The Shadow in the North

“So, tell me, Sunburst, what’s the most outlandish rumor you’ve heard about the Crystal Empire so far?”

“That’s a bit hard to say, your Highness,” the unicorn mused as he walked beside his sovereigns, idly wiggling his fingers at a giggling Flurry Heart, safe in her mother’s arms after the chaos of her crystalling a few days before, “Especially since I’ve already seen some pretty bizarre things in my short time here. Still … a number of ponies have sworn that the statue in the Palace square is a demon who was petrified by the Crystal Heart while fighting against Sombra,” he shook his head with a grin at the fancy, “Others have told me that you have a living weapon, from Tartarus, no less, hanging in the Throne Hall as both a guardian and an advisor.”

“Ponies do imagine all sorts of silly things,” Shining Armor chuckled, “You should hear some of the theories Twilly came up with when she was a little filly,” the Prince Consort’s pale rose aura opened the great doors to the Throne Hall as they approached, “But in this case, they actually got most of it right.”

Cadance reached out to steady the goggle-eyed academic as he stumbled, gently, but firmly, herding him along, “It’s nothing to be worried about,” she assured Sunburst, “Just think of it as meeting some more of the family,” the Crystal Princess gave the stallion a mischievous grin, “After meeting Auntie Tia and Auntie Luna, how bad could a demonic weapon really be?”

The bearded unicorn paled slightly as he followed the royal family into the Hall and nervously looked around; fashioned of pale purple marble with columns of blue crystals and hung with ancient banners the chamber stretched to the dais where the Imperial Throne and the new, rarely used, Consort’s Throne sat side-by-side, the newly restored Crystal Heart resting on a low pedestal between them. Indeed, the only thing that deviated from the storybook panorama of courtly grandeur was the heavy, black-bladed sword that hung on the wall behind the thrones, “Is that … it?”

“Yes, there she is,” Cadance agreed sadly, “Kragor hasn’t spoken in years – not since shortly after the Elements sealed her sister – but we keep her here in the hopes that something in the court will gain her attention and bring her back from wherever she has withdrawn too.”

“So, she doesn’t actually advise you?”

Shining shook his head, “No, that part the stories got wrong, though I admit having someone to voice the callously pragmatic choices could be useful, even if only to make sure we know what extremes to never embrace,” the stallion sighed, “Well, come along, Sunburst, who knows, maybe she’ll respond to you and Flurry.”

Soon finding himself in the remarkably unusual position of standing on the Imperial Dias and being formally presented to a weapon, Sunburst rather hoped this wasn’t a sign of what he should expect from his employment by the royal house.

“Sunburst, Flurry, I’d like you to meet Kragor, also known as Black Fang,” Cadance said as she made the introductions, “Kragor, this is our daughter, Flurry Heart, and her Crystaller, Sunburst,”

“I am honored to make your acquaintance, ma’am,” Sunburst declared awkwardly, with a deep bow, although the effect was somewhat marred by his glasses trying to slip down his muzzle.

When no response proved to be forthcoming, Cadance and Shining exchanged resigned, sorrowful looks. Flurry, however, wiggled in her mother’s arms and leaned over to grab at Kragor’s hilt – at the foal’s touch, runes flared down the length of the soulblade, slowly darkening from white to yellow, as the surprised ponies stared, before fading away.

“Vhat is this?” a metallic voice, rusty with disuse demanded, “Vell, hello little sister,” the sword almost purred, “Ve’re going to have such vonderous stories to tell ‘Caller vhen she returns, you and I, I just know it.”

Sunburst looked at his stunned sovereigns, and then back at the baby alicorn cooing happily as she patted the tartarean blade, “I think my life just got a lot more complicated ….”