The Fourth Alicorn

by Cobalt the Kitsune

Chapter 13: Star of Truth, Part Two

Sirius and Violet were sitting in their personal theater box. Watching new play by the great writer, Quillam Shakespeare. It was called “Lord Sirius’ Discontent.” A comedy about the first five years of the alicorns rule. Sirius did not laugh at the jokes though. The war was at the end of its first year and most of Sirius’ warriors were encamped outside of Everfree in pitiful conditions. He felt guilty about the luxury he experienced. Also he was thinking over war tactics and strategies.

Suddenly Violet cramped up and moaned in pain. She then fell off her chair

“Violet!” Sirius said as he leaned down next to his wife. “Guards.” Two ponies in golden armor rushed in.

.........

Violet was laid on a luxurious bed. A chestnut colored pony was putting a stethoscope on her chest.

“Is that the...?” Scootaloo asked

“Doctor, what wrong with her.” Sirius asked.

“Shush.” The doctor said. He then pulled out an odd looking device. It emitted a buzzing noise. He then examined the device and said. “Well that’s interesting. Well I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

“Doctor, I'm leading an army, and now my wife is suddenly struck ill. I need some good news.”

“Ok, then. Congratulations! You're going to be a father!” The Doctor said.

“Great! what's the bad news?” Sirius asked.

“The mother is dying.” The doctor admitted sorrowfully.

.........

Nine months after The Doctor's grim diagnosis, Violet was in labor. Celestia was the only one allowed to help with the delivery. Her other sisters-in-laws and Lotus waited In a different room. There was a knock on the door of the room where they were. Expecting news about the labor Andromeda opened the door. But instead of Celestia there was a unicorn pegasus in a cavalry uniform.

“Miss,” the stallion took off his hat. “It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that Resilient Spirit has died.”

“And what makes you think I have any orientation with this stallion?” Andromeda said putting on her royal facade.

“Because miss, The changeling that killed him... turned into you.” The stallion said somberly.
Andromeda couldn’t hide her grief any more.“Oh, Sirius, No!” She broke down crying on Lotus’ shoulder.
“He must have loved you very much.” The stallion said bringing out a sword box. “The same magic blast that killed him also shattered his diamond sword.” He then opened the box and relieved a sword with a silver hilt and clear shards of the blade.
Andromeda turned towards the stallion. She picked up one of the shards and gave it to Lotus and said. “I want this made into a necklace. So, that I can always keep him by my heart.”
“Can do miss” Lotus folded the shard up in a napkin. They were unaware that Celestia was standing in the doorway until she cleared her throat.
“I just wanted to tell you all that Violet has given birth to a healthy, beautiful filly.” Celestia said. “She and the filly are both resting.”

.........

A fillies cry could be heard over the explosions and thunder. A yellow mare was tring to comfort her baby with a lullaby.

hush now,

quiet now,

It’s time to lay your sleepy head,

hush now,

quiet now,

It’s time to go to bed.

A blue unicorn with white highlights then joined in.

Drift,

Drift,

of to sleep

leave the exciting day behind you,

Drift,

Drift,

of to sleep,

where a great big dream might find you.

The filly then fell asleep.
“Take her to a safe place, Colgate.” Private Pansy said giving her the bundle.
“Don’t worry. I’ll raise her as if she was my own.” Colgate said looking down on her new filly.

.........

The next few scene shifts where a montage of related clips. Bloody battles. The Princess on the homefront. Some of the more notable ones where the reveals of Sirius’ gifts to his sisters. The Invisibility Cloak, The Twin Blades, and The Elements of Harmony. The birth of Blueblood and the death of Night Stallion.

.........

The next major scene was a serpentine shadow moving through the darkened halls of Everfree palace. It reared itself up at every door usually passing by it. Until it came to Princess Luna’s door. It worked Its way underneath the door. It snaked its way to where the princess was sleeping.

“I have seen your heart, Princess Luna.” It said in a mixture of Night Stallions voice and a snake hiss. “I have seen your heart, AND IT IS MINE!” He then slithered into the mares ear. Her eye then flashed open. Except... I wasn’t her eye. It was a serpent's eye, glowing red.

.........

“Luna, if Sirius could see the misery you're causing he would weep.” Celestia said to her sister. The appearance of her sister of had much changed. Her colors had inversed and her ethereal mane had grown long.

