Hello dear readers here Halsenbert once again with a new chapter of Moonbeam.
I hope the work will still give me time to update this story, I recently move to a new project at my work, o I´ll must certainly be really busy. However, I'll do my best to keep updating as sooner as possible.
LEEEEETS Begin!
Author's note: MLP does not belong to me, nor does its characters, characters and OC's of this story belong to their respective authors, the present story was made not for profit and with the sole purpose of entertaining.
Warning: The following story contains explicit violent and sexual content, so discretion of the reader is recommended.
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Moonbeam
Chapter 16 - A Place to Call Home.
The way back was a silent one, the princess of the night took Crisi with her magic and placed on her back while, behind her, the three guards flew almost at ground level.
Epsilon unlike Alcor and Merak, barely carved a few scratches on her armor, while the other two had some blows and cut into their bodies.
-Those things were really annoying, and they had a pretty hard skin- said the youngest of the three.
-They have scales Merak, their body was covered by them that's why there were so tough, It was some kind of an insect exoskeleton- Alcor replied.
-Well whatever they were, it was amazing what the princess did. The way she handled her weapon striking them so hard. Colt! That was awesome. It was just a piece of cake for her – exclaimed Merak as he swept and moved from side to side awkwardly mimicking the princess's earlier movements. He was, in fact, completely astonished by Luna's power – I mean, we had seen her fight before, both during the training and real combat, but I never had the time to stop to observe her in close interest, but...-
PLOP
-AUCH!, why did you do that Epsilon?!- complained to the male pony after receiving a blow from the mare's hoof right on the head.
-SHHH!- was rebuked by the female who placed her other hoof on her lips to emphasize.
Without saying anything else Epsilon turned her gaze and continued her flight at a prudent distance from the princess of the night. The captain of the Night Guard kept wondering how it was possible that her princess, who was one of the kindest creatures she had ever known, had been able to take the life of so many creatures without tempting her own heart.
In fact, at that very moment the princess didn't look like herself. It wasn't just her attitude. It was her body language too. Her movements and presence seemed to have changed in just an instant, even now she could feel residue from that strange presence in her. It was an awkward yet frightening feeling.
Merak looked at the Princess for a moment too, Luna was walking slow and calm, but he immediately understood Epsilon's concern, something had happened in that dungeon, something he and his brother would possibly never know, but a quick glance at the black fur mare reaffirmed his suspicion. Whatever they have done to the jade mane unicorn the princess was carrying on her back, had certainly triggered something inside their precious princess of the night.
Alcor, for his part, merely followed the group, but something caught his eye, the path they crossed was slightly different from the one they have arrived. They were certainly not coming back to Canterlot.
Siegfried took the creature lying on the ground among his fore hooves, the creature's limbs were tied and his snout gagged, the creature was still unconscious but alive.
-This one is also alive, there seems to be no marks of force, I suppose my brothers took care of taking them out of combat to avoid unnecessary killing. Although I don't know if I could say the same about the things that left that strange castle, many had blood marks in their mouths- when he didn't get any answer the stallion stood up and looked at the deity he was guarding.
Celestia kept her eyes fixed on the huge hive, Moments ago, witnessed hundreds of these creatures leave the site guided by what appeared to be a kind of pony-shaped insectoid queen and slightly taller than herself. The very moment Celestia saw the creature, she knew immediately that Zephora's words had been fulfilled, that creature has to be the same one behind her sister Luna and that simple thought give her some chills. Celestia and Siegfried had remained hidden in the bushes knowing perfectly that they two would not be capable to face such a great army.
Now, however, she lay motionless in her current position even knowing perfectly that those creatures had already retreated from the site. Celestia's hooves couldn't find the courage to move forward. It wasn't until the ruler felt the soft touch of another pony on her shoulder that she seemed to come out of her trance.
-Princess, are you all right?- asked the night knight, concern was reflected in Siegfried's voice.
-I'm OK Siegfried… I was just lost on my own thoughts, that's all… Come on, let's investigate this place before those things come back - without wasting more time, both of them went inside the abandoned hive. Neither was prepared for the scene they witnessed as they entered the main tunnel.
The place was full of corpses, the floor was dyed with blood from mutilated and partially devoured bodies, blood strewn on the walls and ceiling was all they could see, wherever they look, the metallic smell of blood assaulted their sense of smell.
