Everlasting loneliness

Ivy hated it. The touch of her wet sheets, the burning feeling in her eyes… And it didn’t even help a single bit. Her mother and her sister were still going to go. They were going to confront the dark pony, and they would die whether they had victory or not. Her mother would not come back. How could she ever go down in a few moments and say goodbye? She did not want her mother to go; she didn’t want any of this to happen. But her choice, her opinion did not even matter. Her mother and Stelline had already decided.

But it wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair at all. They could not simply decide to go out there and die. They might all be saved, but how could they possibly live on when Regina had died saving them? “Mom… Don’t die… Please, don’t die…” cried Ivy, burying her face in her pillow. Her room was so dark now; everything that once felt safe had become invisible. She wasn’t even safe here. She… no, her family, her friends, they had lost so much already. Why would anyone do this to them? What had they ever done to the black pony to make him act like this?

Ivy almost fell off her bed when a scream reached her from the hallway. Had they already come? Had they decided to kill them once and for all? She got on her feet and ran out of her room. But no one got killed out there. Aline stood in the corridor, her hair sticking to her face by tears and sweat, her face pale, her body lean and shaking.

“My child… Where is she, where is my daughter… Where is my child!” She screamed.

Ivy instinctly took a few steps backwards. Aline… had she gone mad? Ivy had not even known that she had regained consciousness.
“Oh, Aline, Aline, please, return to bed. You are too weak to be up yet.” Tsuyo said calmly. She had just appeared out of Aline’s room.
“Where is my child!”
“Your child is… no longer with us, Aline. But you need your rest. We do not want to lose you too.” Tsuyo covered Aline’s ill body with a light blue blanket, but Aline shook it off.

“I do not want to be without my child! If I cannot be with her, I do not want to be here at all! And where is Junai! He promised he would be here with me, he promised…”
Ivy did not know where they came from, but Aline was drowning in her own tears. She knew… She was not going mad. Aline knew what had happened, but she couldn’t bear the truth. Not like this, not alone…

“Aline… We tried everything… to save your baby, to save Junai. But there was nothing we could do. My cousin Marana… She has died already as well. Those ponies out there are ruthless. But at least I was able to… save you.” Ivy tried to explain.
“Save me? You did not save me, Ivy. You only made me suffer longer.”
Aline walked back into the room. Tsuyo shook her head as if to say, don’t worry, she does not know what she is saying, before she followed the sick girl. But Ivy knew better. She had seen it, the truth in Aline’s eyes… She had never wanted to be saved. She had lost everything important to her in just one night, and it had not even ended yet…

The mystery of the everlasting night… Even though she had created it herself, she would never totally understand. And even that reminded her of things she was unable to remember. The everlasting sleep that would take everyone one day was surrounding her now, hovering through the clouds as if waiting for the right moment to strike. And it was penetrating everything now. The Queen’s Crown… The darkness had taken it. He was pleased.

Rain let her hoofs touch the ground carefully. She did not want anything to disturb this loud silence. Câlin was staring at her, unsure whether she should follow her or not. Rain motioned the girl to follow her. She took her sack out of its hiding place and she took out Illuvia’s crown. Then she had to return to her Master, to set their plan in motion. It was all very clear, now. If everything went well, He would rule this country, and soon the rest of the earth and the heavens. His revenge had begun. But the closer they got to completing their mission, the heavier Rain’s heart became.

Doubt was always present in her mind now. She felt it, she could almost even touch it if she tried hard enough, but she did not know what it was that she was doubting. She picked up her back and quickly trotted back to her Master and the other, who were waiting for her. The girl softly followed her without even making a single sound.

“Here is the crown, Master.”
She bowed as she took the crown out of the bag. Even Illuvia’s crown was poisoned with the darkness now. It made Him smile.
“Very good. You,” He pointed at the other, “come over here.”
The other approached their Master and bowed as well. He put Illuvia’s crown on her head, and it immediately began to shine with a dark light, a polluted light, a light no one should ever see, but once you’ve seen it you will not forget.

But dark as it was, it was still shining brightly. Rain could not explain it; it was as if so much dark had concentrated in the crown that it could no longer contain it and it was spreading it over the valley. It made the other smile, too. Rain only felt sad. She had created this darkness, but it was no longer up to her to maintain it. She was perfectly sure that the other had taken over control completely, now.

“Good… very good indeed.”
Their Master smiled when he saw the effect the crown had on the other. Rain was feeling it now, too. The powers of the other, that she usually let out freely because she had nothing to fear anyway, were now being concentrated in the crown. But it wasn’t a good thing, because now those powers were only getting more effective. And there was no one, no one in this world able to resist them.

