The Handmaiden

"We've arrived, Madame Sparkle."

Twilight closed her book and returned it to her satchel just as her carriage came lurching to a stop. She took in a breath, then turned and slid out of the cabin when her escort opened the door for her. She did not accept his hand to aid her, for she did not need much help stepping out, and she surveyed the grey, misty environment. The light drizzle of the early morn was all that remained of the previous night's downpour, and the thick muck of the dirt road would normally present a problem for the handmaiden. Luckily, she foresaw this eventuality, and Twilight had opted to trade in her typical flowing dress and heeled shoes for trousers, boots, and a smart, crisp coat, not unlike the sort that the Chancellor would wear. Of course, as far as Twilight and many others were concerned, she was the Chancellor, so this jacket was very appropriate. Still sitting proudly around her neck was her collar, and belted to her waist was her dagger. She did not expect to need it, but it would be foolish to enter such a precarious situation without ample protection.

Her personal carriage had stopped just behind another, the less ornate carriage carrying a quartet of guards. They stood between Twilight and the small, rickety shack of a home. There was a small farm in the front, closer to a garden in size, and a large mass covered in cloth to the left of the dirt road. Behind the house was the entry to a dense forest, leaving the tiny home all but isolated from the rest of society.

"Show me," said Twilight, arms folded behind her back. One of her guards, a young woman that had enlisted just three months prior, stepped forth.

"Are you certain, Madame Sparkle?" she asked. "It's a bit… grim."

"Heh. You, there." Twilight beckoned for the guard, who nervously stepped forward. "What's your name, dear?"

"G-Gabriella, ma'am."

"You're new to the guard, aren't you? Not from around Canterlot?"

"I grew up on a small farm to the south. Soon as I came of age, I rode up to Canterlot to join the guard," admitted Gabriella. "I've only been in the guard for a handful of weeks."

"So you wouldn't have heard of my reputation. Look here. Come a bit closer, it's faded a bit." As Gabriella leaned forward to see, Twilight pointed to her cheek, where a thin, almost invisible slash sat. "This scar comes from a shard of a human skull, that went flying past my face when I made her head explode. Trust me, I can handle 'a bit grim'." Twilight stepped past Gabriella, looking to another guard for answers. "Go on. Show me."

"yes, m'lady. Right this way."

The guards walked alongside Twilight, past the carriages and to the covered mass. Now that she had gotten closer, she could see the dark red splotches that were leaking through the thick cloth. After a curt nod from the handmaiden, the guards grabbed up the cloth and pulled it off, revealing the carcass of a great brown bear. Its neck had been snapped, its jaw hanging on by a few strands of skin and sinew. There were scorch marks all along its forest of brown fur, and its innards were little more than a gorey mess splattered beneath it spilling from a deep gash in its flesh.

"Hmph. They were right to send for me," murmured Twilight. "This isn't natural… And they are home?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then let us go."

Twilight held her satchel to her hip as she strode forward, crossing the field with her convoy of guards in tow. She surveyed the area as they neared the door, hoping for some hint as to what happened there. When nothing came to her, she simply kept along until she and her guards arrived at the front door. Twilight knocked firmly on the door, feeling the somewhat softened, slightly rotted wood give and rattle against its hinges. She detected panicked whispers on the other side, before slowly, footsteps approached, and the door swung open. Standing in the doorway was a short, tiny woman, with purple hair and eyes to match. She wore a simple frock, stained with mud and grease, and would otherwise be unremarkable if not for the situation.

"Good morning," said Twilight. "I am Madame Twilight Sparkle, the Handmaiden to her Divinity, Empress Celestia. I was informed that there was a bear running amok here, but it seems that you have that handled."

"Yes… The bear is handled…" The woman barely met Twilight's gaze, an inescapable fear gripping her tightly. "We were going to move the carcass, but we were told to leave it be…"

"Your husband must be quite the hunter, to do such a number on it. May I see him?"

