The Chronicle of Equestria: Miseriae

Hearing my cry, Passion, the immortal in the flesh, appeared from behind one of the trees and came to me. A moment of silence passed with him standing over my body which had fallen to the ground. A soft breeze swept by and blew a few dead leaves over me. I did not brush them away.

I discerned that he was exercising great willpower in not speaking first. It was not within his nature to stand pensively and wait; for he is Passion. He is an emotional god, but he is not an emotion. His power rises in intensity based on situation, but for those who he truly influences, his power has lasting effects. Passion is a higher concept that the body cannot feel. Only the spirit can comprehend it.

Anyone who has in them the spirit of Passion will not back down from any challenge or stand down even to the test of time. Passion is the god that makes the goal clear and illuminates it in glory. He makes that goal so desirable, so wonderfully necessary, that they will have the courage and resolve to strike down with great force any mighty adversary that stands in their way. He is a force of action; a spirit of accomplishment who is not accustomed to stagnancy. Hence it was not his way to stand still as he did.

Understanding this, I decided not to test him and addressed him weakly. “Passion, neither Hope nor Endurance is with us. There is no angel which has come to our aid. I can only see the spirits of the Dark One, who are so great in number that they are like the bees of a hive. I am not even sure that the Almighty one even sees the pain they undergo—”

He spoke with a harsh voice. “The Almighty sees all! Whether or not he chooses to send aid or not is a matter of his perfect will. Do not question sovereignty!”

My feeble voice was not altered by his outburst. “Apologies Passion; Although you have spoken well of our situation, I am not certain that the fates desire that things change here. We have both assumed that they desired for the freeing of the people because of their few, unaffiliated changes in person, yet they have not spoken. No one can claim to truly know the will of the Fates.”

“Michael, I have no doubt in this. You are letting the hardship best you. Did not your imprisonment in your own palace, or your time in the ninth ring [of Hel], or your days before your salvation teach you that Hope always comes to the darkest of times?”

“Are they truly downtrodden though? They do not know any better. Are they truly suffering if they have nothing with which to compare their low status? Without pleasure can pain exist?” I asked.

“It is true that ignorance is indeed bliss, but each one of them holds the same things in common. Take the female you are living with for example. I will say that her most recent episode was a passing moment and that she seems to be content during most of her days. But deep within the confines of her mangled spirit, her suppressed sense of justice yet lives. She knows without realizing it that there is something more. She simply does not know what.”

I sighed. This was going nowhere. “You have spoken well, but how much longer must I wait?”

“Come now, where is your strength? Where is that king I saw only two millennia ago standing up to challenge the third Fate herself? Where is the craving for more of life’s weight? Come let us ask not for less, but for more. As the task becomes more difficult, the reward and the joy in that reward become greater.”

An excited chill ran up my spine as I understood the meaning behind his last sentence. Raising myself up, I spoke. “No being, mortal or immortal, can resist the allure of the spirit-lifting Passion. His words inspire even the most cowardly of men to open war and encourage even the most demoralized angels to fight.” Ending my praise I asked, “Have you any new missions for me? Your last recommendation resulted in what one may call a promotion.”

Passion, now pleased with my change of tone, responded. “You have seen the ponies of the earth and you have broken bread with the unicorns. Yet even as a spirit you have not laid eyes on the pegasi. Tomorrow your wings should have enough strength in them to bear you to the clouds. Visit with the first one you meet: the one who proved the legends true. They are the last free race of this realm; for even the goddess who sits on the earthly throne of this world cannot lay siege to the heavens. Tomorrow, after the last ray of light has left the sky, go to her.”

I thanked him for his words, and he departed swiftly. And with the higher feeling of passion in my spirit, I returned to the Carousel Boutique to sleep away the few hours of night I had left.

I was already awake before the dawn came. I was awoken by a dream some time during my attempt to achieve some hours of rest. I often had dreams of great terror. Not that I was afraid. I had become used to it over time. I just could not bring myself to return to slumber after awaking from a nightmare. Nonetheless, Passion’s speeches where still vivid in my head and drove me on through the day. I worked as I always did and the sun rose and set as it did.

