Only three days to save his life. Thoughts of her father, imprisoned and tortured for her people’s secrets, cut into her mind, but spurred her feet to keep crashing through the snow. She could almost hear her father’s voice, like a hiss amidst the pounding rain, calling her, ‘Ashbolt...Ash..,’ and she was torn between the want to cry and feel encouraged. Her hooves throbbed with the pain of a two day’s travel across Equestria, or what was now known as Broke Equestria.
Over the course of the past five years, there had been wars, kidnappings and scenes of destruction around every corner brought all because of the Two Sisters. These sisters were once so loving as they ruled the magical world of Equestria, but then the elder, Princess Celestia, was accused of tyranny and limiting her younger sister’s rule over their land, so Princess Luna rose to correct Celestia in her wrongs, but this only stirred anger. Neither sister would give in to the other and soon they’d split and forced every citizen of Equestria to join either the Solar Empire or the Lunar Colony. Then began war.
Ashbolt was very young when this occurred, so her family made the decision for her-then she became a loyal member of the Lunar Colony.
Now at the Age of Becoming, Ashbolt was sent on a mission on the order of gracious Princess Luna to retrieve their most skilled and strongest military captain who was also Ashbolt’s father.
So there she was, galloping through the snow and rain in the dead of night towards the village of the Solar Empire, unsure if her future was hiding honor and glory for her Colony or certain death for trespassing on Imperial grounds. Her heart pounded at rib-breaking speed, but Ashbolt didn’t dare slow down or hesitate until a light in the distance came into sight, shining through the storm like a star in the sky; the Empire’s palace was near.
She skid to a stop then slid gracefully under the line of bushes ushering visitors onto the palace path. Ashbolt cautiously peeked from her hiding place then caught sight of something moving. She rushed to cover herself once more, praying no one had seen her, but then she noticed it had just been her reflection from one of the many puddles pooling on the ground. Ashbolt let out a silent, frustrated sigh. If she jumped that easily, she’d surely die that night.
On the puddle’s surface was the image of an orange furred pony with an uneven mane streaked with the colors chocolate brown and yellow, now also matted with water. Around the young mare’s neck was tied a midnight blue cloak, clasped there with the Lunar Colony’s emblem. Under that hooded cloth was a set of wings, strong and ready to unfurl its sleek feathers at any moment. Then there was her pride and joy- the cutie mark displayed on her flank, a piece of paper being written on by a sparkling quill. This was Ashbolt Lumeneria.
The guards doubled back across the perimeters of palace that shown even in the light Princess Luna’s glorious moon. Ashbolt scanned the towers for any open windows and,lo and behold, just to the right of Celestia’s armed soldiers, there was a balcony. And its crystal doors were open, radiating a dim, yellow glow onto its landing. Ashbolt flexed her wings-being the fastest flyer in the Colony next to Mrs. Dash was now going to pay off. She eyed her target, crouched lower to the moist stink of dirt then, with one last breath in and a second’s glance at the guards, she took the risk and-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The tick of claws and clop of hooves on the marble floor echoed within the Solar Empire palace hall as the Empire’s prince snuck further and further away from his bedroom. They’d never notice. Princess Celestia and Emperor Discord didn’t usually stop their war plans anymore to wish him good night, and Illusion tried to convince himself that he didn’t miss it and was too old for that anyways. But every now and then, memories of his parents welcoming Aunt Luna back from a long journey to enjoy a welcome back feast with them flashed before his eyes, but it was Luna’s fault this whole war had started. So when Illusion’s mind would wander to recollections, he’d shake the thoughts away and try to convince himself that life was better the way it was. In his mother’s Solar Empire.
That night wasn’t about pleasing his parents though. As a prince, Illusion thought he had all the right to trot around the palace when he liked, even if it was during the dark hours of Luna’s Glory. So he continued on his way, the shadow of his one scraggly and one straight horn rippling across the walls, his swishing, long tail being the last thing to disappear around the corner and down the stairs. Illusion was on his way to the dungeon, curiosity and hate driving him to stare down at their prisoners that were despicable rebels in his eyes.
Illusion was just about to push open the doors leading down to the underground the jails below the last floor when a shadow that flicked across the walls caught his eye. He froze then slowly turned to face the long, cavernous corridor before him. Nothing moved. It must have been a bird..though birds usually aren’t that big. And fast.
He quickly brushed away the thought and was about turn back around when a black figure landed in the shadows just feet from him. His heart stopped. It definitely wasn’t a bird- the silhouette was almost as tall as him and had wings almost as wide as his mother’s, and when a breeze flew past his face as the wings closed to the figure’s heaving sides, he knew they were strong. It had to be a pegasus-a guard ready to take him back to his room? Or an enemy ready to kill...Illusion swallowed his heart and dug his two claws into the floor, almost annoyed that someone would dare sneak up on him. And scare him.
“Show yourself,” Illusion demanded in the best Royal Canterlot voice he could muster, but just quiet enough to keep the rest of the palace from waking.
The dark figure surprisingly obeyed, but took its time stepping out of the shadows and into the light cast by the Luna’s Glory through a nearby crystal window.
First Illusion saw the forelegs, orange and covered in filth, then a hooded face came into view followed by the dark cloak and hindlegs.
“Who are you?”
The shadow pegasus stood straight, proud, then, with a flick of its neck, the hood dropped to the pony’s shoulders, and there was its face. Her face.
The intruder was a mare, probably one just after her Becoming of Age ceremony, and had a straight, brown and yellow highlighted mane that fell easily with her hood and framed her determined face that stared into Illusion like blue shot of ice. She was strong, poised, and fluently dipped into a bow, “Prince.”
Illusion was taken back with her voice that was melodious, but at the same time, like a punch in the stomach. Then the mare stood again and something on her neck flashed-a clasp with etchings Illusion had been taught to hate since his days as a colt-the symbol of the Lunar Colony.
“You-!”
But before he could even finish his sentence, his enemy shot at him like a cannon, tackled him to the ground, then shoved a hoof over his mouth so hard, he could have sworn a tooth broke.
“You will lead me to the dungeon and assist me in my mission to free my father or I shall bind you and you shall have the honor of being executed by honored Princess Luna and shall never again see the light of either Glory. Are we clear, Prince?”
Illusion wiggled under her grasp, but could barely move, so he began trying to shout through his attacker’s hoof, but the hopeless knowledge that nopony lived on the last floor cause him to stop.
“I said, are we clear?”
There was no way he’d escape, not now at least. Illusion quickly nodded, hoping to be freed from the mare’s killer grip, but before that, a rope was knotted around his neck and the other end was tied to his captor’s hoof.
“Lead the way,” she ordered, “and if you resist in taking me straight to the dungeon, I shall carry out with our plans with you and our Princess Luna. Is that clear?”
Illusion ground his teeth together-how dare she give him orders. Her couldn’t possibly take her to the prisoners, but he couldn’t just die either, so he went with plan C.
“Prince, I-”
And that’s when Illusion ran, he pulled at the mare’s rope, dug his claws into the ground for extra support, but all he managed to do was take one galloping step and fall on his face. This mare had obviously been highly trained for strength because she didn’t even budge.
“I see,” she said after a moment, like an understanding parent, which made her prisoner cringe, “Well, we won’t do that again, will we, Prince? Shall we continue?”
Now Illusion was totally out of ideas. He and the Empire were doomed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ashbolt was almost amused at the Prince’s failed escape. She watched him with awe, having heard of his odd form, but seeing it in person was much different. He had two claws, two hooves, horns of different color and shape and a long, bare tail with a tuft of hair at the end. Odd.
As her captive scrambled to his feet, she caught him glancing at the door in a corner’s shadow. Then it dawned on her.
“Come, Prince,”
Ashbolt dragged her prisoner to the door, cast a smug look at his horrified face, then pushed them open and began a brisk trot down the moist stone stairwell. As they descended deeper into the earth, the walls grew slimey and by the way the Prince tugged more and more at his leash, she knew they were close. Her heart beat quickened as the air got muggy-soon she’d be safe in the Colony, reuniting her family, the and giving thanks to her gracious Princess Luna.
The journey was almost totally silent, only interrupted by the drips of water seeping through the ceiling. Then the steps let out into a narrow corridor just wide enough for two ponies to pass, side by side. On either side of the hall was doors that led off into small chambers where the tortures took place. A shiver ran down Ashbolt’s spine-blood was also stained across the stone floor. Did any of it belong to her father?
Then the hallway opened into a circular chamber. Ashbolt glanced at her prisoner to find his eyes wide-that’s why she’d felt the rope between them slaken. Surely the Prince was scared. Because she definitely was.
More doors lined the circular room, each with a small, barred window. A rat scurried across the floor with what looked like a chunk of flesh in its mouth. A bat screeched and flew away as Ashbolt and the Prince stepped close to each cell door. Ashbolt peeked through the pitiful windows to check for her father, but he wasn’t in that chamber. So they moved through another hall to the next circular room, and the next and the next and the next. Then the Prince began tugging at his rope again, trying to grab onto something, anything that he could keep him from following Ashbolt, but she simply dragged him along.
On their fifteenth cell group, Ashbolt was starting to loose hope. Was he even there? Or had Celestia executed him for being a stallion responsible for so many of her citizen’s lives? Ashbolt prayed the Prince wouldn’t notice her nervous habit of flexing her wings. The image of her father’s broad white coated face and red beard kept her searching on, late into the night. She noticed the Prince was becoming limper with every chamber they traveled to. Why would he be-oh yes. She remembered. He had the most energy during Celestia’s time of Glory, just like she had the most during Luna’s.
Ashbolt was getting nervous that she’d be caught in the palace during Celestia’s Glory and not have enough time to make it back over the boundaries when a voice turned her joints to stone. The Prince bumped into her from the sudden stop, so she gave him a light buck to keep him awake.
The voice was a low rumble at first, but as Ashbolt forced the Prince toward the noise she was for some reason not afraid of, then it turned clearer and she noticed it was singing. And she knew the song. And the voice. It was her father.
Ashbolt galloped forward, causing the Prince to face plant again and get a bloody nose, then she went from cell to cell, peeking in just for a second and kept going past the bloody, snoring prisoners until-she gasped. There, on the soiled stone floor, laying in dried blood and pools of water, was her father, noble, but beat.
“Father!”
The singing stopped. The stallion in the cell shot to his feet, turned to the door and-
“Ashbolt!”
“Father! Oh, shooting starts-Father!”
Ashbolt quickly unlocked his cell and her father came rushing forward to squeeze his daughter into a hug.
“Oh, Ashbolt, how did you-?
“GUARDS!!!”
Ashbolt whipped around. The Prince was yelling.
“THEY’RE ESCAPING! CALL THE GUARDS!”
“No, you-!”
He must have known there were stallions on night watch because in seconds, armed guards came galloping into the prison.
“Go!” Ashbolt cried and shoved her father back into the cell where she flew up to the window and broke it open with one fouls kick. Then she forced him out into the night.
“Ash-!”
Just as Ashbolt was about to fly to her father’s side, a guard tackled her, pinning her wings to the ground and cutting the Prince from her grasp.
“Father, GO!! The Colony needs you!! GO BEFORE-!!!”
Then a golden booted hoof came crashing down onto Ashbolt’s skull and she was knocked into the faroff, dark distance that enveloped her in the sure wrath of Celestia’s Solar Empire.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything hurt. It ached like the whole night sky was pressing against her head, like the stars themselves had pelted her with their pointed tips ready for stabbing. Then the muffled sounds around Ashbolt began to fizz until they were clear enough that she could make out words being exchanged just a short distance away.
“...and she tried to kidnap me and forced me to bring her to the dungeon so she could help the rebels break free, but I fought back and by the time I had her taken care of, the guards came and finished that mare off before she could help more rebels escape!”
Ashbolt’s head throbbed and the Prince’s voice rang inside her head.
“Whoa. And what were you doing around the palace in the middle of the night?” a new voice asked-a filly’s voice.
“Well, I was-”
Ashbolt groaned softly as she struggled to roll over and her eyes fluttered open to see four three toed hooves standing by a set of two claws and two hooves. She blinked a few times then the image of a purple horned mare with white horns and a freckled face came into clear vision. The Prince had brought someone with him and both were staring down at Ashbolt from the other side of her barred chamber-she was inside of a torture room.
“How cute,” Ashbolt managed to force the words from her sandpaper throat, "The Prince brought his girlfriend to watch the pitiful, Colony pony.” And for some reason, a small part of Ashbolt was pricked with a jealous needle, but then the odd purple pony burst out laughing.
“We’re not-Clarity is.. just-” the Prince looked flustered ,almost anger, but his friend quickly interrupted,
“Oh,relax, Illusion.”
To see the Prince scowl made a smug grin twist up Ashbolt’s face, but then the memories of the night before struck her like a burning comet and she jumped to her aching hooves.
“Where is my father?” she demanded. Was he dead? Had he made it back to the Colony safely? What were they going to do with her now?
“He escaped,” the Prince known as Illusion bitterly replied, “But now your fate lies with the Darkers,”
Darkers. The bloodthirsty, heartless torturers that carried out Celestia’s most horrible commands. And now Ashbolt was sure she would die.
“We should go up to lunch now,” the Prince’s friend said, “Your Mom will be wondering what’s taking so long.”
“I doubt she’s even there,” the Prince muttered, but he followed his companion named Clarity out of the chamber and up the stairs out of sight.
