Chapters A deathly silence had gripped the darkness like a deadly vice, small cumbersome breaths clung to the air like a python. A solid floor held up the small figure inside, smooth fabric brushing the small ears of the darkness’s inhabitant. A slow heavy beat began to pulsate, echoing through the durable floor, slowly advancing, closer and closer. The darkness seemed to crack open lightly as a pair of glimmering gold orbs forced back the darkness. The auric coloured orbs darted back and forth amongst the blackened void, slits of black pupils adorning each one. The breathing soon became burdensome as the deep thuds came closer. A mere gulp from the small filly sounded almost deafening in the silence as the small golden eyed filly buried herself in the darkness, her heart palpitating wildly.
An eon seemed to pass as the thudding got louder and louder. A sudden silence ensued, terrifyingly loud. The small filly panted and gulped in panic as the silence dragged on her heart pounding against her small chest. Suddenly the darkness dissipated as a blinding light filled the void that she dwelled within. The filly closed her eyes as it did inching back into the wooden confine she was being held in, hoping… Just hoping to stay hidden.
“Gotcha!”, a stallion announced in triumph, his hooves charging forward, pulling the kicking and screaming filly from the small wooden closet she took refuge in, ripping her away from the soft hanging clothing and pulled her into the blinding light of day.
A large string of giggles was let out throughout the room as the small bat pony was thrown onto a fluffy bed, landing with a soft thud. As her golden eyes shot open after the impact upon the bed, they were quickly enveloped by the sight of a large adult pony. His mane was a sapphire blue, two pointed and tufted ears stuck out, half hidden by his messy mane. His eyes glowed a bright jade green, his coat was similar to typical bat ponies, a greyish brown. Two black and webbed wings rested neatly and tidily by his sides.
He smirked at the small filly as he grabbed her sides and began to tickle her relentlessly, laughing as he did so. “What are you doing up here?” he questioned as he pinned her down, her violet purple mane sprawled out across the blue bed sheets.
The stallion smiled wide, his pointed fangs showing. His attack began to slow down as he jabbed her lightly. He leaned in and began to tut lightly, “I thought we agreed that the barracks was off limits, little troublemaker,” he said giving her nose a light nuzzle.
She panted lightly and quickly squirmed out of his deathly grasp. “I-I know...”, she said tiredly with shame standing up on the bed, sinking lightly into it. She only just managed to meet his eyes. “But it has the best hiding spots…”, she began but was swiftly cut off by the stallion holding his hoof to her lips.
“You know the rules Night…”, he reminded her.
She pouted at him and sat down on the bed, unhappy. “I know…”, she mumbled to him.
He merely smiled at the sad filly and ruffled her purple mane. “Come on, we have to get you ready for school.” She sighed and looked back up to him, her luminescent golden eyes shining brilliantly.
“Dad! Do I have to?” she asked unhappily.
He chuckled and nodded. “C’mon, I’ll walk you,” he said with a toothy grin.
She smiled gently and reached up, giving his nose a light boop. “I can walk by myself Dad, I’m not a little girl anymore”, she said with a confident smile.
He chuckled once more and copied her movements, bumping her nose with his hoof. “Only when you stop coming into the barracks”, he said with a cheeky smile. She groaned and jumped off of the bed and began to trot towards the door, her hooves thudding lightly against the wooden floor. He followed the small filly, seeming to tower over her, his own hoof steps making hers sound even quieter. “Little troublemaker,” he teased as they both began to leave the barracks, passing the many rows of duplicate beds. She looked up at him with an unamused glare as he shook his head in satisfaction.
“Is the class outside today?”, he asked with worry, his voice filling with concern, “Or are you inside the colony?”
“We’re out in the school house today.”, she confirmed, looking up to her father with a confident grin. “We’ll be careful.”
He gave a sigh and a nod, “I know… But I have to always be careful.”, he stated before falling silent.
They trotted outside into the cool morning breeze, the small bat filly Night Watch leading the way for them.
The bat ponies were always secluded. Their small colony nestled itself comfortably by the base of a mountain, its snowy peaks standing tall and looming over the colony, it’s silver peaks mere rock by day, but glistening jewels by night.
Sadly many of the inhabitants had never seen the snow up close before as it rested solely upon the tall peaks and never fell upon the ground. The town was almost invisible, only a few wooden buildings stood amongst the vast berry and wheat fields, its green vines sprawling out across the landscape and the surrounding golden fields swaying softly in the breeze. The semi-circle of stores lay in the centre of town, shop keepers all flaunting their products to those passing by. They didn't usually come outside… It was far too dangerous and only on special permission were they allowed to leave the colony.
The colony of course was not as one would think. Small openings and caves led to a much larger honeycomb of tunnels, all inhabited by the sharp fanged ponies, hiding away from prying eyes. It had been their home for centuries, they had always been safe beneath the mountain.
The small filly continued to trot through the town, her father trotting right by her side as an icy breeze fluttered by, causing her to shiver lightly. He chuckled and continued leading the small filly along, the smiles of many bat ponies passing them as they moved across the flat plains of the town.
Night had a look of anguish on her face, the idea of having to go to school didn’t bother her… Just the idea of going to school at that point in time. She sighed unhappily and her father nudged her.
“Hey, cheer up little troublemaker… You can do more at school than I get to do in the colony guard”, he said, trying to cheer her up.
She glanced up to him, not believing a single word. He knew what she was thinking and looked down to her, a small smile on his face.
“Why don’t you tell me what you learned yesterday?”, he asked, “Something about cutie marks?”
She looked up at him, a confused look in her eyes. He just stared back at her, awaiting a reply, pretending not to know anything at all about them.
“They’re… It’s what Luna’s plan is for us in life… And her blessing of those skills… ”, she stuttered slowly, not wanting to get anything wrong.
He chuckled and looked forward as they began to trot down a small dip in the once flat ground. “And what’s Luna’s plan and blessing for your mum and I?”, he asked, urging the small filly to go on.
“You… are good at helping ponies and defending the colony from bad things….”
Her father gave a proud nod and raised his chin at the small comment. “Mmhmm... And your mother’s?”
She bit her lip lightly as she struggled to explain what it was that she did.
“It’s to… Umm...” She slowly became silent as she slowly looked over to him, an amused grin on his face.
“Your mothers job…”, he began as he leaned down and quickly lifted the small and light filly up, using his wings, sliding her onto his back. “Is to be a beautiful and loving pony”, he said purposely, watching the filly scrunching up her face and sticking her tongue out.
“Why do you and mum have to be so gross?!”, she whined as he let out a loud, amused laugh as they trotted off to the small school building standing in the distance.
4 days earlier
There was a certain serenity in the night, a strange solitude and calm that could give a new outlook on life for any that walk in it's cool light. It was the most desired post but somepony had to do it, patrolling the silver plains with a cold concentration, peering at the horizon and the many small hills and mountain peaks that surrounded them.
Midnight Tryst was more than happy to do it… As captain of the guard you usually had to set the example but the job kind of stuck. But as captain of the guard he got to write up the duty roster, Tyl happened to be Midnights unlucky little brother who walked side by side with him, a wooden spear in hoof as they strolled the plains slowly, the night was spread out like a blanket above them, every star twinkled gently, the moon glowing vividly and lighting the shadows that they all called home.
“How long will you be gone?”, Midnight asked as they made their way across the rugged soil, their hooves squishing lightly into the stodgy ground after the many days of rain.
“Only a day or so, I’m just going to Hollow Shades and back... It’s just a checkup on the new colony”, Tyl repliedwith an amused smile on his face. “You really need to stop checking up on me every time I go away.”
“You're going to see her aren't you?”, he accused with a smug grin, watching his brother bite his cheek and look away.
“And what if I am?”, Tyl asked back with a proud smirk of his own.
“Then I wish you all the best with you and your courting.”, he laughed before nudging Tyl to the side, their amaranthine armor clanging together, leaving a resonate ring in the air. “Just be careful alright… Can’t have my little brother getting hurt… Or better assignments than me”, he said with a grin. “Just be careful alright…”
Tyl rolled his eyes and nudged his brother away. “Fine…”
Midnight smiled and ruffled his brother’s mane, pushing the neat blue mane into a messy bundle. “Bring me back a souvenir...”, he said with one last chuckle.
Present day
“And how are you coping with this?”, A voice asked, breaking the silence of Nights thoughts.
Night looked up from her work, the brown pages covered in lines for her to write with barely any letters written. Night sighed in frustration and dropped her pencil before shaking her head shamefully.
The mare that spoke to her was much larger than the filly, her mane was a light purple fashioned with darker violet strands that faded back near the end, flowing smoothly down her neck, curling at the end of its length with small strands covering her sapphire blue eyes. She smiled, almost amused by the filly’s small struggle.
The class was small, both physically and in occupants. The floor was carpeted in a sea of blue, its silky texture always a welcoming intuition. The wooden walls were all covered in pictures of ponies, students and the mountains on which their ancient colony hid under.
One wall held the many hoof prints of the small students, each dotting the wall in a flurry of color. The ceiling was a dark abyss at a glance, but a field of flickering stars would scatter across the roof if you stared long enough as if the room was always under the black veil of night- another marvelous feat, courtesy of bat pony magic.
“I can’t do it Miss Amber…”, she whined, pouting as she looked up at Miss Amber, her double toned purple mane flowing over her sapphire blue eyes... She smiled at Night, kneeling down and sitting beside her.
“And what can’t you do?”, she asked with a smile, looking down to the empty page in front of her.
“Any of it”, she mumbled and flipped her pencil back onto the table in frustration. “I don’t know what I’m good at…” Night said with a saddened and depressed tone.
Miss Amber giggled lightly at her. “That’s the point Night… You’re not supposed to know, but you should be able to have some idea of something that you like… And then work at that to see what your special talent is.”
Night merely sighed once again, not fully taking in what she had said. “Yeah…”
The mare sitting beside her smiled and looked down to her page. “So what do you like doing Night?”
Night sat in silence as she thought. “I… I don’t know… I like stars… And the sky,” She said hesitantly, her hooves rubbing the silken blue carpet.
“Then start there, anything that you like is a great place to start.” She said as she stood up, trotting away from Night to let her think as she went to help the others in her class. Night sat and thought quietly to herself, staring down at the blank page. She sighed gently and like a writer struggling to finish their art she waited, her mind baulking as she thought on and on, having no clue where to start or where to end.
She groaned in despair “I’m never going to get my cutie mark…” She said softly to herself as she dropped the wooden pencil onto the table with a light clack.
The day seemed to race past quickly, the sun racing across the sky. The many inhabitants of the town made their way from the empty plain where the many colored stalls lay, making their way into the cave entrance at the base of the snowy mountain and down deep into the honeycomb of caverns below, aged to ancient stability.
The caverns spread out for miles, all leading to a separate chamber, homes, hospitals and even shops… They had a city… A whole kingdom beneath the snowy peaks that scraped the sky above them.
Night’s home was typical within their colony, carved out by hoof and giving the walls a rounded finish. The furniture, brown wood, had small engravings upon the legs of chairs, tables, the heads of beds, even the drawers.
The small filly sat at the dinner table, its smooth wooden surface brushing against her fur as she rubbed circles into it, her hoof pressed to her face as she sighed gently. She picked up and pushed her fork into her food, shifting it side to side.
“What’s wrong sweetie?”, said a soft voice. Night glanced up to her mother, her own golden eyes meeting hers. She shrugged gently. “I… Just had a boring day.”, she mumbled, her eyes moving back down to her food.
Night’s mother tilted her head softly at the small filly. “Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.”, she said with a giggle as she got out of her seat and sat down next to her. She looked at her curiously, the filly poking her food with a depressed sigh.
“Your father’s not here… We could talk about anything… Stay up late… Read scary stories.”, she said with a smile, trying to entice the filly, wanting her to come out of her shell.
Night smiled gently at the idea, looking up at her mother.
“We can read that story you love... The one with Luna and how she made the stars….”, she continued. “Or I could tell you what a really boring day is up at the Sepulcher… I can tell you about all the ponies that come in to talk... Or ask for blessings for their crops…”, she spoke in a dull manner, causing Night to feign a small gag and to poke her tongue out, her small fangs sticking out lightly.
She giggled at her childish manner and nudged her hoof lightly. “So what’s wrong?”,
“I don’t know what I’m good at...”, she began, her mother nodding and immediately knowing where this conversation was going to lead.
“Ah… You’re wanting to find your cutie mark.”, she said with certainty. Night nodded, her head lowering as she kept her eyes down.
Night’s mother stood up after her suspicions were confirmed. “C’mon… I want to show you something”, she smiled as she trotted away from Night towards a chimney like structure,not far from the table, large enough for two ponies across.
Night followed her mother and she was quickly swept up and placed on her back, her mother extended her large black wings and gave a few careful and heavy flaps, slowly raising further up as they ascended through the ground that protected them.
The stone of the caverns continued to follow them and soon was replaced by dirt. They reached the top of the chute and Night’s mother pushed against the ceiling, letting it creak and come loose, removing a small mound of dirt, attached to small brass hinges.
They were now outside, on top of a small hill, Night clinging to her mother and soon letting go.
All Night’s mother heard was a loud gasp from Night.
“Wow…”
Night said in awe as she sat upon the hill, her golden eyes staring up at the cerulean sky, each corner of the sky was illuminated by a small diamond, twinkling gently. There was no lack of stars, the sky was made of them, like the blue veil of night was pierced with a thousand holes, all peering to what seemed the heavens themselves… It hardly seemed like night at all. The moon hung in the sky, piercing every cloud with a milky moonlight, giving the landscape a tinge of blue and silver.
Her mother smiled as the pair sat above the colony on the small hill. The mountains stretched upwards to scrape the sky itself, the moons light glinting off the very surface of the mountains. She had her black leather wing wrapped around her daughter, keeping her close as they star gazed.
“You see all of those stars?”, she asked in a mere whisper. “How many do you think there are?”
Night stared up at the sky, pointing at a few as she began to count. She became bored quite quickly and groaned. “There has to be a million!”, she said.
Night’s mother giggled. “Close… Luna made as many stars as possibilities… Infinite…”, she said as she stared at the sky. “There are infinite possibilities… When you think of what your talent is… Just remember the stars and you’ll remember that you can do anything, and only you can make it happen.”, she said with a gentle smile.
Night smiled and continued to stare up at the sky, its silver stars beckoning down to the land below. “Why can't we come up here every night?”, she asked curiously, looking to her mother.
“It's far too dangerous on the surface.”, her mother explained simply, “We’re safer underground… We always have been.”
At that point a gust of wind blew past them, blowing their manes gently to the side. “Hope I didn’t miss anything?”, said a familiar tone. Night smiled and got up and charged at the stallion behind them, her father.
He smiled and let her jump at him, throwing himself back onto the ground to give Night the illusion of victory. He feigned a grunt as he hit the ground, his armor clanking on the ground.
She giggled happily as she lay on top of him, her hooves pressed gently to his neck.
“And I’ve got you.” She snickered evilly as Night squealed and laughed as her mother tickled her, pulling her to the ground with a light thud.
“Now what might you two be doing up here?”, Midnight asked, raising a brow at the two who merely grinned back guiltily. “Troublemakers”, he muttered.
There was always something that woke Night up in the morning… Usually something irritating but there was always something that pushed the filly from her unconscious state.
The knocks always echoed into her room in the part of the cavern Night called home, always seeming twice as loud.
She groaned and slowly lifted her head up from her deep blue pillow, scratching at the shields of her bright gold eyes. She regrettably got out of bed as she heard her name being called, yawning wide as she scratched the rest of her tired self away, peaking her head around the door.
“Night… Your friend is here to see you.”, her mother called to her, her purple mane loose and drooping over her tuffed ears. Night smiled when she saw another small filly at the door, her mane was an electric blue and her eyes a dull purple, she smiled giddily as Night appeared.
“Starlight!”, Night said happily as she pranced up to her friend happily. Starlight quickly came up to her as well, smiling happily.
“Starblazer and the others just started a game of Hide and Seek, wanna come?”, she asked, her voice becoming higher and more playful with each word.
Night looked up to her mum pleadingly and bit her lip. She needn’t say anymore, her mum smiled and ruffled Night’s mane gently before pushing her along. “Go on… Have fun, but don’t tell your father.”, she said in a warning tone before cracking a joking smile, letting the two fillies charge off through the caverns in search of their friends.
The caverns were ancient… Some still say magical.
At the subjugation of their people, after helping their goddess Luna, they had retreated, ran, collapsed as they fled from a hatred for their kind and they retreated beneath the solid confines of the earth itself.
There used to be many of the gifted, those born with the greatest gift of Luna herself, magic. They used to be in the hundreds but after their defeat in the war, they had sacrificed themselves to form the great caverns and sanctuaries beneath the earth, fighting and dying to protect their kind.
They could still feel the magic they used to carve out the earth… a definite slow yet gentle warmth… A feeling of security and a sense of peace, some say they can still see parts of the walls glow gently with the many colors of the gifted.
Yes they had formed the many caverns and took care of the great temples but the architecture and designs came from those with only their hooves and chisel.
The houses were carved out by hoof, smoothed to create a round finish on the walls. Their houses were large enough for a family of four, each having several rounded rooms within them, the furniture was wood but it was as if the wood moulded together, like each part was separate yet it was sturdy as the walls around them. Wool adorned every chair, wrapped in coloured fabric and bound together by thread. The beds were no less fine than the chairs, the mattress made of large amounts of wool, wrapped in a soft cloth.
Their colony was special, it’s caverns not only spread down but up through the core of the mountain, reaching to the top where their great temple sat, the ceiling dotted a silver white all the way up, the higher you climbed the sharper and more brilliant they were. The flames that adorned the torches on the way up are said to turn a bright purple.
The temple itself was the finest part of the colony, at what was the top of their world, closest to their trapped God Luna.
The entrance to the temple was adorned with mighty pillars, carved spirals span round it like hair. The steps were a bright white, but under the great torches at the entrance they were a brilliant purple. The arched door was wooden and stretched four whole metres above the floor, each half of the doors bearing a part of the crescent moon.
The sound of music always flowed down from the temple, the gentle chorus of those above, bouncing off the many halls and down into the heart of the caverns as many continued with their day, the two fillies running into one of the many cavern chambers.
Night huffed and pouted gently as the group formed a small circle.
“Sorry Night, you were last here… You’re it.”, said a small blue haired colt.
“I’m going to find you first StarBlazer!”, Night threatened as the whole group backed away slowly.
The colt smiled “30 seconds… GO!”, he yelled as they all stormed out in all directions away from Night, leaving her to count silently to herself.
“1…2…3…”
“29… 30! Ready or not here I come!”, she yelled into the caverns as she began to trot around the chamber that she started in, torches hung from stalactites that pierced down through the stone ceiling, the flame a blaze of red and orange, dancing upon its stand and through the shadows splayed over the cavern chamber.
Night searched the stalagmites sticking from the floor, scanning the dark recesses of the cavern gently with her eyes, quickly moving through chamber to chamber, clambering through small cubby holes and tunnels to reach the next, moving her way up.
She trotted past many homes, the houses all carved out, barricaded by a door and furnished with the simple necessities.
She made it to a much larger chamber, the ceiling just a dark abyss, the floor crowded as ponies trotted back and forth. The market place… It was obviously raining outside. Many colored stands adorned the floor as ponies went back and forth, taking the goods they needed.
Everypony in the colony worked together, everypony influenced another in some way, whether it be food, trade, skills or mere conversation. Night had often heard stories of places that used tokens that you had to earn to get things… Here it was much simpler and much easier, you earned your keep in the colony and everypony was happy that way.
Night darted through the many legs of the ponies going through the marketplace, crouching low as she tried to make her way to the other side in search of her friends.
As she passed a stand that had ointments to be sold she heard a scrambling, a hushed whisper. Night grinned and crouched down, slowly prowling towards the stand before peaking her head round the stand, seeing StarBlazer and another colt, both looking around the opposite corner.
She grinned widely and slowly went forward, coming up behind them and. “RAAAAR!” She let out behind them, causing the both of them to jolt and turn around as quick as a blink.
The second colt lost his balance and began to topple, crashing into part of the stand.
“Niiiight!”, StarBlazer whined “You know I scare easily…”, he complained as the two began to giggle.
The stand wobbled precariously and the three of them looked up at it in horror as it tumbled forward and crashed, sending bottles of ointment all over the cavern floor.
As quick as anything the three of them recovered and galloped as fast as they could away from the stand, hearing a few shouts and a roar of laughter as they all watched the fillies run from the scene together.
They all giggled and huffed as they darted through the caverns tunnels to run from the stands. They all slid to a halt within the steam room.
The steam room was by far the most Interesting. Their caverns had dug down so deep they came to a steam vent, sitting within the center of the room, spewing forth flameless fire. Surrounding the vent was a series of holes dug into the floor, filled with water, steaming with great warmth. They could only see two hoof lengths in front of them. A few ponies were relaxing in the springs of water, floating in the warm water.
They all sat down, huffing and puffing, giggling between breaths.
“Her… Stand… Always falls over...”, StarBlaze gasped with amusement. They all agreed with a soft nod.
Suddenly the rising and splashing of water was heard, followed by a heavy gasp as Starlight emerged from a spring, glancing around and spotting Night who grinned at her in triumph.
She pouted and slowly got up, the water dragging her blue mane down and trickling back into the water, the rest of them giggled as Night sighed in relief.
A voice broke through the steam like a whip upon the air. “NIGHT VELA WATCH!”, echoed her father’s voice, they all looked to her.
“Uh oh…”, Night mumbled to herself.
Chapter 2: Fortunes and Destinies
Chapter 2: Fortunes and Destinies
*Crack*
That was the only thing ringing in Tyl's ears, the sound of bloodied leather cracking over skin. The pain was merely a thought... It had been so long, he didn't care anymore, and there was nothing that he could do. He was chained to the wall like a painting, his body strapped by cold chains.
The basement was dark, even for him, it was stingy. A series of rusted water pipes ran along the ceiling, dripping corrupted brown water onto the stone floor.
"We can do this all day you know.”, rung a baritone voice through the room. Tyl's slowly looked up, his eyes glowing in the darkness.
The red stallion unicorn turned to his side and nodded again, a tall masculine stallion swung the whip through the darkness, cracking violently against his stomach, forming a bloody trench. His body rocked violently, he forced his head onto the wall as he screamed in pain through gritted teeth.
The unicorn trotted forward, his mane coming into view, the color of fire and fury. He leaned in, smirking at Tyl's, looking down to his beaten and bloody body as if a fine work of art. He reached a hoof forward and pressed it into one of his many wounds, pressing hard into it, causing Tyl to shake and whimper in pain.
"I'm going to ask again...", he said coldly as he pulled and strikes him in the stomach, Tyl grunted and groaned as the air left him. He gasped and panted for air as the unicorn merely watched him. "Where are the other colonies?"
He cocked his head at Tyl, watching his expressions closely, watching the heavy quivers of his body, the bloodied fur that spilled down him as if some beautiful thing.
The unicorn sighed and looked back to his associate, the stallion in the darkness handing him a. Gleaming butchers knife. He brought it back and lifted Tyls head with the sharp blade, staring into what seemed into his very soul.
"I wonder how much you're worth...", he mumbled to himself. "What do you think boulder?", he asked.
The stallion in the dark chuckled deeply. "I hear their eyes fetch a fine price as Christmas decorations.”, he said.
The unicorn chuckled and ran the knife down his neck to his belly. "I'm sure he'd also be worth quite some bit as dragon meat."
The knife moved to his wings and scraped them gently. "I hear your leather is quite valuable.”, he cooed coldly.
Tyl coughed heavily, his body quivering heavily. He pressed the knife into his wing, splitting the leather slowly, blood seeping from the wound. Tyl jerked and clenched his teeth hard.
"I think it's time for a makeover.”, he whispered softly.
