Good Morning, Twilight, Love the New Hairstyle!

Chapters

1: Happy Tuesday
2: Absence
3: Sunset at 2 A.M.
4: Following Our Goodbyes

1: Happy Tuesday

A haggard unicorn mare in a torn black bodysuit trudged down the corridor, a baby dragon which was clutching his stomach sitting on her back. Behind them, an energetic pink pony -also clad in a dark bodysuit- bounced along merrily. The strange company made their way down a winding staircase to the front door of the archive, which they had not used the previous night due to their rather unorthodox method of entry.

“Hello again, Twilight. Leaving so soon?” said a regal alicorn, trotting gracefully across the lawn to meet the trio.

“Good morning, Princess,” answered the unicorn, grinning sheepishly. “Well, since Spike’s got an upset stomach I wanted to get him back to Ponyville to rest…” But a voice in her mind was nagging her over the princess’s words. It’s been such a long time since I’ve spent some time alone with her; I’ve seldom visited Canterlot after moving to Ponyville, but now that I’m here, I’m just about to go back.

“Well then, I wouldn’t want to keep you,” said Princess Celestia, looking slightly disappointed. “Take care!”

“Actually, I’ve got an idea!” said Twilight, her eyes lighting up. “Spike, would you mind going to the royal infirmary for a while? I’m sure the nurses could give you some medicine and a place to rest – I kinda want to take a walk around the castle, it’s been a long time since I visited!”

“Oh, okay, but how about Pinkie?” the dragon asked, gesturing to the pink pony.

“It’s okay! I’ll go with Spike to the infirmary! And then I think I could go to this super duper-rific-licious huge joke shop in Canterlot! You can take all the time you want Twilight ‘cause I just thought of lots of lots of supplies that I could buy! Come on, Spike!” Pinkie grabbed the assistant and placed him on her own back. “Bye Twilight!” she added with a wink.

“It seems that you miss this place quite a lot, Twilight,” the solar princess said, gracefully moving to stand beside her pupil. “Would you mind if I join you?”

In truth, this was exactly what Twilight had in mind. She was grateful that Pinkie and Spike could read her intentions so well – but then, it was something friends did.

“Of course, Princess,” she answered. “But I wouldn’t want to interrupt your um, duties too much, yeah.”

“Twilight, it’s still early in the morning. I don’t really have any duties right now,” the alicorn reminded her gently. “Though you must be really tired, staying up all night in the archives.”

The unicorn looked down with one eye at her torn suit. She knew she was a horrid sight, with her bandage, crazy mane, and the eye patch. “Well uh, I guess I could use some shut-eye, but not now. Spending time with you is more important.”

They walked around the royal garden, savoring the fresh morning air and the light breeze as birds chirped around them. It seemed like ages since Twilight had wandered about the castle grounds with her mentor, and the present moment was a simple pleasure.

“So, I heard that you single-hoofedly sent Cerberus back to the gates of Tartarus? I am very proud of you, for saving Equestria yet again,” said Princess Celestia, beaming at the lilac unicorn.

“Actually it was Fluttershy that brought it under control in the first place; I only used a ball to catch its attention,” said Twilight, feeling her ears grow hot.

“There are very few ponies that have been to the gates of Tartarus and survived to tell the tale…” the princess mused, trailing off.

“I didn’t think it was that dangerous, although a bit creepy,” said the unicorn in a small voice.

“I am glad that you succeeded, but if had I known that you were heading there alone I would have warned you, or at least accompanied you.” said Princess Celestia, dipping her neck over Twilight in an equine hug. “There are many things there that were not meant for ordinary ponies to see – then again, you are hardly an ordinary pony, Twilight.”

The unicorn blushed, nuzzling her mentor back. “Well, at least I got back all right.” She flinched as her stomach suddenly growled at an embarrassing volume.

The princess chuckled, having heard the sound as well. “I think we should pay a visit to the kitchen…”

Twilight chomped on a pastry, not hiding the fact that she was quite ravenous because of her fatigue. A week of staying up had used up most of her energy, and since she had refused to regenerate herself by means of sleep, her body could only adjust by consuming more. Digested foodstuff equals stored energy. That’s why I’ve been getting hungry so easily – I need to eat more to make up for my unhealthy lifestyle.

The princess chewed on her slice of cake more delicately, pausing now and then to smile at her student’s loud chewing. With that suit, and that hairdo, and that roughness – plenty of mares would probably fall for her- Celestia stifled a giggle at her random thought. She really needs to relax… I should suggest she take a bath when we’re done; get her hair groomed and that suit changed.

“Princess?” said the unicorn, swallowing the last of her pie. “So, is there anything you’d like to do after this?”

“Well, since you ask… I was actually thinking of taking you to my room and giving that unruly coiffure a wash and a good tidying up,” the princess replied, playfully ruffling Twilight’s wild mane with a hoof.

“Oh, okay, I guess… it’s um, actually been a while since I washed my mane,” Twilight admitted bashfully. “I couldn’t, because of the bandage, but I think the wound has healed enough for me to take it off for a while.”

Princess Celestia polished off her cake as well and rose from the table with her usual grace. “So, are you ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go!” replied Twilight, following the princess. They made their way through the castle, eventually climbing up the winding staircase in Celestia’s tower to arrive at her chambers. The alicorn opened the door with a touch of her magic, and the pair stepped in.

The circular bedroom was just as Twilight remembered it – a huge golden rug lay in the center of the room upon the pale carpet, and a grand four-poster bed stood at the far end. A pair of floor to ceiling windows opened to a balcony, and the bookworm could see the breathtaking view of the vast landscape outside.

A side door led to the princess’s private bathroom, most of which was occupied by a Jacuzzi about the size of two alicorn-sized beds.

“In you get, Twilight,” said Princess Celestia with a radiant smile, levitating over some towels and various lotions.

“Oh, okay,” replied the unicorn, struggling out of her filthy bodysuit. She winced as she accidentally brushed over some of the cuts and scratches on her body, a result of the mishaps from the previous week. As she gingerly pulled off her bandage, the alabaster alicorn used her magic to nudge a switch on the wall, and the Jacuzzi started filling up with hot water.

Steam gradually rose from the bath, filling the room. Twilight slowly trotted down the steps in the tub, immersing herself so that only her head poked out. The warmth relaxed her tensed muscles, which were aching due to her overworking and lack of sleep. She rested her chin on the brink, half hoping to doze off, but the sight of her mentor reminded her that she should not.

“Twilight, which shampoo would you like to use? Rose or lavender?” asked Princess Celestia, holding up two bottles for her pupil to see.

“Um, lavender?” Twilight gulped. When is she going to leave so I can finish washing quickly, isn’t her court going to start soon? I want to spend as much time with her as I can…

“Okay,” said the princess, squeezing the shampoo right into her hoof. She sat down beside the tub, right in front of Twilight, dipping her hooves inside to moisten the shampoo, and then reached to Twilight’s head-

The librarian’s jaw dropped. No. It can’t be! She wants to wash my mane for me? “But, but Princess!” she protested weakly, but the massage that the slender hooves were now administering on her scalp was so soothing, melting all that was left of the tension that had built up since meeting her future self, that she could only close her eyes, quietly enjoying the sensation.

Twilight leaned against the wall of the Jacuzzi, powerful jets of water kneading her back. Her mentor had left her to complete her bath in privacy, and she had done so in a hurry, lathering her whole body with the fastest speed possible for fear that the princess’s schedule might abruptly end their time together. She waited until the remaining suds had been rinsed off then pulled herself out, her coat wet and dripping.

Grabbing the towels Celestia had placed beside the tub, she vigorously rubbed herself dry, and then wrapped one around her head. Trotting out the bathroom, she saw that the solar goddess was resting on the rug, reading some scrolls.

“You’re pretty fast,” said the alicorn, adjusting her position on the rug so that Twilight would have space to sit down beside her. “I was just reading some of your friendship reports.”

“Um, wow,” said Twilight, a bit shyly. She settled beside her mentor, feeling the softness of the rug and the warmth of the mare beside her. “So well, I was thinking-”

Suddenly her surroundings swirled around her, vertigo overwhelming her like a tidal wave. Then, the world went black.

2: Absence

Twilight felt her heartbeat for a split second. She heard it, the barely audible thud in her ears. It also seemed she was being rocked gently, soothingly, like a filly in a cradle. Then her consciousness was swept back into the void.

Celestia gently pulled the blankets over her pupil, her features soft, a tender smile resting on her lips. She had carefully lifted the unicorn onto her bed after she had fallen asleep; It must be the fatigue, the princess thought as she smoothed the sheets, making sure that Twilight’s resting form would be warm. A whole night without sleep… I really did spoil her too much when she was smaller to let her get into this habit.

The alabaster alicorn gently brushed a hoof along Twilight’s mane, nostalgia submerging her like a wave. When she was smaller… how long has it been since I’ve tucked her in like this?

She then continued to gaze at the unicorn that she had watched as she learned, from elementary spells to those which required immense energy that had her eyes glowing like torches as the magenta inferno had torn an entire section from the royal gardens; the same unicorn that had now started a new life away from her watch, full of ideals. And yet, the princess knew that they had missed each other ever since Twilight’s move to Ponyville. But no matter where you are, or will be, Twilight… I will always be here for you.

The reminiscence left the solar goddess a bit sad, yet proud at the same time. Her heart heavier with emotions than before, she slowly slid off the bed and trotted towards the door. I’ll get something for her in case she's hungry again when she wakes up, and a note asking her to rest as much as she can while I attend to court.

