Chapter 17: I Hope You Suffer

Cantor was caught by surprise as he felt himself being wrapped in a shroud of midnight magic. Before he could shoot a sickly grin to its source, however, he was hurled from princess Celestia into the opposite wall, hitting so hard the polished stone cracked and chipped away behind him.

Luna helped Celestia to her hooves and lead everypony out of the room with commendable pace. However, when nearing the exit, the old door slammed shut with a sharp crack of pained wood, and everyone skidded to a halt.

Before the dust could settle, princess Luna had turned to the offensive, hoping to re-kindle Cantor's spirit to fight this psychological hitch-hiker. "Well come on, then!" She cried, voice tight with terror, "What do you want from us!? There have been countless before you and there shall be countless after. I can assure you, Equestria will not kneel to this kind of oppression: not now; not ever!"

A slow applause emanated from the stone dust, and as it settled, Cantor's fiery mane burned up the few remaining particles as he stomped his hoof with affection. "Well said, princess..." Cantor mused with his foul, distorted voice, "I'd be lying if I were to say I wasn't impressed by your valiance - even in the face of certain defeat..."

"Yeah?" Rainbow Dash queried not entirely fearlessly, "That's what they all say."

Cantor bared his interlocking teeth at the hovering pegasus as he grinned with wild amusement and gave a sinister chuckle.

"Just what is it you want?" Luna eventually said, sounding oddly impatient. "If you wish to rule the world, we would be willing to comply should your ideals be in order." She looked shamefully towards her sister, who was still emitting defeatist sobs. "We are well aware that nopony in Equestria is capable of stopping Cantor from doing what he wants..." She washed over her discontent with a bitter scowl. "And a retched creature like you is well aware of that, I presume..."

Cantor reached out and gently rasped on the smaller alicorn's cheek. "Now you're getting it." He chirped with disturbed glee. "But I'm not looking for 'world domination', or anything of the like, no, no, no... that's far too cliché..." He said with a droll tone, rousing shifty glances from the onlooking mares. "Actually, princess, (and this does apply to both of you)," He added with a nod to Celestia, "I plan to march you, as well as all these other ponies," He explained, gesturing to the six other mares. "Down into the dungeon and uh... Have my way with you." He finished with a bright skip.

"You're despicable." A horrified Rarity scoured accusingly.

Cantor chuckled. "Oh- Oh! Y- you think I mean, uh... 'defile' you all?" He allowed himself an extended guffaw before he twitched his attention back to the small crowd. "Oh, please, what do you think this is; a foals's tale?" His insidious grin surfaced once more as he encroached on princess Luna. "Oh, no... That's barely the start... I want to really get under your skin, (literally...)" He added as a sick anecdote, breaking his sinister demeanour for just a moment. "I want to find your deepest, darkest fears, and violate them. I want to make you beg for death. You have no concept of elation until you have stood over a pony you have taken absolutely everything from and basked as they splutter past their toothless mouth how they can't stand being-"

He was buried in Luna's face when a curt whistle distracted him. He was torn away from his foul monologue, and as he turned with an excited grimace, he had just enough time to clock Applejack's rump as she balanced herself on her forelegs; her apple-bucking forehooves coiled beneath her.

*Smack!

The earth pony's powerful hind legs sprung out and smashed into the corrupted alicorn's face, knocking some teeth out and shattering bone with a satisfying crunch. Despite his aggressive stature, Cantor stumbled backwards in light of the shock: enough time for Applejack to shout "Run!" to Luna as the princess threw open the splintering door and bolted from the room.

The princess of the night had barely escaped when Applejack was spun around and pinned between the wall and Cantor's foreleg. "That, ooh, that was very courageous, little miss..." Cantor praised, two of his upper dagger-like teeth missing from the corner of his aggravated smile. "But it also works in my favour: see now I know who's going to be the first one to find out what their eyes taste like." His originally cheery statement became dark and deathly serious as he closed it, and the tan earth pony realised she had acted in a way she would dearly pay for should this dangerous foe prove unstoppable.

Despite her brave and sturdy nature, Applejack couldn't help but cry out a little in fear. "I'm sorry." She sobbed pleadingly.

"Ooh, no..." Cantor growled, his composure having changed for the terrifyingly worse. "That'll never work." Black magic flared around his ruined horn as well as every tooth in Applejack's mouth.

As she felt the unwelcome presence, she tried begging once more, "No, please!" She began, trying to swipe Cantor's foreleg away and kick him in the stomach.

With renewed anarchy, Cantor's grim smile returned. "I always love this part." He mused quietly as he yanked at the screaming mare't teeth. He held everypony in a magical prison and forced them to watch. Applejack's horrific cries were almost bested by the other ponies' pleads for a cease to the torture.

Cantor's black eyes grew tired as he stared at Applejack. The Umbra had overestimated Cantor in his current state: his host was perilously close to death, and he felt it necessary to conserve what little magical energy he had left.

He let Applejack go, and telekenetically forced everyone into the centre of the room. The terrorised exclamations replaced with fearful confusion, everypony stared at the monstrous alicorn with bleak expectations.

