//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Fight For You // Story: Beacon in the Shadows // by Dee Bee Doo-wop Cooper //------------------------------// Beacon in the Shadows Or Cheerilee’s a Paladin Chapter 8: Fight for You By DigitDaemon ~~~~~ Cheerilee and Symphony stepped off the train and on to the Canterlot Station platform. It had been an early morning for both of them, which was made apparent by the mare’s yawning and the filly’s mane pointed more up than down in most places. As with the last visit, the pair was greeted by guards, but the magical inspection was left undone and the two were quickly hurried into a waiting chariot and on to Canterlot Castle. The ride was much more brief than the previous one; the guards had halted traffic in front of them in order to hasten their journey. Symphony watched with delight as the many colors of the city buzzed by them. Cheerilee on the other hoof, sat in worry over what had necessitated such an urgent trip. Once they arrived at the castle, the guards that had met them at the train station quickly opened the huge wooden doors to the throne room and ushered them in, before closing the doors behind themselves. Cheerilee and Symphony were then led down a side passage, up three flights of stairs, down a hallway, and then asked to wait at a plain wooden door. The lead guard knocked on the door. “You may enter,” Celestia’s voice clearly carried through the heavy oak, The guard opened the door and waved the pair in. “Dost thou really believe that it would be him?” Luna was finishing as Cheerilee walked in. “I do not know sister, I wish he would contact us every now and then, but that is just wishful thinking. Good morning Cheerilee,” Celestia looked down towards Cheerilee’s right, where the sound of small hooves followed quietly, “And good morning to you too, Symphony.” Cheerilee and Symphony both bowed to the two princesses as they entered the relatively plain room. It lacked the banners and grand, flashy jewels that hung about the rest of the castle. From the more homely feel, Cheerilee guessed that it was a personal room of one of the two princesses, or perhaps both. “Hello your majesties, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” “Not at all, my sister and I were just discussing an old friend of ours.” “Friend of yours dear sister, I never did much care for him.” Luna interjected. “Old friend of mine,” Celestia continued, “I hear that you were quick in taking care of the troubles in Appleoosa.” Cheerilee shuffled her front legs a bit, “Yes...I encountered another mind controlled pony. I wasn’t able to break the mind control this time, though. It seems that after she had been fatally wounded, that the mind control broke on its own.” Celestia gave Cheerilee a sympathetic smile, “I’m sorry. I know that this isn’t what you want to hear, but you did what you had to.” Cheerilee nodded sullenly, “I know, but that never makes it easier.” Celestia looked back out the door, which hadn’t yet been shut, “Sergeant,” the guard peered in through the doorway, “Why don’t you take this young filly for a tour of the gardens? I’m sure that Cheerilee is more than capable of keeping me and my sister safe.” The guard nodded and motioned for Symphony to follow, which she did after a reassuring smile from Cheerilee. Luna silently shut the door to the small room and then cleared her throat, “I do believe thou ist aware of Twilight’s news, correct?” Cheerilee nodded, “Yes, she told me yesterday when I went to check up on her.” “Then thou ist also aware of the current danger we face?” “I assumed that demons were bad news, but I’m not really familiar enough with them to accurately assess the threat they pose.” “Very well, let us explain it to thee, in that case. The demon realm lies in a separate dimension, not far from our own. It hath on several occasion collided with ours and spilled its wretched spawn into this fair world.” “So those are the demon wars then, right?” “Correct. Additionally, the link that binds ours and their world together causes some of their influence to leak over. It is their energy’s that give us a desire for power, or the want to inflict pain, the compulsion to lie, cheat and steal.” “If we managed to fight them back twice before, why should they be a problem now? Especially if Twilight thinks that they are only helping the Children of the Night?” “Thou ist correct again, we did manage to break their assaults twice before, but not without help.” Celestia took this opportunity to switch out with her sister, “Just as my sister explained that demons provide us with influences of evil, there are creatures who provide good influence as well. Unlike the demons, they are not sealed away and barred from our world, but seldom do they choose to enter either.” Cheerilee gave the princess of the sun a quizzical look, “Who are they?” “They are angels, their realm is just a dimension away from ours, like their evil counterparts. During the demon wars, they rallied