The Shaded Path

by Crensler

Chapter 11

Seeker stared at the freakish, unsettling pony that stood over Red Velvet's motionless body, unable to process the words she'd just spoken even as the sand storm began to die down at last. Mystic Star stood next to him, legs spread apart and braced against the sand under their hooves, trembling ever so slightly as she glared at the strange unicorn that grinned at them like she thought they'd be good to eat.

"What's the matter?" The unknown mare asked, stepping over Red Velvet, grin widening when Seeker instinctively flinched. "Out of everypony else I expected you, at least, to see past outer appearances." She turned slightly to the side, her left foreleg raised, showing off her cutie mark. "Does this help jog your memory...Squeaker?" Seeker's pupils shrunk to pinpricks as his eyes locked onto the unicorn's cutie mark, silver and golden starbursts like a mystical fireworks display. Even if he hadn't recognized that, only one pony had consistently called him Squeaker, even into adulthood.

"A-Amber Dawn?" He couldn't believe it, the mental image he had of his cousin, a delicate, kind mare, shattered by the vision standing before him, tall and imposing as she was. Yet that cutie mark couldn't belong to anypony else but her and nopony outside their clan knew about his foalhood nickname, embarrassing as it was. "What...what's going on? What did you do to Red Velvet?" She didn't even look like she was breathing anymore.

"I merely took back what's mine," Amber(?) replied smoothly, her stance relaxed, completely at ease despite the current situation. "She wasn't using it; she didn't even deserve it." Her draconic eyes narrowed, the taller mare regarding him as one might regard a bug they're considering squashing. "None of you do."

"Seeker, don't-" Star's warning was cut off as a shimmering silver bubble encapsulated her, Amber regarding her with obvious distaste.

"Silence, whelp, the adults are talking," she chided the smaller mare, dismissing her and turning her attention back to Seeker. "You're the worst of all, you realize that? We were given a gift, power that other ponies can only dream of, and what did you do?" She advanced on him as she spoke, backing him up to the still open hatch and stopping just out of reach. "You went off to find some stupid 'cure', like we're all diseased! But that couldn't be farther from the truth." He couldn't look away, her glare pinning him in place. "You just wanted to run away, didn't you?" She seized him in the telekinetic grip of her magic, hoisting him up to eye level with her and sneering in disdain. "Just like you ran back then, but you can't run from this, Seeker, no, I won't let you escape from what you deserve!"

"Amber, stop this!" Seeker pleaded, worry mingling with the fear he felt from how his instincts were screaming that he was in serious danger. "I don't know what's going on but we can help you!"

"Help me?" Amber growled, the stallion wincing as her magic's grip on him tightened. "You want to help me? You can start by not calling me Amber!" She slammed him into the sand, once, twice, then a third time before flinging him away to land beside Red Velvet. "Amber Dawn was a weak, pathetic filly who tried to hide from the world!" He got to his hooves, looking up to see her horn pulsing with silvery-white light, hatred for him burning in her eyes. "I am Nightmare Radiance and you will suffer, just as you deserve!"

"W-what did I do?" Seeker asked shakily, the light of Amber's, no, Radiance's horn burning ever brighter with each passing second. "Why are you acting like this?"

"You want to know what you did?" Radiance's eyes flashed with the same light of her magic, her fangs bared in a fierce snarl. "You FAILED me!" She roared, the light of her magic bursting forth from her horn in a searing bolt of power, the ensuing shock wave throwing sand into the air. Seeker's eyes were showing too much white, his legs locking up as terror took away his ability to act, death screaming down at him at Mach 10. There was an explosion, fire and smoke choking the already hot air even as the sun finally set. Yet, strangely, Seeker didn't feel any pain, the cause becoming apparent as the sand and smoke cleared to reveal a crumbling shield.

"Leave him alone," Star gasped, having managed to get out of Nightmare Radiance's shield dome, her body trembling with fatigue as a few sparks of magic leaked from the tip of her horn. "I can't believe what you've done to yourself." Her eyes greyed over, allowing her to see Radiance's aura. "It's choking your thaumic pathways so much I can't even see anything else. And Red Velvet," her gaze turned to the fallen mare in question, "you've ripped it out of her, along with her life force. How could you-"

"Spare me your sanctimonious drivel," Radiance cut her off before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Though I should be thanking you, really. I can't take his fragment if he's dead." Her horn lit with magic again, her focus now on Mystic Star. "You, however, are just excess baggage." Her eyes narrowed as something sparked against the reactive barrier spell she'd put in place, letting the energy fade from her horn as she turned her head to look at the source. Seeker had attacked her, his griffon forged sword held tightly in his mouth, the edge scraping against her barrier, sparks spitting from where steel met magic. "You're kidding. You're kidding, right?"