“Now then… let’s remove that laughable force field from the castle. It is time.” Rain’s glance turned towards the castle and with only a small amount of effort, the other lifted the force field. It popped like a soap bubble when it hits the ground. It didn’t even make any noise.
“Good… Now then, let’s go.” He said, and he began to walk towards the castle, flapping his black wings. He was eager to finish his plan.

Rain wasn’t so sure she was too. She could feel it, the pulse of fear beating inside the castle, flowing out. She followed the other and her master on their way to the castle, but her hoofs felt like they had turned into stones. Her entire body was resisting. This wasn’t right, this just wasn’t right at all. But there was nothing she could do about it now, and even though this wasn’t right… She still did not know what was.

“What happened? Why did you remove it?” Ivy screamed as she rushed into the throne room, where she saw her mother and her older sister staring out of the window.
“I did not remove it, Ivy. They did. It simply… disbanded, and there was nothing I could do about it. They are coming.” Stelline answered.
“Coming…” Had it begun, then?

“What do we do now?” Ivy asked, panic rising in her heart.
“We go out. We will not sit here and wait. We will face them.” Answered her mother.
“But we don’t stand a chance!” yelled Ivy.
“Even so, we will face them. I want to know who is doing this to us, and why. Even if we won’t survive. Will you come, Ivy, or will you stay behind?”  
Ivy had already faced them once. She did not want to, but she would face them again. She would not just sit and wait to be slaughtered.
“I will come.”

“Good. Then let’s go. Fleur and Tsuyo stay behind to take care of Aline and the children.” Regina announced. Ivy could see the doubt inside Stelline’s eyes when her children were mentioned. But the only way to protect them now… was to go out and face whatever lay ahead of them.

Regina handed each of them a dark cloak and when they were all dressed they trotted out into the cold darkness. When they opened the castle gates Ivy could already see them in the distance. A dark radiance, a dark glow that was still shining… and when they got closer she could feel it, too. A strange cold penetrated her body right to her bones. She could not help but shiver while she walked over the dying plain towards the strange light, which was getting closer to them as well.

She could see them now, not only the light, but the shapes of the ponies, too. Three of them... And Câlin, following behind. The large black pony was walking in the frond, but surprisingly the glow did not come from him, but from the yellow one following him. She was wearing something… a strange black crown on her head.
“Illuvia’s crown.” Her mother whispered.
Illuvia’s crown… the one that Illuvia had created while she had held Regina hostage. The crown made out of the pearl of light and the crown of the heir. Her mother had said it was almost equal to the Queen’s Crown in strength.

“Who are you, and what is your business here!” Regina stated when they were twenty meters away from them. The ponies stopped, and so did Regina. But they did not reply. The black pony only spread its wings, and they were even larger than Ivy remembered them.
“Do you not remember me, Regina?” He asked, his voice shaking the very earth they were standing on. “Do you not even remember them?”

“I do not remember you nor do I remember your helpers. I want you to return my niece and I want you to leave my country immediately.” Ivy’s mother stated firmly, her powers supporting each word.
“Oh, but your niece… I am afraid she does not want to return to you. She chose to be with me, for I am her father. Is that not right, Câlin?”
Ivy glanced at the little girl in the back, and her mother and sister did the same. She softly nodded, confirming his words.

So it was true… Câlin had left them on her own free will. Ivy’s thoughts returned to Twinkle Star. What would she say, what would she think? Twinkle Star had grown to love Câlin… and she had left, joining the ponies responsible for so much death already. And Câlin… she had murdered Junai herself.

“Oh, but what is this? Is this not princess Ivy?” He pronounced her name as if it was something disgusting. Ivy’s heart was beating fast, and she took a few steps backwards.
“Last time I saw her… she still had a small spark of the powers of your family, Regina. What has happened, where has it gone? Have you truly stolen your own daughter’s powers?”
He didn’t know? Had the blue pony acted on her own, without warning the one that was in charge, and she had not even told him?

“You do not even remember your own foul deeds?” Regina snapped.
“It was your own companion that sealed my daughter’s powers forever!”
The black pony turned around and stared at the blue pony that was standing close to Câlin.
“You…” His voice hissed. But he soon recovered, realizing this was not the time to quarrel among themselves.

“Now, Regina…” He said softly, approaching them.
“The time has come. The things I have told you thirty years ago… The time is finally here. I will break open the skies, and I will have my revenge, just as I have sworn you. The rule of the last Guardian… You should be grateful that you have given birth to the cause of its beginning.”