Twilight’s eyelids tensed, then flickered open. Her eyes were dry and scratchy, as if they had been rubbed with sandpaper. She saw brown – a wooden wall. She was resting on her side, and her chest expanded as she took a deep breath. The slow swaying felt so comfortable, and she was so sleepy…

Pinkie bounced down the streets of Canterlot. “Oopsie!” she exclaimed, noticing that the windows of most of the shops were still dark. “I guess it’s just too early!” She turned her head in every direction as she hopped further down the street – only breakfast vendors and cafes had already opened, and there were few passersby, except for the occasional well-dressed unicorn.

The chance that the joke shop would be open now seemed slim, but the pink pony decided to take a look anyway. “After all it would be good for Twilight to spend some time with Princess Celestia since she’s always soooo excited when she meets her!” she chirped with a brilliant smile to nopony in particular.

Turning a last corner, she skidded to a stop outside a massive structure resembling a pony clown whose eyes were widened comically; a closed door was situated in the broadly smiling mouth. “Ponko’s”, read the multi-colored sign in front of the store.

“Aww, too bad!” said Pinkie, sticking her tongue out at the door. She scrunched up her face, and then started bouncing in another direction. “I guess I’ll just take a look around and get some breakfast, then I’ll come back later!”

Twilight woke for the second time. She had to gather her strength for a while before she could bring herself to stretch – her limbs were so stiff and weak, weighing like lead. She blinked blearily a few times, and raised her head with an effort… and saw that she was lying on wooden planks.

Where am I…? she thought, frantically sitting up, and the floor teetered. She hurriedly steadied herself, and looked around.

She was on a small boat. It was nighttime, and she was bobbing along with the flow of the current. A faint luminescence illuminated the murky waters. She strained to see land but couldn’t; the corners of the horizon were swallowed in darkness.

Twilight tensed, feeling very alone and insecure. Where in Equestria is this? And where is Princess Celestia? Wasn’t I in her room? What is happening?

She wanted to jump up and stomp about in her frustration, but then caught herself – if she sent the boat off-balance, she could fall into the water. No, I have to stay calm. I’ll figure this out. She looked up, hoping to determine her location by the stars, and maybe the time, by the angle of the moon. She couldn’t see the moon in her current field of vision, so assuming it must be behind her, she focused on the stars first – and frowned.

Why are the stars so dim? And why isn’t there a single formation that I can recognize? She carefully shifted herself, turning around so that she could see the remaining part of the sky that had previously been behind her.

And then she gasped. There was no moon.

“Thank you all, my little ponies, for attending,” said Celestia, smiling regally and serenely.

Day court had been adjourned, and the remaining ponies in the throne room were starting to file out after bowing their respects to the goddess.

Celestia waited patiently until the last pony had trotted out of the room, before rising gracefully to her hooves.

Just then, a pink earth pony burst through the doors. There was a big bulging sack on her back, and she wore a billowing black cape, a top hat, and a pair of thick-framed glasses with a fake nose and bushy mustache. “Hiya, Princess!” she said shrilly.

The princess raised a hoof in greeting. “Glad to see you back, Pinkie. Did you have a good time shopping?”

“Oh! Yes Princess, I got so many new things! Like these exploding poker cards! And this book that spurts water and some squeak cushions and auto-tangle ribbons and-” she stopped suddenly as a thought occurred to her. “-Oh! And where is Twilight?”

“She fell asleep in the morning, I’m not sure if she has woken yet… she hasn’t slept for a day, and I thought I should let her rest.”

“Can we go see her?” asked Pinkie, bouncing as if the laden sack were not there at all. “And actually – she hasn’t slept for a whole week!”

Princess Celestia froze. “A whole week?” she repeated, numbly.

Pinkie nodded.

The goddess furrowed her brow, a rare display of emotions for her. Is that even possible…? And I had thought she was simply tired – it’s much more serious than that!

“Pinkie?” she said, still bearing the same pained expression. “You know the way to the infirmary, correct? Would you mind asking Spike to come up with you to my chambers? Spike knows where it is, he’ll lead you there.”

“Oki doki loki, Princess, I’ll get him, stat!” The energetic pony smiled brightly, and scooted out of the room in a blur.

The princess sighed worriedly, and then trotted swiftly out the hall to the castle grounds. She spread her wings and took flight, taking the most direct route to her tower – no winding staircases and corridors to hinder her.

Twilight had been drifting for what seemed like a few hours. She did not know where she was, or where she would end up. She had tried a light spell to discern any land that she might be nearing but still could not make out any end to the vast lake, or sea, that she was drifting upon.

She had hesitantly dipped a hoof into the water; she could feel a current, which was strong and steady, so she guessed she must have been heading in the same direction ever since she had gotten on the boat.

But how did that happen? Twilight desperately combed through her mind for any clue, but she could only remember the events of the morning up to when she had lay down on the rug with Princess Celestia… and then there had been black: Only black.

So gathering all the information I have on my hooves: I am on a boat, which I have no idea how I got on. There is no moon in the sky- Twilight gulped, almost panicking again. –which is the strangest fact that I know of this place. There is no moon, so where is the ‘moonlight’ coming from? The boat is moving at a steady pace, but the destination is unknown.

Teleporting was out of the question, not knowing where there was land. There was virtually nothing she could do. Does the princess know I’m here…? Does anypony even know where I am?

Twilight groaned, smacking a hoof on the wall of the wooden craft. A small splinter broke off and dropped into the water, floating along in the current.

Is there any way to make this thing go faster? Twilight thought, frustrated. What if this never ends? I’ll just keep floating here, until I starve? What if there is a storm- no wait, there aren’t pegasi around to make that happen. But still, I don’t even know if there is a sun, when there isn’t a moon…

She looked dully at the dark horizon. Maybe I can use magic to speed the boat up a bit… but that would be tiring. Hmm, but it seems I don’t have much to do anyway. If I get tired I can always take a nap.

That decided, she lit up her horn, and her magenta energy spread along the back of the boat. She imagined the water flowing much faster behind her, and was rewarded with a considerable boost in speed, the wind whipping her mane along as she continued forward in the dark shrouded sea.

Princess Celestia landed lightly on the balcony outside her chambers and opened the glass panes to let herself in. She looked around for signs of her faithful student – and her fears were confirmed when she trotted over to her bed.

The unicorn had not moved from where the princess had left her in the morning; the daffodil sandwich and note that Celestia had left on the bedside table were untouched.

“Twilight, wake up,” she said urgently, placing her hooves on each of the unicorn’s shoulders and shaking them gently.

No response.

“Twilight?” the princess felt her pupil’s forehead for a fever, but the temperature was normal. Then why wouldn’t she wake up?

She hugged Twilight close, nuzzling her. One week. She hasn’t slept at all for a whole week. She searched her knowledge for ways to deal with the situation – as an immortal entity she had gathered more experience through the years than any qualified doctor – and did a magical medical scan.

Heartbeat, breathing, normal. Body temperature – a bit higher than normal. Unconscious. In a coma… safe to use reviving spell.

The alicorn released her golden aura, gathering it into a glowing orb that hovered above her student’s body. She lowered the ball of energy slowly to touch, and then sink into, the unicorn’s chest.

Five, four, three, two, one… counted the goddess. She looked expectantly at Twilight’s resting form. It showed no sign of moving. “Twilight?” she asked, brushing a hoof on her pupil’s cheek. No response. “Twilight, wake up,” she said, a bit louder.

Still, the unicorn did not wake. Celestia blinked, for once stumped. I couldn’t have done the spell wrong, could I? No, there is still the possibility… but under Twilight’s condition, it should be working.

The princess took a deep breath, which was somewhat shuddery. Again. There must’ve been something I overlooked. She lit up her horn again, and let her magic congregate into an orb before letting it be absorbed into Twilight’s chest.

She counted down the seconds again in her mind. With each number she tapped her hoof once, to make sure that she had got it right… One.

Twilight did not move.

This is impossible… the alicorn thought, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

Twilight’s boat moved swiftly forward, the hull breaking the water and sending ripples in its wake. She squinted, trying again to see if there was anything that lay in the darkness beyond.

Wait, she thought, halting her spell on the boat. She sent her magenta energy into the air, where it built up into a shining ball. She made it rise higher and higher, leaving a trail of sparks behind it. When she was satisfied that it had reached a sufficient height, she let it explode. Fizzling sparks erupted from the magic bubble, tearing a circular area in the darkness. And in that light, she saw something enter her farthest range of vision – the vague outline of land.

Yes! She pumped a hoof up joyously, and resumed her spell on her vessel. The craft sped twice as fast as before, the impromptu sailor eager to get onto dry land and hopefully find some answers.

Twilight could see the shore now. It stretched from one end of the horizon to the other, and from what she could discern with her illuminating spell, it was large enough to be called a continent. Dark slopes rose like rusted daggers along the shoreline, half-hidden in gloomy mist.

There was a small inlet further along the shore so the unicorn used her spell to give the boat a nudge, making it change direction. She was more drained than she would have liked from maintaining the sailing spell – a good portion had been let out of her magic reservoir. Well, it’s nothing that a good rest won’t recover, she thought drily.

As she sailed towards the inlet, her surroundings grew lighter; it was still the same moonlight-like luminescence, but growing brighter as she neared the shore. Twilight didn’t know how that could be, as she still could not find a moon, or sun, or any source of light in the sky.

Almost there… I can’t go back now – forward it is. I need to find out where this place is and how to get back. Twilight put on a burst of speed in her eagerness, and her boat sped into the inlet. She carefully prodded the boat so that half of it rested on the barren shore, and gingerly stepped out.

