The sun descended, streaking the horizon with brilliant red hues. Cadance watched from the throne room’s balcony as the fading light danced across the Crystal Empire’s many brilliant structures. Refracted into all the myriad colors of the spectrum, the result was a kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes.
At least, that’s how she normally looked upon it. The sunset in the Empire used to inspire her with wonder and hope for the future of her subjects. This evening however, her thoughts turned to the stories of the small village where she’d grown up. A red sky. Red skies meant bloodshed. It was on an evening much like this that they’d found her alone as a foal mere months old. Though she’d shared the suspicion with nopony, not even her husband, she believed she would leave Equestria on a similar such evening.
“That certainly doesn’t appear to be the proper face of Equestria’s most stereotypical princess.”
Cadance tensed in alarm, but the reaction was fleeting. She turned to find the Lord of Chaos, Discord, hovering over her shoulder. He was lounging on his back as if in a chair, adorned in a hula shirt and sunglasses and sipping on some frothy red drink through a straw. “Discord. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
He waved his talon across the scene before them. “I’ve got to say, I love the Crystal Empire at this time of day. Seeing all the ways Celestia’s light shifts and moves reminds me that even Ms. Rulebooks and Political Correctness has a chaotic side. Why, it makes my heart throb.” A heart-shaped lump of his chest pulsed loudly. He tapped it a couple times with a talon, frowning. “Need to have that checked out someday.”
Paying no mind to his typical antics, Cadance turned away. “I’m sorry, but this is an urgent matter. The Crystal Empire… I need your help.”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, matter of national import and all that.” Making inappropriately loud slurping sounds while sipping his straw, Discord stared out at the horizon in a bored manner. “But you know, I can’t help wondering about the nature of your little call for help.”
“Discord…” She let the plea hang in the air, hoping he’d get the hint.
Dropping the now-empty glass over the side of the balcony – it landed somewhere below with a loud splash accompanied by a shriek – he turned to Cadance and began digging in his ear. “I mean, you wanted me, of all beings? Granted, I am eminently qualified, but why would you not call on dear ‘Auntie Celestia’ to help you?” His talon came out of his ear covered in a wavy, multihued bit of gunk, which he promptly flicked away. It grew white wings and flapped off.
Cadance hesitated. She had to admit, that was a decent query. She glanced back at the throne room, chewing her lip. “Can we walk and talk?”
“Well, of course we can, but why would we?” He snapped his fingers, and in a flash he was riding inside a large, round, white… thing with a big green smiling face. It hovered, apparently held up by nothing more than a lone green propeller. “There! Now I’m traveling in style. Ow!” He reached into the contraption and pull out a blue, spiked shell. Shrugging, he tossed it haphazardly behind him, where it darted off for parts unknown. “Now, shall we?”
Sighing, Cadance began to walk. She led him towards an exit near the throne. “I don’t want Celestia to know about this, not yet. If we can solve the problem in a clandestine manner, it would be appreciated.”
“Clandestine, you say?” He ducked into his flying machine only to come out wrapped up in black with only his eyes visible. “Is the Princess of Love resorting to black ops now? Oh, how delightful! What are we doing, sabotage? Info gathering? Good old fashioned assassination?”
She shot him a worried look. “You wouldn’t actually assassinate somepony, would you?”
“Well, how should I know, my dear Catherine de Linguini?” He flung himself so that he hung upside down, his head close to hers as he eyeballed her. “Why exactly have you called me here?”
Pausing before a pair of double doors, she hesitating to open them. “I… You remember how Sombra’s was defeated with the Crystal Heart?”
Discord shrugged and examined his paw with a dull expression. “Do recall that I was doing time as Celestia’s personal lawn ornament when that happened.”
“Right.” She closed her eyes and sought out the best way to describe her situation. She could still vividly remember King Sombra’s menacing visage hanging over the city. The image sent a shiver down her spine. “The problem is, the Crystal Heart did away with Sombra’s magic, but we don’t know for sure if it did away with Sombra himself. Shining and I had suspicions that he’d merely been exiled or, at best, imprisoned.”
“I see.” Now sporting black-and-white striped prison garb – the flying device was gone entirely – Discord sat atop the iron ball he was currently shackled to, filing away at the chain. “And you think you’ve found out where, is that it? I’m not seeing what all the hubbub is about. Let him rot there. That’s the traditional Equestrian means of punishing baddies, isn’t it? Exiled and put in a dungeon in the place you were exiled to?”
Cadance shook her head. “That’s beside the point. Have you ever heard of a place called Horsemouth?”
As if hit by a jolt of electricity, Discord went ramrod straight, his antlers almost touching the ceiling. “He’s trapped there?”
She grimaced at his reaction. “We don’t know. We think so, but the place is wrapped in some kind of shadow curtain.”
“Shadow curtain?” Curling up slightly, Discord tapped his chin with a talon in a serious, thoughtful pose. “Interesting. I don’t recall that being there last time I was in the area.” He peered at her. “Why are we discussing this?”
Heart fluttering, eyes downcast, Cadance tried to answer. The words caught in her throat. In the back of her mind the same words kept repeating: I should have stopped him. Shaking her head, she swallowed, cleared her throat, and managed a hoarse, “Shining Armor went in there.”
Discord’s face grew even more stern, an expression Cadance was sure she’d never seen on him before. “I thought access to Grogar’s resting place was strictly forbidden by your aunts.”
“We had to do something,” Cadance countered, though her voice was weak. “Sombra. Trapped in a land saturated with Grogar’s evil power? And the appearance of the curtain. We had to know.”
