The Curse Of Black Thorn

by Bluecatcinema

What Comes Next

The visiting royals chose to stay in Haygypt for a couple more days after Black Thorn's defeat, acknowledging that there would still be a mess to clean up, not to mention they could use some downtime after their struggles.

Echo returned to the hideout to free Sunset.

"So, how did it go?" Flash asked as Echo entered the house. "Are Twilight and Starlight-"

"Everypony's fine." Echo declared. "Black Thorn is no longer an issue."

"That's great news." Sunset said dully, not an ounce of joy on her face. "Now can you please get me out of this?!"

"Oh, er, of course." Echo winced.

The crystals flowed off Sunset's horn and hooves, leaving her free to move.

"At last." Sunset stretched. She walked over to Echo, smiling... then slapped him.

"Ow!" Echo yelped.

"That's for sticking me to the floor." Sunset pouted.

"I'm sorry, Sunset." Echo apologised. "But I told you I couldn't let you get hurt."

"And I told you I could take care of myself!" Sunset huffed.

"I'll, er... leave you two alone then, shall I?" Flash said awkwardly, as he headed for the door.

"Sunset, please..." Echo urged.

"Please what?" Sunset spat. "You had no right to do that to me!"

"You're right." Echo sighed. "I didn't."

"So why did you do it?" Sunset growled. "Did you think I wasn't strong enough?"

"No." Echo sighed. "I did it because I thought I wasn't strong enough. That I couldn't protect you, that I'd be forced to watch you die. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you and our foal. If Black Thorn took you from me, I wouldn't be able to go on."

Sunset's anger started to diminish.

"Echo, I..." She sighed. "I didn't think of it like that."

"You mean everything to me." Echo admitted. "You and our foal. Forgive me?"

"Well... maybe just this once." Sunset kissed him. "Just don't make a habit of it, okay?"

"Okay." Echo grinned, wrapping a wing around her.

Back at the palace, the others were gathering for a celebratory dinner. Flash had just arrived, and shared a loving embrace with his wife and daughter. Not long after, Echo and Sunset joined them, and they all enjoyed the taste of both the food and their victory.

"Thank you all, my friends." Nightshade smiled. "If not for you, Black Thorn would have won, and my beloved kingdom would be in his cruel hooves."

"Perhaps, but you can't deny that Black Thorn's demise was your doing, not ours." Celestia smiled.

"You should be proud." Luna added. "You saved your country from a great evil."

"An evil that only came about because of my actions." Nightshade countered sadly.

"Well, if you want to get technical, we kinda had a part in it, too." Constell pointed out. "We did help get Black Thorn out of you, remember?"

"Let's not dwell on the past." Twilight suggested. "How about we just focus on the fact that everything turned out okay?"

"An excellent suggestion." Red Rose smiled. "Wouldn't you agree dear?"

"Yes." Nightshade nodded. "No more dwelling on the past."

"Speaking of the past, why are you still wearing that headdress, dad?" Day Light asked.

"This headdress is a symbol of our family, son." Nightshade declared. "Despite its origins, it has become synonymous with our benevolent rule. For that reason, I shall continue to wear it. And I hope you will do the same when the time comes."

"We'll see..." Day Light frowned, still unnerved by the headdress's origins.

"I'm just glad we all made it through this in one piece." Blueblood declared.

"Well, I for one, am not going to be attending any 'summits' for a long time..." Chrysalis said darkly.

"You gotta admit, it wasn't boring at least..." Sleight chuckled.

"That is an understatement." Dusty snorted. "I think I might actually welcome some boredom after this."

"A toast." Nightshade raised her glass. "To the power of good, and friendship!"

"Hear, hear!" Cadance grinned, as they all raised their glasses.

The next morning, Nightshade and the others used a lie detector spell on the guards (who had been rounding up and locked up before the previous evening's dinner), weeding out those who sided with Black Thorn because they were threatened from those who turned traitor for money. Those who were threatened were allowed to remain in Nightshade's service, while those who sided with Black Thorn for money were stripped of their rank and imprisoned for treason.

"Please, your highness, this is all a big misunderstanding!" One of the guards yelled as they moved on to the next subject. "I've always been loyal to you! You can trust me! Black Thorn made me do it!"

"We shall see." Nightshade said coldly. He stopped at one guard's cell. "No need to check this one. I remember him gloating to me about how Black Thorn paid him better. He stays where he is."