"Of course. Please, come in." The woman stepped aside, allowing Twilight to step into her home, flanked by her handful of guards. "We've not got much, but you're welcome to a bit of food, if you like."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary." Twilight surveyed the area, ultimately agreeing with the woman's earlier assertion; the house was a single room, with a stove pushed aside into the corner of the so-called kitchen. Opposite the stove was a long swath of pelt that likely served as the couple's bed and, curiously, three bowls of mostly-eaten gruel. Twilight made note of the bowls before stepping forward to meet the man of the house, the rotted planks in the floor creaking as she approached the tall, scraggly gentleman. His orange hair was beginning to thin, and he wore an old, dented pair of eyeglasses, one of the lenses sporting a large fracture. "Hello, sir. You must be the husband?"

"Yes, ma'am. Sunburst," he said, kissing the sun to Twilight. "And you've met my wife, Starlight."

"I have. Lovely woman, you're very lucky." Twilight surveyed the area one last time before letting out a sigh. "Unfortunately, Mr. Sunburst, it's about time we got onto business. The bear."

"Oh, the bear is no trouble anymore. It's been—"

"Massacred, is what it's been. Decimated. I'd like to know how that happened, and, looking around… it doesn't seem that you have anything that could cause that level of carnage," said Twilight, crossing her arms behind her back. "So, unless you can present some sort of tool or weaponry that would convince me that you defeated such a powerful beast with human means, I will be left with only one possibility." Sunburst said nothing, nor did his wife, which was more or less what Twilight expected. "So, that's it, then? It is as I feared?"

"Yes, Madame Sparkle, it's true," chimed Starlight, stepping forward. "It was me. I did it."

"Starlight!"

"Is that so, Ms. Starlight?" Twilight turned to face the wife, tilting her head curiously. "And what is it that you did?"

"I… I used magick to kill the bear. Sorcery. Whatever the proper terminology is." Starlight waited for some response, receiving none but a quiet stare from the handmaiden. "I… I know it is illegal. I don't want any trouble. I'll go peacefully."

"It's not true! She didn't do it, I did it!" interjected Sunburst, stepping forward and putting himself between his wife and Twilight. "My wife, she's trying to protect me, but it's not true. It was my magick that killed it, and I—"

"Were you entertaining guests when I arrived?" asked Twilight, quite out of the blue. Neither Starlight nor Sunburst knew how to respond, and simply looked a bit dumbfounded, so Twilight elaborated. "Well, you've got three bowls laid out. All of them have been eaten from. So, unless one of you was eating two servings at one time…"

Twilight walked a bit further in, feeling the wood give beneath her feet. The closer to the sleeping area she stayed, the weaker the floor seemed to be. Finally, she arrived at the pile of pelts that the couple slept on, and tugged them out of place, much to Starlight and Sunburst's quiet protests. There was a square of wood, not quite as big as the pelt that covered it, that was of a different sort than the rest of the floor. Twilight glanced at the couple and saw their paralyzing fear before she reached her fingers between the planks and pulled up the false floor.

"Oh. Hello, there." Twilight was unsure of what to expect but, once she found herself eye-to-eye with the small child, it all began to make sense. She gently reached for the little girl, who shrunk away in fear. "No need to be afraid, little one. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You… You work for the Empress…" squeaked the little girl, her eyes locked on Twilight's collar, and the Empress' insignia that it bore. "Mummy said the Empress was a bad woman…"

"Ah. Well." Twilight looked back to Starlight, who was in tears behind her, before turning her attention back to the child. "It's a bit more complex than that. But we can talk about the Empress later. I want to get to know you."

"Mummy and Daddy said no talking to strangers."

"Hm… Your Mummy and Daddy are smart people. Here, how's this?" Twilight smiled and offered her hand. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. Pleased to meet you, Ms…?"

"Bellatrix. Bellatrix Sellena Lulamoon." The little girl shook Twilight's hand, which made the handmaiden smile.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady. Come on up here, I'd like to speak to you."

"I can't. Mummy said to stay here until the bad strangers go away." Bellatrix peeked up from her hole, leering at the gaggle of guards in her home. "They're still here…"

"Yes, I see how that would be a problem…" said Twilight with a nod. "Guards, please return to the carriage until I fetch you."

"But Madame Sparkle," chimed Gabriella. "We can't leave you unprotected."

"I assure you, if this small child somehow poses a serious threat to me, I will be certain to scream nixe and loud for you to come to my rescue…" The handmaiden rolled her eyes before shooing her guards away. "Wait at the carriage. I don't imagine this will take very long."