“Without telling Celestia and Luna?” He stood tall once more, crossing his arms and scowling at the floor. “I don’t like where this is going, Princess. I’ve half a mind to go straight to Celestia.”
“No!” Cadance raised a hoof as if to hold him, realizing full well the futility of that idea. She had to stop him, though. At any cost. “No, please. Just hear me out first. If you disagree with what I want then you can tell Celestia everything, but please.”
Discord stood in stoic silence, studying her. His mismatched eyes held the hardest gaze she imagined he could offer. She could counter with nothing save a hopeful gaze, clasping her hooves together. If he didn’t cooperate, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. No, he would cooperate. She’d find a way.
At last Discord sighed and waved dismissively. “Fine. Show me what you want me to see. But I am not promising anything.”
Relief flooded Cadance; she’d been just on the verge of bowing. “R-right. Thank you. It’s this…” Turning to the door, she froze, breath catching in her lungs. Beyond this door…
“I’m waiting.”
Grimacing, she fought past her anxiety, and unlocked the door with her magic. “In here.” She forced her legs to move before their wobbling could stop her.
The room was dark. Thick blue curtains blocked out all sunlight, not to mention prying eyes. Largely unadorned, the room consisted of only a canopy bed. Something on that bed squirmed at the sound of her approaching hoofsteps. Cadance’s throat went dry all over again, and she came to a stop several feet away. Discord appeared at her side, saying nothing as she used her magic to close and relock the door. He cast one long glance at her, then approached the bed. Cadance, staring at the floor, flinched at his slow exhale. Every thought in her head begged her not to look, but regardless she straightened her neck and took a step closer.
Shining Armor lay on his back, each leg tied to one of the bed’s posts. His normally pristine white coat had become thin and wild, and his blue mane had lost all its luster. He kicked and squirmed, moaning through a thick metal muzzle wrapped around his face. He leaned towards Discord, teeth bared and glaring with eyes fogged over by a pale mist. Drool dribbled from his lips as he snarled and twisted against his bindings.
It was getting familiar, the feeling of uselessness and failure. Cadance bowed her head, unwilling to look long upon the shell that had once been her husband. She clenched her eyes tightly closed and flattened her ears against the foul moaning that only vaguely resembled Shining’s voice. Efforts to speak, to explain to Discord the circumstances, proved fruitless. So the three of them lingered in silence, Discord’s quiet at least reassuring her that he understood just how serious the situation was.
After what seemed an eternity, Discord turned away from the bed. “I can’t help you.”
“What?” She jumped in front of him, blocking his way to the exit. “You didn’t even try!”
“Nor do I intend to.” Discord’s eyes were hard. He didn’t meet her gaze, instead staring over her head. “I’m not touching this.”
“Discord, please!” She reared up and set her forehooves to this chest. “There’s nopony else.”
He at last met her eyes. “So you’ve not had any doctors investigate?”
“And risk this getting back to Celestia? Of course not.” She fell back to four hooves and shook her head vehemently. “If she finds out Shining broke the quarantine on Horsemouth, she… she might send him back there to stay. I can’t let that happen!”
“What about you?” He curled his body forward, looming over her with eyes flashing yellow. “Have you inspected him?”
“Of course I did, but I can’t make heads or tails of—”
His paw slapped over her mouth, muffling the rest of her words. “Then as far as I’m concerned, you should both be quarantined in that wretched place.”
She stepped back, escaping his paw, as a horrible sinking sensation washed over her. “Y-you wouldn’t.”
Rubbing his beard, he straightened and looked back to the bed. “No, but only because I doubt Celestia would believe my excuse for doing so. This is something she needs to see for herself.”
“Discord!” She opened her wings wide in a desperate bid to block his path, even though he hadn’t moved. “I called upon you because you have magic beyond that of ponies. You can fix Shining Armor! Celestia doesn’t need to know. I swear, I’ll do anything you want.”
He rolled his eyes and turned from her. “Nothing you can offer me is worth the risk.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to give up without even trying?”
“This isn’t my mess.”
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Discord was supposed to help her! Even if only for the sake of acting behind Celestia’s back. Cadance had counted on it. If he wouldn’t help, and if Celestia got involved… She shivered at the thought. A chance existed she wouldn’t be punished, she couldn’t let Shining go so easily. Not when it was her fault he was like this. If she had only tried to stop him, to keep him from going to that infernal place. And now he was…
She looked upon the sad remains that was her husband. He leaned towards her, gnawing at his gag and growling. The sight of his animalistic behavior ripped holes in her heart. “Then… then I’ll use the Crystal Heart. It might—”
“That is terribly ill advised,” Discord snapped, swiftly lowering himself to block her view of Shining. “We don’t know what Grogar’s power would do to it. You could very well end up making all of this worse.”
Cadance lowered her stance slightly, meeting his gaze with a glare. “What choice do I have? You won’t do anything. Celestia will just send him back to Horsemouth.”
He pointed a talon at her, not quite touching her muzzle with it. “And you should let her! The place is forbidden for a reason.”
“He’s my husband,” she fired right back, though her tone was much lower. “I won’t let this be the end of him.”
“It already is.”
“Be silent!” Cadance’s stomp shook the room. Her horn flashed brightly, the light driving Discord back. Probably only because of the harsh glare, but she stepped forward to press her advantage regardless. “If you understood anything about love then you wouldn’t be arguing this! I am going to rescue Shining Armor from this affliction, with or without you. If you go to Celestia, I will go to the Crystal Heart, and we’ll see who is faster.”
