Standing in the shadow of the Sun
The curtains next to the small window gently swayed back and forth as the night breeze made its way into the tower. The giant fireplace illuminating the room flickered from the sudden movement, but after a moment it continued to spill its cheerful glow and heat all over the room. The sudden warmth inside forced the cold air onto the ground where it lingered for a second or two, before warming up and mixing into its stale sibling.
A pair of hooves landed for a moment on the windowsill, before kicking off once more and hitting the floor in front of it. There was no sound. The knocks the impact would have made were suffocated by padded horseshoes, specifically made to render the wearer silent.
Their owner made his way towards the desk standing on the other side of the room with careful, measured steps. He eyed the figure before him with wariness. A white mare sat in front of the desk, her back turned towards the window. Her head was hidden behind a radiant mane, flowing with the pastel colors of refracted sunlight. Four golden horseshoes sat beside her, along with a small golden tiara on the desk, patiently waiting for their mistress to put them on again. A small black pen, enveloped in golden light, floated in the air in front of her. Occasionally it descended to leave a mark on something on the desk, before hovering up again.
As the intruder hoped, the mare did not seem to notice his arrival. He ever so slowly reached under one of his midnight-blue wings with his head and quietly pulled a knife from a small scabbard hidden below it. A flame from the fireplace glinted on the blade for a moment, before he saw his own radiant, green eyes in the reflection. Much to his relief, his face seemed determined. Even though the plan had gone flawlessly so far, everything hung on the next few moments. He took another step forward.
“Would you please stop where you are?” the mare suddenly asked. He froze in place. There was no urgency in her voice, nor a hint of shock. She didn’t even turn around. Before he could reply, she continued, “You see, the carpet in front of you was a gift from someone very dear to me and it’d pain me if you trod on it wearing those dirty shoes.”
The mangled remains of a few words escaped his throat. He had considered the possibility of being spotted, but he did not expect to be taken as a joke. He looked down and spotted a dark brown carpet. On it, woven in golden thread, the scene of a group of ponies dancing around the combined image of the Sun and the Moon gleamed in the light of the fireplace.
He snarled, blade still in mouth, as he stepped onto the carpet. “I’m here to kill you.”
Celestia sighed. “My little pony, that much was obvious from the get go.” She turned around and looked him in the eye. All the legends and testimonies described her as ageless, yet as he looked into her face, spotless and unblemished as it was, her eyes seemed older than time itself. “Before you do though, I can tell from your voice that you came from beyond my kingdom, so would you mind at least telling me why? I assure you, you haven’t tripped any alarms, you needn’t hurry.”
He remained silent and took another step closer.
“I mean it,” she continued undeterred. Her tone was tired, but also soft and almost motherly. “You have clearly been slighted greatly to come here and… Well, attempt what you are planning to do.”
He stopped for a second, then spat out the knife, catching it with his wing in the air. Though wings allowed for far less strength when stabbing, with the element of surprise gone, agility was preferable anyways.
“I’ve come for the prize on your head, Sun Princess. Your kingdom’s reckless expansion ignited righteous fury in many hearts and opened many coffers.”
“So, it is money,” she said quietly. “Figures.” She placed her pen on the desk and got up. She shot a glance at the colt before turning towards the chamber’s door. “Walk with me.”
Before she could reach the door, he kicked the floor under himself and with a strong beat of his wings leaped in front of her, sending a flurry of papers flying from the desk.
“You are not going anywhere.”
The Princess remained completely unfazed by the act. She merely ignited her horn and gathered the papers, placing them back on the desk with nonchalance. The colt’s blood boiled at the sight and he felt his wing grasp the dagger harder. His muscles tensed, like a loaded spring ready to explode.
“Of course not,” she said with a small smile, as she turned back from the desk. “I was waiting for you after all.”
“Enough games!” he screamed and pounced, putting all of his momentum and weight into a vicious stab aimed at the mare’s neck. The blade cut through the air with a quiet whoosh, yet, before it could get anywhere close to the Princess, it suddenly stopped in the air.
He almost stumbled as his wing became pinned, but with an instinctual correction from his free side he made a somewhat graceful landing. The moment he found his footing, he tried to move the dagger, but it was as if he was pushing against a mountain. He stared up dumbfounded and saw the knife’s hilt glowing with a ghostly yellow light.
