponies in tow. The deafening sound of the fire had left his ears unable to identify that the roar of fire had transformed into the roar of cheers. He felt other ponies come to his side and lift him off the ground and help him distance himself from the burning house.
The sweet smell of fresh air graced Rael’s lungs as he let the pony on his slide slowly off of his back onto the ground. A unicorn ran over, a red cross on her flank. She looked over the filly first before coming to Rael’s side. Her magic rolled over his leg before he felt the dull snap of his leg sliding back into his shoulder socket. The nurse’s lips moved, but Rael’s ears still were refusing to hear the world around him. He turned back to the unconscious pony and saw her being examined. Her mint coat and cyan mane and tail sat with dark patches from the soot and ash from where he had grazed the wall. Her lyre cutie mark was nearly invisible under the soot and dust covering her body.
The heat of the fire still burned at Rael’s lungs as he rose to his feet, keeping his eyes on the burning building. A creeping fear filled his shoulders as he shook his head, clenching his eyes and turning away from the inferno. He shakily rose to his hooves and slowly made his way over to the unconscious pony being cared for by the nearby nurses. The Night Guardsman cleared his throat, tasting the course taste of ash and cinders as if the fire was in his throat causing them to look up at him.
“How is she?” Rael questioned the nurses, his voice raspy from the smoke, but still articulate.
The front nurse spoke up with a sign of relief and confusion on her face. “She’s safe with only a few minor burns, but,” she paused as if waiting for any signs of movement from the pony in question. “She isn’t waking up.”
A cold creeping sensation began crawling up Rael’s legs as he stared down at the comatose pony lying on the street. A steadying breath broke his lips as his horn glowed with magic, weaving intricate white loops before sending them toward the pony’s horn. It soaked into it, the light vanishing from view for a moment before a few sparks arched across the tip of it. Fire materialized in the air, yet generated no heat. Rael shook his head in disbelief.
“She started the fire, but the magic used is not something a simple unicorn could cast.” His eyes flashed briefly at the potential realization of the pony waking up. “Everypony, step away from her, somepony contact the Unicorn Academy of Magic and Manipulation and get a unicorn who can dispel a high level fire spell.” His voice had returned to his forceful and powerful guard voice. “He turned back to the pony on the ground. He once again began weaving his magic into shackles, which snapped around the pony’s hooves, and a cap that slid over her horn.
“Officer, what are you doing with my child? What has she done?” The golden-eyed mother appeared who had asked him to save her filly, but the young one he saved was not with her. Instead, she was staring intently at the mint colored pony on the ground. “Everything is going to be okay Lyra, mother is here.” The pony advanced toward her daughter.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but she is under investigation for the start of this fire.” Rael spoke, making sure his magical bounds were holding, though with a pony that could perform such magic, his simple barriers would be like butter to her.
The mother mare turned to the fire and back at her daughter. “You can’t do this. She is innocent.”
“She also cast the spell that started this fire.” His eyes locked onto the mother. “Tell me, has your daughter shown any signs of suicide or severe depression?”
Her eyes narrowed before the right side of her mouth curled up into a grin despite the situation. Her body relaxed and she closed her eyes and breathed carefully before turning her attention back to her daughter. “You keep her safe and make sure she wakes up.”
“I promise we will get her life back on track, though I have more questions, if I may.” Rael continued, bowing his head respectfully. “If you need time, I can come to your house tomorrow.”
“No, it’s fine. Ask what you need.” She nodded, watching as the nurses placed her daughter on a stretcher and placing her in the back of the ambulance cart.
“Where is your daughter studying magic?” Rael shot off the first question.
“I’m teaching her and I am sure she picks stuff up from her friends and wife.”
“Wife?”
“Yes, I was actually unaware of this courtship and marriage until recently. She speaks of her spouse with much love and reverence. I thought she was confused at first, but the shimmer in her eyes spoke volumes of her love to the mare in question. Bonbon was her name; I do believe I heard her say, she owns a small candy shop in Ponyville.” She explained.
