The Darkest of Stars

A Few Hours Ago...

Luna looked deep in thought as she returned to castle in Canterlot, and also a bit a exhausted. Celestia was there waiting for her. Now more than ever, Luna was aware of just how old her sister was. Even her long, flowing mane looked like it was beginning to lose its luster. “How did training go with Twilight?” Celestia asked.

“You were right,” Luna admitted, looking deathly serious. “That pony was not Twilight Sparkle.”

“I thought as much,” Celestia said, nodding. “I wanted to have a second opinion.”

“Chances are, Twilight is not the only to have been replaced,” Luna added.

“Her friends as well?” Celestia guessed.

Luna nodded. “Her friends would have spoken up if they knew she went missing. The only explanation is that they have also gone missing.”

“But where and when?” Celestia wondered.

Luna shook her head. “I'm not sure of that myself, sister. All I do know for sure is that Queen Chrysalis is indeed up to something.”

Celestia turned away. Luna walked closer to her. “What are you thinking? I know that look.”

Celestia spread her wings. “I need to visit someone. I've got a feeling Blackstar as well as the order is involved in this as well.”

Luna looked as if she just realized something important. “They've gone missing as well...”

Celestia nodded. “And when was the last time you saw the three members of the Order of the Darkest Star?”

Luna's eyes widened. “That night, the night I attacked Twilight.” She gasped. “That must have been when she and her friends disappeared as well.”

There was an undetectable expression on Celestia's face. “Where is 'Twilight' now?”

“She said she was going to-” Luna stopped suddenly.

“What's wrong?” Celestia asked, sensing her sister's alarm.

Luna stamped the ground. “Curses! Why didn't I stop her!?” She spread her wings and flew out of the door.

Celestia ran of the door to pursue her, but she was already gone. She looked up into the sky, but saw no sign of her. “How is she able to fly so fast?” she asked herself. “She knows what she's doing.” She spread her wings and again and took off on her own mission. “Maybe she knows what exactly is going on.”

~

???

Twilight looked like she was about to faint. Kassandra had just stabbed her and yet she hadn't bled. Despite the absence of blood, she felt woozy and confused. “What...what's going on?” she asked.

Kassandra picked up the dagger as she spoke. “Something went wrong with Blackstar, who was meant to be the leader and protector of all ponykind in Equestria,” she explained. The dagger vanished in a black flame. “This was the cause.” She lifted up her necklace.

“Your necklace?” Twilight said confused.

“This jewel, this is a shard of the heart of Blackstar,” Kassandra said, turning the jewel around.

“That can't be,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Hearts aren't made of crystal.”

“Have you ever seen an alicorn's heart before?” Kassandra asked with a smirk.

“No, but-”

“Alright then, shut up,” Kassandra said, rolling her eyes. “This heart is what ties all of us to her-me, Radley and Allis.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me tell you the story,” Kassandra said. “You need to sit down for this. It's going to be a long one.” Twilight did and she continued. “Long ago, the country you now know as Equestria was in turmoil. There was war between the three races of ponies. They found it impossible to get along.”

“You mean like the Hearth's Warming Eve story?”

“Yes, that much of it was correct. It started with the unicorns and pegasi oppressing the earth pony farmers. You see, most unicorns were scholars and most pegasi were warriors. The earth ponies, however, had no extraordinary abilities. For the majority, their greatest skill was cultivation.”

“But that's important,” Twilight interrupted. “Everyone needs to eat.”

“Of course the unicorns and pegasi didn't see the importance of the Earth ponies. That is, until they started withholding food. The Earth ponies realized that they were in a supreme position of power. They demanded equal rights. They claimed that even if they didn't have wings or magical horns, they still deserved the same as any other pony.”

“Didn't they already have the same rights?”

Kassandra shook her head. “Every pony in a position of leadership was either a pegasus or a unicorn. The Earth ponies were severely uneducated in terms of mathematics, law, international affairs, and the like. A handful of Earth ponies tried to get into positions of leadership, but none succeeded. Rigged elections and bureaucratic red tape prevented any attempts.”

