Chapters Author's Note
I didn't have chapters in the original, but I had a feeling it would be easier to read in chapters. The only thing is that there might be one or two chapter changes that are a bit off.
Parents
Alaru ran down the corridors, a sense of panic thrilling through him as he made many different turns. The halls were eerily lit by torches and his shadow was strangely distorted on the walls as he passed, his hooves clomping on the stony floors. The dark grey colt shivered as he darted around yet another corner and stopped suddenly. He peered around the corner, his heart beating heavily, the blood pulsing loudly in his ears. His swirling, orange-red eyes darted back and forth as he tried to spot his pursuer.
A figure appeared behind him out of the darkness and his mahogany mane stood on ends. He jumped around, shivering. As soon as he did the mysterious, white pegasus slammed his hoof into his chest. It sent him to the ground and it made him wince in pain.
“Tag,” the white pegasus said, his voice nearly monotone, “you’re it.” He shook his head and muttered, “Alaru, I have no idea why you challenge me to a game like this. You know I know the castle better than you, not to mention I’m faster.”
“You’re a year older than me,” he argued, “and besides I’m better at flying, Darcian. I bet you couldn’t catch me if we were flying.”
Darcian snorted and replied, “You couldn’t know that. We’re only allowed to practice flying with mother. We’re hardly allowed outside long enough to practice speed flying and we won’t get to until we’re at least another year older. Well I suppose it will be two years for you.”
“How do you know I haven’t been practicing inside?” Alaru retorted but Darcian was already shaking his head.
“I know you’re bluffing,” he replied nonchalantly, “because father strictly forbade us from flying inside and he would catch you and you know it.” He smirked, “and I know you’re too scared of him to keep up the bluff.”
“Well,” Alaru replied slowly, “when we’re allowed to practice flying on our own I’m going to prove to you that I’m the fastest.”
“No you’re not,” Darcian replied stonily, “because I’m going to start first and by the time you’re old enough I’m going to be far better than you already.” He then turned around and walked away.
Alaru demanded as he chased after him, “Where are you going? Aren’t we going to play another round like you promised?”
“Later,” Darcian replied. “Our father told me to meet him in the throne room at three-quarters. I suppose you can come along if you want.” Three-quarters was a measurement of time in the kingdom the two brothers lived in. It was a reference to the position of the “sun” and each of them knew it innately. It was their father’s job to raise and lower the sun after all.
Darcian walked at a slow, stately pace and Alaru followed impatiently. He was beginning to wonder how his older brother was able to get anywhere on time when he was always walking so slowly. He was almost tempted to run ahead of him, knowing exactly where the throne room was, but he knew that if he did it would only make his father mad at him. Alaru loathed seeing his father’s stern, judgmental gaze burning into him with disapproval.
He started to become lost in thought and wasn’t paying much attention. He nearly ran into Darcian as he stopped walking. The hot-headed younger pony had to stop himself from crying out in outrage, knowing that not only was it his fault for not paying attention but it would also be the kind of thing that would make his father mad. His father hated ponies that raised their voice and that’s what made him all the scarier.
He looked all around the room. The room was covered in shades of black and red, consisting of dark stone and reddish light that streamed from windows that appeared to be tinted. It looked more sinister with the tapestries that depicted horrible battles between unimaginable monsters though Alaru knew that they would be far worse if he was to meet them in real life. The room was also lit by torches that made the shadows flicker and jump in the late evening light. Alaru could also now see the sun that seemed to glare menacingly through the windows at this time of day.
Unlike the real sun, this one was controlled by the two brothers’ father and it shined with a ghastly red light and it was the cause of the windows appearing to be tinted. It served to mark this kingdom of devils and sickly peasants where there was little to no real sunlight. Alaru’s father held a long-standing hatred for the sun princess—for Celestia—and had long since banished her light from his kingdom though some say that she took away her sunlight as a punishment for his wickedness.
“Come closer,” the dark stallion said as he gazed up at the false star, his horn ablaze with the magic needed to lower it. He stood at the foot of a tall, menacing throne. There was a smaller throne supposedly for his queen or perhaps the prince but Alaru knew that his mother would never enjoy sitting in such a dark and disturbing room. The only place she truly looked comfortable in was her garden. He also couldn’t imagine his father asking him or his older brother to sit beside him, even on a lowered throne.
Darcian walked forward as their father asked and Alaru followed behind with a quick, surprised step. Alaru knew that it was too late to back out now that his father saw him, even if his father hadn’t acknowledged that he was there. As soon as the thought occurred to him the dark stallion turned his gaze on the young colt. His sharp, red gaze pinned him in place and he froze even as Darcian continued to walk forward.
“I see you brought your younger brother,” he said, continuing to stare at Alaru.
“I’m sorry,” Darcian replied evenly. “I assumed it was okay since you didn’t forbid it.”
Alaru wondered how many meetings like this they had before that he didn’t know about it. It irritated him how his father had spoken about him like he wasn’t there and like they weren’t related.
“It does not matter,” he answered, his voice deep but smooth and alluring. “This is a lesson that would be well-learned by both of you though I have little to no doubt who will gain the most out of their inheritance.”
Alaru felt a twinge of anger, becoming more and more enraged at his dismissive tone. It’s obvious he means Darcian, Alaru thought bitterly. He burned to yell that he was his son too.
His horn began to glow with magic that seemed to consist of black light. It sent the sun ablaze as it lowered below the crest of the hill before the room was finally cast into complete darkness. Darcian didn’t seem to care but it disturbed Alaru, for reasons he couldn’t sort out, to see his father do something as powerful as banishing the sun.
“One of these days,” Starstin said, jolting Alaru from his revelry, “one of you two will take my place at raising and setting the sun though I doubt it will be any time soon.”
The young colt wanted to retort viciously that there wasn’t a chance either of them could do that when they were merely pegasi but he knew better than to contradict his father. He was also discouraged by how Darcian didn’t say anything to contradict him as well and even looked eager.
“There is a secret that not many ponies know and that is that alicorns are not born but made. Do you really think that audacious sun princess was born with both wings and a horn? Never forget that she nothing more than a deceiver and oppressor. She will always wallow in her immortality and so there will never be a chance for change, for the natural order of chaos!”
“One day you will strike her down and there will be no one to oppose your perfect vision of power,” Darcian replied as if he had rehearsed saying this many, many times before and Alaru continued to listen in silence. He didn’t know what to think about all of this but it didn’t sound right to him.
“I have considered this for quite some time, uncertain if my eldest son, let alone my younger son—“
Oh, he acknowledges that I’m his son, Alaru thought bitterly.
Darcian nodded eagerly but Alaru wasn’t so sure he wanted that kind of responsibility or power and hesitated.
“Well?” Starstin asked him impatiently when he noticed how his youngest son fidgeted but did not nod or show any other sign of confirmation. Darcian turned and glared at him through narrowed eyes and Alaru was startled into nodding, this being the first time that his other brother had ever given him such a dark look. He had never saw him want something so much as now and he could feel a wave of fear coming off him. He looked deathly worried that his father would change his mind just because Alaru was there.
“Very good,” Starstin replied smoothly despite how scared Alaru looked now. “Simply listen and if you pass then we’ll continue your training.” Alaru started to feel annoyed as he realized that his father was once more speaking to Darcian as if his younger brother didn’t exist or was simply a stray mouse but it melted away back to cold fear.
Guttural snarls broke from Starstin’s lips as he began to speak, if it could be called speaking, once more. He had never heard even an animal make that sound and they were far worse than the howls that haunted his nightmares when he was half his current age. Before he could even hope to make out what was happening he noticed his brother beside him, cowering on the floor and twitching nervously and a sudden feeling of panic flooded him. He darted from the room, unwilling to continue seeing and hearing these things.
After he rushed from his father’s throne chamber a deep feeling of shame manifested itself like burning heat under his skin. The panic gone, he walked with his head hung low. He didn’t realize that his path was taking him to his mother’s garden. Her garden was illuminated by a bright and happy light like he couldn’t imagine; light akin the sun’s light. It was a fixture that the castle wizard, Sterling, had put up so the plants would thrive and Alaru had seen him renew it once when he was younger though he hadn’t seen him around lately.
His mother was working in the garden as he approached her, his hooves falling heavily, and she turned to see him on the verge of tears. She was named Rosepetal and she had a pink coat with a dark red mane just like his that was tied up at the end. He appreciated how she was never mean, only kind and approving. She walked over to him and laid her head on his shoulder and he buried his face in her mane so she wouldn’t see him crying. He knew his father would have scoffed and Alaru was simply glad to know that his mom never would.
He didn’t know about this but she hadn’t come from these lands. She had traveled here and she and his father had met when Starstin was around Darcian’s age or a bit older and it was when Starstin’s father ruled. Alaru had never met his grandfather since he had died before Darcian was born and so he had no other living relatives besides his parents and brother. His mother had left her homeland because she didn’t have any relatives where she had previously lived.
“I don’t think father likes me,” he finally was able to say though his voice was muffled, “not when he has Darcian who’s better than me in every way.”
“Of course he does,” she replied. “He just pays more attention to your brother because he’s older but I promise your day will come. He loves you just as much as your brother.” She tried to hide her uncertainty. She knew that Starstin only kept things as long as they were useful. She didn’t want to tell Alaru that when she knew it would break him though so she kept her thoughts to herself.
“You really think so?” The young colt mumbled, looking up at her with his shining amber eyes.
He gave her a small smile and she smiled warmly back. “I want to become better than my brother one day so dad will want to work with me as well. I don’t want to disappoint him again. I’ll become bigger and braver. I’ll be strong enough to protect this entire castle and land one day all by myself. I’ll keep you safe and I’ll never forget how much you cared for me.”
“Of course,” she replied, not showing him just how much his words moved her.
“Can we go into the village tomorrow?” He asked suddenly. “I want to practice my flying and see the townponies. We’re not allowed to do either in the castle. We can, can’t we? Darcian can come too and I can show him what I can do!”
“Of course. We’ll do that tomorrow then, just you, Darcian and I,” she said in a soft voice. “Go get some sleep then.”
Alaru smiled widely and replied in quick succession as he trotted away, “Thanks, love you, good night.”