Once she was alone again, Ashbolt fell back to her knees and buried her face in her hooves. What was she going to do? She had to escape, but the chamber she was in had no windows and had bars so close together that all she could fit through them was her small muzzle. The stone floor of her cell was slimey, blood stained, and had puddles scattered across the surface, pooling with scum and stinking of death and mold. Then there was a board in the back of the chamber. The board she would be strapped to during a torture session. A shudder reverberated through Ashbolt’s weak, tense body. She was done for.
` “Rebel,” a voice echoed around the prison and Ashbolt whipped around to find three hooded stallions in black cloaks at her cell door. She braced herself and flexed her wings, ready to zip from their grasp at the last second, then the Darkers clunked open the door and Ashbolt flew to the opening. But her wings, once so strong and mighty, had been clipped and when she attempted her escape, she simply pounced into the air and fell right back down, landing painfully on her shoulder. She cried out. The Darkers laughed.
“Won’t try that again, eh, Rebel?” one of the Darkers rumbled and Ashbolt was grimly reminded of her words to the Prince after he’d tried to escape.
“Let’s get this done with,”
And before Ashbolt could rise to her feet, a steel hoof came down and snatched her by the wings then dragged her across the soiled ground to the board.
“No!” she yelped, “Wait-” but she was already bolted onto the plank of wood that was moist against her stomach with fungi and seemed to be eating at her insides as one Darker used his green glowing horn to summon a hooked whip off the wall. And just like that, there was blood flying across the chamber.
“No!!” Ashbolt sobbed, “Please-!”
But the Drakers didn’t stop. The whip came down on her back again and again, flinging drops of scarlet in the air as pain began blinding Ashbolt, hurting too much for tears, too much for breath. It was agony beyond being blown up in a super nova- this was Celestia’s wrath.
Just as Ashbolt was on the edge of what felt like death, it stopped. The whip didn’t hook to her coat anymore, didn’t tear at her flesh. Then a Darker’s voice shook the chamber with his words, “This is how the Empire deals with rebel like you. Now tell us-when is Luna preparing to attack next?”
Ashbolt’s whole frame was shaking, she couldn’t speak. Her entire body was spattered with blood. Then the whip came cracking down on her again, forcing a scream from her lungs, then the Darker roared, “Answer! When and where is Luna attacking next?!”
Ashbolt felt the sting of tears well into her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away before she cried, “I had no idea! I was sent to retrieve my father because I had just become Of Age! I’m just a villager who-!”
The whip cracked.
“Is that the truth?!”
“Yes!” Ashbolt sobbed, “I swear on the Light of Luna-it’s true!!”
The Darkers stopped at this. Swearing on the glories of either Sister was the most serious thing you could do. And if you were to lie on Their glories, you would be doomed to the Crevice of Abyss that separated the Lunar Colony and the Solar Empire and had been formed during one of their bloodiest battles.
A moment passed in silence. Perhaps the Darkers were waiting for Ashbolt to be whisked away to the Crevice of Abyss, but nothing happened. There was no denying it-she had told the truth.
“You will serve in the palace until you are needed for further questioning,” the lead Darker announced, “You will be fetched when all is ready.”
So Ashbolt was taken off of the board that was now almost drenched in blood, and then her attackers left, leaving her in a wounded heap behind bars.
As she began to be able to breath again, Ashbolt noticed the Darkers had left a pie pan in her cell with a scrap of bread and a small square of cheese sitting in it, looking miserably up at her. Ashbolt didn’t want to eat though, she wouldn’t even dare move. It would have been a pleasure to just die there, to end her misery in that very cell, but no matter how hard she prayed to gracious Princess Luna, a spark inside of her heart just kept beating, determined to keep her alive. And that spark was the one thing that kept Ashbolt’s shallow, slow breathes going as she drifted off into a painful, dreamless sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Illusion said goodbye to Clarity as she trotted down the palace path with her mother, Mrs. Rarity. Too bad Clarity couldn’t just live at the castle. Then he’s have a friend to talk with whenever he was alone, but now it was just him. Him and the guards that would follow him around and stand protectively outside of each door he entered. Illusion was getting pretty sick of it. Not only could he not do anything alone, but he also wasn’t allowed outside of the palace for ‘his own good’. Surely that mare last night hadn’t been out to kill him and surely it wasn’t necessary for his mother to assign him guardians to prevent things like that from happening again. Surely.
Illusion retreated to his bed chamber so he could sit around before afternoon classes began when an idea came to mind. An idea that would prove whether or not that mare had really been planning on killing him, and if he could prove it, he’d finally be able to go places without being stalked by the Empire’s soldiers.
That evening, Illusion waited a good hour and a half before being sure that the guards outside of his room thought he was asleep. Then he opened his large window, stepped out onto the balcony and began lowering himself toward the library’s landing just two floors down. When his claws and hooves made contact with the library’s balcony, he slipped into the shadows, slunk past the librarian's empty desk and out the giant double doors. Illusion’s heart was beating in his throat, but he willed it to return to his chest so he could concentrate on every shadow and noise that filled the palace hallways. Then he was back in the place where he’d been just a night ago and softly scrambled down the staircase down to the musky, death stink dungeon.
Illusion’s claws curled under the filth of the ground-that place was a lot scarier when he was alone, without an enemy mare or Clarity, but he quickly shoved the fear to the back of his mind and entered the next circular chamber.
Then he heard a voice. Illusion froze. The voice was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. Then, as he forced himself deeper into the chamber, the voice grew clearer and he realized it was singing. Then the words became audible and Illusion was struck with the memories of the song. The song his mother had sung to him before bed when he was a small colt.
Hush, now, dear child, there’s no need to fear.
Never you worry, because I will be near.
The night will grow on,
the light of it strong,
And the dearest, dear moon
will on you, shine soon.
Illusion stepped closer and closer to the voice, the melodious, peaceful voice that belonged to the mare he saw kneeling in her cell, her long streaked hair sweeping to her knees while her smooth, but tear streaked face looked toward the moon she was not able to see.
So sing on, sing on! Love of mine!
With me, all is well and you will be fine!
I promise this, dear, the light will grow on,
and you and I shall love for one long eon!
Then the song stopped and Illusion was broken from the spell of the mare’s voice. His heart sank. For once, he finally admitted to himself that he missed his mother and father kissing him goodnight, and before he could think, Illusion was almost dreaded when he heard himself whisper,
“Don’t stop,”
The young mare shot to her feet and turned to him, looking pained for moving, but her expression turned unreadable when their eyes met.
“How long have you been here?” she asked. Her voice was almost as sweet as she song, but still felt like a hard slap across the face.
“I...just came..to…,” Illusion dug his claws into the stone floor, angry with himself for being so tongue tied, but before she could struggle any longer for words, the mare gave him a smug grin and began singing again.
And when you feel the fear creep up
your little spine, don’t cry, dear pup.
I am here, my sweetest one,
and I will fight till day is done!
The mare moved closer to the bars of her cell, never taking her eyes off of Illusion who suddenly found himself muttering the chorus with her,
So sing on, sing on! Love of mine!
With me, all’s well and you will be fine!
I promise this, dear, the light will grow on,
and you and I shall love for one, long eon!
Illusion stared into the mare’s ice blue eyes with tears clinging to her long, dark lashes, thickly outline in midnight blue he knew was to represent the Becoming of Age in the Lunar Colony. Then she broke his gaze, looking as if she’d just remembered a huge mistake she’d made.
“Prince,” she dipped into a graceful bow from the other side of the bars. Illusion felt his jaw tighten.
“You can just call me...Illusion. And none of that,” he nodded down at her respectful bow.
The pony straightened then pierced him once more with her endless eyes, “Then hello, Illusion. I am Ashbolt Lumeneria of the Second Glory within the Lunar Colony. Pleasure.”
Illusion caught sight of the bloody lashed across her back and his claws once again dug into the ground.
“They whipped you.”
“Well, of course, Illusion, this is the way the Solar Empire deals with rebels such as I, is it not?” the mare asked in a mocking way. A chill ran down Illusion’s spine as she pronounced every letter in his name. It felt as if she was pulling out his insides with every syllable, and to Illusion’s surprise, it felt good, like an itch in just the right spot. Then he caught a glimpse of her food rations.
“You didn’t eat.”
“You are very observant,” she noted teasingly, “Why have you come so late?”
“I...I need to convince the Princess that you had no intentions of killing me so I can finally leave the watch of her guards. So...you’ve been asked to serve in the palace, right?”
“When I am called, yes.”
“Okay, then you need to serve me as best as you can. To prove you aren’t here to hurt anyone and that you came just to free you dad,”
The mare gave him a sceptical look, “And this is just so you can leave the protection of your mother’s guards and be free? Why would I do that?”
Illusion shifted his weight. Of course-what was in it for her?
“Because...if you do I’ll set you free,” He wouldn’t really, but lying was better than being stalked for the rest of his life by body guards.
Ashbolt stared into his eyes and they dug through Illusion like the afternoon sun melting his cold fib.
“Deal,” she suddenly said.
Relief rushed over Illusion. He’d soon be free. He’d soon be able to do as he pleased, even if that meant he had to go back on his word to Ashbolt. She was a rebel anyways, she deserved to be in prison, to be executed. But as he settled back in bed that night, Ashbolt’s song lingered in his mind and heated up his heart like a rising sun after a cold night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You’ll start your work here,” the Darker barked, throwing a rag and bucket at Ashbolt, “When we come back, I expect this place to be spotless, and then you’ll move to your next task given by dear Princess Celestia,”
Ashbolt stared at the chains connecting her each of her legs then looked up at the Darker’s shadowed face, “Would it not be such a faster task done if I was not limited to shuffling instead of walking?”
The Darker’s horn flared green and a serrated whip came crashing down on Ashbolt’s back, tearing open the wounds that had barely started to heal from the night before. Ashbolt yelped and fell to her knees.
“Now get to work!!”
So she set off polishing Celestia’s throne room, alone in the spacious chamber for what seemed like suffocating, silent hours. Ashbolt tried many times to saw away her bound using the bucket’s metal edge and her teeth, but nothing worked and every time she would irritably flex her wings, they would be stopped by the many ropes keeping them sucked to her sides.This drove her even more insane.
Eventually though, she was on her last stretch of marble to polish, and by then, the blood on her back had crusted over, cracking and pulling at her coat whenever she moved. In addition to that, blister cover her forehooves, stinging with polish and some even burst, forcing her to limp. Just as she finished scrubbing the last tile, hoof steps came echoing into the throne room, coming from the hallway to the right, and seconds after the noise, five stallions came trotting onto Ashbolt’s clean floor. Then she spotted the Prince among the soldiers.
“...then there is your one o’clock meeting with Madam Oranjay who requests you bring your textbook and essay you were assigned on Tuesday-” one of Illusion’s guards were saying, but then the group came to a halt at the sight of Ashbolt. Illusion’s eyes met with hers, then she quickly came to her feet and bent fluently into a bow.
“Prince. Gentlemen,” she greeted.
The guards curtly nodded, but Illusion took up the courage to treat Ashbolt as any other mare in his Empire and returned a deep bow. Once he rose, all the guards quickly followed his example.
“Ahem,” the soldier beside Illusion cleared his throat, “As I was saying, your next class will be at twelve fifteen where…,” then the group left the room and only after Ashbolt saw Illusion give her a second’s glance did she fall back to her knees and continue scrubbing.
She’d be free soon. Back in the Colony and united with her family, but as she wiped at the hoof prints the guards had left, the image of Illusion’s calm, red eyes lingered in her mind like the moon just as the sun began to rise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was almost a miracle. Illusion’s parents finally had time for a lunch with him. Even though they were deep in conversation about war plans and totally ignoring him, Illusion was happy to have them at the table. He ate the meal silently, glancing around at the guards lining the dining room walls and the maids and servant only a few trots away from the table, ready at a second’s notice to replace a napkin or refill a goblet. Ashbolt was among them, holding an the extra juice jug.
Illusion cast a glance at his mom and dad, the mighty raiser of the sun and the once lord of destruction working together like they shared minds, then he suddenly chugged his goblet of juice and crumpled his napkin against his lips, even though they were dry. And sure enough, three maids came scurrying forward, all in the traditional black stockings and dresses, and began fixing everything Illusion had put out of place. Then they left. He tried to make it look natural as he quickly sipped at his drink until it was once again empty, then another maid came rushing to refill it. But not the pony he’d wanted. So he guzzled one goblet after another until the higher maid all ran out of juice and left to refill them in the kitchen.
Even though his stomach was sloshing with juice he silently swore he’d never drink again, Illusion glugged down another goblet then waited, feeling awfully sick now. Then finally, Ashbolt, in her new maid’s uniform, came limping to the long dining table and slowly began pouring more liquid into Illusion’s cup.
“Go to the library at twelve fifty,” he ordered under his breath. Ashbolt only glanced at him once then stiffly nodded and as she turned to go back to her station, her long hair swept over Illusion’s shoulder and made his claws rip a small gash in his seat cushion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ashbolt’s blisters were growing even bigger since the head of Celestia’s maids, Madam Florance, had given her a uniform. She cringed as her black stockings rubbed at the bubbles on her skin, but forced herself to keep dusting Celestia’s bookshelves. Ashbolt, along with Madam Florance and three other high maids, were in the Empire’s Princess’s room, cleaning and straightening things out while Celestia was in a meeting with her military captains. That worried Ashbolt. Soon the Empire would attack and the Colony would have no clue. That’s why she needed to hurry and convince everyone of her faithfulness in serving Celestia, be freed and get the Colony ready for battle. It would all work out and when Ashbolt has the spare moments, she would daydream about peace in Equestria, with all ponies united and no sign of war.
