After Discord

by Faindragon

Rating: teen
Tags: Discord, Gore, Dark, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 47379

The Celestial Twins have defeated Discord, but Trotholm still needs to be cleared. That is up to me

The Celestial Twins have defeated Discord, but Trotholm still needs to be cleared. That is up to me.

After Discord is a fanfiction about what happened when the Celestial Goddesses, Luna and Celestia, had overthrown Discord. Note that this fanfic might ignore some parts of the canon.

WARNING! This fic spoil some parts of Chimes In the Dark, my other work.
Chimes can be found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4666/Chimes-In-the-Dark

Also note that this have not had its grammar corrected!

Published 2011-12-19 23:14:41 UTC
Last updated 2012-01-25 19:48:42 UTC

Chapter 1

I looked at the blood that slowly sipped down on the knife mounted on my hoof; watched with fascination as it filled the engraving written on the base of the knife. The warm blood dripped onto my right hoof, the same hoof which my knife was mounted upon. It was a delicate blade, made for killing and nothing else. I watched as the blood dropped onto the carpet, life red against royal blue. My victim struggled against my hooves, tried to scream; a scream that was muted by the hoof I held over his muzzle. I pressed the blade deeper into his body; the delicate metal work tearing muscle and flesh alike. The body that pressed against me, the body of my victim, was the body of an older stallion, my target for this night. I felt how Luna had started to take the older stallion with her, the life Celestia had given him slowly drained away from his veins. I slowly pulled the knife out of his body, turning him around. My hoof was still in his mouth, keeping him from screaming. I looked into his eyes; my body trembled with satisfaction of what I saw. Pain and panic flashed in the old stallions green eyes as the flame that was his life slowly had started to flicker, extinguished by my cold knife. I leaned towards the stallion; whispered into his ear.
"Discord have fallen, the goddesses have taken his place. Long live the princesses."

The pure horror that emerged from the stallions’ eyes filled me with life as I withdrew the knife and placed it against the stallions’ chest. I slowly lay some weight behind the knife, pierced the thin hide on the stallions chest. Slowly did the knife slide in the stallion, reaching the heart. The body became slack in my hooves. I slowly dropped the lifeless stallion to the floor, bending my neck and placing my hoof over the stallions heart. A fast prayer left my lips.
“Luna, goddess of night and death, welcome this lost soul to you. Punish him for the bad he have done in his life and reward him for the good. Celestia, goddess of day and life, I have to ask you about your forgiveness. I, one of your children, have extinguished the life giving flame you had given another of your children. See my reasons and forgive me, and know that I serve you, Celestia and Luna, the goddess of the circle of life and the circle of day. Now and forever do I serve the goddesses and true rulers of Equestria.”

I slowly rose from the floor. It hadn’t been the first time this past weeks that I had prayed that prayer; nor would it be the last time. I took a first look around the bedroom where the deed had been done. It was a big room, with a bed too big for a single pony. The tears of the fallen rattled against the two windows overlooking Trotholm. Luna’s celestial eye watched me, spread its silver light through the tears and into the room. A mirror caught my attention, its reflecting surface casting its twisted vision of the room. And in the middle of it was my own twisted reflection, standing over the owner of this house. I looked at myself, my own bright blue eyes looking back at me, my thunder-sky colored coat reflecting the silvery shine that Luna graced me with. No blood soaked my coat, not a single drop of the life-giving liquid. My eyes followed the outline, the outlines of a pegasus in his young years. Or, it would have been the outlines of a pegasus if it was not for one thing. My wings were long since gone, ripped off years ago. My eyes went directly to my cutie mark, a cogwheel. I wasn’t natural, murdering was not my true talent. It was said that you couldn’t change your talent after you had gotten your cutie mark. I am a living proof that you can.

*^*

I have always loved the tears of the fallen; it is as if the tears wash away the shame from my soul. Or, rather, what was left of it. I do not believe that I have an immortal soul anymore, not after the changes I have gone through, not after I have gone against my nature, the nature of all living, the harmony of all. I have not only forsaken myself by ignoring my talent, no, I have forsaken so much more. To take another ponies life, to disturb the harmony in that way. I have forsaken the goddesses by disturbing their harmony. But in one way I work for the goddesses, I’m a faithful follower; I do what I believe is the best for the goddesses, the true ruler of Equestria. To clean up this city, my home city, the city called the ‘City of the Fallen Alicorns’, is what I have tasked myself with. I’m going to rot out every corruption in this city; I will clean it from the filth that Discord once placed here. Luna and Celestia is my witnesses.

My hooves found their own way over the rough cobblestones that were the main street of the gray Trotholm. Only a few other ponies where out in the falling tears, most of them were probably hurrying home, trying to escape it. They ignored me in the same way as I ignored them, some glanced my way but that was it. My great grandfather had told me that Trotholm once had been a beautiful city, resident of the alicorns and the greatest city in Equestria. That had been before Discords’ raise to power. My great grandfather had been a guard in the castle at that time, the time when Discord single-handedly erased the alicorn from the mind of ponykind. My great grandfather told me about the alicorns and about his time as a guard.

The alicorns, he told me, had been created as the goddesses representations. They had been perfect in every manner. The physical strength and endurance of an earth pony, the wings and agility of a pegasus, and the horn and mind of an unicorn. They had been created to rule, but they had always been kind at heart. Earth Pony, unicorn and Pegasus alike, all had they had their place, a place they were more than happy with. It was the alicorns who had made sure that the prayers had reached the goddesses; it was the alicorns who took upon them to appease the goddesses. But how powerful the alicorns might have been had they all been slaughtered under Luna’s celestial eye less than eighty years ago, slaughtered by an even more powerful being.

Nopony knew where Discord had come from, nor who had created him. My great grandfather had been on guard duty at the time when Discord attacked, he had seen what had happened. Discord had attacked when Luna had raised her eye over the sky, during one of the two daily prayers in the great castle that the alicorns inhabited. My great grandfather had air duty during the Luna hours, circling over Trotholm. He had returned to report directly as Luna’s celestial eye had reached its highest peak. He had been greeted by an utter disaster. Luna’s celestial eye had shone red for what had happened.

Luna’s blood red grace had shone down into the castles prayer halls. My great grandfather and his squad had entered the prayer room, the room of the goddesses as it was called. They were meet by the view of slaughtered alicorns. Blood and gore had been spreading out in the room, dead alicorns lay everywhere. And in the middle of the room, at the altar of the twin eyes, had he been standing, looking into the distance, laughing for himself. Discord, the alicorn bane and former ruler of Equestria, stood there, Luna’s blood red grace embraced him.

In his hand did he hold the head of the alicorn king, talking to eyes cloaked with Luna's shadow. My great grandfather hadn’t understood the words the vile creature had spoken, nor did he want to. What had happened thereafter had been enough for him to want to turn around, gallop away. Discord had grappled the head in both his hands, holding it in front of his eyes, screaming in its face.

“The alicorns reign have come to an end, I am the ruler of Equestria now. My chaos will spread across the land, corrupt every living thing. The chaos will be the new order; your goddesses are banished from this land. With no prayers left, where will they get their power from? Utter chaos will rule from this day forward.” Discord had then crushed the alicorns dead head with his lion paw and eagle talon, the red liquid that gives a pony life splashing against the floor. He had turned around, laughed and looked at my great grandfather and his squad. With a few last words had he touched each one of them and then disappeared in a bright flash.

My great grandfather travelled to Luna’s side when I was only a filly. He had been sick a long time, and it was during one of those days, when I was alone with him, that he told me the story of Discord. He told me other things, ancient rituals and prayers, for the twin goddesses I had never heard about. When I talked with my parents had they looked down on me questioning, they hadn’t heard about the goddesses either. But as I grew did I understand the true meaning of the story he had told me.

Discord had removed a part of my great grandfather’s memory, and I suspected it was removed from every other pony as well; wiped out from the memory of the entire ponykind. A memory had been removed to ensure that the goddesses would never get their power back. The goddesses had been forgotten by the entire ponykind.

And my great grandfather had, on his death bed, remembered. And he had told the first pony he had been able to; to make sure that it wasn’t forgotten. When I came to this conclusion, at the same day I had gotten my cutie mark, did I freeze in place. It all came to me, washed over me; the goddesses didn’t have any power in Equestria if they weren’t prayed to. The night and day was irregularly, Discord chaos controlled both sunset and sunrise, not the goddesses. I felt to my knees right there, on the square, a square that I later got the knowing of was the squad in front of the alicorn’s castle, and prayed.

I can’t recall what I prayed, nor if I shouted or whispered. What I know is that I was laying there, praying, until the guards had thrown me in a cell. And in the cell I kept praying. A day later, or around fifty sunsets as it was during the chaos time, was I finished praying. I was still on my knees in that cell when I felt two hooves touching me. One was as warm as Celestia’s grace in the summer and the other was as cold as Luna’s grace in the winter. I jerked back, quickly getting to my hooves, and the touch vanished.

I remember looking in the room, seeing nothing but pitch darkness. None of the celestial eyes illuminated this place, none of them spreading their grace around me. So I waited, and thought.

My thoughts wandered around aimlessly. The goddesses could come back to power, the order my great grandfather had talked about could return. And all it needed was prayers, prayers from all of ponykind. But I couldn’t just go out and talk to ponies around me; Discord would get the knowing of that somepony remembered quicker than I could spread the words of the goddesses. No, that was not the way to do it; but what was.

I can not remember how long I sat in that pitch darkness, Celestia’s and Luna’s hours floated together down there. I remember that I prayed more than once, I remembered that I had food and water pushed into my cell more than once, a torch illuminated the room from a chink between the door and the stone that was the cells floor, I remembered that I feared.

I feared that Discord had gotten words about it; I feared that the goddesses would once more be forgotten. I remember that I sat there, embraced myself with my wings, and prayed. I prayed over and over again to the goddesses, prayed over them to protect me. I felt helpless in that cell and I found confidence in the goddesses, found confidence in their embrace. Because even if I didn’t have their grace shining down on me did I know that they watched me.

And then, one day when I waked up, was the door open. No guards were positioned outside. I slowly walked outside, only to be stopped just before the stairs by an earth pony. It was a guard and he raised his hoof, pointing towards one door on the same floor without a word. I understood the sign and didn’t want to cause any trouble so I walked towards the door.

I feared that door, feared what might lay in wait behind it. Its dark wood whispered to me, paralyzed me, draw my eyes towards it. My eyes followed every line in that door, as if the answer for an escape lay there within. The lines etched to my mind, I would probably be able to draw those lines today if I had to.
I remember the panic and fear that drifted in my mind, washing all other feelings away. I remember the sour sweat mixed smell that hit my nostril in front of that door. I remember the golden letters written on the door, “Warden”. I remember how the door opened and revealing a room where an unicorn was positioned behind a desk, Luna’s celestial eye illuminating the room.

What I don’t remember is what happened in there.

*^*

I looked up; the cold, fresh Luna hour air whirled around me as I stood on a square only illuminated by Luna's grace. The square was covered with puddles of water, the tears of the fallen that had been pouring down had moved on without me noticing. As if my hooves had gotten direction from my memory did I find myself on the square in front of the alicorn castle, or as it had been known under during the time of chaos, the forbidden castle. The same square I had first came to the conclusion of the goddesses, the same square that I had prayed my first prayer at.

The statue was still standing there, the statue of Discord on his throne, the statue that symbolized the corruption that had taken over Trotholm. The castle was still ruled by that corruption, servants of Discord still ruling from that castle. Trotholm had broken free from the rest of Equestria; none knew what had happened with Discord; that was something the inhabitant of Trotholm did not know about, the fact that Trotholm was ruled from the castle was a well-guarded secret. I am the only free citizen who knew about it, and I believe that very few inside the castle knew about it. The goddesses had defeated Discord; that I knew for sure. They had left Trotholm for me to clean up, otherwise they would already have been seizing control of this city; nothing would have been able to stop them, not now.

I might not have been truthful when I said that none knew. Discord servant knew for sure. Not only was it easy to tell on the guards, guards trotting the streets in unease; not for the ones they should guard. No, they was trotting in unease because of how their captain acted, and their captains acted because of how his or her, what sex he or she was had never occurred me to find out, superior acted. And so it went, straight to the top. That we were cut off from the rest of Equestria was easy for me to see, I knew what to look for. The “announcements” from “Discord” had been coming to often and had been too vague the last days. But the inhabitants of Trotholm didn’t know; they lived on as if nothing had happened. A few seemed to have realized that Celestia’s grace shone down upon them for a longer time before Luna’s grace took its time. They didn’t seem to realize that the Celestial hour and Luna’s hours had found harmony. And even fewer realized what it meant.

I felt how the smell of the clean tears reached my nostrils, smiled at the welcomed thought of how even the fallen wanted to clean the filth that Discord had covered Trotholm in.

I looked at the two guards standing in front of the castle gates, two pegasi standing still although the tears of the fallen slowly rolled down their armor. They must be chilled to the bone by the wind that howled the square at this late Luna hour. I found myself thinking about how easy it would be to kill the guards and infiltrate the castle, cleanse the corruption that ruled Trotholm from within those walls. I found myself closer to the castle; I had started to walk towards it, blade unsheathed. The guard was eyeing me; I could easily see how they stiffened as they prepared themselves for whatever I would do with the drawn blade. I chuckled slightly. They would not have a chance against me if it came to crossing blades; that I were sure of. But it was not my time to strike yet, I had no information.

I chuckled for myself; this was not the time to start trouble. More information would have to be collected before I attacked the castle itself, I had to know whom it was who had the power inside the castle, who was tainted by the corruption from Discord and who was not.

I sheathed my blade as I turned around, leaving the square behind me, slowly started to trot against the darker part of Trotholm.

Chapter 2

The Dark Stable was not the brightest gem in Trotholm. In fact, a jeweler would probably throw it away without taking a second look at it. But for now it was my home. A dirty tavern in the darker parts of Trotholm, The Dark Stable stood out in the crowd of others, as dirty if not dirtier, taverns. After all, this was the place you came to if you searched for somepony who could do your dirty job for you. I had chosen to stay here for safety reasons, this was a place that was avoided by the guards, not even on a direct order did they come here with less than half the force.

My hooves took me towards my temporary home when I saw something out of the corner of my eyes. Celestia’s grace had started to break the horizon.

I was late!

*^*

My hooves swiftly carried me towards the walls guard tower. How could I miss it? Every day for years, and today I was close to missing it? The guard tower came into view, it was only a single corner left and I would reach it. A metallic sound made me stop in my spring. The sound, a sound of horseshoes, came from the other side of the corner, from the guard tower. I quickly looked around, my eyes catching a water puddle. I walked over towards it, checked my reflection for any blood in the coat or anything else that would tell them what I had done this evening. I started to calm down, making my breath regular again. It went slower than it should, I threw worried looks toward the sky. It would soon be to late!

As soon as my breath was regular again did I round the corner. I wasn’t suprised to see the guards standing close to the guard tower, the sound they made was the only sound in this early Celestia hour. Two of the guards was unicorns, both in light collors. The other two, one pegasus and one earth pony, was both in darker colors. They all had the light, brown, armor of the city guards.

The guards swifted slightly at the sight of me. The two unicorns lifted their crossbows with their magic; aiming the deadly bolts directly at my heart. I ignored them, continued to walk towards the guard tower.

“Halt, who goes there?” one of the unicorns called towards me.

I ignored him, continued to walk. I knew that if it came to fighting would I have to throw myself to one side quickly to make sure the bolts didn’t hit me. They were not magically enchanted, no glow surrounded the bolts. The unicorns had to go first, then the pegasus and lastly the earth pony.

“On orders from the great leader do we stand here so to not let anypony pass. If you take another step will we shoot to kill.” the unicorn warned, his magic embracing yet another crossbow that he brought forth beside the other.

I stopped in my tracks, looking towards the sky. Celestia’s grace had spread it first light even further, it would soon be to late. I looked at the unicorn guard who had spoken up.

“And why do you stand here to not let anypony pass?” I asked him, my mind looking for a way out of here. The time was almost up!

“I do not questions the orders I have been given citizen, nor should you. Now leave this area befor....” the unicorn said, only to be interrupted by a guard captain who looked out from the guard door. The guard captain was an earth pony with a light beige coat and he wore the silver armor that was common for a captain in the city guard.

“Guard Corelight, at ease. You are to let this pony pass, he is here on my invitation.” the guard captain said, looking at me.

“But captain, our orders was to not le....”

“I know that Corelight, but my words goes here. If the great captain want to punish me for letting an old friend, who have been here every morning for years, come into the guard tower for his daily meditation then he will take it with me. Did I make myself clear?”

“But sir, our..”

“DID I make myself clear Corelight?” the captains voice didn’t raise but the threat in it was easy to hear.

“Sir yes sir.” the unicorn, Corelight, said. He took his crossbows away and stepped aside, shot a hateful glare towards me.

The captain, an old earth pony I befriended a long time ago, known under the name of Lightheart; looked at me as I made my way towards the guard tower. I meet his hazelnut-brown eyes, and he smiled lightly.
“You are late, I was afraid you wouldn’t show up.”

I only nodded and walked past him, made my way upwards the stairs. I might be in a hurry, but I did not hurry my steps. This was an important part of this ceremony, not as important as the meditation but still important. Lightheart walked after me, his steel horseshoes clinking against the stone stairs of the old guard tower. The guard towers had stood here for as long as Trotholm itself, guarded the city together with the city wall, guarding it against it that might search it harm.

“You are lucky that I was the one on guard in this tower this morning, I’m being transferred tomorrow. Going serve at the castle instead.”

I nodded again. I knew that he was going to be moved, that information had been easy to come over. But that he was moved to the castle... That struck me as a hammer blow between the eyes.

I didn’t show it outwards though. I only walked, my mind quickly sorted that information away to be looked over later. Now there were only one thing on my mind. The meditation.

I stood there at the flat top of the guard tower. Lightheart had stepped away, he knew that I wanted the space during my meditation. I felt the early Celestia hour wind blow through my mane and coat, catch every hair on my body. But most importantly, I was not late.

I lay down in the middle of the open space, felt the cold from the stones seep into my body, challenging my body heat for control. I felt the water from the rain sip into my coat. But most importantly, I felt THEM.

Slowly did I clear my mind of thoughts, letting go of them all until only one thought remained. I slowly lifted my eyes to the sky, my eyes on the point where the Celestial Twin’s gaze would met. And as the gaze of the Celestial Twin’s met did I start my pray. The gazes twisted before my eyes, embracing each other before they slowly let go and drifted apart again.

“Celestial goddesses, ruler over life and over death.
Let my spirit fly on the wings of freedom.
Let my mind drift in the wind that you control.
Let peace and harmony fall over Equestria.
Protect the weak and the old.
Protect the sick and the young.
Protect the ones that walk under your wings.
Protect the ones who have yet to find the way.
In your hooves do I lay my fate.
In your hooves do I lay my future.
In your hooves do I lay my life.
Protect me as I hunt down the ones who bring harm.
Protect me as I protect the ones around me.
As a phoenix will you raise again.
As a phoenix will you ignite the wrong in this world.
As the Celestial goddesses will you bring forth peace and harmony.
In your service, in life and in death.
In your service, for the greater of ponykind.”

It might not be the best of prayers, but that was not the important part. The important part was that I my entire soul took part in this prayer, my entire being believed in every word. It was built with words directly from my heart.

I felt how my body was heated by the gaze of Celestia, I felt how my mind was cleared by the gaze of Luna. But most importantly, I felt how they looked at me, how they supported me in this hard time.

I slowly watched as Celestia’s celestial eye rose over the horizon. It was a sight that had met my eyes every day for the last years, in the same way that Luna’s celestial eye met me at the night meditation. Still I was stunned by the sheer beauty of that eye that met my gaze every morning.

I rose from my position on the stone floor. A few of the fallen’s tears dripped out of my coat and landed on the stone. I walked over to the side of the guard tower, watching out over Trotholm.

The city slowly rose with the sun, bathed in Celestia’s grace, bathed in her glory. The white stones of the castle sparkled in the embrace of her glorifying grace.The bakeries were already running hot, the first customers would soon arive. Trotholm was a lively city, ponies was on their way to work or out for other things of importance. Guards trotted the streets, for an untrained eye everything seemed perfectly natural. But I saw what nopony else saw.

The guards walked nervously, their steps were to quick, their heads looked to much on the ponies all around them. The guard was nervous and afraid, of what they did not know. But I know what they really were nervous about, what they feared to see in the shadows.

Me.

They feared to see me, they feared my presence in the shadows around them. They knew I was somewhere in the city, they thought that they would be dead if they found me. Fear is a tool that is easy to work with, especially if you do not have to do anything at all. And I did not need to.

Words had spread around the city guards. It was dangerous to go alone, if the mysterious shadow finds you, you are dead meat. I had never let anypony who had see me kill live to tell the tale, I left no mark behind that could lead towards me.

I was a shadow in this city.

A shadow that slowly, unknowing of the inhabitants of Trotholm, cleansed this city from filth.

A shadow who works for the goddesses.

Chapter 3

I smiled for myself as I turned around from the view, looking back at Lightheart. I nodded towards him.

“You are finished for today my friend? I should warn you, tonight is my last time as captain for this tower, so it will also be the last time you can be sure to get up here for your meditation. It pains me that it have to be like that, but I will leave a note to the new captain, if we are lucky then it is one of the nicer guard captains, one of the others who have joined the guard to protect and not to tyrannize.” he said, looking at me with sad eyes.

I nodded once.

“But you are welcome tonight, at dawn as normal. I will wait for you my friend.”

I nodded once more, started to trot towards the staircase down the tower.

*^*

The guards were still standing outside, the unicorn, Corelight, glared at me. As I started to walk away could I hear a scream of dread in the distance. It seems like the wife had found the body of tonight’s work. I smiled as I kept walking, walked towards The Black Stable.

Ponies passed me, on their way to work or other places. Small fillies and colts played in Celestia’s grace, rolled in the still wet grass or chased each other. Guards trotted the city streets, more at ease under the watching eye of the day goddess, at ease because of the lack of shadows.

They might not know that the goddesses watched them, but I know that she did. I knew that the goddesses watched over Trotholm, protecting the city’s inhabitants from harm.

A baker’s apprentice, a colt to young for the cutie mark that adorned his flank, yelled out his masters goods; tried to get customers to the bakery. I thought about going over to buy some bread, but I realized that I did not have any bits on me; I had left my saddlebags in my room.

The bells chimed from the guards quarters on the other side of the city; one chime for the guards to return, the second for the day guards to walk out. But today, something was different.

A third chime was heard today. A warning to all the guards; a severe crime have happened, the guilty is yet to be caught.

I couldn’t help myself but to smile at the guards who startled look at each other before they swiftly left for the guard quarters, trying to look at all directions at once. The citizens of Trotholm kept on with their work, a few looked at the guards who left so swiftly, but most did not care about the guards at all. The darker part of Trotholm did not care what happened in the other parts of the city. And to be honest did nearly nopony here know what the guard chimes meant.

It did not take long to get back to The Black Stable. I gently put my hoof against door to the tavern, gently nudging it open. A sound made me turn my head away, looking down the street, in the direction of the castle.

The only thing I saw were a group of ponies trotting away from their homes, trotting out for a day of work. Nothing out of the ordinary. I turned back to the door, took the step into the common room of The Black Stable.

The first thing that hit me was the smell. The pleasant smell of roasted carrots hit my nostrils, merged with the smell of the few roses that was placed around the room. I relaxed, let the scent wash over me. The fireplace gaped empty, who needed a fire at this time of the year? Four tables stood in the room, a stage could be seen at the other side of the room. Besides the stage was the stairs up and besides them the bar.

I was finally back to the place I called home. I opened my muzzle to call out for Carrotrose, the owner of The Black Stable, when I was suddenly hit in the side by a pale yellow ball.

I stumbled over, surprised at the sudden weight at my side. The yellow ball opened its eyelids, looked up at me with jade green eyes.
“Daddy, you are back!”

I looked at my daughter, a smile growing on my muzzle.
“Yes Honey, I’m back.”

The little filly jumped of me and helped me up again, all the time talking.
“What are we going to do today daddy? Are we going to the zoo? Or will you take me to see the sunrise? No wait, you cant do that, the sun is already up! What will it be? What will it be?”

I smiled fondly at my little filly, felt the the tiredness from the night rush back to me, as if she used all my energy.

Had he had a child? A child that never would see her father smile again? No, this was not the time to think about tonight’s activities, this was a path I had chosen; I will clean Trotholm no matter what the cost. I looked down at Honey again. Nearly no matter what the cost.

But still, had he had a child? A child I now had doomed to live its entire life without a father, a child that would never understand what had happened?
NO this was NOT the time to think about that, my path was chosen, written in the stars. It do not matter what would stand in my way or how many I hurt, Trotholm WILL be cleansed from filth, tonight’s murder was only the first, the corruption went deep and I had just started digging for the root.

“Daddy whats wrong?” Honey asked, looked at me with those giant jade green eyes.

“Nothing is wrong sweetie, I’m just tired. I will not be able to walk out with you today. But tell you what, I will give you a few bits and you can go out and play with the rest of the fillies and colts.” I said, resisting the urge to yawn.

