//------------------------------// // Twelve. // Story: The Light of a Candle // by Scarheart //------------------------------// The Sisters Canterlot was set into the side of a steep mountain known as the Canterhorn. In the nine hundred years since its founding, it had grown substantially. Great pillars of stone rose from the slopes, supporting the sprawling platforms holding the city proper and the castle. They were arranged in tiers; lowest from the southern face of the mountain, along the western slopes and the highest nearly to the northern side of the mountain. There were five total, each one slightly smaller than the one beneath it. At the top was Canterlot Castle, home of the Princesses of the Day and the Night respectively. Graceful spires reached for the sun with golden rooftops glittering like scales in the rays of the setting sun. The walls were as white pearls. There were slender arches between some towers, connecting them. Ponies could be seen walking the impossibly thin stone walkways. Banners depicting the marks of the ruling alicorns were dispersed evenly, the cool winds picking them up to flap lazily as if to welcome visitors. The heart of Equestria oozed with power and magic. Most of the architecture would have been impossible without magic to augment and hold up some of the tallest spires. Canterlot was a wealthy city and her denizens flaunted it shamelessly.  All three tribes founded the city under the watchful eye of Princess Celestia. Throughout the centuries, Equestria grew and prospered. Here was where all the decisions were made. Politics, money, and power were focused and made Canterlot perhaps the most powerful city in the world. Its population could not compare to a city like Manehatten, which had a population ten times that of the capital. It did not need to. Every noble house in Equestria had a residence here and, of course, there were the princesses. The rolling countryside and scattered copses of trees were dwarfed by the mountain. June had her face pressed to the glass as she gaped at the splendor of Canterlot. Fizzlepop wore a small smile. The endearing sight of a child seeing something wondrous for the first time played out before her. Jakob sat against his seat, one arm fidgeting with his sling. “It’s so huge!” the girl squealed, her eyes huge and wandering over the spectacle that was Canterlot. “I can see ponies everywhere! They’re so small!” A few curious pegasi flew close to the carriage, only to be shooed away by the guards escorting it. June waved at them with enthusiasm. One waved back, wearing a confused grin. It was a slow turn on approach to the castle. More guards rose up from the battlements in pairs. The original four peeled off and were replaced by double the number. In one of the larger courtyards, there could be seen a gathering of ponies. Two of them stood out, one white, the other blue. They were larger than the other ponies. It was not difficult to figure out who they were. Jakob Gray was pensive. He had always known one day he would return to this place. It was not something he looked forward to. There was nostalgia; he and Kaga had wed within these walls. For three years the palace had been home. No doubt the alicorns were excited at seeing June. They would no doubt lavish attention on the girl and Jakob was not about to begrudge his daughter some much-needed mothering. Celestia and Luna were ready for June, but would June be ready for them? He imagined June would take to the princesses like she took to everything: cheer and awe combined with her immeasurable ability to be absolutely adorable. In a way, he looked forward to the encounter, along with a pinch of dread. “Father,” —speaking of June— “wasn’t I born here?” She had turned from her gawking, a toothy grin showing as she shifted her attention to Jakob. “Yes,” he replied, his eyes softening as he returned her look with a small and gentle smile. Every day her smile becomes more like the one her mother wore.  