Ascension: The Elements of Distortion

by HeartlessNeoshadow

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Adventure, Tragedy
Length: 13534

A young unicorn, viewed by Equestria's ruler as a possible heir, has lost almost everything close to her. The land's darkest magic is only steps from being set completely free, and now it is up to her to make history...

What would you do if you lived in a world ravaged by warfare? What would you do if you lost somebody close to you? And what would you do if you thought you had the power to fix everything? Truth be told, only one unicorn has the answer…

This is her story. The story of that one unicorn and how she and her friends pushed through the darkest era Equestria has faced. This is the story of the odds they overcome. This is the story of the relationships they create. This is the story of the elements that try to destroy them. But most of all…this is the story of how that one unicorn proves that friendship, no matter what happens, truly is magic.

*Credit goes to Doctor Tastybeaver for the cover art. You can view his artwork at http://doctor-tastybeaver.deviantart.com/

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-14 00:46:21 UTC

Prologue: The Element of Loyalty

Prologue: The Element of Loyalty

Prologue:  The Element of Loyalty

1,030 years ago...

Two guards stood still on the other side of the river from the gate leading into Canterlot, the gentle moonlight casting their shadows across the ground.  They scanned the hills for anypony who was hiding or edging towards the gate.  They guarded the capital of Equestria, where the land’s social elite lived.  Nopony approached them, leaving them alone for the night.

There were others lined up around the city’s perimeter, standing atop the high towers and the walls surrounding the inner plaza.  They gazed out far beyond the outside of Canterlot’s borders, guarding the wealthiest strip of land in Equestria.  They kept an eye out for every tree and tuft of grass that moved.  Their bodies were stiff, ready for anything to happen.

Down the pathway leading to the gate, a black-hooded pony with a green horn protruding from below her hood trotted towards the city.  Carrying a golden chest on its back, it lingered alone, and the guards watched it close the distance.  They stood up straighter, and the unicorn stopped before them.  They crossed their wings like lances, barring the way.  The pony lowered its head without a word.

“Halt,” the guards commanded together.  One of them stepped forward.  “Do you have a letter confirming your admittance to the grounds?”

The unicorn didn’t speak.  It raised its head to look up at the guards’ wings and the closed gate in the distance.  The guards grumbled.

“I will ask you again.  Do you have—”

The unicorn tossed its head back, revealing its green fur and the dark golden tiara on top of its head.  The blue star on the crown glistened, and her dark, overlapping straight-cut bangs and grey eyes shone under the moonlight.  Her mane reached down to the sides of her front legs, the horn still jutting through the green strands.  The guards' eyes widened as they stared at her, her majestic appearance and the cuts on her nose and cheeks forcing them back.  Why was she wearing a crown, yet looking at them so plainly?

“Identification will not be needed,” she informed in a sultry feminine voice.  The guards growled, stiffening their wings until the chest on her back opened.  Five amulets of the same shade as her crown hovered out, two of which floated out by the unicorn’s side.  A green aura coated around them, each one facing the guards as their owner’s plain expression shifted into a grin.  “But if you must know, my name is Malice--and I shall be entering.”

The necklaces darted towards the guards and latched on around their necks.  They backed up in horror, rearing back to sound alarm, but the grips on their necks tightened.  Their cries were stifled.  Their eyes flashed green, and their trembling stopped.  They brought their legs together, regaining their composure.

The unicorn’s horn shone a gentle green.  “Now, open the gate!”

“Yes ma’am,” both answered in a monotone voice.  They turned around to the gate and raised their wings to signal for the other guards to lower the bridge.  The guards on the other side acknowledged them with a nod, and the wheels spun to bring it down  The wooden bridge slowly lowered, opening up a view of the city within.

Malice smirked as she walked forward, leaving both of them with her amulets behind.

“Thank you,” she said sarcastically as she passed them by.  “You two are fine gentlecolts indeed.  You help a mare well.”  She trotted onto the bridge as she looked forward.

The guards twisted back around, only falling out of the hypnosis once Malice entered Canterlot’s grounds.  The bridge reeled back up, and once she was gone, the amulets dissipated.  Their consciousness returned, shaking their heads as the effects wore off and their eyes returned to their normal shade.

Malice chuckled at the thought of the confused guards beyond the gate.  A deep laughter emitted from her muzzle, while the two amulets re-materialized beside her.  She lingered further into the city.

‘This is too easy,’ she thought.  ‘They’re all somanipulable.’

She looked back for any guards.  A quick glance around told her there wasn’t anpony watching.  She smirked, then sprung into a gallop down the streets and turned a corner around a store, running from the view of the guards atop the towers. She turned again into an alleyway, whipping her head back and then forward to toss her hood back on. It laid on her mane and horn, covering her in a veil of darkness.

‘I know the Element of Harmony is somewhere here,’ she thought, ‘andI must find it soon.  If I* could just locate it by the end of tonight, I’ll be able to create the final *Element of Distortion.Then I will prove what I said to Princess Velvet.’

Malice closed her eyes as the aura around her horn glowed again, glowing brighter as she came closed-in on her target.  The signal took her through several blocks and empty alleyways, whizzing her way through Canterlot before she reached her destination.  She pushed her hooves into the ground and came to a grinding halt behind a two story house below a window, where the city’s castle towered above the buildings around it. She spent the moment absorbing the image of the household and closing her eyes again, interpreting her horn’s senses.  Her feelings confirmed the Element of Harmony was inside the house.  She was sure.  Her eyelids slowly rose up again as a smirk crept across her face.

“At last, it is near my grasp,” she muttered with a sneer.  “But first…”

Malice moved in closer to the window and stood up on her hind legs to peer in.  In the darkness of the alley, she blended in.  She saw inside the house, scanning the current  room for the amulet.  She searched every visible spot, only seeing couches, portraits, rugs, and shelves.

“…I must plan…how I will get in unnoticed…  Where is it?”

Chattering came from her left side.  Two older unicorns entered the living room, talking about their lives as they trudged towards one of the couches.  Malice shifted her gaze to them, her pupils dilating as she leaned in closer.  She growled at the tall, dark blue-furred male with a short light blue mane.  He could get in the way.  The pony next to him was a plain white-furred mare with longer, multicolored hair.  Malice brought her head in closer, trying to listen to their conversation.

“Do you really think Celestia is old enough to wear the last element, dear?” the stallion asked his wife, hopping onto the couch.  She followed suit.

“She is five years old and has been loyal to us.  Giving it to her will make her a good role model to Luna.  Plus, Velvet has been looking to take her under her wing soon.  She’ll need it.”

“But what if Luna gets jealous?  How will that affect their relationship?  She is only one year younger...”

“It’s for the best, and we were supposed to give it to her soon anyway.”

The couple rested together, quietly leaning against each other.  Their next few words came slower as they sighed, growing exhausted from the years of debating when to hand their daughter the last remaining Element of Harmony.  It was when when Princess Velvet, the ruler of Canterlot, had trusted them with the amulet that their lives changed.  She met both of their daughters, Celestia and Luna, at the Grand Galloping Gala when they were infants.  It soon became the parents’ sworn oath to eventually give them the last remaining Element after she deemed their personalities fit for the role.  She claimed one of them would find use for it in a ‘time of need,’ and that she would like to train them someday.  They would possibly be spellcasters under her rule.

And that was where they were still stuck.  The mother and father cuddled each other more until the stallion spoke up again.

“I guess you’re right,” he mumbled, laying his head against the couch.  “She’s already making good judgements on her own.  It may just be time.”

His wife looked up at him with dark bags and nodded, standing up from the couch and shuffling  towards the shelf at the back of the room.  She grabbed a lone box with her teeth and carried it over to her husband.

From the window, Malice leaned in further and licked her teeth, eying the mare.  She watched the husband’s horn glow as it was set down next to them.  The top opened up, and within it rested a golden amulet sparkling under the light, resembling the shape of the ones Malice carried with her.

Malice’s smirk widened as she watched it hover out.  The chest on her back glowed a green aura, and her eyes changed to the same color.  They never moved as she stared, her jaw hanging lower.  Her body stiffened, and she stifled a laugh.  Her breath smeared against the window as she let out more until her body wobbled.

Malic’es eyes shot wide open, and she stepped back and shook her head.  The hood fell off, exposing her face with strands of hair sticking up and to the sides.  She panted, staring at the ground with her eyes turning back to grey.  The chest’s hue faded.

