The Darkest Star In the Sky

Chapters

Prologue
Praecones
Condicio
Tantibus
Scaevitas

Prologue

The Citadel was in ruins. The battle had taken its toll on the old building. The ceiling was completely gone, turned now into rubble that was now scattered across ground. The walls were barely standing, transformed into haphazard, staggered sections all along the perimeter and insides of the once great Citadel. The floor was covered with potholes that reached down several feet below the foundation of the building.

The sky was dark and cloudless. There wasn't even a moon or any stars to be seen. The sky was completely black.

There was not a soul to be seen here...save for the three ponies standing in the center of what was once the great hall: a unicorn, pegasus and an Earth pony were all standing side by side, looking exhausted and battered. Before them laid another pony, an alicorn. She was sprawled out on the ground, unmoving and barely breathing.

“Did we get her?” the pegasus asked. He was very tall, far taller than the average pony. His wings were filled with brilliant light blue plumage, the same color as the rest of his coat. However, a few feathers had been seared and burnt and his left wing appeared to be injured. His mane and tail were multicolored with streaks of yellow, red and blue.

“She isn't breathing...” the Earth pony observed. She was far smaller than the pegasus. Although she was an Earth pony, she looked as graceful and beautiful as the most regal of pegasi. She was tan colored and had a light pink mane and tail. There were usually flowers interwoven in her hair, but those had been damaged or outright burned out of it.

“Don't let your guard down,” the unicorn said, not taking his eyes off the body in the center of the floor. He was much older than the rest of the ponies present. He was of average height and build. However, the most memorable thing about him was the beard under his chin. “She's an alicorn. She's been designed to be resilient.”

“And what do we do if she isn't dead, Starswirl?” the pegasus asked, giving the unicorn a stern look. “I don't know about you, but I'm not sure if I'm in shape for another fight like that.”

The Earth pony stepped forward, but immediately collapsed with a gasp of pain. The pegasus was at her side immediately. “May!” he exclaimed. “Are you alright?”

She gently pushed the pegasus away, standing up gingerly. “I'm...fine,” she assured. “It's just leg. Nothing to worry about, Wind.”

“We need to get done what we've planned,” Starswirl reminded. “There's only one way to truly keep her in check.”

“Are you sure this is the right way to go about it?” Wind asked, casting a worried glance at May. “If you – we fail, Equestria might lose it's one chance at stopping this monster.”

Starswirl lowered his head. “It's risky, but it's a chance we have to take.”

“There's no guarantee that that experiment will turn out better than this one,” May said. She sighed and smiled however. “But I trust you.”

“Thank you, May,” Starswirl said with a smile of gratitude.

“Trust him!?” Wind repeated in disbelief. He chuckled derisively. “Should I remind you who's fault it was that this...thing happened in the first place?”

“It was our doing, Wind Stryke,” May said gently, but sternly. “Not just Starswirl's.”

Starswirl looked away and humphed, which was his way of apologizing. “Even still...I don't think that this is the best way of going about this.” He looked Starswirl right in the eye. “This will be a disaster if it doesn't work...and hell if it does.”

“I know,” Starswirl admitted. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His horn began glowing pink, materializing out of thin air three necklaces. All three had pendants with red jewels in their center: one had a crescent, the other a star and the last had a circle.

“So, I guess this is it then...” Wind said with some finality.

“Once we put these on, we shall be forever bound to her,” Starswirl explained. “If she awakes again, we will be there to stop her.”

“So that's what you were planning!”

Starswirl's eyes widened. He looked over at the spot where the alicorn was lying, supposedly unconscious. She was not there anymore.

Then, everything happened at once.

Starswirl looked up to see the alicorn flying above all of their heads. He dropped the necklaces on the floor and fired a blast of energy at her. The alicorn vanished just as the blast was about to hit her, causing it to fly harmlessly into the air. Starswirl looked around for her, not seeing where she had vanished to.

May screamed suddenly and shoved Starswirl to the floor. Not even a millisecond later, a blast of energy disintegrated May into a pile of fine, smoking black powder.

“NOOO!” Wind cried out. Without a single thought, he immediately turned to the alicorn in the air and flew straight towards her in anger, heedless of his injured wing.

“Stop, Wind!” Starswirl called out, but it was too late.

Wind fell to the ground, a gaping hole in his neck from where the alicorn had stabbed him with her horn. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Starswirl looked upon the scene in despair. Both of his friends were dead, and their enemy was not yet defeated. And now...there was no way to stop her now.

The alicorn lowered herself to the ground, a victorious smile on her face. “Aww, what's the matter, Starswirl the Bearded? Did I just ruin your plans to imprison me?”

Starswirl would not allow her to see the defeat in his soul. He swallowed his welling grief and stood up to face her. “It will not be that easy to stop me. Did you really think that this was all I had planned?”

For a moment, the alicorn looked a bit hesitant. Her smile quickly returned, though. She clicked her tongue disapprovingly, shaking her head. “Starswirl, Starswirl...you have nothing left. Your friends are dead and your plan is ruined.”

Before Starswirl could respond, the alicorn was on him, lifting him up into the air. She looked him directly in the eye. She was no longer smiling. “It's over, Starswirl the Bearded. Equestria, and the world...is now mine. And you are a nuisance that I can no longer allow to live.”

Praecones

About Five Thousand Years Later...

Twilight Sparkle had been reading very late into the night. Spike had already gone to bed. She usually gave herself a pretty strict bedtime, but the Journal of the Two Sisters was just too fascinating. Before she discovered the book in Celestia's and Luna's old castle, she had never even pictured the two of them as children. This was her third time reading through the entire book, but she still managed to find something new each time.

She yawned and looked at the clock. She looked surprised, not knowing that it was that late. She closed the journal reluctantly and set it on a pedestal. She stretched and yawned, suddenly feeling very tired now that she knew what time it was. She went up to her loft, about to get ready for bed. She looked down at Spike who was out cold from such a long day. She smiled. He had grown so much since the two of them moved to Ponyville. To everyone else, it looked like he had not grown at all. But having spent a good portion of her life with the baby dragon, she could tell how much older he was getting. In fact, she was hesitant to refer to him as a baby. Thanks to the lack of information on dragons, she knew very little about how they age and grow, save for the events surrounding his birthday. However, it was still nice seeing him get older. She hoped that she would be able to to see him grow up for many more years to come.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight jumped at the sound of the mysterious voice. It sounded like it was coming from behind her, but there was no one else in the room that she could see except for Spike. “Hello?” she called out to the empty air. “Who's there?”

There was silence. Twilight felt her heartbeat quicken with fear. She didn't recognize the voice that had said her name. She waited for a few more seconds before deciding that she must have been imagining things. It had been a while since she had slept. She yawned and made a move to get into her bed.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash right in front of her eyes. She gasped and covered her eyes.

“The abandoned castle at sunset tomorrow. Come alone.”

Twilight tried to see who it was, but her vision was temporarily impaired due to the flash. By the time her eyes readjusted, the mysterious person was gone.

“Whuh?” Spike groaned. “Did someone turn on the lights...?”