“That's terrible...”

“It was, but the Earth ponies fought back by refusing to provide any food to the pegasi or unicorns. Very soon, the other races were forced to attempt to cultivate their own food. Their attempts were shoddy and pitiful. Not even the unicorns with their knowledge of magic and the arcane could pull it off. It was almost as if the Earth ponies had some...special ability. Nevertheless, the other races realized that they needed the Earth ponies to survive. The pegasi refused to discuss anything with them, but the unicorns tried to reason with them and make peace. The negotiations were going well...until they intervened.”

Twilight could see where this was going. “You don't mean...?”

Kassandra nodded. “The pegasi broke in on the negotiations. An entire army of them struck, killing many of the Earth ponies and unicorns. That was the true start of the civil war, or as it is really named, the Second Inter-Equestrian War.”

“There's nothing about that in the history books...” Twilight protested.

“History is written by the winners,” Kassandra answered.

“Wait...you're saying one of the races was victorious?” Twilight said, confused.

“Not at all,” Kassandra said, shaking her head. “There was never going to be a winner. Therefore, the history was never written.”

“I see,” Twilight said. “But what does this have to do with Blackstar?”

“Here is where the story gets personal, Sparkles,” Kassandra said, looking forlorn.

~

???

“What's up with you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What's got your wings in a knot?”

Allis turned away. “You wouldn't understand...”

“Try me,” Dash challenged. She puffed out her chest proudly. “You know, everyone says I'm a pretty good listener.”

“I can tell you're lying...” Allis sighed heavily. “But I suppose you need to hear this story anyway.” He paused. “You see, Rainbow Dash, our story began during the civil war.”

“You mean the one those three ponies were talking about?” Dash asked.

Allis nodded. “Kassandra and I are siblings, and both of our parents were killed in that war. We saw it happen right before our eyes when we were just little foals.” He waited for Dash to respond. When all he could hear was stunned silence, he continued. “Our mother was a pegasus and our father a unicorn. They both sympathized with the Earth ponies' plight. They regularly visited with the Earth ponies to discuss peace. That's all they ever wanted: a peaceful world where their children to grow up happily.

“Unfortunately, the pegasi insurgents found out about their visits with the 'enemy'. They broke into our home and slaughtered our parents in front of our eyes. All we could do was sit there and cry. After their deed was done, they looked upon us. I hugged my younger sister, knowing in my heart that this was the end for us. But for some reason, they just decided to let us go. They left us there...with the carcasses of our parents sitting before us.”

“I...I had no idea, Allis,” Dash said, not quite knowing what to say. “I'm sorry to-”

“There's no need for that,” Allis interrupted. “Both Kassandra and I have long since dealt with the death of our parents. It's what happened afterwards that bothers us.”

“What was that?”

“It was a few days later when someone found us, wandering the streets,” Allis explained. “It was Radley Kane, out buying supplies for his master. He saw how distressed and pathetic we looked, and quickly took us to his home, the house of Starswirl the Bearded.

“For some reason that he failed to explain, the old unicorn was eager to take us in. He gave us food and a place to stay. It was quite...quite delightful, to tell the truth. We did learn a lot while we stayed with him. Wind Stryke and May Treearch were also very nice.”

“So Radley is the son of Starswirl the Bearded?” Dash asked, confused.

Allis shook his head. “I said 'master'. I asked him on more than one occasion what happened to his parents, but he always gave the same answer: 'Some things are better left unsaid.'”

“That is weird...”

“Anyway, things began to change when the project started. All we kids knew was that it was called 'Project Blackstar'. It was a plan from the three of them to create a being that could lead and protect the ponies of Equestria. It would be a creature that had all of the attributes of a unicorn, pegasus and an Earth pony.”

“An alicorn,” Dash said.

“Yes, the very first. The council met in secret many, many times. Sympathizers were not tolerated of any race. If they were found they would be tormented and executed, especially since they were all leaders of their respected races.”

“Really? Then why didn't they stop the war?”

