Prisoner of Fate

Chapters

Chapter 1 - Plague
Chapter 2 - Night
Chapter 3 - Time
Chapter 4 - Rage
Chapter 5 - Isolation
Chapter 7 - Epilogue
Chapter 6 - Revelation

Chapter 1 - Plague

Long ago in ancient Equestria, the land was wrought with a horrific plague known as the Tenebray disease. It was rumoured that the plague was created by the tyrannical beast known as the father of monsters, Grogar. While Grogar has been long defeated by the legendary Gusty the Great, his evil still remained and the rest of Equestria had to deal with the fallout of his vile deeds. The disease slowly turned those afflicted with it into dark and monstrous entities that barely resembled their original pony form. And those who didn't immediately turn into monsters slowly became rabid and violent. It was on the orders of King Kronus, the more noble successor to Grogar's reign, to have those infected with the plague rounded up and taken to the Dragon Lands, where the draconic inhabitants there will put the poor souls out of their misery and incinerate them.

A young mare travelled to the Dragon Lands to look for some precious stones under the orders of her mentor, Star-Swirl the Bearded, for Star-Swirl needed them for a spell. She wore a bright white tunic covering her dark blue coat and her incredibly long mane was a shade of purple. She had a slender figure and her eyes were a beautiful hazel. It was Ardent Cadenza, a healer that was a delight to everypony that knew her. She looked at the recent pile of charred corpses with horror, disgust and despair. It saddened her to know that, even though she could use her magic to heal the sick, there were only so many ponies she could get to in time before they fully succumbed to the illness and had to be put down. She trotted away from the ghastly sight and continued looking throughout the Dragon Lands for the stones.

"Perhaps I should have asked Future Wonder where I would find the Fizzineral stones before going out on this trek" Ardent spoke to herself "Oh well, I needed the exercise anyway."

Ardent pulled out a scroll hidden in her tunic and opened it up to take a look at it. The scroll had a picture of the Fizzineral stones printed onto it. The stones were a sparkling red, according to the picture. Reminding herself of what the stones looked like, Ardent put the scroll back and continued on her merry way. She travelled for what felt like miles, only stopping after she had a coughing fit that caused her to spit up a bile-like substance onto the ground.

"Oh dear," Ardent said in a worried tone.

"Art thou okay, madam?" A small, frail and elderly dragon asked Ardent.

"Tis nothing" Ardent replied.

The dragon looked at the pile of burnt bodies in the distance. The same pile Ardent was at moments ago.

"Tis a great pity what they are doing to those cursed with that horrid plague."

"Tis indeed. I wish I could just heal everypony but, alas, I am but one unicorn."

"Art thou a healer perchance?"

"I am."

"My granddaughter has fallen ill and I fear it might be the plague. I'd offer thee a bountiful reward in exchange for her health and safety."

"No need. The knowledge that I am using my gifts to cure those of this wretched disease is all the reward I would want."
The elderly dragon led Ardent to a cave that was just a small walk away. It was surprisingly small but just big enough for an adult dragon to fit in. It was a darker red in comparison to the rest of the Dragon Lands and had stalagmites forming from the ceiling. At the back of the cave is a female dragon slightly bigger than the elderly dragon. She was malnourished and the plague gave her unnatural yellow eyes and a dark purple tint on most of her body that looked like it was making its way up to her neck. She was chained up like an animal, her behaviour leaving little wonder as to why that is. Ardent trotted closer to the female dragon and bowed her head. Her horn lit up as she absorbed the plague into herself. Ardent believed that if one was to purge this plague, one must absorb it into oneself and then use one's knowledge of healing and medical arts to nullify it into nothing more than a cough. Unfortunately, repeating that same process over and over has caused the disease to slowly develop immunity within her. But as long as her ability to heal others is unaffected, she is fine.
The dragon calmed down from her rabid state and fell into a deep sleep. Rest for her would be needed if she were to recover from the plague's influence. Ardent smiled at the peacefully sleeping dragon, only to wince as she felt a sharp shooting pain up her back and right foreleg. She looked at her foreleg and noticed, to her horror, that the diseased tint that was on the dragon was now on her.

"Milady?" the elderly dragon asked.

Ardent quickly covered up her infected leg.

"All is well," Ardent said, "Your granddaughter is better now."

As the elderly dragon sang his praises, Ardent trotted off to get back to the task at hoof, even though her leg now felt like it would fall off at any moment.

In a lecture hall made entirely of marble and located within Canterlot, Star-Swirl was teaching the two alicorn sisters the essentials to healing magic.

"The Tenebray disease is just that. A disease. With the proper treatment, anypony can be spared from its ill effects, if one can excuse the pun."

Celestia wrote down notes, for she had more confidence in her healing abilities than her sister, Luna. Luna just sat there and listened to what Star-Swirl had to say.

"If you two are to do your parents proud, you must not condemn those inflicted with the disease and slaughter them as if they were monsters. Your father is trying to look for more peaceful solutions in order to assure those outside of Equestria that he is nothing like the father of monsters."

The sound of a door opening interrupted Star-Swirl's train of thought. Star-Swirl and the two sisters looked at where the noise originated and saw Ardent enter the lecture hall.

"Thou can't be any more correct, Master" Ardent said, "Oh, and my sincerest apologies for interrupting thy lecture on the plague."

Author's Note

It wouldn't hurt to admit that I am slightly inconsistent with who's speaking the ancient Equestrian tongue. Let's just say those who are born and raised in Canterlot and a fair few old people with the exception of Star-Swirl speak the ancient Equestrian tongue. One would assume that, with the exception of Luna, everypony wanted to get with the times.

And if you're wondering who King Kronus is, read red reaper's backstory for his villain to find out more:

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/446847/the-fallen-prince

Chapter 2 - Night

Luna trotted onto the balcony of her and her sister's castle, ready to raise the moon to signify night-time. She concentrated onto the starry sky and, as soon as her horn glew with all her might, the moon was now in the place where the sun once was. She smiled at her work, knowing that she would make the ponies that raised and lowered the moon before her proud.

