As they had so many years before, the waves of the ocean crashed loudly against the base of the cliffs where Dark Star stood impatiently; however, unlike that night a thousand years ago when he had professed his love for Luna, the waves did not echo the surge of his emotions and the beating of his heart- instead, they mirrored the pounding of the hate inside his mind, the angry hiss of his rage and confusion. He found himself pacing along the cliff side, his eyes unfocused on the endless expanses of water as his mind worked furiously.
This can’t be happening… Luna challenged me. Actually drew her weapon and challenged me… He shook his head slightly. This can’t be happening. I can’t fight Luna… I can’t! That was never part of the plan; she was never supposed to go that far to protect Celestia.
So what will you do now? A mocking voice asked; the same voice that had challenged him in his dreams no more than three nights ago. I suppose your plan is to fight against her? Risk her life to prove your point, and win your brainless war?
Of COURSE not! He shook his head vigorously, pacing back along the cliff the other direction. You know that it was never my intention to do such a thing. This… this was supposed to have ended. Celestia was supposed to surrender at Canterlot, to avoid her soldiers being killed… and then-,
Suddenly, another voice spoke in his mind, shoving out the first. NO, not in his mind… INTO his mind. And then what? It asked. The voice was strong, full of malice and power, and such an incredibly overwhelming presence that Dark Star actually staggered a step before he regained his composure.
“What… what are you?” he muttered aloud, casting a glance at the others. Falling Star and Morningstar were speaking to Wild Star, who kept flexing his wings experimentally, as if he couldn’t believe he was still alive; and it was honestly nothing short of a miracle that he was… but the most important thing was that they were otherwise occupied, and not watching him closely enough to see him talking to himself.
Don’t pretend you don’t know, Dark Star, the voice answered. I am the one who has been here with you, this whole time. I was there when the Lunar Republic was formed; I was there when you pledged your undying loyalty to Nightmare Moon; I was there when you made the decision to forge the Elements of Destruction, there to see you through the hard times, when things looked bleakest. The voice paused, and for a moment it was as though Dark Star could hear it smiling. You could say I’m your oldest friend, Dark Star.
Around his neck, the amulet flashed gently with its purple-black light, and Dark Star looked down at it in surprise. “You mean… you’re-,”
The amulet? Don’t be ridiculous, you idiot. I’m not the stupid amulet… I’m EVER so much more than that, thanks to you.
“What do you mean?”
I mean… did you ever really look at how the Elements of Harmony worked, Dark Star?
“I read the texts on them, of course. I couldn’t have created the… couldn’t have created you without having done so.”
Suddenly the voice was angry, and its words dripped with pure malice. YOU DID NOT CREATE ME, DARK STAR. I CREATED YOU, YOU FOAL. I MADE YOU WHAT YOU ARE TODAY, MADE YOU THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE THAT YOU HAVE BECOME. The voice paused just long enough to laugh, a sound that filled Dark Star’s skull and made his ears ring. And I assure you, I have not done this in vain. You will be victorious today, Dark Star. You will have all that you desire… so long as you serve me.
“Serve YOU? I-,” Dark Star began, but the voice laughed again, much more harshly than the first time.
Don’t sound so surprised. You have always served me, Dark Star… and no matter what they tell you… you always, always will. We have a war to win, you and I… and I assure you that if you cannot complete what you have started… as before in Ponyville, I will finish it for you.
And just as quickly as it had come, the presence receded from his mind, causing Dark Star to gasp for breath as if somepony had released him from a huge vice. His legs shook for a moment as he tried to pull himself together.
With a shaky sigh his horn lit up; the straps on the armor he wore loosened and with a flick of his horn he tossed the armor aside, where it landed in a heap, leaving him wearing only his sword belt. He took another deep breath, and this one came easier; then the next one, easier still, until with a large sigh Dark Star felt himself calm down.
I can’t worry about the voice, he told himself. That’s something to worry about afterwards; after Luna is free, we can find out what it was together.
He nodded firmly, as if that decided everything… but even as he turned back to his comrades, he could not shake the feeling in the back of his mind that something was horribly, horribly wrong… and there was nothing he could do about it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Falling Star watched as Dark Star paced near the cliff, his mouth moving sporadically as he spoke to the thin air. The blue Pegasus frowned as Dark Star flinched at the same time his amulet glowed slightly, and then he spoke to himself some more, as if he were having a conversation with somepony inside his own head. Not exactly something that encourages confidence, Falling Star thought. He turned back to Morningstar, who was still checking Wild Star thoroughly; the faint pink aura of her magic surrounded her horn and would occasionally light up a part of Wild Star’s body, from his ribs to his shoulders to his wing joints, but if he felt it at all, Wild Star gave no indication. In fact, neither of them had spoken much since arriving, and in all honesty, Falling Star couldn’t blame them. What they had seen in Ponyville… and what Falling Star was seeing from Dark Star right now... neither of them were good indications from the black unicorn.