He rushed to his room, eager to get to sleep so the morning would come sooner. His room wasn’t very big but he liked it. It had stone walls like the rest of the castle and a small but comfortable bed at the far end of the room against the wall. There was also a spear on the wall along the left side. He remembered when he was first old enough to be moved to his own room and he had snuck in to see it early. He had caught them trying to take the spear down when he peeked in. The room was apparently an old storage room back when his grandfather ruled. He remembered whining and complaining about it until they finally put it back. It was his father that had given the order to leave it and he remembered it as the happiest day of his life. The spear had a rusted tip and it was apparently used in the war that took place when his grandfather’s grandfather took over.
He fell asleep quickly; tired from playing. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sleeping but something woke him up and he found himself lying in bed, staring at a figure that stood in his doorway. He nearly cried out but realized that it was only his brother when he caught a glimpse of his white fur and red mane. He remembered how his brother had used to check on him every night when Alaru was first moved to his own room because he was secretly afraid to sleep there alone. It no longer bothered him and it had been a long time since the last time Darcian had checked on him. If he had been doing it recently, Alaru hadn’t been aware of it. Alaru wondered if he was checking on him now because of what happened that day.
“I’m okay, big brother,” Alaru said without thinking about it, “Good night.” The figure in the doorway didn’t say anything and seemed to melt into the shadows. Alaru decided that he must have surprised him. Alaru wondered if it embarrassed him to be caught checking up on his little brother.
He didn’t think much about it and before long he fell into a dream-filled sleep. He was shocked with how vivid the dream was as he wandered through what looked to be a wasteland with pointy rocks jutting up from the ground but he could only make out their outline. Everything seemed incredibly dark but at the same time there seemed to be enough light for him to see by. He wasn’t sure how he could see in this kind of darkness but he decided it was because it was a dream. He felt as if something was calling out to him and started to follow it over hard, treacherous, uneven ground. It didn’t sound like a real voice and he had no idea how he thought that it was for him but he continued to consider it a part of the dream.
After a while he arrived in a clearing. It was a lot cleaner here and the ground no longer hurt his hooves as he walked over it and he realized that it was starting to go from rough earth to soft grass. It felt strange to him when the only kind of land he knew was wind-blown grass and rocky dirt roads.
The crow started to make a strange hissing, grinding sound and cawed a few times and all Alaru could do was cower as this happened. After a moment it stopped and Alaru felt something click inside him but he wasn’t sure what that meant.
“That’s strange,” the Crow suddenly said, “Brats usually can’t get here, especially not brats that can’t understand the language. It doesn’t matter; he’ll make a nice snack.”
A feeling of fear thrilled through Alaru. He wasn’t sure how he knew but there was a feeling that if he died here he would die in real life and that the threat was real. “No!” He finally managed to choke out and found himself standing straight as he retorted, “I can hear you just fine. I know the language.”
The crow looked surprised and he replied hostilely, “How do you know you know the language that I speak of? Perhaps you’re mistaken and it will cost you your life if you’re lying.”
“I know I’m right because I can understand you now,” he bluffed, hoping that he wasn’t wrong to begin with. “I wouldn’t be able to hear you if I wasn’t meant to!”
The Crow was silent for a very long time and Alaru felt sick, as if he were a criminal that knew he was guilty waiting for it to be called with an automatic execution. After a moment the Crow began laughing and hissed, “I was hoping you would answer that way. In any case you’re right. If you couldn’t understand me then it would mean that you didn’t know the language. It’s the same for every shadow walker. You’re just lucky you awakened when you did. It’s no crime to destroy someone who doesn’t know the language here even if they would have learned it later but it is to kill a shadow walker that’s unaware they are one.”
“What’s a shadow walker?” Alaru asked curiously.
“The easiest way to describe it, Red Ice, is that they’re vampires. They can do things like merge through shadows and travel through the dark realm to get to places quickly. They are fast and strong and some get their power from things like blood but they’re also weaker in direct sunlight. There are real vampires that aren’t shadow walkers but they’re hardly like the definition of them nowadays that fits a shadow walker so much better. If anyone finds out what you are, more than likely you will be considered a vampire, Red Ice.”
“So I’m a shadow walker…and why did you call me Red Ice twice? My name is—
“I don’t care what your name is!” the Crow hissed angrily, “from now on, as far as I’m concerned, your name is Red Ice. I don’t care if you keep your real name in the waking world—I won’t hear it if it’s uttered by anyone in the light world—or if you decide to start using the name I gave you alone or even both but as long as you’re here don’t you dare utter your real name aloud. I am your, for lack of a more favorable term, shadow caller. That means I will guide you and teach you how to use your powers and sometimes even help you directly depending on the circumstances. Not everyone has a shadow caller as conniving as I and some shadow callers will overlook if their shadow walker accidentally says their birth name but I won’t. If I learn your birth name I will take every single advantage.”
Alaru, or rather Red Ice, gave a curt nod, trying not to reveal how disturbed he was but something told him that the Crow already knew just how disturbed he was as it began to laugh. He said to the Crow, “Alright then. Then can I at least know your name?”
“You’ll learn it in time,” the Crow replied in a sarcastic manner, “but for now you need your rest. I will teach you as you need it and I will warn you when you’re in danger; especially when you’re sleeping or in the dark.”
“Before I go,” he muttered, “What kind of moon is that? I’ve never seen one shine so brightly before. I rarely see the moon at all actually.”
“It’s a blue moon, a sign of great promise,” the crow replied, his voice fading even as he spoke. “I foresee that you will become a part of a great whole that will grace it deservingly.”
At first, when he first woke up he thought that it was only a few minutes since he had last fallen asleep but already he could sense his father raising the sun. At first he was excited, knowing that he would be able to go to town with his brother and mother today but then he recalled that he wouldn’t be able to leave so early and that he still had chores to be done. He sighed and went off to do his morning chores, wishing he knew a shadow walker ability that would be able to get it done quicker.
Alaru ran a bit ahead of his mother and brother. Darcian hadn’t seemed eager to come and looked annoyed as he trotted a few feet behind Rosepetal. Alaru tried not to be bothered by his brother’s bad mood, glad to just be out. He tried not to let it bother him that he wasn’t allowed to fly yet either. His mother insisted that they walked despite how the three of them were pegasi.
“Try not to get too far ahead,” Rosepetal warned. “It could be dangerous. Stay where your brother and I can see you.”
“I will but I’d be fine. I’m strong enough to take care of myself,” Alaru replied, laughing.
“I doubt it shorty,” Darcian replied crossly. “You and I are Starstin’s sons. I’m bigger and stronger than you and I don’t even want to be caught out here. You wouldn’t stand a chance if they found you out here alone.”
“What do you mean? Isn’t father the king? How would they even know who I am when we hardly ever leave the castle?” Alaru asked, pausing long enough for Darcian and his mother to catch up to him.
“Don’t worry about that,” Rosepetal told him gently before Darcian could reply and the older colt simply snorted and walked a bit quicker so he would be the one ahead. “Just stay close to us and there won’t be any chance that you’ll run into the ponywolf.”
“What’s the ponywolf?” Alaru asked curiously.
“It’s a great and terrifying beast that takes the form of a pony during the day but a wolf that walks on two legs at night. It has sharp teeth and eyes that shine like the yellow moon,” she replied in a haunted voice.
“Garbage,” Darcian growled. Alaru didn’t think their mother heard him at first, but when the younger colt glanced over at her he saw her wince ever so slightly though he wasn’t sure if he had imagined it.
They continued walking until reaching the marketplace. On the way there Alaru wondered at the lack of ponies. Hardly any were in the streets and the ones he did see hid in the shadows or watched them from cracks in the wall and from behind cracked doors and window shades. The air crackled with tension and it made him feel uneasy. In the marketplace few ponies stood outside of their booths as they passed and many were closed or hurried to close before they noticed though it was very noticeable. Rosepetal didn't seemed bothered by it, even managing to smile a bit.
Despite his brave words Alaru now felt nervous. Things seemed different from the last time he came out with his mother and he found himself pressing against her flank. Darcian gave him a cross look and, feeling self-conscious, Alaru moved away from her once more.
Rosepetal found the shop that she wanted. It looked abandoned with boards over the front but that didn't seem to deter her. She knocked on the boards and a small pony stirred and looked through the cracks before rushing out of his shop the moment he saw her. He was a light brown pony with a dark brown mane but his colors looked even more muted in the depressing light of Starstin's sun. He looked half-starved under the bandages that covered his frame, sides, and flank. His eyes only lacked dullness because wild panic took its place once he started speaking with Rosepetal.
"Wh-What can I get you ma'am? I have many different kinds of seeds," the scraggly pony squeaked.
"Do you have any marigold seeds, or maybe morning glories?" She spoke in a soft, comforting voice though he didn't seem to be soothed and if anything he seemed more agitated as he ducked back into his shop to search for what she asked for. “Any kind of flower will do if you can’t find what I asked for,” she assured him though as far as Alaru could tell he only started to become more frantic.
Darcian walked up close beside him and whispered, “You wanted to explore and get a chance to spread your wings, right? You don’t really think mom will let us today, do you? If she intended to give us time to fly we would have left earlier since she’s not willing to stay out past moonrise. She’s a coward who now relies on Starstin to take care of her. Do you think that’s fair to us?”
Alaru found himself starting to shake his head but instead found himself getting mad at his brother. “She’s not a coward,” he growled back in a harsh whisper. “There’s probably a reason why we’re not allowed to stay out past sunset.”
“Are you sure that it’s not just superstitious nonsense our father made up to keep the villagers in line?” Darcian pressed. “I promise its fine. Father gave me these so we could slip away and practice our flying.” He pressed a small black pellet into Alaru’s hoof.
“What is it?” Alaru asked, glancing at their mother who was still waiting patiently for the seller to find something she could use.
“I was told that if we eat it then it will make clones that will last for twelve hours. If we just leave she’ll become worried and come find us but with the clones she’ll never know better and we’ll be able to spend as much time out as we want. Won’t that be great?” Darcian whispered to him.
Alaru thought about it for a moment before popping the seed-like object in his mouth and his brother did the same. A shadowy mist rose from the two ponies, matching their pelts; Alaru’s was a dark grey and Darcian’s was white. Alaru wanted to stay long enough to see the clones but Darcian hissed in his ear, “We have to get going now. If she catches us here with our clones she’ll know that they’re not really us.”
The younger colt nodded and darted away with his brother, careful not to fly above the walls of the building so he wouldn’t be spotted. Rosepetal turned around, feeling as if something was wrong but all she saw were her two sons. Darcian still looked irritated but Alaru gave her a smile. “You’re such a good boy,” she murmured, some regret echoing in her voice. She hardly noticed the flickering tail of the real Alaru disappearing around the nearby corner. As she looked back to the stall the seed seller came out of his shop with a small bag full of seeds.
