//------------------------------//
// Chapter 26: The Skeleton in the Cupboard 
// Story: Knights of Ice and Crystal 
// by Leila Drake 
//------------------------------//

He loved magic. In fact, he liked it so much that he had dedicated his life to studying it. If anypony had a question on what spell to use to solve a problem he was the unicorn to go to. His crystal collection was nothing to be frowned upon and he always kept his eyes peeled for interesting artifacts. Sadly, the latter were few and far between and so the artifact collection was significantly smaller than the rock collection. Today, at the market, he had been lucky, though. The pony at the stand with the knickknacks had stumbled upon a rare crystal from the ice and wanted to sell it for a ridiculously low price. It had been a must-buy. 

Walking home, thinking about which books he would consult to properly identify the stone, he gasped, staggered and almost fell flat on his face. Rubbing his hoof and squinting his eyes in pain, Sunburst looked up. He could feel something was wrong. He had never been good at casting magic but that did not mean he would not notice when somepony cast a powerful, dark spell. The new gemstone in his saddlebag forgotten, Sunburst spun around and ran towards the castle.





"Cadence! Shining Armor! There you are!" Panting and wheezing as he ran towards them through the park, Sunburst hardly managed to raise his eyes at the royal couple. "We have... a problem."

"Sunburst! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Princess, I just..." He inhaled deeply. "I ran all the way from the market," he huffed. "Anyway! I noticed somepony casting dark magic! I don't know who or where but I thought you should know. Phew." He slumped down on his haunches, running his hoof through his orange mane and making it even messier than it had been before.

The alarmed Cadence gave Flurry Heart to Shining and frowned.

"Dark magic? What kind of dark magic?" she asked, conjuring up a glass of water which the thankful Sunburst quickly downed.

"I'm not sure... but it felt like the exact opposite of the Crystal Heart's magic," said Sunburst, wiping his muzzle with a hoof and returning the glass to Cadence who made it disappear again. "Hi, Flurry!" He smiled at the foal in Shining's foreleg and the baby beamed back at him, making his heart melt as she did every time. Growing serious again, he expectantly looked at Cadence.

"Hmmm." To Sunburst's surprise, Cadence smiled knowingly. "That could be Eclipse."

"Who?" asked Sunburst and Shining in unison.

"Eclipse, the little pegasus colt who was here a while ago as a witness... You don't remember?" Cadence asked her husband.

"To be honest, I do remember the case but I forgot the names," Shining admitted. "I thought the whole thing had been taken care of."

"A colt? How does a colt know dark magic?" Sunburst recoiled. "That's terrible!"

Cadence shook her head. "It's dangerous, yes, but Twilight's friends are taking care of him."

"Oh good, they - wait, they're here?"

"Fluttershy and Jonathan are," Cadence clarified. "And Darren, too, but he lives in the Empire anyway so he isn't staying at the castle."

"Hm," Sunburst wrinkled his nose. "I don't know those stallions. And who is Eclipse exactly, and how -"

Cadence chuckled. "We'll tell you everything we know," she promised.

"But we should check whether it really was Eclipse," said Shining Armor. "If it's not him it might be Sombra or some other threat."

"Definitely." Cadence nodded. "Can you take the detective from the City Guard along? Indigo... Blaze? He's a unicorn, too, he'll recognize the magic if it was the same one Eclipse used at home. But please be careful, maybe have a look without revealing yourself first."

Shining nodded, ignoring the slack-jawed Sunburst. He gave Flurry Heart back to Cadence and straightened up, putting on his captain face.

"If it's Sombra I'm going to bring him in," she said sternly. "Sunburst, are you ready?"

"Wha-what do you mean, 'ready'? I'm supposed to come along? Of course, I felt the magic, didn't I..." Sunburst sighed. "Alright, but are you serious about bringing Sombra in, just like that, without more help? And if he's really back, shouldn't we have noticed?"

"Uh..." Looking for help, Shining turned to Cadence who smiled apologetically.

"As I said, we'll tell you everything later," she promised. "Please go with Shining and find out who it was. I'll ask Fluttershy and Jonathan as soon as they come back. And I'll give Captain Spark a mirror call and tell him you're on the way."

Sunburst nodded and quickly followed Shining Armor who was already a few yards ahead.