When the sun had set, I told Rarity that I would be going out as was becoming my habit in the night. Going to another secluded area, I removed my shirt and extended my wings. I stretched them outward like a man would his arms or legs after sitting in one position for a long time. My wings were unused to this type of treatment. I rarely used them. In fact, I could only remember ever using them on two types of occasions: when I stood before the Almighty and used them to cover my face as a sign of respect and when I traveled through realms. No, I rarely put them to use.

I also reached behind my back and felt that my seal had returned. It had grown back with my skin. This gladdened me as the proof of my purpose had returned to me. I also noticed the many other scars that I had accumulated during that night with Pinkie Pie. It would be a while before they disappeared. Yet, they did give me a sense of accomplishment. The scars I wore were like medals given to a soldier to an Aesir. So with the boldness that I had not felt in ages, and with a mighty push of my wings, I pushed myself upward towards the city of Cloudsdale.

As I ascended I spotted a hole in the clouds and flew through it. Coming above the clouds, I decided to try my luck and let myself fall onto one of them. Success. My feet touched its surface and sunk as one would on a pillow, but the cloud I found to be as solid ground. I did not think much of it. I had seen it done before and as to how this breach in the laws of physics occurred was a quest for another day.

Looking ahead of me, I saw nothing but the tops of the clouds illuminated by the moon, but as I turned around, a great marvel caught me off guard. Before me I saw a huge mansion which must have been nine thousand square feet large and as tall as one hundred feet. I could tell that it was made of out the clouds and it reflected in the moonlight a brilliant white color. Supporting it were many great Greek columns and there were at least four pillars each a hundred feet tall around it. It had three towers horizontally stretched across the edifice. The one on the left was one seventy five feet tall. The middlemost tower was one hundred feet tall and the right tower was sixty six feet tall. Each had the likeness of Byzantine influence; being capped with domes. On its right side was a rainbow that took that likeness of a waterfall that faded into nothingness as it stretched down towards the ground.

Seeing this great wonder, I was frozen by its magnificence for a moment. My amazement did not pass, but it eventually weakened to the point that I was no longer transfixed upon the castle-like house. I strode across the Aether to the large door that was the apparent entrance to the manor. I came to it and realized that oddly, it was the only part of the building not made of cloud but of wood and iron. I made the assumption that this was to make it more conspicuous. I rapped thrice upon the door and waited.

I received no answer and knocked again. Still, there was no answer. So I gave up and turned away. But as soon as I turned, I heard a voice from above say, “What, you didn’t think I would actually bother to use the front door did you?”

I looked upwards and saw from the overhang of the porch, there was a blue, female pegasus with a mane colored as a rainbow, around the age of twenty, gazing at me with a look of mischievous delight. Her voice was curious. When she spoke I felt a feeling of exhilaration swish about me. Yet her voice cracked as though she was younger than she appeared.

I countered her comment with an entertained tone. “I did indeed assume that you would answer the front door when I knocked. I have traveled to many lands; to the far east and west, north and south, but in all of those places, no matter how strange their customs, every person whose door I knocked on always answered their front door if they were present within their home.”

A twinkle appeared in the eye of the winged air-mistress as she dropped from the ledge to the top of the stairs in front of me. “Well, that’s because none of them were as awesome as me, Rainbow Dash.” Her voice cracked again, but I could not help but shiver with glee over the power and confidence that her voice commanded.

It had been a time since I had met somebody with such confidence as this mare. Yet I would not lose this verbal battle. She had incited me to a war of words. And although I would remain respectful throughout, I would strike swiftly and terribly until she submitted. “Well, Miss Rainbow Dash, you have just betrayed yourself? Until now I was not sure if this was your dwelling or not, but you just confirmed that. That makes us even. I know that you live here and you know that I have traveled in the past. Yet I believe that the former intelligence is of most use in our present time.”

She dodged my blow and struck elsewhere. “Oh yeah, well, I think I’ve done some pretty cool stuff that you don’t know about too.”

Ah, this was becoming interesting. She had just scored a critical blow. I did not see it a fit time to speak specifically of the many battles I had fought and the voluminous expeditions on which I had undergone. This was not because she was particularly witty, it was just by chance. She had taken a high-risk gamble and I just happened that I could not counter. I was smote, but by no means defeated. If I could just catch her on one continuous train of thoughts she would be fighting a losing battle. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and let her audacity feed my curiosity.