They glared at one another through the pink fire that was her horn, Discord’s face set in a deep frown. Though she kept her eyes on his, she could see his claw clenched in preparation to snap his fingers. If he left, could she activate the Crystal Heart in time? She couldn’t be sure, but she would try her hardest.
A muffled moan cut between them, diffusing the tension and adding a new layer of frustration to Cadance’s thoughts. She allowed her wings to relax and settled on her haunches, then extended her leg from her chest with a long exhale. Discord hadn’t moved, but his eyes were now on the squirming Shining Armor. She needed a solution, and she needed it fast. Calling on all her skills as a diplomat, she carefully prepared her choice of words.
“I know I’m up against something I don’t understand,” she said at last. “And I know that using the Crystal Heart invites huge risk to an already hazardous situation.” She turned to Shining, reaching out to touch his tied hind leg. It bucked against its bindings on contact. Through the thin layer of fur, he felt cold and dry. “But understand, Discord. I love Shining more than I love life itself. I’ll risk anything to see him cured, even my kingdom. If that’s something you can’t understand, well… I’m sorry.”
Turning back to the draconequus, she raised her head high. “I will do whatever I have to. But alone, I’m lost. I don’t know what to do. I need help. You’re help. Without it… I have no idea what will…”
Discord’s tail abruptly wrapped about her muzzle, silencing her. He slapped his paw over his face and dragged it down, stretching his head and making it wobble with a spring-like noise upon release. “No, no, no. All you’re supposed to say here is—” In a flash of light, his face became hers, but with big, bright eyes and an exaggerated expression of innocent worry. He spoke in a perfect recreation of her voice. “‘I’m doing this with or without you, sir, but without will take longer.’”
Another flash of light and he was back to normal. Freeing her muzzle, he said, “That’s it. Let’s just speed this up to its inevitable conclusion, hmm?”
Working her jaw and spitting out one of his tail hairs, she asked, “And that is?”
Groaning, he pulled out a thick stack of papers and began flipping through them. “You really are melodramatic. Your script is just ghastly. Considering your piece of stallion meat is currently tied to a bed and in need of your tender care, I would think you’d be in more of a hurry to get to the point.” He noticed her growing scowl from over the papers and promptly ate them. “The point being that I’ll do what I can.”
All the anger Cadance had been building up collapsed. She shook as if doused in ice water, wings going slack. “You… You will?”
He raised a talon before she could get another word in, his gaze becoming stern once more. “I’m not touching Shining Armor. I don’t know what’s on him and know even less about how it might react to my magic.”
She took this in, lips pursed as she eyed Shining’s writhing form. “But you intend to help?”
“I intend to investigate this ‘black curtain’ myself,” he replied, following her gaze. “If something is happening in Horsemouth, I’m the most qualified to get a grasp of what we’re dealing with. I will investigate, and if I find something that means good news, I’ll come back and inform you.”
She considered his suggestion, pursing her lips and flattening her ears against the sounds of Shining’s snarls. Discord’s offer wasn’t at all what she’d hoped, but she had to admit it made sense. How strange, that a creature like Discord could make a sensible decision. The concept should have been reassuring, for it meant he was taking this seriously. But at the same time… “And what if it’s bad news?”
“Or nothing at all,” he added while rubbing his beard. “That’s a possibility too. In either case, I will go straight to Celestia and Luna.” As her mouth opened, he snapped, “This is my offer. Take it or I go to Celestia now, and I’ll take the Crystal Heart with me.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Hacking on air, she beat her chest a couple times. Once able to breathe again, she cried, “You can’t do that! The Crystal Heart protects the entire realm. You’d be risking the lives of tens of thousands!”
“Better to do that and keep it safe than let you get it anywhere near him,” Discord replied, pointing a talon at Shining Armor. The captive prince groaned in response, and Cadance half-suspected he was confirming that verdict. Which stung, but she knew the truth when she saw it.
There was a right path here. Discord was giving her a chance. As much as she feared what Celestia might do if she got involved, the responsible princess within understood that it may be necessary. If only the mare beneath the surface wasn’t raging against that tide. She needed… “I will wait for an hour. No more. I won’t risk Celestia or Luna getting involved.”
He reached paw down to grasp her shoulder. Dropping low, he met her gaze, and this time there was no command or vehemence in his eyes. Instead, Cadance saw concern. “Princess, no matter what happens, do not let the Crystal Heart anywhere near your husband. The dangers are far too great.” Cadance kept her lips firmly closed. She would not make a promise she might not be able to keep. Eventually, Discord sighed and stood stall once more. “I’ll be back soon.” With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.
An hour. That was all she would give him. She moved to sit by Shining Armor, watching as he squirmed and groaned and fought against his bindings. Her husband, reduced to this… this animal. If only the others had returned with him. If only she’d realized what was happening sooner. Reaching out, she took his head in her hooves and examined his glazed, wild eyes.
“We’ll fix this, Shiny,” she whispered, planting a kiss on his dry, frigid forehead. “I swear. We’ll fix it.”
Time passed. Cadance remained at her husband’s side, watching in the dark as he tugged on his bindings. He was ceaseless. Tireless. No matter how much he strained and struggled, his energy persisted. By comparison, she felt nothing but weariness. She could still recall the moment he returned to her, weak and trembling and coughing up something black that resembled blood. He’d warded off her concerns, allowed a doctor to examine him.
He never told her what he’d found out there. There’d never been an opportunity. Within two hours of coming home alone, he’d collapsed. He’d even been pronounced dead two days ago. Yet now he moved. Or, at least, something moved.
