10: Shadows of the Mind
Another session for another day. Upon the very envious request of Shining Armor, the crown Prince of the Crystal Empire would be sitting in on the next mental session between Snape and Cadence. With his class times being restricted, another of many extra punishments, or as Celestia called them, "precautions", had him waiting for the couple to arrive. He sat alone, eyes closed and mind hard at work within itself; his wasn't doing extremely well at the moment either. At last they did walk through the door. Snape opened his eyes, and for a moment he though he spied a smile on Shining Armor's face.
Cadence kindly directed her husband to the seat that so conveniently faced Snape, an action Snape tolerated if for no other reason than the chance to end this petty discrimination against him. She took the seat beside both of them and straightened her mane while the two males entered their unavoidable discussion.
"I've come to see exactly what these sessions pertain to," Shining Armor told Snape coldly.
"My sympathies, I was told you knew what went on here; or is that your measure of trust in your wife, and not your ears, that's not working properly? Either way, I assure you, you've nothing to fear."
"Regardless," Shining Armor replied with subtle ire, "I understand that you're trying to help, so I'm only here to make sure that, and nothing more, happens. Carry on."
"This is a sensitive process," Snape told the two of them, "if we are, interrupted," he turned directly to Shining Armor for that part, "then things could go...sourly."
Cadence put her hoof on Shining Armor's before he responded and smiled kindly to the both of them. She closed her eyes and waited for Snape to begin. Shining Armor nodded his head, bitterly, and sat back uncomfortably. Snape would normally close his eyes for the next part, if for no other reason than helping to assure Cadence, but he opted against it this time.
Immediately a bolt of pain lashed out against his own consciousness. No doubt the remnants of Malum's work. A slight tremor occurred in the form of a short-lived grimace, but Shining Armor couldn't have missed it. He had to take an extra minute or so to conceal Malum's and Chrysalis' presences from Cadence. The Changeling Queen had not relented in her attack, though it was becoming weaker with each passing hour. Unfortunately, Malum's untimely resurgence left its scar on Snape's mind. It would fade in time, he believed, but for now, his mental powers were significantly diminished. This would not be an easy session, and he discreetly took note of the unsure look on Cadence's face, which quickly transferred over to her husband.
He began the process quickly thereafter and Cadence inhaled deeply as her mind was taken away from the small room where their bodies were left. To his credit, Shining Armor did not move, but his eyes shot bouts of contempt for Snape, much opposed to the words that came out from his mouth.
"You have done well," Chrysalis announced as the last changeling piece of fodder dropped to the ground, already dead.
Malum descended from the green mists above the Queen's throne and landed at her hooves, bowing humbly. She did not seem all that moved, though, and waited patiently as he remained bowed before her. The other changelings in the room, the servants yet to be made into corpses, clicked and chirped amongst themselves in their native tongue.
"Rise, Malum, my prodigal son," She commanded.
He did as he was told and waited for her to act again. She did not so much as blink, but starred at him with the reptilian eyes that commanded the utmost fear. The same eyes that had been the last many of his brothers had ever seen. The same eyes that he remembered from what felt like a lifetime ago.
"You have become a strong warrior," Chrysalid praised, "and you may yet be the key to the greatest Changeling conquest in hundreds of years. I am quite pleased..."
"I live for the glory of our race and all that is best for it."
He wasn't lying. Chrysalis did not fail to notice however, that his words were also vague.
"And that is the attitude expected of you. Leave me to reflect on exactly how to honor one such as yourself..."
Her words were vague too.
"Of course, my Queen."
Chrysalis watched him leave, still without blinking or letting her eyes waver. Malum was an unexpected player in the game, she had to admit. But no one wanted an extra player.
"There it is..." Cadence whispered, already in a cold sweat, "the presence I've been feeling since..."
Shining Armor's breathing changed. Snape remained quiet, allowing Cadence to continue doing exactly what he had told her when they tried to find it the first time. Explain your feelings, concentrate on the presence, isolate it from the rest of your mind, and finally, attack it with all you've got. She knew the drill, but she could never focus on it long enough or find it in time to attack it. Snape was, of course, there to help, but it didn't make a difference if she couldn't play her part right.
