Chapter 184: Queen for a Day Pt. 2

The castle staff were going about their daily tasks. In the forge, Sheran was maintaining some of the army's weapons. The teen wiped his forehead before grabbing his hammer and chisel at the metal he worked on. The boy then heard a sound as he looked up. Slowly entering through the castle gates was a horse—Correction: It was Storm's horse, Spirit. The blacksmith was stunned to see the stallion by himself as he had neither carriage nor Twilight's family with him.

"Spirit?" the boy called out, setting his tools aside and hurrying towards the horse standing with its head lowered. "What's happened? Are you alright? Where's your harness? And where... where are the King and Queen?"

The horse looked at the boy as he nickered softly. At that moment, the blacksmith's eyes widen.

Twilight was in the throne room as she sat on her throne. Just as she and Moondancer were about to begin the morning counsel to hear the citizen's concerns, she got word from Sheran about Storm's horse returning without her parents.

"I hate to say it, princess. But I believe there might have been an accident on the mountain," said a guard.

"An accident?!" Twilight's voice rang out, and her eyes widened in shock and fear.

"I believe… your parents might be in grave danger."

Twilight was left speechless as she fell back in her chair. Storm was off in the shadows as he'd been silently listening in. Moondancer saw how distraught Twilight was as she stepped forward.

"Thank you. You're dismissed," said the lady-in-waiting as the guard bowed to show his respect for the princess in her troubled time before leaving.

Once the door shut, Moondancer looked at her friend as she could see the panic and worry on her face.

"Twilight…"

"Moondancer, I need to go look for my parents."

"I get it, Twilight. I understand your concern. But you also have to understand… that you're the Queen. You can't just leave your kingdom unabandoned. It wouldn't sit right with the people." said Moondancer to her lady as she sighed briefly. "Twilight… as much as it pains me to say this, let's pray your parents are okay."

"But I can't just sit here and do nothing!" said the girl to her handmaiden.

"Twilight, going up there without a plan is a virtual death sentence. You can't go!"

"But…"

"She's right, Twilight."

Storm made his presence known as he stepped forward.

"You can't… but I can."

"But you just heard Moondancer. It's a death trap," said the girl as she got up from her chair to address her friend.

"Twilight, there's no other option. You're more important than me. People need you. Me… I'm just a Jedi."

"You're not just a Jedi. Not to me, at least," said the princess as she grabbed her partner's hand and put it to her left cheek as she felt it.

"Twilight, as much as I agree with Storm, it can be dangerous for someone who doesn't know those mountain roads. It would be best if we sent some guards to go instead," suggested Moondancer, not wanting to put the boy her lady liked in danger along with her parents.

"If the situation gets any worse and the people of Equis find out, this kingdom may need its guards to calm the chaos," responded Storm to the handmaiden's suggestion and Twilight.

"It's your call, Your Highness," said Moondancer to Twilight as she looked between her friends.

Twilight looked at Storm as the boy smiled. She then sighed before pulling him in as she buried her head into his chest.

"Go," the princess said to her partner. "But I'm sending some guards with you."

"I'll be back. I promise," said the boy, holding and cradling Twilight's head.

The two then looked into each other's eyes as the boy grabbed both sides of the girl's face and stroked her cheeks. He leaned in to kiss Twilight's forehead before leaving her arms as their hands drifted apart. Owlowiscious flew by Twilight as the girl grabbed her pet owl and held it like a stuffed teddy bear. The animal providing some emotional support for its owner in her worried state.

"Bring them home, Storm," whispered Twilight, clutching her owl.

"If anyone can find your parents, he can," said Moondancer, as she had faith in Storm's ability to bring back her parents.

Storm was outside as Sheran was getting his horse ready. Twilight watched from one of the castle windows as she saw her partner off. The princess was still worried as she hoped things would be okay. Once everything was set, Storm got on his horse and petted the stallion's side. He then turned back to see a few select guards that Twilight had chosen to go with the Jedi to search for her parents. With a flick of his reigns, the boy began to lead the search party out of the castle and down the road her parents took.

Spike was in his room, playing with his figures. The boy was making exploding sounds and other noises as he made two of the figures fight each other. The door to his room opened as in came Twilight.

