Chapter one: A letter from the past
To Prince Valdimir Blueblood;
You remember our venerable house, opulent and imperial, gazing proudly from its stoic perch above the moor?
Surely, it must be known to you that your siblings followed in your wake, fleeing to wander through the golden streets of Canterlot. I, however, lived for countless years in this monument to decadence and luxury.
But alas, if you are reading this letter, then it means that I no longer walk the plane of the living. As such, you must return at once to reclaim our lands, for our ancestors have worked too tirelessly for their hard-earned work to simply fall into opportunistic hooves.
After you selfishly abandoned me, I started seeking greater and greater things to acquire, yet in time I grew tired of conventional extravagance. It was then that I started paying attention to the tales and rumors which had been passed down for generations in our family. Tales that spoke of the secrets behind our unrivaled power.
I became obsessed with these tales, with the power of which they spoke. And through the years I replaced the company of aristocrats and nobles with that of ill-tempered workponies and occult associates.
But it all paid off; in the deepest pit, the darkest recess, we found it. We found the abyssal gateway that spewed unimaginable horrors. I took twenty of my strongest ponies through, where we were quickly and terribly made to see the error of our ways. Our every step disturbed the horrid soil, and in the end, I alone escaped, laughing and wailing through those corrupted halls of madness.
But alas, despite my escape, I was not untouched. And even as I write this letter I can feel the call of the black gate, slowly draining my sanity into that horrid void. I fear that soon my mind may vanish like a candle’s flame in a maelstrom.
You remember our venerable house? Opulent and imperial? It has become a festering abomination. I command you, my eldest son, to return to your birthplace and deliver your family from the horrors I’ve unearthed.
However, I must warn you, that the estate has changed greatly in your absence. You would be wise to bring along additional safety, the old road is not as quaint as it once was.
Trust nopony.
King Louis Blueblood.
The prince folded the letter and set it down beside him on the crimson couch of his carriage. He knew it was an useless effort, for he would undoubtedly be reading it again soon, as he had done repeatedly since he had received it. And how could he not? When its contents were so unnerving?
And not just the letter itself, but the whole situation surrounding it as well. Everything seemed to be off, as if he had been living these last few days in a twisted parody of his once comfortable life.
Endless questions swirled in his mind. Where had this letter come from? It had been sent to him, but not by any traditional means. No mail pony had come to his Canterlot study, there had been no magical flash or burst of dragon fire. It’s as if the letter had always been there on his desk, hidden in plain sight.
Who had written it? Everything pointed to his father being the author, but that could not be true. Louis Blueblood was not one for writing letters, much less writing them himself, yet the proof was sitting right next to him.
The letter had been written in the Blueblood family calligraphy, almost impossible to imitate without years of study, and the envelope had been closed by none other than his father’s wax seal. If it was a fabrication, it was an exceptionally well-crafted one.
As for the contents themselves however, Blueblood could not decide whether or not he should disregard them as his father’s senile ramblings, or take them all as fact. His father never lied about things that didn’t benefit him, and what was written on that letter was not exactly beneficial to anypony, unless being put in a nursing home could be considered a benefit. Then again, if the letter was to be believed, his father had passed away.
He knew that he probably should feel… something at the news of his father’s passing. But truth be told, all the prince felt at the moment was a dark sense of relief at the knowledge that the old stallion had finally kicked the bucket. At some point he had been a just leader, but in time he grew more and more paranoid to the point where the prince himself had been left to raise his siblings while the king locked himself away in his study. Blueblood did not regret having left this place, nor did he regret never returning.
Yet his years of following his father’s wishes had still shone through, and he was bound by his familial duty to lay claim to his lands if his father had, indeed, passed away. He had left Canterlot four days ago, hiring a cheap personal guard and intending to stay at the hamlet for a few days.
Oh, the hamlet! many memories swirled in his mind as the carriage trudged along the road. Memories of ponies that may or may not still live there… or still live at all. Memories of all the beautiful sights that surrounded his family’s land, and of the small adventures he’d had in them as a colt. But alas, even in his reminiscing he could not stop himself from thinking about the letter. He did remember his venerable house, opulent and imperial, and could not help but wonder at what had become of it after he left all those years ago.
The sound of somepony clearing their throat brought him out of his thoughts, and the prince turned to face his… guard.
A pale yellow pegasus mare met his gaze, her face an unamused mask. The pony wore a tattered blue and yellow vest, which had been crudely repaired with some poorly-sewn rags. She was not particularly bulky or menacing, but she was athletic enough to serve as a guard.
