Rise and Fall of Dark Rise: The Origin of the Headless Horse

by Galrion

Rating: mature
Tags: Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Slice of Life
Length: 16833

The story of the stallion that came to be known as the Headless Horse.

Many ponies tell the story of the Headless Horse in an attempt to scare their friends late at night. The account often differs, but one thing remains the same. The Headless Horse is a frightful being everypony knows to fear. But why? Few know the story of how the Headless Horse became the pony of so many nightmares. At least one wishes to tell that tale.

Rated Mature for Graphic Violence.
Much thanks for proof reading and editing help goes to Striving for Harmony, CowabungaDude, and Alptraum Mond. Cover image (The Headless Horse) is by Imageconstructor.

Published 2014-07-17 00:00:06 UTC
Last updated 2015-01-09 00:14:12 UTC

Prologue

Prologue

“And they were never heard from again,” Jakob said, leaning forward in his chair, his eyes wide. The glow from the fireplace shrouded half of his face in wavering shadow.

“Never?” asked one of the little ponies gathered around.

Jakob shook his head as the fire crackled. “Never. That is why you must be wary as you wander about when the night is at its darkest. The headless horse is always searching for little ones like yourselves,” he said severely, leaning back in his chair and letting his words sink in. Before him, the children exchanged nervous glances between each other.

Suddenly, the front door crashed open and the crowd screamed. Concentrating on the illusion was easy. He had done much the same hundreds of times before. Standing in the doorway was the glowing ghost of the headless horse, rearing high and kicking its front legs. A disembodied whinny echoed through the room as if from everywhere. He didn’t let the fright go on longer than a moment and used his magic to bring up the lights in the room. As he did so, he let the image of the headless ghost dissipate as if blown away by the wind.

The shrieks turned to giggles. With smiles on their faces some accused others of being more frightened by the sudden apparition of the ghost than they had been. “Alright everypony, that’s it for this year’s Nightmare Night storytelling,” Jakob said as he stood from his chair by the fire.

A chorus of “aww’s” and “Please, one more, Uncle Jak’s” arose from the crowd of fillies and colts. He smiled at the name, something he had earned after years of storytelling. “Don’t worry little ones. There are plenty more stories to tell in time,” He reassured the children as he began ushering them toward the door. “But you can hear those any night. Nightmare Night and its candy comes but once a year.”

Scootaloo hung back in the crowd, beaming up at him as he neared. The goggles of her Wonderbolts costume were pushed up on her forehead. “Thanks for the stories Uncle Jak’o’Lantern!” she said. “They’re almost as good as the ones Rainbow Dash tells around the fire during our camping trips.”

“I’m glad you decided to join us this year for Nightmare Night, Scootaloo,” he said, smiling down to her. “Applebloom told me you weren’t a fan of scary stories last year.”

“Yeah…” Scoot dug her hoof into the ground before looking back up and smiling. ”Rainbow Dash has helped me to see that there isn’t anything to fear in scary stories. It’s all your imagination bringing it to life, and things that live in your imagination can’t get out of it.”

Jakobs smile faltered ever so slightly. “Good for you,” he said as they reached the door. “Now, you should get out there and join your friends. The night is still young, but it won’t be forever.”

“Bye, Uncle Jak’o’Lantern!”

Jak watched the foals wander down the street for a moment as they teased each other before he closed the door and turned to stare across the room into the fire. “Nothing to fear,” he murmured under his breath. They were too young to know that there is a grain of truth in every story. Sometimes more than you would expect. That truth is what makes some stories all that much more horrific. Suddenly he felt the need to tell the true story of the Headless Horse. The story he had learned during his long years studying the histories of the three tribes at Palfrey University. The story he was sure only a select few actually knew.

First, he needed an audience. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He brought forth the image of Scootaloo and her friends and began to weave an illusion. When he opened his eyes again the room was filled with small, glowing ponies. The spell was merely a copy of the one he had used to create the Headless Horse, but done on a larger scale. The ponies watched him expectantly. Much like the children’s had been, their attention was all his.

“Gather ‘round, my little ponies,” he said as he retook his seat next to the fire place. “I’m going to tell you a story. It goes back ages, and I’m sure some of you may have heard it before. It is the tale of the Headless Horse. Tonight, though, I will tell you the true story; the story few have heard, and fewer still would believe. Tonight I will tell you how the Headless Horse came to be the pony of so many ponies’ nightmares.”

I

Our story takes place in a time long before the rule of our fair princess Celestia, before the three tribes had joined together to form Equestria. The story of the Headless Horse is a story of forbidden love, for back then it was taboo to mix blood with the other tribes.

Dark Rise was a unicorn who had studied all his youth to master the spells that raise and lower the celestial bodies and keep the flow of night and day. In his time, it was required in order to maintain the balance between the tribes and uphold the treaty with the earth ponies that saw the unicorns paid in food. His standing in society was high, and he garnered great respect among the other unicorns who worked the celestial magic. We begin on the day he is summoned by the king.

Dark Rise stood in the isle of a mostly empty throne room. Those that were present were Unicorn officials. Each wore a mantle bearing the royal crest opposite their cutie marks that proclaimed they were a part of King Suvrain’s personal council. They were ponies he had only dreamed of meeting and his excitement was hard to keep in check. He had made sure to look his best for this summons; his gray coat had just been groomed and his black mane was braided loosely down the back of his neck. It was not every day that you were brought before the king and his council members for an audience.

“My advisers have told me much about you, Dark Rise,” the king spoke from atop the dais. The council members stood at the bottom of the stairs, their eyes on Dark. “They say that your dedication to the Unicorn Tribe and your abilities have proven you worthy of being considered for a new appointment.”

The king stood and descended the small stairway. “After their arguments, I believe their suggestion to be in good council,” he said as he approached. “We have need of a pony to become the face of our negotiations with the Earth Tribe. To be frank you are being considered for this position because Sunblaze believes you have substantial latent potential within your abilities.”

Dark beamed at the thought of Sunblaze the Bald taking notice of him. He had worked hard for recognition from those above him, but never had he thought to catch Sunblaze’s eye. “Thank you, your grace,” he said.

The king looked him over a moment. “Do not thank me, Dark Rise. I have given you nothing. You have only yourself to thank, or curse, for this chance,” the king said severely and turning toward a side door and motioning for Dark to follow him. “We have much to discuss.” The councilors fell in behind them, the chorus of their hooves muffled by the carpet.

“Our population has grown substantially since we last negotiated with the Earth Tribe,” the king continued as they walked. “We have a need for a greater supply of food. Your task will be to convince the Earth Ponies of their need of us for more than just raising and setting the sun and moon. We have much to offer them if they can be convinced to come out of their archaic traditions.”

They entered a room with a large table surrounded by cushions. Each cushion bore the cutie mark of one of the councilors. Each began to find their place and take their seats. “This is the council chamber, Dark Rise,” said the king. “Take your seat.”

The king lowered his head, his horn pointing to the only blank cushion Dark could see. Suddenly threads came to life from within the pillow. Before his eyes, his half-sun, half-moon cutie mark was stitched into the pillow in perfect detail. Controlling so many threads with such ease and precision… Dark thought to himself, staring in amazement as the threads wove their pattern. The king was obviously a master of his magical craft.

When the stitching was done the king continued around the table to the only chair. It dominated the room with a high back, the royal crest carved into the wood across the top. Dark Rise took his seat and glanced around the room, still incredulous about the company he was in. Sitting next to him was Gold Stamp, the king’s chief advisor and steward. She wore her black mantle with violet edging bearing a golden work stamp that mirrored her name. Across the table was Stronghoof, Captain of the Royal Guard; his mantle was the royal purple fringed in silver bearing his spear and shield cutie mark in gold and silver.

However, the most notable to Dark was Sunblaze the Bald, the kingdom’s most powerful magician. His mantle was bright red, fringed in black sable bearing the bright gold sunburst that was his cutie mark. It was said he knew more about magic than nearly everypony else combined. What Dark wouldn’t give to pick that unicorns brain for a day…

“Now we can get to business,” the king said once they were all seated. Dark blinked and looked at the king. “Stamp, give Dark Rise a copy of the ledger and explain what we have in mind for him, if you would.”

A cloth bound booklet lifted magically from the table in front of Gold Stamp and was placed before Dark. He opened it, looking at the table of contents as she began. “This gives you an idea of what will be asked of you. It has a basic overview of everything,” said Gold Stamp.

“Each of us,” Gold stamp motioned to the other councilors, “has put together a dossier of the trade goods that we have to offer the earth tribe, and you will receive a copy of these documents as well. These trade goods are to be used in an attempt to increase relations and foodstuffs gained to insure the prosperity of unicorns.

“As a tribe we have grown substantially and the current arrangement will not sustain us should we continue to grow. Within this folder,” she tapped another dossier in front of her as she spoke, “are the economical listings for our tribe: average annual consumption per crop, average household growth…” Gold Stamp trailed off as Dark raised his hoof. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry,” he said with uncertainty as he lowered his hoof onto the opened folder before him, “but I can’t help but wonder what this could possibly have to do with me…”

“Ah, yes,” she said with a small smile. “It is true you were not selected for this because you excel in negotiations. You will be undergoing a lot of training for that and a small team of advisors will be accompanying you.” Dark sat listening to the king’s steward intently. “You have been selected for this role because, for the duration of the negotiations, you will be the sole unicorn raising and lowering the celestial bodies as a show of the ability of the unicorns.”