“But I wanted to spend the day with you.” she said, tears filling her jade green eye. “We nearly never do anything.”

I nuzzled her.
“You know what? I will only need a couple of hours of sleep, so go out and play with your friends and when Ce.. the sun has reached its peak come back inside and wake me up and I will spend the rest of the day with you.”

Not even my daughter knew about the goddesses. It was a secret I had not told anypony about yet, a secret that was mine alone for the time being. A secret that I would soon let out. But I could not put my daughter in danger by telling her about it now.

The tears in Honey’s eyes had disappeared.
“You promise?” she asked, a smile growing on her muzzle.

“I promise. Now go upstairs and get a few bits and go out and play, wake me up later.”

She disappeared up the stairs, a yellow ball bouncing with joy. My yellow ball, my daughter.

Chapter 4

Nightmares.

We all have them sometimes in our life.

It is normal for the smallest of Celestia’s children.

But even the old have them.

And when the old have them.

Are they often so much worse.

And do you know what the worst part is?

You do not know that it is a dream before it is all over.

*^*

I woke up in a narrow room. No windows decorated the wall, no windows to let in the grace of either of the celestial eyes. The room was illuminated by four torches, each making the shadows move across the room. The air was cold and still, every hair in my coat stood. What had happened? I was in the same cell as I was in years before, when I was arrested after I had fallen down on my knees in prayer in front of the castle. I bolted up from the bed I had awoken in.

Where was Honey?

Was she hurt? Was she around here? Had they come for me before she came back?

My nostrils picked up the smell of sweat, of old mold, of dirty water. A rat rushed past my hooves, holding something that looked like bo... no I do NOT want to think about what that looked like. My eyes wandered around the narrow room, looking for a way out. I could not find any, other than the wooden door at the end of the room. I slowly walked over to the door, putting my hoof against it. I pushed as hard as I could, it did not budge an inch. And the worst part was the fact that there was no keyhole in the door.

I walked back and forth in the narrow room, thinking back to the day I had last been here. Had the door had a keyhole then? I could not remember. The only thing I remembered was that it had one day been open.

I turned around as I thought about the open door, and found myself standing in front of the now opened door.

What is happening to this place?

What is happening to me?

I slowly walked forward to the now open door. This had to be a trap. I gently placed my hoof on the stone floor.

*^*

I found myself in a circular room. In the middle of the room stood two thrones on a plinth. Stairs lead up to the twin thrones. The room was richly ornate, red and golden symbols was embraced with silver and black ones at the walls. Sun and moon circled each other in the roof. Beautiful paintings of various landscapes covered part of the walls. Celestia’s eye graced me with its light here, it had yet to reach its peak. And on the thrones sat THEY.

THEY seemed to ignore me.

“It is to early, he is not ready yet!” the white mare said.

“How did he get here? What happened? Is Discord’s magic still this strong?” the black mare called out.

To early for what? What am I not ready for? It felt as someone had emptied a bucket of ice water over my head, I over came the shock.

I was standing in front of the goddesses.

I knelt on the spot, at the middle of the silver and golden carpet.

*^*

I felt my knees hit a cold, dusty stone floor. I opened my eyes again.

Only to find out that I was back outside the cellar. The door was closed behind me. The hallway was the same as the one so many years ago, only... dustier. Torches illuminated the narrow hallway, filling it with a golden light and shadows. I rose up again, looking more around me. I feared was I would see but I let my eyes wander towards the staircase, but I did so anyway.

I feared to see the same guard again, to relive that memory.

But my eyes found nothing. Nopony stood at the staircase, it was as if the building was abandoned. The dust on the floor was so thick that nopony could have been down here in years.
I took a step forward.

*^*

“Why do you resist? What is the fun in your life right now? What do you do with your life?”

I looked around in confusion. Or, I would have looked around if I had a body.
What is happening?
“Who’s there?” I called out to the darkness, my voice weak. I was afraid. “Show yourself.”

I was only met with laughter.

“Who’s there?” I called out again.

“You do not need to know my name, as little as I need to know yours. Now, answer my questions before I have to drag them out from you!” the voice said with a touch of impatience.

“What do I resist from? The fun in my life is to see my daughter smile every day, to bring joy to her.” I said, not knowing if these answers would be the ones he.... it wanted. “And with my life do I strive to clean Trotholm from the filth.”

“What filth? Trotholm is the only clean city there is out there. Have you SEEN the ‘goddesses’ rule?” the voice asked, making the word goddesses seem like a curse. “And you resist me.”

“Trotholm has the filth of corruption over it, I will cleanse the city I love. And if I resist you then it is good, seemingly how you think about the goddesses.”

The voice laughed again.
“I will soon see you again.”

*^*

I found myself in front of a door. I remembered that door. I knew every line in it by heart, they had etched into my mind. Some of the golden letters had fallen away, only three was left. D, E and N.

I nudged the door with my hoof to open it. It fell inwards.

I looked at the door in surprise. What had happened? Then I looked into the room.

“You can’t escape me. You can’t resist me. Enjoy your freedom while you have it.” A voice called out, from where I did not know.

I spun around.
“Who’s there?” I shouted towards the hallway.

I don’t know how long I stood there before I turned around again.

The door was standing again, blocking the way.

The letters had formed a word.

END.

I spun around, walked away from the door.

*^*

I felt. The darkness was around me. Cold air rushed around me. Stars twinkled in the distance, slowly fading away one after another.

In the end was I surrounded by complete darkness.

“Do you see it now?” the voice was back.

“See what? I can not see anything in this pitch darkness.” I answered.

“It is because you have not opened your eyes yet.”

Suddenly, two red eyes stared at me, pierced my mind with the ruby shards that was their glare.

“Don’t you see what is going on around you? Are you blind? Is not the people of Trotholm happy? Do you want to take that away from them? It is not they who are evil.” the voice mocked me.

“They live without knowing the truth, they live in an illusion, of course they are happy when the illusionist tells them to be.” I answered. “I will shatter the illusion, give them true happiness. Remove the evil and corruption that soak this city with its filth.”

A laugh pierced my ears.
“Remove the evil from the city? Would not that be you, the one who strives to remove their happiness?”

The eyes faded away.

*^*

I opened my eyes, found myself still in the dusty hallway. I ran up the stairs and hurried outside. I was met by Celestial’s grace that shone upon me, her eye had nearly reached its peak. A couple of ponies stared at me as if I had returned from the dead. I looked at myself in a window closeby. I was covered in dust, my coat stood out in different angles. I looked wildly around, stared back until the other ponies looked away. A couple of guards walked towards me.

I turned around and started to run, the guards shouting after me, order me to stop.

I did not care.

It did not take long before I entered the darker parts of Trotholm, the guards stopped in track, refusing to follow me any longer. I was not of importance it seemed.

I slowly made my way towards The Black Stable. Celestia’s eye closed in the distance to its peak. I had to be back in my room before Honey came back, I could not make her worry about me, or believing that I snuck away.

*^*

The worst with a nightmare is the times when it is not a dream.

The times the nightmare is what really is happening around us.

Chapter 5

I arrived at my room in time, Honey had not been there yet. I looked out of the window from my room, and I saw Honey trotting in the street towards The Black Stable. I quickly laid down in the bed, pretending to sleep. She would be very disappointed if she did not get the opportunity to wake me, and I had disappointed her enough today.

As I laid there, waiting and looking into the wall, did I rethink the events that had taken place during this morning. My mind was not clear, I could not solve the puzzle. Instead, I just laid there, wondering how it would go, how I should proceed with this. How I should proceed with the cleansing of Trotholm. I felt surprisingly awake, as if I had been asleep during that nightmare. My mind was not clear, but my body was awake.

My thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the door slowly opening. I laid still, slowed my beating heart, slowed my breathing. I heard the sound of small hooves hitting the floor, only seconds before I was hit by them myself.

“Wake up daddy, the sun has reached its peak.” Honey said as she jumped on me. “Get up lazy daddy!”

I rolled over. Caught my daughter between my hooves.
“I am awake, Honey. Take it easy before you break the bed.” I smiled at her. “So, where do you want to go? You decide!”

Honey jumped down from me, and the bed, onto the floor.
“I... I... I don’t know daddy.”

She sat down, a grump expression on her face.
“Its not fair, I thought you would choose as always! I wasn’t prepared for this.” she said, glaring sourly at me.

I laughed as I got up from the bed.
“Are you sure you don’t know anywhere you want to go, Honey? We have the docks, the market, the castle square. Anywhere you want to go today. I will let you decide, so take away that grumpy face.”

Honey shone up, her smile shinning as Celestia’s celestial eye.
“I want to see the gardens!” Honey said, the smile still wide on her muzzle.

Of course she would say the gardens, the only place where there would be more guards than towns people. I smiled towards her.
“I said you would decide where we would go today, but are you sure about the gardens? Are you really interested in that, is the market not funnier?”

She looked at me, smiling.
“You told me I would be the one to decide, and I decide the gardens!” she said as she jumped up at my back, snuggling herself down at my neck. “Let us go daddy, I want to see the gardens.”

I sighed.
“The gardens it is my little filly.”

I felt her hoof hitting the back of my head lightly.
“I’m not a filly! I’m a big pony!”

I smiled as I started to walk, picking up the saddlebags on the way.
“Nah, you are not that big of a pony yet, you are still my filly.”

*^*

The gardens of Trotholm was positioned nearly in the middle of the city. It were beautiful gardens with flower arrangements, rippling water and big trees that threw it shadows over it all. For a lot of ponies was it relaxing to slowly trot around in these gardens.

For me was it a living hell.

Guards trotted the gardens, looking at everypony they passed with hard looks. In here they where in control, at least eight other guards were always in shouting range.

For Honey, however, was this the best time in her life. She trotted in full speed from flower arrangement to flower arrangement. Blue flowers, yellow flowers, pink flowers... she smelled every flower at least once. It was a hard time for me to walk in those gardens but I tried to not show anything outwards, I walked there with a smile on my muzzle and eyes on Honey.

She looked so happy and full of life where she stood with her muzzle in a flower arrangement, smelling a flower as pale yellow as her self.

I genuinely smiled. This might not have been as bad idea as I had thought from the start.

Honey trotted away again, trotting towards one of the water passages. She looked down in the crystal clear water that rippled as it flowed through the garden. I smiled at her as I trotted towards her. A couple of guards passed me, I greeted them happily. They greeted me in return before they kept going down the way in the gardens.

‘This day might end up as a really good day’ I thought to myself as I continued trotting towards Honey.

The water was clear and threw its twisted reflection of me and Honey, as well as the trees behind us and the sky above us. Celestia’s eye shone down upon us, warmed us with its grace. It was a beautiful time this late Celestial hour. And most importantly, I spent it with my daughter, with my little filly.

I turned my head slightly, looked at her as she slowly reached down a hoof towards the water. She quickly withdrew the hoof from the cold water.
“Its so cold...” she said, her eyes still fixed at the water.

“Is it, sweetie?” I asked as I lowered my hoof into the water. It was really cold.

“Yes it really is,” she said as she turned towards her.

I acted swiftly, drew up the hoof and with it a cascade of water, all of it hitting Honey. She looked at me, here eyes wide in shock. It only took a second before she regained her composure. Her hoof was quickly down in the water.
“IT... IS...ON” she nearly yelled as she brought up her hoof from the water, splashing me with ice cold water.

*^*

An hour later had we made our way out of the gardens, the water from our little water fight had dried under the grace from Celestia’s eye. Honey jumped around my legs, she was happy.

And if she is happy then I’m happy.

*^*

We sat at the biggest of the seven piers in the port of Trotholm. I was happy that I had spent the day with Honey, who now lay asleep on my back, worn out after today’s fun. I smiled gently as I trotted back through Trotholm, making my way back towards The Black Stable; Honey’s body warmth warming my back.

*^*

I entered The Black Stable. Some patrons had found their way here this evening, a few of them greeting me as I walked in. I nodded towards them, still smiling.

Carrotrose, a grey earth pony with pale amber eyes, greeted me from behind the bar counter.
“Good afternoon,” her eyes went to the sleepy Honey. “Aww, is the little sweetie asleep? Do you want me to take her to the room? I think you are about to be late for whatever you do at night.”

I smiled at Carrotrose.
“If you don’t mind Carrotrose,” I looked out of the window, I still had enough time to get to tonight’s meditation. “I might not return tonight, if she wakes up tell her that it is a long time at work would you?”

She smiled at me as she trotted around the counter, gently placing Honey on her own back.
“Of course I will tell her that. And take care, I heard the guards have started to arrest people who are walking the streets after the night has come.”

I turned around, trotting out of the common room.
“Thank you Carrotrose, I will remember to be careful.”

I emerged from The Black Stable, the chilling wind of the late Celestia hour rushing through my coat and mane. I smiled, wondering how tonight’s events would play out. I knew that no matter what happened to me, Honey would be in good hooves.

I slowly started to walk towards the guard tower, my mind was sharper than it had been in a long time, my body more relaxed than it had been for weeks. It was as if I had slept the entire day instead of spending it with my daughter.

*^*

I smiled lightly as I got closer to the guard towers. The guards had been changed, this time was it four pegasi that stood guard. They seemed to have gotten the knowledge that I would arrive since they moved out of the way directly as I walked towards them.

Lightheart smiled at me as I entered the guard tower.
“Welcome back friend. I will need you to stay for a minute or two after today’s meditation if you do not mind.”

I nodded towards him, he had after all let me pass for the last years every night, no matter what the blockade was or on who’s order the blockade had come from. I owed him as much for letting me pass every day.

Celestia’s grace shone down on me as I made my way toward the top of the tower. Today had been one of the best days in a long time.

Chapter 6

I looked up at the sky from my position on the top floor of the flat tower. Celestia’s grace embraced her younger sister’s grace as they swirled around each other in a dance of balance, of harmony. Luna’s eye rose from her dormancy, rose to take the space that the elder sister’s eye gave her. I started my nightly meditation, whispering into the air around me.

“Luna and Celestia, eternal goddesses of the Equestria realm. Watch over me this Luna hour as I go onto my crusade in your name, a crusade to clean the filth that soaks this city. Under Luna’s grace will I accomplish the deed, under her watching eye will the servant of Discord fall. Luna, greet the restless soul of the servant that will fall tonight with love in heart, his mind was poisoned, not his soul. He will become one of your loved servants once his soul is free from the poisoned body and mind that is the shell he walks around in now. Celestia, forgive me as I take the life of one of your children, forgive me as I stop the beating of his heart. Understand that what I do is for the good of the celestial goddesses. Watch over your children with love in your heart, knowing that when the time comes will they all serve your sister. For a Equestria free from corruption.”

I finished the meditation prayer and looked up at the eternal sky above me.

The sky glowed bright red as Celestia’s eye felt through the horizon, her last shimmering waves of grace spreading in the sky closest to the horizon.

And Luna’s eye washed over me with its pale, white grace. Luna’s mane started to twinkle up there, surrounding her eye, danced in the eternity above.

And all I could do was to watch, watch as her mane danced with her eye, watched as the world got coated in Luna’s purifying grace.

And with Luna’s grace came the transformation.

I could feel it in my entire being, my mind got sharper, my body tougher. My muscles played under my coat, ready for anything. My hooves felt as if they could run ten miles and then tenfold more before stopping. I felt my body burn with a fire of pure ice, could feel it in every part of my being, every hair of my coat and mane.

And just like that was the feeling gone. I still knelt on the stone floor of the tower, fighting to control my breathing.

Fighting to withstand the urge to kill.

My entire body trembled under the internal battle, a battle only watched over by Luna’s eye and Lightheart.

I never know for how long I fight that urge, only that in the end, do I succeed in pressing down the urge, hiding it at the back of my mind where it rages.

It rages at me.
It rages at the world.
It rages on everypony around me.

But most importantly.
It rages on the celestial sisters.
It rages on Luna’s eye for trapping it inside me.

I slowly got up on my hooves again, standing and letting the Luna hour wind ruffle my mane and coat. The chilling wind brought with it the scents from the gardens of Trotholm. I turned around, looked at Lighheart who had stood still during my meditation and now looked at me, sadness and pain in his eyes.

“Come with me my friend, I need to talk to you about some things of a.... serious and horrible nature.” He said as he turned around, started to walk downwards.

This alarmed me, the little raging thing that I thought I had fought back tried to take over again; clawing against my mind, trying to make me kill everything around me.

I violently pushed the thing away, pushed it into the darkest corner of my mind. I would not kill the innocent, the only killing I did was against the ones corrupted by Discord.

I nodded towards Lightheart, following him down the tower and into his office.

*^*

We sat in Lighthearts office, Luna’s eye watching us through one of the windows. Lightheart was uneasy. He had offered me tea; which I politely, with a shake on my head, refused. Now he sat there and drank from his own cup, looking at me over the tea cup. I don’t think he knew that I saw it. More than once did he start to talk, only to hesitate and stop. I gave him the time he needed, tonight’s mission might not be easy, but I owed the captain this much.

He finally started to talk.
“I have a death sentence over me.Tomorrow at this time will I be hanged in public. Hanged for treason, hanged for not following orders.”

He took a trembling breath.
“I will be hanged for letting you in here every day for this past years. It had not been a problem earlier, but after my command at sunrise today, when you came here for your meditation... that seems to have been the last misstep. The last misstep leading to the noose around my neck.”
I could only look at him. Lightheart, the captain that had gained my respect, the captain that I had grew to like, to befriend. The captain that now would be hanged for allowing me entrance for my meditation. But how did he know about this?

He chuckled, a sad chuckle.
“You must ask yourself how I know about this, and why I haven’t left when I got to knew about it.”

He lowered his cup of tea, looking directly at me now.
“I have not gotten this far without making any friends in the army, I received the information less than an hour after it was spoken. The order that I was not to leave this tower and that I was being arrested if I tried or at sunrise. The guards standing outside are the ones to arrest me, either if I run for it or at sunrise. I would probably be able to run for it, they would not be able to catch me, not alive at least. But that would put my family in danger. My wife, my son. Both would be put in great danger. And I rather die than let that happen.”

I couldn’t be quiet anymore. I had to know.
“Why are you telling me this? What could I be able to change? What good does it do?”

Lightheart looked at me, taken aback. This was after all the first time I talked to him for the years I had known him. He quickly found his composure, talked again.
“Didn’t you listen to what I said my friend? I’m to be arrested for treason. They know about you. They know that you are the shadow of Trotholm.”

It was as a hammer had struck my head. They knew? The thing started to claw against my mind again, digging deeper and deeper. I had to fought to push it down again, but it had planted a seed in my mind. A seed of rage.
“Why did you not tell me directly? When I arrived here?” I said, my voice heated with anger and rage.

Lightheart, however, was calm.
“I did not know back then. I received the information during your meditation. I had my suspicions earlier, that was why I told you that I had to speak to you.”

His sad eyes looked at me.
“I will not order your arrest here, I know a bit about who you have taken out during the course of mere weeks. You have taken out the ones that served Discord. But I beg you, put your daughter in safety before you do anything.”

It was my time to be taken aback. How much did he know about me?
“How did... how did you know that I had a daughter?”

He smiled at me, a sad smile.
“I know more than most suspect. The Black Stable is not safe anymore, not for Honey. In fact, it is not safe for her around you at all. You have to make a decision my friend. Keep going with this, and risk the life of your daughter, that and your own. You can also just give up, leave Trotholm forever. But its a decision you have to take tonight.”

He stepped up from his place, trotting over to his desk.

My mind raced. What was I to do? I could not risk the life of Honey, nor the life of the rest at The Black Stable. If the guard was to go in and arrest me in the darker part of Trotholm then they would come in with great numbers. Suddenly, it was all clear to me.

I would have to be the one to strike first.

Chapter 7

I had made my decision.

I would be the one who struck first.

But first did I have to make sure that the one I loved was safe.

I had to hide Honey, hide her from the ones that wanted to hurt her.

Wanted to hurt her to harm me.

Lightheart coughed to gain my attention. He stood in front of me, with a letter in his mouth.He dropped it on the table in front of me.

“What is this?” I asked as I gently opened the letter.

“That is your key out of here my friend. I created it as fast as I heard about the death sentence on me. If you are lucky and leave as soon as possible then you might be able to leave without anyone asking any questions or stopping you.”

I read the letter. Or, command as it turned out to be.

‘The gates shall be opened for the wearer of this letter, he is on a mission from the captains of the guards. No questions shall be asked and in fact, this letter and the one wearing it shall be forgotten, they have never passed, have never existed.
Captain Lightheart.’

The command was signet with Lighthearts signet ring, four stars on a plain background.

I looked up at the captain.
“But this... why?”

He smirked at me, a glimpse of joy in his sad eyes.
“I’m already getting hanged for treason, so why not give them a real reason to hang me? You know that I never asked you any questions; I just allowed you to pass to the top of the tower. Each day for what? Ten years? Twenty? Each day since I was old enough to enter the guards have I allowed you to enter. You have been a company for me those years, coming there and meditate every morning and every dawn. Or at least at the times that today would count as morning and dawn. Back then it was chaos, back then the sun and moon chased each other in utter chaos, irregularly and out of order.. But two weeks ago, everything changed. the sun and the moon started to act.. natural again, following a clock.”

He looked away. He seemed, embarrassed, to ask.
“What happened, my friend? Two weeks ago did I notice that you started to tremble during your meditation at dawn. I remember that I made it to your side as quickly as I could, forced your head up, looked into your eyes. What I saw was... I don’t know what it was. Your eyes... they were filled with hatred. They were filled with anger, of hatred, of despair, of horror. So many feelings changed place in your eyes during so short time. In the end was it only two feelings left. The last thing I saw in your eyes before you stopped trembling was anger and hate, so strong that it seemed you would kill anything that stood in your way.”

I looked at him.
“I owe you as much as an explanation Lightheart. So sit down, it might take a while. And if I shall take Honey to safety then I need to make this quick. Luna’s ho... the night will not last forever.”

Then I started to talk, describing the events that had brought me to this point, described the event that had would lead Lightheart to the noose. I owed him that much.

*^* *^*

Two weeks earlier.

Luna’s grace embraced the elder sister’s last shining waves of grace, Luna’s eye shone its pale grace at me where I lay on the top of the tower, meditating as so many times before.

I closed my eyelids for the prayer.

And the world around me changed

*^*

I sat at a throne, looking down at the two beings that stood in front of me. The sun shone in through one of the big windows from its peak on the sky. My entire being burned with hatred and anger, feelings directed at the twin beings in front of me.

The two goddesses, thinking they could fight me at MY domain! Thinking they could defeat ME. I snarled and lifted the glass to my lips with my eagle talon. The sweet liquid found it way down my throat, cooled down my head.

The youngest of the two, a mare as black as the night it was said that she controlled, was shouting at me.
“Your time is up, Discord, we are here to make a stop to your reign, stopping you from hurting the ponies in Equestria.”

I laughed, a cold hard laugh directed at the younger sister. My eyes, however, had searched their way to the elder sister. I would lie if I said that I did not appreciate the eye candy.
“That is not the real reason that you are here is it Luna?” I asked without taking my eyes from the elder sister. “You are here because I have taken the power that was yours. You are here because MY chaos started to mix with your order, started to make the sun and moon raise and set out of order. THAT is the reason you are here, nothing else!”

I was furious. The twin sisters, stepping down on Equestria because MY nature, something I could not control, blended with what they called their order! I threw my glass into the wall. It splinted, thousands and thousands of shards falling towards the floor. Half of them was transformed into liquid by the chaos that always was close to me. MY curse!

The elder sister was the one to speak this time.
“YOU slaughtered an entire race! YOU made the ponies of Equestria forgot us! YOU took control over everything around here! Ponies live in pain and suffering because of you! Ponies die each day because of the CHAOS that is around YOU!” She trembled with the anger and hatred she held back.

I smiled, it was really a cute sight. It would be woefully to destroy her beautiful white coat with the red color of blood. But it could not be helped. I would NOT let them take all of this away from me, this was my RIGHT!
“Of course I killed those.... Alicorns! Not only were they abominations, a copy of all the other ponie races, but they also thought of themselves as supreme! They thought of themselves as a race above the other races! They were the ones to control Equestria since they were ‘blessed’ by you two, the celestial goddesses.” my hatred blossomed again at that word, goddesses... I was as much of a god as they were. “But they gave YOU power. We both know that a god, or a goddess in your case, gain power from prayers.” A thought struck me. My curiosity was awoken.

“That said, who are the ones to pray for you now? How many is it that pray to give you the power to overthrow me? How many needed to pray to create THOSE!” I screamed the last, the claw on my lion paw pointing at the chest of the white mare. Three gems sat in a necklace that hung around the mare’s neck. I did not have to look to know that a matching set hung around the neck on the black mare.

“WHO helped you re-locate the Elements of Harmony? They was supposed to be lost forever!”

The black mare talked to me again.
“You are wrong Discord, the power does not come with the sheer number of ponies that pray towards you. The power comes with how much they believe in their prayer, how close to the heart the prayer is. The same goes with the elements.”

I drew my eyes from the elder mare, locking them onto the younger sister. She had really awoken my curiosity now. I snapped the fingers on my eagle talon and vanished in a bright flash.