“Wild Star,” he said softly.
“Yeah, Falls?” Wild Star turned to face him as a small section at the base of his neck lit with the pink aura of Morningstar’s magic.
“Quit moving,” the unicorn chided softly. “I’m checking your vertebrae for damage, and if you move I can’t feel the fractures.”
Wild Star rolled his eyes, and Falling Star smiled slightly. “Best listen to her, Wild; nopony else will take better care of you.” Morningstar lifted her eyes from Wild Star’s coat just long enough to give Falling Star a minute smile before turning her attention back to her work, and Falling Star continued as softly as he could. “Listen… you both saw what Dark Star did back there in Ponyville.” He lifted a hoof to where the amulet of Fear now hung around his neck. “And I know you can both feel… whatever’s going on with these.” Ever since Dark Star had come back in close quarters with them, the amulet of Fear had been reacting strangely; even now he could feel its energies wildly fluctuating, surging and ebbing like a wild, uncontrollable tide. He could feel the fear in himself rise and fall, and at times in the past ten minutes he had found himself so afraid that he wasn’t sure if he could even move; but it was clear that it was coming from the amulet, and not himself, a distinction he had not been able to make before.
Morningstar let her magic die out before nodding. “You’re fine, Wild Star… I didn’t miss anything.” She turned her eyes on Falling Star, her expression grave. “And yes, I have felt it… though… what ‘it’ is… that’s another matter.”
Wild Star stretched his neck from one side to the other experimentally, but his voice was tight. “This amulet’s buzzing with enough anger to make Princess Celestia blow up the moon,” he muttered. “And it wasn’t until Dark Star brought us here that it started doing that.”
“Something’s wrong,” Falling Star agreed, tossing a discreet glance behind him at Dark Star, who was standing in one spot now, staring out at the sea. “But whatever’s going on… don’t let it interfere with the plan.” He offered his friends a brave smile. “Stay strong and we’ll see this through to the proper end.”
“The proper end…” Wild Star chuckled dryly. “If only there was an end that didn’t sound so final.”
“Their time is up,” Dark Star’s voice interrupted their conversation as he walked towards them, his sword swinging gently at his hip. His golden eyes were almost unreadable… almost. Falling Star watched him closely and saw the barest hint of uncertainty in him; the way his eyes shifted quickly from one pony to the next, the way he kept shifting his weight from front hoof to front hoof. However confidently Dark Star tried to make himself seem… he had his own reservations about what they were about to attempt. “They will be arriving momentarily,” he continued. “Today we finish this. Today, we see Luna returned to us.”
Falling Star nodded with the others, barely able to hold his tongue. There was nothing he wanted to do right then than to rip the sun-blasted amulet from his neck, throw it into the sea and tell Dark Star exactly what he could do with his plan… but for the sake of Equestria, he held his tongue, and somehow worked up a smile for Dark Star.
And as a flash two dozen feet away signaled the arrival of their opponents, Falling Star closed his eyes and offered a prayer to Luna, Celestia and any other divine beings that may have been listening that his plan would succeed… and that the ponies from Ponyville would think kindly of them after all was done.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The world winked out in a flash of white, and in a split second winked back into existence around them again, changing from the chaotic village of Ponyville to a quiet clearing by the sea, surrounded on three sides by dense forest and ending in a sheer cliff that dropped into the ocean beyond. Princess Celestia cast her gaze around the clearing; it was fairly sizeable, easily one hundred feet in diameter, giving the Sun Princess more than enough room to do what was needed. Behind her she could hear Twilight’s friends groaning softly and muttering to each other, and she couldn’t help but smile. Teleportation is always surprising, even after you get used to it. She hoped that the slight vertigo such magic induced wouldn’t hinder them in what they had to do.
She turned an eye to her sister, and found Luna staring ahead of them, her teal eyes narrow and intent. Celestia followed her gaze, even though she knew exactly what she would find on the other end of it.
“Welcome, Princess Celestia,” Dark Star said as her eyes found him. He gave her a cocky sneer as his horn lit up and drew his sword. “I’m surprised you had the courage to show your face here, considering that this grove will from this day forth be known as the place where Princess Celestia perished.” He gave his sword a twirl, the blade reflecting the sunlight as he settled it low and to his right, blade pointed towards the ground. “I hereby challenge you, Princess Celestia of Canterlot, to a duel.” His words were ancient, dating back to the time when Everfree was still capital of Equestria, and ponies were allowed to work out their differences through combat.