"I've never been more serious in my life," he replied, his words discernible despite how badly the hilt in his mouth slurred them. "I don't know what happened to you, but you're not my cousin anymore! The Amber Dawn I know wouldn't hurt anypony, let alone a member of the clan!"

"Then you never knew her at all," Radiance growled, her barrier morphing into a perfectly solid, silver sword made entirely of magical energy, the mare using it to push him back. "You want to play with swords, do you? I suppose I can spare a few minutes to humor you." She gave the blade a quick flourish, displaying an agility with it he couldn't hope to match thanks to her magic. "We are family, after all."

"Shut up!" Seeker snapped and lunged, his slash met by the Nightmare's magically conjured weapon, stopping him dead in his tracks. He pulled back and tried again, coming from a different angle, only for it to be countered again. This definitely wasn't Amber Dawn anymore, the cousin he knew never having had an interest in fighting. Yet, here she was, toying with him like he was still a foal, his next several attacks just as easily parried as the first. "Damn!"

"Come on, Squeaker, you're starting to bore me," Radiance said with an exaggerated yawn, the unicorn having not moved an inch since their little duel had started. "You've obviously had some training before, so do try to make this interesting for me." She arched one brow as she batted away another of his attacks, clearly not impressed. "I said make it interesting, not-" He lunged at her mid-sentence, her focus ever so slightly diminished as a result. Her blade managed to clash with his at the last moment, but it couldn't divert the attack enough to stave off injury entirely. The unicorn flinched as the blade grazed her shoulder, a shallow wound opening up as a result. "You filthy, disgusting little mud pony!"

"What's the matter?" Seeker asked, taunting her. "Not having fun anymore?" The tribal slur only further served to cement the fact that this wasn't truly Amber Dawn in his mind. Still, he knew he didn't have any real chance of winning, not like this. A fact Nightmare Radiance went on to prove, narrowing her eyes and going on the attack. Her blade was lightning quick, instinct alone saving Seeker from crippling injury multiple times, having to dance backwards and desperately twist his head to try and parry her blows. Her attacks only increased in speed, cuts opening up on his forelegs, cheek, neck, all relatively shallow but still painful. He supposed he was lucky she didn't want him dead, otherwise he likely would be at this point.

"Oh, yes, I'm having fun now!" Radiance exclaimed, finding pleasure in every injury she inflicted upon him, her next thrust aiming at his left foreleg, only for the magical weapon to be struck aside by a telekinetic blast. The construct was broken by the attack, the Nightmare glaring off to the side where the shot had originated from. Mystic Star stood there, horn smoking a bit, clearly afraid but determined to help. "You want to play as well, little filly?" The sword reformed, stopping another attempt by Seeker to strike her, even as she fired a blast of her own Star's way, the younger mare having to hastily raise a shield in an effort to deflect it.

"Then let's play!" She split her concentration, using a concave barrier to catch and redirect Mystic Star's next attack even as her blade worked to divest Seeker of his. His grip on the hilt remaining firm, the Nightmare instead sliding the edge of her weapon down along the flat of his sword and causing the tip to slash across the bridge of his nose. The sudden pain in such a sensitive area had his mouth open in a pained yelp, his weapon falling to the sand, leaving him entirely defenseless. Mystic Star attempted to distract the Nightmare with a trio of energy blasts, but her efforts were easily batted aside by the older mare's conjured sword. "Well, this has certainly been amusing, but I'm afraid that the game must now come to an end."

"You're sick!" Star spat, causing her to chuckle. "How can you let this thing use you to hurt your own family? Have you no shame?!?"

"Why should I be ashamed?" Radiance asked in turn, dismissing her blade and taking a moment to kick Seeker's sword out of the stallion's reach. "The power that is our birthright is within my grasp, as is the means by which I shall take my revenge on you worthless, spineless ponies! Shame is for those too weak to take what they want." Her horn began to burn with power as she pinned Mystic Star with a disgusted look. "And unlike you, little filly, I am most certainly NOT weak."