It was a travesty to have his fine cushions sullied by this uncouth mare, but she had been the only private guard willing to come with him on such short notice, and with a low price tag at that. The prince had simply gotten what he paid for, ‘Barrage Balloon: budget security’. Of course, part of said reduced cost had come on account of her useless right wing, which was tucked underneath the blue cloak the mare wore. The prince had almost been able to feel his father’s judgemental gaze as he had hired a… defective, mare to guard something as precious as his own life.
“Something to say, guard?” He asked her.
“I asked how much longer we’re going to be in this damned carriage for,” She said, “I’m going to be sore for days after sitting for so long,” She added.
Blueblood sighed at the mare’s clearly limited knowledge of just how finely designed the cushions she was currently besmirching were. A pony couldn’t get sore from sitting in them even if they tried, but of course, luxury was too foreign to this pegasus to even consider it a possibility.
“We should be there soon,” He replied, turning to the front of the carriage and opening a small window to look at the draft pony, “Trotter! How much longer?”
“We’re comin’ up on the fort, m’lord” Said now his draft pony as he dutifully marched on, his Blueblood family servant uniform starting to get slightly stained with sweat. The prince made a mental note to get his servant’s uniform washed at the earliest convenience.
The mention of their upcoming destination, however, distracted the prince’s mind from his less-civilized companions and focused it instead on the shape that they were approaching: The fort.
It was really more of a tower than a fortress, but the name had stuck since its construction. It had been built nearly a millennium ago, back when this land was still the Blueblood kingdom. Originally meant as a guard post to monitor any travelers that sought to enter his ancestor’s lands, now it stood as many things did, a relic. Many relics remained of that age, such as the now purely ceremonial title of ‘prince’ that Blueblood held… and the title of King that he would seemingly soon inherit.
But something was off about the fort, a pattern that was slowly becoming alarming. Where the prince was expecting to see the metallic gleam of royal guards standing on the battlements, he saw nothing, for the windows had been boarded up with spare wooden planks. There was no sign of light anywhere within the tower, and no signs of any maintenance being done either.
The carriage stopped next to the fortification, but no guard came to check on them. For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the draft pony.
“There’s nopony ‘ere, m’lord,” Trotter said after regaining his breath.
“Looks like nopony’s been here for a long time,” The guard added.
“This is unforgivable! This post should be constantly guarded for safety!,” Blueblood stated, stomping the seat for emphasis.
“I mean,” Barrage droned, “We haven’t really seen anypony else on the road since we left Baltimare, maybe the guards aren’t here because there’s no carriages to check?”
The guard’s words were like sandpaper to the prince’s patience.
“I will not waste time explaining my family’s economic importance to a guard, go and see if there is anypony in the tower,” He said dismissively, waving his hoof for the rude acquaintance to leave the carriage.
Blueblood muttered under his breath as he watched the mare walk around the tower, why had his father refused to let Celestia build a train station in the estate? That would’ve easily cut this grueling trip by half, maybe even more. But no, the only true way to reach the Blueblood estate was either by hoof or by carriage, as if the land had never truly left the days of ancient Equestria behind.
“Nopony’s here!” The pegasus shouted.
The prince sighed and held his head in his forehooves, he was seriously considering turning back and returning to Canterlot, maybe delegate the responsibility to his younger siblings, but he couldn’t. He was now the king of the Blueblood estate, and he had to lay claim to his land.
“Get back in the carriage!” He ordered before turning to look at the exhausted draft pony that was still hooked onto his harness, “How much further, Trotter?” He asked.
“We’ll be there by nightfall, m’lord,” The earth pony responded.
“Good, let’s make haste so I can get this over with,” The prince stated.
As the carriage continued along its trek, jumping slightly over the loose stones of the road, Blueblood thought of what exactly he would need to do once he arrived at the hamlet. The first order of business would be to get all the paperwork done… title transfer, deeds, and whatever else needed his signature. He’d have to check the finances as well, to see just how much damage his father had done to their fortune in his old age.
But he couldn’t concentrate with the constant jumping and creaking of the carriage, instead deciding to rest his head against the window and stare at the empty horizon. Leagues of trees and grasslands seemed to stretch out infinitely like the undulating waves of a green sea. Slowly, gently, the prince drifted off into sleep.
His dreams, however, were not much respite from the monotony of the trip. He dreamt of being on a raft, with Trotter dutifully rowing forward into nothingness. Blueblood looked behind them, seeing nothing but the endless expanse of the sea. There was naught but empty space around them; no matter where he looked, only the eternal blue met his gaze. The waves were the only sound that reached his ears, for he did not wish to speak, and Trotter respected his decision.
After what could’ve been minutes, or maybe months of rowing, there was a change. It was barely noticeable at first, the prince only realizing something was happening when the raft sped up, hitting the waves more harshly than it had before. Where the sea had been soothing and calm, like the cradling of a mother, it had now become violent and erratic.
