Harrowed Crownby DawnFadeChaptersPrologueThe PrinceThe CaptainThe StewardThe MotherThe ResearcherThe FatherEpiloguePrologueThanks to my glorious prereaders: Venatus, Statoose, and Spiili for their awesome advice. Also thanks to Poptard and That One Guy, who I'm sure will get around to it eventually. Thanks to Skunkiss for the amazing cover image, which I had had to crop and resize unfortunately. I encourage readers to look at the magnificent full version on his Deviantart account. And now, the main event. ---------- I awoke to a corpse, grey and withered. Strands of pale golden hair clung to a mottled scalp. Her eyes were closed by virtue of a deathly reflex. The world around me had burned, was burning, and would burn forevermore, leaving ash-stricken pathways of cracked stone. The city of glass and flowers had shrivelled and shattered. Who am I, to have caused this and yet live? I ruled a land once, my heart ruled me, and she ruled my heart. Is it fair to blame her? Should I curse her beauty? Her elegance? Her grace? All of it is broken and decayed in an emaciated body lying amid a ruined castle. Blink, reader. I dare you. Blink, and imagine your world being stripped of life and colour in an instant. Imagine the ones you love decaying in a moment. Should your imagination provide a suitably realistic portrayal, you will experience my life. We took a sip, just a little sip, and I looked across the table . . . and I blinked. And so, in truth, my first words on this page are inaccurate. I did not "awake" for I was not asleep. I merely opened my eyes and saw her corpse. I sit now, in the shell of the royal archives, far from my land. My memory is dying with my body, and despite my age I feel no older than I was when I first saw her. This is not where I "awoke". I was in a basement below an inn. Nothing I have found reveals why we were there. It doesn’t really matter, I suppose. I combed through the city for hours, looking for reason to this destructive rhyme. When at last, I had gathered all that I could, I returned to the castle. I wondered if my own castle was still standing back home. I doubt I will ever see it, for my time grows short. My diary was intact, locked within the metal case my father gave me. The lock had rusted enough that even my old, frail hooves were able to crack it. I will put the relevant diary entries here. Maybe someday it will be discovered and the ponies will know what happened and why. May they curse my name for all eternity. I am Prince Harrowed Crown of the former Equinian Kingdom, and this is how I destroyed the world. The PrinceThe Royal Journal of Prince Harrowed Crown A hundred and twenty days until the summer solstice. Court was so boring this morning that I almost wished somepony would destroy the world. First my father drags me away from the royal harem and sends me here, and now I am forced to sit through hours of painfully slow proceedings. It's clear that the old bastard is angry with me for some infinitesimal transgression he has perceived through his stupid old eyes. To his credit, I did not sense any animosity in his farewell speech. And what a speech it was! He put a lot of effort into that one, going on about how I was to broaden my knowledge of the royal duties as performed by other leaders and that by doing so I would expand my mind and gain a new perspective which would ultimately allow me to rule more effectively when the time came. No amount of words, regardless of their sincerity, can excuse sending me to this dull and lifeless place. Can you believe that they don't even have a royal harem? I almost wish you were a real pony, diary, so that you could share in my consternation. Furthermore, they were mortified when I asked where their harem was! They acted as though it was a crime or otherwise indecent thing to request! Clearly, these ponies have much work to do if they want to be as powerful as my kingdom one day. I am tired of standing still. Tomorrow, I shall attempt to slip away and wander the city. Perhaps a pretty young mare may be willing to teach me why it's called the City of Glass and Flowers after we have a few glasses and she reveals her flower. Prince Harrowed Crown. --- The Royal Journal of Prince Harrowed Crown A hundred and nineteen days until the summer solstice. Escaping the clammy grasp of the steward's lecturing was easier than I thought it would be. Clearly yet another way that this kingdom is inferior to mine. They have no real security around here. Ponies come and go as they please. Everypony is relaxed and easy-going. It's like they have never been under threat before. I saw the king bump hooves with several of his subjects today. They would bow at first, of course, but then he would chuckle warmly and welcome them up onto his dais. How is he even alive if all it takes to get within knife-range is a bow? Truly, this is the land of idiots. After slipping away, I found that my hopes of leaving the castle and looking around the city were dashed. There were simply too many ponies at the gates for me to pass through undetected. Instead, I resigned myself to exploring the extensive gardens. They were as you would expect, full of glass sculptures and flowers of a million kinds. Hardly anything new or interesting. However, something else caught my eyes, something more beautiful than any amount of flora. She flew down gracefully, an alicorn with no equal. The very sight of her tore my heart asunder, I am not ashamed to say. Those wings, white as the clouds, fluttered on the breeze as she lightly kissed the ground with her hooves. She was a Princess, that much was clear, a member of this kingdom's royal family I had yet to meet. For good reason, if they were aware of my activities back home. As soon as she landed, I approached her. I introduced myself and was as charming as I could possibly be, yet she didn't return any of my advances. Tomorrow, I will try to find her again. And the next day, if that's what it takes. Prince Harrowed Crown --- The Royal Journal of Prince Harrowed Crown A hundred and three days until the summer solstice. She drives me mad! I bring her gifts, I share dinner with her, I talk to her constantly yet she does not reciprocate my actions! In frustration, I threw a servant mare across my bed when she asked how my day went. Fortunately, she was not even nearly as resilient to my charms and quickly learned to enjoy my fury-fuelled attentions. Then she had the nerve to still be in my chambers when I awoke! It was despicable, almost as if she hadn't been trained in the art of royal lovemaking. Even the supple servant didn't quell my hunger. She was just a distraction from my true goal. The Princess's eyes haunt me whenever I close my own. Harrowed Crown --- The Journal of Crown Ninety I don't know solstice I may have to do something drastic. I am going insane. Yesterday I spent all afternoon chuckling and talking to a chair in my room, imagining she was here. I knew she wasn't but I ignored that. It's not healthy. If she isn't mine soon I don't know what I'll do. HC --- Journal A hooded pony approached me in the gardens after yet another failed courting attempt on the Princess. She said she knew what my problem was and she could help. I'm desperate. I begged her for her assistance. She was clearly a unicorn, but I thought I saw the shuffle of wings beneath her cloak. A Princess? Maybe. But not my Princess. I don't even care who she is or why she's helping me. I stopped sleeping a few days ago, I think. Time is a blur, a haze of pain and hunger. Asked her anyway. She said she was doing what's best for Equestria. I don't know what that distant, tyrannical land has to do with anything and I don't care. She said to meet her in a week's time. --- Short meeting. Night. Gardens. Flask with purple liquid. Calm, friendly voice from dark hood. Everything will be alright, as long as my Princess and I drink it. She will love me if we drink it. Agreed before she finished talking. Dinner tonight in my chambers with my Princess. Not the first time. Has maintained friendly persona all other times. Please let this change that. I can't even make sense of the world around me anymore. I know when we are together, when she loves me, everything will be better. I will sleep again, with her at my side. We will marry and live forever and ever. The CaptainThat was the last of my own diary entries. From the scraps I have gathered, the next chronological entry is from the Captain of the Guard’s royal journal, which I found in the archives. Read at your will. --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Seventy-Three days until the summer solstice I saw the strangest thing today. I know I’m supposed to keep these entries official and concise, but I really think it’s worth mentioning. But first the official report: Three guards caught napping on duty. They will receive harsh reports and loss of privileges. The dragon researcher, Four Scales, left for the mountains. He took his assistant and four packs of parchment, so it seems he won’t be back for a while. No major incidents. Petty crime is still in gradual decline. The new steward is probably to thank for that. As for what I saw today, it was during my off-duty hours. I always found the gardens to be soothing after a day of yelling at recruits. I wandered the fragrant maze of flowers for a long time. Eventually, I came across a very unusual sight. That Equinian prince, Harrowed or something, was in the gardens too, sharing a drink with our Princess. Not so unusual, yes, but this time it was different. Rather than politely tolerating the arrogant fool, our Princess seemed to be openly encouraging him. They were engrossed in each other’s eyes. This is not how Princess Poy normally behaves! Excuse my informal writing, but Poy is a very intelligent and kind mare and certainly not the sort to go bug-eyed over a stallion. Especially a spoiled brat like Harrowed! Even his own father admitted he sent the boy here to be taught what being a good ruler means, yet he struts around as if this were his castle! Yet my surprise and anger did nothing to conceal the fact that they were clearly becoming involved with each other. They even kissed and nuzzled each other a few times. In a (possibly misguided) effort to disrupt the madness, I tried to call the Princess away for a tedious royal duty. I had hoped she