"Amber, stop this!" Seeker pleaded, fear for Mystic Star galvanizing him to action. "Think about what you're doing for a second! What would Gray Shroud say if he saw you right now?" She seemed to hesitate, her magic dissipating, only for her shoulders to shake as she began to laugh. "What in Luna's name is so bucking funny?!?"

"What's funny is the fact that you think I care about what a dead old stallion might think," Radiance replied, laughter still coloring her tone as she turned, a vicious smirk on her face. "Oh, my goodness, the look on your face is simply priceless~"

"How...how do you know that?" Seeker asked even as a growing feeling of dread blossomed inside him. "You...no, no, you can't know that! It's not possible!"

"So you did go to see him," Radiance purred, her smirk widening as Seeker just stood there, looking like he'd been poleaxed. "I thought you might have, given that you led me to that wretched Keeper and all."

HATE

"He didn't recognize me at first, either," she remarked casually, seeming to delight in his pain. "I wanted it to be a nice little visit, the two of us just talking about old times, but the old bird had to be stubborn, the same as always."

HATE

"I tried asking nicely, tried to be reasonable," she went on, seemingly oblivious to the way he'd started to tremble, his head lowered and teeth grinding together. "But you know him, Squeaker, he can never do things the easy way."

HATE

"You do understand why I had to do it, don't you?" Radiance pouted, though malicious mirth danced in her eyes. "I had no choice. He made me get rough with him, forced me to resort to such crude methods to get what I wanted."

HATE

"Oh, goodness, you're not mad with me, are you?" The Nightmare was obviously enjoying herself, a giggle escaping her lips. "Awww, are you sad that he's dead? Does it make you want to cry?" She laughed even as he glared at her balefully through his bangs, the sand around his hooves starting to smoke. "Honestly, it's no wonder why he hated you. You always were so pathetic~"

HATE

0o0o0o0o0o0

Luna found herself pacing before her throne, Night Court due to start in another half an hour, and yet she found herself feeling strangely restless. She couldn't put her hoof on what was causing it but something seemed very, very wrong. Her chest felt tight, her skin was crawling and her pulse was racing, yet nothing to be amiss. So what was she missing?

"Your Highness." One of the Night Guard she'd sent to sweep the palace grounds had returned to report, kneeling before the steps leading up to the twin thrones belonging to the royal sisters. "We've searched the grounds, as you ordered, yet there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary taking place. All is quiet, though tonight's petitioners have already begun to arrive." This was no real surprise to her. Those who wished to bring their troubles before the crown often arrived early so they could be the first to be heard, after all. "What are your orders, princess?"

"You and your comrades may return to your posts," Luna informed him, though despite his report her sense of unease only seemed to increase. "Night Court shall proceed as planned." She forced herself to take her place on her throne, doing her utmost to remain the picture of calm and poise. This illusion was swiftly shattered as pain lanced through her chest, the princess doubling over and clutching at the area, expecting to feel a wound and yet finding only the smoothness of her own coat.

"Princess!" Her guardsponies quickly rushed to her aid, the alicorn gritting her teeth in an effort to stifle a groan. "Hold on, your highness, we'll send for a doctor at once!"

"No," Luna hissed, fighting through the pain that still throbbed inside of her. "This is nothing a surgeon will be able to fix." It was like acid was worming its way through her body, forcing a moan from her lips as the agony the sensation brought only grew worse. "Stand back, swiftly!" Her guards immediately obeyed, the princess encasing herself in a coat tight shield, cutting off whatever was trying to drag the magic from her body and bringing a stop to her pain.

"By the stars, I have not felt such as this before." Was this what it had been like for their ponies to have their magic ripped from them by the fiend Tirek? If so she wished that his rampage could have been stopped sooner. "I will not be able to hold court like this. Inform the petitioners that they will have to bring their grievances to my attention another night." As her guards moved to obey, Luna's gaze turned to one the the arching windows, her moon visible through the glass.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Nightmare Radiance groaned softly, ears ringing as she came to her senses, the mare finding herself sprawled on her back, the right side of her face throbbing painfully. She took stock of her injuries, of which there was only a hairline fracture to her jaw, trying to puzzle together what exactly had just happened. She'd been tormenting Seeker, relishing his pain, only for the earth pony to blur out of sight. The next thing she had known something had struck her beneath her jaw and now here she was, lying flat on her back and staring up at the moon overhead. The unicorn got to her hooves, working her jaw and grimacing at the fresh pain this action caused her.

