The Powers That Be

by Cold Cuts the batpony

Restless Night

Luna walked the familiar halls of the castle, deep in restless thought. A grim foreboding had settled over the otherwise tranquil night, and try as she might, she could find nothing the matter. It was the calm before a storm, of this she was sure, but what storm? A flash of imperceptible movement caught her eye, breaking her train of thought.

"Who goes there?" She inquired sternly, not in the mood for pranks played by either the guards or her sister. "Come forth immediately." The shadows seemed to darken, drinking in the silver light of the moon.

"Luuunnaaa..." a hollow voice whispered in the darkness, sending a chill down the princess' spine, "Come with meee...." a shadow in the darkness fled down the hall.

"Stop!" Luna cried, her voice strangely muffled by the heavy blackness. She began to run in pursuit after the shapeless form, keeping it barely in sight.

"Over here..." the ethereal voice taunted, waiting in front of a door. As Luna neared, it melted into a pool and slid under the door, leaving crystals of ice on the aged wood. Luna stood panting where it had once been and looked up, this was the door to her chambers.

Slowly, she opened the portal into her room and crossed the threshold. Though a large fire burned in the hearth, it shed little light, and less warmth, she could see her breath, misting before her face in small puffs.

"Come out creature of darkness! Or I shall force you out!" She said boldly, striding to the center of the room, wings spread in defiance. Magic flared at the end of her horn, where it fizzled to no effect. The darkness closed in oppressively, and she felt it lay heavily upon her.

"Tsk tsk, Luna, I expected better from you," the deep, liquid voice seemed to emanate from every direction. The weight lifted as Luna searched futilely for its source. "Fair though you are, the power you once held is diminished, and you once possessed a more sinister beauty." Luna's head continued to swivel, seeking the speaker to no avail.

"It's a shame really, though I suppose it is to be expected, we could have ruled together once," a dark form began to move along the walls, a shadow cast from an unseen source, and Luna watched it closely.

"Reveal yourself," Luna said quietly, brow furrowed. The form stopped, seeming to look at her, vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.

"You know my name," it hissed into Luna's ear, it's breath was cold as ice. Her wings clamped to her sides, suppressing the shudder that ran through her, "Speak it."

"You are Prince Abaddon," Luna murmured in fearful recognition. She turned suddenly in an attempt to catch sight of him, but there was nothing but cold, empty space beside her.

"So you have not forgotten after all," Prince Abaddon said boldly, shadows gather before the fireplace rising up in the form of an alicorn, ice frosting out from each hoof. He was facing the hearth with his back to Luna. His coat was a pallid grey, as tall as Celestia, though broader. His mane and tail, inky black. His chest was adorned with a bone white crest, emblazoned with a black trident, the same trident was branded on his flank, and on the small circlet on his forehead. Luna's breath caught in her throat, it had been over a millennia since she had seen him last.

"What are you doing here, Abaddon?" She asked firmly in an attempt to disguise her fear, "We have done nothing to provoke you." Her eyes searched him up and down, as though his appearance would reveal the purpose of his presence.

"This is true," he said simply. Blowing gently on the fire, the flames died down, far more than they should have, "But only to a certain extent, your very existence is provocation to me, though it is a necessary evil that I have chosen to tolerate. As for your question, I am simply here to chat."

"Then what are you after, for you must be after something," Luna began to relax finding her confidence again after the initial shock. "More subjects? A larger domain? More power?" The alicorn Prince chuckled darkly in response, still gazing into the fire.

"Hardly, the dead come to me in droves by the day, my domain is endless already, and power? You should already know that my power is dependant on yours," he pauses, turning to face her at last, "and your sister's." Luna's body was racked again with chills. Abaddon's eyes were empty black pools, devoid of light, devoid of life. They were simply empty void. "Actually, it is the subject of your sister that brings me here today." He turned away from Luna again and the tension in her shoulders released.

"What about my sister?" she asked defensively, taking a step forward. Abaddon moved across the room, ice crackling as his hooves broke loose, to a window to draw the curtains back with his magic.

"Do you not find it interesting, that the sun has not yet risen?" The night sky remained in place through the viewport, though the moon was absent. Luna had lowered it without thinking. With a gasp, she dashed to the window and looked out frantically.

"What have you done!?" She rounded on Abaddon, all fear forgotten. Silver fire burned in her eyes, "Where is she?"

"I have not done a thing, except perform a favor to you, by informing you," he states implacably, entirely unperturbed by her sudden aggression.

"Informed me of what!?" Luna exclaimed, wings flaring out in irritation, "you have done nothing but speak in riddles since your arrival!"

"Ah yes," he tapped his chin pensively turning back to the window, "I knew I was forgetting something. I came to tell you, Celestia is dead."