Night's End
by Peppy Cloppingskull
Night's (True) End

Celestia groaned as she lifted her head from the floor, holding a hoof to the tender area that had taken the first contact. She could feel blood trickle down her hoof, staining her pristine white coat red, but she cared not for the concussive injury. Her unfocused eyes settled on the panting black mare leaning over the motionless lavender form, shaking her with a hoof and screaming incoherently. The solar diarch shakily stood, her glare set and steps firm as she began to close the gap between her and her sister. “Luna! Move at once, or I will move you myself! That filth’s judgement has been decided upon!”

The moon princess’ head shot up and spun around, setting her tear-blurred scowl upon her sibling. “Do not dare to take a step closer, Celestia, or you will regret it! I may be foal-burdened, but I still have the power to break you!”

Celestia faltered, momentarily shaken by the rage in the black mare’s voice, but continued on heedless of Luna’s warning. “That cretin does not deserve your protection! Step away, now!” She stopped just a few hooves away, her intimidating gaze boring into her sister’s eyes, but, not even for a second, did the other alicorn break their stare. “Fine! It pains me to see this happen, but you leave me no choice! I will have to seal you in your tower until you can once more see reason!”

Her horn flared to back to life, its gold hue brightening the night-darkened halls with the brilliance of the sun, but, before she could even fully prepare her spell, Celestia was knocked from her hooves by a bolt of lavender. She gasped and sputtered, winded by the sudden impact, quickly glaring at the spell’s only possible source. She expected the small unicorn to raise her head defiantly, to smirk sinisterly as she prepared another spell to floor Celestia again, but she remained prone, unmoving. “Wh- What hit me!? How did she cast that magic bullet!?”

“She didn’t.” Luna lowered her head, resuming her defensive stance as her horn glowed bright purple, the same color as the fallen pony’s coat. “Do you see, Celestia!? I will defend her with my life!”

The snow white alicorn stared at her sister, her pupils pinpricks as they trained upon the long, black horn. Her mouth hung agape, mouthing incomprehensibly, until she rose to her hooves once more. She took a slow, trembling step, her gold shod hoof clattering noisily on the cracked floor, but was forced to freeze in place as Luna’s glow intensified. “H-how...?”

“There are only two ways to change a pony’s magic, Celestia. You know how.” The night mare stood up straight, closing her legs to more easily support her expansive stomach. “Ascension and-”

“Love....” Celestia’s eyes flashed to the form on the floor, her hate for the mare cowed by the revelation. “But.... You cannot change a true alicorn’s magic. How? How did this happen?”

“I do not know, but I do know that I will strike you down if you do not stay back. Make your choice, Sister. You have already damaged our relationship. Do you wish to completely destroy it as well?” She stood firm, her back rigid despite her extra weight, and kept her even stare focused on her trembling sister.

“I.... I was just protecting you.... It- She hurt you....” The terrible authority Celestia’s voice once held was gone, replaced by unease and fear.

“You have hurt me as well, or have you forgotten what transpired one-thousand years ago?” The alabaster princess shook her head. “I have forgiven you for that time, but what has happened tonight cannot be easily righted....” Her magic once more lit the area as it wrapped its lavender tendrils around the unicorn’s body, lifting her into the air alongside her alicorn lover. “You may not come to ever forgive Twilight, but you will not harm her further. Pray she recovers, or you will be seeing me again much sooner than you would like.”

Celestia watched as her sister turned away and began to walk away, slowly at first before breaking out into as much of a gallop as her body would allow. The fires of her hatred for the one pony she thought she could trust still burned furiously, but she could no longer maintain it as intense grief blanketed her mind for the third time in her long, long life.

~{N}~{t}~{E}~

The first thing Twilight noticed as the blackness in her mind began receding was the even beep, beep, beeping coming from her right. She tried to groan and kick out a hoof in an effort to destroy the infernal racket, but found that she could not move or make any sound. The next sense to return was her sense of smell as she was hit by a whiff of sweat mixed with the familiar scent of lilies, the same as the shampoo she kept in her bathroom. Luna...?

She began to panic, fearing that she was still under assault by the solar diarch, sending the steady beep into a frenzy as her pulse skyrocketed. She struggled against whatever it was that held her motionless, trying and failing to cry out for help and accidentally crimping the breathing tubes stuck in her nostrils . Her chest burned as she unknowingly deprived herself of oxygen, further panicking her already frantic mind until she felt something gently stroke down her cheek.

“Hush, Twilight. Be still....” The soft, familiar voice pierced the fog clouding her mind, almost instantly calming the turmoil in her head. Her breathing slowed, returning to a normal pace as her air supply was returned, but she still could not shake the fear gripping her heart with its icy tendrils. “Everything will be alright, love. Calm yourself. I am right here with you....” The unicorn heaved a shuddering breath as the rest of her sense of touch returned making her aware of the thick tube stuck down her throat. “You are in the Canterlot hospital in my private wing. You will not be able to move for some time, Celestia made certain of that, but you will get better. The doctor says you will make a complete recovery before our filly is due.” Twilight smiled weakly around the feeding tube as the alicorn continued her loving caresses. “We have much to discuss, Twilight, but you need as much rest as you can get. Sleep, for now. I’ll be right here with you.”

The unicorn opened her eyes and stared into her Luna’s cerulean orbs. Her smile faltered for a moment, but her mate’s reassuring presence helped to soothe her thoughts. She tried to jerk her head in a nod, but the same paralysis that held her body still seemed to originate just below her jaw, rendering the motion impossible. Tears welled in her eyes, but Luna’s hoof quickly wiped them away as the alicorn quietly shh’d into her ear. Twilight sighed and tried to relax however much her stressed mind would let her, slowly closing her eyes and listening to her mate’s comforting coos. I love you, Luna.

“I love you, Twilight. Sleep well.”

~{N}~{t}~{E}~

Author's Note

Author’s Notes: Well, here’s the alt universe to my alt universe, written out for your viewing pleasure! I spent the last week or so writing this out for you, chugging away at it almost every day. Wasn’t ever supposed to be this long, but... fuck if I care! Can’t call it a masterpiece, but I can definitely say it gets the point across! I hope you enjoyed the little one day wait as well, because I certainly did! Well, hope you liked it, because it’s for all of you guys getting me up to where I am now. Couldn’t have done it without ya! Peppy out~!

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