//------------------------------// // The Search for Craw, Part 2 // Story: Sunset Eclipsed // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// Remix, disguised as a pegasus wearing sunglasses and headphones, was trotting rhythmically down one of the streets of Canterlot, when he suddenly heard a loud series of dubstep beats that were loud enough for him to hear, even with his headphones on. He would've gladly stayed on task and continued searching for King Craw, but the beat compelled him even further. He just had to check it out! He looked around for the source of the music, when a window on the second floor of a nearby building quickly opened up, releasing a blast of loud music into the streets. He was almost going to turn back into his true Changeling form when a unicorn with shades and headphones similar to his own poked her head out and pumped a hoof in the air. "C'mon, everypony!" she was shouting. "DJ P0N-3 is in the HOUSE!" Several ponies that were passing by excitedly charged like a pack of feral beasts into the building, eager to join in on whatever was going on inside. Remix decided that he would follow suit, since any one of those ponies could have been Craw in disguise. The inside of the building was like a giant music store, with sound booths, turntables, and synthesizers lined up against the walls. In the middle was a vast dance floor with multicolored spotlights rotating left and right from the ceiling. At least a dozen ponies were dancing here, with the unicorn from earlier telekinetically operating a turntable that was playing a pop song. Remix took a while to watch all the dancers to see if any of them were doing anything suspicious, when DJ P0N-3 stopped the song with a scratch of the record she was playing. "Okay, I'm ready to take some requests!" she shouted. "I've got like a hundred albums here, and plenty of time to play them!" Remix approached the deejay, and shapeshifted back into his Changeling form. He was wearing a headset with a tinted black visor that had a wavy red line going horizontally through the middle. "I've got a song for you." he spoke with a deep, raspy voice. "I place you in charge of all operations in that worthless realm, Nelphyn, and yet you cannot give me but the simplest request: Bring forth an army to invade Equestria!" shouted a deep booming voice to the man with the red-rimmed sunglasses, who was sitting in a cavernous dark room. "Master, you must be patient. Only a few days remain, and the portal shall open once more." said Nelphyn. "Even as we speak, the Chrysalis Syndicate are lining up and waiting for the portal to re-activate." "Fool, this will not be enough!" said the voice. "You should have brought them over to Equestria a long time ago!" "Master, if I may ask, whyever did you not have this happen when the portal's normal cycle has passed but two months ago?" "Because the Princesses would have anticipated an attack from the mirror during the three-day periods! Do you not understand why I did not have you dispose of Sunset Shimmer that night, even when I anticipated that she would never succeed in her goals? I needed her to be my guinea pig to test how great Princess Celestia's defenses were." "Your way is the only way, O Saegmuntitus." said Nelphyn. "I almost feel sorry for that pathetic, misguided pony. Either way, she was doomed." "And now, she is back once again in Equestria." said the voice of Saegmuntitus. "There is hope yet for your plans to succeed." "My plans, master?" asked Nelphyn. "Yes." said Saegmuntitus. "I have many grand schemes in store for these pathetic equines and humans. If this one fails, it is because of you and you alone. I have others in my service, even as we speak. As a puppeteer controls his marionettes, I control the puppeteers! You are an asset to me, King Nelphyn. Pray to me that I do not consider you expendable." "I understand, Saegmuntitus." said King Nelphyn. "But what can Sunset Shimmer's presence in Equestria do to benefit this scheme?" "Because that is what will ensure that the Chrysalis Syndicate will interact with hostility against Equestria." explained the entity's disembodied voice. "They want Sunset Shimmer more than anything, and are willing to outright annihilate anything that keeps them from their goal. So it should be rather unfortunate if Princess Celestia and her worthless subjects were to turn them away, would it not?" "It most certainly would, master." "But we cannot afford to waste any further time." said Saegmuntitus. "The portal must open soon, or morale will decline among the members of the Syndicate." "Goodness, Razor, don't you think you haff had enough?" droned Femme Mystic, who was pacing around her husband with an annoyed expression on her face. "Shut yer trap, lady." grunted Razor, after finishing his seventh glass of hard lemonade. "But I vont to leef now!" strained the German-accented pegasus. "Honestly, why do I even go any-vere vith you?" "Excuse me, ma'am." said the innkeeper, who approached the couple. "Is there a problem you two are having that I could help with in any way?" "Don't worry about her." said Razor. "My wife's just being a prissy little filly, as usual." "Excuse me?!" growled Femme Mystic, barring her teeth. "I am nut the von being an insufferable brute right now." "Nopony here needs to hear this, you two." said the innkeeper. "If you two have some kind of problem with your marriage, either keep it at home or visit a therapist." "I haff been trying to get Razor to do just zat with me!" stressed Femme Mystic. "But no, he's stubborn as a mule--" she turned her head towards a mule enjoying a beverage nearby--"No offense, mind you." "Um, none taken." said the mule, drowsily. "Ma'am, perhaps you'd like something to drink while your husband is--"' "Hmph! Not at all." said Femme. "I vill nut vaste myself on such petty beverages--" "Ah, shaddup." said Razor, turning his head. "Ya really need to shut yer mouth." "And vat if I ver to decline, husband?" smirked