Dark blinked. He had never attempted such a feat. He didn’t know of anypony that had, or if it were even possible. The fewest number of unicorns he had worked with up to this point was five. “Is that even possible?” he asked, looking around the table uncertainly.

“It is.” It was Sunblaze that answered the question. “It has not been practiced for hundreds of years. In the old times rulership of the Unicorn Tribe was passed only to a pony who could raise the sun and moon on their own.”

“Sunblaze has assured us that he sees in you the potential to be able to achieve this great feat,” said the King. “You will be spending much of your time with him in the coming months working to hone your unique talent.”

Dark Rise’s eyes widened. Sunblaze would be teaching him personally. He barely managed to contain his excitement and bowed his head to the King. “I will do everything I can to succeed, Your Highness.”

Gold Stamp cleared her throat. “We do not doubt that, however, our concern is not primarily your magical ability. We need to know if you can fulfill the rest of the role that you’re to be groomed for. So, you will be granted quarters on the castle grounds and each day you will be meeting with myself and the other advisors to see how well you are able to retain the information.”

The second dossier lifted from in front of Gold Stamp and was placed next to the one that was open before Dark. He watched in silence as the dossier from Stronghoof levitated and was placed on top of the other. “That details the many different types of metalwork we have at our disposal and the different spells we can use to prolong the life of the metal and the performance of the equipment that they are used on,” said the Captain in a gruff voice.

Dark jumped as a small white colt with long chin hair set a folder on the table next to him and then ran back around the table to sit behind Sunblaze. He hadn’t noticed the child before. “That,” said Sunblaze, “lists several different potions my students and I have been developing for these negotiations.”

“Keep in mind,” chimed in Gold Stamp. “We do not wish to teach them to produce any of this themselves. Their dependence on us ensures a lasting agreement and puts us in the position of power in the relationship. I shouldn’t need to explain how this could change our current situation and how it could open endless doors for our tribe to progress. As it is we raise the sun so that they can grow food and eat, but if we withhold such in retaliation, we suffer just as much as they do.

“This is a lot of information to take in all at once,” Gold Stamp continued with a sigh. “I encourage you to take each of these folders and look them over tonight. If this is something you do not think you can do, alert me before tomorrow. We begin your training in the morning.”

The king and the other councilors began to stand and exit the room. Dark stayed seated, staring down at the folders, trying to process everything that had been presented to him. He had always wanted recognition, maybe even fame. This all seemed like too much though.

A hoof touched Dark’s shoulder and he jumped again. “Wait outside,” said Sunblaze to the colt. He bowed his head and ducked out the door, leaving Dark alone with the master mage.

“We are putting a great deal on your shoulders, Dark Rise,” he said softly. “We wouldn’t do so if I did not believe you to be capable of handling this burden.

“Do not get me wrong,” he continued, taking a seat next to Dark, “it will take a lot of effort and dedication on your part, but I assure you I will help you along the path as best I can.”

Dark was speechless. Next to him sat a legend talking to him as if they were friends from old. “Thank you, sir,” he said quietly, looking down toward the table.

“I will be the one thanking you, Dark rise, once you accomplish the tasks laid before you,” said Sunblaze with a small smile. Dark looked at the master for a moment. His doubts remained but they were now outweighed by a desire to please this stallion.

“Gold Stamp has somepony waiting to show you to your quarters. You have a lot to read and even more to think about,” he said. “You should get some good rest tonight. If you choose to accept this opportunity we have a lot ahead of us.”

Sunblaze stood and Dark followed levitating the folders after them.

“I hope to see you tomorrow morning first thing to start your conditioning at the rising of the sun.”

-

Dark Rise spent the following months in heavy study, poring over ledgers and working on his magical talents. The most grueling parts, he felt, were studying the needs of his tribe. It was endless numbers and projections for the future. By the end of a day’s meeting with Gold Stamp, Dark’s head was swimming. His favorite parts of the week were when he was working with Sunblaze and his students.

He had spent the majority of his adult life trying to perfect his abilities, and now he was being coached by a master of magical craft. Those days were easily the longest but felt like the shortest. The first practice Sunblaze gave him, he thought was a joke. Sunblaze was not impressed with his chuckle.

“You must learn to keep your focus while under extreme pressure,” he had said, his steely stare quelling Darks mirth. “Levitating yourself will not only begin to prepare you to lift greater weight, but will also force you to still your mind and your body.”

At first the spell seemed impossible, but slowly he was able to get himself off the ground. Often times it was only briefly and he would end up in a heap. Once he was able to hold the spell for over an hour without a struggle Sunblaze nodded in approval.

“Very good,” he had said. “I expected no less. Now, for your next exercise.”

Sunblaze had lead him from his students’ study to the main courtyard where the raising of the sun occurred. Sitting in the center was a boulder as large as his room. “You will need to be able to levitate this,” he told Dark. “Once you are able to hold this boulder off the ground for one hour the students will begin casting spells to make it denser and harder to hold until I determine you are ready.”

For the coming weeks the boulder became Darks world on the days he studied with Sunblaze. His studies with the other councilors became a sweet release. To their surprise Dark was taking quickly to their subjects and began earning each of their approval. In all honesty he only cared for Sunblaze’s praise, but he knew he had to master the knowledge as well as the magical craft to succeed in this task and ultimately please Sunblaze.

It took time to master his practices, but by the end of the third month Sunblaze arranged for Dark to raise the sun while the others focused on lowering the moon. As the day approached Dark’s nerves began to get to him and he decided to pay his mentor a visit.

“You give yourself far too little credit, Dark. Trust yourself. Trust your teacher. Besides,” he added with an almost imperceptible twinkle of mirth in his eye, “the other students will be ready to assist you, should you require it.”

The promise of assistance seemed like a challenge to Dark, and while it calmed his nerves it added a new pressure to the task. The day before his test he asked to cancel all his other meetings and spent the day in the courtyard practicing holding and catching the boulder. He went to bed that night exhausted but at least he felt ready.

Morning arrived almost too quickly and Dark was standing in the courtyard again. It had been a while since he had worked with the celestials themselves, but he remembered where to feel beyond the horizon to find the sun. On Sunblaze’s signal he took hold and began. The ordeal was tougher than he had expected. By the end of the raising he was drenched in sweat and was barely able to keep his hooves under him. As he panted, he stared up at his work. The sun hung in the sky, blazing brightly, proclaiming day had begun. His pride swelled and he smiled to himself. All he wanted then was to sleep.

While he was recuperating in his quarters, King Suvrain sent him a summons. When he arrived in the throne room, the councilors were already assembled and waiting with the king atop his dais.

“Dark Rise, my councilors have made steady reports to me on your progress. It has been very encouraging to see you rising so quickly to the challenge. It seems that you will be able to meet the needs we have for an ambassador.

“You have been brought here, before gods and ponies, to determine if you will accept the task for which you are training, and is now offered to you. Do you swear your life to the Unicorn Tribe, on pain of death?” The king asked getting straight to the point.

“I do,” Dark Rise replied, his eyes glancing to where Sunblaze stood smiling softly.

“Then kneel,” he commanded. “I, King Suvrain, with the power given me by birthright, hereby declare you to be chief overseer of the treaty negotiations with the Earth Pony Tribe,” the king said from the dais of the throne room. “Arise, Ambassador Dark Rise.”

II

Over the following month, Dark raised the sun alone daily, each day growing more and more accustomed to its weight. The first week was agonizing as he spent hours after each ceremony recovering from the strain. The second day was the toughest and he thought he wasn’t going to be able to complete the spell, but a simple look from Sunblaze was enough to spur him on. The following week they began having him lower the sun alone each night as well. By the end of the month he was able to raise and lower the sun without repercussion.

However, the moment he felt comfortable Sunblaze was there to press him further. “Now you must learn to hold the moon and the sun at once,” he had told him. “Tomorrow you begin focusing a second spell while you raise the sun.”

He started small by having Dark attempt to keep an orb of water floating in a figure eight as he pushed the sun into the sky. It proved almost as difficult as raising the sun itself and Dark was unable to keep the orb from spilling to the ground, let alone moving in a figure eight. To make matters worse, Dark was also introduced to the equations he would need to know to determine when to make the sun set in relation to when it was raised.

In the past these equations were never something he had to worry about; somepony would give him and the other unicorns a time for sunset and they would carry out the task. Dark counted himself lucky that the equations determining the distance the sun was from the earth were something he already knew by heart, and it’s placement in the sky was almost second nature. Coupling this new mental challenge with his struggles maintaining two spells, Dark lived in furious frustration with himself for the first week.

His mentor gave him exercises to begin practicing in his spare time, time which seemed to have disappeared since he was given this position. Now that he was sworn in, the other councilors seemed to have every moment of his time ear marked for some bit of study, which left Dark practicing the spells Sunblaze gave him deep into the night. They seemed simple enough; rotate one orb of water to the right. Once it was stable, form a second orb and rotate it to the left. Sometimes the forming of the second orb was enough to disrupt the first spell. It was aggravating to Dark that he could do something so astounding as raise the sun alone, but try to focus on two spells and he became as feeble as a foal in a school house.

Nearing the end of the first week, Dark’s frustration got the best of him and his anger boiled to the surface while raising the sun. “Why can I not get this to work?!” he yelled at no one in particular, as a water orb collapsed to the cobbles. In his anger he almost lost his handle on the sun.

