The Stars of Darkness

by D4ftP0ny

Chapter 14

Morningstar didn’t know where she was going, and frankly, she didn’t care; all she knew was that she had to get as far away from Twilight Sparkle and her friends as she possibly could. Her hooves flew over the ground as she ran, her mane flying behind her as she made her way down one of the many empty streets in Ponyville, but no matter how far or how fast she ran, the vision of Twilight Sparkle, her hoof extended in friendship, haunted her… and so did the realization that more than anything in the world, Morningstar had wanted to accept it.

She couldn’t believe this was happening; it couldn’t be happening. She’d never in all her life felt the way she did when she’d left that library- a sickening mix of happiness and horror, of hope and despair that had threatened to sling her into delirium. The ribbon tied into her mane bounced along her shoulders, whipping her along faster than any torture that ponies could conceive; that ribbon, that stupid, wonderful ribbon that had made her aware of the one, inescapable fact that now resided foremost in her mind: She could have friends.

Her heart pounded against her ribs as she turned a corner and finally found something that she recognized; the park where she, Wild Star and Falling Star had met that first night in Ponyville. She pushed herself to gallop faster, her hooves kicking up debris from the ground as she sped into the large open space and away from the buildings that had surrounded her, smothered her. She charged through the delicate wooden entrance to the park, bursting from the shadows of the buildings into Luna’s pure moonlight, and she did not stop until she was well away from the darkness at the edges of the park. Her breath came in sharp gasps as she fell to her knees and dropped her head almost to the ground, her horn touching the cool grass as she panted. Unbidden, tears sprang to her eyes as she wheezed and did her best to catch her breath.

Morningstar had never had friends before; even the other fillies at the Academy of Magic a thousand years ago had been little more than acquaintances or, on occasion, partners in some of Celestia’s more challenging tests. She had been teased because of it, on several occasions… one in particular that had gotten her in more than a little trouble with the Princesses. The long and short of it all was that such treatment had been the beginnings of her jealousy; always wanting what others had, be it spells to learn or enchanted items or places of power.

But all I ever really wanted… She shook her head fiercely, sending silver tears flying off into the grass. No no NO! I won’t have it! I’ve fought through too much, suffered too much to be brought low by something as foalish as-, She took a deep breath and settle all the way down onto the grass; she started shaking as tears rose to her eyes and fell slowly down her cheeks. Something as foalish… as friendship.

Morningstar’s father had been a very important unicorn in her time; he had worked to assist the Princesses in research and development of items that would better Equestria. He had, in turn, made a good deal of bits selling them, and had made sure she never lacked for anything. She got the very best schooling, the best clothing, the best servants… that was, until her brother had come along. Her brother, Rising Light, was immediately named heir to the family business because, as her father had expressed, what he did was “stallion’s work, not mare’s work”. Morningstar had been devastated to learn that she would not be taking up a position alongside her parents, and would instead be held to what her father desired she do; study hard, and someday make a blushing bride to some handsome, well-to-do stallion. Granted, her father’s views weren’t exactly widespread; in fact, many ponies frowned upon it, including Princess Celestia, although she never voiced her opinions publicly. However, Guiding Light was her father, and her mother, Starlight, wasn’t a mare to speak up against her husband. She was, however, a very clever pony, and had soon learned about Morningstar’s talent with magic, and when her appeals to Guiding Light to allow her to work with him failed, she had Morningstar sent off to study with the Princesses at the Academy.

She had arrived already full of jealousy towards her brother and anger towards her father, and the competitive nature of the school did nothing to foster her good-will towards her classmates. She quickly learned that if somepony wanted to be “friends” with you, it meant that you had something she wanted, or she wanted to learn something you knew and weren’t willing to tell just anypony. She kept to herself almost constantly, and more often that she cared to remember she’d found notes left places addressed to “Mourning Light”; one of the less clever nicknames the other students had given her, owing to the fact that one had to write it down for it to be fully effective, but it still hurt. There were a few fillies who developed real, lasting friendships… and above all else, Morningstar realized she had wanted that. But that wasn’t something a pony could simply conjure up, or mix in a potion; it was something that… well, that Morningstar had never figured out how to do. That was why when Princess Celestia had showed personal interest in her studies, and spoken to her with such kindness… she had allowed herself to hope that perhaps, for the first time, she would have a friend.

Her tears poured down her face as anger burned hot in her cheeks. And then Luna told me the truth. That Celestia was raising her above the others to single her out, to make her a laughingstock; to give her just enough freedom for her to do something rash and stupid. That day, her heart had closed, and she had taken the mantle of Jealousy alongside Anger, Fear and Hate.

But now… now somepony she had started out jealous of… somepony she had known beyond the shadow of a doubt that she would loathe entirely… had offered her friendship, freely and openly. Twilight Sparkle had told her in no uncertain terms that she did not trust Morningstar… but that she wanted to. She could be lying, Morningstar reasoned, but something in her heart told her that Twilight had been nothing but honest with her.

