Path of Damnation

by Lucidenn

Act I Chp. 4: Foundations

Opal Heart quivered in terror, pressing herself as tightly into her corner and trying to be as small as possible. Everything had just happened so quickly. Mommy and Daddy had come home and told her that everything was okay, there was just a new King and Queen in the castle. Opal hadn't liked that answer, her room was all nasty and scary looking now and her parents looked completely lusterless, but Mommy said that's the way things had to be now, and that she had to be a good little filly for a little while longer. She at least wanted to see her friends, she was scared for them, but Daddy forbade her from leaving home.

Dinner was sparse, Mommy said the markets hadn't been open in days. They both had strange clothes on and around each foreleg was a red band of cloth marked by a black pointy thing. As soon as she asked about it, they sent her straight to bed, it wasn't fair! She bet Snow Lily didn't have to put up with such mean parents. Sneakily, Opal had embarked on a grand escape. Her parents whispered to each other in their room across the hall from hers, but they didn't hear her scamper out into the living room. Several warm coats had been thrown onto a chair, and on the dining room table cheese, bread, and apples lay on larges swathes of cloth. At the time she barely registered them as a passing curiosity.

With a triumphant giggle, Opal Heart pushed the door open and fled into the twilight, ooooh she couldn't wait to see her best friend again! Her escapades came to quite a sudden stop however, as she ran straight into a tall purple pony. She wore regal onyx armor, and an impressive red velvet cape. Upon her head was a tall black crown set with a gem the same shape as a purple star. Opal gulped, quite aware she'd been caught, and by someone quite important too.

"Opal!? Opal baby where are you? OPAL!?"

Mommy burst out of their house, quickly followed by Daddy, but they froze as soon as they saw her and the pony she'd run into. "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Heart is it? Thank you so much for assisting me. I was just looking around the empire myself for any poor children who hadn't had the chance to register for school yet. It starts tomorrow you know. How fortunate of me that you two were here to help."

"W-we were just getting our daughter ready for her first day of school tomorrow. The registration must have slipped our minds, so sorry my Queen. We'll be sure to bring the paperwork with us and turn it in to her new school."

"Whatever do you mean Mrs. Heart? You don't have any fillies yet. I hear you and your husband have been trying for a while, I do wish you the best of luck. Every mare should get their chance to be a mother, don't you agree?"

"Your information is wrong my Queen, that's Opal Heart and she's our daughter. Opal sweety, come inside and go to your room, you've bothered the nice pony long enough. We still have plenty to do to get you ready...for tomorrow"

The Queen's wing swept to the ground to hold the little filly close to her towering leg. "Oh that won't do Mr. Heart, I know you and your wife are so eager for a firstborn, but we can't just simply adopt orphans from the streets now can we? Besides, the Empire's new educational facilities are fully equipped to teach everypony, orphan or not. They will get to have three square meals a day, the finest education the world has ever seen, and warm beds to sleep on every night. Nothing but the best for the future of our nation."

Daddy suddenly leaped forward with a scary look on his face, one she'd never seen before. "Get away from her you demon!" But as soon as he moved, he was frozen mid-air, surrounded by a bruised purple-black aura. "Tsk-Tsk, it seems you've forgotten how hard it's been for you and your wife these past couple years. All that time after your marriage, and still no foals to call your own. Perhaps I should, refresh your memory so that you can remember why you're still trying for your own child. Maybe then you'll regain your hope instead of scaring poor little orphans."

Daddy's face was streaked with tears as he was held helpless, and Mommy was banging her hooves into a bloody mess against a wall of purple magic that encased her, screaming with all the power of her lungs between her wracking sobs. Opal Heart was terrified, why was the tall purple pony doing this, why was Mommy screaming?

"There there little one, don't be afraid, these ponies don't mean any harm. See? They've already calmed down." Daddy now stood next to Mommy, blinking like the time she'd woken him up from the middle of his unintentional nap. Mommy was frowning at her pale green hooves like something was out place, despite the fact that all the crimson blood was suddenly gone from them.

"Now, as I was saying I want to thank you both for your part in helping a poor orphan to make it into the academy in time. As a reward, when the barracks are completed this week you two may stay in your home instead of reporting to the normal sleeping quarters each night."