"What the buck was that?" She wondered aloud, eyes scanning her surroundings, only for them to widen as she caught sight of Seeker. He was standing perhaps a hundred feet away, his eyes burning with white light and flames curling up from under his hooves, the sand beneath them starting to glow cherry red from the heat. "What is this? What have you done?!?" He didn't answer, his form blurring again before disappearing from sight, Radiance crying out as something slammed into her chest, her ribs cracking from the force of it.

The earth pony had just bucked her with his hind legs, causing her to sail through the air, tumbling helplessly for a few moments before she used her magic to teleport back to the ground. Yet, even as her hooves touched the sand, her head rocked first left, then right, Seeker having again appeared in front of her, his hooves raining punishing blows upon her face, neck, shoulders and chest, the only thing keeping her conscious the fact she'd managed to bring up a hasty shield, though the force of his strikes were still felt despite her efforts.

How was this possible? How could a stupid mud pony be doing this to her? These questions rattled through her brain as Seeker grasped her by her hind legs and started swinging her around like he was taking part in the Equestria Games and was about to perform a classic hammer throw. She was once again airborne, dizziness and pain causing her vision to blur even as she tried to figure out just what in Tartarus was going on. She managed to get enough of her wits back to stop her erratic flight with a self targeted form of telekinesis, allowing her a chance to get her bearings.

Yet, when she looked down toward the ground for signs of Seeker, she couldn't find him. Then, inexplicably, a shadow fell over her, causing the mare to look up, her mind unable to process what she was seeing. The earth pony was somehow descending upon her from above, his coat having turned black, the same flames that shrouded his hooves now replacing his mane and tail, as if he was being influenced by his fragment despite Mystic Star's spell. Nightmare Radiance could only turn the levitation spell into a shield, reinforcing it as Seeker slammed into her, the pair rocketing towards the sands below.

The impact sent a huge plume of sand into the air, Nightmare Radiance staring up at her attacker with something she hadn't felt since her transformation gripping her heart: fear. He reared up, hooves poised to strike, yet something happened just as he was about to attack. The flames were extinguished, his coat color returned to normal and his eyes lost their glow while he swayed almost drunkenly.

Nightmare Radiance didn't hesitate, focusing her magic into a blast that caught him right in his belly, the earth pony spinning away like a broken rag doll, his body flopping to a stop at the edge of the ravine he and Mystic Star had been heading towards just before the sand storm had hit. She glared at his motionless form, stumbling a little as her injuries protested her efforts to stand. Her coat was scorched where his hooves had struck, she had several broken ribs, her jaw was truly broken now and she would need several days to fully recover from his unexpected onslaught.

She didn't know how he'd done it, she didn't care either, but she wasn't going to let him have another chance. She hissed in anger and pain, gathering her waning strength, ready to blast him into oblivion, when a flash of light signaled the teleport of Mystic Star, who now stood over Seeker in a defensive posture. Had she the energy Nightmare Radiance would have sneered at the sight, instead pouring on the power as the other mare sought to perhaps defend against her attack. Let her try, the Nightmare thought. It simply meant that they would die together instead. Mystic Star raised her shield just as Nightmare Radiance attacked, the sound of shattering rock mingling with the din of the explosion that followed.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Mystic Star hadn't believed her eyes when she'd seen Seeker attack Nightmare Radiance like a pony possessed, his thaumic pathways flooded with a silver white fire that hurt her to look at for too long, a fire that fueled his assault on the unsuspecting Nightmare. He'd moved faster than anypony she'd ever seen and unleashed one hay of a beating, the sinister unicorn seemingly unable to defend herself. Yet, suddenly, this unexplained surge of power was cut off, leaving his wellspring dangerously low. Nightmare Radiance had wasted no time in capitalizing on his weakness, turning the tables on the now helpless stallion with brutal results.

Mystic Star finally snapped out of her shock induced paralysis, teleporting across the distance that now separated them and coming to his defense. She'd only ever received basic instruction in how to defend herself, her arsenal of combat magic limited to telekinetic blasts and simple, static shields. Still she had to try, erecting the strongest barrier she could manage, even as the Nightmare's searing energy beam lanced out over the sands, striking her shield with the force of a rampaging dragon. Her simple shield immediately buckled under the assault, the clashing arcane energies causing an explosion that shattered the ravine wall she and Seeker were perched upon.