"It's as cold and dangerous as I remember, and I can't...I can't pin it down...I'm-" She cut her own apology short, remembering that Snape hated it when she apologized and stopped trying.
"You can do it...you can do it..." Shining Armor was whispering to himself and looking up and down and taking in Cadence's concentrated and still form.
Cadence though about telling Snape that is was eluding her again, but she knew, and for the first time, clearly understood, that that was not an option. Not now, when her mental guide and her husband were waiting, believing in her. Her brow furrowed and she clenched her teeth in a show of inner strength.
The shadow was becoming clearer. The enemy was taking shape for the first time. She was getting ever closer to putting a face on this haunting presence, when she felt a surge of something unusual emit from the presence. She was distracted for a single second, but she pressed on, and she was just removing all darkness from it's figure when...
"Aargh!"
Snape nearly rocketed off his seat and fell to the floor, clutching his head violently. Cadence's link was broken completely. The evil that had been stalking her mind lived faceless for another day. But that wasn't important. Snape was barely holding in howls of pain; matted hair had been moved aside and she saw that he was bleeding from his ears and eyelids and nose.
Shining Armor was already running out to get help and Cadence used what healing magic she knew to help her human friend as he pressed himself against the floor, aware of nothing except pain. Utter, excruciating pain.
Luna hurried up the steps of the castle, having been awoken from her sleep by her daytime guards. They rarely had things to report, but today was no ordinary day. She wasted no time in seeking out the, evidently seriously injured, Severus Snape. If her sister was somehow behind this...
But that was crazy. Celestia could be a bit paranoid, sometimes, but she had been Princess for over 1,000 years. She'd seen much. She deserved to be a little out of touch here and there, right? Regardless, to think she would endanger Snape was too far fetched. Or...was it?
No, no. Celestia was not a killer. It was beneath her. If she was responsible, Luna would go back to the moon. By choice.
Smack!
Luna had been so busy telling herself things she couldn't be sure of that she ran straight into Twilight, who had come up a close by, parallel staircase. It took them both mere seconds to recover from the collision.
"Is it true?" Twilight practically begged.
"I was just waken, I don't know what happened!" Luna replied as the both were already running again.
A minute, another staircase, and many halls later and they had arrived at the castle infirmary. Celestia was just exiting and the duo could see Princess Cadence and Shining Armor sitting beside a stiff, peaceful figure. Twilight gasped and rushed passed Celestia, but the Princess of the Sun stopped her sibling at the door.
"Luna! Come with me..." She said and walked down the hall where her sister had just come from.
"I must see Snape," Luna replied, "He-"
"Is fine."
"Fine?"
"Physically, he's doing very well...but he is in a coma."
"That's terrible, how did this happen?" Luna asked, but her sister did not reply. She just kept walking.
Luna followed her down the hall, but was impatiently waiting for her sister to elaborate. So many questions flooded the younger sister's mind, and in the midst of it all her wondering came back. It couldn't have been her sister. It couldn't have been...
"So what happened?" Luna finally asked, and Celestia came to a halt. She turned around and looked her sister in the eye.
"Judgement."
The night wind was cold and they all drew closer to the fire; its faint light projected several figures, draped in black cloaks, sitting by the quiet roadside. There was little in the area, but each one peered out in the fear that they were not alone. They whispered to one another, blending their voices with the chirping crickets and the calling crows. The land was at ease, but they weren't.
"That's right, I heard he's dead now too."
"That damn Sirius Black's fault, I heard."
"The one who rejected Slyhterin at sorting? Bellatrix's cousin?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"Fool!"
"Doesn't seem right, though, weren't we promised better?"
"Sshhhhh! Don't question orders!"
"I don't like it either. This isn't right."
"You're all fools. You'll be sorry for saying these things."
"Why? Will you rat us out? How else will anyone find out?"
"You really think anything we say goes unheard? Especially these days?"
"Bah! No chance. Besides, I'm no weakling hired on recently. I've been loyal to the cause for years; since the beginning of the war."
"Just wait...things like this have happened before."