Night he her head hung low, standing in her small bedroom. Hers was much like the others in their house, her own room with her own touch of decorations, small stars dotted the ceiling, glowing dimly next to a crescent moon hanging over her dark blue bed. Her father trotted back and forth angrily, he breathed heavily as he tried to must some sort of speech.
"You could've been hurt.”, he began, his voice full of worry.
"I know...", she whispered back shamefully.
"And not to mention the damage to Miss Chanels stand.”, he droned on, pacing back and forth nervously. "What am I to do with you Night?", he asked out loud.
"Let me off?", she suggested hopefully..
Her father chuckled and looked down to her. "You have too much of your mothers stars.", he said as he ruffled her mane. He sighed and stepped back. "I don't think I can though."
Night groaned. "But dad!", she complained but was swiftly silenced by him raising his hoof.
"No buts, you're going to have to be punished for this..." He continued.
"She could fix the stand.”, said an amused voice. Nights mothers trotted through, she was wearing an almost glowing white cloak that ran over her body, only her front hooves visible as she walked in, the hood on the cloak down, crumpled on the back of her neck.
"I'm sure she and her friends can do Chanel a kindness by fixing up the old stand.”, she explained, giving Night a quick wink. "No pony was hurt and the stand only fell over and lost a nail or two, I'm sure that will be punishment enough."
He looked back to her, thinking the punishment out in his head. "But what about the lost merchandise?" He asked.
She stifled a laugh and looked at him oddly. "I've known Chanel ever since I was a girl and never.... Ever has she made a major profit from her...? Perfumes.”, She grinned.
He sighed as she approached, letting her ruffle his mane. He pulled back and narrowed his eyes at her. "I hate it when you do that.”, he whispered.
She let out a laugh and kissed his nose lightly. "I'll take her to Chanels, I'll be at the Sepulcher for the evening... I'll see you when I get home.”
He sighed and nodded. "I'll see you later… Night.”, he spoke out as she turned away from him.
“Yes?”, she asked.
“Stay out of trouble.”
"Pull.”, the fiery maned unicorn chuckled to Boulder.
Boulder pulled and twisted heavily on the metal pliers within Tyls mouth, clinging onto one of his fangs. Tyl yelled in pain, the chains crashing and clanging against the stone wall. Tyl held his eyes shut tight as it felt as if his very gums were being torn out.
Boulder pulled harder and suddenly jerked backwards, the tooth coming loose in the pliers as he stumbled back with a slight grunt. The sharp tooth was dripping with blood, Tyls mouth slowly filled with the liquid, spitting it onto the floor and splattering it a crimson red.
"F-Fuck you!”, he stuttered, blood dribbling down his lip.
The unicorn laughed loudly and lifted his chin again with a hoof. "Such vulgar language!”, he commented loudly, laughing as he did. "This is going to need a different approach... Hello... My name's Blaze.”, he said with an evil grin. “You're going to tell me what I want to know.”
"Stop looking so down”, Nights mother urged as they trotted along. "It's not like you're being banished."
"It might as well be...", Night mumbled. "Miss Chanel smells funny..." Night’s mother let out a laugh and nudged her gently.
"Don't be so mean to her, she's the one that I get my perfume from... Not that I use it but...", she laughed, putting a small smile on Nights face.
They continued to trot through the smooth and rounded tunnels, the darkness easily seen through with their luminescent eyes. They saw the stand, broken down still in the market place. Night’s mother leaned down.
"C'mon... I've got something else for us to do.”, she whispered in her ear mischievously. She pulled her aside and took her away from the market place, leading up through a different tunnel, giggling gently as she did.
"Where are we going?", Night asked in the confusion, dragging behind her mother.
"Oh you'll see."
The tunnel soon began to steepen and they climbed higher and higher. It was only when Night saw the small bright stars on the tunnel ceiling, did she begin to suspect something. Her eyes darted across the many constellations which covered the ceiling, glowing a light silver, the orange flames soon dimming and causing her to raise a suspicious brow.
With a glance her heart soared and she saw that the flames were not dimming but we're in fact changing colour, the path ahead she could see each set of torches becoming a brighter and brighter purple.
They soon emerged and came out to a large opening, a set of cut marble steps leading to a large metal door, half a crescent moon adorning each one to make the full image… They were at the Starlight sepulchre… The colonies most ancient building.
The blood continued to dribble down his lips, both his fangs torn out and lying in a small silver bucket. Blaze trotted around the groaning Tyl, running a hoof across his black leather wings. "Feel like talking now? I'd just love to know where the other colonies are!", he said with cold enthusiasm.
Tyl spat at his face, the bloodied saliva hitting him in the forehead, running down it slowly. He sighed, unflinching; he wiped his face clear and looked at him sadly. "I guess you really are just an animal...", he muttered as he stepped away.
He smiled slyly and looked to Boulder, giving a short nod. "I will cleanse you of your impurities." He said in a low growl. Boulder picked up the gleaming knife once more and moved up to Tyl, placing its sharpened edge on his wing and casting his gaze back to Blaze. "Make it slow.", Blaze cooed.
Boulder grinned and nodded as he slowly pushed down on the knife, letting it split the leather and send out a stream of oozing blood. Violent thrashes and pained whimpers escaped Tyl as he tried to escape. "I will break you...", Blaze whispered in his tuffed ears. "Oh and Boulder... Don't forget the ears this time...", he commanded with a small shiver. "There wasn't enough blood on the floor."
Spiraling pillars and purple flame, the entrance was something of wonder, every engraving... Every single slab of stone was cut perfectly... Over a thousand years this cavern had stood in the very heart and peak of the mountain they sheltered themselves under. The large doors were a gleaming white, two halves of a crescent moon that stood over six meters tall. They said that the door itself was made of moonstone.
Night stared in awe at the ancient entrance, her gold eyes like saucers. Her mother laughed at her. "And I get to see it every day”, she teased. She nudged Night gently forward and took a step forward.
Night gulped and moved forward slowly. "Am... Are we going in? Am I even allowed in?", she asked, somewhat terrified of the idea.
"Of course silly... As long as we're not caught.", she whispered with a wink. "Now come on.", she urged as she continued forward, moving up the warm marble steps. Night hesitated before quickly chasing after her, her heart thumping loudly and her own hooves feeling jittery.
The doors were pushed open gently despite their size, creaking loudly. Night poked her head through eagerly, greeted by a magnificent hall, pillars running either Side, all having an engraving, all different and all telling some sort of story. The ceiling held huge chandeliers, purple flames adorning each candle and casting their ancient hue across the room. Many doors lined the sides of the rooms between the pillars. A large stone stage rose from the opposite end, a small pedestal sitting at the front.
The door opened just wide enough for the two of them to squeeze through. They quickly closed the door behind them and they both looked at each other with giddy smiles on their faces. Night was quickly scooped up by her mother and placed on her back, the white gold cloak she wore felt like velvet.
She began to trot to one of the pillars, her hooves echoing gently through the hall. She smiled as she came up to the pillar. Night peeked over the top of her head and stared at the engravings that spiraled up the pillar, showing small ponies, large clouds, the stars and the moon and at the very top a portrait of Luna herself, carved perfectly
"Whoa...”, se gasped as she stared in awe.
"Do you know what this is Night?", Night shook her head gently and looked at her mother.
"This is the whole history of our colony... Across every single pillar."
Tyl thrashed and screamed wildly as boulder pressed a bright hot metal rod into the joints that once held his wings, burning the gaping wound to seal it. He shook violently, teetering on the edge of consciousness, the pain far too much. The smell of burnt flesh and fur was strong in Tyl’s nose, like the smell of charred wood… Just… Greasy. He gagged and held his eyes shut as boulder went from one missing wing to the other, sealing his wounds with what felt like fire from the pits of hell itself. Soon the burning sensation stopped and all he could feel was the mind numbing pain that followed.
“Hey.. You’re starting to look normal.”, Boulder snickered as he put the rod onto the ground, looking at his handiwork
“K-Kill me…”, Tyl mumbled painfully as he bordered consciousness. Boulder raised an eyebrow and moved his head in.
“What was that?”, he asked almost stupidly.
Tyl looked up slowly, every inch of his body aching from the small movement as he glared. “Kill… Me…”, he growled through gritted teeth.
Boulder laughed and smiled at him. “Boss says I have to keep you alive.”, he said with a hint of displeasure in his voice.
“D-Do it… O-Or aren’t y-you t-tough enough?”, he choked out, spitting out another ball of blood, trying to provoke him.
Boulder merely glared at him. “You talk to much.”, he said as he grabbed the knife from the small table beside him once more. “Boss told me to get rid of the ears anyway.”, he grinned with a shrug as he went over, pulling hard on one of the ears and swinging the knife at the base of the ear, slicing it clean off.
Night rode on her mother’s back happily, looking up in marvel of the huge pillars of history, keeping silent as she merely enjoyed the sight.
“What’s this one?”, She asked quietly.
“The war of sorrow.”, Night’s mother said shamefully.
“What happened then?”, Night questioned curiously.
She sighed and gestured for Night to jump off and sit down. She sat down with the small filly and she looked up at the huge pillar. “It was our first war… Where Luna asked us to help her take her throne back…”, she said sadly. “We lost… And with no one to protect us… Our soldiers weak and Luna banished…we… We built these caverns underground… to keep safe from the likes of normal ponies.”, she recited with a small hint of remorse.
Night slowly looked up at the pillar looking at the carvings of Luna fighting alongside their soldiers in what looked to be a violent battle… The pillar showed her banishment and her place on the moon… The last image was the caverns.. Being built by the ones touched by Luna. She backed away uncomfortably.
“Well... Enough of that... I wanted to show you something Night.”
“Ohhh Boulder!”, Blaze sung happily as he trotted down the stairs. “Is our little friend ready?”, he asked.
Boulder nodded and looked back to Tyl, unlocking the clasps around his hooves, letting him fall to the ground with a loud thud, landing in a puddle of his own blood and puke.
Blaze smiled at the sight and trotted up at the earless… Wingless and fangless bat pony… Tyl shook violently in pain, his eyes wide open. “I’m going to ask again… Where… Are… The Colonies?”, he asked calmly as he knelt down and rolled his head to the side so he was looking up to him.
“N-North…”, he choked out painfully, his voice uncharacteristically high.
“There’s a start. Where?”
“U-Under the m-mountains"
"Fan-fucking-tastic!", he shouted enthusiastically.
The doors opened slowly and a cool breeze blew through, Night watched attentively and saw flakes of white snow pour through the door. Her eyes widened and she gasped loudly as she quickly looked through the door excitedly.
The balcony was coated with the white powder, the view of the white misty clouds, reflecting the silvery moonlight. She sped out excitedly, skidding through the snow, looking up and chasing some of the falling snowflakes with her tongue, spinning around in circles and crashing onto her flank. Nights mother gave a soft giggle and trotted over.
"That's not what i wanted to show you."
She trotted past her and to the edge of the balcony, placing a hoof on a medium sized telescope. It was carved from wood and had golden rings at each extendable joint. Night bounded over excitedly and looked at it in awe.
"Think of it as an early birthday present.”, she said with a grin. "Go on! Take a look.", she encouraged as she pushed the telescope down, making it shorter.
Night eagerly looked through the lens and to the sky above her. The moon filled her view and it was as if she was looking at Luna herself, every crater that formed on the moon.
"Wow..", she whispered as she continued to gaze into the heavens. A blazoned comet soared by and it was as if she could see every constellation.
It was out of nowhere... Her flanks suddenly felt warm at the snowy peak. She looked back to them and was blinded by a bright light and she backed away, giving out scared yelps.
"Whats happening?!”, she yelled out in fear. Her mother smiled and merely watched as her daughter spun around, freaking out over the small scene. There was one final giant flash and the sparkling image of stars spotted her flank, all connected by white lines. Her eyes widened and she stared in amazement and excitement. She grinned excitedly as she looked at her new cutie mark.
Snow seemed so mediocre now. Snow... The simple magic that fell from the sky to coat the peaks of mountains in a silver hue... It seemed so transparent as the small bat filly jumped around circles, giggling with each bounce.
Her mother had trotted over to her and leaned down next to her face. "What can you see?" She asked with a hushed whisper.
Nights ears twitched, hearing the door behind them creak, both mother and daughter spun around and stared at the door in surprise. An elderly mare stepped through, she wore a cloak as dark as the sky itself, the edges laced with a silvery white and above that was a series of stars, wrapping their way around the fabric. Her eyes were a deep purple and her mane a light grey... Sprouting from her mane was a grey horn.
Nights jaw dropped and she stared in wonder at the gifted mare, recalling the stories of those blessed by Luna. Nights mother gulped and stepped back gently.
"Crescent Ardra Dancer!" Her shrill voice called out. "What in Luna's name are you doing here? I thought I told you that this balcony Is off limits." She growled as she trotted forward, Nights mother, Crescent, slowly backed away, Night stared at the two, stunned by what she was seeing.
"Please, elder, I only wanted to let my daughter see what was up here... Ponies don't come here often..." She said, a hint of worry in her voice.
"So this is the filly you speak so highly of?" She said as she leaned down to Nights level. They stared at each other for quite some time before the mare pulled away with a "Humpf." She trotted back towards Crescent, passing Night. "And has her visit been... Enlightening?" She asked.
Crescent nodded quickly. "I-I taught her the history and... She found her cutie mark..."She said softly.
Night gulped and hesitated. "W-What? My cutie mark?... Well... I... I'm good at looking through telescopes.." She responded simply.
The elder laughed a raspy laugh. "And I'm good at magic... What does a cutie mark mean to you?" She said, rephrasing the question.
Night gulped and thought for a moment. "It means... That there are infinite possibilities, and talents, like the number of stars... and I found my special talent amongst all the others... " She said, simply remembering what her mother had told her a few nights ago on the hill.
The elder nodded. "That is very insightful of you... Now what is your special talent?" She asked expectantly, giving a tired smile.
She turned her attention back to her Crescent and trotted over to her, her face blank before a smile grew across her old wrinkled face. "You have taught your daughter well acolyte... She may have her rite of passage in the Sephulcer... Maybe we could fix the lack of ponies in here." She said with a smile.
Night gave her mother an excited hug and they both giggled. "C'mon... We should get home and start planning."
Night pouted and looked up at her mother. "Can we stay a bit longer?" She whined. Crescent sighed and nodded gently. "Alright.. But only for a few more minutes." She cooed as she gave her daughter's mane a quick ruffle before she darted back to the telescope with eager eyes, staring back out to the sky, the trail of the icy blue comet she saw lingered, casting streaks of light across the night.
Night was still beaming, even as she got home. The whole colony complimented and congratulated her... It took her twice the time to get home cause everypony wanted to hear the story. Once the two of them were home they looked around, searching for Nights father, Midnight.
*Meanwhile*
Midnight trotted home slowly, tired from training and the long boring patrols of the plains, his armor still shining its deep purple. He came to the entrance to the caverns and made his way into the darkness, his bright eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. He yawned as he emerged at the other side, entering the many caverns.
The trip home started normally but as he went he noticed the smiles and waves he got on the way home, the quiet thunder of mumbling... Something was up. He narrowed his eyes in confusion at many of the ponies... They were all giving him the same attention that he got when the whole town found out his wife was pregnant. His eyes widened "Oh shit... " He said in shock, his mind immediately returning to the time when Crescent was pregnant.
Night and her mother sat at the table eating dinner, a soup mixed with vegetables and some of the berries they grew. Both merely held their excitement, just waiting for him to get home. The door burst open violently and Midnight fell through, panting loudly, his eyes wide as he stared at the the two dumbfounded ponies in front of him. He trotted forward urgently, staring at crescent and he fell to his haunches.
"How long have you known?" He asked with a pant.
Crescent looked surprised. "You know?" She asked.
"The whole bloody town knows!" He said with a smile.
"Well... Night and I found out this evening, not too long ago."
He smiled and sighed gently and looked over to Night. "You must be happy." He said with a tired grin, immediately greeted with an ecstatic nod. He sighed and placed his ear on her belly, trying to listen. "How'd you find out?"
Crescent stared at him in confusion, a light blush on her cheeks. "W-Well I took Night to the Sephulcer and she found this telescope and.." She was cut off by him raising his head quickly.
"What?!" He asked aloud.
"What?" She answered back.
"Wait... What are we talking about?" He asked to clarify.
"Uhh.. Night's cutie mark.. What are you talking about?" She asked.
He laughed loudly, falling back onto his haunches as he let out a long relieved sigh.. "So you're not pregnant?"
Crescent was unimpressed. "Really...?" She asked.
"You're pregnant?!" Night squealed loudly.
Both adults looked to her. "No." They responded in unison, watching Night's elated mood get shot down.
"Sure thing you Numpty." She giggled, pushing his head to the side playfully.
Night sat there, smiling sheepishly up at her father. He sat In front of her, smiling with embarrassment. "Everything makes a lot more sense..." He mumbled as he received several glares from Crescent, standing beside him. He turned back to her with a bright grin. "Well c'mon, let's see it!" He said enthusiastically.
Night smiled and slowly shifted positions, her side facing him and her cutie mark, the bright constellation of stars was easily, looking as if they were apart of the sky upon her dark coat. He grinned and nudged her hoof. "Hey.. The little trouble maker finally got something out of her mischevious ways..." He teased.
She immediately stuck her tongue out at him, pushing him back. "Hey, I always get something out of the trouble I make." She retorted, greeted immediately with two pairs of raised eyebrows from both her mother and father.
"Right..." They responded sarcastically in almost perfect unison, followed by a small course of laughter. Crescent trotted over and ruffled her purple mane. "Run along now, your father and I need to plan your Rite of Passage." She said.
Night smiled wide. "You mean my party!?" She asked enthusiastically. Her father glared.
"It is not a party young lady." Her father said firmly, followed by a snort from her mother.
"There's loud music, food, drink and a lot of dancing... Sounds like a party." Crescent said with a smirk, it quickly melted when she received a glare from Midnight
"That may be true but it's more than a party... It's a sacred tradition... You of all ponies should know that." He argued back. She simply shrugged and nudged him.
"Sorry, I just remember the last Rite I went to... I think it was yours..." Crescent said with a smirk. "I've never been that bored in my whole life." She laughed, creating a bright blush from Nights father.
"At least I didn't get my drink spiked at mine." He responded with a vengeance, smirking at her, both glaring at each other, about to enter another fit of bad memories and heated words.
"I Uhh... Think I heard Starlight calling." She said, making her ears twitch as if she heard something. "I'll be home later bye!" She quickly said, getting up and trotting briskly away from the couple about to enter a violent verbal war.
Her hoof steps echoed quickly as she moved away from the house as if it were about to explode. She looked back cautiously, wondering if her parents had any objections to her absence. Night continued to trot by, her shadow cast onto the grey stone by a bright fiery torch.
"NIGHT VELA WATCH!" An angry voice bellowed, her voice echoing through the cave. Night jolted and gasped, turning around rather quickly.
She was greeted by the furious look of Miss Chanel, a broken board in her hooves. Night gulped and only just remembered the destruction of her stand.
"I Uhh... Sorry Miss Chanel I.. I have to go.." She said as she backed away like an animal from its predator.
Night had no time to reason with her and immediately turned tail and bolted away from the angry shop owner, her heart pounding heavily as she traversed the caverns, darting in and out of tunnels, around stalactites.
It was only then did she check behind her, Night skidded to a halt in one of the many chambers where one could merely socialize. She sighed in relief but it was soon gone as her ears twitched, hearing the running of hooves and an excited giggle. Night gulped and sighed,closing her eyes as she caught her breath.
She felt the hoof steps come right up to her, the excited giggle of another filly. Night opened her eyes and looked up, a smile growing wide as she saw Starlight.
"AHHH!" Starlight squealed as she pranced and bounced around the stationary filly, her blue mane flicking back and fourth. She came to a halt in front of Night , pulling her mane back behind her ears. "I can't believe you got your cutie mark!" She exclaimed, her dull green eyes staring brightly at her. She hugged her tight. Night gave a small awkward laugh and hugged back, not used to the extreme attention.
"I-it's nothing special really.." She mumbled. "You'll get yours soon.. I know it!" She said happily as she pulled away from her friend.
"Yeah... Some day... But hey! You got yours, when are you going to do your rite?" She asked, focusing on Night smiling brightly.
A shudder passed through Night and she gulped. "I don't think that actually happ.." She was quickly cut off as Starlight continued.
"And you have to provide a blood sacrifice!" She yelled out dramatically, Nights eyes going wide and fearful.
"W-What?"
Starlight laughed at her and pushed her gently. "Hey... Calm down I'm just joking leather brain." Night blushed and smiled at her gullible attitude.
"You're so mean sometimes..." She mumbled as she nudged her gently. Starlight gave her a gentle nudge back, throwing Night off balance for a few moments.
"I heard Miss Chanel yelling... Has she been trying to hunt you down too?" Starlight asked with a mischievous grin. Night sighed and nodded painfully.
"C'mon, I know a great place where we can hide for a bit." She said with a dangerous look in her eyes.
Night bit her lip and grumbled gently. "I dunno Star... Last time you said you have somewhere to hide we got covered in berries..."
"C'mon it's really quiet and the only thing for us to get covered in is dust." She said back, practically bouncing in her place. "And we wouldn't get caught.." She continued, trying to convince her more and more.
Night gave out a groan and hung her head lightly. "Fine... But this better be worth it..."
"This won't be like the other ones we've destroyed." Blaze said, the table in the basement covered in a large yellow map, a small wax candle lighting the room. Tyl hung from the wall, his body limp and the dried blood clung to his fur. His breathing was barely noticeable and the light glow of his eyes was barely seen, covered by heavy eyelids.
"It's under a mountain so we're dealing with stone... And a lot of it." He continued, looking to Boulder and a oegasus by his side, his mane was a light orange, curled at its edges, large strands scratching the outside of his ears.
His coat a pure white, making the orange in his mane even brighter. The pegasus looked over the map, many crosses covered the map, previous colonies that were destroyed. The mountain in general was circled in red... And creepily enough, it was the blood of Tyl.
"This place is huge, from what our informant has told us. It has at least four hundred of the shits..." He continued, glancing back to Tyl. "Ideas Gentlecolts?" He asked as he stepped away from the old board table.
"Find their weak points and we hit them there." Boulder said angrily.
"You'll kill all 400 of them?" The pegasus asked, raising an eyebrow. "A foal could think of better things." He scowled back.
"And what do you suggest Savant?" Blaze asked with smug interest.
"Well how do you get rid of a bee's nest?" He asked with a smile, appealing to Blaze's sick sense of humor.
"Uhhh... Magic?" Boulder replied.
"Fire!" Blaze announced as he slammed his hoof down on the table, making it creak. "We'll smoke them out!"
Savant nodded. "I'll speak to the Doc." He said with a blank look.
Starlight and Night struggled to pull the large wooden door open, the loud creaking echoed through the stone caverns and they both grinned, peering into the dimly lit room, flickering flames dancing across the walls. Tall aisles stood, creating dusty columns and corridors through the room. Scrolls of all ages and sizes were held inside, some teetering on the edge of their shelves.
"Stop being so scared, it's just the library... Any pony is allowed in here." She replied with an excited grin as she stared back into the library.
"But don't ghosts run around?" She asked, her body shuddering gently.
"Yup!" She said excitedly as she trotted in, her hoofsteps echoing loudly. She turned and pulled Night in eagerly. "C'mon scaredy bat." She giggled, Night pulling back.
Starlight continued pulling her in and Night gave up, giving a fearful sigh as she trotted in further with her fearless friend. The two could hear their own hoofsteps, their heartbeat just as loud as they began to traverse the library. A few loose scrolls scattered themselves on the ground and dust filled the air, the dim light seemed to follow them.
They came to a tall ladder, scaling the huge height of the shelves and Starlight eagerly galloped there and climbed the first few rungs.
"Catch me if you can!" She challenged with a loud giggle as she began to ascend the ladder.