"Thou hast been blessed with a gift, Luna" Ardent said behind Luna, startling the both of them in rapid succession.

"What art thou doing hither?"

"I thought I might check on thee and thy sister to see how thou art doing in Star-Swirl's absence. I can see wherefore that he hath chosen thou to succeed thy father and those who control the cosmic entities responsible for day and night."

"May I ask thee something?"

"Thou mayest."

"Thou art a talented healer, correct? Dost thou worry that, coequal with thy curative abilities, thou canst not save everypony?"

"I do worry about that. I try to push my abilities to the best they can possibly be. But, alas, I am not like thee or thy sister. I am but a mortal pony."

"Mortality does have its benefits, Miss Cadenza."

"How so?"

"Thou wouldst eventually join the departed that they loved and missed so much."

"Dost thou have a loved one claimed by the cold hoof of death?"

"No, but Star-Swirl did inform us on the topic and I am afraid of getting too attached to my subjects only for them to depart like mayflies."

"When thou speakest of it like that, I suppose immortality is its own curse. But at least thou hast thine own sister for company."

"Blood is thicker than water, I suppose."

Luna and Ardent shared a light chuckle before letting out a little sigh each.

"Well, I best be going. Future Wonder will be gravely worried if I don't arrive back to our home soon."

"Take care, Miss Cadenza."

It was night time and a unicorn with a white coat, a blonde, short and wavy mane and eyes as blue as the ocean leaned onto the windowsill and stared into the night sky, waiting for his beloved to return. Then there was a knock at the door. He trotted over to the door and opened it, with none other than Ardent standing on the other side of the door.

"Do forgive me for my tardiness, my beloved" Ardent addressed the unicorn that was her significant other.

"No worries, Ardent" Future Wonder replied "I predicted thou wouldst be late tonight. Did thou succeedest in the task Star-Swirl gave to thee?"

"Sadly, no. But I healed a dragon during my travels so I consider that a silver lining."

Ardent knelt down and spluttered. Future Wonder ran next to her and helped her up.

"Thou must be careful, beloved. The more thou healest, the more the plague will consume thee."

"A risk I am willing to take if it is for the betterment of Equestria."

Ardent and Future Wonder made their way upstairs into their bedroom, with Wonder helping to take Ardent's tunic off and tucking her into bed.

"Rest well, beloved" Future Wonder told Ardent.

"Rest well too, beloved" Ardent replied.

It was pitch-black darkness. There was nothing in sight. Ardent couldn't even see her own hooves or any part of her body. She tried to use her magic to light her way but to no avail. She panicked in her helplessness.

"Do you really think you can keep this up forever?" a shrill and raspy voice said in the darkness.

"Who's there?" Ardent asked.

The voice laughed in response.

"Showest thyself!"

"You're weak, Ardent. A bug that just doesn't know when to stay dead. Why does Star-Swirl bother with you when he has a pair of literal goddesses as his pupils?"

"Silence!"

The voice let out another laugh that echoed in the darkness.

"Oh yes. Maybe it's because, in spite of their power, the two sisters have the mentality of a pair of little fillies. Always bickering with one another and being more concerned about things that mean very little when it comes to ruling the lands.
Especially regarding little Sunrump."

Ardent put her forehooves to her head, trying not to listen to the mocking voice in the darkness. She tried closing her eyes but, since she was already in darkness, it was no use. The voice's laughter grew louder and louder.

"You will fade away into nothing. Nopony will remember who you are and, thanks to the incompetence of Star-Swirl's pupils, all of Equestria is doomed."

"No!"

Ardent shot out of her bed. As she hyperventilated, she looked around and realized she was still in her and Future Wonder's bedroom. It was still night-time and the room shone in the moonlight. She looked at her hooves and noticed that both of them were now tainted by the disease. A hoof was placed on her shoulder, which slightly startled her.

"Is it the nightmares, again?"

"I'm afraid so."

Wonder embraced Ardent in an attempt to comfort her, with Ardent embracing Wonder as well.

"My beloved, thou art an oracle, correct?"

"That is what my cutie mark informs me but I am still practising."

"Will my valiant efforts be for nothing? Will my attempts at ensuring a better Equestria be left in vain? Will all the good I have done for this kingdom be forgotten and fade into obscurity?"
Wonder closed his eyes and focused on the future, his horn lighting up as he did so. He looked deeper and deeper until suddenly, he was face-to-face with a demonic visage that looked like an animalistic mare. The sight was enough to make him stumble back.

"Beloved?"

"I am fine, Ardent. Just saw something unpleasant."

"What was it?"

"I'm not sure. It may have been some sort of demon. What I do know was that I sensed death in its presence."

Ardent looked shocked at that statement.

"I may not know what fate is bestowed on you, Ardent, but know that no matter what happens and if other ponies forget your name and deeds, just know that I will always remember thee."

Ardent smiled at that statement as she embraced Wonder once again.

Author's Note

Just a heads-up, hallucinations and nightmare sequences are going to be a regular occurrence for Ardent.

Perhaps I should mention that the symptoms of the Tenebray disease (apart from the obvious "turning into a monster" bit) include hallucinations, trouble sleeping, chronic pain, changes in the personality (almost always a more aggressive personality as a result of the chronic pain), coughing fits, and losing the ability to speak in more severe cases. Think Fibromyalgia meets Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (with maybe a bit of rabies and kuru thrown in there) in terms of the neurological damage it does to those inflicted with it.

Chapter 3 - Time

Ardent trotted into on another one of Star-Swirl's lectures with the two alicorn sisters. She leaned against the side of the open door and observed them, seeing if the two sisters were absorbing everything Star-Swirl had to say. Luna noticed her and waved happily at her, to which Ardent gave a little happy wave back. When Celestia noticed Ardent, Ardent just gave her a little nod.