"Oh, come on!" The guard spluttered. "It was nothing personal! I just needed a nest egg for retirement!"

"You don't need to worry about that any more." Nightshade declared mockingly. "Now you get free room and board for the next thirty years."

"Bet betraying the Prince for money doesn't sound like such a good idea now, huh?" One of the exonerated guards taunted him.

"Now, now, my loyal servant." Nightshade chided him. "He may be a traitor, but we must at least be civil. Besides, he's already got what was coming to him, don't you think?"

"Yes, sir." The exonerated guard nodded.

"Now, let's move on, shall we?" Nightshade urged, leaving the disgraced traitor in his cell.

At that same time, construction workers had been called in to repair the damage caused by the battle.

"Boy, look at all this mess." The foreman shook his head. "It breaks my heart to see a historical establishment like this in such bad shape."

"Not for long, though." His assistant smiled. "We'll fix this up in no time."

"Yep." The foreman nodded. "We'll make it just like new. It's the least we can do, after Prince Nightshade saved us. ...Now get to back, you lazy slobs! We're on the clock here!"

The workers hurriedly set about their tasks.

"Now that's what I like to see." The foreman grinned.

"Excellent motivation skills, sir." The assistant cringed.

While all that was going on, Starlight and Day Light sat on the roof together, Starlight leaning against Day Light's side.

"You'll write to me, okay?" Starlight asked, fully aware of their impending separation.

"As often as I can." Day Light promised. "Maybe I could even come visit."

"I don't think your dad will mind." Starlight declared. "After everything that's happened, he probably knows that you can take care of yourself."

"And then some." Day Light nodded, creating his armor for emphasis. "I can't believe I had this power hidden inside me for all my life... Kinda weird, right?"

"Not really." Starlight shrugged. "The way I see it, it's a lot like your special talent, only... harder to find. And you know something? You look really good in that armor. All handsome, and heroic..."

"Thanks, Star." Day Light beamed. "I'm really going to miss you when you and the others leave."

"I'll miss you too." Starlight smiled. "But we'll see each other soon enough. And until then, we'll have our letters."

"Yeah..." Day Light grinned. "I'm so glad I met you, Star."

"Me too, Day." Starlight sighed blissfully. "Before I came to Haygypt, I didn't ever want to fall in love again. I thought I'd just set myself up for more heartbreak. But I was wrong. You're the stallion I've been waiting for my whole life."

"And you're the mare of my dreams." Day Light whispered.

The lovestruck pair came together for a slow, sweet kiss, determined to make the most of their last day together.

The next morning, the visiting royals were ready to leave.

"Safe journey, my friends." Nightshade smiled. "And thank you for everything."

"It was our pleasure." Celestia declared.

"Aside from the all the peril, it was an engaging few days." Luna grinned.

"Thanks to you, my husband is free of the demon in his mind." Red Rose told Cadance. "We owe you a debt that can never be repaid."

"We were happy to help." Cadance smiled.

"Who knows?" Shining grinned. "Maybe one day, you'll return the favor."

"Without a doubt." Nightshade nodded. "If any of you ever need any help, all you have to do is ask."

"All in all, this was quite the experience." Twilight remarked.

"Definitely the wildest trip our family's ever made..." Flash admitted.

"I trust you'll come back some day?" Nightshade asked hopefully.

"Sure." Sleight chuckled. "What are friends for?"

"Perhaps next time, we can attend an actual summit." Chrysalis said sardonically.

"It would be better than a pitched battle to the death, that's for sure." Blueblood agreed.

"And less exhausting." Dusty joked.

"Even with all the rotten stuff Black Thorn pulled, this was a pretty awesome trip." Constell smiled. "New friends, lots of action... and I thought things here would be boring..."

"I could have lived with boring..." Shine declared.

"Here." Nightshade gave Echo the Gemini spell page. "You take this. I doubt I'll have much use for it."

"As you wish, your highness." Echo took the page.

"It was... an experience." Sunset declared.

"Good luck to you both in all your future endeavors." Nightshade told them, glancing at Sunset's stomach. "And I do mean all of them."

"Are you sure you and your son will be alright?" Echo asked, "You two are both newly awakened Nightcrawlers. It may take some time for you to adjust..."

"We'll be fine." Nightshade smiled. "And besides, you have other Nightcrawlers to focus on. Such as those in your... Project Synchro, I believe you call it?"

"That's the one." Sunset nodded. "It's still in the early stages, but it's really coming along."

