Midnight Sun

by FluxFeather

Chapter Eleven - Eclipse

Author's Note:

We're now on the 3rd segment of this story. As usual... Enjoy. :)

It was a dark and stormy night in Canterlot and Enmity, a colt was on his way home from a long day of work. The young teenage colt walked through the streets of Canterlot with the rain while it was really pouring down. While he was walking down the cold, wet path leading to his home, he was tackled by some pony, or Pegasus since it was gone so fast. "Who's there?" The colt asked, in a shaky tone which indicated fear. He got up and started running as far as his hooves would take him, which was not very far until he was tackled again. The loud screeching was ringing in his ears, they were almost petrifying. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Whatever it was swooped past him again at lighting speed, but not before biting him. "AHHHHHH!!" he fell to the ground, writhing in pain. His agonizing screams weren't heard by anyone though. He lied there helpless. In the wet, cold, dark streets of Canterlot without a single soul near.

"I'm so glad that it's Rainius who's gonna be ruling over all of Equestria instead of me… it gives me a sense of relief." Said Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship who was originally going to be the new Queen, until Rainius had shown up in their lives.

"Indeed… and maybe I'll be his Queen!" Starlight said. "... Someday." She wasn't sure how Twilight would react if she were to hear that the two were planning on getting married.

"Hmm… maybe." Twilight replied. "After everything that I had taught you, you would make for great ruler. And you're a pretty powerful unicorn, who would be even more powerful as an Alicorn. You would be able to defend Equestria without breaking a sweat."

Starlight blushed at her comment. "Thanks, Twilight. For everything." She thanked her.

"Of course." She replied. "Hey, maybe you should see Sunburst. I hear he's going through a tough time and he could use a friend. I remember when that was you. He was there."

No matter how much Starlight wanted to object to that statement, she knew Twilight was right. Sunburst had been there in her time of need when Rainius had left her. "Fine. I will." She agreed. "Better?"

"Yes," Twilight said with a smile.

"Sunburst? Sunburst?!" Starlight called, knocking on his door, waiting for him to answer. "Sunburst?!" She continued banging on his door, awaiting an answer.

The door creaked as it opened just a crack. Sunburst peeked out at Starlight. "What is it you want? Here to torture me some more?" He asked a little irritated.

"What's going on with you?" She demanded to know. "Is it the coronation? Is that what's bothering you?!" She used her magic to open his door further to get a better look at him.

"It's not that." He answered. "It's just I always thought that Twilight should be the one to be bestowed the honor of ruling over all of Equestria, not him. He was just a random pony who just showed up in Ponyville at just the right time. Seem like a coincidence… I think not."

"He's the son of Princess Luna. He's been next in line for the throne a lot longer than Twilight has." Starlight stated. "I came to let you know that you're invited to the coronation."

"That's nice, I guess." He responded. "But I still don't know why you're so excited about this coronation. It's not like you're the one being coronated?"

She took a deep breath before she said what she was about to say because she knew that Sunburst wouldn't like it. "Once Rainius is crowned king, he will be able to be in the position where he can change me into an Alicorn." She finally said. "And that he will. Whether you like it or not."

She could see the anger and fury in Sunburst's face as it turned red. And when he threw the book he was holding at a wall forcefully. "I can't believe it. For a second… for a second I had actually thought that you would reconsider! But apparently not!" He exclaimed.

"It's my choice." Starlight claimed. "It's none of your business and you have no right to interfere."

"It disgusts me, Starlight." He said. "I'm so much better for you. I could give you way more than what he can."

"You knew this was going to happen!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, but not tomorrow!" He said, glaring at her infuriated.

She could hear the anger in his tone. She stared at him. "I knew I shouldn't have come. It was a mistake." She said.

"Wait! Starlight, please? I'm sorry." He said, trying to get her to stay, but his efforts were proving all but worthiness of Starlight's attention.

"Goodbye Sunburst." She said, then made her way back to Ponyville.

Sunburst watched as she trotted off, it was now that he felt guilty for driving her away. "Dammit!!" He screamed, pulling a bookshelf down from the wall onto the floor.

Once Starlight got home, Rainius was waiting for her. "Do you know how worried I was about you." He said. "I was about to go up there to see if you were alright."

"Stop worrying, I'm alright. Why don't you trust me?" She asked him.

"I do trust you. It's him I don't trust." He replied. Hoping that would be a satisfying answer.

"Why? I just don't understand why you two have to keep going at each other." She asked.

"He's just a timberwolf pony looking to get something out of you." He replied. "He could've hurt you."

He's not gonna hurt me! He's never even tried to hurt me." She said, stating her point. "And how did you even know I left?"

He knew she was going to ask that at one point or another. "Twilight told me." He answered. "And so did Spike."

"Of course they did." Starlight muttered under her breath.

