The Darkest of Stars

That Same Day...

The sun was setting just below the horizon when Princess Luna arrived at Twilight's library. There were not any lights on in the entire treehouse, at least none she could see. She poised herself to knock, but the door swung open when she did. Unfettered, she entered the home.

The house was completely dark inside. She looked around the home, searching for any sign of life. If there was anyone in the home, they had hidden themselves well. Luna was well aware that this was a trap; she had impeccable night vision. She looked up at the ceiling and grinned humorlessly. “Finally taken on your true form, haven't you Blackstar?”

The dark princess came down to the floor, ever so gracefully. She looked almost exactly as she did all those millenia ago, tall and regal in her purple glory. She smiled. “As well as I could manage. Chrysalis brags but her abilities are limited.”

“So you command her and her people now, I see,” Luna observed. Six other changelings entered the room as she spoke, taking on the forms of Twilight and her friends. “Where is the real Twilight?” She sounded threatening.

“Oh, my dear sweet Luna,” Blackstar said as if talking to a wounded foal. “I do wish I could tell you. Rest assured that neither her nor her friends have come to harm.”

Luna shoved her aside. “I wish I could believe you.”

“You of all people should know I always deliver on my promises,” Blackstar assured with a devilish grin. “I did over a thousand years ago for you. Why should I change now?”

“You twisted my wish!” Luna spat, getting right into Blackstar's face. “And you know it!”

Blackstar continued smiling. She started walking around Luna, standing about a head taller than her. “Now now, I only gave you what you asked for. What was it again?” She tapped her chin, feigning forgetfulness. She looked at Luna, clearly enjoying the dark purple princess's uneasiness.

Blackstar seemed to enjoy more when Luna didn't answer. “Oh yes! I remember now. Your wish was 'I wish I was as popular as my sister.' Am I correct?”

Luna turned away and closed her eyes. “You knew what I meant and you turned me into a monster.”

“I made you as popular as your sister,” Blackstar said, shrugging. “You should have been more specific. These things are so hard to interpret.”

“My sister was forced to imprison me in the moon,” Luna said, now looking her directly in the eye. “She had to endure a thousand years of raising both the sun and moon on her own.” She walked closer to her, baring her teeth. “You're the reason she's dying. You're the cause of it all! Which is why...” She trailed off.

Blackstar didn't look amused anymore. “Why what?”

Luna looked more determined now than ever. “I have one more wish; one more wish that you will bring to life but you will never grant yourself.”

“What kind of nonsense are you spewing from your mouth?”

“That's for me to know, and you to never find out,” Luna said, spreading her wings. “Farewell, Princess Blackstar. This will be the last time we meet.” She vanished in a cloak of black that dissipated into a cloud of bats.

Blackstar stood for a while just staring at the space where Luna was standing. “Why would she come here just to tell me this?” she asked herself.

“What do you mean, my princess?” one of the changelings asked.

“One would think that she would come to battle me or force me to tell her where Twilight Sparkle was,” Blackstar clarified. “Instead...” She trailed off.

“What is it?”

A few moments passed before she continued. “We continue with the plan. I know the Princess of the Night very well. I know exactly what her wish will be.” She paused, then added with a smile. “And I know exactly how to use it against her.”

~

???

Twilight looked deeply disturbed and sympathetic. “Oh my goodness...I had no idea you guys had been through so much.”

Kassandra brushed her purple mane aside. “We don't like to talk about it that much. It wasn't the most glorious point in our lives, if you get what I mean. Even after Radley found us and Starswirl, May and Wind took us all in, things were still pretty out of control.”

“What about Radley, though?” Twilight asked. “Where did he come from?”

“He never told us, no matter how much we asked,” Kassandra answered. “All he ever said was 'Some things are better left unsaid.'”

“He was right.”

Kassandra and Twilight both looked around to see that another pony was there. It was an Earth pony mare with a pale silver coat. She had a long black mane and tail. Both looked like they hadn't been styled at all or even taken care of. Her cutie mark was that of a frowning face overladen with a red “X”. The most striking thing about her was the jewel-embedded cross laid across her back. It looked far too heavy for a pony of her size to be carrying. She looked like she was going to collapse under its weight. Her head was down, so it was impossible to see any of her facial features. “You must not be here.”