“Focus, Ashbolt,” Madam Florance’s words thrust Ashbolt from her thoughts and back to the bookshelves, “If you don’t give us one hundred percent perfection, I think it suitable for me to alert the Darkers of your behavior,”
That brought Ashbolt to dust even more thoroughly. She continued her cleaning, glancing whenever she could at the clock to check how close twelve fifty was. Then all four maids began polishing Celestia’s shoes and that’s when the chatter started up.
“He’s such a dirty jerk,” one of the maids said, “The prince, that is. Have you seen his room? It’s the grossest thing ever and did you see how much of a pig he was at lunch? I’m surprised he’s hasn’t got a giant potbelly yet.”
“Well, I think he’s dreamy,” another replied, “He’s so hot! And have you seen his abs? I mean, they’re pretty good for how he eats almost twenty-four-seven-”
“Bon-Bon!” the third maid cried, exasperated, “What ever happened to Arthur? And that guard, Flash? I mean, honestly, you’re in love with pretty much one stallion every three days? When did you start liking him? I thought we all agreed he was a snobby royal never fit to be king.”
“I do not fall in love every three days!” the maid, Bon-Bon, said defensively, “And I don’t remember agreeing to that. Plus, I’m really in love this time! And I think he likes me too-”
“Bon-Bon!” the first maid burst, “You say that every time!”
“I do no-!”
“Girls, may I remind you of the task at hoof?” Madam Florance butted in before Bon-Bon could argue back.
“No, Madam,” the maids replied in unison.
“The I suggest you get back to work and stop gobbling like a flock of chickens!”
It was only a moment later though that the second maid whispered, “I just think you deserve so much better than the prince. I mean, seriously, he has no social skills and would treat you terribly!”
“Listen to Carrot Top,” the first maid said, “She has experience with these types of things,”
“And you don’t, Rose?” Carrot Top asked.
The maid named Rose turned slightly pink,”Ahem..anyways, the prince is a total jerk that no one in their right mind should fall for, because honestly, he’s really stupid and naive. Plus he’s-”
“No he’s NOT!”
Everyone in the room turned to look at Ashbolt who was now on her hooves.
“I beg your pardon, Ashbolt!” Madam Florance demanded, “What is all this about?!”
Ashbolt’s sides were heaving with anger that had burst out of nowhere. She looked at her hooves, flustered, then mumbled,
“Nothing, Madam, I’m sorry.”
“Well, you should be!” Madam Florance snapped, “My, what that Colony has done to your head! Be civilized now, like your fellow maids, will you?”
Ashbolt got back on her knees and continued polishing as Bon-Bon, Carrot Top and Rose began furiously whispering one to another. They hadn’t been told Ashbolt was from the Lunar Colony, and now they looked at her with hate and disgust as they went back to their work. Ashbolt felt her ears heat to pink. Thank Princess Luna it was time to meet Illusion in the library.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Solar Empire library was the brightest, biggest, most breath-taking three story room out of everything east of the Crevice of Abyss.
Illusion paced under the fluttering banners hanging from the chamber’s high ceiling, textbooks and parchment rolls lying on a nearby table that would be used as his desk in ten minutes. He stopped his wandering then looked up at the banner closest to him, studied the intricate stitches in the giant Princess Celestia displayed making the sun rise, then he returned to pacing. Then the giant, gold encrusted doors of the library slid open and Illusion scrambled to sit himself at his desk and shove his nose in a book. But when he peeked over the edge of the volume, he didn’t see Madam Oranjay. Instead the pony shutting the doors to the library was an orange mare in maid’s uniform. Ashbolt.
Illusion continued to keep reading until Ashbolt stood on the other side of the table. She cleared her throat to announce her presence then said,
“You must teach me to read upside down sometime. It makes reading look ten times more intense.”
Suddenly Illusion noticed that his book was upside down. And that he had been scowling with concentration at the word he hadn’t processed. He quickly put down the text.
“I was just..I thought you were Madam Oranjay.”
“Ah,” a small grin snuck up Ashbolt’s face, “So why have you told me to meet you here?”
“Well,” Illusion tore his eyes away from Ashbolt’s then brushed away the heaps of parchment strewn across his textbooks to reveal a small box with a red cross inside of a large, Celestial sun. He tried not to look embarrassed, but all Ashbolt was was puzzled.
“What is it?” she asked.
Illusion opened the container and pulled out a roll of bandages, bottles of ointment and packs of wipes, “It’s for your back.”
Ashbolt looked stunned, but allowed Illusion to unzip the back of her uniform so he could dress and cover her lashings. He tried hard to be gentle, but when your dominant hoof is actually a claw, things get complicated and he caught Ashbolt flinching once or twice. It hurt to even look at the wounds she had, but finally they were all wrapped up and as Ashbolt fit back on her dress, she whispered, “Thank you,”
Illusion reddened, “I’m sorry you had to deal with the Darkers. I don’t know what my mom was think when she hired them to do the dirty work...but I brought you some food since they barely feed you anything in the cellars.”
He handed Ashbolt a small sack branded with the Imperial crest, which she took gratefully.
“I can’t tell you how much-”
“I’m here, Prince Illusion!” a voice from outside announce, then the library doors began to creak open. Both pony’s eyes grew wide and Illusion quickly pushed Ashbolt, along with a feather duster, toward the stair to the library’s second level. Once Ashbolt was casually dusting the bookshelves above him, Illusion turned around to come face to face with a monstrous pile of books, each no thicker than a special edition dictionary.
“Prince? Prince Illusion? Where-Oh there you are!” the stack of volumes shifted in thin air to reveal a unicorn wearing a formal vest and her mane held in a bun by a pencil. A pair of glasses rested on her forehead.
“Wonderful to see you on time, Prince!” Madam Oranjay chirped then set her collection of books on her student’s desk, “Now, where we left off. I’d like to see your foot long essay on the findings of Star Swirl the Bearded, then hear you summarize the passage from ‘Griffon Stone: a History’ pages one hundred and three to- oh hello there!”
Illusion broke out of his boredom trance he often went into during lectures and followed Madam Oranjay’s gaze to the stair leading up to the second floor. It was Ashbolt.
“Pardon me,” her soft, melodious, rock hard voice said, “Prince. Madam.” Ashbolt performed a perfect bow for each greeting, “Just passing by. Good day,”
And she began trotting with that poise she always had even through her limp to the door as Madam Oranjay sang, “Celestia be with you as well!”
Then Illusion was officially alone with the Madam. He inwardly groaned and prayed that his three hours of lessons would fly by, but it was hard to focus on anything then for some reason he couldn’t explain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After Ashbolt had finished with her lengthy list of chores for that day, she accompanied the high maids with the royal family at dinner, waiting for anypony to need a napkin replacement. She watched and listened as Celestia and Discord mapped out their attack plan for that month and Ashbolt tried to remember each move they drew onto the map of Broke Equestria so she could later alert Princess Luna after she was free. Then a napkin caught her eye as it drifted like a feather to the ground. That would definitely need to be replaced- and it was Illusion’s napkin.
Ashbolt held her head high as she limped to the Prince’s assistance then dipped into a bow at his side to retrieve the fallen napkin. She placed a new one by his plate overflowing with mouth watering food that made Ashbolt’s stomach clench into a fist.
When she returned to her place with the other maids, Ashbolt tried passing the time by counting her extra napkins, but then she spotted another one fall to the ground. It was Illusion’s. So she once again pranced to his aid and gave him another. Then he dropped that one too and every time Ashbolt came to replace a napkin, he would act as if nothing had happened and casually sipped from his crystal goblet. Then he’d give her likes as if asking why she kept returning to his side.
On the tenth napkin dropped, the other maids started to whisper and Bon-Bon even cast Ashbolt a dirty look, but she didn’t care, though she thought it odd for a Prince to be playing such games during a formal meal. Well, it would have been more formal if Discord wasn’t howling on about secret attacks and surrounding the enemy.
This time, Ashbolt decided to wait, just to see what Illusion would do if she ignored him. After only two minutes though, the Prince exclaimed, “I think I need another napkin!”
Then Madam Florance gave Ashbolt the death stare for not doing her job, so she quickly went to Illusion’s side and while she placed another napkin beside his claw-hoof, she whispered under her breath, “Jerk,” but it was with a smile and Illusion gave her a smug grin in return.
That night, Ashbolt was sent back to sleep in the dungeon to keep all the other maids in the servant's sleeping quarters ‘safe’ from her ‘Lunar Colony deeds’ as Madam Florance said. Whatever that meant, Ashbolt was glad to be alone in her cell and since she had been forced to leave before the maids had been given the dinner’s leftovers, she opened up the little sack Illusion had given her earlier. Inside was a small heap of crystal berries, oat rolls and cheese, but when she dug to the bottom of the silk gossamer's bag, a scrap of parchment brushed against her hoof.
She pulled the paper out to find a message scrawled in neat but shaky hoof writing. It read, “The guards are all talking about what happened in the throne room today. They even told Princess Celestia and I think they’re all just surprised that you would honor our Empire’s royals. Usually we have to force all of our prisoners to bow to us. So it’s working so far, just keep up the act. And I’d suggest greeting ponies with a ‘may Celestia be with you this day’ cause that would put you even more up there. Thanks for not killing me yet. -Illusion.”
Ashbolt grinned then tucked the note into a crack in the stone floor and began eating the food. She’s have to thank him for that later. As she munched on the sweet berries, Ashbolt ran her hoof along the Imperial emblem stitched into the sack that also had the Prince’s initials sewn in golden thread on its bottom rim. She flexed her wings then unfurled her great feathers, wrapped them around her cold body and looked at the cell’s back wall. Just beyond that stone barrier was gracious Princess Luna’s Glory, the moon. Ashbolt wilted. She had not been able to bask in her Princess’s Glory in so long. She raised her head high though, still thankful that she had not yet been executed, and because she knew she would need energy for the next day, Ashbolt tried to get herself to sleep.
Usually night was the time for Colony members to rejuvenate themselves, to energize after the day’s work, and they would all gather in the center of their village, under their Princess’s shining Glory. Ashbolt imagined being there with her family, her brothers and sisters, her friends as they all watched Broke Equestria’s true Glory rise from the horizon. Then the moonlight would pour into each of their souls, as long as they remained faithful to gracious Luna, and once they’d all been renewed, everypony would return to their work. As they did, they would enjoy the beauty of the night, then when the village bell rang, Luna would let her Children of the Night rest only to soon be awakened just before the sun rose so they could savor the last of Luna’s Glory. Then to work. Colony members had adapted to having little sleep. Luna would keep them healthy and strong during the nights anyway, so there wasn’t much need to sleep, but you were required to rest at least four hours until you became Of Age. After that, you didn’t have to sleep at all.
But now Ashbolt didn’t have gracious Luna to watch over her. Only Celestia. Celestia and her beating, burning sun. Ashbolt sighed, tucked her food sack into her maid’s uniform, rolled over, said her prayers then returned to the struggle of getting to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“He can’t come out until further notice,” the guard at the palace doors said to Clarity, “but we will alert you of any change,”
Clarity swished her tail and shifted her weight, “Um, okay. Then I’ll come back later,” then she trotted down the palace path until she was out of sight.
Illusion sighed as he watched his friend leave from the library’s window. If only she knew. He was dying to tell her about Ashbolt, about the night that she had dragged him to the dungeon, but he was stuck inside. His mother had even forbid him from entering the palace gardens that he had often got lost in when he was a colt. Illusion thought all the fuss was ridiculous. He was almost mad at Ashbolt sometimes for being the cause of his imprisonment in his own home, but then he’d end up angry with himself for blaming her.
Illusion returned to his desk where Madam Oranjay had left him to write an essay on the geography of Broke Equestria, but he just couldn’t focus anymore. If he did much more of that studying, he was sure he’d go insane, but somehow his brain managed to still process the words on the pages of his textbooks. Then a group of ponies came scurrying into the library, and it wasn’t any of his tutors.
It was Bon-Bon, Carrot Top, Rose and Ashbolt, each carrying a roll of parchment that most likely was the list of the chores needed to be done in the library. Illusion quickly looked away as the maids began splitting up to start cleaning on the library’s first level, but then somepony dusting on the opposite side of his desk caught his eye. It was Ashbolt, back facing him a she cleaned, and when she turned around, their eyes locked. Illusion quickly broke her gaze and jerked his head to the ground in attempt to signal her to bow. She wrinkled her nose, still managing to look graceful, then caught on and dipped into a curtsy.
“Prince,” she said as the other maids turned to look at what had broke the library’s silence, “May Celestia be with you this day.”
Carrot Top and Rose exchanged a look then all three maids scrambled to Ashbolt’s side and each performed a bow with the same greeting.
“And may She be with you as well,” Illusion nodded, giving them permission to rise, then the maids returned to their work.
Ashbolt approached him then pointed at the stray volumes at the edge of his desk, “Are you finished with those, your grace?”
Illusion scrunched up his face and said under his breath, “Where did you learn that one?”
Ashbolt simply smiled, “I assume that is a yes.”
The Prince gave her a nod, then she carefully took the books back to their places on the shelves. Illusion caught the other maids staring at him and when their eyes met, Bon-Bon, Rose and Carrot Top quickly turned around to polish the book ends and whisper to each other so rapidly, their muzzles were almost a blur. Illusion never understood how mares could talk that fast.
Just before the maids left the library, Ashbolt let the group into another row of bows, then Illusion was alone again.
He slumped in his seat and stared down at his blank roll of parchment, but instead of coming face to face with an empty piece of stationery, her found a scrap of paper laying there, presenting a message written in curly, beautiful hoofman ship. It read, “ Thank you for the food and for helping me escape. I look forward to the day that you and I can part ways and each be free. I think your suggestion of greeting is helping a lot. Madam Florance as even stopped shouting at me. Thank you again. ~Ashbolt Lumeneria.”