“They were only one of the many members of each council who believed that all of the races should get along. They were ridiculed for their opinions, but since there wasn't as of yet any evidence of their fraternizing with the 'enemy', they were safe for the time being.

“Nevertheless, they continued with the project and were eventually successful. They had created life, the first princess of Equestria: Alicorn Princess Blackstar. One day, in one of the most gruesome and the final battles of the conflict, she stormed the battlefield and in a loud voice declared the war between ponies to be over. Everyone looked up to her in wonder, not knowing who the magnificent creature was. She was a beautiful shade of purple with wings containing wonderful plumage. Her horn was longer than any unicorn of that day had. Her mane and tail were a brilliant hue of white and blue. It seemed to flow despite the fact that there was no wind. Her body was long and slender. She was a sight to behold.”

“She certainly sounds like it,” Dash commented.

“She was a sight to behold. Radley, Kassandra and I were all watching from a safe location in a nearby tower. However, the wonder only lasted for a short while.”

“What happened?”

“Everyone turned away from her and continued to fight. She called out to them again and again, but no one responded. Angered at being ignored, she unleashed a terrible display of her power. The sky turned dark as clouds gathered. Lightning flashed across the sky. Then...something terrible happened.”

Rainbow Dash looked completely into the story. “What?”

“She called down a torrent of flame from the sky. The three of us watched in horror as half of the warriors on the battlefield were turned to ash. The survivors called out to her and begged for mercy. She dispersed the clouds and flame. As she lowered herself to the ground, everyone backed away from her in horrified amazement. For the second time that day, she declared the war between ponies over.”

“I'm going to guess that wasn't how it was supposed to end,” Dash said.

“Not at all. The war was supposed to end peacefully, but Blackstar was forced to unleash her power to establish herself as leader of Equestria. And for a time, she was a good leader. Equestria flourished under her rule for many years. All of the races were able to get along, the issues that caused the conflict in the first place forgotten. Everyone loved her, and very soon forgot the slaughter she had to undergo to establish herself as leader. It was under her that the buffalo were allowed to return, albeit to a smaller location that you now know as Appleloosa. Everything seemed to be going well...that is, until...”

“Until...?”

“Until she became corrupted with power,” Allis finished. “Unfortunately, the council failed to remove the deficiency we all have in our heart from hers.”

“Can you just tell this story without pausing so much?” Dash interrupted, exasperated.

Allis sighed. “Ambition. Blackstar saw how good her rule was and wanted to spread to all corners of the planet. The original council who created her heard of this and attempted to reason with her. Blackstar saw their reasoning as a challenge to her rulership and nearly killed them. From what I overheard, she would have been successful if it weren't for a last ditch spell from Starswirl that whisked them away to safety. They realized that Blackstar was too far gone, too corrupted now to be reasoned with. So they needed some way to undo her, to get her out of power.”

“That spell...the one Twilight rewrote, right?”

“Yes, that was the initial plan. However, killing Blackstar would be impossible to do with that spell. But, Starswirl realized that there was something that could still be done to put her out of commission: the comet that would come to be known as the Darkest Star.” Allis became silent for a while.

“Well...?” Dash said, sounding impatient. “What happened then?”

“Starswirl devised a plan that would seal Blackstar to the comet. She was impossible to kill, he realized. It was the best that he could do, he said. But sealing something like an alicorn would take an immense amount of power. He would need something of equal power to perform the spell: Blackstar's own heart.

“However, getting Blackstar's heart would not be easy. She would need to be subdued in order for them to be able to tear it from her chest.”

Rainbow Dash cringed. “That sounds a little over the top...”

Allis shrugged. “It's what needed to be done. The question was: how were they going to subdue the princess of Equestria?” He paused, as if waiting for her to answer.

Dash threw up her hooves. “How should I know? You're the one telling the story!”

Allis just grinned.

~

???

Radley, Applejack and Fluttershy had come to a large clearing. “This should be a good spot,” he declared.

“For what?” Applejack asked.