“I see, and your name, ma’am?” Rael looked around the vicinity, making mental notes of the surroundings and the crowd.
“Quorra Darkhoof.” She answered flatly, staring at Rael as if to catch a reaction.
“Sounds foreign, am I correct to make that assumption?” Rael questioned.
“You would be correct.” She nodded. “It hasn’t been long since I arrived here. It feels almost like yesterday actually.”
“And where are you staying so that I can have a follow up interview in case new information is discovered.”
“I’ll be staying mostly at the hospital with my daughter, but you can find me at the Spotted Mare Inn.”
“Noted. You are free to go Miss Darkhoof.” Rael turned toward the closest route to the train station.
“And if I were to try to find you?” Quorra asked.
“Night Captain Rael Ize.”
“Sounds foreign.” Quorra noted. “You keep my daughter safe and figure this out, Night Captain Rael Ize.”
“I can’t make such promises, but this whole situation is rubbing me the wrong way. G’day, ma’am.”
Rael trotted from the scene, feeling the tiredness creeping up on him, but pushed himself to do this one thing before the word of the event travelled. Boarding the train, Rael chose a seat close to the back window. A few of the passengers turned their heads as he passed. It wasn’t everyday that a fully armored night guard rode in the passenger cart in full dress. He pulled the blind of the window opened and observed the greenery and the sunlight areas around across the land from the mountain viewpoint. In the corner of the scenery laid the small town of Ponyville. It had been ages since he had walked along the streets of the closest thing he called home though the memories were fuzzy and often clouded because of his troubled past. It was as if the smoke of the barn fire had filled that point in his memories.
The minutes passed before the train squealed up to the Ponyville train station. Exiting the train brought forth the clean country air, which he would expect from a small town as this. The mares and Stallions, the colts and fillies talked happily with each other, a few breaking their conversation to toss him a look before going back to their conversation. Walking passed the brochure holder; his magic hooked up a map of the city and browsed the town’s layout.
Sugarcube Corner was the first building that caught his eye, but browsing through the rest of the shops he caught sight of the Bonbon Bundle. He folded the paper and made his way through the crowds toward the shop in question. Rael expected to see the shopkeeper happy and oblivious to the events, happily selling her candies while he had to break the news to her. To be the bearer of bad news always hurt him the most, though he would not wish any of his subordinates to have to feel the burden. Fatal accidents, or in this case unexplained, were rare with the latter being the rarest of them all. Each reaction to the news was unique in their own way so he knew he would have to tackle the emotions of Bonbon’s breakdown from the news. Instead, he arrived to a closed store, a hanging placard reading closed hung on the door.
Rael poked his head toward the windows in hope of seeing if anypony was home though no such clues were hinted at. He composed himself once more and knocked his hoof solidly against the door to find it slide open at the touch of his hoof. It revealed a dark house and storefront area. In better lighting, it would have been inviting and homely, but it stood as an eerie calm before a potential storm. Something was coldly amiss as the air hung heavy in the house.
“Mrs. Bonbon? This is Rael Ize, Captain of the Canterlot Night Watch, are you okay?” Movement upstairs caught his ears. He heard the familiar sound of slow hooves moving on the ground, as a figure appeared, making its way down the stairs. A pony with blue and pink hair emerged from the darkness, her eyes red from crying. When she looked up and saw the uniformed officer, her face collapsed and her eyes threatened more tears.
“Did you find her?” She spoke, her words breaking with sadness.
“If you are talking about your wife, yes.” Rael spoke almost happily knowing that in relation to what Bonbon had assumed, he was bearing good news.
Bonbon’s eyes lifted slightly at the words as she leaped upon them. “Where is she? Is she okay? Please tell me she is okay.” Her eyes pleaded to Rael.
“She was saved from a burning building in Canterlot. As for her condition,” Rael trailed off as he tried to grasp at the right words. “She is in a coma or something. She was taken to the hospital to try and treat her.”
