Judgment Day

Rainbow Dash opened her tired eyes slowly, and the dull glow of the cave filled her vision. She stretched out and yawned before getting to her hooves, dusting herself off as she did.

“Hey, sleepy,” a familiar voice called.

Rainbow wheeled around to find Spitfire grinning softly. “Oh, hey, Spitfire. Where’s everypony else?”

Spitfire shrugged. “They haven’t come back yet. “ She calmly strolled beside Rainbow.

Rainbow examined her surroundings again. “Wait… where’s Swordpoint?”

Spitfire chuckled to herself. “He went on a little walk. You should go look for him while we wait for the others to get back.” She pointed her hoof deeper into the cave.

Rainbow blushed a little, and she hastily tried to hide it from Spitfire. Spitfire simply pretended not to notice. Smiling sheepishly, Rainbow thanked her and walked off in search of Swordpoint. Spitfire laughed quietly and shook her head.

The dim glow of the walls only provided Rainbow with a small amount of light. Though her eyes were adjusted to the low light, she still found herself squinting to see in front of her. She felt a dull throbbing in her wings, but she ignored it.

“I wonder where we are, anyway…” Rainbow mused aloud. “Maybe we’re near the Crystal Empire. I don’t know how far north it is, but we did go a long way. Heh, that would be great.” Rainbow suddenly bumped into something and heard a loud gasp. Looking ahead, she was greeted by Swordpoint staring back at her with wide eyes. Rainbow smiled.

“Oh,” he sighed, “it’s you.” He turned his head away.

Rainbow’s smile began to falter. “Yep, it’s me. What are you doing way down here?”

Swordpoint kept his back to her. “Walking.”

Rainbow raised her eyebrows. “Uh-huh… Look, I just want to talk.”

“Well I don’t.”

Rainbow put her hoof on his back, frowning. “Why not?”

Swordpoint refused to answer, jerking away from her touch and walking further into the cave. Rainbow was not so easily discouraged, and she swiftly trotted after him.

“C’mon, why are you acting this way?!”

He remained silent, his walk becoming a trot. Rainbow kept up with him easily, slowly getting angrier.

“What’s wrong with you?! You saved my life! You put yourself in danger for me!”

Swordpoint’s trot became a gallop. Rainbow Dash was not ready to let him go, however. She galloped after him.

“Leave me be!” he shouted.

“No! I have to talk to you! This friendship stuff might be new to you, but I know you’re starting to figure it out!”

Swordpoint sighed and slowed down. He turned his face to Rainbow, who came to a skidding halt in front of him. Rainbow was taken aback by the anger in his face.

“You couldn’t possibly understand. I’ve lived my entire life with purpose. And now, I learn of this… friendship.” He dropped his gaze. “You want to know the truth? I don’t want friendship. I can’t. When this is over, I’ll simply return to my life in Ponynesia, serving Mistress Omnia. It will have meant nothing. So I’ll thank you to stop this nonsense talk and leave me alone.”

Rainbow Dash felt as though she’d just been bucked in the gut. She wanted to yell and scream. She wanted to tell him off. But still, something told her to stay calm.

“Look, Swordpoint,” she began shakily, “I’m not even gonna pretend to understand what you’ve been through, but how can you say that friendship isn’t worth it?” She reached out her hoof for him. “How can you not want to be happy?”

“You will never relent, will you?” Swordpoint shot her a spiteful stare.

“No, I won’t. Because I really like you, Swordpoint. You’re a real mule sometimes, but you’re a good pony at heart. And, uh… you don’t look half bad.” Rainbow blushed at this.

Swordpoint raised his eyebrow. “You like me? What do you mean?”

Rainbow sighed. “Well, I enjoy being around you. Even though you can be real thick sometimes.”

Swordpoint laughed. “Ha. You call me thick, yet you know nothing of my past. If placed in my situation, you would surely do the same.” Swordpoint spun around and walked deeper into the cave.

Rainbow followed him again. “I’m not letting you get away. Sooner or later you’re gonna realize what an idiot you’ve been. And when you do, we’ll be waiting… I’ll be waiting… to be your friend.”

Swordpoint spun around, snarling. “Leave me alone. Now. I don’t care what you and your daft friends think of me. I have my orders, and I will see to them. And once they have been carried out, I will return to Ponynesia to receive more orders. You have no place in my life, and you certainly have none in my heart.”

