The Starlight Broadcast

by ponyfhtagn

Pt.1 - Chapter 30

The sky was red by her command. She stood watching the falling sun until that final moment when the balance shifted and day gave over to night. This was her art and her purpose, and it saddened her daily that she could not leave it at that. Instead she would shoulder the burden of night, also, and the heartache that came with it. As the moon rose in the distance it bore with it that mocking likeness and critical stare; always the same. A face she knew from so long ago, eternally masked but a darkness she could never understand, even after nearly one thousand years.

“Oh Luna,” the princess whispered to the sky. “I still don’t know why…”

Celestia looked back over her shoulder; ears pricked to the sound of a gentle hoofstep.

“S-sorry,” Cadence spoke softly from the open doorway.

“In a moment,” Celestia said, turning back to the sky. “I want to get these stars just right.”

Cadence stepped cautiously out onto the balcony to stand with her. “It looks lovely,” she said, watching unnumbered tinny silver candle flames glitter into life.

“You should have seen it before,” Celestia said. “It was…” She was silent as she finished up, turning her full attention to the pink alicorn now. “How is Shining Armor?”

Cadence shook her head and looked away. “He’ll recover. Burns can heal. It’s his heart that I worry for.”

Celestia turned her back on the moon and stepped inside. “His own sister…”

Cadence followed beside her, pausing to shut the doors. “The guards are still investigating what could have happened. It seems Twilight wasn’t alone after all. Some kind of… creature, they say. It helped her escape.”

“This creature…” Celestia said, now walking with purpose. “It seems nopony can tell me what it was.”

“I didn’t see it myself,” Cadence admitted. “But I’ve heard the descriptions. It had fangs and glowing blue eyes, and little insect wings.”

“Yes, I’ve heard,” Celestia said. “It eerily fits the description of something I have heard tales of from a far off land. A creature called a ‘changeling.’ But I had thought these creatures operated in swarms.”

“Maybe there was more than one,” Cadence supposed. “It was all very confusing.”

“Maybe. But it still strikes me as unusual. These fires it seemed to have started…”

“Can it do that? This ‘changeling’ thing?”

“Not that I’m aware,” Celestia said. “Though they are reported to use magic that gives off a bright green flash. And the fires were green in colour.”

“Or maybe it had some kind of potion,” Cadence reasoned. “Like the one Twilight somehow obtained. It must have given it to her. She can’t have made it herself. Shining Armor claims that this changeling was the one who made Twilight do what she did. Or at least that’s what she told him…”

“You don’t agree?”

“Well…” Cadence said. “I’m not sure Twilight is as innocent as he believes. Even if she was or wasn’t coerced at first. Because after what she saw in the dragon lab and what she must have perceived from that egg…” Cadence exhaled. “Celestia. I saw her eyes when she accused me. She knew that something terrible had gone on there and the Twilight I know wouldn’t be able to let that go.”

Celestia closed her eyes and spoke at a whisper. “Curse you, Thornhoof. Will I never be rid of the consequence of your monstrosities?”

Cadence drew a sharp breath. “It was my fault. I let my emotions get the better of me and I lost control of the shield around the palace. Twilight escaped because of me.”

Celestia opened her eyes and shook her head. “No, Cadence. You mustn’t blame yourself. I can not expect you to deny your heart anymore than I can deny the sunrise each morning. Shining Armor was in pain and your heart cried out. I expect nothing less.”

Cadence nodded slowly.

Celestia opened a door and stepped though into the tower of stairs on the other side. Cadence followed, closing the door, and they began their descent to the levels below.

“Still,” Cadence said. “This is about more than just Twilight. It’s about the reason for the shield in the first place. I failed to uphold it and if he were to escape—”

“He won’t,” Celestia said firmly.

“But he has already proven he can send those flying things past the shield,” Cadence said. “If he can do that, then—”

“He will not escape,” Celestia insisted as they reached the lowest floor. “And you will not fail.”