A particularly hard jump shook the prince awake. He desperately wiped the sleep from his eyes as the carriage turned violently. A glance out the window revealed that the day had burned away into night, and they were going fast… very fast.
His pegasus guard was poking her head out of the window, looking at something behind them. She turned to face the draft pony and shouted over the roaring of the wheels.
“Hard right!” She commanded.
And the cart responded, turning so quickly that the left-side wheels lifted off the road. The prince was opening his mouth to ask what was the meaning of this, when his question was answered by a blinding flash of light that poured into the carriage from the left side window.
“What are you imbeciles doing?!” The prince demanded.
“Bandits!” The pegasus shouted back.
“Bandits? In my estate?” Blueblood asked, irate.
More flashes came from behind, beams of destructive magic flew around the carriage. The sound of the wheels turning over the stone road were slowly being replaced by the deafening drumbeat of Blueblood’s heart. A sensation that the prince hadn’t felt for years started to seep into him, the tightening claw of fear was gripping his heart.
The guard swung her right wing violently at the darkness beyond the window, the faint whistling of flying blades the only clue as to what the gesture meant.
“Turn left!” Barrage shouted at the draft pony.
“I can’t!” Answered Trotter.
“Turn!” She ordered again, more desperate.
But it was too late, the carriage shook violently and banked to the side. A loud metal clanking sound came from the side of the cart before it went flying off the road, tumbling into the woods.
As if his luck hadn’t been rotten enough, the carriage had not only gone off the road, but they had apparently been on the edge of a small hill, causing them to roll for a considerable distance. The prince slammed into the wooden walls, doubtlessly gaining several bruises, despite the fine cushions.
With a thunderous crash, the carriage came to a stop after hitting a tree, the impact cracking the roof above them. Blueblood hit his head against the side of the carriage, causing his sight to flood with colored dots. Through his blurred vision he could make out the vague figure of his guard, climbing to her hooves and shaking her head.
“We need to move!” She shouted, but the prince could hardly understand the words.
The carriage had landed on its side, but the weakened roof was quickly turned into a makeshift door under the hooves of his guard. Her strong jaw bit on the prince’s blue bowtie and slowly dragged him out of the overturned carriage. By now, Blueblood’s head had mostly cleared, allowing him to be thoroughly infuriated at getting thrown onto the mud outside.
“How very dare you?!” The Prince shouted, but the guard covered his mouth with a hoof before he could fully voice his complaint.
“Be quiet! They’re still out there!” She said, the prince now noticed that her right eye was becoming swollen.
But the genuine fear in her words made the prince freeze in place, she was right, after all, they were still in danger. He turned to look at the overturned carriage and saw that it was mostly destroyed, cracked planks and splintered wheels gave the clear message that they wouldn’t be getting anywhere in it.
Trotter was dragging himself out of his harness, the deep blue of his Blueblood family uniform was slowly turning to crimson from a cut on his right shoulder, most likely a result of their unplanned tumble down the hill.
“Why didn’t you turn?” Blueblood demanded, trying to keep as quiet as possible while still letting the draft pony know he was most displeased with his performance.
“There was… on the road,” The earth pony answered, breathing heavily from exhaustion, “Another pony,” He finished before falling flat onto the ground.
“I don’t mean to interrupt,” An echoey stallion’s voice asked from somewhere, “But could any of you fine gentlecolts help me? I am pinned here,”
Blueblood turned to face the carriage, where a metallic sheen caught his eye, an armored hoof was sticking out from underneath the heavy wooden carriage, rising and falling to call attention to itself.
At first, the prince thought the trapped stallion had been one of the bandits that attacked them, but his careful eye noticed that the armor on the stallion’s hoof was far too well-maintained to be a rugged bandit, not to mention the rather… noble inflections in his voice.
“I know you are still there, who are you?” The stallion demanded, his tone becoming more serious.
“Be quiet! The bandits will-” The yellow pegasus started, but she fell quiet when her gaze fell upon the top of the hillside, the bandits were coming.
They were three in total, climbing down the hill in a menacing stampede.
“Sweet Celestia,” Blueblood said, turning towards the woods to find an escape route. How had everything gone so wrong in such a short time?
The yellow mare desperately looked around at the woods before making a break for the treeline. Abandoning the prince and his draft pony to their luck.
“Get back here you crippled turncoat!” Blueblood shouted at the retreating pegasus, spit flying out of his mouth.
“Save yourself, prince!” The mare shot back just before reaching the trees.
Blueblood was about to bolt for the treeline himself, his panic reaching a peak, but he was frozen in place. His thundering heart blocked out the noises of the forest as he slowly found himself incapable of breathing properly. It was then that the stallion who was pinned under the cart spoke once more.
