"The Bravest Filly"
Hidden behind the glory and ever beautiful Cloudsdale is a mountain range that encircles a pit of lava. From that pit rises a peak small and hallow, there lays the Dragon King. His scales are ever bleeding metal shards; they scrape and rip at his underlying flesh. His claws are twisted and bound by the gold he nests in, alone he waits for his next meal. He was forced into the cavern long ago by the Pegasus ponies, bound by the magic of Celestia and her sister Luna, but ever so often the magic wears and he is free. When the magic wears he is fed, to keep him occupied a young Pegasus is thrown into the pit with him, they should be young enough to not have lived life to not have known what joy could be.
It is said that each century a filly is picked by the strength in its heart, it takes so much strength just to die.
The clouds that make up Cloudsdale are gray, the spells on the cavern are starting to give out and the smoke from the sleeping dragon seeps through the cracks. The high counsel calls fourth the fillies and their parents. Every pony knows, but no tears are shed. A small yellow pony leads her parents to the town square, her head is high and she is proud. She was the first to learn to fly in her class today, she was given a badge to show her accomplishment to the world. Her parents hooves fall flat, they know what this means, but they hold their tongues, and follow her. Her father smiles at her nudging her small wings, the small pony turns and smiles so brightly back at him, it breaks his heart. He holds his tears until she turns away and gallops faster to reach her school mates who are already lined up, her white mane making her stick out amongst the crowd.
"You don't know that they will take her." His wife consoles him, trying to hide her own fear.
"Why wouldn't they?" He grinds his teeth as the tears start to fall.
"You don't know." She lies, and sobs into his neck.
A tall colt comes to the center of the square, and his presence silences the crowd. He looks and waits, in the front with her friends the small yellow pony smiles at him. His voice then echoes sternly, "Fillies and Gentle colts, we had hoped this year, would not be the year that one of our own would fall pray to the ways of the past. We have wished that for every year." His eyes fell sullen and his voice faded, "But the time has come. We ask that the parents of this years filly… forgive us." He stepped forward, and smiled at the yellow filly who had not sunken back to her parents as the other fillies did. She how ever stepped forward wanting to know more. The colt stooped down to her level and asked, "Why… What is your name?" His voice caught, he wanted so badly for her just to run.
run.
"My name is Angel ." She said, her voice perked as she said her own name.
"Angel ," The colt repeated, his eyes drifting away as he stood up to his normal height, "are you brave?" He didn't want her to answer, he wanted her to say no, to just run away, or stay silent. Just don't answer.
"Of course I'm brave! And I'm fast too! Look I even got a medal!" She smiled brightly as she showed off to him.
He cringed as he heard her say that, but his voice took over as if it were its own pony, "That is a very pretty medal. It seems you are quite special. And for being so special we have a surprise for you and your parents. Go fetch them and follow me."
She did as she was told. She galloped to her parents and pulled them forward. They followed her in a slow silence, knowing exactly what was to come.
The tall colt nodded and opened his wings, her parents did the same. Angel saw them and quickly mimicked them. She started to flap but could only get a few inches off the cloud. She fell to her hooves angry at her self. Her father held her close to him, lifting her off the ground. His wings were twice the size of her body, and she closely examined them as they took wind and sky beneath them. It was strange to her, how powerful these light feathers could be.
Around her the clouds were changing, darkening and making it seem like the night had come with out any moon or stars. She wondered where it was they were going, and why her surprise was so far away. She cuddled into her father's chest and peered over at her mother, she had not said a word this whole time, nor had her father, or the colt that was leading them. It was strange, but Angel kept quiet. She wanted to ask her mother what was wrong for she did not look at Angel only ahead, her eyes seemed dull and empty. Angel reached her hoof and whispered, "Momma?"
Her mother turned her eyes still empty. She flew closer to Angel , touching her hoof to her face. Why was she so worried?
