Chapters Butterscotch was working her shift at Sugar cube Corner and had been filling orders for hours. Pink and white cupcake frosting splattered over the kitchen. Mandy, her loyal friend, was just wrapping up to go home.
“Are you sure you can take over my shift? If not I can find somepony else to do it.” Mandy’s deep blue eyes scanned my face for even a sliver of uncertainty.
“Of course I can handle it; you need to go home and be with your colt.” She stood a bit taller than Mandy, and as she gazed down into her ocean eyes she knew that Mandy knew Butterscotch was right. Butterscotch went back to frosting the Cake’s famous Discord Food Cake with chocolate icing and listened for the creaking of the door and the protest of the hinges as it closed.
The cake in front of her looked marvelous, and she was applying the last piece on top, the marzipan Discord statue. Butterscotch rifled through the bin of toppers and finally pulled out the last discord statue. Hooves trembling, she placed it perfectly on top of the Discord Food Cake and faced it towards the door.
“Sigh… Just one more order to go.” She closed her auburn eyes and rested there for a moment, and then a moment longer. Soon, she had slumped over and fallen asleep on the floor, splaying her wings out.
Butterscotch was lying upon a bed of soft leaves, staring up at the forest canopy above. Her mind cleared away the grogginess she felt and Butterscotch pulled herself into a sitting position. Butterscotch was sitting in a grove upon a small patch of clovers. Silver trees surrounded her for miles; she was absolutely speechless.
A small stream was running by her and made the grass around it green and lush. Daylight was peaking in through the leaves far, far above and displayed specks of light on the forest floor. Spreading out her wings, Butterscotch started to fly upwards, and the higher she flew, the thicker the tree layers got.
The lights got brighter and she started to see blue sky above, the last layer of the canopy seemed to open up for her now. *WOOSH* She finally pressed her way through to the open air. The lights were blinding up above, and it seemed to engulf her.
Somepony was calling her name, “Butterscotch! Butterscotch!” as she turned around, she was just about to see her face.
“Mrs. Cake?” Mrs. Cake was shaking her awake. “Huh? What?”
“Oh good, you’re awake. You fell asleep at work dear; you should go home and get some sleep.” Mrs. Cake helped Butterscotch too her hooves and she started to walk out the door. She stopped and turned around, opening her mouth to say something but Mrs. Cake pushed her out of the shop.
“No buts dear, go home and get some sleep.” She closed the door behind her and Butterscotch just stared at the door.
“Why did I fall asleep at work during Mandy’s shift; she was counting on me!” She shook the frosting off of her pelt and trotted home with her head down.
It was late at night and the moon was climbing up into the sky. An owl hooted at her through the trees. Everything seemed sadder at night for Butterscotch, and the cold night air that was nipping at her flank didn’t help. She shivered a bit as she walked and lifted her head to gaze again at the moon.
It looked so different without the mare in the moon, it had always seemed so magical to her as a filly. She used to watch it for hours trying to see it move, but it never had. Butterscotch pushed away the thoughts of her childhood and continued on towards home.
Butterscotch’s hooves began to drag, leaving dirt on them and she closed the distance between the house and herself. Pale, whitewashed, walls seemed to comfort her as she reached the door of her house and she pulled the key from under her straw woven mat to unlock her door.
The inside of her house was sparsely furnished with a small kitchen and bathroom, but it still felt lived in to her. Butterscotch climbed the stairs to her bedroom and collapsed upon the bed. It had been a long day, and she had been groggy during the walk home.
She kicked her horseshoes off and didn’t care how dirty she was, she crawled under the covers and closed her eyes, even if it was just for a minute.
“Scotch!” Somepony called. Things were blurry this time. A pony started to rush towards me. Butterscotch was up in the clouds again, above the trees, but her vision was blurred, she couldn’t make out who this pony was.
“Butterscotch, thank goodness you’re okay. You took a pretty bad fall.” The colt was a beige blur, but there was something off about the wings. They looked very colorful for feathered wings.
“Who… Who are you?” Butterscotch squinted at him, trying to clear her vision.
“Hey, don’t you remember me? It’s Athens, your friend!” He said with a hint of concern.
“You must have hit your head, c’mon, let’s get you home.” Athens started to drag her along but I pulled back.
“Where are you taking me?” She asked him, starting to feel light headed.
“Hey, you don’t look so good; we have to get you back before something bad happens.” He started dragging her along again, but black spots began to dance along her vision. Butterscotch’s wings gave out and she began to tumble, the winds whipped through her mane and she realized she was falling.
Butterscotch couldn’t move anymore, but felt her weight was lifted. Athens had caught her and was carrying her as he flew as fast as his wings could beat.
“You’re an angel…” she murmured as he held her tighter against his chest.
“Hey, don’t leave me now Scotch, just hang on. We’re almost home.” He yelled over the whipping winds, but all that she could hear was muffled as Butterscotch lost sight of the world she was in and blacked out.
Bright lights shined in through the windows as Butterscotch opened her eyes. Holding her hoof in front of her face, she made sure her vision wasn’t really impaired. Clearly, she could see the dirt from walking home last night.
“Ew...” she crinkled up her nose in disgust. “I’m going to have to wash the sheets before bed…” She put her hooves on the ground two at a time and trotted into the bathroom and ran a hot bath. Questions started to reel through her head as she sunk into the steaming hot water. Butterscotch winced a bit; she had made it a little too hot.
She stared down into the steamy water. Who is Athens? Where was I? Why do my dreams keep going back there? Do llamas like cheese? She splashed her hooves down in the water with frustration and saw a small twinkle in the water. Her eyes focused on the twinkle and tried to catch it. Butterscotch looked into the mirror next to her bathtub and saw an almost invisible speck of light was dancing on her window pane. She jumped up and out of the tub to get away from the speck of light. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
She ran madly down through the stairs and leaped over the couch to avoid the light that chased her. Butterscotch didn’t quite understand why she was afraid of the light, but something made her shake when she saw it.
Butterscotch ran back behind her house and left her door wide open. The cool air rushed faster as she spread out her wings and lifted her hooves off the ground.
“You have to run… they’ve found me.” A voice echoed in her head. Butterscotch flew faster, no longer just gliding. Her wings beat harder and harder and the air made tears stream down her face. “I can’t go back there, not after what he did to me.” “He wouldn’t understand; he is too blind to see what he is doing to our kingdom.” The voice echoed.
“But… Where will you go? His men will hunt you across Equestria!” a mare’s voice echoed.
“The only place I can go, Ponyville.” The first voice replied, sending an emotion through her that made Butterscotch’s heart beat wildly. She didn’t even know what she was running from anymore, but she was at her top speed and couldn’t slow down. A lake was coming up ahead; it was her only way out. She flew up higher and her she could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She closed her eyes and relaxed, remembering the fall in her dream as she stopped beating her wings.