Rainbow Dash stood still. His words stung her, but she didn’t want to argue with him. She tried to speak, but she found that she couldn’t say anything. Defeated, she hung her head and began to walk back in the direction of the others. She snuck a look back at Swordpoint and found him still staring at her with the same snarl. She quickly turned her head and began to trot.

Swordpoint watched her leave in silence. When she was gone, he dropped his snarl and headed further into the cave. Perhaps I was too harsh…? She surely did not deserve that. But still, I cannot allow myself to accept this friendship. I will never experience it again in my homeland, and… His thoughts trailed off.

As he trudged further into the cave, he noticed something sparkling on the ground. He bent down to examine it, and much to his surprise, he discovered that it was a diamond. “Hm? A gem?”

Looking around, he noticed that the walls were dotted with gems. The glow coming from the walls was dimmer than before, as well. He shook his head and continued to walk deeper.

The gems were becoming more abundant, now. The walls were literally coated with them. It was becoming too dark to see effectively, however, so he stopped. “These gems…” Swordpoint began to recollect, and was soon lost deep in thought.

--
Swordpoint stood at attention. Princess Omnia had summoned the royal guardians to the throne room for an important message, but she had not yet arrived. The black room was very dark and cold, with the only light coming from several torches on the stone pillars lining the central walkway. There were no windows. The Princess’ throne was also black, and it was adorned with two snakes eating each other.

“Attention, subjects!” a loud voice called. Swordpoint saluted at once. The Princess entered the room from a side door near the throne. Her dark grey coat did not sparkle, and her black and white mane did not flow. “I have called you here today to give you new orders.”

Princess Omnia used her magic to conjure a holographic image of a cave lined with gemstones. “Many caves like this exist throughout Ponynesia. A marvelous sight, truly.” The corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. “I want these gems. You will have the peasants mine them at once. And I do mean all of them. I want every single cave mined dry.”

The door to the throne room burst open, and a green unicorn trotted inside. “Please, your highness!” she shouted. “Don’t force us into the caves! Many of them are homes for dragons! We’ll be eaten alive!”

The Princess’ face filled with rage. “GUARDS! Teach this whelp the punishment for insolence!”

Swordpoint stepped forward at once, his face still solemn. Brandishing a whip, he struck the unicorn. She howled in pain and begged him to stop, but he did not listen. He cracked the whip on her back once more. She pleaded with him, but he continued to ignore her. Again and again he whipped her, tearing open her flesh and drawing fresh blood.

At last, the Princess spoke up. “That is enough.” She trotted down the steps to where the unicorn lied. Omnia picked up the unicorn’s face with her hoof and turned it toward her. “You will do as I say, or you will find that there are far worse ways to die than by a dragon.” Omnia let go of her face, and the unicorn’s head dropped to the ground with a thump. “Perhaps now the cur has learned not to intrude so boldly into my throne room with her petty concerns. Take her to the dungeon!” She casually trotted back to her throne and sat down.

Swordpoint put the now bloody whip away and walked to where the unicorn lied. He motioned to another royal guardian, who came to him. Together, they each wrapped one of the unicorn’s forehooves around their necks and walked up the stairs toward the throne. Before they reached it, however, they turned left toward a dark corridor. Passing through the threshold, Swordpoint nodded his head. The other guardian illuminated his horn, revealing dark prison cells. The odor of rot and decay was pungent.

“Why…” the unicorn choked, “why do you listen to her? This kingdom was great, once … before she took over.” She coughed.

They stopped abruptly. Swordpoint’s companion used his magic to open the cell in front of them, and they threw the unicorn inside. She fell to the ground with a loud thunk. Surrounding her were the skeletons of the cell’s previous inhabitants. The guard used his magic to close the cell, and the two of them began trotting back in the direction of the throne room. Neither pony said a word.

When they returned to the throne room, they rejoined the other royal guardians. Omnia stared at them. “Ah, well done.” Her red eyes seemed piercing, as if she could see into their very souls. “Now, you are to travel to the town of Manesylvania. Give the citizens their orders and see to it that they follow them. Execute all who refuse.”

The guardians all bowed. “Yes, your highness,” they replied in unison.

“Excellent,” she said. “You have your orders. See to them.” She stood and walked toward the dungeon. Her sickle cutie mark shone eerily in the light. Her face held a twisted smile.

Swordpoint nodded to his fellow guardians, and they hastily left the throne room. The castle’s entrance was slightly better lit, although it was still colored black. A twisted chandelier hung above them, adorned with snakes and crows.