"I'm sure you will do great things with it, Professor Alchemy." Nightshade declared.

"Thank you, Prince Nightshade." Echo smiled. "Oh, and one more thing? You may want to keep an eye on a stallion named Brody Bronze who resides here."

"Oh?" Nightshade asked. "Why is that?"

"He's kind of a troublemaker." Sunset frowned. "Not in the same league as Black Thorn, but he's been known to make a mess or two. No harm in being cautious, right?"

"Duly noted." Nightshade nodded.

Starlight and Day Light shared one last kiss before Starlight boarded her family's carriage.

"See you soon, Star." Day Light beamed.

"Not soon enough." Starlight sighed.

As the carriages took off into the sky, Starlight's eyes remained locked on Day Light, gazing down at him until he vanished from sight.

"I know that look." Flash grinned at his daughter. "I told you the next colt could be 'the one', didn't I?"

"Yeah..." Starlight gushed.

"We're just glad you're happy again, Starlight." Twilight added.

"Oh, I am so happy..." Starlight chuckled. "And I'm so glad I decided to come here."

"So are we." Flash declared. "Because when you're happy, we're happy."

"I love you guys." Starlight grinned.

"We love you too, dear." Twilight smiled, as she and Flash hugged her.

The carriages flew off into the horizon, bound for home.

Some time later, back at the Crystal Empire, Echo walked into the prison block, as he approached Sterling's cell. Sterling was growing a small beard and his mane a little ragged. However, Sterling only gave a small smile upon seeing him.

"Echo." He said pleasantly. "This is a surprise... truly. How long has it been, seven months?"

"Indeed." Echo nodded curtly. "But I am not here to make idle chat. But you knew that, didn't you?"

"If you are here to try to get me to talk again, I still stand by what I said before." Sterling said, face drooping.

"Oh I know... but I thought I should let you know that I ran into 'Dark Thorn' in Haygypt." Echo announced.

"What?" Sterling's face lit up in shock.

"Ah, so he isn't as mysterious as you claim him to be." He sneered. "Turns out, he's a friend of yours."

"Is Sunset okay?! What about the foal?!" Sterling asked, genuinely concerned.

"They're fine." Echo glared. "Wish I could say the same for Black Thorn..."

"What happened?" Sterling inquired.

"Well, put simply, I used the Gemini spell, along with a lot of Alicorn magic and a little Changeling magic, to separate Black Thorn from Prince Nightshade." Echo recalled. "Of course, then Black Thorn went rogue, taking over Haygypt. After quite the harrowing battle, Nightshade managed to kill Black Thorn, putting an end to his evil ways."

"You used the Gemini spell?" Starling gaped. "On him?"

"Indeed I did." Echo nodded. "Unfortunately, Black Thorn sabotaged our work, using it to steal large amounts of the Alicorns and Changeling's magic. He actually managed to have us on the run for a time, before we were able to mount a counter-offensive. And even then, it was a close call."

"What were you thinking, Echo?!" Sterling yelled. "Black Thorn was a madman! You could have gotten yourself and Sunset killed!"

"What do you care?" Echo snorted. "You tried to kill me like he did!"

"Oh, here we go..." Sterling rolled his eyes. "I am not even going to bother trying to explain myself to you again!"

"Good, because Black Thorn enlightened me on several matters." Echo retorted. "I know that he is... or was... a part of your little group, and that he had been previously considered for your little plan."

"Ah. I am guessing he was still not happy that somepony like you was picked over him?" Sterling asked.

"Yes. Don't you keep in touch with your 'friends'?" Echo replied.

"The ponies I worked with and for are ponies I don't consider friends." Sterling said bluntly. "They're colleagues at best. Black Thorn was just a gnat."

"Yet I wonder... why did you pick me?" Echo mused. "Black Thorn seemed to think that he was a better candidate."

"Well, that was his opinion." Sterling sneered dismissively.

"Were you aware that he was an umbrum?" Echo asked. "You chose me, over an embodiment of dark magic... forgive me I find it hard to believe that you would pass up on a clearly stronger candidate for some nopony like me."

"But you aren't just 'nopony'." Sterling shook his head. "There were many factors I took into consideration when picking my Nightcrawler. Sure, Black Thorn exhibited exemplary control and finesse of dark magic, even more so than Synchro did... but he was heavily flawed. Not taking into account that he was still bound to Nightshade, which was a flight risk all on it's own, he had psychological issues that would surely pass down to the foal, and was carrier to many others. You had none of that, and still carried a good amount of power in comparison."