“But what if I do?” Cadence whispered. “What if my feelings make me weak and I can’t protect Equestria from… from…”

Celestia put a gentle hoof on Cadence’s shoulder. “Your feelings don’t make you weak. They make you strong. I know you will do whatever it takes to protect the ones you love. That is what makes you powerful. And that is what creatures such as he can never understand.”

Cadence nodded.

“I must ask you to wait here,” Celestia said. “I know you long to be with Shining Armor again but—”

“It’s fine,” Cadence said. “I’ll wait.” Then she added, “be careful.”

“I always am,” Celestia said.

The sun princess brought her magic to bear against the door at the bottom of the tower. It looked like any other door but only opened to a strong and complex magical command that was known only to trusted few.

On the other side of the door was a long hallway. Two guards stood near the entrance, dressed in the red armour of the Dungeon Guard.

“Princess,” they said and bowed.

“Bring the cart,” Celestia addressed them.

The two guards collected the wagon of scrap metal that was waiting outside near where Cadence stood.

Celestia walked on by, letting the guards follow and close the door behind her. The hall was empty and plain—it’s only function was to create distance between the rest of the palace and the prison cell that waited at the other end. Celestia reached the solid metal door, all decorated with magic symbols and ancient script and sealed with a special lock that only she could open by way of inserting her horn and casting a very specific spell.

“Leave me,” she ordered the guards.

They set the cart against the wall and trotted obediently back to their post.

Then Celestia opened the door and steeled herself for what was on the other side.

A lofty chuckle escaped the room and mocked her with its freedom. “Celestia…” the creature said, floating there in the middle of the room. “I was wondering when you would be dropping by again.”

“Hello Discord,” Celestia said.

The draconequus tilted his horse-like head back as his body twisted and left him floating upside-down while he addressed her. He stretched his forelegs—a lion’s paw and a bird-like talon—and lazily flapped his mismatched little wings.

“What have you brought for me today?” Discord enquired, tapping his digits together. “Is it that green jelly I asked for? I could use some green jelly right about now. Just the very perfect thing to loosen my tongue.”

“No,” Celestia said firmly.

Discord pouted. “Well that’s a shame. I feel a sudden sore throat coming on.” He coughed dramatically and rotated slowly until his back was to the door.

The prison itself was an empty white room shaped like a hexagon. Five of the walls were solid, the sixth being the now open doorway, covered by a shield of magical energy. The ceiling was set at average height and was also solid white. But the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling were covered in red-painted symbols of runes and powerful magical script, so that the room almost seemed to hum with power and glow with unsourced white light.

“I underestimated you,” Celestia went on.

“Well that’s to be expected,” Discord said. He coughed again. “Ohhh, my poor voice. Perhaps if you could just bring me a little glass of water—”

“No,” Celestia said again. “No more games. I thought I could control you but I was wrong. You asked for cake but you didn’t eat it. You asked for apple cider but you didn’t drink you. I even brought you a box of party string, thinking that all these things were harmless. And because I needed you to talk.”

“And talk I did,” Discord snickered, slowly turning back to face her. “It seems like the system works, if you ask me. And I have so much juicy intel left to share. For the right price…”

“The price is too high,” Celestia said. “I turned my back on you and somehow you managed to turn cake and cider into fly monsters that escaped to terrorise Canterlot libraries.”

“Did I?” Discord gasped. “Even while trapped in this finger-painting you call a prison? My… how very clever of me.” He leaned forward in the air and propped himself up on his elbows. “I’ll bet you’re just itching to know how I did it.”

“I know how you did it,” Celestia said. “If you had asked for a pen or crayon or even lipstick I would have seen it coming. But instead you asked for party sting, and at the end of such a ridiculous list that I foolishly thought nothing of it.”

“Yesss… How foolish indeed,” Discord sneered.

“And you used it to paint counter symbols on the walls,” Celestia said. “Weakening the protections of this cell and giving you just enough power to craft those monstrosities out of the cakes and cider.”

