Chapter 9: Late Winter Dawns:
Several days later, Sharp Retort was greeted once again by visitors in her subterranean offices. Cadence and Claudia stood close to the wall as many of the surfaces and most of the floor space was covered in alchemical elements, byproducts, and tools. The alchemist herself was sequestered in the far back corner, a small silver beaker in hoof. “Sorry for the mess,” she apologized as she carefully shuffled her way back to the Princess. “I haven't been able to clean anything since I started.”
“You said you had an antidote?” The princess asked, her eyes lighting on the small beaker.
“Perhaps,” Retort said vaguely. “Of course I cannot be sure as we are not sure if the love potion Silver Scales created is even the spell you have been afflicted with. In any case, it's not ready yet.”
“Not ready yet?” Cadence raised her eyebrows, “Sharp Retort, I was under the impression you would have something for me when you called me down.”
“I still need something to tie you to the potion,” the alchemist elaborated. Indicating the vial she held, “this is a mixture of blue-silver crystals and morning dew. It's the only mixture I've been able to come up with that reacts favorably when mixed with the initial potion, but it's still not enough.”
“Couldn't you use the feather I gave you before?” she asked.
“I have and it ended badly. Earthen elements do not mix well with Ethereal ingredients at the best of times.”
“What does that have to do with this?”
Retort sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hoof, “Princess, feathers are ethereal by classification. At least pegasus feathers are as they are innately magical. Your pinion feathers are even more so as the core vein of your pinions are made of the same material a unicorn's horn is. However, both crystals and dew are earthen- they come from the earth and are not innately magical. So I need something from you that is not innately magic. I'm thinking your tears would do nicely.”
“Tears?” Cadence asked, “but I'm not feeling sad.”
The alchemist reached over and grabbed a small orange vial. “Drink this. It's a potion that I've used before to collect tears in the past. All it is is an emotion enhancer. You'll feel things stronger than usual. After you take it, I need you to think of something sad, something that if it occurred would upset you greatly. And physical pain doesn't work too well, I've found, so try to think of something else.”
Cadence sighed and downed the orange liquid, which tasted vaguely of oranges and citrus. Immediately Cadence began running through a lift of things that would make her sad. Losing Silver Scales was at the top of the list, but the more she thought about it, the less it made her sad to think about. Next was losing Claudia or the Captain, two of her closest friends, but still the tears refused to fall. Frustrated, Cadence cursed her inability to complete a simple task. The fate of her country was at risk and she couldn't even shed a few tears over an imaginary situation. Her eyes widened as she thought about letting down the hundreds of citizens that called the Crystal Kingdom home. It was more than just herself she needed to think about, she wasn't breaking this curse for herself, she was doing it for ever stallion, mare, and foal that looked up to her for guidance and strength. She was doing it for each and every family that relied on the Crystal Heart Spell to protect them from raiders and ambitious Lords. If she couldn't break this spell, she would be letting down more than just herself, she would be putting her whole country at risk! Slowly she felt her eyes begin to water and she squeezed them tight, instinctively trying to prevent herself from crying, but it didn't help. The potion running through her system forced tears down her face.
Retort stood next to the princes, a tiny vial held under her eye to catch the first few tears that fell. When she had the vial filled, it didn't take long as the small container would only hold a very small amount of liquid, the alchemist turned back to the silver beaker and poured the tears in. Carefully she stirred the solution, watching as the clear elements slowly came together. After a long ten minutes of stirring, plenty of time for Cadence to pull herself together, Retort was looking at a soft blue potion that gently pulsed in time with her stirring.
“Alright, Cadence,” she said turning back around, the beaker in her hoof, “this is the antidote for Silver Scale's potion. I can't promise it's the solution to your problems, but I can tell you this is the most powerful antidote I've ever made. Hopefully it will do the trick.”