“A prince?” The pony exclaimed, in a voice that could only be described as bombastic, “Hazza!” They bellowed as the carriage went flying to the side, exploding into a shower of broken planks and cushions.
Among the splintered remains of the carriage now stood a stallion. Glistening armor, an impossibly white gambeson, and a mighty sword hanging by his side left no doubt as to the pony’s occupation, a knight. Perhaps it was the sudden promise of safety, or maybe the appearance of a capable protector, but the prince could’ve sworn that the stallion was glowing with a soothing white light.
The armored pony’s head turned to face the prince, and even though his mouth was the only exposed part of his face, the prince could feel the pony’s calm gaze through the horizontal slit in his helmet’s visor.
“Fear not, prince, no harm shall come to you while I can stand!” The knight exclaimed before turning to face the approaching bandits, who were now moving more cautiously towards them. It seemed the knight’s booming voice had blown most of the bandit’s ferocity away.
Blueblood noticed that the pegasus had stopped in her tracks too, staring slack-jawed at the prince’s apparent new ally. Both ponies watched as the stallion turned his head and grabbed the sword that hung at his side, the weapon’s basket hilt wrapping around the pony’s mouth, completely encasing his face in steel. The stallion then stabbed the blade into the ground and stood on his hind legs, resting slightly on the hilt as he addressed the bandits.
“Take not one step further!” He proudly declared.
The bandits drew closer, now finally coming into the light of the carriage’s last remaining lamp. A brown stallion dressed in a green cloak stepped into the light first. Leathery barding covered his chest, flanked by two scabbards holding twin daggers. The pony’s hood bathed his eyes in shadows, but the twisted grin underneath, full of crooked teeth, was on clear display.
His two companions stepped into the light as well, both dressed in the same cloaks and barding as the first. A horn poked out from under the one on the right’s hood, but the most striking of the trio was definitely the massive earth pony on the right.
Clearly, the large stallion had tried to fit into a cloak similar to his friends, however he was far too big for it to fit. The tattered green fabric hung around the pony’s legs, bulging muscles holding it in place. The hood of the cloak had been ripped from the rest of the garment and was, rather comically, drawn over the pony’s head to conceal the face. Where the other two ponies held knives, this large beast had a steel whip hanging from the side, with some blackened substance coating its many serrated edges.
There was not a single doubt as to these pony’s savagery, from their lack of hygiene to their crudely displayed weapons. How had such terrible ponies come to roam his estate so freely that they felt capable of attacking a royal carriage?
The three brigands eyed the knight curiously, who had not moved at all since he spoke.
“I am a defender of light,” The stallion stated, slowly raising his voice, “And as such I offer you an accord. You are to abandon your crooked ways and return to the path of harmony!”
The bandits laughed at the knight’s speech, with the large one snorting loudly.
“And what if we don’t wanna?” The unicorn, a mare, asked.
“Then step forth and face me in combat,” Retorted the knight.
The large earth pony let out a booming laugh before pointing a massive hoof at the armored pony.
“Tin can pony think he and his little friends can stand up to me?” The bandit asked, barely stifling a laugh as he moved his hoof to point at the other three ponies that stood behind the knight.
“No, I would not dare make the injured fight beside me,” Stated the knight, dropping to stand on all four hooves again, “Should you choose the path of violence, I shall be your only opponent,”
The large earth pony scoffed and stepped forward, towering over the armored stallion. But the knight was not intimidated, instead picking up his sword once more and resheathing it.
Blueblood was shocked by the boldness of this strange stallion, just who was he? His armor was not that of the royal guard, and neither was his weapon. A freelance knight perhaps? Whoever he was, to stand before such an imposing foe and resheathe their weapon was an idea that only a fool could come up with.
With a deep growl, the enormous earth pony bit on his whip’s hilt and swung it wildly at the armored stallion, aiming to wrap it around his neck. But with practiced ease, the knight ducked out of the way.
Blueblood and the other two ponies had fallen completely silent, limiting themselves to just watching the duel unfold. Even the pegasus who had been in the process of escaping had stopped to bear witness.
The large earth pony roared and threw his forehooves at the knight in an attempt to trample him, but the armored stallion backpedaled out of his reach. This angered the larger pony, who stared at the knight with hatred in his eyes.
But the knight did not falter, instead launching himself at the larger pony with his head turned towards his scabbard. In a mere instant, no longer than the blink of an eye, the knight had drawn his weapon and swung at the earth pony. Strangely, however, the weapon’s deadly edge did not connect, for the knight had struck with the pommel instead, hitting the stallion squarely in the temple.
