Embrace of Light and Dark

by Knight of Crows

Chapter 72.

Abaddon POV

(Canterlot Castle, Royal Archives)

What are the odds that there's even a "forbidden" section? I mean, it would only make sense to not destroy knowledge you don't want people learning, even knowledge that should be more available to everyone. Starswirl's mirror, Discord (who is now common knowledge), the "Pony of Shadows", the Crystal Empire and Sombra, Grogar, and Tirek. I have no interest in their books of forbidden magic, details regarding wars from long ago, I do know what I'm going to do next.

I wonder if Shining is interested in a friendly game of chess?

---

Equinox POV

There's white everywhere, wherever here is. I remember talking with Ruby, I had another severe headache, and that's it.

"Let's fix this real quick." A female voice said from out of nowhere. The white void changed to a room similar to what the Princess's looked like, a white mare with a red mane appearing just as quickly.

"Is this a dream?" I asked her.

"Not exactly, you could say I pulled your consciousness into my plane of existence." She answered.

"Why am I here?"

"A few reasons, one being to heal you."

"Heal me? I don't understand."

"Well, more like point you in the right direction after giving you the starting point."

"I still don't follow." She's really not making sense.

"Forgive me, I forgot to reintroduce myself! I am the Goddess of Light, Faust, you wouldn't remember me though."

"And what does a Goddess want with me?" A small ball of light appeared above her hand.

"This will accelerate your healing p-"

"Do you mean my amnesia and headaches?" I interrupted her.

"Sort of. To summarize, your heart isn't whole right now, this will act as a 'place holder' until then." She explained.

"I don't understand how my heart is working if it's incomplete, nor do I understand how it has anything to do with memory." She giggled in response.

"I don't mean the organ, I mean what would make up your personality and memories! Though it would be less your personality in this case and more like emotions. Think of it as one of Fluttershy's lizards amputating it's tail and getting a fake one in place of it until it regrows." She clarified.

"The last pony to promise me emotions tried to kill me and invade Equestria, only to be betrayed by her partner. Why should I trust you?" I asked her.

"I understand your distrust, so I won't force anything on you. It is your choice, this is only to speed up the process a little." She explained. I approached her and took the ball of light into my hand.

"I'm only doing this because you're the closest thing I have to a link to my past." I pulled it close and it flew into my chest.

"I know we didn't part on good terms last time, but I hope this will change that!" She smiled before everything turned white again.

---

Shining Armor POV

(Captain's office)

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it with my eyes closed. Since the wedding, work has become more stressful, enough so that I'm taking a few minutes to myself every so often. I'm not slacking, but 5 minutes of me not being around to hear ponies demanding reforms in response to our performance during the invasion or lower ranked guards complaining about the lack of action won't kill anypony.

"Greetings, Captain." A deep voice startled me. It was Abaddon in my chair.

"I-" He quickly placed his hand over my mouth.

"I wouldn't try calling for help if I were you. If I really wanted to hurt anyone, I would've done so already. All that will accomplish is so much meaningless death and destruction that the guard won't be able to do it's job anymore." He interrupted before removing his hand.

"What do you want?!" I demanded an answer from him.

"I simply want to chat and play a game. Is that too much to ask?" He gestured to the chess board on my desk.

"Screw you!"

"Pity. I guess I'll be going to see your wife then."

"My wife??!!" My hand went straight for my sword.

"I didn't get to see that parasite turn into one thanks to that kid. I'm quite curious to see what kind of Heartless the Princess of Love would produce when overcome with Hatred."

"You leave her out of this???!!!" My sword was to his neck.

"But how to do it?-"

"Is he ignoring me?"

"I suppose I could go for the tried and true method and make her watch as I kill or turn everyone she loves and have them slaughter everything in si-" He stopped as he caught my sword and broke it in his hand when I tried to cut off his head. "Now I have your undivided attention. If you want to protect them from such a terrible fate, all you have to do here is play.." He moved in front of my desk and turned the board so the black pieces were on his side.

"You'll leave them alone regardless of the result?"

"I'm a man of my word."