The small inlet was surrounded by mountains, and now that the light had brightened to a point akin to sunlight (although it had no warmth at all), she could see that there was plant life, dully colored pines and spruces that occupied the dismal land.

A narrow valley extended before her, and through the slit in the line of peaks she could make out no more, due to the grey mist that obscured the rest of the valley.

I’ll need to find a place to rest… and something to eat, she thought, brushing her spiky mane back with a hoof. Luckily my eye hasn’t started hurting again… I’d have no way of getting an eye patch here, I guess.

It felt unwise, stupid, even, to walk into this land she had no idea about. The air was brisk and a breeze ruffled the fur on her coat. She had no books, no Princess Celestia to look to for guidance…

After trotting for a while, she crossed the line where barren landscape met the forest. It was chilly in the midst of the trees, the occasional branch brushed against her torso as she made her way into the valley. The pines didn’t block the luminescence much, so she could see the way pretty clearly, but the air seemed to sit still around her – in silence. There was no faint rustle, no indication of any living creature apart from herself.

This comforted her in a way – at least there didn’t seem to be anything that would harm her for the time being. However, it was still unnatural. Or maybe the animals were just inactive during this time of day? She shook her head. She couldn’t tell the time at all, and she wasn’t even sure if there were a day or night in this place.

Eventually she came to a small clearing. A few clumps of grass, similarly dull in color like the trees, grew on the earth, and Twilight decided that it was a good place to take the rest she needed. She found a patch where the grass grew more evenly and lay down on it.

She closed her eyes, the events of the past few hours replaying in her mind.

Twilight blinked, having just woken up. I couldn’t have been sleeping for more than an hour, she estimated from her current state of liveliness. She got to her hooves and stretched.

Her mane fell into her eyes again, which was starting to irritate her. Before she had taken the bandage off, it had also served as a headband of a sort. And when she was on the boat the wind had swept her mane so that it wasn’t in her face.

She reached a hoof to brush it back – and then she scrunched her face, noticing something that rather confused her. The color of her hoof was a bit lighter than usual. It was still the same shade, but like pigments diluted with water.

Maybe it’s just the light… but the color really is lighter. She did a quick check of her body, and found that her whole coat had changed similarly.

Strange, she thought, but finding out where this is and how to go back is more important.

The unicorn patted off some dry grass that had caught in her coat, and continued on.

The trees grew scarce as she walked deeper into the valley, giving way to a plain. The grass had the same faded green as the forest, and Twilight finally saw what looked like pony dwellings in the far distance. She squinted, trying to make out more details. A few low buildings...? Oh, well, at least there’ll be ponies there!

Her face lit up, and she broke into a gallop. As she ran, her stomach grumbled, and she tried to remember how long it had been since she had last eaten. Breakfast with the princess… and then after that I’ve been stranded in this strange place…

She ran until she was quite out of breath, her throat parched and her heart thudding. Forcing herself to slow down, she took some deep breaths, but still continued at a brisk trot. The buildings grew nearer, and she could see them more clearly…

A ruined wall stood in a heap of rubble. A door hung off its hinges. A cracked window stared like the forlorn eye of a house, which had long surrendered to the elements.

Twilight’s heart sank down to somewhere near her stomach. From her current distance she could only make out the buildings closest to her, but the sight could only suggest that this town, or former town, had been abandoned quite a while ago.

Hesitantly she entered the outskirts of the ruins. Grass grew between the cobblestones that made up the roads; almost all of the structures in the settlement were damaged one way or another.

Trotting past a building with a cracked sign that read ‘bookstore’ dangling askew, Twilight sighed sadly, her ears drooping, and tried to come up with an explanation for the condition of the town. Maybe there were troubles with wild animals? But no matter what the reason is… I probably won’t be able to find any help or answers here, and I don’t know if the next town is far away from here… I don’t think I’ll be able to travel too much a distance without eating, either.

She could eat the grass, although she would prefer not to. Her mentor had told her that raw grass had been part of a pony’s diet in ancient times, but after more advanced food-preserving techniques were developed, it gradually faded from daily meals. Raw grass, the princess had explained, was still edible, but the modern pony would find them highly unappetizing.

The lilac unicorn rounded a corner, and a building caught her eye immediately - it was presumably the only building that still looked intact, maybe even suitable for living.

The plaque on the door read ‘Records.’ She decided to take a closer look, and trotted to the structure. She peered into the window… and blinked. There was an unmistakable flicker of candlelight inside. Yes! So somepony lives here…

She pushed the door, and to her delight it opened. She stepped inside. The first thing she noticed was the gigantic bookshelf that stretched from one end of the wall on her right to the other, and up to the ceiling.

The light, which was coming from a small candle perched on a stool, illuminated the shelf, and she saw that it was filled with stacks of parchment, some yellow and worn, some newer and in better condition.

“Done looking?” a voice said.

Twilight jumped. In the shadows stood a maroon unicorn with a pale grey mane. She looked at Twilight, her expression smooth and devoid of emotion.

“Oh, uh, hi! Um, my name is Twilight Sparkle… I’m from Canterlot. I didn’t mean to intrude… but I’m lost,” she said, her voice a squeak. “Where is this place, exactly?”

“This place? Oh, so you must be new. Strange, I don’t remember seeing your name on the list. Anyway… welcome to the Underworld, Miss Sparkle! I’m glad you could join us!”

Chronas

3: Sunset at 2 A.M.

Celestia massaged her temples, trying to find an explanation as to why the medical spell wasn’t working. She knew Pinkie and Spike would probably take a while before they would arrive due to the hospital wing’s distance from her chambers, and in addition she had flown up, saving a significant amount of time otherwise spent on hoof.

Suddenly the room was brilliantly illuminated from behind her, causing shadows to appear in the sharp contrast and shroud Twilight’s peaceful form with darkness in the shape of her graceful outline.

Alarmed, Celestia turned about, raising her hooves to shield herself from the blinding light. Invisible traces of magic shredded the belongings in her room within a visible ratio around a half of the chamber. Pages were torn from books, several scrolls were ripped to pieces, and the force of the magical energy blew the embroidery clean off her couch before it was reduced to ashes.

An orb of pure golden magic appeared and expanded in size, and then just as quickly was sucked back into itself, a giant maw that threatened to devour everything. The light contracted then settled, leaving a silhouette shimmering with the bright aura standing in the center of the room.

“Who are you?” Celestia demanded, quickly leaping to her hooves. “Show yourself!”

The tall and regal figure trotted forward in an elegant motion. Wary of the intruder, Celestia took up an aggressive stance, tensing her muscles and lowering her center of gravity. As the glare of the light faded and the mysterious pony became discernable, she gasped.

The mare standing before her was much taller and more slender than the average pony, her multicolored mane billowing serenely despite the absence of wind within the room – Princess Celestia was standing face-to-face with an exact copy of herself.

“You are… me?” She asked, still guarded; she could not take the risk of being fooled if it was an imposter.

“Yes, I’m from the future. Time is precious, please, trust me,” the alicorn said, her eyes soft and pleading.

Celestia glared suspiciously at the other mare. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because I’m you; and because – it’s the only way to save Twilight.”

At the mention of the unicorn’s name, Celestia looked worriedly at Twilight. Slowly she nodded. “Say what you have to say; I shall decide whether to believe you afterwards-”

The other Celestia was already talking. “Twilight is not just fatigued; the underlying reason is in what she was doing – when we found her earlier this morning after we had raised the sun-” Her eyes widened in alarm as the golden energy started swirling around her again, threatening to envelop her. “Find the scroll she was looking for!” she shouted, her torso fading away as the spell took hold of her again. “Use it – Close the time loop!”

And then she disappeared fully, the last sign of her the tip of a royal hoof guard vacuumed back into nothingness.

Celestia sat down heavily, her thoughts in a tangle. Find the scroll that Twilight was looking for. And then what? For Twilight – if there is any chance, any hope for bringing her back, there’s no reason not to do it.

She sighed, looking anxiously at her unconscious protégé, and then wrapped her hooves around the lavender mare. I don’t know what happened to you, Twilight, but please hang in there.

There was a knock on the door, accompanied by a high-pitched voice. “Princess, we’re here!”

The goddess opened the door with a flick of her magic, and in trotted a pink earth pony with a baby dragon on her back. They looked around the room, surprised at the state of disarray it was in: torn pages littered the floor, and several cushions were ripped apart.

“WHEEEE! Did you just throw a party in here?” Pinkie giggled, bouncing amidst the mess. “Hey, where’s Twilight?”

“Yeah, what happened?” Spike grinned, thinking about how the princess was usually neater than this.

“There was an… incident,” Celestia said at length, beckoning for them to come to the bed.

They approached, and both of them could make out Twilight’s resting form, covered almost entirely by the bed sheets. Spike slid off the pink pony’s back and clambered onto the bed. “Hey Twili-” He paused midsentence, turning to the princess and lowering his voice. “Is she still sleeping?”

Celestia frowned, unsure whether to tell them the truth. They have a right to know, she decided after a few seconds of consideration. “Yes, she is asleep, but in fact… she can’t wake up,” the alicorn said regrettably. “And it is much more serious than I thought – I am in need of your assistance.”

Pinkie flew into the air, her mouth agape, a shrill gasp escaping her mouth. “Whaaaaaaaaaa-?!”

Spike narrowed his eyebrows, confused. “Huh? She can’t wake up? What do you mean? How is that possible?”

Celestia covered her face with a foreleg. “I don’t know, either… but I need to know which spell she was looking for this morning.” She put her hoof down, placing it on the bed near her dear pupil. “You two were helping her find a scroll when I saw you this morning, am I right?”