“And what deeds might you be referring to Miss Dash?” I had her here. She could not resist the bait on his hook. The second that she responded, I would launch an attack on the significance of her past triumph and then the battle would be underway. It would continue on until I wore her out. Mentally exhausted, she would yield.

Yet her answer caught me off guard. She turned to her side and lifted her hoof. “Oh, not much, I’m just the only pony in all of Equestria alive to ever have performed the sonic rainboom.”

Then I realized it. It was her: that pegasus that I saw when she was just a filly. There was no doubting it. She bore the same features as the filly that had been so favored by the Fate. And I saw on her flank a cutie mark that chronicled the events of that day. The sigil represented a cloud. Coming from that bottom of that cloud was a rainbow that took the form of a lightning bolt. Truly, this was her. This was the pegasus who Skuld had chosen to set a series of unknowingly connected events in motion.

I faltered for a moment; desperately trying to gain a hold on myself before any significant amount of time passed. If I waited more than a few seconds, my silence would be understood as a sign of surrender. With no more than a second left after I pulled myself out of my stupor, I said with all of my years of experience in verbal conflict, “And do you know what that means Miss Dash?” It was a statement that only bought me a few seconds, but a few seconds was all that was needed.

“You bet I do. It means I am not only a legend, but a talented enough flyer to join the Wonderbolts.”

Jackpot. I did not have to be familiar with who she was talking about. This was it: the killing blow. “And can you be sure of that my dear lady?”

I had dealt with many cocky girls like her. This was child’s play beyond this point. All according to plan, she lost it and was fixed on battling me for that one statement. She was convinced that she was baluable enough to join these “Wonderbolts” and all I had to do was tire her out; defending that one statement. Arguing is much like physical battle. The more time expended, the more the value of endurance becomes evident. Our conflict continued on for another five minutes.

In the end I knew that I was the victor. She had won one engagement: the previous one. I gave it to her. But the next statement I made would spell her defeat. Yet I did not choose victory. I was satisfied enough knowing that I could have won if I wanted. Of course I played the better man and did not play my trump card. I gave in even though I had the tool of her demise in the palm of my hand. Diplomacy is always better than martial force when the opportunity exists. This pony would provide a wonderful sparring partner and if I let her win the first war, I would not only entice her to fight with me another day, but I would be on good terms with her outside of the battlefield of the tongues.

“Well, I do concede Miss Dash. You are indeed a worthy flyer and the greatest one I have ever seen. I wish you luck in that endeavor.”

A euphoric and exultant look of glee crossed her face when she saw that she was officially triumphant. “Yeah I am aren’t I? You know what? I like you. What’s your name?”

“My name is Michael Iaponis Fujiwara, but call me simply by my first name. I would love to hear about your feats in greater detail if you would care to indulge me.”

She chuckled and said, “Well that’s a pretty weird name but, sure, why not? Come on in.” She flew up to the lowest window and went through it and beckoned for me to follow her inside. I had lost the battle but gained a friend. Tactical retreats are so wonderful. The way I saw it, I had won two victories.

After I squeezed myself through the tight window, I was surprised at what I saw. Although very spacious, Rainbow Dash’s home was nearly empty. I believed that I knew why, but I asked her nonetheless, “Miss Rainbow Dash, I am a stranger to this world, could you tell me how the pegasi relate to the world below?”

Her cheery expression changed as she began to answer this question. “Oh, ok … Well our job here is to control the weather and we do that pretty well. But those guards from Canterlot, they don’t pay us good for it. They say it should be a full time job and we don’t that we wanna work 24/7 so they only give us a few bites to eat every now and then. So we started having to steal food in order to keep ourselves alive. It’s a pirate’s life, but so far none of us have gotten caught.”

I thought as much. I the end, the pegasi where free, living in palaces made by their own hooves, but lived not better than street rats. “Ah, I’m sorry Miss Rainbow Dash.”

Her demeanor snapped back as she said, “Oh, just call me Dash. Come on, let’s go outside and have some fun.”

I had never flown before, so flying as a primary method of travel was different. Yet Rainbow Dash commanded the skies with her mighty wings and performed daring feats as if she were stepping over a hole in the ground on her way. I did my best to keep up, but she outdid me without even trying or really intending it. It had been a long while since I felt that I was the amateur at anything in quite a while (except for maybe dressmaking, but Rarity did not deliberately flaunt the gap between my skill and hers so obvious).

