The Darkest Star

***Many Years Ago***

Screams of pain and agony filled the cold halls of the old castle. Celestia's contractions were getting stronger and stronger. They eventually got to the point where they caused her screams to shake the very foundation of the palace. Blackstar holds his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to block out some of the earth-shaking noise. Eventually, the screams of Celestia did stop, and they were replaced by the cries of a new arrival. The baby human shrikes as Blackstar holds him for the first time. Celestia herself was in tears.

"He... He's beautiful..." Blackstar says as he feels his own voice failing him.

"Give him here..." Celestia says, still panting heavily. "I want to see him..."

Blackstar quickly passed the kicking infant along to his mother, who gladly takes him into her wings. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looks at the baby's face for the first time.

"Nova..." She cries. "Blackstar, he is perfect..."

"I told you 'Nova' would be a better name for him..." He jokes.

Wrapping the little human in her wings, Celestia gives Blackstar a long and gentle kiss.

"Thank you for this... moment and... this child, Blackstar..." Celestia says into his mouth as she continues to kiss him. "I... I love you..."

Blackstar kisses Celestia one last time on her lips before taking a step back to look at the entire scene, his new family. Though it would be in secret, Blackstar was proud to have son. It was time for Blackstar to leave. He needed to return to Canterlot before he was missed.

"And I love you, my princess..." He says as he nears the door. "I will return in a week."

"Blackstar, the journey is treacherous. I will find a way to bring Nova to the palace."

Blackstar shakes his head.

"No, princess, he must stay here, in secret. If any pony found out, he would be killed, as would I. No, you and Nova must stay here. I will have no troubles making the journey from Canterlot."

Celestia didn't like it, but she didn't have a better idea at that moment to counter Blackstar's point.

"Alright... Just promise me you will be safe."

Blackstar turns back to look at her, a happy grin taking form on his face.

"Of course, my princess."

***Part 1: It Hit The Fan***

Silvershield acts fast, and he throws a magical shield around Blackstar to deflect the musket balls. Shit was kicking off.

"Move over!" Blackstar shouts as he dives behind the bar with Silvershield. "Well, that went to hell quicker than expected..."

He turns to find Silvershield glaring at him.

"What?" Blackstar asks.

"What the hell?!" Silvershield demands. "I have worked for you for many years, and you never bothered to mention any of this? Your intentions, the war... Was everything just one big scheme to get back at Celestia?"

Blackstar doesn't respond.

"And what about that bit Celestia said about Fives being your son?!"

"That changes nothing..."

"That changes everything! I thought we were fighting a war to build a better world. Now, it seems we are fighting a war just so you can finish some damned personal vendetta!"

Blackstar punches Silvershield in the snout, hard.

"Not one more word out of you, you damned unicorn!" Blackstar says as he stands. "I'll deal with you when this is over. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a city to destroy."

***Part 2: History Comes Full Circle***

Blackstar ran as fast as his old legs would allow. He sprints through the winding corridors, ducking through the scores of his own agents battling the Royal Guards. He dives towards the ground to avoid bolts of concentrated magic soaring overhead. Blackstar quickly finds himself breaking through a door and stepping out onto a balcony.

"This seems awfully familiar..." He mutters.

"Stop right there!"

Blackstar spins around. Fives, Appleton, and Princess Luna were all standing in the doorway.

"There's nowhere for you to run, you coward..." Fives says.

Blackstar chuckles.

"Who said I was running, boy?"

Appleton draws his pistol, and Luna lowers her horn, spreading her majestic wings. Blackstar nervously backs towards the railing.

"Don't you remember how this ended last time, Nova?" Blackstar asks.

Fives stomps his foot angrily.

"MY NAME IS NOT NOVA!" He yells.

Blackstar holds his hands up in mock surrender.

"You could join me, Nov- Uh... Fives... We could defeat the princesses together. We can win the war and have peace in our time."

Fives shakes his head.

"No... I love my mother. She may not have raised me, like a normal mom, but she at least tried to protect me, and in the end, she was there for me. I don't know you, and I don't care about you." Fives snarls. "You want peace in our time, and you say you are my father, but I know you are really just angry old man who used to know my mother."

"I loved her!" Blackstar yells. "I loved Celestia! She betrayed me! She left me for dead!"

Fives grabs the pistol out of Appleton's hand and points it right in between Blackstar's eyes.

"She thought you were dead!" Fives yells.

The night was silent, save for the sounds of the battle.

"My memories are as clear as the sky." Fives says. "She cried for days after you fell."

"She never came for me! She never even bothered to look!"

"I COULD NOT LEAVE OUR CHILD!" Celestia's voice booms.

Appleton and Luna back away to make way for Celestia as she stands next to Fives.

"I stayed with our son to keep him safe. I mourned for you, Blackstar, but our son came first."

Celestia cheeks were soaked with her tears.

"You... You have become a monster, Blackstar." She sobs. "I loved you once, but I do not anymore..."

Silence hung in the air. I mean, as far as family reunions go, this was the worst in Equestrian history. Fives cocks the pistol.

"Fives..." Celestia whimpers. "D-Don't shoot him..."

"He is responsible for all of this, mother." Fives says flatly. "I could kill him. I could end this war."