“I have to go the hospital immediately.” Bonbon spoke, quickly looking back into her house. “How much do I have to bring? Should I tell someone?”
“Ma’am, telling you about your wife’s condition was only part of why I am here. She is suspected to have created the fire in the house. It was a magical fire that only upper level unicorns could have conjured. She has been placed under arrest until we can determine the cause for this.” Rael explained.
“You arrested my wife who is in a coma?” Bonbon’s sadness snapped quickly into disgust and anger. “You think she’d run away? Are you that daft? Lyra wouldn’t hurt a fly and let alone she had trouble using her magic to mop the floors of the store let alone do the magic you claim she did. And why was she in Canterlot? She said she was going to grab something she had dropped in the Everfree, the complete opposite direction you said she was found.” Her words bit at Rael though the information enthralled him.
“You said she was going into the Everfree?” Rael asked, lost to the care he would have shown to the rest of her complaint. The curiosity began to swell inside of him as everything about the case rubbed him the wrong way.
“What? Yes, that is what I said. She said she just remembered where she dropped something important which I thought was a good thing and it wouldn’t have been the first time she went into the forest. Most of the time it is just a few feet into the initial trees and then she comes back out. But are you really going to ignore me?” Bonbon growled.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Your wife is at Canterlot General. You, as a spouse, are entitled to see her though the stationed guards will remain until she wakes and she can be questioned or if the investigation discovered anything.” Rael spoke as if on loop from his training seminars. “I wish you the best.” Rael’s eyes snapped to the side of Bonbon’s shop at the Everfree that sat in a great expanse behind her shop.
“That was a month ago.” Bonbon spoke to him at a loss.
Rael only took the words as a larger attraction to investigate the situation further. He left without another word, leaving Bonbon staring at her empty door, heart racing and her mind running around at what she was to do. She turned quickly, taking a bag from the shelf and shoving a few essential items and left her shop, shutting the door and noticing the lock was detached. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the detail before she slid the lock back into place, watched it a few seconds as if to make sure it didn’t move before turning toward the train station and galloping to catch the next train.
Meanwhile, Rael stared at the expanse of trees in front of him and guessed Lyra’s path, trying to make it as straight as possible though strange sensations began to move around his skin as he neared the border between the trees and the meadow. It was as if something was pulling him in the right direction and as he neared the Everfree, the pulling gained in strength.
You shouldn’t be so curious. Rael’s mind spoke to him as he felt a creeping sensation of fear beginning to fill him.
“Something is wrong here.” Rael whispered to himself as his steps slowed. His nose was nearly on the border between the Everfree and the meadows of Ponyville. “It is as if I can feel a barrier here.” He whispered.
Fear can be paralyzing.
For a split second Rael felt he was staring into a strange mirror. The barrier almost felt like him standing on the border of a mirror or the crystal clear waters of a lake. All it was missing was a reflection. The scene of the woods reminded him of a rhyme that his mother always told him before bed.
“Where the brambles are the thickest, there you will find, a pond beyond the most twisted of vines.” A cool breeze blew through the trees in almost an understanding sigh. Rael felt fear creep up his hooves. “And into his own reflection he stared, yearning for one whose reflection he shared, and-“ The wind stopped suddenly drawing an eerie calm. Rael took a heavy gulp before finishing the rhyme, hoping to give him some strength. “Solemnly sweared not to be scared, at the prospect of being doubly paired.”
Rael blinked, the figure of a pony flashing on the back of his eyelids, but as his eyes opened, no such pony stared into his eyes. The cold stare sent a shiver down his spine. “Too many secrets are in you and all I know of you is that one rhyme.” Rael spoke to the tree line. “You will not best me.”
Rael stepped forward into the thick of the overgrown plants on the outskirt and vanished behind the thicket of brambles and thorns. The idea of tackling the case by himself shook his nerves and the desire to send a record to Shining Armor fell flat in his mind. There was nothing of apparent danger and going only a few hooves into the forest would still allow him to escape easily. The assessment only worked to partially calm his nerves still leaving a bit of apprehension to the overall contrast between the meadows and the forest.