“I’ve told you sister I will not move the moon. Not for you, not for Sirius not for any pony.” She said. “Also, I’m not Luna. I am Nightmare Moon!” Her eyes glinted evilly at her sister.

Celestia recognized the gilt. “I don’t know how you got out or what you’ve done with my sister but you’ll won’t get away with it.”

“Just try and catch me.” Nightmare Moon said. She then darted out as a shadow.

“And now we're going into the Second Shadow War.” Cobalt said.

“Also known as the Equestrian Civil War.” Cadence added.

.........

A stallion branded with a crescent ran into an large tent. “You wished to see me, Commander.” He asked a jet black mare.

“Sergeant Striker yes, I want you to hear my newest campaign.” She said rising up from her chair. “To shatter the moral of Celestial’s army, I will erase their greatest idol from history.”

“Who is that I may ask?” Striker asked carefully.

“My brother Sirius,” Nightmare Moon said. “I want everything that might show he ever existed destroyed.”

“It will be done Commander.” Striker said. They were then images of books and scrolls being burned, stone carvings being chipped off, and any pony that might remember Sirius killed.

“So, that’s why there’s no historical record of Sirius.” Cobalt said finally understanding.

.........

During the first years of the shadow war Everfree had become the fortified city in Equestria. A pentagonal wall was built around the city. The arsenal stored inside the great wall included, cannons, long range rifles, regular rifles, and of course Colt 45’s. So, Nightmare Moon’s Everfree campaign seemed like a suicide mission. But none of her lower officers dared cross her when she planned to invade the capital.Her commands where simple. “Leave no trace there was ever a city there.”

The massacre began when the sky was overcast. The Lunar Amry’s favorite weather to fight in. The first shots were exchanged about 9:30 in the morning. They spent the rest of the morning trying to break through the defences. That’s when Nightmare Moon called in some supernatural help. With the help of legions of shades and a couple shadow dragons, Nightmare Moon’s forces decimated the wall. Leaving the civilians inside to the mercy, or lack thereof, of the queen of darkness.

The image ,fortunately, blacked out. But the auditory input was torcher. Blood curtling screeches, moans of agony, but the worst was the sounds of crunching bones and flesh tearing in the jaws of the savage beasts.

When the visual came back on line It was a white pegasus in gold armor.

“Princess Celestia, What remains of the army is guarding the castle.” The pegasus was obviously the captain of the guard. “I suggest you evacuate.”

“Thank you Silver Armor. But I will stay in my home until the very end.” Celestia said.

After her captain gave her a curt nod some pony shouted. “Their breaking through!” Several gunshots were heard from outside. The howl of shades made Celestia’s blood run cold.

The gunshots and sounds of battle grew closer. “Princess, I suggest you run.” He said priming his gun.

“No!” Celestia refused.

They then started to try to ram the door open. “Princess, I’m ordering you to run.” He then aimed his pistol

“No, I can’t leave you!” Celestia slipped. As Silver glanced over his shoulder the door exploded into a thousand splinters.

Silver fired his pistol. Every round found its mark. After he emptied his pistol his drew his sword and killed a good number that way. Silver buried his sword deep into the chest of one of the infantry. Striker then swaggered in carrying his pistol. As Silver Armor looked up Striker fired a round that when though and though the stallion.

“No!” Celestia then kneeled down next to her captain.

“Why me?” Silver asked looking up at his princess.

With a moment's hesitation Celestia said. “It’s your eyes. There soft and golden like my brothers.”

“You still have your eyes.” Cadence comented to Cobalt. Silver Armor’s eyes that Celestia so loved then slid back into their sockets.

“Don’t die.” she said frantically. “Oh, Sirius, I love you. Please, oh please don’t die.” Striker then pointed the gun at her while grinning like a maniac. A shot then echoed throughout a the halls of the castle.

Sargent Striker turned around to see Nightmare Moon with a smoking gun. Before he died he asked one question before he died. “Why?”

“Why do you torture me so!” Celestia screamed. “You’ve taken away my sister, my home, everything I hold dearly! Why don’t you just kill me!” Celestia then began to pound on the dark mares chest. “Just kill me! Kill me.” Celestia then cried on the chest of her opponent.

Nightmare then put her hoof behind Celestia’s head.“Oh, Celestia” She said almost comfortingly. Celestia looked up at her. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Celestia was thrown backwards through a stained glass window into the courtyard where a torrential rain was falling down. Nightmare moon the floated down through the hole that Celestia had created. Celestia just lied there weeping for all that she had known.