Her mind whirled and Morningstar sighed sharply, turning her eyes to the twinkling stars above. Luna… most adored Princess. Help me. I don’t know what to do anymore… Her faith in the amulet was failing, and now a pony that Dark Star, her leader, had told her was an enemy had offered her trust; the one thing she wanted the most in the world. She closed her eyes tightly and growled angrily, feeling her uncertainty growing. What… do we do now?

Suddenly above her she heard the beating of wings, and she turned her eyes skyward once more just in time to see Wild Star come soaring out of the blackness of the night, landing softly next to her. He looked down at her, and she looked away from him quickly, raising a hoof to wipe her eyes before she spoke.

“Wild Star,” she said quietly. “What brings you out so late?”

He rustled his wings before settling down in the grass next to her, just far enough away not to touch her. “Oh, you know me; always flitting about where I’m not welcome.” He smiled slightly and turned his own eyes up to the sky. “It’s a beautiful night tonight,” he mused.

Morningstar looked back to him, her eyes full of suspicion. “It is,” she admitted. “But that’s not a reason. Why are you up so late? Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on the farm pony?”

A soft chuckle escaped the gray pegasus’ lips. “Y’know… funny story…” But the look in his eyes told Morningstar that the story behind his appearance was anything but “funny”.

She watched her fellow general closely, thankful that she finally had something else to focus on besides her own inner turmoil. Something was definitely different about him; his expression was softer than normal, and his smile wasn’t as edgy as it always was. Suddenly, Morningstar was struck with a horrible realization; if her amulet was beginning to fade… was Wild Star’s, as well? And Falling Star’s?

“What happened?” she asked quietly.

She saw his shoulders tighten as she asked, and his voice reflected the tightness of his muscles. “That’s not a question that you will have answered, Morningstar,” he said tersely. “So you may as well drop it right now.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Morningstar felt anger surface, and it slowly began to push everything else to the back of her mind as she rose to her hooves. “Have we fallen for the little hayseed?” she taunted. “Is there unrequited love floating in your heart now, Wild Star?” She laughed bitterly, feeling the swell of familiar feelings wash over all the others. “Isn’t that sweet… the Element of Anger, falling for some little farm-filly.”

Wild Star rounded on her, his wings bristling, his red eyes glinting dangerously in the moonlight. “If you know what’s good for you,” he whispered harshly, “You’ll stop talking right now. You don’t know what happened, you have no idea what’s going on. So do yourself a favor and shut your muzzle, for once in your life.”

“Or WHAT?! You’ll run away? Run away and live with your little Mare-y Jane for the rest of your life, happily ever after?!” She laughed again, louder this time. “And what do you think she’ll say when Dark Star comes to claim you, hmm? When he arrives at your doorstep, demanding that his fellow general of the Lunar Republic ride with him to overthrow a tyrant?” Morningstar’s eyes narrowed. “What will she do, I wonder,” she whispered, “When she finds out that you are one of the enemy?”

Wild Star’s eyes widened, and for just a moment Morningstar thought he would rear up and try to kick her… but instead, much to her surprise, his wings slumped as a look of utter defeat washed over him. He dropped his eyes back to the ground and he turned away from her, and when he spoke after a few moments, his voice held more hurt than Morningstar had ever dreamed possible from him. “That’s just it, isn’t it…I don’t… I don’t know… what will happen…”

“What will happen when?” a voice from above asked. The two generals looked up to see the third of their number slide from the night and land gently onto the ground, his huge blue wings folding back against his body as he trotted up to them. Morningstar arched an eyebrow at Falling Star; his voice sounded… well, almost normal, something she hadn’t heard in a very, very long time. But that was a matter for later.

“When Wild Star’s fillyfriend finds out that he’s an enemy of Princess Celestia and the Solar Monarchy,” she said matter-of-factly. She knew that if anything would get under Wild Star’s skin, that comment would. Any moment now he would turn around, his eyes full of rage, and he would tell her off.

…Any moment now…

Morningstar stared at Wild Star as he lowered his head, and it felt like somepony sat on her chest as she watched a single tear run down his cheek. Like mist before her namesake, her anger evaporated slowly as she watched the angriest pony she knew walk several paces away, raise his head to the stars and scream; a wordless scream of pure anguish, a scream of indecision and frustration. A scream that Morningstar realized echoed the confusion in her own heart. Tears once again swelled into her eyes as Wild Star ran out of breath and dropped his head back down, his sides heaving as he tried to breath and… cry at the same time. He was actually crying. The unicorn felt her breath catch in her throat; somehow, watching a pony who had been strong for so long break down… made it that much easier for her to admit that she was breaking, too.

Only Falling Star seemed unsurprised by his reaction. The other Pegasus simply watched Wild Star closely, his blue eyes calm and cool. He turned his eyes to Morningstar, who could only meet his gaze for a moment before she turned away. Nopony said anything for a very long time; the breeze teased Morningstar’s mane as tears rolled unabated down her cheeks.

“You’re afraid,” Falling Star said finally, breaking the silence. It was said not in accusation, but as fact.