"Hey, Twilight. Want to play with me?" asked the boy to his older sister as he returned to making some noise.

"Spike, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Mom and Dad."

"Oh, are they back?" asked the small prince eagerly as he got to his feet.

"Um, no. Listen, come here," said Twilight as she patted the area next to her on her brother's bed.

The little prince obeyed his older sister as he sat beside her; Twilight took a deep breath before speaking to her sibling about the situation regarding their parents.

On the mountain, there laid a carriage. It stood on top of a pillar after tumbling down the mountainside. A hand was shown reaching out of it, grabbing a piece of wood before retracting the hand and handing it to another.

"Thanks, darling," said Night Light as he took the piece of wood and placed it over the small fire he had made.

The pair survived the fall but not without minor bruises. In addition, most of the supplies they had with them had tumbled over the cliff into the abyss below. With the constant cold weather blowing around them, the pair did their best to keep warm, as that was their number one priority. The pair winced as the cold started getting to them, even with the clothes they wore.

"How's your ankle, honey?" asked Velvet to her husband.

"My ankle's the least of our worries," said Night Light as he extended his right leg out. The kingdom… there's so much left to do."

"Nighty…" said Velvet, placing her hand on her husband's arm to get him to look at her, "She's going to make a great queen."

The King looked at his wife as he pulled the woman he loved and hugged her as another way to keep warm.

"Happy anniversary, sweetheart," said Velvet to her husband.

"Happy anniversary, Velvet," responded Night Light to his wife as outside the wind blew and it turned into a blanket of white.

Some figures were shown through the blanket of white. Emerging through the bitter snow was Storm on his horse. The Jedi was wearing a parka, and he put his hand up to protect his face from being pelted by the snow. The Jedi Knight was leading the search and rescue for Twilight's parents as they managed to follow the road they took and soon arrived at the mountain. The group then began climbing about a quarter of the way up; it hit them as they tried to push through the snow. Even the horses felt the weather as their heads were down while walking forward.

The group kept on pushing forward as something caught Storm's eye. As he went forward, the Jedi raised a hand to halt the rest of the group. He saw the massive pile of snow built up on the trail above, the same spot where Twilight's parents had gone off.

"No," said Storm as he got off his horse immediately.

The Jedi approached the pile of snow with a worried look. He looked around to see if there were any signs that the pair might have survived, but he didn't see any. The rest of the guards approached the pile as they saw it, and all silently put their heads down. Meanwhile, Storm's horse was sniffing the area around them as it approached the end of the cliff.

"What do we do, Captain?" asked a female hunter guard to their leader.

"We inform the princess of what we discovered," said the guard in charge as he prepared to return to Twilight and tell her that her parents were gone.

They all began to turn around to make the long, sad trip home as Storm was on his hands and knees. He had his eyes closed before he felt something. It was faint, but he felt something. A presence.

"No."

The guards all turned to look at the teen as he stood up.

"We're not returning. Not yet. I feel… something," said Storm, looking at where Spirit was.

The horse looked beyond the cliff as it stared into the snowstorm. The Jedi stood beside his stallion as he looked in the animal's general direction. The wind blew in his face as he put his hand on the side of his horse before closing his eyes. The guards just stood there, looking at the teen as he concentrated his mind. Storm was feeling a lifestream as the presence from before was stronger. He tunned his mind to be one with his horse as he tried to see through its eyes. Looking through the blizzard, he saw something. A shadow or perhaps a figure covered by a blanket of white. As he tunned his mind, the figure became clearer as he opened his eyes.

The Jedi looked where he spotted the figure and squitted. The figure took shape as low and behold as there was a carriage. But more importantly, Twilight's parents. The boy smiled as he patted his horse's side.

"Good job, boy," said the teen to his horse as the stallion released a neigh. "There they are!"

The group of guards approached the edge and looked in the direction of where the boy was pointing. They were relieved to see the King and Queen.

"So, how do we get down there?" asked a Spy guard.

Storm looked about the surrounding area as if he couldn't risk jumping due to the harsh weather, even with his Jedi skills. He looked about and spotted something just above where the carriage was.

"There. We'll have to reach them by taking that ridge," the teen pointed across the chasm.