Celestia exhaled sharply, and turned her eyes back to Luna. “Raise the moon,” she said softly; her voice snapped Luna out of her glare, and the Moon Princess blinked at her for a moment before nodding firmly.
“I will. And I will relieve you when the runes are open.”
The white alicorn nodded, holding her sister’s gaze for a moment. “I trust you, Luna. I know we can do this together,” she said softly.
“Together,” Luna agreed. She closed her eyes and her horn lit up, sparkling with her dark blue magic as she began the arduous task of raising the moon at midday.
“Twilight,” Princess Celestia said, turning her attention to her faithful student. “Stay with Luna; it’s me that Dark Star wants now, not you.”
“But Princess…” Twilight began; but Celestia cut her off with a wave of her hoof.
“Trust in me, Twilight; everything will become clear to you… and no matter what happens, do not interfere with this fight.” Her voice was firm, but she gave Twilight a reassuring smile. “This is how it must be.”
With that, Princess Celestia turned away from her pony allies and faced her enemy; her own horn lit with magic as she drew her blade, its polished surface blazing white as she held it vertically before her. “Dark Star of Everfree,” she said formally. “I accept your challenge.”
Dark Star’s smile broadened savagely as he spoke the rest of the words. “Let this ritual of combat-,”
“-Prove the truth of our hearts,” Celestia finished, feeling the words sour on her tongue. Such a barbaric ritual; she was glad she outlawed it.
As she finished the rite, Dark Star advanced on her, his hooves digging into the soft dirt and propelling him forward with lightning speed. Celestia moved her hooves outwards just a touch, falling into a defensive stance with her sword held before her, blade across her body.
He closed with her, his blade somersaulting backwards through the air to hover alongside him on his right, the blade running parallel to his body as he charged; suddenly, mere feet from her he stopped and turned his body sideways, sending the blade lancing forward with blinding speed, its needle-like tip aimed at the place where Celestia’s chainmail split to allow her wing its freedom. Celestia’s blade flashed upwards in the sunlight, deflecting his blade high but just barely; the sharp edge glanced off of the armor she wore along the leading edge of her wing with a gentle chink!
Dark Star spun to his left, drawing the sword with him; it whirled around his body as he turned back to face Celestia, the blade flashing in from her left. She raised her own blade to parry, her steel ringing brightly against his as she stopped his strike and seamlessly flowed into the next block, taking a careful step back to put room between his blade and her flesh.
He saw her retreat and pressed his advantage; his sword flashed behind him and with a savage thrust of his horn it arced over his head towards her. Celestia’s blade whipped around, hilt to her left as she brought the sword up to catch the strike; it was forceful enough to drive her sword down an inch towards her head. Dark Star’s blade continued its journey, following all the way through to the ground before slicing back upwards at her chest; Celestia lowered her sword and caught it the same way she had caught the last.
And so they danced, Celestia and Dark Star, their blades meeting again and again in the bright sunlight, the ring of steel meeting steel echoing through the still forest steadily faster and faster until it began to sound like one continuous chorus, the notes ever changing but always there. Dark Star brought his blade in from every possible angle, from above, below, left, right, right, left, and all over again so quickly that the onlookers were having a hard time following it at all; the swords were quickly becoming shining blurs covered in two different shades of magic, neither party gaining any ground on the other.
Dark Star clearly believed that he was in control of the fight; he gave very little concern for his own defense, and instead poured all of his attention into attack. His smile grew as he pressed Celestia hard, the magical aura around his horn growing brighter by the moment as he poured more and more of his magic into the sword’s motions, making them strike harder and harder, faster and faster, pressing Celestia’s own blade back against her will. The Princess winced as a particularly brutal strike sent her own sword slipping closer to her leg that she would have liked. She took a step back, and he pressed her gain, his eyes narrow and predatory as he cocked the sword back for another strike.
Suddenly, Celestia saw her chance; Dark Star brought his sword close to his chest and thrust towards her again, this time aiming for her throat. Instead of parrying gently, Celestia’s horn flared brightly and she battered his blade aside with her own, sending a discordant note ringing through the air and his sword flying out wide to his right. The black unicorn’s eyes widened as Celestia used the forward momentum of her blade to swing it around her body completely in a shining arc of steel; he gritted his teeth and forced his blade around just barely in time to deflect it. But Celestia was in control, now; she had changed the rhythm of battle, and now she was the conductor.