I could not help but laugh to the horror on the younger mare when she reared back after finding herself eye to eye with me.
“That does NOT tell me how you found the Elements again! I hid them a long time ago, hid them on a place where you would never find them.” The anger heated my voice even more now. This was not supposed to happen!

“We did not find the Elements, Discord.” The white mare spoke up, a grim smile on her face. “The Elements found us, searched up us to stop you! The Elements strive towards natural order. They strive AGAINST you.”

I struck the younger sister in the stomach as I turned around, my veins burning with fury. I could hear the sound of the black coated alicorn smashing into the wall on the other side of the room. The sound of bones breaking made its way to my ears.

I looked down at the white coated mare in front of me. She really was candy for the eye. I laughed coldly as she took a step back.
“So you mean that the Elements strive against my very nature? You mean that I, a fellow god, is a threat against the balance and harmony of Equestria?”

I snapped my fingers again, disappearing in a bright light. The moon took the sun’s place at the peak of the sky. I reappeared next to the younger sister who tried to get up on her hooves. I lifted her up with my tail and held her in front of my eyes. I smiled at her as I lent forward, whispered in her ear.
“You know that she will betray you, do you not? Be it after you have defeated me or in a thousand years, it does not matter. In the end she will want to have the power for herself. And the ponies you will watch over? Do you think they will appreciate the one who takes the souls of their beloved ones? Will they appreciate the night? The answer is no, they will loath you. They will not care about the beautiful night. All they will see is the day. Do you not see it?”

I smiled, knowing by the look in her eyes that it was something that she would not throw away in a long time, it would grew inside her. I had planted a seed inside of her. In time it would grew up to be a big flower.

“I WILL NOT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS DISCORD!” the elder mare shouted behind me.

In my surprise did I drop the alicorn that I had held in my tail. I swiftly turned around and saw the beautiful white alicorn look at me, hatred in her eyes and her horn glowing with magic. A thick beam emerged from her necklace and embraced me. It burned but I knew it was not the full power, her sister would have to join her too. I laughed, a grim laugh.
“That will not work, Celestia. Your sister is not in... harmony with the Elements.”

“WHAT have you done to her Discord?” anger filled the white mare’s voice.

“I told her the truth Celestia, that is WHAT I have done.” I laughed and brought up my paw to snap my fingers, when a sound from behind me made me stop.
I looked back, and for the first time did I feel fear blend with my anger and hate.

I looked straight into a pair of turquoise eyes, pupils as narrows as dragon pupils.

Luna laughed.
“Do you really think you can put me out of battle that easy Discord. You underestimate me!”

Her horn glowed and a beam rushed out from the necklace, hitting me in my open paw.

I felt how my body turned to stone.

I did not have long before I would be completely turned into the stone that had already begun spreading.

And with my last powers did I start my revenge, a revenge that would take years before it would be fulfilled. I sent chaos straight into the Elements wielded by the black mare.

I laughed and looked at the white mare.

“I will see you again, Celestia!”

With that everything turned black.

*^* *^*

I had told nearly everything to Lightheart, I had kept the information about the corruption for myself. I ended it with what he knew.
“And then I woked up from that strange dream, woke up looking into your eyes.”

Authors note:

My impersonating of Discord, Luna and Celestia is no where perfect. I have tried to use them in a way that works with the story. And I have some really bad reasons behind it all!

Luna and Celestia is of course furious, the memory of how Discord slaughtered the alicorns still fresh in their mind. Then the fact that he made ponies forgot about them and in that way making them powerless. But most of all he, or his very nature at least, took control over the sun and the moon.

And yes I say in this chapter that Discord is a god. That is because I believe that you need the chaos that Discord create to get the harmony.

And the things that Discord said to Luna? Yepp, thats the thing that I wrote in Chimes.
“But Luna, riser of the moon and goddess of the dead, became corrupted in heart. She believed the tale of a since long defeated enemy, a tale about how the ponies of Equestria feared her and only loved her sister.”

Chapter 8

The truth might hurt.

But even worse are the statements that seemed to be the truth.

The statements that are the lies that poison our minds.

The lies that hurt the ones we love.

The lies from the ones we thought were our friends.

*^*

Lightheart looked at me, disbelief in his eyes.
“So what you are saying is that these...”

“Celestial goddesses.” I said, filling in the sentence.

“Right, the celestial goddesses, defeated Discord with the help of the ‘Elements of Harmony’. In his own castle.”

“Look around you Lightheart, the truth is in front of your eyes! The celestial eyes, the sun and moon, are moving as they should, moving in peace, in harmony! The balance of nature has been restored to Equestria, the goddesses have stepped down to secure the peace, harmony and balance forever!”

“And they turned Discord to... stone?” Lightheart asked. It was clear that he did not believe me.

“I’m not entirely sure, the only thing I remember is that I became stiff, I could not move a single limb. I felt all the anger and hate rush through me, and then. Nothingness. I was completely empty.”

I looked out into the Luna hour, her eye had barely rose over the horizon. It felt as if I had been sitting here for hours. It had probably not passed more than one. I looked back at Lightheart.
“Anything more you want to know? I have work to do tonight, and you might want to write something to your wife. You are after all going to the gallows tomorrow.”

Suprise flashed over Lightheart’s muzzle, but it was gone in a second. I was not even sure that I had seen it in the first place.
“No, it is quite alright with what you have said already.” He smiled at me. A smile filled with... victory? “And I think I will take the opportunity to write to my wife. Thank you for tonight.”

He turned around, facing the desk in the office.
“And be careful out there my friend.”

I turned toward the door, taking the letter that lay on the table, while I thought about what I had to do.
“Goodbye, my friend.” I said as I walked out from the office, making my way down the tower.

I directly noticed that something was not right. As soon as I had exited the tower did the door to the tower slam shut. The sight of three groups from the guard greeted me outside.

Four unicorns stood in front of me, each one of their horn glowing. Their black armor did not reflect the light at all, instead it seemed as if they were swallowed by the night. Two of the unicorns, one of them I recognized as Corelight, held crossbows with their magic; aiming at me. These bolts was not enchanted.

Four pegasis floated in the air, their steel armor reflecting Luna’s grace from above and sides and the light from the unicorn from below. Each of the pegasi held a crossbow in their hooves. The bolt shimmered weakly, they were enchanted with armor piercing. All of the bolts was aimed straight at me.

And lastly stood two earth ponies in front of me, each pair holding a net. The earth ponies wore light armor.

Each of the guards smiled victorious at me as I looked at them.

I felt my muscles harden, the adrenaline pump through my body, the rage building up inside me; tearing down every mental wall I had put between myself and it.

I heard Lightheart’s voice from above me.
“Corelight, arrest him. Arrest him for treason and murder.”

I looked at the unicorn in question, the rage inside me welling over its limits. My entire body burnt, my very being burnt. He had betrayed me. I trusted him! I felt how my blades unsheathed themselves, each one being prepared to draw blood.

The four pegasis took better aim, each of the bolts aimed at my heart. I prepared myself to throw myself forward at the sound of snapping wires.

A heart beat passed, a second, ten seconds, half a minute. The air was dense with silence.

Corelight smiled.
“To bad, I hoped you would attack so we could kill you. Instead now we must arrest you without any blood being drawn.” he sighed and looked over to one of the earth ponies. “Capture him.”

Both groups of earth ponies threw the net they have held. I reacted swiftly, blurring around and cutting through the thick ropes that was the nets with my blades; each rope snapped as if they were made of strings.
“You will not catch me that easy, Corelight.” I said, smiling lightly at the unicorns expression.

Corelight was angry, that was clear.
“You should be lucky that we are not allowed to attack you!” he shouted.

I snorted.
“Lucky? I think I know the rules as good as you do. As long as I do not threaten you or any other of the guards with a weapon or by using violence are you not allowed to use that against me.”

Corelight was taken aback. But he had soon found his composure back and smiled at me.
“You are right, we must not use violence against you. We can, however, do this!”

The light that illuminated two of the unicorns horn spread outwards from them, slowly wow their way towards me. I stood completely still. I knew exactly what the light was, and the only way to run from it would be to run towards one of the guards.

An act they would take as violence and shoot me down.

I could not do anything as my hooves were rooted in place by the red and yellow light. The good thing was that they would not be able to move me from this position unless they got another net, this magic did not allow them to move me. Just stop my movement.

I heard the door open behind me. The sound of steel against stone announced that Lightheart had exited the tower.

My rage built up in intense, the burning spread until I could not see anything else than the orange flames of the rage inside me.

“Good work Corelight, the traitor and murderer is arrested.”

He walked and stood in front of me. He looked furious.
“I invited you every night! I trusted you! And then it turns out that YOU are the one that goes around killing the leaders of our city!”

I only stood there, looking at him with hate and rage in my eyes. My thoughts went to Honey. What would happen to her?
“You told me you was going to be lead to the gallows for treason!” I said, keeping the anger and hate out of my voice.

“I was, but I got the option that I could have you arrested instead. All I needed was to make you confess in front of me, get all information I could from you. And that was easy.” he said, looking at me with a sad smile. “I thought you were smarter than that.”

I snarled at him.
“I trusted you, Lightheart! How could I not tell you, I owed you that much!” I spat at his face.

I was hit by his hoof, blood started to drip out of my mouth.
“Take him away, I do not want to see him anymore!”

A net was thrown over me, and I felt something hit me on the head.
My last thoughts went to Honey, Celestia let her be safe!
Everything went black.

Chapter 9

In the darkness of the cell.
In the darkness of my mind.
Is it waiting.
The thing in the darkness.
The thing that I fear.

*^*

Darkness.
Everywhere around me.
Complete darkness.

*^*

The walls, dark and moldy.
The walls, staring at me.
The walls, creeping closer to me.

*^*

Honey?
Is she okay?
Is she alive?
Have they taken her?
Or did they only take me?

*^*

“They will kill everypony you love or you have loved.”
“Who’s there?”

“Only yourself.”

*^*

Falling.
The ground rushing towards me.
The only thing I wonder is when I will hit it.

*^*

“Whats the matter? Scared for the gallows? Scared for death?”
“Who are you?”

“I am you.”

*^*

“Luna and Celestia, watch over me in my time of need. Watch over me, protect me, against whats hiding in the shadows. Protect me from the things in my mind.”

“They are not listening you know. You are alone.”

“Who are you?”

*^*

Light.
White, beautiful light.
Embrace me.
Protect me.
Never abandon me.

*^*

Darkness.
Pitch black darkness.
Embraces me.
Hides me.
Always there.

*^*

“This is all your fault you know.”
“You are the one who abandoned the right path.”
“You are the one who tried to cleanse an already clean place.”

“The corruption does not lay here.”

*^*

“Who am I?”
“Who are you?”
“are you inside my mind?”
“Or whispering in my ear?”
“Who am I?”

*^*

“What is happening around me?”
“What is happening inside me?”
“Utter chaos?”
“Or perfect harmony?”
“Why?”

*^*

My veins, burning.
Burning with rage.
Burning with hate.
Burning with anger.

*^*

Honey.
Sweetie.
Live!
Wait for me!
Don’t die!
Daddy will come back!

*^*

“Am I asleep?”
“Am I awake?”
“Where am I?”
“Will I return?”

*^*

“Are you there?”

“Or have you abandoned me as well?”

*^*

I stared up at the ceiling. How long had I been laying here, fighting against my mind? The smell of mold and soil entered my nostril, blended with the smell of my own sweat. I had trashed around in the narrow bed, my coat and mane now stood in every direction.

I did not care.

Luna’s grace did not reach down here. Neither did Celestia’s. I was trapped. Alone. None of the goddesses watched over me.

I was alone with my own mind.

A mind that fixated on one thing.

Honey.

What had happened to her? Was she okay?

I raised my front hooves, the rusty chain that held them together following up. I stared at those chains, the chains that efficient shackled me in place. They were connected with the iron collar around my neck. The iron was cold against my bare neck. No matter how much heat my body pushed in it would it become warmer.

I slammed my hooves in the wall. Hard. I felt the pain rush through my body.

I did not care.

My daughter. My beautiful Honey. I could not stop thinking about everything that could have happened.

My mind projected a picture of her laying dead in a valley.
A picture of her happily bouncing through Trotholm.
A picture of her laying dead in her bed.
A picture of her crying in Carrotrose’s hooves.
A picture of her dead, blades piercing every part of her body.
A picture of her sitting beside me in the cell, comforting me.
A picture of her getting killed as she tried to get to my side.
A picture of her looking at me as I walked towards the gallows.
A picture of her walking besides me as we made our way to the gallows.

Over and over did I slam my hooves into the walls. I felt how the warm, red, life-giving liquid emerged from the wound I had inflicted on myself. I felt it drip down on my chest, coagulate in my coat.

I did not care, the rage inside me overthrew the pain. I felt no pain, only rage.

If it was what was needed to keep my daughter safe, then I would continue with it until I dropped dead down.

*^*

I had lost consciousness. Or had I never awoken?

I looked at my hooves. No wounds was seen.

What is happening with me?

Am I going insane?

I looked at my chest, and saw one of the most beautiful things I had seen in the ceiling.

Red life giving liquid had coagulated in my coat.

So it had happened.

But why did I not have any wounds?

*^*

I dont know how long time had passed when a guard opened the door. In the brigh,t light that emerged from the other side of the door and nearly blinded me after so long time in this darkness, did I see the silhouette of an unicorn.

The unicorn’s horn glowed with a purple light as he walked towards me, a tray floating beside me.

“So, you are finally awake and have stopped to hurt yourself. Good.”

I recognized that voice.

I tried to speak, my throat sore from the lack of water.

“Take it easy, it was hard enough for our medical team to mend the wounds on your hooves. I do not think they will be happy to fix your throat as well.” I could hear on the sound that the unicorn smiled. “Now open up so I can feed you, you have not eaten in three days.”

Three days? My mind raced. How much had happened in those three days? Was Honey safe? Was Carrotrose, who had protected me for years, okay?

“Or are they both dead?” the voice from my dreams whispered to me.

My stomach really felt empty, I opened my muzzle to take whatever food that was offered to me.

I felt how the unicorn first poured water; fresh, cold, clear water down my throat.
The burning inside my throat disappeared directly, leaving behind only hunger.

I do not know what it was the unicorn feed me, whatever it was was it not good tasting. It had the same consistency as mud, and the taste was not far from the same.

But it filled my stomach.

I felt the energy from the food getting into my system.

And with the energy came the body functions up to max again.

I could feel how it itched where the wound on my hooves should have been. The coolness from the iron felt even colder against my neck. I could feel how my back itched, probably from lices in the mattress.

I looked up at the unicorn, Corelight.
“What are you doing here? Feeding me like a parent feed a newborn?” I smiled at him, a taunting smile.

He smiled back, a grim smile.
“Oh, I’m here by my own choice. Not only do I get to see you break down at the thought of the gallows, but I can also do this.”

I felt how the air rushed out of me and pain explode in my chest as Corelight brought his hoof down in my stomach.

I coughed and tried to regain my breath, tears in my eyes from the pain.

“I will see you hanged soon, pegasus.” Corelight said, his face dangerously close to me. “And I will enjoy every second of it.” he snarled at me as he turned to leave.

“What have I done you, Corelight? What have I done that make you want me dead?” I asked him as he leaved.

He stopped in mid step, looking back at me, his eyes with full with fury.
“What you have done to me? YOU KILLED MY FATHER, THAT IS WHAT YOU DID!” he said, shouting the last words.

I looked at him as he walked out from the cell, closing the door after himself, trapping me inside the cell with the darkness again.

The victim that Luna hour not even a week ago had had a son.

A son that now hated me.

And rightfully so.

“Who am I?”

Chapter 10

You might abandon what you are.
You might fall into despair for what you are not.
But your friends are always there.
They will never abandon you.
They know who you are.
They know how to set you on track again.
What they do is always for your own good.

*^*

Four times had the sisters changed place on their celestial bodies since I got here.

Three times had, as I guessed at least, Celestia’s celestial eye soared the sky.
Three times had Corelight been in the cell with the food.
Three times had he assaulted me in one or another way.
Three times had he turned my back.
Three times had I waited for the night.

Four times had, as I guessed at least, Luna’s eye soared the sky.
Four times had I fell asleep.
Four times had that voice returned.
Four times had it talked to me.

Or was it I that talked to myself?

I do not know how many times I thought about Honey does days. I still did not know if she was alive or dead.

*^*

The door opened. I blinked as the sudden bright light woke me from the dream; from the nightmare. Corelight entered the cell. He frowned at the stench inside but did not say a word. No tray floated in front of him today, only a key.

Was it time already? Was it time for me to head towards the gallows? Was it time for me to meet my judgment?

Was it time for me to reunite with the celestial twins?

I braced myself for the pain that would soon come, the pain from when Corelight would punch me hard with his hoof. I already had two bleeding wounds from his hooves, I already had bruises from them, at least one of my ribs had been broken.

Half a minute passed, a minute, two. I opened my eyes again. Corelight looked at me, a key floating in his magic.
“Lightheart has requested you to come to his chambers before you are hanged.” he said as he smiled at me. “Something about letting you meditate a last time before you are going to the gallows.”

The key floated into the chains that kept me in the bed. With a loud click did they unlock and with a louder thump did they fall to the floor beneath the bed. I carefully moved my legs, tried to get the blood pumped to them that would be needed to go.

I was so focused on my legs that I did not see the hoof that made its way towards my muzzle.

I felt blood in my mouth, my head rang. I tried to look up, only to get another hoof in my face. I rolled down on the floor, my head aching of the beating. Through the blur in the corner of my eye could I see how Lightcore looked down at me, laughing.

I could not hear the sound of his laughter. The only thing I could hear was that annoying ringing.

He hurled me up with his magic, forced me to stand. As he released the grip did I fall down again, my legs could not support my weight.

Corelight planted his hoof in my face again. I could feel the blood stream from new wound it had caused. The blood tasted metallic on my tongue. But at least the ringing was gone. Only to be replaced with the angry voice of Corelight.
“Hurry up pegasus! Do not let Lightheart wait! You will not be able to escape the gallows either way!”

I slowly rose to my feet. Corelight went out from the cell and I followed him, the chains around my hooves made it hard to walk.

But for every step I regained a small amount of energy. It was as if the rage that had been inside me had been released by the beating I had only just received from Corelight.

But I did not feel any rage in my body.
I did not feel any hate.
I did not feel any anger.
What I felt was acceptance and harmony.
What I felt was the energy flowing through me with every step.

*^*

I had been lead to an office. Corelight had announced that I was here and shoveled me inside with a grim smile before he walked away again, closing the door behind himself.

I stood eye to eye with Lightheart.
Eye to eye with one of the few in the city service that I had counted as a friend.
Eye to eye with the friend that betrayed me.

“Sit down.” he ordered.

I stubbornly refused, stayed up and looked at him.

He sighed. He looked sad. And confused.
“Listen, I know that you do not trust me..”

“Why would I trust you? YOU betrayed me! I believed every word you said!” I said, my voice low and cold. I surprised myself with being so calm. Something was not right with me.

“BUT I have ordered you here to help you.” Lightheart continued as if I had not spoken.

“Help me? How could you help me? I’m on my way to the gallows as you might know. The gallows you told me that YOU would hang from!” my voice was still low but anger had crept its way inside it.

“AND I MIGHT VERY WELL DO WHEN THIS IS OVER!” Lightheart nearly shouted.

If he had aimed for my attention had he succeeded.

“Now listen to me, what I say is of utter importance.” he said, fixating me with his eyes. “I will help you escape from here.”

I looked at him. Had he gone insane? Why would he help me out after he had been putting me in this situation from the start?
“Why?” I asked.

“What you said the night you was arrested. I did not believe you back then. I do now. You opened my eyes my friend. Discord is gone.” he sighed again. “I should have seen it earlier, the way everypony is. They are afraid. Afraid that they have to control everything. Afraid that the ones above them in power may see them as a threat and ‘remove’ them. Afraid that the ones below them in power gets to hungry and do the same.”

His eyes filled with tears.
“This city is ruled by corruption! A corruption that is a rest from a being that is now gone. I can not do anything about it. But you can. You have the power inside you to stop this madness. I saw your eyes when we captured you. You was prepared to kill all of us, but you was rooted in place. If you had surprised us would you have slaughter us all before we would have been able to react. You are the only one who can get inside the castle and root the corruption out once and for all.”

I looked at him.
“And why would I trust you this time? Was is it that make you think I would?”

“My friend, I will put myself at risk here! By letting you go will I not only put myself at risk but also the ones I love. My wife and my son. Both will be in the fire zone if somethings goes wrong.” he said as he looked at me. “I risk everything I own, everything I hold dearly. Just like you did, just like you do.”

Family.... Honey... A sudden thought hit me.
“Honey, what have you done to her?” I nearly screamed at him.

Lightheart looked away.

“ANSWER ME!”

He looked back at me again.
“I do not know what have happened to your daughter. We entered The Black Stable after we had captured it but it was empty. Not a single soul was in there. I have no idea where your daughter is, nor where Carrotrose is.”

They might be alive.
“If I do not do this then I will just go to the gallows and will get hanged, this way will I at least get a chance to do the good thing.” I sighed. “you have given me a choice again Lightheart, but what did you have in mind? How are you gonna get me out of here?”

Lightheart smiled at me as he walked towards his desk, receiving a key and my two blades. He unlocked the chains and the collar.
“Keep the collar and the chains on until you see an opportunity to run. Let them fall as you do so. Try not to kill anypony, most of the guards are good colts who wants to keep their families safe.”

He smiled at me as he handed over my blades. I equipped them as I looked at him.
“What do you mean find an opportunity? Where are we going?”

His smile grew even wider.
“We are going to the gallows.”

Chapter 11

But a friend that has betrayed you once.
Is that a friend to trust?
Or will they betray you again?
When you need them the most.

*^*

I stared at Lightheart in disbelief.
“You want me to go to the gallows? I thought you said you would help me escape.” I said as I tested to sheathe and unsheathe the blades. They still worked as a charm, no sound came from neither the sheathing nor unsheathing.

Lightheart smiled at me and nodded.
“That is correct. You see, if I only let you go now, you just ‘disappear’ into the shadows, then people will question me. They will understand that I helped you to escape. BUT if you escape on the way to the gallows, in a place where everypony can see you knock me down... then they will not ask themselves what I had to do with it.” he said with a sigh. “If this was only about me then I would not care, but I have to think about my family. I have to think about my wife, about my son. I can not put them in danger just like that.”

I understood him. I would never do anything to put Honey in harms way.
“You already have.”

That voice, here? But it was just my imagination when I was in the cell! When I was in that dark place!
“Was I? Or was you?”

Lightheart looked at me.
“Are you okay? You do not seem very well. We will only have on chance at this.”

I forced the voice out of my mind as I looked at Lightheart.
“I’m fine.”

But where would I find Honey when all this was over? Was she even alive? Did she want to see me again?

“Just a slight headache, that is all.” I took a step forward and winced when the pain from all my bruises and wounds went straight into my body. “And small pain from the wounds Corelight gave me during my time here.”

“Corelight?” Lightheart looked suprised. “What have he done? And why?”

“He gave me a beating every time he came with food. I do not blame him, not after what I had done.”

“What did you do to him, my friend? Corelight never hurt anypony without a reason.”

I looked back at the events around my arrest. Why had he not used force against me there? I had been the most wanted criminal back then, he would easily had gotten away with shooting me in the head, killing me at place.

So why had he not? I had killed his father! I sighed.

“I killed his father. The night I arrived for my last meditation had I only just returned from killing one of all corrupted leaders in this city.”

Lightheart looked at me.
“Corelight... did this to you?” he said with a puzzled frown. “But that can not be correct. When you had been slamming your hooves against the wall and tore open wounds, was he here and begged me on his knees that I would allow him to heal them.”

I looked at Lightheart. Had Corelight done that? Corelight, who’s father I had killed, had begged to heal my wounds? Why?
“A friend might be found anywhere.” the voice inside me said. “But is it a pony to trust?”

I pushed the voice away.
“Are we talking about the same Corelight?”

Lightheart looked away.
“I can not say for sure. And it does not change anything. We have to start to move, you are supposed to hang dead from the gallows before sunset.” he said, smiling weakly at me. “We must make sure that you won’t be late for your own show must we not?”

I smiled at him.
“I guess not. So, where am I to be hanged? How many steps will I have on me to find freedom?”

“You are to be hanged in newly built gallows outside the castle. You will be under heavy guard by four of the strongest earth ponies we have on the way. Both to prevent you from running and to prevent the crowd to get to you.” He stopped to take a breath. “At the gallows will they stay behind and I will walk with you myself up to the gallows where the headmaster himself is to put the noose around your neck. Its during those ten steps that you will have to make your escape. How you do is up to you, but I recommend that you take the time to strike me down as you run for it, if not for me so for my family.” He looked at me, his eyes nearly enough begging me.

“I will make sure to strike you down Lightheart. I have to make sure that you do not get to harm for helping me.”

“Its settled then, are you ready my friend? We will only get one chance.”

“Is it to much to ask for a last prayer?”

“Go ahead.”

