Princess Celestia: Sorceress Supreme

Chapters

The Starlight Festival
The Spoiled Princess Celestia
The Search for Luna
Scaling the Lhorse Mountain
Scrub the Floors
Tragedy and the Common Stallion
Breaking Point
See the Weeds for What They Are
Blood Stained Hooves
To Train a Princess
First Mission
The Nexus
Nightmare Moon
Dusk and Discord
Epilogue
Darkness Gathers
World's Biggest Super Slide

The Starlight Festival

The sisters arrived at the Star Light Festival grounds. Hundreds of ponies of all shapes and sizes entered and exited, speaking and whispering indistinctly to one another. The huge sign that hung above them was bright with gold and sparkled with silver as if to shine like the stars in the night sky.

Luna’s eyes widened. A smile appeared on her face with excitement and anticipation. She had been dreaming of the Star Light Festival for years. It was a festival that happened once a year as a group of stars slowly approached their city. They would rain through space above them and present a beautiful star shower to the ponies below them. They would list constellations as they appeared in the night sky and the stories they had to tell. She had been reading up on the stars ever since she was a little filly. She could never explain it, but she felt a wondrous curiosity towards the night sky and the secrets it held within the stars.

Celestia, however, could have cared less about the constellations themselves. She was more interested in the entertainment. The Star Light Festival was supposed to have some of the best shows in all of Equestria. Shows attributed to the stars. The show typically revolved around the stories told by them. But the shows weren’t the only things on Celestia’s mind. The festival was also famous for the sweets. And if there was anything Celestia loved more than having fun, it was eating something sweet.

“I can’t believe we’re finally here,” Luna cheered. “Everything that I’ve been dreaming about is here!”

Celestia nodded. “Yeah, this is going to be the best night ever! Come on!” Celestia urged as she headed towards the entrance to the grounds.

Luna followed behind her. Their eyes diverted every way they could possibly look, absorbing as much as they could. There were artist stands where paintings of the stars were hung, booths where games could be played, stands that sold treats of all shapes and sizes.

Celestia’s eyes then caught wind of a large stage where several performers stood atop it. They ponies danced in a mystifying way that captured her attention. The movements were crisp and precise, but elegant and graceful. They captured her imagination as the announcer spoke of the story that unfolded by the dancer’s movements.

“Luna, come on! Let’s watch!” Celestia suggested as she leaned against her sister.

“Tia, we are only here to look around,” Luna stated.

Celestia smiled. “Oh, come on. One little show.”

Luna sighed, but then smiled. Secretly, she wanted to see the show. “Alright, but just one.”

The sisters made their way into the crowd of ponies and began watching the performers’ spectacular presentation.

That ‘one’ performance turned into another and then a third. Performance after performance the audience cheered, laughed and cried before the spectacle. But this only made them want more. The spectators were treated to the stories of Andromeda and Perseus, the ancient dragon, Draco, and finally the mighty hero, Hercules.

After seeing the labors of the great hero, Celestia had wished to explore the rest of the festival. There was so much to see and only a limited amount of moonlight.

Celestia and Luna made their way to one of the stands where the slightly overweight stallion greeted the two. “Welcome to Volans. What can I offer you two fine mares tonight?”

Celestia couldn’t help but eye the strange knot-shaped treat. The golden brown texture reminded her of fresh hot bread, but she had never seen bread like that before. “What is that? The odd shaped one?” Celestia asked as she pointed her hoof towards it.

The shopkeeper took a look at the treat and then turned his head back to the princesses with a smile. “Those? I call them pretzels!”

“Pretzels?” Luna asked. “I’ve never heard of them.”

The shopkeeper placed his hoof on his chest and tilted his head up proudly. “That’s because they are one of a kind! I made them up myself!”

Celestia and Luna both glanced towards each other and then back at the shopkeeper. Celestia started to grin as the wheels in her head started to turn. “So these treats are new, you say?” Celestia asked

The stallion nodded proudly. “Yep, and one day, they’ll be big!”

“Well… Perhaps we might be able to help with that,” Celestia stated. “We are the princesses of Canterlot.” She stood up about as proudly as the stallion before her, perhaps even more so.

The stallion then abandoned his arrogant, prideful demeanor. “Pr-Princesses?!” he stammered. He then bowed repeatedly. “My… My most humble apologies, my princesses. I didn’t realize-,”

Luna shook her head and smiled. “It is really no trouble.”

Celestia then intervened. “However, we are willing to forgive this for… Let’s say… a free sample of your pretzel.”

The stallion’s eyes widened as he bit his lip, but then he smiled nervously. “O-Of course. Please, allow me!”

The stallion was quick to deliver his products to the alicorns. “Please, enjoy!” he thanked with a big smile as the two ponies went on their way.

Celestia took a bite of hers. The warmth of the bread soothed her mouth, it was like taking a bite of fresh bread, but there was salt sprinkled on top. A sweet and pacifying treat, Celestia took another bite as quickly as she took her first one. It took every ounce of restraint she had to stop herself from scarfing down the whole thing.

“Tia, was that really appropriate? Did we just steal from that pony?” Luna asked. Celestia turned her gaze towards her sister, who hadn’t even taken a single bite of her pretzel.

Celestia swallowed her delicious snack. “Luna, you worry too much. In the end, we are helping his business,” Celestia explained. “Imagine how many customers he will have if everypony saw us, the royalty of Canterlot, partaking in his product.”

Luna shifted her gaze to the ground as if to consider what Celestia had to say. “Well, when you put it that way…”

Celestia gently nudged her sister shoulder. “Give it a try. You have no idea what you’re missing.” She then took another bite of her pretzel.

Luna finally smiled and opened her mouth to bite into her treat. Like Celestia, Luna moaned in pleasure as the warm pretzel made contact with her taste buds.

Luna and Celestia continued to wander throughout the festival, occasionally breaking their vow to simply look around to interact with the next thing that cause Celestia’s eye.

Celestia and Luna would find themselves at the balloon and darts game several times. Ironically called ‘Comets and Planets’ to keep with the theme of the festival, Celestia was the deadeye of the stand. She would never miss a single balloon. This caused them to play several times to earn the prizes she wanted.

An green monkey with big black eyes, a childlike grin and a long twisted tale was the prize Celestia so desperately sought. And she refused to leave without him.

Normally, they would have paid to play such a game, but once Celestia told the stand-owner they were royalty, he accommodated for their games.

Luna had been silent about it, but when they decided to leave, she spoke up. “Tia, don’t you think you’re milking this a little?”

Celestia had been this way all night. She was constantly going on and on about how they were princesses. The other ponies would apologize and she would even go as far as to make them feel guilty. All in the hopes of getting free stuff.

Celestia turned to her sister, which distracted her from admiring how cute her little animal doll was. “Luna, we are princesses. We deserve to be treated as such.”

Luna shifted her gaze towards the ground. “I still feel like we are taking advantage of them.”

Celestia simply laughed. “You worry far too much, little sister. You need to be like Cosmo!”

She then levitated her green monkey in front of her sister, rocking him back and forth as if he was doing a dance.

“Yeah, Luna,” Celestia said, imitating a high-pitched monkey voice. “You need to just have some fun! Like me!”

Luna rolled her eyes and sighed. “Tia, I really feel like we should-!”

A large bang in the sky diverted both of their eyes towards a shower of light above them. A whistling sound came from the distance as a stream of light rocketed to the sky. It then exploded in a sparkle of bright lights with a thunderous bang.

“Fireworks!” Celestia declared with a bright smile.

Celestia could hear the distinctive ‘ooos’ and ‘awes’ of the crowd. The fireworks came more frequently, lighting up the sky with their sounds and lights.

Celestia was so taken by them that she had forgotten her sister, until she spoke up. “Sister, we really should be going! It’s been long enough!”

Celestia’s ears stood up as she turned towards her younger sister. “We can’t leave yet. The fireworks are the highlight of the Star Light Festival.”

Luna shook her head. “Tia, we really should go home.”

Celestia smiled and placed her hoof on her shoulder. “Luna, its just fireworks. Nothing is wrong with watching them for a minute or two.”

Luna diverted her eyes away from Celestia. She would always look away when she didn’t want to argue, something Celestia had always been able to see.

“Tell you what, after the fireworks, we go straight home. I promise.” Celestia placed her hoof on her heart.

Luna looked Celestia in the eye with a stern look. “You have to mean that promise this time!”

“I swear, by the Lords above as my witnesses, we will watch the fireworks and then head home.”

Luna exhaled deeply. “Alright,” she reluctantly agreed.

Celestia leaped with joy. “Wonderful!” She quickly then grabbed her sister’s hoof and dragged her towards down the path. “Come on, I want to see them up close!”

Luna struggled to keep up with her sister’s excited movements, but Celestia had hardly noticed. She had always been fascinated with fireworks. Or more accurately, what kind of pranks could be pulled with them. This was her chance to see what fireworks could really do and she wasn’t going to miss it.

Celestia and Luna made their way to the tents just outside the festival grounds, where a group of ponies are hard at work setting up the next firework show.

An earth stallion approached them and greeted them. “Princesses of Canterlot! I am humbled to be in your presence.” The stallion bowed before them. As he did, the alicorns noticed the others bowing to them as well.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Luna said.

With that the other ponies went back to work, while the stallion in front of them greeted them with a smile. “I am Sandy Wax. What brings you to these parts?”

“I’m really interested in your fireworks,” Celestia stated.

“Fireworks?” Sandy asked. “I didn’t think a princess would be interested in that stuff?”

Celestia couldn’t help but give a mischievous grin. “Oh, I have my reasons.” Luna gave her an odd look, as if she knew Celestia was planning something, but she wasn’t sure what.

Sandy, who was too distracted by Celestia’s interest, didn’t even notice. “Well, come with me. I’ll show you what kind of fireworks we’ve got in the back.”

Sandy marched towards one of the tents with Celestia and Luna right behind him. They entered the tent and Celestia’s eyes lit up. From one end of the tent to the other, fireworks of all shapes, sizes, and colors were scattered throughout the room. She looked like a little filly in a candy store, with the insatiable urge to touch everything she could.

“Wow, I had no idea you had so many fireworks!” Celestia stated, her mouth hanging down as she finished. She was still in awe at the variety of fireworks.

“Yep, this is where it all happens. The best fireworks in Equestria, all right here,” Sandy proudly announced.

Celestia couldn’t help but turn towards Luna. She looked impressed, yes, but Celestia was astonished. There were so many fireworks. Candles, sparklers, rockets, firecrackers, and some she didn’t even recognize.

One such devices was a large cart with fireworks attached to it. The cart had a large stand with rows of tubes cut into the stand that were long enough to house a small firework.

“What is that?” Celestia asked.

“That is our firework cannon!” Sandy stated. “It is our next show stopper.”

Celestia leaned forward with a smile on her face. “How does it work?”

Sandy giggled with excitement as if he was feeding off Celestia’s own giddiness. “We place a firework in each of the tubes and then hook them all together.”

Celestia started to imagine what that would look like. She couldn’t help but grin as the thought of dozens of fireworks going off at once lit up the sky.

Just as the sights took her in, a Pegasus appeared behind them. “Sir, we’re ready for the next show.” The trio turned their gaze to the young pony as he stuck his head from around the corner.

“Right then,” Sandy replied. He then turned towards the nobles. “My apologies, but we need to get ready for the next show. I must ask you to please exit the tent.”

Sandy made his way out of the tent.

Luna urged her sister to follow her, but Celestia wasn’t done yet. While Luna headed for the exit, Celestia noticed a stack of fireworks. These fireworks were much larger than the normal ones, though they were rather dull to look at.

“Those probably would give off a much bigger boom.”

Celestia quickly used her magic slip several of the much bigger fireworks to replace the small fireworks of the firework cannon.

“That should be so much more exciting than those little fireworks.”

“Tia, come on!” Luna called to her.

“Coming, Luna,” Celestia replied with a big smile on her face. She joined her sister, who had a serious look on her face.

“What exactly were you doing in there?”

“Oh, nothing,” Celestia played innocent and trotted forward. Luna simply shook her head and joined her.

Celestia had a feeling what she just did, was going to be a showstopper.

Celestia and Luna placed themselves in the middle of the large crowd. They imitated excitement and anticipation of the group surrounding them, but none was more excited than Celestia. Her mind was frantic as the thoughts of lights and sounds filled the night sky with her little change. She began to wonder what every pony would think of it. She could hear the ponies now.

“That was the best firework show I’ve ever seen!”

“The best in the world!”

“You are wonderful Princess Celestia!”

As she repeated those thoughts in her mind, she smiled.

Reality came back to Celestia when a pony finally stood up on the pedestal before them. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” He announced loudly. “We, of the Star Light Festival, are proud to bring back, the firework cannon!”

The audience roared with cheers of joy, overpowering Celestia’s, no matter how loud she cheered.

“The firework cannon has been a proud tradition of the festival for years and tonight it will light up the sky with its power and beauty.”

“Come on. Light up the fireworks already,” Celestia mumbled to herself in excitement. She was shaking with exhilaration, silently counting every second they delayed.

“Now without further ado, let us begin!” the pony finally stated.

Behind him, a single pony lit the fuse to the firework cannon. Second after second, the fuse grew shorter and shorter as the tension built in the air.

Celestia couldn’t help but have her mouth open in excitement. Her eyes widen, focusing themselves on the fuse that seemed to take a lifetime to burn through. She was ready for the show to start at any second.

Finally, the fuse separated to divide into each separate rocket and ignited them.

Within a moment, the rockets fired into the air, one after the other. Shattering at a distance in a bright display of color and beauty.

However, once one of the larger rockets finally launched with a tremendous amount of force. This caused the cart to jerk back just enough to send one of the other rockets to be launched off course.

The tiny rocket swerved out of control landing straight into the firework tent. The firework cut through the fabric like a knife through butter. As it passed through, it caused the fabric to catch a blaze.

A trio of ponies rushed out of the tent with great haste in a frenzy. “Everypony get back!” Celestia heard Sandy scream. “The tent is going to blow!”

As soon as Sandy finished his sentence, the tent exploded in a blaze of fire and colors. A series of pops and bursts follow.

Celestia felt a cold sweat slither down her back. The ponies around her started to whisper among themselves, asking each other what could have gone wrong or if they were in danger. Celestia, herself, hadn’t expected such a result. It worried her.

“If that was just one... What about... the others?” she panicked.

Two more of the larger fireworks burst from the cart, causing it to tilt again. This time as it tilted it turned and launched another firework. The rocket swerved around and cut into one of the canopies, causing it to catch fire. The fire was quickly spreading into the tents surrounding.

Ponies screamed and panicked as the fire was slowly spreading throughout the festival grounds. Celestia, Luna, and the hundreds of other ponies started to push and shove one another out of the way, attempting to escape the fire’s path.

Celestia fought to stay with her younger sibling. She held her sister’s hoof as tightly as she could, a cold sweat filling her hoof. Her mind raced with panic and guilt as the screaming of hundreds filled her ears.

“This ... this isn’t what I wanted?! I just wanted a bit of fun. Not... not this!”

As Celestia made her way through the crowd, one of the ponies bumped into her hard, causing her to let go of her sister’s hoof.

Celestia turned around to attempt to find her, but all she saw was face after face of ponies she didn’t recognize. “Luna!” she cried, but it was useless, her voice couldn’t be heard over the screams of everypony else.

The fire was coming fast. It would be on top of her in mere moments. She quickened her pace on hoof. There were so many ponies near her; she couldn’t even spread her wings. She was forced to the ground until she could get away from everypony.

Her thoughts were still consumed by her sister. “Lords above, where are you, Luna?” Out of all the questions she had, all that matter was if her sister was safe.

“Lords above, I didn’t want this! I didn’t want to cause this! What have I done?!”

As the fire continued its seemingly unstoppable march, a crack of thunder is heard overhead.

The thunderclap caused all the ponies to look up and see a soaring figure above them. A white Alicorn and two gray pegasi. The Alicorn’s horn started to glow as the sky thundered once more with a flash of lightning.

Following that, drops of rain fell upon the flames like a typhoon. The flames fought against the rain, but slowly after several seconds, the rain purged all the flames, soaking everything around them.

The Alicorn set herself on the grounds of the festival. The ponies in the crowd all turned towards their savior and bowed their heads to the ground.

“Thank you, Queen Faust.”

“Lords Above, thank you Queen Faust.”

“You saved us.”

The ponies indistinctly praised their Queen. She bowed her head in humility and thanked them in silence. But as her eyes opened, they were filled with antagonism.

“CELESTIA!” she shouted to the heavens in a much larger voice than a normal pony could muster.

Celestia knew that voice well. That meant she was really in trouble.

“Uh oh. Royal voice.”

Celestia slowly got up off the ground and steadily trotted towards her mother, her head hanging towards the ground.

Celestia approached her mother from behind and slunk silently to the ground. She wished with all her might that the ground would just consume her. The mud beneath her hooves felt more significant than her. She wanted to just watch the fireworks. Instead, she destroyed the Star Light Festival. She felt a huge void in the pit of her stomach as she slowly opened her mouth to speak.

“Mother… I-“

The Queen turned quickly towards Celestia with an aggravated look on her face. “You deliberately disobeyed me!”

Celestia leaned back in shock, her eyes started to water by the sheer stark of her words. “Mother… I’m sorry…”

“Guards!” the queen turned her attention from her to the two pegasi with her. They presented themselves before her and bowed their heads.

“Yes, your highness.”

Faust then took a look at Celestia, her eyes still as enraged as the moment she arrived. “Take Celestia back to her room. And make sure she stays there.”

The soldiers nodded and trotted to the princess’s side. “Come, princess.”

Celestia wanted to explain herself, but she knew it was pointless. Her mother wouldn’t listen to a word she said. Not tonight. She thought it was best to just do as her mother wished.

She joined the guards as they silently escorted her home. She didn’t like the silence. It gave time for the guilt to fester in her stomach. It had only been a few minutes and yet she felt as tiny as an ant.

Luna had been separated from Celestia by one of the panicking ponies. She screamed her sister’s name as loud as she could, but she couldn’t hear any reply.

“Did she hear me? Did she reply? I can’t hear over the crowd!”

She looked behind her to see the flames coming even closer now. She knew she didn’t have long before the flames were on her. She followed the crowd’s pushing and shoving, attempting to distance herself from the flames. However, she wasn’t quite large enough to make much headway. She was small compared to most other ponies, but only because she was young.

Luna then heard a crash of lightning across the sky. She looked up to see her mother and a duo of castle guards high above the crowd.

“Thank the Lords. Mother has come,” she silently praised.

A few moments later, the queen unleashed a rainstorm that quelled the flames. Luna watched as her mother set herself on the ground.

“CELESTIA!” her mother shouted in the royal voice.

Luna shivered in fear as the booming voice overpowered the surrounding area. She hated the Canterlot Royal Voice. It was an old tradition that was cast away even before she was born. Still, it was used every so often by her mother, who was still used to that tradition.

“Oh, Tia. Why? I knew we should have left. Why didn’t I stop her?”

She watched as Celestia dragged her feet through the mud that was quickly replacing the dirt, her head hanging down. Even from a distance, Luna could tell that Celestia was sincere in her apology.

However, mother was still very upset with her. While she couldn’t hear what they were saying, her actions spoke volumes.

The guards gathered Celestia and escorted her out of the festival grounds. It was silent for several moments. She looked upon her mother, who still hadn’t noticed her.

Her eyes were closed, her head hanging down towards the ground. She felt as if she was sad about something.

“Could she feel guilty about what she was forced to do to Tia? Mother... I know you can be hard on her sometimes, but she... she’s ... she’s irresponsible.”

Those words dug like knives into Luna’s heart. She hated admitting them, but she knew she was right.

“Tia is an irresponsible … ungrateful… pony that takes advantage of everypony else around her."

A large hole filled her heart and was steady growing larger with each new revelation. It tore her apart to speak so cruelly about her sister. The sister who had been there for her when their father passed away. And even before that, Celestia had always put Luna ahead of her own needs. She was not only her sister, but her best friend. A friend who had always been there for her.

But sometimes, a pony has to grow up.

“LUNA!” the queen shouted.

Luna felt a cold sweat come down her neck. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she stood up from the mud and trotted out of hiding.

“No sense in hiding. I agreed to go with Tia. I failed to stop her from going. I failed to stop all this. This is my fault too. Time to accept my punishment.”

She marched forward with her head drooped to the ground. She continued until she stood before her mother.

“Mother… I …”

“Luna. You are my daughter,” the queen started. The queen slowly opened her eyes; tears started rushing down her face. Her eyes weren’t full of anger or disappointment, but sadness and loss. “And you know I love you with all my heart.”

Fear started to swirl in Luna’s stomach. She wasn’t sure how she should react. This certainly wasn’t the reaction she had expected.

“Mother?” Luna asked, afraid to find the answer but eager to know.

“Come with me… Please,” the queen asked. “We have to talk.”

Celestia hardly got a wink of sleep that night. She couldn’t stop thinking about the events that unfolded at the festival. But they were never the thoughts of the fun and excitement she experienced.

They were always of the terror and horror that she caused, the lives she nearly destroyed. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see the flames dancing menacingly around them, the fear and alarm of the ponies at the festival, or the scorn in her mother’s eyes.

She tossed and turned all throughout the night, desperate to put that horrid memory away. But the memory still burned, as strongly as when it happened. Tears began to stream down her face when she thought of her sister and how scared she must have been.

“If she got hurt… if anypony got hurt… It’s all my fault…” she silently wept to herself. Her tears swam down her like a dam that had finally burst. They dripped down to her pillow, staining it with her guilt and regret.

The next morning felt as if it would never come. As if she would never be able to put that night behind her.

She was slow to rise out of her sheets as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. She was tired, hungry and sad.

“Last night was supposed to be the best night ever. But because of me, it turned out to be a disaster,” she continued to ridicule herself.

She forced herself off her bed and looked out the window as the sunlight shined through the glass. The sun was brutal on her already red and puffy eyes. “I’ve got to talk to Luna. She’s got to know that I didn’t want this.”

Celestia escorted herself out of her room and started towards her sister’s room on the other side of the castle.

A few moments later, she appeared at the door to Luna’s room. She gently knocked on it, hoping to wake her, but not abruptly. “I need to talk to her. I need her to see that I didn’t mean for all this madness to happen.”

Celestia waited for a moment, but there was nothing but silence. She pressed her ear against the door to try and sense movement, but there was not a sound, save for her own breathing.

“She must be exhausted. Who could blame her? After the night she had, she’ll probably just want to forget about it.”

Celestia slowly turned the handle to her sister’s door with her magic and gently opened the door.

“Still, I need to see her. To convince her it wasn’t what I wanted.”

She slowly walked through the door and walked into the room. Everything was in its proper place, as was usual for Luna. However, the bed was perfectly made. It looked like it hadn’t been spelt in at all last night.

“Luna,” Celestia called, but there was no response. The room was completely bare of any other pony. She thought about all the places Luna would go in the early hours of the morning.

“The library! Luna’s always there in the morning!”

Like a lightning bolt, Celestia rushed towards the library. Within a few moments, she had arrived at the Canterlot Library. Luna had spent many of her days here. She would study all types of literature, always with diligence and pride. Celestia was only ever here because of her sister. The library wasn’t Celestia’s favorite part of the castle. No, her’s was the kitchen.

Celestia looked around the library, going around corner after corner, table after table, row after row. Still, she was unable to find Luna.

She finally spotted the librarian pony and spoke to her. “Excuse me, servant.”

The librarian cringed at her title, but quickly dismissed it and replaced it with a half-smile. “What is it, your highness?”

“Have you seen my sister? I can’t find her,” Celestia asked.

The librarian shook her head. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday, your highness.”

Celestia started to worry as a cold chill slithered down her spine. It wasn’t like Luna to avoid the librarian. She and Luna were good friends. They always spoke to each other.

Thoughts of fear crept into her mind. “What could have happened to her? Was she hurt last night?!”

Celestia rushed out of the library as fast as her legs could take her. She headed straight for the throne room to seek an audience with her mother.

“Mother, please tell me that Luna isn’t hurt! Please Lords above, tell me it isn’t so!”

Celestia burst through the double doors to the throne room, where her mother stood by the glass paned window. Her eyes continued to stare out to the mountains beyond. She didn’t even turn towards her daughter as she marched towards her.

“Mother, something is wrong!” Celestia started, her heavy breathing breaking her sentences. “It’s Luna. She’s missing! I can’t find her!”

The room was silent. The silence made Celestia’s hair stand on end, as if foreboding news was on the horizon and she was the only one kept from it.

“Mother!” Celestia shouted in fear.

The queen turned her head and faced Celestia with a disapproving look. “She’s not missing.”

A brief sense of relief came over Celestia. Very brief. It was then replaced with confusion and frustration. Her mother was angry with her, again. She figured it was still from the events of last night.

“Then where is she?” Celestia asked.

Again, silence overtook the throne room. Celestia was growing impatient. She wanted to know if her sister was safe. She wanted to know now.

“Mother, please!

“Somewhere you cannot mislead her anymore,” the queen retorted.

Celestia wasn’t sure what to say. “Mislead her? What does that mean?!” She took a step back, as if she had just been stabbed in the heart. She was afraid to ask, but still, she had to know.

“What are you talking about?”

The queen lowered her head, but still kept her disappointed scowl. “I have sent her somewhere where she will be safe from your negative influence.”

Those words cut into her chest like a cold knife, slowly slithering down into her gut. Celestia had never been assaulted by such callous words. Not even from her mother. She attempted to speak, but she couldn’t even get a single word out.

“I have sent her to where she can grow to become the future ruler of Canterlot. Unlike you.”

The cruelty in her mother’s words burned away at her patients. She couldn’t hold back her rage any more. All the years of pressure and restraint had escalated into this one moment and like a volcano erupting, her voice broke into violent screams.

“Yes! Unlike me!” Celestia shouted. “Because everypony knows that Luna is the favored child of Canterlot! Me? I’m just the stupid daughter you never wanted!”

Silence fell over the room, but it was only so Celestia could catch her breath. “And how dare you?! How dare you take my sister from me?! I loved her in a way you will never understand! But I guess that’s alright because you never cared about what I wanted! You never loved me!”

Faust attempted to interrupt, “Celestia-!”

“No! I hate you!” Celestia then darted out of the throne room with tears streaming down her face, leaving the queen alone with Celestia’s last words echoing throughout the hall.

Celestia crawled into her bed, sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. The guards had knocked on the door to check up on her, but she demanded that she be left alone.

“Stupid mother…” she cursed to herself. “Stupid guards… Stupid… everything…”

Her mind continued to scream of the memories she had with Luna. They played before her like a living tapestry. The good times, the bad times, the happy times, and all the sad times. But no matter how bad life got, they always had each other. They could get through any problem, any situation, anything, as long as they were together.

But now, those days were gone.

“Oh, Luna. I’m so… so very sorry,” she silently sobbed. “I’m sorry... I’m so very sorry…”

She cried herself into sleep’s deep embrace, finally knowing that she was not in some nightmare world, she was in reality. And the reality was: she would never see her sister again.

Author's Note

Hey, guys. Fireemblemspider here. Just want to thank you guys for reading Chapter 1 of the Princess Celestia: Sorceress Supreme. Please favorite if you guys enjoyed it. Also, click on the link to watch for more updates on this and future stories. http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/ And of course, don’t forget to comment below. Tell me what I’m doing right. Tell me what I’m doing wrong. Tell me what I can improve on so I can be a better writer, achieve my dream, and you guys can get better quality writing.

Also, click on the links below if you want to read more stuff by yours truly.

Batman/Sailor Moon Crossover –http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/gallery/30845176#/d4u8f36
TMNT/Sailor Moon Crossover – http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/gallery/30845176#/d3h6r6b
Ike & Samus Fan Fiction - http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d40hxaj
Incredible Flutterhulk - http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/art/The-Incredible-Flutterhulk-Chapter-1-350898755

Big huge shout out to Bronyman1995, Lunar Avenger, and Panama for proofreading the story. Definitely check out their pages, they’ve got a lot of other great Marvel/MLP crossovers that I think you will all enjoy.

Also, one last shout out goes to my friend Saturdaymorningproj for providing me with the artwork that now promotes my fan fiction. Thank you so much for doing that. Please help me to say thank you to these guys by following, or faving their stuff.

I want to thank all those guys and I want to thank you guys for reading. Chapter 2 will come soon, be on the lookout for it. Have a great day you guys. Stay happy, stay safe, stay warm or cold or whatever it takes to make you comfortable. Party on.

The Spoiled Princess Celestia

The kingdom of Canterlot had evolved into a sprawling city of peace and harmony as the years passed by. The ponies within the walls enjoyed the bounty of food, security and peace. It was a truly a golden age for the kingdom, with one minor exception.

The princess of Canterlot, Celestia, was an inconsiderate and selfish ruler, very different from her caring and compassionate mother.

Celestia cared little for her people and only wanted to make herself happy. It was never about anypony else, only her.

Ever since Luna’s ‘banishment’, as Celestia would call it, things between her and her mother had been growing worse. So much so that the tension within the castle was rising.

Celestia sat in her room on a pillow taking in slow relaxing breaths. The two maids behind her were gently stroking a brush through her mane. The earth ponies were being very careful with Celestia’s mane, taking their time.

“Remember not to pull my mane when you brush!” Celestia snapped, holding her head up and not even looking at them. It was as if she didn’t even recognize them being there. “I want you to make my mane presentable, not rip it from my head!”

The earth ponies meekly nodded. “Yes, your highness.” They continued their repeated strokes, this time being even more careful. If Celestia had turned around, she would have noticed a cold sweat coming from both of them.

But she didn’t care. It was all beneath her. She had more important issues on her mind.

“Where is that blasted maid with my breakfast?!” she growled in her mind. “If that cook could be any slower, I would surely starve.”

The statement couldn’t have been further from the truth. As she looked down, a large patch of flab hung pompously over the side of its equally arrogant owner’s stomach. The sweets she had partaken in for years had finally taken their toll on her body. But that was far from important. She was a princess; she was to be spoiled.

The door on the other side of the room slowly opened to reveal a white mare with a plate of cookies. She started to shake nervously as she approached the less than radiant and more overweight Alicorn.

“Your cookies you requested, your highness,” she spoke in a tense tone as she held out the plate with the golden brown cookies. The cookies were not uncommon for Celestia. She would take sweets whenever and wherever she could get them. And as her title as princess of Canterlot, it wasn’t difficult.

Celestia’s horn started to glow as the treat was lifted into the air by the magical aura the formed around it.

“It is about time!” she barked. “Could the chef be any slower today?”

The maid lowered her gaze, as the princess’s eyes grew harsh. “I’m sure he did his best.”

The princess took a single bite of the chocolate chip pastry, but after a second, spat it in the maid’s face.

The maid drew back in shock, as cookie crumbs, chocolate chips, and saliva were hurled in her face.

“These cookies are cold and there are not nearly enough chocolate chips in them!” Celestia shouted as she leaned forward. The maids behind her tried to compensate for her sudden movements, but could not keep up.

“Take them back and tell him to make a new batch!”

The maid bowed her head quickly; sweat building on her face from fear. “Yes, your majesty. I’m sorry, your highness.”

Celestia tilted her head with a snobbish ‘humph’. “Forget it, I have lost my appetite.”

She used her magic to jerk the plate of cookies into the air, causing the treats she despised to be hurled all across the floor. The maid looked around her, seeing the desserts rain all around her. She then looked down for she knew it was her responsibility to clean them up.

“Take those and throw them away!” Celestia ordered.

“Yes, your highness,” the maid meekly whispered. She then proceeded to pick up the treats that were scattered across the floor.

“And what did I say about pulling my mane?!” Celestia turned back towards the maids behind her.

The two ponies bowed their heads in unison and spoke, “Apologies, your majesty.” The maids knew it was because of Celestia’s sudden movements that had caused them to accidentally pull on her mane, but they didn’t dare speak up. It wasn’t their place. So instead, they just took her harsh words.

The princess then turned her head back to its normal position and continued to watch as the young maid attempted to clean the mess Celestia made.

“Is it too much to ask for the ponies in this stupid castle to do anything right?”

The maid started out of the room with the plate of cookies in hoof when she bumped into a tall purple stallion with a dark blue mane. “My apologies, Sir Roland,” she whimpered as she bowed her head.

The old stallion smiled and bowed his head. “It is quite alright, my dear.”

Sir Roland made his way into the princess’s room and bowed before the Alicorn. “Your highness.”

Celestia eyed Roland and then turned away, her head tilted upward. “What is it, Roland? Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”

Roland tilted his head lower to the ground. “Forgive me, your majesty. But I come on behalf of the council.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and gave an exhausted sigh. “What do they want now?”

Roland raised his head and met with Celestia’s face. “They are requesting that you visit the village this morning.”

Celestia scoff and almost started laughing. “The village? Tell me you jest. I am not setting hoof into that rat town again.”

The stallion took a nervous step forward. “Forgive me, princess, but I do feel that it would be good for you to see the citizenry.”

Celestia snapped forward. “Do not proceed to tell me what is good or bad for me!”

“My apologies, your highness. I…” the stallion lowered his gaze again. “...Overstepped my bounds.”

“That you did,” Celestia replied with a snarl. An eerie silence fell within the room. The only sounds that were heard were the silent brushing of the princess’s hair or the birds chirping out the window.

Sir Roland looked towards the ground as if looking for what to say.

Celestia rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine, I shall attend to the village.”

Sir Roland glanced up to the princess with a bright look on his face. And then the princess spoke again.

“But you are never to harass me about this again! Am I clear?” Celestia snarled.

The stallion bowed his head once more. “Of course, my princess.”

Celestia waved her hoof as if to shoo Roland away. “Then ready my carriage. I shall grace that dirt heap with my presence.”

Roland started to cringe at Celestia’s choice of words, but quickly hid it, hoping she wouldn’t see.

Celestia did see, but she ignored it. She didn’t care about what Roland or anypony else thought of her. She just wanted to get this nonsense over with. And the sooner, the better.

Riding in the carriage was never something Celestia enjoyed. She just wanted to stay in her room and rule her country from there. She hated going to the village. It was dirty, low-class, and everypony there had horrible speech patterns. She looked around her to see pony after pony giving a quick glance at her majesty carriage.

The carriage was gold and bright. It mirrored the one her father had been in when he left for the peace summit. The one he never returned from. The ominous memory didn’t help cool Celestia’s nerves.

As the ponies looked upon the carriage, they whispered to each other. Celestia couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she had a good idea. She had once heard several maids speaking to one another when they thought she wasn’t listening. They would go on and on about how tyrannical Celestia was and how she was nothing like her mother or sister.

They would make up cruel and despicable names for her, like ‘Trollestia’ for her fat body and mean demeanor that represented the mystical beast; the troll. They would go on about how she should crawl back under the bridge she came from. They would laugh as they continued to belittle her.

“How dare they speak so ill about me?! I am the Princess of Canterlot! I should be respected and worshiped!”

The carriage stopped sharply, throwing Celestia off balance by the sudden shift of movement.

Celestia cursed under her breath. She poked her head out the window of the carriage. “What is going on?!”

At the front of the carriage was a white unicorn, who was confronting the two pegasi drawing her carriage. “Please, I must speak with her royal highness,” the mare begged.

Sir Roland came from the side and approached the mare. “State your business.”

The conversation continued, but Celestia had quickly lost interest. She slunk back into her carriage and waited like an impatient child. “This is exactly why I don’t like going to dirt town.”

Within a few moments, Sir Roland appeared at the window side. “Your majesty, if I may speak.”

“If you must,” Celestia snarled, glaring at Roland with discontent.

The stallion bowed his head, “Your highness, the unicorn is a nurse from the Canterlot City Clinic. She has asked me to speak on her behalf.”

Celestia remained silent as she turned her head away. She didn’t want to hear about what petty problems these ponies faced.

“Your majesty, please. Just listen,” Roland continued.

Celestia once again glared at the knight. He had been in service of Canterlot since her mother was young. He was a strong, kind and honest knight. He was also annoying persistent when it came to helping others. He would always speak about the joys of helping others and simply asking nothing in return.

Celestia was above all that. She was a princess and all that moral code and ethics meant nothing to her.

“She is having trouble helping her patients and would ask that you lend her your magical talents.”

Celestia snorted in contempt. She was hoping that was enough to break Roland’s will, but the stallion was uncommonly unrelenting.

“Please, your highness. If not for me, for yourself.”

Celestia moaned as she rolled her eyes. “Fine. But this is the last time I do this village any favors.”

The knight bowed his head and advanced towards the white unicorn, who could be heard cheering with joy at the news she had heard.

Celestia shook her head in annoyance. She couldn’t believe that she was actually going to help the rabble. “What have any of these ponies done for me? Why do I owe them anything?”

A question she continued to ask herself as they made their way to the clinic.

The clinic was not far from their current location. A short jaunt was all that was required to arrive. The carriage placed itself just outside the doors to the medical center, with the pegasi waiting outside.

The unicorn, Sir Roland, and Princess Celestia entered the hospital, one after the other. The nurse led them to down towards the coma center. Rows upon rows of beds greeted them, each of them holding a filly or a colt. They were all tossing and turning, mumbling something. Celestia couldn’t hear what they were saying, but then again, she was hardly interested.

“These children have all been experiencing the same problem,” the nurse stated.

Celestia noticed Roland raising his eyebrow, “And… what problem would that be?” he asked.

“They enter a death-like coma, only screaming and shouting for something to stay away from them,” the nurse explained.

“All of them?” Roland asked, a horrified look attached to his face.

Celestia was thinking the same thing, but did her best not to show it.

They were taken to a mare and a stallion, who were kneeling over a small filly, who was lying on a white mattress. The pair’s eyes were bloodshot and there were tear stains on the sheet covering the child.

The trio approached the slumbering child. “This is Melody,” the nurse introduced the child on the bed, pointing towards her. “And these are her parents.” As her hooves motioned towards the pair at their child’s bedside.

The parents did their best to smile, but couldn’t find the strength or courage to do so. Celestia simply tilted her head upward with a snort.

Silence fell all around them. Celestia wasn’t interested in the sob story that was about to be told, but she knew Roland would be, so she didn’t say anything.

And like the sun predictably rising over the mountains, Roland finally broke the awkward silence. “And this child as well?”

The nurse nodded. “She seems to be having nightmares.” She then placed her hoof on the child’s head.

An ominous silence fell over them, as if the nurse didn’t have the courage to continue. It was several seconds before the nurse finally spoke again. “We have tried every spell we can think of, but nothing has helped. If anything…” the nurse paused. She took a deep breath as she looked into the hopeless faces of the child’s poor parents. “It’s made things worse.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “What do you want me to do about it?” she asked, impatiently.

The nurse bit her lip, a cold sweat slithering down her face. “We… we were hoping that… you could help…” she stuttered. She then swallowed deeply, as she realized she forgot to pay her respects. “Your majesty.”

Celestia turned away. She knew that Alicorns were more magically adept than normal unicorns, but she wasn’t interested in using her magic. She wanted to just turn around and trot out, but Roland’s voice stopped her.

“Please, your majesty. Please try.”

Celestia scowled at the knight for his abruptness. She shook her head. “Fine.” The princess’s horn started to glow as she took a step towards the bedside. Melody’s parents took a step back, fearing the worst, silently praying for the princess to succeed.

The princess concentrated with all her might, attempting to awaken the child with a ‘wake up’ spell. However, something resisted her. Something incredibly powerful. It fought against her and pushed her back. After several moments, she surrendered to the mysterious force and cancelled her spell.

She exhaled deeply in irritation. “There is nothing I can-!” Melody screamed out as she leaned up from the mattress and grabbed Celestia’s arm violently.

At that moment, the hospital room that Celestia had been in a second ago had vanished. Instead, what replaced it was a fiery nightmarish hell. The sky was bright orange and red, thunderclaps echoed all around her and lightning flashed in every direction she looked. She saw stone platforms floating uncontrollably around the empty space that engulfed her. However, like volcanoes, the platforms would erupt in fire, smoke and lava. With each passing second, a new platform would burst with a quaking boom that overpowered the thunder.

She then turned around to see a pair of yellow eyes peering straight at her. As she looked beyond the eyes, she saw the figure of a massive beast. It had two hideous horns on its head and a smile that took her very breath away. The creature then unleashed a sinister cackle in the air as a wave of fire rushed straight towards her. The flames consumed her, as she screamed in searing pain.

Her screams came in unison with Melody’s as the filly plopped back onto the bed without making another movement. Celestia looked around her and saw that she had been freed from that nightmare world and back into the hospital. She took a step back in fright, unsure of what to make of her vision. She looked down at her hooves and noticed they were shaking. The world that she had entered, the sounds and sights of that strange Tartarus, and the beast within, it was enough to scare her speechless.

Finally, Roland came to her side. “Your highness, what is it? What happened?”

Celestia continued to breathe heavily as she tried to conjurer an explanation of what she had just been through.

“What in the world was that?” She asked herself. “Was it a dream? A nightmare? My head playing tricks on me?”

Her mind recorded justification after justification, but none made sense.

Roland’s voice tried to reach her, but she couldn’t hear him. His voice made no sound. She only heard the sounds of the hell she had been trapped in for a moment or two. She had never been so terrified in her life. It was worse than any prank that had been dealt to her on Nightmare Night. And then it hit her.

“This… This was some sort of trick or prank!” she declared. “It must be! Something to make me look foolish! The nerve!”

Roland slowly helped Celestia to her feet. As he looked into her eyes, he saw anger and frustration in them. “Princess, what is wrong?”

“Roland, we are leaving!” Celestia snapped as she turned towards the exit, trotting with her head held high.

“Pri-Princess… I,” Roland stammered.

“Now!” Celestia interrupted as she turned her head towards the knight. The stallion motioned to speak, but surrendered to Celestia’s will. He simply bowed his head and followed the alicorn towards the carriage.

“Princess Celestia!” the nurse shouted. She made her way to the princess’s side and bowed. “Please, princess. You can’t just leave.”

Princess Celestia glared at the mare before her and held up her hoof. “I can do what I please! Now away from me!”

The nurse was dumbfounded with shock and grief. She simply stood up and stepped to the side, allowing the princess to pass unhindered.

As Princess Celestia started to board her carriage, the mother of Melody came to the carriage’s side.

“Please, you can’t leave my baby! Please, don’t leave her!” she begged as she desperately grabbed at Celestia’s hoof.

Celestia struggled to break the grip of the mare. “Let go of me! Guards, get her off me!”

Roland approached the mother and wrapped his hooves around her. He then pulled her back with all his might, forcing the mare to release Celestia’s hooves. “Ma’am, you need to step back,” Roland stated. As the carriage door shut, locking Celestia inside, the mare started to weep uncontrollably. Roland leaned in on her ear, attempting to whisper, but Celestia heard what he said all the same.

“I’m sorry… I am so sorry.”

“Why in the world is he apologizing to her?!” Celestia ranted. “I’m the one who deserves an apology. I was forced into traveling to this dirt town, was coerced into using my magic against my will, taken to … Lords know where! And then I was assault by this ruffian!”

Celestia sat on the leather seats of her carriage as the pegasi continued their march towards the castle. She looked out the window to see the fading image of the village she detested so much. It was so small and so irrelevant compared to the castle. She didn’t understand why any pony, let alone one as important as her, would bother with such a trivial place.

Celestia had spent the rest of the day in her room, having her servants wait on her. However, she was growing increasingly bored, but had little interest in doing anything beyond sitting and watching her servants attempt to entertain her. Her mind kept wandering back to the incident at the village. She continued to curse Roland for forcing her to go and the village for their cruel trick.

“That was uncalled for!” she thought to herself. “I didn’t deserve that!”

Celestia’s horn started to glow as a cupcake was hovered to her face. She took a bite and moaned as its sweet taste tickled her tongue. She swallowed with a sigh of satisfaction. It was the first treat she had had all day that didn’t taste like it had been in the trash first.

She took another bite as the door to her room slowly began to open. When she looked towards the doorway, she saw Sir Roland standing at the doorway. Celestia rolled her eyes as the knight entered the room. “What is it now?” Celestia snapped.

Sir Roland bowed his head. “The council has asked for your presence.”

Celestia scoffed, as she took a bite of her treat. “What makes you think I care if the council requires my presences?” she spoke as she chewed her cupcake.

Sir Roland diverted his eyes and bit his lip. Clearly it bothered him to see such poor manners, but Celestia didn’t care. She was a princess after all.

“Your highness,” Roland said as he stood tall. “I am to deliver you before the council.”

Celestia looked at Roland with a look of shock and disgust. She swallowed her treat and spoke, “You are to deliver me?” She leaned forward, glaring at him. “Who do you- Who do THEY think they are?! I am the princess of Canterlot!”

“I am sorry, your highness. But those are my orders.” Roland stated firmly. “And I will carry them out.”

Celestia mouth hung wide open with disbelief. She was baffled by such disrespect towards her. Celestia finally stood up and marched towards the doorway, bumping rudely into Roland as she passed.

“How dare Roland treat me this way?! Why is everypony against me?!”

She continued down the hallway towards the council conference room, where she was expected.

Celestia entered the double doors of the conference room, where a gathering of stallions and mares sat at a large round table. As she entered the room, all eyes diverted themselves directly to her. She looked behind her to see Roland, still escorting her.

He stepped in front of her and bowed his head to the council. “Princess Celestia, my lords and ladies.”

The stallion at the head of the table bowed his head. “Thank you, Sir Roland.”

Roland lifted his head and exited the room, leaving on the council and Celestia behind.

“Step forward,” one of the mares said.

Celestia snorted as she complied with her order. “Consider that a boon. One I will not repeat.”

“Do you understand why you are here?” the head stallion spoke.

Celestia didn’t care to shake her head or nod it. She didn’t know why she was here, but she had a good idea. The council had always wanted her to speak to the citizens more. They wanted her to become closer to the ponies she was going to one day rule. Something Celestia did not share. She did not see why she would need to spend time with them. To be closer to them. She failed to see why it would even concern her. She was royalty and that was enough to get respect.

After an elongated silence, the head stallion spoke again, “You are here because you failed to represent the kingdom of Canterlot in a positive manner.”

Celestia’s ears perked themselves up. She shot a look of discontent towards them. “What does that mean?!”

“You are incapable of compassion and kindness,” the first mare left of the head stated. “It has shown itself on more than one occasion.”

Celestia growled under her breath. “Compassion? Kindness?! When have I ever been shown either?! Why is it expected of me when I am not treated to such things either?!”

“You are disrespectful towards everypony around you and you have no concept of responsibility!” the second mare left of the head snapped. “The servants who work for you are treated poorly and the villagers are treated even worse. An unacceptable aspect of your demeanor.”

Celestia had finally heard enough. “How dare you?! You are not fit to judge-!”

“Be silent!” the head stallion sharply ordered.

Celestia took a step back in shock. She couldn’t believe what that stallion had just done. He had interrupted her and more to the point, he had told her to keep silent. Celestia then grew enraged. “You would dare interrupt me?! I am the princess of Canterlot!”

“Not anymore,” the head stallion stated.

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped when her mind processed the words that were spoken. “Not anymore?” she replayed the message in her mind. She looked around the room, taking note of each of the ponies around her. She was expecting one of them to crack a smile or burst out laughing, as if it was some kind of joke. She saw none of that. Instead, she only saw scowling faces and disapproving eyes.

“What?” Celestia finally asked.

The head stallion stood up and one by one, the others followed. “Celestia, you are being stripped of your title and your authority. And you are to be banished for the good of the kingdom.”

Celestia shook her head in disbelief. “That is ridiculous! On what grounds?!”

“The grounds that you are unfit to be the future ruler of Canterlot. You fail to see what our kingdom stands for. The ponies and the kingdom do not deserve a pony who would treat them with such disdain.”

Celestia took a step forward. “You cannot take my title from me! You can’t banish me! I outrank all of you!”

The head stallion diverted his eyes from her and towards the ground. His eyes then glared at her. “This comes from a higher authority than even you.”

Celestia drew back in alarm. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard, but somehow it didn’t surprise her. It only made her angry. “I want to see my mother!”

Celestia burst into her mother’s room, the doors booming as they flung open. She saw her mother standing by the window side, the same window side she stood at when she delivered the news of her father’s death.

“How dare you?!” Celestia shouted as she pointed her hoof at her mother.

The queen turned around and gazed upon her daughter. “You left me no choice.” Her voice was calm and still. She didn’t look like she fully recognized what she was doing. That only upset Celestia even more.

“No choice?! How dare you take my title from me?!” Celestia stomped forward and locked her eyes directly into her mother’s.

“You have proven that you are not able to rule this country as it needs to be!”

“Of course not!” Celestia snapped as she took a step forward. “But how could I compare to the precious, favored daughter of Canterlot?!” She hated herself for speaking ill of her sister, but the words escaped her mouth before she could stop them. She immediately regretted those words, but she tried her best not to show it. Especially towards her mother.

“How dare you bring Luna into this?!” Faust shouted in anger. She shook her head in frustration. “Having Luna leave us was the hardest decision I ever had to make and it was even more impossible to ask it of her! But she did it for you!”

Celestia shook her head, violently. “No, she did it for you!” she blamed as she pointed her hoof at the queen. “She did it because you wanted her to! And she’s just a devoted daughter!”

“I did it to help you!” The queen took a step forward. “I did it, so that I could personally help you become a better pony, but you keep pushing me away! You push everypony away! Your father would be ashamed of the pony you’ve grown into!”

“You condemn me for bringing others into this, yet you would bring father?!” Celestia growled under her breath, grinding her teeth. She knew it was unbefitting for a princess to look like a mad pony, but she didn’t care. She was angry. “You! The pony who stopped caring for me the second he was gone! Where were you when I needed you?! You were always with Luna or some other important business!”

“I never stopped caring for you!” Faust snapped. “But you are too wrapped up in your own anger and arrogance to see that! To see how you treat other ponies!”

“What do I owe these ponies?! They have never done anything for me!”

The queen simply glared at her daughter with disapproval. “Those ponies do more for you than you could possibly imagine. And if you can’t understand that, then I cannot allow you to stay.”

Celestia fought back the tears that were growing in her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her own mother was banishing her. Her anger had finally reached its breaking point. “Fine! You want me gone! I’m gone!” she turned around quickly, heading straight for the door. “And I’m never coming back to this damned place!”

As Celestia marched down the hallway, her anger consumed every thought.

“This is not fair! Why does everything I love have to be taken away from me?!” She continued down the hallway, tears starting to swell up in her eyes. Her thoughts distracted her from the world so much, it wasn’t until she bumped into something that her world came back to reality. When she looked up, she saw the figure of a silver stallion with a gray mane.

“My apologies,” the unicorn expressed as he politely bowed his head.

Celestia’s anger took over and she rudely brushed against him. “Keep your apologies. I don’t want them.” She continued to trot down the hallway and towards the outer castle doors, mentally preparing herself to leave the only home she ever knew. With every step she took, she felt a piece of herself slip even further into despair. With every step she took, one more tear fell from her cheek.

Celestia stood outside the city walls. The village had been dead silent as she and her escorts passed. They simply looked at what was happening and remained still. No matter what any pony was doing, they instantly stopped and watched as she dragged herself through the town. It was an eerie feeling, she was used to being seen by everypony for her magnificence, but this time felt different, like they were scolding her.

She would often look up as she passed them. Some of them had confused looks on their faces, some of them had anger and resentment, and some of them look rather… pleased. Pleased, like they knew what was about to happen to her. Like they knew she was destined to be sent away from her home, never to return.

“How dare they? Here I am being escorted out of the city like a common criminal! And look at them, not a single sad face among them! They should be begging me to stay! There should be a riot in my name!”

She continued to ask herself these questions as the guards opened to the doors leading out of the city. Celestia took a glance at each of the soldiers. Not a single one shed a tear, not a single one even so much as looked at her. She felt as if she had been jabbed in the chest. Not even her own servants respected her anymore. She proceeded through the doorway, her head hanging towards the ground.

She looked towards the sky, which was a sea of beautiful twilight colors. Red, orange, purple, and dark blue painted a picture of beauty and tranquility. Something she had wished she could have stayed and enjoyed. Something she wished she had somepony to enjoy it with. But she had nopony, she had nothing.

Except a single picture. It was a small picture, but it was her most valuable treasure. She levitated the picture towards her face, gazing upon it. She saw the faces of two young mare; Luna’s and herself. “Luna, you’re all I have left. I promise I will find you. I have to.”

With that thought, Celestia took her first steps forward towards the horizon. She wasn’t sure where to start looking. All she knew was that Luna was probably the only pony who cared about her. She had to find her. No matter the cost.

Author's Note

Author’s Note:

Hey, guys. Fireemblemspider here. Just want to thank you guys for reading Chapter 4 of the Princess Celestia: Sorceress Supreme. Please favorite if you guys enjoyed it. Also, click on the link to watch for more updates on this and future stories. http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/ And of course, don’t forget to comment below. Tell me what I’m doing right. Tell me what I’m doing wrong. Tell me what I can improve on so I can be a better writer, achieve my dream, and you guys can get better quality writing.

Also, click on the links below if you want to read more stuff by yours truly.

Big huge shout out to Avenging-Hobbit, Lunar Avenger, and Theinvincibleironbrony for proofreading the story. Definitely check out their pages, they’ve got a lot of other great Marvel/MLP crossovers that I think you will all enjoy.

I want to thank all those guys and I want to thank you guys for reading. Chapter 5 will come soon, be on the lookout for it. Have a great day you guys. Stay happy, stay safe, stay warm or cold or whatever it takes to make you comfortable. Party on.

The Search for Luna

The journey was a long and harsh one as Celestia started down the lonely road. It hadn’t been long since her banishment, yet she still felt as if it was a past life. In a strange sense, it was. Celestia continued her struggles down the road, as the sun shined harshly above her. She dragged her feet through the dirt and grass, weary from her travels. She had flown for most of it, but now her wings ached. She was tired and hungry. Celestia thought back to her last meal, desperate to remember what it was. However, with everything that had recently happened, she couldn’t even begin to fathom what the last meal she had was.

She looked down the road to see a small village straight ahead. The collaboration of buildings spoke of a successful society and the bright colors suggested friendliness. Celestia, however, wasn’t interested in the city or its ponies. She was only interested in the food that they had to offer. She picked up her pace ever so slightly in excited haste for the sights and smells of the local village, in hopes of acquiring something to eat.

As she approached the entrance to the city, which she now recognized as the small town of Ponyville, her gaze counted the ponies traveling in all such directions. Ponies of all shapes and sizes marched, trotted, or flew around to their intended destinations. They went about their business without giving her a second look, as if they didn’t even know who she was.

“How inconsiderate of them?!” Celestia thought to herself. “Don’t they know I am Canterlot royalty?”

However, despite these thoughts, the ponies did little to notice her. Then a loud rumbling sound came from the pit of Celestia’s stomach. The sharp pain in her belly almost caused her to collapse to the floor.

“I suppose food is more of a priority at this point.”

Celestia scanned the area around her, hoping to find something to eat. But there were so little shops nearby, at least as far as she could see. Her stomach rumbled in anger as a lingering reminder of her present situation.

“Apples! Get your fresh apples here! Only two bits!”

Celestia’s ears perked themselves up as the voice came from behind her. She whipped her around fast to see an orange mare with long yellow hair pushing a large cart of apples. Celestia started to eye the fruit with a yearning desire. She had noticed herself licking at her chomps as she stared at the red delicious. She had never been fond of fruits and vegetables. Not when she had all the sweets in the world to consume, but as her stomach constantly reminded her, she was hungry and food was food

Celestia made her way through the dense crowd and stopped in front of the apple cart. The orange mare turned her head and smiled towards Celestia.

“Well, hello there. Looking to buy an apple, are we?” the mare asked.

Celestia didn’t respond. She only continued to eye the wondrous fruit that only stood a few feet away. Her mind danced with images of her taking her first bites. She imagined what sensations she would feel as her teeth ripped through the skin, tasting the juicy fruit just underneath. The thoughts caused her mouth to water.

“Um… miss?”

The mare’s voice brought Celestia back to reality. When she returned, she was leaned up against the cart; her mouth was held open, perched and ready to chomp into the red delicious in front of her.

Celestia quickly removed herself from the cart and placed herself firmly on the ground, taking a couple of steps back. Her face reddened with embarrassment, but she did her best to dispel it.

“Now, Celestia, you are a princess. Try not to embarrass yourself. You need to keep calm.”

“Can I help you, miss?” the mare asked, her eyebrow raised with worry. Not that it surprised Celestia. She had acted rather unprofessionally, but that was the past.

“My dear, I have been on the road for quite some time,” Celestia started with an over dramatic voice. Her forelegs were waved high in the air, all for dramatic effect. “I have traveled far and wide and have found myself weary from the exhausting journey.”

“Uh huh,” the mare replied, tilting her head in confusion.

“And an apple would be just the thing I would need to rejuvenate my strength.” Celestia turned her gaze, once again, back to the fruit on the cart. A feeling came over her, as if the apples were begging her to take them away.

“That’ll be two bits, please.”

With that, Celestia used the tactics she mastered at the Star Light Festival. If she was to survive, she knew she would need it. “I don’t need any pony! I’m a princess of Canterlot! I’ll be just fine!