"That tiny little thing?" said the female mage guard as she could see that was risky.

"It's our best bet. Come on!" said Storm as he got on his horse and began to head over, the guards trailing behind.

The group managed to find a way around the other side of the abyss as they all got off their steeds for the next part. They hugged the wall with their backs as they slowly but surely walked down the steep, slippery slope. They all did their best not to look down, as it would be quite the drop. As they were slowly getting across, one of the guard's feet made a very tiny part of the ridge crack and fell as they all saw it. That alone meant they didn't have much time; the ridge itself wasn't stable enough to hold all of them, so they had to pick up the pace. Especially because they were also above a huge pile of snow that accumulated on the mountaintop above them, the slightest sound could send that huge build-up on them and leave them buried.

"We have to hurry," said Storm as he and the guards pressed on.

Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy…

Luna was shown giving chase down a hallway. The Jedi Master was currently on the tail of some mysterious intruder who tried to break in just as she went to check on security. She had informed her sister of the situation and was rushing to meet her. The Jedi turned the corner and spotted someone running down the corridor behind her. Her Jedi instincts went off as she bent backward all the way to her tippytoes as an object was thrown at her. It missed and made a dent in the wall before the Jedi returned to her original position, as her insane balance and flexibility allowed her to make such a move easily.

She continued to move as she pursued the cloaked figure. The mysterious person looked behind to see the Jedi Master approaching them as they pulled out their blaster to take some shots. Luna was not slowing down, doing several flips to evade the shots while pushing forward. The woman made her way to a set of elevators and noticed several people groaning in pain at it. She tried to open the doors manually herself but found them stuck. She then used the Force to pry them open as she looked down before jumping down the shaft. Luna pulled out her lightsaber and stabbed it into the side of the shaft to slow her descent; she noticed another opened set of doors coming up as she pushed off the wall and jumped through the open set before rolling through and kicking off running.

"Tia, where the hell are you?!" demanded Luna as she felt she was doing all the work. "Are you just going to sit there and smile like always?"

"Luna, how dare you!" said Celestia, taking offense to her sister's comment. "Oh, you think it's so easy to smile…"

As the two sisters argued over their comlink, the intruder was entering the CEO's office from the outside. It gave Luna the slip, and was now climbing up the floors to get inside without going through the Jedi. Celestia was currently outside the door arguing with Luna as the CEO was nervously sitting in his office, hoping his security and the Jedi could catch them. At that moment, a tapping was heard from the window as the man turned, and something broke through. It caused the man to leap from his chair onto the floor as the hooded figure landed on the desk. The intruder scanned the desk before finding the secret lockdown button and pushed it. Alarms began to ring out as the whole building began to shut down. Doors blocked every pathway, and the windows were encased with metal. Celestia noticed the door she was standing in front of was encased with metal as she pounded it.

"What's going on, sister?" said Luna through the comlink.

"The intruder's in the office. Hurry back up here!" said Celestia, ending the call before pulling out her lightsaber and stabbing it into the metal to cut her way in.

The intruder had the CEO tied up inside as he sat in a chair.

"Where is it?" asked the mysterious person.

"I'd rather die than let you have it."

The intruder didn't take too kindly to the CEO's response as they grabbed a nearby object. The man flinched and closed his eyes, expecting to get hit, but instead, the object was thrown at a nearby bookcase, shattering a part of it. The intruder approached the spot where they threw it before sifting through the debris to reveal a hidden safe in the wall.

"There you are," said the intruder as it got to work.

At that moment, Celestia managed to finish her cutting before stepping back and delivering a flying kick at the shape she made as it fell to the floor, and she came into the room. The intruder saw the Jedi Master before pulling out its blaster to take aim. The Jedi had no time to deflect the shots before sticking her hand out to push the thief into the wall and held them there. She casually approached the thief, who couldn't move their arm to fire as the Jedi's look intensified. Celestia then pulled them down to the floor as they crashed. The mysterious intruder grunted as Celestia turned off her weapon and approached the figure; they saw the Jedi approaching as it struggled to reach for its blaster when Celestia kicked it away. It quickly rose to take a quick shot at the Jedi, but Celestia wasted no effort moving her head out of the way before standing on her hands to deliver a scorpion kick to the figure.