“Excuse me, Fluttershy,” he said, approaching her. “I need to borrow one of your feathers.”

“Oh...okay,” she replied, confused. She pulled out a feather from her beautiful plumage. “What do you need a feather for?”

Radley took the feather and set it down on the ground in front of him. “Please stand back you two. I'm not quite sure if this spell will work quite like I want.”

Applejack took a couple of steps back, looking warily at Radley. “What's goin' here?”

Fluttershy got low to the ground and backed away. “Whatever it is, I think we should listen to him...”

Radley took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Deus meus reversus est ad me tourniquet...salutem,” he chanted in a low voice. “Obsecro te orbis imperio! Ostende te!” His eyes flew open, glowing brightly. He rose up on his hind legs and clapped his hooves together. He slammed them down on the ground. White, glowing lines spread out from the feather. A circle with intricate lines formed within a wide radius of it. The entire clearing seemed to be glowing.

“Whoa...what the hey?” Applejack said in wonder.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said with wide eyes. “How is this possible?”

“Magic isn't strictly reserved to unicorns,” Radley explained, looking up into the sky. “There is another form that is available to any who are willing to devote themselves to it. I'm going to try to use it to get us all out of this Blackest Heart.”

“But...but what about Pinkie and Rarity?” Fluttershy asked.

“And Twilight and Rainbow?” Applejack asked.

“We'll be able to rescue them as well as Kassandra and Allis,” Radley assured. “But first things first. I must find an opening we can escape through.”

“You mean like a cave or somethin'?” Applejack asked. “Cause I don't think there'd be on in a clearin' like this.”

“Not exactly,” Radley said. “Something like...an opening in space and time. If I can find one with this spell, I can get all of us out of here. Give me a minute. This could take a...uh oh.”

Fluttershy was already backing away farther. “What 'uh oh'?” Applejack asked.

Suddenly, a black hole appeared at the center of the circle. It looked like it was sucking in all of the light the circle was producing. Then as quickly as it showed itself, it was gone. Everything, including the circle was nowhere to be seen.

Applejack looked around. “What happened? Did it work?”

Radley Kane pounded the ground. “Curses! I thought I could circumvent it...”

Fluttershy stood up straight. “Circumvent? What was there to get around?”

Radley explained. “The Blackest Heart is devoid of all magic and consumes any that is produced near it. That means that a spell cannot be used while inside of it. At the very least, not any that I can make.” He fell to the ground and put his arms over his eyes. “I feel so useless...”

Applejack walked over and put a comforting arm on his shoulder. “Hey...don't get so down on yourself, sugarcube. We'll all figure out a way out of this. Right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded, putting on her biggest smile. “Oh yes! Yes, of course!”

Radley smiled wryly. “Thanks, but it doesn't look too good. At this rate, the Darkest Star might arrive before we have a chance.”

“But isn't the comet supposed to come in...” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Four months?”

“In realistic time, yes,” Radley confirmed. “But time moves differently inside of a Blackest Heart, if it moves at all. When we do get out, we may be dropped in years before Twilight arrived in Ponyville. Or...centuries after Blackstar returns to her own body.”

“That reminds me,” Applejack interrupted. “What is this business with Trixie? Why was she the one in that tube thingy?”

“The fact that you recognize the body in the tube means that the council failed in their endeavor,” Radley said, hanging his head.

“What endeavor?” Applejack asked.

Radley took a deep breath. “It was after Blackstar was unseated and defeated. She could never be completely killed. She was-and still is-an alicorn princess, after all. They needed a way to seal her away at the very least. That was when they decided to use the comet that was passing over to their advantage. The Darkest Star, as it would come to be known, only came around once every thousand years. Only then would there ever even be the possibility of her escaping. However, they needed something to complete the ritual necessary to bind her to the comet.”

“What...was that?” Fluttershy asked.

He poked Fluttershy hard in the chest. “Her crystalline heart, the very thing each one of us wears around our necks.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked, looking disturbed.

