The Dark Heart of Canterlot

Chapter 8: The Crystal Vault

"Something moves against us..."

Renewal Day occurred annually on the first day of the second moon when in it's third quarter. It was a significant day in the Canterlot calender since it marked the day of the renewing of Harmony across Equestria since the Elements were lost over a millennium ago. The shining of hope and love was instead radiated by using a single perfect crystal. Stories told that the crystal came from the mythical, long forgotten Crystal Empire - a glittering magical kingdom taken away from the world at the dawn of time.

Nopony knew how the crystal came to be, or whether the stories had any morsel of truth in them. But what everypony did know was that upon this day, Princess Celestia would descend deep into the fabled Crystal Vault of Canterlot, and ignite the sparkling gem with the power of Harmony, bringing light and joy to the world for another year. A special company of guards was left to ensure the safety of the shard for the rest of the year, the much revered Harmony Wardens.

Renewal Day was a holiday marked with many message-sending and gift-swapping, and was celebrated in many Canterlot High Society venues with a seven-course banquet. More relevantly, it was also the day when the Harmony Wardens and the Crystal Vault were ceremoniously inspected by the next most powerful ponies below the Princess: the highest of the Highlords, the Sky Ministers. From early morning, crowds would gather outside the entrance to the Royal Palace - festooned for the occasion with flags and bunting - to watch and cheer on the spectacle.

"An excellent turnout this year" said the Dawn Minister, a middle aged unicorn mare dressed in regal robes of cloth-of-gold and white velvet studded with snow-diamonds and fire rubies. Both her and her counterpart, the Dusk Minister, sat in a beautifully crafted chariot decorated with silver plating and sapphires. The stallion beside her smiled.

"Excellent indeed" he replied as the Royal Guards pulling the carriage wheeled round the Grand Viaduct. He was dressed in stately robes of starsilk and moon-wool, studded with onyx and dusk-amethysts. He waved to the crowd regally. "And perfect weather for it too now that the Weather Pegasi have kindly removed those rain clouds."

The carriage continued beneath the intricate and mighty Viaduct and on towards the majestic gates of the Royal Palace. The spectators fell back excitedly as it clattered towards them. Seven strides from the wrought gold gates, the Royal Guards halted and the two Ministers stepped down onto the red and gold carpet awaiting them. The gates opened, revealing the great set of marble stairs that led to the Court of the Sun and Moon.

From his viewpoint on the steps of the South Eastern Wing, Shining was enthralled. He had never witnessed such pomp and splendour before.

"Those look like real star-pearls and rainbow-gems on that pony's necklace!"

"I'm sure they are" said Cadence.

"And the Minister's robes! Is that really real starsilk?"

"Of course, a rich violet dye for the Dusk Minister, and a soft sky blue for the Dawn."

Shining nodded and fell silent - though not for long.

"I don't get this highest of the Highlords business" he said. "Why doesn't Princess Celestia perform this ritual herself? And why are there two of them?"

"You've so much to learn" said Cadence in a rather superior voice, "but if you keep on talking, you'll miss the ceremony. Shh, here they come now."

"Sorry" said the white colt sullenly. "I'll be quiet."

"Good" Cadence chimed primly, patting her damp mane with a forehoof and straightening her little gold tiara with a soft magic glow. "It's Renewal Day and I have to keep up appearances." She acknowledged a wave from the Ambassador from Flankfurt with a dignified nod. "After all, I am the niece of Equestria's Ruling Monarch..."

A stooped figure with a hooded cape and a silver muzzle mask who was standing in the shadows behind them stepped outwards as if to rejoin the crowds below, but instead stopped at the pair of young ponies and turned to the Princess.

"Forgive me for interrupting" he said, his voice deep and gruff, "but the lad does have a point. We accept what's going on so blindly these days. Perhaps one ought to question a little more."

Cadence snorted and turned away, but Shining drew closer.

"Do you have any answers?" he asked the stranger.

