The Elohim's Lament

by MangaBro

Chapter 4 - Fate Grows Near

Even with Shining Armor's spell now casted, Cadence still struggled to walk, or even fly. Upon entering the hall, she stumbled onto the carpet, coughing profusely, blood dripping out of her mouth. The guards around the castle were quick to approach her and ask about her well-being, just as quick as Shining Armor wrapped his hooves around the sick and weak Alicorn.

“Cadence!” Shining Armor called, his eyes filled with concern. Cadence tried to speak, but her constant coughing would not allow her. The guards exchanged glances of concern with each other, whispers of terrible possibilities of the queen floating among them, causing the fur of Shining Armor’’s coat to shoot up in fear.

“Take her to the Maison Dieu immediately!” Shining Armor commanded.

“Yes sir!”

“Wait!” Cadence softly pressed her hoof against Shining Armor’s cheek, his eyes softening ever so slightly in response. “No, you mustn't! Take me to the Crypt, the heartstone is in danger!” She pleaded.

Despite her plea, Shining Armor closed his eyes and shook his head left and right, opening his eyes with a defiant glare. “No, you need to rest first! You’re coughing up blood, that’s never happened before! This is far too dangerous to be left unchecked-”

“My life isn’t of importance now!” Cadence shouted back, her voice shrilling through the hall, the blood from her mouth dripping onto the carpet. And with that, the whole castle went silent for a moment.

Shining Armor felt his heart sink. His wife had always been willing to put herself before others, and yet, hearing those words come out of her mouth was so jarring. Cadence painfully pulled herself towards Shining Armor’s face, her eyes heavy with dark circles underneath them.

“Listen, I am the only one whose magic can stabilize the heartstone. You need to take me there now!”

Heartstone?! Shining Armor thought. “The heartstone?! What?! What’s wrong with the heartstone?!” Shining Armor called out, but to his avail, the only response he got out of Cadence was a loud and painful moan before her head fell back, and her eyes closed. Shining Armor called out to her numerous times in desperation, but it was to no avail. The young queen had fallen unconscious.

Shining Armor whipped his back to the guards with furious eyes, “Take her to the Maison Dieu!” he commanded, his voice shrilling through the hall. The guards snapped out of their state of shock and immediately put her on a stretcher, and to the elegant crystal healing place located outside the castle walls: Maison Dieu.

It was muffled and nearly impossible to hear through the loud ringing in her ears, but Cadence could hear the shouting of both her husband and the guards. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying except maybe a few words as she was more focused on the throbbing pain that ravaged her head. Due to squinting so hard at the pain, attempting to open her eyes was difficult for her, and her body was too exhausted to move even after the tremendous amount of rest she had gotten.

A few minutes passed, and the ringing in her eyes began to fade, and her vision began to come back.

Luna’s moon shone bright through the window, and onto the eyes of Cadence’s causing her to squint even more. It’s still night time. She thought. How long have I been unconscious?

“What do you mean ‘there’s nothing you can do’?” Shining Armor shouted furiously, “I bring you to my castle and you offer me nothing?! You have been an appointed mage for both Celestia and Luna, aren’t you still in contact with them?!”

“Why yes, young knight.” Responded Stardust Amber, the silver-coated stallion with emerald eyes and long, spiky black hair with stripes of dark green running through it. “However, I’m afraid even the Alicorns will not be able to help her in her current condition.”

“And why not?!” Shining Armor shouted, the tone of his voice raising tremendously. “They’re a part of the same race, how would they not know?!”

Stardust Amber hung his head low and sighed deeply, “Look, even after millions of years, we still do not know much about Alicorn's work. We only know that they are insanely powerful magic-wise, and can live for thousands of years. We know less about their predecessors, the Omnicorns.”

The unicorn then raised his head back up, and gave Shining Armor a glare of uncertainty, “However, what we do know is that the previous users of this spell have suffered a similar fate…”

Shining Armor’s eyes dilated with worry, “And what happened to them?” he asked, his voice quivering…”

Another deep sigh escaped the mage's mouth, and his expression turned dark, “They all died.” He said, the tone of his voice heavier this time.

The room suddenly fell silent. The mage lowered his head back down, while Shining Armor looked back at his wife, whose eyes were now wide open, but with the same dark lines drawn under them. He went over to the soft, white mattress in the middle of the room where she laid, and stood over her, their eyes meeting. Shining Armor placed his hoof against her cheek, and smiled.

“What’s wrong with me, dear?” Cadence spoke in groans.

“Nothing…” Shining Armor said, hopeful that the ‘nothing’ he spoke of was truly the case, “It’ll all be fine.”

Cadence was about to speak, when five bloody coughs suddenly erupted from her mouth.

“Dear!” Shining Armor looked on in concern.

“I’m… fine…” Cadence assured, blood streaming down the right side of her mouth and onto the mattress.

Stardust Amber placed his magical grip softly onto one of the napkins in the box that sat on the Crystal counter next to the bed, and walked over to the bed to wipe off some of the blood on Cadence’s face.