Twilight rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of the residual stars at the edges of her vision. “No, Spike. Go back to sleep.”

“Don't have to tell me twice,” Spike said, falling back to sleep immediately.

Twilight looked out of the window. Who was that and what did they want with her?

Trixie Lulamoon was all but lost in the Everfree Forest. She had just barely remembered what she had come into this forest for. It was, of course, to retrieve something that had been taken from her in an unfair contest.

It was getting darker as the sun set below the horizon. She knew all about the strange creatures that lived in the forest, especially the ones that came out at night. She would have to turn around now if she wanted to return to her carriage safely. The only problem was that she had no idea where she was. She gulped nervously.

“Are you lost, my little pony?”

Trixie turned around to see a pony standing in front of her in the near perfect darkness. It was hard to make out any distinct features, but she could tell that it was a mare. Her teeth were gleaming in the darkness with an unsettling smile. “Who are you?”

“Well that's rude,” the mare said disapprovingly. “Isn't it customary to introduce yourself before asking for someone else's name?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow but decided to along with this strange pony. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. Again I ask-” The pony started giggling, throwing Trixie off. “What's so funny?”

“I'm kidding! I already know who you are, Trixie Lulamoon!” the pony admitted. “I'm actually a big fan of yours.”

Trixie was surprised. That's one sentence that she had not heard in a very long time. “Really...uhh, I mean of course!” she caught herself. “It's always nice to meet fans of my magic act.”

The pony stepped a little closer to Trixie and extended a hoof for her to shake. Trixie could get a better look at her now. She was a light gray Earth pony with a long, shaggy black mane. She had green eyes. Something about her...did not look right to Trixie. She did not let her worry show on her face though. “I'm sure it is,” the pony said. “But it's not your magic act that I enjoy about you.”

“What are you talking about?” Trixie asked, trying to take her hoof back. The other pony wouldn't let go though. She pulled and pulled, but her grip was strong. Trixie was now very worried. “Let me go!”

The mare frowned insincerely. “Aww, I really wish I could. But...your time has come.” She stretched out her other hoof to her side. A swirling white and black vortex appeared on the ground beside them.

Trixie was in full panic mode. She tried again to get away from this stranger's grip but to no avail. “What are you doing!?” she cried out. “What is that?”

The pony looked her right in the eye and smiled dementedly. “Your destiny.” And with that, the pony fell into the vortex, dragging a screaming Trixie down with her.

There were fewer things in this world that Luna enjoyed more than raising the moon at night and lowering it in the morning. Yes, even lowering the moon was enjoyable to her now. She recalled the days when she would resent lowering the moon to make way for her sister's sun. Back then, she did not appreciate the balance that it brought to the world. Just as she and Celestia were sisters, so were the sun and moon. They kept each other in check. Without one, the other would fall into chaos...and so would the rest of the world.

Right now, she was lowering the moon to bring forth the day. Pretty soon, her sister would arrive to raise the sun, just as they had always done together. She smiled when she thought about how the two of them were back together again. It had been about a year since Twilight Sparkle and her friends had freed Luna from her Nightmare Moon persona, but the memory of the whole affair was still fresh in her mind. She was glad that it was over.

“Oh, my dear...it is never over...”

Luna lost her concentration as she heard the voice. It was a sickly sweet, feminine voice. She looked back and forth, but saw no one. She was alone on the tower. Confused and wary, she returned to lowering the moon.

“You've already forgotten me, haven't you?”

There it was again. “Who's there!?” Luna called out, apparently to the empty air. “Show yourself!”

There was a long silence before the voice spoke again. “Wow, you aren't kidding. You really don't remember me. You have no idea how much that hurts me, daughter.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Daughter...?” she repeated.

Even though Luna could not find the source of the voice, she could hear her smiling. “Don't worry, dear Luna – Mother will be home soon.”

Luna waited for a long time, but the voice was gone. Who was that, she wondered. And why was she claiming to be her mother...and by extension, Celestia's? They had no mother, only a father...and he was long dead. Was it really possible...?

She shook the ridiculous notion from her head and continued with the lowering of the moon, as she had been tasked to do for as long as she could remember.

The entire landscape was blanketed in white. Snow was coming down at an unstoppable rate, whiting out the entire sky as well. Each hoofstep the old pony made was quickly filled back up, erasing all visible traces that he had ever been there.

The old Earth pony was maroon red and had a long, shaggy black mane and tail with white streaks. It was difficult to tell just how old he was, but he looked about middle-aged. He had gray lines under his eyes and the corners of his mouth were creased with years of frowning and stress. Yet, he looked unaffected by the snow and ice pelting him from above. He was looking for something...or rather, someplace.

He stopped and scanned the horizon for any sign of his destination. He cursed at the blinding snow. It was extremely difficult to see even two hooves ahead of himself. He wished that he had brought goggles with him, but that would have ruined his plan.

He smiled as he caught a glimpse of what he was searching for. There was a high tower in the distance, made of nothing but pure crystal. He knew what would be in the center of that tower, radiating love and happiness all over Equestria. But it was not the ancient relic that he was after.

He trudged on through the snow, hurrying his pace now that he could tell exactly where he was going. It took several minutes, but he finally got a clear view of the Crystal Kingdom. Smiling to himself, he began staggering, swaying back and forth as he walked across the snow. Suddenly, he collapsed into the powdery mix. The snow felt cold against his body, but he ignored it. He knew that it would only take a while before his plan yielded success.

Condicio

Trixie awoke with a throbbing pain in her skull. Her vision was blurred and the entire room was spinning. She felt like she was going to throw up.

“Oh, you're awake already? That shot was supposed to keep you unconscious for at least another hour. Oh well, I guess it would be better for you to be awake anyway.”

Trixie still couldn't see straight, but recognized the voice as belonging to the person that had dragged her into that vortex earlier. She wanted to curse her, to condemn her for tricking her and to damn her to eternal torture, but all she managed to say was “Whuh...”

“I would suggest that you not talk,” the mare said. “The tranquilizer I gave you is strong enough to take down a fully grown manticore. There's a good chance of you swallowing your own tongue right now.”

Trixie tried to talk again, but started to choke. She took the mare's advice and kept her mouth shut. As she tried to sit up, she noticed that she couldn't, realizing that there were some kind of bracers on all four of her hooves and around her neck. She had been shackled down to some sort of wooden board that was lying at a diagonal angle. “Sorry, but I didn't have much of a choice,” the mare apologized, sounding genuine. “I can't have you fighting back for this next bit.”

Trixie's eyes widened. Her vision cleared up almost instantly, allowing her to see the insane mare standing in front of her. “Fight back!?” she repeated.

“Great! You didn't choke!” the mare answered cheerfully. She ran off to the side, out of Trixie's line of sight. She continued to talk. “I bet you're wondering what you're doing here?”

Trixie tried to keep her tone calm. This mare was clearly out of her mind, so it was probably best not to anger her, Trixie decided. “Yes...you could say that,” she answered. She had a second to study her surroundings, finding herself in a large chamber with black, stone walls. It was cylindrical in shape, judging by the way the candles lined around the walls cast their shadows. There was a large, ornate, golden chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling.