"Oh buck me!" She screamed when the ground began to collapse beneath them, the last word drawn out as they then fell, though Seeker, given his unconscious state, remained blissfully ignorant of their new predicament. The bottom of the ravine was coming up fast, the mare having little time to react, reaching out to Seeker and wrapping her legs around him tight, summoning as much magical power as she could manage, praying with everything she had that her magic wouldn't fail them now. Her horn sparked and sputtered, sweat pouring down her face as the young mare struggled against her exhaustion, the ground racing ever closer as she bordered on burning herself out.

"Come on, damn it!" She squeezed her eyes shut, heart giving a lurch as she forced it, a flash of light and a deafening crack of splitting air following as the spell went off. Instead of splattering on the jagged fragments of rock below they dropped into a dry river bed, the pair tumbling down a slope and narrowly avoiding being crushed under the debris created by Nightmare Radiance's attack. Mystic Star could only lay there after all was said and done, raggedly gasping for air, her horn smoking, the end charred black, Seeker almost completely motionless beneath her save for faint signs that he was still breathing. Her magic didn't like to be forced, especially when she was already so desperately low on reserves, but she'd done it. "Gonna...pass out now," she gasped out, putting words to action moments later.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Nightmare Radiance staggered to the broken edge of the ravine, gazing down at the settling rocks for any sign of movement, though much of her view was obstructed by the clouds of dust and smoke created by her attack. She silently cursed herself for giving in to her anger, having neither the time nor the strength to shift that much rock to see if her "cousin" had somehow survived it. She was tired and in pain, but more importantly she had other matters that needed attending. Slowly limping her way back to the hatch her prey had emerged from, and taking a moment to make the Keeper vanish beneath the sands, the Nightmare slipped into the darkness below, intent on recuperating from the injuries Seeker had inflicted upon her. She didn't quite understand how he'd done it, but if he was dead it didn't matter. She had time, time enough to find what she needed and, conveniently enough, she also had a place to rest since the previous owner was indisposed at the moment.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Luna had asked to be escorted back to her chambers, telling her guards that she was fine, though honestly she still felt violated by what had transpired in the throne room. She didn't know exactly what it was, only that something had grabbed hold of the inner well of her soul, the very source of her magic, and pulled out a small quantity of her power before she'd been able to stop it. It wasn't as if she wouldn't recover, but as she sat in the darkened interior of her room, she couldn't help feeling vulnerable. She'd removed her regalia and her crown, the princess of the night sitting there, rubbing a hoof against her chest where she'd felt the wrenching pull, trying to understand what had happened. As she tried to think, the sound of hurried hoofsteps approached her door, the hushed voice of one of her guardsponies swiftly cut off.

"I don't care if she said she doesn't want to be disturbed," Celestia snapped, Luna surprised at the heat she heard in her sister's tone. "You will stand aside, now." There was a moment of silence, then the door opened, the elder alicorn of the day stepping inside and swiftly shutting it behind her. The younger alicorn idly noted the fact her sister hadn't even taken the time to don her own crown and regalia, though she supposed that wasn't very surprising given the older mare's protective nature. Celestia's horn flashed, a glow settling over the room briefly, Luna sensing it was a form of barrier spell meant to ensure privacy. "Sister, are you hurt?"

"I...I am uninjured," Luna replied hesitantly, which did nothing to assure Celestia, who came to sit by her side within seconds of her opening her mouth. "You did not need to rouse yourself on my account, Celestia, for it is nothing that I will not recover from."

"You doubled over in pain, Luna," Celestia felt the need to remind her, the younger mare grimacing at the reminder. "Please, tell me, what happened to cause you such distress?"

"It was like nothing I have ever experienced," Luna replied softly, shuddering at the memory. "It was if something had shoved its claws inside me, grasped hold of my magic and sought to rip it from me." She leaned into her sister when the larger alicorn drew her in close with one of her wings. "If this was anything like what that fiend Tirek did to our ponies then I am of a mind to go into Tartarus to see him punished further for such crimes."

"Hush, Luna, you don't mean that," Celestia chided her, to which she could only sigh. No, she would not lower herself to such an act, no matter how tempting it was to contemplate carrying it out. "Tirek has no power now; he could not have done this so soon after his defeat." It was Celestia's turn to sigh now. "Which means we must discover whomever is responsible before they seek to strike again."

"If it was indeed an attack," Luna murmured, not sure why this thought came to her exactly. "If it was then the perpetrator is a complete amateur at his craft. I had little trouble in defending myself once it began and they did not manage to steal much despite my...discomfort."

"Which points to either an idiot or a madpony," Celestia said thoughtfully, already beginning to consider the various possibilities. "Such a lack of skill suggests they are not well versed in their craft, so why target you with such an inept attempt?"

