The Legend of Luna

Note:  Hey guys.  I want to start by apologizing for this being so late.  I really wanted to have this out a couple of weeks ago, but the College Air Force dropped the No-Life bomb on me.  Aside from just finding time to write, I've also had major bouts of writer's block, which hasn't helped either.  I mean, you should've seen it.  Man, did this suck.  All my brain cells said I was daft for writing such a horrible chapter.  But I wrote it anyway.  It sucked.  So I wrote it again.  It sucked.  So I wrote it a third time.  It burned down, fell over, then sucked.  But the fourth one!  The fourth one sucked less!  Here's the PDF:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B\_XQvNhaw6jCMzVKWWZEYXpSQTZqWkExZUE3ejdBQQ/edit

And as a special treat for those of you who have waited so patiently, I'm including a draft of the first chapter of my next project:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B\_XQvNhaw6jCLXZfWFRwbXpTSVd6YWhOc2xSY1R0dw/edit

I really hope you guys enjoy these!  On that note, feedback, both positive and negative, is welcomed, encouraged, and sorely needed.  I really want you guys to like this stuff, since it takes a good deal of time to do, but I can only improve your experience by knowing your opinion.  I know you may not want to be "that guy" who says something critical, but really, you won't hurt my feelings :)

Next week (03/03) begins Spring Break for me, and I will try to get the next chapter up sometime before returning to school, but after that, there will be nothing until at least April, since the rest of March is fat-guy-at-the-buffet full.

Chapter 2:  The Legend Begins

A very nervous and downtrodden Flare stood before the princess.  His eyes were glued to the floor.  His mind was still racing from the events that had transpired that evening.

Solar Eclipse sat on her throne, awaiting a report from her captain.  Realizing he wasn’t about to speak on his own, she took the matter into her own hooves.

“Captain?”

Flare slowly looked up at the black alicorn, his mind continuing to replay the scene from earlier.

*

“Ion, Nova, go after the colt!”

Two of the six guards accompanying Flare took flight, heading towards the gate.  Flare then turned to his old friend.

“Dirk, put down the sword.  Just surrender peacefully and come with us.”

Dirk clenched the sword tighter in his teeth.  “You know what’ll happen if I do, Flare.  I’m better off where I stand.”

Flare sighed and hung his head.  ‘I had really hoped it wouldn’t come to this,’ he thought.  ‘I should’ve given them more time.’  With a heavy sigh, he finally gave the order he had been dreading.

“Then in the name of the Sovereign Crown of Equestria, Her Royal Majesty Princess Celestia, I hereby place you under arrest.  Guards…seize him.”

The four ponies who had stayed behind suddenly dashed towards Dirk.  Each of them was greeted with a dizzying blow from the broad side of Dirk’s weapon.  The four pegasi fell to the ground, dazed.  Before they could recover, Dirk delivered a skull-crushing stomp to each of their heads.  Their blood began to stain the streets.  He slowly turned to Flare, an almost solemn demeanor about him.

“I know there’s no way out for me, but I at least have the choice of executioner, and it sure as hay won’t be some common guardspony.”  He glanced down at the four corpses.  “I guess the poor bastards didn’t have a choice.  Geez, I hate killing.”

“Please stop, Dirk,” pleaded Flare.  “Just give yourself up.  I don’t want to have to kill you myself.”

Dirk gave his friend a kind smile, then closed his eyes.

“Funny – I wouldn’t choose anypony else.”

*

“Captain?”

The sudden intrusion of Eclipse’s voice shook Flare out of his memory.  He sighed, and delivered the news.

“Dirk is dead.”

“And the boy?”

“There are two members of my patrol out searching for him now.  The other four are dead.”

This caught Eclipse off guard.  “Dead?  How?”

“Dirk put up a fight.  He broadsided them with his sword, then crushed their skulls.  I don’t think he’d initially intended to kill them, but when he refused to surrender, I gave the order to arrest him, and he resisted.  Things got out of hoof.”

Seeing the pain in her captain’s eyes, Eclipse began to understand what happened.

“I’m guessing you administered the final blow?”

Flare nodded.

Eclipse paused.  Some small detail in Flare’s story caught her attention.

“You say he attacked your troops with a sword before killing them?”

Flare nodded again.

“Curious.”

“Ma’am?”