The mare reappeared with a necklace in her hand. It had a sizable red jewel in it and was set into a bronze representation of an alicorn. Trixie instantly recognized the bauble. “The alicorn amulet!” she called out, trying to sit up as if to reach for it and grab it.

The mare looked the jewel over. “This is what you went into the forest for, right? You were hoping to get this back from Zecora, weren't you?”

Trixie was more than a little scared now. “How did you know that?”

The mare ignored the question and continued talking. Her cheerful nature had left her, replaced by anger and malice. “I knew we shouldn't have trusted that shopkeeper. He was supposed to keep the amulet safe, not sell it to the first second-rate magician to come by with a sack full of coins.”

Trixie would have taken offense to that if she were not scared out of her mind. She racked her brain for some way that she could get out of this. The mare was still talking angrily. “That old, doddering fool! I don't even feel bad for disposing of him. After all...” She paused, licking her lips. "...it wasn't a total waste."

The unicorn realized that she had to get out of here, even though she did not know where she was. She would figure that out once she was free of this maniac. She focused on the bracers around her hooves. Her captor was so distracted with her own monologue, that she did not even realize that she was making her escape. “I suppose it was our fault for trusting the most important artifact in Equestrian history to a common salespony. You can be sure that will be the last time we ever do something as stupid as that.”

The last shackle fell to the floor, broken in half. Trixie jumped off the board and made a run for the nearest door. She looked back at the mare. She had stopped talking, but she wasn't making any move to pursue her or stop her. Did she not think a unicorn would be able to escape, Trixie thought. She decided not to stop and think about it and continued towards the door.

She flung it open, swinging it outwards. She was about to jump out when suddenly she realized that something was wrong.

There was nothing but white space ahead of her. As far as she could see, there was nothing but a...a void. She looked below her, finding out to her horror that she, along with the chamber, was suspended in midair. All around her was naught but emptiness. And that meant...

She was quickly pulled down to the floor, away from the door. She looked up to see the mare standing over her with an insane grin. “I'm so sorry,” she apologized. This time, Trixie couldn't help feeling that the apology was not sincere. “I've been a terrible host. My name is Cyril. Now that we both know each other...” She pulled out a knife and placed it on Trixie's neck. “...shall we continue?”

“Are you sure about this, Twilight?” Spike asked, looking up at the abandoned castle.

Twilight gulped nervously. “Not particularly, but we have to find out what's going on.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight with a deadpan expression. “Well that's reassuring.”

Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash were standing in front of Celestia's and Luna's abandoned castle at sunset, just as the mysterious voice had told her. Though, she did disobey the command to come alone.

“So...what now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“He didn't provide any specific instructions,” Twilight answered. “He only said to come here at sunset.”

“I also said to come alone.”

All three turned around to see a pegasus standing behind them. He was dark purple with a long, shaggy mane that was silver with black streaks. He was wearing a pink blindfold over his eyes. The most striking them about him was the one bat-like wing that he had as opposed to the other one which was normal. He was wearing a necklace with gray pendant that had a ruby red star-shaped jewel in its center. His cutie mark was of a black outline of a crescent moon.

“Whoa!” Spike exclaimed, earning himself a punch in the shoulder from Twilight, along with a glare.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking the strange pegasus over.

The pegasus acted as if he did not hear the question. “We were expecting to speak to Princess Twilight Sparkle alone.”

“We?” Twilight, Dash and Spike all said at once.

“Can you really blame her for bringing her friends along?” A unicorn stepped up beside the pegasus. She was a white mare with golden eyes. Her mane was long and light purple with black streaks. Her most distinguishing quality was her horn, which was black and crooked. It also looked like it had been broken off at the tip. She was also wearing a necklace similar to that of the pegasus, except she hers was in the shape of a diamond. Her cutie mark was the symbol for femininity with horns on it. “You show up at her house in the middle of the night and tell her to come to some old castle by herself? I wouldn't show up alone either.”

“You always did have a flair for the cryptic arts.” An Earth pony came to stand beside the other two mysterious ponies. He was maroon red and had a black mane with white streaks. His eyes were gray and piercing. He did not have anything striking malformed about him. He was wearing a necklace just like the others', but his had a simple ovular jewel. His cutie mark was shaped like a sideways “V” and had a dash in the opening. “But perhaps that wasn't the best way to go about gaining someone's trust.”

The pegasus scoffed.

“Who...are you guys?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking thoroughly confused.

“My name is Allis Yahn,” the pegasus answered with a bow.

“I'm Kassandra Tharsus,” the unicorn said. Then, she added, “Feel free to never use my last name.”

The Earth pony stepped forward. “And I am Radley Kane. And we are the Order of the Darkest Star.”

“The Order of the Darkest Star?” Twilight repeated. “I've never heard of you before...”

“For good reason,” Radley replied, gesturing to the darkening sky. “We are a secret society, tasked with the duty of keeping a certain evil presence suppressed and contained.”

“And who would that be?” Dash asked.

“The original alicorn princess,” Allis proclaimed. “Princess Blackstar. We are called to arms whenever she stirs.”

“What? Isn't Celestia the first alicorn?” Dash asked.

Kassandra shook her head. “Celestia was merely the first alicorn princess to not attempt to destroy the planet. Blackstar existed years before Celestia was even born.”

“But what does all this have to do with Twilight?” Spike implored. “Or you guys?”

Radley was the one who answered. “It has been the duty of the Order to keep the power of Blackstar under control and Equestria out of her grasp.”

Kassandra walked towards Twilight and touched her chest. She felt a dull pain. This unicorn is stronger than she looks, she thought. “But this time,” Kassandra continued Radley's thought. “We need your help to stop her.”

“But she's a princess, right?” Dash reminded. “Shouldn't she be...good?”

Allis shook his head. “Much like Nightmare Moon, Princess Blackstar has a heart corrupted by darkness and evil. The only difference is...that is how she truly is. There is no mislead filly there to restore.”

“But why do you need my help to stop her?” Twilight asked. “Why not Celestia or Luna or Cadence?”

Radley, Kassandra and Allis all turned to each other. Allis was the one who spoke up. “Because you are the strongest of all the princesses.”

Twilight was very taken aback. Dash and Spike looked surprised as well. “What are you talking about!?”

“There hasn't been a unicorn that has mastered magic in millenia,” Allis continued. “The last one that did was Starswirl the Bearded.”

“And even he did come close to the power that you have attained,” Radley added, shaking his head.

“With that, you are the strongest out of all the princesses,” Kassandra picked up. “You might be a bit green, but when it comes to raw power and potential, you are definitely the shining star.”

Twilight was speechless. She had no idea what to say to this. More powerful than Celestia? Was that even possible? She felt almost dizzy with that belief.

Rainbow Dash decided to ask the question that they should have asked in the first place. “Why should we trust you guys? How do we know that you aren't working with this Blackstar chick?”

Kassandra shrugged. “I guess you don't,” she admitted. “You can go ahead and leave now if that's what you want.”