"No chance," the dismissing one repeated, but jumped off the log he was sitting on when a hand touched his shoulder.
"Now, now," said Lucius Malfoy, as his golden hair and stern face came into view, "We mustn't be speaking like that."
"Bloody hell," the skeptic told his higher up, "You scared me half to death!"
"That's the idea," Lucius replied, "more or less. One does not question the Dark Lord. Ever...do not forget that."
Lucius joined the three sitting Death Eaters as they ate, and they informed him of all they had seen and heard. Evidently, orders had been messed up somewhere down the line. They'd been expecting Lucius for hours by now. There wasn't much to worry about out in the country side, but aurors here and there had spooked them; even if they were on the losing side of the war, an auror would not hesitate to engage in battle with a Death Eater. Their mission could not afford any setbacks.
They began to settle down and go over their mission plans when Lucius paused the conversation and turned back towards the darkness, "Snape? Are you planning to join us?"
"Snape!" One of the three lower-ranking ones exclaimed as Severus crept out of the shadows. None of the three had even realized he had been standing there.
"I should be going..."
"Nonsense, you can afford to stay with us a little while. Plan out your own mission," Lucius replied and waved for Snape to sit beside him on the log.
"The Dark Lord does not appreciate tardiness," Snape countered, still unsure if he should take Malfoy's words to heart.
"He also does not tolerate failure, and the best successes are often due to ample time spent planning," Lucius said, correctively.
Snape thought over the logic for a brief moment, then joined Malfoy with a quick, "Very well."
"Let's go over the house plan one more time," Lucius told them again as dark clouds overhead thundered.
Snape would not be participating in the raid, but he had been told to stick close to Lucius until he joined his partners. He had plans at the Hog's Head inn very soon. He listened to Malfoy and the others plot and scheme. He imagined the house they would be breaking into. A fine, little house. Well placed in a nice neighborhood, except at night. But then what place wasn't safe at night?
The family living there were alleged to be part of the Order. Perhaps they held secrets that would prove the eventual end of the war. No one could be sure, but they were one of several families on Lord Voldemort's list. Lucius was right. There was no questioning him. There were two paths in life. Two alone. You lived in darkness, or died trying to bring it to light.
In the end, Snape knew it was far better to live in darkness. If only others were so sensible. It was tragic, in a sense, that Muggles and Squibs were beyond help. But then, they wouldn't have to live in the strife of the world. It was fair, if you looked at it right. It was far fairer than life.
He digressed, however, and shook his thoughts back to the Hog's Head inn. Dumbeldore would be there, he knew that, and sensitive information, so very sensitive information, was being passed along. Nothing much should happen, if Snape played his hand well enough. Dumbeldore was powerful indeed, but not the type to bring help in situations like these. Keeping a low profile and what not.
Whomever he was meeting, they wouldn't be as much a handful. Besides, it wasn't like Snape was planning on a confrontation. With any fortune and skill, he'd be in and out with the prize before even Dumbeldore knew what was happening.
One of many embers, spit out of the fireplace by a foul wind, flew by his pale cheek. Lightning struck, followed by its cousin, thunder. The hour was growing late, the darkness grew dimmer. Lucius had finished his talk, and the others were standing, adjusting their metal faces in place and throwing their bones around their wands.
"Put the fire out," Lucius told one of the three, then turned to Snape and put out his hand. Severus took it, a plain expression on his face. Malfoy leaned in closely and whispered in his ear. Their hands were still linked, and the others gave them ample space.
"The Dark Lord is testing you, Snape, he has a very select few who are his absolute right hands. Lord Voldemort is great, but even he requires an extra hand here or there; you are powerful, Snape, I have told him of you. Whatever your mission is, do not fail. If you do, becoming one his right hands will never again be possible. Do not fail us, Severus."
Snape nodded and walked away from the other four. If nothing else, Voldemort valued Malfoy for his inspiration. He was a figurehead for a true Slytherin and pure-blood wizard. He was a delegate between the Dark One's will and his followers. Snape made it a good distance from the others when he heard a shout.
He rushed back and saw flaming curses and jinxes and other magical blasts shooting from wands.