---

Equinox POV

(Fluttershy's cottage)

I woke up late into the evening, my head was pounding. I didn't get out of the bed because I don't think I'd keep my balance if I tried. After several minutes, the pain subsided and let me think. I met Ruby, we were attacked, I lost consciousness, then the dream I had after was so vivid I can't forget it. I heard voices downstairs as I went into the bathroom to wash my face. Fluttershy, Ruby, and I think Redheart.

"Prior injuries aside, he's physically fine. This isn't the first time this happened?" I heard Redheart ask them.

"The first time was after I brought him home, but I was outside with Twilight at that time." Fluttershy answered.

"The headaches are frequent though, right?"

"Yes, I didn't bring this up with a doctor though because I thought he was struggling to remember something."

"This is something that should've been brought to our attention sooner, we can't know for certain if it's just his mind or if it's his brain without getting him in."

"I'm sorry." Fluttershy apologized.

"It should be fine, just bring him tomorrow. You should come along too, Ms. Rose."

"What for?" Ruby asked.

"We had almost no time to study the first human to arrive, but you two give an opportunity to learn about humans for medical purposes as well as to better provide treatment. One such being to store compatible blood packs should the need arise." Redheart explained.

"Oh! I didn't think about that."

"If that will be all, I'll see you all tomorrow. If I meet your team, I'll be sure to point them here." I heard the door close, Redheart probably left.

---

Abaddon POV

It would seem even the captain lacks a strategic mind. I do hope he performs better on duty or removing him might actually be a favor to the country. The fucking Filolial Queen had a better plan to deal with the Waves than he does against me right now.

"Do you remember what I said at the wedding? You should've been somewhat lucid by then?" I asked him.

"That 'nothing dies like hope'." He answered.

"Do you know what I meant by that?"

"I don't care."

"When Love dies, it is often replaced by an even stronger Anguish or Hatred." I began to explain. "When Courage dies, it is replaced by Fear. But nothing dies quite like Hope. Without it, there is no future, only the acceptance to what we call Fate, there is only Despair. The loss of Hope leads to submission or death."

"Say what you will, we're not backing down against you or the Darkness."

"How can you be certain? Either you will fall, or you will face another who represents everything you strive not to be. You need only read your history."

"Equestria has-"

"Nightmare Moon was Luna's Darkness manifesting itself in a way. The Lunar Sister fell and became a living Nightmare to Celestia, a symbol of her regret and failure, both as a sister and a ruler."

"That's in the p-"

"Chrysalis, though power hungry, was still a mother trying to feed her children. Cadence spreads Love, the only thing Changelings can survive on, with minimal effort. Lust is simply in a Changeling's nature, and you all nearly lost to that parasite."

"You're the one who killed her!"

"And you wouldn't have done the same? Kidnapped your wife, left her for dead, invaded your home, crashed your wedding, that's plenty right there. Just as Nightmare Moon could be considered a manifestation of the Sisters' Darkness, so too could Chrysalis be considered a manifestation of everything that could go wrong with Love. Now what about something that possesses just as much Hate as she does Love?"

"Are you going to play or not?!" He asked in an annoyed tone.

I moved my rook into a positiion that blocks his king from moving forward. He responded with a pawn that was lost to my queen. He can't move his king foward in any direction without losing it, so he uses his rook on my queen. I used my knight to take out his rook and open my bishop for usage should he move his king left. His only option is to go right, but that will put him in Check. Actually, I was wrong, this is Checkmate wth the way the board is set up right now.

"The expected result-" I didn't notice his bishop was in position to take my king after I moved my knight. Ha! I take back what I said earlier! "Alright then."

"Now leave." He demanded.

"Just remember, this was only a game where both sides have a fair chance at winning." I burned all but the black king and placed it on his desk. "The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Against the Darkness, there is no Hope, only the inevitable. If you truly believe you can win, protect your Light at all cost, even if you must embrace the Darkness to ensure what you hold dear never dies. This next trial will not be so forgiving with failure." I opened the SR. "Oh, keep this to yourself." I left the room before he could say anything.

Now I have business in the North.

Comments

[taelonso]

Short but a little informative of what is coming next

[zachary12]

nice work.

[DarkKing2]

10812553

[taelonso]

hope to see new chapter soon and finish up this arc

[DarkKing2]

10812553

[Knight of Crows]

10956856
Uuuummmm...