“Just know that if you do,” Allis followed up, stepping closer to Twilight so that he was barely a a hair length away from her face. Even with the blindfold on, Twilight felt that he was looking directly into her. “Equestria will fall into the hooves of Princess Blackstar. You might be the most powerful alicorn, but you have no idea what Blackstar is capable of.”

“We'll give you some time to consider joining alongside us,” Radley offered. “However, time is short. You will have to make your decision soon.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said with a small bow. She made a turn to walk away. “I'll need to talk to my friends first.”

As soon as she did, Allis was in front of her again. “I do not advise that. We need you and you alone. That is why I asked you to come alone.” He turned his head towards Spike and Dash.

“There's no way I'm leaving Twilight to fight this alone,” Dash declared, walking straight up to Allis.

Kassandra rolled her eyes. “Of course she decides to bring the Element of Loyalty with her,” she muttered.

Radley approached Rainbow Dash. He kept his tone calm and even. “You must understand, we're not planning on fighting Blackstar. Even if we won, she would simply rise again. Alicorns are extremely resilient. Even when they die, they still have a chance to live. We have something else in mind that would put Princess Twilight in danger if any of her friends were there.”

“If you're not planning on fighting her,” Twilight began. “What are you planning?”

“If you decide to fight with us,” Allis repeated. “We will tell you. Meet us here again at sunset tomorrow with your decision...alone this time.”

Radley bowed to Twilight. “Until next time, Princess Twilight. Farewell.”

Kassandra smiled and waved. “See ya!” A flash of black energy surrounded Twilight, Dash and Spike. A second later, they were gone.

“You did send them home right?” Radley asked, raising his eyebrow.

Kassandra looked offended. “I'm not a filly. I know how to use this thing.” She flicked her tapped her horn. She turned to Allis. “And what was that cowcrap about her being the strongest Alicorn?”

Allis smiled a little. “The two of you played along nicely. Surely you know that there would be no chance of her agreeing if we told her the truth?”

“You mean the one about her being the most disposable of the four princesses?” Kassandra answered coyly. She shrugged. “I guess you got me there.” She looked at her hoof, smiling smugly. “At least the decision won't be hers to make.”

Allis raised an eyebrow under his blindfold, causing it to fold slightly. “So that was not just a friendly touch on your part?” he asked sarcastically.

“You know as well as I do that she's critical to putting an end to Blackstar,” Kassandra retorted, giving the blindfolded pegasus the stink eye. “Once we do, we'll be free of this stupid curse, and this whole thing will be over.”

“I certainly hope so,” Radley added. He looked up into the sky. He appeared to be looking somewhere distant, somewhere past the stars. “It gets pretty lonely, with just the three of us.”

Tantibus

Cadence's study was lined with books. Much like Twilight, she enjoyed reading though she was not as overt with it. Most of the old tomes in her personal library were journals and spell books written by famous and obscure unicorns alike, such as Starswirl the Bearded, Farsight the Blind and Grayson Tenuous. There were a few that were even written by Celestia and Luna. However, there was one journal in her possession that she was morbidly fascinated with.

The journal of King Sombra himself.

He kept a detailed account of his life for many years. It started with his days growing up in the Crystal Empire as Shining Moon. It eventually led to his successful coup of the government and his defeating the then Crystal Princess, Mi Carinosa Cadenza. Cadence was certain that there was some filial connection between herself and the previous princess, but she had not been able to find anything confirming this, save for the similar names that they shared. This book was one of the few records of the previous days of the Crystal Empire that still existed.

There was a knock at the door. Cadence quickly closed the book and put it away. She was worried that it might be Shining Armor, who did not particularly like her reading King Sombra's journal. He did not outright say or do anything about it, but she could tell by the look on his face when she brought it up that he did not care for his wife taking interest in the diary of malevolent warlord. She continued to read it behind his back, of course. She did not like keeping things from him, but this book was far too interesting to be let go. After she had stowed away the book, she called out. “You may enter!”

The door opened to reveal a Crystal Guard, a unicorn. Cadence was partially relieved. “My princess, there is someone here to see you.”

“Who is he?” Cadence asked, not expecting any visitors today.

“He says that he is an old friend of yours,” the crystal guard answered. “He calls himself Alexander Kane.”

Cadence's eyes widened and she gasped.

The guard recognized the usual calmness of his princess vanish. “Is there something wrong, my princess?”

Cadence took a deep breath and composed herself. “No...no there isn't,” she lied.

“Shall I send him in?” the guard asked.

Cadence did not answer for a long time. Alexander Kane....that was a name that she had not heard in years. It was also a name that she never wished to hear again. She shook her head. “Send him away,” she finally answered. “And see to it that he leaves this city immediately.”

The guard bowed and asked no further questions. “Yes, princ-” He froze in place.

Cadence stood up, raising a curious eyebrow. She approached the guard. He had completely stopped moving. “What the-?”

“We needn't involve anyone else in our little conversation.”

The Crystal Princess's heart sank when she heard that familiar voice. She turned around and saw the red Earth pony with shaggy black and white hair standing behind her. He was smiling smugly. “Don't worry about him, my dear,” he said, looking at his hoof nonchalantly. “He'll be fine. I just gave him a little something to make sure that he doesn't interfere.”

Cadence made a run for the door, but it was locked down tightly. The stallion chuckled. “Now Cadence, don't be so rude,” he warned in a sickly-sweet tone. “If I did not know in a better, I would think that you weren't delighted to see me.”

Cadence turned to face him, trying to look him directly in the eye. It was not easy. “What are you doing here, Alexander?” she asked in a voice that warranted no joking.

“Can't I pay a visit to one of my favorite little ladies without being accused of anything?” he asked, feigning hurt.

“You're supposed to be dead,” she said, sounding more than a little surprised, but mostly irritated.

“I'm supposed to be a lot of things, my dear,” Alexander answered, still smiling.

“You still haven't answered my question,” Cadence reminded, now over her initial fear. Her horn glowed with energy. “What are you doing here?”

Alexander did not look the least bit interested or frightened. “Stronger princesses than you have tried to kill me and failed. Congratulations on the crown by the way. I'm sure that you have earned it.”

“Thanks,” Cadence said without any kind of real gratitude. “You do realize that means that I'm never going back with you, correct?”

Alexander chuckled as if Cadence has just told a joke. “Is that what you think this is about? I hate to break it to you, but I found a replacement for you many years ago.”

Cadence's shock registered on her face. She tried to compose herself again, but Alexander already saw it. “Then why are you here?”

“Believe it or not,” Alexander began. “I'm here to provide you with a warning.”

“You mean a threat, don't you?”

Alexander continued as if she had not said anything. “There is a shadow looming over the horizon. The time has finally come for her to arrive. Very soon, Equestria will be in her grasp.”

Cadence gasped. “You mean...?”

Alexander nodded with a smile. “It will all be over soon...that is, unless you act now.”

Cadence let out an uncharacteristic growl. “What do you mean?”

“I won't lie to you, my dear. I still have a certain...affection for you. I would rather not see you perish at her hooves. I'll give you one chance to save yourself from your imminent demise by joining yourself with me once again.”

Cadence did not even blink at this offer. She spat at him, showing her teeth. “Screw you, Alexander Kane.”