Daddy gasped in surprise. "B-but, my Queen, you said only such an honor would be bestowed upon the ranking officials and those who went above and beyond the call of duty to aid the Empire! We can't possibly accept."

"Don't be silly my faithful subject, by aiding me in bringing a lost child to school you have helped our future generation, and that can only be considered an astounding act of patriotism that helps to secure our future as a nation. In fact, if you would do me the honor of spreading the word to your unit tomorrow that any who find a lost child who isn't is school yet and bring them to me that they will receive the same reward, then I might just have reason to keep your file in mind for future candidates amongst ranking officials."

"I understand my Lady, I shall do all I can to earn the honor you have bestowed upon me and my wife."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now come along Opal, you get to come with me to the palace to get ready for school. Won't that be exciting!"

"No! I don't wanna go! Mommy! Daddy!"

"Perhaps we should retire for the night, our presence seems to be upsetting the child. Thank you once again my Queen."

"No! Where are you going! Don't leave me! I'm sorry I didn't stay in my room like you told me to, I'm sorry I'm sorry!"

As the door to the crystal abode locked close, the purple pony leaned down close to her and whispered fiercely.

"BE SILENT!"

With a whimper, Opal complied.

"Good, now look into my eyes child."

The magenta orbs stared down on her as cold as the northern glaciers. She couldn't look away! Try as she might, her neck would not wrench her head out of position, and those eyes held her bound like frozen chains. It seemed like they were sucking her deeper and deeper inside them, a bottomless pool of black nothingness.

"That will be your future child, unless you come with me and do everything I say without question. Do you understand?"

Opal had barely managed a nod, her eyes still locked in place in the horrifyingly empty depths of the Queen's eyes.

"Good, now come with me, my husband will be back soon from the southern outpost and I would like to have everything ready for his return. Do not look back, and do not speak. Simply follow, and obey."

Now, she sat in the Queen's bedchamber while she worked away at a black crystal at the writing desk, too frightened to do anything unless otherwise told.

"Still tinkering my love? Are we ready for the live test yet?"

"Hello to you too, and yes I believe so. I even encountered the perfect volunteer while out amongst the citizenry tonight."

"I'm glad you've seen some success tonight, the southern outpost turned up empty."

"Empty? How were they able to retrieve him in time? They shouldn't have been able to get past the barrier...unless."

"No, the Crystal Heart maintained the barrier enchantments perfectly, its only lapse was to let the semi-psychic clairvoyance spell through, something I made sure to modify so that the heart could not exploit the loophole any further. No, when I got there with our new pet the entire building was gone, a crater smoking in it's place."

"So the Princesses would go so far as to sacrifice one of their precious ponies to keep them out of our hooves? That is unexpected. Once the recruits are trained we'll need to set up a border patrol, we can't risk underestimating them again lest it be a far less pleasant surprise."

"Agreed. And I appreciate that you waited for my return before testing the Empire's newest method of 'instruction.' "

"I know how you enjoy a good experiment as much as I. It's certainly come a long way since the days we spent overloading the central nervous system of squirrels a couple months ago. Opal dear? Come here please."

Shakily, Opal stood and slowly creeped forward to the Queen. King Sombra was now in the room, and every little filly in the empire had heard about the nightmare of his previous rule. Suddenly the Queen didn't seem so bad in comparison. "Mrs. Queen mam, what is that?"

Chuckling, Twilight levitated the small crystal closer to the little filly. It must have been a trick of the light, but Opal could have sworn she saw sparks of purple light chase each other around beneath it's surface. "Why, it's a special kind of jewelry of course! And it's worn right here on the back of your neck." As she spoke, the crystal orbited around behind Opal's head, where she felt a soft pressure right where the Queen said it was supposed to go. Opal's eyes widened in pain and surprise, her whole body tensing before her her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed twitching to the floor. A small trickle of blood made a crimson track down her coat as the crystal drilled its way to her spinal column.

"After all, tomorrow is your first day of school, and we need all our precious students to look and feel their best."
****

"I see, so you both are resolute in your decision?"

The orange farmpony and cyan Wonderbolts candidate nodded in unison to the exhausted princesses. The other three friends had retired to their guest quarters already in preparation for the train ride back home in the morning. The princesses sat upon their dual throne, ethereal manes still their base pink and blue pastel, the demands upon their time and energy too great for either to rest just yet. Luna spoke once more, "Very well then, I'll have the paperwork taken care of for you. For now please go rest with your friends, a messenger will guide you all in the morning."