He took a long moment to let the blissful tension build before he gave a cheerful anecdote: "Actually," He began with an ill-sounding sense of reason, "It's far more fun this way: dear ol' Luna can't teleport: this'll be like an old-school game of hide and seek." With an eerie smile, he turned on his hooves and made for the door at a lopsided trot. Before he breached the corridor, however he took a moment to snare a single tooth from Applejack and tear it from her gum, provoking a stunted shriek from the orange mare. He held it up beside his sadistic grin as everypony looked on in shock. "One for the road." He chuckled, popping the white shard into his mouth before giving chase to the long gone princess.

An ominous "Ready or not, here I come!" echoed through the empty halls as the aggravated hoofsteps faded into the castle depths...

Aghast, astonished and to an extent, furious, Twilight turned, after ensuring Applejack was not too severely hurt, to face a distraught princess Celestia. "What's this all about, princess?" She demanded, keeping her anger well under control, but expressing her vexation openly.

"Yeah," An equally agitated Rainbow Dash added, her usual reverence before royalty swayed by the purple mare's tone. "What did that thing say about tryin' to kill our friend?"

"Easy, Rainbow..." Applejack called gently as she clutched her throbbing mouth.

The princess quickly corrected herself and took several calming breaths, alleviating a smidgen of her despair. "I apologise, Twilight: I didn't realise just how out of hoof this could have gotten." She spoke with a tentative sincerity, though all the while, she kept herself aware of the fact that Twilight was in a state of particular agitation. "You see, Umbras are creatures that live-"

"I know what an Umbra is." Twilight interrupted, her feelings too conflicted to care how she sounded. She noticed the princess reel slightly, but given her mental state, the unicorn failed to care about this, either. "What I want to know, is why you thought it was in any way a good idea to try and strand the stallion I love so far away, it would be impossible to see him again."

Princess Celestia wore insistent eyes. Despite her subject's rudeness, she fully understood her frustration, and tried to explain. "Twilight, you have to understand that th-"

"I'm sure you had your reasons." The adamant unicorn interjected again, having little remorse for speaking so far out of place. "But no matter how good they were, for me, they'd never be good enough."

Without the words to respond, Celestia merely hung her head, sorrowfully eyeing the ground as she waited for verbal motivation.

A tense moment passed before Twilight let out a laboured sigh as she realised her disposition. She offered a solemn apology to Celestia before asking her what to do. "I'm sorry, princess..." She spoke quietly, joining the alicorn in staring at the floor. "We should really talk about these things after we've got everything settled..."

Celestia nodded softly. "I agree." She replied with subtle insistence. "The Elements of Harmony are the only option. However, I don't doubt Cantor (or whatever evil is controlling him) would kill any one of you should he see you pose a real threat to his mission." She sighed dourly, and cast a defeatist eye over the group.

Spike sat on his haunches and rubbed his arm nervously as Twilight stepped forward. "Princess," She began on a hopeful note. The attention of the room was pinned to the purple mare. "I think I have a plan that'll work." She grinned, a slight frown of determination over her intense eyes. She faced Spike, who seemed to stand to attention when he noticed her stare. "Spike, we're gonna need your help."

Bolting through the labyrinth of corridors sprawling through the castle, princess Luna's breath broke away into whimpering exhales brimming with fear. Beads of sweat fell from her face in heavy droplets as the taunting calls from the possessed stallion grew ever louder. She came to a junction and made a stance to turn right, but as she neared, the voice of her sister ushered her to go left.

With a surprised gasp, Luna obeyed, and collided with the far wall in the new corridor. She regained her pace after stumbling past an ornamental pedestal; the precious vase perched atop shattering on the ground seconds later. Little was spared in the way of concern, however, as the pursued alicorn queried the voice that had manifested in her head. She scanned her surroundings for the white mare, but the voice returned to guide her further.

"Luna, listen to me." The disembodied Celestia spoke, "We have a plan that will work. Do as I say, and we should all live to see tomorrow." Another turn came up, and Celestia quickly ordered, "Left."

Luna threw herself down the new passage and jumped as the floor fell away into a flight of stairs. She spread her wings, but having little experience flying indoors - much less at this speed and around the tight corners the staircase presented as it wrapped around a wall, the lunar mare had almost no play in the air, and collided with the wall, spraining her wing beneath her momentum. She let out a pained cry as she fell to the floor, leaping back onto her hooves when Cantor's horrid voice echoed close by.

"Be careful, Luna!" The stallion hissed with pleasure, the words motivating the princess to escape even moreso.

She scrambled for the next set of stairs, but in her haste to make up for lost time, slipped on the first step and came crashing down the rest of the way. Petrified tears welled in Luna's eyes as she realised her blunders may have cost her all the invaluable time she had. Regardless, she stood up and took off once more, cutting down a corridor on the right as her sister hastily instructed.

Luna was aware she should never reply: she and her sister had created this rule years ago should they need to communicate in this way. Regardless, she gave a firm nod after each instruction - more for her own sake than anything else...

Eventually, princess Luna found herself barrelling along a corridor she knew was a dead end. As she gave a panicked shriek, it sickeningly occurred to her that Celestia's verbal presence was likely a cruel trick she fell for in the time of her terrorised desperation. However, as she began to slow in defeat, her sister's voice spoke up one last time.