While she didn't consider the princesses mature enough to rule, she at least tolerated Luna because Luna was the one that focused the most and studied the hardest. It also certainly helped that she was apparently capable of entering ponies' dreams and, if she practised hard enough, she might be able to give Ardent a good night's sleep. Celestia, by contrast, was a bit too laid-back for Ardent's liking and preferred to spend her time outside of Star-Swirl's teaching sessions partying and going off on her own little adventures. She also hated the fact that, out of the two sisters, Celestia seemed to be the more powerful one. All that magical talent wasted on somepony that Ardent considered to have the mentality of a pubescent filly, not that she knew how alicorns aged in comparison to their mortal subjects. Her inability to sleep due to her nightmares has not helped quell her bitterness towards Celestia in the slightest. She was also slightly annoyed that Luna hasn't learned to visit her dreams yet, but she was willing to wait.

"In due time," Ardent muttered to herself. "In due time..."

"Ardent," Star-Swirl announced. "I'd like a word with you."

Ardent trotted over towards Star-Swirl, with Star-Swirl teleporting himself and Ardent outside of the lecture hall.

"There have been rumours that you are being considered to succeed Kronus as the ruler of all the lands," Star-Swirl said. "While I know that isn't how succession works, but something tells me that the ponies of this land know a lot more about alicorn ascension than they let on."

"I have no desire to sit on the throne, but if it pleases the masses and if I could use my abilities to purge this disease from everypony and save countless lives, then I would gladly be their sovereign," Ardent said.

"As good as that sounds, I'm afraid there's no possible way you could rule the land without there being at least one conflict of interest."

Ardent tilted her head. "What dost thou mean, Master?"

"You are not of noble birth. You do not represent the equality that me, the founders and the current king and queen hope to represent. And, I am sad to say this but, you have only so much magic, as well as a frail and mortal form, much like myself." Star-Swirl then pointed towards Ardent's foreleg, which was covered in an ethereal purple aura. "And it is only so long until your secret is unveiled."

Ardent looked at where Star-Swirl is pointing and used her magic to suppress the disease's taint.

"Even if that were the case, surely I would be pure enough to ascend to alicorn status," Ardent said.

"Ascend?" Star-Swirl raised an eyebrow.

. "While I know Celestia and Luna are of natural birth, I have heard stories about forces beyond comprehension choosing those they consider worthy enough to become gods among ponies, usually representing a certain concept or attribute."

Star-Swirl stroked his beard in contemplation. "Yes, I suppose, but I sense that unholy disease you have within you would lessen your chances of ascension."

Ardent coughed up her infected bile onto the floor before glaring at Star-Swirl.

"So, even if the public were on my side, still thou, the current rulers of the land, and even the damned gods above would still deny me the throne because of their own skewed priorities?! Am I not good enough for thee?!"

As Ardent lost her temper, the disease within her flared up, causing the whites of her eyes to turn pitch black and her irises to turn a bright but unnatural yellow. Star-Swirl looked at his apprentice with shock and a tinge of sadness on his face. That was enough for Ardent to calm down and return to her normal appearance.

"My sincerest apologies, Star-Swirl. My nights have been less than pleasant and I feel as though mine own mind is turning against me. When dost thou suppose Luna would be able to dream-walk?"

Star-Swirl sighed. "Soon, I hope. Maybe you can come to the Everfree Forest and Luna and I can help you rest your mind."

Ardent smiled. While she doesn't entirely trust Luna to get inside her head while she is in slumber, she knows that Luna's special talents lie in healing ponies mentally while they sleep. Just like how Ardent heals ponies during the day while they are awake. Most of the time, that is.

Days, weeks even, have gone past as Ardent did what she did best. She travelled far and wide across the lands healing those afflicted with the plague. And with Luna helping her sleep, she felt like she had more energy to not only help others, but also keep her own infection at bay.

Unfortunately, there were times where she had slipped up and nearly revealed to her patients that she herself was infected with the very disease she tried to cure others of. Nevertheless, she managed to push back any prior resentment she had for the two sisters and even managed to spare some time to have an adorable little baby filly with her husband.

After healing a sick family within a village located near the Everfree Forest, Ardent's chest seized up and she fell to the ground. She coughed rapidly until she lost control of the affliction's effect on her appearance, exposing the full extent of her infection. Two pegasi, both of whom were Kronus' soldiers, were in the vicinity when Ardent had her little fit.

"There's one of them!" one of the soldiers said while pointing at Ardent.

"Get her!" the other soldier said.

"Oh no," Ardent whispered quietly to herself.

Ardent got up and ran as quickly as she could into the Everfree Forest. As she ran, she took a tumble within the Everfree Forest and fell into a patch of shrubbery. As uncomfortable as the vines and thorny bushes were, at least they provided a good place to hide from the pegasi. From the safety of the thorns, Ardent could see her two pursuers scanning up and down the Everfree for her, to no avail.

"Do you see anything?" one of the soldiers asked.

"I'm afraid not," the other replied.

The first soldier sighed. "Well, if she's gone deeper into the forest than this, chances are she's not coming back out alive. Let's just go."

The pegasi flew away, not bothering to search any further. Ardent sighed, wondering if Star-Swirl had even considered talking to Commander Hurricane, or the other founders of Equestria for that matter, so that they could suggest some other option besides murdering dozens of innocent ponies in cold blood. Between incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats in the royal court and their somewhat immature successors, along with Star-Swirl not using his own power to its full effect, Ardent felt like she was the only pony in Equestria that had the power, the will and the decency to try and make a positive change.

Author's Note

Oops, nearly forgot to publish this chapter. :twilightblush:

It's ironic, really. She wants power so she could help out others much more easily but, as the saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Not that she'd need power to do that because she already has a disease that is slowly turning her into a monster.