"Inept or not, twas not natural," Luna muttered against Celestia's coat, shivering again despite the comforting warmth radiating from her sister's body. "There was a...desperation to it as well." She'd been able to feel it, somehow, though she didn't understand that either. "I cannot explain it, my sister, only that whomever or whatever did this felt desperate and...and...stars, listen to me, I am making no sense!"

"Luna, please, try to calm down," Celestia urged softly, concern coloring her tone as she held her sister just a bit tighter than before. "I know you are feeling shaken, but please, just take a deep breath and do your best to relax."

"I make no promises," Luna replied, though she did take a moment to try and collect her scattered thoughts. "Sister...it could not be the Nightmare, could it?" The thought chilled her to the core.

"Sister, no, of course not," Celestia assured her with all the conviction of the loving elder sister she was. "The Elements cleansed you of any connection to those creatures and there is simply no way they could..." Celestia trailed off, stiffening up as if she had thought of something.

"What?" Luna asked, pulling back from the embrace enough to look her sister in the face. "What have you thought of?"

"It...it may be nothing," Celestia delayed, flinching at the sight of the glare this earned her. "It is simply regarding what Discord mentioned about the zebras and the rituals they used to bind the loa, so they could draw power from them." She bit her lower lip, not a good sign. "Seeker's ancestors sought this knowledge, supposedly to bind themselves to your service...but what if the opposite was, in fact, the truth? If that connection remains then, perhaps, the occurrence in the throne room could be explained."

"You mean they sought to bind me instead?" Luna asked, the idea not improbable, though a shocking one. "Why? No, I know why, but how did they believe that they would get away with such a deed?" The grave expression on her sister's face caused her to shiver. "What? What is it?"

"I do not believe they 'got away' with anything, Luna," Celestia replied quietly, ears folding back as the gears spun in her mind. "Obviously they could not truly bind you, however they still managed some form of connection, enough so that the Nightmare's taint spread to those that took part in whatever ritual they received from the zebras."

"Then what are you suggesting?" Luna asked, thinking things through herself now. "I certainly don't recall any sort of ill effects from that time, so they could not have been siphoning energy from me."

"At least not to any extent that you would notice," Celestia said, frowning as she continued to ponder over what they'd learned from Discord. "Remind me, if you would: when did your envious feelings towards me begin?"

"You know full well when," Luna replied with an indignant huff. "It was after our return from the campaign in the Frozen North. Our subjects lauded you with praise and yet I received no such grand accolades as they heaped upon you." She remembered their "triumphant return" quite clearly. "Even though we failed to save the crystal ponies they still...stars, what am I doing?" The old resentment had started welling up inside her without her noticing, much to her shame.

"Luna, considering the mistakes I made during those days, any lingering resentment you still feel is not unexpected," Celestia told her, smiling kindly. "Nor should you feel ashamed because of it."

"Yet twas I whom decided to try and plunge our nation into civil war," Luna reminded her, closing her eyes and folding her ears back as she remembered that fateful morning. "I forced you into an untenable position and you had no choice but to banish me." She sighed heavily. "Tis my burden and-" She was cut off by her sister's hoof covering her mouth, causing her eyes to open in surprise.

"Luna, you're taking all the responsibility onto yourself again," Celestia chided her, causing a blush to form on her cheeks. "Now, are we done blaming ourselves for the time being?" She nodded timidly. "Good, I'm glad we can agree on this matter." The hoof withdrew from her lips, her sister giggling at her embarrassment. "I know it will be difficult, but try to remember exactly what you thought about me in those days."

"I...I saw you as a tyrant," Luna replied, frowning slightly as she recalled those days once more, her memories quite distinct despite the passing of the centuries. "You bathed in their adulation, as if you thrived on it. Yet, no matter what I did, nopony seemed to appreciate any of my efforts."

"Truly?" Celestia tilted her head to the side, as if confused. "Were there not astronomers who relied on your night sky? Ships that used the stars to navigate by? Artists that were inspired to paint and compose great works due to your efforts?"

"Well, yes, but-" Luna stopped, frowning more deeply now. "I...I do not understand. I knew those things even then, so how could I truly have believed that nopony found beauty in or held appreciation for my nights?"

