Chapters Two Days Later...
The Everfree forest was home to some of the strangest and mysterious magics in Equestria. Zecora lived there for that very reason. Magic flowed everywhere in the world, but it was strongest in the forest. So many creatures were also drawn here - cockatrice, manticores, taraxippi – because of the powerful arcane happenings here. Not very many ponies, even unicorns, fully understand how magic itself works. Zecora was one of those few that did.
It was high noon in Ponyville, but it is nearly impossible for sunlight to reach the floor of the forest. The canopy is so thick that even rain doesn't reach the ground at times. The forest was constantly muggy and damp due to this as well. However, it also contributed to a thriving and varied selection of fauna.
Currently, she was out collecting herbs for a potion that would straighten out someone's eyes. She looked up from a patch of flowers when she heard rustling in some nearby bushes. It didn't sound like the usual forest creatures that scurry across the floor. “I say, who is following me?” she asked, looking around. “Come on out so that I can see.”
“Very astute. It appears I've found the right zebra.”
Zecora turned around to find a pegasus standing behind her. It was a stallion with what appeared to be one normal wing and one demonic, bat-like wing. She couldn't tell his mane or coat color due to the lack of light, but it was hanging down the left side of his face.. It also looked like he had some sort of blindfold over his eyes. A necklace with a brilliant jewel hung around his neck. “It appears that of me, you already know,” Zecora observed. “Tell me sir, how is that so?”
The pegasus was facing down as he spoke. A smile crept across his face. “Rumors spread fast across the land, forest alchemist,” the pegasus said matter-of-factly. “You are quite famous...or infamous, if you prefer. The strange zebra that lives in one of the most frightening locales in Equestria...” He flipped his mane over to the other side of his face. “How could rumors not be started?”
“I always knew I had a certain clout,” Zecora admitted. “Of that I've never had any doubt.” She paused and looked directly at the pegasus. “But you still haven't answered my question: Who are you and what is your intention?”
“My name is Allis Yahn.” He bowed as he introduced himself. “I have come to retrieve something that belongs to me.”
Zecora raised an eyebrow. “I do possess strange items, of which I have many. What exactly is it that you fancy?”
At that moment, it was almost as if Allis was looking directly at her. He spoke firmly. “The Alicorn Amulet.”
~
“What part of this don't you understand?” the gray unicorn said in an exasperated tone. “I need to speak with the princess!”
The pegasus guard posted at the entrance shook his head. “I've already told you ma'am, the princess is busy today. No one is allowed to see her.”
The unicorn finally snapped. “Does it look like I give a flying feather?” Her horn began to produce some kind of black smoke. “This could mean the end of Equestria if you don't get it through your thick skull!” Some passersby were beginning to look on with confused interest at the developing scene.
The guard stepped forward, unabashed. “Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Oh, I'm not going anywhere you son of a--”
Suddenly a maroon Earth pony walked up, placing a hoof over the unicorn's mouth. He put on the biggest smile that he could muster when he addressed the guard. “Hello!” he said in the most saccharine way possible. “How are you today, sir?”
The guard was not amused. “Is this unicorn a friend of yours, sir?”
The Earth pony tried to find the right words. “Umm...you could say that, yes. Has she been causing you trouble?”
The guard shook his head. “It was no problem,” the guard said, betraying nothing. “Just get her under control.”
“I will do that sir!” the maroon pony promised, chuckling humorously as he dragged the unicorn away from the entrance to the castle. “Don't worry!” He kept chuckling until he was sure the two of them were out of earshot of the guard. His forced smile quickly turned into a serious frown. “What in the name of Tartarus do you think you're doing, Kassandra?”
“Getting us in!” the unicorn said, standing up for herself. “That guard was about to crack, Radley.”
“Yeah, his spear over that crooked horn of yours,” Radley retorted. “That's not how you do this. Remember, this is extremely important.”
“Alright oh Master of Mitigation,” Kassandra said, giving a sarcastic bow. “How would you do it?”
“Just watch and stay here ,” Radley commanded. “I get the feeling that he doesn't like you so much.”
“Fine...” Kassandra relented. She took a seat on a nearby bench and gestured toward the guard. “Show me how the great Radley Kane does it.”
Radley rolled his eyes and approached the guard. He bowed towards. “I'm sorry about the brashness of my friend,” Radley apologized, putting on his best affected accent. “But we really do need an audience with the princess. How soon can that be arranged?”
“I'm sorry as well,” the guard said. “But the princess is extremely busy today. She is not accepting visitors.”
“This is extremely important, sir,” Radley said, trying hard not to sound irritated. “The very fate of Equestria hangs in the balance.”
“The princess does not have time for the ravings of a few mad ponies,” the guard said almost contemptuously.
“I beg to differ.”
Both the guard and Radley looked up to see Princess Celestia lowering herself to the ground. She looked absolutely radiant with the noon sun at her back. The light shone through her flowing mane and tail, causing a beautiful spectrum of pink, white and light blue to be cast down upon all of those below. All ponies in the area had stopped what they were doing to stare at the Princess of Equestria and bow to her in respect.
The guard was completely flabbergasted, but had enough sense to bow to his leader. “P-Princess, I-I was just--”
Princess Celestia raised a hoof, signaling him to be quiet. She smiled good-naturedly. Her voice was as warm and bright as the sun she rose every morning. “I understand. Just know that I always have time to speak to a pony with a problem.”
“Y-yes, Princess,” the guard said, bowing again and looking a bit embarrassed.
Celestia nodded and turned towards to Radley and Kassandra, who had come to Radley's side. “Now, what are your names and what was it that you wanted to speak to me about?”
Both Radley and Kassandra looked at each other, looking a bit uneasy. “Uhh...my name is Kassandra Tharsus and this is Radley Kane. I guess we should have been a little clearer.”
Celestia chuckled. “Don't worry about the guard. He's new and is just a bit...eager to prove that he can do his job well.”
Radley shook his head. “No it's not that. You see...it wasn't you that we wanted to talk to.”
For a moment, Celestia looked surprised but she quickly regained herself. “I see...would you like to speak to Princess Luna then? I'm sorry but I haven't seen her in a few days.”
“Not her either,” Kassandra said. “We need to speak to Twilight Sparkle.”
Celestia raised and eyebrow. “And what do you need to discuss with her?”
Radley Kane cleared his throat. “We heard that she had rewritten a spell created by Starswirl the Bearded. Seeing as how we used to be friends...I just had to see for myself.”
“So it's the Alicorn Amulet you wish to possess?” Zecora wondered. “You must know that jewel brings nothing but duress.”
Allis briefly held the jewel around his own neck. “Trust me...I know,” he said. “But it's important that I have it.”
Zecora shook her head. “Even if I did wish to release the stone, I'm afraid it's something I no longer own.”
A vein looked like it was about to explode in Allis's temple. “What?”
“Someone else of importance came to me,” Zecora explained. Then with a chuckle she added. “They were reputable, so I did it for free.”
Allis was now inches away from her face. “Who did you give it to?”
Zecora was unfazed. “The Princess of the Night...who's very appearance can cause quite a fright.”
Allis backed away slightly. “Luna...I see.” He paused and then turned away. “So she's caught on as well. We should have expected as much, considering.” He flexed his wings.
“If you are here, that means the others are near,” Zecora observed. “Dark times are ahead. Very soon, the land will be filled with dread.”
Allis turned around to face Zecora once more. “If you want my advice, forest alchemist, leave this place. If we fail, Equestria will as well.”
Zecora shook her head. “I am comfortable here, in my home. Never again will I choose to roam. Besides, what have I to fear when the Order of the Darkest Star is here?”
Allis smiled slightly. “I should have figured you knew who I was.” He flexed his wings and took to the air. He called down to the zebra. “Beware, because is the brightest star dies--”
Zecora finished it for him. “--that is when the darkest star will rise.”
~
“Alright, Spike. Do we have everything?” Twilight asked her assistant. The two roommates were back together in the library in Ponyville, preparing to go out for a nice afternoon with their friends.
“Yep!” Spike affirmed for about the third time that afternoon. He was getting irritated as always, but tried to keep on a happy face for Twilight.
“Let's double check just to make sure,” Twilight suggested, opening her mouth to start another checklist.
Spike rolled his eyes. “We already checked, double checked and then double checked the double check,” he complained, counting on his fingers. “Besides, I don't think a picnic needs this much preparation.” He gestured towards the picnic baskets, blankets and selection of gourmet foods and desserts. He then whispered to himself. “I don't even think anyone eats like this at a picnic...”
Twilight suddenly flashed in front Spike, pressing her face against his. “Spike! This is important! This day needs to be perfect ! Do you know what will happen if I don't take care of every single detail?”
Spike thought for a moment. “Umm...someone else will?” he answered with a nervous smile.
Twilight flexed her wings in frustration, flashing away and groaning at the same time. “UGH! No! Everyone will think I don't care about them anymore.” She began flashing all over the room, checking every single supply for their picnic. “And if they think that I don't care, they'll think that I won't want to be their friends anymore. And if they think that I don't want to be their friends anymore, they won't want to be friends with me anymore. And if they don't want to be friends anymore--” She paused for a moment, looking down at the floor. Shaking her head, she went back to checking the supplies. “So this lunch just has to be perfect!”
Spike put a sympathetic hand on his friend's shoulder. “Twilight...Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie and Dash will always be your friends. One little picnic isn't going to change that. Trust me, they'll just be happy to see you.”
Twilight turned to look at Spike, wiping away a small tear. “You...you really think so?”
“Well, duh!” Spike teased. “They're only your best friends after all!”
Twilight giggled, enveloping Spike in a huge hug. “Thanks, Spike. Not only are you the best assistant in the world, you're also the best friend in the world.”
“Please continue. I haven't gotten rid of my breakfast yet.”
Twilight and Spike looked up to see a unicorn neither one of them had seen before sitting in their window. “Are you two done or can we get down to business?” She jumped down in front of them.
“Umm...who are you?” Twilight asked, trying to sound friendly to the pony that just broken into their house.
“And what's up with your horn?” Spike asked. Twilight gave him a hard shove. “Ow! I was just asking!” he whined.
“Got it caught in a door once,” she said dismissively. “My name's Kassandra Tharsus and my friend, Radley Kane and I have some questions for you.”
“Your friend?” Twilight repeated, confused.
Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. She jumped straight into the air in surprise. “You know there's a secret passageway underneath this tree? You should probably get that secured.”
Twilight had attached herself to the ceiling. “Who in Celestia's name are you people!?”
“We heard that you're having a picnic with your Ponyville friends,” Radley mentioned. “Can we join you? What we have to say concerns you all.”
“That sounds ominous...” Spike said under his breath.
Twilight lowered herself to the ground. “What do you mean 'What you have to say'?” she said skeptically. “And how do you know my friends and I?”
Kassandra grinned. “How could we not know the new Elements of Harmony?”
“Wait...what do you mean the 'new' Elements of Harmony?” Spike questioned.
Kassandra bent down and looked Spike straight in the eyes, making him back up a little. “You think Twilight and her friends were the first to utilize the Elements?”
“No of course not,” Twilight answered for him. “Princess Celestia and Luna were the first.”
Radley chuckled. “There's a lot you don't understand. Now, about this picnic you're having...”
The Badlands.
Life as any sane being would define it did not exist here. There was nothing but sand, rocks and jagged mountains and cliffs to be found here. Strong wind gusts arrived occasionally to kick up sand and dust into the air. Even in the midday sun, the heat was nearly unbearable. Without a cloud in the sky, it was free to scorch the earth into fine, nutrient-deprived particles.
Even so, Princess Luna flew through the air with a determined expression on her face and the cursed Alicorn Amulet clenched tightly in her teeth. The princess was on a mission and had been on one for the past two days. The going was tough – finding the place she needed to get to was nearly impossible. She had spent the entirety of one afternoon going around in a circle, for instance.
The voice that had called out to her a few days ago was also an occasional nuisance. She tried to ignore it and sometimes it went away for a while, only to come back some time later.
She was tired and hungry and could feel her strength waning, but knew she could not stop no matter what. She had to do this to save Equestria once and for all from the Darkest Star. If she didn't...they might get to it first.
The location she wanted to find was deprived of any magic. It siphoned it and drained it like a collapsed star devours light. In the same way the Crystal Heart radiated love and joy all over Equestria, this place siphoned magic from all over the Badlands. The irony of it all was that no matter how much it fed itself with magic, it was never full and could never produce its own. This is why it was called...the Blackest Heart.
Luna could feel the hunger of the Heart as she flew onward. She knew that she was getting closer and poured on all the speed she could muster. It only took a minute before she finally reached a cave that contained the Blackest Heart.
The Princess of the Night landed, quite unsteadily in front of the Heart. The thing took the form of a...void of some sort. It was like looking into a tornado from atop the clouds, except that it was black with the tiniest white streaks funneling down into it. Still with the Alicorn Amulet clenched tightly in her teeth, Luna approached the Heart.
“You are not going to do what I think you are about to do are you, lunar princess?”
Luna turned around, not looking particularly surprised to see the pegasus standing behind her. “Allis Yahn,” she greeted, talking around the amulet. “I would say that it is a pleasure to see you again if that were true.”
Allis shook his head. “There's no need for hostility, princess of the night,” he said placidly. “We are after the same thing after all: what's best for Equestria. Is that not correct?”
“Except that your way involves endangering the lives of every pony you come across,” Luna said with disgust, looking at him right where his eyes would be if they were visible. “Possibly even letting them die if that fit into your master plan.”
“Would it be right to let one pony live if that meant it would lead to hundreds more dying?” Allis asked, slowly walking up to her.
Luna stepped back towards the Blackest Heart, stretching out her neck and also the Alicorn Amulet over it. “Come any closer and your plan is ruined,” she threatened.
Allis stopped and stepped backwards. “Don't do this, lunar princess,” he warned. “The wish has to be made and it cannot be done without the Amulet.”
Luna held her position. “Nothing has to be done except to destroy this cursed thing,” she affirmed. For a moment, she brought herself out from over the Heart. “This jewel almost cost me the greatest relationship I've ever enjoyed.” She turned back towards Allis, new determination plastered on her face. “I won't allow any others to be brought to harm because of it!”
Allis sighed. “I'll give you one last chance, lunar princess.” He placed a hoof on the back of his blindfold. “Give me the amulet willingly or I'll have to resort to drastic measures.”
Luna faced the Blackest Heart. Taking a deep breath, she said quietly, “I'll take my chances.” She held the Alicorn Amulet over the seemingly endless funnel of darkness, poised to drop it.
Then, she froze. She tried to move, but all of the feeling in her body was gone. Something felt like it was digging into her spine, like the claws of a hungry manticore. She could feel these claws compelling her to turn around. She had no choice but to oblige, despite her attempts to struggle against them. She was now facing Allis Yahn. Finally, she remembered why he always wore the blindfold.
His eyes were almost completely white, devoid of any color except for a red streak that went from his top right eyelid and straight through his eye down to his bottom lid. “Now, princess of the night, give me the Alicorn Amulet,” he commanded calmly.
Luna wanted to turn around and toss the amulet into the Heart, but was unable to resist Allis's call. She silently cursed herself for not doing so before and instead choosing to get caught in a moral debate with this demonic pegasus. Against all of her wishes, she dropped the amulet at his hooves.
“No no,” Allis said, keeping his eyes on her. “Put it on for me, dear princess.”
Seething inside, but unable to take any action, Luna picked up the amulet and tied it around his neck. “Good,” Allis said, smiling. “This could have been so much more pleasant for the both of us if you had simply done what I had asked in the first place. Oh well, nothing worth having ever comes easy.”
Allis continued to stare at Luna, speaking slowly and clearly. “Now, lunar princess, these next instructions are very important. You will forget everything that has happened up until three days ago. Fly back to Canterlot, behaving as if nothing has happened because nothing has happened. I'm sure your sister is worried about you as well.”
And with that, all of the anger and determination drained from Luna's face, replaced with deadpan obedience. She then exited the cave and took to the sky. Allis watched for a while before replacing his blindfold. “Kids these days,” Allis said to himself. “They can be so ungrateful...” He took to the sky in a slightly different direction than Luna.
~
It was peaceful day out under the midday sun in Ponyville. The brightest star in the sky warmed the air just enough to create a cool, flowing breeze. The birds were singing joyfully and emphatically while a bunny hopped across the ground.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were sitting in the park right on the edge of the town. There was food and picnic baskets on a blanket spread out before them.
Dash jumped up into the air and groaned aloud. “That's it! I can't wait anymore, I'm starving. Give me that apple pie!” She started flying straight towards one of the pies.
Pinkie intercepted her with a hoof to the throat, knocking Dash to the ground. “NO!” she said, staring her down as she lay on the ground. “You promised Twilight you'd wait for her to come before you started eating. We all did!”
Dash looked completely miserable, but relented. “Fine...but if I start to waste away into nothing, could you at least give me an apple?” she said in her most pathetic voice.
“Sure!” Pinkie agreed, bouncing up and down. Then she came to a stop. “But come to think of it...” She fell down on her back beside Dash. “I'm starving too! Where is Twilight?”
“Oh, you two are such drama queens,” Rarity commented, rolling her eyes. Everyone turned to look at her. She flipped her hair and smiled nervously. “Present company excluded, of course.”
“Give 'er a chance guys,” Applejack said, balancing a stack of apples on her back. “She probably got caught up with some 'princessy' business or such. She's got a heap 'a responsibilities now”
“It's too bad we don't get to see her as much anymore...” Fluttershy commented, a hint of regret in her voice. She tossed a few seeds onto the ground, attracting a small group of birds.
“Yes it is,” Rarity agreed, coming to stand beside Fluttershy. “The poor darling doesn't seem to have time for anything else anymore.”
“Yeah, she does seem pretty busy...more than usual anyway,” Dash chimed in. She tried to reach for an apple nonchalantly, but Pinkie smacked it away giving her a hard stare.
Pinkie jumped up into the air, a big smile on her face. “Still, I'm so happy for her! I mean, she's a princess now! A princess ! That's like, so amazing!”
“Umm, girls?” Fluttershy spoke up in a voice far too low to hear.
“It's a pretty big deal, I have 'ta say,” Applejack agreed. “And for such a lil' pony.”
“Well duh !” Pinkie said, jumping straight into Applejack's face. “That's why I'm using italics!”
Everyone turned to look at her. A full ten seconds passed before Dash groaned and said. “You're so random Pinkie Pie...”
“Girls, I think she's--”
“Oh well,” Rarity relented, stretching. “I suppose we'll have to try again at a later date.” She picked up her yellow sun hat with a blue ribbon and flower and put it on.
“It is getting kinda late,” Applejack said, glancing at the sun. It had nearly begun to sink below the horizon. “Gotta get back to the farm ta help Granny Smith get ready for Zap Apple season!”
“Oooh, it's almost Zap Apple season!?” Pinkie repeated, bouncing up and down. “I can't wait! I just love Zap Apples!” Then, she began to ramble. “I like candied Zap Apples, Zap Apple jam, Zap Apple pie and Zap Apple cider! I don't think I've ever had Zap Apple cider? Why don't you guys make Zap Apple cider!? I mean I love cider season but just think how amazing Zap Apple cider would be! It would be electrifying! Or maybe ciderific? How about electriciderific!?”
“GIRLS!!”
They all looked at Fluttershy with shocked expressions on their faces. She immediately shrunk back. “Oh...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to yell...” she said quietly. She pointed behind them “But, umm...Twilight is here...”
Finally, everyone noticed her. “TWILGHT!” they all screamed at once.
“Hi, girls!” Twilight set down her baskets and embraced all of her friends happily. “It's so good to see you all! How've you been? Oh, we have so much to catch up on!”
Dash was the first to let go. “Totally! But first – what took you so long?”
Applejack punched her in the shoulder. “Rainbow!” She addressed Twilight. “Don't listen to her. We're just as pleased a family a' worms in a barrel a' apples to see you!”
“Oh girls, I'm sorry for being so late,” Twilight apologized. “These two ponies showed up at the library and held me up.”
“Oooh, who was it?” Pinkie asked, resuming bouncing. “Cheerilee? Big Mac? Lyra? Bon-Bon? Derpy? Time Turner? Colgate? Octavia? Vinyl? Berry Punch--”
Rarity stopped her before she went too far. “So who were these visitors of yours?”
Twilight shrugged. “I have no idea. They said they had something important to talk to the six of us about.”
Dash had her face buried in an apple pie. “Something important?” she repeated with her mouth full of pie.
“It was something about the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight said, scratching her head. “And about the spell.”
“You mean the one written by Starswirl the Bearded?” Rarity clarified.
Twilight nodded. “Yeah. Question is, how would they know about the spell?”
“Well where are these ponies?” Applejack asked. “They sound like in'trestin' folk.”
“They wanted to come along with me, but said they had somewhere to be all of a sudden...” Twilight said cautiously. She then waved her hoof dismissively. “Let's not worry about them! We have so much to talk about. I feel like I haven't seen you all in forever!”
We Will Have Our Wish Granted
Three Days Later...
Celestia had spent the fifth day in a row desperately looking for her sister with the Teleyedoscope. She looked completely exhausted. There were bags the size of coin purses under her eyes. Her usually brilliant mane was riddling with split ends. She looked like she hadn't slept in days.
A unicorn royal guard came up behind her, looking a bit worried. “My princess...you need to rest now.”
Celestia didn't take her eyes off of the scope. “Did you find anything?” She did not even seem to hear the guard's suggestion/
The guard sighed. “The search party has yet to report anything,” he confessed.
Celestia suddenly reeled on the guard, staring him down. “Why are you slacking off!? Luna is still missing because no one is doing their jobs! Why don't you get off your lazy flank and do something useful!?”
The guard was a bit taken aback, but did not argue. He merely nodded and turned to leave.
The princess turned back to the Teleyedoscope, but closed her eyes and sighed. “Wait...” she turned back to the guard, an apologetic and worried look on her face. “I am so sorry. That was completely unfair. I'm just on edge and--”
The guard shook his head, a smile creeping along his lips. “There's no need to apologize. I understand.”
Celestia sighed again, rubbing her eyes. “Thank you. Luna has never been gone for this long, not since she came back to us. Something must be wrong...”
“We will double our search efforts,” the guard promised. “I already have ponies working around the clock, but we will find a way. Princess Luna must be found.”
Celestia wiped away a tear. “Thank you.” She returned to the Teleyedoscope as the guard walked away. She looked at the device and then to the sky. Even the stars and the moon itself looked dimmer now that their princess was nowhere to be found. She sat down on her haunches, looking as if she were talking to her sister. “Luna...where have you gone?”
~
Allis Yahn landed somewhere outside of the Everfree forest. It took him longer than he had expected to get to Ponyville. It was nearly nighttime there, with the sun dipping below the horizon. He wondered how Luna was able to get to the Blackest Heart at all.
He also wondered if she were able to make it back to Canterlot...
He fiddled with the Alicorn Amulet around his neck sitting on top of the necklace he already wore. He knew that he had to do what he did, but somehow it felt...wrong. He silently cursed himself for breaking the first and most important rule of the Order.
“Never by action or inaction bring the princesses to harm.”
Allis turned to face Radley. He knew he had been standing there for a while, but was trying his best to ignore him until now. “I know...but she left me with no choice,” Allis said, turning his head down.
“There is always a choice, Allis,” Radley corrected, coming closer. “There is always another way.”
Allis shook his head. “She would have thrown the amulet into the Blackest Heart if I hadn't stopped her like I did. You saw what happened in that cave.”
Radley sighed. He knew his partner did everything he could. “Yes...yes you're right. At the very least we now have the Amulet.”
Allis held the cursed jewel in hooves. “The wish can finally be made...”
Radley nodded, but then gave him a hard stare. “But we absolutely cannot operate as we have before.”
Allis raised an eyebrow behind his blindfold. “And makes you think that?”
“Whether you like it or not, we need the help of the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony,” Radley explained. “They're our best hope of destroying the Darkest Star once and for all.”
Allis chuckled humorlessly. “And what's your reasoning on this? That has never worked before.”
“I know, I know,” Radley confessed. “But something about these Elements are...different from their previous incarnations.”
Allis didn't respond, but merely turned his head towards the sky as if seeing what his old friend was talking about. The stars had a faint shimmer to them, offsetting the new moon in the sky.
Radley continued. “Once the wish is made, we will need to be able to stop the Darkest Star. And no one of us has the ability to stand against it.”
Allis felt the scar around his eye, recalling some bitter memory. “Trust me, I know....” Suddenly, he turned his head to and fro. “Wait, where is Kassandra?”
“Oh...right,” Radley said with a hint of grief. “It seems your bid to get Luna back to Canterlot without raising suspicion didn't work out quite well.”
Allis turned pale with worry. “You mean...”
The earth pony shook his head. “Kassandra went to Canterlot to help with the search efforts. Luna never returned to Canterlot after her run-in with you.”
The deformed pegasus sunk to the ground, covering his face in embarrassment. “I never...I never meant...”
Radley touched him on the shoulder. “We know...but if Twilight Sparkle or her friends discover any connection to us, we can kiss any hope of having them on our side goodbye.”
~
It was almost pitch dark in the back alleys of Los Pegasus where the lights never reached. Even the stars seemed to shun the dark alley. There didn't even appear to be a moon in the sky. The cobblestone road was filled with small puddles of water that had been collected over the past few days, reflecting the dim starlight in the dark sky. Many of the buildings along the road were either condemned or just completely abandoned.
Trixie Lulamoon was at a complete lost. Twilight Freaking Sparkle had defeated her once again just a few months ago and even worse, this time she had been forced to apologize to her. It was humiliating, even though her apology had been accepted. The Alicorn Amulet had not been the best way to go, she had to admit but even still she had never felt so powerful before.
There was no point in arguing with herself.
She was planning on visiting the shopkeeper from before. Hopefully, he would have some other object of arcane and mystical power to sell.
Trixie pushed down the door to the shop of Oddsin Ends.
“You know, you're going to have to pay for that,” the shopkeeper complained, coming from a room in the back of the shop. “That's the second time someone's knocked down my door--” He stopped and smiled when he saw who it was. “Oh! Welcome back to my humble shop! Come for more objects of mysterious power?”
Trixie merely stared at him.
Oddsin groaned but kept his cheerful demeanor. “Still of few words I see. Unfortunately, I don't possess any that could possibly rival the Alicorn Amulet...”
