Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms
Chapter 3-Deal with the Devil
-Canterlot Castle courtyard balcony-
The hug that Twilight and her friends were in broke up when a bright light flashed next them. The six ponies looked to see Princess Celestia standing before them, a proud smile on her face.
"Well done, Princess Twilight. You have proven that you have the qualities and skills to be a princess of Equestria. I couldn't be more proud of you, my faithful student." Celestia said to the new princess.
Twilight beamed as she trotted over to her mentor. "Well, I could never have done it without the help of the friends I've made over the years." She said, glancing back at her five friends. They replied with happy smiles of their own.
Celestia looked over Twilight and her friends. "So what are you going to do now, Princess?" She asked, her eyebrow rising while she kept a smile.
Twilight looked at her friends then back at Celestia. Now that she was a princess, she could reside wherever she wanted. She ran through the list of cities and towns she could choose from, but one town in particular stood above the rest.
"I think I'll be staying in Ponyville with my friends." Twilight said as Celestia gave a smile at her response.
"Very well, Twilight. And where in Ponyville will you be staying?" she asked. Twilight didn't have to think very hard on the matter.
"Where I've been for the past couple of years is fine, Princess." Celestia nodded. She knew Twilight was a simple pony that didn't take much to fancy decorum or decadent castles. The Ponyville Library would be perfect for her.
"So no splendid palace then?" Celesita partially joked. Twilight smiled at her teacher.
"No castle for me, Princess. Just some books, a few friends, and a quiet countryside are all I need." Twilight responded.
Celestia nodded. "Very well, then, Princess. You may return to Ponyville when you're ready." Celestia said, her horn beginning to glow. Twilight and her friends shielded their eyes as the sun goddess teleported back to the tower from where she'd come from.
"So are we going back home, Twilight?" Asked a small purple dragon with a lime green underbelly.
Twilight put an arm around the young dragon. "Yes, Spike. We're going home." She said with a smile.
-Mountain cave, south of Crystal Empire-
Before Chrysalis and Raspian stood in both fear and amazement before the shadowy figure.
"How do you know my name?" Chrysalis asked the shadow in the corner. Raspian had gotten into an attacking stance in front of his queen at hearing her majesty's name from a strange creature they'd never seen before.
"The better question is whose name do I not know? And Raspian, if you could drop the fighting stance, that'd make me more comfortable."
This caused Chrysalis's eyebrow to rise in curiosity as Raspian returned to a relaxed state. "Fine. You know our names, but what is yours?" the changeling queen asked.
"My true name has been lost to history. I once had many names, but you may call me Lodestar." The shadow responded, rising from his sitting position.
Chrysalis felt uneasy as the mysterious shadow moved. It seemed a kind of black magic flowed from Lodestar when he moved, almost like a black fog that seemed to emanate from him.
"A name lost to history? How long have you been alive?" Raspian asked, putting a perforated hoof forward tentatively.
"Been alive here, been dead there… It's easy to tell where I am alive and where I am not." Lodestar responded. Raspian raised an eyebrow in confusion while Chrysalis's eyes narrowed at the vague response.
"We sensed a love source coming from inside this cave. Was that you?" Chrysalis asked, her tone growing dangerous.
"You mean that love illusion I've been doing for the past day? Yes. That was me." The shadowy figure responded in an arrogant tone. "I'm glad some of my magic still works."
Chrysalis's curiosity was soon replaced with fury. "You tricked us with an illusion spell?" She said, her figure quaking with fury. "Do you know how desperate my people have become? A beacon of love such as the one you faked would have provided my people with enough food for the hive to have doubles of for the next month! Why would you do this?!" Chrysalis shouted angrily at Lodestar.
Lodestar simply smiled at the angry changeling queen. "Because you need my help and I need yours." He responded, taking a step forward. Now that he was out of shadow, the changelings could see a steel gray hoof that seemed to ooze shadow from it.
"What could you do to help my hive? Nothing short of the love from every pony in Canterlot could stop the famine my people are currently in." Chrysalis said, wondering what Lodestar could do for her people.
Even thought they couldn't see it, Lodestar was smiling as he spoke in a low voice. "I can give you much more than that." Chrysalis's ears perked at hearing this. "Why stop with just Canterlot? One measly city?" The shadowy figure paused to chuckle at the lack of ambition this queen obviously had. "Please. Take some initiative, Queen Chrysalis. Why stop with Canterlot when I can give you all of Equestria to feed on?"
