Dire Vale: Say Goodbye

Chapters

Prologue: Dire Vale
If Only For A Day
Secrets Unshared
Malady
Melody
Castigation
Exertion
Acuity Absent
Idle Chattel
Wistful
Erasure
Descent
Summons

Prologue: Dire Vale

Author's Note

This chapter is the prologue to the main story.

Some grounds rules for this fan fiction is that though history is changed, everypony that should have lived has and is. However, apart from ancestry, the events of their lives and when or where they die has probably been changed dramatically. So basically expect everything apart from canonical parents and children to be free game to change.

Prologue: Dire Vale

A mare stood on a balcony overlooking the vast crystal city that spread in to the distance. Nestled behind a barrier that shielded them from the furious tundra of the outside world, all that she saw was the capitol of ponykind's survival. Shades of amber, amethyst, opal, and quartz studded the landscape of lush green glass and gray stone streets. On any given day, the sight would have captivated her mind and soul but this evening was different. As the day turned to dusk, the city was bathed in the orange glow of living flame. It could have been the fading light of the sun cascading off the crystal walls of the buildings in the streets below. It could have been cast by the ranks of chimeras and phoenixes that patrolled the city's borders under her command.

Or it could be caused by the bonfires lit haphazardly about the city and the rage filled eyes of all those that had sparked them.

From where she stood, the pegasus could see barricades of wooden carts and stone partitions surrounded with armed and armored stallions behind it and a horde of earth ponies to the front of them. The elite guard of the royal family, all mature and able bodied unicorns, had built a perimeter around the castle in an attempt to protect the noble-blooded at all costs. Their efforts would likely be in vain as flaming bottles hurtled through the air and shattered on and around their makeshift walls, splattering flaming debris in all directions as the guards struggled to block the projectiles with hasty spells. Soon enough, the outnumbered unicorns were overwhelmed by the mass force of the Earth ponies. As the crowd broke through the border and rushed towards the castle, both sides were met with attacks from the flocks of pegasi that were perched throughout the city. The winged ponies picked their targets as a raptor would pick fish from a stream, knocking over the old and young, colt and filly, earth and unicorn alike, pelting the crowds with rocks dropped from the skies and unleashing their flying fury on the ponies bellow.

What lay before the mare's eyes was best described in a single word.

War.

The door behind her rattled and then splintered all over the balcony in a flash of deep aubergine light. A white stallion clad chain-mail cantered through the door, flanked by dozens of royal guards adorned in gold plates. As they fanned out in a semi-circle across the balcony, the fluttering of feathered wings paired with a gush of wind announced the arrival of pegasi soldiers wearing slick black armor. They formed a 'V' pattern in front of the pink mare who still looked out over the city unfazed by the commotion centered around her. A shout rang out over the city, unheard in the din bellow but audible to all that stood or hovered in the area. "General Mi Amore Cadenza!" left the mouth of the unicorn that stood as the keystone to the arch of the royal guard. He continued to yell "Command the pegasi to stand down and aid us in quelling the earth revolt! How can you let such madness befell our empire after we have rested in peace for so long? Restore the order, as you have been commanded by King Sombra!"

The mare stood in silence as one of the pegasi captains barked a response "The Princess doesn't have to listen to you! She has more royalty than half of your court! Why don't your unicorn colt scouts stop playing hero for onc-". The pegasus's words were cut short as a spear, directed at his pinfeathers, was launched by one of the guards nearest to the white stallion. After a dodge to the side, the pegasus was poised to launch a dive at the perpetrator before the head unicorn stomped his hoof and roared "HOLD YOUR FIRE, YOU FOOLS." As all the guards rose to attention, the stallion looked forward once more. "Cadenza," he pleaded "You have hardly given your presence at any council meetings for the past half-year, the others are beginning to doubt your commitment to our survival. This fiasco isn't helping and they will only doubt your authority even more. Please, I beg you, do the right thing." As the stallion took a step forward, one of the pegasi shot down and cut him off. Standing boldly in from of him, a breeze from the pegasus' path fluttered the robes which General Cadenza wore.

Disturbed from its slumber, the cry of a newborn foal rang out over the balcony as all that surrounded the three ponies froze in place. The pink mare turned, and as the fore hoof that had been blocked from view lowered into sight, that guards could see a nearly white foal clutched to the General's chest.

"I- I thought that it was forbidden." stammered one a guard as he dropped his javelin. "She has born an heir." said another in an equal state of shock.

The white stallion stood in awe, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. "Cadence" he whispered, "How could you have kept this secret?"

The pink mare broke her silence. "Don't you see, Shining Armor? We've never been safe." As her head turned to glance over the chaos in the streets, she continued to say "This empire, it isn't a haven from the tundra. Just look at what one windigo breaching our borders has caused?" Locking her eyes with Shining Armor, she jived "We've just sealed our hatred away for them to patiently wait to be revealed. The empire is nothing but a feral beast encased in amber to them."

The stallion's voice rang out to plead with the Princess "Cadenza, come with my men and I, maybe we can explain what happened to the council." He brushed past the pegasus and rose his arm in an open offer to the Princess.

She turned away and spoke only a single sentence to her kindred that hovered above her. "Spread the order, return to your posts. Do not look for my guidance anymore." Though they all shared an unsure look the pegasi flew off in different directions, leaving the Princess alone on the edge of the balcony. Placing her free hoof on the railing and stepping up, the mare looked first at the light pink foal in her arms and then to the stallion that stood near her. "Don't you understand it yet, Shining? There is no hope. Not here. There never was. Not for you, and not for me..."

The stallion pleaded once more "Please, come with us, maybe they will be lenient on your sentence once a sire is named." His eyes looked to the mare, begging her to accept his aid.

She didn't so much as meet his gaze before sending herself over the balcony to plummet into the crowd of ponies gathered below.

"NO!" He screamed, diving to the edge with his horn erupting into a blaze of furious light. The baby foal, swaddled in grey robes and crying with no stop, was soon lifted over the edge surrounded with in an auberine aura as it was pulled close to Shining Armor. He cradled it in one foreleg and looked back at his men. "We have the heir. Half of you stay with me, half of you go join the ground forces. We must maintain order in the absence of the military leader." As some of the guards filed out, the stallion glanced down at the newborn foal.

Her coat unmistakably pink but nearly white in complexion. Her baby locks of mane were mostly purple as was her mother's. But there was a streak of light, piercing blue, the same icy tone shared with her eyes. As the remaining guards started to leave, Shining Armor looked down as he began to trot behind them. He spoke in a low whisper that seemed to comfort the child, as with his question came a renewed silence as the foal drifted off to sleep.

"I wonder, who is your father?"

If Only For A Day

On an unremarkable day in the southern district of the city, a young mare walked through a marketplace flooded with customers. On any other day as any other pony she might have gone unnoticed, her presence unquestioned. Yet throughout her life she had never gone without attention, and this day proved that to her evermore. Though she was simply shopping for food and other necessities like so many other visitors to the packed courtyard, a path laid open in whatever direction she walked. As she cantered forward, it would widen and shift respecting her speed and course.

Many of the ponies simply backed away, forgot about their chores, and watched her as she went about her business. The faces of those surrounding her wore guises of hatred, subtle and overt, and most also carried worry and doubt upon their brow. There were several aspects to her character that earned her such reactions of awe, fear, and contempt.

The first was that she was a unicorn, an innately authoritative race inside the barriers of the Crystal Heart. Her kind held the ability to use magic in direct and effective ways. A horn signified that the pony was a judge, jury, and if the law bid so, an executioner presiding over the earth and pegasi clans.

The next reason was that her form was partially obscured by a violet robe that marked her as an officer of the governing bodies. Such a correlation earned her a path through any crowd and past most security details. To further cement her status as a figure of noble rule, flanking her were two of the elite royal guard, silent figures that cast off an ominous aura. Clad in black armor they mirrored the movement of their charge as if it were their own. The mare could see the looks of anguish thinly veiled on the visage of what few unicorns stood gawking out their storefront windows. Such reactions were common in those not used to the presence of beings taught more advanced, more unnatural, magical methods.

The last reason was the mare's eyes.

