The mind seal

Twinkle Star trotted through the darkness. She had flown so much her wings were aching so she couldn’t really fly. She was already inside the Friendship Lands. She had just passed the building site of Aline’s mansion. It was getting large… Aline would have a wonderful home to rule and to raise her family. But he had no time to linger; she had to get home.

Her hoofs were filthy from the mud. The road had turned into one long mud pool and Twinkle Star had a hard time walking through it. Flying probably was the better option, but her wings needed their rest. She had rushed home so fast… After she had heard that strange voice in the mountain forest… She just had to get home. Leaving had been a grave mistake, she knew now. If only she could undo her decision… but she could not, so all that was left for her was to get home as quickly as possible. But some aching feeling somewhere in a corner of her mind was telling her it was already too late.

Why she felt this way, she had no idea. She could not even explain it to herself properly. She had searched for Câlin for so long inside the country, she was much more likely to find her somewhere else. But she had to go home. If she did not know any better she’d say Câlin was calling for her to go home. Of course it sounded ridiculous; she went anyway.

The wet road made a sucking noise every time she tried to raise her hoofs. And she couldn’t see a thing. Several times she had to wander back to the road because she had strayed. She could only see a few meters in advance, and that just wasn’t enough in a forest like this. But the thought of Câlin kept her going. She could not be wrong, not this time…

As she struggled on through the mud something on her left drew her attention. At first she thought it was just a bunch of branches fallen from a tree or a strangely shaped rock. But it did not let her go. A strange black radiance was coming from it, as if it was shining but it’s light was only darker than anything around her. She stopped walking and stared at the shape on the ground.

“It cannot be…”
Was it a body? Twinkle Star approached it with caution, and with every step she took she became more aware of the strange feeling that came from the body. It was indeed a body… “Murdered by royal powers.” She whispered to the darkness. Who would do such a thing? The only ones she thought capable of something like this had all died. Illuvia, Reine… and why? Who was this person?

She stopped when she reached the pony. The foul smell filled her nostrils told her that this person had been dead for a while. On the moist ground, a body would begin to smell fast… But it had to be at least a day. She chanced a look at the body and her heart nearly stopped beating. Her head became dizzy and she had to step back and take a few deep breaths of clean air before she even dared to look again. Her eyes had not deceived her.
“Junai…”
Twinkle Star lingered no longer and began to run.

Regina looked utterly confused, and so did Stelline. Of course Ivy did not know what the black pony was talking about, but she was surprised to find the others as confused as she. The rule of the last guardian… Ivy had heard some stories of guardians, but they were nothing but distant legends that had been told by villagers. Ponies that had given birth to the land and had received eternal life, as long as it was devoted to protecting that which they had created. An old faith… it had disappeared long ago, or so she was told. Not many ponies believed in them these days. They were all but forgotten, deserted by ponies that they did not answer to. And what had her mother to do with that, anyway?

“What are you talking about?” Regina asked, confusion lingering in the air after her words.
“Aah, so you do not remember. Well, none of you do. The only one who did… you all declared her crazy and locked her up, doomed to die alone. Even the gracious queen of the Friendship Lands can be ruthless, I found out.” The black pony smiled, but it only made Ivy feel more afraid. This black pony, he knew things none of them could even guess.

“Campestre…” Regina whispered.
“Indeed.” The black pony smiled. “Your poor sister… the only one who remembered, and you all decided she was crazy. Because she was the only one strong enough to resist, your mother threw her out. But it does not matter now. She is dead, like most of them. I cannot say it wasn’t fortunate for my plans, the disappearance of the Friendship Lands… and I didn’t even have anything to do with it. Nature was on my side that night.”
His smile was ruthless, bereft of any emotion.

“You bastard… Are you saying you were actually glad that our entire country perished? That so many died?” Regina was screaming with anger now.
 “Oh, do get angry, Regina… it will only help me more.”
Only now Ivy realized the black pony was carrying a black bag. He took out something… something dark, something black… And he threw it in the mud in front of Regina and her daughters.

“Do you not recognize it Regina? You had it in your hands only such a short time ago.”
“The queen’s crown… What have you done with it?” Stelline asked.
She had already recognized it. The queen’s crown? This was only getting weirder. She had suspected all along that these ponies had stolen it so she wasn’t surprised, but the last time she saw it the crown had been pure red. And now it was as dark as the night that surrounded them.

