One
Once upon a time, many years ago, there were two royal sisters. Blood of a forgotten line, heirs to a forgotten throne. One was incredibly beautiful, the cream of a stallions dreams. She would speak, and her will was done. She would sigh and her comforts tended to. Everypony loved her, for she was ever so radiant. The other was also beautiful, but her beauty paled in comparison to her sister. She never held a grudge however. While her sister was basking in her delight, the sibling took to the streets. She would meet in secret with the only pony she cared for. A lowly peasant colt.
The lesser of the two knew her love was forbidden, for a princess was only to marry a prince. She cast the idea away every time she stowed to the pits of her royal city. She found the dark streets and the dim torch light much to her liking. Unlike the castle-city, she could relate to the drags of the village. They were forgotten in the shadow of the ever gleaming fortress of her home, and just like her, there was a solace from the golden glow of wealth. Wealth and corruption.
In the brightest of lights, darkness is ever present. Just as in a dark cave one can see a candle lit like the ever burning sun, in the bright light of glory the shadows are ever more fierce. Yet somehow they are overlooked, or rather overwhelmed by something more pleasing to the flesh and the eye.
Every morning would start the same. The glorified sibling would awaken to her cheering crowds up top her balcony, a wave of her hoof and a gleeful smile then she would turn away. The door would knock, always four times, always the same pattern. In would walk a mare, pushing a cart covered with towels. The mare would then leave the room, and the greater sister would frown. Out from the cart would come a whimper, soft but constant. She would lift the towel covering the hamper to find a young filly. The princess would lick her lips and pull out her fangs, and the filly would fall silent. Forever...
"Twilight, must you always read into these old mares tales?" Flash complained as the princess read from her book.
"Yes, and do you know why Flash Sentry?" Twilight curbed a twisted grin towards the pegasus guard. He looke to give an answer but the princess was far ahead. "Because preparation is key to solving any mystery, even if it happens to be an old ghost story."
"Well, you're kinda psyching me out with it all. You think the place is really haunted?" Flash lowered his head as he asked.
"Why? Are you..." Twilight maintained her twisted grin as she turned towards the Royal Guard. Flash took a step back as the alicorn mare vanished in thin air. "SCARED!?"
"BWAH!" Flash screamed as the cold hooves pressed into his flank, launching the stallion in the air.
Twilight fell on the ground behind her, rolling in laughter as Flash Sentry hovered above her catching his breath. She peered up at him and caught his disapproving glare. Flash returned to the ground, and after shaking and stretching his legs out from the shock continued his stare at the still giggling princess.
"I hardly think that kind of behavior is befitting of a princess Twilight... and of course I'm not scared! I'm just... concerned" Flash turned away from Twilight, still annoyed. "I was sent as an escort to keep you safe while you go on this, insane if you ask me, mission."
"Flash, it will be alright. The castle has been abandoned for well over a thousand years." Twilight rolled her eyes. "This expedition is purely informative. The 'Black' Castle could have texts dating back to before Discords rule! Do you know how much history we could reclaim!?"
"And the... ghost stories?" Flash spoke with a shiver.
"What about them? You don't honestly think they are true do you?" Twilight sighed as she looked at Flash.
"I don't know, but is history worth it? Even the princess's warned us ab-"
"That's enough Flash. I am a princess to you know, and I think I can handle a 'haunted castle'... Celestia just worries too much some times" Twilight scowled.
"She was your mentor for how long? I would think you would take her words for more that worry" Flash scoffed as he trotted forward. "If Princess Celestia has to say to be careful... Maybe it's not..."
Twilight let out a drawn out sigh, silencing Flash in his thoughts and stopping him in his tracks. She took the opportunity to pass him and continue down the rough path. They still had a long days journey before reaching the castle. Had her enthusiasm for knowledge not been so great, she would dread her quest simply for the path laid before her. Unlike Flash, she was still new to flying and had yet built the endurance to fly long distances. So for now they had to endure the rugged road.
The two ponies were coming ever closer to the borderlands of Equestria and the unknown wilderness of the badlands. A strange place that worked like the Everfree. Weather acted on it's own, random and destructive. The animals cared for themselves, often savage and bloodthirsty. That was the only reason she asked Flash Sentry to join her, that and the princess's refused to give her a full escort. One of the 'perks' of a royal disapproval.
"Uh Twilight, what does that mean?" Flash drew her attention to a stone standing in the road, blocking the path.
Twilight stepped to the worn stone and took a moment to inspect it. It was very weathered, and moss stretched across the face. The moss avoided the face of the stone, almost as though it was tended to. The face had a strange inscription upon it.
"Reflecte gressum, maledicta humus" Twilight recited with ease, then continued to stare at the stone.