It made the person stumble into the wall before falling to the knees as it was about to hit the floor but was stopped by Celestia's right foot. The Jedi Master had her foot under the thief's chin as that was the only thing holding him up; slowly, Celestia lifted her foot to make the stunned figure stand and look at her before delivering a swift roundhouse backkick. With that, the intruder fell and was knocked out; Celestia ran a hand through her hair, making sure it was still perfect, before looking at the CEO and beginning to untie him.

At that moment, Luna entered through the hole with security as they noticed the downed intruder and her sister freeing the CEO. Luna looked at her sister, who was being thanked by the CEO before security began to cuff the person.

"What was that about sitting and smiling, sister?!" said Celestia in a bitter tone.

Luna gritted her teeth as she just left to avoid Celestia's head getting as big as her rear.

Twilight was going about her royal duties back in the kingdom, bravely trying not to worry the people about what may have occurred to her parents. After the morning counsel, the princess was in town to see if everything was okay with her loyal subjects.

"I hope I'm making the right decision," said Twilight, feeling like she should be out there looking for her parents.

"You're not, Twilight. You're making the only decision. Your people need you right now." said Moondancer, as she knew it was tough for the girl to be helpless. But making sure their people were alright was a top priority.

"It just doesn't feel right, Moondancer," the princess said after sighing.

"Twilight, this is exactly what your dad would do if he were here."

The princess sighed once more after hearing the last words her father spoke to her before they left.

"If he were here, he would tell me… to follow my heart."

Back with Storm, the Jedi and the guards had successfully crossed the ridge. However, given they were still under the giant pile of snow, they had to be quick, as it could come down at any moment.

"There they are men. Give me some rope," said Storm as the Spy guard handed the boy the material.

He took the thing before pulling his lightsaber out to cut with ease. He then handed one half to the Spy and tied the end to an arrow before returning. He took a stance and pulled the bow's string before releasing it and letting the arrow fly. It sank into the mountainside as the other end was tossed over the edge. Storm held the other end of the rope he cut as he wrapped one end around his waist and gave it to the Hunter guard; he and the rest of them began to hold it steady while the Jedi lowered himself along with the Soldier guard who was repelling down to the cliff where the carriage was.

As the rest of the guards above were lowering the pair, Storm's foot slipped due to the ice on the side of the mountain, and he lost his footing momentarily. He felt himself fall before he grabbed the rope with the group at the top, being dragged forward a bit before securing their grip and stopping their stance. They slowly began to pull the rope back, allowing the Jedi to regain his footing. The pair continued their descent by giving a thumbs up to the Soldier guard. Above, the female mage began to feel her nose tickle as she felt a sneeze coming up. Just as she was about to do it, her comrade stopped her, putting her finger to her nose.

"What are you trying to do? Bring the whole mountain down on top of us?" said the female Fighter guard. Just then, she felt a tickle in her nose and sneezed.

The sound echoed around the ridge as it got Storm and the Soldier guard to be worried. They looked up, and the snow above them began to tumble down.

"Oh, man. I hate snow," said Storm before the thing covered them.

As the wind blew, a blanket of white appeared. Soon, a set of hands appeared on the pile of snow. They began to dig about and sift through the white stuff. They soon uncovered something, and it made a sound and spat out some snow.

"Oh!" said Storm as his face was uncovered.

"Storm," said Velvet with a smile as she saw the boy her daughter liked.

"Hello, Your Majesty. We've come to rescue you," said the teen with a sheepish smile as he was still buried underneath the snow.

"We need to hurry. The king's hurt," said Velvet as she helped pull the boy out of the snow before helping the Soldier.

After analyzing the situation, the Jedi and guard got to work on getting the King and Queen back up to the others. With a new rope being dropped down, the Soldier ensured it was secure before he began climbing back up. Once he reached the top, he took his position at the front of the line and tossed the rope back down as Velvet grabbed it. The woman grabbed it and began to climb up as the group pulled their ruler to safety. Just as Velvet was about to reach the top, she turned to look back down as she saw her husband and Storm. The boy had taken the broken wheel from the carriage and had her husband sitting in it while he tied the rope around the spokes to lift the injured King up. Velvet prayed Storm's idea would work as she turned upwards and let the Soldier guard pull her up to safety. He then turned back down to look at Storm as he waved his arm.