Fizzlepop cleared her throat, “I will probably have to excuse myself as soon as we land. I will have to prepare for Cadence’s arrival.” The mare flicked an ear and shook her mane. It was clear she was growing fond of June, but that went without saying. All ponies seemed to take a fast liking to the girl. June whipped her head around. “Fizzle, am I going to see you again?” “I’m sure we will, kid,” she grinned. “I’d hate to not see you again.” “You will have to return,” Jakob told her, still rubbing his mending arm. “Why is that?” asked the unicorn. “I still owe you a drink,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. She considered this, “Tell you what. You and Cadence make nice and I might accept your offer. Deal?” Her smile was wry, teetering on condescending. For a moment, Jakob darkened. Then his brows rose a fraction. “Fair enough,” amended the man. Fizzlepop chuckled, then shifted her legs beneath her. “June, do take care of your father and make sure he behaves around the princesses,” she suggested with serious air. “Do you think you can do that?” “I can do it!” cheered the girl. Jakob huffed with mock indignation. Fizzlepop squinted at him, “Is that a sense of humor I detect?” “You are imagining things,” the man growled with a glare. The carriage slowed and one of the pegasi pulling it whinnied. A chorus of other whinnies followed. The escorts veered off as one. There was one light bounce, then another as the wheels found terra firma. The carriage slowed, coming to a rapid stop. Both alicorns were waiting, sitting on their haunches. “Good luck out there,” Fizzlepop told Jakob and June softly. June found herself fixated on the two alicorns awaiting them not far from the carriage. Both wore smiles. The white one was the largest and wore a golden tiara and torque festooned with a single gem in the center of each. Her horn was longer than Cadence’s, June noticed. What was more fascinating was her mane and tail. They shimmered with the colors of the morning and seemed to move to their own wind. She wore a smile that met her magenta eyes. Those eyes locked with June’s own and the girl felt a sense of wistful longing. The second alicorn was a little shorter and seemed more serious. Dark blue fur covered this alicorn princess and her mane and tail seemed to contain the starry night sky itself within them. Her cyan eyes were piercing as she seemed to take in everything before her. There was an aloofness about this mare. Though she was smiling, there was a weariness in her eyes barely concealed. Her tiara was obsidian. The torque was of the same color, but with a pearled crescent moon emblazoned proudly in its center. A unicorn servant dressed in white and gold opened the door for Jakob and June. The man disembarked with his daughter quick on his heels. He was surprised at the lack of guards around their rulers. Then again, they really did not need them. “Stay close,mind your manners,” he told her. “Alicorns can be trusted,” she recited to him. Grunting in approval, Jakob took her hand with his and the pair began walking towards the alicorns. It might have been a dozen steps, but to Jakob, it was an eternity. Anxiety gripped at his heart. He fought it back, taking a deep breath to steady himself. June, however, was champing at the bit to meet the princesses. “Hello, Jakob,” greeted the great white pony.  The man drew himself to his full height and inclined his head politely, “Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. May I introduce my daughter June?”  The girl waved with an enormous grin, “Hello!” “Oh, my,” Celestia cooed, “you’ve grown so much, June!” Her wings hitched up her withers, ears perked forward. “Luna? See how much she’s grown? Adorable!” “I can see, sister,” the smaller alicorn chuckled. Stretching her neck to June, she smiled, “It is so very nice to see you, young June. I have waited many years to see you!” Her mask of aloofness fell away. Both alicorns pressed their snouts to the girl, their nostrils flaring while they nuzzled. June in turn reached up with her hands and rubbed the proffered muzzles, squealing with delight. The princesses were misty-eyed, sharing looks with each other. Jakob heard the carriage roll away behind him, daring a look over his shoulder. He saw Fizzlepop looking...at him with her piercing eyes, her expression unreadable. Finally, she seemed to wink as she was pulled out of view. Her look had seemed predatory. Jakob was not sure what to make of it. Another unicorn had hurried in and took up the bags Jakob and June had brought. Giving the man a little bow, she smiled as her charges were lifted by telekinesis and whisked away. Rooms had been arranged, no doubt. Jakob wondered for a brief second if he was going to be placed in the old suit. “Jakob,” Celestia’s voice caught his ear. He turned his head and found her looking him square in the eyes, “thank you for coming.” “As if I had a choice?” he protested mildly. “The summons seemed direct enough.” Jakob wished he had remembered to pack the note. “Oh,” she demurred, “I suppose it was a bit too forward.”  