//------------------------------// // Oh no... He's deeaaaaaad... // Story: As The Sun Sets // by Noobblue //------------------------------// Cadance awoke in the sun, startlingly fast. One moment she was asleep. The next her eyes were wide open to the just-afternoon sun. Uh-oh She quickly took stock of her body, she was laying on grass, she was outside, uninjured, and was back to how she was meant to look. No disguise. There were two Crystal Guards ponies at her sides, not yet awoken, and she felt energized. Also, somepony was calling her name. "Cadance!" Oh. Oh no That was Celestia's voice, along with the distinct sound of Celestia's wingbeats. UUUUUHH She sat up quick and straight to see exactly what she was dreading, Celestia landed and approached her rapidly before wrapping her tightly in a warm hug, Celestia's wings surrounding her like a cacoon. Okay? "Oh Cadance, I'm so glad your okay." Celestia pulled away and looked Cadance in the eye. Just after, the Sun Princess' expression hardened, evidently Cadance's confusion was easy to read, "Are you okay?" Celestia lightly moved around Cadance's face to get a good look at her. "What happened?" She tumbled out. While she had no headache she was still foggy on what happened after her and Dusk entered a bar. Her mind tried to pick up a little panic at the mental mention of Dusk, but at this point she resigned herself to her mistakes. "After Dusk Swirl poisoned you, he went on a rampage through the city with you as a hostage." WHAT?! "HE WHAT?" Out came the RCV When!? After I passed out? C'mon brain tell me what happened! Her brain was on strike after her decision making earlier today, and refused to relinquish the precious information, Celestia continued. "Luna told me everything, and I am very disappointed you would keep this from me. Even though your intent was pure, Luna didn't tell you everything about Dusk." At this point her brain fully properly managed to decipher what exactly Celestia had said. Her eyes went wide. "Oh... oh no." Her voice got quiet and shallow as emotions racked her mind forwards and backwards, "A rampage? How many?" The words came out strangled "Just the one dear Cadance," Celestia said, no confusion entering her voice, "Bu-" "No, I mean..." She steeled herself. "Celestia, how many ponies died for my actions?" Now it was Celestia's turn to blanch, "Killed? No Cadance, nopony was hurt, luckily Luna's charm to withhold most of Dusk's power held throughout his rampage through the city. Besides the roads and a lot of personal property damaged in the chase through the city, nothing was lost." Celestia fully stepped away from their hug as the two guard ponies stirred, she stood straight, "and I'm sorry, I know you had good intentions, as you always do; but Dusk Swirl had to be turned back into stone, this time permanently, once he was caught." Cadance's mind was spinning. Something's on backwards here. "So just to be clear," Cadance started, Celestia nodded for her to continue, "Dusk, poisoned me, and then... used me as a hostage to rampage through the city... but nopony was hurt, because of... Luna's charm? A charm she used on Dusk to seal away his magical power?" "Yes, and I'm sorry you had to experience any of that. Luna had no right to free Dusk, nor expose you to his machinations, safe or not safe." Celestia turned her head away from Cadance, "I was so worried when I heard they'd lost sight of you during the chase, I've spent all morning looking for you." Cadance's confusion was missed. I have to talk to Luna "Thank you auntie, really... I just need a moment... where's Luna? Is she okay?" "I sent up the flare as soon as I saw you, she should be here any moment to apologize to you." More and more of Cadance's night was coming back to her, and more and more was she realizing that the story she was being told was inaccurate. Everything about it was just wrong. She wasn't poisoned, she drank herself into blacking out; and Dusk wasn't charmed, he pulled the wings off an alicorn without even blinking. Even if he was charmed, he was clearly skilled and highly intelligent. Cadance had seen the things Shining Armor could do with the non-magical weapons they had at the guards' disposal, and for a pony like Dusk, weapons were plentiful. So no injuries? No deaths? He hadn't wanted to hurt anypony. And now he was stone. "What did you mean by permanently?" Cadance stood, "When he was turned back to stone?" Another pair of wing flaps joined them in the grass from behind, as she turned she noted their location as just outside the palace grounds. "It means I made a grave error, and had to make up for it with an equally grave decision." Luna stated and stepped forwards after landing to wrap Cadance in a wing. "When he refused to disclose your location to me, I cornered him and gave him a choice between you, and being directly turned to stone." Celestia stepped in to finish the story. "When he chose to spite Luna, she transfigured his body directly into stone, his spirit left him shortly after." Cadance's mind whirled, but before she spoke, "Technically there was one casualty of his rampage." "Can I see him?" She said, "The statue I mean? Can I see his statue? Just to be sure?" She sounded hopefull. The two sisters exchanged a glance, and Luna stepped away from her niece. Celestia lit her horn. "Cadance, is it okay if I scan you for any lingering traces of dark magic?" They were both watching her warily, Cadance could tell Luna's hackles were raised by her clenched teeth and her outstretched wings. They think he cast a spell on me Her mind remembered his promise. "Yes, go ahead, I'm not under a-" Cadance's body shook as Celestia's magic vibrated her body from the inside