~ *** ~
A lone stallion strained against the reluctant plough, willing it to inch forwards as he dug his hooves firmly into the soil. After a minute of nothing but low grunting and the occasional hum of a passing fly, the lump of metal shifted slightly. He groaned in frustration. Beads of moisture slid down his forehead, swiftly evaporating in the hazy sunlight that had baked the ground to a rock-hard consistency. There were already deep grooves in his wake that ran the length of the field - markings of the day’s progress. He paused for a moment to regain his breath. His broad shoulders complained loudly, but he simply ignored their cries before moving back into position and resuming his battle with the plough.
If he was fully grown, it wouldn’t have been a problem – his father could move a plough like there was no tomorrow, finishing an entire field without even breaking a sweat. But he wasn’t his father. The western plots often took him days of toil to complete, and those were the softest pastures on the farm! The stallion sighed internally. He’d switch to apple-bucking tomorrow, for sure. At least he was able to do that pretty well. And the trees were a little overdue for a good kicking anyway, so...
CRACK.
He jerked his head up. Looking around for the source of the noise, he swiftly spotted a black pillar of light that protruded from the distant horizon, reaching all the way up into a swathe of clouds. That certainly hadn’t been there moments before. He peered at it closer, registering the pulsing rings of energy that seemed to encompass the thing. A multitude of questions flitted through his mind, tumbling over one another as they fought for prominence. Where had it sprung from? Why was it there? What on earth was it?
He took a deep breath, collecting himself. Composure. A trait inherited from his father. He took another look at the thin, far-off pillar. Surely it couldn’t have made the noise, could it? To be heard from that distance, it must have made one heck of a noise! But it had appeared right after the crack, so unless it was pure coincidence... well, that was unlikely. Judging by its size and direction, he guessed it might have originated from, say, Manehattan. No, wait, that was more to the west, wasn’t it? In that case, it was probably closer to the Crystal Empire. The Crystal Empire? Hmm.
As to why it was there, he couldn’t say. It looked sort of magical, he reasoned, but being a mere earth pony he wasn’t at all sure. If only Miss Belle was here; she’d know more about it, he was sure... And what were those little black specks that were approaching?
Wait. Approaching? He took a step back, worry that had previously been contained rising up within him. They were larger now, and he realised that they were pitch-black crystals, carving out yawning crevices as they tore from the ground, headed straight for his precious farm. The stallion was breathing heavily now, his panic beginning to show through the cracks in his previously calm exterior. They couldn’t reach the farm. It was all they had, their home, and...
A cold, numbing dread overtook him as a thought struck him. Ponyville. The farm stood at the forefront of the village, so he’d see this approaching terror first. The rest of the town, however, would be taken by surprise... the potential consequences didn’t bear thinking about. He had to warn them. He had to warn them right n-
He screamed in agony as a crystal erupted from the ground, catching his underbelly and tossing him high into the air. There was a brief moment of suspension in which his body was limp, his brain blank with disbelief before he landed with a dull, excruciating thud that jarred every bone in his body. He lay there, slacked-jawed and broken. Unmoving. He was dimly aware that a warm, sticky substance was flowing freely across his flank; the world swam before his eyes, colours blending together into a vivid blur, accompanied by tendrils of blackness that was creeping towards the centre of his vision as his grasp on reality weakened. He was sleepy, so very sleepy...
It was the resonating booming of thunder that made him pause in lowering his eyelids. With his last vestiges of willpower, the stallion rotated his head slightly, despite the sharp snaps from his lower body. Pain would come later, he knew, but for the moment he ignored the further damage he was inflicting on himself. He blinked rapidly, desperately trying to clear his vision. A grey mass came into focus, and then back out.
He blinked once more. The grey mass was, it appeared, a large cloud that was steadily expanding, casting a huge shadow over the farm. Even more terrifying were the lightning bolts that it was throwing out at a ferocious pace, along with deafening claps of thunder that shook the stallion to his core.