“Y-yeah-” Spike sputtered.

“It was a time travel spell,” Pinkie said, and Celestia noticed her hair drooping slightly. “Twilight wanted it so she could travel to the past.”

“Do you remember where it is?”

“I know where it is, Princess,” said the pink earth pony. “I’m the one that found it.”

“Could you take me to it? And Spike, could you please look after Twilight? Send a letter to me if anything seems wrong, all right?”

The baby dragon nodded and waved at them. As the princess left the room with Pinkie, she saw from the corner of her eye that Spike was prodding Twilight, trying to wake her up. The reminder of Twilight’s condition almost shattered her heart, the sense of urgency tightening its grip on her.

She broke into a brisk canter, and was pleasantly surprised when she found that she needn’t slow her pace for Pinkie's sake. She had already guessed that the pink mare would be able to keep up with a brisk trot, but now she was almost completely sure that Pinkie could keep up no matter how fast she went.

The princess led them out the castle and onto the lawn, surveying the grounds forlornly. Has it only been a few hours since I was here with Twilight? “Pinkie, could you please tell me more about the events of this week? Specifically what happened to Twilight and why she was looking for such a spell?”

“I think it was because Twilight was visited by herself that made her so worried and made her want to visit herself in the past to make sure she wouldn’t be worried, Princess,” said the pink pony, her tone much more serious than usual. “And this whole week she didn’t sleep at all ‘cause she was so afraid something bad might happen, so she asked us to come with her to the archives to help her find the spell.” The pink pony’s face fell, and Celestia swore she heard a balloon deflating as Pinkie’s normally buoyant curls straightened out even more.

“Hmm.” The princess pondered Pinkie’s words. So the actions of the future Twilight influenced Twilight in the past, causing her to set off on a path, which, when she arrived at the point in the future, influenced her to go back to influence past Twilight, and all events looped back full circle – just like what my future self asked me to do…

As they entered the archives, Celestia wasn’t even aware that she had only nodded to the guards out of habit, lost as she was in her own thoughts. I remember all research on time travel was supposed to have come to a standstill after the mare that came up with the theory passed away half a millennium ago, and even she hadn’t gotten anywhere near a working spell.

She had kept tabs on the research; while she had not discouraged it, she had been aware of the hazards that such a spell could pose: ponies right and left, seeking to undo their past follies. In the wrong hooves, time travel could severely disrupt the lives of her subjects, and the princess had secretly been relieved when nopony had continued the research since then.

“It’s in this room, Princess,” Pinkie said, her voice bringing Celestia back to the real world. She trotted down several aisles, finally stopping in the deepest part of the room. Pulling over a ladder and climbing up, she reached into the topmost shelf, taking some books out and stacking them in a lower shelf until it she could see the back wall. She then stretched her foreleg deep inside. Princess Celestia watched, dumbstruck, as the earth pony’s hoof passed through the wall before she pulled it back out, now clutching a scroll.

An illusion wall… how is it possible that I never noticed… the alicorn thought as Pinkie leapt off the ladder and gave her the hidden document. “Pinkie…” she asked, bewildered. “How did you find this?”

“I was looking around, and I had a tingly feeling to look inside that shelf so I poked my hoof inside, and then I just felt it going through.”

Celestia unrolled and scrutinized the worn parchment. There were a few complicated calculations and glyphs, and two diagrams, each depicting a pony: one appeared to be a foal, the other of indeterminate age. A single word was scribbled in the margins: torn?

She narrowed her eyes. “So Twilight managed to cast a working time spell just by reading this scroll?”

Pinkie nodded, and the alicorn inclined her head to read the paper again. So the spell had been created… but its existence was hidden, even from me! And how does this help Twilight? Why would my future self want me to use this?

She checked the glyphs regarding how to control how ‘far’ she could go back in time and was surprised that the point of time at which the spell caster arrived in the past could be fine-tuned with fair precision.

She motioned to the pink mare. “Thank you for finding this for me, so… let’s head back and check up on Twilight, shall we?”

“Sure,” Pinkie replied, and the two made their way back to the princess’ room.

“Did you find anything?” Spike asked anxiously as the two ponies entered the room. He was still sitting beside Twilight, a claw on her shoulder.

“Yes, we found the spell that Twilight was looking for,” the princess replied absentmindedly, still studying the parchment which she had taken from the archives.

The pink pony rushed over to Twilight, her ears drooping again to see her friend in such a state. Celestia sat down beside the bed, and ran a hoof over Twilight’s mane; the unicorn’s expression was so peaceful it was hard to believe that there was anything wrong.

Celestia glanced out the window; it was almost time for her to set the sun. “It is getting rather late, would you two like a place to stay for the night?” she asked.

“I’ll go back to Ponyville,” Pinkie replied, giving the unconscious Twilight a hug. “I wanna let the rest of our friends know that Twilight’s got into some trouble but that you're taking care of it so they won't have to worry.”

“I'm staying right here, Twilight needs me!” the baby dragon said with determination, looking at his best friend.

Celestia rose, and followed Pinkie to the door. “I’ll arrange a chariot to send you back; thank you for your help,” she said to the pink pony.

“No problem,” Pinkie replied, pausing at the doorjamb then waving to Spike. “I’ll come back tomorrow, bye Spike.”

“Bye!” said the baby dragon, waving back.

The candle flickered, sending the shadows dancing over the giant bookcases, the desk and chair, and the two mares within the dim room.

"What? No I was just – what? The underworld?" Twilight shook her head like a maniac and took an involuntary step back. "I…I'm… I'm dead?" She finally asked with a growing sense of dread

“You didn’t know you’re dead?” The elderly unicorn asked incredulously.

“I didn’t know! I was talking with the princess and… Who are you anyway?”

“My name is Chronas. I came here a long time ago.”

“Chronas? The mage who modified the teleportation spell?” Twilight didn’t mean to – but her eyes wandered to the other unicorn’s cutie mark which, from what she could make out in the dim light, was a dark rent. The black cutie mark was like a yawning maw, which seemed to be able to vacuum anything, whether time or space. “Um, oh – your cutie mark’s the same as on the portraits of you,” she added.

“Yes, that’s me. And you mentioned the princess, still Celestia, right?” Chronas asked with a chuckle.

“Yes, I’m her personal student! Or at least, I was -“ The unicorn’s eyes widened as she came to a realization. “Oh no! What if she was so angry that I was sneaking around in the archives that… she killed me?” Twilight covered her face with a foreleg, her lip trembling. .

“I don’t think she would do that – has she changed so much?”

Twilight remained silent for a while, her foreleg over her face, almost wishing that by staying in this position she could shield herself from the question, which was painful because of the thinking process it prompted. She couldn’t have executed me, could she? But if she didn’t… why am I here? Does she hate me? Have I been such a disappointment?

No longer wanting to think, her heart heavy and her emotions dull, she let her hoof fall. Chronas had apparently run off; but in the room was a small filly, and Twilight noticed her coat color similar to the mage’s.

Strange, where did she go? Twilight thought, confused that Chronas would leave in the middle of their conversation. She peered at the back of the room – it was dark due to the only source of light being the candle, but it seemed that there was only a single room.

She trotted out instead, nonplussed. Maybe she had something to do, and teleported off? Hmm, might as well take a further look around this place.

She continued down the road further into the town, but as far as she could tell, most of the structures were in the same state of disrepair. It occurred to her that the settlement was in fact quite large, sprawling to where the buildings connected with another forest.

In the far distance, on the other edge of the settlement, she could make out a prominent building which seemed to be a temple of some kind. It was slightly taller than the trees that secluded it, quite lofty compared with the other ruins which were mostly one or two stories at most.

She started trotting towards the temple, curiosity getting the better of her. At least there are plenty of places to explore if I get bored here… she thought drily. I wonder if being dead is really all that bad... She winced and aggressively blocked the thought from her mind. Of course it's bad! I'll never get to see my friends… or Spike or the princess again… She sniffed, struggling against her emotions. Princess Celestia must have never really liked me at all if she sent me to the underworld…

The last thought made her shiver; the dam that was holding back her emotions finally cracking, her tears welling up and flowing freely down her face, dripping to the ground. She slumped on the weed-ridden cobblestones, burying her face in her hooves and whimpering.

Suddenly she felt a chilling draft and a sense of vertigo overwhelmed her, like the world was being pulled from under her hooves. Her head began to throb as she felt a slimy, queasy sensation slither through her stomach. Clambering to a sitting position, her eyes widened as the road and the structures along it disappeared for the briefest fraction of time, and were replaced by the street with a bookstore.

Twilight just sat stock still for a few seconds, her mouth agape. She blinked a few times through her tears before she could focus on her surroundings again. What? What’s happening? I’ve got to get back to Chronas’ place before something bizarre happens again!

Getting to her hooves and silently congratulating herself on having the luck to end up on a road she recognized, she broke into a gallop, her hooves making a clip clop on the cobblestones.

Skidding to a stop at the door with the ‘records’ plaque, she flung it open. “Chronas!” she said loudly. A quick survey revealed that the strange filly had gone, but in its place was a grown up mare, and Twilight saw her coat was also in the same shade of maroon as the mage. “Um, excuse me, did you see Chronas?” Twilight said, trotting up to the mare.

“I am Chronas,” the mare said, in an evidently more youthful voice than the elder Twilight had been talking to previously.

Twilight looked at the mare skeptically. “That’s impossible, Chronas is older than you.”

“Oh, you mean this?” said the mare, flicking her tail. “Happens all the time – it was a result of my experiments, I think. Messed up with too many spells that somehow my appearance jumps back and forth in time.” The maroon unicorn stepped directly into the candlelight and pointed to her cutie mark. “Do you believe me now?”