A knot formed in Illusion’s stomach. He couldn’t possibly set her free and go back on his kingdom, but for some reason, he couldn’t find an excuse to not possibly set her free.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“And when they least expect it, we can attack from the southwest side of the Crevice, then the troops on the northeast will come forward when I give the signal and by then, the Colony troops will be so worn out that our fresh solider will easily destroy them,” Celestia was saying as she motioned to a marked up map spread across the table where her highest ranking generals and captain stood, taking in their Princess’s words as if their lives depended on it. Which it probably did.
Ashbolt had been called to assist the members of that meeting and was pouring each of the stallions and mares a goblet of Ice Blood, which was a foaming, golden drink the royals often requested. It reminded Ashbolt of her favorite drink in the Colony, Nightshade Froth, that was a glowing, midnight blue liquid that was drunk when a pony needed extra moonlight energy. She wondered if the Empire’s drink did similarly.
“And Twilight, tell me how the raid on the Colony’s outer fields went yesterday,” Celestia said once Ashbolt had finished pouring each of the ponies a drink.
“Only fourteen lost,” Captain Sparkle replied, almost sounding excited or proud, “The Colony barely had time to react and last I heard, they lost fifty three, five of which are now prisoners and are being questioned for Luna’s plans.”
“Good,” Celestia nodded, “Well done, Twilight.”
The captain beamed under the Princess’s congrats, then the meeting turned its focus on the supply to each of the Empire’s troops.
Ashbolt refilled Captain Sentury’s goblet then began wondering why of all ponies had Celestia requested her to attend the meeting. She was a Colonist after all. If she ever escaped-which she would- all of the Empire’s plans would be ruined. Ashbolt shrugged the thoughts away. At least she had the chance to make gracious Princess Luna proud.
After the meeting, Ashbolt was paired with a high maid in Madam Murdock’s dorm and they went around from room to room, picking up dirty sheets and pillows so they could be taken to the laundry room later on. Obviously, the rumor of Ashbolt being a prisoner from the Lunar Colony had gotten around quite quickly because Cloud Kicker, her partner, didn’t even bother to try and start up conversation, so their task seemed to drag on for more than just two hours.
When the two entered Illusion’s room, they found it quite a mess of crumpled parchment rolls, forgotten textbooks, broken quills and blankets that spilled off of the wrinkled bed.
While Cloud Kicker scooped things from the ground, Ashbolt took the covers and sheets from the bed. She tucked the soiled fabrics into her laundry basket then gazed at the picture frames on Illusion’s bedside table. One featured the royal family, but they stood in a place that look much different than anywhere in Broke Equestria and part of the picture had been cut out, the part next to Celestia. The Illusion in the bright, cheery scene in the frame was only a colt. Could that be what the world looked like before the Sisters split? And had Illusion cut Princess Luna from the picture?
Ashbolt only gazed at the background of that, daydreaming of having a world that looked as such, then she studied the second frame which was a picture of Illusion standing with seven other ponies. Each was labeled with a different hoofman ship and out the group, Ashbolt only recognized the Prince and his girlfriend, Clarity.
Ashbolt quickly looked away from the pictures and shoved the rest of Illusion’s sheets in her basket, then bent down to help Cloud Kicker gather the filth his the marble floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Illusion lay in bed that night in his clean sheets that smelled of sunkist oranges and an afternoon breeze, and for some reason, he couldn’t sleep. No matter how he tossed and turned, he just couldn’t allow himself to relax and soon he found his thoughts wandering towards the dungeon. But he couldn’t go there. He had no reason to, no excuse for showing up. Unless he created one.
So off Illusion went, lowering himself to the balcony below that gave him free range to the whole palace. He trotted as quietly as he could past the maids’ dorms, then came to the last floor before the dungeon, but somepony else was already there. Two someponies. And they were climbing down the stairs to the prison.
` Illusion pressed himself hard against the hallway walls as the two shadows disappeared down the stairs and only followed once the door had been shut behind them. Who were they? No one was allowed in the dungeon without a royal escort, unless…..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In her cell, Ashbolt lay still, staring at the back wall, heart aching for the moon’s light to shine on her, to be filled with Luna’s grace...and longing for something else she couldn’t wrap her mind around.
She didn’t dare move to save energy, but then the door to her cell chamber clanked open and she flew to her hooves. On the opposite side of the bars of Ashbolt’s cell were two shadowed stallions that drew closer until they were right outside of her door’s lock.
“Who are you?” Ashbolt demanded, but then the visitors threw open the door and began cackling.
“Oh, pitiful creature,” one rumbles, “You need a little livening up, don’t you?”
Ashbolt pressed herself against the prison back wall as the stallions drew closer until the one who had spoken was almost nose to nose with her.
“I can help with that.”
And before she had time to react, the cloaked stallion snatched a clump of her hair using his horn and threw her across the cell, tearing at Ashbolt’s mane and making her cry out in pain. The two figures cackled and it finally dawned on their prey who they were-Darkers.
The second Darker took his turn and lashed at Ashbolt with a whip that tore across her neck and began spilling blood, which amused the Darkers even more.
“Stop it!!” Ashbolt screamed and kicked the stallion closest to her with a bone breaking buck. That brought him to a halt, but only made his partner furious. The Darker charged forward and, using his teeth, took hold of Ashbolt’s mane and sent her once again skidding across the filthy stone floor.
“You’ll regret the day you were ever a member of that Colony!” he snarled them whipped at her back as his partner recovered then took a turn with the whip.
“Celestia will ever rule!” one’s voice boomed, making Ashbolt’s ears ring, but through her daze, she still managed to ram a Darker in the chest with her head.
“ARGH!” he roared as he fell back, but quickly recovered and butted his attacker back which sent her flying into a corner where the two Darkers surrounded her and growel, “Time to teach you a lesson, rebel. Prepare to feel Celestia’s wrath!!”
Then both stallions raised a whip, brought them back, ready to strike at Ashbolt’s face when a shout rang through the dungeon, “NO!!” and Illusion came running into the cell, right in between the Darkers and Ashbolt just before the whip made contact with her flesh. Then both whips lashed across his shoulder, blossoming dark red stains across his white coat, and when the Darkers realized what they’d done, they stumbled back.
“Your-your majesty-Prince-what are you-you shouldn’t be here….”
“And neither should you,” Illusion snarled through his clenched jaw as his breaths became heavier, “Get out. Now.”
“Your majesty, we were just-”
“NOW!”
Then the Darkers rushed out of the chamber and scrambled out of sight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pain seared through Illusion like nothing he’d ever felt. The warm blood trickled down his coat and his claws scratched against the stone floor, scrunching into painful fists. The guards had always made sure no harm had come to him-they hadn’t even let him once fall from a stool used to try and steal a cookie from the kitchen. The most pain he’d ever felt was before the war when he had been allowed outside, been allow to run free through the towns with his friends. Those were the times he’d stub his hoof or skin a knee-but this was nothing like those. It was more like a million hoof stubs times ten.
“Illusion!” Ashbolt cried after a moment of processing what had happened, “You...how did you know….?”
Illusion felt her mane brush past his non-wounded shoulder and come to stand in front of him. He squeezed his eyes closed in pain so he didn’t have to meet her gaze. He felt her muzzle graze his cheek, then, to his surprise, she started to cry, “I’m...so sorry.”
Illusion swallowed the pain as best as he could and tried to firmly say, “It’s fine,” but his voice ended up cracking.
“We...need to find help,” Ashbolt sniffled.
“No one will help,” Illusion stated the dirty truth, “not you, at least...and I came for you anyways.”
“But they’ll help you and you need it,” Ashbolt retorted, “I’ve had much worse than this.”
“I’d..hate to see what worse is,” he whispered, taking in a shaky breath, “No. I’m staying here. If they come back, I’m the only thing that will stop them.”
“But…,” Ashbolt seemed to hesitate then whispered, “why do you care?”
Illusion looked into her eyes this time, “Because you risked coming here for your family. And...I don’t think something like Colonies for Empires should separate u-ponies,” he quickly caught himself before the word ‘us’ slipped out, “So I’m here to help.”
Ashbolt stared. Her eyes began to slowly well with tears then she threw her head around Illusion’s neck and gently hugged him.
“Thank you.”
Illusion’s wound only stung a bit, but she ignored it and was about to rest his head on Ashbolt’s neck when she suddenly pulled away as if realizing what she just did.
“I’m...going to get some water. To wash out the lashes.”
She trotted out the cell’s door which was still wide open, then filled her pie pan with water that flowed from an underground spring that pooled in a corner of the torture chambers.
Illusion flinched as Ashbolt cleaned his wounds then wrapped them in the extra rounds of bandage that he had put on her lashings not so long ago. Then he laid down of the moist floor while Ashbolt quickly cleaned her own wounds then laid down a foot away from Illusion. She glanced at the open prison door, then Illusion got it. She could be escaping if he wasn’t there. She wouldn’t get far without her wings, but perhaps with her skill, she would have been free. The again, if he hadn’t been there, she’d almost be dead, so Illusion rolled onto his side to face a wide awake Ashbolt.
“Can you tell me how life is in the Colony?”
Ashbolt’s eyes fell to his and he could tell they instantly brightened, “Well, right now all the citizens of the Lunar Colony would be gathering to soak in the light of gracious Luna’s Glory, then we’d return to our work with renewed energy to enjoy the true beauty of the night. I..don’t know what I’d be doing though because I only just became Of Age….but I used to run off with my friend and play until it was our family time, then I’d go to our home and spend time with family until the last hours of dark. We usually played games and looked up at the constellations, pointing out the shapes we saw, then at those last hours, the village would gather again and savor the last rays of moonlight...then to work again,” she concluded with a sigh.
“So...you don’t sleep much, do you?”
“Oh, I don’t have to sleep at all if I don’t want to, but now that I never get to soak in the rays of Luna’s Glory, I must sleep as a weaker energy source,”
“Wow,” Illusion grinned a bit, “I die if I don’t get at least nine hours of sleep.”
Ashbolt’s eyebrows shot up, but she managed a laugh, “And I cannot imagine sleeping for more than three hours. Except for lately.”
“What happens if you don’t see...Luna’s Glory for a long time?”
“Oh,” Ashbolt’s voice became flat, “I...guess I would eventually die...but after a long time! Like a really long time,” she quickly added when the Prince’s expression turned to horror, “No worries. Really,”
Both ponies looked up at the cell’s ceiling for a moment, then Illusion said, “We sort of get our energy from the sun too. I’ve never lived without it, so I wouldn’t know if anything changes when I don’t see Celestia’s Glory...but I can’t imagine life without it.”
“I see,” Ashbolt rolled onto her side with a painful expression, most likely form the lashes still healing on her back, “Why don’t both Sisters just keep their glories in the sky all the time? If they hate eachother so much, why give the other time for glory?”
Illusion closed his eyes. He had thought of this many times before.
“I think it’s because,” his eyelids came back open, “deep down inside, they still love each other. And they know what’s right, that both the moon and sun have a place and a time...they just don’t want to admit it to themselves.”
Ashbolt was silent a moment then whispered again, “I see.”
“I see,” Illusion echoed in the same official sounding voice. Ashbolt looked at him.
“What?” he grinned, then she shoved his non-wounded shoulder and giggled.
He shoved her back, but hadn’t noticed he’d used his claw and accidently gave Ashbolt a small cut.
“Ow!”
“I’m sorry!” Illusion quickly got to his hooves, regretting ever trying to touch her, and to his horror, Ashbolt started to cry.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” he apologized again and rushed to get the pie pan to clean the cut, but when he came back, Ashbolt burst out laughing. Illusion dropped the pan in surprise and sent water sloshing across the ground.
“You’re-it’s alright?” he stammered, feeling totally humiliated.
Ashbolt just laughed, “Oh, relax, you’re fine!” then she trotted to his side and nudged his fur covered chest, “Don’t worry about a thing, Loo.”
Ashbolt suddenly froze. She had just called him something other than Illusion. Or Prince. Or your grace, or majesty. She blushed furiously.
“I’m..sorry. I wasn’t thinking when-”
“I like it,” Illusion interrupted, then echoed Ashbolt’s voice and added, “Don’t worry about a thing, Ash.”
A small grin spread across Ashbolt’s face and she whispered, “I like it.”
Illusion finally relaxed, then both ponies settled back on the floor for the night and drifted off to sleep, still a foot away from each other, but now feeling much closer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I swear, Mom, the Darkers were just torturing for fun!” Illusion exclaimed in his mother’s Quarters, “And they hit me! See? Surely you didn’t know they’d been doing this! Mom?”
Celestia was gazing out the large window overseeing all of the Solar Empire. She turned around and said,
“Your father should be returning soon from the battle at Snow Ridge. Go down to the kitchen and tell them to begin preparing the feast.”
“Mom, were you even listening?!” Illusion burst.
“Illusion, now is not the time to discuss,” Celestia concluded, “Now go prepare yourself to see your father. I’m sure he’s been missing you dearly.”
The Prince swiped his claw against the stone floor irritably.
“Dear, you will soon be able to join the war and your father and I in the battle field. I want to make sure we enjoy a nice feast together before we end up fighting together.”
