//------------------------------//
// A United Front 
// Story: The Darkest Hour 
// by Anemptyshell 
//------------------------------//

Compared to the outside of the castle and the city that surrounded it, the castle throne room was in somewhat surprising condition. The windows were boarded up, and several more minor breaks in the walls and ceiling had been hastily repaired. But still, one would think these basic repairs would at least be offered to the rest of the castle for a more fortified base of operations. The summary of the room, however, left its old purpose behind. The room had several large desks piled high with papers and files. More than a dozen occupants were dashing back and forth. From once upon a time, a matriarchy beloved, to a bureaucratic mess, a room lost of splendor to purpose. 

"Busy day?" Blue asked. 

"They all are," Thorax answered. The bug looked about the room before stepping in front of a rather frantic changeling. The stopped changeling gasped and looked like he'd woken from a chance in the middle of nowhere. 

"Chaste, have you seen Sir Armor? I have some guests that just arrived for him."

Thorax pivoted and pointed at our group. Chaste gave us a long look. He still seemed to be blinking back whatever mindless routine we'd interrupted. 

"Should be here, in back, not sure. We're too busy, far too busy."

With that, Chaste dashed away. Thorax offered a dejected hiss and motioned for us to follow him deeper. The deeper we went, the more hectic the motions became for those trying to sort their workload. I was left wondering what files a ragtag rebellion needed to sort through. I daunted it was all vital or even relevant intel. In the end, it didn't really matter, but the nature of the affairs would be a question for later. 

"So, why are you sorting old papers?" Spade asked. I voiced a silent cry for help. He would just ask. I mean, in hindsight, I wasn't surprised. 

"Some of it is undoctored history records, the kind Nightmare isn't a fan of. The rest are citizen records and schematics for Canterlot and the surrounding towns. Those lost in the dark and those who have family just vanished deserve to know what happened. The only way we can do that is to know where who, and how."

"That's a noble pursuit. Captain Armor's one of the few who could do it," Sabre said. 

"It was the Queen's idea, actually. Sir Armor focuses on the outside, while our Queen focuses on internal affairs. Too much-split attention, and you can miss what is important." Thorax said. He chuckled when Sabre was left, face scrunched in surprise. 

"Thorax."

Our collective attention was pulled to the very back of the room. Where on a scuffed throne, piles of papers meters high, a large, regal-looking changeling sat. Green eyes glued to Thorax, who shook in place. This could only be one pony, ling, both? The Queen of Changeling, Queen Chrysalis. She would strike a presence almost as concerning as Nightmare if she didn't have bags under her eyes and a mug of what I assumed was coffee levitating inches from her face. 

"My Queen."

Thorax bowed. The rest of us slowly followed his lead. We certainly didn't need a sleep-deprived erovore mad at us. Neither Blue nor Sabre seemed happy to supplicate themselves but did so all the same. 

"Who," Chrysalis pointed to the rest of us. She took a long drag of her coffee and let out a blessed sigh. The second she ceased, she looked back down at us, leering at each of us one by one. "Are these ponies?"

"My Queen, these are the guests' Sir Armor contacted from the Everfree. Solemn Mind is a known informant." 

Solemn looked up, still mid bow. "Your Majesty."

Chrysalis seemed to regard the name with tutting of her tongue before ultimately nodding. "That name does sound familiar. The others?" Another drag from her mug, and she motioned for Thorax to continue. 

"Allies Solemn enlisted while using our new entail. "Two thestral stallions, a unicorn, ex-noble, a non-thestral night guard, and um?" Thorax looked back at Spade.

"I caretake the Ponyville home for the recently and still very much dead."

"Oh." The Queen smirked. "This one seems out of place, no?"

"He wasn't expected to be joining us, Your Majesty. In our exit from the Everfree, he assisted us in losing Nightmare's pursuing enforcers."

Solemn's wings twitched as Chrysalis leaned forward. A toothy smile reminiscent of one Nightmare Moon wore when she'd thought up a new twisted mind game to play. Solemn had taken note of the strange level of concurrent insanity among royalty, pony or no, and looked ready to keel over just to avoid similar stress levels. 

"Interesting. Now, the next question is, where oh where is my dearest Shining. He always seems to vanish just before his turn on the seat looms. He has the same habit with the bathroom as well. He only needs ut, just as I make my way to its use. I'd thought it a quirk of pony stallions, but I've not met another half as dense since." 

Chrysalis lamented, waving her mug dramatically hither and thither. She slumped back on her throne and sighed louder than necessary. It may just be me, I certainly couldn't tell, but the others all looked boggled. I wasn't sure why, if anything, Chrysali's current lack of decorum was relieving to some degree. She didn't have a tree up her plot like Nightmare Moon. Yet, all but Thorax looked taken aback. Solemn the worst of us. His jaw had locked as he all but shook in place. I don't mean a subtle tremble either. This was whole-body vibration. 

"Sounds like he needs more fiber in his diet," I said. 

The looks I got from most of my friends were a bit overdramatic. Spade and Thorax were the only two not staring at me over my rebuttal.

