Darkness Calls

"What is this place Angel?" Azure asked as they reached the gates. Her eyes searching all around for some hint. Her guess was a garden of a sort, but what laid beyond, let alone why did Angel bring her there?

"Angel let out a quiet giggle as she pushed the gates open with her muzzle. Just past the entrance was a beautiful garden of roses, sunflowers and not to mention a small patch of flowers in a large circle. The flowers, white with blue petals and stems lined with thorns. "This is one of the royal gardens Azure, unlike the courtyard these are separated for everypony to enjoy without guards." Angel's soft voice made the garden seem all the more better, beautiful as it was to Azure. Though Azure was at peace, she felt as if she was missing something. Some memory begging to be let out of its prison. "Do you like it, Azure?" Angel asked as she turned back to her friend.

Azure gazed from rose to rose, petal to petal. Mouth agape and all as hey eyes wondered. Taking a deep breath, Azure spoke, "I love it Angel." Azure had little else she could say as she trotted in and started to wander around. The sweet scent of the red and roses was an interesting scent. Perhaps one Azure found an immediate liking for as she tried to find more words to express the scene in front of her. The scent reminded her of something. Something that sort of pained her as she tried to think about it.

Suddenly, her mind went blank as she found herself in a strange place. A small home with a fireplace. She sat by a fireplace with her with her hooves wrapped around her small form. For once though, being in someplace different than she just was didn't worry her. Instead, she felt warm and safe.

"Honey, are you sure that you didn't anger the lord?" A sweet voice of a mare chimed from the background as Azure, a filly right in this memory, tried to stay warm. Her shadow flickering against the stone wall behind her and her body warming with the fire. She had barely even noticed the voice, not that it was one she could recognize the tone or owner of.

Soon a deep voice of a stallion chimed as well, stern as any husband telling their wife off. "For the last time, he doesn't know about the deal. We are safe. Now please go get some rest." The voice demanded, though it turned to a softer voice than the mare. Finally, Azure's attention turned toward a hallway and to a blue and white coated stallion. A dark red and magenta coated mare stood beside him, just barely close enough to kiss his muzzle.

"Where am I now and who are they?" Azure asked herself as something else yet was forcing its way into her mind. Demanding to be known as she scrambled her thoughts. Something felt so familiar about them, but she couldn't place her hoof on it. And just as the small filly stood up to go investigate, a loud banging interrupted her. And the shouts of a stallion made her freeze in place.

"Open thy blasted door this instant or I shall have no mercy on thou!" A stallion screamed from outside, the mare went to scream only for the stallion to shush her with his hoof.

At this point, Azure could at least guess they were married. As far as her knowledge went anyway. "Honey, go take her and make sure she is safe." The stallion commanded in a whisper as he readied himself. His wings tucking tightly against his side as if they were shields. Neither the mare or stallion much time though as a bright flash of red enveloped the room and an explosion shook the house as the red glow faded away. Azure watched, only now realizing how bad she was shaking as she saw the mare running toward, her tears in the wife's eyes.

Azure couldn't have put up a fight if she had wanted to, locked into place with fear as she saw what she figured was the husband's bloody body get thrown down the hall. A single hole in his chest, equal to that of a unicorn's horn, much like her own, except shorter and jagged. The mare picked her up as the stallion turned to look at them, his mouth bleeding as he tried to force it stay down. To no avail as a figure in absolute all black rounded the corner and stomped its hoof down on the stallion's neck. Instantly breaking his neck and killing him.

The mare grabbed the filly tightly and protectively as she darted toward a window and jumped through her. Multiple bits of glass getting into both of their fur and cutting their skin. Azure whimpered loudly as tears formed in her filly eyes. She had truly felt the glass, though it wasn't very much, just a shard. But it got through her skin nonetheless. "Hold on tight honey, I won't let him hurt you!" The mare cried out before picking Azure up by the scruff and taking off again.

Azure wanted to ask so many things, but her mouth wouldn't budge this time around. It was a full memory, not just a vision for once. Not just something where she had partial control, she was watching and feeling everything as well as hearing it. The stallion's bloody corpse lingered in her mind as a remainder. She felt awful, but it wasn't the most important thing. She was far more worried about where the mare was going in the cold and dark woods. Azure could barely see anything, aside from her carrier's hooves as she stomped the ground powerfully to get away.

