Guiding Light

Guiding Light:

CHAPTER IV -

No Place Like Home

* * *

CLA-CLACK, CLA-CLACK, CLA-CLACK.

The endless thumping of the train riding the tracks and the nervous but excited chatter of anxious ponies seemed to stretch on for forever. Afternoon gave way to evening, and evening to night. For most of the trip, I sat in my seat, silently staring out the window at the lush greenery of the mainland disappear and thin as it was choked by rock and dust. The slow, curving hills became jagged mountains and mesas of stone. The ground was barren and devoid of life. It made me wonder how a town like Blackhoof could’ve sustained itself out there.

Soon, the setting sun brought the curtain of night over the landscape, and I could no longer gaze at the intriguing landscape. I brought my attention to the interior of the train’s cabin.

Ponies were crowded and cramped into the space. They stood wherever they were able to, and every car of the train was the same.

Even the design of the train was strange. Every window was closed and un-openable, and the cars were extended longer and wider than the normal train. Another odd thing that I noticed was that there were no attendants anywhere. I had seen only one the whole trip - at the very start. She had come around, checked the tickets, and then simply stepped off the train. Why would an attendant not stay on their train? It was another perplexing thing to think about, but that was now the norm in my mind of unanswerable questions.

With nothing else to do, I closed my eyes and leaned back as best I could. I couldn’t sleep because of the chatter that continuously flowed throughout the car, not to mention the cla-clack-ing noise that the Blackhoof train somehow manged to produce overpoweringly louder than any other train. I simply closed my eyes and thought of nothing.

After several hours more of half-sleep, I could not help but to open my eyes as the chatter increased significantly in volume. Everypony was straining to look out the windows of the car, and leaning over to mine, I could see why everypony was so anxious - lights. Bright lights.

These lights were resting atop huge black walls that encircled what I could only guess to be Blackhoof. At one point, I thought I saw a figure move on the wall, and I could assume that there were multiple guards stationed around the city - you could never know when something might attack in the Badlands.

And then I had the strangest feeling pass over me. It was a great weakness, and exhausting as well. I even felt the magic in my horn flicker.

I looked around. The volume had dropped. I saw knees buckle, and other ponies groan. Had they felt the same feeling as well? What had caused it?

I shook my head. I felt slightly nauseous and dizzy. What in the name of Celestia had happened? What had happened so that everypony on this train had felt the same odd feeling?

Just then, we transitioned from the warm darkness of night into the cold, black metal of the outer walls. We were inside a tunnel, occasionally dotted with some sort of glowing light. We were slowing down. At a crawling pace, the train finally emerged from the tunnel, into a huge, cavernous building, with parallel tracks running alongside each other, some with trains stopped on them. We were pulling into the station. Hundreds of ponies were lined up at the back of the building, five-by-five, being escorted into another section of the building. Soon, our own train pulled into its platform and the doors were opened. Almost immediately, an attendant and a guard stepped onboard.

The guards looked exactly how Pinkie Pie had described them: Buff, with black, spiky armor, complete with the sword in the sling.

The attendant started marshalling everypony off of the train, while the guard stood stoic at the train’s exit. Tired and drowsy, everypony readily complied, including myself. I made sure my saddlebags were secure, and stepped past the guard and the attendant, off onto the cold concrete of the station floor. I looked back. When the attendant and the guard were certain nopony else was on board, they stepped off.

I stood in line, sleepy and thrown off by that sudden wave of nausea. Time seemed to blur as I moved forward on the line. Drawing closer to the front of the station, I could now clearly see the large signs that hung over each platform.

• FILLYDELPHIA - TROTTINGHAM - CANTERLOT - PONYVILLE - HOOFINGTON -

And finally, the sign that hung over the platform I was just leaving,

• MANEHATTAN -

Six separate trains for six separate locations? It was definitely a strange system for a rail line, I’ll give it that, but it didn’t look like the station would accept any other kind of train, save the Blackhoof-specific variation. However, instead of dwelling on the strangeness of yet another discovery, my brain was too tired to debate amongst its opposing lobes.

