Twilight smiled simply as she ruffled her wings and readied her note pad and quill.
Today was a very special day for her, as it was her first day getting to run a court session. Of course Celestia and Luna shared the same room as her for this first time lest she get caught on any issue that may arise.
So far the day had been simplistic to the point that anything brought up by any citizens had been affairs such as marriage or land deals. A scuffle over the rights to use an alleyway also sprang up between two nightclubs. That was followed by a rather pleasant visit from her cousin Vinyl and her fiancée Octavia as they discussed their plans to open a joint nightclub and daylounge in Ponyville.
Aside from the basic trivialities there had not been much to activity.
Yawning, the young alicorn turned to the to elder alicorns and spoke.
"Is it always this..er... boring?"
Letting out a tinkling chuckle, Celstia momentarily cover her face with a wing before looking down at her student and protégé.
"Sadly yes. I can't remember the last time I had a truly entertaining court session. Can you remember a time Luna?"
"Nay sister. Well actually there was that one time Blueblood came in complaining to me about how you had denied him Twilight's hoof in marriage. It was most-"
"Wait, what?! When did this happen?" interjected Twilight, blinking rapidly with a flushed face.
"Aye, he spent a good ten minutes parading around complaining about how Celestia had told him off for only wanting to marry you due to your ascension. I solved the matter rather thoroughly though. I promptly informed him that if he ever asked me to betroth him to any living being again I would have him married to one of the lobsters we keep for our ambassadors who are of the carnivorous inclination." Luna grinned widely as both Celestia and Twilight began to laugh loudly, imagining what the pompous Blueblood must have thought about such a prospect.
Just as their laughs quieted the doors swung open to reveal the entrance of a cloaked figure. It halted momentarily to discard of it's cloak on a rack just inside the door, revealing a toned zebra stallion. The stallion shuffled his wings, a pair of leathery bat like appendages not unlike Luna's guards' wings, before stepping up to the bottom of the stairs and leveling his gaze at the three.
"As per ancient custom, as of yet to be repealed, I lay a challenge of combat."
"Excuse me?"
"The right to challenge a leader to combat. You never repealed the law, Celestia. To refuse is to step down from power, to lose is to step down from power. You have no choice but to accept and to kill me." the zebra stated rather simply as Twilight's jaw hung open and Luna narrowed her eyes.
Celestia said nothing, but rose from her seat and stepped down until she was level with the zebra and locked eyes.
"I know the laws, yet I know not of who you are. Proper introductions are required for this challenge to be official. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of the day in Equestria and alicorn of the Sun."
Shrugging as if he cared not for Celestia words, the opposing zebra replied.
"Keir Lyall, witch, monster, undying one, murderer, thief, the unending one, death, the harbinger of death, and many others I have not the time nor patience to utter.
The sudden silence was just as suddenly ended as Twilight seemed to realize what was happening and found her words.
"You can't do this! It's against the law to assault anypony for any reason other than self defense! That is stated clearly in the law!"
"Silence," Keir growled as he leveled an unnerving gaze straight at Twilight, "Is useful for those who do not even know the full truth of their own condition-"
"WARE YOUR WORDS WRETCH!" Luna suddenly belted out from beside Twilight, causing the smaller mare to jump.
To add to Twilight's confusion, Celestia cast a spell that formed a crystal clear barrier between herself and her two fellow alicorns, leaving her alone on the other side with Keir. Unable to hear them, Twilight could only watch as the pair exchanged a few words before Celestia let loose an utterly terrifying blast of magic into the front of Keir's body, throwing him into a wall with enough force to crack the wall and sends flecks of blood across the impacted area.
It seemed like it was over, but then Keir simply stood back up, now shrugging off similar blasts of magic until he was within striking distance of Celestia. Then, with a single strike of his forehoof, Keir sent Celestia soaring through the air where she then crashed into and shattered her own magic barrier before coming to a horrific landing at the hooves of Luna and Twilight, obviously unconscious.
"I forfeit my right to this challenge. Luna, when your sister awakes you shall inform her that Twilight is on a quest. As for you Twilight, you can either follow me willingly, our I shall be forced to render you to a similar state as Celestia." leveled Kair in an emotionless voice.