The master of show-magic looked crestfallen. Oddsin scratched his head, looking deep in thought. “However...I might have something that could interest you.” He retreated to the back of the store. There was a crashing noise and a loud thud, sounding like a body hitting the floor. Many expletives came flying out of the room before the old shopkeeper came limping out of the room with a book between his teeth. He set it down on a table.
“This book contains many myths and legends,” Oddsin explained, turning a few pages. “One of these is bound to interest you.”
Trixie glanced over a few of the pages. There was one speaking of a pool where one could duplicate oneself. Another spoke of a ring that needed to be thrown into a volcano. Yet another prophesied of a farmer child that would liberate the galaxy and put an end to a millenia old war. That last one confused her.
Then there was one that caught her eye.
Oddsin noticed her interest. “Ah, I thought that might be the one to catch your attention,” he chimed in. There was a picture of what appeared to be a large, black comet hurtling towards a planet. Below the comet was a depiction of an old, purple unicorn with a beard.
“What is this about?” Trixie finally spoke.
“This is the legend of the Blackstar,” Oddsin explained. “Or what others may call the Darkest Star.”
“The Darkest Star...” Trixie repeated.
“Many many years ago,” Oddsin continued. “Before even the country of Equestria as we know it existed, a large comet trailing dark fire behind it flew to Earth. It's said that one particular pony made a wish upon it. He had his wish granted, only to have paid a terrible price for it.”
“Who was this pony?” Trixie asked. “And what was his wish?”
Oddsin shrugged. “I can only tell you what I know, traveler. What I can tell you however is that his wish nearly led to the destruction of the entire planet. If not for a small group of ponies, this world would not exist today.”
Trixie studied the page again. “A wish that had the power to destroy a planet...”
Oddsin nodded. “It was a thousand years later when another pony decided to make a wish upon the Blackstar.”
Trixie's eyes widened. “It came back again?”
“Yes,” the shopkeeper answered. “This time her wish nearly led to the entire world being blanketed in darkness for all eternity.”
Trixie fell silent for a moment. “Wait...how is it that only one pony can make a wish upon this...Blackstar at a time?”
“Because in order to even see the Blackstar, one must be in possession of the Alicorn Amulet,” he answered.
Trixie cursed under her breath. Twilight Freaking Sparkle defeated her once again without even knowing it.
Oddsin chuckled. “I take it you are no longer in possession of the amulet?”
Trixie ignored the question. The details of this Darkest Star were sketchy at best, but if what the shopkeeper said was true, this could be her best chance of defeating Twilight Freaking Sparkle once and for all. “When will it come back again? It appears to come around on a schedule.”
“It's hard to say...” Oddsin said with a knowing look. “However if I had a little...compensation, it could be a little easier to recall. My memory's a little foggy these days.”
Trixie sighed and tossed the last of her savings from working on that damned rock farm on the table. Oddsin smiled. “Let's just say...you have about six months to find the amulet and make your wish.”
Trixie smiled and exited the shop. This was going to be the end of her rivalry with Twilight Freaking Sparkle...one way or another.
We Will Take What is Ours
Ten Days Later...
Twilight was sitting in her room in the castle in Canterlot, pouring over a book on the landscapes of Equestria. Her room was about the size of her old house in Canterlot, before she had moved to Ponyville. Celestia had personally seen to it that it was lined with more books than Twilight had ever had before.
The room had a very high, domed glass ceiling and telescope for viewing the sky. She had opted to use the telescope in her old library instead of the brand new one the Princess had offered. It had some good memories with it in any case.
Despite all of the luxuries she now enjoyed her mind was troubled. She couldn't help but think of her friends in Ponyville and what they were up to. It had been two weeks since she had seen them last, including Spike. The stretches between seeing her friends was getting longer and longer. It made her heart ache a little, to be honest. Actually...it made her heart ache a lot. She missed spending time with her friends dearly.
She got up and walked into her private bathroom. It was designed to complement her own colors. Light blue was the dominant scheme in the room. Lights decorated the edge of the mirror. She took a look at herself. Her hair was a mess, she realized. Then she remembered how little sleep she had gotten over the past few weeks. She smiled a little when she thought about what Rarity would say about her mane.
She stretched out her wings and stared at them for a while. She still hadn't gotten completely use to them yet. Somehow, they didn't feel that...natural. She figured that it would take some time before they would be.
Twilight heard a knock at the door. She straightened out her mane as best she could and answered the door to her room. “Come on in – oh it's you, Kassandra.”
The white unicorn smiled. “Hey, Sparkles,” she greeted. The two of them had gotten to know each other somewhat over the past few weeks. Somehow, that nickname stuck and there was nothing Twilight could do about it. “I just wanted to stop in and give you an update on Princess Luna.”
Twilight had almost forgotten about the search for Luna. The princess had been missing for about three weeks now. Celestia was on edge, understandably. She tried to put on a brave face, but Twilight could tell that during her lessons that her heart was elsewhere. “Oh that's right,” she said. “Have you found anything?”
Kassandra looked up and moved her head left and right. “Ehh...yes and no,” she answered vaguely.
Twilight raised and eyebrow. “Which is it?”
“Well...we haven't actually found Luna,” she admitted. “But I do have an idea as to where she might be.”
“That's great!” Twilight said excitedly. “We can start searching there then!” She spread out her wings as if about to take off.
Kassandra grabbed her wings and pulled them down. “Whoaaa, Sparkles,” she said as if she were on a farm. “Easy girl. I said an idea .”
Twilight looked confused. “We should still search there, right?”
“Well...” Kassandra looked around. Seeing the globe at the center of the room, she lifted a pen from off a nearby table. She began to circle a large chunk of Equestria, including the southern and eastern parts and the Badlands. “That's quite a lot of ground to cover.”
Twilight looked crestfallen, her wings and ears drooping. “Oh...”
Kassandra tried to sound optimistic. “But hey, at least we've narrowed it down a bit. We're that much closer to finding her.” She patted her on the back.
Twilight smirked. “Yeah...yeah you're right. Thanks for telling me.”
Kassandra bowed. “No problem,” she said. She turned to leave. “See you later, Sparkles.”
“Wait!” Twilight called out. “I've been meaning to ask you something.”
For a moment, a brief look of alert flashed across her face. She quickly collected herself before she turned around. “What's that?”
“You've been really helpful with the search and everything,” she mentioned. “I was just wondering...why?”
“What do you mean?” Kassandra asked, suddenly wary.
“Why are you helping out so much?” Twilight clarified, not sounding challenging but curious. “I just met the two of you not even a month ago. It's just...a little strange is all.”
Kassandra thought for a moment before walking away to another part of the room. She flopped down on a nearby bed. “Twilight...may I see that spell you rewrote?”
“What spell?” Twilight asked.
Kassandra looked her straight in the eyes. They seemed to glimmer in the candlelight. “The spell from Starswirl the Bearded. I'd like to see it if you don't mind.”
“Oh!” She walked over to a table next to a bookshelf on the far end of the room. The table held a book floating in a glass dome. “I keep it protected here, just in case.” She lifted up the dome and took our the book. She stared at the book for a while. She suddenly realized how steeped in lore and legend this piece of literature was.
Kassandra glanced at the book. She had a confused look on her face. “So that book contains the spell?”
Twilight nodded, still looking at the tattered old book. “You know...I almost messed up my friends' lives completely with this. I was so stupid...”
Kassandra got up from the bed and stood beside her newfound friend. “That's true,” she agreed, smiling. “But you fixed it all in the end. That's the important part.”
“I guess--” Twilight immediately turned to Kassandra, looking suspicious. “Wait...how do you know about that?”
Kassandra gulped. “Oh...yeah, well I spoke to Celestia before Radley and I came to visit you,” she lied by omission.
“So you guys know Celestia too?” Twilight asked, eyes widening.
“Kind of, yeah,” Kassandra said weakly. “It's a long story.”
Twilight's eyes had grown even wider with curiosity. “I'd love to hear it!”
“Maybe later...” Kassandra said, looking uncomfortable. She tried to rerail the conversation. “How about the spell?”
“Oh right,” Twilight said. She opened her mouth to recite it, then looked hesitant. “The last time I said this, I nearly led Ponyville to ruin.”
“It shouldn't be a problem,” Kassandra insisted. “After all, you fixed it didn't you?”
“Yeah...I'm just a little worried,” Twilight admitted. “I'm still not sure what this spell does exactly.”
“Don't worry about it,” Kassandra said, looking determined. “Just read the spell.”
“Alright...you might want to stand back a little.” The white unicorn did so. Twilight began to recite the spell:
“From all of us together, together we are friends
With the marks of our destiny made one, there is --”
Suddenly a blast of black magical energy knocked Twilight off of her hooves and into the bookshelf, knocking it over and sending all of the books placed on it onto the floor. Dazed and confused, Twilight looked up to see Kassandra with black smoke coming from her crooked horn. Black veins came from the corners of her eyes. She was speaking strangely and incoherently to herself. “Ab igne inferni flammis ,” she said. The jewel around her neck began to glow. “Ad malum hoc et hoc planum esse rediturum. ”
“Kassandra, whats--” Twilight jumped up when she saw a black flame rising from the floor. The book was aflame. “NO! Stop!!” She began to conjure her own magic to dose the cursed fire consuming the tome.
“Don't do it Twilight Sparkle,” Kassandra warned. She had a look of grave seriousness in her eyes. “Leave it to burn!”
“Have you lost your mind!?” Twilight screamed. There was hurt and anger in both her voice and face. “There are countless spells and information to be learned in this book!!”
Kassandra growled and pounced on Twilight, knocking her to the floor again. She pinned her down. “You don't get it do you Twilight!?” she said, gritting her teeth. “That spell is not what you think it is!”
Twilight tried to struggle out from under Kassandra. “What in Celestia's name are you talking about!?”
Kassandra pressed her face against Twilight's as the book continued to burn away into nothing. “That spell you rewrote, the one made by Starswirl...is meant to kill alicorns!!”
~
Zecora was a skilled alchemist. She could make any kind of potion for just about any ailment or need. The secret was in the magic found all around the world she lived in. Most ponies think incorrectly that magic comes from within them and manifests itself when reading spells or from strong emotion. The truth was that magic was a form of energy that existed everywhere. Unicorns are inherently able to draw from this “pool” by use of their horns. However, anypony – including zebras – are able to use magic so long as they know how to do so. The most common way (or at least it used to be) for ponies to do this was through the use of alchemy.
Alchemy was a little more than just making potions and making water appear from nowhere. Alchemy was an art and a science as well. If one understood the flow of magic in the world, one could break it down and then remake it into any form one needed to. For instance, lead could be transformed into gold. A dying tree could be restored to its full health. A lake could be turned into nothing but gas. The possibilities of alchemy were nearly limitless.
Currently, she was mixing a brew that could restore someone's eyesight. The last time she got somepony to test it, their eyes ended up going askew. She had been trying to perfect it for years, but had up until now been unsuccessful.
Knock, knock.
She heard a knock at the door. She wondered if it might be Applebloom coming for a visit. Then she remembered how late it was. “I say, who could this be?” she asked herself aloud. “It's far past the late hour of three.” She opened the door and was shocked to see who it was standing before her.
“Princess Luna, the ruler of the night,” she said cheerfully. Then her cheerfulness turned to worry. “My goodness, are you alright?”
Luna didn't respond. Something about her did seem quite wrong. The crest around her neck was torn and crown was off center. She was sweating and breathing heavily. Her wings were extended, but had fallen down at her side. She swayed too and fro, as if she were about to fall over. Her eyes were closed.
“Something is amiss...” Zecora realized, taking a step back. “You are not the princess!”
“Esir dna evil lliw rats tse kradent ,” Luna spoke with an echo in her voice. “Seid dna sedaf rats tsethgirb eth nehw .”
It took all of two seconds for Zecora to see who it really was at her door. “Oh no,” she said silently. She quickly slammed the door and ran to the back of her house. She jumped into the air to grab a bottle from the ceiling in her teeth.
Luna knocked the door off of its hinges, sending it flying into the far back wall. Zecora tossed the potion at the alicorn princess. Immediately, fire sprung up at her doorway. The flames quickly spread, licking hungrily at the wooden abode. The fire spread in an almost perfect circle all around the cottage. It seemed to affect Luna not all, who began to approach her.
Zecora took another potion from the ceiling and smashed it on the floor. The blue liquid seeped into the floor and vanished. Then lines began to form all around, spreading out from the center of the impact. They formed several symbols in between the lines as well. She closed her eyes as she began to speak loudly and clearly in some strange language. “Nequam spiritus inferni profunda animam committe male !”
As soon as she finished speaking, the lines and symbols turned black as well as the fire. Luna suddenly stopped. She looked like she was choking on something. She took one final breath before collapsing to the floor.
Zecora opened her eyes. “Absisto !” The flames and the lines died away, restoring the cottage as it once was. She stood before the body of the princess, looking worried and confused. “How can this be?” she said to herself. She turned around. “There's no possible way that I can--”
She stopped talking. She was beginning to feel cold for some reason. There was slight, sharp pain in her side. Actually...it was beginning to grow more and more painful. She coughed violently and discovered with horror that blood had come up as well.
Luna lifted her off the ground and threw her off of her horn across the room, slamming her into some shelves. Zecora's blood dripped off of her face, accentuating her gruesome smile.
Luna's horn had punctured both of her lungs and the impact had broken a few of her ribs. Zecora was still alive, but barely. She was breathing heavily and holding her side, trying to stow the flow of blood but it was no use. She looked up to see the alicorn princess standing over her.
Zecora spoke defiantly and clearly despite her condition. “Even though...you will send...me to the depths...by the hand...of the Order....you will meet...you death!”
Luna smirked and stepped hard on the zebra's neck, cracking it in two.
Twilight Sparkle was at the epitome of confusion. Kassandra still had her pinned to the floor as the last of Starswirl's tome was burned in the black fire that the white unicorn had conjured up. There was hurt in the purple unicorn's eyes. “What are you talking about, killing alicorns!? And why did you destroy the book!?”
Kassandra quickly regretted mentioning that. She closed her eyes and looked away. Getting up, she let Twilight go. The fire died away, leaving a small black area where the book used to be. There wasn't even a piece of ash to be found. “There's something you need to know about alicorns...the species of pony that you are now,” she said reluctantly.
Twilight was just staring at the spot where the old tome used to be. She wasn't hearing anything that Kassandra was saying anymore. “You attacked me and destroyed one of most treasured possessions.” She spoke in a voice that left nothing to the imagination. Her horn began to crackle with brilliant energy. “If I see you in here again, I will deal with you myself.”
Kassandra backed up. She knew there was no hope for her in a fair fight with her. “But, I was only trying to--”
A blast of hot, purple energy silenced her. Kassandra backed out slowly before reaching the door. She sighed and turned back around. “Look into your heart, Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “You might find that something in it has changed.” She left the room.
A tear flowed down Twilight's cheek. She was tired of losing her friends.
~
Radley Kane was waiting outside of the castle on a bench for Kassandra Tharsus. “So, it's exactly as we feared,” he said without greeting.
“Hey to you too,” Kassandra said, deadpan. She took a seat beside him, heaving a heavy sigh.
Radley ignored her. “You did your best in there,” he assured her. “If you hadn't destroyed that book, the residual casting might have been enough to complete the spell.”
“You know that's buffalo crap,” the unicorn spat. “There's no way a spell can be completed if the caster doesn't finish the incantation.”
Radley shrugged. “I'm just trying to make you feel better about destroying a tome steeped in history and magic so powerful it may have contained the solution we have been searching for all of these years.”
Kassandra punched him in the shoulder. “Thanks, you're a good friend.”
Radley tried to rub the pain out. “But seriously, it was either the book or Twilight Sparkle. It was a win-lose situation not matter what.”
Kassandra smiled bitterly. She turned to look at her old friend. “I hate this so much...I really do.”
“Which part?”
“This...this whole thing!” she exclaimed. “I want this to be over and done with!” She yanked at the necklace strapped around her neck, but it would not come off. “I'm just so sick of it...”
“We all are...” Radley said, looking up at the stars. They seemed brighter tonight. “But if we don't do it, who else will?”
Kassandra rolled her eyes. “We've had this conversation before.”
“Four hundred and seventy-eight times,” Radley mentioned. “And yet you bring it up for the four hundred and seventy-ninth time.”
Kassandra shrugged, smirking. “I guess this time it got a little personal.”
“You mean you actually became friends with her?” Radley raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I guess I did,” she answered. “I just miss having friends.” She noticed the look in his eyes and elaborated. “Not like you guys. We're always together out of necessity. Even if we wanted to break up, we couldn't.” She flipped the jewel of the necklace around her hooves.
“Seeing where we all are at all times does ruin that hope,” Radley agreed.
Kassandra chuckled bitterly. “You know...when he first gave us these necklaces, I thought they were pretty. Now I think they're the ugliest things in the world.”
“We bear the burden so no one else has to,” Radley stated, deadpan.
Kassandra shook her head. “That never makes it any easier.”
Radley got up and stretched. “It's the truth. Besides...” He touched her on the shoulder. “...this will be the last year we ever have to deal with this.”
Kassandra looked unimpressed. “And I suppose the last two attempts didn't count?”
Radley remained optimistic. “The last two times, we didn't have Twilight Sparkle and her friends on our side.”
The white unicorn cringed at the mention of Twilight. “And we still don't. She'll never forgive me for burning that book.”
“Don't be so sure,” Radley said. “I have a feeling she'll come around.”
Kassandra squinted at him, as if seeing him for the first time. “You really have changed a lot, Kandy Kane...”
Radley grimmaced. “Please, you know I hate to be called that.” He shook his head. “In any case, we need to meet up with Allis at the Citadel. We have to discuss how we should proceed.”
Kassandra got up from the bench. “Maybe we should talk to all of her friends first,” she suggested. “If we convince them we're on their side, then she'll follow suit.”
Radley nodded. “I agree, but we should still plan this out carefully. Let's get moving.”
Kassandra followed, but not before looking up into the sky. The moon was half full. “That's strange...”
Radley stopped. “What?”
“The moon was new last night, but now it's half.” She gave a concerned look to Radley. “It skipped two phases.”
It only took a second for him to understand. “That means...”
Kassandra cut him off. “I think we need to meet up with Allis posthaste.”
~
Four Days Later...
The last Zap Apple season had been the best Sweet Apple Acres had ever had. Zap Apple season was a tricky affair. As soon as it started, the apples would appear on the trees. Likewise as soon as it ended, the apples would just disappear. In total, the Apple family had about five days to gather all of the apples and about three to five days to sell them. Just as the apples on the trees would disappear, in picked apples would also vanish. This included any baked into pies or mushed into jams and preserves. They were very tedious to deal with, but very delicious.
It was a warm, sunny day in Ponyville. The brightest star in the sky hung high and proud, casting its joyous rays across the land. It was a wonderful day for plowing the fields, as Applejack found herself doing. It was backbreaking work. A hard day's work never killed anyone though, she thought to herself.
Sweet Apple Acres was primarily an apple orchard, but they grew other foods on the side like corn, oats and other grains. Apple season was in full swing, but it never hurt to give the Ponyville citizens something else to subsist on.
“'Ey der, Abblejack...!” It was the matriarch of Sweet Apple Acres, Granny Smith. She was hobbling up to Applejack, slow as the bluest moon. “I gots a question fo' ya...!”
Applejack unhooked herself from the plow and decided to meet Granny halfway. “Hiya, Granny! What's up?”
“I 'aven't seen lil' Abblebloom all day,” she mentioned. “I'ma startin' ta get a lil' worried 'bout her.”
“Well...uh,” Applejack started with a nervous grin. “It's noon, Granny Smith. You've been asleep for most a' the day.”
Granny looked confused for a second. Then, she started cackling. “Oh, heh heh heh!” She coughed for a few seconds before continuing. “I guess she's at school 'den, eh?”
Applejack looked at an imaginary wristwatch. “She should be out by now. She said she was gonna go to Zecora's place to help her mix up some potions or whatnot.”
Granny nodded in recognition. “Oh, I see.” She started to walk away. “So long's she's a'right.”
Applejack looked confused. “Come ta' think of it...she should've been back by now.” She looked around, as if she'd be able to see her little sister running around somewhere nearby. “I'd betta go check up on her.” She left the plow where it was and trotted off.
~
It was about ten or fifteen minutes before Applejack reached the edge of the Everfree forest. She had been in the forest enough times by now to know where she needed to go to reach Zecora's cottage. She walked by Fluttershy's own. She decided it might be worth it to see if she had seen Applebloom.
Applejack knocked on the door. She let a few seconds pass before deciding to knock again. No answer. The orchard caretaker decided that she must have been in town.
Continuing on, she entered the forest. Even the bright noonday sun had difficulty penetrating the thick canopy above. Still, she didn't have much trouble navigating the forest. It was just a matter of getting one's bearings. The rest was just watching out for tree roots and mud puddles.
She took about five minutes getting to Zecora's house in the cottage. Suddenly, she noticed two ponies were already there. A few seconds passed before she realized that it was Applebloom and Fluttershy standing in the doorway with their backs turned to her.
“Oh, hey there!” Applejack greeted. “I just came by to check and see if Applebloom was a'right. How're you two doing?”
Neither one responded. They both just kept standing in the doorway, completely still. Applejack grimaced with confusion. “Hellooo? Can you two hear me?” She tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder. Still no response. She nearly punched Applebloom in the shoulder. Even that didn't garner a response.
Applejack was beginning to get the feeling that something was amiss. “Somethin' smells worse than a barrel a' rotten apples on a summer's morn here...literally.” She started to get a whiff of some foul odor coming from inside the house. “What is that!?” She covered her nose almost gagging at the stench. She pushed past Fluttershy and Applebloom into the house. Then, she saw what the cause of their strange behavior was.
Before them all, in a large puddle of blood spilled chemicals and potions, lay the decaying body of Zecora the zebra. Only then did Applebloom and Fluttershy respond by letting out a loud and piercing scream.
~
Later That Same Day...
Celestia had lost count of how long she had been searching for her sister to no avail. The massive search party that had been gathered over the last few weeks had had little success. The Princess was beginning to wonder whether she would ever see her little sister again or not.
In the past two or three weeks, she had gotten maybe eight hours of sleep. It was completely impossible for her to sleep with the current situation. She couldn't stop worrying about Luna. Every time she attempted to close her eyes, he vision was haunted with images of her sister. There was some dark, overwhelming force following and tormenting her. She always awoke in a cold sweat. The only thing that eased the pain was for her to go outside and look up into the sky.
The strangest part of the whole affair, besides Luna leaving without warning, was that no matter how much she looked through the Teleyedoscope there was never any trace to be found. The magical telescope was able to see anywhere in the entire universe but was not able to find any image or trace of the the Princess of the Night. This worried Celestia to no end.
Celestia quickly pulled away from the Teleyedoscope. She began to cough violently. How long had she been using it? A few minutes? A few hours? She had lost track of time.
“Princess Celestia...?”
“What is it!?” Celestia reeled on whoever it was that was interrupting her. She softened when she saw that it was Twilight. “Oh...I'm so sorry, Twilight.”
“It's all right,” Twilight said, concern written all over her face. “It's pretty late. You should rest.”
“I can't do that,” Celestia said, shaking her head. Standing this close to her, Twilight realized just how...aged, the Princess was beginning to look. There were massive bags under her eyes. Her flowing mane was unkempt and riddled with split ends. Creases were beginning to form on her face. “I have...have to keep looking.” She was beginning to stumble from exhaustion.
“Princess Celestia, please,” Twilight begged, coming to stand beside her. “You've done enough searching for today. After all-” She paused to choose her words carefully. “-what would Princess Luna say if she saw you like this?”
Celestia stopped and thought. She heaved a sigh and relented. “You're right...you're right, Twilight.” She smiled and looked down at her most faithful student. “You're becoming more wise than your age would betray.”
Twilight smiled at the praise from her idol. “Thank you. Now please go get some rest. I'll keep a look out for Princess Luna.”
Celestia nodded and almost fell over doing so. She left the balcony without saying goodbye.
Twilight turned to look up at the sky. The moon was little more than a sliver of white in the sky. She thought for a moment. Wasn't the moon half full just four nights ago?
Just then, she saw movement in the sky. It was very hard to see, but there was definitely something moving through the sky. She decided to take a look through the Teleyedoscope...carefully this time.
Focusing on that flying thing, she tried to make out what it was. She gasped.
Princess Luna!
Excited, she turned to run to wake up Celestia. However, she turned back around to see Luna barreling towards her. Twilight screamed before jumping out of the way. Luna crashed into the wall, taking the Teleyedoscope with her.
“Curses...” she mumbled. “...this body...difficult to...control...”
“Princess Luna?” Twilight said, flabbergasted. “Is that really you?”
Luna turned shakily towards Twilight, rising up on unsteady legs. Twilight could tell that something was wrong. Besides her tattered regal attire, her eyes were completely bloodshot and there was dried blood on her horn. “Hello...” she answered in a wavering voice. “I'm...” Suddenly she gripped her skull and closed her eyes. “No! Get...get out...get out now !”
Twilight backed up. “Princess...? What's going on?”
Luna looked directly at Twilight. Her voice was strained, but urgency rang out in it. “Twilight...! Go now! I'm not...I'm not...” She gripped her head again, crying out in pain. Then the urgency was replaced with malice and hatred. “Give...give it to me! Give me back my heart!” She fired a blast of dark purple energy at Twilight, blasting her off of the balcony.
Twilight screamed as she approached the ground, but then remembered she had wings. Using a recovery move Rainbow Dash had taught her, she righted herself in midair before she could hit the ground. “Luna!” she called out. “What's wrong with you!?”
“The heart belongs to me!” Luna called down from the balcony in a voice loud enough to be heard. “I will have it back...even if I must take yours.”
Twilight's eyes grew wide as she saw Luna speed down towards her, eyes full of determination and anger.
Twilight rolled out of the way to avoid Luna colliding with her. The dark purple princess hit the cobblestone ground hard. Twilight was sure she heard a crack that didn't come from the ground. Luna just stood back up, unfazed.
Quickly standing back up, Twilight looked frightened out of her mind. “Luna, what's wrong with you!?”
Luna looked angry but slightly amused as well. She spoke while taking deep breaths. “You....haven't figured it out...either, have you?” She laughed aloud in a raspy voice. “Ha....ha ha ha....ha....that's amusing. The princess understood, though it took her....a while...”
