//------------------------------// // 24: A Light in the Dark // Story: Death of a Queen // by Arkane12 //------------------------------// To the denizens of Canterlot, the sight of a plush pink unicorn hardly warranted attention. In fact, in any other situation, she could have easily slipped through the crowded train station without drawing even the most curious gaze. At the current moment, however, every pony gathered in or near the station platform had their attention locked firmly on her. Were she forced to give a reason for her sudden popularity, she would wager it had something to do with the baby dragon at her side. “I mean, what if something happened to Twilight? What if Chrysalis escaped? What if she’s taken the princesses again? What are we going to do?” Starlight sighed. “Would you calm down, Spike? I’m sure you’re just getting yourself worked up over nothing. I’m sure they just called us back here because Twilight’s refusing to leave the library again. Remember last time?” “Do you really think they’d pull us off an important mission like that just for that?” “Probably. Even if that’s not the case, I’m sure it's not as bad as you’re making it out to be.” The two of them bounded down the stairs to the cobblestone street. With a whistle and a wave, she called one of the horse-drawn carriages over to the curb where they waited. With a bag of bits and a destination for the driver, Starlight and Spike climbed aboard, settling into the red velvet benches. The driver whistled, hauling the carriage out into the stream of traffic that flooded the street. Spike leaned his head out the window, watching the castle in the distance inch closer, silhouetted by the orange sunset. Frowning, Starlight removed a watch from her bag, flipping open the engraved golden case to sneak a peek at the time. “What’s the matter?” Spike asked, plopping back down in his seat. “Nothing.” She snapped the timepiece shut, tossing it back into the largest pocket of her bag. “You’re frowning.” “I frown. What about it?” Spike twiddled his claws nervously. Each stop the carriage took elicited a barely audible groan from the dragon. “You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?” Starlight leaned forward, exasperated. “I’m not,” Spike whined, refusing to meet her gaze. “You’re shaking the carriage,” she pointed out. Spike’s leg froze in place, mid-bounce. He bit his lip, trying to hide the worry etching deeper into the lines of his face. “Talk to me, Spike,” Starlight pressured. “What if Celestia . . . What if she didn’t make it?” Starlight offered the most sympathetic smile she could. “If something happened to any of the princesses, we’d be hearing about it. I doubt Cadence would send something so vague for such an important issue. Don’t you think?” “Maybe.” “Spike, stop worrying. Whatever they need us to do, we’ll get it done. Have you ever known Twilight to let something bad happen?” “There was that one time we got taken by changelings.” “And even then, I showed up to save the day. See, we’ve got this covered. And don’t sell yourself short. Whatever is going on, we’ve got two great heroes here to help, right?” “I guess,” Spike muttered, unconvinced. Starlight ruffled the scales on his head. In the corner of her vision, the sun hung low in the sky, mocking her with its pale light. She doubted anyone had noticed. If they had, there would probably be a few more panicking ponies in the streets. The sun lagged a little under a half-hour behind. By the time they reached the castle gates, the sun had finally set. Along with the darkness, the waning moon brought a sliver of comfort to the unicorn. Though their timing might have been off, at least someone had control of the heavens. “You two have a fine evening.” The earth pony pulling the cart tipped his cap to his two passengers. “You too. Thanks.” Starlight watched the cabbie strut off, unimpeded by the weight of the wooden carriage hooked to him. Turning away from the street, she used her magic to pluck Spike off the sidewalk, setting him on her back. He latched to her mane to keep himself steady but made the extra effort to keep his grasp gentle. Her suitcase hovered beside her as the golden gates opened. Two celestial guards bowed to Starlight as she approached. In the moonlight, the statue of the two sisters in the courtyard took on an ethereal sheen. “Lady Glimmer. We received word of your arrival. Our sincerest apologies for not sending an officer to meet you at the station.” One of the guards raised his head. “That’s quite alright. Can you tell me what’s happened?” “I’m afraid I don’t have the answers you’re looking for. We were simply to direct you to Captain Iron Shield. He’s waiting for you in the throne room.” “Thank you, Sir.” Starlight returned his bow as they opened the gate for her. Inside, several extra guards had taken stations around the foyer. On her back, she could feel Spike tense up as he noticed the heightened security. An attendant approached Starlight, offering to take her bags to her room. She complied, relinquishing her possessions to the young servant. Unladen by her packs, she hurried up the stairs, her nerves frying under the stoic watch of ready soldiers. At the top of the stairs, another pair of guards opened another grand door, revealing the throne room, in all its splendor. Sconces laden with shimmering lights felt meager compared to the umbral aura sinking in through the skylight. Even here, a dozen ponies were dressed in full plate armor, sharpened spears clutched tight. Standing at the head of the armored column, a greying