"Luna," She called caringly: a loving flavour now more present in her tone. The night-blue princess stopped to listen, staring at the bleak wall some distance in front of her. "I need you to allow Cantor to corner you, but be patient: you will see what we are trying to do..."

Luna gave a soft final nod and tied to swallow her fear - but to no avail.

Once again, Celestia's voice spoke out. "If this plan should fail," She stated sombrely - though she failed to sound in any way frail or weak, "I would like to tell you one more time that I love you." Without dousing the atmosphere with anguished emotions, Celestia took her guiding leave. "That is all."

Luna was allowed only a moment for her sisters words to silently echo through her head before a grim chuckle spun her around. She turned to see Cantor stood at the far end of the extensive corridor, eyes glinting with sadism as he grinned a maw of sharp teeth. The night princess was overcome with fear, and despite her coursing adrenaline, she stood rooted to the floor.

A steady and constant 'whoosh' from the stallion's flaming mane bridged the silence between them. "Oh, princess Luna..." Cantor started, taking great pleasure in gradually stepping forward. When he noticed the princess was unsure as to what to do, and that she didn't hold a particularly 'terrified' air about herself, he seamlessly teleported to just a few paces in front of her: almost jumping forward in time without the cornered mare noticing.

Princess Luna reeled back and shrunk back to the solid wall.

Cantor's elation grew as he saw the terror dilate in the princess' teal eyes. "I would have imagined you knew your own castle well enough to not become trapped within its halls." The grim stallion croaked through his ravaged throat. He continued to encroach onto Luna until she backed into the wall and sunk to the floor, cowering beneath the flickering light emanating from Cantor.

The princess gingerly looked up, staring into the dominant pony's jet black eyes. "Please, Cantor," She started, seeing no change in the lifeless and hateful eyes glaring down at her. "Try and fight this: be strong."

"Oh, your friend put up a fight, princess Luna." The creature inside Cantor spoke, his grin falling to a more sincere contemplation. "Which makes it all the more of a shame that he has to die..." Cocking his head, Cantor frowned with an intrigued glance. "He was doomed from the start of all this... Tell me, how do you perceive your sister now; knowing she sent your closest friend on a mission she was certain he would not return from just to destroy me?"

Luna merely peered up helplessly, tears streaming her cheeks as she realised she may be dead or worse before this day's sun set.

Just then, as if by realising something for the first time, Cantor sucked in a breath and tilted his head the other way, adopting a renewed sense of spectacle in his deathly eyes. "Oh, but wait... Why did she deem it best to send Cantor? I mean, there were more than a hoofful of ponies far more capable than him to lead the expedition." It became clear that his succession of surprise was false when he gasped in realisation for a second time. "Oh, could it be possible that she feels threatened by our little friend? Even though he has proven himself to be good and virtuous multiple times, she wishes to eliminate an unlikely, but possible catastrophic danger?"

He noticed defiance and hatred grow in the princess' eyes, and his macabre grin returned. "And without any hesitance considering his child-bearing partner, nor his friends, nor, indeed, you." He shook his head, fire warping into the air as he did so. "You have to be a special kind of heartless to kill such a beloved individual on the premise that he could destroy the world should he want to..." The dark Cantor took a few short paces closer to Luna, lowering his head to further invade the mare's personal space. "However," He continued with an air of finality. "It seems as though her plan failed, and here we are, standing on the threshold of the new world."

Gripping Luna's horn and forcing her to look him square in the eyes, the two alicorn's noses now practically touching, Cantor spoke with a cruel torment. "And I'm gonna make you all feel such delectable fear..." He breathed heavily, wafting a powerful odour of warm blood into the princess' face. "Have you ever lived at such a time where you fear for the next minute of your existence?" He pulled Luna to her hooves and pushed her up against the wall, pinning her by the throat with his foreleg enough to choke her. "Ironically, it is in those moments where you feel most alive."

Luna did nothing to hide her fear: she was awfully close to screaming, but instead, merely whimpered frightfully as her tears streaked her cheeks. "Wh- What are you going to do to me...?" She asked with mortal terror.

Cantor's sick grin reached its peak as he moved his lips to Luna's ear, and spoke with a nefarious whisper, "Absolutely... everything."

Without warning, Cantor's body lurched forward, pinning Luna to the wall. She shrieked as the breath was knocked from her, but resided in heavy breathing when she noticed a lone purple dragon stood some distance down the hallway, smoke trailing from the corners of his mouth.

Cantor, a fresh, but by no means less rotten grimace over his face, turned slowly to view his assailant. His back was smouldering where the dragon had shot a ball of emerald fire at him: the blood-soaked hairs burning a foul smell into the air. He released Luna from his grip, who promptly fell gasping to the floor as she clutched her horn.

Before giving Cantor a chance to retaliate, Spike pointed a claw and declared as forcefully as he dared, "Cantor... You need to stop this right now." Despite sounding rather confident, his outstretched arm was trembling as he fought the urge to run away.

After a moment, Cantor dropped his tense stance and looked abut the corridor amiably. "Ogh... You know what...?" He sighed grievously, "You're right: all this violence has to stop."

