Utopia

Bubbles watched the Summer Sun Celebration from beside the watchful wing of Gild, his guards around the area, watching closely. It made her sad, to make ponies think that they needed to watch their Princess to keep her safe. She understood the possible threats to security. There were always ponies out there who disagreed. She knew of the New Lunar Republic, and the Solar Empire. Both religious/political fanatics who believed their preferred princess was the only one they needed. Multiple of them believed this so much, they were willing to attempt assassinations on the opposing princess.

Oh, she understood. She just thought it was... She thought it shouldn't be needed. Such danger for either Princess shouldn't be needed. They were just as important as each other.

"I want you to document everything said," Gild told her quietly under his breath, "If anything seems out of place, tell me. Quietly. I don't want anypony else to know. Threats dealt with silently in times like this are essential."

"Yes sir," She whispered back quietly, "I understand."

As it turned out, there was no trouble that ceremony. Bubbles was alert through the whole thing, but there was not much to watch. Only one thing caught her eye. The discomfort her new employer was experiencing. Something was troubling him, and she saw the bandages covering his wing straining as he shifted the wing under them. Surprising even herself, she felt a stab of concern. A feeling she shoved back down angrily. This pony exiled her friends. Alienated her of her mother. No, she wouldn't be concerned for him...

"I don't mean to be invasive sir," She asked later in the privacy of his office, "But you seem agitated today. Is something paining you?"

Gild, who was still searching for a date in the diary that wasn't seven months down the track, stopped looking, put down his quill, and sighed, turning slowly to face his new PA.

"Not much escapes you, does it Bubbles?"

"I pride myself in my diligence sir," She said softly, feeling slightly warm for the compliment, forcing herself to remember who she was talking to, "Never missed a digit in the books sir... and reading clients is an important skill to have. I... I may not have the talent for it but..."

"Regardless, it's impressive. You're right, I'm not having... the best day. In fact, I made an appointment with a dear friend of mine. I was going to get you to wait outside whilst she visited, but I suppose..."

Bubbles frowned, confused, and her gaze flicked to his wing, and then back to his face. His grim look broke as he smiled a little.

"Like I said," he said dryly, turning back to his work, "Not much escapes you."

Bubbles, fighting her concern and her conscious, let him get back to work, making sure to help him as needed. It was her job, after all. By the approaching midday, he'd given her his record books and asked her to find any mistakes, and to fix them as needed. It was a job that'd take at least a week.

But when midday arrived, and the customary knock at his door to alert him to the guard change happened, Gild sighed, and pressed the hidden button on his desk.

"Right... Anytime now Purity."

Bubbles looked up in surprise, confused. Even more so when a hidden door in the back of the office opened in the door and an older mare stepped through. Like most nurses, she was white, but her mane was hidden under a hat, which is what gave her away as a nurse. She froze when she saw Bubbles, and looked at Gild in alarm. Gild smiled and raise a hoof slowly.

"Don't worry. She's privy. New PA."

Purity eyed Bubbles suspiciously for a moment, but moved to Gild's side anyway, and began unstrapping his wing.

"Who is she Gild?" She said quietly enough for Bubbles, who was straining to hear, to miss entirely, "And what's she doing here?"

"Her name's Bubbles," He said simply, also quietly, "She's my criminal's adopted daughter, and PA. Now she's mine."

"And you keep her in the office?" Purity demanded bluntly, "A foolish move I would say."

Gild laughed a droll laugh at that and smiled at Purity fondly.

"My dear, the old saying, how does it go? Keep your friends close..."

"Your enemies closer?" She finished skeptically, "You've always kept both at arm's length Gild, and don't bother trying to lie about it."

The bandages fell away, and Purity grimaced. It was a gruesome sight. A very gruesome one. The feathers were falling away rather quickly, and underneath was a blistered, scarred mess of flesh. Worse still, it was spreading up his wing, and was now encroaching on his back and side. Purity poked the fresh looking burns on his side and he hissed in pain and winced.

"Dammit Purity," He hissed, this time Bubbles did hear, and she was seeing his outspread wing too, and her eyes were wide with horror. Gild caught her staring and grimaced at her.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," He grunted. Bubbles winced, and looked away guiltily. Purity sighed and shook her head.

"This... this is beyond even my skill now Gild," She said regretfully, "I'm not even sure I could ease your pain anymore. You've gotten good at hiding it... but the pain's going to get worse."

"Then I'd best finish soon, huh?" He said softly, and Purity nodded, beginning to bandage his wing with fresh bandages.

"Yes... I've reapplied the poultice to the bandages anyway, I can only pray that it helps."

She finished applying the bandages in short order, and leaned in close to whisper to him.

"I hope you're not letting your emotions get the better of you with this girl Gild," She muttered softly, "She's almost half your age."