And if you're wondering why I mentioned the founders of Equestria, it's because the disease has been around for a very long time. Part and parcel of being created by the first Emperor of Equestria, you know.

Chapter 4 - Rage

Future Wonder continued to practice his ability to see the future, mainly in order to ease his beloved's mind. However, try as he might, he could never go further enough to know his beloved's future for certain. When he opened his eyes again, he was in the bedroom with Ardent kneeling on the bed and staring at him with a hopeful look.

"Didst thou find anything?" Ardent asked.

"I'm sorry, my beloved. It seems that I do not know thy fate for certain," Wonder said.

Ardent growled before hopping off of the bed and flipping it over in anger. Her infection showing itself again in her rage.

"Why doth fate not wish to show itself to us?! Is it too much to even have a small glimpse so that I can put my fears at bay?!"

"Well, there is one consistent thing that I have been sensing," Wonder said.

"What?!" Ardent barked.

"Try as thee might, thou wilt never be pure enough to ascend to alicornhood," Future Wonder said.

That comment was enough to cause whatever resentment against the alicorn sisters Ardent had suppressed to rise back to the surface.

"Why? Why did it bestow such power on mere children when it should have been given to me?! Have I not sacrificed enough to worthy of ascension?!"

Ardent then saw herself in the reflection of the bedroom window. She gasped in horror by what she was becoming. It was apparent that the disease was slowly warping her mind and turning her into the very monstrosity she swore to cure. She knelt down and began to sob, her tears now an ink-like substance as a result of merging with the virus.

"I'm so sorry, my beloved. I...I didn't mean to..."

Future Wonder placed a hoof on his beloved's shoulder in understanding. "It's okay, Ardent, it's okay."

"But what of our child? How can I be a mother if I'm slowly turning into a monster?" Ardent's pitch-black tears began to run down her face.

"As long as we are together, thou shalt never turn into the beast thou fearest."

Ardent wiped away her tears and pulled Future Wonder into a quick and tight embrace.

Ardent and Wonder stood outside of the Everfree Forest, ready for a little trek of their own. They had also brought their child with them, an adorable little pegasus with a cyan coat and hazel eyes inherited from his mother and a little blonde mane inherited from his father. Neither Ardent nor Future Wonder knew how a pair of unicorns could've possibly conceived a pegasus foal. They assumed there was some pegasus blood somewhere in one of their families.

"It wasn't easy to put aside some time from my duty," Ardent said. "But I am ineffably grateful for this occasion."

"Sometimes, all one needs is an occasional break from work," Wonder said. "Just because thou hast the future princess of the night soothing thy mind whilst thou sleepestp does not mean thou art immune to burnout."

Ardent and Wonder shared a light chuckle before making their way into the cursed forest. As they wandered further and further, they noticed a staircase made of stone and arches placed on the staircase, some of which were broken and worn out with age. Curious as to where the staircase leads, they trotted up them, entering an ancient ruin as they did so. The interior of the ruin was damp and dark, with tree branches growing from the cracks within the stone walls.

"How old dost thou reckon these ruins might be?" Wonder asked.

"I haven't the slightest clue," Ardent replied. "I do not even know who made these ruins, nor why they were made."

"A place forgotten to the sands of time?"

"Or deliberately erased from history like the draconequus incident?"

"How dost thou know of that?" Wonder asked.

"Star-Swirl told me when I asked him what he was carrying within his hooves. He told me to never tell anypony else about the last draconequus," Ardent replied.

"And yet here, thou art telling me this?" Wonder said.

"It is tradition to not let there be secrets between couples,." Ardent said.

As Ardent and Wonder continued exploring the ruin, they noticed a waterfall at the end of a tunnel. They trotted closer in order to get a better look at the waterfall. Wonder placed a hoof at his temple and collapsed in agony, seeing visions of massive floating reptilian creatures and a village engulfed in flames and violence, along with the rabid visage he saw whenever he tried to see into Ardent's future.

"Beloved?" Ardent asked.

"I sense danger somewhere! It is in a village, and Star-Swirl is there as well! We must warn them!"

Ardent and Wonder ran towards the village that Wonder saw in his visions, but not before placing their child back at home for the situation at hoof was dangerous. The village had dry land and a few stone cottages with thatched roofs made from hay. They looked up and saw in the sky the creatures Wonder described in his vision. The creatures appeared to be singing, which resulted in the ponies within the village suddenly becoming hostile towards one another.

"Oh no!" Future Wonder said. "We're too late!"

Ardent looked around and saw no sign of Star-Swirl.

"Thou said Star-Swirl was present. I do not see nor sense him anywhere. There is still time," Ardent said.

"What art thou going to do?"

"I have been practising a spell that is useful for lulling more violent patients."

Ardent quickly ran into the rioting village. She closed her eyes and concentrated on all the villagers and tried to quell their destructive urges. Unfortunately, try as she might to make the villagers less violent, she fell under the thrall of the creatures' own spell. When she opened up her eyes again, she was no longer in the village but instead in a black void.

"Oh no. Please do not do this now!" Ardent pleaded.

"Oh, what a shame. You thought you were powerful but you never truly learned."

Ardent turned around and saw Celestia with a sly grin on her face. But Ardent knew it wasn't really Celestia. It was an illusion created as a result of the creatures' power exacerbating her infection.

"This is not real! This is all in my head!" Ardent yelled.

The illusory Celestia then blasted Ardent in the face with her magic, blasting her onto her back.

"That felt pretty real, wouldn't you agree?"

'Celestia' then levitated the wounded Ardent and then delivered a swift blow to her chest before throwing her down onto the ground again. Then Ardent saw Luna appear out of the darkness.

"Mind if I have a turn, sister?"

The two illusions started beating Ardent up. Ardent kept trying to tell herself they were merely illusions and that her torment would end soon, but she didn't know when soon would be or whether this really was an illusion. Mocking laughter rang through her ears and echoed throughout the void. And then she saw Star-Swirl watching on with a smirk.

