Hikary and the stone

Hikary still did not dare to breathe, or even move. She couldn’t even see anything. A second after Takato and the other pony had given each other a signal, an immense flow of prana had lashed upon the guards of the castle gates, paralyzing them completely. Of course, this had alarmed the guards inside the castle gardens, who had rushed to aid their comrades. Hikary was not exactly sure what happened then. A lot of purple was flashing around, ponies were yelling things, and her surroundings all but disappeared inside the purple haze that now hung over this side of the city. She couldn’t even see how far it extended.

It was at that moment that something yellow interrupted the purple gaze that had taken over Hikary’s vision. Hikary soon found herself following her sister through the everlasting purple darkness, away from the battle. How Taira was able to see anything, Hikary had no clue. All she saw was purple, and all she felt was the concentration of a strange force she was unable to grasp, unable to touch, unable to feel. Surely this would draw the attention of the High King. Surely he would come, and it would soon be over… but until then, she had to follow her oldest sister.

Slowly but surely, they left the purple haze behind. Hikary noticed they had approached the castle unseen. All the guards were engaged in the battle, and they were able to sneak into the castle unnoticed. Glancing back, all Hikary could see was one big purple glow that covered the entire garden and almost the entire square in front of the castle. She could not even tell the difference between the ponies inside it. She heard yelling, screaming, fighting, but she could not see anything.

“You do not have to come with me, you know.” Taira said as they trotted through the castle. “I know. But I’m not going to let you face this alone. I’m here for you, sister.” Hikary said. Taira paused, staring in the darkness at her younger sister. “Thanks, Hikary. I appreciate that.” She said, her voice unnaturally soft. They heard ponies run somewhere near them, and Hikary realized there was no time to waste now, and she urged her sister on.

They rushed through the castle, looking for the cellars where they had been locked up, too, but they were unable to find them. The place truly was a maze, and in the darkness of the night it was extremely difficult to navigate. It surprised Hikary that they ran into no one; surely with a battle going on right in front of the castle everyone would be awake, running around, panicking and screaming. Even this deep into the castle, Hikary could hear the sounds of fighting quite clear. It was as if no one was there, as if someone had anticipated this night and had send them all away.

“There’s no one here!” Taira exclaimed after they ran into yet another empty room.
“No… he send them all away.” A soft but firm voice sounded.
Hikary instantly realized this room was not empty at all, that they were not alone. She looked around her, but she saw no one. The room was completely dark, there wasn’t even any light coming through the windows. No starlight or moonlight…
“Who’s there!” Taira yelled, taking a defensive stance.

“No need to worry, young one. I am on your side.”
A small light appeared on their right side, and a moment later a candle was burning. In the flickering light Hikary saw a pony she but vaguely recognized; small, with a violet skin and dark blue hair. The pony looked old; her eyes were almost grey and her coat looked dull and dusty.
“How do we know who you are? How do we know we can trust you? Why should we trust anyone in this cursed castle?” Taira asked, suspicious of the pony’s motives.

“Because like you, I lost my daughter.” Taira eased up a bit after hearing these words, but Hikary was not so sure. What did she know this pony from anyway? She was sure she had seen her before, but…
“What is your name?” Taira asked.
“Inanna.” The pony replied.
“Ah! Shanjahen’s wife!” Hikary exclaimed as she recognized the name. She had seen this pony before indeed, on countless paintings across the country in all the inns they had visited.
“His wife?” Taira almost spat out.

“Yes. Once, I was young and foolish and thought marrying the future high King would make me the happiest girl in the land. Now I know better… But that no longer is of any importance. It hasn’t been for a long, long time. I know who you are… you are the golden girl’s mother.” Inanna stated.
“Yes… how do you know?” Taira asked suspiciously.
“My husband might have banished me here to the inner rooms of the castle, but that does not mean I do not have ways to keep an eye out of what is going on here… and what my husband is up to.” Inanna said, glancing to the door.

Hikary understood this woman may look old and fragile, but she was not to be underestimated. She knew a lot of things… but why would she help them?
“Why are you on our side?” Hikary asked.
“Your daughter… if you wish to save her, you must stop my husband tonight at all costs.” Inanna continued, ignoring Hikary completely.
“What is he doing?” Hikary asked.
“He foolishly thinks he can force the guardians out of the heavens and thereby show the world he is a true leader. But the sacrifices he has made… and will make… please, I beg of you, stop him.” Inanna whispered desperately, her single tear lit by the candle’s flickering light. Hikary did not know what Shanjahen had done to this poor woman, but her heart was broken and her eyes had shed so many tears they had lost their colour.  

“Should he succeed… what will happen?” Hikary asked.
“I’m not sure… he is following but fragments of an old prophecy which’ truth I highly doubt. But the worst that could happen… he has gotten his hoofs on a very powerful stone. In order to achieve his goal… he is planning to break it.”
“Break the stone?!” Hikary yelled.
“No, no! We need that stone to save this world! We can not allow him to do that!”
“Then go to the private garden of the castle. Hurry. Stop my husband… please.” Inanna begged them.
“We…” Taira started, but a high, penetrating scream interrupted her.

