Eternal Night

by Lucaro

Chapter 38: Infiltration - City of Psychopaths

“So, here’s the plan…” Andre explained as Starlight, Cepheus, and Persei listened. “I have been communicating with the Night Guard captain, Darkheart. I convinced him that many of us Lunarans were scientists, and he conceded that four of us will be allowed into the city.”

Persei seemed confused. “But why would they want our scientists? Don’t they have their own?”

Andre nodded. “They do, but they’re desperate. The command was given out that all research is to be diverted to cure efforts. Rumors are floating around that Nightmare Moon has been infected, and that’s one reason they want us. The other reason is that apparently a new strain of the virus has emerged, and since Necron won’t let anypony out of the city, their scientists need samples of the new strain to develop a cure and we have to go get it.”

Starlight pushed forward a sealed bag full of petri dishes. “I gathered the samples. It was actually pretty easy getting the infected tissue,” he gestured outside. “That horde of infected ponies is leaving dead bodies everywhere they go and I just collected it from them.”

Cepheus looked at the map. “So we bring the virus samples to Darkheart in exchange for entry. Then what happens?”

Four hazmat suits and scientist’s robes were dropped onto the table by Andre. He began to hand them out to everypony at the table. “We all dress up in these. Cepheus will hide the Elements of Harmony inside his suit.”

Cepheus and Starlight exchanged glances, and both pegasi gave a subtle nod of their heads. They both had a very strong hunch as to who the last pony to be forgiven was and he was inside the city.

Andre continued. “Necron will meet us, and they will then take us to the research facilities where they will be treating Nightmare Moon. There won’t be any guards in the facilities, so we can easily take control. We will have about twenty minutes with her before the alarm goes off and we have an army of angry Night Guards at our hooves.”

Persei looked at Cepheus doubtfully. “Are you sure these Elements of Harmony are going to change her back into Luna?” she looked at all of them. “And if she’s infected, do you think that she can be cured by it as well?”

“I am hoping,” Cepheus said. “But that’s a risk we’ll have to take. If any magic can conquer this illness, the most powerful magical artifact in Equestria can.”

Persei wasn’t satisfied. “I don’t understand. If you have the cure with you already, why haven’t you started administering it on all those infected ponies out there?”

Starlight lowered his head. “Umm, the thing is….”

“We have to get something from Necron first,” Cepheus finished his sentence. “Without it, the Elements of Harmony won’t work.”

That was Cepheus’ hunch. It was the only thing that made sense. Necron needed to be forgiven by him, but why? Why Cepheus? What was his forgiveness going to mean to Necron? This was another risk they were taking, but they didn’t have any other options.

“Alright,” Andre said. “They’ll be letting us in within the hour, so all of you get ready.”

They all nodded and left the table with their suits.

Cepheus began to unzip the hazmat suit and slip his hind-legs in when Candle came rushing into the tent. “Cepheus!”

He knew that tone in his wife’s voice. Somepony was about to get yelled at.

Candle rushed up to Starlight, getting right in his face. “I will not allow you to take my husband into that city full of psychopaths!”

Starlight just stared at her, overwhelmed.

Cepheus zipped up his suit and stepped behind Candle. “Sweetheart….”

She flipped around and faced him. Instead of getting the tongue lashing he was expecting, she began to cry. “I can’t lose you again!”

He drew her into his embrace, wrapping his wings around her protectively. “This is the only chance we have of making things right,” he shifted his wing onto her belly. “I want to make this world a better place for our foal.”

“Foal?” Persei whispered.

Starlight and Andre both smiled.

Candle remained still. “If that’s how it’s going to be… then I want to come with you.”

Starlight and Andre’s smiles faded.

“Candle,” he said, shocked. “You are pregnant.”

Andre nodded. “And they are only allowing four ponies to come into the city.”

She shook her head. “I am going with my husband. I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines while everypony risks their lives.” Everypony looked at her skeptically. She held Cepheus tightly, begging. “Please, trust me! I need to go!”

Starlight was stoic for a moment, and then shook his head reluctantly. “Cepheus and Persei definitely have to go. I guess you can….”

Andre threw up his hooves. “Fine. Take my place. But Starlight has to work hard to keep you three Dayborns from getting lost in the dark.”

Cepheus sensed that Andre was irritated, but was holding back for his sake.

Everypony then left the room to go change, and only Cepheus and Candle were left in the room. As soon as they were gone, Candle hung her head and sat down. Immediately noticing that something was wrong, he sat down beside her. She put her hoof on his, and looked into his eyes. “Cepheus, what are the chances that this plan will actually work?”

He looked down. “I would like to be confident, but I honestly don’t know... there are too many things that could go wrong.”

She nodded. “That’s why I wanted to come with you,” she nuzzled him. “To keep you safe.”

He gave her a quizzical look.

She pushed him playfully. “You don’t think I can protect you? Never underestimate the strength of a determined earth pony.”