Illusion huffed, “Fine,” then left the room and trotted down the stairs to deliver his message to the kitchen maids, and as he went he thought, ‘The day that I begin fighting, this war will finally see its end,”
Later that day, Illusion trotted around the library’s third floor with Ashbolt, trying to be of assistance as she reorganized the millions of books, but all he usually managed to do was place them even more out of order. Ashbolt didn’t mind though. She’d just patiently explain why they were in the wrong place and help Illusion fix them. That happened about every five minutes and somehow, Ashbolt never got annoyed or frustrated and when she wasn’t correcting Illusion’s mistakes, she would sing as they worked. And whenever Illusion knew the words, he’s quietly say them, but never loud enough for Ashbolt to hear.
“It’s sort of ridiculous,” she said once after rearranging the Prince’s out of ordered books, “but I’m excited about today because it’s laundry day for the maids.”
“And that means?”
“It means I finally get to get my dress washed!” Ashbolt exclaimed excitedly, and Illusion guessed he understood. Her uniform was filthy after a week and half of nonstop chores, but somehow she still managed to smell of cold breezes of during a midnight storm.
“Yah...I’m excited too. Not for your dress, but...well, I guess for your dress but...my dad’s coming back from the battle at Snow Ridge tonight and we’re going to have a feast in honor of their troop’s return. I’ll save you some, if you want.”
“That would be very generous of you.” Ashbolt smiled, then hurried to correct another of Illusion’s mistakes. Then they heard the Library door creak open.
“Your majesty? Are you here?”
Illusion put a claw up to his mouth and backed away from the railing at the edge of the third floor.
“I have a letter for you!” the voice added, “It’s from your friend….Crystal Clarity.”
Then Illusion froze. He glanced at Ashbolt then shouted, “I’ll be right there!” and began trotting down the stairs until her reached the messenger by the door.
“Here you are, your majesty,” the pony said with a bow, “Your mother would also like to see you.”
Illusion swallowed hard. If Clarity had taken the time to write him and his mother had sent a messenger to fetch him….he wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong.
“Thank you.”
“Of course! Your majesty,” then the pony quickly left the room and once the door had closed, Ashbolt came cantering down the stairs.
“What is it, Loo?”
“I...don’t know,” he replied as he teared open the letter from Clarity and sat at his desk.
Then he read.
“Dear Illusion,
I can’t come to the castle anymore. I can’t be friends with someone who’s acquainted with a Colonist. When you leave her behind and find your true place as an Imperial citizen, I can’t wait to fight against our enemies with you. Until then.
~Clarity,”
Illusion stared at the parchment. He couldn’t believe it. How had she known? Had the word gotten out through the Darkers that he was being friendly with an enemy that deserved to be dead? He should have seen it coming.
“What happened?” Ashbolt’s voice tugged him out of his daze.
“Nothing,” he replied, but after only a few seconds, he ended up reading the whole thing to Ashbolt. Then they both sat in silence.
“How could she?!” Ashbolt burst, “You can’t just do that! Once you find your true friends...you have to stick with them to the end! What was she thinking?”
“It’s pretty normal, actually,” Illusion sighed, “Friends don’t ‘stick with you’. They just stay around until something bad happens, then they don’t want to be part of the drama and find new friends...i’ve done it a few times too, so..I shouldn’t be so surprised..”
“But that’s not a friend!” Ashbolt cried.
“Yah it is. What? Do ponies in the Colonies just...have one group of friends and...they stay together?”
“It’s called loyalty,” she firmly replied.
Illusion stared and to his surprise, Ashbolt burst out laughing. He gave her a look.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Why aren’t you laughing?” she returned, “It helps with clearing your head. Just give it a try!”
Illusion gave her a funny look, “Um..ponies don’t really ever laugh in the Empire. It’s just...weird.”
“Ah, come on,” she bumped his shoulder," Just try, I promise it will help you feel better.”
Illusion gave in then tried to laugh. He tried to make a noise like Ashbolt had, tried to force a joyful sound from his throat, but all that came out was a weird cough that made Ashbolt laugh even harder. Illusion turned red, “It’s not funny.”
“Oh, sure it is! Did you even hear yourself?” She scrunched up her face, stuck a hoof on her muzzle then burst out into the loudest mix of a chicken scream, a snort, cough, choke and cackle that echoed off the library walls, then she did it again.
Illusion just stared at first, but then he noticed how crazy and insane Ashbolt looked at started to feel a tickle in his throat. Then the maid began to wail like a lama, screech like a hawk and all of that was mixed with the giggles he’d heard just the night before. And then the tickle in his throat started to come up, out of his mouth, and he found himself making a hiccuping, snorting sound. He quickly covered his mouth.
“Don’t stop now!”Ashbolt giggled, then pushed aside Illusion’s claw that was muffling his laugh, which started to morph as he saw Ashbolt laugh. Then his hiccup turned into a snigger, then to a chuckle and before he knew it, Illusion was laughing, laughing for the first time since Broke Equestria had been created, for the first time in five years. And it felt so good that he couldn’t stop, he just kept laughing and laughing, the joyful noises echoing across the spacious room, and even after Ashbolt had recovered and gone back to her chores, Illusion kept laughing. She cast him looks every now and then and burst into fits of giggles sometimes, but never laughed as long as Illusion did.
Once he’d finally found the strength to stand and not start rolling around with laughter, Illusion rejoined Ashbolt by the bookshelves.
“I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without..doing that!” he exclaimed.
Ashbolt grinned, “I can’t believe everypony in the Empire goes a day without doing that!”
“Yah, we focus more on aspects of magic and making sure everypony else had everything they need.”
“So you’re generous but not loyal?” Ashbolt raised her eyebrows.
“I guess,” Illusion replied.
“You’re lucky then,” she said, “We don’t have much magic in the Colony, and the ones who do have it-unicorns mainly-don’t have the kind that’s very helpful.”
Ashbolt paused then echoed Illusion’s proud tone, “We focus more on being kind to others, staying positive and always being loyal!”
Illusion bumped her shoulder teasingly.
“You just can’t tell who to trust,” she added. “We sort of...stretch the truth….a lot.”
“We make a vow when we’re small colts and fillies to state the truth always and nothing but the truth. So we can’t really ever lie and if we do, a sun branding appears on your forehead, telling everypony in the world that you’re a liar. That sort of ruins your reputation for ages,” Illusion explained, “Believe me, I’ve gone through it plenty of times.”
“Our societies are such opposites,” Ashbolt laughed, “No wonder we’re in war.”
“Yah,” Illusion sighed, “Well...I should probably go see what my mom wants.”
“And I should be in the laundry room now,” Ashbolt said, “Have fun with your mother!”
Illusion snorted, “Right. And have fun cleaning.”
“Always.”
Then the two ponies went their separate ways, oblivious to the tragedies that laid ahead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I can’t believe this much dirt comes out of just one dress,” a high maid from Madam Murdock’s dorm said. She had introduced herself as Sea Swirl and was the only pony who had been willing to take the station next to Ashbolt in the spacious, bubble filled laundry room.
“Yes,” Ashbolt whinnied, “I am just glad to be having a clean outfit.”
“Until your next chore,” Sea Swirl grinned.
“Come now, girls, now dilly dally!” the majestic Madam Murdock called into the chamber, “Stations one through ten can start hanging up uniforms to dry-now spit spot!”
So Ashbolt and Sea Swirl followed the crowd toward the arrays of laundry lines draped across the room like dull streamers that tugged at Ashbolt’s heart, making her miss the amazing parties Mrs.Pie put on back in the Colony.
“So have you been invited to Lord Discord’s feast tonight?” Sea Swirl asked as the two ponies grabbed their clothes pins and trotted to the lines, “I’ve heard it’s gonna be a blast! Especially cause dear Celestia has invited the upper class citizens, so it won’t be just us palace workers and royals!”
“I haven’t heard anything about it actually...so I guess no,” Ashbolt replied, sort of disappointed that Illusion hadn’t told her.
Sea Swirl sighed, “I wasn’t either, it’s okay. But you wanna come to my dorm for our own celebration? Me and my roommate have been saving our desserts for weeks and now seems like a good time to take out the stash.”
Ashbolt stopped pinning her dress up, “You..really mean it? But I am a Colony member. You do know, right?”
“Well, yah,” Sea Swirl shrugged, “I don’t mind if you don’t mind that we’re all Empire ponies.”
“No! I...don’t think you ponies are bad anyways. Our leaders just happen to be at war…”
Her new friend laughed, “Sure, just at war. So you’ll come?”
“I’d love to!”
“Then we’ll see you at eight tonight! You can bring your-”
“What is that?!” a shriek echoed and silenced the whole laundry room. It was Madam Florance who had spoken, and she was looking at the ground below Ashbolt’s dress she had just hung up.
Ashbolt’s eyes shot to the ground and to her horror, Illusion’s initialed, Imperial crested sack was laying on the marble floor for everypony to see.
Some ponies gasped, other began whispering while the rest sniggered as Madam Florance stormed toward Ashbolt who quickly scooped up the sack and held it close to her chest as if that could force it to disappear.
“Does that bag have a Solar Empire crest stitched on it Celestial gold?” Madam Florance demanded in a deadly hiss as she stepped closer and closer to her prey.
“It’s..just-he gave-”
Then the Madam tore the sack from Ashbolt’s hooves and with her pink glowing horn, lifted it up for everypony in the room to see.
“See this?” she shouted, “The initials of our Prince! And what is a prisoner doing with such a prized possession?!”
“I didn’t-”
“She has stolen from her masters!!”
The chamber erupted in gasps, cries and waves of whispers as Madam Florance sneered then suddenly shoved Ashbolt up against the wall, “And everypony knows the punishment for stealing from their masters.”
“I didn’t steal it!!” Ashbolt screamed, her throat tightening with fear and the strain of speaking over the bellows from the crowd, “Illusion gave it to me and-”
“LIES!” Madam Florance roared so loudly that it made Ashbolt’s ears ring for a moment, “Take her to the Princess! Our wise ruler shall determine her fate!”
The chamber jeered with approval then the Madam leaned forward and said, just loud enough for Ashbolt to hear, “And may Celestia ever rule.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You are to be my right hoof during our next raid,” Celestia declared darkly within the walls of the throne room.
“What?” Illusion cried, “But that’s dad’s job! I don’t even know h-”
“You’re father will not be returning tonight,” the Prince’s mother interrupted, “He was taken prisoner during the last battle and now is a captive within the hooves of our enemies.”
“And what does that have to do with-?”
“So we are to march with our troops to the village of Newleeia and attack while you and your father’s stallions charge into their prison chambers and unleash our remaining soldiers.”
“But I can’t lead a whole army!” Illusion burst, “Can’t one of your other stallions lead the-?”
“It must be you,” Celestia said, putting her hoof down, “It is now your time to fight and I expect you to accept your position. All of the Solar Empire does.”
“You really can’t just expect me to-”
“We do. And you will have advisors to assist in the work, but after all of your warfare studies with the Twilight, I think you’re ready.”
Illusion scratched his claws against the stone floor in irritation. He hated to be interrupted, much less told what to do, but as he stood under his mother’s mighty stare, he tried to convince himself to do the right thing. To save his kingdom, do good for the Empire, to kill some rebellious Colonists that deserve such a fate…
“And what if I fail at everything in the world?”
Celestia stared down at her son, “Illusion, you will not fail because you cannot. Now we must start preparing for departure at dawn, then I will show you the-”
Just then, the throne room doors burst open, knocking the entrance guards to the floor as a parade of maids hauled in a pony stipped of her uniform and looking beaten and paniced. That panic instantly shot into Illusion as he noticed that pony was Ashbolt.
“Your majesty!” Madam Florance exclaimed as Illusion took a step away from the throne, “We have an thief in our midst!”
Celestia quickly rose to her hooves and took a few paces forward, “Show me your case.”
The maids, who looked surprisingly vicious compared to their normally pleasant aura, threw Ashbolt forward and let her skid to their Princess’s feet. Celestia instantly rose to her full height and her voice suddenly had the power of a thunderstorm as it boomed through the chamber.
“Bow, Colonist, and face your fate.”
Illusion winced as Ashbolt struggled to her hooves, but didn’t dip into her usual curtsy. The Empire’s ruler instantly hardened, “I see my sister hasn’t taught you the basic etiquette in one’s before one’s throne. Apparently I did not make myself clear. Bow or you shall never see the light of your dear ruler’s Glory again!”
Ashbolt’s expression froze into a contorted sign of hatred, but she gave a quick and shallow bow.
“Now then,” Celestia continued, “what has this outsider done to receive such a visit?”
“See here?!” Madam Florance shouted,almost seeming insane as she waved the Prince’s sack high in the air for all to see, “This thing has stolen from the royal family- an heirloom of the Prince himself! Most likely to sell it for bits beyond one’s wildest dreams, I’m sure!”
The Princess’s eyes narrowed,then she turned to Ashbolt, “Do you confess to your natural evil deeds, Colonist?”
“No,” Ashbolt simply replied, only causing the on goers in the room to jeer with anger.
“Then explain yourself!” Celestia demanded.
“Your Prince gave that sack...as a reminder of whom I then served.”
Ashbolt felt no guilt in lying, but had to force herself not to turn red under the Princess’s glowering stare.
“You filthy liar,” Celestia growled, “And if you continue to lie, your punishments will only take you closer to death!”
Ashbolt angrily opened her mouth to snap back, but Illusion must have seen her temper rising because he quickly butted in, “She speaks the truth!”
The assembly froze. Ashbolt even turned a bit white.
“I have not asked for your input, Illusion, now hold your tongue and-”
“I gave the sack to her,” the Prince persisted, “It was a temporary gift...just to keep her working with energy enough to serve us.”
It was true, just worded in an indirect way that made Illusion have to think hard to make sure he didn’t accidently lie, because if he had…
“Really?” Celestia asked doubtfully, “All that you say is truth, Illusion?”