As the pair left the throne room, Celestia allowed herself to slump into the throne. "I'd sooner lose my own life Lulu. This war is going to reach so far, scar so many homes. If I could but save my little ponies the pain I would..." She let her sentence peter out. Lulu knew, she understood. Perhaps for her it hurt even more than Celestia could conceive, for while she'd had a millennium to become accustomed to watching her ponies pass away before her eyes, for her sister who'd only just started to get to get to know ponies and make friends it would be a brand new pain to learn.

"While we must ask of our subjects a hundred percent, of ourselves we shall demand a thousand times more. For all the mares and stallions, fillies and colts; past, present, and future, we must give everything there is to give to keep them free, to ensure their future. We shall not fail them Tia, I promise thee."

Together they sat in solemn silence, for a few seconds at least, as the next palace messenger dashed into the room requiring their attention. This time it was a nurse from the medical wing by the looks of it. The white hat bearing a red cross was a dead give-away, the tray she carried with her covered by a plain white cloth.l

"Princesses! It's simply awful, he's gone! We must set up a search party, call out the royal guard! What if they came back? Oh mercy what if they're still here?!?!"

Luna, eloquent as ever, politely asked the nurse to calm down so that she could explain. "Calm thyself and quit thy blathering. Now, start from the beginning, and tell us exactly what has happened, to whom, and the evidence for what you suspect."

"O-of course Princess Luna, my apologies. It's Prince Shining, he's disappeared from the hospital without a trace! The only things we found was this knife and some shreds of his coat." Taking the cloth covered tray in her lime-green magic, the covering was removed to reveal a bloody surgical instrument, and several scraps of fur. "The staff fears the worst..."

With practiced poise, Celestia levitated a scrap to her for closer inspection. While Shining had a white coat, this was a dark blue in color, streaked by a triangular section of pinkish purple. Luna was not so practiced in hiding her disgust however, and even less practiced in patience. "How could they dare return to Canterlot! Their arrogance will be the end, quickly sister we must..."

"Be still Luna." Celestia's tone was even and measured, and it left no room for argument. She was in a very dangerous mood, so Luna quietly waited for her sister to continue, not wanting to be the cause of pressure to break the dam her sister was using to hold back her emotions. "Nurse, where are the bodies of Princess Cadence and their foal?"

"They've been taken too! I hate to think what horrible things are being done with them."

"Search the palace gardens, a squad from the royal guard will assist you. I think you may find two freshly dug mounds of dirt there. Make sure they get their proper markers."

"P...Princess?"

"These scraps all seem to be from Prince Shining's cutie mark. Since nothing else was discovered, and considering the circumstances of his hospitalization, I can safely say that this was an act of self-mutilation. For many years he kept Canterlot, and then the Crystal empire safe from harm. It was his nature, and his special talent to protect those under his care, especially his family; something he was unable to do last night. He is overcome with loss and grief, and is doubtlessly blaming himself for their deaths. To him his cutie mark would have been a mockery, a bitter reminder of his failure. Now go, we'd best find those graves so that they may at least be marked for the beloved ponies who lay beneath."

"But, should we not still go after him? You said yourself how much pain he must be in right now. He needs us."

Celestia did not move, her face still frozen in a mask of emotionless reason, but it was not enough to hold back a tear as it formed in her right eye, and cascaded down cheeks hiding clenched teeth. Slowly, she put the scrap of fur back upon the nurse's tray and covered it over with the cloth. Then, as she spoke once more her words were strained from having to hold back what must have been a tremendous desire to do exactly the opposite of what she said. "No, he does not. What he needs is time to find himself again, time alone to forgive himself. Just like a young colt looking for their cutie mark, nothing we say and nothing we do will help to bring him back faster. It is something he must do by himself, in his own time. All we can do is to keep him in our thoughts, and to wish him the best."

Dejectedly, the nurse nodded and left the throne room to embark on her search of the palace grounds. It was not an answer that she liked, but it was the right one. Luna meanwhile kept an appraising eye on her sister, and as her shoulders drooped once more she knew that the moment of emotional tension had passed. "It does not cease to amaze use how wise you have grown in a thousand years...Sunbutt."