Night groaned and looked around. "I-I think I'm going to go Starlight... It's really dark... Even for me.." She mumbled, her friend not hearing her as she climbed higher and higher. Night bit her lip and sighed painfully as she turned around and began trotting away, looking up and only seeing the dull green eyes of Starlight.
Night trotted backward as she watched the glowing of her friend's eyes, backing onto a scroll that lay on the ground, her hooves slipping out from underneath her. Night let out a loud scream, cut short as she hit the ground with a thud, dust flying up from where she fell and settling down slowly as she looked around nervously, her heart pounding heavily.
The echoing of her scream died out and a deafening silence followed. The sound of hurried hoofsteps bounced through the library, her ears flicking and twitching to the noise as she raised herself from the ground. "S-Starlight..." She called out timidly, her heart pounding as she looked back to where Starlight was, the dull green remained, at the top of the tall bookshelf.
Her heart felt like it stopped as the hoofsteps got louder and louder. She gulped and panted nervously, turning around and bolting away from the hoofsteps, trying to traverse the darkness.
The hoofsteps quickened and just seemed to get louder, her heart raced as she galloped past the mighty shelves, the shadows morphing and changing as she charged away. Small tears came to her eyes as she whimpered, fear utterly dominating her mind.
She turned her head forward once more but it was already too late. A dim candle light was coming from around the corner of a shelf and got brighter as she approached. She began to skid to a halt but a figure emerged from the light and she crashed right into it, giving a loud "Umpf!" as she tripped and fell onto the ground from her fall.
She shook her head and looked up, hearing an unearthly groan from the figure. She gulped and tried scrambling away. The figure was the same size as her and grumbled and groaned on the ground and slowly sat up, looking over to her slowly, peering out from under a hood. She was greeted with a pair of bright violet eyes, staring back to her.
Night gulped and slowly inched away.
"Y-yeah... A-Are you?" She was answered with a nod as he got up, a small colt drenched in a black cloak. Night looked at him curiously, her heart still thudding loudly in her head. "A-are you a ghost?" She asked nervously.
The small colt turned to her and grinned, giving a small laugh. "No..." He replied as he trotted away to a nearby table, picking up the dying candle and relighting another. He trotted back to her as he pulled back his cloak. His deep blue mane hung over his bright purple eyes. He offered her a hoof and helped her up.
"T-thanks.." She mumbled as she gulped, looking around to see if Starlight was near. "W-who are you? I thought only ghosts and spirits lived in the library..." She mumbled to him, calming herself down.
"I'm Swift Marcher." He replied with a smile. "And only me and my dad live here." He said as he ruffled his mane. "Who are you?"
"She went climbing one of the ladders and I lost her." Night said in worry.
He smiled and looked down the aisle. "Well... We better go find her before any ghosts get her." He said with a laugh as he began to trot down the way Night came, looking back to her, offering her a warm smile.
Night slowly began to follow Swift, her hooves shaking just a bit.
"Starlight!" She groaned in unison with Swift as they trailed along. The two laughed and continued their ghostly impersonation.
Time had gone by quickly, they had gone up many aisles and they hadn't found Starlight, their jokes and games had died down and the two trotted side by side, Night almost clinging to his side. He glanced to her, a smirk across his face. "Scared of the dark?" He asked teasingly.
She blushed gently and gulped. "Yeah.." She mumbled almost shamefully.
He raised a brow. "Why? What's there to be afraid of?" He asked.
*THUD*
The two of them spun around, seeing a scroll roll gently across the floor. Night gulped and got closer to him. He stared into the darkness with confusion. "T-that's why..." Night whispered.
Swift smiled and rolled his eyes. "It just fell Night.. It's not that scar..." He was cut off as a low groan echoed through the library, Night gulping and hiding behind him.
Slow hoof steps were heard all around them and Swift stood strong, looking around in an oblivious interest, Night clinging to him heavily.
The hoofsteps drew closer and closer and Night let out fearful whimpers. Swift placed a hoof on her back and tried to calm her down.
"Hey.. Don't worry it's just..."
"RAAAAR!!!" Starlight screamed as she burst from the darkness.
Night screamed out and jumped high into the air, hitting the ground heavily. Swift jolted and spun around, sighing as he saw Starlight.
"Starlight!" Night complained. "N-not funny!" She whimpered. Swift trotted over and helped her up, smiling at her reaction.
Swift and Star both laughed and Swift gave her a comforting pat. "C'mon Night, you have to admit, it was funny." He said with a smile.
Night slowly smiled and nodded, her head bowed. "Yeah yeah... Let's just get out."
"Not yet... I wanna show you two around."
Author's Note
Haha, forgot to add this. The wait is over and another chapter has been released! This one was horrific to edit as the story morphed and Night somehow became a time traveler and her mum became a stallion... Good stuff.
Please If you find any more mistakes please tell me.
Chapter 4: The Blood Moon
They all felt small within the library, the huge bookshelves, like towering obelisks around them. Swift trotted ahead happily, the two fillies following behind his cloak, only grazing the orange light coming from the lantern he carried.
"My family has run this library for ages.", he said proudly as they moved. They came to a halt by a ladder and he put the lantern in his mouth, beginning to climb.
"He sure loves his books.", Starlight whispered to Night, drawing a few giggles from the two of them. He heard and looked down at them, poking a tongue out.
"Hey... We all do.", he said as he began to tap books. "Mystery, tragedy... Ancient texts... We have them all!", he announced happily. "Philosophy, History, Science.", he continued to drone, expressing his vast interest in his father’s work. "Mathematics, Biographies, Astronomy and Constellations.", Night’s ears perked and she trotted to the ladder.
"Astronomy?", she asked with interest. He nodded and took out a large leather bound book.
"Yeah, do you want it?", he asked. Night nodded eagerly and took the book, blowing across its surface and sent a swarm of dust out into the air around them. "Is that what your cutie mark is?", he asked as he looked at her flank, his purple eyes glowing brightly from atop the ladder.
"I dunno... I only got it recently.", she mumbled as she opened the book, a heavy creak of paper was heard by the trio, the pages yellow with decay. She looked over the book and smiled gently. "The elder wants me to find out what it means to me.", she said.
Starlight shrugged gently, clearly not interested. Swift slid down the ladder and hopped over to Night. "Ooh! My dad helps ponies with that, I can help if you want!", he said excitedly.
Night smiled softly and nodded happily. "I'll need all the help I can get... Starlight? Want to help?", she asked.
Starlight shrugged and looked up the ladder. "I'm more interested in seeing some of the other books.", she admitted, staring up at the tall bookshelves.
Night frowned and nodded. "Okay… Just don't go to far.”
"Be careful!", Swift warned. "A ghost might get you.", he said with a smirk, Starlight stuck her tongue out as she began to climb the ladder.
Night and Swift grinned at each other and looked down to the book. "Let's get started.", he said as he began to flick through the old book.
"So this is the new bug spray is it?", Blaze asked as he looked over rough sketches of the new back mounted weapon. "Will it do what I want?”, he asked the Doctor.
The doctor nodded, his light yellow mane flicking over his red coat. He was a Pegasus... A wounded one at that, one of his wings missing and replaced with a metal skeleton tucked neatly by his side. "It'll get rid of the threat quickly and effectively yes.", he said as he scanned over his drawings. "I hope that we can end this conflict soon, the crimes they committed, they have to pay.", the Doctor mumbled to Blaze.
Blazes smile grew and he looked up at him. "We are very close my friend, patience will make our victory oh so sweeter.", he sighed as he turned around and began to trot away from the Doctor, singing a sweet song. "It don't mean a thing, if you ain't got that sweiinnggg."
Swift continued to flick over the pages, looking at the pictures, comparing them to Nights cutie mark. Starlight sat by the ladder, a lantern next to her as she read an old tome.
"Orion... No... Cancer... No.", he said as he flicked through constellations. "I've seen it before... Ahh! Here it is!", he said as he put his hoof onto the page, pointing to a familiar constellation. "The Vela Constellation.", he said proudly as he scanned the page curiously.
Night sat there, looking at him with excitement. "So... What does my cutie mark mean?", she asked.
"Vela... Means sails... Like the sails of a ship?", he said in confusion. "You found yours by looking at the stars right?"
She nodded. "Yeah... Why?"
He shrugged and continued reading. "Story says that the sails represented the sails on a boat that... A stallion built for Luna to show his devotion, asking for protection for his family as they travelled...”, he said as he read on. "He was blessed and turned into the Vela constellation as he led his family to safety to show all travelers that he would take their struggles and protect them."
Night looked at him, unimpressed. "So... I'm a flappy bit of fabric?", she asked, no longer interested. "How is that related to stars or anything important?", she asked loudly.
Swift smiled and shrugged. "Maybe you'll build a boat... Or take some ponies’ struggles?", he suggested with a smug smile.
She pushed him away with a hoof. "Yeah yeah... I'm sure.”, she said as she stood up, pushing the book away with a hoof.
"One shouldn't push a book away so carelessly.", a low voice rung from behind her, causing her to yelp loudly, spinning around and finding herself face to face with a large stallion with dull blue eyes, his body adorning the same cloak that Swift wore. Night gulped nervously and slowly backed away, bumping into the now standing Swift. He smiled at the small filly's reaction, his eyes lowering to Swift.
"D-dad!", Swift said in surprise. "I... You finished working!", hepointed out, backing away as well.
The stallion slowly followed them, his hooves clacking against the ground heavily. "Yes... I was unaware we had visitors.", he growled gently as he eyed the children.
Swifts' ears flicked back and he lowered his head gently, his father coming right up to him. "Dad... I didn't mean to.", he began, but was immediately cut off by his father.
"You know the rules.", he said firmly, grabbing the book. "You both have to reshelf the whole library.", he said, a neutral expression on his face.
Night’s ears dropped and she groaned in unison with Swift. "But it will take us years to do that!", she complained.
"Exactly!", he responded simply with a laugh.
Night glanced to her side, looking at Swift nervously. "Where did Starlight go?”, she asked. He shrugged, the stallion looking at the two.
"Who?", he asked before his voice was drowned out by a low and unearthly groan. He raised a brow and looked around in confusion. "Who's there?!", he called out, facing away from the children.
A long series of squeaks came from a lantern as it swung on the wall in the distance. He spun around and gulped, staring at the lantern, hoof steps sounding in all directions.
Night and Swift were side by side, having the same reaction he did. "G-ghosts?", Night asked the two of them.
"There are no such things.", he said in a nervous breath as he paced around. A book slid slowly from its shelf and hit the ground with a sickening thud, causing Swifts’ father to jump nervously, turning to face the noises as they came. The groan continued and the hoof steps grew louder and louder. A sense of realization soon hit Night and she smiled when she realized who it was.
The stallion gulped, biting his cheek as the hoof steps stopped and all that was left was a hollow echo of silence, his heart pounding heavily. He turned around, looking into the darkness and a small face looked back up at him.
"Boo!", Starlight yelled loudly.
The stallion shuddered and jumped on the spot before turning tail and skidding away with a terrified yell, running off into the darkness.
They all broke out into laughter instantly, Starlight falling to the ground and banging against the floor as the trio reveled in their victory.
"You're terrible!", Swift laughed.
"Hey! I-I had you ready to turn round as well!", she argued back tiredly, sitting up with a few last giggles.
"You really are the worst.", Night laughed in agreement with Swift, both greeted with Starlight’s stuck out tongue.
"He was joking you know!", Swift laughed out.
"So was I!”, she rebutted as she climbed to her hooves, pulling Night up from the ground.
"We better go.", Night said with a sigh, looking into the direction of where Swifts’ dad travelled. "I'd be angry if I got scared like that.", the trio nodded in agreement.
"Wait... Where did we come in?", Starlight asked, her voice echoing further into the ancient library.
"Banana split for my baby! And a glass of plain water for me!", Blaze sung loudly and happily as he trotted back into his dark basement. Tyl hung from the wall still, barely conscious, his fur matted with blood. "Good mooorning!", Blaze sang as he moved up to Tyl.
Tyl let out a grumble and opened his eyes lazily, staring at him. Blaze moved right up close, his sapphire blue eyes staring down into Tyls. "Go... To... Hell...”, he panted painfully.
"Gladly!", he sang happily. "I'll meet you there along with every other one of your forgotten kind.", he scowled, his mood changing entirely.
"Y-you're crazy....", Tyl spat out. Blaze grinned again and pulled a knife from the nearby table, pressing it to Tyls neck.
"Crazy is best.", he whispered, his nose pressed to Tyls as they stared each other down. "Crazy has kept me alive... You... Eh... Not so much.", he whispered as he pressed down on the knife, feeling it slice the flesh and crunch the throat inwards, blood spewing through the wound and Tyl beginning to gargle on blood coming from his mouth. Blaze smiled wide as he stared into his eyes, watching the life slowly drain from them.
"Have fun! Be safe! Don't die!... Oh... Wait.", he sang with a smug smile, watching Tyl fall limp, blood pouring out of his mouth and throat.
With one last final act he shoved the knife deep into the bat pony's chest, hearing another crunch as the knife cracked the sternum of the mutilated pony.
"The doctor says that it'll be ready in two days... Really Blaze what the fuck!", Savant called over to him, watching the fiery unicorn pull the knife down, the skin splitting in a smooth fashion as a series of organs and a flurry of blood poured out over Blazes chest and sloshing onto the floor.
"What?", he asked with a shrug.
The trio were all covered in dust, even on their dark coats they looked a few shades darker as they trotted out of the library. They were all smiling wide as they came out. Night looked back to the large library door, shivering, feeling as if the "ghosts" were following her out.
Starlight coughed gently, wiping the dust off of herself. "We better get cleaned up.", she mumbled as she curled her leather wings, flapping them once, letting dust fly in all directions.
They nodded in agreement and began to scurry through the tunnels. "Wanna go to the hot pools?", Swift asked eagerly, his purple eyes glowing brightly in the dark cave.
Night nodded eagerly and looked to Starlight hopefully. "You going to come?" She asked. She was greeted with a shake of the filly's head.
"I go there to relax, not clean, that's gross.", she said, sticking her tongue out as they entered one of the many large caverns, small flickerings of light entering their vision.
Night pouted and nudged her. "Come on! It’ll be fun!", but the filly continued to shake her head.
"Sorry Night, my parents wanted me home as well... It's kind of... Urgent.", she said with a sheepish smile.
With a sigh Night nodded gently. "Okay... You're coming to my rite... Right?", she asked, smirking at the small mistake she had made.
"Of course! I wouldn't miss it even if Luna came back!", she said happily as she trotted away. "Catch you two later!"
"Bye!", Swift and Night called in unison, both glancing to each other and giving out a soft laugh.
"So... The hot pools?", he suggested again.
"Sure... Why not?", she replied happily as the two trotted away, darting off into another tunnel.
"How come I never see you around?", Night asked curiously as she trotted by his side, looking to him.
He smirked and looked back. "Books mainly... Helping out in the library and stuff... The only time I usually get out is when everypony is sleeping.", he smiled. "It's nice... Quiet and I have the whole colony to myself."
Night giggled. "So you're a traditional bat pony?", she asked with a grin.
He nodded. "The ones when Luna was here? Yeah... I was always fascinated by their sleeping patterns of all things.", he chuckled. "But they lived by the moon... It just made sense to me."
"So... Are you tired right now?", she asked.
"Hey bedtime isn't for another hour!", he stated with a slight whine.
"It’s eleven in the morning Swift...", she smiled.
"And? My dad won't know...”, he smirked back as they were greeted by the orange hazed light of the hot pools, steam clouding their vision, ponies lay in the pools, sighing as they held onto the edge, letting the steam flow through them. "It's nice when no pony is here.", he smiled. "You can get any pool you want."
Most pools were taken by relaxing ponies, couples and a few families but they found one pool amongst the large cavern and they both stared into it reluctantly, the murky water letting off a haze of steam. Swift sighed and took his black cloak off, gulping as he looked into the water. "Who goes first?", he asked.
"Nope! Not me.", she said shaking her head.
"C'mon it's just hot water!"
"That's the point! It's too hot!"
"I'll push you in.", he threatened with a smirk.
"Not before I push you in!", she threatened back before they locked hooves, pushing against each other to try and get an advantage. They thrashed side to side as they tip toed around the very edge of the pools, both of them giggling as they teetered at the edge.
Swift seized his chance and pulled to the side, her weight being forced over the edge and she fell with a yelp. Swift smiled wide as he heard her fall but it soon vanished as he realized he was being dragged in with her, both of them splashing loudly into the water.
Night rose up and panted heavily, her mane heavy and dripping with water as it covered half of her face. Swift came up soon after, laughing, the same effect on him, his deep blue mane shielded his purple eyes. Night smirked and lowered down, getting a mouthful of the steamy water before shooting a stream at him.
Swift held up his hooves in defense, as if blocking flames with a shield. The two laughed and exchanged small splashes before sitting calmly in the pool, Night Watch pulling her mane back over her shoulder, watching him curiously as he swirled his hoof in the water.
"How come you don't go to school?", she asked curiously. "I never see you there."
"My dad teaches me, we have all the books that any kid could need.", he smiled before it turned to a frown. "But it would've been nice to get some friends... It gets kind of lonely." He mumbled softly.
Night copied his frown, nodding gently. "It must've been.”
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I've got you and Starlight!", he said with a grin. "You two are fun."
She smiled back at him. "So are you Swift."
"We can’t come up with more conventional means?", the doctor asked as he worked on the new invention, the table he worked on was covered in scrap metal, cogs, empty mint packs. "I mean... Fire is poetic and all, purity by fire and all that but... It's a bit inhumane don't you think?"
"Nonsense! We can get them all quickly and we won't spend days hunting them down.", Blaze called as he looked at the blueprints on the far wall. "Remember what happened last time we tried it conventionally? Five days and a wing you won't get back."
"True... “He mumbled quietly.” I just wonder if what we're doing is right...", he spoke up, a bit of nervousness in his voice.
Blaze raised a brow and turned around. "You think that our cause is unjust?", he asked as he moved up to him, the doctor shuddering a bit.
"I mean... W-what if we're wrong?"
"We're not.", Blaze replied with a sly smile. "They're hiding for a reason... Guilt is a powerful tool to us, they should feel guilty for the war that they started."
"Right... Yes of course.", he replied as he worked, Blaze with a hoof on his shoulder, still covered in blood. "Please... I cannot work when being touched.", he choked out nervously.
Blaze laughed and began to trot away. "Then work! And work quickly, I want them gone before I can say 'Luna is back' "
They had been in the pools longer than either of them had expected, they could feel themselves begin to prune. Night sat up and groaned as she stopped relaxing. "Swift?", she asked as she rubbed her eyes.
He grunted and opened an eye. "Y-yeah?", he replied.
"We should get out... "
He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah... It’s getting late anyways...”
"It's Twelve Thirty...", she mumbled with a grin.
"Yup! Way too late!", he said as he climbed out of the pool, his body dripping with water, the steam sustaining the intense heat of the water for a few moments. He grabbed his cloak and slipped it on, drying his mane with the hood. Night was out, lazily trotting over to him.
"Let me walk you home."
"Huh? Aren't I supposed to say that to the mare?", he asked, eliciting a giggle from her.
"Yes but its not late for me... I don't want you passing out in a tunnel.", she grinned. "Come on.", she said giving him a tired nudge.
"Fine.", he sighed with a light blush on his cheeks. "But I walk you home tomorrow night, after your rite."
She nodded. "Deal.", she grinned, letting her wings out and letting the water drip off of them.
They dried off as best they could, walking around the steamy before making their way into the now cool tunnels, the easy breeze like a blast of fresh air.
Night gave a gasp as it hit her and she moved on beside Swift who shivered gently. "Always the worst part...", he muttered with a smile. "Walking back home when you're already warm.", he continued, leaning into her gently to share their body warmth.
Night blushed gently and smiled. "Y-yeah... T-though I usually just share the warmth with my mum.", she noted, looking to him as they went on, keeping to the right as they passed an intersection, one way to the caverns and the other to the library.
"Hey... I had a lot of fun today." He said as they saw the large door to the library. "Maybe we can do this again sometime?", he asked hopefully.
"Yeah sure... Maybe at my Rite..."
He blushed and stood by the door awkwardly. "I was thinking more... Just us two but...", his words creating and equal embarrassment on her cheeks. "I-I'll see you later.", he said quickly, flashing a quick smile before rushing off inside, leaving Night by herself, staring at the door.
A smile grew on her face and she giggled gently, turning around and practically bouncing away from the ancient room.
"Why are you so giddy today?", her mother asked as she entered the house, her blush intensifying.
"Nothing... Just... Uh... Excited for tomorrow.", she quickly said, jumping onto the couch, Crescent quickly trotting over and sitting by her side.
"I'm sure you are...”, she grinned, watching Nights small glances at her.
"W-what?", she asked nervously after a long silence enveloped them.
"Oh nothing... You're just a bit red today.", she giggled, prodding her cheeks. "Colt got your fancy?", she asked jokingly, Night immediately tensing up and looking at her shocked.
"What!? N-no... Colts are gross..." She protested weakly.
"Oh! So it is a colt!?", she teased.
"Muuum!", she whined with embarrassment.
Crescent lay down on the couch, grabbing Night around the neck and pulling her on top of her. "So... Who is he?", she giggled.
Night looked away, lying on her stomach. "No one...”, she mumbled.
Crescent sighed and put her back on the couch before trotting to her own room. "Midnight! Night likes a boy and I need your help finding out!", she called to Nights father as she opened the door.
Midnight was sitting on the bed, clad in his armor and sharpening his spear, looking up with a neutral expression. "Gladly...", he growled as he got up with his weapon and began to trot towards the door.
"Wait! Stop!", Night yelled, running over. "Don't hurt him."
"I’m not going to hurt him Night... I’m gonna kill him.", he joked, keeping a serious face to tease the filly.
Night shook her head and pushed against his hooves, trying to stop him. "No! He's done nothing wrong!"
"Except grabbing my daughter’s attention.", he said back, grinning soon after. "Calm down... I’m not going to do anything... But if he comes asking for your hoof..."
"They're fillies..”, Crescent mumbled.
"Hey... Didn't stop me from trying." He smiled back. "And anyways... We have a rite to prepare for... Not go hunting for the colt that likes my little troublemaker.", he grinned.
Night sighed in relief and fell at his hooves. "Thank you.", she mumbled up to him.
"I'll see you both later... Got a few hours on guard." He sighed. "Stay out of trouble.", he grinned down to Night who stuck a tongue back out at him playfully.
"See you later." Crescent said, giving his cheek a quick kiss. "And remember that we have some... Planning to do tonight.", she said glancing down at Night.
"I'll be out of your way.", Night grinned.
"That's a first...", Midnight muttered with a smile.
One day later
It was late afternoon, Night hadn't done much all day, she couldn't find Starlight all day and Swift wasn't anywhere to be found in the huge abyss of a library... She was bored for the whole day, doing nothing but drawing silly pictures and helping her mother cook.
"Hold still.", her mother repeated again as Night squirmed a bit, standing on old fabric. Her mother had a bowl of white paint in her hooves and was painting Nights body, her hooves covered in delicate swirls of paint, curling and moving up her legs. The paint shape curved at the base of her hooves and towards the top, like a snails shell. The outlines of her wings were done in white as well as down the bones underneath the stretched lengths. Her cutie mark was circled and intertwined with the rest of the length of markings. Crescent began to paint up her neck delicately, leaving two straight lines up to her jaw line which spread off into smaller curls, like plants growing up her neck.
It was traditional, the paint was supposed to represent the moons light and was used when one got their cutie mark. It was a representation of them growing up, Luna recognizing their accomplishments and was used to signal the next stage in their life... It used to be real moonlight but with Luna gone they had to improvise.
"There... You look beautiful.", she smiled softly, Night blushing at her words.
"Thanks.", she whispered softly. Her mother had gotten up and was grabbing some small things from her room.
"You sound nervous." She commented.