You! Ardent thought while looking at Star-Swirl. You did this!

Ardent then heard what Star-Swirl said to her not so long ago.

"You are not of noble birth. You do not represent the equality that me, the founders and the current king and queen hope to represent. And you can only keep your secret for so long."

Star-Swirl's comment rang throughout the void, repeating itself to no end. Ardent put her hooves to her head, trying to block out Star-Swirl's voice.
Be quiet, Ardent thought to herself. Bequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequietbequiet.

But it was too much. Ardent couldn't hear herself think. She lashed out with her magic, blowing away the two alicorn sisters.

"BE QUIET!"

Ardent slashed Luna's throat with a blade she cast out of thin air, then pounced onto Celestia and stabbed her multiple times before ripping out her heart. She lunged at Star-Swirl and put away her blade, instead pounding into Star-Swirl's head while grunting and growling like a rabid animal, until eventually those grunts eventually turned into giggles, and the giggles evolved into manic laughter.

The darkness faded away, as did Ardent's anger. When Ardent observed her surroundings, she was back in the village. She also noticed Star-Swirl and a group of ponies stare at her in open-mouthed horror. She looked down at her own hooves, bloodied and covered in the plague. And beneath her hooves was what remained of Future Wonder, his head smashed into a crimson paste until the only thing that remained of it was his lower jaw.

Ardent gawked at her hooves, now stained bright crimson like a sunset and quivering uncontrollably, in sheer horror. Her mouth, also quivering, now spoke naught but a single question.

"What have I done?!"

Author's Note

All it takes is one bad day. Sometimes, it's just one event in an otherwise alright, even good, day that turns it bad.

Chapter 5 - Isolation

Brought before the throne of King Kronus, Ardent was chained up like an animal. She was so overcome with grief and despair, she didn't even bother trying to hide how infected her body was anymore.

"Ladies and gentlecolts of the royal court," Star-Swirl announced. "Today we are putting Ardent Cadenza on trial for the murder of her own husband."

"Ardent Cadenza," Kronus said. "How do you plead?"

"Guilty," Ardent said despairingly.

While Ardent could have easily pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, she was so overcome with remorse for causing the death of her loved one that she felt she deserved whatever punishment she would face.

"Ardent Cadenza, I sentence you to ten years within the royal dungeons."

Two guardsponies escorted Ardent out of the courtroom and dragged her down into the dungeon, where they threw her into a filthy, unkempt cell. Kronus then leaned in towards Star-Swirl.

"Have her cell bricked up," he ordered.

"What?!" Star-Swirl's eyes widened.

"Did you not see that she had the appearance of the infected? What if she were to fully transform and break out?" Kronus said.

Star-Swirl sighed. "As you wish, your majesty." He trotted out of the courtroom.

Ardent was once again trapped in darkness. She couldn't tell if this was her hallucinations again or whether it was because of the brick wall built in front of her cell blocking out all the light. She just sat there, catatonic and despondent. Her mind wandered aimlessly, waiting for her sentence to be over.

It was a sunny day in a meadow filled with daisies and a tree blossoming with bright pink leaves. Underneath the tree, Ardent and Wonder were relaxing and enjoying themselves. A rare occasion in which both of them were truly happy.

"Oh, Ardent," Wonder said. "You can't expect me to believe that."

"Oh, but I do," Ardent replied. "You have my word."

"Well, in that case..."

Wonder let out a little giggle. Ardent, meanwhile, let out a sigh of relaxation while stretching out one of her forelegs.

"You look exhausted, beloved, are you alright?" Wonder asked.

"I am. I have been blessed with a power and a purpose to cure those of what ails them. It's what my cutie mark tells me," Ardent said.

Ardent lifted up her tunic slightly to reveal her cutie mark. It was two snakes, one black and the other white, wrapped around a winged needle with a shining light behind them and the needle.

"Well, if you know so much about healing ponies, then you must know that there are two components to remedy whatever exhaustion you may feel," Wonder said.

"Of course. One is rest, but I do not know of the other," Ardent said.

"Why it's me, of course."

Both Ardent and Wonder chuckled at that little remark before Ardent leaned in to give Wonder a little kiss on the cheek.

"Pray that you will be with me always," Ardent whispered into his ear.

"Til death do us part..."

Ardent lay down in a dark void. While lying down, she was greeted with an illusion of Celestia glaring down at her, smiling sinisterly.

"Aw, look at you. All sad and mopey. Do you know what you need?"

The illusion of Celestia charged up her horn as her appearance grew more demonic, with sharp fangs almost like knives, slit eyes like a snake's, and a forked tongue.

"Some sunshine!"

The monstrous apparition blasted a bright ray of magic directly at Ardent. While it felt that Ardent was being burnt alive, she merely flinched. Being tormented by hallucinations of warped versions of those she grew to hate was a regular occurrence for Ardent. She could have tried fighting back but, considering what happened the last time she tried that, she thought it best to not even bother. She just lay there and took her punishment. She could barely tell whether she was awake or asleep. Whether she was alive or dead. It didn't matter to her at all.

It was a sunny day in a meadow filled with daisies and a tree blossoming with bright pink leaves. Ardent wandered around the meadow, confused as to where she was or how she got there. It was then that she noticed Wonder under a tree. Wonder had a mournful expression on his face. Delighted to see her beloved again, Ardent ran towards him. But when she got there, there was a blinding flash of light. When the light dissipated, Ardent's forehooves were bloodied again and she was face-to-face with the near-headless corpse of her beloved. She turned around and noticed Star-Swirl with a serious expression on his face.

"You could only hide your secret for so long," he said.

Ardent lay down in the darkness within her cell. Her stomach burned with hunger but she did not care. In fact, that feeling has been around for a while. She wondered when, or indeed if, she would die of starvation. Her throat was parched. It had been for a long time. Her cell was damp enough to at least partially quench it but she did not have the will to get up and lick the wet patches within her cell.