The guards accompanying Twilight shared a look of concern but, after just a moment, acquiesced to their command. It would be terribly foolish to ignore a direct order from the handmaiden, even if they believed to be acting in her best interests, so the guards filed out, one by one. Twilight watched them leave, not taking her eyes off of the door until it swung shut with her four protectors on the other side. Once the room had emptied a bit, Twilight turned back to the child and took her tiny hand into her own, gently raising Bellatrix up out of the hole.

"Now, Ms. Bellatrix, I happen to believe that it was you who slew that bear," said Twilight carefully. "Is this true?" Bellatrix turned her head to look to her mother, and Twilight gently straightened her head back with her hand. "Now, your mummy raised a good girl, from what I can tell. She wouldn't want you to lie."

"Please…" begged Starlight. "My child… leave her be, I beg of you."

"Ms. Starlight, I give you my word. For as long as I am here, no harm shall befall your daughter." Twilight did not stray her eyes from Bellatrix for a moment, even as Starlight made a nervous, but desperate step towards her daughter. "So tell me, Ms. Bellatrix. Was it you?"

The child did not answer immediately, clearly thinking over what she was being asked. Finally, after a minute or so of careful consideration, Bellatrix nodded. Her parents went pale as a sheet, and Starlight very nearly began to cry. Twilight nodded almost grimly as she dropped to a fully seated position, legs crossed over another, and beckoned for Bellatrix to do the same.

"How?" asked Twilight simply.

"The bear scared Daddy and broke his eyeglasses when it knocked him down. I got really scared and I yelled at it," said Bellatrix. "I wanted it to die for hurting Daddy. Then, it did."

"I see. You were very brave and strong for protecting your Daddy like that, Ms. Bellatrix." To Twilight's surprise, Bellatrix shuddered and quivered, and she soon began to cry. "Aw, why the tears, little one?"

"M-Mummy said that if anyone found out what happened… They would make her go away forever. Just like Auntie Shimmy and Granny Flare."

"Well, what you must understand is that what you did is against the law, Ms. Bellatrix. And the Empress sent me here to punish whoever it is that broke the law."

"Madame, I beg of you." Again, Starlight stepped forward, tears heavy in her eyes. "She's just a little girl, she didn't know any better. If you must punish anyone, punish—"

"I assure you, Ms. Starlight, my mind is already made up. No need to bother trying to convince me."

Twilight turned her attention away from the child, finally standing up. She reached for her belt, past her dagger, and finally landing on a pouch she had attached via a length of rope. She untied the pouch and crossed the room to Starlight and Sunburst. Her eyes lingered on the father's cracked spectacles for just a moment before depositing the pouch into his hands. She slowly reached for his face and removed his glasses, placing her thumb against the cracked lens.

"In that pouch is a few hundred coin. Should be enough to build a decent fence, and to get yourself a dog to protect your land," explained Twilight. "The next time some beast threatens your land, you run. The Empress gave me permission to act as I see fit in this matter, but she will not extend me such flexibility twice. So you must be absolutely certain that Bellatrix never does anything of that sort ever again, else you will not be fortunate enough to deal with me. Celestia will come to handle matters herself."

Twilight let out a wispy breath of mana and, when she removed her thumb from the glasses, the crack in the lens had been mended. She returned the spectacles to their owner, who nervously, uneasily, suspiciously took them back and returned them to his face. Sunburst and Starlight looked at the handmaiden apprehensively, no doubt suspicious of her motives, but they said nothing of it for a bit. Then, finally, Starlight spoke.

"My sister was like her," whispered Starlight. "And when the Empress found her, she murdered my poor Sunny. Just plucked her head off with her bare hands."

"I am sorry for your loss. But then you should understand better than anyone why Bellatrix has to keep it a secret."

"So my child has to hide her true nature until she dies?"

"When she becomes of age, save up the coin and send her to Canterlot. Tell her to seek an audience with me, regarding a pre-existing contract," said Twilight. "By then, there will be a place in this world for her. I give you my word on that."

"So… you won't tell the Empress?" asked Sunburst cautiously.