Dark Star may have trained Celestia in the basic use of a blade, but there was another pony responsible for her prowess; a mare named Sabersong, born three hundred years after Dark Star had disappeared. While Dark Star’s talent with a sword had been in overwhelming tactics, either with speed or power, Sabersong the unicorn had been uniquely gifted in the art… in fact, hers was the only style of swordplay that Celestia would not have hesitated to call art. Her name bespoke her gift; Sabersong wielded a blade with such beauty and grace that on no less than two occasions watching her master at work, Celestia had found tears in her eyes. Her exquisite precision was legend among the Guardsponies and other practitioners of the sword arts…
But Dark Star would never have heard of Sabersong.
Time seemed to slow down for a moment; a half a heartbeat, stretched out in time as Celestia half-closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling all excess thoughts of the battle. When she opened her eyes fully, she saw only Dark Star- the movements of his eyes, the shifting of his weight, the set of his sword. She took a step to follow him as he retreated, his sword held up in front of him.
“You’ve gotten better,” he said grudgingly, his golden eyes never leaving hers. “Even since the last time we fought, in Whinnyapolis.”
The white alicorn felt a smile touch her lips, but her eyes held his intently. “In Whinnyapolis, I had just exhausted myself defeating a dragon, and it was nearly sundown.” She shook her head slightly. “Today, you are fighting me as the noontime sun blazes over head, at the height of my power…” Her smile grew minutely, and her eyes narrowed. “And there has been no dragon for me to defeat today.”
Dark Star’s mouth twisted into a snarl and he lunged forward, his blade lancing out at her chest, but Celestia’s blade flicked gently up and tapped it to the left; her hooves shifted ever so slightly, and the point of his sword met empty air as Celestia slipped around it as easily as if he had moved at half the speed. She twirled rapidly, her sword following her as Dark Star slashed at her hindquarters; but her blade flicked between her flesh and his steel, locking blades with him for a split second before the hilt pivoted, the blade whirled and it shot his sword the other direction. Celestia felt her wings unfurl slightly as she turned to face him again, her heart suddenly lighter than it had been in almost a week. Deep in her heart, she heard Sabersong’s soft voice speaking to her.
You are strong, Celestia, but do not let power guide you. Your power is not your strength.
Dark Star growled and charged her, his sword slicing in at her from a high angle, an attack meant to connect to the left side of her neck; Celestia’s white sword darted between flesh and steel again, its hilt high, but this time instead of blocking it outright, a flick of Celestia’s horn guided his blade up and just barely over her head. Her sword slid from his as she spun the other direction, her movements quick, her hoofsteps as light as air; the sword spun around her body in a streak of magic, sliding through the air like quicksilver as it flew at his undefended right side.
Do not let the stallions convince you that power will always win. The grace you possess, the lightness of your frame; those are a strength, and not a weakness. They are YOUR power.
The black unicorn was forced to leap out of the way of Celestia’s blade, and even then through her magic she felt the tip bite his flesh. He snarled aloud and brought his sword back to him as quickly as he could, holding it close to his body… but he did not attack. Celestia spun again, her mane and tail flowing around her like the air itself, her sword dancing with her, a part of her, one with her mind and magic; she came to a stop with her left side facing Dark Star, her right front leg pulled up tight against her, prepared to make the next move… and she could not help but giggle at the look on Dark Star’s face.
Be as a leaf on the wind, dear Princess. Light and uncatchable, graceful yet unpredictable- through these traits will you prevail where brute strength will not.
Dark Star watched her closely, glancing down to the cut on his right shoulder for a brief moment before looking back to her. “That’s not how I taught you how to fight,” he said, clearly fishing for clues.
“No, it is not,” Celestia answered coyly. He snarled at her again, but as he was about to renew his attack, a shadow slid over the glade. Not like the shadow from a cloud; a darkness that blotted out the very sun from the sky and plunged the world into an eerie half-light as the rays from the sun lit the edges of the moon. Celestia turned her eyes to the sky and saw that Luna had done it; she’d raised the moon and caused a full solar eclipse. In spite of herself, she smiled. Well done, little sister. As she watched, she could see the faint, silvery glimmerings of the runes there; the fact that they were visible was proof that Luna had been working with them- such runes would lay silent, invisible unless touched by magic.
Unfortunately, by the time she realized her mistake, it was far too late for her to recover.
A single hoofstep was all the warning she received; she turned her eyes back to Dark Star… and saw only the hilt of his blade as it rose above his head, far closer than it should have been… easily within striking distance, and well within her own defenses. Her eyes widened, and even as she began to move her own sword, she knew that it was too late. She had lowered her guard for just a moment… just long enough to lose her life. In spite of herself, she flinched as the blade arced toward her.