Suddenly, the weight was lifted. He looked around. Sunblaze had instructed the others to take the sun and complete its raising. He turned his gaze on Dark and instantly Dark felt ashamed. He had let down the stallion he was striving so hard to impress.

That night Dark was dismissed from his duties lowering the sun as well. While he brooded alone in his quarters a knock came at the door. He ignored it but the pony without persisted, knocking again. Grinding his teeth, he stood and strode swiftly to the door, opening it. Sunblaze stood in the hallway; the surprise of the visit made Dark forget about his anger, and he invited the master in.

“Dark Rise, it disturbs me to see such anger in you,” he said as they sat by the hearth. “There is no need for anger. You have made great progress and have accomplished a feat nopony has managed to accomplish in generations.”

Dark shook his head, his frustration showing plainly on his face. “That is why it is so frustrating. I can raise the sun alone, but I can’t make two orbs of water rotate in opposite directions,” he said exasperated.

Sunblaze smiled. It angered Dark to see his mentor take his frustration so lightly. Sunblaze was always stern and calculating, demanding progress and efficiency while they were practicing; somepony that was completely focused on the task at hand. This was not something he wanted the master to take lightly. “Have you ever considered you are demanding too much of yourself?” he asked.

Dark didn’t answer, his eyes shifting down to his hooves and Sunblaze continued. “I think you are letting your emotions dictate your abilities, Dark,” he said. “You were determined to raise the sun, and we took many steps leading up to you succeeding in that task. Months of mental training for the weight alone, if you remember, before we even tried it.

“It feels like we are a ways down the path toward your destination. We are not. We are at the beginning. Ahead there is much more training. What you are training for is not an easy task. Juggling the sun and moon alone is possibly the most taxing thing you will ever do in your life. There is no shame in struggling with this.

“You need to take your emotions and personal pressures out of the equation and take each step as it is; one step.”

Dark met Sunblaze’s orange eyes and was unable to look away. He had so much respect for this stallion; he needed to do everything in his power to be successful. Slowly he nodded, his anger subsiding. “I will do my best, Master Sunblaze.”

“Good,” he said as he pushed himself up. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the sun raising.”

-

The following days were excruciating and slow. Progress seemed nonexistent and Dark struggled with his anger. As the days went on, Sunblaze seemed to grow distant, withholding his judgment until the practice was over. Each day it was always the same. “Your anger is holding you back.”

At first this only made Dark angrier. Each night was a sleepless struggle with the practice spells, and each day he fell prey to the scrutinizing eyes of Sunblaze. It became hard for him to enjoy returning to practice; he expected his own failure and feared what Sunblaze thought of him. He had to get back in the master’s good graces. After a week of struggling, he sat alone in his quarters after the sun had been set, fuming over the latest spilled orbs. You need to take your emotions and personal pressures out of the equation, echoed Sunblaze’s voice in his head.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused on the image of the sun. He fed all other thoughts into its flames until all that remained was the sun. For the first time since trying these spells, his mind was clear. He opened his eyes and focused on the bowl of water drawing forth the first ball of water and setting it rotating to the right. He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath, focusing on the image of the sun in his mind’s eye.

Opening them again, he saw the orb continuing to rotate. He focused again on the bowl of water and formed a second orb. Briefly the first shuddered, but continued on its course. He kept his attention on the second orb and began rotating it to the left.

I’m doing it, he thought excitedly and the orbs gave a shiver. “Shit,” he said aloud as the orbs crumpled and splashed to the ground. He recollected his composure, cleared his mind, and tried again, each attempt carrying him farther into the spell, and deep into the night.

The next morning, Dark Rise could not wait to show Sunblaze what he had accomplished and was the first to the courtyard. Again he cleared his mind and brought forth the orbs and set them rotating. He kept his mind clear and focused on the spells until Sunblaze arrived. After letting them rotate a moment longer he replaced the orbs in the water and smiled to his master.

Dark had expected praise. What he got was a nod of approval. “Now juggle one while raising the sun.”

Dark turned and did as he was bid. This task was much more of a struggle and it was all he could do to keep the orb afloat while he worked the sun. With a week’s time he was able to master the practice spells and keep them flowing without much effort; two and he was able to rotate the orb while raising the sun.

It did not take long for his pride to begin surging again now that he was able to see he was making progress. Focusing on two spells had become easy when he was working with water. Adding the weight of the sun added a complication that was hard to overcome, but he had done it. Repetition at dusk and dawn was taxing, but rewarding and Dark looked forward to every session again.

It was in midwinter that Sunblaze told him he felt Dark was ready to attempt to control both celestials alone. Dark beamed with pride at this news. He was not going to disappoint his master again.

The night before the attempt he wasn’t able to sleep due to the amount of his excitement. The dawn hours could not arrive more slowly and he found himself watching the stars, waiting for them to rotate into position. After what seemed like an eternity, Dark left his quarters and walked through the halls to the castle grounds, his mind oddly clear after the long, restless night.

Outside, Sunblaze stood with the others, waiting for him. No words needed to be said; this was merely routine now. They waited for him to take his position and prepared to take the weight should something go wrong. He strode out to the edge of the yard and took a deep breath. He focused his concentration on the moon as it sat high above. With his mental grip firmly in place he prodded below the horizon where he knew the sun was waiting for the dawn and took hold of it as well.

The moment he began to try to push the globes, his brow broke into a sweat. He felt nothing move and his eyes closed as he tried to bring his mental focus solely on the two celestial bodies. Seconds that felt like years passed as he pressed with all his might before he felt something budge and he let out his breath. He hadn’t even realized he had been holding it. Breathing deeply he steadied his mind and pressed on inching the two bodies farther along their paths.

Sweat poured across his back as the sun and moon began to pass each other. He wasn’t certain he would be able to complete the transition. His breaths were rapid and he felt as if the sun and moon were crushing him. Suddenly, in the depths of his mind, he heard a voice. It was his voice. You will complete this, it said sternly. You will not fail before Sunblaze again.

Dark Rise redoubled his efforts and his jaw clenched all the tighter. The two bodies continued to move and a ringing began to fill his ears. It was sheer force of will kept Dark on his hooves. Finally he felt the bodies reach their destinations simultaneously and he collapsed. His eyes fluttered open to see the sun hanging high in the sky and a smile passed across his lips.

The others ran toward him. They were saying something, but he could not hear through the ringing. He closed his eyes and let exhaustion claim him.

-

Dark pushed at the sun with all his might. He sucked a breath in through clenched teeth and fought to keep his footing as sweat poured from him.

“You are a failure,” came the voice of his mentor.

Dark’s hold on the celestials faltered as his concentration was broken and he looked toward the voice. Sunblaze stood behind him, his red mantle draped across his back, a deep scowl on his face. “You have failed the unicorns.”

“No!” yelled Dark Rise as he turned back to the sun. Somehow, it was coming toward the castle. He gathered his focus and took hold of the burning mass and tried to force it back to its position in the sky, but it wouldn’t obey him. It was all he could do to keep it from coming closer to the castle, closer to him.

“If you cannot put the sun back in the sky,” his master said behind him, “our race will perish.”

Dark struggled against the giant, gritting his teeth. He felt it moving away and he closed his eyes, gathering his focus. The progress stopped and the sun seemed to fight back, pressing harder against his will.

“I… Don’t… Understand,” he said with panted breaths. “Why…?”

“Your pride has doomed us all,” said a new voice. He recognized it and his eyes popped open. Before him stood King Suvrain. Dark yelped in surprise and lost his handle on the sun and the molten giant began falling toward the castle again.

Dark gathered his thoughts and grasped at the sun. “I can’t do this alone,” he said as he struggled to keep the sun from falling further. “I need help!”

“No one can help you,” said the king.

“You have brought this upon us,” said Sunblaze. “Only you can stop it.”

The weight of the sun was too much and Dark’s knees gave out from beneath him and he sank to the ground. “I can’t,” he half-sobbed, trying with all his might to simply hold the sun.

“Then you have doomed us,” said the king.

Dark could hold it no longer. He was exhausted. The sun was free. It was coming to claim him.

Dark awoke with a start. He blinked in the darkness, his heart pounding in his chest. It took him a moment to realize he was in his room, his bed. “It was a dream,” he said aloud. They were always the worst when he pushed himself too hard practicing with the celestials.

His throat was so dry. He kept a jug of water on the table near the hearth across the room and he tried to pour a glass magically but his horn did not respond. He was still too exhausted from his previous ordeal. He inched his way out of bed and walked gingerly to the table. It took great effort, but he poured a glass of water and drank deeply. The door opened behind him as he was pouring a second glass and he lost his handle on the jug, sending it crashing to the floor. He cursed under his breath and turned to the door.

“Ah, you are awake,” said the mare coming over to where the water had spilled. She began cleaning up the glass as she continued. “Gold Stamp will be glad to hear it. I’ll have your dinner sent up right away.”

“How long was I asleep?” He asked her.

“Since you finished raising the sun this morning. It is just after sunset now,” she told him. “Gold Stamp wished to see you when you awoke. I’ll have tea made and brought up.”

Dark spent the next two days recovering, each night bringing a new rendition of his nightmare. Being excused from magical practice did not excuse him from his other studies and the councilors seemed to be ever present while he was dismissed. By the time the two days were done, they were satisfied with his knowledge of their respective fields and Gold Stamp introduced him to the advisors that would be accompanying him to treat with the other tribes. One was a stallion that specialized in economics named Ledger and the other a mare who had worked with the previous ambassador named Everstar.