“What are you talking about?”
“Luna...of course. She figured it out....but she...paid the price...”
Before Twilight could ask what in the world she was talking about, Luna rushed her with her head lowered. Twilight quickly ducked out of the way, inadvertently tripping her. Luna flipped straight over her, head over hooves, landing some distance away.
Twilight was beginning to get what was going on. She stood her ground, lowering her head aggressively. “Who are you and what have you done with Princess Luna?”
“Luna” smiled maliciously. “Now...you get it...” she said, sounding like she was struggling. “Your princess....is fine...I just...needed her...for a short...while...”
“For what?” Twilight asked, keeping her head lowered. “Who are you!?”
“You'll find...that out...soon enough...” Suddenly, her good humor vanished. “For now...I'll ask...again...where is...my heart...?”
Twilight's curiosity got the better of her. “Heart? What heart?”
Luna was directly in front of her in an instant. “Don't play...stupid with me...” she threatened. “You were...in possession of it...just a few months...ago...”
“I have no idea what--” Twilight's eyes got twice as large. “You don't mean...?”
Luna stood up above her, scowling. “So you...do know where...it is?”
Twilight tightened her expression. She didn't want to implicate anyone. “No, I don't know where it is. I don't have it either.”
Luna looked directly into her eyes. A few seconds passed before she started smiling. “You're a...good liar, Twilight Sparkle...but a liar nonetheless...”
Twilight gulped, readying herself for a confrontation. “What makes you s-so sure?”
“That zebra...didn't have it...so that leaves...only you...”
Twilight looked immediately grave. “What did you do to Zecora?”
Luna was still smiling crookedly. “Nothing you need...to concern yourself...with...she's in...a better place...” She cackled aloud.
“What have you done to her...?” Twilight seemed to be losing her strength all of a sudden.
“Don't worry...you will...be joining her...soon...” Luna lunged at Twilight, aiming for her neck. Twilight flew backwards, flipping over in midair and firing a blast of energy at the same time. The blast hit Luna in the face, causing her to stagger backwards. She growled loudly, raising her head up.
Luna's eyes glowed with dark energy. Suddenly, a black circle formed around the area Twilight was standing. She quickly got out of the way, just in time to avoid a dark pillar of energy firing up from the ground. She had to run to avoid another pillar and then another. She then rose into the air to avoid another.
Luna growled again, looking like she was about to take flight. Then, she just collapsed to the ground. Twilight hadn't noticed before, but she was sweating and breathing hard, almost hyperventilating. “The princess...is fighting back...well...” she said, out of breath. “If I...can't come to you...I'll bring you...to me!” Her horn and eyes glowed black again.
Twilight found herself surrounded by this energy. Just a few moments passed before she started plummeting out of the sky. She tried to recover her flight, but failed. In fact, she found that she couldn't even feel her wings. She looked at her sides and noticed that they were gone. “My wings...they're gone!” she cried out. She saw the ground approaching fast. She just knew that she would sustain an injury from this...or worse.
“I got you !”
Twilight gasped when she saw a familiar light blue pegasus swooping in to save her. “Rainbow Dash! I'm so glad to see you! Thanks so much!”
Dash grinned cockily. “Don't sweat it!” she said, lowering her to the ground. “Those weird friends of yours told us something was going down here.”
Twilight looked skeptical. “New friends?”
Dash gestured towards Luna, who was beginning to look worried. She looked around frantically, trying to spot any more assailants. “It's the...Elements of Harmony...” she growled.
“Fluttershy, go for it!” A somewhat familiar voice called out.
The yellow animal caretaker came diving off of the roof. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” she repeated over and over again. She landed on Luna's back, grabbing her by the neck. Luna bucked and bucked to get her off of her, but she would not budge.
“Pinkie Pie, distract her!”
The hyperactive pink Earth pony came bouncing out from behind a nearby building. She got up close and personal to her, ducking and dodging all of her bucks and kicks and swings as she talked at full speed. “Oooh, Princess Luna! Or should I just call you Luna? Or Princess? If I just called you Princess that would get confusing. I mean, how would you know if I was talking to you or your sister? Speaking of which, where is Princess Celestia? What do you guys do together? Talk? Do puzzles? Have sleepovers? Play sudoku? I don't even know because we haven't seen you guys together a lot except for that one time with the book--”
“Applejack! Rarity! Truss her up! Fluttershy and Pinkie, stand aside!”
Fluttershy hopped off of Luna. Pinkie Pie looked disappointed. “Aww, but I didn't even get into Larson's development-”
Dash grabbed her and pulled her away. “Quit being random and get back!” she commanded.
Just then, Applejack and Rarity came out, Applejack with her trusty rope between her teeth and Rarity with her own brilliant ribbons. “Yee-HAH!” Applejack yelled out, spinning the lasso around in the air.
Rarity took the ribbons and spun them around Luna, tightening them around the princess's legs. “Such a waste of good material,” Rarity complained. “But I suppose it's for the best. We are stopping a villain after all.”
Applejack rolled her eyes before lassoing Luna around her neck and pulling her down to the ground, creating a loud thud. “That's how we do it on tha' farm!” she said proudly, crossing her legs.
“Good work, girls,” Radley Kane said. He was followed by Kassandra and Allis. “That went better than I had expected.”
Kassandra walked over to Twilight, who turned her head away. “Hey...you alright?” she asked.
“Fine,” she answered curtly. She then turned to Rainbow Dash ans smiled. “Thanks for coming...”
Dash could tell something was going on, looking slightly uncomfortable. “Yeah...no problem! But it was these three that told us something was up.”
Twilight didn't say anything. Kassandra lowered her head and went to join her two friends around Luna.
Luna looked up and smiled crookedly. “So...it's my biggest...fanclub...” she said sarcastically. “The Order...of the Darkest Star...it's good....to see you...all again...”
“Silence yourself, princess,” Allis ordered. “It's time for you to go.”
Luna closed her eyes, looking like she was sniffing the air. “Hmm...so it wasn't...Twilight Sparkle....that had my heart...” Her eyes locked onto Allis Yahn. “It was...you...Allis Yahn...” She tried to lunge forward, but failed due to the bonds. She looked incensed. “Do you think...you can stop...me with these...miserable chains...?”
“Don't even try it, Blackstar,” Kassandra threatened. She kicked Luna in the face, knocking out a tooth.
“HEY!” Pinkie Pie stood inbetween Kassandra and “Luna”. “That wasn't very nice at all!!”
“We told you this before we arrived her, pastry chef,” Allis said, sounding exasperated. “That isn't your princess. At least not now.”
“I don't give an apple's core who it is,” Applejack said, taking charge. “But Princess Luna is still in there somewhere. There's no excuse for excessive force.”
Rarity stepped in. “Applejack is right. There's no reason for us to become barbaric in this situation.” She suddenly looked worried. “But what is stopping her from breaking free?”
Kassandra still looked steamed, but relented. “A seal has been placed on her magic for the time being.”
Twilight and Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “A seal on magic? Is that possible?” the unicorn asked, her scientific curiosity temporarily overriding her distaste.
“Not with unicorn magic, it isn't,” Allis explained. “But one of the fundamentals of magic is that if it can be done--”
“--it can be undone,” Radley finished.
Dash glanced at Twilight. “Oh look! You're wings are back.”
Twilight looked at her sides and stretched them out. “Oh yeah, they are!”
“Can any of you please explain what the hay is going on here?” Applejack asked.
“In due time,” Allis assured. “But first, we have to expunge the Darkest Star from the princess's body.”
“I have a question for her before we begin the exorcism,” Radley said. Allis and Kassandra stood back. He looked Luna right in the eyes. “Blackstar...how did you do this?”
“Do...what...?”
“You know exactly what. How were you able to inhabit the body of Princess Luna?”
“I am...the Master of...the Darkest Star...” she answered. “Is it really...so hard to believe...?”
“It is when the Darkest Star has yet to arrive for another five months. Your power should have been dormant until then.”
She smiled crookedly. “What can...I say...? I have great...inner strength...”
“Radley...she's not going to tell us anything else,” Kassandra said. “Let's get this over with.”
The Earth pony sighed. “Yeah, you're right.” He closed his eyes for a second. “Give me the dagger.”
“You can...go ahead....” Luna said, sounding exhausted. “This body...is so hard to...control...”
Allis dropped an elegant dagger at his hooves. It was bright red with a golden trim around the edge. The hilt was decorated with many different runes and symbols. Radley picked it up between his teeth. The blade had the cutie marks of Allis, Radley and Kassandra on them.
“Hey...what's going on here?” Rainbow Dash said, looking skeptical. All six of the ponies were wary.
“You might want to look away,” Allis suggested to everyone. “Rest assured, the Princess of the Night will not be harmed during this process.”
“P-process?” Fluttershy repeated.
Radley came closer to the hogtied princess, standing directly over her. He stood on his hind legs, taking the dagger inbetween his hooves. He closed his eyes as he began to chant loudly in a strange language. “Sanguinare de eo, fodiendo altius iustus proice. Sanguinare de eo, fodiendo altius iustus proice. Sanguinare de eo, fodiendo altius iustus proice ...!”
Twilight gasped. “He's going to kill her! Stop him!”
Rainbow Dash flew forward to intercept Radley. Allis was immediately in her path. “Come no further, weather pony!” He almost seemed to be staring her down through his blindfold. “Do not interrupt the ritual.”
“Get out of my way!” Dash commanded, trying to shove Allis aside. He would not move.
“If you interrupt Radley before the incantation is complete, your princess will be sure to die!” he warned in such a forceful tone, Dash back down a little.
Radley stabbed the dagger into her chest. He continued speaking in that strange language and voice. “Cicatricibus aperiam ...” He dragged the dagger down, opening up a huge wound. A sickening squelching noise was heard as the blade tore through her skin. “...Hoc faciam coram te .” No blood came out, but rather a large cloud of black smoke rose from the wound. It vanished into thin air. The Earth pony backed off, handing the dagger back to Allis. “It's done,” he said finally.
“Princess Luna!” Twilight and the others rushed towards the wounded princess, but Kassandra halted them with an outstretched hoof.
“Give her some time,” she said. “Her soul needs to take back control. Blackstar did a number on her.”
Applejack took off her hat. “She's gonna be okay, right?”
“If I got the spell right,” Radley said. “It's been a while since I've had to exorcise Blackstar's influence from another body.”
Rainbow Dash was upon Radley in a second, knocking him to the ground. “What do you mean if ?”
Kassandra pulled Dash off of him. “Easy there,” she said. “There's very little chance of anything like that happening.”
Dash turned on her. “Little chance of what?” There was more than a hint of challenge in her voice.
“Do not despair,” Allis interjected. He turned to face Kassandra for a second before addressing the entire group. “Even now, the princess of the night is returning to her body.”
A few seconds passed before the wound started to seal itself up rapidly. Then Luna's eyes shot open. She coughed violently and turned to her side. Something black and gooey came out of her mouth. She looked around and saw everyone standing around her. Addressing Twilight, she said in a perplexed voice, “Did you invite all of your friends to see your lesson? I wish that you had told me this sooner.”
We Will Show You the Truth - Pt. I
“I think it's high time we got an explanation out of you three,” Applejack said.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle were all sitting in Twilight's room in the Canterlot Castle. Rarity had insisted on having an embroidered pillow to sit on, though the other five were fine without. Radley Kane, Kassandra Tharsus and Allis Yahn were all sitting together opposite of the six Elements. Luna and Celestia were resting, having been completely exhausted by the days events. The six and the three had decided that it would be best to fill them in later.
“Yes, you're right,” Radley agreed. He looked to his two friends. “But the question is, where do we begin?”
“How about the beginning?” Pinkie suggested. “That way no one gets confused!”
Everyone stared at her after this completely reasonable idea. “That...makes sense actually,” Rarity admitted. “Too much, in fact.”
“Before we do begin, we have to know,” Allis started. “How much do you know about this country's history?”
Twilight decided to speak for everyone. “Well, Equestria was founded by six ponies looking for a new place to--”
Kassandra shook her head, making a buzzer noise. “EHHH!! Wrong answer, Sparkles. That Hearth's Warming Eve story is a load of bunk.”
Radley nodded. “The only true part of that story is that there was a lot of conflict between the three races of ponies. But I can tell you now that it wasn't solved by reminiscing around a campfire.”
“That can't be right,” Dash interjected. “I've heard that story since I was a little filly.”
“But that doesn't make it true now does it, weather pony?” Allis said with a smirk.
Dash looked like she was about to say something, but decided not to. Allis continued. “In order to hear this story, you must let go of all your preconceived ideas.”
Kassandra added, “Including how Celestia and Luna came to be here.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Who exactly are you guys?”
“That will all come in due time,” Radley said. “For now, we should begin.” He turned to Kassandra. “If you please.”
Kassandra nodded and closed her eyes. Her horn began pouring out black smoke. It spread across the floor until everypony was sitting in it. Rarity stood up, looking uncomfortable. “What...what is this?”
“Oooh, spooky!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down. She stuck her head down in the fog and then quickly spat. “Ugh, black licorice!”
“I would advise you to sit down, dress maker,” Allis said. “And I would also advise you not to eat the fog, pastry chef. It has the potential to place you into a coma for at least a year.”
Both Rarity and Pinkie sat down, the former with a bit more hesitation than the latter. “Umm...what exactly are you doing...?” Fluttershy asked. “If...if you don't mind me asking...”
“It helps to have visual aids,” Kassandra said with a smile. Her eyes had turned black and were producing the same black smoke.
Then, the room went completely black. The six began to murmur amongst themselves, looking around wildly. “I can't see a thing in here! What's going on here?” Dash cried out.
Allis leaned over to Radley. “Last chance, Kane,” he whispered. “Are you sure you want to involve these...hicks?”
Kassandra looked offended. “Hey, these 'hicks' happen to be the new Elements of Harmony. Have a little respect!”
Radley nodded. “She's right. We don't have much of a choice.” He stood up. “Come on, we have a show to do.” The three stood up.
Slowly, the light returned. But...they weren't in Twilight's room anymore. They were in the middle of some desert, surrounded by nothing but sand and dirt. A scorching hot sun hung overhead, further drying out any possible water there might have been in the area.
Fluttershy was the first to speak, oddly enough. “Oh my...where are we?” she asked, standing up.
“Technically, inside Kassandra's mind,” Radley stated. “We have a story to tell all of you. This is the best way to tell it.”
“This is incredible...” Twilight said, looking around.
“But why is it so unbearably hot out here?” Rarity asked, wiping sweat from her forehead. “If I'd known that this was where we were going, I would have brought a sun hat.”
“This is the desert just east of Equestria, otherwise known as the Badlands,” Allis explained. “Approximately 2,235 years before this present time period.”
“Whoa...” Dash said in amazement. “Sweet.”
“Wait...” Pinkie said, looking off into the distance. “Who are they?”
There was a group of ponies walking in a disorganized fashion a short distance away. They were dressed in tattered rags and various filthy garments. They looked even worse for wear. Their eyes were sunken in baggy, as if they hadn't eaten or slept in months. Their ribs betrayed their starvation even more. “They...” Radley began. “...they are the beginning of our story.”
“Oh my...” Applejack said, clearly startled at the appearance. “We need to help them! They all look like their fittin' ta collapse!” She darted forward to help, but Kassandra held her back.
There was an echo in the unicorn's voice. “These events have already taken place and cannot be changed. Remember, you all are just seeing images from inside my head.” Her eyes were still black and her horn was still producing the eerie black smoke, though now it was dispersing before it hit the ground.
Radley continued. “These ponies have just escaped from captivity. Up until two weeks ago, they were slaves to the Ibex.”
“Slaves....?” Rarity repeated, looking faint. “Oh my, how terrible.”
“Indeed...” Radley nodded in agreement. “They've been trekking for days and even now they have yet to reach the end of their journey.”
Allis chimed in. “The Ibex Empire had at their disposal 896 pony slaves that day. 125 were killed attempting to escape, 586 will die on this journey of starvation or disease.”
“I should warn you...this is about to get hard to watch,” Kassandra warned. Just then, one of the ponies fell to the ground. He tried to get back up, but his failing legs would not allow it. A few of the ponies looked back at him. It was impossible to make out, but the fallen pony said something in a hoarse whisper. He held out his hoof, only to have it drop back to the ground uselessly. He started heaving violently before going still and silent. As soon as they were sure, the group that had waited jumped upon the carcass, tearing it to pieces. They devoured it hungrily in a matter of minutes, leaving not a single piece of carrion for the vultures circling overhead.
Rarity looked deathly ill. “Oh--” She burped. “--my.”
“This is...this is terrible,” Fluttershy said, tears welling up in her eyes. This was the second time this week that she had seen a dead body.
“This is what those few that made it had to do to survive,” Allis said. “And they still have a long way to go.”
Then, the scene around them vanished as they seemed to move forward in time. Lines of speed flew past them. As soon as it started, it stopped. Pinkie flew forward due to the perceived momentum, landing flat on her face. “Trippy...” she mumbled.
Unlike the desert, this area was lush and green and full of life and trees. There were many buffalo and bison roaming the land. Some were dressed in paint and traditional garb, much like the denizens of Appleloosa. Some of them were tending to fields and gardens. Others were hard at work building tents and other structures.
“Wow!” Applejack looked around in amazement. “This must be the buffalo's original homestead!”
Radley nodded. “Yes...it was.” There was a catch in his throat. “It's been four weeks since the ponies broke free from the bondage of the Ibex Empire. They are about to arrive....now.” He pointed behind him.
The now dwindling number of escaped ponies came forward, looking even more battered and starved. Their sunken eyes seemed to barely register their surroundings. Some of the buffalo eyed the strange visitors curiously. The ponies, looking like they had just seen the buffalo backed off, looking frightened.
“They must have thought that they had some relation to the Ibex,” Kassandra voiced.
Twilight spoke up, showing off her knowledge of biology and Equine Geography. “They do, albeit distantly. The buffalo broke off from the Ibex many years ago, didn't they?”
Allis nodded. “That was many centuries ago. They dissented from the Empire and came here to forge a legacy of their own, one of peace and harmony.”
One of the buffalo stepped forward. He had on a large headdress and had his face decorated in many different colors, mostly blue and yellow. He was more than likely the leader of this tribe of buffalo. The ponies looked like they were ready to run back into the desert, but the lead buffalo bowed before them. The rest of the buffalo present followed suit.
“They're...they're accepting them,” Fluttershy said with a gleam in her eye.
“Cool,” Dash said simply.
“This would be the first day that the buffalo and ponies would forge an alliance,” Radley said. Another time skip followed, showing the buffalo and ponies eating together around a large bonfire under the stars. They were all laughing and enjoying each other's company. The ponies no longer looked like they were starving or frightened. Everyone was healthy and happy. Young ponies and buffalo ran around and played games together. Older ones sat and shared stories with each other. “They would live together in peace for quite some time--”
“--but not long enough,” Allis finished.
“What's that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked, more curious than angry.
There was another skip in time. Now, there seemed to be a lot more ponies than before...quite a lot more. “Two hundred years have passed since the ponies arrived here.” He turned to the group. “How much do all of you know about reproduction?” Allis asked.
Pinkie had taken out two puppets from nowhere and was making them kiss. “Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much--”
Rarity covered Pinkie's mouth. “Now darling, we don't need details,” she said smiling nervously. She turned to Allis. “What's your point?”
Allis explained. “Biologically, ponies are able to reproduce much faster than buffalo. Where buffalo only have one or two kits per birth, ponies had a minimum of three or four.”
“Plus their gestation period is far shorter,” Kassandra added. “They could give birth about twice a year.”
“Whoa.” Applejack thought for a moment. Realization dawned on her. “Wait...what about the land?”
“We were getting to that,” Radley said. “But I think you might be getting the idea already. There wasn't enough land to support both the buffalo and exponentially growing ponies.”
There was a small skip forward. There was one pony wearing a regal robe and crown. It was embroidered in jewels and gold trimmings. He was speaking to a buffalo wearing a simple headdress. They both seemed quite upset with each other.
“Oh my...they look angry,” Fluttershy said, backing up.
“They should be,” Radley said. “They're trying to convince each other that the other needs to leave this land.”
“What? Why?” Dash asked, getting upset herself.
“Like I said before,” Radley continued. “There wasn't enough land to support both groups.”
“But they were getting along so well before,” Twilight mentioned.
“Times have changed, princess,” Allis said. “That was over two hundred years ago. Everyone from then is dead and gone...along with their values.”
The pony and buffalo appeared to be in a heated argument now, right in each other's face. The pony yelled one final word before stamping off. The buffalo stalked off as well.
“What...what just happened?” Applejack asked.
“What you have just witnessed...” Radley began. “...is a declaration of war. The First Inter-Equestrian War has just begun.”
~
As far as Trixie could tell, the police investigation was over. It was unfortunate that the zebra had been killed, but she hoped that she had left something behind.
Unwittingly, the show magician had found herself involved in the investigation. She showed up at the cottage, scratched up by the brush and trees of the forest and missing her cape, it having been snagged on a low-hanging branch. After a lengthy amount of questioning, the police had ruled her out as a suspect and sent her on her way. A few hours had passed before they finished the search and removed the body for further examination. Trixie had snuck back in to search the premises for her query, the Alicorn Amulet.
So far, she had found nothing. She sat down in frustration. Trixie wondered if the culprit had been after the amulet as well. If that was the case, she might not be the only pony that knew of the legend. Also, she may be up against a dangerous opponent, someone who was willing to kill to take what they wanted. She gulped nervously.
Suddenly, a sparkle flashed on the edge of her vision. It seemed to be coming from a decorated book on a shelf at the back of the room. She took it off and glanced at the cover. On it was a stylized version of the Alicorn Amulet! Success! Even though she wasn't able to find the actual jewel, a book about it was the next best thing. Why hadn't she noticed it before, though, she wondered?
She dismissed the thought and opened up the book. There seemed to be more info in it than just the amulet. “Let's see...” she mumbled to herself. “...one person destined to unite the four nations....a book with the power to kill....” She turned several pages to the middle before she found another picture – this one of three symbols. The page was black and the symbols themselves were white. If she had to guess, she would say that they were cutie marks. She had no idea who they belonged to though.
There were a few paragraphs of information on the next page. “'The Order of the Darkest Star...',” she began. '...was founded many years ago. It was started by an unknown pony for the sole purpose of protecting Equestria from the Darkest Star, otherwise known as Blackstar.'” She paused before continuing. “'Blackstar comes only once every thousand years upon a comet known as the Darkest Star. She comes under the guise of a genie of sorts, to grant the wish of only one living soul. Only the person who has her heart may have their wish granted. But having a wish granted upon the Blackstar brings with it terrible consequences. The Order seeks to stop Blackstar once and for all, in order to keep the world safe from her twisted ways.'”
Trixie stopped reading. Her heart? What was this dusty old tome talking about? The old shopkeeper had said that only the Alicorn Amulet...
Her eyes widened. The Alicorn Amulet must be her heart! But what did it mean? Was it speaking figuratively or literally? She continued reading:
“'The Order of the Darkest houses itself in what they call the Black Citadel. A map of the area is provided on page--”
She turned to the page, seeing a map of where this Black Citadel was located. Trixie smiled devilishly. Perhaps it was someone from this “Order” had taken the amulet. She took a nearby knapsack and placed the book in it. This was valuable info. All she would need to do is sneak in and take the “Heart of Blackstar”, and then the wish would be hers. Terrible consequences? She scoffed at the thought. There was nothing that could keep her from her one true goal: to defeat Twilight Freaking Sparkle at her own game.
We Will Show You the Truth Pt. 2
“The First Inter-Equestrian War?” Twilight asked. “I've never heard of that before.”
“Because no one wants you to know of it,” Allis explained. He approached Twilight and seemed to be looking straight through her. “There are secrets in this world that you have no idea about.”
“But an entire war?” Rarity said.
They had skipped forward again. Now they were in the middle of a battlefield. Bodies of slain buffalo and pony alike littered the ground. The smell of carnage and blood were everywhere. Even the sky looked blood-red. Broken weapons were strewn all over the ground. The heads of defeated ponies with gruesome expressions rested on pikes placed all across the field. Buffalo carcasses were scattered about the desecrated ground.
Fluttershy couldn't take it anymore and passed out, falling to her side. Applejack was quickly at her side, letting her lean on her. “Easy there,” she said said calmly. She addressed the trio. “This is just plain awful...”
“This is...this is...how could this happen?” Pinkie asked, starting to tear up.
“I'll tell you how!” Dash exclaimed. She looked directly at Allis. “Because it isn't true! They're making all of this up!”
“Believe it or not, weather pony,” Allis responded calmly. “But what we are showing you is the unadulterated truth.” He paused for a moment. “Tell us, for what reason would we have to lie to all of you?”
Dash got right into Allis's face. “How about if you were the ones that made Luna go all crazy? You'd tell us all of these lies just to throw us off!”
Allis's eyes widened beneath his blindfold. Radley noticed his hesitation and decided to step in. “Hold it you two,” he said, literally stepping in between the two. “Rainbow Dash, all of you, we know that this is pretty difficult to take but rest assured that this is the truth. You will all see that soon enough.”
Dash still looked skeptical, but didn't push the issue any further. “Fine...” she relented.
“But wait...where is everyone?” Twilight asked. She noticed the distinct lack of living souls around them. “Are they all...” She gulped. “...dead?”
Radley shook his head. “Not at all. They've moved on to another field of battle. This is but one battleground that this war was fought on.”
“From the look of everything, I would say that the ponies lost,” Rarity said.
“Also incorrect,” Radley said. “They had a few distinct advantages over the buffalo, but one of them stood out above the rest.”
Kassandra had moved them forward to another scene. This time, there were live ponies and buffalo fighting each other. Bodies were falling left and right. Buffalo were picking up ponies in their teeth, snapping their neck and tossing them aside. Still more ponies would arrive and take on buffaloes in groups, stabbing them with spears and other sharp objects until they fell.
Allis had regained his composure and spoke up. “Unlike buffalo, some of the ponies had wings or magical horns. The advantage of having aerial combat and even magic proved to give the ponies an edge over their physically stronger foes.”
“But it was their numbers that truly won them this war,” Radley finished.
“Whaddaya mean by that?” Applejack asked, still trying to support an unconscious Fluttershy.
