FanFic Preview: When it Rains · 2:59am Jun 11th, 2016
Just a little tease for what's coming July 2nd. Trying something new here.
Gleaming Shield unrolled her scroll and read boldly with all the strength of a knight. “Announcing, Lady Adagio Dazzle of House Dazzle!”
Setting off down the carpet, Adagio kept her eyes focused firmly on the rulers of The Heartlands.
Queen Chrysalis was, as always, the picture of inscrutability. The snow white alicorn sat tall in her white crystal throne, smiling graciously as Adagio approached. Like Adagio, she had opted to wear her jade green mane in the chignon knot style, her glittering silver crown tucked into it. A golden necklace held a matching jade green cloak, trimmed with white ermine fur in place. As calm and as cheerful as she looked though, Adagio knew the reputation she actually had at court. Queen Chrysalis the deceiver. Queen Chrysalis the manipulator. Queen Chrysalis, the alicorn that had ascended from nowhere and was surly planning to overthrow The Heartlands someday. She hadn’t experienced any of that personally. Chrysalis had always gotten on well with her parents, before their passing.
Next to Chrysalis was her husband, King Sombra. Sombra, on his black crystal throne, was in many ways his wife’s opposite. In the days of old Equestria, he had been supreme commander of its militaries and it still showed. He was stern, frowning down at Adagio as she approached. An iron circlet was his crown, held tight against his slicked back black mane. Like his wife, he wore an ermine fur lined cloak, but purple. The color went well with his grey coat.
Reaching the end of her walk, Adagio neatly dropped to her knees, dipping her head in a deep bow. Will and Suri stopped behind her, dropping into their own bows as did her ponies stopping just slightly behind them, lining the sides of the path through the crowd of nobles.
“I who have been summoned, ask what you wish of me,” Adagio began.
“We wish to know what you offer the throne,” Queen Chrysalis said.
“I offer my service and the service of all the citizens of Ponyville, to the throne,” Adagio intoned. “I will follow you in both war and peace.”
“We accept your service,” King Sombra replied, following centuries old tradition. “In return we offer you our protection and the protection of all The Heartlands in both war and peace.”
The room was so quiet that anypony could have heard one of Suri’s pins drop. Then Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra stood. The alicorns looked over the crowd, their expressions difficult for anypony to read. But then Chrysalis spoke, sweeping a wing back towards the mural behind the throne.
“Three hundred years ago, in the second age of harmony, Equestria was watched over by a mighty council of alicorns. They ruled with the principles of friendship and harmony, supporting each other and working to make the land great. Then, one day, a wandering mystic named Scorpan visited the court of Equestria and planted the seed of darkness. Of the council of eleven, six fell to darkness, their hearts chained by Scorpan’s lies.”
Adagio didn’t break the bow, but did roll her gaze upwards to look at the mural that told the story. The fallen alicorns were all clearly displayed, their silhouettes falling into a cloud of shadow that rose from Scorpan’s mouth like the tendrils of some monstrous squid. They emerged from the choking cloud warped and changed into mockeries of themselves. Chroma, the bringer of endless storms. Echinda, the mother of monsters. Bitterroot, reshaper of the land. Harlequin, the dark jester. Luster, princess of avarice. And Midnight, mistress of dark magic.
King Sombra took up the tale now. “Countless died. Whole towns and cities were swept away in the conflict. We are all familiar with this history. We tell it to our foals. We tell it to our friends. We all know that my wife and I, with the help of Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance, used the Elements of Harmony, to banish them away. But we also know that Equestria did not survive. Our own Heartlands. The Exalted Solar Prelate. The Lunar Kingdom. The Crystal Empire.” A thunderous crash echoed through the room as Sombra stomped a hoof. “Though they are lesser remains of the former whole, we still and will always hold the ideals of Equestria close to our hearts!”
“Lady Adagio Dazzle.... Your sword,” Chrysalis commanded.
When It Rains. A Friendship is Magic based AU. Coming July 2nd.
Hmm, I guess I was expecting another Lunaverse or Skitchverse story, but I'll give this a shot.
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Chin up my friend!
I did say fics, plural, in the last blog post. There are more previews to come.
I thought this was an R63 fic at first with that opening line. It also reminds me a lot of that official comic plot where they had Trixie and Flim and Flam as elements of harmony and had evil!Celestia and Luna and good!Sombra and Chrysalis. I always enjoy your AUs, so I'm looking forward to this one.