The Queen of Magic Pt1
Shining had her. Finally, after months of searching, he had managed to corner Chrysalis. She was considerably weaker than when he had last encountered her at his wedding. Her carapace was cracked, her horn broken, her eyes worn and tired, now merely dull green slits rather than the vibrant hypnotizing orbs they had once been.
"So... this is it, how you repay your loving wife for months of devotion?" she mocked. Shining stepped forward, his spear floating menacingly out in front of him, his armor gleaming in the dim moonlight. He had chased her through her former territory, her hive but a shadow of what it had been. When he found her, she was guarded by a cadre of the sick and dying. They had been no trouble at all.
"It's over for you. By order of the Princesses of Equestria, I sentence you to death for your crimes against the crown."
She laughed, punctuated by deep, hacking coughs. "The crown. Ha! I had a crown once... but you and your kind starved us."
Shining scoffed. "I didn't come here to listen to your sob story. You nearly killed my wife and sister."
"Pity I didn't get away with it."
Shining growled, readying his spearhead to deliver the killing blow.
"Come now..." Chrysalis said. "You're going to finish me with that? A spear? Isn't that a bit... impersonal?"
"It's too good for the likes of you."
She smiled. "Think of it as my last request. Then I'll go quietly into that goodnight."
Shining held his ground. "Come now, my horn is broken. I have no more weapons."
His spear hit the ground with a clang against the canyon floor. The blade of his short sword hissed as he drew it from the scabbard. He stepped forward and rammed his sword through her belly, the carapace shattering like dried clay. Her scream echoed through the night as her blood ran hot across the hilt of Shining's weapon. He felt her hooves fall upon his shoulders as she struggled to breathe, her ragged breaths in his ear. For a moment, as he held her, he felt something he was certain he'd never experience for her.
Sympathy.
"Shining..." she whispered. "Before you... I'd never known love... only... fed on it. But you showed me... it can be more than just food..."
He could have dropped her, letting her die on the cold ground as he was sure she'd let others do before him. Instead, he held her. One last act of kindness shown to a tyrant and a ruthless murderer. "Shining?" she asked.
He exhaled as though the air around her was poisoned. "What?" he tried to say venomously, though his sympathy for her still managed to shine through.
"Please... understand that I'm doing this to save you." A look of confusion crossed his face, but only briefly, as it twisted in shock and pain. He shoved her away from him. She tumbled to the ground and looked up at him with a smile. His spear rose crimson through the gap in his breastplate, encased by a dim green glow. He coughed a mouthful of blood onto the rocks before collapsing beside his prey. How could he have been so careless?
His legs began to go numb as he struggled to use his magic. From beneath his armor he produced a small locket. Inside it was a picture of Cadence on one side, and Twilight on the other.
"Cadence could never love you... not like I do.."
Shining fought for breath, but each one gave him less and less air.
"Now... we'll be together... forever..."
Shining growled, forcing himself to his knees. "No..." he rasped, crawling towards her. He stood over her, searing hatred for everything she'd stolen from him giving him a last bit of strength. He concentrated, screaming as he removed the spear from his chest. Shining raised the spear above Chrysalis brought it down, their blood mixing on the ground as he fell across her.
"Never..."
She had felt nothing for days. It had been as though her senses had died with him. Twilight had barricaded herself in her room upon receiving the news, only leaving to get the food Spike had left for her. He hated what had happened, but could do nothing to help. Spike had resigned himself to giving her space, hoping that today of all days would give her some closure.
Today was the day of Shining's funeral.
Twilight had every piece of mourning regalia she could find. Her veil was as black as coal, with a gown to match. She had gotten dressed at sunup, and simply sat in her chambers until just before noon. She'd done nothing more than stare out of her window all morning, until a knock drew her from her daze.
Twilight's expression morphed into a glare as she prepared to snap at the guard surely dishonoring her request to be left alone until the funeral.
"Twilight?" a drawl echoed from beyond the door. "You alright?"
She could hardly believe one of her friends had the gall to ask such a question. But, if any of her friends had experience with loss, it was Applejack. Twilight wanted to reply, but found the air dry and unusable in her lungs. The door creaked open, an orange muzzle peeking out from behind it. Applejack's hoofsteps echoed through her chamber as she came closer. Only now did Twilight realize how huge and empty her room truly was.
"Hey, sugarcube..." she said, taking a seat on her bed. They sat with each other in silence for a time. It certainly wasn't like Twilight to be so... quiet. "It ain't fair, is it?"