As she had hoped, the back-hoofed compliment caused her sister to snort with laughter. With a wry grin and that familiar twinkle in her eye, Celestia cocked her head at Luna and growled playfully at her. "Doth my eyes deceive me dear sister? 'Twould seem with thy ample consumption of the palace confections the crescent of thine own cutie mark is waxing." Together they burst into uncontrollable laughter, chortling in a most un-princesslike manner. When finally they could breathe again, Celestia gave her sister the warmest hug she could muster. "Thanks Lulu, I needed that."

"It was my pleasure to help relieve the weight lying upon thy chest Tia. Too bad it is a much more difficult matter dealing with the weight in thine..."

"Don't push your luck Lulu."
****

The next morning

Six friends drearily made their way through the empty Canterlot streets. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon, yet early as it was Canterlot remained eerily quiet. The whole city was suffocating under the silence, the atmosphere almost palpable from the sense of fear. Aiding Spike with Rarity's luggage was a stone-faced royal messenger, carrying half a dozen suitcases as if they were the lightest burden he had to worry about in his life.

Other than the chorus of good mornings when they had been woken for the train, the friends had spoken nary a word to each other. It was understandable really, for what was there to be said? Everpony felt the same fear, the same betrayal, and each fought with their own feelings of hopeless inadequacy. Words would have been as empty as the city streets, so instead they simply walked closely, taking comfort in each other's presence.

At the train station they met the first pony other than the royal messenger to be out and about. He, or perhaps she, was draped in so many rags that they bore closer resemblance to a mummy than a living being. Just as strangely, as soon as he/she saw the group from ponyville, he/she quickly scampered over to the other side of the station with a very peculiar gait, somewhere between walking and hopping, as if they'd forgotten how to use one of their back legs. There was no time to speculate on the stranger however, for at that moment the Friendship Express pulled up to the station with the screech of brakes and a cloud of steam.

ALLLLLLL A BOOOAAAAARD!

Unceremoniously, the royal messenger dumped the luggage just inside the first train car, and stepped out of the way to allow their owner's passage. Too worn out to even care, Rarity lead the way inside, assisting Spike with the remainder of the load, quickly followed by Pinkie and Fluttershy. Several moments passed before it registered in their minds that Rainbow Dash and Applejack hadn't joined them.

Rarity leapt onto a chair and poked her head out the train window, "Hurry you two, the train is leaving soon!" As if to punctuate her words the conductor gave a the train whistle a long tug to indicate a final warning. Rainbow shifted on her hooves awkwardly and AJ took her hat off, holding it to her chest as she looked solemnly to the ground. In unison they raised their heads, the moisture in their eyes barely restrained.

"We aint coming Sugarcube. Me and RD here, we just don't feel right going back to Ponyville like nothing ever happened. We's got to do something to help, to stop Twilight and her madness." Indicating the royal messenger who was now standing to their side rather impatiently, she continued. "This fellow weren't here to help us with the train, he's here to take me and RD to our basic training."

Fluttershy demurely poked her head out and gave her friends the large soulful look of a sad puppy. "I, I don't understand." AJ had to look back to the ground, biting her lip to keep her composure. Looking off to the side, then to the ground, and then to the side again, Rainbow was the one to answer this time, making sure to not make eye contact with her fellow pegasus. "We've enlisted, Fluttershy, we're a part of the Equestrian Army now."

With her boundless optimism, Pinkie Pie popped her head out a third window with a broad grin. "Then we'll enlist with you!"

"NO!" Everypony jumped a little at the fierceness of that single word. "Me and RD are the best athletes from Ponyville, we've got the strength, the speed, and the stamina needed to be soldiers, and quite frankly none of yall can claim the same. That, and Ponyville can stand to lose a farmer and a weather-pony. What it can't lose is it's dress-maker, party pony, nor animal caretaker. Yall will be safer, and your talents needed more, back at home where yall belong."

In the stunned silence that followed, the train whistled one final time before releasing its breaks and chugging down the track.

"Make sure to tell our families what's all going on, and tell them we love em'! We swear, we Pinkie Promise, that we'll see yall again real soon, so don't you worry!"

With tears streaming down their faces, the three friends raised their hooves and silently waved goodbye as the train whisked them away, leaving behind the two bravest ponies they'd ever known, a royal messenger, and a mysterious stranger wrapped in rags.