At the epicentre of the storm was the black pillar, now alive with crackles of energy. A murky, translucent sphere seemed to be forming around it, though why the stallion didn’t know. He was beyond caring about the whys and wherefores; he just wanted to know that his family was safe. A single tear rolled down his cheek, quivering for a moment on his chin. That was all he wanted.
He heard the rush of air before feeling it sweep over him, a chilling sensation that only lasted a second. He flicked his eyes towards the skies, just in time to see a grim-looking pony soar far overhead, her face set in determination. Even in his semi-conscious state, he realised that this was no ordinary mare. Her multi-hued mane billowed out graciously behind her even when she was flying at speed, and sparks flared from the horn protruding from her forehead. Wait, wings and a horn...? But... that meant...
The world converged on him, and he thought no more.
~ *** ~
Onwards Celestia sped, her list of worries only mounting as she neared the Crystal Empire. She had spotted a stallion back there – who knew how he was handling the situation? Ordinarily, she would have stopped to make sure her subjects were coping, but gigantic nimbus clouds and materializing opaque crystals did not exactly qualify as ‘ordinary’.
She was glad she had had the sense to leave the palace as soon as she had noticed the phenomenon – no doubt she would otherwise have been swamped by Canterlot Officials and journalists looking for some sort of explanation. Even in the present climate she managed a little snort. A thousand years had served to vastly improve her tolerance capacity, but that bunch had a knack of wearing her patience thin on a daily basis.
She shifted her gaze, scanning the skies before her. Sure enough, a misty, blue veil cut through the slipstreams, effortlessly manoeuvring past drafts and air currents at a staggering speed. Luna always was an excellent shape-shifter – indeed, her abilities easily outstripped that of even Celestia, who’s powers were more flamboyant and – as her little sister liked to tease her – ‘showy’. Still, Celestia was glad that Luna had come along; in times of crisis such as these, her sister was always a welcome source of comfort. They should always be there for each other...
The subtle drop in temperature that came as Celestia crossed the Crystal Mountains border did not go unnoticed - it was odd, considering that a mere fortnight ago she had played hoofball with the Queen in the Crystal Palace gardens, and that had been a bright, sunny day. Certainly, the situation was becoming increasingly ominous.
Celestia adjusted her wings slightly to counter the updraft rising from beneath her, before tilting forwards into a sharp dive. As she did so, she drank in the tangle of buildings that lay far below her, now eclipsed by the looming presence of the shadowy beam that rose far into the sky, complete with its thunderous companion. It reminded her of the pre-Equine Equestria, memories which even now she shuddered to recall.
And speaking of reminding, it did, in fact, look rather familiar now that she came to think about it...
Oh, of course! Black energy bolts, how had she not thought of it straight away? But, this did not bode well at all, oh, no... It seemed that there was a new necromancer in Equestria. They had once roamed the land, darkening the days and even the nights, bringing anguish on all who crossed their path. She and Luna had worked tirelessly for centuries, trying to rid Equestria of these foul beasts – they had believed that they had exiled the last one two hundred years ago. Apparently not.
This new development did not serve to elevate nor reduce her worries, being more or less what she had expected. There were very few beings powerful enough to perform a feat such as this, one of which was currently encased in stone and several others were locked up deep within the Canterlot Archives. Unless someone had stolen a scroll or two... but no, the very notion that somepony had managed to bypass the numerous security measures (and, of course, the Royal Guard) she had taken was simply absurd!
Dispelling such thoughts from her mind, Celestia touched down lightly on the outskirts of the Empire. The ground here was cold to the touch. Not good. She started a slow trek towards the centre, glancing at the sprawling mass of housing dispersed between the lattice of streets, crowned by the sleek, white and utterly colossal Crystal Palace. In every sense it looked as regal and majestic as always, save for the towering cylinder of energy that rose high above it, but it felt... well, incredibly eerie. Celestia quickened her pace; the sooner she arrived, the more she could limit any damage this necromancer had planned.