He gave her the bag and she gave him a gold coin in return. He looked at it and then back at her in confusion, starting to tremble. “Th-This is far too much,” he whimpered.
“I know,” she replied kindly, “You can keep it.”
The sellspony looked horrified and was shaking as he ducked back into his shop, and slammed the door behind him. She forced a laugh before leaving with the clones of her children in tow. She hated pretending that she was okay with the way things were but she couldn’t let on to how much she disliked it when it was far too late for her. She hoped that her sons didn’t see through her. Maybe Darcian but he didn’t seem to be paying attention. That was strange for him. She tried not to let it bother her though something told her something was wrong. She decided that it was nothing as they passed through the gate and back into the castle.
***
“Where are we going?” Alaru asked Darcian.
“Nowhere in particular,” Darcian answered. “You wanted to prove to me that you’re a fast flier, right? Why don’t you prove it? I’m going to fly as fast as I can and if you can get ahead of me I’ll admit that you’re faster. Does that sound fair?”
Alaru considered it for a moment before replying excitedly, “yeah! That sounds perfect!”
“Good,” Darcian sneered, “Because you’re not going to beat me!” Darcian sprang into the air and quickly took off. Alaru fidgeted, flapping his wings a bit in surprise. He didn’t expect his brother to take off so suddenly. As soon as he shook off his confusion a few moments later he was in the air as well and flying as swiftly as possible in order to catch up. He was surprised at the ease in which he was able to find Darcian but as soon as he drew closer, nearly able to fly alongside him, Darcian picked up speed, purposely waiting for him.
Alaru tried to fly faster but he was quickly tiring. He realized, a bit mortified, that he wasn’t as strong at flying as he thought he’d be. Still Alaru couldn’t just let his brother win when he was supposed to have had just as much flying experience when neither of them were allowed to fly in the castle. He felt a new kind of energy pulse under his skin as soon as he started to wish for more speed. An image of the Crow flashed beneath his vision and he started to catch up with Darcian as he picked up a burst of speed.
Darcian cursed softly and began to fly a bit faster but, to Alaru’s delight, his speed didn’t seem to increase as much as before and he seemed to be struggling. Darcian gritted his teeth as he glanced back and began to dive sharply, skimming the ground as he darted between buildings. Alaru was quick to follow, not wanting to lose sight of him. They darted through groups of ponies, mostly earth ponies though there was a unicorn and a few pegasi. His brother turned the next corner sharply and Alaru followed him but he was nowhere to be seen. Alaru landed and looked around, starting to feel scared.
He started to whimper as he started to wonder if he would be able to find his way home on his own. He could barely think straight so it didn’t occur to him that he might be able to see his brother or the castle if he flew above street level. He wasn’t sure why the idea occurred to him but he blinked a few times experimentally. The first few times nothing happened but after the third time the dim light changed to a darker light and he could see what appeared to be white plasma along with a few dimmer plasma marks. He realized that the white plasma was his brother’s trail and that he would find him if he followed it.
Alaru started to flap his wings, eager to catch up to his brother again but in the same moment he was slammed to the ground. He looked around in surprise and at first he couldn’t see anypony but as soon as his gaze focused on the one that appeared at his side they brought their hoof down hard on his side and then again on his flank, making him cry out in pain. He trembled as more and more ponies streamed into the alleyway and he recognized many of them from those his brother and him had flown by. The one that stood at the forefront that had stomped on him was a creamy yellow earth pony and he was the only one that wasn’t covered in dust to hide their faces, shades and cutie marks. He had a steel grey mane and he had a poorly shaved beard that stuck out in tufts. His eyes were a reddish-brown and were cruelly angled as he glared down at Alaru. The only thing hidden, if the young pegasus had thought to look, was the pony’s cutie mark which was covered in dirty bandages.
“What do you want from me?” Alaru cried and gasped in pain as the yellow earth pony stomped on him once more.
They could hear the ponies around them whispering nervously and the yellow earth pony turned around snapped, his voice grinding, “Don’t doubt what we’re doing here! We have to destroy these monsters before we all starve to death and our children learn to bow their heads to them. He may be a mere foal now but he’s going to grow up to be a destroyer just like his father.”
“I’m not going to be anything like my father,” Alaru whimpered and stifled another cry of pain as the earth pony snarled and brought his hoof down again and again in quick succession
“Well? What are you waiting for? Tie him so he can’t use his blasphemous wings to fly away. Don’t look at me like that! It is blasphemy for these monsters to have such gifts when they deny us the use of our own!” The scarred yellow pony hissed at the others.
A couple of unicorns, maybe the only two there, came forward but it took both of them to gather enough magic to move the rope though it took them a while before they were finally able to successfully tie his wings down. He was in too much pain to fight back against them. The yellow earth pony forced him to his hooves with a deft tug and hissed in his ear, “Have you any last wishes.”
“I don’t want to die!” He screamed at them, backing up until he was against the wall. Terror seized him as he saw them glowering at him, silhouetted in the light of the insidious setting sun. “I’m not what you think I am! I’m not a monster! I’m not like my father!”
“My son starved to death because of your family and you want me to believe that you don’t deserve the same fate as him?” A female voice rose up from the back.
“That’s not my fault!” Alaru cried out, tears glistening in his eyes. “It’s not—“
A rock hit him in the head and he cried out as pain shot through his temple, making his ears ring. They threw more rocks and he felt sharp edges cutting his sides and blood oozing from the wounds. It did not show well in his dark grey fur but it dripped noticeably to the ground. He pressed himself down, trying to make himself as small as possible. He pleaded for help, hoping the Crow would hear him but no suggestion popped to mind like before when he lost his brother. Aren’t I supposed to be a shadow walker? Is this all that awaits me then?
He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to push away the pain but it was hard to ignore and he felt like he would slip away at any moment. The attacks suddenly stopped all at once and for a moment he feared that he was dead but he still dared to open his eyes. A pegasus colt now stood in front of him. He looked to be about the same age as Darcian and he had a rusty red fur and a steely blue mane.
His protector glanced back and flashed him a grin despite how blood dripped between his eyes where a rock had struck him. He then turned back once he seemed to be satisfied that Alaru was okay and growled, “You want to strike somepony down? Then strike me down! It would be no different to kill one of your own than to kill a foal that’s half my age, if not a bit older than half my age. How is it any different for him to be born Starstin’s son than it is for us to be born in this hell? Have you no pride at all?”
“There is a difference! It would do nothing but hurt us if we were to kill you. If we kill him there would be one less cruel stallion out to get us in a few years’ time. We can’t afford to not kill him now in any case. When he grows up he’ll come back for vengeance,” someone called from the crowd. “Even if we never attacked him he would have come to punish us for just trying to live!”
“Then maybe you should show some mercy so he has a reason not to,” the young rust-colored pegasus replied, stamping his hoof defiantly. “Do you think this cycle of hate is going to stop here? He’s not even the oldest! His older brother will be the one to rule and you all know it! If you would have helped him instead he might have stood for you rather than against you when his brother rules.”
Mutinous whispering rose in the crowd but one or two walked away. The creamy yellow earth pony did not yield, however, and stood glaring. “If we have to kill you then we will but I refuse to let a single one of them to live.”
“This was going on before you were born,” the young pegasus answered hotly. “You told me yourself. Do you think that anything will change by killing two colts instead of just one? If you kill me then it will prove my point; that it will get you nothing.”
The cream-colored pony seethed with anger but his retort was cut off by a blood curdling howl. Alaru was shocked to see the bloodthirsty crowd parting and scattering just like that. The pony that stood in front of him gave a nervous glance and firmly told him, “You need to get out of here. Get back to your castle where it’s safe and don’t think about coming back out until morning if you come back out at all.”
He didn’t wait for so much as a nod before darting away, taking off with strong, even flaps. Alaru was somewhat surprised since the rest of them could barely tie a knot, let alone lift from the ground. He heard another howl and panic began to seize him as he remembered the story his mom told him about the ponywolf.
He shook himself as he started to run but froze as he was met by two yellow eyes from the shadows in the direction he was running. Nothing had scared him so much as this but he knew to keep his mouth shut. The creature crept forward and after a second Alaru realized that the only reason he could see it so clearly was because he was a shadow walker. The beast had lupine features though he didn’t want to call it a wolf. It didn’t quite look like the pictures he had seen in his books. It had spindly arms covered in clumped, matted grey fur that reached the rest of its body. It also looked unnatural for it to be creeping up on him on all four limbs as opposed to a real wolf.
He glanced around, not daring to turn his head as he looked for an escape. All he could see was the way he came but then he was starting to see the glowing residue. This time it was a dark, rusty color like the pegasus that had helped him and he was certain that if he followed it he would find a safe place where the ponywolf couldn’t get him. Praying that the path didn’t lead to a dead end Alaru took a slow step back, preparing to make a break for the path. In that moment the ponywolf surged forward and with quick reflexes Alaru managed to dodge out of the way though a few strands on the rope snapped, showing just how close he had come to being cut.
He dodge past the beast and started to run down that path instead, hoping that wherever it came from would offer an escape. He forced himself to believe that the Crow was on his side and would show him what he needed to do to survive if he really got into trouble.
I’m supposed to be able to enter shadows and travel through them, right? Why don’t you show me how to do that now? Alaru silently pleaded but a mocking reply answered, are you sure he won’t follow you?
Alaru began to fill with choking hysteria. He could feel the beast gaining on him, his harsh breath roaring loudly in Alaru’s ears as it came closer and closer. Pain seared his side as rending claws sent him smashing into a wall. He was afraid to move and not just because of how much it hurt. He was afraid that if he stood he would find his innards on the ground or his skin falling away.
You’re better put together than you think but don’t press you luck,” the Crow’s voice hissed in his mind, another pony wouldn’t have been so lucky but you’re still young. You don’t have enough control to waste how many times you get hit!”
“Okay,” he found himself replying aloud as he struggled to his hooves despite how his entire body ached. He found that the ropes were cut all the way through as they fell away and was grateful to find that his wings were now freed. The ponywolf was nearly on top of him though and Alaru had to focus as hard as he could as the beast’s claws came, ready to tear him apart. At the last minute he kicked off from the wall and flipped past its claws, springing into the air and taking flight.