And what a mighty blow it was! Thought Blueblood as he watched the much larger pony stagger back and lose balance. Collapsing onto the ground a few steps away from the knight.
“No!” Shouted the bandit mare, lighting up her horn and firing a beam of magic at the knight. The mocking grin she had held a moment before was completely gone.
The knight adjusted his stance to meet the magical beam with his right pauldron, causing the spell to ricochet into a nearby tree. The bandit’s face went white with shock as the armored pony turned his helmet towards her. But the knight did not charge at them, in fact, he had hardly moved from where he had issued his challenge moments earlier.
Once more, the pony resheathed his sword and stood proudly before the three brigands.
“I will give you one final chance to return to harmony!” He exclaimed, “Lest I be forced to take this battle seriously!” He added, his voice taking on a more bombastic tone once more.
“Let’s get out of here!” The bandit with the knives shouted, and his companions muttered in agreement.
“Begone!” Ordered the knight, as if to land the final blow on his opponent’s crippled resolve.
And leave they did, all three bandits ran back up the hill as quickly as their hooves could carry them. And with their retreat, whatever spell had befallen the other three ponies shattered, releasing them from the frozen grip of panic.
“Sweet Celestia…” Trotter mumbled.
“I hope they rethink their career path,” Exclaimed the armored stallion, turning around and locking his sight directly on the prince.
The knight gave him a deep bow and removed his helmet, letting a bright orange mane spill out from underneath the steel that had protected it. Two electric blue eyes bore into Blueblood with the intensity of the midday sun, resting just above a wide grin of teeth so white they rivaled the stallion’s coat.
“Zealous Light of the Celestial order, at your service,” The stallion said, bowing his head in reverence.
“Prince Vladimir Blueblood,” The prince responded, eyeing the knight curiously, “I thank you for your assistance,”
“T’was nothing, my lord, it is my sworn duty to protect and serve the royal family,” Zealous Light stated, keeping his head bowed.
Sworn duty? What did he mean? He did say that he was part of some Celestial order, but no matter how hard the prince racked his memory, he couldn’t recall ever hearing about it. He would have to learn more about this pony.
“We must make haste, my lord, those brigands may seek reinforcements,” The knight exclaimed before turning his attention back at Trotter, “Come, friend, let me assist you,”
“I’m… okay…” The draft pony mumbled before collapsing onto his side.
The armored stallion walked over to the fallen pony, picking him up by the collar of his uniform and draping him over his back. The prince stared in awe as the knight moved around briskly despite carrying the significantly larger draft pony across his back. A soft groan escaped from the earth pony’s mouth, but no further protest was heard.
“We must move at once, the hamlet should not be much further,” Said the armored stallion.
Blueblood nodded before shooting a glare at his pegasus guard, who had remained so still at the edge of the treeline that one could’ve easily thought she had been petrified by a manticore.
“I will deal with you later, you disgusting, treacherous, turncoat,” He declared, drawing a defeated nod from the disappointing mare.
Blueblood walked towards the destroyed carriage and let out a relieved sigh when he noticed his luggage was intact. It was a shame that such a beautiful carriage had been lost, but the most important thing had survived: Himself.
He still had his doubts about the knight, but as of now he had shown to be both more capable and more loyal than his actual paid guard. Blueblood made a mental note to… study the pony further when the situation was more favorable. Finally, the prince pulled the luggage out of the wreck and picked up a lamp that still hung limply from its perch, levitating it in front of him.
The four ponies set off towards the road, eyeing their surroundings with well-founded distrust. For all they knew, the brigands could be hiding behind every tree in their path. Trotter groaned with every step the stallion carrying him took, but Zealous Light pressed on, limping slightly as he did.
“Say, prince, about my pay…” The pegasus started, but Blueblood would be having none of that.
“Save your breath, pegasus,” He stated, making ample display of his disapproval.
“What? Were you expecting me to fight three armed bandits alone? Why would I just throw my life away?!” Shouted the yellow mare, her face a mask of fury.
“Maybe because it’s what I PAY you for!” Blueblood shouted back, even louder.
“I would advise that you lower your voice, my lord,” The knight said, turning his armored head to look at Blueblood.
The prince almost snapped back at the stallion, but it dawned on him that he was probably correct, he just had to keep quiet until they reached the town. And judging by the rabble coming from further ahead, they couldn’t be much further. But he still had too many questions he needed to ask this knight to simply remain silent, whispering would have to suffice.
“Very well, but I have questions for you as well,” He started, causing the armored stallion to tilt his head slightly to hear him better, “You seem to be a capable stallion, what brings you to my hamlet?”