“Do you remember why this war was started?” Radley asked.
“Because their weren't enough resources to support both the buffalo and growing population of--” Recognition suddenly dawned on Twilight. “The ponies outnumbered the buffalo!”
Allis nodded. “By the time the war started, there were already twelve ponies for each buffalo.” He paused as he held his head down. “The war was already over before it began.”
Now they had come to another scene, this one showing a group of ponies standing before a dwindling number of buffalo. There was one of the large creatures standing at the front of his herd. He was pleading with a pony in full metallic armor. He was holding up a fearsome looking spear. All of the other ponies, which were about seventy five, were all carrying similar weapons. Though they couldn't understand the conversation, it was clear that it was not going in the buffalo's favor. One final word passed between them before the lead pony pointed his spear behind the buffalo. The buffalo looked like he was about to attack, but the ponies standing behind their leader stepped forward as well, weapons drawn. The buffalo stepped back and sighed. He then turned around, followed by all that was left of his people.
“Where...where are they going?” Pinkie asked.
“The records aren't too clear,” Allis admitted. “The most excepted theory is that the remaining buffalo settled somewhere south of what is now Equestria.”
“They just – I mean “we” - just forced them out of their home?” Rarity said, getting angry at no one in particular. “That's just...that's just awful! How treacherous of them! And after all the kindness they showed!”
Radley shrugged. “That was a long time ago. Remember, by the time the war occurred, it had been nearly two hundred years since the ponies arrived here.”
“All of that kindness was simply forgotten...” Kassandra added, sounding a bit sad.
Allis shook his head. “The ponies were simply doing what they needed to do to survive. If both of them stayed, there's no way the land would be able to cope.”
“Still...there must have been another way,” Twilight insisted. Then she brightened up. “Couldn't Celestia-”
“Neither princess existed at this time,” Radley cut her off. “They wouldn't for another four hundred years, after the first arrival of the Darkest Star.”
“These ponies were primitive,” Allis said matter-of-factly. “All they cared for was the survival of their own species. Personally, I cannot blame them.”
Applejack was fanning Fluttershy, who was just beginning to come to. “How can ya say that!?” she objected. “Now that I think about it, that whole Appleloosa business makes a lot more sense!”
“Yeah!” Pinkie chimed in. “They didn't just have the orchard first-” She took an angry bite out of an apple. “-they had the whole thing first!”
“Why those no good little-”
“But that wasn't all,” Radley interrupted the angry Rainbow Dash. “The situation did not remain peaceful for the victorious ponies.”
“What do you mean?” Rarity asked.
Radley glanced at Kassandra. “I think it's time to get a little deeper into the story.” He stopped. He saw that Kassandra was sweating and breathing hard. “Hey...what's going on?”
“Oh dear...what's wrong?” Fluttershy asked, still looking a little dazed herself.
“It's...it's nothing,” she dismissed, wiping perspiration from her brow. She laughed it off. “I guess I'm not as young as I used to be. This spell isn't as easy to maintain with multiple ponies.”
“Perhaps we should stop for now and continue later,” Allis suggested. “The rest of you must be exhausted from the day's events.”
Applejack yawned. “Yeah...I betta hit the hay. I'd betta check on lil' Applebloom first. She's still pretty shaken after...uhh...” She paused, as if wondering if she should continue.
“After what?” Twilight asked. “Did something happen in Ponyville?”
Applejack scratched the back of her head uncomfortably, looking at the rest of her friends. They all looked tight-lipped as well. Fluttershy was biting her lower lip with a tear in her eye. Rarity was looking away and straightening out her mane awkwardly. Rainbow Dash looked like she had something she wanted say, but couldn't. Pinkie Pie was looking away and had zipped her lips shut, literally.
Twilight noticed the uncomfortable poses of her friends. She knew something was up. “What's going on girls? Talk to me!”
For a little more than a second, all of her friends turned to look at Allis. He straightened the blindfold over his eyes. “It probably isn't that important,” he said dismissively. “Nothing that you need to concern yourself with, princess.”
Twilight squinted her eyes, but didn't press anymore. She would have to wait, she decided. “Alright...I guess it is time to go to bed.”
Radley nodded, looking a bit worried for some reason. “Kassandra, take us out-” His eyes widened. “Kassandra!” The unicorn was collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. “Kassandra, wake up!”
Fluttershy was at her side immediately. She felt the side of the unicorn's neck. “Her pulse is racing,” she exclaimed. “It feels like hypertension! She needs attention immediately.”
“Sounds like she needs a hospital!” Rainbow Dash swooped in picked her up off the ground. “Let's get out of here fast!”
Allis joined her in the air and took Kassandra out of her hooves. “Only Kassandra can take us back, weather pony. A little more attention to detail would be appreciated.” He slowly lowered her back to the ground.
Pinkie Pie pointed towards the group of ponies that had been victorious in the war. “Hey, look! They're not moving at all!”
She was right. Everything seemed to frozen in place. From the ponies, to the retreating buffalo, to the birds flying through the air. There was also some kind of static going through the air, creating a fizzle effect.
“That's because she's unconscious,” Radley explained, looking very worried and concerned. “She can't maintain the illusion in her current state. Something is very wrong.”
“Well, what can we do about it?” Applejack asked. “The poor thing looks worse than a rotten apple in tha' noonday sun.”
Twilight stepped forward. “I think...I think I can heal her...”
Radley's eyes got even bigger. “I wouldn't advise that,” he said, shaking his head. “We're inside a magical construct of Kassandra's making right now. Mixing that with another unicorn's – scratch that, alicorn's – magic could have disastrous effects.”
Twilight gulped. “We have to try don't we? Besides, I've read several books on healing spells. I'm sure I can do it without causing any harm.”
Radley glanced at Allis, though he was looking away. The deformed pegasus nodded in affirmation. “Everyone, stand back.”
The Ponyville ponies all stood back, save for Twilight. Allis joined them. Radley took a second before backing up as well. Twilight took a deep breath before saying something under her breath. “I'm not doing this for you, just so you know.”
She closed her eyes and began to concentrate deeply. After a while, sparks followed by high-pitched crackling noises erupted from her horn. It glowed with her familiar purple energy. Kassandra was bathed in it, and began to rise off the ground. Twilight looked like she was about to falter, but continued with her spell.
The world around them began to flicker even more. At some points, it would go completely dark before lighting back up again. “Now what's going on?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Kassandra is fading in and out of consciousness,” Radley explained. Then he added under his breath, “Hopefully that's all that's happening.”
Suddenly, lightning struck directly in front of them. Fluttershy screamed and ducked behind Rarity. The dress maker's mane frizzed up immediately, turning into a giant ball of fluff. “Oooh, good look!” Pinkie commented. “Wish I had thought of it first!”
Rarity just glared at her. She addressed Twilight. “Could we please do this without ruining my hair?”
Allis turned his head toward the sky. “Radley, do you feel that?”
Radley spoke without taking his eyes off of Kassandra. “What?”
“It feels like...like the Alicorn Amulet.”
Radley gave him a perplexed look. “The amulet is back at the Citadel. What are you talking about?”
“Of course it is. But something...or someone is messing with it's magic.”
Radley began to look even more worried. “That's impossible. No one except for Blackstar and us even know that Citadel exists. And Blackstar has been locked away for the time being.”
Allis was firm in his response. “Radley Kane, take a look up at the sky and tell me that there isn't something wrong with this spell of the princess!”
Radley did and stepped back in horror. What he saw was a black, swirling mass in the clouds above. Lightning crackled inside of it, spreading out across the sky in a terrifying pattern. A roaring noise “Everyone! Get back now!” he shouted.
Applejack took a glance up into the sky as well. “What's got you so worked – whoa nelly !” She held on to her hat as wind began to pick up around them. “It's some kind of Twister!”
Allis had to yell to be heard over the cacophony of noise. “It's not a tornado! Mixing the magic of Kassandra and the princess has produced a new Blackest Heart! Stop casting that spell!”
Twilight opened her eyes and looked around in shock. “What's going on!?” She had to take hold of a tree root to avoid being pulled towards the vortex. She held on to Kassandra with her other hoof, who was still unconscious.
“Disaster!” Radley yelled. He tried to hold on to a nearby bush. The wind was getting stronger, pulling them all towards the Heart. “That's what's happening!”
Rarity had grabbed on to a bush as well, with Pinkie Pie holding on to her tail, laughing wildly. “What is that horrible thing!?” Rarity asked.
Allis was holding his ground, with only his long mane blowing in the wind. “The Blackest Heart. Something like this exists deep inside of the Badlands, but...it doesn't have this kind of power!”
Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were all holding on to the same bush. Applejack was desperately trying to keep her hat in place. Fluttershy had her eyes tightly closed, screaming. “Where did that thing come from!?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“The best explanation is the mixing of Kassandra's and Twilight's magic!” Radley yelled over the din. The wind was getting even stronger. “They reacted with each other somehow!”
“Nothing like this has ever happened before!” Twilight screamed. “I've used magic on other unicorns before!”
“Uhh...where exactly does thing lead!?” Applejack asked.
“We're not sure,” Allis admitted. “All we know is that whatever...or whoever falls in is never seen again.”
“Looks like we're about to find out!” Rainbow Dash yelled nervously. The bush the three of them were holding onto was coming lose. Before it even came lose, Fluttershy lost her grip.
“I got you!” Applejack and Rainbow Dash both grabbed Fluttershy before she could fly off.
“Can't...hold...on...!” Rarity's grip had finally given way. Both she and Pinkie Pie were ripped away into the Blackest Heart, vanishing almost instantly.
“Rarity! Pinkie!” Twilight screamed, her own grip loosening as well. “Nooo!”
Applejack glanced towards the sky. The Heart seemed to be growing in size and strength. “We have to go in there!”
Fluttershy had finally built up the courage to speak. “Are you crazy!?”
Rainbow Dash smirked. “I guess we are! Anyways, Rarity and Pinkie are in there, wherever it goes! We have to rescue them somehow!”
Applejack nodded. She addressed Radley and Allis. “Do either of you have any idea where that thing leads to?”
“If could be anything or anywhere,” Radley said. “From another world to eternal destruction!”
“Hey, Radley!” Allis called out.
“Not you too...” There was dread in the Earth Pony's voice.
There was an uncharacteristic smirk on the pegasus's face. “I have to say like the mettle of these Ponyville folk! It's about time we found out just what's up with this Heart! What do you say?”
Radley gulped, grinning nervously. “No time like the present, I guess!” He looked at Twilight, who was still hanging on tightly. “What do you say, Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
There was determination on her face. She was still hanging on to the unconscious form of Kassandra. “If my friends are in there, I have to go after them too!”
Fluttershy was tearing up, creating a stream of water. “Alright...I-I'll g-go too!” she said, not sounding too sure.
“Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!” Rainbow Dash said, holding Fluttershy close and shaking her.
Applejack held on tightly to her hat. “On three then?”
“On three!” Everyone agreed.
“One...!” Radley loosened his grip.
“Two...!” Twilight started to let go, but not releasing the unicorn in her hooves.
“Three...!”
There was nothing but darkness surrounding them.
We Will Find Our Way - Pt 1
Seven Days Ago...
“There's someone there....who is it?”
“Doesn't anyone recognize me anymore? This is becoming very frustrating ...”
“Ugh...is it really you?”
“It depends on who you are talking about, darling. ”
“It is you. How wonderful.”
“You don't sound happy, my little pony. ”
“Don't call me that! You know I hate that stupid moniker. I'm not even a pony.”
“Not anymore, at least. Other than that, you haven't changed at all, my dear. ”
“It sounds like you haven't either, you twisted witch.”
“It's nice to see you, as well. ”
“What do you want? Or is this a social mind-raping?”
“Language, honey! And can't a mother call on her daughter once in a while? ”
“One, you are not my mother. And two, yes she can. It's just that when these visits happen only once every thousand years, the daughter gets suspicious.”
“Fair enough. I suppose there's no beating around the trough with you. Actually, I do require your assistance with something. ”
“I knew it. No thanks.”
“At the very least, hear me out! ”
“The last time I heard that phrase, I ended up committing genocide. Again, no thanks.”
“How would you like to have your fill of all the ponies of Equestria – nay – the entire planet? ”
“Making more promises you can't keep? I don't have time for this...”
“The Darkest Star is soon to arrive, my dear. The time for the brightest star to fade is upon us all. ”
“As opposed to every other time the 'Brightest Star' was supposed to fall? I've tried that before. I did not work.”
“Only because those two others interfered. If not for them, the Equestrians would have been in your hooves. ”
“You're right...for once.”
“And now will be your second chance. I need your help. Right now, you are the only one I can depend on. ”
“...”
“I need your army, my dear. With them, we can spread darkness across the land. ”
“My people are not tools for you to play with, Blackstar.”
“You are correct. But do not forget who gave you control of them in the first place. ”
“And you had better remember who's help you are asking for.”
“...fair enough, my dear. ”
“What exactly is this new plan of yours?”
“I can't give you all of the details just yet...just know, that I'm finally working on the inside. ”
“I can tell. You've taken control of one of the princesses, haven't you?”
“Very perceptive. I chose correctly. ”
“If you have taken control of her, what do you need my help for?”
“My locus of control extends only so far in this form. She...resists me every chance she gets. Plus without the Darkest Star, my power is greatly diminished. ”
“That's true. The Star won't arrive for another five months.”
“Everything must be in place before then. My Heart must be secured, the Order neutralized, the Brightest Star decommissioned and my body found. ”
“It seems the last thousand years have turned you senile. If you forgot, your body was destroyed by-”
“I know what the records say. But I tell you, I found it! ”
“You....you found it!?”
“Yes, I did. Finally after all of these years, my rule will be absolute. The thrown that was stolen from me will belong to me again. ”
“...”
“What's wrong, dearest daughter? ”
“For some reason, it seems like I no longer have a choice in the matter.”
“It's good that you understand now. ”
“I only have one final question.”
“Hm. ”
“What becomes of my people and myself after you retake the throne?”
“Your place will be secured amongst the new order. Your people will be safe, with all the love they could ever consume. No harm shall come to them .”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“Ah-ah-ah! You said one question. ”
“...so I did. Fine then, what do you need?”
~
Three Days After the Present Day ...
“So you don't remember anything from the time you have been away?” Celestia asked.
Luna shook her head. “I don't even recall going away.”
The two princesses were flying through sky together. They never got to do this anymore. Being princesses, they had little time for recreation. But whenever they got the chance, they would spend as much time as they could with each other. Besides, they both needed some time to relax.
Luna continued. “The last thing I remember is giving Twilight her Teleyedoscope lesson. Then...then...” She stopped, as if unsure of how to proceed.
Celestia stopped beside her. “What is it?”
“I seem to remember...struggling.”
“Struggling?” Celestia repeated anxiously. “Were you captured?”
“No...well, yes...I don't know.” She kept flying ahead.
A few seconds passed before Luna continued. “There was...a darkness. And a voice. I remember a voice of some kind.”
Celestia was starting to get angry, but not at her sister. “Who was it?”
Luna closed her eyes, trying to recall any details. “It was...raspy. And...feminine.”
“Queen Chrysalis?”
Luna shook her head. “No, it wasn't her...but...”
“But what?”
“I...know that voice. Or I knew who it was.”
Celestia stopped beside her sister. “Who?”
Luna looked as if she were in a trance. “When the brightest star fades and dies, the darkest star shall live and rise...”
Celestia's eyes grew wide. “The prophecy...you don't mean that it was...?”
They both spoke at the same time. “Blackstar!”
Celestia looked physically ill. “Those three ponies...I knew I saw them somewhere before! Why couldn't I remember them?”
“The Order of the Darkest Star is here as well?” Luna asked.
Celestia nodded. “One of them, Kassandra, stayed for a while in the castle with Twilight. She said she was going to assist with the search.”
Luna seemed to lose five shades of purple in her face. “Kassandra...was in the castle with you?”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
Luna shook her head and kept flying. “It's nothing.”
They flew together in silence for a while, just gliding through the daytime sky. Celestia's mane glowed in the sunlight. She didn't look as tired and exhausted as she was a few days ago. It was if the very sun she rose and set every day was giving her new life.
Luna stood out in stark contrast against the bright sky. And yet, she fit perfectly with it. Her dark, translucent mane and tail produced a brilliant reddish color. It was obvious that something was weighing heavy on her mind.
“Sister...how are you?” Luna asked.
Celestia looked a bit confused. “What do you mean? I'm fine now that you're back.”
Luna stopped in front of her, a deadly serious look in her eyes. “No you're not.”
Celestia looked taken aback. “What are you talking about? Why would I lie to my own sister?”
“I may be your little sister, but I am not stupid. You and I both know that the prophecy speaks of you.” She pointed at her. “You are the Brightest Star.”
Celestia looked a bit ashamed. “I'm sorry I treated you like this...”
Luna put an arm around her shoulder. “We've known about the prophecy for years, but you were the one who saw it coming. You took on Twilight Sparkle as your student early on, not because I was gone but because of the first part of the prophecy.”
Celestia smiled wanly. “Luna...” She started to tear up. She hugged her sister tightly, looking like she never wanted to let her go. They both hovered in each other's arms for what seemed like hours before Celestia broke the silence.
“I...I am beginning to fade...”
~
???
Kassandra was currently suffering the worst headache of her life. She awoke feeling like she had slammed her head into a piano multiple times. She could barely think, let alone stand up. Her vision was blurry and muddied. “Ugh...what a day...”
“No kidding.”
She turned her head towards the source of the voice, though she could only make out a purplish blur. “Sparkles...thanks for saving me...” she said. She figured she sounded like she had gulped down one too many milkshakes.
“You're welcome,” she answered tersely.
“Where's everyone else...?”
“I don't know,” Twilight answered. “I think we're the only ones here.”
Kassandra mustered the strength to stand up, stumbling a little. She shook her head to clear her vision a little. They looked to be in a bedroom. It was small but neat and tidy. There was a bookshelf packed full of literature. A table was full of papers and books, both of which were scribbled all over. There was also a globe on the table. A poster on the wall showed a map of the stars.
“What happened while I was unconscious?” Kassandra asked, looking a bit better.
“Some kind of vortex appeared after you passed out,” Twilight explained. “It happened while I was trying to heal you. Radley and Allis called it the 'Blackest Heart'.”
Kassandra raised an eyebrow. “Blackest Heart?”
Twilight continued. “Your friends said that it happened from our magic mixing together. But I've never heard of that before.”
Kassandra smirked. “First time for everything.”
Twilight concentrated for a second. She exhaled, annoyed. “My magic isn't working either.”
“Magic doesn't work anywhere near a Blackest Heart,” Kassandra explained. “Since we're inside one, I can imagine the effect has been doubled.”
“Inside the Heart? Aren't we still inside your scenario thingee?”
“In a way, but this one isn't under my control,” Kassandra said, shaking her head. She took a walk around the room. She took a look at robe and hat sitting on a hook near the door. The robe was blue-ish and had stars and moons decorating it. The most distinguishing characteristic were the bells hanging around the fringe. There was a hat in a similar style, a bell hanging off the top and around the rim. She looked confused. “It can't be...”
“What can't be?” Twilight asked.
There was a crashing noise on the other side of the door. A frustrated roar followed. “NO! That's not it either!!” a older sounding male voice said.
“Calm down,” a female voice soothed. “It can't be that easy of a spell to create.”
“It isn't,” the male voice said. He sounded quieter, but still frustrated. “I've never had to do anything like this before.”
“Well, maybe there's another way-”
“We've been through this before, May-there is no other way!” There was a long pause. “I'm sorry. I just – I just need to do this alone.”
“It's fine,” the female said. “I'll come back later. Just...just try not to work too hard.”
There was a grunt and the sound of a door closing.
Twilight took a look at Kassandra. She had an intensely angry glare on her face. She looked like she wanted to kill whoever was on the other side of the door. “What's wrong?” Twilight asked.
“I know who that son of a cow is,” Kassandra swore. Her eyes were dark with hatred. “Look closely at the clothes. You should know who it is too.”
Twilight did. Her eyes widened as recognition dawned on her. “This is...no, it can't be can it?”
Kassandra nodded. “It is. That pony is none other than Starswirl the Bearded.” Then, she added. “The legendary jackass.”
~
???
“Fluttershy! Applejack! Twilight! Rarity! Pinkie! Where are you!?”
“Radley! Kassandra! Are you there!?”
Allis Yahn and Rainbow Dash were flying through the nighttime sky, searching for their friends. They themselves were lost in a dark forest. Trees covered the area, making a detailed search of the ground nearly impossible.
“Can you see anything, weather pony?” Allis asked.
“No, it's too dark out here,” Dash said. “I can barely see my own hooves!”
“You rely on sight too much,” Allis criticized.
“Well, duh! I kinda need it to fly!”
Allis scoffed. “How awful for you,” he muttered.
Dash continued as if he had said nothing. “Are we in the Everfree Forest or something?”
“Yes and no,” Allis answered cryptically.
“Could you stop speaking egghead please?” Dash asked, sounding bored.
Allis sighed. “We are in the Everfree Forest, but not as you know it. We are actually still in Kassandra's Scenario, but it has been affected by the Blackest Heart.”
“So if you know all that, where are the others?”
Allis shrugged. “Probably in another part of the same Scenario. A different place or even a different time period.”
“So how do we get back?” Dash asked.
“That is a good question, weather pony. I've never been inside of a-”
“Could you please stop doing that?” Dash interrupted, sounding annoyed.
“What?”
“Calling me by my job instead of my name,” Dash said, crossing her arms. “That's just annoying. Call me Dash or Rainbow.”
Allis looked uncomfortable. “Sure...D-Dash...” His ears perked up. “There's someone coming! It sounds like they're in the forest.”
Dash followed Allis down below the forest canopy. She groaned aloud. “Great, I can see even less now!”
“Be quiet and listen!” Allis said, moving his head back and forth. Dash sighed and tried to focus.
There was a lot of rustling, followed by the sound of breaking branches. “Pony feathers! Tell me again why I have to walk?” The voice was masculine.
“You do realize what would happen if she saw us together right?” This voice was feminine.
“Yeah, yeah I know,” the male voice relented. “But at least I could fly. No one would think we were together.”
“Don't underestimate her, Wind,” the female voice said. “She isn't stupid and you know it.”
The male voice sighed. “This was supposed to be the end of it, May. Who knew that it would end up so much worse?”
“We tried. That's what matters. Now we have to try again to fix it. Only this time, we can't make the same mistake.”
The male voice chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah..and one meeting is going to solve all of right?”
“I doubt it as well, but we must do something. Otherwise...” She trailed off.
“What is it? Otherwise what?”
“It's nothing,” she dismissed. “Just another one of Starswirl's rants I guess.”
There was a coughing, more than likely from the stallion. “Yeah, whatever. We'd better hurry. The old fool is waiting for us.”
There was a long silence inbetween Dash and Allis before she broke it. “Starswirl? As in that guy Twilight is always talking on and on about?”
“If you mean the legendary unicorn that created at least half of the spells unicorns still use in your time,” Allis said. “Then yes, that would be the one they are talking about.”
“But how? I thought he died a long time ago.”
“He did. Again, we are viewing the events of the past we-I mean, D-Dash.” He paused. “It's been quite a long time.”
“What do you mean?” Dash asked, confused.
“Come on,” Allis beckoned. “We were never allowed at these meetings. I think it's time to see just what they were up to.” He took to the skies and nearly vanished.
“Whoa,” Dash said under her breath, hurrying to catch up. “He's faster than he looks.”
~
???
“So where are we exactly?” Applejack asked.
“Do you mean real or perceived?” Radley clarified.
Applejack glared at Radley. “Where are we exactly?” she repeated.
Radley, Applejack and Fluttershy were all walking through a large hall. It was mostly empty, with nothing but a window a circular table at its center. A few plants were placed in the corners of the room. There were a few papers scattered all over the table, but not much else. “This is where the Council of the Equestrians met.”
“Who were they...if you don't mind me asking?” Fluttershy asked.
“The Council were the leaders before the princesses came to be,” Radley explained. “They consisted of only three ponies: May Treearch, Wind Stryke and Starswirl the Bearded.”
“I can't say I eva hearda those ponies,” Applejack admitted. “Except for Starswirl the Bearded.”
“You wouldn't have,” Radley said, studying the papers on the table. “Despite the fact that they played a huge role in the founding of Equestria. It was May, an Earth pony, that junpstarted the cultivating of the land after the First Inter-Equestrian War.”
“I would have liked to know her,” Fluttershy said, studying one of the plants.
“After the war, the land was devastated,” Radley continued. “The ponies themselves were the main cause of that, overusing it to the point of exhausting nearly all of its resources. As if by magic, May fully restored the land to its glory in a matter of months, allowing the ponies to cultivate it again.”
“That's amazing!” Applejack exclaimed. “We could really use a pony like that on tha' farm.”
“But she wouldn't have been able to do it without Wind,” Radley continued. “He was the first pegasus to manipulate the weather. He discovered the technique on his own and founded Cloudsdale as well. It was little more than a factory before it became an actual city for pegasi.” He stopped in front of a door with a heavy and intricate lock on it. “This is it...”
“What is it, Mr. Kane?” Fluttershy asked, following him.
“This was the council's answer to the conflict amongst the races,” Radley answered. “In this current period, it has been many years after the war. Peace only lasted for so long before the races became restless with each other.”
“So the solution to that was a door?” Applejack guessed, scratching her head. “You high-fillutin' city folk sure do have some strange ways.”
Radley smirked and placed a hoof on the door. He slid through it like it wasn't there. Fluttershy screamed and ducked behind the table. “Mr. Kane is a ghost!!” she yelped.
“Not exactly,” Radley said from the other side of the door. “None of this is real, although the events that occurred are. We are all ghosts here.” He paused. “Come on through, you two need to see this.”
Applejack stepped forward, looking nervous. “Well, here goes.” She stepped through the door, phasing into it and onto the other side. A few seconds passed before Fluttershy followed. The room was dimly lit with a large cylindrical tank at its center and a control panel sitting beside it with plenty of flashing lights. It could barely be seen, but there appeared to be something floating inside of it.
“Oh my...what is that thing?” Fluttershy asked, stepping back a bit.
Radley heaved a heavy sigh. “This...this is the biggest mistake the council ever made.”
Applejack was trying to see inside of the tank, but to no avail. “And what would that be?”