Cadence nodded and reached out for the potion, she could feel something building around her, a kind of energy, but she didn't pay it any mind as she carefully drank the entire potion. Everything seemed to stand still for a moment, even time itself, but then the feeling was gone and the princess sighed. “I guess it didn't work. I don't feel any different.”
When she turned to face Claudia, the dragon's mouth was hanging open. “Is something wrong, Claudia?” she asked and turned to Sharp Retort who had a similarly awe-struck look in her eyes. “What is going on?”
“Y-you're...” Claudia's voice was horse and she swallowed before continuing, “Cadence, you're glowing.”
“Thanks?” she looked slightly confused.
No sooner had the word passed her lips than the feeling of energy building intensified. A flash of light blinded the three and when they could see again, there was one less pegasus in the room.
~~~
As the light faded from Cadence's eyes she was horrified to see she was no longer in Sharp Retort's lab under the castle. Glancing around, the pink pegasus realized that she wasn't anywhere. The air around her was cold, but not freezing. If she stopped to think about it, the air around her didn't feel like anything. The only light there was to see by were from tiny dots of light, stars, Cadence realized as she continued to look around her. I'm surrounded by stars.
But it wasn't just stars; as her eyes adjusted slowly to the strange levels of light, Cadence was able to see more than just singular points of light. She could see colorful patterns in the dark blackness around her- swirling lines of stars that formed galaxies and multi-hued clouds that were the remains and beginnings of new stars. She found that the longer she looked in one direction, the more she could see, but that only frightened the princess. Turning to look below her, she hoped to see something other than stars and blackness, but she was disappointed. Though it felt as if she were standing on thick glass, to the eye there was nothing beneath her hooves except for more stars.
“Welcome, my Daughter,” a soft voice spoke from the blackness, drawing the young mare's eyes up from her hooves and the infinite space below them. “I have been waiting for you.”
Cadence squinted into the darkness before her and slowly she made out the outline of a pony before her, but not any pony she had seen before, and certainly not the familiar shape of her mother. Standing tall and proud, her coat shimmering with a multitude of stars, was a regal alicorn. She smiled down on the startled mare comfortingly, “W-where am I?” the pink pegasus asked, feeling even smaller now than she had moments before. “A-am I dead? Did the potion Sharp Retort give me kill me?”
The alicorn laughed gaily, “Oh no, my child. You are not dead. Most certainly not dead. You might even say you are the most alive you have been since the day you were born!”
“Um... I don't follow...” Cadence looked confused, “I don't even know who you are...”
“My goodness, I haven't introduced myself yet? A thousand years away from civilized ponies certainly doesn't help one remember these things! Ah yes, I am called Chrona and am the Mother of Alicorns,” the black alicorn bowed her head slightly, “but I don't need to ask who you are, my dear. You are Mi Amore Cadenza, Cadence for short, of the Crystal Kingdom, my youngest daughter.”
Cadence shook her head, her mind was spinning wildly as she tried to take in everything the strange pony was saying. “Your youngest daughter? But my mother was Frostfall Serenade!”
Chrona laid a hoof on Cadence's shoulder with a small smile, “Walk with me, and I will explain:
“Thousands of years ago there were many alicorns, we were as common as earth ponies and pegasi. We were the most powerful of races and we ruled the world with grace and benevolence. However, it would not last. Many years before the Age of Chaos a new race of creatures was discovered in the world. They were strange creatures that seemed to be made of dozens of different animals fused together. We do not know where they came from, nor do I still, even after all these millenia. Very little is known about these creatures of chaos and the only thing I know of for sure is that they called themselves Draconequus.
“These strange creatures waged war against the alicorns, fighting us for supremacy and control of the Great Kingdoms.” The ancient alicorn turned away, as if these memories were painful, “we were defeated at the last, though not before taking a great many of their number with us. Every last one of the alicorns was killed in the final conflict and with them went any hope of peace and harmony among the kingdoms.