“Many years ago somepony… whom I considered closer than all to me shared one of her dreams with me,” Celestia spoke quietly. Her face was illuminated by the same otherworldly glow emanating from her horn, as the one enveloping the knife. It wasn’t a harsh light, yet the flames of the hearth in the back of the room seemed to pale in comparison. “She dreamed of an Equestria where misery and death were not welcome. I’d appreciate it if you conducted yourself accordingly.”
He tried to yank away the blade a few times in vain, before giving up and letting go. However, the moment all four of his hooves were on the ground again, he pounced, aiming his hooves at the Princess’s horn. He should have expected being disarmed, but now his enemy was too. From what he knew, unicorn magic was strong, but it was also clumsy and could only manipulate a single object at a time. He was confident that he could dodge any attack she made with the knife.
Suddenly he came to a painful halt. He forced his eyes to look down and saw his own body covered in the same glow as his weapon. It was as if the aforementioned mountain grew two enormous hooves and pinched him between them. He flexed his muscles, but he couldn’t as much as move an ear.
The Princess was staring at him, her head tipped slightly to the side. Not even the slighted hint of exertion was visible on her face. “As I’ve said,” she began again with the same softness. “I wish for you to walk with me. I have some important business and I cannot allow you to stay here unsupervised.”
His struggles began to lose their strength and soon he felt completely exhausted. Finally, as he allowed his body to go limp, the radiant magic gently lowered him to the floor. As he stared up at the giant mare in front of him, he saw his blade fly towards him. He weakly tried to raise himself, but he couldn’t do as much as raise his hoof. His eyes instinctually snapped shut, as he waited for the blow.
Only it never came. He lay there for a few more seconds before slowly opening his eyes again. The knife was floating in front of him, but it was the hilt that faced towards him.
“As I was saying, I wish to keep misery from my lands,” the Princess explained. “Please put this away well before somepony gets hurt.”
He remained still for a little while, unsure if he was being tricked or whether he could truly believe her words. Then, without a word, he tentatively reached up and took the blade from the glow. This time it relented and he easily pulled it away. As the weapon slid back into its scabbard, he caught the Princess’s reflection for a moment. He wasn’t sure if it was merely a trick of the light, but the pony staring back at him appeared far more majestic than she seemed at first glance. Without a word he got up. Uneasy silence filled the room.
“Well, that was that,” Celestia’s voice broke the silence. “Now, follow me, please.” Her horn lit up again and the double doors to the chamber groaned as they opened to a small landing with a winding staircase behind, illuminated by torches. Two pegasus guards stood on the sides, who immediately saluted the Princess with a wing.
The colt’s heart sank. Was this a trap? Was she bluffing? Did she merely try to lower his guard before these two would do him in? But as they passed between them and stepped out into the landing, the pegasi merely measured him up with suspecting glares, but made no move.
The duo began to make its way down the staircase. “I’m sure you wonder why I’ve asked you to come with me,” said the Princess without turning around. The colt gave her no answer. “You see, as long as you’re with me, no harm will come to you. Some of my guards are a bit too eager to do their job.” She sighed. “I suppose I cannot fault them for wanting to do their best.”
They reached the base of the staircase, which lead to a hallway. Dim torches illuminated the roughly-hewn rock walls. Occasionally a wooden door broke up the monotony of stone. The pale moonlight shone through a few thin windows near the ceiling.
“I don’t understand,” the colt finally said. His words rang with uncertainty and suspicion. “You are protecting me… from your own guards? Is this some kind of game?”
“It’s just that the walk down the hall is just so very boring and I appreciate the company.” The Princess smirked, then began to trot down the corridor. Suddenly she came to a halt and turned around. “Oh, forgive my manners! In the ensuing excitement it completely slipped my mind to ask your name. Mine is Celestia,” she chuckled a little, “though I presume you’re already more than aware of that. What’s yours?”
“Wind Sower.”
“Beautiful name.” She gave him a small, approving nod. “Nice to meet you, Wind.” She turned back and began walking again.
The sounds of the Princess’s hooves echoed through the hallway and, as he walked behind her, Wind felt like he was merely a shadow to her — silent, dark, powerless, and insignificant.
He had to at least have a little bit of control. “Where are we going?”
“Oh, not far from here. So tell me, what exactly drove you to try to take my head?” she asked without even turning around. “I happen to be quite fond of it being attached to my neck.”
Wind felt his cheeks fire up again. “Your unfair imperialism! You always just take from everypony and never give!”