Their introduction brought about something that Dark was not completely ready for. “Dark Rise,” said Everstar beaming. “It is an honor to meet the unicorn that can raise the celestials alone!”

“Well,” he said, somewhat abashed. “I’ve only attempted to handle them both the-“

“But you did it, didn’t you?” said Ledger in a rush, causing Dark’s head to swivel and his ears to lay back before he regained his composure.

“Well, yes…”

“What a feat!” exclaimed Everstar and Ledger nodded in agreement. Gold Stamp cleared her throat. “Right. Sorry, Gold Stamp. Dark Rise.”

The two bowed their heads and they all took their seats, Gold Stamp resuming control of the conversation and bringing them back on task. At first it was hard to keep his focus. Inside Dark was beaming. He hadn’t left the castle grounds at all since all this started and he began to wonder who else knew his name.

He was forced to push these thoughts from his mind as Gold Stamp began to go over some of the ideal strategies she thought they should use when dealing with the earth tribe. Their discussion went on and on and in spite of their early outburst Dark had to admit that he was impressed by the amount of knowledge that Ledger and Everstar had. From then on, Dark ceased meeting with the other councilors, in order to focus on tactics with Gold Stamp and magical practice with Sunblaze.

Finally, he was given some release and was permitted to return to his magical duties. The days seemed to go by much faster now that the first attempt was behind him. He continued to struggle, but progress was apparent. For weeks he only took care of the dawn, then he began lowering the sun at dusk, eventually holding a practice spell as well as the sun at dusk, and finally he was handling both dawn and dusk alone.

His days were filled with meetings with the new advisors, going over strategies on how to make the unicorn trade goods seem more appealing to the simpler earth ponies and gain them more leverage within the negotiations. They were tedious, but far more interesting than memorizing trade goods and their uses, and Dark began to grow fond of his two new companions.

Everstar was, for the most part easy going, but very serious about the task at hand. She had grown up near the border with the earth ponies and had spent much of her childhood around earth ponies. When she had moved to Aethon her mixed knowledge of magic and the other tribe had eventually made her a shoe in as an assistant to Referendum the previous ambassador. Now she shared her knowledge of the other tribes freely trying to help gauge how this or that idea would be viewed by the earth ponies, as well as how the pegasi might view their efforts.

Ledger was more no nonsense. He had been born in Aethon and had an early aptitude for numbers. He had spent a large part of his life in the castles services and had recently been tasked with putting numbers to the other tribes needs in comparison to his own. Every idea he contributed was deeply tied to the logic, and the numbers, behind it. The two made an interesting contrast and their views often clashed. Together they brought a wealth of information and added much to their discussions of how they should handle the coming trades. Dark felt he learned more from these two than he had from the councilors before.

Winter Wrap Up approached and during a late winter council meeting the king summoned Dark Rise and announced that he was satisfied with Gold Stamps reports on Dark and his team. “In two days’ time you and your advisors will head south to meet with the earth ponies,” he said to Dark.

Dark bowed his head. “We will not disappoint you, your highness,” he said.

“Everything reported on your progress has spoken very highly of your abilities and your dedication, Dark Rise,” said the king. “I have no doubt you will do everything in your power to accomplish our goals.”

Dark beamed at the praise and inclined his head. He was excited for this new adventure, and even more excited to show his abilities to those that had never seen such power before. Beyond that he could not wait to prove his worth to the council.

The following days were filled with finalizing the negotiation strategies. Meetings began as soon as the sun was raised and lasted til it was time to raise the moon in its place. Details were checked and rechecked and slight adjustments to their plans were made.

These last days were long and Dark found himself checking out at times longing to work more with Sunblaze and his students. Now that he had mastered controlling the celestials alone, he wondered what was next. He wanted nothing more than to find that next challenge and he was sure Sunblaze had something more for him to study.

The night before they were meant to leave as Dark was making sure he had everything he needed packed a knock came at the door. Dark placed his things aside and went to the door, pulling it open. Outside stood Sunblaze. “Master Sunblaze,” said Dark bowing his head and stepping aside. “Please, come in. What do I owe the honor of this visit?”

Sunblaze stepped inside. “The king has had you a mantle made. I asked that I be the one to present it to you.”

Dark closed the door behind the Master and lead him to the sitting area. “Make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink?”

“Thank you, Dark Rise, but no. I’m fine,” said Sunblaze. He sat in one of the chairs by the hearth and looked his student over for a moment. Dark poured himself a cup of tea and joined the master by the fire. Taking a drink he realized Sunblaze’s calculating look and suddenly felt nervous under the stallions gaze.

“You said the King has had a mantle made for me,” he asked to break the silence. “Is this for my position as Ambassador?

Sunblaze blinked as if being pulled from deep thought. “Yes,” he said, “and no. It is to show your station on the council.”

“The council?” he echoed incredulously.

“Yes, the council convened last night for a vote to finalize your addition.” Beside him a small black hole blinked into existence and expanded. From within it a mantle was produced and the hole shrank in on itself and disappeared again. The cape was a midnight blue fringed in black sable. The right shoulder bore his half-sun, half-moon cutie mark and the left bore the royal sigil.

Dark beamed at the sight of the mantle. He must have impressed the other councilors with his knowledge and his abilities if he was to be a permanent addition to the king’s council. “I am hono-“

“This position holds great responsibility, Dark Rise,” said Sunblaze cutting him off, his tone serious. “I do not know if you are ready for it. You are still young and have much to learn about life. I have never before seen anger like I have found within you.”

Dark Rise was taken aback. He didn’t know what to say. “I assure you, Sunblaze, my life is devoted to our tribe.”

“I do not doubt that,” the master responded, looking Dark in the eye. “You must learn to control your anger or it will consume you. And when that happens, I fear for the lives of those around you.

“Take care of this mantle. It represents far more than an appointment to the council. This mantle shows that you would put any other unicorn’s life before your own. That your actions represent the needs of the tribe, not the needs of an individual. Taking up this position means that your life is dedicated to the service of the king and our tribe.

Dark nodded silently.

“Do not disappoint me, Dark Rise,” he said, standing and placing the mantle on the back of the chair. “We are putting great faith in you.”

After he had left Dark sat in front of the hearth staring into the fire. He barely noticed as the fire slowly died and the soft glow of the coals faded. Sunblaze’s words echoed in his mind. His mentor obviously did not think him ready for this. He trembled slightly. He feared letting Sunblaze and the other councilors down now. The weight of his task suddenly sat squarely on his shoulders and he could feel the enormity of it.

You will not let them down, a small voice said from within him. Your strength will never fail you. It was his own voice again, he realized. He nodded to himself, gathering his confidence. It was late and he would be leaving at dawn. Tomorrow he would begin the journey that would prove to Sunblaze he belonged on the council.

-

At last the day arrived that the party was to depart. Dark’s night had been fitful, filled with nightmares of the horrors that his mind said would befall the unicorn tribe should he fail. Sunblaze was not present for the raising of the sun. The task took a larger toll on him this morning, what with the lack of good rest, and the heavy cloud cover hid his work from him making it that much less enjoyable.

He trudged down to the courtyard where all the sample goods had been loaded into the wagon. A light snow had fallen in the night and everything glistened white in the morning light as more snow fell softly to the ground. The breath of his companions hovered briefly in the cold air as Dark approached.

“We are ready to set off,” Ledger told him when he reached them. “All the supplies for the trip as well as the trade materials are loaded.”

Dark nodded and placed his pack into the back of the wagon. “Very well. Send word to the Council that we will be departing,” he said to a nearby guard.

Their farewell was simple. The king and his councilors came down to see them off and wish them a safe journey. Each councilor had their own words of encouragement for the small party or a congratulation for Dark being voted onto the council; each except Sunblaze. He stood silently watching behind the others.

Dark expressed his gratitude and said his farewells to each that approached him. The last person of the group to speak with him was the king himself. “Do us proud out there, Dark Rise,” he said.

“I will, Your Grace,” he said, bowing his head to the stallion.

“I know you will, Dark,” he said with a smile. “That is why I accepted you to the council. I look forward to your coming years of service.”

Dark beamed and raised his head. “Thank you for your vote of confidence,” he said, glancing to where Sunblaze stood watching him and his smile faltered.

The king followed Darks gaze and smiled. “Do not worry about Sunblaze. He is entirely too cautions for a stallion as young as he is.”

“I thought he was-“ Dark began.

“He is,” said the king cutting him off with a chuckle, “and still too cautious. You have shown us your worth.”

Darks smile returned. “Thank you again, Your Grace,” he said. “You have put my mind at ease.”

“Good. Now off with the lot of you,” he said. “You have a task to complete.”

III

The first few days of their journey were uneventful. The late winter snow continued to fall steadily and the three unicorns took turns using their magic to clear it from the path and keep the wagon from getting stuck. They passed out of unicorn territory fairly quickly and before long they were among minor earth pony towns.

Some nights they would stay in at the occasional inn, wherein Ledger would take the opportunity to entertain the patrons and earn a few extra bits whenever he could, while Everstar and Dark watched alongside the crowd. The pony was a master of intricate magical design. He would bend light and air to create spectacular images before the crowd’s eyes.

Other nights they would be lucky enough to find a local that would take them in for the evening. On those nights Everstar would insist on helping with the cooking while Dark would clean up after the meal, in show of their appreciation. Before everypony went to sleep Ledger would use his illusion-craft to put on a small show for the homeowners.