"And plus another reason I was worried was that there have been conspicuous killings going on and Silvertail is still out there, just waiting for the right opportunity of where you be unprotected and she will kill you." He reminded her.

"Wait. There have been killings?" She inquired. She couldn't believe that he didn't tell her this until now.

"Yes. Along with mysterious disappearances." He said. "But it takes more than one of the bat pony kind to cause all the destruction their reporting. I'm not sure who exactly is behind it, but it's not Silvertail."

"Maybe she has someone deciding for her?" Starlight questioned.

"Maybe… but I'm not exactly sure. It could be her, it could even be the Bat Syndicate. I did read Shadow's mind when we were in Hollow Shades. He wanted me to join them again because of my special gifts, he knows that the only thing keeping me from that is you and this coronation, so that could be a reason he would create an army. But I'm surprised that they even let it carry on for this long. I can't be one hundred percent sure." He retorted. "But whoever it is… they're creating an army. An army of bat ponies."

"An army of bat ponies?" Starlight asked perplexed.

"Unlike a regular pony army that would need thousands, a bat pony army only needs about twenty to thirty ponies, and no army can stand against them," Rainius explained. "I'll have to be the one to stand up to them."

"No, you'll get yourself killed." Starlight suggested him not to fight.

"If I'm going to be king, I'm going to have to prove that I can defend Equestria at all costs… no matter what." He egged on.

"You won't have to do it alone. Even powerful rulers need help from time to time." Starlight said. "Can we just please stop talking about this and start talking about your coronation tomorrow?"

"Yes." He replied, kissing her on lips lightly. "I think it's also time you head to bed. Don't want you to be falling asleep during the ceremony." Both of them shared a laugh before heading to Starlight's room.

Meanwhile, all the bat ponies that were being created were causing a ruckus in Canterlot. A young filly was one of the ponies who were chosen for the army. "Wh… what did you do to me?" The little filly asked scared. "I'm so…" She choked on her words a bit. It was hard for a filly to restrain with their thirst.

"Yeah, I know." Said Enmity. "I'll go find you somepony to drink." He observed the surroundings as bat ponies were fighting each other. "Just try not to get killed out here, Will ya?" He stood up. "I'm gonna need numbers."

Watching all the destruction and chaos from afar was Amber Night, her brother Dark Meadow, and the guard. "They've already drawn too much attention." The guard said. "But so has our inaction… others may begin to question the Bat Syndicate's effectiveness."

"Let them." Amber Night said.

The guard didn't know how to respond to that. "Maybe we should consult with Shadow." He suggested. Only to be telepathically pained by Amber. "AHH!!"

"Shadow's decisions are being watched." She replied. She finally came to a conclusion. "We must be the ones to decide."

Dark Meadow put a hoof on his sister's shoulder. "Then decide, sister. It's time." He said.

"Yes, it is." She agreed. She let go of the guard from her pain spell. Then they all looked down at all the destruction the newborn bat ponies were causing. "Either we let them do what they were created for, or we end them." She sighed. "Decisions, decisions."

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT A LOW PROFILE?!" Enmity bellowed, yelling at all of them to get their attention. Once he got their attention they all stopped what they were doing. "Something's coming… something that's bigger than any of us alone. And if you can't control yourselves, then we're all gonna die." They all stared at him. "What's done is done, just… just clean up after yourselves. And be prepared." He walked away as they all began cowering in fear, the fear of the unknown that could kill them all if they weren't even the slightest bit careful.

"This reminds me all too well of the past," Rainius said.

"What does?" Starlight asked.

"This. The bat pony army." He began. "There was a time where I had to help train newborn bat ponies for an army that was being created."

"And when was this?" Starlight was curious to know. She seemed really interested in this.

"During the Equestrian Revolution." He said. "This was at a time when I was still with Lylac. She was the one who did most of the training… I mostly stayed home looking after a child."

"You had a child with Lylac?!" Starlight asked she seemed surprised by this news. "How come I never met him or her?"

"No, not with her, although she did think of her as her own." He said. "And she is someone you have met before. You just don't know who, though." He smiled.

"So, it's a girl?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied.

"I can't believe you never told me you had a daughter!" She exclaimed.

"Once she got married things changed, especially since she had her daughter," Rainius said.

"Not only are you a father, but you're a grandfather?!" Starlight seemed really intrigued now.

"Why are you so anxious about knowing all this?" He seemed confused by her sudden curiosity in his past. "I didn't think you'd really want to know all this."

"Because. We're gonna be married soon. I just wanna know more about you before then though." She explained.

"Well, we got a coronation tomorrow, so you should get some sleep for that." He requested. She nodded her head in agreement. "I'll tell you tomorrow, how about that?"

Starlight sighed. "Fine. But you'd better tell me." She demanded before she headed to sleep.

Rainius chuckled. "I will… I will." He cuddled up next to her and kissed her forehead. Kissing her goodnight.