-It's terrible what they did to them, at least that explains their bleeding snouts, they seem to devour each other… it's so disgusting- expressed the stallion examining one of the bodies - I really felt so much pity for them, no one deserves a fate like this- added Siegfried.
-It is true that the others seem to have devoured some of the bodies, but...- the princess paused as she looked at the bodies in detail -that itself doesn't seem to be the cause of their deaths-
Siegried approached the monarch to observe closely the heap of the corpses next to him.
-All the bodies appear to have been mutilated, impaled or pierced by some kind of sword, although, judging by the size of the wounds, the blade must have been of considerable size, such as...-
-A scythe - complement the guard.
-You said my sister was carrying a scythe. I'm sure Luna doesn't handle such weapons, she did not like long big weapons like my lance, but when I see this… I can tell that my sister must have taken Sombra's scythe without me noticing. I hear that some soldiers used to keep their enemy's favorite weapon as a war trophy or something- said Celestia.
-You mean it? Princess Luna is not that kind of pony, she wouldn't keep a war trophy- denied the stallion.
-I also find it hard to believe, but the most important thing now is that she and the others were here-
-Then… it means we're late- Siegfried's voice was about to break -Those things should have killed them, there's no way all four could escape from such a big army on their own-
-You're wrong…It looks like they found a way to pass through that mob- the princess said, looking in the direction of the entrance.
-How can you be so sure?-
-Look at the bodies- the princess added.
The stallion looked at the pile of corpses, Siegfried could see the cuts and bites, they were all scattered along the tunnel.
-I can see that they managed to kill hundreds, but I doubt they were able to escape from the rest or all those creatures would be dead too.
-If you look closely at them Siegfried, most of the corpses were fighting with their backs facing the entrance, meaning they were trying to prevent something or some pony from leaving the place- Celestia asserted.
Siegfried looked at the scene more carefully, some of the soldiers seemed to have been thrown at the walls, others had fallen by turning their backs on the entrance while others lay on their backs with their bowels exposed, but the marks on the floor indicated that the blow of the weapon had come from the other side of the entrance.
-Even though I understand your point princess, I'm sure they didn't come out of a fight like that without been seriously hurt-
-So we must go out and look for them immediately- mentioned the deity of the Sun as she looked at the ground -There are two pairs of four ponies blood hoof prints, which seem to be heading to the entrance, we can possibly follow the trail of blood, if they are injured it will be best to find them before that army does it- Princess Celestia added, spreading her wings and speeding out of the place followed by the night knight.
"I hope Luna is all right" thought the deity of the Sun fearful of what might have happened to her sister.
They flew several meters to the ground following the blood tracks.
-The hoof prints stop here- Siegfried said, looking at the around.
-It's a good sign- the princess replied, earning a strange look from the stallion -It means all four of them are strong enough to take flight.
-I understand, but that will complicate our search party. I don't think they will rise too high, after all the forest provides them with good protection. It will be more difficult for that army to find them, as long as they remained hidden inside the forest-.
-I know my sister, the only reason they would walk so far may be to force their pursuers to think they are heading straight ahead on it, but I'm sure if they took the flight without leaving the forest it means they changed their trajectory, possibly back to the old castle, it is the closest place Luna knows and if any of them get hurt, it is the most obvious place because it is equipped with medicines and first aid equipment.
-Princess where we're headed?- asks Alcor
- We placed some stars in the sky during our journey to the hive- the princess said, her voice lacked any kind of felling -As long as my sister doesn't lower the sun they'll be well hidden in plain sight. I'm using them to get back to the castle… there I would be able to take proper care of Chrysi's wounds- she added with a slight tone of sadness.
-And what about Siegfried, I am sure that he should have warned Princess Celestia of all this, if they come to us they will not find us- Epsilon added.
-My sister is smart enough not to attack the hive without a proper army. About Siegfried… it's best if we talk about whatever happened in my room back at Canterlot Castle as soon as I finish treating Crisi's wounds, is that clear Epsilon?- when the captain of the night guard notice the tone of her princess the mare gulped.
-O-Of course your Majesty- Epsilon replied, her companions simply shared a concerned gaze.
-Very well- finally said the indigo coated alicorn -The castle is not far away, we will get there very soon-.