Twilight took a step back. After what she had been through in the past few months, she was a bit wary of meeting strangers. “Hello...who are you?”

“My name...it has been years since anyone has asked me,” she answered without emotion. “I have almost forgotten it.” A long pause followed. “You may call me Cyril.”

Kassandra looked as if she already didn't like this newcomer. “You have an air of darkness about you.”

“Stop judging that you may not be judged,” Cyril replied, not looking either pony in the eye. “Do you not notice the rafter in your eye as you try to extract the straw from mine?”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked, getting very creeped out.

“She's saying I also have an air of darkness,” Kassandra translated. “We're two of a kind I guess.” She turned to Cyril. “I would ask how you are able to be here, but I already know the answer.”

Cyril still had her head down, her long, unkempt mane covering nearly her entire face. “We both have the same burden, Kassandra Tharsus. The only difference is that your torture stake is not as easy to see as my own.”

“You must be here for a reason,” Twilight said.

“I am, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Cyril answered. “I am here to deliver you from this nightmare.”

“We can't do that yet,” Kassandra said, shaking her head. “We still have to find our friends.”

“Worry not, I will feed your little sheep,” Cyril said. “They will be taken care of.”

Twilight stepped forward. “How do we know we can trust you?”

Finally, Cyril raised her head, showing her pale gray eyes. “You cannot,” she answered.

~

???

“There's one thing I don't get though,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Only one?” Allis asked, sounding preoccupied.

“Yeah, believe or not,” Dash said, shrugging. “What did all of that have to do with you not liking Radley?”

“There's one thing he never told us,” Allis said, flexing his deformed wings. “All this time-” He stopped suddenly.

“All this time what?” Dash asked impatiently.

Allis stood up and spread his wings. Wind started to pick up, blowing his long, silver mane in every direction. “Something isn't right. I feel something in the air...”

“Can't argue with you there,” Dash answered looking up. There was a swirling, black mass in the sky, looking like it was devouring everything in the area. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Another Blackest Heart...” Allis said. He had to yell to be heard over the roar of the vortex. “That can only mean one thing: the real thing is collapsing in on itself.”

“Collapsing?”

“Something has caused it to lose its stability,” Allis explained as the world started to vanish around them. “Something drastic like-” He suddenly stopped speaking again.

“I really wish you'd stop doing that,” Dash said, sounding tired.

“Kassandra and the princess have escaped somehow,” Allis realized. “They're the ones that created it. The only way it could collapse-”

“-is if they're no longer here!” Dash finished.

Allis chuckled. “I'm happy you understand.”

Dash shrugged, still looking proud of herself. “It kind of helps when you keep saying the same thing over and over. So now what?” She flinched as Allis suddenly took her by the hoof. “What the...?”

“We need to stay together,” Allis said, his head pointed towards the Blackest Heart. “This Heart could take us back to reality or not. Either way, we need to stay close.”

“Yeah...good idea,” Dash agreed. There was a slightly nervous edge to her voice.

Allis grinned as he spread his wings. “I can feel your heartbeat. Is the hero of Ponyville afraid?”

Dash blushed a little, though Allis couldn't see it. She quickly covered. “Me? Scared?” she scoffed. “Please, I'm best flier in Equestria!”

Allis chuckled. He took off into the Blackest Heart with Rainbow Dash and vanished into the swirl of darkness.

~

???

“You're not tellin' us everything, Radley Kane,” Applejack said, the hint of a challenge in her voice.

“I wish I could, Applejack,” Radley said, sounding genuinely sorry. “But there are some things that are just better left unsaid.”

“That's okay,” Fluttershy said, trying to lighten the tension in the air. “There are some things I'd rather not talk about either.”

Applejack shook her head. “That ain't how it works. Not tryin' to sound rude or nothin', but you hafta tell us everythin'. If you need us and the Elements of Harmony to beat this Blackstar, we need the whole story.” She waited for a response from Radley, who had fallen completely silent. “Well, Radley? How 'bout it?”

“Shh!” Radley said, waving his hoof in silence. He had his down, listening intently. “Do you guys hear that?” There was no answer. “Guys?” He looked behind him to find that no one was there. In fact, there was nothing there. There was nothing except for a completely white space. “What...?”

“Hello there!”