"I swore to the Empress that I would never tell her a lie, and I would never be so foolish as to believe that I could ever deceive her. So I have no choice but to tell her the truth." Twilight gave the family a tiny grin. "And the truth is that there was an incident that I have since resolved. So, if you have no further questions… Farewell. And you, Ms. Bellatrix, I shall see you when you're old enough."

With a little nod and wave, Twilight turned for the door and marched her way out of the house. Once she was outside, and rejoined by her party of guards, she turned to face the devastated corpse of the bear. It was fascinating, to her inquisitive mind, to see the sort of damage such a small child could cause. She thought back to when she first discovered her magickal inclinations, way back in the arena. Twilight only managed to wound her manticore, whereas Bellatrix simply destroyed the bear. Though the creatures weren't exactly comparable in terms of robustness, it did begin to paint a daunting, but no less fascinating idea: With training and dedication, Bellatrix could become quite a formidable mage, indeed.

"Is everything okay, Madame Sparkle?" Gabriella's question seemed to rouse Twilight from her deep thought, and she looked up to meet her newest guard's eyes. "You were in there for quite a while."

"You are going to drive yourself to the brink of madness if you continue to worry so much about me," chuckled Twilight. She snapped her fingers and, without even bothering to murmur an incantation, conjured a flurry of flames to envelop the bear's carcass. "I am more than capable of caring for myself."

"Yes, ma'am! I never meant to imply, I only want to do my duty."

"I understand, dear. And you're doing a wonderful job. Now come along, let's get back to Canterlot." Twilight gestured for her party to follow her to the carriage. "There's a tavern back home I quite fancy, and you've all done so well today, I think you've earned a round of drinks. My treat."

The promise of cold drinks in abundance seemed more than sufficient to spur the guards into following their handmaiden to the carriages. As she entered her personal vehicle, Twilight grinned. No wonder Celestia kept hold of her all this time. Just the prospect of teaching a student the ways of magick was enough to send chills down Twilight's spine. But, of course, Twilight was getting ahead of herself. She wouldn't get the chance to instruct young Bellatrix for a few years.

What much more urgently called for the handmaiden's attention was the nice cold flagon of honeywine that awaited her back home.

"Madame Sparkle, if I may be so bold?"

Twilight looked up from her honeywine to the young guard that sat across from her. Despite being invited to a private table as a guest of the handmaiden, Gabriella retained her armor and helm, things her fellow guards eventually removed upon being invited to drink with the handmaiden. Twilight assured her, multiple times, that such professionalism was no longer required, but Gabriella was quite determined.

"I wouldn't be opposed to a bit of boldness from you, dear," said Twilight with a nod. She sipped her wine, swirling it idly around in her silver goblet. "What is on your mind?"

"I just find myself curious… it is my understanding that the Empress hasn't had a proper handmaiden for a hundred years," said Gabriella. Her flagon, formerly containing some cheap, weak swill that Gabriella enjoyed, sat empty to her side after just one serving. "How did you end up in her Divinity's service?"

"Ah, I see. Well, my dear, it is quite the tale, indeed. It starts at Golden Oak Prison, that accursed tree.” The other guards, who had longer tenure, had heard the story before, but never directly from the handmaiden herself, and so they all leaned forward to hang onto Twilight’s every word. “Why I was there is, itself, a story for another time, but suffice it to say I was framed for a murder I did not commit. I was sentenced to life imprisonment, and I truly believed I would die in a tomb of petrified wood. But fate had much grander plans for me.

"There's a drawing, in the tree. A handful of prisoners get chosen at random to battle in the Empress' Arena for her amusement. I had managed to avoid that for years, but my luck soon ran out. I was chosen, amongst others, and was delivered to the arena. I was given my last rites, for it was almost inevitable that the prisoners would lose, and we were let loose into the arena. That was when I first set eyes on the Empress."

"What's she like?" Gabriella, thoroughly engrossed by the spun yarn, could hardly contain her intrigue. "I've never properly met the Empress in person, only ever in passing. Is she as frightening as they say?"

"I would say so. So tall and grand, with a gaze stern enough to pierce your armor like a needle through cloth," said Twilight. "She saw me in that Arena, and when our eyes met, I could feel my soul catch fire. Because more so than her intimidating ferocity, is her stunning beauty and otherworldly grace. Those eyes looked down on me, and before I knew it, the fight was on. It was announced that the battle would be between the prisoners and the Empress' menagerie of monsters. And in an instant, I found myself face to face with a manticore, the alpha of the whole pack."