“I have not done anything but open it up to your emotions… yours and that of your family. Fear, anger, despair… Do you not know how it influences the crown? Once, Regina, it was always like this. Every emotion the queen had was connected to the crown and through that with the Guardians. But since they left this earth, so long ago now, this faded into nothing and the crown became hardly more than a jewel on the queen’s head. But to me… It was what I needed, but it got lost in the eruption. For so many years I searched for it, and when Twinkle Star found it… when my daughter touched it, I knew my time was here. So I took it, I restored myself… and I opened up the crown. Do you know what it was called once, Regina?”

Her mother did not reply. She did not want to, she could not… Ivy did not know the reason. Why did this pony know so much, and why was he telling them? He could easily kill them if he desired to do so. But he did not, which made Ivy believe he had another purpose for them yet before he would kill them all. What did he need from them, from her mother, that he did not posses himself?

“The key to the Heavens. It was used to call upon the guardians in time of great need… but no longer. Its purpose has changed now. It already restored me, and it will soon restore the link to the Heavens so I can have my revenge. But for that, Regina, I need you just a little bit more. I need your despair and fear. The strongest emotions of the queen… to open up the link to the Heavens.”

“The Heavens will never open up to someone responsible for the death of others.” Regina snapped.
“Ah, so you do know what I am talking about, is it not, Regina. I always knew… the royal house might no longer officially be the head of the Guardian Worships, in secret, the queen would always been thought about the past. But you should also know, Regina, that some are able to force the Heavens to open.”
“Nonsense. They tried, they failed. Only a guardian herself might be able to restore that link.”
“Indeed, Regina. Indeed.”

She tried to remain in the shadows of the trees behind her. Rain’s head was spinning. Everything she was hearing, everything He was saying… It was al new but also way too familiar. She had known this, once. Once, she had known even more. She had had to know, He had desired her to know because it would be best for His plans. But He had changed His mind, and because of that… No, not only because of that. It only came in handy. Another reason to do what He did.

She just refused to believe it. Feelings she could not place were rushing through her body. She glanced at the other, but she did not seem to feel a single thing. She was just staring to what was happening in front of them, her eyes emotionless, her powers floating around freely. Was se not aware of what was being said? Did she not know, did she not feel at all? More and more Rain became aware that something different had happened to the other. She had to be sealed so often in the past because His strongest mind seal could not control her, and now she was obeying His every wish.

But she knew now. She could no longer deny that the same thing had happened to her too. She had never even dared to guess… But His seal on her was breaking. She felt it. She could not control it, but it was breaking. Parts of her memory were coming back to her. Feelings, visions… not even real memories. But if it was breaking now, she knew one thing. Her mind had been sealed by Him. And probably not just once.

It had been silent way too long. Ivy felt uncomfortable, she wanted to scream if only to break this unbearable silence. The black winged pony was even enjoying this. She knew he was staring at them, enjoying her fear, and she knew she probably should not even feel it, but she could not help it. How could she possibly not be afraid?

“Well then, Regina.” He whispered.
A chilling tone lay underneath his words that Ivy did not like at all.
“It seems to me you are stronger than is good for you. I need your fear and anger, Regina. But you will not give it to me. It seems the eruption, the loss you had to endure… it strengthened you. But it does not matter. Because the more you resist, the deeper it will come when you finally release it.

I could maybe… take one of your daughters from you. Would that make you angry, Regina?”
“Don’t you dare.” Her mother hissed.
 He was playing with her, Ivy realized. He was simply playing to make her more angry and afraid. She just hoped her mother had seen this, too. But she did not doubt his intentions nor his abilities. If it would get him what he wanted, he would kill one of them off without even hesitating.

“No, I will not dare. Because it would not get me what I want. You have lost them once already, and you will be able to bear it again. I think it is time, Regina, that you will start to remember the first day we met. It is time… that your ultimate despair is released.”
He closed his eyes, and Ivy saw her mother instinctively take a few steps back. Did she know what was coming?

“Now, Regina… remember.”
The black pony raised his front leg and slammed it on the ground. It felt like an earthquake, only directed at Regina. Regina froze for a few moments, dazzled by whatever hit her. She blinked a few times, then looked at the black pony. Ivy saw her mother’s eyes fill with horror. She did not recognize him, but Ivy knew she remembered something now. Something out of her past… sealed away by this black pony.
“You…” Her mother whispered as soft as the night, “My daughters…what have you done to them?”