Morningstar turned her head towards him, her eyes red. “Oh really, what gave you that idea?!” she managed to choke through her tears.

Falling Star turned his head towards Wild Star. “You, too,” he said. “Why are you both so afraid?”

Wild Star turned back to him, his eyes still moist, but his jaw set in a grim line. “It’s not something you need to concern yourself with, Falls,” he said. “You worry about your own mission.”

The blue Pegasus walked up to Morningstar and looked her in the eye before turning back to Wild Star, and when he spoke, his voice was soothing and calm. “I’m worried about the two of you,” he said, and Morningstar almost started crying again; there was actual, genuine concern in his voice. He looked back to Morningstar, and she gasped; there was something different about his eyes, too… as if somepony had taken all of the fear right out of him and replaced it with… something she couldn’t quite place. Finally, he spoke again. “Who gave you that ribbon, Morningstar?” he asked quietly.

Morningstar thought her eyes would pop out of her head as she stared at him. Was he always so perceptive? “N-nopony gave it to me, Falling Star,” she said, doing her best to sound huffy and indignant. “It was in with my things when we arrived.”

Falling Star’s blue eyes bored into her, and after a moment he smiled- Falling Star smiled!- and said, “Morningstar, we’ve known you for a long, long time, and none of us went into exile with much. I’d say it’s a fair assumption that Wild and I both know that you did not have a piece of ribbon like that.” Morningstar dropped her eyes to the ground, but somehow she knew she wouldn’t have to say anything for him to make the obvious jump; somepony had given that to her. “But is that why you’re upset?”

She sighed, and shook her head. “No… it’s not.” She wiped her eyes with a hoof and sighed. “Earlier tonight, I went to… to see Twilight Sparkle, at her library.”

Wild Star’s eyes widened and he stepped forward. “And what were you doing there??”

“I was trying to feel jealous again!” she snapped, fresh tears springing to her eyes. “The amulet… I… wasn’t feeling jealous, so I thought I would go and see the one unicorn I knew that I was jealous of.” She sniffled pitifully, but continued. “I thought I could get her to be angry, to… to be angry at me… but instead she asked… if I wanted to be friends.” She could feel the sobs rising in her chest, and she shook her head. “But I can’t..! What… what would we tell Dark Star?? Wh-what about our mission...” A sob exploded from her lips, and she dissolved into a fit of tears.

Falling Star nodded to her and turned his attention back to Wild Star. “And you?” he asked quietly. “Care to reconsider telling me what’s bothering you?”

The gray Pegasus shifted his hooves for a very long moment, so long that Falling Star had turned away from him before he spoke. “At Sweet Apple Acres… there’s a filly, little more than a foal, really. Her name’s Honeysuckle.” He smiled slightly at the sound of her name. “She can’t be… more than seven years old. I found her sitting in the garden, crying…” He shook his head. “I talked to her… and she thinks that… well… she told me she hoped that her Daddy was as nice of a pony as I am.” He smiled shakily. “And truth be told… I want… I want to be.” He shook his head again, more harshly this time. “But what Morningstar said is right,” he growled. “As much as I want to be there for her… what would Dark Star do?” He sighed. “Dark Star would destroy our homes, our families, friends, anypony who knew us at all, and then us if we left.”

Morningstar sniffed back her tears. “We don’t have any options,” she whispered. “Our missions have to be finished. We swore to Dark Star and to Luna that we would do this… even if it killed us. And if we don’t… Dark Star will find us.”

Falling Star nodded again. “Very true,” he said. “Dark Star will never leave us in peace, even if we managed to start new lives.” He sighed. “Dark Star will never give up… until Luna’s dream is made reality.” He turned his eyes on his companions. “Until her desire is realized.”

Wild Star stared at him, and Morningstar let out a vexed sigh. “We know that already, Falling Star,” she said. “We all swore to serve until the last wishes of Nightmare Moon were brought about.”

Falling Star arched an eyebrow at her. “That’s funny… because I remember swearing fealty to Luna.” He turned his eyes to Wild Star. “Isn’t that who you swore to, Wild?”

The gray stallion stared at him for a moment… and suddenly, his face changed. His mouth opened in disbelief, then broke into his classic Wild Star grin. “Y’know… I do seem to remember a difference,” he agreed.

Morningstar sighed again. “You’re both idiots,” she said. “Luna and Nightmare Moon are one and the same.”

Falling Star turned his eyes back to her, and a small smile crept onto his lips. “Are they?”

The unicorn mare opened her mouth again… but suddenly, what he was saying hit her squarely between the eyes. “Uhm…” she said intelligently. “I, uh…” She blinked, and then she found herself smiling at him as something formed in her heart; something that she had not felt in a very long time.

Hope.

Wild Star cantered closer to the other two, his wings rustling. “So, what do we do?” he asked.

Falling Star sighed. “Morningstar is right on one thing. We did swear to Dark Star that we would complete our missions… and that isn’t going to be easy.” He turned his eyes to each of his companions in turn. “You both realize what that’s going to entail, right?”