Radley was a bit thrown off by the cheery greeting. He turned around to find a female Earth pony with a pale silver coat. She had a beautiful black mane that had a sheen to it despite the lack of a singular light source. Her cutie mark was that of a circular smiley face with a red “X” going through it. However, the strangest thing about her was the decorated cross she was carrying on her back. But looking at her happy and optimistic expression, it looked like she didn't even notice it. Despite the strange item, even Radley had to admit that she was quite pretty to look at. “Uhh..hey,” Radley said, returning the greeting. “Who are you and what happened to Applejack and Fluttershy?”

The strange pony giggled. “My name's Cyril, silly! I'm surprised you don't remember me! And those two other ponies are safe. I sent them away so we could talk...” She approached him with a look in her eyes. “...alone.”

Radley looked even more thrown off as he stepped back. He tried to keep his composure though. “Ahem, what did you do with them? Can you just tell me?”

Cyril stepped back, frustrated at the lack of response. Suddenly, a smile spread across her face. “Why do you care so much about them? They're not even your friends!”

“They might not be my friends, but I'm kind of responsible for getting Applejack and Fluttershy-”

“Not them, sillyhooves!” Cyril interrupted, tapping him lightly on the cheek. “I meant Allis and Kassandra. They would've abandoned you a long time ago if it wasn't for your little 'stunt'.” Then she spun around whimsically. “A loong time ago!” She started poking him in the chest. “And. You. Know. It!”

Radley was a little taken aback by this observation. Some of the color even drained from his face. How did she know all of this? He didn't even know who she was. “How did-?” He began before being interrupted again.

“How do I know?” Cyril giggled, pinching his cheeks as if he were a foal. “I know everything there is to know about everyone inside and outside of Equestria!” She blinked rapidly, cocking her head to the side. “I'm not just a pretty face, dear Radley Kane.”

She waited for Radley to respond and smiled even harder when he didn't. He looked like he was deep in thought. She pursed her lips in mock sympathy. “Aww what's the matter? Trying to figure out what you will do when your 'friends' abandon you?” She spun around playfully. “Oh, how will you ever defeat Blackstar then? If only you-”

“Shut. Up.” Radley's voice was firm and unwavering. He had clearly had enough. “I don't know how you could possibly know this or who you really are. But if you really know everything there is to know about me, Kassandra and Allis, you will know that we really are friends. We've had our problems and falling outs, but we always stick together in the end. We've been together for three thousand years and we're not going to stop now.”

Catching him completely off his guard, Cyril leaned in and kissed him full on the lips. She held it for three seconds before breaking away, smiling devilishly. “I was hoping you'd say that. You're pretty cute when you stand your ground...Kandy Kane. Just remember, when your friendship doesn't work out-” She leaned in again and whispered in his ear. “-I'll be waiting.” She winked at him and backed up. Radley looked like he wanted to say something else, but then he vanished into thin air.

Cyril looked a little dreamy, as if she had just experienced the greatest euphoria of her life. “You can always trust me.”

~

Late That Night...

Trixie concentrated as hard as she could. Her entire body shook with the effort she was putting into this spell. Her horn was fizzing with tiny sparks of magic.

“Come on!” an older unicorn stallion yelled nearby. “You can do this! Just keep going!”

The tiny unicorn mare was beginning to perspire. Her horn was glowing with energy. Small heat waves were starting to form around it. “I...can't...” she said through clenched teeth.

The stallion stood closer to her, getting right in her face. “Don't ever say that, Trixie!” he said. He sounded a bit peeved at her eagerness to give up. “You are a Lulamoon. We never give up. Just as the moon rises at the end of every day, so do we. You can do this, my princess...”

My princess...

My princess...

Trixie's eyes flew open. She sat up immediately, finding herself to be on a bed of some sort. She looked around in fear, remembering last her encounter with the taraxippi. They were nowhere to be seen or found. She was in a room somewhere, from what she could tell. The walls were made of some sort of rough, black stone. The floors were of similar fashion, but more smooth. There was one window in the room, allowing some of the moonlight to stream in.

“My princess, I'm happy to see that you are finally awake.”

To her side, Trixie found a older male stallion. He had a crimson red coat and a long, shaggy black mane. He had on a black cape with a gold trim that wrapped around his neck. “Who...are you?” Trixie asked, still in a fog.

The stallion bowed, placing one knee on the ground. “My name is Alexander Kane, but I feel I should ask you the same question. Who are you?”