Sombra might be back and a colt uses dark magic? And what the hay is a mirror call? I really need to catch up with what happened, Sunburst thought.





"Sir." A unicorn with a yellow coat lighter than Sunburst's and a short blue mane saluted. His eyes darted over to Sunburst, lingering for a second on his wizardly cloak, but otherwise the detective did not acknowledge his presence.

"Detective Indigo Blaze, meet Sunburst," said Shining Armor. "Thank you for joining us." He started walking and the three of them quickly left the City Guard's station behind. "How much do you know?" he asked the guard as they hurried to get to White Alloy and Feather's home.

"A source of dark magic has been detected. We're to investigate; possible source is Eclipse of the White family," said Blaze curtly. His voice was slow and calm but the look in his grey eyes was as hard as steel, full of purpose and determination. When he saw how nervous Sunburst looked back at him, his expression softened. "You're here to help with that, I assume?"

"Er, yes, I was the one who felt an echo of the spell," Sunburst explained. "If whoever used it does so again, I'll know."

Blaze nodded and smiled confidently.

"Alright, let's take a look," said Shining. "Detective, lead the way."





They did not need to go far. As Blaze turned around a corner close to the White's, Sunburst noticed two strange creatures. When they saw the group they exchanged a look and came over.

Sunburst could not help but gape at them. They both walked on two legs like minotaurs, had white hair and hardly any fur which explained why they also wore clothes and shoes. The shorter one who also looked more muscular then his friend was carrying a huge sword and, to top it off, a vicious tattoo decorated his left cheek. Were they the humans Starlight had talked about? Sunburst had not imagined them to be this tall or intimidating. Now the younger one spoke.

"Captain!" he said, giving Shining Armor a friendly grin. "That's a surprise! Did you come to check up on the Whites? Hello, Detective," he added politely and nodded at Blaze who nodded in reply.

"Actually, yes," said Shining Armor, slightly taken aback. "Is everything okay?"

The human nodded and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, everything's fine," he said. He exchanged a confused look with the other one.

"We were just there," said the one with the sword. His voice was much deeper and sounded less excited to see them. "What's this about, Sir? Trouble?" He tilted his head by a fraction.

"There's no need for the Sir," said Shining Armor with a grin. "You're not a guard, it's okay if you call me Shining."

"They keep telling me that," muttered the human but all the while there was a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Old habits die hard. I'm Jonathan," his friend decided to introduced himself to Sunburst.

"Darren," said the other one, smiling briefly.

"I'm Sunburst. Nice to meet you. Are - are you humans?" Sunburst asked cautiously.

"Yep," said Jonathan. "How'd you know?"

"Starlight Glimmer told me a little about you," Sunburst told Jonathan. "You're... not what I expected," he admitted awkwardly and quickly added, "She mentioned that you're an expert at Enchanting."

"Wouldn't say an expert but thanks for the flowers," said Jonathan jovially.

Shining Armor cleared his throat. "Sorry to cut this short but did you notice anything unusual? Sunburst said that he detected some dark magic earlier today."

"When exactly?" Jonathan asked. "Mayyybe around five-thirty this afternoon?"

"Er, yes, pretty much," said Sunburst, surprised. "But you said that everything's okay..."

"Because it is. We were there. It was safe," Darren said slowly.

"H-how can dark magic be safe?!" Sunburst sputtered, gaping at the two humans. "It could hurt somepony!" A shiver ran down his spine when a sudden gust of cold wind blew by.

"It did not," said Darren. "There's no need to be alarmed."

"Well, who was it?" demanded Blaze. "Was it the colt?"

"Yes," was Darren's short answer.

"And?" Blaze pressed on.

"He cast a spell and nobody was hurt, end of story. Eclipse practices his magic so he won't accidentally use it on ponies. And we make sure that it's safe while he does it," Jonathan said, looking slightly annoyed. "With magic shields and whatnot."

"We'll need proof that it was him," said Shining with a sigh. "It could be somepony else and we can't be sure until Sunburst compares the magic -"

Darren's frown made Sunburst instinctively retreat by a few steps. There was something off about this human. He could not put his hoof on it but Sunburst knew he sure did not like that hard stare. He decided that he did not want to get on Darren's bad side. Ever.