“Princess Blackstar,” Radley said dramatically. “The first alicorn.”
We Will Find Our Way - Pt 2
One Week Later...
Luna was at a loss. It had been a week since her sister had told her that she was dying, and she hadn't been able to think of anything else.
Celestia...was dying.
The thought whirled around in her head, but she wasn't able to process it. It just seemed so...unreal. Weren't they supposed to be immortal?
She couldn't think about that now. It was her turn to train Twilight Sparkle today. It wasn't going to be easy though, for a number of reasons.
The two princesses were in a large open area, similar to an arena in the middle of an amphitheater. The floor was decorated with dark purple and white mosaic tiles. The arena was huge, being about three-fourths of a mile in diameter. It was usually used to host olympic events and the like. Despite it's size, Twilight and Luna were standing just a few inches away from each other.
“Alright, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna began. “It's time to resume your training.”
“Uhh...okay,” Twilight answered. She looked a little uneasy.
“Knowing how to perform your duties as a princess is very important,” Luna said. “But becoming even more advanced in magic is also key.”
Luna paused as if waiting for Twilight to reply. A few seconds passed before she did. “Oh..uh...of course!” A pause. “So...what are we going to be doing?”
“Since you're already quite proficient in magic, there's no need to start with the basics,” Luna explained. “But I would like to know, what is it that you have been focusing on in your studies with Celestia?”
“Oh, uhh...” Twilight looked extremely nervous. “A lot of things. I never really focused on one thing.” She smiled, rubbing the back of her head.
“I see,” Luna said, looking deep in thought.
Twilight added. “I guess Cel – uh, Princess Celestia was making sure that I was well-rounded.”
Luna nodded. “Of course. Well then, let's continue with our lesson.” She lowered herself, keeping her head down. “We are going to have a magic duel.”
Twilight gulped. “A d-duel?”
Luna grinned, standing up a little. “Not a serious fight...” Then she added under her breath. “Not like before anyway.” She continued at an appropriate volume. “Just a friendly match. Are you ready?”
Twilight backed up a little, clearly apprehensive. “Fighting a princess? I-I'm not too sure about that.”
Luna still had a smirk on her face. “Are you afraid, Twilight Sparkle? It will be fun. Plus it will give me a chance to see what you are capable of.” Her horn began to glow with dark purple energy. “Prepare yourself.”
Twilight flinched a laser beam of energy flew towards her.
~
The sun was setting over the land, casting an orange light over the sky. It was quite pretty to look at. However, it's beauty was lost upon Trixie Lulamoon. She was running for her life through the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. She had no idea what was chasing her. It sounded like other ponies much larger than herself, but there was something about the hoofbeats on the soggy ground. They sounded...ethereal, as if they were reverberating. A fearsome whinny cut through the air, striking fear in her heart. It was high pitched, like the scream of a banshee scorned. All she knew was that she had to keep running.
At this point, she had no idea where she was going. It was all she could do to avoid running into trees and to keep from tripping over the undergrowth. She just knew that these phantoms or whatever they were would kill her if they caught up with her...if they hadn't already.
“You're pathetic... ”
Trixie attempted to jump over a root, but mistimed it and ended up falling flat on her face in an unceremonious heap. She scrambled to her hooves before something knocked her down to the ground.
“You have absolutely nothing to fear... ”
Trixie looked around to find the most frightening things she had ever seen. They were large, full-sized horses, but they were almost transparent with the moonlight cascading through them. They had manes and tails that looked like they were made of fire, displaying a vibrant red and yellow. Their eyes were dark and soulless. Their teeth were sharp and dripping with red liquid that Trixie did not have to guess about. She could only utter one word. “T-taraxippi...”
“These creatures are nothing compared to you... ”
No matter what, she couldn't shake the feeling of inexplicable terror clouding her mind. She knew what these things were, but still that wasn't enough. The two taraxippi just stood over here, eying her like a fresh kill. She knew that she was going to be in a second if she didn't do something.
“Clear you mind, my dear. Realize that you are the one in control... ”
There was something...or someone speaking to her. She didn't recognize the voice but it sounded familiar somehow.
“You are much more powerful than you realize. Take control of these simple-minded poltergeists! Show them who you really are!”
Trixie looked at the taraxippi again. One of them had it's mouth open displaying rows of sharp, gruesome teeth. She closed her eyes. “Stop...” she whispered.
She felt the teeth of the taraxippus in her neck.
~
???
Twilight looked like she was on the defensive again. “How can you say that, Kassandra?” she said, defending Starswirl's honor. “Starswirl the Bearded is one of the greatest unicorns that has ever lived! He created nearly half-”
“-of all the spells used by modern unicorns,” Kassandra finished, rolling her eyes. “That's the story written in the storybooks. You have no idea about what isn't recorded for all to read.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, her curiosity getting the better of her yet again.
Kassandra turned to her, a numbed look in her eyes. “Haven't you wondered where we came from or why we look the way we do?” she asked. “Me with my black and crooked horn or Allis with his messed up wings?”
Twilight looked a little embarrassed. “Well...umm-”
“Don't be embarrassed,” Kassandra said. “You'd have to be blind to not wonder about it.” She paused, glancing at Starswirl's hat. “The answer is the unicorn that you revere so much. He was the one that did this to us.”
“What!?” Twilight gasped. “How is that possible? Starswirl has been dead for centuries!”
“Longer than that,” Kassandra corrected. “And we should be dead along with him. Radley, Allis and I are close to two thousand years old.”
Twilight's eyes widened in shock. “Two thousand years old!?” She repeated, dumbfounded. “That's impossible!”
“Without the right magic it is impossible,” Kassandra said. She felt the necklace that was forever tethered to her. “This is what has kept us alive time and time again.”
Twilight looked at the necklace in horrified wonder. “So that's why you all wear those necklaces...”
Kassandra nodded. “These necklaces...” she repeated.
“But it doesn't make sense,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Why would Starswirl make you immortal? And wouldn't that be a good thing?”
Kassandra chuckled. “You're so naïve, Sparkles,” she teased. She quickly got serious again. “Before I answer that, you must first come to grips with something about yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“There's something about alicorns, something I'm sure Celestia hasn't told you about. This fact is what makes your new species live for so long.”
“You mean that they-I mean, we're immortal? I knew that already.”
“It goes a bit deeper than that,” Kassandra said, shaking her head. She sighed. “Remember when I told you to look into your heart for the answer a few weeks ago?”
Twilight closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “Yeah...I think s-” She stopped mid-sentence. All of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She looked down to find a black dagger embedded in her trachea. “K-Kassandra...” she said in disbelief.
Kassandra held up a hoof. “Take a deep breath. I stabbed you hard enough to cause any other pony to bleed to death. But what do you notice?”
Twilight stopped and thought. This was strange, she had to admit. She removed the dagger from her neck and examined it. It was completely clean, like it had just been washed. “There's...no blood. There's no blood!” Twilight looked at Kassandra and confusion. “What's wrong with me!?”
Kassandra stood a little closer to her. “You're an alicorn now, Twilight Sparkle. You no longer have a heart to speak of.”
We Will Find Our Way - Pt 3
???
Allis Yahn stood outside of a large, hollowed-out tree. It was about twice the size of an oak. Honestly, it looked almost out of place in the forest. He had followed Wind and May here. “The Brightest Tree...” he said to himself.
Rainbow Dash caught up just a few seconds later. She was out of breath but tried her best to hide it. “A tree?” she said, underwhelmed. “This is what you rushed off to?” She paused as she took another look at it. “Wait a minute...”
“Does something look familiar to you?”
“This is Twilight's house!” Dash realized. “But how? Didn't you say we were in the Everfree forest?”
Allis nodded. “We are. The Everfree forest was much larger in this time. It wasn't until around fifty years after the founding of Ponyville that the forest receded into it's current state.”
“What's here anyway? Did those two ponies go in here?”
“Yes. And something tells me that we should follow them in. Come with me...” He paused. “...Rainbow Dash.” He stepped into the tree, phasing through it. Dash followed him with little apprehension.
They had stepped into the main room of the library. It was largely unchanged from it's current state. The only noticeable difference was that there were many more books on the shelves. Three ponies were in the room, including Starswirl the Bearded. He was sitting at a desk with a book before him. He was purple and had a medium length gray mane and beard. His face looked weathered by many years of stress.
“I think you've finally snapped, old man,” Wind commented. He was of considerable height. He was about the size of Applejack's brother, but without the musculature. His wings were large with brilliant plumage. His coat was light blue with a little teal. His mane was multicolored with streaks of blue, red and bright yellow. “You're the best mind we have in this little council of ours, but...you are completely off your wagon.”
“Wind, come on,” May said with a stern look. She was much smaller than Wind, albeit slightly larger than most female ponies of the current period. She was an earth pony, but had the sort of grace and beauty usually reserved for pegasi. Her mane was light pink with flower petals decorating it. She then addressed Starswirl. “What makes you think that this will succeed?”
Starswirl sighed. “I don't know...”
“Well that's reassuring,” Wind said, rolling his eyes. “The master of magic and the arcane doesn't know if his own spell will work!”
Starswirl turned on Wind knocking over the chair he was sitting in. “And how do you expect me to know for sure!? Would you like me to test it on you!?”
Wind stepped forward, but May intervened. “Guys, stop! Please calm down.” She took a deep breath. “We're all on edge from this ordeal. But fighting each other isn't going to stop this crisis.”
Wind stepped back. “Mother Earth is right,” he said, half-jokingly. “This is one heck of a crisis.”
Starswirl took another look at the book he had on the table. “This spell is the best hope we have of stopping her tyranny. The alicorn was designed to be neigh invincible and immortal. Any other method would only lead to suicide.”
“It already sounds like suicide,” Wind said. “How do you plan on killing her? Just waltzing into the palace in Canterlot and reciting a poem?”
Starswirl ignored the taunt. “It won't be easy, but it's Equestria's best chance for survival. This spell is our best chance.”
“What exactly is the spell supposed to do?” May asked.
“It is meant to destroy her heart,” Starswirl explained. “The only vulnerable area in an alicorn's person.” He recited what he had written so far. “From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny singled out, fulfilled. ”
Wind looked completely confused. “That's it? That's the spell that's supposed to kill Blackstar!?”
“Not exactly,” Starswirl admitted. “You see...I have yet to finish the spell.”
Both May and Wind looked like they were about to scream in frustration. “You come to us with this crazy idea of killing the most powerful living creature in existence with a godless poem and you haven't even finished the thing!?” Wind screamed.
“I'm sorry, but this is the most difficult spell I've ever written,” Starswirl said. “A spell meant to kill another creature, it's-it's unnatural. Something like this will take time.”
“How much time?” May asked calmly.
Starswirl shook his head. “I don't know. There's something missing in the spell. There's something important that I'm not understanding.”
May looked crestfallen. “I'm sorry, but I don't know that much about this kind of magic. I won't be of any help...”
Starswirl touched her on her shoulder. “This spell is my burden, May Treearch. I will figure it out with time. I do have a request of the both of you though.”
“What do you have, old man?” Wind asked with a little smirk.
“I'll be glad to assist in any way I can,” May said with a bow.
“My friends...this victory may cost us a great deal,” the old unicorn admitted. “We may end up losing our lives, or worse.”
“Um, what could be worse than that?” Wind asked. He paused. “Now I regret asking that.”
Starswirl the Bearded looked both of them in the eye. “The ones who cast the spell may end up forever bound in a state of perpetual life and never-ending death.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Allis Yahn, perplexed. “What is he talking-” She noticed a fierce expression of anger forming on his face. There seemed to be a flame of hatred burning underneath his blindfold. “What's up with you?”
“Radley Kane...you bastard...” Allis said through gritted teeth. He seemed to be speaking to Radley, though he was nowhere around. “You never did tell us the whole story!”
???
“The first alicorn?” Fluttershy repeated.
“But why's she in a tube?” Applejack asked.
“The first alicorn was bio-engineered by the First Equestrian Council,” Radley explained. “They made her with the intentions of uniting the three races. One pony that embodied all of the traits of an Earth pony, pegasus and unicorn. It seemed like a good idea.”
“Somethin' went wrong, di'int it?” Applejack guessed.
Radley opened his mouth to speak, but heard the sound of the door opening. Fluttershy jumped in shock and ducked underneath a nearby table. Radley rolled his eyes. “They can't see or hear us, Fluttershy. Remember, these events have already occurred and cannot be changed or influenced.”
“Who's comin' anyway?” Applejack asked.
The door opened, but it was still too dark to see anything. “Starswirl, I'm starting to think that this is a bad idea.” The voice was young and male.
“What makes you think that, Wind?” The reply was from someone older.
“Can you guarantee that this...Blackstar thing will unite all of us?”
“What do you mean?” Starswirl asked.
“What do you mean 'What do I mean'?” Wind replied with just a hint of irritation. “I mean will she be on our side?”
“Of course she will,” Starswirl assured.
“How can you be sure though? I mean, putting the abilities and traits of all three races of ponies is going to give her a lot of power. She'll even have enough power to best the coming chaos.”
“Are you saying that 'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'?”
Wind didn't say anything for a while before replying. “I guess I am. I have to say, I don't trust her even as she floats in that tube.”
“I admit it is an iffy proposition,” Starswirl admitted. “But this is Equestria's best hope for survival. We need something...someone that represents the collective will and friendship we all need to make it in this world.” He paused. “Friendship is magic after all.”
“You're quite the optimist, old man,” Wind teased. “But I guess you're right. You haven't led us the wrong way yet. By the way, where are the kids?”
“They're with May at her cottage,” Starswirl answered. “Probably giving her a headache.”
“I'll go check on her before heading back to Cloudsdale,” Wind said. “We have some more business to take care of.”
“I will see you all later then,” Starswirl said. “Be careful.”
“Of course I won't,” Wind replied, a smirk in his voice. A long pause followed. “Before I go...”
“Yes?”
“What exactly are your plans for those children?” Wind asked.
“Plans? They can be whatever they want to be.”
“You know that's not what I meant. You took them in for a reason. You're a kindhearted old fool, but we've both seen little foals orphaned because of this conflict. These are the first three you've ever taken in. Why?”
“Do you want the truth?” Starswirl asked rhetorically. “Because I see a lot of potential in them.”
“Potential for what?” Wind sounded skeptical.
“That...I do not know,” Starswirl answered. “But it is there.”
“You're talking in those cursed riddles again,” Wind said, sounding playfully disgusted. “I'm gonna get out of here.”
“Farewell.” There was the sound of the door opening and closing. There was a long silence before Starswirl started speaking. “I really hope that this is the right thing to do. Our country has been in such turmoil since the First Inter-Equestrian War. I-no, we all-hope that you are the answer to our problems.” There was a warbling noise as a chick was heard. Lights began to come on all around the room. The control panel surrounding the large glass tube lit up, along with the container itself. The fluid surrounding the specimen inside went aglow. It displayed a small purple pony with a small horn and wings. It had a white mane and tail. She even had a cutie mark on her flank. It was of a magic wand with a star fashioned out of a jewel with a light blue crescent shape behind. “Princess Blackstar Lulamoon, you will save us all.”
Both Applejack's and Fluttershy's eyes grew wide as they looked at each other. “Did he just say...?” Applejack said breathlessly.
“It can't be though,” Fluttershy said, coming out from under the table. “There's no way...”
“No way what?” Radley asked, glancing at Blackstar in the tank and then at his two companions. He gasped. “Wait...are you telling me that you recognize her?”
“Yeah,” Applejack answered. “She looks exactly like a pony that got a lil' too big for her britches. Her name's Trixie.”
Radley looked dumbfounded.
Fluttershy continued. “The last time she came to Ponyville, she enslaved the entire town with the Alicorn Amulet and banished Twilight. We were able to-”
Radley was immediately upon Fluttershy, causing her to jump in surprise. “She had the Alicorn Amulet too !?” He growled in frustration.
“What's goin' on there, Radley?” Applejack asked in concern.
“Don't you get what this means!?” Radley yelled. “The one you call 'Trixie' is the body of Blackstar! And the Alicorn Amulet is her heart! If Blackstar somehow makes contact with Trixie-” Radley stopped. “We have to find our friends and get out of here immediately.”
“This is goin' to get ugly, isn't it?” Applejack asked.
“More than you can imagine,” Radley said, forcing a smile. “Follow me. We've got to find our way out of this illusion.” They all vanished into the wall.
A few minutes passed before Starswirl the Bearded smiled. “So you found your way into the Blackest Heart, Radley Kane? Maybe now you can find the truth within the truth. I only wish that you had a different destiny.”
???
Rarity awoke with a headache that had an intensity that she hadn't felt since designing her friends' dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala. She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. The room she was in was completely black. She figured that she must be in bed with her mask on. As she reached for her face, she realized she couldn't move her legs. Any of them. She realized with horror that she was shackled to something. There was something tight and metal wrapped around her hooves.
Rarity tried to recall what had happened to lead her into this situation. She remembered being sucked into the giant, black hole with Pinkie Pie and-
“Pinkie Pie!” she called out, remembering that her friend was probably in the same situation as she was. “Pinkie!”
“Wow, this is just like a slash-fic I was reading the other day.”
Rarity recognized the voice. “Pinkie! Oh, thank heavens! Are you all right dear?”
“Don't worry, I've been in situations like this before,” Pinkie replied. “Are you okay?”
“I'm...fine,” Rarity answered. Before she could ask what situations Pinkie was referring to, hoofsteps could be heard approaching them. “Who's there?” she asked, trying to hide the fright in her voice.
“Now there is a loaded question,” someone answered. Rarity did not recognize the voice. It was middle-aged and male. It had sort of a grainy quality to it. “We all identify ourselves in different ways. What we do, how we act, how we wish for others to perceive us. To be honest with you, I am so many things that none of these categories would be sufficient. If only I were a fashion designer or a pastry chef.”
“Hey!” Pinkie called out. “How do you know who we are? Have you been spying on us?”
“Not in the conventional sense,” the man answered. “I am much to busy for that sort of thing. You could say I am a...gatherer of information.”
“You still didn't answer my question,” Rarity reminded.
“Which was...?”
“What is your name?” Rarity said, sounding exasperated.
“Now that wasn't your question, Miss Rarity,” the male said matter-of-factly. “You asked 'Who's there'. That may or may not include a name.”
“Ugh!” Rarity groaned. She tried to regain her composure and speak as politely as she could. “Can you please tell us your name, kind sir?”
He chuckled. “My apologies. It's been so long since I've entertained and even longer since anyone has asked me for name.” There was a scratching noise followed by a candle alighting. Standing before Rarity and Pinkie was a tall, earth pony stallion, built like a royal guard. His coat was crimson red and his mane was black and silver. He looked upon them with concern. “Oh my...I'm so sorry for this. My companion can get a little overzealous.” He walked over to Rarity and undid her her shackles, causing her to fall over. The stallion stepped forward just enough so that she landed on his back. “Are you alright?”
“Y-yes,” Rarity stammered. She slid off of him. He walked over and did the same for Pinkie Pie. “You still haven't told us your name.”
“Oooh, oooh!” Pinkie exclaimed as she hit the floor. “Let me guess! I know this one!” She stared at the stallion. “Hmmm...Sombra?”
“What?” he said, a confused expression on his face. “No!”
“Sauron?”
“No!”
“Geralt?”
“No...”
“Sephiroth?”
“No!” He held up a hoof. “Please stop guessing. My name is Alexander, but you may refer to me as Alex. Alex Kane.”
“Alexander...Kane?” Rarity repeated.
Pinkie jumped up into the air and emitted a loud gasp. “Are you-?”
Alex smiled. “Yes, I am. Tell me, how is my son doing?”
~
That Same Day...
Celestia looked reflective as she sat in front of the grave. If she were completely honest with herself, she would admit that she felt a little lost. For the past few months she had felt absolutely lost. For the first time in millenia she felt the full weight of the prophecy upon her. She felt unnaturally tired and exhausted on a daily basis. Her duties as a princess seemed to be sucking the life out of her. Training Twilight in the responsibilities of a princess was enough of a job.
And Blackstar...
The Darkest Star was due to arrive in less than four months. Would this be the time when she would finally fade? Would the Order really be able to defeat her this time? Would Twilight be able to handle being a princess without her?
“The brightest star shall never fade away. No matter what, there will always be night and day.”
Celestia turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. “Zecora...my dearest friend...”
It was indeed the alchemist zebra, but in a sort of ethereal form. She was transparent and light blue in color. There were small wisps coming off of her body. “It has been a long time, princess of the sun,” Zecora greeted. She sat down beside her. “Tell me, what makes you think that you are done?”
“The prophecy...” Celestia answered, looking down. “It's about to happen. The brightest star will fade, allowing the darkest star to rise.”
“It does seem that way,” Zecora replied. “But you will live to see many a day.”
“What are you saying? Is the prophecy not true?”
“I am not denouncing the phrase,” Zecora said, shaking her head. “I am only saying that you still have many days. You see, the Blackstar will never get a chance to rise.” She paused. “So long as the Order makes sure that it dies.”
Celestia thought for a moment. Suddenly, she looked Zecora directly in the eye. “So...you're saying that it is possible to defeat Blackstar without her rising?”
“Of course it is possible,” Zecora confirmed. “It's not necessary to be in this debacle.”
“But the Order insisted that in order to defeat her, a wish upon the Blackstar must be made.”
Zecora shook her head. “It is just as I fear. Someone is trying to interfere.”
“For three thousand years? Is that even possible?”
“Believe it my friend. That is how it has always been.”
Celestia was perplexed by this new information. It has always been possible to defeat Blackstar without making a wish. And yet, she hasn't because someone has been misguiding the Order for the past 3,000 years. “But why?” Celestia asked. “Why would someone not want Blackstar defeated?”
“I do not know,” Zecora admitted. “All I do understand is that this is so.”
Celestia stood up. “I need to leave now.” She looked down at Zecora, her friend of many years. “Thank you for help, my dear friend.” She leaned down and hugged her. “You've been a real help.” She paused. “I'm sorry it had to end like this.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Zecora answered with certainty. “My death does little to affect the season. Do not worry about me. You are still alive and have a duty.”
“You're right,” Celestia said. “I need to contact the Order and give them this information, before the Darkest Star arrives in four months and grants a wish.” She took flight, but not before saying goodbye to Zecora again.
“May the universe be with you,” Zecora whispered, slowly fading away into the ether. “May it be with all of us, too.”
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.”
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.
We Will Go Our Separate Ways
That Night...
Radley blinked open his eyes slowly. He had a massive headache. It took him a while to get a feel for his surroundings, especially after that strange encounter.
Cyril...
What was her problem? He found it hard to tell if she was serious or not. She seemed a lot like a mix between Pinkie Pie and Kassandra, which was a bizarre combination.
How did she know so much about him? He had never seen her before in his life. She also knew that ridiculous nickname that Kassandra had given him. Whoever she was, it was hard to tell what side she was on, if she were on any at all. Was she really offering her friendship or was she just trying to mess with his head? It was confusing...
“What's on your mind?”
Radley jumped in surprise. He had no idea that Kassandra was also here. “Oh...nothing,” he lied. “It's just...we're on the precipice of another battle with Blackstar.”
“So?” Kassandra said, shrugging. “We've been through this twice before.”
“But this could finally be the time we completely destroy her,” Radley said. “After all...her body still exists.”
Kassandra's eyes got bigger. “Are you serious!? How do you know?”
“I was with Applejack and Fluttershy at the lab where Blackstar was being developed. They recognized the body in the chamber. She's still around here somewhere.”
Kassandra sat down, as if a great weight was just placed on her. “This...this isn't good. It would be one thing if Blackstar possessed someone else during the arrival of the Darkest Star, but if she gets back into her original body...”
“I know,” Radley said. “This just got a lot more complicated. We have to find her, this Trixie Lulamoon, before it's too late.”
“No, we don't.”
Radley and Kassandra both turned to find Allis walking towards them. “Dude, how long have you been there?” Kassandra asked. “You've gotta stop sneaking up on people like that.”
Allis ignored his sister and went straight to Radley. “And you have to stop lying to us!”
Radley had no idea what he was talking about. “Lying? What are you talking about?”
“I saw the meeting between the council,” Allis said, as if looking Radley directly in the eye. “I know what their original plan was. We were never supposed to get involved.”
Radley could see where this was going. “Now, Allis. Please listen-”
Allis stamped his hoof on the ground. “No! I'm done listening to you! You've been lying to us all of these years!”
“What are you talking about, Allis?” Kassandra asked.
“Go ahead and tell her, Radley!” Allis commanded. “Tell her the truth about how we were supposed to be bound to Blackstar for all eternity!”
Radley couldn't look any of his friends in the eye. “I'm...sorry. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Starswirl planned for himself, Wind Stryke and May Treearch to be bound to Blackstar. It was not suppose to be us.”
Kassandra was starstruck. “But...you told us...”
“That Starswirl had bound us to Blackstar while we slept and had abandoned us,” Allis finished. “That was a lie. Radley himself had interrupted the ritual that would have sealed himself and Wind and May to the princess. And then...”
“...he placed us in instead,” Kassandra completed in disbelief. She looked at Radley. “Is that true?”
Radley had fallen completely silent. He couldn't say anything. “Well, is it!?” Kassandra screamed. “Is it true that we've been hating Starswirl for what we thought he did to us all of these years when it was you who did this to us!?”
The maroon Earth pony still was completely quiet. Finally, Kassandra snapped. Dark smoke swirled around him as she lifted him up into the air. Radley's body had gone completely straight, but still he didn't say a word. “Give me a reason, Radley Kane,” Kassandra said through clenched teeth. “Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right here and now!”
Allis walked up behind her. “Kassandra, you know it's pointless. Drop him.”
Kassandra's eyes were dark with her own magic, as well as her own tears. “He ruined our lives! He's been the one we should have been hating!” She turned back to Radley. “Why would you do this!? Tell me!!”
Still, Radley did not say anything. His expression was unreadable.
“Drop him,” Allis said again.
Kassandra closed her eyes. Radley fell to the ground with a thud. She walked away, tears flowing down her face.
Allis approached Radley, standing over him as he was still lying on the ground. “All this time, you had us completely fooled. All this time, we thought you were a friend. You saved our lives all those years ago. We were without purpose, without parents. You and Starswirl as well as May and Wind gave us a family again. But then we became bound to Blackstar, cursed to fight her for all eternity. You had us thinking that it was Starswirl who did this to us, the pony who was like a father to all of us. But I guess I was blind in more than one way. These necklaces may bind us together, but I will never be your friend from this point forward. Farewell...pony alchemist.” He took to the skies, leaving Radley all alone.