“For you see, in killing the last of the alicorns, the draconequus succeeded in ending our ancient line. An alicorn foal can only be born from two alicorns, you see, and only alicorns had enough power to stand up to the draconequus. But there is one other way for an alicorn to be born, a pony- strong of heart and courageous in spirit- could ascend and take on the mantle of alicorn.
“For thousands of years no ponies were strong enough, and during those years draconequus ruled over the ponies and other creatures of the world, spreading disharmony and chaos. A hundred years ago eight little ponies stood up to the last of the draconequus, a creature who called himself Discord. These eight ponies included my two daughters- Celestia and Luna of Equestria. They were nearly defeated, but six of the ponies gave their spirits and lives to turn Discord into stone. They are remembered in the Books of Time as alicorns in spirit, if not in form. The two ponies to survive accepted their destiny and became the First Alicorns of a new age.
“They restored peace to the world and have reigned with love and justice ever since.”
“But I don't understand what this has to do with me,” Cadence interrupted. “I'm just a simple pegasus princess from a northern kingdom, and a small one at that! How can I compare to the bravery and strength shown by Celestia and Luna in facing down Discord?”
“You, my daughter, have displayed courage and strength in a different way. Faced with your own adversity, you have overcome all obstacles set in your path to protect your kingdom. You have proven you love your kingdom enough to sacrifice your own happiness for their good. That in itself is enough. You are a Princess of Love and shall be forever known as such... if you wish to be.”
“Excuse me?” the pegasus asked, “I'm afraid I don't understand... are you giving me a choice?”
“Yes.” Chrona said simply. “No pony is forced to accept the gifts of being an alicorn, for our life is hard and full of pain. Just because you have the fortitude to be among us does not mean you want to be. If you wish to remain as you are, you shall be returned to your castle unchanged, save for your memories of this place. However, whatever you decide is your final answer. You will never get a second chance to join our ranks if you turn it down now.”
Cadence nodded, “may I have a moment to think?”
“You may have all the time you need.”
~~~
Dawn broke over the eastern horizon, casting morning light across the beautiful crystal valley. Snow glittered just as brilliantly as the crystal buildings on these last days of winter. Many ponies were already awake and moving around the still sleepy town while others were still waking up. One stallion in particular was just beginning to stir in the royal suite.
Silver Scales stretched his long gray legs as his mind slowly rose out from the lovely mist of dreams. All night he had dreamed of the gorgeous pink pegasus he had married, as he had every night for an exceptionally long time, and he was anxious to see her laying next to him. For the last several weeks he had woken before his wife and had spent several wonderful hours just watching her sleep. It was comforting and comfortable. Rolling onto his stomach, the stallion sighed and smiled to himself. How did I get so lucky to have such a wonderful mare fall in love with me? He laughed slightly at the thought. He knew how she'd fallen for him, but that no longer mattered to the stallion. The mare of his dreams reciprocated his feelings, whether of her own free will or not was no longer an issue. He was happily, blissfully in love. That was all that mattered.
He gave a long yawn and opened his eyes, glancing next to him and expecting to see his wife sleeping soundly at his side. But she was not nor was there any indication that she had come to bed last night. Startled, the prince sat up and looked around the spacious suite, but there was no sign of his wife anywhere. He stood up and lifted his blue and white cloak around his shoulders with his magic, snapping the clasp into place and letting it settle against his back.
Quickly walking through the castle, the prince asked any pony he met if they had seen the princess that morning, but to his increasing disappointment, none of them had. His worry and frustration heightened as his search continued. Without her around, he could feel the long-forgotten ache in his heart returning. Silver Scales needed Cadence, more than he'd ever needed somepony in his life and the thought of losing her... was too much.
He became agitated with the serving ponies around the castle. How could they not have seen his gorgeous love? Was she not in the foremost of their thoughts as she was in his? Storming through the castle, the gray stallion did not notice his coat was slowly turning a darker hue. The potion Sharp Retort had described as a poison was slowly beginning to show its true colors.