* * *

How had it happened, the orange pony wondered. How could he have made his way back?

The orange pony gazed out over the sea of his fellow equines inside the trainstation, looking past everypony to gaze at a certain sea-green unicorn.

He used his magic to reach out to the sentience contained within his saddlebag.

Did you do this? Did you bring him back?

I have done nothing, the voice in his head replied. What has brought him here is but fate catching up with the Prophecy.

Spirit, you have mentioned this ‘Prophecy’ many times, but you have always failed to explain how exactly this subject is involved. I suppose you will remain stubborn as ever?

You should know I am not at liberty to share my knowledge. If I give, I will also receive. Only fate will determine the outcome of that pony.

Then I should go over there and give you to him, shouldn’t I?

No! What would that accomplish? Have him searched, only for them to find me in his bag, confiscate me and bring him to the Cursed? Think this through, Solace.

He likely still does not remember. Should I tell him?

Do not. The Prophecy does not call for it. Do no such thing.

What would you have me do, then, Spirit? You must be returned to him somehow...

Fate will handle that, you just need to deliver me to the right pony. A contact could have me handed over to a capable pony, willing to return me, even though the risk will be high.

I can manage that. Anything else?

One last thing. Tell him... to listen to my voice.

I will do this, Spirit.

The orange pony then got up from the bench he was sitting on and made his way across the room to the particular unicorn in question.

* * *

I stood and waited for... who-knows-how-long. Hours dragged into each other and time flowed in all directions.

I didn’t think much of the orange pony in my peripheral vision at the time, but it was when he walked up to me directly and whispered in my ear I payed attention to him.

“Listen... Listen to the voice of knowledge. It will be your light, and it will guide you.”

And with that said, he walked away, not glancing back. I did not want to call after him, as the station was only as quiet as a low mumble of conversation. Yelling would just draw the attention of the guards. Instead, my mind raced at a thousand miles per hour.

Who was he? What did he mean? Was it some sort of code? Did he know me?

This wasn’t the best time and place to be pondering yet another mystery. This could wait until I had passed immigration. He might meet me again after I had emerged into the city. My mind calmed down once again, and slurred thoughts, sights and sound together again in my drowsy stupor.

Hours seemed like minutes, and soon I found myself just before the checkpoint between sections of the station. A guard motioned for a few other ponies and I to step forward, before giving us a once-over and letting us pass through the bulkhead.

The next section was equally as massive. A crowd of multicoloured earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns gathered en masse and funnelled together to form a series of lines, all leading up to booths, with attendant ponies operating barriers at another checkpoint. Beyond the second checkpoint stood three massive gates. From my distance, I could just barely make out that pegasi were to go through one, earth ponies through another, and unicorns through the last.

Why the segregation? I asked myself. I had no answers. I’d just have to ask one of the attendants.

The waiting process must have taken hours just to get into a line, let alone move up towards the checkpoint. But, as I got more tired, my legs seemed to run on autopilot, and soon brought me close to the front of the line. The last few ponies ahead of me were let through, and It was my turn tp face the checkpoint attendant.

He turned to look at me with emotionless eyes as I stepped forward, in front of the barrier.

“Name, please,” he coldly asked.

“Steel Tempest.”

Not another word was said after that for a couple minutes, as the attendant clicked away at some machine, and the handed me a small, flat card, imprinted with my name and a number.

“Take this, and don’t lose it,” he said. “Please proceed to Gate Three and do what the guards tell you.

Without waiting for acknowledgment, the attendant raised the barrier, and I trundled through. I could now clearly see a huge “3” imprinted on the concrete floor in front of the unicorn gate.

Walking with the rest of the unicorns up to Gate 3, we passed the guards standing to either side, and made our way down a corridor to yet another line. At least this one was shorter.