"That's exactly what I said. But no, the troops get his rations, and he lives off protein bars and hard tack. I didn't even know anyone still made hard tack. I swear if he wasn't so delectable. I'd beam him over the head with one of those hockey pucks they pretend are food."

"I say go for it," I said with a chuckle. "Some guys just have to play the martyr. How's he gonna potent anymore if he's half-dead and backed up."

"Stargazer, shut up, now!" Solemn hissed. It was almost a scream, but I doubt he had it in him to make a scene before Chryssalis even if he clearly wanted to.

"Nonsense. This thestral here," Chrysalis pointed to me. "Is some of the better conversations I've had this night. If the rest o you ponies were half as observant, I doubt Nightmare Moon would have won her initial gambit all those years ago."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

I grinned at Solomon as hard as I could. He did not look very impressed. 

"That said, I believe there are more pressing matters to attend to. Isn't that right, Shiny?" Chrysalis asked. She'd looked past our lot, and our gazes followed. A Bedraggled but rather imposing stallion smiled back. 

The unicorn's white-coated was tapered in sweat and dirt. His messy dual-tone blue mane seemed wrought with grease. It wasn't the look of the homeless or slovenly, just the overworked and athletically driven. It was his gaze that held my attention. His bright blue eyes had an intensity, and behind that intensity, a deep sorrow.

"Yes, dear," Shining waved off Chrysalis' question and looked to Solomon. "I hope your trip here wasn't too exhausting. It's been too long since you found your way home, Solemn. I can't imagine the last two years were relaxing ones."

"No, sir, but very productive, all the same."

Solemn tapped a hoof to his chest and smiled back at his boss. Shining walked forward. Our group parted to let him through, though he stopped just shy of Solomon himself.  

"It seems so. If all of your friends are any indication."

Shining's smile fell as his gaze stopped on Blueblood. They wore a chaste smirk of his own. He tucked his chin up and waited. Shining took a step closer. Chrysalis had leaned forward on her throne, smiling in anticipation. 

"Something the matter, Captain?" Blue asked. 

"Blueblood. What exactly are you doing here?"

Blueblood faked a gasp. "Why, I'm here at the request of my dearest friends. They simply begged me to come along. How could I, in good conscience, say no?

Shining's eyes narrowed. "More like you need a new host to leech off of. What did Nightmare Moon get a stain on your favorite jacket?"

"Stop."

I stepped in between the two unicorns and offered both a sneer. 

"Don't antagonize him, Blue," Shining smirked. "That goes double for you, Captain. Blue came to help, even knowing he'd be working under you. You two don't have to like it, but Blue is vital to a plan we cooked up. One that might turn the tide of this whole stupid war."

Shining's brow rose, and Chrysalis stifled a snicker. "A war-winning plan," Shining asked.

"Yep, Star and Blue have been at it for weeks. It's a doozy, too, a real ancient mystery. It kind of reminds me of a Daring Do story, except not canceled, due to Eternal Night travel restrictions and work-related problems."

"Bright, please," Solemn said. He offered Shining an encouraging smile. "It is true the two believe they have a plan of sorts that might be useful."

"My my, Solom Mind, you truly did find an interesting bunch. Even if you and these other two are among the most hated ilk in Equestria. I dare say, even the ancient times of windigos had less spite and ire."

Chrysalis smiled. I had to blink away the comment. Solemn seemed happy enough to ignore it, and Bright didn't even seem to notice. By the stars above, that stallion either had the thickest skull or the emptiest. I wasn't sure which.

"Chryssie. That's no way to treat our comrades."

"While I certainly applaud your hypocritical reaction, Shining. I do have a question that I would stake my life on that everypony present has been asking silently for the last few minutes. If you are, of course, willing to indulge me."

Through grit teeth, Shining turned back to Blueblood and managed a terse reply. "Ask."

"It is the nature of your relationship with yon Queen. May her reign be eternal?" Blueblood offered Chrysalis a deep bow. 

"A charmer, I see. That at hoof. Shining is my consort. As of early last year. What blissful times those were. Though I suppose if you go back in time, every minute is more blissful the less Nightmare in her brash stupidity has power."

"Consort!?" the whole group asked. Well, all but Bright who simply swelled in delight.

"Yes, my husband as of your pony laws," Chrysalis said. She nodded and looked to Shining, who shook his head dejectedly. 

"Never one for tact, Chryssie."

Shining offered our group a conciliatory shrug.

"Why should I spare thought to those under our rule. In these times, deference to deception only matters when we can take advantage of its use. If we are to break down the stigma built up about our subjects, we must be honest. Is that not what you told me some months back when we rescued those miners. The ones who took a single look at my children and me and fainted?"

"Yes, I did, but that wasn't what I meant. I just meant that there are means to be subtle about us. You don't have to make it sound like it's all business."

Shining had stepped passed our group and had proceeded up the dais. Chrysalis waved him away with indignation. "You think so little of me? I merely saw no reason to delay the answer. They were clearly seeking."

"Should we come back later?" Spade asked hoof raised. 

"No, sorry. It's just been kind of hectic."