The wind was flowing upward and she opened her eyes once more as she fell downwards but also kept moving forward. Her heart seemed to almost stop as she was inches away from the surface of the water. A cool feeling washed over her as the water swallowed her up. Butterscotch stared at the surface of the water; a little sparkle was playing on the other side. In the moments before she lost consciousness, it seemed as if she were in another world, the surface only a mirror to the outside world.
But everything was quiet and peaceful under the water’s surface; it made her forget that she might drown soon. Up through the mirror, a familiar face was staring down at her, one it felt as if she had seen only moments ago. Athens was floating above her, and his wings were wings only mentioned in fairy tales; the wings of the Fae.
Butterscotch was flying in the arms of Athens, whipping through the air faster than she could have flown on her own. But Athens was a strong Pegasus, her vision was going in and out of blurry this time, and she watched his fiery orange mane whip back and forth, making me give a faint smile; as if a foal watching the little ponies on a mobile.
She looked back at his wings and watched them beat as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. Her eyes drifted upwards to the sun that was shining down upon them. Butterscotch nuzzled deeper into his brown coat. She could feel them slowing down and closed her eyes as they landed. She could hear muffled talking as she was passed to another colt’s hooves. She could barely feel being moved somewhere, but it was as if she was only half there. Butterscotch started to come back and could hear the chatter now.
“Well? How soon will she be awake?” I heard Athens’ say through a voice of worry. “She’s semi-conscious; it means she can hear you right now.” Another colt replied exasperatedly. She could hear Hoofsteps coming closer and strained to hear the words he whispered to her.
“Scotch… Please wake up… I love you…” She was jolted awake and a dull pain pulsated through her skull.
“You’re okay!” he hugged her tightly but she just stared at the room over his shoulder. A room with walls of thick vines covered in leaves made a circle around her bed. Butterscotch held Athens at legs length; she wasn’t thrilled about his constricting grasp.
“I don’t know you!” she pushed him away and flew up to the ceiling. Light was shining through the leafy vines that made up the conic ceiling as she looked down at her shadow. Lights danced down in the shape of aqua Faerie wings, moving as she did and casting a pale pink light across the room.
Butterscotch was paralyzed with shock and watched the light move as she flapped her wings. She descended to the floor and stared with her mouth open.
“I’m… one of the Fae…” she murmured while Athens walked over and placed a hoof on her shoulder.
“Everything is gonna be okay Scotch, you’ll remember things again soon.”
Air finally reached her lungs as she coughed up salt water. Gasping, she opened her eyes and looked up into the face of Athens. The moon was already high in the sky, and Butterscotch wasn’t quite sure how long she had been out.
“Welcome back.” Athens looked down at her and she could see the relief in her eyes. She traced the outline of his face with her hoof, trying her hardest to remember him.
“I… I don’t know who you are.” She gazed deep into his eyes, searching for even a fragment of memory.
“You wouldn’t not after what you went through.” He stroked her chocolate mane.
“And what did I go through..?” she propped herself up, looking at him, the moonlight seemed to wash out the rest of the world. It was just Butterscotch and Athens; but something sparked inside her, and a flash of memory relayed before her eyes.
“How can you betray your kingdom like this?!” her father glared at her with red eyes of fury. They were in the royal throne room of the castle, the king sat in front of her in a throne made of golden leaves. The throne room looked almost like it was outside; the grass under her hooves was watered every week. Small waterfall-like fountains stood on each side of the golden throne. A blanket of leaves grew on stone frames to make the castle walls and roofing.
“Father, he isn’t the answer! Prince Soul can’t find the seed of the ancients! That colt is a fraud” Butterscotch was standing on the tips of her hooves, trying to see him eye to eye.
“I will NOT let my daughter die on a wild goose chase! That is FINAL!” Her father stood up and grabbed her by the shoulders. Panic coursed through her veins as Butterscotch struggled to break free, but his grip was too strong. She was lifted by his Fae magic upwards into the air as she kicked and bucked, tingling with the sensation of his green aura engulfing her.
“If you will not perform a princess’s duty, then you are not fit to BE a princess!” he screamed as the aura of his magic grew around her. Swirls of magic were moving quickly around Butterscotch, she screamed as her memories flew and began disappearing into the magic. Tears streamed from her eyes as she was dropped to the ground, and the Fae magic in her eyes died out.
Firelight flickered off the cave’s walls as Butterscotch began to rouse. Flickers of orange were dancing around her, revealing the cave’s large size. The darkness shrouding the caves depths had receded farther back into the chambers, revealing the blossoming peaks of deep red that were stretching across the horizon.
Athens and Butterscotch were far out into the Everfree forests’ realm, far from Ponyville and all of her loved ones; But now, Butterscotch wasn’t sure who her loved ones were, or even who she was. Only a few days ago, Butterscotch had known exactly who she was and had been so confident about her life or lives in this case.
Which world was real? Just because she had spent the most time in this one didn’t mean that it was the real one; for all she knew she had dreamed every detail, every pony she knew, and even the Discord statue on the cake. This answer was starting to seem like the most likely, that her life in Ponyville had been all part of her imagination, and that she was still dreaming.
Butterscotch’s eyes drifted over to the campfire itself as she turned herself around to look over towards the mouth of the cave. Athens was holding a stick in his mouth, poking at the fire to get it to stay alight. She couldn’t help admiring him, with his fiery neon mane, and his apricot Fae wings.
She saw a vision of seeing him from above after she had crashed into the pond; He had been floating above her, flapping his glorious wings and looking down at Butterscotch with a look of concern. The look was more than concern; she couldn’t fathom what the twinkle in his eye was.
Athens looked up from the camp fire and grinned. He had placed me down in a nest of leaves that he must have scooped together outside; it had served its purpose by keeping me warm through the night, but left a dusty feeling to my coat. I couldn’t believe he had carried me all the way here. I wasn’t a light pony, although I wasn’t heavy either, but the thought of carrying another pony through the air for miles seemed ludicrous.
There was a certain light in his eyes now, possibly the reflection of the crackling flames, but it made his brown eyes shine in the darkness and sent a shiver down my spine. Affection, that’s was what this look was. This was no platonic affection though, it was love. The look in his eyes was a look said a thousand words, but none reached my ears.
“Thank you for saving me; I don’t quite know how to thank you.” Butterscotch scooted over next to him, making her feel less as if she had slept in a pile of leaves for hours on end.
“Eh, saving drowning ponies is my thing.” He stretched out his hooves and held them over the fire, warming them as the flames started to die down.
She stared at the wings that fluttered a bit, sending odd shadows across the cave’s walls. Butterscotch slowly reached out to touch it, Athens jumped as soon as her hoof came in contact with his coat.
"Where is this place?" she shivered a bit with nervous energy. Athens' shoulders tensed as he looked out towards the Everfree forest.