“I have been sent by my order to investigate the claims of another member,” Answered the stallion. The prince’s ears swiveled at the pony’s words, carefully dissecting his inflections and tone. Noble, of course, with a slight theatrical edge, but there was something more hidden in his voice… a hint of pain. Perhaps the stallion’s sudden clash against the side of his carriage had not left him as unscathed as he presented himself.
Blueblood considered what the stallion had actually said, feeling a stab of indignation at the revelation that there were informants in his land sending out intelligence to strange organizations. However, the knight had claimed to be part of a ‘Celestial’ order, perhaps his auntie simply had a network of eyes to keep tabs on her vast land. At least that was what he would do should he be handed the reins to Equestria.
But this only created more questions, such as why send a single, unmarked knight instead of a royal guard, or even a royal guard garrison. He would have to dig deeper.
“Your order?” He asked the knight. Measuring one’s words and tone was one of the most valuable abilities for any aristocrat with their salt, and the prince knew how to employ it expertly to sound interested while not sounding obsessed.
“Yes, the followers of Celestia,” Came the rather bombastic answer, “We carry out the princesses’ will and uphold harmony wherever we go,”
The prince couldn’t help but notice that underneath the seemingly aggrandized tone lay the monotonous practice of a slogan, like a mayor who really wanted to convince somepony that they were the best for the position. However this new information was rather strange, this mysterious order sounded just like how anypony would describe the royal guard, yet clearly wasn’t.
He wanted to keep pressing the armored stallion for more information, but he held his tongue when the scenery started to change rapidly around them. The twisted, unkempt trees drew back to reveal fields of overgrown grass. But that was not all that was revealed, for where the prince was expecting to see the small houses of his colthood, he was met with something… different.
“This is not how I remember,” Blueblood muttered.
Where once had stood small houses of thatch and wood, now stood many-storey buildings of stone and logs. No longer was there a simple fence around the hamlet, having been replaced with a palisade that bore the scars of time and battle.
The town was set up in a circular fashion, with buildings getting taller as they neared the center. A statue of Blueblood’s father had once commanded the hamlet’s skyline, but whether or not it still stood was impossible to know, as several castle-like stone buildings had been erected around the central plaza.
As they drew closer to the wall, Blueblood noticed that this was not a particularly well-made fortification. What he had assumed at a distance to be carefully nailed boards of wood and logs were betrayed by their polished finishes to be nothing more than repurposed furniture. The mismatched boards left ample gaps in the wall as well, giving small peeks of the town’s interior.
A pony wearing a simple blue cap poked their head from behind the wooden wall when they reached the gate. The gate itself had clearly been made from the doors of some other building, and crudely reinforced with spare planks of wood and twisted nails that weren’t hammered all the way in.
“Begone!” The pony said, a mare, noted the prince.
“We mean no harm!” Exclaimed Zealous Light, “We have injured ponies with us,”
The mare stepped away from the wall and spoke to somepony else, but they were too far away to make out anything other than muttering. Before long, another mare peeked her head over the palisade.
“Stay where y- you are, we will have our d- doctor look at your injured,” She said, her stuttering words betraying her nerves.
This gave way for the prince, who had started to lose his patience as soon as the gate hadn’t opened to receive him, to impose his authority. With a flash of magic, the unicorn produced his family’s crest from his luggage, presenting the small sigil to the mare as he spoke with measured but stern words.
“I am Prince Vladimir Blueblood, the heir of this estate, and as such I demand that you open my gate immediately,”
The mare on the other side of the wall opened her eyes so wide that they looked ready to burst out of her head. A choked response was silenced when the prince poured his magic into the crest, causing it to glow with a golden light. A royal Canterlot crest, everypony knew that they only glowed when a pony of nobility displayed one.
“I- I… uh,” The mare stuttered.
“Did I not make myself clear?” The prince insisted.
“N- no my lord… I mean y- yes!” Came the answer.
A rattling sound escaped the wooden door before it was slowly pulled open, revealing an earth pony mare with a bright green coat standing at the door. A quick glance at the badge on her chest answered the question that was forming in his mind before it even got the chance to appear: This was his hamlet’s new lawkeeper.
Deep down he had been expecting Silver Badge to still be around, but he knew that the old stallion had probably passed on some time ago. This mare, however, shared his calm blue eyes, maybe they were related; a daughter, perhaps?
The mare was short, yet clearly strong. A crimson scarf was wrapped around her neck over a simple lawkeeper uniform which held a spiked wooden club in a sling to her side. A strange sleeve was tightly wrapped around the mare’s left foreleg, some kind of cast or splint, the prince presumed.
“I take it you are the lawkeeper?” Blueblood asked, pointing at the shining badge on the mare’s chest.
“O- officer Bronze Badge, at your s- service my… umm, my lord!” She spoke quickly, the constant stuttering slowly getting on the prince’s nerves.