Alaru knew his wings wouldn’t hold him up forever, he was sure they wouldn’t, and the creature made him nervous as it watched him sharply as if it was aware that it wouldn’t be long before Alaru fell from the sky. The strange intelligence in its eyes scared Alaru worse than anything else. He started to fly swiftly, or as quickly as he could manage, back to the castle but as soon as he started towards it the ponywolf started to move as well. It ran across roofs that were close enough together that it only rarely had to break stride to jump to the next but in most cases the jumps were so smooth and well-placed it was hardly noticeable. At first Alaru thought it was just following beneath him but then he began to notice how it drew ahead of him. He realized, as he found himself glancing down more and more often, that it was heading to the castle. The beast was planning on heading him off at the castle and no matter how hard he tried, he was just too tired to fly faster.
After a moment he found himself too exhausted to continue paying attention to what the ponywolf was doing and just forced himself to keep flying. Relief filled him as he approached the large arch in the gate that was heavily enchanted to keep ponies and other creatures that weren’t allowed within the gate out, even if they were able to jump over it. It was decorated with spikes and black metal worked into the shape of twisting ivy and metallic black spiders with wicked pincers. He prepared to fly through it and to safety but his heart nearly stopped as he noticed the ponywolf waiting for him right in front of the arch. Static tingled in the gate as a bit of the ponywolf’s fur fell through the barrier but Alaru knew it wouldn’t hurt him. What he really was afraid of was that the ponywolf would be able to jump up and knock him out of the air before he made it through. The arch was huge and tall but it was just low enough for that to be a possibility.
He gave it a few tests dives before he actually dove forward, trying to make it through the gate, knowing that if he hesitated much longer the dots just beyond his sight would swallow him into darkness. As soon as he was low enough to get through the beast reached up with grasping claws and grasped at Alaru’s leg but he managed to twist free, though just barely, and made it safely through the gate. His wings fumbled and he tumbled to ground beyond the arch, skidding in the dirt. The beast reached for him and the young pegasus looked back at it and scooted away with horrified eyes. The barrier stopped its claw and it reeled back with a growl of pain. It looked as if the beast had slammed its claws into a stone wall that was also a bug zapper. The beast glared at Alaru and for a moment he wondered if it was faking or if he was really safe even as it gnashed its teeth.
“Don’t think this is over. We will meet again. I promise you that,” the beast growled in a grating voice though there was something about it that conjured the image of a prince in Alaru’s mind.
“You can speak,” Alaru replied stupidly and the beast gave a tremulous laugh.
“Of course I can,” it replied and added, “don’t forget. I’m not a monster against my wishes though the consequences of being a monster is dire indeed. Still I was a sinner by choice and I destroyed those I loved as if they were mere inconveniences.”
“Did you come after me because I’m Starstin’s son like the others?” Alaru asked wincing as he stood up and felt red hot pain flare through his back leg.
“Of course not,” the beast replied. “I’m far beyond being choosy on who I attack. You were the only fool that dared to be out when the moon rose. Even that villain’s fake sun burns my fur and I can only stand the less judgmental, though ever watchful, light of the moon. For being naïve I actually like you though. I want to warn you that this is not a path for someone of greatness and the only way to truly get anything in life is to be kind. Also don’t ever mistake me for the true wolves of nature. This was a punishment for trying to grasp a gift that I didn’t really have the heart for.”
“So what does that mean? Are we friends now?” Alaru dared to ask.
“Don’t ever make that mistake again,” the ponywolf replied, bristling. “I’m a monster to the core and I won’t hesitate to rip you apart if we cross paths again on the same side of the gate. That’s lesson number three; never trust someone that has already revealed themselves to be evil. They will never care about you and will just as quickly destroy you. If they do care for you then they’re using you.”
“That can’t always be true,” Alaru began. “Isn’t there a chance for redemption and what defines someone as evil?”
Starstin glared down at him and ordered him icily, “Get to bed. You shouldn’t be out at this time of night.” Alaru forced himself to give a small nod before darting past, inside and through the stony corridors and back to his room He just felt relieved by the time he reached his bed.
The next morning Starstin saw to his leg. It was swollen and infected and Alaru could barely move from his bed when he woke up that morning. He was glad that he had somehow managed to keep from getting badly scratched anywhere else and he silently thanked the Crow, knowing that he probably would have died the night before if he wasn’t a shadow walker. Pins and needles went through his leg as his father used his magic to heal it and Alaru whimpered, “Why can’t Sterling do this?” He remembered back when he last got hurt and Sterling healed it for him. The house wizard had never acted proud and would often talk with the younger Alaru about magic despite how the young pegasus would never actually use it. Alaru had to wonder why he never saw him anymore.
“Do you really think he has time for a brat like you,” Starstin replied stiffly and Alaru yelped in pain as a particularly sharp pain went through his leg. “He’s busy keeping the barrier strong so threats like the one that you brought to our gate can’t get through. It would hurt just as much anyway with a wound like this.”
“I’m sorry,” Alaru grimaced and another sharp pain went through him, sharper than any of the others before it and he went unconscious.
In the next few weeks he rarely saw Starstin or even Darcian and when their paths did cross the most his brother reply was a grunt. Is he mad at me? It wasn’t my fault we got in trouble. I didn’t want to go in the first place and when I did Darcian left me behind. He was also the one who had told me that the ponywolf wasn’t real and now I have scars from it. I wonder why the ponies in the village hate us. Why?
He knew that he shouldn’t be bothered by it but it kept eating at him. Each time he went down to the garden to talk to his mother about it she avoided his questions and made up excuses. She seemed colder towards him as well and he could only guess it was because his brother and him left her with clones and tricked her while they ran off to do their own thing.
“Please forgive me,” he finally pleaded with her. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to become better. I wanted some recognition for once and I wanted the truth. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was Darcian who tricked me!” He struggled to think up more reasons and began to shake as he realized that there was nothing more to it.
“I’m not mad at you. I understand perfectly,” she said warmly but there was something hollow about it that made him feel cold to his core. She started to go back to her gardening and his eyes welled up with tears at the frustration before he finally ran from there. He began to shake as he realized how fake it all was. It was far too bright and a far cry from the desolation that had awaited him outside of their gates. It wasn’t fair that they should have their barricades and good health while those that lived in their shadow should suffer.
Life’s not fair, the Crow hissed and cackled, get used to it!
“I don’t want to,” he whimpered miserably as he finally found a place to hide himself in the corner.
“It’s not as bad as you think,” Darcian said and Alaru looked back at him, somewhat startled. “Starstin won’t last forever, no matter what he says. He probably doesn’t know half as much about alicorns as he says as well. We’ll take over one day and we’ll be the ones who decides how this nation is run. You and I will change things for the better.”
“You mean…you would rule with me? I thought you were mad at me and that’s why we weren’t talking,” Alaru sniffled.
“Of course I’d rule with you. Just you and me and perhaps our mates. We’ll be able to travel and see the world once we rule this country since there’s two of us. I suppose you wouldn’t care for the name Starstin Brothers, would you?” Darcian joked.
“So you’re not mad?”
“Of course not,” he replied with a slight smile, “I’ve just been very busy the last few days. I guess that wasn’t the intended use for those seeds. I made sure to take all the blame though since I was the one who convinced you to use them. To think you almost died because of me!”
“I was really strong and brave though,” Alaru said, starting to grin. “I faced off against a ponywolf and I won! Well sort of. It really is real. Why don’t we call ourselves Shirokuro? I read it in a book once. The first part means white and the second part means black. It would represent what we’d be together.”
“But you’re really not black. You’re a dark grey,” Darcian replied teasingly.
“And you’re a light grey but together we’re black and white,” Alaru said with a grin.
“I suppose we are,” Darcian replied warmly. “Want to play a game?”
A bit more than a year had passed and Alaru awoke in the middle of the night trying to stifle a scream. The last few nights—as well as much of the last year—he had been learning things from the Crow about being a shadow walker in the dreamland but the Crow hadn’t come that night. It had been reason for surprise when the Crow had appeared suddenly and shrieked in his face in the middle of his dreamless sleep. He laid in his bed, trying to keep his breathing slow despite his sudden terror after he noticed a figure in the doorway. He realized, with some initial apprehension, that his night vision was sharper tonight. He forgot about that though, being more interested in the fact that the pony in the doorway was his brother. Alaru could see him clearly, from his white fur to his bright red mane.
Alaru kept silent despite how he burned to ask him what he was doing and he took care to keep his eyes narrowed in case any light caught his eyes and gave him away. After a moment Darcian started to walk into the room. Alaru could tell that he was trying to tread softly so his steps wouldn’t echo against the stone floor and give him away. Alaru was nearly holding his breath as his brother drew closer and closer. There was something wrong but he couldn’t imagine what. Why would the Crow wake him up like that when it was just his brother? He was starting to doubt that his brother was just checking on him the longer he waited.
As he was trying to figure it out Darcian drew closer and closer until he was nearly upon him. Darcian paused for a moment and whispered something and Alaru strained to hear him before realizing that he was mouthing a prayer. The two colts hardly knew anything about religion but Alaru was familiar with the practice, or at least the reason for it and it had become a habit between the two brothers that their father didn’t seem to oppose.
The voice, sharp and commanding, scared him and he quickly threw himself off the bed and to the floor beneath his brother just as Darcian slammed his hooves down where Alaru was laying a moment before. Without thinking about it Alaru slammed up as hard as he could, flinging his brother back and making him stumble against the wall. Alaru jumped to his feet, and charged into his brother, anger and fear flowing through him.
“How did you know?” Darcian gasped. “I was going to kill you in your sleep and you wouldn’t have felt a thing. It was supposed to be painless.”
“I thought we were going to rule together. I thought things were going to be different,” Alaru cried and jostled his brother again, “and it wouldn’t have been painless the way you did it!”
“D-Darcian…why?” Alaru choked, bumping against the far wall as he tried to get as far from him as possible. “B-Brother.”
“I’m f-fine,” Darcian replied through gritted teeth and Alaru tried to stop comparing the color of his mane with his brother’s blood. “Everything is going to be okay, Alaru. You’re finally going to get what you wanted.”
“I didn’t want this; I wanted us to rule together and for us to save the ponies in the village. I wanted you to be there with me and for us to travel together and—“
“It is better this way,” Darcian coughed. “I just tried to kill you. I’m evil to the core and I deserve to die this way. I don’t want you ever to be black. I want you to always be dark grey like you’re supposed to be.”
“You’re not evil. You’re just acting crazy because you’re scared,” Alaru whimpered. “It’s just like with the seeds. Starstin is the one who put you up to this, didn’t he?”