“This magic...gets the best of me.”  Malice’s breathing slowed, and she grit her teeth.  “I must be careful.  Another Element of Distortion, and I may not retain myself..”

She raised her face up at the window again.  Her eyebrows narrowed, horn glowing as the chest lifted itself off her back and the cloak’s knot untied itself.  Her clothing fell off, revealing scars on her ribs and legs.  She stood still as a breeze blew her mane.

“Now getting in shouldn’t be too hard,” Malice said, the glow in her horn dimming as the cloak and chest dissipated.

The two unicorns sat on the couch inside the house, the box still beside them.  They raised the Element of Loyalty with their magic to see it at a better angle.  Their eyes widened, and their jaws hung.  To them, it was their most beautiful possession.  Its shine was magnificent, and its texture was clean.  They rotated the necklace to view it fully.  They kept staring, ignoring each other until a soft knocking came from the front door.  It drew their attention away from the amulet, dropping it back on the couch.  The husband looked at his wife confusedly as she returned the gesture.  He grumbled and stood up, trotting out of the room.

“I’m coming,” he announced. The stallion stopped at the door and opened it, gathering himself to tell the other horse it was late for anypony to be going around to other people’s houses until he saw the unicorn standing beneath him.  She panted with her tongue hanging out.

It was a green mare.  Her fur was dirty and weathered, her legs were sprawled, scratches covered her body, and her dark mane with its bangs hid her face.  She wore nothing, and looked up at him with bags under her eyes.

“I need…help,” she muttered, edging forward to enter the house.

“I can see that,” he said, stepping in front of her.  “What happened to you?”

“I was…chased after…by somepony.  A robber…  They took all my things…  I don’t know who it was.  I had to…run away…as fast as I could.  So can I please…stay in here…for the night?”

The two stared silently at each other, the suffering unicorn giving him a look with begging eyes.  They eyed each other intently until the stallion sighed, then took a step outside to look both ways.  The mare took the hint, and raised her head up high with large eyes.  She smiled brightly.

“You’re letting me in?!” she exclaimed.  Her eyes widened, and he looked down mercifully.  There was another long pause without words, and then he stepped back behind the door.  He gestured for her to enter.

“Yes,” he confirmed.  “But I’d like to know exactly what else happened to you as well.”

She smiled, and then trudged into the house.  The stallion shut the door behind her, following her as she dragged herself towards the family room.  He hadn’t seen anypony in such misery before.  She slowed down the farther she went in, taking deep, pained breaths and drawing out each step.  As she walked, the older stallion found himself suspicious of her movements.  Her limps looked almost practiced, and she never grunted…  Maybe some unicorns were resistant to pain, or hesitant to show it?

They entered the family room where his wife was levitating the Element.  The green unicorn grinned upon seeing the amulet, but withdrew her smile as soon as the mother noticed her.  The stallion walked up behind the injured pony and spoke to his wife, “She said a robber attacked her.  Not much else, but we might be able to...”

He stopped himself before glaring at Malice.  She looked back at him and smiled weakly.  “...help her for the night.”

The sound of voices calling out for somepony traveled in from outside.  The three perked up their ears up to listen.  The voices disappeared once a moment passed, and the wife gasped and stared at the injured horse.  How grave had the situation become?

“So who is she?” the wife asked.

“She hasn’t told me yet.” He faced their guest. “And I haven’t told her who we are, either.”

Mally maintained her expression, looking at both of them as she shivered while balancing on her legs.  “Well, I’m...Mally.”

“Mally, huh?  And do you have a last name?” the stallion asked.  His face was stern , but he soon continued with a quieter voice.  “Well…you’re tired.  I shouldn’t be too hard…  Anyway, I am Sol, and my wife is Cielo.  We also have two daughters upstairs, but I’m sure they have gone to bed.”

“That’s…fine,” Mally reassured.  Sol still glared at her.

“Anyway, you should get washed up.  We have a tub just down there.”  He pointed to his right, down where there was another door.  She looked at it, then back at him, and nodded again.

“Thanks.  I’ll use it in a second.”

“But before you go anywhere, we just want to know what exactly is going on.”

“Dad?” interrupted a chipper voice from elsewhere.  Mally turned her head to take a look at the source of it.  Just behind her, a unicorn a head smaller than her walked from around a corner next to the base of a set of wooden stairs.  Its appearance caused her jaw to drop.

It was a white unicorn filly with a straight pink sparkling mane.  The hair reached down to the top of the unicorn’s back, and her purple eyes were accentuated by the style.  She bore a resemblance to her mother, but held her head higher.  her inquisitive stare intimidated the green mare.  Mally froze, her green eyes locked on to the filly’s face. Her heart rate picked up as she kept looking into the disquieting gaze.  “What’s going on?  Wait, who’s this?” the filly asked.

“It’s a…guest of ours who will be staying the night.  Her name is Mally,” her father responded.

“Mally?”  The curious unicorn stared harder at Mally, absorbing more of her details. Mally’s baggy eyes, dirtied fur, and gashes.  The filly raised an eyebrow at the damage she saw, and pressed with more questions.  “Is she o…kay?”

“She’ll be fine, Celestia,” her father reassured.  “Anyway, shouldn’t you be in bed?  You do have to help Luna with her first day of school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but I can’t sleep.  It’s too noisy.”

“But you’re young.  You need-”

Celestia scrunched her eyes and looked at him without moving.

“I.  Can’t.  Sleep.  Dad.  You guys woke me up.”

“Well, we’ll be keeping it quiet…  Ugh, nevermind,” he said, shaking his head.  “We might be talking for a while.”

Mally continued eying Celestia.  Was this the one they would give the Element of Loyalty too?  Did she need to be…disposed of?

Mally watched as the filly, who was only as tall as her legs, passed by the group, trudging next to the desk behind them.  Dark circles rested under her eyes.

‘She is far different from any other unicorn,’ Mally thought.  ‘I can’t put my hoof on it, though, but since her parents are entrusting her with the Element, I’ll need to do something about her…Celestia…’

“But maybe you should at least try to sleep--” her mother said before she was interrupted.  Celestia stopped in her place.

“No Mom, I can’t, and I want to see who this is.”

“But it’s past your bedtime, and-”

Celestia shot her the same glare, and the parents stopped and sighed.  She moved on without paying them any attention.  Behind her, her father emitted a low growl and stomped over to the filly.  He positioned himself directly in front of the her and stared down at her.  She bumped into his leg as she was pacing, and squealed in shock, retreating as she looked up at him.  She fell on her haunches, and her father picked her up with his magic, placing her on his back.  Celestia cried, but the older stallion trotted back up the stairs to her bedroom.

The filly continued screaming, and Mally’s eyes followed the echoes after they left the room.  She stared at the walls up above.  Her silence was only broken as the mother walked up beside her.

“Here, I’ll set up everything for you so you can get washed up,” the mother added, standing next to Mally.  “We have an extra room for you as well.  I’m sure my husband will be perfectly fine with you staying the night after I talk to him.  He’s usually rough around the edges with strangers, but he warms up quickly.”

“Okay…” she muttered, staring into the room Celestia and her father disappeared into.

Cielo left for the bathroom, leaving Malice to stand alone in the family room.  The worn-out unicorn straightened herself, losing her pained appearance, and breathed quietly.

“Yeah,” she mumbled to herself, smirking.  “I’ll wash quickly…and then I’ll go to bed.  I don’t wanna disturb you guys...”

The darkness of the night had settled in.  Malice was given her own bedroom, and she kept the blanket up to her neck as she tossed and turned in the bed.  She grumbled, making comments about her plan of attack.

Voices came from outside.  Malice’s eyes opened, and she sat straight up, throwing the covers off and perking her ears up to listen to the sounds from the streets.  She twisted around to glance outside the through the bedroom’s window, checking to see if there were guards patrolling the city.

‘They must really be feeling cautious at this point,’ she thought, watching as two of them were walking in front of her.  They quickly turned her way, and she spun from the window.  She fell back into her bed as she laid quietly before they left.  Her cloak and golden chest materialized, surrounding her body in darkness before she stood back up.  ‘But it doesn’t matter.  I’m this close, and I’ll be gone without a trace.’