“What are you?” she whispered, staring into his pale eyes. “Why have you taken my husband? Are you the spirit of Grogar, possessing my Shining in hopes of reasserting your evil reign? Or Sombra?”
She received no answer, not that she expected one. Whatever being had taken over Shining’s body, it did not seem capable of speech. Only moans and snapping teeth.
Cadance wondered if she should have told Discord everything. That the doctor who had examined Shining was now bedridden from an intense fever. Or that ever since she’d scanned Shining herself, she’d felt some kind of… foulness within her, gnawing at her insides like a parasite. She had a niggling fear, a deep suspicion regarding how this illness spread, but if she had told Discord about it, he might not have agreed to help.
He was a draconequus. His magic, his very biology, was vastly different from that of ponies. Perhaps it wouldn’t affect him. Surely not. He would be fine, and he would find something. Then he’d come back and give her what she needed to free Shining from this curse, or whatever it was.
But what if he didn’t? He might decide that nothing can be done and go to Celestia and Luna. She could see it now, the living Sun bathing the room in searing light and decreeing that those cursed by shadow must be removed. Or perhaps Celestia wouldn’t come. Maybe she’d send Luna. A fresh shiver ran up Cadance’s spine. At least with Celestia they might continue to survive in exile.
Luna would not be so kind.
Cadance had learned all her royal experience from Celestia. One of the things she’d taken to heart, if with not near the skill her aunt had, was to prepare backup plans. If ever one was needed, it was now. She bent down to place a kiss on Shining’s cool forehead, ignoring as best she could his guttural growls. “I’ll be back, my love.”
She stepped into the bright hallway, making sure to lock the door behind her once more. The area stood unguarded by her command, for she did not wish for any negative rumors regarding her husband to pass among the soldiers. He was highly respected, and news of his current state would certainly affect the Guards’ morale. And if that news got to the public…
Shaking her head to fight off fretful images, she took a moment to regain her regal bearing. That done, she marched to the end of the hallway and into the throne room. One of her guards stood at attention by the entrance, snapping a sharp salute when she turned to him. “Please inform Sunburst that I need to see him here immediately and have the Crystal Heart transferred to the throne room.”
The guard hesitated, but only for a moment. “Your Highness, right away.” He departed at a trot. Cadance resisted the urge to tell him to hurry up. No need to make this seem as urgent as it was. Or so she told herself. The mare within her screamed at the princess to stop worrying about the Kingdom so much. As fearful as she was of the idea Celestia or Luna would come, she silently thanked Celestia for teaching her responsibility.
She turned for the door, paused. Closing her eyes revealed a memory of Shining smiling at her from his side of the bed, mane all tangled. So handsome, so sweet. His pale blue eyes shined with a love that she could have felt even without her special talent. But in that bedroom now lay… With a whimper, she changed directions, settling herself on the familiar throne. Her eyes drifted to the windows, wondering if Discord had already penetrated the black curtain Shining had reported. She had no doubt that he could move that quickly. Giving him an hour had been generous, but she had to appear calm and collected to earn his trust.
Her stomach abruptly twisted, whether from the dark essence within or her own fears, she couldn’t know. She grimaced, legs shaking as her stomach heaved. Her throat was so dry…
The nausea passed. The anxiety did not. She leaned back against her throne, taking slow gasps of air and staring at the ceiling. She tried not to think of Shining’s condition. No, better to focus on his smile. His smile, now a ghoulish mockery of the charm he once exuded. Or his voice, one so loving and now a hideous, grating…
“Stop it,” she hissed, clenching her eyes tightly closed. “We’ll fix it. We will.”
The images wouldn’t leave her though. She whimpered and fretted and fidgeted, occasionally nibbling on a lock of her own mane. An old, nervous habit, but a strangely comforting one. Her eyes went to the window again. How long had it been? Why wasn’t Discord back yet? Where was Sunburst?
The great double doors opened as if on cue. Sunburst trotted forward, followed by a quintet of guards who levitated the Crystal Heart within their tight circle. The guards maintained their stoic manner, but Sunburst’s face was marred by deep concern. All six bowed before her, and then Sunburst spoke. “Princess, I came as quick as I could. What can I help you with?”
She rose to her hooves, magic flaring to grasp the Crystal Heart. She levitated it to her side, then turned her gaze past Sunburst. “Leave us, please. This is a private matter.” The guards bowed in unison and retreated, the doors closing noisily in their wake. The moment they did, she focused her attention on an expectant Sunburst. Only then did she realize she’d not thought about how to explain the situation to him. Cursing under her breath, she decided to wing it; there was no time for consideration.
“You know more about magic than anypony I know,” she admitted, paying no heed to his blush. “I need that knowledge now. Come with me.”
As she guided him to the bedroom, Sunburst asked, “Princess Cadance, does this have anything to do with Shining Armor’s expedition?”
He’d already put some pieces together. Good, that made things easier. “It does. What I am about to reveal to you stays between us, is that understood?” She didn’t like being so formal with him, considering he was such a close friend, but she needed him to grasp the nature of the situation quickly.
“I understand,” he replied, though there was a wariness in his tone. She chose to leave it be in return for haste.
There was no pause at the door this time. Cadance used her momentum to push past both the twisting fear those doors held and the doors themselves. She swept into the room and gestured to the bed. “Do not examine him with your magic, not yet.”
“Examine who? Why are we—?” Sunburst sucked in a sharp breath when he at last caught sight of Shining Armor. Adjusting his glasses, he trotted for the bed, not reacting when Cadance hurried to lock the door once again. “By Starswirl’s beard, what happened to him?”
