Chapter Six: Between Light and Dark
Canterlot, Equestria: Day 39, Year 27 of Celestia's Reign
The Doctor was concerned as he listened to Celestia detail all that had happened in the last twenty-seven years. Between attacks from the griffon tribes as they sensed a possible weakness after Nightmare Moon's assault, and internal issues with Equestrian fiefdoms still loyal to alicorns long dead, the Sun Princess had more than enough on her hooves. Now, she spoke of cults springing up, monsters from the EverFree Forest becoming more aggressive, and worst of all, ponies disappearing without a trace, some during broad daylight.
“The Brothers of the Sun were the worst. Somehow, they actually managed to build a small temple and were holding sacrificial rituals! Blood sacrifices! To me, Doctor! Great Maker buck me up the rump with a ray of moonshine, I never wanted that!” She's getting better at the cursing, he noted, although she had waited until they had gotten to her private chambers before letting out the torrent of emotion and profanity her initially calm report had devolved into. Must be a royal thing. They have to bottle it up that it just sits there in their minds and gets more and more creative and oh sweet fancy Rassilon, did she really have to give me that mental image?!
“Celestia,” he murmured, trying to stem the tide of tirade as the princess unleashed twenty-seven years of pent-up worry on him. “Celestia...” Oh marvelous. Now she's ranting about the court nobles and gelding as a capital punishment to insure that stupidity doesn't become a breedable genetic trait.
He fished his screwdriver out of his pocket and set it to 'Earsplitting Shriek,' triggering a short burst that made the princess' teeth itch from the look on her face. She stared at him, mouth agape, then blushed furiously, one hoof shuffling as she murmured, “Sorry... I suppose I did go on a bit, didn't I?” Sighing quietly as she sat down on a cushion, “It's just that before, Luna and I ruled from afar, if at all. Most of this governmental nonsense was taken care of by the rest of the family, and the nobles after the last of them died. So, now that I'm taking a more direct hoof in matters, the nobles are trying to buck the throne, and it's frustrating.” Her blush deepened as she added, “In one case, I mean that in the carnal sense as well. Idiot apparently thought he could charm his way to the throne.”
“I understand, Celestia, but you must realize that this is what every ruler, in every part of the universe has dealt with since time began. You think this is rough,” he added with a wink, “You should've sat in on some of the Council of Time Lords' sessions back on Gallifrey.”
Cocking her head curiously, she asked, “...Bad?”
“Picture a week-long argument between accountants, revenue agents, librarians, and bored aristocrats, and that's just to decide on what to have for lunch.”
The alicorn's face wrinkled. “...Ugh.” A knock on the door interrupted whatever she was going to say next. Putting on her 'princess face,' she called to acknowledge the knock and a white pegasus pony in golden armor with a cutie mark of a twin-turreted castle stepped in and bowed on one knee. “Princess,” he murmured respectfully.
“Rise and report, Bastion.”
Taking off his helmet and shaking out his stone-gray mane, Bastion took a sidelong glance at the Doctor and looked back to Celestia. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but this is a potentially sensitive matter of importance to the integrity of the Realm.”
Smiling indulgently as she let the 'princess face' drop, Celestia replied, “The Doctor is my most trusted advisor, Bastion,” She stuck her tongue out at the Time Lord, “When he bothers to show up, and don't think we're not talking about that later. Doctor, this is Bastion, the captain of the Guard. He was one of the young colts present when you dropped me off all those years ago, and has been by my side ever since. Anything that can be said to me can be said in front of either of you. Now, Captain,” she concluded, a hint of the royal tone creeping back into her voice, “Report.”
“Highness, we have had some alarming reports out near the Everfree Forest. Three families have gone missing, each a mother, father, a colt, and a filly. What's strange though is that each family is of a different race; one was a unicorn family that had just moved in. Another was a family of pegasi who had been assigned to handle weather concerns, and the third was one of the founding families of Ponyton... the Apples, if I recall correctly.”
Rubbing her forehead with a hoof, Celestia sighed quietly. “What's been the local response?”
“Mum, they're about two hairs short of boarding up all the windows and doors and hiding in their root cellars. I had several of my fastest scouts fan out across the local area, and there have been three similar incidents across the Realm in the past month.”
“Three more incidents of three families each just vanishing, and this is the first I hear of it?”
“This was the first time it wasn't put down to migration, malnourishment, or marauders, Mum. Still, I understand and recognize my failure, Your Highness, and will accept any punishment you give.” The guardpony kneeled on the floor in front of his princess, head bowed and sword held out to her across his hooves.