The angry stallion began pacing the front hall, stopping and raging at any pony careless enough to get in his way, including a blue and black mare who looked as lost as the stallion felt. Her normally luminous coat was dull and her mane hung lank down her back, “Have you seen Princess Cadence, you have to have, you're all lying to me if you say you haven't seen the Princess!” Silver Scale's voice was ragged and horse from shouting all morning.
“She's gone...” Sharp Retort's voice was empty and hollow as she spoke. “Just... gone...”
“You're all ly- what did you say?” The prince's eyes grew wide and he turned, forcing the mare to look him in the eyes when she didn't respond immediately, “Where has she gone?”
“She's just gone,” the mare repeated, shaking her head, “she took a potion, an antidote I made to cure her of love-sickness... and she disappeared. She's been missing since just before midnight...” tears began gathering at the corners of the mare's eyes. “I... I don't...”
“She's gone... and it's your fault?!” The prince lashed out and struck the mare across her face, knocking her back and into the wall. “Oh my dear, I will make you regret ever having set hoof near my Princess.”
Sharp Retort watched, horrified, as the stallion before her changed- his body shifting from slim and wiry to broad and heavy, his coat deepening from pale gray to nearly black, his mane lifting and shifting in a nonexistent breeze as it turned from deep blue to black, but strangest of all were his eyes. Once lavender in color, they were now red surrounded by a violent green. Purple-black vapors shimmered from the edges of his eyes as his horn lit up with a bubbling green magic.
Retort shrank away from the Prince as he shifted and grew, pressing her body against the wall as her eyes grew wider and wider. Finally the transformation ceased, and the Prince- or at least, the pony who used to be the Prince- turned his crimson gaze upon her... and with agonizing slowness he smiled, revealing a pair of sharp, pointed fangs among his teeth.
“And now... I will make sure that you never set hoof near my bride again,” he growled. He took a step towards Sharp Retort, his horn flaring to life as tears slid down the mare's cheeks.
“No... please, listen to me...!” she begged... but the Prince would not be swayed.
And in the end, he was as good as his word.
~~~
The Crystal Castle was truly the wonder of the Crystal Kingdom, rising majestically from the center of the city to stand as a sentinel over all. But the spire was more than just a place where the Princess lived and worked- it was a marvel of magical construction, a wonder in and of itself that quite literally outshone all other castles like it.
The ponies who had constructed the Crystal Castle all those countless years ago had worked into it uncountable facets along its surface and interior, facets that trapped light within the innately magical crystal and forced it to bounce around a great deal more than it should. This allowed more and more light to be collected by the Castle, and as a result the entire building shone brilliantly during the day as it reflected the bright rays of the sun.
But night was when the Castle was truly at its most beautiful, for not only did it collect the light of the sun, but the moon and stars, as well; and on the nights when the moon was full, ponies from the Crystal Kingdom could leave their street lamps unlit, for the radiance from the Castle would light up their streets with soft, silver moonlight and allow them to see perfectly well even in the dead of night. And even on nights when the moon was not full the Castle captured enough moonlight and starlight to cause even the most unromantic pony to sigh at the beauty of it.
The night when Cadence vanished was almost moonless, with little more than a thin sliver of crescent moon in the sky to give the Castle light, and the night after was little better; but ponies still counted on the soft glow of the Castle to guide and comfort them through the dark hours before dawn.
Tonight, however, something changed.
Slowly, the Castle lost its luster, dimming almost indistinguishably until it ceased to glow at all; then, the surface gradually dulled, losing all of its sheen and shimmer until within minutes it was as pale and gray as a pillar of stone. It was so late at night that nopony really took notice... but soon after the Castle dimmed, lights began to go out in the city. First went the homes closest to the Castle... then the lights of the homes beyond those: every light in them just suddenly winked out, be they candles or fireplaces or magic. Every light simply winked out of existence, plunging home after home into pure darkness.