"Not far from Moonlight River. We have to find a way down to Shepherds rock for some directions." Athens lit a torch which he quickly tied to his wrist using a thick leather strip. He used his short tail to beat the flames down until there was nothing left of it and turned to face Butterscotch.
"I don't know whether you're fit to travel, considering you died yesterday." Athens looked at her with a hint of worry. "I know that this is all confusing now, but it will get better; I promise you." But Butterscotch didn't trust him, even though he had saved her life, she didn't even trust her own mind.
She shook her head and started to trot out of the cave entrance, against the whining of her aching joints. A night on a cave floor can do that, she supposed.
The trees seemed to be getting bigger and thinner as the two walked onwards towards Moonlight River. The grass she tread on was wet with the early morning's dew, and cooled her hooves. Athens seemed to tread along behind her, keeping a watchful eye trained and ready for any sort of danger that might rear its ugly head. She honestly couldn't see why he was so suspicious of their surroundings, it's not like a cockatrice is loose.
She couldn't help feeling like this was normal, walking through the deep Everfree forest with a pony you just met towards a river you have never heard of. Yeah, normal; textbook definition if you don't count everything that's happened in the last 48 hours.
A pony with FAE wings was following her every move, and every time she closed her eyes she saw a glimpse of something that already happened. This was not her week.
Butterscotch could see the orange rays of light peaking through the night sky and signaling the arrival of the sun. Celestia was going to raise it soon and shed some light on where they were going, although only Athens could really do that. Butterscotch looked behind her to see a glimpse of green flash and then disappear.
Butterscotch eyed the spot carefully and caught Athens' attention.
"What's wrong?" Butterscotch had stopped walking and was looking around wildy.
"I saw something... Back there..." she pointed to the spot where she had seen the green flash. The sun rose abruptly and she heard a thump next to her. She jumped and stared at the body of a pegasus, trying to pull its head out of a tree. Butterscotch and Athens rushed over to help pull the pony.
A muffled moan came from inside the tree trunk, Butterscotch tapped the pony on the shoulder, making it jump and redouble its efforts to escape.
"Miss?" Butterscotch called, looking at the size of the hole she was stuck in. "Miss? We're going to try and get you out of here, okay?"
There was no response, but the pony seemed to relax. Butterscotch began to pull but Athens shoved her out of the way.
"Don't touch it!" he stood in between them. "That's a pixie, they're dangerous Scotch." He picked up a large stick and held it over its head, preparing to swing.
"Stop! What are you DOING?!" she leaped up and knocked the stick out of his hand. "Are you crazy? it wasn't trying to hurt us!" She glared at him and kept eye contact as she picked up the stick.
"Scotch, honestly, it's a pixie! It's going to hurt someone if I don't end it." He walked over and with a sharp tug, he pulled the pixies' head out.
"These things eavesdrop and try to collect dirt on ponies that are blackmail worthy for their queen. This one in particular was preparing for something evil I'm sure." He glared down at it. This odd creature had pointed ears and dragonfly wings. It's leafy green coat was patchy and looked like it had not been washed in a while. Its eyes were almost pony, with a crystalline gold and green iris circled around its small pupil.
It started to flap it's wings and struggled to break free of Athens grip.
"We'll take it along with us and return it safely home. Just because they are annoying is no excuse to kill it; there would be very few foals in the world if we thought like that." She seemed to study its eyes.
"Where is your home?" she asked, making sure to keep out of reach of its jaws.
"The Hive." an almost robotic voice seemed to relay. How will we ever get anywhere close to the Fae Kingdom... An idea sprung to mind.
"Athens, change of plans, we're delivering an escaped prisoner to the Fae Kingdom." he seemed to smile as soon as he heard they wouldn't be doing any favors for the pixie within his tight hold.
"What is the quickest way to the Fae's outer walls?" Butterscotch didn't like the idea of seeing her father again, but she had to know what was happening to the Fae kingdom.
"Scotch, I need you to cast a binding spell on this pixie, I don't know how long I can hold him and catching him once was pure chance." He spun the struggling creature around to face Butterscotch and held its front hooves together.
"Wait, what? I'm not a unicorn, I don't have any magic." Butterscotch felt completely confused by this. Her whole world had been turned upside down in two days time, but she knew one thing. Pegasi do NOT have magic.
"Your Fae magic, all Fae can cast natural spells. Just make a simple binding spell and then let's go." Athens struggled to hold the pixie, and she didn't know how much longer he could keep it up.
"But I don't know the first thing about magic!" She sat down on the now perfectly lighted grass in defeat.
"Yes, you do. No matter if your mind knows what to do, your heart does. Just... close your eyes and imagine tying this up with an invisible rope. Just around the front hooves." Athens gripped the pixie's green hooves again and waited for the constricting bind.
Butterscotch closed her eyes and placed her hooves on the ground. She focused on the pixie's hooves and soon she felt a hovering sensation envelop her. Flashbacks of the throne room flashed before her eyes and grief stained her face. An aura of dark black seemed to battle with her. Butterscotch was thrashed about wildly, she was unable to control the raging magic within her.
Anger and fear consumed her in a hellfire when suddenly, a blue light pierced the darkness, creating a beacon that could have been seen for miles. Butterscotch started to feel lighter and saw the blue beacon flash out of being as abruptly as it had come in. She was about to fall, but instead pushed enough power to her wings to float down more lightly. She felt exhausted as she lay down on the grass. Athens walked quietly over to her and laid a hoof on her shoulder.
"You're back, princess. It's good to see you again." Athens was looking down at her with an almost sad look.
"What are you talking abou-" Athens pointed at her wings; her lovely, Fae wings. "Oh my Celestia, how did these get here?" She smiled and fluttered them a bit. She was very drowsy, Butterscotch began to close her eyes; but what she saw next jolted her to the very core. Fae ponies dressed in black descended down upon them. A beige pony with dark brown Fae wings shook Athens' hoof. Wait, what? Who is that?
She felt lighter than air, flying upon the breeze. She was soaring upwards into the night sky, like a balloon. But something felt different here; she felt as if she wasn't in the dark anymore. A blockage in her mind was disintegrating, melting away. The lighter she felt the higher she drifted and the lighter the skies above her grew.
In a flash, she was floating down a stream on her back. The leaves on the treetops were falling quickly down until they had covered the ground. The world she was in was washing away but another was building itself simultaneously. She started to see memories flashing, including the last memory of the Fae she had.
She was in the clutches of the king's magic once again, but instead the dark ribbon that had surrounded her was unraveling and fell to the ground. Faster, she saw other memories; Her sister playing and laughing, running through the puddles on a rainy day, her bedroom, her mom, her cutie mark, all of it. The flashing stopped on one memory; the memory of her being crowned princess.