A piercing shade of pale blue adorned her iris. To the onlookers, it seemed as if her eyes were alight with the glow of living ice. She had heard it said that it seemed the spirit of the Tundra lived within her soul. If those who had uttered such nonsense only knew the truth...

Walking up to a booth occupied by a timid and afraid earth pony, the mare began to examine the food laid about the table. The prices were fair, if how much of the goods needed to be bought by the basket-full was excluded. Most of the produce seemed healthy and ready to ripen after a trip home. Whichever farm had produced this harvest was doing well despite the unexpected frost that had claimed most of the Empire's crops in the past year. She would need to commend the unicorn overseer and the various workers upon her next inspection of their farm.

Without averting her gaze from her examination, the mare questioned the stallion behind the booth, "What farm are these crops from?"

"The south-, southern fringe. Ma- Ma'am. Farm one thirty tw-, I mean one twenty three, forgive me." The worker found his words catching in his throat as he looked at the two onyx guards.

"Please inform your overseer that they will be receiving an impromptu inquiry within the month," without stopping to indicate a break in her command, she continued, "must the jarred peas be bought in sets of a dozen? They seem to spoil quickly and I'd hate for my favorite to go to waste."

"Take as many as you want!" The worker half-answered, half-begged of the mare, hoping that the trio would leave soon after the purchase.

Taking six jars and dropping the bits for two thirds of the full price on the counter, the mare levitated the jars in to one of her guard's saddlebags. Before she could turn to thank the stallion working the booth, she heard a shout ring out from across the courtyard.

"ASSESSOR FLURRY HEART. YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUIRED."

Flurry clenched her eyes shut and pondered to herself. How did he find us so soon? As she turned about and trotted towards the source of the shout, the crowd soon parted to show a tall white stallion, clad in purple armor. The figure was accompanied by a half dozen guards that moved to encompass Flurry as she approached. Walking up to the blue-haired unicorn, she attempted the most naive voice she could and asked "What do you need, Warden?"

"You know exactly what I am here for," his tone cut straight past all the subtlety she tried to veil her words in, "You've nearly skipped your training today. I'm extending your lesson, as well as tomorrow's session."

"Please, I just wanted to find som-"

His muscles tensed ever so slightly. Even if it was only for a moment, Flurry could see that she had angered him. A lifetime of watching Shining Armor react to her actions and mistakes had given her insight to the emotions hidden behind a stoic exterior. "You have servants to shop for you. Use them. No more excuses, follow me."

Without waiting for any form of answer from her, Shining turned around and began his trip back to the castle. Suppressing the urge to sigh just loud enough for him to hear, Flurry followed. The knowledge of just what her training would encompass the next few days weighed on her more and more with every step. Flurry Heart glanced at the ponies she walked past. Unlike in the marketplace, no pony stopped to look at the group of unicorns that surrounded her as they walked down the street. With so many members of the guard gathered in one place, the passersby knew better than to draw attention to themselves.

That was a lesson she clearly had yet to learn.

Author's Note

Please feel free to message me to offer criticism and ask questions or leave both in the comments below. I want to improve this story in any way possible. The title for the chapters are open to change until I find one that fits it more; I am terrible at titling my writings. If you have any recommendations, let me know.
This takes place a decade or two after the prequel. The events of the past will be elaborated on in further chapters, but for the most part the story will follow Flurry Heart as a mare. In this timeline many events have not happened, things like Equestria never being founded. The reasons to a lot of these changes will be explored later. To alleviate some foreseeable confusion, one of those events that got erased is Cadence being made an alicorn. Because she was not an alicorn, Flurry Heart was not born an alicorn in this timeline.

Secrets Unshared

Flurry Heart stood just inside the doorway to her chambers in the palace. Standing just outside was Shining Armor, the warden of the royal guard and her personal attendant. He was and would continue to be upset with her. Beside him stood her two person escorts of the elite guard. They remained still, either unaware or uncaring of what was being said.

"Please, Shining, I just want to spend some time outside of these hallways." Flurry begged, as she had done hundreds of times before. It hardly ever worked. "Why can't I go into the public? I've been appointed as an assessor and you allow me to carry out those duties despite the number of people that see me then."

"The less the general populace knows of you, the better." He rebuked her, not pausing to consider whatever she said. "Assessors are meant to be feared, and you match that role to a tee. You are an abomination by blood and nature. Everypony that sees you can sense it. Never forget that."

Normally, this was the point where she would sulk off and accept her impending punishment. It was useless to argue with him, he had the authority to determine where and what she did. The king had ordained it so. But at the mention of her hidden heredity, she felt an anger surface within her mind. "I did not ask to be born of her! Why will you not allow me to live outside of that shadow? You are the only one that knows the truth aside from the king, and it doesn't seem to bother hi-"

"The king has his own methods and motives," Shining cut her off mid sentence, "it is not for you or I to doubt them. And Flurry," he leaned toward her and lowered his voice to a growl, "never speak of your mother."

"What did she do to you? Why do you hate her?" She implored, desperate to know what crime had been added to her own record.

"It is not your mother that I hate." Standing tall once again, he glared down at her. "You are a stain in the history of this empire. One the king would rather leave unseen. The unclaimed daughter of a disgrace, on my life, I do not know why Sombra did not have you thrown to the tundra."

For a short while, they stood facing one another as neither spoke and silence filled the hall.

Shining began to walk towards the stairwell that lead back to the main body of the palace. He called back over his shoulder "You have twenty minutes to prepare yourself. Be in the training pit before then."

Enveloped in blue light, the door slammed itself and sent a jolt down the hallway, an action heard and felt by Shining Armor. Flurry Heart waited for a minute and then quietly opened it again. Glancing out in to the hallway, she saw that he was finally gone. Walking out in to the hallway, she opened the pouch on one of the guards' saddlebags. Bringing the half dozen jars to her side, she looked at the guard who had carried them for her and chuckled to herself "You can keep a secret, right?"

Shutting the door behind her, she wandered over to her cupboards and placed the jars beside an assortment of vegetables some small bundles of hay. She could remember a time when she was much younger that Shining Armor would not hesitate to buy her fruits and confections. It seemed that her earliest memories was of him feeding her mashed peas as a filly. Since then, it had been her favorite food.

He showed her no such kindness now as those days had long since passed.

Unscrewing the lid from one of the jars, she plunged a spoon into its contents and inconspicuously looked out the window. While her head traced the path of the streets below, her eyes scanned the spires across the horizon. A pegasus in black cloth could be seen atop a tower in the distance. She had grown accustomed to such figures in her life. It seemed that at any given time there was always one somewhere that a pegasus could reasonably reach. Unlike her escorts, the black-clad pegasi seemed capable of thought and avoided getting too near to her.

As she finished eating what was left of the peas, Flurry Heart flung the spoon across the room and set the now empty jar down on the counter. A series of clinks reverberated about her quarters as the spoon struck the side of the sink and landed on almost a dozen more that needed to be washed. Ignoring the sound, as much as she ignored the rest of her chores, she trotted over to her dresser and began to remove her official's robes. Gritting her teeth about a strap, she stole a glance out the window towards her audience. With the haste of the action, coupled with the awkward angle her head rested at, she hoped her otherwise apparent acknowledgement of their presence would go unnoticed.

Though she could not surely tell from this distance, it seemed that the figure had turned its head to the side. The pegasus was at least courteous enough to grant her these few moments of privacy. Such a thing was rare in her life, at most times there was always at least one set of eyes laid on her. Though she could not feel his presence now, his management of her life was unavoidable.

The few times that she had mentioned the pegasi to Shining, he had always sent guards to track them down. As far as she knew, those figures were not under his command and none had ever been caught. If ever some were, she wondered what must have become of them.

Her Warden was a pony highly devoted to retaining the Empire's secrets. And as they say, two can keep a secret...

Author's Note

Please feel free to message me to offer criticism and ask questions or leave both in the comments below. I want to improve this story in any way possible. The title for the chapters are open to change until I find one that fits it more; I am terrible at titling my writings. If you have any recommendations, let me know.
With this chapter, I feel the need to describe a partial bit of the world from outside the literary mode. King Sombra's history has been altered by the spell, instead of going all dark and tyrannical, he instead formed the Crystal Empire in to a bastion of safety from the tundra. The exact reasons why shall be expanded upon in the story. Just know that he is still the ruler and has been for a millenia. As for how well he rules and maintains power, that shall be revealed.