“But alas, I have no bits to my name,” Celestia continued, her foreleg across her forehead, signifying dramatic effect. “But I’m certain a generous pony such as yourself would be more than happy to help one such as I, the princess of Canterlot.” She gave a sly smile as she mentioned her title.

“You’re the princess of Canterlot, huh?”

Celestia made her way quickly to the side of the cart. “Oh, thank you so much. You’re generosity knows no bounds!” Celestia reached out her hoof to grab the red apple without hesitation. However, an orange hoof swatted hers away. She looked up to see the orange mare sporting a threatening look upon her face.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m running a business, not a charity,” the mare firmly stated.

Celestia’s eyebrow rose in disgust. “Do you not understand who I am? I am the princess of Canterlot!”

The orange mare leaned into Celestia’s face. “Yeah? And I’m the queen of Saddle Arabia!” Celestia took a step back as the orange pony continued her march forward. “Look, beggar, if you don’t have bits, you don’t get apples.”

The pony made her way back to her cart and continued down the road, advertising her product as she went.

Celestia was dumbfounded as she stood with her mouth hanging open. She had never been treated with such disdain before. Especially not by an earth pony. Celestia mumbled cruel words under her breath as she started in the opposite direction of the vendor.

“Do they not understand that I am a princess?! That they should be lining up to help me?!”

Celestia turned her head around hoping to catch the apple seller again, just for a chance to give her a stern glare. However, the vendor was distracted by a customer and her young filly to notice her. The young filly started leaping with joy, as if she was expecting a delicious apple in her future. Celestia started to cringe in annoyance. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that she was becoming jealous of a child. And yet, the filly was going to eat and she wasn’t.

However, the gears started to turn in her head as the vendor continued on her path. She noticed that the mare was easily distracted by customers. Celestia decided to follow her until she had met with another patron. And soon enough, she had met with another. They were exchanging pleasantries, having a laugh and smiling towards one another. It was as if they knew each other. But Celestia was hardly paying any attention to them. She just wanted her apple.

She hid herself behind a crate in an attempt to hide from the vendor. She eyed the fruit and focused her magic.

“If you won’t deliver me charity, I’ll simply take it.”

Celestia’s horn started to glow as one of the apples from the cart rose from its resting place. Celestia smiled as the apple slowly moved towards her. Her thoughts were once again consumed by her gnawing hunger. Imagining the first bite was all Celestia could think of as the apple, that seemed hundreds of miles away, seemed to call out to her.

“Stop! Thief!”

The voice called Celestia back to reality. She had stepped out of her hiding place without realizing it. And because of this, the vendor had seen her actions.

“Stop that thief!”

Panicking, Celestia reeled in the apple to her and bit down the stem with her teeth. Her feet then took over her body and she darted down the road, making her way through the crowd of ponies in her path.

“Halt in the name of the law!”

Celestia turned her head to see a group of ponies coming straight towards her. The ponies wore heavy armor and held swords at their sides. Her heart started to race, beating faster and faster. Her heavy breathing became the new sound that assaulted her ears.

She was desperate to outrun them, but she was still exhausted from her travels. She turned her head forward and made her way to an opening in the crowd. Once she arrived, she opened her wings as far as she could and took to the skies above. Within seconds, she was away from her ground pursuers.

She nearly took a sigh of relief when a voice came from behind her.

“There is no escape! Surrender!”

Celestia turned to see a trio of pegasi coming straight for her. The heavy armor they bore indicated that they were also of the city guard. Celestia’s relief turned to terror as she hastily flew forward, giving her wings every ounce of strength she could summon.

“Lord above, please let me get away. Please!”

Celestia hadn’t considered what would happen if she was caught. Prison was certainly no place for a princess like her. Still, if they caught her, that is likely where she would be. She flapped her wings even harder, but the guards were still gaining on her. Normally, she might have been able to outfly them. But she was too exhausted, her wings hurt, and she was weary from hunger.

Knowing that an air chase would end in her capture, she headed for the ground below, hoping to lose them in the crowd of ponies.

Celestia pushed her way through the crowd and dove into a nearby alleyway. There, she ducked behind several crates, hiding as best as she could. However, she was too tired to move afterwards. She found herself leaned up against the wall, helpless to move. If they were to find her, she wouldn’t even be able to put up a fight.

“Where did she go?!” she heard a voice come from just outside the alleyway.

“Please, don’t find me! Oh, please. Oh, please. Oh, please.”

“She went that way!” another voice came.

Tears started to dwell in Celestia’s eyes as she feared for what came next. If the guards came down the alleyway, she would have no way to escape. She sobbed as she silently waited for the guards to come around the corner at any seconds, silently praying they would simply pass her. A moment passed and nothing came. Another moment passed, still nothing. Celestia waited several more moments with still no sign of her pursuers.

Celestia gathered her strength and looked out of the alleyway and into the city. There were ponies, yes, but they were all traveling along the road, minding their own business, mingling with one another. Not a single one had even noticed her.

She breathed a deep sigh of relief as she slunk down behind the crates.

“Thank the Lords above, I’m safe. Safe and now I can have my-, “

Celestia opened her mouth, expecting the red fruit to fall to her lap. To her disappointment, only the stem appeared before her.

“What?! How… How is that possible?! I just had it!”

Celestia’s mind jumped back to before the chase, the only point when she was certain she had the apple. She desperately tried to remember where she could have lost it. At the start of the chase, in the air, when she dove into the alleyway? She frantically looked all around her, but the fruit was nowhere to be found. It was long gone.

“This is just wonderful! I nearly get arrested for stealing a piece of fruit that I don’t even have anymore! This is the worst day of my life!”

She moaned in sorrow as her stomach growled at her in disappointment. Something she mimicked in her mind.

The day slowly descended into night as Celestia dragged herself around town. She had spent most of the day hiding in her little sanctuary, which was just behind a group of crates in the middle of an alleyway. Her stomach was in unbearable pain from lack of food. She needed something to eat. Anything would do.

Celestia made her way to a different alleyway that was placed on the side of one of the restaurants. It was a fancy place and very expensive. Celestia had thought about trotting inside and announcing who she was, but quickly dismissed the idea when she thought she saw the figure of a guard closing in. Her fear of capture tricked her mind into seeing normal ponies as guards. Clearly, her mind was playing tricks on her. Regardless, she thought it best to stay out of sight.

She found herself stationed in front of the trash bin, just outside the restaurant. The stench made it easy for Celestia to keep away, but the hunger and the slight chance of food made it tempting to open the lid. Eventually, hunger won. Celestia placed her hooves on the lid of the dumpster and opened it slightly.

As she did, a combination of rotten food, sauces, spices, and other scents she couldn’t identify assaulted her nostrils in a way that caused her to gag. She had to move her head away from the entrance to inhale fresh air. She took a deep breath and stuck her head back into the dumpster. Her eyes quickly scanned through the remains, desperate to find anything that could be edible.

“Look at me! This is humiliating! Me, Princess Celestia, forced to dig through garbage! For food!”

As she continued to look, her heart continued to sink. The food that was wasn’t half-eaten, was either covered in dirty napkins or soaked in sauce and other liquids. It turned Celestia’s stomach more than once just looking at them. She couldn’t imagine smelling it too. However, her luck seemed to pay off when she found half of a cabbage. It looked like it had been cut with a knife rather than bitten into.

“Well, it looks… appetizing.” Celestia raised her eyebrows as she realized the thought that had just entered her head. [i“Please, tell me that was the hunger talking.”

Her horn started to glow as she slowly lifted the cabbage with her magic. As it approached her face, she realized the combination of smells was stained onto the cabbage, making it difficult to face. After pulling the cabbage from the dumpster, she set herself down on the far wall and continued to stare at it. She started to take heavy breaths after releasing the breath she had been holding.

“I can’t believe I’m actually considering this!”

Celestia brought the cabbage to her face. She opened her mouth slightly, slowly inching towards it. She started to pull away as the smell started to grip her nostril, but eventually her hunger lured it closer to her mouth. Her teeth eventually bit into it, tearing off a small chunk. Her tongue pulled the leaf into her mouth and she began to chew, slowly.

“… Oh, so good,” a voice in her head moaned in satisfaction as she continued to chew.

“Good?! Look at yourself! You are eating garbage!” Another voice in her head shouted in shock and horror. “You, the princess of Canterlot, are reduced to eating garbage to survive!”

She took another look at the cabbage as she swallowed her first bite. It was the first meal she had had all day. And she wasn’t sure when she would have another. She took another huge bite out of the side as she grabbed it in her hooves. “I’m so hungry I don’t care!”

As she started to chew her latest bite, she heard the sound of a door opened nearby. Her eyes diverted themselves to a large stallion with a huge bag of garbage in his hooves. His eyes finally found Celestia. They scowled at her as he noted the vegetable in Celestia’s hooves.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Stay away from my garbage!”

Celestia slowly made her way to her feet, wrapping the cabbage tightly close to her body in her forelegs. Her frightened scampering turned into a dash for safety as the stallion slowly approached her.

“If I catch you again, I’ll call the guards! They’ll lock you up, beggar!” His voice followed her as she darted down the dark alleyway, holding tightly onto what was more precious to her than gold.

The night was no less miserable than the day. Celestia had managed her way back to her sanctuary, but was tired. She collapsed behind the crates, hoping that sleep would take her in its gentle embrace. However, her constant fear of being discovered, the hunger than had yet to be quelled and the frigid cold of the night made it nearly impossible for her to get a wink of sleep. She wrapped herself in her wings as best she could, but even they were only so effective against the chilling winds that assaulted her body.

When the sun finally rose over the rooftops, it assaulted Celestia’s already sensitive eyes. She moaned in agony as she attempted to move her aching body. The morning had barely come and her stomach was already giving her signs of irritation. The cabbage from last night had not satisfied her last night and had long since lost its potency this morning. She had not remembered falling to sleep the night before, but she was no less tired than yesterday.

Celestia gathered all her strength and slowly stood herself up. She knew she had a long day ahead of her. She needed to start her search for Luna and she needed to find some more food.

The day dragged on with Celestia approaching ponies that she could, asking them if they had seen her sister. She would present to them a picture of her sister, in the hopes that some pony would recognize her. However, nopony had even seen her before. They hadn’t even seen an alicorn until Celestia approached them.

When she wasn’t trying to find leads on Luna, she was avoiding the guards or digging through dumpsters for food. Neither of which she was particularly fond of. Eventually, Celestia became tired of the town of Ponyville. There was nothing left for her there, just like Canterlot.

With those thoughts continuing to haunt her, she made her way down the road, praying for the next city to have more to offer.

Celestia’s journey dragged on as she traveled from town to town. After awhile, they began to look the same to her. The same roads that all intertwined at the city’s center. The same shops along them, with each vendor practically begging patrons to try their product. The same alleyways she would hide in to avoid the seemingly same guards that would chase her. And the same responses to her questions.

“Never seen her before,” they would say.

“Can’t say I’ve seen her.”

“Nope. Haven’t seen her.”

“Never seen a pony like that before.”

“Haven’t seen her.”

“Nope. Not around here.”

As each pony was questioned, Celestia’s heart sank even deeper into depression. Her hopes of finding Luna was beginning to dwindle.

She continued down the road, passing pony after pony, who didn’t even give her a second look. After all, why would they? Her once beautiful pink mane was mangled, twisted and coated in dirt, as if it had never been combed or washed a day in her life. Her body was coated in either mud, dirt or perspiration. Her eyes were red and puffy, due to her inconsistent sleep patterns. And she smelled terrible, like the dumpsters she constantly stuck her head into just to survive.

The only good thing she could look at was the giant flab that was once her belly was reduced to nothing, but her rib cage looked as if it was threatening to split open her skin and escape the confines of her body.

She would look at herself in the glass of windows and wonder how a radiant goddess could have fallen into the depths she found herself in now. She closed her eyes and found herself thinking about her castle, her room, her home. She had always been taken care of. Food was aplenty and it was always at her beck and call. She was always able to bathe her body in a nice warm bath. She shivered at the thought of simply experiencing a bath once more.

Her thoughts then turned to the tall towers that stood high above the city. She thought about how she would look down from those towers, glancing at the tiny cities below. How she saw herself at the highest point of Olympus. Now, like a god fallen from the mountain, she was trapped and force to live like a mortal. It would make her cry every night she was force to look upon her reflection. Every time she was reminded of what she had become.

An aroma in the air distracted her from her thoughts. It was a pleasant smell, like warm dough being taken from the oven. Celestia opened her eyes and scouted the area around her, hoping to find the source of the delightful smell. Her eyes finally spotted her target when she saw a large, obese stallion trotting down the road with a large cart of fresh bread came her way.

The wagon must have been a hundred feet away, but Celestia could smell the brilliance of the bread coming off it.

The smells caused Celestia to recall her days at the castle when she was just a filly. Mr. Cake was always cooking up something good and most of the time it was treats for the two princesses of Canterlot. Celestia was the one who would always beg Mr. Cake to make more treats. Cookies, cupcakes, cakes, pie. It didn’t matter to her. She just wanted something good to snack on. But no matter what Mr. Cake would make, she would always make sure that there was enough to share with Luna. They shared everything with each other. Secrets, desserts, happy times, sad times, laughs, everything.

Tears started to develop in Celestia’s eyes as her memories played out in front of her. She wished with all her heart she could go back to those simple days. Her memories evaporated from her sight when her stomach roared in anger. She realized that food was priority at this time. She started to glance around her surroundings, carefully taking note of everything around her.

“If I’m going to do this the rest of my life, I’d better make sure I can do it right.”

Celestia recalled the first day at Ponyville, when she was nearly captured by the guards because of her carelessness. She hadn’t made much progress in the art of stealing in any of the other cities she found herself in. She was a master in the art of escaping by the skin of her teeth or dumb luck, with little or nothing to show for it. She needed to get better if she wanted to survive on the streets.

She scanned the area closely and noticed a guard directly ahead of her. He wasn’t focused on her, but any motion towards the bread cart and he would notice if she wasn’t careful. She continued her scan around her, noticing a guard off to her right. He was much further from the bread cart than the first one was and wouldn’t likely notice anything going on if she decided to take a piece of bread.

As she continued her probe of the area, she noticed that the only guards around were the ones she spotted. “Okay, there are only two of them. A good head start and I should be able to outrun them.”

Just as she finished that thought, another popped into her head. She was an alicorn and alicorns were not commonplace in Equestria. She surmised that she would be the only alicorn within hundreds of miles, leaving her very little room to hide if she got caught. She looked towards an alleyway to her left and noticed a long brown sheet fluttering in the wind. She made her way towards it as it hung precariously over her.

“That should make a pretty good cloak,” she thought to herself as she smiled. She quickly gave a glance around her to make sure nopony was paying any attention to her. As expected, they continued on their way without noticing her. Her horn glowed as it engulfed the sheet in its magic, slowly dragging it down the earth below. Celestia started to wrap it around her body, but it was much smaller than she thought it was. The sheet was only large enough to cover her wings. She had secretly hoped it would include her head in the concealment, but she knew it would have to suffice.

She made her way back to the main path, where she noticed the bread vendor had stopped at one of the buildings. He was conversing with a young mare. The way his eyes were on her, Celestia assumed he was flirting with her. She smiled at the convenience. She made her way to a stack of crates just a couple dozen feet from the bread cart. The fumes of the bread still assaulted her nose as vigorously as the moments she first caught wind of it. And was still as enticing.

She quickly gave a glance to her left and then to her right, to make sure nopony was watching. As she hoped, the ponies were minding their own business. Even the guards seemed distracted. She slowly lifted a loaf of bread off the cart with her magic and like a fish on a hook, started to reel it in slowly, trying not to make it noticeable. But as the loaf slowly glided towards her, her mind began to wander.

She thought about Luna and how they would always share the finest bread in all Equestria baked especially for them by Mr. Cake. She would always make sure Luna got the larger portions, even when they were little. It only seemed fair.

“Hey, she’s stealing your bread!”

The mare’s voice broke Celestia out of her trance and noticed the two ponies staring straight at her. She quickly summoned the loaf and held it closely to her.

“Stop, thief!” she heard one of the guards shout.

Her feet quickly took over, but she quickly found path barred by the second soldier. She had completely forgotten he was there, and she hadn’t planned out an escape route if she got caught. She quickly darted back towards the alleyway with the two guards close behind her.

She panicked as it seemed another guard was coming up on her trail. She brushed past several ponies as she ran out of the alleyway and back onto the main path. As soon as she could, she turned down another path, but she knew they would be on top of her soon. With that thought, she quickly ripped off the cloak and spread out her wings. Her wings then carried her to the rooftops, where she dove for their cover.

She simply laid on the warm rooftop, taking in heavy breaths. A few moments passed before she decided to take a quick glance over the edge of the roof. She looked down to the group of ponies below, who were scouting the area for their missing criminal. They had found her cloak, but they were oblivious to what was above them. She quickly withdrew her neck into hiding before they spotted her. She glanced down at her hoof and saw the loaf of bread, still warm, still alluring. It took every ounce of restraint Celestia had not to scarf it down in an instant. However, knowing that they would soon search the area for her, she took to the sky and flew off to find a place to enjoy her meal in peace.

After a few moments, Celestia had finally settled on a rooftop to enjoy herself. Perching herself proudly on the edge of the roof, she was all smiles. She couldn’t believe the luck she had finally had. Things were finally looking up for her. She set herself on the ground with a sigh of relief and directed the loaf of bread to her face.

“And now, to enjoy my meal free of worry,” she thought to herself as she licked her chops. She opened her mouth to take her first bite when something caught her eye. She stopped and looked down at the alleyway below her. She saw a dark blue figure with its head in the dumpster. Normally, she wouldn’t have given her a second thought, but her blue coat looked eerily familiar. The wings at her back were familiar too. Celestia gasped in shock as she stared at the figure.

“Luna!” she wondered as she continued to eye the figure. A bright smile started to shine across her face. She thought of how her search was finally over. Of how she would finally find the one pony in all the world that would accept her.

However, as the pony pulled her head out of the dumpster, Celestia started to frown in disappointment. Sure, the pony’s coat was the same color as Luna’s and she had wings, but there was no horn on the top of her head. As Celestia continued to scan the pony, she noticed the cutie mark was different and she discovered that she was far too small to be Luna. The pony was only a filly.

Still, she could’ve passed for Luna in an instant. The filly slunk down to her rump as her bottom lip began to tremble. Finally, she unleashed a series of sobs, followed by tears flowing uncontrollably down her face. Celestia’s heart felt as if it has been stabbed. She looked down at the little filly and noticed similarities between her and the child. They were both starving. They were both hurting. And they were both alone.

“Lords above, she’s just a child. Why does she have to go through this?”

As her eyes slowly began to divert themselves, another figure approaching the tiny filly brought her gaze back to the alleyway. The figure was a unicorn, slightly bigger than the smaller filly. She wrapped her hooves around the little one, embracing her with a sad look gripping her face. Celestia’s eyes widened as she looked upon the newcomer. She was a mirror image of herself. The unicorn didn’t have wings and the cutie mark was different from hers, but she was almost the exact same. Same white coat, same pink mane, same horn atop her head.

As she watched the two children hold each other tightly, her mind wandered back to her childhood. Shortly after her father died, Celestia was more determined than ever to figure out how to fly. She would travel to the garden and practice until she could lift herself off the ground. Pretty soon, she became a natural flyer. Luna, however, found it hard to fly. While Celestia didn’t know it at the time, Luna was secretly jealous at how easily Celestia picked up on flying. She flap her wings with all her might, but she couldn’t even get off the ground. She didn’t realize that Celestia was able to fly much sooner than Luna was simply because Celestia was older. Her wings were stronger and more developed. But Luna was tired of watch her sister fly while she was stuck on the ground.

Luna, one day, decided to climb the tree in the garden. Her idea was to get as high as she could and then leap off to fly as high as her sister. In the child’s mind, it all seemed so simple. However, as she climbed the tree, she slipped off one of the branches and fell, hitting the ground hard. Celestia only realized this when Luna cried out in pain. Like a thunderbolt, Celestia rushed over to her sister’s side, embracing her in her forelegs. She would whisper calming thoughts into her ears, saying whatever it took to help Luna.

A few moments later, the maids would come with a bandage for Luna, but Celestia insisted that she be the one to treat her. And as carefully as she could, she placed the bandage on Luna’s knee, which had been scraped as a result of the fall. Celestia then made her first ‘Celestia Promise’. She promised Luna that she wouldn’t fly again until Luna could fly too. She remembered seeing the joyous face on her sister as she made the nursery rhyme to her promise. It made her so happy to see her sister care about her so much. Celestia loved to see Luna smile and made it her mission to make her smile every chance she could.

After that day, Celestia worked with Luna to make sure they could both fly together. It was a long several months, but Celestia never broke her promise. She promised herself she wouldn’t until they could fly together. She remembered the joy on Luna’s face when she was finally able to get off the ground, even if it was only a few inches. Luna felt proud of herself that day and Celestia was happy to see her beaming with joy. A few weeks later, they were both soaring the skies of Canterlot.

Her memories replayed themselves in her mind like a living tapestry. Tears slowly gathered in her eyes as she looked down upon the two children below. They looked so much like her and Luna.

Her stomach roared in impatience, waiting for the loaf of bread she had stolen. She gave it a glance, but that was all she could do. She could only stare at it and argue with herself.

“Those are just children! They don’t deserve to live this life!” one voice would state.

“And I do? I’ve been through worse than they have! I deserve this bread more! I stole it fair and square!” another voice would say.

“But is it right for me to be so selfish?”

She looked down at the children once more, a pain shooting into her heart as she heard the soft cries of the younger one. Their sobs echoed within her as her next thought entered her mind. “What would Luna do?”

Sunshine held her sister, Moonglow, tightly as she continued to weep. She silently prayed to the Lords Above for some sign of salvation. She looked up to the sky, hoping just to see the heavens, but her eyes beheld something else. Something that caused her to smile. As she beheld the beautiful sight, she shrugged to Moonglow, pleading to her to look.

Moonglow was slow to turn her gaze, but as she came across the sight, her eyes widened with awe, her mouth grinned with joy. Hovering just above their heads was a large loaf of bread, its aroma filling the alleyway with its warm scent.

Sunshine was at first hesitant as she slowly reached her hooves up to grab it. However, as the moments passed, she gained the courage to swipe it from the air. As the bread touched her hooves, its warmth tingled her body. Moonglow had wiped her tears from her face as she impatiently waited to sink her teeth into the pastry.

Sunshine split the loaf into two pieces. She placed the smaller half at her side, leaving the much larger portion to Moonglow. The filly excitedly took the bread and bit into it as quickly as possible. She moaned in satisfaction as the warm dough tickled her mouth.

Sunshine smiled as she gazed upon her sister, who was still chomping down on her delicious meal. She then turned her gaze to the sky above, looking for any sign of where the mysterious gift had come from. But when she looked up, there was nothing, but the sun. Regardless, she silently thanked the deliverer of such a generous gift.

Celestia had only stayed long enough to see the children claim their gift. She wondered if they realized she was there. She quickly dismissed it however. Knowing children, they were probably just happy to have something to eat. Regardless, she felt a sense of completion. She wasn’t sure why she felt the way she did, but she was happy. Happier than she had in a long time. Since, the day she took Luna to the Star Light Festival. Performing deeds for her sister always made her happy and now, for the first time in years, she was once more. At least, until her stomach roared in disgust, as if to ridicule her decision.

The day quickly turned from bad to worse as a rainstorm had been summoned to the city. Celestia attempted to find cover anywhere she could, but she found that the city was practically against her. Nopony would let her stay inside their shelter and no tent would have her. She was forced to seek what little refuge she could. She would hide under canopies, which provided little protection against the weather, only to be driven off by the city guard.

Besides, the fact that she was wet and cold, she was still very hungry. She wandered the city for any food, that she could steal or obtain, but alas the shops were closed tight due to the rain storm. Dumpsters were left bare from garbage ponies earlier that day. Finally, as fatigue reared its ugly head, Celestia collapsed on the side of the road. Her tears started to mix with the rain that swam down her face. She was in pain, alone and forgotten.

“I’m going to die,” she had convinced herself. “I’m going to die. And nopony is going to notice… or care.”

She closed her eyes. Her sobs overpowered the sound of the rain pummeling the ground. “Lords Above, if you can hear me, please… I need some help.”

She didn’t know why she was begging. She didn’t know why she was trying. Everypony else had abandoned her, why would the Lords Above be any different? Her depression continued to grow inside her, threatening to consume her very thoughts with death.

She silently waited. Waiting for the rain to drown her. However, as she expected the rain to crash upon her, she felt dry. Completely dry, as if the rain hadn’t even touched her body. Not only was she dry, she was warm. She opened her eyes, expecting to see a nightly thunderstorm, but what was around her was a clear night sky. She looked up to see a figure standing above her. At first, she started to back in fear. Fear of it being one of the city guards. One that had recognized her.

The figure’s horn started to glow as something in his pack, that hung on his side, started to move. At first, Celestia’s instinct was to run, but she couldn’t find the strength. She was still too hungry, too weak for that. However, her fears were quelled when she saw the item float out of the stranger’s bag. It was a loaf of bread. It looked like the one that she had stolen earlier. It smelled like it too. She motioned her hooves towards it, but paused. She looked up to the unicorn and noticed a slight smile. With that sight in her mind, she grabbed the bread and started to rip into it like a wild animal. Her jaw bit into it with a soothing groan of pleasure.

“Princess Celestia,” the figure spoke.

Celestia’s ears perked straight up and her eyes directed themselves straight at the figure standing above her. She stopped chewing out of fear. This was the only pony in all of her travels that knew her name and it frightened her.

She slowly swallowed the piece of food in her mouth and took a deep breath. “How do you know my name? Who are you?” she asked, as she slid back in fright.

“I am Starswirl, and I know a great deal about you.” The figure held out his hoof, signifying that he meant no harm. “I know who you are. I know what you have been through. I know who you are searching for.”

Celestia’s mind boggled with questions as Starswirl spoke. “Who is this pony? How does he know so much about me? I’ve never met him before.”

Celestia’s thoughts were broken as Starswirl continued, “And I know where to find her.”

Celestia rose to her feet and approached the unicorn; her eyes wide open with shock and amazement. Nopony had even had a clue or a trace of Luna’s location and this pony had, supposedly, information on her whereabouts.

“Luna? You know where she is? Where? Tell me!” Celestia demanded.

“Atop the Lhorse Mountain,”

Celestia raised her eyebrow. “Atop the Lhorse Mountain? What in Tartarus is she doing there?”

“All will be explained when you arrive.” Starswirl’s horn glowed once more, as a scrap of paper emerge from his travel sack. “And this will be your guide.”

Celestia’s magic took the paper from the air and opened it, revealing a map. It revealed a trail on the Lhorse Mountain to a mysterious ‘X’. There were other keys such as a compass, landmarks and other such markings. Celestia started to study the map carefully.

“Why are you helping me?” she asked, waiting for Starswirl’s response. However, when she looked up to see the unicorn, he was gone. Gone, as if he was never there in the first place.

Celestia looked to where the unicorn stood and noticed the travel sack he was carrying. Filled with curiosity, she used her magic to bring the bag before her. Inside was a rather large coat, a container for water, and some food, mostly bread. As she counted it, she noticed she could feed herself for at least a week. However, another thought entered her mind. She still needed to find Luna and if there was any truth to what Starswirl was telling, she would find her at the Lhorse Mountain.

She tied the bag to her back and steadily made her way to the mountains beyond the city.

Scaling the Lhorse Mountain

After a brief interlude of asking for directions, Celestia was well on her way to the Lhorse Mountains. As she trotted towards the mountain, she would constantly shift her gaze upward in hopes of seeing the top. However, the mountain’s peak was covered in white clouds, almost as high as the sky itself. She could only wonder how high it was.

As Celestia approached the mountain, it seemed to grow in size, making it much larger than she had anticipated. As she finally stood at foot at the mountain, she realized looking up in an attempt to find the top was impossible.

Well, if Luna’s up there, I’m going after her, Celestia stated her resolve. She opened her mighty wings, completely neglecting the coat in her pack. She figured she wouldn’t need it. She would be up the mountain quicker with her wings.

At first, the journey seemed simple. The base of the mountain was lush and beautiful. Little animals scampered around, going about their business, not even noticing Celestia. The trees provided shelter for the birds to sing their lovely songs. The grass was so lush and green. The flowers were in beautiful bloom. She couldn’t help but smile at how peaceful it was. It was like a Garden of Eden.

This is going to be easy, Celestia thought to herself.

However, after a few hundred feet, it became anything but easy. The air became frigid and unbearable, forcing Celestia to don her coat to keep her body safe from the chill.

As she entered the more snowy parts of the mountain, the wind had picked up tremendously. The force pushing against her was so strong that she had trouble maintaining her course when flying. Her struggles against the wind were wearing her down quickly and eventually, the gust forced her to the ground with a thud as she plowed into the snow. And that was another problem entirely. The temperature had dropped so suddenly and vigorously that snow quickly covered the landscape. Her body began to shiver uncontrollably as she trudged through the snowy depths.

The air was so cold and the wind was blowing so intensely, the cold draft cut through her coat and onto her skin like a knife. The touch of the chilling breeze gently struck Celestia’s spine, giving her goose bumps. She curled herself in a ball and rubbed her chest in a vain attempt to keep warm.

Just… got to… stay … warm…, she repeated to herself as she quivered in the deep snow. But no matter how she tried, she was still as cold as ever. She then thought of an old spell she knew that would dispel weather storms. She hadn’t thought about her studies since she left the castle. It hadn’t come to mind, not even when she met Starswirl after the large rainstorm. The truth was that she wasn’t sure she knew that she could perform the spell correctly. If she was Luna, she would figure out the spell in a heartbeat. Not her, she didn’t care for spells like that. She didn’t see any use for them. At least, not until now.

Celestia lifted her head high and concentrated with all her might. Her horn started to glow as she focused on the gusts of wind blowing against her and as the snow that continued to fall from the heavens. She gathered all her strength against the storm, but even with all her might, the tempest would not let up. Celestia stayed at this for several moments until finally she exhausted her patients. All that time trying to quell the squall and it made no difference. The seemingly unstoppable hurricane continued to pummel her body.

She knew that flying was far too dangerous to try again. If she was blown off course by a single, sudden, powerful burst of air, she could be sent plummeting down the mountain. Or sent into the side of the mountain with the sharp, jagged rocks. She turned her gaze upward, hoping to see the top. Alas, she was too far below the clouds to see anything above them. As for below them, she saw only miles upon mile ogs snow and ice that she would be forced to trudge through, cliffs that were several hundred feet high and there was very little vegetation or shelter.

She knew if she was going to attempt this journey, there was no turning back. And she would have to climb the mountain, the hard way.

Celestia took a deep breath and slowly started to rise to her feet. She inched forward, beginning her long hike to reach her sister.

She trudged through the path specified on the map with as much strength as she could muster, which was slowly dwindling as she pressed forward. Her chilled body would cause her to curl up in hopes of warming her. In that instance, she remembered a spell that would help her keep warm. It provided a small fire in front of her and she set herself beside it. However, as soon as the concentration of her spell ended, the cold wind and large snowflakes would douse the flames. She was forced to keep her mind focused on the fire. The effort kept her awake, despite her weariness.

All she wanted to do was rest her head down and fall asleep next to the roaring flame, but she would perish if she did. After picking herself back up, she again trotted through the seemingly endless field of deep snow.

Climbing the cliffs left her longing for the simplicity of trekking through the white plains. Her hooves were so numb that they could barely grip the rocks for support. Her forelegs were already exhausted and frozen, yet she forced them to help her scale the cliff side. As she climbed, the wind constantly pushed against her, causing her to cling to the rocks for dear life more than once.

The climb was not always filled with ascension as she had hoped. She had slipped of the rocks and fell to the snowy ground below her. Her body ached. All she wanted to do was lie in the snow and forget everything that had just happened. She often wondered if she was safer digging through trash and running from the guards than scaling this seemingly impossible mountain.

However, as she rested against the cold, soft ground, her thoughts wandered to Luna and the chance that Starswirl was telling the truth. All she had wanted was to see her sister again. To be accepted as she once was. This was the only thing that kept her going. Celestia picked herself out of the snow bank and started to climb again.

The journey became increasingly exhausting, however. The gale had blown even fiercer than before, the snow fell like daggers upon Celestia, and her supplies were running dangerously low. There was barely any water left and food was even scarcer. She had lost track of how long she had been traveling the mountain side. A couple of days? A week? She couldn’t tell. All she knew what she needed to find where she needed to be soon, or she’d run out of provisions.

She lifted the map from the pack at her side, her magic holding it as straight as she could. It wasn’t easy considering the wind was constantly threatening to rip it away from her. It took all her concentration to hold onto it and she still needed to study it to ensure she hadn’t wandered off the designated target.

I should be getting close by now?! I’ve traveled the right way so far, I think, she continued to contemplate as she studied the drawing. Oh, who am I kidding?! I’m lost! I have no idea where the Tartarus I’m going!

She growled and stomped her hoof in irritation causing her to lose her concentration on the map. The spell she wrapped the paper in vanished causing it to be taken by the wind. Celestia attempted to grab it with her spell once more, but the drawing was soaring too wildly to keep track of. Within a few moments, the map was lost in the wind and snow.

Of all the damned luck! she screamed to herself. Her voice then unleashed a cry of frustration that echoed into the wind. After her voice had failed her, she slunk down in the snow. She began to consider her next move. She was lost in a snowstorm with hardly any food, water or direction. She shook her head in fear as the cold wind blew against her.

She looked up, hoping to see some sign, any sign of hope. She didn’t know why she did. She was just hoping. As she continued to stare into the snow covered air, a figure started to take shape in the distance. She focused her gaze to the figure to see it was rather large. As she looked upon it, the wind started to die out and the snow dwindled from a raging blizzard to a calm, gentle fall. The figure was actually a large statue of a unicorn. And a few feet from it, stood another statue, almost a mirror image of the other. However, there were a few differences. One of them had a beard while the other did not. One of them had a long mane while the other was bald.

Why are there statues out in the middle of the nowhere? Celestia asked herself, searching for an answer. She lifted herself to her feet and journeyed to the two large statues. As she made her way there, she noticed that just beyond the statues was a large temple-like structure. The temple had enormous towers and a massive wall that looked like it was used as a fortress.

That place! That must be where Starswirl said that I can find Luna! Celestia cheered. It was the first time she had been happy since she had heard that Luna was atop this mountain. She prayed with all her heart that she heard right.

She rushed up the many steps to finally find herself at the doorway. She was breathing heavily as she toppled to the ground, just in front of the door. It was hard to get up due to fatigue. She hadn’t slept in Lords know how long. She was hungry and thirsty. The entire climb had taken just about everything she had in her, but she found the strength to move the door knocker with her magic. Banging it with every ounce of strength she could muster, hoping somepony would answer.

After the first knock, the door began to open. Celestia looked up to see the pony who invited her here. Starswirl.

“I …made it,” Celestia stated, her deep breaths interrupting her speech.

Starswirl, at the door, smiled. “One journey ends.” He then motioned Celestia to enter the temple. “As another begins.”

Celestia made her way passed Starswirl and entered a long hallway. The walls were filled with tapestries of ancient symbols, writings and textures that were unfamiliar to her. But as much as she paid attention to them, she had more pressing concerns on her mind.

Starswirl then stepped beside her, “Come. It is not much further.” Starswirl started to lead her down the hallway, towards one of the large doors at the end of it.

“Where is my sister?” Celestia asked impatiently.

“All will be explained in time,” Starswirl replied as he continued on his path. Nothing was stopping them from reaching the doorway.

Celestia didn’t want to wait, she wanted answers now. What was Luna doing on top of this mountain? Did these ponies kidnap her and held her for ransom? She quickly disregarded the idea when she thought about why they would bring her here. Unless, they were holding her for ransom too? But then why would they not have grabbed her back in the city, instead of forcing her to climb that perilous mountain? The more she thought about it, the more insane ideas popped into her head. Each one more unlikely than the last. Finally, she focused her thoughts on following Starswirl.

As the doors slowly opened, they revealed a unicorn on the far edge of the room with his back turned towards them. His long red cloak descended to the ground. He didn’t move and didn’t acknowledge their entry. Celestia followed Starswirl as he placed himself on the ground just short of the unicorn. He got on his knees and lowered his head to the ground, as if to bow before this pony. “Do as I do.”

Celestia cringed at the fact of bowing to any pony. She was a princess after all. But if there was a chance to find Luna, she would submit. She mimicked Starswirl’s movements and bowed before the motionless unicorn. “Who is this?”

“The Ancient One,” Starswirl stated.

As Celestia keep her head near the ground, a shadowy figure appeared overhead. She looked up to see an ebony unicorn, barring the path to the other. This unicorn had a stern, fierce look in his eyes and his frown was only just hidden by his purple mustache. She noticed him glare at her with disapproval. Out of discomfort, she quickly diverted her eyes back to the floor. Moments passed as Celestia patients wore thin. “How long must I wait like this?”

Starswirl turned to her, “Be patient. An audience with the Sorcerer Supreme is an honor that cannot be rushed.”

That was the last straw. Celestia’s patients had finally given out. She stood up with a scowling look on her face. “You would dare?!” She started to step forward towards the two ponies. “I have climbed your accursed mountain and I was nearly killed in the process!” She didn’t notice Starswirl urging her to come back. Even if she did notice, she wouldn’t have cared. She was angry. Everything that had happened to her was because of these ponies and their mysteries. And she was tired of it. “And I did not climb it, just so I could wait for-!”

“Sit down!” the ebony unicorn shouted as he shoved Celestia so hard that she fell to the ground.

Before she realized what had happened, Celestia was on her flank looking up at the ebony unicorn, who was glaring at her once more. Did he just push me? Celestia growled in her mind as her eyes filled with rage. He just pushed me! The nerve!

She rose to her feet, staring right into the eyes of her opponent. “How dare you?! I am the princess of Canterlot!” She emphasized as she took another step forward. “And I shall not be treated-!”

The ebony unicorn lifted his hoof and thrust her back to the ground, this time even harder. After hitting the ground, Celestia looked up and saw that the unicorn was undeterred.

“I said, sit down,” he said in an irritated manner.

Celestia took a deep breath, realizing that throwing a fit was getting her nowhere. She picked herself up to her feet and lowered in her head. “Look,” she started to plea. “All I want is to find my sister.”

“You can only find your sister,” the Ancient One finally spoke. “Once you have found yourself.”

Celestia’s mouth dropped in disgust as the Ancient One’s words rung in her ears. Those were not the words that she wanted to hear. She wanted news of her sister, her whereabouts, if she was alive and safe. She wanted anything. Instead, she was offered…

“Spiritual guidance?! That is what you offer me in compensation for my sister?!” she shouted in disbelief. She turned her head towards Starswirl, who was shaking his head. “You lied to me!” She turned her attention back to the old pony. “He said you could help me find my sister!”

“I cannot,” the Ancient One replied. “For the answer you seek lies within you.”

Celestia shook her in frustration. “That makes no sense to me.”

“Then you have made this journey in vain.” The Ancient One finally turned towards her revealing his old, frail body to her. Her eyes widened as she saw him. Not because of his body, but because his feet were not touching the ground. He was not sitting on anything, nor was he standing on anything. He was just hovering. Hovering above the ground like a puppet on invisible strings. She looked at the horn on the top of his head, wondering if it was some levitation spell, but his horn wasn’t glowing. It was dark and still.

How… How is he doing that?! No unicorn can just… defy gravity?! Not without some type of magic!

He set his legs on the ground and walked towards the far wall, not even taking note of Celestia’s reaction.

Celestia took a step towards him, trying to get around the dark pony in front of her. She held out her front hoof as if to stop him. “Wait! Wait-!”

She then screeched in pain as the dark unicorn grabbed her foreleg and twisted it behind her back. Tears started to develop in her eyes, not just from the pain, but of desperation as well. “Please,” she whimpered. “I need my sister. I’m nothing without her.” A single tear started to stream down her face. She did everything she could to hold them back, but like a dam, it eventually broke. “I’ve searched everywhere.”

“No.” the Ancient One stopped in his tracks and turned towards her. “You have not. The question is: Are you willing to?”

Without even a moment’s hesitation, Celestia responded. “Yes.” She didn’t know what that meant. Nor did she care. She just wanted to find Luna and these ponies were the only ones who had information. Even if it was locked away in riddles and nonsense.

The Ancient One looked upon her and nodded his head. “Then you may stay.”

With those words, the black unicorn shoved Celestia back to the ground, letting go of her foreleg in the process. As Celestia turned her eyes upward towards the dark pony, he had completely forgotten her and was well on his way out of the room. She was so distracted by him and his cruelty, she didn’t even notice Starswirl come to her side until he had spoken.

“Come, you must be hungry,” Starswirl said as he helped Celestia to her feet. Celestia almost put on a smile. Hungry was an understatement.

Starswirl had taken Celestia to a small room that was filled with long wooden tables. All of the tables had wooden chairs surrounding them and each of them was bare, save for one spot. One table contained a small bowl that was steaming with something. As Celestia approached the table in question, she noticed that the bowl contained a dark green liquid. It had some sort of vegetables inside it. Celestia had eaten something like this before, not that she enjoyed it. Vegetables were not her favorite food. And neither was soup, which was what lay before her. However, if she had developed anything on this journey, it was the will to stomach anything to quench her hunger.

She sat herself in the chair as her horn picked up the spoon in front of her. She dipped the spoon in the broth, noting the steaming coming off the liquid. She gently brought it to her mouth and took a small sip. The soup was very bland, with not a single trace of taste. Celestia started to frown as the tasteless concoction slithered down her throat. She had been hoping for something better after all her travels. However, she was grateful to be eating something.

Starswirl continued to stare at her from the doorway, making Celestia slightly uncomfortable. As she turned to him, he smiled. “When you are ready, I shall show you to your room.”

My own room? Celestia thought to herself. Oh, how I’ve long to sleep on a nice warm bed at night.

Thoughts of a soft pad to sleep on filled her thoughts as she continued to stomach her plain soup. It had been so long since she had a safe place to rest. Her travels often saw her sleeping in alleyways, behind crates, under trees and canopies, anywhere she could find. And the ground was often hard and cold.

Her mind then traveled to her childhood when she would go camping with her sister. It was only to the castle garden, but it was the closest thing to camping she had ever known. They built a tent together, pretending it was their personal castle where they could do whatever they wanted. She remembered they fought off pretend dragons, hydras and hordes of evil zombies. When night came, they would roll in their sheets and sleep together, doing all they could to keep each other warm.

As she played back the memories in her mind, she realized the games they played had not prepared her for the real outside world. The outside world that nearly sucked all of her willpower and strength. She had been lucky to make it this far and she didn’t know how much longer her luck could have held, but she was silently thankful for the soup in front of her, no matter how boring it tasted.

Celestia was finally shown to her room after a second helping of her soup. It was even less bland than the first bowl, which Celestia had thought to be impossible. However, fatigue was rearing its ugly head and she was looking forward to sleeping in a safe, dry, warm bed.

Starswirl opened the wooden door with his magic and beckoned Celestia to look inside. At first, excitement filled her mind. She could hardly wait for what room they prepared just for her.

She began to imagine her old room, with curtains so bright and beautiful, made with real silk. They were as soft to touch as they were beautiful to look at. Her mattress that sank as she laid upon it, supporting her as she would have her hair done or wardrobe presented before her with a stunning mirror. Then of course, her bed. Her bed was as soft as a cloud, and she would know. She laid on a cloud once just to compare. She could fall asleep peacefully and soundly on that bed. It filled her thoughts with joy as she pictured herself leaping into that soft place.

But as she looked inside, her smile turned into a disappointed frown. Inside the room that was destined to be her’s were stone walls, a stone floor, and a single small window. No furniture. No mirrors. No curtains. And certainly, no bed.

She then thought, Oh, this must be a joke.

She turned to Starswirl and smiled. “Okay, good one. Now tell me, where is my real room?” She expected him to laugh and perhaps rub it in her face a bit. She could take a joke. After all, she was the master of pranks. However, Starswirl simply pointed the empty void he called a room and insisted that it was indeed hers.

Her face turned into an appalled stare. “Really?!” Her eyebrow rose in disbelief, but once again, Starswirl insisted it was her’s. She scoffed as she entered the room. This place is not fit for a princess!

She took notice of her surroundings once more. She searched up and down the room, but there was nothing new about it. It was an empty room with a single window. A window she could only get through if she was a filly. Other than that, there was nothing else in the room.

She turned towards Starswirl with a vicious look on her face. “If this is my room, where am I supposed to sleep?”

Starswirl made his way passed Celestia and pointed to the ground. “Here.”

Celestia mouth hung wide open as she looked at the ground. “You’re joking?! I am a princess of Canterlot!”

“Here, titles mean very little,” Starswirl revealed.

Celestia was dumbfounded by Starswirl’s last statement. She stammered her words as she pointed to the ground. “So I’m to sleep on the floor then?”

“Comfort is a privilege. One that must be earned.” Starswirl turned towards the doorway, just exiting the room. “You start work in the morning.” With that, he closed the door behind him, leaving Celestia alone in her little corner of the temple.

Celestia shook her head in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that she had been forced into this tiny room and expected to sleep on the ground like a common criminal. She made her way to the center of the room and laid her body on the ground. The floor was as hard as she had expected and was freezing cold. It wasn’t comfortable at all. She tossed and turned as she attempted to find a spot that provided some level of comfort. However, no matter how uncomfortable she was, her fatigue finally got the better of her and she was able to fall in sleep’s deep embrace.

Author's Note

Author’s Note:

Hey, guys. Fireemblemspider here. Just want to thank you guys for reading Chapter 6 of the Princess Celestia: Sorceress Supreme. Please favorite if you guys enjoyed it. Also, click on the link to watch for more updates on this and future stories. http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/ And of course, don’t forget to comment below. Tell me what I’m doing right. Tell me what I’m doing wrong. Tell me what I can improve on so I can be a better writer, achieve my dream, and you guys can get better quality writing.

Also, click on the links below if you want to read more stuff by yours truly.

I want to thank all those guys and I want to thank you guys for reading. Chapter 7 will come soon, be on the lookout for it. Have a great day you guys. Stay happy, stay safe, stay warm or cold or whatever it takes to make you comfortable. Party on.

Scrub the Floors

“So, did you hear about the new girl?” Moondancer asked the purple unicorn sitting on the stool across from her. The unicorn’s pink eyes turned towards Moondancer, who was jumping up and down excitedly. “Do you think she’ll be a disciple?”

“I don’t know,” the unicorn known as Vibrant Note responded. “Dusk sure doesn’t seem to think so.” She turned her gaze away from Moondancer and to the music stand in front of her. She lifted the flute up to her mouth and started to play.

The sun shined down on them as her melody filled the empty space around them. The balcony was faced to where the sun would rise in the morning, making it a perfect spot to practice either magic or music. Vibrant loved coming outside to practice her music and Moondancer really loved talking.

“Aw, what does Dusk know? She could be really nice,” Moondancer spoke over Vibrant’s music.

Vibrant moved the instrument away from her mouth, silencing it. “Maybe, but you know how Dusk feels about royalty?” Vibrant repositioned the flute in front of her and played once again.

Moondancer stood up on her front legs, balancing herself. “Oh, yeah. She’s a princess, isn’t she?” She then took a few steps forward towards Vibrant, coming to her side. “What do you think it’s like being a princess? Do you think it’s as fun as I’ve heard?”

Vibrant rolled her eyes. All she wanted to do was play her instrument in peace, but she knew Moondancer too well. When she had a question, she wouldn’t stop asking everypony until she received her answer.

“Probably not. Did you see the way she looked when she finally arrived here?” She thought about how the alicorn had appeared. She seemed angry, sad, and alone. Nothing like she expected a princess to behave at all. She didn’t look much like a princess either. Not with her dirty coat, her tattered mane, and her aroma.

“She looked depressed.” She returned to her instrument.

Moondancer jumped up and landed back on all fours. “Well, if I was a princess, I’d make sure I had the time of my life.”

Vibrant continued to play her music until Moondancer leaned on the music stand, causing the sheet of music to be replaced by Moondancer’s smiling face. “Why do you play the flute with your hooves?” she asked. “You could just use your magic, you know?”

“Because there’s nothing like holding an instrument in your hooves.” She looked at the beautiful silver instrument in her hooves. “To feel the sounds of harmony flowing from it as you play.” Her mind began to wander to thoughts of her mother.

Her mother was a wonderful flutist. One of the best they would say. And she played like it too. She was also a wonderful teacher. Strict, but wonderful. She loved her lessons with her mother. It was the best moments she had. Despite how harsh she was on her, forcing her repeat scales until they were done perfectly, she always had a cheerful demeanor and always motivating her to become better than she thought she could. She proved to her on more than one occasion that Vibrant was stronger and had more to give the world than she thought.

She did this with a simple raising of her hoof. Her mother asked Vibrant to raise her hoof as high as she could. Vibrant, not knowing what her mother was meaning or why it would have any significance in her life, did as her mother asked. Her mother then asked her to raised it even higher. Vibrant hadn’t even noticed that she did what her mother told her without even thinking. She had raised her hoof higher, even if it was only a inch. Her mother then proceeded to tell her that she had more in her than she thought.

Those sort of lessons and more came from her mother’s wisdom. But it all ended when she became a disciple. She hardly ever saw her mother and she lost so much time to spend with her. Regardless, she practiced every day. To remember the good times she had with her. The flute within her hooves was all that she had left of her mother. “It’s a feeling that I’ve come to love.”

“Whatever floats your boat,” Moondancer replied as she skipped off the music stand.

Just as Vibrant lifted the flute back to her mouth, a voice came from inside the sanctuary. “Vibrant, Moondancer!”

The two mares turned to see Dusk, just at the entryway. “We are needed,” he said.

Moondancer gave a big smile. “Ooo! A mission?! What are we going up against?!”

“Timberwolves,” Dusk replied.

Vibrant felt an eerie chill slither down her spine at the mention of the creatures. She was suddenly out of breath and she looked down at her hooves in horror. Not Timberwolves, she thought to herself. She shook uncontrollably as the beasts engulfed her mind.

“Hey!” Moondancer shouted, taking Vibrant out of her trance. “Are you okay?”

Vibrant took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She then turned to Moondancer, “Yes, I’m fine.”

Moondancer gave a big smile. “Great! Let’s go beat some bad guys!”

“Great.” Vibrant gave a half smile, trying to hide her anxiety. Just… great.

Redeye had made his way to the green house, hidden behind the sanctuary. He would often wander there for many reasons, but only one reason kept coming back, over and over. He peeked inside the glass to see a beautiful pink mare tending to the vast variety of vegetation that flourished all around her.

Pureheart was always there when she wasn’t tending to the injured and it always made him smile to see her so happy. With what they did, the constant violence around them, Pureheart was hardly ever happy. That is, until she started to grow her own garden. She found tranquility in the beauty of the flora around her. And Redeye found tranquility in her beauty.

Redeye finally found himself at the entrance to the greenhouse. He smiled as he gazed upon Pureheart, who hadn’t realized he was there yet. “Hey, Pureheart,” he finally said, grabbing her attention.

She turned her head and smiled as he entered the room. “Oh, hello, Redeye.” She started to blush as she stared at him. “I … hope you weren’t waiting there long.”

He gave a nervous smile as he found himself flushing. “You know me? I’m happy with life.”

Pureheart smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I thought I was ignoring you.” She shifted her gaze and bit her lip. “It was really embarrassing.”

Redeye made his way to her. “Hey, it’s okay. I get that all the time.”

Pureheart started to blush even more. “You do? I’m so sorry! I didn’t even know.”

Redeye started to laugh. “No, that’s what happens when you grow up with 12 brothers and sisters.”

“You have 12 brothers and sisters?!” Pureheart exclaimed. “Wow. That must have been difficult for you.”

Redeye shifted his gaze to the plants, trying not to look into Pureheart’s eyes. “It was tough, but… We always had each other.” Redeye always found it difficult to find a way to look into Pureheart’s eyes. It was like looking at the very heavens themselves. He often thought himself unworthy to look into them, but couldn’t help but want to. He took a look at Pureheart and smiled. “Um… Pureheart?” he started.

Pureheart gazed at the stallion before her. “Yes, Redeye?

Redeye started to sweat as her eyes met with his. They were as beautiful as he remembered. He remembered when he first laid eyes upon them. The first time he ever fell in love with her.

He had been injured in a fight against a terrible beast. He didn’t remember how or what happened after. But when he awoke, he found himself staring into the eyes of the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. Pureheart. Since that day, he has been in love with her, but he never had the courage to confess it. And how could he? He wasn’t a strong stallion like Dusk or super smart like Starswirl. He was just… average. Still, he refused to give her up without trying.

“Um… are you…” he stammered as he continued to gather his courage. However, with her smiling face appearing before him, his courage abandoned him. “What do you… think of the weather … today?”

The smile vanished from Pureheart’s face, leaving only a puzzled look. “Oh… It’s… nice,” she replied.

What was that?! ‘What do you think of the weather?’ I am so stupid! Redeye cursed himself while trying to hide it with a smile. “Yeah… it’s really nice.”

An excited look then appeared on Pureheart’s face. “Redeye, I have to show you the new plant I grew.” Pureheart made her way to a pot and took it off the shelf. She then presented it before Redeye. “It’s called Lignum vitae. Isn’t it beautiful?”

As the lovely golden flower hovered before him, he couldn’t help but smile. Pureheart always had some new plant she was growing. She had secretly dreamed of being a gardener for several years. Only Redeye seemed to know this secret dream. He thought himself special that only he knew her passion.

“Yeah. Beautiful.” But he was hardly talking about the plant. He was talking about the mare holding the plant.

“Oh, I’m so glad you like it,” Pureheart confessed. “I was worried that I’d look stupid. That you thought I was just showing you some silly flower.”

“No.” Redeye quickly defended. “No, I could never think you’re stupid. And I could never think your flowers are silly!”

Pureheart stared at the stallion in shock. She was always the victim of ridicule by Dusk because of her reluctance to fight. It made her feel sad to be criticized so harshly, solely because she hated violence. But everypony else was good to her, especially Redeye. She started to blush as Redeye’s words echoed in her mind.

Redeye, now realizing what he had just said, started to blush as well. “Um… Pureheart?”

This is it! I’m just going to say it! he convinced himself. He told himself that he was done running away. He was going to tell her how he really felt. “I…” he started to stammer. He finally gathered all of his courage, despite their eyes meeting. “I –.”

“Redeye!” a voice from outside the greenhouse came. The two ponies turned to the source to see Dusk. He stood outside the doorway of the greenhouse, waiting for Redeye’s attention. “We are needed. Let’s go.”

Redeye sighed in frustration. Of all the rotten timing, Redeye cursed under his breath. He lowered his head and made his way out of the greenhouse, his heart heavy as a rock.

As Redeye exited the room, Pureheart turned away from Dusk and focused solely on her plants. She was waiting for Dusk to ask her to join the mission. Something that she would immediately decline. For years, he had been trying to mold her into a warrior. Something that she had no interest in becoming.

When he didn’t say anything, she finally turned her head towards him. “Aren’t you going to ask me to join your mission?

“Would you have said yes if I did?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

Pureheart didn’t respond. She knew she didn’t need to. Dusk knew what her answer was.

“We’ll send back the injured,” Dusk said as he turned away and started to leave. However, Pureheart finally stopped him.

“Why do you like to fight so much? Why do you embrace violence?” Pureheart asked. “Don’t you want to make other ponies happy?”

Dusk turned to her. “You think I enjoy all of this? Because I don’t.” He then took a step towards her, “I’m simply doing what needs to be done. Making sure ponies stay safe.”

Pureheart turned away, unable to face Dusk directly. She shook her head. “There must be another way.”

Dusk finally approached her. “Let me tell you something about what I do. Out there, there are ponies who are counting on me to make them happy.” He paused for a second as Pureheart started to step away.

Quickly and fiercely, Dusk grabbed her foreleg. In alarm, Pureheart turned her gaze towards Dusk. “There are ponies who are happy when their loved ones are safe. When they can sleep at night knowing that they and their families are safe. Something that I can give them.”

Dusk then let go of her foreleg and returned to the exit. “So stay here in your little corner of Eden. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be out there making other ponies happy. Something I thought you once held dear.”

Those words pierced Pureheart’s heart, causing it to drop. She felt as if she had been stabbed, as an aching pain shot into her heart. She wanted to retaliate, but by the time her courage gathered, Dusk was long gone. She lowered her head in shame as tears began to fall.

“You look nervous,” a bright golden stallion asked the younger light blue mare. “First mission jitters?” He asked as he and several other unicorns made their way to the front gates of the sanctuary.

The mare hung her head down. “I guess, I’m just nervous is all. I really don’t want to mess up.”

The golden stallion, or Glory as he was called, started to laugh. “Aw, please. Timberwolves are nothing. I’ve must have killed hundreds of those things.”

Moondancer came next to the new unicorn, Diamond Glow, and smiled. “Yeah, the only thing bad about Timberwolves is their breath. I mean, gross!”