"Judgement?"
"Yes," Celestia confirmed and stepped closer to her sister. Her face was not as proud or giddy as Luna imagined, but it was twice as serious. Her eyes were not soft or forgiving as Luna had known them to be. They no longer shone, but scrutinized.
"For what?"
"For past sins."
Luna actually snorted with disbelief. Her sister was looking back at paranoia like her last birthday. Celestia's head tilted to the side, discerning Luna's face, but she left it blank. Luna, however, did not have trouble finding a response.
"You're being ludicrous. I know Snape-"
"You think you know him."
"I know enough."
"Does that mean you knew changeling invaders were lurking in our capitol city? He could have caused absolute disaster. We were lucky enough to escape as freely as we did at the wedding, and now they've come back to haunt us."
"And Snape is on the job," Luna told her sister irritably, tired of these accusations against the human wizard.
"Actually, he's on his back, in a coma."
The statement was full of bitter teasing. Celestia sounded more like a teenager than she had in over 1,000 years of time.
"Then I will take up his task," Luna growled.
"You think I have this blind prejudice, unfounded and too close to a novel to be genuine, don't you?" Celestia asked, voice rising higher with every heated word, "You think that I'm being biased against him, even though he was in the wrong for keeping national security secrets from us? Have you forgotten how fair I was to him? How I gave him a place to live and work, under his wish to stay in Equestria?"
"I haven't forgotten," Luna shouted back, raising her face closer to Celestia's, "nor have I forgotten that he's also been working to atone for that secret. He's been hunting the changelings down and weeding them out; yet you punish him!"
"He wouldn't have to atone if he hadn't sinned first!"
"Sins can be forgiven! You and I should know that better than anypony!"
"I KNOW you, YOU I trust! HE'S NOT LIKE YOU!!"
Luna slammed her hoof into the ground, almost breaking through the floor. She exhaled rudely into her sister's face, and Celestia used a quick telekinetic grab to throw Luna back. The Lunar Princess slid back on the floor and skidded to a halt when she kicked her magic up.
Both their eyes were glowering at the other. Both sets of teeth were gritted. Both horns were aflame with magical power that was beginning to burn the air around them. Sister had quarrels, but this wasn't a quarrel; this was a fight.
Lucius jumped to his chest. He had barely perceived a stray curse heading his way when an auror apparated behind him. He flipped over and fired at the auror, who deflected the blast easily. Lucius was already rolling to the side and getting on his feet the counter attack was fired. Malfoy was shoved back the impact of the blast and his wand flew out of his hand. He stared up with disdain and a small cut let loose a red trail from his lower lip.
The auror, with a defiant face, hazel eyes especially looking serious, held his own wand before him.
"There!" One of the Death Eaters cried and fired off a killing curse. Unfortunately, his aim was thrown off when another auror blasted him in the back. The killing curse strayed off path and did not hit the auror ready to strike Malfoy.
The other two Death Eaters were being mopped up by a squad of four Aurors. Someone had tipped them off, it appeared. That meant that someone's head was going to roll...even if it was Malfoy's.
"Make a move and I won't hesitate to strike you down," the auror warned, "if your friends survive, it's off to Azkaban with the lot of you."
He turned to the one that had saved him, "What about him?"
The second auror kicked the Death Eater for good measure, "He'll be out for a long time." He nodded and rushed to help the other four.
The auror got a twisted smile on his face, "Now then, Mr. Death Eater, shall we-"
A flash of red overcame his figure and he collapsed, groveling instantly. Snape emerged from behind, Malfoy's wand in hand. Lucius nodded in thanks and took back his wand, joining Snape as their allies battled the five aurors.
"Shall we help them, then?" Snape asked.
"...No."
Snape turned to see Lucius' face, "No?"
"They're expendable enough."
"What of your mission?"
"Worry about your own, get going!"
Snape did as he was told. He noticed that Lucius did not get far before stopping. Loose ends and all, Snape supposed. He, meanwhile, hurried off towards the Hog's Head. The moon itself could not illuminate Snape's figure as he scurried along the countryside below a black sky. The night was young yet.