Shining deflated and stepped up beside the throne and gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek. I was left bemused, Sabre and Solomon were left comatose, Bright was clapping, and Spade looked like he couldn't care less. The only standouts were Thorax, who clearly knew, and Blueblood, who just rolled his eyes and smirked. 

"So, not to kill the mood. But we're here, and I believe the Queen said she was due for a break. We still have no idea what's going on, and my brain is running on fumes as it is, so" I rolled my hooves in rotations. 

"Right, sorry." Shining offered another peck to the Chrysalis' cheek. "You can go rest. I'll deal with this."

Chrysalis rose from her seat and stretched. "Very well. Do call if something interesting comes up. This secret plan, the thestral and the noble have planned has my intrigue."

"Right."

This time Chrysalis leaned forward and planted her lips hard on Shinings. The rest of us chose to politely find the nearest thing, not the two lip-locked lovers. I had found a scorch mark on the wall nearest the closest boarded-up window. 

When Chrysalis snorted when she pulled back and looked our way. She took pride in her ability to leave the rest of us floundering. She was mad, perhaps as equally mad as Nightmare. However, her madness was all her own. Nightmare was just insane and paranoid. Chrysalis was clearly talented in befuddlement and obfuscation. 

Then as suddenly as she'd laid claim to her stallion, she was off and out the side door beside the throne. Shining gave a curt cough into a hoof and took a seat on the throne. 

"My my, Captain, you certainly know how to pick them. Though I always thought you'd end up with my cousin."

"Blueblood!"

The games were over. The look Shining had was one not of irritation. The flames of the war marked his face in harsh contrast to his prior inflection. His eyes were wrought in ice and chivvied in shadows. His horn hummed as he dared his target to try something, to try anything at all. Blueblood sat back on his haunches, fore hooves up. His smirk was replaced with the same tiredness he wore when he was left stumped in his work. When the map simply sat before him unfinished, and no matter how he tried, it became no less incomplete. 

"Apologies."

Blueblood offered in a whisper. Shining huffed and sat back on his throne. His arm stopped humming, but the look in his eye held firm. He turned that look on me. I did not care for that look one bit. 

"Stargazer, that's your name, correct?" Shining asked. 

"It is, sir."

Shining sighed hard and rubbed a hoof over his forehead, just below his horn. "I hope you understand what it means to be here tonight. Disregarding Blueblood, the fact Solomon was so adamant about you and your friends, so determined to bring you here. That is quite the endorsement. So, please, do make me regret agreeing to his request. I trust Solomon as much as any of my allies. But still, I can't go trusting everypony with reckless abandon."

I looked to Solomon, who offered a tired smile. The poor old bat looked ready to collapse. The stress alone had him already frayed on the edges. This whole summons meant that much to him. That we meant that much to him, I couldn't help but smile to. 

"I do, sir."

"Do you also understand that almost no one here has that same faith or trust? Thestrals have done a lot of awful things in Nightmare's name. To be frank, you'll have to prove yourselves pretty hard before anyone else gives you a chance. They won't attack you. They wouldn't risk my or, much more likely, Chrysalis' fury. But that won't stop the rumors, the insults, and dirty looks."

"Pshaw, Solemn, Star, and I are awesome. We'll have them eating out of our hooves in no time. We're going to save the day, all of us, together, and that's the truth," Bright said.

"I've seen enough tears. I've seen plenty of anger. It's about time we made some better memories, some smiles, and laughter."

The damn broke, and I laughed. A full belly laugh as Spade and Bright stood in front of me. Spade had his jaw locked in defiance. Bright's smile was blinding. They both had their eyes locked with Shining. The rebel leader saw Spade and Bright, then me laughing, and found himself joining.   

"They'll stand by us as we stand by them. You taught me that, sir," Sabre said. He'd fallen in beside me, in full salute."

"Sir?" Thorax said. The silly little bug had stepped back into the conversation after introducing us all. Shining nodded. "If you could teach ponies to accept us. Then we should try to accept the thestrals too. They've done lots of bad. They've hurt a lot of ponies and changelings." A shadow cast deep across Thorax's face. The edging of tears and the grit of the dirt under his hoof. An icy air that could compete against Shining's own. "But, not all of them. My brother respected everyone who fought, no matter what side. So, I want to as well."

"As much as I dislike you, personally. I was offered a chance to give back to those who offered me a second chance."

Blueblood bowed. His eye caught on us, not the throne. "I want to prove that trust was warranted. So, I will do everything I can to spread such trust, for their sake, not mine."

"Sir," Solemn said. 

"I know," Shining answered. He stood from his seat and offered a bow of his own. "I believe you, all of you. Whatever your reasons, whatever your past. I believe you will do exactly as you've said. So, prove it, show the rest of Canterlot, show the rest of Equestria. You'll have my support the whole way."

I saluted. "Thank you."

Sabre saluted once more. "Thank you, Captain."

Bright wrapped leg around my neck. "We will."

Spade nodded. "We'll prove them dead wrong."

Blue stood from his bow and smiled. "But of course."

"No, thank you, all of you." Shining fell back in his seat. "So, how about that plot of yours, Star. Let's hear it."

"Okay, so it all started with a dream."