“He entered Horsemouth.”
With a cry, Sunburst bounced back from the bed as if it had just caught fire. Retreating to the corner of the room, he asked, “Why in Equestria would he do something crazy like that?”
The urge to snap at him was tempting, but she forced it down. She shouldn’t be mad at him for having been left in the dark. Once sure she could keep most of the edge out of her voice, she answered, “I’ve already explained this to enough ponies. What we need right now is a solution. I need to save my husband.”
He stared at her, then at the growling thing in Shining’s body. “I can understand that, but how am I supposed to help him if I’m not supposed to survey him with my magic?”
A good question, but one she was prepared for. “I already have. There’s a… a sickness. Something inherently wrong, a type of magic I’ve never witnessed before, yet also familiar. I believe it is a combination of Grogar’s unnatural power and Sombra’s dark magic.”
“And you touched this?” Sunburst approached her, eyes wide with alarm. He began inspecting her body, as if expecting to find some injury. “There’s no telling what that kind of magic could do to a pony. As an alicorn you may be able to hold off any ill effects, but I can’t be certain.”
She nodded. No need to explain to him how it seemed to be festering within. “I’ve sent Discord to Horsemouth. Maybe he can figure out something we can’t. In the meantime…” She levitated the Crystal Heart between them. “I want to know how to use this to purge Shining Armor of the darkness affecting him.”
Sunburst hesitated, his eyes darting between her and Shining and the Crystal Heart. His ears folded back. “I don’t know. I mean, it could in theory. At the very least, we know it can purge a pony of Sombra’s magic. But Grogar’s? Assuming what’s in him even is Grogar’s.”
“It has to be,” she replied without hesitation. “He’s the whole reason Horsemouth is forbidden.”
“Okay, well…” Sunburst frowned thoughtfully. He turned to examine Shining more closely, only to lean back when the bound stallion jerked at him with a snarl. He set a fetlock to his chin and stared at Shining as though he were a complex puzzle. “Have you considered that Sombra’s magic might be beneficial?”
Cadance blinked. Blinked again. “Am I going crazy, or did you just suggest Sombra’s power might be good?”
“Hear me out.” He raised his hoof to her as if to silence any further objections. “Grogar was, by all accounts, the worst of the worst. It’s entirely possible that Sombra looked into Horsemouth during his rule and decided that even he wasn’t willing to toy with such pure evil in magical form.” He turned to give Cadance a meaningful look over his glasses. “In that case, maybe Sombra’s magic is there as a leash, to prevent Grogar’s latent power from spreading. It could even be possible that the danger within Shining Armor isn’t spreading beyond his body by virtue of Sombra’s magic also being present.”
As odd as it sounded to her ears, Cadance forced herself to consider the possibility. What if Sunburst was right and Sombra had deemed Grogar’s power too much to control? A sort of ‘enemy of my enemy’ scenario, she supposed. But then she considered all she knew about Sombra; his ominous appearance, his coldness, his cruelty. No… it couldn’t be possible. If anything, Sombra probably took a little of Grogar’s magic for himself, which might have explained his fearsome visage. The idea that he would try to contain that power was preposterous.
“I do not believe that to be the case,” she said evenly, raising the Crystal Heart between them once more. “I ask again, is it possible we can use the Heart to remove Grogar’s influence?”
With a sigh, Sunburst shook his head. “Without scanning him with my magic, it’s impossible to know.”
That was not the answer she needed. Chewing her lip, she studied Shining once more. The darkness within her churned just as much as he did, the combination leaving her feeling weak in the knees. She couldn’t ask Sunburst to risk connecting magically to Shining Armor. He might not respond as… ‘well’ as she had. But then…
“Scan me.” She caught Sunburst’s gaze. “I connected with Shining through my magic. I have the same thing he does, but on a much smaller scale. Maybe there will be less risk that way.”
He said nothing at first, only Shining ongoing groans and growls filling the darkness between them. Sunburst licked his lips and grimaced, as if he’d found the taste disturbing. He sat and crossed his hooves, humming and mumbling to himself. Cadance fidgeted, her inner princess and wife arguing fiercely on whether it would be best to make him hurry. “I know it’s a lot to ask. I know you could be infected with this… this…” She waved a hoof at Shining, whose eyes followed it in much the same manner a jackal followed the movements of a baby rabbit. “But I’m running out of options, Sunburst.”
Sunburst studied her, expressionless and solemn. “I trust you with my life, Princess, and I’d normally be willing to do anything. But I’m afraid the answer is no.” He shot his hoof up before the words could slip past her open mouth. “We need to talk to somepony who has dealt with this kind of thing before. Have you contacted Princess Celestia or Princess Luna about this?”
Cadance was aware of her eye twitching, but she paid it no mind. Far more important was the vicious, boiling poison setting her brain alight. She stomped, once again shaking the room with the power in her hoof. “Why does everypony want to run to Celestia and Luna with their problems? I’m a princess too. I can make the big decisions just as well as they can. And I say the risk is worth it. I am not letting my husband remain like… like this forever because everypony thinks Celestia and Luna have all the answers!” She towered over Sunburst, who shrank back at her sudden anger.
Good. Let him understand his mistake to its fullest extent. “We are not contacting Celestia. I know what her solution will be, and it is not acceptable. Do I make myself clear?”
He swallowed, adjusted his glasses. “Crystal.”
“Good.” She waved her hoof imperiously. “Now scan me.”
“No.”