A minute passed before she pushed herself off the bed to stand up.  Her magic pulled the chest over towards her and balanced it on her back as the hood fell over her head.  She trotted over to the bedroom door.  She eased it open and slipped out of the bedroom. The rooms beyond were illuminated by the moonlight pouring through the windows.  The house was dim, until the tip of her horn lit up.  It glowed, exposing everything on the ground around her.  The family room remained unchanged, and she moved towards the bookshelf where she had seen the Element placed.

The spot was empty.  She recalled Cielo putting it back there, but now there was only an empty shelf.  Malice grumbled to herself, careful to keep her voice down.  She cursed as she muttered how much more difficult her night would now be.

]i]‘Wait, didn’t they say they would give it to their daughter…Celestia, was it?’

Malice looked around the bookshelves and into another room, with stairs leading up to a second floor.  Malice recalled first seeing the white unicorn there and looked up to see a small hallway.  She took the first step up, her horn lighting the path.

‘Yes, it was Celestia,’ Malice confirmed as she slowly tip-toed up the stairs, carefully placing each hoof to keep the noise level down.  A few quiet creaks seeped past.  ‘That…pesky little child.  Urgh...  She’s just irritating.  But that’s how kids are, I suppose.’**

She reached the top and walked down the hallway, turning a corner slowly as she examined each wall and piece of furniture her horn revealed.  There was another couch, and a wooden door.  Malice stopped in her tracks and looked at the door closely.  Was this Celestia’s room?

“And here we are,” she said quietly, bringing her head low as her eyes narrowed.  “The one who they will give the Element of Loyalty to.  Such foolish parents.”

Malice used her magic to twist the doorknob, carefully letting the wooden frame swing open with a hushed squeak.  She silently edged forward into the bedroom while keeping her head low.

“But there was no way they could have suspected this.  Oh, how I feel sorry for them...”

Her horn lit up the area around her.  She dimmed her light as she entered.  Nothing moved or stirred.  No one rustled in their beds or snored.  She scanned the room, squinting her eyes to distinguish each object she saw.  With the faint tip of her horn, she was lost in the room.  All there was to see was its size.

And it was huge.  Bookshelves were lined up on one end while portraits were on the other, each one depicting a famous pony or unicorn from years past.  She was in the house of a high-class family.

‘Yet with all that money, you’d think that would mean they’re smart and would catch on to me.’

When she looked below the pictures, she spotted the body of a pony lying in a bed.  Malice gasped, dimming her light again and stepping back.  She took a few more steps back until she noticed there was no response.  She sighed, easing herself as she looked down at the body.

‘That…could have been close.’

She lit up her horn again to see who it was.  There in the bed laid a filly with the same fur as the father she just met, with dark blue hair that only left her face exposed.  She was asleep, resting on her side to face Malice.  The green unicorn dimmed her horn again once she saw the closed eyes.

‘There is no shortage of my kind here.  But where is the Element?’

Ignoring the sleeping unicorn, she turned away and continued looking around the room.  There were books littered in various places, some of which she stumbled over and made her to fight to regain her balance.  Others, she spotted ahead of time and sidestepped around them as she kept searching.

“Ahhhhhh,” somepony yawned.  Malice instantly turned towards the source of the voice behind her and reared her head to aim her horn.  Her muscles tensed and her eyes shot back and forth across the dark room.  But again, no other sound came.

‘Wait…  That one was from a different direction than the other one.  Perhaps…’

Lowering herself with knees bent, Malice crept over towards the direction of the sound.  She moved several books aside, and she winced whenever when they would brush against the floor and stir up dust.  The last thing she wanted was for anypony to wake up in the middle of her search.

She stopped after seeing a wooden bed’s legs.  Malice looked up to find the source of the noise sleeping in a bed.  She stood up to her full height and looked down, and there slept the white unicorn she had met earlier, not making a sound as she faced Malice...

With the Element of Loyalty on the table beside her.

Malice grinned.  Her teeth were exposed, and she stifled a heinous laugh, looking with narrowed eyes down at the amulet lying in front of her.  She levitated it with her horn and brought it to her face.

“Finally,” she muttered, “It is in my possession...”

“I’m awake, Dummy.”

Malice jumped back and looked down again at Celestia, the mare’s jaw dropping as she saw the filly twisting around in the blankets.  She screeched and fell back on her haunches.  The Element of Loyalty dropped, and her horn’s light went out.  She could hear another unicorn mixing around in their bed, yawning just as loudly.

“What’s…going on?” asked another, lighter voice.  Malice could hear rustling coming from beyond the bedroom, and she froze.  She knew how much quicker she was going to have to be now.

‘Nevermind killing this young filly.  I just need to take this Element and leave NOW!’

“Somepony’s in here, Luna,” said Celestia as the rustling from the other bed grew louder.

“Who?”

“I don’t know, but-- Hey!  My necklace isn’t here!”

Malice’s hood was thrown back on, the chest rebalanced itself, and the Element of Loyalty hovered back in front of her.  She searched around quickly for an exit.  Footsteps from nearby within the house grew louder, and there was no window she could see for her to escape through.  She looked towards the bedroom door and took a step towards it until the trotting beyond it came closer.

‘I’ll just have to rely on my horn’s light to find me something in here really quick then.  Something in this room.  This better work…’

Seconds after she turned it on again, she was greeted by a glaring white filly who stood up on her bed.

“Hey!  That’s mine,” Celestia declared.  She growled at Malice, despite their size difference.  The filly saw the element hovering beside her and reared back to lunge.  “Give it back!”

Malice kept searching.  She found a window between a bookshelf and a hung-up portrait, but as she lifted a hoof towards it, she felt a blow connect with her side, and the weight of a smaller body toppled her over.  She was pinned to the ground.

“Hey!  I’m talking to you,” Celestia shouted.  “Luna, help me!”

“What’s happening?!” Luna asked as she backed up against the wall.

“A bad guy’s in here!”

Celestia was thrown off by Malice’s legs.  The small body left the unicorn, and Malice leapt right back up, growling at the filly lying on the ground recovering.

“You would dare attack me?” Malice asked, lowering her head as she gritted her teeth.  Her pupils turned green, and the glow from the chest added a tint to the light from her horn.  “You little piece of-”

“What’s going on in there?!” cried an older male’s voice as Sol and Cielo ran in.  Malice’s eyes and mouth widened, her ears perked up, and she spun her head.  The parents lit up the room with their horns, exposing the hooded unicorn.  The light revealed Malice’s green fur, and they stared in awe at her black coat and golden glowing chest balancing perfectly on her back.  Her eyes also made them step back, and Sol and Cielo looked down, both screaming when they saw Celestia lying in front of her.  They immediately kneeled down, horns jutting out, and charged for her.

“Oh god,” Malice moaned out as they approached.  “You two really are just as stupid as I thought.”

She brought her own horn down, electricity surging from it before deploying a green shield in front of her.  The parents galloped straight into the spell, and once they connected, their horns plunged through the barrier.  They were stuck, even as they pushed harder.

The electricity traveled down along the shield and into their horns, surging through their bodies.  The currents rode through their fur, and Sol and Cielo cried in pain.  Their bodies jolted, pushing their hooves into the ground to attempt to step back. They kept protesting, and Malice grit her teeth as she electrified the shield further.  Sparks lit up the entire room.  The tint in her eyes brightened, and the electricity wrapped around both of the parents’ bodies.  Their movements were disabled. She watched on and gave low chuckles until their screams faded, then breathed a deep breath as she retreated the shield.

The spell disappeared, and the parents’ horns were freed.  Their bodies remained still before blowing back against the wall in the hallway, leaving large cracks against it.  The impact knocked both of them out-cold.  Their bodies slid down into a heap and laid motionlessly as the sparks lit up around their bodies, their eyes wide open.

Luna watched their parents as they collapsed. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she backed up against a wall, while Celestia listened to the electrocution and pounding.  The injured filly looked up while recovering from her daze to see both of her parents on the floor.  Her own eyes remained still.  The two unicorns who were Gods to her, on the floor.  The two unicorns who saved her from every nightmare, on the floor.  The two unicorns who told her that everything would be okay, on the floor.  The two unicorns who could not possibly die, no matter what.  They were eternal, on the floor.

The glow from their mom’s and dad’s horns faded, and Malice’s dimmed as she turned to face Celestia.  “And now for you,” she yelled, the aura from the chest rising up.

“Mom…  Dad…” Celestia muttered as she stared at the immobile bodies of her parents.  A tear fell from her eye.  Her body shook, and she gradually stood up, returning the green unicorn’s stare.  “Why…  WHY?!”