That went without saying. Twilight held her silence.
"It never is. And it won't ever be." Applejack placed a foreleg around her.
"It's just..." Twilight began, finding steady breaths hard to come by. "He didn't have to chase her down... the princesses didn't make him. They even told him she was no longer a threat to the kingdom!"
Finally, she could feel again.
"How could he be so stupid?"
Applejack looked away, toward the picture of Shining kept on Twilight's nightstand. "When somepony goes before their time, it's hard not to ask why they did what they did, or whether you coulda stopped it." She looked back toward Twilight, lifting the veil from her face and wiping away a stray line of tears from her cheeks. "But believe me, what's done is done."
Twilight sniffed, wiping her eyes with a hoof. "It... it wasn't supposed to happen to him."
"Twi... he knew what he signed up for... Ah'm sorry this happened. We all are. Heck, the whole kingdom is!" Applejack stood from the bed and stepped toward the window. "Ah know you feel alone right now, Twilight. I know just how you're feelin'. But if you look out that window right now, you'll see thousands of other ponies here to support ya. It'll get better." Applejack walked back to her friend, still unmoved from her spot on the bed. She gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Ah promise it will." Without another word, Applejack left her.
Alone.
"My children, we gather today not to mourn the death of Captain Shining Armor, but to celebrate his life and service." Celestia's voice rolled across the hills and across the gathered masses. "He gave his life protecting us, ensuring the evil that befell our nation during his and Cadence's special day would never rear it's ever-changing head again." Celestia paused to look over her subjects. "And he was successful, but at a great cost to our empire. It is with great sorrow, that I must say goodbye to such a valuable part of our national defense."
The sky was a bright blue, and the day as warm as any during the summer. However, Twilight could feel neither the warmth of the sun nor appreciate the clarity of the skies. All the things that brought her joy seemed to be dulled. Spike was next to her, as were all of her friends. It meant the world to her, yet she simply couldn't communicate it. The only pony who could possibly understand her pain was Cadence, and she had been nearly inconsolable. In fact, as she stared blankly at the casket that held her brother, Cadence's sobs were the only thing that punctuated Celestia's speech.
The rest of the service was simply a blur as she took the condolences and well wishes of an uncountable number of mares, stallions and even a few griffons and other diplomats. The platitudes were all the same, until a familiar face came to pay her respects.
"Princess Twilight, in your time of sorrow, I have this book you may borrow. By borrow, I mean keep, as it pains me to see you weep." Zecora had come dressed in traditional Zebra mourning garb, a religious symbol adorned around her neck. She gave the princess a very old looking book.
"Thank you, Zecora."
"In my homeland, it is tradition, to give the grieving a gift of our own volition." She put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Death is not proud, in whom it claims, but know that Shining was not to blame. The pain is raw and it will last, but know that one day, it will pass."
Twilight looked up at her, noticing her puffy eyes and red cheeks in Zecora's many necklaces and gold jewelry. She tried to compose herself. She was a princess now, after all. "I know... I appreciate the kind words."
Before she knew it, the moon had risen and Twilight found herself in her cavernous room once again. This time, Spike was by her side. Instead of moping, she decided to bury her sorrows in another pastime of hers.
The topic didn't matter, and the notes she'd taken could fill a book of their own. After a few hours, she decided to break into the book Zecora had given her. She prayed it wasn't written the same way Zecora spoke.
The eye of Epona was emblazoned in gold leaf on the cover, encased in a triangle. Twilight knew it as the symbol of Zecora's shamanistic religion: Koro.
From her previous studies, she knew it to be one of the world's oldest religious practices, with roots stretching back to the dawn of pony civilization. As she opened the book, the ancient language of Zecora's homeland greeted her. It had been a while since she had to dust off her knowledge of linguistics. On the front cover was a note from Zecora, highlighting a chapter about the theories of the afterlife.
"The great mother takes all back that she has given, and she comforts those who have met their death before their time." she read, the soft sounds of Spike organizing her room serving as the only distraction. "The spirit plane is a place without pain or sorrow, but a place of understanding and light. A place where the deceased reunite with their ancestors and join them in eternity."
Twilight wasn't particularly susceptible to any religious beliefs, but the thought was comforting. She read over the ancient wisdom and archaic beliefs with a subdued curiosity. She studied until her eyelids sagged, and her candle burned low. She had slept at her desk many times in the past, and this time was no different, save for one detail. The sorrow that had weighed heavily on her heart for days would still be with her when she woke up.