would leap at the chance to leave Harrowed’s company, but she became protective and dug her hooves in as if I was going to try and drag her away! Clearly, this is very worrying. I shall continue to observe to see if her madness abates. Perhaps I need to assign a few more guards to her bedroom door as well. We do not need a scandal in this time of peace. Captain Summer Strike --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Seventy days until the summer solstice Official report: One guard injured. Slipped from a rooftop post during a storm. He will make a full recovery. The first harvest was poor, but we are in no danger of starving. The dragon researcher Four Scales sent a raven informing us that he has reached the mountains safely and will contact us again when he has completed his studies. Now onto more unofficial matters. Rumours are spreading as fast as they can be thought up regarding the new royal couple. They declared their love for each other yesterday during a feast, to the surprise of everyone present. I swear they didn’t leave each other’s side for the entire evening. I suppose if Poy is happy, I should not complain. Even Harrowed is being less of a prick with all his time occupied by our fair Princess. Nevertheless, this whole situation awakens feelings inside of me that I should not have. I helped raise and teach little Poy from birth. I was her personal guard until she came of age. The feelings inside of me are akin to what I imagine a father feels when he sees his daughter being wooed. I want to protect her, especially from Harrowed. Even my nickname for her is born of this absurd fatherly affection. I once called her Princess Poy in court and thought I would be severely punished. Luckily our king is a benevolent and forgiving one, and he laughed it off. In private that day, Poy asked me why I use such a silly nickname. I didn’t know what to tell her at the time because it had simply always been that way. But now, as I think, I wonder if I do it because I want to deny the second part of her name. It is her destiny to take the responsibility imbued in that second syllable, and like any ‘father’ I don’t want her to grow up. Captain Summer Strike --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Sixty-eight days until the summer solstice Now is not the time for adolescent infatuation. Harrowed and Poy have been inseparable – quite literally, I’m afraid. They have not left each other’s company for more than a few minutes in the last few days. They… have started sleeping in the same bed. It has caused quite a scandal, capturing the amused attentions of ponies both here and in our ally’s kingdom. Harrowed’s father has written more than one angry letter demanding an explanation, yet there is nothing to explain. It seems that the two royals have become obsessed with each other. How could she fall for a stallion like Harrowed? She is smart. Very, very smart. The offer she received from distant Equestrian Princess Celestia is enough to prove that. Imagine being so naturally talented that the alicorn who controls the very sun requests you as a protégé! But if Poy doesn’t get past this stage of her ‘relationship’ quickly then Celestia will see nothing but an immature, childish little filly who spends her time giggling with colts instead of fulfilling her noble duties. Perhaps I am holding her to a higher standard than she should be held? By denying her those experiences as she grew and learned, have the other caretakers and I caused this? All those feelings, repressed for the sake of ‘duty’; something a foal does not understand. They must have compounded until they reached the brink, and unfortunately the target of her affection is an arrogant, self-absorbed prick. Though his behaviour has improved significantly since they began… seeing each other. I don’t like thinking about what that implies. His father is furious, as I mentioned before, though it seems he is not surprised. Prince Harrowed is apparently quite well known for his less-than-innocent exploits back in his homeland. Our king has expressed his surprise and grudging assent, though not without reservations. Though he may appear a friendly and jovial man, his mind is sharp and the affairs of state are not treated lightly. We are walking on thin ice with the Equinian Kingdom now. Captain Summer Strike --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Sixty-six days until the summer solstice Poy has completely forsaken all her duties. This is moving past foalish behaviour in the name of repressed feelings and becoming a serious issue. I will confront her and Harrowed directly. As her caretaker, bodyguard, and lifelong friend, I hope she will hear my words and see reason. Captain Summer Strike The StewardThe Captain’s journal is empty beyond that page. It’s clear that something happened to keep him from continuing his reports. Next in order are the official records of the steward. He was a smart, capable young stallion. Seeing the kingdom he had held together for so long die must have been painful beyond imagining. His fate, and that of Captain Summer Strike, await within. --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Sixty-five days until the summer solstice This is my third attempt at writing an entry. The previous two pages were ruined by tears. Shameful? Childish? I don’t care. A stallion as great as the Captain deserves to have tears shed in regret of his passing. He was always so strong, so surefooted. I truly believed he would outlast all of us. Before I became the steward of our kingdom, he would advise me and offer help. It was invaluable in getting past ambitious nobles that would only use this position to further their own goals. I once asked him why he helped me instead of any other lesser nobles, and what he said will remain with me forever. “Shaky,” he told me, “You have a good heart. I could see it every time you vetoed the decadent and wasteful proposals put forth by the other nobles. Some offered you the chance to leave this life and indulge in hedonistic desires until the end of your days, but you stood firm and refused them. Your moral integrity and duty to the land inspired me.” Damn, there’s a tear drop on those last words. I’m not going to start again. He was a brave guard, a dutiful Captain, and the best damned stallion I have ever known. Summer Strike, wherever you are, I love you. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Sixty-four days until the summer solstice I am still recovering. It seems his death has brought a great deal of attention down upon us. As fearless in battle as he was in the throne room, those who conspire to harm us have one less reason to fear us. No matter. We are still at peace. I am holding this land together for his sake. Lesser nobles lunge forward to feast on my fallen friend’s void. I stop them at every turn and punish them when I can. Not a single damn one of them is going to profit from his untimely demise. The royal couple don’t seem the slightest bit offended. The anger that pulsed through my veins upon seeing the Princess spend the entire funeral ceremony staring into the Equinian Prince’s eyes was nearly uncontrollable. Summer raised her and protected her for nearly his entire life! She didn’t shed a single tear, nor did she even glance in the direction of his coffin. She loved him as I did, this I know, but from her behaviour it might as well have been a dead chicken they lowered into the ground. I must stay calm. Perhaps she will grieve in private and what I saw was merely an act. I will believe that. I have to believe that or I don’t know what I might do. It seems his death and the Princess’s complete divorce from reality are having serious consequences in the city. My informers tell me unrest is brewing. Too many big things are happening at once and ponies are getting excited and reckless. I’ll have to see what I can do to rectify the situation. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Sixty days until the summer solstice Things are quickly getting out of control. There was a riot today! A riot! In this city! I have clearly underestimated how fearful our ponies have become. That they would go to such violent lengths is extremely troubling. It’s becoming apparent that I wasn’t the only pony to believe he would live for many more years. Such a devastating destabilization is causing a frenzy of panic. I have advised the King to address our ponies several times this week. Hopefully seeing their friendly (and still very much alive) leader will put many minds at ease. One of my top informants has left the city without as much as a note. He simply packed up and left with his family in the night. It’s worrying, to say the least. Perhaps he saw signs that our problems may not be going away. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Fifty-six days until the summer solstice My King has left to spend time at his winter estates, despite the quickly approaching summer. He has sworn us all to secrecy, so as far as the ponies in the city know he is still here. It brings to mind the uncomfortable image of a captain fleeing his sinking ship. I can’t spend too long writing this. I am essentially the highest ranked pony in the city now and they will look to me for guidance. Concentrating is difficult when the cries of rioters echo from within the reddish smoke that fills the air. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Forty-four days until the summer solstice Today was good. There were only a few minor fires and the riots lasted barely an hour before the guards broke them up. I want to believe that we are turning a corner and that things are calming down, but in my heart I know this is simply a lull in the violence, like the centre of a great storm. Even the power-hungry nobles are starting to back off and retreat to their private abodes. After all, who would want to control a burning city? The Captain is the only reason I remain. He loved this city and this city loved him. Like an anguished friend going through the throes of grief, this place is tearing itself apart. I can’t fail him. I won't fail him. Not while there is a single breath left in my body. Shaky Quill The MotherChapter 4 ----- As ominous as the steward’s last words are, it’s not clear what happened to him. The next few entries are rather unique as they were found among a burnt out home where everything else had been completely destroyed. I believe they belonged to a mother living in the city proper, not the castle. She would have seen the place crumble first hand, rather than through reports and from a distance. It was pure chance that I found her diary at all. Many pages are missing, burned, or simply ruined, but I believe there is still enough left to tell her story. It’s less official than the previous entries, yet no less important. Read, and remember her. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Forty-two days until the summer solstice I’m scared. I’m so scared. For my daughter, for my home, for my very life. The rioters get so loud that I can’t hear anything but the clanging and shouting. When that happens, I grab Dippy and we hide under the table. I cover her ears and she covers mine. She thinks it’s a game that we play. She giggles and makes faces at me and I try to smile back. Why is this happening?! I’ve lived here my entire life and this city has been nothing but peaceful! I remember the first riot about two weeks ago. For a few moments I thought the world was ending. I heard later on what it was about, but at the time it was so confusing. Apparently, somepony found evidence that the Captain of the Guard was stockpiling food that only the castle folk could eat. The poor harvest is making life hard enough already, but then the nobles have to steal our food as well? Since then, they’ve only gotten worse. The castle gates are closed all day, every day, and only open for the heavily guarded supply caravans they bring through. It makes me scared for the future of our city. The future of Dippy. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-nine days until the summer solstice I wonder what clean air smells like. The smoke has been around for so many days now that I don’t even notice it anymore. I know it’s there, but I forget about it easily. Is this how the nobles view us? Do they just scrunch their noses and try to ignore us? Dippy coughed so hard today that her eyes went good for a moment. I was so startled I almost dropped her. Then she was back to normal, giggling and bubbling, completely unaware of what is outside our front door. I remember a conversation I once had with my mother when she was still with us. “Mummy,” I asked, “Why don’t any of the things in stories happen here?” She grinned warmly. “What kind of things, Chirpy?” “Monsters and battles and heroes!” “Why would you want those things to happen here?” “Because they would be fun!” My mother then shook her head and gave me a sad smile. “No... no they wouldn’t... And I pray you never find out why, little one.” I understand now. And that makes me sad, because it means one of her hopes have been dashed. What would she want me to do? What would she do? I don’t know. Every night, I have to hide my shivering and crying from Dippy or she gets upset. Then I have to pretend I’m joking and try to make her laugh. I’m so confused and scared and I want my mother to be here. Please, help me, somepony, just help me! --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-seven days until the summer solstice I think I have found a way out. Not for me, but for Dippy. The riots are just getting worse and worse so I have to do something. The house across from ours was burned to the ground by rioters last night. There was a nice elderly couple living there. I don’t know where they are now. Dippy’s father came to see me. We hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks. When the riots started he explained that he was too scared to go outside. I wish he would just move here so we wouldn’t have to live apart. It’s not good for Dippy not to know her own dad. And I sort of need somepony to hold on to when the noise starts. He was quiet as we had lunch. It was a meagre meal, just some tasteless oats. After a little bit, he looked up at me and said he could save her. I knew he meant our daughter. I knew what he was trying to save her from. This city is dying and crumbling around us. “I have a brother in Equestria. I can take Dippy and she can stay at his house.” I became very worried suddenly. “But what about me? Can I come?” My heart almost burst when he shook his head. “No. And I can’t stay with Dippy either. The Equestrian Princess has closed her borders to stop refugees from piling into her lands. Even if we somehow got past, our accents would give us away. Dippy can’t talk yet, so she will be safe. All I’m doing is meeting him in the mountains and handing Dippy over. He’s got a good life and a loving wife, they will take care of her.” He didn’t need to say that I wouldn’t ever see her again. There was no more he could say. I know him; he wouldn’t suggest this if there was a better option. He cares about Dippy as much as I do, so I know he would have planned carefully. Tonight, he is staying with us. We’re going to talk and read stories and tell jokes and then fall asleep together as a family. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-five days until the summer solstice We went to the grassy court near the markets today for a little bit of fun. The trees were burnt and the grass was singed, but we ignored that. Dippy giggled and rolled on the grass a lot, which looked adorable, especially when she would stop on her back and look at us upside down with her beautiful eyes. I tried to find a ball or something we could play with, but all the playthings were gone. We decided not to focus on the bad things though, so we made our own games, running and jumping and skipping. Two days until they leave. Dippy looked so happy today. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-four days until the summer solstice The most amazing thing happened in the middle of the night. I was sniffling and crying a bit like I normally do and North was comforting me while trying not to wake Dippy. Of course, she woke up anyway and looked up at me, eyes wide and confused. I tried to smile, but my mind was still filled with thoughts of a lifetime without her and I couldn’t stop crying. She didn’t get upset like I thought she would. Her tiny little hoof stretched out and touched my nose in the darkness. The moonlight reflecting off her eyes brought me to another memory of my mother. “Mummy, why are your eyes different?” I whispered to her as we cuddled at night. “Because our family is special. Every second mare has these eyes so we can watch over our family better. My grandmother watched over my mother, and I watch over you.” “So if I have a daughter…” “She will have my eyes. And though I might be gone by then, I’ll still watch over you through her eyes. We all will. We’ll never leave you.” The way Dippy touched my face and looked at me, I could almost see my mother and all the family in our history watching me with smiles, telling me it was okay. My tears turned to joy and I hugged her tighter than I ever had. I had begged for my mother to help me a few days ago, and she did. She always will. North didn’t understand, but as long as I was okay, so was he. I think as long as Dippy gets to safety, I’ll be okay forever. No matter how things end for me here, I know I’ll be joining my mother and grandmother as we look out for our family. I think I’m ready for Dippy to go. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-three days until the summer solstice They are gone. They left at midday, when the streets are safest. North and Dippy will go to the mountains and meet her uncle. My house is so empty, and I am so sad, but it is a strange kind of sadness. Soon, Dippy will be safe. Every step they take away from this city will make her life better. The sadness is knowing that I will never see her enjoy that life. This is the last page in my diary. Does that mean something? No. I just don’t have any more room. I’ll wait here for North to come back. Maybe we can make it through this if we stay together. To whoever is reading this, please heed my words. Love your family, because you don’t know when you will last see them. Treasure every single moment, and if you run out of moments then treasure the memories. Love, Chirpy Hooves The ResearcherChapter 5 ----- If it wasn’t for my actions, Chirpy and Dippy and North would have lived together and been happy. I did this. I take all responsibility and blame. Curse my name and spit on my grave, should I end up in one. Better yet, mount my skull in the centre of a city as a monument to stupidity! I am scum! I am less than the dirt, less than the things that dwell in wet caves! Curse my name! Curse me, but build statues of these ponies. They are the light shining through my evil cloud. This is the journal of a scholar who was researching dragons. He was not in the city, but he explains the final events that led to the current, desolate state it is in. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-nine days until the summer solstice Original theory may not be incorrect after all. To reiterate for those who refuse to flip back a few pages, I claimed after a week of study that different smoke has no effect on dragons. I said that it was just another smell in the air. Not true. The unexplained fires in the city below have provided a far better means of testing this theory. Such perfect conditions are a blessing, if you listened to South. Further concerning South, I don’t know why I ever requested him as my assistant. All he does is praise the Equestrian Princess Selestia or however it is spelt. When I contacted that silly kingdom about getting one of their scholars to be my assistant on this expedition, I expected a pony as capable and focused as I am. Instead, South spends most of his time whining about missing his family or writing letters to his brother (who, I have been told a thousand times, apparently lives in the burning city beneath us). I don’t know if he wants sympathy or my commiserations, but I do know that I paid a great deal of bits to bring him here with me and he is not earning a single one of them! When my work here is complete and things have settled down, I intend to march straight into the so-called city of glass and flowers and demand that they support me in reprimanding the Equestrian scholarly institutes for this transgression! And now he is ruining my good practices too! Here I am, writing about daily irritations in a scientific journal! After taking a few minutes to calm myself, I will continue with my new theory. -The smoke from the city is having a visible effect on the dragon. It seems to irritate him and disturb his slumber. Even though he is not currently in the Long Sleep, he still spends most of his time resting, and the smoke is preventing that. -During last year’s study, we found that sleeping dragons that emitted large amounts of smoke were avoided by other, more active dragons. Therefore, I hypothesise that smoke is used as a sort of territorial marker, in roughly the same way dogs mark their territory with the scent of urine. The smoke from the city could be interpreted as a challenge to his domain. Further study is needed. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-five days until the summer solstice I want to apologise in advance for putting personal business in this journal, but I find if I cannot get these thoughts out in some form, they will build up and explode in a most uncivilised manner. South is completely unfocused in the task at hand. I reeled off notes and observations for almost an hour today, only to turn back and see he had spent most of it looking blankly downwards at the city. Yes, fire can certainly be an entrancing sight, but we have work to do! Honestly, we are spending our days only steps away from a dragon and he wants to look at a city?! This research expedition is in shambles. I have never worked with such an amateur before. On the research side of things, I have been vigilant. Over the past four days, I have monitored the amount of smoke from the city as well as how irritated the dragon got. As expected, I found a direct correlation: more smoke, angrier dragon. I hate to reduce it to such simple terms, but I don’t want to spend too much time writing in this thing. Thanks to South being an incompetent fool, I must do twice the work around here. I must keep my mind on the task. Knowledge will not simply present itself. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-three days until the summer solstice He’s gone! South is gone! If I thought him unprofessional before, he’s downright rude now! It was in the afternoon that we were visited by another stallion carrying a small foal. Upon spotting them, South immediately dropped the extremely fragile equipment he was supposed to be looking after and galloped over to greet them. They whispered for a bit before the new stallion handed the foal over to South and went back the way he came. I shouted at South, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. He ignored me! Of all the ungrateful, insubordinate, rude assistants I’ve had, he is by far the absolute worst! All he did was take a portion of our rations (without asking, no less!) and start trotting towards the mountain pass. If he thinks he can hide from his shockingly immature behaviour by returning to Equestria, he has another thing coming! Tomorrow will be the last day of my study. I’ll go back down to the city and tell the Princess herself about South’s transgression. If I remember correctly, she was always a very bright mare, so she’ll no doubt share in my outrage. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-two days until the summer solstice I’m not waiting here for the whole day. My studies must be put on hold. The dragon has become rather active this morning. I think the smoke is really irritating him now, perhaps triggering his fight-or-flight response by interfering with the scent of his territory. By ‘rather active’ I mean he has been raging in his cave and blasting fire at everything. His flames were bolstered by rage, I think, and when they hit the ground it actually turned some dirt into glass! Needless to say, I have been unable (and unwilling) to approach him while he is in this state. The smoke from the city has shown no signs of ceasing, but I’m quite sure it’s too late for that anyway. Perhaps South was wise to leave for Equestria. I would do the same, but these notes must be part of the royal archive down in the palace. I didn’t work this hard just to have my research displayed in some tyrannical museum run by that sun-Princess. No, I will take this journal down to the archives and then come back to cross through the mountain pass. Maybe I can hire a carriage or something. In any case, the city of glass and flowers may soon become a very accurate description instead of a whimsical poet’s ramblings. Four Scales The FatherChapter 6 ----- As you can see, the state of the city, and by extension the kingdom, was quickly getting out of control. This is the last piece of information I have managed to recover, and it is also the most painful for me to share. I want to destroy it, burn it like everything else, but I cannot bring myself to do it. Haven’t I destroyed enough? The following is a letter from my father, addressed to me. By the Princesses of the land, please forgive me. --- To my son and heir, Prince Harrowed Crown of the Equinian Kingdom. Thirteen days until the summer solstice When you left to study in our ally’s court, I thought my days of strife were over. Surely, I thought, another king would never let you get away with such behaviour. I hoped you would be set straight and reminded of your duty to me and to our subjects. Clearly, I was mistaken. Ever since you were a colt, you have always acted so entitled. I suppose you were, as my heir, but being humble is critical to maintaining control. You’ve scorned every advisor I found and ignored even the most basic lessons in etiquette. Only your mother seemed to have any effect on your behaviour, so when she passed on I feared that you would grow out of control. And you have! What have you done, Harrowed? Do you have any idea of the scale of the claims made by messenger birds? They say that the Equillan capital burns and screams with a thousand riots! That the illustrious steward threw himself from the highest tower because he saw no way to save his ponies! Their king apparently sits in his chamber praying all day, refusing food and water! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? The first letters spoke of your seduction of the Equillan Princess. Is that how it started? Did you offend those kind ponies with your lecherous nature to the point where they were corrupted?! They say that the two of you have fallen in love, and as a result their kingdom is dying. The events that led to that are unknowable to us, so you must realise my anger is righteous! The last letter we received was a week ago. It was rushed and difficult to read, but the essence was clear. A large shadow was moving over the city, and the buildings shined. I do not know what that means, but it cannot be good. Please son, I’m begging you, forsake your love for Princess Poysun and help me save our people. Maybe there is still a chance, if you hurry. King Withered Crown EpilogueAnd there you have it. The full story. The reason behind my self-loathing comments. I killed so many ponies. I single-handedly brought down a kingdom that had existed peacefully for generations. In less than a year, I destroyed the world. And for what? Love? NO! I wasn’t in love! I simply couldn’t comprehend not being able to have what I wanted! My own failings brought about the deaths of innocents. I was just a colt! Poysun was as sweet as sugar venom, enticing me, teasing me… I couldn’t not go after her! I was young! Why didn’t they stop me? Why didn’t that bloody captain stick his blade through my neck the second I stepped out of line? Wouldn’t that be better? For everyone? Including me…? I think… I think I’m going to climb up to what’s left of Poysun’s tower. I think that was where we pushed the captain to his doom when he tried to separate us. I think it will be windy up there. I think I’m not as surefooted as I used to be. I think there’s no atonement for what I’ve done. I think I think I think I think I’m sorry. Harrowed Crown
PrologueThanks to my glorious prereaders: Venatus, Statoose, and Spiili for their awesome advice. Also thanks to Poptard and That One Guy, who I'm sure will get around to it eventually. Thanks to Skunkiss for the amazing cover image, which I had had to crop and resize unfortunately. I encourage readers to look at the magnificent full version on his Deviantart account. And now, the main event. ---------- I awoke to a corpse, grey and withered. Strands of pale golden hair clung to a mottled scalp. Her eyes were closed by virtue of a deathly reflex. The world around me had burned, was burning, and would burn forevermore, leaving ash-stricken pathways of cracked stone. The city of glass and flowers had shrivelled and shattered. Who am I, to have caused this and yet live? I ruled a land once, my heart ruled me, and she ruled my heart. Is it fair to blame her? Should I curse her beauty? Her elegance? Her grace? All of it is broken and decayed in an emaciated body lying amid a ruined castle. Blink, reader. I dare you. Blink, and imagine your world being stripped of life and colour in an instant. Imagine the ones you love decaying in a moment. Should your imagination provide a suitably realistic portrayal, you will experience my life. We took a sip, just a little sip, and I looked across the table . . . and I blinked. And so, in truth, my first words on this page are inaccurate. I did not "awake" for I was not asleep. I merely opened my eyes and saw her corpse. I sit now, in the shell of the royal archives, far from my land. My memory is dying with my body, and despite my age I feel no older than I was when I first saw her. This is not where I "awoke". I was in a basement below an inn. Nothing I have found reveals why we were there. It doesn’t really matter, I suppose. I combed through the city for hours, looking for reason to this destructive rhyme. When at last, I had gathered all that I could, I returned to the castle. I wondered if my own castle was still standing back home. I doubt I will ever see it, for my time grows short. My diary was intact, locked within the metal case my father gave me. The lock had rusted enough that even my old, frail hooves were able to crack it. I will put the relevant diary entries here. Maybe someday it will be discovered and the ponies will know what happened and why. May they curse my name for all eternity. I am Prince Harrowed Crown of the former Equinian Kingdom, and this is how I destroyed the world.