“Really?” For the first time there was a thorn of indignation hidden deep beneath the softness of her words. “Pray tell, how and what exactly have I taken?”
“Your kingdom’s been growing every year at a rapid pace. Ponies in the countryside now whisper that in a few years everything will be part of Equestria. Nopony should have this much power!”
“Rousing words, indeed,” she replied with little amusement. “But these are all simply slogans, fit for bickering politicians maybe, but not a young colt like you.”
“What do you know about what I’m like?” he asked with a scoff.
“Well, for one, the very first thing you talked about when swooping in was money. If it was truly ideology guiding you, you would do it for free. Next, you hesitated, even if only for a moment. A cold-blooded killer wouldn’t do that. Believe me, I would know.”
Once again the colt refused to speak, though a small sad sigh slipped from his mouth. The Princess did not seem to give it any heed and so they continued their walk until they reached an ornate door at the end of the hallway. It was locked with a great padlock which bore no keyhole. The Princess’s horn lit up and light enveloped the lock. A series of soft clicks could be heard from within and something let go inside. The mechanism slid open and the door opened itself with a quiet groan.
“Please, follow me.”
There was darkness inside, but then, as Celestia’s hornlight intensified, Wind quickly realized they were standing atop a small pile of gold coins.
“This is my treasury,” she spoke matter-of-factly.
“You… You have this much?” Wind felt his chest lighting on fire again. “You could help so many with this and you keep it all to yourself in this miserable castle! The lords spoke the truth after all, you really only take!”
The Princess brushed past him and idly picked up a coin with her magic. “You’ve given me no answer. I wish to aid you, if I’m able. So, please, tell me. What could drive a young colt as yourself to attempt murder?”
Her words washed through him like torrential waves. “It’s my…” He wavered. “Nothing else. I was being serious! I must stop you!” But he sounded unsure even to his own ears. Something warm and unpleasant played around his eyes, but he tried his hardest not to pay attention to it. Gritting his teeth, he continued. “You are a tyrant and a usurper! I don’t need your coins, I bet the blood of innocents sticks to each one of them!”
“Wind Sower.” Celestia suddenly dropped the coin and turned around. The previous serenity was completely gone from her face. As her overwhelming presence collapsed on him, he couldn’t help but take a step back. Her tone was quiet, but quickly rose in volume. “I am the master of the Sun and the leader of an army of thousands. My domain reaches as far as the eye can see and grows larger every day. My horn vanquishes the shadows and brings light to my subjects. In this land my word is law and my will shall be done. Do not take me for a fool.”
Her voice boomed like thunder and her wings flared, seemingly growing to reach from one wall to the other. Her whole body burned with a blinding glow, causing her features to melt into vague shapes. It was as if they stood on hot coals as the coins below them turned white from her radiance. The colt collapsed onto his flank and just stared at her wordlessly, unable to do as much as move a muscle. His nostrils caught the smell of something burning.
Silence took over the chamber, broken only by the colt’s small gasps and the Princess’s ragged breaths. Her eyes slowly focused and came to a halt on the small, terrified pony in front of her. She immediately snuffed out her glow, before lowering her wings and gaze. A ragged gasp escaped her lips. “Please, forgive me,” she whispered as she turned to the side. “After all this time, I’m still prone to losing myself.” She took a few steps, her hooves sending a few coins clattering over the floor, before facing the colt again from a more respectful distance. “I didn’t mean to terrify you. As my behavior may have made it clear already, I wish to bring no harm upon you. Nothing about that has changed. I merely don’t take well to seeing others hide their suffering and I can tell that you’re not being honest with me.”
“My sister,” Wind Sower replied, after staring at the floor for a few seconds. “We only have each other and I would do anything for her. We used to get by somehow, but just a little while ago she fell deathly ill. Her only chance to survive would be through a city healer, but they charge exorbitant prices and I have nothing. The lords promised me wealth if I did the job. I had no hope of getting so much with honest work. I could not say no.”
