Chapters The Void: Alone in The Dark
In a forgotten village long lost in history in the world of Equestria was destroyed by the hatred of one. In the lands known as the 'forbidden' lands where once ponies used to live, but corruption and prejudice created a mixture of disaster and chaos where the village stood. The village dissolved from history out of fear of remembering the 'being'. In that land, a Creature used to live, or at least tried to live in it’s so called home, for that he was not wanted, and his exclusion made him the village's fate. He later creates the war of Celestia and Luna, where all of Equestria experienced most pain in all of its history, and portals to the void where opened releasing the most brutal, and out of this world inter -dimensional beasts. Chaos was the right word, with its definition and all, literal chaos. For a few years the war continued, and one of the sister's jealousies began turning to doubt, and she realized that she was killing ponies. Her only goal was to be equal to her sister Celestia, not to destroy her home. Unfortunately, the being tortured her, and kept her from deviating from her corrupted path to power, and alas she was imprisoned for a thousand years as a consequence of the war. The being was forced to hide in the everfree forest, and out of his pleasure he cursed, and even threw a pony in to the void, where the creatures roamed. Now this creature was not evil at first, his beginning of life was as innocent as any other pony, but he grew with racism and misery, in which made him the monster that created all of this. He had no friends and no foes, he was confused and alone.
Long before the war, Drayzard the dracanoquis lived a life of misery and despair. He grew up in a village, an old village that its name is forgotten, where no pony desired his company or cared for him. He was feared for his abilities of magic and his image that resembles the hated Discord. This does not mean that he was like Discord, but the actual fact that he was a dacanoquis made everyone in the village very uncomfortable. He posed different body parts than discord, such as a horn lizard head, skeletal dragon claw, a tiger paw, and his body was that of a salamander's torso; For his legs he had a jackal leg and eagle's claw, a scorpion tail, and two wings of a skeletal bat and a raven's. His image of course, was an abomination to other ponies around him, and they had good reason to fear him. He was found abandoned; no pony took care of him for that his instincts helped him survive, and lived hidden from every pony. He grew in the forest, where he discovered his magical abilities, and ponies took noticed of that, which gave them more of a reason to avoid him. Although, he did try to help ponies out using his magic, using simple tasks that would not harm any pony, but his magic would hurt the ponies as an outcome. Instead of order, chaos came out of him. It was unwilling of him to hurt anypony since he wanted to create an image to the village that he was not a harmful creature. He tried to use his magic many times, and all his tries ended up hurting some pony with chaos in one way or another.
The village residents soon started to realize that Drayzard was more than a threat, he was going to be the destruction of the peace forming around the village. They had to take action by vanishing Drayzard from the village forever. Other ponies did find solutions instead of banishment, like using him to obtain wealth by displaying him as a rare creature (zoo-like). Most ponies where unsure, but soon came to realize that by trapping him in a magic cage forged by the unicorns, they would trap him and his chaotic magic inside. They persuaded him by giving him a chance; they brought him into the main hall by 'presenting' him to the mayor to find him a suitable position of labor, but once they entered, they chained his arms, legs, and scorpion tail. They didn't took long to encaged him. For two years he would be humiliate in front of many audiences.
Among some of the audiences came some fillies, mares, and stallions, who laughed and mocked Drayzard's “freedom of chaos”, Drayzard was already miserable from previous encounters from other ponies. This time he could not run away from the crowd's mockery, he would have to face the embarrassment head on with tears. That is all he could do, nothing but tears, for he was chained like an animal, like the beast he was. He would think of himself as a monster, and a weak monster that would be treated like a cornered rat. One day, he change his tears to rage, and among the audiences the fillies where already mocking his chaos. One mare pointed insulted his kind, and his unknown parents. Others would make fun of his image, the fillies would laugh and point, and they would poke him with sticks from fallen branches. Some of the pokes would stab his lion paw, he would sometimes bleed. Hatred grew in his head thinking "T-they want to... to laugh... hmm... I want to laugh at their funerals, spit at their graves, and pulverize their corpses, one of them after another... All of them! All!" He chuckled at these thoughts, still being poked by the fillies. They would not stop anytime soon, they kept at it... poking him. Draizard gave the fillies a look grabbed the sticks, and burned them with his magic, and threw the ashes away. His rage would later grow more.