“Would you care to explain why this eyesore of a wall was erected around my village?” He asked, letting just enough of his anger seep into his voice to stun the shorter mare, “Or why I was denied entrance until I produced my sigil? Explain yourself!”
Blueblood was no stranger to using his prodigious size to his advantage in discussions, but he did think that perhaps he had overdone it when the already small mare shrinked further before him.
“W- we’ve been under attack from b- bandits for almost a year now,” Explained the green mare, her ears drooping.
“And you decided to build this abomination instead of sending a letter to ask for aid? Did my father approve of this?” He asked, irate.
“No, m-my lord,” The mare said.
“Well then who-“ Blueblood started, but he was cut off by the knight clearing his throat.
“With all due respect, my lord, perhaps this conversation can take place after we get your draft pony and myself some medical attention?” Stated Zealous Light.
“Yourself? When did you get hurt?” The treacherous pegasus interrupted, looking over the armored stallion.
Blueblood eyed the pony as well. While he showed no clear sign of injury, the prince did notice how the stallion was keeping most of the considerable weight on his back off his right foreleg.
“During the little tumble down the hill after being run over by your carriage I seem to have broken my leg,” Zealous Light stated, lifting his right foreleg and confirming the prince’s suspicion. The prince was unable to keep his jaw from dropping, however, at the prospect of not only fighting with such a wound, but also carrying a fully grown pony on his back all the way here without even a single protest. Truly, this pony was either incredibly determined or completely deranged.
“Oh my, yes, come here,” Said the law mare, “Give him to me,” She added, walking up to the armored stallion.
At first the knight hesitated to transfer the wounded pony onto the back of the smaller mare, Trotter was nearly twice her size, after all. But after she reassured him that it would be fine, the knight relented and draped the stallion over the lawkeeper’s back. Surprisingly, the mare seemed to not struggle under the staggering weight on her back.
Zealous Light let out a small sigh of relief when he was finally freed from his burden, and the four ponies then made their way into the town, where once more the prince could do nothing but stare in near-shock.
The hamlet looked… terrible, there was no other way of describing it. Peeling paint, splintered walls, and haphazardly boarded windows stared back at him. It seemed as if a century’s worth of time had passed in only a couple decades, and no maintenance had been done during it.
Even the townsponies themselves, so vibrant and happy in his memory, now dragged their emaciated frames along the dirt streets. Some stopped near the entrance to peer at the newcomers through sunken eyes, but all shared the same look of despair.
“Sweet Celestia…” Said the knight, giving voice to the prince’s thoughts.
“Nice place, prince,” Snapped the yellow pegasus, earning a stern look from Blueblood.
“Should I return to my post ma’am?” A young mare said, approaching the group.
The newcomer was dressed in a law keeper uniform similar to the one Bronze Badge wore, with the only difference being the smaller badge, denoting her rank as deputy. She was terribly young, and far too frail to be working in such a position, as could clearly be seen by the straps that held her far-too-large uniform onto her slender frame.
“Yes, make sure you have enough oil for the night watch,” Ordered the Law mare, sending the younger pony away. She then turned to look at Zealous Light and spoke again, “The doctor is in the central plaza, do you think you can get there?”
“I made it this far with not much trouble, I could probably carry him there too!” Retorted the armored stallion, brimming with confidence.
“Oh no, the doctor would have my head if I sent them a wounded pony carrying another on their back,” Bronze Badge said, smiling slightly as her right ear drooped.
Blueblood was keenly aware of every second that was being wasted in this interaction, and decided to solve it in the quickest way he could think of.
“Pegasus, take Trotter to the doctor,” He commanded the yellow turncoat, the prince was certain that the knight’s presence would dissuade her from betraying Trotter as well, “I must talk with officer Badge,” He added, drawing an ‘eep’ from the green mare.
“Whatever,” Said the pegasus, walking next to the law mare and taking the wounded stallion from her.
“I-It’s the large stone building in the central plaza, it’s got a sign over the front door, you can’t m- miss it,” Explained Bronze Badge.
Blueblood waited until the other two ponies had left before turning to face the law keeper once more, immediately making her face go several shades paler and her ears to shoot backwards.
“I will ask a series of questions, and I expect you to answer them all in as clear and concise a way as possible. Do I make myself clear?” He stated, boring into the mare with his strongest glare.
The lawkeeper tried to say something in response, but the words came out as a choked breath. She nodded instead.
“Very well, I would first like to know who I must reprimand for failing to meet the greeting conditions I requested” He stated.
“W- what?” Said the law mare.
That was not the answer that Blueblood was expecting in the slightest, a half-baked apology or a bad excuse for sure, but not flat out bewilderment.