She was right. Night gulped and nodded. "I... I just don't want to mess up.", she mumbled. "I don't even know what to do!" She complained nervously and was immediately greeted with a laugh.
"You're meant to have fun, it's to show that you're growing up and are allowed more privileges in the colony.", she smiled, trotting over with a small box. "Here... I got you something.", she said, opening it.
The box was laced with soft black fabric and in the center was a chain, connected to an almost glowing silver Crescent Moon. Night’s eyes widened as she looked at it. "It's traditional... And I always liked the idea." She smiled, taking it out and unclipping it, wrapping it around Nights neck. "Made from moonstone and dipped in stars... That was the story." She grinned, clipping it on and letting it dangle around Nights neck. "It's a very special necklace Night... Look after it."
"I will." She said with a soft smile. "Why is it so special?", she asked
"Well, every little filly gets one at their rite... So did I, your father even the Elder.", she continued with a smile. "It signifies your life and your connection to Luna, your family, friends and your colony.", she said as she began to pack away the paint. "It's to always remind you of who you are and the value we all have to the colony... Every pony is important and the Rite is the most important celebration we have.", she kissed her forehead gently. "So when you look at this and your mother and father are all old and wrinkly, you'll remember all the fun times we had."
Night nodded gently as she stared down at the shining silver, running a hoof along it.
"Never lose it Night... You only get one.", she smiled.
Night moved in and gave her mum a tight hug. "Thanks mum... I'll always wear it."
"It’s time... Come, let's go.", Crescent said, pushing Night along, making their way out into the caverns... Completely empty with a stone silence.
"Where is everypony?", she asked in amazement.
"Waiting for you." She giggled.
Night gulped and continued trotting along, their hoof steps echoing loudly through the cave. It felt empty and lifeless, Night shuddered at the uncomfortable feeling but pressed on, soon being confronted with the stairs up to the Sepulcher.
They began to ascend, the stairs seemed to stretch on forever and the flames slowly began to change color, the way they did the closer you got to the Sepulcher. Her mother merely smiled at the filly and Night felt discomforted, the silence ringing all around her before she heard a low drumming at the peak of the stairs, beating in time with her heart. It got louder and louder, pounding against the huge ancient doors of the building, a guard at either side, smirking as she arrived. Night looked back to her mother as they approached either side of her.
She merely gave a nod and Night carried on, the doors opening and the drumming clear as day. She trotted in, lines of ponies either side of the room, all looking to her while others beat the drums loudly. The guards led her to the center of the room the doors creaking loudly before slamming shut, the room falling silent.
Night gasped softly and looked around at the many eyes around her... Starlight and Swift nowhere to be seen. There was a large table at the top of the stairs in the Sepulcher, overlooking the whole chamber, the elder sitting and looking grimly down to him, several empty chairs sat either side of her.
"Night Vela Watch.", she said as she stood, her voice echoing around the room, Night shuffling awkwardly in her painted fur, the silver necklace dangling by her chest. "Do you accept the fact of your Rite and the challenges that come with it?", she asked.
Night shuddered and gulped, not knowing about any challenges. "Y-yes...", she stuttered out.
"And do you accept the responsibility of being recognized as a talented individual?"
"Yes...", she stuttered out again. The room fell silent, all eyes on Night, and the elder staring her down.
"We will then have you take the oath….", she mumbled. "But first… Let's party...” She said, struggling on the words with a grin before the whole room cheered loudly, the two guards lifting her up onto their backs as the drumming began again.
Night yelped and a few heads popped out from behind the chairs of the table, Swift, Starlight, her mother and father as several more instruments came through, ponies blowing air through them, creating a loud and bouncy song.
The guards began to spin around gently, smiling wide as Night began to laugh, the room stamping their hooves happily as a dance suddenly broke out in the center of the room.
"Never make me say that again.", the elder whispered to Crescent, causing her to laugh.
Night jumped off of the guards and let them go have fun as Swift and Starlight ran up to her excitedly.
"You looked terrified!", Starlight giggled, Swift blushing awkwardly, looking at Night in awe.
"I was!", she laughed back, the three pulling into a group hug.
"You look really pretty Night!" Starlight said.
Swift nodded gently before mumbling. "Y-yeah..."
"Thanks...", she whispered to them before pulling away.
"Come on! We need to enjoy ourselves!", Starlight said happily as she pulled the two of them away.
Midnight shared the same expression as the Elder, grim and judgemental. Crescent laughed at the two. "Lighten up you two... It’s just a party."
"She should be learning about Luna and history and... Everything importa...”, he was cut off by a kiss from Crescent.
"Calm down.", she whispered to him.
"She's right... You need to calm down... I'm so old my face just sags... It's tiring to smile." The elder surprisingly joked, causing Midnight to go wide eyed and Crescent to laugh out loudly. "I'm not just an old prude."
Midnight remained unhappy, frowning heavily. "Hey... What's wrong?", Crescent asked.
"I haven't heard from my brother in a long time... I sent a party to go to Hollow shades but they haven't returned yet." He sighed running a hoof on the rim of a cup.
Crescent rubbed his back and nuzzled his neck. "He went to go see a mare you know?" She whispered. Midnight tensed and looked back to her.
“I know... But he's been gone far too long now.”
“You didn't hear it from me… But I heard he was planning on marrying her.”, she grinned wide, “He wanted it to be a surprise.”
Midnight smiled gently, sitting back and watching the crowd dance happily, his daughter laughing happily. "That bastard.” He chuckled.
"I fucking love ice cream!" Blaze said as he put another spoon of chocolate ice cream into his mouth. He was back in his basement, the decapitated head of Tyl by him, and a spoon of ice cream in his mouth too. "Don't you?" He asked as he moved the jaw up and down. "Fuck yeah!", he said moving Tyl’s jaw up and down in a mocking manner.
A knock was heard at the open door, Savant shivering at the sight. "You really are fucked up in the head."
"That's why you're the therapist!", he said happily as he got up. "What is it?"
"We're ready to begin tests.", he said plainly, looking at the decapitated head. "Please get another pass time." He said painfully.
Blaze waved a hoof, dismissing it as he trotted out of the basement. "Take me to the weapon!"
"The doctor is outside waiting."
"Excellent!", he said in a cliché evil genius voice before he climbed up the stars. The building was actually quite cozy, a small cottage out just past Canterlot, small pot plants lining the windows, floral furniture lying around.
He pushed open the door of outside and smelled the crisp air. "Smells good...", he sighed as the smell of fuel hit his nose. "Doctor! Good to see you!", he chimed as he trotted over, the doctor wearing the harness that supported the flame thrower over his shoulder.
"Yes... You too... We're ready to test... Loaded it up with something my supplier called dragon fire elixir.", he said as he looked at a tree stump, standing in the green meadow, darkened by the night sky.
"Love it!", Blaze said as he sat down, eating more of his ice cream. "Proceed.", he said gesturing to the trunk.
The doctor nodded and looked at it, the muzzle facing the trunk as well. It was quite the work of art, two saddlebag like fuel tanks sat on either side of him, linked to the main part of the weapon, a small flame at the end of it. The trigger mechanism was connected to a small rope by his face. He gripped it with his teeth and pulled, instantly flames spewed out quickly, the stump enveloped in it.
Blaze smiled wide, not noticing his ice cream melting as he watched the trunk. The doctor stopped, releasing the rope. A black scorch mark splayed across the ground, the stump no longer existent, like a large scar upon the green landscape.
"Fuck what happened to my ice cream!"
Food had already been served at the party, the head table having individual meals for each of Nights family and her two friends, tables with a large selection dotted the Sepulcher floor as ponies trotted on by, taking what they wanted from the selection of fruit, vegetable and wine.
Midnight had spotted Swift and was staring at him blankly from across the table. "Hey... Stop staring." Crescent whispered into his ear.
"Can't... This colony is too small and he could be my son in law.", he murmured back.
"They're fillies...", she repeated to him.
"Like I said... Didn't stop me...”, he smirked back to her
Night laughed and ate with her friends as they exchanged jokes and talked, Night looking down at the many markings that covered her body, remarkably similar to the ones around the pillars. Ponies seemed to be enjoying themselves, the music continuing to play.
"Hey I'm going to try and get some wine... You want?"M Starlight asked with a grin. Both ponies shook their heads.
"It's bad for you.", Swift said quietly.
"They're enjoying it.", Starlight stated as she pointed to a pair of bat ponies stumbling and laughing loudly.
Night rolled her eyes. "We're fine... Good luck not getting noticed.", she laughed as Starlight jumped off her seat and trotted away, sticking out her tongue at them.
An awkward silence consumed both Night and Swift, both looking down at their meals, scratching their hooves.
Swift sighed and looked to Night. "Night... Thanks for inviting me here...”, he said with a small smile. "I don't have many friends but... It means a lot.", he said with a frown.
She smiled at him, the marking on her face stretching a bit. "It's alright.... I'm just glad you came.", she said, nudging him.
Night looked back out to the crowd of ponies, Starlight being glared at by a guard as she moved away from the wine barrels. Swift took a deep breath and moved close, giving Night a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I'm gonna kill him.", Midnight said simply as he began to get up, Crescent glared at him, a hoof pulling on his hoof.
"Move from this seat and you'll sleep on the couch for the next week.", she whispered
He growled and sat down.
Night blushed heavily and looked to him who shared her blush. "S-sorry... I... I just...", he stuttered, unsure on what to say.
"Y-you like me?", she asked back with a small smile.
"W-well yeah... You're... You're the prettiest filly I know...”, he said with a sheepish smile. "D-do you like me?", he asked awkwardly.
Night giggled and blushed, looking away. "I-I do...", she said with a smile, a grin growing on his face.
Their scene was soon broken up as the Elder stood and stamped her hoof on the table loudly. "Please... It is time for Night to say her oath.", she said, looking to Night. "Night follow me...” She said as she trotted off of the main steps and down to the crowd, a hole forming so she could pass. She made her way to the balcony and waited for Night to arrive. "You will say your oath under Luna's moon and from then on... You'll be more than just a filly.", she stated.
Night gulped and looked at the door, the whole room had formed a semi-circle around them. "Come... We must...”, she ended her sentence as she opened the door, a blazing red light showering through the door. "No... It can't be...”, she whispered as she opened the door and looked up to the moon, it was red... A bloodied red. She gulped heavily and heard the multitude of gasps and mumbles behind her. "Everyone get inside!", she announced loudly. "No pony is to come out of the caverns until I say.", she turned and glared at the moon.
"What about my oath?", Night asked.
"Not now... Later...", she said softly, leaning on the edge of the balcony. Night sighed and trotted off with the rest of the crowd.
"Luna help us all...", she whispered to herself.
Chapter 5: The Belly Of The Beast
"We need to know what's happening!" One of the stallions called out in the cavern to Midnight, his own purple armor gleaming as he looked at the crowd of scared ponies, two guards at his flanks staring to the crowd as well. The crowd all murmured with agreement, some speaking their own thoughts.
"We have farms up there! We can't leave them!"
"So we're trapped here?" Another asked.
Midnight held up his hooves, the crowd falling silent slowly. "The Elder has her reasons for the order, she is just looking for the welfare of the colony." He explained.
"We can't get any food if we can't leave!" Another piped up, the crowd growing louder and louder.
"We will come up with a plan!" He announced back. "Please! Just go back to your homes, continue with the day." He said calmly, almost pleadingly.
They all murmured uncomfortably and a few decided to leave, a handful of ponies lingering to see if any word will come out sooner. "You two stay here and keep them calm." He said to the guards by him. "I'm going to go speak to the Elder." He said, trotting away as he received a pair of nods from his colleagues.
The colony was tense, the market place had a low and worried hum to it, the many ponies merely talking about the blood moon. Midnight sighed as he trotted through the tunnels, a hollow echo ringing through the empty halls. Everywhere he went, a worried and tense feeling spiced the air, his own fur tingling gently as he himself was curious as to the meaning of the phenomenon of the moon.
The trot up the stairs to the Sepulcher was the hardest, the flames themselves had died down and the silence just seemed to become louder. He had never seen the colony in such a state, everything felt wrong and it scared him. He came up to the doors, one of them was opened partly allowing him to peak through. "Hello?" He spoke into the hall, his voice echoing loudly.
The Elder sat at the large table from last night, most of the lingering from last night. She glanced up at him, a sad look in her eyes that made Midnight cringe as he entered. "Captain Midnight..." She croaked gently as she stood up. "How may I help you?" She asked, pushing a plate away, letting it scrape and ring through the Sepulcher.
He made his way to the base of the stairs leading to the table. "Is everything alright?" He asked.
She smiled and snorted gently, sitting back down tiredly. "No... Nothing is good." She mumbled.
He sighed and bit his lip nervously, hearing bad news from her was something he had never heard before. "Many of the ponies are wanting answers... They're scared and the fact that this is being held from them is what is scaring them." He explained. "Please... Give me something to tell them."
She sighed, picking up one of the cups and simply began admiring it. "When the moon bathes in blood, its children weep as hell fire burns through mud. The largest sanctuary from our greatest adversary, will crumble and fall to dust." She recited like a sweet poem, her hoof running over the cup.
"The scrolls of the Eldest?" He raised a brow. "They're... They're prophecies are they not?" He asked.
"That they are. They also containing every duty, ritual and word of any Elder... I am not one to argue with Luna or her first chosen Elders... But this must not happen... We will be safe within the mountain until the next full moon." She said, placing the cup back down. "If we tell them there will be chaos... We just wait for the next moon... If it has cleared by then, we will be safe." She said sternly.
"But what about food!?" He asked loudly. "We'll starve."
She signed and banged her hoof on the table. "Some can go and collect food but no more!" She yelled in a scared tone. "We have to keep ourselves hidden." She repeated loudly.
Midnight nodded, looking back to the doors and he began to move off. "And Midnight." She said to him as he was leaving. He glanced over his shoulder back to her. "Look after Night... She has a long life ahead of her and I don't want her in trouble."
He smiled gently. "Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker... I'll keep her close." He answered tiredly.
"Good..." She mumbled as he trotted off back into the colony.
As he left, closing the door behind him, he collapsed to his haunches, breathing deeply as he recited the words in his head. The prophecy stung as he repeated the words, causing tears to come to his eyes. He whimpered and shuddered as he began to think about the life they had here… And the fear of losing it. It all terrified him, keeping this a secret would hurt… He believed heavily in the prophecies and this one made him weep, his heart yearning for safety for his family… His daughter.
He had to tell Somepony.
"Damn... You did a good job." Blaze smiled as he looked at the four weapons, leaning neatly against the wall.
"Thank you..." He mumbled with uncertainty, glancing at them. "So... We all have to use one?" He asked.
"Of course! Nothing better than a bat barbecue." Blaze sighed, taking a breath of air as if it were an old memory. "I can smell those crisp leather wings now."
The Doctor shivered and looked away. "Okay... I’ve never... Killed any pony before..." He said, looking away from Blaze.
Blaze looked at him, shocked, even with concern, as if he heard a friend say they were a virgin. "No pony? Damn, when we're done here we'll find you somepony to sink a blade into." He said with a grin.
"B-but won't I have already killed Somepony after this?..." He asked.
"What?! No, they're not ponies." He laughed. "It's just like burning chickens!" He said reassuringly.
"I don't think I've ever burnt a chicken..." He mumbled, Blaze laughing.
"It's the way they squirm and cluck that just makes me laugh." He said nostalgically. "You'll be a natural!" He said with a grin.
"Yeah... I'm sure I will...” He shivered back, unconvinced.
Night sighed and poked her food sadly her silver necklace hanging gently from her neck, the table quiet. "What's wrong Night?" Crescent asked, looking at her. "Is it still about your Rite?"
Night nodded solemnly and put her fork back down. "I haven't finished it yet... I'm going to be a filly forever."
Crescent smiled and shrugged. "Doesn't sound that bad, at least you still get to play." She reassured.
Night raised a brow. "You don't play with other ponies? Not even dad?"
Crescent smirked and gave another shrug. "Depends if you're dad has been good or not." She joked, knowing the filly wouldn't understand. Night thought and tried to understand her mothers words but slow hoofsteps soon broke her concentrated silence.
"Dad!" She said happily as she jumped out her seat and tackled his legs, not even budging him as she tried her best to move him. He smiled sadly and ruffled her violet mane. "Did you speak to the Elder? Will she finish my Rite?" She asked hopefully, looking up to him.
"I’m afraid not... It'll have to wait for now little troublemaker." He said, kissing her forehead. "Don't worry... You'll be able to do it when the Elder says it is time." He said through a pained smile, hoping that he could see her Rite completed.
Crescent got up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Did you speak to the Elder though?" She asked.
He gulped and looked down to Night. "I think that boy was looking for you Night... Why don't you go find him?" He suggested.
"Wait... Really?" She asked excitedly, her eyes glowing.
He nodded, sighing sadly. "Yes, he's in the library... Go... Go and see him." He said, flinching as his daughter trotted to the door.
"Okay! I'll... I'll be home soon!" She said happily as she trotted out, the necklace bouncing with her step.
"Be careful!" Crescent called out after her.
Midnight sighed and sat back into a seat as she left. He ran a shaky hoof through his mane, looking at the table. "What's wrong?" She asked, causing him to smirk.
"How could you tell? The hoof through the mane? Do I look sad?" He asked.
"You let your daughter go out to see a colt... That's unusual... What's up?" She asked as she sat next to him at the dining table.
"Have you heard of The Scrolls of The Eldest?" He asked, looking to her.
She nodded. "The scrolls that are given to every Elder?" She asked. "What about them?"
Midnight tapped his hooves on the table. "They contain the prophecies that Luna spoke before she was banished... Every one of them so far has been true and a new sign just came." He mumbled.
"The blood moon?" She asked. "What did she say about it?" She asked, leaning in, for once in her life she was actually growing concerned.
"When the moon bathes in blood, its children weep as hell fire burns through mud. The largest sanctuary from our greatest adversary, will crumble and fall to dust." He recited to her, shivering even at his own words.
She raised a brow. "That doesn't sound good..." She said with a mumble.
"Something is coming Crescent... And I'm afraid it's going to destroy everything we have." He whimpered, pressing his forehead to hers.
She sighed and wrapped her hooves around him. "Hey... We're hidden... We'll be fine." She whispered to reassure him, rubbing his back soothingly.
"We are the largest colony..." He whimpered, hugging her tightly. "The moon is a bloodied red and something is coming for us." He said hopelessly.
"And what is the captain of the Colony guard going to do?" She asked, trying to restore his sense of duty. "Is he going to let us die?" She asked.
He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "No... I... I'm going to increase patrols... Barricade the cave..." He said as he stood up. "We'll... We'll defend to the last.” He said, still a bit of uncertainty in his voice.
"And what do we say when we are afraid?" She asked.
"May the moon watch over us and may we find peace under its watch." He said, a bit louder. He sighed and kissed her lips softly. "Thank you... If you were in the guard I think I'd be calling you ma'am." He said with a small smile.
"Hey... I'll always be on top of you." She said with a playful wink.
"You dirty minded mare..."
"Swift?" Night called into the library, noticing a few more lanterns up around the library. She slowly trotted through the doors, immediately flanked by Swifts father.
"Can I help you?" He asked in a sad croaky tone.
Night jumped and looked up at him. "O-Oh... Sorry, I'm looking for Swift." She said nervously.
He sighed and nodded. "So you're the little filly he talked about." He said with a smile. "You three really scared me a few days back..." He said with a smirk. "You got me good."
She blushed gently and raised a brow. "Swift talks about me?" She asked.
"Oh yes! Can't shut him up." He smiled. "I’ll call him for you." He said, looking out into the library. "Swift!" He called loudly, his voice echoing through the library. "You have a visitor!" He yelled.
His voice rung out, Night looking up at him in amazement and the quick galloping of small hooves could be heard, the bright purple glow of Swifts eyes as he came into view, Night smiled wide as she saw him.
"Night!" He said happily as he skid to a halt, panting gently. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "N-not that I mind." He said with a small blush.
Night giggled, shuffling gently, Swifts father trotting away to leave them. "My dad said you wanted to see me." She said.
He raised a brow. "No I don't... I mean I do! But... I haven't seen your dad since last night... He kinda scares me." He said with a smile.
Night laughed and nodded. "He's like that... Wait so why did he send me?" She asked.
Swift shrugged. "Who knows...? It gives you some time off... Want to... Go read? Or walk?" He asked awkwardly.
She smiled and trotted up to him. "Reading sounds nice." She smiled.
He nodded excitedly. "Sure! I Uhh... Come with me!" He said excitedly as he led her towards one of the tables by the bookshelves, holding her hoof. "I... What do you want to read?" He asked.
"Anything!" She said happily.
He nodded and shuffled awkwardly, trotting around and tapping books near to them. "I... I'm not sure what we could read."
"What about your favorite?" She asked.
He smiled and raised a brow. "Really?"
She nodded happily as she sat down at the table. "Only if that's okay with you."
"Sure! I'd love to show you that!" He said happily before trotting off and returning with a large leather bound book. He plonked it on the table with a thud and sat next to Night closely, smiling as he felt their wings rub gently against each other.
The book was entitled "The Guard And The Silver Moon." Swift smiled and opened up the book to the first page, a colored picture next to the paragraphs of text. "My dad always read this to me." He said. The picture was simple, a bat guard in the traditional purple armor, looking over a small colony from atop a hill. The colony was outside, their houses built from wood like they used to be, before they were forced underground.
"It’s a big book." She commented as she ran a hoof over the spine of the book.
"Big book, big brain." He said with a smug grin.
She looked at him with a smile. "Oh? So I must be stupid."
His expression faded and he looked shocked. "W-wait no that's not what I meant..." He said loudly, cut off by Night raising a hoof.
"I'm pulling your wing." She smiled.
He sighed and shook his head. "You really are a trouble maker."
"You better believe it..." She said with a happy sigh, leaning into him, giving him a soft nuzzle.
Blaze hopped around outside with the weapon on his back, the fluids inside the tanks sloshing heavily as he laughed like an insane, murderous filly. "This is going to be so much fun!" He squealed strangely.
Savant, Boulder and the Doctor all stood by, watching him oddly, Savant sighing and shaking his head. Boulder strangely laughed and bobbed gently, wanting to join in... The Doctor just looked away. "Stop that... You might explode." Savant warned, his white coat clinging around the metal weapon.
Blaze stuck out his tongue. "Who says!?" He asked in protest.
"I did! This is the third time now." The doctor spoke up, his light yellow mane covering his eyes. "It is extremely volatile." He stated.
Blaze signed and growled gently, frowning. "You're all boring... Where's the fun in running around if you're not going to explode?" He asked rhetorically.
"Uhh... Getting to step on bats?" Boulder asked in his deep voice.
"Spot on Boulder! Spot on." He smiled.
Savant sighed and looked out across the land. "We had better get moving." He said, the snowy mountains in the distance glaring back. "It's a long walk and I'm not one to just stand around." He said brushing his orange mane back behind his ears.
"Onwards and forwards!" Blaze announced, pointing towards the mountains with a grin.
Boulder trotted ahead with a loud chuckle, Blaze following, Savant and the Doctor trotting side by side.
"Do you... Do you get the feeling that this might be wrong?" The doctor asked. Savant looked to him, staring at him.
"Have we ever done anything right?"
"Captain?" One of the top guards asked as he looked down at the request. "You want us to barricade the colony?" He asked, looking over the page. "And increase patrols? I don’t usually question orders but are we expecting an attack?" He asked with a raised brow.
Midnight sighed, looking over a map of the tunnels on a table in his office, the barracks on the other side of the door behind the guard. "It's a hunch... The Elder agreed with this... It's just a precaution." He said looking up from his page.
"But a precaution from what?" He asked. "The blood moon?"
Midnight sighed. "We're just being careful."
"I've read the scrolls before sir... My mother was an acolyte." He said.
"Then you are aware of what is to happen?"
The guard nodded silently.