Of course, there were also nights they spent camping. They were cold, but Everstar knew a few spells for keeping the camp warm and dry, and Ledger provided his skills to keep the camp safe. Dark felt a little left out. The only spells he had ever focused on were those that furthered his work with the celestials.

A couple days had gone past since they had seen the last home. It was the night before their journey into the earth pony territory was to be completed and their camp was set alongside the snow covered road high in the mountains. Pine trees littered the landscape. “I’m already starting to miss home,” said Ledger, holding his hooves out to the fire as he and Dark watched Everstar stir the pot placed over it. “A warm bed, a fire in the hearth. Even an inn would be better.”

“A hot meal,” Dark continued for him with a small laugh.

“Exactly.”

“We have warm food,” countered Everstar.

“Warm slop, more like,” Ledger muttered so she couldn’t hear him. Dark caught it and chuckled.

Everstar glared at them from the other side of the fire. “What?”

“I said ‘it’s delicious,’” he responded coyly.

“That’s what I thought.” Everstar tapped the ladle on the side of the pot and glanced skyward.

Dark followed her gaze. The light from the moon and stars penetrated the clouds overhead and was made brighter by the snow on the ground. If not for the falling snow, they would be able to see some of the peaks around them and down into the valley that they were preparing to descend into the next morning.

“Seems the pegasi thought they would have one last ‘hurrah!’ and make wrap up that much more of a pain,” she continued.

“More water for the crops we’ll be negotiating for,” said Dark, eyeing the pot over the fire. “When is that stuff going to be done? I’m starving.”

Dark's constant duty of tending to the celestials alone each day, coupled with the journey from Aethon, had been taking its toll on him; he felt hungrier, as well as more tired, than normal. He found himself wondering how, in times past, the great rulers had been able to continuously raise the sun alone, or, once they had accomplished the feat, did they pass the duty onto to their subjects? Surely it would be impractical if they had done it alone their entire reign, spending their lives chained to the needs of the celestials.

“Another few minutes,” replied Everstar as she stirred. “Are either of you getting excited for our meeting with the earth ponies?”

“I’m excited to get this behind us,” said Ledger.

Dark shrugged watching the pot. The cold of the trip and the work involved had already somewhat dulled the experience for Dark. He still wanted to show these simple ponies what he was capable of, but he was beginning to wonder if they would even understand the gravity of what he was doing, and if they did, would they believe he wasn’t being helped by the other unicorns? To Dark’s knowledge the earth ponies did not have a way of telling who was using a spell or when.

“Hardly the attitude of a diplomat,” Everstar chastised him. “I, for one, am excited.”

“Care to elaborate?” Dark asked after watching her stir the pot for a few moments. His stomach was starting to rumble and idle chit chat would at least keep his mind off of it.

“Well, while I worked with Referendum we never actually got to see any of the other tribes’ communities. I’ve been involved in the last two delegations. We hosted one at Aethon, and the other… the pegasi hosted us in a forest camp below one of their cities,” she said, disappointment in her tone. “I think it would have been amazing to see what their architecture was like… See how they lived among each other in the sky…”

“It’s clouds,” Ledger countered flatly. “Not much architecture to be had if you ask me.”

Everstar shot him another glare for interrupting her. “Well, this time I will get to see another tribe’s city. It may be a poor substitute for the Cities of the Sky, but it’ll be a far step above a camp.”

Dark hadn’t thought of it like this. To him, this had just been a task that would enable him to prove his worth to Sunblaze and allow him to show off his abilities, not an adventure in and of itself full of new things to experience and explore. Perhaps he was selling it short. He shivered. “That stew done yet?”

She brought the ladle up to her mouth and sipped from it, smacking her lips. She nodded and began filling bowls. “Perfect.” The bowls floated across the fire to where Ledger and Dark sat. They took them and began eating.

“Mmm, warm slop,” said Ledger, after taking a bite, his tone dripping in sarcasm.

“Oh, quit your bellyaching,” Everstar said as she filled her own bowl. “It will keep your stomach nice and warm on an evening like tonight.”

“Tastes delicious,” said Dark around a mouthful. It honestly did, but he was so hungry anything may have tasted such.

As he ate, he glanced into the darkness around them. He couldn’t help but marvel at Everstar’s and Ledger’s spells. Snow continued to fall, but within the camp’s border none of it touched the ground. Each night Ever had provided them with dry ground, once he and Ledger had cleared it of snow, and then she put up a spell preventing the snow from falling there. She was truly something else. If not for her, Dark expected he would be even more worn down. Then, after she had finished her preparations, Ledger would go around the perimeter and set wards to prevent anything from entering the camp uninvited.

Dark became fascinated with each of their spells and started making an effort to join them as they worked, asking questions about each and even attempting to place them himself. With a couple nights of practice he was able to get the hang of drying the ground, but the spell that kept the snow from falling in camp was beyond him.

The wards were equally tricky. Each night, while Everstar was prepping the evening’s meal, Ledger would go over them with Dark. The weaving of the spell became easy enough, but he was having a hard time bringing his focus on what should be allowed to enter and what should be denied. Earlier that evening his attempt had sent Ledger soaring into a snowbank beyond the camp’s edge, which left Everstar fighting fits of laughter. The incident ended practices early.

The evening wore on; friendly jabs were made and laughs were had. With the meal finished, the trio decided it would be best to turn in early. Tomorrow would see them meeting their earth pony escort, and soon after in Canterville, the home of the Chancellor. The fire was doused, the wards were checked; the camp was set for the evening and they retired to their beds.

Around him, Darks companions began to fall asleep, the nights silence broken by their snores. He lay in silence staring up at the ceiling of the tent, once again thankful for Ever’s spells. She had shown them a trick to keep the tent warm; something extremely simple she had learned as a foal from her father. All you needed were a few rocks and something to hold them in, then you heated the rocks and they acted like a heater through the night.

He focused his thoughts and closed his eyes reheating the rocks again. His mind was restless and wouldn’t permit him sleep. It had been a long trip so far, and tomorrow it would become more than just a journey. Tomorrow he would have to prove he was the diplomat he had been spending so much time training to be. It was a combination of nerves and excitement. Eventually a fitful sleep did take him.

Dark awoke with a start. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t remember what he had been dreaming about, but something had made him jolt and he found himself suddenly wide awake. It was dark out still, but lately it was always dark out when he woke up. The day can’t start without me, he thought to himself with a self-satisfied smile as he pushed his blanket off and went to the tent’s entrance, poking his head out. He looked skyward; it was snowing harder than before. Dark sighed with annoyance, closing his eyes.

He needed to see the stars. In his mind he focused on a minor sight spell that would place his point of vision above the clouds. When the spell was woven he opened his eyes again, looking around him at the sea of white. The moonlight shined brightly off the clouds making it look as if he were sitting in an endless meadow piled with snow. He glanced up to the stars and studied them a moment. Judging by their position, he still had several hours before he had to raise the sun.

He sighed and yawned again, releasing the spell. Suddenly he was back in the camp, his head poking out of the tent. He ducked back inside and retied the entrance before holding a hoof over the heat rocks. They were mostly cold but the tent was still warm enough. He focused on the spell pattern again, but only heated them about half as hot as they normally would. No need to make it too hot, he thought to himself. But… better to wake up warm than cold.

As Dark stepped back to his bed he realized something. Ledgers bed was empty. Dark’s brow furrowed. “That’s odd,” he murmured under his breath, turning back toward the tent’s entrance, staring at it for a moment before going back and untying the flaps. The outside world was devoid of movement. He stepped out into the frigid evening and went to the edge of the camp where fat snowflakes continued to fall in a deafening silence.

“Ledger,” said Dark in a whispered call, his breath hanging in the air before him as a small white cloud. Something didn’t feel right. He walked around the edge of the camp until he found a trail of fresh hoof prints. “Ledger!” he called again, not willing to raise his voice higher, as he peered into the trees.

Tentatively, he stepped into the snow. It was almost deep enough to touch his chest so he stayed closer to the trees where it was shallow and kept his eyes on the tracks Ledger had left behind. The night seemed brighter than it should. Dark had to keep reminding himself that the snow made it easier to see, reflecting the little moonlight that made it through the clouds and brightening the landscape. He shuddered and glanced between trees as he passed, nervous of the shadows that lay beneath the pines in the copses of trees. He thought he saw something move in one of them.

“It’s your imagination,” he said to himself under his breath to break the silence around him, then in his hushed call, “Ledger! Where are you?”

There was a thump behind him and Dark jumped and darted forward several steps, a spell forming in his mind in defense as he struggled in the chest deep snow to turn around and see what was behind him. He let out a sigh and muttered a curse under his breath, seeing a bare branch swaying in relief of the weight of the snow that had just fallen from it. “Imagination,” he said angrily and turned back to Ledger’s trail. The more he watched the tracks, the more they seemed sloppy, like their maker was stumbling and oblivious to the deep snow they were trudging through.

He moved under the next tree and stamped the snow from his legs with a shiver; the cold was starting to seep into him. Looking back out from under his cover he followed the tracks with his eyes. They disappeared behind a couple of trees ahead. Stepping out into the deeper snow again, Dark glanced up at the peak above him; sparse speckles of grey stone peeking out against the heavy blanket of snow. He would feel better once they were out of this pass and in the lowlands again. He shuddered and brought his eyes back to Ledgers tracks, trying to focus.