Finally, a tear slid down Radley's face. “I did it...so that I wouldn't lose you,” he said at last.
~
Twilight awoke to find herself in her own room in Canterlot, alone. Words couldn't describe how happy she was to be back here. It felt like it had been ages. However, she felt...strange.
Kassandra had revealed something to her, but she had to see for herself. She went to a nearby desk that had a elegantly crafted letter opener. She took a deep breath and picked up the tool. She aimed for her arm, but stopped suddenly. This was crazy. After all, it was technically a dream where Kassandra had told her. What if she was wrong? She'd survive but it would hurt terribly. She had yet to understand the true nature of her immortality.
“What if...what if she was right?” Twilight asked herself aloud.
“What if who was right?”
Twilight jumped straight into the air. “Princess Celestia!” she yelled. “How long have you been here!?”
Princess Celestia smiled. “Long enough to see that you have some questions.” She turned to leave the room. “Follow me. We'll talk on the way. There's a lot to discuss.”
Twilight bounded after Celestia, walking by her side down a long corridor. “Luna and I have been looking for you and your friends for a while.”
“Radley, Kassandra and Allis were trying to show us some events of the past. We ended up getting trapped inside of something called a 'Blackest Heart'.”
“I see,” Celestia said, more to herself than to Twilight. “It's been a few weeks since you've been gone.”
“How much time is left until...?”
“Three months,” Celestia answered. “A lot has happened. For one, Queen Chrysalis is planning something.”
“Planning what?”
“We're not sure. We have reason to believe that she is working with, or for, Blackstar. It's been pretty quiet for a while, but we don't think she's given up.”
“Wait...what happened to the Alicorn Amulet?”
“I destroyed it,” Celestia said. “I was hoping that that would be the end of Blackstar, but I believe that she will find another way to get to this world.”
“What makes you think that?” Twilight asked. “Kassandra said that the amulet was-”
“-her heart? She was correct. But there was something that Alexander Kane said that has me thinking.”
“Who's he?”
“Radley Kane's father,” Celestia explained. “I remember him from many years ago. I thought he was dead, but I guess I was wrong. He was in possession of the amulet at the time. He said that now Blackstar could enter the world on her own terms.”
“Her own terms?” Twilight repeated. “Does that mean the amulet was acting as some sort of inhibitor?”
“It's possible,” Celestia admitted. “There was one other thing I heard from Blackstar that has me worried as well.”
“What's that?”
“It was broken, but I could make out some of what she said. 'There's more than one to take'.” She glanced at Twilight, seeking her opinion.
“What could it mean? More than one heart? Is there another Alicorn Amulet?”
“That's unlikely,” Celestia said. “If there was more than one amulet, she wouldn't have gone through the trouble to acquire the one.”
“But the necklaces that Kassandra and the rest have are shards of Blackstar's heart,” Twilight pointed out. “If those exist there are likely to be others.”
Celestia pondered this for a moment as she stopped at a door. “You might be correct there. There could be dozens of shards out there.”
“And the Alicorn Amulet was just the largest,” Twilight completed. “Why have we stopped here?”
“I found someone when I ventured to the Black Citadel,” Celestia said, opening the door. “Someone who will be staying with us for the time being.”
Twilight's eyes widened when she saw who it was. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle. It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?”
“Trixie!?” Twilight exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“I found her with Alexander Kane,” Celestia explained. “I was hoping that the two of you could become friends.”
“Friends?” Twilight repeated, quite taken aback.
“What's the matter, Twilight Sparkle?” Trixie taunted. “Did you not accept my apology from before?”
Before Twilight could answer, Luna entered the room with haste. “Sister, there you are! Remember, we have to-” She suddenly noticed Twilight was there, too. “Twilight, it's good to have you back. We will talk later.” She turned back to Celestia and gave her a knowing look.
Celestia registered understanding and stood beside her. “Right. Luna and I have a prior engagement. We will be back soon.” She nodded at Luna and they both left the room.
Luna shut the door behind them, giving Celestia a worried look. “Are you sure that was a good idea?” she whispered loudly.
“Twilight has learned a lot about friendship over the past few years,” Celestia said, not looking her sister in the eye.
“Yes, but with Blackstar ?” Luna said, walking around to look Celestia in the eye. "Why stop there? Why not befriend King Sombra too?"
“Not Blackstar, but her sentient body,” Celestia corrected, ignoring the joke. “Trixie Lulamoon is not Blackstar. Her body has its own identity. Trixie could choose not to unite with her.”
Luna was silent for a moment, then smiled. “A noble idea, my sister, but I think you made one fatal assumption.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow as she started walking with Luna. “Hm?”
“You assume that Blackstar will give her a choice.”
~
Alexander Kane looked a bit wary. “So that's how Celestia wants to go about it. Did you have anything to do with it?”
Cyril shook her head. “Nothing at all. It surprises me too.”
Alexander chuckled. “Who said that I was surprised? I was worried that she wasn't going to come to that conclusion at all.” He went silent.
“Are you worried about Radley? Shall I speak with him again?”
Alexander shook his head. “No. Let him sort it out himself. It's about time he faced the consequences of his actions.”
“But if the Order stay separated-”
“I know what will happen,” Alexander interrupted. “We cannot get too involved yet. It was already extremely dangerous getting them out of the Heart. Just keep watching. Everything must be in place for the plan to succeed, but they must be the ones in control.”
“Consider it done,” Cyril said. There was a waver in her voice.
“What's wrong?”
Cyril shook her head. “Nothing. It's fine.”
“If there's anyone that you cannot lie to, it's me,” Alexander said, half-jokingly.
“Then let me rephrase: I don't want to talk about it.”
Alexander looked pleased and nodded. “Very well.”
“So, what's next?” Cyril asked.
Alexander looked like he was deep in thought. “The players are doing their parts well. The third act is over. Now, it's time for the action to fall. What's next, you ask?” He took a sip of Earl Grey tea and chuckled. “We watch the world stop.”
“Starswirl...”
“Yes, Radley?”
“What...what happened to my real parents?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I just...I just...”
“Heh heh, don't worry. You're not in trouble. It's perfectly okay for you to ask.”
“So...?”
“Your mother was quite the mare. She was very sweet and kind and loving. She was an excellent mother. Everyone that knew her adored and loved her.”
“What happened to her?”
“No one knows, not even myself. She disappeared a long time ago, soon after you were born.”
“What about my father?”
“...”
“Starswirl?”
“It's time to do your chores, Radley.”
“What? But what about-”
“That's enough, Radley Kane. Some things are better left unsaid.”
“...”
“Radley...”
“...”
“Um, Radley...?”
“...”
“Radley!”
~
Ten Days Later...
“Radley! Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness!”
Radley snapped back to reality to find that the pot of vegetables he had on the stove was on fire. “Sweet alchemy!” He spat out the big wooden spoon he had in his mouth as he looked around for some water. Fluttershy came racing into the room with a bucket of water on her back. Radley snatched it up and dumped it on the pot, drowning the fire and the vegetables. What was left was a smoldering, damp mess.
Radley breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Well...I guess the vegetables are properly steamed now...” he said, chuckling nervously. He picked up a charred piece of a green bean. “I hope Angel Bunny likes his veggies well done.”
“Oh dear are you alright, Mr. Kane?” Fluttershy asked, genuinely concerned. “You dozed off again.”
Radley retrieved a towel and had begun to soak up some of the water. “Yeah...just another daydream. Nothing major.”
“It seems worse than a daydream,” Fluttershy pointed out. “You completely black out and lose grip on reality.”
“I know, I know,” Radley said, ceasing his efforts to clean up the water for a moment. “Sorry about your stove...again.”
“Oh, um...don't worry about it,” Fluttershy said. She wiped off some soot from off the top of the burner. “This fire wasn't as bad as the last one.” She paused. “If you don't mind me asking...what was this one about?” Radley tensed up suddenly at the question. “Oh I'm sorry!” She shrank back. “I shouldn't have asked...”
“No no, don't worry,” Radley said. He took a deep breath. “It was about my father.”
“You're father?”
Radley nodded. “I was talking to Starswirl, trying to ask him about him. Starswirl has always been a father to me, but I knew that he wasn't my real dad. He never did tell me about him. Whenever I asked, all he said was 'Some things are better left unsaid.'”
“That's terrible...” Fluttershy said, tears welling up in her eyes.
“There was something strange about the whole affair. I knew Wind and May knew something about my dad too. It was as if they were...afraid.”
“Afraid? Of what?”
Radley shook his head. “I don't know. It was like they thought that if I knew who my father was, I would...”
“You would what?”
Radley shook his head. “I don't know that either. I was never able to figure that part out.” An awkward silence followed as he tried to resume cleaning up the spilled water. “What about your parents? If you don't mind me asking of course?”
“Oh...” Fluttershy looked extremely uncomfortable.
Radley immediately regretted asking her. “You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. It's not my place to-”
“No no, it's alright,” Fluttershy apologized. “It's just that I haven't thought about them for a long time.” She sighed deeply before she continued. “My father was a pegasus commander in the Cloudsdale branch of the royal guard. He personally saw to the training and organization of the troops. My mother was part of Celestia's council, the Secretary of Internal Affairs. They were both well respected amongst the elite of Canterlot.” She sounded a bit sad near the end.
Radley could see where the story was going, but decided to ask anyway. “That sounds like a good life for your whole family. Why do you sound so sad?”
She sounded almost resentful as she continued. “Because everyone expected me to follow in their hoofsteps. I personally didn't care about politics or any form of government. I did try to though, but it never...appealed to me.”
“So is this is how you ended up in the Junior Speedster's Camp?” Radley guessed.
“I tried to at least become a great flyer,” Fluttershy answered. “But that didn't work out well either. I was always afraid of heights.” She stopped.
Radley stopped cleaning the mess and looked up. “What's wrong?”
“I just...don't want to talk about it anymore,” Fluttershy admitted, turning away.
Radley smiled. “It's alright. I already know how the story ends.” He dropped the towel and took a look outside. “It's almost time for your spa day with Rarity, isn't it?”
Fluttershy jumped. “Oh! You're right! I'm sorry, but-”
“Don't worry, I can take care of things here,” Radley finished. He waved Fluttershy away. “Go enjoy yourself.”
“Alright,” Fluttershy said, heading for the door. “Thank you, Mr. Kane!”
“No, thank you for allowing me to say here for the time being,” Radley said. Fluttershy left the cottage.
Radley sighed and continued to clean up the mess. A few moments passed before he noticed some thumping on the floor behind him. He turned around and smiled wryly and the angry-looking white rabbit with his arms crossed. His ears were done up in curlers. “Angel Bunny...good to see you awake.”
He just pointed at the burnt pot, a disapproving glare in his eyes. “Sorry, I had a little accident,” Radley apologized. “I'll get another one going for you just as soon as I clean this up, alright?”
Angel Bunny hopped up to Radley's eye level and smacked him across the face. He pointed at the pot again, clearly saying to start the cooking now.
Fed up, Radley hoisted Angel Bunny by his collar, looking him straight in the eye. “Look, you jackrabbit. I'm only being nice to you because Fluttershy was so nice to me. Don't think I'm too afraid to show you-” His eye turned completely black, his voice gaining a strange and eerie echo. “-just what I'm capable of.”
Angel Bunny didn't look the least bit flustered. He merely smiled and opened his mouth as if to shout. Radley quickly covered the rabbit's mouth, losing the darkness in his eyes and the echo in his voice. “No no, don't shout! What are you trying to do, call Fluttershy?”
Angel Bunny pushed Radley's hoof away and opened his mouth again. The maroon Earth pony set the bunny down quickly. “Alright alright, fine! You win! I'll get started on cooking again...”
Angel Bunny took a book out from behind his back, showing him a picture of a salad with a cherry on top of it. “You want me to make that?” Radley asked, crestfallen. “But then I'd have to go out and get cherries.”
Angel Bunny opened his mouth again. Radley waved his hooves in defeat. “Alright! I'll go and get your stu-”
Angel Bunny gave him a disapproving look. Radley quickly appended his sentence. “-pendous salad ready!” He put on his best smile.
~
“You have to focus,” Twilight said, staring at Trixie intently.
Trixie took a deep breath. “I am focusing!” she said impatiently.
“Not on the right thing,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “You're focusing on the spot you want to move to. You need to focus on yourself moving towards that location. Try it again.”
Trixie closed her eyes. She had them scrunched together tightly. Her horn glowed and reverberated intently. She was concentrating more now than ever before. She could hear Twilight saying, “Breath! Focus on yourself!” Then, she felt energy flow over her...and then stop. She opened her eyes slowly to find herself on the other side of the room.
She was flabbergasted. She tried to speak but words failed her. “You did it!” Twilight exclaimed, embracing her. “I knew you could do it!”
Trixie shoved Twilight away. “What are you doing?” she asked, confused and a mite put off.
Twilight looked a bit embarrassed. “I'm just happy you got the spell. Didn't you say you've been trying since you were little?”
“Yes, but-”
“Well there you go! I'm just happy for you is all.”
Trixie sat down, not looking Twilight in the eye. “What's wrong...?” Twilight asked, sitting beside her.
“Twilight Sparkle...do you remember the first time we met?” Trixie asked, seemingly out of the blue.
“You mean when you did your show in Ponyville?” Twilight guessed. “Yeah, that-”
Trixie shook her head. “No, that wasn't it. We were very young when we first met. It was at Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns.”
Twilight looked a bit surprised. “You were in Celestia's class too?”
Trixie looked away. “I was never accepted. I was given the assignment of hatching a dragon's egg. I couldn't do it and was immediately dismissed. The next person after Lulamoon was-”
“-Sparkle,” Twilight finished. Suddenly, realization dawned on her. “You were the one I passed in the hallway!”
Trixie nodded. “I heard your name being called from the room where the auditions were being done. Twilight Sparkle...for years I blamed you for not being able to get into that school.” She looked directly at Twilight, a spark of hatred in her eyes. “You, now an alicorn princess. I even started my traveling show in the hopes of finding you and being able to face you.”
“So that's why you came to Ponyville...”
“Why else would I come all the way to a backwater town like that in the first place?” Trixie clarified, rolling her eyes. “I had done shows in Canterlot before, hoping that you would show up.”
Twilight shook her head. “I was really into my studies then. I never went out.”
Trixie clicked her tongue in frustration. “It's no wonder I was never able to find you then. When I heard that you had moved to Ponyville, I knew that would be my chance. I even came up with the story of the Ursa Major just to intimidate you and wow the crowd. But still, you bested me and humiliated me.”
Twilight suddenly felt guilty. “I was only trying to save the-”
Trixie held up her hoof to silence her. “Even when I returned with the amulet, you were still able to best me. Again, I was forced to leave.”
Twilight gave her a sympathetic look. “You could have stayed if you wished. Ponyville always has room for one more.”
Trixie suddenly reeled on Twilight. “What is you deal, Twilight Sparkle? You humiliate me twice and now...now you're helping me?” Her anger and hatred slowly melted away to confusion and sadness. “What are you trying to accomplish?”
Twilight opened her mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by the door opening. It was Celestia. “Twilight, there you are. Come with me, it's time to finish your lessons for today.”
Twilight glanced at Trixie. She then gave her another hug and went to join Celestia. She stopped for a moment and looked back at Trixie. “I guess...I just want us to be friends. I think it can happen, don't you?” She followed Celestia out of the room, leaving Trixie alone to contemplate what just happened.
~
Later That Night...
Cyril prowled the forbidden fauna of the Everfree Forest. She appeared to be looking for something, studying the ground closely. It was a wonder how she was able to see, the moonlight not even penetrating the thick canopy. Suddenly, she stopped. The area did not look like it held any particular significance. She sat down on her haunches and closed her eyes. “The appointed time has not yet arrived,” she said as if to another person. “But keep on the watch, and prove yourself ready.”
“Why do you choose to delay? You and Alexander could have easily won this day.”
“A year for a day, Zecora,” Cyril answered, not at all surprised at her sudden appearance. “Patience is a virtue.”
“That it is, but I still do not understand,” Zecora admitted, slowly materializing into view. “Why do the two of you continue with this ridiculous plan?”
“It is not my place to say,” Cyril answered curtly. “All I can say is that the wish must be made.”
“I see that you were not a witness,” Zecora began. “To the amulet being destroyed by the princess. The wish is no longer. It would seem that your plan is dead in the water.”
Cyril smirked. “Oh ye of little faith. If only you had faith the size of a mustard grain, you would be able to move mountains. There is more than one heart to be had.”
Zecora looked more intrigued than surprised. “And where would this other heart be?”
Cyril got up and removed the cross from her back. She immediately brightened up. “Why in the crown of the gods, silly! Where else would it be?” She planted the cross firmly in the ground where she was sitting.
Zecora pondered this for a moment. Her eyes widened. “You can't be serious! You mean to tell me that it is in the-”
Cyril quickly embraced her, a large grin plastered on her face. “Now you get it! But now comes the fun part!”
Zecora tried to back away but she was suddenly unable to move. She had lost all control over body as she was lifted into the air. Cyril's eyes had gone completely white. “I know the first thing on your mind will be to tell the princess or the Order where the other heart is, right? Now I can't let you ruin the surprise!” Zecora was then propped up onto the cross, her two front legs across the horizontal part and her back legs crossed down the vertical. The pale silver earth pony pulled out three, silver long stakes.
Zecora paled in her already ethereal form. Cyril continued speaking, walking up close to Zecora. “Did you know that necromancy works in reverse? I didn't until a few years ago. It's just one of the maaany things I've learned over the years.” She jammed one of the stakes into Zecora's front left leg. She wailed in pain. How was this possible? She was a ghost. She couldn't feel pain...could she? “The prevailing opinion among alchemists and necromancers is that the dead cannot be brought back to life. That's mostly true. But what I've found out is that the dead cane be brought back-” She stuck another stake into Zecora's right leg, bringing on another wave of pain the zebra. “-to a state of unlife . In other words, you can make the dead feel pain, so much pain that they want to die alllll over again. But guess what?” Cyril giggled as she stuck the final stake into Zecora's two back legs, causing even more pain the undead zebra. “They're already dead! So they're just stuck feeling that pain forever and ever and ever and ever ! That's great, isn't it?”
Zecora could barely speak she was in so much pain. “I can still...get to the others...despite this...minor hitch...you overconfident...stupid little-!” Suddenly, pain shot straight through Zecora, even more violent than before.
Cyril waved her hoof, playfully denouncing her. “Nuh uh uh! That's not allowed either! You'll be stuck here until it's time for the Darkest Star to arrive!”
Zecora just stared at her, eyes filled with literal pain and hatred. Cyril looked disappointed. “No clever rhyme this time?” She shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well, I guess I'll just have to happy with that look in your eyes.” She suddenly got gravely serious. “Writhe in agony, my little pony.” She vanished into the night, leaving Zecora hanging on the cross.
We Will Regret Our Actions
One and a Half Months Later...
One Month Until the Darkest Star Arrives...
It was a beautiful sunny day. The brightest star in the sky hung brightly and proudly, casting it's light all over the land. Wildflowers were scattered all across the green and luscious grass, dotting the landscape with hues of reds, blues and yellows. The day would be perfect, if not for the intense battle going on in the middle of the meadow.
Twilight had to sidestep a large, purple laser from Trixie, just narrowly avoiding it. Irritated, Trixie fired an electrical blast. Twilight then vanished, just missing the attack. Trixie looked around, trying to guess where Twilight had disappeared to. Suddenly, her eyes darted upward. Twilight was there, prepared to throw down a huge ball of purple energy. Trixie grinned mischievously, vanishing as well. Twilight's head darted around to the left and right. A full five seconds passed without Trixie reappearing. She heard an echoing cackle come from nowhere in particular.
“What's the matter, Twilight Sparkle?” The voice came from Trixie, but it had sort of an ethereal quality to it. “Can't fight what you can't see?” Suddenly, Twilight was lifted straight up into the air. Her front legs were stretched out to her sides. She tried to struggle out of the air, but she was held fast. “Need to go somewhere? Don't worry, I'll let you go.” As soon as the sentence ended, Twilight was thrown straight down to the ground.
Twilight stopped in midair as soon as she was about to hit the ground. She flipped herself over and landed safely on all four hooves. Then, Trixie appeared beside her. Twilight turned to face her, but then another Trixie appeared. And another. And another. Before Twilight realized it, she was surrounded by ten Trixies. Twilight smiled as she turned to look at all of the purple magicians standing around her. “Mastered cloning, I see,” Twilight remarked.
All of the Trixies spoke at the same time, harmonizing with each other eerily. “You could say that.”
Twilight smiled, energy crackling from her horn. “Now just to find out who the original is!” A wave of purple energy emitted from her horn, going out in a circle. Every single Trixie simply evaporated into thin air. Twilight looked genuinely confused. She looked around, confused about what just occurred. Then she realized.
Trixie was floating above her head, a large ball of crackling, purple energy being held above her head. “Incorrect.” She threw the ball straight down at Twilight, heading directly toward her. Just as it was about to hit her, she caught it, stopping it in mid air. Trixie did not even have time to react as Twilight threw the ball back towards her. She just evaporated in the sky.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief. A few moments passed before she started to look annoyed. “You know you can come out now.”
Trixie walked up behind Twilight. There wasn't a single scratch on her. “I have a liking for the dramatic. You should know that by now.”
Twilight didn't look surprised at all. “It's just a training session, you know.” Twilight dusted herself off a little. “You nearly got me there. That invisibility spell almost did the trick was pretty good.”
Trixie flipped her mane, still smiling. “Just another spectacular performance by-” She made fireworks and brilliant lights appear behind her as she stood up on her hind legs. “-The GREAT and POWERFUL TRIXIE!”
Twilight rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Still, she looked a bit worried. “Those clones almost turned it around. Even I haven't figured out cloning spells. How did you do that?”
Trixie looked like she was trying to figure out what had happened as well. “I'm...not sure either. I was just able to...do it.”
Twilight didn't look convinced. “That makes no sense at all.”
Trixie chuckled. “Any more sense than hatching a dragon egg with a rainbow?”
Twilight groaned, as if this wasn't the first time that that story has been brought up. “It wasn't the-ugh, never mind.” She smiled and turned away. “You know, it's about time for lunch. We should head back to Canterlot.”
Trixie looked kind of embarrassed. “Um...Twilight...?”
Twilight turned back around. “Hm?”
Trixie looked incredibly uncomfortable. “I guess...if you hadn't helped me, it would have taken me a little longer to get even better than I already am. So...thanks, I guess.”
Twilight brightened up considerably. Now it was her turn to be embarrassed. “I didn't do that much really. You could already do all of that, you just didn't realize it yet.”
Trixie smiled cockily, glancing over her nose at Twilight. “Hm, I guess you're right.”
“Well that didn't last too long,” Twilight responded deadpan.
“Would you still like me if I was any different?”
Before Twilight could answer, Trixie vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. “I'll see you back at the castle, Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight could hear her voice say.
Twilight just sat there, looking incredibly introspective. “Trixie...she's gotten exponentially powerful. She had the potential, but...”
“You're spot on, Sparkles.”
Twilight jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. “Kassandra? Where have you-” Her eyes widened at the sight she saw before her. It was definitely Kassandra, but she looked very different. Her eyes were dripping with black tears that vanished when they left her face. It was if she were wearing some cheap, black makeup that was just running constantly. Coming off the corner of her eyes were black veins, as if she had a headache. Her horn was smoking with some kind of black energy that fell to the ground constantly. Her usually straight mane was disheveled and messy and frayed. She looked like a mess, to be honest.
“What...what happened?” Twilight asked.
Kassandra's voice was cracked and sounded almost sad. “This...this is what happens-” She lifted her necklace into view. The brilliant red jewel was now cloudy and almost dirty. “-when the bonds of friendship have been broken.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come with me. We have a lot to talk about.”
~
Celestia vomited into the toilet. She had been feeling a little ill the past few weeks, but had never before in her life felt this sick. She was breathing heavily, feeling out of breath although she had done anything strenuous that day. She felt absolutely awful.
She coughed violently, heaving dryly. The session last for a full seven seconds before something came up. Red liquid splattered into the toilet. To her horror, Celestia realized what it was. “It's...blood...” she said to herself weakly. “That's...that's...”
“Impossible? You're so naïve, dear Celestia.”
Celestia suddenly felt even worse when she heard the snide voice inside of her head. “Blackstar...what do you want?”
“You don't sound that happy to hear me. I'm not going to lie, that makes me really...indifferent.”
Celestia had another coughing fit before she responded. “I'll ask again...what do you want?”
“My my, you're short tempered. Anyway, I think it's you that has a question for me.”
Celestia wiped the blood and vomit away from her mouth, feeling as though the wave had passed. “Yes I do, in fact. How many hearts do you have?”
“Really? Wouldn't you rather want to know where they are?”
“Would you tell me if I asked?” Celestia challenged.
“...good point,” Blackstar conceded. “My original heart was shattered by Starswirl the Bearded. It was broken into one large shard, the now destroyed Alicorn Amulet. Thank you, by the way.”
“You're welcome,” Celestia said deadpan.
“Not counting the amulet, there are a total of four shards.”
Celestia thought about that for a moment. “So there's one more besides the three Radley, Kassandra and Allis possess...”
Blackstar chuckled. “Oh that's right...”
“What?”
Blackstar laughed so loud it made Celestia's ears ring. “Those children still think that it's my heart that keeps them bound.” She chuckled before continuing. “No no, there are indeed four shards of my heart, but the Order of the Darkest Star does not possess any of them.”
“Then what are the necklaces they wear made of?”
“Nah ah ah! My generosity only goes so far, my dear princess of the day.”
“It was worth a try..." Celestia conceded.
"It was really...and I don't mean the poorly executed question. I meant the attempt to turn my body against me."
"If that's what you think I'm doing, it's worked out perfectly," Celestia said with a grin. She was now standing up straight, looking almost like her normal, regal self.
Blackstar sounded irritated. "What do you mean by that, princess?"
Celestia was still smiling. "Nah ah ah! My generosity only goes so far, princess of the stars."
Blackstar did not sound amused. "Enjoy yourself, Princess Celestia. You have only one month left before the prophecy is fulfilled. You shall fade and I shall live. Farewell, for now."