Spike's accusing talon dropped slightly as a confused frown wrinkled the scales on his head. "R... really?" He replied hopefully.

Cantor appeared to ponder the proposition for a moment, but eventually began painstakingly shaking his head in disapproval. "...No." He casually said before dark magic flared around his horn and a furnace tore through the hall: incinerating paintings on the walls, melting the golden fixtures and and making the stone walls glow a dim red. Spike was engulfed by the flames as Luna watched in horror, her eyes wide as she saw the dragon's form disappear behind a wave of cascading white fire.

Several seconds of the inferno lapsed before Cantor laid off his attack, wearing an accomplished smirk until he saw the purple dragon charging at him through the burning central carpet.

"...Oh, yeah; they're fireproof." He mused to himself before being tacked full-on by the giant lizard.

Cantor was sent flying, but whilst airborne, wrapped Spike with his black magic and slammed him into the floor before crash-landing himself. Mumbling menacingly, Cantor shot to his hooves and picked up the dazed dragon with his magic, smashing him into the close wall a number of times before casting him through the window displayed at the end of the adjacent hall. The dragon soared into the air some distance before beginning the inevitable descent. And although he quickly managed to guide himself over to the cliff-face and dig his claws in, slowing himself to a painful halt, he couldn't help but cry out hysterically as he previously raced towards the ground.

Cantor growled bitterly as he watched the shards of stained glass fall piece-by piece from their former frame as Spike's perilous screams echoed through the vallies. "Tch." He huffed bitterly. "Damn reptile..." He cursed as the alicorn's ruined body became ever closer to giving up.

Looking back to Luna, it pleased him to see she had curled up in the corner of the corridor, her eyes screwed shut. He made an approach to traumatise her some more, when another hindrance called his name from behind. Grumbling, he turned to see Twilight Sparkle standing at the opposite end of the corridor. Taking comfort in the notion that ponies certainly weren't inflammable, he humoured the little purple mare.

"Hey, Twilight," He began casually, greeting her with a hauntingly friendly smile as well. "You just missed Spike's first flying lesson..." He said cruelly, noting the smashed window. "I don't think he did too well, though..." He added sombrely.

Twilight continued several more paces before stopping a fair distance from the flaming creature. "Why are you doing this?" She asked aloud, fear apparently absent in her tone.

The altered Cantor rolled his tinted eyes. "Ever heard of the phrase, 'the bad guys' gotta eat, too'?"

"So you're gonna throw the whole world into fear!?" The unicorn cried back, vexed. "You can't do that! I understand that your species gets nourishment from ponies' fear, but this is just tyrannical." She added in an offended, but somewhat understanding tone.

"Look at you with those big words." Cantor replied, sounding impressed. "The thing is, Twilight: I don't just need fear, I crave it: the more mental anguish I induce, the stronger I become." Upon this notion, Twilight dropped her ears and took a step back. Embracing this opportunity, Cantor began to encroach onto Twilight, eyes glistening with delight for her terror.

Striking himself in the chest as he gradually closed the gap between he and the unicorn, Cantor continued in his deranged voice. "This body should not be alive: if he were not a threat to me, I would surely let Cantor live... Alas, he is useless in comparison to our dear princess Luna over there..." He turned to check the midnight mare, who was following the scene wide-eyed from the corner, staring at Twilight with greatly sympathetic concern.

"With Luna's ability to browse dreams, the nightmares of everypony in the world will be my food source." He explained with vigour. Twilight sunk to her haunches and watched the monster approach with pleading eyes. "In time, I will surpass any scripture of what may be referred to as a 'god': I will be more powerful, more feared than anything else in history... And what you've gotta ask is, "who the hell's gonna stop me?"" He finished with a grin of absolute control: endless dominance. Another wave of excitement flared as he noted a whimpering response from the unicorn he was almost standing on top of.

"N- no..." Twilight shuddered, barely a whisper.

"Oh?" Cantor asked with his ever-present grimacing smile. "No one...?" He pitched, grinning wildly as ever.

Twilight spoke again, this time, her voice was strong, though still hushed. "Now." She spoke, producing a confused oggle from the possessed stallion.

"Huh?" He asked, seemingly dumbfounded. "'Now'? What, you're telling me to stop this as well?" He chuckled as he recalled the small dragon's attempt to hinder his plan. "Oh, Twilight," He resumed, "Don't you know what happened to Spike when he asked the same thing of me...?" His smile grew as the same time Twilight's scowl tightened.

As the young mare peered up into the dark abyss that made up Cantor's new eyes, she yearned for those orange spectacles to stare back, yet they didn't. Instead all she could take from those horrid lenses was hatred, sorrow, and primal fear. A part of her own terrorised psyche also stared back in the reflection they provided as she lifted her head. Slowly, she sucked in a breath, and closed her eyes as she yelled, "Now!"

Five spectral beams of light struck Cantor from all directions as the Element bearers unleashed their gems' harmonic magic over the fiendish creature. He lashed out for Twilight, snapping his jagged jaws at her as he swiped, but the intense colours caught him like a vibrant web. He gave an inequestrain roar as he struggled against his infinitely strong bonds. His fiery mane spiralled about like a burning blizzard as he bellowed out his frustration in being trapped.