“Tell me, Captain, do blacksmiths usually carry weapons in public?”

Flare nearly gagged.  “I…uh, I…I…”

“Why were they out in the streets to begin with?  Most ponies are inside at this hour, yet here these two were, armed and walking about.  It’s as if they were expecting trouble from somepony.”  She gave Flare a look that made his blood run cold – calm, but icy.

“I was wondering, Captain?”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“They wouldn’t have been tipped off by somepony, would they?”

Flare began to sweat, his heart racing in his chest.  “I-I d-don’t underst-stand wh-what you m-m-mean, Your H-Highn-n-ness.”

That icy glare ignited into a fiery gaze that probably could have melted iron.  “Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean, Captain.  I was aware of your friendship with the smith, and I expected a bit of…hesitation…in carrying out my orders, so…”

“She had me follow you.”  A dark-blue unicorn emerged from behing the throne, his sleek white mane covering half his face, giving him an appearance that was every bit as sinister as he himself.

Flare snarled at the newcomer.  “I thought I smelled a rat!  Just what did you tell her, Canis?”

“Nothing yet,” replied the advisor.

Eclipse stood from her throne and began to walk towards Flare, whose anger was growing along with his fear.  “Captain Flare, did you break off from the patrol to warn the smith?”

Flare eyed Canis maliciously, then gritted his teeth and said, “yes.”

Eclipse, having never lost the burning gaze, spoke with a nearly-tangible venom in her voice.  “Captain Flare, I find you guilty of treason, and hereby strip you of rank and sentence you to death by hanging.  You shall be executed at dawn.  Scorch, Blaze, escort this traitor to the dungeon, then send word to Thanatos to ready the gallows.”

Two guardsponies stepped from their posts just within the double-doors and, after putting him in shackles, began to lead Flare to the dungeons.

As he was being lead away, Flare gave Eclispe a cold glance over his shoulder.

“Watch yourself.  That boy will be the end of you.”

The double-doors slammed shut, an eerie silence falling over the throne room in their wake.

With her former captain having been lead away, Eclipse did her best to shake off his threat and returned to her throne.  She then turned her attention towards her advisor.  With a slight nod she said, “you may be seated, Canis.  I do not wish for you to leave just yet.”

Canis bowed deeply and took a seat next to the throne, grinning sickeningly.

A few moments later, a pair of pegasi flew into the throne room and landed a few paces in front of the princess.

One of them stepped forward, bowed and said, “I regret to inform you, Your Majesty, that the colt has escaped.”

Eclipse became incensed.

“WHAT DO YOU FOALS MEAN HE ESCAPED???  YOUR ORDERS WERE TO EITHER CAPTURE HIM AND BRING HIM TO ME, OR TO KILL HIM!  IF HE IS STILL ALIVE, WHY ARE YOU HERE?!?”

The now-terrified pegasus who had the misfortune of delivering the bad news attempted to continue.

“Well, uh, you see, Your Majesty, we, uh, think he might be, uh h-h-hea-ead-ddding to-towards, uh, K-Kakar-iko.”

The princess held her breath in an effort to calm her fury and began to plan her next course of action.  ‘Obviously direct confrontation failed,’ she thought.  ‘Perhaps another option will present itself.’  She once again faced her advisor.

“Canis, I would like for you to depart for Kakariko immediately.  Find the colt and follow him.  Do not confront him directly just yet, however do whatever is in your power to hinder whatever he attempts to do.  Until we can confirm his identity and his intentions, we must assume he is a legitimate threat.”

Canis smirked, then bowed.  “Of course, Your Majesty.  I shall see to it that, should he have any intention of causing you grief, he has a most miserable existance.”

Eclipse grinned with wicked contentment as her advisor exited the throne room.  ‘What would I do without such a valuable puppet,’ she pondered.  The princess turned back to the two pegasi who were still cowering before her.

“Ion, Nova, you have done well.  While you may not have apprehended the colt, we at least have a clue as to where he was going.  However, we still know nothing of his intentions.  I therefore want castle security tripled until further notice.  On that note, Nova, you are now Captain of the Royal Guard, effective immediately.  Do not make the same mistake your predecessor made.  I will not tolerate disobedience.”

Nova saluted the princess and barked a rather strong, “thank you, Ma’am,” then turned with Ion and left the black alicorn alone.