Diamond Glow smiled, which was more than Vibrant was doing. She was still shaken up by the news of their mission. Her hoofsteps were rack with uncontrollable shaking as she followed the other ponies. Glory finally noticed. “Vibrant, what are you worried about? You’ve been on missions before and Timberwolves are easy!”

Vibrant lowered her head to the ground and bit her lip. “It’s just… when I was a little filly… Me and my best friend we… we were playing in the forest… We knew it went against our parents’ wishes but…”

As she told the story, she noticed everypony gathering around her. She didn’t like it, but she had started the story. She felt she should finish it. “Anyway, we were attacked by Timberwolves.”

She envisioned the memory in her mind. The memory that still haunted her to this day. She envisioned seeing the bright yellow eyes. She remembered the foul stench of their breath. She recalled the sounds of their howls. She had never been so scared in her life. Never had she felt so defenseless. She imagined her friend feeling the same way.

“My friend was… just a little bit older than me… And faster.” Vibrant closed her eyes and saw a glimpse of the last moments she saw her friend. It was only for a second, but it might as well have been an eternity for her. “They should have gotten me, but… she tripped… Instead, they got her… and I survived.”

Moondancer was speechless with sad look on her face. Moondancer didn’t frown often and when she did, the whole group became a little gloomier. Diamond Glow came next to her and put her hoof on Vibrant’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. That’s a horrible thing to go through.”

Glory smiled. “Think of it this way. Now you can get some payback!”

Vibrant shook her head. Glory meant well, but he wasn’t as bright as he claimed to be. He would often say something that was easily offensive, despite him not meaning to be. However, as he was often ridiculed for his unwitting stupidity, he was often praised for his equally baffling wisdom. There was some truth to Glory’s words. Vibrant had thought of getting revenge on the creatures that butchered her friend. She had often allowed the thought to consume her. But her fear always got the better of her.

Dusk finally appeared before them. “Is everypony ready?”

The group nodded. With that, Dusk’s horn revealed a giant blue portal that each of the ponies entered through in turn. First, Glory, then Moondancer, and then Diamond Glow. Vibrant was about to enter when Dusk put his hoof in front of her. “This isn’t going to be a problem, is it?”

Vibrant shifted her gaze to the ground. She honestly wasn’t sure herself, but she decided to speak. “No, sir.”

Dusk smiled. “Good. Because I can’t have you freak out in the middle of battle out there. I need you focused.” He waited until Vibrant shifted her gaze towards him. “Is that understood?” he finished.

Vibrant nodded. With that, Dusk lowered his foreleg and Vibrant stepped through the portal at last.

Dusk waited until Vibrant step through to make sure she didn’t back out of the mission. He was about to step through himself when a voice came from behind him. “What has happened?”

Dusk turned to see Starswirl coming for him. “Timberwolves are gathering near Ponyville. We are being sent to deal with them.”

Starswirl nodded. “I shall accompany you.”

Dusk gave a smirk and raised his eyebrow. “Oh, and what about the namby-pamby pony princess?” Starswirl started to glare as Dusk insulted the young mare they had taken in. “What if she were to chip her hoof or get a hair out of place?” Dusk’s voice finally trailed into a growl-like tone. “Wouldn’t that be a tragedy?”

Starswirl took a step forward. “Do you not think you’re being a bit harsh on her?”

“Do you not think you’re being a bit soft on her?” Dusk replied. “She’s a noble and of the worst kind.” He then turned his gaze towards the portal. “But you already know that. After all, you spent the last month tailing her.”

Starswirl made his way to Dusk’s side. “I was simply performing a boon for an old friend.”

Dusk turned towards Starswirl. “Well, let me tell you something about Celestia. I know her type. Her title is all that matters to her and here titles mean nothing. It was a mistake to bring her here.”

He finally made his way to the portal as his final words echoed into the hall. “She won’t last here. You and I both know that.”

The moon shined brightly over the field just outside Ponyville. Six figures hid within a heavily lit area, waiting for their opponents. The forest, just beyond the field, was bustling with sounds of insects and night birds, such as owls. The unicorns gathered themselves around a bright blue portal that appeared. From the portal stepped Dusk, followed by Starswirl. Dusk eyed the area around them, keeping a close watch for any movement. So far there was none and the air was clean. The forest was full sound, as if the creatures within it were whispering to one another.

Normally, the air would have been fouled with the breath of the Timberwolves, but so far there was not a revolting scent yet.

“How fares the scouting?” Dusk asked as he approached Redeye.

Redeye turned his gaze towards him and shook his head. “Not good. We haven’t had a single sighting, but we know they’re out there.”

“Keep at it,” Dusk replied. He positioned himself at the helm of their tiny camp, keeping his eyes out for his enemy. Moments turned into minutes and still there was very little movement.

Many ponies began to think this was a wild goose chase, but Dusk knew better. His magic could sense the hundreds of enemies lying in wake, waiting for the right moment to strike. He also knew with the night and the numbers on the wolves side, a more tactical approach was needed to defeat them, rather than hunting in the dead of night. Dusk knew that the creatures were closing, despite that the air was still clean. The animals in the forest were become quiet. Dusk knew the battle was at hoof.

Finally, a scent in the air told Dusk they were on the move.

“Urgh!” Hoofcuff yelped, quickly holding her nose. “What is that smell?”

“Timberwolves,” Starswirl explained. “They use their breath to distract their prey.”

“But we won’t be their prey,” Dusk stated. “Not tonight.”

The unicorns readied to their feet and frantically searched for any movement that might give away their enemies’ position. “What are they doing?” Diamond Glow finally asked when she felt her enemies encircling them.

“Timberwolves always hunt in packs. They are surrounding us,” Starswirl replied.

Dusk then felt a single wolf make a leap for them. As it emerged from the darkness, it headed straight for Diamond Glow. In panic, Diamond Glow shielded herself with her forelegs, hoping that the wolf would change course. However, it was only when Dusk fired a bolt of fire at the creature that it stopped. The beast fell to the ground and vanished in a puff of black smoke. Diamond Glow started to shake in fear as she realized Dusk was glaring at her for her paralyzing fear.

At that moment, Dusk felt the whole pack start to move. They were coming and there were hundreds of those beasts. “Circle up now! Protect your right and left!” Dusk shouted.

Like well-organized soldiers, the unicorns created a circle with Dusk at its head. The sky lit up with flash of fire, lightning and light while the air around them filled with sounds of wolves whimpering in pain.

As the creatures came, Dusk’s horn summoned two mystical blades at his side. One of the beasts came from his right, but was quickly dispatched by Dusk swinging the blade at the creature, cleaving it in two.

Hoofcuff unleashed a group of chains from the ground, breaking up the floor below her as the chains took to the sky. The chains constricted the wolves tightly and then squeezed until their wooden bodies being to snap under the pressure.

Redeye, Moondancer and Diamond Glow kept up their barrage of blasts of magical energy while Glory summoned a mighty axe to his side. With each swing, Glory chopped the wolves’ limbs and heads off their bodies.

Vibrant and Starswirl unleashed torrents of fire, which slowly consumed the wolves as they attempted to enter the circle. Their wooden bodied turned to ash as they struggled against wave after wave of fire.

One by one, the group dispatched the wolves, but they continued to come. Dusk found himself defending the others more and more as time went on. He sensed the growing fatigue in the others, which he needed to compensate for. It would only be a matter of time before the wolves would gain the upper hoof.

And as predictable as the sunrise, the circle began to weaken. Slip ups were happening more frequently and Dusk was forced to abandon his own area to protect the others. Eventually, one of the wolves leapt over the back group where Diamond Glow as supposed to guard and found itself in the middle of the circle.

Fortunately, Starswirl noted this and generated a massive mountain at their center, causing the wolf to be impaled at its peak. Dusk slashed at another wolf that came straight for him and noted that the wolves would no doubt go for easier prey. Something that he hoped to bait them with. “Partner up and spread out!”

With that, Dusk found himself alongside Vibrant, silently hoping that her anxiety wouldn’t interfere with the mission.

Celestia had made her way to the main chamber after breakfast. The porridge she ate this morning was less than filling and didn’t provide a variety of tastes, but it was the first time she had been guaranteed food when she awoke since her banishment. Her thoughts then wandered to the night when she fell asleep. As uncomfortable as the floor was, she fell asleep rather quickly. She blamed the fatigue for that. She had just climbed an entire mountain on little to no sleep.

She had thought she would see some of the other ponies this morning, but nopony else was around. She knew other ponies were here. She saw some of them around, as well as Starswirl, the Ancient One and… the really rude one. She didn’t know what to call him, but she despised him, just as he despised her. She didn’t know the reason why he hated her, but she didn’t care. If she could go the whole day without seeing him, it wouldn’t have hurt her feelings.

Her memory then sparked of what Starswirl said before she fell asleep. Work? What kind of work does a princess do?

As she poked her head into the main chamber, she noticed the Ancient One kneeling at a row of lit candles. She didn’t understand why, nor did she care. She just wanted to find Luna and get out of here as soon as possible. She entered the room and made her way to the Ancient One. “Um… I was told to begin work today, I guess?”

“Then you may begin,” the Ancient One replied, not even turning to greet her.

Celestia raised her eyebrow in confusion and turned towards the room. She searched high and low for anything that she was supposed to be doing, but all she saw was a bucket full of water and a brush an inch or two away from it. She continued to search around the room before finally giving up. “So, what all-important task am I to be doing?” Celestia finally asked.

“Scrub the floor.”

Those words echoed in Celestia’s ears. Surely, they really didn’t expect a princess to do simple chores. “Really?” Celestia hissed.

The Ancient One turned towards her. “I would do it, but I am an old stallion.”

Celestia couldn’t bring herself to believe what the Ancient One was asking her to do. It was as if he had asked her to carve off her own hoof. “Don’t you have servants for this?!”

The Ancient One turned away and back to the candles. “No servants here. Only ponies.”

Lords above, this pony makes no sense! Celestia growled under her breath. Finally, Celestia shook her head and submitted to her request. She concentrated her horn’s magic on the brush, attempting to lift it into the bucket. However, the brush seemed to fight against her, causing it to remain perfectly still. She focused harder, but it seemed the harder she tried to move it, the more impossible it became. Finally, her focus gave out and when she looked upon the brush once more, the brush was still stationary. It hadn’t moved an inch. It just sat there as if to laugh at Celestia’s attempt.

Could something be wrong with my magic? she thought to herself. It was working at breakfast. Why isn’t it working now?! She turned towards the Ancient One. “My magic doesn’t affect the brush!”

“That’s because the brush is not meant to be moved by magic.”

Celestia shook her head in disbelief. Here, she found herself expected to scrub a simple floor and yet she couldn’t even move the brush. It was an impossible task. “So, how am I supposed to ‘scrub the floor’ then?” she mimicked the Ancient One’s tone as she repeated her task.

However, the Ancient One didn’t seem to notice. “With your hooves.”

Celestia’s mouth almost dropped to the floor. She couldn’t believe what she was just asked to do. It was more unbelievable than the task itself. “So I am to scrub these floors like some… barbaric… earth pony?!”

The Ancient One turned towards her with a satisfied smirk on his face. “Yes.”

Celestia glared at him as he continued to smile away. “Fine,” she murmured under her breath. She made her way to the side of the bucket and placed her hooves on the brush. She picked it up and placed it in the water. She shivered as her hooves made contact with the blistering cold water. As she raised the brush from the water, she shook her hooves to remove the excess water from them, hoping to dry them off a bit.

She then started to scrub the floor as instructed, but found herself not knowing how to scrub it. She found herself fumbling from back towards her and away from her, from side to side and to circular motions. None of which seemed comfortable.

The Ancient One walked passed her. “Don’t forget the walls.” He then proceeded out of the room leaving Celestia alone.

“Don’t forget the walls,” Celestia mockingly mimicked under her breath as she scoffed. She then resumed her trivial task.

Glory swung his axe embedding it deep within the neck of the Timberwolf before him. He unleashed a cackle as the wood cracked under the amount of force he used. “Come on, boys and girls. Show me who’s next to get chopped up!” He prepared himself for another wolf as it came straight for him. His reflexes sent his axe straight in the middle of the beast’s head.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he taunted. Just then, a surge of pain went into his left hind leg as if it had been stabbed. He fell to the ground and looked behind him to see a Timberwolf gnawing at his leg. He quickly lifted his foreleg and dug the axe into his opponent causing it to release his leg. Blood poured profusely from the wound, trailing into the dirt. He struggled to his feet as the pain continued to burn. Before he could manage to his feet, another wolf leaped on him, biting into his shoulder as it landed. Followed by another and then another. In a matter of seconds, all that was left of Glory was his bloodcurdling scream.

Diamond Glow turned her head to the source of the scream, recognizing it to be Glory’s. ”Glory!” she started towards where Glory’s voice was last heard.

Dusk turned back to her as he fended off another wolf attack. “Remain in position!”

Diamond Glow stopped and turned back to Dusk, who had blasted a wolf with bolt of lightning. “But Glory is in trouble!”

“Do as I say!” Dusk retorted, giving Diamond a sharp, stern gaze.

Diamond was silent as she turned back towards where she last saw Glory. She focused her gaze to the creatures and made a mad dash for them.

“No!” Dusk shouted. He was unable to stop her as he held back several beasts against his force field. As Diamond moved deeper into the shadows, he could see less and less of her. However, he was still able to hear everything that happened within the darkness. His ears were assaulted by her battle grunts as it sounded as if she was fending off opponent after opponent. However, what followed froze Dusk’s heart. He heard her screams of terror, followed by her screams of pain, which slowly faded to nothing.

Damn it! Dusk cursed under his breath. He forced the creatures back by pushing his force field against them. The force field then consumed the creatures entrapping them in its unbreakable grasp. With that, a simple spark of his horn and the entire force field erupted in flames, consuming the beasts trapped within.

Vibrant’s ears perked straight up when she heard the sound of Diamond’s final scream. As she heard the scream, the memories of her old friend began to haunt her once more.

She was just playing in the woods with her best friend. The filly had a knack for trouble and would often disobey her parent’s wishes of staying away from the woods. Her friend was also a natural at persuading her to tag along. They just wanted to do some exploring. They just wanted to have some fun. After a long day of chasing each other through the woods, the sun started to set. They decided to rest a little while at a gathering of tree branches.

However, those tree branches proved to be the bodies of the Timberwolves. The fillies had upset the creatures, but more importantly, it was feeding time. The beasts chased them. She remembered running, hearing their growls and snarls mixed in with her hooves running across the ground. She was quickly growing tired, but after hearing them howl once more, she picked up her pace even faster.

Within moments, she found herself at her village. She cried in terror to the nearest pony she could find. She told them that she and her friend had been in the woods, playing, when they were attacked. However, what she didn’t realize until then was that her friend was gone. She had never followed her out of the woods. A search party was sent to find her and find her they did. But she wasn’t alive. She was torn apart by those animals, leaving only a small portion of the pony she remembered.

All this flowed through her head as a wolf leaped into the air, heading straight for her. She fell to her rump, screaming as its teeth came within inches of her. However, before the beast could grip her, Dusk sent a bolt of energy at the creature, causing it to vanish in a puff of smoke.

As Vibrant opened her eyes, she started to hyperventilate.

Dusk approached her. “What in Tartarus happened?!”

Vibrant looked up to Dusk, stammering for words. “I… I…”

“You froze up!” Dusk shouted at her, finishing her sentence.

Vibrant lowered her gaze to the ground. Dusk continued, “You have just become a liability to this group!”

“I… I’m sorry.” Vibrant closed her eyes and tucked her head closer to her body.

Dusk grabbed her face and forced it towards him. “Listen closely, because, unfortunately, I can’t send you back to the Ancient One!”

Tears started to form in Vibrant’s eyes as she was force to stare into Dusk’s enraged gaze.

“Keep it together!”

Vibrant nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. Dusk resumed his position and shot another wolf coming straight for them. Vibrant stood up quickly and assisted him, firing a bolt of energy from her horn.

Starswirl unleashed a volley of magical arrows at the beasts that continued to emerge from the shadows. Fatigue was starting to show on his face, as he assumed was the case for the others. “Dusk!” he called out. “There are too many! We must regroup!”

“Form up on me!” Dusk’s voice came from the darkness as a bright sphere of light lit up the sky, driving the enemy back into the shadows. As the light illuminated the area, he started to take account for each of his allies. He could see Redeye and Moondancer making their way to Dusk. Vibrant was already by his side and Hoofcuff was on her way, just ahead of Starswirl. He made his way to Dusk, just before the light faded.

When the shadows once again became dominate, there was stillness all around them. The beasts were still there, but they were hardly moving.

Starswirl took this moment to whisper to Dusk. “These are no ordinary Timberwolves.”

Dusk nodded. “Agreed.”

Redeye turned his head towards his commander. “So, what do we do now?”

Dusk turned to the darkness, as if he could see the creatures already. “We wait for them to make the first mistake. Don’t move. Don’t even blink until I say so.”

With that, the group became dead silent. Starswirl took this opportunity to survey his allies and noted their injuries. Redeye had a nasty cut on his hind leg, it was bleeding pretty badly. Starswirl was impressed that he was still standing. He would occasionally grit his teeth, as if he was in pain, but he held himself up quite well.

Hoofcuff had several scratches on her body, but nothing that looked serious. Her mane and face, however, was covered in blood. Starswirl surmised that she must have been cut at the top of the skull, based on how the blood flowed down the front of her face.

Moondancer’s tail had been completely torn off. Like Hoofcuff she had scratches along her body, but the most severe injury was a bite she suffered at her ear. One of the wolves must have bitten one of her ears and torn half of it off. Her ear was bleeding, but she was coping well.

And Vibrant was in the least amount of stress. She has a few cuts and bruises but nothing serious. She just looked frightened. Like a child that had just been told a scary story or had heard a frightening noise. She was shaking as she attempted to stand still.

He couldn’t find Diamond Glow or Glory. He felt his heart drop, knowing exactly what befell them. He hadn’t known Diamond Glow very well, since she was new, but he did know Glory. Glory was arrogant, but a kind-hearted stallion. It was difficult for Starswirl to think that Glory could fall to simple Timberwolves, but as Starswirl said to Dusk, these were not ordinary Timberwolves.

He also took note of Dusk, who hardly had a scratch on him. He was coated in sweat however. Despite this, he didn’t look exhausted. In fact, he looked pleased. Very happy of how the fight was going. He looked like he was prepared for the next opponent, no matter how big or how many there were. He looked eager to fight. Something that Starswirl’s stomach turned at.

As the silence continued, he began mentally preparing himself for the wolves to strike. Finally, after several quiet and lengthy moments, the wolves made their move. And with that Dusk let out a cry of rage.

Dusk and the group returned from their mission after a long night of battling with the beasts. The remaining unicorns all gathered at the main hallway. Vibrant was still shaking from the near-death experiences she had. Redeye was limping badly, causing Pureheart to scurry towards him in an attempt to mend him. Starswirl carried Moondancer, who had taken a nasty blow to the head which rendered her unconscious. Finally, Hoofcuff entered, falling to her knees in exhaustion.

Dusk looked towards the hallway and saw the Ancient One coming towards him.The Ancient One looked around them, taking note of each of them. He then looked towards Dusk. “Where are the others?”

Starswirl turn his head towards the Ancient One as he gently set Moondancer on the ground. “They fought bravely, but were lost, master.”

As those words rang in the hall, the Ancient One’s head lowered to the ground as his eyes spoke of his grief. “This is a dark day for us.”

Dusk took a step forward. “These were no ordinary Timberwolves, master.” The Ancient One raised his head towards him. “They were tactical. Planning. Something was pulling their strings.”

“They seek their master.” He then looked towards the ground again. “And Discord’s influence grows stronger by the day.”

Starswirl took a step toward his master. “How is that possible, my master?” He put his hoof on his master’s shoulder. “I have seen the gateway. The Chaos Dimension remains sealed. Discord has not come through.”

The Ancient One shook his head. “I do not know. But I fear he knows something that we do not.”

“I shall continue to investigate this matter, master,” Dusk stated his resolve as he turned away and started down the hall.

“Be careful, Dusk.” The Ancient One’s voice caused Dusk to stop before reaching the doorway. “Discord is a formidable opponent.”

Dusk turned to his master with a smile. “Perhaps he is, master. But so am I.” He then turned around again and continued on his way.

Celestia had finally finished to floor and the walls of main hall. Her hooves were wrinkled and her forelegs ached from all the scrubbing back and forth. The water in the bucket was pitch-black at the end of the it. As she sat down to rest upon the ground, the Ancient One came before her. With only a few words, he told Celestia to clean the floors and walls for all of the sanctuary. Despite her weariness, Celestia, reluctantly, did as she was told. She proceeded to all the other rooms, emptying the bucket of water and refilling at the end of each room.

As she worked, she caught faint glimpses of the other ponies around her. Each of them would watch her as she wasn’t looking, but they second she turned towards them, they would whisper to themselves.

What are they staring at? Celestia thought. For the short glimpses she could take towards her fellow ponies, she noted that some of them possessed battle scars. How these ponies gained them, Celestia couldn’t tell, but she knew that whatever these ponies did, it was dangerous. And the longer she stayed here, the more likely she would be exposed to that kind of danger. She knew she couldn’t stay here. Once she found Luna, they would leave this place forever.

The day dragged on as Celestia moved from room to room, endlessly scrubbing the floors and walls. She was finally at the last room and was nearing completion of the room, when she heard a noise that sounded like a conversation in the hallway. She perked up her ears to hear what the ponies spoke, but could only hear a few words.

“Discord… opponent.”

“Perhaps… Master… So am I…”

As the conversation ended, Celestia quickly returned to her duties, hoping that nopony would catch her slacking off. That was what annoyed her the most. Celestia had stopped once or twice in an attempt to rest, or she had tried to skip a room. But every time, the Ancient One would catch her and she would be force to restart her work, or return to the room she skipped. It was as if he was watching her every move, even if he wasn’t in the same room.

Her mind couldn’t help but think about the Ancient One. He was the strangest pony she had ever encountered. He spoke in riddles, never gave a straight answer, and above all else, he was somehow levitating before her without wings, strings, or any magic she had ever encountered. She replayed the image in her mind again and again, but every time she came up with an insane explanation. Each one more crazy than the last. Finally, she settled on the simple truth that it must be some sort of trick. An illusion. Perhaps caused by her fatigue.

Suddenly a torrent of water washed over her, drenching her from the tip of her horn all the way down her body. She nearly leaped up in shock as the cold water touched her body. She looked up to see the bucket of water she was using to clean, hovering high above her. Its contents now soaking into Celestia’s skin. She frantically searched around her to see why the bucket would soar without reason. Her answer came to her when she looked to the doorway. It came in the form of the black unicorn she hated.

He just stood there. His horn was glowing and there was a cruel smirk on his face. “Just thought you could use a bath. You smell awful.” With those words, he tossed the bucket to the side and exited the room.

Celestia growled under her breath as the unicorn slowly trotted away. If I didn’t have to put up with this, I most assuredly wouldn’t. She started to shiver as the cold water stuck to her body. Within a mere moment, Celestia found a rag that she could use to dry herself. It was a small rag, but at least it was dry.

As she wiped away the freezing liquid from her body, her mind began to wonder how the stallion could lift the bucket with his magic, when she could not. It bothered her to have to drag that heavy bucket around with her mouth. It was awkward and would often splash all over the floor as she walked. She turned her head towards the bucket with determination. She started to focus on it with all her might as her horn started to glow a bright pink. She concentrated even harder as she attempted to move the bucket. Finally, her concentration broke causing her to gasp in deep breaths. When she finally caught her breath, she looked up to see that the bucket was still stationary.

This is so unfair! she shouted to herself as she proceeded towards the bucket to continue her task.

Night finally fell on sanctuary and Celestia was exhausted. She had finally finished the scrubbing of the floors and walls in the entire temple. She was so tired, she dragged herself to dinner and could barely eat, despite how hungry she was. The soup was warm, but it was still just soup. There was little flavoring in it, except for these long strings that she would slurp up. She thought she heard one of the ponies call them ‘noodles’, but she couldn’t say for certain. She liked the noodles, but the soup was still much too bland. Regardless, she ate was she could.

As she perched herself down to dinner, there were very few ponies to talk to. When she sat down, only two ponies remained in the dining hall. But they were too busy conversing with themselves to even notice her. Not that she cared; she just wanted to leave this place as soon as she was able.

After dinner, she hauled herself to her room. As soon as she opened the door, she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Her forelegs were in pain, her hooves were still aching from the long hours of sticking them in freezing, cold water, and cleaning the walls was especially hard on her wings. How can anypony be forced to do that? she asked herself as she laid there, her thoughts consuming her. That was the second most tiring thing I’ve ever done. And, Lords Above, all I did was scrub floors and walls!

However, despite how much she thought about it, a thought kept repeating in her mind. Once she had finished her task, the Ancient One came to her. With a smile, he had said, ‘More work tomorrow.’

That thought haunted her. Her fears created tremendous tasks for her until her eyes finally sealed themselves shut.

Tragedy and the Common Stallion

Tears began to swim down Celestia’s face as she stared down the royal chalice in front of her. It sat there, tauntingly, as if to remind her of her complete failure. She had been practicing all day to move the cup with her magic, but every time she tried she couldn’t even get it to budge. She promised herself that she would learn magic by herself. She read books and watched the unicorns around her. She thought she had discovered the secret to magic, but every time she tried, it seemed that the secret eluded her. Her sobs echoed through the dining room, only to be overpowered by the sounds of the great doors being opened a few moments later.

Celestia was so consumed by the cup in front of her; she didn’t even notice the tall mare coming to her side. The image of her mother.

“Celestia?” Faust’s motherly voice spoke as she pulled the crying filly towards her, embracing the child in her forelegs. “Whatever is the matter, honey?”

Celestia squeaked as she attempted to speak. “I can’t do it, mommy! I can’t do it!” She sniffled as she glared at the flask with discontent. The cup would only stare back, as if to mock her.

Faust gently brushed her hoof against Celestia’s mane. “Can’t do what?”

Celestia wept, her sobs continuing to break her speech. “I was trying to move it… but… I can’t! I can’t move it! I can’t do magic!”

The queen gently kissed the child on her forehead. It bugged Celestia a little. She thought of herself as a big pony. She didn’t need to be comforted by her mother. But she would have been lying if she said she did forget about the cup, if only for a moment. “Why don’t you try again? I’ll help you.”

Celestia shook her head. “No, I’m never going to do it! I can’t do it!”

Faust picked up Celestia with her hooves. She then sat in the chair next to the chalice and placed her daughter in her lap. “You know, I had a hard time learning magic too.”

Celestia wiped a tear from her eye and gave a curious look towards her mother. “Really? But you’re so smart.” Celestia couldn’t believe what she had heard. Her mother was one of the best alicorn in the world. She could do anything. She could make it rain, or snow, or cause the sun to shine. How a powerful alicorn like her mother could have been a complete failure like Celestia was beyond the child’s mind.

The queen gave the child a smile. “And that was the problem. I’m going to teach you something that my mommy taught me.” Faust then wiped a tear from Celestia’s cheek. “You know what magic is up here,” she spoke as she pointed to Celestia’s horn. “But not right here.” She gently tapped Celestia’s chest, pointing towards her heart.

“My heart?” Celestia asked, as she placed her hooves over her heart. Celestia wasn’t sure what to think. Magic came from what was in a unicorn’s horn. It glowed whenever a unicorn used their magic. She didn’t quite understand.

The queen nodded. “Tell me all the things that make you happy.”

Celestia's face brightened with joy as she answered. “Cookies!”

The queen giggled at the child’s answer. “And cupcakes?”

Celestia nodded, vigorously. “And Luna!” She then wrapped her arms around the mare in front of her. “And mommy.”

The queen wrapped her hooves around Celestia, returning the child’s hug. After a moment, they released their grip on each other and looked towards the goblet. Faust gave a smile towards her daughter. “Now I want you to think about all those things and try one more time.”

Celestia was at first hesitant. She looked away from the cup and bit her lip. The queen leaned forward and whispered in Celestia’s ear, “I believe in you.”

Somehow, that was enough to spark courage in Celestia. She stared at the goblet and focused on the things that made her happy. She focused on the cookies and cupcakes and other sweets she loved to bite her teeth into. She focused on the sister she loved with all her heart. The sister, who she played with, explored the castle with, ate sweets with, journeyed the land with, and learned to fly with.

She then focused on her mother. The pony who believed in her. The pony who was always there when she was sad or scared. When her daddy died, she was always there to make her smile.

After a moment of focus, she opened her eyes to see an extraordinary sight. The cup was hovering over the table and it was her that made it happen. She looked up to her hron to see it shining brightly with a pink aura. Celestia’s face widened with a smile as she leapt off her mother’s lap onto the floor. “I did it!” she cheered. The cup fell from the air to the table, but it didn’t matter. Celestia knew she could do it again. And it was all because of the wonderful pony in the room with her. The mother who believed in her.

She leapt up and down across the room, overjoyed at her accomplishment. She felt pride rising within her. “I did it, mommy!”

The queen swept her up in her arms and hoisted her high in the air. Both of them were laughing as Faust took to the air with the filly in her arms. “Yes, you did! And I’m so proud of you!”

The two embraced each other with smiles on their faces. “I love you, mommy.”

“I love you, my little sunshine.”

Celestia awoke the next morning a confused pony. She recalled the dream she had just experienced. She had completely forgotten that memory. The day when she first attempted to learn magic. She had been reading up on magic for days, learning all that she could. Not that the reading did any good. She still couldn’t do it. That’s why she hated her studies. She never learned anything from reading a book.

That day seemed forever ago. But the more she thought about it, the more she started to recall the events of that day. She had been so excited. She had made her first levitation spell and her mother was there to witness it. She remembered how proud she felt when she lifted the cup off the table and how happy she felt when her mother expressed her pride. She remembered telling Luna what she could do. She showed Luna and promising to teach her how to do it as well.

She looked back at her mother. She seemed like a different pony. Kind, understanding and loving. Nothing like the image Celestia had in her mind. Celestia shook her, trying to keep the from recalling the dream. But despite her best efforts, the memory clung to her like a parasite. Her mother had taught her the secrets of magic with kindness and love. It was only when her mother stood beside her and spoke to her that she truly understood. When she looked into those blue eyes, when she saw that tranquil smile, she felt at peace. Like she had finally been returned home.

That happened a long time ago. A lot of things have changed, Celestia reminded herself. She wasn’t the same little filly she once was and her mother wasn’t the same kind pony. That is not the same pony that banished me from my home. That stole my sister from me. She doesn’t care about me. And I’m a fool for thinking otherwise.

Celestia picked herself off the ground and made her way to the doorway, pushing the dream from her thoughts.

Celestia made her way down to the dining hall for a heavy breakfast. She was starving when she awoke. All the work she had done yesterday had exhausted her. So much so that she hardly noticed herself fall asleep. She hardly noticed until that dream. She tried all through breakfast to erase that memory from her mind, but it was to no such avail. The dream kept resurfacing like a weed growing from the ground. It was almost like a constant buck in the face. To see her mother as the caring pony from her past and then realize that she is nothing like that anymore. Not to her.

Her breakfast wasn’t much of a distraction either. Her porridge was as tasteless and as bland as yesterday. However, when she arrived at the table, she found a tall glass of milk alongside it. It had been a long time since she had milk to drink. She ultimately preferred chocolate milk over normal milk any day, but for how hungry and thirsty she was, she wasn’t going to complain.

The only thing that distracted her from the dream was the grueling thought that hung over her head. The Ancient One had mentioned more work. Her thoughts were plagued by what they would be. Clean the exterior? She’s already cleaned the interior. It would make sense she thought, but her wings were still aching from yesterday. She wasn’t sure she could last long doing that. Clean dishes or clothes? She didn’t think too much about the clothes, since ponies aren’t normally dressed, unless for special occasions. Dishes were another matter. There were several ponies here. She imagined dishes would pile up quickly. The thought of her hooves being in water all day was not a pleasant thought. She thought about what she wouldn’t give to be out in the sun for the day.

After downing several bowls of porridge and a least two glasses of milk. Celestia made her way to the main hall in search of the Ancient One. When she arrived, however, he was not there. She continued to search for him, secretly hoping she wouldn’t find him. After a brief moment of searching, she finally found him sitting outside, near a large dirt field. She pretended she didn’t see him and tried to move on her way. But as soon as she took a step out of his sight, his voiced called. “Celestia!”

She was certain she had been quiet enough to avoid him. And she had been careful not to be seen. When she looked back at the old stallion, he was still sitting on the dirt, his back towards her. How could he have known I was there? she wondered. Celestia made her way to the Ancient One, an exhausted look on her face. Not just weariness of body, but of patience as well.

“Plow the field,” the Ancient One said abruptly. It caught Celestia off guard. Once she processed what was said, she scanned the field. It was a large dirt field. Very wide and very long. She started to recall what plowing was. She had heard farmer ponies used it, but she didn’t know why. Not that she cared. She assumed that she would never have to worry about such things.

“Why?” she asked.

The Ancient One sat still and raised his head slightly. “Plow brings good soil. Good soil helps seeds grow. Seeds that grow produce food. Food feeds the ponies.” He then rose to his feet and pointed towards an object in the distance. “Plow the field.”

It was a typical plow. A long strap that hooked up at the front of a piece of metal, shaped and pointed directly at the ground. However, this was the first time Celestia had ever seen one up close. She had seen them around her kingdom when the citizens would use them, but she would never use them herself. After all, she was a princess. Princesses weren’t expected to do those sorts of things. At least, back home they weren’t.

As Celestia moved towards the device, she eyed it carefully, trying to figure out how it worked. After a few moments, she turned back to the Ancient One, who kept his gaze on her. “How am I supposed to plow the field?” she asked, glaring at him.

The Ancient One’s horn started to glow as the strap started to wrap itself tightly around Celestia’s waist. After a moment, Celestia and the plow were one. “Plow the field.” He repeated as he moved towards the castle vanishing from Celestia’s sight.

Celestia turned her head towards the plow that was now connected to her through the strap. The strap was tight, but at least she was able to breath. She looked at the plow again. She hadn’t noticed it before, but it looked heavy. Too heavy for her to be dragging around. A thought then hit her. The Ancient One had used magic to move the strap. She thought it would be simple to move the plow with her magic. Her body wouldn’t have to move it. She turned towards the plow and focused all her magical might on it. Her concentration was so fierce that she closed her eyes to block out all distractions. However, after a few moments, the plow would still not move.

She gave a surrendering sigh and cursed under her breath. This is really not fair!

The plow and Celestia were locked in a fierce battle that spanned the entire field. The plow determined to stay as stationary as possible. Celestia, on the other hoof, fought and fought to drag it across every strip of land. However, the battle was most difficult on Celestia. She would pull with all her might, her legs giving everything she could muster, but the plow’s weight was amazing. The day was only beginning and Celestia’s hope of winning this battle was dwindling. She would need to rest in order to keep up her strength. And while she rested, the plow sat, awaiting their next bout.

But the plow’s weight wasn’t the only thing against Celestia. The sun was also determined to slow her down. The day started nice and warm with the gentle breeze blowing against her. However, it eventually turned into a scorching heat wave. The sun’s heat clobbered Celestia’s body, causing sweat to pour generously from it. She would often look up to the sky and see the scorching sun, hanging over her like a vulture, just waiting for her to collapse.

How can the sun be so harsh, atop this icy mountain?!

She thought about the blizzard that was blowing only a few hundred feet away from the field. The blizzard she was forced to peril in order to reach this place. The ice she was forced to climb in order to reach the magnificent cliffs. The fields of snow she was forced to trudge through in order to reach those cliffs. All the ice and snow on this mountain, and yet this place didn’t have a single snowflake. All it had was sunshine. And its heat was unbearable.

Water became Celestia’s only saving grace. She would take in buckets of it every chance she could. Some for her mouth and some for her body. The simple thing such as water became as precious as gold. However, with every ounce of water she drank, the sun only seemed to be harsher. The day was only halfway done by the time Celestia felt she had made any real progress. The sun was shining brighter and hotter than before. The plow seemed to get heavier too. Every step she took was exhausting, as she pulled the heavy piece of metal along the field. Never had she been pushed so harshly in her life, and she wasn’t even close to finishing.

Dusk had been watching Celestia’s progress for hours. He stood in the castle walls looking out the window, watching her every movement. Every time she pulled the plow, every time she cursed the sun, every time she stopped for a rest. He wasn’t impressed thus far with her. In fact, he found her rather pathetic. She was arrogant, snobbish, and disgusting. He didn’t see what the Ancient One saw in her. She was an alicorn, yes. There was that. An alicorn is supposed to have access to more potent and pure magic. A properly trained alicorn was stronger than any unicorn could be. But there was no way to tell. Even if Celestia wanted to be a disciple, she couldn’t. Dusk knew she didn’t have it in her. He’d have bet his soul on it.

Dusk heard Starswirl come from behind him. Dusk turned towards him and gave him a smirk. “Just making sure our princess does her job.”

Starswirl glared at Dusk with discontent. “Do you not think you should focus on your own tasks, rather than hers?”

Dusk’s smirk was erased from his face, but he still kept his composure. “You think that I’m not? You think that I am not taking what is happening seriously?”

“I think you are making this hatred of nobles too personal.”

“It is personal,” Dusk growled. Realizing that he had taken a step forward in anger, he took a deep breath and stepped back. “Look at her,” Dusk said pointing back down towards Celestia. “Do you realize what she is like? Do you realize how she treats everypony?”

Dusk then turned back to Starswirl. “Do we really want a pony like that within our ranks?”

Starswirl lowered his head to the ground, as if Dusk had brought up some devastating truth. It didn’t matter what Starswirl thought about Celestia. Dusk knew he was making the right decision by refusing her. Dusk then made his way the main hall, leaving Starswirl ponder on Celestia’s fate, alone.

When Dusk arrived at the main hall, he found the Ancient One, his head towards the ground. His legs were folded together and his eyes were closed. Dusk could tell his master was deep in meditation. He made his way to his master and bowed his head.

“There are shadows that gather,” the Ancient One said as if he knew Dusk was in the room.

“Then I shall make for Canterlot at once,” Dusk stated. “We shall destroy the beasts there.”

The Ancient One raised his head, “No. They are not gathering near Canterlot. They are gathering near Coltiff.”

Dusk’s eyes shot wide open as the name of the city reached his ears. Within a moment, his eyes began to squint as his face intensified. His mouth revealed his teeth as he began to uncontrollably force them together. He realized he was quickly losing his composure and quickly took a deep breath. The moment quelled his anger, but he knew it wouldn’t be for long. The sudden news of the city caught him off his guard. He wouldn’t make that mistake twice. Especially since now he was prepared.

“Then we shall deal with it, master,” Dusk stated as he stood up. He allowed the Ancient One to fill his head with details of their enemy as his thoughts were clouded by pure rage and pleasure at the thought of heading back to Coltiff.

Dusk gathered several of his troops and prepared them for their mission. He explained to them that their mission was to take them to the city of Coltiff, which Moondancer had so foolishly asked if that wasn’t where Dusk had lived before.

As that question rang in Dusk’s ears, his mind was sent back to his days at the grand castle Coltiff. It was a large formidable fortress. High walls that circled around a large single tower. The only penetration the walls ever had was a large wooden gate that hung over a large moat. The castle was said to be impenetrable by ground forces. For aerial enemies, expert Pegasus warriors were trained to defend the tower, while ballista shot at the chariots and other devices the Pegasi would escort. The castle had never been taken in its history, though not for lack of trying. Kings upon kings, army upon army would attempt to take the castle, but none would prevail.

That is what Dusk believed his destiny once was. He believed once that his destiny was to hold the kingdom’s defense as a great knight. And there was always one pony, above all others, that believed he could accomplish this goal.

“Watch this, mother,” the young Dusk beseeched the gold earth mare standing behind him. She smiled as she watched his horn glow allowing the rock he was focused on to raise into the air above them. He then thrust the rock forward and it smashed into the tree, hitting the bulls-eye target dead on.

Dusk’s face became a beacon of happiness. He turned towards his mother and joyfully leaped towards her. “Did you see that, mother? Did you see what I did?”

The golden mare swooped up Dusk in her arms and giggled as they spun around together. “Yes, I did, my little knight in shining armor.” The two laughed together as they stared happily into each other’s eyes.

“You are going to be a brave, strong, valiant knight one day,” she stated, as she gently set her child on the ground.

“Yes, mother!” Dusk cheered. “I’m going to be a great knight.” He danced around the courtyard as he swung around an imaginary sword with his hooves. “I’ll protect this castle. I’ll protect this city and you, mother!” He could imagine all the dragons and monsters he would slay he if he had a real sword in his grasp. “I’ll protect you from all monsters!”

He didn’t notice his mother sneak up next to him. She leaned against his ear, “What about…?” She then started to rub her hooves against his body as Dusk unleashed uncontrollable giggles into the sky. “The tickle monster?!” They laughed together as Dusk struggled to break free of his mother’s hooves. But alas, he was another helpless victim of the infamous tickle monster. Something he couldn’t have been happier with.

Dusk’s mind was swallowed in the memories. The days at the castle seemed centuries ago, but he would never forget. Never forgot the ponies within the castle walls. He never forgot the mother in his life.

As the group entered through the portal, his memories fueled his rage. The darkness within the memories grew within him as he slowly recalled them. He swore to himself he would never again return to the place of his birth. But as he learned a long time ago, life has a cruel, sick sense of humor.

The sky was covered by a cloud of dark beings that hovered above the ponies below. The dark cloud was comprised of hundreds of tiny wings with sharp jaws that slowly dug into the bodies of the citizenry. The ponies franticly scattered as the tiny creatures descended upon them, gnawing and biting at their flesh. The beasts worked in chaotic harmony to devour all victims around them, leaving only their skeletal remains intact.

A mare and her child ran from the ensuing chaos, the mother desperately trying to keep hold of her child’s hoof. The child stumbled to the ground with a cry. The mother rushed to the colt’s side, gripping him tightly. When they looked up, the hundreds of mouths with wings came down, their jaws at the ready. The mother drew his son close, praying for them to somehow survive. At the last possible second, a shield entirely comprised of fire appeared all around them, burning the creatures to cinder. The mother looked up to see Dusk hovering above them, his horn glowing brightly.

The creatures turned their attention to their new target and swarmed towards him. Dusk avoided his enemies by soaring higher in the sky, as Redeye, Moondancer and Starswirl attacked them with powerful blasts of magic. The creatures never saw them coming. After the pack of creatures lied dead, Dusk released the charm that protected the mother and son.

“You must gather everypony you can into that building,” Starswirl ordered as he pointed towards a large church. The mother nodded in obedience, silently thanking the Lords Above for their saviors. With her son in tow, she rushed to the church building as quickly as she could. Others followed her frightened lead. However, there were others even more frightened.

“Are you crazy?” a Pegasus shouted. “I’m out of here!” He took to the sky at a high speed. Starswirl turned around quickly to see the bright yellow stallion take to the air, attempting to outrun the creatures.

“No! Wait!” Starswirl begged, but it was too late. The monsters were already gnawing into the Pegasus’s body. Within a few seconds, the Pegasus toppled hundreds of feet to the hard ground below, as if to ensure his death.

Starswirl then turned his attention on the swarm of beasts coming straight for the church, knowing there was a buffet just waiting for them. Or so they thought. Dusk’s horn started to glow, summoning a mighty shield that protected the entire church. The creatures rammed and bit at the shield, but not a single one could get through. With the creatures preoccupied, the unicorns took this opportunity to attack. Fire, lightning and beams of energy rained down upon the creatures, causing them to vanish in a black mist. However, there were still many buzzing around the city, causing death and destruction.

“There must be thousands of these things!” Vibrant exclaimed, as she unleashed a bolt of lightning from her horn. The bolt chained down a row of creatures and spread like wildfire into the surrounding creatures’ bodies.

“Tens of thousands!” Starswirl corrected, as he summoned a barrier to protect himself from the creatures coming straight for him.

Dusk fired a wave of energy, consuming a large group of the beasts in a flash of light. “One or one billion, they die.”

As Dusk fired another beam of light, he noted that the large tower was covered in a dark cloud of the monsters. He turned towards his allies, who were fending off the winged mouths. “Redeye, Moondancer, Vibrant, you three deal with them here.” The three unicorns in question nodded their heads and continued their efforts to destroy the monsters.

Dusk then turned toward his other companions. “Hoofcuff, Starswirl, you two are with me.” Hoofcuff cringed. Dusk could see that she believed her place was with the others, since Dusk was powerful enough to take on many of these creatures alone. Adding Starswirl was just overkill. No, she was thinking the only reason Dusk wanted her to join him was so he could teach her to be obedient. Which wasn’t exactly wrong either. Regardless, she complied. Starswirl, Dusk and Hoofcuff made their way to the distant castle, with Dusk leading the pack.

The castle guard fired a volley of arrows at the beasts, but only a few reached their targets. The creatures were as agile as they were deadly. And deadly they were, as the armor the ponies wore was ineffective. The beasts slithered through the small cracks within the armor and attacked. Within a few seconds, several armored ponies was on the ground, their lungs full of screams of pain, cries of agony, and blood.

The castle’s defenses were slowly dwindling. The general began to panic as the winged teeth came for another bout, but in a flash of light the creatures were gone. The general looked to the sky as Dusk descended to him. “Take your men and retreat. We shall handle this fight.”

The general scowled at the unicorn as if he had just been insulted. “Who do you think you are? What makes you-?”

A swarm of creatures were heading straight for them, causing the general to leap back in fright. However, Dusk simply turned his body and unleashed a powerful fireball that exploded to consume the creatures. Dusk then turned to the general with a smirk on his face.

“Fall back!” the general ordered. Like ants following a queen, the soldiers evacuated towards the castle, some of them, however, were unable to escape the jaws of the winged monsters.

Hoofcuff and Starswirl stationed themselves at the base of the tower as the creatures came upon them. Hoofcuff gathered all the arrows that had failed to hit a target and pointed them at her enemies. Like lightning, the arrows fired at the winged monsters. Like before, most of the creatures proved too nimble to be hit by the arrows. But unlike before, the arrows were now Hoofcuff’s puppets. And Hoofcuff would aim the arrows to finally finish their intended targets. It was a battle of winged beasts versus a storm of arrows.

Starswirl drew in a breath and unleashed it as his horn started to glow. The combination turned his normally cool breath into a hurricane of ice and snow. Within a second, all that was in the path of Starswirl’s breath of ice was frozen solid. The ice-covered teeth dropped to the ground below causing most of them to shatter. Everything around them slowed down immensely by the shivering cold. With the beasts slowed, Starswirl summoned a beam of light that evaporated them.

Dusk unleashed a cone of fire at the beasts, burning them to ashes as they attempted to attack their prey. A small group of the winged beasts headed towards the top of the tower, most likely to seek easier prey than these powerful unicorns. Dusk turned towards his allies. “Keep them here. I shall protect the tower.”

Starswirl turned to stop him, but it was too late. Dusk was already halfway up the tower by the time Starswirl even noticed he was gone. Dusk and the creatures were on a collision course for one another. However, like an arrow through flesh, Dusk burst through the cloud of monsters, with only a few scratches.

He surrounded his body with a barrier of fire as he set himself onto the balcony of the large tower. The creatures attempted to attack his body, but they would burn up before they could reach him. This allowed him time to look into the room undisturbed. He looked into the majestic room inside the tower. However, majestic was hardly the word for it anymore. The glass that once provided windows was either cracked or lying on the floor shattered. The once magnificent curtains were now tattered remains. The furniture was torn to bits with scraps of wood, wool and feathers covering the floor. Once grand paintings were lying on the floor with rips and tears all about. The room was populated by the winged demons. All of them ramming at a large pair of golden doors.

“Help!” a stallion is heard over the chaos. “Please, somepony help!”

Dusk growled under his breath as the voice rang in his ears. Rage entered his heart as his mind raced back to a time long ago. He was just a colt. He had dreams of becoming a knight for this kingdom and protecting all of the ponies within it. Especially his mother, a young servant mare. However, one night, he had noticed his mother wasn’t in her bed. He spent the night looking for her. He called out to her, begging an answer. But never would she respond.

He wandered through the night until he came to a room where he heard a mare scream. He rushed to the door, attempting to open it. The locked door kept him from seeing inside, but he heard the scream once more. He recognized it as his mother’s. He shouted her name in terror. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. When he pressed his head against the door, he heard his mother’s voice in agony, begging her lord to stop.

The master only replied that he enjoyed watching her beg. Dusk remembered hitting the door again and again, but he couldn’t get to her mother. All those years, but Dusk never forgot. He would never forget the voice of his lord.

“Please, somepony help me!” the stallion repeated as the creatures continued to pound on the door.

Dusk gave a cruel smirk. “Please, beg some more. I enjoy watching you beg.”

“Is somepony out there?” the stallion begged. “Please, help me!”

Dusk scowled at the doorway, he couldn’t see the stallion, but he knew it was his lord. “There was once a mare that served here. Her coat was gold as the sun. She had a colt, a son. What was her name?”

“Wh-What?!”

Dusk’s patience was running low. “The mare’s son went looking for her one night. He found her with you.” He spat as he finished with the word ‘you’. “What was her name?!”

The seconds passed by slowly with the only sounds in the room being the creatures’ wings as they flapped and the pounding sound they made against the golden barrier that stood in their way. As the moments passed, Dusk grew irritated. And yet, pleased.

“What are you talking about?! Help me?!”

“That mare was never the same!” Dusk shouted. “You destroyed her! Perverted her! What was her name?!”

He remembered the day after the event. His mother barely spoke, barely looked at him. He would repeatedly ask about the event, but never would she say anything. He would beg her, sometimes with tears in his eyes, but still nothing would change. She would barely eat, would hardly sleep and would constantly be sluggish at her tasks, which would cause her to be whipped.

All the while, Dusk became bitter and angry. He would challenge others to fights, simply to release his frustration. He demanded his master tell him of the events of that night, but his master would only state, ‘it was simply a tragedy’. He hated his master, openly cursing him. He would conjure foul names to mock him with and spit in his presence. And everytime he did, he would be punished, sometimes brutally.

He would be taken to a dungeon and beaten. When that wasn’t enough, he was whipped publicly, both in the village square and in the castle as a form of ‘entertainment’. And when he looked around the castle, in the hopes of seeing faces that would aid him in his hatred of his former lord, the others did nothing. The guards, the other servants, the senators, everypony would simply watch as this tyrant used his kingdom as he saw fit.

The worst came from his own mother at the ‘festivities’, his master would call it. She would simply stare as he was whipped. The flesh ripping from his skin as the whip struck his back was nothing compared to the pain in his heart as his mother simply looked upon him. The cold blood slithered down his back as he caught her eyes. There was no trace of sadness, hurt, fear, anger, joy, satisfaction, hatred, or any kind of emotion. There was only emptiness. Like looking into a void. His own mother would not even stand up for him. And it was all because of the abomination that sat on the throne, smiling down upon him as his back flared in pain.

He left the castle after his mother perished and for years, he searched for a way to get revenge, never forgetting what he had done and never forgiving him.

He traveled to the Lhorse Mountains and found a place where he could become powerful and strong. And now, he had a chance to avenge his mother. He had a chance for revenge.

“I don’t know,” the stallion moaned. “I don’t know!”

Dusk gave a grin as his horn started to glow. “Now that’s a tragedy.” At that moment, Dusk forced the golden doors open to reveal the sniveling, crippled, old stallion behind them. The pony screamed as the cloud of monsters descended upon him, ripping and tearing into his unprotected flesh. Dusk simply continued to watch until the last drop of blood splattered along the walls. “Her name was Golden Hope,” he stated as he unleashed a beam of light at the demons, finishing them off.

The chaos had finally subsided. The winged beasts lied dead as Starswirl and Hoofcuff took a moment to catch their breaths. As Starswirl looked above him, he could see Redeye and the others coming towards them. He could tell that their mission was a success, but not without a price. He noticed that one of Vibrant’s ears had been bitten off. A simple mend spell was applied to stop the bleeding, but it would not give back her lost ear. They smiled as they set themselves on the ground. “The village is safe,” Vibrant stated.

Starswirl nodded with a smile. He then looked up to the tower where he had last seen Dusk. After making his way up the tower, he found Dusk standing in a darkened, mess of a room. The room had been torn to shreds by the creatures and beyond a golden set of doors a skeleton remained, blood clinging to the wall.

He looked again at Dusk. He was just standing in the darkness. He stood overlooking the body that lay in front of him. He had an intense look on his face as his gaze continued to focus on the dead pony. “Dusk,” Starswirl finally called to him.

“The lord of the castle,” Dusk replied. “I arrived too late. He was already dead.”

Starswirl lowered his head. Dusk turned around as if he could sense Starswirl’s disappointment. “Don’t be sad, my friend. The city is saved from the monsters that plague it.”

Dusk made his way to Starswirl’s side and placed his hoof on his shoulder. “This is a good day.”

Dusk’s horn started to glow as a violet portal appeared before him. He started to make his way to it when Starswirl stopped him. “Are you sure you are alright?”

Dusk turned towards him and smiled. “I’m great.” Starswirl felt a cold sweat come down his neck as Dusk continued to smile. It was malicious smile. Starswirl felt that Dusk wasn’t telling the whole truth about the lord he failed to save. But Dusk didn’t reveal it. He simply continued his way back to sanctuary.

The long day had finally ended for Celestia. The plow had won the day, preventing Celestia from even making the imaginary halfway mark in the field. Celestia’s body burned and ached. Her legs felt like pudding. Even walking a short distance was a chore. Her back was in agony, like a spike had been driven into her spine.

Celestia made her way to the dinner table and slunk into a chair with her same boring soup in front of her. It was the same meal as yesterday, yet it looked like it was the most wonderful meal in the world. The noodles were still as bland as before, but they might as well have been cookies and cake to her. She couldn’t remember how many bowls she scarfed down.

After eating all that she could, she finally made her way back to her room. She opened the door, once again expecting the empty space that she left this morning. However, she found on the floor a large stack of hay that lay across it to form a cushion. She plopped herself down onto it, providing her with a soft bed to sleep on. The first in months that she could recall. However, straws of hay would poke at her body providing slight discomfort, but it was ultimately easier to get used to than sleeping on the floor. She slowly closed her eyes as she sunk into the barrel of hay, fully aware that she would have to start her task once again. To wake up and declare war on the stationary plow that caused her so much grief. A battle she wasn’t sure she could win.

Breaking Point

The morning had come slow to Celestia, which she very much appreciated. She had slept deeply the previous night, with nothing to disturb her. However, her body was still aching from yesterday’s chore. She could barely move without pain slithering through her. All she wanted to do was lay in her barrel of hay and rest for the day. Even as the sunlight came through the small window of her room, she closed her eyes and desperately attempted to fall back into slumber. However, as the moments went on, she found it harder and harder to relax. Then a knock came at the door.

It is probably them. Wanting me to plow the field again, Celestia moaned to herself. She chose to ignore it, hoping they would go away if she pretended she wasn’t awake. The door started to open and outside it stood Starswirl.

“It is time to work,” Starswirl stated. Celestia sighed as the unicorn entered the room. All she wanted to do was stay inside and rest. However, these ponies saw fit to put her to work once more.

They really expect this from me?! Am I to be a slave here?! To work for nothing and eat nothing but scraps?! Celestia’s mind filled with anger. She continued to lie in her bed, motionlessly. She grumbled under her breath, but Starswirl didn’t seem to hear.

“If you do not wish to work, you cannot stay here,” Starswirl warned with a hint of concern.

That was thing that bothered Celestia the most. She didn’t want to stay here. If she had her way, she would have left the first day. But she wanted to see Luna again. To be accepted as she once was. With that thought in her mind, she picked herself up. Her body ached as she moved to her feet. Her mind continued to dread on the work that had yet to be done.

After a long breakfast, consisting of the same porridge and milk, Celestia found herself back at the field. The plow was right where she had left it. Nothing had moved it. It was as if it had been waiting for her. All she thought about when she saw it was how much trouble the plow had given her. It was heavy and strong. It took everything she had to drag it across the field.

However, as much as Celestia wanted to just walk out of the temple, she fastened the reigns around her body and started to pull the stationary object once more. With all her might, she pulled the plow across the field in a slow struggle. Sweat poured from her body as she fought against the heat. It was a long process, taking up most of the day away. The long day was filled with her grunts as she thrust her body forward, tugging with all her might. The only other sound that was made in the enormous field was the sound of the dirt as it was parted by the metal digger. The task was much more difficult than yesterday. Large rocks that lie beneath the earth force Celestia to dig them out and remove them from her path, replacing the hole with excess dirt. Unfortunately for her, magic didn’t work on these rocks or the dirt around it. With her bear hooves, Celestia was forced to move the rocks to continue on her path.

As she dug at the ground, Celestia growled in anger as dirt coated her once white hooves. She would dig until she could remove the rocks from their earthly prison. The rocks were a blessing compared to the plow, but they were still quite heavy. And without the aid of her magic, it became a strenuous task. Moving the rocks out of the field, as were the Ancient One’s instructions was backbreaking. Celestia felt it almost literal as well as figurative.