The PrinceThe Royal Journal of Prince Harrowed Crown A hundred and twenty days until the summer solstice. Court was so boring this morning that I almost wished somepony would destroy the world. First my father drags me away from the royal harem and sends me here, and now I am forced to sit through hours of painfully slow proceedings. It's clear that the old bastard is angry with me for some infinitesimal transgression he has perceived through his stupid old eyes. To his credit, I did not sense any animosity in his farewell speech. And what a speech it was! He put a lot of effort into that one, going on about how I was to broaden my knowledge of the royal duties as performed by other leaders and that by doing so I would expand my mind and gain a new perspective which would ultimately allow me to rule more effectively when the time came. No amount of words, regardless of their sincerity, can excuse sending me to this dull and lifeless place. Can you believe that they don't even have a royal harem? I almost wish you were a real pony, diary, so that you could share in my consternation. Furthermore, they were mortified when I asked where their harem was! They acted as though it was a crime or otherwise indecent thing to request! Clearly, these ponies have much work to do if they want to be as powerful as my kingdom one day. I am tired of standing still. Tomorrow, I shall attempt to slip away and wander the city. Perhaps a pretty young mare may be willing to teach me why it's called the City of Glass and Flowers after we have a few glasses and she reveals her flower. Prince Harrowed Crown. --- The Royal Journal of Prince Harrowed Crown A hundred and nineteen days until the summer solstice. Escaping the clammy grasp of the steward's lecturing was easier than I thought it would be. Clearly yet another way that this kingdom is inferior to mine. They have no real security around here. Ponies come and go as they please. Everypony is relaxed and easy-going. It's like they have never been under threat before. I saw the king bump hooves with several of his subjects today. They would bow at first, of course, but then he would chuckle warmly and welcome them up onto his dais. How is he even alive if all it takes to get within knife-range is a bow? Truly, this is the land of idiots. After slipping away, I found that my hopes of leaving the castle and looking around the city were dashed. There were simply too many ponies at the gates for me to pass through undetected. Instead, I resigned myself to exploring the extensive gardens. They were as you would expect, full of glass sculptures and flowers of a million kinds. Hardly anything new or interesting. However, something else caught my eyes, something more beautiful than any amount of flora. She flew down gracefully, an alicorn with no equal. The very sight of her tore my heart asunder, I am not ashamed to say. Those wings, white as the clouds, fluttered on the breeze as she lightly kissed the ground with her hooves. She was a Princess, that much was clear, a member of this kingdom's royal family I had yet to meet. For good reason, if they were aware of my activities back home. As soon as she landed, I approached her. I introduced myself and was as charming as I could possibly be, yet she didn't return any of my advances. Tomorrow, I will try to find her again. And the next day, if that's what it takes. Prince Harrowed Crown --- The Royal Journal of Prince Harrowed Crown A hundred and three days until the summer solstice. She drives me mad! I bring her gifts, I share dinner with her, I talk to her constantly yet she does not reciprocate my actions! In frustration, I threw a servant mare across my bed when she asked how my day went. Fortunately, she was not even nearly as resilient to my charms and quickly learned to enjoy my fury-fuelled attentions. Then she had the nerve to still be in my chambers when I awoke! It was despicable, almost as if she hadn't been trained in the art of royal lovemaking. Even the supple servant didn't quell my hunger. She was just a distraction from my true goal. The Princess's eyes haunt me whenever I close my own. Harrowed Crown --- The Journal of Crown Ninety I don't know solstice I may have to do something drastic. I am going insane. Yesterday I spent all afternoon chuckling and talking to a chair in my room, imagining she was here. I knew she wasn't but I ignored that. It's not healthy. If she isn't mine soon I don't know what I'll do. HC --- Journal A hooded pony approached me in the gardens after yet another failed courting attempt on the Princess. She said she knew what my problem was and she could help. I'm desperate. I begged her for her assistance. She was clearly a unicorn, but I thought I saw the shuffle of wings beneath her cloak. A Princess? Maybe. But not my Princess. I don't even care who she is or why she's helping me. I stopped sleeping a few days ago, I think. Time is a blur, a haze of pain and hunger. Asked her anyway. She said she was doing what's best for Equestria. I don't know what that distant, tyrannical land has to do with anything and I don't care. She said to meet her in a week's time. --- Short meeting. Night. Gardens. Flask with purple liquid. Calm, friendly voice from dark hood. Everything will be alright, as long as my Princess and I drink it. She will love me if we drink it. Agreed before she finished talking. Dinner tonight in my chambers with my Princess. Not the first time. Has maintained friendly persona all other times. Please let this change that. I can't even make sense of the world around me anymore. I know when we are together, when she loves me, everything will be better. I will sleep again, with her at my side. We will marry and live forever and ever.