The alicorn strode over to the window and gazed at the silhouette featured on the lunar surface.

‘Just what were you planning,’ she wondered.

Becoming lost in her thoughts and worries,  Eclipse retired to her chambers and entered an uneasy slumber.

*

Themis ran.  He ran and he never looked back.  Looking back would mean remembering, and remembering would destroy his resolve.  He had to keep going.  He was almost half way down the winding mountain trail to Kakariko, and he was exhausted.  He was so tired, in fact, that he didn’t notice the rather large stone in the middle of the path.  His right forehoof caught it, and he hit the ground hard.

Too exhausted to stand up, he instead glanced skyward.  The moon was full and bright, bathing the world in its beautiful, ethereal light which seemed to grant comfort to all who beheld it.  All except Themis.  The silhouette, which the young pegasus understood now to be that of his mother, haunted every recess of Themis’ mind.

‘What happened, Mother?  Why were you betrayed?  Why is Father dead?  Why are you on the moon?  And why am I here?’

These troublesome thoughts mingled with his growing weariness, and soon Themis slipped into unconsciousness.

*

When Themis awoke, he was greeted by a warm sensation enveloping his body.  Regaining his senses, he quickly discovered he was in a bed.  Sitting upright, he began to take in his surroundings.  The room was dark, illuminated only by moonlight entering through a dingy skylight in the middle of the slanted ceiling.  The room had an old dusty bookshelf filled with tomes and scrolls next to a desk with an ancient and yellowing quill in an equally ancient-looking inkwell.  Along the wall to his left, there was a pitiful wooden door that appeared as if it would fall off its hinges if somepony looked at it the wrong way.  There seemed to be a thin haze of smoke drifting through the room, giving it a mystical feel.

‘Where am I,’ thought Themis.  Lifting a hoof to his throbbing head reminded him of tripping.  He tripped because he was running.  He was running because…

He tossed the covers back and charged through the decrepit wooden door.  He stopped when he found himself in a circular, torch-lit room.  In the center of the room sat a fairly small, circular table, adorned with a purple cloth and a crystal orb in the center.  Drawn purple curtains kept out the natural moonlight, so the room was bathed in an ethereal orange glow.  The haze seemed to be somewhat thicker in this room.

Before Themis could take another step, an elderly fuchsia unicorn wearing a purple robe stumbled through a door opposite Themis which he had failed to notice due to the thick smoke, which seemed to be following the poor old pony.

“Sorry…about the…smoke,” he said, coughing up a lung.  “Burnt…the roast.”

Themis raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, but decided not to ask about the apparently failed cooking endeavor.  Instead, he inquired about the stallion himself.

“Who are you?”

“I, dear Themis, am called Teresias.  I believe I am the soothsayer you were seeking.”

Themis beamed.  “So I’m in Kakariko?  I made it?  But, how?  I mean, that rock, and my head…and how do you know my name?”

Teresias laughed.  “Relax, my boy.  I’m a soothsayer!  I know everything!  Well, eh, at least most of the time, hehe.  You see, its all really quite simple.  I was out enjoying my nightly stroll, when I decided to take the path up the mountain to Canterlot.  I don’t walk it nearly enough, and it has such lovely flowers in the springtime.  Well, it’s winter now, so there wasn’t much along the lines of flora, but still, such a breathtaking view of the night sky…I’m sorry, where was I?  Oh, right, I remember.  I was walking up the trail when what should I see but an odd pony-shaped bundle lying in the middle of the path.  I thought, ‘well, that’s certainly an unusual spot for a pony to take a nap, I’d better see if the poor chap is alright.’  And sure enough, you were NOT alright.  I lifted you up and carried you back to my hut in Kakariko, then I sat and gazed into my magic Orb of Divination – a crystal ball, in laypony’s terms – to ask why you had come to me (everything happens for a reason, you know), and it told me everything; who you were, where you come from, and most importantly, why you’re here!  So, Themis, are you prepared to learn what fate has in store for you?”

Themis nodded hesitantly before asking, “are you certain you’re a soothsayer?  I mean, no offense, but you seem a bit…scatterbrained.”