June was busy running her fingers through the mare’s unearthly mane. Her eyes were round and filled with wonder, going from one sister to the other. Her other hand was equally engaged with Luna’s own. “Why?” Jakob put his hand over his broken forearm. “Come,” she straightened her posture, “let’s get the two of you inside and refreshed. You had a long trip and I should like to talk over tea. There is much to discuss.” “It is very good to see you again, Jakob,” Luna added her own voice, resuming her aloofness. There was a twinkle in her eye. “I am eager to hear of your adventures in fatherhood since we last met. And whatever in the world happened to you? I read the report, but I would love to hear your account of your quaint establishment of dominance.” “Same rooms?” Jakob asked, rolling his eyes at the mirthful blue alicorn. “If you can remember where they are,” Celestia said. “I hope that is all right, having the same ones.” “It is fine.” “We can get you settled in after we have a chat,” Luna told him. She endured June scratching her behind the ears. “Father and Cadence had a fight,” the girl announced. The man’s eyes widened as he stared at his daughter. “June!” “What?” she protested. “You did have a fight with her, didn’t you?” “Did you?” wondered Celestia, arching a brow. “Over what, if I may ask?” Luna imitated the white mare, “She did not come with them, sister.” “No, she did not,” Celestia hummed. “Well, we can ponder out here, or we can do this over tea and cake. June, do you like cake?” An emphatic nod was the answer. “Good. Your father was never one to develop a sweet tooth,” Celestia whispered conspiratorially. “Your mother was especially fond of bundt cake.” “Can you tell me about my mother?” June asked. The alicorn gave Jakob a questioning look. He nodded, rubbing his sore ribs. “I would love to tell you stories, June. Come. Let’s go inside.” It was a bit of a walk. The massive doors leading into the palace had a guard at each side. With practiced movements, they opened the double doors as one, saluting smartly as the princesses and their guests filed through. The grand hall was immaculate. The floors had a shine in them allowing one to see their own reflections. The walls were a pristine white as to almost be blinding. Great works of art were hung proudly and murals decorated the arched ceiling.  A massive crystal chandelier loomed over the middle of the hall. Light cascading in from the windows struck the crystals, causing the colors of the spectrum to splash wherever the light was reflected. A grand staircase splayed open at the ground level, narrowed at the top. Beneath the chandelier was a massive statue of the alicorn sisters greeting all who entered with compassionate smiles and a warm welcome. The work was exemplary and the detail was fine enough to think the bronze alicorns could step down at any moment. Jakob noted it was no longer the single statue of Celestia rearing with her wings flared he had remembered. June was impressed and wanted to get a closer look. She was ushered onwards by her father, who promised she would have plenty of time to explore later. The statues were a bit garish, he supposed, but it wasn’t his house and therefore none of his business. There were ponies in uniform scurrying about, cleaning and doing other duties. Guards were posted evenly throughout, standing at attention at strategic locations. Both sisters knew Jakob was not one for conversation, but June was more than up to the challenge. As they went up the stairs, the alicorns took turns telling the girl about the history, with Celestia taking the lead. Jakob had heard it before, but he listened anyways, keeping an eye on his daughter.  The girl walked between them, constantly touching their necks and enraptured with the history lesson being imparted upon her. She loved touching things and could not help herself when it came to ponies. As they were social creatures, they in turn enjoyed her touch. Celestia and Luna were no exceptions. Celestia was a very good storyteller. She had centuries of practice under her wings. Although Luna was far less talkative, the dark mare did contribute. Their journey ended at the end of an expansive hallway. There were stained-glass windows depicting the actions of Equestria’s heroes. On the other were bronze busts of famous ponies on pedestals. Between them were great paintings, as well as a couple of double doors. The party went through one set, which opened into an open room. It was a library of sorts, or a study, Jakob was not sure. Some things had changed over the years. A small table had been set for tea. There were tea biscuits and cakes arranged upon it. Servers rushed to and fro, fretting over last minute touch-ups. Everything stopped when the doors opened and the princesses strode in. The little ponies all bowed, only to be encouraged to carry on by Celestia. Jakob and June were guided to their seats by an elderly earth pony servant who was very prim and proper. Once all were seated, the ponies disappeared with quick silence, each one bowing as they passed the princesses. Celestia began serving. “How are your wounds, Jakob?” she asked, preparing his cup. He waved her off, “They will heal.”   “That does not answer my question,” she told him. “One lump of sugar or two?” Jakob gave her a glare, “My arm itches and my ribs do not allow me to sit comfortably. No sugar. Honey, if you do not mind.” “Oh, dear, I am sorry to hear that. I should ask my physician to take another look at you. Perhaps something to make you more comfortable?” she paused, pursing her lips. “Of course you would prefer honey. I had forgotten. Cream?” “I will not object since you will only insist,” he grumped. “Please.” Jakob accepted the offered saucer with its teacup. “Thank you.” June and Luna were engaged in a quiet little conversation between the two of them. The dark blue mare was throwing furtive glances at Jakob and Celestia, an ear locked on their talk. Somehow the alicorn was able to focus on two conversations at once. “It would give me peace of mind, so thank you,” Celestia told him as she fixed a cup for the girl. “Sugar, June?” “Honey, please, with cream.” “Such manners. I am quite pleased your father raised you with some etiquette,” Luna observed with approval. Jakob remembered lunch with Cadence. “Not quite,” he admitted. “What was that?” Luna asked. “It is not important.” “What is important,” Celestia put in smoothly, “is why Cadence did not come back with you. June said there was a fight. What happened?” Knowing this was coming, Jakob sipped his tea and licked his lips. Looking at June, he knew it would serve no purpose to hide her from the incident regarding Cadence and the candle. He explained almost verbatim what he had told Fizzlepop Berrytwist. As he did so, Luna nibbled on a scone. Celestia had a slice of cake that looked as though it would cause tooth rot with a glance. Both mares were very still as they snacked and listened. “A candle with strands of Kaga’s hair within the wick?” Luna mused worriedly. “This does indeed smell of necromancy, though I would have to look at the matrix Sparkle created for the spell.” “We should not jump to conclusions,” Celestia told her.  Luna nodded in agreement, “Indeed. Such a thing is delicate. I had no idea the memories were going to be used in this manner. I was expecting a memory book.” “As was I,” Celestia said. She hummed thoughtfully, “I would like to speak to Cadence about this candle. I would like to see it for myself.” “Did Cadence do a bad thing?” June asked Luna. Jakob sipped his tea, waiting for the alicorn to respond. He was eager to know her thoughts, as well as what Celestia had churning in her mind. “Morally and ethically,” she mused, nibbling more of her scone, “I’d say yes. I would like to talk to her about it. Sister?” “Agreed,” Celestia shook her head. “Something like this is very unbecoming of her. Cadence has much more common sense than that. It could be due to her compulsion to follow her mark.” “I thought you trained her on controlling those urges. Love misused is a dangerous thing,” Luna told her. “I should know what it means to give in to your mark.” Jakob’s blood ran cold, “Are you saying Cadence could become a Nightmare because of this?” “I do not know,” Celestia admitted, “even so, it is far too soon to jump to conclusions. You said she was very apologetic to you, and I am very happy you chose to apologize to her, Jakob.” Luna shuddered, “I have a difficult time picturing Cadence as a corrupted aspect of Love.” Celestia blanched, “We will need to take steps to make sure this does not happen, remote as that may seem.” “Is Cadence in trouble?” June asked, her voice twinging towards fear. “Oh!” Celestia shook her head and gave an assuring smile, “Cadence is not in trouble, June. She did something wrong, but all of us are going to come together and let her know everything is going to be all right. Sometimes adults make mistakes and it is a lot harder for them to cope with those mistakes than foals.” “I like Cadence,” June went on, “She’s my godmother.” “We all like Cadence,” Luna told the girl, sweeping a wing over her shoulders. “Come to my embrace. You seem to need a hug right now. I happen to have room right here for a little one such as yourself to cuddle with. Come!” June allowed herself to be drawn in. Getting hugged by an alicorn had become a bit of habit for the girl. “So, she will be bringing the candle?” Celestia asked Jakob. “She will,” the man grunted, watching his daughter get mothered. “I expect Cadence to keep her word.” The white alicorn nodded, satisfied with this answer. “Until