"I...I...Celstia...you..." the young alicorn stuttered fearfully, looking first down at her mentor and teacher Celestia, then at the obviously troubled face of Luna, "What do I do?"
Tears began to slip out from Twilight's eyes as Luna's eyes met hers and words that offered no hope were uttered.
"I know not, Twilight Sparkle..."
Obviously tired of the wait, Keir ascended the steps and stomped down a single hoof to draw the two alicorns' attention.
"If I wanted to rule, I would be right now. If I wanted to hurt you, you would be. Clearly you are as of yet unmolested, Twilight, so I would advise you simply do as I say as of now before I am forced to ensure your cooperation through other means. I know how much your friends mean to you..."
~~~~~~~
Luna watched with relief as Celestia's eyes fluttered open and as the elder alicorn groaned and held a hoof to a rather large lump, discoloured bump gracing her brow. Moving quickly, Luna lifted a cup of water to her sister's lips as well as a cool wet rag to the bruise on her head.
"Tia, you are safe, and the zebra forfeit the match after rendering you unconscious but... he has left, and Twilight has left with him. He did not give choice in this regard. What should we do?"
With a bright flash and a raise in temperature Celestia absorbed power from the sun itself and rose.
"We alert the guard, all of them, and we alert Cadance and the Elements. I will not risk Twilight's safety to the whims of this Keir. We will retrieve my student."
~~~~~~~
Twilight had said little to nothing since her exit from Canterlot with Keir. Likewise Keir had said little as well, namely just to stay calm and not to worry. For the most part Twilight was just desperately trying to rationalize her decision to actually follow Keir, especially after his show of withstanding a blast of magic that should have, in all logic, killed him, and then proceeded to knock Celestia of all ponies unconscious. It scared her to think of what Keir might be capable of, and somewhere the logic of if he wanted her dead or hurt she would be thankfully rang true.
Still, it didn't change the fact that Twilight knew exactly nothing about Keir, nor the fact that he had hurt Celestia.
"Was there not another way?"
"You choose to speak then Twilight?" Keir questioned.
The alicorn shuffled nervously before nodding.
"I just wanted to know if you had to hurt Celestia. She didn't do anything to you!"
Even Twilight noticed that she raised her voice towards the end and immediately took a step back, fearful of the possibility of having upset Keir. Thankfully he just shook his head.
"No."
"Then w-"
"But I needed you, and only you. Celestia would not trust me, and Luna fears power too much after her nightmare spiel to have attempted to stop me. The world is going to end, Twilight Sparkle, and it is due to your curse."
"My curse?" queried Twilight, stopping dead in her tracks on the dusty path leading down from Canterlot.
"You are an alicorn, and that is not a good thing. Alicorndom is a curse caused by the latent chaotic magic caused by Discord. Discord was more vicious in his first attack than when you faced him. He wished for complete domination, and when that was taken he instead opted for removing the possibility of a happy ending for his 'successors'. Tell me Twilight, when will Celestia and Luna die?"
"They won't, they are alicorns."
"So then, when shall you die?"
Twilight almost immediately answered, but the logic caught up with her, leaving her mouth gaping like a fish on the land. Alicorns didn't die, they just kept living while everypony they knew died around them. Tears began to build as the sudden realization that her friends would die before her eyes struck her as Twilight broke down and began to cry.
"To make matters worse, did you not ever question how the wasteland came to be? Or even better, why it has done nothing but expand and get worse? Alicorns' power are directly removed from the very planet that we rest upon. For every alicorn made, a portion of the planet's life is taken. At this point I can imagine that one more alicorn will cause enough destabilization to end the sustainability of life in the remaining unmolested portion. One more alicorn, or roughly fifty more years, and this planet will not support life anymore."
Keir watched as Twilight's eyes began to widen. He understood clearly that the studious unicorn knew exactly what the implication of his words were.
"What can we do? What can any of us do?"
"We don't and we can't," Keir replied cooly, "But unfettered and wholly pure magic can, the kind of magic that only you, the very namesake Element, can create. You, Twilight Sparkle, must save us all."