At this, both Chrysalis and Raspian were surprised. "All of Equestria? How can that be possible?" Raspian asked. He remembered the trouble it took to hold Canterlot for less than thirty minutes.
"On your own, it is an impossibility." Lodestar said in a condescending tone. "Help me out of this cave and your people will never have to worry about hunger ever again."
Chrysalis considered her options. She didn't know who exactly this shadowy creature was or what this creature would do if she helped it. However, there were her subjects to think about. The hive was weeks from cannibalizing itself and Chrysalis needed to find food as quickly as possible for her people.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Raspian asked the shadowy figure.
Lodestar looked down and regarded the smaller changeling with a grin. "You don't." He said bluntly. "But are you willing to take the chance that I can help you and your people?" He asked, turning his attention back to Chrysalis.
After a few moments, Chrysalis looked at Lodestar. "Fine. But should you trick me again, blood will be spilled onto this cave floor. Am I clear?" Chrysalis said as Raspian looked at her with concern.
"Transparently." Lodestar responded with a smile. "So are we ready to cooperate with one another?"
Raspian raised an eyebrow at his queen. Chrysalis replied with a determined look.
"It seems we are." She said resolutely.
Lodestar's smile grew behind the veil of shadow around him. "Excellent. So do either of you have a plan on how to get me out of this cave?"
Chrysalis was already beginning to formulate a plan. "I have an idea. It is a risky one, but an idea nonetheless."
While the changelings could not see it, Lodestar's bright yellow eyes glinted with glee. "I'm listening."
An hour later, Chrysalis and Raspian flew out of the mountain cave, their wings buzzing against the blowing mountain wind. Raspian looked in front of him at his queen concernedly. She hadn't said anything since the formulation of the plan. Was she nervous? Was she excited? Well, only one way to find out.
"Are you sure this is going to work, your majesty?" Raspian asked, his voice bouncing off the tunnel walls.
"I know it will, captain." Chrysalis said immediately. "I just hope that Lodestar holds up his end of the deal."
"I don't know, my queen. He doesn't seem like the type we can trust." Raspian said, furrowing his brows together.
Chrysalis stopped immediately in the middle of the air, causing Raspian to overshoot her. Raspian stopped and looked back at his queen. On her face was an angry look. Oh dear. He thought as he hovered over to her.
"Is everything alright, milady?" Raspian asked.
"Are we any different, Raspian?" Chrysalis asked him with a stern look. Raspian looked like a disciplined child as Chrysalis scolded him. "My people need food and they need it fast. That creature seems to be the only safe option we have left shy of a last-chance assault on the rest of Equestria. I don't care if you trust him or not. The fact is we need him." She said despondently. Raspian nodded in agreement. Chrysalis turned south and began flying back to the hive with Raspian in tow.
They didn't say another word as they sped over the treetops of the Everfree Forest and towards the cave entrance to the hive. The changelings flew through the circular tunnel opening that led to the main hive chamber. Once they cleared the tunnel, both changelings' wings buzzed as they descended to the rocky cave surface.
Chrysalis stared at the empty green love extraction cocoons and the hungry changelings that buzzed about, trying find food. The changeling queen sighed.
"It seems it's time to start with the plan." Raspian said, breaking the sad silence. "Should I go and gather some of the drones?" Raspian said, extending his wings.
"Yes. Go get three of the best deceivers we have and bring them to my quarters. Tell them they will be rewarded for their efforts should they accept the mission." Chrysalis said. Raspian saluted and flew into one of the hive's tunnels at the far end of the chamber.
Chrysalis took a seat at the edge of the chamber. She looked at what her kingdom and imagined what once was a short time ago. Now it stood in ruin. A tear formed in her eye at the sight of such fallen splendor. We need this. She thought as she extended her wings and flew to her chambers, now with a determined look on her face. If that pony doesn't hold up his end, he'll wish he'd never faked that love source. With this plan, we will rise from where we have fallen. Equestria will be ours, along with all the love that is within its borders. Chrysalis thought, putting a holed hoof to her chin. As she thought, her despondence became determination You know, if we can take Equestria, why stop there? What of the Griffon Kingdoms to the east and the Crystal Ponies to the north? Why stop with Equestria when we can have the world? A wicked gleam formed in the changeling queen's eye as she landed in her chambers. Enough with these dreams, I have a plan to carry out.