Sometime during that day, Celestia felt a sharp pain up her spine, causing her to collapse to the ground. She cried out in pain as she lied in the dirt, cursing to the Lords Above. Tears rained from her eyes as the irrefutable pain ravaged her. A few moments later, a pink unicorn came out to the field and performed some sort of spell on her. The spell seemed to mend Celestia’s back causing the ache to cease. The pink unicorn wrapped a brace around Celestia’s back to protect it, but then sent her back into the field. Celestia never thanked the unicorn. She had seen her around, but she didn’t think anything of her. At least, until now.

With her back protected, Celestia continued to plow. She found herself grunting and shouting in irritation the entire day, as if somepony was listening. But there was no pony. There was only her and the plow. She caught herself talking to the plow as if it was a living creature. She shouted at it, calling it cruel names.

“You heavy piece of junk! You think you could cooperate with me more?! I’m just trying to do my job!” She shouted back to the inanimate object. She found herself doing this more than once, disregarding it as mere stress and exhaustion.

The days would roll by in a pattern that consisted of only four things; Breakfast, plow, dinner, sleep. When she would plow, she would gradually find herself getting slower, more exhausted and making less progress with each passing day. However, after the longest week of her life, she finally finished her duty. The field was plowed.

As she marched herself into the dining hall the night she finished her long task, her mind anticipated the plain soup that would await her. However, upon her arrival, her soup was accompanied by a large loaf of bread and a tall glass of milk. The soup was much more inviting than her previous bowls. The soup had traces of celery, potatoes, peas, carrots, onions, and a sauce she wasn’t familiar with. However, as she took in a breath, her nostrils were treated to a pleasant aroma. And when her tongue touched it, her taste buds were delighted by the combination of flavors that was mixed together in perfect harmony. It was a meal that she had missed since her days at the castle.

Her mind wandered to thoughts of home. Canterlot Castle seemed so far away now. She wondered how the other ponies were getting along without her. She wondered how her mother must feel without her. She shook her head in sorrow, feeling that her mother had already forgotten her. She wouldn’t have been surprised if that was the truth. She thought back to the day of her banishment, looking upon the faces of the ponies who scowled at her. She figured not a single pony in the castle even cared she was gone. Cared what she was going through. She pushed the thoughts aside as best she could and instead focused solely on her meal.

The bread was soft and warm, just like the day when Starswirl found her. She would find herself pealing apart her bread, simply to dip it into her soup, allowing the sauce to soak into the bread, creating a unique, yet surprisingly wondrous flavor. The milk was cold and fresh.

After two bowls of soup and another loaf of bread, Celestia made her way back to her room. She found the same stack of hay that lay there the nights before, only this time it was accompanied by a large sheet. Celestia’s mind leaped with joy as she placed her hooves on the blanket. They were not nearly as nice as the ones that waited for her back at the castle, but it was warm and very soft. She enwrapped herself within the blanket, keeping warm as the night loomed on. Her eyes shut themselves almost naturally and a smile slid onto her face.

Celestia awoke the next day with her body aching, as usual. The plowing had done a number on her. Her legs were in pain and her back wasn’t much better off. The brace had done wonders for her back to be sure, but it didn’t lessen the pain she felt. She curiously wondered how bad her back would be if the pink unicorn, she now knew to be Pureheart, hadn’t stepped in.

Despite being in pain, she had something to smile about. She was finished plowing the field. However, the Ancient One had mentioned to her that her job was not yet done. ‘More work tomorrow,’ he had said.

What more work could he possibly want me to do? Celestia thought to herself. Her mind thought of all the things she could do within the castle walls, but none of them came close to the harshness of the plow. She smiled as she thought anything by comparison would be a breeze.

She removed herself from her room and found the Ancient One in the main chamber. He sat in meditation as she silently entered the room. However, no matter how silent she was, the Ancient One noticed her. “Plant the seeds.”

His voice caught Celestia off guard for a second, as if she wasn’t sure what to say. Finally, when she had processed what was said, she replied. “Really? Plant seeds?”

“Good soil helps seeds grow. Seeds that grow produce food. Food feeds the ponies.” The Ancient One then levitated a large brown bag and placed it in front of Celestia. “Plant the seeds.” With that, the Ancient One continued his mediation, without even looking at Celestia.

Celestia could only stare at the bag in front of her, hoping that it would just disappear. She didn’t want to do anything more. She just wanted Luna. She knew it was stupid to wish for it to magically disappear before her, but that didn’t stop her from dreaming. And as she thought, no matter how hard she tried, it sat there, waiting for her. Her horn started to glow as she attempted to move the bag, however, like everything else, her magic proved useless. She growled in frustration, stomping her hoof. “This is not fair!” she shouted.

However, instead of a response, the Ancient One simply continued with his meditation, disregarding everything around him.

Celestia grew outraged as the Ancient One continued to ignore her. He didn’t look at her and certainly didn’t acknowledge her. The only time he even noticed that she was there was when there was work to be done or when there was something the Ancient One wanted her to do. What kind of pony would treat another like this?! I am just as important as he is! Am I to be ignored as if I don’t exist unless I can do something for him?! Like a slave or servant?!

She bit down on the bag with her teeth and began to drag it across the floor. The bag was heavier than she thought. Not as heavy as the plow, but still pretty heavy for seeds. As she started to make it out the door when all of the sudden she heard a loud ripping sound.

Don’t tell me! she thought to herself. As she looked down, she saw her fears were confirmed. The bag had ripped open causing seeds to fall out. They scattered to the floor around where the bag had ripped. The mount taunted her. A slight chuckle was heard from the hallway. Celestia looked up to see Dusk. His mouth painted a cruel smile on his face. Celestia couldn’t tell if Dusk had ripped the bag himself or not, but he was taking pleasure in it. Celestia attempted to force the seeds back in the bag with her magic, but like the bag itself, they were impervious to her spell. Celestia growled in irritation as she started to scoop up the seeds back into the bag. She picked up the bag with her front hooves, making sure the hole wasn’t facing the ground. As she left, Dusk made a quick comment.

“Don’t screw this up, princess!”

Celestia grumbled in irritation as she made her way out of the temple. She hated Dusk. He was always cruel to her for what seemed to be no reason. She wanted to ask him, but she had her doubts that he would even tell her. Celestia shook her head, attempting to rid her mind of Dusk. As Celestia got to the field, the sun started to glow across the field. She felt accomplished looking upon it. It had taken her a week of hard work, but she managed to plow this entire field. She thought that she simply did it for her sister, but she also thought to do it out of spite. Spite for the Ancient One, who probably didn’t think she could do it.

As Celestia thought about her new task by comparison, it seemed that she would have an easy day ahead of her. She placed the bag on the ground and picked up a hoof full of seeds. So, I guess I just put them out there. Celestia wasn’t sure how to plant seeds, but it seemed like an easy enough task. She started to throw out the seeds in random directions, hoping it would be enough.

As she tossed them, she quickly forgot about them and moved on to the next part of the field. Whenever she ran out of seeds, she would make her way back to the bag of seeds at the edge of the field. As she made her way back, she heard a cawing sound above her. She looked up to see a gathering of crows, circling over her. Crows? On top of this ice mountain?

She rubbed her eyes hoping that the birds were mere illusions. Tricks being played on her eyes. But sure enough, the birds were still there. How or why these birds get passed the winds and snow when she could not was a mystery to her. This place makes no sense! Celestia growled under her breath. She picked up another batch of seeds and made her way to another part of the field.

As she trotted, her mind began to wonder. She couldn’t fathom why everything she was doing was connected to Luna. If anything at all. She simply saw it as pointless work. Washing walls? Plowing a field? Planting seeds? It all seemed like the work of servants, not princesses. Still, jobs that she thought would be easy or trivial had taken everything she had to accomplish. She found herself thinking if it was this difficult on the ponies back at home. If it was, why have they not said so? Celestia asked herself, searching herself for an answer. Do ponies really have to do these takes? And are they really THIS difficult?

The simplicity of the task caused her to think about Luna. She hadn’t really thought about what she would do when she saw her. She knew she would give her the biggest hug she possibly could, tell her about how much she missed her, how sorry she was that she ruined the Star Light Festival, how she was casted out of her kingdom by her cruel mother. A thought then crossed her mind, something she hadn’t thought of until now. If she did find Luna, where would they go? Where would they live? They were both banished from Canterlot. How would they survive? Food was difficult to come by, especially since nopony believed she was a princess. Would Luna even recognize her? The thought had come up, but she pushed it aside. That fear would never come to pass… Would it?

Her mind was so perplexed by her questions; she hadn’t noticed her hooves were bare. She turned around back to the bag of seeds, preparing herself for another load. However, when her eyes came upon the bag, a flock of crows had begun to peck at the seed bag, devouring the seeds. They continued their attack on the helpless seeds with relentless hunger.

“Hey!” Celestia shouted. The crows turned their heads towards the alicorn, as if drawn to her voice. “Get away from those!” Celestia and the crows stared down one another, their eyes meeting. There were moments of silence and motionlessness, as they silently glared at one another. Celestia’s peering gaze met with the crows various blinks.

The crows focused their attention back to the seeds, not even giving Celestia a second glance. The crows attacked the seeds relentlessly, ignoring everything else around them. Celestia darted to the crows, causing them to finally scatter when she arrived. Celestia pounded the ground in irritation, giving a bellowing grunt. She gathered up seeds in her hooves and made her way to the field. However, the moment Celestia was at a distance, the crows continued their feast. And again, Celestia would chase them away, only to find that most of the seeds she had had been taken away by the ebony birds.

Celestia decided to take the bag with her as she tossed the seeds. She would drag the bag as far as she needed to and then gather seeds to be tossed in any and all directions. The day dragged on with Celestia and the crows fighting for control of the field. The crows made many attempts on the seeds. One such scheme was to pierce the bottom of the bag, without Celestia’s knowledge, and feed of the spoils. Celestia noticed only when the bag gradually became lighter as she trotted. The bag was nearly emptied and she had yet to reach a halfway distance.

After being forced back to sanctuary and being forced back out with a new bag of seeds, Celestia’s patience with the crows was wearing rather thin. The birds circled all above her, mocking her with their squawks and caws. Stupid birds, she thought to herself. [How can any pony expect to do any work with those pests around? Finally, her patience had reached its peak. She stomped into the main hall where the Ancient One lay. She had ranted about how the crows were causing her problems and demanded to know how was she supposed to deal with the creatures.

The Ancient One didn’t even so much as look at her. He gave a sly smile and simply replied “The problem is between you and the birds.”

Celestia was then forced outside by Dusk, without even another word from the Ancient One. When her eyes met back to the field, the crows waited for their free meal. Every second she thought about what the Ancient One had said, the more frustrated it made her. That isn’t advice. That’s a dismissal!

Celestia cringed at the thought of being simply dismissed by any pony. And the day didn’t become any less stressful for the alicorn. The crows were relentless in their operation to obtain their meal and Celestia was forced to abandon her work in order to quell them. It had taken her a long part of the day, but finally she managed to work up a sound generating spell that would cause an echoing boom. That was enough to frighten the birds away. She often used this spell to frighten a pony in the middle of their concentration. It had always gotten her a laugh in the past and even now it was useful.

With that spell at her side, she finally finished her planting of the seeds. As she dragged herself to sanctuary, she noticed the Ancient One standing on the steps. He looked like he was waiting for her. Celestia lowered her head with her face scowling towards the old pony.

The Ancient One simply glanced at her. “Make rain.”

Celestia shot the Ancient One a look of extreme prejudice. “Now, you want me to make it rain?!”

The Ancient One turned his head towards the field. “Rain helps seeds grow. Seeds that grow produce food. Food-“

“Feeds the ponies! I know!” Celestia interrupted. She looked up to the sky and saw the shapes of dark clouds above her. They were scattered, waiting to be gathered by a Pegasus pony or Celestia in this case. Celestia focused her magic on the clouds, hoping to move them. She didn’t know why she was trying. Her magic, thus far, proved useless almost everywhere else. And sure enough, her magic proved useless here. She turned to the Ancient One with a glare of anger. “This place is stupid!”

The Ancient One gave no indication of hurt, sorrow, anger, or pain. He simply stared at Celestia, much to her annoyance. It was as if he didn’t care about what was said, only what was done. Celestia cursed under her breath as she spread her wings and took to the sky. The clouds proved to be just as irksome as the crows. They would rush in the opposite direction of Celestia, forcing her to chase them down. Even when she caught them and gathered them into one spot, she would have some that would float off, forcing her to abandon the others to catch her mischievous foe, only to have another fly off. This cycle repeated itself for about an hour until Celestia finally thought to drag the large patch of clouds gathered to the smaller separate clouds, rather than abandon it to pick up a single cloud.

The clouds put up quite a fight, but after what seemed like several long hours, as the day turned into dusk, the clouds had been gathered. Celestia made her way to the side of the clouds and bucked them with her hind legs. A crackle of thunder was unleashed as the cloud lit up with lightning. A moment later, the clouds unleashed its precipitation on the field.

Celestia made her way to the steps of the temple, where the Ancient One had been waiting. Through the course of the day, Celestia had noticed the Ancient One was still there. He sat as she moved the clouds. He watched as she repeatedly failed again, and again. She wondered what was going through his mind as he stood in silence. Perhaps, he was mental scorning her. But his face gave no such indication. Celestia disregarded him. And as the rain fell from the sky, she made her way passed him.

The Ancient One finally turned to her as she passed by. “Do not overwater. Watch the field.”

“Whatever,” Celestia replied, completely ignoring him. She had had enough of him. She was tired, she was upset, and she was ready for a long, filling meal. Dusk had been insulting her and mocking her the entire day, the crows were annoying, the clouds were almost as aggravating and the Ancient One looked right through her. She returned to the temple without saying another word.

As the sun started to shine through the small window of Celestia’s room. The day had started to begin, but there was nothing Celestia wanted to do. The day prior had proven stressful for her and she wasn’t looking forward to another one. Even as the sun started to engulf her room, she completely dismissed it. She simply continued to lay her head down to rest.

After a moment, the door flung open violently, causing Celestia to jump to her feet. Before her stood Dusk, and he looked less than happy. His horned glowed as the blanket from Celestia’s bed was sent soaring across the room. Dusk then grabbed Celestia by her wing and began to drag her out of her room. Celestia struggled and grunted as attempted to escape Dusk’s grip. “Let me go!” Celestia screamed.

Dusk simply ignored her plights and continued to force her into the hallway. Celestia struggled even harder, her horn started to glow as she attempted to use her magic to free her, but even that was useless. She tried to flap her wing with all her might, but Dusk’s grip prevented her from even moving it an inch. She screamed loudly, hoping for somepony to come running, but nopony seemed to notice.

She continued to struggle and scream as Dusk finally brought her to the courtyard. At the staircase, she was thrown into the pile of mud that had formed around it. Her face was coated in filth as her head sharply turned towards Dusk. “What is the meaning of this?!” Celestia snapped as mud dripped from her face.

Dusk gestured towards the field in front of them. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Celestia turned around to see the Ancient One and Starswirl before her. She glared at them the rain continued to spill onto them, soaking them in its wake. “What is going on here?!”

“Look around,” the Ancient One finally snapped. Celestia rolled her eyes and did as she was told. Her face then painted one of shock and disbelief. The field, the one she had worked so hard to plow, had become a field of puddles and small lakes with seeds scattered all around them. The soil had been completely replaced with mud. Everything she had done the week prior, destroyed in one night.

“You failed to stop storm,” the Ancient One stated. “Seeds drown. Ponies starve. Your fault.”

Those words cut like a knife into Celestia’s heart. But instead of feeling sad, she felt angry. She didn’t believe it was her fault. She worked hard. She did everything for them. How could it be her fault if she did everything in her power? She did her best, wasn’t that enough? “I wasn’t reminded that I was supposed to-!”

“You are not expected to be reminded of your responsibilities.” The Ancient One stood straight up to Celestia, even being a few inches shorter than the alicorn, he gave an intimidating presence. “You are expected to uphold them.”

“But I didn’t know! This was my first time!” Celestia started.

“The ponies would have starved to death and you would have offered nothing as compensation?”

Celestia would have retorted, but she wasn’t sure what to say. What could she have said? She knew what it was like to starve. She knew what it was like to be so hungry you’re desperate. Desperate enough to dig through garbage just to survive. If she had been in that position, and all she was offered was an apology, she would have been outraged. She lowered her head and remained silent.

The Ancient One moved around her and towards the temple. “You clean field. You start over.”

Starswirl and Dusk joined the Ancient One as the rain continued to fall. Celestia was left in the field of mud, alone. She stared up to the sky as the rain pummeled her face, slowly removing the mud from it. With thoughts of failure rising in the pit of her stomach, she spread her wings and began to work.

The day did not start out pleasant. And it did not prove any less miserable as it dragged on. The first struggle came from the separation of the clouds. Celestia was forced to gather pieces of the cloud to disperse them. With as much cloud coverage as there was, she spent a good hour or so removing them from the sky. All the while, her body was coated in water and mud, making her cold and shivering. After clearing the sky and drying herself off, she found herself back at the field, clearing out all the mud to dig into the soil below it and scoop out as much water as she could. The bucket, like everything else, was impervious to her magic, forcing her to drag it around with her teeth.

Her day dragged on with her patience slowly withering to nothing. The mud was coating her hooves and was incredibly difficult to walk on. She would slip and fall constantly attempting to gain hoofing. Eventually, she fell into the mud, the bucket in her mouth dumping its contents in her face. She spat, violently, out the mud that dipped into her mouth. Her fortitude finally finished.

As if to read that she had reached her limit, Starswirl appeared before her. She glared up at him. “Look,” she stared weakly. “I don’t know why you think this is funny, because it’s not!” Celestia made her way to her hooves and stepped towards Starswirl. “You say I’m finding my sister, but all I seem to be doing is doing your gardening for you!”

Celestia lowered her head, her eyes filled with tears. “Just please, tell me.” She gave Starswirl sincere, sad eyes as tears came down her face. “When do I get to see my sister?”

“This had not been about your sister. It never has been,” Starswirl revealed.

Celestia stood, baffled. Her mind echoed with questions at what Starswirl had revealed. Her heart felt a throbbing pain as if she just had a stake through it.

How could this not be about Luna?! The only reason I followed him was because of Luna! I scrubbed floors, I climbed that perilous mountain, I’ve even put up with Dusk for Lord’s sake! And now, they tell me that none of that mattered?!

“Listen to me!” Celestia shouted, tears bursting from her eyes. “I need my sister! Tell me where she is!

Starswirl simply took a deep breath. “I cannot.”

Celestia grew shocked and angry. But her anger was quickly replaced by depression. A depression that sapped her will to argue. She simply lowered her head and slowly trotted forward. “Then there’s nothing for me here.”

Celestia made her way passed Starswirl and towards the gate that separated her from the cold mountain, secretly hoping the cold would consume her. Her depression grew as she slowly realized, the only chance she had of finding her sister, had all been a lie.

Starswirl watched in sadness as Celestia started to walk away. It pained him to reveal the truth to her, but she needed to know. He was about to go to her and stop her.

And as if sensing his thought, the Ancient One spoke, “Let her go.”

Starswirl turned towards the Ancient One and bowed his head in respect. “But master, she will not survive.”

“That is her choice,” The Ancient One replied. He turned to the gate as the last image of Celestia, disappeared behind the wooden doors that closed on her. “In the end, only she can find her way back.”

Starswirl knew the truth behind the Ancient One’s words, but that did not help his heart ache any less. As he watched Celestia exit sanctuary, he came to cruel conclusion. This was the third time he failed his queen.

See the Weeds for What They Are

Starswirl entered the grand castle of Canterlot. It had been many years since he set hoof in the castle. Nothing had changed, not that he had noticed. The ponies around him went about their business as usual. He didn’t mind however. He was on business. Even if he wasn’t, his mind was too preoccupied with the past. Every time he came to the castle, he was reminded of his father figure, the late king. His death had taken a toll on everypony that knew him, and Starswirl was not spared the pain. It had given him many sleepless nights, stating that he could have saved him and failed.

His master had told him that some lives were not meant to be saved. At first, he didn’t understand what those words meant. He thought it meant that he was a failure and should simply accept it. Now that he was older, he understood it perfectly. But it did not mean his heart felt any less pain.

Starswirl had been so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn’t notice a mare coming straight for him. The two gently bumped into one another. Starswirl quickly apologized. As he looked up, he noticed the mare was the same alicorn he met all those years ago. The little filly with the little red ball. Celestia, the princess of Canterlot. Her eyes glared at him as she trotted away.

“Keep your apologies,” she replied. “I don’t want them.”

As the mare trotted away, Starswirl couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. The sweet little pony he had met all those years ago had transformed into a very rude, very obese brat. His heart sank as he turned away, secretly wondering what could have happened to turn her into such a rotten child.

He found the entrance to the queen’s room. After stating his business with the guard, he was allowed inside. As he entered, he found the queen standing by the window, her face soaked in tears. He bowed his head, “My queen, you summoned me?”

The queen was silent for a moment. But then she turned her head.

The first thing Starswirl noticed was that the years had started to take their toll on her. Her once youthful, bright face was slowly becoming weary. The years had taken much of her former beauty replacing it with wrinkles. He felt guilty about such a wonderful mare aging like this. The secrets of the disciples allowed him an increased longevity. But that was both a blessing and a curse.

“Do you have any children?” the queen asked.

“No,” Starswirl shook his head.

“To see a child leave is the most painful thing in the world,” Queen Faust explained. “And I’ve been forced to do it twice.” Her voice was broken by her sobs as she struggled to continue.

Starswirl didn’t know what to say. What could he have said? Queen Faust had lost her family, one by one. Her husband, her younger daughter, Luna. And now even Celestia was gone. She had been through more losses than any family member should have. And he did not have the courage or strength to tell her what fate had befallen Luna. Part of him wished that Dusk was here. Only a small part, though. At least, he would have told her. He would have been blunt about it, but at least she would know. Starswirl admitted to himself at being a coward. About running away from reality when he could not face it.

The queen took a deep breath as she attempted collected herself. “I ask a favor.”

Starswirl’s ears perked themselves up. “My queen, you have already invoked the Right of Generosity. There is nothing my master can-,”

“I’m not asking him!” The queen snapped, tears still soaking her face. “I’m asking you!”

Starswirl was a little surprised at Faust’s abruptness, but he quickly forgave her. He couldn’t imagine the pain she was going through. It mirrored his own pain. He had lost much during his time as a disciple. But even if he could do anything, his master would not help him. The Right of Generosity, the right that every powerful unicorn, who has proven their worthiness by the Lords Above, could invoke, but only once.

Queen Faust closed her eyes as tears continued to stream down her face. “As my friend, I beg you… watch over Celestia.”

The queen turned back towards the window. “She may hate me.” She was silent as those words sunk into Starswirl’s mind. Perhaps, he thought, they were doing the same to Faust’s. “I may have been forced to banish for the good of my kingdom, but that changes nothing of how I feel about her.”

She turned back to Starswirl. “I love my daughter. I want her alive and I want her safe.”

Starswirl lowered his gaze to the floor, “You do realize if she is made a disciple, there is nothing I can do.”

The queen’s eyes glared at him as if he told her the answer was no. “Don’t let her die. Do you understand?”

Starswirl was torn between the choice he wanted to make and the choice he needed to make. He wanted with all his heart to promise the queen he would take care of Celestia, but he knew that he could not interfere with her trials. Nothing could. It was against the rules set by the sorcerers before him. He could not break them, no matter how much he wanted to.

“Please,” the queen begged, as if sensing his thoughts. “Promise me, you’ll keep my daughter safe.”

Starswirl smiled as his eyes met the queen’s. “I promise.” He kept smile on the outside, but his heart was filled with sorrow. For he knew, the second he made that promise, he would soon have to break it.

The cold winds that assaulted Celestia’s body reminded her of her struggles to climb the mountain. How the only thing she had to hold onto was the chance to see her sister again. However, the drive had been replaced with sorrow and pain. She struggled against the wind and the snow as she attempted to climb down the mountain, but eventually, cold drove her into the ground. She was tired and worse, she had lost the will to continue. She began to think it was hopeless. That finding Luna was an impossible task. That she was going to be alone. Forever.

She closed her eyes, and let the darkness gather around her, allowing the snow to engulf her. However, after a moment, the cold stopped coming. She opened her eyes, but when she did she wasn’t on top of the mountain. Instead, she was in a dark void. She could see herself perfectly as she stared down to her hooves, but when she looked around, she saw only miles and miles of black. Suddenly, the cold started swirling back onto Celestia’s body, not from the freezing air, but by the fear of the void. Then from the void, a whisper came from it.

“How dare you treat me this way?”

Celestia looked around to see any source of the voice, but there was only darkness. The voice sounded familiar, but it was too distorted to make out. Her heart started to beat quickly as the voice spoke again this time even louder and clearer.

“Get this filth away from me! Do you not know who I am?”

As the voice began to fill her ears, small images started to appear in the never ending darkness. They were blurred images, unable to be depicted. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to see them, but it came to no avail. She sprinted forward towards the images, hoping to see them clearer. But the more she ran, the more distant the images seemed to fade. Eventually, they faded into nothing, but not before Celestia caught a glimpse of something within them. A white alicorn with a long pink mane in every single image, revealed herself. She knew it was her within the images, but what it meant was beyond her.

A shining light came from behind her, causing her to swiftly redirect her head. She looked upward to see the moon. It was bright and big. As the moon descended to her, it began to reshape itself into the blue alicorn with a long blue mane she had been searching for. Her sister. “Luna?” she called out.

Luna’s eyes could stare at her with disapproval. “How could you be so selfish?”

Those words hit Celestia like a tree. Those were not words that she had expected from Luna. Especially not after all she had been through to find her. “Selfish? Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you,” she explained.

Luna simply shook her head. “No, Tia. You did this for yourself. The only reason you did this, was because you wanted to be accepted.” Luna then turned away, “But for what you’ve done to others, I can’t even look at you.”

Celestia’s hooves took over her body, sprinting towards Luna, but every step she took, Luna only seemed to get further away. “Luna, I don’t understand what you’re talking about!”

Luna shook her head. “And that’s what saddens me the most.” Celestia stopped dead in her tracks, tumbling to her knees. “You don’t understand. You don’t see what you are like. How you treat others. How you treat mother. How you treat me…” Luna’s eyes shut tight as she was trying to fight back the tears. “It shames me…”

Those words cut into Celestia’s heart and slithered down into her stomach. The sad tone carried from Luna’s voice repeated itself all around her. It broke Celestia’s heart to see streams of tears coming down Luna’s face.

“It shames me to think you’re not the same loving sister that I once knew…” Luna turned her gaze upon Celestia, her eyes reddened by the tears that continued to flow from her face. “What happened to you?”

That sight siphoned all of Celestia’s strength and courage. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped out of her chest, leaving an empty void where it once beat. Her soul felt littered with filth and famine as Luna’s question reached her ears. Her thoughts scattered in turmoil, attempting to conjure an answer that could ease Luna’s pain. She shook her head, tears starting to develop in her eyes. “Sister, listen. I’m still the same pony I always was… I love you.”

Luna shook her head and turned away. “I wish I could believe that… But I can’t! You’ve changed so much! I don’t recognize you anymore!” Her voice trembled into sobs.

Celestia picked herself up off the ground, her legs heading straight for Luna. Luna started to fade into the shadows that surrounded them. Celestia picked up her pace even faster, but there was no sign that she was approaching her sister. “Don’t say that! We’re together again! Everything will be right!”

“Good-bye, Tia.” With those words, Luna was consumed by the darkness, leaving Celestia completely alone.

“Luna!” Celestia shouted. “Luna, please come back! Don’t leave me!” The darkness echoed her cries, but never revealed her sister. Celestia toppled to her knees, her sobs filling the air around her.

How could Luna say such things? After all that they, as sisters, had been through together, what would possess her to say such awful, cruel things? Her mind began to remember the times together that they had. They would laugh, play, comfort one another, listen to each other’s stories and secrets, stay up late and watch the moon, get up early and watch the sunrise. All these memories seemed to fade away as quickly as they appeared, melting like a snowball in the fires of Hades. She didn’t even have a chance to enjoy the memories. She could only watch, helplessly, as they vanished into the darkness. Her head fell into her hooves, sobbing as her heart felt another jolt of pain.

Celestia then felt a pair of hooves wrapping themselves around her. “This is no time for tears, my little one.” Celestia felt the hooves lift her off the ground, picking her up as if she was a filly. When she opened her eyes, she saw the image of a large white Pegasus with a golden mane. The image of the stallion she had lost when she was young. Her father.

“Daddy?” she asked the stallion as she looked down to her body. She didn’t see the tall body she was used to. Instead, she saw herself as the young filly who would ride on her father’s back, flying through the air like a bird through the sky.

“Come now, dry your eyes,” he gently whispered as he wiped a tear from her face. His touch felt warm and dry as they rubbed against her tiny cheeks. Celestia smiled as she looked upon the strong and gentle face of her father.

“Let me show you something,” the king of Canterlot said as she placed Celestia on his back. It was just as they used to do. Celestia would ride her father’s back as he soared through the sky at incredible heights. She wrapped her hooves around her father and gave a giggle. The king spread his wings out as far as he could and took to the air.

As Celestia looked down, she noticed that she was back in Canterlot. High above the little village that stood outside the castle, she looked down to the ponies below her. The king dove for the city, staying just barely above the village houses. The ponies looked up to the sky with a smile on their faces as they beheld the king and his young daughter. They waved, they cheered, they shouted their praises as they soared above the sky.

Celestia felt an overwhelming joy in her stomach as the ponies continued to express their joy. They were happy. And it was because of her and her father. Her father then flew high into the air, with Celestia still holding on. But rather than screeches of fear, she was laughing and expressed cheers of delight, which were mimicked by her father.

He flew higher and higher, until they were higher than the tallest tower of the castle. Celestia’s eyes widened with wonder as she looked upon the horizon. The sun was starting to set on this beautiful day, filling the sky with beautiful reds, oranges, and purples. Celestia's smile almost overtook her face as she beheld the amazing sight.

She then felt her father playfully toss her into the air, only to catch her not even a moment later in his hooves. Celestia couldn’t help but laugh as was now eye to eye with her father. Her father smiled to her. “You see that, Celestia? That will all be yours someday.”

Celestia smiled as she turned around and looked at the kingdom below. She felt happier than she had ever been in her life.

“But remember, a princess' duties are to her subjects,” her father explained. “Not the other way around. Can you do that for me Celestia? Can you be the princess that loves and helps her subjects?”

Celestia turned towards her father and nodded. “Don’t worry, daddy!” she closed her eyes and smiled. “I’ll be the best princess ever!”

Just then a voice came from where her father should have been, but it wasn’t his. “Oh, will you?”

She opened her eyes to see the image of an obese pony who looked exactly like her. No, there was no mistaking it. It was her.

Fear started to manifest in her heart as she stared into the glaring pink eyes of her other half. The mare just smiled as she held her over the city, hundreds of feet below her. Within a moment and without warning, the mare dropped Celestia, causing her to plummet.

Celestia screamed as the ground slowly grew closer and closer. She flapped her wings with all her might, but they couldn’t even slow her down. She pushed even harder, but her wings were too weak to keep her airborne.

She closed her eyes, just before hitting the cold hard ground. However, despite the pain, she was still breathing. How could she have survived, she wondered. She opened her eyes to see the black void she had once been imprisoned in. Tears started to swarm down her face. Not from the pain, but of fear. Fear of what she had experienced. How could anypony do that to another? How could she have done that? To a little filly, no less.

Celestia examined her body and found that her young body had been restored to her adult state. She cried out for her father, for Luna, for anypony. But in the infinite void, there was no response. She curled herself up into a ball, begging for anypony to come and find her.

“Get up! You have no reason to cry! You did this to yourself!”

Celestia looked around sharply to see the source of the voice, but there was nopony around only the darkness. The voice was incredibly familiar, but she wasn’t sure why. “Who’s there?”

Then out of the darkness, she saw a figure coming from it. It was her. The bloated version of herself. “Who are you?” she finally worked up the courage to ask.

“I’m you,” the mirror image spoke.

Celestia lowered her head and whimpered. “Why are you torturing me?”

The image simply glared at Celestia. “I am only doing what you have done for so a many others!”

Celestia stood silently. The more radiant image of her current self’s horn started to glow as images haunted her mind. How she had disregarded her sister’s wishes just so she could have fun. How she had mistreated her mother and every pony back at the castle. How she had attempted to rob good ponies of their hard earned product. How she had cursed every pony she met. The images came so intensely, they caused her to shrivel down in tears.

“I… I really… did those things?” Celestia asked, her sobs breaking her words.

“You don’t deserve anypony. You deserve to be alone.” With those words, the mirror image faded away, leaving only Celestia to sob in the void.

It seemed like hours since she had started crying. Hours since she had realized what a horrible pony she was. If she had cared to count the time, it was only a few moments. But time didn’t seem to matter to her anymore. All she could think of was how alone she was. How she had pushed everypony away and that she was going to be alone. She cried out to the darkness for anypony to be beside her. But despite her cries, the void never answered. Despair began to sink deeper into her heart.

“Anger,” a voice came from the void. As the voice started to speak, Celestia found herself surrounded by the garden she remembered at the castle. The same grassy field, the same single tree, the same stone walls that surrounded them. “Pain, loss, guilt.” A figure appeared in the garden in the form of the Ancient One. He stood under the tree only a few feet from Celestia. “These are the weeds that surround your garden, Celestia.”

Celestia turned her head, tears still streaming down her face. She wiped one away and spoke, “Is this another dream? Or is this real?”

“It is as real as you allow,” the Ancient One replied.

Celestia looked down at her hooves and shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“Like many things, what you have seen is not set in stone.” Celestia’s eyes stared back at the Ancient One as if he had provided her with a glimmer of hope. “Like the garden, these things are subject to change. Subject to growth. But only if you allow it.”

Celestia’s mind didn’t understand most of it, but what she did understand was there was a way for her to change her ways. That was all she needed to hear. But one question still stuck in her mind. “How?” Celestia asked.

“See the pony you wish to become. Then take the steps necessary to become that pony.”

Celestia turned her gaze away once more as her head fell into her lap. “I thought I knew what kind of pony I was.” Her mind was reintroduced to her painful memories. Memories of her cruelty and her callousness towards others. Even her own family. How can she change that? How could others forgive her? How could she forgive herself? “Now… I don’t know what to do. I’m so lost and confused,” she sobbed.

“And that is what has prevented you from growing.” The Ancient One took a step towards her and placed his hoof on her head. “See the weeds for what they really are. And then pull them from the roots.”

Celestia looked up to see the Ancient One started to trot away as the garden slowly turned back into the snowy mountain. Once again, she felt the cold winds rushing against her.

As the Ancient One disappeared, he spoke. “You have the seed in your hooves. The question is; what will you allow to grow?”

Celestia then felt something in her hooves. She opened them up and looked down. Inside her hooves was a tiny seed.

The Ancient One gasped deeply as he awoke from his trance and unleashed a series of sickly coughs from his throat. Starswirl came to his master’s side, but stepped away as the Ancient One held up his hoof, signifying that he would be fine. As his master tried to collect himself, Starswirl looked out the window. His sight beheld Celestia entering the gates of sanctuary. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He thought that Celestia was leaving for good. Something … or somepony… brought her back. Starswirl turned toward his master and raised his eyebrow. “You helped her?”

As his coughs died down, the Ancient One turned and smiled. “Just a little.”

Starswirl shifted his gaze towards the floor, biting his lip. “But that’s against the rules, isn’t it?”

The Ancient One nodded. “You are correct. And one day, I shall be made to answer for it.” The Ancient One made his way towards the window as Celestia started to dig at the ground with the brown bucket. “But I assure you, the choice to return was her’s alone.”

As the two looked upon the pony, who continued to work throughout the day, the Ancient One finally spoke. “She is ready.”

After a long, hard day in the field, Celestia made her way to the dining hall as she had in days past. But this time she could barely eat. Her mind was distracted with hundreds of questions flowing through her mind.

What could possess me to act out that way? Was it all true? Was that what I was really like? Celestia's mind found images of ponies being belittled and ridiculed by her and every time they flashed before her, her heart sank even more. But the Ancient One has been inside her mind, had spoken to her. While she didn’t understand all of it, he had mentioned a way to change who she had been. A chance to set things right. What frustrated Celestia is that she was still unsure how to do it.

As the evening went on, she could barely finish a single bowl of soup, no matter how wonderful it tasted. Her mind simply couldn’t focus on food. She made her way to her room expecting her stack of hay and blanket. However, when she opened the door, she saw a large wooden tub filled with water. Next to that, was a smaller bucket of water with bubbles coming from it. To the left was a set of large towels. At first Celestia was confused, but as she slowly approached the tub, she began to see that the water was steaming warm.

A bath?! Celestia smiled as the thoughts of a warm bath filled her mind. She couldn’t remember the last time she had bathed, but she couldn’t have been more excited. She slowly placed her front hoof into the warm water, which at first was discomforting, causing her to twitch in pain. But as her foreleg slowly descended into the tub, it became more tolerable and, by the time the rest of her body was submerged, relaxing. She let out a soothing sigh as she let the water tickle her skin. As she looked to the small bucket below her, she noticed that it was soap for her bath. She picked up the bucket with her magic and poured with her hot water. Almost immediately, bubbles began to form around Celestia’s body.

Lords above, this feels wonderful, Celestia silently praised. She almost laughed at herself, being excited over something as simple as a bath. She dipped her scalp into the water, soaking her mane. The warm water sent a tingling down Celestia’s spine as it touched her scalp. As she ran her hooves through her hair, she could already feel it getting cleaner and it had barely touched the water.

A cycle of washing was repeated throughout her whole body. Her hair, her horn, her wings and her hooves all received the same treatment as she continued to bathe. Scrubbing the scum from those various places had never felt so wonderful. It was like being reborn as a clean, pure filly as if all her troubles were simply being scrubbed away.

As the moments went on, after she had scrubbed her body clean, she found it very easy to simply lie in the tub and relax. And with relaxation setting in, her mind began to wander once more. Her mind was filled with questions on what she had to do to fix who she was and who she wanted to be. She wasn’t sure what the right path for her would be and she was afraid of making the same mistake or even a worse one. She looked down to the water to see her reflection.

What kind of pony am I? she asked herself as the image of the bloated pony in her nightmare appeared before her. Her mind was clouded in a fog of unanswered questions, ones that she wanted answers to and ones she was afraid to face.

Author's Note

Hey, guys. Spideremblembrony here. Hope you enjoyed this newest chapter. I know it's been a long time since I updated and I hope to update it more often and hopefully it will be finished for you to enjoy/ridicule/hate.

Again, huge thanks to Avenging-Hobbits, The Invincible Iron Brony , and Lunar Avenger for proofreading for me. I really appreciate them. All three of these people are so talented and so great. Please click on the links and go check them out. You won't regret it.

Again, wonderful gentlemen and I wish them the best. That's all I've got for now and I'll catch you guys later. Take care. :pinkiehappy:

Blood Stained Hooves

The Ancient One sat deep in meditation as visions began to haunt his mind. His eyes twitched ever so slightly, but it was enough for Dusk to notice. Whatever the Ancient One was seeing, it was disturbing him. And if it was enough to disturb the Ancient One, it was not to be taken lightly.

“What is it, master?” Dusk asked. “What do you see?”

The Ancient One’s horn started to glow as an image appeared before Dusk. The image revealed the great city of Canterlot. The image then shifted to a pair of terrible creatures. They had large wings at their back. Their bright yellow eyes pierced through the darkness of the night, their long tails were shaped like a long battle axe that could be used as a weapon, as well as claws at each end of their arms. Their stone bodies looked like they would be impossible to break.

“Pony-eaters. Two of them,” the Ancient One spoke. The image continued as the creatures took to the air and headed straight for the city of Canterlot. “They will appear from opposite sides of the city.”

Dusk nodded as the image faded. “I will gather the others. We shall hit this threat simultaneously.” He turned his back to the Ancient One and started for the door. “I shall deal with one and the others-“

“No.” The Ancient One’s voice stopped Dusk in his tracks. “It will take all of you to stop even one. Begin with the nearest threat and then move to the next.”

Dusk turned himself towards the Ancient One. “Master, if I may, I believe you underestimate them. Just as you do me.” Dusk met with the Ancient One’s eyes. Even with his expressionless face, Dusk could tell his master was not convinced. “They are ready. As am I. I believe we can deal with this threat on both fronts.”

The Ancient One continued his expressionless gaze. “Believe what you will. But do as you are commanded.”

Dusk glared at the Ancient One, but only for a moment. He then bowed his head and smiled. “As you wish, master.”

As he started for the door, his mind grew outraged. I can’t let this challenge be taken from me. If I am to prove myself worthy of Sorcerer Supreme, I must face this battle alone. The others are ready to battle without me. And I without them.

Dusk and his group arrived at the city of Canterlot. The creatures had not reached the city, yet. But the city was fully aware of their oncoming presence. Ponies were fleeing in every direction, screaming and shouting. It was as if the end of the world was coming. Little did those ponies know, it might be.

“Dusk, what is the plan?” Starswirl asked.

Dusk turned to them and smiled. He had briefly spoken to them about what they were going up against, but did not mention the Ancient One’s wishes or his own. “The Ancient One has charged me with dealing with the one coming from the south.” He spoke as he pointed to the mentioned direction. He then turned towards the north. “You will deal with the one coming from the north. You will need everypony to back you up.”

The group started to whisper indistinctively to each other. Dusk could make out bits and pieces of what they were saying. Redeye thought it was crazy to try and go it alone.

A Sorcerer Supreme must always be alone, Dusk thought.

He heard Moondancer mentioned she wasn’t sure she could fight without Dusk’s leadership. Dusk assured the group that Starswirl was ready to lead and that the group was ready to battle without him. The ponies gave him looks of disbelief, but Dusk ignored them, stating that it was just the jitters of battle getting to them.

As their final good lucks were spoken, Dusk’s confidence started to grow exponentially. He felt as if the creatures were already dead in his mind. If everything went according to his plan, he would become Sorcerer Supreme. Starswirl would take his place. And Celestia would be thrown out as quickly as possible. Anything that happened to her after that was not his concern.

The unicorns attack the beast of the north with all their strength, but the creature was not easily swayed. Starswirl and Redeye fired beams of magical energy at the creature, hoping to pierce its hide, but it seemed to to little more than annoy the creature. The Pony-eater simply continued its flight towards the city of Canterlot. Hoofcuff summoned chains from the earth and wrapped them around the creature’s leg. As the creature attempted to move forward, it was jerked by the chains. It unleashed a mighty bellow as it struggled against its restraints. Hoofcuff grunted in pain as she attempted to bring the creature down to the earth, pulling the chains with all her might. However, its axe-like tail simply severed the chains, allowing it to continue its flight path.

Starswirl and Redeye attacked it with lightning blasts from their horns, but it didn’t seem to affect the Pony-eater. The Pony-eater, however, turned its attention towards the two unicorns that hovered slightly above it. It gave a mighty bellow before chasing them. Redeye and Starswirl started to flee. The two unicorns were fast, but the Pony-eater was gaining on them quickly. The smell of rotting corpses assaulted their nostrils as the creature’s mouth came within striking range. However, before the creature could catch them, it was stopped by two strands of light that caught each of its hind legs. The creature struggled against the strands of light, as it attempted to chase after its prey. However, before it could get within striking range, the creature was stopped by the jerking of its prison. Starswirl and Redeye looked back to see Vibrant and Moondancer holding the beast back. The creature ignored its targets ahead of it and swooped towards the two ponies on the ground.

Vibrant and Moondancer panicked as the creature increased its speed. They flew into the forest behind them, hoping the sea of trees would help them avoid the beast. However, the Pony-eater simply uprooted the trees as it passed, never slowing down from its path. The thunderous sounds of wood crackling and the creature’s growls and snarls were only overpowered by their heart beating in their ears. Sweat began to build from their chase with the creature. A surge of hot wind came over them and well as the smell of rotting flesh. The creature was right behind them and there was nothing they could do to avoid it. A few seconds passed and the two mares were helpless to avoid the creature. Its jaws were almost upon them as they felt it steamy breath on their coats.

However, Sunbeam, another unicorn of their group, gathered all his magical might and gave the beast a devastating tackle, using his speed and magical force to turn himself into a living battering ram. The creature stumbled for a moment, but it was that was needed for Vibrant and Moondancer to get away. The creature growled at the unicorn as he unleashed a beam of energy at its body. Like all other attempts, however, this beam seemed to do very little against the Pony-eater.

The creature took to the air after Sunbeam. He attempted to outrun it, but the creature was gaining on him quickly. He dove for the sea of trees, hoping it would provide him cover, avoiding the creature’s sight. However, as he dove, the creature used all the strength in its mighty wings and swiped it as hard as it could. The force sent Sunbeam to the ground, hitting it with a thud. Sunbeam struggled to his feet, but was forced back to the ground by the creature’s claw landing on top of him. He screamed as the creature’s jaws came straight for him.

Starswirl finally arrived to where Sunbeam had been, only to see the creature. Its mouth was full of blood and it was hungry for more.

Dusk pummeled the creature’s body with an array of light arrows, but the creature was not deterred by the attack. The creature simply continued its rampage in the tiny village that bordered Canterlot. Ponies were running in disorganized chaos as they attempted to flee the fearsome creature. The Pony-eater continued to sweep ponies in its grasp and stuff them into its mouth. Blood slithered down the creature’s neck as the bones cracked and snapped beneath its powerful jaws.

Dusk, again, unleashed a volley of light at creature. Finally, the creature turned its attention to the aerial unicorn. It spread its wings and darted for Dusk. Dusk was able to get away from its powerful jaws, but its tail was incredibly fast, slamming into his body with unrivaled speed. It knocked Dusk into a nearby hill. Dusk was slow to rise; pain tingled throughout his whole body. He looked up to see the Pony-eater coming straight for him. He acted quickly and summoned a barrier to block the creature’s claws from reaching him. Dusk, using all of his might, used the force field as a powerful force blast to send the Pony-eater back to the ground. The blast stunned the creature for a moment, but it easily rose back to its feet and took to the air, ignoring Dusk and heading back for the village.

Dusk followed the creature as swiftly as he could. Using his magic, he summoned forth a chain and hook and tossed it towards the Pony-eater. The chain wrapped around the creature’s neck and the hook dug into its hide. The Pony-eater stopped in its tracks as it attempted to break the chain with sheer force. However, Dusk was still holding on tight.

They struggled and fought against one another as if they were in a tug of war contest. The creature snarled as it pulled with all its might to break the chain wrapped around its neck. The hook dug into the creature’s armor, but it seemed unable to pry it open or even loosen it.

A moment later and with a swift swing of its tail, the Pony-eater cut the chain apart and freed itself to continue its course. As Dusk was sent by the sudden release in the opposing force, he quickly realized the creature was more powerful than he had anticipated.

He quickly balanced himself as he followed the beast. This creature… is so powerful. Perhaps I should rejoin the others? Perhaps the Ancient One was right?

However, at that same moment another voice spoke to him. No. This is some kind of test. A test to see my strength and cunning in battle. I need to do this!” He fired a bolt of lightning at the creature as he shouted to himself. “I have to prove I am the next Sorcerer Supreme!

It had been a long three days since Celestia first started to clean the field, but after all her hard work; the field was looking healthier already. The ground was being watered properly, not too much, not too little. The seeds were growing very nicely. Already signs of growth came from the ground. Sprouts started to burst from their earthly prison and were beginning to promise the gift of food to come.

But the plants weren’t the only thing that was growing. Weeds had started to infect the field. The Ancient One had charged Celestia with the task of clearing out the weeds. At first, it seemed like a simple task, but as she was slowly realizing, it was anything but simple.

She had been out for a day and a half pulling weed after countless weed. Progress was incredibly slow, if any progress was made at all. The weeds seemed to multiply at an alarming rate. Her hooves were already aching from the continued pulling and tugging she would do. Some weeds were easy to pull, others, however, took more force and more digging.

The sun was not helping her troubles at all, either. It was still as hot and as fierce as it had ever been. Celestia’s body would generously produce sweat as the heat assaulted her body.

Celestia sat down and lifted the bucket of water to her mouth, slurping down what she could. She laid down the bucket as she closed her eyes, taking a moment of rest. Suddenly a voice came to her.

“Celestia?”

Celestia looked up to see the Ancient One standing over her. She had expected him to be upset or angry. Instead, he painted an expression of concern rather than anger.

“I’m not giving up,” Celestia explained. “I’m just… resting a moment.” Celestia looked to the field, where weed after weed spread, infecting it with its poison, threatening to destroy all her hard work. And yet, for all her attempts to purge her garden of those toxins, she felt no closer than when she started. “This seems like an impossible task.” She shook her head, feeling that the task had defeated her.

“Only as impossible as you allow,” the Ancient One replied.

Celestia heaved a heavy sigh. She wished she could understand what the Ancient One was trying to tell her. However, the more she tried to connect the weeds to herself, the more it confused her. “It seems like … Every time I pull a weed, two more take its place.”

The Ancient One gripped one of the weeds in front of him. “Sometimes the roots go deep.” He pulled the weed from the ground, with a long root that extended almost of all the Ancient One’s body.

This shocked and saddened Celestia. The root slithered down all the way from the top of the Ancient One’s horn all the way to the ground. Celestia turned her head to the roots she had pulled and none of them were even close to that length.

“If roots not pulled out, weeds grows back.”

Celestia gripped another weed and pulled it, but unlike the Ancient One’s, the root was only an inch long. She couldn’t tell if the root had snapped off or if the whole thing came out. She sighed again as she tossed the weed aside. She turned her head to the Ancient One. “So, how do I get to those deep roots?” she asked.

“By seeing the weeds for what they truly are,” the Ancient One replied, tossing his weed aside.

Celestia shook her head and placed her hoof on her head. “I don’t understand.”

There was a brief silence in the air as the Ancient One gave her a compassionate smile. Celestia wasn’t sure what it meant, but she knew he wasn’t angry with her. He genuinely wanted to help her. “Close eyes,” he finally said.

Celestia didn’t know what to think. She had to see the weed for what they were, yet he wanted her to close her eyes. She didn’t understand why or what point there was. Regardless, her eyes shut themselves. As she thought, there was only blackness. The inside of her eyelids darkness her sight with nothingness. However, the Ancient One’s voice still pierced through the darkness.

“See the weeds for what they really are.”

At first, Celestia wasn’t able to see anything. But as the seconds passed, Celestia began to see things she had feared and regretted. She saw the fireworks show that she had wanted to see, but was destroyed because of her carelessness.

“Guilt.”

She saw her yelling at her mother for taking Luna away from her. She saw herself shout at and belittling her servants and guards, all because she was simply unhappy.

“Anger.”

She saw herself starving in the streets with nothing, but garbage to eat. Visions of her running from the guards as she desperately avoid their grip continued to haunt her.

“Pain.”

She then saw Luna. Her dearest sister. The pony who had been her best friend. She saw her mother. A strict, but loving pony. A mother who had raised her in more ways than she even realized, then she even remembered. She saw her father. Though she only knew him for a short time, she never forgot his strength or his gentleness. He always taught her how to smile and that a smile is the most important gift one can give. But then one by one, the ponies began to vanish, leaving her alone with her in the darkness.

“Loss.”

The images repeated themselves in Celestia’s mind, threatening to overwhelm her with shadow and sorrow.

“See the weeds for what they really are and then pull them from the roots.”

Celestia then heard a child’s laugh. She opened her eyes and looked around her. She was not in the darkness as she once was, but she was in Canterlot. Her home. But it was in the moonlight and there was in a small part of the village below. She saw herself and her sister, dressed up in long gowns as the skipped around the block. She saw other ponies dressed up in colorful costumes of all shapes and sizes. She remembered that night well. Nightmare Night. Her favorite holiday of all time. Each of the children would dress up in costumes and gather sweets from all the folks around town.

However, this particular day was very different from the others. As Celestia and her sister made their way through town, they noticed some of the other children’s sad faces. She kept eyeing the bags of sweets of the other children, which contained a sweet or two. Nothing compared to the smorgasbord that Luna and Celestia planned to bring home.

Celestia’s mind then went to work. Her planed involved her sister to gather as many children as she could to the town square. She had removed her dress and instead made as scary a costume as she could. Her plan involved posing as the infamous Nightmare Moon in an attempt to steal the children’s sweets. However, Luna would come to ‘save the day’ and give the spoils to the other children, which was comprised of Celestia’s and Luna’s earnings.

The performance was a complete success. They were met screams of terror when Celestia came from the shadow shouting how evil she was. The crowd cheered when Luna spoke with a heroic tone. They cheered even louder when ‘Nightmare Moon’ ran away, never to be seen again.

As the two princesses return to the castle, Celestia and Luna were visited by their mother in their room. Queen Faust had revealed what she had been told by the villagers of Canterlot. She told the two children that the ponies in the town were very impressed with the two young princesses. She explained that giving up something they wanted so that others, less fortunate than themselves, could have it was a very adult thing to do. The queen took the two fillies in her arms and whispered in their ears, “I’m so very proud of you both.”

Celestia’s eyes could help but start tearing up, as she looked upon her younger self. She couldn’t believe, after every horrible thing she had done, she had done something so wonderful to complete strangers.

The Ancient One’s voice spoke again. “Ask yourself: What kind of pony do you wish to become?”

Celestia closed her eyes and the tears began to roll down her face. “I want to be a pony… my family can be proud of.”

“Then open eyes. And become that pony.”

Celestia slowly opened her eyes. As her sight began to return, she saw something her mind couldn’t comprehend. The weed filled garden had vanished and in its place was a fully luscious garden. Tomato vines sprout out of the ground as high as her head. Cabbages were in full growth all across the ground. Carrot stems appeared from the ground, perfectly green and ripe for picking. The more her eyes focused on the vegetables around her, the more confused she became. “Where did this garden come from?” Celestia asked.

The Ancient One made his way to one of the tomato vines. “You pulled the weeds from your heart. And so the garden was allowed to grow.” He grabbed one of the tomatoes off the vine as Celestia made his way to him. “Leaving only bountiful fruit.” He placed the tomato in Celestia’s hoof and started to trot towards the temple. Celestia’s mind couldn’t wrap her head around how this little garden was connected to her, but she was slowly accepting that she and the garden were connected. If she grew healthy, the garden would grow healthy. If she allowed herself to be brought in by despair, the garden would slowly die. She didn’t claim to understand it, completely, but she promised herself she would try.

Then the Ancient One spoke, “It is time to see your sister.”

Those words brought Celestia’s thoughts to a halt. Her mind was only consumed by one thought, which she voiced out loud. “Luna is here?”

Celestia was lead down a hallway she hadn’t noticed before. It was as if this hallway had been kept from her. She, at first, thought it might have been a trick her mind played on her. Now, with all the strange things this place had offered her, she wasn’t sure what to believe. Except for one thing, the Ancient One wasn’t lying. She could feel it. Her sister, the one she had been searching for, was finally within her reach.

The Ancient One opened the doorway that lead into a small room. Inside the room was a single bed and in that bed, just under the sheets, was the dark blue alicorn from Celestia’s past.

“Luna!” she shouted as she excitedly rushed to her sister’s bedside. She embraced Luna in her arms, hugging her tightly. “Luna, I’m so glad you’re safe.” However, as the moment pressed on, Celestia realized that her sister was unresponsive. She took a look at the face of her sister, which was still and silent. Her eyes were shut tightly and her body was motionless, save for her slight breathing, which Celestia nearly missed.

She gently shook her sister as she attempted to wake her up. “Luna. Luna, it’s me. Tia.” Again and again, she called, but no matter how hard she tried, Luna would not awaken.

“What has happened to her?” Celestia asked as she turned to the Ancient One.

The Ancient One lowered his head. “She has been in a death-like trance for months.” His gaze shifted back to Celestia. “A trance that we have been unable to break.”

Celestia started to glare at the Ancient One. “Why wasn’t I told this?”

“I did not want your journey to be corrupted.” Celestia winced at those words, but then the Ancient One continued. “I did not want to fail you, as I failed your sister.” Celestia’s gazed turned back to Luna, who was still lifeless. “I failed to see the anger and rage in your sister’s heart and I would not fail you.”

Those words wouldn’t have made sense to Celestia when she had first arrived. She would have simply disregarded those words and demanded to see her sister. She saw the wisdom in the Ancient One’s actions.

“You must not allow yourself to become consumed by grief. For only you might be able to save her.”

Celestia didn’t understand what she could do that a powerful unicorn like the Ancient One couldn’t, but if she could help her sister, she would. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help my sister. You have my word.”

The Ancient One nodded his head. “Your training begins tomorrow.” He then turned around and shut the door behind him, leaving the two sisters alone.

Celestia refocused her gaze on her sister’s face. “Luna,” she spoke. “I don’t know if you can hear me.” She desperately fought the tears starting to swell in her eyes, but it was taking every ounce of strength she had. “But I will… find a way to help you.” Her voice broke by her sobs as she held back her tears. With her hoof, she silently made her Celestia promise. She crossed her heart and imagined sticking a cupcake in her eye, silently vowing that she would find a way to revive her sister. With the end of the promise sealed, her tears began to pour down her cheeks, and all Celestia could do was let them.