The colt leading them finally started to descend and so they followed, soon the clouds cleared and were once again white as snow. Angel was happy to finally stretch her hooves, and she pranced around her father smiling. The older ponies began to walk forward to a long bridge that connected the clouds and a mountain. Angel had never been on a mountain or seen one in real life, other than her school books. She hurried across to reach the strange new thing. When she finally set hoof on ground she stopped. It was cold and rough, she turned to tell her parents to hurry they could feel it as well. But the clouds covered her view of the bridge. She was alone. She retraced her exact steps backwards trying to feel for the bridge but she could only feel the mountain edge, and the clouds would not support her.
She grew worried and ran along the edge calling for her parents, for any one. "Momma, Momma? Daddy. Help me! Please Daddy! MOMMA! Momma."
But no one could hear her. She ran back and for trying to find any clearing in the clouds any way back. Angel ran until her hooves bled, she couldn't find them. She wanted them back. She tripped over a large rock twisting her hoof, she cried. She waited for it to stop hurting so that she could continue on. She was unsure where she was. There were no rocks when she first got here, and now they were all over the place. She stumbled on to her hooves, holding the injured one close to her body. "Hello?" She called, unsure if she really wanted a response. She kept walking forward, it was getting warmer, maybe the sun was on the other side and she could find a pony that knew how to get back home.
She was tired already, and it was only getting hotter. She had seen the peek of the mountain and behind it was a light. She knew the sun set and it hadn't moved in a really long time, but she had to see what the light was. She climbed slowly, her hooves were odd numbered and she was starting to become weak. Each time her hoof touched a rock closer to the top it got hotter, the last few became painful to the touch so she was quick to let go and move on. She wanted to just give up and fall asleep, but something kept making her go on. Her hooves finally reached solid ground and she could finally see what the light was coming from. There below her was a red bubbling liquid that moved and caught fire, she was unsure what it was, but she knew she never wanted to touch it.
But there in the middle of the red liquid there was a smaller mountain, and it was breathing smoke. She wondered why all the smoke came out from that one mountain.
She looked at her surroundings; all she could see were more mountains, and clouds of smoke. A sudden thought crossed her mind, why would they bring her here?
Then she saw it, a small house on the edge of the mountain that she stood on. Did someone live here? She galloped over, and knocked on the door. She began to fear who it was that would answer the door, in Cloudsdale she knew every pony and no door was scary. But here on this big mountain, what kind of pony would live here? She jumped a little and wanted to run away when she heard the door knob turn. Behind the door stood a pony under a dark hood, its eyes were a solid red. Angel stood silent, unsure of what to do.
"I'm sorry," Her small voice cracked, "my name is Angel , and I was brought here for my surprise with my parents. But when I got here I lost them and now I don't know what to do. Could you help me?"
The pony loomed over her, it grinned and twisted its head. "You are a brave pony. Such a BRAVE pony. ANE gel." Its voice scratched at her ears, she wanted to run. "Ane GEL." It repeated, its eyes widening. Her hooves started to shake, but she couldn't move them. "ANGEL !" It raised its hooves and landed on her dragging her body into the small house.
It was dark inside the house, but she could hear other ponies moving and talking in whispers. "All brave ponies come from Cloudsdale! But YOU are especially brave." She was shoved to the ground her hoof seared in pain as she fell. "Ane GEL!" She couldn't move. She wanted to get away. "You're such a brave pony, and now you get to be fed to a dragon. No one likes the brave pony, so they feed her to the dragon." Angel 's eyes widened, she wanted it to be a lie, but the way it was said, it was true.
"Dragon can't escape if it has a brave pony to fight, and eat." She could feel who ever was talking breathe into her ear as they finished their sentence.
"She has to fight, no one is fighting for her." A girls voice rang high above the others, she laughed as she stepped closer to Angel , pulling on her wings, "Not even her Mommy and Daddy will come to fight for her life. They let her come so easily, hell they let her get here on her own, seems they were ready enough to let her DIE."
