I stared at the blank piece of paper in front of me, the bright blue lines taunting me. I wanted to write something to the Princess. I really did, but nothing was coming to mind. I sighed, and levitated the quill down.
So much for THAT letter... I thought, and trotted out of my quarters to see my sister, Lily Shadow, walking down the hall, her fiance at her side. I sighed. She was so pretty, a snow-white pelt with a bright-blue-and-black mane and tail, all accompanied by a pair of bright, emerald green eyes. her cutie mark was a white lily with multi-colored sparks between each petal.
No wonder the prince of Exmoor had fallen for her, as well as a number of other suitors, but father had chosen him over the others. He said that Exmoor would be a good ally if we ever needed one in a war. I sidestepped to make room for them as they walked by. Lily had been so oblivious to my bruises and depression because of her upcoming wedding that she hadn't even tried to talk to me about it.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Feather Note. I'm the Princess of a little-known kingdom in the Northern reaches or Equestria called Frostmare. Maybe you've heard of the Crystal Empire? Frostmare is just a few miles north of there.
Anyway, my coat is a turquoise, which neither of my parents or my sisters have, but I do have a black-and-white mane, which sorta makes sense with our genetics. My mother says my eyes look like bright blue sapphires, but I don't think they're that blue. My cutie mark is a single white quarter note, signifying that my special talent (and currently, my only joy in life) is music.
Anyway, I trotted down to the medical wing, where my mother was because of her unknown sickness. I cast my forcefield spell around myself as I did every time I went to visit her. It also masked my bruises and cuts from my father so she didn't worry. I saw her sleeping on her bed as I quietly walked in, pale blue-and-yellow mane scattered across her pillow, the doctor monitering her condition and jolting some things down. He flicked his brown ear in greeting to me.
"How is she?" I asked. the doctor turned to me, his amber eyes shimmering with sadness. I could already tell she was pretty bad by her raspy breathing and her white fur had a tint of red to it.
"I don't think she'll make it." he said. I lifted my hoof to my mouth, and tears sprang from my eyes. He touched my shoulder as my forcefield went down.
"I haven't told your father or sister, and I don't want you to tell them either, ok?" he said. I nodded, and chocked on my tears. I turned, and trotted out, tears trailing behind me as I began to gallop towards the exit of the castle.
Until I was stopped by a large, pale blue Alicorn stallion.
He stood before me, his bright blue-and-white mane beginning to become gray because of his stress with holding the entire kingdom together. With Lily's upcoming wedding, Mother being sick, and my twin sister Rain Flicker vanishing for six months, he's had to take over control of the kingdom.
Of course, all his pent-up stress and anger has to go somewhere, so he regularly beats me. At least once a day since Rain's dispersal. I timidly crouched and backed up frantically.
Not now. Anytime but now. I thought. Father used his magic as he always did to lift me up off the floor. I stared into his dark blue eyes. He looked passed me and trotted towards the door to the basement, levitating me next to him. I knew how this was going to end. He opened the door, and he threw me down the old, wooden stairs. I felt my head hit about three of them before I came to a stop, wings aching from the fall. I watched him unfurl his wings as the door closed behind him. I quickly stood, and began to try to slink backwards until I hit the wall. He smiled evilly, and levitated me once more.
"There's no escape now." he said, and brought me over to a steel table in the center of the room that I had never seen before. Father laid me down and I felt the cold, metal cuffs clamp around my hooves. I looked up at the ceiling. I didn't even want to know what kind of torture he had in store for me this time, but I was glad that Rain Flicker, wasn't here. Surely she would be experiencing the same fate as I was now.
"Today, I think we're gonna try something different." I heard father say as her wrapped an apron around himself to protect his frosty blue fur. He turned around, and I saw he held a pair of tweezers in his right hoof.
"Let me see your wings." he said, and I reluctantly unfurled them. he levitated some duct tape, and taped them in place. I soon felt the pain of every single one of my primary feathers being pulled out.
Or at least most of them. He had left a few so I could still sorta fly.
Anyway, with each feather he pulled, I would cringe in pain, until I saw his disapproving face. He set the tweezers down and punched me in the eye.
Not like I needed that or anything... I thought sternly.
"Scream." he said. I stared up at him, feeling something spark inside.
