With a yawn, Shining Armor opened the curtains beside his bed. His joints had that familiar comforting ache of having overstayed his welcome in bed on any sort of respectable day. He deserved it after spending most of the night before on Flurry duty. Cadence had needed a full night’s rest for the day he’d missed by now.
Cadence, he thought as the walls of the room turned orange, who had kissed him goodbye before he went to sleep. She’d taken Flurry Heart with her for their Princesses-Day-Out. It was why Shining now stood in the guest room of his old family home in Canterlot. They’d taken a trip from the Crystal Empire to spend time with Twilight, Luna, and Celestia.
“It’ll just be a day of shopping honey, you won’t miss anything.” Cadence had told him on the train when he asked about accompanying them.
“Sometimes it’s good for the public to just see us as normal mares.” Cadence had told him when he asked why they would wander around the old marketplace.
Shining could smell the faint scent of toast in the air. Just a hint of cinnamon followed. Dad called it his espresso shot. Mom had gotten up early to make it for him every day without fail since before Shining could remember. Even on vacations, she’d find a way to sneak a portable toaster in their packing. “The spell just doesn’t taste right, if you ask me,” she’d explained the one time Twilight asked why she didn’t just use magic, followed by a whispered giggle “And your father’s mood agrees whenever he has the other stuff.”
The smell was old. He’d seen mom sneaking out of the room across the hall as Cadence gave him a parting kiss while trading him the bed. Outside above the streets, he could hear the familiar song of birds awakening. It was at a tired pace and muffled volume, as if half the chorus had moved on from singing their part.
At that moment, his stomach churned. He could feel the hunger now. The small sensation of his body filing a formal complaint. He thought back to when he was snacking on one of his wife’s diet daisy bars and Twilight walked into the living room. “Shining, it’ll be find, you three get to be a family all the time up there.” She had walked closer and tapped his cheek with a hoof, “let the Sisters and I have some aunty time!” Her answer to his motion to speak was to slide in a “If you go to bed, I’ll bring you a number eight from Hay Burgers for lunch.” As he opened his mouth, she continued. “Full meal. Large fries. Cadence doesn’t have to know.” She’d laughed as he closed his mouth and handed Flurry to her. He’d taken one last look at Flurry’s resting face, lightly running his hoof over her hair, before he turned and walked towards his room.
He needed to eat again, and outside the window he could see none of the breakfast carts that frequented the area to catch the rush of ponies off to work. With a few small changes to the menu, those same carts would quickly shift their demographic to kids on their way to school before not long after retiring to lunch. As the cobblestones turned from black to white without the shadow of the houses, they would wheel off to prep for the next day’s culinary needs.
These things concerned Shining, but not as much as the sight of Captain Tiller Draw strolling down the street towards the house. The first shift in the day of a Guardsmen was the graveyard shift, standing vigil under Luna’s gaze. The second shift kept watch during the time the Sisters swapped places, giving the city an energized guard for its busiest time. The third shift, overseen by Tiller Draw, basked in the glory of Celestia at the height of the day.
The third shift captain, and over half of its active members, now walked the shaded stones up the road. Shining knew the district his parents lived in. There was no one else they would be coming to see, even without the other things considered.
His stomach sank as he opened the closet and reached for his uniform.
A minute later, he heard the knock upon his door. It was met by a rise in his gut.
He strode downstairs and opened the door.
“I’m deeply sorry, Sir,” Tiller said as he threw his arm into a salute, “We should have come sooner.” A silent pause filled the air, lasting both a moment and an eternity to Shining. “You need to come with us to the castle.”
“I need to see it” Shining answered, the knot in his chest twisting with what he now knew but by the sisters hoped would not be true.
Tiller hesitated, then spoke. "Yes, Sir.” Without so much a nod, the guard present shifted open as their captain and Shining walked into the street. They formed a large circle around the pair, several layers of metal and muscle deep. It was a force to protect royalty. Just the thing he had in mind when Celestia had written Cadence the letter inviting them for a visit.
The sort of force that five princesses together called for.
With each turn towards the shopping district, Shining’s mind raced. With each minute that the hue covering the buildings remained and the shadows kept their length, his withers dipped.
The sight hung before him, just above the horizon, was hauntingly beautiful.
He knew the path. His family had walked it every year for school supplies, or dance outfits, or weekends to catch a courtyard play. He could already see the fountain that rested in the center of the plaza. It was a massive piece of stonework that had the tendency to peek around the buildings that surrounded it as ponies approached. There was no plume of water spilling out the top.
As his escort made a turn, the Fountain revealed itself in full.
It was sheared cleanly in half.
At its base, or where that side of the base used to be, sat the edge of a massive crater that swallowed the front face of the store it rested in front of. He didn’t need to see the front of the building to know the shop. He’d seen it countless times growing up in Canterlot. He’d gone there just about every weekend in highschool with his friends. It was the same place that he had first met his wife-to-be.
Stable’s Sweetery. Luna had told him that would be their first stop on the trip, spilling the secret that Celestia was dying to try some new cake recipe they’d thrown together.
Shining fell to his knees as his heart shattered.
“Sir,” Tiller blurted, “No one knows what to do. You are the only person anyone can look to.”
Shining was quiet.
“The people can trust you. The princesses loved you.”
His head dipped, his eyes shut.
“Please, Captain…”
“Send our fastest flyer to fetch Twi-” Shining gulped, “Twilight’s apprentice. And gather all the most capable wizards in the guard”
“Sir?” Tiller asked as Shining placed a shaky leg on the ground, picking himself up.
“We’ll need a council of powerful unicorns to get the raising and lowering back on track. I’ll- I’ll need to send a notice to every major city and county seat. The past few hours must be causing unrest.”