There was much murmuring and gasping at the table, as those who weren't present could hardly believe that a small, untrained lady such as Twilight could stand off with a beast as ferocious as a manticore and live to speak of it. Of course, Twilight hadn't stood to the manticore, strictly speaking. The end result, whether she had approached the beast or ran away, was the same nevertheless.

"God's above… my village's whole militia was wiped out by a manticore when I was a youngin'," said Gabriella, completely awestruck. "Might've eaten us all, if not for the Empress and her Daybreakers. How did you manage to escape one?”

“Oh, it was a harrowing encounter, to be sure. As the pack of beasts slaughtered my fellow prisoners, and the great alpha swooped down to rip me to shreds, I felt something awaken in me. A flurry of brambles surging beneath my skin,” said Twilight. “Then, before I even knew what I was doing, a grand wave of sorcery propelled from my fingertips. My magick slammed into the manticore, bashing it against the walls of the arena and crippling the beast. The Empress saw this display and, so intrigued was she by my display, she snapped her fingers and raised me from the arena to her side. It was then that she offered me, the sole survivor of the bloodbath, the position as her royal handmaiden.”

“You always tell that story just a bit wrong.”

The four guards accompanying Twilight nearly fell out of their seats, scrambling to rise in response to the powerful voice of the High Queen. Empress Celestia slowly strode across the tavern, all eyes on her and the pair of Daybreakers that flanked her. The Empress smirked as she approached, coming to a stop just before Twilight’s table. Naturally, the guards dropped to a knee and kissed the sun in honour of their divine ruler, a gesture that went largely ignored. As was typically the case, Celestia devoted most of her focus to her handmaiden.

“Oh? Is that right?” mused Twilight with a grin. “And which bits do I get wrong?”

“You undersell yourself. I wasn’t intrigued by your display. I was infatuated by it.” Finally, the Empress broke her gaze on Twilight and gave a passing look to her kneeling guards. “Leave us, now.”

With an obedient chorus, the guards rose from the floor and bowed as they departed. Celestia stood and watched them leave, her eyes briefly meeting Gabriella, whose attention quickly snapped forward as she quickened her footsteps. Once the guards had left the area, the High Queen waved a hand, and one of her Daybreakers pulled her chair out for her to sit. Once she was settled, the Empress snapped her fingers and conjured a jug of bloodrose wine and two platinum goblets, which she filled before offering one to Twilight.

“That girl. The young one in your little brigade,” chuckled the Empress. “I’ll be surprised if she lives to see the next summer. She’s soft.”

“I happen to like Gabriella. A bit young and naive, but I see potential in her. Though, you may have a point. Sooner or later, she’ll be faced with something that tests her will, and we shall see if she thrives under the pressure, or crumbles into dust.” Twilight smirked, toasting her Empress and taking a swig of wine. “So, what brings you here, my Queen? It’s not like you to mingle with the commoners in a tavern in the city.”

“I might say the same to you,” countered Celestia. “I had hoped that once you returned to Canterlot, you’d at least have the common courtesy to give me a visit before drinking yourself blind with your underlings.”

“My guard detail has been working quite hard lately, and I simply sought to reward them.”

“Be that as it may, I like to know where my belongings happen to be.”

“Oh, Celestia… You weren’t worried about me, were you?” The words sounded coarse and callous to those who knew no better, but Twilight did know. She was quite familiar with the Empress' version of tenderness. “You know, you really needn’t bother. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“Perhaps I was worried. Perhaps I thought you couldn’t handle a single untrained mage.” Celestia sipped her wine, though that seemed mostly to hide her expression behind her goblet. “Or perhaps I was just lonely, and wanted to see my darling little handmaiden.” Twilight felt a pang in her chest upon hearing that. Her intention wasn’t to hurt the Empress, just to tease and prod her usually unflinching facade. Still, there wasn’t much Twilight could do just then, short of a mental reminder to make it up to the Empress later that night. “Speaking of the untrained mage… You handled it, I presume?”