I would like to extend thanks to NewWillinium for helping improve the quality of this chapter. Their help is very much appreciated.

Malady

Flurry Heart wrapped her teeth about the final strap on her training gear and pulled it taught. As she started to walk across the room, she saw the pegasi drop from the tower roof, its black form gliding off towards the horizon. As she opened the door with a quick spell, she thought to herself that the pegasi likelyrealised that she now went further in to the palace where they could not track her. All Flurry knew was that some number of the black armoured pegasii were always to be seen whenever she took to the streets or returned to the outer chambers of the palace.

The moment she walked through the door her escorts allayed their vigil to accompany her to the arena. Every motion made by the three were in sync, from every hoof-fall to the sway of their withers. Proceeding down the corridor, Flurry's thoughts turned towards what was to come. Years ago, when she was still under tutelage of the Grand Sorceress, her curriculum was focused on the culture of the Empire and the study of the magical arts.

That all shifted once the Warden had taken on the responsibility of educating her, just after the court selected her as an Assessor. From then on her lessons were concerned with the application of her existing knowledge, often in a ruthless and calculated fashion. The methods used to teach her were driven by much the same mindset.

Down spiraling staircases and through long passageways she came closer to the arena. Tapestries, statues, guards on patrol all blurred past her vision. She had walked this halls since she was a foal, many of the details she knew by heart or just didn't care about. The palace felt larger and smaller all at the same time, for two main reasons. It felt smaller because as she grew the guards and banners began to seem shorter, the carpets not as wide.

It seemed larger because she could now clearly see to both sides, the Warden's form no longer obstructing her veiw as he walked beside her in Flurry Heart's younger years.

In pondering her past, half her visage was a swirl of magenta plates and white fur. She could remember his hulking form leading her about on his visits to other officials or attendance of council meetings. Only when she retired to her quarters or if Shining had a summons from the King would he trust her safety to the elite guards, the same ponies that followed her.

At least she thought they might be the same; they all looked alike. She had never even seen the color of their coats, always hidden beneath their armor. None had the personality to distinguish them from another either.

For the lack of communication with them, Flurry Heart always preferred her dealings with the rank and file guards. She could at least see the color of their manes, coat, and eyes, hear their voices as they addressed her.

Just in front of her, stationed by the entrance to the courtyard the guards used for training sessions, was a group of such guards. Though all wore the same golden armor, each had just slight personification even while standing at attention. The closest to the door held their spear lower than the others, and the furthest to the right let his eyes wander about the room. He was not searching for threats, which rarely rose whilst inside the walls of the palace, but rather was bored and spent his time searching for something to occupy his mind.

Pausing a few steps in front of them, Flurry Heart spoke. "You are relieved from duty, return to your quarters." Though none answered, all responded in different ways. The gray stallion to the left trotted off almost immediately. The bored one simply wandered towards the gates to the marketplace, no doubt seeking some more commotion to entertain himself. The last one to move, a rather tense pony who was dedicated to remaining on alert, seemed confused that his shift had been ended early. Walking a few steps away from the door he looked from side to side, his scarlet eyes darting between a half dozen corridors, unable to pick somewhere to go.

Cantering forward, Flurry called out behind her "Report to sector 416 for rudimentary patrol." Hearing the pommel of his spear enthusiastically strike the granite tiles as he headed off immediately, she smiled to herself. Some ponies had clear, simple pleasures. Most all the guard would deny any emotion tied to their work, but they all had some amount of personal investment. "It is our duty to the empire and in duty," they would say, as one would stand guard bored to death in a dusty old library. Yet another could be found grinning whilst striking down a pony of the other race for some infraction of the law and public safety. In all their actions, they spurred feelings of joy and sadness, rage and remorse, and in all their actions Flurry reveled. Behind her, stoic and deceptively serene strode her two escorts.

There was no deviance in them, not a shred of personality. Maybe that is why the Warden had decided to always leave her to their care, as if he was aware of the affect they had on her magic.

The normally packed 'arena' as the guards called it, was empty save for a series of almost two dozen of the elite guard encircling the main sparring area. On a balcony overlooking the courtyard was Shining Armor. Upon Witnessing her arrival, he yelled down "A minute later and I would have called for the pit to be prepped. Do not really on luck in your punctuality."

Ignoring the comment, Flurry Heart meandered past two of the elites as she took to the center of the arena. As she turned to face Shining, her escorts ceased their mimicry and proceeded in front of her to fill the gaps left underneath on the opposite of the room. "Very well, let the training begin. You know the drill, for every mistake one more shall join the combat. There are no other restrictions. I'll see you in the morning." As Shining turned to leave, Flurry Heart saw the eyes of one of the guards ignite with a furious green glow. He charged forward, blasting a spell at her haphazardly. It careened towards the ground in front of her as she rolled to the side, and upon impact it sent a spray of sand and glass shards flying overhead.

Looking at where the bolt had struck the ground she saw that a thin layer of glass now coated the area, the sand being heated to excruciating temperatures within a moment. From experience, she knew that such a spell would cause incomparable pain if it made contact to any section of her body. Limbs would instantly go limp, and a direct hit to her abdomen or head would cause an instant blackout. Normally the guards would only rarely use such magic in these sparring sessions, but Shining was in a mood due to her actions earlier that day.

Rising from the ground, Flurry Heart met the advancing unicorn in stride, blocking his punches and dodging several close-quarter hexes. A mixture of fury and ecstasy ran through her mind.

It would be six hours until dawn.

Author's Note

The next chapter will be very action oriented, so please excuse any minor errors or rough patches in the writing; I am still getting used to writing for ponies and I can hardly write action sequences as it.

Melody

A black boot ran the length of Flurry Heart's fore-hoof as she batted it to the side. As their own momentum pulled her opponent off balance, she dropped to the ground and struck out with a hind leg. As it caught the side of the guard's knee, they stumbled and fell in to the sand. Without pause, she kicked off her hooves and flipped once over herself, a bolt of dark green magical energy flashing under her arched back.

Thrusting one of her front hooves underneath her, Flurry slid a short ways before her legs found purchase on the training ring floor. As her left arm fell limp at her side, she cast a quick shielding spell to block another hex that would have hit her crest. The second guard, who joined the fray nearly a half hour before, was more concentrated on keeping distance and maintaining accuracy. After about an hour of sparring with just the first elite, she had taken a hit to her forearm, the immense pain caused by the spell had rendered the limb useless for the time being.

The process of countering two foes, amidst maintaining enchantments aimed at healing her leg while keeping up her stamina, she had gotten sloppy. Their spells where coming closer to making contact with each casting, and she found herself in melee with the first more frequently than before. The guard had already risen from the sand and was charging at her once again. It attempted to ram the side of its head in to her shoulder, but she ducked out of the way. Another bolt sent by the second guard ran close by her ear, a sizzling noise passing in its wake. The heat that flashed across her face caused her to wince, a hesitation the first unicorn took advantage of immediately. Standing on it's haunches, they thrust out their fore-hooves and tried to strike her in the side. Though she noticed in time to sidestep the attack, she tried to steady herself with her left arm. The weakened limb collapsed underneath her, and she fell to the ground. Half of her face was instantly buried in the sand, and as she opened her right eye she saw a bolt headed straight for her chest.

"Say goodbye to the holiday," the mournful tune surrounded Flurry Heart, the solemn voice that sang it brought comfort to the filly as she sat in the main room of her quarters, "With my magic, I'll erase it." Though regret seemed to weigh down the lyrics, hearing the melody for so many years had etched the words within her memory. Her lips followed in time with the rhythm, "The greatest gift that I give today," though she dared not make a sound. She feared that doing so would make the singer silence his voice "And everypony will have to face it."

Deep in the night, her surroundings were shrouded in navy. Patches of soft moonlight fell about the furniture and walls, illuminating the form of Shining Armor, fast asleep. " All memory shall fade away," the forms and reports that made up the essence of bureaucracy lay on the table before him, the culprit of his current state. "See Equestria's new transformation." the raspy, repentant voice filled the room, and as it neared the end of the song the remorse inherent to his words seemed to swell.