"Eclipse is asleep," Darren stated. "You will need to return tomorrow."

Jonathan's eyes wandered over to Darren. He appeared to be as unsettled by Darren's defensive glare and hard tone as everyone else.

"Uh, Darren," he said nervously, "overprotective much? They're the Royal Guard and the Gity Guard -"

"This is not the time to bother the boy," Darren said slowly. "He's tired and needs to regenerate before he can cast another spell."

"I insist," said Shining, his frown almost matching Darren's. "It's a matter of national security. How else can we tell if it's the same kind of -"

"Well, was it like this?!" With a quick movement, Darren unsheathed the sword and thrust his free hand forward. 

Shining Armor and Blaze both gave off an alarmed shout and their horns lit up; Jonathan pointed his hand at Shining Armor; Sunburst staggered backwards and immediately hit a fence with his flank.

However, Darren did not swing his sword forward as Sunburst would had expected. Instead, a current of dark purple energy gathered around his free hand. The energy turned into lightning and discharged into a nearby flowerpot. The pot was thrown a few yards into the garden behind it and toppled over. Tiny arcs of lightning crackled and faded away. A few petals floated to the ground. Silence fell as everybody gaped at the falling petals, then at Darren whose hand was still outstretched. There were a few gasps and shocked shouts as passers-by gallopped away.

Shining Armor and Blaze blinked, completely flabbergasted. They were surrounded by a sphere of golden light. Jonathan, who had been slightly faster with his spell than Shining Armor, lowered his hand and the barrier disappeared. Then he turned to Darren.

"The fuck?!" he shouted at him. "Are you out of your damn mind? We're on a public street! Dude, I know you like Eclipse but seriously, you need to chill!"

Darren sheathed his sword and huffed, rolling his shoulders as if to shake off his anger.

"In case you're wondering, the spell was exactly like this," Sunburst squeaked.





"He what?!" Twilight's voice was so loud that Jonathan's face conforted with pain and he quickly stretched out the hand that held the mirror.

"Yeah, you heard right. Darren basically attacked a flowerpot on the street." Jonathan sighed and eyed Darren who was sitting next to him. "He apologized and the," he snorted, "the pot is okay and since Shining Armor got the confirmation he wanted they let us go but... you know."

Twilight groaned and rubbed her forehead. The room behind her was moving as if she was pacing up and down in her throne room, holding the mirror in her magic.

"This is bad," she said nervously. "Are you sure you're not in trouble? You used dark magic in front of my brother! He's the head of the Royal Guard! And Detective Blaze is from the City Guard, I can't imagine they would just let it slide!"

"That's what I said," Jonathan grumbled. "Guess Mr Houndslayer got a little carried away when they wanted to wake up his best friend," he snarked.

"What were you thinking, Darren?" Twilight's accusing tone made all the tension slip away from Darren.

"Not enough," he admitted. "I - don't know what came over me. Suppose I'm not always as calm... as I want to be." His bed creaked when he leaned forward and rubbed his nose. Covering his mouth with a fist, he frowned at the opposite wall, the epitome of grumpiness.

"Darren," Twilight sighed. Sympathy showed on her face as she softly addressed her friend. He lifted his head to look at her. "What's really going on?"

"I - I don't know," Darren muttered. "I'm sorry I handled this so badly."

"Are you angry at somepony? How can we help you?"

"I'm... not," Darren muttered. "That's what is confusing. I'm just... angry."

Jonathan hummed, deep in thought. He scratched his neck and grimaced. He had an idea. Jonathan did not like it but he had to make sure...

"Twilight, would you mind if we talk alone?" he asked.

"Oh. Uh, of course not. See you later, then," she added, trying to sound chipper despite her disappointment, and her image in the mirror disappeared.

Jonathan put the mirror on the table and leaned back. He waited.

Eventually, Darren stood up and put his hand on his hips. Still looking at the wall, he said, "You know something."

"Yeah." Jonathan sighed. "I got an idea what might be bothering you. I'm a priest, you know. Back home, people came to me once in a while when they had problems, like when felt guilty about something and couldn't tell anybody else. Even after I died. Especially after I died. Believe me, not every Forsaken just moved on when they actually realized what they had been through."

Darren turned his head, eyeing his friend. "What do you mean?"