“I did, indeed, my Queen. We needn’t worry about her.” Twilight set her wine down and slowly reached across the table. The Empress eyed her, somewhat suspiciously, then gracefully accepted Twilight’s hand into her own. “I apologize for not coming to see you as soon as I returned. I was a bit overzealous to show my men my appreciation, so much so that I temporarily forgot my duty. It will not happen again.”

“Apology accepted.” The Empress kissed Twilight on the hand, before changing the subject after a short spell. “Your guards. You’re too kind to them. Hells, you’re too kind in general. You need to show them strength if you wish for them to respect you.”

“My kindness is what won you over, in part. And if that approach could work on you, the most powerful and ferocious woman to ever live… I’m sure it will work for four swords all eager to justify their existences.” Twilight polished off her wine and, though she could already feel its effects making her head buzz, she poured herself another goblet. “It is why I’m so interested in that Gabriella girl. She is learning of my strength. If I can convince her that I am worthy of her admiration, she will soon lay her life down for me. Then, the rest of her comrades will follow.”

The door to the tavern blew open, and in rushed a messenger, hurrying into the bar with his hawk resting on his shoulder. The man made his way to the Empress and handmaiden, pulling a roll of parchment from his bird’s talons. The parchment was sealed with wax, and tied off with a scarlet ribbon. Upon arrival, the man dropped to a bow, breathing heavily as he presented the letter.

“A message, from up North,” he huffed. The Empressed reached for the letter and took it into her hand, at which point the messenger amended his statement. “It’s addressed to the handmaiden, my Queen.”

“Addressed to me?” Twilight accepted the letter from Celestia, immediately tearing it open to read it aloud. “Urgent message for the handmaiden, Madame Twilight Sparkle, from Apple Bloom of the Royal Guard, currently on a journey to transport two dozen prisoners from Golden Oak to Cloudsdale Prison, upon your command. Speaking swiftly, there was an incident, and… a riot?” Twilight furrowed her brow, quickly skimming the letter. Her heart sank in her stomach, her innards twisting up with each additional word she read. “Prison break, escaped inmates. The estimate is nine missing prisoners, including… Oh, three hells…”

“The Pie,” said the Empress sullenly. “Shite…”

“When? When did this happen?” demanded Twilight, nearly lunging at the messenger for answers.

“Message just came in, Madame. It’s no more than a day’s flight for my hawks,” said the messenger, rightfully concerned by Twilight’s aggression. “Assuming it was written as soon as the incident occurred, that would have been yesterday. Shall I write up a reply?”

“Don’t bother. I’ll tell them myself.” Twilight stood up and made a move for the door, just for the Empress to grab her by the wrist. “Celestia, please. I have to—”

“It’s a day’s flight, Twilight. That could take twice as long on horse, if not longer given the terrain,” explained the Empress. “The snowfall surely has started that far north. You need to prepare for a trip such as that.”

“Every second I waste here is another chance for Pinkie to meet with a horrible fate. I don’t have time for a two-day journey. I have an alternative prepared.”

“An alternative to a two-day ride?” asked the Empress skeptically.

“Yes. A one-day flight.”

“Even still… If your Pie has made a break for it, then that is a concern. She may not be too receptive to going back in chains. You might only have one recourse to get her to return with you, and I fear you’re not ready.”

“Of course I am, it’s all I’ve ever—” Twilight was stopped by a wave from Celestia and, upon the Empress’ instruction, she begrudgingly returned to her seat. “Celestia, I know it’s out of the ordinary, and that there is procedure, but surely we can make an exception. Pinkie must be so scared, cold and lost in the woods someplace. I can’t just leave her there while we wait for things to finalize here.”

“Nor do I expect you to. You misunderstand my concern, Twilight Sparkle. I fully support you in your desire to bring your Pie home,” said the Empress. “But remember, she has to come willingly, something she likely will not be keen on, given my history with her family.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get her to safety. I’ll convince her to come back with me.”

“And if you are going to do that, then you are going to need to know,” sighed Celestia. “Though, this isn’t exactly how I envisioned this conversation happening…”

“What is it that I need to know?” asked Twilight. The Empress’ demeanor was beginning to unsettle her. Worse still, she was running out of time. Surely this conversation could wait until she returned? “What is so important that you need to tell me right now?”

