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.