-Epsilon...-
-It doesn't matter Alcor, I assumed she'd find out sooner or later-
-So you asked Siegfried to look for Princess Celestia?- questioned Merak using a quietly tone, hoping the princess wouldn't hear him.
-It would be more accurate to say that I force it, but yes I did it- the mare replied by keeping her good eye fixed on the princess in front of her.
They continued in silence until they finally spotted the castle in the distance. The last time the group was there was to bury their friend, and now they were arriving again at the place with their hooves covered on blood. They entered through the west wing of the castle where a guard received them completely stunned, Epsilon was grateful that the pony would retain himself from asking any questions, and let them in. They crossed several corridors until they reached the old bedroom of the night deity.
-Wait outside- was all the princess said before entering her chambers by closing the door behind herself.
-I'll stay here and take care of the princess. You should go and take bath… go get some good-looking- Epsilon said.
-It is not necessary Epsilon. We can be here too-
-I haven't been harmed during the fight, but you guys look pretty bad… so please take care of your wounds and washout all that blood- Epsilon said without turning to see them
-Okay, we won't be long- Alcor said, placing his hoof on Merak's shoulder.
As soon as the two brothers went out of her sight, the mare advanced to the nearest window in front of which hesitatedly dropped on her flanks, she was not sure how long she could have endured lying to her brothers. Epsilon place her hoof on her left side, grimacing for pain before removing it. She looked at her hoof for a few moments. The blood that dyed her fore hoof was fresh, not like the rest of the blood stains on her body and armor.
-It seems to lose sight of my left eye has affected me more than I thought- she said smiling -At least this time I didn't let any pony get the hit instead of me- the mare coughed up a little covering her mouth with her bloodied hoof.
The pain in her side intensified for a moment before calming down, however, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth made it clear her time was shortening even more now.
-It's fun Megres… to think that you sacrificed your life for me even though you were the only one you knew I didn't have time left... Fate can certainly be whimsical to some of us, but I'm not going to leave our princess when she needs us most. So, you'll have to wait a little longer to see me again- the mare said looking at the castle's back garden from the window. From there Epsilon could clearly distinguish the tombstone of her friend and sister -I promised to protect them and I will fulfill it, after all they are our family even if we do not share blood ties, they will always be the most precious thing to me-
A Celtic tune of a piano began to be heard as the night slowly began to cover the kingdom. The moon light started bathing her as her gaze went up in the night Skye.
-(The song is "In the land of Twilight" from "Yuki Kajiura")-
-…-
I will sing for crescent moon.
Dancing with my shining blades.
Smiling 'till the end comes soon.
In the land of twilight.
-...-
Epsilon started dancing taking out her two blades from under her wings. She closes her eyes while the melody increased its compass.
-...-
La, ra, la, ra, la, raaaa,
La... la, ra, raaaa,
La, la, ra, la, la, larala
-…-
La, ra, la, ra, la, raaaa,
La... la, ra, raaaa,
La, la, ra, la, la, larala
-…-
Epsilon opened her eyes looking at the garden once again.
-…-
In the land of twilight, under the moon,
We dance for the little ones,
dance around the garden, jump to the Moon
We sing with the castanets.
-…-
I will sing for crescent Moon.
Dancing with my shining blades.
Smiling 'till the end comes soon.
In the land of twilight.
-…-
I will be protecting you.
Guarding you in any way.
And my blades will kill for you.
Till my flame runs out.
-…-
Epsilon was dancing moving her hind legs in perfect rhythm. Her fore hooves controlling in perfect synchronization the movements of the silver blades. She spins, jumps and flips with grace.
-…-
I will be searching for you.
If the grim collects my soul.
I will be waiting here for you.
In the land of twilight.
-(Epsilon along with the Chorus)-
High and loud, the sound of the bell of the twilight… Ringing.
All alone, it rings and echoes in twilight… In your place.
-(Chorus)-
Now you are watching us from outside of the moon
Wanna be in our company
But you are lonely.
Dancing with no pony by your side
Runaway child, to your hiding place.
-(Epsilon)-
La, ra, la, ra, la, raaaa,
La... la, ra, laaaa,
La, la, ra, la, la, larala
-…-
I will sing for crescent Moon
Dancing with my shining blades
Smiling 'till the end comes soon
In the land of twilight.
-…-
I will be protecting you.
When the grim collects my soul.