A laugh of twisted delight broke the memory, like shattering a dream.
Snape saw himself running along. Off to fetch the prophecy, off to bring the unintended destruction of Lily and James. The cataclysmic night that set up the next 18 years of his life. The second worst night of his entire life. The laugh, the shattering force, rang again, and Snape drew his eyes away from his younger self, and saw the black shadow.
His mental weakness had allowed whatever was plaguing Cadence to attack him. With Malum's combined efforts, the force had broken through his defenses, tapped into his memories. He could very much feel the same pain as before, but he wasn't bleeding, and it was a bearable pain, for now.
"Queen Chrysalis, I presume?" He managed with his usual icy demeanor.
"But of course! I have long watched you, Snape. You are my only true obstacle, after all."
"And I suppose you feel that way because of whatever mutation has increased the power of your hive?"
"I'd expect Severus Snape to do his homework," Chrysalis congratulated with a hiss of eagerness.
A figure of the Queen stepped out. Her horn was longer, her wings larger, and her body was armored in all the weakest places. She did not have three horns like Malum, but she was even taller and larger than he was.
"I have been examining the city, Snape, I know all about it. You foiled my plans to use Celestia's school against her, but you have not done enough to stop me."
"I've my own plans for you."
"They will surely fail!"
Snape felt the pain increase and his face contorted slightly. Chrysalis' laugh echoed throughout his subconscious again. She rushed at him, and he could not move himself, but her form passed through him, leaving only an icy chill and corrupted atmosphere with him.
"Luna! Don't start something you can't finish!"
"Don't badger me, Celestia, I am more than able to do what I please!"
The Princess of the Sun did not give reply. Instead she slammed her hoof into the floor again and leaned forward. Luna mirrored her sister's actions and went a step further by firing a small blast of magic. It was nothing really dangerous, but it was a major sign of disrespect. Celestia did not tolerate it.
After blocking it with ease, she emitted a blinding light from her horn and Luna recoiled in a sensory overload. Her eyes were still blurred and pained when the view of her sister shooting a paralyzing spell at her finally appeared. A magical shield took the spell for Luna, but now she had to retaliate.
The battle was far from over.
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Betting Snape will wake up and stop the fight or something :P
Edit: whoops spoiler
Shut up Celestia, and I think that Lucius wouldn't use Voldemort's real name.
5732968 Hmmm...I think the Lucius Malfoy from the books wouldn't use Voldemort's name, especially after Order of the Phoenix, but this is a younger Malfoy, one who still has to go through a sort of learning curve. I guess it's kind of up to interpretation, and in the future I'll try and watch out for things like that and consider them more. Thanks for the comment, though! :}
5732968 Yes, shut up Celestia.
5746194 "You can please some of the people all the time, all of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all the time." I admit, reading that comment kinda hurt...but it's good to hurt sometimes, eh? Yes, my initial chapters were unrefined (it was the first time I had ever written with Snape, and not much editing was done) and I have gradually improved as the story (and time) has gone on, as all writers do. Thanks for the comment, I'll keep that in mind when I eventually get around to revising it, as I too feel the first few chapters could use some improvement.
5731386
Not to mention foolish.
It would be the shortest route to not only cementing his position as Celestia's enemy (see: "evil"), but to also ensure that Luna is firmly placed in the same position (either by virtue of character, see: "evil", or possibly through something like mind control, see also: "I will vapourize your family line, Snape, for doing this to my sister").
Incidentally, this realm's Celestia is arrogant and condescending as all fuck. I mean, she orders Luna around? Or takes toll for slights?
I think the "most wrong" princess in this realm is Celestia. Cadance qualifies a bit, but that's apparently due to Chrysalis - seems she ain't done with her from that wedding. Twilight is pretty Twilight-ish, and Luna - while somewhat naive - is open-minded.
Celestia, on the other hand... well, let's just say she's gaining ground on my shitlist's #1 in leaps and bounds. There are two possible outcomes here: either she gets a massive shutdown at some point and does a 180 through her heroic BSOD, or she's the villain, or possibly the villain's puppet.