Wild Star’s face went pale. “No… you mean we have to-,”

“Yes, Wild Star. We have to complete our missions… like nothing was wrong.” Falling Star swallowed audibly, and Morningstar saw in his face that he was not looking forward to doing that, either; whatever he had found that changed him, he did not want to lose it.

Wild Star held up a hoof. “Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. If we’re doing this, why don’t we just say ‘Scrap the mission’ and let it go?”

Falling Star reached up and touched the pouch on his shoulder. “Do you think that these are just trinkets, Wild? That they’re just a neat accessory that only works one way?” The blue Pegasus shook his head slightly. “No. We promised Dark Star that we would complete our missions, and the amulets will hold us to that. If we do not, Dark Star will know.” He nodded again. “So that is how it has to be: we will keep our promises to Dark Star, but most importantly…” He raised his eyes to the sky, where the stars kept their silent vigil.

“…We fulfill Luna’s desire,” Morningstar finished for him.

Wild Star shifted his hooves again, and to Morningstar’s eyes, he looked about to be sick. “But… but what if we… get lost again?” he asked. “In the heat of battle… the intensity of a mission…”

Falling Star gave him a grim look. “Wild Star, you were paramilitary. Follow this plan through to conclusion, and tell me what happens at the end. We finish our missions…”

Wild Star frowned. “…and we end up back with Dark Star for the final battle.”

“Which means…?”

Wild Star stared at him for a moment longer, and finally he reached the same conclusion that Morningstar did. His face fell. “Oh.”

Morningstar felt tears well up in her eyes again. “…is that how it has to be..?” she whispered.

The blue Pegasus sighed and gave her a weak smile. “Is it better than living a lie?”

She stared at him for a moment, and finally she managed to place that look in his eyes, the thing that had replaced all the fear that had once dominated them: Courage. The thought gave her more power than she had ever dreamed it could. With a determined sigh, Morningstar’s horn lit up and out of thin air appeared a piece of parchment paper, a quill and ink, all hovering just above the ground. The unicorn dipped the quill in the ink and scrawled a quick note on the paper; three simple words that would seal their fates, no matter where it led them.

We stand ready.

She rolled the paper up and, with a flash of magic, sent it away to Dark Star. With a shuddering sigh she sent the quill and ink back to her saddlebags at Rarity’s boutique and then turned to Falling Star. “Do you really think Dark Star stands a chance of beating Celestia?” she asked quietly. “A chance of beating the Elements of Harmony?” The unspoken question hung in the air: because if we go through with this, and he wins somehow…

“I really don’t know,” he replied, and his smile faded. “We’ve already done so much damage to the bearers of Harmony… so many fractures and scars.” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t know if they’ll be able to stand against Dark Star… but I know one thing.” He raised his head, and his eyes were firm. “If they stand this test, they are truly amazing. And I also know that if this is my last fight… I die knowing that I did the right thing.”

To her surprise, the answer that Falling Star gave soothed Morningstar’s nerves; with a sigh she turned to Wild Star, who nodded to her, his face grim but hopeful. She managed a smile for him, and he returned it before turning his eyes skyward once more. The unicorn looked between her two companions and realized, for the very first time in a thousand years, that while these two may not exactly be her friends… she wasn’t alone.

The three ponies stood together under Luna’s night sky, watching as if this was their very last chance to see it… all knowing that, in all likelihood, it would be.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day dawned strangely for Equestria; absent were most of the colors usually present in the sunrise, the oranges, blues and purples… instead, the sole color that adorned the sky was the brightest red that anypony could remember. As Princess Celestia brought the sun above the horizon, from Hoofington to Manehatten, Ponyville to Appleloosa, the sky seemed to ignite into a blaze of red fire, painting the walls of Canterlot the color of blood and sending Luna’s heart into her stomach. She shook her head. A thousand years ago, we would have had drawn predictions about the battle from this sunrise, she thought. I pray that they would have been wrong.

She turned her eyes from the castle to the grounds far, far below the mountain city, and as the sun’s light warmed her back she could just barely see the Royal Army of Canterlot arrayed on the plain before them. Dozens and dozens of tents, arrayed in neat lines, were being broken down as the dawn arrived, and even though she could not see them from here, Luna knew that the ponies of the military were preparing for their largest campaign in hundreds of years. She shifted uncomfortably in the armor that had been made for her; it was hard for a pony who was not used to wearing armor to adapt to the heavy material, even though the blacksmith ponies had assured her it was the lightest they could make. She had donned a coat of bright silver chainmail that covered her from neck to flank, leaving her legs and wings bare; a hood of the same material lay unused at the base of her neck. On her legs she wore tall, delicate-looking metal greaves that extended up just enough cover her knees with a slightly rounded diamond-shape not unlike her crown as well as a light plate cuisse on her thighs, each fashioned from highly-polished steel that reflected silver in the rising sunlight. Along the leading edges of her wings were fashioned a very light plate armor to protect them from glancing blows with spear or sword, and a light helm topped with a plume of great black eagle feathers sat next to her, but she refused to put it on until she absolutely had to. She sighed, her mane catching the morning breeze and shimmering as she looked to the sky. So much protection for the pony who started all of this, she thought grimly. Her teal eyes scanned the morning above, waiting for some sign of her sister’s return.