The Void: Alone in The Dark
A long time ago, there were still family problems, even among the most powerful of all ponies, and they were extraordinarily similar as to what other ponies would think. Back then, the equestrian history book tells of a tragic royal family dilemma of power in between two sisters. A big reason far beyond power was recognition among one of the sisters of alicorn blood. Her name is Luna, for that she lives eternally as her sister, Celestia, also does. At night, all of the little ponies would sleep, and during the day all would play. Although, that wasn’t the real problem, the big reason that Princess Luna became enraged about her people was that most ponies became ignorant of her existence. This problem would last until that unfaithful day at the ancient castle that still stands.
There was a usual routine that the Royal Princess had to do every night, and that was to bring it above the skies. When she did, she would speak with her older sister almost all the time before she went to sleep. On that night, she would arrive with a different attitude that separates family, and introduces distrust. Normally, she would arrive as delicate as a feather landing on the floor, but she would hit the floor not only to startle her sister, but to bring nightmares to the little foals all around Canterlot. At a house of the resident in town, a little foal ran to his mother mare for comfort, while Celestia at the castle would just stare and the compromised sister. None would speak until Celestia sighed, and thought that this problem would be solved as easily as the other problems she had with her sister during all millennia. Today a thousand years back, this problem would last as long as the old books would live. And then one of them spoke.
-"What troubles your mind, my dear sister... Is there something that thy desires to share?" Celestia asked with her usual posture.
-"Now is not the moment for you foolish words, for we are displeasure for thy subject WHO ARE AWAKEN DURING MY SLUMBER," Luna responds giving a grim look at her already fatigued sister.
-"There no utile reason for using thy traditional tone upon your older sister. Again, what seems to be the problem?" Celestia demamded still with the same expression of royal posture.
-"Was it not clear? Thy subjects have forsaken me," She responded with a teary eye.
-"Forsaken, my dear sister?" Celestia told confused, only showing a raised eyebrow.
-"THY KNOWS WHAT I TRY TO ACCOUNT FOR!" She spoke irritated. She walks slowly towards her sister shedding a tear, trying to hold them. She was only a yard from eye contact distance, until she spoke again. "THOU IS GREEDY WITH HEED, YOU NEVER EXHIBIT ANY KIND OF RECOGNITION TO THY SISTER!"
Celestia’s eyes started to glow, and long beautiful mane began to scorch. Celestia’s anger began to change her appearance into a firemare, and as she was transforming, she shook the ground in a God like voice, “QUITE YOURSELF! AND ALLOW ME TO SPEAK, FOR I CAN SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS BUT THY IGNORANCE IS INPEADING ME FROM DOING SO!!!!!”
Luna amazed by her sister’s wrath, stood down, and allowed her to speak her mind. Luna still not convinced spoke in a low tone voice, “Pleasing Sister, speak immediately for I’m growing impatient with each second that goes by.”
Celestia then began to power herself down, and shape shift herself back to normal. Celestia then walked over to her impatient, who was looking at the ground trying to prevent eye contact. “Luna, I can offer thou a recognition celebration honoring thy name, an entire day honoring thou for thy hard labor. What do you think of this action?” Celestia forced a smile into her face trying to assure her that could work, “Luna, please let your sister know what thought you might have.”
Luna finally decided to give her sister the eye contact she demanded, and responded with an aggressive voice, “Thou shall never understand my agony, thou shall never bargain the reasons of my resentment.” Luna looked at Celestia one last time with teary eyes, and started to walk away in disappointment.
“ I do not comprehend you sister." Princess Celestia whispered to herself in her thrown room. She rarely felt this way, because she would almost always have a solution to these types of situations. She then decided to take her rest.
The Void: Alone in The Dark
As the night turned into day, Drazard kept living his life of misery. He was still in the filthy cage were he was imprisoned for being himself. Covered in his feces, Drazard thought about himself and why was he forsaken from the world. Drazard could not cry anymore. How could he? If he had cried his eyes dry. Faced with hate of his own town; Drazard became the scapegoat for everyone who passed by and saw him. He was blamed for everything and even blamed for the dumbest of reasons. "I don't understand them," whispered Draizard inside the cage, putting pressure over his wound made from the fillies that picked him with sticks,
Suddenly the people of the town scrambled around like headless chickens. Most of them headed home, but the rest started decorating the place nicely, and ordered the bakers to bake as many cakes as they could. "What is going on here?.... Could this be the end of my misery? .. I hope they kill me because I'm done living." Drayzard stood in his cage whispering to himself when two colts dumped huge buckets of water into his cage.