Trixie got out of the bed gingerly, staggering a little as she got her footing. It didn't take her long to recover her usual bravado. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, the most amazing unicorn in all of Equestria!” She stood up on her hind legs, creating a bunch of bright, colorful swirls behind her.

Alexander did not look amused. “You truly have no idea who you are...” He sighed heavily. “Come with me.”

Trixie scoffed, sticking her nose in the air. “Why should Trixie follow you, old man?”

“You're after...this, aren't you?” Alexander pulled his cape open, revealing none other than the Alicorn Amulet. It radiated power and darkness at the same time. None of it was visible, but it could be felt. Trixie could feel the jewel calling to her. She instinctively reached for it. Alexander took her arm and forced it down gently. “Later. You have no idea what this amulet really means, especially for you.”

Trixie reached for the amulet again, only to be denied once more. “It means that I will finally be able to defeat Twilight Freaking Sparkle. With the Alicorn Amulet mine again, no one will be able to stand in my way.”

Without any warning, Alexander punched Trixie across the face. He then picked her up by the neck and pinned her up against the wall. His voice was deadly serious. “The Alicorn Amulet is not a toy, not just some ancient relic that grants your idiotic, inferiority complex fueled wishes! It is yours by right, but I would as soon crush it underneath my hooves than give it to you now!” He dropped Trixie to the floor, looking at her like a worm crawling across the floor. “I can't believe what time has turned you into. You used to be the most powerful creature in Equestria. Now look at you: a cheap, overrated magician with an ego.”

“Put her down. Now.”

Alexander smiled, allowing Trixie to fall to the ground with a thud. “I suppose skills in breaking and entering is necessary for a princess...” He turned around to face the addressee, bowing in a mock show of honor. “...isn't it, Princess Celestia?”

“I came here to find the Order of the Darkest Star,” Celestia said, looking absolutely serious. “Instead I find you here, beating your prized possession.”

“I see you're completely up to speed,” Alexander said in a way that suggested he was not at all threatened by her. “If you are, then you must know what must happen to you.”

“You put too much faith in old prophecies, Alexander Kane,” Celestia said. She lifted the Alicorn Amulet into his vision, smiling proudly.

Alexander gasped. He ripped off his cape, surprised to see that he was no longer wearing the amulet. Now, he appeared angry. “You...you...” He could barely get the words out.

“There's much more to being an alicorn princess than waving and signing documents,” Celestia explained. “I'm here to make sure that the Darkest of Stars never rises.”

Alexander tried to regain his composure. “You underestimate the law of the land, princess. The Blackstar will rise with or without that amulet.”

“I know the truth now, Alexander Kane,” Celestia said. The alicorn amulet shook in midair.

Alexander was starting to look worried. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“What should have been done all those years ago.”

CRISH!!

Pieces of the Alicorn Amulet fell to the ground, bouncing across the hard stone floor. The metal wings shattered when they hit the floor, as if they were made of porcelain and were now useless without the jewel. The shattered jewel turned to vapor and dissipated into the air, never again to be seen.

“You...fool...”

Both Celestia and Alexander turned to look at Trixie, who was convulsing on the floor. Foam was spewing out of her mouth. She looked like she was choking on something. Somehow, she was managing to speak in broken bursts. “You...think...won...you...haven't...”

“It's over now, Blackstar,” Celestia said, walking closer to Trixie and looking her in the eye. “The wish cannot be made. You will be forever confined to the Darkest Star.”

She somehow managed a chuckle of derision. “There's...more...than...one...to...take...” She looked directly at Celestia. “It...mine...we...meet...again...” Then, a dark cloud of smoke rose out of Trixie's mouth and vanished into the air. She stopped moving, looking dead almost.

“You have no idea the powers you are messing with, Princess Celestia,” Alexander said, no longer looking jovial or confident. “Blackstar will find her way into this world by the time the Darkest Star arrives. And now...it will be on no one's terms except her own.”

Celestia lifted the unconscious Trixie onto her back and spread her wings. “What exactly were your plans with her? You must understand that even with her heart, she cannot be controlled.”

Alexander smiled, allowing a chuckle to escape. “You thought a sought to control the Blackstar? You don't remember a thing about me, do you Princess Celestia?”

Celestia looked away. “I guess I don't.” She vanished in a bright light.