A clearing in the trees caught his eye. Breaking through another thick section of bushes, he came across a large hole that the forest was slowly recapturing. The hole wasn’t created by an explosion or collapse, but instead the ground was cut in a perfect half circle as if the entire ground had been teleported away. Given the time frame received, the evidence of if Lyra had been there would have vanished though the sign of upper level magic left a troubled tingle in his hooves. The sudden crash of wing flaps filled the air as the surrounding birds shot into the sky.
“We meet again.” A raspy voice growled behind him. Rael turned quickly toward the source of the voice only to feel a solid object hit his entire side sending him into a nearby tree and another solid force hitting his head. As his consciousness faded something heavy and metal clanked beside his head before a hiss of steam filled the air. The scene faded to black and his head hit the grass as his conscious vanished.
Gravity felt far too keen on keeping Rael down as his senses reactivated in his body. Groggy eyes and a head full of nails, he groaned and tried to take his bearings, but was only greeted by an all encapsulating darkness that was only broken by the bright moon in the sky, hidden partially by a drifting cloud. Only the broken claws of barren trees filled the sky as testament that he was still within the Everfree. The lump on his head only left him confused and disoriented as he looked around his surroundings. He was nowhere near the strange half circle indentation. Instead, he found himself staring in a heart freezing void that stretched as far as his adjusting eyes could see. As they adjusted more to light, the expanse merely stretched out before him. It was a large hole in the ground, not perfectly cut, but a crater of immense proportion.
A thick fear hung in the air, sapping Rael of his breath and leaving a cold sweat beading on his fur as he back from it, turning his head quickly to the sides to try and find the assailant that had so easily knocked him unconscious. Not even the most remote of sounds could be heard as the air hung still and the animals large and small, prey and predator huddled in their homes from something strange, something far more frightening than them. Rael could feel it in the air and out in the darkness, watching him. Everyway he moved, he felt the cold grasp of being exposed with no means of defense.
From being with the Night Guard, he learned that light would expose himself more than it would expose whatever was lurking in the darkness. It might not have noticed him. It might not even exist if his imagination fabricated the entire stalker, yet still something was not as it seemed. Whatever was out there could easily see him. Rael swallowed the slight panic in his throat and let his horn fill the night with light to see his surroundings clearer. With his magic, he focused the beam around the tree line, catching no sight of any eyes or nightmarish beings. He turned back toward the edge of the deeper void. It was nothing more than a deep hole in the ground, though his magical light could not reach the bottom of the hole.
“Is anyone out there?” Rael asked, hoping that his assailant had a degree of class in which to converse with those that he had kidnapped.
The night greeted him in silence. It left an uneasy squirm in the pony’s chest. Someone or something had knocked him out and dragged him to this area of the Everfree. The thought and mystery of the situation only left him at full alert as he kept his ears pivoting around the surrounding area. Rael pressed through what he felt to be the direction back to Ponyville, mostly by the use of the moon that hung in the air only increasing to a humbling respect to Luna’s normally under-appreciated gift to the kingdom. A slow rumble broke the appreciation and caused the guard to turn quickly around to try and defend himself properly only to witness the flashing lights of an incoming storm that was brewing on the horizon.
The clash of dark skies with darker clouds cast an ominous fear as the promise of shelter would be far between with most caves threatening to be occupied with foul and fatal fauna that would end his days faster than getting caught in the soggy breath of the storm. With time running short, the decision to refuse magical light was tossed into the wind. The air glistened to life with a magical lighting that revealed the greenery above his head and the ashen ground that lied around the deep crater in behind him. The leaves above hung with great weight and with great breadth, giving Rael a small sigh of relief as he harvested them and began to fashion a suit that would prove to be more waterproof and warm for the rain. It would be temporary until a proper shelter could be found.