Rainbow Dash buckled over in laughter when I could not perform tasks that she considered simple. “Haha … you- you were talking so tough twenty minutes … pfft … ago.” And she lost herself for a while in hilarity. Regaining control, she mustered, “Ah, I never thought you’d be a rookie.” When she had finally ended her laughing fit, she said, “Here, let me help you.”

So throughout the night, Rainbow Dash coached me through some simple flight maneuvers. I was not as agile as she was, so it was difficult for me, and when she wanted me to free-fall fifty feet short of the ground (which she said was like a bunny slope) I almost quaked in anxiety. I cannot imagine how it would have continued had I not seen that the sun was approaching dawn.

“Ah,” I said with some dismay. Though terrifying for myself as a beginner, flying was exhilarating. “I apologize, Dash, I must be off to work. Unlike you, I am bound to a duty that requires my vigilance from sunup to sundown.”

In disappointment, she said, “Aw, do you have to leave now?”

“I am afraid so; however, I can return after the bright circle has run its circuit in the heavens.”

Excitedly, she said, “Great, see you then.” Eagerness is such a diverting base emotion.

Returning to the ground brought me down low in both senses of the phrase. From above the clouds, one could not be blinded by them, so the moon always cast her bluish glow on all the world had to offer. But the sun, bright as it was, seemed to give off only a faint degree of light. It burned viciously in the heavens; unchanging from every time I looked out the windows of Rarity’s house.

Yet I will not go as far to say that the sky felt any freer than the earth. Even distracted in the air, I still knew that I was subject to the sun. I knew also that Rainbow Dash was just as much a slave to Celestia as any I had visited thus far. Rather, the sun was in the sky. It never touched the earth. So it seemed to me that although the pegasi where free, they were all the more bound.

Just like the ponies who dwelled on the ground, they were blinded by the sun in the day. They had no conception of what it meant to have luxury of comfort.

The thing that I liked about the heavens was that you could see the moon so clearly at night, not being dimmed by the bottoms of the clouds. The moon was so clear, so pure, not like the yellow light of the sun. It was night, but the moon seemed to provide more light than in the day. When Rainbow Dash granted me a break from the agility training, I had a moment to look clearly at it.

As I did with Pinkie Pie and Rarity, I went back to the domain of Rainbow Dash each night and enjoyed her company. Yet as the nights passed by, I began to realize that she was gladder to see me than I was to see her. Not that I was growing tired of her, but she was just ecstatic every time I ascended.

As soon as my head bypassed the hole in the clouds she leapt upon me and forced me to “play” with her (in other words, “perform death-defying stunts). And a thought came into my head. A dark, looming thought that I did not want to accept: she, like all those before her, was lonely. She had the same problem as every other pony in all of Equestria on which I had yet laid eyes.

The allegory held firm. They were all, even the pegasi, chained to the wall; their heads braced so that the cold, dark, rigid, featureless wall was all they could see. Perhaps the cave was ovular, and the pegasi were chained so they were the closest to the dim fire in the center of the cave, but it was not enough. Rainbow Dash, even with the heart of a conqueror in her, could only see shadows, not light. In the end, an imprisoned pony is imprisoned, no matter how close to the escape she is.

Months went by me. Winter gave way to Spring after a curious event that they call the “Winter Wrap Up,” which I shall not speak of in the book. Spring went on about its way and I discerned that it was late in the month of May. With each passing day I felt that I was becoming a closer friend to Rainbow Dash. I found that in addition to her commanding, overconfident side, she also was a master of pranks and was a bit lazy at times. She was great fun to be around and rarely was in somber; the kind of mood with which I am very familiar.

I will say though that there was never any down time in her presence. Take one day for example when I devoted some time to studying the planet’s moon. Again I fancied that I saw in the craters of the moon that shape of a unicorn’s head. I tried to convince myself otherwise, but in the end I asked my companion about it. She told me that she too saw the shape of a unicorn in the moon. Yet when I tried to make sense of it she told me to stop staring at nonsense and “get back to training.” She brought me back to the world of hard training, which we both enjoyed dearly.

Despite the hardship of living in a dystopian society, being with Rainbow Dash was not so bad. She was always so happy to see me, which was bittersweet. I was happy that she enjoyed my friendship but I knew that she was deprived of relation so much that she thought I was amusing. I was about as amusing a person as a doornail.