Alexander was no longer smiling. He wiped the spit off of his face. “That was not very princesslike at all. Fine then, if that is your decision.” He started walking towards the door. “But there is something else you should know...”

“And what would that be?”

He started smiling again. “Nothing has changed between us. You are still the same little filly that I once knew. No matter how tall you get, or how many wings, horns or crowns you obtain, you will always be mine...my little Cadenza.”

Cadence scoffed. “I'm not so little anymore.”

Alexander laughed boisterously. “Like I said, I don't need you anymore.” He walked back towards her, smiling infectiously. He placed a hoof on her side, running it along her side. “This one seems like it will be far more cooperative than you. If my current arrangement doesn't work out-” He looked her directly in the eye. He leaned in close so as to whisper in her ear. “-I know where to find her.” He stood next to her for a few more seconds before leaving the room finally, closing the door behind him.

“-cess.” The guard made a move to open the door but Cadence stopped him.

“No,” she answered. “It's fine.”

“Excuse me, princess?” The guard was clearly confused.

“There's...there's no need to get him. He's already gone.”

“Oh...if you say so, my princess.” The guard paused and raised an eyebrow. “My princess...you're shaking.”

She realized that she was. “It's-it's fine. Can you...can you go get Shining Armor for me?”

The guard realized that something was wrong, but did not ask any questions. “Yes, princess.” He exited the room.

As soon as he was gone, Cadence fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. At first glance, it might have looked like she was protecting her...but she may have also been looking for protection herself.

The sun was shining brightly on this nice, midsummer day. There were a few cumulus clouds in the sky. The wind was blowing ever so slightly, causing the clouds to shift slightly and change into various shapes.

The scene on the ground was very picturesque. There was a field of wildflowers stretching out as far as the eye could see, past the horizon even. There were no trees or any other kind of fauna to be found, save for the wildflowers.

Running through them were two ponies: one small unicorn filly and one older unicorn stallion. The filly was purple and had a white mane and tail. The older stallion was also purple, but had a black mane and tail. The filly was giggling uncontrollably as she ran with the stallion, looking like she was enjoying herself immensely. The stallion looked like he was having fun as well, laughing at the filly's antics.

Suddenly, the filly stopped and picked up one of the wildflowers with her magic, casting a white glow around it. “Hey dad!” she called to the stallion. “Watch this!” She concentrated on the flower, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth. Small beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. After a few seconds, the flower changed into a butterfly and flew away. The filly opened her eyes and jumped up and down, very proud of herself. “Did you see that dad! Did you see it? I've been practicing that trick for weeks!”

The stallion roughed up her hair as he looked up at the butterfly going up into the sky. “Wow, that's incredible, my little sun and stars!” He picked her up and twirled her around in the air, bringing on another giggle fit from the little filly. “You're going to be the most amazing unicorn one day!”

The filly looked wide-eyed at her father as he stopped spinning her around. “Really? Do you think so?”

The stallion nodded. “Of course. They will call you 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'!” He set her back down on the ground and gestured towards the sky. Something looked different about it. The filly hadn't noticed because she was enthralled with her father's praise, but it had gotten considerably darker, even though the sun was still shining brightly. “Ponies all over Equestria will know of you. You will amaze and inspire millions upon millions of them.”

Trixie looked at the sky in awe, unaware that the sky was getting darker with each word that he was saying. The sun had started to grow dimmer as it sunk beneath the horizon at an unusual rate. His tone was growing as dark as the sky. “Ponies will tremble and kneel before your awesome power and strength. You will be the greatest before them and they will know that there will be no hope of challenging you. You will be the greatest ruler the world has ever seen.”

Trixie finally sensed that something was wrong. She looked back at her father and screamed at what she saw. He had changed into some grotesque bastardization of himself. His smile had grown into this sickly grin that spread all the way up to his ears, his mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. His eyes had lost their color and were now without pupils. His body had grown skeletal, thin and scraggly. He stared down at his daughter, his mouth not even moving as he spoke.

“Welcome to your destiny...Princess Blackstar.”

The library was being turned upside down. Spike and Twilight had been working almost non-stop to find more information about the Order of the Darkest Star. Suffice to say, the information had been a bit scarce. Books were stacked up as well as scattered and half-read all across the floor. The lack of sleep for Twilight Sparkle and Spike had begun to take it's toll on them.

Spike yawned as he looked through a copy of “1001 Unusual Pony Afflictions”. “Are we done yet?” he asked, eyes drooping.

Twilight shook her head as she perused through “Ancient and Mysterious Organizations of Equestria”. “No Spike. We need to find out more...or even something about the Order of the Darkest Star and this Princess Blackstar that they were talking about.”

“But we've looked through all of these books five time already!” Spike complained, sliding the book aside. “We haven't even been able to find out why they look so strange!”

Twilight had to admit that it was strange. There was not a single record or even a mention of anything called the “Order of the Darkest Star” in any of the library's books. “Perhaps...” she murmured.

“What?”

“Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place,” Twilight said a bit louder. She suddenly perked up. “That's it! Spike!”

Spike was a bit taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm. “What is it? Did you find something finally?”

“Where did you put that book with the section on the Mirror Pool?” Twilight asked.

“Right back where we found it,” Spike answered, pointing to the shelf. “In that secret cabinet thing.”

Twilight bolted for the shelf, quickly opening the door. Inside, just as Spike said, was the book containing the legend of the Mirror Pool. She pried it open, flipping through it's pages. “This book...it has more in it than just the Mirror Pool,” Twilight thought out loud.

“You mean it might have something about this Darkest Star thing?” Spike asked.

Twilight nodded. “That's what I'm hoping for. I didn't get a chance to read all the way through it because of all the Pinkie Pie business. There's a lot in here that's been overlooked.”

Spike sat next to Twilight, his curiosity overriding his exhaustion. A few minutes passed before Spike placed his hand on one of the pages. “Wait...what's this?”

Twilight took a closer look to see what Spike was talking about. It was a single page with nothing but three symbols in a triangular formation. There was one of a femininity symbol with demonic horns, a crescent and finally a sideways “v” with a dash. “Those are...those are their cutie marks...!” Twilight realized. She suddenly felt strangely woozy.

Spike glanced at her, noticing that his friend had begun to swoon. “Twilight? Are you okay? Oh man, we've been up too long.” He grabbed Twilight, attempting to drag her up to her bed, but she pushed him away.

She shook her head, trying to stand up. She staggered a bit before falling down to the ground. She continued muttering. “No...why would their...their marks be in this...this book...cutie marks...are unique...unless...unless...” Her eyes closed and she stopped talking.

“We might be a lot older than you thought.”

Spike gasped. He turned to see Radley, Kassandra and Allis standing there. Radley approached Spike and looked down at him with apologetic eyes. “I'm really sorry about this, Spike the Dragon.” He lifted Spike up by his chin, raising him up into the air with a single hoof. “We can't have you interfering and there's no time to explain.” He threw him fiercely against the wall, knocking more books off of the shelves. The baby dragon hit the floor, unconscious.

“That was a bit over the top,” Kassandra commented, standing over Twilight.