Luna steps forward.

"Fives..." She whispers. "Please, listen to your mother. You have never killed anyone in your life. Do not start now."

Fives glares at Blackstar. His finger was on the trigger. All he had to do was pull the trigger, and it would all be over. He doesn't. Fives lowers the pistol. The terrified look on Blackstar's face instantly disappears, and he smile a very smug smile.

"Right... You should listen to your mother-"

Fives punches him in the throat, knocking the wind out of him. Blackstar gasps for air as he clutches his neck.

"That was going to be my plan B." Luna says with a snicker. "Good job, nephew."

Time slowed down. Blackstar pulls out the detonator, and he presses the trigger.

***Part 3: Felix Rogers***

Felix was on his rear, crawling away from the advancing Toby.

"You've lost, dickhead." Toby says angrily. "I won't kill you, but you will face full justice for what you have done. But before that, I need to disarm this bomb."

The explosive device begins to blink. Felix chuckles softly.

"You're to late... We all die, now..." Felix moans.

Toby shakes his head in disbelief. He turns tail and peals out of the room. He sprints down the corridor, back the way he came. All the while he can hear Felix's hysterical laughter echoing through the halls. Then, the bomb explodes.

***Part 4: Falling Towards The Sky***

Fives fell forward as the balcony buckled. Celestia spreads her wings and thrusts them backwards, forcing Luna and Appleton off of the falling balcony and into the palace.

"Fives!" She screams as she lunges forward.

Fives holds his hands up to stop her. The balcony was growing more and more unstable. Twilight and her friends appear in the doorway.

"FIVES!" Twilight yells.

The whole world was lit up like a thousand stars had detonated. The sound of the explosion tore Fives' ears apart. No one could scream. The only noise that could be heard was the crumbling of rubble. The ground underneath his feet began to shift.

"Twilight!" Fives yells.

"Fives, over here! Hurry!" She yells back.

Twilight and her friends were on higher, more stable ground. Fives looks up at them, and he smiles. He only needed to know she was safe. That's all. Celestia was standing behind them, her eyes full of tears. Fives turns around to face Blackstar.

"You will die... if you stay..." Blackstar says as he coughs up blood, standing up shakily.

"Then I will die, but not before you..." Fives snarls.

Then, half of the city of Canterlot began to fall. It fell from its perch on the side of the mountain. Rubble, glass, wood, and fire fell around Fives as he grabbed a hold of Blackstar. Then, the entire balcony gives way and plum its towards the city below.

"Do you think you're a hero?!" Blackstar yells as his fist meets Fives' jaw.

Both of them were in free fall. Fives tries to shield himself from Blackstar's punches, but every single one made contact. Desperately, Fives extends his leg, kicking Blackstar's left knee in. Blackstar yelps in pain.

"Yeah..." Fives says. "I do..."

Blackstar grabs onto Fives' collar.

"You... can't win, Fives."

Right on que, Silversheild materializes next to them as they continue to fall.

"Silvershield, help me!" Blackstar orders.

Silver does nothing.

"Help me, dammit!" Blackstar shouts.

Silvershield looks back and forth between the Humans. He looks at Blackstar, then he looks at Fives. He closes his eyes.

"Damn you, Silvershield! What are you doing?!"

Silvershield's eyes shoot open. He thrusts his hoof forward, knocking Blackstar back and freeing Fives from his grasp. Before Fives knew what was happening, the unicorn wraps his hooves around Fives' waist.

"Hold still." Silvershield says.

In a bright flash of light, they are gone. Blackstar cries out as he plummeted towards the city below.

***Part 5: Like A Bird***

Fives grunts as he hits the palace floor with a thud.

"Fives!" Twilight screams as she rushes to her husband. "Fives, are you alright?"

"I... I'm fine..."

Several human soldiers ready their muskets and aim them at Silvershield as he stands shakily.

"No, wait!" Fives shouts as he stands in between the unicorn and the six muskets trained on him.

"Fives, what are you doing?" Luna asks.

"He saved me, mother." Fives says. "He saved my life. He could have let me fall and saved Blackstar, but he saved me instead."

Celestia was struggling to hold back her tears.

"W-Where is Blackstar?" She asks.

Fives lowers his head.

"He... is gone, now." Fives says quietly.

Celestia nods and swallows her tears.

"I see... I suppose it is for the b-best..."

Luna wraps her wings around Celestia.

"I am sorry, sister."

Celestia shakes her head.

"No, don't be. I lost Blackstar many years ago. The man who died today was a monster, and Equestria is well to be rid of him..."

The white mare turns her attention to Fives.

"Come here..."

Fives approaches Celestia and is instantly trapped by her massive wings as she hugs him. Celestia looks over his shoulder at Silvershield.

"Thank you, for saving my son..." She says to him.

Silvershield doesn't say anything, but he bows slightly. Fives kisses his Celestia on her cheek before pulling away.

"So... What happens now?" Shining asks.

"We do have a mighty big mess to clean up..." Appleton says, kicking a broken brick.

Celestia and Luna observe the ruined city below.

"Now, we rebuild." Celestia mutters.

***TO BE CONTINUED***