The spirit stood on the balcony outside, overlooking the Crystal Capitol as he sang. His form was a wispy white that shifted with the grace of a gale. Even his whispers carried the sound of a tundra gust. " No more shall anypony say-"

He let the sound of the final word stretch out over the seconds. The song incomplete, he spoke "Well little one, is there something you want?" He had never turned to spot her peeking through the cracked door, but he still knew she was there.

Walking out to join him, Flurry Heart stood against the railing on the balcony. She had to stretch to wrap her hooves over the top. Peering over at the spirit, she chimed "Mister, why don't you ever finish your song?"

Though she could not tell their shape, sorrow seemed to fill the figure's eyes even as a smile crossed his face. "Its simply really, I can't remember the words," He cocked his head to face her and asked, "You wouldn't happen to know them, would you? I'm looking for someone who remembers."

Confused, she shook her head. "No sir, I've only learned the song from you. I've never heard it anywhere else."

"I suppose that was to be expected." he chuckled, "If you'd have heard it elsewhere I'd have heard it as well."

"Can I ask you something, mister?"

"Of course."

"Why are you so sad?"

The figure was still for a time. A gentle breeze ran over the balcony, causing Flurry Heart to shiver. The figure turned and rested it's ethereal hoof on her shoulder. "You'll know in time, little one. It is a heavy thought to carry, let me lift it for you until the time is right. For now, Flurry, you need to get up."

No, that isn't right. The spirit should tell her to 'go back to bed' as it always does.

"Flurry, get up."

In a moment, the filly became a young mare and the starlit balcony became a dark arena as Flurry Heart opened her eyes.

Above her stood the elite guard, its eyes a raging green as it's horn began to cast an emerald glow.

Author's Note

Keep in mind that the story is mostly from Flurry Heart's perspective, and as such focuses on not only what Flurry Heart is involved with (Thoughts, actions, observations, etc) but is also skewed by her perceptions and beliefs. Flurry Heart sees the elite guards as automatons, and past that their actual gender is obscured by their armor. That is why she refers to them as it and whatnot. There may just be a mare or two within their ranks, as some female officials request female (normal) royal guards. In future chapters, we may see some female royal guards.

Also, if anyone ever catches a guest cameo of 'Flurry Hear' in the story, let me know in the comments. I seem to fail at typing that 'T' at times.

Castigation

The magic surged from the guard's horn and formed blade-like sigils in the air. Though she had barely regained consciousness, Flurry Heart cast a protective spell around herself.

The crunch of sand under onyx soles fell silent as she was shrouded in black. The sphere of energy blocked sound and light from entering the space inside. It was a difficult and taxing spell, as were all shielding charms, but Flurry had always shown a talent for the discipline. To support the barrier, she had to dispell the existing charms tied to her being.

Fatigue hit her like a runaway cart as her leg screamed out with pain. The silence in the sphere was broken by the sound of her lungs gasping for breath. She looked down at her chest, to where the bolt that caused her to black out had struck her seconds earlier. In the darkness, she could not assess the possible damage

The inside of the sphere was illuminated with a bright golden light as the elite's spell strained against her shielding. With the flashes that followed the impacts, Flurry could see a smoldering hole in the front of her training gear, the edge of the cloth and leather singed from the spell. Her coat underneath, though the ends of a few hairs were darkened, was uninjured. Gilded light continued to spill through the veil as cracks began to form across the surface of the sphere. Through them followed the green daggers, slowly pushing their way past the barrier. As they dissipated, the cracks sealed themselves and her resting place was cast in to shadows once again.

Not a moment later the barrage began anew. Emerald blades began to pierce the barrier and drove further past her defense than before. The cracks spread further and wider, glimpses of the outside world peering through, before returning to black as the blades dissipated again. As the third volley struck her shield and she felt her magical reserves sapped by the blows, Flurry Heart realized that this cycle needed to be stopped before she could no longer support the barrier.

Her forearm still screamed with pain and the rest of her body was yet weary from the fight, she knew that she needed to bring an end to the fight quickly. In her present condition, she could not remain on the defensive. The veil about her thinned as she recast the spells that supported her vigor and suppressed her pain. As air seemed to fill her lungs and her arm became numb, the veil about her thinned. Through a golden filter she could see the unicorn spawning another set of daggers as another three elites slowly circled her shield. Two more to match her follies, one for falling to the ground, another for taking the bolt to the chest.

Shutting her eyes, her opponent's grim visage vanished. In her mind, she could see the incandescent glow on their visor. She could see the others pacing within the ring, waiting to abush her as soon as she was freed from the cage of her own design. They were without emotion and relentless in their duty. She was gravely outnumbered and running out of energy.

This had become a contest of predator and prey.

She must reverse the order.

As she dispelled her shield and the blades plunged towards her. With a thud, they sank in to the sand as Flurry Heart appeared from a violent blue flash behind the guard that cast them. Her eyes glowed with azure light as she let loose a blast that sent the elite sprawling into another across the ring. The two left standing charged towards her, both their horns alight as they prepared their own spells.

A flash from the horn of the second advancing guard preceeded a bolt that passed through the now empty air where Flurry Heart had been standing. Before the first could finish casting their own, she appeared above it and slammed her weight in to the top of of it's head. Their jaw struck the sand and drug a shallow hole as the guard crumpled to the ground.

As it tried to lift it's helm from the trench, a band a sand animated by Flurry strapped itself around the unicorn's neck and pulled it deeper in.

A second bolt of magic came flying at her, but rather than evade the spell Flurry threw up a shield angled towards the fallen guard beneath her. The bolt ricocheted and struck the guard's head, and upon impact the sand trapping it turned into a crystalline cage. As the guard reached her and threw a punch, she slammed her hoof in to their forearm to cancel their momentum. Allowing the unicorn to jab her in the side, she tucked her horn under the chin of their helmet and cast a concussive blast. The two were blown apart with violent force, a few moments later Flurry landed on three hooves as the guard rolled across the ground.

Scanning the room, she saw that the other two guards had found their hoofing and were sprinting towards her. She could hear a elite entering the fray from behind her, sound of it's armor belied it's approach. As the elites in front of shot a volley of spells, the new arrival attempted a lunge at Flurry Heart. As her horn emitted a subtle glow, she spun around and caught the guard, grappling it around to face the incoming bolts. With a burst of energy, a torrent of stand erupted in to the air in front of the pair. Quickly cooling shells of molten glass cracked against the guard's armor, locking up several joints as a shard embedded itself in Flurry's cheek.

A few more missiles ran through the cloud of sand to pelt the guard. With each hit Flurry could feel more fragments being caught in her training garb. Wrapping her fetlock around the guard's neck she tossed it to ground. With a pillar of glass running from flank to girth that encircled it's neck and shoulders, it could not even attempt to stand.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see another guard enter the ring. Gritting her teeth, she could feel a fresh wave of pain roll out from her cheek. Her healing wards were too taxed to quell any more injuries.

The time to restrain herself was over.

Author's Note

The spells are not lethal, but they still cause a good deal of pain and emotional trauma. The guards have been ordered to push her as much as they can, but stand down when she is unable to fight or unconscious. They are also trained in healing and a myriad of other spells. On the other side of the fight, there is nothing that Flurry Heart can presently do to harm them. Their armor is too strong and they are too resilient through dark enchantments on their bodies.

On a side note, what is everyone's opinion on the use of the word hoofing in place of footing?

Exertion

Summoning her best imitation of the elite's own spell, she lobbed two of the bolts back at the nearest unicorn to her. They both glanced off the elite's armor, having no effect against the enchanted mail. With her next two bolts, she targeted the ground beneath their hooves, causing their leg to be partially submerged in a pool of liquid crystal. Enraged, the guard answered her trickery with another volley of magical daggers. As she rolled to the side, one of the belts about her sleeve was severed and fell to the ground. Picking it up, she polarized the buckle and slung it across the ring. It tapped against the breastplate of the guard before their muzzle met it's gut and gauntlet, the makeshift magnet wrapping the unicorn in to a ball of metal plates.

Three more guards remained.