Moving through the Everfree proved to be much more taxing as no straight path through the twisting trees were evident and what animal trails existed were almost never straight with many veering completely off course forcing Rael to tackle through another thicket of brambles or bushes whose branches laid thick in overgrowth. All the meanwhile, the low rumble behind him only spoke of the incoming storm that threatened to hit the forest without any decrease in power from a group of pegasi. The lone pony only used such a threat to keep his legs moving before a dark mouth opened from the trees.
The cave entrance hung open like a mouth with jagged rocks hanging like teeth ready to gobble anything the traversed too close to it. No sound resonated from the cave implying either an ambush or true vacancy, which with a cave so large and open only made the latter thought to exist as an unbelievable actuality, but the sudden explosion of wind blew all thoughts of questioning its safety. With his armor still on his body, any assailants would still need to catch him off guard again, which he made sure he kept his senses open.
The pony climbed the small mound of rocks that hung in front of the cave entrance, filling the mouth of the cave with light and revealing the abandonment of the entrance, but the empty void that turned a sharp right at the end of the initial cave only hinted that the cave travelled further into the rock face. The flooring of the cave sloped slightly downward only hinting that at the other end of the cave, water had collected or still continues to carve the cave into a larger structure. A few areas in the entrance were flattened and elevated slightly allowing for him to remain off the ground where water most likely travelled down into the cave. He turned back to the dark forest, using his magic to tear a number of branches and leaves into the cave with him.
Moving into a deeper section of the entrance that nullified the gusts of the wind, the leaves were stripped and laid out as a makeshift and uncomfortable bedding to wait through the storm. The sticks were broken and stacked into a small pile before being ignited by Rael’s magic setting the cave ablaze with orange light and the crackling promise of warmth and a degree of security amid the danger that still lurked around him. Rael slid his helmet from his head and sighed in annoyance at his oversights and not following protocol.
“Bullheaded, Rael. Smooth.” Rael grumbled to himself to let an echo of a voice give him some comfort amid the growing din that crashed outside of the cave. The helmet scraped against the rock floor slightly causing it to echo through the nether reaches of the cave.
The echoes from both speech and movement only unsettled Rael as he kept his eyes shifting between the two points, the cave entrance and the dark crack in the wall that led to the right. He removed the rest of his heavy armor carefully and slowly to examine its condition from hitting the tree before he lost consciousness. He found the dent from the collision, but what he didn’t find was it covered in dirt as would have been necessary to drag him. Instead, it only held the dent.
“Teleportation with a partner and a great distance.” Rael noted to himself aloud, a means of keeping his thoughts straight. “Too high a magic to be an ordinary unicorn. It has to be related to the house burning in Canterlot.” Rael pictured that unconscious pony that was taken to the hospital and the chunk of ground missing from the ground as if it was teleported. “Something isn’t right.”
“Nothing is right.” The familiar voice that spoke before he lost consciousness resonated through the cave.
Rael snapped to his feet, his magic quickly snapped every piece of armor onto his body as his eyes snapped around the room for the source of the voice, but no pony materialized from the darkness or the storm.
“Show yourself rogue.” Rael growled, the final part of his armor clicking into place.
A stream of water began to pour into the cave’s mouth, moving like a snake. Rael spotted its unnatural movements and shot a bolt of magic at it causing the water to explode into the air. The droplets caught themselves on an invisible shape directly behind it.
Rael’s eyes narrowed as he shot another bolt directly at the invisible form, but his bolt passed straight through it. His heart skipped as his eyes darted around the cave to find the puppet master of the distraction.
“We meet again, Rael.” The voice came directly from the invisible form that stopped a few hooves into the cave. The stream of water began to rise up and create the outlines of a pony sitting in its place. It started with the hooves and worked its way up, slowly filling an invisible container. The water remained though the shape of a pony was quite noticeable, and not just an ordinary pony, but an alicorn.
“Who are you?” Rael questioned the form.
