Chapters Chapter 1: Leaving Canterlot
"...Amber Haze…"
"Present!"
“…Icebloom…”
"Present!"
"...Rusty Rock…"
The guard, clad in shining golden armor, continued to read the names. Spread on a small pedestal in front of him was a long parchment. Each name read elicited a quick and firm 'present' from one of the ponies gathered before the guard. Ashen didn't expect anything else. All of his squad were lined up in a perfectly straight line, nopony was missing. On their first day, he was sure everypony would show up, even if they had to drag themselves in on a hospital bed.
"...Ashen Wing…"
"Present!" the gray pony quickly responded, noting with displeasure an ever-so-brief voice crack that betrayed some of his nervousness. Still, he didn't flinch one bit and continued to keep his eyes fixated on the stone wall right opposite him.
The list had a few more names on it, but soon, the last one was read, and the guard promptly rolled up the parchment. His eyes rose and slowly moved over the new guards before him. Ashen still didn't move his gaze, but out of the corner of his eye, he could feel every pony grow even stiffer under the guard's scrutinizing gaze.
The uncomfortable silence continued for what seemed like an eternity as the armor-clad guard paced back and forth in front of the group, inspecting each pony for a few seconds before moving on.
"At ease!"
Finally, the command came, and Ashen allowed himself to relax his muscles and shift his gaze to the guard. He seemed older, with wrinkles clearly showing through the opening in his helmet, but the earth pony radiated cool confidence born from the years in the service. Ashen couldn't help but wonder if this might be his new commander.
"As the first order of business today, let me congratulate you all on completing your training and getting this far. You can be rightfully proud of what you accomplished, as not many ponies manage to earn the privilege of serving in The Equestrian Guard," he let the words hang in the air for a moment. "Still... it is far from over for you; in truth, the training was nothing compared to the challenges you will face. Beginning today!"
He gestured to a second guard who had been standing behind the group so far, prompting him to come forward. Ashen quickly noted a large bag strapped to the newcomer's armor. It was filled almost to the brim with rolled-up parchments.
"You will leave here today knowing where you will be stationed for the next year. The kingdom needs guards in all of its corners and at any moment. This expectation thus also falls on all of you! That's why, for the first year, your assignments will be selected at random depending on where we see the most need for additional forces. Those of you whose assignment is not in Canterlot will have three days to report to your station. As for the rest, your commanders will be expecting you today. Any questions so far?"
There was a brief pause, but nopony spoke up. Ashen's mind was racing. He knew that new guards would often get stationed out of the city, but he didn't expect it would be up to chance to determine where he'd end up. His family, his friends... every pony he knew was in Canterlot. Still, he dared not to speak up. He could imagine that most of the others felt the same way.
"Good! Lieutenant, if you may."
The guard nodded and approached the first pony in line.
"Go ahead and pick one," Ashen heard him mutter encouragingly to a yellow mare at the beginning of the line. She reached in and, without much hesitation, pulled out a parchment with a prominent seal of the Equestrian Guard on it. Before the guard could even move away, she was already busy opening it – her eyes practically devouring its contents. One by one each pony picked their assignment. Some, it seemed, just reached in and grabbed whatever parchment happened to be on top. Others rummaged through the bag for a few seconds before pulling anything out.
By the time it was Ashen's turn, the bag was half-empty. While he tried to remain calm as he reached in with his mouth, he could hear his heart pounding all the way up in his throat. He didn't see much of a point in being picky if everything was up to chance, so with a gentle squeeze of his teeth, he just grabbed the first parchment that he came across and pulled it out.
The guard stepped away from him, and Ashen took a second to inspect his price after setting it on the floor. The seal depicted three ponies, earth, pegasus, and unicorn, standing at attention clad in full armor. Depicted above them were detailed icons representing the sun and the moon. The imprint in the wax was without a single blemish. He took a deep breath. With a gentle press of his hoof, the seal snapped in two, and the parchment unrolled before him.
His heart skipped a beat. Written at the very top of the page in a beautiful cursive script were three words:
Tartarus Prison Guard
After the initial surprise, he didn't know what to feel. He read the words again and again. For him, just like for most ponies, Tartarus was almost a mythical place. A prison carved in rock at the end of the world, where all the worst scum of Equestria was stashed away and kept under lock and key. But Tartarus existed, and if the little map imprinted on the parchment could be trusted, it was in the far northwest of Equestria. Not near by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly not at the end of the world.
Ashen quickly skimmed through the rest of what was written on the parchment. Unfortunately, besides the same three-day deadline that was already mentioned, there was pitifully little information about his upcoming responsibilities.
After everypony selected their assignments, the new guard ponies relatively quickly dispersed to their respective stations. Ashen managed to catch up with a few of his friends, and it seemed that most of them managed to get lucky with Canterlot assignments. Needless to say, they had little time to chat and quickly dispersed to their respective stations.
With nothing else to do today, Ashen Wing started his slow march home from the Canterlot barracks. As a pegasus, the trip back home could be as quick as a few minutes if he opted to fly, but he knew his family was waiting at home. No doubt ready to bombard him with questions. He chose to walk instead in order to steal a few more minutes just for himself.
The trip took him straight through the city square that was almost deserted this early in the morning. A few ponies were milling about, but they all seemed only to be doing the final cleanup after yesterday's celebration. Just a few hours ago, he was there, standing on a podium with the rest of his squad. The proud look on his father's face when he was reciting his oaths in front of Princess Twilight will forever be etched into his memory.
Ashen looked over his shoulder to make sure that the parchment he had stuffed under his wing was still there. He wondered why his father didn't tell him how the assignments were handed out. As an ex-member of the guard, he must've known.
After a while, his thoughts wandered toward more practical matters. He would have to pack and prepare for the journey. According to the map on the parchment, Tartarus was at the very edge of Equestrian territory. As a pegasus, he could fly there in something over a day if he really pushed himself. At a more reasonable pace, it'd take him at least two full days. At the latest tomorrow, he would have to get going.
'Not much time to prepare,' Ashen thought. He wondered how they could expect a unicorn or an earth pony to make it there that fast.
Ashen decided to take a small detour on his way home, which led him through some of the narrower streets of Canterlot. He would pause now and then to admire the snow-white buildings or peer into shop displays. It was enough to take his mind off of things. This early in the morning, the sun was still barely above the horizon and coated everything in a dreamy reddish haze. After tomorrow, it will probably be a long time before he again has a chance to walk these streets.
As time progressed, more and more ponies began filling the streets. The noise and rising hustle of the city were enough to break the magic, and Ashen decided he should not delay his return anymore. Soon, the narrow streets gave way to wide boulevards as he got closer to his family's house.
Although a mansion would be a more fitting description of the three-story, twelve-room building, he soon found himself standing in front of.
The main door swung open at a light touch of his hoof without any resistance, revealing a spacious vestibule with perfectly polished marble floors and an impressively wide staircase. Appearing as if out of nowhere, an older unicorn mare walked up to him with a kind smile on her wrinkled face.
"Master Ashen, at this point, we didn't expect to see you until the evening. Your father was sure you'd be at your post for the rest of the day."
Ashen returned the smile. The mare has been in their service for as long as he could remember, but no matter how many times he asked, she stubbornly refused to drop the 'master' when addressing him.
"No Glitter, not today. Seems I have a few more days before my duties start. By the way, do you know if we still have those old traveling saddlebags? You know, the soft ones? It seems I will need them." The mare's smile faltered a little.
"I think so; I will look for them. But- do I take it that you will not be stationed in Canterlot?"
"No, unfortunately not," he made a few steps toward the staircase but quickly stopped himself. "Do you know where my parents are?"
"Last I saw them, they were in your father's study room, master Ashen."
He thanked her and changed his course. The hall next to the staircase led him deeper into the mansion and past an assortment of large portraits of his ancestors that hung on the walls everywhere he looked. 'Old family, old house,' his mother would often say when walking past them, but she didn't have the heart to change the decor. She knew it meant a lot to his father.
Once he made it in front of the study's large wooden door, Ashen took one last breath before tapping on the door to announce his presence. He didn't wait for a reply from the inside, though, and just let himself in.
Inside, everything looked the same as always. Bookshelves lined up the walls with heavy tomes and piles of parchments everyone one looked. The thick carpet strongly contrasted with the marble outside, giving the room a somewhat warmer, aged feeling. As Glitter said, his parents were there, huddled together behind a massive mahogany desk with dozens of scrolls scattered over it.
"Ashen!"
His mother was the first to react and rose to her hoofs. She was a short pony, almost comically so compared to his father, but thanks to her bright green mane and fur, she never had to worry about not being noticed next to him. "How did it go, honey?"
"Well, I have my assignment," he stated with a small smile, moving his wing a bit up so she could see the parchment.
"Where are they sending you?" his father asked calmly.
His father was a large stallion. Almost half a head taller than Ashen but with the same gray mane and black-tipped wing feathers. Ponies always told him that, not counting the eyes, he gave after him. While his father's were icy blue, Ashen inherited his mother's jade eyes. Also, unlike his father, Ashen smiled at least every once in a while.
"Northwest," he replied, rolling open the parchment and carefully placing it at the top of the desk. "Far northwest…"
"Oh,…" was all his mother said after a moment of hesitation. Her smile disappeared.
His father took a few moments to inspect the scroll, but his expression did not change for a second as he did so. "You will do a good job, I am sure," he said finally and met his son's gaze. But it's a long flight there. You need to leave tomorrow, the earlier, the better. You can ask Glitter to prepare the saddlebags. I think we should still have…"
"I know, Dad. I already asked her," Ashen interrupted him. For an instant, the stallions just looked at each other without flinching. The moment didn't last long as soon Ashen's mother rather loudly cleared her throat and started showering him with questions. It would be almost an hour until he'd escape her clutches.
"Do you have everything?"
"Yes, mom."
"A toothbrush, manebrush, blankets, food? Do you have enough food?! Maybe Glitter could quickly…"
"Mom, you've already asked me a dozen times. I have everything. What I don't have, I will just do without, so don't worry."
His attempts at persuasion didn't seem enough to calm his mother, who was obsessively checking his saddlebags for what felt like a millionth time. She repeatedly tugged at each saddle strap to make sure they were secure and then repeated the process after a few seconds. Finally, he gently pushed her away and smiled at her. "It will be fine, Mom."
His father used his chance to step forward, and to Ashen's surprise, he also tugged at the saddlebag, albeit much more firmly than his mom did. He seemed satisfied.
"It is a long trip. Make sure you land every few hours, rest, and check your gear. Always stick above the line of clouds, and when you get there, listen to your commander's orders. For generations, our family has served Equestria with honor, and I know you won't be an exception."
"I won't, Dad." Ashen felt like he should say something more, but no words came to him.
Glitter used the opportunity to quickly add, "And don't forget to write home often, master Ashen."
"I won't Glitter. Although... I don't know if they have a post office in Tartarus," he added with a smile.
He was ready to leave. Before his mother got the inkling to do another saddlebag inspection, he wanted to be high up in the air. Ashen spread his wings and slowly moved them up and down a few times to make sure everything was right. One last goodbye. One last look at his family.
And he was off.
Even with the saddlebags' extra weight, he could catapult himself high up in the air with a single wing beat. Another one, and he was higher still, his family now only small specks on the ground. After a few more seconds of ascending, they were too small for him even to see. The feeling of cool air whizzing past his wings was as intoxicating as ever. He couldn't resist making a few circles above the city, taking it in one last time. The clean, sunlit streets, slender and elegant ivory-white towers of the castle, and a myriad of ponies that called the city their home. All perched at the side of a steep mountain range, resisting gravity as if out of spite.
His home.
He tore his eyes away from it all and started climbing further up and above the clouds. From there, he headed northwest. Soon, he left the city behind him. Not even an hour after that, it was completely out of sight. He flew above villages, forests, and fields, taking in as many details as he could. But no matter how long he flew, the scenery didn't seem to change much.
After a few hours, everything started blending together, and he hardly paid any attention to the countryside below him. He was not thinking about anything. He just flew, enjoying the speed and the rhythmic beating of his wings. As a pegasus, he had a natural gift for orientation, so even as his mind went blank, he was not worried about getting lost. The wind and his wings would take him where he wanted to be, just like they'd always done before.
Ashen completely lost track of time and was only reminded of its passage when the setting sun painted the clouds below him in scarlet red. He would need to land soon. All he needed was a nice cloud, and as soon as the sun came up again, he would continue the journey.
Many miles away, unbeknownst to Ashen, another pegasus was also about to end her day.
For Cozy Glow, all days seemed the same. Her cell was perpetually dim. During the day, a small rectangular opening high up in the wall let in a few rays of the sun. At night, the only source of light were the few enchanted torches that burned in the corridor behind her cell's door.
The sound of heavy, metal-clad hooves outside her cell was a clear sign that a dinner would be served. She sighed and put down the quill she was holding in her mouth, quickly inspecting the page she wrote while there was still enough light to read. She wasn't particularly proud of this one, but not all her creations could be gems.
She grabbed the piece of paper and carefully stored it under her mattress with the rest of her creations. Although 'mattress' was a bit too generous a word. How does one call a compressed bunch of hay sewn into a cloth? In any case, she slept on it, so she thought that she might as well call it a mattress.
The hoofsteps were closer now. Judging by his quick pace, the guard was in a hurry today. A little unusual. Her guard was hardly a speedy fellow. If anything, Cozy would describe the normal pace at which he did things as 'glacial'. Due to his quick pace, she didn't have to wait much longer until the guard was in her view.
"Golly, somepony is in a hurry today. Waddling forward like a lightning bolt covered in grease!" she taunted with venom in her voice and made her way towards the bars of her cell. It didn't matter much what she told him. Ever since their little incident a year or so back, he hardly ever spoke to her.
"Today is a special day though."
It took Cozy's mind a moment to catch up and realize that he actually replied. "Oh, so we are on speaking terms again?" she finally asked, albeit with a lot less spite in her tone.
The guard turned to her. He was an earth pony, and for the lack of a better word, he looked rough. This was largely due to a sizable bite-like chunk of his ear that was missing—a little souvenir courtesy of Cozy Glow.
The earth pony smiled after hearing her question: "Oh yes. But only for today because after today, we won't be seeing each other ever again." After saying that his smile widened even further.
"Let me guess, the princess of friendship finally decided to throw me to timberwolves? Or turn me into stone - again?!" Cozy asked jokingly, but a small part of her was a bit worried, especially about the latter option. But it's not like she did anything to deserve it – in the recent past, at least. It must be something else.
"Unfortunately, no. However, I finally get to leave this place. I was promoted, and with that comes a new post that is, for a change, not in the middle of nowhere!"
"Congratulations. I'd say you deserve it, but I don't want to sound disingenuous."
The pony shot her a nasty glare but otherwise didn't react. Cozy watched him pull out a small metal plate from his saddlebag and fill it with the slop that passed for food around this place. Her tonight's dinner, however, looked especially repulsive.
"Hmm, yesterday's vomit, sprinkled with a few of the chef's nose hair. My favorite," she spat out as the unappetizing portion was slipped into her cell.
"Anything for you, Cozy," the guard smiled, his voice practically overflowing with loathing. He turned to leave.
"Wait, does your leaving mean that I will get a new warden? Who?"
"I don't know. Didn't ask, don't care, and I certainly don't plan to stick around just to find out."
All of a sudden, Cozy Glow's mind was racing. It was like an engine that hadn't been run for years sprung into life at full speed. A new variable would enter the equation of her prison life, and when it happened, she had to be ready. The guard left, but she hardly paid any attention. For the first time in a long time, she wanted to be alone and think.
The last words she heard that night were: "Goodbye forever, Cozy Glow."
Still deep in thought, Cozy absentmindedly ate her dinner. While it didn't taste much better than it looked, it was still better than starving. After eating, she noticed the light of the torches slowly begin to fade. Her plan of action would have to wait. Once the torches faded, the cell would plunge into utter darkness, and she still had one more thing she wanted to do.
Cozy quickly untied the ribbon that held her hair in check. The moment it was off, her curly mane was unleashed and flew in every direction. Cozy shook her head to get it out of her eyes and ducked into a small room carved into the side of her cell. It was barely big enough for a pony to stand in, but Tartarus was no hotel, so it was hardly surprising that it lacked a proper bathroom. Instead, what she had was simply a shower head mounted directly in the stone and a half-rusted valve directly below it.
The mare gritted her teeth and nudged the valve with the tip of her hoof. It turned easily, albeit with a nasty screech. A second later, ice-cold water was splashing at her from the top. She had been in this place for so many years, and she never got used to this. It was her dream and hope that one day, hopefully soon, she would be able to draw a warm bathtub and, for the first time in forever, actually enjoy cleaning herself.
A few seconds was all she could endure before she shut the valve off. Careful not to step into the seemingly bottomless hole in the stone floor, her toilet, she grabbed a simple gray towel and dried herself as best she could. By the time she was done, her cell was almost completely dark.
Somewhat clean, she made her way over to the bed—the 'bed' that was actually just a slab of stone with her 'mattress' on top. As the light died, Cozy smiled a little. After quite some time, she was actually looking forward to a new day.
Cozy yawned and stretched, but she didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to just yet because she knew she would be welcomed by the same sight as every day. Also, somehow, today, her blanket seemed a little warmer. Or maybe it was the stone-hard bed under her that felt ever so slightly softer? She couldn't tell, but she was really comfy. The young mare shifted from one side to the other, skillfully bending her wing out of the way of the hard stone.
She also didn't get that much sleep last night thinking about her new guard.
'The new guard!'
The salmon-colored pony practically exploded out of her bed. She would get a new guard today. It was a bit scary to her how much she was looking forward to it. Finally, in a place where nothing had changed for at least a year, things were now in motion, if only a little.
'I hope it will be a stallion,' she thought to herself. She didn't know how much faith she could put in whatever mare charms she had left that Tartarus hadn't claimed, but her natural cuteness seemed to work better on stallions than on mares.
'Maybe it will even be a pegasus.'
That would be amazing. They would immediately have something in common that she could build on. Yes, pegasus stallion. That was her wish, and hooves crossed, it would be splendid if it happened. She also needed to decide how she would play it. Of course, she would have to get cleaned up as best she could before he got here, introduce herself, and, in general, be as friendly and innocent-looking as she could. After that…
Cozy spent the rest of the morning scheming and planning. Her cutie mark softly glowed the whole time. She barely remembered the last time she'd been this excited. It might, MIGHT just be her ticket out. That is if she played her cards right and was patient.
Her train of thought was interrupted when her belly growled. Soon the breakfast would be served. She had to get ready.
The mare quickly retrieved the ribbon she discarded yesterday before shower and started to carefully tame her mane. It was always a challenge as her curly locks were completely unruly and refused to be contained. Still, with enough effort she managed to get herself presentable. Since there was no mirror in her cell she had to hope that she was looking as cute as possible.
As if on cue, she heard the heavy metal door on the far side of the hallway spring open. Soon, it was followed by a distinct sound of hoofsteps. It wasn't the guard from yesterday that was certain. Whereas his hoofsteps were clumsy and irregular, these were slow, deliberate, and confident. But something was off.
Thud, thud, thud...
She sat down on the edge of her bed and quickly practiced a few smiles to decide which one she'd use. Still, there was this nagging feeling in the back of her head that something was not going according to the plan.
Thud, thud, thud…
The guard was now closer and Cozy realized that she had heard these hooves before. Her blood ran cold when she realized where. A few more seconds of tense waiting…. And then finally, she could see the guard in front of her. The fake smile froze on her face.
"Y-you? You are my new guard?" she let out, not even trying to hide the crushing despair.
The stallion in front of her was not a pegasus but another earth pony. His coat was a deep midnight blue with white patches covering his forelegs. The decorated helmet with blue feathers was a clear display of his rank. Ironhoof was his name, and he was the last pony Cozy Glow wanted to see here. In all the years she had been here, she'd only had the displeasure of talking to him a few times, but it was enough to know she wouldn't have a chance to get anywhere with him.
His face was unyielding, as were his steel-gray eyes, which showed nothing but absolute contempt whenever they were lain on her. Even now, he was observing here with the same look one would reserve for a spilled trashcan.
"Me," he said. With a few curt movements, he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a few pieces of fruits, followed by a small metal plate on which he unceremoniously placed them all. Next, he procured a large metallic cup and filled it to the brim with water from a beat-up-looking water bag. When he was done, he carefully slid all of it into Cozy Glow's cell through a narrow gap in the bars at the very bottom of her cell door.
All that time, Cozy was just looking at him, unable to speak. In a single moment, all her freshly hatched plans and hopes were crushed to dust.
When he was done, Ironhoof looked at her again. She didn't want to look at him. Instead, she lowered her eyes and fixated them on a small patch of the floor just under his hooves. She didn't want him to see the tears forming in her eyes.
"Cozy Glow. Look... at… me!" the command was curt, but Ironhoof kept his voice perfectly level as he pronounced each syllable.
Resistance was futile, on its own her head rose and she was looking into those silver puddles of hate, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Tell me what I told you last time we met."
"You told me I will be here forever… That I will never leave," Cozy said mechanically, each word a whisper.
"You would do well to remember that Cozy Glow. I will never let you leave this place," with that, he turned to leave while Cozy just stood there shaking and crying as his hoofsteps got more and more distant.
'Stop crying, stop crying, stop crying…'
It's been a very long time since she had last cried. She promised herself that she would never stoop so low again, that she wouldn't let this place get to her, but today, she made a mistake. She dared to hope—hope for a way out of this solitary hell—and when it was crushed, there was nothing left but despair. Now, she couldn't stop the stream of hot tears and sobs.
Ironhoof would return hours later with lunch only to find the breakfast he brought exactly as he left it and the young pegasus mare furiously scribbling behind her small desk.
Author's Note
I've got a few chapters of this story written already - I just need to edit them before posting.
Chapter 2: The New Arrival
Ashen struggled to keep his wings open. For what seemed like hours, he had been enduring one gust of wind after another, and with each one he managed to recover from, he felt a little more strength leave his body. He wished he had done what his father suggested now and taken more breaks, but until he got caught up in this blasted storm, everything was going without a hitch.
This far from everything though, close to the very edge of Equestria and without the influence of pegasi weather factories, the weather was completely unpredictable. What had been a calm sky a few moments ago quickly turned into a furious storm which now threatened to turn into a full-fledged hurricane. With Ashen right in the middle of it... Far worse was that the wind had pushed far below the clouds.
He tried once more, as he had been taught to climb to higher altitudes, towards the thinner air, and out of the rain, but the wind was too strong, and all he managed to do was exhaust himself further. Ashen Wing knew he had to do something, though. He was tired and soaked from the tips of his ears down to his hooves in ice-cold water. In this shape, he wouldn't last much longer.
'Can't go up, can't stay here… the only way to go is down!' Ashen thought to himself and gradually allowed himself to lose some altitude. The problem was that it was a one-way trip. If he couldn't find a place to land, he knew he would not be able to gather enough strength to climb back up. For a tired pegasus, low altitude, unpredictable winds, and sharp rocks everyone he looked - a recipe for disaster. As if to remind him of this, a particularly strong gust of wind blew him off course, jerking him headfirst down and then right back up again. It took all of his remaining strength to steady himself and regain control over his flight path.
He was lower now than he had been before. Dangerously low in fact, but there was not much he could do about it now. He squinted his eyes hard against the heavy raindrops and tried to find a slab of land large and flat enough that he could land on it safely. Just as he was about to take his chances with a small patch of uneven rocks, all hell broke loose.
To him, it felt like an insect hitting a brick wall made of pure wind. In an instant, he was tumbling through the air, not knowing which way was up or down. He tried to curl into a ball to soften the inevitable fall, but when that wasn't coming, he tried instead to keep his wings spread to at least stop the spinning. Then, as quickly as it all came, it stopped, and to his great surprise, he was once again smoothly sailing through the air.
Ashen looked down just in time to see the hole his flying body made in the gray clouds below, sealing itself up. He let out a tired laugh.
"Thermal," he mumbled under his breath, completely exhausted. It seemed he stumbled straight in the middle of a hot rising stream of air that was just strong enough to practically catapult him above the storm. His wings were still screaming with pain from all the abuse he'd put them through, but above the storm in the mostly calm air, he could at least keep them still enough to sail.
Then he saw it. Far in the distance, like a black upside-down ice cream cone, and towering above the continuous gray mass of the storm clouds was a mountain. And it was not just any mountain; one look was enough for him to recognize it as his journey's end. Mount Krakatoa, and somewhere at the foot of it, if he could get there, was an entrance to his new home, the Tartarus Prison.
Now, above the clouds, he could finally allow himself some rest. Carefully but without much grace, he got just above a nice-sized cloud and collapsed onto it. The moment he felt the moist cloud mass hug his body, he let his wings go limp, and he just… lay there. After a long while, when his heart was not pounding like mad anymore, he turned around on the cloud and stood up. A quick search through his soaked saddlebags procured a pear and a few small apples that he gulped down with the speed of a high-powered vacuum cleaner.
Ashen Wing could feel every single muscle in his wings, but after a few more minutes of rest and a couple of test flaps, he concluded he was fit to fly again.
"You calling me a chicken, Aurora?"
"No, not at all… All I am saying is that I know how much they pay you. So five bits is probably too much."
The earth pony snickered and playfully nudged his unicorn companion. "Five bits it is. But only if he shows up before sundown."
The two ponies were standing guard together at the main gate of Tartarus. Together, they stood guard if any unexpected (or in today's case) expected visitors decided to show up. The job itself was simple, so it wasn't often that the commander ordered two guards there, but today seemed to be an exception. Neither of them complained though; the company was always welcome in a dreadful place like this, and chatting made the time spent standing here pass faster.
"How do you know it is him , Oakstride? She could be a guardmare, you know…"
The earth pony snickered again. "Could be her, could be him… But I am not betting on that; that's too random."
"Too random?"
"Yeah, too random. It's like fifty, fifty chance. Whereas this," he gestured in the general direction of the raging storm. "Nopony would be coo-coo enough to go through that. Earth pony or unicorn wouldn't trudge through the rain, and a pegasus wouldn't get through the wind even if they wanted. No chance!"
"No chance?" Aurora teased, already smiling ear to ear.
"No. Chance." Oakstride said, but very quickly noticed the cocky smile. "By Celestia, don't tell me that…"
Oakstride followed Aurora's gaze and stopped mid-sentence. In the air right in front of them, framed by the raging storm, was a gray pegasus rapidly descending from the clouds straight towards them.
"That'd be five bits."
"We didn't shake on it," Oakstride muttered grumpily. "Plus, he still has to land."
That much was true. The duo watched with increasing worry as the approaching pegasus was violently blown off course time and time again by the raging storm. To his credit, he managed to maintain his approach for the most part and was still heading at them.
"He's going too fast," Oakstride noted dryly, his eyes glued on the approaching pegasus.
"Yeah…"
The pegasus was almost on top of them but still descending at a mad speed. At the last second, his wings shot open, and the pegasus began to slow down his fall.
"Still too fast, won't make it," Oakstride shouted, the worry now evident in his tone.
It was obvious to both of them the pony was using up the last of his strength fighting the wind, but it was just as clear that he was now losing the battle. Then, just as it looked the pegasus' crash was inevitable Aurora's horn lit up. In an instant, the pegasus was enveloped by an orange haze, and all his struggles stopped.
"Show off…"
"Shush it, I need to focus!" Aurora snapped at him as she strained to keep up the spell.
Slowly, Aurora levitated the pegasus below the rocky roof. When he was mere hooves away from her, she just held him there. Then, with a teasing smile, she gently nudged him with the tip of her hoof, making the poor, air-suspended pony slowly spin around in circles.
"Well, as far as flying goes, that is easy ten out of ten, but you still need to work on those landings buddy."
"Duly noted. Can you please set me down now?" Ashen pleaded, exhaustion obvious in his voice.
The pony guard let him float toward the floor and then canceled the spell. It took Ashen a few seconds to recover and shakily get back on his hooves. Without a warning, he shook himself off like a dog, sending water droplets flying in every direction. When he was done, in a very bird-like motion, he proceeded to do the same with his wings.
"Real nasty weather out there…," Ashen said dryly, furrowing his brow when his wings refused to tuck in. He tried one more time but with the same result. He gave up with an exasperated sigh and just let them droop past his sides.
"It's like that every other day. You'll get used to it," Oakstride said simply as he observed the newcomer. "I get it that you are our new reinforcement?"
"Yes. I am Ashen Wing. Seems like I will be spending the next year here with you guys."
"Glad to have you onboard. Respect for making it here in one piece. I am Aurora, and he is Oakstride."
"As she said, welcome, Ashen," the stallion nodded at the gray pegasus.
"Good, so we got the greetings part out of the way. I suppose you'd like to come in and get some rest."
"Yes, please."
Aurora smiled at him and motioned for him to follow her. Oakstride also started to move but was promptly stopped by a hoof Aurora placed on his chest. "Ah-ah-ah, I think there are still some three hours left until the next shift. Can't leave the entrance unguarded, sorry."
Before the stallion could protest, Aurora was already a few steps away, with Ashen quick to follow. Oakstride only murmured something under his nose and turned his attention back to the rainy scenery outside.
Ashen and Aurora walked side by side deeper into the hallways carved into Mount Krakatoa. The mare seemed cheerful enough despite their gloomy surroundings and would occasionally stop to point out various side passages to Ashen.
"That way to the canteen…"
"… and there is a small courtyard is there just around the corner..."
"Dormitories are over there…"
Ashen quickly lost track. He was already completely certain that he would get lost here quite a few times until he learned what was where. Without the mare's help, he had no doubts that he would already be perfectly lost. All the hallways looked the same to him. Crooked and dark, windows were rare to see, and when they were there, they were small and barely wide enough to let a bit of sunlight in. For the most part though, the only illumination sources were enchanted torches hanging on the walls.
As they walked gradually the halls and passages widened, and it wasn't long before a sizeable cavern-like space opened up before them. Ashen took a moment to examine the sight in front of him. The cavern was circular in shape and fairly tall, certainly tall enough that he could comfortably fly inside of it if he needed to. At least thirty small round hatches were set into walls on the ground level and many more above. Each hatch was the same size - roughly as large as a manhole cover. All in all, there were at least a hundred of them scattered all around.
"As you can see, filly crime is becoming a serious problem. We've had to expand the number of our filly holding cells by fifty percent recently," Aurora noted casually, earning herself a horrified look from Ashen. It was only for a split second that the mare managed to keep a straight face before erupting in a laugh.
"Relax, rookie! Geesh, you should see your face."
Ashen laughed awkwardly at Aurora's banter. "So... what are these for then?" he asked his companion, approaching one of the locked hatches. It appeared heavy and thick, its frame bolted into the black rock with massive steel rods. On closer inspection, he noticed a small peephole just at his eye level. The pegasus leaned it to take a closer look.
B ANG !
Aurora's steel-tipped hoof made a terrible noise as it landed on the thick metal, startling Ashen and making him jump back in shock. The unfaltering smile on the mare's muzzle quickly let him know that his reaction was exactly what the mare was hoping for.
"We call this the artifact room. Whenever ponies don't want to deal with something, they send it off here. Tartarus has been here for hundreds of years, and in that time, it has accumulated quite a collection of rare and dangerous magical trinkets."
"Isn't it a bit…"
"Coocoo to store Equestria's most dangerous artifacts so close to its most dangerous prisoners?"
"Well, yes."
The mare just laughed again and shrugged. "Like I said, it seems like when ponies don't like it around, it eventually ends up here. But the commander says that there are innumerable magical protections in these walls, and since nothing has even gone missing from here, I am guessing they work."
Ashen nodded and once more tried to sneak a peak at the other side of the door. However, in the dim light of magical torches, he could only make out a vague bag-like shape on the other end of the hatch.
"C'mon now, let's get going. I am sure the commander will want to see you."
The two ponies again plunged into the hallways of Tartarus, but it wasn't long until Aurora stopped in front of a massive wooden door. She gave Ashen a small encouraging nod before knocking on the hardwood.
"Come in," a muffled voice from the inside stated almost instantly, and Aurora pushed the door open. With Ashen right at her flank.
"Commander Ironhoof, I am pleased to report that our new arrival made it here in one piece and on time," Aurora chirped happily.
Ironhoof quickly turned his attention to the other pony in his office. The pegasus looked like was barely standing on his hooves, but under Ironhoof's gaze, it seemed he straightened himself as if unsure whether he should stand at attention or not. He was young, for sure a fresh addition to the guard, but right at first glance he reminded Ironhoof of somepony he once knew.
"Thank you, Aurora. Return to your duties, I will have a chat with our rookie."
A small salute and the unicorn mare were on her way out of the office, but not before winking at Ashen and mounting a silent 'No worries' . Ashen was already starting to like the friendly mare.
"Step up, rookie! Let me take a good look at you."
The command was strict but not harsh. Ashen quickly obliged and crossed the small office until he was right next to the commander's desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the various letters and spreadsheets scattered across the desk.
"Just some paperwork, rookie," Ironhoof exclaimed as if reading Ashen's mind. "Glad you showed up now, I have to say. Any more of that, and I'd be ready to jump off a cliff."
The two ponies shared a small laugh. "Glad I could be of service commander."
"Yeah, and I hope you'll continue to be. There's a lot of work around here and far too few ponies. But we are skipping a few steps here, so let me back up a little. I hope you have your letter of assignment with you."
"Of course, sir. One second!" Ashen quickly loosened the straps of his saddle bag and slid the wet mess of pockets on the ground. The moment it was off, the tension in his back was gone, replaced with pure bliss of relief. After carrying the blasted thing for so long, he forgot how heavy it was. After a bit of rummaging, Ashen pulled out the familiar scroll that got him here in the first place.
Ironhoof quickly examined the broken seal and the document's contents. Seemingly pleased, he tossed the soaked parchment on the table.
"No name in there. So they really started doing that random assignment thing?"
Ashen nodded: "Yes, sir."
"I suppose you were thrilled to learn you'll be stationed here?"
"Eh… well,…"
"No need to answer that one, don't worry. So what's your name?"
"Ashen Wing, sir!"
The stallion's eyes shot up in surprise as the sudden realization hit him. Hearing the name, he instantly knew who the pegasus reminded him of. Just to make sure though, the guard leaned over and quickly shot a glance at the cadet's flank. While the pegasus' coat was all sorts of shaggy, he had no trouble recognizing the two crossed feathers with a little pair of ram horns above them.
"Well, by Celestia… With that on you, I think there's hardly any need to ask, but you wouldn't happen to know a certain Nimbus Wing, would you?"
"That would be my father, sir."
Ironhoof let out a hearty laugh. "Well, what a small world. I know your day, you know. Or at least I used to know him. We were stationed together for three years at the border crossing with Saddle Arabia. Ah... great memories. Did he ever tell you about some of the things that happened to us there?"
Ashen nervously shook his head. "Afraid not, sir, I only know he was there for some time. I don't think he's ever mentioned you either…" The stallion's smile faltered a little, but then he just shrugged.
"Well, he was always a bit… eh, let's just drop it. Maybe I'll write him one of these days. But back to you, Ashen Wing. You must be famished; we can talk more on the way to the canteen." Not waiting for a reply, the stallion got up from his chair, and before Ashen could react, the earth pony effortlessly hoisted his wet saddle bags on his back. Ashen's protests were quickly rebuffed, so in the end he just surrendered and followed his new commander through the underground labyrinth.
"After we get you something to eat, I think that will be it for you today. Every morning at six sharp, we have a short meeting with the rest of the guards to align on assignments for the day. You already know Aurora at least, so I'll tell her to take you there. It will probably be some time before you can make your way around here on your own."
"Understood, sir. What will be my duties here?"
"Nothing too complicated, and unless something goes wrong, nothing too dangerous. We lost one guard today, so you'll likely take over his old duties, but I will figure it out until tomorrow." Ironhoof looked at Ashen and, noticing his worried look, promptly added with a playful look in his eyes: "And by lost a guard, I mean he was promoted and left for his new station. You know it's not all doom and gloom here, Ashen."
Ashen smiled a little. He was starting to believe that the commander was right. This station might not be so bad after all.
Ironhoof had a good feeling about his new subordinate. Not just because of his relation to his old friend. The ash-colored pegasus seemed like a decent pony; he had no doubts that the rest of the squad would accept him. He still needed to figure out what duties he would assign to him. Ironhoof didn't want to dump all his predecessor's responsibilities on him all at once. Especially since Bouncing Hooves also had some especially nasty ponies in his care… Might be too much for a rookie guard.
An iron key rattled in a worn lock.
'Lower security ward, maybe. Padhoof could show him around there. A guard service at the entry gate - easy and would allow him some rest. Canteen service…'
His key rattled in another locked door. This one Ironhoof had to kick a little after unlocking it to get it to open.
'All that is fine for the start, but it was pretty boring stuff. Maybe I should also throw in some duties in the courtyard. Bouncing Hooves also had solitary confinement to take care of, which was a pretty easy job. We rarely even have more than three or four prisoners at a time. The only catch was that one of those would be Cozy Glow.'
Ironhoof remembered far too well the souvenir she gave Bouncing Hooves. That filly was not to be trifled with.
'Mare, she is a mare now!' He reminded himself harshly. It wasn't often that he got to see her, and it was easy to forget quickly the time passed here.
The earth pony knew there was no reason to be worried about Cozy hurting Ashen – at least physically. There was hardly anything she could do to him from within the cage in that regard, but she knew how cunning the salmon-colored mare could be. Even after spending only a brief time with Ashen, he could already tell that the young stallion didn't inherit his father's cold-blooded rationality. He might just be kindhearted enough to fall for one of Cozy's lies.
Speaking of Cozy…
Ironhoof took a deep breath and opened the final door. In front of him opened a well-known row of cells, all empty just like they always were, except the very last one, of course. Slowly, he made his way toward the back of the room. Even though he was practically dragging his hooves, it didn't take him long to reach her cell.
She was there, of course, still sitting behind the desk and furiously scribbling something down.
'Just like I left her...'
It seemed that she hadn't moved at all. The only sign of change was that the large pile of papers that decorated the top of the desk and the floor next to it had grown even further. She didn't react to Ironhoof's presence in any way. With displeasure, Ironhoof noted that the lunch he brought last time he came was exactly as he had left it.
Without saying a word, he took the untouched meal and left her dinner meal in its place. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her now. Three skipped meals in a row wouldn't kill her, but if she kept it up, he would have to resort to more drastic means. What those could be, he wasn't sure though. The mere thought of forcing her to eat Ironhoof found repulsive, although he knew if he needed to it was an option.
Somehow Ironhoof thought dealing with her would be easier. After all those years, he thought he had managed to get over the past, but yesterday, when he saw Cozy again, his old grievances resurfaced, and his anger got the better of him. Something about that mare, just the way she looked at him, was always enough to make him angry. And now he condemned himself to having to see her every day. A self-imposed punishment that wasn't having a good effect on Cozy Glow either.
It was only when his room's door closed behind him that he allowed himself to let out a heavy sigh. He would have to figure out what to do eventually. But he didn't think he could do it today.
That night, his sleep was restless, and he awoke in the morning with faint memories of half-forgotten nightmares. Ironhoof's whole body protested as he climbed out of bed. He was an early bird, most of the time at least, but today, he wished for at least a few more minutes of sleep. The mechanical clock he kept at his nightstand was however as unrelenting as always. He was the one who was supposed to set an example and tired or not, he absolutely refused to be late.
In a few practiced movements, he donned his gray and blue armor and was pleased that the helmet at least partially masked his tired expression. His gut twisted when he realized that after the morning briefing, he would again have to go and see the salmon pegasus mare. A part of him hoped that he would not again find her in the same position as yesterday. The rational part of him strongly suspected that he would…
Author's Note
I have two more chapters of this thing that are mostly ready. I'll have to see when I get the time to edit them into a publishable shape.
Chapter 3: Visiting The Infirmary
"It's been a whole week, and she is still refusing to eat anything."
"So?"
"So?! You don't think that's a problem?!" Ironhoof growled at the old stallion. Although using the word 'old' in reference to the stallion didn't quite capture his age well. Ancient would be more fitting.
The two ponies were set behind a solid metal table in a brightly lit infirmary room. With Ironhoof being in his full set of armor, he made his companion look even more frail than the pony usually did. Solstice seemed like even his white coat was two sizes too big for him. His ears were permanently droopy, and the bags under his eyes gave the impression that the last time he slept well was when he was in kindergarten. Even the horn that adorned his forehead seemed more like a gnarled twig than anything else.
"From the medical point of view… I'd say it is."
Ironhoof waited a few seconds, expecting the stallion to continue his 'analysis', but Solstice seemed more interested in examining a thin crack forming on his left hoof. The silence was abruptly interrupted by three loud bangs Ironhoof's hoof made as it rapped against the tabletop. With an irritated look, Solstice raised his eyes and met the younger earth pony's gaze.
"Which brings us to the question, what are we going to do about it?"
"Just tell her to eat."
"It's not that simple."
"Yes, it is." If Ironhoof wanted the old stallion's attention he had it now. "In this case, it really is that simple."
"I… I don't want to do it. Not like that."
"You didn't seem to mind when Princess put that hex on her, but now, when it is useful, you get skittish to use it?" Ironhoof sensed what was coming. He saw the little fire in Solstice's eyes.
"I don't want to have this debate again," he firmly stated, hoping to end the debate before it escalates into yet another argument. Celestia knew it wouldn't be the first one… To his relief, the old medpony seemed to catch on to his mood and his expression again turned into bored disinterest. "There's got to be a way to get her to eat again. One that doesn't involve magic."
"Let's examine our options then, shall we? What have you tried so far?"
“…”
"Hmm, solid attempt, but I guess it didn't work. Maybe you could try talking to her?"
"Wouldn't make a difference. She hates me." That made Solstice snicker.
"I think it's you who hate her. Cozy probably doesn't like you too much, but I wouldn't call it hate."
"Then why did she stop eating when I…"
"Aaaah, now we are getting somewhere," Solstice smiled at Ironhoof with a narrow, crack-like grin Ironhoof couldn't stand. "I am sorry, you were saying?"
He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Why did she stop eating?"
"Well, now you are at least asking the right questions, friend! Why indeed?" The medpony got off his chair and slowly (very slowly) started pacing around the infirmary. "We need to think like she does."
"I am not in the mood for these psychological…"
"Imagine you are a filly stuck in a cage. The sun goes up, and the sun goes down. You are still stuck in the cage; you want to get out but can't… What do you do to pass the time?"
"I bite off my guard's ear?"
Solstice rolled his eyes slowly like he did everything. "You know her better than I do, Ironhoof. You need to help me here a little."
The commander remained stubbornly quiet.
"Then I suppose that's it for today. These visits are fun. You should come again sometime," he turned as if to leave but kept his eyes on Ironhoof, his grin never leaving his face.
The earth pony sighed. Hard.
"I am Cozy Glow. I am thinking of how I could escape Tartarus. There is only one pony that I see regularly. My guard."
"So you come up with a plan, or maybe multiple plans how to get him to help you," the old pony was stubbornly decided to play this game…
"Yes, but something goes wrong. I lose my temper, or things just don't go as expected. A fight breaks out…"
"...you casually bite off his ear…"
"...now I am stuck again. The guard won't talk to me again. Time goes on…"
"...a new chance! A replacement, a completely new pony with both ears intact."
"In my head, I am already practicing my best…"
"Oh, golly, mister! I am just a lonely, sad, misunderstood, vulnerable mare... Can you be my bestest best friend?"
"Something along those lines, I suppose. But then a problem…" Ironhoof went silent.
Solstice returned to his side of the table and retook his seat. "So what's the conclusion?"
"The conclusion is that she wants to force my hoof. She wants me to send somepony else in there instead. Somepony she could get to more easily."
"And will you?"
Ironhoof stood up. "Of course not. As you said, I know Cozy. She will keep this up for a bit longer, and then when it doesn't work, she'll just give up and try something else."
"Not the kind of conclusion I was hoping you'd come to. But she is your prisoner; do as you please."
"You think I should just give in?" he snapped at the unicorn, completely surprised. "Throw somepony at her to do with as she pleases?"
"To do with as she pleases? She is a pegasus mare in a cage! You don't seem to have much faith in your guards if you think they can't handle her," snapped Solstice right back and stood up to face the earth pony. "You want to hear my honest medical opinion?"
"Out with it."
"You two shouldn't spend any time anywhere near together! You only bring out the worst in each other."
"Duly noted!" Ironhoof turned to leave but was stopped by a surprisingly strong hoof that landed on his back.
"One more thing," as if a switch was flipped, the old medpony was once again the picture of tranquility. Any semblance of frustration and anger was replaced by the same look of bored indifference he wore when Ironhoof stepped in. "Leave the key to the solitary here."
"Why?" he asked, sizing up the old pony.
"Your worries about Cozy's health may have been quelled, but I want to take a look at her."
"She likes herself too much to let this game get too far."
Solstice pulled on Ironhoof harder.
"The key." Ironhoof noticed he had that look in his eye again. He knew that arguing would be pointless at this point. If it came to that, he knew Solstice would be willing to remind him that his commander rank was irrelevant when it came to medical topics. Without another word, he reached into his saddle bag.
The heavy key rattled against the metal as it landed on the table. Solstice released his hold of Ironhoof.
"Is it always this quiet? With this many criminals around, I expected it'd be a bit more… rowdy."
"Mhm..."
"Has there ever been a riot or something like that?"
"Mhhh…"
Ashen suppressed a frustrated sigh and gave up. He turned his eyes back on the small 'courtyard', as the guards called it. In reality, it was hardly anything more than a slightly more spacious cavern with a smooth-chiseled roof. Scattered around it were a handful of benches and low mushroom-like growths that glowed softly, giving the whole space a slightly eerie look. Ashen grew to like it, though. Its high ceiling was a welcome change compared to the rest of Tartarus. When it wasn't occupied, the courtyard was about the only place in Tartarus where he could stretch his wings and fly a little if he was careful. It was anyway his only option for now. Outside the walls of Tartarus, the storm that started when he came a week ago was still raging on with no end in sight.
'Nopony goes in, and nopony gets out,' he thought to himself.
Mount Krakatoa was a small island in the middle of a permanently wild sea. Its shores were long and shallow, filled with sharp rocks as far as the eye could see. Without wings, it would be almost impossible to make it to the deeper sea let alone to the land. Even with wings the bad weather severely limited travel by air.
"The time is almost up," his companion remarked dryly, snapping Ashen from his thoughts. It was possibly the fifth whole sentence he had heard the kirin say since he first met her a few days ago. Frost Haze was the only kirin in Tartrus as far as Ashen knew. She also happened to be the only kirin he's ever met. All the more disappointing it was to him that Frost seemed to communicate almost exclusively in 'mhhms', 'ohms', and variations thereof. At first, he thought she just didn't like him, but as he observed her more, he noticed she kept her distance even from the other guards.
Frost was right, though. When Ashen glanced at a small wall-mounted clock, he saw that the designated hours had almost elapsed. It was time to gather the prisoners. The gray pony quickly counted them all as they milled about the courtyard. Two ponies by a bench, a zebra with a scarred face just to his right. Further in the distance, half-obscured by a cluster of mushrooms, an especially nasty-looking earth pony about twice his size. Satisfied that all the prisoners were accounted for, Ashen allowed himself to relax a little.