A volley of blades sunk through a wall erected by Flurry, which she then vaulted over and began a sprint towards the elites. A blue frame had wrapped itself about her leg, forming a makeshift splint to grant her quicker movement. Sliding underneath the first guard she encountered, she propelled him in to the air with a kick. The splint faded as she stood and greeted another elite with a barrage of punches from her able leg. The guard blocked her attacks while it staggered back, it's hoof finding a patch of glass made earlier in the fight. As its leg slid and the guard lost their balance, Flurry cast a blast towards the ground behind it. Pulling the guard closer, she pushed the guard away as they reappeared in the spray of sand flung into the air. The immense heat produced by the teleportation encased the guard in glass.

Upon the sound of metal shifting behind her, Flurry ducked as the onyx-clad hoof meant for her head drilled itself into the chest of the now frozen guard. Small slivers of glass from the resulting cracks fell in to Flurry's mane as she dived away from the same hoof thrust at her new position. The guard's onslaught continued as she weaved to the left and right, drawing the elite directly to where she wanted it to be. Scooping a hoofful of sand up from the ground, she tossed it in to the guard's visor and ignited a burst of ethereal flame from her horn. The blinded elite began to thrash about wildly, searching for it's target through an opaque layer of singed glass.

As the last uninhibited guard moved to strike her out of a charge, she crouched and wrapped the elite over her shoulders. Unable to carry the weight, she shifted it's momentum and flung it towards the blinded unicorn. Like a feral beast the guard attacked its ally. Before long both were brutalizing the other to no effect, neither could damage the other's armor or exhaust their newfound foe. As they sprawled in the sand, the blinded guard came to rest over the other, repeatedly pounding their head in to the ground as it pinned it down. Like a machine the guard let loose strike after strike, alternating hooves as the divot in the sand grew deeper with each punch. Sand began to topple in to the hole the pair created, and without much effort Flurry prepared an incineration spell that imploded over the chest of the guard pinned in the sand. Both became trapped in a puddle of molten glass.

Stopping to sigh, a series of cracks cut her refrain short as Flurry turned to see the one of the elites from earlier in the fight freeing itself from their compromised shell. As it started to shamble towards her, Flurry shouted with unrelenting force as the world was washed in an azure hue "ENOUGH!". The guard halted it's advance, held in place by a series of spells that kept it in stasis. With a snarl, a chasm as deep as the bottom of the pit ripped open underneath the guard. The stone belly of the room was swathed in darkness as Flurry's eyes ceased to glow, the wards holding the guard in place disbanded.

Both the guard and Flurry fell, one to be engulfed in a tidal wave of sand, the other to be enveloped in sleep as consciousness slipped away for the second time that day.

As her eyes slowly closed, her fevered dream began early. It seemed as if one of the elites around the arena broke rank and walked towards her.

But that couldn't be. She'd made no mistake before... befo-...

Author's Note

This chapter's word count is a little under what I commonly shoot for in my writings, but since the action is a lot more prevalent (At least I hope it came across in that way) I decided that those two values would balance out. The next chapter will be a little slower paced and will contain more dialogue.

Thank you for reading my work until this point. I hope to see you again in the future.

Acuity Absent

Shining Armor stood before the door to the council chamber. He had entered them so many times before, why now did he hesitata? His breath held within his throat and his muscles frozen in place, he could not find the energy to thrust open the door. It was his privilege, his authority to preside over the council, to enter that hall as if their decisions were beneath him.
He was the Warden of the Empire, the direct representative of Sombra's will within the barrier. He revelled in the unspoken fear he could see in the Council member's eyes.

Yet in this moment it was he that left the fear unspoken, it was he that allowed it to restrain him outside the council hall.

He could hear the councilors within, their muffled voices barely piercing the thick crystal doors before him. He knew that they were within responding to the threat that had emerged in the streets below. He could hear metal boots striking the floor as guards sprinted off with orders from the council. No doubt they went to carry new reports of the violence spreading to other sectors of the city. It was Shining's duty to command the guard, was it not required of him to enter the hall and take command?

Why now did he hesitate?

A gentle stirring of the bundle clutched to his chest reminded him of the answer.

The newborn foal had stirred, disturbed by the commotion hidden behind the doorway. Cadence's child, the unclaimed and forbidden heir, now rested in his care. It was his responsibility to enter the hall and inform them of the passing of the general and the arrival of this averment of her treachery. The foal would be labeled an abomination. The council, fearing the unicorn offspring of the royal pegasi, would order her cast away and forgotten or left to die...

Shining had carried out numerous subjugations of entire sectors of the Crystal Empire, ordered countless executions of it's more dangerous citizens, and carried out his role as Warden as ruthlessly as he possibly could since he was appointed to the position by the King himself.

This child was a life, just another life to a stallion who saw lives as but tallies in the reports he received from the guard.

Why now, after everything he had seen in his own meaningless life, did he hesitate?

The foal smacked their lips, their horn bobbing in the air as they curled up into a tighter ball to resume their rest. 'This was Cadence's child', the thought ran through his mind. He could see the pink hue of her coat in this foal's fur. Their mane, though lighter, shared the purple of his past friend's locks. How many times had he defended the General Niamora Cadenza against the council's accusations? He may have never gone against the rule of the castes in doing so but she was his friend and he had fought for her. Could he defend this foal, here and now? Cadence was gone and the father was nowhere to be found, but Shining was here and as he tucked the child closer he moved to open the door.

Almost immediately, the hinged wall of crystal swung out and smacked him in the muzzle. A guard sprinted through the now open entrance and ran down the hallway, unaware that he had just battered his direct superior. Through the opening one of the councilors saw Shining Armor and called out to him, their voice matching a call that came from behind him.

"Warden! Where have you been," their unity broke as the councilor proceed with "We need your assistance, did you get the general under contr-"

Shining Armor ceased to focus on the councilor's words as he identified the voice behind him; It belonged to one of the guards he had sent to inform King Sombra of the events on the balcony. "Warden-" As Shining turned away from the council chamber, the guard approached him and continued their beckoning "-you are needed immediately, the King commands it."

"Let us go then," Shining said as handed the child to the guard, "It is unwise to keep Sombra waiting." With a glance over his shoulder at the perturbed councilor, the chamber door vanished in a burst of ethereal flame.

Flurry Heart lifted her head from the sand as she awoke. She had seen disturbing things in her troubled rest. As she blinked her eyes awake, the disturbing images seemed to have followed her into the waking world. A few feet away stood Shining Armor, wearing a scowl as he cast a disappointed look her way.

She ran a hoof along her cheek as she stood up from the sand. The fur brustled smoothly under her touch; the shard embedded there from the fight earlier was gone. She did not pause to question its absence, and asked "What do you want, Warden?"

"I've received a report of questionable events in the eastern fringe. You have been assigned to the inquiry that will be carried out this evening." His voice was cold and distant, as was the presence of the guards that still circled the training ring. The Warden turned to leave the room before he paused and muttered over his shoulder "The sun has yet to rise, Assessor."

A quick glance to the side was met with the quicker strike of an onyx boot against her chin. Flurry Heart crumpled into the sand once more.

Author's Note

As of this chapter, this story is now a novelette. Next step; Novella.

Maybe a novel? We'll see about that one.

Idle Chattel

Flurry Heart walked down the hallway to her suite alone with her thoughts. Her escorts, which may or may not have caused half of the injuries that now ailed her sore body, followed just a few paces behind her. This had become her routine ever since the Warden took over as her tutor. Training would push her limits and she would return to her chambers bruised, with no other option than to recuperate until her next lesson or assignment to an inquiry. She had long since given up the thought that her bodyguards might feel any sort of remorse for their actions during the sparring sessions; as soon as she left the arena they would cease their autonomous behavior. As she approached the door, curiously shut when she had not bothered to close it before, she paused as her escorts assumed their normal vigil to either side of the entrance.

The events from the night before bothered her.

She knew with certainty that one of the guards had moved after she buried its comrade in the pit. Her memory of the moment was hazy, due to her exhaustion and the myriad of spells collapsing at the same time but she could swear by at least that detail. Its movements were uncharacteristic of the elite guards. It had paused in its step, barely shifted its head to look others that it passed, and approached her not as a combatant but as an observer. Stepping closer to one of the guards and peering closely at its visor, Flurry Heart recounted all that she had done previously to see if the elites held any awareness of a self. Under tutelage by the Grand Sorceress, she had learned countless spells of detection and persuasion, intuition and affliction. Under tutelage by the Warden and her work as an Assessor, she had learned how to apply those spells in vicious ways.