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Angel screamed, she forced herself up and faced the pony that said that. "That's not true, my Daddy loves me. And my Mommy would do anything for me! They won't let me die!"
"Then why aren't they here?" The pony was fast to reply, and didn't flinch as she kept on, "Did they ever tell who ever brought you here, 'no'? Did they EVER tell you they loved you, that they were sorry? No. I'm sure they just flew here, silent. Because they couldn't contain the happiness in their voices if they spoke. They want to get rid of the bravest filly. You're their child, and they brought you here, to die."
"No." Angel didn't want to hear it, it wasn't true. It couldn't be.
"You're here because of how brave and proud you are." The pony with the red eyes knelt to meet Angel 's face. "Fear would have saved you. Now nothing can."
Angel felt her tail being pulled, and her body was pushed to the ground. "Time's run out for you." An indistinct voice called. Angel tried to fight them off but she was pulled into the air and couldn't move with out hurting herself.
They opened the door and she could only see the floor beneath her, the stone of the mountain, and then the edge. She gulped as it vanished. The heat over took her, and she couldn't keep her eyes open. They were over the boiling red stuff. She heard one of them say, "It's weak enough right in front, just toss her. He only needs one."
Angel started to quiver, she wanted to cry. She wanted to just wake up from this nightmare.
She could hardly breathe as they flew through the smoke that rose up. She felt them pull her back quickly then they tossed her forward into the smoke. She screamed trying to cling to anything, her small wings wouldn't open, and she couldn't do anything but fall. Her back cracked when she hit the ground, a small sharp cry left her. She was crying in the place she landed, she no longer cared if she died or what happened. She was still fighting the words of the ponies, her parents loved her. They had to. But if they did, why was she here? She curled up, and let out a whimper, "momma?"
She woke up a while later. She wasn't sure of the time, but she knew that she was hungry and still tired. She pushed her self up, hoping to find something good in the shadows. She felt something cold and smooth on the bottom of her hoof, she looked down and found a small gold coin. She was confused. She looked around and saw the pile of gold and treasures of all kinds. It seemed to form into something bigger and rusted. She walked up the pile of gold, slipping every now and then. As she reached the top she saw the form, a giant pair of wings stuck to the body of the rusted metal dragon, its tale winded down the pile like a giant snake. Its head rested upon its molten claws, it was asleep, but stirring ever so softly. Angel stepped back shaking, she couldn't feel her body. Her foot slipped and slid down the coins, she fell down all the way back down to the base of the cave. She held her breath, hoping the dragon didn't hear her.
It did.
Its eyes opened, and dilated. The pupils formed into slits of black in the pool of golden amber. It quickly searched around, looking for what ever made the noise. It peered down and saw her, it glared and opened its mouth. It seemed to be oozing melted gold. It pulled it's self up each metal scale ripping at the other, it roared letting out a giant stream of flame and sound. Angel ran and hid along the corner of the cave.
"Why did I have to go up there?" She asked her self, "It could have slept all this time and I could have left some how."
Then the voice rang in her head, fear would have saved you.
She hung her head.
The dragon shook the cave as it stepped forward, it got to the edge of the cave ignoring all that surrounded it, it roared and blew flames towards the sky. They were stopped as an invisible force of magic held them in. At the edge of the cave was a small opening. Where the smoke got threw, she watched it seemed to shrink ever so slightly. It was closing. She couldn't catch her breath, if she had just left everything alone. Had she stayed down, the dragon would have been asleep, the portal would have closed and she could have escaped. She screamed out in anger, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to die, she was so stupid. Why was she brave? Why? Her bravery made her parents let her die, it let all of Cloudsdale turn on her and let her die. They fed her to this dragon and now all she had to do was wait and die.