"Ready, Jedi?"

Storm responded with a wave as he bent down to ensure the rope was secured.

"Okay, Your Majesty, this should hold you."

After receiving Storm's signal, the guards nodded and began pulling the rope back. They worked in sync as the wheel began to lift, holding the King.

"Alright, up there, steady now!" shouted Storm to the group above.

Everything was going well, and the makeshift lift held the injured King. Just then… the wind began to blow. It whooshed all over the place as it began to make the wheel sway. Night Light felt the wind blowing the wheel as he held on.

"No, no, no, no. Oh, no!" said Storm as he saw the wheel moving about. He feared the King might fall out in his injured state. Instinctively, he put his hands out to try and use the Force to stabilize the lift. However, the powerful force of nature was overpowering the boy's power.

The guards above felt the lift moving, changing their balance and causing them to apply more strength. They gripped the rope harder as they tried to pull up the lift. The constant wind swayed Night Light about as he held on for dear life. Soon, one of the ropes attached to the wheel snapped, severely distorting the weight and causing Night Light to shift and fall.

"Oh, dear! Whoa!" shouted the King as he fell out of the lift.

"Nighty!" yelled Velvet as she saw her husband plunge.

Storm gasped when he saw the rope break and the King fall out. Night Light began to slide down the mountain as he looked to go off.

"Your Majesty!" shouted Storm.

Night Light screamed as he approached the edge rather quickly. The King slid off the edge as he looked to fall into the abyss below. Just as the King looked to plunge, Storm quickly ran and slid forward with his arm out. The Jedi managed to extend his arm out in time. He caught the King's hand, and Night Light dangled over the darkness below. Storm grunted as he tried to hold his strength and pull up the King.

"Hold on, Your Majesty!" said the teen as he tried to keep Twilight's father from falling. However, his grip was starting to lose as Night Light was beginning to slip through his fingers.

The Jedi grunted as he put his other hand on the ground to steady himself. However, the snow and ice began to slip due to all the snow and ice. There was just too much weight that the boy would fall over with Night Light if he didn't pull him up. As the woman was concerned, the guards and Velvet were watching above.

"Quick! Help me get down there!" said the queen to the guards.

"But, Your Highness…" said the captain.

"I said now!" shouted Velvet.

Storm was still trying to pull Twilight's father up, but he could feel his strength running out. Night Light could see the boy straining from just trying to hold him. The King took a quick glance down as he saw the abyss below him. At that moment, the King sighed as he looked at the boy.

"Jedi…"

Storm looked at Night Light as the King looked him in the eye.

"Take care of Twilight."

"We are gonna get you outta here," responded the Jedi, as he wouldn't let Night Light fall or have Twilight lose her father after he promised they'd return. "Besides, you should know by now that Twilight doesn't need anyone to take care of her."

The Jedi still tried to pull the King to safety as he grunted. Soon, Night Light began to slip through Storm's fingers, and the Jedi gasped, seeing the King fall. Just then, another hand emerged and grabbed hold of the King. Night Light gasped as he looked down before looking up. Velvet was now present and was shown reaching out for her husband and holding him. Storm was relieved as he put his hand out and helped the women.

"Almost got you," said the Jedi, and he and Twilight's mother began to pull her husband back up.

The King was pulled up as he sat on the edge and looked at his wife. He was grateful for Velvet's assistance as he held his woman. Storm sat back as he panted heavily; he saw Twilight's parents holding each other, making him smile. Velvet then handed her husband to the guards as they began to work on getting the King up the ridge.

"Thank you," Velvet said to Storm, grateful for the boy's saving her husband.

Back in the kingdom, Twilight had done her queen duty for her subjects. She stood in the courtyard alongside Moondancer and Spike with other guards. She then gasped at what she saw. Entering the courtyard was the squad of horses led by Storm, but more importantly, the kids' parents as they were on the boy's horse. Twilight immediately ran forward as Storm saw Twilight coming at him; he put his arms out, and Twilight embraced him tightly. The boy returned the embrace from the princess before pulling back and allowing her to approach her parents.