One of them spoke to the other colt, “Well, he must look somewhat presentable. Good’ol friend bring me more water for the horrendous beast.”
Then the other Colt walked away, but then turned around and said, “Oiye Rick, give that waste of resources (Drazard) something he won’t forget .”
The first colt turned around, and gave Drazard a tooth breaking back kick to the face. “hhhhhhhahahahahahahha!! How did you like that ey? Best part is you can’t do anything stop me… hhhhhhhaaaahahaha!”
Drazard with a bust open cheek and lip looked at the laughing colt, and spoke in a dreadful voice, “You know something…. Once I’m free from this trap,” Drazard paused, and gave the colt a glare, “you will be the first one I’ll Kill… but it won’t be a pleasant death. No no no, I will skin you, and pull your guts out one by one, and I will keep you alive so that you scream as much as you want. Make it a promise.”
The colt stood there for a while with a dumbfounded expression, and then started to laugh again. “Hhhhhahahaha nice try boy but you don’t scare me…,” the colt paused himself as he saw Drazard who had an evil Glare, “Well nice talking to you.” The colt took off running with an uneasy expression as he were to face death itself.
The colts in the town were preparing for Celestia’s visit. Meanwhile, Celestia had her own problems trying to solve her sister’s problems. Sometime later, some days later, Princess Celestia was working on royal duties still worried for her sister. This made think so much that she reaches the point of mental fatigue. She needed some sort of relief; maybe she needed to take a day off. And then she called for his royal guards.
"Guards! I request your presence!" Princess commanded. The Large entrance door opened, and two guards came in immediately to meet their highness.
"Guard I wish thou to locate a township that thou sense suitable to occupy my day of resting,” said Celestia with a gentle voice.
The Captain of the Royal Guard responded with a firm voice to Celestia, “Princess, we have been informed of a small town in the outskirts Equestria that presumably have a dragon in display.”
“Dragon you say, that sounds interesting. I shall arrive there and see this Dragon with my own eyes. Perhaps commend some research on it so we can understand these creatures well,” Princess Celestia said interested in the town. Celestia then look at the captain and commented in a sweet voice, “Captain, would you please prepare my Chariot?”
The Captain responds firmly, "Yes ma'am." He then turned around and gave the order to prepare the chariot.
Celestia decided to check in with her sister to understand how she was doing. Celestia found the door to be locked. "Little Sister, I'm leaving for the day to check in with my subject. I just wanted to check how you were doing," commented Celestia with a repentant tone.
“Sister, observe what I refer too. Thou spoke and mention ‘My subjects’…. Does that sound to thou as understanding my irritation?” spoke Luna still with lump in her throat as if she were to continue crying.
“I-….. well-…..,” sounded Celestia trying to say something nice yet she couldn’t find any words of wisdom. Celestia tried to open the door once more, but the door was still locked, the two doors then melted into a solid wall. “Luna…..,” said Celestia, as she looked at the ground, feels a knot in her throat. She then turned to the opposite side of the door/wall, and walked down the corridor that led to the main entrance.
As Celestia made it to the main entrance of the castle, her head hanged from form body from disappointment. But then she saw a shadow figure that was leaning against the door.
Celestia quickly recognizes the speech pattern of the shadow figure and raised her head to observe the creature. She then saw about 20 feet from her the chaos lord Discord floating in midair waiting for her answer. “You, what have you done to Luna?” Demanded Celestia.
“Oh Celestia, you really think I would give you such a low blow? You know what? It doesn’t sound like a bad idea… but unfortunately, this time it wasn’t me… hehehe ahahahaha!,” Discord commented while he twisted snake like body back laughing.
“Don’t lie to me!” fires back Celestia.
“Oh Celestia, sometimes you can be so boring, you know…. I think I must go now. I’m planning to create some chaos later on,” said Discord as he snapped his fingers.
Celestia saw him disappear. She then went out the main gate, where her royal guards were awaiting her arrival. She walked up to the captain, and told him, “I don’t think I’m going captain. I changed my mind, please dismiss your guards.”