She thought her dreams would provide her some shelter from the numbness and pain she'd been dealing with. On any other night, she would have been correct. But this night, Luna did not aid her.
Her dream tonight was a mix of a memory. Her brother was there with her. It should have made her happy. Instead, it only helped her to realize how much she missed him, and how unfair it was that she had lost not just her big brother, but her best friend. The one pony who was there for her no matter what, who would stop at nothing to protect her.
Twilight remembered her seventh birthday. The day she'd thought Shining had forgotten to get her a present. Right after she'd blown out her candles and opened her last present, Shining stepped into the kitchen.
"I've got a surprise for you, Twily!" he said, unable to contain his grin. "You didn't think I'd really forget my own sisters birthday, did you?"
Twilight clapped her hooves together and waited on pins and needles for her gift. In an instant, a teleportation spell placed a doll in polka-dotted suspenders and button eyes. She fell in love immediately.
"Thanks, Shiny!" she sang, lifting it in her magic and twirling it around her head. "What's her name?" Twilight asked.
"She doesn't have one yet."
"I'll call you... Miss Smarty Pants!"
Her cherished memory began to fade. Soon, she found herself in a void. A great black space with nothing and no one anywhere to be found. Until a voice called out to her.
"Twily?"
Her heart leapt into her throat. "S-shining?"
"It's me, where are you?" his voice seemed distant, but growing louder with every word.
"Follow my voice, Shining, I'm here!"
"I'm trying!" his voice seemed to falter. "Twilight... It's been days since I've seen Cadence, or you... what happened to me? Where am I?"
Twilight gasped in horror. Does he... not realize he's... she banished the thought. "It's okay, just come to me! I'll explain everything!"
"I'm trying, it's just so dark!"
"Follow my voice Shining, please!"
She awoke at her desk with a start, sending an ink jar shattering on the floor. Spike rustled from the other side of the room before rolling over. Twilight turned back to her desk, Zecora's book still open to the index of ancient spells. For a moment, she had forgotten why her eyes seemed to never stop shedding tears. She put a hoof to her forehead and began sobbing. When she was awake, she was miserable, and when she slept, it only made her miss her brother even more. Luna was certainly not doing her any favors.
A claw on her back brought her back from her mournful state.
"I got you some tea," Spike whispered.
Twilight looked at the concerned teenage dragon and then back to his bed. Had he not been asleep but a few seconds ago? Sure enough, his bed was empty. "Thank you, Spike. I'm sorry for being such a sad sack lately."
"Twilight, you lost somepony close to you," Spike said, shocked that she would even try to apologize for her mourning. "You have every reason to be a 'sad sack'. The princesses have taken over your duties until you're ready to pick them back up again. All you have to do in the meantime, is deal with this."
He looked back to the picture on her nightstand. "I miss him too, Twilight. I bet I know someone who misses him just as much as you do." Spike strode toward her bed, peeling back the blanket so she could climb in. "I bet Princess Cadence would love a visit tomorrow."
Twilight nodded, standing from her chair. "You're right, Spike. I'm not the only one hurting." She climbed into bed and gave Spike a kiss on the cheek. She took a few small sips of her tea before extinguishing what was left of her candle. Twilight rolled over, her picture of her brother having found a lone beam of moonlight to shine upon it.
She closed her eyes tightly, but had trouble blocking out Shining's voice from her dreams.
Was it just a dream? Or was Shining really there? she wondered, wishing for anything but a repeat performance once she fell asleep. She was a scientist, a purely analytical mind. Nothing in any research—published or otherwise—suggested that the dead could connect with the living through dreams.
But, his voice was so clear, so frightened. It wasn't like him at all. She shook her head, trying to clear the intrusive thoughts. Tomorrow, she would be one step closer to moving to a better place with such a tragedy. Applejack's words echoed in her ears as she finally fell asleep.
It'll get better. Ah promise it will.
Twilight thought she had it rough. Cadence had been a wreck. It pained her to see another of her loved ones in pain, but together, they would get through this.
For a time, they simply sat in Cadence's room. The silence was heavy in the air, and Twilight could take no more of it. "Do you remember the time Shining nearly wet himself at his surprise party?"
Cadence stared blankly at her, Twilight hoping she would see the humor in her memory. To her relief, she smiled. "That's right... you led him into the living room, and when everypony jumped out, he nearly hit the ceiling!" she giggled, for the first time in weeks.
