//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Midnight Radiance // by Yoru-the-Rogue //------------------------------// Prologue Cool night air wafted on a breeze through an open window, gently brushing against the feathers of Princess Cadence’s wings and prompting her to stir in her sleep. The day had been long and tiring in spite of how good it was, and the young alicorn had easily drifted off into a deep sleep when she had retired for the evening. When her aunt had first tasked Cadence and Shining Armor with running the Crystal Empire after their wedding, the young princess had had no delusions about the weight of the role they were being given. She knew it would be full, exhausting work nearly every day. Nonetheless she went to sleep exhausted and happy, pleased with the accomplishments she had fulfilled. Her last lucid thought was how beautiful and calm the night was, and just as she had decided more ponies ought to show Aunt Luna how much they appreciated a warm evening like this, she had drifted off to sleep and into dreams. Initially her dreams were tame, silly nonsense… and then she stepped through a doorway into a dark room. The change took her by surprise. She had been in Ponyville with Twilight Sparkle, who was practically dragging her to Sugar Cube Corner to approve an idea for Shining Armor’s birthday celebration, but the door had not opened into the warm, cheery little sweetshop. A high ceiling stretched far, far above her, and shadows that coiled like mist rolling over the surface of a lake obscured most details from view. Frowning and squinting in hopes of seeing better, Cadence took a few wary steps into the forbidding room. Strange… if she didn’t know any better, she would have guess this was the throne room of the crystal palace. Something behind her shut with the force of cannonfire, and even before she turned to look she knew with frightening certainty the doors were gone. Black marble stretched out beneath her hooves and when she looked ahead once more, a throne of crystal waited at the end of the long hall. She was right about one thing at least; this was definitely the throne room in the palace. But it was not at all the same one she and her husband resided in. The royal seat that awaited at the end of this hall was formed from jagged, harsh-looking black crystals that emanated thick, twisting shadows. King Sombra’s throne. Cadence tried to swallow, but her throat was rapidly going dry with fear. Why was she here, in that tyrant’s throne room? Twilight and Spike had restored the Crystal Heart to the empire, and Shining Armor dutifully patrolled the empire’s borders with the royal guard to ward off any threats. True, Aunt Celestia had sent news not long ago that Sombra had briefly escaped his otherworldly prison, but she had followed it up with the reassurance that he had been dealt with and returned to the oubliette. Hence, there was no reason for the throne room to appear this way. Somewhere behind her she heard a sound like jingling bells. A weary, world-worn sigh accompanied the musical sound and Cadence turned around to look behind her. An old unicorn was looking on unhappily, standing just a short distance behind her. A long, silvery-white beard ran from his chin to the floor, and his cloak and pointed hat were both adorned by shimmering stars and small, tarnished bells. The alicorn held back a gasp of recognition; was this the same Star Swirl the Bearded that once taught Celestia and Luna? He met her gaze levelly for a moment, then his eyes slipped past her to the crystal throne. “I tried to warn her this would happen, he said, his voice melancholy as lines of sorrow etched themselves into his weathered face. “Had she heeded my advice and done something about what my auguries revealed back then, perhaps the tragic history of the Crystal Empire would never have occurred as it did.” His hoofbeats echoed sharply in the chill air as he stepped past her, his gaze transfixed. “But I’m afraid sentiment often gets the better of us all. And I cannot fault Queen Platinum for being blinded with a mother’s love for her youngest son.” Platinum… Platinum… that name felt vaguely familiar. Cadence rubbed her temple with a hoof, trying to recall correctly. Hadn’t the representative of the unicorns in all the Hearth’s Warming Eve tales been called Princess Platinum? Yes she had, hadn’t she? Aunt Celestia had mentioned meeting her at least once before, some thousand years ago or so. She looked up at the black crystal throne again and a startling revelation occurred as she was trying to study the structure’s details. “Princess— I mean, Queen Platinum was King Sombra’s mother?!” she asked in disbelief. As the old unicorn wizard nodded, another remark he had made jumped to the front of Cadence’s thoughts. “He was her youngest foal?” “Yes,” Star Swirl said in reply. “He was so named for the color of his coat. It was an oddity at the time, especially for a foal born into a royal family. Dark gray coats and solid black manes weren’t common back then, at least not nearly as much as they are now. And… well, with his elder brother Lucien being such a bright, resplendent colt, the queen thought the name was fitting; she didn’t realize what an ominous portent it would be. Yet even so the tragedy and sorrow that marked Sombra’s reign could have been avoided. Sadly, he was