"So... it was just a matter of genetic makeup... I see..." Echo nodded.

"It goes beyond that, Echo." Sterling declared. "When I first heard about you from Silas, and I pulled up your records... I felt sorry for you."

"Sorry?" Echo frowned.

"Yes." Sterling nodded solemnly. "I mean, you were all alone in the world. The one pony no one would ever care if he died or not. You may see me as a heartless stallion, but I felt that you needed somepony who gave a damn about you, even before you met Sunset."

"So you're saying I should thank you?" Echo said skeptically. "'Cause you seem to stop giving it when you decided to off me."

"I told you over and over... I had my orders, and I couldn't disobey... but don't you dare say that I ever stop caring." Sterling gazed deeply at Echo. "Because believe it or not... you are still my friend, and if I had it my way, I would have let you live."

Echo fell silent, visibly caught off guard by his statement... but recovered quickly, as he maintain a cold glance.

"Sterling... I need names... tell me who it is that you and Black were working for." He urged. "If our friendship means anything to you, tell us, and we can help you."

"Really? Using our friendship as a bargaining chip?" Sterling frowned. "You don't seem to get that these ponies are not ponies you want to be messing with. You thought Black Thorn was bad? The others are worse. They make ponies like me and Silas over there-" He pointed to the cell across, where Silas was snoozing. "-look like foals in comparison."

"I don't care! Sterling..." Echo's glare turned into a frown. "I... I want to believe that there's a shred of you that is good. I really do... but how can you be okay with not telling us about ponies that are threats to Equestria? For each plot they carry out is a plot that you could be stopping before it even begins! You were a Royal Guard once! Isn't it your duty to protect the innocent?"

"I am protecting the innocent!" Sterling shot back. "You not knowing who I work for is the only thing keeping them away from you or Sunset. And possibly the rest of Equestria if we're lucky!"

"And you think that will stop ponies like Black Thorn?!" Echo growled. "Sterling, please, I beg of you-"

"No, Echo! I beg of you, stop trying to go after these guys!" Sterling interrupted, his demeanor bordering on hysteria. "If you care about Sunset and the foal, you will stop playing with fire here! If you keep digging, they will come after you, and they destroy you, but not before they destroy everything you care about, right in front of you! I don't want that to happen, so please, just stop!"

The two stood in silence, face to face through bars... before Echo sighed.

"I guess that's all there is to it." He turned away. "This is far from over, Sterling. I will find out who it is you're working for. And when I do, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure they won't harm everypony I care about..." He glanced back at Sterling with a somber face. "And just so you know, I still include you among their numbers. By not helping me, you cemented your position as a traitor to Equestria, and to your friends."

"...Echo..." Sterling pleaded.

"I'm done here." Echo said as he walked away.

After Echo left the room, Sterling let out a sigh. He wiped his eyes, noticing a bit of tear in them.

"Dammit..." He looked up at the ceiling. "I cannot begin to fathom how bad things are... You don't mess with ponies like that. Like... The Forefathers."

Elsewhere, the sound of somber piano music echoed through a giant circular room, with thrones all around, a group of hooded figures sat around a table. Some of the chairs are left unfilled, with six out of the dozen occupied. Atop the table was a radio talking of the incident in Cairode.

"...Though nopony knows just who this 'Black Thorn' stallion was, or why he bore such a resemblance to Prince Nightshade, the citizens of Cairode are just happy that their beloved Prince, along with a band of fellow royals, were able to free them from the tyrant's rule. Turning now to sports-"

The radio was suddenly destroyed by a lightning strike.

"Well, that didn't turn out as well as we would had hoped." The first of the hooded figures (having the same scratchy voice as Black Thorn's Unicorn contact) growled, his horn still sparking with electricity.

"Damn it, and here I thought having an umbrum playing on our side would had made things easier." The voice of the masked Earth Pony who accompanied the Unicorn to Haygypt emitted from under the hood of the second member.

"Let's be honest, sir, Sterling said so himself that Black Thorn was a flawed Nightcrawler." The first member crossed his hooves. "Umbrum or no umbrum, he knew that Black's hubris and his inability to take things seriously would get him killed in an instant."

"No kidding." The third (and broadest) of the hooded ponies, a hulking Earth Pony, agreed. "And yet again, Sterling was right to say Black's plan would fail, as he was with Silas's plan."