She sat upon a smaller throne next to her mother's throne of roses and lilies. The whole kingdom had attended this and watched her every move eagerly. Her mother had done up her chocolate colored hair in a bun, weaving her bangs into it carefully. The dress she wore was thin and flowing, a translucent silk that swept around her legs and was comfortable yet breezy.
The courtroom doors opened and a Fae pony with golden wings brought a small golden leaf circlet was carried upon a pillow towards her. This crown had been passed down for generations and had magic infused into it, making the golden roses that bloomed in the presence or love never wilt.
Butterscotch sat patiently with perfect posture as a priest placed the circlet upon her head and crowned her Princess Butterscotch, Heir to the Throne. In that moment, she felt her parents pride and remembered who she was. Princess Butterscotch, the proper heir to the Fae kingdom. There was no longer confusion, she understood the memories, and even remembered all the special times she spent with Athens.
Athens was standing beside the table she was on. A unicorn that must have been from the outskirts of the Everfree forest was on the other side of Athens. Butterscotch was surrounded by an orange magic aura that levitated her slightly. She looked over at the unicorn that was focusing hard, causing a bead of sweat to slide down his brow.
Athens looked fearful, he didn't dare touch her as he feared it would disrupt the magic. Butterscotch smiled at him and was lowered back onto the table. Athens nodded at the unicorn and sent him out of the dining room.
Butterscotch was in a small cottage that reminded her somewhat of Zecora's hut back near Ponyville. The inside was sparsely decorated and revealed an ugly yellow wallpaper that bordered on revolting. This place looked as if it had not been used in a while, as if it was abandoned.
Butterscotch sat up and slid off of the table. Even though she was a little wobbly, she managed to make her way into the living room to see a bunch of sofas filled with ponies dressed in black talking eagerly. The beige Fae was the first to notice I walked in. Quickly after his eyes met mine the other ponies turned their heads to look. Athens walked past me and sat down on the couch.
"Everyone, this is Princess Butterscotch." Everypony stood up and eagerly shook her hoof and congratulated her on her return. Athens waded through the chattering Fae and came to stand by her side.
"Alright, everypony, sit down. Scotch hasn't been briefed on the situation in the Fae kingdom." The ponies sat down and left a seat for her. She noticed the pixie sitting on the backing of the couch to her right; Wait... why isn't it tied up? She walked up to the pixie and gave it a hard stare.
"Why aren't you tied up...?" she gritted her teeth, preparing for a fight. "I would appreciate it if you didn't stare at me like that. I'm not a wild animal." The pixie gave a laugh. "Oh... you're serious." it pulled its head back a bit, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Butterscotch, we haven't been telling you the whole truth. That pixie isn't going to hurt you." the beige Fae pony placed a hoof in between them and pushed Butterscotch back. As she sat Butterscotch down into a seat she began to explain.
"When you refused to marry a colt that came to town, offering the seed of the ancients in exchange for the king's eldest daughter's hoof in marriage, your father the king was enraged and meant to change your mind by removing whatever memory made you think that this colt was lying. But in his rage the king set up barriers in your mind to block anything you ever learned about the Fae." He paused to pass her a manila folder.
"After losing your memories, you flew off into the forest, but luckily Athens was there to bring you back to the palace. You were weak from the boarding up of your memories. When he brought you back to the medical wing of the castle, they did a full check of your mind but weren't able to access anything. After many days of research they concluded that your memories were magically blocked." Butterscotch opened the file and saw pictures of her family, her sister, and her father. She saw a paper with the spell her father had used and papers with profiles on the people she knew.
"We called in your younger sister whom, seeing as your father had sent out a kingdom wide announcement that you were no longer part of the family, was now the eldest and most powerful on-hand Fae. She cast a spell upon you turning your wings into pegasus wings. The only place close enough to monitor you but still hide you was Ponyville."
The beige pony pulled a map of Equestria down and pointed to Ponyville, just outside of the Everfree forest.
"All Fae have the ability to become invisible outside of the Fae kingdoms, however, there is a flaw in their wings that creates a small beam of light from the corner of the right wing. Assuming they are in daylight. What you saw was Athens' wing, although he didn't intend for you to see it. He was going to send a letter of resignation to the Cake's shop and leave a note on your door for you saying that you had moved out that morning. He was in the middle of writing it, he wanted to tie up loose ends so that no pony would go looking for you."
Butterscotch was angry that they were going to meddle in her life without even telling her so; It's just impolite.
"After you left, Athens thought you could just live a nice life in Ponyville, settle down, have kids and the like-" "I missed you every day Scotch." Athens interjected.
*Ahem* "As I was saying, we were going to allow you to live a life in ponyville, however, your father still thought that the colt truly held the seed of the ancients. So, he had another eldest daughter. Your sister was forced to marry Prince Soul who, upon marrying your sister, became the next king. He imprisoned your father in the dungeon and claimed the throne for himself."
A picture of Prince Soul at the altar with Estelle drew a tear from Butterscotch's eye. She placed her hoof over the prince and saw the sadness in her sister's eye, even through the veil.
"The kingdom is miserable Scotch, we need you to come back and overthrow King Soul." Athens gritted his teeth as he said king, showing a burning hatred that Butterscotch and Athens both shared.
"Where is my sister..." She closed her eyes and felt a pang of regret. I should have married him, I could have protected my sister! This is all my fault. Another tear rolled her cheek as she closed the file.
"She's safe, they locked her in the cell next to her father after the wedding. He had no wish for a wedding night. Only a throne." Athens placed a hoof on Butterscotch's shoulder. "It's going to be okay, we'll save them."
A confusing day had passed for Butterscotch. She had spent the day talking to Athens and everyone in his group except one: the beige pony. Most of what she had gotten was useless as to their plan, but she was still learning what had brought them here. The kinds of chaos that affected the kingdom and drove them into a group fighting for a revolution. "Fae Security" is what they referred to it as to outsiders. Among themselves, they called eachother the guardians. The guardians had gathered to attempt to end the reign of King Soul and bring peace back to the Fae world. After he had locked away Butterscotch's sister and father, he had issued a law that said anypony caught doing anything without the king's permission would be thrown into jail. Including asking the king's permission without his permission.
Because of this most of the ponies are in jail now, but a few escaped the king's wrath by leaving before the law took effect. Those ponies were gathered here in front of the Fae princess.
Athens called everypony to a meeting outside; No pony was quite sure why. A cool breeze whisked past the ponies that were gathered in a straight line. It was dawn and the red strokes of the sun's life-giving rays were creeping up out of the horizon. Everypony was still, listening and waiting for the reason as to why they were out here to be revealed.
A silhouette flew over us and circled around until he skidded to a halt in front of the line. "You are all WORTHLESS maggots to me. Everypony DESPISES you and kicks dirt in your face. You are the worst troops I have ever seen; You're all a bunch of mules." He drilled the line, making everypony stand on their toes aside from Athens. The beige pony was wearing a soldier's helmet on his head. His Fae wings were beating, blowing grass and bits of debris all around as he tried his hardest to act like a drill sergeant.