A quiet cough sounded from behind her, breaking both her stride and concentration. She whipped round, her horn already enveloped in a blanket of magic, wholly prepared to take on whatever foul bea- oh. Celestia released a pent-up sigh of tension. In all her fretting, she had forgotten that Luna would was there, ready to assist and protect at a moment’s notice. She gave Luna a weak smile, and received a concerned look in return.
“Sister, we are still doubtful of your current well being. You seem... more distant than usual. Are you sure you feel ready to handle whatever challenge may await us?”
She motioned towards the palace, punctuating the movement with a raised eyebrow. Celestia averted her eyes, smile fading, and lifted a leg to smooth out her mane. Her hoof met what felt like thin air, and she sighed. She really should stop doing that, although she did miss the days when she could still have her mane a little mussed up. Those were really the da-
“... Even now you are distracted! Is there something bothering you?” Luna persisted.
“No! Well, maybe... it’s, well, just that the whole situation that bothers me, dear sister,” Celestia confessed, readjusting her gaze back to Luna, whose looked more puzzled than critical now.
“How so? We’ve faced and defeated hundreds of these Necromancer’s, so why should this one be any different?”
“How did you know that this was caused by a Necromancer?” Celestia said quickly, surprised. “Did you recognise the magic? Since when did you know more about it than me?”
Luna’s face darkened, as the shadow of an unpleasant memory flitted across it. Oh... The whole Nightmare Moon episode. Celestia winced. She was still grateful that she had managed to unlock the sixth element of Harmony – what she might have done if she had not did not bear thinking about.
“We have our experiences, as you well know,” Luna muttered.
“L... Luna, I’m sorry for bringing that up. I... forgot.”
Luna turned back to Celestia, her expression a little softer.
“Oh, it’s alright, sister. It slipped your mind, it wasn’t your fault.”
Celestia smiled back at Luna. This was a mare who she had been with through thick and thin, whose many experiences had been shared with her, who she loved most dearly and who she could, of course, trust beyond anypony else.
“My thanks, Luna.”
“Not at all, sister. So tell us, what are you worried about?”
She should tell her the truth.
“I – I just can’t believe that one has returned. They were supposed to be gone! Eradicated! Equestria was supposed to be safe from them, and yet look at what we have in front of us! It j – just feels like we will never be able to truly keep our little ponies safe... What if one of us was defeated, and banished? What if we were... we were...” Celestia trailed off, her voice small.
She hated herself for thinking it. She knew it wasn’t really true, and yet the thoughts buzzed around the back of her head like an angry nest of never-ceasing –
Her train of thought was abruptly cut off as she felt Luna nuzzling her neck, rendering her speechless in shock. It was rare for Luna to openly show so much raw affection, even at the best of times. A tear welled in Celestia’s eye. The gesture of tenderness had struck a chord deep within her; she closed her eyes, all frightened, bitter thoughts scattered to the wind.
The two mares stood, entwined, content to cherish the moment before it passed. After what seemed like an age, Luna pulled away, a shy smile playing about her lips.
“We – I mean, I, hope you feel better, now?” she said, tilting her head slightly.
“Yes. Much.”
More than you realise, little sister.
“Oh, good,” she beamed happily, making Celestia feel all the lighter.
“I-I think I should go on ahead though, Tia, seeing as, not to boast, I am a little more apt at disguising myself than you are.”
“But of course, Luna. I think I need a little time to collect myself anyway.”
Celestia bowed graciously, before adding: “And do be careful, won’t you?”
“As always, Tia.”
With a great sweeping of her wings, Luna leapt into the sky, soaring vertically upwards before erupting into a thousand fragments of powder-blue mist, all of which began to glide in the direction of the Crystal Palace. Celestia watched them go until they faded from view, then – after a brief moment’s respite – began to plod along the road once more.
~ *** ~