The Lesser Evil

Radiant Hope was in a truly unenviable position. As the leading mastermind of an uprising she found herself responsible for a mountain of work to juggle. Governors, militias and nobles needed to be swayed to gain control of necessary provinces. Commanding officers needed to be recruited without alerting the equestrian controlled government of their defection. On top of that Radiant had to perform a balancing game among a collection of like minded groups that were providing political, social, or economic support. The Dark Cultists practically worshipped Sombra and were readily recruited but their end goals were dark, morbid and ran counter to what she wished. While readily willing to help the group of black magic users held little sway politically or in the military. The Monarchists on the other hand held far more sway with both loyal forces and political sway. The Old traditionalists viewed Cadence as an unrightful ruler with no real tangible claim to the throne. While they didn’t like Sombra particularly either he did have a claim by conquest and expanded the empire greatly during his reign. While difficult to sway, they were of a similar mind with Radiant Hope’s ultimate goal. They knew with the coming war with the changelings the Crystal Empire needed a strong independent leader. They were an unstable but immensely valuable piece of the puzzle. Among the crystal guard there was a group of nationalist sympathizers spread out amongst the various militias and divisions. Getting them together and recruiting more was a chore unto itself. Last but not least Dust Snowfall and his group of loyal misfits. Dust was a dreamer who viewed sombra’s reign full of glory, obviously he and Radiant Hope worked incredibly well together.

Snowfall had proven himself incredibly useful; he focused on the hard work of attempting to bring Sombra back while she worked to get the other components of this uprising working. Secrecy was of the utmost concern for making it all work as Cadence launched anti sombra propaganda and would mass arrest vocal dissonance. However, the counterary had also been true, Sakira the romantic patriot, constantly would go against orders and try to recruit new members despite the threat of active guards searching for Sombra sympathizers. This should have gotten her arrested or at worse gotten the entire operation undermined and ended everything before it even began. Instead though Sakira had recruited a very plain pony by the name of Blank Page. The stallion very honestly should have lived a very normal life and have no impact on the wider world, instead he was the very reason that Radiant Hope had the Dark heart sitting on her planning table. Soon this would all be over, merely the pieces needed to be in their final place.

A loud knocking echoed in the old fort that made up Radiant’s base of operation. Had the Equestrians found them? They were so close to achieving their goal, they couldn’t take any risks. The Cultists guards scrambled about grabbing weapons, hiding the dark heart away, and preparing to evacuate her at a moments notice. The Guard at the front gate opened the peep slot cautiously before giving the all clear. “It’s August Reins!” he shouted out. A collective sigh went through the group and Radiant let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Let him in,'' she replied as she attempted to cool her nerves. August Reins was an old noble and was her contact within the Monarchists. As the steel doors opened the stallion marched into the room holding himself in a very proper and dignified manner. August was as grey as iron and a similarly fortified personality. The old military commander was often called too stubborn to die and had lived through the reigns of 4 different monarchs having his first command pre Princess Amore. With his bushy ash colored moustache and eyebrows and his old military uniform on him at all times there were few more recognizable stallion’s in the empire. “Radiant Hope, I apologize for my unannounced visit, but I needed to have a word with you.” The stallion gruffed before giving a side eyed glare to the cultists around them. “Alone…” he added. The various cultists looked nervous about leaving her with him but they obeyed as she gestured them away.
As the last of the hooded ponies made their way out Radiant turned to the stallion already dreading what new arrangement needed to be made. “August, to what do I owe the... pleasure of seeing you again at this hour?” She asked, attempting to get the whole situation over with already. “Radiant Hope, I hope you take the fact that I have come here, at the 12th hour, as a sign of how seriously I and many of my compatriots take your plan.” He said his voice stoic and face stone except for the occasional twitch of his bushy moustache. “Thank you, I'm flattered. However, I doubt that you came all this way to compliment me this close to the final days. What is it you are really here for?” she asked sick of all these word and mind games these stallions played.
August let out a sigh, a truly surprising action, the first peek beyond the emotional iron curtain he seemed to constantly carry. “Radiant Hope, what you have done is no less than extraordinary, let me make that clear. Many of my compatriots were of the opinion that you would not succeed at all, yet here we are. Some are nervous, others outright scared. I will secure their loyalties and ensure that you get what you need, However, I need a guarantee.”

“A guarantee of what exactly? That it’ll work? August I don't begin something with the idea it will fail.”

“No of course not.” He interjected. “I need a Guarantee that you will give us a king, and not a feral animal.”

Radiant paused for a moment. “He isn’t a feral animal... He was in isolation trapped in the ice for a thousand years. A normal pony will go mad after a few months of solitary confinement… What would a thousand years do to even the most refined and eloquent of ponies?”

“The mind shudders…” the old stallion said with a twitch of his moustache.

“I can heal his mind.” Radiant continued. “I have crafted the spell purposefully for him. I know it will-” Suddenly the pair were interrupted as the door slammed open. Red Peyote was leading the charge closely followed by Sakira Bluebell, with Dust Snowfall and lake carrying Blank Page with a small heard of frantic cultists chasing after them

“Radiant! Radiant! You have to help him!” Sakira shouted as the truly awe inspiring chaos paraded towards Radiant Hope. August moved out of the way with an annoyed shake of burly stache as the group of ponies brought Blank Page onto the table. The plain looking stallion who had made all the difference looked to be a breath away from death and coughing blood.

“What happened to him?” Radiant asked in shock. “I thought you two were getting better after your plunge into the ice?” she turned to Sakira Bluebelle who seemed no worse for wear.
“We were! Or… I thought we were.” Sakira said, looking at Page annoyed and scared. “Well I was, and he insisted that he was fine, that the cough was nothing!”

“I didn’t want you to worry, my love.” he coughed out. Sakira berated him with light slaps while Radiant rolled her eyes. Oh young love. With a deep breath She casted a healing spell on the stallion. It became immediately obvious something was wrong as the spell worked its way through his body. While her healing magic purged any infection from his body something else pushed and roiled against her will. A black magic curse pulsed at his very core. No matter how much effort she put into healing his body the black magic refused to be purged like a parasite digging ever deeper it’s host. Blank Page cried out in pain as she released the spell fearful of causing anymore unintentional damage.

Radiant had dealt with black magic before but this curse was wild and untamed compared to what she had dealt with. “I-i’m sorry…. I, uh, cured the disease, but there is a curse embedded deep inside him… it was probably a last defense for the dark crystal in the lake… There’s nothing i can do.”

“What!? You are the greatest medical magic user in the world and an expert on black magic to boot!” Sakira blanched.

“It’s a powerful curse that has dug in deep. He has a day, maybe two… If I tried to wrench it from him it would kill him for sure…”

Sakira cried out wrapping her hooves around the dying stallion “NOOO!”

“I’m sorry…”

“After everything we’ve done It just… ends like this?! Before he can see it through?”

He wrapped his hooves around her. “At least your dream will come true.”

Radiant stood staring at the lovers embrace. Memories and dreams of long ago filled her mind. Radiant cursed under her breath. “August… how difficult would it be to move up our plans, to say… tomorrow?”

The veteran Stallion huffed up “Radiant Hope! Of all the inexcusable, irresponsible, irrhensible things you can ask! To suddenly move forward the entire table events with no prior warning or thought! Utter balderdash!” His voice boomed out like a cannon. “I’ll have it done within 30 minutes of arriving back at my estate.” he said, calmly pulling an emotional 180 with a wry smile.