There was a flash of blue before Celestia’s eyes, and seemingly out of nowhere came Luna’s spear; it lanced between Celestia’s head and the sword, and the sound of Dark Star’s blade slamming itself against Luna’s metal-covered spear shaft echoed around the forest. The white alicorn’s wide eyes followed the shaft of the spear to her right, where her sister stood, teal eyes blazing as she stared at Dark Star.
“That’s a very cheap trick, Dark Star,” she said softly. “Attacking a pony when their attention is clearly elsewhere?” Her horn flared, and her spear gave a firm flick, sending the sword spinning back to Dark Star, who stared at Luna as if she had grown an extra head. Luna turned to Celestia, her spear held between herself and the black unicorn. “The runes are open,” she said softly. “Go and do what must be done; I will hold him for now.”
Celestia watched her younger sister for a moment, her lavender eyes searching Luna’s sea-green. “Can you do this?” she asked. There was no doubt in her voice, nor disdain or scorn; simply a desire to keep her sister safe.
Luna held her gaze, and for a split second Celestia saw the insecurity in her eyes, the deep-seeded doubt that she could, in fact, fight against the stallion she loved… but as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, replaced by the cool certainty that Celestia recognized from a long, long time ago, when a young Luna had decided that it was time for her to raise the Moon all by herself.
“Don’t worry about me, Celestia,” Luna said quietly. “I can handle this.”
The white alicorn smiled at her. “I know you can, little sister,” she said quietly. Her sword flew around to her left side, where she sheathed it with a soft snap before stepping back away from Dark Star. “I hereby turn this duel over to my second- Princess Luna of Canterlot,” she announced formally. “I shall act as her second, in the event that she falls in battle.” All according to the rules, she thought sardonically. Duels really were such silly, stupid things.
Luna turned her full attention to Dark Star, and Princess Celestia fell back to where Twilight and the others were standing. When she looked to her student, Twilight’s mouth was hanging open so far that the Princess couldn’t suppress a giggle.
“Twilight, are you trying to catch flies?” she asked. “Because I think you’ll need a different tongue for it to work…”
“Princess Celestia… where did you learn to do all of that?!” she asked, her voice soft with disbelief.
Celestia smiled softly but shook her head. “I’m afraid that’s a story for another time, my dear Twilight.” She turned her head skyward; her horn lit with magic, and closing her eyes she took hold of the magic she could feel coursing about the surface of the moon. The sheer strength of it all surprised her; Luna had done an amazingly thorough job of placing the lines for the runes, which would make what she had to do go all the faster.
With the most delicate touch she could muster, Celestia began to add runes to the circle; every so often one of the lines would shimmer with white light as she changed them, and slowly as she added they became more visible. It was a large circle surrounding a triangle, to start with; but as Celestia added, the triangle became a six-pointed star, and at each of the corners of said star, she began to add very specific runes. A single bead of sweat trickled down the side of her head, and she squeezed her eyes tightly. As if rune magic wasn’t difficult enough… we have to make it work from thousands of miles away! But she didn’t have a choice, unless she wanted to teleport to the moon herself; so she gritted her teeth, and carefully began to draw the next rune. Four to go…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“What are you doing, Princess?” Dark Star’s voice was cold and tense as he stared at Luna across his floating sword.
Luna’s spear whirled rapidly before hovering horizontally across her chest, the spear point just slightly raised. “I’m doing what needs to be done,” she answered simply, and she was proud that none of the fear, sadness or doubt she felt in her heart undermined the confidence she put into her voice. “I cannot allow you to hurt my sister, Dark Star; I told you that in Whinnyapolis, and I meant it.”
His golden eyes stared into hers, a torrent of emotion racing through them, as she knew he could probably see in her. It was all she could do to keep the bile from rising into her throat at the very thought of fighting him; standing here, weapon held at the ready, facing him defiantly… it was almost more than she could bear. She wanted to scream at him; she wanted to throw down her spear and chuck his sun-forsaken sword into the ocean and… and shake him until he came to his senses, or something, anything to keep this fight from happening… But she clenched her jaw, and took a single, deep breath.
To protect Celestia… to defend Equestria… and to honor the memory of what you once were, Dark Star… I have to do this.
She took a step forward; her spear still held before her, her wings tucked against her body like Celestia had told her. Dark Star’s eyes widened and he took a step away from her as she slowly advanced on him.