to our call for help and assisted us in driving back the demons, but not without cost. In the last demon war, the angels took a single casualty, the angel of justice. Without her, the influence of crime began to spread, and eventually necessitated the creation of hero’s, of who’s boots you now fill.” “And like Braeburn.” Luna returned to the conversation at the mention of her own champion, “Ah, so thou hast met my new Inquisitor.” Celestia gave her sister an incredulous look, “Applejack’s cousin?” “Verily.” “So you gave him the Paladin’s Code then?” Cheerilee asked the midnight blue alicorn. “Only a passage, so that he might catch thy attention.” “I suppose that makes sense, I was wonder why he would have wanted to speak with me about the tending to of wild beast in preparation for use as a companion.” “We apologize, his request was most hasty, and we had little time to choose.” Celestia returned her teacup to the table, “Regardless, Luna, Terra and I, all chose a pony to act as their own champion of justice, and the solution worked. It worked so well in fact, that it is still the system we use, of which you are living proof.” “So you are afraid that we may have to fight another demon war, without one of the most powerful angels to help us.” “Precisely. There is an old legend that says on Justice’s dying breath, she formed a weapon with which one could drive back all evil. Unfortunately, that is all of the legend that I know, there is somepony that would know it better, but he has the annoying habit of making himself scarce.” “The old friend of yours?” “Indeed.” Luna was about to speak when one of the royal guards burst through the wooden door. “Pardon me your majesties,but there has been an attack in the royal gardens.” Cheerilee spun around to face the guard, “Where’s Symphony?” The guard swallowed hard, “They took her. I think they were heading towards the train station.” Cheerilee looked back at the two princesses. Celestia gave Cheerilee a nod, “Do what you have to.” Cheerilee ran out the door before stopping to look back at the guard. It was just her luck that he was a pegasus. “Take me there.” The guard nodded and followed her down the hall to a nearby balcony. When they reached it, he scooped her up and flew full tilt towards the train station. When they arrived, he gently lowered Cheerilee to the ground, followed her up the stairs and past the ticket booth to the platform. Cheerilee ran up to one of the station managers. “Did you see a train leave with a light green pegasus filly?” “Yeah, it was a fancy private train, her poor father had to drag her on board, she kept screaming about them not being her parents. Must have really not wanted to go home.” Cheerilee’s blood ran hot with anger, “You saw a foal being dragged on board a train against it’s will and you just pass it off? For your information, her name is Symphony, she was just kidnapped from the royal gardens, and I personally saw her almost murdered by the same pony who killed her parents in cold blood. And I swear, after I get her back, that I will make sure that you are charged with anything I can find if you don’t do everything in your power to help me.” The stallion whimpered and gave a tiny nod. “Now which way did they go?” The attendant pointed at the track leading to Manehattan. Cheerilee turned to the guard, who had followed her onto the platform, “Have them contact Manehattan station and let them know that no car is to leave until I fix this. She turned back to the attendant, “Are any trains about to leave in that direction?” He nodded and pointed to a passenger train that had just finished taking on water. Cheerilee ran over to the first car behind the coal car and swiftly undid the latch holding the two together. The engineer who had been look back to check the coal supply began yelling at her, but a quick change into her armor silenced him. Cheerilee climbed into the engine and turned to the engineer. “As Royal Paladin to Princess Celestia, I am hereby commandeering this train.” The engineer nodded and gave a salute, “The Equestrian Transportation Guild is at your service, ma’am” “Good. I need you to get me to a train further up the track, it has probably a ten minute advantage, but with no car we should be able to catch up.” The engineer nodded and pulled the whistle, signaling their imminent departure. He then threw the break lever and the the locomotive began to roll away from the station. The first couple of miles were agonizingly slow; the locomotive was unable to get to a high speed due to the treterose mountain track. As soon as the locomotive hit the flat plains of to the east of the Canterlot Mountain Range, it began to pick up speed, and before much longer, the other train appeared in the distance. ~~~~~ The middle car of the luxury train, was anything but luxurious. In the center of it was a stone circle that had been cut into thirds and covered the both sides and a large part of the floor. Two member of The Children of the Night