“Yes,” he firmly replied and the crowd let his words echo within the throne room until the sound turned into a hiss and disappeared.
Then Illusion felt something cold rush to his forehead. The sensation pooled right where a unicorn’s horn would be, then the Prince sharply inhaled- he knew that feeling. He’d felt it only a few times before, often during his young days as a colt-
Everypony in the chamber gasped.
“The Celestial Sun!” one maid cried, and sure enough, there was the Empire’s Sun branded right across Illusion’s forehead-the sign of a liar.
“ILLUSION!” Celestia’s voice boomed with rage, “How DARE you lie in this court! Especially at YOUR age AND position!! I WILL NOT have a captain OR a son who LIES!!”
Illusion’s mind went racing. He hadn’t lied! He’d said everything correctly, it had been true-somepony must have enchanted the branding on him, he was sure of it. But who? Somepony who really wanted Ashbolt out of the Empire.
“And now, Liar, you will watch this Colonist be put to DEATH!”
The room cheered madly. Illusion’s eyes flew to Ashbolt, but before he could react, she was taken by three guards who began forcing her toward the doors.
“Illusion!” he hear her cry out, sounding so pained it hurt him just to listen, and without thinking, the Prince charged forward, horns bucking anypony to the side that dared to get in his way, and then-
CRACK.
Illusion skid across the chamber’s cold, stone floor, his head throbbing, heart pounding behind his eyes that went so out of focus that everything in the room was just a blur of colors.
“Come, Illusion,” he heard his mother’s voice say, kinder now, but still as sharp as a stab from a horn, “Time to prove whose side you’re really on.”
Illusion felt himself being raised from the floor and gently laid across Celestia’s back, and the last thing he heard was the Princess’s command, “Come, loyal Imperials! To the Crevice!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ashbolt struggled against the guards’ deathly grips, but she could barely move. She caught sight of Illusion just as Celestia began her flight over the Empire’s boundaries, but then he was gone, and soon she’d be gone.
Her captors dragged her through the Empire village as ponies of all types emerged from their brightly lit houses, coming out to join the band of citizens working their way towards the border to watch Ashbolt’s execution. Some threw mud, rotting fruit, spells or knives at her as Ashbolt was forced into the crowd, and by the time they reached Celestia again, Ashbolt was dripping with stinking juices, blood, boils that the Empire citizens had enjoyed enchanting onto her skin and filth beyond imagination. She was breathing hard, trying to cover herself from anymore blow, but soon she’d be on the verge of fainting. The furious shouts of the ponies around her caused Ashbolt’s ears to ring, her heart to fly into her head and hammer between her eyes, and by then, her muscles were numb from pain and the struggles of trying to break free. Then the Crevice of Abyss came into view.
The Crevice was said to be an endless crack, filled with the souls of dead soldiers and pooling with the wrath of the two Sisters which had caused the Crevice to make an almost perfect cut right across Broke Equestria. Those who were thrown in were said to have been eaten. Eaten from the inside-out by angry, desperate souls, taking the life from another in hopes to one day have life enough to escape the Crevice. And if you were lucky enough not to be eaten, you went insane, filled with the want to kill that came from the Sisters’ wrath that you eventually took out on yourself.
“Citizens of the Solar Empire!” Celestia boomed and instantly brought the enraged on goers to silence, then they said almost as one voice, “May the true Glory ever rule!”
Their Princess gave a smug smirk then continued, “We have gathered here today to drive out a Rebel. A Colonist that has committed the most death worthy crimes and is now ready to see her fate!”
The ponies roared, then a royal advisor stepped forward from behind Celestia and began reading from a scroll.
“Disloyal Rebel of the Lunar Colony, you have been charged with the felony of lying to Her Majesty, stealing from the Royal family, breaking across the Equestrian border, setting a valued prisoner free, being a pony of….”
Ashbolt would have found it humorous that she had somehow managed to break so many rules in such a short amount of time if she wasn’t on the verge of the worst death imaginable. She desperately looked to Illusion, but he was out cold, draped across Celestia’s back, being there just because his presence was required. Generous, she guessed, but very unkind and inconsiderate. Then Ashbolt dared a glance at the Crevice. She couldn’t see the bottom, obviously, but she couldn’t make out anything more that a few feet into the depths because of the black rolling smoke that was blanketed across the Crevice’s opening. A muffled breeze shot from the deep and buffeted against Ashbolt’s face, then the air was sucked right back into the smoke like a deep inhale trying to swallow her whole. She couldn’t let this happen. She couldn’t die like this. The safety of the Colony was only a half mile away, and if she made it, the Empire would have to let her go…
“....and for the disloyalty to Equestria by joining the Lunar Colony, we now sentence you to death!” the Imperial advisor finally finished, then Celestia stepped forward to reclaim her spotlight.
“May your soul ever rest in this wretched place!” the Princess declared, and the guards began pushing Ashbolt closer to the crumbling crack’s edge, “And may the true Glory ever rule! Now into the Abyss with y-!”
Then Ashbolt bucked Celestia right in the muzzle. The Princess’s citizens gasped, then bellowed as Ashbolt thrashed against the guards’ who didn’t have enough time to react and before they knew it, their prisoner was running toward the Crevice of Abyss.
Ashbolt’ heart was racing, it felt like she was trying to breath through a straw, but she forced herself to keep running, closer and closer to her place of death.
“Leave it!” the guard’s captain ordered as Ashbolt galloped full speed ahead,”She’ll run right into-”
And then Ashbolt unfurled her damaged wings, displaying their still spectacular feathers, and, using every aching muscle in her body, began flapping. Oh, how glorious it was to be able to feel every feather, every flex and breeze that ran through her wings, but she knew she’d have to fly her fastest to make it across before her wings gave out. The edge was getting closer, the winds was blocking out any noise the Imperials behind her were making, and then she kicked off just before the ground below decided to crumble and disappear beneath the Crevice’s smoky depths.
“Shoot! Take her down! Don’t let her escape!!” Celestia’s roar barely made it to Ashbolt’s ears as the pain of her clipped wings made her dip up and down through the air like a drunken pegasus, but she wouldn’t let herself drop into the Abyss.
Ashbolt struggled against the wind as the Imperials began shooting spells of every kind in attempts to knock her off course, but Ashbolt was still the second fastest flyer of the Colony and she dove, flipped, tucked and spun skillfully away from each hurling blast of light aimed for her. Tears escaped Ashbolt’s eyes as the wind began to blow harder, but she could see it-the Lunar Colony grounds. She flew with all her might, mustered every bit of fight she had left in her, then she crossed the border and landed.
Ashbolt collapsed, relief spilling over her, and she was about to run to tell gracious Luna of all that had happened when Ashbolt’s whole body suddenly seized up. It wa pain beyond torture with the Darkers, pain beyond sounds, she felt as if she were about to be crushed, her bones grinding to dust, then it stopped. It stopped so suddenly she couldn’t breath, didn’t even notice the light blue glow that surrounded her or the tall ,mighty mare hovering just a breathe away from her with a bloody muzzle. Ashbolt could barely summon the strength to open her eyes, and when he did, the blurry figure before her hissed, “And may the true Glory ever rule.”
Then the blue glow disappeared and Ashbolt was sent falling towards the endlessness of death within the Crevice of Abyss, Celestia still managing a victorious grin, suspended in the air right where Ashbolt’s petrified body had fallen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warm. Soft. Throbbing.
Illusion groaned. He could still feel the place on his head where his mother had struck him, but the pain was a little less now.
He blinked until the ceiling above him came into focus, then he remembered. Ashbolt.
“Oh, it’s about time,” a voice to the Prince’s left whinnied, “I’ve got your medicine dose, so don’t move a muscle more or I’ll have to knock you back out.”
Illusion had quickly sat up at the memory of all that had happened, but now he was regretting the sudden movement. His shoulders tightened as he craned his neck around to examine the room in was in. To his surprise, it was a tent scattered with newly cleaned cots, each with their own bedside table, but his was the only one occupied with a water jug, a glass and an unraveling roll of bandages.
“Okay, I got it, I got,” the mare who had first spoken shouted to rumbling voices outside as she reentered the medical tent with a bowl and cloth floating balanced atop her short, pink stripped and dark blue hair, then she spotted the Prince.
“You lay back down before I have to come over there and make you do it,” she ordered, sounding more bored than annoyed, “So how’re you feeling, Prince?”
“What happened to...at the execution?” Illusion quickly corrected himself as the orange nurse pony set down her load and forced him back under the bed sheets with a swift head butt.
“Oh, nothing exciting. That pony got thrown into the Abyss, nothing new,” the mare replied as she began soaking a rag in her wash bowl.
“NO!” Illusion cried, “No, no, no ,no…,”
“What?!” the pony cried almost angrily and by the tag displaying large, sloppy hoofman ship on the apron she wore, it was obvious that her name was Starburst, “What’s gotten into you?”
Illusion sunk into the bed, burying his face in his claw and hoof. Ashbolt was gone. Gone before he’d really gotten to know her. Dead. Dead before he’d gotten to tell her...had she even known that he’d cared about her? That she wasn’t just a disloyal Colonist in his eyes? Or did she even care?
The Prince felt his insides numb. He could barely feel a thing. Even the pain subsided and his heart slowed down. It might as well have stopped. She was gone and now it was time for war.
“Hey, now,” Illusion heard Starburst croon, seeing that he was breaking down, “Don’t worry. The Princess has it all taken care of and now you don’t have to worry about putting in your share of torture cause that Colonist is probably already dead, so-”
“I need to get out of here,” Illusion suddenly flung the covers off of him and shoved Starburst’s wet rag from his forehead.
“Whoa, hey, mister,” Starburst said as she watched Illusion limp and stagger with pain, “You can’t just leave. The army is waiting for your command and I’m supposed to keep you-hey!”
She quickly blocked the doorway, seeing the Prince’s determination, and when she did, Illusion growled, “Out of my way.”
“Hey. Prince. I’m Starburst Sentury! How’s it going?”
Illusion scowled and shoved the mare to the side, but she easily recovered and shoved him back. The Prince’s heart ached when this reminded him of Ashbolt.
“You can’t go into the Crevice. You won’t come out alive-nopony does!”
“I don’t care. Now let me go.”
Starburst’s eyes narrowed. She gave the Prince one last shove, then sat herself down at the entrance, totally blocking his way.
“No.”
Illusion began breathing hard, “Do you dare disobey an Imperial Captain?!”
“Yep.”
His face contorted with anger, “Then I’ll have to make you move...and I’m not afraid to hurt you.”
“Well, that’ll come in handy during battle,” Starburst almost shouted then quieted down, “But I just thought you’d like to know...I know how to help you through the Crevice.”
Illusion froze, but quickly shook himself loose, “Yah, right. Nopony comes out alive, remember?”
“It’s that mare, isn’t it?” she whispered, “Ashbolt Lumeneria.”
This time Illusion turned red, but tried to play it off as rage, “Why would I care about some worthless, disloyal..Rebel…?”
“Well, newsflash, Princey,” Starburst hissed as she leaned in close so only Illusion could hear her next words, “I’m a Joint Equestria.”
This shocked Illusion even more. He’d heard stories of the ponies of Joint Equestria, ponies who strived to reunited Broke Equestria by being equally loyal to both the Empire and Colony, but never had he met one because if you were found to be a Joint, you were instantly put to death. First using the darkest, worst torturing spells from the ages of Star Swirl the Bearded, then begin beaten by the Darkers and finally, the pony was left to suffer in the Crevice of Abyss.
“You-you haven’t-” Illusion stuttered, but was shoved into bed before he could finish, then Starburst continued and dabbed a wet rag against the Prince’s gaunt, cold sweating face.
“A Joint, yes, and we’re the only ones who know the secrets of both the Colony and Empire, and I won’t share too many details, mostly cause I don’t trust you one bit, but I know how to get things straight between the two Sisters.”
“Wait-where-which side were you on first?” Illusion managed to ask his first question.
Starburst grinned, “Oh, I used to be an Imperial, loyal forever because both my parents are army captains, and I even fought beside them...until I twisted a hoof and was sent to work here. But then I met up with some Colonists, and hey, why should I hate them because some older alicorn does?”
“Princess Celestia is not some-” Illusion began to angrily defend his mother, but Starburst butted back in,
“Yah, yah, that’s cause she’s your mom. But what I saw were ponies just like me and...well, less like you, but you get it. And I just lost the want to tear all their faces off..because you can’t do that to somepony just because they have a different opinion than yours.”
Illusion looked into Starburst’s dark eyes and, for the first time, actually saw a fellow Equestrian. Not a Broke Equestrian, a pony he’d once seen back in his days in Canterlot, when there was peace. Oh, how he longed for those days.
“That’s...how I feel,”he found himself whispering. Starburst pretty much smirked.
“So I-we Joints- have a plan. A war plan. But you have to trust me, or this isn’t gonna work, got it, Princey?”
“What about Ashbolt?” Illusion thoughtlessly blurted and instantly turned red.
“Don’t worry, rescuing her comes in there to,” his nurse sneered, “Now are you in?”
The Prince sighed, “What’s the plan?”
“Imperial Captain,” Starburst grinned, “I’m glad you asked.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Empty. Just a body of emptiness laying on the deteriorating stone ledge, not one breath taken, but there was still something inside of Ashbolt that was alive, still a bit of moonlight burning within her heart that forced slow motion waves of blood to keep flowing through her veins. It was like being asleep, in so deep a sleep that it was impossible to move. What had happened? Oh yes, lovely Celestia had executed her, she remembered, but what happened to Illusion? Illusion.