The Pony-eater continued its unstoppable rampage towards Canterlot, as Dusk hit it with everything he had. Magical blast after magical blast pummeled the creature’s massive body, but Dusk felt he was no closer to stopping the beast then when he started. The creature simply continued on its unstoppable rampage, caring very little for its attacker. The continued assaults had done little to slow it down, let alone kill it. The creature had left dozens dead in its wake and showed no sign of stopping.

The creature perched itself on one of the towers of Canterlot Castle and ripped into one of the rooms. He pulled out several ponies with its powerful claws. The ponies screamed in terror as their eyes met with the creature, but were silenced at its fangs tore into their flesh and bones.

Dusk launched a boulder at the creature’s back, slamming into it with a powerful blow.

The creature staggered for a moment, before turning its attention towards its much smaller opponent. With one swipe of its mighty wings, it forced itself into the air.

Dusk avoided the creature’s long arms and fired another blast of magic at the creature. But just as before, the attack did nothing to stop it. However, as he passed over the creature’s back, he noticed something. Where he had attacked the creature with the boulder, there was a small crack in the creature’s shell. He figured it must have been caused by the force of the attack and that with enough force, the armor would fail and the creature’s flesh would be revealed.

Dusk made his way back to the ground and lifted another stone from the ground. The Pony-eater came straight for him, its jaws ready to rip into him. At the last possible second, Dusk leaped into the air, his stone not far behind him. The creature continued its momentum, unable to change course fast enough to keep up with Dusk. With the creature still motioning forward, Dusk took his opportunity to strike at the creature’s back once more. The creature was forced to the ground by the blow, but it was far from over. The creature started to rise from the ground and roared to the sky in anger.

When Dusk got a good look at the shell, he noticed a small chunk was missing. He smiled as his mind went to work on the final killing blow.

Near the castle, Dusk found a turret that he ripped from its foundation with his magic and began to wield it like a large club. The creature came straight for him, just as he predicted. Dusk illuminated his horn so bright that it through the Pony-eater off course with blindness. Dusk move only slightly to escape the creature’s path. With the Pony-eater’s back exposed once more, Dusk swung the tower as hard as he could, slamming it into the same spot as before.

The creature fell to the ground. As the creature struggled to its feet, Dusk finally made his move. He pulled one of the ballista bolts from its resting place and launched it at the revealed flesh of the creature. The bolt pierced into the demon’s body, sending a stream of blood through the air as the bolt dug deeper into the creature’s flesh. The creature fell to the ground without making another movement. As it lied died, its body began to fade in a cloud of black smoke.

Dusk then turned to the other side of the city to see the other Pony-eater had yet to be slain. He smiled as he flew towards it gathering as much magical power as he could.

Starswirl and the others were not faring well against the Pony-eater. The creature’s brutal appetite had not stopped with Sunbeam. Two more unicorns perished attempting to stop the creature from killing innocent victims. Starswirl hit the Pony-eater with another blast of powerful magic, but still could do nothing to pierce its hide. The Pony-eater flew towards the little village that bordered Canterlot, ripping into one of the buildings with its razor sharp claws. The bystanders screamed in panic as the creature’s massive claws came straight for them.

Moondancer came from behind the creature firing a blast of fire, attempting to distract the creature from the ponies in front of it. Unfortunately, it did not seem to work. The Pony-eater only seemed interested in weak prey. It grabbed a clawful of ponies and stuff them into its mouth, the sounds of screeches and bone cracking filled the air around them. It was only when Hoofcuff joined the attack that the creature was finally swayed. The beast growled, its mouth dripping with blood, as it turned towards the pair. With a flap of its wings, it took to the air after them.

Hoofcuff and Moondancer soared through the air as the creature chased them down.

Starswirl and Vibrant gave chase, hammering the Pony-eater with beams of light. And finally, Redeye, using his magic to increase his power and momentum, rammed the beast to the ground.

A large dust cloud appeared as the creature’s body smashed into the ground hard. But as the dust cleared, the creature was still undeterred. Hoofcuff and Moondancer prepped themselves on the ground as their horns started to glow. The roots from trees started to uproot themselves and wrap themselves tightly around the creature’s body. At the same time, Redeye, Starswirl and Vibrant attacked the beast with all their might. However, the beast simply thrashed about in pure rage, pulling and tugging against its prison.

As it ripped free, its tail began to swing wildly. The tail slammed into the ground repeatedly, ripping at the vines that bound it. The tail became unpredictable in its movements and eventually, found a target. Moondancer looked up to see the tail come at her body and drag her to the ground before she could move. The axe slammed into her body, creating a dust cloud as the massive tail found its target. When the tail was finally revealed out of the cloud, it was dripping red with blood.

“No!” Starswirl screamed as he slowly began to process what had happened. The creature had acted so fast. He didn’t even have time to think about what had happened. All he knew was that Moondancer was dead.

Starswirl, in rage, fired another beam of light at the creature as it continued its struggle against Hoofcuff’s restraints, but like all other attempts, this one was doomed to fail. The Pony-eater broke free of its confinement and with one flap of its wings, brought down Starswirl and the others. The trio hit the ground hard, as the powerful wind storm knocked them out of the air. The creature roared as it took to the air once more.

Out of the corner of his eye, Starswirl noted Dusk finally appearing with a large spear made of pure magic in his hooves. He unleashed a cry of rage as he threw the spear with all his might. A crash that sounded like the earth being split apart echoed through the air as the spear slammed into the creature’s chest, sending straight to the ground.

When the creature revealed itself, its chest armor was shattered and cracked, leaving its vulnerable skin visible. Before the creature had a chance to recover, Dusk summoned a blade of pure magic and with one swipe, dug it deep into the creature’s flesh. Blood splattered onto Dusk’s face, as the blade ripping into the beast’s vital organ. The Pony-eater gave a last cry of pain, as it fell to the ground. A few moments later and the beast vanished into black smog.

As the black fog cleared, Starswirl noticed that Dusk was standing proudly over his kill, as if he achieved the impossible. The smug look on Dusk’s face showed both bravery and arrogance. Starswirl wasn’t sure if he should feel astonished or fearful.

“So many innocent lives,” the Ancient One started. “And four of our own.”

Dusk and Starswirl stood before the Ancient One, who was staring blankly into the horizon. After their return, the Ancient One demanded that he speak with Dusk and Starswirl on their latest mission. And for once in their lives, the Ancient One didn’t have his calm, collective nature. Instead, he looked outright furious.

“Our brothers… Our sisters…” A hint of sadness stained the Ancient One’s voice as he continued to speak. “Their blood stains your hooves, Dusk!” he growled as he turned towards Dusk.

“Our mission was successful,” Dusk explained, calmly. “The creatures are dead, Canterlot is safe and Discord remains sealed away. I’d call that a victory.”

The Ancient One continued to glare at Dusk. “And what of the lives that were lost because of your victory?”

Dusk bowed his head, but kept his cool voice. “Perhaps all lives are not meant to be saved, master. Those were your words, I believe.”

Starswirl bit his lip as Dusk spoke those words. Starswirl had long accepted that what happened to his friend was out of his control, but to see Dusk pervert those words, made him sick.

“Those words are meant to bring comfort to us when we lose those we care for,” the Ancient One replied as he took several steps towards them. “They are not an excuse to act rashly!” As the Ancient One finished his sentence, he started to hack and cough uncontrollably, turning away from the pair.

Dusk simply waited, impatiently, as the Ancient One attempted to control his cough attack. Once the room was once again silent, the Ancient One spoke.

“You have lost sight of our purpose, Dusk. You focus only on the battle.” He then towards them once more. “But we are defenders, not warriors.”

Dusk bowed his head once more. “Forgive me, master, but we are in a war. A war for our very survival.” He took a step forward. “And while I do appreciate your sentimentality, perhaps that has been your greatest weakness.”

Starswirl turned towards Dusk with an appalled look on his face. Dusk turned and could only give a sly smirk. Starswirl simply couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Dusk took pride in what he was stating, as if he believed it was the undeniable truth.

“You believe I should step down, Dusk?”

“You are aged. Your time draws near. I believe that Discord sees this and is the reason he is making his move.” Dusk bowed his head. “I believe a new Sorcerer Supreme is needed to combat Discord’s latest threat.”

A cold shiver flew up Starswirl’s spine as Dusk spoke. A new Sorcerer Supreme? The thought of Dusk being the new Sorcerer Supreme terrified him.

The Ancient One turned away from them and back towards the window. “And you believe you are this new Sorcerer Supreme?”

Dusk raised his head high with pride. “Why should I not be? I’m strong, brave, powerful, experienced and a born leader. All qualities found in a Sorcerer Supreme, if I’m not mistaken.”

Every time Starswirl thought that Dusk couldn’t be more arrogant, he was proven wrong. It seemed that pride had completely taken over Dusk. Not that it hadn’t been there to begin with, but it was never so strong.

“You are correct.”

Starswirl’s ears stood up on end upon hearing the Ancient One. His master wasn’t seriously considering making Dusk the Sorcerer Supreme, was he? As the Ancient One continued to speak, Starswirl received his answer.

“Those are all qualities found in a Sorcerer Supreme,” the Ancient One stated. “But so are kindness, honesty, loyalty, and above all, humility.” The Ancient One turned towards Dusk with a glare. “All of which you lack. And until you possess them, you will never be Sorcerer Supreme.”

Dusk’s calm composure turned into an angry scowl. “You would grant that title to another?! Who?! I deserve to know, don’t I?”

The Ancient One shook his head. “The pony who believes they deserve it the least.”

Starswirl knew Dusk wanted to argue with all his might, but eventually, he took a deep breath. Despite his retraction, he was still glaring at the Ancient One.

“Celestia’s training begins tomorrow,” the Ancient One stated as he turned back towards the window.

As the words found themselves in Dusk’s ear, he couldn’t help but cringe. Starswirl picked up on it, but he quickly changed it to a smile. Dusk then bowed his head. “As you wish, master.” He then turned to the door and trotted away, his pride emanating off him.

As Dusk exited the room, the Ancient One began to hack and cough, uncontrollably. Starswirl slowly approached him with his head hung down. “I am sorry, my master. For my part in this.”

As the Ancient One gained control of his breathing, he spoke, “You were misled, my son.” He then turned towards the window. “As for Dusk, I fear he must be watched.”

Starswirl couldn’t help but feel that was easier said than done.

To Train a Princess

Celestia flew across the ground as a heavy beam of energy collided with her body. She was thrown to the hard ground with a thud. She glanced up as a blurry figure, whom she presumed to be Dusk took the air, slowly ascending above her. Her vision recovered just enough to see Dusk give her cruel smirk as he hovered pompously over her. He looked as if he was taking pleasure in punishing her. With how he had treated her with days of late, Celestia didn’t know what why she was surprised.

She growled under her breath, attempting to gain her hoofing. Her body shook as she placed her front hoof on the ground, trying to find balance. She began to recall events that had happened prior, trying to distract her mind from the pain her body was going though.

After the Ancient One had revealed the location of her sister, she had refused to leave her side, even when the dinner bell had rung. There wasn’t much she could do, but she couldn’t leave her sister alone. She wouldn’t. It would have been worse than losing her wings or horn. She feared that something would happen if she left her side, as if she would disappear and Celestia would never see her again.

One of the ponies, a kind pink pony with a shy demeanor, named Pureheart, had been generous enough to bring Celestia her food. Pureheart wouldn’t speak very much, if at all, but there was a gentleness in her eyes that brought Celestia some comfort.

Pureheart came in that night as she delivered Celestia her meal, her horn began to glow. Only a moment later, her sister’s body would glow in the same manner. Celestia didn’t understand what Pureheart was doing. She asked and Pureheart responded that she was keeping Luna alive. However, there was a hint of sadness within Pureheart’s voice. Celestia was able to pick up on it immediately. She wasn’t sure if that meant that Pureheart was horrible at keeping secrets, was overly worried, or just worried enough.

When asked about it, Pureheart explained that it was unhealthy for Luna to be fed like this, but without it, she would have perished long ago. Pureheart explained that she wished there was something more that could be done for Luna, but it seemed out of her power. It seemed out of the Ancient One’s power.

Celestia felt a strange combination of fear and comfort. Comfort that her sister was surrounded by ponies that would take care of her. Fear that she was running low on time to save her. If the Ancient One was unable to help Luna, what chance did she have?

That night, she had chosen to sleep at her sister’s bed side. All that mattered to her was staying at Luna’s side. However, the night provided its challenges as she was forced to watch her sister lay in bed, taking breath after slow breath. Her heart ached to see Luna in such a state, knowing there was nothing Celestia could do about it. Despite this, her eyes would eventually surrender to the darkness as they slid shut.

She had woken from her slumber, still exhausted from the day before. She knew, however, that this was to be her first day of training. She wasn’t sure what to expect, nor did she completely understand what she was getting into, but every challenge she had faced had been overcome. She believed she could do so again. She held her head up with confidence as she left her sister’s bed room.

She reminded herself of the importance of her task. This wasn’t for herself. This was for Luna. If she was to save her, she would have to work hard and practice magic that seemed to be unreal. Her mind swirled with doubt, but all that was needed to push it aside was to remind herself of Luna.

However, as she trotted into the courtyard to meet her trainer, her eyes pointed straight to Dusk impatiently waiting for her. At that moment, Celestia began to doubt her success. Her heart sank as Dusk’s eyes pierced her.

Celestia felt her pulse jump up a few beats as she stepped into what was to be their arena. She avoided eye contact with him, hoping that this was a joke. That somepony- anypony- else would come and take his place. As the seconds rolled by, Celestia realized she was alone. Alone, with Dusk.

With a bellow, Dusk fired a beam of energy. Celestia didn’t have time to react. By the time her mind has comprehended what had happened, she was already on the ground, her chest aching where Dusk’s blast had hit her.

“Go easy on me,” Celestia asked, heaving a deep sigh, trying to catch her breath. She picked herself up off the ground, standing up straight. “This is my first time.”

Dusk’s eyes scowled at her. “That’s the problem. I am.” Dusk’s horn started to glow as he fired at Celestia again with a beam of energy.

Celestia rolled out of its path. The blast dug into the concrete, causing a small crater where she used to be. Celestia began to wonder if Dusk really was holding back, or if he just really wanted to hurt her. Celestia wouldn’t have been surprised at either. Within a split second, Celestia unleashed a magical blast of her own.

Dusk simply deflected her attack with his magic, as if it was a toy ball thrown at him, and unleashed another energy blast, knocking Celestia to the ground once more.

Celestia was slow to rise as Dusk stood in front of her. She noticed him shaking his head, even though her blurred vision, which had returned to torment her. She hadn’t felt such pain before. Her chest started to flare as she attempted to find a balance for her legs. The world around her felt as if it was spinning uncontrollably and she felt as if her breakfast was threatening to pour out of her mouth. The mere thought of such a thing almost made it happen. Taking in breaths seemed to drain her strength even faster, making it difficult to move.

“This is pathetic. Even Pureheart put up more of a fight,” Dusk spat.

Celestia growled under her breath. It was bad enough being insulted. It was worse knowing that he was just toying with her. She was little more than a plaything to her and he knew it. She shook her head, hoping to convince herself that she wasn’t as useless as Dusk claimed. She eyed her target and unleashed another concentrated beam of energy at Dusk and once more, Dusk merely gestured it away.

Her heart sank and Dusk simply gave her a sly grin. He took a step towards her, his horn glowing.

“Let me tell you something, Princess.” Dusk fired another beam at Celestia.

Celestia summoned up a force field to protect her. As the beam collided with shield, her body felt the strain of the barrier. It was crippling, causing her to fall onto a knee, disabling her movement. She cursed herself for putting herself into a foolish position, but was that not the purpose of a trainer? To teach one not to put themselves in such a position? She wondered if Dusk knew his responsibilities. If not, she would learn very little from him. And if that was the case, she might not be able to save Luna.

Dusk continued to put pressure on Celestia’s defense as he spoke. “Out in the world, against the monsters, they do not go easy. They do not show mercy. They do not give second chances.”

Celestia glanced up to where the energy beam Dusk was unleashing and her shield met. Forming at the meeting point was spider-web like cracks in the barrier. Celestia could feel the strain of the shield all throughout her body, like holding up a boulder. She realized she had to make a move before her defense failed her.

Celestia rolled out of the path of Dusk’s attack as soon as her shield vanished. Celestia took several deep breaths, trying to collect herself. She was sweat perspired from her forehead as her constant, quick heartbeats filled her ears. She was giving everything she had to simply put up a fight and Dusk, he wasn’t even trying.

“Out there its kill or be killed.”

Celestia slowly picked herself off the ground and stared down Dusk. She lowered her head, taking in a deep breath as she held out her hoof. “Just stop for a second.”

However, her plight fell upon deaf ears as Dusk unleashed another attack. Celestia brought up another shield in panic. She knew it was a foolish move, but her mind was racing with everything that had happened in only a few moments. She struggled against Dusk’s attack, which was slowly withering her to her knees.

“You can’t even survive basic training.” Dusk took several steps forward, his eyes piercing her. “How are you going to survive in the real world?”

Hanging over her, glaring, Dusk smiled like he was enjoying it. There was no question in Celestia’s mind. He was enjoying it. He enjoyed tormenting her, proving himself her better in everyway.

Celestia looked into his green eyes. Eyes filled with disgust as they fixed themselves upon her. She wanted to prove herself to him. She wanted him to stop torturing her. And more, she wanted him to stop attacking her.

But he wouldn’t. He just kept coming, pushing on the barrier that separated them. Celestia clenched her teeth together. She growled, struggling against Dusk’s attack. “I said… STOP IT!”

Without realizing it, Celestia’s eyes and horn began to glow a bright golden light. She felt herself being lifted from the ground, only slightly. A strange sound fell upon her ears. Then suddenly, a powerful blast forced Dusk several yards back, his body slamming into the ground.

Celestia’s eyes and horn returned to normal, but she was at a loss for words at what had just happened. One moment, Dusk was overpowering her. The next, she felt a sudden surge of magical strength. It was greater than anything she had felt before. She had not expected such a jolt of power coursing through her veins. Yet, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

She focused her gaze on Dusk, who was slowing getting up after her last attack. When their eyes met, Dusk’s green eyes were fixed solely upon her, his teeth revealed like a wolf ready to pounce on her.

Celestia felt a cold sweat slither down her face. “Dusk, I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to-“ Her speech was cut short by a magical line wrapping itself tightly around her neck. Her voice crackled in pain as she desperately sought air.

Her mind gained control of her as it diverted her eyes to Dusk. She noticed the cord traveling from Dusk’s horn. He reeled her in like a fish on a hook. Celestia struggled against the line, hoping to snap it or to loosen it enough to escape. But the line would not move. Instead, it seemed to get tighter.

He reeled her to his face, staring her down. His fierce eyes met with her’s. “Don’t do that again.” He released grip and started to trot away.

Celestia took several deep breaths and hacked in pain as her breathing attempted to return to normal. Her mind for a moment thought that Dusk was going to kill her. It wouldn’t have surprised her. But it sure as Tartarus would have frightened her. When her head started to clear and her vision returned to normal, she noticed Starswirl standing nearby. She turned towards him. “Why does he hate me so?”

Starswirl took a step forward. “Dusk has always hated nobility. His family was taken by a corrupt noble.”

Starswirl made his way to Celestia’s side and aided her to her feet. “He has hated nobles ever since. No matter how unreasonable.”

Celestia rubbed her neck gently, as if trying to sooth the pain. “Lucky me, then.”

“Indeed. Which is why I shall be taking over your training.”

Celestia turned towards Starswirl and smiled. “You’ll hear no argument from me.”

The hours passed by quickly as Starswirl took Celestia under his wing and taught her what she was to become. Celestia learned that the order she was to become a part of existed for centuries and protected ponies from various threats. Celestia couldn’t help but think of them as heroes from folklore, such as the mighty Hercules and Perseus from mythology.

Heroes that traveled all over Equestria, all over the world, to help ponies against monsters, demons and other various creatures that normal ponies could not protect themselves against. Celestia remembered asking Starswirl, if they were the ones to defeat the creature that attack her kingdom long ago.

Starswirl responded that they had, but when asked anything else, Starswirl would dismiss the question and ask Celestia to continue with her training. He would would then go gaze upon the sky, as if he was looking for something. She wondered if he had lost a good friend that day. She decided that any deeper probing would be painful for a pony who had done much for her already, so she opted to let him have his secrets.

Instead, she focused solely on her training. She was trained to combat various threats. Illusions of demons were conjured out of thin air for her to use as target practice. As she progressed, ordinary ponies were also added in. She was to aim only for the demons and never the ponies she was trying to save. She felt as if they were teaching her control and focus. It taught her to keep her eyes pealed and to see your target before firing.

While magical blasts came naturally to a unicorn as a means of self-defense, they were hardly ever fatal. The power that Starswirl showed her was massive. With it, he was able to cleave a boulder in two with ease. When Celestia tried it, however, she was only able to make a small puncture in the stone’s incredible hide.

Force Fields were also difficult. They took a large amount of concentration to create and sustain and the larger the barrier, the harder it was to generate. While generating one came to Celestia rather quickly, it was hardly a difficult task. A simply shield was easily produced. They taught such things as fillies as a means of defense. However, the shields would only hold against normal unicorn magic. For what she needed to accomplish, more intense measures needed to be take.

Celestia withstood boulders being thrown at her, with her only defense being her willpower and a small shield. Days passed with Celestia blocking stone after stone being hurled at her, some of them small, some of them large. Some came alone. Others came in the form of an avalanche. As a shower of stones came flying down upon her, Celestia began to feel her heart threatening to pump out of her chest. Her mind simply did what it was trained to do and defend herself. And with each challenge she faced, she conquered it. She cheered and laughed as Starswirl congratulated her with a simple smile.

As the days passed by, Celestia learned to master the arts of magical offense and defense. However, Starswirl revealed she still had much to learn, stating that she had only learned the basics.

Celestia felt overwhelmed, as if she was trying to take in all the world’s knowledge at once. When she confessed this to Starswirl, he simply laughed and said, “It’s not like that. It’s infinitely more difficult.”

Celestia was conflicted at Starswirl’s comment, part of her wanted to laugh along with him. Another part felt like the mountain she had climbed was suddenly placed on her shoulders, threatening to crush her under it’s weight.

Learning to harness the magical secrets that dwelled within her was difficult, making her wish she had focused on her studies. When asked how Luna fared against her trials, Starswirl insisted that Luna tell her. As first, Celestia felt irritated at Starswirl’s words, but at the same time, she felt herself planting her feet firmly against the ground, as if she was willing to endure the mountain’s weight, no matter its burden.

As her training continued, she learned to manipulate the elements as well as magically restoring health and sickness. While she was nowhere in the league of Pureheart, she found that healing magic came to her rather quickly. Injuries became memories within seconds and she felt as if she could control life itself. Starswirl simply chuckled and asked her to continue her training.

Manipulating the elements also came rather easily to her. Perhaps it was due to her alicorn heritage, she thought. A pegasus could control the weather with ease. And what were alicorns but a pegasus with a unicorn horn? Regardless, fire, wind, water and earth were at her command within a week’s time.

The days turned to weeks. The weeks turned to months. Her studies continued repeatedly over and over, only to be interrupted by a visit to her dear sister, Luna. Celestia had learned enough that she was even allowed to cast the spell that would keep Luna physically alive. However, as powerful as she felt, she realized there was still nothing she could do to save Luna. She looked up to the Lord’s Above each night, begging them to bring her one step closer to freeing her from her slumber.

Finally, Celestia was dubbed worthy enough to take on her initiation test. Starswirl had mentioned it to her before and she had been mentally preparing herself.

It was a simple game. A simple magical blast that connected with your opponent declared you victorious. Celestia had played before with her mentors, Starswirl and Redeye. However, she only won a few times. This time, it would be against several opponents at once. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to face such a challenge. She was almost certain she would lose. She debated with herself at holding off the test until she felt confident. But she realized that time was not her ally. If she was to save Luna, she needed to be ready now. She met them on the morning of her final day of training.

She looked out into the field and caught the attention of her opponents. Starswirl was there, of course. She knew he would be. After all, he got her this far. It was only fitting that he saw this through to the end.

Redeye was there as well. He was a good teacher. Not as good as Starswirl, but still he was patient and always provided insight into errors that she could make through experience. One such example was when he froze the lake to ice-skate with Pureheart. However, he hadn’t checked to see if everypony was out of the lake. It turns out that Dusk was in the lake for a swim. Celestia could imagine Dusk didn’t take it that well. Redeye had told her that he thought he was a dead pony for certain. Stories he told always made her laugh.

Vibrant Note was also there. She was a pony who adored music and loved her flute. They had met a few times, but they only exchanged pleasantries and the usual conversation. Celestia was interested to learn more about her, but was so focused on her training, she hardly had time. She would often wake up to the sound of her flute in the distance and would often wonder if Luna could hear it as well.

Hoofcuff was a strict and tough pony, but underneath it all, she was pretty thoughtful. Celestia had trained with her a few times and she was always tough to please. Celestia would be forced to repeat exercises until they were done perfectly, much to her annoyance. When she accomplished the tasks flawlessly, time and time again, she felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction. And she was still a more patient teacher than Dusk, which was a plus by itself.

Much to her relief, Dusk wasn’t there. She didn’t feel like fighting Dusk today, or even at all. Their first day of training wasn’t a good memory for her and she didn’t feel like repeating it. Celestia convinced herself that Dusk wouldn’t waste his time with her. She was probably right.

Celestia made her way to the center of the ring that consisted of the four ponies. Celestia kept her senses focused on all sides, waiting for the first move to be made. She felt the wind blow against her as if it was attempting distract her thoughts, but her mind remained focused. She knew what was at stake. She needed to save Luna and this organization would be the key to achieving her goal. She knew she had to be ready. She repeated to herself to make no mistakes and to stay focused.

After what seemed like an eternity, the loud dinging of a bell shook the air.

Celestia’s first instinct took over as she quickly took to the air. She noticed a blast of magic, coming from where Redeye was standing, just barely miss her. She thanked her instinct for being right so early in the game. She quickly prayed to the Lord’s Above they would continue to be as reliable.

Celestia quickly turned around to see Hoofcuff coming straight for her with Starswirl and Vibrant not far behind. She thought about taking the shot at Hoofcuff, but hesitated, fearing she wouldn’t be able to attack Starswirl and Vibrant before they could get her. That moment of hesitation nearly cost her as Starswirl and Vibrant fired a blast at her. She was able to turn her body just enough to avoid the blasts.

She flew off, hoping to put some distance between them. She led the trio, who were eventually joined by Redeye, on a chase around the temple. She swerved up and down, side to side, avoiding the energy blasts that came for her.

Celestia began to realize they were prepared for her, as they continually fired blast after blast at her. She avoided them, but she was quickly wearing out. Her heart pounded in her mind like a beat of a metronome, causing her to weave back and forth in sync with it.

But she knew playing ‘keep away’ would only get her so far. She realized she needed to start going on offense.

She produced a bright light from her horn. The light flashed into the eyes of her opponents. As quickly as it had appeared, it had vanished and with that small distraction, Celestia was able to quickly hide from her opponent’s sight.

As Celestia hid behind one of the pillars, she realized that the unicorns would not fall for that trick again. They would have no doubt conjured a spell that would prevent them from being blinded again.

However, at least for the moment, the unicorns had no idea where she was and began their search for her. Each of them flew off on their own in a different direction, creating an empty void for Celestia to use to her advantage. Celestia knew if she could sneak up on one of them, she could hit them before they were warned of her presence.

Celestia looked to her left to see Hoofcuff searching for her. Celestia took this opportunity to sneak around behind her. Within a few seconds, Celestia was behind Hoofcuff, with the latter still oblivious to her opponent’s position. Celestia finally unleashed her magical blast at Hoofcuff, hitting her square in the back. After Hoofcuff recovered, she cursed into the air, as she slowly descended back to the ground.

Hoofcuff’s words and defeat, however, gave away Celestia’s position to the others and they were hot on her tail. They looked more determined than ever to not to lose Celestia.

Celestia rushed away from her attackers as they unleashed their assault against her. She kept her movements swift and as unpredictable as she could, silently praying they wouldn’t get ahead of her. She turned around quickly and inhaled a deep breath. With all her might, she blew a wind storm that was able to drive Redeye off-course and forced Vibrant and Starswirl to take a path around Celestia’s hurricane.

With her opponent’s distracted by her attack, if only for a few precious moments, Celestia flapped her wings and made her way down to where Redeye was falling. Redeye caught himself in midair, as Celestia unleashed her attack. However, Redeye was able to create a force field in the nick of time.

Because of her carelessness, Celestia was nearly hit by Vibrant’s attack. She cursed herself for being so stupid as to let her defenses down, all for a easy takedown. Had that blast had hit her, her recklessness would have been for nothing. Lesson learned, she berated herself.

She abandoned her assault on Redeye in order to keep her distance from her numerous opponents. The trio continued to attack as Celestia continued to evade as best she could.

Celestia then made her way to the lake, where she commanded the water to rise into the air. The water flew past her as the lake turned into a tidal wave. However, Starswirl was able to prevent her attack by heating the water into vapor, allowing the trio to pass through it harmlessly. Celestia grunted in frustration as the unicorns were still out of her league. She knew if she was to win, she would have to be cunning.

As a bolt of magic flew passed her, she got an idea. Using her horn, she began to scout the next magical blast to come for her. After a moment, which felt like an eternity, a blast came from one of the unicorns. Celestia quickly sensed its direction and positioned herself to be just out of its path. However, as the blast passed her body, her horn glowed, stopping the blast with an invisible force field. She faked a scream and allowed her body to fall.

Vibrant flew after her, most likely fearing that she had been injured. However, Starswirl shouted after her, probably hoping to stop her. “Vibrant, wait!”

Celestia wondered if Starswirl knew her plan. He was clever, so perhaps he did, but she sensed Vibrant was directly in front of her and it was likely she didn’t know what her plan was

Celestia gave her a smile and a wink. “Gotcha.” With that, Celestia unleashed a bolt of energy, hitting Vibrant before she could maneuver around it.

With that, Vibrant lowered herself to the floor below in defeat.

Celestia turned back to Starswirl and Redeye, who were still on her trail. Celesta was able to evade the magical blasts they unleashed, zigzagging in every direction keep her opponent’s guessing.

Celestia, feeling confident, turned around, and while still soaring backwards, fired her magical energy at the duo. However, the two were able to avoid her attacks. Redeye and Starswirl unleashed another wave of attacks, forcing Celestia once again to go on defensive, forming a force field around her to deflect their attacks.

Celestia then noticed Redeye’s horn starting to glow, but she couldn’t sense any magical attacks coming straight for her. When she looked forward, she saw a large wall of stone in her path. Celestia quickly changed direction downward towards the ground below, gliding along the massive wall.

Traveling down the wall, Celestia narrowly avoided another blast from her opponents. Celestia took a quick gaze to her left and noticed a small dark cloud, no doubt carrying water. Celestia got an idea as her horn started to glow. She turned around and fired a bolt of energy at her opponents, forcing them to take evasive action.

Celestia silently praised herself on her cleverness as her opponents performed their movements as she planned. While they were focused on what was in front of them, she used her magic to force the cloud to ram into Starswirl. Then before he could make a move, Celestia quickly froze him against the wall using the water in the cloud.

With Starswirl incapacitated, if only for a few seconds, Celestia knew she would be able to defeat Redeye. Celestia fired a blast of magic at Redeye, which he was able to block and retaliate with an attack of his own. Celestia narrowly avoided it. Celestia’s horn then started to glow as it fired a shower of leaves at her opponent.

Redeye was able to blow away the leaves with a gust of wind. When the leaves cleared, he saw Celestia coming straight for him. Redeye quickly fired a beam of energy at her. However, much to his surprise, when it hit her, she evaporated into thin air.

A moment passed before Redeye realized it was a spiritual double and by then it was too late. The real Celestia had made her way behind him and hit him square in the back with a blast of magic.

Redeye smiled towards her as he made his way back to the earth.

Celestia then turned towards Starswirl, who had just broken out of his frozen prison. With his freedom, he unleashed a barrage of attacks towards Celestia. Celestia quickly summoned forth a barrier to protect her. When Starswirl began to close in, Celestia used her magic to unleash a pulse of energy, which knocked Starswirl back several feet. Celestia took the opportunity to attack.

However, Starswirl recovered quicker than Celestia anticipated and was able to protect himself against her magical blast.

Celestia realized that Starswirl was going to be her most difficult opponent. Despite him teaching her much, she still didn’t have his experience. However, she hoped to use her ingenuity to her advantage.

Celestia quickly made her way to the garden, where she summoned for the roots of the plants to reach high into the sky. They barred Starswirl’s path only for a second, as he unleashed a magical blade that severed the roots.

As soon as Starswirl appeared into sight, Celestia unleashed another series of blasts at him.

However, Starswirl was able to avoid them with ease. He fired a blast of magic at Celestia, which she was able to avoid. The two fired back and forth, neither one connecting with another. The two energy beams then connected with each other in a flash of pink and blue.

Celestia, however, was able to sense that Starswirl’s attack would win in the end. She knew she had to come up with a way to tricking her mentor. Her mind quickly came up with an idea. She slightly weakened her attack, using only enough focus to keep Starswirl’s attack at bay for a few precious moments. She then concentrated on teleporting behind Starswirl.

After a brief moment and a flash of light, Celestia appeared behind Starswirl and fired her energy blast before he could notice her. However, her attack simply passed through him, as if he were made of smoke. A moment after that, a magical blast hit Celestia square in the back. Celestia turned around and realized the real Starswirl had tricked her, almost as if knowing her plan before she did.

Celestia lowered her head as she headed for the ground below. She stomped her hoof in frustration, letting out a grunt of anger. She felt as if everything she had done was all for naught. Everything she learned and worked for had all lead to nothing. She felt she had let her sister down. She wasn’t going to be able to help her. She was about to shrivel down and cry, until she felt a hoof touch her shoulder. She turned around and there was Starswirl. He was smiling.

“Congratulations,” Starswirl stated. “And welcome.”

Celestia looked at the ground, baffled at what she had heard. She began to speak but started to stammer for words. Eventually, she was able to release her sentence. “I don’t understand. I lost. I failed.”

“Those who try never fail.”

Celestia continued to stare at the ground as she began to ponder those words. She had given her all, despite being afraid that she would surely lose. She had pushed herself to the limit, despite knowing it might not be enough. She appeared, uncertain if she would have to face Dusk or not. She came and tried, despite all of the doubt. All for the sake of helping her little sister.

Celestia raised her head and smiled. As the group left the arena, Celestia was able to walk with her head held high, despite the fact that she lost.

Celestia made her way to the dining hall where the group of unicorns she battled earlier that day were eating and chatting amongst themselves. With the exception of Dusk, Starswirl and the Ancient One, everypony was all there. Celestia never interacted with them as much as she felt she should have. However, after her intense training, she felt closer to those ponies than ever before.

Despite this, she never ate with them. She alwaysed locked herself away in Luna’s room, never seeing the dining room. However, this time, she decided to speak with them, not as a princess, but as one of them.

Celestia trotted her way to the table and spoke. “Excuse me?”

The group turned towards her as she continued. “May I join you?”

Like a welcoming family, the group smiled and made a space for Celestia to sit. Celestia silently counted her blessings to be among such nice ponies. She sat herself down between Hoofcuff and Redeye.

Redeye smiled towards her. “You did great out there today, Your Highness.”

Celestia was uncertain how to respond to Redeye stating her title. She was not use to it. It had been so long since anypony called her ‘your highness’ or ‘princess’. It was just usually Celestia. The only time she was ever called her title was usually by Dusk and it wasn’t usually because he admired or respected her.

“Please, just Celestia is fine,” Celestia stated with a smile. She started to blush, forgetting that Redeye had made an attempt to praise her. “And thank you.”

“Yeah,” Hoofcuff said. She lifted a roll up her mouth. “You didn’t do half bad for a new girl.”

Pureheart leaned forward and placed her hoof on Celestia’s “I saw you flying around out there. You looked like a natural, Celestia.”

Celestia’s face turned red as she was continually praised for her performance on the battlefield.

Vibrant lifted up a roll to her mouth and spoke. “I wish I had done that well in my initiation test.” She took a bite of the roll.

Celestia’s mind started to stir with curiosity at Vibrant’s statement. “Does everypony go through the same thing?” The group gave a universal nod. some even commenting with a response.

“When I did it,” Redeye started. “I was only able to get two.”

Vibrant admitted only being able to get one. Hoofcuff was able to defeat two and Pureheart lost within the first minute, not even getting one. They then told her of Starswirl who, like her, was only able to defeat three. Of course, he had to go up against Dusk as his final opponent. As they told their stories, she started to wonder.

“Has anypony ever achieved victory in that test?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, there is one that I know of,” Hoofcuff stated, lifting up her glass.

“Who?” Celestia asked, her horn glowing as she lifted a roll to her mouth.

“Who do you think?” Vibrant sarcastically stated as she leaned on the table.

Celestia’s mind only went to one pony and somehow she knew she was right. “Dusk.” The group nodded their heads, confirming what she already knew.

Celestia continued to ask the group where they came from and how they came to be here, in this sanctuary.

Redeye stated that he was on a farm with his family before setting out on mission to discover his true purpose. He told her of his wandering aimlessly for years, without purpose. He would help ponies along his travels, but never would he find what he was looking for. That is, until he met Dusk. Dusk invited him to sanctuary. Redeye told her that he almost gave up, due to the blizzard on the mountain, stating it was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Celestia found herself relating to his story. Her travel up the mountain side was a difficult and dangerous one. She was surprised she had survived herself.

Hoofcuff was once one of the castle guards in the land of Lyonnesse, but she wasn’t what she would call a model knight. Hoofcuff would ignore rules and orders from her superior officers. She admitted she behaved like an immature child and just wanted to be a part of battle. However, when she abandoned her post during a skirmish that ended in innocent lives being lost, she was stripped of her title and cast out of her kingdom.

Celestia felt a hole in the center of her heart as Hoofcuff continued her story. Hoofcuff’s story was so similar to her own. Her selfish behavior was what caused her own mother to banish her.

Pureheart was a nurse before coming to sanctuary. She ran a small clinic that was overrun by bandits. She was able to get away and that is when she met Dusk. Dusk set her on the path to sanctuary. When Celestia asked how Pureheart was able to overcome the obstacles. She replied that she simply wanted to protect those she couldn’t before. Now, she felt that all the ponies did was fight.

Hoofcuff and Pureheart got into a small bout about what she had said. Hoofcuff claimed they were doing good work by fighting, but Pureheart claimed that they could be doing more. Tending to the injured, rebuilding homes and replanting lands. Like they had done in days of old. Pureheart even claimed that their lack of compassion was because of Dusk, but the group refused to believe that Dusk had lost sight of his kind heart. Celestia, while remaining silent, agreed with Pureheart. She attempted to change the subject by asking Vibrant where she came from.

Vibrant was a traveling musician. While she was beloved by many, she felt unfulfilled. At least, not until coming to sanctuary.

The group continued to talk around the dinner table about all they had experienced. As they did, Celestia couldn’t help but feel at home, a sensation she hadn’t felt in years.

As they talked, Celestia finally gathered the courage to ask, “I wanted to ask…” the table became silent as they looked towards Celestia as they waited for her to finish. Celestia took a deep breath. She had thought she was ready to ask, but now that the moment was here she was unable to go through with it. A gentle nudge came to her side as she turned to Redeye, who was smiling. Somehow that gave her the courage. “I wanted to ask about my sister, Luna.” The table lit up with friendly stories and smiles as she brought up Luna’s name.

Redeye smiled. “Luna was really impressive for a pony so young!” He lifted his glass to his mouth. “She was super smart, almost as smart as Starswirl.”

Redeye told of Luna’s initiation test. He remembered silently cheering Luna on as she seemingly drew the short straw. “Poor Luna, having to face Starswirl and Dusk in the same match.”

While she performed magnificently, constantly using her wit, she was only able to defeat two of her opponents. After her test, Redeye told the group of his conversation with her. She admitted she almost turned around and walked away after seeing her opponents.

Celestia smiled at hearing the story. Luna was still as smart as ever. It warmed her heart that after many years, Luna hadn’t changed. She was still the smartest mare she knew.

“Luna and I would tend to the garden together,” Pureheart explained as she lifted her spoon from her soup. “I loved spending time with Luna. She was always thoughtful and considerate.” She took a sip of her soup. “And I loved hearing her stories of her home.” She gave a smile to Celestia.

Celestia lowered her head for a moment. “Did she ever mention me?”

Hoofcuff gave a chuckle. “Are you kidding? She wouldn’t shut up about you.” Celestia’s ears focused on Hoofcuff’s words.

Vibrant gave a glare to Hoofcuff. “Hoofcuff! Show a little respect!”

Hoofcuff shook her head. “It was a joke. Geez.”

Vibrant shook her head. “Luna used to tell us all about you and all the fun you two used to have.”

Pureheart placed her hoof on Celestia’s. “You two must have been really close.”

A tear started to develop in Celestia’s eye as it threatened to be pulled down her face by gravity.

Each and every pony at the table had a story to tell of Princess Celestia. However, they had always been about the fun and adventures the two would have together. They stated that when Luna would speak of Celestia, she always had a smile on her face. Sometimes she would be caught laughing.

As they told their stories, Celestia saw the images flash before her eyes. Everything story they told was like a reminder of her love for Luna and a reassurance that Luna returned her love.

But at the end of each conversation, Luna would always stare out into the distance. Her eyes showing sadness, her smile fading into a frown.

Even though they never had the courage to ask, they knew Luna longed for the comfort of home. She secretly longed to return to her mother and sister.

Celestia’s mind began to return to her days at the castle and compared them to Luna’s stay at sanctuary. She remembered a time when she thought she was the only one who was lonely and in pain. The more she thought about it however, the more she began to realize how selfish she had truly been.

Luna was sent away from the only home she had ever known to a strange place with no pony she knew. And if Dusk hated nobles when Luna first arrived, she doubted Dusk would treat the young mare with a warm welcome.

Her thoughts then turned to her mother. She’s lost her husband, her youngest daughter was asked to leave at a young age, and she was forced to banish her eldest daughter. Celestia began to feel guilt for how selfishly she had put her own needs before the needs of her family. She thought she was the only pony hurting. She realized she was wrong.

As the stories were told of Luna and her mischievous, but loving sister, Celestia, Celestia fought against the tears that threatened to pour down her face. Tears, not forged of sadness that her sister is not with her currently, but of joy. Joy that, despite the years and distance, their love remained the same.

Celestia sat in her room after the unicorns had wished her goodnight. However, she found it hard to sleep. Everything she had heard about the other unicorns’ lives. How they were changed by everything they had experienced.

They were a reflection of what was happening to her.

Celestia took a look at the empty bucket next to her and with a simple gesture, the bucket filled itself with water.

Her horn then began to glow as the water slowly began to rise. She manipulated the water to form a mirror in front of her. She faced the mirror for what seemed like hours. She looked upon the face in the mirror, reflecting on her days at the palace. Her mind wandered to how poorly she treated others and how she had been so selfish towards those who needed her. How she placed her needs above the needs of others. How she felt her pain and sympathized with no pony else’s.

She knew she needed to change. She needed to be a more respectable pony. She closed her eyes as her horn began to glow. Within a moment, her mane’s color started to shift. Instead of its normal pink, the long mane began to shift into a light blue at the top of her mane. The color began to flow down her hair until transforming into a soothing green. The green began where the blue ended and continued reaching the invisible halfway mark of her mane. Continuing on, the mane shifted colors once more, to reveal a darker blue. It continued all the way down her hair consuming all but the last inch of her mane.

When she opened her eyes, she took note of her mane. It looked exactly as she had pictured it in her mind. The changing of the colors would brand her to who she was, who she wanted to be, what she had been through and who she was doing everything for.

Author's Note

Yeah... This one was long overdue... Well, I've finally gotten around to it. Hopefully, it won't take me 5 months to get the next chapter posted. Anyway, feel free to give any harsh criticisms that you may have or may want to state.

A big huge thank you to The Invincible Iron Brony and to Luna Corpsman for proofreading. They work so hard to help with my demands, please show them your support by checking them out. I know they would appreciate it as much as I do.

Also, I am looking for proofreaders on this story, since my last proofreader left. If you are interesting, please send me a private message and let me know.

That's all I have for today. Hopefully it won't be too long before the next chapter of this story is ready for proofreading. Until then, take care.

First Mission

The days before had taken their toll on Celestia, both physically and mentally. Training with these unicorns was a task unrivaled by any she could imagine. And now, after all that her training had put her through, she felt unmatched power flowing through her veins. Every twitch, every move she made, felt as if she could crush the sun with her hooves. The power of the gods themselves, with access to magic far exceeding the unicorns of any other time.

And yet, as Celestia leaned over her sister’s bedside, continuing to watch Luna take in breath after slow breath, she felt as powerless and as helpless as a dainty flower in a blizzard. Despite everything she had learned, she was still unable to do anything to help her. All the untapped power at her disposal and Luna was still beyond saving. Still, she refused to give up. Celestia forced a smile on her face as she gazed upon her.

“I changed my hair color, Luna,” she said out loud, running her hoof through her hair. She wondered if Luna could even hear her, wherever she was. There seemed to be no way to tell. No matter what was said or what was heard, Celestia still couldn’t tell what Luna was feeling, only that she was miserable.

Maybe her voice did reach her and that Luna felt comfort from it. This thought brought Celestia a small amount of relief, since she felt there was nothing she could do. Not that she hadn’t tried.

She conjured every cure she could think of. Every spell she was taught, but it seemed impossible. She didn’t know why she was so surprised when she failed. The Ancient One, the most powerful unicorn, perhaps even being, in the world, and yet even he was powerless. If the Ancient One could not revive Luna, what chance did she have?

Still, whether she could or not, Celestia felt better talking to her, imagining how she would respond. “Do you like it?”

She imagined Luna opening her eyes and saying that her hair color was a strange choice. Celestia giggled and lowered her gaze. “I just thought it was … time for a change. In more ways than one.”

Celestia held her sister’s hoof tightly, a tear building in her eye. The numerous times to awaken her sister using what she had learned only seemed to make her feet more distant. It was as if her failures piled on top of each other, weighing against her back like a thousand plows. Her efforts, if they achieved anything, had made her condition worse. Luna was now tossing and turning, muttering something under her breath. Celestia had tried to make sense of it, but it was too soft to be heard. She prayed to the Lord’s Above for an answer, but her questions remained just that. It seemed that she was all alone and nothing she could do would save her sister. A sharp pain found its way into her heart as the tears ran down her face. The pain of the truth started to overwhelm her. All she wanted to do was sink her head into the bed and let her tears stain the sheet.

But she knew that would do nothing to help Luna. She shook her head, trying to dispel her depressed thoughts. She wiped the tears away and took in a deep breath.

“Celestia,” Starswirl’s voice came from behind her. “We are needed.”

She leaned forward and kissed her sister on the forehead. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

She placed her hoof on her heart, crossing it. Then raising it to her face, she covered one of her eyes.

Celestia and Starswirl made their way to the main hall, where everypony had gathered. It was to be her first mission. Her first official task since joining this group of unicorns. It was something that both excited and filled her with dread. The anticipation of not only leaving Sanctuary, but a chance to do some good with her new powers. However, she had heard stories of ponies who had not survived such ordeals. A chill slithered up her spine as the stories were told, fearing that she too would have to partake in such risk.

Dusk spoke to the group about the mission parameters. A creature had appeared in Canterlot and they were being sent by the Ancient One to deal with it. Beads of sweat rolled down Celestia’s neck. Confidence seemed to waver. Perhaps it was her nerves. Perhaps it was complete fear of the task ahead of her. She wanted to speak up, but her tongue wouldn’t allow her.

Celestia had hoped that she wouldn’t have to encounter any kind of monster, but she knew that was futile. If she was going to be a part of this organization and help Luna, she was going to have to face these terrible creatures.

“The creature is heading for the castle of Canterlot. Our mission is to kill it before it gets there,” Dusk explained.

Celestia’s heart began to sink into her chest. Thoughts of her mother roamed into her mind. Would she allow me home? Would she welcome me? Celestia wondered. She thought of the last words exchanged between them and how they had probably hurt her. It was one of her many regrets. However, she admitted to herself that it was unimportant what past events had occurred. The only important task was making sure the creature did not harm any more of her family. A monster had already taken her father from her when she was a child. She refused to let another take her mother too.

As Dusk finished the briefing, Celestia’s thoughts distracting her from his voice, which she was content with, he opened a portal to Canterlot. Everypony began their journey through the portal, leaving Celestia and Dusk as the last two. As Celestia approached the portal, Dusk put his foreleg to bar her path. The two exchanged glares towards one another. “Don’t get in the way,” Dusk warned.

Celestia’s wasn’t sure if Dusk had caught on to her fear or not. It certainly seemed that way. Who am I kidding? I’m terrified to go there and face something that wants nothing, but to kill me, she confessed to herself. Her legs shook as she thought of what kind of creature would be out there waiting for her. However, all she had to do was think of the father she had lost and the mother she needed to save. That was all that was needed to spark a light of courage in her heart. Maybe it wasn’t a roaring flame of confidence that Dusk portrayed, but it was enough to keep her head held high in the face of such danger.

Celestia bowed her head. She didn’t feel like arguing with him nor was Dusk on her mind enough for her to care. Her mind was only on making sure her mother stayed safe. Dusk then lowered his foreleg and allowed Celestia passage through the portal.

The great city of Canterlot had seen many changes since Celestia’s last day in the city. The simple houses that she looked down upon as a child had met with towers that sprouted to the air like a tree reaching out for the heavens. Large buildings replaced the small housing that once conquered the grounds below. While they did not replace the palace’s majesty, they seemed quite ambitious for the ponies that build them, as if they were attempting to mimic the castle’s height and greatness. Despite these changes, there was a stillness in the air all around her. Not a single bird was heard chirping, not even an insect buzzing.

There were things that were familiar however. She eyed the long chutes that Luna and she played on when they were children. Those years seemed so long ago. As she looked upon the city, she felt like a stranger, yet still felt a sense of familiarity. She found it rather strange.

Then a loud screeching sound broke Celestia from her trance. She looked to the source of the sound to see a large metallic spider-like creature in the distance, heading straight for the castle. The building sized spider crawled its way through the labyrinth of buildings, it’s legs leaping over them into the next opening. It’s metal body scraped against the structures as it passed by, causing large bits of them to break off and crash into the ground below. Despite the buildings being made of stone and the spider marching straight through them, it was showing no signs of fatigue.

It’s footing seemed to know exactly where to step or didn’t seem to care, as it continued to march across the landscape, placing its legs either in the narrow streets of the city or simply placing them on against the buildings to its side. Regardless of how it moved, it didn’t seem to slow down.

Celestia felt her pulse leap to a hundred beats as the giant continued unopposed against the helpless city. Even her wildest imaginations didn’t prepare her for the size of the creature. Her body stiffened as she continued to gaze upon it.

She was awakened from her trance as she felt a gust of wind soar past her. She noticed Dusk taking off after the creature, followed by Redeye, Starswirl, and Vibrant. Her head clear, Celestia repeated to herself the importance of her task, vowing not to be distracted again. Spreading her wings, she followed her allies as best she could.

Dusk initiated the first attack with a powerful blast of magic. The blast hit the spider with a powerful boom, but only caused the creature to stagger for a moment. The spider then turned to the sky as it swung its massive leg towards its aerial opponent, attempting to catch Dusk. Dusk quickly avoided the creature.

As Celestia eyed the creature, her eyes widened by how fast it could move, despite its large size. Beads of sweat poured from her skin. Her breathing became rapid and uncontrollable. Her body froze as if it had lost the will to move.

Redeye and Starswirl attacked the creature together, hitting it with powerful fire blasts. However, the spider seemed unfazed by their assault and continued on its route.

For a moment, Celestia was still, waiting for her courage to find her again. It did not seem to take long as she glanced up to Canterlot Castle. Silently, it reminded her of her responsibility. With a flap of her wings, she fired herself forward, catching up her with allies. She put herself alongside Vibrant and, as if reading each other’s mind, they attacked the beast together. Celestia used a powerful magical blast while Vibrant generated lightning from her horn.

However, like the other attacks, these seemed to do little more than annoy the creature rather than harm it. The creature stood high on all its legs and from its abdomen, the spider fired a large net of webbing. Celestia and Vibrant were able to avoid the spider’s attack as the web continued and hit one of the nearby buildings.

Celestia turned to notice several ponies were trapped in the webbing of the creature, struggling against their restraints. Vibrant made her way to them and started to cut through the web with her magic. When Celestia started to approach her.

Vibrant turned her head back to Celestia. “Join the others, I’ll help them!”

With that, Celestia followed the massive creature.

Celestia then looked down and noticed hundreds of ponies fleeing in panic of the massive behemoth. Celestia felt that she should try to head down and help evacuate them. However, she soon spotted Redeye and Starswirl were already down there attempting to keep the ponies out of harm’s way.

Starswirl glanced up at her. From that brief moment when their eyes met, she was able to tell that Starswirl wanted her to stay with Dusk and deal with the creature, while Starswirl and Redeye keep the civilians safe.

It was not a comfortable thought. Her working together with Dusk, a pony who clearly despised everything about her. Perhaps this is my chance to prove myself to him, she thought to herself. She wasn’t certain anything she did would change how he felt about her, but if there was even a small chance, then she would follow his orders. Celestia nodded and continued towards the spider, who had completely forgotten about her.

Dusk and Celestia fired several blasts at the creature, finally catching its attention. The spider reached up towards them with alarming speed, but they were able to avoid its leg in the nick of time. Dusk unleashed another magical blast at the creature’s face, but it still had little effect.

Redeye and Starswirl joined Celestia’s side as the three of them fired a wave of fire at the creature. After a few moments, they surrendered their assault when the spider simply continued on its unstoppable rampage. Celestia turned towards Starswirl. “Any first mission advice?” Celestia asked, her speech interrupted by her heavy breathing.

“Be ready for anything,” Starswirl stated as he followed the creature and Dusk, who was still hitting the beast relentlessly.

Vibrant came from behind Celestia, gaining speed fast, followed by Redeye, with Celestia bring up the rear.

The spider marched down the main street its march undeterred. Ponies of every size and age were running in panic as the massive creature stomped its way passed them, breaking apart the ground with every step it took. As it continued its march, Celestia began to wonder if they could defeat such a beast. Nothing they did seemed to slow it down or stop it. Attacks seemed to bounce off its massive body.

Celestia looked forward to see figures coming from the distance. The sight of a group of pegasi approaching the creature brought a sense of dread to Celestia’s heart. She recognized them as the royal guard of Canterlot. They were the finest warriors in all of Canterlot. Nopony could question their skill, however, if she and her companions couldn't stop this beast, what chance did they have?

Maybe they knew it was suicide? Maybe they were doing it for their country? It was a reason Celestia didn’t understand.

The pegasi raised their lances and unleashed a vicious battle cry. As they ran their spears at the spider, the tips simply bounced off the spider’s armored hide. However, the royal guard refused to give up. Again and again, they would attack the spider’s hide, but again and again they would fail to even scratch it.

Whether by annoyance or something beyond Celestia’s ability to understand, the spider started to aim for the flying pegasi. Some were able to avoid its fangs. However, there was one who was not so fortunate. He screamed in agony as the creature’s fangs ripped into his body, blood soaking into the spider’s mouth.

The mere sight alone was enough to cause Celestia to become sick. Celestia couldn’t let them sacrifice themselves, no matter how noble it was. Celestia pushed herself forward even faster, passing her companions.

She then unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning at the spider. While it didn’t look damaged, the spider did turn its attention to Celestia. The creature let out a screech as it pointed its mouth towards Celestia. Celestia prepared herself for an attack, however at the last second; Starswirl shoved her out of the creature’s path. Only a millisecond later, the spider’s mouth erupted in flames and shot in a line where Celestia use to be.

Celestia’s mouth dropped as the creature continued to spew fire from his throat. “That was unexpected!”

Starswirl turned towards her. “I told you to be ready for anything.”

“How many spiders do you know breath fire?!” Celestia snapped.

“Quite a few,” Starswirl stated as he continued towards the fire breathing armored spider.

Celestia, with the thought of more than one of these creatures frightening her, followed Starswirl.

Dusk uprooted a slab of earth from the ground and tossed it at the creature’s body, which did nothing but stagger the creature. After regaining its balance, the spider shot a blast of web at Dusk, forcing him to move away.

Celestia seeing the web heading for a group of civilians, quickly changed direction and unleashed a beam that disintegrated the web before it could reach the populace.

The ponies turned their eyes skyward, with their mouths open as they watched Celestia’s action. She couldn’t tell what expression they had on their faces at her height, but she could tell that their eyes were fixed upon her. She thought about the last time the citizens of Canterlot’s eyes were directed towards her. They were glaring and full of spite for what she had done. Reflecting back on herself, she could hardly blame them. She decided to ignore their stares and turn her attention back to the metallic behemoth.