set on the path that made a tyrant of a once quiet, studious prince.” An abrupt chill ran down her back and she flared her wings out to her sides, forming a small, protective barrier. Instantly alert, Cadence turned and twisted to each side, trying to pinpoint the source of her unease. Only the shifting shadows were rolling lazily all around them. Not convinced there was nothing to worry about, she moved closer to Star Swirl. “So why are you sharing this with me?” she asked tentatively. “If there’s a concern about King Sombra, wouldn’t it be better to speak with my aunts, or with Princess Twilight Sparkle?” It took a moment for what she was saying to process in her mind. Somehow Cadence could tell she was dreaming and it was therefore absurd to assume she was holding a conversation with the real Star Swirl. He had lived over a thousand years ago, and even if his lifespan had been longer than that of an average unicorn, he had surely passed away. This could only be a figment of Cadence’s imagination gone wild in a dream. But the old wizard turned and fixed her with a thoughtful expression, something akin to hope twinkling in those bright, knowing eyes. “My dear young mare, you are Mi Amore Cadenza,” he replied stoutly. “You are the Princess of Love, one of the most powerful forces in the world.” She lifted her brows in surprise. Yes, that was her role as laid out by Celestia, but wouldn’t that have been all the more reason to talk to a different princess? Surely this would better fit Twilight’s area of expertise… “Tell me, princess,” Star Swirl spoke gravely, a look of worried intensity on his face that reminded her of Shining when he was deep in thought over any of their concerns. “Can somepony live if they have lost their heart through magical means?” Ice plunged into the pit of her stomach and began spreading. Live, without a heart? Theoretically such a thing was impossible, but it had been mentioned before in Cadence’s studies that some time ago magic that powerful did exist. Even so, to lose one’s heart…! “Surely nopony could live without a heart,” she replied. “Even if it were magically removed somehow and you continued to live physically, you’d only be a—” “A shadow of your former self?” the unicorn finished her thought, and she nodded as he continued. “Yes, it would be a hollow existence. Without a heart to help guide oneself, a pony would act only on their thoughts. They could follow almost any plan of action if they believed it made logical sense, but without a heart to guide their conscience to determine right from wrong…” He trailed off, letting the unspoken suggestion hang heavily in the air. Sinister whispers seemed to echo in the swirling shadows and Cadence pulled her wings in tighter to ward off the chill. “That’s awful,” she murmured. After a moment or two of silence, another thought occurred to her. She looked questioningly to the wizard. “Is it possible that a pony could be reunited with their heart if it’s been magically removed?” The old unicorn watched her for what seemed like a long time before answering. “I believe it is possible, but up until now, there is no record of it ever having been tried.” “Until now?” she echoed. He turned with a soft chiming of his many bells and walked steadily toward one of the arched windows that overlooked the empire. Curious, Cadence followed and the throne room became enveloped by a light gray mist. Star Swirl led her straight to the window and walked right through it without batting an eye, and when she also stepped through, they were abruptly in the courtyard below, outside the palace. Not phased, the wizard approached the Crystal Heart and stopped several steps short of it. Cadence hesitated, but stepped up next to him and looked at the Crystal Heart. Her growing sense of unease intensified, made all the worse by the fact nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. The Crystal Heart pulsed with light and a deep, bass throb of a heartbeat resonated around them. And beneath that sound, there was the tiniest of cracks. Cadence’s eyes flew open as she jolted awake violently, a gasp escaping her. Shining Armor instantly propped himself up on his forelegs and looked at her in alarm. “Cadence? Whatsa matter?” His voice was heavy with deep sleep, but his eyes were already bright and alert. “We need to go check on the Crystal Heart,” she replied, bolting out of bed. “Now!” “What?!” She broke into a gallop, not waiting around for her husband to collect himself. The long halls of the palace flew by and she burst through the grand double doors, slowing her frantic run as she approached the courtyard. “Cadence!” Shining Armor shouted behind her, sounding a bit winded from the run already. “Cadence, wait!” She glanced over her shoulder long enough to confirm he was approaching and then looked to the Crystal Heart, breathing hard through her nostrils. As in her dream, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. But she knew better than to write off a dream like that one; carefully she approached the floating crystal, lighting her horn to better see its details. Her own heart started beating rapidly as her eyes found the detail she had been hoping not to see. Barely visible in the dim light near the bottom of the heart, Cadence saw a hairline crack among the natural facets where a tiny piece of crystal had chipped away.