*^*

“Celestia and Luna, help me during today’s trials.
Protect me from those who wish me harm.
Protect me from betrayal.
Protect my filly.
Protect Honey until I can return to her side.
And if nothing else helps.
So guide my blades to my enemy’s throat.
Guide their pure soul’s out of their bodies.
And into the after life.

Protect me as I clean this city from corruption.”

“They can not hear you, you know that right?”
“Leave me alone.”
“Why would I leave myself alone? Whats the fun in that?”
“You are not me! You are... I do not know what you are but you are not me!”
“I’m as big of a part inside of you as the veins that guide your blood through your body. I’m as big of a part inside of you as your heart that pumps the blood around.”
“Who are you?”
“Have I not answered that already?”
“I... am you.”

*^*

I felt how new energy rushed trough my veins.
I felt rage build up, waiting for the correct moment to fall down and take control.
But for now could I contain it.

The harmony inside my body shattered.
The balance was removed.
To be replaced anew, replaced with new harmony and balance.

I felt every wound on my body close.
I felt my broken rib mend.
What is happening to me?

*^*

“I am ready Lightheart.” I said, my voice caring the confident I felt in my entire being. “Let us do this, let us see if I will live to se the sun rise tomorrow.” I smiled at him.

“How is it to pray? You always seems to get new energy from it, and your wounds are gone as well. What is happening to you when you pray?” he asked as he walked towards me.

He started to check so that the chains was on their right place as I answered him.
“To pray.... How to best describe it? To pray is to let the goddesses know how you feel. To pray is to let the goddesses know that you need their help. Sometimes they answer.” I looked at my body, every wound was gone. “And sometimes they answer in ways we do not think possible. For me is it to get relief from my pain, relief from the duty I can not escape. I know that the goddesses will help me in the way they can. They know that the prayers I pray come straight from my heart.”

Lightheart chuckled.
“I guess I will have to try that sometimes. Well, we can not wait here anymore, its time for us to walk towards the gallows.” he said, walking towards the door. “Remember not to speak to me on the outside, do not let them get any hint about this.”

He opened the door and stepped outside.

An unicorn in a light colour tackled Lightheart as soon as he stepped outside, making the surprised general to fall over.

“RUN!” Corelight scream to me.

Chapter 12

Friends.
They can come in many shapes.
You can get them in the most unnatural way.
But a friend is a friend.
No matter what has happened between you.
If you can not accept a friend.
How do you think you will be accepted yourself?

*^*

I looked in confusion at the scene in front of me. Corelight had jumped onto the fallen Lightheart, pinning him down. The rest of the narrow, short hallway was empty. Luckily.

“Get of me, Corelight.” Lightheart hissed at the light unicorn above him. “What are you doing.”

Corelight ignored his captain, looking straight at me.
“Run you foal! I’m rescuing you!”

I could only look at them. I had to force down a laugh.

“Corelight, what do you think will happen here when I have run for it? You will not be able to pin Lightheart down for ever you know.” I said with a snort. “And I do not think you would kill him either, you did not kill me during the arresting of me, and I was the one who killed your father!”

“My FATHER was corrupted! You made this city a big favour by killing him!” Corelight nearly shouted at me. “And he is not the only one who are corrupted here! This city is full of filth!”

Lightheart looked from me to Corelight.
“Corelight, get off me this instance. You have gotten this on the wrong side of the hoof.” He sighed. “Do you want to tell him? We can restrain him here if he tries to fight us but I think we can trust him.”

At this point was Corelight completely lost.
“Tell me what? What is going on?”

“Get off him Corelight. He is helping me escape.” I said, smiling at Corelight.

“But he turned you in! He ordered your arrest! He did not lie to us and said that you was not a traitor!” Corelight looked wildly between me and Lightheart. “What is going on?”

“Corelight, the general captain already knew about me. He knew everything and tried to trap Lightheart. Lightheart however did not know anything. For him was I a friend who came there every day to meditate, to pray. But he asked me the night of my arrest, asked me about what happened a night for two weeks ago. And I told him.” I paused, looking at Corelight. He meet my eyes. ”I guess he panicked, he knew what was going to happen to him if he did not order me arrested. He could not do that, he have a family. And I do not think he believed me back then. I do not blame him, I would take the same decision as he did.”

I thought of my daughter, thought about Honey. If anything had happened to her however.
“She is dead.... You let her get killed! You killed her!”

I forced away the voice again. Honey is alive, she had to be!
“He is going to lead me to the gallows, and there am I to knock him over. From there on will I run for it.” I said to Corelight.

Corelight released Lightheart and slowly stood up, looking between me and Lightheart.
“You planned this? You planned this all along?”

I chuckled.
“No, I was believing that I was dead meat. Lightheart had betrayed me. And then I get to him today... He told me all about what he had planned, how we should do. All to let me free and to keep his family safe.” I said, looking at Lightheart.

“Do it...” the voice in my head called.

I turned to look at Corelight.
“But you on the other hand. Give me one. ONE. Reason for me to believe you. Every day when you brought food did you beat me, more than once giving me a wound. I walked out of there today with a broken rib as well! So WHY should I trust you? Yes, I have heard the story about that you healed my wounds after I had been laying and slammed my hooves in the wall, but that is not enough. WHY should I trust you?”

I took a deep breath, calmed down after my outburst. Corelight seemed to have been getting smaller and smaller, he had tried to duck away from the words.

I stood there for a good minute before I looked away from him, looking at Lightheart.
“What are we going to do? We must walk soon or they will start to wondering and if we leave this one here will he probably tell the first guard. We can not kill him either, it would look suspicious.”

“I was beating you because it felt as if you had betrayed me.” Corelight stood up at looked at me. “You killed my father, one of many corrupted higher ups in this city, and then you just gave up. You allowed us to arrest you! Of course I hated you! I healed your hooves to give you a chance when this day would come!” he said.

I did not look at him.
“Can we trust him to not tell anypony? We do not have time for this! They will start to wonder, and that would put both us and our family in danger.” I asked Lightheart.

“He just jumped me, I believe we can trust him.” Lightheart said, getting up hon his own hooves again, turning towards Corelight. “Why have you not spoken up about this corruption earlier? This city need to get rid of it! How many more do you know that are corrupted? Anything you say can help my friend clear this city!”

Corelight looked straight at me. It felt as if he wanted to ask me something.

“He will stab you in the back as soon as he get the chance. The pain goes deep to loose a parent, nor matter how much you loathed them.” the voice whispered to me. I tried to ignore it.

“Ask it” I said to Corelight. “I do not know what you want to ask, but just do it.”

Corelight looked suprised.
“I...” he stuttered. “I would ask you to take me with you. I have no future in the guard, not as it is now. I want to see this city cleaned from corruption, but for other reasons than you. I have seen it from first hand, my father tried to learn me all about it. I refused to learn, so he threw me out. That’s where the guards found me. Let me help! I know things about this city that could be of use to you, I know part of the politics that few outside the castle know about!”

“He will stab you at first opportunity.” I forced the voice away.

Should I put him in danger? He was not old, but he had tried to save me. And if he knew even half about what he had said... Well, that would surely come in handy somewhere.

“You are in. But we have to leave now. Meet me at the castle gardens as the Luna eye reaches its peak.” I said to him, starting to get a little stressed.

“The what?” Corelight asked confused.

“Oh, sorry. Meet me at the castle gardens as the moon reaches its peak. If I’m not there before it has set then I have been killed or captured again.”

Lightheart looked at me in confusion this time.
“The castle gardens? Is that such a good idea? Its awfully close to the place you should be hanged at.”

I smiled.
“Exactly, they will not expect it.”

Chapter 13

To walk towards certain death.
Can break down even the strongest of stallions.
To walk towards certain death.
Is to challenge yourself to stay on the path.
To walk towards certain death.
In the company of a friend.
That is to trust each other.

But do you trust him?

*^*

Lightheart laughed, a rich laughter.
“You are insane, my friend. They will reinforce the guards around the leaders, you can not hope to cross over that line into the gardens.”

I smiled at him.
“At that point of time do you not have to care about me anymore, I will be out of your mane.”

“I do not care about that!” Lightheart snapped. “I will not risk my own and my family’s life, and Corelight’s as well, just for you to go back in there and be caught!”

I looked at him.
“Do you not trust me Lightheart? If I can not enter the castle gardens when the guard is on high alert then how will I be able to enter the castle when the guards are on highest alert? No Lightheart, I must do this.” I said, making my point clear.

Lightheart opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Corelight.
“I believe him, he have to do this Captain. It is as he say, if he can not do it now how will he be sure to be able when he has to?” he said and turned towards me. “I will wait there. But now I believe its time for you to leave, or they will start to wonder. I will meet you there.”

With those words did he turn away.
“Can you trust him? Will he betray you?” the voice softly whispered to me.
“Get out of my head! Who are you?”

The voice was gone. This was really starting to making me worried. I turned to Lightheart.
“Lead the way, its time for us to walk towards the gallows.”

I smiled at his back as he started to walk.
“You can not trust anypony. You must do this on your own!” the voice whispered.
“GET OUT!” I mentally screamed back.

*^*

As soon as we had arrived up the stairs from the cells was the four guards there, surrounding us. Each of them had a brown coat and heavy iron armor. Lightheart exchanged words with one of them, to low for me to hear properly. I just stood there, waiting for us to move. I tried to look beaten, defeated.

“He have already betrayed us. He is talking with the guards about Corelight. They will kill him as well.”

I sighed.

“Get out of my head, you are not real, you are only my imagination.”

“Am I? Or are you?”

“What do you mean?”

The voice did not answer.

We started to move, the four guards standing close around me and Lightheart walking just in front of me. I smiled lightly where I walked with my head down. They had not even checked the chains to make sure they where fastened properly.

*^*

It seemed as if the entire population of Trotholm was here to watch the wanted criminal walk to the gallows. I could see fillies and colts hide behind their parents. Some of the older colts had a contest in who was the bravest by running as close as the guards, and thus me, as possible. Parents whispered to each other and some of the ponies even threw vegetables or spat in my direction. I played defeated.

“When we have escaped will we kill them all! They will pay for this!”
“No we... I will not! They do not understand what they are seeing, for them am I only a murderer.”
“You mean we are more than that?”
“I cleanse this city from the filth that covers it!”
“By killing the ponies you seem fit?”
“BY KILLING THE PONIES THAT ARE CORRUPTED!”
“Yea, the ones you seem fit.”
“That is not the point.”
“We are nothing more than murderers.” the voice said and giggled.
“Get out, you do not belong here! You are only my imagination? Are you not?”
The only thing that responded was a cold, grim laugh.

*^*

We had stopped on a slope just before the castle. I could see in front of me how the market spread out. Gallows had been built there and stood there alone. The market was crowded, ponies stood everywhere.

“All here for the show.”
“Shut up.”
“Why? We both know that it is true. Let us make this hilarious for them.”
“How could it be hilarious with a criminal, a murderer, walking up and putting a noose around his own neck?”
“Oh, so you confess that you are a murderer! But your point is valid. Hey, maybe if we balanced a ball on our muzzle, wouldn’t that be something for them to laugh at?”

The voice laughed.
“No ball, we... I are not here for that.”
“You are soooo boring. Why not give them a show?”
“I am here to escape, not to give them a show of any kind.”

The voice did not answer.

I looked at the sky, Celestia’s celestial eye was soon to set.

“Celestia, protect me with the final grace of your hour.
Luna, guide me during your hour, put my hooves right.
Celestial twins, make my decision simple.
Make sure that nopony who does not deserve it come to harm.
In your name will I do what is needed.
In your name will I cleanse this city.
In your name will I prevail!
For the twin goddesses.
For a Equestria in harmony.
For a Equestria in balance.”

The four guards and Lightheart looked at me.
“Are you ready?” Lightheart asked, his voice cold.

“If I say no will I be released then?” I asked, false hope in my voice.

“No.”

“Then I guess am as ready as I can be.”

In union did we leave the slope. The ponies on the market looked around, watched with big eyes as I, the wanted criminal, the murderer, walked the last way to the gallows. Some pointed towards me, a lot of foals stood on their parents neck and had now hidden behind their manes.

I was glad that I had not seen Honey here.

“She is already dead.”
“She is alive, I know she is.”
“It is only a father's wish that she is alive. How could she be alive?”
“Carrotrose will take care of her. I am sure of it.”
“Are we? The same Carrotrose that probably had to leave her tavern because of us?”
“Carrotrose would....”
“Why would she not hand over Honey? You have ruined her, how will she earn her bits now?”
“She would never betray anypony! She loves Honey as if she was her own!”

The voice laughed.
“It may be that way.”
“She is alive.”

*^*

We had entered the market square, the four ponies stayed behind, letting me and Lightheart walk by ourselves. The crowd just stared at me, some whispered to another, but the entire square was silent. I looked at some of the ponies there, working ponies that did not understand what was before their eyes. They only saw the picture the government had painted of me. And the one I had helped to paint with the blood of corruption. All of them wore hard faces, some even spat at me here.

“I still think we should give them a good show, give them something to laugh at.”

Chapter 14

But it is a well known fact.
That when things get serious.
When everything goes wrong.
Will your friends show their true self.
But have faith in your friends.
They will trust you to do what is right.
So do not fear your friends.

Fear yourself.

*^*

“We are NOT here to give them a show! I mean... I am NOT here to give them a show. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”
“You are so boring... these ponies look like they should need a good laugh.”
“I am here to escape my death, what are you doing here?”
“We are here to look over us.”
“That did not even make any sense.”
“It did, we are just blind to our surroundings.”
“You might be, I am not!”
“Then tell me, how will you escape from here? There is no plain way, you can only run into the crowd, putting them all in danger.”

I looked around and realized that the voice inside of me was correct. Ponies stood every where on the cobblestones of the marketplace. Citizens of Trotholm... I could not hurt any of them in my escape. That would make me the criminal they feared.

No, I had to escape without hurting anypony at all.
But how?

“We could use our wings? We are a pegasus after all...”
“If you have not noticed so do I not have any wings! They were ripped of me years ago for a crime I did not commit.”
“What if we say that we can give you your wings back, if so only for a short time.”
“I would say that that is insane and that I start to go insane for even listening to you!”
“Suit yourself then, I gave you an option.” the voice laughed. “We will have fun in seeing how you get out of here.”
“GET OUT!”

I looked at Lightheart. He looked straight forward, straight at the gallows.
Then he started to walk. I fell in just behind him, the chains dragging on the cobblestone. I was afraid that they would fall of.

Ponies around me spat at me, I heard shouts from the crowd.
“Hang the traitor!”
“Cleanse the filth from Trotholm!”
“This will not give me my husband back but I will enjoy watching you hang!”

“It seems like we will give them some kind of show anyway.” the voice said with a giggle. “I still think we balancing a ball would be a great show towards this... gallows.”

I did not even care to silence the voice anymore. The town loathed me.
No, I could not blame the city for that! They did not see what was happening around them! They lived in an illusion!

I looked at the gallows, saw the rope noose that I was supposed to hang from sway in the light wind that rushed past me. I could only see one way out of here where I would not risk hurting anypony. Or actually two.

The castle, and the gallows.

But I would not let myself get hanged! For the good sake of Trotholm would I not allow it!
“Selfish are we? Are we to put all these ponies in danger just because we value our own life more than theirs?”
“I do not value my life higher than theirs!”
“And yet we refuse to die for them.”
“I can not do anything for them dead!”
“Have they asked for our help? Or are we here just for our own selfish way? That we have ‘seen’ something that they have not?”
“They do not know anything, they have not seen what I have seen! You heard Corelight, the corruption exist here!”
“But it works do it not? Do we have to destroy something that works, something that does no harm anypony in Trotholm? Are we permitted to bring pain and sorrow to Trotholm only because we see what is happening as wrong?”
“You have not seen the corruption in this city! Ponies die every day from the corruption!”
“And we are the one to stop this? The hero?”
“I am not a hero! I do what has to be done!”
“And that is?”
“Cleanse this city from the filth.”
“Kill everypony that we see as corrupt?”
“Yes.”
“But what if they are not corrupt?”
“How do you mean.”
“We are the ones corrupted here.”

The voice was gone with a laugh, leaving me staring into the distance.

The reality came back like the blow from a hammer. We were nearly at the gallows. And the only escape route was towards the castle!

But the way there was clear, no guards patrolled there. It were actually nearly no guards at the market.

Something was wrong, but what?

I looked at Lightheart. He would sacrifice everything if something went wrong here.

And there I saw it.

In the crowd behind Lightheart was something sticking out. Small isles of iron. The helmets of guards.

Ten of them... twenty of them... a hundred of them!

How could I have missed it at first? It was so clear now. They had placed guards to catch me if I tried to run for it towards the crowds, the only sane escape route.

I smiled for myself. But they would not be able to interfere. I had already decided not to run towards the crowd. I was going to run towards the castle, and it were no guards there that I could see.

The headmaster was the one that should hang me. Where was he? Of course would that foal not want to get close to me before the noose was already around my neck and a bag was over my head. He would probably give a short speech and then draw in the lever that would make a trapdoor open beneath me, causing me to plung to my death.

I found myself smiling lightly once again and forced the smile away. I was still too look defeated or they might figure out that something was not right. We where not even ten steps from the gallows, and the castle was less than fifty steps in the other direction.

The crowd had gone silent, every eye on me. I could feel their eyes looking at me, eyes filled of hatred and anger, but also full of relief.

The wanted criminal would be hang and Trotholm was to be free from the filth that was him.

Or so they thought.

I quickly unsheathed my blades and violently shook the chains and collars of. They landed with a loud rattling on the cobblestone.

I spun around and buried one of the blades deep in Lightheart. It was not a blow that was fatal, heck it did not even tore a muscle! It was a pretended blow. Lightheart cried out in pain.

I saw the red, life giving liquid follow my blade as I drew it out from Lighthearts body. The droplets landed on the cobblestone, soaked them with the blood of the innocent. I spun around, towards the gallows and the castle, my legs working as fast as they could.

The energy soared through my body, my veins pumped burning lava into my legs, making them work faster than ever before.

The guards had started to push themselves out of the crowds, most of them running towards me. I saw some of them running towards the point where Lightheart lay bleeding. He would at least be okay.

My hooves hammered against the cobblestone as I ran under the gallows, making my way towards the castle. Celestia’s last grace lighted my path.

“How many ponies have we wounded or killed by this? How many was wounded or killed by the guards when they pushed their way through the crowd? Pushed out to get to us.” the voice said with a grim laugh.

Chapter 15

To leave a friend behind.
Can break even the strongest of stallions.
To leave a friend that you will not be able to meet again.
Can kill you.
But to have a friend that choose to stay behind by himself.
Choose to stay behind to give you the chance to run.

That is to leave behind a friend you can trust.

*^*

“Catch him! Do not let him escape!” Lightheart commanded behind me.

I smiled, I had not wounded him badly atleast.
“But how many have we killed?”
“I have not killed anypony of the innocent here!”
“But we ran did we not?”
“I did not kill them!”
“Our actions killed them.” the voice said with a laugh.
“The guard was the one that killed them, if anypony was killed!”
“The guards followed their orders. We are the ones to blame.”

I ignored the voice. Nopony got killed! And it was the guards who had killed anypony if there had been any causalities.
The voice laughed again.
“At least we gave them a show.”

My hooves drummed against the cobblestone, bringing me closer to the castle with every step. Celestia’s eye had embraced the horizon, set for sleep.

The rage came suddenly.
It devoured my very being.
It raged through my veins, burning them to ash.

What is happening to me?
“Oh, we gave ourselves some energy so that we can be sure to escape.”
“But you are only a voice inside my head!”
That cold laugh again.
“Are we?”

I had arrived at the castle. The guards had started to catch up.
“Catch him! Corner him!” I heard a guard yell behind me.

I turned, started to run along the wall of the castle. A bolt shattered against the stone behind me, sending sharp splinters into my hind leg.

I ignored the pain as I ran. So close to the city, so close to a place where I could make them loose me.

“Then what?”
“Then I will meet up with Corelight.”
“And we are sure that he will not stab us in the back? We are sure that he will not betray us?”
“He is a friend in a friendless city. I think we... I can trust him.”
“And if he betrays us? His father was corrupted, he said so himself. Are you sure that he is not?”
“I trust him.”
“We do not.”

*^*

The guards were close behind as I entered the city beyond the walls. It had worked.

It had actually worked!
“They are still behind us.” the voice pointed out.
“That doesn’t matter. They will not be able to catch me in here, not when they are just running behind me like this.”

I laughed, the thrill of the hunt making the adrenaline and the rage in my veins pump faster.
“And I have something that they do not have.”
“What do we have that they do not have?”
“The protection of Luna, the embrace of Luna!”

*^*

It had not taken me long to shake of the last guards, they had not been prepared to hunt me in the city. I slowed down to a steady trot, tried to calm my body down. I looked around to see where I was, I had not paid any mind to where I had turned to loose my followers.

I found myself in front of The Black Stable.

Or, at least, the smoking ruins of The Black Stable. It felt as if a bucket of cold water had been emptied over me. The Black Stable... Burned to the ground.

What had happened to Honey? My daughter! My filly!
“She is dead.”
“How can you be so sure about that? What makes you think she is dead?”
“Four days have passed. Four days since we saw her. Who would take care of her during those days?”
“Carrotrose would take care of her!”
“Would we take care of a foal whos father is to blame for us loosing our income?”
“I can not blame the foal! I could only blame the pony who had made me lose my income!”

The voice disappeared again. Had I actually talked it down?

But it had made me start to think. Where had Carrotrose gone when they had come here to get my daughter? Where had she gone when they burned down The Black Stable?

And would she ever want to see me again?

I looked up at the Luna hour sky. Was my daughter looking up at the same sky, wondering where I was? I snickered for myself. I surely hope she is not, she should be asleep hours ago! The sky greeted me with the twinkling lights of Luna’s mane around her ever watching eye. The sky was cloudless, Luna’s grace embraced me, danced around me.

A cold Luna hour wind brought the scent of the flood to me. I walked over to the water as it made its way alongside the street. It was this water mass that kept the dark side of Trotholm from the rest of the city.

The clear water reflected Luna’s grace, mirroring her eye and mane. It was a beautiful sight.

Then it got to me. I knew exactly where I would be able to find Carrotrose.
“Are we sure she will be there?”
“I am certain.”
“Will she let us in?”
“I hope so.”
“And if she does not?”
“Then I will have to find another place to stay until this is all over.”
“And the guard? How do we do with him? Do we trust him with the location?”
“I do not know yet. I have to think about it.”

What would I do with Corelight? I looked at the sky again. It was still some time before I was to meet him in the castle gardens. I could not put Carrotrose or Honey in danger.

Honey... I know that she is where Carrotrose is!

So I could not tell him where I would stay. It was not as much that I did not trust him as it was that I would not risk the life of the ones around me.

I started to slowly trot towards the castle again. It had been nearly an hour since I had made my escape, the inhabitants of Trotholm was probably going back home right now.

I had to make sure that nopony saw me. It would be a really bad idea to be seen already, the guards would keep an eye on everything that happened in the city. But one question remained.

How was I to leave the city when I had talked to Corelight?

The city entrances would be heavy guarded, they would not let me pass just like that. In worst case would the guards standing at the gates recognize me.

“We should have made our way to the gates directly instead of going back to the nest.”
“I can not leave Corelight thinking that I am dead.”
“He would get the words about our escape sooner or later.”
“I’m not that sure, I can nearly enough promise that they will tell the inhabitants of the city that I was ‘killed during capture’.”
“But why do we care about him anyway? Why do we put ourselves in danger just to tell him that we live?”

“I owe him that much.”

Luna’s eye watched me, her grace embraced me, as I slowly trotted towards the castle again, making sure that nopony saw me.

Like a shadow of the city itself.

Chapter 16

The shadows of the moon.
All of them silent.
Some of them deadly.
Some from foes.
Some from friends.
But a friend that is but a shadow.

Is that a friend to trust?

*^*

I slowly made my way through the castle gardens. Luna’s eye watched over me, her gaze embraced me, hid me.

I was a shadow as I slowly made my way though flower arrangements and small paths of gravel between them. I did not make a lot of sounds, and the small ones I made were drowned in the sound of the rippling water of the gardens.

I walked past the place where I had had the water clash with Honey only days earlier. Happier days.

I could hear her laugh.

I could hear her begging me to stop.

I could hear her laugh again.

“Those days will we never get back. Those days are long since passed.”

Had the voice seemed... sad? After all it had said about Honey being dead. Was he really sounding sad now?
“I will make sure that those days get back.”
“How will we make that? We have killed everypony we loved! We have betrayed them all!”
“They all live, nopony has been killed yet. And I have not betrayed anypony!”

I was only meet with a grim, sad laugh.

I looked up at the sky, meet the glance of Luna’s eye, watched her mane twinkle around it. I could feel how the rage inside me built up as I watched the eye, but I struggled with it; suppressed it. I could not let it take over, not in a time like this.

It really was a beautiful Luna hour, her eye had still some distance left before it had made it to its peak. But I had no time to lose. I had not seen any guards so far, but that did not mean they did not exist. I slowly made my way towards the big, old oak tree in the middle of the castle gardens. I had never agreed with a meeting place with Corelight, but that was the central point, the core, of the gardens. If it where anyway we would meet was it there.