“Gosh, is that what happened?” Discord chuckled. “I was only trying to add a few more colours to this mess you call magic. A little blue here, a little pink over there. You should have seen it. I even wrote you a poem, but those guards cleaned it off before you could read it. Shall I recite it to you now?”

Celestia ignored him. “What I don’t yet know is how those monsters escaped into Canterlot or why they targeted the libraries.”

Discord smiled like a cat with a mouse. “What a shame I’m not feeling talkative right now.” He stretched again and rolled over. “Oh, precious Princess, what would you do without me? It’s quite a sorry state you’ve gotten this kingdom into and the delicious irony is that only I can tell you which way is up and which way leads down, down, down, down…” He sighed dramatically. “But I suppose if you want to go it alone, so be it.

“I’ll just be here. Lonely. And bored. All because you can’t handle a simple little joke. Honestly, I think ponies were probably delighted by my cake-things. It must be so dull up there without me. I’m sure there must be some fun loving citizens who can enjoy a good chaos party better than you can, Princess.”

“Actually, I’m quite certain there are,” Celestia said. “I believe they’re called the Order of Discord.”

The draconequus’s face fell for a moment. He sat up straight and smiled again. “The who? I’ve never heard of them. I’ve been encased in stone for the last nine hundred and something plus years. What could I possibly have to do with the beautifully ironically named… ohh… who did you say they were again?”

“The Order of Discord,” Celestia repeated. “I know they exist. I’ve known for quite a while. I realised long ago that even though you may be sealed in stone it would not be enough to keep Equestria free from the touch of your corruption. It was this cult of yours that helped the cake-monsters to escape, wasn’t it?”

“My colt, did you say?” Discord forced a frown. “That’s odd. I don’t remember having a son.”

“Discord…” Celestia almost growled.

Discord put his paw over his mouth. “I’m not saying anything. We had an arrangement and if you’re going to be cheap then I won’t say a peep.”

“Why the libraries, Discord?”

“Cheep, cheep,” was all he said, flapping his little wings.

“I will find the answer sooner or later,” she warned.

“Maybe,” he said. “But you must still have so many questions. About the big explosion? You remember that, right? That huge mysterious disaster who’s shadow looms like fallout across your kingdom, slowly turning your subjects against you as you struggle to provide them with answers?” Discord put a claw to his chest. “Or do you somehow think I was responsible for that as well?”

Celestia’s horn lit with sunlight as she drew the cart of scrap metal closer to her.

“Oooo, what’s that you’ve got?” Discord asked, leaning forward on his elbows again. “Is it for me? I don’t remember ordering a large pile of sharp things.” He lowered his eyebrows and grinned. “Just think of all the naughty things I could do.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about,” Celestia said.

Her magic lifted a sizable piece of metal from the cart. The metal began to glow with heat and slowly bend. It became molten putty in a matter of moments. Celestia held it in the air as she started in on another piece and another.

“What are you doing?” Discord asked, leaning his cheek against his paw and twirling a taloned claw through his beard. “Have you come to guild my cage?”

“Something like that,” Celestia said.

The material reformed to her will as she laid out the large metal circle on the floor of Discord’s cell. Her magic scribed on the circle with enchanted script—each letter glowing with power until the circle was complete.

Discord gave a shudder as the last letter was in place.

“What was that?” he complained, straightening up. “What are you doing now? Celestia, really. You’re being childish.”

“I can’t risk what else you may do while my back is turned,” she said, moulding more scrap metal into more shapes. “Do not think I have overlooked the possibility that members of your cult may have already infiltrated the palace guard. How else could I explain what happened with those cakes.”

“Well,” Discord shrugged. “Who can really explain the mysteries of cake?”

The scrap metal became twisted characters and symbols which Celestia set against the walls all around the room.

“This setup is not ideal,” she went on. “And I fully expect you to take advantage of every fault, every flaw, wherever you may find them. But it was the best I could do on such short notice. I would have preferred to imprison you in stone again—”

“Ah, but you can’t,” Discord teased, reaching for an easy nerve. “Because even I can sense that the Elements of Harmony are not quite themselves right now. Not since you wielded them against your own beloved sister.”