He ducked under a couple of snow laden branches. When he came clear of the trees he finally saw Ledger; he was standing in the middle of a small clearing, staring ahead. “Ledger!” he said, stepping farther from what he felt was the safety of the trees. The other pony didn’t seem to hear him. He crept closer, keeping his eyes around the edge of the clearing; now that he was not amidst them, the trees seemed threatening; anything could be hiding in wait within them. “Ledger!”

Dark’s companion still seemed to ignore him, just standing in the center of the clearing, staring into the night. Dark’s ears laid back as he came closer to Ledger and his eyes continued scanning the trees. Finally, he was close enough to touch his friend. “Ledger?” he said, his voice low, reaching out and nudging the stallion.

Being touched, Ledger finally showed signs of life and, turning his head, his brow furrowed. “Dark?” Confusion dripped from his tone. He seemed to suddenly have trouble keeping his balance and his knees buckled before giving way, sending him sprawling “What’s going on?” he spluttered, the cold entering his voice.

Dark scanned the trees again looking for any sign of movement, his ears swiveling this way and that as he helped Ledger to his hooves. Something didn’t feel right. “I don’t know. We should get back to the camp,” he said wearily.

“Let me check the wards.” Ledger closed his eyes. After a moment his brows furrowed.

“What’s wrong?” Dark asked.

“They have been broken,” he said his eyes popping open.

Darks eyes went back to the trees, expecting something to come for them out of the darkness. “Is that possible?”

“No. Not without me unraveling the weave. Give me a minute.” Ledger closed his eyes in concentration again. It was amazing what this pony could do with his spells. He had told Dark that he had been able to manipulate the sight spell that he and other unicorns used to see the stars to allow him to work magic from that projection. Dark couldn’t understand it himself. “Alright. Ever is still sleeping, and the ward has been cast again.”

There was a sound like a tree branch snapping somewhere in the forest. Their ears perked, their heads turned. “We should go,” said Dark again.

Ledger nodded and they wearily made their way to the edge of the clearing, ears swiveling toward every perceived sound. Dark ducked under the tree branches first and stopped, his eyes wide with fear as he stared at the ground in front of them. The night around them suddenly seemed colder.

“What is it?” asked Ledger stepping up next to him.

“Those weren’t here when I came looking for you.” Dark pointed a hoof at the paw prints that crossed their old tracks. They were massive, easily five times the size of one of his hoof prints. The hair on the back of his neck bristled and he suddenly felt like he was being watched.

“Think I know what it is,” said Ledger quietly.

“What do you mean?” Dark turned his head towards his friend, but his eyes continued to scan their surroundings.

“It’s an Amarok. It’s got to be. I’ve heard about them before - massive wolves that can manipulate spells. They use those abilities to distract and lure their prey into traps,” he said, his voice hushed.

There was a howl from the clearing behind them. Dark jumped and whirled around trying to see through the snow laden tree branches, his ears straining for any indication of where their assailant could be coming from.

“Don’t trust your ears,” said Ledger. “We need to stay close and watch each other’s backs. We need to warn Ever. Let’s keep going to the camp.”

Dark nodded in agreement and they continued following their tracks. Occasionally a growl or the sound of a branch breaking would make Dark would turn to face what he was sure would be his doom. Ledger would calm him and help him focus, telling him it was only the beast playing with his mind trying to distract him from the true task at hand: staying vigilant.

“If we lose sight of our surroundings we’re as good as dead,” he said.

Finally, they came into view of the camp and Dark breathed a sigh of relief. Just as quickly as his hopes appeared they were dashed. As if materializing from the snow itself, a massive wolf stepped between them and their sanctuary. It loomed out of its surroundings; its menacing stature was seemingly amplified by the ragged white fur that blended perfectly with the falling snow, broken only by two golden eyes. Their gaze seemed as if it could pierce the soul. It pinned Dark to the spot; he was unable to look away.

Ledger nudged him, bringing him back to reality. “Get into the camp,” Ledger told him. “You’ll be safe there. The wards won’t let it in.”

“But-“ Dark began, his eyes moving to his friend.

“I’ll be right behind you,” said Ledger urgently. Something in his tone made Dark think he was lying.

“Led-“

“Go!” yelled Ledger in anger.

Dark was suddenly thrown from the pony’s side. He let out a yelp as he crashed into the trunk of one of the pines at the edge of the clearing. A scream of pain and anguish filled his ears. Dark pushed himself up groggily. He shook his head trying to regain his balance. The scream ended as suddenly as it had begun. He blinked, his vision coming into focus and he looked to where Ledger had been.

Hunched over his friend was the wolf. It dwarfed the pony beneath it. The squelch of flesh being ripped from bone could be heard and Dark’s stomach lurched. Crimson spattered the crisp white snow around the two. The wolf lifted its head, amber eyes piercing the scene towards Dark. Its blood stained muzzle seemed to be grinning, gristle hanging from its teeth. It clenched its jaws and bone snapped between them.

The realization of what was going on hit Dark like a brick wall and the world went red. The wolf never saw what hit it.

Dark took hold of the beast as if it were the sun. The force was immense and the wolf screamed in pain. Dark could feel it fighting the spell, but it was like trying to pry a bone from a dogs grip. He rushed the beast, a guttural, wordless cry bellowing from his throat, and he hurled the beast away from his friend.

It hit a tree with a loud crack; tree and wolf alike toppled into a mangled heap. Dark followed it to where it lay. His rage had taken hold of him as he looked down at the wolf. It stared back up at him, its golden eyes scared, blood covering its now ragged fur. Dark balled all the raw energy he could muster between the beast’s ears. There was a booming thunderclap and its head vanished in a spray of red.

He forgot his anger then. Turning, he rushed to his friend’s side. Ledger lay in a ring of crimson snow, his tan coat mostly red as well. He was dead, probably from the instant the wolf had landed. ”Ledger,” he said softly, tears starting to fill his eyes and he let out a loud cry.

“Dark?” It was Everstar’s voice.

“No,” he said. “Don’t come here!” He didn’t want her to see this. He stood hastily and looked away from Ledger’s corpse to the mare and quickly started toward her.

“What’s going on? I heard…” she trailed off, her ears perking.

He heard it too. Something loud was coming toward them. “Avalanche,” he barked, then more urgently, “get to the wagon!” In that short moment everything became a mad dash. Around them the world began to rumble.

When they reached the wagon they hurriedly climbed underneath it.

“What happened?” Everstar called over the rising noise.

“It will be alright,” was the only response Dark could think to give before the world went dark.

IV

Dark swam through the darkness. The cold eyes of his friends and mentors followed him wherever he went. He could feel their disapproval, their disappointment. “This is your fault.” It was Everstar’s soft voice. Darks head turned to find her. Ledger sat next to her nodding in silent agreement. “You let Ledger and I die.” They had never accused him of anything like this before.

“No,” whispered Dark, “I didn’t mean to…” His eyes welled up. There was nothing he could have done. He didn’t even know what he had done to kill that wolf. It had just… happened. He had never hurt anything before in his life, let alone studied spells with such goals. And Everstar… he could no more stop an avalanche than he could move a mountain. He wished more than anything that he had been able to save them.

“I’m sorry,” he said, turning from their hateful eyes in an attempt to find some solace in the void.

As he drifted through the darkness Sunblaze appeared before him, stopping him from continuing. “I warned the King you would fail the unicorns,” he said. The stallion was taller than Dark remembered; his mentor loomed over him.

Dark lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry,” he said again. He had no explanation for his failure.

“Your words will not forgo the destruction your actions have brought on our tribe,” said his mentor.

“Please… I’m so sorry,” Dark pleaded. He had no other words. He had failed at everything he was tasked with. His legs buckled and he sank to the ground, tears beginning to stream down the sides of his face. “Please, forgive me!”

“We will not.” The words were a chorus. The sound of so many voices made him look up. Next to Sunblaze stood the king, and behind them was the rest of the council. Ledger and Everstar, Darks family, his friends… Scanning the faces it seemed like everypony he had ever met stood around him staring in disappointment.

He scrambled to his feet wiping the tears from his face. “You have doomed us all,” said the king stepping forward.

Dark opened his mouth to apologize and plead for their forgiveness again but before he could bring the words forth the world around him twisted. Those gathered screamed in fear or perhaps pain and were suddenly gone. Behind where they had stood was a single pony. Dark squinted at the stallion in disbelief.

It was him. The pony’s head turned. It was him, only his eyes were burning green. Dark was enveloped with a feeling of dread. The stallion turned and began to approach leveling his glowing eyes on Dark Rise, a vicious grin creeping across his lips.

He sat up with a start. Fear was replaced with pain and he groaned audibly and slumped backwards into the bed. How long had he been asleep, he wondered as he looked around the foreign room. Save for a water basin on the adjacent wall, it was bare of all touches of home; just an empty night stand and a low burning oil lamp. His eyes went over the window. It was dark outside.

Instantly Dark was engulfed in a panic and he was up like a shot. Pain flared through his body causing him to yelp and he stumbled out of the bed sprawling onto the floor, the blanket tangled around him. He needed to raise the sun. He cussed under his breath and kicked and pulled at the blanket trying to get his hooves underneath him.

The commotion apparently attracted somepony’s attention as the door behind him opened. “What are you doing out of bed?” came a mare’s voice.

Dark struggled against the blanket. “I need to raise the sun,” he said grabbing at the cloth with his teeth and tugging.