"You have your orders... Go... May the moon watch over us."
"And may we find peace under its watch." He finished before trotting away from the table and back into the barracks.
Midnight sighed and fell back into his seat, rubbing his forehead, groaning gently. "I really hope the moon will..."
"The guard ran up the spiral stairs, pushing the door open and coming face to face with the most beautiful mare he ever saw." Swift continued, Night resting her head on his shoulder. Night smiled as she looked at the picture of the mare, wearing a silk white dress, the bright moon behind her which brought out her golden eyes. "Kinda looks like you." He said with a chuckle.
Night giggled and blushed, nudging him gently. "You think so?" She asked, looking up to him.
"Of course!" He said with a smile.
"Well... The guard is very much like you." She said with a smile.
He laughed and shook his head. "I'll never be that strong... I have to look after the library." He said with a hint of sadness.
Night frowned and nudged him. "You can do whatever you want! You could even become one of the Elders female acolytes." She giggled.
"Ha... Ha." He said sarcastically, pushing her with a smile. "Maybe you could become... An Uhh..." He said as he tried to think.
She laughed and nudged him back. "Haha, can't think of anything?"
"What? It's not my fault that mares can do anything a stallion can." He said with a frown.
Night grinned, sticking her tongue out at him. "Lucky us." She teased. "Can we continue reading?" She asked.
"Why don't you continue it?" He asked.
She smiled and sat up, looking down to the book. "The princess looked shocked, moving away from Swift the night guard...” She joked. "She moved to the curtains and hid behind them, peaking at the guard in the room." She continued to read, smiling gently. "She's really shy isn't she?" She commented.
"Wouldn't you be afraid if a guard came into the place you've been held for years?" He asked.
"Of course not! I would run away with him." She responded with a smile.
"Everypony is different." He smiled, kissing her cheek hesitantly.
"Sir... The preparations have begun, much of the colony is curious if not scared... They're going to need an explanation."
Midnight sighed and nodded. "They do... Gather the colony in the market... I’ll be through shortly." He said, watching the guard leave. Midnight grumbled and rubbed his face stressfully. "Luna strike me now." He muttered before trotting out of his office and through the barracks, none of the guards present as they prepared for the prophecy of the Blood moon.
He began to make his way to the market place, his hooves clacking loudly. He moved through the empty tunnels, the feeling sending shivers down his spine and the low murmur of some ponies could be heard in the markets. He trotted out, seeing a small crowd, a few ponies stood around their stands or sitting on small ledges of rock. They all looked to him as he entered and he sighed as he stood out in front of them.
"I am sure you all have questions!" He announced, his voice silencing the crowd. "I understand you are scared, concerned and worried for us." He said, gulping as he searched for words. "The blood moon on which we have all seen has been Prophesized." He said, a loud murmur beginning between them all.
"It speaks of a dark time, we are merely taking precautions to ensure your safety." He said, hoping to calm them down in any way possible. "Please... Let the guards work and we will tell you when this is all over... Thank you." He said as he began to trot away, an eruption of questions and doubts filled the room, echoing around the cavern as he trotted away, having no other comfort but the truth to comfort them.
The base of the mountain was cool, a small breeze blowing passed the four ponies. Blaze smiled, sniffing the air as they approached, the berry crop causing him to smile. "Looks like we found something interesting." He said as he trotted over, picking a berry and eating it. He looked back at them, nodding his approval. "Very nice." He said before he gripped the rope with his teeth and pulled down on it, letting out a spew of flames onto the crop, instantly sending out a flurry of black smoke that rose quickly into the cold air, the intense heat making his orange body glow brightly.
He sighed and smiled at the rest of them, Boulder clearly smiled while the Doctor and Savant shared the same neutral expression as they merely began to look around. Blaze sighed and trotted with them. "It is a work of art." He mumbled as he stared at the mountain. "They've probably dug the whole thing out... How many do you think there are?" He asked Savant.
"More than I'd like to count." He mumbled as he thought of the action they were about to do.
The blazing fire continued, the loud crackle was like music to Blazes ears as he began to search the side of the mountain with a smile. "Almost a shame that we have to kill them all." He said as his hoof ran over the rock face. He kept silent, the others following him closely, the fuel sloshing round in rhythm with his steps.
His hoof came across a surface which stood out from the mountain. The majority of the rock face was smooth but he came across a wall of seemingly rough rocks, all placed up to form a wall, hiding some sort of passage. Blaze grinned and used his magic to force it down, the rocks crumbling away easily, forming a small slope downward into the mountain.
He turned and faced the others, a wide smile on his face. "Looks like we found the belly of the beast."
Every hoof step echoed painfully into the caverns, as if they were groaning themselves, the dust rose from each hoof print, disturbed by an unholy presence. It all smelt sweet to him, anticipation in the air, the feeling of power, being able to wield another's fate like some play thing... It was like a game to Blaze, he took every step as if they were his first and last, his smirk spoke of a thousand different screams... A thousand different evils. The tunnel they travelled grew dark and cold, only allowing two ponies through at one time.
"Don't you love it?" He said with a nostalgic sigh, Savant glanced at him oddly, a heavy frown adorning his face. "Every step we take further in is... Is like... Walking into a surprise birthday party that you know about... It gets the blood boiling." He grinned.
"I wouldn't know." Savant replied grimly. "I hate birthdays."
Blaze laughed as they continued to trot through, a small flickering light at the end of the tunnel marked the entry into the honeycomb of caverns that the Bat Ponies called home. "Then my dear Savant, Happy Birthday... We'll make this one the best yet."
"And as the war raged on, the Knight looked at the Princess from afar as he galloped away from near death... He knew it would be many years before they saw each other again." Swift said with a neutral expression as he read, Night looking at the book with a sad frown.
"Wait... So they're separated for years?" She asked, lifting her head up from the table, her necklace jerking and dangling from her neck, shining in the lowly dimmed light. "That's so sad..." She mumbled gently.
Swift smirked and nodded. "Yeah... It really is." He agreed as he yawned gently. "Wow... What time is it?" He asked.
"Around noon... Why do you want to...? Oh." She said as a realization came over her once more. "Bedtime?" She asked with a giggle.
He nodded sadly and flicked the small bookmark in between the pages and shut the book. "Sadly... But hey we can hang out later!" He said enthusiastically as he was greeted by Night's sad eyes and her bottom lip. Swift sighed and shook his head. "Sorry." He said. "I have no say in this." He smiled.
"Fine... But I expect an apology gift when I see you again." She joked.
"They'll be the finest flowers for thy fair princess." He joked, imitating the knight within the story. "See you Night." Swift mumbled as he kissed her cheek softly. "I'll see you later."
"Get moving!" Midnight yelled as guards, all wearing their shining purple armor and had spears by their sides, moved tables, furniture, wooden planks to form some sort of barricade in the center of the cavern, stretching across the majority, leaving a large empty space with the entrance at the far end of the cavern.
Starlight trotted by behind Midnight, giggling gently to herself, knowing that he hadn't spotted her, a wire being stretched out across the cavern, the end in her mouth. She smiled mischievously at his back, hoping to get him to trip backwards on it. She quickly began to tie the wire around some rocks.
Hoof steps echoed gently into the caverns... A lot louder than any pony else's. The cavern slowly grew quiet to listen, heads turning to look at the entrance as several dark figures appeared at the entrance. Midnight put his helmet on and backed away, his spear armed as he clambered over the barricade.
Every guard had their spear resting on the makeshift defense, a firm hoof and shoulder behind it as they all lined it, many sharp points to it. "Steady!" Midnight called as he stood behind them, looking at the ponies which now entered, Blaze with his fiery mane, Savant, Boulder and finally the Doctor, all with their back mounted weapons. Midnight froze at the sight of Blaze, seeing his cold heartless smile. "Its children weep... As hellfire burns through mud." He mumbled to himself, Starlight’s head popping curiously over the top of the rock at the barricade and then behind her. "Oh fuck." He gasped. "Starlight!" He called as he jumped over the barricade, wings flared outward and his spear firm in his shoulder.
Blaze grinned and saw her, trotting over and taking a grip of the back of her mane and tugging heavily, a sharp yelp coming from Starlight as fear soon invaded her body. Boulder stepped closer and pulled on the rope, sending out a sea of flames in front of their group and blocking Midnights path.
He continued to charge and ducked his head as he slipped through the flames and his spear travelled straight through Blazes free fore hoof.
His grip tightened around her mane and he opened his mouth to let out a yell of pain but all that came out was a twisted moan of pleasure. "Oohhh." He cooed with a small grunt. "That felt... Good." He grinned, Midnight staring up at him in shock as Blazes magic enveloped the spear and pulled it further through his hoof, blood pouring out down his red coat and along the spear. He sighed gently as he felt Midnights hooves press against the wound.
Midnight gasped and stared at him, their noses inches away from each other. "Demon..." He growled in a mixed feeling of fear and realization.
Blaze closed his eyes and smiled. "Nope... Just Blaze." He said before snapping the spear and flinging the blunt wood back into Midnights jaw, sending him stumbling back. "Boulder!" He called with a growl, his command almost instantly followed by the hulking stallion pulling on the firing mechanism once more and sending another burst of flames at Midnight who held up his hooves, the flames enveloping his armor. With a heavy beat of his leather wings he sent himself flying backwards through the flames and tumbling out the other end.
"Ladies and Gentlecotls!" Blaze announced as he stumbled with a whimpering Starlight. "It fills my heart with joy to see so many of you here to see such a brilliant display of valor and pain!" He sang as if an announcer. He raised his bleeding hoof and hit Starlit firmly across the face with it, a loud smack and a cry of pain filled the cavern and a bloody mark was left on her cheek.
The guards all flinched at the noise, their armor clattering nervously, Midnight trotted back to the barricade, a deadly fire in his eyes as he approached some of the guards. "Get up onto those stalactites and take this fucker down." He was instantly greeted with a nod as they pulled out a set of hooks that extended from fore hooves of their armor.
"Tonight I promise a show you will never forget!" He continued with a grin, the doctor and Savant staring down at his hoof with worry as the sharp end of the spear stuck through. "I have many acts such as what’s cooking!? Who's screaming!? And my favorite Where’s the last one hiding!?" Silence soon followed his voice.
"Guards!" Midnight called from behind the barricade as he picked up a new spear. "Ay-ten-tion!" He called out with a booming drill voice, a loud collective noise of hooves picking up and stomping down with the clatter of spears crashing against armor.
"Ooh!" Blaze cooed, looking back to his companions. "Very fancy." He commented.
"Do not make use more force and remove the hoof that you use to sadly Clop yourself to sleep at night." He growled, a large laugh was heard from the guards, followed by a few cheers. "Let the girl go and I'll make sure that you can sleep easily and with all your parts with you." Midnight smirked, knowing that the noise he was creating was perfect for the set of guards to cling to stalactites, jumping from one to one quietly.
"And why would I do that?" He asked while picking Starlight up. Loud pants and quiet whimpers were heard from the small filly as she gulped and looked nervously at him. "I’ll have an adorable filly to use instead of my hoof when I pull this off!" He yelled back, the fire that was surrounding their group was slowly dying down.
Silence enveloped the guards who merely glared at him, Starlight letting out a yell of fear as Blaze put his bleeding hoof to her belly. "Because I'd love to fuck her to death." He punched heavily into her stomach, causing the filly to gasp for air and her eyes to go wide. He grunted and dropped her, her body hitting the floor with a loud thump and a long series of pants and groans came after her. "I just prefer to beat my toys before I fuck them." He made his point by kicking his good hoof into her belly again, a loud cry of pain as the filly’s tears drenched her cheeks, the sound created by the attack and the cry caused some of the guards to growl gently.
"You leave me no choice." Midnight sighed as he nodded to the three guards on the ceiling who armed their spears and lugged them towards Blaze at a surprising speed. Blaze smirked and his horn lit up, each of the three spears being caught in his magic and dropping harmlessly to the floor.
"Sometimes... I wonder why I bother." He sighed, looking at the three guards who scrambled for extra spears. Blaze turned the spears around and sent them flying back at them with equal speed, two of the guards getting hit square in the chest and flung off of the stalactites, their bodies hitting the ground heavily and pools of blood forming around in the dust. The other guard jumped at the last moment and the spear merely grazed past his armor, causing a razor sharp ring to fill the air as he glided back behind the barricade. The guard, with fear written over every feature of his face, crashed into the ground with a heavy thud, skidding across the dirt and sending up a small cloud of dust, his wings stuck as he lay there, paralyzed in fear.
“Kill them all.” He muttered to the others, staring at Starlight with an evil hunger in his eyes. Boulder was more than happy to comply, already shooting off flames at the wooden barricade, the doctor and Savant moving alongside him as they began to light up the barricade.
The tendrils of fire lashed out over the wooden cover, guards moving back to avoid it before a few lone guards charged forward and jumped over the barricade, immediately getting swarmed by fire and the pained and horrified cries echoed throughout the cavern.
The heavy doors of the library came to a close, Night trotting out with a small smile on her face. Though saddened she had to leave and have her fun cut short she was happy… She felt like nothing could ruin this day.
The piercing cries of others soon filled her ears, the yells and clattering of armor and spears… Night’s once happy smile furrowed into a heavy frown and she gulped, her heart skipping a beat as she saw two bat mares run off through the tunnels ahead of her. Night was quick to chase and she began moving through the tunnels to the source of the noise.
“What’s happening? Why are ponies running?” She thought to herself until a horrific odor passed her nose, like charred wood except… It smelt greasy, causing her to gag as she moved. “What is that smell?” She thought as she finally saw flashes of bright orange at the end of the tunnel, causing her to stop in her steps. She put a hoof to her crescent necklace and gulped. “Where’s Mum?”
The guards had been fierce in their attack, pushing the stallions back to the entrance to the cavern but their attack had always been a failure. Not a single scratch, excluding Blaze, was upon any of the stallions, a heavy line of dead and burning guards towards them, and their once purple armor becoming fused with flesh and turned a shiny grey.
Starlight was still clutched in Blazes hoof, keeping her head forward, forcing her to watch every single detail of their crime. Her cries and whimpers continued the whole way through, letting out screams of pain and terror as the smell filled her senses, the sickening stench of burning flesh and fur.
Midnight yelled out angrily, grabbing the spear of one of his many fallen comrades and charging forward. His hoof locked back and he surged it forward once more, releasing the spear straight towards Blaze. The spear flew through the air and pierced right through the hoof that was clutching Starlight. Blaze let out a howl of pain, dropping the filly to the ground he immediately began to charge back towards the guards. Boulder growled and had already aimed at her and as he pulled down on the firing mechanism and sent the flames towards the terrified filly. Midnight had already charged forward, a purple shield in hoof and a spear in the other. He moved right behind her and held it up, the flames colliding with the shining metal, causing it to begin to heat up. He yelled out in frustration, feeling the heat envelop him. With a glance behind him, he saw Starlight jump into the arms of another guard. The flames stopped and Midnight moved back, removing the shield and panting, glaring at the assailants.
Night gasped at the scene before her. Ponies laying strewn out across the cavern floor, some still alight and others lying there, their fur gone and a pink and black char remained upon all of their bodies. She gagged and felt her stomach hurl but quickly caught her composure. She galloped forward, seeing her father backing away, his shield by his side and his eyes looking at Boulder who tried shooting more flames. He had made it far enough away from Boulder for him to not be a threat and he sighed, glancing behind at Starlight, safe in the hooves of a guard who was taking her away.
Blaze had torn the spear from his hoof and he pulled it back in his unscarred hoof in preparation to throw it.
“Dad!” Night shouted out as Midnight glanced at her in a concerned confusion. The spear left Blazes hoof and as Midnight turned to face where Night was gesturing, it sunk deep into his chest, splitting the armor open and letting a splatter of blood cover the spear.
Midnight jerked and the world seemed to slow down, the searing pain in his chest causing him to collapse to his haunches. He stared at the ground in confusion, blood beginning to leak from his mouth. He panted, glancing back at Night, tears in his eyes as she stood mere metres from him.
“Run… Little troublemaker.” He panted before falling back with a heavy thud, crashing into the ground, blood pouring freely from his mouth and chest, his eyes soon falling lifeless and void.
"Dad?..."
It had to be the only disturbing flaw the hard rock caverns held, noise could travel to every inch of the once peaceful sanctuary and screams of pain and terror were no different. The Sepulcher rung with those very sounds.
Anxious hoof steps moved just as quietly, Crescent stared at the almighty doors in terror, panting nervously, an electric tension filling the caverns. "The guards can stop them.... They have to." She reassured herself, her nervous pacing clearly showing her true thoughts.
"We stand upon the precipice of doom Crescent." The elder spoke out as she trotted from within the great building. "The guards cannot stop these demons... Not anymore." Her voice croaking, merely hobbling gently towards her.
"But we cannot sit up here and wait to die!" She yelled out angrily, glaring back at the old mare.
"And I won't stand idly while my people die." She spoke calmly back, moving past her and moving towards the door.
"Where are you going? What are you going to do?!"
She stopped in her tracks and looked back with a small smile. "What is it you young ones say? I'm going to whip ass..." She said with a tired laugh, Crescent staring back sadly.
"May the moon watch over us." Crescent mumbled, bowing her head and holding her eyes shut.
"And may we find peace under its watch."
"Swift! C'mon we have to leave!" His father’s voice rung out, waking the sleeping colt who lifted his head with a grumble.
"Huh?.. What's happening?" Swift asked, sitting up and glancing over to his father who was filling a small saddlebag for Swift with his closest personal belongings. A book, small drawings and other items. "Dad?"
"Don't ask questions." He snapped back before pulling him out of bed. He pulled the colt up and put the bags around his back. "Just follow me and everything will be fine..."
"Dad you're scaring me." He whimpered, pushing away and taking a few steps back. "Where's Night? What's happening?" He asked, the high pitched screaming of a burning mare sending shivers down his spine.
Swifts father stared at him. "I... I want to run to the surface... Meet me in the fields." He said with a shaky sigh, looking back to the small house they had made out of the back offices of the library. "I'll be right behind you."
Swift gulped and nodded, a tight feeling of fear filling up within him. "Go! And don't stop for anything!" His father yelled and with that Swift bolted away as fast as he could towards the exit, the screams and shouts of those dying or running was becoming louder and louder.
"What's happening!?" He thought urgently. "Where is Everypony?" He thought as he left the library, slinking quietly and sticking to the darkness. A flash of orange lit the cave walls, a sharp gasp from him was quickly enveloped by a choked cry, the silhouette from the burning stood menacingly against the wall. Fear pumped through his veins, his purple eyes were wide with terror but soon enough the smell got to him, a greasy metallic smell which lashed out through the air, his stomach lurched and it's last contents spilled fourth across the dark ground in a yellow puddle.
"Oh god what is that smell?" He thought.
"D-Dad!" Night yelled, shaking the lifeless body, the spear protruding from his chest. "Dad no! Come on!" She cried out, tears pouring down her cheeks as she looked down at his lifeless eyes.
Hoof steps soon filled her hearing and a fiery red hoof soon placed itself atop the spear. Blaze smirked down at the small filly, flames and bodies lay from the entrance all the way to that point. "Did daddy die?" He asked in a mocking tone, ripping the spear from Midnights chest with a sickening crunch. Night was shaking heavily, her body losing all ability to move, all she could do was glare up at him, her cheeks wet with tears, her hooves spotted with the blood of her father.
Blaze pouted and wiped the flat edge of the spear along her cheek, smearing more blood across her dark coat. She closed her eyes and whimpered, tears pouring freely down her cheeks. "Don’t cry.... Spears only hurt if you get stabbed..." He whispered, tilting the blade against her cheek before pulling back slowly, digging the silver into the soft skin and splitting the skin open slowly. Night whimpered and cried out in pain but her body refused to move, the shock of everything locking her up.
Blaze finally pulled the spear away, a large cut ran along the side of her cheek, bleeding heavily and mixing with her tears. "Don't worry it won't scar... Not that it matters." He said, pressing the tip of the spear into her throat gently. "You'll be dead." He whispered gently into her ear, Night closed her eyes, her tears slowly rolling over her cheeks once more before she felt him pulling the spear back and with one firm thrust he…
"BY LUNA'S BREATH LEAVE HER ALONE!" The Elder boomed from the tunnel to the Sepulcher, the Canterlot voice bouncing through the room with a deafening roar. A bolt of magical energy struck Blaze in the chest and hurtled him back across the dirt, the fluids within the tanks sloshing around loudly as he tumbled through the dirt and skidded to a halt ten meters away. Night opened her eyes slowly and gasped slowly, looking to the fiery stallion who was slowly getting to his hooves. A quick glance behind her explained all that was happening.
The Elder was trotting out quickly, her eyes a glowing white, her horn glowing the same eerie color. Her hoof steps caused a white mist to rise from the ground around her hoof, like a cold steam rising. "Run child." She spoke softly to Night as she approached. Night did not hesitate and tripped over her own hooves in a desperate attempt to escape which was soon greeted with success and she disappeared back through the caverns.
Blaze stumbled up with a laugh, rubbing his chest gently. "Well that packed a punch."
The Elder said nothing and slowly approached, her eyes completely white.
Blaze smiled, his own horn lighting with a dull orange before he sent out a similar bolt of energy. The Elder raised her horn and a transparent white wall shimmered to life and the bolt exploded against it.
"Ahh... You know a few spells do you?" He asked mockingly.
"I know more than you can possibly know." She growled back.
Swift was careful, peering round the corners of every tunnel he trotted through, taking a longer route than normal. His usual plan was to go straight there but he always spotted ponies with large mechanical objects on them, spewing fire as they went. He could only piece together what might be happening to the colony but whatever it was it wasn't good... The smell never wore off, the stench of rotting and burning flesh fresh in his nose and he was even surprised he could keep it all down.
Frantic hoof steps caused him to stop in his tracks and cling to the wall. His eyes scanned the path ahead cautiously as the galloping got faster and faster. A flash of gold was all he needed to see and he quickly stepped forward and outstretched his hooves to catch the running filly. "Night!" He called out happily, his voice filled with relief as he grabbed onto her. She thrashed and pushed against him in terror, not hearing a thing.
"Let me go! Let me go!" She cried out, her body shaking in terror.
"Night it's me! Look!" He said forcing her to look at him, a hoof moving her head.
"S-Swift? I... I..." She couldn't even finish her sentence before breaking down once more, giving out a pained wail before burying her face into his neck and slowly falling to the ground, Swift helping her down every step of the way.
"Shhh..." He cooed gently, stroking her mane softly. Under normal circumstances he would've thought this cheesy but he went with it, holding her close to him. "It's alright..."
"It's not alright!" She yelled, hitting him out of anger for Blaze. "He killed my dad!" She shouted into him, rubbing her cheek into his neck, the blood spreading along him.
Swift felt the warmth of it and the sticky feel after and he looked to her wound. "What did they do to you?" He asked.
"My dad is dead!" She continued. "Who cares about me!?" She cried out.
"I do." He whispered gently, kissing her other cheek. "Come with me... My dad said to meet him in the fields." He said, already getting up as the sounds of magical discharges echoed through the cavern. Night slowly got to her hooves, shaking dangerously. "We're not far from the entrance." He said, looking down the tunnel cautiously before turning back to Night who immediately pressed her lips to his. Swifts eyes went wide and his heart almost leapt out of his chest. The kiss didn't last long, both of them merely holding their lips pressed together, inexperienced and completely unsure of what to do.
They soon separated, both of their cheeks a bright red, blushing through the blood, Night sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I-I'm sorry... I... I don’t know if either of us will make it..." She mumbled sadly.
Swift blinked for a few moments, getting his senses back he immediately shook his head. "We're getting out of here... I promise you that. Just keep thinking about that necklace… Never give up hope." He said before grabbing her hoof. "C'mon... This way."