Princess Celestia emerged from an adjacent hallway carrying Twilight's Element of Harmony within her magical aura. Upon sighting her, Cantor stopped struggling and dropped to a feral stance, breathing heavily as he burned his stare into Celestia with the harrowing essence of pure hatred.

Celestia eased the elaborate tiara over the unicorn's head, placing it gently above her horn. She turned to watch as another of Equestria's enemies fell to the power of the Elements.

With a flash, Cantor regained his regular (albeit dilapidated) appearance as Twilight approached. She juddered to a halt as she caught the stallion's pleading expression. "Twilight..." He wept, "It's me... What are you doi-" He was cut short as the unicorn clobbered him with a hoof, knocking his pleading disguise away and returning the snarling beast to the room.

Twilight drew herself almost nose-to-nose with the possessed Cantor and matched the level of angst staring back at her. She bared her teeth as she growled a final word, "...Get the hell out of my buck."

With that, her own Element ignited and blasted Cantor with a torrent of multi-hued light. His defeatist screams pierced the air as the magic of the Elements worked. Twilight's eyes glowed with a pure light that was rivalled, matched, and then bested by the energy consuming Cantor's body. In a short time, the blinding light filled the corridor and eventually enveloped reality, righting everything as it destroyed the long, dark shadows cast upon this dark chapter...

A usual silence befell the castle as everypony shook the immense swell of power from their heads. The singed carpet had been restored to its familiar lush crimson. It felt silky beneath Twilight's hooves as she stumbled into a wall to steady herself. The maternal unicorn found herself uncomfortably out of breath, but she sought refreshment in the cool marble as she braced against it.

Everypony else was in a blissful daze, although their faculties quickly returned, and they gathered around the alicorn crashed out at the end of the hallway. Princess Luna scooted quickly past Cantor's clean, restored form and came to stand where the young mares were massing.

Applejack drew herself up beside Twilight. "Y'all alright, there?" She tentatively asked, turning to the purple mare, but keeping her eyes trained on Cantor.

Twilight gave a confident nod. "I'm fine." She replied with a short breath. She pushed away from the wall and stared expectantly at Cantor, along with the rest of the group.

"Is..." A grounded Rainbow Dash begun hesitantly, "Is he s-still alive?" She looked to Celestia as she filled the gangway, rooting her golden-shod hooves in the middle of the hall. Celestia turned and gave a soft nod, then re-assumed her attention when Cantor began to stir.

"Uh..." The stallion weakly grumbled as he creaked his enervated eyes open to have his weary vision filled by Celestia's horseshoes. After a sickly moment, he followed the princess' legs upwards until he was looking into her eyes. He allowed the time for a depleted breath to exhale, then softly spoke, "...What happened?"

Celestia turned to Twilight for a moment, casting her a trusting glance before looking back down at Cantor. Despite her subjects' victory, she still wore a shameful demeanour. "...It seems as though my plan has not gone particularly smoothly. Regardless, I'm pleased normality, to some degree, has returned to this world."

To everyone's surprise, Twilight chose to interject. "Hold on a second." She fiercely said. "Forgive me for my brashness, but what exactly was this 'plan?'"

Celestia's response took the form of a depleted sigh, though she seemed to be willing to share. "Some time ago, a large group of miners unearthed a uniquely disturbing crystal: it seemed to possess the uncanny ability to make anypony who touched it, or stood by it for a time unreasonably aggressive - some of the miners who were described by their colleagues as being, "the nicest guy you'll ever meet", actually managed to kill much of the workforce before they were 'subdued.'"

"You mean 'put down?'" Twilight commented, raising an eyebrow. "The news didn't escape some of my more obscure sources: I heard about what you did to those ponies."

Celestia matched the unicorn's testing stare. "What else would you have me do?" She replied critically. "I'm sure your 'sources', no matter how 'obscure', could not reveal the full extent of the situation..." Her old eyes fell away and stared into a private abyss as she recalled harsh memories. "...Some of the things those ponies said... It was outright evil..." She shook her head and frowned painfully at Twilight. "Whatever was inside that stone, it needed to be disposed of: destroyed, or cast away."

"Why didn't ya jus' launch it up inta' tha' sky like ya' did those ponies?" Applejack asked, feeling a need to back up her purple friend. "Or ya' coulda' jus' re-buried it: somewhere nopony'd find it."

Celestia's hard stare softened to pity as she turned to the earth pony. "Oh, we tried, Applejack: for months, we tested all sorts of weaponry on it: prototypes for bombs using the most heinous dark magic and such - but the surface of the stone wasn't even scathed..." She re-affirmed her look upon Twilight. "But, when all hope of destroying the crystal and the evil trapped inside it was about to expire, one of my mages' apprentices cast a Devastation spell onto it: an awesome spectacle, but nevertheless, unprovoked... He would have been in a great deal of trouble had the crystal not reacted in the captivating way that it did..."

At this, Twilight's demeanour shifted. As she slumped her weight onto on side of her body, her stare changed from accusing to plainly intrigued. "What happened?" She asked with residual curiosity.