“No you don’t! It’s the middle of the night.” Dark turned his head slowly, his mouth full of blanket. Behind him, standing in the doorway, was a tan earth pony, her brown and white mane was askew, as if she had just gotten out of bed; she likely had. “You’re only going to hurt yourself worse like this; you shouldn’t even be trying to get up yet.” She genuinely seemed concerned and came to his side, leaning down to help him untangle the blankets.

Dark stared for a moment, forgetting what he had been trying to do. She was beautiful; good lines, long legs and gorgeous crystal blue eyes. Her cutie mark depicted a heart with the right half wrapped in bandages. “Er,” he said, suddenly ashamed of his thoughts; she was an earth pony, after all. The blanket was tugged from his mouth as the mare unraveled him. “Who are you?”

She untangled the last of the blanket and set it aside revealing a bandage that wrapped around his rib cage. “My name’s Kind Heart. Most ponies call me Kind though. Now hold still while I check this…” she said as she examined the bandage checking to make certain it had not loosened or begun to show red. When she seemed satisfied she helped him up. “You need to be more careful. That bruising around your ribs suggests they could be broken and you could re-open a number of cuts.”

He took her hoof and stood, albeit gingerly. “I’d believe it,” he said with a slight wince. Suddenly a thought hit him and his panic returned. “Where is Everstar?!”

“She’s sleeping in the next room,” Kindle Heart said much more quietly than Darks sudden outburst. “It would be best if you didn’t wake her.”

“Right…” He rubbed his foreleg in embarrassment, and his mind when to Ledger, laying a ring of red in the cold snow. Darks eyes squeezed closed.

“Now, it’s time you got back in bed. I’d like to get back to mine as well, before the sun rises…”

“It won’t rise without me,” he muttered under his breath, pushing away the thoughts of his friend as he opened his eyes looking to the mare.

She smirked at his words making him feel indignant. “Your friend said you would want to be working the instant you woke up,” she said, before he could make a retaliatory statement. “She wrote your council to alert them of what happened. They sent a letter in return for you. Would you like to see it?”

He tried to think of a way to preserve some of his dignity as the mare helped him into bed. Words failed him and he simply nodded as he lay back against the pillow. “Please.”

“I’ll grab it in just a moment,” she said as she picked up the blanket and tossed it over the top of him tucking the edges beneath the mattress. It was strange to see something like that done without magic. It didn’t seem to give the mare trouble, but if he were to try it he was sure he wouldn’t have such ease with the task. She leveled a stern look on him. “Stay put.” The mare turned, then, and walked out leaving the door open and Dark to stare after her.

He looked around the room again noticing the details for the first time. The ceiling was low with heavy beams to support it, the walls looked to be plaster of some sort, and the floor was simply heavily packed earth. The hall outside didn’t look that much different. It was a simple house for a simple pony.

He began wondering if all their structures were like this; short walls built over dirt with a ceiling. Something simple, made only to keep you warm and dry. He began to see why this was such an important venture and why the king and his council had invested so much time and effort into his studies and his abilities. The proud tribe of the unicorns should not be simple servants raising and lowering the celestials for this base tribe of ponies. They needed to be brought out from under their current agreements.

The mare returned a few moments later with a scroll between her teeth. She set it on the bed before him. “Here it is,” she said, before retrieving the oil lamp and placing it on the nightstand. “Now, I expect you asleep once you’ve finished reading it.”

Dark all but ignored her as she left the room and pulled the door closed behind her. He unrolled the scroll and read the looping text:

Dark Rise,

We have been made aware of your situation, and are relieved to know of your and Everstar’s safety. Take the time needed to recover and, in the meantime, Aethon will resume caring for the celestials until you determine you are well enough to handle the task again. Please take the doctor’s input into consideration before you make your decision. We’ve made arrangements and new supplies are on the way.

Sincerely,

King Suvrain

Next to the name, stamped in purple ink, was the king’s sigil. He reread the letter. They must not have been able to salvage anything from the avalanche wreckage, not that the earth ponies would know what to look for. The thought put a chill through him and he shuddered as he set the letter next to the lamp. He and Everstar were truly lucky that they had been found. As he lay there lost in his thoughts about the coming days he drifted off not realizing just how tired he actually was.

-

Dark’s morning had started out slow. The doctor was the first to hear that Dark had woken in the night and had plenty of questions for him. To Dark’s surprise the doctor had turned out to be the earth pony Chancellor. He was allowing the two unicorns to stay in his home to make it easier to monitor their care, and Dark spent the first couple hours being poked and prodded. Eventually the doctor was satisfied and allowed Dark to leave his room and visit Everstar.

Now he sat next to her bed. She had ended up in much worse shape than he had with both her left legs broken. She wouldn’t be leaving the bed any time soon. “I’m glad you’re awake,” she said. “The doctor was beginning to worry that if you didn’t wake soon you might not wake at all.”

He stared into the bowl that sat next to him on Ever’s nightstand. Kind, the doctor’s daughter as it turned out, had made a thick barley porridge for breakfast. It was delicious and he put another spoonful into his mouth as he looked Everstar over. Her left legs were placed in heavy casts and she had the same type of bandages wrapped around her chest like he had. She also had one wrapping around her forehead. He couldn’t help but feel like her injuries were his fault regardless of what he was told.

They weren’t certain what had caused the avalanche, but Dark had little doubt that the spells he had used had something to do with it. Thinking back he couldn’t remember what exactly he had done. Recreating the spells might not be possible. He shuddered. He didn’t really want to think about that. Magic wasn’t meant for killing.

Ever was watching him as he ate. “Are you alright?” she asked.

“Yes, just…” He couldn’t get his mind off of Ledgers body. They had not been able to find it after the avalanche. The chancellor had said that by this point it was likely some scavenger had claimed it and had called off the search the day before Dark had woken up. He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

Ever reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “You did what you could, Dark,” she reassured him. “There’s nothing more anypony could ask for.”

He dropped the spoon back into the bowl, only a little of the breakfast having been eaten. “I need some air,” he said, pushing himself up.

“Don’t wander too far...”

Dark left his friend’s room. It was hard to explain to her what he was feeling. He had frozen when he saw that thing and he’d begun to panic. Ledger had saved him. Now, burned in his mind’s eye was that wolf, standing over Ledger, blood dripping from his jaws, and the snap of bone echoing through Darks head. He couldn’t help feeling that Ledger’s death was his fault. If only I hadn’t lost my wits… Then what? Would he have been able to kill the wolf before the wolf killed Ledger? The fact was he doubted it.

He pushed the front door open and stepped onto the porch. The air outside was crisp and low-rolling clouds filled the sky. Here and there a break gave Dark a glimpse of his sun. He chided himself inwardly; it wasn’t his, after all, was it? It did feel odd, though, not having had a hoof in raising it. While tiring, he had grown used to the weight of its burden. He breathed a sigh wondering who had taken part in the ceremony today and brought his gaze back to the world around him.

The snow around the path in the yard had been cleared and piled on either side leaving a clear walkway to the small road out front. He glanced up and down it taking note of the direction other ponies were going and decided to follow them, his eyes scanning the buildings as he went. To his surprise, though he had originally thought it to be small, the Chancellor’s home appeared to be one of the larger buildings in the area, three stories tall with a high multi-peaked wooden shingled roof. Its slope seemed to keep it free of snow.

Most of the other buildings were much simpler with only a single level and patches of thatch peeking from beneath the snow. Almost every dwelling here was crafted from the same dull plaster with wooden beams adding variation and decoration. Only a few seemed to be made with stone or actual planks.

He wandered down the street glancing between houses and watching ponies go about their daily business. It seemed as if he was going unnoticed, his horn only drawing the occasional glance as he meandered down the street. It was not long before something caught his eye. It was something he had never seen the likes of before.

He changed course and headed in its direction. It looked to be taller than the chancellor’s home, which to this point, was the tallest building Dark had seen in the town. He turned a corner and saw the building in its entirety. It was tall, and it dominated a small square. Aside from the tower, it was a single story building styled much like the other buildings in town. However, this was one of the few buildings with a shingled roof. The tower jutting out of it was another four stories taller and resting behind it was a massive fan rotating slowly. “What could that be for?” he wondered aloud, looking up at the contraption.

Lining the square with this building were more single story structures all made of wood paneling, but they stood on two foot stilts. None of the structures had windows. These were odd differences from the rest of the buildings he had seen.

There were fewer ponies here than had been on the other streets. Those here seemed to move with a purpose. A couple pulled sacks from one of the surrounding buildings and loaded them onto a wagon while another counted the goods that were loaded. Warehouses, then, thought Dark as he approached the larger building, his neck craning to look at the fan.

He glanced around and saw a path leading behind the building. Curiosity got the best of him and he followed it. He wanted to see the fan in its entirety. Behind the building looked to be the village green, a massive park. Maybe this thing was just a piece of art, something to view while you were at the park. The building itself was much more manicured on this side, with snow covered bushes and dressed window shutters. The fan blades looked to be a lattice of wood covered in cloth. It seemed overly elaborate for a piece of art.

He stood in the snow for a while watching the blades rotate around pondering their purpose. Behind him he could hear the sounds of the town. Turning he could see the town’s market. It was likely where the majority of the ponies he had been following were going. The path he was on seemed to circle around the park. Other paths lead from it to the center where a statue stood proudly.