Darcian’s voice was growing thinner as he replied, “You wouldn’t have done it if it were you. This might have been an accident but I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had killed me on purpose. Just…Just watch out for Starstin. Don’t listen to him; don’t ever believe him. He knows what you are now...a s-sh-shadow w-w-walker”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Alaru muttered, “it was just like in that one book—Darcian?” The grey pegasus’ eyes were closed and he was no longer breathing. “Darcian!”
Alaru called his brother’s name again and again. After a while he finally touched him, thinking to shake him awake. As soon as he touched him Alaru knew he was dead and began wailing in despair.
Starstin seemed to appear out of thin air beside the grieving colt. He growled darkly, “You killed your brother.”
“It wouldn’t have fell if you didn’t slam him against that wall,” Starstin replied insidiously.
“You were watching all this time and you didn’t do anything about it! I thought he was your favorite. He was your eldest son!”
“You’re my favorite now and incidentally you’re also now my eldest. In any case he was the one that was older and should have come out the better but you proved that wrong. That in itself makes you more special in my eyes,” Starstin muttered.
“I hate you!” Alaru yelled at him. He couldn’t think of anything else to say and the longer he glared at him the more violently the colt shook.
“Just follow me,” Starstin commanded, only looking amused at his display of rage, “I’ll be able to explain everything to you.”
Alaru considered defying him but after a moment he found himself following along the dark corridors. They arrived in the throne room where the tapestries hung with the images depicting ponies and other creatures fighting monsters and Alaru now noticed that a few depicted scenes where the heroes failed. The sight of the false sun was now replaced by the moon in the windows over the thrones. He could now clearly make out the shape of the Mare on the Moon now that he wasn’t running for his life.
As Alaru was looking around the room he hardly noticed as Starstin led him purposely through the center of the room. It surprised him when something seemed to seize his hooves and he looked down to see an elaborate transmutation circle. Dark magic swirled around him and as much as he struggled to stand straight it became harder and harder until he was dragged to the ground by the magic.
“What are you doing to me?!” Alaru screeched at him as he strained against the magic in vain and his wings were spread out against the circle as he hit the floor.
“You can understand what I’m saying now, can’t you?” Starstin growled.
“Of course I can!” The young pegasus replied hotly, “What kind of foal do you think I am?” He realized a moment too late that Starstin was hoping for an answer like that and that he was speaking in the language of the shadow walkers in order to test his son.
“And you’ve killed your best friend, your brother,” Starstin replied, ignoring his son’s harsh tone. The air began to shimmer around Alaru and he screamed in pain as something started to grow from his head that gave him a splitting headache. He realized, with great apprehension, that it was a unicorn horn—no!—an alicorn horn.
“I don’t want this,” he howled as he continued to struggle and the pain intensified each second until the process drew to an end at last and he laid gasping and shaking.
Starstin drew closer and hissed, “It no longer matters what you want. You will do as I say or you will be destroyed. I will live on and there’s nothing you can do about that.”
The pressure of the spell subsided and Alaru trembled as he tried to stand and Starstin began to chuckle even as Alaru looked up with glaring, swirling orange-yellow eyes. Rage swirled in his chest and energy built in his new horn. Everything seemed to slow to a stop leading up to the moment when a blast of molten fire burst from his horn’s tip and seared through Starstin’s chest. He staggered back, startled and surprised. He tried to say something but all that came out was a sizzling hiss. Alaru barely noticed as spiders began to creep from the corners and the cracks in the walls, too shaken by the sight of his father whose eyes were growing uncharacteristically wide.
“You never cared about any of us. You didn’t care about Darcian and me and after my mom stopped being any use to you, if you ever cared for her to begin with, you discarded her. You don’t even care about the country you rule, letting the ponies in the village starve,” Alaru growled. “This is what I think about your power game!”
He placed his hoof firmly on the side of the horn and started to push as hard as he could. At the same time he could feel himself using magic to expel it from his forehead. It came free and slid loudly against the floor, bouncing a few times on the uneven stones as he threw it away. He took a few deep breaths, feeling light-headed and sick for a moment just as Starstin hit the ground.
He wasn’t quite dead; Starstin was breathing heavily though it was obvious that he couldn’t catch his breath and it was certain that he would die and soon. Alaru was just now starting to notice the spiders as they streamed around his hooves like a rush of water around jutting rocks. He shivered and tried not to move though he was afraid that his father had summoned them.
“They’re only here for him,” the Crow whispered in his ear, “His Shadow Caller was a spider. Their kind of the most unkind and brutal and won’t give an inch to weakness. You’re lucky that yours is a crow. We at least wait until your dead before we feast.”
Alaru gulped as he got a strong mental image of his body, dead on the ground, being feasted on by black birds. He retreated from the room, spiders crunching loudly under his hooves that still streamed from the cracks until he was finally clear of the room and his father’s body.
Spiders care only for their own strength. That’s why they eat and kill each other. Do you remember the gate that you went through? It was decorated with spiders now that I think about it. That’s a dead giveaway if I’ve ever saw one, the Crow cackled and Alaru was tempted to yell at him, to tell him to shut up.
He wanted to find his mother. To plead with her and tell her what happened but he realized that he didn’t know where she slept at night. He didn’t think that he could even manage to explain it to her when he was shaking so badly. He retreated to a part of the castle far from the round chamber and his room where his brother lay dead. He collapsed to the ground, scrambling as close to the wall as possible for warmth, and tried to fall asleep. He was shaking so badly that he didn’t think that he’d be able to sleep ever again but it was not long before he fell asleep.
The next morning he awoke to sheer darkness. Normally there was enough light to see by in the hallway but there was nothing but darkness now. He realized that he never really thought of where the light came from before now, other than perhaps Sterling, and it was unsettling to have it gone now. He stumbled to his hooves and struggled in the dark, trying not to catch his hooves on any jutting stones. He forced himself to calm down and as soon as he did he found his senses opening and after a moment and a map was beginning to form in his mind that shown him where to step without falling. After a moment he slowly made him way through the halls to his mother’s garden, hoping that she hadn’t decided to stay in her room.
A bit of hope began to surge in his chest as he started to see the light from Rosepetal’s garden streaming into the hallway ahead. He galloped until he was in the room and came to a dead stop. The light hurt his eyes after coming from complete darkness and he closed them tightly. His eyes were watering but he could hear a soft coughing so he turned towards the sound. It seemed to take forever but after a while, opening his eyes in increments, the blinding white began to fade and leave in patches until it finally was gone even if everything looked a bit blurred and there were still some dots. Not only did the light bother his eyes but it also seemed to feel heavy on his shoulders. He was finally able to see though so he tried not to let it bother him too much. The one who had been coughing was his mother.
“Mom,” he whimpered and went to stand beside her. She had been laying on the ground and her cheeks were redder than usual. She looked at him with fevered eyes but she still managed to struggle to her hooves. She smiled at him though it faltered when she saw the bloody scar on his forehead. He hadn’t realized it but removing his horn had left more of a mark than he thought it would.
“Your forehead,” she whispered and then shook her head. “Did that happen when your father died?”
“Y-yes,” Alaru replied, startled. “How did you know? Wasn’t it only last night?”
“The lights are all out and the sun hasn’t risen,” she nearly whispered.
“What do you mean? There’s still light here in the garden so why not just have Sterling fix it? Why would they go out just because my father’s dead?” Alaru said in surprise.
“Sterling has been dead for quite some time,” Rosepetal replied gently. “Haven’t you noticed that you haven’t seen anyone but your brother, father and I lately? The last thing he did was make this spell for me; the day before he died. Where is your brother?”
“I was trying to…he tried to kill me…Darcian is dead,” Alaru stuttered and began to shiver. He started to look down but Rosepetal leaned into him and nuzzled his shoulder before he could. It nearly looked as if she had just fallen. He realized that she was now slightly shorter than him and he didn’t know what to make of that.
“I know. I thought something like this would happen but I didn’t want to believe it could go so far. At least I still have you. You’re taller though, just like Starstin when he became an alicorn. You also finally have your cutie mark. It looks like a brown hill with a spear through it. There’s a red ribbon tied to the spear,” she said in a calm, soothing voice even as he started to sob.
“My cutie mark? I read about them but you always had yours covered and father’s was too badly scarred and Darcian never got his. I was too young to remember what Sterling’s looked like. It’s supposed to be a representation of what a pony’s special talent is, right? Does that mean that I’m always going to be a killer?”
“That doesn’t have to be what it means,” She mused, shaking with a small cough, “It could mean that you’ll always stand tall despite the horrible circumstances that are laid before you. You’re kind and brave and you’re going to be very strong one day. I know you, my son, and I know you’re not the type of pony to be corrupted by power. It could mean that rather than using your power for yourself it will be used to protect your stance and bring peace to those around you.”
“What am I supposed to do?” He whimpered and he couldn’t help but shake as she realized that it felt wrong for him to be shaking like a colt now. “You’re sick and I don’t know what to do. I can’t even raise the sun because I don’t have any magic.”
“Everything is going to be okay,” Rosepetal murmured, trying not to cough anymore. “It’s only a passing cold. You and I will figure this all out but I want you to know that no matter what happens everything will be okay in the end.”
“You’re not just trying to tell me that to make me feel better, are you?” He demanded, both upset and slightly angry now. “I’m tired of all the lies. I just want a straight answer!”
“I want you to understand that there isn’t one and I don’t even know how things will turn out,” Rosepetal finally replied after a long moment of silence. “I also want you to understand that no matter what happened I have strong faith in you and your ability to make it out of this.”
“What if I want to save everyone?” he mumbled quietly as he laid his head on her shoulder.
“I want you to understand; I need you to understand,” she whispered before saying aloud, “Sometimes there are things that you can’t change that has become deeply ingrained and I need you to accept that maybe you won’t be able to do everything you were hoping for and that’s not always a bad thing.”
He nodded miserably and muttered, “I think I understand. I’m going to see if I can find some blankets for you. Will you rest for me?”
She nodded, giving him a weak smile before laying her head down on her hooves. He gave a satisfied nod in return and went off back into the pitch black hallways. His senses sharpened almost immediately and he distantly wondered if there would be a time when this power he had would become dangerous. He didn’t want to think about it but he wondered if there was a possibility that he would accidentally kill somepony like he had ended up killing Starstin. He knew and believed that Starstin deserved what happened to him, or at least partly, but he found himself shaking when he considered what might happen if somepony he cared about in the future approached him when he was angry, upset or fighting. He nearly found himself walking into his room but he paused when he remembered that Darcian had died there.