The image of the Prince's face sketched itself into Ashbolt's dying mind. Oh, how she wished to tell him she was okay, to laugh with him about all the crimes she'd apparently committed, and to hear him struggle to laugh and then not be able to stop. Had he even known she cared about him? Had he known he wasn't just a stuck up, disloyal pony of the Empire...? Or did he even care?
Then something jabbed Ashbolt's neck, she didn't feel a thing though and tried to ignored the second poke, but then her ears started to clear up and she heard somepony close by breathing.
Was she not dead? Or was it a soul? Could they even breath? Ashbolt didn't know and hoped she didn't move when the pony-or whatever it was-pushed her shoulder. Then she felt herself being pushed onto her back. The thing moving her grunted then Ashbolt heard it yelp and stumble back when her wing popped out from underneath her.
"Whoa," a stallion's voice breathed, and at hearing that voice, something cracked in Ashbolt's mind. Her heart suddenly jerked forward, it started beating faster, then she managed a raspy gasp and fresh air flooded into her body like an ice cold wave crashing over her. Her lungs seared with pain as the thin air surrounding her cut throw her insides, then her eyes popped open and she found herself face to face with four brown hooves, only they were slightly transparent like a ghost. Or a soul.
"Well, now my job's done," the stallion's voice proudly said from above her, and when Ashbolt looked up, she found a brown coated pony standing above her. He had a short, jagged blonde mane, midnight blue eyes so dark they were almost black and a flank that displayed a golden bow and burning arrow cutie mark. He was lean and strong, but young and had a set of wings with yellow inner feathers and brown outer.
Ashbolt flexed her aching wings and forced the words from her sandpaper throat, "Who..are-?
"The name's Dinkleberry Whooves!" the stallion exclaimed with a large grin, "And what be your name, Ms. Pretty?"
Ashbolt would have bucked that pony if she hadn't been hurting so much and instead replied, "Ashbolt Lumeneria."
"Well, Ashbolt, welcome to our humble home!" the faded stallion Dinkleberry declared, "Where're you from, girly?"
Now he was really going to get it. Once she could stand.
Ashbolt scowled. She didn't trust that stallion-she'd already said her name and that was probably too much, so she ignored his question and began struggling to her hooves.
"Mm," Dinkleberry grunted as he watched Ashbolt fall every time her legs gave way, "Hold your horses and-! Hehe, horses...well, just lemme take care of things, then I'll help you up."
And before Ashbolt could protest, the stallion slammed a hoof to her chest, right on her heart, then she choked. Her heart beat sped to speeds unimaginable. It felt as if her chest was going to explode, that her head was going to fly off from the flood of air that had come to her head. Her vision became clouded, stabs of color floated through the air, every muscle in her body seized up, and as Ashbolt grew weaker, she saw that with every deafening heart beat, Dinkleberry grew more clear and solid. Then he looked took his hoof off of her heart and everything stopped. Ashbolt's head spun for a moment, her blood slowly pumped to its normal speed and she was left on the verge of fainting for only a moment, then she was fine.
Ashbolt looked up at Dinkleberry, cold sweat dripping down her muzzle, breath shaking as she choked, "What did you-?"
"Now time to FINISH THIS!!!"
Then Dinkleberry rose to his hind legs, fore hooves baring, and as Ashbolt fought to scoot away from him, his dark eyes began glowing, radiating until they were just endless sockets of white illumination. The wind whipped around the two ponies, deafening Ashbolt as she watched, horrified, as Dinkleberry's eyes began crackling with lightning that showered down on her, singing her coat and cracking the stone ledge they stood on. She screamed. Dinkleberry roared insanely, bore his teeth in rage and before Ashbolt could get away, he came down on her with full force, wings unfurled, and then-
Ashbolt's eyes were squeezed shut, but she didn't feel anything except the aching of every sore muscle in her body. Hadn't she just been crushed? But then she realized she was standing upright. Ashbolt opened one eye just enough to peek through her thick lashes, and there before her was Dinkleberry, looking innocently at her, blinking with his normal dark eyes, not a glaring light in sight. Ashbolt stared then blinked.
"What...you were..."
"What?" he echoed, "I said I'd help you up, and look! You're up!"
Ashbolt shook away her questions and flexed her wings-oh how much of a relief it was to have-! Then a shot of pain seized at he left wing's joint, raced up to the tips of each feather and burned at the wing's bridge like a blazing lightning zap.
"Agh!" she sharply inhaled, her breathes coming out like a hiss through clenched teeth.
"Yah, dunno what happened to you, but I'd suggest you not fly on that one for at least a week," Dinkleberry said, observing Ashbolt's injured wing. She quickly moved away from him though and mumbled,
"Thanks."
"So....How about we go get something to chew cause I'm staaaarving," the stallion quickly filled the silence animatedly, "How 'bout we go to the-"
"No," Ashbolt firmly said, raising herself to her full height as she'd often seen her gracious Princess Luna do, "I am going to find a way out of here and I'm going to do so alone."
Silence. Dinkleberry blinked. He wasn't going to cry, was he? Ashbolt really didn't want to deal with a crying colt right then.
"Well then, I guess I'll be on my way!" Dinkleberry declared, turned and began prancing away, then her called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the thick black fog of the Crevice, "Good luck getting past the River of the Forgotten, Miss Bolt!"
Now that she was up, Ashbolt wanted to buck him more than anything, but letting him just walk away was the second best thing....except the more sensible half of Ashbolt knew she needed him, that he'd be her way out...so even though she hated herself for doing it, Ashbolt reluctantly forced herself to say, "Wait!"
Dinkleberry's fading image froze, then her turned on his heels, dipped into an exaggerated bow and replied, "Yes, oh wise one?"
Ashbolt clamped her jaw shut before she could say anything stupid then stated, "You know the way out."
Dinkleberry trotted closer, growing less transparent with each step toward her, and smugly grinned, "Eh, I've been here seven years, I know this place front to back and upside down! And I can show you the way out of this Crevice...if you're willing to pay."
Ashbolt inwardly groaned, "How many bits will it take to please you?"
"Oh, not bits," he mocked, "It's not much though. All I want is my freedom form this place."
Well that was a lot less than she'd expected.
"Then you can follow me out," Ashbolt simply replied.
Dinkleberry gave her a twisted grin and held out his right hoof, "Then do we have ourselves a deal?"
Ashbolt scowled at him, "There is no need to make the Sister's Vow."
He raised his eyebrows. Ashbolt huffed, "Fine," then she took a step closer, held out her right hoof, then both ponies placed their hooves on each other's hearts and said in unison,
"I make this vow, and do not allow, this bond between us, to come apart thus, and through The Two Sisters we swear."
Once the vow was made, Ashbolt's heart jerked forward and twisted to the right, making her stifle a painful gasp, then the two ponies lowered their hooves and stared into each others' eyes.
Finally Ashbolt broke the silence, "So where's the fastest way out of here?"
"Oh, Miss Prissy," Dinkleberry grinned, "I'm glad you asked."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We will attack here," boomed Celestia to the crowded tent of captains and generals, using her horn to stab a point on her map of Broke Equestria, "then Captain Illusion will head east with his troops and come around on the north side of Newlia, then we will have them surrounded."
The watching stallions and mares nodded solemnly then Celestia, in her full battle armor, turned her horn towards her son who stood to her right, also displaying new, shining battle wear, and asked, "What say you, Captain Illusion? Are your troops able to take on such a task?"
Illusion was thankful he was wearing his helmet because he was pretty sure he'd turned red when the spotlight was pointed his way, but her quickly puffed up his chest, held his head high and declared, "The stallions have been training all their lives for this. We're ready."
Celestia suppressed a proud smile at her son's words, then fiercely turned back to her audience, "Twilight, is Starburst well enough for battle yet?"
Captain Sparkle, Celestia's right hoof mare, gave the Princess a serious look and declared, "She isn't yet well enough to run, so it may be a week or so, but she says she's willing to fight at the drop of a wing."
Celestia's eyes narrowed and Illusion could tell Starburst had been one of her greatest fighters, and he almost felt jealous for the attention she was getting even though he was now a captain.
"And Applejack," the Princess barked to another leading solider, "Have we gotten word from Golden yet on the reports on the Colony's patrols?"
"No, Princess," General Apple replied, trying to conceal the bit of sadness in her tone, "He hasn't been heard from in five days."
Illusion saw his mother's jaw tighten, then she said, "We will deal with this later. After today's travels. It will be a three day's journey to Newlia, so brace yourselves...now prepare the soldiers for half march!!"
And with that, all the stallions and mares filed out of the tent, not daring to even whisper to each other, then it was just Celestia and Illusion in the room.
"Nicely said," Celestia stiffly complimented, "Now be on your way. Today's going to be a long day."
So Illusion quickly shuffled out of the room, into the glaring sun that reflected off if his golden armor and practically blinded him as he trotted towards his army's camp ground.
It was said that the Empire's armor was made form the very gold of the Sun, but no matter how much ponies made them sound like an honor to wear, Illusion hated it. The heavy metal seemed to envelop him like a thermal mirror, stabbing at his joints and keeping in the sweat that often dripped down his muzzle. Celestia's Glory was getting brighter and hotter everyday-it was a sign of her anger, of the approaching war, but as much as Illusion loved his mom, he was starting to hate how easily she got mad. And how that lead to desert-like heat.
"Afternoon, Captain!" a solider sharpening his horn saluted to Illusion as he marched into his troops' weaponry tent, "May Celestia be with you this day!"
Illusion didn't return the greeting. He just stiffly nodded and moved on, as he'd been taught to do by Captain Sentury. He hated doing it-it was like he had to ignore every pony who ever tried to talk with him and keep acting like he knew everything in the world. And for the soldiers, age wasn't a barrier that kept them from obeying anything Illusion told them to do, which sometimes came in handy and was hilarious to watch, but not being allowed to smile dampened the fun of it all.
Sometimes Illusion would zone out of battle plans and would find himself wanting to laugh. It was such a foreign concept to him, and nopony ever laughed in the Empire, so that only made the craving for laughter grow. If only he could laugh with Ashbolt...she knew how to. She would have burst out laughing with him in the middle of his mother's meetings. But she was gone...no. Every time this thought would cross his mind, Illusion forced himself to believe Starburst's words, that she was alive, that she had a chance at living still, but it was hard to set as truth sometimes and Illusion would find himself imagining the torturous souls deep withing the Crevice of Abyss, eating at Ashbolt's very soul...
"Afternoon, Captain," the stallion at the weaponry tent's makeshift counter, "What brings you here today? Has you throwing knife broken again? Are you in need of polishing for your armor? Oh, or is it your-"
"No," Illusion firmly interrupted, causing the stallion to nervously push his glasses up the bridge of his muzzle, "I've come for the blade I ordered to be done two days ago."
"Ah, yes!" the counter pony exclaimed, quickly regaining his self confidence, "Quite a demanding order that was! Took ten of our finest black smiths to finish on time! Do step this way, Captain."
Illusion gave a serious but grateful nod then followed the stallion behind the counter, past the curtain that separated the rest of the tent and the space used specially for the Royal weapons. The two ponies stepped inside the dimly lit corner, then the stallion began combing down the cases, stabbers, tools and parchment orders strewn across the dirt floor.
"It's around here!" the stallion exclaimed as he stuck his head under a pile of sword cases, but as he searched, Illusion wanted to say, 'Take your time,' because of the great relief it was to be out of the beating Sun. He knew he shouldn't have been thinking it, but he thought at that moment that it would have been nice to be under Luna's Glory.
"Ah! Here it is!"
Illusion snapped out of his daze and looked down at the weapon being levitated before him.
"A serrated edge sword, melded in the very fire and heat from our Celestia's Glory!" the stallion exclaimed proudly as he carefully fit the orange glowing sword into a stabber, "It's all yours, Captain!"
"Th-" Illusion quickly caught himself before he'd finished saying 'thank you' and corrected his mistake with a solemn nod, then fit the weapon into his own armor's stabber and went on his way. He trotted through the camp grounds, past the arrays of white tents, past the millions of saluting soldiers, but turned the the twentieth row of tents, away from the Captain's Quarters and instead toward the Nursing Tent. And when he proudly strutted into the tent and found that nopony was there, he instantly slumped, threw his stabber onto the nearest bed and flopped onto the one to its left.
"Ugh," he groaned, then heard something stirring from inside the Nurse's Quarters, but he didn't even budge from his bed.
"Oh, you're back already?" a voice from the Quarters asked, then from the curtain door came trotting out Starburst, left hind leg still tightly wrapped in a bandage, "Did you get it?"
Illusion flung off his helmet then scooped up the stabber with his muzzle and unsheathed it for her to see.
"Whoohoo," Starburst whistled, "Some beauty," then she allowed Illusion to slid it into a stabber hidden just under her nurse apron, "Thanks. It'll come in handy when we get to the town of Bridgemend. You ready for your first battle?"
Illusion shrugged, "Sure...but it's so hot out there! We'll all die of heat stroke before we even get to Newlia! And this armor is killing me-if I hadn't been through all those training sessions with Twilight and Flash back in the palace, I'd be falling over in these. And I have a million cricks in my neck from nodding so much-why can't I just talk like normal ponies and-"
"Because you're not normal," Starburst butted into his pity party, "And save your voice for battle-you'll need it to scream over all the dying ponies. Plus, it'll be over soon."
For once Illusion didn't want to say 'thank you' for the advise he'd been given.
"So how's the leg?" he asked instead.
Starburst grimaced and shifted her bandaged limb, "The stupid doctor keeps putting be on bed rest, but I bet you a hundred bits I got run at the top ranks right now."