“Princess, may I?” asked the Captain.
“What is going through your mind Captain?” asked Celestia.
“Ma’am, we already send word of your presumed coming to the village. They already have preparations for your coming. If you do not attend, it will be a great disappointment for them, and it would hurt your image,” spoke the Captain very serious.
“Captain, I just confronted Discord. He is planning something, and I must be ready for it,” Celestia replied.
“Are you alright Princess! Where did he go?” The Captain responded very worried.
“Ma’am I strongly suggest for you to take the day off, this will allow your mind to relax, and make you ready to hunt this creature,” commented the Captain.
Before the Captain could share his thoughts, Luna walked down from the steps of the main entrance. “Thou shall go visit thy people, for I am currently recovering,” said Luna surprised about what her sister said.
Celestia then turned around for a quick glance at her sister. When she saw Luna, Celestia immediately shifted her whole body back and gave Luna a great hug. “I am deeply sorry sister, thou requested my support, and I brought you down,” Celestia said with a knot in her throat.
Luna hugs her sister back, and commented, “No thou is incorrect. I should of hath greater patience with thy leadership as the eldest. I just cared for recognition. But I shall embrace thy compensation, and celebrate my hard work and thy generosity,” said Luna with teary eyes. “But sister, what are thou responsibility here? Thou shall assist the Dragon display!”
“Would you like to join me?” asked Celestia.
“No sister, I shall wait here, and rest some more. Its Mid-day I need to be asleep by now,” said Luna.
“Oh right! Then I’ll see you tonight,” responded Celestia with a smile.
“Excellent, now thou must leave.”
Celestia then jumped into her Chariot, and the Captain gave the order to leave. The Chariot with Celestia took off, and quickly flew away, but while they were leaving Canterlot, Celestia ordered the Captain to stay behind and guard the palace.
The Void: Alone in The Dark
Celestiass break has been a relief that she desired for years. Finally, she calmed down enough from her prior encounter with discord, she wanted to spend some time with her subjects, and she had a filly-like curiosity for the display that the ponies from the now forgotten village promised her to see. She had two guards leading the way, and when she arrived, all the residents bowed down when they saw her majesty. The town major, among the bowing ponies, was the first to rise and meet with the princess. He was a pony that became the mayor from the popularity that he obtained from being the hero of the village. He protected the ponies from beast that dwelled in the forest which compensated the scar on his right eye, a sign of his battle experience.
"Your highness let me introduce myself. I am the mayor of the town." The mayor said.
"Charmed," responded Celestia. She thought of the mayor of being somewhat too robust to be a political pony, but she could see that the village was deep inside a dangerous forest. It was barbaric at first, but the village had many buildings with good maintenance, and the residences were behaving normally around her. At least, they are civilized... hmmm, I can’t help but feel discords presence nearby, but something is different about it, she thought about it. Maybe it has to do with the display they wanted to show me... Hold it, I am actuality paranoid.'.
"Ahem, Excuse me for being too straightforward, but I heard there was an interesting display that your village hold for viewers," She stated.
"Why of course your majesty, but we wanted you to join us on our feast first. Royalty does not visit this hidden village in the woods much, and we wanted to prepare you to see such a peculiar sight," he nervously responded. This was a surprise to Celestia considering that by the appearance the mayor seems so tough, a pony who survived the biggest feats. Now, this made Celestia more curious about the display. She then invented an excuse to skip the feast and investigate what was going on.
"You see, I already consumed a meal before my short trip here, and I am satisfied so I don’t need more, but thank you for the offer. Now, Can you show me it?" She asked.
"Your majesty... please, at least join us for some time, we need to explain some things first..." he said, sweating heavily while his strong heart pumped hard to prepare him to run. Celestia did not have any trouble finding his discomfort.
"What is all the commotion about? Surely there is nothing to be..." she stopped and felt a strong presence of discord nearby, or so she thought. "Where is he?! Show me to him, did he threaten you?!" she demanded.
"Who... him? No, we have him in an enchanted cage. He cannot do anything inside," he said with a confident posture that soon turned into an intimidation due to Celestias power aura.
"You underestimate his power, and you might as well be discorded and live under his rule... This has got to stop! Show me to him now!" She ordered with her eyes glowing. She was later escorted to the cage, where she prepared a spell of harmony to weaken discord.