“Can we trust him? Are we certain that he have not planned an ambush there?”
“I believe he can be trusted, otherwise I would not stay here now.”
“How do we mean?”
“If we would not be able to trust him would he have warned the guards about our escape plan.”
“We can see the point in that. But will he do what we ask of him?”
“I can only hope.”

*^*

I lay completely still in the bushes close to the oak tree. Luna’s grace illuminated the old tree, illuminated every leaf, making it stand out in the night. It was really a beautiful view. It had not been hard to get here, the only guards I had seen had been easily avoided; they had not spotted me at all.

It made me wondering, where was every guard pony? Not that it usually was a lot of guards in the castle gardens at night, but more than two should it certainly be. Where all the available guard out in the city searching for me?

“Or are they all here, waiting for us?”
“Corelight has not betrayed me! “

And if he had, then I would have to fight my way out of here.

*^*

I heard the hoof steps on the gravel before I saw the hooded pony walk in under the oak, Luna’s grace illuminating it. I sighed at the bad disguise that Corelight had putted on. The hood did not cover the horn, you could clearly see his tail and parts of his coat. It was lucky, both for him and me, that he was not to follow me away from here. No, his work would be here.

The unicorn looked anxiously from side to side, tried to spot something in the shadows.
Tried to find me.

I smiled lightly, he would not be able to find me that easily. Luna’s eye had nearly reached its peak.

“Luna and Celestia, watch over me this night. Make my decision easy and let Corelight see the reason behind what I tell him.”
“They are not there to answer us. They never were.”
“They have always watched over me, today is no exception.”

I backed out of the bush,carefully making sure that not a single branch moved on the bush and that not a single sound was heard.

*^*

I looked at Corelight. He had not spotted me yet, and I had not even made a attempt to hide. I felt like facehoofing, if this was the kind of pony the guard was built up with then it was not strange that the murders I had done the last weeks was this easy.

I coughed lightly.

Corelight spun around, his horn already glowing, his eyes wide in surprise. He had a good reaction time at least.

“It’s me, do not be afraid.” I said, smiling gently.

“You scared me!” Corelight said as he released the grasp of his magic, his horn stopped the glowing.

“That was not what I aimed for, I was only making sure that you noticed that I was here.” I said, the smile still on my muzzle.

“Well, you made me notice you at least.” Corelight said with a nervous chuckle.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked him, making my way to the point directly. We did not have time to stand around doing nothing.

“I’m ready to follow you where ever you lead me.” Corelight answered. “I’m sick of this place.”

“Well, that is to bad since you will stay here for a while longer.” I said, my smile disappearing.

“What? I thought I would follow you, help you cleanse the corruption from this hellhole!” Corelight said, disappointment and a hint of anger in his voice.

I sighed, this would probably take a while.
“You are not to follow me away from the city, but you are to help me cleanse it.”

“Wait, you are leaving the city? You are abandoning the city when it needs you the most?” he said, the anger in his voice raising.

He was really easy to get angry, had to remember that.
“No, I will NOT abandon this city! But I can not stay in it right now, the guards will look after me, will search every corner of the city! The gates are probably already blocked, I will have to find another way out. But I will have to leave it for the time being.” I snapped at him.

I sighed again, looked at Corelight who seemed both angry, embarrassed and scared at the same time.
“Look, I do not want this. I want to go straight into the castle and slaugther every bucking corrupted pony in there! But I can not do that, innocent would be killed. That is where you gets into the picture, so listen closely now.”

It seemd that I had gotten Corelight’s attention.
“A half day of trotting towards the east lies a small settlement. One week from now, under the watching eye of Celestia, will I expect you there. I will meet you at the middle of the settlement, at the big fountain. You will not be able to miss it.”

“Under the what? And what shall I do for that week? What shall you do?” Corelight asked, confusion over me using the goddess name instead of the name he knew.

“Under the sun, in the middle of the day. I shall meet my daughter and her caretaker. I believe they are to be found in that settlement, and even if not will I wait there for you.” I answered, my thoughts going to Honey and Carrotrose.

“And what shall I do then? What is your task for me?”

“During this week will you make me a list of every corrupted pony that you know of. I know that will not be all of the corrupted ponies, but it will be a start. You are not to try to contact me, no matter what, before I see you in person there in one week. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir, I understand perfectly.” Corelight said, assurance written in his face.

“Good” I said, turning to leave. I looked back at Corelight. “And Corelight, do not get caught. Do not do anything suspicious at all. You are to help me, not to put yourself in danger.”

With those words did I leave Corelight behind me, slowly made my way out of the castle gardens.

“Are we sure about this? How are we to leave the city?”
“I have no idea.”

Chapter 17

Friends help when they can.
And even after you have parted.
Can they help.
By knowing you.
Knowing your next step.

*^*

Luna illuminated me and the street I trotted down on my way from the castle gardens. A few clouds had started to travel the skies, but nothing that clouded Luna’s grace as it shone down on me from Luna’s eye.

A few guards was out at this late Luna hour, trotting the streets of Trotholm. Each one of them looked nervous, looked as if they wanted to be anywhere else but in the streets at this hour. I did not blame them; they knew a murderer was lose. A murderer they thought of as a shadow. A murderer that was said to kill guards on a whim.

I could not help but to smile at that, I would not harm any of them if they did not threaten me. I turned to walk another way to avoid the guard.And even then would I try to run first.
“We would not run.” the voice snickered.”We would kill, we would drink their blood!”

I felt how the rage filled me, boiled my veins. I struggled against it as I stopped in the middle of the turn.
“I will not kill anypony!”
“We want the blood!”
“Get out!”
“The throat is the easiest way. Yes, we will aim for the throat.” the voice laughed.
“I am not going to kill anypony!”
“We are going to kill them all. Make them pay for what have been taken away.”
“GET OUT!” I tried to push away the voice, push it as far down as I could.
“We will never get out. We are you.”

The rage disappeared.
“We will stay here, as a part of you, until the day you die.”
“GET OUT!”

The voice only laughed.

I looked up, I did not even realize that I had lowered my head during my inner struggle. I saw the cobblestone in front of me being illuminated by Luna’s grace. The houses on both sides of me had no light coming out from the windows, their gardens small islands of green in the grey street.

And standing on the cobblestone, not more than twenty step in front of me was two guards.
“Kill them.” the voice called. “Kill them and drink their blood.”

I ignored the voice. Had they seen me? Did they know who I was?

The smaller one, an earth pony judging on the lack of wing and horn, was leaning closer to the bigger one, also an earth pony. As they talked did I look for a way out. I was in the middle of a block, I would easily be able to run back and turn another way. But that would make the guards in front of me raise an alarm. What should I do?
“Kill them!”
“It is not that simple, they are not corrupted! I will not kill them.”
“Let us slaughter them, let us erase them from existence!”
“NO! I will NOT hurt those ponies!”

The two guards had started to trot closer. Would they do that if they thought I was the murderer? Would they just walk towards me? Or did they try to make me feel secure?
“Kill them!”

I ignored the voice, looked at the guards who made their way closer to me. I realized that they did not know who I was. They was way to relaxed for that.
“Or do they know something we do not?”

They stopped five steps from me, more to give me some space than they fearing me. If they knew who I was would they not stop that close, since I would be able to lounge forward and kill them both in mere seconds.

The smaller one spoke up, revealing the low, humble voice of a mare.
“Good day, or night might be more precise, citizen.”

The bigger earth pony rolled his eyes, before he spoke, a deep voice emerging from his thick throat. I started to suspect that not even my blades would be able to intersect that neck.
“I want to remind you that it is, as it was stated on the market place earlier this night, forbidden to be outside in the darkness. A murderer is on the lose. It is for your own safety that I must ask you to go home. If needed will we escort you there for your safety.”

My mind worked fast. They did not know who I was, still they had heard the orders about not allow people outside. I was very close to a smile.
“Ah, sorry sirs, I’m actually on my way home this very moment.”

The bigger guard nodded, the smaller seemed nearly... sad.
“Do you want us to escort you home? The streets are dangerous at night.” the bigger guard said.

“Kill them....”

I ignored the voice.
“No, I will be quite alright. I live at the outer wall, so I guess I will see guards on every street from here to there.”

The mare looked at me, she seemed nearly sad.
“You will not meet a lot of guards out there. They are afraid. Afraid to be the next one to be killed.”

I tried to keep my face calm.
“Why would they not do their duty and protect the citizen? Are you two the only true guards left?”

The big earth pony was the one to answer.
“I do not blame them for being afraid. It is said that this murderer killed ten when he was captured. I do not believe it thought, if he had started to kill anypony would he be dead long before the gallows. He stopped to take a breath. “I know that it is, or have been, twenty guards trotting the streets tonight. Those twenty are the true core of the guards, the ones that is here to protect the citizens and not here for the power that comes with being a guard. Even captain Lightheart, who was stabbed during the murderers escape, is out in the city and protecting the citizens.”

“Kill them.....”

“Then I shall not keep you here any longer, it is better for you to help the rest of the citizens than me, I can take care of myself.” I smiled at the guards. “It feels good to know that we have such guards as you, who trot the streets to keep us citizens safe even in the face of this kind of danger.”
The smaller earth pony looked at me.
“Then we will leave you for your own, citizen. Take it easy and do not put yourself in danger.”

She smiled at me as they passed me, a pleasant smile. I looked after her. It had been something in those ice cold eyes, in that black coat.

But what?

“Kill her, kill them both.”
“NO!”

I shook the feeling away from me, together with the voice. It was time for me to leave this city. But how?
I started to trot the other way, away from the two guards. I did not look where I went, I knew that I walked in the general direction of the wall and that was all that mattered.

One moment was I slowly trotting, the next did I lay on the cold cobblestone with Luna’s grace shining down on me.

What had happened? I looked back, and saw the cobblestone that I had stumbled over. I brought a hoof to my head, carefully rubbed the spot where my head had hit the cobblestone. It was then I saw it.

Attached between the metal of one of my blades and my hoof was a piece of paper placed. I gently removed it from where it had been attached and started to read it.

I instantly recognized it.
‘The gates shall be opened for the wearer of this letter, he is on a mission from the captains of the guards. No questions shall be asked and in fact, this letter and the one wearing it shall be forgotten, they have never passed, have never existed.
Captain Lightheart.’

It was the letter that Captain Lightheart had given me back at the tower.
But how had it gotten here?
Had Lightheart attached it there earlier, before we walked to the gallows?
Did he know what danger he putted himself into by doing this?
Had I been caught... they would directly have realized that he had helped me.

But as it was now, was this my ticket to freedom.

Chapter 18

To find the way needed.
To flee from certain defeat.
From certain death.
Do you need light.
The light can come in many ways.
It might be the sun.
It might be a torch.
But the best light.
Is the light from a friend.
A friend that you leave behind.

Luna’s half closed eye spread it’s grace over the cobblestones I slowly trotted over. Her ever watching eye had started to close, the grace was not as bright as it had been the last couple of days.

But for me was it perfect, if her grace had been shining with the true power of her eye then I would bath in the light of the goddess. But with the slightly less light that emitted from Luna’s eye could I hide easily, it would be hard for them to find me if I did not want to be found.

And still I hesitated. I could not just trot to the east gate, as soon as the words had gotten out that I left through the east gate would they start to search there. And they would quickly find out that I had made my way to the small settlement there.

And they would soon find the connection between Carrotrose and that settlement.
I could not endanger her like that. Nor could I endanger Honey!

“Who said that Carrotrose took our little filly with her as she left? Can we be sure that she did not leave her to her own destiny?” the voice asked.

“Carrotrose would never do that, she would never leave a foal.”

The only reply I got was a laugh.

I had to leave through another gate. The southern one was closest, it would have to do. I had to hurry before the words had spread, if it had been as the two guards had said then the ones guarding the gates would most likely be loyal ponies who would take an order from a higher captain without asking.

“That or ordinary guards who hide in the safe shelter of the gate-towers.”

“Or that...” I admitted.

I really hoped that was not the way, I really hoped that there would be loyal guards there. Then I would not need to explain me, I would not need to talk at all. Just show the letter to them.

“And what if they charge at us directly when they see us?”

“Then I will have to make my way out of here with force...”

“We will attack ponies only because they stand in our way? We will kill ponies because they do not let us out?” the voice chuckled. “We will kill them because it pleases us?”

“I will NOT get pleasure from it! I will do what I have to get out of here. I will do what I have to do to cleanse this place!” I shouted back at the voice.

The voice faded away, still chuckling.

I quickly glanced to the sides, I had stopped in the middle of the road. Luckily for me was there nopony out in the night, no one else walked the streets. I started to trot, my hooves clinking against the cobblestone as I made my way towards the north gate, Luna’s grace illuminating my way.

*^*

It did not take long before I arrived at the gates. A single torch illuminated the big wooden gates, a unicorn standing alone in front of the small door that lead to the guard tower. The stallion had a crossbow floating in front of him, a weak yellow aura of magic surrounding it.

I stopped in my tracks. I had taken a habit of walking in the shadows, but I could not risk scaring this guard. It was hard to know how the guard would react, in worst case would he shoot at me. So instead of going the last steps into the light and pop up less than ten hoofsteps from him did I slowly back away before I walked into the middle of the street. Luna’s grace shone down on me, embraced me with her light once again. The guard looked at me as I trotted closer to him, and when I was ten step from him did he raise the Crossbow and talked to me.

“State your business, thief.” he said in a calm and steady voice. “I saw you the first time.”

I smiled at him. Had I really been that bad?
“I’m here on orders of Captain Lightheart. I have a note stating the order if you want it.”

The guard smirked at me.
“A thief like you, out on orders from one of our Captains? That I trust when I see it. Bring forth the note, but do not do anything stupid.”

“Let us kill him.... He is thinking way to highly about himself.” the voice sweetly whispered in my ear.
“No.” I said firmly as I used my mouth to bring forth the small note. I took a step forward, the note visible for the unicorn.

“Stop there, you do not need to walk up to me with that note.” the unicorn said and gently floated the note from me with his magic. He kept his eyes on me and shouted into the room.
“Lightheart, it is a thief here saying he is carrying a note from you, would you like to come out and read it or should I just shoot him?”

Wait... Lightheart here? Was this my lucky day or was it on the way to get worse?

Lightheart walked out from the guard tower and looked at me.
“Yes, I sent this ‘thief’ out on a mission earlier today. I thought he had left already.” he said, eyes still on me. “Why are you still in the city? Did I NOT tell you that this was important?”

I stood there confused for a second, before I answered.
“I’m sorry sir, there where... Difficulties.” I said, eyeing the guard. “I had to avoid the guards, you told me to not show the note to anypony before the gates.”

Lightheart sighed and turned to the unicorn.
"Guard, open the gate. And this pony has never been here, his mission never heard of, do you understand.”

The Unicorn stiffened, the note was quickly floated back to me and he turned towards the gate.
“Yes sir, right away sir.” He said, his voice had lost some of its steadiness.”

Lightheart trotted to me, and whispered in my ear.
“Get out of here. Now. I do not care why it took you so long, but I do not want to see you in this city before this have calmed down. I really hope you have a plan. And destroy that note as fast as you get the opportunity, I do not want to be associated with this.”

Before I had any chance to respond had he turned around and trotted away.

The gates, however, were open. Slowly did I trot through it, left Trotholm behind me.

*^*

The way to the small settlement where Carrotrose lived was not hard to find, and I did not encounter any problems getting there. And as Celestia's eye rose over the horizon did I stand in front of the gates to the mansion that Carrotrose's father owned. I really hoped that I would find her, and Honey, here.

The pray could wait, finding my daughter was more important right now.

Chapter 19

A friends embrace.
A daughters smile.
Is that all that is needed to regain what is lost?
Is that what is needed to replenish your mind?
Or is it all a facade?
There to confuse you.

The carrot mansion, home for the once great carrot family. Today was the only inhabitants Carrotrose’s old father, Carrotsword, and ,hopefully, had Carrotrose searched herself here from Trotholm. And with her, my daughter.

“Honey is not here, we have lost her.” the voice said sadly.
“If Carrotrose is here, then my daughter is as well.”
“We have lost her. She is dead.” the voice broke down, started to cry inside my head.

What is happening with that voice? It was all taunting earlier, is it trying to put me off balance?
I decided to ignore it for now. The thing of importance now was to find my daughter, to get to know if she really was here or not.

No guards were guarding the mansion, the iron gate stood slightly open in Celestia's morning grace. The big garden was dilapidated, the flowers had grown wildly, the grass had not been fixed for a long time. Ivy had started to climb the once beautiful statues. The only part of the garden that was taken care of was a small part around the great oak tree standing in the center of the garden. I looked at the mansion. What was so important that they took care of it while the rest of the garden was left alone?

A well worn path in the grass took me to the base of the great oak tree, Celestia's eye watching my back. I should have understood what a lonely pony valued to take care of.

At the base of the great oak tree was a grave, a simple stone in the shape of a heart marking its position. My shadow fell over the stone, so I took a couple of steps to the side. The grave mark was placed as to catch the first graze from Celestia every morning. An inscription had been made in the middle of the heart.

‘Here lays Carrotshield. Beloved wife of Carrotsword, mother of Carrot rose. May you watch down upon us from the heavens and protect us as you always have done.

You are missed, my wife.’

I saw small outlines around the text, and took a step back. A shield had been carved into the stone, two carrots crossing it at the top.

I looked away, I could feel a tear in my eye. After all these years had Carrotsword still taken care of this place, even if the rest of the garden had dilapidated. I had never been at this mansion before, but I had been with Carrotrose when she recieved the letter.

It was a morning, not even two days after I had been released. I had found my house and my belongings sold, so I had taken resort at the tavern close to my former house. Carrotrose had taken care of me, she had cared about me. Then, suddenly, was it my turn to take care of her.

The letter had said that ‘Lady Carrotshield had died in service of the empire.’ Nothing more, nothing less. No explanations. She had cried, and I had tried to comfort her as much as I could. I told her that she should go to the funeral, but she had refused. I asked why but she had refused to answer that. In the end had I only been there by her side, a cliff she could cry against.

No, that was enough of that. That was in the past, I had things I had to take care of infront of me. I had to found Honey, I had to.

I staggered at the first step forward I took, nearly falling to the ground.

I had to sleep.

*^*

I knocked on the doors to the big mansion. To my surprise did an old servant open the door.
“Yes, what can I do for you this early hour?” he asked sourly.

I looked at the gray coated unicorn in front of me.
“I’m here to talk to lady Carrotrose, if she is here.”

“Does she know that you are here?”

I could not help but smile, Carrotrose was here.
“She believes that I’m dead.”

“Very well then, I shall tell her that you are here.” he turned to leave.

“Wait.” I called after him.

He stopped in his track, looked back at me.
“Yes?”

“My daughter? Is she here?”

“Your daughter sir? The yellow filly? Honey?” he said, giving me a smile. “Yes, she is here, arrived together with the lady Carrotrose.”

I released the breath I had held unknowing.
“Thank you.”

He turned and left, closing the door behind him. I stood there alone on the stairs, hopping that Carrotrose wanted to see me again, hopping that she could help me.

*^*

And then, suddenly, did the door open again. I found myself in the embrace of Carrotrose.

“You are alive! I can not believe that you are alive. This is such a relief. Honey have cried for days, she will be so happy now that you are back.” Carrotrose said before I could do anything.

“I’m here and alive. How is Honey? What happened to you?” I asked.

“Honey is asleep, that poor thing have not slept at all since we had to leave the city. She has only cried, she thought she had lost you. After you had left did a note slip through the door at the tavern. It said that you had been captured and that I had to leave the city at once, that I was in danger. When you did not return... I closed the tavern, took Honey with me and left. And here I am. I did not want to risk Honey, and I had to visit my father anyway.”

I swayed on the spot when Carrotrose released me.

“Oh my, you must be tired. Come in, come in, we have an extra room that you can take and sleep in. I will tell Honey as fast as that little sweetheart wakes up, she will be so happy! Follow me, you will have to tell me everything when you wake up again!” Carrotrose said and turned around, trotting into the mansion.

*^*

Carrotrose showed me to a room, big windows giving me a view of the mansion’s garden and the settlement beyond the gates. But most importantly was a big bed placed at the other side of the room. I made my way towards it, and could hear Carrotrose whisper goodnight to me.

And then, the dream took its hold on me.

Chapter 20

Mirror Mirror.
On the wall.

I stood in a dark room, , candles lighting up the scene. Statues of ponies in armor and without, ponies in high society cloths and ponies in peasant cloths. Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi alike. All looking at me. All judging me, watching my every step with unseeing eyes. And on the far end of the room, where the statues ended, a mirror. I started to trot towards it, my being dragged there.

I’m on my way.
To loose control.

In front of the mirror, looking into it, seeing my twisted reflection. I had wings again. No a horn, I had a horn. I was a earth pony, muscular and strong. No, a griffon, talons as big as myself and claws as sharp as steel. No, a unicorn, lying on the grass with a book in front of me. And then suddenly, nothing. Red eyes looked at me, the voice laughing in my head.

You blind me.
With your beauty.

I stared into those ruby jewels. Blood. Blood everywhere. Then, light. Pale, white light shone in my eyes.
“He is starting to wake up! It is to early, he will not survive if he wakes up now! Put him back to sleep again, we can not risk to lose any more subjects!”

Blackness, calming blackness. And blood red jewels that stares at me.

The reflections.
Makes me high.

A mirror in front of me. A thousand others around me. Reflecting me over and over again. My head. Dizzy. What is happening? And all the time, that laugh in the head.

Will my spirit.
For ever die?

Then suddenly, a single mirror in front of me. The laugh was gone. An orb floated in the mirror, a white glow radiating from its center. It pulsated in synchronisation with my heartbeat, every beat as steady as a mountain, as light as a feather. The red eyes looked at me from the other side of the orb, a paw and a talon coming forth and hiding the pulsating orb. It felt as if they surrounded my heart as well.

And when they released the orb had it changed. It was still white, but a streak of red pulsated together with the white. It felt sickening. What was happening?

If I break.
The reflected eye.

I stood in a room, the wooden door closing behind me. Fear struck my heart. Where was I?
The answer was simple. I was in an office, and I had been here before; although I could not remember when.

The office was small, a single wooden desk stood in the room. At one end stood a mare, her coat resembling Carrotrose’s coat. And at the other end stood Lightheart, smiling grimly at me.

Lightheart? What was he doing here? I felt my heart race, my blood pump harder and harder, drowning the sounds around me. The laugh, however, had returned.

Then my gaze felt on the stallion standing behind the desk, a grey coated stallion with an eye patch over his right eye. But his left eye, an eye of pure silver, looked my eyes, reflected my entire being, pierced through my soul. My heart stopped beating as he opened his mouth, talking with a deep, calm voice.
“Welcome, subject P-20, I am warden.”

This magic that.
You show me.

“Look, fire. Look” the voice said.

And everything around me was indeed in flames. The bed, the cell door. Everything. But I dismissed it.

“Cut it out, it worked the first time, not more.” I said.

The fires extinguished again, the room... cell, once again in its ordinary condition.
“You are no fun. I want to play, I want to kill, I want to create CHAOS!” the voice laughed. It was the cute laugh of a foal.

And it frightened me to hear it from inside of me.

Make me look.
Forever young.

Pain, pain emerging from my wings.
The pain stabbed inside of me. I felt to the floor, it felt as if my wings burned.
“Die!” the voice shouted in my head.

And at that moment did I wish that I could die. The pain, I could not stand it. I trashed on the floor. Two white coated unicorns came in, shooting words I could not hear to one another.

And then I laid restrained on my stomach on an operation table. My wings was fixed in place, outstretched at their limit.

My wings lay beside me, blood still dripping from them. At least the pain was gone. But so was my wings. Right then I did not care. The pain was gone.

Immortalized on the outside.
But rotten deep inside.

I heard the sound of hooves trotting past my cell, the voice of Lightheart reached my ears.
“... like it, he survived but to what cost? Could you not have let him die like the other subjects? What makes P-20 so different from the...”

The voice faded away.
“Did you hear that? He wanted you dead.” The voice laughed in my head. The laugh had changed, it was no longer that of a foal, instead was it that of a colt close to adulthood. “They are afraid of me, and so should you be.”

I felt my hoof strike me in the stomach. It was a hard hit, the air was knocked out of me. I gasped after air.
“I’m not afraid of you.” I snarled. “You are only my imagination.”

“Would your imagination do THIS!” the voice asked.

My head hit the stone floor, hard. I could feel a teeth falling out.

I could not do anything against whatever it was inside of me, and I could already feel the teeth grow back. All I could do was to endure it.

Mirror, mirror.
Look at me.

I looked at the reflection of myself. All these years, all this pain. What had happened? Was this the memories of a time I had suppressed?

Or was it just a twisted dream, here to hurt me? What was inside of me? How had it started.

The reflection in front of me changed. I saw the goddesses stand there. I could feel my hate burn inside of me, my anger taking over my being.

I smashed the mirror with my hoof, shattered the reflection. Every shard reflected my eyes that moment, eyes twisted with hatred and anger.

Who is that man.
That is staring back at me.

The mirror was whole again. But something was... different. I saw myself standing there, strings attached to my body. Strings that went upwards to a talon and a paw.