"My name is sergeant Tom and you will address me as sir! I expect the first and last words out of your mouth to be Sir or else they truly will be your last words. Am I CLEAR you worthless piles of lemon potato chip soda and worm muffins?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs and made the smallest pony of the bunch weak in the knees.
Butterscotch sat down on the grass and eyed him with an unbelieving stare. Sergeant Tom noticed this and rushed forward, blowing the weak-kneed pony backwards.
"Do you have a problem with standing like the rest of these baked bads?" He got in her face and was inches away from her snout; she hardly noticed and placed her hoof in the middle of his face to push him away.
"Honestly, yes." She turned to the pony beside her and asked "Is he usually this disrespectful of a pony's space?" The pony nodded but cringed when Tom shot her a look.
"I didn't hear a SINGLE sir in there cupcake!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a standing position.
"Well, I didn't hear a madam in there either, and that's another thing. Do not address me by the name 'cupcake'. I have a name and I expect you to call me nothing else." The ponies in the line giggled a bit and Athens strode over to Butterscotch. He grabbed her by the hoof and pulled her away from the line.
"Honestly, was that really necessary?" he gave her a disapproving look. "What he said wasn't exactly much better." She stood up and started walking out towards the Everfree forest again.
"Hey! Where are you going?" He ran after her and skidded to a stop, blocking her path.
"I'm going to the Fae Kingdom. These guys aren't doing anything."
"Scotch, what's going on with you. You were never this impatient, besides, you aren't going to take down an empire on your own." He placed his hoof under her chin and raised her snout until their eyes met.
"I have to try Athens, I abandoned my little sister and put the whole kingdom into turmoil. It's my fault these ponies are suffering and I have to clean up my mess." a small tear slid down her cheek and Athens wiped it away. "It's not your fault; It would have happened anyways even if you did marry him. The only difference is that you wouldn't be here now to help us save them." he gazed into her hazel eyes as their snouts touched in the most innocent and loving of kisses.
"I love you Scotch, and we're trying our hardest to save them, but going off on your own will just cause more problems."
Butterscotch lay in bed, unable to process what had just happened. Her brain had shut down as her lips touched Athens' and had only just started to function again. A couple thoughts lingered in her mind even though most had simply drifted away. She seemed to wonder again if she was really awake. Every time she glanced out the small window in her room out to the stars, she wondered if any of this was true or if she was going to open her eyes and find herself back at home in bed, horseshoes kicked off on the floor and muddy tracks throughout her home.
Every minute she spent wondering was a minute she could be sleeping, the team was developing a plan to get both her and Athens past Fae security and into the kingdom's city. Butterscotch's thoughts were invaded by the thoughts of this magical city that she was just beginning to know again in ruin. Tom and his team assured her the city was not in total ruin even though it was in total misery.
Deep within the Everfree were loved ones that she knew and loved, and of course she would save them if she could. That wasn't the part in question; But what would happen if she did succeed in overthrowing Prince Soul? She couldn't just leave Ponyville forever. Ponyville had been her home ever since she was dethroned, she had friends and a job and a home; Her home.
She remembered what Athens had told her about the seed. "This seed, when planted, is going to bring power back to our kingdom. Our people are growing weaker and if we don't get that seed, all of us will turn into earth ponies." It seemed to echo through her mind, reminding her what she was fighting for. She got up out of bed and trotted down the hall to Athens' room.
"Athens?" she knocked on the door. The light was on under the door already, but another light turned on as she heard hoofsteps approaching the door. The fiery eyed stallion opened the door and seemed surprised to see her.
"Scotch, what are you doing up?" he opened the door wider and motioned her in. She trotted inside and sat down in a comfy tan-leather lounge chair across from his bed. The inside of his room was a lot like her own, aside from the different decorations. A small room with a bed, a bookshelf, a comfy lounge chair, and a few lights. The resistance had done astonishingly well in decorating their base. Completely ignoring his question she was a little confused about the whereabouts of her Fae friends.
"Where are the others? Don't they have rooms as well?" She asked as Athens closed the door so they wouldn't wake anypony up. He hopped up onto his bed built for one and turned to her.
"They all have beds in the bunker set up behind the base." he looked a little surprised she didn't know, but dismissed that as Butterscotch leaned back in the chair. She looked back up at Athens as he spoke.
"That can't be all you came to ask. What's on your mind?" she turned to look out his bedroom window at the stars. She built up the courage and looked him in the eye.
"What will happen afterwards if we overthrow Prince Soul?" He paused for a moment and practically floated over there with his wings. He sat down next to her in the large chair and put his arm around her.
"I guess that's up to you, Scotch. It may not feel like it right now, but you're in charge of your fate; It's up to you how you spend your days. Honestly though, I thought you were going to rule the Fae, y'know, take over the throne and all." She looked up at him and placed her hoof on his.
"Really?" she leaned on him and closed her eyes. She could hear his heart beat, it sped up a little as she held his hoof in hers.
"Really." he said as they lay there together, the moonlight casting a pale light on them. She closed her eyes and drifted into a much needed slumber.
The early light of dawn was peeking in through the window, giving a warm glow to the air around her. She could feel the sheets of the bed they had supplied her with wrapped around her; Somepony had tucked her in... She couldn't remember the last time she had had somepony to care for her. It was pleasant, having somepony who is there for you when you need them; And somepony who is with you when you don't.
Butterscotch looked at her new wings, they were odd and hard to get used to. They didn't create a shadow but rather an array of colors. Her wings may have only been one color, but they showed many more when the sun hit them just right.
She finally sat up and got to her hooves; Staying in bed all day and reading would have been nice, but she had a job to do. The thought of postponing rescuing an entire civilization, her people, was despicable. She was mad she had even thought about it.
Butterscotch grabbed her bag and trotted out of her bedroom and down the stairs to the living room. Athens and the rest of the resistance were downstairs, eating breakfast together. Athens looked up from his cream cheese bagel and smiled at her, motioning for her to sit down next to him.
She sat down and stole half of his bagel, claiming it as her own. The group continued their discussion about the ways to get past the force field that blocked their way in and out. Tom smiled and nodded along with their ideas, but Butterscotch didn't catch a word of it.
"So, what is our plan to get in?" she interrupted the group's heavy chatter and sat up straight to look like a figure of authority. NightSky, a dark blue mare with a white, startlingly bright, mane addressed her now.
"As you are the princess, you are a wanted pony. We intend to turn you in with a key to the jail cell so you can free everypony." NightSky gave her a reassuring smile.
"Darling, we are going to redo your mane a bit and then hide a key in those fabulous locks of yours..." A fabulous red pony by the name of RazzleDazzle admired the mane, looking at it in anticipation. Butterscotch nodded, a little unnerved by the pony gazing at her mane.