He didn’t want to see his corpse. He also had an irrational fear that his brother’s body wouldn’t be there at all; that the spiders had eaten away his body. He continued walking rather than risk not finding his brother’s body. The problem he immediately faced was that he had no idea where to find blankets besides his own. He wasn’t even sure if there were blankets anywhere else in the castle and he certainly didn’t want to use Darcian’s when his death was still fresh in his mind. He started walking closer and closer to the wall until his flank brushed it. He stumbled away in fright when he felt cloth, thinking that it might be spider web. He then realized that what he felt was a tapestry and felt immediate relief. He had completely forgot that there were tapestries scattered around the castle as well as the throne room and was quick to tear it down to drag back to his mother’s garden.
He closed his eyes as he went, his senses sharp enough to keep him from stumbling, not to mention his night vision wasn’t strong enough to make out each jutting crack under his hooves. He hoped that keeping them closed prematurely would make it easier for his eyes to adjust to the light. As he approached the room and started to see light through his eyelids he slowly started to open them and let light in little by little until he was able to enter the room without squinting, or at least not as badly as before.
“I’m back,” he said with a grin and his mother just opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile before sinking back to sleep. He started to feel worried but tried to push that down as he approached her and started wrapping the tapestry around her. His heart jumped as he saw what it depicted. The wolfpony.
The blood in his veins ran cold as he remembered the last time he had seen it, more than a year before, and even more so when he remembered what it had told him. The only reason why it didn’t harass the villagers at night was because it didn’t like the light from the sun, even the false sun. There was nothing stopping it from staying out in both moonlight and complete darkness when it had senses that allowed it to go where it liked without the light. For a moment Alaru considered finding the horn and trying to reattach it in order to raise the sun to keep it at bay once more during the day.
“No!” He hissed, already trotting back out and into the hallway’s eerie darkness. “I swore that I would never do things like my father and I have to keep it. I’m stronger than I was last year and even without the horn I have the strength of an alicorn—even if it’s an artificial one—running through me. I can’t just let it run free either. Even if I didn’t care what happened to the ponies of the village eventually it will realize that my father’s magic is no longer protecting the castle and attack. He might find the garden.”
Alaru let the thought trail away, not only because it was starting to freak him out how he was talking to himself but also because he didn’t want to think about what the monster might do if it found his mother’s garden. The thoughts of what might happen if he didn’t act drove him forward through the dark hallways, his hooves thundering on the stony floor and his flank scraping against the walls and corners as he made sharp turns before finally bursting through the front doors and into the outside. He stopped for a moment, feeling a bit out of place and uncertain.
It felt almost natural for the castle to be in complete darkness but outside it felt absolute and oppressive even as his senses painted an image of shadowy outlines before his eyes. His pulse began to race as he drew closer and closer to the arch in the gate. Even though he had a strong feeling that it no longer had any power it still felt like the absolute entrance and exit and that it was still the last thing standing that protected him from what laid beyond. With everything he had he forced himself to cross through the arch in the gate and step on the other side even as his mind screamed at him that it was too dangerous.
Is that just me or the Crow? Alaru considered once he was far enough away to force himself to firmly believe that it was too late to turn back. It doesn’t matter. I’m here now and I’m not going back even if the Crow knows my limitations better than I do.
At first he thought that the ponywolf would spring at him at any moment and he walked tensely but the longer he walked the more he began to wonder if he would even meet with the beast. Maybe he just doesn’t come out unless the moon is out. Maybe he’s afraid of the dark like Starstin.
He froze as he saw a dark figure ahead of him on the road. He cast his night vision out but he couldn’t quite make head or tails of who it was. All he knew was that it was a pony.
“What are you doing out like this?” He finally asked when the pony didn’t move. Alaru considered that maybe the stranger simply hadn’t seen him.
“I was about to ask you the same,” the pony replied in a rich, deep tone as Alaru drew closer. “This isn’t exactly the most hospitable place to live and I would think it would be too dangerous for ponies to come out with total darkness such as this.”
“Then why are you out here?” Alaru asked brazenly before giving a sigh and adding in an attempt to make it sound more polite “Out of curiosity, I mean.”
“You could say that’s the reason why I’m here actually,” the stranger replied. “I was curious about this place when I was younger and since then I’ve made a lot of decision, decisions that have kept me from going back home.”
“Why not go? I don’t see how anything’s stopping you from returning home,” Alaru replied, tilting his head ever so slightly.
The stranger shook his head and turned toward the distant horizon. “Do you see that over there? If you look close enough you can see a line of light where the sun is shining; the real sun.”
Alaru squinted and realized that the stranger was right and the longer he looked the more it began to look like there was a curtain with a bit of light shining under it that separated his land from the rest of the world. “That’s amazing,” he whispered, “but you still haven’t told—“
“Some ponies have secrets that they just can’t share. You were born here though so I wouldn’t expect you to understand. This place is dark and desolate compared to the world beyond. There’s plenty of better places than this and I hope that you live long enough to see them some day. Better yet, I hope that this place becomes a place worth living in so it won’t matter whether or not you were born here, let alone if you die here,” the stranger said. “I was called Bellantone, by the way.”
“My name is Alaru,” he replied, scarcely looking at the stallion as he continued to watch the horizon. “It looks like it’s starting to get darker over there.”
“No,” Bellantone replied, “it’s getting brighter here. The moon is going to rise soon. If you haven’t noticed it’s the late afternoon but I guess it’s really hard to tell now.”
“Have I really slept through the morning?” Alaru muttered before turning with a startled look back at Bellantone. He took a shaky step back as the grey pony’s hair began to lengthen and grow thicker by the light of the rising moon.
The ponies muzzle grew more streamline and its teeth began to sharpen as it seemed to grow bigger though it might have just been the hair which changed from grey to a reddish-brown. In any case the pony was becoming more muscular and its hooves began separate and become more finger-like and sharpen, the cartilage becoming the claws. The eyes changed from a dull brown to a vivid yellow that swirled like seething plasma.
It’s not natural, Alaru thought with horror as sudden fear caught him and he realized that this was the same beast he had so confidently come out to fight. He thought about his mother and how she would be torn apart and until then alone to fend for herself if he lost here. Of course it’s not natural. He told me that himself after he almost killed me the last time we met!
He took a jump back as the beast already was trying to tear him apart with rending claws despite how it still trembled from the transformation. “Why are you here? I swear I warned you what would happen if we met again like this,” The beast snarled.
“I have to kill you,” the young pegasus replied, shivering as he took a few more leaps back to keep clear of Bellantone’s sharp teeth and claws with a few strong flaps of his wings.
“Is that so?” The beast hissed. “How do you suppose you’re going to do that? You can’t even get close enough to touch me. Are you going to buffet me with those pitiful wings or maybe you’re going to throw rocks at me from afar like a scared grade school foal.”
Alaru grimaced as he took to the air and replied, “I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about that.”
“You’re right,” Bellantone replied, “I’m not worried. Not at all.”
The ponywolf launched itself at him in one strong leap, tearing its claws through the air as it drew closer and closer. Alaru had to think fast and was just barely able to fly out of the way as the tips of its claws brushed him, leaving shallow cuts across his chest. As soon as the beast landed it circled around from behind, ready to jump on his back. Shadows flared around Alaru and the ponywolf fell upon empty air. Bellantone growled angrily and looked up to see that Alaru was now flying far overhead.
“Are you just going to hang around up there until you can fly no more or until I figure out a way to get you down?” Bellantone grumbled, slightly annoyed. “Though this is far more fun than I’ve had in a long time. It’s been a while since the villagers have left their homes after moonrise. I’m practically starving.”
Meanwhile far in the sky Alaru was trembling. “What am I going to do? He almost got me. I could have died just then. He was right. I’m not ready to fight him but…what if he gets in the castle.” He gave himself a shake before diving down. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do or if it would work after he figured it out but he hoped that something would come to him when he collided with Bellantone. He had learned that his powers as a Shadow Walker weren’t so much in his control but would come to his aid when he needed them most. Still, uncertainly flared in him as his nosedive brought the ground up to meet him along with the ponywolf that leaped to intercept the falling pegasus.
Before he came too close a spear sliced the air and came inches from hitting his right wing. As it passed he noticed the gleam of silver and his breath caught in his throat. He had to change directions quickly, rising back up into the air again after a decisive, premature turn. He glanced around, trying to find the source as hot anger manifested under his skin. Sure enough he saw the cream-yellow pony from before that had rallied the rest to try and kill him more than a year prior. He wore a leather fedora and his eyes were chips of hatred as he reloaded the ballista and once more took aim. It was clear that he wasn’t using it to fight the ponywolf as he pointed it towards Alaru.
Seconds passed in slow motion as the ballista was fired at him and the light of the spear’s gleaming tip seemed to shine around him. He knew that despite how truly it flown he would be able to dodge out of the way but that was no longer his intention. He waited until the last moment, everything seeming to slow down around him, and flipped back, the spear flying over him. He kicked it up with his back hooves before it could catch him or fly completely over and it was knocked higher in the air.
In his state of slow motion it felt like it hung there, suspended and waiting for him. With a quick flap of his wings that propelled him upward he found himself parallel with the spear shaft. He kicked it around and with a powerful strike to the back sent it flying swiftly down, spinning and nearly jumping in the air.
To the onlookers below, mostly the yellow earth pony, this happened too quickly to comprehend but now the spear was heading towards him. It came faster and faster. It’s coming too quickly for me to get out of the way! It’s going to kill me! Cold went through him and he squeezed his eyes shut, though not quite ready for the obliterating, piercing pain. Rather than his own cries it was the cries of the ponywolf that startled him into opening his eyes. What now laid before him was the ponywolf, Bellantone, squirming and snarling in pain. The ponywolf had noticed the pony silhouetted beside his ballista and had come after him, clawing his way over the edge just in time for the spear to dig deep into his back.
The beast continued to struggle and growl in anguish, the spear too deeply buried in the stone of the roof, to no avail. Blood dribbled from his mouth and around his fangs and pulsed from the piercing wound each time he struggled. He finally began to cough up blood, his eyes watering until finally his strength was so diminished that he had to change back despite how the moon still rested high in the sky, unopposed.
“Bellantone? You’ve been alive all this time like this? When we sought the power to take over the castle I had thought you had died. I never would have left you if I thought you were still alive.”