"Some" he said. "For a start, the Ministers of the Sky were only chosen as Highest of the Highlords for their wealth - nothing more. They are not special in any other way save for their higher-than-average magical skills. There's been a great deal of controversy of the election of the Ministers, especially when there are so many others who actually care about the ponies of Equestria. The Crystal Vault was originally part of the ancient underground dungeons that the Palace kept prisoners during the War of Eternal Night nearly a thousand years ago, but was converted into the chamber it is now in the months following the conflict. The Harmony Crystal itself remains something of a mystery, and the roles of the Ministers are little more than theatre."

Down at the entrance to the Palace, the two Ministers were hammering the ground with their regal horseshoes, slowly and simultaneously. Once, twice, thrice. As the loud, resonant thuds fells away, the crowds gathered at the gates fell still. Then out of the silence, came a muffled voice.

"Who goes there, in the name of the Sun, Moon and Stars?" it demanded.

"A friend of Canterlot" the two ponies shouted back in unison.

There was a creak as the grand double doors of the Royal palace swung open to reveal a shining column of the most elite of the Royal Guards - The Dawn Shields. Their sunsteel armour glimmered in the light of day, and the long high plumes on their helmets blew gracefully behind them as they cantered down the flight of marble stairs to greet the twin Ministers. At their head strode Captain Stormswirl. Shining felt a sudden urge to call out to his mentor, but was quickly stopped by Cadence with a stern glare and a shush.

The imposing pegasus stepped forwards to inspect the pair of regally dressed unicorns before him, a spear clutched in his right forehoof. The crowd remained still, hardly daring to breathe. Then the guard captain lowered his weapon and spoke up.

"Enter, friend!" he proclaimed, and a roar of approval and celebration echoed round the Court of the Sun and Moon. The two unicorns disappeared inside the Palace, the doors slamming shut behind them, and the cheering grew louder still. But Shining Armour was puzzled.

"A friend of Canterlot" he repeated. "That's what the greeting said. Friend, not friends. So, how come there are two of them?"

"Simple" answered the stranger, "they're twins. The Dawn Minister's name is Solar Rose, and the Dusk's is Eventide. Both were born into the wealthy Lightheart Family, the ones who own half the shops down Gold-Bit Avenue and the new Millennial Shopping Mall in Manehatten. It's rumoured that the two were very close as foals, and they remained close through their years all through the University of Canterlot - where they excelled in Aether Studies"

Shining rolled his eyes.

"The two were inseparable, and still are - like two sides of the same coin. Dawn and Dusk. It was impossible to appoint one as a Sky Minister without appointing the other."

"I see" said the white unicorn. By now, the crowd was beginning to disperse. Shining was about to depart himself when the stranger gripped his right foreleg.

"But it is worth noting, although they are twins, there is evidence to suggest that they are much closer than everypony sees. Much closer..." he hissed.

"W-What?" said Shining stiffly as he tried to shake his leg free. But the stranger's grip only tightened.

"there are many" he said, his eyes darting around him, "who are suspicious on their relationship, as it were. Despite being brother and sister, there have been whispers that they share a bed together every night...and do things unnatural for any sibling to do on one anot-"

"Come on Shining" Cadence said sharply and suddenly, seizing him by his other leg. "We should be getting back." And with that, she dragged him away. As they joined the crowds - now spilling out of the Court and going their separate ways - the blue maned unicorn glanced round.

"What was the rush?"

Cadence turned to him. "He was starting rumours and spreading gossip, that's why I wanted to leave" she replied. "I've heard it all a hundred times before. the whispers. The intrigue. The lies. The question is, what did he want?"

As the door slammed shut behind them, the Ministers of Dusk and Dawn relaxed. Since the rest of the annual ceremony would be performed out of sight of the excited spectators of Canterlot, they had no need for further pomp and ceremony. Solar Rose removed her ridiculously intricate nets binding her mane in place, letting the fiery cream hair fall around her shoulders.

"So Stormswirl" she said, "have you any fresh news on the matter we were speaking about yesterday?"