Twilight gaped for a few seconds and then nodded numbly, but the cutie mark wasn’t the most important thing that she saw. She hadn’t noticed before, but now that Chronas was in the light it seemed to pass through the mage. The bookworm squinted, disturbed, and found that she could even see the faint silhouette of the candle and the stool it was on. “You’re-you’re transparent?”

Chronas chuckled. “Yeah, that happens when you’re dead, but you’ll get used to it.”

Frowning, Twilight put her hoof to the light, but try as she might, she couldn’t see the candle through her foreleg like she had with Chronas. The mage leaned over curiously when her observation of Twilight’s hoof met with the same result, and raised her own hoof in front of the flickering candle.

The difference was evident – Twilight’s foreleg blocked the light, but Chronas’ let some of it through.

“You’re not dead?!” the mage exclaimed, surprised. “And I don’t remember seeing you on the list of recent deaths… Maybe you’re not supposed to be here after all.”

Twilight’s worries came rising to the surface again. “Which means that the princess must have banished me here, if she didn’t kill me, that’s why I’m not on this ‘list of dead’! Oh no, oh no oh no oh no…”

Chronas smiled reassuringly at the lavender unicorn. “I doubt that. From when I knew her, I can tell you that she wouldn’t do that, at least not without telling you why. You didn’t commit any crimes, did you? And you said that you were with her before you came here, right?”

“I was in her room, she was reading my reports. She must have banished me right then because she caught me in the act when I broke into the archives!” Twilight wailed, bawling.

“Did you do anything else together before that?”

Twilight scrunched up her face, finding that her memories of the morning were suddenly a bit hazy. “I was in the archives, and after that we took a walk and had breakfast… and then we went to her room… that’s all I remember.”

“If she wanted to banish you, then why would she spend so much time with you? And you were in her chambers too. I don’t even know of any ponies that have that privilege.” Chronas paused, curious. ” What were you doing in the archives anyway?”

“I was looking for a spell there, in fact. I wanted to find a way to travel through time to warn myself in the past.”

“Did you find it?” the mage asked with a shrewd grin.

“Uh, I did. A friend of mine did, in fact.”

"You did?" The magus looked perplexed for a moment before smoothing her expression. "I guess I should tell you since you know about the spell now – I invented it, but it was too dangerous so I hid it where nopony would find it."

The moon hung in the center of the sky – midnight – and most of the castle and the city of Canterlot was silent, but the light from the tower of the solar goddess was still shining, like another star on the backdrop of Luna’s night sky.

Inside the tower, Celestia tucked the snoring dragon into the covers on the other side of the unicorn before resuming her position on the bed facing Twilight. Levitating a quill over parchment, she wrote a quick note to her sister:

Luna, could you please come to my chambers? There is something urgent I need to discuss with you.

Celestia

She sent it off with a glow of magic from her horn and rested her head on her pillow, never taking her eyes off Twilight as she waited. It wasn’t long before she heard a knock on her door.

“’Tia?”

“Come in, Luna,” the alicorn said quietly, but loud enough to be heard, and the door swung open, her sister entering the room.

“I came as soon as I got your message – what is it that you wish to discuss?”

“It’s Twilight, she’s in a coma… and I can’t figure out what caused it.”

Luna quickly trotted to where her sister, Twilight, and the baby dragon were lying. “Twilight Sparkle? Are you sure she’s not just exhausted from another binge of studying?” The lunar princess chuckled. “She is almost always awake at night you know; always looking at my stars as well, I believe she rather enjoys them.”

“No! Luna, I used the Revivication Spell – even that did not work.”

“That must have been tiring, even for you – but if even that failed, then how do you expect me to help?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with time travel.” Celestia hesitated; even though she knew it was theoretically possible to travel through time, she still had a hard time actually believing it. “You see, I was visited by myself from the future, who said that finding the time spell – have you heard of it?”

Luna shook her head, and Celestia continued: “There was development of it five hundred years ago, but I had thought none had succeeded. It turns out that somepony had developed a working spell but had hidden it, which Twilight found and used to warn herself in the past. My future self told me to find the spell and travel back, if I wanted to save Twilight.”

Luna gently placed a hoof on Twilight’s brow, concerned. She had taken a liking to the mare since their meeting on Nightmare Night, and she knew that Twilight meant much to her sister as well. “So… you are going to go back in time, and tell yourself to find the spell.”

Celestia nodded, getting off the bed and to her hooves. “And I need you to stand guard, in case anything goes wrong.”

"Sister?" Luna’s question was soft, her voice laced with worry. "Why exactly are you doing this yourself? It is… unlike you."

"What do you mean it's unlike me?" Celestia bristled, her wings flaring in agitation. "I always help ponies whenever I can!"

Luna didn't cower like most ponies would have, simply continuing to speak in a calm voice that forced Celestia to listen carefully. "I know that, 'Tia." Luna sighed and made a vague gesture with her hoof. "Normally, you would help by proxy; a guiding hoof rather than solving the problem outright."

Luna's words hit Celestia hard and she sagged, her wings and ears drooping as she sighed as well. "I… I know." She looked at the lavender unicorn on the bed. "But Twilight is my student; there is nopony closer to her than I am." She laughed, a weak laugh without any real mirth. "At least nopony that could help her, I still don't know what happened but I can tell that it's dangerous."

The younger alicorn leaned over to give her sister a hug. “Then I shall do as you ask. Good luck, ‘Tia.”

The solar goddess smiled, trying to appear more confident than she really was. She lit up her horn, having memorized all the instructions on the parchment.

The spell drew from her magic at an alarming rate – Celestia knew of few spells that required such energy. Her golden aura compressed into a ball, pulsing and fizzling, spitting sparks, condensing into an brilliant, blinding glare, much like she had experienced when she had been visited earlier on.

She felt herself losing her form, her physical hold on the world unraveling as she was torn, particles of her being scattered to the threads of time, then finally interweaving back together, merging into a solid figure once more.

She stood in the center of her room. There was no Luna, nor Spike; only a pallid mare, her features lined with worry as she sat by her pupil. The ashen mare turned, warily looking at the bright haze that was still surrounding her.

As the light dimmed with the settling of the magical energy, the past Celestia, noticing her existence, leapt to her hooves. “Who are you?” she barked. “Show yourself!” As Celestia trotted closer, her eyes widened in recognition. “You are… me?”

“Yes, I’m from the future. Time is precious, please, trust me.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because I’m you; and because – it’s the only way to save Twilight.” I wish I could be sure about that… Her mind went back to the unconscious unicorn, and her resolve hardened. I’m here, and I’ll do this right. For all I know, this could be the only way to save Twilight.

“Say what you have to say; I shall decide whether to believe you afterwards-”

Celestia didn’t let her finish – the spell was going to wear off soon, according to her memory. “Twilight is not just fatigued; the underlying reason is in what she was doing – when we found her earlier this morning after we had raised the sun-” She felt the magic pulling on her; her time was up. “Find the scroll she was looking for! Use it – close the time loop!”

The golden energy gathered around her, crackling as it took hold of her again. Magic danced in a never-ending whirlpool as the time stream sucked her in. Time and space were wild in the funnel, twisting and warping, and Celestia felt herself almost losing herself as the threads of her being were torn apart again, merging into the swirling stream.

Finally she rematerialized, gasping, a few inches from her previous spot in her room. Luna was by her side almost immediately, bracing her as if afraid she would fall.

“’Tia! Are you all right?”

“Y-yes. The spell worked – but then what good would it do? I do not think I am any closer to helping Twilight.”

“Maybe you are. Twilight used the spell before she fell into this state, did she not? Perhaps she made a mistake when she used it?”

“That is unlikely!” Celestia said, her sharp tone surprising even herself. She moved to the unconscious unicorn and nuzzled her. But there were a thousand ways that it could have gone wrong. Maybe she used too much magic. She seemed pretty awake; at least I didn’t suspect she had been very fatigued. That doesn’t explain why she couldn’t wake up with even the healing spell. Or maybe it was the effects of lack of sleep and the magic usage combined…

If Luna had been surprised at Celestia’s outburst, she didn’t show it, instead giving her sister a hug. “I’m sure that we can find a way to save her, ‘Tia, but you should rest; you looked tired… I’ll go look up something about the failed researches in the archives. If you need me, just send another note, all right?”

“Thank you, Luna,” the solar goddess murmured.

Luna stretched amidst a small of mountain of scrolls, her limbs a bit stiff from sitting in the same position all night. She hadn’t found anything worth mentioning, which irked her, although the material on time travel had been scarce to begin with.

Sensing that it was time for her to lower the moon, she trotted to the window before she lit her horn, her mane rippling in her astral magic. Slowly the moon began to set, and she looked to the other side of the horizon, where the sun would be peeking out at any moment.

The sky remained dark. She frowned and glided off the balcony of her room to the tower next to hers. “Celestia! Time to raise the sun!” she said loudly, knocking on the floor-to-ceiling glass panes. Why hasn’t she raised the sun? Even if she’s worried over Twilight she shouldn’t be neglecting her duty!

She waited for a response for a few seconds, but there was none - so she slid open one of the windows and poked her head inside. “Celestia?” There was still no answer. The lunar princess frowned, and entered the room.

She found the alabaster alicorn on her bed; her mane was not flowing with the solar wind as it should be, but limp like a normal mane, draped over the pillows and the unicorn she was curled around. A purple dragon was asleep on the other side of the bed.

“Celestia! Wake up!” she said louder, shaking her sister. But Celestia lay still, her body motionless, just like the student she had been trying to save.