"Strange indeed," Celestia agreed, standing and pacing over to the door leading out onto the veranda, eyes turned to the heavens. "I look back on those days and wonder what more I could have done to make you see that you were truly loved." She sigh sounded quite weary now. "I believe that this...binding had more of an influence, both on you and Seeker's ancestors, than we first imagined."

"Wait, what?" Luna couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "You are not trying to suggest that I was not-"

"We are both responsible for the events of the past, sister," Celestia interrupted her, her smile tinged with regret as she regarded Luna fondly. "This binding may have affected you, but the feelings had to be there for it to do so in the first place." She shook her head and turned her gaze out to the night once more. "I am afraid, given my lack of foresight and your growing resentment, that things would have eventually escalated even without their influence."

"I see," Luna said quietly, considering what her sister said and reflecting on her past feelings on the matter. Had things not changed between them, she felt Celestia was right. Despite the fact there had indeed been those that appreciated her work, Celestia had still received the majority of the public's love and respect despite their shared duties as the rulers of Equestria. A falling out would have been inevitable and who knows how that would have turned out? "I suppose that we should be grateful that things worked out as they did, then."

"Indeed," Celestia agreed, yawning into one hoof delicately. "Will you be alright if I return to my chambers?" She smiled wryly. "Unlike somepony I could mention, I am not fond of staying up this late into the night."

"Yes, sister, I shall be fine," Luna replied with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Go, thou slovenly thing, and return to thy den from whence thee came!"

"As the princess of the night commands," Celestia acquiesced with a bow before striding regally to the door, only to pause and offer her a smile. "Good night, Luna."

"Good night, Tia," Luna replied as her sister left. "Sleep well." She waited for several minutes, to ensure her sister was truly gone, before stepping out of her room and addressing her guards. "You will keep my absence a secret unless directly questioned by my sister." They saluted her, the princess of the night teleported directly to their personal armory, gazing upon the rack where her armor awaited her. "If Celestia is correct then I fear my ponies are in a great deal of danger." She levitated the helmet atop her head, the comforting weight steeling her resolve. "Forgive me, sister, but I will sit idle no longer. My ponies need me and I will not let them down again."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Seeker let out a rather pathetic sounding groan as he began to stir, coughing and wheezing as he managed to breathe in a lungful of rock dust. Everything hurt, especially his underbelly, the stallion trying to piece together what had happened to him as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry and unfocused, the earth pony feeling a weight on his back and a strange, cold wetness trickling down over his shoulder. He turned his head, hissing softly as every muscle in his neck protested the movement, blinking until his vision came into focus. Mystic Star was laying on his back, her head resting on his shoulder...and the mare was drooling on him while snoring softly.

"Yuck," he grumbled, looking around and trying to ignore the fact the unconscious unicorn was drooling all over him. Instead he focused on the hows and whys of their situation, the pair of them having somehow ended up at the bottom of a ravine with no obvious serious injuries. Sure he hurt like he'd been in a tumble drier on high for an hour, but he didn't think anything was broken. Granted his underbelly felt raw, like he'd been burned in some way, but he had yet to feel any sharp pains while moving any of his limbs.

Instead he felt battered, bruised and completely exhausted. The last time he'd felt this drained was when he worked on that one rock farm to earn traveling money a few years back, the owner having been a harsh, but fair, taskmaster as he recalled. "Okay, just think it through. We met Red Velvet, we talked and...and..." His head started to pound, the stallion gritting his teeth as vague images flashed through his head, pain pulsing behind his eyes as he tried to remember what happened after that. "Damn, what happened?" He shook his head, unable to recall anything beyond that talk. "Okay, forget it, not important right now." The fact remained that they were still at the bottom of a ravine, his supplies and weapon missing and both of them were in pretty bad shape, if that scorch mark on Mystic Star's horn was any indication at least.

Gritting his teeth, and fighting down the urge to cry out as his body strenuously objected, Seeker forced himself to rise, having to be careful in order to ensure that Mystic Star didn't fall off his back. Walking was torture, the stallion realizing he was more badly hurt than he'd initially believed, but still he persevered. All that was behind them was a pile of broken rock and there was no way he was climbing out in his present condition. Without knowing what happened to Mystic Star he didn't dare wake her, either, so he had to go forward, had to get them back to town before daybreak. How long had they been down in the ravine anyway? The moon was almost directly overhead and it hadn't been dark when they had stumbled upon Red Velvet's hiding place.