Femme, who went up to Razor and leaned herself next to him, against the bar, and making a smug, haughty face. Razor climbed off his stool, and pressed against Femme Mystic's side, pinning her to the bar. The chatter that previously filled the bar suddenly died out, and everypony was looking at them. Most of them actually looked relieved that something was finally being done about the nagging mare. "I really mean it, lady." growled Razor. "You better quit fussing, before things get nasty." But Femme just giggled back, a grin on her face. "Alright, dear. You vin zis round." she said, submissively. "Ah, this place is boring me, anyway." said Razor. "Let's go outside." Razor could've sworn that he saw one of the other patrons ecstatically mouthing "Yes! Please do!" as they left. "Zat was pretty invigorating." said Femme. "Yeah, but don't you think you were overdoing it a little back there, Canopy?" asked Razor. "Oh, I mean 'Femme'." "Can I help it, Sigma--err, 'Razor'?" asked Femme. "I am, after all, a classically-trained actress!" "I know, I know." said Razor. Femme bent her head down and stroked Razor's cheek with her tongue. "You're so understanding." she said, grinning. "Miss Shimmer, what exactly is on your mind?" asked Flash Sentry. "Just trying to get some stressful things off of my mind." answered Sunset. "Anything in particular?" inquired Flash. "It's...kinda hard for me to explain it right now." said Sunset, who then decided to change the subject. "So, Captain Star Shield's your dad, huh?" "That's right." confirmed Flash Sentry. "In fact, a lot of my family's been in either the Royal Guard or the Wonderbolts for the past six generations. In fact, I have a cousin named Soarin', who's a Wonderbolt." "That's pretty neat." said Sunset. "My gramps was a guard, too." "And your brother said you have a very smart daddy." said Flash. "It sure stinks that he's not around right now. I'm sure he'd be very proud with what you and your brother have done for Equestria lately." "Yeah, I'm sure he would." sighed Sunset. Suddenly, there was a sound of somepony clearing their throat, and Sunset snapped her head to the left. Standing on the side opposite from Flash was a grayish-white pegasus stallion with reddish-brown eyes and a shaggy brown mane with green streaks here and there. His cutie mark was of a jumbo shrimp. "Hey there." he said, with a subtle Cajun accent, to Sunset Shimmer. "Boy, have I been looking all around for you, mon cherie." Sunset's eyes widened and she tried hard not to gasp in surprise. "Um...wow, I thought you'd never find me!" said Sunset. "How are you doing?" "Oh, fine." said the Cajun pegasus, pointing to an alleyway. "Say, how'd y'all like to have a chat with me over there?" "Flash, could you just stick around for a minute?" Sunset asked Flash. "Yes, ma'am." nodded Flash Sentry. Sunset and the Cajun pony went around the corner into the alleyway, and made sure they were out of sight. "Okay, Craw." she said. "Time for you and I to have a chat." The pegasus morphed into the familiar tall Changeling that Sunset last saw in Umbriel's lair. But this time, he looked very fatigued and bewildered about something. More than often, his red eyes darted left and right to make sure no one was spying on them. "I am very glad to have found you, Sunset Shimmer." said King Craw, leaning his head over Sunset's. "It warms my soul to look at your beautiful, shining face." "So what did you want to tell me, before...whatever happened on the other line?" asked Sunset, trying hard not to blush at Craw's comment. "Well, I was about to tell you that more than a year ago, something drew Cerberus away from Tartarus." said King Craw. "Something...of a positively horrid nature." "Like what?" asked Sunset. King Craw looked around again, then continued to speak: "Are you aware of the legend of the Ram King?" he asked. "The Ram King?" Sunset repeated. "I don't think I have, actually. What about it?" "It's an ancient tale as old as the world you and I both stand on." said Craw. "It is known to Changelings and ponies alike, the former even more so." "Care to summarize it for me?" asked Sunset. "Forgive me, Sunset Shimmer, but I cannot do this now." said King Craw. "Ask the princesses about it, though, should you ever get the chance." "Well, could you at least tell me what happened at your hiding place?" asked Sunset. "I mean, whose voice was that?" "Apparently, he is an ancient enemy of Equestria." said Craw. "Older than the Changelings, but not as old as Discord or the Ram King. Unfortunately, I never caught his name." "Who is the Ram King, anyway?" asked Sunset. "Again, I advise you ask your princesses about him." said King Craw. "If they turn you away, then use his true name: Saegmuntitus." "Well, that sure is a memorable name." snarked Sunset. "Okay, K.C.. What are you going to do now?" "I'm afraid that I must leave now, Sunset Shimmer." said the Changeling. "I suspect the good queen has her troops searching for me here." "Wait." said Sunset, just as King Craw began to turn away. "What would you like now, my pretty?" King Craw paused. "Let me look at your eyes." replied the unicorn. Craw opened his heavy eyelids so that they were wider than before. Sunset stared longingly into the rogue Changeling's eyes, and found her own beginning to water. "Am I really that intimidating?" quipped Craw. "No." said Sunset, quietly. "I just...wanted to see your eyes before you left. To see his eyes again. Thank you." "Sunset, is everything okay over there?" she heard Flash's voice call to her from around the corner. King Craw shapeshifted back into the Cajun-accented pegasus just as Flash entered the alleyway. "Everything's all right, Flash." said Sunset. "I was just saying good-bye to my friend here." "And now I'm outta here!" said the disguised Craw, who quickly took flight. Sunset looked up at the sky as he flew away, with tears streaming down from her eyes. She missed the human Craw so much now.