“If you wish to convince your Pie to return with you, then you will need to know why she was imprisoned in the first place.” The Empress sighed, burying her face into her palm. “I need you to understand why I had no choice but to kill her family.”

The guards had established a camp of sorts in the valley, which gave Twilight more than enough space to command her dragon to safely come to the ground; Spike's great body rumbled the earth as he landed, and were it not for the presence of the handmaiden riding upon his back, his presence alone surely would've sent the guards into a panic. At that moment, so weighed down by her panic and the Empress’ earlier tale in the tavern, Twilight did not care about the state of her soldiers. As she dismounted her dragon, she cared only for the location of the prisoners, particularly the one responsible for this entire ordeal.

"Who's in charge here?" asked Twilight as she approached the camp. It was little more than a set of three tents, a small fire pit, and a carriage that carried the prisoners. Directly in front of the fire pit was one such prisoner, her hands bound behind her back and a burlap sack secured over her head. Most strange was her lack of bottoms, her trousers someplace long gone. Twilight surveyed the area, a bit irked by the silence she had received in answer from the half dozen guards scattered across the campground. "Well, don't you all speak at once, now."

"I reckon that's me, Madame." A guard stepped forward, removing her helmet to reveal her short, muddy red hair. "Name's Apple Bloom, I'm the one who wrote to you. Captain Scootaloo didn't give me any specific authority, but I'm the most senior guard here."

"Hmph. Your name is familiar… Regardless, that's unimportant now. I need to know what happened."

"Well, I'm still trying to work that out, myself. I was out gathering wood, you see. We knackered our axle, and we needed materials to fix it, as well as food," explained Bloom. "I drew the short straw, so—"

"Spare me the superfluous details. How did that result in a full-blown riot, Ms. Bloom?"

"I… The best I can tell, one of our more unstable inmates began complaining of her clothes hurting her." Bloom let out a tired sigh, clearly irritated by the situation. "When one of my men began removing her clothes to attempt to calm her down… She throttled him with her bottoms."

"One of Canterlot's elite guards," droned Twilight. "Strangled to death by a madwoman's trousers. If this is a jest, Ms. Bloom, I should warn you that I do not find it funny."

"He's not dead. He's recovering in the tent behind us, if you'd like to question him."

"Hmph. He's going to wish the trousers finished the job when the Empress hears of his incompetence." Twilight waved Bloom away, slowly approaching the bound prisoner. "So I presume this is her?"

"Yes, Madame."

"And why do I have the sickest sensation that I know precisely who is under the bag?" Twilight came to a stop a few steps from the prisoner and, with a quivering scowl, grabbed the bag and pulled it free. Though she had expected it, she was no less displeased to see the twisted, deranged, frenzied eyes of Cheerilee waiting for her. Cheerilee was gagged, by a bit of wood tied to rope and forced into her mouth, but Twilight could still make out the word "harpy", shouted madly over and over. "I wish I could say it is nice seeing you again, but that sadly wouldn't be the truth."

Twilight reached forward and pressed a single finger against Cheerilee's gag, splitting it in two with a tiny flare of mana. She pulled it from the prisoner's mouth, and immediately had to jerk her head out of the way to avoid the jet of spit that Cheerilee fired at her. Twilight scowled, but did not retaliate yet. There were far more important things at stake than a bit of disrespect from a loony criminal.

"I am only going to ask this once," said Twilight, with as much patience as she could muster. "Where did Pinkie go?"

"Heh. Not sure. Don't care," said Cheerilee. Her chest heaved as she looked up at the handmaiden, the woman she blamed for all of her misfortune. "I saved her, from you."

"From me?"

"I heard the guards talking. How they're glad to be rid of us. Not their problem anymore. You may have convinced everyone else, harpy, but I know the truth. There's no prison up north. It's a death camp, for you to dispose of us."

"You… Why in three hells would you say something like that? A death camp!" Twilight grabbed Cheerilee by the collar, shaking her firmly. "Have you gone mad?!"

"It wouldn't be the first time you sent an innocent soul to meet a cruel fate."

The handmaiden released her grip on Cheerilee, just barely able to contain her rage. All she had done for this woman, and still it was not enough for her. It took all of Twilight's restraint to maintain her composure, and she spoke her next words through her teeth.