"It appeared as if the magic was absorbed: upon closer inspection, the stone seemed to emit a strange glow which grew more intense the more magical energy was poured into it." Celestia explained. Despite feeling to a great extent responsible for what had happened, the princess hid a subconscious pride in her ingenuity. "I assumed that if the stone could absorb magic, it could emit magic, as well... I didn't need to indulge a great deal of thought as to who could provide the magical energy to fund something spectacular."

Princess Celestia nodded to Cantor, a complex frown over her eyes. "During preparations, I began to hear a voice calling out to me." She shook her head slightly as the memory of the vicious tone returned to her mind. "It was terrible; evil... but at the same time, filled me not with anger, fear, nor even curiosity - but an overwhelming sense of dread: that there was something going on not even I could fathom." She looked to be in a twist of emotional pain as she explained, but it was reassuring for some odd reason, to see the princess buckle under her own mental weight: it removed her ethereal veil and established her as just another pony, with slightly extraordinary problems.

"Regardless of what was being said to me," Celestia continued, "I was completely certain whatever was lying dormant inside the Peripharous Crystal was not a friend of the people of this world: and I intended to destroy it - using any means necessary." She gazed about her crowd, her internal vexation obvious within her eyes. "Whether I was thinking clearly or not, I decided it would be best for Cantor to die along with the crystal - in a place so far away, Equestria would be at absolutely no risk from it ever again."

Following a harsh encore of murmuring from the listening ponies, this time, princess Luna was the one to propose a question. She turned to her sister, addressing the bashful (if such a word could be used in its most extreme context) alicorn, her voice somewhat withdrawn. "But... Why in the world would you wish to destroy Cantor?" She asked with hushed affront. "He, as well as his friends have helped Equestria numerous times in the past."

"Yes, but look how closely he's come to destroying it before." The solar mare retaliated. "I wish I didn't feel this way - I really do, but this one pony holds a potential far greater than you, I, or anyone on this planet could even begin to comprehend. In my eyes, he's a catastrophe waiting to happen..." She cast a lengthy glance towards the seated stallion for a long moment before looking back to her sister. "I trust Cantor with my life, but as far as power is concerned, I just can't help but feel ever so slightly threatened..."

There was a brief hush - but long enough for everypony to dwell on what had been said. Eyes were turned downward in thought, but not too much silence lapsed before Cantor made his own cue. "Uh... I don't really know what to say, princess..." He softly spoke. "All I can do is give you my word that I won't turn on Equestria."

Celestia quickly waved off the comment. "I believe you fully, Cantor." She replied. "But, you must understand that I in particular, find it very difficult to ignore the premise of, 'what if?' It would be wrong for me to label you any less than a hero; the same goes for all these young mares as well." She decreed, glancing over her shoulder to the row of Ponyville citizens standing behind. She sighed as elements of her emotional burden were lifting. "Words cannot express my remorse for sending you on a clear suicide mission..."

A sight rarely seen began to form, as princess Celestia's eyes glistened with tears. Perhaps the view was more prominent from Cantor's perspective as he stared up at her, but nevertheless, to everypony, it was clear the aged mare was frail of emotion at this particular time. "Not only have I failed in one of the hardest decisions I've had to make, but I've lost my only daughter in the process: broken so many families... Those fillies," She noted, her watery eyes now even more intense and shameful, "The two unicorn sisters: how old were they?"

Cantor's face creased with a mixture of sickness, empathy, and moreover, guilt... However, he realised that at the end of the painful, arduous day, Celestia was mostly to blame; and though he felt sorry for her, she deserved to feel the bulk of the responsibility - regardless of how much it hurt. He held his breath for a moment before answering the question. "...Far too young." He simply stated, leaving his company to fill in the blanks.

Celestia shut her eyes, appearing to choke on her own crushing guilt, and although not at all thankful for what she had put him and his team through, she was a close friend, and it would be wrong to let her shoulder this immense coffin alone. "Hey," He began, his voice sturdy. "We all make mistakes."

The princess wiped her eyes. "Mistakes!?" She replied aghast. "Because of my own fears and beliefs, a great number of families have been torn apart - as was very nearly yours, let's not forget." Her grief began to overtake her, but she fought hard to retain what little stability she had in her mind.

"I understand." Cantor calmly spoke. Struggling to stand up, he settled for a seat on the castle's chilly floor.

Celestia appeared insulted. She took a sudden breath, and leaned down to get closer to the stallion's face. She didn't intend to intimidate him, nor create any excess angst between them. Regardless, she seemed dearly vexed. "How could you possibly understand-?" She asked, shaking her head, stopping herself when Cantor made a point over breathing.

"Everyone in this world looks to you as the voice of reason: the one who knows all the answers." Cantor started, locking the princess with chilled eyes. "You have to deal with the biggest problems, and so therefore, get the best rewards, and the worst kind of criticism when things go wrong... There's no way I can emphasise with you: yes, many good ponies are dead, and yes, it was your fault, for the most part..." He sighed as he gently touched Celestia's hoof, looking up at her with the most sincere expression of heartache. "I can't at all feel your grief, but I can most certainly understand your pain."

At that moment (for Twilight in particular), everything seemed to soften: the lights dimmed, time slowed, and most of the sound drained from the room. Luna flinched as Celestia fell to her knees and wrapped her hooves around Cantor. Her silky mane wrapped her body like graceful armour as she viciously, yet silently sobbed.

After a short moment, Cantor guided the stricken princess to her hooves and found a mutual support from the tall mare.

Twilight watched from her detached proximity as the pair of white alicorns shuffled through the group. As Cantor passed, he took time to softly kiss her forehead, whispering something along the lines of "I'll speak to you later." Twilight didn't know: she wasn't particularly listening...

Cantor and Celestia propped each other up as they made their gradual exit under a dark cloud, their corridor shrouded in a mist of misfortune.

Though she was unsure why, Twilight's eye was drawn to Cantor's left wing as he walked away. And as it curved over his rump, the tips of the largest feathers had a noticeably darker gradient than before...

Her bewitched trance was broken by a feint tapping coming from the stained glass window Spike had been hurled through previously. As everypony made a point to investigate: to escape the foul stench of anguish hanging about the quiet hallway, Spike's small silhouette was seen on the other side of the crimson, amber and emerald glass.

"Uh, guys...?" Came his muffled voice from outside. He sounded drained of all energy. "These kinds of windows don't open... do they...?"

The pair of alicorns found that they had made their way to a place of very private affairs: princess Celestia's bedroom.

"Okay," Cantor started as he closed the immodest door behind himself. "We probably both have an awful lot of questions we want each other to answer..." He watched as Celestia crossed the room and drew apart a set of crimson curtains, revealing her service bells.

Without a word to Cantor, the slender mare chimed on the bell second from the left. A considerable pause stretched before anyone answered.

"...Hel- hello...?" An utterly bewildered and disorientated male voice replied through the small hole beneath the bell.

"Best send up a large pot of tea, Quill..." The princess sighed in response.

A second pause; one which stretched the patience of both expectant alicorns poured from the service cavity. "...C- certainly, your majesty..." The pony deemed 'Quill' replied, his refined, 'virgin' voice fraught with an intense confusion. "Is that all?"

The princess took a moment's thought, but seemed to come to a hasty conclusion. "I would like a bottle of brandy: one with a strong presence." She answered with another, this time more discontented sigh.

"Of course." Came the stallion's reply after a less grating silence.

Celestia failed to offer thanks: merely whipped the decorative veil back into place over the polished instruments. It was clear she was peeved - 'conflicted', in a word: vexed, but not exactly angry... She strode to the edge of the room where a rich red armchair awaited her. With a prompt pirouette, she turned and sunk into it: the fabric looking as though it felt pleasant to the touch even from Cantor's observatory standpoint.

She allowed a testing moment to Challenge her company before she forfeited. "Ask." She said curtly.

Cantor, despite feeling emotionally frail, could understand the usually eloquent and gracious mare's suddenly negative temperament. He drew a breath, reaffirming his stance, and spoke with a revered confidence. "Alright," He said as he exhaled. "I suppose I'll ask you, first of all, why you were so upset a moment ago? I mean, I know all this must be really hard on you... I haven't actually been able to fully wrap my head around what's happened... but you were distraught. With respect, surely you've lost a great deal of loved-ones before: why would you allow your subjects to see you in such a weak state after all these years?"

Celestia began by nodding gently. "A fair point..." She mused. "Okay -- I'll tell you why: the worst thing I have ever had to do in my long life, was send my beloved sister to a thousand-year exile... Every evening when I lowered the sun, I was reminded of the cruel, terrible act I committed to save this world... That odd, ghostly silhouette haunting her silver sun would stare down at me with envious eyes: scolding me every day for a thousand years for expelling a pony driven mad by external malice."

Princess Celestia caught Cantor's reverence, and was assured by his intense eyes. "The being that possessed you: it was an Umbra: an impossibly rare entity which receives nourishment through fear, violence and hatred. It was only after several years that it became apparent princess Luna's mind was corrupted by such a creature: I had unknowingly banished her - trapped her in a millennium of Hell all for the sake of a misunderstanding of motive..."

Despite looking towards Cantor, Celestia seemed to stare straight through him. Inevitable tears welled in her absent eyes as she continued... "Had I not realised her mind was being misguided, the pain may have been more tolerable. But knowing I had trapped her for faults not entirely her own, imagining how alone she must have felt, was... excruciating..." The princess shivered. "Anyway, it was clear the Umbra dealt with today was the same one from all those years ago... To know that it was trying to reach Luna once again was horrifying: to think that it would kill you, then take my sister away was unbearable... I'd have nothing left..." She appeared to regain a sense of focus as she connected with Cantor. "...I'd like to say I wouldn't know what I'd do if it were to succeed in its mission... But I know exactly what I would have done..."

As Celestia's eyes once again began to broadcast her intense apathy, Cantor was hit with a rush of empathy for the emotionally spent mare. "Wow..." He muttered with a ghostly chill stabbing at his heart - astonished at how quickly the princess had settled down after the past half-hour of vicious torment.

"So there, Cantor," Celestia said, her tone laced with a re-kindled spite. "I think that's ample reason for my breakdown... Please be aware that such outbursts are uncommon in my life..."