Again, Teresias chuckled.  “Why, of course I’m a soothsayer, lad!  I’ll admit, my senility sometimes overshadows my brilliant ability – sight beyond sight!  I can see all things past, present, and future!  It’s my special talent, see?”  He moves his robe aside to reveal his cutie mark, a purple magnifying lens with a rather strange-looking eye in its center.  “Yes sir, I come from a special bloodline.  Once every half-millenium or so, a member of my family is born with remarkable magical power, going back to my ancestor, Starswirl the Bearded, and Marelin before him, going all the way back to Vaati, the first mage employed by the Court of the Royal Sisters at Canterlot!  Yes, and in five hundred years there will be another, then in a thousand, and so on until the fates decide to revoke my family’s gift!  Oh, wait, that’s not why you’re here, is it?  Of course not!  Now, let’s see…ah yes!  Your role in the great and timeless story that is Equestrian history!”

Teresias made his way to the round table, taking a seat in the chair closest to him, and motioned for Themis to take the other.  As Themis sat, Teresias began gazing into his crystal ball.

“Themis, I need you to place a forehoof upon the Orb of Divination.  Only then will I be able to accurately see your destiny.”

Themis layed his right forehoof delicately against the orb, and as he did so it began to radiate a soft white light.  A milky white mist swirled within the ball.  It was indiscernable to the pegasus, but Teresias was watching it with rapt attention.  After several minutes, the light faded, the crystal cleared, and Teresias turned his gaze to Themis.

“Themis, you do indeed have a very important role to play in Equestrian history.  I cannot reveal everything to you now, but in order to fully grasp the situation at hoof, I must begin with the story of the creation of the world.”

*

Many millenia ago, before the Royal Sisters came to power, before King Discord’s reign of chaos, even before life itself, our world was a dark world of chaos and dissonance.  Molten lava covered much of its surface, heat-generated electrical storms dominated the skies, and even the air itself was a horrid blend of toxic gases.

One day, three Spirits descended from the heavens.  They looked upon this hellish planet, and decided to give it life.

The first Spirit, Whinny, was the embodiment of raw power.  She cast a powerful crimson aura across the world.  This aura caused the lava to cool and harden, its flow ceased.  She then shaped the new land masses to her liking, creating the mountains and plains upon which we walk today.

The second Spirit, Marore, was the essence of courage.  She braved the toxic air, her emerald aura cleansing the atmosphere and creating a stable, breathable balance of gases.  The storms had calmed, and the world was now peaceful.

The third Spirit, Neighru, looked upon the reformed world created by her sister Spirits and, being the embodiment of eternal wisdom, saw its potential for sustaining life.  Thus, with a mighty wave of cerulean energy, she gave water to the seas and skies, plants and animals to the land, and lastly ponies, one race in each of their images, to admire and care for the new world.  The Spirits looked upon the utopia and were pleased.

Soon, the time came for the Spirits to depart.  Their work was done, and they were fated to return to the cosmos.  Before departing, they choose to create one final race of ponies to keep watch over all of their precious creations.  By combining the powerful Earth ponies, the courageous Pegasi, and the wise Unicorns, the Spirits created two small fillies of an entirely new species – alicorns.  These alicorns were placed in a castle in a magically-guarded realm where they could safely grow until they were old enough to rule with authority and compassion.

With their tasks complete, the Spirits ascended to the heavens, forever leaving our world.  In memory of our creators, the first ponies erected three temples in the locations where each Spirit returned to the cosmos, vowing to never forget the love they showed and the virtues they embodied.

*

“Of course, that was many, many eons ago.  Other intelligent species have emerged, villages, towns, and cities have been built, but we still have not forgotten.  Each race still retains the essence of its Spirit, and Equestria is still watched over by the Immortal Sisters.  Well, it was at least…”

“That’s a nice story, sir,” Themis said, “but what does it have to do with me?”

Teresias waved a hoof before grumbling, “keep your horseshoes on, I’m getting to it!  Grandma’s gravy you youngsters are impatient these days.  Where you fit in with all of this, lad, is simple, but does require a little more information.  You see, when the Spirits rid the world of its chaos, they overlooked two things – the sun and the moon.  They were still wild and free, and very chaotic.  This chaos desired to retake the world over which it resided for so many timeless ages before the Spirits, and it was from this chaos that Discord was born.  Discord, while made from the essence of pure chaos, lacked the power to completely revert the world back to its previous state since so little chaos remained.  He did, however, cause quite a commotion for a millenium or two.

