Shadows of Canterlot
by Prane
Epilogue

The night was getting deeper and the sky was blackening when the scarred stallion joined a green pegasus mare on the balcony overlooking Canterlot. She was standing there alone and just gazed upon the city, smiling every time she saw a light fading away from the windows below. The stallion slowed down halfway, uncertain whether he chose the right time to interrupt. He took a deep breath, approached the mare and kneeled beside her.

‘We retrieved the gem, but Celestia is still alive.’, he said, then lifted his head. ‘Your plan has failed, mistress.’

‘Au contraire, my dear.’, the mare replied in a calm voice, showing the stallion to stand up. ‘Everything went just as I have expected.’

‘But, the princess…’

‘Killing an alicorn never solves the problem.’, she interrupted. ‘Besides, we are not barbaric, are we?’

The stallion went away a few steps and pondered. He watched the mare spreading and folding her wings to exercise them, then looking beyond the ivory balustrade. He turned around as he realized the truth.

‘You expected my acolyte to fail?’, the scarred stallion walked back towards the mare. ‘You were only interested in the gem, weren’t you!?’, he said, raising his voice. ‘You should have told me…’

‘I told you everything you had to know, Zaeer!’, she shouted angrily, immediately silencing the stallion.

He grimaced with confusion and disbelief.

‘Cheer up.’, the mare added after a while, pointing her hoof at the place beside her, to which the stallion trotted. ‘We have achieved a major victory tonight. Merci a vous…’, she said turning her head back.

A dark grey unicorn emerged from the shadows of Canterlot and stood by her side.

‘…my loyal Moonwarden.’

The mare burst into a terrible laughter, shattering the serenity of the night.

Which was no longer peaceful.

Author's Notes:

THE STORY CONTINUES
IN PART TWO OF THE CONCLAVE TRILOGY
ARCANE EQUILIBRIUM

Thanks for reading!