A cruel dark laugh echoed through the night as the mare yelped and fell over. "Did you really think you had a chance!" The voice screamed out, causing both the mare and filly Azure to falter and stay still. The mare rubbed her hind leg, perhaps she had shot it out during the run. Not that Azure could see the house, maybe they were far enough away? Azure prayed for it, but when was her luck any good? Never, that's when. Her eyes locked with grown mare as tears fell from both of their eyes.

Azure felt to hooves wrap around and lift her up as the mare watched from the ground. "No, no, no!" The mare shouted as Azure squirmed and shivered in the cold grasp. "Please not her, let her live. We were the bad ponies who failed your rule, she can do bett-" The mare tried to plead as Azure's captor growled and tightened his grip. The mare looked with a now tear stained muzzle, her eyes pleading just for the captor to put the filly down.

"Maybe she can be useful, but all must learn and suffer!" The deep voice stallion shouted into the ears of Azure who whimpered instantly and looked at the scared, tear stained mare. Azure felt herself being lifted up with the hooves and she gulped as she shivered more and more in the cold air.

The mare took a deep breath. "Do whatever you want, but my daughter doesn't have to suffer for me and my husband. Please show her mercy, for she cannot have done anything." The mare began to shake as she watched her filly. But her pleads fell on silent ears as Azure was hurled at the ground. She rolled on the cold hard ground and yelped loudly as a crack was heard. She landed in just the right way to look at her mother as she tried to regain her breath.

Her mother's face fell greatly, but some hope remained in her eyes. Azure watched, in both pain from the throw and cold as whomever it was shoved their glowing horn into her mother's throat. Azure screamed, "No momma! Why!" The stallion laughed as her mother was frozen in place, mouth agape in agony as blood poured out from it. It all clicked into place for Azure. When she had woken up, this must have the last thing she could remember. It had to be. Just hidden behind something else, but why?

"Let this be a lesson young one, if you dare go against me in the future. The same will fall on you. Except, I will make you scream in agony for days on end until you can't scream no more!" The dark stallion screamed at her as his horn dripped with the blood of her mother. She wished she could say something, but her vison was starting to blacken as the stallion began to trot away. Her breath cough in her throat as she blacked out in the dark and ever so cold night, left to die.

Azure felt somepony shaking her as she gasped, taking in as much air as she could. She looked all around frantically, her eyes falling on Angel as she placed a hoof on her head. She felt dizzy and a bit sick. "Angel?" She asked, not sure if she was back yet.

Angel sighed in relief and smiled. "Finally you're awake, I was starting to worry." Angel's voice soothed Azure as her thoughts went blank for a moment. She was back. She was safe. All was well, for the moment. The image of her mother and father haunted her though, she was absolutely powerless to stop it. And who was that stallion? And why all black? Azure groaned and placed her hooves on her head. She was tired of always getting more questions than answers.

Azure took a deep breath and tried to just forget everything she had lived through. Not that it made any difference, the image wouldn't go away. She had a sense of guilt and it certainly plagued her. "What happened Ange?" Azure asked as she got a hold of herself.

"You blacked out again Azure. Perhaps we should take you to the hos-" Azure put her hoof up, dismissing Angel's thought.

"Angel, do you remember back when I said I had seen something that haunted me? Something I couldn't forget or get out my head?" Azure asked and Angel nodded her head, though she looked confused.

"Well of course I remember, but whatever happened before isn't comparing to what I saw." Azure shook her head, as if trying to shake the images away. The single thought of that vile stallion filled her both hate and anger, not to mention fear. The voice was similar to her as well. like from her other visions and or the voice that plagued her mind. Was it the same voice and stallion? If so, then why?

"What did you see, Azure? From both occurrences if you will." Angel's face went from a relieved mare to a worried one in a moment. The white Pegasus eagerly awaiting Azure's answer.

Azure gulped and looked at Angel's eyes. "I saw my parents, Angel. But..." Azure trailed off as Angel tilted her head.