Shining stood and performed a single weak step towards the fountain.
“Of course, sir.” Tiller said through a nod at one of the guardsponies present. With a gust of wing, the Pegasus was in the air. Shining took another step, this one angled to pass the fountain. With another, he continued to move on a path to the castle. “Are you,” the words hung in her throat as she sprung into step behind Shining, “Are you alright?”
“No, I don’t think I am,” Shining answered as they left the crater behind them, “But I need be.”
As he left the plaza, his every thought dwelt on reaching the castle and not what followed.
He couldn’t bring himself to look back.
"Send a missive to Spitfire; the Wonderbolts are to be mobilized."
"Sir, that will cause a panic."
Shining kept a brisk pace down the castle's main hall. A fleet of ponies followed in his wake. Guards, scribes, servants, it seemed anypony in earshot came to his side. "There's already a panic, the sun hasn't moved for five hours. We just haven't received the reports yet." One of the clerks penned a note and rushed off. Another pony quickly replaced them. Ahead of the group, Shining saw a lick of flame rise above the crowd. He couldn't make out the unicorn it left behind. "Where is Discord?"
It took a few seconds and several rounds of murmuring for a pony to answer, "Our tails lost track of him about the same time it happened, Captain. You, you don't think tha-"
"Of course not." Shining objected, recalling the sort of magic he'd sensed in the plaza. As if that space simply ceased to be. "It's not his means or motive." A perfect sphere, enshrouding the royal body. Discord twisted and changed what existed, be it for malevolence in his old life or whimsy in his new. "Find him. Maybe he can make sense of what occurred..." Maybe he could explain how a segment of reality could be deleted.
"Shining!" He heard the voice of Sunburst's wife call out over the swathe of ponies. "What's going on!?" Starlight pushed past the entourage before him.
"I don't know," he stated, "follow me."
"Where's Twilight? I can't feel her magic."
"She's missing; They all are. We need to talk."
He saw the look of naked horror cross her face. "Where is Flurry?" He'd been dreading those words. She must have seen the look of his own; he recognized the lunge of a consoling hug. Shining placed an outright hoof to her chest.
He mouthed the word No. It was meant to still his guards as much as it was Starlight as they stepped closer to him.
Shining thanked the sisters that she stopped of her own volition. Only she could feel the weakness in his outstretched leg. What little strength remained faded all the more when he processed his internal prayer. He had to press on, keep moving, stay strong. There was so much left to do before the time for grief.
"Shining..." Starlight pleaded with him.
The stallion walked past her and spoke to her under his breath, "There are far more ponies than I who need your help right now."
"Who will help you?"
He had already stepped away.
"Anyone who is willing, come forward. I won't force it of you. Over time, we can broaden our search and call on volunteers from the broader population," Shining addressed the assembled EUP unicorns that were available in Canterlot, "but for now, we are the only individuals I can call on in good conscience."
They stood in a small meeting hall around a long oak table. The walls were dimly lit by a few lanterns and the corners home to cobwebs. This room was primarily chosen for its proximity to the barracks. Some of the guardsponies lacked their armor and instead wore a tired stupor, having only recently been roused by their summons.
One stepped forward. "How long before we lose our magic?"
"With four of us, a week," Shining answered, "Six or seven, maybe two."
"And if, if they don't return," the guard continued, "we'll lose it forever?"
"Yes." Shining confirmed. The room was silent. "I won't hide what I'm asking of you. There is a limit to what duty can reasonably seek."
The room was silent.
Shining looked over the gathered unicorns. To one side of him stood Tiller Draw, the other, Starlight Glimmer. Before him rested the scroll detailing the ancient ritual that allowed unicorns to control the sun. Under normal circumstances, the captain would have been court-martialed for the regulations and procedures she violated to obtain it. Of course, hardly anything about the day was normal.
One of the guards, Shining recognized the mare from the recent graduating class of cadets, stepped forward. "I'd do it alone, Sir, if I could."
"What's your name?"
"Vigil Stance, sir."
"Go with Headmare Glimmer, she'll lead you and any other participants through the spell." Shining motioned towards Starlight.
The silence returned for another few seconds as the guard crossed the room. Emboldened, another cantered forward to join her. An older stallion remarked "Not like I can use it much longer anyways." and joined the group.
After a minute, around a dozen guardsponies stood near Starlight.
Around twice that number still remained around the table. "The rest of you, go with Captain Tiller. You'll be assigned to new patrols about the capitol or sent into the surrounding area to maintain peace. Dismissed." He watched as they left the room. Some of the younger members had their heads down in shame. The older unicorns met his gaze, their eyes stating the doubts they held. Whether it was levied against situation that required the spell or their ability to cast it, he didn't know and would not ask.
Shining Armor turned to face Starlight. She'd already started explaining the parts the spell to those unicorns around her. As one took a seat, the others soon followed without a word being spoken. Starlight stepped closer to him to read the scroll, and with a spark of her horn the lanterns in the room intensified. It didn't seem like she'd even processed the intention.
Shining cleared his throat, "Can you handle this?" He hadn't realized just how parched it was.
"Yes. I'll set up shifts and see if I can restructure anything to make it less taxing." The scroll was swallowed in a blue light and unfurled itself down the length of the table. "It may take some time, but-"
"I'll come back and take over after I see to-"
"No, Shining." Starlight placed her hoof on the table hard enough to send a low thud through the room. "You're going to stretch yourself too thin. I can't let you have any part in this spell."
Shining did not nod or groan; he simply turned around and walked through the door.
"Shining, can you handle this?"
He stopped just a step over the threshold. "I have to. For them."
Shining sent thanks again, to his oldest partisan and her younger sibling, that there was nopony in the hall to see his tears.