Dark followed the path and eventually joined the growing crowd at the market. Food and wares sat on display in the chilled morning air as ponies called out their daily specials trying to attract customers. The smell of fresh baked bread wafted through the air and Dark’s mouth began to water. His nose drew him to the stall and he watched some ponies produce an earth pony bit and offer it to the stall owner in exchange for a steaming bun. He waited his turn and hoped that the stall keeper would accept his gems.

To his surprise the mare was more than willing and even offered him ten of the small bits as change. He accepted graciously and turned, levitated the bun alongside him taking a bite and savoring the taste of the warm, honeyed bread; it was like nothing he had tasted back home. It was hard to put into words how it tasted. Sweet and soft and warm… Breads he had eaten in Aethon could be described the same way, but they could not compare.

His eyes drifted to those around him as he walked away from the stall. If his horn had been nothing unusual before, the floating bun produced the stares he had been expecting. He smiled slightly to himself as he chewed. These ponies had likely never seen magic for themselves, and if they had it was likely very little. The thought was strange and exhilarating.

He suddenly felt the need to show off his talents but he resisted the urge and continued on his way ignoring the stares while munching on the oven warm bun. He followed a path from the market back into the park. It was mostly still covered in snow with little ponies building a snowpony and others building forts in preparation for a snow ball fight.

He approached the center of the green where the statue stood; there were seating areas all around it. Only one of the benches was in use; a couple was watching the young fillies and colts in the snow. The walking was beginning to cause his ribs to ache so he decided to rest, taking a seat on one of the benches. He continued to savor his bun while looking the statue over. It depicted an earth pony mare standing proud atop a small rock formation staring confidently into the distance.

“That’s Chancellor Honeycut.” It was Kind’s voice. Dark looked over. He hadn’t noticed her join him. She really was a beautiful mare, and now that she hadn’t been woken in the middle of the night it was obvious. “She was the first elected ruler of the Earth ponies.”

He had known that the earth pony tribe collectively chose their leader, but the thought still seemed strange. The king was the son of the ruler before him, and he spent his entire life training to take up the role of ruler when she had passed on. But in the earth pony tribe they had elected a doctor to rule for them. He felt it an odd choice and wondered why.

“Actually she founded Canterville, here,” she continued through Darks silence. “It has served as the home of the Chancellor ever since.”

“You aren’t from here, then?” he asked her, curiously.

“No. My family comes from Colton. We moved here about seven years ago, when my father was first elected,” she told him stepping up to the low bench. “It’s been long enough that this is home for me, now.”

Dark nodded once then looked back to the statue of the long dead Chancellor. He had always lived in Aethon. After the first day of their journey here he had surpassed the farthest distance he had ever been from home. He couldn’t imagine leaving there to live somewhere else.

“You know, you shouldn’t wander off without telling somepony where you’re going,” she said as he sat in silent contemplation and nudged him causing him to grimace and cringe away from her with a glare. “If something went wrong with those we wouldn’t be able to help. Not to mention Ever’s quite worried about you.”

He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment. “I’ve had a bit on my mind. Ledger…” he trailed off shaking his head.

“Sometimes there is nothing we can do-“

“But I could have done something,” he said, slamming a hoof onto the cold bench. He clenched his eyes closed. He didn’t mean to sound so angry. His voice softened then and he opened his eyes again. “It could have been me that died. I froze and Ledger saved me. It should have been me.” He looked at the ground too ashamed to meet Kind’s eyes. He had been thinking about his friend all morning. The news that his friend’s body had not been recovered had hit him hard and the images of the events that had happened before the avalanche continued to plague his minds eye.

“Now, now,” came Kind’s voice, softly. “I didn’t know him, but I’m sure Ledger would not change his decision. He managed to save you and you were able to save Everstar. If we were able to ask him I think he would be proud.”

Dark sighed and returned his gaze to the statue. He needed to change the subject. He was not in the mood to be patronized. Behind it he could see that large building. “Say, Kind Heart,” he said perking a little, “What is that building over there?” He raised a hoof pointing that it.

“That’s the windmill,” she said as if he should know that.

“Wind… mill?” he said, giving her a strange look.

She stared at him a moment. “You don’t know what a windmill is?” She looked a little incredulous as he shook his head. “How do you get your flour then? Don’t tell me you grind it by hoof…”

“Magic,” he said matter-of-factly.

It was her turn to look at him strangely.

“It’s a simple spell,” he assured her. “It takes next to no time at all.”

She shook her head. “Sounds like a waste of good wheat,” she said under her breath. “You see, the proper way to grind flours is in a mill. See those sails turning? That’s using the wind to turn grindstones inside the house. All we have to do is load grain, or corn, or even flowers, beneath the stones and then the windmill does the rest of the work.”

Dark stared at the windmill watching its “sails,” as Kind had called them. They caught the wind and made the wind move stones. This wasn’t magic he was familiar with. “I don’t understand,” he said flatly looking back to her. “I didn’t think earth ponies were able to do magic.”

Kind laughed softly. “It’s not magic. It’s… hard to explain,” she said pausing for a moment in thought before she pushed herself up from the bench. “You know what? Come with me. Maybe I can show you.”

He looked back toward the building, its sails rotating lazily in the cold afternoon breeze. His curiosity plagued him. He wanted to know how this worked, and while Kind had denied the use of magic he doubted that could be the case. As he stood Kind turned and started down the path toward the windmill.

Dark found his mind wandering as he followed her. The sway of Kind’s walk was distracting. If only she were a unicorn... he thought to himself as he watched her ahead of him and his shame returned. How could his mind wander to such a place now? Ledger’s grave was still empty and he was to blame.

“Now, everything depends on the sails catching the wind to rotate,” she said as they approached the building, snapping Dark back to reality. “Keep that in mind when we go inside.”

Dark nodded and looked up at the massive cloth-covered blades. They really didn’t look like much. How they could be so important was beyond him.

When they came around to the front of the building Kind knocked on the large double doors. After a moment a yellow pony opened them and greeted Kind with a smile. Dark caught his eye and he gave him, or maybe it was his horn, an odd look. “Morning, Heron,” she said cheerfully. “How’s your son’s ankle doing?”

“Oh, much better,” said the pony looking back to Kind with a smile, “thanks to you and your pops. He’s been out playing in the fresh snow he’s felt so much better.”

“I’m very happy to hear that,” she said. “Be sure to bring him in if it should start to swell again. We can’t have the little colt stuck in bed.”

Heron chuckled. “Will do, Kind, will do.”

“Heron, this is Dark Rise,” she said gesturing to Dark. He bowed his head slightly in greeting. “He is the Unicorn Ambassador. I was curious, if you aren’t too busy today, could we get a tour of the mill?”

“Of course! Come in, come in,” he said graciously, stepping back so that they could enter.

Inside was mostly one large room; the three wings were all open and in each sat a large circular vat with a small column rising to the ceiling and a small staircase led up to the next level. Ponies were at each vat, some filling sacks from the side of them, some emptying bags into the top. Everything was being done manually it seemed.

“Might as well start right here with the stones,” said Heron as he lead them to one of the vats. Dark and Kind followed and Dark saw that there was a stone inside the vat and it was slowly rotating. “We work three stones here, as you can see.” He gestured between the three stations. ”Makes it easier if we have multiple orders of different meal to make.

“This one here is grinding flour. We fill the hopper,” he lifted a hoof tapping a metal cone above the stone, “with wheat and it dispenses it down into the stone below. It’s a bit more complex than that, but I’ll spare you the details. What goes in is this-“ he mounted the step ladder that made reaching the hopper easy and scooped out whole grains of wheat kernels, “and when the stones are done with it we have this.” He stepped down and slid a bucket under a spout before pulling it open.

Out from it poured extremely fine flour. He had helped his mother bake when he was a young colt, but he could not remember seeing flour as fine as this. He looked at the rotating stone again. None of the process could be seen. Kernel went in from the top, and flour came out from the bottom.

“And you say this isn’t magic?” he said looking at Kind.

Heron guffawed and Kind shook her head with a smile.

“How do the sails play a part, then?” he asked still confused as to what was actually happening.

“Ahh, the sails make this all happen,” said Heron with a grin, Kind nodding next to him. “Come with me.”

Dark followed him up the stairs with Kind next to him. “Fascinating, isn’t it?” she whispered to him, but he ignored her. His attention was on Heron and what his explanation could possibly be.

“This is the upright shaft,” he said as the got to the platform above and pointed a hoof toward a rotating beam hanging down from the tower. Connected to the bottom of it was a large toothed disc. It looked a lot like Herons cutie mark. “That is connected to the wind shaft. The wind shaft is rotated by the sails, which in turn rotates the upright shaft. See these three gears all connecting to the spur wheel?” Dark nodded as Heron pointed out the discs. “Each of these is what is powering the rotation of the stones below.”

Dark looked between the gears for a moment, and then stared up the shaft listening to the faint creak of wood. It was all quite mind boggling. Logically the idea made sense. Wind spun the sails, which in turn worked its way down to rotate the stones. No magic.

Of course, magic might have made things easier. You could use a spell to rotate the sails, but the earth ponies had found a way that really needed next to no real focus from any individual. “This is… very impressive,” he said finally. “Who came up with this idea?”

Heron smiled. “I like to think my great grandpappy had a hoof in it, but no one knows for sure. Earth ponies have been using water and wind powered mills or hundreds of years. Can only improve on what we have.”

Dark looked around the room again. If earth ponies could come up with such things he wondered if they could really have a need for some of the simpler things the council had thought to use as trade goods. “I think we should head back, Kind Heart,” he said. “I think my ribs are starting to hurt again.”