He winced as pain throbbed inside his head again, the earth pony shaking himself to dismiss that line of thought for now. They both needed medical attention, needed to get out of the desert as soon as possible. Without water they wouldn't make it back to Las Pegasus, not that he even knew where they were exactly. They could be miles away, so his only hope was to get topside and hope the city was within sight, however unlikely that was to be the case. Time seemed to pass at a crawl as he trudged along the winding length of the dry river bed and the walls of the ravine remained too steep to climb with Mystic Star on his back. He doubted he'd be able to do it even if he didn't have to worry about the mare, since he had no climbing gear and no claws or fingers to grasp at the rock with.

"Kinda wish I had wings right about now," Seeker grumbled as he stared up at the ravine walls, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he weighed their very limited options. "Ugh, wish I knew how we ended up down here in the first place, too, but I'll settle for getting out for now." He stumbled a bit as he continued walking, wincing as pain pulsed inside his skull, the stallion groaning weakly as his vision grew darker with each step. "Come on, just...just a bit further." Who was he kidding? There was no way he was getting them out at this rate. "Head injury...gotta be." He shook his head, which only made it worse, the earth pony collapsing with a pained grunt. "Don't...don't fall asleep." If he had a concussion then he might not wake up. Despite his best efforts, however, his eyes drifted closed, the stallion unconscious in moments, missing the light that fell on him and Mystic Star by scant seconds.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Princess, over here!" Luna looked up from the map of the desert she'd been provided with, having enlisted the aid of the on call search and rescue team, a group of volunteers that worked to aid anypony who managed to get lost amidst the dunes. She'd had them split into teams of three, making sure a unicorn was included so they could signal the others in case they found something. One of the search parties had sent up flare, the worry she'd been feeling easing a bit at the color. Green: they'd found them alive. Thank the stars. The princess wasted no time, flying over towards the flare, spotting several teams gathering around a ravine, one of the unicorns shining a light down into it.

"Report," she ordered, tone clipped and tight, her concern for her ponies leashed tight and hidden by a mask of poise and calm, one she and her sister had perfected over decades, even centuries, of practice.

"Two ponies, your Highness; a unicorn and earth pony," a pegasus replied, several of his fellows carefully descending into the ravine. "Initial scans mark them as alive, though they're in pretty rough shape." He glanced over to the unicorn who had preformed it. "They're going to need serious medical attention once we get them back to Las Pegasus."

"Any idea what happened?" Luna asked, though she doubted they had any real idea as of yet.

"No, princess, but we had received reports of odd lights seen deep within the desert a few hours ago," he told her, grimacing and folding his ears back. "We thought it was just a bunch of teens, lighting off fireworks. It's happened before but...I'm sorry, your Highness."

"Be at ease, my little pony," Luna said, sighing softly as he bowed to her deeply. "You could not have known that anything was amiss, so do not burden yourself with misplaced guilt." She watched as Mystic Star was brought up first, heart aching at the sight of her charred horn. "Simply do what you can in the now and do not let the past be a shackle to hobble you." She couldn't help smiling, though it was a bittersweet one. Her sister had spoken to her many times since her return about such things, so the words came easily enough. "Let me know when they have been treated." Her gaze turned elsewhere, able to sense a lingering residue of magic from off to the east. "I must investigate the source of these...lights that were reported."

"I'll organize a team to-" She cut him off with a wave of one hoof.

"No, do not trouble yourself," she told him, the pegasus bowing once more. "I must go now." She glanced to where they were now carefully lifting out Seeker, the stallion battered, burned and bruised. "Take care of them for me." Then she kicked off from the ground, following her senses deeper into the desert. "I will not let this go unpunished."

Author's Note:

I'm not really that great at writing action scenes, so I hope my attempt here was at least passable. As always, let me know what you think in the comments below and I hope you all have a nice day

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

The cover art is meaningful, right? You didn't just choose it because it looked cool?

[Crensler]

7364329 I chose it because it's what I based the transformation off of: the Nightmare, a demonic horse often ridden by spectral knights and higher ranking demons. I don't know if it's based on any myth, but the picture is of a creature used in the tabletop pen and paper RPG Dungeon and Dragons, among others. If I could afford to commission something else or draw it myself, I would, but sadly neither is really an option.

[Curtis LeMay]

Seems good overall. Only negative that is really concerning is RD's behavior in the beginning. Having her suspicious of the new character for the sake of conflict is overused as fuck. Would have made more sense for a peaceful introduction and have her follow him when he rushed out of the party due to curiosity.

[MysticStar1983]

I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter Crensler! Please bring it out soon!