Her breath caught in her throat, but the air found its way across her vocal cords soon enough. “Excuse me?”
Though he hunched back at her vicious tone and tucked his tail about his legs, he somehow managed to keep his voice firm. “I can’t. You’re asking me to risk getting infected with something we don’t understand. If I succumb, your only other option is Princess Twilight and Starlight Glimmer. Do you want to wait for them to get here by train? Do you want to have to explain this to them?”
If she did, they’d run straight to Celestia. His words of caution made perfect sense, but they didn’t solve the problem now. He didn’t know that Discord had threatened to go to Celestia already, didn’t know that they were operating under a tight schedule that, now that she thought about it, could be nearing its deadline. Discord could be in Canterlot right now, telling Celestia all about Shining’s and her situation.
But Sunburst had every right to be worried. To want to do this the safe way. So, reining in her impatience and worries, she asked through gritted teeth, “What do you propose?”
He smiled, but it was a strained expression. His left ear twitched under her hard gaze. “Let me go back to the library. I know there are some books relating to Grogar and his powers. I need to know more, and then we can… do things safely.”
He planned to contact Celestia. She could see it in his eyes, the alarm, the distrust. He didn’t think she was making her decisions in a reliable, appropriate manner. Because the pony in the bed was her husband. Being a princess clearly meant nothing in comparison to being a wife. He was right. She knew he was, deep down. But Discord was probably already doing that. Celestia was likely winging her way here, preparing herself for the ‘hard’ deed of fighting Cadance for the right to ‘deal with’ her husband. Or Luna, who would do it in a more permanent fashion.
But he was right. So she slowly, with great effort, forced her wings closed. She practiced her breathing – hoof in, hoof out – a few times. “Okay,” she managed at last, and the ire had left her voice. She couldn’t smile for him, but she could at least show him that she was calm and ready to make a proper decision. “Forgive me if I seem… overeager, Sunburst. I am under so much stress trying to figure this out.”
His ears perked. Sunburst approached, timidly raising a hoof to touch her shoulder. When she didn’t react, he managed a weak smile. “It’s okay, Cadance. I understand. Anypony would be struggling under these circumstances. I promise, we’ll fix this.”
“I know you will. Go to the library, learn what you must. I…” She set her gaze upon Shining Armor, looking into his pale eyes. “I can’t leave him like this. Please hurry.”
“I will. You’re making the right choice. We’ll figure this out.” With one last pat on her shoulder and a fearful glance at Shining Armor, Sunburst turned for the door. She unlocked it for him, and soon the closing of the doors announced her isolation.
The instant the doors were locked, she rose to her hooves and turned to the Crystal Heart. “Forgive me, Sunburst, but I can’t wait that long.”
The Heart was one of the ultimate powers for Good. It defeated Sombra, protected the Crystal Empire constantly, was fueled by the combined love of all the ponies under her protection. It had to have the strength necessary to purge her husband of this evil. She raised the Heart until it hovered just above Shining, its magic glowing faintly in the darkness. She thought of Discord’s warning, of Sunburst’s reluctance, of the disappointment Celestia would bring with her.
“Alright,” she whispered, “no more waiting.” She closed her eyes and ignited her horn. With her magical senses it was easy to see the pinkish line of energy connecting her to the Heart. She could also see Shining’s spirit, once a powerful dark blue that throbbed with his passion, determination, and love. Now it was a hideous monstrosity of black and red auras, intermingled in an atrocious intercourse. The sight alone stirred the foulness within her, the way it squirmed and reached out for her like wicked tentacles craving sustenance. She couldn’t even see Shining’s blue anymore, but she knew it was in there. Shining wouldn’t surrender to this, not when there was a chance she could save him.
He would be in there. He might be weak, he might never recover, but she knew for certain: he was in there.
“I will tolerate you no more, foulness,” she hissed, spreading her legs and wins in tandem. “Give me my husband back.” With that command, she linked the Heart to Shining’s form and poured the power of Love into it.
Instantly, black tendrils snapped up the magical link to ensnare the Crystal Heart. Cadance’s control over the magic nearly faltered in her surprise. She hadn’t expected the darkness to be so aggressive! But the Heart could take it. She knew its power. She increased the flow of its magic, fighting against the shadowy presence.
If anything, the darkness moved faster in response. It even seemed to grow! But how could it do something like that? Knowing it was a risk, she dared divert just a little of her own magic into the dark line now connecting Shining to the Heart. What she discovered nearly brought her to her knees: the darkness was feasting upon the Crystal Heart’s magic! Her efforts were only making it stronger!
“No.” She tried to shut off the magical feed. The Heart obeyed, no longer working against the shadow. Yet the connection remained, the dark tendrils refusing to release their food source. “No no no, stop!” Shining moans grew louder as she fought to pull the Heart away from him. Though she could not see him for her closed eyes, she could hear the bed shift and creak under his ever more frantic struggles.
“Let go! Let… go!” She twisted her head left and right, as if that might help loosen the shadow’s hold. She dug her hooves in the crystal floor, began to sweat with the effort. She couldn’t let this happen! Discord and Sunburst were right, she never should have tried. If she didn’t find a way to stop this…
Her eyes popped open, but that didn’t stop her from seeing the dark piece of magic suddenly flowing along her connection to the Heart. It came at her fast as a dart. She tried to disconnect herself entirely. It worked, the tendril freezing in the air not an inch from her horn. With a gasp, she leapt back, even as the magic faded from view. Instead she was treated to the sight of the Crystal Heart rapidly shifting colors from pink to a near-transparent black.