In an ever-growing circle around the dull, stoney Castle the lights went out, driving warmth and hope farther and farther away from the center of the city as the heart of its solitary ruler grew weaker and weaker... and it was into this gathering darkness that a brilliant light flashed, a flicker of the brightest white at the base of the Castle itself that flared for a moment, then faded... leaving behind a rather stunned-looking Princess Cadence.
Looking about her, the princess was surprised by how dimly lit the city was, but she had no time to dwell on it. A tall purple dragon barreled out of the castle and into the pink mare. Claudia wrapped her arms around Cadence's neck, hugging her tightly, “where have you been? I've been so worried! Something's happened to Silver Scales and...” Pulling away from her friend, the dragon glanced up at her forehead. “Um... Cady. You have a... um... thing sticking out our of your mane... is that a horn?”
Reaching up, the princess touched the base of the unicorn horn that had sprouted out of her mane. “Oh... I guess that wasn't a dream,” she said quietly to herself.
“What happened?” Claudia asked, “where did you go? How did you become an alicorn?”
“It's a long story,” the princess sighed, “but what's happened here? What happened to Silver Scales?”
The dragon flinched, “I actually don't know for sure... but he's so... strange. You should go see him, though, he's been calling for you for... hours.”
How strange, Cadence thought as she followed Claudia up through the palace. As they passed the servants in the castle, she noticed how dull their coats were, the lost looks in their eyes, and the lankness of their manes and tails. She knew that the appearance of crystal ponies reflected their mood, but she had never seen so many ponies looking so... forlorn. Several perked back up as they saw their princess, their coats flashing brilliantly as their looks of dismay turned to surprise and elation. Captain Iron Point was one such pony and he hurried to the princess's side as she traversed the second level of the castle.
“Where have you been, Princess? The... King has been looking for you... all day.” The stallion's voice was heavy as he spoke, as if the already aged pony had put on another ten years. “I would suggest you go to him, but... at the same time I would not.”
“Whatever do you mean, Captain?” Cadence asked, “and who is this 'King' you spoke of?”
The stallion shuddered, “he calls himself King Sombra. I do not know where he came from, but he insists that he 'was once called Silver Scales'. I cannot say if that is true, but what I do know is that I have not seen the Prince since Sombra appeared.”
Cadence's gaze turned hard, “take me to him. I will not have an usurper take my throne while I am here to protect it.”
“Very well, My Lady,” the captain nodded, “follow me.”
The captain lead the small party up to the throne room, a large and spacious room that was rarely used except to formally greet visiting royalty. Usually the doors were shut and barred, but today they were thrown open. At the far end of the room stood a dark stallion in gleaming silver armor, a red cloak covered his back and attached under the plate armor he wore up his neck and over his shoulders. On his head sat a horned crown that wrapped around his head under his mane which seemed to flow in the breeze when there was none. Strangest of all were his eyes. Violently red, they were surrounded by a glowing green matrix and on either side a vapor of purple shimmered.
When he noticed he was no longer alone in the specious room, he growled and turned towards the intruders, his deep voice harsh as he spoke, “What are you doing here?! I told you all not to come near unless you had found my Princess!” the captain and dragon flinched back, but the third pony stood tall. She was an alicorn, beautiful and radiant beyond her years. Her coat was soft pink, her mane streaked with gold, violet, and magenta. Sombra's eyes widened and slowly their color faded from red to lavender. “Cadence!” He cried, his entire demeanor changing at the sight of his love.
“Yes I am,” She said coolly, “that tells me nothing as to who you are or what you are doing in my throne room.” Her wings extended halfway in a show of barely restrained aggression.
“Cadence, darling, it's me.” The stallion stopped just short of the mare, an iron clad hoof extended towards her. “Yes, I appear different now, but so do you. I am better, now that you are here to join me. Things can be just as they were before... when things were perfect.”
The pink alicorn shook her head in confusion, “you think things were perfect as they were? Silver, we sat in a stupor for nearly a year! That was not perfect! It never will be!”