I also found that she was not so much of a philosopher. I had been looking for one pony in Ponyville who could share with me the journey of looking for the truth. Rarity was about as close as I came, but I could not always speak of dreadful things without her attempting to steer the conversation elsewhere. With Rainbow Dash, I was equally limited in conversation. However, she did prove to be an effective opponent in verbal sparing matches to which I was so accustomed.

I had not drawn a sword in ages and it was wearing on my soul. The lack of battle was making me a bit tense. The flight training that I was undergoing had provided a nice substitute to begin with but it was becoming easier for me and therefore my bloodlust was rising. I needed a challenge. It is not good for one who is born to carry out mission to sit still for long. Yet speaking with Rainbow Dash for more than an extended period of time always led to some sort of respectable conflict. Although she was not well versed in grammar or terribly articulate, she was unrelenting, and that is what made her mind interesting.

She was also a very persistent meddler. Day by day she pried at my senses. She already knew that I was hiding enough stories to fill up hundreds of libraries of books, and I was reluctant to tell her. I had already leaked one of those stories into this world and I was reluctant to loose any more. But she knew what she wanted and she would not let go of the goal.

One day, after she was smiling with glee after a victory (one actually won this time), she asked me a question that made me jump. “Michael, how did you get that cutie mark of yours?”

“Ah, Dash, worry not about this sign, you may not find the story interesting.” Using the subjunctive mood was the best I could do here. I just had to hope for the best.

“Oh, so there is a story behind it. Tell me. I wanna hear.”

Merda! This would not do. “It would be a waste of your time.” I had to change the subject fast. “Hey, I think I’m ready to try that corkscrew free-fall again.”

“Don’t change the subject.” She said blatantly.

Chikusho! “Ah, look at the time. I think that the sun is going to rise soon. I guess I need to head back to Ponyville now.”

“The moon is directly overhead.”

Bugger! “Alright, I guess I cannot dodge your question forever. Give me a moment to collect my thoughts.”

She agreed to give me a moment. As quickly as I could I started to develop a story that would betray as little about myself as possible. When I was quite sure that I was not breaking any of the statutes or interfering too much with a realm that I did not have dominion over, I began.

“What you ask for is a dark story. It is full of many events that I will not relate to you because they are not for your ears. Maybe someday, if this world is different, I will tell you the full story, but only if the world changes. In addition, the unabridged story is very long and I would not have time to tell all of it tonight. Therefore, for these reasons, I will give you an appropriate account of how this mark appeared upon my back, forever to stay.

“I was born in a place that is today called Osiris by its inhabitants. At that time, unlike this world, the country was not stable. People fought each other in order to see who would gain power over one another. They say that this war was as old as time. I myself cannot say when it started because there were no men alive who saw its beginning and no one who had passed bothered to write it down or speak about it to others.

To make a very long story short, as soon as I could, I helped bring stability and the war ended. And I ruled as king over that realm for a long while.”

Rainbow Dash exploded in excitement. “Oh my gosh, you were a king?”

“I was many things before coming here. Yes I used to be the king of that region. But during that time I was undergoing a time of trouble in my life. I had a thorn in my side that I could not remove. So it came to pass that I came to possess a certain substance, and this substance was very valuable. So valuable it was that some of my closest friends made an assassination attempt on my life.” Rainbow Dash’s face stared to display her awe.

“I will not say how, but to some extent, it was successful. But as you can see, I still live. Out of anger I set out to kill my assassins, and ended up taking the lives of many innocents.”

She gasped. “Yet the most lasting of short-term consequences was that I imprisoned one of my good friends from an undue amount of time. She is alright now, but she would not be where is today if it were not for my transgression against her. Perhaps one day you will meet her.

“Yet for me, that matter was over. I did not think about it for a great number of years. During that time many things happened. One of those important this was that I retained my kingship, but became also a servant to a greater king.”

Rainbow Dash interjected. “What? You let a bully tell you what to do?”

“My becoming a servant was a choice of my own. And every day I thank my master for giving me that choice. It is my greatest joy to serve him and see his other servants happy. It is that vicarious joy that has kept me going ever since.

“Yet there came a day when my master wanted to promote me, to be one of the greatest among his servants, which was a great honor indeed. But unfortunately, when he examined my record of deeds, he remembered the sin that I had committed so long ago in slaughtering my assassins. Because of that one deed, I could rise no higher.