She was gone, leaving Celestia alone to sort this new bit of information out. Four shards left, and they did not include the necklaces the Order wear. What were they then? And where are these other shards? And just what was she planning to do with Trixie?
~
Allis sat on a cliff, basking in the rays of the setting sun. Even though he couldn't see the brightest star in the sky, he could still feel its warmth. He sighed heavily.
How could Radley do something like that? For years, he and Kassandra had always thought of Radley as a brother. After all, he was the one that saved them after they were orphaned. They laughed, cried and played together as fillies. Even after they were cursed to fight Blackstar for the rest of their lives, they still remained friends. He liked to think that even if they weren't magically bound together, they would still be together. But to think that he was the reason behind it all...
“What's got you so down?”
Allis jumped when he heard the voice. “Night princess...”
Princess Luna chuckled as she came to sit beside the blind pegasus. “You're the last pony I would expect to be able to sneak up on.”
Allis smiled wryly. “It's easy when I'm not paying attention.”
An extended silence followed before Allis coughed nervously. “Princess...I'm...”
Luna interrupted him. “Don't worry about it. You did what you had to to fulfill you're duty.”
Allis shook his head. “I panicked. I should never have done what I did. There's always another way.”
“Blackstar did what Blackstar did,” Luna said. “You can't blame yourself. I don't.”
Allis went silent again. He was clearly uncomfortable. Luna placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Come with me.” She spread out her wings. “Us winged ponies belong in the sky...” She paused, then added with a smile. “..even if both of our wings don't match.” She took off into the sky.
Allis smiled and joined her in the air. Even without his sight, flying just felt natural to him. He could fly as well as any other pegasus, banking and gliding gracefully.
“Radley didn't do it with malicious intent,” Luna said out of the blue.
“Invading dreams again?” Allis said, not being one to get easily caught off guard.
“Not invading,” Luna defended. “More like...observing. It's the best way to see what's in a pony's heart. In a dream, your thoughts are uninhibited and free. It's only when you awake that you put your guard up again.”
Allis scoffed, but didn't say anything.
“Tell me something...” Luna continued. “Why are you like this?”
“Clarify.”
“Corrupted,” Luna said. “Why is only one of your wings deformed and demonic? Why are you blind?”
“You know why,” Allis said, sounding a little irritated. “Because of the spell that bound us to Blackstar.”
“What if I told you that it wasn't the spell that corrupted you?” Luna proposed. “What if it was what resulted from the spell that made you the way you are?”
Allis was clearly interested, but not quite convinced. “What do you mean?”
“What if it was the feelings you felt towards each other...or more likely, what you felt towards Starswirl that corrupted your hearts and your outer appearances?”
Allis considered this, but shook his head. “That can't be it. We all resented Starswirl for what we thought he did to us, but there is no way that it could have brought about this level of change in us.”
“Are you so sure? It's possible that the spell also amplified those feelings and manifested them in your appearances.”
Allis thought again about it. Suddenly, realization hit him like a lightning bolt. “Come to think of it...Radley's appearance never did change, although he himself was bound to Blackstar as well. That's because...!”
Luna nodded affirmation. “Now you see. Radley never resented Starswirl because he knew that he was not the source of the spell. As such, his being never showed any outward signs of resentment.”
Allis stamped his hooves on the ground in anger. “To think that all these years, the answer was right in front of our eyes...”
“I said that he never showed any outward signs,” Luna corrected. “However, it's his inside that you must worry about.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Am I to believe that he feels guilty for what he did?”
Luna looked directly at where Allis's eyes were supposed to be behind his blindfold. “The reason why Radley bound you, himself and Kassandra to Blackstar is the very reason why the two of you must rekindle your friendship with him.”
~
Later That Night...
It was very late into the night and sleep had eluded Radley Kane. He had never felt so lost before. He was still staying with Fluttershy, still trying to figure things out. He knew there was no way that he could conquer that Blackstar alone. He also knew that if Blackstar were to prevail this time, there wouldn't be another chance at the next thousand years.
Trixie Lulamoon...
How could it be possible that the body of the first alicorn would not only survive being “destroyed” by Starswirl the Bearded for over three thousand years and gain it's own sentience? He had no idea how that was possible. He had to find her somehow. But what would he do once he found her? Would it be right to kill her? Even though she was the body of Blackstar, she was her own person...wasn't she?
His friends had deserted him. Or...he had deserted his friends. He couldn't blame them at all, to be honest. It was his fault after all, all of it. Even the fact that Blackstar still exists could be blamed on him. Still, he wished that he had the courage to tell them the real reason why he had done what he did.
There was a small cracking noise outside of his window. He quickly got out of bed and looked outside. Spending so much time with Allis Yahn had made him a bit more sensitive than most to strange noises. By the sound of the crack he could tell that it was not any of the animals Fluttershy took care of around her cottage and in the forest. It sounded like...a hoofstep.
“Is this what you've been reduced to? A housewife?”
Radley turned around to find a crimson red, middle-aged pony standing behind him. He was about a head taller than himself. It was hard to tell anything else about him in the dim moonlight. “What the...who are you? And what are you doing here?”
He chuckled. “Who am I? That's only the second time in the last three thousand years that I've been asked that. However, I should not be surprised that you do not recognize me. We were separated when you were just a newborn filly.”
Radley's eyes got bigger. “Wait...you can't be...can you?” he stammered.
Alexander Kane bowed to his son. “My name is Alexander Kane. It has been a long time, my son.”
Radley took a step back, suddenly unsure. “No, you can't be. There's no way that you can be alive.”
Alexander cocked his head sideways. “And sons tend to outlive their fathers by three millenia? I was never aware of that small detail.”
Radley rolled his eyes. “Still, I'm just supposed to believe that you're my father just because you broke into Fluttershy's house and know my name?”
Alexander brushed his long hair aside and smiled. “Radley...what do you know about cutie marks?”
Radley was a bit thrown off by the question. “Well, a cutie mark is determined by a pony's destiny. Once a pony figures out what they want to do, usually by the age of 5 or 7, the get a mark that signifies that desire or destiny.”
Alexander chuckled. “I see you are using the grade school definition. But it is...mostly correct.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Is it possible for more than one pony to have the same destiny?”
“Yes, I suppose,” Radley said after a brief pause.
“Then it must be possible for more than one pony to share the same cutie mark?”
Radley shook his head. “I don't believe so. Although two destinies may be similar, the marks would different.”
Alexander was still smiling as he turned around. “Then this will be a shock for you.”
Radley's eyes widened, seeing the cutie mark on his alleged father's flank. It was the exact same as his own, a sort of sideways, curved 'v' with a dash in the middle of it. “That's...”
“...impossible?” Alexander finished. “Heh, nothing is impossible my son. You and I, we share the same destiny. We are one of a kind. Together-” He got close to Radley and pointed towards the sky. “-we can make the world stop.”
Radley took a step back. “Just who are you?”
Alexander stood aside and started to walk away. “I do not like explaining myself more than once. We will see each other again, my son.” And with that, he was gone.
Radley chased after him into the forest, but there was no trace that any pony had been there. He trotted back to the cottage, having no idea what just occurred. Fluttershy was there waiting for him. She seemed quite shaken. “I heard someone out here...was it you?” she said in a shaky voice.
Radley didn't answer right away. “Fluttershy...thank you for letting me stay here for the past month. It helped a lot.”
“Oh...you're welcome,” Fluttershy said.
“But now I need to find Allis and Kassandra. We need to be able to defeat the Blackstar. I also have just one last favor to ask of you.”
“What do you need?”
“I need you to gather your friends together along with the Elements of Harmony in Canterlot. If all goes well, Allis, Kassandra and I will meet the six of you in three weeks time. That's where we will make our plan.”
Fluttershy nodded. “I'll do my best.”
“Alright then.” Radley clapped his hooves together and slammed them down on the ground. “Farewell, Fluttershy.” He vanished in a flash of light.
We Will Bring Ourselves Together
Two Days Later...
Twenty-Eight Days Until the Darkest Star Arrives...
It was nighttime in Canterlot. The stars were still shining brightly, looking unaware that the darkest among them would soon be here. Luna stood atop the tower in the castle, staring up into the sky. She appeared to be looking for something, but in reality she was just introspective.
Celestia came to join her sister, looking up to see what had caught her attention. “You know...I've been wondering why Starswirl named her Blackstar?”
Luna continued looking up as she spoke. “I've been thinking the same thing myself. What did he have in mind?”
“I keep wondering, but I can't think of anything positive,” Celestia admitted. “Or at the very least, anything that would instill hope.”
“What really is a blackstar?” Luna asked, not necessarily directed at Celestia. “A black hole perhaps?”
“Or maybe a star that has yet to collapse completely,” Celestia added. She shook her head. “Who knew what he was thinking?”
Luna smiled. “Starswirl sure was the most eccentric of unicorns. Who indeed would know?”
Celestia shrugged. “Not even us, apparently.”
They stood in silence for a while, staring up into the sky. A bright shooting star shot across the sky, leaving a brightly colored tail behind it. “I can't help but wonder what you are really trying to accomplish.”
Celestia gave her a look. “Accomplish with what?”
“With Trixie Lulamoon and Twilight,” Luna clarified. “What exactly are you hoping will be the end result there? It cannot simply be a friendship.”
Celestia decided to answer with a question. “How does Blackstar truly enter this world?”
“Through a wish,” Luna answered.
Celestia nodded. “And if you were Blackstar, knowing what you know now, who would you want to make the wish?”
It did not take Luna long at all to realize where her sister was going with this. “Her body, Trixie Lulamoon...”
“You know Trixie better than most, my sister,” Celestia said. “What do you think her wish would be?”
Luna stamped her hoof on the ground, more out of realization than anger. “So that's why you've also been having Twilight train her as well. If she gets more powerful-”
“-there will be no need for her to make the wish,” Celestia finished.
“But you seem to be forgetting something,” Luna pointed out. “Wouldn't that just make Trixie Lulamoon even more viable for Blackstar to possess?”
Celestia shook her head. “Blackstar is already an immensely powerful alicorn princess, despite being imprisoned within the Darkest Star. Twilight is gifted, but nothing that she could teach Trixie would change or affect Blackstar's desire to return to her own body.”
Luna nodded affirmation and then smiled. “You seem to have it all figured out. That's why...” She paused for a bit. “...that's why...”
Celestia turned to her sister, knowing where the conversation was about to go. She looked like she wanted to go in for a hug. “Luna...we talked about this before. I...I was coughing up blood a few days ago. You know what that means.”
Luna pulled away, looking very angry. “So what if you're becoming mortal!? Do you think that you have to live forever to be of any value to Equestria? To Twilight and her friends?”
Celestia was a bit taken aback by the sudden aggression. “But that's just it...my time is almost up. No matter what I've done, the fact still remains...I am dying, and there's nothing that can be done to stop it.”
Luna couldn't muster the courage to look her sister in the eye. “You've never given up this easily before...so why do you choose today to give it all away?”
“I'm not giving it all away...I'm just saying that now it may be time to accept-”
Luna was in Celestia's face immediately, tears beginning to show in her eyes. “Shut up! Just shut up ! How can you be so selfish!? You can't just resign yourself to this stupid prophecy and take it as a pure unadulterated fact! You have to fight it! To hell with the Darkest Star! This world still needs you! All of your citizens still need you! And I...I...” She couldn't continue as she began to cry.
Celestia pulled her little sister close and embraced her tightly. At that very moment she realized her something: this was not over by a long shot. She still had a lot to do. She still had a country to take care of.
And a sister to protect.
~
Radley Kane looked at the jewel around his neck for the hundredth time that night. He knew something was wrong, but he could not quite put a hoof on it. There was someone...or something interfering with the magic of the jewel somehow. It was clouded and dark. It almost looked like something was swirling around in it. It looked...sinister.
The amulets around the necks of Kassandra Tharsus, Allis Yahn and himself was what allowed them to see where they were at all times. They were inexplicably connected through the spell Radley had performed all those years ago. But for the first time in many years, he could not see where they were. It was strange...and a little unnerving.
He decided to move towards the Black Citadel. It was as good a place to start as any.
Suddenly, he got the strangest of feelings. He could feel something or someone calling to him. It wasn't a voice that was doing the calling. It was more like a tug on the inside of his mind. He had no idea where it was coming from, but he was compelled to follow it.
He came to a stop in front of a cross with nails embedded into it. Someone had been here already. Radley had seen this cross before. “And just what do you think you're doing?” He jumped when he heard the familiar voice of Cyril.
The insane earth pony clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “You didn't follow the rules!” she said in a sing-song voice. She stuck out her lower lip in mock sympathy. “Do I have to teach you a lesson?”
Radley was not afraid as he stepped forward. “What are you talking about? This is your cross isn't it? Just what were you doing here?”
Cyril rolled her eyes. “Wow, so many questions. Sorry, but I just don't have the time to answer them. It's a shame, really...” She batted her eyes at him. “We could have had a future together...”
Radley felt the ground tremble beneath his hooves. He looked down to find that small clumps of dirt were being disturbed and moved around. He could hear noises coming from beneath the ground. He stepped back, not knowing what was going on. He looked back at Cyril. Her appearance had completely changed. Her head was lowered as if she had an enormous weight on her shoulders. Her mane was in her face and messy. Her voice was a low, monotonous chant. “The time will come when all in the memorial tombs will hear the voice and come out...”
Radley looked down in horror. There were several skeletal and emaciated forms coming out of the ground. They were all ponies, it looked like. They looked terrible and frightening with their peeling skin and visible bones. The most off-putting thing about them was the murmuring. They were all talking at the same time.
“Please....”
“The pain...”
“Will you come with us?”
“Release us...”
Radley's horror turned to distaste. “I should've known that you were a necromancer,” he said, eyes darkening. “The most foul branch of alchemy.”
“What you call 'foul', I call necessary,” Cyril said, keeping her head down. “These poor souls have been dead for many years.”
Radley did not even seem to notice or care that they were crawling all over him. It looked like they were trying to drag him down into the ground. His hooves were sinking down into the dirt. “And they should stay that way,” he said. He clapped his hooves together and slammed them down on the ground. The petrified ponies sunk back into the ground, never again to be seen. “I should've known that you couldn't be trusted.”
“Only I know the appointed time, Radley Kane,” Cyril said with a sense of foreboding. “This isn't over! Not in the least!” She looked like she was about conjure another spell when all of a sudden, she collapsed on the ground. She yelled out in pain, gripping her forehead and writhing in agony.
“Missed me?”
Radley looked up to see Allis gliding towards him. He had his blindfold off, revealing his blank, pupiless eyes. “Allis...what are you doing here?”
Allis landed gracefully next to him. “Let's just say...I understand you now,” he answered, not looking directly at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Listen to me, Radley Kane. You didn't have to do this to keep us by your side. We were friends before Blackstar and we would continue to be friends after. Nothing was going to change between us. And I know Kassandra feels the same way.”
“Allis...”
“And if you do not believe me, ask her for yourself. She is on the opposite edge of the Everfree Forest, near Appleloosa. The two of you have a lot to talk about.”
“But what about Cyril?” Radley asked. She was still on the ground, rolling in pain.
“I can handle her,” Allis assured. “You just focus on Kassandra. Things have gone from bad to worse with her since the three of us separated. Just hurry.”
“Alright,” Radley said, about to clap his hooves together. He stopped mid-clap. “And Allis..?”
Allis had kept his eyes on Cyril the entire time. “Yes?”
“Thanks. I needed to hear that.” He clapped his hooves together and slammed them down on the ground, vanishing in a bright flash.
~
Queen Chrysalis had been on edge for months. It had been a while since she had been under that hag's control, but the experience had stuck with her. She could see and hear everything, but she had no control over anything. It was like being in a dream...or a nightmare. She didn't want to ally with her, but she didn't have much of a choice. She had no idea how she had been freed from her control, but she didn't question it.
She was in her chambers, mulling over a book of ancient martial arts techniques that involved controlling the elements. It didn't make that much sense, though it was quite interesting. She did not have any lights or candles in here, since she preferred the dark.
“My Queen!”
Chrysalis jumped but quickly recovered herself. Her people were already starting to think that she was losing her touch as a ruler. She need not add fuel to the fire. “What have I said about knocking?” she told the changeling.
The changeling guard bowed. He was a decorated soldier in the army, a high ranking officer that used to train new recruits. He was only recently promoted to the royal guard. “My apologies, Queen Chrysalis. I am just here to inform you that we have an intruder in custody.”
She got up almost immediately. An intruder in a fortified city was dangerous business. “Who is it?”
The guard shook his head. “We are not sure. He says that he will only speak with you. All we can tell is that he is a middle-aged Earth pony.”
Chrysalis pondered this for a moment, but could not think of anyone that fit that description. “Alright then. I'll speak with him.”
The guard led his queen a ways away to the cell where the prisoner was being held. The cell was dank and small with a naught but a candle for light. Two lesser ranked guards were posted outside. The two of them bowed to the Queen. There was no one in the cell. Chrysalis glanced at the guard that led her here. He looked confused. “Well?” Chrysalis said.
“I don't understand...” he said, more to himself. He turned to the two guards. “What happened to the prisoner!?”
One of them pointed towards the cell. “He's right in there-” He gulped nervously when he noticed that there was no one there. He then turned angrily to the guard beside him. “Where is he!?” he yelled in a hoarse whisper.
He shook is head and shrugged his shoulders. “I thought you were watching him!”
“It was your turn to watch!”
“No way, dude!”
Chrysalis lifted both of the guards clear off the floor with only her hooves. “I don't care who's fault it was that he's gone. As far as I'm concerned, it will both of your heads under the guillotine.”
“Now now. There will be no need for decapitation. I simply left to find a cup of Earl Grey. There is a surprisingly lack of tea in this kingdom of yours.”
Chrysalis dropped the idiotic guards at the sound of the voice. All of the guards followed the sound as well. It came from the crimson red Earth pony standing behind them. “How did you get out of your cage!?” the highest ranking guard challenged, taking a fighting stance. He looked confused. The pony was no longer there.
“The same way I got into the cage.” Everyone looked to find the pony sitting in his cage, sipping on his tea calmly. “It's quite simple, really. There's an entire world that none of you are aware of.”
Chrysalis had to take charge of the situation. “Who are you? And what do you want?”
He took a few more sips of Earl Grey before answering. “Delicious,” he commented, setting the cup down. “My name is Alexander Kane. And I believe-”
“Wait...your last name is Kane ?” Chrysalis interrupted.
“For the purposes of this conversation, yes it is. Why do you-”
Chrysalis phased through the bars effortlessly and pinned Alexander to the wall, knocking over the cup in the process and slamming his head against the hard, stone wall. “I want nothing more to do with Blackstar. Do you understand? Or will I have to-” Her eyes glowed. “-persuade you?”
Alexander chuckled, throwing Chrysalis off a little. “There is no need for threats, dear Queen. I am very well aware of your little run in with the Blackstar...both of them. She was planning on using your people as a weapon, was she not?”
She kept him pinned to the wall. “What exactly is your purpose here? Are you not associated with your son?”
“It is true that we both wish for the same thing: whatever is best for this country,” Alexander explained. “That is why I wish for a...partnership of sorts.”
Chrysalis dropped him to the ground and turned away, disgusted. “Forget it. I've had my fill of partnerships.”
Alexander massaged his neck as he examined the spilled cup of tea. “I can certainly understand your trepidation. I would like you to know that I wish no harm against you nor your people. Again, I only wish for what is best for your country. That is why I am asking for you to ally with the Order of the Darkest Star.”
Chrysalis looked confused. “What?”
Alexander dusted off the cup. “You must understand that I want what is best for this country. And what is best is for Blackstar to die, once and for all.”
Chrysalis thought about this for a moment, then nodded. “I will listen to what you have to propose, but know that it does not mean that I've decided to join with you or the Order.”
Alexander nodded, smiling. “Of course. I would never ask anyone to make a decision so rashly.” He took out another cup of tea. “Earl Grey?”
~
Kassandra felt sick to her stomach. She had felt terrible for weeks, ever since she and Allis abandoned Radley. Never before in her life had she felt so angry...and sad...and betrayed...and depressed...and lost.
Her appearance had changed considerably, as was noted by Twilight. She looked even more corrupted and dark than before. Even the necklace she wore had become clouded and obscure. It was unsettling, but at least she understood why.
She was sitting on a branch on a sizeable tree on the northeastern edge of the Everfree Forest near Appleoosa. She was just staring at the bright white moon in the sky, wondering how this meeting with Radley was going to go when she heard a voice below.
“You know unicorns weren't meant to live in trees!”
Kassandra looked down, smiling wryly. “Earth ponies weren't meant to use magic either!”
“Touche,” Radley responded. He took a deep breath. “If you wouldn't mind coming down, I would appreciate it. Believe it or not, there are no alchemical levitation spells and-”
Radley was caught completely off guard as Kassandra hopped down to the ground and hugged him tightly. He almost did not know how to respond for a full three seconds. He could feel tears forming in his eyes and thought that was the source of the moisture on his shoulder, but it was not coming from him.
A stream of tears were coming from Kassandra's eyes. She released herself from the hug to look Radley in the eyes. Her appearance was back to normal it seemed. “I've missed you so much, Kandy Kane.”
Radley did not even care about the nickname. “I've missed you too. I was wondering if I'd ever see you guys again.”
Kassandra shook her head. “No, Radley...you still don't understand. It really hurt me when I learned that it was you that did...this to us. But then I understood why. You were afraid of losing us.”
Radley looked away, ashamed. “I'm sorry. It was a stupid move. A stupid, stupid move. I don't even know why I-”
“I get it,” Kassandra interrupted. “I would probably have done the same thing. We-I get it now.”
“Thanks...” Radley said, half-heartedly. He paused. “I spent some time with Fluttershy for a few weeks. I asked her to gather the Elements of Harmony and her friends to meet us a few days before the Darkest Star arrives.”
“Yes, I know,” Kassandra responded. “I talked to Spark-I mean, Twilight. She mentioned something about Fluttershy coming into the castle in a panic.”
“On second thought, she might not have been the best pony to give the mission to,” Radley admitted, laughing nervously. “But at least Twilight got the message.”
“But what do you plan on doing this time?” Kassandra asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Radley, we've been through this whole charade three times already. Each time we manage to stave off Blackstar's attack, only to have her resurface a thousand years later. Every time, we end up fighting the symptom instead of the disease.”
“I know...” Radley looked a bit ashamed of himself.
Kassandra looked him in the eyes. “However, this time we finally have not only Blackstar, but her original body. This could be our chance to finally do away with her. But there's only one way that this can be accomplished. And you know what that is.”
Radley did, but he wasn't sure if it was the right way. Kassandra could sense his hesitation, so she continued. “This isn't just for us. This is for the entire world. If we don't act decisively this time, who knows what kind of wish will be made in the years to come? It could be the one that causes the complete destruction of Equestria, and the world with it.”
“But is that our decision to make?” Radley asked.
“What?”
“Is that our call? To decide whether or not someone lives based on a hunch? What if we're wrong?”
“This isn't a hunch!” Kassandra almost yelled. “We've all seen the destruction and despair that Blackstar has caused, first with us, then with Queen Chrysalis and Princess Luna, and now with Celestia knows who!”
“But Trixie Lulamoon is not Blackstar!” Radley argued. “She is her own person now! She probably doesn't even remember a time when she was Blackstar! She does not deserve to die for a crime she technically never committed.”
“It's unfortunate, but it's the way it has to be,” Kassandra said.
Radley was a bit surprised by the coldness of his friend's tone, but deep down he knew that her words had merit. If they did not act this time, it could mean the end of the world as they knew it. This time, there could be no resurrection in the next millennium.
~
Trixie was in mortal danger. She had been running for Celestia knows how long through a dark and muggy passage from some ethereal creature. The air was thick and smelled like a warm summer evening, but carried with it none of the comfort. Swirls of purple and black whirled their way maliciously around her. It was frightening and unsettling. Not knowing what was chasing her did not help the situation either. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had to keep running.
“Why do you run from your one true self?”
Just keep running.
“It is our destiny! We must be rejoined!”
Just keep running.
“We were once great and we can be again...”
There was a light at the end of the passage. Trixie picked up the speed, knowing that it had to be the way out of this nightmare.
“There is nowhere you can go where I will not find you!”
Trixie closed her eyes and started running even faster. Don't listen. Just keep running.
“You are nothing without me! You will never be anything without me!”
She stopped, having had enough of whatever this thing was. She turned around to face the creature. There was nothing there. She looked all around for the source, but could see or hear nothing.
“Make the Wish Upon a Blackstar!”
~
Trixie's eyes flew open, sweat pouring down her face. Her eyes darted around in fear, desperately trying to gather information about her surroundings. She was in her bed, she realized. She heaved a heavy sigh. That was the third time this week that she had had that same nightmare.
“Trouble sleeping?”
She did not even realize that Luna was in the room as well. Her dark purple coat blended in well with the darkness in the room. “What are you doing here?” she asked, still a little out of beath.
“I could hear you screaming from down the hall,” Luna claimed. “Same dream again?”
“Yes...” she admitted. She rubbed her eyes. “This time, I tried to fight it. But when I turned around, whatever it was was gone.”
“I see. Did it still ask you to make the wish?”
Trixie nodded, getting out of the bed. “Princess Luna...”
“Yes?”
The magician walked towards a window, looking up at the stars. “What did you give up for your wish upon the Blackstar?”
Luna wasn't quite prepared for this question, not expecting Trixie to know that she had been involved with Blackstar. Trixie continued. “It was how I came to know that Twilight Sparkle was in Ponyville in the first place, when she and her friends cleansed you of Nightmare Moon.”
Luna sighed, not too fond of recalling her time as Nightmare Moon. “Blackstar takes your wish and twists it. She takes your greatest desire and your greatest treasure and turns it against you. I asked to be as popular as my sister and ended up losing my relationship with her.”
Trixie did not say anything, but only continued to look out of the window. Luna continued. “What is it that you value the most?” she asked Trixie.
She chuckled, as if the very thought were ridiculous. “Hmph! As if I have anything in this world that I value...” She suddenly stopped, looking quite downcast at the idea she just created.
“Everyone has something that they treasure greatly, whether they realize it or not,” Luna said. “You have to be honest with yourself. What is the one thing that you hold close to your heart?”