Comments

[Moongaze14]

Great chapter. It's amazing how Twilight's unión with Sombra caused so much chaos.

[OreoKookie]

Who is that stranger.. is it Shining? Hmm..

~OreoKookie

[icypen]

I bet the pony in rags is Shining.

[Banshee]

The white hat bearing a white cross

wouldn't a white hat with a white cross just be a white hat?

[Harmony Charmer]

I bet Shiny's gonna figure out a way to revive Cadence and his foal. He's gotta at least try something, and he may even stoop to Twilight's level to do so, which neither she or Sombra could ever have guessed.

[Cocoflash]

I'm assuming that they eventually lose the war, since this is the evil story

Won't AJ and RBD better serve as morale support like the rest of them? They are the Elements of Harmony after all not ordinary ponies.

[Lucidenn]

4718940 Good catch, thank you. Fixed to red.

4719411 I really can't conceive of RD and AJ just sitting back in the morale support role. They, more than any of the other mane 6, have the need to act and it wouldn't sit right with them to watch other ponies do the hard work while they stayed safe and cozy in Ponyville.

4719366 An interesting thought, and perhaps an excellent idea for a spin-off story. That being said, there is no necromancy in this universe however, and Shining has already said goodbye to his family by burying them the best he could. No, his challenge now is to learn to live with himself and to find his path again. He doesn't know it yet, but a time will soon come where Equestria will need him if they are to have any hope at all in this war.

[Emileaster94]

"We've enlisted Fluttershy, we're a part of the Equestrian Army now."
it should be "We've enlisted, Fluttershy, we're a part of the Equestrian Army now."
Otherwise it reads kind of like they signed Fluttershy up for the army as well.

[Lucidenn]

4720570 Fixed, thanks for the catch. Or perhaps I should leave it? The army could use Saddlerager

[Voltsthevoltvolts]

I am at a lose for words. Can't explain how much I like this story and how much I want to make a time machine to jump into the future to read it when it is finished. Oh wait I just did...

[Cocoflash]

4720076 .
I don't mean staying in Ponyville, what I'm wondering is if they will still have a status compared to just a foot soldier. They would WANT to join the fight, but by higher authority shouldn't be allowed into dangerous situations, they are still elements of harmony

[Lucidenn]

4723583 Ah I see. Yes, they will be starting out from the bottom, and be treated no differently from any other recruit, rising or not in the ranks due to personal merit not previous social status. Remember, by the end of Lost in Shadow the element of Magic was destroyed, leaving the rest of the elements useless relics. AJ and RD are just two civilians joining the war against the crystal empire now (that being said, while them being personal friends with the princesses doesn't take them out of more dangerous missions and the like, it just might help other opportunities arise )

[PinkieLunaShy]

First off: I'm sad for the Mane Six well 5 no no Six if you count Spike. This has to have been the hardest thing like ever!

Second: WHAT IN THE STARSWIRL'S BEARD DID TWILIGHT DO TO THAT KID!!!????

Third: Kid, your an idiot for leaving your house.

Fourth: Oh yeah she ain't scurry now is she Opal? Nope cause her husbands a flippin' Creepy-a** child molester wannabe! AND THAT'S SCURRY!

Fifth: Awww Snap don't mess with the Queen fools! HAHA!

Annd Sixth: Poor Shining Armor. He cut off his butt tattoo.....on both sides. And burried his wife and child. Thats hard and sad. I hope he's not gonna go insane.

Good Job! You had me talking to myself the whole time, (Which is good that means im getting into the story)

[Lucidenn]

4725038 I love those reactions! and I'm excited I've got your talking to yourself, that's the same thing I do when immersed into a story so I'm glad I'm writing this well enough to do the same to others!

On a side note, while working on the next chapter I realized I'd neglected to mention Shining's daughter's race and name, so I've edited Chapter One to include that information. For those too lazy to go back to that chapter and look, she was a pegasus named Indigo Shimmer.

[PinkieLunaShy]

4754162

Oh god! The feels now.. THAT POOR POOR BABY! SCREW YOU BAD GUYS SCREW YOU!!!

[Clocklike]

Love your trilogy. A beginning, then two endings, for readers who prefer bittersweet endings, and the ones that like nice ones. A pretty cool idea!