A loud scream came from the direction of the dungeon. Swordpoint ignored it and walked to the large double doors. One of the unicorn guardians opened them with his magic, and the guardians trotted outside.

There were about twenty royal guardians, with a diverse mix of unicorns and pegasi. Not a single one was an earth pony. As they stepped outside into the dark, gloomy day, the unicorns concentrated their magic. Together, their black aura enveloped all of the guardians. When they cast their spell, the guardians disappeared.

Swordpoint kept his eyes closed until he felt solid ground beneath his hooves. He opened his eyes to the sight of the small town of Manesylvania. The town itself was very small, with no more than twenty buildings. At the edge of the town stood a large forest. Brandishing his lance, Swordpoint motioned for the others to follow him and began trotting down the street to the town square.

“Citizens of Manesylvania!” Swordpoint shouted. “We bring orders from her highness, Princess Omnia!” Many of the townsponies shivered at the mention of her name. “You are to be put to work mining gems from the many caves around the land. Everypony will work, or you will die.”

“But, sir!” a pegasus filly called, “What about us? We aren’t strong enough for that kind of work!”

Swordpoint nodded to one of his fellow guardians, who drew his lance and approached the filly. Her eyes filled with fear as the unicorn raised his lance. He brought it down upon her, stabbing her chest. The filly screamed, but the unicorn withdrew the lance and stabbed her once more. She fell silent, a red pool forming around her. She was no longer breathing.

“Are there any more complaints?” Swordpoint growled. The scared townsponies were silent. “Good. Get to work.”

Swordpoint nodded to the other guardians. They gathered the citizens and led them in the direction of the mountains, where countless caves filled with jewels awaited.

The citizens were terrified and angry, but not a soul dared to speak out after seeing the fate of the filly who did. They walked beneath the dark, grey sky in silence. The lands around them were dry and withered. Few plants grew here, and frequent wildfires had ravaged the landscape. As a result, most of the countryside had become uninhabitable. The few patches of civilization were spread far apart, with the royal city of Equistopolis in the center of the kingdom.

They at last came to the mountains. “We’re here,” Swordpoint announced. “Two other groups of citizens and royal guardians will be joining us. For now, you will work in the cave where you are placed.” He motioned for the ponies to follow him. Those who were too slow to move received a blow to the head with the back of a lance. Swordpoint calmly entered a nearby cave. The inside was a dark brown, and there were gems visible on the walls. He ordered the unicorn townsfolk to illuminate their horns, and they begrudgingly obeyed.

They walked deeper into the cave until they could no longer see the entrance. “Alright. You will begin your work here. You will work your way deeper into the cave. Anypony caught stealing the gems will be executed. No exceptions.”

The ponies began to mine the gemstones. Every pony was forced to work, including the mares and fillies. Swordpoint kept a vigilant watch over the townsponies as they worked.

Several hours passed by, and the ponies had moved fairly far into the cave. Swordpoint was watching a mare dig a diamond cluster out of the wall. When she did so, she quickly glanced around before picking one up and tucking it into her dress. Swordpoint moved at once, swiftly trotting to where she stood. When he reached her, he raised his lance high. She saw him and screamed, swearing she had done nothing. Swordpoint brought his lance down, but before he hit her, there was a loud growling. He stopped.

“What was that?!” a pegasus shouted. He was shaking.

Swordpoint turned in the direction of the growling. “It can’t be…”

The growling came again, louder this time. Swordpoint dropped his lance. The ground began to shake. “Stay back!” Swordpoint yelled. “By order of the Princess Omnia! Return to your vile lair!”

There came a deafening roar as a massive, orange dragon came into the light of the unicorns’ horns. It reached out and grabbed the mare whom Swordpoint nearly executed. She shrieked loudly. The dragon prepared to clasp its powerful jaws on her. Swordpoint struggled to pick up his lance when he heard the sound of wings. A white pegasus zoomed past him and slammed into the dragon’s chest. It howled with fury and dropped the mare.

“Celia! Run!” the pegasus screamed. “Get Starlet and get to safety!” He wheeled around to face the dragon. “Everypony, run! I’ll hold it back the best that I can!”

A pink unicorn stepped forward. “Speedwing, are you crazy?! It’ll kill you!”

Speedwing jumped backwards as the dragon swiped its powerful claws at him. “Better me than those I love! Now go!”