“Luna… stay back,” he warned, and he lowered his blade almost to the ground. “You know that it’s not you that I need to fight!”
Suddenly, Luna felt an intense heat behind her eyes. “Need to fight, Dark Star?” she said angrily. “NEED?! You don’t need to be doing ANY of this, you foal!” Luna’s hooves dug into the ground and she leaped forward, her spear spinning over her head before plunging down at Dark Star, the point slashing down and across his chest from left to right. Dark Star’s sword rose in a quick semi-circle, batting the spear point away as he stepped back, his eyes full of surprise.
“Luna?! What are-,”
“You promised me,” she said softly, and she could feel her anger rising, like an unstoppable wave that threatened to overwhelm her completely. “You PROMISED me that you would always be there to protect me.” She felt tears sting the corners of her eyes as she advanced another step towards him. “You promised that you would never let anypony hurt me, Dark Star… that you would keep me safe… and that you would never hurt me.”
“And I intend to keep my promises,” he said firmly, his eyes never leaving hers.
Luna’s horn flicked to the right, sending her spear slashing at Dark Star’s knees; he stepped back and blocked the strike with his sword as Luna spoke, her tone dripping with accusation. “And how do you intend to keep those promises, Dark Star?? By threatening my family?! By trying to kill my friends?! By attacking my home and my subjects?! Is that your idea of protecting me?!” She shook her head violently and lashed out again with the spear, the long, thin blade stabbing out at Dark Star’s chest rapidly. The unicorn’s blade moved with alacrity, turning each strike aside just enough to keep it from stabbing him, but his face was twisted in despair.
“Luna, please stop this,” he begged as the strikes continued; his voice wrenched Luna’s heart, and in that moment she knew that whatever she had told Celestia… she could never bring herself to kill him. But he doesn’t know that. The spear halted mid-strike and withdrew just a touch, hovering near enough to Dark Star that he was forced to keep his sword raised in defense. His chest was heaving, and Luna felt her heart pounding against her ribs as she stared at him. “Please Luna,” he said, his voice strained. “You know that I would never hurt you… I…”
“You promised that you would always be with me,” she whispered raggedly as her tears finally began to run down her cheeks. “That I was your Luna and that you would love me forever… but to love me, Dark Star, you have to trust me… as you once did.” She shook her head, her eyes burning. “If you do not trust me… then you cannot love me.”
Dark Star’s eyes widened, and Luna choked back a sob at the look of horror and betrayal on his face. His mouth opened slightly, as if he was searching for something, anything he could say to refute her words… but could find nothing. The confusion that filled his eyes was enough to break Luna’s heart, but she maintained control of herself, waiting to see what his reaction would be. She knew her Dark Star, knew what his immediate response would be… and if it was anything but that…
The unicorn dropped his eyes to the ground for a moment, and as he did, the amulet around his chest flared slightly, little more than a flash of purple in the half-light of the eclipse… and when he looked back up at her, his eyes were cold. “I swore to protect you, Luna,” he said, his voice devoid of any of the emotion it had held mere moments before. “And I will keep that promise, even if I must go against your own words to do so.”
Luna’s eyes narrowed at the amulet, now dark again. I knew it, she thought. Her eyes met Dark Star’s again, and in spite of the torrent of emotion raging through her- everything from despair to anger to the slight sense of elation she felt at the realizing that her suspicions might actually be correct- she smiled slightly at him. “If that is your choice,” she said calmly. “I will abide by it.” But it’s not your choice, it is, Dark Star… you stupid, stupid foal!!
“LUNA!” Celestia’s voice rang out across the clearing. “It’s time!”
The dark blue alicorn felt electricity lance up her spine at her sister’s words. It’s time to end this, once and for all. Her spear held out in front of her, Luna slowly backed up towards her sister, her eyes watching Dark Star carefully. “Dark Star…” she said. “I will offer you this chance once, and only once. Surrender now… or suffer defeat.”
Luna felt her stomach clench as the true realization of what was coming to pass hit her like a loaded wagon: Celestia and the bearers of Harmony were prepared to unleash their most powerful weapon against Dark Star… and he was being manipulated by his own amulet so effectively that he could not stop fighting. “Please…” she whispered, so softly that nopony could hear her. “Please come back to me…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Dark Star… I will offer you this chance once, and only once. Surrender now… or suffer defeat.”
Twilight turned her eyes from Celestia to Luna, who was backing up towards their group, her spear held between herself and the dark unicorn across the field. Her words were strong… but Twilight could hear the plea in them: Don’t make us do this. There’s another way.