“Demartis,” Bellantone choked, his eyes going glassy, “Killing ponies isn’t any way to solve a problem.” Bellantone was wearing a red fedora, previously unseen in the dark by Alaru, his night vision more reliant on heat, and not visible while the ponywolf was in beast form. It was visible now and as he slumped in death it tumbled from his head and blew away in the wind, hidden in the contrasting shadows. The yellow earth pony, Demartis, trembled and glared up at Alaru even as he seemed to fade from sight. The others of the village surrounded Demartis and hailed him from the ground, cheering him as a hero for killing the beast but all he felt was a sense of rage and loss that he did well to hide as he walked away from them.
“I want to be alone,” he growled as he pushed past the ponies complimenting him on the stairs and even as they gathered around and pondered Bellantone’s body. He imagined it must be strange to find out that the beast that has been terrorizing them for long was a pony like them; a bell ringer according to his cutie mark.
Alaru stumbled through the halls, feeling confused and disoriented. “Is that what my cutie mark means? I can’t believe I actually did that. I don’t know how it even happened but…I know I was going to kill him. That is, if the ponywolf hadn’t got in the way. Am I really a monster like my father?”
He was heading back to the garden, feeling tired enough to sleep for months on end, but he hastened as he heard his mother start coughing, now feeling wide awake. He tried not to screech in annoyance—not knowing any cuss words though he certainly would have used them if he did—as soon as he entered the room and his eyes started to sting and smart. His finally was able to see but after a horrifying second he wished that he couldn’t.
She was not dead but it was obvious that she was dying. Blood dribbled down her mouth and he could see blood smearing her hooves where she had worked hard to wipe it away before she had finally gave up. She was now shaking heavily and Alaru quickly laid beside her, more worried about keeping her warm than getting sick himself. It wasn’t something that he could catch anyway.
“Everything is going to be okay,” he whimpered as he heard her murmur something that could have been his name. It was too soft for him to actually make out and it could have been anything, even Starstin.
“I love you,” she whimpered a bit louder and he tried not to cry as he laid his head down and tried to sleep.
“I love you too,” he replied, trying to pretend that he was younger and she was putting him to bed before he was put into his own room the moment he closed his eyes. He couldn’t stop the tears though and he was glad she was too sick to see him crying.
“I love you,” she said again, “Alaru. Everything is going to be okay.”
He fell asleep, thinking that everything might be okay by the next morning but deep inside he knew that wasn’t true. Sure enough when he woke up again she was gone. She was dead. There were no more tears left and he just looked at her with dark, empty eyes. He covered her head with the tapestry she had used for a make-shift blanket and started to walk away but paused. He wanted to know what her cutie mark was so he went back to the tapestry and lifted it so he could see her flank. What he saw was a pink rose that looked wilted as if it was dying and falling apart resting in a calm pool though there were waves as if the rose had disturbed the calm.
“Was this what you were always meant for? To die like this after years of pretending. Maybe you’ve been sick all this time and maybe you lived this long because of Starstin. That’s ironic,” he sighed as he covered her again and left. He didn’t merely leave the room but the castle itself.
Alaru snorted but deep inside he felt the same. He didn’t want to stay in the castle though. It was colder and darker than ever now that he was all alone and it frightened him each time he would stumble or bump a wall and hear the sound echo through the passages. Even the sound of his hooves as they walked across the stony floor echoed eerily no matter how softly he tried to walk in the castle. It made him wonder if it was really just an echo. He knew that the ponies in the village probably needed someone to help them also. Alaru wondered this was something new that his father had brought to this land. His mind was too scrambled to recall any history lessons his father may have given him.
He wandered down the streets, the moon just starting to rise. He was certain they knew the beast was dead but they all seemed to be in hiding despite how this was now the only time when light shown.
“I’ve come from my castle to help you,” he called, trying to get at least one pony’s attention that would rally the rest. “I know this is probably scary. I’m scared too but I think I can help. I’ve read a lot of books and—“
A rock hit him in the side and he froze, blinking heavily in order to contain the rage and tears that were starting to well up. “Please!” He cried after a moment. “I just want to help. I don’t care what you guys think of me but I wish you would understand that I’m not like my father. I actually want to help you now that he’s dead.”
He could hear ponies rustling in their homes and a sense of hope began to replace the frustration as he wondered if that was all it took. A rock hit him again though, this time from behind. He turned to see the yellow pony that had tortured him before. Demartis, as Bellantone had called him.
“You’re not going to trick these good ponies anymore. I’m tired of your conniving tongue and so is everypony else. If you want to help us you can go far away and let us inherit your castle,” he said in a mocking tone.
“Why?” Alaru answered, now apprehensive. “So you can defile their graves? I don’t care at all about my father and I can’t deny that my brother wasn’t the best. My brother doesn’t deserve that though and neither does my mother. As far as I could tell she never did anything wrong. She even tried to help the town ponies when she could.”
Demartis hurled another rock at him and it hit him squarely between the eyes. He stumbled back but instead of responding he just bowed his head. He began to shake with rage however as Demartis sneered and replied, “That’s why you killed her. Do you think you can tell me that you being the only one left alive is a coincidence?”
“I didn’t kill her,” he choked, trying hard to swallow his anger. “She was sick. My brother got into an accident and I killed my father because he was trying to change me into a monster as soon as he found out about my brother.”
“It serves you right,” Demartis muttered darkly as he started to pick up another stone and added clearly, “As for your mother. Well she was a filthy—“
Demartis found himself choking under Alaru’s hoof as he slowly started to press him into the ground. He had moved like lightning and Demartis hardly saw him until it was too late. He got in his face and growled, his teeth bared, “Don’t you ever speak about my mom that way. You’ll never do it again!”
Ponies surrounded him though they all kept their distance as they watched from nooks and crannies and through cracked doors. He could hear them whispering about him and the phrase ‘monster’ and ‘fiend’ came up more than once. He cast his gaze around the crowd and he screamed, “Stop looking at me! Leave me alone! He said…He said about my mother…”
“Please let him go,” a young foal cried daring to wrap her hooves around his, trying to make him at least ease up. For the first time he could hear how Demartis gasped for breaths that would not come and Alaru tore himself away in horror, stumbling back with his wings flared in fright. He bumped into another pony and she shrieked and darted away and he yelped and backed from her as well.
“Just leave me alone! Stop looking at me like that; I’m not a monster!” He pushed his way through the crowd that was more than willing to part for him, afraid of what he would do next. He took flight and went to hide away in the castle once more.
The next morning, or technically night, he found his mind completely numb though the scratches still bothered him, making him ache with pain at every waking hour. He had not dreamed despite how he could now sense the Crow’s mocking laughter beneath the surface just as constantly as the burning. He realized that he was starting to feel like he was starving but he dared not return to the garden despite how there was likely plenty of food there to sustain him. Even after the episode the night before he felt bad for taking food that the ponies in the village didn’t have. What was worse was he was just as afraid that he would find him mother’s body missing like he had been when he went searching for blankets and nearly walked into the room where his brother had died.
He walked from his tomb, feeling hollow-eyed and stiff. He wandered leisurely down to the village that night and didn’t speak a word. He just returned to the scene of last night and waited. Sure enough a rock came hurling towards him head but before it could strike him he knocked it aside with an outstretched wing. It cracked against the nearby walls loudly and ricocheted and landed on the ground beside his hooves. The noise had summoned the rest of the villagers and they crept from their homes, now looking at him with fright that was closer to actual fear than before when it was just cautious avoidance.
He ignored them and instead turned slowly. Sure enough the pony that had thrown the stone was Demartis but his face was now bruised and bloodied. It didn’t even look like he bothered to wash any of it off. Alaru snorted and replied in a deeper, scratchier voice than that of the night before, “Oh look. I messed up your face.” He did not try to hide his sarcasm though he sounded tired and worn.
“So you admit that you did this!” Demartis yelled at him and Alaru felt irritated with how he was playing up the crowd.
“Yes, I admit you’re an (idiot) and deserved it,” Alaru replied derisively. “Alright. I tried to be nice but that might as well have been a decade ago. We’re done with that. We’re going to do things my way or no way. You guys like fear apparently so that’s what we’re going to have!”
Demartis continued to yell at him but Alaru was tuning it out and none of the others seemed eager to follow Demartis anymore. Alaru still felt a twinge of regret but he tried not to let it bother him as he growled, his façade strong and well, “This is what we’re going to do…!”
The next few months were spent learning how to grow things that didn’t need photosynthesis, such as mushrooms and moon moss. He used his pseudo harshness and sarcasm to encourage ponies to become more in tune with their magic and special talents and soon life became more livable in the kingdom. With Starstin gone there was no longer the magic that prevented them from using most of the skills he had shut down to make them more complacent. Things did not go perfectly but after a while they became mere wrinkles rather than the mountains they were before.
In his castle he would sleep a dreamless sleep in the stony entry hall and he rarely ate, often neglecting eating even when he had food. Rather than growing big and strong he became bonier and bonier though each night he managed to get up and walk back down to the village.
One night he felt so cold and pained that he couldn’t take a step farther after crossing the castle gate. He stared at the kingdom with glassy, cold eyes. He barely noticed the stranger that approached him with a sword on her back. She was a grey unicorn with a dark blue mane and sharp green eyes. She walked like a noble and was tall and slender.
“Are you Alaru, the monster that has been rumored to have been a plague on this land for the last few months?” She said, her eyes gleaming with hatred.
He managed to focus on her by the sound of her voice. At first he looked confused, as if he didn’t hear what she said and he could see her hair raising at his hollow, unsettling gaze. Finally he replied with a ghost of a smile. “I am.”
“Good. Then know that I, Silve, have come to kill you in the name of Celestia,” she replied formerly though her voice wavered a bit at the strangeness.
“Go ahead. No need for formalities,” he croaked.
“You’re not going to fight back?” She hissed, taking an ever so slight step back and she couldn’t help but flinch as she really took in his dilapidated state.
“Do I look like I can fight you? I wouldn’t even if I could though, if that answers your question. I have no family; no friends. I would just ask that you go and check on the villagers once the deed is done. They may hate me but I would hate if they should fall into disorder,” Alaru said with a hint of a sneer.
“Why would you care about them?” She asked, feeling a bit put off.
“They’re my people. I’ve been working hard at making them self-sufficient ever since I killed my father and the sun ceased to rise. You said you were killing me in the name of Celestia, right? I hope that’s not just a saying that your ponies use but if you know her can you speak to her for me. Implore her to raise the sun over this land once more so my little ponies won’t have to continue in this wretched darkness once I’m gone. Starstin is dead after all,” Alaru coughed.