To her credit, Celestia didn’t flinch. Thought she did collapse the symbol she was working on in favour of starting over.

“And without the Elements I shall never be stone again,” Discord bemoaned. Then he grinned. “And without that wonderful explosion I would never have been released so soon…”

Celestia finished the last symbol and set it into place. The room seemed to hum a little louder now and Discord gave another shiver.

“Well I can’t say I approve much of this new arts-and-crafts project,” he said. “Why don’t you draw something happy like a sunrise? Aren’t sunrises you whole thing? I’m sensing a lot of negativity here,” he went on. “It’s all self evident. In the angles and colours.” He swept a paw around the room as if he were a tour guide at the Canterlot Art Gallery.

Celestia gathered up the last of the scrap and got to work making a second metal ring.

“Don’t you want to know how to cure those poor pegasi?” Discord said.

Celestia slowed her work and glanced silently at him.

“Yes, I did hear about that,” he said, rolling lazily over again. “Tragic, really. Those poor creatures. No longer free to use their full powers. I can’t even begin to imagine how that feels,” he growled bitterly. “Don’t you want to save them, Celestia?”

“Are you going to tell me something I can use?”

“Mmmmmaybe,” Discord said. “In exchange for—”

“No,” Celestia said, getting back to work on the ring. “No more gifts. No more bribes. You cannot be trusted.”

“But I’m starving.”

“You don’t need to eat,” Celestia reminded him. “You don’t need anything.”

“I need love, Celestia. It’s so lonely down here. I only want to invite a few friends over. I’m sure then I’d be much more willing to schmooze about what I know.” He chuckled.

Celestia finished the shape of the ring and set it into place on the ceiling of the room, directly above the first ring. She spent a bit a time making sure it was properly aligned.

“Come on, Princess. Where would you be without me?” Discord said, trying to sound wounded. He huffed and folded his arms. “Very well. No more gifts, then. If you’re so distrusting and cheap. Pfft. But maybe you could do something else for me.”

“I’m sure you’re going to make a suggestion,” Celestia said, setting the ring firmly into place at last.

Discord leaned forward. “Words. Words are free. Words can wound, to be sure, but words can heal.”

Celestia glanced at him again. “What do you want me to say?”

Discord lowered his eyebrows. “I want you to say, Discord is best draconequus. He’s the most amazing of all the beings in Equestria and the whole world beyond. He’s so smart. Not like me, Celestia, in my big dumb horseshoes. I wish I had an attractive little beard just like Discord’s. He’s my bestest friend.”

Celestia stared at him.

Discord set his expression to smug.

“If I say that to you then you’ll talk?”

“To me?” Discord said. “No, no, no, Princess. I want you to go out into the streets and say it to your subjects. Hold a press conference! Wear a silly hat…”

“Why?” Celestia asked at last.

Discord barked out a laugh. “Celestia, Princess, if you haven’t figured me out by now I don’t know how you ever deluded yourself that you could keep the upper hoof in these negotiations. Do you really want to know why I sent those cake-things to attack your libraries? The answer should be obvious! But you just don’t think like me, do you? Celestia, imagine how your subject might feel knowing that you ordered such outrageous things to be brought to the palace in the dead of night. How they must worry at your sanity.”

Celestia frowned and began printing symbols onto the ceiling ring.

“The princess who locks herself away with a cart-load of apple cider just as her ponies need her the most.” Discord laughed. “I do not attack with spells and monsters, Celestia. Imprison me here as tightly as you can but you can’t shut down my real power. Words. Ideas. Suggestion. The subtlest hint of something odd.” He laughed again, and the sound rang freely down the open hall behind her. “You can’t stop me, Celestia. Because you don’t know what I want. And because you don’t have any choice but to try and find out.” Discord smirked and folded his arms. “Now get me a cookie and maybe we’ll talk.”

“No, Discord,” Celestia said. “We won’t.”