were now standing in the car, on “watch”. At least thats what they had been told. “I realize we had to move out of the base, but do you really think the circle will work all fold up and stuff.” The other guard took a look around the room, “Yeah, I don’t know, I saw Silvered Tongue casting some sort of magic on the stone, It still seems kind of sketchy to me though.” The guards conversation was cut short when Silvered Tongue entered with two more guards, the guards were dragging behind them a small, light green pegasus filly. “You two, prepare the crystal,” the two guards that had originally been in the car nodded and hastily began position a large, ornate dais into a dock on the side of the stone circle. In the center of the dais was a large magic focusing gem. “You two,” Silvered tongue pointed at the two that had followed him in, “Tie her to the circle” The two nodded and dragged Symphony onto the stone circle. “I want you all to be aware, we are about to be boarded by the great paladin herself. I think that it would be rude not to give her some...entertainment.” The four nodded silently and continued their work, Symphony began to cry once more, as chains were affixed to her legs. Silvered Tongue placed a spell in front of the door and then quickly placed a disguising spell on top of it. After all of the tasks had been completed, the four guards spread themselves about the car. Silvered Tongue walked over the stone circle and took a place next to the ornate dais. The five in the room did not have to wait long. About three minutes later, they heard shouts and muffled screams as their brethren in the car behind theirs were cut down without a chance. The door was knocked back off its hinges and flew across the car, Silvered Tongue calmly lowered his head as it flew over him. Cheerilee quickly followed the door into the car but only managed to make it two steps before the trap spell took effect and bound her legs to the floor. “How good of you to join us miss Cheerilee, I was afraid that you might find your stay aboard my train...boring. So, I prepared some entertainment for you.” The large grey blue stallion made a sweeping gesture across the stone circle where Symphony was chained up. “You let her go you monster, she has nothing to do with this.” “Oh, but thats where you are wrong, she has everything to do with this, at least she will soon.” Cheerilee grunted and pulled against the magical restraints, but the trap held her still. “I thought I would also provide an opportunity for you to do some first hoof research. I will now demonstrate the process by which I will soon gain the support of all Equestria.” Silvered tongue began to charge energy in his horn and then let loose into the focusing crystal. “Now if you'll excuse me, I haven’t eaten yet, and I am famished.” he said before calmly walking out into the next car ahead. The energy in the focusing crystal grew and soon was close to blindingly bright. The radiation of magic began to seep into the stone circle and the runes lit up. Line of arcane power began to reach up out of the circle and latch onto symphony, who was quietly whimpering as she had no more tears left to cry. Cheerilee began to openly weep as she watched her adopted daughter fill with the black magic carved into the stone. A bright black light shot out of the young filly, temporarily leaving the audience unable to see. As their eyesight returned, they were finally able to behold the figure that stood on the stone circle. The young mare who now stood before them had bright crimson eyes and the lanky figure of an older, athletic teenager. Symphony’s coat was now a darker green and covered in triangular black stripes. her mane looked much the same, just a little bit longer and slightly yellow instead of it’s normal bluish white. The chains that had bound Symphony to the stone circle were gone. “Hello miss Cheerilee.” she said in a sing song voice as she stepped off the stone, towards the paladin. Cheerilee was too heartbroken to respond. She just shook her head, as if in a dream. “Why don’t one of you get me a sword, of maybe an axe?” Symphony rubbed her chin in thought, “No, bring me that hammer from the coal car.” One of the guards left and made his way up through the train cars. Symphony then pointed to the only unicorn guard in the car. “Let her out of the trap, but hold on to her. I want to have some fun with her.” The unicorn nodded and proceeded to grip Cheerilee tightly in his magic before releasing the trap spell. Just then the first guard returned and handed the giant hammer that the engineer used to break up coal chunks, to Symphony. “Great, now what do you say, miss Cheerilee, shall we play?” Cheerilee looked up from the floor, at Symphony and the predator expression on the former filly’s face made her blood run cold, “Please, you don’t have to do this.” “Oh but I want to do this, we will have so much fun together,” Symphony gave Cheerilee a wink, and Cheerilee swore that her eyes changed