Dark Star’s mouth twisted into a mirthless smile as he flicked his sword once before sheathing it in a single smooth motion. “Well, as tempting as an offer as that might seem… I’m going to have to decline, Your Highness.” His words… Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she watched him. The emotion he’d spoken with mere moments before was just… gone. As if he had just… shrugged them off and dived back into the pit of hatred that had settled into his heart, allowing that to drive him and his decisions. The lavender unicorn cast her eyes to the remaining generals, all standing behind their leader, their eyes dancing from him to the Princesses and back… and they didn’t look confident.
Desperately, Twilight’s mind tried to reason things out. Morningstar started out giving me such a horrible feeling in my stomach that I knew that something was wrong with her… but last night at the library, and then this morning… she didn’t look like she wanted to hurt us. Her brow furrowed. And Falling Star said that he wouldn’t attack us if we didn’t attack first, and stood up for his comrades; not something a coward does. She sighed sharply. There’s a connection here, Twilight! Look harder! It’s there, you KNOW it is! Her mind worked furiously, and she absently chewed her bottom lip as Luna backed towards them all.
“This is your final chance,” Celestia said, her horn still aglow as she finished whatever magic she had been working; Twilight was still a little sketchy on the details. “If you decline now, there is no turning back.”
“I know that, Princess,” Dark Star said, his smile becoming so derisive that Twilight felt offended on the Princess’s behalf. “And I assure you that my mind is made up. We are Nightmare Moon’s generals, to the end! You can throw whatever you’d like to at us, but I will NEVER surrender, and neither will the others!”
Twilight shook her head at the ridiculousness of it all, and was about to shout something at him about who Nightmare Moon really was… but before she could, Falling Star stepped up to Dark Star’s side with the Wild Star and Morningstar. Dark Star smiled confidently at his comrade… and then Falling Star spoke.
“I’m sorry, Dark Star… but you’re wrong.”
Twilight felt her eyes bulge as Dark Star rounded on him, his own eyes as wide as saucers. “Wh… what did you just say?” he asked, incredulity coloring his voice, as if he were sure that he had misheard what Falling Star had said… but the dark blue Pegasus merely shook his head.
“I said you’re wrong, Dark Star. We,” he nodded to either side of himself, first to Wild Star, then to Morningstar, “will not fight this war any longer.”
Dark Star stared at the three other ponies for a long moment, anger chasing confusion through his eyes; it was all Twilight could do to keep from leaping into the air with joy as a smile split her face. This had to be the end of it; if Falling Star and the others were done, that left Dark Star alone to face the Elements of Harmony, and there was no way in Equestria that even a pony as powerful as he was could hope to stand against them! Surely he would see reason now, and give up.
But Twilight’s quickly rising hopes were dashed into oblivion as the confusion on Dark Star’s face was replaced by a single emotion; complete and utter hate.
“Betrayed…” he hissed. His ears lay back against his head and he took several steps backwards, away from the three other generals. “You’ve all betrayed me… Now, of all times, the three of you have betrayed me!”
“We’re not betraying YOU, Dark Star,” Morningstar said sharply, taking a defiant step forward. “We’re honoring the vow of fealty we made more than a thousand years ago.”
“A vow we made to the Princess of the Night,” Wild Star said, his voice confident and strong.
“The same Princess that I serve!” Dark Star shouted, his voice cracking as his hatred boiled. “We serve the same Princess, Wild Star, and the three of you are turning your back on her NOW?!”
Falling Star shook his head. “No, Dark Star. YOU have chosen to serve Nightmare Moon’s memory. The war on Celestia, the raising of an everlasting night… those were Nightmare Moon’s ambitions.” The blue Pegasus turned his eyes to Luna, and he smiled slightly. “We are honoring our vow to Princess Luna, our one true mistress.” He turned back to Dark Star, his blue eyes resolute. “It is Luna we serve, not Nightmare Moon, and certainly not YOU, Dark Star.”
“For too long we have followed you, Dark,” Morningstar continued, her voice tight with barely controlled emotion. “We allowed you to convince us that Nightmare Moon was the revelation of Luna’s true self, that she was whom we should follow… and even when Luna herself told us that her war was done, that she wanted peace, we STILL, in our misguided loyalty, followed YOU, instead of our Princess’s own word.”
Wild Star glared at Dark Star. “You sent us away from you for just long enough for our amulets to lose power, long enough for us to see the truth behind what was going on.” The gray Pegasus shook his head angrily. “And to think that this all could have been avoided if you’d just listened to Princess Luna that first night when we saw her in Canterlot!”