A gate and barrier blocked access to a door, which was flanked by two guards. When a thrird guard would emerge from behind the door, and the next pony in line would accompany him behind it. The process repeated.

Soon, I was next in line. The guard motioned me to accompany him, and we walked through the door, it shutting behind us. We silently walked through a corridor, to another door. Behind it was a white room filled with medical equipment.

Inside this room was a pony wearing a lab coat, and, flanking another door exiting the room were two guards.

The guard beside me stepped back out of the room, shutting the door to the corridor behind him.

“Please step up onto the table,” said the pony in the lab coat, motioning to an examination table.

“What’s this about?” I asked.

“Just a simple medical exam that you are required to take before we admit you into the city.” The lab coat pony rummaged around in a box, removing a small, ring-like ornament.

“Please place this over your horn,” he instructed.

“What is it?”

“A simple device used to relax the body.”

I placed it over my horn. I didn’t feel relaxed. I was drained. Nearly all of my energy left me, and I was about to fall off the table, but the lab coat pony caught me and laid me down on the table.

“It’s still a work in progress.”

I glanced over to see him remove a syringe from a nearby cabinet. My eyes widened and I swallowed. What was that?

“No need to be worried, this is just a mandatory vaccine for admittance into Blackhoof. There are a few diseases we don’t want anypony catching.”

Barely able to move, I complied, and let him slide the syringe into my arm and deposit its contents into my bloodstream.

The lab coat pony smiled.

“Sleep tight.”

I had to wonder exactly what-

And then I was out like a light.

* * *

I was awoken suddenly by the cold, sharp sensation of a bucket of water being splashed over my face.

When I did not fully open my eyes and snap to attention right away, I was met with another bucket of water, accompanied by crack of pain as something hit me square in the back. That crack of pain turned out to be the worst possible pain I could have endured without passing out. I yelled, opening my eyes wide, only to see a dark red haze misted over them.

Fearing another strike from whatever was hitting me, I tried to lift myself up from my shaky legs, just barely able to do so. My entire body ached and I was drowsy, disoriented and in agonizing pain. I shook my head and tried to take a step forward, but immediately tripped, discovering that my four hooves were secured by shackles and chains.

As I struggled back up to a standing position, I heard somepony mutter something and was hit in the back again. Not wanting to cry out again, I shut my eyes and bit my lip, causing it to bleed. I pushed myself up once again and made no attempt to move.

I had to blink a few times to clear my vision, and after the haze had disappeared from my eyes, I could clearly see several Blackhoof guards around me, each holding up a metal baton.

I tried to speak, but one guard saw my mouth open and immediately raised his baton. I made no further attempt to communicate.

“Turn,” A rough, gravelly voice commanded from behind me. I did as told.

Staring back at me with hateful eyes was another unicorn Blackhoof guard, however, he was holding up a pickaxe with his magic, rather than a baton. He levitated the pickaxe in my direction.

“Take this,” He commanded.

I tried to grab the pickaxe with my magic, but was unable to call anything to my horn. Instead, I grabbed the pickaxe with my mouth.

“Follow me,” said the guard. One of the guards I had my back to shoved me to get moving. I shakily stumbled forward, trying not to warrant another beating by tripping.

Rotating the pickaxe slightly between my jaws, I could barely see my reflection in the metal. The ring that I had placed around my horn was still there. That must have been what was stopping the flow of magic.

With that determined, I paid attention to my surroundings. We were in some sort of dimly-lit cave, with a metallic clank-ing emanating from the direction we were walking towards. Rounding the bend, I could see a line of around twenty ponies, shackled to some sort of pole, all using pickaxes to chip away at the stone of the cave walls.

We stopped a few metres away from the group. Who I assumed to be the ‘leader’ of the Guard in this mine spoke to me once again.

“Do not attempt to remove the Inhibitor around your horn. We will know and we will put you down. Do not attempt to remove the restraints or try to escape, we will put you down as well.”