then, might I suggest the two of you settle into your rooms? I’ll have room service bring you both supper. You should have some privacy the rest of the evening and until tomorrow. I’ll send word when Cadence arrives, and we will have a more formal discussion. Once that is settled, we can discuss June’s magic surge.” “Tomorrow?” June whined. “But I wanted to talk about mother!” “Tomorrow, June,” Jakob told her firmly. “You are tired.” “Aww!” “I promise to tell you anything you want to know,” Celestia said to the girl with mirth. Hours later, Jakob had just finished tucking June in. She was old enough to put herself to bed, but a worried father with too many things on his mind tended to fall back on things that gave him comfort. The trip had exhausted her and meeting the alicorns had set her senses into overdrive. Overstimulated from her day, the girl did not take long to find her way to the Land of Dreams. The room was as he remembered; but with a second bed put in for June. The room was spacious, easily twice the size of the cottage back home. A hearth burned with a fire that fed itself. There were the beds, with a night stand in between them pushed up against a wall. There were two dressers, one on each side of the room. The suite had a bathroom and a walk-in closet. Lastly, there was an open balcony with no barriers between it and the room beyond. The curtains had been drawn for privacy, the design purpose-built to take advantage of the pleasant late spring night. During cold or inclement weather, an enchantment in the walls could be activated to put up a glass-like barrier to divide the room from the balcony. Celestia’s court physician was scheduled to come in the morning to check in on Jakob as well as to provide an initial assessment of June’s magical abilities. The man was not looking forward to it. Having dragged a chair out to the balcony, the man sat with a foot propped up on the balustrade. Jakob had found the modestly stocked liquor cabinet and was having himself a brandy. It was not mead, but the drink would do. He could hear the sounds of feathers beating upon air and noted them blurring in his peripheral vision. It was followed by the light clip-clip of shod hooves on stone. “Hello, Luna,” he greeted with a salute of his glass. The ice tinkled from within. “Good evening, Jakob,” Luna folded her wings against her sides and shook her mane. “I trust you find your accommodations acceptable?” “I do. Drink?” “No, I think not,” she told him with a smile, “I have my duties this eve and I would be remiss if I were to dispel potential nightmares in a state of inebriated indulgence.” Jakob stood up. It was getting a bit easier to do so. Another day and a half, he reckoned. “I hope my intrusion into your dream was not unwelcome,” she said, her eyes blinking. “I sensed the discomfort of your dream, and I responded. Please forgive me if I was—” “Thank you,” Jakob told her. “You know I have fears. You know I am terrified of the power you and Celestia have. I remember you telling me how you could go into the dreams of others and you asked me if you could have permission to visit mine.” “You said no,” Luna finished. “I have respected your wishes. I cannot tell you the number of times ‘Tia has wanted to go and see you. She frets over you and June, as do I.” She inhaled deeply, pawing at the stone with a hoof, “My time is short this eve. I only wanted to drop by and give you my personal welcome. I know you did not want to come here and I apologize for Celestia’s insistence. There is trouble, but we know not what the scope of it is.” She rose on her hind legs, throwing her fore hooves out. Before Jakob knew it, he was being hugged by the Princess of the Night. “Thou art the son We never had,” she whispered into his ear. “Thou wilt always find a home here, no matter the follies of this world sent against thee and thine daughter. Fear Us not, child of man, for We will ne’er forsake thee.” Jakob found himself returning the embrace. It was an awkward moment. The pair broke apart. Luna was on all fours, already turning as if to lift off into the night sky. With her wings half unfurled, the alicorn paused, regarding the man over her shoulder with amusement. “Why do you smile?” Jakob asked. “I have many memories that have resurfaced since you arrived,” she told him. “Many fond, old memories. I pray time has healed your heart. From what I have seen, I am led to believe this is indeed happening. It gladdens my heart. I must go, Jakob. Know there is love here for you and love to be found by you. In the end, the choice will be yours. Good night.” Like a wraith, she was gone. Jakob had another drink and went to bed.