The villagers were growing nervous as they soon realized that their actions were wrong. Most ponies were very worried of Celestias might; especially since they imprisoned Drazard and gave him the worst of treatments.
“That’s an interesting cage you have their, Discord could easily break through that… How did you do it?” Celestia asked very excited with some doubt in her voice tone. She then became disgusted by the smell of the cage, “What is that horrible smell?” She then said, “Are you sure that this is discord that is in this cage?”
“No…*gulp*… it’s not Discord,” nervously said the Mayor. “Although princes!” his voice spike with confidence as he tried to soften the blow of Celestia disappointment. “My ponies and I have captured another Draconiquus and placed it in this cage to prevent it from causing chaos in our land!” boasted the Mayor with pride. ‘I hope she falls for this’ thought the Mayor.
“Oh really? Why didn’t you say so?” Celestia said exited to meet the new draconiquus, “I must have a closer look, but why does the cage have a putrid order? Why is it in the cage? Why didn’t you tell me before?” Celestia bombarded the nervous Mayor with questions.
“But Celestia,” the Mayor said quick when he got in Celestia’s way, “Why don’t you join us for dinner first?”
Celestia gave the Major an incomprehensive expression, “Major I just said a few moments ago I had a meal before my arrival. What is your problem? Why do you refuse me the right to see this creature?”
The Major grew more and more nervous, because he knew that Celestia’s patience was running out. Then he said to distract Celestia, as a leap of faith, from wanting to see the creature, “I will tell you why, it’s very strange for royalty like yourself to arrive like now. We would really appreciate for you sit down with the town and give us some of your time. Please Celestia I’m begging you! In behalf of my village.”
Celestia was touched by this comment, “ I promise my royal subjects,” she paused for everyone’s attention, “ I promise that I will spend some time with you.” The ponies then started to cheer Celestia.
“Oh my! What a relief,” said the Major as if he had deflected a cannon ball from killing him.
“Although,” said the Princes, “I will see the creature first.”
The Major’s heart then plummeted to the ground, because he knew it was game over. “Oh no! Princess….. um …ah…..why don’t you… oh my.. no no no… don’t got their…. Noooo,” then the Major closed his eyes waiting for Celestia’s shout.
She trotted toward the center of the town where the center of attraction was, which was on a platform to elevate the so-called attraction'. She trots her way through the center, and reaches the cage. She notices the platform and starts flying towards the stairs the allows access to the cage. Celestia takes the stairs one by one, and takes a closer look towards the cage. It was smaller than what she expected it to be, but she would find out soon that there will be any no space left from it. “Well hello there,” Celestia said as she approached the cage, but she stopped shortly to admire the level of brutality the creature inside had embraced. Drazard was sitting on a layer of excrement inside while hugging his knees to his body and his face hidden inside his knees. Celestia was heartbroken by the first glimpse of the draconiquus, but more was yet to come. Celestia started to walk around the tiny cage that was big enough for a philly. She began to observe the scars on his back and arms were he was tortured brutally. Tears sprouted on Celestia’s eyes, because she couldn’t believe how un-pony like treatment the creature had received.
Drayzard began to grow curious of why the town grew so silent. He then grew the will to look up and see the "special pony" that can to see him. Drayzard was surprised by the look at the Ponys face. Drayzard could not believe the Unicorn-pegasus-pony was not laughing at him, but rather with a dumbfounded expression and tears on her eyes. Her expression reminded him of a mother staring at her poor tortured son. He felt like if the pony outside the cage actually felt sorry for him (which was a first for him since nobody ever showed him love).
“Oh my,” whispered Celestia with a knot in her throat, “What have they done to you?” She then sat right in front of Drayzard’s cage with her head bowed down to have a closer look and whispered some more painful words that seem to be squeezing the life out of her, “you poor draconiquus…*sniff*…what have they done to you?.... Tell me *sniff* what’s your name?”