“Save it!”  Malice stomped to in front of the filly, towering over her.  “I’ll have my way with you *yet…*”

The box on her back opened up, revealing the dark amulets inside.  Celestia watched as a tiara materialized on top of Malice’s head.  The display of magic dropped the filly’s jaw, watching as the Elements of Distortion hovered beside Malice.  She lost her breath, and just like Luna, backed away towards a wall.

The amulets rose up and floated towards her.  Two of them followed her as far back as she went, closing in on her face.  She rubbed up against a wall, and the necklaces both unlatched to wrap around her.  The defenseless filly screamed in fear and shut her eyes, waiting for her death.

But then they stopped moving.

The first was opened to latch itself on.  Malice screamed along with Celestia, but in pain instead of fear.

Malice shook her leg several times.  She looked behind herself to see a dark filly biting into it with blood trekking down.  Luna was shaking in fear, but her eyes narrowed.

“Leave Mommy, Daddy, and Sister alone,” she mumbled out with fur between her teeth.  Malice snarled at the filly and shook her leg faster to throw her off.  Luna clamped down deeper as her body flailed.  She penetrated in until her nose pressed against the green fur, and Malice screamed even louder.

“Urgh…  Why you little PEST!”

Malice flung one of the amulets she sent to Celestia towards Luna, and the dark Element clasped around the filly’s belly.  Luna squealed, and was forced to release her grip as the Element of Distortion yanked her away, hovering her in the air.  A black aura extended over Luna’s body, immobilizing her.  Malice smirked as she watched the filly who couldn’t make a sound.

“You two are admirable, I will give you that,” Malice complimented as the amulet holding Luna descended to the ground, releasing her.  The filly was coated in a black mist.  “And you’ve both made me change my plans.  I was going to leave peacefully, but neither of you were okay with that.  Now both of you will pay-”

The sound of a door bursting open resounded throughout the house, stealing her attention to look through the doorway.

“The cavalry is here,” she commented snarkily.  “Seems they’ve deemed me a large enough threat to have brought that much force.”  She looked back at the incapacitated fillies with disdain, growling at them as one reached a hoof out while the other laid motionless.  “I must go now.  Farewell, both of you.”

The Elements of Distortion left Celestia and Luna, hovering and settling back into the box.  Luna was coated in a veil of darkness that was slowly fading away.  Her eyes remained shut, and her chest heaved as the dark aura dissipated, leaving her sister as the only one who watched Malice preparing her escape.

Celestia saw the Element of Loyalty as it floated away with her.  The filly grit her teeth and threw herself back up on all-fours before dashing for the amulet.  She leapt and grabbed it with her mouth before it could be placed into the box.  Missing Malice herself by inches, she crashed into a pile of books on the other side of the room.  Mom and Dad, the parents who had died protecting her, had given it to her.  It was hers.  She would keep it, no matter what.

Malice’s jaw dropped when she caught wind of the sudden maneuver, and looked back to see Celestia laying in the stack.  The hoofsteps were turning into thuds.

“Why you little…” Malice cursed.  She spun and reared back to get ready for a dash through the window to escape.  There was no more time.  She would have to leave without the Element of Loyalty.  Before she left, however, she shot the filly holding it on the ground a glare.  A glare that would make her stay still with fixated eyes.  “Don’t think that you and I won’t ever meet again, Celestia.  I will be back one day for that amulet.  And you will pay!”

Malice jumped through the window, breaking the glass, and sent the shattered pieces crashing to the ground below.  Her hooves struck the pavement beneath before she sprinted down the city’s streets.  Her coat hid her from everypony’s sight.  She sprinted into the distance until the house was a fading image behind her.  She was back in the shadows, looking behind herself to see that no pony followed.  Malice breathed a sigh of relief, then faced forward again.  The green in her eyes and the aura surrounding the box seeped away, her expression returning to its blank state.

“You’re a lucky pony, Celestia,” Malice muttered.  “Real lucky.”  She galloped away far into the city until she was nowhere to be seen.

In the house, Celestia and Luna laid in the room quietly.  A group of stallions in gold armor entered the bedroom where the fight had broken out and gasped at what they saw. They lit the candles, spotting the two fillies.  Only one of them was conscious and able to talk, clutching tightly to her Element of Harmony.  The other was sprawled a few feet away from her.  However, the sight of their parents made them pause and shake their heads.

The leader of the unit, wearing grey armor and pushing through to the front, ordered for one of the guards to go out and call for medical assistance as soon as he saw the two bodies on the ground.  The appointed guard left, flying out through the broken window. The leader looked out into the distance behind him after the he flew away to search for the assailant.  He saw no one suspicious, and hoping to find out more, he turned to the white unicorn lying on the ground.  She laid against the books with her hooves around her amulet.  She trembled as she returned his stare with her purple, soggy eyes.

The sight of the Element made him drop his jaw, and he trotted slowly over to her.  He stared more intently at Celestia’s face, who hid behind her amulet the closer he came.

“I know this family,” the leader muttered.  He narrowed his eyes, and turned to look at a couple of the stallions standing at the bookshelf to his side.  “Alright, you two.  I want both of you to fly these two fillies to Princess Velvet--do not worry about any protests, because she will more than welcome them.  She knows them personally.  The rest of you, we will fly out and rally up all of our guards to begin a citywide search.  The intruder has successfully attacked and was after the last Element of Harmony, so we are on red alert status!  Move out!”

Each of them nodded, and Celestia and Luna were scooped up by the pegasi before they were flown out the window and towards the castle.  They traveled high above the city’s neighborhoods, with Celestia, in the clutches of one guard, shifting her eyes from looking at her carrier to the moon that shone in the distance.  She held on to her Element tightly.  The sensation of the amulet between her forelegs brought out a thought that came out through her voice.  It was a thought that was loud amidst her crying, one that even made the guards crunch faces as they looked towards the castle beyond them.  Her words stuck with them for the rest of the night.  They never said another word as long as she was with them, and the phrase was one that would never leave their minds, no matter how hard they tried to push it away.

“Mommy…Daddy…”

A Pony's Wish

A Pony’s Wish

12 years later…

A white, golden-armored pegasus stood in front of the staircase leading up to the Princess of Equestria’s chamber, blocking the entrance.  He remained still, standing alone in a long hallway with a red carpet lined up to the exit.  Before him, large double doors opened up slowly, revealing four guards donning the same attire as him.  The doors brushed against the walls and stopped.  He opened his mouth, watching the squad trot to him in a circular formation.

“What is this?” the lone stallion yelled out loud.

“We have one of our usual guests.  She would like to speak to the Princess.”

“She’s back again?”

“Apparently.”  The stallions halted in front of him and spread out until the pony they were hiding was alone in its spot.  It was a white-furred mare whose face pointed down.  A long, straight pink mane reached to the ground, and she gradually rose her head up, her eyes meeting his.  The stallion smirked, looking into the pony’s immobile pink pupils.

“I see you’re back already.  Weren’t you here just two days ago?”

“Yes, I was,” the mare answered in a soft voice.  “I’m here because this time, I have proof for Princess Velvet that I’m ready.”

“To become one of us?”

The mare nodded.  The stallion looked at her for a moment before breaking out into laughter as his voice rang throughout the hallway.  The other guards giggled quietly in the background.  They had known beforehand why she asked them to bring her to the castle.  They stifled the rest of their chuckles, and the mare looked from side to side at each of the stallions.  The lead guard composed himself, watching her with a smile.

“The Princess has made you, and even your sister, her pride and glory.  Only few other ponies are so gifted as to receive such care.  She values you more than anything.  Why, I’d say she sees you as her daughter.  What makes you think any new tricks you may have learned will change her mind about placing you among us?”

“Can I please just talk to her?  I can show you guys everything there.”

“As you did the last time…”

The mare narrowed her eyes.

“That was a mistake,” she cried.  “It’s not my fault he chose to jump in front of me while I was casting a spell!”

“You’re supposed to be ready for anything.  And that goofball is still assigned to be around here by the Princess.  I don’t know what Velvet sees in him, but he will probably be there today if you enter.”

“Yeah, well…”

The mare glared away from the guard, scrunching her face and her mane covering half of it.  She pounded the carpet with her hoof, and the guard eyed her with a smug expression.  She growled under her breath, saying nothing.