"Don't be absurd," He snapped back quietly, "And don't make the assumption you can poke into any aspect of my life and expect me to be nice about it."

Purity frowned, but nodded.

"Fair enough," She said, pulling away and speaking normally, "I'll take my leave now Gild. I'm sorry I can't help more."

"As usual," He said quietly, "It's fine. There's nothing you can do anymore but alleviate the pain. Thank you again Purity. I'll-"

"Make it up to me someday, I know dear. I'll see you next week, same time."

And she left. Just like that. She was just gone. Bubbles didn't notice her gone. Her eyes were burning with guilty tears, and she was trying vainly to read the book before her. It wasn't working well. It was almost a minute before the book before her was, gently rather, closed. She pulled back, and looked up to see Gild's sombre face looking at her.

"There are creatures on the borders between Equestria and the Dragon lands that anything outside the Everfree forest cannot match for danger. One especially nasty creature is... very closely related to the dragons themselves. They possess limited intelligence themselves, and grow as big as our houses. A fraction of the size of their cousins, but bad enough as it is."

Bubbles swallowed heavily, and looked away. Gild sighed softly.

"Look at me, Bubbles," he commanded gently. Despite her growing guilt, for reasons she didn't even understand, she looked at him. From close, the ragged scar down his face was truly horrifying, deep and ugly. But all Bubbles could think was how much it must have hurt him.

"These creature's venom is caustic. But not of the normal kind of Caustic."

He looked at his wing sadly, and a depressed smile formed on his face.

"I used to have such beautiful wings," He said quietly, "And I loved to fly. But when you get bitten by one of these creatures it... It burns you, from the inside out it feels like. It's painful, and it doesn't stop. It acts slow, and... It eats at your mind, the pain. I was bitter for a long time, and went to a few psychology sessions. Over time, I came to terms with it, and worked hard."

"I... I didn't..." Bubbles mumbled. The look on Gild's face morphed from depression to gentle humour.

"There's no way you could have," He told her quietly, "I became captain. I wanted to be known. And not for having an incurable malady. This wing's not useful anymore, and moving it accelerates the effects of the poison, but I can still make my life worth something. I can make it worth something by making this city a Utopia, Paradise for the working pony. A fair city where nothing's going wrong... Crime at an all time low."

Bubbles was struck suddenly by the similarity.

"That's... it's strange," She said softly. Gild cocked his head.

"What's strange?" he asked. She was jerked back to reality and looked at him.

"Hmm? Oh... it's nothing. I promise."

He looked at her, looking a little concerned, but nodded a little.

"Alright then... Back to work. I think there's been enough sentimentality for today. Find those mistakes kiddo, we've a lot of work to do."

"And the trial?" She asked, trying to keep the nerves out of her voice, and the blush off her face. Gild grumbled.

"I don't care, I'll pen it in sometime soon. I'm over fitting it in with their schedule."

Bubbles nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away, feeling his oppressive presence lifted from her.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the guilt, nor the striking similarities she'd taken note of that day.

That... and the horrible scarring on his wing.

She buried herself back in her work, hoping to find solace in the mental strain.

Ambrosia watched the sun set from inside her cell. Beside her sat an untouched tray of food, and her mind was still ticking relentlessly forth. The cell was cold, the bed was hard and the sheets were scratchy and floral. She was fairly certain she'd seen the sheets in the dollar store she used to shop at when she first opened the Star, in fact.

Figures she'd be cheap. Cheap Princess with Cheap Guards.

She sighed, finally looking away from the window to the meal beside her. It was simple. A slice of bread, a bowl of stew. it was normal. It was time for them to bring her dinner. Right on time, the door was opened behind her and she turned to meet the guard this time. She kept getting new ones, and she knew it was so she didn't affect the guards overly much to convince them to spring her out. Gild was clever. This time it was...

Her eyes widened at the size of the giant before her. Strangely, he didn't have armour on, and he had batlike wings. A Thestral...

"My name is Forge," He rumbled quietly, "I was sent by Sky Graphic."

"Sky?" She asked cautiously, "Is he alright?"

Forge rumbled softly, and took something from his back, and placed it before her. A tray of food, but not one like normal. There was a plate containing freshly roasted vegetables, and a freshly buttered piece of toast. And to top it off, a bar of chocolate and a glass of wine. Her heart melted and she smiled.

"Oh... I see," She said softly, her icy armour that had formed over her emotions thawing considerably, "Thank you, Forge. And tell Sky I said thank you to him as well."

Forge rumbled quietly, and nodded.

"I will be guarding your cell," His voice was like an avalanche, a quiet avalanche, "Let me know when you're finished."

And then he left, closing the cell door behind him, and for the first time in days, Ambrosia smiled.