Starlight had been curled up in the corner of her bed for a while now, her father quickly taking her away from the scene and hiding her and returning to the fight. The blankets covered her completely, she hugged them tight to her body for as much comfort as she possible could. Shivering with fear and whimpering, her father’s name on her lips as she gave out small cries for help.
Her room was fairly small, a small bed for her to sleep, a table and chair for her to do school work or draw, the stone walls were covered in paint, a sort of mural her father and her started, painting the fields above the caverns, the mountain, the sun... Starlight loved the surface and it was evident in her room, small trinkets lay about from above, a pine cone, shavings of grass, old leaves... But at that time she wanted nothing else than to be comforted. "Mum! Dad!?" She called out helplessly.
A thud and a clatter of armor at the door caused her to freeze and peer over her blankets to her bedroom door. "Dad?" She asked hopefully, sniffing and wiping her nose. Starlight climbed from her bed and made her way over to the door and opened it slowly, the scraping of armor coming from the other side, a light grunt caused her to raise a brow. She slowly opened the door and looked out, gasping sharply at the sight.
A white stallion with a red mane stood over a guard, a snapped spear lodged into the guard’s chest. The stallion panted heavily and looked to the door, seeing the bright set of eyes he tore the spear out and made his slow way to the door.
Starlight galloped back to her bed and pulled the covers over her head, feeling safer as she lay down, panting and whimpering quietly to herself as the hoof steps got closer. Savant stared at the shivering bed and sighed, looking down to the bloodied spear before muttering, "Fuck... This is wrong." The spear dropped to the floor with a wooden rattle. He made his way to the bed and reached a hoof out to the shaking pile. As soon as he made contact she breathed sharply in and whimpered loudly.
Savant sat on the bed and slowly removed the covers, the terrified filly staring back at him, frozen in fear. Savant sighed, looking at Starlight sadly. "Run... Please run quickly." He muttered, stepping up and backing away from the bed. "I'm not going to kill children." He thought to himself as he stood by the door, watching the filly stare at him momentarily before getting up and bolting towards the exit, whimpering and crying as she jumped over the body of the anonymous guard.
"This is so wrong."
She might as well have been wearing a hole into the stone floor of the Sepulcher, Crescent gulped as she trotted back and fourth. "Damnit!" She thought loudly in her head. "I have to do something! I can't just hide." She thought, moving towards the large doors. "I have to find Night... Midnight might have gotten her away but..." She soon stopped, doubt filling her. "She could be fine... I might endanger her but what if she's not..." Her thoughts riddling away at her moral center. "Damnit!" She yelled. "I'm coming Night." She yelled outside the doors, forcing her hooves to start trotting. "I have to find Night.' She thought. Her once white robes was creased and dirty, the tension built up within her was usually expelled by scrunching up the clothing. her hooves pressing dirt and dust from the floor into it.
She began her quick descent towards the main caverns, the sound of explosive magical charges were easily heard, and small chunks of rock fell from the ceiling. She looked up nervously, gulping. "Everything's fine... I can find Night... I can find Midnight... We can all be alright." She told herself to boost her self-confidence.
The further she went down, the worse she felt, like as if her very world was literally crumbling around her. "Maybe the Elder is right?" The screams of the many ponies she had loved and lived with her whole life caused a knot in her stomach, a feeling of dread, anger and a sense of hopelessness. Only the thought of Night kept her moving.
"C'mon! There's probably some of them hiding up here." A loud booming voice called out as Boulder climbed the steps up the Sepculer, watching the flames on the walls change into their bright purple.
"But I don't want to find them hiding." The Doctor protested. "They could get the jump on us."
Crescent had frozen and was slowly backing up the stairs, seeing the silhouettes upon the stone wall. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" She thought, quickly turning tail and beginning to run back towards the large doors of the Sepulcher.
The Doctor froze and Boulder grinned, picking up the pace and galloping up as well. "We got one!" He yelled out excitedly, the Doctor following behind nervously. He was already quickly gaining on her, Crescent looking back in terror.
"Almost got you..." He thought as he got right behind her, clipping her back hooves and causing her to trip and tumble across the stone floor of the Sepulcher, the flames dancing around the walls. Boulder grinned and quickly approached the mare who was desperately kicking at the ground to get away. "Go away!" She thought loudly, not daring to humor him...
"Hehe, not so fast now are you?" He chuckled, the Doctor peering at the bat mare, her bright eyes darting at the pair of them, her breath quick and her heart pounding. Boulder kicked her belly hard, the knot in her stomach worsening and her body tensing as she could and groaned loudly. "Fucking pest." He muttered as he grabbed her and pulled her to her hooves, hitting her hard across the face with a free hoof. He threw her down onto her belly, growling to himself, taking the large equipment off of his back. "Lift that ass up." He demanded with a sly grin.
"Boulder?" The Doctor asked in confusion.
Crescent glared at both of them, looking over her shoulder, spitting towards them. Boulder immediately punched her across the jaw, a loud crack echoing through the room. "Bitch I said ass up!" He yelled hitting her again, beating her head with his hooves. She didn't whimper or cry out like others, she wouldn't give him the pleasure of it, so she closed her eyes and took it, her head pounding so hard it felt as if something were trying to break free.
"Boulder!" The doctor yelled out as the beating continued.
Blood had begun to flow freely from her nose and mouth, her face red with her assailants force. "This is it." She thought to herself as she was struck again. She tried pushing him away but every time she rose a hoof he would hit her even harder than before.
"Just give me a moment." He grunted, moving his hoof down and hitting her in the gut. She lurched and coughed heavily, gasping for air and spraying blood all onto Boulders face. He stumbled back before wiping it off angrily and moving back with a renewed rage. "Bitch!"
He couldn’t take it any longer, the Doctor moved forward and took Boulders blade as he stumbled back and made it to Crescent before Boulder could, leaning over the panting and bleeding mare. "I'm so sorry." He muttered before pressing the blade into her throat and slicing across, opening a large wound in her throat, blood pouring freely from it.
She coughed and gagged as blood soon began to fill her lungs. She looked up at the Doctor, writhing slightly for air as he got up and away from her. "Night..." She thought softly, the name hurting to even think about. "I'm so sorry..."
The cavern was getting bigger after every deflected blast of magic, the two unicorns circling each other and throwing arcane magic towards one another. Piles of fallen rock lay about them and anypony able to, had run away or finished dying. Blaze was sweating, the exhaustion getting to him quickly. The Elder however wasn't breaking a sweat, throwing multitudes of stones, spears and magic at Blaze. Every spear was destroyed with walls of magical fire, every rock crashed with one of Blazes own magic or projectiles, throwing bodies around as an extra insult to the Elder.
Rage was something Blaze exploited, rage and anger made on stupid, reckless and often careless. The Elder was full of it, Blaze was merely keeping her occupied.
"C'mon, it's right through here." Swift said to Night as they entered the cavern, both of them stopping in their tracks as they saw the ensuing battle, magic flying back and forth and crashing loudly against the walls, chunks easily falling from it. The exit to the cavern was merely at the other side of the fight. "Quick!" Swift said as he pulled the whimpering filly along, both keeping as hidden as the cavern allowed, jumping over rocks and ducking down to keep low. Midnights body still lay where he fell, the spear still protruding from his chest, a blood pool already formed around it. Night gave a whimper and averted her gaze, her eyes watering as she clenched them shut, trying to remove the ghastly image.
"Getting tired!?" Blaze asked with a snort, dodging another bolt of energy before sending the body of an armored guard her way. The Elder caught the body in her magical grasp and lay it down respectfully while throwing another objects towards him, growling loudly. Blaze saw the fillies out the corner of his eye and smiled. "Perfect." He thought as he kept up his defense.
They had made it far around the two and were directly behind Blaze, mere meters from the psychopath. "This way..." He whispered, getting up and trotting quickly towards the cavern exit. The Elder made another heavy blast of energy towards Blaze who cleverly stepped to the side, the warmth of it ran past his face before it continued, striking Swift straight in the core. His body was flung straight into the stone wall next to him, the air quickly leaving his body and his head smacking hard against the stone before collapsing to the ground, lifeless and still.
"Swift!" Night cried out, immediately collapsing over him and turning him over to see if he was alright.
The Elder froze, the magical energy faltering for a moment and her eyes returning to their normal hue as she saw the colt collapse. "Oh no..." She whispered and a mere moment after she was struck with a bolt of energy from Blaze, causing her to stumble, a rock smashing into her body full force sent her tumbling down.
Blaze smirked at his victory and slowly trotted towards the old mare who painfully tried forcing her way back onto her hooves. "Funny how things turn out." He said, a spear levitating in his magical grasp before being thrust straight into her side. Her breath escaped her and her eyes went wide as Blaze delivered that last blow, her heart thudding it's last few times before she fell limp herself... One of the last known Bat unicorns, one of the last Elders... Dead.
"Swift...? Swift!" Night yelled, looking over his bleeding forehead and still body. "Oh no, Oh no!" She thought.
"Fuck..." Blaze muttered, looking back at Night. "There's always one more of you lurking somewhere." He sighed, pulling the spear from the Elders corpse. "Now I'm going to finish the job." He said, trotting over to Night briskly, who merely hugged her friend. He raised the spear in the same fashion as the Elder, the blade dripping with her blood.
"Blaze!" Savant yelled, trotting in angrily. "You forget why you hired me!" He said. Blaze sighed and threw down the spear. "Really... We're discussing the terms of your contract now?" He asked.
Savant nodded and trotted up to them, looking down at Night, the guilt already rising as those fearful and teary eyes stared back at him. "Yes... You've killed all the chances of information except her...“ He said, gesturing down to Night. “This time I handle it."
Blaze grumbled and looked down at the filly. "Fine.... Take the bitch with us... She better be damned useful."
"W-what?" Night asked, immediately being greeted with Blazes hoof across her bleeding cheek, a loud slap followed by a whimper echoed through the cavern.
"Fuck if it talks the whole time then I'll kill her and still be happy."
"I'll make sure of it." Savant mumbled through gritted teeth, letting Blaze trot away from them.
"In the meantime... Let's start a fire!"
“F-Fire?” Night asked, a sense of regret and dread soon filling her as she saw Blaze sigh.
“Boulder… Shut her up.” He mumbled, Boulder grinned and trotted over eagerly.
“Sure thing boss.” He said before gripping her head with a hoof, a whimper escaping her lips.
“Boulder wait!” Savant called out. But Boulder was far too eager and forced her head back into the stone wall with a loud crack, the filly soon falling silent and limp, collapsing onto the floor with a dusty thud, blood slowly sticking to her purple mane.
“Now! Let’s get to business.”
It took the group a small amount of time to dump their fuel canisters within the cavern, making sure to spread it around. Night remained with Swift, stroking his mane and holding his limp body tight as she quietly cried into it, Savant glancing over painfully as they worked.
"We had better get moving." The Doctor suggested as he dropped his fuel and made his way to the entrance, Blaze following behind. "Ponies will come to see what happened."
"Then we better make sure this place burns well." Blaze said, smelling the air once more before tapping Savant. "Go get your pet... We're leaving." He said, trotting out of the caves, spilling oil behind him as he went. Savant sighed and trotted up to Night’s limp body, leaning down and slowly scooping her up before slowly placing on his back, the cool steel of her Crescent necklace brushing past his neck. "I am a horrible pony.” He thought.
It didn’t take him long to trot out the oil slickened cavern, the smell causing him to wheeze gently, the greeting he got from Blaze made his stomach flip in disgust.
"There he is!" Blaze said happily. "The stallion who actually remembers what we were doing..." He said sarcastically before looking to the others. "If you'll do the honors doc." Blaze said, looking to the stallion with a small flaming torch in hoof. He slowly lowered it to the oil trail from within the cavern which lit up quickly, slowly travelling and making its way to the entrance, the crackle of fire already a more prominent sound than the world around them.
"Won't be long until Somepony sees the smoke..." Blaze said, a subliminal order to get moving. The group began their slow march, all in a line, Savant and Night at the back.
The fields soon lit up and the flames travelled into the cave, burning everything inside slowly, and smoke began to pour out of the snowy mountain base.
The largest colony of the bat ponies was burning, all of its inhabitants dead and on the road to oblivion. Only one phrase hung in the burning hot air as a whole culture was wiped from existence.
“May the moon watch over us.”
Author's Note
Apologies for the extended leave from writing and a Happy New Year! What a great chapter to start it off don't you think?
I hope I got the effect I wanted with the few deaths that occurred and I do sincerely hope someone at least shed a small tear.
However if you are outraged and hate me for what I have done then at least stay for one more chapter after this, if you don't it's like being that guy who leaves the party because the host didn't put your song on.... And no one likes that guy/girl.
Chapter 7: Our Little Inner Demons
The light bounced off of the morning dew that hung on each tiny spindle of grass. It was sweet and the sky was lit up in a dazzling fashion, bright gold streaks covering the sky, the clouds illuminated and their original white was replaced with the morning sun. Birds chirped their morning song and small insects began to emerge from what hole beneath the earth they lay.
The light was blinding to the small colt slowly moving out of the smoking cavern, his fur was coated in black soot, his ears held back as the birds’ song practically deafened him. His muscles ached with every step, pain rippling through his legs. A dull hopelessness hung in his eyes as he looked around. "Where is everypony?" He thought, looking towards the sky. It was ironic, that such a day could be blessed with such fine weather. "Hello?" He tried to ask, but all that came forth was a pained choke followed by a heavy cough. His head throbbed painfully, as if something was trying to break out of his very skull. He raised a hoof to his temple and rubbed it gently, attempting to ease the pain. Swift looked behind him to the mountain that he used to live beneath, a dark trail of smoke snaked its way into the sky and pooled at the peak of the mountain.
Swift stumbled forward and gulped down dry air, looking back at the mountain fearfully. His attention was soon brought forwards as his stumbles turned into a pained brisk walk. "Smoke... everypony will see the smoke." He thought. "More of them will come." He told himself. "I have to get away from here as fast as possible." He thought, his hooves crunching against gravel as he passed the ruined fields that were tended by the bat ponies. His eyes dipped painfully with every step, his lungs burned, the heat of the sun an extra insult to him. "Have to keep moving."
"There's nothing left for you here." A small voice at the back of his mind whispered. "Run."
Cold metal... That was the first thing that came to her senses... Then the feel of damp air, a hard floor... And then the pain finally came through. Night woke with a grumble, groaning as the dull thud at the back of her skull flooded her and the slow dripping of water began to ring out. Her golden eyes slowly opened, the dark room was easy to see in for her, but there was something about it that made her squint, a certain foulness and thickness to the air that made the dark that more vibrant. A small window sat on top of the wall behind her, letting light flow down just in front of her hooves. She looked down to her hind hooves, a clamp around each one that was connected to a chain that hung from the wall. She grumbled in confusion and reached out a shaky hoof and lifted the chain. It was heavy... At least to the small filly, her mane a frizzy mess, her body aching lightly. The chain rattled around as she picked it up and dropped it, the dripping of water becoming much louder, as if everything else was growing silent.
The door of the room opened with a slow and unearthly creak, a dimly lit hallways lay out at the other end, a stallion blocking the view. He slowly stepped down into the basement, closing the door behind him before sighing, his shoulders dropping in disappointment. "I was hoping Boulder had hit you into a coma." Blaze mumbled before turning and trotting forward into the light provided by the small window, his blue eyes filled with madness, his red mane only seen at a glimpse. "What's this?" He asked, changing topic quickly, lifting up the silver crescent necklace. Nights heart practically stopped and she reached a hoof up to her neck to find that it was gone. "Don't be surprised, of course this is yours." He scowled before kneeling down close to her, hovering the necklace in his magic, the thread enveloped by a red aura. "What is it?" He asked again.
Night whimpered gently and kicked legs into the ground, trying to move away from him in her seated position, her hooves slipping and immediately coming back to repeat the process. Her body being further pressed into the back wall behind her. "G-go away!" She whimpered, closing her bright eyes, already feeling tears falling down her cheeks, her hooves shaking in pure terror as he threw the necklace down at her, it landed with a light thud against her chest.
"No." He grinned, gripping her mane with a hoof and pulling so her chin was upwards. "We're going to have a nice long chat." He chuckled, his blue eyes glaring down at her in an amused fashion. "And we're not going to stop until I hear what I want to hear." Hitting her across the face with his free hoof, the sharp cry of pain and the thrashing of the filly in his grip was like a sport to him. "Oh I'm going to enjoy this."
It may have been the dumbest idea in the eyes of the Elder, building small chutes that led to the surface... But Starlight was more than happy that they had been made now. Crawling out of the small chute and to the surface, she had made sure to run, listening to whatever that white pony had told her. "Run... Gotta run." She muttered under her breath as she made her way from the snowy mountain, her eyes watery and her heart pounding like a million drums, she made her way across the cool grass. "Have to run." She panted, not glancing back for one moment.
The small rolling hills seemed to go on forever, forests bordering this field of grassy knolls, a bird or two flew overhead, chirping happily as the terrified filly ran towards nothing. The pain and exhaustion soon broke through the layers of adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins. Her hooves began to slow and stumble, her eyes drooping heavily and her body soon coming to a halt, only a few meters from the forest. She collapsed onto her stomach, rolling lazily over onto her back as she stared up at the bright blue sky, the chirping of birds, the buzz of cicadas... It was so sickening to think that the world was so blind to what had just happened.
Her breathing, loud and uneven as she lay there, the prickly feeling of grass against her back was soothing and the sun beating down on her was so relaxing. "Gotta... Keep running." She mumbled to herself, her eyes closing for a few moments.
"Keep running from what?" A voice asked.
Starlights eyes opened quickly but not in fear or shock, just mere confusion. A blackened beak with white feathers was what she saw first, a Gryphon, not much older than her, looking down at her curiously, his head upside down from her perspective, his bright blue eyes blinking at her in confusion. He soon smiled and gave a small wave with a claw. "Hi!"
"Uhh... Hi." Starlight mumbled tiredly, small tears on her cheeks. A small sniffle came from her and she sat up and turned around, looking at the Gryphon in slight fear, gulping. "What is that?" She thought, looking at the mix of feathers and fur.
"Are you a vampire?" He asked, tilting his head and looking at her dull green eyes and wings.
"H-huh?" She choked out painfully, her mouth as dry as any desert.
"You know... A vampire, fangs, turns into a bat, drinks blood?" He asked, putting his claws to his beak to mimic fangs. "Oh and they sleep in coffins!" The gryphon said with a grin.
Starlight blinked, the adrenaline of her run wearing off and the searing hot burn in her lungs and mouth soon emerged, her vision blurring slightly. "I... Need help." She managed to get out before she fell forward onto her belly, her hooves tucked beneath her as she hit the ground, her chin pressing into the strands of grass.
The gryphon jumped back in surprise and looked down at her with a few quizzical blinks before pressing a claw to his forehead. "Ooohhh! I forgot! Vampires can't be outside in the sun." He said mistakenly, stepping towards her. "My brothers are going to think you’re so cool!" He practically squealed, leaning down and slowly pulling her up, getting under her and lifting her off the ground with his back, his hind legs taking most of the weight.
Starlight grunted, barely able to move let alone think. Her mouth was dry and her lungs seared, her muscles ached with every heartbeat.
"C'mon! We're not camped far."
Small whimpers of pain echoed throughout the dark basement, Night sitting at the back wall, the cut on her cheek had reopened and blood was moving down her face slowly, a slight discoloration in the cheek suggested a more violent beating. The chains around her hind hooves were already beginning to dig into her, feeling itchy and hot.
The door opened with a soft creak, a sharp whimper and a heavy gulp soon kept her quiet, her eyes staring towards the door. All Savant could see was the bright golden eyes of the filly, quivering gently in the darkness. "Fucking hell." He muttered before entering with a small tray on his back, closing the door gently behind him. He faced her once more and made slow steps towards her. "Hey..." He said gently, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.
Night moved her hooves closer, the chains scraping against the ground. Savant stopped, realizing her fear before taking the silver tray off of his back. "I thought you could use something to eat." He spoke softly, sitting down and pushing it into the stream of sunlight coming from the window.
Night gulped, staring at the bread and fruit on the tray, her stomach growled. "Don't do it." A small voice spoke in the back of her mind. "It's poison... He's tricking you... He'll hurt you." Night whimpered and moved her back against the wall, tucking her hooves in as far as they could go.
Savant raised a brow, looking at the food. "You need to eat... And it's really good food, I made the bread myself." He said with a small smile. He leaned forward and tore a piece off, offering it out to Night. "Here..."
"Y-you first." Night whimpered, wiping her eyes gently, still concealed fully by the dark, her eyes the only thing for Savant to see.
He smirked and shrugged. "Alright Tsutsi." He said, taking a bite of the bread, chewing it and then swallowing. "A bit dry but... Edible." He said, making a mental note.
She sniffed and looked back down at the food. "Tsutsi?" She thought to herself, slowly moving forward, her purple mane coming into view as well as her head. Savant made sure to push the tray forward and move back to give her space.
"Gods she has gone through too much as it is." He thought, watching her drag the tray back with her slowly, the blood dripping onto the floor. "You're hurt." He stated, tapping his cheek. She didn't say a word, curling up in the dark, she tore off a small bit of bread and began to nibble on it softly. "Can I see it?" He asked her, gesturing to his cheek again. She shook her head and continued eating, Savants eyes were adjusting to the light and the simple gesture was enough for him. "My name is Savant... What's yours?" He asked, smiling softly to her.
She still didn’t respond, eating her meal slowly, her eyes averted from him. He sighed and then reached behind him, a slow scraping of metal made her cringe and curl up, closing her eyes as a fearful whimper came forth. Savant got up and trotted forward slowly. "I told Blaze you needed this." He said as he entered her alcove of darkness, sitting down next to her and raising his hoof. Night, terrified, kept her eyes shut and shivered violently, preparing herself for the incoming beating.
"Is this yours?" He asked, his hoof still raised.
Night whimpered in confusion before slowly opening an eye and looked towards him. Dangling loosely from his hoof was a small chain, connected to a shining silver crescent moon. She gave a small gasp and reached out, practically snatching it from him in desperation. "My necklace." She said with unrestrained excitement in her voice. Her excitement soon vanished as she remembered how close he was. She gulped and looked back up to him, greeted by a smile.
"He said it was important to you." He said, looking to it. "Is it? It's very beautiful." He commented as he spoke to the small filly.
Night gave a small nod, slipping it over her head slowly. "My... My mum gave it to me." She said, remembering what had happened. She looked up at him in worry. "Have you seen her? Is she alright?"
The mere look from the filly practically broke his heart. Savant sighed, glancing off to the window for a few moments. "She's... Gone away for a while." He said, clenching his teeth together.
"Oh..." Night replied, looking back down to the bread. "She's not coming back." The voice in her head said. "They killed her... They killed everyone." A small sniffle from her soon raised Savants concerns and he placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"Hey it's..."
"Get out!" She yelled, throwing the tray at him, letting it bounce off him and onto the floor with a loud crash.
Savant stumbled up in surprise, glancing down at her before a slow sadness filled him, looking at the filly on the brink of tears, breathing heavily, her eyes wide in anger and fear. "I'll come back to check on you later." He sighed, turning and trotting towards the door. "Gods what has Blaze done."
Water slowly rolled down her forehead, a wet cloth managed to do wonders for Starlight, lying on the floor of a brightly colored tent. Her vision was blurry and the light ruffle of feathers made her grunt in confusion. The small gryphon did exaggerate at how close they were, she had passed out on the walk here and only strange murmurs sounded overhead.
She blinked and rubbed her eyes with a tired hoof, her vision returning to her. The curious eyes of a dark blue gryphon stared down at her, his beak a clean black. "Hello." His deep voice rumbled gently.
"Is she awake? Is she awake?" The small gryphon from earlier asked excitedly, bouncing over to her and bumping heads with the dark blue gryphon to get into her view. He grinned excitedly, the other rolling his eyes before putting a claw beneath her head and lifted her up, sitting her up slowly. She couldn't protest, she was far too tired and they didn't seem to be hurting her. She sat up with a pained grunt and a loud series of coughs, her dull green eyes scanning the room. The fabric tent was large, striped a brilliant red and yellow, the ground beneath them was merely grass. She looked to the gryphons, gulping nervously at them.