“I sent a letter one day ahead of my arrival so that you could make arrangements” The prince started slowly, barely managing to mask the anger in his voice, “I specifically requested to have a small feast to commemorate the occasion, and to have all the paperwork ready by the time I arrived, yet I see none of that,” He added, gesturing towards the village with his forehoof.
Despite his dumbed down explanation, the mare continued to stare at the prince incredulously.
“M- my lord…” The mare started, choking the words out as if the prince's magic had been wrapped around her throat., “We- we never received that letter, o- or any letter for that matter,”
“In case you forgot, law mare, I requested that your answers be clear and concise,” Chided the unicorn, “What do you mean?”
The green mare’s ears flicked wildly in panic before she finally recomposed herself enough to speak.
“There hasn’t been a m- mail pony here since last fall,” She said in a trembling voice.
Now that was a blatant lie.
“That sure is convenient, but unfortunately for you,” He started, producing his father’s letter from his luggage, “I received the very letter informing me of my father’s passing not four days ago,”
He stared triumphantly at the mare, expecting her nerves to reach a peak and for her to break down completely. But in the blue eyes of the law keeper he saw nothing other than a confusion so deep it could’ve been mistaken for insanity.
“K- king Blueblood is dead?” The mare said, almost in a whisper.
Blueblood dropped to his haunches and held his head with a forehoof. This was a complete disaster, yet he was certain that the mare was being honest, which only made the situation worse.
“Very well,” He said, “This is going nowhere and I am too exhausted to deal with it. We shall speak in the morning,”
“I- I’m sorry my lord, I just-” The green mare started, but the prince silenced her by lifting a hoof.
“Save it for the morning, I must rest,” The prince said, “I at least expect you to have the paperwork ready tomorrow,”
The law mare opened her mouth, but decided against voicing whatever half-witted protest was forming in her mind. Blueblood huffed in annoyance and turned to stare down the main street.
He had never been one for nostalgia, yet as he walked into the hamlet, he couldn’t help but remember his youth. How he had trotted through these streets and laughed with its ponies, how angry his father got whenever he escaped to be among the common ponies, and the harsh lectures his anger would entail.
But this was not the same place, it couldn’t be, the ruined buildings and decrepit streets were not the ones he remembered. The sunken eyes of the locals gave the once cheerful ponies a ghoulish appearance, as if they were merely living out of habit.
And neither was he the same starry-eyed colt that had escaped his caretakers to go on adventures through the town, ignoring his status entirely.
Yet despite his foggy memories being his sole guide, the prince still remembered where the Crooked Oak Inn was, the town wasn’t large, but it had its fair share of accommodations. The old tavern stood like a beacon in the darkness, the torchlight of its interior shining brightest between the flickering candles of the surrounding houses. Blueblood noticed how much the town had changed since he left. One of the biggest changes was the small monument to the princess, which had been remade into a towering building whose grandeur would have rivaled that of Canterlot itself, had it not been for the ruinous condition it was in.
Yet the most shocking change of all was the little hut that had once housed doctor Tourniquet. A kind mare who healed his knees whenever he scraped them as a colt.
The small wooden building had been replaced by what Blueblood could only describe as a fortress. Three stories of granite brick and gated windows stood amongst the other buildings in stark contrast, the words “Blueblood sanitarium” were written above the entrance on a bronze plaque. The cold stone walls punctuated only by steel bars made the place feel restrictive and unwelcoming just by looking at it.
The inn, however, seemed to be one of the very few buildings that hadn't been completely ravaged by time, standing proud between the ruins of an old house and a small plaza governed by a single dead tree. Its large oak door, once polished and shiny, now worn like a servant’s hooves. Yet the large slab of wood still blocked the entrance, guarding the inn’s occupants from the cold night air.
He lifted his hoof to knock on the door, but a cold gust of wind stopped his move. He turned once more and stared at the hamlet, memories of his childhood flooding back into him, even if the small town looked… dilapidated. Nothing was as it should be.
The old plaza’s tiles were cracked and bleached by the many years that had passed since he had last been here. Every building, one a beautiful regal white, was now a grayish mess of cracks and filth.
Wonderful flags and tapestries with his family’s sigil, which in his memories were vibrant with color, lay tattered upon the termite-eaten poles that they had been strung up in all those years ago. The sky was thick with smoke, almost like a ceiling of clouds was being pressed onto the town, and on the horizon…
“Oh my…” Blueblood said.
On the horizon stood the ruins of the Blueblood mansion, gazing upon the town like a tombstone over long-undisturbed soil.
Author's Note
Here we go again! Updates are going to be slow, as I am working on another project in the background.
Going to try my best and only upload when I am certain of the quality, so I will not give any exact update dates.