out. "Oh that feels very strange" "My apologies niece, that was a heavy duty spell keyed specifically to discovering dark magic, you are clean of course. Why exactly do you want to see Dusk's statue?" Luna returned to Cadance's side and continued, "After all of this, I had assumed you would want to return to the Crystal Empire and your paramour to leave this all behind you as quickly as possible?" "I just want to make sure he's really gone." She spoke with confidence. Too much confidence really. Cadance wasn't even sure if that was true, she wasn't even sure what was going on any more, what she wanted to see his statue for. All of this was just one massive headache. And she didn't even have a hangover. That was certainly him... On the three princess's flight over to Dusk's stone plinth where his statue had been returned, Cadance's emotional maelstrom of a mind had calmed; and her memory had returned to her fully Something was definitely up. Luna had confirmed that she had placed a spell over Dusk after he was released. Cadance Guessed she could have missed it, but she was almost certain it was a lie. That was definitely him though, the eyes were just as menacing as they were in the pony. The rest of his body was crouched low like he was about to jump, a massive snarl covered his face, likely mid insult. "That's" Cadance started slowly, "So it's just over then?" She paused, "Mission failed?" Luna spoke up, "Indeed dear niece, but do not take it as a failure. It was by my fault you were present here, and his fault for refusing your kindness." "She's right Cadance. While this was a terrible idea, it going wrong isn't on you. That falls strictly on his withers." Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight's in town now though, if you could use some cheering up." "Twilight came up to Canterlot?" "Twilight and her friends rushed to our aid when they heard we had loosened a dark mage upon the populace." Luna said evenly Cadance didn't want to see Twilight. Not like this, not right after getting somepony killed "I think I just need to take the next train back to the Crystal Empire" Cadance moved slightly to begin her path out. "Also probably a spa visit, and several naps, and maybe some busy work." You also need to figure out what in tartarus is going on "I will see you away to the train station dear niece" "Thank you auntie" Luna scooped up the still groggy pair of Crystal Guards and off they went. After a couple of steps both Cadance and Luna took flight, Celestia took to the air a moment after, with a heading towards the palace. It took Cadance a moment to get her bearings and start flying in the right direction. "Luna," She flapped slightly closer to the larger alicorn, "Did Dusk have the skill to cast memory spells?" Luna's response was quick and curt. "Indeed." She then turned to Cadance, "Do you believe he cast one such on you? That which is why your memory is refusing to return to you?" "Maybe, I'm not sure yet." Cadance had entertained the idea that everything that happened right after he touched her the first time was either an illusion or just a horrible bending of her mind. That would imply however that he was capable of casting that magic to begin with, which wouldn't be possible if Luna had cast a magic restricting spell on him. That and her memory of the previous night had returned to her. She was sure some things in it were true, as her guards were still asleep, and she could feel the growing need to use the little fillies room from her... alcohol consumption the night before. That and the lack of a hangover meant that Dusk's spell had worked. Meaning it hadn't been a trick, which implied everything before that moment actually happened. ugh, a nap and a spa, then I can send a letter to Luna about it all later. By the time they landed at the train station, her guards had awoken. They made the attempt to return to her side as if they hadn't been asleep for the past seven or so hours. It wasn't really their fault, Cadance just had weird emotional nots in her head about guards. "Cadance, I'd like to apologize for this kerfuffle" Luna began, "It's okay auntie, really. I know you meant for it to go a different way." Her mind reminded her of her first wasted question, and before Luna could attempt to apologize in a more complicated way, Cadance broke her train of thought, "Although, I do wonder why exactly you wanted him reformed to begin with?" Luna shook her head, "At one time, Dusk Swirl was just as much a hero as he was a villain. During the Discordian Era, he was one of the few to directly challenge the Mad King's rule. He formed a resistance and lead thousands of ponies to safety" She took a breath, then continued, "To my knowledge he is the only creature of which truly drew Discord's ire. A stallion capable of making better chaos than himself. That and during the rise of Equestria, he carried a lead role in defending settlements and the ponies therein. Beyond his achievements, he was a personal friend of mine. I would say that the true answer to your question is that I just wished to see him again." Cadance hugged her aunt. There wasn't anything else to be done. "I'm sorry it didn't work out Luna." "I'm sorry too dear niece." They separated, and Cadance took a few steps towards the train at the platform, which luckily happened to be leaving within the next thirty minutes. She waved once to Luna, she returned the gesture before taking flight and heading off. Cadance boarded the train, everything all a blur. She stumbled around to a seat somewhere, laid down across it, and promptly felt all the stress and alcohol from the past day and a half and fell into a fitful sleep the moment she closed her eyes.