The sky was overcast, and rain was pouring down in heavy sheets over Canterlot. The rain was cold though, and it reminded Starlight that it would start snowing soon here too. He didn’t want to think of that. Things were bad enough as is.
The royal guard had lined up at the edge of the courtyard, and they raised their trumpets and began playing the funeral dirge. All the black-clad ponies bowed their heads in mourning. Starlight, Maelstrom, and Callista did the same.
Princess Candace and Twilight proceeded down the black carpeted aisle, carrying a portrait of Shining Armor as he had been in life. They carried the portrait up to an altar, where the flag of the Crystal Kingdom, his armor, and bouquets of flowers and candles had been set up.
As the princesses passed Starlight, he could tell that the streams of water running down their faces weren’t from the rain. Princess Candace set the portrait down among the roses, and lit a candle for her deceased husband. Princess Twilight did the same.
They remained frozen there for a while, their heads drooped and Starlight could hear Candace shuddering and sobbing. Starlight’s heart ached fiercely. Shining Armor had been a noble stallion, and no one had been even able to recover a body for the funeral. Shining Armor’s parents had been so grief stricken that they were now in the hospital under intensive care….
Starlight wanted to cry, but this was the third funeral he had attended today. He had already spent all his tears at Amberleaf’s funeral. Princess Candace began wailing, “Why!?” she screamed up at the stormy sky. “Why have you taken him from me!?”
Princess Twilight put a wing around Candace and everyone cast their eyes to the ground. Hours passed, and everyone had long departed. The gusting wind had blown out all the candles at the altar, but Candace and Twilight remained. Starlight decided that it was time to approach them.
Starlight trotted down the aisle and bowed down. “My dear princesses…It is time.”
Princess Candace lifted her hoof and touched her husband’s portrait. “Goodbye my love. Thank you for all the happy memories.”
Princess Twilight hugged Candace, and they drew apart after a few minutes. Twilight trotted away, and Starlight approached Candace. “My lady, we cannot be late.”
The princess sniffed and raised her head. “You’re right. I must be strong now. I must be strong for my people.”
They left the courtyard and Starlight trailed behind her. Soon they arrived at the arena, and Candance invited him to sit next to her throne. Callista and Maelstrom were already there, and Starlight looked at the crowd.
Seeing all these dragons here made his skin crawl, but it was necessary. A silver dragon with lilac eyes approached Candance, and Starlight felt the temptation to slip out his blades even though he knew this particular dragon was a friend. The dragon bowed, “My dear Candance, I am so sorry for your loss.” The dragon lifted himself up. “I, Vaelan, will promise to bring you victory today. When I fight in that arena, when I stand above the broken corpse of my enemy, I will pledge myself and the entire dragon nation to help you defeat Snowhoof.”
Princess Candance nodded. “Yes, Vaelan. I don’t like brutality, but this is how the dragons choose who is the alpha, and who gets to take the deceased alpha’s place. Since it is confirmed that Emperor Raelas is dead, it is imperative that you win and secure the aid of the dragons. Once your forces join ours, the other nations will be encouraged and will join as well.”
Vaelan nodded. “Yes, a very clever observation.” The dragon frowned and dropped his head. “If I fail, the other…” they all looked at Vaelan’s competition waiting for him in the ring, a large purple dragon. “If I fail, not only will I die, but everyone else and in time, the entire dragon race. If he haves his way, he will turn the denizens of the surrounding nations into a food source, and they’ll just ‘weather the storm’ that way. But someone who isn’t wrapped in his own selfish greed can see that there is no ‘weathering the storm’, the spring will never come as long as Snowhoof lives.”
Starlight nodded. The majority of dragons were supporting Vaelan’s competitor, Lord Arren, but if Vaelan won against him, the dragons would be forced to obey and would eventually see reason on their own. Then all the other nations would join the crusade against Snowhoof. But first, Vaelan had to win this fight.
Vaelan dipped his head one more time. “Wish me luck.” He turned away and left, joining his competitor in the dirt arena.
