Darkest Before Light

One does not simply join the most elite squadron of warriors and become its Commander in only two years. One must have an indomitable spirit, resolve, and a passion for the duties of a soldier. I could imagine no stallion more fit for that role of Commander, no pony for that matter!

It almost seemed as if it was fate that he stands by me day to day, a smile on his face that’s warm enough to melt the crystals around us in the throne room. As an alicorn myself, I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart, that I’m ludicrously proud of the stallion the ‘unlucky orphan’ grew up to be.

True, he was an orphan and a thief. It’s also true that he’s not a crystal pony either. He’s a unicorn. A regular unicorn, who in two years, shaped himself to be the finest soldier the Crystal Kingdom has ever seen.

I couldn’t be more proud of him if I tried, seeing as how I was the one who financed his living arrangements until he was strong enough to strike out on his own. Even though he doesn’t remember what I did for him, his smiling heart and face will always share its personal sanctum within my soul.

It’s his sense of duty, of never ending courage that has drawn my...affection...

Oh dear...I’m starting to sweat a little!

“Princess Crystalia? Are you well?” I blinked a little bit before I registered the voice of my Commander. He was holding that iron spear on the ground, gazing back at me with one emerald eye as his brown coat shimmered slightly. I became lost in his eyes, not hearing or seeing him fully until he was in my face and waving a hoof.

I snapped back to reality with a surprised yelp, muffled only by my own hoof.

“Princess,” My Commander yelled as he rushed up to my side and laid a hoof on my bosom (Oh, by the stars!”) while his eyes peered at every nook and cranny of my body. My cheeks flushed from embarrassment as he continued his searching for anything that was amiss, “Did you step on a stray crystal!? Are you experiencing hypothermia!?”

His accusations were becoming a little too frantic and non-plausible, but that only helped in escalating the fire on my cheeks as he leaned in close and laid his free hoof across my forehead, accidentally rubbing our horns together as he did so. I shivered involuntarily at the little jump of magic that arced between us.

“I’m fine, now unhoof me please!” I demanded as the heat in my cheeks almost made me pass out. The Commander snapped up unbelievably fast, swallowing a huge lump in his throat as he slinked off to his position on the right side of my throne. Even though it’s completely lecherous to admit, I did steal a glimpse or two (or three...) of his posterior as he swaggered off to his post.

I bit my lower lip....And quickly shook such inappropriate voyeuristic tendencies and thoughts from my head. Sitting back up, I sighed as a worrisome thought entered my head. It was the thought of my immortality, of how I would inevitably outlive my crush and watch as the life left his body. This thought soon became a vivid picture, alerting me to the severity of the heartache I was sure to be experiencing at his passing.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Princess?” The same voice called out, making me address him for what I hoped to be the last time.

“I am well, Commander Shade Sovereign. There is no reason to worry about me!” I responded with a warm smile in his direction. I had to close my eyes so that I wouldn’t get lost in his for the second time today.

“Very good, Ma’am. I would hate to see anything happen to you.” He responded with an equally jovial tone before turning around and facing forward, keeping up his stonewall appearance as a Crystal Sentry.

“I know you’re on duty, Shade, but such formality between good friends is hardly needed.” I added quietly enough so that the other guard on my left, a Captain Sharp Quartz, couldn’t hear me.

“it’s not an issue of formality as much as it’s an issue of leadership, Princess. As much as I would love you,” I felt my brain nearly melt but figured out that it was just a weird pause in the middle of his sentence, his ears swiveling back and forth for a while with a weird expression his face before he continued, “To call me by my nickname; I must demonstrate to those with lower rank than I the proper protocol for addressing a Princess of Equestria Proper.”

His deep-voiced whisper made me shiver a little before I sighed and leaned back on my throne, wondering what I could do for fun right now.

“PRINCESS!!!” The scream nearly made me scream as well, my throne room doors being pushed aside as a Crystal Sentry in the customary silver plating bursted through with a panicked look in his eyes.

“Conduct yourself accordingly, Corporal High Ground!” Shade bellowed in anger as the informal soldier a saluted and bowed as he entered my room further, making sure his chin was scraping the crystal flooring as he did so. His pace was still quick, however.

“Status report, Corporal! Chop chop!” Shade exclaimed.