The Royal Guard Captain turned and trotted towards the concealed entrance to the Crystal Vault, the Ministers trailing behind him.

"I have, madam" he said, and looked around furtively. Walking over to a grandly decorated archway set into the wall at the end of a seemingly dead-end corridor, and Guard Captain raised his gilded spear - the bottom end fashioned into the shape of a white gold key. With a strong push, the spear slotted perfectly into the small keyhole located in the dead centre of the moulded wall. With a click and the grinding of gears, the diamond set wall separated to reveal an eerie black tunnel.

"Two new developments" he whispered. "Firstly, the Highlords are definitely up to something - and they may be in league with some from the High Halls. And not just the teachers. This goes right to the top. The Dean. The Sun-Dean. One, two, or possibly all three of the High Professors. All of them may be involved."

The regal mare shook her head as she and her twin followed the captain into the Vault Tunnels. Her horn flared a brilliant orange to provide light for their trek through the darkness.

"Celestia should have noticed..."

"And would have" Eventide broke in, "were she not so preoccupied. Poor Princess. She started into this year so well - yet recently, she's been looking appalling..."

"She never sleeps. She never eats" agreed his sister. "And though I hate to say it of so old and valued a companion, she has been neglecting the duties of high office..."

"That's because she spends so much time in those Statue Gardens every night" said Eventide hotly. "I just don't understand it."

"Neither do I" replied Solar Rose. "But as her two closest friends, we must persuade her to face up to her responsibilities."

"Ministers, you must also warm her, she will not listen to me right now" Stormswirl suddenly sighed.

"Warn her?" they both said in unison.

"That was my second bit of information" the guard captain said urgently. "Somepony was been trying to bribe the Statue Tenders and Masons..."

At that moment, a grating sound came from the shadowy crevices of the tunnel, far to their right. Stormswirl raised his spear, cocked his head to one side and listened. He turned back to the unicorns.

"We must be discreet" he hissed. "Even here in in the Vault Tunnels, there are those who would not hesitate to make capital from an ill-chosen remark."

Eventide frowned. "Are you suggesting that the Harmony Wardens are not now to be trusted?" he whispered.

Stormswirl's voice dropped further. "I'm afraid I am, sir. The Princess' curious behaviour is affecting all of Canterlot. Morale among the Harmony Wardens and Royal Guards is lower than I have ever known it."

They continued down in the silence, the tunnel cut through the solid rock of Mount Everwhite and on to the Crystal Vault at it's centre. When it was first constructed, the tunnel had branched off in many directions to form the underground dungeons of old. Since then, many of the other passages had collapsed or been sealed off. With time's steps going on and on however, the job of tunnel maintenance had a never ending task.

"I swear this tunnel gets longer each year" complained Eventide.

Solar Rose nodded. "It's high time we a new Vault Tunnel built" she said. "Direct from the Lightheart Estate - save us the walking. It would be difficult and expensive, but well worth it."

The shifting expanse of the mountain rock was as porous as a ball of brittle sponge. Filled with cracks and cavities which linked up to form a sprawling intricate warren of tunnels and holes, it hummed and hissed endlessly. Some of the tunnels were large enough for a pony to proceed comfortably through the rock; others were too small for even cave spiders - of which there were many - to squeeze into. It was a vast, confusing maze, everchanging, full of echoes and whispers, shadows and strange beings which glowed in the darkness. Some were ghostlike, some half-formed - and some predatory.

Ahead of them came the sound of muffled voices. At the same time, the tunnel gave way to the place known as the Heart of the Mountain - a rock within the rock which housed the Crystal Vault.

"Thank Stars for that" said Eventide as he continued down the long, straight passageway, running his hooves along the smooth solid rock. "The tunnels outside of the Heart always give me jitters" he chuckled.

The voices ahead of them grew louder and, as they neared the end, a great studded door opened to their right and yellow light fanned out over the floor. A heavily built unicorn guard stepped out and blocked the passage.

"Halt! Who comes this way?"

Stormswirl stepped forward. "It's me Sparkbolt" he said angrily. "Have you forgotten what day it is?"