The CaptainThat was the last of my own diary entries. From the scraps I have gathered, the next chronological entry is from the Captain of the Guard’s royal journal, which I found in the archives. Read at your will. --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Seventy-Three days until the summer solstice I saw the strangest thing today. I know I’m supposed to keep these entries official and concise, but I really think it’s worth mentioning. But first the official report: Three guards caught napping on duty. They will receive harsh reports and loss of privileges. The dragon researcher, Four Scales, left for the mountains. He took his assistant and four packs of parchment, so it seems he won’t be back for a while. No major incidents. Petty crime is still in gradual decline. The new steward is probably to thank for that. As for what I saw today, it was during my off-duty hours. I always found the gardens to be soothing after a day of yelling at recruits. I wandered the fragrant maze of flowers for a long time. Eventually, I came across a very unusual sight. That Equinian prince, Harrowed or something, was in the gardens too, sharing a drink with our Princess. Not so unusual, yes, but this time it was different. Rather than politely tolerating the arrogant fool, our Princess seemed to be openly encouraging him. They were engrossed in each other’s eyes. This is not how Princess Poy normally behaves! Excuse my informal writing, but Poy is a very intelligent and kind mare and certainly not the sort to go bug-eyed over a stallion. Especially a spoiled brat like Harrowed! Even his own father admitted he sent the boy here to be taught what being a good ruler means, yet he struts around as if this were his castle! Yet my surprise and anger did nothing to conceal the fact that they were clearly becoming involved with each other. They even kissed and nuzzled each other a few times. In a (possibly misguided) effort to disrupt the madness, I tried to call the Princess away for a tedious royal duty. I had hoped she would leap at the chance to leave Harrowed’s company, but she became protective and dug her hooves in as if I was going to try and drag her away! Clearly, this is very worrying. I shall continue to observe to see if her madness abates. Perhaps I need to assign a few more guards to her bedroom door as well. We do not need a scandal in this time of peace. Captain Summer Strike --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Seventy days until the summer solstice Official report: One guard injured. Slipped from a rooftop post during a storm. He will make a full recovery. The first harvest was poor, but we are in no danger of starving. The dragon researcher Four Scales sent a raven informing us that he has reached the mountains safely and will contact us again when he has completed his studies. Now onto more unofficial matters. Rumours are spreading as fast as they can be thought up regarding the new royal couple. They declared their love for each other yesterday during a feast, to the surprise of everyone present. I swear they didn’t leave each other’s side for the entire evening. I suppose if Poy is happy, I should not complain. Even Harrowed is being less of a prick with all his time occupied by our fair Princess. Nevertheless, this whole situation awakens feelings inside of me that I should not have. I helped raise and teach little Poy from birth. I was her personal guard until she came of age. The feelings inside of me are akin to what I imagine a father feels when he sees his daughter being wooed. I want to protect her, especially from Harrowed. Even my nickname for her is born of this absurd fatherly affection. I once called her Princess Poy in court and thought I would be severely punished. Luckily our king is a benevolent and forgiving one, and he laughed it off. In private that day, Poy asked me why I use such a silly nickname. I didn’t know what to tell her at the time because it had simply always been that way. But now, as I think, I wonder if I do it because I want to deny the second part of her name. It is her destiny to take the responsibility imbued in that second syllable, and like any ‘father’ I don’t want her to grow up. Captain Summer Strike --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Sixty-eight days until the summer solstice Now is not the time for adolescent infatuation. Harrowed and Poy have been inseparable – quite literally, I’m afraid. They have not left each other’s company for more than a few minutes in the last few days. They… have started sleeping in the same bed. It has caused quite a scandal, capturing the amused attentions of ponies both here and in our ally’s kingdom. Harrowed’s father has written more than one angry letter demanding an explanation, yet there is nothing to explain. It seems that the two royals have become obsessed with each other. How could she fall for a stallion like Harrowed? She is smart. Very, very smart. The offer she received from distant Equestrian Princess Celestia is enough to prove that. Imagine being so naturally talented that the alicorn who controls the very sun requests you as a protégé! But if Poy doesn’t get past this stage of her ‘relationship’ quickly then Celestia will see nothing but an immature, childish little filly who spends her time giggling with colts instead of fulfilling her noble duties. Perhaps I am holding her to a higher standard than she should be held? By denying her those experiences as she grew and learned, have the other caretakers and I caused this? All those feelings, repressed for the sake of ‘duty’; something a foal does not understand. They must have compounded until they reached the brink, and unfortunately the target of her affection is an arrogant, self-absorbed prick. Though his behaviour has improved significantly since they began… seeing each other. I don’t like thinking about what that implies. His father is furious, as I mentioned before, though it seems he is not surprised. Prince Harrowed is apparently quite well known for his less-than-innocent exploits back in his homeland. Our king has expressed his surprise and grudging assent, though not without reservations. Though he may appear a friendly and jovial man, his mind is sharp and the affairs of state are not treated lightly. We are walking on thin ice with the Equinian Kingdom now. Captain Summer Strike --- The Journal of Captain Summer Strike Sixty-six days until the summer solstice Poy has completely forsaken all her duties. This is moving past foalish behaviour in the name of repressed feelings and becoming a serious issue. I will confront her and Harrowed directly. As her caretaker, bodyguard, and lifelong friend, I hope she will hear my words and see reason. Captain Summer Strike
The StewardThe Captain’s journal is empty beyond that page. It’s clear that something happened to keep him from continuing his reports. Next in order are the official records of the steward. He was a smart, capable young stallion. Seeing the kingdom he had held together for so long die must have been painful beyond imagining. His fate, and that of Captain Summer Strike, await within. --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Sixty-five days until the summer solstice This is my third attempt at writing an entry. The previous two pages were ruined by tears. Shameful? Childish? I don’t care. A stallion as great as the Captain deserves to have tears shed in regret of his passing. He was always so strong, so surefooted. I truly believed he would outlast all of us. Before I became the steward of our kingdom, he would advise me and offer help. It was invaluable in getting past ambitious nobles that would only use this position to further their own goals. I once asked him why he helped me instead of any other lesser nobles, and what he said will remain with me forever. “Shaky,” he told me, “You have a good heart. I could see it every time you vetoed the decadent and wasteful proposals put forth by the other nobles. Some offered you the chance to leave this life and indulge in hedonistic desires until the end of your days, but you stood firm and refused them. Your moral integrity and duty to the land inspired me.” Damn, there’s a tear drop on those last words. I’m not going to start again. He was a brave guard, a dutiful Captain, and the best damned stallion I have ever known. Summer Strike, wherever you are, I love you. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Sixty-four days until the summer solstice I am still recovering. It seems his death has brought a great deal of attention down upon us. As fearless in battle as he was in the throne room, those who conspire to harm us have one less reason to fear us. No matter. We are still at peace. I am holding this land together for his sake. Lesser nobles lunge forward to feast on my fallen friend’s void. I stop them at every turn and punish them when I can. Not a single damn one of them is going to profit from his untimely demise. The royal couple don’t seem the slightest bit offended. The anger that pulsed through my veins upon seeing the Princess spend the entire funeral ceremony staring into the Equinian Prince’s eyes was nearly uncontrollable. Summer raised her and protected her for nearly his entire life! She didn’t shed a single tear, nor did she even glance in the direction of his coffin. She loved him as I did, this I know, but from her behaviour it might as well have been a dead chicken they lowered into the ground. I must stay calm. Perhaps she will grieve in private and what I saw was merely an act. I will believe that. I have to believe that or I don’t know what I might do. It seems his death and the Princess’s complete divorce from reality are having serious consequences in the city. My informers tell me unrest is brewing. Too many big things are happening at once and ponies are getting excited and reckless. I’ll have to see what I can do to rectify the situation. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Sixty days until the summer solstice Things are quickly getting out of control. There was a riot today! A riot! In this city! I have clearly underestimated how fearful our ponies have become. That they would go to such violent lengths is extremely troubling. It’s becoming apparent that I wasn’t the only pony to believe he would live for many more years. Such a devastating destabilization is causing a frenzy of panic. I have advised the King to address our ponies several times this week. Hopefully seeing their friendly (and still very much alive) leader will put many minds at ease. One of my top informants has left the city without as much as a note. He simply packed up and left with his family in the night. It’s worrying, to say the least. Perhaps he saw signs that our problems may not be going away. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Fifty-six days until the summer solstice My King has left to spend time at his winter estates, despite the quickly approaching summer. He has sworn us all to secrecy, so as far as the ponies in the city know he is still here. It brings to mind the uncomfortable image of a captain fleeing his sinking ship. I can’t spend too long writing this. I am essentially the highest ranked pony in the city now and they will look to me for guidance. Concentrating is difficult when the cries of rioters echo from within the reddish smoke that fills the air. Shaky Quill --- The Official Journal and Records of Shaky Quill, Steward to the Great Kingdom of Equilla Forty-four days until the summer solstice Today was good. There were only a few minor fires and the riots lasted barely an hour before the guards broke them up. I want to believe that we are turning a corner and that things are calming down, but in my heart I know this is simply a lull in the violence, like the centre of a great storm. Even the power-hungry nobles are starting to back off and retreat to their private abodes. After all, who would want to control a burning city? The Captain is the only reason I remain. He loved this city and this city loved him. Like an anguished friend going through the throes of grief, this place is tearing itself apart. I can’t fail him. I won't fail him. Not while there is a single breath left in my body. Shaky Quill
The MotherChapter 4 ----- As ominous as the steward’s last words are, it’s not clear what happened to him. The next few entries are rather unique as they were found among a burnt out home where everything else had been completely destroyed. I believe they belonged to a mother living in the city proper, not the castle. She would have seen the place crumble first hand, rather than through reports and from a distance. It was pure chance that I found her diary at all. Many pages are missing, burned, or simply ruined, but I believe there is still enough left to tell her story. It’s less official than the previous entries, yet no less important. Read, and remember her. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Forty-two days until the summer solstice I’m scared. I’m so scared. For my daughter, for my home, for my very life. The rioters get so loud that I can’t hear anything but the clanging and shouting. When that happens, I grab Dippy and we hide under the table. I cover her ears and she covers mine. She thinks it’s a game that we play. She giggles and makes faces at me and I try to smile back. Why is this happening?! I’ve lived here my entire life and this city has been nothing but peaceful! I remember the first riot about two weeks ago. For a few moments I thought the world was ending. I heard later on what it was about, but at the time it was so confusing. Apparently, somepony found evidence that the Captain of the Guard was stockpiling food that only the castle folk could eat. The poor harvest is making life hard enough already, but then the nobles have to steal our food as well? Since then, they’ve only gotten worse. The castle gates are closed all day, every day, and only open for the heavily guarded supply caravans they bring through. It makes me scared for the future of our city. The future of Dippy. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-nine days until the summer solstice I wonder what clean air smells like. The smoke has been around for so many days now that I don’t even notice it anymore. I know it’s there, but I forget about it easily. Is this how the nobles view us? Do they just scrunch their noses and try to ignore us? Dippy coughed so hard today that her eyes went good for a moment. I was so startled I almost dropped her. Then she was back to normal, giggling and bubbling, completely unaware of what is outside our front door. I remember a conversation I once had with my mother when she was still with us. “Mummy,” I asked, “Why don’t any of the things in stories happen here?” She grinned warmly. “What kind of things, Chirpy?” “Monsters and battles and heroes!” “Why would you want those things to happen here?” “Because they would be fun!” My mother then shook her head and gave me a sad smile. “No... no they wouldn’t... And I pray you never find out why, little one.” I understand now. And that makes me sad, because it means one of her hopes have been dashed. What would she want me to do? What would she do? I don’t know. Every night, I have to hide my shivering and crying from Dippy or she gets upset. Then I have to pretend I’m joking and try to make her laugh. I’m so confused and scared and I want my mother to be here. Please, help me, somepony, just help me! --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-seven days until the summer solstice I think I have found a way out. Not for me, but for Dippy. The riots are just getting worse and worse so I have to do something. The house across from ours was burned to the ground by rioters last night. There was a nice elderly couple living there. I don’t know where they are now. Dippy’s father came to see me. We hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks. When the riots started he explained that he was too scared to go outside. I wish he would just move here so we wouldn’t have to live apart. It’s not good for Dippy not to know her own dad. And I sort of need somepony to hold on to when the noise starts. He was quiet as we had lunch. It was a meagre meal, just some tasteless oats. After a little bit, he looked up at me and said he could save her. I knew he meant our daughter. I knew what he was trying to save her from. This city is dying and crumbling around us. “I have a brother in Equestria. I can take Dippy and she can stay at his house.” I became very worried suddenly. “But what about me? Can I come?” My heart almost burst when he shook his head. “No. And I can’t stay with Dippy either. The Equestrian Princess has closed her borders to stop refugees from piling into her lands. Even if we somehow got past, our accents would give us away. Dippy can’t talk yet, so she will be safe. All I’m doing is meeting him in the mountains and handing Dippy over. He’s got a good life and a loving wife, they will take care of her.” He didn’t need to say that I wouldn’t ever see her again. There was no more he could say. I know him; he wouldn’t suggest this if there was a better option. He cares about Dippy as much as I do, so I know he would have planned carefully. Tonight, he is staying with us. We’re going to talk and read stories and tell jokes and then fall asleep together as a family. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-five days until the summer solstice We went to the grassy court near the markets today for a little bit of fun. The trees were burnt and the grass was singed, but we ignored that. Dippy giggled and rolled on the grass a lot, which looked adorable, especially when she would stop on her back and look at us upside down with her beautiful eyes. I tried to find a ball or something we could play with, but all the playthings were gone. We decided not to focus on the bad things though, so we made our own games, running and jumping and skipping. Two days until they leave. Dippy looked so happy today. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-four days until the summer solstice The most amazing thing happened in the middle of the night. I was sniffling and crying a bit like I normally do and North was comforting me while trying not to wake Dippy. Of course, she woke up anyway and looked up at me, eyes wide and confused. I tried to smile, but my mind was still filled with thoughts of a lifetime without her and I couldn’t stop crying. She didn’t get upset like I thought she would. Her tiny little hoof stretched out and touched my nose in the darkness. The moonlight reflecting off her eyes brought me to another memory of my mother. “Mummy, why are your eyes different?” I whispered to her as we cuddled at night. “Because our family is special. Every second mare has these eyes so we can watch over our family better. My grandmother watched over my mother, and I watch over you.” “So if I have a daughter…” “She will have my eyes. And though I might be gone by then, I’ll still watch over you through her eyes. We all will. We’ll never leave you.” The way Dippy touched my face and looked at me, I could almost see my mother and all the family in our history watching me with smiles, telling me it was okay. My tears turned to joy and I hugged her tighter than I ever had. I had begged for my mother to help me a few days ago, and she did. She always will. North didn’t understand, but as long as I was okay, so was he. I think as long as Dippy gets to safety, I’ll be okay forever. No matter how things end for me here, I know I’ll be joining my mother and grandmother as we look out for our family. I think I’m ready for Dippy to go. --- Chirpy Hooves’ Diary Thirty-three days until the summer solstice They are gone. They left at midday, when the streets are safest. North and Dippy will go to the mountains and meet her uncle. My house is so empty, and I am so sad, but it is a strange kind of sadness. Soon, Dippy will be safe. Every step they take away from this city will make her life better. The sadness is knowing that I will never see her enjoy that life. This is the last page in my diary. Does that mean something? No. I just don’t have any more room. I’ll wait here for North to come back. Maybe we can make it through this if we stay together. To whoever is reading this, please heed my words. Love your family, because you don’t know when you will last see them. Treasure every single moment, and if you run out of moments then treasure the memories. Love, Chirpy Hooves