Silve looked confused. This didn’t make sense to her. “But why would you help them? I thought you were the monster that killed ponies!”
“If that were true the reason would be that if I let them die there would be nopony left to kill,” Alaru replied sarcastically. “But I’m not a killer; at least not realistically. I’m sure I convinced my flock that I am. The last time I killed a pony was when I shot my father through the heart—the lung?—well it really doesn’t matter. Now that I think about it if I really wanted to I could kill you.”
Silve’s frown deepened and she took her sword from her back and positioned it to go through his heart. He smiled, his eyes, his swirling yellow-orange eyes, glimmered with amusement as he grinned at her and it grew darker and darker, the moon setting. They were in complete darkness and Silve knew that all she had to do was put enough pressure on the blade to pierce his chest and end him. Everything seemed to be bathed in a grey light that slowly started to grow in color and she wondered at how she could see everything so clearly.
“I never thought the day would come. It’s nearly blinding but beautiful nonetheless,” Alaru sighed, “I’m glad I lived long enough.” Silve then realized that she wasn’t imagining it. The light was real and as she turned her head she could see the sun rising before her.
Silve heard a thump and turned quickly to see that Alaru had collapsed. She cast about, looking for something that could help him. She didn’t know when the situation changed from killing him to helping him but she found himself trying to wake him up.
***
Alaru woke up in a bed. He didn’t understand. He fell asleep again.
***
Silve sat beside him, watching him as he slept. He didn’t look much better than before but she knew that he was getting better. “He must get better,” she whispered. It all felt strange to her. She had never felt this kind of compassion for somepony before and she couldn’t imagine why she would feel this way about this dilapidated lump of black and red fur. His red mane covered his eyes. It was obvious that he had not cut it in quite some time, let alone groomed it. It flowed around across his face and neck and some of it tumbled over the small cot. What she noticed most was the small smile, the smirk, which played across his face. She couldn’t imagine loving a stallion that seemed to flow with such dark and despairing mirth and yet that’s what she felt.
“It’s illogical,” she whispered and tried to hide her blush as he started to shift about in the cot.
“What’s illogical,” he asked, his voice dry and cracking. He struggled to sit up but with his face contorting in pain fell back down again.
“Nothing,” she hissed. He had startled her. “Would you like a drink of water?” She pulled out a sponge and dipped it in a bowl of water she had waiting for him. He drank from it gratefully as she held it to his lips.
“Where are we?” He groaned as he cast his gaze around the room. “This isn’t my castle. You didn’t take me away, did you?” He noticed the filtered light streaming through a nearby window covered in dust. It didn’t seem quite right. It was too bright and warm. He still wondered if seeing the sun rising was really a memory or just a cruel dream. The mare is still here though.
He didn’t hear what she said in reply, slipping back into unconsciousness. “He’s asleep again,” Silve finally muttered after she realized that he hadn’t heard any of what she had just said. She had told him that they were in the house of one of the local villagers and that they had helped move him here. She had also told him that they had come looking for him after he didn’t show up that day.
“He’ll be fine,” the old pony that had offered up his home said. “He’s a strong colt. He’ll be fine.”
“He told me when I found him that you all hated him. That couldn’t be true though. You all came looking for him and you even let him rest in your home,” Silve said, not taking her eyes off of Alaru. “You’ve let him have your home for weeks even.”
“I could see how he could say that. When his father ruled we were neglected and abused and many ponies feared Alaru because of how much he looked like his father. We all believed that he would become the monster that his father, Starstin, was and that made us blind,” the old stallion croaked. “Some still are afraid that he’ll change and things will go back to how they were.”
“I came here to kill him,” Silve said quietly.
“Well don’t,” the old codger replied simply. “He’s done more for us than anypony has for years. It would be a shame if the young prince were killed after he helped us the way he did. He had every right to despise and torture us like his father for how we treated him.”
Silve nodded and the old pony walked away after a moment.
***
Alaru finally woke up again a week later. The old pony that had offered up his home was staying with another so he didn’t mind that Alaru had been there for so long. Alaru was up and trying to march out the door this time around and Silve had to practically stand in his way to stop him.
“Are you sure you should be up and moving about?” She said crossly.
“I have to check on everything since I was thinking of leaving soon. Where did you say you were from?” The dark pegasus asked, not looking back as he stood in the door frame.
“I never said,” Silve replied, “but I’m from Equestria. My parents and two sisters live on the outskirts of the Everfree forest.”
“Excuse me if I should lack the knowledge in which to appreciate where the Everfree forest is,” Alaru replied in order to hide his excitement.
“You were the one who asked,” she shot back, following him out the door as he walked out. He stumbled and after a moment let her support him as they walked side by side. “You really shouldn’t be up so soon after just waking up. At least drink a bit of water first.”
“The last time I did that it knocked me out,” he joked, as he continued to walk. She could hear ponies talking amongst themselves and they started to walk with him though none of them came closer than a yard. She felt slightly disturbed and nearly stumbled as he stopped suddenly.
He looked around at the gathered ponies and a few of them cheered him. “He’s back!” and “Where do you think he’s been?” were echoed again and again in the chatter.
“Listen,” he said, addressing the gathered ponies, “I’m going to make one last round and then I’m going to leave. Where’s Demartis. I want to talk with him also.”
“You’re retiring to your castle already?” Someone asked from the crowd. “The sun’s out! Don’t you want to enjoy it?”
“Demartis is gone,” another pony called out. “He’s been gone for a long time now. Nopony has seen him for at least a month!”
“He’s gone? That’s a shame,” he replied sarcastically, “It looks like you all will have to take care of yourselves from now on. I’m leaving and not just back to my castle. I’m leaving the country. I know you all are looking for a king out of me but I’m not your king and I never will be,” he thundered.
“What do you mean?” a few ponies called out. Another few cried, “Then how are we going to survive?”
“You can make your own decisions. You don’t need me to tell you what to do when you already know what to do. Take care of each other. Vote on things that will affect all of you if you must. Just don’t look for me to help you do it. You can even vote for a new leader but I promise you that if you give one pony all the power there will be a struggle when a new leader less deserving decides they can push the rest of you in the dirt like my father did. I’m not immortal and you shouldn’t expect the next generation to clean up the mess,” he told them, stomping his hoof in the end.
“Please don’t go,” another pony called and another added, “You’re not well enough to travel. At least wait before you abandon us! You might collapse on the road and then what?” Yet another pony called out, “if you wait you might realize that you don’t want to leave after all!”
“I guess I’m going to have to live with that,” Alaru sighed, “and if I wait you’re probably right. I might decide not to leave. I don’t want to build a nation full of foals reliant on me though. I might come back one day to check on how things are going but don’t expect me to stick around.”
“Alaris,” a stallion in the back called and the rest started to call it out as well.
“Alaris! Alaris! Alaris! Our nation, Alaris!” They all cheered.
“Call it what you want,” Alaru replied lowly, pretending not to care as he turned about, “but I’m not staying.” He turned around and began to trot away though Silve still had to help him.
As he promised he went through his regular routine, taking in how they were growing and seeing how things were being resolved. They had started planting new things as well now that they had the sun back.
“See!” One of the famers said excitedly. “Won’t it be great to see how they’ll grow?”
“It would be. I’m glad you all will be able to see that,” Alaru replied coldly, turning away. It was night by the time they were finished and he could hear them cheering when they saw him heading back to the castle like he did every day. It wasn’t to stay though. He wanted to pay homage to his mother one more time.
“Are you really sure you want to leave these ponies?” Silve finally asked him though she had kept her silence through most of the day. “Don’t you have a responsibility to them?”
“Absolutely,” Alaru replied. “I couldn’t live with myself if I should leave this place to somepony that won’t cherish the work that I’ve worked so hard to make, especially if that somepony is my own foal.”
“Somepony may very well take over if you’re gone,” Silve argued, “somepony like that.”
“Perhaps,” Alaru sighed. He was starting to feel better, or at least stronger, so he drew ahead of her. “But at least I won’t be here to see it and like I said, I’ll be coming back one day. If I return home to a dictator then I guess I’ll have to clean things up again and start over but I don’t want that dictator to be my son or daughter that blind-sided me long enough to destroy everything I worked for. I don’t care if that sounds wrong when I don’t even have a mate.”
She looked down and blushed and he glanced back and chuckled, “that may change but that doesn’t mean I’m going to keep this place. Besides, I don’t have a home anymore. I don’t have anywhere to live and I don’t have any intentions of living in the village. It’s better if I go.”
“What does that even mean? What about the castle? Are you going to try to burn it down?”
“It’s easier to disown stone than to burn it,” Alaru replied sarcastically as they approached the gate. It didn’t have any actual gate to close because it was closed off with a spell and he simply stood outside of it, looking in. He murmured something that sounded like a prayer though Silve couldn’t imagine who he would be speaking to.
“Fine,” she replied. “Then where are you going to go?”
He looked back and smirked. “I thought it would have been obvious if I haven’t told you yet. I’m going home with you and there’s nothing you can do about it. Well nothing but kill me.” She glared at him and he just laughed.
“I wanted to know something,” Silve said, being the direct unicorn that she was, “do you love me?”
“What kind of question is that? I barely know you. If I was to love you I would be grateful that you nursed me back to health and helped me see my village one last time before we left together. That would be preposterous,” Alaru laughed aloud, not looking at her.
“What does that even mean?!” She yelled at him.
“It means yes,” he replied, wiping his tears away. He couldn’t help but wonder what his mother would have thought of him now. “I know you probably think this is strange but you’ll have to deal with it.” He told her when he noticed the look she was giving him. “Let’s leave while the moon is still full. I also don’t want the rest of them to catch up or they might see me crying.”
Silve didn’t know what to say. It felt strange for something like this to happen to her. Something so sudden and inevitable.
“Okay,” she replied quietly, not knowing what else to say as she followed behind him as he started to trot down the path. She didn’t even bother to tell him how foolish it was for him to be leading when she was the one who knew where they were going. He paused and she nearly ran into him.
“What’s wrong?” She asked and he shrugged a bit before trotting back up the path back to the castle. Caught on the fence was something that looked like red and black cloth but the closer he drew he realized that it was a fedora and he gingerly gripped it in his teeth. Before long he had it on his head.
“Now we can go,” he told her when she gave him a strange look. “You should lead this time.” She rolled her eyes at him and took the lead and together they walked on together on their way out of the country.The Crow bubbled with mirth.