//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Celestia's Paranoia/Luna's Dream Walk // Story: Dark Star of Shadows // by Super Ponyman //------------------------------// (Canterlot Castle, Celestia's Bedroom) Princess Celestia paced back and forth, her eyes filled with worry. Her sister, Luna, watched her with worry as well. "Oh lulu, I should have seen this coming. Now, not only is King Sombra back, but his student Burning Star escaped and still out there." Celestia said, gripping a glass of wine. "I should have just killed him when Twilight's friends left. That way, we would only have King Sombra to deal with, and not a fire-spewing Unicorn that can wipe Equestria out!" Luna was shocked by her sisters words, "Sister, you realize that Burning Star is smart enough to see that destroying Equestria isn't the wisest idea." Celestia went out to the balcony, preparing to lower the sun. Luna gave Celestia a big hug, "It will be ok Sister. Twilight Sparkle and her friends are more than strong enough to defeat Burning Star. After all, he is just a unicorn." Celestia's eyes turned serious, "A unicorn that was able to shatter our shields, destroy half the castle, and escape from prison very easily. I hate to admit it, but King Sombra picked a good student. He also seems to know Dark Magic like his teacher..." "I am aware that he has incredible strength, but he cannot run forever. He'll have to stop eventually, when he does, I'll kill him for you." Celestia shook her head, "No. You will need all the strength you can get of King Sombra decides to invade, I'll look for him tomorrow morning." Suddenly, Celestia's mouth turned into a large smile. She pointed at her sister. "Or, you find where he is in the dream realm, and I'll go destroy him when you pinpoint his location." Celestia said with unnerving enthusiasm. Luna was startled by her sister asking her that. "Sister! You know that I cannot invade another pony's dreams unless they are having a nightmare. Why would you even consider that?!" She said with true worry in her voice. Celestia looked Luna straight in the eyes, "we have to find him before he reaches Twilight!" Luna slowly backed away, "why do you think that he would go after Twilight?" Celestia spoke in a crazed voice, "because she's young and doesn't know about Burning Star's true power." Luna sighed, "ok! I'll go find him. But if this doesn't work, this is on you Celestia." Celestia just sat there, with fear in her eyes. "Heaven help us if Burning Star actually finds Twilight Sparkle..." Luna stepped out on to the balcony and began to enter the dream realm, "Don't worry sister, I'll find him before he finds Twilight." Luna said before disappearing into darkness (The Dream Realm, Main Chamber) The Dream Realm was always an unusual place, But Luna liked it that way. she flew through the empty void of the space between minds, looking for Burning Star's Dream. She flew past the dreams of hundreds of ponies. From Big Macintosh to Derpy Hooves, but did not see Burning Star's anywhere. Luna spoke in her head, "where is his dream? There is nothing here!" She saw a speck of black in the distance and sighed in relief. "There!" Luna flew closer to the dream of her Fiery Unicorn target and bounced off the bubble. there was some sort of shield protecting it. She shook her head, "Ok. Let's try that again." Luna said as she dived face first into the shield, this time breaking through. (Burning Star's Dream) Luna landed on a black floor, all around her was darkness. She tried to brighten the room with the light of her horn, but all she saw was more darkness. "Burning Star! I command you to show yourself! You can't avoid me, you know." Luna said, hearing her voice echo. "Show yourself! You know that I can drag your consciousness to me, so come on out now!" She said, raising her voice. All of a sudden, she heard a voice from behind her. "Took you long enough Luna..." Startled, Luna fell forwards as Burning Star laughed his head off. She got up, staring Burning Star down. He returned the stare Luna was giving him, his mane and tail ablaze with fire, lighting up the void to reveal they were standing in the middle of a castle, The Canterlot Castle! He then said to Luna, "I'm surprised it took you this long to find me... you're skill with Magic must be weakening." Luna extended her wings and reared up, trying to intimidate her Fire Unicorn opponent. "Where are you