The ResearcherChapter 5 ----- If it wasn’t for my actions, Chirpy and Dippy and North would have lived together and been happy. I did this. I take all responsibility and blame. Curse my name and spit on my grave, should I end up in one. Better yet, mount my skull in the centre of a city as a monument to stupidity! I am scum! I am less than the dirt, less than the things that dwell in wet caves! Curse my name! Curse me, but build statues of these ponies. They are the light shining through my evil cloud. This is the journal of a scholar who was researching dragons. He was not in the city, but he explains the final events that led to the current, desolate state it is in. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-nine days until the summer solstice Original theory may not be incorrect after all. To reiterate for those who refuse to flip back a few pages, I claimed after a week of study that different smoke has no effect on dragons. I said that it was just another smell in the air. Not true. The unexplained fires in the city below have provided a far better means of testing this theory. Such perfect conditions are a blessing, if you listened to South. Further concerning South, I don’t know why I ever requested him as my assistant. All he does is praise the Equestrian Princess Selestia or however it is spelt. When I contacted that silly kingdom about getting one of their scholars to be my assistant on this expedition, I expected a pony as capable and focused as I am. Instead, South spends most of his time whining about missing his family or writing letters to his brother (who, I have been told a thousand times, apparently lives in the burning city beneath us). I don’t know if he wants sympathy or my commiserations, but I do know that I paid a great deal of bits to bring him here with me and he is not earning a single one of them! When my work here is complete and things have settled down, I intend to march straight into the so-called city of glass and flowers and demand that they support me in reprimanding the Equestrian scholarly institutes for this transgression! And now he is ruining my good practices too! Here I am, writing about daily irritations in a scientific journal! After taking a few minutes to calm myself, I will continue with my new theory. -The smoke from the city is having a visible effect on the dragon. It seems to irritate him and disturb his slumber. Even though he is not currently in the Long Sleep, he still spends most of his time resting, and the smoke is preventing that. -During last year’s study, we found that sleeping dragons that emitted large amounts of smoke were avoided by other, more active dragons. Therefore, I hypothesise that smoke is used as a sort of territorial marker, in roughly the same way dogs mark their territory with the scent of urine. The smoke from the city could be interpreted as a challenge to his domain. Further study is needed. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-five days until the summer solstice I want to apologise in advance for putting personal business in this journal, but I find if I cannot get these thoughts out in some form, they will build up and explode in a most uncivilised manner. South is completely unfocused in the task at hand. I reeled off notes and observations for almost an hour today, only to turn back and see he had spent most of it looking blankly downwards at the city. Yes, fire can certainly be an entrancing sight, but we have work to do! Honestly, we are spending our days only steps away from a dragon and he wants to look at a city?! This research expedition is in shambles. I have never worked with such an amateur before. On the research side of things, I have been vigilant. Over the past four days, I have monitored the amount of smoke from the city as well as how irritated the dragon got. As expected, I found a direct correlation: more smoke, angrier dragon. I hate to reduce it to such simple terms, but I don’t want to spend too much time writing in this thing. Thanks to South being an incompetent fool, I must do twice the work around here. I must keep my mind on the task. Knowledge will not simply present itself. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-three days until the summer solstice He’s gone! South is gone! If I thought him unprofessional before, he’s downright rude now! It was in the afternoon that we were visited by another stallion carrying a small foal. Upon spotting them, South immediately dropped the extremely fragile equipment he was supposed to be looking after and galloped over to greet them. They whispered for a bit before the new stallion handed the foal over to South and went back the way he came. I shouted at South, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. He ignored me! Of all the ungrateful, insubordinate, rude assistants I’ve had, he is by far the absolute worst! All he did was take a portion of our rations (without asking, no less!) and start trotting towards the mountain pass. If he thinks he can hide from his shockingly immature behaviour by returning to Equestria, he has another thing coming! Tomorrow will be the last day of my study. I’ll go back down to the city and tell the Princess herself about South’s transgression. If I remember correctly, she was always a very bright mare, so she’ll no doubt share in my outrage. --- The Research Journal of Four Scales Thirty-two days until the summer solstice I’m not waiting here for the whole day. My studies must be put on hold. The dragon has become rather active this morning. I think the smoke is really irritating him now, perhaps triggering his fight-or-flight response by interfering with the scent of his territory. By ‘rather active’ I mean he has been raging in his cave and blasting fire at everything. His flames were bolstered by rage, I think, and when they hit the ground it actually turned some dirt into glass! Needless to say, I have been unable (and unwilling) to approach him while he is in this state. The smoke from the city has shown no signs of ceasing, but I’m quite sure it’s too late for that anyway. Perhaps South was wise to leave for Equestria. I would do the same, but these notes must be part of the royal archive down in the palace. I didn’t work this hard just to have my research displayed in some tyrannical museum run by that sun-Princess. No, I will take this journal down to the archives and then come back to cross through the mountain pass. Maybe I can hire a carriage or something. In any case, the city of glass and flowers may soon become a very accurate description instead of a whimsical poet’s ramblings. Four Scales
The FatherChapter 6 ----- As you can see, the state of the city, and by extension the kingdom, was quickly getting out of control. This is the last piece of information I have managed to recover, and it is also the most painful for me to share. I want to destroy it, burn it like everything else, but I cannot bring myself to do it. Haven’t I destroyed enough? The following is a letter from my father, addressed to me. By the Princesses of the land, please forgive me. --- To my son and heir, Prince Harrowed Crown of the Equinian Kingdom. Thirteen days until the summer solstice When you left to study in our ally’s court, I thought my days of strife were over. Surely, I thought, another king would never let you get away with such behaviour. I hoped you would be set straight and reminded of your duty to me and to our subjects. Clearly, I was mistaken. Ever since you were a colt, you have always acted so entitled. I suppose you were, as my heir, but being humble is critical to maintaining control. You’ve scorned every advisor I found and ignored even the most basic lessons in etiquette. Only your mother seemed to have any effect on your behaviour, so when she passed on I feared that you would grow out of control. And you have! What have you done, Harrowed? Do you have any idea of the scale of the claims made by messenger birds? They say that the Equillan capital burns and screams with a thousand riots! That the illustrious steward threw himself from the highest tower because he saw no way to save his ponies! Their king apparently sits in his chamber praying all day, refusing food and water! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? The first letters spoke of your seduction of the Equillan Princess. Is that how it started? Did you offend those kind ponies with your lecherous nature to the point where they were corrupted?! They say that the two of you have fallen in love, and as a result their kingdom is dying. The events that led to that are unknowable to us, so you must realise my anger is righteous! The last letter we received was a week ago. It was rushed and difficult to read, but the essence was clear. A large shadow was moving over the city, and the buildings shined. I do not know what that means, but it cannot be good. Please son, I’m begging you, forsake your love for Princess Poysun and help me save our people. Maybe there is still a chance, if you hurry. King Withered Crown
EpilogueAnd there you have it. The full story. The reason behind my self-loathing comments. I killed so many ponies. I single-handedly brought down a kingdom that had existed peacefully for generations. In less than a year, I destroyed the world. And for what? Love? NO! I wasn’t in love! I simply couldn’t comprehend not being able to have what I wanted! My own failings brought about the deaths of innocents. I was just a colt! Poysun was as sweet as sugar venom, enticing me, teasing me… I couldn’t not go after her! I was young! Why didn’t they stop me? Why didn’t that bloody captain stick his blade through my neck the second I stepped out of line? Wouldn’t that be better? For everyone? Including me…? I think… I think I’m going to climb up to what’s left of Poysun’s tower. I think that was where we pushed the captain to his doom when he tried to separate us. I think it will be windy up there. I think I’m not as surefooted as I used to be. I think there’s no atonement for what I’ve done. I think I think I think I think I’m sorry. Harrowed Crown