The unicorn's gaze darkened, “what are you saying? That you will not come back to me? Would you abandon your husband so heartlessly?”
“Whoever you are now, you are not the stallion I married,” Cadence said harshly, but her eyes softened, “Come with me and we can make things right. We can set things right with the ponies and rule together, but not like this. Come with me, we can talk with Sharp Retort, she can find the cure to your condition and...”
Sombra's eyes took on a crazy glint, “Sharp Retort... Ah yes, the alchemist. She was the one who stole you away before. I do not think you will be able to consult her about my... condition, dear Princess. I have made sure she will never come between us, between our happiness, ever again.”
The princess's eyes grew wide as realization slowly settled in, “You... you...” but she never finished her sentence as Captain Iron Point moved to stand between her and Sombra.
“You monster,” He spoke, his voice calm even though his shoulders shook under his armor, “I will never allow you to lay hoof upon my Princess.”
Sombra's eyes grew wild and the purple mist shimmered around them as the stallion's horn lit up with a bubbling green magic, “Cadence is MINE!” the stallion screamed as a dark shadow extended from him, lancing through the captain and stopping just short of Cadence. In a heartbeat the shadow solidified into a purple-black crystal that cut deeply into the older stallion.
With a cough and a gurgle as blood rose in his throat, Captain Iron Point turned to the princess, “Go! Go, Princess, go far from here!”
Eyes wide with shock as she watched her faithful captain go limp, his heart speared by a hellish crystal, Cadence stood frozen for several moments. Her whole body felt cold, she had never seen death before in her life, let alone watched somepony be killed right before her eyes. She lifted her gaze to Sombra who did not appear to see her anymore. The stallion was standing over the fallen body of her captain, shouting horrible things at his corpse.
Cadence felt Claudia tug gently on her wing. “We need to go,” she whispered, “it's not safe for you to be here!”
“It's not safe for ]anypony anymore,” Cadence said, her voice hollow as she allowed her dragon friend to clamber onto her back. She turned and ran out of the throne room as Claudia settled herself between her wings.
“You will never escape me, Mi Amore!” A loud voice followed her as she ran down the halls. “I will have you back, mark my words! Mark my words!”
As the princess ran through the castle looking for a way out, huge spears of dark crystals shot their way out of the walls and floors, attempting to block her path. Cadence dodged them as she ran, leaping through a window at the end of the hall that was just large enough for her to fit through. As she started to plummet, her wings extended and she lifted away from the castle, but the spears of crystal followed her, jutting out of the walls around her, trying to lock the alicorn in a cage of crystal. One lanced out in front of her, but there was no time for the princess to turn and avoid it. Realizing she would hit the crystal head-on, she closed her eyes and waited to impact the unforgiving rock. Around her, she heard a loud crack and felt small slivers of crystal slide along her coat.
Opening her eyes, Cadence turned around and saw the crystal behind her slowly begin to regrow. “Did you know you could do that?” Claudia asked. “That... flashing thing with your horn?”
“You're saying I did that?” the princess asked, turning her attention back to flying. Now that she was out of the lee of the castle, she had to battle fierce storm winds. “I used magic?”
“That's the only explanation I can think of!” The dragon shouted to be heard above the howling winds that buffeted the pair as they flew over the darkened city.
Cadence flew as quickly as she could though the snowy weather, grateful that she knew how to use her wings, even if she couldn't control her magic. I can't believe this storm! She thought to herself as wave after wave of cold air billowed over her and she was pelted with thick pellets of snow. To think that Spring was only about a week away!
But just as suddenly as the storm began, it ended. The winds died down and the snow quit pelting the two friends. Startled, Cadence stopped, spinning around in the sky to look behind her. What she saw, she could not believe- galloping around the sky in tighter and tighter circles around the Crystal City were dozens of misty, ethereal ponies, their muzzles elongated and their eyes glowing white. Their wild cries blending with the howling wings.
Claudia gasped as she realized what the ghostly ponies were: “Wendigos.”