Dusk unleashed a powerful gust of freezing winds at the beast. The cold seemed to slow it down, but it did nothing to stop it. However, the spider turned its attention towards him and unleashed a fireball from its mouth. As the fireball approached him, Dusk used his magic to divert the fireball away from him. However, as he did, the spider’s attack rammed into a nearby building. The force of the blow caused the top foundation of the building to rupture, threatening to fall to the ground below.

Redeye, Starswirl, Vibrant and Celestia all pulled away from the creature to focus on the building. Redeye and Vibrant swiftly made their way to the collapsing building. At each of the windows, they formed a slide made of pure magic for the ponies to ride to safety. Ponies were pushing and shoving each other as the building began to crackle and rock with instability.

As fast as the ponies were evacuating, Starswirl knew it would not be fast enough. “Celestia!” Starswirl shouted through his teeth. “Evacuate the base floors!”

Celestia nodded and made her way to the ground. The front entrance was blocked by a pile of rubble. Voices came from inside the building, screaming for salvation. Celestia’s horn shined, causing the rubble to rise from its foundation. The rubble revealed a group of ten ponies who could be seen clearly, with more in the distant hall. She gave a smile. “You are safe now. Everypony evacuate the area in an ordered manner.”

The ponies nodded. One after another, they fled the structure. Celestia repeated to them to remain calm and to evacuate as quickly as they could. The ponies seemed to be taking her direction well. Perhaps it was because they recognized her. Perhaps they were just happy to see somepony saving them. Regardless of the reason, it worked. And that’s all that mattered to Celestia.

Within a few moments, Celestia had evacuated the area surrounding the building. She flew up to the building and aided Redeye and Vibrant in getting ponies to safety and away from the building.

A few moments later, as the last pony was taken to safety, the building collapsed, leaving a pile of smoke, dust and fire.

Starswirl created a small rainstorm that quelled the flames, preventing them from spreading into the rest of the city.

Dusk had finally appeared before them. His eyes glared at them, his jaws clenched together as if he was staring at the armored spider rather than them. “What are you doing?! The creature is getting away!”

Redeye stammered as he spoke. “Dusk… these ponies, they-“

“These ponies are irrelevant!” Dusk shouted. He then pointed to the distance where the spider was. “Discord, the most powerful being in the universe, is coming here! Get that through your heads!”

Celestia was told of Discord and his coming, but she didn’t have many details on him. She didn’t think to ask. She was simply too focused on saving her sister. She sort of wished she had asked.

“And make no mistake; the Ancient One will not be able to stop him this time!” Dusk ranted, as the unicorns gave blank stares to one another. “None of us, therefore none of them, are safe unless we can stop that thing!”

Dusk started towards the creature. “Now come on!”

The unicorns looked at each other, uncertain what to say. Celestia’s heart sank into her chest. If their opponent, Discord, was as powerful as Dusk said he was, then their top priority would be to stop him from being released. But what about everypony else? Celestia asked herself. Should we sacrifice the few to save the many?

Starswirl came to their side and spoke. “I have an idea.” After quickly explaining his plan, they finally joined their ally.

The spider had made its way to the last part of the city and was almost within striking range of the castle. Only a large wall stood in its way. Hundreds of arrows flew at the creature, but they might as well have been shooting cotton. Not one arrow was able to harm the creature. The spider opened its mouth as flames started to gather at the back of its throat.

However, before the beast could fire, its legs were lassoed together by Starswirl, causing the creature’s attack to be knocked off course by the sudden shock. The blast fired away from the wall and the castle, shooting, harmlessly, off into the sky.

With the loss of its legs, the spider tumbled to the ground. The creature screamed in rage as it struggled against its restraints. The others began to wrap their own magical lassos around the creature’s body, dragging it away from the city and into the air. The group tugged and pulled with all their might, hoping to drop the creature off in the middle of nowhere. There, they hoped to battle it until they discovered a way to pierce its armor while keeping innocents out of harm’s way.

However, the spider was uncooperative as it struggled and fought against its prison. The creature unleashed a stream of fire from its mouth. Vibrant, seeing the oncoming flame, moved out of the way in the nick of time, causing only a few hairs on her tail to be burned.

However, as Vibrant moved, her concentration weakened. While it wasn’t for more than a moment, the spider took advantage of it. The spider was able to free one of its legs and with a swift swing, it cut through the magic lassos, allowing it to fall to the earth.

The spider smashed into the ground, causing a huge tremor. The buildings shook violently as they felt the force of the impact. The creature had left a huge crater where it had hit, with smoke emanating from the hole in the ground. Within a moment, as the smoke cleared, the spider crawled out of its hole, and continued its march.

Dusk gave Starswirl and Celestia a look that spoke of his disapproval. “We did things your way.” He turned and shot towards the spider with alarming speed. “Now we do it mine!” He formed a powerful lance of magic. As it formed, he threw it with all his might. The spear collided with the creature, causing the beast to stagger. As it attempted to reclaim its balance, it slammed into one of the nearby buildings.

The building started to shake, threatening to collapse. Ponies started to evacuate the building as quickly as possible. The building, however, would only stay stable for a few moments. Dusk didn’t seem to notice or didn’t seem to care, as he continued to attack the spider with a powerful blast.

The spider attempted to smash Dusk with his leg, but Dusk was too quick. However, when the leg smashed into the ground, the tremor caused the building that was already unstable to vibrate violently. Starswirl, sensing the building’s imminent collapse, made his way into the building. With his magic, he started to reinforce the building, holding it up as best he could.

Vibrant and Redeye attacked the creature with powerful beams of energy. The spider screeched as it fired its web at the two. The movement was so swift and the unicorns were so close, they were unable to react. The web sent the two into the side of a building, where they were trapped.

The spider then turned its attention to Starswirl, who was seen through a small opening in the building. “Starswirl!” Celestia shouted, but her voice didn’t seem to reach him. The creature fired a blast at him.

Starswirl, finally, noticing the creature’s attack, quickly brought forth a force field to protect him, but he knew his magic couldn’t hold the building up and protect him. The force field gave out, as the wave of fire came over him. His scream filled the air as the fire consumed his body. With that, the building began to collapse, turning into a pile of rubble.

“Starswirl!” Celestia shouted as her friend disappeared in the rocks before her eyes.

Dusk zoomed past her and unleashed another powerful attack towards the creature. Celestia was about to intercept, but then something in the air told her to stay. That her friend, Starswirl, was alive. But her heart feared that he wouldn’t be for long. She wasn’t sure if she could save Starswirl and everypony else on her own. She needed help. And the only pony left was Dusk. Still, she had to chance it. For them.

Celestia made her way to Dusk’s side. “Dusk, Starswirl’s alive. We have to help him.”

“He knew the risks as do you!” He replied, not even bothering to look at her.

“But, Dusk-“

Dusk turned to her violently. “Listen, princess! You are not in command here! You will do as I say when I say! Now watch my back!”

Dusk turned his attention back to the spider without giving Celestia a second glance. Celestia pondered her move for a moment. She was afraid of Dusk. He was far more powerful than she was and disobeying him wasn’t something she wanted to do. However, there was still a chance that ponies were alive, but still in danger in that pile of rubble that was once a building.

Proving myself to Dusk by following orders? she asked herself. But what happens when those orders mean I have to leave my friends behind? She felt as if she was pondering this question for a millenium. Debating back and forth which was the wiser option. However, only after a second, she had made up her mind.

Celestia, against her fears, turned back towards the rubble and with lightning speed made her way to where the building that housed Starswirl once stood. “Starswirl!” she shouted.

A voice came from behind the rocks, but it wasn’t Starswirl’s. “Help us! We’re trapped!”

Celestia’s horn began to glow as the rubble started to move out of her path. When she finally saw the ponies, a bright blue energy field surrounded them, protecting them from the rubble. However, it was slowly weakening. “Everypony get out! Now!”

One by one the ponies rushed through the exit. Celestia felt a sense of relief when two of the stallions started to carry Starswirl out of the prison. However, her relief turned to panic when one of the ponies screamed in terror. Behind them, where Redeye and Vibrant were caught in a web, the building had begun to collapse.

Celestia quickly used her magic to hold the building up as best she could. However, she was straining her concentration as she attempted to focus on those being evacuated from rubble and holding the building up.

Celestia continued her efforts, but was slowly dwindling to her knees as her focus slowly became more difficult. Moments felt like hours as she clenched her teeth together as hard as she could, concentrating on keeping the buildings together. Finally, when all those trapped by the rubble were clear, Celestia released the rubble and focused solely on the building. She took a slight breath of relief as the task had become infinitely easier, but there were still lives in danger.

As she took to the air, she could see ponies evacuating the building. She held up the building until every pony was able to escape. Meanwhile, she would cut through the webbing entrapping Redeye and Vibrant. When she freed them she noticed they were unconscious. She figured the spider’s web colliding with them and sending them into a wall knocked them out.

After placing the two safely on the ground, she set herself on the ground, taking in heavy deep breaths. Ponies began to gather around her. She could hear them whispering to one another, but she could only make out some of what they were saying.

“Is that Princess Celestia?”

“I think it is.”

“What is she doing here?”

Celestia wasn’t certain what to say. The last time she was here, she was disrespectful to these ponies. They remembered her, yes. But she wasn’t sure she was ready to declare it a good or bad thing. A little filly came to her side as she took in slow breaths. The filly gave her a smile. Celestia found it odd, despite everything that was happening around her the filly was able to smile. This, in turn, caused her to smile as well.

Her trance and rest were broken, when a fireball came straight for the crowd. The group screamed in terror as the flaming projectile came towards them. In panic, the filly clung to Celestia, like a child to its mother. Celestia called forth all her magical might and created a force field. It was able to protect the surrounding area and the ponies behind it, but the strain caused Celestia to collapse to the ground.

The creature unleashed a powerful blast of fire from its mouth, slamming into Dusk’s body. He fell to the floor, his body trembling in pain. His body shook as he steadily put his hooves on the ground. That useless witch! I told her to watch my back! She can’t even follow a simple order!

Dusk picked himself up off the ground, steadying his stance. He glanced upward and watched as the creature continued to march on its path. Launching himself into the air, he followed it.

Dusk fired a powerful blast at the creature’s body. As before, the creature did not even feel his attack.

Lords Above! It’s armor is indestructible! Dusk roared to himself. He analyzed every attack the group threw at him in their battle. Wind, snow, fire, lightning, energy. Nothing seemed to affect it. He growled under his breath as he dove for the creature, unleashing another blast of magic from his horn.

The spider simply turned away from Dusk and continued to march forward. It’s armor can’t be damage! Then a thought came to him. He smiled as his mind had finally conjured the answer.

He dove for the creature again, who was slowly marching away from him. His horn shined brighter and fired a beam of energy at the spider. He continued to force it against the creature until it finally turned around towards the source of its attacker. With a powerful screech, the spider generated a fireball out of his mouth.

Dusk swerved out of the way and flew straight for the spider like a lightning bolt from the sky. Conjuring a force field around him, he dove straight into the spider’s mouth, where its jaws closed up behind him.

The air was silent as the flames died down. Redeye and Vibrant were just waking up, as was Starswirl. They searched the air for sounds of the creature, but there was none to be heard. As they looked towards the distance, all they saw was Dusk, covered in what looked like saliva and blood.

Dusk made his way back to the group. Celestia was able to open her eyes and stand upright. “Dusk?” Her eyes met with his as he glared at her.

“Did you kill-?” Her voice cracked as something wrapped around her neck tightly choking her. She attempted to remove the magical string connected to Dusk’s horn, but she could only flail in fright, as she struggled to breathe.

“Do you have any idea what you nearly caused?!” Dusk shouted as he leaned over the now kneeling Celestia.

Celestia attempted to respond, but her voice could only crack in pain as she desperately tried to free herself.

“We should all count our blessings that I was able to stop that creature, because if not, every single life you saved, disobeying my orders, would have been wasted!”

Celestia could feel her body going numb, her vision was darkening, and senses were deafening. She felt as if she was going to die. She almost knew she was.

A moment later, the magical tie that prevented Celestia from breathing was severed, allowing Celestia to gasp deeply for air. She hacked and coughed as her breathing attempted to regain consistency.

“That is enough, Dusk!” Starswirl shouted.

Dusk’s face painted a picture of pure rage as he made his way to Starswirl. “She disobeyed my orders!”

“She saved our lives, Dusk! Which is more than you have done!”

Dusk looked around him and every single pony there, young, old, earth pony, unicorn and pegasi alike, were all glaring at him. Their eyes expressed their disapproval to him so callously throwing them away, dubbing them ‘irrelevant.’

Dusk turned away from them as his horn produced a portal. “Return to sanctuary.” With those words, Dusk entered the portal, disappearing from sight.

Starswirl made his way to Celestia and helped her to her feet. “Are you alright?”

Celestia shook her head. “Is Dusk right?” She lowered her head to the ground and took a step away from Starswirl. “Should I have helped him destroy the creature rather than have come back? Was what I did the wrong choice? What if-“

Suddenly, Celestia felt something wrap around her leg. It wasn’t very tight, but she still noticed.

She looked down and saw the small filly who smiled at her, hugging her leg. She then looked up to her and gave a smile. “Thank you.”

Celestia returned her smile and wrapped her wing around the child. “You’re quite welcome, my dear.”

The mother of the child then called out to the filly, urging her to come back. Celestia released the child from her embrace and allowed her to rejoin her mother. As Celestia’s eyes came to the crowd, they were stomping their feet and cheering to her. The actions she took during their crisis did not go unnoticed.

An old stallion with a grey mustache and a pair of glasses stepped out of the crowd and smiled to Celestia. “Nice work out there.”

Celestia smiled as the crowd continued to thank her for her efforts. She then felt Starswirl’s hoof on her shoulder.

“Do you still think you made the wrong choice?” he asked.

Celestia shook her head, casting all doubt from her mind. If she had made the wrong choice, would she have felt so good about her decision?

Author's Note

A huge thank you goes to InvincibleIronBrony and Lunar Metal for proofreading. Thank you again gentlemen. You are, as always, invaluable. :pinkiehappy:

The Nexus

The days passed by ever so slowly after the events of her first mission. Celestia couldn’t get her mind off all that she had seen and heard. The chaos was all around her. Screams of ponies down below her hooves and her mind constantly switching to multiple points happening simultaneously. While the training was meant to prepare her, an overwhelming feeling threatened to break her back.

Everypony acted like they had forgotten the events, all except Dusk and herself. Dusk, with every glance he gave her, looked as if he would attack her at any moment. She knew that Dusk hated her, but would he really resort to violence?

Who was she kidding? She knew it would only take one more slip up on her part and Dusk would lose his temper again. Celestia did whatever she had to in order to avoid Dusk. She had no interest in confronting him, nor did she want to be reminded of her ‘mistake’ as he called it.

She didn’t know how she would be able to forget, seeing such a horrible monster and the destruction it was willing to cause. The images repeated themselves in her nightmares. At least, in the little sleep she did get. When her mind wasn’t on the giant spider, it was focused on Luna.

Luna would lie in her bed, never moving or speaking. The only motion that came from her was the slight breath she let out every so often. It was the only indication she received that her sister was still alive. Had it not been for that, she would have drowned in her despair that her sister was gone.

However, if anypony were to ask how she was fairing in the face of her sister’s state, she would not have been able to answer without a stream of tears following shortly after.

Celestia couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of failure. Repeatedly, she had tried to awaken Luna and continually she had failed. Spell after spell she would cast, but nothing would ever come of her attempts. She searched her mind, begging for answers. Her questions would always remain just that.

Depression began to enter her mind, as she feared that her sister would never stir. She would never get to hear her voice, share a laugh, or wipe her tears.

As she sat at her sister’s side, her horn glowing, her mind revisited old memories of the joy the two had together. A quick close of her eyes and she could see the two shooting down the long chutes Canterlot. A smiling Luna stared back at her with a bellow of laughter. Celestia started to smile as the screech of joy tickled her ear.

All she wanted to do was stay in this fantasy world where she and Luna were together at last. Where they could be a family again, with nothing to tear them apart.

However, Celestia’s fantasy melted away with a single word coming from reality. “Celestia,” Starswirl’s voice echoed from the walls of her personal illusion she had created. She opened her eyes and glanced down at her sister, still as lifeless as before. “The Ancient One requires our presence.”

Celestia took in a deep breath with a slight drop in her posture. She didn’t want to leave. She placed her hoof gently against Luna’s cheek, hoping for some kind of response. However, Luna continued to lie. A small stream came from Celestia’s eye. She wiped it away quickly, trying to clear her mind. If the Ancient One required her presence, she needed to stay focused. Not just for him, but for Luna. If she perished, who would find a way to wake Luna?

She exhaled slowly before turning around, her hoof following her. With a heavy heart, Celestia stood up and joined her allies.

The Ancient One took Celestia, Starswirl and the others through a portal into a large building. A building that could house a long, tall tree within its walls.

Despite how big it was, it was filled with nothing. There was no furniture, no windows and only one door. The door was atop a walkway which was connected to two ascending staircases. She wondered why this building was not visible when she was previously cleaning the castle before. She figured that it was the same magical illusion that hid Luna from her until she was ready to see her. Dismissing the thought from her mind, she continued up the stairs with the others.

Celestia followed the other unicorns up the flight of stairs and straight to the doorway. Upon opening the door, they found a large, long stair case which lead to an even larger door. As the group made their way up the stairs, the Ancient One’s voice entered their ears.

“Our plane of existence is shared by an infinite number of others. We are not aware of them, nor they of us, for they exist in separate dimensions.”

“Separate dimensions?” Celestia asked.

The Ancient One made no gestures that he heard her, but instead continued his speech. “Separate worlds that swirl all around us, each with its own realities, magic, rules, and entities that rule them.” As they approached the door, Dusk’s horn started to glow, turning the door handle.

The Ancient One continued to speak. “But each dimension has a gateway that leads only to this place. The Sanctum Santorum. “

Dusk opened the doorway to reveal an eerily colored world that spanned on for infinity. Pink and purple lights shot all around them leading into the yellow and orange sky that stretched all around them. Celestia looked all around her and saw large caves coming from all sides around her. Caves that looked as if they were imbedded deep in the sky itself.

Looking within them, she could see strange creatures and other realities. Worlds so strange and different from the one they were living in. One was populated by creatures with strange fingered appendages. Another she saw a group of ponies drawing their swords and engaging in a battle for the kingdom. At least, as far as she was able to make out.

Another was an entire reality of pigs that spoke as they did.

Celestia’s mind couldn’t count how many worlds she saw. So many worlds, she thought to herself. What other worlds lie out there? There were simply far more than her mind could comprehend. For every strand of hair on her head, there were caves that lead to another reality, each one far stranger than the last.

“Welcome to the Nexus,” the Ancient One finally said, after allowing Celestia’s mind to ponder what she was seeing. “The center where all dimensions are connected. As sorcerers, it is our duty to protect it.”

Celestia turned towards her master. “Protect it? From what?”

“Discord.” The Ancient One then flew deeper into the Nexus, leading the others. Celestia’s mind began to wander. This was the third time she had heard Discord’s name, but she knew so little about him. She had never thought to ask, but with everything that had happened recently and her hearing his name more often, she thought it best to know as much as possible.

Starswirl gestured Celestia to follow before him.

With that and a flap of her wings, Celestia followed her master as he continued to speak, as if sensing Celestia thoughts.

“He consists of chaos magic and exists in the Chaos Dimension, a world consumed by his brutal appetite.” The Ancient One led the ponies to a dimension with a large magical barrier, which looked like lightning shooting from all sides, expanded across its entrance. As the group set themselves in front of it, the Ancient One began to cough violently, nearly collapsing to the ground. Starswirl made his way to his master’s side, helping him stay on his feet.

Starswirl turned to Celestia and started to speak. “Discord once came through the Chaos Dimension’s portal and seized the Nexus. He was attempting to flood his dark powers into other worlds, including our own.”

Celestia attempted to look though the gateway to see inside, but the magical barrier would blur everything like a colorless fog in the night sky. Occasionally, a lightning bolt would clear up the image around it, but only slightly and for a brief moment. She slowly approached it, her eyes narrowing, hoping to focus through the fog.

“But you stopped him,” Celestia surmised.

Starswirl shook his head. “Not us. The Ancient One. He was able to drive the chaos lord back into his own world and seal the gateway.”

The Ancient One rose to his feet. “But not before he unleashed an army of monsters into our dimension. One of which was the reason you no longer have a father.”

Celestia’s ears couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Her mouth nearly dropped from her face. She had heard of the creature that had murdered her father, but now she had just learned that Discord was responsible. A fire began to burn in her stomach.

All she could think of was back to that day when her mother had given Luna and her the devastating news of their father’s death. How unfair it was that she had to grow up without a father. It angered and saddened her to learn that this monster had taken her father from her when she was only a child. And these monsters had nearly destroyed her mother on several occasions.

Her body started to shake, as she felt her front hooves pushed into the ground. A fire burned in her that desired nothing but retribution. Then her mind went back to the Ancient One’s words. The words he had said to her when she first was reunited with Luna. ‘You must not allow yourself to be consumed by grief.’

With those words, she took in a deep breath.

Celestia turned towards her master. “Does Luna know? About Discord’s creatures killing our father?”

The Ancient One nodded, a hint of sadness was carried in his voice. “I told her when she was still too young. She wanted revenge and was willing to make whatever sacrifice she needed to achieve it. To tell her was my failure.”

Celestia lowered her head in sorrow. If she had not been through everything she had. If she had not thought of nothing but Luna’s health. If she had known the truth, she doubted she would have acted differently. Knowing what had become of Luna, due to her lust for revenge, she followed her master’s teaching; focusing only on her sister.

“And what of Discord’s creatures?” Celestia asked.

“We have slain all, but one,” Starswirl stated. “The Chaos Dragon. It will awaken on the day of its master’s return.”

Celestia looked at the magic shield, separating the Nexus from the Chaos Dimension. She examined it closely, taking in every aspect. Her horn started to glow, focusing on the shield. She was no expert in magic, not like Starswirl or the Ancient One, but she figured the shield was still incredibly powerful. “I don’t understand. Is the shield weakening?”

Starswirl shook his head. “No, but Discord is still able to manipulate his creatures. Somehow, he is still threatening to come to our world.”

“And this Chaos Dragon?” Celestia turned back to the Ancient One. “Where is it now?”

The Ancient One closed his eyes. “On its way to Canterlot.”

Queen Faust had been in an important meeting with the senators of her land when Sir Roland burst into the throne room. Roland had expressed his apologies, which Faust had easily accepted, and he voiced his concern. Roland had stated there was a matter of terrific urgency. When asked what the emergency was, Roland only stated ‘It was easier to show than to explain.’

Faust stood on the balcony to see a figure in the distance. As the creature came from the horizon, Queen Faust could tell what the creature was and that is was massive. The creature, heading towards Canterlot, was a dragon. An unmovable fear gripped Faust as the dragon flapped its mighty wings, slowly growing closer to the city.

“Your highness,” Roland finally spoke, allowing the initial shock to be over. “I shall ready my troops to begin your evacuation.”

Faust quickly whipped her head back to face Roland. “No. You will send your troops down to the village. I want you to evacuate everypony in the surrounding area as quickly as possible.”

“But, your majesty,” Again Roland’s pleas were interrupted by Queen Faust.

“You will then come back for the castle staff. I want them evacuated through the old catacombs.” She looked down to the city below, ignoring Roland.

“Your majesty, I insist that you come with us.”

Faust shook her head. “I will stay until everypony else is safe. That is my duty.”

“But your highness-“

“Do as I say, Sir Roland!” Faust snapped her head towards him, finally growing impatient. Her intense eyes focused on Roland. He took a step back in fright at his queen’s tone. Faust lowered her head, a sense of sorrow hovering over her. Her eyes then transformed into a mother-like gaze, filled with sadness and guilt. “Please,” she asked.

Roland bowed his head and complied with his queen’s orders. He made his way out of the throne room, escorting the senators along the way.

Queen Faust could only look at the sky, now filling with the dragon’s image as it cried into the sky, shaking the very foundation of the throne room. Not enough to hurt anything, but enough to certainly be noticed. It’s cry, even its echo, was horrifying. Like death itself was in that cry, whispering to them. If anypony didn’t realize the dragon was on its way, they would now.

As Faust entered the castle, her body felt heavy. She took in a deep breath as she took a step forward. However, her hooves failed her and she collapsed to the ground. She attempted to move, but found she was far too weak to move. Her body ached and her eyes were difficult to open as if they were weighed down by a ton of lead. Breathing normally became as difficult as performing with a weight on her chest.

After a few moments, she allowed herself to lay on the ground in exhaustion. Everything that had been happening in her kingdom had been taking its toll on her. The more frequent appearances of the monsters that plagued her subjects causing her to build new refugee camps until homes could be established, the constant trips to the village to keep the children, in mysterious comas, alive and still trying to govern her kingdom. It was slowly draining her strength.

She had spent weeks, months trying to discover the reason behind the comas. Unicorns had spent nights and days working with her. But for all their work, they still had nothing. Nothing to help them. They were going to die and soon. And it was growing worse. More and more children were being comatose by the day. Eventually, it would overwhelm her and possibly kill her.

She knew this, but she refused to give up. She knew, she prayed, that something would come to their aid. She refused to believe that the Lord’s Above would simply abandon them.

Sleep became an impossible task in the days of late and any sleep she was able to get was far and few between. Even then, it was only for a few mere hours.

Every day she felt weaker, but refused to show it. She needed to stand, so her subjects would not be fearful. She refused to be seen caring for herself when her ponies needed her more.

After a few minutes of rest, her strength started to return. She still felt weary and exhausted, but at least she was able to stand. Picking herself up from off the ground, grunting and struggling along the way, she made her way back to the throne room. A guard had asked to assist her as she struggled her way down the hallway. However, she just smiled and politely refused, telling him not to worry.

Faust wished she could be as confident as she sounded. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take. She would no doubt wear herself out until she died. And if she perished, the children in the village would no doubt follow.

She hobbled her way onto her throne, toppling on it. Once her body was on the mattress, she found it hard to move. She wasn’t sure if she didn’t have the strength to move, or simply didn’t want to. She lay on the mattress, attempting to recover.

Queen Faust looked upward to the heavens. “Lords above, please watch over my little ponies. Please, keep them and my daughters safe.”

Celestia felt a surge of magical energy slither up her spine. A cold and powerful magic that she hadn’t felt before. It felt as if it was coming from the Chaos Dimension. She took a step towards it. “Did you feel that?” she asked her companions, placing her hoof on the barrier. As she examined the barrier, her body felt a tremendous force pushing against her hoof. It was all she could do not to move it.

“Step away from the veil, Celestia,” the Ancient One advised.

Celestia turned her head towards her master. “But if the answer is here, then we should-“

The frightening image of a terrible monster forcing against the barrier startled Celestia into leaping back in fear. Celestia eyed the creature as it fought against the barrier, unable to penetrate it. Celestia could only classify the creature as a chimera-like creature. It was comprised of many different animals. Its limbs comprised lion’s paw, an eagle’s claw. The two bottom limbs Celestia couldn’t see, but as she eyed its face, two yellow eyes glared straight for her. She looked up to see two horns atop the creature’s head, an antler of a deer and the horn of a goat.

After a moment of insane laughter, unleashed by the creature’s lungs, the beast quickly vanished back into the distance of the Chaos Dimension.

Celestia was breathing heavily, a cold sweat running down her face as she recalled the events of just a moment ago. They were terrifying and yet, so strangely familiar.

“What was that?!” Celestia asked, her adrenalin turning her question into a shout.

“Discord,” Starswirl stated.

Celestia’s mind wandered into her history. She knew she had seen that face. Those horrible yellow eyes. Then, like a boulder, it hit her. “I’ve- I’ve seen that creature before,” Celestia stated.

“You what?” Dusk snapped. Celestia turned towards him and noticed he was glare at her with his eyebrow raised. Celestia had completely forgotten he was still there. She sort of wished she would continue to.

“Where?” Starswirl asked.

“At a hospital in Canterlot,” Celestia started to explain. Her heart started to sink as her memories began to replay in her mind. She had been so quick to give up on children who needed her help. She felt horrible thinking about it. However, she pushed her emotions aside and focused on her task. “There was a child who was in a deep sleep that couldn’t be awoken from. When she touched me, I entered her mind.”

For a moment, Celestia had doubts of what she was saying. But after all she had seen, all she had experienced. She knew that there were more things going on around her than she could understand. “And I saw that same face.”

“A child, you say?” the Ancient One asked.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, but she wasn’t the only one. There were dozens. All of them in a sleep-like trance just like...” She paused as she came to a realization. This new information stalled her and sank into her brain. “Just like Luna.”

“What?” Starswirl asked.

“Those children at the hospital. They were in the same death-like sleep that Luna is in.” Celestia stomped her hoof and grunted in frustration. “Why didn’t I see the connection before?”

“Of course,” the Ancient One stated, as if he had figured out something he should have known all along.

“What is it, master? What does this mean?” Starswirl asked.

“Sometimes the pure mind of a child can pierce through the veil of other dimensions. Discord has found a way to tap into that power.”

Starswirl raised his eyebrow. “But what does that mean, master?”

The Ancient One took a step towards the barrier. “If enough veils are passed, it is a portal into our dimension. Through the window of the mind.”

Celestia began to understand. Discord was using the children to create a portal through dreams. But there was one thing she didn’t understand. “How does Luna fit into all this?

The Ancient One turned towards her, placing his hoof on his chin. “I believe Luna is the key.” The Ancient One pointed to Celestia. “Go. Take Starswirl and awaken your sister. The rest of us will remain to protect Canterlot.”

Celestia nodded as Starswirl guided her back to the Sanctum. As they journeyed, Celestia began to grow a sense of uncertainty. She wasn’t sure how she was going to awaken her sister. And she was growing even more doubtful that she could do it before Discord was freed.

As the Ancient One, Dusk and the others took their positions in Canterlot, the Ancient One made it very clear that he would lead the group against the dragon and that everypony was to follow his orders to the letter. The Ancient One didn’t trust Dusk anymore and he made that point clear.

The Ancient One sat upon the towers of Canterlot Castle as he watched Redeye, Vibrant, Hoofcuff and Pureheart aid in the evacuation of the city.

The ponies fled in panic as the howls of the dragon in the distance became deafening. Its massive grey snake-like body began to blot out the sun as it became a looming shadow over the city.

“My children, the creature is upon up!” the Ancient One spoke to his unicorn children. “Prepare yourselves!”

The Ancient One bowed his head as the clouds in the sky began to gather. With violent thunderclaps, lightning began to strike the creature’s skin, causing it to erupt in earsplitting screeches. The dragon opened it massive, teeth filled mouth as flames began to emanate from it. Finally, it unleashed a massive firestorm towards the tower of Canterlot.

With a single gesture, the Ancient one summoned for a tidal wave, seeming out of thin air and quenched the fire blast.

With every beat of its mighty wings, the Ancient One felt as if he was fighting a living hurricane. The buildings below started to break apart by the sheer force of the winds. The windows in the castle shattered as the gusts hit them.

Redeye had finally abandoned the evacuation efforts to aid his master in the battle. Redeye’s horn started to glow as he unleashed an ice storm against the creature. The creature roared into the heavens, echoing for miles, as ice chunks hit its body.

The dragon responded with a quick whip of its tail aiming towards Redeye.

Redeye narrowly escaped its path, but the force of the swing sent him soaring uncontrollably throughout the air. When he finally regained control of his flight path, Vibrant and Hoofcuff joined his attack.

Hoofcuff summoned forth magical chains and hooks, which dug into the creature’s flesh as they wrapped themselves tightly around it. The dragon struggled against its restraints, growling with ferocity.

Vibrant, dragging along several large boulders, unleashed them against the dragon. The rocks broke apart as they assaulted the dragon’s body.

Redeye unleashed another ice storm against the beast.

The Ancient One gathered the ballista bolts from the castle and unleashed them. The dragon’s skin was assaulted by ballista bolts, cutting into its flesh, blood running down from each wound. However, the dragon seemed as indomitable as before.

With one flap of its wing, it was able to knock the three airborne unicorns out of the sky and on a collision course with the ground. As the unicorn’s focus was broken, the dragon broke free of the chains that bound it, giving a thunderous bellow.

Hoofcuff was able to regain control the quickest and made her way to the dragon, once more. She generated a spear made of pure magic and threw it at the creature’s flesh. The spear dissipated at it hit the dragon’s flesh, causing the creature to turn its focus on the tiny unicorn.

The dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a firestorm toward Hoofcuff. Hoofcuff was able to summon a force field to quickly shield herself. Once the flames made contact with it however, it disappeared. With no protection, Hoofcuff was powerless against the flames as they assaulted her body. She screamed in agony as her body was consumed, leaving only ash.

The Ancient One, seeing this, unleashed a powerful thunderbolt at the beast’s hide. He shouted in rage as the dragon turned its attention towards him, echoing his cry.

The room that held Celestia’s dear sister, Luna, was as silent and as still as before. Celestia had contemplated much on what she had been asked to do. She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to achieve what the Ancient One had set before her, even with Starswirl’s help.

Celestia made her way to Luna’s bedside, gently stroking her face. “Starswirl, I don’t know what to do.”

“What do you mean?” Starswirl asked.

Tears started to develop in Celestia’s eyes. She fought them as hard as she could, but they continued to threaten to pour down her cheeks. “I have tried countless times to free my sister, but never can I free her.” She turned towards Starswirl. “If the Ancient One cannot awaken her, what chance have I?!”

“You are stronger than you think, Celestia,” Starswirl explained, placing his hoof on her shoulder. “You need only do what the Ancient One told you to do. You can save Luna by unlocking the secret magic powers that lay within you.”

Celestia shot Starswirl a confused and disappointed look, tears running down her face. “How?!”

“The same way you defeated Dusk. Focus on the task at hand and concentrate.”

Celestia thought back to her first day of training. She had been so scared, so angry and so tired of Dusk pushing her around. She wanted to fight back, to prove to Dusk that she wasn’t helpless and weak. She could never figure out how or why she was able to summon such magical forces, but she could never deny its power.

Celestia wiped her tears and focused her thoughts. She only focused on Luna and how she would give anything and everything to save her.

As if sensing Celestia’s thoughts, Starswirl spoke. “I will aid you in entering her mind, but you must do the rest, alone.”

Celestia would have nodded, but she couldn’t hear Starswirl’s voice. She could hear nothing around her, except Luna’s breathing. She could see nothing around her, but Luna’s body.

When Celestia finally opened her eyes, she found herself in a strangely familiar setting. A red and orange hell-like sky filled the horizon. Stone slabs soared aimlessly throughout the void she found herself in. Thunder boomed in the distance, only to be overpowered by the stone platforms exploding, like volcanos as lava poured our generously.

Celestia instantly recognized the place she was in. It was the same nightmarish hell she found herself in when she examined Melody, the child at the hospital.

Celestia scanned the area for any sign of any other life. However, there was no indication of any creature living here, pony or otherwise. Celestia set out to one of the stones, soaring throughout the endless red sky, and continued her survey of the area.

“Luna!” she called out, the empty air echoing her voice. She searched around her, but the area was as empty as she remembered it. Her confidence began to dwindle into doubt as she continued her search. “Luna!” she cried out again, hoping that something would change.

However, there was nothing. Celestia was about to move to another part of this nightmare realm, when something hit her square in the back.

Celestia flew uncontrollably off her platform as she screamed in pain. Her body collided with one of the stone platforms. Her body tingled with pain as her chest burned after her collision. She struggled through the pain her body felt as she made her way to her feet. She turned around to see what had attacked her.

And the sight she beheld was one of horror and sadness. The dark alicorn creature hovered above Celestia, its eyes glaring at her as if to accuse her of a heinous crime.

“Hello, sister,” the creature hissed like a venomous viper, ready to strike.

Celestia was gripped by terror as she looked upon the creature. The creature was encased in blue armor and its skin was black as the darkest shadows. But no matter how Celestia tried to deny it, the creature she faced was, without a doubt, Luna.

Author's Note

Wow, these chapters get longer and longer apart, don't they? But, I'm putting it back on a monthly schedule. Tune in next month on the 15th of December for the next chapter.

Nightmare Moon

Celestia could scarcely believe what her eyes were telling her as she looked upon the creature, what her ears were telling her as she heard it speak. But there was no mistake. Luna was the creature she now faced. The creatures dead eyes glared into her through her pupils.

Luna fired an energy beam at Celestia. Quickly, Celestia leaped out of the way as the beam split the stone platform. Celestia turned herself to face Luna. “Luna, what are you doing?!”

Luna simply ignored Celestia and fired a barrage of magic missiles at Celestia. Celestia flew off as the projectiles chased her, giving herself some distance. When she knew she had enough distance, she summoned forth a magical barrier to protect her. The missiles shattered as they hit Celestia’s shield.

“Luna! It’s me, Tia!” Celestia cried out.

“I know who you are, sister!” Luna snapped. “You are the pony who stole everything from me!”

Celestia’s eyes widened and her mouth opened wide. Her heart stopped as she was struck by Luna’s accusation. She couldn’t fathom a response. Her mind was still overwhelmed by the fact that she had found her beloved sister after all these years, only to be attacked by her.

Luna generated a magic whip, which she swung at Celestia. However, Celestia was able to avoid it in the nick of time. Another slash from Luna’s whip came flying towards her, Celestia narrowly escaping it.

She noticed she was slowing down. Her thoughts were distracted. She didn’t want to fight back. She didn’t want to fight her sister. She hoped that she might be able to reason with her. Celestia hovered in the air, her hooves stretched out.

“Stole everything? Luna, I don’t understand!”

“Of course you don’t!” Luna unleashed a powerful pulse wave that knocked Celestia onto a nearby platform. Celestia’s ears began to buzz as her vision blurred for a moment. She glanced up as Luna slowly hovered towards her, taking her time. “And I’m not Luna anymore! I am Nightmare Moon!” She then fired a beam of energy at Celestia as she laid on the platform.

Celestia was able to quickly roll out of Nightmare Moon’s path. With her eyes sight cleared, Celestia’s horn lit up and summoned a force bubble that surrounded Nightmare Moon, preventing her from moving.

“Luna, listen to me, I’m here to help you!”

“How could you possibly be helpful?!” Nightmare Moon snapped. “You stole my home, my family, my life all because you wanted the throne!”

Nightmare Moon shot an energy beam that quickly shattered Celestia’s prison.

Celestia quickly dodged another blast from Nightmare Moon as she began to flee from her sister’s attacks. One after another, Nightmare Moon would fire her attacks and Celestia would just barely avoid them in time.

Celestia knew she would have to make some type of effort soon. She refused to give up on Luna. Refusing to believe that her sister was lost. “Luna, listen to me! I never wanted the throne!”

“Shut up!” Nightmare Moon growled. “You wanted the throne for yourself! Mother told me that sending me away was for my own good, but I know better!” She conjured an energy beam from her horn, firing it at Celestia. Celestia evaded the attack with a slide to the left. Celestia glanced behind her to see them coming on to a stone platform. Using her wings, Celestia propelled herself upward around the stone slab. Nightmare Moon’s horn simply glowed, ripping apart the stone platform from her path. “I know that you just wanted me gone, so you could have the throne for yourself!”

Celestia turned back towards Nightmare Moon. “Luna, you have to believe me, that’s not true!”

“Stop calling me, Luna!” Nightmare Moon summoned forth a lightning bolt from the black smoke above them and targeted it towards Celestia.

Celestia quickly repelled it with a shield, and while her shield was standing strong, her faith in saving Luna was rapidly fading.

“Luna, mother loved you. We all do! Please, let me help you!”

“I said shut up!” Nightmare Moon opened her mouth and unleashed a wave of fire at Celestia. Celestia quickly drew in a deep breath and blew freezing cold air at Nightmare Moon, countering her fire breath.

Celestia felt a sense of sadness overwhelm her. The truth was her words were having no effect on Luna. She was just getting angrier and harder to reach. As much as Celestia hated the idea, she felt she had no choice.

Celestia unleashed a beam of magical energy at Nightmare Moon, which was easily deflected away. Celestia wasn’t very surprised. She was holding back. She just wanted to stop Luna, not hurt her.

Nightmare Moon came at Celestia with alarming speed. Celestia wasn’t able to react as Nightmare Moon rammed into her dragging her across the empty void. Hoof by hoof they pushed against one another, their horns glowing to increasing the strength. Each pushing as hard as they could against one another with no clear sign of a winner.

“Luna, stop! I don’t want to hurt you!”

Nightmare Moon hissed. “You already have!”

Celestia’s horn shined as she unleashed a powerful force blast, freeing her from Nightmare Moon’s grip.

Celestia was about to unleash an attack on her opponent, but hesitated. She couldn’t find the strength or the courage to fight back. She wasn’t sure which.

Regardless, Celestia delay caused Nightmare Moon to recover. She then unleashed a volley of magical arrows at Celestia.

The arrows followed Celestia wherever she tried to escape. They were closely on her tail and not far behind was Nightmare Moon.

As the chase continued, Celestia’s mind began to conjure an idea. She took a sharp turn to her right and like before, the arrows followed her. She quickly turned around and fired a beam at Nightmare Moon, forcing her to change course to avoid the attack. Then using all her might, Celestia flew passed the magical arrows, causing them to turn around and follow her once more.

Like a thunderbolt, Celestia sped past Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon looked up to see her arrows coming straight for her. They were attempting to turn to catch Celestia, but they wouldn’t turn sharp enough. She quickly brought up a barrier to protect her, but before the barrage was over, a magical arrow was able to hit Nightmare Moon, causing her to fall onto the stone platform.

Celestia made her way to her sister’s side. “Luna, I’m sorry about that. But you have to listen to-“Her voice turned into a cry of pain as Nightmare Moon fired another blast from her horn. The blast sent her into the stone platform above, embedding her in it.

When Celestia recovered, Nightmare Moon was coming for her once more, a magical blade hovering over her, posed and ready to strike. “I’m sick of listening to you!”

Celestia generated a lance out of thin air and used it to block Nightmare Moon’s strike. Nightmare Moon swiped her blade once more, but Celestia used her lance to knock the blade off course.

“Luna, I know you’re hurting inside!” Celestia shouted as she blocked another attack made by Nightmare Moon. “I know you’ve been alone for so long! But we are together now! We are sisters! Nothing can break our bond!”

Nightmare Moon unleashed another attack, which was blocked by Celestia. “You don’t know what pain is! You had our mother to comfort you! Me?! I had no pony! I was completely alone!”

With only a second between her and Nightmare Moon’s next attack, Celestia flapped her wings to unleash a hurricane force wind gust against Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon was blown against one of the stone platforms.

When Nightmare Moon hit the platform, Celestia saw a brief image of Luna taking the creature’s place. The Luna she remembered. While she only saw it for a second, it seemed like an eternity. Luna was in pain. She was crying. She looked as if she was desperate for help.

A second later, a horribly disfigured creature took Luna’s place. It looked like some sort of blob like monster that attempted to take the figure of a pony. The sight disgusted Celestia to the point of gagging. However, the creature quickly returned to the form of Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon glared at Celestia as she gathered the stone platforms from the air. The stone platforms began to point themselves at Celestia. Like a rainstorm, the stone slabs started to fall towards Celestia.

Celestia, rather than dive away from them, she flew straight towards them. She knew that Nightmare Moon would not think her so daring. The truth is even she didn’t think she was. Regardless, she knew she couldn’t let Nightmare Moon have the upper hoof. So, despite good logic, she headed towards the storm of stone.

Celestia maneuvered her way around and passed the stone slabs that threatened to crush her body. But the large platforms weren’t the only thing she had to worry about. She also had to keep her mind focused on when the platforms would collide with each other. They would chip off into smaller shards, ones that would harm her or slow her down if not careful. Plus, Nightmare Moon was still waiting for her.

Celestia forced her way through the storm with minimal scratches on her body. However, just as she thought, Nightmare Moon was waiting for her. As she finally escaped the shower of rocks, Nightmare Moon fired a beam of energy towards her. Celestia quickly summoned a force field to protect her, but it was not strong enough to deflect Nightmare Moon’s attack. Celestia was sent back to one of the platforms, her body ramming into it hard.

Celestia recovered quickly enough to see Nightmare Moon coming straight for her. With only a second to use, she generated a cloud of black smoke, concealing her.

Celestia used the smoke cloud to escape Nightmare Moon’s attack. Nightmare Moon quickly dispelled the smoke cloud with a flap of her wings, but it was enough time for Celestia to hide behind one of the stone platforms. Nightmare Moon scouted the area for her and screeched in anger when her search was unfruitful.

Celestia snuck her way behind Nightmare Moon, while she attacked random platforms, as if she had guessed Celestia went into hiding. Celestia took advantage of Nightmare Moon’s tantrum and attacked her from behind with a powerful blast of magic.

Nightmare Moon was sent soaring back into one of the platforms. Before she had a chance to move away, Celestia summoned magical chains to bound Nightmare Moon to the stone. Within a second, Celestia was face to face with the creature.

“What are you?!” Celestia shouted in rage. “Why have you taken my sister?!”

Nightmare Moon struggled against her bonds, screaming and growling.

“Reveal yourself!” Celestia’s horn started to glow as Nightmare Moon began to change shape. After a moment, Nightmare Moon was replaced by the disgusting blob creature. A deformed face of a pony, with its eye nearly bulging out of its head. A mangled body that looked more like dough than actual flesh. “What are you?!”

The creature gave a sinister smile. Celestia only then noticed its mouth. It was only populated by a single tongue and two single sharp yellow teeth on the left side of its face. “I am Luna. I am Nightmare Moon. I am her hatred for her family. I am her rage and sorrow. I am her inner chaos.”

Celestia desperately tried to block out the sounds of the creature accusing Luna of hating her family. She couldn’t it. Or maybe, she simply didn’t want to. “You are one of Discord’s creatures, aren’t you?”

“The master will be freed and I, your sister, will be the one who ushers him into your world.”

Celestia fired a beam of energy at the creature that sent the beast from its prison, through the stone slab and into the air. “Not if I can save her.”

As the creature was freed, it regained the shape of Nightmare Moon.

“What does Luna have to do with this?!” Celestia shouted as she fired another beam of energy.

Nightmare Moon was quick to summon a force field and deflect Celestia’s attack. “I, Luna, breached this dimension where my master took hold of me.” Nightmare Moon unleashed a powerful spear towards Celestia.

Celestia shifted her body to avoid the attack. She then headed straight for Nightmare Moon, a magical staff ready to strike.

Nightmare Moon blocked Celestia’s attack with a magical halberd. “I was implanted in my, your sister’s, mind, where I then used my magic to affect the little children. It was easy to turn me against you. I hate you.”

“You’re lying! And you are not Luna!” Celestia snapped, as she swung her weapon again, only to have it blocked by Nightmare Moon. “My sister and I have an inseparable bond. Something that neither you nor Discord could ever understand! And I won’t let her down!”

Celestia’s horn glowed once more, followed by her eyes. The shining light consumed both her and Nightmare Moon, followed by Nightmare Moon’s screams of agony.

Celestia let out a scream as she returned to her the outside world. She was on the ground, her body aching in pain. She tried to find her footing, but it was slow to come to her. Finally, Starswirl came to her side and helped her to her feet.

“Celestia, are you alright?” he asked.

Celestia looked around her and realized she had returned to Luna’s room. As she looked upon the bed, she saw the still image of her sister. Still lying in the bed.

“Luna!” she cried out. She rushed her way to her sister’s side. She placed her hooves on Luna’s and cried out her name again. There was nothing. Silence filled the air. Tears were developing in Celestia’s eyes as she looked upon Luna’s motionless body. A tear slipped from her face and onto her sister’s.

The tears sudden cold caused Luna to shift, only slightly. A moment after that, she moaned as if she was in pain. Finally, Luna opened her eyes.

Celestia’s eyes met Luna’s. They were as blue as she remembered. Celestia smiled, desperately trying to fight back her tears.

“Tia?” Luna mouth spoke weakly.

Like a dam breaking, tears soaked Celestia’s cheeks as she heard those words. She embraced Luna tightly, as if she was afraid to let go. “Oh, Luna,” she sobbed. “I’ve missed you.”

Luna wrapped her hooves around Celestia, tears soaking her own face. “Tia, it really is you!” She started to whimper and shake as she slowly returned to life. “I was alone in a dark place… I couldn’t see or feel anything… There was something… I’m sorry…” A soft sob slipped from Luna’s lips. “I’m so sorry. I was … so angry.”

Celestia gently stroked her little sister’s mane. She closed her eyes, a single tear trailing down her face. “It’s okay, Luna.”

Luna shook her head. “I’m sorry. … To you and mom. I-“

Celestia gently pulled away and placed her hoof over her sister’s lips. “It doesn’t matter anymore. The nightmare’s over.”

Luna smiled, as if Celestia’s word was all the reassurance she needed. Celestia felt a happiness she hadn’t felt in years. Seeing Luna freed from her lifeless prison, she felt as if she could start living again as well.

Luna scanned her sister, carefully. She gave a slight giggle as she wiped a tear from her face. “What’s with your mane?”

Celestia gave a chuckle and embraced Luna, once more. “It was time for a change.”

Dusk watched from the shadows as his master and the other unicorns attempted to stop the Chaos Dragon. His mind was fixated on what was said during their trip to the Nexus. Celestia had said that children were somehow in a dream world created by Discord. The Ancient One believed that Luna was the key.

But how could Luna be the key? Dusk thought. How did she enter Discord’s realm without releasing the barrier?

Dusk’s mind began to recall spell after spell, searching for one that would allow Luna to take revenge against Discord.

After Luna learned the truth about her father’s death, she became obsessed with taking revenge. Week after week, she would spend in the library searching spell after spell for a spell that would allow her vengeance. One day, Luna did the one thing Dusk had never expected. She asked him for help. Him. Of all the ponies in the world he could have asked, Starswirl who favored her. The Ancient One who took her in. Hell, everypony adored her. So, why go to the one pony who despised her? Was she really that desperate?

Still, Dusk could sympathize. Luna had lost a parent at a young age. Just as he had. That was the only reason he aided her. Dusk remembered a short conversation with her, telling her to follow her gut. He never thought she would actually accomplish it.

Finally, his mind conjured a spell that he knew would enter Discord’s realm. A dimensional displacement spell? Interesting. You always were clever, Luna.

Dusk’s horn started to glow as the world around him slowly faded. He felt his soul being pulled into another realm. As he opened his eyes, he gazed upon the nightmare world he knew as the Chaos Dimension. Ruins upon ruins that no doubt once housed great civilizations. Platforms floating aimlessly throughout the empty void.

But that void was quickly filled with a large creature. Dusk instantly recognized it as Discord.

“Who would dare enter my realm?” Discord gave a sinister smile to Dusk, who was only the size of his enlarged tooth.

Dusk stood tall, even against the towering Discord. “I’ve come to offer my assistance.”

Discord howled into the air with laughter as Dusk’s words penetrated his eardrums. “Oh, really?” Discord’s tone spoke of disbelief. He eyed Dusk even closer, his pupil face to face with him. “And why turn away from the Ancient One?”

Dusk bowed his head. “Because the Ancient One has turned away from me. He failed to recognize my power. So I must simply show him.”

Discord put his lion-like paw on his chin, his bottom lip puckered out. “And what is to stop Discord, the lord of chaos, from trapping you here, like I did that other pony?”

Dusk raised his head to Discord once more. “Because I can offer you the two things you’ve always wanted.” He gave a cruel grin. “Freedom and revenge.”

Discord painted a picture of pleasure on his face, which was all Dusk needed to confirm what he had already suspected.

The dragon unleashed another blast of fire at the Ancient One, who was able to drive it out with a powerful snowstorm, summoned from his horn.

Redeye unleashed thousands of tiny shards, which extended and grew into sharp daggers that dug into the dragon’s flesh, causing it to howl into the heavens. The dragon took a flap of its mighty wings, causing hurricane winds to flash towards Redeye at alarming speeds. Redeye quickly generated a force field to protect himself from the gusts.

Vibrant drew a deep breath and blew with all her might, nearly matching the dragon’s power over the gusts. However, it wasn’t enough to faze the dragon. Instead the dragon turned its attention back towards Redeye, swiping at it with its tail.

Even with a barrier to protect him, Redeye was still forced to the ground below. He slowed himself down enough to save himself from hitting the ground too hard, but his vision was still blurred and his body still ached.

He forced himself to his feet, knowing that his job was far from done. Just as he prepared himself, he screamed in pain as a sharp blade pierced through his body, blood bursting from his wound. It slowly slithered down his chest and soaked the ground below it. A moment later, the blade vanished from his body. Within an instant, his body’s strength quickly faded, just like his vision.

Pureheart continued to evacuate everypony she could. Hundreds of ponies started to flee for their lives as the thunderous giant battled her friends hundreds of feet above her. She knew she was too weak to fight, but she knew she could be of some help. She knew the fate of the entire world was at stake and she knew she had to help anyway she could.

The Ancient One had always tried to help her through her fears, saying that violence is only used when necessary. But when Dusk took leadership role, she had her doubts. She knew Dusk reveled in violence, even though he would deny it.

He longed for a glorious battle worthy of him and he always dreamed of the title Sorcerer Supreme. Pureheart had often wondered what she would do if Dusk did become Sorcerer Supreme, but that was an impossibility now.

Now, she just wanted to focus on saving as many lives as possible. She turned to her duty by guiding everypony away from Canterlot Castle and towards safety.

She turned around, expecting more refuges. However, a sight caught her eye that struck her in horror. In a pool of blood, was Redeye with a hole in his chest.

Like lightning, Pureheart made her way to his side. Her mind was racing in panic as she noticed how deep the wound really was. Tears started to soak her face. Redeye was one of her favorite ponies in sanctuary. In fact, she was in love with him. But she was far too embarrassed to say so. She feared that he would just laugh at her if she told him. Now, she was terrified she might not get the chance.

“Redeye, please, wake up! Please!” she pleaded as her horn started to glow. Her healing magic was powerful, but it seemed to have no effect on Redeye. She concentrated even harder, focusing everything on saving him, but it seemed that nothing was to come of her efforts.

She scouted around her in a frantic fright. “Help! Somepony, please help!” She silently begged the Lord Above to save Redeye, hoping they would send somepony to help her.

Suddenly, as if to answer her prayers, Dusk appeared behind her.

Pureheart felt an overwhelming sense of relief. It was very brief however, as her thoughts then turned to Redeye, once more. “Dusk, thank the Lords Above.” She directed her attention towards Redeye. “Redeye’s hurt and dying. We have to help him!”

Dusk was silent. Pureheart turned towards Dusk. He was glaring at her, terrifying her. His eyes pierced her, causing her to shake uncontrollably. Suddenly, Dusk’s horn started to glow as his eyes fixed themselves on her with a malicious grin.

Fear restrained Pureheart, as Dusk made his way towards her. “Dusk?” she uttered. A mere moment later, before Pureheart was able to react or absorb what happened; there was a moment of pain, followed by the darkness of oblivion.

The Ancient One unleashed a wave of energy at the dragon, causing it to turn its attention away from Vibrant, allow her to escape the dragon’s tail. The beast retaliated with powerful blast of fire from its mouth. The Ancient One protected himself with a barrier, but was struggling to keep a hold on it. His aging body was quickly weakening and he knew it would not be long before either he or the dragon would have to make their last desperate move.

The Ancient One had lost track of Dusk early in the conflict. It frightened him to not be able to sense his presence. Dusk wasn’t one to run away from a fight, but he was one to engage in a battle he was far from ready for. The Ancient One figured it was likely that the dragon had gotten him before anypony else. As the thought entered his mind, he wondered how he could have been so arrogant that he would take on this dragon by himself.

The Ancient One dismissed it, however. For he knew Dusk was headstrong and thought himself superior to everypony else. The Ancient One had hoped that giving leadership responsibilities would teach Dusk humility. The Ancient One failed. Dusk had become even more arrogant and prideful. He failed Luna, Dusk and very nearly Celestia.

Had he not intervened with Celestia’s path when he did, she would have no doubt been lost. His intervention was something that he knew would cause him to be punished by the goddess of Harmony. But he also knew that in the end, he made the right choice to save her.

The dragon’s cry brought the Ancient One away from his thoughts as it blew another fireball at him. The Ancient One used him magic to redirect the fire blast back to its owner. As the fireball hit its master, the dragon cried in pain, which was followed by a roar of anger.

Vibrant summoned hundreds of wires made of light and began wrapping them around the dragon’s body. The beast struggled against his restraints, but they continued to encase him. The Ancient One joined her, wrapping wires of his own around the dragon.

The creature filled the sky with its cries of rage. The beast flapped its wings, each one pointing towards the unicorns tying it up. The Ancient One fought with all his might against the wind storms, holding steady, but unable to continue constraining the dragon.

Vibrant, however, was easily blown to the ground by the creature’s attack, releasing its grip on the beast.

The dragon took this opportunity to swing its massive tail towards the Ancient One. The Ancient One quickly summoned forth a shield, anticipating its strength. However, as the tail collided with the Ancient One’s barrier, he discovered how he had underestimated its strength and overestimated his own. The barrier was able to hold, but it’s sent the Ancient One to the ground in a state of near unconsciousness.