I will be waiting here for you.
In the land of twilight.
-…-
La, ra, la, ra, la, raaaa,
La... la, ra, raaaa,
La, la, ra, la, la, larala
-…-
La, ra, la, ra, la, raaaa,
La... la, ra, raaaa,
La, la, ra, la, la, larala
-…-
Epsilon stop singing and dancing as the moonlight bathed her metallic blue fur and brought out her bloodied armor. She then proceeded to hide her blades once again before turning around and heading back at the gates of Princess Luna's bedchambers.
Celestia and Siegfried arrived at the castle without further complications. being greeted by the same guard who had received her sister, however, upon seeing the eldest of the monarchs he was unable restrain himself anymore and soon broke the silence.
-Your Majesty, I am so glad that you are here, I did not know what to do, I have no idea what happened, but... I... I just didn't know what to do and I think...- he said quickly and tripped the words because of how nervous he already was.
-Calm down please- the princess told him, gently placing her wings on the shoulders of the royal guard -Take a deep breath- the stallion obeyed holding her breath -Now let it go slow - the royal guard obeyed again, exhaling slowly -All right now, if you can tell me what happened-
-it's Princess Luna your majesty, she came here a few moments ago, but she and her guards looked, well, they looked very bad and they were covered in blood… lot of it-
Upon hearing the stallion's words, the princess's serene gaze was immediately turned into one full of fear and deep concern.
-Siegfried, go to my room you will find a glass sphere I need you to communicate immediately with Clover and tell her where we are- Without wasting time the stallion nodded and with a quick wing-flap he enter the castle at full speed.
-Princess I...- began to say the guard before being interrupted by the sun's deity.
-Listen to me, I need you to go into the forest in that direction- she told him pointing out the path with her hoof -You'll find a zebra village… I need you to look for Zephora or anyone who knows about arcane medicine- the guard nodded again, but before he left the princess added -And please… be careful- The stallion nodded one last time before galloping into the woods.
As soon as the guard was far enough, Celestia ignited her magic to try to locate the presence of her sister. The moment the moon began to ascend through the sky she was able to locate her sister, near her there were two more presences, she recognized the one outside the room, but she was not sure about the second, which was inside Luna's bedchambers. So, she made the decision to speak to the pony guarding the entrance to the quarters of the deity of the night before making any careless movement.
Quickly the ruler of the Sun teleported to the corridor that overlooked her sister's rooms.
As she reappeared, she clearly hears the song of a mare not far from her position. Celestiae made sure to be seen by the armored pony, but her surprise was even greater when the moonlight bathing the pony allowed her to clearly see the abundant amount of blood that covered the mare from her hooves to her head.
-Your majesty- the mare said surprised to see Celestia trotting to her with a look of disbelief firm on her face.
Before Celestia could say anything, the door of the room opened leaving in sight an indigo alicorn also bathed in blood. While Epsilon had abundant splashes all over her body, the princess at night wears a dark red-brown color especially is her mane, on her face and her back. The blood on her fore hooves was fresher and covered them almost completely. Luna's gaze looked much calmer than Epsilon remembered, and the younger princess was still wearing her armor except from her helmet.
-Luna!- exclaimed the pearl-colored alicorn throwing herself into her sister's hooves by wrapping her in a protective embrace -Don't give me that kind of scares again- she said before you turned away a little from her -Tell me, are you okay, did you hurt yourself?- she added genuinely concerned.
-It's okay Tia, I'm fine- replied the indigo alicorn using a cold tone, almost without any kind of feeling except hate.
Celestia took a couple of steps back surprised by her sister's odd behavior. However, she quickly regained her posture and hardened her tone too.
-Well, I'm glad you don't have any injuries, but I must point out that the fact that you and your guards are covered in blood is not something to be taken lightly-.
-I don't see what the problem is, after all, all this blood is not from any of us- the princess of the night replied as if the subject was irrelevant.
-Luna this is a serious matter, I can't believe you've done something so careless, it's just like you don't realize any of you might have died today- the princess of the sun insisted, looking sternly at her younger sister.
-Tell me something… Did we supposed to leave her in that damn place? They almost killed her!- replied the youngest of princesses by raising her voice as she pointed to the pony that slept under her bed blankets.
-You might as well be dead right now. If you had notified me, we could have assembled a rescue group without foolishly endangering yourself-.