Put me down? First being segregated, followed by being stripped of my magical ability, then chained up, beaten to a pulp, and forced to dig a hole, and the guard was threatening to kill me? What was really going on in Blackhoof, and why? Murder was unheard of inside Equestria, let alone abuse and assault. How could this city be called ‘a nice place to live’? Who was in charge of this place? Why were ponies treated this way here? Why was I in a mine?

I was marched up to the line of ponies, my restraints clipped and locked to the pole.

“Start digging,” was the Head Guard’s final command before he and a few of the others walked away, leaving a couple of Guards to watch over the line of pickaxe-wielding ponies.

Unable to use my magic, I grasped the pickaxe between my hooves, and started to swing. The pick made contact with the stone, and a chunk of the wall was driven out and tumbled to the floor around my hooves. I kept swinging.

After a couple minutes, the pony next to me - A dark blue pegasus with a light blue mane and a metal brace clamped around his entire torso - held his pickaxe above his head, but turned to look back at the guards watching over us. I did the same. The guards were turned towards each other, in deep conversation. We both turned out heads back towards the stone wall.

Just barely audible above the sound of stone being struck by metal, the dark blue pegasus whispered in my direction.

“If you want to talk, we’ll have to be quiet. I’ve seen the guards take ponies away from here for talking too much. If you have questions, shoot. I’m Elusive, I’ve been here the longest.”

Keeping my voice low as well, dozens of questions to ask this pony arose in my mind.

“Tell me why I’m here, in this mine,” was my first question.

Elusive gave a small chortle of laughter before replying. “Because you chose to come here.”

I was a bit shocked and confused. “What do you mean? I came to Blackhoof to look for answers about myself, not to be barred from magic, beaten to a pulp, and forced to mine.”

“Exactly. That’s all Blackhoof is: a lie. Everypony gets the ‘great town to live in’ garbage from the posters and word of mouth, and they’re hooked. It’s all a lie. The moment you step on that train, your life is over. The first thing they do is to break off any form of communication or escape. Did you feel disoriented or nauseous when you were nearing the city on the train?”

“Yeah, I did. What was that about?”

“What you felt was your body passing though what we call the ‘Barrier.’ It’s a magical dome that doesn’t allow any other magic or organic tissue to pass through it. So, even if you managed to get that ring off your horn, there would be no way to send a message to the rest of Equestria. It’s actually one-way, so you were able to pass through on your way in, but passing through it to get to the outside means dying instantly in the process. That’s step one.”

I mulled that over for a bit, disliking what I heard. “Go on.”

“Step two involves segregating the three kinds of ponies. They put the rings on the unicorns, like you, as to stop them from using their magic. They put the bracers on pegasi, like me, so we can’t use our wings. And lastly, they put special restraints around the hooves of earth ponies, as to halve their strength and ability to move.

“Step three is the end of the line. They knock you out and drag you to these mines. There are plenty of them in Blackhoof, everypony who gets sent here works in one - fillies, colts, mares, stallions - all except for foals. They take the foals away and start growing them to be the future generation of guards. Speaking of which, the guards are just ordinary ponies like you and I, except for the fact that they’ve been magically brainwashed. They’re given a false reality to cling to, and there’s no turning them. They’re machines now.

“And now for some history. At first, Black -”

“Resident zero-five-nine! Resident eight-three-one! Get swinging or I drag you off to your death!

The sudden snap from the guard made us both turn and I realized he was talking to us. I immediately swung the pickaxe a few times.

After a few minutes, the guards went back to their conversation and Elusive spoke again.

“Just keep swinging. I’ll talk, you listen.”

I nodded, still swinging.