Sure enough, not moments later Celestia descended, her wings flaring wide about her as she landed on the rampart. She wore armor of the same make as Luna’s, except where the Princess of the night’s armor was silver and steel, Celestia’s was pure gold, shining gloriously in the morning light. Luna watched as her sister shook out her rainbow colored mane and could not help but smile; truly, of the two of them, Celestia looked the more regal. At her hip, Celestia had chosen to wear the sword she had used against Dark Star in Whinnyapolis, the gem in the hilt sending starbursts of color against the walls as she walked towards Luna.

“Everything looks to be in order, Luna,” she said approvingly as she turned her eyes to the army below. She smiled. “I’m glad to see that a thousand years imprisonment did not dull your sense for a military engagement.”

Luna smiled at her sister, her nerves betrayed as her voice wavered slightly. “Well, there wasn’t much to do on the moon but plan my eventual return, was there?” She shivered as she thought of the countless hours she had spent planning her own invasion of her sister’s kingdom. “Granted, Canterlot isn’t Everfree, but the tactics remain the same.”

Celestia nodded, and gave her sister an encouraging smile. “Well, tell me about your troop placements, Princess Luna,” she said gently. “Since I’m sure you planned exactly how I would place my defenses.”

“In detail, dear sister,” Luna said, her smile returning slightly. At least having something to explain would take her mind off of the impending battle. With a sigh she turned her eyes to the plain below, and the multitude of dots arrayed there; she reared up on her hind legs, setting her hooves against the parapet and pointing down at the units below. “We have 6,000 earth ponies forming the backbone of the defense; they are divided into sixty units of 100 ponies each, each with ten unicorns for magical backup and support, making 6,600 ponies for the front line. They will form unit squares and disperse as Dark Star’s forces dictate.” Celestia nodded, and Luna’s hoof moved along the army and swept the hills surrounding the rear of the army. “Another three hundred unicorns are divided into three units of one hundred each, hidden away behind the hills to flank Dark Star when he moves up to the city.”

The white alicorn frowned. “Do you really think he will get that far?”

Luna turned her eyes back to her sister. “Do you intend to fight to kill?” she asked quietly.

“You know very well that I do not, and I know you don’t, either. We both know that this is an attempt to subdue his army long enough to give us a chance to attack him directly.”

Luna turned back to the field. “And that is why he will most certainly make it that far,” she said, her voice soft. She cleared her throat and shifted her hoof back to the lines of ponies. “There are 1,500 Pegasus troops that will be left to fly air patrol, allowed to go wherever they are needed the most at their discretion, unless directed otherwise by one of us.”

Celestia nodded. “That accounts for 8,400 of ten thousand ponies. The other 1,600?”

The blue alicorn shifted her gaze and her hoof to the city of Canterlot itself. “The others, consisting of one thousand earth ponies, five hundred pegasi, and one hundred unicorns, are stationed just inside the gates of Canterlot; they will be a final line of defense to the city itself.”

“That makes the ten thousand,” Celestia agreed. “And what of the castle?”

“They will be held by the only ponies left to spare, and the only ones who could hope to stand against Dark Star at that point, if any could at all.”

Celestia’s eyebrows rose almost to her mane. “The Dawn Guard?” she asked, surprised.

“And the Dusk Guard,” Luna agreed. The Dawn Guard and Dusk Guard were the alicorn sisters’ personal bodyguards, Celestia’s and Luna’s respectively; they were solely unicorns, all trained specifically in combat and protection magic, all chosen specially for their devotion to the sisters; Luna knew that they would willingly give their lives to defend their Princesses, and she prayed again, for what seemed to be the hundredth time already that day, that things would not get that far. The look in Celestia’s eyes told Luna that she understood what it meant for Luna to call in such reinforcements; together, the Dawn and Dusk Guards consisted of 50 ponies, but if Dark Star and his generals made it through everything, they would be the only ponies in the world short of Celestia, Luna or the bearers of the Elements of Harmony that could even hope to stop them.

“I’m impressed, Luna,” Celestia said, her eyes sweeping the horizon as the sun rose into the sky behind them. “Everything seems to be in order.”

Luna watched Celestia closely. “Except for Twilight Sparkle and her friends,” she said. “What do you intend to do with them? They will not be able to stay out of this fight, you know.” She pulled her hooves off of the wall and dropped back to all four, taking the last few steps to stand directly next to her sister. Celestia sighed and bowed her head slightly.

“I know, I know… I have been avoiding it, but I fear that I cannot afford to do so any longer.”

Luna stepped up to the rampart, her chainmail clinking softly against the stone as she gazed down at the beautiful city they were about to defend. So much work, the lives of so many ponies had gone into building this metropolis for Celestia, and all of it could be undone in one day of violence and hatred. “Was it wise to keep Twilight out of the planning of today for so long?” she asked, her voice gentle. Celestia turned away from her, but when she spoke her voice was apologetic.