When will death take me? Ardent thought despairingly to herself. Have I not suffered enough?

Little did she know she would get her answer immediately, or at least what felt like immediately. She had spent so long in the dungeon that she had lost all sense of time. Past, present, future? It was all the same to her, until now. She heard a noise in the distance, the sound of rubble being chipped away like somepony was trying to demolish a brick wall. The noise grew louder and louder. A crack of light made its way through the darkness, partially blinding Ardent as she winced at it. The light grew bigger and bigger until it was nothing but a big square of light. In the middle of the light were the silhouettes of two massive ape-like creatures with big claws. She then heard grunts between the two of them as they looked at each other. The beastly duo grabbed Ardent and dragged her along the floor. Their touch hurt her immensely, courtesy of her never having any physical contact for a longer time. Ardent groaned in agony, surprised that her facial muscles didn't atrophy. Her eyesight got less sensitive to the light and she began to take in more of her surroundings, with the brutes dragging her across the floor having a more detailed appearance. They were covered in white fur and wore masks that looked tribal in nature.

"What's happening?!" Ardent cried out. "Who are you?! Where are you taking me?!"

The brutes ignored her, and kept walking with Ardent in tow.

Author's Note

If you're wondering why Ardent and Wonder suddenly started using modern English, it's to signify that Ardent is losing her mind and, as a result, is misremembering things. I suppose that's what happens when you are locked up in a dungeon for what felt like an eternity.

Chapter 7 - Epilogue

Eventually, the Storm King was defeated and everything went back to normal. Everything except for Ardent. Nothing could ever go back to the way things were in her time. Nothing would undo the damage done to her mind, body and soul. Gone was the mare that would take the time of day to cure ponies of what ailed them, replaced with a vengeful demon who wished to engulf the world in darkness as retribution for what it put her through.

With the remnants of the Storm King's army, Ardent trotted slowly into the night away from Canterlot. Away from the ponies that were enjoying their lives and the fruits of their labour. She despised the fact that the current ruler of the land was still the same party-throwing extrovert she remembered her as before her imprisonment. At least, that was what she saw her as.

"Nothing matters. None of it,." Ardent muttered bitterly to herself. "Not the blessed alicorns, draconequi and other gods who look over Equestria in the sky, nor the accursed royals and nobles who rule the lands. To Tartarus with them all!"

It was a sunny day in a meadow filled with daisies and a tree blossoming with bright pink leaves. Despite the colourful and vibrant atmosphere, the bitter unicorn was having none of it. Due to the virus changing her physiology, she had now developed a weakness to sunlight. She traded in her tunic for a long black trench-coat with a fedora to match, befitting her more darker outlook on life. Underneath the tree, she saw two ponies that she now had nothing but contempt for. Star-Swirl and Future Wonder. While she grew to hate everypony but herself by this point, her enmity for those two were on the same level as Celestia and her pupil because those two pretended to be her friends when in reality, they were preparing her to be sacrificed.

"The only thing that truly matters is that I exact vengeance upon them."

Ardent stared at them, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. She trotted slowly towards them, her gait being more like an animal as she did so. A sinister smirk of her own slowly formed across her face.

"I will spread this plague all over Equestria, lure out these element bearers... and then I will kill them all."

Ardent's smile grew wider and more deranged as she fantasized about what unspeakable horrors she would unfold upon the element bearers, particularly Twilight Sparkle. She imagined herself slowly ripping her wings off like one would a butterfly. She knew those six ponies didn't deserve what she was going to do to them, but she didn't particularly care. If she didn't get her happy ending in spite of being as heroic as them, why should they get theirs?

"Then, the entire world shall be drenched in the darkness of despair for time eternal."

Star-Swirl and Future Wonder noticed Ardent, unaware of what she was about to do. Ardent slowly pulled out a pair of knives from her trench coat, trotting closer towards them. with She had the most malicious grin on her face. She trotted closer towards them until she plunged the knives into their chests, instantly sending them falling to the ground. Not yet satisfied, she kept stabbing the both of them again and again and again. As she did so, she let out a little giggle. For every stab, she giggled some more. By the time she was on her fiftieth stab, that giggling evolved into a deranged chuckle, and the chuckle grew into full-blown manic laughter. Her laughter, while loud and maddening, carried a tinge of despair with it. As she laughed, the ground and the sky were slowly engulfed in darkness. Her laughter echoed in the now black void. Ardent was intoxicated with the full extent of her plan and the laughter which accompanied it. The brutally stabbed corpses of her former mentor and loved one were eventually subsumed by the darkness as well, but Ardent didn't notice. Tears ran down Ardent's face as she continued to laugh. It felt like she was never going to stop laughing.

Truly, it was the laugh of a mare whose mind was irreparably broken.

Ardent sat in the middle of a desert. It was daytime and, thanks to her new attire, she didn't have to worry about the ill effects the sun had on her. She stared at the ground, drifting off into her own thoughts once again. She was snapped out of this stupor by the appearance of a black alicorn wearing a metallic mask and armour on his legs.

"Perhaps you feel as though you were treated unfairly?"

Ardent stared at the alicorn before her.

"What is it that you want from me?" Ardent asked.

"I have been watching you for some time, Cadenza. I am surprised you have stopped using the traditional royal language," the strange armoured pony replied.

"Don't call me 'Cadenza'. It's Leastweasel now. Ardent Leastweasel," Ardent said.

"Leastweasel?" the alicorn tilted his head.

"A name befitting talents I have picked up during my travels," Ardent said.

"Interesting. I take it you no longer have any interest in healing the sick anymore."

"My ability to bless others with good health is gone. Instead, I bestow upon them the same curse I am afflicted with, whether I want to or not," Ardent said.

Ardent closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the sclera turned black and the irises an unnatural yellow. She blinked again to change her eyes back into their normal colour, or their new normal colour since the disease has changed her eye colour to that of a sickly yellow.