“But I was committed to his will. I would do anything I could to serve him to my fullest effort. So I begged him to consider if there was any way that I could atone for my sin. He answered that I would have to take the punishment that they were at the time receiving. I shuddered at this thought. I knew where they were imprisoned: the land of the inglorious dead, which is called Hel in my master’s realm and Hades in my homeland. Their punishment’s duration would be for all time. I could not pay it in a standard way. So my master told me that I would suffer in their place seven times their torment for a number of years that he had determined, but would remain unknown to me.

“I could do nothing but agree. Ah, Miss Rainbow, are you sure that you would like me to continue? This part is not exactly fitting for a lady’s ears.”

She nodded, still lost in the story that I was recounting. “Very well, so I was taken to the darkest, coldest park of Hades which is called, ‘Ha Hafrada.’ And for an immeasurable amount of time I was subjected to the worst tortures that you can imagine and greater. Day and night (I say “day and night” but it was always dark there) my screams where heard throughout the realm and it was unending.

“But I did this again out of choice and each day I comforted myself with the idea that I would soon be released. It was not hope that I had, but rather it was a word that I have not yet coined. What I mean is that I thought that I would be released, but I was not completely certain. I believed, but I did not have faith that my master would remember me in my agony.

“As time dragged on, the notion of being free of pain became a foreign concept. All I knew was suffering. It is very difficult to describe but although the pain was still horribly agonizing I was almost numb to it. The best way to understand it is to try and imagine that you had never known pleasure (for I had forgotten what pleasure felt like). Then try to imagine what pain felt like. You would have nothing to compare it to so it would be difficult to say whether it where bad or not.

“I have no idea no when it happened but there was a point which I just stopped dreaming that I would be released. I had become a part of that world: the world of suffering, and there I would remain forever, so I thought. Finally, my master sent a messenger to tell me that the time was almost over. I paid the messenger no attention and just assumed that it was a trick of my mind. I did not even comprehend fully what that meant. What was there other than this place? Where would I go? What would this place I was released into be like? It was a mystery.

“Finally they came for me and took me from Ha Hafrada. It took ten years for my injuries to heal and a long time for my mind to readjust to a world without suffering. It was so foreign, but I felt that I could become used to it. So when I had regained my sanity, my master brought me before him, and carved this seal into my back. And he promoted me, and I was rewarded for my choice with power and wealth seven times the amount of pain I had suffered there.”

I ended my story and Rainbow Dash stared in wonder. “Wow,” she said. “You must have been so brave. I could never have done that.”

I struggled to see if I could relate this to her. I thought about then immediate moral of my story. Then I realized that I had accidentally and unintentionally hidden one of the seven secrets to joy in that story. Damn. I could not keep my mouth shut. Then I consoled myself when I remembered that the statues allow for the use of story when relating secrets. At that time, the sun was about to rise, and I had to make my way to Ponyville to gain and hour or two of sleep.

The next night was about the same. I became a little better at flying and Rainbow Dash gave her side of the story of how she received her cutie mark. I am sure that you are already familiar with all the sides of that story so I will not go into detail about it. Her tale did not take as long as mine did so I had about three hours of sleep if I left at the instant. I was about to part, but she stopped me.

“Don’t go.” She said; blocking my path.

“Rainbow Dash, I should go to bed a little earlier tonight. I have not slept much recently, and coupling with my day work, it is starting to become a bit taxing.” I had already started a bore a bit deeper than I expected into the reserve of the first seal and if I went much further it would break: something that I did not want to go through in Equestria if I could avoid it.

“You don’t have to go you know.” Her voice sounded different than usual. It still cracked, but it lacked her usual tone of confidence. Now I could hear only a different tone, but I could not make out what is was. “You could just stay here.”

“I have to go to work on the morning. I work in Ponyville you know.”

“But you don’t have to do that. You could just stay in Cloudsdale.”

I now knew where this was going. The tone that was in her voice was desperation. I had to be very careful how I addressed this situation. “Rainbow Dash, I am not a pegasus. Could you not find another of your own kind to keep you company until I return?”

She looked away for a moment. There was an ominous silence that ensued. Finally, she managed, “I didn’t want to tell you. I wanted to keep it a secret.”