“No moreso than your knockout spell,” Radley retorted.

Kassandra clicked her tongue in an irritated fashion. “We could have taken her right then and there if her friend had not come along.”

“Need I remind you two that we have a time limit?” Allis stepped in, not the least bit amused. “We also have the other Elements to worry about, along with Blackstar herself.”

“Allis is right.” Radley shouldered Twilight onto his back, not looking at all burdened by the load. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner Equestria will be safe from the likes of Blackstar.”

“I wonder if we could have just asked her to agree to this without knocking her out?” Kassandra mused.

“Would you say yes to something like this?” Allis asked.

Kassandra grinned. “Oh if someone offered to kill me right now that could actually pull it off, I would say yes in a heartbeat.”

The moon hung high in the sky during this particularly cloudless night. Even though it was her time to watch over Equestria, Luna still felt extremely restless. She needed to be awake anyway, but felt that even if she needed to sleep, she would not be able to. There were far too many questions in her mind. She needed to talk to somebody...but felt like it was too soon to speak with her sister.

She looked up at the statue of Starswirl the Bearded. It was positioned over a fountain that spewed water from tiny holes placed around the perimeter of the pool. The statue itself was three times her size. The artist that had made it clearly had an eye for the grandiose. Starswirl was posed to stand on his hindlegs, rearing up towards the sky. His long and uncut beard was blowing in the nonexistent wind along with his cape. He was staring off into the distance to his side, looking serious and strong. Both his cape and hat were decorated with carved stars and crescent moons. He looked just the way that Luna remembered all those years ago.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She tried to regulate her breathing so that it was going at a slow, even pace. After a few minutes of this, she got it low enough so that even her heartbeat started to beat slowly. Pretty soon, she collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Luna found herself in a vast, white area. She knew it to be the Astral Plane, the place where all dreams take place. Usually, this area was populated with trees, fields, buildings or whatever else the dreamer was picturing in their heads. However, this area was always blank and empty for her. She had the ability to walk in the dreams of others, but she herself could never dream on her own.

“It has been quite a long...moon of my life.”

Luna looked ahead to see the one that she had come to see, Starswirl the Bearded. She smiled and ran forward to hug him. “Father!” she exclaimed, tearing up. “It is good to see you again.”

Starswirl smiled as he returned the embrace. “Heh, you can come to see me anytime that you wish,” he pointed out. “Why are you crying?”

Luna pulled away from the hug and wiped the tear away. “I have no idea,” she admitted. “I guess coming here to see you just reminds me that you are no longer with me or my sister.”

Starswirl chuckled. “You know as well as I do that unicorns are never truly dead. Their spirits live on in the Astral Plane for the rest of eternity.” Then, Starswirl turned serious. “Now...what is the matter?”

Luna looked a little surprised. “What makes you think that something is wrong?”

Starswirl shook his head. “Luna, I raised you,” he reminded. “I can tell when you're lying. Besides, you are dreaming right now and I can hear your thoughts.”

Luna wilted. “Oh...that's right.” She sighed.

“Tell me. You clearly came here for my guidance.”

“Someone...or something visited me while I was lowering the moon. She spoke as if she knew me, but...”

“...but you did not know her?” Starswirl finished.

Luna nodded. “She said that I was...her daughter.”

“I see.” Starswirl looked away.

“You know who she is, don't you?”

“Her name is Blackstar...” Starswirl revealed. “Princess Blackstar.”

“She's an alicorn?” Luna surmised. “There's another alicorn princess around that my sister and I haven't heard about her?”

“You were gone for quite a while...” Starswirl explained. “There are many things that you missed.”

“So Celestia knows about her?” Luna gleaned. She looked more than a little hurt. “Why hasn't she told me about her?”

“You never asked,” Starswirl said, trying to make light of it. When he noticed that his daughter wasn't smiling, he cleared his throat and continued. “Besides, she probably thought that the Order of the Darkest Star had finished her.”

“The Order of the Darkest Star...” Luna repeated with familiarity. She gasped. “You told Celestia and me stories about them when we were fillies. You mean they're real?”

Starswirl nodded. “They have been the main force behind fighting Blackstar. We all thought that they were successful this time...but I guess that we were wrong.”

Luna looked like she was ready for a fight. “So, what do we do?”

“You mean 'you',” Starswirl pointed out. “You must find the Order of the Darkest Star, both you and your sister. Help them in any way that you-” He stopped talking suddenly.

“What is it?” Luna asked.

Suddenly, Starswirl was on her, grabbing her by her collar. Luna was greatly taken aback, almost falling backward. “Listen to me, Luna,” Starswirl commanded. There was something dangerous in his eyes. “You must find the Order immediately. Something has changed about them! They're trying to end Blackstar once and for all...at the expense of another.”

“Who's?” Luna asked.

Starswirl gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He let go of Luna and dropped to the floor, crying out in pain. He convulsed and turned over and over on the ground. Then, he went completely still.

Luna was at his side immediately. “Father! Are you alright?”

Starswirl did not answer. Everything was silent.

“Starswirl!” she called out.

Slowly, he got from the ground, swaying slightly. “Oh my...”

Luna stepped back. The voice was not his own and not one that she recognized. “Who...are you?”

Starswirl turned around, but it was not his face. There beard, cape and hat were still there, but his eyes, mouth and other facial features had been replaced with someone else's. “Goshdarnit, I forgot my manners again!” she said, smiling insanely. “My name is Cyril! And you must be Princess Luna. It's a pleasure to meet you!”

Luna gritted her teeth. “What have you done with him!?”

“You mean the dead unicorn?” Cyril asked. She tapped her chin, feigning nonremembrance. She shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea! One second his spirit was there and the next-” She made a wide gesture. “-poof! It wasn't. I guess life really is fleeting, isn't it?”

Luna made a move to jump on this crazy mare, but her hooves were rooted to the ground. She pulled and pulled, but they refused to move. “What!?”

Cyril kept smiling as she threw off Starswirl's clothes. Her last move was to tear the beard off her chin. She examined it for a bit, then carelessly tossed it aside. “Sorry, princess...but this is my dream now.” She chuckled maniacally. “You aren't the only mare with special abilities.”

This wasn't right, Luna thought. She tried to use her unicorn powers, but they weren't working. It was if she had no magic to use.

Cyril walked closer to Luna, still smiling like a madman. “There's one thing that I've always wanted to do...” She ran her hooves over Luna's face, as if she were embracing a lover. “I never have gotten to taste alicorn before. I wonder what that would be like?”

Before Luna could react, Cyril sunk her teeth into Luna's neck.

Celestia walked around the castle courtyard. She knew that her sister liked to come here whenever she felt troubled. She had spent a lot of time here in the years before she became Nightmare Moon. Not a day went by that Celestia did not regret seeing the signs. However, those days were gone and their relationship was stronger now than it ever had been.

She found Luna lying next to the Starswirl the Bearded fountain, as expected. She usually looked peaceful when she spoke with their father, but...something was wrong. She was stirring a bit, making groaning noises and mumbling. Celestia rarely woke her sister up while she walked in dreams, but she felt like she had to here.