Those spells had yet to work on one of the elite guards.

She would not consider it beyond the machinations of the Warden to have ordered them not to interact with her. Shining Armor knew how much the solitude chipped away at her psyche. Their armor and sorcerous imbuement made her unable to affect them physically, and their orders must have made them impervious psychologically. However, she now knew that at least one was actually capable of something akin to sentience. Could it be the guard in front of her? Or possibly the other across the threshold? Or could it be somewhere else within the Empire, carrying out its duties as an elite?

At the very least, she knew that it was not the guard still buried under the sparring ring.

She cast aside the train of thought and reserved her questions for another day. It was unlikely that any of the elites would slip in their facade after years of lacking such nature. Approaching the door, she paused and examined the guards out of the corner of her eyes. Just then, had one of them moved? Her mind had found an all-new way to play tricks on her perception, and at this point, it was unlikely that she would be able to completely ignore her reservations in their presence.

She thrust open the door and trotted through it. The sound of water rushing reached her ears as the door behind her sealed itself, animated by magic. Someone was inside her chambers, without her authority. As the early morning sunlight fell across her face a cockney accent reached her ears.

"She leaves dishes about in the chuffin' sink," Flurry Heart did not need to look into the kitchen to know that she would see a white and brown patched stallion standing there, "Can't be bovvered to wash them herself, some of these 'ave been left about for a week, right, maybe more." He muttered more comments as he ran a rag over a hoofful of spoons before dropping them on a towel next to the sick. "Th' Warden, wakes me up in the dead of night, ordering me t'come up here, an' act like a maid."

"What are you doing here, Pipinto?" Flurry Heart grumbled as she entered the kitchen behind the stallion.

Pipinto Squeak shut off the water and pulled the damp, russet bangs away from his eye as he turned towards her. His thick accent dropped from his speech as he spoke to her directly "I am following my orders, Ma'am."

Flurry stiffened her pose and snarked "My orders were for you not to come here unless I called for you."

"I am afraid those orders are no longer standing, Ma'am." He rung his hooves with a dry towel and hung it from a hook on the side of the counter. "The Warden has taken back authority over me. My orders are to now remain here and perform my duties an normal." He walked past her into the main room and begun rearranging the cushions on the funiture in the lounge. He addressed her with his back turned, "My duties are now to clean, to carry out chores, and make sure you stay where you need to be."

Flurry Heart felt a jab of contempt strike her heart at the idea that Pipinto, and moreso Shining Armor, thought he could control her excursions. She would not stand to have a pony of his caste having any oversight in her activities. "I am going to talk to Shining Armor, I want you gone by the time I return." she commanded as she cast a teleportation spell, and flames swept about her body.

A few moments crept past and Flurry Heart still stood where she was before.

A few cinders blinked out of existence as they fell to the ground. Turning to glare at her, Pipinto approached her and slipped back into his accent "O'course, since I'm an earth pony I wouldn't know right but I think yer just tried ter teleport."

As he stepped closer to her, she noticed that an amulet wrapped around his neck glowed with an arcane light. "Don't bovver," he looked up to met her gaze and continued, "th' Warden also may 'ave setup some overly complicated spells or wotnot like that. This room cann't be left through a spell, and the door won't open eever."

A few seconds of tense silence was shared between the two before Pipinto spoke again.

"Not wivout th' Warden's allowance or my own discretion."

"I will not stand for this."

"That's right ma'am, toss up a bovver ter the Warden," he spoke in a curt tone, "Ge' yerself and I in a tighter noose."

Flurry Heart unclasped the various belts and fastening's on her training gear and shed the marred robes. Scooping them up and shoving them into Pipinto's grasp, she growled "You are to carry out my chores and errands, yes? Then take these to a tailor's and get out of my suite."

Tossing the gear over his withers, he walked over to the door and fit them in to a saddlebag. Looking back at her, he said "I'll be back within the 'our, Ma'am," he paused as he walked through the door and added "Oh, and don't forget; this suite is the Warden's property."

The door shut behind him and locked as a swirl of symbols swept across it and faded again.

Flurry walked over to one of the couches and laid down on it. Turning her head to look through the window and over the balcony, she saw pegasi standing on the same tower as the day before.

It seemed that with each passing day, her life became less and less her own.

She rolled over and turned her back to the onlooker. Her mouth hidden, she raised her voice loud enough to spread throughout the entire suite.

"I know you're there."

Author's Note

My attempt at writing an accent is appalling and embarrassing. Please forgive me. Anyways, the amulet is a charm of some sort that allows Pipsqueak (I use his full name, Pipinto Squeak, in the story because it is more fitting of the setting.) to manage the wards that keep teleportation from working within Flurry's suite. In case that inference was not reached by some of the readers.

Wistful

For a few minutes, there was no sound. She was alone in the suite, so that was to be expected by any normal stretch of reason. Then again, she had learned long ago reason was not normal for her.

After some time, she heard him.

She could tell that he was behind her, making his way around the room. His hooves, or whatever somepony could call the analog in his ethereal form, made a harsh whisper as they met the floor. Flurry Heart knew that walking was a formality for the spirit as he could just as easily drift through the air.

Tired of his stalling, she spoke, "Quit your brooding. I don't know where you went but you'll stay with me for the rest of the day."

The spirit rounded the end of the couch and answered her as it came to look over the top of the backrest "Very well, I take it that there is an inquiry?"

"Don't be coy with me, you heard him as well as I," she snapped at the spirit, "You were there, were you not? You awoke me, and showed me those,.." her breathe caught in her throat as she struggled to the correct word. They were dreams, outlandish and vague, while at the same time memories, blurred and long forgotten. A half second later she continued, trying her best to hide her pause "those, illusions!."

Ducking down and drifting close to her, the spirit's head passing through the couch as he did so, he asked "They are not illusions, they are visions. The fragments of events long past." Placing his hoof against her forehead, the touch spurred a sharp chill as he questioned her further, "What do you remember?"

Taken aback by this confrontational behavior, unlike his normal passivity, she considered what she had seen and answered "At first, I saw you and I, years ago, here. You were singing that song."

"Then?", he asked, pressing further.

"Then, the Warden." She paused and closed her eyes before she continued. "I was small. He was, scared, or something." She sat up on the couch and rested her hooves on the cushion besides her. "How could I tell that from a memory?"

The spirit swayed in a breeze she couldn't feel.

"What do you want me to learn, here?"

"What you already know." he answered.

She stood up and exclaimed "What I know is that nopony will leave me be." Flurry stopped before she made any gestures at the wisp. She didn't have the couch to block the window anymore.

She continued to rear up on her hind legs, stretching her arms as if limbering up. A grimace crossed her muzzle as various scrapes pinged from the motion. The spells cast by the black-clad ponies may not harm her to any significant physical degree, but the magic absorbing sand and force transferred through the material of her sparring gear didn't share that particular trait. It didn't help that their magic came with a strong, painful sting whether an injury followed suit or not.

Her foreleg still rang with the sensation of prickling needles.

Trying to maintain a casual display, she crossed the room to open some cupboards. Her back facing the pegasus on the tower, she spoke to her companion. "The warden despises me. I don't need my magic to see that." Scooping up a glass in her hoof, she mumbled, "Not like it would work. He's got so many blocks around that head of his."

"He has many things to protect, many secrets to kee-" The spirit's statement was cut short.

"What, like he cares about me?!" Flurry shouted out as she turned, slamming the glass down on the counter. She dropped her head, as if she was speaking to her day and not another. "Don't show me lies, ghost. He's done so much to me," she growled out, "no fantasy can make me believe he cares. About anything."

The raspy voice of the spirit answered her. "He's done so much for you. I show you no fantasies, I can only help you see what you've seen before."

Witness be damned, Flurry swept the glass off the counter and stomped towards him. She opened her mouth to yell, but the words caught as he placed an ethereal hoof to her chest. A chill spread throughout her body as her movements slowed. Her form crumpled to the floor as he spoke.