"No kidding." The fourth member, a Pegasus, laid lazily on his chair. "He has a knack for this kind of thing."

"But of course." The second member nodded. "Father didn't pick him just for laughs. He has a brilliant mind, make no mistake."

"Then why is he still rotting in prison?" Asked the fifth member, a hooded Unicorn sat by the larger Earth Pony, in an upper-class voice. "It has been seven months."

"Father had specific orders. Sterling still requires time to recover from his 'project'." The first member declared.

"You mean the one that failed miserably." The sixth hooded figure spoke up in a mocking tone.

The others turned to face him, seeing him lounging in his chair sideways.

"You bite your tongue." The second member said harshly. "Sterling's project was considered concluded. He did succeed in Echo and Sunset's creation of the foal, after all."

"...But he did not account for Synchro passing his magic to Echo and him fighting back." The fourth member pointed out.

"I never did trust that boy." The third member admitted. "He had more issues than a tax office in July.

"Yet you are all shrugging it off like it was some sort of papercut." The sixth member sneered, in a haughty voice. "Honestly, what is so great about Sterling that any of you fools hold him in such high regards?"

"You little-" The third member growled.

"Calm yourself, brother." The fifth member urged.

"You best watch your mouth." The first member scolded the sixth member. "Don't forget that we could easily get another to take your throne."

"Yeah, as if you have another 'Sterling' in your wings, waiting to take my place." The sixth member snorted contemptuously.

"...He does have a point." The fourth member admitted. "None of the other members we've gathered have shown any real promise."

"What about Silas?" The fifth member asked. "He may be in prison with Sterling, but surely-"

"No thanks." The second member shook his head. "Silas needs to stay in there so he learns to not do the same evil plot a third time.

"...What about-" The fifth member started to suggest.

"Don't even think about mentioning Brody." The third member admonished him. "The one thing about Sterling that I don't like is that little twerp."

"What about that guy we found a couple years back in the hospital?" The fourth member asked.

"I'm afraid 'he' requires more time to recuperate. He's still comatose." The second member replied.

"You see?!" The sixth member sat up. "As of now, I'm irreplaceable! So deal with it!"

"Only in your self-centered mind, you spoiled brat!" The fifth member snorted.

"Like you have anything better to offer." The sixth member spat, glaring at him, then the third member. "You and that musclebound clod."

"Watch your mouth." The third member growled. "Or you'll see what this 'musclebound clod' has to offer, alright."

"You should do it either way." The fourth member snorted. "Somepony needs to shut that idiot up."

"Stay out of this, you feathered fool!" The sixth member yelled.

"Make me!" The fourth member taunted.

"Enough of this childishness!" The second member growled.

"Butt out, squeaky!" The sixth member snarled.

The first member suddenly fired a lightning bolt into the air.

"Let's get back on topic here!" He yelled. "It is obvious that we were foolish to believe that Black Thorn could uphold his project. So 'Project: Dark Thorn' is a bust." He glanced around. "So, how is everypony else's projects progressing..." He glanced at the third and fifth members. "You two?"

"Not so well." The fifth member admitted. "We are still in the alpha stage. It will be a couple more months before we can act on it."

"A little slow if you ask me." The third member growled.

"You can't rush things." The fifth member declared. "If we don't want this to go down like it did with Project: Infestation, we have to play it safe."

"What about you?" The first member turned to the second and fourth members. "I heard you guys have been working on something in the labs."

"That we have... but we are still working out the bugs." The second member frowned. "That will take even longer."

"Okay..." The first member begrudgingly turned to the sixth. "How about you?"

"Glad you asked." The sixth member pulled out a map. "It just so happens that me and my subjects are making major headway in finding what we are looking for. It will only be a little while before we have what we need to finally rule this world."

"Such a bold statement from a weasel such as yourself." The third member sneered.

"Care to share with us what in particular is this thing you been looking for?" The first member asked.

"In due time, gentlecolts." The sixth member declared. "But in the meantime, I might as well give you the name of my project..."

"...'Project: Transcendence'..."

The End?

Comments

[danick]

I'M feeling that Daring Do wil featured next story

[Magical Shield]

OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOH-OH- LOOOVVVVEEEEDDDDD IIIIITTTTTTT :trollestia...... ....... Nice.

[Artist]

9480233
You're welcome

[PhantomShade]

The Forefathers are like The Akatsuki or The Organization XIII?