Illusion grinned, "I'll let you off that bet for now, but at least you get to march with us."
"In the back," Starburst scowled, "With the worthless servants and arrow fetching foals. Yah, I'm lucky."
"Well, don't worry," Illusion imitated Starburst's drawling tone when she said, "It'll be over soon."
That only made her eyes narrow into a glare, but it amused Illusion how much this mare wanted to suffer through the heat and sick of war-no, she wasn't a mare. Filly. She wasn't yet Of Age until three weeks.
"Anyways," Starburst trotted for a moment into the Nurses' Quarters then returned with a heavy duty saddle bag, "Princess Celestia delivered your weapons a few minutes ago."
Illusion quickly came forward, but stopped when he'd processed what had been said, "Wait, why did she give if to you?"
The orange filly smirked, "Apparently someone's finally realized that you come here about three times a day."
The new captain felt his ears heat to pink. He'd been visiting Starburst a lot lately, but only to get filled in on all the plans for the upcoming rebellion. And if his mother ever found out about that...
Illusion snatched the saddle bag from Starburst, then set it on a bed, flung open the flat, then the tent instantly exploded with light, spilling from the bag and blinding and deafening both ponies standing by.
"What is it?!" Starburst's whinny was distant as Illusion was sucked into the endless glow, then something from the illumination's depths began to rise. It slowly flew from the saddle bag, into the air, then an explosion of orange wisps was shot from the object and it's form became visible.
Hovering just above Illusion's horns was a double edged sword, the top half made from the burning flames of the sun, the bottom, a celestial blade reflecting the flames of its brother blade and shining clear as a crystal. Both upper and lower swords radiated the heat and light of the Empire's Glory, able to burn and cut through almost everything in Broke Equestria. This was the weapon used by only royal, only top ranked soldiers, only the greatest ponies in history. This was the Key of the Solar Empire. And now it was Illusion's.
The double edged sword spun slowly as it hovered as if allowing its audience to take in its full luster, then it began spinning faster and faster until it was just a dizzying blur of light, and then it started flying towards the Prince.
At first Illusion wanted to run-what else do you do when a flaming blade is coming at your head?- but something forced his hooves and claws to root themselves to the ground, to stay put as the Key drew nearer and nearer to the Sun still faintly branded on his forehead. Once the celestial blade was only a nudge away from the surface of Illusion's skin, it stopped, tilted itself towards the emblem on the Prince's forehead, then suddenly lunged forward and stabbed him.
Illusion screamed, but there was no blood. The double sword was being sucked into his head, a heat pooling around his brain, toasting it to unimaginable temperatures that made the burn of war feel like a snow trip. It seared, stung, blinded him. He heard the far off shriek of a filly, then his own screaming as the pain intensified. He was going to die. He was sure of it. And if not, he was wishing he would. Illusion heard a crackle, a deafening crack that raced up his nerves and shook his very soul, then the lightning surge left his forehead, twisted up each of his horns, and then it was silent. Dark. And Illusion was on the floor.
Words were a mere dream at that point, and apparently Starburst felt the same.
The Prince willed his eyes to open. They did surprisingly easily. He dared his muscles to work, to lift him off the puddle of sweat he'd formed in the dirt, and soon enough, he was on his hooves. There was no pain, no ache or struggle. Just strength. And it felt as if the very energy of the Sun was pumping through his veins.
The engraving of the Liars was gone from Illusion's forehead, but a new surprise was hovering in the exact same place. Coming form his horns was a mix of yellow light and orange wisps that twirled before him, causing the Empire's double edged sword to float level with the new Captain's eyes. Illusion blinked. The sword was much too close to his face and would soon blind him. He wished it would move and then-
The sword flew to the side. Illusion gave a start. How did it-? He squeezed his eyes shut and wished it would once again float-and it did. Again and again. With just a simple thought, Illusion could send the sword zipping across the room, stabbing into the ground, spinning and hovering at the same time-it was a if he had the powers of a unicorn! But this was different, this came with more responsibility, this was better than any unicorn horn.
Illusion found himself grinning as the Sun's light and wisps raced around the tent, but when he turned towards Starburst to exclaim, he found that the filly had taken a step back. Her face looked like none he'd ever seen before on her-she was scared.
"Isn't this cool?" Illusion asked cautiously, trying not to set her off, but Starburst just stood there. Frozen.
"Well...we I should be getting the troops together to-"
Then Starburst ran out of the tent, head down, apron flying, and then the Captain was alone.
Illusion stood there, suddenly feeling empty. What had he done? Or was she just embarrassed about being so shocked? That seemed reasonable, so the Prince shrugged off the thoughts, brought the Empire's Key to his side and marched out of the Nursing Tent.
"Attention, stallions and mares!" Illusion boomed to his troops, who instantly fell into silent formation, "We are now prepared to march to Newlia! We will be traveling all day, non-stop in full march! Anypony who can't make it will be left behind for the Colonists to trample!"
Illusion kept his face straight as his troops shifted, but inside he was grinning and proud, feeling as if he could take on all of Broke Equestria with his new weapon at his side, and what pleased him even more was how every solider eyed the Key wearily and him with renewed respect.
"This is our fight for your King!" Illusion continued, "This is our trek to his and your freedom! Show that you're willing to fight and let's FIGHT! Fight to the death, fight for your Empire, you family! FOR CELESTIA!"
The army of ponies roared with approval as Illusion failed to hide it and grinned. They were ready. He would soon get his dad back. Soon King Discord would be back on his Imperial throne, soon-then he remembered. How could he have forgotten? Starburst. The Joints. They weren't actually going to make it to Newlia...but what about his dad?
Illusion's smile was quickly whipped off his face. What was he to choose? His family or the eventual joining of all of Broke Equestria? He squeezed his eyes shut, blotting the question out, then turned back to his troops.
"Now to Newlia!! Full march east! Stay in your ranks and be prepared for anything!!" he shouted as the army began moving out in a trot, the clang of armor, rumble of hooves and scrape of weapons covering his next words, "The Colonies await."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Crevice of Abyss was the only place in all of Broke Equestria that didn't receive light from either Princess's Glories. It was dark, too dark for a fire to be lit, a dark that seemed to consume any and every source of light. And it was a maze. From a stone ledge on the Crevice's wall, you could look over the side and see the millions of pathways, hedges, and complex networks that twisted together to create a giant labyrinth. Its trails were clogged with thick, gray fog that numbed the senses, its walls changing from stone to ivy to currents of black steam in seconds, each as solid as the next. Occasionally, the endless warren would let off into black tree forests, black waters, windy, black deserts and black fog so thick it felt as if you were walking through muck. But it wasn't any of that or the marred skeletons that lined the paths that scared Ashbolt. The Crevice was always full of wind, always threatening to knock you off your hooves, mostly around pits or dips in the path that begged you to jump in, to join the dead souls, and it was Ashbolt who always had to dive forward to save Dinkleberry from falling in, and after he was safe, he'd always excuse himself by saying, 'I'm just not used to feeling so..real,'.
And it was that wind that scared her.
Sometimes, as the wind would whistle by, Ashbolt would hear things, voices, and they grew even louder around the ditches Dinkleberry would stumble into. Sometimes she wouldn't be able to understand them, the voices would just talk over each other, giving her horrible headaches, but other times there was only one voice. And when it was one, she could understand it perfectly, but at the same time, her brain couldn't comprehend the words, so they'd just feel like shivers, hisses and temptations to let herself fall into the pits, to end the miserable journey. Every time that happened, Ashbolt had to force herself to think of Illusion, of her family, her parents and friends, but even their faces began to grow distant and faded and soon she was worried she'd forget their names.
"Come on, Missy!" Dinkleberry cheered over the howling winds as the two ponies were traveling through a stone labyrinth, "I think I see the end!"
Ashbolt had been falling behind, dragging her hooves as the wind pounded against her face, as the crowd of voices inside her head began to overpower her hearing, but she struggled on, hiking towards Dinkleberry's image in the distance as she listed her brothers and sisters in attempts to focus herself.
Dusk. Star Twirl. Nebula. Midnight Summer. Dusk. Star Twirl. Nebula. Midnight Summer.
"Hurry up! The path lets out up ahead!"
Obviously Dinkleberry was more adapted to the Crevice than Ashbolt, but she wished that he'd at least wait a minute without calling her again.
"Hey! Why'd you stop?"
Ashbolt felt her legs shaking. She slowly looked up and found herself almost muzzle to muzzle with Dinkleberry. She hadn't even noticed that she'd stopped and would have stepped away from him if her hooves would move. But they wouldn't.
"You okay?" Dinkleberry's neigh was distant and muffled. Perhaps because of the wind. Or the blazing headache caused by the throbbing noises in Ashbolt's head.
"I'm...fine," she replied, and for Dinkleberry, that was enough to send him trotting back up the path.
"Come on then! We're getting closer!"
'Closer to what?!' Ashbolt wanted to shout, but instead she forced her heavy hooves to walk and followed Dinkleberry down the ivy covered stone corridor that suddenly let off to a large clearing that extended into the fog so far, it was impossible to see the end. And there was something blocking the pathway forward.
Before the two ponies was a river peacefully flowing, a blue so bright against the dreary dead of the Crevice that it seemed to almost glow, but not enough to shine through the black fog, and, just like everything else, the water faded into the dark vapor on either side. It flowed along to calmly, as quiet as an owl in flight, that Ashbolt found herself letting out a relieved breath and relaxing a bit.
“You a good swimmer, madam?” Dinkleberry asked as he examined the lazy water flow, and this time, Ashbolt found the energy to kick him in the flank and reply,
“I’m swim fine, thank you.”
“Alrighty!” the stallion exclaimed from his new position on the ground, rubbing the place he’d just been struck, “After you.”
As Ashbolt approached the gentle river, she realized that the nauseating voices that had been screaming over each other had finally decided to hold their tongues and as she stepped into the warm water, she found that she could finally think straight.
“I’ll be following close behind you, no worries!” Dinkleberry called from the shore when the water had reached Ashbolt’s knees, and she quickly turned to face him and scowled,
“There is now need to follow close. I can take care of myself.”
She only felt a small pang of guilt as she turned away from a taken aback Dinkleberry and continued to trot across the powdery soft sand below her, deeper and deeper until the water had reached her neck.
Ashbolt turned back to the shore and said, “It’s safe! You can follow n-!”
Just then, the river turned ice cold, the water from upstream began flooding in in giant, angry, white rapid waves, the floor below suddenly curdled to a blanket of rocks and slime, and jagged rocks began flying out of the ground, up to the water’s surface like spears ready to kill. Ashbolt was instantly overturned by a wave, thrust under the filthy black water and swallowed a mouth full of extremely salty liquid. She choked, the rocky sand grains being swept into her eyes and dragged down her throat as she kicked desperately towards the surface, but that only sent gashes up her legs from the blows of the sharp stalagmites jutting out of the water. Soon blood red was added to the river’s canvas and the only thing Ashbolt could see when the rapids weren’t forcing her eyes shut was a scene of black, scarlet and gray smears. Her mane churned in the water around her, being torn this way and that as slimey, dead plants began weaving themselves into her hair and just as Ashbolt was about to surrender to sucking in another bucket full of grimey water, a gust of thin, cold air shot her in the face and she noticed that she had been swept to the surface.
“Ashbo-!”
But she was only above long enough to gag once, then she was once again dunked under and was sent hurtling down stream, tumbling and spinning uncontrollably, dragging across the floor and rock that cut at her skin and blinded her with pain. Then her hooves felt something rising from the sand-another jagged knife flew upward and Ashbolt quickly wrapped her hooves around it, gripping the rock for dear life and trying to ignore the pain of the stone digging into her flesh.
The water lowered seconds later and she was once again able to breath just before she was slapped by another wave, and when she came back to the surface this time, she heard another scream,
“-shbo-!”
And right then, a frothy black wave came plowing down the river and smashed into Ashbolt, full force into the chest, so abrupt and forceful that Ashbolt was left with all the wind knocked out of her. She silently gasped for air, choking on the mucus (or sand slime, she couldn’t tell) and sourness rising in her throat, and just as she was beginning to see stars spinning in her throbbing vision, Ashbolt threw up.
Even though it left a horrid taste in her mouth and sent her nose burning, Ashbolt actually felt a bit better having a stomach rid of waste filled water.
“Ashbolt!”
Even though the salt stung at her eyes beyond tears, Ashbolt could just make out the smear of brown on the shore that was Dinkleberry.
“Ashbolt!!” he cried over the raging water, almost sounding relieved, “I didn’t recognize it at first, but this is t-”
Another wave slapped across Ashbolt’s body, punching at her aching muscles and forcing her to hold tighter to the jagged rock that began digging deeper into her flesh, but she forced herself to hold back a cry and yelled back desperately,
“What?!”
“This is the River of the Forgotten!!” Dinkleberry screamed, “You need to swim to the other side NOW!!”
“I ca-!” but before Ashbolt could finish her sentence, the booming, roaring voices that had been so silent suddenly returned, louder than Ashbolt had ever heard them, louder than she knew was possible to hear. The unbearable noise caused her to cry out, opening her mouth at just the right time to swallow another salty, slimy plant filled river load, and as she sputtered, her ears began to ring. Her head began to throb, her lungs felt as if they were collapsing, and then she felt it. The coldest touch she’d ever felt. So cold, it made her very bones shake, made her mind paralyze as something under the water grabbed her hind hoof and pulled. Ashbolt instantly came free from the rock, its edges giving her one last gash down her eyelid and cheek as a farewell, then she was dragged under, just as the cry, ‘Help!’ escaped her lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