"The hair of.. royalty.." she sighed with a giggle, showing Butterscotch that this pony was a fashionista.
"I see... But once I unlock all of the cells, how do we get out?" she turned to look at Athens. Surely the place was well guarded otherwise her sister and father would most likely have escaped, somehow, and there were so many ponies in there Prince Soul would have to be insane not to guard it well.
"Simple, with great numbers surely you can take down all the guards with ease. I mean, there are at least 200 Fae in there." Butterscotch was a little surprised to hear this.
"Surely there can't be that many, I mean, why would he lock so many up?" Athens looked down at his hooves and closed his eyes, as if to relive the horror of the overcrowded prisons of the ponies trapped inside.
"Most of them are innocents.. mere bystanders.. But riots and protests had broken out through the city when Soul first took over. They gassed the masses and took away whole blocks of the city. I watched from above as those that tried to flee or resist were beaten down with night watchmen's sticks." he cringed in unison with Butterscotch and shook it off.
"I was once in those ponies' line of duty, but during those horrors I refused to take a child down. The young filly.. A little light blue filly that had just watched her mother get hauled into a wagon and driven away kicking and screaming for her child, stared up at me with those frightened and innocent eyes and I couldn't do it."
"I grabbed her and flew her out of there, unnoticed in the chaos going down." Athens closed his eyes, trying to tough through the story.
"I took her to a couple I knew, on the outskirts of the city. I couldn't explain to the filly what had happened, and to her, I was the enemy; And I didn't blame her." he pressed his hooves together in frustration.
"I left the filly with the couple, knowing her mother would not be there to care for her for.. a long time, and left the force the following day. I couldn't live with being an enforcer of an unjustly law." He shook his head and looked up into Butterscotch's eyes.
"Those prisons are filled with innocents. Not a one broke a justly law in those cells, I can assure you." he growled.
Butterscotch felt herself tearing up, but turned that energy into determination. "We are going to save them. All of them, or die trying."
Her eyes seemed to catch fire. RazzleDazzle was thrilled with this look and went down into the bunker to get her salon equipment. It was time to prepare for her departure, the sooner the better.
Butterscotch's mane had been thoroughly fluffed and they managed to slip the key into her tail, fastening it in and making sure she knew how to undo the ties. She was ready to go out and save her people; Mainly to take down Prince Soul.
Athens had told her they had some resistance ponies in there who had tattooed a small pink Fae wing onto their neck, hard to notice if you didn't know what to look for.
Butterscotch took a last look into the mirror and hugged Athens close. "Stay safe." she murmured before she pulled herself away. A light gray pony accompanied her to the gates of the security silently. He had tied a rope around her neck to make it seem as if they were actually in charge of her and began their journey through the forest.
Birds around the area gave lighthearted coos to each other, but that didn't drown out the other sounds. Butterscotch's hooves bent the grass underneath her, making a soft rustle. The trees whispered with the wind in unison, making sweet music that blended well with the trickle of the stream that ran not far away.
Even though she was marching to a prison, the world already seemed brighter. She was going to do something good, she was going to save her people, and nature sounded like it knew it just as well as she did.
As they walked farther into the forest, everything grew more quiet and still. This worried Butterscotch; Surely the land around the force field wouldn't have suffered at Souls hooves, but that was untrue. The Fae were beings of nature, they guarded and cared for it. Even if they do nothing, a certain life force, a happiness, spreads to the land near them.
These trees.. The Fae hadn't been able to tend to them she realized; They most likely hadn't seen their dear companions in many moons. I have to free these ponies, nature itself grows still from their absence... She could almost feel that the trees missed their friends.
Trees were not much for conversation, but they knew some basic speech. A problem though was they lacked mouths; They did have some trouble voicing their opinions aloud.
Over the years through much study however, Fae found a way to communicate with their magic. Trees could only manage small words, and not very many at that, but it was still something.
Butterscotch pressed her hooves to one of the trees. We save friends she focused her thought and passed it onto the tree. Believe it or not, the leaves of the tree grew greener before her eyes as it responded Happy.
Surely it would pass on the message. Within a matter of hours all of the surrounding forest would know and present a lighter happiness.
The group continued on through the forests, deciding it would be faster to fly. They flapped their wings and whizzed through the air, winding around the trees and stopping a little ways away from the entrance.
The gray pony, who now revealed himself to be Cinder Block, held the rope in his mouth and told Butterscotch to do her best to act like she had been caught and would spend her life in a prison. In other words, she was to act depressed and broken down.
Butterscotch thought of the little filly and put on a grim expression and hung her head low. They approached the security guards and Cinder showed them a valid ID. The Fae wearing gray uniforms looked shocked, but Butterscotch was shocked as well. These ponies had been her friends, her personal guards, but they wiped the expressions off their face and let them through.
SpringFlower and ClearStream... My gosh, how did they get themselves into this? Inside, she was wounded. She had seen a look on SpringFlower's face, a look of pain to see her again. She dipped her head low and let Cinder lead her through the streets.
The city was gloomy; Wooden planks blocked every window, untrusting eyes stared at her as she walked down the empty streets. These ponies' eyes, untrusting, showed true fear. They were motivated by it, by the thought of being sent to the overcrowded prisons beneath the castle.
Some eyes held a small spark of hope, others pity. She knew these ponies, and after such a long time, she knew some had probably forgotten her. A tear of pain slid down her cheek and hit the cold asphalt under her hooves, she had abandoned these ponies. She had abandoned her kingdom.
If she had been here and married Prince Soul, she maybe could have stopped him, or at least spared her sister the unwanted wedding.
She snapped herself out of it, it didn't matter what she had done in her past; It mattered what she was going to do now.
Cinder led her to the main castle entrance, showing them ID and passing through the gates. The castle was as beautiful as she had remembered it; Green walls of leaves and vine hung down from frames, grass of bright and vibrant shades covered the ground, and especially the castle grounds caught her eye.
Large mushrooms taller than she grew from the green grass; Even taller trees of gold and silver danced with the winds. Surely Soul had taken care of the castles, but at what cost did he do so? She growled at the prince, even though he wasn't there to respond.
"Remember, subservient." he gave her a look and proceeded to open the castle's door.
Butterscotch was let through room by room and they slowly made their way to the throne room. Each floor and hallway sparkled and shined, each piece of furniture was dusted carefully, this place was spotless from top to bottom.
They finally approached the throne room. Two large doors were the only thing in between them and the pony who was to blame for all the wretchedness of this place. She took a breath and Cinder Block opened the doors.
Inside the courtroom a long red carpet led up to her father's throne; they had removed the other two thrones. The throne was a black and red pattern that was an eyesore. Honestly, what pony would use that?
Sitting in the chair was a unicorn stallion as black as night; He seemed to match the throne, an ugly eyesore. Butterscotch looked to the ground and tried to hide her anger with a mask of defeat.