That was never a good phrase. I had heard it all too many times. I braced myself. Her voice sounded harshly through the night air. “There are barely any pegasi left! They are either hiding from the princess or working for her as her guards. Didn’t it seem odd to you that I have the only house in Cloudsdale? When they couldn’t make us work for them they killed a lot of us!”

“How can what you say be true? I have seen many pegasi attending to the weather each day.”

“Those are the ones that the princess was able to buy out and enslave. As far as I know, I’m the only free one in Cloudsdale.”

I then realized the dilemma I was in. Rainbow Dash was not lonely for no good reason. The sun goddess waged genocide with those who she could not control. I was now facing a truly abandoned pony. It hit me hard. “Rainbow, I cannot express with words my sadness to hear what you are saying. I can say that in my time I have felt similar pain to your loss. But I ask you, please, be reasonable for a moment—”

“You be reasonable! I just want to be your friend and you keep leaving me every night. Every day I worry whether or not you’ll come back. I’m afraid for you. I’m afraid you’ll get killed like the rest. You have wings too ya know.”

She was now breathing deeply from shouting. This was not the Rainbow Dash that I knew: the Rainbow Dash that told me I was a wimp for not wanting to free fall five thousand feet and spread my wings just before I hit the ground. This was not her. I tried to speak with soothing words, but alas, I have found in situations like this there is little one can say that will calm down the shouter. “Rainbow, my good friend, you must understand that I cannot always be with you.”

This made her recoil at first, but then she screamed at me, causing tears to form in her eyes, “Why not? Why can’t you just stay here? Why? Why? Why? Do you know what I’ve been through? Do you know what it’s like living every day without anyone?”

She was breathing even more heavily now and tears were rolling freely down her eyes. In truth, the answer was yes. I did know what is what like. I myself had spent seventy years as a winged mortal. I lived every day alone and without any help. People avoided me like the plague because of a curse. I lived every day in utter anguish. It was then that ever failed a test of endurance and formed my pact with the Dark One; a pact that I regret making to this day. Yet at the same time my heart was melting for her. It was not an easy pain to take. Rather, I can say that it was a mental equivalent to my time in Ha Hafrada. Loneliness, I declare, is the worse mental suffering a person can be subjected to in their life.

That was it. I knew where this was going. I was either going to be badly hurt or end up in Cloudsdale for good. I had to end this fast. I turned heel and started running towards the clouds’ edge. It would buy me some time. Just as I jumped off, I heard her shout something incoherent. I didn’t have time to respond. She would be after me and I would be at a disadvantage.

As soon as I opened my wings and began speeding across the sky, I could hear her galloping towards the edge. I had about five seconds to think of a plan. I spotted the Everfree forest and aimed myself towards it. On a madman’s chance that I was able to reach it, I would be at an advantage. Four seconds left. Options started running through my head fast. Three seconds left. Kill her? Not an option. Wound her? Couldn’t bring myself to it. Keep fleeing? Fruitless. Two seconds left. I could hear the sound of her screaming just behind me. An insane idea came up. That’s it! I couldn’t make it into the forest into time, but I could at least try that.

I folded my wings and started in a free fall towards the edge of the forest with some time to spare. As long as I was in a free fall, I was equal with Rainbow Dash. What would be the difficult part was landing. As I neared the ground, I focused all my energies on my two legs. My voice became dark and although the sound of the wind was loud, Rainbow and I heard my words loud and as though I was speaking in a tunnel. “Accessing demonic restriction system … releasing restriction to level four.”

A black aura of energy enveloped me coming from my legs, and arms the places of the first four seals. My appearance changed to make me appear as a mighty adversary. Speeding towards the ground I concentrated my energy into my hands and thrust it towards the ground; dramatically reducing my speed. I came to a light and feathery landing, and I saw Rainbow Dash swoop down and land in front of me a few seconds later.

When she looked at me she seemed not to notice any difference and screamed again. “You will go with me.”

With a display of great speed, I sped up to stand in front of her in the blink of an eye from one hundred feet away. She did not have time to react before I said, “Forgive me Rainbow.” I struck her immediately across the side of her jaw; knocking her out immediately. It was done.

I looked at her unconscious body as I resealed the power up. I could not help but shed tears as I contemplated what I had just done. I had been so cruel so I knew that I could probably never see her again. But it was for her own good. I could not allow myself or another to become too close and become friends. I would have to leave this world eventually and it would only make it harder for her to see a friend leave then.