Drayzard was very confused as he watched and heard how much pain she was going through. He felt something he always hoped for, but now he wanted to refuse since the world had forsaken him. His chest felt some kind of warmth that came from his chest and heated his freezing vines of hatred. He felt a feeling coming from his back; climbing from his lower back all the way to his neck. What is this feeling?..... why am I getting this feeling of wanting to hug her so bad? Drayzard thought as he started at the teary-eyed pony. 'Should I tell her my name? She seems different from the rest. Unicorn horn and pegasi wings.... That is not something would see very often. I should tell something! Although what if she is a trying to trick me, and she crushes my heart once and for all. But yet again, what if she just wants to get me the hell out of this shit hole?' he kept thinking as he saw the pony outside his cage stating to drop tears out of sadness. He then once more brought himself to tell her his name and with a soft voice that drained any hope from the world he said: "My name is Drayzard."
Then Celestias eyes widen as she finally felt a relief that the creature was still sane. She then she still whispered with same knot on her throat, “Drayzard a beautiful name…..*sniff* tell me more about yourself,” she then tried to form a smile on her face to try to give the poor creature some confidence.
Drayzard then thought some more while he stared at the broken down pony, ‘ She doesn’t look right, but more important, why does she want to know about me? Should I tell her about everything that is going on in my life? But why should I?’ before he could think some more he was interrupted by Celestia.
"Little Draconiquus... do not be scared of me, Im Princess Celestia........ Im the one who raises the sun and moon each day...*sniff*... now that you about me, want to know about you," whispered Celestia with teary eyes.
‘She raises the moon and the Sun every day? What kind of pony is she? She really wants to know about me... I should tell her something... Either she could get me out of hell, or make my life here worse than what it already is....... No! She must know the insolence that this village is, Drayzard thought deeply when he absorbed all the information that he had. Drazard then took a deep breath and said in a hopeless tone, "Well?.... where do I start?"
“Anywhere is fine kido…. Tell me about how everyone treats you here,” Celestia responded quickly with a soft voice.
“Well, everyone here is very mean to me. Everyone here does very bad things to me, and I just can’t deal with it anymore,” Drayzard said with teary eyes. “They hit me, cut me, punch me, kick me, slap me, spit on me, laugh at me, call me by many mean names, they curse at me, and everyone is always very angry with me,” continued Drayzard while he was looking at the ground and holding to the bars of the cage.
Celestia’s heart was shattered, disintegrated as she heard the poor little creature cry out all the horrible un-pony like things done to him. Celestia couldn’t speak anymore; the knot on her throat that prevented her from talking grew tighter. She couldn’t think or say anything. Celestia was emotionally killed by the horrific fate that the little Draconiquus was given. She did not know what to do; her mental state was in paranoia.
“Don’t believe him, he is trying to trick you,” a pony said trying to make the Princes believe it was all a lie
Celestia then tucked head in between her front hooves; then she stayed like that for a moment as more and more ponies started to shout things to justify their actions.
Drayzard started to realize that the mane of the white pony that sat right in front of his cage was changing colors. He then admired at how her mane blaze up into flames, but he did not feel any kind of heat being generated from them. He then saw the princes peak an eye for him, then she blinked as a sign that everything was going to be fine. Drayzard leaned back on his cage as he awaited something to happen.
"YOU INSOLENT PONIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Celestia shook the ground with her shout as she stood up and kept yelling at the skies. The ponies from the village became silent once more as they heard the fury of their princes. The sun grew in size and red colored light started emitting it as Celestia spoke to her subjects. "YOU HAVE DISSAPOINTED IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE!!!," the ground shook once more, "I SHOULD DESTROY YOU RIGHT NOW!! I SHOULD EXPEL YOU FROM THIS LAND! YOU DONT EVEN DESERVE BE CALLED PONIES!!" Celestias eyes were glowing brighter than any star in the galaxy. Her mane blazed up high brighter than any fire seen before in Equestrai and wild currents of flames stroked the ends of her hair. Celestia was levitating off the ground without help of her long strong wings.
Drayzard admired the rage that Celestia poured on to the villagers that had treated him worse than an animal. He really felt a sense of joy as he watched Celestia avenging him. He never felt joy before, not since he was born. He was finally giving an expression that he thought impossible since his situation; he started to smile. Why am I enjoying this? First off, what is this feeling? Is this what these ponies actually call joy? he paused a bit, ' She really is mad....hahahaha! Oh crap... this feeling is so good, it's like an adventure I never experienced or an object I never found.
Celestia brought the sun to normal, and her hair started to die out, and her original mane appeared from the smoke. Her eyes did not change though, they were still brighter than a candle in utter darkness.