“I bring a letter from the kingdom of Griffalia! High-Queen Valkyrie Valhalla the Ninth has declared their to be talk of war amongst our ponies! She demands a response or she threatens the kingdom with invasion!”

“WHAT!!!??” Shade exclaimed before widening his eyes and giving a few coughs into his hoof, trying to forget that outburst which was not according to the protocol of being a Crystal Sentry.

“The letter! May I see it, please?” I asked with a worried expression written across my features. There was a feeling of intense dread in my stomach, almost as if someone had replaced its lining with tar.

In a couple of seconds I was reading the crystal clear claw-writing of the High-Queen.

Princess Crystalia,

It has come to my attention that slander is being used against my and my kinsfolk’s good names! This is an outrage of the highest degree, and I will have a response from you on this matter by noon today. Slander is punishable by death if a duel between the slanderer and the insulted is not had and recorded by my Royal Talons, and with the slander being rumors spread on the lips of your subjects, I can only hope that you get back to me as quick as possible...

...Before you’re responsible for more than just the livesof your precious crystal ponies. I hold no bad blood towards you in this missive, Crystalia. You and I are the best of friends, and it’s tearing me up inside that I have to right this. But the Griffin Law must be followed to the highest extremes and nothing short, or else I will have my enemies knocking on the throne room doors by the thousands.

I can only pray to the stars that you hear me out on this and respond accordingly. Blood need not be spilled, Crystalia; but the High-Queen is only the figurehead of her people.

I’m so sorry.

Your Featherbrained Friend,

High-Queen Valkyrie Valhalla the Ninth.

The ink became runny as I openly wept on the missive. I knew about my subjects’ unrest with the griffins for a long time, but the only things that would happen were arguments! For things to have gotten this bad in only a couple of days, I can’t even begin to fathom how boggled I feel!

I know nothing about the etiquette of war, nor do I know what it takes to win one! All I know is peace and serenity, which is what my people needed at the time of my inauguration into being the Crystal Princess. The Crystal Ponies were tribalist against all other pony races, and it was I who calmed their fires of scorn towards their fellow equine!

Surely if tribal inequality can be solved by patience, kindness and generosity; than war will be just another stepping stone! It’s worth a shot!

“I require parchment and....oh my crystal heart!” I gasped in shock as I noticed the gaping hole at the end of the missive, completely covered in blood. I dropped the letter with a worried look on my face as I scanned the Corporal’s body for any wounds.

Upon meeting my gaze, Corporal High Ground shrunk back and winced.

He knows something.

“Out with it, Corporal,” Shade yelled in anger, “Why does this letter contain a hole big enough for an arrow shaft and splatters of blood!?” He stomped his silver-plated horseshoe for emphasis, making me wince before making my face stern.

“Commander!” I called out in a reprimanding voice. He flinched minutely, letting me know that I had successfully gotten my point across.

“It was attached....to a pony’s body.” High Ground finished with an angry look in his eye. I studied it, trying to figure out how a dead pony could have sway on-

“Corporal Mountaintop failed to report in this morning, right?” Shade said sadly as High Ground’s face contorted into intense sorrow. He broke down crying, burying his face in his hooves as he wailed, nearly breaking my heart at how hard he was doing it.

“I see.” Sharp Quartz’s scratchy voice called out, betraying his true age of sixty-one to me.

“My condolences for the loss of your sister, High Ground.” Shade dipped his head towards the wailing pony and closed his eyes. I gasped in horror at what I just heard, knowing full well that the seeds of hate had already found purchase in the soil of my beautiful and tranquil Crystal Empire!

“But we must take the initiative now and fight-”

“No! We will not fight anypony, Commander Shade! It is not the way of the Crystal Pony to show aggression towards someone for a mistake they made-”

“HER DEATH WAS NOT A MISTAKE,” The loudness of the Corporal’s voice made me jump a little as I beheld his tear-streaked face, “IT WAS PLANNED, YOU PINK BAR WENCH!!!”

I gasped when a ray of green magic hit him square on the head, robbing High Ground of his consciousness.

“Captain Sharp Quartz,” Shade bellowed as the Crystal Sentry flew past me to land in front of Commander Sovereign’s battle-ready posture. The Captain gave a sharp salute as Shade fixed his positioning, “You are to take this pony to the infirmary and alert the rest of the Crystal Sentries of foul play!”