"Rest as well as you can. It's time you learned some truths."

Her aches stilled as her eyes slid shut. She didn't yet know how to do so, but the last cohesive thought to cross her mind was the desire to kill that wretched windigo.

Erasure

The flames swirled around Shining, his company, and the young cargo in their hooves. The corridor to the council hall vanished, giving way to a dark void. The space around them was swept with sigils, ancient arcane wards against unwelcome intrusion.

His mind went through the checks and procedures. The symbols dimmed about him, as one grew brighter. Shining didn't need to read it to know what it said.

If it were loosely translated from Umbral script, Incineration.

The Warden smirked. It was quite the charming summary of complete atomization suspended through a time dilation of up to a century.

As the final sigils faded, his retinue pushed past the barrier and the King's throne room appeared before Shining. He could see his entire personal force standing before him, flanking the walls of the chamber. Their faces were hidden by the dim lighting in the room. The only sources of light were the fires behind the throne, and the illuminated eyes of his lord.

King Sombra addressed him as he bowed, "Warden, rise and take the child."

Shining complied, turning to his compatriot and accepting the bundle they carried.

The guard's fetlock froze in the air. Shining could hear the King speaking.

No, casting.

It was the umbral tongue.

The guard's forehoof contorted, followed by an unnatural twisting in the rest of their body. Shining met their eyes, now glazed over and faintly green. As the stallion's head jerked suddenly, his glasses fell to the ground and shattered.

"Sire!" He called out in horror.

"Silence," the King returned, "this must be done."

The Warden looked to his guards. They all shared the same glazed eyes of their peer on the chamber's floor. They all shared the same unerring stance. The same subtle sway.

This was not just decorum.

They were thralls. Blank.

Shining grimaced as he clutched the foal tighter to his chest.

Flurry Heart stirred on the floor of her apartment. There was a knock on her door. She scanned the room for the wisp's presence; he was nowhere to be seen. She sat up and looked over the back of the couch.

Pippinto stood in the doorway. She heard the tail end of his comment upon seeing her hooves behind the seat, "terse-ache, she's still 'ere." He cleared his throat as he saw her. "Laundry's done, Ma'am," he snarked, tossing the bundle hung over his fetlock into her hooves.

She glared at it and then at him. "Already?" she pressed the question.

"Don't see why not," Pip shrugged, walking towards her, "Tis been hours." He knelt down, reaching a hoof towards her forehead. "It'll be my head if anything 'appens to ye." He got a moment's feel of her temperature before Flurry smacked his hoof away.

"Back away, knave."

"Well excuse me, princess," he mocked, turning to the kitchen, "if I trot back here and get concerned 'bout ye being collapsed on the ground."

She reached up to the hoof rest and pulled herself off the ground. She slowly flexed her front legs. One was sore but moveable. She glanced behind her, out the window.

Atop their far tower sat the black-clad pegasi.

Beside them stood the windigo.

"For an assessor, yer really lax about yer personal safety, don'cha think?"
"-es sir, she fainted earlier. Just, fell to the ground."

"I laid out your robes on the bed."
"No, I don't think they're grave. The servant returned and she woke up."

She fell back over the couch, clasping her hooves to her temples. She could hear Pippinto from across the suite, but other voices shared the space within her mind.

"Now's not the time for a nap, the inquiry was scheduled for the turn of the hour."
"She was supposed to leave minutes ago, tell the other Watch that she's still in the apartment."

"Mind your own business." She yelled, rising up and hurrying to her room.

"Yer schedule is my business, Ma'am." Pippinto answered, setting another hooffool of spoons in a drawer.

She threw her robe on to the sound of a whisper. "I'll take the forward point." There was a whoosh, like the flapping of wings, soon replaced by the layered sound of clinking silverware. She turned around to see the windigo before her. She slammed the door shut through his ethereal form.

"Talk. Now."

"Of?"

"The dream, ghost."

"What did you see?"

"The warden," she paused, adjusting the clasp of her cloak, "a guard, and myself."

"And?"

"And he stood by as his subordinates were lobotomized, what is this supposed to tell me?"

"You know what happened. Do you know why?"

Throwing on a pair of maroon saddle bags, she turned to face him. "Why would Sombra do that? It's too harsh a reaction for some illegitimate noble child."

"And yet Sombra willed it."

She thought back to the guards. Their unnatural unity. The sway. The glow.

They were the elites.

Why was the Warden carrying a child? Who were her parents for an entire squadron of guards wiped for secrecy?

She tightened her collar and opened the door.

Flurry said nothing to Pip as she left the apartment. He said nothing to her as he touched a hoof to his amulet.

A quiet stream of muttered curses accented the sounds of simple chores within the suite.

Descent

Ponies cantered down the streets around her. A cobblestone path stretched out before, the mark of the the central city's outskirts. Any further this direction and Flurry would officially enter the district designated for earth pony residencies.

She knew it to be quite the slum. The buildings were decades behind the times and made of such ill-suited materials. To think some ponies used wood and muck to construct their homes. The army and royal guard would frequently carry out searches and conduct raids to root out dissidents and criminals in the district. Or to quell their own boredom. It was also a likely excuse to brawl with one-another away from scrutinizing eyes and meaningful collateral damage.

The overseers allowed it to continue so long as it provided fresh workers for the mines.

At least she was within somewhat civilized company on this main street. The ponies, a mix of pegasi, unicorn, and earth going about their business, knew to give her a wide hearth and only offer the occasional glance to show they wished she were gone.

It was far better than being watched by every overgrown dusty foal that crawled out of the ground nearer to the farms. One could almost swear they'd never seen a horn before.

Some of the buildings had timber supports holding up the odd corner, scars left over from that day almost a decade and a half ago, but most were crystalline. They usually rose higher than two stories, and the occasional abode had a small tower jutting up into the sky.

Flurry Heart didn't have to peek behind her know that a winged shadow would be stalking her from atop one such spire.

She cut into a small crowd of ponies, startling the group into a small commotion as her entourage of steel pressed into them.

Subtlety was the least of her concerns as she made her way into an alleyway. She was tired of waiting and avoiding the inevitable. No doubt the pegasus would have leapt from the tower and began their flight to a new vantage point given her change of course.

"This is not the way to your inquiry," the spectre whispered into her psyche, "do you wish for another scolding today?"

"You were gone earlier, while I was out."

She heard nothing as she rounded the corner onto a less crowded side street.

"You wanted me to listen, didn't you?" Flurry continued forward into another alleyway, one hidden from the next best perch. It would bring her out near the east gate, into a small courtyard marketplace that had been boarded up years prior. She remembered inspecting the site several moons ago, and seeing quite the view from one of the upper floors of a taller building. From there, somepony could watch the east gate, a portion of the main road out of the central city, and the street she was scheduled to visit. It would be the perfect forward point...

Exiting the alley and seeing nopony in the vicinity, she reared up and charged a spell into her horn. A sensation, similar to those spells in the sparring pit, coursed out from her horn. In her peripheral vision, she saw a dark blur racing across the horizon towards the roof across from her.

With a snarl, Flurry Heart thrust her front hooves into the ground and let loose the bolt. She barely caught sight of it striking the pegasus' wing. It sent them barreling midair as they fell short in their glide, striking the corner of the building. They disappeared from view as they tumbled to the street in another alley.

"This is perhaps the most reckless action you have ever taken underhoof."

Flurry Heart galloped across the plaza towards where the Pegasus had fallen. "I'm getting answers, spirit." She rushed through a gate and leapt over a small wall that spanned the length of the alley.

Her hooves crunched down on some loose, orange feathers on the other side. A few feet ahead of her laid a bundled mess of black garb with streaks of dark blue mane falling out from their hood.

With a pained grunt and a flash of a wing, the Pegasus launched several missiles at her. She could see their eyes when they realized who stood before them. Flurry could still make out the terror that spread across their face through the arcane shield that caught the darts. "I, I didn't," the figure stammered, their voice masculine, "know that it was you."

The spell faded as she rushed forward, sweeping a back hoof along the cobblestone and into the stallion's side just below his wing. The bit of magic she infused into the kick dispersed and reverberated down the alley way. In a spit second, their form flew into the wall with a heavy thud. As he slumped down, she caught the crook of his chin with her forehoof and pulled the pegasus up to eye level.