Maybe I was feeling a bit rebellious today, I don't know, but I made the worst decision I had made that day.
"No." I said. he untapped my wings and let me go. I stood in front of him, ready to fight for my freedom. He ran at me, catching me enough off guard to knock me over. He sat on top of me, and continually punched me in the face and chest. I weakly lifted my right hoof, and blocked his punch.
"Let me go!" I screamed, and used the last bit of my strength to push the large Alicorn off of me. I made a run for the exit, and opened up the door frantically. I slammed it and stared at my reflection in the crystal-like floor. My right eye was black, blood dripped from my nose, making it difficult to see anything, and a few new bruises had appeared on my face. My black-and-white mane was stained with blood, which I hoped to be his, not mine. I sighed. I knew I was way to weak to even try the illusion spell for my injuries as I have before, so I just trotted back to my quarters and sat at my desk.
I'll deal with my other injuries later, lets just start with my nose at the moment.I thought, and levitated a box of tissues over to where I sat. I pressed a few against my muzzle with my left hoof, levitated my red quill, and got back to writing my letter to the Princess
Ember Catcher trotted down the castle hallway, headphones in, listening to music. He was known around the kingdom not only for his musical talent, but how he could just spend hours playing and listening to music. Ember was stopped by a pale orange pegasus guard galloping in front of him. The guard paused, bowed, and Ember pulled his headphones out.
"Your highness, I regret to inform you that your parents and Talon Strike are dead." the guard said, and rose from his bow. Ember felt his jaw drop. His parents, Sandstorm and Fire Blitz, were the rulers of his kingdom, Dartmoor. His older brother was Talon Strike. He was the only pony Ember had ever had to even look up to.
"What happened?" Ember asked, straining to keep his tears back.
"I think you might want to just see for yourself." The guard said, and turned around. Ember followed him, dreading what could be awaiting him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
When Ember and the guard arrived at the scene, it was lined with police officers and caution tape. He trotted up to the police chief, Silver Star.
"What happened?" he asked, and the pale gray unicorn turned his head, amber eyes glittering with grief.
"Nopony knows. Some say they saw a Pegasus whip up a sandstorm and murder them with a knife, others say it was an unicorn's doing." he said. Ember looked past Silver to see a few other unicorns crowded around a small sand pile. One, a black mare with a orange mane and tail, levitated a small golden tiara. In the center was a ruby. Ember felt a tear stream down his cheek. That had been his mother's tiara. Silver touched Ember gently.
"I'm sorry, your highness." he said, and the black unicorn trotted up to him, levitating the tiara.
"Thank you, Night Whisper." Ember chocked, taking the tiara from the mare. She nodded and walked off to finish investigating the crime scene. Ember held the golden tiara in his sandy-colored hoof. He put it on his head and turned around, head down, and walked away. He began to trot, and then galloped away.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
When Ember figured he was far enough away, he spread his wings and flew into the sky. He sat on a nearby cloud and took the tiara off his head.
Mother...Father...Talon... he thought, and saw his tears land in the cloud. He laid down, crossed his hooves and began to cry.
Of course, this caused the first rain that Dartmoor had seen in six months.
Ember cried like this, holding the tiara in one hoof, until he felt the gentle touch of another Pegasus on his shoulder. He looked up, expecting to see a guard, but instead saw a cerulean Pegasus mare with a hooded cape covering her face, mane, and cutie mark.
"Wh-who are you?" he asked.
"Me? Oh, I'm just a traveler. A trader. I come from a faraway place called Cloudsdale, and I was on my way to the castle of Dartmoor until I saw you here. I'm assuming you're the prince, Ember Catcher?" she said. He nodded.
"I-I'm up here because my parents and brother just...just died this morning." Ember said, and looked at the tiara once more.
"I know how you feel. My best friend...my best friend died a few months ago. She was all I ever had going for me. she was all I ever had..." the mare paused, and lifted her head, making her hood fall back enough so that he could see a pair of rosy red eyes.
"She-she was killed by a falling rock. I miss her so much..." she sobbed, and a tear slid down her cheek. She lowered her head, used a hoof to re-position her hood, and let her wings out.
"Before you go...can I have your name?" Ember asked, knowing the mare probably had to leave.
"They call me Dash. I'll be seein' you around, Ember." she said, and Ember watched her fly off into the sunset.