back to their soft golden color for a second. “Watch out, here I come.” Cheerilee braced herself for a blow that never came, instead she heard the sickening crunch of breaking bone as Symphony’s hammer smashed into the unicorn holding Cheerilee down. Symphony, capitalizing on the other guards shock, jump on the next closest guard with an overhead swing. Cheerilee, realizing what was happening, shook herself out of her stupor, and tackled one of the two remaining guards while the other one fled. Cheerilee pinned him to the ground and turned away as another sickening crack was heard and she felt a gentle spray of warm, thick liquid hit the side of her face. When Cheerilee got up off the dead guard, turned to see Symphony licking the blood off her hoofs and face. It wasn’t necessarily an odd sight, it was pony instinct to wash of their coat by tongue, but it chilled Cheerilee nonetheless. “I told you we would have fun.” Cheerilee gave the young mare a sad expression, “I never enjoy having to kill other ponies.” “Well, not the killing, but you must enjoy the thrill of battle somewhat.” “I do, on occasion, find the thrill of a fight enjoyable. This however, this was a slaughter.” Symphony looked down at the ground in sadness at disappointing her caretaker. Her head was lifted back up by a hoof under her chin and she found herself looking straight into the paladins eyes’s. Cheerilee saw that Symphony’s eyes had once again returned to their natural golden shade. “It’s not your fault, they delivered themselves to us and reaped the what they had sown.” Symphony nodded and then grabbed Cheerilee in a crushing hug, “I’m so sorry. I heard voices, they tried to make me hurt you. And...and...I wanted to do what they said. But I...but” Cheerilee felt Symphony’s tear run down in between the seams of her armor as she gently stroke the younger mares mane. “But you didn’t, you saved me instead.” Cheerilee pushed symphony back so that she could make eye contact with her, “And I am so very proud of you.” Cheerilee drew her back into a tight hug, “Thank you.” Cheerilee finally broke the hug and turned towards the door leading to the forward car and the engine. “We should get going, we might still be able to catch that son of a whorse.” Symphony nodded and gave Cheerilee a smirk, “It would be a shame for him to miss the whole show.” The two mares trotted into the next car, but they did not find Silvered Tongue there. Instead, in the middle of the room, was a broken teleportation pedestal. The wall of the car were lined with bookshelves and there was a writing desk at the far end by the other door. “Twilight could probably trace the teleporter, but we will just have to let him go for now.” The pair galloped through the door and into the engine. The engineer started to reach for a dagger on his side but Cheerilee was quicker, she gave the stallion a mighty buck and sent him tumbling off the side of Ghastly Gorge. The two worked swiftly to bring the train to a halt and the engine that Cheerilee had commandeered came crawling down the track a while later. About fifteen minutes after the engineer had the two trains connected and on their way, a flying chariot came flying above the tracks from Manehattan. Cheerilee and Symphony climbed aboard from the slow moving train and were met by General Turncoat and Lieutenant Flurry Wing. The two soldier started a bit at the sight of the former pegasus filly, but Cheerilee offered her reassurance. “She’s alright. The Children of the Night tried their mind control spell on her, but it seemed to have backfired. I want to get her to Twilight Sparkle as soon as possible though, so that she can remove the enchantments.” The general nodded, “Certainly, and the train will be rerouted to Ponyville from Manehattan as well, that should make thing a bit easier for you.” Cheerilee and Symphony sat down together in the second row of seats, and were joined by Flurry Wing a short time later. “You missed lunch.” Cheerilee gave the Lieutenant an apologetic look, “Sorry, something came up, I had to see the Princesses about the whole demon thing, and I didn’t even get my shield fixed.” “Don’t worry, its fine. Turns out we had to take care of a security breach at the castle.” Cheerilee looked at the floor of the chariot and shuffled her hooves a bit, “Yeah, about that.” “Wait, that was your fault?” “Well, kinda.” Lieutenant Flurry Wing burst out laughing. “Oh course, who else would be running around, causing so much trouble? Other than Ol’ Rocky McRocks’a’lot” Cheerilee gave the lieutenant a confused look. “My nickname for whomever keeps beating me to my missions. I mean whoever it is, is helping. It’s still pretty frustrating though.” Cheerilee looked to her left when she felt a slight dampness on her shoulder. Symphony had fallen asleep on Cheerilee’s shoulder and was drooling slightly. Even all grown up, she’s still so cute. Cheerilee wrapped her left leg around Symphony and sighed as the chariot flew off into the sunset.