stallion directed his underlings with a practiced calm. “Captain Shield, I presume?” Starlight asked, marching boldly past the Captain’s guard. “Ma’am.” The old soldier nodded. He waved away one of his soldiers, motioning for the unicorn to follow him as he approached the royal pedestal. “What’s the situation, Captain?” Starlight braced herself. “Where’s Twilight?” Spike demanded, dropping from the mare’s side. “There’s been an incident. We’re still working out the details. I can take you to Captain Armor. He’ll have more information for you.” “Then what are we waiting for?” At her command, the Captain started toward the upper levels. No matter which way she looked, Starlight noticed the gleam of armor. Whatever had happened, they emptied the barracks for the night. “I told you something was wrong.” Spike scowled. Despite his confident strides to stay even with the Captain’s shadow, his claws were trembling. When they reached the upper levels, Captain Shield stepped aside, nodding his head toward the white stallion standing guard in the hallway. Shining Armor kept his back to them, his focus pressed firmly toward the end of the hallway. Celestia’s bedroom doors had been barricaded. A faint shimmer of pink energy glistened against the doorframe. A few planks had been torn away, revealing inky black tendrils slinking through the cracks. “I was only gone for a few days, Shining. What happened here?” Starlight stomped to Shining’s side. The unicorn’s horn glowed with its pink magic. “I was hoping you’d get here quickly.” “Where’s Twilight?” Spike demanded, verging on panic. Shining turned back toward the door, bulging and buckling under some unseen force. “I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know why it’s here. I do know that Luna, Celestia, Twilight, and Chrysalis were all inside when it appeared.” “And where are they?” “They’re still inside.” The two newcomers turned toward the second voice. Thorax stood among the guards, dressed in black plates reminiscent of his old form. “Thorax,” Starlight greeted. “It’s good to see you two. I wish it were under better circumstances, though.” Spike pushed his way past Starlight. “You said Twilight’s in there?” “Yeah. Along with Queen Chrysalis and the other princesses.” “Except for Cadence,” Shining Armor corrected. “Does she know about this?” Starlight asked. “She does. Until we can rescue the other princesses, she’s been leading a small group of unicorns. They’ve been trying to keep the sun and moon moving. It hasn’t been easy.” “So, what’s the plan?” Spike interrupted again. “We’re going in to save them, right?” “We sent in a vanguard, earlier. They returned an hour later, scared out of their wits. Whatever’s waiting on the other side, it’s not pretty.” “I’ll go,” Starlight volunteered. “No. That’s crazy,” Shining shot back. “You know it’s not. I’ve got the magic to deal with whatever’s in there,” she explained. “If she’s going, I’m going with her,” Thorax chimed in. “No. It’s too dangerous. I brought you here to help contain this, not dive head-first into it,” Shining explained. The sound of splintering wood echoed through the hall as another chunk of the door exploded outward. Dark ooze spilled out from the wound. “We don’t seem to be swimming in options, Shining.” “It’s a bad idea, Starlight. I’m not throwing you to the wolves like that.” “I wasn’t asking, Shining. You asked me here to help, so that’s what I’m going to do. Drop the shield.” Shining snarled. Another slam bent the door’s frame inward. The shield flickered for a moment as the force of the blow sent Shining to his knees. “You can’t hold this forever,” Thorax observed. “Let us in. We’ll bring the others back. Then we can find a better way to get rid of this thing.” “Fine,” Shining growled. He pushed himself back to his hooves. “I doubt I could stop you, anyways.” “He’s finally learning,” Starlight cooed. “Get ready. We won’t have much time when I drop the shield. Everyone else get back,” Shining announced. His troops retreated, forming a new defensive line behind the group. Nodding, Starlight and Thorax pushed forward, taking positions outside the breach. “Are you two really sure you want to do this?” “I don’t know,” Starlight started. Even in this sinister moment, she couldn’t help but grin. She turned to the changeling king standing at her side. “You ready to save Equestria again, Thorax?” To her amazement, the king returned her smile. “Only if I get another medal for it. The first one’s getting lonely.” “Let’s do this. We’re ready, Shining. Drop it.” Shining Armor released his spell, lowering the shield. The doors tore open, spraying splinters over the crowd. Starlight raised a barrier to block the shrapnel. The bits that snuck by pinged harmlessly off the phalanx behind them. With a final glance backward and a confident nod, the two stepped forward into the dark embrace, vanishing into the abyss. Roaring in frustration, Shining relit his horn. Spike trembled by his hoof; his body frozen. His scales bristled and his claws trembled. Terror chased him to his core, making him sick. But standing there, cowering into himself, he found a sense of comfort, of familiarity. Memories of his caretaker raced through his mind. “Twilight’s in danger. She could be hurt. She needs you,” Spike whispered. The muttering voice caught Shining’s attention. He moved to block Spike, but the dragon moved swiftly, driven by an overwhelming determination. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’m coming to help, too.” And with that, Spike charged into the portal after them.