"You have become a vessel for the Tenebray disease. With you by my side, not only will you make my forces stronger than ever, but we will be able to exact vengeance on those who have wronged us."

Ardent smiled at the alicorn's ambition.

"You know, for all this talk about how or why I should join you, I never learned your name," Ardent said.

"Ah, where are my manners? I am Lord Bearious. I was wrongfully banished by my own father for avenging my loved ones, who were killed by a tribe of draconequi."

"Draconequi, you say?" Ardent asked.

"Indeed. I slaughtered them all like the animals they were," Bearious said.

"Was your father King Kronus perchance?"

Bearious nodded his head. "Indeed."

"Personally, I never really liked his rule. Had I known what fate had in store for me and if I had this power that I have now, I would have gladly usurped him and ruled Equestria as its true monarch," Ardent said.

Bearious lent out a hoof towards Ardent.

"Join me, Ardent, and together, we can exact vengeance on a kingdom that has forsaken us."

Ardent put a hoof to her mouth in consideration, then smiled and extended her hoof to Bearious.

"While I have no desire to sit on the throne, I won't deny that it would be a fun opportunity to gather the attention of the element bearers as well as your beloved sister," Ardent said, her smile growing wider and more sinister by the word. Demonic.

"I would be more than happy to oblige. Hehehehahahaha. Hahahahahahaha! HOHOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

Author's Note

Yikes! If you thought the team-up between Tirek, Cozy Glow and Chrysalis spelt trouble for Equestria, just wait until what these guys have in store.

Anyhow, hope you liked the story and do feel free to check out red reaper's story once he gets around to writing it (especially since it's a collab effort between me, red reaper, and a few other writers with villainous OCs of their own).

:twilightsmile:

Chapter 6 - Revelation

Ardent was brought before the leader of the grunts that released her. The leader was similar to how his forces were dressed and they both had the same coloured fur. But this one looked more like an ape in comparison and had cloven feet as well as a big pair of horns. The ape jumped towards Ardent and crouched before her, like he was studying her.

"Uh...What are you supposed to be?" the ape asked Ardent.

"Ca...denza.." Ardent weakly replied "..Ar...dent...Cadenza.."

"Nice to meet you. I'm the Storm King."

The Storm King lent out his hand like he was about to perform a handshake. Ardent just stared at the hand, to which Storm King pulled it back.

"Yeah, it's kind of a name in progress. Going through a rebrand you see."

"Re..brand?"

"Yeah. Kind of a marketing thing. Speaking of which, can I get you anything?"

"Water. And food."

"Done. Hey! Someone get this unicorn some Storm King-brand water! And maybe a bag of potato chips while you're at it!"

One of the Storm King's servants quickly ran into another room to get food and water. In the meantime, Ardent observed her surroundings. It appeared to be a throne room with two doors on each side of the throne, one with a sun theme and the other with a moon theme. The room had a blue tint towards it, possibly due to the weather. She also noticed a trio of alicorn statues behind her, two of which resembling Celestia and Luna. They were perpetually frozen in terror. The windows showed various colourful pictures of the sun, the sea and the land.

The servant ran back into the room with a bottle of water that had the Storm King's face printed on it and an open bag of what appeared to be flat, dry potatoes, also with the Storm King's face on it. Consumed with thirst and hunger, Ardent quickly, and rather messily, devoured the snacks and drank all the water in the bottle. She looked at the Storm King, who was a little surprised by how quickly the refreshments were consumed, and turned away in embarrassment.

"Do forgive me. It has been a while since I have drank or eaten."

"Meh, table manners are overrated anyway. So,what is it that you did that got all these cute little ponies to lock you up, throw the key away and even build a brick wall in front of you? Must have been real bad!"

"I was charged with murdering my beloved and sentenced to ten years in the dungeon. I didn't mean to, though. It was just that my hallucinations got worse and there were these monsters and-"

"Boooooring! I was hoping for something cooler like threatening to blow up the world or something."

"Thou find my pain to be amusing?!"

"Not really. But before I have you chained up to a cart like I did the other guys, could you tell me if you have any special magic powers or anything like that?"

The Storm King's insensitivity was starting to get on Ardent's nerves. Nevertheless, she was willing to tolerate it for the sake of courtesy.

"If thee must know, I was a healer before my imprisonment."

"Ooh, I need one of those! Good thing I got a guy that can help us out here. Jerry!"

Another one of the Storm King's brutish servants entered the throne room. He was hopping on a pair of crutches.

"Jerry here stubbed his toe while rounding up the other cute ponies. Maybe you could, oh I dunno, use your healing magic or something?"

Ardent looked at Jerry. While mending a broken toe is slightly beneath her, it was a nice change of pace from curing ponies and other creatures of the plague. She trotted towards Jerry and focused her magic into his toe. Her magic was a darker aura than it was before and, while Jerry's toe healed, it quickly mutated into something horrific. Jerry roared in agony as the rest of his body transformed into a nightmarish abomination. Ardent stepped back in horror while Storm King looked on in delight.

"Now that's what I call making someone better! Haha!"

"Oh no. This wasn't supposed to happen!

" What wasn't?"

"I was meant to heal him and instead I bestowed my own ailment upon him!"

"And what kind of 'ailment' would that be?"

"The Tenebray Disease. A plague that ravaged Equestria during my time as a healer. How long have I been imprisoned if thou has't no knowledge of this foul malady?!"

"I dunno. Ask your princess over there."

The Storm King pointed to the statue of Celestia. While she wasn't that fond of the princess, Ardent was horrified by the implications that the Storm King turned the previous rulers into stone and usurped them. Is this what she had become now? A monster under the service of a tyrant?

"Your majesty, may I be excused? I require some time to reacquaint myself to the land that has forsaken me."

"Sure, go ahead. Be sure to come back. I need a little monster maker like you. Ooh, 'monster maker'! I like the sound of that."