4: Following Our Goodbyes

Twilight took a slow step back, tilting her head at Chronas, who now looked the same age as the lavender unicorn. “You invented it?”

“Yes I did, all by myself too I might add.” The maroon mare sighed. “If only I'd known beforehoof that teleporting in a ‘different’ direction would lead to time travel…”

The lavender unicorn looked at Chronas with interest. “When I read the scroll, I went over the equations… but I would never have thought about combining the Parallel Equation with the Kaleidoscope Law. How did you come up with it?”

Chronas chuckled. “Like I said, teleportation in a ‘different’ direction… a lifetime of research had me thinking about how space inversion could be converted into time inversion.”

The younger unicorn cast her memory back to when she had used the spell, though the details of the time stream were vague. “Now that I think about it – it kind of reminded me of once when I was so excited about my diploma in astronomy that I teleported directly from my room into the princess’ chambers… even though it wasn’t really within my sight.”

“Frankly, I’m very impressed that you have the power to even make it work…” The mage trailed off, staring into the distance. “Even I only succeeded a few times, and that was with help, but each time left me so drained I felt like I was dying. I was simply unable to make any more improvements, and you know how dangerous an untested spell like that could be.”

Chronas moved over to her desk, and lit another candle. “Now, is there anything else you want to know? There is some research I want to finish off.”

Twilight nodded. “When I was outside, the world seemed to move around me…”

The mage took out some writing tools from a drawer. “Well, that happens every now and then, but you’ll get used to it – it’s not very severe in this area, but I’d advise against venturing too far.”

“Thank you for your help, Chronas-” Twilight’s stomach rumbled again, and Chronas looked up.

“You don’t have to eat here, either. Though you’ll feel it at first, it’ll go away after a while.” The magus smiled. “Maybe you could visit me again sometime.”

“I won’t take up more of your time then, see you!” Twilight smiled back and waved, trotting out the door.

A young, maroon filly waved back at her, before turning to the bookshelf and frowning, muttering something about the inconveniences of age shifting.

“Tia!” Luna stared at her sister’s limp form in her hooves, a pained expression upon her face, and then leaned in to nuzzle the unconscious alicorn. “Tia, wake up!”

What is wrong with her? The lunar princess did the first thing she could think of – send a pulse of magic into her sister’s body to check her vital signs. She gathered from the results that nothing was out of the ordinary, and frowned in confusion.

Why won’t she wake up? I need to wake her up! The younger princess gathered her magical energy into a bright ball, which reminded her of what her elder sister had told her about Twilight’s condition – “No! Luna, I used the Revivication Spell – even that did not work.”

She let the spell peter out, wrapping a foreleg around Celestia’s shoulders and hugging her closer. Even if it did not work on Twilight… I still have to try!

She created the ball of energy again, sinking it into Celestia’s chest. Then she waited for a few seconds, which drew into minutes, still not feeling the further, immense drain on her energy that would have followed if the spell had succeeded.

Luna slumped down, utterly frustrated. Twilight used the time travel spell, and fell unconscious several hours later. Celestia said it had something to do with time travel, and then she used the spell as well… The blue alicorn gasped. And now she’s unconscious…

She furrowed her brow in thought. The scant information I found corresponded with what Tia had said – a mage named Chronas tried to create a working time travel spell but failed, that was all.

But with Tia and Twilight both in the same condition after using the same spell… what should I do? Luna got to her hooves and started pacing. Her eyes fell on her sister’s desk, and on a whim she started flipping through the piles of parchment arranged on top of it. The topmost parchment on the second stack she skimmed through yielded results – it bore the exact equations and steps on how to cast the time travel spell.

I suppose I… The blue alicorn quickly pushed away the thought – from the evidence, time travel didn’t solve problems but rather caused them. She studied the glyphs for a few more minutes, and then put the parchment back on Celestia’s desk.

She moved back to the bed, thinking hard. And the sun still hasn’t been raised… if Tia doesn’t wake up soon I shall have to- She gulped. – take over her duties…

There was a knock on the door, interrupting her from her thoughts. She slowly lifted her hoof from Celestia’s shoulder before trotting to the door and opening it a crack. “Yes, what is it?”

A guard stood outside, snapping a salute before he spoke. “There is a group of ponies in the Grand Hall seeking audience with Princess Celestia, Your Majesty.”

“Show them to the throne room and tell them…” Luna glanced back to the bed at her sister, then back to the guard. “That Princess Celestia is currently indisposed, and that I will be granting them audience instead.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The guard saluted again and turned to canter down the stairs.

Luna sighed and closed the door, taking a few deep breaths. What should I tell them…? Although she had been relearning about the matters of state, she’d never had to deal with something as serious as this by herself. What would Tia do?

She composed herself and walked out, making her way down the tower, through a few corridors and more flights of stairs to the throne room. Quite a large number of ponies had gathered there, and it finally clicked that she had spent hours in her sister’s room – the sun not having risen yet was sure to be noticed by ponies everywhere.

She sat down on her throne, trying to maintain her composure. All those assembled bowed respectfully, and Luna inclined her head. “Please rise. It has come to my attention that you wished to speak to my sister. However, she is currently unavailable, so I will be granting you audience in her stead.” She gestured to the first pony in the queue. “You may speak.”

“Y-Your Majesty, we...” the pony stammered, “we had concerns about the sun being late to rise.”

The lunar goddess raised her voice so that she could be heard throughout the room. “For all of those inquiring on the sun-” All the ponies gathered raised their heads to look at her, and she suddenly felt very nervous. “The reason it has not risen yet is that my sister is feeling unwell and has been unable to do her duty.”

When none of the ponies so much as budged, she waved a hoof exasperatedly. “If any of you have further questions, you may speak.”

They looked up at her, some visibly trembling, and a silence hung in the room. Finally a mare made her way up to the front. “If I may ask, Your Majesty… for how long?”

“I… I am not sure myself…” Most ponies in the crowd gasped, and muttering broke out amongst them, growing louder and louder. She furrowed her brow.

“Are you certain that Princess Celestia is unable to speak to us?” A voice called out.

“Yes! I have told you that she is feeling unwell!” Luna’s patience was running out, and she reined her temper back with an effort. Why don’t they listen?

By then order had dissolved and many of the ponies were shaking their hooves, not bothering to keep their voices down.

“What about the sun? You cannot expect us to go for an indefinite period of time without it! It’s bad for business!”

“Is she truly sick?”

The crowd was now in a state of havoc, shouts ringing out from everywhere.

“Are you keeping her from performing her duties again?”

“Did you poison your sister?”

“Something dreadful has befallen the Princess of the Sun, and it was all due to her designs, I am sure of it!”

"ENOUGH!" The lunar goddess leapt to her hooves, shouting in the volume of the Royal Canterlot Voice, something she had refrained from doing ever since meeting her sister’s talented protégé. “Court is dismissed!”

The courtroom immediately fell silent, even the most agitated of ponies cowering down and trembling.

Luna took a few breaths to calm herself, then turned to the guards. “Guards, show them out.”

The guards saluted, though it seemed to the alicorn that some of them had doubts in their eyes, and started shepherding the ponies, now hushed, towards the entrance.

She then raised her voice again. “If it will ease your mind, I shall address all citizens of Canterlot in two hours on this matter. Spread the word.” Finishing her announcement, Luna almost bolted out of the room, racing back to Celestia’s room.

She flung open the door and slammed it, choking back a sob. “They – they hate me!” she shrieked, kicking a nearby cushion. “After last time… and after they finally started to trust me-”

She didn’t notice that Spike was already awake and curled up next to Twilight’s side. “Whoa, princess, why’re you-” He scrambled up, startled.

Luna ignored the purple dragon, sinking down on the ground next to the bed. “Why do you do this to me Tia?” she sobbed, holding her head in her hooves.

She rolled around, tears streaming down her face. “I am alone again… just like when I-!” Her breathing ragged, she continued bawling. “You two, why did you leave me all by myself? You’re the only ponies I could rely on… And now everypony – everypony hates me again!”

“I can’t, I can’t do this by myself…” She pounded her hooves on the ground. “Where did you go… come back… I need your help!”

Twilight stepped gingerly into the undergrowth, pushing away the weeds that grew in her path. She had decided to take a look at the temple, and the going grew tougher as she entered the forest, shrubs and creepers growing so densely that there was almost no space to maneuver.

Frowning, she used her magic to lift a large section of vines that hung before her like a heavy curtain. The eerie luminescence grew scarce, blocked by the plant growth as she went deeper, and she cast an illumination spell so that she could at least see her surroundings.

Hoping she hadn’t lost her sense of direction, she made her way towards where she had seen the temple from the outskirts of the town. The forest was lusher and the plants resembled those from warmer regions in Equestria than the previous one near the opening of the valley, but they were similar in the lack of animal life.

Twilight arduously pushed through the foliage, the snapping of twigs and rustle of leaves being the only sounds she could hear as she proceeded. Her efforts combining magic and physical exertion soon left her gasping for breath, but she couldn’t see if the temple was any closer due to the dense forest.

She yelped, her unkempt mane having caught on a gnarled branch. Straining her neck she tried to pull herself free, but it was only after a hard tug that she succeeded, and she winced as a tuft of her mane was torn off.

Cuts and bruises soon accumulated on her body as she forced her way through, but she tried to ignore them, gritting her teeth as her foreleg was nicked by yet another sharp object she hadn’t noticed. Just as she considered creating some sort of magical protection over herself, something solid sank deeply into her right hoof, sending pain rippling through her nerves like wildfire and causing her to cry out.