"Confession, obviously," deadpanned Jonathan. "I thought you used to be a paladin, shouldn't you be aware -?"

"I know how Confession works," grunted Darren. "It's just that it's been a while. Twelve years, I think."

"Well, if you want to..."

"Why are you offering me this now?" Darren asked, curious. "It's... unexpected."

"When you... snapped and threw that pot around I realized something," said Jonathan slowly. "I've been in my share of battles, too, but what you've been through... constant war for years and years... My experiences don't even come close to that. I wasn't there when the Scourge slaughtered the people of Lordaeron City. I wasn't there when Arthas sent the death knights to destroy the world. Not to mention Icecrown... How does somebody even deal with that?"

Darren looked away, facing the wall again.

"That shitload of pain, don't you wanna get rid of it?" Jonathan said quietly.

"How?! How do I get rid of that? Of course I'm angry!" Darren suddenly exploded, shouting at the wall. "I keep telling myself it wasn't me that - did those things! I keep telling myself that the truth set me free, that I'm healed. But guess what, I am not!" He panted, pressing his hands against the wall, and hung his head. Ice flowers bloomed on the windowglass. "Ever since I'm back to human, it's all coming back! Every night I close my eyes and I'm right back on the battlefield. See bodies dropping left and right. See them rise again as ghouls and monsters... And I can't do shit about it! And I'm the one that should have died - 'cause I put'em there!" He spun around and there was a cold fire in his eyes that scared Jonathan when Darren looked at him.

"I left Northrend but Northrend didn't leave me, Jonathan. Do you know that every time I enter a room I count the exits? I try to distract myself with work and by teaching the kid. I exhaust myself with exercise. Last night, I slept for four hours..."

"You didn't tell the Whites about that, did you?" asked Jonathan cautiously.

"Of course not." Darren sat down on the only chair in the room, wringing his hands. "The only one who really knows, besides you, is Luna. And she can't do much, either. Says that my soul needs to catch up with the memories, that I need to forgive myself." He laughed humourlessly. "How could I." He quickly wiped his nose.

Jonathan closed his eyes and thought of his sister.

Light, help me find the right words, he prayed. As a little warmth and confidence filled his heart, he opened his eyes again.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I mean, the people... that we killed... their souls are okay now, they're with the Light. I think they'd forgive you if they could talk to you." Jonathan stared at the window, at the intricate ice pattern that made it impossible to see through the glass. He racked his brain for inspiration...

"Exercise is good... and the meditation." he offered. "And good company, too. I think Feather and White are warming up to you. But, man, you gotta find your centre again. This is not Azeroth. This place... is safe. You need to actually realize that."

Darren nodded curtly in agreement.

"I dunno what else to say," Jonathan admitted. "But I can listen... whenever you want to vent." He shrugged helplessly. "Although... although there is one more thing I can do. It's not permanent but it can definitely help you to sleep a little better tonight."

"You want to say a Holy Word, don't you."

"Yeah. That is, if you want me to."

"Please." Darren's voice broke as he said the word with a longing that made Jonathan feel awkward and embarrassed. He had never seen Darren so vulnerable. What a proof of trust that was... Jonathan felt how his respect for Darren grew and wondered if he could be this open to anybody.

They both stood up. Jonathan put his palms against each other and tried to center himself. Then, he held both hands over Darren's head. He reached for the Light inside himself and said the words of the Prayer for Serenity. As the familiar golden glow showed itself around his hands, the feeling of unconditional love and forgiveness flooded his heart, spreading through his entire body. Darren closed his eyes and Jonathan knew that he experienced the same sensation.

Jonathan retracted his hands and since he did not know what else to do with them he crossed his arms. He averted his eyes and stared at the window again, to give Darren time to regain his composure.

Darren cleared his throat and Jonathan pretended to be stricken with momentary deafness when Darren went to the basin and noisily cleaned his nose.

"Thank you, priest," said the death knight hoarsely.

"Anytime, my friend." Jonathan smiled and rubbed his nose. "How about going for a walk?"

"Good idea. Time to get moving," Darren agreed. "And I've got to show you something I found out at the park yesterday." He snatched a large towel from its hook. "Just in case the trick doesn't work," Darren explained with a grin.