"My king, I had captured the mare Butterscotch." He pushed Butterscotch hard enough to send her forward a few steps.
"Lady Butterscotch.. a 'pleasure' to see you once again..." he growled. Butterscotch cringed and took a step back, her eyes never leaving the floor for fear if she looked at him she couldn't stop herself from killing him.
"Tell me, did you really think you could escape and abandon your family without consequences? Honestly, you were right that I didn't have your precious seed, but running away was so dramatic." He gave her a wicked smile.
"Would marrying me have been so horrible? I can see now why your sister hates you, I mean, when something was too horrible for you, you pushed it on her. That certainly is saying something about your relationship isn't it?" She snapped her head up to look at him.
S-she.. hates me? He had found her weak point, it was all over her face. How could I do that to my sister.. leave her to be bonded to this..
she looked away from him as tears welled up in her eyes.
Soul grinned and ordered the guards to take her down to the dungeons. They walked through the labyrinth and she almost sulked the whole way until she saw something. On the neck of the guard to her right, a small pink butterfly wing was tattooed just under her pony tail of a mane. The guard saw her look at the tattoo and gave her a quick nod and a grin of acknowledgement as her partner unlocked the door to the dungeons.
They descended the dark and damp stairs for many flights of stairs until they relied on the torch light for the ability to see. Rock walls were covered in soot and this place was obviously carved out at the beginning of soul's reign.
Before he had come along, there were no such large quantities of ponies that they needed to have a place to keep them. The most major of crimes here was theft and the ponies who performed those crimes could be sorted out at their police station.
The sounds of cries of sadness rather than pain arose from the bottom levels of these stairs. Fillies, colts, mares, stallions; All of them were locked in here, regardless of age, regardless of innocence. It was terrible, Butterscotch felt terrible, and these ponies felt terrible. All of it was horrid; Filth and death, this should not be.
The guards led her past cell after cell, but some of her subjects recognized her and grimaced as they saw her walking by. After a few minutes they reached one of the cells at the end. One of the guards opened the door and threw her inside. Butterscotch caught herself with her forelegs, but another hoof reached out to help her up.
"Dad?" she looked up into the eyes of the former king of all Fae.
It had been a long time since she had seen her father. She just couldn't believe he was standing in front of her now; The pony who was now offering his hoof to her was the same pony who was responsible for removing her position as a pony of royalty. This was the same pony who had given the go-ahead for a wedding between her younger sister and a pony, a lying pony, who claimed to have the seed of the ancients.
She took his hoof and he helped her to her own. Her father looked different, disheveled as if he had not bathed in months. He had dark circles under his eyes, but he gave her a somewhat pained but reassuring smile. She saw her father in a new light, as if it was a mirror to his inner soul.
She had always seen her father high on a pedestal, looking down on everypony, but right now he looked like a real person.
She threw herself around him, hugging him tightly and let hot tears cut lines in her cheeks, letting out all of her worries into his arms.
Apologies seemed to tumble out of their mouths simultaneously, they had both made mistakes that caused this, and they had both suffered the long, agonizing days of regrets and sorrow over each other. It was true that these two ponies had made mistakes, but they had seen the errors of their ways and were ready to start over.
"I've missed you so much!" a few hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she buried her muzzle in his shoulder. He stroked her mane comfortingly and kissed her forehead, leaving a warmth that gripped her tightly and stood out in this cold, iron prison.
"I'm sorry too. If I had just listened to you, we wouldn't be here. You're my daughter, and you're a fine leader. I guess I just forgot that." He gave a small chuckle and a sideways smile, "But never mind that. I'm sorry that after so many months we have to make up here." Butterscotch could see that his eyes were filled with grief and strife that she had never seen in them. He looked centuries old, as if he had lived more in those last few months than in his entire life.
A thought came to mind, where was Estelle? Butterscotch examined the room more closely and noticed a limp figure in the corner. "E-Estelle?" She said with worry making her voice shake. "Estelle, I'm sorry, please talk to me..." She took a few more steps forward, paused, and then made her way over to her sister.
She could see the shallow breathing of slumber, but her sister's eyes were open and discolored. They now had a shocking green tint to them, a thin glowing ring around the edge of her iris. "Dad, what's wrong with her?" A mix of shock and horror in her voice echoed through the dungeon.
"Soul's curse," He trotted up to Estelle's collapsed form, "On what was supposed to be his wedding night, he used a binding spell that linked their magic... At first she fought it, trying to find a way to shut down the spell, but eventually it just became too much. She collapsed and she hasn't been able to keep consciousness since." Butterscotch's father nuzzled Estelle and a tear dripped down from his cheek.
"It was supposed to be a happy occasion. The kingdom was supposed to be saved and Estelle was supposed to bring another era of peace with Soul..." His voice cracked and Butterscotch placed a hoof on his shoulder comfortingly.
"Dad, I'm your daughter. I didn't just get 'caught', you think your guards would betray you just like that?" She gave a crooked smile as she fished around in her styled tail and managed to get the key out. She grinned down at what was her ticket to freedom, still with a few brunette strands of mane attached.
She checked again for the guards but it seemed that they left this lower area unguarded, a dangerous move. She couldn't help but ask herself why he didn't prepare for a break-out, maybe it was because he was not a bright king and was a prince only by relation. He probably skipped all those years of study that true princes were put through to prepare them for ruling a kingdom.
She pushed the key into the lock and the tumblers moved with a click, allowing the door to swing open. The ponies in the cells around them were quiet and still, some of them so out of it that they didn't notice.
Her father picked up Estelle and hoisted her up onto his back so he could carry her. He closed his eyes for a moment, just a moment, thoughts passing through his mind that Butterscotch my never hear, but she could see what he was feeling written across his face.
A familiar regret that he carried on his shoulders just as he did his comatose daughter. A regret that he showed in his movements and in his posture, in the way he speaks and in his eyes. It was something that she had seen every time she looked at him since she had been thrown into this cell.
He picked himself up, leaving his pained expression behind and taking on a posture of action. "I need to get her to safety. Go and free as many others as you can." He galloped out of the cell without any objection from his comatose daughter.
As her father galloped off, Butterscotch spared no time in going from cell to cell and freeing the ponies. The cells were gray brick walls that had hay strewn across the bottoms of the cell. A blanket or two were tossed to the side, some of them wrapped around ponies, others spread across the floor in an attempt to get off of the cold ground.
A lot of the ponies didn't ask questions when she opened the door and simply ran. Some of them lingered, some of them gathered their foals and did their best to escape while they still could.
The stairway upwards spiraled in the center of many flights of cells, showing just how far below the castle this place was. The stone was slick with damp that brought moisture to the moss in between the stone cracks in the floor. She had trouble not slipping when she started up the steps.
Fae ponies flocked for the lit exit, some fought to get ahead and others waited patiently for their turn to ascend to freedom.