Some of the guards helped Velvet down before Spike came running up to hug his mother. The little prince held his mother tightly as Velvet was pleased to be reunited with her son. Then, she put her arms out as Twilight approached her and hugged her mother. Twilight was pleased to see her mother was alright before approaching her father. Some guards helped Night Light off the horse, and they had the King's arms over their shoulders before taking them off. They allowed him to embrace his daughter, as he was pleased to see her again. The princess then opened her eyes and looked at Storm's horse. She smiled as she put her hand on the animal's nose, and it rubbed against her hand. The teen thanked the stallion for bringing her parents home as she couldn't be more relieved.

Twilight was in her room sometime later, and she sat on the windowsill. The girl had her journal in her lap as she was shown drawing some pictures and writing she put in. She took a moment to look out of her window before letting out a distressed sigh. A knock was soon heard on her door.

"Hey! Do you want a celebratory cupcake?" Storm asked as he entered the girl's room, holding a plate with a big cupcake on it.

"No. Uh, no, thank you," responded the girl to her partner upon closing her diary.

"Hello? Sparky?" said the boy, noticing the princess's distraught expression. Come on. Everything worked out. Your parents are back, safe and sound. What are you upset about?"

The Jedi placed the plate on the table as Twilight looked at the boy.

"Storm, today I had to turn my back for the sake of my people. I sent my partner to face possible death… In many ways… today was the most difficult day of my life."

"Twilight, what are you saying?"

"I… I'm not sure I want to be queen," the girl confessed to her partner. Storm gasped a bit after hearing the girl say that, given that she was expected to be just that. The princess turned to look back out of her window.

"Hey, Twilight," said Storm as he approached the girl and sat before her. "I know today was overwhelming, and I can't say I wouldn't feel the same way, but you becoming queen is still a ways off."

"Sooner than you think," said the girl, feeling her time was running out.

"Just know that when that time comes, no matter what you decide…" Storm grabbed Twilight's hand and held it, making the girl look at her partner, "You got people who will be right there with you."

The girl couldn't help but smile as she went in for a hug. Storm returned the embrace as he held the princess.

"Thank you for bringing my parents home," said the teen.

"Hey. You got it," stated the Jedi Knight as he pulled back and cusped the girl's right cheek.

The girl used her magic to make the cupcake float toward her. She then split it down the middle and gave half to her partner. The boy smiled as he touched his half with Twilight's before biting. Some icing was on his face as Twilight giggled before extending her hand and wiping it from her partner's face. She leaned in for another hug and rested her head on Storm's chest. The boy leaned back against the girl's windowsill as he held the princess and stroked her head with his free hand.

Watching the teens was the girl's mother. Velvet had wanted to check on her daughter to see how she was handling from being queen. She had arrived just a few moments after Storm entered and overheard the pair speaking. She heard her daughter's worries but was grateful that the boy could relieve some of her stress. It did her heart good to know that Storm was there for her daughter, as he was indeed becoming a key part of Twilight's life.

Somewhere hidden, a person wearing a dark cloak was shown surrounded by tons of vials laced with colorful liquids. They turned up the burner as the flame got stronger. A twisty tube shot some liquid around before it dropped a few drops into a vial with another liquid as it changed color. The person turned off the burner as the heat died down. They then grabbed the vial and shook it to make the chemical reaction occur.

They smiled before putting it away with other similar vials. Then, they touched a device, and a holographic video began to play. It showed the King and Queen being rescued by Storm and the guards. It then flashed to show them returning as Twilight approached them and hugged both of her parents. It flashed again to show Twilight and Storm in her room as she listened to what the boy said to the princess.

"Just know when that time comes, no matter what you decide… You got people who will be right there with you."

The device shut off as the person secretly smiled.

"Stop running, Twilight. Face your destiny. Or all you hold in your heart will be in grave danger."

Author's Note: Well... it seems Twilight's parents have safety returned. With the help from Storm and some guards, Twilight and Spike can rest easy knowing they have their mother and father back. However... it seems Twilight is severely thinking about her lack of confidence when it comes to leading her people as she was put in a rather difficult position regarding wanting to help her parents and keeping her subjects from panicking or worrying. And... it seems she has another thing still waiting for her.