"Who would have thought the captain of the royal guard would squeal like that!" Twilight laughed in agreement. From then on, they fondly remembered the life Shining had lived, instead of agonizing over his recent departure. This had been exactly what Twilight was looking for in coming here.
However, just as soon their mood had lifted, Cadence fell back into her pit of despair. Tears leaked from her eyes as she began to sob.
"Cadence, what's the matter?" Twilight asked. She was certain they had both been making progress. "I miss him too, but we shouldn't dwell on his passing forever."
The princess of love wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "It's not that... Auntie Celestia warned me not to consort with mortals for this very reason. But it's not just I that must suffer through his loss."
Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder. "Everypony is hurt, Cadence."
"No... I meant, now I must raise our foal alone."
Twilight withdrew. "You... your what?"
Cadence did her damnedest to sniff up her tears. "I'm pregnant."
Twilight returned to her room. Shining had certainly done it this time. She should have been overjoyed that she would soon be Aunt Twilight. Instead, all she could think about was her little niece or nephew growing up without a father. It pained her nearly as much as Shining's death. A pony needs a father, and none would have been as good as Shining. She was the Element of Magic! Surely there was something she could do.
She'd talked to Shining in her dreams, perhaps she could do the same for Cadence and her foal? Or, perhaps she could construct an artificial representation of him for them to spend time with! Perhaps there was a way in one of those spell books of hers.
Twilight ordered a pot of tea and began pouring over the volumes in her private library, but any book she'd come across had the relevant information redacted or removed.
"My student..." Twilight pulled herself from her book to see Celestia standing in her chamber. "I'm truly sorry I was not able to be here for you in your time of need. The duties of the country do not rest, though I wish they did." Celestia's hoofsteps sounded through her room as she approached her pupil.
"It's okay, Princess. You and Princess Luna have assumed my duties. That's more than I could ask."
"No my dear, I'm here now, and will be at your summon, should you need somepony to listen." Celestia glanced over Twilight's desk. Most of her books had been turned to pages with large portions of them blacked out or torn away. "What are you studying?" she asked, scrutinizing her notes.
"I... I was looking for a way to help..." she paused. Had Cadence told the other princesses of her news? "Cadence. She's devastated, and I hate to see her in pain."
Celestia glanced up at Twilight, seeming to sense something was amiss. "Twilight, I must warn you. Some magics have been lost to time for a reason."
"Of course, Princess. As the Element of Magic, I take pride in safe keeping of the spells not meant to see the light of day." Twilight nodded.
"Indeed. You are one of the most powerful unicorns I've ever encountered, and have the good judgement to match. Just remember that the effects of a spell are the responsibility of the caster."
"Yes, Princess."
The seriousness on Celestia's face morphed back into the cheery smile Twilight was used to. "Then if you are fine for this evening, I will take my leave. Dinner is at the seventh bell, and we would love to have you. It seems like ages since you've joined us."
"Thank you," Twilight said.
Celestia shut the door to Twilight's room, where her assistant Daily Planner waited.
"Post an extra guard at the restricted section of the castle library. I fear grief may drive a cautious mind to do reckless things."
After dinner Twilight went right back to her studies, though every modern book she'd scoured had nothing even remotely close to what she needed. As she was about to give up, Twilight remembered the book Zecora had given her. Glancing at the index of spells, one jumped out at her.
Spirtis Necremas
She flipped to the page and began reading. This was a complex spell, one that required not just magic, but preparation, symbols inscribed, candles lit, talismans acquired. On top of that, she would need a Koro priestess to channel her magic.
Ancient nonsense... she huffed, counting out the only spell that she'd found to suit her needs. She stepped away from her desk and flopped down on her bed. The book Zecora had given her was an interesting antiquity, but nothing more.
Unless...
She levitated the book towards her in the bed and flipped back to the index. Settling on a water spell, she placed an empty glass on the floor inside the eye and triangle as instructed. She lit the appropriate candles and read the incantation. Zebra magic was certainly different than unicorn magic. Twilight closed her eyes, chanting three times as she did. Skepticism heavy in her heart, she opened her eyes, expecting to see the same empty glass before her. Instead, the glass sat full of crystal clear liquid.
Her eyes widened. "H-how is that possible?"
Twilight considered the implications of this experiment. If this spell could work...