He yelped as his wings were pinned behind his back. "Please, just let me go!"

"What do you want with me?!" Flurry yelled back, summoning ice blue daggers in the air. She could see that the cloth around his shoulder was shredded and tufts of orange fur, dappled red, were shaking loose.

A voice spoke through a glowing device on their belt, "Who is that, where are you Se-" It fell silent as her aura wrapped around it, tightening as it pulled it off. She was about to crush it before she noticed the symbol on the back of the case.

It was the sigil of the Grand Sorceress.

She leaned more of her weight into him. Normally, it may not have had much of an effect but in his current state Flurry imagined it would be quite effective. "How did you get this?"

"Sh- she made them for us..." he coughed out, voice strained and coarse.

"You lie!" She put more of her weight against him, inching the daggers closer. "The Sorceress would never support the pegasi!"

"T- Tw-"

Flurry Heart felt a chill creep up her arm. It involuntarily slacked and allowed the Pegasus to slump down against the wall. She heard the voice of the windigo in her ear. "Let him speak."

The Pegasus coughed and placed a hoof on his withers. After a few seconds, he looked up to her and spoke. "Twilight wanted us to track you, make sure you were safe."

"How," Flurry paused, "do you know that name?"

"I used to work with her ofte-" a dagger embedded itself in the wall before evaporating into mist.

"I'll not suffer blatant falsehoods in my presence."

"It's the truth. She wanted us to make sure that Sombra and the Warden wouldn't try to harm you after," another dagger sunk into the wall on the opposite side of their head.

"That's King Sombra, filth." Flurry warned.

He continued, unfazed. "-after she discovered who your parents are."

Summons

"What do you mea-" Flurry's question was cut short by the sound of armored hooves striking cobblestone at the mouth of the alley. Blast it, she'd hoped it would take longer for them to find their way to-

Her head whipped to the side as soon as she heard a helmet clatter across the ground. She saw one of her escorts there, but for the first time in her life a part of the pony beneath was visible to her. His scraggly orange mane fell over his bearded face and for a brief second she expected to see spectacles resting over the pale bridge of his nose. He had worn them, long before this day. Before that day, the day the Empire burned...

"Your Hi-" the guard coughed out before their voice fell into a raspy fit. They took several more broad strides towards her before looking up again. "You're here to investigate the altercation at the residential block, not thrust yourself into danger, Miss Heart." The stallion glanced towards the Pegasus at her feet, and she saw a look of recognition cross his face. His face.

"It's you," she stammered, "you were with the Warden."

Her ears flicked up in response to an eerily thin voice speaking just over her shoulder. "Listen to him, assessor. Leave this behind for now, the answers you seek will come in time..."

She brushed off the windigo's words and shouted at the elite, "Years! Years of nothing from you, no emotion, no remorse, and now you speak! For this," she thrust a hoof towards the pony slouched against the wall, "you call this danger? How is this any worst than any 'inquiry' I've carried out in the last month alone?!"

The guard cantered forward, pausing to pick up their helmet, and explained, "The danger here is not physical, Miss Heart. There are many forces in play here, and you are currently brushing against many of them." He tucked his helmet under the crook of his shoulder and approached her, his voice adopting a cautioning tone. "There is still time for you to walk away befor-"

A slight breeze followed the sound of wing flaps above the three ponies. It served as the only warning before a spear descended from above and drove itself through the visor of the guard's faceplate. The force wrestled it from his grasp and pinned it to a gap between the cobblestone. Flurry's horn ignited as she turned her eyes skyward. A pegasus, clad in a solid black uniform, balanced on the railing of a balcony hanging out from the building across from her. Beyond them circled more of their kind flying down to land on the rooftops.

Flurry's mind cycled through her repertoire of spells and in a moment settled on a firestorm to engulf the air above. The collateral damage would be devastating to the timber architecture but would allow her the chance to slip away.

"It being 'less of an eyesore as a smoldering husk' is not an adequate justification, Flurry." The windigo spoke out against her plan.

"Shut up!" She yelped audibly as the magic surged through her and consolidated into a swirling lick of flame that hovered in front of the balcony.

Flurry heard an infernal whisper to her right just prior to a violent emerald cloud swallowed her spell and evaporated both tufts of magic. Flurry turned to the elite as another pang of betrayal coursed through her gut. He simply looked down at the pegasus on the alley floor and nodded upwards.

The winged stallion hastily rose to his hooves and shouted into the air, "Stand down!"

"Know your place," responded a raspy female voice from the balcony. A small gap in the fabric under her wing revealed teal feathers to the unicorns. Through the corner of her eye, Flurry noticed the pegasus by her fight the urge to lift his wing into a salute.

She couldn't tell if stopping the motion was due to his pain or discretion.

"Do you know what the cost of this will be," the assessor called out, "who it is that you are threatening?"

The mare scoffed, "Do you?"

Flurry Heart had heard that scoff before...

A tile slid of the edge of the building and shattered against the brick they stood on as several of the mare's compatriots landed.

Flurry slammed her hoof down and barked "By order of the crown, I bid thee-!"

A pegasus dropped beside her and interjected with a laugh, "We're not here as Sombra's subjects, princess-"

The grunt's chuckle was cut short as Flurry stumbled to the side and cast a blade of honed mana at the figure. Before it had traveled an inch, a green wisp traveled the edge and dissipated it. The assessor whipped around to face the guard and snarled, "Cease your sabotage and protect me!"

The stallion looked down at her and muttered "I am." His fetlock wrapped about the shaft of the spear that skewered his helmet and, with a flick, snapped it in half. The unicorn cast the piece of scrap wood aside as he retrieved his helmet and rolled it into the crook of his leg, carrying it there as he hobbled forward.

A metallic ring travelled down the alleyway to match the arrival of four more elites cantering in unison. Their movement was mechanical, hollow, as expected from years of studying them. Her escort's armored hoof lightly hung off Flurry's withers as he stepped between her and the second pegasus on the ground. A deep, haunted voice boomed out through his mask, "This is an affront to our treaty; She is not yet ready."

Past his shoulder, she saw a cloaked head peering over the wall she had jumped earlier. No sooner than she'd seen it, it ducked back down in a blur of pink shades.

The mare on the balcony answered, "How long did you expect it to last? The empire is still cracking, puppet, she must be made ready."

"Ready for what, Commander?" Flurry Heart spat out. The memory had come to her; this was the council's appointed leader of the military wing after the disappearance of Mi Amore Cadenza.

"To complete your mother's will, Assessor." The mare almost chuckled at the final word as she glared at Flurry's escort.

The guard's voice filled the alley once more, "The assessor's actions are to be her decision, not yours!" The other elites flanked her in a star pattern, surrounding her in a defensive position.

"Then let it be mine, for once!" Flurry shrieked, the outburst surprising even her. Everypony around turned to face her. She felt their gaze burrowing into her mind as they awaited whatever she would say next. In the distance, the windigo sat perched on a tower. The sight of the spirit was yet to be decided as a taunt or a comfort. Flurry's eyes darted between her escort and the commander. "Why did learning of my parents make the Grand Sorceress... go away?" Flurry found the plea escaping her mouth, revealing desires she had long since thought suppressed. "Who... who is my mother?"

A silence hung in the air of the alley.

It was joined by a spur of green light.

She could feel no magic from the elites around her. The source was distant, back towards the center of the empire. Flurry did not need to run any further tracking spells to identify the caster. The glare crackled like a lightning bolt as is split apart and traced a symbol in the air. It slowly formed the sigil of the throne.

It would not take a wizard to determine who the king was beckoning.

"Go, Heart," bid her escort, "I can resolve the situation here..." The stallion paused mid breathe as he lifted his helmet and slid it back down over his head. His next words were hollow, be it from the vocal enchantments or distain she could not readily tell, "He is not to be ignored."

She surveyed the scene once more, her questions unanswered and multiplying. The frustrations she carried swelled. As they rose, the sigil grew brighter and drifted towards her.

An unsteady hoof rose to meet it. The emerald shimmer enveloped her and faded.

Flurry Heart plummeted into an abyss.