“Finally, the alicorn sisters, Celestia and Luna, were old enough and powerful enough to stand up to Discord.  They stormed his castle and the battle of the ages ensued.  It seemed as if Discord would be victorious for a while, but finally the alicorns drew all of their strength and combined it with the magical energies of all life forms.  The elder sister, Celestia, then channeled the harmonies of the magic into a physical form – the legendary elements of harmony – and together with her sister used the magical artifacts to launch one final attack against Discord, turning him to stone.  The alicorn sisters then took power, rebuilt Discord’s capital city, renamed it Canterlot, and as a last preventative measure to ensure peace eternal, took control of the sun and moon, thus ridding the world of all chaos (well, the chaos that wasn’t encased in stone, at any rate).

“Everypony lived happily ever after, but not really.    Nothing is ever that simple.  Before Discord was defeated, he used the last of his power to put a curse on Celestia, the elder sister.  In her heart, he planted a seed of chaos.  Nothing big, or flashy, or even noticable, but sinister nonetheless.  It took a few thousand years, but eventually that seed of chaos grew into a full-blown maelstrom, and sadly our princess fell victim to it.  She was transformed into an evil sorceress of chaos and cruelty.  That seed’s name is Solar Eclipse, and it is the last of the uncontrolled chaos in this world.  You already know the events of the takeover, so now I can explain your part in all of this.”

Themis smirked, “let me guess?  I have to find those ‘Elements of Harmony’ and use them to defeat Cele- um, Solar Eclipse?”

Teresias pounded a hoof on the table. “No, consarn it!  If you’d give me a moment, I’ll get to it!  Seriously, what is it with ponies having no patience these days?  It’s a virtue, you know!  Now, normally the Elements can dispell chaos, no problem.  However, they were created and wielded by Celestia, meaning they bear her essence.  While Eclipse may not really be Celestia, she still has Celestia’s body, and therefore her magical essence.  The Elements of Harmony cannot be used against their bearers or their creator, so therefore they are completely useless to you.  There is, however, another option.  My ancestor Vaati also had the gift of Divination, and claimed that one night the Spirits came to him with a vision.  The next morning, he requested a private audience with Princess Luna.  He informed her of his vision, which foretold a reign of chaos which the Elements alone could not stop.  He then instructed her to forge a sword from the very essence of her night; from her very soul.  He then told her to engrave runes into the blade, each a crescent moon.  He told her to then take the blades to each of the Spirit Temples and have the blades blessed by the sacred guardians within.  This would embue the blade with the virtues of the Spirits: power, wisdom, and courage.  Lastly, he told her to enchant the blade with an encantation in case the sword should ever need to be guarded.  His final instruction was to keep the sword a secret and to bestow it upon the one in whom she saw the Divine Virtues.

“The secret of the sword was well guarded by Luna and my family.  Celestia learned of the sword, but never discovered its true nature nor its purpose.  In time, Luna gave the sword to your father.  She felt it was he who should wield it.  However, we see now that it was you.

“Now to tie all of this information up with a pretty little bow.  Before your father died, he activated the safeguard encantation.  This split the blade into its three essences and hid them deep within the temples, the locations of which have long been forgotten except by those who already know where they are.  Your job is to find the three parts and bring them to me.  I will combine them, and then you shall use the completed blade to defeat Solar Eclipse and return Equestria to its rightful rulers.  Do you understand?”

Themis nodded, a newfound determination welling up inside him.

“Excellent.  Before you go, make sure you collect your sword and cloak from the bedroom.  Oh, and take this with you.”

Teresias reached into a pocket on his robe and removed a golden hoofband with a mysterious green stone in the center.

“This is an invention of mine.  With it, I can see and talk to you through my crystal ball.  I call it a Gossip Stone.  I will guide you to the temples using the Gossip Stone, but be warned – the temples are filled with an ancient and forgotten magic.  Spells and magical items tend to have different effects when inside the temple walls, so you will be on your own when you get inside.  It won’t be easy, but the fates have decided that you’re the pony for the job.  Good luck, Themis.”

With that, Themis returned to the bedroom, donned his green spellweave cloak and equipped his sword, then headed for the door to Teresias’ hut.  The elderly unicorn approached him.