“Besides, what could you have possibly learned in two days?” the stallion pushed again.  Her face darted up again with eyes like daggers.

“A lot!  I just need another chance in there,” she yelled.  Her voice echoed down the hallway, forcing the rest of them to take a step back.  “I need to!  Just so I can…so I can…”

Her tone drifted off, and her face fell again.  The guards shook their heads to recover from her yelling.  The stallion in front dropped his jaw at her outburst, but seeing her composure drop, his own came back.  He approached her and glared down, observing the white horn protruding from her mane.

“I’ve never heard of somepony learning so quickly,” he pointed out.  The mare scowled.  “But if that outburst is anything to go by, there’s no deterring you, is there?  The one who holds the final Element…”

She gave a slight tremble, and a small drop of water formed in her eye.  The stallion grunted before sighing.

“Ugh, you’re a pain.  I would wish to force you to leave after that.  The Princess deserves the best manners in Equestria!  Not what you have just shown.  But alas, you’re her treasure.  If a hoof is laid on you, I’m sure I will never hear the end of it.  And you seem to have invented all the reasoning in your head to allow me to let you in again.”

He paused his monologue, and she watched with eyes that fought to keep her tears back.  He returned her stare and shook his head.

“Oh, what is the point of all this drivel?” he interjected, looking at the rest of his troupe.  “Guards!  I’ll step aside.  Take Celestia to her majesty’s room if she so pleases.  Perhaps then she will learn by making another example of herself.”

The lone guard walked around Celestia, who watched him narrowly avoid pushing her aside.  She scowled at him, and he returned it before giving his final words:  “I suppose, then, that I’ll hear about the first girl joining our ranks soon.  And it will be the daughter of Sol and Cielo, nonetheless.  Just do not hurt my son again in the process.”

Her eyes briefly opened as wide as they could as images of her previous encounter floated around in her mind.  She swung her head, pushing the thoughts aside as he continued walking along, and she looked ahead again.  She was done talking with him.  There was business to attend to.

The guards glanced at each other confusedly as they watched their leader stand behind further down the carpet, eying the mare grimly as she entered the staircase.  He nodded for each of them to follow her, and they looked at each other again before running behind her and forming two straight lines.  They disappeared into the dark room, where their hoofsteps resounded throughout the entire staircase.

“‘Celestia,’ huh?” the lone guard muttered to himself.  “What a symbolic name she’s been given.  If only she can live up to it one day...”

The Princess’s chamber was silent, except for the sound of the hovering quill coated in a pink aura.  It floated in front of a middle-aged mare’s pink face, scribbling against the piece of paper levitating in front of her and dotting the end of its last sentence.  Her green eyes scanned each word written, staring down her pink snout as her long blue hair flowed alongside her face.  Whispering each word she wrote, her eyebrows contorted.

Dear Sun swhirl,

I would like to thank you for your patience with Celestia and Luna.  I realize the former is a tough and determined young mare who is coming into her own.  She visits me from time-to-time, and I was thinking that, given the progress she has shown, she may soon be ready to join our ranks.  She has been nagging me on for years, and I am hopeful she has the most mature intentions and motivations in mind.  We both know where she is coming from, so we must be understanding.  However-

A creaking resounded through the room.  The letter and quill lowered beneath her face, and Velvet stared down the red carpet that extended to the large crystalline double doors.  They opened slowly, two golden-armored pegasi pushing them while the other two stood next to each other, staring at the princess without moving.

“Your Highness,” one of them called out.  Both of them stepped aside to reveal the mare they were escorting.  “Celestia would like to speak with you today.”

Velvet’s face dropped.  The quill and letter hit her throne’s armrest.

“Would she now?” she asked, staring at the pink maned-pony that was trudging beyond the troupe down the carpet.  Its face rose, her purple eyes looking at Velvet’s.  She stood silent as they faced each other down, until she stopped in front of the throne’s first step.

“Yes, I would,” Celestia responded.  “I can prove it to you today.  I am ready to join them.”  Velvet rolled her eyes.

“It’s been two days, Celestia.”

“But I’ve been practicing hard.  Even Sunswhirl said I’ve improved!”

“I do not want another fiasco like what you caused with-”

“I won’t make any mistakes, Princess.”

“Celestia, no one gets better over night.”

“It’s been two nights, though!  And you know me!  You know I wouldn’t come back here unless I had something to show you.

”

“You’ve shown me enough for the time being.  As much as I love you and enjoy seeing you, I can’t afford to have you you abuse your privilege of coming here as often as you do.  It’s becoming a distraction.”

“I know, but now I can do something!  I’ve been reading my books day-in and day-out.” Celestia stomped her hoof on the step.  Her purple eyes narrowed, and she flipped her hair out of her face.  “You’ve told me to do this for years, and now I feel I can make something out of it!  I just want to finally be able to do something with my life.  Something meaningful…”

Velvet sighed.  There was no pleasing this pony.  She stood up on her throne and looked down at Celestia.  Her feathered wings extended outward, and she rose in the air, flapping them and hovering down to the carpet.  She landed beside the white mare, staring at the guards on the other side before waving a hoof for them to leave.  Each of them nodded and trotted backwards, closing the doors as they left.

“Meaningful?” Velvet asked, continuing the conversation.  “The last pony to try to show how meaningful she could be…well…”

The alicorn trudged beyond Celestia, staring down at the ground as she opened and closed her eyes.  Celestia looked behind herself as Velvet left her.  The alicorn stopped once she was halfway to the door.

“She was just as close to me as you are.  We were friends, and not long after I granted her a higher standing among us…”

Celestia spun around and watched motionlessly as the alicorn turned to face her again.  Velvet’s eyes stared at the ground with scorn, and her mouth hung open.

“Let’s just say I have never allowed anypony to see her again.”

“But I’m better than that,” Celestia reassured, walking over towards her side.  “I’ve done everything I can for you for years.”

“And so did she.  Celestia…”

Velvet raised her head to meet the young mare’s eyes.  Her gaze commanded Celestia to stop in her tracks, the smaller mare looking in sudden shock.  She leaned before stepping backwards.

“…I owe something to your parents.”  Celestia’s head and expression dropped.  “They did as much as they could for me, and I never got the chance to pay them back.  I want you to live a life where you can steer clear of the dangers they faced and the mistakes I’ve made.  If I fail to do that…then I’ve failed your mother and father.”

The air was silent for several seconds.  Celestia’s snout drooped, and her mane fell back to her face.  She scratched the ground with her foreleg while Velvet breathed hard in response.  A sniffle escaped from Celestia’s nose, and Velvet watched on with scorn.

Celestia stuck to her life story.  She lived by it.  It led her to the actions that made others think she was stubborn.  Those who were close to her came to know her for it, and it was the first thing Velvet recalled every time a pony would approach her.  They came to her to report on Celestia.

“But there’s a reason why I do this,” Celestia mumbled, sniffling.  “There’s a reason why I’m here, and you know it.  You know what it really is.  Not just to show you how much I’ve grown.”

The mare shifted her hair to the side and shot a glare up at Velvet.

“Ever since that day I lost them…  You don’t know what it’s like to lose your parents in front of you…”

The somber mare trudged up to the silent princess, who glanced away.

“You don’t know what it’s like to lose family in front of you!  You don’t know what it’s like listening to others talk about their parents while you can only imagine what yours were like!  That’s why I do this.  That’s why I always want to show you what I’ve learned.  To show Mom and Dad…wherever they are…that their daughter did something!  That their daughter MEANT something, that she was important!  Just like they were!  Just like they could do anything for you!  Just so I can…  So I can…”

More water gathered in her eyes as she looked up at the Princess, a stream falling from one side.  Her next sentence was muffled, and her teeth gritted, scratching around in her mouth.

“Just so I can show them…by doing what I do…that I love them.  I know I was a bad filly, but I…loved them.  I still do, during every single night after I hear about somepony else’s parents, when me and my sister always talk about them. ‘Oh, remember how we went here and there with Mom and Dad?  Remember how they used to tell us this?’  That’s all we can do!  That’s all we can do…  That’s all we ever do…”

No more words followed.  Velvet’s forehooves shook, and she growled under her breath.  What was she supposed to tell Celestia?  That she was unjust in what she did?

“You’re right,” she responded hesitantly.  “I can’t say I relate…  However, I can tell you this:  it’s not safe for you to be out there.  The best you can do is be sent with a group on small errands to take care of bandits outside the city walls that-”

Celestia dashed over to the princess, standing up on her hind legs and pushing with her forehooves against Velvet’s chest.  The Princess huffed, cringing at the sight of the eager pony.