Cepheus nodded. “Maybe you’re right, but I’m still worried.”

She smiled sadly. “It’s going to be alright. I had a dream about us bringing Luna back….”

There was something dark about the way she said it, but it was natural for her to feel apprehensive. Why did she truly want to come? She wouldn’t leave Dusty alone and endanger her child unless it was of the utmost importance….

Cepheus’ breath fogged up the plastic hood of the hazmat suit. All four of them shuffled up to Canterlot’s gates, guided by Persei’s hornlight and Starlight’s night vision.

Cepheus felt a pressure around his midsection, and felt safer knowing that they were here with him. The Elements of Harmony were wrapped around his belly, the gemstones tightly pressed against his skin. He could feel them growing warmer the closer they got to the city.

A spotlight was trained on them, and a guard yelled from atop the ramparts. “Halt!”

They all stopped before the gates, two massive stone doors covered by a portcullis. The guard yelled again. “Open the gates!”

The doors opened with such speed that Cepheus was stunned. The moment that the gap was wide enough to fit a pony through, he felt the magical tug of unicorn magic enveloping him. They were whipped inside, the doors slamming shut as soon as they were all inside.

Cepheus lay on the cobblestone street, roughly being forced up by two burly looking Night Guards. There was a whimper from Candle, and they were all shoved forth. Darkheart was watching them, and when they had been adequately roughhoused, he approached them. “The virus samples,” he said, gesturing to the crate on Candle’s back. “Give them over.”

Candle submitted herself and a pegasus flew down, lifting the crate and flying them over to the research facilities. Darkheart sighed in relief. “Now with that taken care of, let’s proceed to the labs.”

They were about to move, when a courier rushed up to him and whispered something into his ear.

Cepheus’ heart was racing, sweating profusely in the latex and polyester suit.

Darkheart nodded, and the courier galloped away. He smiled and approached them. “Necron wants to meet you at the palace before you all go to the research facility.”

Starlight sighed. “We agreed that we would meet Necron on our way to the research facility.”

Darkheart shrugged. “Plans change.”

An escort of Night Guards surrounded them, and roughly shoved them forward. They began to trot through the streets of Canterlot.

Why does Necron want them at the palace? Cepheus asked himself. What does he have in mind?

The Elements of Harmony began to grow hot, and he shifted uncomfortably as he trotted. What was going to happen to them now? He looked at Candle who was at his side, and then at Persei and Starlight who were trotting ahead of him.

Cepheus swallowed. He had to remain calm. He surveyed his surroundings, seeing that ponies were staring at them as they proceeded to the palace. The fear in the air was palpable. The rumors of Nightmare Moon’s condition…. If their Empress was dying, they had every right to be scared.

If these rumors were having such an effect on her forces, why not dispel them by revealing yourself? Unless they were true, and she was hiding it. Cepheus couldn’t imagine what would happen if Nightmare Moon died. The world could very well be plunged into eternal darkness.

All order would fall apart. Cepheus shuddered. This city could possibly fall to anarchy, just like everywhere else. If this one last place with working medical research labs was to be lost, then the plague will have won. There would be no way for ponykind to develop a cure.

Nightmare Moon is an alicorn goddess. No disease can bring her down. Or so Cepheus hoped. If there was nopony to turn back into Luna, then they were all dead.

Cepheus was growing tenser by the minute as the palace came into view. The citadel had six, dark gray spires with windows that seemed to exude a violet light. Balconies jutted out from the palace, and stone statues seemed to guard the entrance to each. Dark green moss and climbing ivy had wrapped itself around the stonework of the building, climbing up to the very top. In the void of darkness which had become Equestria, all these things gave the palace an austere, grim appearance.

A sudden flourish movement from the palace caught his eye. He looked up at it as they were all herded towards its entrance. High up, on the grandest balcony, there was a shadow there. The pegasus was wearing a cloak, and only his icy blue eyes could be seen peering down at them. Cepheus felt chilled to the bone, sensing that his gaze was focusing on him.

That must be Necron, Cepheus though. He swallowed hard. Did he somehow figure out that we had the Elements of Harmony? Or now that we had given up the virus samples, he wanted the pleasure of killing us?

Cepheus felt his protective instincts encompass his wife and unborn foal. Still staring, he put a wing over her. Necron made eye contact with him, and with a flicker, he was gone.

Cepheus felt a shiver down his spine. He looked down, and saw that they had arrived at the grand entrance of the palace. Two guards opened up the double doors for them, revealing the palace’s inky interior. Even through the gloomy aura of the place, it felt like a shadow had come over this place.

They were led inside, and all the guards retreated outside and the doors were slammed shut behind them. “Here we are,” Starlight whispered. “In the belly of the beast.”

Author's Note:

Two chapters remain. Here comes the final two confrontations. The fate of Equestria hangs in the balance.

Discussion / Feedback is encouraged.

Comments

[Kingofthecouch]

interesting