“Your sister…” Celestia echoed hollowly. She looked down at the pile and levitated a coin in front of them. “This will pay one of my uncountable servants, who make sure things run smoothly…” She dropped it back and picked up another. “This will be a widow’s, whose beloved fought and died in my name.” As she spoke she continued to pick up and drop smaller and greater piles of coins. “A village struck by a landslide… A farm ravaged by timberwolves… A hospital for a village that recently joined Equestia…”
She let the final coin fall back onto the pile, before looking back at Wind. Her voice was quiet and hoarse. “You see, ponies from the lands beyond often accuse me of hoarding. You’re very much not the first one to do so. But it’s not true. What would I even need all this gold for?” She let out a humorless chuckle and shook her head. Her pastel locks fluttered in the air, as if some otherworldly breeze, one that only she could feel, played with them. “Still, you see the problem. While I’d be more than happy to part with this treasure, if I allowed you to take anything from here, you’d merely shift the misery from your sister to somepony else in need. Would you be willing to do that?”
“I…” Wind Sower hesitated. The word “yes” hung on his tongue and yet he couldn’t bring himself to say it. A tear spattered onto the coins below, followed by another and then several more. “Princess,” he asked quietly between two sobs, “what am I supposed to do?”
“This is my yearly payment for managing the land.” Wind Sower looked up. Where he expected to see a great lump of gold, he saw only a tiny coin, far less glimmering than the rest. The Princess stared into the small piece of metal, as if she was scrutinizing her own reflection.
“Only this much?”
“Yes,” the Princess said, as she floated the coin into his hooves. “And I want it to be yours. Regardless of whatever insidious lies those lords told you about me, I am not without heart and I do wish to help you. While this won’t be enough in and of itself to save your sister, it should allow you to buy her as much comfort as possible until her time comes. It is all I’m able to do for her, as even someone in my office cannot vainly impose their will on those who belong to another crown.” The tiniest hints of slyness crept into her voice. “That is, of course, unless you’re truly willing to do anything for her.”
Wind stared at her through the veil of his tears. “Anything,” he echoed weakly.
“In that case I ask you to spend it on bringing her here as quickly and in as much comfort as possible. Become my subjects and then I shall do all in my power to save her. After all, it’s not like you have anything awaiting you back there, is it? Those lords? Even if you truly managed to kill me, they would never allow someone so powerful to walk freely and ruin their sleep. The next assassin would come after your head. Or, even if they intended to honor their words, the ensuing wars to claim my former lands would surely cause all available doctors to be ordered to help with the wounded.”
“But what could someone like me even give you in return?” Wind asked quietly, as he hanged his head low. He suddenly felt extremely small. “I don’t have anything.”
Suddenly he felt a wing drape over him. He slowly raised his eyes and saw the Princess looking back at him from above with a gentle smile on her face. “You have yourself and that is more than enough. I wish to unify all ponykind under a single banner and create a nation where the misery and death looming over your sister and the likes of her are not welcome. Where Harmony guides us, instead of envy or hunger for power. And for that I need ponies who follow me, willingly. Tell me, what is your cutie mark?”
Wind slowly got up and turned to the side. The image of a small storm cloud shone on the darkness of his coat.
“Ah. Do you perhaps enjoy wrangling clouds?”
“Yes,” came the sheepish answer. “Even as foals, my sister and I always competed to see which one of us could pop the most of them.” A sad smile played on his lips.
Celestia smirked a little. “I suppose that only makes sense. In that case I could use you as one of my weatherponies. With so much land there is always need for such skills and you’d never find yourself wanting again.” Her eyes slid over to his left wing, where the hilt of the dagger could faintly be seen. “It certainly also wouldn’t require you to kill anypony. Well, what do you say?”
The colt scraped at the coins with one of his hooves timidly.
“I… I think I just want to go home. Could you please lead me out?”
“Certainly.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, pal. You see, that carpet is a keepsake of someone really important,” a dark gray pegasus mare said, as she stepped out from the shadow in the corner of the tower. She held a dull wooden spear in her wing which she pointed towards the intruder. Her teal eyes shone with determination.
“Silence! I’ve come to take the Princess’s life.” The small, cream-colored mare flared her wings. “Just stay there or I will… hurt you too!”
The Princess, who until then sat in deep focus at her desk, gently laid down her pen before speaking up, “And tell me, my little pony, why would you do that on this beautiful, cloudless night?”
“Because of your reckless expansion!” she screamed, stomping her hoof on the floor with a tiny thud. “The king promised a lot of gold to anypony who could take your head!”
The Princess of the Sun and her guard exchanged a knowing look and a smile. Many moons passed since the vulnerability of the window was discovered and it would have been so simple to fix this shortcoming. Both were entirely aware of this fact.
But sometimes life simply presents those in need with the most unexpected of doors.