"Are you truly so small and pathetic that you should endanger my love just to spite me?" said Twilight, a trembling, bubbling fury creeping into her voice. "I, who have done you no wrong. I, who extended the only kindness possible. I, who went out of my way to ensure you would be a part of this transfer, so that you may know some comfort and freedom."

"My son cares not for your so-called kindness, harpy."

"I did not kill your boy, Cheerilee."

"Your owner is out of my reach," murmured Cheerilee, creeping closer to Twilight. She pressed her face against the handmaiden's leg, and she trembled as if fighting back tears. "Yet you keep taunting me… Showing your face. Refusing to let me rest."

"From the moment I met you, I have sought to ease your pain. Perhaps I made some mistakes in doing so, but my intentions were always good," said Twilight. She placed a hand atop of Cheerilee's head, rustling her thinning hair tenderly. "I do not always agree with Celestia's actions, and your punishment is one such decision that I have always opposed. But understand, Cheerilee, that no matter how angry you are with the Empress, it is not—"

A wet pittering sound broke Twilight's train of thought, and she slowly traced the sound down to her feet. A warm stream sprayed her left foot, between Cheerilee's legs, and the foul liquid seeped into the leather and through the gaps of the straps and laces. Cheerilee slowly looked up at the disgusted handmaiden and smiled before firing a wad of spit from her mouth, spattering against Twilight's features.

"Do you think it will be a wolf that mauls your precious Pie to death?" asked Cheerilee, with a cold, bitter smirk. "Or perhaps a bear?"

Twilight snarled, and in a flash, her composure vanished.

"Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps I should have killed you years ago." Twilight grabbed Cheerilee by the collar and pulled the pathetic woman to her feet. She stared at Cheerilee, searching her eyes for something, anything, and all she saw was bitter, twisted, remorseless hate. "But I suppose it is better late than never."

"Heh. Finally doing something worthwhile, harpy?" said Cheerilee mockingly. Twilight scowled, and drew her dagger from her belt. "And all it took was for someone you loved to die. You truly are a coward."

"Madame Sparkle, with all due respect…" Bloom stepped forward, slowly reaching forward for the blade. "I do not think it wise to sully your hands with this prisoner's blood. She's not worth it."

"No, you are right. I will not stain my hands red." Twilight slowly stowed her dagger away, taking in a deep breath. When she released it, her expression had shifted; There was no more anger or fiery rage. Just cold, unfeeling cruelty. "Spike, big lad. Are you hungry?"

Cheerilee's face went pale as a sheet and, for the first time, she struggled in Twilight's grasp, but it was no use. The handmaiden supplemented her grasp with a bit of sorcery, securely holding the prisoner in her grip as she dragged her, thrashing and kicking, along the path to the handmaiden's otherworldly beast. Spike slowly blinked his massive eyes, waiting for his mistress to grant him his treat.

"W-wait. No. No, you're supposed to do it," whispered Cheerilee. She tried with every drop of her meager strength to pry Twilight's hand from her chest, but to no avail. "I'm s-sorry, Pie isn't dead. I didn't… She's not…" With each word, she came closer to the dragon's maw, and a uniquely grizzly demise. "Mercy! I beg, mercy!"

"Had you simply pissed on my foot, I might have just had a guard slice your throat. But, for endangering my love…" Twilight reached out to pat Spike on the nose with her free hand, and he eagerly opened his vast mouth of razor-sharp teeth. "Take your time with this, lad. Savor it."

Twilight threw Cheerilee forward, and turned for the treeline with the sounds of screams to serve as her marching tune. She tried not to focus on the sounds of arcane fangs shredding flesh, with most of her attention devoted to a foot trail from camp into the woods. There were multiple sets of tracks, many of them crossing over each other from the many prisoners scrambling to escape. Somewhere amongst the mess of footprints was Pinkie. No way to tell which was her's, but they all went in the same general direction.

"Spike, big lad," said Twilight, never straying her eyes from the treeline. "If anyone tries to leave the area before I return… Eat them."

There was a small commotion, quelled immediately when Spike let out a guttural snarl, as if demonstrating the ferocity that stood in guard of his mistress' will. His presence alone would ensure obedience, Twilight knew it to be so. Without even a backward glance, the handmaiden disappeared into the woods, in search of her lost, misguided love.