A Crow in Shining Armor

Everything looked so different, and not just because of the darkness or the rain that distorted his view. The world around him spun as if it moved on its own axis, independent from everything and everypony in it, and it threw him off balance as he almost dragged himself forward. He knew exactly which street he was on, but he didn’t recognise it.

Wherever he looked, he saw nothing but grey buildings, closed windows and barred doors. The usual gleam and sparkle that coated the Empire he loved was gone, replaced by darkened skies and the flow of water down the streets and rooftops. Flowerpots and other décor had been replaced by pipes that lead the water off the buildings and down into the gutters below.

The stallion almost toppled over as a flash of lightning illuminated the street, and what it revealed to him made him want to fall. Back in the day, the buildings would’ve reflected the light, but now there was nothing. Not a single reflection as far as his blurry eyes could see. Once the thunder roared above his head, his hooves skid across the wet street and he fell limp on his stomach.

The hood of his soaked cloak plastered itself over his face like a second skin, and as he lay in the streaming water he wanted nothing more than to sink away and drown. He didn’t think he could cry anymore, but his tears never stopped falling.

The Crystal Empire wasn’t the same anymore. Gone was the brilliantly shining gem of the north that Shining Armor once loved. It was dead and filthy, and not even the storm above seemed able to clean it.

His tears mixed with the water that had now been broken by his lifeless body, coursing around him like some cold aura he didn’t want. Ever since he woke up, he’d been crying. He cried as he sat and held the gravestones of his family, hugging them as if they were still alive and with him. He cried when he stumbled out of the graveyard and made his way into town.

And now he still cried as the water around him threatened to pull him with it. He found himself wishing that the storm could cause a flood and wash him away together with the rest of the filth, or that his hood would smother him. He didn’t care about the fact the he no longer needed to breathe, he just wanted out.

Something sharp suddenly pricked the skin of his neck. Three sharp needles that tore through the cloak and into his once living skin. It didn’t hurt him, it only caused him a slight annoyance as the needles began skipping up his neck and came to a rest at the top of his head. Then something even sharper slammed itself down on his skull.

Shining Armor knew what it was, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it, nor speak to it. As a matter of fact he never wanted to utter a single word ever again. The crying prince shook his head quickly, and the needles removed themselves for just a second before coming down even harder upon him, tapping away at his skull.

Fed up with the constant tapping, he stretched out two of his legs and pushed himself over in his back instead. The cloak wrapped around him like a wet cocoon, and the rain instantly drenched his face and smeared out the dried tears on his cheeks. He didn’t do anything else besides just stare up in the dark clouds.

A dark figure appeared before him and obscured his view. For a brief moment, he hoped it was an angel that had come to take him away, perhaps tell him they made a mistake and that he should return to his coffin, that he wasn’t supposed to be here. But it wasn’t an angel; it was that damn bird that had awoken him, the crow. It seemed to look down on him before rustling its wings and cawing slightly.

The prince felt it build within him before it entered his mind. Something he’d refused to do ever again, something a dead pony should never do. He hardly even opened his mouth as the words left him, and he felt like they were the first words he’d ever spoken.

“What do you want from me, feathered beast..? Why do you torment me…?”

Naturally, the bird didn’t respond, it merely twisted its head to the side slightly, looking like a dog trying to understand its master. But then it spread its wings again and took flight. Shining moved his head slowly, following the crow with his eyes. It flew down the street before coming to rest on a bent sign with a rusty old arrow pointing towards…

He knew exactly where it pointed to, and despite everything the prince rose to his hooves and stumbled after the bird, his mind or body not sure why he was doing so. He knew where it was leading him, and right now that was the last place he ever wanted to see again. Yet he followed the crow like a good little puppet hung from fate’s own threads.

The sign slowly came into his view, water running down its sides in streams. Despite this, he could still read the letters adorning it; he knew this sign, just like the rest of town, like the back of his hoof.

Town Square

Crystal Palace

The arrow pointed down a street to the right, and in the distance he could see a spire towering high into the grey clouds above. His home. He and Cadenza. The bird left its spot on the sign and flew off into the night, headed towards the palace, and Shining reluctantly followed it. Even though he’d rather turn around and head the other way, he couldn’t shake the feeling in the back of his head that the bird was actually trying to help him.

His hooves splashed as he slowly made his way towards the tower, swaying slightly in his step. To somepony watching him stagger down the street, they would just think he was as drunk as can be, and wouldn’t pay him any attention other than maybe a disapproving shake of their head. Little did they know that their prince walked the Empire once again.

Before he even knew he’d begun walking, he was there. Standing before him was the Crystal Palace, its mighty structure offering awe to anypony beholding it. To him, the now dull tower only offered memories he wasn’t sure if he wanted to have anymore. Memories of the life that was forever broken. He didn’t even want to look at it, but still felt himself drawn towards it.

As he approached the gates, Shining felt something tingle within him. For some reason, it made him think of a pair of bells, quietly rattling within his stomach. It grew more distinct the closer he came to… the spot. He could still see the blood before him, still hear the screams of the crowd and the wheezing breath of Cadance.

Even though it felt so alive and real in his mind, there wasn’t a single trace left of what had happened here. No blood stains or other clues that hinted at what had happened here. Nothing that told you that an entire family had been torn from this world on this very spot.

Shining Armor moved closer, his head suddenly filled with sounds and bright light. He blinked and twisted his head in hopes of getting away from it, but the more he tried the stronger it all became. He saw Cadenza, saw her smile. Saw her face the night that Skyla came to be, that look in her eyes that told him that she knew. Already then, she knew.

He stepped on the wet hemline of his cloak and lost balance for a second, his vision clouded by images of his wife stuffing herself with food, her stomach visible larger due to the foal. He’d laughed at how childish she’d looked, bits of food still stuck in the corner of her mouth and an almost guilty expression on her face.

Suddenly, the ground came rushing against his face as he tripped over.

Skyla came to the world; her first screams echoed loudly through the palace and woke everypony. They swapped turns from time to time when it came to who would get up in the night and feed or comfort the little pony. Shining never told anypony, but he was happier than ever when he was awoken at night by her crying.

Even though he barely got any sleep and his body has started to ache and strain, he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

His face slammed against the ground, water splashing as he came to a stop, but didn’t remain still. The prince kicked and thrashed about, his eyes closed and his mouth agape in a silent scream of pain as the memories poured over him.

Then there was a knife. Shining, sharp, the bolt of lightning reflected in it. Plunged into his wife. He could still feel her lifeless body in his arms, and he tried to hold her tighter, tried to get closer, but she crumbled into ash as he tried.

A pair of green legs, kicking wildly into the air. Something sharp sliding over his throat. The last breaths of his life. Skyla crushed before him. Janus.

Finally his voice returned to him, and he screamed straight into the air, not caring if anypony heard him. Each new memory tore through him like razors, cutting him apart and opening him up to every little piece of pain and sorrow. In a short moment of clarity, he was sure that this would kill him all over again.

Then, something happened that he wasn’t prepared for. Something so simple, yet so foreign.  A sound, intruding on his suffering. A voice. One that didn’t echo inside his head, but rather right next to it. Somepony was standing by his side in the rain.

“Hey… Are you all right...?”