“No, I don’t imagine it was,” she admitted. “I just didn’t want her to worry any more than she already was.” Luna could hear the smile sneak onto Celestia’s face as she continued. “You really should get to know her more, Luna… Twilight has such knowledge at her command, such raw talent, but she can and will worry like a schoolfilly if given the chance. The last thing I wanted was for her to stop focusing on her friends and their needs in this dark time…”

“Because without their friendship, the Elements will fail,” Luna finished for her.

Celestia nodded slightly. “Yes. It is partially that… but I also hate to see her worried, Luna. I want things to go so smoothly for her, so perfectly that it’s hard to remove my hoof from her business and simply let things happen.” She chuckled quietly. “If only you could have seen her when she first went to Ponyville, Luna… the way she had decided that she wouldn’t make friends, even though I told her to.” Her smile widened minutely, but there was a hint of sadness to it that made Luna frown. “It took everything I had not to storm in and take over, instruct her on exactly how to make friends and then round up the ponies I knew would be best for her.”

Luna watched her sister closely. “You sound like Mother,” she said. “She always thought she could do exactly that...” Celestia raised her lavender eyes and met her sister’s, and with a flash like lightning Luna was struck with the undeniable truth, a truth so blatant that she scolded herself for not seeing it sooner. She gasped. “Tia… w-what… when?! WHO?!”

The white alicorn blushed deeply, but before she could answer one of the Pegasus guards rose up out of the distance and hurried towards them, the plume of his helmet trailing after him. “My Princesses,” he said as he came to hover before them on the parapet, “The enemy forces approach; they have just cleared the mountains and are spreading out on the foothills. Our scouts report seven hundred all told, none of them armed but for one large pony in a cloak bearing a sword.”

Luna felt all of her curiosity shift to fear, a horrible, sinking feeling as her teal eyes were drawn to the hills outside the city, hills that now hid Dark Star’s army. She saw more than heard Celestia thank the guard for his report and send him on his way as all sound in the world slowly faded away, replaced by the solitary beating of her own heart in her ears. Dark Star was out there, now; right there, so close that she could fly out to see him… Her heart burned, divided, as she stared down from the castle; part of her wanting to go to him, part of her wanting nothing more than to bring her army crashing down upon his foalish head. In spite of herself, she smirked ever so slightly; in a thousand years, she had never imagined that this would be what became of her Lunar Republic. She shook her head and turned to Celestia. “Have you informed the soldiers of what they’re up against?” she asked. “Of what Dark Star’s army will be capable of?”

Celestia nodded. “They have been informed about how the enemy will fight, but not why.”

The Lunar Princess nodded slightly before turning away from her sister to look again at the scene below. “They need to know, Tia,” she said quietly. “They need to know why their enemy will act the way they do…” Luna swallowed, and dropped her head low. “And most of all… they deserve to know the real reason they are fighting.” They have to know… “I can’t let them fight on my behalf without them first knowing my part in all of this,” Luna said, her voice suddenly hoarse. “They need to know…”

Her sister watched her closely for a time, and just when Luna was sure she was about to reject the idea outright, she nodded. “Very well; come, we will address the troops before Dark Star shows himself.”

Luna raised her head, unable to keep the mild surprise from her face. “R-really? You’ll let me do that…?”

Celestia smiled that infuriating, beautiful, all-knowing smile that she did so well before leaning down to nuzzle her sister on the cheek. “My dear little sister… I am not the tyrant you once thought me to be,” she said lightly. “You are right; they deserve to know… and you deserve the chance to see what they will do, for good or ill.” Her horn began to glow, and a small, cloth hood appeared out of her armor; she tucked her lustrous mane into it before drawing the chainmail hood up over her neck and head, fastening it around her horn so the chain stayed up. The air shimmered, and a helm matching Luna’s own appeared; it was made of graceful, overlapping pieces of metal ending in a piece that protected the nose. Atop it was a plume of brilliant feathers that seemed to burn with their own internal fire; feathers given to Celestia by none other than her pet phoenix, Philomena. The Solar Princess placed the helm atop her head, adjusting it so it rested correctly on her graceful head and neck before turning to Luna. “Come, sister. The time is here.”

Luna nodded and repeated what Celestia had, tucking her ethereal mane into the small cap given to her to keep it from being snagged in the chainmail before securing first the hood then the helm atop her head. She sighed as the weight pressed down onto her head, but it was better than being injured from a lucky strike… but even the distraction from the helmet could not take her mind from the task she was about to perform. What if they all leave? She couldn’t help but wonder if, upon her admission that this was all really her fault, the entire army would simply turn and retreat, leaving her and Celestia to face this threat alone.

She felt a wingtip brush gently against her mane, and she turned to see Celestia smiling at her. “No predictions, Luna,” she warned. “Do not go into this with preconceived notions of what will or will not be; focus on what you can control, and do not let the rest trouble you.”