hiding Burning Star? Tell me and I will try to convince Celestia to not destroy you." He simply rolled his eyes, "Destroy me? Hah! Do you think I fear the wrath of the Princess of the Sun?" He stomped his hoof down, causing the ground to shake. "I DON'T." He started to pace back and forth in front of Luna. He smirked and said, "I'm surprised that you would come alone, Luna. I expected Celestia to turn up as well..." "You would be wise to fear her, Fire Stallion! She could smite you down in an instant!" Luna roared, trying her best to appear in a position of authority over Burning Star. Her opponent just smirked, "You can't scare me Luna. My training has made me immune to fear, you can't frighten me into revealing my location. So, what do you want?" Luna scowled, clearly annoyed because of her opponents carefree nature right now. She walked up to him and said, "Do you not understand the seriousness of you situation? You are a felon on the run, how do you think your story is going to end?" Burning Star sat on his flanks, "Well.. my best outcome is hopefully Sombra's corpse underneath a butt load of magic barriers. Or, with you two giving me a medal for helping you destroy him. Does that answer your question?" He said, stretching his front hooves. Princess Luna looked him with great anger, she pressed her hoof on his black furred chest and said, "Why would Celestia and I give you a medal?! What do you have that is that is worth the qualities of being a Equestria-renowned hero?" Burning Star leaned in, letting his horn touch hers, "Because..." he let his words hang there for a minute, "I know King Sombra's plan, where his castle is, and much more about him. Including his plans for Twilight Sparkle." Luna stepped back in disbelief, "That seems very far fetched, King Sombra would never reveal his plans to you..." Burning Star interrupted, "Princess Luna, he was my teacher. He always kept me informed, considering I was always by his side when we were on a campaign to conquer the villages in the Frozen North. He was like a father to me, but he was not my real father..." Burning Star began to heat up, causing Luna to step back. "Are you ok Burning Star? Because your... smoking." Luna said, seeing the fire on her hosts mane and tail growning in strength. "HE BETRAYED ME WHEN HE FOUND OUT THAT TWILIGHT WAS AN ALICORN! He said that Twilight would outdo me in every way..." Burning Star said as he stomped and thrashed around. "I was Furious! But, that wasn't the only reason why he wanted Twilight over me." Burning Star caused a ball of fire to appear on his hoof. Luna looked on with curiosity as the ball of fire extinguished, revealing a crown similar to King Sombra's. but, it looked much more feminine and sleek and had the infamous Alicorn Amulet on its peak. It was a crown very similar to the Element of Magic, but it looked... evil and dark. Luna stepped back and said in a truly shocked tone, "is that what I think it is? Is that a..." Burning Star answered her question before she could finish "it's a queen's crown, fit for King Sombra's newest scheme, corrupting Twilight Sparkle and turning her into his" he inhaled and said in the best impression of the Royal Canterlot voice "Queen of Shadows!" Luna saw tears running down the black unicorn's cheeks as he collapsed to the ground, crying like a filly. she walked up to him and said, "I... I don't know what to say Burning Star, I did not know this until now. Is he really going through with that plan?" Burning Star said through his sobs, "yes... he is. So before you decide the fate of my life with Celestia, maybe you should here my side." Luna asked the big question now, "Where at you hiding though?" Burning Star answered, with true kindness in his voice. "Where you would look last, Luna?" Luna left the fire unicorn's dream, still thinking about Burning Star's statement on King Sombra. Celestia was sleeping in her bed. "Queen of Shadows... so the dark king needs a queen. This could make everything very dangerous." Luna said, looking to Celestia's sleeping body, "I'll tell her in the morning..." Luna still had Burning Star's hint as to where he was hiding "where would I look last..." the answer came to him, and she froze with fear. "Heaven help Twilight Sparkle, for she harbors a force so powerful, it could determine the fate of this world. Now his choices matter..." "Will Burning Star save us? Or will he let us burn?"