The creature then turned its attention towards Vibrant, who was still on the ground, moaning in pain. The dragon opened its mouth and a wave of flames poured towards Vibrant.

Vibrant quickly moved out of the creature’s path, but the flames still followed her. Vibrant, desperate to escape the dragon’s attack, failed to notice she was flying directly to village. Ponies were still being evacuated. The dragon’s flames would consume them unless she turned away.

Quickly, Vibrant changed direction, a sharp right, hoping the dragon would change course with her. She praised the lord’s above when she was right. The dragon followed her, exactly as she had hoped. She started for the meadows in the distance, hoping to keep the fight away from the village.

However, something caught her hind hoof. She looked down and noticed a magical line had caught her and stopped her in midair. The initial shock stopped her. Her mind created a flurry of thoughts as to who would attempt to trap her. Her horn started to glow as she attempted to remove the bond around her hoof. However, by the time she removed it, she looked upwards, only to see a flash of red and orange light as the dragon’s fire devoured her body.

The Ancient One cried out in agony as he saw Vibrant’s body vanish before his eyes. As if hearing his cry, the dragon turned towards him, unleashing a hellish scream. The dragon started to make its way towards him, unleashing a torrent of fire.

The Ancient One focused all his magical might on the amulet the hung around his neck and sunk down to his chest. He felt the powers of the Elements of Harmony flow into his body, increasing his power. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the magical forces that were all around him began to reveal themselves. He looked around him to see thousands of lights gathering around his amulet, the Eye of Harmony.

Only an instant before the flames touched his body, which seemed as if it would be an eternity, the Ancient One unleashed the gather magical power into a powerful beam. This beam dissipated the fire blast and headed straight for the dragon. The beam dug deep into the dragon’s body, splitting it apart. The dragon’s screeches began to die out as the beam continued through its body, breaking it into small sections that barely resemble the former beast.

The sections fell their way to the ground, evaporating into black smoke.

The Ancient One fell to his knees, taking in slow heavy breaths. He had hoped not to use the Eye of Harmony against the dragon, knowing it would sap almost all of his strength. He feared if he used it against the dragon, he would be too weak to fight Discord, should he be freed. He had hoped to save it in case Discord would be freed. In case Celestia failed to save Luna.

Suddenly, the Ancient One felt a sharp blade ripping through his frail body. He grunted in pain as he was slowly lifted into the air, blood dripping to the ground.

The Ancient One was then turned around to see his attacker, who had waited for him to weaken himself before striking. The Ancient One glared into the face of his former pupil, Dusk, who was smiling as his blade was stuck in the Ancient One’s body.

The Ancient One lowered his head. “I am sorry, Dusk. I failed to see the darkness in your heart.” His voice was beginning to fail. Speaking became difficult and breathing was even more so.

“The only thing you failed to see was how powerful I’ve become,” Dusk explained. “So I simply had to prove it.”

The Ancient One tried to shake his head, but it wouldn’t move. “The only thing you have proven is how corruptible you are.” He attempted to hold his glaring face, but was unable to. To save his strength, he closed his eyes. “A feat that is most unimpressive.”

Even with his eyes closed, the Ancient One could tell Dusk wasn’t pleased with his insult, though he did little to show it. “Frankly, Ancient One, I tire of you. You are old. Outdated. It is time for the new generation to take what is rightfully theirs.”

The Ancient One summoned all his strength to give a sly smile. “I couldn’t …agree …more.” As his final bit of strength left him, he felt the Eye of Harmony disappear around his neck. The last image he saw was the face of his successor. With that image in his mind, he smiled.

Celestia melted inside as she embraced her sister. For the first time in years, she had felt happier than she had been. Luna had awakened and she was safe.

Celestia had explained everything that had happened. About her banishment, her travels, her lessons, and the immediate threat that loomed over them. Luna could hardly believe what she had heard.

Luna then proceeded to tell Celestia all the things that had happened to her. Her training, her anger, and her imprisonment. The two stories began to intertwine and Celestia began to piece together all that had happened between the two of them.

Suddenly, a flash of light came from behind Starswirl, causing the three to turn their gaze towards it. The light revealed a small amulet, floating into the air. Celestia recognized it instantly. It was the Eye of Harmony, a powerful artifact held by the Ancient One. She wondered what could it possibly doing here instead of with the Ancient One.

Starswirl sunk to his knees, sobbing into his hooves. He moaned calling his master’s name. Celestia turned to Luna, who had looked away, tears running down her face. Celestia was able to piece together the rest. The Ancient One was dead.

Celestia felt pain infesting itself within her. Her heart began to ache as she quickly recalled the moments she had with the Ancient One. While they were brief, she felt a connection to him. Like a father to a daughter. Now, he was gone.

Luna wiped her tears and spoke. “I guess… the Eye is choosing its successor.”

The Eye floated through the air slowly. Surprising to Celestia, it made its way passed Starswirl. Celestia had thought for certain that Starswirl would be next candidate for Sorcerer Supreme. A thought then jumped towards Luna. Luna had been here longer than Celestia had. She was wiser than she ever could be. Luna would make a perfect Sorceress Supreme.

However, the Eye stopped short of Luna, pointing its gaze directly at Celestia. Celestia could only stand in shock, not sure what to do.

“Tia?” Luna asked. Her eyes widened. Her mouth stood opened wide as she looked upon the small golden medallion floating in front of Celestia’s face. “It’s you! You’re his successor!”

Celestia could only gaze at the amulet. She blinked several times, but could not move. “Me?”

“Tia, you’re the next Sorceress Supreme.”

Celestia could sense pride in Luna’s voice, but she wasn’t so sure. She would have never thought, in a thousand years, would she be considered for succession. She had made so many mistakes, done so many wrongs.

Celestia shook her head. “No. Not me. I can’t have it.” She looked down at the ground. “I don’t deserve it.”

Starswirl finally made his way off the ground and wiped his tears. “Which is why it is your destiny.”

Celestia thought it was a mistake. In her mind, she couldn’t fathom why she would make a better Sorceress Supreme than Starswirl or Luna.

“Tia,” Luna said. Celestia returned her gaze to her sister. Luna smiled and wrapped her hoof around her fore leg. “This is who you are supposed to be.”

Celestia smiled back. Despite all these years, Luna could sense her uncertainty and doubt. Luna was wise beyond her years. Celestia always knew that. Had she listened to her all those years ago, perhaps all of this could have been avoided. Perhaps Luna, the Ancient One and Starswirl saw something in her that she couldn’t.

While she still had her doubts, she turned to the Eye, still patiently waiting for her to accept her new role. Celestia reached out for the amulet, but a force stopped her. She didn’t fight it though, as the Eye slowly moved towards her body. A bright light shined as the amulet slowly bonded with Celestia’s skin. As it did, Celestia felt spells beyond anything she had learned enter her mind. Power of ancient sages before her coursed through her veins. The power of the Lords themselves.

“With the Eye of Harmony, you can unlock the power that dwells within you,” Starswirl stated.

Celestia closed her eyes as the Eye showed her a vision in her mind. It was a hospital. The hospital where she met Melody and the children, who were in a death-like coma, now revealed to be part of Discord’s plot. While Luna was awake, the children were still dreaming. Celestia feared that Discord’s influence over them was still too great.

She knew if she was to stop Discord, she would need to awaken them, just as she did Luna. Celestia turned to Starswirl. “The children are still in their comas. Stay here with Luna, I shall awaken them.”

Luna’s jaw dropped as she attempted to leave her bed. “No, I’ll come with you.”

Celestia turned towards Luna. “Luna, you are still weak from your imprisonment.”

“But-“ Luna began to protest, but with a flash of light, Celestia vanished.

Dusk and Discord

Celestia arrived at a small camp that had been set up outside the village of Canterlot. She looked to the distance to see refugees were continuing to flood it. Just beyond them was the city of Canterlot. The towers that set in the distance were less radiant as a cloud of smog cloaked them in its ominous veil.

The smoke, no doubt, came from the fires caused by the Ancient One’s battle with the Chaos Dragon. Celestia wondered how many of her group was still alive. With a heavy heart, she surmised if any of them were still alive, they would have made contact.

Celestia made her way into the camp, catching a few ponies glancing her way. They whispered in each other’s ears. Celestia could have heard what they were saying, thanks to her new abilities, but it didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was her mission.

She made her way to what looked like a small hospital tent. Ponies began to gather all around her, keeping their eyes fixed on her. Voices all reaching her ears as they murmured to one another. However, she chose to ignore them as best she could and focus on the task at hand.

Celestia entered the tent. Her entrance, while uneventful, did not go unnoticed by the medical staff. They could only watch as their entryway was blocked by their former princess. The staff murmured indistinctly.

One of the nurses slowly approached Celestia. Celestia eyed her carefully, recognizing her. She was the same nurse who she had cruelly refused to help. To Celestia, it seemed that the Lords Above either had a sense of irony, or wanted to give her a second chance.

“Princess Celestia,” the nurse stammered her words and bowed her head. “What- What are you-?”

Celestia raised her hoof. The nurse went silent, expecting her to speak.

“Where is the child you asked me to help? Is she still here?” Celestia asked.

The nurse was at first silent, as if baffled by her question. After a moment, Celestia opened her mouth again.

“Where is the child you asked me to aid?”

The nurse finally complied with her request and guided Celestia to Melody, the young filly who Celestia had failed to save.

As Celestia made her way deeper into the tent, she took note of the children within. She noticed that the number of children in these death-like comas had increased. Time was running out. She needed to move quickly if she was to stop Discord.

The nurse told Celestia of the child’s care slowly deteriorating. They used magic to keep the child alive. Much like Pureheart had done for Luna, though Celestia couldn’t imagine their magic was as powerful. And since there were dozens of patients to tend it, it would take a lot of magic.

When they arrived at Melody’s bedside, the parents instantly caught sight of Celestia. The father stood up.

“You?! How dare you come here?!” he spat, his eyes narrowed towards her.

Celestia felt her heart sink. His words echoed in her ears as his eyes fell upon her. He had right to be angry with her. She had dismissed this as unimportant and beneath her. However, she promised herself things would be different. Her brand reminded her of that.

“You never cared about anypony but yourself! I want you out of my sight!” the father shouted.

The nurse attempted to intervene, but Celestia stopped her. “No. I deserve those words.” Celestia lowered her head. “But if you will allow me, I would help your daughter.”

The father started to move forward, but was stopped short by a hoof touching his shoulder. He turned back to his see his wife, tears gathering in her eyes, begging him to allow her to try. Not a word was exchanged and yet, it felt as if they had just had a full conversation. The father gave a surrendering sigh, taking a step back and out of Celestia’s path.

Celestia stepped towards Melody, gazing upon her. The little filly was in the same state Luna was in. Silent and still. Celestia placed her hoof gently upon Melody’s brow. The father and mother holding each other, looking onto their daughter with desperate eyes.

Celestia’s horn and eyes glowed as the world around her disappeared. Once again, she found herself in the hellish nightmare Luna was trapped in. She searched around her, hearing a small voice whimper in the distance. After finding the source of the sound, Celestia made her way towards a wandering platform. On top of it was Melody, crying into her hooves.

Celestia made her way to Melody and embraced her in her forelegs. At first, Melody seemed afraid, but she was quickly comforted by Celestia’s mother-like voice.

“It is alright. I’m a friend.”

A loud cackle came from behind them. The two turned to its source to see a wave of fire coming straight for them. Melody hid her eyes in Celestia’s chest, as if silently praying that it would stay away. Celestia simply eyed the creature. The flames took on the form of Discord. Celestia’s eyes and horn glowed as the two disappeared before being engulfed by the flames.

Melody gasped as she opened her eyes. Celestia placed her hoof on her brow once more. “It’s alright, Melody. You’re safe.” Her gentle voice seemed to calm the child. Melody turned her head and caught the sight of her parents.

“Mommy! Daddy!” she cried in joy. Melody leaped out of her bed and darted towards her parents, who embraced her the second they could. Tears ran down their faces as they held each other tightly.

The father looked up to Celestia, his lips trembling. “Thank you,” he said, his voice broken by his sobs.

Celestia simply smiled and bowed her head. She turned towards the nurse, who stood awestruck.

“But… But how?” the nurse asked.

“I will explain later, but now I must do the same thing to all these children,” Celestia explained.

The nurse bowed her head and guided Celestia to each and every one of the children in the hospital. While Celestia went to work, the nurse asked another worker to gather the parents of the children. One by one, Celestia would travel into the child’s dream and take them from Discord.

There were some close calls, however. Discord was persistent in keeping the children hostage, but Celestia would steal them away faster than he could retrieve them.

After several minutes of the repeated process, Celestia had awakened the children in the hospital. The hospital room was filled with laughter, tears of joy and cheers as, one by one, the children were reunited with their mothers and fathers.

However, Celestia found it difficult to smile. She had done well, yes, but the Eye around her neck told her that they weren’t safe yet. Celestia turned towards the nurse, who had aided her.

“What is your name?” Celestia asked.

“My name is… Heartstrings,” the nurse replied, bowing her head.

Celestia smiled and shook her head. “Please, do not hold me on ceremony. I am not a princess here.”

Heartstrings raised her head up and smiled. “Still, what you did today... How can we repay you?”

Celestia’s smile disappeared from her face. She knew her task was not done. Not yet. “Are there other children, whom you are aware of, with the same symptoms?”

Heartstrings held her chin for a moment. “Canterlot has some patients. They house about three times what we have here. We moved them there in the hopes that your mother might be able to help them.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. A sharp pain burst in her heart. She hadn’t thought about her mother. Her mother was the most powerful alicorn in Canterlot and it would fall onto her to help keep these children alive. A task she knew her mother would never refuse.

It was overwhelming to think about. What sacrifices would her mother make to ensure the safety of her kingdom? The answer, she didn’t need to look hard for.

While her mother was powerful, she wasn’t in the same league as Pureheart or any unicorn she had met during her travels. And she was to care for hundreds of patients. Her heart began to sink as the thought of her mother slowly withering into nothing clouded her mind. A thought she refused to let become reality.

“I must leave at once,” Celestia stated as her horn started to glow. With that notion, she vanished, but not before seeing Melody’s smiling face, thanking Celestia for saving her life.

With a small flash of light, Celestia arrived in the throne room she once called home. As she looked around her, everything seemed exactly as she had left it. The same ascending throne that towered over the floor. The same purple rug that traveled down the steps of the throne all the way down to the doorway. The same golden doors that provided entrance and exit.

Celestia couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as she scanned her surroundings. And on top of the throne, she could see her mother, lying atop it. Faust struggled to her feet as she started to stagger down the steps. Celestia could tell her mother hadn’t seen her yet. Faust started down the stairs, but was having trouble gaining her hoofing.

Celestia began to worry as she eyed her mother. She looked exhausted. She was having trouble staying upright and was sagging. As Faust came down the last steps, she started to tumble to the ground. However, at the last second, Celestia caught her with her magic, preventing her from hitting the hard surface.

Faust opened her eyes as the soft force stopped her. She slowly looked upwards to see Celestia. She squint her already weary eyes, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Celestia?” her weak voice was able to speak.

Celestia’s eyes and horn glowed once more, causing Faust to drift silently to sleep. After her mother was deep in slumber’s embrace, she placed her mother gently back on the throne. As she approached her mother, she noticed that she was smiling. Celestia was a bit surprised at such a sight. She didn’t know why she was. A tornado of thoughts appeared in her mind, frantically conjuring an answer.. Perhaps Faust was happy to see her again. No, not perhaps.

She convinced herself that was the reason. It was unfair of her to think otherwise. She realized that her mother had the responsibilities of everypony in her kingdom, not just her. She remembered her growing angry towards her, which caused her to act out. But she hadn’t realized how hard she had to work to run her kingdom and raise her daughters. As Celestia gazed upon her mother, she began to realize how important she was to her.

Celestia then pecked her mother on the cheek. Rest easy, mother. It’s my turn to be responsible.

As she made her advance out of the throne room, she couldn’t help but take another look at her mother as she left. She looked so peaceful, compared to when she first arrived. She hadn’t seen her in years, but she could still tell when her mother was exhausted. Never had she seen Faust fatigued to the point of collapsing. Celestia began to feel guilt fester in her stomach, but began to push it away. She convinced herself that there was nothing she could do to change what had passed, but she could find a way to change the present.

With that thought motivating her, Celestia made her way to the hospital wing.

Dusk was revealed a startling piece of information by his new master, Discord. His master had revealed that a new Sorcerer Supreme had been chosen. Of course, Dusk had known it would happen. The death of the Ancient One would cause the Eye to choose his successor. But whoever it was, Dusk felt confident he could kill them too. With only three left, he knew that it had to be Starswirl that would be the Ancient One’s successor.

However, when his master told him the identity of the next Sorcerer Supreme as Celestia, Dusk became outraged. How could that weak little foal be Sorceress Supreme and not him?

Discord also revealed that Celestia was weakening his power over the veil and that Dusk was charged to stop her. A task he was all too excited to accomplish.

Dusk made his way into the hospital wing where Celestia was hard at work reviving the children. He smiled as his horn started to glow, casting a spell to motion the children out of bed.

As Celestia approached one of them, the child stood up and crawled out of bed. Celestia scanned around her, seeing all of the children in the hospital wing, standing up and move around. However, they were not natural movements. The children hobbled around the room, not speaking, not even looking at Celestia as she called to them.

Dusk finally appeared from the shadows and revealed himself to Celestia.

“Dusk!” Celestia smiled as she found a friendly face. “Thank the Lords, you’re here!” She then turned towards the children who were making their way for the exit behind her. “Something’s wrong! I think Discord is making his move!”

Dusk smiled at how stupid Celestia was for exposing her back. “Really? That is a tragedy.” Dusk then fired a beam of energy from his horn, hitting Celestia square in the back.

Celestia was sent soaring into the wall in front of her, slamming into it hard. She began to struggle to her feet as she turned towards Dusk, who was coming for her, his horn glowing.

“Dusk!” she cried out. “What are you doing?!”

Dusk simply smirked as Celestia continued to carry a confused stare on her face. He then fired another blast from his horn. Celestia was able to conjurer a barrier in time, but Dusk’s attack was so fierce that it broke her barrier and sent her flying straight through the wall behind her.

Dusk approached the hole Celestia had created. He poked his head through it to see the wall had collapsed on the other side of the hallway. Sticking just barely out of the pile was a long white hoof. It remained motionless and still. Dusk smiled as he was certain that Celestia was dead.

Some Sorceress Supreme, Dusk thought to himself as he turned away. The children began to gather towards him. “Come along now, children.” His horn started to glow. “It’s time for you to meet your new master.” With a flash of light, Dusk and the children vanished into thin air.

Celestia felt pain slither into her body as she awoke. Her mind desperately tried to recall the last thing that had happened, but her head was pounding too much to concentrate. She could barely move, she was surrounded by darkness, and breathing was difficult.

She started to hear voices, but she couldn’t make them out. She had a hard time distinguishing if they were real or if they were simply caused by her latest memory. The one she blacked out from. As the moments passed, the voices began to become clearer. Either they were getting closer or her head was clearing up. Maybe it was both.

Celestia then started to recall her last moments before blacking out, piecing together what had happened, when suddenly…

“Tia!” Luna cried out.

Celestia opened her eyes to see Luna and Starswirl stand over her, digging her out of the rubble around her. Celestia almost smiled to them, but the pain denied her that privilege. She slowly raised herself out of the pile of stones and looked towards her sister. “I thought I told you to stay at Sanctuary.”

Luna smiled. “You are lecturing me about not doing what you’re told? Things have changed.”

Celestia wanted to laugh at Luna’s comment, but the pain kept her from it. Her body was racked with it. Starswirl and Luna helped Celestia to her feet.

“What happened?” Starswirl asked.

Celestia held her head in her hooves, trying to regain her focus, but her head was still pounding like a drum. Regardless, she remembered exactly what happened before she blacked out. “It was Dusk. He attacked me.”

Starswirl and Luna were silent for a moment as they looked at each other then back to Celestia.

“I think Dusk has joined Discord,” Celestia finished.

Starswirl and Luna’s eyes widened as the news reached their ears. They lowered their gaze to the ground, sorrow and hopelessness gripping their faces.

“This is very bad,” Starswirl stated.

Luna looked away. “Even before I went under, Dusk was more powerful than any of us.” She turned towards Celestia. “It would take all three of us to take him down.”

Celestia nodded. “Then that’s exactly what we do.” Celestia started to trot forward. Her body was still in pain, but she did her best to ignore it. Taking a step forward, she felt her body tremble, nearly toppling to the ground.

She entered the hospital room and noted that only the children that she was able to awaken were still there, but they were in their beds, sleeping. The other children were gone.

“Dusk has taken the children!” Celestia exclaimed.

“Then we must hurry!” Starswirl said standing up. His horn started to glow and engulfed all three of them in its light.

Dusk stood tall as he overlooked the sea of children, flooding to the center of the town. They did not speak and moved only when Dusk ordered them too. They seemed to be like puppets to Discord’s power. Dusk’s mind excited itself with thoughts of Discord’s tremendous power. Power that Dusk hoped to see for himself. After all, Discord had promised to show him power beyond his wildest imagination, so long as the Ancient One died and he was freed.

Dusk had fulfilled half of his bargain, so far and was so close to achieving the other half. He even got to kill Celestia, which was almost a reward by itself. Another Sorcerer Supreme was no doubt chosen in her place, but he didn’t give it a second thought. If the Eye chose Celestia over Starswirl and Luna and she was defeated easily, they would give him little trouble.

He stood silently as the children continued to hobble into the town square, as if they had no will of their own. Dusk looked upon the towers of Canterlot Castle. He gave a cruel smirk as he thought of the fate of Queen Faust. Soon, she would share the same fate her husband did. While he did not cause her husband’s death, he did not feel guilt or sadness about it. He thought it was more than he deserved.

Suddenly, a presence startled him from his thoughts. He felt a magical presence come from behind him. He thought that it was an opponent sneaking up on him. However, the movements he felt depicted otherwise. They were almost as if they wanted to be found. Smart? No. Bold? Certainly. Especially if they knew what beheld Celestia. As if he was speaking of the devil himself, Celestia found his way into his gaze, standing in the shadows of a nearby alleyway.

Dusk was at first angry that Celestia had survived, but he grinned, allowing himself the opportunity to humiliate Celestia again. “Well, it seems you’re made of tougher things than I thought, princess.”

Dusk was about to make his move. However, he felt another presence gathering to his right. A moment later, another presence to his left. He slowly turned his gaze to his left to see Luna stepping out of the shadows, readying herself for battle. He slowly glanced to his right to see Starswirl appearing from the darkness.

He scoffed as all three of his opponent’s prepped themselves for an attack. “Three against one? This should be interesting.”

Without any warning, Dusk fired a beam of energy towards Celestia, forcing her to leap into the air to keep away from his attack.

Luna and Starswirl quickly took advantage of Dusk’s distraction to fire their own energy blast at Dusk. However, Dusk quickly summoned forth a shield blocking their attacks. Dusk flew into the air, his shield still holding from their attacks. Dusk flew so fast towards Luna, she wasn’t able to move before he rammed into her, his magic shield protecting him from the blow.

Luna was sent to the ground, hitting it hard.

Starswirl created a morning star out of pure magic and swung towards Dusk. Dusk quickly created a sword out of pure magic, blocking Starswirl’s attack. Starswirl started to push with all his might against Dusk’s weapon. Sensing this, Dusk unleashed a beam of magic towards Starswirl’s chest, sending him through the window of a nearby building.

As Dusk prepared another attack, Celestia tackled him from behind, sending him to the ground. Dusk picked himself up off the ground, glaring down at Celestia. He shot into the air and fired another beam of energy at Celestia. This time Celestia summoned forth a force field to protect her. Dusk fired another blast from his horn, but Celestia was able to avoid this one, before unleashing one of her own.

Dusk, using his magic, deflected Celestia’s attack with his hoof. He then used his hoof to unleash a powerful blow to Celestia’s body. This sent Celestia slamming into one of the buildings before tumbling to the ground.

Celestia slowly started to move, but her body was in agony. She fought to her feet, looking up to the sky. Her blurred vision was able to depict Dusk, looming over her like a vulture. His horn started to glow as he made his way towards her. Suddenly, a beam of light hit Dusk, sending him to the ground.

Celestia looked to the source of the attack to see Luna coming for her. Luna helped her to her feet. “Tia, go help the children. We’ll handle Dusk.”

Celestia grunted in pain as she attempted to argue. She didn’t want her sister fighting Dusk. He was too strong for any one of them. Tartarus, even with three of them, they were unsure they could win.

However, Luna was able to change Celestia’s mind. “If Discord breaks free, then none of us have a chance.”

The truth in Luna’s words rang in Celestia’s ears. Although she was loath to admit it, Luna was right. She needed to abandon the fight against Dusk to focus on stopping Discord.

She made her way to the children. They looked like hollow versions of themselves. The only stared up at the moon, as if waiting for something to happen. As Celestia looked up to the stars, she could see the moon slowly starting to shift from its normal light hue to a dark red color.

Celestia feared that she didn’t have much time. She focused her magic on the children hoping to release them from Discord’s grip. However, as she focused on freeing one, a group of them opened their mouths, unleashing powerful screeches from their mouths. These were not normal children screeches however. The sounds felt as if they were amplified to induce pain. Celestia broke her concentration shouting, covering her ears in agony. She attempted to regain her focus, trying to ignore the intense screams. Despite her best efforts to drown out the sound, the screams were withering her to her knees.

Dusk had recovered from Luna’s attack. He spotted Luna coming straight for him with a halberd prepped and ready for an attack. Dusk created a magical scythe and blocked Luna’s attack.

Luna swung again hoping that Dusk was still dazed from her last attack.

However, Dusk was able to block her attack once more, this time forcing the halberd from her hooves with a swift motion. Dusk then swung his weapon at Luna, but she was able to summon forth a shield to protect her. Dusk swung again, this time even harder. When his weapon hit the shield, it shattered the barrier, causing Luna to be driven back by the force of the attack.

Dusk noticed Starswirl coming back towards him. Starswirl created a magical sword from thin air and swung it at Dusk. Dusk blocked with his scythe. The two exchanged several more blows, their weapons breaking up as they hit each other, only to reform just before the next blow. The weapons would flash in a bright light as they collided with one another.

The two weapons finally locked against one another, causing the two to stare each other down.

“Why would you betray us?!” Starswirl demanded. “Why?! After all these years?!”

“Because the Ancient One failed to see what I deserved!”

“You never deserved Sorcerer Supreme!”

Dusk gave a sinister smirk. “You share the same mentality as your dead master!” Dusk noticed that Starswirl wasn’t looking straight at him anymore. He was looking just over his shoulder. Dusk surmised that Luna was coming up from behind him. After a moment, he knew she was. Dusk, using all his might, spun around quickly and tossed Starswirl behind him.

Starswirl and Luna were so shocked at the speed and power Dusk showed they could hardly react. Instead, they slammed into one another, causing them to fall to the ground.

Pain slithered into Luna’s body as she started to hobble to her feet. She looked down to see Starswirl, motionless. Luna’s mind began to piece together the last few seconds. Starswirl had shifted his body so that he would take the brunt of the attack. Luna turned around to see Dusk completely ignoring them. Instead, she focused on Celestia, who was screaming in pain as the children started to gather all around her. As Luna moved to her feet, she noticed the children were producing a high pitch scream that caused Celestia to writhe in pain. Luna quickly crafted a spell that would protect herself from the sounds, without making her devoid of the sounds she needed to hear.

Like a lightning bolt, she then darted to Dusk, who was preparing his horn to strike a defenseless Celestia down. Before Dusk could unleash his attack, Luna rammed into him as hard as she could, sending him skipping across the road.

Luna made her way to Celestia, who was still thrashing in pain. She picked her sister up and dragged her out of range of the cries of the children. Celestia shivered in pain and terror as Luna called out to her. Quickly, Luna casted the same protection spell on Celestia, protecting her from the siren-like wails. She then started a simple healing spell to help Celestia regain her strength, but she knew she didn’t have long to cast it.

Luna looked behind her to see Dusk coming straight for them, a magical spear aimed and ready to fire. Luna flew to intercept him, summoning a barrier around her. Dusk unleashed his weapon. However, as it soared through the air, Luna expanded her shield to encompass the area around her. The spear hit just off to the left of Luna, where it would have hit Celestia instead, if not for Luna predicting Dusk’s move.

Luna gave Dusk a slight smirk, hoping to enrage him.

However, Dusk gave a cruel smirk, almost imitating her. “Luna, good to see you up and awake.” His horn started to glow. “But let’s be honest, I’ve liked you about as much as I’ve liked your sister.”

Luna began to recall her first days at sanctuary as Dusk spat his words. Luna remembered coming to sanctuary, just barely being sent from her home. The ponies around her were so much older than her and she didn’t know any of them. And then there was Dusk. He was cruel to her from the moment she arrived and no matter how hard she tried to make peace with him, Dusk would not return the favor. Luna secretly harbored hatred for Dusk for the way she was unfairly treated, but found friends in the temple who also disliked Dusk. That helped her deal with him. Now, she was face to face with him.

Luna stepped out of her trance to see Dusk sending a powerful bolt of lightning towards her. Luna soared into the air, avoiding the blast. Luna opened her wings getting above Dusk. She flapped them with all her might, creating a powerful gust of wind. Dusk struggled against the blast, attempting to stay airborne.

Dusk gathered all his magical might and generated a powerful shock wave, dispelling the wind storm as well as repelling Luna, causing her to spin uncontrollably in the air. Dusk took advantage of the disoriented Luna and unleashed a powerful beam of energy. Luna, unable to react in time, is hit by the blast sending her to a nearby rooftop.

Luna forced herself to her feet, in spite of the searing pain in her chest. She looked upwards to see Dusk coming down upon her with a blade in his hoof. Luna created a blade of her own, blocking Dusk’s. Luna struggled to stay on her feet as Dusk continued to push down with his weapon.

Luna’s horn glowed as she conjured a powerful force blast, sending Dusk into the air. It distracted him long enough for Luna to follow him into the air. Luna swung her blade at Dusk, but Dusk quickly moved out of her line of fire. With Luna defenseless by her swing, Dusk fired another beam into her chest, sending her to the ground.

Luna attempted to move, but couldn’t get back to feet. All she could do was lie on the ground, vulnerable. Dusk came straight for her with his blade. Luna could see him coming, but couldn’t stop him. She was too weak. She felt a sense of terror as the blade inched towards her body. Suddenly, another blade appeared, stopping Dusk’s in its tracks.

Luna looked up to see Celestia. She was breathing heavily, her ears were bleeding from the inside, and she looked enraged.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Celestia shouted, as she forced the blade from Dusk’s hooves.

Luna smiled, but that smile was quickly erased as Dusk headed straight for Celestia. She wanted to help her sister. To save her as Celestia had before. But she was helpless. She could only watch and pray.

Dusk generated another blade of light and swung it towards Celestia. Celestia leaped into the air, barely avoiding Dusk’s blade. Dusk followed her and swung his weapon again. Celestia quickly blocked it with her own sword. Celestia swung with her weapon hoping to catch Dusk, however, Dusk moved too quickly. Celestia admitted to herself she wasn’t proficient in weaponry. Not like Dusk, who had been training for battle for years.

Celestia knew she couldn’t afford to lose, but as their weapons clashed again and again, she learned that Dusk was far too skilled with a blade for her to defeat. She needed to resort to other tactics.

She abandoned her blade and summoned forth a shield to take its place. As Dusk’s sword hit her protection, Celestia created a small hole in it for her mouth. She then blew with all her might, creating a powerful ice storm straight into Dusk’s body.

Dusk was hurled back into one of the buildings then to the ground. Celestia smiled at her success. Her attack had caught Dusk off guard and now she had the advantage. Dusk was slow to move as Celestia started towards him, her horn glowing. She unleashed a beam of energy towards him.

However, Dusk was able to generate a smoke cloud as the beam zeroed in on him.

Celestia generated a powerful windstorm, knowing that Dusk would use the smokescreen to his advantage. The storm blew away the fog. As it did, Dusk shot from the smoke and delivered powerful blow to Celestia’s body.

Celestia toppled to the ground. Celestia attempted to rise to her feet, but found it difficult to stand upright. She looked up to see Dusk. Dusk had generated a coil from his horn. Celestia instantly knew what he was planning. She created a barrier around her neck as a collar with spikes pointing straight towards her appeared around it.

She could feel the collar slowly approaching her flesh as she concentrated with all her might to keep it away. Every second, however, the spiked inched towards her. She felt a cold shiver as one of them poked at her skin. She looked up to Dusk, who was smiling as the collar continued to threaten her.

“You’re not strong enough to beat me!” Dusk cackled.

Celestia’s mind went into a blank rage. She knew after Dusk was done with her, he would go straight for Luna and then Starswirl. Celestia vowed she wouldn’t let that happened.

“I’m stronger than you think!” Celestia hissed. Concentrating harder than she had before, Celestia gathered all her magical strength and generated a powerful force blast. This knocked Dusk out of the air and onto the ground.

With the coil around her neck gone, Celestia fired a beam of energy at Dusk. Dusk was pummeled by it before he could react.

Dusk fired a beam of his own at Celestia, but Celestia was able to block his attack with a barrier. Celestia then created a double of herself. The two of them fired upon Dusk, but he moved out of their path before they could connect.

Dusk fired a beam at what he thought was the real Celestia, but she avoided the attack.

The two Celestias then split into four. Then eight, then sixteen. Dusk looked all around him to see several Celestias surrounding him. He gave cruel chuckle. “You know these copies are illusions, don’t you? They won’t distract me long!”

Dusk concentrated with a spell. A powerful wave of energy was sent from his body, washing over the Celestia copies. When he opened his eyes, the illusionary Celestias disappeared. He scanned his surroundings to see where the real Celestia was, but she was nowhere to be found. He frantically searched around him, silently preparing for anything she threw at him.

“Long enough!” Celestia voice came from behind him.

Before Dusk had time to react, Celestia clobbered him with a powerful magical spear. Dusk was sent to the ground hard.

Dusk started to his feet, but stumbled back to the ground. He cursed to himself as he struggled to regain his hoofing.

Celestia gently placed herself on the ground. She looked upon him feeling a sense of pity. He was like an angry child. Angry that he had not gotten what he wanted and was ready to throw a tantrum to get it. She almost felt sorry for him. But she knew what he was going to do. She knew needed to contain him.

Then a powerful boom came from the heavens. Celestia looked up to see the sky being blotted with black clouds that gave a thunderous roar. The sky lit up with bright flashes of lightning and the air was overwhelmed by the thunderclaps. Celestia looked upon it and felt something unnatural about it. Celestia diverted her attention to the children. They were all hovering in the air and had an eerie green glow about them.

The glow started to depart their bodies, shooting up in the air towards the black fog. The children fell to the ground. The children began to slowly awaken, only to cry out in terror at the shape that was forming above them.

Celestia heard Dusk start to laugh. She turned towards him with a glare and he repaid with a smile of satisfaction. “Looks like you’re too late, princess.”

A figure began to form out of the dark clouds. The towering form of Discord. Discord unleashed a cackle to the heavens as thunder and lightning played, as if attempting to echo his laughter. “Oh, it’s so good to be free, after all these centuries!” He began to stretch out his limbs, cracking loudly as if they hadn’t been moved in a long time.

Celestia felt a surge of panic slither through her body. She hadn’t expected Discord to enter their realm. She never anticipated she’d have to face such an adversary. And she prayed she’d never have to face it alone.

“Free at last to spread my reign of chaos!” Discord stated, his voice booming and echoing to the distance.

Dusk return to his feet and made his way to just below his master. The children in the streets scampered to their feet, running as far away from Discord as their legs or wings could get them.

“Master, I have fulfilled my side of the agreement.” Dusk bowed his head.

Discord turned towards Dusk and smiled. “Oh, yes. That’s right.” He slithered down so that his gigantic pupil was face to face with Dusk. “You want to know power beyond imagination, don’t you?”

Dusk gave a cruel smirk. “Show it to me.”

Even from a distance, Celestia could tell the excitement in his voice. With Discord’s power, Celestia didn’t feel she could beat Dusk. She had barely won with her own skill. She looked over to where her sister and Starswirl lie. Both of them were still unconscious. Neither one of them could help her. She was on her own.

Discord made his way back to the heavens, high above his servant. “Very well. You shall witness power beyond your comprehension.” Discord opened its lion-like paw and within an instant, a power blast came from it.

Dusk’s expression of joy turned into terror as he noticed the energy blast was coming straight for him. He brought up a shield as quickly as possible, only a second between him and the attack. The blast exploded as it hit Dusk’s shield, sending stone and dirt to soar off the ground in a whirlwind of chaos. Dusk was sent soaring across the road, skipping across it like a stone on water.

Celestia, who was several yards away, was sent back to a nearby wall by the sheer force alone. Celestia’s body trembled in pain. Her shaking hooves attempted to pick her up, but she had trouble gaining her hoofing. It hurt too much to move. And the fear she had for Discord was growing. Such incredible power... and he wasn’t even aiming for me.

Dusk was also slow to rise to his feet, but found his hoofing much faster than Celestia. He glanced up to the sky, a baffled look painted across this face.

Discord howled to the heavens in laughter. “You should see the look on your face! Priceless!”

Dusk tumbled to the ground as he started to inch forward. “You?... You betrayed me?” He growled, picking himself up again. “You lied to me!”

“Of course I did,” Discord stated with a snicker. “I’m Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony. Lying is what I do.”

Dusk’s horn started to glow as he unleashed a powerful beam towards Discord.

Celestia could feel the force of such an attack. It felt that Dusk was giving everything he had in that one shot.

However, Discord casually raised his dragon-like claw, stopping the attack just short of his body. He then rolled his eyes and gave a yawn of boredom.

This only made Dusk angrier. He unleashed more of his power onto Discord, but it had no effect.

Discord sighed. “You know I’ve enjoyed our time together, but all good things must come to an end.” Discord’s claw started to glow as the ground below Dusk started to crack open.

Within the cracks, zombie-like creatures started to grab at Dusk’s body, attempting to pull him within the crevasse. Dusk struggled with all his might, unleashing blast after blast against the creatures, but nothing affected them.

“Dusk!”Celestia shouted as she gathered what magic she could to encompass Dusk’s body in a levitation spell. She pulled and tugged, trying to free Dusk’s body from the creature’s grip. But even working together, the zombies were too strong. Celestia lost a hold of Dusk’s body and an instant later, he vanished into the pit, screaming in utter fear.

Celestia watched at the cracks of the earth closed in, taking Dusk forever. Celestia felt powerless as Discord’s lungs unleashed a series of cackles to the skies around them.

“That is funny!” Discord pointed to Celestia. “You would try to save a pony, who only mere moments ago, tried to kill you?!” Discord’s laughter repeated itself throughout the horizon, a grim reminder of Celestia’s failure to save Dusk. Celestia looked up to see Discord wiping a tear from his eye. “That’s precious. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a world of chaos to create.”

Discord soared higher into the sky, his eyes and claws glowing in a dark red aura. Just above the clouds, Discord opened his claws to release several demon-like creatures from them. They flew from their master’s grip and out into the world.

“Go, my children of chaos!” Discord announced. “Go and spread disorder across the world!”

Celestia rose to her feet, focusing all her magic on her target. She steadily trotted her way just underneath him, standing up as straight as her shaking body would allow.

Her presence finally caught the attention of Discord. “Oh, how cute.” Discord put his hands together and talked as if Celestia was just a filly. “The wittle pony thinks she can beat me.”

Celestia unleashed all her power against Discord, but like Dusk before her, her attack had no effect on him.

Discord laughed as Celestia attempted again.

Celestia could feel her magic weakening. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to beat Discord, but she knew if she didn’t try, she would fail. Giving everything she had, she unleashed another blast toward Discord and again, it was doomed to do nothing.

Discord started to roll his eyes. “You really are not getting this, are you?” Discord put up his paw. “I’ll make it simple for you.” A fireball was conjured to his paw, aiming straight for Celestia. “You’re way out of your league.”

Like a thunderbolt, the fireball made its way for Celestia. Celestia quickly conjured a barrier, focusing all her might on keeping the fireball from reaching her. The fireball struck against her shield, exploding into a firestorm.

Celestia swiftly created a rainstorm from the heavens to douse the fire that had spread to the nearby areas, but the force of the attack and the strain on her shield, caused her to sink to her knees.

“Now, do be a good girl and stay out of my way.” Discord shooed her away like she was a disobedient child.

Celestia couldn’t help but feel as such. Like an ant attempting to fight a raging river. She started to shake as her mind conjured the horrors Discord would inflict upon the world. She wasn’t certain the limits of his powers. Perhaps he had none. She prayed with all her heart for the Lords Above to save them.

She then remembered that the Ancient One had defeated him, once. She wished he was still with them. But there was nopony left. Dusk was gone. Luna and Starswirl were unconscious. Her master was dead. There was nopony left who could stop Discord.

Celestia started to hear the whimper and cries of ponies around her. She weakly raised her head and started to gaze at her surroundings. Pony families were holding each other, silently praying to the Lords Above. They were crying, calling out to a savior. Any savior. She looked to the distance. Luna and Starswirl were still there, as helpless as she was. She knew, somehow, if they were awake, they would be praying as well.

Celestia felt guilt fester in her gut. Then that guilt morphed into resolve. What am I doing? I’m still alive! I can’t give up! This isn’t about me! This about Luna, Starswirl, mother, and everypony! Everyone! Every single creature on this world is counting on me! And I won’t let them down, not like this!

Celestia picked herself off the ground; using every ounce of strength she could gather to stand upright. After she accomplished a simple stand, she took a moment to regain a portion of her strength, even just a small portion.

She looked down to the medallion around her neck. The Eye of Harmony. It was said to have great magical powers. She prayed she knew how to use it.

She stretched her wings as far as she could. With a mighty leap and a flap of her wings, she was airborne. It was a struggle to maintain her flight pattern, but she couldn’t waste any of her magic. She was going to give everything she had into one final shot. With the Eye of Harmony, she prayed it would not be in vain.

Her presence was not unnoticed, however. It seemed that every pony’s eyes were straight on her. She could almost hear them, silently praying for her success. She could only think of how she refused to fail them.

Discord, finally sensing Celestia, turned towards her. Discord scoffed as he eyed Celestia. “Oh, really? You really think you can defeat me, Discord?! Who do you think you are?!”

Celestia glared at Discord, standing her ground. “I am Celestia! Princess of Canterlot! Defender of this realm! Sorceress Supreme!”

With all her might, she unleashed a powerful beam from her horn as the Eye of Harmony began to glow. Thousands of tiny lights began to converge on her amulet, allowing it to glow even brighter.

Discord unleashed a powerful blast of his own, colliding with Celestia’s attack.

Celestia’s attack started to be forced back by Discord’s, but she refused to give up. She summoned all her strength into the Eye, allowing it to glow even brighter. “By the Eye of Harmony, I banish you!”

Discord’s attack finally reached Celestia’s body. However, instead of incinerating her, as she expected, the Eye began to draw in Discord’s magic.

Discord was stricken with confusion by this new development. “What?! That’s not possible!”

“BE GONE!” The heavens heard her cry as the Eye unleashed a powerful rainbow colored beam towards Discord.

Discord was unable to prepare a defense against it, as it tore through his body, sending him into the night sky. He screamed into the heavens as the rainbow light consumed his body, leaving no trace of him.

The red moon changed back to its normal light and the sky was no longer darkened by black fog. Celestia smiled for a moment. She was enjoying the silence and the peace.

Then, her strength abandoned her. Her body grew weary. Her eyes grew heavy, forcing them shut. With that, she began to fall to the earth. She could feel the air against her as she brushed passed it with alarming speed. She tried to stretch out her wings, but they wouldn’t budge. She tried to summon her magic to slow her down, but she felt completely drained.

She couldn’t even open her eyes. She had nothing left to stop her from falling.

This is it then… I’m going to die… But… I saved them… I saved them all… Her mind convinced her. She smiled as she imagined herself swiftly approaching the ground, allowing the silence to comfort her. I have no regrets…

Just then, she felt something wrap around her hooves, slowing her down and finally halting her descent. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurred. She looked to her left hoof to see an image that resembled her sister, Luna. She was holding onto her, her wings keeping them afloat. However, both Luna’s hooves were wrapped around Celestia’s one.

She looked over to her left, slowly. While her vision was still blurred, she could see the mare clearly. The Queen of Canterlot, Faust. Her mother. Celestia attempted to smile, but as she did, her world darkened.

Epilogue

The darkness swirled around in Celestia’s mind for an unknown amount of time. She was able to hear sounds, but they were too distorted to make sense of what was said or who said it.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even open her eyes. Exhaustion gripped her body tightly, keeping her bound to wherever she was. The darkness was slowly consuming her and it felt that it would take her for all time. She felt herself slipping in and out of reality, unable to depict time.

However, her eyes would eventually regain their strength. Her pupils started to sting as she caught her first glimpses of sunlight. Light beams seared her eyes. She shut them quickly, not wanting them to burn again. But the darkness became her prison. It kept her from the outside world.

Her mind began to focus on the last things she could recall. She had faced Discord, the god of chaos. Using the Eye of Harmony, she was able to defeat the beast. However, she couldn’t remember anything outside of her strength abandoning her, causing her to fall. The Eye had completely drained her of her magical and physical strength.

She noted to herself that it was only to be used as a last resort. At least, if she could come over whatever power held her. Her limbs felt stiff as she tried to lift them. Each of them felt as if a weight had been tied to them.

Slowly, she gained the courage to open her eyes, ignoring the sting of light as best she could. She glanced around her, recognizing her world she found herself in. Gold and purple curtains attempting to block out the sun by the window. The walls painted in yellow and gold that resembled the sunlight, accented by the light blue background. She looked down to see a large blue sheet over her body. A golden bed rim surrounding her body. And next to her, was a white alicorn with long red hair, sleeping at her bedside.

Celestia instantly recognized where she was. She was in her old room. She was home.

Celestia smiled as best as her tired lips could. She attempted to lean over to her mother’s ear, but found that it was a more difficult task than she expected. Eventually, she gave up. She called out to her, trying to wake her up, but not startle her.

Her shaky voice seemed to awaken Faust as she slowly started to rise. It was a shock that any sound came out of her mouth. Her throat was dry and weary, her lower jaw too weak to open without full concentration.

The sound she made wasn’t an intelligible one and more of what an infant would produce, but there was sound all the same. The Queen’s eyes met with Celestia’s, who was struggling to keep them open. Faust smiled as her eyes started to steam with tears. She gently placed her hoof on Celestia’s forehead. Her lip started to tremble as she started to speak. “My little sunshine…”

Celestia smiled as best she could, her lips still exhausted. “Mother…” As she uttered those words, her body lost its strength again. Her eyes became heavier once more. However, even as she drifted back into darkness, in her mind she was smiling. She knew she was safe. She knew she belonged.

Celestia didn’t know how long it had been since she had drifted back to sleep, but it must have been a long time. The day was suddenly into the dark hours of the night. She looked around her, hoping to catch a glimpse of her mother. Sadly, she was not there. A thought crossed Celestia’s mind as she simply laid in her bed. Had mother kept watch over me? Just as I had with Luna?

Thoughts crossed her mind to move, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready yet. She looked past the sheet to see her long white hooves lying gently across her body. She didn’t remember moving them while she was awake. Perhaps her body had moved in her slumber. Either way, she felt almost confident her body would move again.

Her eyes went straight for the doorway as an earth mare entered the room. The servant seemed surprised at Celestia’s eyes being opened. “Your highness, you are awake again!” she cheered.

Celestia rubbed her eyes, moaning as she began to retest her body’s movements.

The servant quickly made her way to Celestia’s side. “Please, your highness. You need to rest. Doctor’s orders.” The servant placed her hooves on Celestia’s shoulders, gently guiding her back to her pillow.

Celestia felt dryness in her throat. Her tongue kicked around in her mouth, attempting to hydrate it. The servant, as if sensing Celestia’s need, brought a glass before her. Celestia looked down to see the liquid before her was dark brown with a green straw sticking from the glass.

“I hope it’s chocolate enough for you,” the servant said.

Celestia smiled. She almost leaped with joy, but she restrained herself. It probably wouldn’t have mattered. Her body was too weary to move. It was surprising how good she felt, yet how weary her body was. They were near polar opposites of one another.

She was ashamed she hadn’t recognized the substance before her. Chocolate milk. Her mind tried to recall the last time she had chocolate milk.

She opened her mouth and started to sip the cool liquid into her throat. A cool sensation filled her mouth. Her body tingled as it slithered into her throat, causing her to give a quiet moan of satisfaction.

She smiled as she turned towards the servant. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.” Celestia then eyed the servant once more. Her heart started to sink as her face became familiar to her. It was the same servant who she had been so rude to in days long past.

Celestia felt a pit in her stomach as she slowly diverted her eyes away. She gave a heavy sigh and then spoke. “May I ask your name?”

The servant placed the glass back on the dresser, just off the side of the bed. “I’m Light Bright, princess.”

Celestia turned back towards her. “Light Bright…” she stared. “I owe you… an apology.” Light Bright was motionless as her eyes diverted themselves to Celestia. “I was very… rude and unfair to you… and others…” Celestia struggled through her apology. The shame she felt was like a heavy stone at her back. “It was wrong of me to treat you all so poorly… And I am so very sorry…”

She looked down at her bedside. She wasn’t sure she deserved to be forgiven. After all, she was supposed to be an example to those around her. The only example she showed was how unkind and selfish she was.

Then Light Bright spoke. “If I may, your highness?” Celestia nodded with a smile. “You saved our lives. We all saw you stand up to that creature. You were willing to sacrifice your life to protect all of us.”

Light Bright smiled. “That’s enough for me.”

Celestia felt as if her heart had been uplifted from the depths of despair. Light Bright’s word eased the ache she felt in her soul. She thanked the Lords Above that she was surrounded by ponies who were kind, understanding and above all, patient.

Her thoughts then turned towards her mother. “Light Bright, could I ask a favor from you?”

Light Bright nodded. “Of course, your majesty.”

“Where is my mother?” Celestia asked.

Light Bright bit her bottom lip. The history between Celestia and Queen Faust was not always a happy one. She probably feared that they would get into a dispute. Regardless, she answered. “Your mother is resting right now. She had been watching over you for days. She refused to leave your side, even when the doctor insisted. Your sister, Princess Luna, had to step in and assure her that you would be safe.”

Celestia smiled, remembering catching a glimpse of her mother’s smiling face before going under.

“If you wish, I could wake her.”

Celestia shook her head. “No. Let her rest. She’s been though a lot already. If she asks why you did not wake her, tell her it was my decision.”

With that, Light Bright bowed her head and started towards the exit. “I shall gather your sister and order you some food. Is there anything you would like, your highness?”

Celestia couldn’t help but put a smile on her face. “Some cookies would be nice, please.”

Luna couldn’t have rushed into Celestia’s room faster. Luna burst through Celestia’s door, tears flowing freely. As soon as she set her sights on Celestia, she embraced her, her tears continuing to stream down her face, like a dam that had burst.

“Tia!” Luna whimpered, hugging Celestia tightly. Celestia raised her hooves around her sister’s body, trying to ignore the vicegrip that was her sister. Moment upon moment passed with Luna’s sniffles the only thing breaking the silence. “I thought I had lost you.”

Celestia smiled. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

The comment brought a smile to Luna’s face as she pulled away from Celestia to wipe a tear from her eye.

As the cookies were set onto the nightstand for the two princesses, Celestia spoke. “Luna? What happened while I was under?”

Luna glanced out the window, focusing her gaze on the moon that appeared just between the curtains. “After you banished Discord, mother and I brought you here. I’d never seen mother so worried. She refused to leave your side, even when insisted. I had to beg her to get some rest before she would even consider it.

We brought a nurse from a nearby village. She volunteered to help you. She said you helped her before.”

It was enough to put a smile on Celestia’s face. Heartstrings, that nurse from the hospital in the village, volunteered her time to help Celestia.

“I’m sorry,” Celestia responded.

Luna turned back to her, with a raised eyebrow. “For what?”

Celestia shook her head. “For the trouble, I’ve caused.”

“Don’t say that!” Luna snapped, tears floating from her yes. “All I care about is that you’re alright! Nothing else matters!”

Celestia smiled and nodded. “You sound just like me.” Her long white hoof wiped a tear from Luna’s eye. “When I was watching over you.” A thought then appeared in Celestia’s head. “What of Starswirl?”

Luna smiled. “He’s fine. He was in bed for about a day. He’s quite spry for an old stallion.”

The two chuckled. Celestia glanced up to the ceiling. “How long have I been out?”

“Four days.”

Celestia’s horn shined, picking up another cookie from the plate. “No wonder I’m starving.” Taking a bite of the warm pastry sent a shiver up her spine and a smile across her face. A chuckle came from Luna’s throat as crumbs stuck to her sister’s face.

The night moved ever so quickly for the two sisters. They spoke of all they had endured and all they had missed about one another. Reminiscing of their days in the castle garden. At the earliest hour of the morning, Celestia noticed a movement at the door. It was Light Bright and behind her, was Queen Faust.

The queen entered the room, her eyes red with steam. Celestia smiled as the queen made her way to her bedside. Faust quickly wrapped her hooves around Celestia, holding her tightly. She sobbed as she attempted to speak. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Celestia returned her mother’s gesture. “Mother, may I speak?”

The queen pulled away slightly. She smiled giving Celestia a nod.

Celestia looked down at her sheets, taking in a deep breath. “When I left here… I was angry. At my kingdom, my ponies, at you…”

Celestia’s eyes diverted themselves to Faust. “I thought being a princess was about getting my way… But … I realize now… What it really means… I was ignorant… childish and selfish… And for that, I am so sorry, mother. I realize now what you did, was for your kingdom and for me.”

Faust, once again, embraced Celestia, cutting her speech short. “I’m sorry too. I should have been more patient with you.”

Tears started to stream down Celestia’s eyes. “You wouldn’t have needed to if I had listened.”

“There is blame enough for the both of us.”

Celestia silently, nodded. The two slid back a small distance taking a look at Luna, who was smiling, tears rolling down her face.

Luna leaped in-between the two. Celestia, Luna and Faust wrapped their hooves around each other, as they did so very long ago.

The queen stood on the balcony of the tallest towers, high above the city. The ponies below cheered at the mere sight of Queen Faust.

“Over the past few weeks, disasters have struck our great country! Creatures came into our realm threatening all they we hold dear! They took so much from us and stole so many we cared for! But with the efforts of brave ponies, who were willing to give up their lives to protect all of us, we stand here today! We are blessed that there is such selflessness in the world! It is my honor as queen of Canterlot to introduce you to our heroes and usher in the return of the daughters of Canterlot.” She turned with a smile as the two princesses stepped onto the balcony.

“Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, welcome home!”

With that, the crowd exploded in shouts of cheer and joy. Celestia admitted to being overwhelmed, not certain what to do. The queen suggested they wave to them, to let them know that they are not ignored. Celestia and Luna complied, waving their hooves. A sense of joy filled Celestia’s body. Warmth as she looked down to the thousands of faces, all smiling and cheering their heroes.

The queen moved next to them. “Celestia.” Celestia turned towards her. “You have proven you are worthy of your title. You have shown me how you have changed and how you have grown.”

Celestia couldn’t help but smile. She knew she had changed. Grown. She was a different pony then she was when she left the castle. And every day, she thanked the Lords Above for her mother’s love.

“I would be honored to restore your title for you.”

Celestia looked behind her to see Starswirl, patiently waiting in the shadows. Thoughts turned her away from him and down towards the pendent hanging around her neck. Celestia glanced to her mother and bowed her head. “With all due respect, mother, I must decline.”

The queen’s face was ridden with shock, as was Luna’s.

Celestia knew it would happen, but she knew how to explain. She pointed to the amulet around her neck. “I have other responsibilities I need to attend to. Discord may be gone, but his creatures are not,” Celestia explained. She made her way to Luna. “But you have another, who is far wiser than I am.” She smiled as her eyes met with Luna’s. “Luna, you are going to make a wonderful queen.”

The queen placed her hoof on Celestia’s shoulder. “I will accept this on one condition.” There was a silence between them. Celestia’s mind was sent spinning with her mother’s condition. Her mind was calmed when she saw her mother smile. “That you will visit us often.”

Celestia embraced her mother. “I promise.”

Celestia then pulled away and embraced Luna. Luna smiled. “You’d better or I’ll come drag you here.”

“I’ll hold you to it.” A giggle followed. She then pulled away and turned her gaze towards Starswirl.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

Celestia reluctantly nodded her head. All she wanted to do was stay with her family, but Discord’s creatures wouldn’t wait. She needed to prepare for their coming.

With that slight glow of her horn, both Celestia and Starswirl vanished into the darkness.

Celestia and Starswirl stood in the far distance of Canterlot Castle. Celestia couldn’t help but feel distant from home. However, she knew in her heart, she would always be welcomed there.