Luna watched her sister for a long moment, then nodded, a light smile coming to her face. “Of course… thank you, Celestia.” Then her eyebrow arched, and her eyes narrowed. “But rest assured that you have a little bit of explaining to do when we this is all over, sister. Don’t think I’ll forget!”

Celestia laughed, but had the good grace to blush at the same time. “Luna, I promise, once this is done, I will tell you everything you want to know.”

“This is acceptable,” Luna said, returning her sister’s smile. The two Princesses turned towards the impending battlefield and leaped from the castle, sailing into the morning sky as the sun rose behind them. Luna noted that the armor weighed her down a great deal more in the air than it did on the ground; she was forced to flap her wings much faster than she normally did to keep herself aloft as she flew down towards the army arrayed below.

The sisters swooped low over their army, a cheer rising from the troops as they did so; the sound brought a little hope to Luna, but it was quickly quelled by her rising despair as the two alicorns rose slightly higher before the army to hover in place where every pony could see them; Luna’s wings protested the extra weight of the armor, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t manage. Everypony stopped what they were doing, be it packing away tents or moving weapons or simply falling into formation to turn their eyes skyward, to watch their Princesses. Celestia gave Luna a final, encouraging smile before flapping a small distance away, giving her the proverbial “center stage”. Luna turned her eyes to the army, almost ten thousand ponies, staring up at her, waiting with baited breath for her words. She took a deep, steadying breath before her horn lit up with magic that would amplify her voice so everypony could hear.

“Soldiers of the Royal Army,” she began, allowing her words to come slowly, naturally as her eyes swept the field. “Today, you face the single largest threat to Equestria in almost four hundred years, and what may well be the greatest challenge of your lives.”

Ponies below her began to form into their ranks, knowing that their leader had something important to say, so Luna plowed on. “Today, you will face an army unlike any you have been trained to face; an army that, while small, has the ability to push through you easily… because this is an army that does not wish to fight you. It is an army that has been brainwashed into raising its arms against us.” Murmurs broke out among the soldiers, now; even over the beating of her wings she could hear it, washing over the troops. “It is true,” she said, and every mouth fell silent. “The pony who leads this army- a unicorn named Dark Star- is a very powerful magician, and has filled their hearts with unfathomable hate, forcing them to fight his war for him, but make no mistake: once they are freed, each one of these ponies will be horrified by what they are going to be made to do.”

Now her chest squeezed tightly, and she took a shuddering breath before continuing. “But what you must know is this: Dark Star was… once one of you. He was once a Captain of the Guard… and my friend. But as you all know, I fell to darkness, and… Dark Star fell along with me.” She averted her eyes, gazing at Canterlot Castle and away from her troops, but she could not stop a single tear from trailing down her cheek. “Now, Dark Star has returned to seek vengeance upon Celestia and all those who stand in his way… all because of things said and done by me over a thousand years ago.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I am to blame for this battle… a battle that we are on the difficult side of. The army we face does not wish to fight us, and yet will fight us with everything they have, and will not hesitate to kill each and every one of you… and yet I must ask you all to do what you can to avoid bloodshed, and fight to disarm or detain.” Again the murmurs spread through the troops, louder this time, and it didn’t take much effort to imagine what they were saying; but Luna cast a glance at Celestia, who only nodded to her in encouragement. The Lunar Princess sighed sharply, but continued. “It is difficult enough to fight an invading army without worrying about the well-being of your enemies… and I fear that doing so may be impossible. But it is what I must ask of you, my loyal soldiers, my comrades… my friends. Remember that these ponies are not warriors like yourselves; they are fathers, brothers, daughters and sons, farmers and shopkeepers and musicians, all swept up by Dark Star’s wave of hate, all manipulated by it to become nothing more than his instruments of destruction.”

She cleared her throat before continuing. “These ponies will wash over all they see with no hesitation, no remorse and no regret… but I beg you to fight for one purpose: to return these poor ponies to their homes and loved ones alive. It is a tall order, my friends… and one that, as the pony ultimately responsible for this war… I cannot order you to do.” She straightened her neck and gave the army a level look. “Therefore, I tell you this: any pony who does not wish to fight this battle, leave now. You will suffer no consequences, and this may be the only chance you have to walk away from this battle alive.”

Silence filled the field as Luna bowed her head; she could feel Celestia’s eyes on her, and she turned to face her sister… but to her surprise, when she met Celestia’s gaze it was filled with pride and approval. “Well spoken, sister,” she said quietly.

Luna blinked and turned back to the unit closest to her; from the ranks stepped a single pony, a unicorn whose chocolate brown coat made his polished golden armor stand out brightly in the morning sunlight. He gazed up at Luna for a moment… and then gave her a determined smile and a single, firm nod. He turned back to his unit and reared up on his hind legs, his deep voice echoing in the stillness.

“FOR LUNA AND CELESTIA!!” he shouted. As one, the soldiers roared to life, cheering and shouting all at once.

“For Luna!”

“For Celestia!”

“Forward the Sisters! Forward the Celestial Kingdom!”