She forcefully shoved Luna, causing her to roll over on her back and into the statue. It may have seemed violent, but only such force was sufficient to wake Luna up, Celestia knew. Her sister opened her eyes in a panicked daze. Her eyes darted from left to right as if she had just gotten up from a nightmare.

“Luna!” Celestia called out, rushing to her side. “What's wrong? What happened?”

Luna turned towards her sister, but she wasn't looking at her. Her eyes were glazed with fear and unfocused. Her breathing was heavy and uneven.

“Luna...” Celestia said softly. “Your neck...”

“Whuh...?” Luna said at last.

Celestia lifted her sister up so that she could see her reflection in the pool. There was a deep bite mark in her neck with fresh blood trickling from it. The drops fell into the pool, creating a crimson red tinge in it.

Celestia had a worried look in her eyes. “What happened when you were speaking with father?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

Luna took several deep breaths before responding. “We need to find the Order of the Darkest Star. Twilight is in trouble.”

Scaevitas

Queen Chrysalis was not in the best of moods.

It had been several months since she and her people had suffered their defeat at the hooves of Cadence and Shining Armor. Ever since then, they had had to scavenge for the love they needed to survive, moving from village to village, town to town, inside and outside of Equestria. They were able to sustain themselves, but it was not nearly enough for them to thrive like they needed to. Chrysalis contemplated invading Canterlot again or perhaps even the Crystal Kingdom. After all, there would be enough love in the Kingdom to keep them going for many years to come. However, it was far too heavily guarded and her army was in no position to overtake them.

She hung her head in shame. What kind of Queen had she turned out to be? This was not how it was supposed to be. He had told her that she would have power beyond her wildest dreams, that she would be the leader and shining light to her subjects. But this...

Chrysalis looked at her hooves forlornly. It was difficult to remember the days when she was but a simple Earth pony growing up in Canterlot...

“It's too late for second thoughts, my dear...”

Chrysalis recognized that voice. She almost tripped down the side of the mountain as she turned around. She bared her teeth at the visitor, clearly not pleased to see him. “Alexander...” she spat. “What are you doing here?”

Alexander looked hurt. “No one seems happy to see me today,” he voiced. “Do you know how that makes me feel?”

“Like the insect that you are?” Chrysalis jabbed.

Alexander laughed boisterously. “Oh my dear, Chrysalis. You are the last pony in Equestria that should be calling anyone 'insect'.” He grasped one of her wings and flexed it. “Have you ever heard of the expression-”

Chrysalis cut Alexander's jibe short by knocking his hoof away. In the same motion, she morphed one of her hooves into a sharp dagger and placed it underneath his neck. “Don't you ever touch me again,” she commanded and in a voice that warranted no argument.

Alexander coughed and grinned. “Duly noted, my-”

She pressed her daggered hoof harder against his throat. “And I am not your anything, Alexander Kane.”

“Of course,” Alexander responded. “After all, I only ever gave you everything that you asked for.”

“You cursed me,” Chrysalis accused, spitting in his face. She lowered her hoof, but never took her eyes off of him. “You promised me greatness and yet you gave me-”

“-exactly what you asked for?” Alexander finished. He walked around her as he spoke. “Everyone wants something and everyone thinks that they know what they want. Once they get it, it's only then that they realize that it isn't what they wanted. Then they start crying out that they have been cursed. You see, blessings and curses are one and the same.”

“Does that help you sleep at night, you filth?” Chrysalis asked with nothing but hatred in her voice.

Alexander chuckled. “Don't hate me because you turned out to be a poor leader. I gave you all the tools you needed. It isn't my fault that you have no idea how to use them.”

Chrysalis turned away from him, walking back towards the cliff. A few minutes passed before she spoke again. “Why are you here?” she asked. She no longer sounded angry, but she was still irritated.

Alexander joined her. He was no longer smiling. “I've seen what has become of your people. Nothing is going as you thought it would, is it?”

Chrysalis looked down. “What do you care?”

“A great deal, actually,” Alexander answered. There was no sarcasm in his voice. “I can tell that this has brought you nothing but grief and despair. It is nothing to be ashamed of. As I said, blessings and curses are one and the same.”

Chrysalis turned away. She did not want to show Alexander that he was right. “You still haven't answered my question.”

Alexander pulled her head back towards his, placing his hoof on her cheek. A power flowed through Chrysalis that she had only felt once before in her entire life. She took a deep breath as the power overtook her. She could feel her skin peeling off of her and yet...it did not hurt at all. Suddenly, the power was gone. Alexander stepped back and pointed towards a small rock with a reflective surface. Chrysalis slowly walked towards it, feeling very apprehensive. She looked down into the rock...and saw someone that she had not seen in many years.

She saw a beautiful mare with a light purple mane. Her eyes were the most golden shade of yellow and her coat was of a pale silver. She had wings with the largest and most gorgeous plumage. This was one pegasus that Chrysalis never believed that she would see again.

“If it is your choice,” Alexander began. “I can give you back what was lost. You will be the beautiful pegasus that you once were.”

Chrysalis kept staring at her reflection, still not believing that it was her. “...why?” she asked, starstruck.

“Call it a...loving gesture,” Alexander said.

She looked back at him, disbelief in her eyes. “You're lying,” she accused.

Alexander shrugged. He waved his hoof in front of her. Suddenly, Chrysalis felt her skin crackling and moving. Pain swept over her and she fell to the ground, groaning. A few minutes passed before the pain stopped. She looked back at the rock, finding herself to be back to the insect-like creature that she had been for so many years. She looked up at Alexander, but he had already started to walk back down the mountain. “It's your choice, Queen Chrysalis,” he called out over his shoulder. “You can continue as you are now, or you can return to your former self...Christina.”

Twilight was awakened by the smell of burning incense. It smelled like lavender and orange peels. Her vision was blurry and confused and her head was pounding. She felt a lot of pressure on her two front legs, like she was hanging from something...or on something. She couldn't see very well at all, but she felt that her legs were crossed over each other, stuck in position. The same was true of her back legs. The position that she was in was also causing her a lot of back pain. She tried shifting her weight around, but couldn't find a comfortable position. Then, she realized what she was hanging on.

A cross.

“The guest of honor has finally decided to join us.”

Twilight immediately recognized the voice of Kassandra. She was one of three ponies that she did not want to speak with ever again. She wanted to unleash a string of curses upon the white unicorn. She opened her mouth to speak. “Fffffaaahhhgggeeeyaaaaawwww...” she managed to say. That was not exactly what she had in mind.

“I would advise that you not speak, Princess Twilight.” That was Allis speaking. She wished that she could see straight. “The spell that Kassandra inflicted you with was meant to sedate a fully grown Ursa Major. There is a possibility that you will swallow your own tongue if you attempt to speak again.”

Twilight closed her mouth and instead decided to focus on casting a spell of her own, perhaps something that would vaporize these liars? However, when she tried to think, she was greeted by a splitting headache. She grunted in pain and hung her head, almost knocking herself out again.

“I would also advise that you not attempt to use your magic either,” Allis added. “You do not quite have the focus for that.”