"Isn't it cool?!" The small gryphon asked, the other gryphon rolling his eyes again.
"I believe it is a she." He mumbled out, looking at her. "And I assume she speaks?" He asked her with a raised brow.
"Y-yes..." She managed to mumble back to him.
"Well that's good... My name is Arden... I know you've met my brother Cross." He said, gesturing to the bouncing Gryphon beside him. "May we ask yours?" He asked.
She gulped and shuffled uncomfortably, looking down to the menacing claws. "S-Starlight..." She mumbled out, wiping her eyes again.
He nodded and got up. "I’ll get you something to eat and drink... I'm sure Cross can keep you company." He said, glaring at his little brother for a moment before looking back to Starlight. "Don’t worry... He doesn't bite often." He smirked before moving out of the tent, lifting the flap to reveal many other tents just like theres, spread out with many other ponies, gryphons, zebras... Even a dragon, moving around and working. The flap soon closed and Starlight blinked in amazement.
"Where are we?" She asked, soon looking to Cross.
"The circus!" He piped happily.
"Huh? A... A circus?" She asked in confusion.
He nodded excitedly. "You know... Tents, music, acrobatics, crazy creatures?" He explained, soon noticing the confusion in her face. "You've never been to a circus?!" He asked excitedly, looking back at the tent flap. "I should show you around! You'll love it." He got up and offered a claw to Starlight.
She shook her head tiredly, her body still throbbing from running. "I'm... I'm really tired... Cross was it?" She mumbled.
"Oh... That's alright." He smiled, putting his claw down. "Hold on, I'll be back in a second." He said, soon bolting out of the tent.
Before Starlight could even say "Alright" he was gone. She blinked and stared at the dust he had raised from the ground on his exit. "Wow... He's fast..." She thought to herself. It wasn't long before he walked back in, a small blue blanket hanging from his mouth and a pillow held beneath his wing. He smiled innocently and continued moving towards her. "Here." He said, dropping the blanket down and laying it out.
"What's this?" She asked in slight confusion.
"You said you were tired." He grinned, putting the pillow at the head of the blanket. "It's more comfortable if you have a blanket and a pillow."
She nodded gently, stepping onto the large blanket and sitting down, looking at the grinning Gryphon. "Thanks." She mumbled out, slowly lying down.
He continued to grin stupidly and he gripped the edge of the blanket with his beak and slowly brought the empty spaces over her, provoking a confused look from Starlight. "H-huh?" She asked.
"Keep warm." He said softly, patting her gently as he tucked her in. A slow sad feeling of nostalgia started to fill the filly, small memories of her parents tucking her in flashed in her mind, the soft blankets of her bed. She should be happy... She always wanted to go to the surface... It just seemed empty now... Pointless.
"Pointless." She thought.
"Did you manage to squeeze anything out of the little bitch?" Blaze asked as he ate his meal, a sandwich levitating by his side. The sickeningly clean and happy home above the basement made Savant feel foul, the sun trickled in through the polka dot curtains in the kitchen in just a way that made it look like it was sparkling, the polished white tile floor gleamed softly, small flower pots dotted the house and birds chirped at the windows happily... To think that the heart of darkness had a sense of cleanliness.
"No... I tried to crack the shell but she's not talking... For very specific reasons." Savant said with a light growl.
"Hey it's not my fault my hoof hit her a couple of times." He said seriously before snickering, taking another bite. "You're a therapist, that's what I hired you for. Find the next colony and then we leave... Easy."
"It's not worth the pay." He said slamming his hoof into the ground. "I don't want to go talk to a tortured filly that is going to be beaten and eventually killed!"
Blaze sighed and put his sandwich down, looking up to Savant. "You mean 'thing'... It's not a filly... And if you don’t think the pay is worth it then keep her when we're done... Find the colony and keep her as your personal cock sleeve." He said darkly, picking up his sandwich. "Celestia knows you need it." He said, looking away.
Savant glared at him in both shock and anger, wanting to destroy this foul paradise that he had created. He sighed and soon gave a small nod. "I'll get the information... But you promise to give her to me?" He asked, knowing that Blaze's promises usually mean jack shit.
"I promise to never ever ever have sex with Savants bitch and give her to him once she starts talking." He said, holding up a mocking hoof, as if taking an oath of allegiance. "Happy?" He asked.
Savant growled again. "I think I'd sooner be able to teach Boulder math than believe you."
Blaze laughed and nodded. "A good motto to live by!" He said, chewing his sandwich happily before gesturing to the door across the room that led down to the basement. "It's been an hour or so since you last tried... Go again."
Savant sighed. "She's... It's entering the first stage of grief... It'll be difficult."
"A better time than any then." Blaze said with a grumble, munching on the sandwich, gesturing to the door again. With a light sigh Savant began to trot slowly towards the white painted door, pulling it open quietly and soon descending the hideously contrasted staircase leading to the basement. Unlike the cream colored walls with a floral base, they were dark and almost sticky, a flickering lightbulb hung on a string from the ceiling and each wooden step groaned painfully.
The door at the bottom of the stair case was a dirty silver, rust and decay clearly seen on the rough surface. He pushed it gently and it slowly swung open with a sickening squeak, his ears falling flat to block the sound. He peered into the dark room, the light from the window had moved significantly from last time. The tray still lay on the floor, the food was missing which was a good sign.
"What do you want?" Nights voice croaked out from the dark end of the room, her eyes like two glowing orbs.
Savant cringed and trotted in, closing the door behind him. "I... I wanted to come and check on you." He said, trotting slowly towards her, glancing down to the silver tray. "I see you've eaten." He said with a small smile.
"I was hungry..." She grumbled, curled up on the ground.
"You never told me your name from before." He said, taking a seat not too far from her, his eyes already adjusting, her golden eyes were still clearly visible.
"Does it matter? I'm... I'm just a thing." She whimpered out, looking up at him, her tufted bat ears easily being able to hear snippets of their conversation.
He sighed and shook his head. "I don't think you're a thing... Blaze is just misguided." He tried to explain, tapping his hooves together. "What's your name? I told you mine... And Blazes so... I think it's fair." He smiled softly.
"I... My name is Night Watch." She gulped, sitting up.
"It's very nice to meet you." He smiled. Night's hoof was then held out from the darkness, her dark coat easily seen in the sunlight as she held it out. Savant stared at it quizzically before glancing up to her once more. "What's this?" He asked.
"My mum and dad... Told me that it's polite to shake a pony's hoof when you meet them...” She sniffed, her hoof quivering gently as she held it out for him.
Savant smirked and chuckled lightly. "Your parents are right..." He said, extending his hoof to hers and shaking it lightly. "You were raised well." He smiled softly.
"Thanks..." she mumbled softly, scratching the chains that were around her hind hooves.
"Are they too tight?" He asked, cringing at the question. "I... I can loosen them a bit."
Night looked at him in confusion, looking back to the chains before scooting forward slowly. "I-if that's alright?"
Savant smiled and nodded, moving forward. "Of course Night." He reached out, gesturing her to scoot closer into the light. It was the first time he had seen her since the attack. Her fur was darker in places, covered in soot and bruises, a discoloration. Her eyes had small bags under them, the whites of her eyes were red from crying. Her hind legs looked irritated, the chains chaffing and constricting her movements.
Savant smiled softly as he loosened them slightly. "Is that better?" He asked, smiling when she nodded back to him. "Now I'm going to go and get you a drink... And then maybe we can talk about you getting cleaned up a bit."
"I... I’m fine." She mumbled, scratching the dirt on her fur, rustling her black leather wings. "I'm not feeling thirsty." She commented, swallowing her dry saliva.
"You just came out of a fire... You need to drink... You could die." He insisted, exaggerating to try and get her to drink.
Her head lowered and she slowly scooted back into the dark, giving a soft sniffle. "I wish I had." She whispered to him.
Savant fell silent and stared at the silver necklace. "That necklace is really important to you huh..." He commented, trying to divert the conversation. "Your mum gave it to you?" He asked.
A soft nod was all that Night could muster up, looking straight down to the necklace.
"What does it mean?" He asked, hoping to get her talking.
Night gulped and rubbed her eyes sadly. "M-my mum... Said it was our connection to Luna... And the colony." She began sniffing gently. "She said it... It would help remember all the fun times I had with my parents...” She choked, holding hooves beginning to shake as her body tightened and tears began to slowly roll down her cheeks. "I-it’s all my fault..." She mumbled.
"What?... No it isn’t." He said scooting closer with concern.
"They're all dead because of me..." She said, simply listening to what she was hearing inside her.
"It’s all your fault... "
Night gulped and spoke again "May the moon watch over us."
"And may we all die under its watch."
Author's Note
Thank you to Jasper77wang for drawing me that moon at the very end.
Also check out his Fimfic
Chapter 8: Feeling better?
It was as if the very skies themselves had split open that evening, rain pelting down onto everything in sight, bright flashes of white fury cracked across the sky causing the very earth itself to rumble beneath Swift's hooves. His dark blue mane hung low over his iridescent purple eyes, peering up at the black blanketed sky. Sitting beneath large ferns in the forest, barely providing any cover from the rain, Swift was shaking violently and he stayed huddled in his small ball. There seemed no point in moving, his body ached heavily and felt burnt, the ice cold rain seemed soothing despite all things, the thunder sent jolts through his shivering body, every inch of him soaked.
"They're gone." He thought to himself as his eyes lowered to the small pools of mud, his eyes reflecting gently in the murky water. "I'm going to die here..." He mumbled, though his voice was completely swept away with the wind. Swift looked back to a small pile of twigs and leaves that he had gathered earlier... Attempting to light a fire, but he knew that it would be impossible. It was a struggle to find the twigs and leaves to start the fire, though the lush green forest could shelter the rain, there was not much left that wouldve been dry enough for him to burn.
"Dad said that rain was beautiful." He thought, looking back up to the sky. "Starlight would've loved this." He sighed, wiping his eyes clear of water, or tears, either way he didn't care. "Night..." He simply mumbled, remembering the golden eyed filly with the bright purple mane... And the fear in her eyes the last time he ever saw her. His heart lurched painfully and he sniffled heavily, wiping his eyes again before a small whimper emerged from his mouth before it turned into a longer cry out of pain, his eyes closing shut in pain.
"Why couldn't I have died instead!?" He thought angrily. "Why am I alive!" He soon yelled out into his hooves, wailing heavily into his hooves.
His cry seemed to echo out into the night, ringing around before dulling back into nothing... But it rose back up again, louder this time.. With a more distinct howl to it. Swift slowly raised his head, whimpering and sniffing quietly as he scanned the darkness.
Two bright green eyes stared back at him from a distance, a figure crouching beneath the brush of the trees. Swift sniffled loudly and sat up, wiping his nose as he stared at the figure. Slowly but surely it began to creep closer, twigs snapping under hoof as it neared, like some sort of animal circling its prey.... And then it snarled.
Swifts heart dropped into his belly and he gulped loudly, his cold shaking hooves spreading out as he got onto them, staring the creature in the eyes as he backed slowly into the brush. "Oh no... Oh no what is that?" He thought to himself in blind fear. "Ponies don't make that noise.." He thought, whimpered as it growled even louder.
"Run!" A voice screamed in his head, his hooves moving backing over tree roots and through mud, the crouched down beast crawling towards him even quicker, it's eyes staring straight into his very snarl. "What is it? What is it!?" He kept asking himself, scanning his memory for all the creatures he had read about. "Manticore? No... Changeling?... No... " He thought, backing until his flank bumped into the hard wood of a tree behind him. "Timber wolf." Was his final conclusion, the wood causing him to remember almost everything about them.
It finally came into view, the light moonlight just illuminating the beast. It's bark was black and burnt and was at least three times the size of a normal pony. The branches that made up its body were coiled with sharp claws at each end of its feet. It snarled and bared it's splinter of teeth as each claw thumped into the dirt, the silver moonlight seeming to disappear as it enter the black void of the wolf. It's eyes stared greedily at Swift, glowing a brightest and chilling of greens.
"Now run?" The voice asked as he stood there paralyzed, the wolf mere meters away. With one more claw forward, a heavy snap of branches was heard and he nodded to himself . "Yup!" He yelled before turning tail and pushing off the mud, kicking back as he flung himself forward. The mud flew straight into the timberwolfs eyes, causing it to recoil and growl louder while Swift got a head start.
Pain wasn't even a concern anymore, his hooves rippled and stung with every step, the mud clinging to his legs and the rain crashing onto his dark fur. He didn't bother checking behind him, only hearing the angry howl of the beast behind him before loud cracks and crunches echoing through the forest.
The dark was no problem at all, his eyes piercing through it and letting him easily navigate through the forest... In theory. Stumbling over rocks and roots, under low branches and over small bushes he ran, not looking back for all he knew was that the wolf was close by. He could hear the very thumps of its claws and the rotten smell of its breath, ridden and plagued with a disease far worse than death.
"You're going to die... Face it." The familiar voice whispered inside him. His hooves began to slow and he whimpered painfully before shaking his head angrily and yelling out. "No!" His legs kicking back into their fast pace. He may have been able to see easily in the dark but he couldn't make out the sudden drop of a cliff face that was awaiting him. He had no clue how long he had been running for, his heart was pounding in his head, ringing loudly as if it were his last. But it was far too late to stop and the small colt continued charging forward to escape the Timberwolf.
His hooves fell forward and pushed the loose dirt of the cliff face away and he immediately began to plummet down, the sound of claws scratching to stay on top could be heard before a loud boom of lightning deafened him once again. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening and soon everything seemed to slow.
He could see everything from his point, falling quickly towards the ground below... He saw the beginnings of another forest, every droplet falling with him, as if they were floating calmly by. He panted and gulped as he fell, having not enough breath to scream. A flash of lightning illuminated the world once more as everything rushed up to meet him, his last ever view was to be the dark curelean sky, cracked by lightning as bright as day, the howl of the hungry timberwolf slipping a small smile onto Swifts face before a never ending calm filled his soul.
The rain was pouring far and wide, the ground being made quickly into large swamps of mud, the wind blew the fabric of the tents around wildly, everypony had done their best to pin them down but to no avail they were subject to the will of the weather.
Starlight woke with a jump, jerking up violently and panting heavily as she looked around the tent. It was dark... That much was evident, the heavy fall of rain echoed through the circular tent, the rumble of thunder could be heard miles away but the low howl of timberwolves were very near indeed. A small figure soon caught her eye, sitting at the side of her bed, staring at the entrance of the tent. A small spear with a silver tip cold be seen held in claw, an oversized helmet covered almost the entirety of the Gryphons head.
Small piles of junk lay around, a loose scrap of clothing, some sacks of food and several bedrolls lay in the corner. The tent was far too large for just herself and the armed Gryphon , the cold winds flowing freely inside the colored tent, a sturdy wooden pole holding the top up, the walls themselves shaking and moving to the force of the wind.
Starlight sat up in confusion and the tent door soon opened and Arden, the older gryphon walked in, pinning the door back before looking at Cross in confusion. "Cross... What are you doing?" He asked as he approached. "Is that dads helmet?"
Cross nodded and pulled the spear closer. "I'm looking after it." He said.
"I don't think the helmet needs looking after." Arden sighed, kneeling down to him.
Cross grinned and shook his head. "No I meant her." He said, correcting himself and looking back at Starlight, the helmet clearly visible now. It was a clean silver and if on a large gryphon would wrap around the head tightly, moving over and covering the upper beak and ending there. However on Cross, he just managed to look through the eye sockets, the beak guard going easily over his whole beak.
Arden sighed and looked to Starlight. "I see you woke her." He mumbled in disappointment.
"No I didn't!" Cross whined, Starlight looking at the two.
"He didn't... It was just that howling.." She mumbled quietly, both brothers looking to her.
"Something has gotten the Timberwolves going tonight... " Arden said before listening to another long howl. "They're close."
"That's why I'm here!" Cross announced happily, poising the spear towards his brother who pushed it down slowly.
"I know you got this as a gift but you should only be using it when you are old enough... Dad wouldn't want you fighting just yet." He smiled before taking the helmet off of Cross and ruffling his mane. "Besides, you're crap with a spear." He laughed before walking away from the pouting gryphon.
"Do.. Do you two live alone?" She asked nervously, still shaking gently from her rude awakening.
Arden leaned down and rolled out his bed roll before looking back to her. "Yes, among with many others that also live alone." He smiled sarcastically. "We're all a big family here, even though we're not related."
Starlight frowned lightly and looked down to the blanket covering her momentarily. "Sounds familiar." She thought with a gulp. "So.. You said this was a circus?" Starlight asked, trying to change the topic as quickly as possible, the memory of her home being destroyed still very fresh inside her mind.
"Yeah! My brother is the fighter!" Cross piped up
Arden laughed and lay down on the bed roll, padded with sheeps wool, an attempt to make the ground seem soft. "Not quite... Ponies pay to see if they can fight me and they win a prize if they knock me down." He smiled. "All perfectly safe."
"And... And Cross?" She asked with a slight quiver.
"Cross is scared and shoots at targets with a machine and others have to beat him." He teased, Cross immediately glaring at him.
"Actually I'm safe and shoot arrows at a target." He corrected.
"And all the big ponies think they can do it." Arden grinned. "There's a reason we're still here."
"It works? Have your ever lost?" She asked the two of them in slight amazement.
"Ponies get lazy when they think they're safe." Cross said, an obvious quote from Arden as he gave him a firm nod.
"So you're tricking them?" Star accused in shock.
"Everything is rehearsed here... Even the ones we 'trick' are planned... They're just apart of a larger game." Arden explained. "It keeps us warm and puts food in our belly."
"But... Won't they be mad?"
"Quite the opposite... They see it as a game and merely bad luck... What they don't know won't hurt them."
"We can show you in the morning!" Cross said excitedly. "She could be our comic." Cross suggested.
Arden nodded with a smile. "We'll draw in many if she beats me in combat."
"Wait what?!"
"Wakey Wakey!" Blaze yelled as he kicked the door open with a wild grin on his face, dragging a long metal pipe and a small bowl, clanking the long piece of metal heavily on the ground, sending sharp vibrations through the air. It had gotten dark, the light from the small window was blackened and the room had become significantly colder, a soft dew was beginning to line the floor but Blaze seemed exceptionally warm to see the small filly in the basement, his mane looking more alive and destructive than ever.
Night groaned and covered her ears with her hooves, letting them fold down. "Get away get away!" She thought in terror, squirming away slowly as he approached, dragging the pole along the ground and purposely causing a high pitched screech from the metal.
"You look hungry." He smiled, throwing the bowl of soup onto the ground, letting it spill and scatter as the bowl rolled around slowly before it came to a wobbly halt. "Why don't you have something to eat." He laughed as he watched her tremble and whimper.
"Get him away! Get him away! Get him away!" She yelled inside her mind, closing her eyes shut as she tried calling some higher presence to help her.
Blaze tapped her with the pipe, looking down to the spilt food. "Eat." He commanded in a low growl, knocking the bowl on further as he continued to watch her cower beneath him. Night remained curled up in her small form, finding comfort and solace in her own warmth.
Blaze sighed quietly before smacking the pole across her flank, hearing the tired yelp of the filly he tried again. "Eat." He repeated, holding the pole in his red magical aura, preparing to strike her again.
Night sniffled and shook her head, still holding it with her hooves in some form of petty defense. The pole struck again, this time at her belly, causing her to lurch and cry out in pain before he struck her again in the same place, hearing a satisfying crack and another sharp cry.
The pain was excruciating, a sharp throb could easily be felt in her side where her ribs lay row by row, now in a strange line to be snapped and broken by Blaze. Tears sprung to her eyes and her body shook more vigorously from the pain, every breath now starting to hurt. "If you eat he'll stop hurting you." She thought. Night, clearly not wanting to get hurt anymore, leaned forward towards the mush which lay near her. Her stomach growled as she got near the food, it smelled as bland as the air she breathed but it was food none the less.
Just as she opened her mouth to eat the food off of the cold concrete floor it was quickly scattered away from her with a firm sweep with the metal pole. "Took too long." He laughed macically, smacking her across the face with it, causing another cry out of pain. "Stupid bitch." He growled.
Her cries of pain soon turned to yell of anger and with a grunt she sprung to her hooves and charged at Blaze, pushing through the pain and holding back her tears. He grinned as she charged and stood completely still and only mere centimetres from managing to reach him, she felt a tug on her hoof and was thrown off balance, immediately being pulled back and crashing onto the ground. With a glance back she soon remembered the chain around her hoof that held her to the wall. She averted her gaze back up to him, glaring angrily with her tears running freely down her cheeks.
"I hoped you would do that." He smiled, raising the pole to her head once more and bringing it back before giving a few practice swings at her head, if trying to get on the team for some carnal sport. Once he swung back... Twice... And on the third he put the full force of his magic behind it and swinging it as hard as he could towards...
"Blaze!" Savant yelled from the doorway, the pole stopping right before crashing into her skull, letting the cold metal stroke her cheek gently as he continued to grin. "Hello Savant... Go grab a hot dog and come watch the game... I hearthe next batter is quite good." He laughed, looking behind him to the white stallion, another bowl of warm food in his hooves.
"Leave." He growled.
"Aww but i was just about to start having fun!" He whined like a colt.
"Now!" Savant yelled.
With a sigh Blaze let the pole drop to the floor with another clang, looking back to the filly he was now shaking once more, still staring in shock and terror of almost being beaten with the pole. "I'll see you tonight sweetie." He smiled, leaning in to whisper. "And trust me... I'll bring a much bigger pole." He giggled before pushing her head around. With a small prance in his step, Blaze began to leave, passing Savant with a mocking grin.
Savant watched him leave and trot up the creaking wooden stairs before he sighed and began to trot forward towards Night in the basement. "How badly did he hurt you?" He asked in worry, briskly moving over and leaning down to the bat filly who stared at Savant blankly, her mouth hanging open still.
"Night?" He asked again, touching her shoulder with a hoof.
Night moved away almost instantly, scooching back with another small whimper.
"Night if he hurt you I need to know." He repeated, getting closer again.
She stared him right in the eye as he got closer again and opened her mouth to speak, before spitting straight into Savants face.
He closed his eyes and let the blob of saliva hit him between the eyes and slowly roll down. He sighed and wiped it off with his hoof, being greeted by the angry scowl of the filly. "Night you have to eat." He said as he offered the warm food to her, the bowl being smacked from his hooves and all over the floor, the bowl rolling around awkwardly before stopping.
"I'd rather eat a bowl of wasps." Night croaked out.
"Poetic... But don't say that too loud... Blaze might take you seriously."
"Let him... "
"Night... Why would you say that?" He asked with a worried look, wiping the last stands of spit off of his face.
Her scowl faded and turned to a strange amused smile, sniffling and whimpering all the while. "Because then it actually might hurt."
Savant looked at her in surprise before smiling and chuckling. "Oh wow... You really are a Tsutsi." He smiled before putting a hoof on her shoulder. "But you have to eat, Night." He said again, his smile fading to a serious glare. "You need to keep strong."
Night fell silent and she sighed. "He hurt my side..." She mumbled.
"He did?" Savant asked with a nod. "Does it hurt a lot?"
Night nodded and hovered a hoof over one of her ribs. "Right here.." She sniffled again.
"Alright... I'll go get Somepony to help you." He said before standing back up, Night whimpering gently as he did. Savant looked back at her with worry, seeing the sad look in her eyes. "I'll only be gone a few minutes... You'll be fine." He smiled.
"Savant." She called out as he trotted to the open metal door, the rotten wooden planks of the stairs beyond staring in. "Why are you nice to me?"
He stopped and looked back in confusion. "Pardon?"
"Why are you the only one nice to me?"