She turned to see where the dragon was, it had brought its head back down to the cave ground and was staring down at the pool of red liquid. She wondered what was wrong with him. How long had he been here? She walked softly towards him, he saw her and did nothing more than look up at the opening and sigh out a cloud of smoke. She wondered how something so powerful could be contained here, why wasn't he fighting to get out? She got closer to him and asked, "Are you ok?"
She wondered if dragons could talk, and if he could understand her.
"Um, Mr. Dragon?" She asked her voice finding a comfortable range in an almost whisper.
He turned his head and looked down at her, "Leave while you can, and never go back. If they know that you came and didn't die, they'll kill you and throw the body back in here." His words were harsh and almost emotionless.
"Why are you here?" She had to know.
"Because Cloudsdale wants ponies to think that they are the bravest, when in fact they fear being too brave because they'll get fed to me. They use me to control you. And I sit here alone. They throw you guys in right as the portal is closing just so that I can't escape, and they can use me as long as they want." His words were recited, this wasn't the first time he had been asked or talked to.
"Does every pony leave?" She asked, he seemed more hurt by being alone than just being there, she wondered if they kept him company for a little bit.
He stopped in his tracks, "One did, I got to watch her grow up, and die. Her body smelled so bad so I threw it in the lava."
Angel sank into her self.
He climbed back onto his pile and closed his eyes, "You will stay here for a while, and then when you can fly you can leave. It looks like it's closing fast, but you will learn fast enough."
"What was her name?" Angel asked.
"That's not what you need to be learning." He snorted out rings of flame.
"I'll practice and leave sooner if you tell me!" She pressed on.
"Her name was Fluttershy. Now go flutter and shut up." He closed his eyes.
Angel smiled and opened her small wings, she flapped them with enough force to lift her small body off the ground. But she was weak, she could only keep herself up for a few seconds. "Umm, is there any, umm… food?"
"Learn to fly, and you can find your own food out there!" He turned his body and faced the wall. She climbed back up the mountain of gold and on top of him. He growled. "Get the buck off of me. I'm letting you so you can escape, but I will not stop to eat you in a second."
"I want to know about her." She said as she climbed down to his snout.
"I'm warning you filly." He glared at her.
"Please, you just woke up from a 100 year sleep, can't you just tell me? You're going to dream about it anyway." She said bouncing on his snout.
"I told you already! I watched her grow up, I fell in love with her! She died and I watched her die. I couldn't let go of her, I couldn't just let her die, but she wouldn't wake up. She wouldn't." His eyes wouldn't meet hers, "LEAVE!" He roared, "Leave and be free, just… go."
Angel knew she had pushed too far. She slid back down the pile and let him sleep. She tried once again with her wings, but she couldn't do more than get a few inches off the ground then fall flat. She tried and tried again until her wings wouldn't open any more. She was tired and weak, she walked back up the gold mountain and nestled in-between his tale and the wall of the cave. She was asleep before she got comfortable.
She dreamt of the past, her mother and father how they smiled at her, but today they didn't even look at her. Her class mates would be flying soon, she should be too, her wings twitched thinking of the day in class when she finally got off the ground and zoomed past them all one of them raced along side her but then she passed Angel and Angel had to stop and cheer her on. In the dream she couldn't see who it was, just a small rainbow flew past her.
Rainbow.
Another dream sprouted like a faded memory, but it wasn't hers. She was in the cave, and she was watching the entrance. A small green filly falls in just like she did, she is scared and looks around. Angel feels her self move, she looks up to where the pony slid in, a fire explodes from her mouth and is blocked. The smoke seeps through the closing of the magic; she could see the face of the ponies from before looking down at her, just watching her. She tries to grab them but is stung by the magic. The memory fades and blacks out. Then the cave walls fill in and she sees the same green pony pressing her self against the magic barrier, she can't escape. It's too late. She drops to the ground and cries. Then the filly grows a bit larger, and tries again, she tries so much her wings have burnt to the last of the feathers. The green pony now walks along the pile of gold and smiles up at Angel, she says something and it makes Angel feel happy. The pony talks and watches Angel talk, she is listening. Then she curls up and is asleep. The dream shakes and Angel can only feel fear, the green pony's mane has gone gray, she isn't waking up, no matter what Angel does. The words try to leave her mouth, but they won't come. She tries to scream, nothing happens. She wants to wake up, she wants to leave the dream. Why won't she wake up?