Her breath came in shallow gasps. Why hadn’t she followed Sunburst’s suggestion? Why had she been so afraid of Celestia’s reaction? “What do I do? Oh, Celestia, what do I do?”
Shining Armor arched his back, howling through his gag as something black bubbled out of his nostrils. His eyes, lifeless and cold, met hers, and she felt her blood freeze. Unable to think of anything else, she spread her wings and leapt for the Crystal Heart. Maybe if magic couldn’t solve the problem—
The instant her hooves touched the Heart, she let out a shriek. It was colder than ice, and already she could feel the vicious, ominous power surging into her. It was like swallowing raw sewage into her very soul! She tried to move away, but found her legs bound to the relic and unresponsive. Flapping furiously, she fought to move the Heart away from her husband. If she could just separate them, maybe, just maybe disaster could be averted!
The Crystal Heart moved freely, and she made straight for the curtained window. Somewhere amidst the cacophony of her agonized cries and Shining’s guttural screams, she thought she heard the doors burst open. She might have even heard Sunburst barking orders. None of that mattered. None of it. All that mattered was getting the Heart clear of—
For a fraction of a second, sound ceased. Even as she crashed through the window, she heard it naught.
There came a pulse, like the Crystal Heart produced a single beat of its own, and then a spherical wave of cloudy shadow exploded from the it. Cadance barely heard her own scream through the ringing in her ears and the twisted, hideous foulness slicing at her insides. She felt hot needles in her brain, and her vision went white. It went away just in time for her to see the wall flying at her, and then there was nothing.
She woke with a gasp, coughing and hacking like a drowning victim saved from the brink. That lasted for only a few seconds before the hideous churning in her guts made her twist to her belly and vomit. She did it again and again, soon reduced to dry heaving, but her stomach refused to settle. The sickness that had been but a minor nuisance before was now a blanketing sensation of wrongness that refused to fade.
At last, her body acclimated. The sense of wrongness didn’t go away, but she was at least able to stop her gagging through sheer force of will. She rolled aside so as to not fall in her own juices and lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling in a daze. What had happened? Where was she? Why was she still alive?
Her ears perked as unfamiliar sounds met them. A sinking sensation passed over her as she at last understood them to be screams. Carefully, she climbed to her hooves, legs shaking with the effort. When she at last raised her head to examine her surroundings, she found she was still in the bedroom. The bed had been overturned, the windows shattered with no sign of the curtains. Her eyes settled on something lying against the wall. She thought she recognized Sunburst’s robes.
Then she realized that what she was seeing was gore. Something had ripped Sunburst to pieces, and it took everything she had not to fall into another fit of dry heaving. Tears threatened to escape her eyes as she jerked away from the hideous sight that had once been her friend. Stumbling, sucking down deep breaths, she made her way to the window.
When she laid eyes upon the Crystal City, she collapsed against the windowsill and sobbed. The urban sprawl, once beautiful, had become a wasteland. The crystal buildings remained, but the streets were littered with bodies. Ponies, or things resembling ponies at least, wandered the roads in apparent dazes while others fed on what she could only assume were the remains of their compatriots. She watched in a numb horror as a pony fell screaming from one building, only to be followed by another, much quieter form. Cadance closed her eyes tight, glad she couldn’t hear the impacts from here.
“I must say that I’m disappointed. Not surprised, but certainly disappointed.”
She turned to the familiar voice, only to shrink against the wall. Discord stood behind her, except he was no longer the Discord she knew. He’d gained an unwholesome pallor across his entire body, and he appeared frail. His eyes bore a white fog, as if marred by cataracts. But the changes were more than mere health related; the Lord of Chaos was unusually, undeniably still.
“D-Discord,” she whispered through her breathlessness. “What happened?”
“I don’t quite know.” He examined his paw as if not sure what it was, lips set in a calm, curious frown. “I passed through the curtain of darkness near Horsemouth and… was taken. I’m not sure by what. Certainly the same thing that consumed your husband. And now? The whole of the Empire, I am sure. Perhaps Equestria too.”
“No…” Cadance covered her face with a fetlock even as the other wrapped around her ever-wrenching stomach. “This isn’t how it was meant to be. The Heart, it should have w-worked!”
“In a way, it did.” Walking up to the window – just walking, no sounds or animated motions or anything remotely chaotic – Discord gestured with a sweep of his talons at the city. “It spread the corruption far and wide. Only those the least gifted in magic didn’t succumb immediately to it. I can’t say how far the blast of poison travelled, but it’s bound to have reached the most northern townships of Equestria before it puttered out.”
Rubbing the fresh tears from her face, she asked, “How can you be so calm? The Crystal Empire is dying because of what I did! Can’t you stop it?”
He shrugged, his dull eyes not leaving the city. “I do not think I can. But even if I could, it’s far too late. Honestly? I don’t care to.”
“What?” She tried to climb to her hooves, only to stumbled and fall on her chest. Not bothering to try again, she looked up at him with a fresh sense of horror. “Why? Why wouldn’t you wish to help those poor ponies?”
Once again, he examined his paw as if it were a curiosity. He said nothing for a time, eyes clouded with thought. Cadance only stared, her mind running in weary circles in an attempt to grasp his purpose.
“I am immortal,” he whispered. “That does not mean this body is permanent. I can feel Grogar’s power eating away at my physical form. I wonder what will happen to my consciousness when that form at last shrivels into dust?” Noting her horrified expression, he smiled. It wasn’t a Discord smile, but the soft, calming smile of a grandfather. “Not to worry, Princess. It will take a while for me to go.