Ardent made her way towards the door. But before she could open it, the Storm King jumped right next to her with a badge in hand. The badge was black in colour and had a cyan pair of what appeared to be either horns or lightning bolts.

"Just a heads up. You'll probably need this. Thought I'd tell you just in case any of my guys lock you up thinking your a regular schmoe pony that needs enslaving. Ciao!"

Ardent walked across Canterlot. She was surprised at how much it has changed in her absence. Gone were the cottages and the marble buildings with columns for days, instead replaced with tall white houses with purple roofs. The windows and roofs of most of the buildings she saw were damaged and broken, possibly as a result of Equestria's new king laying siege onto the land. There were lines of ponies attached to a long rope and muzzled up, with a handful of the Storm King's forces overseeing them. While she felt bitter about being locked up longer than she should have, it saddened Ardent to know that most of the ponies she encountered didn't deserve to be enslaved. A parchment blew in the wind. Curious, Ardent decided to pick it up. On the parchment was a map that led to a tree supposedly made of crystal. Fascinated by the appearance of the tree, Ardent followed the map.

After a careful trek into the Everfree Forest, Ardent entered the Cave of Harmony. In the centre of the cave was the crystalline tree that she had seen on the map. As she stared in wonder, the tree projected what appeared to be a magical manifestation that resembled Star-Swirl.

"Star-Swirl?" Ardent asked.

The Star-Swirl projection shook its head.

"What art thou?"

"I am the Tree of Harmony. I am using the form of your mentor in order to communicate with you, Ardent Cadenza."

"How doth thee know of my name?"

"I have foreseen your arrival. You wish to be enlightened on the events that have transpired in your absence."

"How long have I been imprisoned for?"

"More than a millennium. Star-Swirl would have come to free you after you have served your sentence but, due to one of his own allies becoming a creature of darkness known as the Pony of Shadows, he, his allies and the corrupted stallion were imprisoned in limbo."

Ardent looked at the tree in shock. She had been imprisoned for far longer than a mortal pony should and yet she is still alive. Her malady must have made her immortal.

"You missed out on many events during your imprisonment" the tree continued "Such as the uprising of Discord and King Sombra, the fall and banishment of Princess Luna and the ascension of one of your own descendants, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

The tree projected an image of the princess, and then showed her current petrified form. Ardent remembered seeing the statue in the throne room. She suddenly felt a sting in her heart. She should have been happy that her own flesh and blood lived a full life after her imprisonment and her beloved's departure, long enough to spawn little ponies of his own. And yet, all she felt was anger. She wanted to be happy but all it did was remind her of her own misfortune. In a twisted way, she was almost glad that her descendant got petrified.

"One of my descendants ascended to alicorn status and I didn't?"

"Yes. Most ponies refer to her as Princess Cadence. But she was not the only one to ascend in your absence, as a unicorn she once foalsitted by the name of Twilight Sparkle became the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic. She was also a pupil of Princess Celestia and helped redeem Luna with the rest of the Elements. Along the way, they have fought and even recruited many foes to their side."

The tree projected images of the many battles these supposed element bearers have fought and the victories they obtained. Since Star-Swirl, like many ponies back then, were more into action and practical solutions rather than simple negotiations, Ardent was pleased that the ponies wielding the elements have chosen more peaceful solutions to most of their conflicts, even if they sometimes resort to the power of the elements. But that left one question on her mind.

"So, if this sixtet of ponies have saved Equestria time and time again, even bringing salvation to a fallen princess like Luna, where does this leave me?"

The tree gave Ardent a look of sadness.

"While you have done many great things before your imprisonment, I'm sad to say that fate has other plans for you. To spread darkness across the lands is what your true calling in life is."

"What?"

"And then, to purge the Tenebray disease from this world forever, the element bearers will use their power to destroy you. There is no other way."

Ardent turned away and looked at her reflection in one of the many crystals within the cave. The reflection was a corrupted visage of her usual appearance. The whites in her eyes were pitch black and her irises were an unnatural yellow. Across one side of her mouth was a pattern on her face that almost looked like a smile. She gazed at what the crystal showed her in despair, which quickly turned to rage.

"So I'm not the saviour of ponykind, but its sacrificial lamb. Born only to die by the hoof of the heir apparent of somepony who had everything handed to her. That is the fate the gods have chosen to bestow upon me?!"

"Unfortunately so."

"But the element bearers managed to turn a spirit of chaos and disharmony to their side! Surely, they can do the same for me!"

"You saw for yourself what the plague had done to your ability to heal others. The only way for you to do any good now is to lay yourself bare and allow yourself to be sacrificed. I'm sorry, Ardent."

Ardent looked back at the projection of Star-Swirl and, in her newfound rage, blasted at the mirage with all her might. The projection disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Ardent all alone.

Then she saw Future Wonder and Star-Swirl standing behind her. While she knew deep down she was hallucinating again, she now desperately wanted answers from them, even though they were merely illusions.

"Did you two know about this?!" Ardent asked angrily "That I was meant to serve as some sort of sacrifice?!"

She trotted towards the illusion of her deceased lover.

"Did thou keep this from me, Wonder?!"

She then turned towards the Star-Swirl illusion.

"And what about thee, my mentor? Did you know?!"

The illusions disappeared, leaving Ardent alone again.

"ANSWER ME!" Ardent cried out before kneeling onto the floor.

Ardent was left broken by these recent revelations. What has she done to deserve such a grisly fate? What sins did she commit that needed to be atoned for with this act? Did she not suffer enough when she was left to rot in a dungeon for more than a millennium?

In the end, she was nothing more but a prisoner of fate.

Author's Note

Oh, Storm King, how I missed thee. Good thing too. This story was starting to get a bit too depressing for my tastes. And given how this chapter ended, I suppose some comic relief was in order before the end of the chapter.

Speaking of which, here's some fitting music to listen to while reading this chapter and the next one: