Snowfall

Chapter 3

The light of dawn
Hints at the past
Shadows of memories
Revealed to the eye

Snowfall awoke in an unfamiliar bed, head throbbing. Glancing around revealed an austere room made of stone blocks, furnished with little more than the bed, a wash basin, and a small table. Aside from the pale glow of moonlight pouring in through the lone window, the room was dark. The temperature of the room was pleasant, despite the fact that the window held no glass. He went to the door and tried the handle. Locked. He then approached the window and looked out. The full moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the forest below. The window was too narrow for him to squeeze through, trapping him in the small room.

Snowfall returned to the door and knocked on it. “Hello? Is anypony out there?” There was no response, save for the sound of hoofsteps gradually getting father away. Snowfall began to pace in the small confines of the room, trying to figure out what had happened. Those ponies in the clearing apparently knew him. They had expected him to return, and he had. I should have just gone alone. I shouldn’t have brought Rainbow Dash into this. I’m such a foal!

It wasn’t until dawn that a clicking sound from the doorway brought him out of his thoughts. The door opened and a unicorn mare walked in. Her coat was a deep garnet, her long, flowing mane black and royal purple, her eyes a penetrating emerald. On her flank were the images of three pearls, arranged in a triangle.

“You are awake. Good,” she said, her voice smoky. “I am sorry about your treatment back there at the fountain, but it was necessary. I understand you call yourself Snowfall, now,” she smirked at that, as if the name amused her somehow.

Snowfall didn’t know what to make of this mare. He had never seen her during his month in Ponyville, yet she knew the name that should only have been known to those ponies. “Where am I? How do you know my name?” A blow to the side of his head left him seeing stars.

“I expect to be shown the respect I am due. You shall resume calling me ‘Mistress’” The mare’s voice remained calm as she spoke.

“Where’s Rainbow Dash?” Snowfall’s temper flared. This time the blow sent him sprawling on the ground.

“I do not like to repeat myself, foal. Now get up, and clean that blood off your face.” The mare’s voice still carried no hint of anger.

Snowfall staggered to his hooves and glaring daggers at the mare, anger still smouldering within him. He spat, bloody spit landing in front of the her.

“I see,” she said flatly. “Perhaps another day in here will cure you of this insubordination.” She turned around and walked out of the room, the door closing behind her, the lock clicking into place.

No no no! I’m useless in here. “Wait,” he cried out. After a few agonizing moments the lock again clicked and the door opened, the mare stepping in again, annoyance showing on her face.

“You have something else to say?”

“I-I’m sorry . . . ,” he paused. The mare cocked an eyebrow, waiting. “Mistress.” It pained Snowfall to say it, but if he did not placate this mare he would be stuck in this room, helpless, full of worry over the fate of Rainbow Dash.

“Very good,” the mare sounded pleased. “I dislike it when those under me disobey. You would do well to remember that. Now, clean that blood off your face.”

Snowfall did as he was told.

The mare’s smile didn’t touch her eyes. “You wish to see your precious Rainbow Dash, correct? Perhaps if you were to grovel I could grant such a request.” She placed a hoof on the ground in front of him. “Kiss it,” she commanded.

Snowfall lowered himself to the floor and kissed her hoof. “Please, Mistress. I would like to see Rainbow Dash. I want to know that she’s well.” He felt humiliated, but he had see Rainbow Dash. If I hadn’t brought her to the clearing, this wouldn’t have happened.

The mare laughed. “You are learning. Good. I suppose you may see her for a few minutes.” She turned around and walked out the door, joining a guard that had been stationed there. “Come.”

Snowfall got up. “Yes, Mistress.” His thoughts raced as he followed the mare down a narrow and twisting staircase. This mare was apparently the leader here. What does she want with Rainbow Dash? How did she know I would be in the clearing? How is this connected to my past?

The door at the bottom of the stairs opened to a walled courtyard. Snowfall turned around to look at the building he had just exited. It was a tall, moss-covered tower -- the one he had seen in the vision the first time he had visited the clearing! There were numerous ponies in the courtyard, sparring, running drills, eating their morning meals. The other side of the courtyard held a large stone keep two storeys in height. Large, deep-purple banners with a crescent moon on them hung down from the crenelations at the top, gently fluttering in the morning breeze. Snowfall glanced up at the sky.

The mare, as if sensing his thoughts, turned towards him and spoke. “I would not recommend trying to escape. There are a dozen unicorns on these walls, ready to shoot you down. Even if you were to get past them, you would have no idea where you were; you would freeze to death.”

She was right, of course. Snowfall sighed and kept silent. The mare eyed him for a few moments longer before giving a satisfied nod and resuming her course towards the keep on the other side of the courtyard. Snowfall followed, his head lowered.

The inside of the keep was expensively decorated. Elaborate rugs covered the floor, and many tapestries covered the walls, depicting triumphant looking ponies standing above other ponies that had looks of awe and worship on their faces. It was not until they had gone down a few hallways that Snowfall noticed that all the scenes depicted on the tapestries took place at night. The mare led Snowfall down a flight of stairs to a hallway where the only light came from sparsely placed torches. Wooden doors with small, barred windows lined either side of the hallway. Snowfall glanced in the windows are they walked past. The rooms were cells! All of the cells were empty save for the one at the which mare stopped. Snowfall peered into the small cell. Rainbow Dash lay on a tattered blanket, her hind legs chained to the wall. She was asleep, or perhaps still unconscious.

“Why is it that she is chained in a cell while I have a bed?” Snowfall asked, quickly adding a “Mistress” when the mare frowned.

“Because, my dear, she is not yet one of us,” the mare responded, her voice sweet.

“But I am?” Snowfall didn’t think he was going to like the answer, but he asked anyway.

“None can truly leave us, not once they’ve joined. You are still of use and shall be treated well; at least, until you give us a reason not to.” Despite the mare’s calm voice, the threat was clear: he could either freely roam the grounds, or be confined to a cell like Rainbow Dash.

“Yes, Mistress,” he said, glumly. He could not help Rainbow Dash while locked in a cell. He would have to formulate a plan to get her out, and then somehow find the way back to Ponyville.

Snowfall was given leave to wander the grounds as he saw fit. The only areas off limits to him were the basement of the keep where Rainbow Dash was held, as well as its second floor. As Snowfall wandered around, he tried to interact with the other ponies. However, they appeared to want nothing to do with him. Some spat at him, some called him a traitor, and many outright ignored him. He began to feel like he did a month ago in Ponyville. He was in a strange, new place, with no idea who he was or how he fit in. Only this time instead of being treated with love and kindness, the ponies treated him like dirt.

At dusk, Snowfall returned to his room in the tower. It was no longer guarded, and he would not be locked in at night. There was a piece of paper on the table that had not been there before, a hastily scrawled note written on it.

I was relieved to see you were still alive. Meet me behind the tower when the moon is high.

S.

Snowfall read the note again. Apparently not everypony here hated him. If this ‘S.’ was willing to talk to him, perhaps he could finally get some answers.

* * *

That night, Snowfall waited behind the tower. He was about to give up when he heard hoofsteps and a pale green pony with a deep red mane stepped out of the shadows.

“Good, you’re here,” she said, her voice soft. She hugged Snowfall, startling him. “I didn’t know what had happened to you. It’s been hard here, without you.” A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Snowfall took a step back. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

Her eyes met his, searching. “You don’t remember . . . ,” she said breathlessly. “My name is Spring Blossom. Oh Celestia, what did that horrible mare do to you?” Frustration was apparent in her voice.

“I was hoping you would know. I don’t remember anything beyond a month ago, not even my name. I had to come up with a new one: Snowfall.”

“You and I, we have both served here for quite some time. You were my commanding officer. About a month and a half ago I was sent on a mission with you and . . . ,” her eyes watered at the memories. “Consider yourself lucky that you don’t remember what happened that night. Upon our return, I spoke to you in private. I expressed my doubts about what we were doing, that I couldn’t do it any longer. I no longer cared about what punishments would come. Imagine my surprise when you told me you were having the same thoughts! For the next two weeks we kept each other’s secret. We tried to figure out some way we could leave this place. We . . .,” she blushed. “We grew close. You were my only comfort here, after that.”

Snowfall stared at the blushing filly. His eyes followed the contours of her body, the lean muscle just beneath her skin, the way her tousled mane spilled down her neck and over her shoulders. “Oh,” was all he could think to say, clearly the wrong thing by how her ears drooped.

“Somehow, she found out. She had you taken to the second floor of the keep. That was the last time I saw you until today.”

Snowfall wasn’t sure what to make of the pony’s story. He had been an officer here? If this filly spoke the truth, then she wanted to leave as much as he did. He sat down. “This is all a lot to take in. I do want to leave here, but . . . how do I know I can trust you, that this isn’t some twisted test of hers?”

“I-I suppose you don’t,” the filly looked hurt at the accusation. “I had hoped you would remember me.”

Snowfall sighed. “Well, you seem to be my only chance at getting out of here. I guess . . . I guess I don’t care if it is a trap.”

The filly breathed a sigh of relief at this. “Good to hear. I’ve been stockpiling supplies. There’s a secret tunnel that goes under the wall we can use. Nopony else knows about it. We can leave as early as tomorrow night.”

“I can’t leave. Not yet. I can’t leave Rainbow Dash here.”

“The tunnel entrance is in the keep, um, Snowfall. We may be able to get her out on the way. We--” The filly was interrupted by the sound of hoofsteps. “I’ll be in touch,” she whispered before hurrying into the shadows.

Snowfall made haste around the tower and back up to his room, hoping they had not been spotted. His thoughts raced. He had been presented with an opportunity to escape, but he was not sure he could trust this filly. If she spoke the truth then she was counting on him to help her escape, and he could come up with no other way to escape with Rainbow Dash other than trusting this pony. If she lied, and it was a trap set by that mare, then all hope of escape would vanish. Sleep was slow to come to Snowfall that night. When finally sleep did overtake him, he was tortured by dreams of failure; time and again he watched the filly and Rainbow Dash hurt or killed when he tried to help them.

* * *

“GET UP,” a gruff voice shouted.

Snowfall was rudely awakened as he was dumped from his bed by a burly looking guard.

“Mistress will see you now.” The tone of the guard’s voice brooked no argument. He led Snowfall out of the tower and towards the keep. The courtyard was bustling with activity in the gray pre-dawn. Ponies stopped what they were doing as he walked by, watching, glaring, their eyes even harder than the day before.

Once inside the keep, the guard took Snowfall down into the basement, to the cell that held Rainbow Dash. Mistress -- No! The mare. I will not think of her as Mistress -- was there, as well as Spring Blossom, her eyes downcast, her face bruised. Rainbow Dash was awake, her eyes wide with fear. Relief filled her eyes upon seeing Snowfall.

“Snowfall, you’re okay! Where are we? I can’t get a straight answer out of this mare.”

Snowfall’s mind roiled with emotions; relief at seeing Rainbow Dash awake, worry at how he was going to get back to Ponyville, fear at why he was called here. He moved towards Rainbow Dash to embrace her, but the guard’s hoof shot up, blocking his path.

“You will stand over there,” the garnet mare ordered, pointing to a corner.

“Yes, Mistress,” he murmured, moving to the corner.

“Mistress? Snowfall, what’s this all about? Why are you listening to her?” Anger flared in Rainbow Dash’s voice. Snowfall could see the hurt in her eyes; she must have felt he was abandoning her.

The mare’s hoof smashed Rainbow Dash across the face, stunning her. “Be silent! I shall deal with you momentarily.” She leveled a calm gaze at Snowfall. “Now then, Snowfall, have you been conspiring against me with this foal?” She pointed to Spring Blossom.

Fear flared in Snowfall’s chest, his face drained of blood. She couldn’t have found out already. She couldn’t have! “P-please, Mistress, it was my idea. Don’t bring her into this.” His voice quavered as he spoke.

The mare sighed. “I do not tolerate lies, Snowfall,” she said, her voice cold. “This one has already told me the truth. I am disappointed that you did not.”

Spring Blossom began sobbing in her corner. “I’m sorry, Snowfall. I’m so sorry, but I had to tell her. You don’t know what she is capable of. She threatened to . . . ,” she couldn’t finish, words turning into further sobs.

“Guard, take her to another cell. I shall finish with her later,” the mare ordered.

Spring Blossom’s sobs turned into wails as the guard roughly pulled her out of the room.

The mare turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash. “Now then, my dear, I suppose you are wondering why I had Snowfall bring you here, yes?”

The hurt in Rainbow Dash’s eyes grew as she darted her gaze between Snowfall and the mare. “Snowfall? You . . . ?”

“Yes,” the mare continued. “He brought you here, just as I ordered, and I must say, he did marvelously.”

Snowfall stepped forward. “Don’t listen to her, Rainbow Dash. She’s lying! I would never--” He was cut off as the mare turned toward him, her horn glowing.

“BE SILENT!” Her voiced boomed, and Snowfall’s voice vanished. Snowfall tried to move, but found his hooves frozen in place. The mare’s horn continued to glow as she turned back to Rainbow Dash. “My Lady has need of your skills, Rainbow Dash. You would be wise to serve her.”

“Your Lady? What are you talking about?”

The mare grinned. “You know her as Nightmare Moon.”

Rainbow Dash laughed at this. “I don’t know who you think you are, but we defeated Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony. She’s gone!”

The mare’s velvety laugh sent chills down Snowfall’s spine. “Celestia did not tell you? Oh, this is rich. Your precious Elements of Harmony did not defeat Nightmare Moon. What you merely accomplished was separating her spirit from that of Luna’s. My Lady need only find a suitable host so that she may rise again.”

“Why doesn’t she just use Luna again?”

“Ah, if only that were possible, but Luna is beyond even my Lady’s reach, now. There are other, more . . . vulnerable, ponies closer to hoof, though.”

“You don’t mean me, do you?!” Fear had crept into Rainbow Dash’s voice.

The mare paused for a moment, as if listening to a voice only she could hear. “Perhaps, but regardless, your skills will prove useful here. You could rise quite high in the ranks. Think about it; ponies would look up to you, respect you.” Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to respond, but was not given the chance. “Your dream has been to join the Wonderbolts, has it not? Why, then, have you not joined them yet? You have proved your skills to them time and again, but have they offered you a position on their team? Have they even given you a tryout? They have not! Why do you think that is?” The mare paused momentarily, giving Rainbow Dash a chance to think, before continuing. “I’ll tell you why: they are jealous of you, Rainbow Dash. If they were to let you join, you would outshine them all, and they do not want that. But here . . . here you would get the recognition you deserve, your talents would be appreciated. Think on it.”

A mixture of emotions showed on Rainbow Dash’s face; fear, anger, pain. Snowfall ached to tell her not to listen to the mare, that it was all lies, but his voice still did not work. Tears streamed down his face.

“Now as for you,” the mare said, turning her attention to him, “you can still be useful to me as well. My Lady has taught me a great many things. After your treachery a month ago, she taught me an ancient magic. Compulsion.” Pleasure filled her voice as she said the word. “The ability to completely bind anypony to your will. Can you imagine the power held in that spell? You were the first I used it on. The mind is a delicate thing, and even a small mistake with this spell can prove disastrous. Consider yourself lucky it only caused you to lose your memories, some of the ponies I experimented on lost their minds completely, or became imbeciles. Perhaps your amnesia was for the best; perhaps it better allowed you to befriend the ponies of Ponyville, to gain their trust, to bring Rainbow Dash to me. Worry not, though, for I have had practice since then. Your memories will remain, this time.” The mare’s horn began to glow brighter. “You are to return to Ponyville. You will tell them there was an accident in the forest and that Rainbow Dash is dead, her body unrecoverable. You will not tell them about this place. You are not to return here under any circumstance.”

Snowfall looked at Rainbow Dash as the mare spoke. Her head hung low, her ears drooped. She looked resigned to her fate. Rainbow Dash, I’ll come back for you, somehow. I promise! I’ll -- .

The compulsion took hold.