“You know if you don’t fight back I might as well kill you with this.” Nightmare said pointing her gun. But when the trigger was pulled the weapon exploded into a ball of fire.

“What the!” Nightmare backed jumped back. Celestia got up with her eyes closed. When she opened them they glowed a fiery orange. Her mane and tail then erupted into a raging fire. Celestia then sent the fire towards Nightmare Moon. But instead of being turned into a crispy and delicious snack for one of her shadow dragons, the raging river of flame went around her and onwards to incinerate the Lunar forces and cermate the innocent dead. As the flame passed other fires they too joined in the infero. When all was consumed the fire shot up into the sky as a raging vortex taking the debris of the city with it.

The fire then retracted and reformed into Celestias mane and tail.

“You spared me. Why?” Nightmare Moon asked.

“Because I still have to hope you’re still my sister deep inside.” Celestia said.

“Hope, pitiful emotion.” Nightmare scoffed.

She then pounced on white mare. Celestia teleported out of the way and hit her with a magic blast. As she was tumbling through the air, Nightmare positioned herself to land on her hoofs. Once she landed she slid back a few yards.

“This is more like it.” Nightmare said. Celestia then grabbed a one of the swords scattered about the courtyard. Nightmare simply summoned one out of the shadows. Then mares then circled each other for a bit before Nightmare charged Celestia. As Nightmare swung downwards Celestia dodge. A good sized piece of her tail was cut off by that swing though.

While trying to get an attack in, Celestia was tripped by a shadow Nightmare animated. Nightmare then stabbed her sword downward. Celestia slid underneath her and was able to get on her hooves again. As Nightmare tried to pull her sword out of the ground Celestia hit her with another magic blast. This knocked her by Sirius’ monument. She saw the sword hilt and tried to pull it out. Only to be thrown through the wall of the room where the elements of harmony where stored.

Nightmare moan out of pain as Celestia flew into the room. When Nightmare realized she was there she knocked her into the elements pedestal with a shadow blast.

“You almost put up as good as fight as your brother.” Nightmare said. “I always enjoyed our fight but then he had to go and spoil the fun.” Celestia tried to get up but her leg was hurt.

“You want to know how I escaped of Tartarus?” Nightmare started. “I gave up my physical form and became a creature of the abstract. I slipped by your little guard puppy in no time at all. In some ways the change made me less powerful. But in a lot of ways more powerful.” Nightmare sat on a pile of rubble to watch Celestia struggle in agony. “It was easy to take over your sisters weak mind. All of you alicorns have the same weakness. Your love towards your family and friends.” Celestia then looked up at her brother's gift. A spark then when of in her heart.

“It’s not a weakness!” Celestia said.

“Excuse me?” said Nightmare.

“Our love is not a weakness. It’s what keeps us strong.” Celestia said rising up. “It’s Sirius’ love for us that gave him the ability to defeat you.” The elements started to glow. “It’s me and Luna’s love for our people that gave us the ability to defeat Discord.” The elements started to rise from their places. “It’s my love for Silver Armor that allowed me to keep the war up so long.” The elements started to orbit the white mare. “And it is my love for my sister that will allow me to defeat you!” The elements spun faster and faster until their colors were a blur. A rainbow laser then shot out of the mare and hit Nightmare Moon.

“NNOOO!!!” She shouted in a mixture of Night Stallions voice and her own. The rainbow then shot directly into the moon. A dark design of a mare face then appeared on it.

.........

The viewers once again found themselves in the basin chamber. On the hilt of Cobalt’s sword hung a silver necklace with ther diamond sword fragment in a heart shaped pendant.

Cobalt took the necklace and said. “Yet another thing I need to give back to her.” The pulled out his sword and sheathed it.

“You got yourself another star.” Scootaloo said.

Cobalt only replied with. “I’ve got to write a letter.”

Comments

[Lord-Sparda]

Wonderful work Cobalt. You truly have come a long way since you started this. Always remember who you are, and what your capable of, and you shall become even greater than you are now my friend. May the night sky guard your rest my friend, and be strong.

[Cobalt the Kitsune]

593316 good faint or bad faint?

[Cobalt the Kitsune]

593378 good faint.

[JellyDrivex64]

so many twists...I LOVE COMPLICATED STORIES WITH TWISTS!!!!