They had her trapped, Twilight realized. She needed to find a way out of this, even though her head was in a complete fog.

“I must offer my apologies, Twilight.” This belonged to Radley. “You see, we had to make sure that you would cooperate with us. I'm sure that you must have...mixed feelings about seeing us again.”

Mixed feelings, Twilight thought. She hated them wholeheartedly. There was no doubt about that in her mind, no matter how disoriented she felt.

“Radley...we don't have a lot of time left,” Kassandra pointed out. “We should get this done soon.”

“In a minute, Kass,” Radley said. “She deserves an explanation at the very least.”

That was putting it mildly, Twilight thought. Her vision was starting to clear up. She saw that she and the Order of the Darkest Star were in a cylindrical chamber made up of black stone. There was a chandelier hanging above them, which was the only source of light in the windowless dungeon. There was a tray with a bunch of tools in it. None of them looked that friendly. She looked down and saw the ponies that had tricked her into this situation. They were all looking up at her. She searched their faces for some kind of expression: remorse, triumph, happiness...but there was none.

“Do you know what you are, Princess Twilight?” Radley asked her.

Twilight could feel her head clearing up, but she still couldn't focus enough to conjure up any magic. “I'm a pony...an alicorn princess...” she answered. At least she could speak.

“That isn't what I meant,” Radley responded, shaking his head. “You are the last hope for Equestria...and us as well.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked. Her head was starting to clear up. If she could keep them talking, she would be able to use her magic again and get out of here.

“We were not lying to you when we told you that we were the Order of the Darkest Star,” Allis admitted. “We have been tasked with keeping Blackstar in check for millennium upon millennium.”

“So you mean...?” Twilight realized it now.

Kassandra nodded. “Yep, you are looking at the Order's only members right here! We have been alive for over three thousand years.”

“How is that even possible?” Twilight asked.

“When we stopped Blackstar at first, we were cursed with a spell that infected us with dark magics,” Radley explained. He gestured to his friends as he spoke. “Allis lost his ability to see and his form was forever changed. Kassandra's horn was malformed and she was cursed to suffer whenever she used her unicorn abilities.”

“What happened to you then?” Twilight asked Radley. From the first time she met him, she noticed that he was the only one of the group that looked normal.

Radley hung his head. He was silent for a while but then continued as if Twilight had not asked the question. “There is only one way that we can break the curse that was cast upon us: by defeating Blackstar once and for all.”

“But up until this point, we have only been able to keep her in check,” Kassandra said. “You see, alicorns are damned near unkillable. Even with the abilities that we've been granted, we can never stop her on our own.”

“Despite our best efforts,” Allis picked up. “Blackstar always manages to rise again. Every time it appears that we have defeated her, but it turns out that we have not.”

“So that's why you came to me...” Twilight finished. She did not like these ponies still, but she had begun to feel sorry for them. “Because I'm the strongest alicorn?”

Radley shook his head. “That part was a lie. We came to you because you are the most expendable of the alicorns.”

Twilight gasped. “What!?”

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are needed to rule over the entirety of Equestria and also to raise the sun and moon,” Allis explained. “Princess Mi Amora Cadenza is needed to rule the Crystal Empire. You, however have no kingdom to rule over and no important tasks that only you can carry out.” Twilight felt like he was staring straight into her even though he had a blindfold on. “You are the first alicorn to be brought into this world that has no purpose.”

Twilight did not sense any hatred or disdain in Allis's voice. She couldn't help but realize that...he was partially correct. She did not have any kingdom to rule over. However, that did not mean that she was useless. “You're wrong,” Twilight answered. “I'm not useless. I have friends that love and care about me and we have saved Equestria many times. I don't know what you're planning to do with me-” Twilight focused on the bindings that were holding her to the cross. She vaporized them instantly and fell to the ground on all fours. She took a fighting stance. “-but I'm not going to go along with it!”

“She's right!”

Twilight looked behind the three ponies that had captured her. Her expression brightened when she discovered the source of the voice. “Rainbow Dash!” she called out. “What are you doing here?”

“She came with us.”

Twilight looked up to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna lowering themselves to the ground. “Princess Celestia! And Princess Luna!” Twilight wasn't sure if she should be surprised or relieved. “How did you find me?”

“We received word that you might be in danger,” Princess Luna explained. “We came to find you at your home in Ponyville.”

“But I was already there looking for you,” Rainbow Dash picked up. “I thought that you might try to go it alone, but I found Spike saying that you had been kidnapped. The princesses and I decided to come find you.”

Celestia gave the Order of the Darkest Star a look that portrayed nothing but hatred. “And it's a good thing that we did. You will pay dearly for your crimes.” Celestia's horn glowed and crackled with her familiar yellow magic. “Surrender now. You have no chance of winning.”

Radley sighed. “We knew you wouldn't understand....”

Kassandra was looking up at the chandelier. It had begun to swing back and forth on its own. There appeared to be no wind or any other force at work in the chamber. “Radley...?” she said in a shaky voice.

“I know...” Radley said through gritted teeth. “We need to act now. Allis!”

Allis turned to Twilight and undid the blindfold that covered his eyes. Twilight barely had a second to see what they looked like before Princess Celestia teleported in front of her, blocking her view. “Your mission ends here, Allis Yahn.” There was a bright golden flash of light. Twilight shielded her eyes to protect them from the blinding light. A split second later, it was gone.

A second later there was a bloodcurdling scream. Twilight looked down and saw Allis rolling on the floor, screaming in agony and covering his eyes. The young princess gasped in horror as she noticed the flames erupting from under his hooves.

His eyes were on fire.

Radley and Kassandra looked equally surprised. Radley turned to Kassandra, opening his mouth to say something. Kassandra spoke first, though. “Already on it!” Her eyes began to turn black as pitch as she started conjuring up a cloud of black smoke.

Suddenly, Luna ran straight towards Kassandra. Twilight braced herself for what looked like would turn into a painful impact. But, Luna ran...straight through her. Twilight blinked twice. Luna was standing on the opposite side of the two other members of the Order. Had Luna turned herself into a ghost or something?

Kassandra's cloud vanished and her eyes returned to normal. She blinked several times and looked around. “What!?” she exclaimed.

Radley looked at Kassandra, then at Luna and then back at Kassandra. “What happened?”

“I don't know!” the unicorn exclaimed. “It's like-urk!” She fell to the ground and began convulsing violently. Her body was shaking as if she were having a stroke. This went on for several seconds before the convulsions stopped. After that a sticky, black substance came pouring out of her mouth and tear ducts. It smelled terrible.

“You may have adopted the darkness, Kassandra Tharsus,” Luna said with menacing growl. “But I was born in it.”

Radley looked at the two of his friends, keenly aware that he was not in the best of positions. One was having his eyes burned out of his skull and the other just had a stroke and was choking on her own vomit. He raised his hooves. “Alright...I surr-”

He did not even have a chance to get the words out before Rainbow Dash flew in and kicked him hard in the jaw, sending him flying into the hard stone wall with a sickening thud. He fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

Rainbow Dash spat at him. “And that was for what you did to Spike!”