-Sure and tell me Tia…- said the princess of the night with venom in every word -Where are those soldiers now? If you were so afraid something would happen to us, you should have formulated an action plan, right?-
-Luna Listen to me...! -
-NO! You LISTEN! - Celestia was abruptly interrupted by her sister. Luna's eyes were glassily and full with tears -When we found her she was almost dead!- said the princess of the night between sobs -I barely had time to save her, I thought she would die in my hooves... You don't know what it's like to see someone you love fade like that. You have no idea how stressful that moment was for me, or even what I was willing to do to save her life- Luna continued try to keep under control her own sobbing.
-Luna I...-
-Princess...- murmured Epsilon, feeling the pain of her monarch and friend.
-And you know what, I don't regret anything, because it was worth it... I was able to save her... I managed to protect her, and now she's here by my side… she is still alive and breathing. Although, hat doesn't matter to you in the least. Fr you, she is no more than another pony from the kingdom. So, don't lecture me for what I did, because no matter how much I could hate myself for what I did back there… I swear, if I had to do it again, I would do it without hesitation- Celestia was speechless, she knew how much Luna Loved her special some pony. But whatever happened back there, makes her younger sister change, she could see it in her eyes, all the same pain she had seen on Luna's gaze way back at the end of the battle against King Sombra -Now if you don't mind I have to go back to the city I have a meeting with our subjects, so I will go clean up myself properly.
Celestia followed Luna with her gaze as she made her way to the private bathroom closing the door of her quarters after crossing the threshold.
-Epsilon…- added the princess of the night without changing her tone of voice.
-Y-Yes princess-
-I don't want anyone to bother Chrysi until I've come back, is that clear?- she said.
-Your wishes are my orders. I will not let you down-
-You never have- the alicorn replied.
Listening to those words, the mare felt grateful like never before. Then Epsilon look at the Sun Princess who had her eyes fixed on her younger sister.
-Your Majesty...-
-Don't worry about me Epsilon, I understand. To tell you the truth, I did the same thing as her and ventured to try to rescue you without waiting for reinforcements as Caramel told me to. I knew they would take too long and by then maybe it would be too late to help you- the pearl-colored alicorn closed my eyes and then opened looking at the mare next to her – I am glad Luna have you, I can see that I made the right decision by entrusting my sister's protection to the four of you.
-Don't say that princess, you know we do it with pleasure- the mare replied.
-I've asked you to bring Zephora here to heal your wounds, I'm sure that even if you don't show it, you've all been hit pretty hard too.
-Yes, well, it's just a small cut is not serious at all- replied the smiling mare -You must have seen Alcor and Merak, they did... Oh no...- suddenly Epsilon's expression became a panicked one -For all Luna's stars, the boys are taking a shower right now, if the princess gets in...-
-KIAAAAAAAAAA-
-Oh well I guess that'll make Luna forget a little bit about all this, besides it seems that it's too late for that now- Celestia said -I'll go to my bedroom as soon as the doctor arrives, I'll let you know- she added setting out on her way to her own bedroom.
PLOP
Epsilon simply let a sigh escape after hearing the sound of the princess's hooves banging on the heads of her unfortunate night guards.
-I suppose this will be your home for the time being- Epsilon said, looking at the huge door behind her.
The blonde unicorn remained motionless, what could he do in the current situation after all? if that young mare was who she claims to be, it meant Red was ready to start his move.
He opened the letter without turning his eyes away from the mare who had again begun to look at the music notes. A few minutes later Blueblood began to read its contents, the writing was neat and calligraphy type, the kind of writing used by noble families.
Dear Lord Blueblood.
I am pleased to inform you that your donations to the orphanage have been successfully approved by the princesses.
I have been informed that soon the princess will prepare a meeting to speak with the leaders of the most important noble families of the kingdom and discuss the actions we will take towards our kingdom.
I am also pleased to inform you that I fully agree with your contributions to the most in need, so I have decided to follow your example and make some donations to the cities that are farthest from the kingdom. It will be a pleasure for me to comment on this decision with the princess tomorrow morning as the sunset falls, unfortunately my activities will not allow me to introduce myself earlier, but I would appreciate if you would support me by requesting the meeting with Princess Celestia, in order to reflect on my commitment to this decision, I have sent this letter with one of my closest relatives, Vinyl will accompany you in whatever you need from now on, she is a talented young mare and she will surely know what kind of advice to give you, although I must warn you that she did not talk too much, I'm sure you'll know how to work as a team in no time.
