Cyclone, a Wings of Equinox Short Story, Part Five: Snakes and Liars

I made my way up the ledge towards my sister’s cave. Fireheart, as far as I knew, had lived in the same smallish dark cave near the sulfur vents since she had moved out of my father’s house. She’d never taken a mate, never had a foal.Whether she wanted a family and no one would have her or she didn’t want anything to do with it, I didn’t know.

I folded my wings and stood in front of the entrance. I stomped my hoof three times.

A figure shifted in the darkness. Finally, out of the shadows my sister’s head rose like a viper about to strike.

“Ah, Stormblaze.” She smiled. “Been so long since I’ve seen you, brother.”

“Cut that out.” I snapped. “Dad told me that you’ve been spying on me.”

She narrowed her. “Spying? You make it sound so immature. I just happened to see…”

“You invaded my mind in my sleep.” I hissed.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Why does that bother you so much?”

“It was a blatant disregard for my privacy.” I growled.

“You should be glad and thankful that I saw that vision.” Fireheart said. “Now you have some accountability.”

I charged forward and rammed her in the chest, throwing the both of us into the cave. Her dark eyes glinted orange. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“What do you want from me?!” I shouted. “Why must you add to this agony?”

Fireheart lashed her tail. “You stole from me. I steal from you. Isn’t that how it works here?”

“You can’t rule, Fireheart.” I said. “A mare cannot become High Commander General.”

“You think this is about ruling?” She laughed. “No, this is about making you suffer as I have suffered.”

Despair clutched at me. If Fireheart had written down my name on her blacklist, I would be dead within the week.

“Please, leave me. I am treating the visions. I have my mate and daughter to think about, the new baby. I can’t afford for pegasi to get the wrong idea that I am defecting when I am perfectly loyal to Abaddon.” I hated begging, but I was desperate.

Fireheart’s lip curled. “My brother, begging me to leave him alone? I never expected this.”

“Fireheart, please.” I gritted my teeth. “What do you want from me?”

Fireheart’s eyes gleamed. “I want you to drop dead, and your name to become dust under my feet. I want the ones you love most to look away from you in shame, and for your body to be as scarred as my heart. I want you to suffer, Stormblaze, as you have made me suffer.”

I snorted. “Are you done yet?”

She bared her teeth. “Mark my words, brother, you will regret the day you were foaled.”

“I’d rather have you regret it.” I said. “Leave me and my family alone. I won’t hesitate to spin a story of my own, have father kick you out of the Order. It would be good riddance to us all.”

Her eyes gleamed orange. “Get out.” She growled.

“Fine.” I trotted out from the cave. “But this isn’t over.”

“Not by a long shot.” She hissed.

***

I had another vision that night, even despite the treatment.

I dreamt I was in that field again. The lion, El-Roi was standing in front of me. “Still resisting, are we?” He chuckled.

I lashed my tail. “What are you doing back again? You shouldn’t be here.”

“Looking for you.” He purred. “I don’t give up that easily, Stormblaze.”

“I don’t want you.” I growled. “You are the enemy.”

“Am I?”

I gritted my teeth. “Even having you around puts me at risk for losing my family. So yes, you are the enemy.”

“I never wanted to hurt you, Stormblaze.” El-Roi said. “Haven’t you ever considered that the ones who would truly hurt your family is the one you serve, the rules he places?”

I paused. “It would only be for following you, though.”

“Exactly.” He turned. “Come with me.”

“Why? Where?”

“You’ll see.”

I rolled my eyes, but still trotted after him. He looked over at me. “You are afraid of losing your family, yes?”

I nodded. “They are everything to me.”

“What if I told you that by following Abaddon, you are setting yourself up to lose your family in a worse way?”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”

We came to the edge of a large pit, so deep I couldn’t see the bottom. Haunting wails and shrieks rose from its depths.

“What is this?” I asked.

“The Abyss.” He said, his blue eyes dark. “This is where all of the followers of Abaddon end up, in a darkness so black it permeates your very soul, until all you can feel is the cold darkness. There is no love, no family down there. You are alone for the rest of your life.” He looked at me. “Is this where you want your family to end up?”

I stared at the hole, shivering as I felt the darkness crept up to me like a savage beast. “No.”

“I didn’t think so.” He sat down. “So what are you going to do, Stormblaze?”

I lifted my head. “Is this it? The only option?”

“There is another.” He dipped his head. “But it’s doing the exact thing you don’t want to do.”

I clenched my jaw. “Show me.”

“All right.” He padded over to the edge and dug his claws into the ground. From his paws a golden bridge rose, stretching high over the abyss.

“Come now.” He said, walking out on the bridge. I slowly followed, trying not to look down into the darkness.

It was a very long bridge, and the wind pushed at my sides, threatening to shove me into the hole. I clamped down my wings and made my way forward.

Finally, I could see a light shining, the other side of the Abyss, slowly growing brighter.

El-Roi turned and I could see his eyes were soft. “Welcome to my kingdom.”

We finally came to the end of the bridge, onto lush grass. I tapped my hooves on its greeness in wonder. “What is this place?”

“It goes by many names.” He purred. “You can just call it the Garden.”

“It’s very beautiful.” I said.

“This is the opposite end.” El-Roi said. “But you have to follow me to get there, and while that journey is far more dangerous than the one you just took, the reward in the end is very great.”

“But… my family…” I said.

“You do not walk this journey alone.” El-Roi said. “Tell your family. Share in the joy.”

“If I follow you I cannot stay on the island.” I said. “We have nowhere to go.”

“You will have to leave Shakirana.” He agreed. “But there is refuge in Equinox.”

I skittered backwards. “Equinox? They will never take us! We are the enemy.”

“There was a mare by the name of Mapleberry. She was taken in by Prairie Tribe. There were others as well, years ago.” El-Roi said. “Do not let your upbringing be your stumbling block.”

“So I escape to Equinox with my family, follow you, avoid destruction, but I can’t. Autumnflight is too close to foaling, and she would never leave.” I shuffled my hooves.

“I cannot force you into anything.” El-Roi grunted. “Just show you the way. But I hope that you will follow me, Stormblaze”

And with that, the vision melted into darkness once more.