Was this the being that controlled me? And why did I recognize the talon and paw? The word was there, but it could not come up, I could not say it.

Precious, precious.
Save my soul.

“Luna and Celestia, help me in my time of need. Save me from this. Kill me, let me be free. Release me from the pain, from the voice. Help me.”

My skin looks hot.
Though my heart is cold.

“They are not there, they never were. It was all a lie. They never helped you, and they never will. You are alone, with only me as company.”

I could feel my heart freeze at those word.
“A lie, its all a lie! The goddesses exist, they watch over me and help me.”

“Then why are you here? Why do they do this for you? Why don’t they end it?”

I want to live my life in silence

Precious silence, the words was gone. It was only me again, alone in the cell. But who was I? The only thing I had left was the prayers. So I prayed.
“Luna and Celestia, help me find myself again help me on my....”

I want to live my life in peace

I have to get out of here! I can not stay here! This is not the right place! How did I end up here? I have to get out.

Green grass as long as the eye could see, each of them unique. Celestia’s eye embraced me with its warmth. Had they heard my prayers? Was I finally free?

Mirror, mirror... Set me free

And as suddenly as it all had started did it end. I stood in the room again, the mirror in front of me. Five words stood in that mirror.

‘The truth will be told.’

The dream shattered, two red eyes the last thing I remembered before I woke up.

Chapter 21

Celesita's eye watch over me.
When I’m awake.
Your embrace spreads its warmth.
Heating up my chilled bones.
Chilled by the night.
Chilled by the dreams.

I opened my eyes, disoriented. Where am I? The sleep still haunted me, the dreams gnawing on my mind. What was that voice? What had Lightheart with all this to do? Who the buck was Warden? And most importantly.

What truth would be told?

Celestia’s eye shone through one of the windows, it looked as if it was the middle of the day. I was still sleepy. I had trashed around in my sleep, resulting in me waking up entangled in the sheets.

Then it all came back to me. I was in the Carot Mansion. And Honey was here as well! I quickly rose from the bed, taking a step forward.

And landing muzzle first on the floor. I winced in pain as I ran my hoof over my muzzle, slowly dragging myself up again. I slowly untangled myself from the sheets before I slowly stood up again. I withheld a yawn as I exited my room.

*^*

The mansion was huge.
And I was lost.
I trotted in the seemingly endless corridors, poking my head into every room in the searching for my daughter or somepony who could show me the way.
“Dad, I have told you he is my guest. I will not make him leave!” Carrotrose’s angry voice floated towards me.

“This is not a discussion, young lady! He is to leave this mansion this very instant.” the calm voice of a stallion stated. I guessed it was Carrotsword’s voice.

“Dad, I usually listen to what you say, but this time I have to put my hoof down. The poor thing can not be feeling well, and they have no home to return to. I will not throw out a filly on the street. And you should feel ashamed if you wanted to do that to Honey.”

I trotted to the door from which the argumentation was being held. I placed myself in the doorway. None of the two ponies seemed to notice me.

I coughed lightly to present my presence. Carrotsword just turned around and glared at me. He was an elderly earth pony, he had an orange coat and a silvery mane, even though I believed that the mane’s color was from age and not the ordinary color. He scowled at me, opened his mouth.

“Are you up already? You have barely gotten two hours worth of sleep!” Carrotrose spoke up, her voice as calm as her father’s had been only seconds ago.

“I had a bad dream and decided that I had had enough sleep to see my daughter.” I smiled at Carrotrose before I turned towards Carrotsword. “I thank the honor and nobility of you, Lord Carrotsword, for taking me in with such a short notice.”

I had no idea what I had just said, nor how I had known the words, but they seemed to have a great effect. Carrotsword looked completely taken aback, but scowled at me the same, before he spoke to me. It sounded like every word was drawn out of him.
“Your words are to kind, the honor is mine. Feel free to stay for as long as you wish, the Carrot Mansion is my home and will be as your own for your visit.”

I really did not hope that, the only home I had had the latest years was a burnt down inn that his daughter had owned. And once again did I speak without knowing why.
“Your offer is accepted, but my stay will only be briefly. I thank you once again, Lord Carrotsword, for your hospitality.”

He looked surely at me.
“Don’t mention it.” he turned to leave. “If you youths need anything will I be in my study.”

Carrotrose looked blankly at me.
“What was that? One second was he prepared to throw you out, the next he accepted you, if sourly. What did you say to him?”

“Honestly, I have no idea... It just... Felt right to say it.” I admitted. “And it seems like it worked.
“Did you have anything to do with this?” I questioned the voice. No answer returned.

“Well, it did work. However sourly he is did it sound as if you could stay.” she smiled. “And that I’m happy about. Now, back to bed with you. You are not ready to get up yet, you look exhausted.”

I slowly shoke my head.
“No Rose, I’m sorry but I will not go back to the bed right now. I have to see Honey. My daughter. I thought she was dead. Or worse. I would have gone to her directly when I got her if I was not to tired to protest. And when I woke up did I try to find her, and ended up here. So please, Rose, I beg you. Show me the way to my daughter.”

She smiled lightly at me.
“I was so worried. I thought I had lost you.” she said, the word followed by a small sigh. “I will show you the way to Honey’s bedroom. Although I would like it if you did not wake her up. She cried herself to sleep and she needs this sleep. It was a rough way here for her, she thought you died as well, she wanted to turn around, help you. But I refused, I knew that you would go here if you were alive.”

She looked away, a tear in her eyes.
“And if you would not return... well then she would at least grow up in happyness.”

I trotted to Carrotrose, gently lifted her head to look at her.
“And I thank you for that, Rose. You wanted to give my child the future I would not be able to.” I released her head. “Now, please, lead me to her.”

Carrotrose smiled at me.
“Follow me, I will show you to your daughter's room.”

*^*

It did not take long before I stood in the small room that my daughter had been given. Thick curtains stopped Celestia’s grace from illuminating the room, shadows playing in the corners.

“Daddy?” a quiet voice whispered from the darkness. My daughters voice.

“I’m here, Honey.” I whispered back, trotting into the room. Carrotrose walked after me quietly.

The bed that Honey lay on was big enough for four ponies. Honey lay in the middle of the bed, whimpering with tear stains around the pillow. She was still asleep.

I turned to Carrotrose.
“On the other hoof, I think I will just get some more sleep.”

Carrotrose smiled at me.
“I understand. Sleep well.” she said, hesitating for a second before continuing. “I will wake you up before breakfast tomorrow.”

“Thanks Rose. I would love that. It feels like I can sleep forever.”

She nodded once before she turned around.
“And try not to wake Honey up, she needs the sleep.”

I nodded before I turned to the bed, trying as carefully as possible to lay down besides my daughter.

“Daddy?”

“I’m here Honey, don’t wake up, keep sleeping. I will be here when you wake up.”

I hugged her tightly against me, and I felt how she relaxed in my hooves. The sleep came slowly to me, my eyes felt heavy.

But I welcomed the sleep. I was with Honey again, with my daughter. Everything was going to be fine.

Chapter 22

A warm sleep.
In the presence.
The presence of goddesses.
With the truth revealed.
Of my future.
Of my soul.

Celestia’s celestial eye shone brightly through a multicolored window, its grace twisted in the multiple colors of the window as it embraced me, awoken me. I slowly blinked in the sudden light.

Where am I? Where is Honey? I had gone to sleep just next to her. Where was my daughter?

I looked around the room, tried to figure out where I was. And what is saw scared me. The floor never stopped, it stretched out in the distance until I could not see it anymore. No walls were to be seen, the sky with Celestia’s eye was the ceiling.

And then there was the window. A single window was in front of me, no walls held it up. It just... stood there, twisting Celestia’s grace as it shone through it. The window had a scenery in it, the scenery of the two goddesses sitting on one throne each, one of the thrones ornamented with a sun, the other with a crescent moon. A soft whisper drifted towards me, the voice as warm as the grace of Celestia’s eye in the sky.

“Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” I asked.

“For understanding?” a second voice replied, this one as beautiful as the Luna’s mane during her late hours.

“Understand what?” I asked.

“Understand what is happening around you.” the first voice answered softly.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“You are in a dream.” the second replied.

“A dream?” I asked.

“A dream that we are in control over.” the first replied.

“Why am I here?”

“To find understanding.” the second replied.

Before I could ask any more did the first voice cut in.
“The time is short, step through the window. We will meet you on the other side.”

I looked dumbfound on the window. Should I... go through the window? But, who was I to ask a dream.

I trotted towards it; it felt as if the goddesses on the thrones followed me with their eyes.

I nudged the window with my muzzle, and to my surprise did it go through. The window seemed as solid as a regular window, no ripples spread on it from my muzzle. I braced myself, it was just a dream, and took a step through the window.

*^*

I found myself in the middle of a room, laying on a golden and blue carpet. Celestia’s celestial eye watched me from the left, Luna’s from the right. Their grace embraced me, warmed me. I looked around.

And my eyes directly landed on the thrones in front of me.
And on the goddesses sitting on them.
On Luna and Celestia.

I quickly dropped to my knees, knelt for the goddesses.

“Stand up.” they said in unison.

I rose to my hooves again, looked at them. They seemed... tired.

“You have been summoned to get guidance, guidance and answers.” Celestia said, her voice warm.

“Answers on what?” I asked, my voice weak in comparison for the goddess’s voice.

“Answers on whatever you want to ask.” Luna answered, her voice serene.

“Who are you?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Luna smiled at me, but it was Celestia who answered.
“We are the twin goddesses, the controllers of the sun and the moon, the rulers of life and death.”

“What is my place in all of this? Why have I been taken here?”

“You were the one who woke up us from the slumber that Discord placed us in, you was the one who gave us our power back.” Luna answered, smiling at me.

“But how could I, alone, give you the power you needed?”

“You did not give us the power we needed to defeat Discord, you gave us the power to manifest us here, on Equestria. From there could we interfere with more and more of the ponies of Equestria, and more and more followed us. Our power grew, but you are still the pillar of our power. You believed, not because you had seen us do, but because love of your grandfather. You believed his stories, you did not need proof. You believed.” Celestia said.

“But what about Trotholm? Why have you not done anything about that place?”

They looked sadly at each other, Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but Luna was the one who answered.
“We do not want to relive the moment of loss, the moment of destruction. We felt the death of each of the alicorns, felt their pain, their loss. That shook the foundation of our souls, we can not go back to that.” she hanged her head, tears dripping from her cheeks. “We can not do that.”

“That is why,” Celestia continued, sorrow in her voice. “We give the situation of Trotholm to you. We have observed you, you are the only one who can set things straight there.”

“Yea, that will be easy...” I sighed. “Are you sure that I’m the one you seek? If you have observed me, then you also know about my... troubles.”

And just like that were they beside me.
“We can not help you with everything, but accept this gift.” they said in unison, their illuminated horns touching the sides of my back.

The world disappeared in a bright light.

*^*

I heard my own voice, but it was not I who spoke.

An chaos reincarnated will be turned to stone.
Transformed by the power of balance.
By the power of harmony.
The celestial twins must stay on the soil of Equestria.
They must guide earth pony, pegasi and unicorn alike.
The fallen must not be reborn, the true alicorns have to rule.

But heed my warning, goddess of the yellow eye.
The chaos have touched your twin.
The corruption is spreading.
The balance will be contested.
When your twin eye’s refuse to set.
And the black night stand triumphant.
Search the answer within balance.
This has to be done, else Equestria will fall.
The being you attack is not your sister.
It is but a corrupted shell.

The power of balance has to be cleansed.
Goddess of the yellow eye.
Cleanse them when the time is right.
Under the watching eye of your twin.

And when the time is right will two foals be born.
Two foals destined to release your twin.
One I use to say these words.
The other you will find on her name.
Her name will be the name of the brightest part of your sister’s celestial masterpiece.

But beware.
The power of balance can not stay in the ownership of an eternal being.
Nor can it be with the ones destined to release your sister.
The life of six will change.
They will also fight chaos reincarnated.

When he is released from the stone prison by the crusaders.

*^*

I looked up at the goddesses who stood over me, concerned looks mirrored their faces.
“What happened?” I asked weakly.

“You passed out.” Luna said, her serene voice broken with... fear?

“I passed out within a dream?” I asked.

She looked away.
“Yes.” Celestia answered.

“What happened?”

“You gave us a lot to think about, that what was happened.” Luna said, still looking away.

“So I said all that? What does it mean?”

“The meaning of your words are hidden, and will take time to understand. However, it was not you that said it, it was another being that said it through your body.” Celestia answered.

“What being?”

“That, we do not know.” Luna answered. She still did not look at me.

“What will happen now?”

“Now?” Celestia smiled warmly at me. “Now, you wake up to your daughter and our gift.”

“What gift?”

They only smiled at me as the dream faded away.

Chapter 23

The wings of the spirit.
The wings of freedom.
Freedom that last.
Until the end of time.
Time of us.
Time of me.

My head ached. My legs ached. My mane itched. My wings ached.

My wings?

I opened my eyes wide at the realization. My wings ached. The wings that had been taken away from me. I looked back at my back.

And sure enough. There, in the embrace of Luna’s grace, were my wings. The feathers were soft, softer than I remembered. But, when I thought about it, I had not had any wings for years.

It was then I remembered where I was. I rose from my position in the bed, looked down at the still sleeping Honey. She had stopped crying now, the tear stains had dried. I smiled gently at her sleeping body, before I gently stepped from the bed.

I had my wings again! I had to try them, I had to feel the cool air rush around me. I had to relive what was taken away from me so many years ago.

I walked quietly through the sleeping mansion, it did not take a long time before I found a balcony I could use as a start point. I looked down, it was not high enough that I would get more than a broken bone if I fell, but that did not help to sooth the anxiety that spread through my body. I had not been in the air for a long time. What if I could not do it?

But then again, I could need them in a dire situation, so it was best to learn the fact now, was I able to fly or not. It did not help to soothe my anxiety either, but at least I had decided what to do now. I slowly trotted to the end of the balcony, stretched my wings and flapped them experimentally before I, without a look down, threw myself out into the air.

And I flew again. For the first time for years was air rushing around me. It felt as if Luna’s grace shone brighter than ever before, as if she was happy. I knew I was.

I might not be the best flier, but at least I was one again.

*^*

I sore through the sky, higher than the clouds. I had soon forgotten my own words to not fly high, but my wings were stronger than they had ever been before, my body was rested; I had the energy needed. And it just felt so good to fly again. I looked down below me, Luna’s grace painted the landscape in its faint light, the entire part of Trotholm glowing in the light blue light.

And dawn was soon coming again. I had not prayed for... a long time. What had it been? Six days? Two weeks? It did not matter. I had to pray this dawn, to show my appreciation to the goddesses.

“They did this to bribe us. They fooled us!”

I froze in the middle of a wing flap. I had not heard that voice for the entire night, not since the nightmare at least.

I quickly started flapping again so I would not lose more attitude.

“What do you mean?”

“The wings. They gave them back to us on a wimp. They felt pity for us. They wanted us to be thankful to them.”

I did not listen. Whatever the goddesses wanted would I more than happily do, they gave me my wings back, they had watched over my daughter.

If the price for that was to do something I had already decided to do, then so would it be.

“We are fools... This will kill us.”

I ignored the voice, Celestia’s first grace had touched the horizon. It was time to pray.

*^*

Twin sister of the celestial eyes. I have been unfaithful in my belife. I have neglect my prayers. Firstly I want to thank you, goddesses, for helping my daughter and Carrotrose. They live, and that is the greatest gift I could ever get. Not only that, but you gave me my wings back, giving me power over the skies again, giving me an edge against my enemys.

Celestia, watch over your sister. Luna, help your sister in need. Equestria fate lies in your hooves, but I trust you. In the same way that you trust me with Trotholm. I will not fail you, not after what you have done for me.

My faith lies in you, now and forever.

I finished my prayer and just sat there, at the top part of the Carrot Mansion’s roof. Celestia’s grace warmed me, her eye illuminating the world. And then I smiled. It was time to awaken my daughter, it was time to start spend time with her. I also had to find a way to repay Carrotsword for letting me stay here.

*^*

“Daddy?”

Honey stirred in her sleep before she finally opened her eyelids, revealing the jade green eyes underneath. I smiled at her.

“Daddy!” she shouted out and leaped into my open hooves. I could feel tears running down my face, but I could not care. I was happy.

I drew her into an embrace, hugged her tightly against me, putted my wings around us both.

“Is it really you daddy?” she cried onto my shoulder. “I was so scared that I would never see you again. I’m not dreaming am I?”

“No, Honey, you are awake. It is really me. I’m home.” I could not say that I would not be here for very long, I could not take that away from her.

She looked up at me, smiling at me, tears still in her eyes. She did not say anything, just looked at me.

And then, she hugged me again.

*^*

I have no idea how long we embraced each other in that hug. She had started crying again and I just sat there, whispering to her that everything was okay, tried to sooth her. After a while did I let her go again.

She hesitated a second before she moved away from me. It was first then she noticed the wings.

“Daddy, you have wings!” she shouted out. “Does that mean that you have died and came back to me as an angel?”

I just shook my head. How should I answer something like that?

*^*

It had not taken long to explain to Honey, she was a child after all. She also found it funny, for some strange reason. It had been two strange dream’s during the sleep. And strange things had happened. It was, however, time for me to talk to Carrotrose about all of this. I believe it was time for her to know the truth.

I would also have to find a good way to repay Carrotsword. I did not have a lot of money, not that I knew of at least. But I had a fair idea about what I could do for him before I left in some days. The mansion might have a huge garden, but it would not take to long time to fix it.

Or at least know what I was going to fight, and most likely die, for. I sighed. This would take some time. But after that would I spend some time with my daughter. It might be the last time I would ever spend with her.

So much to do, so little time to do it in.

Chapter 24

The past.
Why did I want to know?
Why did I care?
And now that I know?
Do I deserve to live?

Or should I just die?

As stated, this mansion was huge on the inside. And it was easy to get lost. It seems that I had a lousy sense of direction when inside a building. I was lost again.

I had left Honey’s room early, my goal had been to find Carrotrose. I had not found her, instead had I been trotting around the mansion, without any idea where I was. But I had continued walking.

And I had found myself in a library. It was a grand library, books covered the big bookcases, it was more books than I had ever seen at one place before. And in the middle of the room, at a desk surrounded by books, stood Carrotsword. He had his back against me, but I could see how he tensed when I looked at him. He knew that I was there.

I started to wonder what I should say to him, how should I start? I had to thank him for allowing me to stay, ask him if it was anything I could do in return. I had to repay him, it would not feel right otherwise. I stood there, thinking, when he started to speak.

“What are you doing here, fiend? Have you not done enough against me already? Have you not hurt my family enough?” he said in a deep, calm voice.

I looked blank in front of me. What had he said? What had he called me?
“What...” I started, but he interrupted me.

“You heard me, what is you doing here?” he said as he turned around, anger and rage showed clearly in his face but his voice was as calm as ever before. “Have you not done enough against me, hurt my family enough?”

“I do not know what you are talking about.” I tried to back away from that gaze. “What have I done you?”

He stopped in the middle of a step, suprise in his eyes.
“You... You do not remember?” he sighed. “It should not change anything, but I guess you deserve to know.”

“Deserve to know what?” I asked.
“What we have done. We do not have a good memory.” the voice cackled in my head.
“What have I done?”
“Shhh, listen.” the voice sounded gleeful. “This will be fun.” I could image the voice leaning forward in anticipation.

“I do not know the details, but I guess I should start from the beginning.” he sighed.

“Why would you tell me anything?” I asked.

“I tell you because I do not think you deserve this. Especially not if you can not remember anything about it yourself. This was forced on you. Forced on you by the government. Forced on you by my late wife.”

He sat down on his haunches, looked down on the floor.
“It was many years ago when all this started. My wife, she worked with the guards. She had seen our son die in service, die under the hoofs of a Discord fanatic. It was such a long time ago, but it hurt her deeply. I was out of town at that moment, I was not there for her. And when I was back was it to late. Warden, may his bones be cursed, had already approved with my wife’s idea. A way to make the guards stronger, faster and most importantly.” he paused a tear dripping from his cheek. “It should make them truly immortal, make them truly impossible to kill.”

He released a grim laugh.
“And of course could they not try it on the guards, what if something went wrong? So they tried it on prisoners. I came home during the testing. There where over sixty subjects from the start. More than half died during the injection.”

I looked at Carrotsword.
“During the injection of what?”
“Have you not guessed that yet?” the voice laughed in my ear. “All this time and you have not figured it out!”

“They injected the blood of Discord into the subjects. I have no idea where they got it from, so do not even ask.” he sighed. “My wife. She got addicted to the idea. She did not want to lose more guards, the death of our son still pained her. Every day was she in here, crying and noted down all the subjects, who they where, who they had been and what they crime had been. She also noted down their condition and their changes, as well as the day and cause of death. Some of the subjects got stronger and stronger, some got faster. Others had the ability to regrow practically any limb in less than an hour. Together where they as my wife wanted one to be. They all had one thing in common, however. They all grew insane.”

His voice heated.
“Every one of them went insane, every one of them attacked their keepers. All of them was killed and thrown away. In the end was there only one single subject left. Subject Pegasi-20, P-20 for short. You.”
I was stunned. Discords blood raged in my veins? They had injected it inside of me?
“Is this not hilarious?” the voice laughed inside of me.

“You did not show anything at all. No extra strenght, you were not quicker. They had to amputate your wings when they started to rot and you did not grew them back.” he looked at me, a faint smile on his lips. “At least not until now. It seems that you have gotten your wings back.”

I could only nod.

“And the voice? Have it started to talk to you? My wife always mentioned that the subjects heard a voice, or a laugh. Even you. But, unlike the rest of the subjects, did you not listen to the voice. You fought it. And then, one day, did I get the information from Warden that my wife had been killed and that subject P-20 had escaped. I had not heard anything about this subject until you showed up on my doorstep yesterday at dawn. I could feel the filth of Discord inside of you, I knew directly who you where.”

“Why have you not killed me yet then? Why did you tell me all this? I killed your wife!”

I could not believe it, what had happened during that time? What had I done? What had been done to me? And had it happened after that, only that I did not remember it?

“That is quite simple. I want to know your part of the story, I want to know what it was that made you come here. I know that my wife did not do what was right, I know why she did it and it pains me that I could not help her, that I never was here for her. And most importantly.”

He sighed. He looked really tired, as if he had not slept for weeks.

“I trust my daughter, and you have never done anything against her. She trusts you, and for that will I trust you.”

Chapter 25

To tell the past.
You must know it.
The memory fail.
When you need it.

I looked at Carrotsword. Did he trust me, the one who was said to kill his wife, just because that his daughter had talked with him? No, it had to be more than that.
“Sit down, this might take a while.” I said.

While he sat down did I have to ask the voice, Discord.
“What did you have to do with my wings? Was it you who gave them to me?”

He did not answer, the only I heard was the laugh. I sighed and turned towards Carrotsword.
“It all started many years ago, my grandfather lied in his deathbed after he had been assaulted by a burglar. The knife hit was fatal, and he could not make it. Before he died did he...”

I told Carrotsword about the goddesses, about my realization. It was the first time I ever had told somepony about all this, and I could not help but have tears running down my cheeks at some of the parts. I told him about my time in jail, or at leas the part I remembered. I told him about my wife, about how she died when Honey was born. Every single part of my life did I told him about, up to the nightmare I had had the previous night and the dream with the goddesses. I even told him about the feeling of flying for the first time in such a long time.

The whole story did not take as long to tell as I had thought, the sun had not even reached its peak when I had finished. I looked down at Carrotsword, who had listened and only inflicted a question or two during my sorry.

“I understand more clearly what you have gone through, P-20. I believe it’s time for me to truly welcome you to my home. You are free to stay for as long as you wish. What you did to my wife... I will not forget, but I will forgive you. What she, and the rest, did to you. I do not understand how she could live with that.” he said, sorrow thick in his voice.

“I do not know how much you would trust me, sir, but if I could undo all of this then I would, starting with the death of your son.”
“We would kill them all again.” the voice laughed inside my head. “Have you forgotten how you enjoyed it?”

“He talks to you now, does he not?” Carrotsword asked me.

“Yea, but I have no trouble to ignore him. Sometimes it’s hard, but I manage.” I smiled at him. “It was worse during my stay in the jail, I have memories of myself knocking the air out of me.”

He looked uncomfortable at me.
“What do you plan to do now?”

“Now? First I’m going to pay back for you letting me stay here. Then I plan to cleanse Trotholm from the corruption that is Discord. And try to get rid of him myself.” I smiled.

“You do not have to pay me for anything, you have already done that by giving me your story. As for your next step. Cleansing Trotholm will be hard, but I wish to help you as much as I can. Trotholm needs it. You are free to look at my wife’s record from the jail, you might find something of interest there.”

He turned around and trotted to a big book that lay at the desk. I followed him. I had to admit, I was kinda curios about this book, and the note about me.

“Take your time, I will go and tell my daughter where you are. I will also make sure that you get some food. I guess you have not eaten yet.”

I smiled at him.
“That would be very nice of you, but I would like to ask you that you do not tell her about me, about who I am. I do not want to scare her.”