“So, you heard my number, 059. I was one of the first ponies here. At first, it was just a regular settlement. The villagers built their houses, grew their food and laughed and joked like anywhere else. The three ponies who founded the town - Iniquitous Lore, Candlelight and Daring Venture - planned the future of the town, and wished to prove that the Badlands could be a nice place to live after all. Then, one day, something changed. The three would spend hours long gone, like they had disappeared. Then, we’d find them randomly inside the town hall, hours later, silently discussing amongst themselves. Lore then started to draw blueprints of strange things. He had the villagers mine for minerals, and then had them smelt them and assemble strange machines and devices from the parts we had built. However, us as residents were still free to roam and live our lives.

“That’s how all this started. Lore must’ve found something, and based that strange technology off of whatever he had found. Then, the dictatorship started. Lore had ponies escorted to some secret location, with a bag thrown over their head so not even they knew where they were. I was one of those ponies. When the bag was removed, I found myself in a dark cave with strange glyphs lining the walls. He gave me a pickaxe, and told me to strike the wall. I did so, and he became frustrated when nothing happened. The thing that piqued my curiosity was that when he replaced the piece of the wall I had dug out using the pick, it melded back into the cave wall like it had never been touched. Just then, Candlelight rushed into the cave and told Lore to stop what he was doing, lest he endanger himself. He said something about being able to read the glyphs and something about a curse, but Lore merely laughed. He had me strike the wall again, but that time, something really did happen. Lore screamed in pain, and I saw his horn glowing unnaturally strongly for a normal unicorn. I could literally feel the vast amount of magic in that room. Obviously in pain, Lore got up, without the intense magic even faltering. Soon, I felt that familiar nauseous feeling. He escorted me back outside, and called a few strong stallions to the town hall. Later, they came back out with hate in their eyes and swords gripped tightly.

“He had all the residents rounded up and forced them to mine, to build and to labour nonstop at their tasks. Even though we have more than enough ore to last the town for centuries, we continue to dig these caves. I don’t know why. That is the only thing I do not know. Anyway, many tried to riot, but as more ponies arrived and more were captured, his army grew, and so did the town. Eventually, it would look like it does now. He also captured some of Equestria’s top scientists and engineers who had decided to live in Blackhoof, and forced them to work as well, albeit offering them well-being in exchange for increasing the production of technology. The construction of inhibitors began, and soon everypony was forced to wear one. These mining camps increased in number, and soon, the perfect system reigned over everypony who arrived in Blackhoof. But, even a perfect system is never perfect. There is a rebellion. Some ponies managed to escape the bondage of Iniquitous Lore, and they continue to fight today, liberating camps and rallying more ponies to their cause. But, despite their efforts, more and more ponies became ensnared in the trap.

“It was one day, in the early days of the dictatorship, when the rebellion was first formed, that Lore’s wife and child moved to Blackhoof. Do you remember Candlelight? Lore shunned him for opposing his reign, and Daring Venture took his place as his right hoof. Candlelight practically formed the rebellion himself, and proved to be an effective leader. That is, until the day he sacrificed himself. He and a bunch of other rebels raided Lore’s home, and attempted negotiations of a cease in oppressive action from Lore. Lore countered by taking his own wife hostage. Everything fell apart when the guard barged in on the raiding party and Lore killed his wife accidentally in the confusion. Sacrificing himself to hold off the guards, Candlelight made it possible for the other rebels to escape. And now, the guiding light of the resistance is dead. That is all that’s happened in Blackhoof. The rebellion continues to liberate camps from time to time, and plan their next moves. It’s been very quiet lately.”

Stunned and shocked at what I’d just been explained, I needed a few minutes to comprehend everything. Eventually, I wanted to ask one more thing.

“How do you know all this?”

“I was one of the rebels. Until I was captured, that is.”

Before anything further could be said, one of the guards whistled loudly, and we all stopped what we were doing and turned.

Another guard walked down the cave, and brought a cable with him. Our pickaxes were collected and we were chained to the cable. A guard then instructed the line to move forward along the cable as we headed up and out of the cave. Eventually, the mouth of the cave opened into a cold, metal building, with a table on one end, and bunk beds on the other. We were sat down at the table and watched carefully as we were fed slop. After the disgusting meal had been finished, we were moved across to the bunk beds, were chained to them, and lay down on them as the guards left the compound. The door locked with a metallic click, and we were alone. I was in the bunk next to Elusive; we both had the bottom bed.