Savant sighed and looked to Night looking for the words to try and explain it to a filly of her age. "Because... There is enough hatred in this world and a smile has its weight worth in gold."
Night raised a brow and imagined the imagery he had just given her... "A smile made of gold? Isn't that heavy and it would turn it to a frown?" She asked him.
Savant laughed and shook his head. "No... It's... A figure of speech." He staggered, looking for the correct words to use.
"A figure of speech?"
"I'll tell you all about it when I get back." Savant left with a melting smile. "Try and keep warm, its going to be a long night."
Never had she ever seen such unusual sights... Especially so many in one singular location. The brightly colored tents were all set up in an immaculate display, long flags flapped in the light breeze as the sun beat down on them. They had travelled for at least two hours before setting up camp and ponies seemed to flock to the camp site at an alarming rate. There were few clouds and those that were there were small and floating calmly by as the loud and blasting music played on. A congregation of musicians had gotten together and were all trotting through the circus grounds, bobbing to their tune as they played for the guests around them, seeing all the strange sights that they could. A fairly small stallion had a sousaphone wrapped around his body while a large dragon played the triangle in the centre, provoking many laughs and smiles all round.
It was unusual for Starlight as her dull purple eyes scanned the band and the circus as it ran on, her electric blue mane swinging by as she walked in time with the almost cliche music. Of course she wasn't walking around for all to see, her body was concealed by a black cloak that covered her iconic wings and had a hood if she wished to hide completely, though she enjoyed it when ponies looked at her tuffed ears and dull eyes before commenting or merely staring in confusion... It was an unusual feeling, having traits that others found odd... Living under a mountain can make things exceptionally boring… To her they were all the odd ones.
Starlight kept moving along, her eyes darting around at the many colored ponies around her, all to see the circus. Her heart was thumping gently but definitely noticeable... Her first experience with normal ponies didn't go so well and a slight fear filled her. "They can't see your wings... They won't hurt you." She kept telling herself to keep calm.
Performers were literally everywhere Starlight looked, walking the beaten path that was made for the traveling groups, the tents surrounding them in an odd fashion. "Go look around for a bit." Arden had told her when they had woken. "Get a feel for the place before coming to the large tent at the far end of the circus." She had taken his advice and taken a walk around, the large tent easily in sight, striped a neat gold and red and towering towards the sky. She trotted past jugglers juggling balls, rocks, everyday items and sometimes even knives, flipping them through their hooves and their tails, drawing small crowds around them. A magician had a small table outside a blue tent, a crowd gathering round him as he shuffled cards, yelling "Pick a card!" A lone statue stood in the centre of the path, a mare with a solid grey coat, holding a spear in hoof and looking proudly to the clouds in the distance. A stallion approached and cocked his head at it before the statue jumped and yelled out a mighty war cry before aiming the spear at him and freezing once more. The stallion yelped and fell back onto his flanks before those passing by laughed and gave a few thumps of appreciation into the ground.
Starlight soon felt a smile growing on her face as she watched the performers work happily, seeing a Zebra serving a light pink fluff on a stick to small children passing by.
Starlight approached with a bewildered expression on her face, staring up at the Zebra in confusion before looking to the cotton candy. The Zebra smiled down at her, his mane long and colored a black and white. "Hello there." He smiled, grabbing a stick and swirling it within a large bucket and pulling out a large clump of the pink fluff. "Would you like some?" He asked, leaning down to her level, staring at her with bright green eyes.
Starlight took a step back in confusion, looking the Zebra up and down. "It can talk?" She thought before speaking up. "What is it?" She asked, trying to seem calm and natural.
He raised a brow and laughed. "You've never had cotton candy?" He asked before offering it to her. "Here, try." He said kindly.
Starlight peered at the fluffy substance before reaching out a tearing a sticky clump off before eating it, feeling it melt and disappear in her mouth, leaving nothing but a sweet tang on her tongue. "Huh?" She asked in confusion, her eyes going wide as she took another clump and popped it in her mouth. "It's... It's like eating clouds!" She exclaimed in amazement, looking up to the Zebra who was grinning ear to ear.
"Take it... Free of charge." He smiled, handing her the stick.
Starlight smiled wide and took it happily. "Thank you Mr Stripes." She grinned.
"Your welcome fluffy ears." He laughed back, ruffling her blue mane before getting back to work.
Starlight continued on her way, eating the cotton candy in amazement. "I have to find out how to make this." She smiled to herself, before passing a long tables of weapons, swords, spears, arrows, armor and the likes. Large burly stallions sat behind them with grizzled looks, one sat by a grindstone and sharpened a large claymore as he waited for a collector of sorts to come by.
The large tent had gotten closer and closer over time and Starlight could clearly hear some form of announcement behind her as she eyed the sharp weapons curiously. Her gaze was soon averted to a small crowd gathering around some form of ring, circular in form and made of wood entirely. "Who dares take on a Gryphon prince, exiled from his lands for his ferocity in combat and ferocity in bed." A stallion in a small waist coat announced, a few laughs rumbling through the crowds as she approached, spotting a fully armored Gryphon within the ring, full leather armour with his head showing easily. He had no helmet and the feathers on his head had been groomed precisely, giving him a regal stature as he walked with his beak raised, looking at the crowd as if they were mere plebs. A large sword lay across his back still in its scabbard.
"Who has the stones to go against this tough fighter... Every bit you put in gets trippled if you win!" He said happily, a few mumbles came through the crowd as Starlight stared at the announcer who spotted her before glancing back to Arden. "It's easy! You!" He said, pointing out to Starlight. She stopped in her tracks and all turned to face her as she looked behind her in confusion.
"Me?"
"Yes you girl... Come show these ladies how to fight." He grinned, the stallions in the crowd glaring back up to him.
"I Uhh... I can't fight." She said softly, stepping away slowly.
"Rubbish." He whined before trotting over to her and patting her on the back. "Here... If you go and fight I'll give you Ten bits right now... Win and you get Thirty on top." He said with a smile. "Either way you get some coin."
Starlight bit her lip and looked up to him before looking to the crowd who all snickered on the dirt they stood on. Arden smiled and saw her, giving her a short nod and a wink. "A-alright." She said before swallowing her fears. "I'll do it."
He grinned and held up her hoof. "We have a contender!" He announced to a few stallions cheering and laughing about the clearly unfair fight. "Now." He said, pulling her along and into the ring. "Your weapon of choice?" He asked before gesturing to a small set of weapons, leaning against the wooden barrier of the ring. A mighty war axe, a long spear, a sword and shield, a dagger and a long wooden pole.
Starlight gulped and brushed her electric mane back before trotting to the sword and shield and picking them up with a grunt, the sword dragging along the ground as she struggled to lift it, laughs boomed around her as they watched her struggle with the weapons. She whimpered and dropped them with a thunk before looking back. The dagger looked far too sharp... She didn't want to hurt Arden. With a gulp she trotted over and picked up the wooden pole and turned to face him, holding the pole close to her body. They all laughed and snickered at her choice, knowing that she'd be beaten easily.
The announcer chuckled and picked up a small steel helmet and slipped it over her head before tapping it lightly, letting it thunk and ring lightly.. "Whenever you're ready." He smiled before giving Arden a nod.
With a steady claw he grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it out slowly, the rich ringing of metal on metal sung through the air before he rested the two handed sword onto the ground, a claw on the pommel. He gave her a small smile before giving a sly wink before lifting the sword up and slowly advancing towards the filly who gulped and began moving slowly back, her hooves dragging against the ground. She grabbed the pole in her mouth and held it up as he approached.
He cocked his head to the side and winked again. "Huh? What's he doing?" She though before he lunged with a grunt, swinging the long sword over head. Starlight gulped and flung herself out the way, avoiding the swords narrowly as it thunked against the dirt. "Oh gods... Oh gods he's trying to kill me!" She thought before scrambling back to her feet, Arden approaching quickly.
"Duck." He whispered before he swung the sword for the steel helmet she wore.
Starlights eyes grew wide and she ducked just in time, a sharp ring caused her to grit her teeth as the sword just skimmed the top of the helmet. At that point he was off balance, the sword hitting into the dirt once more. "Do it!" She thought before wincing and closing her eyes shut before swinging the wooden pole and hitting him across the beak.
She gulped as she felt the impact and opened her eyes to see Arden stumbling, exaggerating the hit just a bit. "Did... Did I do that?" She thought as he growled and he cocked his head to the left before swinging. "Dodge to the left." She thought, figuring out his system to let her win before moving out the way, letting the sword slap the ground once more, his head by hers. Without thinking She butted her head against his, the helmet pushing him back and causing a groan. His movements were yet again exaggerated but perfectly, letting the crowd still believe that the filly was strong enough to send him back.
She panted and grinned, the anxious fear that once filled her being was soon replaced with an exhilarated thrill as she gripped the pole with enlightened vigor before charging at him with a girlish yell.
Arden looked shocked for a moment as she began swinging and running at him before grinning and dodging out of the way and rolling through the dirt and using the momentum to get him back to his claws. Arden charged at the filly and swung over her head once more, Starlight ducking underneath instinctively and jabbing his chest with the pole.
The crowd stared on in interest and a few started hollering for each fighter, many wanting to see Starlight win as she ducked and rolled around the leather Gryphon.
Starlight laughed as she danced around him, jabbing him with the pole in between the plating in his armor. "I thought Prince's could fight!" She laughed cockily as she went for another swing.
Arden’s smile faded and he swung down at the pole and cracked it clean in two before swinging up for her neck and stopping just in time to graze it and hold it there. "You were saying?" He asked, the crowd silent. Arden let his sword fall before sheathing it once more. Starlight stood there in shock, gulping and panting softly before looking down to the broken pole, the crowd consumed in an eerie silence before all clapping and cheering for the Gryphon and the Filly. The announcer trotted over and took the steel helmet off and ruffled her mane.
"And she nearly won!" He laughed, the crowd nodding and nudging one another to see who'll fight next. "10 bits for our special guest." He smiled before giving her a small bag of bits.
Starlight was still stuck frozen. "He... He nearly killed me." She thought quietly to herself. The announcer gave her another pat on the back to urge her on. She swallowed and grabbed the bag before looking back to Arden.
The coy smile he had during the fight had gone and was replaced with a saddened frown. He looked to Starlight before offering a small smile asking for some sort of forgiveness as the next competitor entered the ring. Starlight offered a meager nod and shuffled away, brushing some dirt off of her black cloak, the brown dust flying easily into the summer air.
She moved away from the crowd slowly with her bag of small bits, feeling hooves pat her on the back on her work of hitting a big fluffy bird. "He... He wouldn't have hurt me... He was just playing." She told herself with a gulp. "But what if he hadn't stopped?"
"What's this?" Night Watch asked, looking down to the felt bound book that lay in front of her. It was black and the pages were a light brown, at least several hundred were there. She lay a hoof on it and felt the cover gently with her hoof. "It's so soft." She mumbled before dragging it closer to her, the chains around her hooves scraping softly against the cold damp floor.
"I thought you might want something to do while you're down here." Savant mumbled, sitting in front of her, watching her open the book slowly to reveal the many blank pages within. She looked at it with a raised brow and opened her mouth to speak before Savant cut her off. "Blaze won't let me bring proper books down here... But he has nothing against blank ones." He smiled.
"What do I do with an empty book?" She asked, flipping through the pages hoping for some form of story. "It's boring if there aren't any words." She stated, looking back up to him with a sad gleam in her eyes.
"You can put words in you know." He said, pushing a small quill over to her. "Write your own stories... You could use it as a diary." Savant tried to encourage her, opening to the front page. "Start with your name." He said, tapping the top left corner of the inside cover.
She glanced to the quill and then the book before picking the quill up between her teeth. "Whatsh thish tupposed to do?" She asked with a struggle, her teeth holding the quill within her mouth while she spoke.
"So you don't forget who you are." Savant said with a sigh, frowning gently at his own words. "Write your feelings... Your thoughts... It'll help you." He urged, tapping the front cover again. "Try it for me." He pleaded quietly.
Night looked around momentarily in thought and reluctantly moved forward and began to dip her quill in the ink pot before scraping off the excess. She moved forward and put the sharp blackened point to the paper and began to scrawl her name, some of the ink pooling on the 'i' in her name. She finished off the last letter with a shaky underline of her name, attempting calligraphy but simply drawing a snail trail of a line to the end of the page. She frowned and set it down before looking up at Savants hazel eyes.
He was smiling happily down at her before looking down to the poorly written name, chuckling to himself. "We should work on your hoof writing." He said, Night pouting and scooting backwards.
"I don't wanna write anymore." She announced, looking away from the book.
Savant cocked his head and frowned. "Aww c'mon Night, I'm not good at writing either." He said before taking the quill up and flipping to the back of the book and writing his name there. It was just as bad as Nights, the 'a' curling off to no where and his 'n' looked like some form of 'h'. He showed it to her with a smile. "Look, I'm horrible!" He exclaimed, trying to prove that it was alright.
"Yours looks like mine though..." She states with another frown.
Savant gulped and began searching for some sort of answer "Shit... I insulted her instead." He thought. "Why thank you." He said after a few moments. "I had no idea I had improved."
Night rolled her eyes and sighed, Savant scooted closer and tapped the book. "C'mon, lets help each other out... Maybe we can both get better at this." He chuckled softly.
Night sighed and looked up at him in disapproval. "Alright... Just a few times..."
"Great!" He smiled before taking the quill and offering it to Night. The silver necklace still hung proudly around her neck, still shining bright even in the dark room. "Why don't you write about your necklace?" He asked, pointing to it.
Night raised a brow in confusion and looked down to the silver. "My necklace? Why?" She asked, offering him a confused gaze.
"Because I want to know about it." He said with a smirk. "Is that so hard to believe?"
She bit her tongue lightly and looked back down to the page, grabbing the quill once more and began to write slowly, word by word. Savant watched, smiling softly as she began to work.
"Savant?" Blaze called out, knocking against the metal door. "A word?" He asked, looking in with a glare. Night had stopped and ducked down, scooting back into the dark shadows of the room, the cold blue glare of Blaze was enough to chill her bones.
Savant nodded before smiling at Night. "I'll be gone for a few moments... Keep writing for me." He said before getting up and moving towards the cold metal door, Blaze waiting expectantly, looking at the filly with a silent contempt.
"What is it?" Savant asked in a hushed growl, Blaze pulling him through and closing the door behind him before gesturing up the stairs.
"How is she?" Blaze asked.
Savant raised a brow as they climbed the rickety staircase. "Why would you care?"
"She's a child, I have to care for her safety." He explained as they both trotted into the sickeningly fairytale like kitchen… It was far too perfect for a mad pony.
Savant just looked at him in disgust, eyeing the stallion as if the dark antagonist of some violent story. He could never trust Blaze… He was far too irrational… Unpredictable and often mad…
“The again she is the last of her colony.” He said with a nostalgic sigh, watching Boulder, a coiled leather whip in hoof, shining as if recently oiled. “And she is probably the last to know of another colony.” Blaze grinned, Savants heart dropping as he saw Boulder enter the basement behind them.
“What are you doing?” Savant asked as he gestured to Boulder.
“Speeding up the process of… Interrogation.” He smiled slowly, his teeth baring like mad white tombstones.
“Wait no!” He cried out before Blaze had tackled him to the wall, a rusty knife pressing into the skin of his throat, a wild grin upon the mad stallions face. “I'm doing this for you… You need to hear all of this.” He said, Savant locking up and not daring to move. “I know you care for the little shit.” Blaze cursed under his breath. “So I'm offering you an incentive to do your work.”
Savant growled as he heard the scampering of hooves and the dragging of chains. He gulped and clenched his teeth as the worried cries came fourth before the whirring sound of spinning leather filled the room. “Fuck you!” He yelled before the first whip cracked against soft flesh, a frenzied scream soon emanated from the basement, only what Savant could assume was Night. The leather span again and cracked again, the scream was louder as Boulder began dishing out punishment.
“You'll kill her!” He yelled to Blaze who grinned wider.
“Please… It's just whipping.”
Savant squirmed desperate to kill Boulder with the very whip he used. “A young mind can only take so much pain before it breaks and she becomes useless!” He retorted.
Blaze winked at him. “And that's your job… How much pain can she take?”
“If she has anymore she'll be scarred forever!” He grunted, feeling the knife press even harder into his neck.
With a sigh Blaze glanced towards the door. “Give her two more! Courtesy of Savant!” He yelled down, the Filly begging and whimpering for the pain to stop. Blaze listened to the final two cracks, shuddering in pleasure as Night screamed and croaked in pain.
Blaze merely smiled as Boulder came trotting up the stair case, the whip dripping gently with blood, his coat splattered with small droplets. “Did you get a few good ones in?” Blaze asked curiously.
“One or two real good ones boss.” Boulder grinned back. “She squirms too much though.”
Savant gave off a growl, Boulder merely scowling him before trotting away once more. “Now…” Blaze began. “You have one week to find out where another colony is… If not we whip her again and open all those wounds we just made… If I don't get a location soon I might have to do something drastic… Are we clear?” He asked with a raised brow, scraping his neck gently with the rusted knife.
Savant glared and grunted his agreement, Blaze taking the knife away and beginning to trot towards the stairs leading to the second story. “Good… Play nice!” He called back but Savant had already bolted downstairs to see Night.
Savants loud exclamation of “Oh fuck!” Set a small smile across Blazes face as he trotted back up the stairs.
“Kids… What trouble…”
The day seemed to drag on forever, more and more ponies coming to see the large coloured tents and performers all work and con their way to small riches.
Starlight had watched how they did it, the fights looked easy but were rigged from the start, the wheel of fortune was stopped when the Presenter needed it to by using magic, concealed by a large top hat and the fortune teller was just very vague… When Starlight confronted her about it she seemed to get angry and she had no clue why.
She had seen almost everything their… Nearly. She ducked through legs and under ponies, weaving to the front of the crowd to see large bales of hay with targets painted on them, large wooden palisades surrounded the whole area to protect those watching as Cross grinned as he stood next to a enormous crossbow… It was practically the same size as him and much larger than Starlight.
“He’ll never be able to lift that thing.” Somepony muttered. The crowd all whispered about him, all eyes on Cross, the large crossbow and another separate one lying on the ground next to him.
“Can anyone take on the young Prince of the Gryphon empires?” An announcer asked, circling the palisade with a grin. “Best archer in all of Equestria? His height might deceive you… Fifty bits for anyone that can beat our young champion here, only five bits entry.” He grinned… And at that point several raised their hooves with snickers and one stallion approached the spare crossbow with a smile, lifting it up unsteadily, looking at the curved arms of the crossbow curiously. “Just squeeze the trigger when you're ready.”
The stallion smiled and aimed at the target, about Twenty five metres away before pulling the hoof trigger. With a thwack it fired off and hit the target with a solid thud, sitting comfortably in the third ring of the target. A few applause went up and he smiled, waving them off as he aimed again. Cross waited patiently as the stallion fired the five bolts he was given, seeing them all hit the target and one just inches from the red bullseye, prompting loud cheering.
Starlight was far too interested now, peering over the palisade at Cross who got up and walked around the large cross bow, snickers and whispers swirling around him… Yet he kept smiling. Starlight stared as he soon moved his head to the base of the Crossbow before running under and letting the weapon slide up and onto his back, dust colouring the feathers atop his head.
A silence soon enveloped them as he scooped up the bolts in one wing while the other sat by the trigger. With a quick flap he slid a bolt in while the other pulled back the trigger and sent one bolt flying, everyone's eyes followed it as it sunk straight into the centre of the target and before they could look back to see him load another, he had already fired off another two, his wings working like clock work as each arrow flew with a light whistle slicing through the hay.
With one bolt left he slid it in, firing the last shot with relative and pleasurable ease. Everypony was silent as it flew and split straight down the centre of another bolt, leaving the two perfect halves spinning peacefully to the ground. Silence had consumed the crowd, shocked stares sat on their faces while Starlight grinned like mad.
The crowd soon erupted in loud cheers and heavy bellows as Cross bowed and grinned before the crowd, the stallion challenging him looked on, still in shock at the display.
Starlight continued grinning at cross, cheering him on and jumping just over the edge of the palisade with an excited stature.
A slow silence soon filled the crowd as she jumped up and down, her cheering becoming less and less as she noticed all eyes resting on her. “Why are they all looking?” She thought, Cross’s eyes were wide with worry and it soon dawned on her what had happened, looking down to her hooves. The black cloak that covered her body lay crumpled in the dirt, she felt her stomach flip and her heart beginning to pump even faster, a tingly anxious feeling covering her body. Her black leather wings were clear on display, like an abstract artwork that everyone ponders about… Her fangs became more apparent as she tried opening her mouth to speak.
Mumbles of “What is it?” and “Look at her wings” surfaced almost instantly and curiosity soon built. Cross had disappeared, Starlight looking around for him as she began walking around, the crowd forming a circle around her, all trying to get a good view. She panted and felt as if the world was spinning faster and faster.
Starlight saw Cross through the crowd, speaking to the announcer who looked over in concern before approaching, pushing ponies out the way.
“Ahh!” He yelled, looking down at Starlight. “It is… Uhh.. Corio Alis! The circus demon!” He announced, gulping at the impromptu show.
“Wait… Circus demon?” Starlight thought in confusion as a chorus of ‘ooo’s’ and ‘ahh’s’ slipped through the crowd.
“Ten bits and get to touch her wings!”
“Now bite hard on this.” The doctor said, putting a wooden stick in Nights mouth as she lay on a cold metal table, her wings stretched out and tied down. “This is going to hurt.” He said with a grimace, staring at the watering golden eyes of the filly, sniffles and cries of pain still escaped her tired lips as she bit down hard onto the wood, her small fangs digging in comfortably.
The doctor nodded to Savant who stood by her side, stroking her mane. “Shhhh… It'll be alright.” He whispered as the doctor covered a large piece of cotton in a clear liquid, only what Savant could assume was ethanol to clean the wounds. He took it to her side and began dabbing and covering her torn sides in the liquid. Blood stained her once brown coat and thick lines that gauged into her body remained, the fur was ripped out.
Instantly she began thrashing and screaming out, her hooves tied down so she couldn't flail around too much. Savant kept a sure hoof on her mane, tying to comfort her as much as possible as the doctor cleaned the bloody wounds.
Both sides had received at least four lashings each, randomly scattered, a few leaving nothing but red marks but the majority had torn and splintered her flesh, blood still seeping out slowly.
The doctor worked quickly to spare the filly some pain, the burning sting of alcohol less than pleasant for her, he had already finished with one side before working on the next.
With eyes clenched shut she sobbed and whimpered, the energy to scream and thrash around becoming less and less prominent. “You couldn't have given her an anaesthetic?” Savant asked in anger.
“When Blaze said that someone hurt themselves I was not expecting to find a whipped filly in a basement.” He growled back, finishing up on her other side, dabbing the deepest wound a few times just to be careful. The room fell silent moments later and Savant and the doctor both looked to Night, her eyes shut not in pain but lazily, her hooves limp on the table.
“Night?” Savant asked in fear, shaking her gently.
“Shush… She passed out.” The doctor said, moving back to the small bag that lay on the floor, pulling out a long roll of bandages. “It makes things easier… But she was in too much pain for my liking.” He mumbled before beginning to unbind Night, keeping her wings tied down. “Lift her up.” He ordered, Savant following with no question, raising her lightly as he began wrapping her torso up in the ragged white bandages.
“You're not going to stand for this are you?” Savant questioned, looking down to the limp unconscious body of Night.
“There's not much I can do… You know he's got us by the balls and if we do anything we lose everything.”
Savant nodded with a sigh, stroking her purple mane lightly before pressing his face to her head. “She has no one.” He whispered, hugging her gently.
"Then be there for her.” The doctor replied, pinning the bandages back with a safety pin.
“Blaze will have my tail if he finds out that I'm genuine.”
“Then don't let him find out… For the love of all things good in this world, don't let him find out.”