“This is a pre-recorded message so any questions you have will be in vain. Who I am will be revealed in time, but for now you must listen to my words. A great and ancient evil has been rebuilding itself and has amassed an army in the south. They have remained widely hidden from the Royal Scouts with the use of magic greater than any for over a thousand years.” The voice spoke proudly with an air of apprehension. “You must warn the crown. Disharmony is on our doorstep. I know of know other pony to trust more than you. Now, awaken.”
The water shaped pony glowed with an intense light that blinded Rael, forcing his head back and eyes shut. The world around him felt to shift and melt before the dying of the intensity blackened his closed eyes. Upon opening them, he found himself lying beside the tree he had hit when he was struck. Upon inspection of the sun’s position, the time had barely passed before the incident. More surprising was the lack of dent on the armor or a scratch on the tree as if it were all just a dream. The circle for the teleportation still existed, but the questions only began to grow. Rael took a few breaths before galloping quickly out of the woods, walking through the threshold. A sensation of freedom and safety washed over him as he passed the line into the meadow. He slowed and turned back to the dark stretch of trees, letting his heart settle before running through everything.
“It was a dream.” The mere statement of it felt wrong. “No.” It could not have been a dream with the amount of magic. He could feel it all around him. Somepony wanted to send him a message and with the rest of the confusion and the degree of magic being shown in the case, he almost wanted to believe the message. “It’s a trick.”
The Captain of the Night Guard steadied his breath. “But why all that effort?” He turned back toward Ponyville to catch the train back to Canterlot. A whisper sighed through the trees behind him, causing a cold chill to shiver up his spine.
He retreated from the Everfree with hurriedly feeling eyes surrounding his movements. Getting others involved in the case, to Rael’s logic, would help prevent the knowledge of his discoveries from being lost. Having experienced the magic involved, he knew that a report needed to be given directly to the princesses to be completely safe. Being still halfway between the Everfree and Ponyville, the sun passed over the horizon and the sky began to darken. By the time Rael arrived at the train station, the night had set in, the streets were deserted and the streetlights attracted the swarms of flying insects.
The train was not at the station, and according to the pamphlet, the train would not arrive for more than half an hour. The night sat uneasy with Rael as he kept his ears moving and his eyes alert. Taking a seat on one of benches, he pulled out a scroll from his pack and began to take down all of his observations, an act he had neglected to do before. Every detail of the case and the dream were written down in proper detail. He took the note to the main office and sealed it in a royal envelope and placed it into the mailbox before returning to the bench.
Despite the uneasy wait, the train arrived at the station. Rael released a sigh of relief as the train to safer areas was promised to him. He trotted to the door of the train car, which slid open as he approached. Rael’s heart skipped a beat as his eyes widened just before a bolt of magic shot from the car, penetrating both helmet and skull. Rael’s vision blurred as he stared at the dark image of the pony before him. The last detail he saw before his legs collapsed out from under him was the shine a red horn and green eyes.
“All aboard.” The dark pony growled before he pulled Rael’s lifeless body into the train.
Rael’s eyes snapped open with his surroundings blurred and shapeless. A cold sweat surrounded his body and what felt like his skin fell from his face. He blinked to clear the blur from his eyes only to reveal the cave he had taken refuge in his dream. He pressed his hoof against his head only to not only see, but feel his hoof shaking as he did so.
It felt far too real to have been a dream, but if that were true then the cave would have been just as real as getting killed. Rael breathed slowly looking around the cave for answers, but none arose from the rocky confines that all too quickly generated claustrophobia. The storm had passed leaving only warm sunrays into the mouth of the cave. The skin that Rael had thought had been peeling from his face proved to be the pile of leaves he had tossed for bedding. Everything was in place except for his armor and helmet sitting off to the side of the bedding.
“What is real?” Rael’s heart raced against his chest as every nerve in his body screamed out in paranoia. Everything had eyes and something sinister was watching him. Nothing mattered except to escape the cave and get to the train station to get back to Canterlot, to get back to safety.