I picked her up in my arms and began a slow, painful ascension to Cloudsdale. Opening the fourth black seal was no minor deed. My body was in agony as it felt the effects of having black energy flow through it when I was using white energy so much recently. The effect was like an intense burning sensation all over. I did not count the time, but it was a while before I reached her house and laid her down on her bed.

My burden finally taken from me, I sat down; leaning against the wall, completely exhausted. I called out, “Passion, get in here!” The pain was starting truncate the manner of my speech.

Passion answered and entered the house. “Strong words coming from one with such short hair. Normally, I would not answer to one of your rank, but it is necessary for the preservation of our mission at this point. How can I be of assistance?”

“I can’t go back to work at daybreak. Send a spirit to take my form and have it work in my place in the house of Rarity until I can get back. I don’t want her to know the difference either. She needs to think it’s me. Also, you wouldn’t happen to have some paper on you?” It hurts me to realize that I used such base speech when speaking to a god.

“I have some parchment. Have you need of it?”

“Yes.”

Handing it to me, Passion said, “I shall fulfill your other request then. Do you have a plan to return to the ground once more? That was quite a stunt you performed and I do not assume you will be doing it again. That was far more energy than you needed to release in order to keep yourself from injury.”

“Forgive me, I cannot say that I have had to stop myself ten feet from the ground in complete free fall while being chased by an enraged pegasus before. No I don’t have a plan, but reaching the ground will be least of my troubles. I can fly down the normal way. It will not be easy but it will be simple. Remaining undetected will be the difficult part. I will have to hide in the Everfree for a while; at least until the pain subsides. Oh, and I’ll need red ink.”

Passion drew his sword and landed a shallow cut on my right forearm. I winced, but did not make a sound. “Anything else?” he asked.

“I am considering leaving after I have recuperated.” I said this somberly.

“I understand. Then I will be the only angel left in this realm.”

“If Hope does not come on the Eve of the Summer-Sun Celebration, I will leave. I will not see the beginning of another year when the princess rules unchallenged.” Hearing this, Passion dipped his head in farewell and departed.

Even though my entire body ached, I did my best to write out a letter to Rainbow Dash using a quill I kept on hand and my blood for ink.

“Dear Rainbow Dash,

My heart grieves me to write you this letter. I am so sorry that it had to come to this. I never intended for the recent events to run their course. I am aware that, once you awaken, you will want to pursue me out of anger and desire for revenge. Yet I ask that you will not try to pursue me. It will be a fruitless effort: you will never find me. In a few days’ time, I will most likely be leaving this realm. But do not be discouraged. I have not decided to forsake you. In my absence I will leave behind one who will watch over you and protect you from every evil; including yourself.

By the time you find this letter, I know that you will be grieved as well. Know that it was never my intent to hurt you like I did. Please do not jump to conclusions when I say this: I love you. But I do not love you as you would a coltfriend. Nor do I love you as a family member. I curse this language for making it so difficult to express myself. What I mean is that I want what is best for you and am willing to force you through a little discomfort so that you will not have to taste true anguish.

I know that you must be in pain over what has happened. I am as well; however, I know that if I had stayed with you, I would one day have to leave you; for I am not of this realm and cannot remain here. On that day your distress would be ten times what you are feeling now.

I do not expect you to actually forgive me as I had asked you before I did that horrible deed, but I ask that you would continue living on. Do you remember that story I told you about how I received my cutie mark? I promise that if you search that story for a moral, your discontent will turn to joy.

Peace be with you,

Michael Iaponis Fujiwara

Slave of the Equestrian Solar Kingdom

King of the Eastern Kingdom of Osiris

Loyal Servant of the Highest God”

In the post script I wrote a lamentation.

“Why is their suffering in the world?

Why can I do nothing?

I must wait silently.

I must watch with a stoic face.

I must watch tyrants oppress the weak,

See ponies weep and cry,

View souls desolate and weary,

Observe the cycle of death again.

Why is their suffering in the world

When I could stretch out my hand

Stopping it with my awesome unrestricted might

The demons running from my terrible sword?

It is all for the journey,

I heard Him once say.

‘Pain brings perseverance,

Perseverance heralds maturity.’”