"Re... huh? What was that, some ancient magic spell?" Flash looked dumbfounded at the alicorn princess while she turned her head in another twisted grin. He knew by now nothing good came from that sadistic smile. "What? What did you do? What did you do!?"
"Nothing, my loyal, royal guard. It's nothing to worry about, just a simple... warding spell, to keep dangerous animals at bay" Twilight smiled as she curved around the stone and continued down the path.
"Just a... ward spell then... Ok..." Flash thought out loud as he rubbed his temples. He stood in silence as he stred at the stone himself. The carvings made little since, although he knew nothing of ancient writings, couldn't even tell what language it was. It looked really fancy, like a lot of the sayings they make guards memorize. He looked back up to see the purple figure way off in the distance. "He- Hey! Wait up!" Flash shot into the air after his princess, the dust lifted in the air after him.
A storm brewed over the castle courtyard, the many towns ponies stayed indoors that day. The village beneath the castle often fell under violent storms, with every pegasus and unicorn living within the safe castle walls there were none to manipulate the weather. This caused many ponies to suffer the elements. Many died to disease, others were unfortunate enough to fall under... less natural means.
Many of the cottages were made from less than standard materials. Mud and straw, the only materials they had left over from their wheat and hay fields. Often the earth ponies would double layer their homes for heat, but this came at a great risk. Lightning would strike through the soaking wet straw and mud, and into the dry and warm insulating bedding. On this particular night, tragedy would strike one cottage.
Princess Crystal Emerald stared out her window towards the village. Worry and fear filled her eyes as she watched bolts of lightning split the clouds. Her fear grew with every roll of thunder. She had planned to set out in the mid day, but her sister in all her splendor decided to host one of her galas this night. She demanded her presence for the night, she said for appearances but Emerald knew her sister knew. there was a subtle knock at her chamber doors.
"Princess Emerald, Will thou please make haste with thy preparations? Thy sister Elizabeth grows impatient!" The attendant behind the door shouted.
"Of course, we shall need only a little while longer. Tell Eliza tha-"
"Tell Eliza what, my dear Emma?" The soft sweet voice filled the silent room. Princess Emerald gave a soft sigh as she turned away from the window.
Her unicorn sister stood in front of the doorway, her gentle blue eyes serenely scanning her naked body. Crystal sagged her head as she walked for her wardrobe. Reaching a hoof for the handle, the door was wrapped in an invading pink aura. The door swung open and a parade of dresses came flowing out, each forcing themselves up to Crystal as if to decide which looked better. She endured for a moment until leaping in the air away from the enchanted clothing. Her wings blowing all of her paper work around the room in gusts of wind.
"Sister that is enough! We told thou that we will make haste, why must thou harass us so? Is this not another meeting of nobles?" Crystal almost raged, but managed a look of concern instead.
Eliza stood in silence for several moments as she considered what to say. "Yes dear Emma, these are just nobles. Only important ponies that just happened to be interested in meeting the royal twins of Duskshire, the only standing bastion within the Darkwood Forrest that hath stood for nearly four centuries..." Eliza took in a deep breath as she felt her head swell with heat and fury. " *Ahem* I'm sorry dear sister, this is an important day for us, and we do not wish to disappoint our guests."
"We... Understand... We shall be ready soon..." Crystal nodded as she returned to her window.
"Of course you will. Once you are ready, make your way to the courtyard." Elizabeth spoke as she vanished out of the room, leaving Princess Crystal alone to her thoughts.
Crystal tried to forget about the storm, about him, but the lingering thought penetrated her mind with every passing second. Be at that every second could very well be his last, her mind was full of the poison called love. She could take it no longer. She slowly cracked the window open, just big enough for her to sneak out. She climbed on top of the window frame and pulled herself out into the cool air. A quick look up into the clear skies only brought back anger she had already pent away. It was unfair to clear the skies around the castle, then to leave the village to suffer. A mistake she was about to fix.
None saw the black mare pierce the bright blue with her glorious wings, and none saw as she descended into the shadows of Duskshire village. She knew there would be consequences for abandoning her sister to the nobles, but she also knew that her sister only put this gathering together to force her hoof into bondage with another noble 'suitor'. At least in the darkness she could be free, free to live her live as she chose and free to love who she chose. She only felt dread however as her emerald green eyes reflected the orange glow she feared.
She watched in horror as the fields burned. The charred path of burning embers lead from a collapsed cottage, still smoldering from heat. Quickly the princess took flight towards the flames, circling the fields and met with the resistance of the wind.
"We must stop it's spread" The princess whispered to herself, lifting herself in the air above the flames reach.
Her long black wings extended the full length of her wingspan as she released a heavy burst of wind, feeding the flames even more as she was lifted in the air. Descending back into the heat, the princess brought with her a gust of wind. She flew low with the wind following behind her. The flames rose in her eyes, and all she saw was the ominous orange blaze before her...