“Oh please, please, please then!  Let me do something!”

Velvet growled louder and shoved Celestia off her, causing the mare to yelp and back up.

“That’s the best you can do,” Velvet emphasized, “not the worst.  I am still caught up with work, and I will be for a while.  You’d have to put together a group yourself.”

“Then I will!”

“Ugh.”

The two of them brushed themselves off before Velvet walked by her, trotting towards the throne.

“You’re becoming more like your parents each passing day.  I don’t know if that’s good or bad yet.  But if you truly think you’re able to take on the world, then…take this particular pony with you.”

The princess spun her head to point her eyes at the white column to her left.  They narrowed the longer she looked as she saw the figure a horse peeking out from the other side.  The figure jumped when it noticed the attention and instantly turned back around its cover.

“You can come out now, Paine.  She won’t hurt you like she did before.”

A moment passed.  Then a sigh.  It slowly turned the corner, stepping into the light where its white fur and golden armor shone.

It was a male pegasus with a smaller body.  His face was blank, his legs trembling.  His clean fur caused Celestia to raise an eyebrow.

“Yes…ma’am,” he stuttered, his voice rigid and adolescent.  “I am sorry, ma’am.”

“And whereas Celestia takes after her parents, you don’t take after anyone.”  Velvet smiled.  “It’s ‘princess’ or ‘your highness,’ not ‘ma’am.’”

“Yes ma’am.  I understand…ma’am.”

Velvet shook her head, chuckling as she flew over to her throne.  She planted herself on her haunches, Paine creeping out further into her view.  She saw him and Celestia under the light, motioning with her head for Paine to stand next to Celestia.

The guard dashed towards her without complaint.  He stood parallel to her, while Celestia watched him with caution and ran her eyes up and down his body.  Who was this pony?  Why did he come back?

Paine ignored her by looking at the princess.

From up close, the mare could see burn marks in his fur.  The last time she saw him, she struck him with two lightning bolts that scarred both of his sides.  The wounds had healed to leave two black spots.

“You just don’t learn, do you?” Velvet added, shaking her head.

“I…kind of do.”

“Tsk, ‘kind of’…”

Velvet straightened her face and looked sharply at him.

“And just how long were you hiding?”

“Ummm…ever since you told the others to leave?”

“And you thought I wouldn’t notice?”

“Well…no.  Then again…yes!”

“You’re just a hard one, aren’t you?  Even for a rookie, who was so eager to meet this young mare again.”

Paine gulped, his body’s trembling more evident as he looked from side to side.  He caught both Velvet’s and Celestia’s eyes, with sweat pouring down his fur.

“You’re gonna be a tough one to train,” Velvet commented.  “You’re fortunate to share your father’s bloodline, otherwise, you might not be among us.”

“But I’ve been training hard…your majesty.”

“At least you learn a little.  And you share the same compassion for what you do with Celestia here.  You’re just…rougher around the edges.”

Paine and Celestia stared at each other, the former’s teeth chattering while the latter wiped her remaining tears with her hoof off her face.  Their eyes locked-on, with Paine’s body gradually stiffening up as his pupils dilated.

As he stared further into her eyes, he began to feel better.  The anxiety disappeared.  The rest of the room was gone to him as the reason he left the other guards came to him.  It was his own secret ever since two days ago.  He wanted nopony to know about it.  He kept looking into her, while she craned her neck back and tilted her head.

“Ummm,” muttered Celestia.  She shifted her gaze several times from Velvet to Paine.  The princess chuckled again as their interactions continued.

“But nonetheless,” Velvet continued, “you two could possibly head towards an inn and take a look at the errands board.  I’ll give you both the papers to certify you for this.  Hopefully, after you’ve taken care of a few strays, you’ll both see the improvements and experience you’re after.  You’ll do all the justice for others you wish.  Now, take these.”

Her horn shone a pink aura as two papers, coated in pink, materialized in front of the ponies.  Paine snapped out of his gaze, and both of them jumped back in surprise.  The aura around the papers disappeared, and each piece drifted to the floor.

Celestia and Paine stared at them for a few seconds before leaning down and grabbing them with their teeth, reading the text on them.  ‘Certificate of Guardians’ it read, with a signature at the bottom spelling ‘Velvet.’  Their eyes widened, and Celestia looked back up at the princess and down at her paper.  Her mouth curved into a smile, and she let out a gleeful whinny.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she exclaimed.  The paper fell out of her mouth, and she reached down to retrieve it.  She looked at the princess again, and Velvet smiled back.

“Read more into it and you’ll see that I do have certain limitations.  You two would have to be your group’s leaders, and you can’t travel any further than a mile from the city.  You both still have a lot of training to do, so the very best I can give is a small taste of what you would face as you grow older.  Paine, you can tell your father about this, and I will give him further details.  I’ll be seeing him again later today.  Celestia, the same goes for you and Sun Swirl.  He will be receiving a letter soon enough.  You may also allow Luna to accompany you if you wish, since I understand both of you are very close.”

“Pffft, Luna,” grunted Celestia, tossing her head to the side.  “She’s scared of getting her feet wet.”

“Anypony can change their mind,” Velvet added.  “In the meantime, if you two wish to get started, there should be an inn around the corner from the castle gate’s exit.  I don’t know if either of you have been there, but you’ve more than likely seen it.”

“I’ve seen it all the time and been in there.”

“Then neither of you should have any problems.  Now…”

The quill and paper beside her levitated in a pink aura in front of her again, blocking the view of her face.

“I have work to attend to.  Both of you have disrupted me for enough time.  Hopefully you’re happy you can now start your own lives the ways you wish to.”

Celestia nodded multiple times while Paine only did so once.  She stepped back and turned around to run towards the double doors.  He looked to his side -- and saw no-pony there.

“What the...?”

His head darted from side to side before he looked behind himself and watched the mare gallop away.  His jaw dropped.  He stumbled as he spun around, digging his teeth into his paper, and sprinted after her, stopping by her side before looking up at the double doors.

The doors opened, revealing the same guards from before.  The two of them walked out of Velvet’s hall and stood amongst them as they shut the doors behind them.

Celestia was smiling, gazing up at the windows.  She was finally going to be able to help the princess with her magic.  She was finally going to start on the path that would show her parents the love she felt for them.

At the same time, Paine was receiving scowls.  He received glances from all around, sweating and laughing as he heard each of the groans.  Why had he been in there while the princess was having a private conversation?  What was the paper in-between his mouth?  Why was it the same one the princess’s ‘daughter’ held onto?  And why was he leaving with her?

Meanwhile, Velvet heard the doors shut completely and brought the quill to her paper to continue from where she left off.  The quill stroked against it.

However, I will only put her into a limited position.  Based on what happened twelve years ago and during the years before that, it is safe to say what is probably still out there.  It isn’t safe for her to go out on her own yet.  That is why you will hear from her about a small group she is forming to go on bandit hunts.  I have given her permission and the certificate to do so, and Luna may end up getting involved as well.  It is for the best they start training seriously now.  You and I both fear what may happen again, and if she can’t be prepared to handle a real-life criminal encounter…then she may not be so lucky again.

Signed,

Velvet

The letter rolled up into a bundle as a leather strap wrapped itself around and tied into a knot.  The aura on Velvet’s horn glowed, and the paper disappeared.  She was alone again, sighing as she looked down at her hooves tapping on the throne.

“I hope I’ve made the right decision,” she muttered.  “You’re as strong as your parents, Celestia, no matter what I say.  Just…know your boundaries.”

The city’s walkways were littered with ponies selling their merchandise and food to customers.  Many of them set up stands outside their houses, constantly calling out names and yelling “Get your discounted apples from us!  Three apples for two bits!”  It was the oldest city in Equestria, with wooden and stone architectures shining under the sunlight.  Many of the buildings reached up to the castle’s height.  The clocktower was the tallest, standing in the distance and casting a shadow over the houses.  Its hands ticked with each passing second, a louder sound resounding when the hour passed.  It was the city’s historic landmark, keeping track of time for all the merchants and townsponies.  It controlled life within Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria.