Sincerely: Lord Wine
PS: I hope you don't mind my family member living in your mansion at the moment You don't have to worry about your expenses I'll take care of covering them.
Although he did not understand why Red had written such an unclear letter of his intentions, two things were clear to him. The first was that Red hoped to put him in the princess's crosshairs, just as he had promised that time at the bar.
The second and most important was that the strange and quite attractive mare was there just to keep an eye on him. If there was one thing he liked about all of that, it was that the young mare didn't seem to be like the rest of his conquests and although noisy, the music she played wasn't particularly annoying.
-All right, miss, um...- the blonde one look again at the letter -Vinyl would you be so kind as to tell me if you brought any luggage-
The mare deflected the gaze from the music sheets to look at the stallion, her eyes remaining hidden behind her dark purple crystals.
-Well, did you bring any belongings with you to ask Cent to help you settle in one of the rooms?- mentioned the Lord.
The young mare looked at her socks, then her turtle-necked sweater and then stood on her four helmets before starting to jump to the entrance of the hall where the butler was waiting for her lord's orders.
-Miss?- said the earth pony, noticing the mare approaching him jumping before throwing herself to the hooves of the butler who, although surprised by the sudden action managed to catch the young lady -WOW!, careful miss, you could hurt yourself if you keep doing that-
-I can't believe Lord Red sent me to such a childish marei- Blueblood said, approaching them.
Noticing the proximity of the stallion, the mare licked the butler's neck while using her magic to press some keys from the Piano reverberating the tune of the "DO" note and producing a serious tone that echoed in the room.
Both stallions were left motionless in their positions as the mare descended back to the ground.
The young white unicorn stared at the Lord, though she was wearing those dark sunglasses, Blueblood could feel the mare's hungry gaze perching on him. The message, though it had not been in words, was quite clear. If the Lord did not agree to what she asked of him, the mare would not tempt her heart to end the life of him or any of the inhabitants of the mansion.
-I understand, there is no need for violence here- replied Lord blueblood -Cent… prepare a room, Miss Vinyl will accompany us for a while- ordered the blonde stallion.
-Yes my Lord, this way miss- the butler indicated to the young mare who soon followed him closely.
-Fantastic, this happens to me for making deals with those pervert brothers- he said- I just hope Red keeps his word and respect our deal, so I would gain control of Equestria.
Vinyl watched every detail of the mansion, recording in her memory every corner of it, it was not the first time that she did such a job for Red. Thought she did not find it particularly pleasant, but the vampire had saved her life when she had seen herself on the brink of death and she should have to pay him in some way.
However, the Lord of the Wine family had been surprised when the mare had discovered that the sunlight did not affect her in the same way that it affected the rest of the clan and thanks to that her master assigned Vinyl most of the infiltration work.
Even among her own race, the young woman seemed to have unusual talents, her memory allowed her to learn quickly, especially learning how to play music instruments.
Apparently Red thought that her transformation into a vampire had somehow increased the power of her special talent. Somehow, she was able to consume solid food which made her pass as a common pony among society, but she had to maintain a blood diet to keep her supernatural talents functioning especially her magic, which weakened considerably with the lack of blood. Despite of it, the mare was not particularly attracted to her desire for blood unlike the rest of her clan members, so she would only feed if it was necessary to accomplish her mission.
-You know miss, I must say that you have an incredible musical talent- Cent said, drawing the full attention of the electric blue mane mare.
Noticing that he had the attention of his companion the stallion continued.
-I used to be a music instructor before the war started, I had a school in Fillydelphia, but... the war took away my students- he remarked.
The mare looked at the stallion curiously as they advanced down the corridor.
-Many of my students were young prodigious... like you, unfortunately many were also careless- he continued remembering his good old days.
-Many of them decided to enlist in the army when they hear that King Sombra lifted his hooves against Equestria, they wanted to do something for their country, you know- the old stallion said.
The unicorn kept looking at him carefully.
-Some were too ambitious and blindly thought that if they took part in the war they would achieve glory faster, but... - the old butler let out a sigh- most of them died in the first week-
The white unicorn tilted her head.