“In order to bind her to the comet the council needed to take her heart from her chest, effectively separating her essence from her body. With her heart removed, sealing her to the comet would be relatively easy. However, there was one problem.”

“Only one?” Fluttershy whispered.

“What?” Radley asked. “I can't hear you. You really should learn to speak up.”

“Uhhh...what was the problem?” Fluttershy asked.

“Something would need to be done when Blackstar returned. It would be another thousand years before she could. The council realized that there was no way that they would be able to survive that long.”

Applejack looked like she finally understood. “So that's when...”

Radley nodded. “These necklaces, these shards of Blackstar's own heart, keep us sealed to her. When she arrives, we awaken from our slumber in order to fight her back. It was Starswirl's own idea. He insisted that it was the only way.”

“That's...that's terrible...” Fluttershy said, tears welling her eyes.

Radley lowered his head. “We agreed without hesitation. Allis, Kassandra and I saw it as our duty. We protect Equestria from the dangers it cannot even see. Every thousand years, Blackstar's essence arrives by way of the Darkest Star. She enters our world by granting a wish. You're familiar with her second wish, I'm sure.” He gave them a knowing look.

Fluttershy and Applejack just looked at each other, confused. Radley grinned. “I guess she never shared that bit of information with you. It's just as well, I suppose.”

~

???

“So you're Radley Kane's father?” Rarity asked.

Pinkie squinted at Alexander. “You do look just like him...just a bit older.”

“Very perceptive, Pinkie Pie,” Alexander Kane commented. “Yes, he is my son. I'm not surprised that he doesn't speak much about me.”

“How can that be possible?” Rarity observed. “He told all of us that Starswirl took care of him as well as Kassandra and Allis.”

Alexander's expression darkened immensely. He turned away from the two mares. “Don't get me started on that fiend. He took everything I had away from me!” He stamped the ground hard with his hooves. Rarity could have sworn that the ground shook when he did. He took a deep breath and turned back towards them. “Enough about that. I take it that Radley and his little crew had gotten the two of you into this mess?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Rarity confirmed.

“Where are we anyway?” Pinkie asked, looking up and around. “Seems kinda lonely in here...”

“Believe it or not, you are still inside of the Blackest Heart,” Alexander explained. “There is only one true Blackest Heart. If one gets created, another gets destroyed. No two Blackest Hearts can ever exist at the same time, in the same plane of existence.”

“Trippy...” Pinkie commented.

“Kassandra and the rest were showing us events of the past and accidentally got us trapped here,” Rarity explained. “We don't know where everyone else is.”

“My companion is working on that as we speak,” Alexander assured. He shook his head vigorously. “My goodness, how rude of me. You ladies must be famished.” He trotted over to a table and picked up to cups of steaming liquid. “You'll have to forgive me. It's been...a long time since I've entertained guests. I'm afraid all I have is this Earl Grey.”

“Oh, I simply adore Earl Grey!” Rarity said, eagerly taking a cup. “Thank you, kind sir.” She took a tiny sip, keeping to her elegance.

Pinkie made a disgusted expression, but quickly regained herself. “Oh...thank you...” she said uneasily. She took a small sip, swallowing it hesitantly. “Yummy...”

Alexander smiled. “I admit it's a bit of an acquired taste. But it is the only way to get you back to where you belong.”

“What do you meeea...” Rarity suddenly began to feel woozy. Her head felt filled with clouds and she had a piercing headache. She could feel herself slipping away as she tumbled to the floor. “Whuh...whuh...” She tried turning to Pinkie Pie, but the brief glimpse she got revealed that she was already out cold. Soon after, she herself collapsed to the floor.

Through the fog, Rarity caught snatches of a conversation occurring in the room. “My dearest, I have important news.”

“Have you found the location of the others?”

“Yes, but I found someone even more important....the princess herself!”

“You don't mean...?”

“Yes, I do. Her body still exists in this world.”

“So, Starswirl failed. I have to say, I'm a little surprised. Alright, get the others out of here. The grand finale is almost upon us all. All the players must take the stage immediately. I shall deal with our lost princess.”