The townsponies were mingling along the sidewalks, discussing the day’s events and their plans.  They laughed amongst each other, but many of them stopped as soon as one of them gasped and turned his face away from his group.  He whispered to several of his friends, and the word spread around.  Many ponies were quietly watching as a white-furred mare trotted down beside them with one of the younger guards.  Chatter started up behind the two ponies’ backs, who returned each spectator’s glare.  Celestia stayed silent, while Paine’s head was jolting from side-to-side.  He noticed each face, and stared confusedly when a pony would make a comment about Celestia until they saw him.  Their expressions would instantly turn from a scowl into a smile, and they stepped back from the duo.

Celestia dropped the paper from her mouth and used her horn’s magic to catch it, coating it in a golden aura.  It shrank, retreating towards the tip of her horn and gathering into a small yellow ball that faded away.  It was a storage spell she could only cast on small objects.  Paine watched as the citizens continued to stand back from him, tucking his own paper between his armor and fur.

“So why are you so weird?” Celestia asked, looking ahead while occasionally glancing at others.  “I mean…I’ve never met you before.  You shake a lot, and you stared at me awkwardly.”

“Ummm…well…”

His hooves carved into the pavement as he slowed, lowering his head.  Celestia traveled to the apple stand ahead of him until she glanced to her side and scrunched her face at there being nopony beside her.  She stood still in her place next to a carrot stand and looked back to see if Paine catching up -- he was trudging up to her.  Celestia puckered her lips.

“Are you even okay?  You look really…down about something.”

“Huh?  Down?”  His body, face, and wings stiffened up.  He stopped scanning the area, lifted his head, and centered his eyes on the stands ahead.  “I’m feeling fine!  I’m not scared of anything!”

Celestia raised an eyebrow at him, looking over his entire body as he came up by her side.  His wings folded back against his golden armor.  His expression was stern, intimidating several of the townsponies as they backed away.  He stood silent, then glanced at Celestia who looked back with the same expression.  A drop of sweat poured down his face, and he stared ahead again.  Then back at her.  Then ahead again.  Then back.  Celestia rolled her eyes and walked on ahead of him, snickering quietly.

“I never said you looked scared.”  Paine gasped when he noticed her ahead of him and dashed to her side.  He bumped into a few ponies who were in his path, several of which grunted and cursed at him.

“Sorry,” he muttered.  Celestia laughed even louder.

“You’re funny, though!  I think we’ll make a great team.”

“Yeah…  I think so, too.”  The young stallion was beside her again, staying calm as he looked only where she looked.  “Oh, and my name is Paine.  Paine Whinnial.”

“Paine?  Gee, what do you do to others to get that name?”

“Nothing yet.”

“You think with our group, you’ll find you deserve it?”

“Maybe.  We won’t be going too crazy, will we?”

“We just might.”

“But I think Princess Velvet wants-”

“Oh don’t be such a bore!  Hey!  There’s the inn!”

Celestia grinned, pausing in her steps as Paine momentarily went ahead of her.  He looked behind himself and stopped to wait, but seconds later, she took off.  Paine sidestepped in shock as she brushed by, crunching his eyes to watch her shove through the surrounding citizens.  He sighed and rolled his eyes.  Yup, they were going to go crazy.

He reared himself up and ran after her, chasing an image that disappeared and reappeared.  He rubbed against several different ponies, all of which looked back at him the same way the others did.  Several cursed, others groaned.  He looked straight ahead, running until he spotted her standing still in front of a tall stone building with a wooden overhang sign that read ‘Pony Days Inn.’

The stallion jumped and pushed his hooves out in front of him, coming to a screeching halt that forced the surrounding ponies back.  His maneuver made some of them stumble, stopping inches away from Celestia.  She looked at the building as he looked at her with tired eyes.

“Can you warn me about that?” Paine asked.  “Geez.”

She didn’t say anything.  Paine grumbled, and looked at where she was staring.

“Errands are closed for business this week.  All bandit sightings have been taken care of,” Celestia read.  She read it a second time, moaning after finishing.  “Darn it.  I thought we could get started now!”

“We’ll just come back in a few days, won’t we?”

“Yeah, but…” Celestia spun away, hair covering the side of her face and trotting down the sidewalk.  “Nevermind.  I’m just being stubborn.”

A loud cheering resounded from the distance down the streets they came from.  Celestia’s ears perked up, and she looked behind herself.  Paine did the same as the shrieks grew louder.  The two of them edged to the curb to look down further, and a squadron of guards were calling for the citizens to create a path.  They were patrolling down the city, not stopping for questions from anypony.  At the front of the troupe was a pegasus Celestia squinted her eyes at.  She had seen him before.  Beside her, Paine’s jaw dropped.

“It’s my dad,” he exclaimed.  His eyes followed every movement the larger pegasus made.  Every facial expression and every gesture he made.  He knew it all, and the lead pegasus’s eyes met his.  Paine moved closer to Celestia.  “And he sees me!”

“I think he sees me too,” she said, taking slow steps backwards.  “We can’t run though, or else we’ll look sketchy.  He already doesn’t like me.”

“And he never liked me!”

“He’s that bad?”

“You don’t even-”

Paine cut himself off as soon as he saw the citizens around them also stepping back and his father stopping in the middle of the street.  The rest of the troupe stopped with him, the witnesses gazing at their armor.  Their leader never lost sight of his son, and their hazel eyes never strayed.

“You know you are supposed to be on-duty with us later today,” his father harshly reminded.  Paine grinned sheepishly and wordlessly stared at him.  “You might as well join us now, especially after what Velvet has told me.  Because you are my son, I have my own concerns.”

“But Dad, if I wanna get started with her-”

“Get started?”

The father raised an eyebrow as he looked at Celestia, and then at the inn.  He thought back to Velvet had told him and strained his focus on the errands board.  He read the words to himself before staring sharply back at his son.

“As if,” he snorted.  “You’re so eager to get to work with her.  Why is that?  She nearly killed you the last time the two of you met.”

Paine and his father looked at one another for a moment.  The younger pegasus fell back on his haunches, working up a bigger grin as his father’s pupils dilated.  Sweat poured down Paine’s face again and he remained silent.  The townsponies surrounded them, and Celestia walked up, flipping her hair out of her face.  All eyes were on the three of them.  No sound other than the surrounding chattering was heard, until the captain of the guards spread his wings.  They reached out to the pegasi beside him, and he lifted up into the air.  He eyeballed his son, who stared up back at him.

“Nevermind then if you won’t respond.  You have no interest in working with us now.  Just make sure to come home before nightfall and we’ll talk.  Specifically, your mother may want to have a few words.”

The rest of the troupe outstretched their wings and hovered beside their leader.  The townsponies gasped in awe and delight.  Most of them were Earth ponies, never knowing what wings felt like.  Many of the children cheered for the guards and ran towards the front.  Their parents would grab them before they could get any closer and yanked them to the back of the crowd.  Everypony was excited as they witnessed the golden sets of armor that glistened in the air under the sunlight.

“Yes, Dad,” Paine said as his words were muffled by the ponies around him.  Celestia looked on with an open mouth.

“Good,” his father responded.  The lead pegasus looked ahead and ordered, “Make way!  We have an important task ahead of us.”

The townsponies cleared a pathway that opened up down the rest of the street.  Many of them rubbed up against the walls of the buildings as the guards continued pushing through.  More cheers resounded from the crowd, and children made dashes towards their new idols.  They screamed and yelled out for the guards to look at them, even to give them an autograph.  These were the entities they all wished to be.

And the entities that Paine wished to run away from.

Paine moved back towards the inn to give them space.  He called for Celestia, and she trotted slowly towards him, watching the guards fly away.  It was rare to watch them spread their wings.  They always kept them folded when escorting her, leading her to question what was happening.  Is there something serious she can jump into?  To prove right now she can fight?

“I want a pair of those one day,” she claimed as the troupe traveled down the streets.  The crowd’s noises lingered on.  “They look like they would be so cool!”

As her head followed them, Paine watched her with unmoving, squinting eyes.  She was tough to figure out.  How could he amaze her?  He looked down along his armor to his own wings.  They were smaller, but they were wings.  He grumbled, thinking about what he should do.  The wings gradually stretched out, reaching far enough to touch Celestia’s back, while the mare continued to watch the guards.  She ignored everything else.