The dragons were roaring and stamping their feet, and Starlight felt nervous. The dragons faced each other, our silver dragon versus their purple. Vaelan had a good soul, and that was rare among dragons. Please win, Vaelan. Starlight looked at Candance. This world has already lost too many good souls. Celestia, Luna, Amberleaf, Shining Armor….
The dragons began circling one another, and the fight had officially begun. The winner takes the dragon throne, the loser dies and his cause is shamed. The purple dragon, Arren, leapt forward and Vaelan barely dodged the blow. Vaelan spun around, sweeping the ground with his heavy tail.
Starlight gasped as Arren easily caught Vaelan’s tail and pulled him back. Vaelan cried out as Arren sunk his claws into his spine, and the two dragons tumbled in the dirt, biting and clawing. Starlight saw crimson, lots of it, the dark red streaming down Vaelan’s silver scales. He was losing. Vaelan was losing.
Vaelan’s blows were becoming weaker, and Arren had him pinned beneath his massive body. Starlight couldn’t watch what happened next. According to tradition, the winner had to humiliate the loser before he died….Starlight remembered all too well what dragons in the past had done to humiliate the losers.
Arren had Vaelan pinned and instead of relieving the dragon of some of his anatomy as Starlight expected, Arren stuck out his thumb claws and drove them down Vaelan’s face. Vaelan stopped the claws before they descended into his eye sockets, and Vaelan’s hands shook as the claws slowly lowered down.
The dragons were roaring for Arren to finish the deed, and Candance looked away. Starlight could see Arren’s claws sinking into Vaelan’s eyes, and the silver dragon thrashed but it was futile.
In a moment, Arren had turned out Vaelan’s eyes. He saw Callista throw up all over the floor, and Starlight’s own stomach was churning. Blood flowing down Vaelan’s eyes like tears, he was still pinned. Arren raised his claws to finish the deed, when Vaelan blew a hot jet of flame onto Arren’s face.
Arren howled in pain, and Vaelan slid underneath Arren, gutting the purple dragon with long talons as he slid out. Arren cried out as his entrails slid out onto the dirt, and Vaelan blindly slashed at Arren’s hindquarters. Arren fell forward into the dirt, and Vaelan leapt onto his back and decapitated the dragon with a powerful bite.
Hot, steaming blood was soaking the dirt of the arena and he heard Maelstrom cheer. The dragons were in stunned silence, and then they erupted in applause. Vaelan was still hysterical, wandering around and bumping into things, blind. “On behalf of my people, I declare war on Snowhoof!” he announced. “The entire dragon race will no longer antagonize our neighbors, but will rain down our fiery wrath upon the Keeper of Winter.”
The dragons cheered, excited at the prospect of war. Princess Candance went down into the arena, avoiding the spots where the ground was particularly bloody. She kissed Vaelan, and led him out to get his wounds treated.
Starlight’s stomach was still churning, but now he could relax. Starlight saw a dozen or so emissaries dash out of the arena, on their way to tell their masters that Vaelan had won and the Crystal Empire and the Dragons of the Tropics had joined forces to fight Snowhoof’s reign of terror.
Starlight smiled. Vengeance comes on swift wings, Snowhoof.
***
After the news of Celestia’s taking had been confirmed, Princess Twilight was put in charge of caring for the refugees and managing food supplies. Princess Candance had volunteered to help fight alongside Starlight, Maelstrom, and Callista.
Starlight was optimistic. They now had two of the world’s strongest armies on their side. The remnants of the Gryphon Kingdom’s army had already joined Candance’s coalition, and others were flocking to join as well.
The others have come to their senses. They cannot stand alone, that is clear. It is decided here that the races of the world must fight back if they are to live. To fight, to bring back the spring, to kill the wintry tyrant that had taken so much from all of them. Even Brightmane had surrendered himself to Candance.
Starlight saw looked out the window and saw flurries falling from the sky. Midwinter approaches, Snowhoof’s peak of power. They had to strike first, before the equatorial regions were compromised as well. Otherwise they were all dead.
Princess Candance was at his door, dressed in armor. Starlight followed her, as the other crystal war generals headed down to the war room. There was planning to do.