She finished the last character on the ceiling ring and a new magical energy pulsed to life within the room. Discord gave a violent shudder and fell out of the air, landing flat upon the floor. He pushed himself up on his elbows and knees, looking around in alarm.

“What’s this?” he exclaimed. “Celestia, what are you doing to me?”

“Making sure no more of your ideas escape this room,” she said, taking hold of the solid cell door with her magic.

“Celestia, wait, let’s talk about this,” Discord said, standing up and pressing against the invisible cylinder that surrounded him now. “Couldn’t I at least have something to read—”

The door swung shut with a satisfying boom. Celestia locked it again, watching the symbols blaze to life across its surface as the prison was complete once more. There was only silence in the hall now. Celestia took hold of the empty cart and brought it back to the dungeon guards at the exit.

“Take this away,” Celestia said to them. “No more deals. Let him rot.”

“Yes, Princess,” the guards said, following her out of that mad corridor.

Cadence was still waiting on the other side. Celestia locked up and waited until the guards had dismantled the cart and were magically transporting its component parts back up the stairs before she spoke up—though first she lit her horn and surrounded herself and Cadence in a sound-proof bubble.

“What is it?” Cadence asked.

Celestia put a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “You’re the only one I can afford to trust. I wish it were not so, but it is. I cannot deny that anypony outside this spell of silence could be compromised in some way, be it willingly or in ignorance.”

“You mean the Order of Discord,” Cadence said.

Celestia nodded, taking her hoof back. “I did not give orders to take those supplied from him and discard them so carelessly in the garbage. I would have inspected those cakes first if I had wanted it so. I would have destroyed them, atom by atom, rather than cast them away. And yet it was done without my knowledge. And it could only have been a guard, or anypony able to give orders to a guard.”

Cadence hesitates. “It… I mean, you have to consider. It could have been me.”

Celestia shook her head. “No, Cadence. You would not do this to the Equestria you love so much. I have seen into your heart, when you took on the power of an alicorn. I know you, Cadence. I trust you.”

Cadence nodded. “And I will always trust you. You have given me a home here. I met my Shining Armor and…” Cadence trailed off to a whisper. “My friend Twilight.”

“Have the guards found trace of her yet?”

“No…” Cadence admitted. “Nothing.” She winced.

Celestia frowned, despite herself. “She must be found soon. The spell I cast on her to block her full magical abilities—”

“She’ll be alright,” Cadence assured her. “She still has enough power to get by. Fragile shields and levitating. We made sure of that.”

“No,” Celestia went on. “It’s not that.” She sighed. “A spell such as that was never meant to be used on one so young. I fear if it is not removed then it may block more than we intended. It may prevent her cutiemark from manifesting. And who can know what that could do to a pony?”

Cadence’s eyes went wide. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.” She bit her lip. “Were we right to interfere?”

“If we had not then she would have run off long ago,” Celestia said.

Cadence nodded. “I hope we find her soon. You should know I’ve doubled the guard around Project Draco, in case she tries to go back there.”

Celestia breathed a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of that name settling around her shoulders once more. “Thornhoof’s lab. If I had only known when he first started there what he would do… What he would become. Of all my mistakes it is certainly one of my most terrible.” She looked casually up the tower to it’s high, high ceiling. “Though not, of course, my greatest.” She looked back to Cadence. “That is why I must make sure that Discord cannot escape.”

“Are you sure we can’t seal him away in Tartarus?” Cadence said.

Celestia shook her head. “The only reason I was able to cage him at all is because I realised what was happening before he did. The mysterious Starburst that swept this nation—how it shattered even magically protected windows. I know only that it originated from some void at its centre, that drank the magic out of any non-living thing its radiance touched, until it collapsed into itself at the end.”

Cadence nodded. “Drained the magic. Including Discord’s statue.”

“There was more magic in that statue than in the windows and street lamps,” Celestia said. “That gave me time to realise what was happening and therefore what was going to happen to him. I got him down here just in time before he broke free. But we have no chance of moving him again.”