She quickly lifted the hoof up to her chest and directed her light at it, flinching: a thorn was wedged firmly within and the injury was already starting to throb with an intensity that made her tremble. Staring at it dumbly for several excruciating moments she finally gathered up her courage, and clamped onto it with her magic.

“ARRRGH!” she yelled, her eyes watering as she yanked the now crimson thorn out in a clean motion, sending it flying with such force that it went clean through a nearby tree.

Gingerly raising her hoof and lowering her gaze to it, she grimaced; blood trickled out the split tissue, the mere contact with the air making the wound sting.

She let out a shaky breath and carefully placed her hoof on the ground, but immediately pulled it up again, stumbling and crying out when the pain shot up her leg. It took her a few minutes of awkwardly hobbling around on her three good legs before she found a rhythm, and she looked before her despairingly.

Moving on three hooves was challenging enough without having to navigate the thick undergrowth of the forest as well, and she had wanted to conserve her magical energy, but faced with this new dilemma she came to the conclusion that she was going to have to use her magic beyond just lighting her surroundings.

Maybe I could just uproot the trees between here and the temple? No, that would take way too much energy… what about a blade? She remembered that her favorite fictional character, Daring Do, sometimes used a machete to cut through thick undergrowth in her jungle adventures, and decided that a thin magical blade would be a way to clear a path that was efficient enough.

With a flash of her horn she created a thin crescent of magenta energy slightly longer than her leg, and lowered it until it was near the ground. Slicing it sideways and removing a thick cluster of bushes, she continued forwards.

Limping after her magical construct, she soon discovered that she was able to keep her magic usage to a minimum because of the blade’s fine edge, cutting through the undergrowth with ease.

Finally, as she started to think the trees were never-ending, she broke into a clearing. The silvery illumination of the Underworld returned in force and Twilight dispersed her light spell, only keeping hold of the magenta crescent, and looked around.

The trees had grown in height deeper within the forest, the tallest about five to six stories high, and Twilight could see the temple. It was even larger than she had thought when she had seen it over the distance, the top of it towering over most of the trees.

The unicorn paused for a while to catch her breath and check on her hurt hoof. She then braced herself and limped to the other end of the clearing, entering the plant growth again. The going became easier the closer she got to the structure, which she was both surprised at and grateful for.

After a few minutes she could at last discern the rugged stone of the base of the temple, and then more of the building as she arrived in front of it. No longer needing the magical blade, she let it dissipate.

Several crumbled blocks of stone and marble lay scattered around the once magnificent structure, moss and creepers giving them a new tinge of green. Lofty pillars inlaid with intricate designs, which were partly erased by erosion, lined a terrace in front, and Twilight slowly made her way through it, marveling despite herself at the carvings on the marble columns.

A flight of stairs led her to a set of heavy double doors, one of which had collapsed, allowing her a way in. The hall she found herself in was quite spacious, with light shining through cracks in the walls and glinting off dust motes suspended in the still air. Damaged banisters lined the room, broken tiles and debris littering the floor, but there was a clear path through them indicating someone had been here before her.

Twilight gulped, hobbling further in along the hall and through an archway which led to a half circular room. Two narrow staircases on each side of the room formed a mirror image, curving around and then meeting at a landing on the second level. Before her was a wide platform with a variety of bottles, tubes and other apparatus. The opposite wall was made up of three curved panes of glass; the two on the right and left were cracked and stained with dust and filth, but the one in the center was whole and clear.

Twilight could see the forest that surrounded the temple through the glass, and she frowned. Shuffling forward to inspect the items on the platform, she discovered that most of them were free of dust and seemed functional. She glanced over her shoulder nervously, wary now that there was more than one sign that another being had been in the temple – possibly even visited frequently.

She looked around again and then limped up the stairs, which were luckily still intact. The landing led to three doorways: two rooms side by side in the back, and one doorway that led to the front.

She examined the two smaller rooms first, poking her head through the doorjambs; both of them held remains of statues shattered so completely that it was impossible to tell what they were of before except for the occasional limb here and there. The walls were dark and dingy, the marble stands of the statues smashed. Twilight shivered, backing away.

The third door was in good condition, standing out against the state of ruin of the previous two. The unicorn stared at it suspiciously before pushing it with her magic. It swung open soundlessly, something which unnerved her even more, but she steeled herself and cautiously trotted inside.

The brisk scent of wood pulp filled her nose, with a fresh tang like crushed pine leaves. She took a breath, deeply inhaling the smell of thousands of tomes and scrolls, a smell she had been familiar with, and loved, since fillyhood. A small, continuous sound made her flick her ears and she furrowed her brow.

Tall mahogany shelves stood in neat rows, and as Twilight took a few paces towards them the faint wisps of sound grew more audible – it was music, long melancholy notes of organs. She tensed as the melody washed over her and glanced through the aisles around her, but the music was coming from further within.

“H-hello? Anypony here…?” she called out. The music was suddenly cut off, leaving only silence in the room, which was broken again after a few seconds.

“Urgh, another fool.” The voice came from the back of the expansive room, carrying through the aisles and shelves. Although Twilight had expected it, the reply still made her jump. What was more, the voice was somehow familiar…

Before she could say anything else, a tall figure trotted out from behind a shelf. Twilight found herself locking gazes with an elegant mare whose coat was dark ebony, her catlike eyes a vivid turquoise.

They stared at each other, recognition solidifying the very air around them like ice. Twilight gaped, her expression almost comical, while the dark mare looked down at her stonily.

“Nightmare Moon?!” Twilight quickly put her injured hoof to the ground, trying to appear at least to be able to defend herself, but the motion only made her grimace in pain.

“My, my, what a pleasant surprise,” the alicorn drawled, recovering from the initial surprise. “So, someone finally did you in. Who was it?” She noticed Twilight’s wince and scowled. “Don’t tell me you bled to death.”

Twilight looked up at Nightmare Moon and shook her head, feeling her knees trembling.

“Then who?” she prompted when Twilight did not speak, narrowing her eyes. “I swear, if some pitiful mortal succeeded in killing you I will scream loud enough to be heard in the mortal plane.”

"I-I, well, it seems that I'm not exactly dead…" Twilight finally managed to stutter.

“Then my pride remains intact… or as intact as it can be, considering I was split from my better half by a group of inept foals.” The alicorn suddenly advanced on the unicorn, her horn flaring with her dark aura. “But if you’re not dead, perhaps I could rectify that, and salvage a bit of my pride in the process.”

Twilight quickly stumbled back, tensing and preparing to cast a shield spell, when Nightmare Moon abruptly stopped, her horn losing its glow, and tilted her head. “Now, if you're not dead then why are you here?”

“You can stop trying to distract me, Nightmare Moon, it’s not going to work!” Twilight stared at the dark mare, bracing herself for the attack she knew would be coming.

The obsidian alicorn simply looked at her with a bored expression before pointing at her injured hoof. “You can stop trying to be brave, my little pony – with an injury like that I could snuff you out before you even had a chance to react, let alone fight back. You remember how our last fight went, do you not?”

“Yes, I won!” Twilight replied, swallowing her fear.

Nightmare Moon reared her head and laughed. “Yes, you did.” And with that she turned to walk away.

Twilight stared at the ebony mare, nonplussed. “You mean… you’re not going to attack me?” she ventured uncertainly.

The alicorn stopped and sighed. “I could… but what would be the point?” She glanced back at the unicorn over her shoulder. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I,” Twilight started to say, but then faltered. “I don’t know.”

“Then, how did you come here?”

“I don’t know that either…”

Nightmare Moon turned back, snorting impatiently. “Let me put it this way – what is the last thing you remember before coming here?”

Twilight hesitated before saying miserably, “I… I was talking to Princess Celestia.”

At the name of the Goddess of the Sun Nightmare Moon’s expression darkened, and she snarled, bristling. Twilight quickly tensed again, despite the pain in her hoof, eyeing the obsidian mare warily.

Nightmare Moon took a few deep breaths before speaking, though she was still scowling deeply. “So it was she that sent you here.”

“What, n-no!” Twilight stammered, her ears flicking in unease.

“You are certainly not as bright as I thought you were when we last met – you say you don’t know how you got here, yet the last thing you remember is being by her side; it is obvious that she sent you here.”

Twilight felt her legs go weak and slumped heavily on the floor, staring dully into space, finally uttering the thought that had been torturing her. “I… I think she banished me.”

“Really?” The obsidian mare trotted forward a few steps and lay down in front of Twilight. “Pray tell, what did you do to deserve that?”

“I used a dangerous spell in the archives…”

“And you have obviously hurt many ponies with that spell.” Nightmare Moon chuckled, although there was no real mirth in it. “Wide scale destruction, perhaps?”

Twilight took a shuddery breath. “I could have.”

“What spell did you cast? How many ponies were affected by it?”

“A time travel spell…”

“I see. And did you try to take over the country?”

“No.”

“Then what did you do?”

“I wanted to warn myself in the past.”

The alicorn looked askance at her, her expression incredulous. “That does sound serious!” she exclaimed dramatically, her tone making it evident that she was mocking the unicorn. “What did you warn yourself about? Trying to avoid personal humiliation? Trying to save your parents from going on a terrible holiday? I’m sure she was so furious that she saw fit to banish you right away!”

Twilight looked away, frowning miserably. “I don’t want to tell you.”

“So I am just supposed to take your word for it that you did something bad which made her banish you?”

“I don’t… need your word. I just did.”

“But even then… she wouldn’t need a reason to send you here.” The alicorn sighed, and her expression grew morose. “I wonder how Luna is doing…”

Twilight remained silent for a few moments. “Why would you-” She looked away, then at Nightmare Moon again. “She’s doing pretty well.”