-I still remember their faces the last day I saw them leaving the academy. They were ready to give all they have on the battlefield and I couldn't make them change their minds-.
They continued to walk until they reached a very particular room. Looking inside the young mare could not prevent a huge smile from drawing on her face.
-I dropped out of school and for years I was living on alms until Miss Daisy Blueblood offered me a home in exchange for my services-.
The room was furnished with a desk, several booksellers, a bed in perfect condition and multiple music instruments. The room had wind, string and percussion instruments everywhere.
-Miss Daisy always likes to hear me play something for her, especially when she got sick- Cent paused, recalling the old head of the family lying in bed -And I was always proud to play just for her-.
The old grey-fur stallion looks as the mare inspect one instrument after an another. She was amazed with each one. After examining all of them Vinyl stopped at one in particular, it was a Cello, it did not seem to have anything special, but for some reason the instrument attracted her attention.
-I see that not only do you have a good ear, you also have a good eye for these things, that was Daisy's favorite instrument-
The mare looked at the instrument and then placed a fore hoof gently on the surface.
-That was the instrument with which Miss Daisy met me, the same Cello I was playing the night she found me in the street and gave me a home-
The young woman slid her hooves around the instrument feeling its body, its fine curves and the stiffness of its strings.
-Would you like to hear it?- asked the old stallion.
The white unicorn nodded vigorously shaking her fussy mane.
-I'm glad, I hope you don't mind, but I haven't played for years, so it may not be a good gig- said the old stallion taking the bow and positioning the Cello next to him.
Vinyl took a cushion with her magic and leaned over supporting her head on her fore hooves.
The melody of the instrument made her feel strange, she could feel great joy listening to the notes of the melody that flooded her ears and yet she could also feel the sadness of the stallion playing it for her at the same time.
It was a perfect melody in many ways, it had a smooth rhythm, which went up and down, everything in sync with her heartbeat.
For a moment, for that precious moment Vinyl completely forgot everything around her and let herself be guided by a wonderful dream as the music guided her through a world she had not known before, all the instruments she had heard in her life, this was the first that made her feel at peace.
She felt her free spirit for the first time in years, such as the day she received her cutie mark, that same sense of joy and pride filled her once again.
She felt herself traveling to the time when she still had her voice, the time when she and her family lived happily in the corners of Equestria That time when only her music mattered and nothing else, the time when she did not have to kill to survive.
Those years that now felt so far away, felt so close, the music had touched her cold heart for the first time in several years, warming her up one more time.
When the melody was over, the young unicorn still lay on the cushion her closed eyes behind its dark glasses and her head supported by her hooves were completely relaxed.
-I'm glad you liked it- the old butler mentioned, returning the instrument to its place.
The mare remained in her current position, she did not move, as if waiting for the stallion to continue his performance.
-I'm sorry, miss, but my free time is limited, I must go with Lord Blueblood, but if you wish and given that it seems that you will stay with us for a while. I could play a little more for you, who knows, maybe I could even teach you how to play it-
Vinyl nodded slightly, without moving from her position, still processing the experience that the instrument had given her.
-Then I'll see you later, miss- said the stallion closing the door behind him.
The young mare lay for several minutes remembering each note, every sound that instrument could deliver, it was a sound that could be combined with many other instruments, but for some strange reason she preferred to listen to it alone.
The mare opened her eyes and rose up from her new favorite place to listen to music and approached the instrument in front of her.
Once again, she caresses the surface of the Cello before touching it with the tip of her horn. Silently she executed a spell on the instrument, then looked at it again. Vinyl had made her decision, she could learn to play any instrument she wanted, but she would never dare to play that instrument herself, That would be her Cello and only the ponies who had the soul of music as Cent did, would be worthy to play it for her.
Author's note:
I hope that this chapter has been to your liking:
The song Epsilon sings in this chapter is this: Yuki Kajiura - In the land of twilight, under the Moon. Just in case anyone's interested in hearing it. It's really good, and it have a catchy rhythm. As it is understandable, I had to make some minor changes, but try to leave the translation as faithful to the original as posible.
As for the song that Cent performs with the Cello, it is "Perfect" performed by Vesislava Todorova, you can find it on her you tube channel accompanied by a piano.
In memory of Victor Fidel Beloved grandfather and mentor.
March/1938 - October/2018