The stallion expressed his understanding in a slow, respectful nod. "I- get it, princess..." He mumbled: very much moved by her story. "But why didn't I-"

"My turn." Celestia interrupted, provoking an unamused scowl from Cantor. Angered as he may be, for the most part, the alicorn stallion understood her sudden reversion of attitude. "How is it that you, the most magically powerful alicorn of all time, was unable to protect a crew of nine ponies - including yourself? What possible explanation do I owe the families of the deceased?"

Cantor tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at the princess. "Ambient Magic." He said simply. "I'm sure you're aware of it?"

"Of course." Celestia replied gently - a pronounced, yet idle impatience in her tone.

"Well that planet's atmosphere was completely dry of it: no unicorn on the team could use their magic." Cantor answered, wiping his hoof across the air, simulating the arid conditions.

For the moment, Celestia sat forward in her chair with wide eyes. "Ambient Magic is a major catalyst in magic: it's not impossible to cast in its absence... Don't tell me not even you could use magic in such a place." She replied, aghast.

With a thoughtful frown, Cantor cocked his head again. "I could..." He explained with an air of apology. "Actually... I- I think a lot more ponies would have survived had I not lost the use of my horn..." Phantom pain attacked him again. He winced slightly as he ran his mind's eye over the everlasting scar of the pain of losing the horn.

Celestia's curiosity overtook her. Whilst minding her friend's ordeal, she couldn't help but pose a question. "How did it happen?"

With a sigh, Cantor answered. "It got caught under a door: basically, it was snapped off..." Recalling the moment, the mere thought of another such affliction made him sick.

The princess eyed the floor for a moment before shuffling with discomfort. "...Well, regardless," She began with a mumble, "I fail to see why nine ponies with military training should be almost wiped out spare for one..."

"So you actually think I killed them, Celestia?" Cantor asked with a grumble of disgust. "I- I mean those twins... They were like fifteen..." He was looking at the princess as if she were a villainous convict. "Although you might distrust me enough to try and rid me of your world, killing innocents...?" He shook his head. "That's just not my scene..."

Celestia's gaze fell. Despite the fact that she, herself strongly felt as though she were in the wrong, she was still loyal to her prejudices - no matter how far-fetched they used to seem. "You can't deny these circumstances would raise at lease some queries." She stated. "And as for me trying to kill you, I shan't lie: that was my intention for this trip."

"And you'd put the lives of good ponies - including Faith, on the line just to eliminate an unlikely threat?" Cantor returned, directing a hurtful shame at the princess.

Celestia rose from her chair, standing strong, but not in the least bit proud. "Sacrifices had to be made." She decreed, her voice wavering from guilt.

"Sacrifice?" Cantor seethed. "Sacrifice!? How can you even breathe that word!? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"I needed to make it seem accidental." The princess argued back, trying to defend herself. "You're too well-known for your 'disappearance' to be swept under the carpet: if several ponies were to go too, it would merely be charted as another global disaster."

"So kill innocent ponies!?" Cantor cried in response, adding with excess outrage, "Children!?" He strode up to Celestia, stomping and scuffing his hooves. He looked her straight in the eyes and saw noting but remorse. "That may have been the Umbra talking back then," He growled, "But it was talking sense: you are one sadistic, messed up bitch."

Princess Celestia whipped her focus to the now open door; Cantor soon matched her gaze. The young stallion peering timidly in was stood before a cart adorned with a steaming porcelain teapot, a large stylised decanter of golden brandy, and a tower of cakes. The two arcane ponies stared back at him with hellish eyes not meant for the poor buck, and he promptly bolted, leaving nothing but the tea tray and a dispersing plume of dust in his stead.

Cantor closed his eyes and slowly took in a breath, before letting it out again in a depleted sigh. "I'm sorry, princess..." He quietly said, dropping his ears shamefully. "My mind's a little bit of a mess right now." He gave a weak laugh as Celestia pulled the cart into her bedroom and closed the doors again.

"No..." She replied with a huff, removing the fancy bottle's glass stopper and pouring herself a heavy glass of the fragrant alcohol. "I should be the one apologising: once it all boils down, the pony most worthy of blame is me..." Cantor didn't say anything, but hung his head slightly and stared at the floor. Although he empathised with Celestia's emotional burden, he couldn't shake the fact that she tried to kill him from his mind.

Princess Celestia's mouth formed a smirk and she gave a course chuckle. "It's quite impressive, actually..." She began, swirling the golden-brown drink in the spherical tumbler. "All of my best efforts, all of the dangers I've thrown at you; and even the best assassins money can buy still couldn't take you down..." She stared at her brandy a moment before taking a long drink. Cantor silently watched the thick liquid leave the glass and followed the glowing cup as it came to rest back on the wooden trolley amongst the teacups. Celestia blinked tears away as she faced the stallion with sombre eyes. "...I should have put far more trust in you." She whispered, her voice cradling sorrow.

Somehow not frustrated by the numerous moments of silence, Cantor simply stared back with discordant loyalty. "...I don't like this side of you." He quietly replied.

Princess Celestia's sigh expressed her age as she poured another glass of brandy. It sounded as if her very last breath had just left her, but also that a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She raised the rim of the glass to her lips and quietly replied, "Me, neither."