Angel's eyes open and the dragon is watching her, he knows what she saw.
She crawls up from under his tail, and back to the ground, she can finally see the sky, it is clear and sunny. She yearns to touch the sky, to feel the wind and to be free. She opens her wings and looks deep into the clouds that loom over head, just one touch. Her wings flap and she is lifted off the ground, she gets closer to them, if she keeps going she can touch them, she can. But he can't. Angel looks back at him, he is looking past her, to the sky. She drops back to the ground. She won't leave with out him. But then something catches her eye, some one was coming back. She hid behind the cave wall, watching them. She couldn't hear them, but knew they were talking. Laughing. When they were right above her, she hear them, "Let him have the whole family." Then something fell past her. It landed with a disgusting crack. She looked down at what they had thrown. It was an odd color, and it seemed twisted. She didn't understand what they meant by family. She peered out and saw that they were gone, she flew back down to what was tossed down. It was a bag, she tore it open with her mouth and pulled on what was inside. She screamed finally realizing that it was two ponies, they were killed and thrown down here. She couldn't look away, then she could see past the blood, a simple word left her mouth, "Momma?"
She screamed and flew back up to the edge of magic, she flew above but turned back to see the dragon one more time. He picked up the bag and tossed it into the thing he called lava. His eyes met hers and his wings spread open, he roared and fire split through the opening. It was too late for him, she had hopped that some how it wouldn't be. She heard some pony yell, "You were supposed to DIE!" She turned and flew straight into the pony with red eyes.
"NO!" She bit into the pony's neck feeling the windpipe break. She roared she couldn't feel anything but hate and anger. The other ponies ran out and saw her, they backed up in fear, then one of them charged at her. "You'll die because you're brave!" She called, bucking her head into his chest. He fell over and she jumped on him stomping on to his stomach feeling his insides pop under each blow. She charged at another pony that held a shard of glass in his mouth, she didn't care if she died, just as long as they died first. She knocked her head into his chin feeling the glass break and his blood started to drip onto her mane. She took the shard and ran past him hearing him start to choke on his own blood.
The last pony stood proud and tall, her voice called to Angel, "Have a nice chat with Mommy and Daddy. Did they tell you they loved you this time?" Angel felt her body go numb as she ran forward, she turned to the left of the pony and grabbed hold of its wing ripping it off clean. The pony screamed then turned to Angel, blood pouring out the side of her body. Angel ran at the pony with the wing still in her mouth she turned the bone upward stabbing the pony in the eye, forcing it through bone and into the brain.
Angel dropped to the ground panting. Her wings took her up to the sky, she found herself later washing her hooves and body. The water around her turned red and dark with blood. She started crying. If she had only been quiet her parents would still be alive. She walked out of the water; she didn't want to be in that world any more. She had to look once more, to make sure no blood stayed. Her main was now stained pink, it wouldn't wash off. She new it was for the best, now she could go home. It was the only place she knew. She needed a new life, a new world away from all of this.
She flew up wards and found herself surrounded by all the same ponies; she had just left a few days ago. One small blue filly ran around the corner into her, the filly's hair was rainbow in color, Angle's eyes widened. She was the one that ran past her. "OH! I'm so sorry!" The filly cried, picking her up. "Are you alright? Your hoof seems hurt."
"Oh… um I fell a few days ago, but I'm ok." Angel's voice wouldn't go above a whisper, what if someone remembered it?
"I'm Rainbow Dash! What's your name? I've never seen you around here before." Her voice was loud, and she seemed newly blossomed.
"I'm… Fluttershy."