Out of the corner of his eye, he studied the kirin. She couldn't be much older than him, yet her gaze seemed unnaturally hard for somepony her age. Nicely complimenting her unyielding blue eyes was her pristine white fur and fluffy gray mane that extended all around her head. Through the gaps in her armor, Ashen saw some of the hard scales that covered her back, which were the same color as her eyes.
"You go get that zebra and those two ponies; I'll take care of the earth pony," Frost's tone didn't leave any room for discussion, so Ashen just nodded and made his way over to 'his' prisoners. Next to him, Frost also moved in the direction of the earth pony.
As he approached the zebra, she didn't as much as look at him, stubbornly staring at a blank wall. "Time's up for today. You know the drill," Ashen simply stated and nodded at her to move.
Slowly, almost lazily, the zebra averted her gaze from the wall. Without looking at him and with no great hurry, she made her way towards the courtyard's gate.
"You two too guys. End of recess!" The ponies hardly paid him any attention as he approached them. Ashen found himself awkwardly standing next to them as they continued to chat, unfazed by his presence. Quite frankly, Ashen didn't know what to do. It's not like he had much experience dealing with prisoners… When he saw Oakstride do it, it seemed so easy. A few rough words and light kicks and the prisoners would just do what they were told. But Ashen knew he wasn't that sort of pony; if he were to try that, it would just come off as awkward.
He tried once more: "Time in the courtyard is only awarded for good behavior, if I write you up then the next…"
Ashen's attempt was interrupted by a commotion behind him. Turning his back on the ponies, he instantly spotted that things were also not going smoothly for Frost. The kirin's scale-covered hooves were firmly planted in the ground as she faced the much larger prisoner towering over her. What little Ashen could hear of the uninterrupted streak of curses quickly persuaded him to abandon the ponies for now and go back up his partner. As he got closer, more of the conversation reached his ears.
"…been eating that slop you feed us for three months, didn't as much as look at anypony, and I get a lousy hour in this dump for all that?!"
"And you'll get nothing more if you don't shut up and get in the line," Frost's tone was without a hint of fear as she stared down the prisoner. Ashen was a bit taken aback to hear some anger seeping into her voice. Strange, given how composed she usually seemed.
"And if I don't? You and misses are going to drag me back to the cell?"
In the blink of an eye, Frost turned to him, suddenly aware of his presence.
"Get back to your prisoners!" she snapped at Ashen with a hard look in her eyes.
"I-it just looked…"
Frost's eyes went back to the earth pony just in time to notice him trying to poke her in the chest with his hoof. Frost swatted it away as if it was an annoying fly. "Last warning, Frazzeled Knot. The line! Now!"
Ashen didn't move; for a moment, the two seemed to be locked in a silent conversation, both unflinching. To his surprise, for a split second, it seemed like the earth pony would back down, but as suddenly as that moment came, it was gone.
"BUCK HER! BUCK THE BLASTED KIRIN!" one of the ponies shouted from the other side of the courtyard.
Frazzled didn't need any more encouragement.
With the speed that nopony his size had any right to possess, he spun around and bucked with all of his might. Ashen could swear he could feel the rock below him shake a little as the stallion's hooves landed back on the ground after, fortunately, having missed Frost by a hair. Frost skillfully dodged another kick but, to her evident surprise, she was lifted above the air by a shimmering force field.
Ashen turned around in panic and saw that despite the magic dampener on his horn, one of the ponies was, with much apparent effort, able to conjure a spell just strong enough to immobilize Frost. It was as if time slowed to a crawl for Ashen. He was completely stunned and didn't know what to do. Even with the best effort, it would take him a few seconds to get to the pony. Should he try anyway, or should he…
SLAM!
Frazzled didn't wait around for him to decide. His third kick landed on Frost, and out of the corner of his eye Ashen saw that the kirin managed to roll aside at the very last second. Thanks to that one movement, the crushing blow only landed on her armor plates. The force was still enough, though, to send her flying.
Ashen heard her land somewhere behind him, but he didn't have a chance to check as he very quickly realized that now there was nopony between him and the anfry prisoner. Frazzled launched another kick, and this time, it was Ashen's turn to test his reflexes. With a single move, his wings launched him right above the earth pony and far away from his hooves. He pulled his wings closer, and as quickly as he took off, he landed right on top of the stallion. The impact that would have been enough to knock out any regular-sized pony barely made Frazzled Knot waver.
"Get off me!"
Frazzled bucked and jumped as he tried to shake Ashen off, but the pegasus managed to stay on top of him. It was only somewhere in the back of his mind that he took note of the terrible sound Frazzeled's hooves made as they landed on the ground after each kick. Getting under them would certainly not be something he could just walk away from.
Suddenly, Ashen noticed a brilliant flash. In the struggle, he didn't have time to investigate. A few seconds later, though, a furious shriek made both him and Frazzled awkwardly stop their fight.
"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!"
Ashen knew that kirin could transform into flaming forms when angered. But knowing something and seeing it with his own eyes were two completely different things. Save for the armor that was getting more and more red by the second Frost was unrecognizable. Her eyes were now puddles of white light, and her body was completely enveloped in flames. The fluff around her neck raged like an inferno, and even from a distance, Ashen felt the heat radiating off her body.
He didn't have time to take it in before he realized that there was a flaming fireball hurling toward both him and Frazzled. Acting on pure instinct, he threw himself to the side and, in the process, by pure chance, kicked Frazzled, sending him out of harm's way. The pegasus scrambled to get back up on his hooves. His eyes went back to his kirin colleague, but she seemed completely consumed by her fury. Her attention fixated on Frazzeled Knot, who looked like he was really starting to regret his choices.
Frost's horn lit up with magic, and without much effort, she lifted Frazzled into the air.
"I... TOLD... YOU… THAT... RECESS… WAS... OVER!"
With each word, she slammed Frazzeled against the ground with such force that Ashen could feel the ground shake. Her words were little more than snarls, and Ashen had to focus to even understand what she was saying. The heat she was radiating was so strong now that Ashen could barely stand looking at Frost. He was starting to get worried about how this whole thing would end.
"I am done, okay?! Sorry, I should have just listened." Frazzled begged once the magic enveloping him evaporated and he tried to scramble away from approaching Frost.
She threw another fireball, which the pony barely avoided. Ashen's nostrils were assaulted with the smell of burning mane. This was going way too far.
"Frost! Common, he's done!" Ashen shouted but just earned himself a snarl from the kirin. She was now almost within a touching distance of Frazzeled Knot. In his retreat, he managed to back himself against one of the larger mushroom growths. There was nowhere for him to go now. The heat must have been unbearable as he was desperately trying to shield his eyes with his hooves.
"Yeah, I am done! Happy? You made your point, kirin. Just let me be!"
If Frost heard him, she didn't show it; she just continued to walk forward. Ashen had no idea what to do. In a desperate attempt, he got as close to Frost as he could, shielding his eyes from the heat just like Frazzled.
"Frost, snap out of it! You're gonna hurt him!"
This time, his plea managed to draw her attention. She spun around, and for a split second, as their eyes met, Ashen wasn't sure if she would just turn her ire on him instead. There was a tense moment as the two guards just stared at each.
To Ashen's relief, the heat subsided. As the flames faded, Frost's form changed back to that of a white kirin. There was still anger in her blue eyes, but also something else that Ashen couldn't decipher. She didn't give him time to guess before breaking the eye contact and turning around.
"Take him to the others," she ordered, this time in her usual voice. The hint of poorly concealed anger made it crystal clear that she didn't want to discuss what had just happened. Without saying one more word, she just walked away from the two ponies and towards the other group. The zebra was already standing at the gate, and the two ponies scrambled to join her. The whole time, they intently started at their hooves and tried to make themselves as small as possible.
"That kirin freak is crazy! I thought for sure she would toast me like a marshmallow," Frazzled muttered under his nose as he slowly got up. Still, he made sure to keep his voice low enough that Frost couldn't hear him. Without as much as looking at Ashen he slowly started to walk towards the gate with a noticeable limp in his step.