“She deserves to know.”

“I know, but it’s just...”

“I understand. I will talk with you later, about Trotholm.”

He turned and left, and I was alone with the book.

*^*

Subject-Name: Pegasus 20
Real Name: Unknown
Crime: Unknown
Starting Condition: Pegasus 20 seems to be in a good condition. He refuses to speak to any of the jail guards. His feathers are all straight and they seems to have been taken good care of. What he does here have I no idea about, but it does not matter. He have some sort of crime that he needs punishment for and Warden sent him to me and Lightheart. And justice will prevail.

Entry 1:
We injected the blood of Discord in subject Pegasus 20 today. The blood usually takes a week to get any effect at all. We will wait and see.

Entry 2:
The two subjects, Unicorn 5 and Earth pony 14, who shared room with subject Pegasus 20 have died from outer physical damage. We have no idea what caused it, but we can not exclude that Pegasus 20 is the reason behind it all.

Entry 3:
Nothing strange have happened today around subject Pegasus 20.

I flipped past a couple of entries, before I found one who was about something else than “Nothing strange have happened today.”

Entry 12:
All of the subjects that have been close to subject Pegasus 20 have met their end. At this moment in time do we only have five subjects left. Unicorn 18 and 16, Earth pony 1 and 12. We also have Pegasus 20. Unicorn 18 have showed violent behaviour, Earth pony 12 does nothing else than sits in a corner and whispers to himself. We have multiple times found Earth pony 1 running in circles in his room. Unicorn 16 is restrained in his bed after the damage she inflicted on herself when he drove his horn against the wall. He should not even be called a unicorn anymore. Pegasus 20, on the other hand, only stays in one spot, looking straight forward. He does not make any sound at all, he barely eats when we brings him food. I’m starting to fear him more than the others, it’s almost as if he is in control on the being within him.

Entry 13:
Today subject Pegasus 20 felt into a pile, thrashing on his floor screaming in pain. We took him quickly to surgery and removed his wings, they nearly burned through the bed he laid on before we turned him around and began the operation. He stopped thrashing when they where gone, but the wings did not grow back as they have done on some other subjects. Speaking of which did Unicorn 16 have her horn back this morning, showing the skill of regrowth. Notable to say the least.

Entry 14:
I want to strangle Lightheart. He wondered today if it had been worth to save the life of Pegasus 20 since he only sits in his corner again. Of course it was, he is the first one who have not shown any real signs that anything have happened to him. Only time will tell whats happen to him.

Entry 15:
Unicorn 18 was found dead today in his own cell. He had been beheaded, but the head is jet to be found. Earth Pony 12 has started to shout to himself, I heard him shout ‘Get out of my head!’ this morning. Unicorn 16 have been gnawing on her hooves all the day, something is clearly wrong with him.

Entry 16:
Subject Earth Pony 1 run into the wall tonight. He did literally make a whole through it, Earth pony one 12 was found shouting about the dead body that hanged halfway through his wall. Unicorn 16 had actually gnawed her right leg of tonight. We found out since it was an extra leg in his room but he still sat and gnawed on his hooves. Pegasus 20 is still just sitting in his room, staring in front of himself. It’s starts to creep me out.

Entry 17:
Both Earth Pony 12 and Unicorn 16 was found dead this morning. The earth pony had his throat ripped away, while Unicorn 16 had literally been choked by her own hooves, both where forced down in his lungs. Pegasus 20 started to hit himself today. He did not seem to fight himself, only punching himself.

Entry 18:
I came to work today, and everypony was dead. Every one of the stationed guards was dead. Pegasus 20 sat there, looking straight forward. I’m really starting to fear that this was not such a good idea. I will go and end this project, I will go and talk to Warden about it, it was a failure from the start.

Entry 19:
Warden approved of closing Project Discord down. I will personally go and take care of the last subject, Pegasus 20. If I do not return, then I want these books to be brought to my husband. I love you Carrotsword, live long and take care of our daughter.

*^*

What had I done?

Chapter 26

I might not know.
What hides in my past.
But the truth have been promised.
And I pray that it will come.

I had killed Carrotshield. Who else had I killed? How many times had Discord taken controll over my body and murdered somepony?
“Oh, to many times.” Discord said with a chuckle. “We resisted us far to good in the start, we recall that the meaning was that the subjects should know what happened when we gave them our power.”

I had to get out of here. I needed air. I turned to leave, but my right wing showed down the book from the desk. I gently picked it up and laid it on the desk again. I turned again to leave, but I caught something in the corner of my eye. A letter laid where the book had landed.

And it was addressed to Subject Pegasus 20. Addressed to me. THIS was strange. I took it up, gently opened it and started to read.

*^*

If you are reading this, Subject Pegasus 20, then that means that you killed me. Oh, I’m not surprised really, you have killed every other one in here and Warden ordered me to kill me. That fucker knew I would meet my death by your hooves. Would you mind kill him if you get the opportunity? Anyway, I’m dead when you read this, and rightfully so. What I did. I was blind. And there is things you have to know.

Firstly, your unborn daughter. Honey... How old is she when you read this letter? Five? Six? She is not born when I write this, nor will she be for a while. How I know? Buck do I know. The subjects are not the only ones who hear voices. I have had these... twins... whispering inside my head for a while now. They had nothing to do with Project Discord. At least I hope they did not, I do not want to figure out that they have meddling with my mind. But they speak with me... about you, Pegasus 20. You had a name once, and a crime. I erased them both, it would be to dangerous to let you know, to let the being inside of you know. The name will come in good time thou, I’m sure that Warden knows it.

What I did... Sixty subjects, I killed fifty nine of them. Their blood is on my hooves, not yours. I did not even gave them a chance. WE did not give them a chance. Lightheart. I do not know his motives, but he is a good buck. Please, do not hurt him. He might have some answers to this, but when you read this will he have a colt himself. A colt just a year older than Honey. Oh, he is happy, every day does he smile.

That is, until he see the Subjects. He hates this, he want you all dead and Project Discord abandoned. And he gotten his will through. I will now go in to open your cage, Pegasus 20. It will be my death, I can already hear you from inside there, growling at something I can not see, smirking at me as I cross outside your cage.

But I have already accepted my fate, I will meet my death at your hooves tonight, a death that will set you free.

And, if I should listen to the twins, will my death lead to this town being a better place. I can only hope so. For your Honey, for Lighthearts colt Goldenheart, for my own Carrotrose. For all of the foals of Trotholm. They deserve a better future than this. They deserve a brighter world.

And I can not give that to them. But you can. Trust Corelight, he will not betray you, neither will my husband. He hates you, I can feel that. You have never met before a couple of days ago, and still he hates you with his whole heart. But his hate weights over by his love of Carrotrose. And she trusts you. I want you to show my husband this letter when you have read it, but do not let my daughter see it. I do not want her to meet her end knowing what horrors I did in my life.

Pegasus 20, I do not blame you for killing me, so do not blame yourself. Kill that fucker Warden if you get the chance. And make Trotholm better, for the foals of this filthy city.

Carrotsword, this part is for you.
My beloved husband. Pegasus 20 have not done anything wrong, the fault lies with me. I will always love you, remember that. Let go of the hate you feel, let the love for your daughter overcome the hate. And do not let her know what I have done. Let her live without it.

Burn this letter after you have read it, my husband, and know that my love will always burn for you. Until we meet again.

Carrotshield.

*^*

I re-read the letter five times before I laid it away.

She had known. And accepted it. She had opened my cell, knowing that I would kill her. Had she been armed? Had she begged for a quick death? Had I given her one?

“Do we want to know?” Discord asked me. “Can we handle the truth?”

“What did you do Discord?” I snarled at him.

“We?” He chuckled. “We did not do anything. We gave our power. Then we killed that filthy creature that had trapped us inside of us.”

“You killed her quickly I hope?” I could not stop the question.

“Do we want to know?” He sounded hopeful. “I can show us.”

I did not want to see it. But I had to, did I not? What had happened to me? How could I control it?

“We give in, let the power run freely, our power. Let it embrace you, let it guide you. Then and only then will you be able to control it.” Discord said. I could feel how he smirked at me, even if he was inside of my head.

And that scared me.

I took up the letter, decided that I should go and search up Carrotsword. I owed his late wife this, Carrotshield had asked me to give this to her husband. He wanted to know the truth, this was as close to the truth that it would come.

*^*

I trotted through the hallway, Celestia’s eye glanced at me through a window, her grace illuminating my surrounding. It did not take long before I found myself outside Carrotsword’s bedroom. For once had I actually found my way somewhere and not getting lost. I knocked three times at the door, and was rewarded by the sound of hooves getting closer. Carrotsword opened the door, his eyes had tears in them. I realized that he must have been crying.

This was awkward.

“Yes?” he asked me.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but this felt out of the journal.” I showed him the letter. ”I thought you wanted to see it, your wife asked me to give it to you.”

“What are you talking about?”

I did not answer. Something budged against my mind. I could hear Discord laugh inside of my head.

The last thing I felt was that my head hitting the floor, then it all went black.

Chapter 27

The past.
Kill me.
Please kill me.
Why won’t you kill me?

Hatred. Hatred burned in my veins. I hated the cell I was placed in. I hated the ponies that watched me. Hated them for what they had done. Hated them for who they where. But most of all did I hate my host.

He ignored me, he rejected me. But only when he was awake. When he was asleep, that was the time for fun. He could not control what happened during that time. But I could. I smiled for myself, this would be hilarious.

*^*

“Please...” the mare begged, her horn lighting up. “Stay away from me, don’t do this. You are not yourself. Take hold of yourself.”

I glared at her, smiling.
“You are right, he is not himself.”

My hosts hoof strook her cheek.
“I’m in control here. And I will be the entire night, nothing you can do can stop me.”

“Please.” Tears ran down her cheeks now, the light of her horn had died out. “Let me be.”

She was a pretty unicorn. I could remember having her kind in my castle, before I got into this host. I hated this host. And he hated what was about to happen. I could feel it inside of him, but he could not stop it. He was never able to.
“Oh no, I will not leave you. This will not be pleasant for you.”

I looked at the body next to him, the body of a stallion. The stallion’s head had been smashed against the floor. Multiple times. I remember that I had laughed when I did that. I remember that my host had cried, unable to stop me.

I looked back at the mare in front of me.
“But I will enjoy it.”

I felt how my hoof transformed, changed into something I could use more easily. The unicorn looked at the hoof, tried to back away from it. I smiled at my talon, it had been a long time since I saw it.

I tightened my grip around the unicorn, laughed as she struggled to get air.

*^*

“Get out of my head!” my host yelled at me.

I just laughed. He thought he could resist me, he thought he was strong enough. But he was not. I would break him.

*^*

He prayed. He DARED to pray to those filthy goddesses! I had erased them from EXISTANCE! They should not be remembered, how could he know about them? And how much damage did he do by praying to them?

*^*

I felt how he struggled to take command over his body away from me. I just laughed at his futile attempt. I had to try, had to see what happened. I could feel the pain he felt, although much more dully than he did. I could feel the fire in his wings. This is not good. What would happen if I killed him? Would I die as well? I have to think over this.

*^*

They talked about my host, wondered why they had saved him. I could not help but chuckle over this. The simple minded ponies did not understand that I would not kill him? I could use this.

*^*

I felt how my host grew sleepy. He had tried to stay awake for so long, but tonight would not be one of those nights. I smiled as he slowly drifted into the embrace of sleep.

Now, it was my time. I quickly took control over my host’s body. It was a clumsy body, so I changed it some. Instead of one of his hooves did he now have a talon. I smiled, that I could work with. I snapped my talon, the bright light embraced me.

And I reappeared in another room. An earth pony ran around in circles, he did not seem to notice me. I whistled loudly, but he did not care. Only running around and around. I grew tired of him.

I picked him up as he ran around me, holding him in my talon. He shrieked at me, tried to struggle free. I just smiled at him.

“WhatareyoudoingImustrunmustgetthisoutofmyheadletmedownIcanfeelitcomingcloser.” He spoke faster than I thought possible.

And he had an annoying voice. I move a little, his legs still moved as if he was running, I could as well use it for something fun. I could see the fear in his eyes as I moved closer to the wall, holding him in the air mere meters from the wall. He would not be able to stop, he would not be able to turn. This would be fun.

I dropped him, his legs still racing. And as soon as they hit the floor did he hit the wall, head first. He actually made a hole in the wall.

*^*

That voice is getting on my nerves. It have shouted the entire day! My host seems to ignore it, but I can not for my life understand how he does that! But my host will be asleep soon, and then I can stop the sound, stop it for a long time! Forever!

*^*

The stallion in front of me shouted at himself.
“Get out of me! Leave me!”

Oh, I would make sure that it stopped for him. I glanced at the unicorn in the corner, who sat and gnawed on his own hooves. He would not do anything, but I could have fun with him later. For now did I want to end that shouting.

It did not take long time to end it, his throat was very easy to rip up with my talon. He gurgled as he tried to shout, and the whizzing noise that emerged from his ripped throat when he tried to breath made me chuckle for myself before I turned to the unicorn. He had started to gnaw more violently at his hooves, eyeing me as she did so. I smiled at him.

He started to shook violently as I sat down next to him. I smiled reassuring at him, patted him gently with my hoof.

With the other did I force down his hooves in his throat. I smiled and patted him as he tried to get free, struggled for air. All the time gnawing on his own hooves.

*^*

I would not be ignored any longer! I had been able to take control over his body when he was awake. I punched him over and over again, laughing all the time. I was in control now!

*^*

Blood, blood everywhere. And bodies. They had been guards, and I needed to take out my anger on something. My host had been able to take back control over his body. It could not stop like this.

*^*

How happy I was! My host was still asleep when that pretty earth pony entered his cell. I smiled and stood up, my hoof already transforming into a talong.

“Good morning Discord.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, looked at her.
“How did you know my name?”

She smiled.
“I’m Carrotshield, and I created you. How hard could it be for me to forget that? I created you and you are an abomination. I’m here to stop this.”

I laughed out lout at this.
“You, stop me? Have you not noticed how easy it was for me to slaugther all of your guards? How will you stop me?”

She smiled at me. And charged me.

I raised my talon and caught her in her neck, lifting her up.
“How did this stop me?”

She smiled at me. She DARED smile at me!
“What are you smiling for? I will kill you!”

“It is to late for me, I did not think I would be getting out of her alive. But I gave him a new chance.”

“What are you talking about?” I said. The mare was all to calm.

She just laughed at me.
“Kill me. Revenge what I have done to you.”

I did not need any encouragement for that. I ripped apart her throat, let my talon go down and sprawled her open. She smiled at me as the life faded from her eyes. Her laugh pierced my ears.

It was then I felt the pain.

Chapter 28

From a nightmare.
Into another.
At least I hope so.
I pray that it is so.

I smiled at Carrotsword. He laid at the floor, three bloody lines over his muzzle where my talon had slashed him. The same talon that now was clawing at his chest. He tried to push me away, but I was stronger than him. My talon buried deeper and deeper into his body. I heard him coughing over me, whispering to me with his last breath.
“You really are a monster, created by my wife. I do not care about my own life, but please...” he coughed again, this time blood ran from his muzzle. “Leave before you hurt your or my daughter. This is not you, this is the monster inside of you.”

I laughed at him.

“I forgive yo.....” He died when I ripped out his heart.

“I do not need your forgiveness old man. I’m going to pay back for what this town did towards me. What your WIFE did towards me.” I yelled at his dead face.

No meaning talking with a dead face.
“Are we not having fun?”

“We sure have.” Discord answered, laughing with me.

*^*

“What are you doing?” Carrotrose yelled at me, trying to run from me. “Leave me alone, you are not yourself. What is happening?”

She had a set of claw marks on her muzzle, mirroring the ones on her fathers dead body. The blood trail behind her was easy to follow.

“I’m alive, Carrotrose! That is what’s happening!” I laughed after her, a laugh that some would call maniac. I called it full of life. “I’m giving back to the world what they gave me, I will make them all pay.”

I saw her fall, thumping against the floor. She looked back, fear shining in her eyes.
“Please...” she begged. “Let me go, I have never done anything to you.”

I trotted over to her.
“Please...”

I stroked back her mane from her eyes, the pale amber orbs staring wildly at me. I sighed.
“You are right, you never did anything against me Carrotrose. In fact, you have been nicer than most of the ponies I have encountered.”

She released the breath she had been holding.
“What have you done? Why have you done it?”

I laughed lightly.
“What I have done? Ask your mother what SHE did to me. She is the one to blame for this!” I yelled the last words. Rage and hatred boiling inside of me, but I was calm on the outside.

“My mother have been dead for years, how will I be able to ask her? I want the answer, what happened to you?”

I ignored at her, smiled gently at her as my talon found its way down her neck, gently stroking her.
“Oh, that is easy.”

I lent forward and whispered in her ear.
“You join her.”

I snapped her neck, smiled at her as the life left her amber eyes.

Discord laughed inside of me, and I joined in on him.

“One left...” he whispered sweetly to me.

“One left” I answered.

*^*

“Daddy?”

Honey stirred in her sleep, Luna’s celestial eye illuminated her little body. I trotted towards it, hestiating for a second.

“The world is full of pain.” Discord whispered in my ear. “Don’t let your foal feel that pain.”

I brought my talon to her neck, made a small gash at her neck.

She opened her eyelids, looked straight at me with those jade green eyes.
“Daddy?” her voice was but a whisper.

But it was enough for me.
“I’m so sorry Honey.”

I started to cry, tears rolled down my cheek.

“Daddy, don’t cry.” She tried to get up, raised her small hoofs to hug me.

“Kill her, she do not deserve to live with this pain. Our filly does not deserve it!”

“I’m so sorry Honey.”

Honey started to cry, big tears filling her eyes.
“Daddy?”

“I’m so sorry.”

I slitted her throat open, repeating the line again.
“I’m so sorry.”

Discord laughed inside of me, and I started to chuckle as the tears rolled down my cheeks.

I was a monster.

*^*

I opened my eyes and felt a heavy weight at my chest.
“You are finally awake.” Carrotrose whispered from my side.

“How long have I been out?”

“A day. Honey was so scared, she would not leave your side.”

I looked down at my chest.
“So she felt asleep at me?” I looked back at Carrotrose.

“Yes.” Carrotrose smiled at me.

I lightly lifted her with my hooves. She struggled a little against me, but did not wake up.

I knew what I had to do.

“Carrotrose, do you have any letter-paper I can use? I have to write down some things.” I hated to do this.

She looked surprised at the request.
“Yes, I have paper. But to who are you going to write?”

I sighed.
“I’m gonna write a letter to my daughter. I’m leaving as fast as I’m finished with it, and I will not come back.”

“Why?” Carrotrose said, tears in her eyes.

“I promised to not tell you. If you want to know then talk with your father. Can you take care of Honey?”

She looked at me.
“I won’t be able to make you change your mind will I?”

I shook my head.
“No, I will not change my mind in this. And I hope that you, and my daughter, one day forgives me. But please, can I have some paper to write on? I would hate to leave without giving my daughter the reasons.”

She sighed.

*^*

Do not cry for me Honey. I'm with your mother now, in a place where everything is happier. I will wait for you here.
Daddy

I ended the letter. It was not as long as I wanted it to be, but I could not write anymore. I gave it to Carrotrose.
“Please, when you think she is old enough, give it to her.”

“I will.” she said, tears in her eyes.

I slowly trotted to Honey, who still laid in the bed sleeping. I nuzzled her gently, careful to not wake her up.
“Bye Honey. I will always love you.” I said, holding back the tears in my eyes.

“Daddy?” she stirred in her sleep, placed a hoof at my muzzle. “Daddy.” She sounded pleased.

“I’m so sorry Honey.”

I raised my head.
“Take care of her Carrotrose.”

“I will.”

“I would do differently if I could. This is the only way.”

“I know. I will give your letter to her when she is old enough.”

I trotted over to her, embraced her in a tight hug.
“I’m so sorry. Thank you for everything Carrotrose.”

I broke the hug quickly.
“I have to go. Before I change my mind.”

I trotted out from the room and searched for the way out. It did not take long time before I had left the Carrot Mansion behind me. I started to trot towards the settlement. Corelight was probably already waiting for me. I had to end this before it was to late.

Chapter 29

To find the light in the darkness.
Do you sometimes have to look away from yourself.
Look at the ones around you.
And put faith in them.

“What did you just say?” I looked at Corelight in disbelief. The emerald green unicorn smiled at me.

“You have followers. Lightheart talked around. We have more than half of the guards on our side, they are ready to help you cleanse Trotholm!”

Lightheart. Can I trust him? He had been one of the higher ups at Project Discord. But on the other hoof had he helped me to escape. I shuddered. It did not matter. Nothing mattered right now. Honey...

“And the list?”

“I have fulfilled it, I have one of them with me and the other is at my office, in the hooves of one of the guards that wants to follow you. I did, however, remove one name from the other list.”

“Lightheart.” I said, earning me a questioning look.

“Yes... But how did you know?”

“Does it matter?”

“No...”

“Let us leave. It’s time to take care of Trotholm.”

I turned my tail to the town, turned away from Carrot Mansion. Turned away from my daughter. I’m sorry Honey.

*^*

We walked in silence, and it was first when we got close to the city that I remembered. How should I get in there? There where guards, they would recognize me.

“How are we going into the city?”

“Through the gate of course.”

“But there is still an arrest order on me right?”

“Eeyup, but all the guards at this gate are on your side. In fact, every guard that will go with us are waiting in there. We are ready to cleanse the city on your orders.”

“Wait, you have gathered ALL the guards here? And you do not think that would raise any alarm?”

“Actually...” Corelight looked away.

“You did not think about it?”

“I did! But they all wanted to be here to greet you welcome, they want to cleanse the city tonigt.”

“Oh well, the sooner the better. And the damage is already done.”

*^*

I looked out over the small room. How all of the guards fitted in here had I no idea of. They had all welcomed me. But I had to speak to one person first. Before all of this started.

“Lightheart, the office, now.”

Lightheart looked confused at me, but he followed me into the small room.

“Welcome back, my friend. Are you ready for this?” He smiled at me.

“Project Discord.” He seemed to become horrified at those words. “What did you do there.”

“Do we have time for this?”

“I will make sure we have. I have to know. What did you do there?”

“I made sure that the guards behaved. Turned out I did not have to care since you killed them all.”

“Not me, Discord. The monster inside of me. The monster you planted. The list of corrupted ponies, why did you appear on it? What had you done before Project Discord?”

If he was surprised at the change of topic then he did not show it.
“I was born into it. Before Project Discord? Before I met you would be more accurate. I arrested people, for no reason. I arrested you when you prayed that day. I was the one responsible that you ended up in Project Discord.”

“But... why? You are not a bad pony, what made you do that? I have seen the real you.”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Lightheart, I see you as a friend. Even after the fact I was given. You saved me from getting hanged!” I said.

"Do you know how I got my name?" he snarled at me. "I was weak when I came to this world. My lungs was weak, my body was weak!" he shouted at me at this point. "My father took one look at me. ONE LOOK! before he had decided a name."

Lightheart trembled before me.
"Do you know why he named me Lightheart?" he snorted. "My heart was weak. The doctors gave me two weeks to live, at the most. My father took one glance at me, then he walked out, laughing and saying that I could not be his colt."

“He said that no pony with a heart that weak could be the son of Lionheart."

“Lightheart, I’m sorry to hear that. I had no idea. But why did you chose to go in his hoofsteps?” I asked, but I think I already knew the answer.

“I wanted to be better, wanted to prove that I was his son!”

I looked at Lightheart, gave him one look.
“Go home.”

He just stared at me.
“Go home, Lightheart.”

“Wh.. Why? Do you not trust me? Do you not want to see me?”

“Pull yourself together! I trust you more than any other of the ponies in there, but I will not let you go and die. You have a colt! Think about him. It’s bad enough that I do not think about my daughter. I will make everypony with a foal leave, I will not be the reason for any foal loosing a parent.”

“I will not leave you.”

“We are not discussing this Lightheart, that is an order! I might not have any power, but I’m not doing this to make a lot of foals grow up without a father or a mother!”

“But..”

“Go. NOW.”

He looked at me.
“Thank you.”

With those words did he leave.

“What are we up to? Are we going to kill Warden? Are we going to slaughter them all? I want to slaughter them all!”

“You are quiet. I will take care of you later.”

*^*

“I want to thank you all for coming here.” I hated to talk to a big audience, but I had to. “When I first did this did I think I would have to do everything myself, it turns out I do not have to. We will do this quickly. First, I want everypony that have a foal raise a hoof.”

Fewer hooves than I had expected was raised in the air.

“Second, I want you who raised your hoof to leave this room. Now. You are not to assist in this. I will not be the reason that a foal loses a parent.”

Of the eighty five guards did twelve leave the room, murmuring to each other. I suspected that that was not all of the parents. But I could not do anything else.

“Thirdly, I want each one of you to get three partners. We have a hit list, and each group is going to hit one target. We are going to cleanse this city all at once, tomorrow when Luna’s eye have reached its peak. That is, when the moon stay as high as it can.”

I looked as the guards started to pair together, looking at the list and receiving the number for the one they should hit.