Trixie shook her head. Luna shrugged, turning to leave. “Try to get some sleep. I don't think you'll be having anymore dreams tonight.”
Trixie looked back at the princess. “What makes you so sure?”
“Trust me, Trixie Lulamoon. If there's anyone that knows dreams-” Her eyes flashed white for a split second. “-it's the Princess of the Night.”
We Will Follow Our Destiny
Radley Kane and Kassandra Tharsus walked in silence for a while. Radley had spent a lot of time thinking about what Kassandra had said concerning the necessity of killing Blackstar and in turn, Trixie Lulamoon. There just had to be another way. Never before had they killed anyone, not in all of the years that they've been fighting Blackstar. But maybe Kassandra was right: perhaps that was why they were still doing this. He did not have long before he had to make the decision whether or not to follow through.
Kassandra glanced over at Radley, but quickly looked away. She hated that she had to do this Radley, but a decision needed to be made. She genuinely felt sorry for Trixie. She was just an innocent bystander in this entire conflict. It was no her fault that she was the body of an ancient, evil princess from three thousand years ago. But there had to be someone that would have to pay for Blackstar's crimes...
A sudden rush of air jolted Kassandra out of her thoughts. It was followed by a scream and a crashing noise from a falling tree. “What in Celestia's name...!?” Kassandr exclaimed.
Radley was just as confused. “Was that...was that a person?” he asked, looking behind him.
“I'm not through with you, foul necromancer!” Another rush of air flew past them, blowing out their manes. Not even a second passed before a large boom was heard in the distance.
“That sounded like Allis!” Kassandra realized.
“That must've been Cyril that went by the first time,” Radley said, nodding. “I always forget how fast he can fly.”
“Or how fast he can make other people fly,” Kassandra added. There was another crash, followed by the sound of a tree falling.
“Let's go,” Radley said, trotting towards the source of the noise. Kassandra followed.
It did not take long for them to reach the two ponies. The sight was a bit difficult to look at. Allis was standing on top of Cyril, pinning her to the ground. His eyes blank, soulless eyes were focused completely on her. Cyril did not look like she was trying to struggle. The only movements that could be detected from her were twitches and spasms. There was a trail of blood streaming from her temple.
“Allis!” Kassandra called out. She ran towards him.
Only then did Allis look away from Cyril to his sister. He held up a hoof in an attempt to get her to stop. “Stand back!” he cried, but it was too late.
Kassandra fell to the ground, gripping her head in pain. Her head was filled with a high-pitched whining noise. She couldn't hear anything else except for the noise. She felt like her head was about to split open.
Radley ran towards Allis, keeping his head down. “Calm down!” he yelled.
“I...can't!” Allis cried. “It's...too much...!”
Radley grabbed Allis by the face, forcing the pegasus to look away from his sister. Radley stared directly into his eyes. They were pitch black and empty. It almost looked like he was crying dark, smoky tears. The maroon Earth pony was completely unabashed. There was a look of calm determination in his eyes. “Listen to me, Allis Yahn. Calm down. It's going to be alright.”
“But...” Allis stammered.
“Allis, listen to your friend. He is correct. ”
Allis recognized that voice. It was one that he had not heard in centuries. “May Treearch?” he said. He turned his head left and right, searching for the source of the voice.
Then, his eyes were opened.
He found himself in a large, white area. It was bright and glowing and devoid of anything except light. And yet, it felt like Allis had been here forever. He didn't have to shut out the light or anything. It felt strange, yet familiar at the same time.
“Allis Yahn...what has happened to you? ”
Allis turned to find May Treearch, the gentle, kind-hearted Earth pony from his time as a little foal. But she looked very different. She was as tall as a fully grown alicorn, but she was still an Earth pony. Her coat was a shimmering, light yellow. Her mane and tail were still pink with beautiful flowers woven into it.
“May...is that you?” Allis could barely get his words out. “What...how...?”
“It is in dreams where our true selves are revealed ,” May said. Her voice was angelic and soothing. “See for yourself. ” She pointed down towards the ground.
Allis did, noticing a small pool of water. His eyes grew wide at his reflection. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of shining green, just as they were when he as a child. His wings were both feathery and normal, neither one having the form of a bat. His coat was still purple and his mane was the same silver it had always been. “Wow...but how did I get here?” he asked, looking back up at May.
“There is more to Radley than any of us thought ,” May explained. “Starswirl never took to adopting lost foals before him. ”
“It looks like you're saying Starswirl took to Radley for a specific reason,” Allis realized.
“It was not an ideal situation ,” May continued, looking away. “Even after he took him in, the danger still existed. ”
“What danger?”
It did not even look like May was listening to him. “That is why he insisted that you and your sister stay with him. Wind and I volunteered, but Starswirl said that it was necessary. ”
Allis stamped his hooves on the ground. He was clearly frustrated. “Why? Please May, I don't understand!”
May looked down at Allis, as if noticing him for the first time. “It's time for you to go, Allis Yahn. Your friends need you. ” She began to fade away into the light.
Allis stepped forward, shaking his head. “No! I need answers, May! Why did Starswirl take us in? What more is there to Radley?”
Her body was gone, but her spirit still lingered. Allis could hear her voice still, but just barely. “Blackstar....is only a pawn... ”
Then, everything went dark.
“Allis? Allis, are you all right?”
Allis recognized Radley's voice standing over him, yet he felt lost. He had only experienced it for a few moments but he already missed his sight. “Yes...I'm fine,” he answered, standing up tentatively.
Allis heard the sound of cloth hitting the ground beside him. “I couldn't find your blindfold,” Radley admitted. “But this is something that I got from Fluttershy while I was staying with her. It should do nicely.”
Allis picked up the piece of cloth. It felt similar to his old blindfold. It was softer though, probably due to the fact that it had not experienced three thousand years of weathering. “It isn't pink, is it?” he asked, tying it around his head.
“The most beautiful shade of it.”
“Kassandra!” Allis exclaimed, recognizing his sister's voice. “I'm sorry about what happened. I just lost control.”
Kassandra smacked him in the side, causing him to stagger a bit. “Don't worry about it. I'm more bummed that Cyril got away.”
“She isn't your average necromancer,” Radley observed. “She slipped out right from under us in the confusion.”
“What did she want anyway?” Kassandra asked. “What is her place in this mess?”
“She's working with someone else,” Allis answered. “As it turns out, there is someone else involved.”
“My father, Alexander Kane,” Radley finished.
“Your father?” Kassandra repeated with wide-opened eyes. “He's still alive? Why didn't you tell us?”
“I only found out a few days ago when I was staying with Fluttershy,” Radley explained. “He came to me all of a sudden. It was...strange.”
“How so?” Allis asked.
“You mean besides seeing his father that he thought was dead for three thousand years?” Kassandra remarked.
“In our line of work, seeing dead ponies is not that unusual,” Allis commented with a smirk.
“Anyway,” Radley continued, rolling his eyes. “He wanted me to join him. He said we share the same destiny.”
“How could he possibly know that?” Kassandra asked.
Allis stepped forward, getting right into Radley's face. “The two of you share the same cutie mark, don't you?”
Radley stepped back a little. “Yes...how did you know?”
Allis turned his head away. A few moments passed before he nodded and straightened his new blindfold. “Come on. We have to get to Trixie Lulamoon and speak with her. She's the body of Blackstar, so she will be going after her next.” He started to take off into the air.
“Wait, Allis!” Radley exclaimed, stepping in front of him. “How did you know my father has the same mark as I?”
A few moments went by before Allis finally answered. “I think I understand what our purpose is here with you now, why Starswirl decided to take care of all three of us on his own.”
“Well?” Kassandra said impatiently.
“We have more important things to worry about,” Allis claimed, taking to the air.
“Allis!” Radley called out into the sky. “We're not leaving until you tell us what's going on!”
“Then I'll see you in Canterlot,” Allis called down. He took off.
Radley sighed heavily. “Allis has changed. He's keeping more and more secrets.”
Kassandra was still staring off into the sky where her brother had taken off. “What are you thinking?” Radley asked.
“I was just wondering...out of the three of us, my brother is the only one of us who isn't truly blind.” She sighed. “We'd better get to Canterlot as well. Let's go.” She took off with Radley on her tail.
~
The Badlands, home of the Blackest Heart.
The sun was rising just above the horizon. The heat was already beginning to rise on the sandy, deserted landscape. The nutrient-deprived dirt was almost as hot as a stove that was just beginning to get heated. It would be nearly unbearable for any living creature to walk crawl across it.
Any living creature.
Zecora was still in excruciating pain as she made her way to the cave that contained the Blackest Heart. She had managed to get off of the cross herself, but it had not been easy. She had very nearly destroyed her ethereal form. Cyril had not left many ways for her to break the spell that bound her to the mysterious fetish. It had taken several days, but it finally worked. After all, every spell that can be done must also be able to be undone.
It had taken nearly all of her strength, but she managed to travel to the Badlands. Unfortunately, she had to stop short since the Heart drains all magic and mysticism. She was beginning to feel the effects of the mysterious phenomenon. It felt like small parts of her body were slowly being torn away. She could see firsthand that the Blackest Heart was hungry for the arcane.
An hour passed before she finally reached the cave containing the dark vortex. She felt extremely weak, but she knew she had to keep going.
Zecora looked down into the swirling mass of the Blackest Heart. Part of her could not believe what she was about to do. She reassured herself by considering that her spiritual form was already breaking down. She did not have long for this plane of existence.
“And just what do you think you're doing, you crazy jackass? ”
Zecora turned around to find a tall, regal-looking pegasus. He looked like an alicorn, but he only had wings. They were large with brilliant plumage though. His mane was long with multiple colors: blue, red and bright yellow. His coat was light blue with a light shade of teal. He was quite an impressive sight. “Unless my fever is starting to spike,” Zecora began, sounding out of breath. “You are the one called Wind Stryke.”
“Still committing to the whole rhyming thing ,” Wind said, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, that mess is as annoying as a swarm of parasprites and in your ear. ”
“What are you doing here,” Zecora asked. “In this place that so many fear?”
“You're the last person that should be asking that ,” Wind commented. “But if you must know, I'm trying to stop whatever stupid plan you've got going on in your head. ”
“It is what must be done,” Zecora said, looking back down into the abyss. “To save the princess of the sun.”
Wind scoffed. “You know as well as I do that Princess Celestia cannot be saved. Unfortunately, she's dead in the water. ”
Zecora smiled. “I see why it is me that you doubt. You still think that it's Celestia I am talking about.”
Wind raised an eyebrow. “What? ”
Zecora dropped into the Blackest Heart. Her ghostly body was torn to pieces almost immediately. Before long, nothing could be seen of her.
Wind shook his head. “What's the use of being a hallucination if no one listens to you? ” He vanished into thin air.
~
Later That Night...
Twilight Sparkle and Trixie Lulamoon were looking over the tome she had taken from Zecora's house. It was dark in Trixie's room, all except for the lit candle on the desk and the moonlight streaming through the window. They were sitting side-by-side, both equally fascinated by the old, dusty book.
“This is amazing,” Twilight whispered. “It's like this was meant to be a...supplement to the book Celestia gave me.”
“Was it anything like this?” Trixie asked.
Twilight shook her head. “Not exactly. That book had mostly spells in it and references that would lead to nowhere. This one is mostly about Blackstar and the Order.”
Trixie turned a few pages and pointed to a stylized picture of three ponies fighting an imposing, tall and slender pony with wings and a horn. Twilight noticed that it looked like one of the stained-glass windows that led up to the chamber where the Elements of Harmony were kept. She was wearing a crown and firing a bright yellow laser down at the three smaller ponies. The three ponies looked like they were holding their own against her. One of the ponies was a pegasus with a blindfold, the other a unicorn with a crooked black horn and the last was an Earth pony with shaggy black and white hair. “That's who these ponies must be then,” Trixie pointed out. “The Order of the Darkest Star.”
Twilight nodded. “I know these ponies. And that must be Blackstar...” She trailed off a bit as she stared at the picture. She started giggling.
“What's so funny?”
“It's nothing,” Twilight responded. “I just thought that she looks like you, almost.”
Trixie took another look and flipped her hair. “I do look like a princess, don't I?”
Twilight rolled her eyes and turned the page, revealing three symbols in a triangular pattern. In the lower left corner was the symbol for femininity with an arrow going through the stem to the left and two curved horns on top of the circle. In the lower right corner was a circle with a dot in the center and crescent moon on its left with the convex side in contact with the circle. At the top of the triangle was a sideways curved “V”, with the point facing the left and a dash inside of it. Underneath each symbol were abbreviations of some sort. They said, respectively “K. Tharsus, A. Yahn, R. Kane.”
Trixie scratched the back of her head. “These must be their cutie marks...”
Twilight nodded. “Those are their initials.” She frowned.
Trixie glanced at her. “You noticed it too, didn't you?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Yeah...”
Trixie took the book into her hooves for a better view. “These are all symbols for something outside of their meanings as cutie marks. I noticed something was wrong myself, but couldn't quite put a hoof on it.” She pointed to the strange femininity symbol. “This is the symbol for 'Purity'.”
Twilight pointed to the circle with the crescent. “And that's the one for 'Sight'.” She looked at the sideways 'V'. “And that's the one for...”
Both of the unicorns spoke at the same time. “Love.” They looked at each other for a split second, but then looked away.
“This doesn't make any sense,” Twilight said after a moment of silence. “Cutie marks are almost never this distinctive. To have marks that already mean something...”
“But they don't have to mean what they think we mean,” Trixie pointed out.
“But they must have some correlation,” Twilight added. She was starting to look very frustrated. “It's just...I've met them all. And...”
“It doesn't describe them?” Trixie guessed.
Twilight nodded. “Cutie marks are meant to be your expression to the world. Is this how the Order of the Darkest Star wants the world to see them?”
“Or maybe...it's how the world wants them to be seen?”
With the way Twilight had looked at Trixie, one would think that the magician had grown a second head. “What are you talking about?”
“Think about it, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie began. “How did you obtain your cutie mark?”
Seeing as how that was the most important moment in her life, Twilight answered the question without thinking. “By passing my evaluation and hatching Spike out of his egg.”
“And how was it that you were able to do that?”
“Well...because of Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom, although I didn't know it at the time.”
“Have you ever thought of what would have happened if Rainbow Dash had never performed the Sonic Rainboom?”
“I...guess I haven't,” Twilight admitted. “I just always accepted it as something that was meant to happen. But I guess...I wouldn't have gotten into Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns.”
“And then you would never have became Celestia's apprentice or moved to Ponyville or have known your current friends,” Trixie finished.
“Where are you going with this?” The current scenario was more than a little upsetting to Twilight.
“I'm asking you what really determines a pony's cutie mark?” Trixie asked. “Think about it: would you have just given up on learning magic if you had failed your examination?”
Twilight scoffed. “No, definitely not.”
“Then you would have eventually became more adept in magic,” Trixie continued. “At some point, you would have caught Celestia's eye still and became her apprentice. And on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, you would have moved to Ponyville and met your current friends.”
“So then you're saying...that cutie marks are determined by something other than us?” Twilight said, sounding more than a little skeptical.
Trixie nodded. “Do you think that it's just a coincidence that the Elements of Harmony look exactly like all of your cutie marks?”
Twilight had not thought of that before. “I see your point...but what does this have to do with the Order?”
Trixie looked Twilight directly in the eye. “These three ponies, the ones we know as the Order of the Darkest Star, were not meant to fight Blackstar. They were destined for something awesome and great, but Blackstar was never to have anything to do with it.”
The maroon Earth pony galloped with alacrity towards a dim light at the end of a dark, singular path. All around him shades of purple and black swirled maliciously and mysteriously, whispering loudly enough for him to hear but barely enough for him to perceive. His hooves ached with exhaustion. He had no idea how long how he had been running or even for how long. All he knew was that he had to keep running towards this light.
“Radley...”
Another voice, much more distinct than the others. He looked around but could not identify its source. Everything was so confusing, but he had to keep running.
“Oh my...is he going to be alright...?”
“I sure hope so. I want to kill him myself...”
More confusion. There was a conversation going on somewhere, but he just knew venturing off the path would mean the end. He knew once he reached the light everything would be alright. Just keep running.
“This is so bad. This is really bad...”
“Where did that witch go...?”
“I have no idea. She could be anywhere...”
Just keep running.
“We have to wake him up somehow.”
“Can't you use your magic, darling...?”
“That isn't what it's for. If I tried I would most certainly kill him. Hmm, on second thought....”
Just keep running.
“Stop it right now. Where's Twi? Maybe she can--”
A piercing scream rent the dense, muggy air. Suddenly, everything was shrouded in a bright white light. He must have done it! He must have reached the end of the--
Radley's eyes flashed open. He looked around hysterically, frantically trying to gather information about the world around him. He could see nothing except for the scene of destruction surrounding him. There was rubble everywhere. He guessed that he was in some sort of destroyed building. He tried to remember what he was doing there....but everything was a blur.
He stood up on shaky legs and tried to take things slowly. Taking a deep breath, he tried to sort through what he did remember. His name is Radley Kane. After turning around a few times, he saw that he had a maroon coat and a black and white mane and tail. Also, he was an Earth pony.
Radley jumped when he heard the scream again. It was even louder this time. He vaguely recognized its source....
Then he remembered.
With all the haste of a mother phoenix protecting her young, Radley followed the sound of the voice. Jumping over bricks and broken pieces of masonry, he finally reached the scene. He froze when he saw the body lying on the ground.
Before he could brace himself, a flash of teal blue collided with him, manhandling him in the air until he was pinned up against a piece of wall that was still standing. “This was your plan all along wasn't!?” Rainbow Dash challenged. “I knew we shouldn't have trusted you!”
Radley tried to stand up for himself. “This wasn't what I--”
Rainbow took him off the wall and slammed him back into it, temporarily dazing him. He would have been impressed with her strength if not for the current circumstances. “Shut up! This is all your fault, Kane!”
Applejack walked up and tore her off of Radley, allowing him to fall to the ground. “Stop it, Rainbow,” she said firmly. “This is no time to be blamin' folk. There's no way this was supposed to happen.”
A pegasus with a deformed, demonic wing trotted up to them. He was purple with a long silver mane and a red blindfold over his eyes. “The orchard caretaker is correct,” he said with an unbelievably calm and even voice. “This was not our intention at all. Unforseen circumstances caused the situation to get out of control.”
Rainbow became even more furious. “Out of control !?” she repeated with contempt and anger, getting into the pegasus's face. She gestured towards the body lying prostrated on the ground. “This is what you call 'out of control', Allis!? Ever since the three of you showed up here, things have gotten way beyond out of control!”
Pinkie Pie came up, looking very worried but trying her best to keep a happy face. “C'mon, Dashie. Don't be so hard on them. They were only trying--”
Dash suddenly reeled on Pinkie. “This isn't a joke, Pinkie! This isn't like Nightmare Moon or even Chrysalis! For once can you scrape the cake out your brain and realize how serious this is?”
The usually joyful Pinkie Pie was reduced to sobbing and tears. “R-Rainbow...”
“STOP IT!!”
Everyone stopped and turned around to find the originator of the outburst, Fluttershy. It was obvious that she had been crying as well, but she had stopped herself for now. Despite her quiet voice, there wasn't a pony present that didn't hear her. “Everyone, just...just stop it! Why are all of you arguing at a time like this!? It doesn't matter--” She broke down, almost unable to continue. “--it doesn't matter. Nothing does anymore....” Her voice began wavering so much she could not get anymore words out. Applejack and Pinkie came to her side to comfort her.
Radley watched from the sidelines as everything unfolded, still lying on his back. He knew that he was to blame for what happened. Then a hoof reached out to him, giving him support. “Thank you, Rarity...”
The white unicorn nodded. “So...what is it that we do now?”
Radley walked back towards the body lying on the ground, thinking hard about the next move. “Everyone...” he addressed the group, head low. “...I am deeply sorry. This was my fault, my mistake.”
Rainbow opened her mouth to respond, but Applejack quickly placed her hoof over mouth and shook her head. “Just listen to what he has to say, ok?”
A unicorn with a crooked black horn walked up and stood beside him. She had a purple, straight mane and tail. “Don't be a hero, Radley. All three of us decided to do this.”
“Yes, but the final decision was mine and mine alone, Kassandra,” the Earth pony said, shaking his head.
“Don't be so hard on ya'self,” Applejack said, forcing a smile. “There's no way you could've seen this happening.”
Radley fell silent. Kassandra turned away. Allis merely stood stock still.
“Guys?” Pinkie asked, sounding even more worried.
“You didn't know this would happen...did you?” Rarity asked for Applejack again.
Radley sighed. “It's only fair that you know the truth now...”
Kassandra turned toward him, a stern expression staring daggers into him. “Radley. Don't.”
“No!” he said. “They've all been through enough. This went wrong and you know it.” He addressed the five Ponyville ponies again. “We...we did. We knew something like this would occur.”
Rainbow flexed her wings, looking ready to tear into the three strange ponies that came to visit Ponyville not too long ago. “So you did know! I knew it!” she exclaimed.
Radley shook his head. “We didn't know everything that was going to happen today...like what happened to your friend.” He paused, taking another long look at the regal white and pink pony lying lifeless on the floor before them. “The one thing we did know though...was that Princess Celestia would indeed die this day.”
Seven Months Ago
It was nighttime in Canterlot. The stars were shimmering brightly in the dark, beautiful sky. The moon was high and shone brightly in its full glory. Princess Luna made a special exception (the moon was supposed to be at half size tonight) since tonight was another lesson on how to use the Teleyedoscope.
“Remember, Twilight,” Luna instructed. “Moving the Teleyedoscope isn't necessary. You can direct it anywhere you please using only your magic.”
Twilight looked over the strange telescope. Honestly, it looked just like the one she had in the library in Ponyville. “So only unicorns are able to use it?” she asked.
Luna shook her head. “Only alicorns,” she corrected. “Using this device requires a...special kind of magic that only we possess.”
Twilight squinted. “What does it do exactly?”
Luna chuckled. “See for yourself.” She gestured towards it.
Twilight stepped forward and looked through it. Immediately she was bombarded with so much information she couldn't sort it all out. She could see the entire castle. Not just its outside, but the inside as well. Every door, every room, every hallway, every guardpony—it was like seeing all around her. It wasn't even like having eyes in the back of her head—it was more comparable to having her entire head becoming a giant eye that could focus on her entire environment at once.
Suddenly, her view expanded to all of Canterlot. She could see all of the structures and buildings. She could see the stadium where the Wonderbolts put on frequent performances for the elite of the city. She could see every piece of art in one the most popular art galleries, despite all of the lights being off. She could see every guard patrolling the city, waiting for any dangers that may threaten the sleeping citizens. She could see everypony sleeping soundly in their beds.
Without warning, her vision switched to Ponyville. She could see everyone and everything in the small town. She saw Rarity draped over an unfinished dress on a ponnequin in exhaustion. Fluttershy was sleeping peacefully in her cottage next to Angel Bunny. Applejack was sleeping soundly while Applebloom and her cousin, Babs Seed placing her hoof in a bowl of water. She saw Rainbow Dash fast asleep with a copy of Daring Do and the Kingdom of the Crystal Heart tucked away in her hooves. Pinkie Pie was sleep-bouncing in her room, jumping up and down in her bed while being completely unconscious.
Then as quickly before, her expanded past the whole of Equestria to the entire world. She could see into the Griffon Kingdom, the Ibex Empire, Glascow, Germaneigh, Gildedale, Camelu, Zebrica—she could see it all! Every person, every equificial structure, every--
“Twilight! ” She heard a familiar voice. Though at the moment, she couldn't be bothered to remember who it was. There was too much to see, too much to learn, too much to understand--
“Twilight Sparkle! You have to come out now. Focus on the sound of my voice and release yourself! ”
Twilight could sense the urgency in the voice and decided to do as it told her, though it took every ounce of will that she had to let go of all the knowledge she could gain from it. After all, if she could see the entire world didn't that mean she could see the entire universe as well...?
Twilight felt a hoof grabbing her right shoulder and ripping her away from the Teleyedoscope. Her eyes were swirling around so much that for a while she resembled Derpy Hooves. “Oh man...I think I'm gonna be--” Before she had a chance to finish, she vomited on the balcony.
Luna stepped back a little. “Perhaps we should hold off on the Teleyedoscope lesson for a while,” she suggested, giving a weak giggle. “I forgot how easy it is for one to lose herself in its powerful abilities, especially for a beginner.”
Twilight nodded weakly, swaying slightly. “That's fine with me...I still feel like I'm seeing double...”
“You should go to bed for the night,” Luna told her. “I'll send someone to your room with some food and medicine. Pleasant dreams.”
Twilight walked away back inside the castle. Luna, the Princess of the Night took a look through the Teleyedoscope, monitoring only the country of Equestria. She focused on only one area at a time, just as she did every night. It was possible to look through the device without losing oneself; it just takes a little practice.
“Hello, Princess Luna. It's good to see you again.... ”
Luna jerked out of the scope when she heard the whispering, malicious voice. She looked around, but saw no one nearby.
“How long has it been? Hmm...I have to say it's easy to lose count when you've been imprisoned for a thousand years. Oh right... ”
Luna took flight into the sky over Canterlot, trying to find the source. She looked left and right and up and down. Nopony.
“I suppose I should tell you that I'm communicating telepathically with you, but I'm having so much fun watching you freak out. ”
Luna decided to speak with the voice, against her better judgment. “Who are you?”
“Oh so you've decided to treat me as a credible equine and speak to me? I am so touched. ”
The princess was not up for games. “Tell me who you are. Now.”
“You mean you don't remember me? That wounds me, Princess Luna...or Nightmare Moon. Whomever you are these days. ”
Luna cringed a little at the mention of her...other persona. She tried not to let it show too much. “My name is Luna,” she said firmly. “What is yours?”
“You're not kidding are you? That is a shame....oh well. I'm pretty busy right now anyway, but let's just say that...the Darkest Star is about to rise. Goodbye, My Little Pony. ”
“Hello? Hello!” she called out. Silence. Whomever the voice belonged to was gone now. She went back down to the balcony, feeling troubled. What was that voice talking about? It sounded vaguely familiar, she had to admit. And was this Darkest Star business? What was about to rise?
Suddenly, realization dawned on the Princess's face as bright as a supernova in the nighttime sky.
She remembered who the voice belonged to.