“No, no… no!” Ruki screamed, seeing the guard with the axe coming toward them.
“Oh, yes, little girl… For this to work I will need the essence of that unicorn… That what makes her so different from the rest of us.” Shanjahen smiled.
“But you will kill her!” Ruki screamed.
“Yes.” Shanjahen stated simply, no remorse in his voice. The guard stared at Shanjahen, waiting for approval.
“Go on then. Bring me that horn.” Shanjahen encouraged him.

The guard approached the unicorn at a steady pace. Ruki could not read his face; it was hidden by a mask. Surely this would kill the unicorn…
“You can’t do this!” Ruki yelled.
Ruki kicked and screamed at the guards who were holding her, fighting against the ropes that confined her, but she was simply not strong enough. The unicorn caught her eye, and Ruki noticed she was not moving at all. “She doesn’t even have the energy to run!” Ruki screamed, but it made no difference.

The guard arrived at the unicorn, and she was unable to look at him. Ruki froze, realizing she was completely powerless. The guard raised his axe, while two others held the unicorn even tighter, though Ruki though she wouldn’t run away even if she could. She seemed completely paralyzed.
“It’s mine now…” Shanjahen hissed, and Ruki saw the lust in his eyes. He wanted her to bleed… he wanted  her to die just so he could have his way.

Just when the guard prepared to do his horrible deed, he was send flying through the sky. Ruki woke from her trance by the snap of the guards’ neck. Ruki had no idea what happened the next few moments, for all she saw was purple glows erupting around her and blue and gold flashing through it. She could see the unicorn was safe, for now, as all the guards were distracted.

It did not last very long, though, for within moments the purple of prana disappeared again, and the blue and yellow flashes she had seen were now strictly bound by ropes of prana, coming from a few of the guards. The one with the axe who had attempted to cut off the unicorn’s horn was lying on the ground a few meters away, dead. Ruki saw her face now, the face that haunted her for all these years.

“You!” Ruki exclaimed. “Ruki!” her mother yelled.
“So…” The High King growled, stopping Ruki from saying anything else. “She who claims to be the heir of the High Queens trespasses on my territory once more.”
“Let them go! Let Stelline and Ruki go! They have nothing to do with you!” Taira screamed.
“Oh but they do. You, however, are completely disposable.” The High King said, nodding at one of the guards, who instantly summoned Prana from the ground.

“Stop this! Stop what you are doing, Shanjahen! You’ll destroy us all! You’ll condemn the Heavens and the Earth to complete darkness if you continue this!” The blue pony screamed. Stunned, Ruki realized the pony was crying out of desperation, not for her own safety but for that of the world. She had never realized Shanjahen’s attempt was so dangerous, but somehow, Ruki could not deny the sincerity in the blue pony’s tears.

“Please, if you could just hand us the stone… we need it to…”
“Your ancestors abandoned their task in this world, leaving you without any power to claim it back!” Shanjahen spat, interrupting the blue pony’s plea.
“But my family never did so, and I will now fulfil my task by forcing the Guardians to return to us once more, restoring this imbalance myself!” Shanjahen yelled.

He grasped the stone from the cradle it had been lying in, and held it high in the air. “See what I can do! I will force you out of hiding, you guardian of nowhere, and I will make you obey my every command!” Shanjahen screamed, staring at the stone he was holding.
“Don’t Do it! Don’t break it! Please, I beg of you, don’t break it!” The blue pony Hikary screamed.
“Shut UP!” Shanjahen yelled, and he slapped her so hard the blue pony fell on the ground, unconscious.
“Hikary!” Ruki’s mother screamed, but she was unable to move.

Once again, Shanjahen held the stone high. Hikary thought he was about to smash it on the ground to break it, but instead Shanjahen begun to mutter strange sounds that did not seem to belong to any language whatsoever. Ruki realized that this stone, assuming it was as special as everyone seemed to believe, would probably not be broken by smashing it on the ground. Something stronger than the earth itself was needed… the strength of the planet itself, and it was exactly that force Shanjahen had at his command. Probably only the prana the High King could wield was strong enough to break a Heaven’s stone.

The prana began to glow under Shanjahen’s hooves in such force Ruki had never seen. Not even Takato had been able to make it shine so very bright. As if the sun itself was lighting up the earth, everything around her was lit, making every other source of light completely unnecessary. The light of the prana became so strong Ruki could no longer look directly at it. It surrounded Shanjahen, not only at his hooves but around his entire body. The prana was so strong, so concentrated… surely this could do what Shanjahen was attempting. And with a flash, it was gone.

Blinded by the sudden darkness, Ruki was sure Shanjahen had succeeded. He had released the prana upon the stone, making it give in from within. The stone was gone… Until she heard a soft thud on the ground, and she saw Shanjahen back off. Her eyes adjusting to the darkness, Ruki saw the stone lie on the ground, intact and unscratched. What had happened?

A new source of light spawned from behind her mother, as bright as Shanjahen’s had been, except that this one was instantly created and did not require any time to grow stronger.
“You…” Shanjahen hissed, not at all happy with the newest addition to his little gathering here in his private garden.
“Now, this is between you and me.” A familiar voice said, and a beam of prana shot through the air, its force almost knocking Ruki unconscious.