“Head to the east.  There you will find a great plain.  The first temple, the one dedicated to Whinny, lies in the realm of the goats, in the mountains on the other side of that plain.  Keep courage in your heart and falter not.  The fate of the world rests in your hooves.”

Themis gave one final nod, thanked Teresias for his guidance, and departed.  He had a long road ahead of him, but he felt ready for any challenge he would face.

*

A suspiciously blue raven sat in a tree outside of a decrepit old hut in the small village of Kakariko.  Were it not the middle of the night, it might have drawn more attention, but at the moment it went unnoticed as it stared silently at the door of the hut.  Canis mentally cursed the fact that he couldn’t cast a listening spell in his modified form; he would have loved to know what was going on inside that hut.

After what seemed like hours, the door finally opened and a green-cloaked pegasus pony stepped out.  As the pony began to gallop eastward, Canis took to the air, following at enough of a distance where he felt he wouldn’t be seen.

Gradually, the rolling mountains surrounding Kakariko shrank into hills, then flattened completely into a vast, rolling plain.  A fresh winter snow had fallen, leaving nothing but a serene white landscape that glowed under the supernatural light of the full moon.  A calm, icy breeze swept across the land, causing the loose powder to dance like tiny, shimmering sprites through the night air.

‘I love winter,’ thought Canis as he observed the magical scenery from the air.  ‘There is no warmth, no life.  Winter kills everything that is not strong enough to survive its silent fury.  It’s just as things should be.  Just as things will be.’

*

An obsidian alicorn with a red mane that flowed like liquid fire walked through the dark.  There was no scenery, no sky, no ground.  There was no noise.  Only silence and emptiness.  And her.  Lying amidst the black nothingness was a single, sickly-looking white figure.  A mane of solid pink framed her horn and face, tattered and beaten wings were folded at her side, and a faded grey sun adorned her flank.  As Solar Flare approached the pitiful-looking alicorn, the the latter attempted to rise, only succeeding after many near-collapses.

Celestia spat, ‘Solar Eclipse, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You would be wise to watch your tone, Celly,” replied Eclipse, her voice heavy with an arrogant drawl.  “I control you now, so I would appreciate a little respect.  Anyways, I came here with a question.  My chief advisor, Canis Majoris, recently discovered a colt whom I had no previous knowledge of.  As it turns out, this colt could be a real problem for me, and I am just the slightest bit annoyed about the fact that I had no idea he even existed.  Also, four of my guards were killed tonight.  I did not learn of this until my former captain informed me.  I thought you, being the ‘goddess of the sun,’ had an intimate connection to all life in Equestria.  When I took control of you, I gained all of your magical abilities.  So tell me:  why can I not sense the life energies of other ponies?”

“Did you read the manual?”

“Your insolence will get you nowhere.”

“What are you going to do, execute me?  Good luck with that.”

“No, but perhaps I can find other ways to punish you.”

“And just what, pray tell, do you have in mind?”

“At the moment, dear Celly, your sister is merely banished.  I can change that oh so easily.”

“…the sun.”

“What?”

“You cannot sense the life forces of other creatures because you are not directly linked to the sun as I am.  Though you control my body, my mind, and my magic, you are not truly me.  The connection I have with the sun, and therefore all life in Equestria, goes far beyond mere magical capability.  It has grown over millenia of patient and loving rule, and is something that nopony can achieve by magic alone.  That is why you are numb to other life forces.”

“I see.  Well, I had hoped that there was a more practical solution, but no matter.  This mystery colt, the dead guards, and all the other snivelling lifeforms in this world are irrelevant and expendable.  Anything that lives such a short, pedantic existence cannot contibute anything noteworthy to history.  That duty is left to the immortals, and since I am the only immortal left in this world, I fear nothing.”

“I have seen many ponies come and go in my long life.  Sure, most of them passed silently, unnoticed by the world.  Others, however, achieved more in their short lives than I did in my immortal existence.  Their accomplishments, while not as physically noticable as control of the sun, were no less significant in their respective purposes.  A mountain may stand the test of time, but it sees far less of creation that the bird whose time is so fleeting.  And do not underestimate the ponies of Equestria.  Those who fear nothing have the most to fear, and the insignificant many outweigh the indisposable few.”