“Pffft. That’s what she kept telling herself over a thousand years ago. You do not really know how she’s doing, do you?”

“I think she’s still unused to life in modern times, but the last time we met… she had a great time!”

“Really?” The alicorn averted her eyes from Twilight’s, her expression torn between disbelief and hopefulness. “How can you be sure?”

“I talked with her, and showed her around when she visited our town, Ponyville, during a festival.”

“You’re lying!” Nightmare Moon stared at the unicorn for a few agonizing seconds, and then slumped. “You’re not lying…? She actually went out and visited another town?”

“It’s true! And while the ponies weren’t… used to seeing her at first, everypony had fun in the end!”

“They liked her…” The obsidian alicorn closed her eyes. “Maybe this was all for the best, then.”

Twilight blinked. “What was for the best?”

“That I was defeated, sent here. Tell me, do you know what I am?” the dark mare asked morosely.

“I don’t know… but I’d like to.” Twilight looked up at Nightmare Moon.

“I am – was a dream of Luna. She thought me up because she was lonely. I made it my purpose to help her… and make sure that she was loved.”

“Well she is, now…”

“I twisted Luna. She did not want to be lonely, so she made me up, gave me life. I told her, promised her that other ponies should love her as well…” The alicorn took a shuddery breath. “But after a century of listening to her, her crying… whining, I had had enough – and I became her Nightmare. Nightmare Moon.” She almost spat out the words. “Do you know why that – that tyrant banished not only me, but also Luna, her own sister?”

“She… she did that because you refused to lower the moon!”

“That was my idea, and Luna disagreed with it. I could tell she regretted it, fighting me to take control of her body again, but by then it was too late.” The alicorn clenched her teeth.

Twilight shuddered, clutching her hooves to her body as Nightmare Moon moved closer and lowered her head to gaze into the unicorn’s eyes.

“Celestia didn’t even care about Luna. And this brings us back to what I said… she wouldn’t need an excuse to send you here.” Nightmare Moon looked down at the smaller mare, her eyes glinting. “As soon as she has no more use for you, or when you disagree with her, she simply forgets about you – or banishes you.”

“But, but… she wouldn’t do that!” The lilac unicorn almost choked on her words. “I did do something wrong… that’s why she banished me!”

“And I did something wrong as well. But Luna was innocent. And yet Celestia still banished her!”

“That’s – I don’t believe you…”

“I didn’t think you would.” The alicorn snorted. “You have long been brainwashed by her. Do you really think Luna was guilty of the things I did for her? Do you really think she should have been punished for things that she didn’t do?”

“Princess Celestia wouldn’t do that!” At the continued accusations of her mentor, tears started to well up in Twilight’s eyes, and she hid her face with her good hoof. Princess Celestia isn’t like that!

“Tell me then!” Nightmare leaned forward, almost pressing her muzzle to Twilight’s. “You banished me here, yet you saved Luna, without even being sure of her existence. Why did Celestia not do that a millennium ago?”

Twilight shook her head, sobbing, unable to find the words to speak.

“Luna didn’t even know of most of the things I planned to do. Do you think a pony should be condemned for something they didn’t know?”

“Well… I should be… I’m her student, I should know much more than I do, but I don’t! That’s also something I did wrong… I’m a failure!” Twilight pressed her face close to the alicorn and bawled into Nightmare’s chest.

The alicorn glared at the smaller mare, but then draped a wing over the sobbing unicorn’s back. “You don’t get to say that. You beat me more easily than I would ever have thought possible… I did not lose to a ‘failure.’”

“But that was – my friends helped.”

“Your friends did not beat me,” Nightmare growled. “You did.”

“Urgh! Why does everypony think it was me? They always forget my friends…”

“You did something nopony managed to do for over a millennium – you unlocked the Elements.”

“I suppose…” Twilight trailed off. “But I was lucky.”

“Lucky?” the dark mare repeated incredulously. “Lucky? How do you manage to come up with nonsense like that? In what part of our encounter were you lucky?”

Twilight looked down. “Look, I’m just a unicorn… a banished unicorn. I…” She pulled herself from under the alicorn’s wing, onto her three good hooves, and trudged to the shelves. “It’s not really important anymore. Even if I’m not dead yet, I’ll die soon enough… and there’s no way out… so I’ll be spending all my time here, which means I should probably find something to do.”

Nightmare looked at the retreating unicorn, opening her mouth then closing it again, her ears flicking in every direction. “Twilight Sparkle?” she finally said hesitantly.

Twilight turned back to face the alicorn, and Nightmare continued after taking a deep breath: “Truth be told… there is a way out for you… you are not dead.”

“How?” The lilac mare asked hopefully, but then her expression grew more subdued. “But I’d be defying the princess if I…” She paused. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I just thought…” Nightmare Moon shook her head. “Never mind.” She trotted past the aisles and disappeared.

Twilight stood there, confused, and then followed the alicorn’s path to the back of the room, where she found the dark mare curled up on a cushion. A record player stood nearby, which Twilight realized was the source of the music she had heard upon entering.

“Nightmare Moon?” she asked cautiously. “Could you please… tell me more about it?”

“Well… obviously you will have to find your way to the mortal plane.” The ebony mare waved a hoof. “You should have noticed that the lack of ponies here apart from myself and another – this is, in truth, more or less a limbo plane of the Underworld… but due to its inconsistent nature even I have yet to find where we meet with the mortal plane, not to mention the rest of the Underworld. You will need to find that place, and it will definitely be a long journey… that’s all I know.”

Twilight nodded slightly. “So then I might not be able to find it either… but I’m going to try.”

The obsidian alicorn looked up at her forlornly. “If… you do manage to get out…” She sighed. “Will you tell Luna I’m happy for her?”

Twilight was a bit shocked by the vulnerability in the alicorn’s voice, but then she smiled hesitantly. “Yes, yes of course.”

“I am glad.” The dark mare glanced up. “If you want to get out while you’re still alive, you had better get going.”

“Thank you, it was… nice… meeting you.”

“Good luck, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight nodded then slowly limped back out, but not before looking back at the alicorn one last time, as the ebony mare lit up her horn to turn on the record player, mournful notes floating into the air like the sighs of lost dreams.

Celestia’s room was silent, Luna’s sobs having long since ceased. The lunar princess sat by her sister’s side, her eyes red and puffy. She silently stared at the alabaster alicorn for a while before placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m…” She gulped. “I’m going to go out, Tia… you come back safely.”

She rose to her hooves, finally addressing Spike. “Take care of them while I’m gone, would you?” she said softly.

“Of course, princess, you can count on me!” The baby dragon nodded and waved as Luna trotted out the door.

The younger princess made her way up to the lofty balcony from which she would address her subjects. She steeled herself and trotted onto it, out under the still starry sky. Gazing out at the veritable herd of ponies assembled, she cleared her throat.

“Citizens of Canterlot! It is with regret that I inform you that my sister has fallen ill and will not be able to perform her duties this day. I will be taking over her responsibilities until she is well again.”

She watched the ponies for their reactions, and saw some of them nodding, but others were murmuring amongst themselves, looking up at her with distrust.

Suddenly a shriek rang out, followed by commotion. “Usurper!”

Shouting and trampling started in the crowd, and Luna felt the hiss of angry voices like daggers in her chest.

“It’s Nightmare Moon!”

“Don’t believe her! How could Princess Celestia be unwell? Isn’t she a goddess?”

The alicorn shook her head, and she could feel beads of sweat gathering on her brow. “No, dear citizens! Do not panic! I am no longer-”

“You’ve always been planning to hurt the princess ever since you came back, haven’t you?”

“Run for your lives!”

“No, no! I…” Luna looked down, and suddenly she was shaking, tears welling up in her eyes again. They don’t trust me, they never have… and they’re still the same! Sun lovers!

“You should never have come back from the moon!”

With that, something snapped in Luna, like her heart had been ripped out by dozens of barbed hooks. She reared up, her eyes glowing in her midnight blue aura. “SILENCE!”

She cast her astral magic to the cosmos, searching, almost desperately, for the sun. She had never been attuned to her sister’s celestial object, and had never been able to imagine what it had been like for her sister to raise the both of them.

The sun was a dazzling blaze in her magical senses, almost blinding her with the intensity of its glow. She reached out with her magic – and immediately pulled back as if scalded. It was too scorching for her to bear, and the contact alone made her feel as if her horn were singed, damaged to the point she would not be able to use magic again. I – I can’t do this! It’s too large, it’s impossible…

Images of her sister lying on the bed with Twilight resurfaced in her mind, and she clenched her jaw, a tendon standing out on her neck from the strain. If she could do it for a thousand years…

She poured her magic steadily out into the sun, so much that she felt she was losing her hold on her physical body and even her mind, with what little energy that remained inside. Tears streamed down her face but she ignored the pain, every muscle in her body tensing as she pushed, with every drop of strength that she had. It should be just like the moon… it should be just like the moon… she repeated to herself urgently.

With one last, colossal heave of her energy, the sun slowly started to budge. Luna held the connection, hoping, trying to have faith in herself. She cracked an eye open, looking to the horizon.

Rays of light were shining into the night sky, dark purple merging with a lighter lilac, then a deep crimson as she raised the fiery globe. Its ascent was steady as Luna’s link with it grew stronger, and although she was unsure if she would be able to do it again, she knew she would keep trying until Celestia came back.

The last thing she heard before she slumped down on the floor with her eyes closed, was the cheering of the crowd, and the chanting of her name.