Rael quickly re-equipped his armor and set out of the cave, making note of each detail and finding all to match his memory of his journey to the cave. Everything from broken twigs to hoofprints still slightly visible on the muddy ground, filled in with water stood in place to what one would expect, yet Rael couldn’t believe it. He moved quickly through the woods, ignoring all brambles and thick patches. The faster he traveled the more his worry grew. A reality of death and dying became all too real as he traced over the sensations in his dream. The fear and the wiping blankness of pain and blindness dwarfed the cave’s claustrophobia. It was a sensation of one’s own body caving in on oneself.
Rael galloped until he couldn’t force himself to gallop any faster or longer. His lungs burned from all of the foreign pollen. The sound of a creek and the promise of cold, soothing water only drew him in more. He moved through the slick ground still wetted by the night’s rains and having not dried by the sun above, which only proved to make the travel harder to his exhausted legs. Reaching the top of the hill revealed a stunning creek that came off from the mountains in the distance and making its way through the thick forestation. The water flowed with near perfection, as the waters remained clear. He put his nose near the water, smelling its contents before confirming it safe to drink.
The water soothed his dry mouth. Rael lifted some of the water with his magic, removed his helmet and splashed his face with it. It felt as if the water instantly began turning to steam upon hitting his hot face. Time was of the essence though seeing the sun still hovering directly overhead he knew that he had a few more hours of travel before the day ended once more and having left the edges of the mountains, any promise of a cave for shelter were gone.
The ten minute break turned into twenty as Rael removed the rest of his armor and walked into the water to let his muscles rest and recover from his run. The soak, despite the locale, proved to be the most relaxing experiences of his life. He sat in the water, looking at all the trees around him feeling completely at home despite his fear in the beginning. The wild world had its own chaotic beauty that he found staggeringly beautiful.
“Reminds me of home.” Rael spoke to break the natural silence around him. The time he waited only let the flood of questions fill his head. The division from his dreams and reality had blurred heavily in his time in the cave. Each moment of time in the cave and the train stop felt real, yet only one could have been and given that he was alive it had to have been the former that was a dream.
Rael pondered the questions as he suited back up and began his trek through the forest once more. His path proved to clear up as he moved, eventually stumbling onto a path in the woods moving in the direction he needed to travel. It wasn’t long before he broke out from the dark confines of the Everfree. The bright meadow almost hurt his eyes as it shimmered in a brilliant orange glow from the evening sun that rested on the horizon. He knew he had time to make it to the bus stop before sundown and catch the plane back to Canterlot before it left. He quickly ran down the road, ignoring his aching hooves and legs and instead gunned it to the train stop. He rounded the corner to see the train still sitting on the platform.
“Hold the train!” The dark gray pony yelled out as he ran towards the train. The conductor opened the door upon seeing the pony running for the train. He moved to the side and let Rael climb into the car. “Thank you.” Rael bowed with gratitude.
Breathing heavily, an eerie feeling still crept over him as he looked over the seats in the train car. No red horn or green eyes stood out among the crowds. To be safe, he chose a seat where he could keep an eye out in case of such a reality poking its head back up. Despite all of the paranoia, the grasp of sleep still manages to snag his mind and sag his eyes. He quickly passed out from exhaustion and when his eyes opened once again, the train sat in front of Canterlot. He smiled before he noticed a group of guards waiting on the platform, Shining Armor talking to the conductor. Something was wrong.
Rael moved out of his seat and walked to the door to the car of the train. When he revealed himself from the car, Shining Armor’s attention shifted from the conductor to the Night Guard Captain with some surprise.
“Rael, good to see you.” Shining Armor turned his attention quickly to the conductor. “You may leave. If you figure anything out, inform me immediately.” He nodded.
“What is this about?” Rael asked Shining.
“We received your report and found that the pony you identified as Lyra who was hospitalized has gone missing along with her wife that had been to visit her. We believe that she is trying to move your suspect.
“My,” Rael hesitated at the idea. “My report?” He questioned.
“Yes, you mailed it to us two days ago and found it note worthy with such magic being used. We went to the hospital to question her or see if her condition had improved and all we found was an empty bed.” Shining filled him in on the details.