“But you know what?” Celestia added, looking on sullenly.  “If I had wings, Velvet would quiz me about how I got them.  She’d think I did something insane, and then never trust me.  Oh, what to do, what to do…”

She backed up into Paine’s wing, groaning confusedly at the sensation on her back.  She twisted her head to face it.  Her eyes went wide, and she squeaked, jumping to her side and looking at Paine.  The pegasus stared back at her with a soft smile, making a “squee” as it widened.

“Sorry, but you scared me for a second with…”  Celestia breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her face with her hoof.  She silently giggled.  This pegasus was a funny one, for sure.  She rubbed her eye before glancing at him, his teeth still barred, and looked at the rest of his body.  Her eyes found his outstretched wing, and her movements stopped.  Her hoof fell to the ground.  “…your wing.  Oh cool!”

Paine blushed and stretched out it out further.  Celestia watched with a smile.

“I almost forgot!  You’re a Canterlot guard!  Which means you’re a pegasus, and you have wings!”

“Yup,” he responded with an absence of nervousness.  “I don’t get to use them often, though.  My dad shows his off more.”

“But it’s still so awesome!  Then again, I have to admit…”

Paine dropped his wing and closed his lips, tilting his head.  “Hm?”

She eyed him with a stern expression.  No words again, until the right ones came to her mind.

“…yours are a lot smaller.  Not quite as awesome as your dad’s.”

His wing hit the ground, and his jaw fell.  The blood in his cheeks flushed away, and he stared with a defeated face as she looked towards the stands on the other side of the street.

“But at least you have them, and they’ll get bigger as you grow older.  You’re so lucky!  I’m stuck without any.”

Celestia watched as the rest of the townsponies continued their business after the commotion from the guards died down.  There was nothing more she wanted other than a change in her life.  Velvet gave her the means for it, and now it was up to her.  She looked up at the sky with determination, her pink mane blowing in the soft breeze.  A loud tick-tocking resounded throughout the city.

“Huh?” Celestia muttered as she looked towards the clocktower.  Its numbers were Roman numerals, with one small hand on the twelve while the larger one was on the seven.  Her jaw also dropped.  “Darn it!”

She spun back around to face Paine, whose expression was still the same.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go.  My own…‘father’ wants me back by seven, and now I’m late.  He lectures me if I don’t come back on-time, and it’s worse if I take longer.  So I guess I’ll…see you tomorrow?  Because we gotta get this started!  I’ll even introduce you to my sister if I can get her to join us!”

Paine continued to stare motionlessly until his brain processed her words.  He grunted and shook his head, standing back up on all-fours.  Celestia smiled gleefully at him.

“Oh yeah,” he responded, regaining himself.  “Sure.  That’d be awesome, actually.”

“Great!  Then do we wanna meet at the inn again?  Tomorrow’s Sunday, so it’s a new week.  The Errands board might be open again.”

“Yeah, it might.  Actually, it should be.  It’s usually only weekly like this.”

“Yup.”

Celestia began to walk further down the sidewalk, still watching him.  She drifted further and further away, not saying anything as she noticed Paine was silent.  He stood still, returning her gaze with his own.  She was searching for the words to part ways with him.  He did seem to be a bit depressed the entire time, after all.

“So I guess this is…goodbye for now,” Celestia said once other ponies started walking in between them.  She watched as Paine reached out a hoof towards her, and she slowed herself when his mouth opened.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he yelled back.  He retracted his hoof and lowered it to the ground.  He watched Celestia nod to him, and she faced forward, galloping away until she disappeared from his sight.  Paine fell back on his haunches and watched her run.  He let out a deep breath, releasing the pent up anxiety.

She was the type of mare he had always wished for.  They didn’t speak much because of his nervousness, and she never picked up on his interest.  He suffered from shyness, yet she was as nice as anypony had ever been to him.  She fostered the feelings she instilled in him the first time he laid eyes on her.  The first time she struck him.  The injury from her spells never bothered him.  They came from a pony as passionate and eccentric as her.  She was every bit the mare of his dreams.

‘But nopony is perfect,’ he said to himself while he could still see her.  ‘I wonder if she has any strange qualities.’

He scanned her body to answer his own question, and his eyes widened.  He leaned his head in to try to get a better look at her flank.  He continued leaning further, and as he focused his eyesight, he could see something was missing.

‘…And she does.  I think she’s my age, but…she doesn’t have her cutie mark.’

From atop the inn stood two male pegasi, gazing at the streets below them.  The larger one held his head over the edge, while his partner placed forehooves over.  He was slender with a white coat and a blonde mane.  A single lightning bolt symbol traveled down from above his eyebrow to the side of his mouth.  His eyes were closed, opening them to reveal his blue pupils as his mouth opened.

“We’ve been in this city for hours, and we still haven’t found her,” he complained.  “Are you sure Malice’s description was accurate, Speedway?”

“She wouldn’t lie to us.”  His companion snarled.  Speedway was a blue pegasus with a rainbow-shaded mane that reached down to his chest and hazel eyes.  “Sinner, what’s in it for her to send us into this city with a fake letter of access for no reason?”

“We are talking about Malice here, the pony who was evicted from Canterlot under grounds of supposed theft of government property.”  He gazed along the entire street below them, watching as a squadron of golden armored pegasi began patrolling down from the farthest end.  Townsponies were dashing up to them, pushing their way through.  “The pony that made it so guards must always waltz through this city.”

“Relax, we’ll find her.” Speedway scanned each of the ponies below.  “How hard can it be to find a white mare with a pink mane?”

“Have we found one yet?”

“Be an optimist.”

The duo continued looking over the building, watching each movement taking place.  Sinner’s eyes scanned along their left side towards the castle, while Speedway looked towards the city’s gates.  They next moments were quiet, listening to and analyzing each citizen.

Their routine continued until Sinner hummed to himself.  He spotted a guard who was separate from the troupe.  Townsponies were stepping away from him, and Sinner watched everything that happened around it.  He narrowed his eyes and grunted, and Speedway’s ears perked up.  He twisted to see his companion, and pushed himself to his side.

“You find her?”

“I’ve spotted something out of the ordinary.”

“Really now?”

Speedway swung his mane out of his face and followed Sinner’s eyes to the guard.  Near him, a white pony with pink hair was running towards their inn.  Sinner and Speedway looked at each other and grinned.

“How much you wanna bet that’s her?” Speedway asked, leaning up against his companion.

“There could be many ponies of those colors in this city.”

“Oh for Pete’s sake.”  Speedway rolled his eyes and slapped Sinner’s side.  “And what are we gonna do?  Just let this one slide and spend a month searching for another one, only to find out it was the same pony?!  Give me a break.  Let’s just report to Malice on what we’ve found.  This city is too busy nowadays for us to capture her and take her back.”

“And what are we going to tell her other than Celestia is alive?”

“Isn’t that what she said she wanted to know?  And that we’d only receive a bonus if we brought her back?  Come on, Sinner, I’m sure you’re as tired of this as I am.  Let’s go.  Otherwise, the fastest flyer you’ll ever know will leave you behind!”

Speedway stepped backwards and spread his wings.  He hopped, flapping them and hovering as a soft gust blew against him.  He looked down and waited for Sinner, the pony who wouldn’t move.  Sinner remained in his spot, his eyes tracking Celestia as she ran closer to the inn’s entrance.

“I’m coming,” Sinner acknowledged, backing up to alongside Speedway.  “But it’s unnerving to know she may be close to the Canterlot Royal Guard.  We and Malice alone can’t combat her if she has them at her disposal.”

“And we don’t need to.  Malice, being a mad sorcerer, will figure something out.  Just shutup and come on!”

Sinner grumbled again.  He was the calmer of the two, yet understood Speedway’s impatience.  Nonetheless, he held onto his own ideals.  He snorted, extending his wings before kneeling down and thrusting himself into the air.  Speedway smirked.

“Sometimes, I wish you would just stick to your senses and not your intuition.  I can’t remember the last time all your thoughts and crap didn’t slow us down.  Now…”

The eager pegasus twisted himself to face the horizon in the distance.  His pupils zoned in on the mountains in the distance, and he beat his wings.

“…come after me, bro!”

He took off, leaving a rainbow trail hue behind him as he flew as far as Sinner’s eyes could see.  Sinner watched him disappear and shook his head, knowing that his partner was laughing to himself.  It was the cocky mannerism Speedway lived by.

“One of these days, I’ll be right,” Sinner uttered, flapping his wings faster and turning to fly towards the sun.  The horizon enlightened his fur as he flew beyond the gates and traveled into the clouds.