“I understand,” Cadence said. “But are you really going to just leave him there, now? He has the power to sense magical disturbances and shifts in the balance of power. He must know what caused the Starburst. He must know how to heal the broken magic of the pegasi who were caught at ground zero. Maybe he ever knows how to heal Twilight.”

“Cadence,” Celestia said. “I cannot negotiate with Discord any further. He may be trapped and powerless as I have him but he was right—his true power is not in his magic. In just these past weeks alone he has already managed to manipulate me enough to allow him to release monsters into the streets. And he has compromised my standing with the public. It is too dangerous. I need to understand him better before I attempt to deal with him again.”

“How can we do that?”

Celestia nodded. “By finding and arresting ponies from the Order of Discord. They will be comparatively easy for me to talk to, and they will have useful information. If only we can find them first.”

“I’ll keep a look out,” Cadence said.

Celestia thought for a moment. “One more thing… Discord said he released those monsters just to tarnish my image. But I’m not so sure. Discord doesn’t do things by half, and he doesn’t let a good opportunity go to waste. Their behaviour was too organised. I believe he ordered them to attack Canterlot libraries for a reason. Perhaps to destroy all books. But suppose he was looking for a certain special book, or series of books.”

Cadence stared. “You think there’s a book out there he doesn’t want us to read? Maybe something that can hurt him?”

“Maybe,” Celestia said.

“Then we should find it as soon as possible and protect it,” Cadence said.

Celestia shook her head. “It could be instead that there is a book out there that he wants. And if we find it and bring it to the palace he knows his spies will soon bring it to him.”

Cadence let slip a nervous breath. “I hadn’t thought about it like that.” She sighed. “You’re right. He manipulates these situations too easily.”

“It’s alright,” Celestia assured her. “We should look for the book, however. But subtly. Secretively. I noticed his monsters did not attack private libraries, as belonging to wizards and alchemists. Yet surely these libraries would hold the most powerful and obscure volumes.”

Cadence nodded. “He didn’t want to damage those books. Or even draw attention to them. So he is searching for something. Something rare.”

“I think so,” Celestia said. “But we must be careful how we proceed. And maybe, if we play our pieces right, we can set a trap for his spies.”

“Agreed,” Cadence said. “Now… if you’ll let me…”

“Of course,” Celestia said, lowering the silence spell and dismissing it. “Go to Shining Armor. He needs you now more than ever.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Cadence said.

“Take care of him,” Celestia said. “The worst betrayal is the betrayal of family.”

Cadence set hoof upon the stairs, but turned back for a moment. “The night looks lovely, Celestia. She would be proud of you.”

“I can always hope,” Celestia said sadly. “And dream…”

Comments

[HB_DS2013]

Something tells me that the Starburst Event here is the equivalent of the nukes of the Fallout series.

[DizzyWaddleDoo]

Love the story so far. I'll be eagerly waiting part 2.
(Take whatever time you need with it though, not trying to rush you.)

[ponyfhtagn]

In case anyone is wondering what's going on with this story right now, refer to this blog post, thanks.

[ponyfhtagn]

8411003
(So maybe it's a bit weird to reply now, considering this is like a year late, but I've only recently come back and I wanted to address this anyway.)
A valid concern, regarding the canon. My idea is to make these small cosmetic changes when applicable as long as they don't derail the plot of this story. Things such as editing a few aesthetic details of the changeling hive, or editing my guess at what type of rock Boulder is, don't really change the story itself. These changes make me feel better, for some reason, and I think they stop the story from feeling too dated / like it's aged badly. (As always I'll make sure to document any edits in the author's notes of each chapter.)
If the show throws out a new piece of information that I can't accommodate then obviously this story will have to carry on anyway and be canon-divergent, at least on that particular point of contention. (Assuming I do manage to get back to this story at all. Which I'd like to, but I know better than to make promises.) And if I ever do seem like I'm jumping through hoops to incorporate new canon from the show, then know that it's probably because I want to for my own reasons. Though feel free to call me out on it if this behavior starts to negatively affect your enjoyment of the story.