The bubbling of the heavy iron cauldron drew Zecora away from her books. Her soup was almost ready! A traditional Zebra fare that her mother used to brew for her and her family when she was a foal. The aroma always seemed to bring her back to her homeland. Taking the large wooden spoon form the table, she slowly stirred the pot. With a whiff, she new it needed a bit more nutmeg. Before she could collect her spice, a knock garnered her attention.
"Who could that be, come all this way to see me?" she asked herself as she trotted toward the door. A hooded figure stood in the moonlight when she answered. She narrowed her eyes before sensing her visitor. "Princess Twilight, the queen of magic. I pray your visit is not a result of the tragic."
Twilight took off her hood and stepped inside the hut. Twilight had never liked the masks adorning nearly every wall of Zecora's house. The eyeless pits seemed to follow her around as she moved. "Thanks for receiving me at such an hour. I try not to make late night visits a habit."
"No problem, Princess."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You... you can speak without rhyming?"
Zecora smiled. "It's a long story. But once the sun sets, I'm free to talk as I wish."
"But... on nightmare night, you—"
"Sometimes appearances are easier to keep up than repeating a long story."
Twilight nodded. "I see."
"I take it my speech patterns were not why you've come all this way."
That much was certainly true.
"Princess, you must be hungry. Come, and let us break bread."
"Well, now that you mention it..." The royal dinner had been a lighter fare than usual, which left her considerable room for a hearty zebrican soup.
Zecora prepared two bowls and they had a seat at her table. After a few shallow sips, Twilight got down to business. "The soup is wonderful. But as you said, that's not why I'm here."
"Then let us get down to business."
"I've come to ask you about Koro."
Zecora stared knowingly across the table. "What is it you would like to know?"
"Well... Canterlot's knowledge of your race's magic is... lacking, to say the least. I've been reading the book you gave me, and it has piqued my curiosity. Unfortunately, the library is devoid of any books on Koro."
"I see. Well, much of our knowledge is passed down through songs and stories. Very few books exist. In fact, that was one of the only copies I know of."
Twilight was taken aback by the rarity of such a gift. "Well then, I must thank you again. If you don't mind my asking, where did you come across such a rare find?"
Zecora smiled. "Let's just say I had it coming, and it is much safer in your hooves than in mine. I can see you've tried some of the spells."
"How?" Twilight asked, taking another sip of her soup.
"Our magic uses the magic of the earth, sky, fire and water. And so it resonates on those that have used it for a time afterwards." Zecora paused to take a sip as well. "Though I must admit, I know of no unicorns able to use Koro. You are the first."
Twilight considered her words carefully. "Zecora, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know so much about it?"
A pensive look fell over her as she sat back in her chair. "I once trained under the high priestess of our entire realm. Allera was her name. I was being groomed to take her place. Soon though, she decided she did not want to give up power. My ascension would mean her death, so she decided to kill me instead."
Twilight gasped. She would have never guessed Zecora had come to Equestria to escape such conflict. "I had to flee, and thankfully, your Princesses granted me asylum. So it is here, out of sight and out of mind, I remain."
Twilight thought carefully for a moment. "Will you ever go back?"
"Not while Allera still rules. As far as I know, she still hunts for me. She is on her two hundred and thirty-fourth year."
Her eyes widened. "You're... you're over two hundred years old?"
"Magic does wonders for appearence."
Twilight returned to the castle and went straight to Celestia's chambers. "Princess?" She knocked gently on the ornate door.
"Yes my pupil, do come in." Twilight took a seat on a cushion next to her mentor. "How was Cadence?"
"We talked. We'll get through this together."
"It is good that you two can speak together. These are troubling times for everypony."
Twilight shifted gears for a moment. Still unsure whether Cadence had told the other royals about her pregnancy, Twilight decided on a series of hypotheticals.
"Princess, should a foal grow up without a father?"
"As long as the foal is loved, it makes no difference whether it has a father, mother, or otherwise." She set her quill down and looked at Twilight. "That being said, a father figure is important. Why do you ask?"
Twilight thought quickly. "Uhm... I ask because... Applejack is concerned about Apple Bloom." It wasn't an outright lie. She was sure Applejack probably did in fact worry about Apple Bloom growing up without her father.
"Young Apple Bloom is growing into a fine young mare. Perhaps I will summon her family for a picnic tomorrow," Celestia said thoughtfully.
"I'm sure she'd love that, Princess. If you'll excuse me." Twilight bowed and took her leave.
A father figure is important. Twilight said to herself.
That foal will have a father. I'm the element of magic. If I can't do it, it can't be done."
