The darkness was an abyss, impenetrable and unyielding, swallowing the young alicorn whole. Mei's body trembled, wracked with pain that burned like fire and yet froze her all the same. Every breath was a battle, her chest rising against the weight of invisible chains. She stirred, the first flickers of awareness cutting through the haze of her mind, and realized her eyes were shut tight. Slowly, achingly, she forced them open.
Dim light clawed its way into her vision, a faint glow that felt like daggers against her sensitive eyes. She blinked, again and again, the world before her shifting from a shapeless blur to something clearer. Her surroundings resolved themselves—a stone chamber, cold and unwelcoming. Torches flickered weakly on the far wall, their flames casting long shadows that danced like specters in the gloom. Yet, their light was barred from fully reaching her.
Iron bars loomed before her, dark and heavy, their surface shimmering faintly with magic's cruel sheen. Beyond them, two figures took shape. Alicorns. One green, one blue. Kolibry and Yua, her sister. Mei's breath caught in her throat as she saw them clutching one another, their shoulders shaking, tears streaming down their faces.
"Y-Yua?" Mei's voice rasped, dry and broken, like leaves crushed underfoot. The effort of speaking tore at her parched throat, but she had to. She had to reach her sister. A tempest of questions surged in her mind—why were they crying? Why was she trapped behind these bars? What had happened? The very act of thinking brought a fresh wave of pain, her skull pounding as if some cruel force sought to split it in two.
Yua's ears twitched, her sister's frail voice slicing through her despair. Her head snapped up, her tear-streaked face alight with sudden hope. "M-Mei…? Mei, you're awake! By the Pantheon, you're awake!" Relief burst from her in trembling waves, chasing the fear and sorrow that had taken root.
Kolibry was left behind as Yua rushed forward, her hooves echoing on the cold stone floor. She pressed herself close to the bars, desperation and concern mingling in her voice. "How are you feeling? Are you hurt? What—what do you remember?"
From behind Yua came the sound of crystalline chirps. Momo, her faithful little coatl, flitted to her side, his iridescent white scales catching the faint torchlight. Beside him, Yui, Mei's familiar of light, emerged as well, the two tiny creatures spiraling around one another in a dance of joy and relief, their cries a melody of reunion.
Mei shifted, her body protesting with every movement, but she managed to sit up. The dizziness was overwhelming, like being caught in a storm, but she fought against it. "I…I think I'm okay? Maybe? What…what happened?" Her voice wavered, confusion clouding her every word. Memories danced at the edges of her mind, red and blurred, a nightmare she couldn't quite grasp. "The play…it was…it was red. So red. What happened?"
Her words tumbled out, fragments of thought that repeated and overlapped, her desperation plain. Yua's worry deepened, her relief now tempered by a fresh undercurrent of fear. Something was wrong. Mei's mind was frayed, her memories shattered like glass, and Yua could see it in her sister's eyes.
Kolibry stepped forward, hooves echoing softly on the cold stone as he joined Yua at the bars. He drew in a shaky breath.
"It was during your solo in the play," he said quietly. "The moment Luxoah defeats the Lilium Cartel."
He hesitated, then continued.
"You attacked Aqasha. Out of nowhere. The narrator jumped in—he pushed her aside to shield her. But you—" Kolibry's voice faltered. "You struck him."
He looked down.
"The Katana… it wasn't dull anymore. It turned sharp. Wreathed in flames."
A pause.
"Yui screamed. This terrible sound. And then Ayzat took you down."
Another breath.
"They brought you here. To the underground cells beneath Akasa's Sacred Castle."
His words faltered, a crack slipping into his tone as he fought back tears. Kolibry's gaze dropped for a moment, unable to bear the sight of Mei behind those enchanted iron bars, her figure so small and frail. It tore at him—not just her plight, but the anguish etched across Yua's face as well, her sisterly love twisted into something like despair.
Mei's breath hitched, her chest tightening as Kolibry's account unraveled before her. "W-what? No…no, that can't be. I…" Her voice was a fragile, quivering thing, on the verge of breaking. "I would never…I didn't mean to hurt anyone! Please, tell me he's alright. Is he…is he okay?" Her ears flattened against her head, her words tumbling out in a panicked rush.
Yua looked at her sister, her own eyes glistening. Her ears drooped as she spoke, her voice a reluctant whisper. "We don't know," she admitted, shaking her head softly. "He's…being treated now. The healers are doing everything they can."
Her words were meant to soothe, but the fear in her own heart betrayed her. Yua knew the laws of Luxia and Ardenia too well. The thought of those laws being turned upon Mei filled her with a cold dread. Mei would never harm anyone of her own will. This wasn't her. This couldn't be her. And yet, here she was, imprisoned like a common criminal for a crime Yua knew in her heart she did not truly commit.
Mei trembled as the weight of it all bore down upon her. The words of her sister and her friend, the iron bars, the cold stone beneath her—it was too much. Her memory of the play was a fractured thing, painted in shades of red. She could recall the searing heat, the fury coursing through her veins, but the source of it eluded her. Fear gripped her now, a fear as wild and unrelenting as the tempest in her mind.
Yui, ever faithful, sensed her distress. The small creature fluttered back to Mei, its sinuous body coiling gently around her neck, a soothing warmth against the chill that seeped into her very bones. Momo was not far behind. The little coatl slipped through the bars, offering what Yua could not. It nestled close to Mei, chirping soft notes of comfort. It was as if Momo carried Yua's love with it, a silent message from one sister to another: [i]I am here. I will not abandon you.[/i]
The quiet was broken by the creak of a heavy door. All heads turned as it swung open, revealing two new figures who stepped into the dim hallway. The first was Aren, High-Priest of Ardenu, his expression weighed down by deep sorrow. Behind him came Xuefeng, mother to Mei and Yua, her steps slow and deliberate.
The young alicorns looked up in unison. Yua stiffened, her body taut as a drawn bowstring, and her breath caught in her throat. The expressions worn by those who entered spoke volumes, heavy with foreboding. Xuefeng's face, so often a mask of pride and strength, was now a canvas of silent shock. She moved with a grace that belied the storm brewing behind her eyes, stopping at the edge of Mei's cell beside Aren.
For a moment, silence reigned. Then Xuefeng spoke, her voice a blade slicing through the air, each word a fatal cut.
"The Ardenian is dead."
Four words. Nothing more. Yet they struck harder than any sword, leaving wounds that could not be seen but were felt by all.
A tear slid down Xuefeng's cheek, quiet and unbidden, but no less devastating. It was a mother's grief, not just for the Ardenian's death, but for what it would mean for her daughter.