I turned to him. “I’m Steel Tempest. Nice to meet you, Elusive.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Steel Tempest. It’s always a good thing when you can make friends in this place. By the way. you might want to keep it down; the guards are just outside the door.”

“They’ll stand there all night?”

“Like I said - they’re machines.”

“So there’s no chance of escape?”

“Believe me, nearly everypony here wants to escape, but every time it’s been tried, some poor colt just gets dragged off without life in their body. It’s terrible. Don’t even think about trying. I can’t bear to see somepony die just because I couldn’t convince them it was impossible.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of trying, then.”

“It’s best to wait for the rebels to come and liberate us, if they choose this particular camp, that is. There are dozens in Blackhoof.”

“You said you were with the rebels, right? Did you ever liberate any camps?”

“Oh, no. I stayed behind with them at their base of operations and helped plan the next steps. But that’s a different story altogether. Speaking of which, I’ve told you my story, so what’s yours?”

I chewed my own tale over a bit.

“Well,” I started, “I woke up in a bed in this house in Ponyville...”

Solace had to keep his voice level and calm himself.

“You’re still unable to translate the wall?” boomed Iniquitous Lore.

“No, sir. I’m afraid I can’t translate anything. I’ve tried multiple times and I can’t understand a single symbol. Perhaps you should recruit somepony more suited to the task? I am just the Master Engineer, after all, and not well versed in translations. Somepony like Lucid Scripture might be able to translate the Chamber’s walls.”

Lore grunted. “Very well. You are dismissed, Solace.”

The dark blue, black-maned leader of Blackhoof turned to leave, and Solace did the same.

He had never really liked the atmosphere of the Shadowcrown, the city’s centre and home of Iniquitous Lore. He was glad to be out of it. It was cold and dark, and he could occasionally hear the screams of somepony being horribly tortured in the dungeons below.

He was also glad this was the last time he’d need to be brought into the Chamber of Perception, as Lore called it. Even he, one of Lore’s most trusted consultants, was not allowed to know the location of the Chamber. The bag they placed over his head smelled of blood and the eerie presence of something otherworldly in the Chamber seemed to ward off all but the strongest of souls.

Stepping from the cold, black metal of the Shadowcrown, off onto the sod of the castle’s courtyard, he quickly made his way past the dozens of guards patrolling the area, and past the short walls, also lined with guards.

It was nearly midnight, and he had to act quickly if his plan were to be completed on time. Walking through the cobblestone streets, passing the few dark buildings of the city, right to his own home, he locked the door and made sure all the windows were closed.

Isolated from the watchful eye of Blackhoof, he started to form a telepathic note to an acquaintance of his in the rebel stronghold.

Rook,

I have a shard from the Chamber in my possession.

It is of utmost importance that you meet me at Arrowpoint Rock as soon as you can to pick it up.

Once you have it, I want you to give it to Agile Bolt, and tell her that she needs to prepare to liberate a single pony from a camp by herself. Tell her she needs to liberate a sea-green unicorn by the name of Steel Tempest and him only. I want you to arrange a contact at a location of your choosing to meet the two once they have escaped. I’ll tell you what to do next after all this has been accomplished.

Solace

He sent the message. With only a few hours until sunrise, he had to get to Arrowpoint to meet with Rook quickly. Making sure the shard was still in his saddlebag, he unlocked the door, and made sure he teleported himself as close to the rock as possible, not wanting to draw attention by leaving the city in the direction of the rebel stronghold on hoof.

Arriving at Arrowpoint Rock, he patiently waited for Rook to arrive and pondered the future.

Is this the end of Blackhoof? he thought.

Maybe. But this is only the beginning of the end.