Pain... An unbearable pain that bore upon my soul...
A massive headache rocked through my head. I could feel every heartbeat through the vessels in my head. Each beat made the pain worsen.
I tried to open my eyes. White. A brilliant flash of bright light forced me to close my eyes. I was outside. I tried to move my forehooves, only to be stopped by a strong rope that bound my hooves together. I felt myself rock back and forth and bump up at uneven intervals. I was on the road being pulled in a cart.
I slowly opened my eyes again, getting used to the blinding white light being brought forth by the blazing sun in the sky. My sight and mind were hazy, I was most likely drugged by whoever had captured me. I look around slowly and see that I was right. I was on the road, my hooves bound together and a magic lock on my horn. Yet what caught me off guard was that I was not alone. On my right was an earth pony in filthy rags. The uniform of a prisoner. His dark green eyes were downcast as he steadily looked at the floor of the wooden cart. His ragged brown mane was covering most of his yellow coat. His cutiemark was mostly covered by the rags, the only thing I was able to see was a small red apple that had small sparkles around it.
The pony across from me, with his sharp and clever crystal blue eyes, was observing the pony who was drawing the cart. This pony had a ragged tunic, with a strange crest in the shape of a crescent moon on the front. His white mane shifted in the breeze, sending a soft ripple down his silver coat and wings. The ripple drew my attention to his cutiemark, a powerful looking hammer being swung. I immediately pegged him as three possible things: A bandit, a soldier, or a family bodyguard. Across form the Earth pony, there was an odd figure. An alicorn was gagged and had both hooves bound together much like me. Her eyes were dangerous, flashing left and right, examining the ropes on my hooves and the Earth pony's, trying to figure out a way to untie them. Her eyes were slitted like a serpent's and were a light cyan color. Her waving dark blue mane resembled the night, being speckled with white as if they were stars and flowed across her black body. Her horn had the arcane magic block like mine did, a small ring at the base of the horn preventing all use of magic.
The Pegasus across from me notced I was awake and smiled warmly... Too warmly with our circumstances. He spoke with a very strange accent, more from the north than anything else "Well... Looks like our little buddy had finally woken up! You were trying to cross the border, right?" So that's what this was. A prison cart. The pony pulling it was a soldier in the Celestial legion.
I spoke up "Eh... I... I can't remember..." My words were slurred because of the drug still acting on me, making me feel stupid. The Pegasus laughed. Such an odd thing to do when you are tied up and heading to a prison. He spoke softly "Hey, take it easy. The drug apparently hasn't gone all the way through your system..." he sounded amused.
The Earth pony looked up "Shut up, you...you FILTH! We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you damned Lunar soldiers!" The Pegasus frowned and looked at the Earth pony, his eyes suddenly dangerous and evil. "Hey! watch who you're talking about. You are in the presence of the Lady, Nightmare Moon!"
Mine and the Earth Pony's eyes widened at this revelation and I looked over at the alicorn. Her eyes met with mine and she winked, confirming that she was, indeed, the mare of the night. The Earth pony started to panic, becoming obvious in his voice as it started to rise in volume "Oh Godesses... If you're here... Where are we going?!"
The Guard pulling the cart barked back at us to shut up. It was silent for a few moments and the Pegasus broke it once again and looked to the Earth pony "Where are you from?"
The Earth pony looked up and asked in a low voice "What does it matter to you...?" The Pegasus looked at him curiously and leaned forward so he was closer to him "A pony's last thoughts should be of home." The Earth pony sighed and looked up at the Pegasus, whipping his mane back as he does so. "Appleoosa... Ah'm from Appleoosa." The Pegasus looked pleased by the answer and turned to me to ask the same but then turned as he saw a town come into sight.
A large wooden fence surrounded the town, leaving little room for invaders to be able to walk right in. There were maybe 20 houses with smoke coming out of the chimneys. Guards speckled the town around giant stone towers with the Celestial banner, a pure white banner with a bright yellow sun on them. The gates opened as the cart was let in. The Pegasus started talking again. "Ah... Hoofglen... I used to be sweet on a mare from here. Made delicious cider with some added juniper berries..." So... Hoofglen. The place I was going to die. I looked around and saw the guards standing there with their bows drawn and trained onto us. Escape was impossible. I looked and saw the Princess herself. Celestia was up here for this. I guess she wanted to revel in bathing in her sister's blood. Or to see that her execution was brought out fully. Either way, I'm going to the same place that Nightmare will be heading to. I wonder what hell is like.
"Two royal sisters, hungry for power,
Bloodthirsty ponies, making all cower
Creating the war that has ravaged this region
Burning down towns with a great mighty legion.
The Royal Sisters, both young and unwise
Did not see an old power starting to rise.
Within the darkest hour of this land of gloom,
All shall perish one fiery doom.
If it is not prevented, if this comes to pass,
Equestria's fields shall be turned into glass.
Unless the one fro the tales of old
was to come up and release the Dragon's hold
For that pony would be the Dovahkiin!
The Dragon born, filled with the blood of kings!
Through his might and his power,
He shall prevent the land's darkest hour.
Bringing peace to the ravaged countryside,
Completing the task that was burned in his mind."
An old poem that my mother had read to me when I was just a small colt. I had no clue what she had meant at all from "Two royal sisters" or the weight of the word "Dovahkiin." Dovahkiin... A very funny word. Not many have every heard it. In the common tongue, it means "Dragonborn," the one with unimaginable power due to the blood of Dragons flowing through his veins. The TRUE Ruler of Equestria.
But like I said, it's just an old poem. A thing to tell ponies when they feel scared to give them hope.
...
I have never been more wrong in my entire life.