It took them about half an hour to get the prisoners back to their cells. During that time, Frost stayed as far away from Ashen as she could and made a point of avoiding his gaze. When she spoke it was always curt – even by her standards. Where the large pony's hooves hit her, they left a decent-sized dent in Frost's armor, but to Ashen's relief, the kirin otherwise appeared unharmed.
The same couldn't be said for her armor. Everything that wasn't metal was charred black, and even the metal pieces were bent out of place after being exposed to so much heat.
With a sense of relief Ashen closed the cell door behind zebra. That was the last one. According to his schedule he was now supposed to have an hour long break. He felt like he'd need every second of it to recover from what just happened. To his surprise when he turned around he found Frost staring directly at him. Despite being taller than she was he felt small under her scrutinizing gaze.
"We have to talk."
Her tone left little doubt that it would be a conversation he wouldn't enjoy, but he nodded nonetheless. Without another word, Frost let him through a series of tunnels. Despite already being familiar with this section of Tartarus, Ashen still had no idea where she was leading him. They ended up in one of the side tunnels that didn't lead anywhere – far away from any prying eyes.
"I told you to watch those ponies, didn't I rookie?!" Frost's tone was harsh, and her expression left no room for doubt that she was still angry. A hint of flames danced on the tip of her fluffy mane, but it was so brief that Ashen wasn't sure he didn't just imagine it. To Ashen's relief, though, she at least appeared to be fine. "Only luck was that it was the armor that took the hit, not my skull, or else we wouldn't even be having this conversation!
Inadvertently, Ashen's ears went flat against the side of his helmet. He took another look at the deep mark in her armor. He knew Frost was right; his carelessness almost got her severely injured… or worse.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to, it just…"
"I – don't – care! You've been here a few days, and you think you know how it works here better than I do?"
Now, it was Ashen's turn to get angry. It's not like he wanted to do anything other than help her. Did she really not see that? He bit his tongue and tried again.
"I made a mistake, and I get it. I only wanted to help, though."
"If I ever need your help, I'll make sure to let you know!" she snapped back at him. Hearing that, Ashen's frustration got the better of him.
"Yeah, you roasted that earth pony pretty good on your own. Would have gone even better if I didn't step in!"
Ashen regretted that jab immediately. It wasn't fair of him, and it surely wouldn't do anything to get back in Frost's good graces. There was that hint of flames again, and this time, Ashen was sure he hadn't imagined it. Frost bared her teeth at him but didn't say anything back. They stayed like that for a moment, glaring at each other in silent frustration.
Ashen was the one to break it.
"We should go to the infirmary and have a medpony take a look at that," Ashen said, careful to keep his voice even, and nodded towards her injured side.
"I think you've helped me enough today. It's nothing you need to…" Whatever she was trying to say was interrupted by a pained gasp she let out as Ashen gently nudged her injured side with the tip of his hoof.
"You were saying?"
"I was saying it's none of your business!" Frost tried to push past him and leave, but Ashen stepped in her way. He tried once more.
"Please, let's just go get that checked, then we can get out of each other's manes. If it turns out it's nothing, then fine, but at least I'll be able to sleep a little easier tonight."
Frost didn't reply right away. It seemed that the past couple of exchanges exhausted her vocabulary for today. Still, Ashen took the exasperated sigh she eventually let out as an agreement. Without one more word, the two of them made their way to the small prison infirmary.
Just like every other room in Tartarus, the infirmary was also carved out of solid rock, but it was the only room, as far as Ashen knew at least, where somepony went through the trouble of painting the walls white. Even with the raging storm outside, three large, shabby-looking windows still let in a little bit of extra light.
"Pfff, must have been a real nasty one by the look of that bruise," the old med-pony remarked dryly as the last bent armor plate came off.
"Is she going to be fine?"
"Yeah, I think she will. If that were me, though, you'd be scraping what was left off the floor after a buck like that," Solstice stated with a hint of humor as the magical aura from his horn scanned over the injury. From the tone of his voice, it was impossible if he was just making a statement or trying to joke. As the medpony worked, Ashen was practically burning a hole into the back of his head.
Finally, the light died down, and the unicorn looked at Frost. "Eh, it's going to turn all colors of the rainbow before you feel fine, but nothing seems to be broken in there. I'll give you something to dull the pain Frost and let Ironhoof know to take it easy on you for a few days."
"That won't be necessary."
"As you wish," Solstice simply stated in a bored tone. "Then I will just write you up for medical leave. Two weeks should be enough I think." As he talked he was already pulling out a parchment and a quill from the bottom drawer of his desk. Frost quickly jumped over to him and shut the drawer.
"Yeah, I'll take it easy for a while."
"Glad to hear that."
Without another word of protest, Frost grabbed a small pouch filled with pills that Solstice had passed to her. Ashen tried to catch her gaze, but Frost stubbornly refused to look anywhere except the infirmary door. Without another word to him or Solstice, she left. Once the kirin was out of sight, Ashen let out a soft sigh. At the very least, it was good to know her injury wasn't too serious.
"Looking at that long face of yours, I assume you had something to do with that little incident." For a moment, Ashen completely forgot about the old medpony who was now intently staring at him.
The pegasus could only nod. "I made a mistake. Didn't do what I was told, and Frost got the bad end of that decision…"
Solstice nodded knowingly and gave Ashen a brief pat on the back.
"Muzzle up, rookie. Can't always just do what they tell you to do! Got a head on your neck for a reason - just need to fill it with some experience."
Ashen laughed a little. The kind look on the older pony's face made him feel a little better. "Thank you. I appreciate it doctor… ehm, well suppose I don't know you name."
"Doctor Solstice. But Solstice is just fine, kiddo. I am not too big on these formalities and titles."
"Ashen Wing. Pleased to meet you."
The two colts exchanged a quick hoofshake.
"You a city slicker, Ashen?"
"Born and raised in Canterlot."
The two ponies ended up in a conversation for a few more minutes. Solstice seemed to be quite interested in how Ashen made it to Tartarus. Ashen's insistence that it is just a routine assignment fell on deaf ears, and in the end, Solstice was only satisfied after Ashen painstakingly recounted all the events that led him from his Canterlot home to the gloomy prison.
"And that's it. Not more to it than that, I swear, doctor," Ashen finally said.
Solstice only nodded, another question already on his tongue. He stopped himself when he saw the pleading look in Ashen's eyes.
"Sorry, kiddo, interrogation over. In my defense, we don't get that many ponies in and out, so sometimes I get a bit carried away. I suppose you got some places to be. Feel free to run along; I also need to wrap up some things here."
"No harm done at all, doc. It's already almost finished for today. I'll just go and grab something to eat. We'll see each other around."
"Yeah, hope it won't be here, though," Solstice noted dryly, gesturing at the infirmary walls.
With a final goodbye, Ashen turned to leave and was almost out the door when something seemed to click in place in Solstice's head.
"Wait, Ashen. One more thing! Or rather one favor." Solstice pulled out an unassuming key from his desk's drawer. "This one is from the solitary ward. Have you been there already?"
"I know where it is, but can't say I've been there."
"I am not surprised… Usually, we only have one pony there. Cozy Glow – maybe you've heard about her? Your predecessor was responsible for the solitary. Since he left, Ironhoof and I have been taking turns looking after Cozy."
Ashen stared at him intently, trying to remember where he had heard that name before. Try as he might, the memory eluded him. In front of him, Solstice had put the key on his desk and nudged it towards him with the tip of his hoof.
"Should be my turn today to bring her dinner, but well… my joints aren't what they used to be. Going up and down the stairs. You know what I mean?"
"Sure. So you just want me to bring her the dinner?"
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble. I know you said your shift is over, but…"
Ashen grabbed the key and gave the doctor a warm smile. "Don't worry about it," suddenly, his smile faltered a little. "Just, you know... shouldn't I let the captain know?"
"Don't worry about it. You can bring the keys to his office when you are done. If he says anything just tell him that I sent you."
That seemed to have reassured Ashen. When the young pegasus left, a devilish smile spread across Solsitce's muzzle. He really, really regretted that he would not see Ironhoof's expression when Ashen Wing walked into his office. Still, he had a good feeling that tonight, Cozy would eat her dinner.