“Are you alright?” Starswirl asked.

Celestia wiped a tear from her eye. “Yes. I am.”

Celestia created a portal back to sanctuary as Starswirl and Celestia made their way towards it. “How fares the scouting?” Celestia asked.

“Very good,” Starswirl replied. “I have found many new prospects. Young, but very promising. One in particular. A pony name Sunset Shimmer.”

Celestia nodded as she entered the portal to begin her new life as the Sorceress Supreme.

Darkness Gathers

Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.

A large scaly creature burst from the ground, uprooting the peaceful quiet road that once stood in its path. Ponies, who had been passing the nearby meadows, stood in horror as the creature crawled its way out of its earthly prison.

The group of ponies were heavily armored, had wings at their backs and spears in their hooves. They surrounded a brightly golden chariot as if to protect it.

“What is that thing?!” one of them shouted.

The beast crawled onto all four of its legs. It was a massive reptilian beast with bright yellow eyes. Its jaws contained hundred of deadly sharp blades that could cut open a pony like a tender piece of meat. Its claws looked even more deadly. Its forked tongue resembled as snake’s as it revealed itself. The beast glared directly at the tiny chariot and gave a threatening growl.

“Protect his majesty!” one of the Pegasi shouted.

With that command, the Pegasi grabbed the reigns of the chariot and pulled with all their might. The chariot followed the ponies as they made their way to the sky.

The other ponies took to the sky all around the reptile, their lances at the ready. They encircled the creature. “Attack!” the commander cried.

In unison, the pegasi launched an all out assault against the creature. Their lances dug into the creature’s skin, streaks of blood shooting from its wounds.

The creature growled in rage as it thrashed violently. Many ponies were able to dislodge their weapons from the creature’s body before its rage took over. Some, however, were not so fortunate. Some of them were forced to abandon their weapons and were hurled a great distance before they were able to catch themselves in the air.

The creature swiped its claws at a group of three pegasi, catching them in its wake. The beast’s hand continued down to the ground, smashing the soldiers in between the hard surface of the ground and its hand.

The remaining Pegasi launched another attack at the reptilian creature. Their spears hoisted high above them, ready to dig into the creature’s scales.

The creature, however, was far too quick. Its long tail intercepted them, knocking them out of the air. Those unfortunate enough to become caught in its path were crushed as the tail slammed into the ground.

The creature diverted its eyes towards the heavens, where the golden chariot hovered. It hadn’t gone very far, but it would take something that flew to catch it. Or so the Pegasi hoped.

Using its legs, the reptile leaped to the air and slashed at the chariot with its massive claws. However, the Pegasi saw their opponent’s movements and pulled the carriage out of the path of the monster.

The creature landed to the ground with a thunderous quake. It looked to the air once more and using its legs, followed the cart once more.

This time the Pegasi were unprepared to avoid the creature, as its jaws ripped into the chariot. As the creature started to fall, the pegasi were helplessly drawn with it. The beast slammed into the ground once more, as a dust cloud burst from the ground upon its arrival. Its head thrashed back and forth violently shaking the chariot uncontrollably. It then released the chariot into the air, sending it smashing to the ground.

The chariot tumbled brutally across the dirt road. The sounds of metal and wood being snapped and broken filled the air as it rolled. It finally stopped when it smash one of its sides into a tree with a loud thud.

The creature growled as it turned its attention towards a large silver tower in the distance. Surrounding that tower was several smaller ones, but they shared the magnificence of their larger sister.

The creature started a seemingly unstoppable march for the city.

A group of ponies appeared out of the dust cloud, surveying the carnage. The group consisted of only one type of ponies, unicorns. They gathered around the place where the beast had previously been.

“The creature must have just passed here,” the silver mare with red mane spoke.

“Really?” the white stallion smirked. “What gave that away?”

“Focus on the task at hand,” the black stallion with a green mane ordered.

Dusk Armor made his way to the battlefield, his green eyes scanning the area. He saw several pegasi; some of them were alive, but severely injured. Others were less fortunate.

He turned towards the group behind him. “Colgate.” He pointed his hoof to a pearly white stallion with a mint blue mane. “Pureheart.” He then pointed to a mare with a beautiful pink coat and equally pink mane.

“You two will stay here and tend to the injured.”

The two unicorns made their way past their leader and towards the soldiers.

“The rest of you will follow me. We make sure that creature dies.”

The others nodded as their leader took to the sky. He had no wings, but yet he flew all the same. The others unicorns levitated with him and followed him as their commander headed down the path of destruction to face the creature.

The group finally reached the creature as it continued its unstoppable march towards the capital city of Canterlot. Only a small village remained in its wake and it seemed that nothing would stop it.

However, these unicorns were no ordinary unicorns. They were specially trained to fight and kill creatures such as these.

Dusk Armor’s horn started to glow a dark green as it unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning at the creature’s skin. The creature growled as the bolt continued to strike his armored scales.

Another dark red unicorn summoned forth a torrent of fire and launched his attack towards the creature. The blaze pummeled the monster, causing it to stumble for a moment, but it did nothing to stop its march.

A silver unicorn flew directly in front of the beast and placed his hoof on the ground before him. As he did, the ground began to break up violently. Vines, weeds and roots began to emerge from the ground. They manipulated themselves until they became sharp pointed spears. The vines launched themselves and dug into the creature’s body.

Blood emerged from each of its wounds, but its march was indomitable. It thrashed about violently and ripped the roots from the ground with a thunderous cry. As the creature struggled its way forward, the silver unicorn took to the sky and out of the creature’s path.

“Together!” Dusk shouted to his fellow unicorns. Two unicorns, one gray with a brown mane, and the other a silver mare with a red mane, appeared beside him. They each unleashed a powerful blast of energy from their horns at the creature.

The attacks slammed into the creature’s body, but it reacted as if it didn’t even feel it. Instead, it continued its rampage straight for the tiny village.

Knowing that his attack was useless, Dusk ceased firing. The others followed his example. The silver unicorn, known as Starswirl, made his way to Dusk’s side.

“Its armor is impervious to our magic,” Starswirl stated. “It must be a descendent of the dragons.”

Dusk nodded. “Agreed. Then a change of tactics is in order.”

Dusk flew forward to the village as quickly as he could, with the others following close behind. “Hoofcuff, you’re with me. We stall that thing as best we can.” He spoke to the slate gray pony with the brown mane.

She nodded in conformation.

Dusk then turned towards the others. “Starswirl, take Redeye and Moondancer. Evacuate as many ponies as you can.”

Dusk watched as the trio flew off to the village as full speed in an attempt to save as many lives as possible. He then turned towards the creature and his partner.

Hoofcuff’s horn lit up with a dark blue hue as chains emerged from the ground, ripping up the foundation as they appeared. The chains wrapped themselves tightly around the beast’s legs, but it still pressed onward. Hoofcuff’s grunted in concentration as she fought to slow the creature’s march.

Dusk appeared in front of the creature and summoned a large barrier in the it’s path. The creature smashed into it with incredible force, despite being slowed by Hoofcuff. Dusk growled in strain as he attempted to force the creature back with his force field alone. He stared into the beast’s raging yellow eyes and stood his ground, focusing all his efforts on the stopping the creature.

Starswirl and the others started to move everypony in the village out of their homes and out of the creature’s path. Almost all of them were skeptical when they first arrived, but after hearing the creature’s cry, they were more than cooperative.

They panicked as they tried to gather what little treasures they had and flee for their lives.

“Hurry! Leave all that can be spared behind!” Starswirl shouted at the ponies that would take such trivial things. Some of them tried to flee with chairs, paintings, and even entire bedding. It made him sad that some ponies consider trinkets more precious to them then their own lives.

He was certain they all had a good reason, but still. It was hard to watch. He occasionally had to swoop in and ask that they flee without such items.

He noticed Moondancer and Redeye doing much of the same.

The earth shook beneath him, foretelling the approach of the creature. He looked towards the horizon as saw the massive beast clawing its way up the hill. Chains were wrapped tightly around its legs and Dusk hovered in front of it with a giant field of energy baring the beast’s path.

“Everypony, we need to leave now!” Starswirl shouted. The ponies in the village screamed and fled in terror as they caught sight of the monster.

The trio led the villagers to the edge of the town and away from the creature’s path. The three unicorns then took to the air as the creature blast through the wooden fence surrounding the village. Despite the combined efforts of Hoofcuff and Dusk, they were unable to stop it from rampaging through the village.

Its limbs tore through house after house. Its massive tail smashed through the roofs of buildings unlucky enough to be caught in its path.

Starswirl could hear the cries and screams of the villagers as they watched helplessly. Their homes, their village, and their land was being uprooted by this juggernaut and they were powerless to stop it. He looked down to see their sad faces and silently prayed for them.

Starswirl rescanned the area to ensure that no pony had been left behind. He thanked the heavens above, that the village was now abandoned, save for a giant reptile creature.

“Come on. We have to stop it!” Starswirl shouted to his fellow unicorn as they moved to catch up with their leader.

Dusk redoubled his efforts on maintaining the force field, but it still wasn’t enough to stop the creature’s assault. However, it did manage to slow it down, long enough for the villagers to be evacuated safely.

Dusk looked above him and noticed Starswirl and the others launching an attack at the creature’s scales with powerful fire blasts.

The creature growled and turned its attention to its new aerial opponents. The unicorn’s avoided the sweeping claws of the beast below them. Dusk surrendered his control of the force field and made his way to Starswirl’s side.

“We need to stop this thing before it reaches Canterlot!” Starswirl shouted as he unleashed a bolt of lightning from his horn.

“Agreed and I know how,” Dusk smirked. “Give me some cover.”

Starswirl nodded. His horn started to shine a bright white light as a colorless fog started to surround them. The fog gathered until it engulfed all of the area in its wake.

The beast gave a thunderous roar as it fought its way through the fog. It thrashed about wildly, fighting against the chains still constricting its movements.

“Hello!” Hoofcuff shouted in frustration. “I could really use some help!” She struggled as she attempted to hold back the creature.

“Let him go!” Dusk shouted as he made his way out of the smog.

“Are you crazy?!” Hoofcuff shouted. She doubled her efforts to slow the beast down, but it was to no avail.

“Do as I say!” the ebony unicorn growled. Dusk didn’t like being ignored, especially by his subordinates. He was the commander of this mission and he had a plan. A plan that would kill this creature and save Canterlot.

Hoofcuff finally gave in to her leader’s command. She released the chains that bound the beast’s legs. As soon as she did, the creature ran rampant through the fog, cutting down tree after tree. She took a moment to catch her breath as she watch the creature’s rampage continue.

“Redeye, Moondancer, attack it! Lead it towards me!”

As soon as Dusk commanded, the two unicorns unleashed beams of energy at the massive creature. The monster growled towards its unseen attackers. The fog made it difficult for the creature to spot them. Fortunately that wasn’t the case for the unicorns. A spell Starswirl had cast made sure of that.

The creature rushed its way towards the source of the attack, falling right where Dusk wanted him. Dusk, finding a nearby ridge, used his levitation spell to pull a pointed edge of the cliff out of its rocky bed. He steadily aimed it like a blade, ready to strike down his opponent.

The moment before his final battle with the creature was almost overwhelming. It was all he could do not to become overexcited. To be caught up in the moment. He diverted his thoughts away from it, and focused on the battle at hand.

A moment later, he saw Redeye and Moondancer emerge from the fog and split off into different paths. Only a second later, the beast burst from the fog with a powerful roar.

Dusk unleashed a powerful battle-yell as he tossed the sharp stone straight at the beast. The stone founds itself in the creature’s mouth and cut through its body like a knife. The stone was hurled with so much power, that the stone cut right out of the creature’s body and smashed into the ground behind it.

The creature gave one finally yelp of pain before tumbling to the ground. The creature’s body then began to evaporate in a cloud of black smoke. In mere moments, the beast that had caused so much death and destruction was no more. As if it never existed in the first place.

Dusk set himself down where the creature once laid, the other unicorns following behind him. He turned towards them and smiled.

“Well done, everypony,” he praised. “You all performed admirably.”

Dusk looked upon his troop and took note of their reactions. Moondancer did a little jump of joy. Something that Dusk found unnecessary, but cute. She was always a little too optimistic and energetic for his tastes, but she did follow orders unquestionably.

Redeye started to blush. Such was his way. He didn’t like having the spotlight shining on him. Dusk would make it a point to praise his efforts, but not without good reason. Redeye was a powerful unicorn and an honest and kindhearted one. Dusk had always said that he was too honest for his own good.

Hoofcuff wiped her brow and made a grin. Hoofcuff and he didn’t always get along. Hoofcuff was pretty headstrong and didn’t follow his orders to well. Ironic, since back at sanctuary, she was the one who followed and memorized all the rules. Something Dusk found annoying. However, out in the field, she had a problem with authority. A problem Dusk had made it his mission to break her of.

Then finally, he took a look at Starswirl. He had lowered his head in sorrow, as if what they had done wasn’t enough. But he was still new to all this. It was only a few months ago that Starswirl was chosen to be a disciple. He was a good unicorn, but he was too trusting. Dusk didn’t like that quality, but he kept his thoughts to himself. For now.

Two figures descended from the sky, causing Dusk to shift his gaze towards them. The two unicorns they had left behind to tend to the injured placed themselves in front of Dusk.

“Colgate, Pureheart. I take it the injured have been aided,” Dusk greeted his companions.

There was an uncomfortable silence between all of them. Colgate and Pureheart shifted their gaze to the ground. Dusk wasn’t one for uncomfortable silences.

“Well?”

Colgate raised his head and looked towards Dusk. “Sir, we saved who we could. But we couldn’t save all of them.”

Dusk almost rolled his eyes. It was like Colgate to value all life. Even the tiniest ant was a precious life. Dusk praised him for his naiveté as well as he would condemn it. He wished the world were a perfect place. A world where no pony, no creature had to die. But that’s not the world they live in. Colgate would learn that someday.

“I’m sure you did everything in your power,” he said as he placed his hoof on Colgate’s shoulder. “And I have some good news, the creature is dead and Canterlot is safe.”

Pureheart took a step forward. “We have some bad news, I’m afraid.”

Pureheart was one of the kindest, gentlest souls in the world. She abhorred violence and wanted nothing but to use her magic to heal and make everypony happy. She was extremely gifted, but she was too frightened to make even a spark of fire. Dusk had been trying for years to cure her of that fear, but to no such avail. He was the most powerful unicorn in the group, and even he could not perform this miracle. As such, she was always placed on crowd-control.

Dusk noticed a single tear start to develop in Pureheart’s eye. “It’s the king of Canterlot… He’s dead.”

A collaboration of gasps and murmuring came from the group.

“The king dead?”

“How could this have happened?”

Dusk shifted his gaze away from the group and focused on the capital only a stone‘s throw away. The bright central tower that stood high above all the others was where the royal court was. Of that he was most certain. It was a testament to all who looked upon it as a sign of the king’s power and authority.

Dusk finally turned to Pureheart who was weeping into Colgate’s arms. “Are you certain it was he?”

Colgate nodded and he gently stroked Pureheart’s mane. “He was in the golden chariot. It was smashed to pieces. He was dead before we arrived.”

Dusk then turned his gaze towards Starswirl, who had a shattered look on his face. He looked devastated by the news he had just heard.

“What do we do?” Redeye asked. He was on his rump holding his head in his hooves. He was shaking.

Dusk held his head high and turned towards the capital. “We inform the queen of the grave news.” He turned his head towards Starswirl. “Starswirl, you come with me. The rest of you, head back to Sanctuary. We shall join you when we can.”

Hoofcuff’s horn started to glow a dark blue hue as a bight purple gateway appeared behind them. Hoofcuff and Moondancer were the first to disappear through it, followed by Redeye and finally Colgate, who was still comforting Pureheart.

Starswirl finally made his way to Dusk’s side. “Why did you ask me to come with you? Could one pony not deliver the message?”

Dusk gave a smirk as he glanced at Starswirl. “You were once a servant to the royal court of Canterlot, were you not?”

Starswirl glared at Dusk. “Advisor,” he sternly corrected. “But that was a long time ago.”

Dusk sighed. “Still you know the queen, do you not?”

Starswirl was silent as he lowered his gaze, which was all that Dusk needed to answer his question.

“She’ll take the news better coming from you then me.” Dusk started to float to the air. “Besides, you know how I feel about nobles.” He started to make his way to the capital, flying above trees and other such obstacles that a normal unicorn would deal with.

After a short flight, Dusk and Starswirl were at the castle of Canterlot. Below them, they saw a group of heavily armored pegasi at the gates of the castle. Starswirl started to think of his days at the castle.

He was once an advisor to the king. They were good friends and the king was like a father figure to him. He got to know the queen as well, who was more than just a friend. She was a mother, a teacher and an inspiration.

However, fate found that he would leave Canterlot to pursue a new magical talent that had been dwelling inside him. He fought against the urge to travel the world and seek his true destiny. However, one day, the king had met with him and discovered his secret dream. Outraged that the Starswirl had kept his dream secret for so long, the king ordered Starswirl to fulfill his dream and was to return with his findings.

He had recently written a letter to his old friend to report that he was coming to Canterlot to explain his findings. The king had agreed to meet with him today when he returned to his castle.

Now, Starswirl would never get to report his findings.

“That blasted thing made certain of that!”

Starswirl and Dusk landed on the staircase just before the gate. The soldiers greeted them and opened the large wooded doors for them.

Dusk went in first without even gazing at them. Starswirl took a moment however. It had been years since he had been in the throne room. Since he had seen the queen. He hadn’t even written to her. Not once.

“What should I say?” he thought to himself. “What CAN I say?! Her husband was just killed! How would that conversation go? Ask how she’s has been all this time and then give her the news that would devastate her?”

He may not have been to the castle in years, but he knew the relationship the queen shared with her husband was a strong one. They didn’t always share the same point of view however. She was incredibly dedicated to her work and very strict. But she was also very kind and forgiving.

Her husband was very laid back and was infamous for pulling jests and pranks on his subjects. They were harmless of course. Starswirl himself had found him the foil of the king’s jokes. But they were never insidious and they were always followed by an extremely kind gesture that heavily outweighed the prank.

“Are you coming?”

Starswirl looked up to Dusk and noticed he was still waiting on him. The ebony unicorn’s eyes pierced at his as he steadily trotted forward.

Starswirl and Dusk made their way inside to another long hallway that stretch out to either side of the castle. And down the hall was another set of large doors. As they made their way down the hall, Starswirl couldn’t help but take a look around. It was all exactly as he remembered. The violet pillars stood tall and strong, each with a long blue tapestry upon it.

Each of the tapestries told a different story. One depicted a great tree. The story was of the ever-growing tree that spouted all life and all things. Starswirl didn’t know them all. Heck, he wasn’t sure any pony did. But they were interesting to look at all the same.

And even more stories were told on the walls of the castle in the forms of glass windows. Each of them told a story of one of the great kings, heroes, queens, princesses, or saviors of the land. The king had told him story after story of what his great grandfather had done and how he wished he could be a great as he was.

The pair finally approached the double doors, with two more guards. The guards nodded as they opened the door for the unicorns.

As they doors opened, it revealed a large throne room. A long dark purple carpet stretched to the golden throne. Atop the throne stood a tall, beautiful snow white Alicorn with a long red mane. Her gentle smile greeted the two as they trotted into the room. Her bright blue eyes gave off an aura of tranquility.

Starswirl felt relaxed as he gazed into those loving eyes.

“Welcome,” her motherly voice was music to Starswirl’s ears. He had almost forgotten what she sounded like. She was every bit as radiant as he remembered. “You are the unicorns that bested the creature?”

Starswirl lowered his head in sorrow. He had almost forgotten why they were here. They weren’t here just to see the queen. He wished to the lords above they were.

Dusk finally spoke, “We are, Queen Faust. Word has spread quickly, then.”

Starswirl looked up to the Queen. She was still smiling. She started to take a step towards them, bowing her head.

“I am most grateful for your selflessness, my brave friends. And you,” she looked directly at Starswirl. He felt his pulse jump as her eyes came into direct contact with her’s. “I am glad to see you again, Starswirl.”

Starswirl gave a weak smile. He tried with all his might to give her the smile she deserved, but with the dire news that had yet to be delivered, he couldn’t bring himself to smile. Not a real smile.

Faust raised her eyebrow and leaned in on Starswirl. “Is something wrong?”

“My queen…” Starswirl started. He tried with all his might to just say his thoughts.

“My queen… your husband is dead. Just say it. She deserves to know.”

“I…” he tried to continue, but his gaze went straight to the ground.

That’s when Dusk took over. “Your highness, I’m afraid I have some bad news. It’s about your husband.”

The queen’s eyes shot wide open at both the bluntness of Dusk’s voice and the sheer terror of her own thoughts. Starswirl wished he had finished his sentence; he would have practiced more concern for her. It wasn’t as if Dusk didn’t care about lives, he just didn’t always treat nobles with the respect he needed to.

An eerie silence befell the room. Starswirl just wanted to scream the news to her. He wanted to burst into tears beside her. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. To confess it to her would be to confess it to himself.

“What about my husband? Has something happened?” the queen asked in haste.

Out of the two, Dusk was the one who spoke. “There is no easy way to say this. Your husband is dead.”

The queen took a step back in shock. Her jaw dropped instantly. She was too shocked to move. She didn’t even take a breath.

“My… my husband,” the queen stammered. Tears started to form in her eyes. Her voice was started to form into sobs.

“I’m afraid it was unavoidable, my queen,” Dusk said plainly. “He was dead before we arrived. You have our sincerest apologies.”

Tears burst from Faust’s eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably. She crumbled to her knees, her hooves sheltering her eyes. A lone earth pony came to her side and held her.

“My queen, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” the pony repeated over and over, trying to comfort her.

“I’m sorry too, Queen Faust,” Starswirl said to himself. He turned around and trotted towards the hallway, unable to bear the sight of his queen, his mother, and his friend suffering so.

Tears came flowing from Starswirl’s eyes, just as they did the queen’s. He had failed to protect a very dear friend of his. More than a friend, the king was like a father to him. Now he was gone and the queen, she was alone. With no pony left to hold on to.

Just as grief started to take hold of him, his horn started to glow a bright white glow. He didn’t understand why. He wasn’t trying to use magic and yet, his horn was glowing.

He then heard a small bounce. It sounded like something rubbery hitting the ground. A second later, another bounce, this time louder. A second after that, another bounce, this time even louder. It sounded like it was getting closer.

The pounces got louder and more frequent until the shape of a small red ball came from the darkness and gently rolled to his hoof.

Starswirl picked up the little red ball and held it in his hooves. It wasn’t small enough to fit in one hoof, but it was much too small for both his hooves. It looked like a ball that a child might play with.

The sound of a high-pitched giggle made his ears perk straight up. He looked down the hall towards the source of the sound to see a tiny filly. She had a bright white coat, a long flowing pink mane, beautiful silver wings and a tiny horn on the top of her head.

She had big bright pink eyes and both of them were staring at him as she skipped her way towards him. As she approached him, he found out it wasn’t him the little filly was staring at. She was staring at the little red ball he held in his hooves.

“Hello, mister,” she greeted with a big smile on her face.

Starswirl couldn’t help but smile at the little one. “She’s an adorable little child.”

“Can I have my ball back, please?” the child asked.

Starswirl kneeled down to the child’s height and held out his hooves containing the ball the child so desperately wanted. The child was hesitant as first, but a couple of moments later, she stared into Starswirl’s eyes and smiled. She then took the ball from into her hooves.

Then he patted her head. “What is your name?” he asked.

She looked up at the stallion and spoke, “I’m-.”

“Celestia!” a tiny voice called from down the hallway. Starswirl looked up to see another filly just a few yards away. She looked exactly like the one before him with a few difference. This filly was smaller than her counterpart. Her coat was a dark shade of blue with her mane only being a slightly lighter shade. And just like her brighter counterpart, she had wings and a horn.

“Come on, let’s play!” the blue Alicorn leaped excitedly.

The bright Alicorn turned towards him and smiled. “Bye, mister!” She then ran off to join her doppelganger with the rubber red ball in her hooves.

Starswirl couldn’t help but smile as they skipped away. They didn’t have a care in the world. It made him happy to see such innocence.

The opening of the door broke his trance to the throne room. He turned around to see Dusk standing before him. Behind him, came the queen. She was still sobbing with her guard guiding her to down the hallway. Starswirl heard the guard say something about taking her to her room.

Starswirl started to pursue her when Dusk held out his hoof to bar his path.

“I have to-,” Starswirl snapped

“There’s nothing you can do,” Dusk retorted.

Starswirl wanted to say something. He wanted to say anything, but he knew Dusk was right. There was nothing he could do. He couldn’t bring back her husband. He couldn’t change what happened. Nothing could.

“We would only be in the way if we stayed here,” Dusk explained as the ebony unicorn placed his hoof on his partner’s shoulder. “Come on.”

Dusk traveled to exit the castle to begin the trip to sanctuary and Starswirl knew he had to do the same. With a heavy heart, he followed.

The sound of a stallion’s joyful laughter fills the air as the young white Alicorn climbs on his massive back. The child giggled with joy and happiness as she wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. The stallion’s wings started to flap, lifting them both into the air.

“Higher, daddy! Higher!” Celestia asked as she felt the wind brush against her face.

“Hang on, honey!” the father called back. She wrapped them around her father even tighter, holding on for dear life. The pegasi darted for the high altitudes above the castle garden.

The queen sat on the grass with a tiny Alicorn glancing at the sky. She wrapped her arms around the child tightly and smiled. Luna looked up to her mother’s eyes and smiled as well. She then turned her attention to the sky and saw the pegasi returning to the earth with the white Alicorn still on his back.

“Wow, that was amazing!” Celestia cheered as she leaped off her father’s back. She then turned towards her father, beaming. “Daddy, will I be able to fly that fast?!”

The father gently stroked her daughter’s head. “Only if you put your mind to it, young lady. If you work hard, you’ll fly all the way to the sun!”

Celestia’s eyes lit up like a candle at those words. Luna then made her way to her father’s side; a sad look griped her face. “What about me, daddy?”

The father turned towards the small dark blue filly and gave a big smile. He then picked her up in his arms until they were face to face. “Luna, you’re going to fly as fast and as strong as your sister. And you will help her with that, won’t you Celestia?” The father asked as he turned towards the white filly.

She nodded her head. “Yes, daddy.”

Luna smiled towards her older sister.

The queen stood up and whispered in her husband’s ear. The king frowned for a moment, but then smiled towards the two children. “Why don’t you two see if there are some treats from Mr. Cake?” he suggested, as he set Luna on the ground.

“Yeah, come on, Luna!” Celestia urged.

The two children darted into the castle with thoughts of sweets in their future. The maids followed them closely, keeping an eye on them.

The father then turned towards his wife and spoke, “I know you don’t want me to go.”

The queen shook her head and sighed. “I just don’t understand why you have to go now. With what has been happening of late. The rumors of a beast.”

“The kingdom of Canterlot needs to unite the realms. There needs to be an everlasting peace.”

The queen turned away and trotted towards the single tree that stood over the garden. “You are still trying to out perform your father. You are going to bring down your family with you.”

The king started to approach her. He raised his voice, “Everything I am doing I am doing for my family.”

“By tearing us apart again!” the queen shouted.

“By making the world safe for our daughters!” the king shouted. There was stillness in the air that lasted for several seconds. He then put his hooves on her shoulders. “And for you.”

The queen closed her eyes and turned away, only to have the king’s hoof turn her to face him again.

“I promise I shall return,” the king vowed.

There was a moment of silence as the queen started to make up her mind. She could have forced him to stay, but she knew that he would make her fight for it. He would have stated it was the right thing to do. That it was his duty as king. That it became his duty when he choose her as his bride.

The queen turned her head and smiled. “Please, be careful.”

The king smiled and kissed the queen on the cheek. “Don’t worry. I will be.”

Queen Faust sat in her room for what seemed like hours. Tears still continued to soak her cheeks.

“He’s … dead… My beloved husband… is dead,” she wept in silence.

The king’s body was on transport from the fields. She hadn’t seen him in months, not since he had left for a peace summit to the northern lands. However, she wrote to him everyday and he wrote to her. His penmanship was horrendous and his dictionary was limited compared to hers, but his thoughts were all that mattered. And his were always consumed by the next time their eyes would meet. The next time he would be able to hold her close.

She began to think about her first days with him. He was a strange stallion. Always off making trouble with his small group of friends, while she was diligent in her work and studies. They had met a couple of times during peace summits. He would always pick on her and cause her grief, even when they were little.

As time passed, he began to mature. While he still maintained a witty side, he became a much more respectable prince. When he saw her, the first thing he did was apologize for his behavior as a child.

Faust, known as Princess Faust back then, was touched by this simple gesture. She had placed the memories from her mind, so there was no reason to feel guilty. Regardless, the prince promised to make it up to her.

After that, the prince and princess spent a lot of time together. During that time, without realizing it, she was slowly falling in love with him.

It was only the day he finally proposed his love to her did she realize that this was the stallion she wanted to spend her days with. And she would bear two lovely children with him.

Now… he was gone. His smiling face he always carried, his laughter as he made a witty comment or jest, the tenderness and love he showed to her and her children. All of it had been wiped away, just like the tears across her face.

A knock at the door brought her to reality. She turned towards the door to see one of the maids cracking the door open. “My queen, the princesses have arrived.”

Faust took a deep breath and wiped another tear from her cheek. She then nodded. “Send them in.”

The maid then receded into the hallway and two small fillies took her place. They darted into the room with bright smiles on their faces. The queen hadn’t told them. Not yet.

“Look at them. My beautiful children. So happy. So young. Why are the lords above so cruel to take a father from these beautiful children?!”

“Mommy! Is daddy here yet?!” the white pony asked as she leaped on the bed.

“Yeah! Daddy said he would take us flying when he got back!” the azure pony stated with glee as she followed her sister’s example.

She remembered that promise. The king was always good to his daughters. He taught them everything he could and loved them with all his heart. And when the king made a promise, you could be certain he would keep it. He had never broken a promise… Not til today.

“Luna, Celestia, sit down please,” Faust asked as she pointed to the edge of the bed near the window. She then turned towards the window facing outside. It was a bright and sunny day, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping harmonious melodies.

As she looked upon it, she felt as if she had just been slapped in the face. The harsh reality that her husband was gone, her world was collapsing, and the rest of the world didn’t seem to care.

The two children had done as their mother had asked and sat on the edge of the bed, but as they did, their smiles dissolved from their faces, leaving only fear in its wake.

“Mommy,” Celestia spoke. “Are we in trouble?”

“Lords above! Why do these children have to go through this?! Why do I have to go through this?! This isn’t fair!” she cursed under her breath.

It took her mind a moment to catch her eldest daughter’s question, but finally she responded. “No. No, honey, you’re not in trouble.”

She turned around and gave as big a smile as she could muster. She made her way to the bedside and kneeled down to be eye level with her two little fillies.

“What in Tartarus am I going to tell them? How can I tell them that daddy won’t be coming home? They’re just children, but they deserve to know. But how?! How?!”

“Mommy, why are you crying?” Luna innocently asked.

That one little innocent question almost broke her willpower. It took every ounce of strength she had not to shrivel down and cry like a baby.

“Oh, Luna… I am so sorry. This isn’t fair to you. To you or Celestia. It’s just not fair.”

She wrapped her hooves around the two fillies and hugged them tightly against her body. “Lords, I love you both so much.”

Celestia and Luna were slow to react as if they knew something was very wrong, but they couldn’t know what. Celestia was the first to process and react. She slowly wrapped her arm around her mother.

“We love you too, mommy,” she spoke, her voice breaking in a whimper.

Faust felt Luna wrap her hooves quickly and tightly around her. She could hear her sobs overpowering her own. “Mommy, I’m scared.”

Luna started shaking as her mother gently stroked her mane. “It’s okay. Mommy’s here. Mommy’s here.” Finally, the dam burst allowing her tears to flow uncontrollably down her face.

“Divine Lords and Ladies of the past, please bless the soul of the departed with thy sweet embrace.”

Faust had heard the prayer of peace before at her father’s funeral. She was much older than her daughter’s were, but it was no less painful. It was the first time she had heard it and she wished to the Lords Above it were the last. The rain came poured harshly over them. However, the umbrella protected her and the two tiny souls from the worst of it.

Her daughters clung to her crying uncontrollably. It had been a week since the tragedy. A week since her daughters were told the horrible truth. They had all cried together for so long. She just wanted to be with her children, to help them through this crisis and vise-versa. However, funeral arrangements had prevented her from being by their side all the time.

Guilt festered itself in the pit of her stomach as she held her children close. She had left them alone in the care of the maids. While the children did like them, they wanted their mother. Not that she blamed them.

“Raise his soul into the heavenly kingdom above as we return his mortal vessel to the earth. May he know thy presence and may it bring him peace. We ask thee, Divine Lords and Ladies, to give strength to those he would leave behind. Guide our hooves with thy wisdom and strength where he cannot and let his gentle soul rest in peace.”

With the final words of the prayer spoken, the stallions slow lower the casket of the deceased king to its tomb. She had seen the body of her husband before the burial. She wished with all her heart she hadn’t. His body had become unrecognizable. When she tried to picture of the handsome, brave stallion being put to rest, she could only see the disfigured face of her late husband.

Her daughters had been spared such a revolting sight, though they pleaded again and again. “We want to see daddy!” She would not leave them with the memory of the horrible sight. She wanted them to remember their father for what he truly was. A hero.

And the rain kept pouring as a thud erased all doubt, if there was any. The casket had hit the ground below it. Her husband was dead.

Author's Note

Author’s Note:

Also, click on the links below if you want to read more stuff by yours truly.

World's Biggest Super Slide

The dark azure mare sat in her room with a long scrap of paper levitating in front of her, scrolling down to the floor. To her left a table with a small bottle of ink and a quill dipped inside. To her right a trio of books. All the items were engulfed in a dark blue aura that matched the aura emanating from the tip of her horn.

Luna would turn her gaze to one of the books and focus on it profoundly, ignoring the world around her.

And just outside her room, a white coated mare with a long pink mane hid. She gave a big smile as she snuck her head around the corner.

"Oh, good. Little sister is distracted. This is too perfect!”

Celestia’s horn started to glow a pink hue as a bottle of ink hovered to the air. As she kept her eye on her sister to make sure her world was focused solely on the book in front of her, she moved the ink bottle towards the table just off to the left of Luna.

She almost hesitated as Luna moved her hoof to her chin as if lost in thought. That movement nearly cost her to lose her concentration, but she quickly regained it.

She then focused on the bottle of ink already stationary on the table and lifted it with her magic. She then moved it away from the table, being cautious not the make any sound. She levitated the quill from its resting place and placed it in her second bottle. With great care, she placed the new bottle of ink onto the table.

She smiled as the first bottle came straight back to her and right in time. Luna had just turned her head to the quill on the table. The azure pony levitated the quill and started to write on the sheet of paper in front of her.

After a moment of writing passed, Luna turned her gaze back to her book, her hoof once again finding itself on her chin.

She then turned back to her sheet of paper, which to her surprise was blank.

“Huh?”

Celestia held her breath and shook her head uncontrollably, trying to fight against her laughter. She knew she couldn’t hold it for long though.

Her sister had taken the quill up from the ink and once again began to write. As she focused her gaze on the words she wrote, a few moments later, the ink vanished from sight.

Luna released a heavy sigh as Celestia gave a giggle. “Tia.”

Luna turned around to see her cackling like a child at play. The azure Alicorn shook her head. “When are you going to stop pulling these childish pranks?”

Celestia finally controlled her laughter enough to answer. “When they stop becoming funny,” she giggled.

Celestia made her way into her sister’s room, her sister eying her as she trotted in.

“Have you finished your studies already?” Luna asked.

“Mm… not exactly.” Celestia plopped herself on Luna’s bed and stretched out her legs.

Luna sighed. “Tia, you know how mother feels about our studies.” She rolled up the paper up and set it on the table with the disappearing ink and the books back on the shelf, neatly.

“That’s Luna, always the organized one.”

Her whole room was exactly how Luna wanted it. Everything had its proper place. Nothing was ever out of place for very long in Luna’s room, which is more than could be said for Celestia.

Celestia had always left her room a complete disaster. Cookie crumbs everywhere, cupcake frosting all over the floor, and everything in the room in every place it shouldn’t be. But as Celestia had always said, ‘That’s what the maids are for.’

“You don’t want to get in trouble again, do you?” Luna asked.

Celestia gave a slight grin. “I’m always in trouble. Why break habit?” She then sat up and faced her sister. “It’s not like I’m not going to finish, I’m just… taking a little break. And you should too.”

Luna shook her head and trotted to her sister’s side. “I don’t know, sister. Is that really a good idea?”

Celestia chuckled for a second, “Of course it is. We deserve a little reward for our hard work and nopony has worked harder than you.” Celestia’s horn started to glow as a small cookie levitated from the pack at her side.

Celestia smiled and moaned in pleasure as she took a bite of the gooey, chocolate chip cookie.

Luna raised her eyebrow. “Are those cookies from this morning?”

Celestia nodded and the swallowed. “I requested them this morning. I’ve got plenty for both of us.”

“Tia, you shouldn’t be eating so many sweets.”

Celestia leaped off the bed and onto her hooves. “Oh, come on, Luna. It’s just a little snack.” She then trotted towards the window. “Come on, I’ve got a great idea to have some fun.”

A worried look appeared on Luna’s face as she bit her lip. Celestia’s ‘fun’ usually consisted of them getting into trouble. Celestia wasn’t a bad pony. She just had a… different vision. “I don’t know, sister. Is this going to get us in trouble?”

Celestia scoffed. “Luna, have I ever once gotten in trouble?”

Luna rolled her eyes and shook her head. “What about the time you released an army of crickets in the kitchen?”

Celestia couldn’t help but give a big smile. She must have spent hours gathering those crickets and all for one purpose. “I thought they could use a little music while they worked.”

“Or the time you put salt in every pony’s toothbrush?”

Celestia started to chuckle a bit. “Not every pony. My toothbrush was fine.” Everypony had a lot to say to her that day, especially her mother. It had taken some sneaking around to pull that one off, but she managed it.

“Or the exploding cakes at that very important banquet two years ago? I still don’t know how you pulled that off.”

Celestia scoffed. “Oh, come on, Luna. Even you admit that party was a bore.” She levitated another cookie from her pack and stationed it near her face. “I just … perked up things up a bit.” She then took a bite of her delicious cookie.

Celestia may not have been as smart as Luna, but when it came to pranks, she was a genius. They would have a peace banquet with the other countries each year. Celestia and Luna were always forced to go and they were always boring. However, Celestia took it upon herself to make it more fun.

The cooks would bake the cakes as they would every year, but at night, Celestia would sneak into the kitchen and begin work. All it took was a lot of balloons, several boxes, and a simple charm. The charm would cause the cakes to pop in a particular sequence after the first one. The chain reaction would mirror a piece of music she had heard before by some great composer. Beethoven or something like that, Celestia couldn’t remember.

Her thoughts wandered to that day. The events that followed as the high society ponies made their way into the dining hall. Celestia was all smiles that day. Nopony understood why, and of course, nopony suspected. And when the prank was finally pulled, her mother was less than happy.

Luna’s voice brought Celestia out of her trance. “I’m just saying; you have a reputation, sister.”

Celestia shook her head and smiled. She then placed her hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “Come on. We are princesses. We deserve to have a little fun just like everypony else.”

“Tia…” Luna moaned as she turned away.

Celestia wasn’t one to take no for an answer. “Come on, little sister,” she begged, but her sister shook her head. “Okay, how about this? You come with me and try it just once, then as soon as we’re done, we come straight back. Mother won’t even know we’re gone.”

Luna was silent as she stared into the sister’s eyes. She was begging her to come join her. Luna finally released a sigh of surrender. “Okay.”

“Good,” Celestia nodded. She then headed straight for the giant window of her sister’s room and opened them. “Come on, you’re going to love it.”

She leaped out the window with her wings spread wide and flew off with Luna not far behind her.

Celestia took Luna to the top of the castle. Descending down the side of the castle was a long narrow slide. The path followed all the way down to strategic points around the city. Other paths intersected, broke off or joined the main path. These paths seemed to go on for miles and miles all around the city of Canterlot.

“Take a good look, Luna,” Celestia asked as she pointed to the large chutes. “What do you see?”

Luna gave a smile. “This is the mailing system of Canterlot. It was developed by one of the greatest architects of Canterlot history, Sweet Peaches.”

Celestia raised her eyebrows as Luna continued. “Magic allows the packages to be sent upwards while gravity brings it downward. It is a wonderful-“

Celestia shakes her head as she interrupts, “Luna, you have got to get your head out of those books.”

Luna shot Celestia a confused looked. Her sister smiled as she leaned into her ear. “You know what I see… I see the world’s biggest super slide!”

“A super slide?” Luna asked. Her face was racked with uneasiness.

Celestia nodded with a big smile. “Yep, and we are going to ride it. It’ll be so much fun!” Her horned shined as two long wooden planks were brought to their sides. “And we’ll be standing on these wooden boards.”

Luna took another look down the shaft and scanned the path that they would take, assuming she attempted such a thing. “It… does… look pretty fun.”

Celestia let loose a slight giggle. “Of course it does. Come on, it’ll be great.”

Luna and Celestia placed the pieces of wood across the top of the tube. Luna stepped onto the plank and looked towards the ground. Before her was a steep slope that swerved back towards one of the shop areas. She didn’t think where they were was THAT high up when she agreed to this. But now, standing on the plank, only inches from descending, she discovered they were THAT high up.

“You’ve… done this before right?” Luna asked, sweat streaming down her neck.

“Well… no. I haven’t actually tested it yet,” Celestia admitted. Those words stuck like thorns in her mind. Luna was even more frightened than she had been before. It was a long drop.

Celestia spoke again. “I purposely waited for you so we could try it together.” Luna shot a look of annoyance as she turned towards her sister, who was grinning a gleeful grin.

“Thanks, Tia,” Luna muttered followed by a deep swallow.

Luna took a deep breath as she started to lean forward. The force of gravity almost pulled her off the edge of the platform. Almost. She diverted her eyes downward to see the long drop once again. She instantly leaned back; her eyes widen open, her face speechless with fear.

“I don’t think I can do this,” Luna admitted, shaking her head violently.

Celestia snuck behind her sister, with her hooves at the ready. “That’s because you just need a little push.” Before Luna could confirm what Celestia said, she thrust her hooves forward, pushing the azure mare down the platform at an incredibly high speed.

“TIA!” Luna screamed as she shot down the path. She struggled to stand upright on the narrow board at her feet.

Celestia, only a second later, leaped onto the wooden board in front of her and launched down the chute. She, like Luna, struggled to keep her balance. But only a few moments later, she started to get the hang of it and was slowly catching up with her sister.

Celestia’s voice was full of cheers and laughter as she flew down towards her sister’s side. Luna looked like she was finally getting use to standing on the platform at their speed. Luna turned towards her. “I am so going to get you back for this, sister!”

Celestia gave a big smile, “Only if you can catch me, slowpoke!” She leaned forward on the plank to give herself extra speed.

Even though she didn’t turn around, she felt Luna do the same.

As Celestia soared down the ramp, she came across an intersection where a package was coming straight for her. Her already fast pulse jumped another dozen beats as they quickly approached each other. She quickly bent her knees. Her horn glowed; a pink aura encompassed the plank below her. Using all her might, she leaped in the air to rise over the speeding package.

As quickly as she went for the air, she came down over the shipment and back onto the chute. Her heavy breathing was followed by a deep sigh of relief. She looked down the path to see her sister ahead of her, not by much, but at their speed it was quite the distance.

She leaned forward once more to reach her sister’s side.

Luna looked behind her to see Celestia on her tail. Luna gave a smirk. She was winning and she was enjoying it. She then turned ahead to see a pony with a large cart and an antique vase. Her eyes widened as she came upon him. He was preparing to ship his vase in the cart provided and was unaware of her and her sister’s approach.

The pony had just finished placing his vase on the cart when he realized Luna was coming. Luna quickly engulfed her board with her magic, keeping it sealed to her feet, and leaped as high as she could, which was just over the antique.

The stallion panicked and ducked his head as he saw the azure mare soar over his priceless relic at an incredible speed. He then looked down the ramp to see a white mare following not far behind.

Unlike Luna however, Celestia didn’t see the vase until a few precious moments before she was on top of it. She performed the same jump as her sister, but she wasn’t high enough to fly safely over it. Instead, the bottom portion of her board smashed into the vase, shattering it all across the ramp.

“Sorry!” Celestia yelled back as the stallion sunk to his knees, giving a pathetic whimper.

The two alicorns continued down the path until finally sliding towards the final stretch. Luna leaped of the platform and slid across the ground, laughing and cheering, with Celestia not too far behind.

They took a moment to let their heavy breathing consume the air around them.

“Wow,” Luna stated, her voice breaking into deep exhaling and inhaling. “That was quite a rush.”

Celestia nodded. She knew it would be fun, but she didn’t imagine that much fun. “Want to do it again?” she asked.

Celestia and Luna made their way back to the top of the castle for one more ride, though it wasn’t easy. Celestia needed to persuade Luna even more this time. It had taken some time, but Luna was eventually swayed.

The two sisters flew down the ramps, even faster than their first time. Faster and with even greater risks.

Celestia found herself leaping from path to path at intersections and points where the paths would run parallel with one another. Luna began to follow her sister’s example, determined to win again.

Celestia took turn after turn. But she eventually found herself at a dead-end. And what was worse, the dead-end had a cabbage cart station there, being ready to be unloaded. Celestia needed to get back on the track, less Luna would beat her again. However, there was no track be found. She looked to her left and noticed Luna coming around the path near her and straight below her.

Celestia thought that Luna’s path went directly beneath the one she was one and that she would leap in front of her after jumping the cabbage cart. Already planning her victory in her head, she leaped into the air, not realizing the wooden plank didn’t travel with her.

By the time Celestia realized this, the board smashed into the cabbage cart, cutting right through it. Heads of the vegetable were sent flying through the air following Celestia’s path. Celestia could hear the cries of the ponies on the side of the path, shouting at her.

She couldn’t make out what they were saying however. She was far too focused on the path below her. She noticed her sister coming very fast. It would only be a matter of seconds before she was on top of her.

Celestia allowed herself to descend on her sister’s back. Luna nearly swerved off the course in an attempt to compensate for Celestia’s sudden appearance.

“Tia! What are you doing?!” Luna shouted, struggling to keep herself upright.

“Just keep going!” Celestia urged, struggled to stay balanced on her sister’s back.

“I can’t carry you! You’re too heavy!” Luna replied, grunting as she continued to serve back and forth uncontrollably.

“Are you calling me fat?!” Celestia snapped.

Her thoughts were then distracted by what lied ahead. Celestia saw a large mail carriage straight in their path. It was only a matter of seconds before they reached it and at their high speeds, they wouldn’t be able to stop in time. Behind the cart was a populated part of town with no continuation of the course. They weren’t going to be able to ride much further.

Celestia quickly wrapped her arms around her sister’s body and spread her wings out. The wind lifted the two alicorns off the plank and into the air. The board continued on its unstoppable path, smashing into the helpless mail carriage. The force of the blow was so mighty, the carriage toppled to its side.

Letters and scrolls burst from the carriage soaring into the air all around them. Celestia looked beyond the cart to see the plank had also smashed into the side of one of the shops. The pole that held up the side of the tent had been split in half, causing it to slink. Fortunately, it looked like nopony was hurt.

The group of ponies surrounding the area looked up to the sky with resentment in their eyes. Celestia felt her heart sink a few inches, as they yelled and screamed at her for the destruction her actions caused. It was enough to make her sick.

The letters and paper continued to flow through the air, uncontrolled like a wind of chaos. Then suddenly, a white aura surrounded the mail and from chaos came order, as they were pulled together, stacking themselves neatly. They then descended to the hooves of the letter carrier below.

Celestia and Luna looked up to see the white mare with the red mane they knew as mother. Celestia felt her heart drop into her stomach. She knew what was going to happen next.

Their mother placed herself on the street below them, facing the ponies around her.

“Your highness, your daughters destroyed my mail carriage!” one of the elderly stallion shouted.

Another one came from the left. “They destroyed my priceless vase!”

And another. “They ruined my cabbages!”

With each offense, the Queen’s eyes filled with sorrow. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, as if to bow to the ponies before her.

“My sincerest apologies,” the queen’s sympathetic voice spoke. “You will be compensated for your losses.”

The ponies nodded harshly. They then turned towards the wreckage, preparing its clean up.

The Queen then turned her attention to the two alicorns behind her, as they slunk to the ground. Her eyes pierced them with disappointment and discontent. “As for you two!” she snapped. “You will return to the castle! I will speak with you there!”

Celestia’s gaze lowered to the ground. Luna gave Celestia a look of worry, almost sadness, as if she knew what was coming. Celestia just gave Luna a weak smile.

“It’ll be okay, sister. It’ll be okay.” With that thought, Celestia spread her wings and made her way back to the castle.

“Reckless, foolish and irresponsible behavior!” the Queen’s voice boomed throughout the hall.

Celestia and Luna simply sat before her, their heads drooping down towards the ground. Their mother had been strict with them before, but after their father perished, she became even more so. Especially towards Celestia.

Celestia had mockingly called Luna ‘mother’s favored daughter’ to herself. It was never meant towards any ill towards Luna, but towards the Queen. She wanted with all her heart to scream at her mother these words, but she still loved her sister and would not put her through such strife. So, she buttoned her lip and allowed her mother to continue to scorn her.

“This is unacceptable behavior, Celestia!” Queen Faust ranted. “You know your studies are important and yet you would continue to ignore them.”

The queen took a step towards the sisters. “You would ignore your studies and drag your sister into your mischief. And you would use our mailing system as your own private game! Those chutes are not toys for your amusement! You are lucky nopony was hurt!”

Celestia felt like she had been stabbed in the gut. Her mother’s words sank deep into her skin, as they always did. Whenever there was scolding, she was always the recipient.

Luna took a step forward. “Mother, it is my fault as well. I was the one who-“

“This was not your fault, Luna. You were manipulated and coerced by your sister,” the queen interrupted, shooting a look of disapproval at Celestia.

It was a look Celestia was very familiar with. She looked away from her mother’s eyes and towards her sister. She smiled, even if it was only for a second.

“That’s Luna. Always the responsible one,” she thought to herself.

“Look at me when I am speaking to you, Celestia,” the queen’s voice brought Celestia’s eyes back on her.

“Yes, mother,” Celestia replied in a whisper.

“I am very disappointed in you, Celestia. You are the elder sister and you are supposed to be responsible.”

Luna stepped forward again. “Mother, that’s not fair-.”

“Enough!” Queen Faust finally declared. The room was overtaken by an eerie silence. Luna stepped back to join her sister’s side, her gaze turning towards the floor.

“You are both to return to your quarters and finish your studies. You are to remain there for the rest of the night,” the queen ordered. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, mother,” the sister’s submitted in unison. With a nod from their mother, they two went their separate ways and to their rooms.

As Celestia trotted, she could feel Luna looking back towards her, as if she wanted to say something.

“Once again, the favored daughter of Canterlot gets off scot-free and I’m the one who gets the blame. Just another day in the life of Princess Celestia, the useless daughter of Queen Faust.”

The Queen sat on her throne, her hoof on her chin. Her mind was engulfed by the events of the day. Not just of this day, but of all the days before. Her mind was on just one thing.

“Celestia, why do you act like this? What can I do to help you?”

The Queen hated scolding her daughters. It wasn’t in her nature to be the bad pony, but Celestia would often take no responsibility for her actions. She would pull pranks, spread rumors, and take others for granted.

Those things were unbefitting of a future princess and queen of Canterlot. Her father had those traits too, but even he knew when enough was enough. Even he knew responsibility, something that Celestia either lacked or had but didn’t care.

“Maybe I have been a bit harsh on her, but what am I to do?” she asked herself. She must have asked that question a million times. She would often look up to the portrait of the late king as if to ask or look for guidance on this matter.

Her husband may not have been as intelligent as she was, but he was wise in ways that she was not. Not only that, he was also patient. He would have found a way to reach Celestia. But he was gone. So, now it was up to her.

“She is a young adult, yet she acts so much like a child.”

Faust racked her brain again and again for any answer that might help her reach Celestia, but it was always to no avail. Celestia had more in common with her husband than her. Regardless, she refused to give up. She needed to reach her eldest daughter.

“Perhaps, I shall take Celestia on... a picnic of some sort. Just the two of us.” The queen looked back on her time with Celestia, which was very limited. She had hardly spent any one on one time with her. Her time was usually spent with political business or spent with Luna’s studies. She would have been happy to help Celestia with hers, if she had any care towards her studies.

“It has been some time since it was just her and I. Perhaps we might be able to talk... Perhaps then, I’ll be able to reach her. Oh, Lords above, help me reach my daughter.”

Luna sat alone in her room, desperately trying to focus on her studies. But her mind wandered constantly to thoughts of her sister.

“It’s not fair the way mother treats her. I know sometimes she can be irresponsible, but she’s not a bad pony.”

Luna shook her head and focused on the books in front of her. However, Celestia sprang up again in her mind.

“Once again, Tia is left to take all the blame. I’m the one who gets off the hook. It was as much my fault as Tia’s. I should have tried harder to convince her to return home. I should have tried harder to convince mother of that.”

She thought of her sister’s history of mischief. She was always the one causing trouble in the castle and most of the time; Luna was tangled up in it with her. But every time they were caught, Celestia was always the one who would be scolded. Never her. She hated it. She hated seeing her sister treated as such when she was just as guilty.

Celestia would always finish her ‘sessions’ with mother with a big smile on her face, as if to try and convince Luna it was okay. Over the years, Luna began to realize that it wasn’t okay. The things mother said about Celestia were tearing her apart. Oh, Celestia tried to hide it well, but because of the time that Luna had spent with her, she knew how to sense what Celestia was feeling.

Suddenly, a knock at her window freed her from her thoughts. She turned towards the window to see her sister leaning against the glass. She had a big smile on her face as she waved to her.

Luna’s horn shined its blue aura as the door handle to the window opened. Celestia showed herself in, landing gently on the ground.

“Tia, what are you doing here?!” Luna whispered.

Celestia smiled as she sat on Luna’s bed. “I couldn’t stay in my room all night. You know how boring that is?”

Luna placed the long scroll back on the table and the books in their proper place. “You know how much trouble you will be in if mother catches you?”

Celestia chuckled as she lay back on the mattress. “Mother’s not going to catch me. Because we won’t be here.”

Luna raised her eyebrow and made her way to Celestia’s side. “What do you mean?”

“Because tonight is the Starlight Festival,” Celestia stated. “And I’d promised we’d go.”

The sister bit her lip and turned her head away, “I don’t know. Tonight of all nights?”

Celestia leaned up and faced her sister. “Yep, and we are going. It’ll be so much fun.”

“Sister, we’re already in trouble as it is,” Luna explained. “Should we really being doing this?”

“Sister, I made a Celestia promise.” Celestia leaped off the bed and turned towards her sister. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

As she spoke the rhyme, her hoof motioned her crossing her own heart and covering one of her eyes with a hoof as if to literally ‘stick a cupcake in her eye.’

Luna sighed and shook her head. She recalled the moment that Celestia made such a promise. It wasn’t a promise Celestia made lightly, but when she did make such a promise, it was usually kept. Usually. There were times when Celestia made, in her words, ‘exceptions’ to her own promises.

“I don’t know,” Luna moaned. She didn’t want Celestia to get in trouble. She wanted her to just stay home and let mother cool down for a while before Celestia did something else to upset her. On the other hoof, she really did want to go to the Starlight Festival and it would make her sister happy to take her.

Celestia made her way to her sister and placed her hoof on her shoulder. “How about this? We go to the festival, take a look around, and as soon as you feel that we’ve stayed too long, we come straight home. I promise.”

Luna saw Celestia with her hoof on her heart. She could tell she was being sincere, but she knew a little insurance wouldn’t hurt their chances either. “Do you Celestia promise?”

Celestia nodded. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she sung as she performed the motions.

Luna smiled as her sister finished with her oath. “Alright, I guess that would be okay.”

Celestia took her sister by the hoof and guided her towards the window. “This is going to be great. We’re going to have so much fun.”

Celestia leaped out the window, her wings spread wide as they guided her to the festival. Luna followed as close behind her as she could, unaware of the disappointed eyes watching them from above.

Author's Note

Author’s Note:

Hey, guys. Fireemblemspider here. Just want to thank you guys for reading Chapter 2 of the Princess Celestia: Sorceress Supreme. Please favorite if you guys enjoyed it. Also, click on the link to watch for more updates on this and future stories. http://fireemblemspider.deviantart.com/ And of course, don’t forget to comment below. Tell me what I’m doing right. Tell me what I’m doing wrong. Tell me what I can improve on so I can be a better writer, achieve my dream, and you guys can get better quality writing.

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I want to thank all those guys and I want to thank you guys for reading. Chapter 3 will come soon, be on the lookout for it. Have a great day you guys. Stay happy, stay safe, stay warm or cold or whatever it takes to make you comfortable. Party on.