As she passed through the doorway the light was blinding, making her stagger and stumble forwards. Everything was washed out in the light for a time, making her path forward even more disorienting.
It felt good to be touched by true air, and it felt even better for the ponies around her that had been here for quite some time, sitting alone in the darkness or huddled next to somepony for warmth. When her eyes adjusted, Butterscotch looked to her left and right and found many guards baring her mark upon their necks. They seemed to form a scattered wall between the prisoners and the enemy guards. Many of them helping prisoners that had fallen, defending them and kicking tail as they took out any guards that tried to stop the ponies that fled.
The clustered groups rounded the corners with speed and haste, navigating the maze with little difficulty. They managed to reach the exit, but found the door barred shut. A layer of guard ponies pointed their swords at the now stopped mob, blocking the way in and out of the castle.
Emotions coursed through her, anger, fear, sadness, anguish. Her mind went blank as time seemed to slow down. She could feel her heart beat slowly, aware of the ponies that lost hope when they saw the doors barred, the foals crying because they could see they were trapped.
A red haze settled over Butterscotch's vision as she lost all control of herself, all morality and sense of justice left her in one huge wave. "Halt, by order of King Sou-" The guard who had spoken was cut off as Butterscotch used her magic and began to compress the stallions neck.
She raised the stallion above her head and continued until he was at the height of the door frame's peak. The other guards began to back away from him as the stallion's face went red and tears came to his eyes. She was about to end his life when she came to her senses and realized that the guards were fleeing the choking pony, leaving the door unguarded.
She let go of the stallion's throat and instead took her rage out on the door, snapping the barricade in half and releasing the door as the stallion clattered to the floor. She charged forward, running finally out onto the grass.
Cheers erupted from the ponies around her, she saw hugging and crying, love and hope in everypony's eyes. Butterscotch flew upward for a better look, but soon heard gasps from below. She looked back down to see a pink glow in the shape of her wings cast down on to the crowd. She saw a familiar fire-maned pony looking up at her in the sea of ponies below her, ponies that looked up to her.
Athens picked and weaved a few flowers and stemmed leaves together, flying up to her level and placing the crown of leaves and flowers upon her head. She spread her arms out from her sides, What am I doing? She focused her magic and summoned sparks, carefully controlling them, but making a display nonetheless.
"This is my kingdom, this is your kingdom. This is our kingdom, and it will not now or ever belong to Soul!" Cheers erupted from the crowd and Butterscotch lowered herself to the ground with Athens not far behind. They want a show? They're in for the show of a lifetime. She thought as she marched proudly to the steps of the castle, resistance ponies, dressed in black, who had slipped in with the crowd following after.
Sunlight. It can be taken for granted at times, but it's something that is necessary for all life. Life that which belongs to the trees around her, the grass beneath Butterscotch's hooves, and the ponies that now brought light back to the Fae City.
Butterscotch's magic was a little drained from keeping the sparks up for the ponies who were outside, but she knew that the battle was not over yet. There was still somepony she needed to take down, somepony who didn't deserve sunlight, or love, or life itself.
Some ambulances had arrived to take any sick and injured prisoners to the local hospital for natural remedies, potions, and magical treatments.
She watched her father take Estelle over to the paramedics and talk to them for a moment before her father climbed in and they loaded her sister inside after.
Athens stood next to her on the doorstep before she pushed the doors open and galloped inside. The halls looked like they usually did. Soul had only really changed the throne and left the rest of the castle as is. That certainly helped her navigate the halls, but it was still kind of hard to remember after it having been so long.
Several of the rebel guards that bore her mark saw her gallop past and without a moment's hesitation galloped behind her. A few of the enemy guards had been persuaded to her side, several were on her side even though they didn't bare a wing on their necks. Many of them didn't want to serve Soul's cause anymore, and that left a very small amount of guards who were sticking their ground.
As she galloped she started to picture what would happen if she failed. She could see herself tossed in the dungeon, alone and without a key. A guard coming in every day to toss her a meal even the rats wouldn't eat, but more importantly what would happen to her people.
Their treatment would be worse, they would probably be separated from their young and tortured. They'd never see their friends or family again, or even the sunlight above. This day would be the last time they would see a ray of sunshine if she failed.
By now she had collected many ponies following her lead, and she was almost through the maze of halls. When she looked behind her, she got a glimpse of the countless ponies behind her, all going to face one powerful pony.
As she rounded the last corner and stood before the throne room, a sense of darkness creeped up on her. It was the sense of impending doom, but also a sense of horror and hatred. Sadness and despair, a pure pitch black of feelings that washed over her and wiped out her senses for a little while.
Her followers stood behind her, ready to kill for her and ready to fight. Butterscotch placed a hoof inside the door, but her hoof was soon matched by Athens as he placed it right next to hers. Butterscotch stepped inside.
"So, this is your doing. You know dear, if you wanted to rule beside me I would have been perfectly happy to divorce your sister and take you as my own. All you had to do was ask." Soul snarled.
"You're a naughty little thing, playing hard to get. Well, I'm a king now, and 'No' isn't something that my subjects have the right to say." He flitted down from his throne and came face to face with Butterscotch and Athens, "Tell me Butterscotch, would you be my bride now? You truly are a pretty thing." he grabbed Butterscotch's cheeks with both hands, pulling her towards him.
"I like pretty things.." as he leaned in, she brought back her hoof and rushed it forward again, undercutting him and sending him backwards.
"Don't touch me." she growled, baring her teeth as he wiped the blood off of his muzzle. She wouldn't waste a second as she galloped forward, leading a charge of the guard.
The rebel guards, however, were met face to face with Soul's personal guard, who blocked their path and waged a battle behind Butterscotch and Athens were the only two to make it through the wall of personal guards.
Soul sent a ball of magic flying, it narrowly missed it's mark, hitting Butterscotch only in the shoulder. Searing pain coursed through her arm as she caught herself in the air and landed again. She focused her energy and hurled orbs of magic at Soul, missing several times but landing on his horn, making one of his orbs misfire and go off in his face.
Their magic went flying across the room in a frenzy, some of Butterscotch's allies getting hit in the crossfire. Her body felt like it was on fire as she strained her magic, sending magic this way and that.
She could see Athens in the background fighting to make an opening in the barricade, but couldn't get past Soul's guard, knocking anypony who tried to get past to the floor.
As they battled it out, she screamed at him, "Where is the seed?" and dodged his magic as he sent it flying around her.
"As if I would just tell you!" he yelled with a grin as he focused his magic on her. "You've been a thorn in my side for too long my dear!" He yelled at her as she felt herself being lifted. She struggled, but it was too late, he had a hold of her and was wrapping his magic tighter. She felt her heart starting to give out. The last thing she was Athens leaping on Soul with a dagger in his mouth. She was speechless as she felt her vision blur and darken into one solid color of nothingness.