The unicorn Captain turned back to Luna and his horn lit up as other units took up the call; a pillar of light lanced skyward from his horn, and hovering in it shimmered an image of the Royal Seal, the sun and moon with both sisters around it. All down the ranks of the soldiers, similar pillars of light erupted into the morning sky, all bearing the seal as chants of “Luna!” and “Celestia!” rang loudly from every mouth and heart.

Luna stared at the army, her mouth agape; another tear found its way down her cheek, followed by others, and she turned to Celestia in disbelief. Celestia had tears of her own in her eyes, and she only offered her a smile. “I told you,” she whispered.

Suddenly, the cheering and chanting stopped as quickly as it began; Luna looked back to the troops to see that they were all staring at the hills beyond her now, and with a quick flap of her wings she too turned to look… and when she saw what they were looking at, she felt her face pale.

Standing atop the low foothills before the plains was a single pony, dressed all a black cloak that billowed in the breeze of a new day. Slowly, all around him, ponies approached and stopped in a line; ponies without armor or weapons, but all bearing the same expression on their faces.

Hate.

Luna and Celestia both made their way to the ground, where they stood at the head of their army. Celestia frowned. “Does he intend to send them into battle without weapons? To only use them as pony shields?”

Luna sighed. “No… he has weapons and armor both.” Celestia arched an eyebrow at her, and Luna nodded. “In the weeks before you found out about the Lunar Republic, we began to stockpile weapons and armor in a cave in the forest; I have to assume that Dark Star placed a protection spell on them to keep them free of rust and detritus during my thousand-year imprisonment.” She smiled grimly. “It was all part of the plan, just in case.”

The pony at the head of the opposing force threw back his hood, revealing a long, slender horn and a black mane mixed with dark blue that surrounded two blazing golden eyes; the face of hate itself… the face of Dark Star. Even from this distance, Luna could feel his eyes on her, feel the smirk on his face as he saw herself and Celestia together. He threw his head skyward and his horn lit up the western sky, challenging the sun for dominance; all around the ponies on his side, the air shimmered, much like it had when Celestia had summoned her sword to her in Whinnyapolis, and in the span of several heartbeats, armor began to appear around his thralls. It was simple armor, just like the armor worn by Celestia’s army except it was as black as midnight and adorned with a white crescent moon on the chest. Helms followed, and then the spears, and within moments Dark Star’s army stood, spearheads glinting in the sunlight, armed and ready for battle.

“That… was an incredibly powerful summoning spell,” Celestia muttered. “Where is he getting all of that power?? I would be hard-pressed to summon so much for so many.”

“It’s the amulet,” Luna said. “His own magic is being supplemented by the amulet of Hate; it is actually giving him power.” She shook her head. “More power than any of us could have ever dreamed…”

Celestia’s horn lit up gently for just a moment before falling dark again. “I have sent Twilight Sparkle and her friends a warning to be ready at a moment’s notice.” She turned her eyes to Luna, and they were firm. “The fate of Dark Star will be settled this day, little sister, for good or for ill.”

Luna nodded, and her own horn lit up; the air next to her shimmered as she summoned a weapon to her side, a spear twice as long as she was tall, an ebony shaft tipped with a bright silver blade. Her dark blue magic wrapped around the weapon and twirled it once before settling it to her side while Celestia’s own pink magic drew her sword and held it high, the blade reflecting the rising sun.

“FOR EQUESTRIA, AND FOR FREEDOM!” she shouted, her voice booming over the army; behind her Luna could hear the countless rasps of unsheathing blades, and as one the army replied to their sovereign:

“FOR CELESTIA, FOR LUNA, FOR FREEDOM!!”

From atop the hills, a shadow grew from Dark Star as his cloak was thrown back, revealing him in his pitch-black armor; the shadow expanded into a huge effigy of himself, standing easily a hundred feet high, golden eyes blazing.

“FORWARD THE ETERNAL NIGHT!!!” his voice commanded, and as one his small army began to sprint down the hill, silent except for the pounding of their hooves as the giant illusory pony faded behind them.

Luna hefted her weapon in her magic once more as she and Celestia stood their ground together.

The Battle of Canterlot had begun.

Comments

[Xaldon Ajide]

epicarous hs nothing on this

[Dusk Apollo]

Best I have ever seen of any story related to this!
It needs... MORE!!

[Dusk Apollo]

In before the Stars fall in love with the Elements or their friends.

[D4ftP0ny]

588328
As always Xaldon, I'm glad you like it! Yeah, things are about to pick up in pace a little- LIGHT THE BEACONS! XD

600989
Thank you very much, Dusk; it means a lot to me. And don't you worry, there is quite a bit more! ^_^

611197
Actually, only one of them, and that was a fluke; it wasn't originally planned at all... but hey, who am I to stand in the way of how a story is being put together? I just write it. XD

611225
Yeah, I'm a fan of that phrase myself... but it's more of a play on a Napoleon Complex than anything else, even though it sounds a bit like another and very different complex.

[source1]

Mom?!
wazup

[InarJollyhound]

This is gonna be a looooooong battle.