“Oh, do get up Bastion, you'll chafe your knees like that, and you'll look very silly dropping your sword on your head. There's been so bloody much going on lately that even I haven't been able to keep track of it...” she blinked over at the Time Lord who was no longer standing where had had been, but instead was wandering around, looking at the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and muttering to himself.
The Doctor was frowning. Celestia knew that look, and it wasn't a happy one, nor one that boded well for whoever was ultimately on the other end of it. “Doctor?” she asked, “What are you thinking?” He didn't respond immediately as he went to the bookshelves that lined one wall of her private rooms. “What are you looking for?”
“I need a text on ancient Equestrian rituals. The kidnappings are entirely too symmetrical.”
Bastion blinked slowly. “Surely it's just a coincidence or the product of whatever diseased mind has done this, Doctor!”
“Celestia, be a dear and tell the good Captain what I told you about coincidences.”
Barely suppressing a chuckle as she highlighted the correct volumes with her magic, she told Bastion, “He doesn't believe in any coincidence bigger than a breadbox.” Her face fell as it clicked and whipped her head around to face the Time Lord. “You're not saying...?”
“I'm saying that unless they're very very young, a pony is larger than a breadbox. I'm saying that having twelve ponies kidnapped by the same person does not make sense. I'm saying that the number twelve has a nearly religious significance in many cultures, including my own. Twelve regenerations we Time Lords get, twelve hours in a day, twelve hours in a night – well, if you're on Earth Standard Time, and since you and your sister kept the Day and Night on a fairly tight schedule, I would say that we're dealing with at least twelve very naughty ponies.
“I'm saying, dear Celestia,” he said as he slammed a book down in front of the princess and her guard, open to a particular page, “That you've got another cult to deal with.”
Celestia looked at the ritual detailed on the pages, and paled. There were two rings of twelve positions, one inner and one outer. The instructions called for one ritual at each phase of the moon, and one death each hour. The outer ring of innocents to represent the hours of the Day, then the inner ring of acolytes to represent the hours of the Night. A scrawl of quill-writing at the bottom named it 'The Rite of Light and Darkness.' In the center of the circle was marked a place for an artifact of some kind: 'The Scales of the Maker'.
Going to a map of Equestria, the Doctor asked, “Captain Bastion, was there any indication of where these families were taken?”
Walking over to join the odd chestnut stallion, Bastion mused, “There were some tracks leading toward the EverFree Forest, but we lost them before we got too deep. The other incidents took place in Hoofington, Neigh York, and Fillydelphia. All the local constables found were the bones, twenty-four sets apiece, placed in forests nearby and completely stripped of flesh.”
“This book says that four rituals have to be completed,” remarked the Doctor, “One for each phase of the Moon. It's meant to 'balance the Light of the Sun and the Shadow of the Moon for all time.' The only time I know of when those two celestial bodies cancel each other out effectively is an eclipse.”
Celestia started at the chestnut stallion and murmured softly, “Doctor... the new Moon is tomorrow. Remember how I said Luna and I raised the sun and moon? We don't raise them so much as give everything a nudge to keep it all moving as it should.” She glanced up at the sky, as if checking something, “And if I were to keep those bodies on their regular courses, an eclipse would be scheduled. I can't just change that, though – it would disrupt tides and weather all over Equestria!”
“Then we'd best get to the EverFree Forest before it's too late.”
Castle Ruins, EverFree Forest: Day 39, Year 27 of Celestia's Reign
The acolyte paused in his approach to the ritual chamber. Beyond the doorway, he could see the sacrificial altars, with the sacrifices already shackled onto them, bound and gagged on their backs. The unicorns in the group had been fitted with horn-sheathes wrought from cold iron to still their magic, the pegasi's wings similarly bound with cold iron straps.
The Father and the Mother noted his approach, beckoning him forth. “What is it, child?”
Looking nervously at the knives they were anointing, he stammered, “I bring news from the forest. Royal Guards have been spotted making flights over the area, as if searching for something, and they have been asking questions in Ponyton.”
Father Sun and Mother Moon looked at each other silently before turning their attention back to the colt before them. “It is of no matter,” said the Mother, “We are well-hidden, and the creatures of the forest provide us with a modicum of cover from assault.” She chuckled darkly, “And I dare anypony to be brave enough to get past the Hunting Shadows.”
“But, Mother? What of the Princess? Surely she will not let this stand.. and there is another report as well: One of Celestia's advisors has returned, an earth pony with a blue box.”
Giving the acolyte a stern but gentle smile, Father Sun replied, “Let the Princess come, my son. For that matter, let her advisor come as well. It will please the Lord to see them taste the bitter fruit of their pride, before their fall.
“Let them come. We will be ready for them.”