“The once who have not been assigned a number is going together with me. We are going to pay our dear leader a visit. All of you, Trotholm trusts you. Cleanse the ones on the list, use non-lethal force against any other target. We are not here to slaughter, we are here to help this city. Go home, sleep and act natural tomorrow. We do not want to raise any suspicion, more than there already is.”

The guards did not seem to be the group to ask any questions, they simply left and started to trot home. That was, expect for two. Corelight and the black mare that had stopped me when I left the city. Corelight trotted to me.

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to pray.”

Chapter 30

The celestial goddesses.
The princesses of Equestria.
Give me power.
Give me strength.

I knew that I was followed up to the top of the tower. But I did not care, I was here to pray, and that was what I would do. Ignoring the black unicorn behind me did I sit down in the center of the tower, looking out over Trotholm. Celestia’s eye had embraced the city with its golden light.

“Are we sure about this? Is this how it will end? Are we going to kill him, just to put a foal at his position?”

“I vowed to cleanse this city from the taint you planted here Discord. I will not break that vow.”

“But Trotholm have been fine all these years. The citizens live without fear, the foals grow up to be successful. Are we going to destroy that? Are we going to ruin this town?”

“You will not make me change my mind, Discord. Whatever your plan is leave it. This town may be perfect in your eyes. That would not surprise me, you created the taint that coat it.”

“Think about the foals. Are we really the one to force a broken city onto them? We know that it will take years to stabilize the town, are we the one to make them grow up with that?”

“No, nopony is. I will have to make that decision, I have my own foal that will grow up with it.”

“A foal that we at least left a letter, a letter that explained why. But the other foals? The rest of the city? They will not understand. Will they accept?”

“They will have to.” I snarled at Discord now.

“And what about us?”

“How do you mean?”

The only answer I received was a laughter.

I noticed that the mare who had followed me sat behind me, could feel her eyes in my back.

“Speak your mind.”

“Oh, I’m sorry... I thought..” She stuttered, caught of guard by my words.

“That I prayed? That I had not noticed?”

“Something like that...”

“I have not started yet, speak your mind.”

“I’m sorry.. I should leave, it was not my intention to disturb you.”

“You are not disturbing me. Stay if you want, company is always nice.”

She trotted up from behind and sat down next to me.

“I’m not interrupting then? You was going to pray?”

“I will wait with my pray to the twilight, when the celestial eyes are in position.”

“The celestial eyes?”

“The sun and the moon, the goddesses eyes.”

“Goddesses?”

“Celestia and Luna.”

“Who are they?”

“It will take time to explain.”

“I’m not on duty, will not be before tonight.”

“You do not need to sleep?”

“Do you?”

“I find strength in my prayers, not in my sleep.”

“Just let me know the story, if I can take a double pass then I can do tonight without sleep.”

“Are you sure?”

“Nope, but I still want to hear the story.”

“Luna and Celestia, goddesses of the sun and the moon, life and death. I do not know how the story started, nor how it will end. The only thing I know is that during my grandfathers time in the army did a being attack Trotholm. The beings name was Discord, the god of chaos. In a single attack did he wipe out the alicorns that lived here, alicorns that lead the city in the goddesses name, alicorns who prayed to the goddesses.”

“Like you do now?”

“Exactly. I, and some others, are the only ones who know about this. The goddesses power raises with the power of the prayers. Discord made everypony forget about the goddesses, and soon they where powerless. I believe that all of this happened suddenly, the goddesses did not have any time to react.”

“But how did you get to know about the goddesses?” she stared at me with curious eyes. I wondered if she believed me.

“My grandfather was stabbed during a robbery attempt, the damages were lethal. He told me all of this on the deathbed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry... I did not mean to bring up bad memories.”

“No problem. It was so long ago.”

We sat there in silence, watched the city move on its daily basis. If Warden knew something then it did not show on the daily pulse of the city. Everything was as it had been when I had left the city.

I smiled at the sound of snoring besides me, the mare had fallen asleep. I had not even asked about her name.

*^*

“Luna and Celestia, goddesses of the moon and the sun, life-giver and life-taker.
Help me in my time of need, help me during the final act of cleansing.
Help me when the decisions gets hard, guide my hoof when the need is there.
Protect your foals in the city, do not let harm seek out the ones who do not deserve it.
Protect the small ones, let them sleep through the entire night.
Luna, guide the spirits of the dead, give them your forgiveness.
The body the soul leaves behind is corrupted, not the soul in itself.
Celestia, forgive me for taking some of your foals from your side.
Give them the last embrace, let them know that you love them.
Celestia and Luna, lend me your strenght.
Lend me the will power to finish this job.
Lend me the power to refuse Discord entrance to my mind.
I will stay in your service, now and until the end of time.
In your name will I end this.
In your name will I cleanse Trotholm from the filth of Discord.”

*^*

Luna’s celestial eye smiled at me, embraced me. I could feel her soothing touch against my back, could feel her confident fill me. Her embrace washed away my doubt, washed away my fear and my tiredness. I could not help but smile.

My eyes wandered over Trotholm, a city now completely embraced by Luna’s grace. It was a beautiful city, but the heart of it was black as the night. The taint pulsated deep, would this night be enough to clear it all out? Would the corruption live here when it was all finished? Or would we succeed with removing it for good?

“The taint will follow the city, we will not be able to free it.” Discord whispered to me.

“How would it survive? We slaughter the ones responsible.”

“And do we not enjoy it? For every pony we slaughter will the taint spread. They do not know what happens, their loved ones have a family member or friend ripped away from them. Is that how we stop the taint? By replace it with our own?”

“We do not replace it with our own taint! We give the citizens of Trotholm the ability to chose their destiny, the destiny of the city.”

“Are we really that blind? Do we not see it?”

“See what?”

“That this town is doomed. When we have slaughtered the ponies will the city be ruled by you? Or will somepony else take that position? Whatever the situation will they want power.”

“I will not rule this city.”

“Who will then?”

“I do not know.”

Discord just laughed. I ignored him.

What would happen with Trotholm?

The thought stayed there only for a second before it was washed away by Luna’s embrace.

Chapter 31

The end.
Is also a beginning.
If everything ends.
And nothing begins.
Then there is a problem.
A problem of order.

I looked at the sleeping unicorn mare besides me. What if she died? What if everypony in the guard died? How many families would I destroy with that? How many unnecessary deaths would occur this night. Would it be worth the cost?

Luna’s grace soothed my worries. Yes, it would be worth it if we succeeded. But what would I do? That would be a matter of later thoughts, first thing first.

I gently nudged the sleeping guard, it was time to wake her up, it was time for us to leave for the rest. It was soon time for the operation to begin.

“Huh, who?” she said, surppresing a yawn. She slowly opened her eyelids, her eyes quickly found me even in the faint moonlight. “Oh, its you. I felt asleep did I not?”

I could not help but chuckle at her. “Yes you did. Well, at least you are well rested for this. Are you ready?”

She nodded and rose to her feats. “Yea, I guess I am.”

I walked down the stairs in the tower, found my way down to a room stirring with life. The groups was making themselves ready, each group had been assigned a target. I could not help but notice that we where fewer than we should be. I quickly searched for Corelight and found him standing in the middle of the room, whispering to the last group. I trotted to him and adressed him as soon as I was besides him.
“Corelight, where is the rest of the guards? This can not be all of them, there were more guards this morning!”

He looked at me.
“Some of the guards is out in service, Lightheart and I made sure that some of our guards are out there patrolling. Do not worry, they have their targets ready and will do their job.”

I let out a breath of relief.
“That was good to hear. I thought they had abandoned us, alerted Warden about what is coming.”

“No one in here will betray you, we have only told the ones we knew would stand up for our sake. This city will be cleansed tonight. Are you ready? We only awaits your order.”

I smiled at him.
“Let us go.”

I left the building, the sound of Corelight screaming to the guards that it was time to leave followed me outside. I could not help but smile, it was finally time.

*^*

Luna’s grace was faint enough for us to hide in; our horseshoes was wadded so to not make any sound. Trotholm was lifeless, it was as if the city held its breath for what was about to happen. Each group felt away when it was their time, each one making their way alone towards the home of the pony they had been assigned to assassinate. And for each group that left us did my anxiety over the whole situation raise. Would they betray me? Would they betray this cause? How many of them had family on the list?

Corelight must have been able to read my worry.
“Take it easy, they will not leave us to do this alone. When the town center’s bell toll will the corruption in this city be removed for good.”

“At least until somepony else have the throne.” Discord whispered to me.
“Not now, I do not have time with you.”
“We want to do this ourselves, we do not want anypony on the throne. We want to kill them all.”
“Be quiet!”
“This city will not be purged before it is a ghost town; it will not be clean before al the living is perished.”

“Fight it.” the unicorn mare whispered to me. “Do not give in.”

“We are not going to listen to her. She whisper words of seduction, she want our heart.”
“Discord. I do not have time for your games.”
“We are not playing, we are warning you. She is dangerous. She will kill you.”
“Then that is the way I will go.”
Discord laughed at me.

The last group had left when we had entered the castle gardens. We were now five left, me, Corelight, the unicorn mare and two earth ponies. I saw Luna’s grace illuminating two pegasi who was heading our way. They both saluted Corelight as we got closer.
“The gate is open, none of our guards are patrolling the halls, but there is still five groups in there.”

I talked before Corelight had time to respond.
“We are not going to kill them - no lethal force is to be used against the guards.”

It seemed as if the two pegasi relaxed at this.
“Any one of them could have foals, we are not going to make a foal loose a parent this Luna hour if we can help it.”

“I will lead the way, Warden’s office is positioned near the top of the castle, he never leaves it.”

I motioned for him to go.
“And remember, stay in the shadows, do not let the guards see you if possible, avoid them.”

*^*

This was not going as planned at all. I pulled my blade out from the body of the guard, making him fall over. The combat was over, all four of the guards that had surprised us lay at or hooves, together with one of the pegasi and one of the earth ponies that had followed me. We had been ambushed by these four; the pegasi had fallen before any of us had had the time to react, the earth pony shortly thereafter. I looked over the guards that had ambushed us. Three of them were still alive, the forth lay with his throat slit. I kneeled at the one I had just made fall over. He snarled at me, but I ignored him as I tore a part of his armor away, looking at the wound I had inflicted. I tore away a piece of the wadding.
“Hold here.” I said.

He snarled at me.
“Why would you help me?”

“Do you have a filly?”

“No.”

“A colt?”

“No.”

“Somepony you love?”

He hesitated.
“Good, then hold this against the wound, make sure you do not bleed to death. Do it for the one you love.”

I looked at the others, they had helped the other guards as well. It did not take long time before we could keep going, leaving three wounded, but alive, guards behind us.

*^*

We turned at the last corner before Warden’s office and was greeted by ten guards. I quickly draw my weapon, but they did no move to attack us. Instead did one of them, a unicorn stallion, raise his voice.
“Are you the one that is known under the name of P-20?” he asked, his voice calm and steady.

I was taken aback, not only had the guards waited here for us, they also knew my name.
“I told us that they would betray us.” Discord whispered in my ear. “But we do not listen do we?”
I snarled silently at him before I turned towards the guard.
“I’m the one that is known as P-20...”

The guard talked before I could say anything more.
“We have orders to let you pass, the Warden is waiting for you. Your friends, however, must stay here. Do not worry, we will not hurt them with less than a direct order from Warden himself. They are also free to go if they want.”

“Go.” Corelight said behind me. “I will find other guards that can help us get to you.”

“He was the one that betrayed us! And now he will run away before we realize that it was he. But we can kill him, we can slaughter him.” Discord cackled inside of my head.
“Shut. UP!” I screamed at him, looked at Corelight.

“Do you have anything to do with this?”

“No, I have not done anything against you and I do not believe that anypony else of the guards have. Warden must have known that you where on your way. I will find help.”

I did not know if I could trust any of these guards, but it would not matter. If I turned against them now would I most likely get killed or wounded. I nodded towards him.
“Go get some then, but remember, non lethal force only!”

I turned away and walked past the guards. One of them opened the door into Warden’s office, and I went inside.

I was greeted by a voice I knew all to well. Discord’s voise.
“Welcome, P-20. Or should I say Notharam?”

Discord laughed in my head, and was quickly followed by the voice in the room.

Part 32

Remembering from a dream.
Remembering a promise.
A promise of truth.
Of truth that would be revealed.

The door closed behind me, trapped me inside with Warden. The office was more spacious than I expected and well lit by Luna’s celestial eye that spread it grace through a big window that faced the slumbering city. Warden stood in front of the window, facing away from me. From the back of the gray earth pony was a single leathery wing emerging.
“I have waited for you.” he said as he turned around to face me. His single silver eye pierced me in place. “Do you have any idea how much work you are about to destroy? What are you thinking? The guards. How many of my subjects have they slaughtered tonight, and for what reason? For you to feel better?” he shouted out at me.

“I’m here to cleanse this city, to give this city freedom.” I said, taking a careful step backward as his silver eye glared at me.

“So you see yourself as a hero is that it? What did you hope to accomplish? Do you not see the damage you do to the city by just removing the ones that is doing their work? You remove a stallion or a mare from a position and another have to take that place, learn the work from the ground!” He marked the last word by stomping down a hoof in the ground, a hoof that changed to a lion paw before my eyes.

“I do not see myself as a hero, I see myself as a pony who sees the truth.”

“And what would that truth be?” he snarled at me.

“That Discord have fallen, his reign of chaos is over. The ponies have to control themselves, without any interference by the old, corrupted ways.”

“Discord have not fallen, you of anypony should know that. He is inside of you, I can feel him, as he is inside of me. Join me, Notharam, and we can make this city better. Things will have to change, the citizens will get more power. But this is not the way, they must be lead, they must be shown what they want.”

I could not help but smile at him.

“You know as much as I that that is not the way. This must end here. I’m here to make sure that you pay. Pay for the lives of the fifty-nine prisoners that died during Project Discord, pay for the death of Carrotshield.”

He looked surprised at me before he started to laugh.
“Project Discord? Was that what they told you? That was not the name on the project. The project was more than just the little group of guards, so much more.” he paused and looked at me. “The real name of the project was After Discord.”

“After Discord?”

“After Discord. A project started to make sure that Discords legacy would live on even after his death. He knew that they where on their way, that they had awoken. So he prepared. He talked to me, gave in my possession a vial of his blood, to be used if he was defeated. But I have to admit, I was afraid. I did not know what would happen if I injected it in me.”

“So you used it on prisoners, killing fifty-nine innocent ponies!”

Warden laughed again, tears running down his eyes. I took a couple of steps back in horror as I saw how the side of his back bulged outwards, the flesh and skin tearing apart. A pegasi wing emerged from the wound, hanging from his side.
“No, I did not use it. Carrotshield did. She wanted to protect all of the guards in the city, and I suggested that we could use some of the blood. She was more than happy to try it on the filth that roamed the streets. And I was terrified at the results, all of them went insane and died. And I was supposed to inject that in myself when Discord was defeated?” He laughed even more now, his newly acquired pegasi wing starting to beat in the air. “And she saw the insanity of it all herself, came here and shouted at me. BLAMING me! I said to her that she could cancel the project, but that bitch did more than that! She took the remaining blood of Discord and injected it into me!”

In front of my eyes did one of his back legs transform, changing shape to that of a lizard.

“And I hate every moment of it! He whisper to me, tell me to give in. He laughs at me. But worst of all is the fact that I talk with his voice! My body is changing, adapts to him. And the same will happen to you! But my fate is already sealed, and so is this towns! Even if you kill me will this happen to you, your body will be the vessel for Discord and his powers! Do you not see it, Notharam?”

And I understood where he went with all this. The city was doomed. If we killed all of the corrupted ponies, removing the taint of Discord would it not matter. Discord would return and take his seat again, and new corruption would rise.

“Give in, Notharam. I’m the real power here.” Discord whispered in my ear. “Kill Warden and get your revenge, and then give in. You can not change anything.”

I did not want to believe him, it had to be something I could do. I looked at Warden, he trembled as an antler emerged on the right side of his skull, the antler of a deer. He looked pledging at me.
“Help m....” he whispered as his skull started to change form, a big tooth grew out from the upper lip, the horn of a goat joining pair with the antler of the deer. His pupils changed shape, his left leg transformed into that of a goat, his tail to that of a snake.

“Finally free.” Discord called out, stretching his body, tasting the air with his snake tongue. “That Warden was really boring, but he gave in at the end. And now, is it your turn Notharam.”

He laughed and raised a hoof to the air. If it was not for the grave situation would I laugh at the confusion that spread over the god’s face as he looked down at the hoof.
“No, this can not be! What is happening, why is not the transformation complete?”

Discord laughed in my head. “It is really quite simple. I can not transform into the parts that somepony else have taken. And you, Notharam, have the talon. His magic is in that talon, without it can he not use it at all.”

The Discord in front of me stared at me.
“You.” he whispered. “The warden did not lie then, you have a part of me inside of me, do you not? I thought he lied, I did not believe he had the courage to do that.” he said and smiled at me. “Well, then I guess I will have to take back my talon with force!” he laughed as he began walking towards me.

“We are on our way.”

Part 33 and Epilogue

To end a story.
Is to close a chapter.
But the ending of a story.
Is the beginning of the next.

Discord was fast, it was a miracle that I was able to dodge the first move. That and the fact that he tried to grip me with the talon that was a hoof and not a talon. I flapped my wings two times to put some distance between me and the raging god, but I realized that this office was to small for me to do anything in. Discord, however was a lot more flexible than I was, he could easily bend his long snake-like body in ways that let him dodge easily and attack at the same time. I realized that this battle could only end in one way.

But I was not on the way of giving up! Discord, easily dodged the hoof I tried to struck him with and knocked me over with his own hoof. I spun around in the air before I landed on the floor, my breath nearly knocked out of me. He laughed as he trotted towards me.
“Game. Over.” he said, his eyes burning with a flame that had not been there before, his facial expression was that of anger. “I thought you as a bigger match than this! How can you give in this easily?”

I coughed up blood, I hoped that that was only from a cracked lip, but still I smiled at him.
“Give in this easily?” it was my turn to laugh. To my horror did I realize that my laugh was that of Discord, not my own. “I will not give in easily!” I shouted the last word and heaved myself up, the lip had regenerated, no blood came from my mouth.

“Regeneration. What more did you get from me?”

“Your insanity.” I cackled as I galloped towards the window, jumping in the last second and protecting my wings from the thousands shards that would follow.

The sound of breaking glass was overwhelmed by the sound of the city bell that chimed once. The cleansing of the Trotholm had begun.

I could hear Discord laugh from behind me.
“I was never insane, Notharam. That is your own insanity.”

He was fast! I flapped my wings, tried to get higher attitude, to be above the god. I could clearly see how he staggered to the left with each wing beat, his pegasi wing not fully functional yet. Luna’s grace shone down on us as we fought to gain the higher altitude. Even if he had a bad wing was he a better and stronger flier than me, and it did not take long before Discord was higher up in the air than I was.

He turned around in the air, facing me directly. The hatred burned in his eyes, the anger on his face clear.
“This ends now!” he shouted, bringing his hoof down at me. I could feel the pain running through my body and the loud snap of my back breaking.

My wings froze mid air, paralyzed. I could not move anything below my neck. I let out a scream as I plunged towards the ground.

Then suddenly did everything slow down, a note of my screaming hanging in the air. And around that note did a voice start to sing.

Welcome to where time stands still
No one leaves and no one will
Moon is full, never seems to change

The song drifted around me, repeating over and over. I hanged suspended in the air, Discord looking down at me, his face frozen in a laugh. The crystal voice kept the song around me, and I saw something strange. Behind Discord did Luna’s celestial eye slowly open, open up until it was full, her faint silver eye looking at me.

And then, everything rushed back. The song shattered in a thousand fragments and Discords laughter replaced it. The only thing was that I did not fall. An obsidian aura surrounded me, halting my fall, slowly taking me down to the ground.

“Discord, this ends now!” I heard two voices shout out. Discord was as stunned as me at the two alicorns that suddenly hoovered in the air around him, each horn glowing. I felt how I touched ground and the aura around me disappeared.

“Notharam.” a stallion whispered in my ear. “Can you hear me?”

My eyes where fixated at the two alicorns and Discord, thunder had begun to form in thin air, striking at the veil of the twisted god.

“This is important, I want you to listen closely.”

I turned my head to the side. Beside me stood an old unicorn, his coat grey and a long beard hanging from his chin. His horn glowed with a faint white light, illuminating the knife he held in his magic.

“Who are you?” I whispered, my throat sore from the screaming.

“My name is Star Swirl.” he said and looked up at the battle in the sky. “I do not have long time. I’m here to kill you.”

I just stared at him.

“Listen, I do not want this but it is for the sake of Equestria. The goddesses do not know that I’m here. They are weakened for every second they stay here, they have to block out the aura from this city from their minds and fight Discord at the same time. It’s taking their toll on them.”

I coughed, before turning towards the sky again. The lightning still struck down on Discord, he was flying lower now and black blood dripped down on me from the heavens, burning like acid.
“Why?” was the only word I said.

“When they defeat the vessel of Discord up there will all his power go to the nearest vessel, or in this case the only. All his power will fly down to you, and I can promise you that you will not be able to resist it. He will come back, mightier than he is now, with a vessel that is exactly like his real body is. The goddesses would not be able to kill another draconequus as it is now. I’m sorry Notharam, I really am.”

“Do it.” I whispered, coughing directly thereafter.

“Are you sure?” he said, surprise clear in his facial expression.

I smiled at him.

“I promised,” I coughed again. “To cleanse this city. I knew that I would not be able to survive myself.” I coughed violently. “So end it, give Trotholm peace.”

He nodded once, and then his eyes went to the sky.
“I will have to do it at the same time as they defeat Discord.”

I looked at the battle above, I could see how the twin alicorns were fighting with the last of their powers, each of them starting to worn out. Then, in a giant explosion, did Discord vanish. I could see how something heeded towards me from where Discord had just been. It was the last thing I saw as the knife pierced my heart.

“Honey.” was the last thing I thought before the knife ended my life.

~Ten Years Later~

“Happy birthday!” the room shouted out. Honey was surprised by how much her friends had done to fix this party. Rainbow colored garlands hanged from the ceiling of the Carrot Mansion’s ball room, balloons floated freely in the air and a giant cake with eighteen candles stood int he middle of the room.

She could not help but smile ear to ear as she ran towards Carrotrose, hugging her tightly.
“Thanks mom, how could you fix all this in such a short time? I was not out for more than two hours!” she said with glee.

Carrotrose smiled down at her, returning the hug.
“I had some help from a couple of friends, and your Goldenheart was more than happy to help me.”

As if summoned did the golden coated young earth pony walk up behind them, a bright smile on his lips.
“Happy birthday Honey.” he said and nuzzled her at her neck. “I hope you were surprised. Here is your present from me.” He brought forth a little present and Honey quickly tore the paper away, showing the golden necklace that lay inside.

She hugged him tightly.
“Oh, you did not need to.” she said, resting her head against his neck. “Thank you.”

He blushed slightly.
“Here, let me help you get that around you neck.” he offered and released himself from the hug.

Honey smiled brightly at him.

*^*

The day had turned to night and the celebration was still going when Carrotrose took Honey to the side.
“Honey, it is something I want to give you.”

“What is it mom?” Honey happily asked.

Carrotrose lay a hoof around Honey’s neck, whispered to her.
“It is on the desk in the library. I will tell the rest that you will be back shortly. Take the time you need.”

*^*

Dear Honey. My dear dear foal. Firstly, if I know Carrotrose correctly, Happy Birtday.

When you read this will I be long since gone, I do not even think you will remember me at the time you read this, but I hope so. You deserve to know the truth. The truth about your father, the truth about everything around you. Do not think I liked to leave you behind, never believe that. I'm torn in this decision, but I have to put Trotholm, and in the end maybe even Equetria, before the happines of my daughter. That were words I hopped I would never say, or write. But before I will tell you the truth is there some things I want you to do for me.

Firstly, give Carrotrose my thanks for her hospitality. She always took care of me, and I believe she have been like a mother to you. If Carrotsword is still alive, which I hope, give him my thanks as well.

Secondly, an old friend of mine, Lightheart, lives in Trotholm, or at least I hope he survives what I'm about to do. If he still is alive, go to him and talk with him, let him know that he was a pillar in my life when my life was a hell. The only pillar in my life besides you. He have a son, Goldenheart, please let him know that I'm sorry I never got to know him.

To say this part fast; I'm a monster. The thing I will do is going to end the monster inside of me; it is going to set Trotholm free. If I could come back to you I would, but as it is now... I'm sorry, you never deserved this. I was injected by a corruption, it corrupted my mind and my heart. It was this or turn into a monster, slaughtering the town of Trotholm and Luna or Celestia knows more. Carrotsword have a journal and a letter. I'm sure you will be allowed to read them if you ask.

Also, tell Carrotsword that I'm sorry.

Do not cry for me Honey. I'm with your mother now, in a place where everything is happier. I will wait for you here.
Daddy

A tear dropped from Honey’s cheek as she read it. She re read it two times more before she lay it away and started to cry, the tears welling up as the memories returned. The memories of a happier time, of playing in a big castle garden under the watching eye of the sun.