“Belay that,” I called out, watching with a stern look on my face as both Quartz and Sovereign straightened up, “You both are to tell the Crystal Sentries to remain calm and continue going as they always have. I will draft a treaty for the High-Queen of Griffalia by noon!”

“But Princess, I really-”

“Am. I. Clear?” I spelled out of Shade, who seemed to think his authority overshadowed mine. He looked at me with a face of anger before straightening it out into one of happyness. That smile could melt the heart of a windigo!

“Understood, M’lady.” Shade said somberly as he whisked himself away in a teleportation spell. That’s odd. Since when could Shade teleport? His magic is strong in an offensive type of speaking, but miscellaneous spells seemed to be too unimportant to him.

Most peculiar indeed.

I closed my eyes and thought of what to say shortly after Sharp Quartz left the throne room. This treaty would have to symbolize the value of peace and understanding in a written missive, and explain that this situation of racial unrest has only drove us to the point of mass bloodshed, and that we would get nothing out of continuing on like that.

~Poof!~

The jingle of magic made me open my eyes in order to see a tan scroll levitate in front of me with a green aura. A dark-green arar that was easy to make out as Shade’s.

Unraveling and taking the croll with my magic, I read the first few lines before growing immeasurably frightened.

Dearest Crystalia,

Have I not done everything in my power to protect you and this country? Have I not returned the debt of citizenship a hundred fold when I singlehoofedly stopped the invasion of the Crystal Empire by way of slaying Queen Thorax of the Changeling lands? Have I not been the inspiration to every guard you walk past in the crystal-covered hallways of the castle?

Why are you so steadfast...so adamantabout my methods? You have nary a clue on what to do in a situation like this. Your mind is not ready to deal with the horrors of war! I know this because I know you, Crystalia. WE are the best of friends! Not some traitorous pigeon who speaks of friendship as she threatens to destroy everything you built up for the sake of protecting her spot as ruler, as sovereignto Grifflalia!

No more...

My way is not wrong, my friend. It is justified by the the very definition of justice itself. You must come to know that you’re a very kind, wise and generous ruler. You are the definition of a perfect crystal pony...for you were the one who delivered the Crystal Heart onto this world. But even your creation senses the inevitable danger, the inevitable amount of death as it spins round and round forevermore.

I know this because I am in front of it, and I wish to speak with you here.

Not in the castle where the Sentries can bother us...

...Here. By the Heart of the Crystal Kingdom.

Your Best Friend and Commander of the Crystal Sentries,

Shade Sovereign

The letter was a little unexpected and seemed a little out of character for Shade, but he wished to see me and I honestly felt a little bothered with the missive...if you catch my definition of bothered that is.

It was bold, courageous, and in the eyes of others, downright stupid to write a letter like that to the semi-immortal Princess of Love. It’s not like I can control the single most powerful emotion in this world besides hatred.

That’s an ugly emotion that I hope never rears its head in this kingdom...

I conjured a quill and parchment paper, mentally repeating the words of my response to his missive.

Shade Sovereign,

You must be feeling quite tired as of late. I could see the weariness in your eyes...even a few grey hairs around them! You also seem to be more critical towards your troops as well, which actually brings me to a point of worry most thick.

I’m afraid I must deny your request to meet you at the Crystal Centre, for I will be too busy in drafting a peace treaty with the Griffins. I have no doubt that you'd want to talk about increasing the number of our Sentries in order to prepare for this war but I assure you...

When the treaty is received well and the actions of both our people are repented for, then war would have been as fictitious as some of these rumors that have been spreaded around!

Also, I forgot to tell you that I love the new style your mane is in. It makes you look a little...edgy. Keep up the good work in serving me and the Crystal Empire. There may be a reward for you if you do~!

Remember your vows as a soldier of this land, Wayward Shadow, and continue to make me proud!

Your Best Friend,

Princess Crystalia Armastus.

Aaaannndd~ sent! Now to get working on that treaty.

I strongly believe that my way is the best way, and I’m willing to hold true to my beliefs! There will be no war here!

The last thing this world needs is another war. War spawns monsters; evil beings who will never stop thirsting for control, for onerason or another. That’s how Discord came about, and I believe that Equestria has a habit for making monsters out of the most pure-hearted ponies.

If Discord is anything to go by, that is.

Alas, I must draft this treaty before it’s too late!

I can only pray that my people are able to live through this.