“You, on the other hand, aren’t so fortunate.”
She managed to sit up, but couldn’t raise her head. “W-what do you mean?”
He reached down to pat her shoulder with his paw, not losing that pleasant smile. Even that gentle touch nearly toppled her. “You may have the horn and wings, but you are not like Celestia and Luna. Your alicorn body might help you resist for a while longer, but you will succumb just as your subjects have. I am sorry.”
She sucked down a breath. Another. Her stomach continued to churn with the foulness she’d unleashed upon the world. She closed her eyes and let the guilt wash over her. “No, I am. I should have listened to you. And now…” A coldness seeped into her bones, a coldness that seemed to come straight from the heart. “Have I brought about the end of Equestria?”
“Possibly. Maybe not. You ponies are terribly resistant to pretty much anything that seeks to harm you. And I should emphasize terribly.” He chuckled quietly. “Maybe that little purple brain with wings will come up with a solution. I doubt it; this curse seems to be fiercely voracious for magic. It’s why I didn’t stand a chance.”
So, Equestria was doomed, and she was responsible. If only she’d waited for Celestia and Luna. She could have lived out this fate with Shining Armor in Horsemouth, rather than subjecting the entire world to it. How could any one pony be so stupid?
Shining… “Where is my husband?” She turned to the bed but saw no sign of him. The ropes that had been holding him down had snapped.
“Oh, I’m sure he’s somewhere in the castle, munching on equine flesh.” Discord waved a dismissive talon. “Don’t worry. You’ll be joining him in time.”
Cadance’s heart sank as the last implication of her action struck her brain. “Flurry. My baby. I… I have to get to her.”
“Don’t bother.” Discord turned to stare out the window again, paw and talon clasped behind his back. “I already checked.”
With the little energy she had left, she jerked to face him. Ignoring the spinning of her stomach the motion caused, she hissed, “What did you find?” He hesitated. Averted his eyes from her. “Tell me!”
“Don’t look for her,” he whispered, and for the first time ever she heard genuine pain in his tone. “You will not like what you discover.”
Something snapped. A lancing agony squeezed her heart until it exploded in an agony that made itself known via a long, throat-burning wail. She fell to her barrel and covered her face, sobbing. “What have I done? W-what have I done? My baby, m-my little angel!” She screamed and kicked and flapped and squirmed, self-loathing and despair filling her to her core. When that wasn’t enough she started biting herself, letting the pain sear into her. She tasted blood on her lips, but still she wasn’t satisfied. There could be no punishment harsh enough for what she’d done.
Something grabbed the back of her neck and lifted her into the air. She squirmed and howled at first, but when this did nothing and there was nothing to hit she began to calm. Something brushed the tears from her face, clearing her eyes. She found Discord watching her from up close, his gaze weary and defeated. “I understand you want to hurry things along,” he said quietly, “but before you do, I thought you should know: I’m going to see Celestia and Luna right away. I figure they at least deserve a warning of what is coming.”
Her aunts. Cadance could only bow her head in shame. They would be so disappointed in her. She hoped they both came, one to freeze her bones and the other to turn her kingdom to ash. As long as they gave her enough time to find Shining and Flurry. They could all go together… assuming there was anything of Flurry— She dry heaved as hideous images came to her unprepared mind.
Seeing she would not answer, Discord set her down once more. “There is nothing left to be gained from this conversation. So be it. I would bid you farewell, but I don’t think good fortunes are in any of our futures.” With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.
Cadance lay on the floor, numb to everything around her. The screams outside had mostly ceased, but every now and then a new one would emerge from somewhere in the castle. She rolled onto her back and stared out the window, wondering at the sunlight. So bright… Would the world go dark if Celestia succumbed?
Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered. Cadance set the joint of her wing in her mouth and nibbled, relishing the pain that masked that of her heart. Her thoughts turned to Flurry, to Shining, to Sunburst and every other pony who had trusted her. A twist in her stomach reminded her that she didn’t have long. So, slowly, she climbed to her hooves and made her wobbling way for the door.
She would find Shining Armor. She would find Flurry Heart. They would go as a family.
Another lurch of her stomach brought her to her knees. She felt so weak. So dirty. And another sensation, gradually rising through her chest. It was familiar, and yet so horribly different.
It was hunger.
Her eyes fell upon the gore and flesh that had once been her magic advisor. Some twisted, terrible instinct pulled her towards it.
Princess Cadance let out a hungry growl.
Author's Note
Unbeknownst to pretty much everyone, when RainbowBob and I first collaborated on the Them series we had a long, drawn out brainstorming session. From this session came the first several stories in the series. But what also came out of that session was the origins and conclusion.
When Bob left the fandom, he gave me full control of the Them series. I took the liberty of making some changes, with his blessing. The first change can be found in Becoming Them, which was originally supposed to have a much darker ending. I've also changed how I intend to close the series (yes, there is an Ending in mind), as I felt RainbowBob's desired end was too... Lovecraftian.
But before I do the End, I wanted everyone to see the beginning. That Sombra's magic would be involved was something Bob and I agreed to almost immediately. That Discord would be taken out of the picture then was also quickly agreed to. We also agreed that Shining Armor would be Patient Zero. The only part of this which is entirely my own is the adding of Grogar's power, which I conceived because it's such a big unknown and easily manipulable.
The shift in tone here is also intentional, as the entire story is set in a different atmosphere from the others. All the other Them stories are written after the fall, if you will, whereas this one takes place before it. It felt appropriate then to not maintain the same dark and dreary mood.