"No, sir...I..." said Sparkbolt, his voice heavy and gruff with the rich ponderous accent of a pony from the Far Provinces. He looked at the Sky Ministers and jutted his chin out to them.

"Who are they?"

Stormswirl sighed and turned to the aged ponies. "Excuse him, he's new to the Guard." He turned back to the unicorn. "Today is Renewal day, Sparkbolt. The day of the year when the Princess - or the Sky Ministers in this case - ceremoniously tends the Harmony Crystal."

Sparkbolt looked down. "How was I supposed to know?" he muttered.

"Because" sighed Stormswirl, "I reminded you only this morning. Now step aside and let us pass." The guard pony fell back, and as Stormswirl strode past, he cuffed him around the head. "Imbecile..." he muttered, and turned to the Ministers. "Like I said, he's new to the Guard, but I don't have the patience today. He's fresh from the Outer Reaches. Strong in hoof and magic, but soft in the head, But he'll learn."

He continued down the corridor, past a huge carved door, half open. The Ministers hurried after him, their gowns flapping. As they passed the door, they glanced in to see a long rounded chamber carved out of the solid rock. This was the guard room, home to a company of hoof-picked Royal Guards and Harmony Wardens who divided their duties into three shifts. Some guards were snoring in bunk beds cut into the walls of the chamber, some were at a table playing cards, while the others - of whom Sparkbolt was one - were on duty. Like Stormswirl, all of them were fiercely strong.

They reached the end of the corridor. Stormswirl raised his key-ended spear again and slotted it into the Vault door. As the lock clicked, the solid stone door began to spin and twist on a series of rings, the intricate patterns plated in silver on it aligning to form an image of the symbol of Harmony - the Sun and Moon set in the same way as the Yin Yang symbol used in Neighpon and Shanghay. The door creaked open, and the captain stood aside for the Ministers.

"It never fails to impress me" Solar Rose whispered as they walked into the vast Crystal Vault.

"Absolutely awe-inspiring" Eventide agreed.

Across the floor they went, their hoofsteps echoing round the great domed ceiling. Beneath their hooves, carved into the rock itself, was an enormous circular design of calibrated triangles, concentric rings and a fanned circle of sun flames. It was identical in design to Celestia's Personal Banner. The two unicorns stepped forward to the very centre of the great room, and standing opposite each other, they pressed their hooves into two concealed loose stones. The entire chamber was lit up instantly as a multitude of multi coloured light exploded from the small crystal had rose from the ground upon a stone podium. Rainbow coloured flames licked the edges of the chamber to reveal a ceiling made from pure, solid diamond.

Without a second's delay, the two Sky Ministers' horns flared brilliantly with a wonderful spectrum hued magic that seemed to both dance serenely and rage powerfully along the length of their horns. As one, the two unicorn simply touched the flawless, perfect crystal before them, and whispered quietly.

"Light in the Darkness" whispered the Dawn Minister.

"Darkness in the Light" whispered the Dusk Minister.

Then as one, they simply declared : "Harmony"

And with those words, Renewal Day was completed.

Solar Rose lowered the podium by letting her hoof off the hidden stone, plunging the Vault once again into darkness. Outside the tunnel, Stormswirl had fetched a lamp and attached it on to the end of his spear. When the great Vault door was sealed shit once again, the captain turned to the unicorns.

"Takes my breath away, that crystal. Every year. It really does. Never have I seen anything so beautiful."

"It truly is the most precious thing on this earth" agreed Eventide.

"It's all beyond me" Stormswirl continued, "I'll leave such matters of magic to you unicorns. I'm just a simple pegasus."

"Pfff! You are being too modest, Stormswirl" said Solar Rose, "you're our eyes and ears."

"Without you we would know neither about the treacherous Highlords, nor about the attempted bribery of the Statue Tenders - although Stars know why anypony would try to bribe them."

"But forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes" said Solar Rose. "We will alert Princess Celestia at the earliest opportunity. She must be told of the great danger she is in."