Dark Star’s eyes were alight with anger so intense that Twilight feared that it would soon become the twinkling glimmer of insanity. “And… WHY… why this sudden change of heart?” he asked dangerously. He turned his eyes to Falling Star. “Especially YOU, Falling Star… I would have expected your fear to keep you firmly IN LINE…” His golden gaze swept over the other two ponies. “WHY?! HOW CAN THE THREE OF YOU DO THIS?!” he snarled.
Falling Star watched him closely for a moment, then closed his eyes and smiled. “Dark Star… you may not believe me… but I’ve learned something about fear in this last week.” He opened his eyes and turned towards Twilight and her friends; Twilight turned and saw that he was staring straight into Pinkie Pie’s eyes… and that the pink earth pony was blushing intensely as she met his gaze. “I found that fear is a powerful thing, and it will rule your life if you let it… but fear cannot hold you in its thrall if you let laughter into your heart.”
Wild Star turned his eyes skyward, and the look of absolute sorrow in his face surprised Twilight. “I’ve spent my whole life angry at the world, Dark… but I met a pony that showed me that anger won’t get you anywhere. Anger is destructive and wild… but it loses its power completely in the face of kindness and compassion.” He squeezed his eyes shut, and a single tear ran down his cheek.
“My jealousy has driven me to do many things, Dark Star… from doing whatever I must to get ahead in the Canterlot Academy of Magic to betraying those who trusted me the most for simple personal gain.” Twilight turned her eyes to Morningstar, and was surprised to see the other unicorn’s deep blue eyes staring straight at her, tears glinting at their edges; when she continued, her voice was thick with emotion. “But all that jealousy means absolutely nothing… if what you desire most in the world is freely given in friendship.” She gave Twilight an all but imperceptible nod, and the librarian felt her own eyes fill with tears. She means me, she thought. She really did want to be friends…
“And… and what do you intend to do NOW?!” Dark Star asked, his voice as harsh as the desert sands blowing in the winds outside of Appleloosa.
It was Morningstar who answered, her voice suddenly full of defiance. “We are going to fulfill our duty to the Princess of the Night.” The white unicorn turned to Luna and took a step towards her, her blue eyes full of tears. “Please, Princess Luna… forgive us for our tardiness.” Morningstar bent her front legs, dropping to her left knee and bowing deeply enough to Luna that her horn touched the ground. “Your servant, Morningstar,” she said simply.
Wild Star gave Dark Star one last look before turning towards Princess Luna and emulating Morningstar’s bow, spreading his wings wide. “Your servant, Wild Star.”
Falling Star watched his former leader carefully for another moment. “Dark Star… it’s over. We will not help you. You’ve lost.” Then he too turned and bowed to Luna, his huge wings spread wide. “Your servant, Falling Star,” he said.
Twilight looked to Princess Luna, and through the tears in her own eyes she saw that Luna was crying openly, tears streaming down her soft blue cheeks. “M-my good and faithful servants,” she said, forcing her words out around her sobs. “Please… r-rise and join us. You are welcomed here as among friends.” The words sounded vaguely ceremonial, and Twilight was sure she’d read them in a book somewhere along the line… but she was too happy to care as the three generals stood and took their first steps towards Luna, and towards freedom.
However… that first step was as far as they got.
All three of them gasped aloud; as they’d tried to take the second step forward they had all stopped simultaneously, as if they’d hit an invisible wall blocking their way. Twilight blinked… and suddenly became aware of a low, growling laugh that was beginning to rise in the air. To her absolute horror, Dark Star took several steps back from Luna and, as if they were each attached to him by invisible chains, the three generals were dragged backwards, their hooves leaving ruts in the dirt.
“LOST?! I have not LOST!” he screamed, his face contorting into a mask of unspeakable malice, his voice slowly but surely lapsing into the same duality that she had heard in Ponyville. “I have come too far… suffered too much, given everything to this cause… and I WILL NOT LOSE NOW!!” The amulet flared so brilliantly that it bathed the glade in purple light; everything became varying shades of magenta, lilac, lavender and mauve for the briefest moment… and when the light cleared, Twilight felt her heart sink into her hooves.
Dark Star’s eyes had once again become the lifeless voids of darkness and hate that she had seen before, when he was prepared to lay waste to Ponyville to kill her. Her lavender eyes went to the amulet, and suddenly everything clicked together, like the last piece of a puzzle box. The amulet of Hate… it’s fueling EVERYTHING! Anger, fear and jealousy… they’re all parts of hate! In the presence of the amulet, those separate emotions grow stronger because those are what hate feels, and that’s what hate feeds them… but once they were separated from it, those emotions began to die out! The amulet is the key!