The other ponies ran toward the cave entrance. Only Swordpoint remained, as even his fellow guardians had fled. The cave was dark in the absence of the unicorns, so Swordpoint channeled his magic into his wings. They began to glow brightly, illuminating the cavern again.

“You, there!” Swordpoint called. “Speedwing, was it?” He held his lance at the ready.

Speedwing gave Swordpoint a quick glance. “Yeah, what is it?! You gonna kill me for staying and fighting?!”

Swordpoint smirked. “Not at all. But if you intend to fight, you should be prepared.”

The dragon roared and breathed flame at Swordpoint. He hastily dodged, taking flight. As he flew into the air, he swiped his lance at the dragon. The tip bounced harmlessly off of the dragon’s hide.

“His scales are too thick!” Speedwing shouted. “You need to hit him in the underbelly!”

The dragon swiped its claws at Speedwing again, but he was too slow to avoid them. The dragon opened several small scratches on Speedwing’s back. “Guh!”

Swordpoint glanced at Speedwing. “Are you alright?”

Speedwing shook it off. “I’m fine.” He charged at the Dragon, managing to crash into its underbelly. It clenched its chest in pain, and Swordpoint charged it. He thrust his lance into its belly, drawing blood. The dragon shrieked and stood again. It swiped its hand at Swordpoint, and he was unable to move in time. The dragon grasped him tightly and began to squeeze.

“Augh!” he grunted as his armor began to snap. This beast means to crush me! I stand no chance! He tried to struggle, but he could not escape the dragon’s grip. Fearing the worst, he prepared himself for the end. He felt his bones begin to break. First, his hips snapped. The pain which flooded his body was immense. He felt as though his blood were made of needles. Next, he felt his ribs begin to break. The agony he experienced was unbearable. He grew weak and his vision blurred.

Speedwing heard the snapping sounds and acted quickly. He once again crashed into the dragon’s underside. Surprised, the dragon released its hold on Swordpoint. Speedwing raced through the air and carefully caught Swordpoint, placing him on the ground gently.

Swordpoint watched as Speedwing grabbed his lance and turned to the dragon. “Even though this pony has committed heinous acts, it is not my place to judge him, and it is not your place to take his life. I will not allow you to kill anypony anymore!”

The dragon screamed in defiance. It breathed flames at Speedwing, but he managed to fly out of the way. He drove the lance into the dragon’s neck and it let out a murderous roar. Blood poured from the wound. Speedwing set down on the ground and turned toward Swordpoint.

“Hm. Seems that you’re still alive. That is well. I—“ Speedwing stopped when he felt intense pain. Looking down, he saw that the dragon had pierced him with its claws. It retracted them quickly before falling to the ground, where it swiftly perished.

Speedwing collapsed. Swordpoint watched him writhe on the ground. “S-Speedwing… I have a… question for you.”

Speedwing gasped for breath. “And… w-what is… that?”

“Why did you… save me? And why did you protect those other ponies? It was not your duty to do these things.”

Through his gasping, Speedwing managed a smile. “There’s more… to life… than just a sense of duty. I have been blessed with love and friendship… and I have lived with morality and honor. All of these are dying in our land. If there is one thing I may request of you… please try to learn about them. This darkness has hung above our heads for too long.”

Swordpoint merely gazed at Speedwing. “But I don’t understand… what are these things?”

Speedwing tried to speak, but he simply winced. He closed his eyes and slowly slipped away, leaving Swordpoint to ponder the true meaning of his words. Swordpoint soon lost consciousness as well.

--
Swordpoint returned to his senses. The low green light of the cave filled his eyes again. Yes… that’s it. At last, everything clicked into place. Love and friendship… The values which bonded two ponies and brought happiness. “How could I have forgotten the wish of that pegasus? That was one year ago…” He at once felt remorse. “I have committed such unspeakable acts… all in the name of ‘duty.’ If I am to survive this… I shall never return to Ponynesia.” He looked at his hooves. “My hooves are stained with the blood of the innocent, and it is all due to my foolishness. And what’s more is that I’ve turned away the one pony who wanted to help me.” He sighed and began to walk back in the direction of the others.

“This feeling… this friendship… what manner of magic is it? Surely it is powerful. All my life, I have lived without guilt.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “Why now do I feel such remorse? I did all those things in the name of my duty, and never did I waver. But suddenly, I am overcome with feelings of guilt…” He stopped moving and looked up. “Perhaps… I shall accept Rainbow Dash’s friendship. I will be privileged to learn of the true nature of this magic from her.”