“Spoken like an oversensitive fool.  Remember, Celestia, that I am where I am and you are where you are because of the way we peceive life.  You were weak and sensitive, which left you vulnerable to me.  Born of chaos, I fear nothing and do not value frail mortality.  For that reason, I shall endure.”

Solar Eclipse turned and walked away, leaving what she presumed to be a dumbstruck Celestia in her wake.  As she returned to the waking world, a new confidence washed over her.  She was immortal, and that fact alone assured that she had nothing to fear.

*

Flare sat alone in his cell.  The dungeon was damp and cold, the cracks in the stone walls offering little protection from the harsh chill of winter.  He sat, his mind a blank slate, his heart filled with nothing but regret – for what he had done, but moreso for what he had failed to do.  He should have stood up to the princess, he should have warned Dirk sooner, he should have creeeeeeeeeaaaaaaak.

The iron door squealed as it opened.  Flare looked up to see a large, imposing earth pony coming towards him.  His coat was as grey as the dungeon’s stone.  He wore a black hood over his head and a belt around his waist which held a loaded keyring.  An image of a guillotine on his flank completed his rather macabre image.  ‘I really do not want to know how he got that,’ thought Flare upon seeing the grim signet.

“Th’ princess says you’re to hang at dawn.”  The newcomer’s voice was a deep, gravelly bass and would have scared any other pony senseless, but Flare couldn’t care less at this point.

“Yeah, I guess you get some practice in, eh Thanatos?”

“What happened, Flare?”

“I did the right thing.  For once in my life, I followed my heart instead of my orders, but it wasn’t enough.  My friend is dead, I’m in here, and Equestria’s last hope is out  there in the dead of winter being hunted like game.  I blew it, Than.  I really, truly screwed the proverbial pooch on this one.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“What do you mean?  There wasn’t a whole lot more that could have gone wrong.”

“Quit being such a pessimist, Flare.  You aren’t dead yet.  You never know when your luck might change.”

“Than, are you implying something?”

“Maybe.  I may be trying to subtly remind you that in addition to being the Royal Executioner, I also serve as the dungeonmaster.  Which would mean…”

“You have a key to my cell, you cheeky bastard!”

Not only to your cell, but to every cell in the dungeon, to the dungeon itself, and, most importantly, this.”

He reached back and took the keyring from his belt, then used a forehoof to single out a rather large, golden key.

Flare looked dumbstruck.  “Is that what I think it is?”

Thanatos gave a sly grin in return.  “If you think it’s a key to the royal treasury, then you’d be correct.  Since the princess is up in arms over this colt, she’s tightened security.  You and I both know what’s in that room.  Since I’m the biggest, toughest, and generally most terrifying pony on her staff, the princess saw fit to put me in charge of guarding the treasury.  What she didn’t know is that I want her out as much as the rest of us.  I hate my job.”

“Wait, weren’t you always an executioner?”

Thanatos let out a thunderous laugh.  “Of course not!  Like the kindly Celestia would ever have need for such a character!”

“Geez sorry, it’s not like I knew you beforehand,” Flare replied, a little indignantly.  “So what were you?”

“I was the gardener.”

“What’s huh???  Gardener?  But…your cutie mark…”

Another haughty laugh.  “I had a knack for getting rid of weeds.  I guess it is a bit excessive…”

They both shared a laugh.

“Look, I’d love to let you out, but I can’t.  That’s too suspicious.  If I’m going to help you at all, I need to keep up my ‘loyal servant’ façade.  What I will do is ‘accidentally lose’ the treasure room key, and try to delay your execution.  There are too many soldiers on guard detail to assemble an archery squad, we don’t actually have a guillotine at the castle, and the princess wouldn’t dare give a traitor the dignity of being killed by her, so if the gallows were to somehow, I don’t know, break, I could probably buy you a week.  I don’t know why, but I have a feeling something will have happened by then, and that this key needs to be with you when it does.”

Thanatos dropped the key, then slid it between the cell bars with a forehoof.

Flare smiled gratefully at the unlikely ex-gardener.  “Thanks, Than.”

“For what?  I wouldn’t help a traitor like you.”  He turned, looked back at Flare, flashed a quick grin, then left, the door giving another horrid squeal as it slammed shut.

“It’s not over yet then,” Flare said to no one in particular.  He slowly walked over to the cell’s small cot and, with the treasury key tucked safely under the pillow, fell into a refreshingly peaceful sleep.