“I casted a healing spell over you upon bringing you here. It works faster on ponies and slower on Alicorns, but I'm sure it will kick in just a few minutes. I’ve provided you with some medicine, which should slow the pain a bit.” he said, “So, how do you feel right now?”

“I feel better, but only a little bit,” Cadence replied, “I still feel light-headed, and my throat still feels sore… other than that, i think I’m fine…”

“I see,” Said Stardust Amber, nodding, “Well then, I must be on my way now. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Stardust Amber then began making his way towards the door, and stopped when Shining Armor held his hoof and hollered, “Hey! Where are you going?!”

The unicorn turned around with a deep sigh, “I’ve done all that I can for now,” he replied, “The medicine and the healing spells should hold whatever sickness she has at bay. I do not know for sure whether she will be alright or not, but this is the least I could do. Besides, I have a meeting with the Magic Council in Canterlot in just a few hours, so I must not be late. I wish you two the best of luck.”

Stardust then left the room, and the moment he did, Shining Armor let out a sigh of anger. Once again, in this very room, he felt powerless. He hated this feeling with a burning passion, and yet, it seemed like it was the only emotion he could feel at the moment.

He turned over his sick wife, who was now sitting up and staring aimlessly out the window.

“I’m… sorry, Cadence.” He said.

“For what are you sorry for?” Asked Cadence, turning to Shining Armor

Shining Armor sighed deeply, “I… I don’t know… It’s out of my control anyway..”

Cadence’s eyes softened as Shining Armor walked over and sat on the Crystal stool next to her bed. Upon sitting down, Shining Armor couldn’t stop tears from rolling down his cheeks. He had been repressing them for as long as he possibly could after hearing the same news over and over again from multiple Unicorns, but he could no longer hold it in anymore.

As he sobbed uncontrollably, Cadence hung her head low to where her mane covered her eyes.

“I get it,” Cadence sighed, “So, the curse the fates bestowed upon me has finally begun to take its course…”

“And here I am, once again, not being able to do a damn thing about it,” Complained Shining Armor, gritting his teeth in anger, “It's just… Why now of all times? Just when the Equestrian Games are about to begin? Just when Twilight is about to become the next heir to the throne…”

Cadence’s eyes glimmered with sadness as she laid back down in her bed, and stared at the ceiling. “It's the fates, my dear husband,” she answered, her voice soft and cold, “Lachesis is nearly at the end of my thread, and now it's only a matter of time before Atropos finally cuts it… Oh, the life of an Alicorn has never been so short…”

“Stop that, please,” Shining Armor spoke through gritted teeth, “You won't die… no… not here, not now.”

Cadence sighed once again. Her husband's sheer refusal to accept the truth made her pity him more than anything. “You heard what that mage said, each Alicorn before me with disease died… there's no stopping it now, whether you like it or not…”

“QUIET!” Shining Armor whipped his head to his as swiftly as a lightning bolt. The sudden raise in his voice caused Cadence to gasp, and meet his rage-filled eyes. “I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU DIE! I'LL GO TO THE DIVINE LANDS, STORM INSIDE THE DIVINE TEMPLE, AND COMMENCE A BINDING SPELL LIKE YOU DID TO FLURRY HEART THREE YEARS AGO!”

Upon hearing that, Cadence jolted up out of her covers, her eyes now gleaming with rage that matched the intensity of Shining Armors. “NO, YOU WILL NOT DO SUCH A THING!” She shouted with defiance, “DO YOU REALLY WANT A REPEAT OF TEN YEARS AGO?!”

Three Years Ago - The Crystal Empire

Flashback

It was the worst day of both Cadence’s and Shining Armor’s life. Clotho had spun the thread of life and gifted them their first child, Flurry Heart. However, her two other sisters were planning to cut the thread short.

Flurry Heart’s bloody and almost lifeless body laid on the floor as tears streamed down her face. She had been born, yes, but she was barely breathing, and the mages of Equestria knew that there was nothing they could do to save her. No matter how much Cadence pleaded, that was all they told her, and though her husband was distraught at the thought of their child not being able to experience the journey that is life, he too knew that there was nothing they could do, and he hated it.

To Be Continued!

Author's Note:

"Nah, I'd win"

Comments

[Mystic Sunrise]

Twilight, the adopted daughter of Queen Cadence, is chosen by her to inherit both the Crystal Throne and her Alicorn powers. However, she is very reluctant to do so.

One fateful night, she meets a stallion in black, who proposes her an offer, one that would change the tides of history, possibly forever.

Fixed the description, since there were a few issues. Not a good start.

This is obviously another remake of my previous story, and yes, I will finish it this time

0% on finishing any story. So forgive me if I call serious horseapples and don't believe you. Even if the story idea does sound cool.

[MangaBro]

11794621
Dang it, sorry about that
Appreciate the feedback, nonetheless.
I can understand why you don't believe me on finishing this story, I have a strange habit of that, but this idea feels a bit different to me, so I'll just go along with it.

[Mystic Sunrise]

11794628
If this gets further than your other stories, I'll have more faith.