Losing Harmonyby Philonius PhilChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Chapter 1 Celestia sat up in her bed, drenched in sweat. She checked the time and sighed, just past midnight. It was going to be another sleepless night; an endless sea of memories hadn’t allowed her a peaceful nights sleep in years. She felt a breeze through the balcony window as she got up, the chill of the night air stinging against her body. She walked over to it, peering over the edge. The landscape was gently lit; the moon was encompassed by the same enthusiastic glow it had had before...before she had banished Luna. She couldn’t help but stare, it was mesmerizing, enchanting, as if nothing could go wrong with it guarding the night. She closed the window and went about lighting a new fire; winter was approaching and the castle had yet to be insulated. After wrapping herself in her covers, she headed to her desk; if she couldn’t get any sleep she might as well get some work done. Twilight was supposed to be arriving in Canterlot tomorrow to discuss the new duties she would be taking on as a princess of Equestria. She worried about how Twilight would handle the pressures of governing, she needed to be eased into it, especially with how her mind was prone to cracking under stress. But she knew she could handle it with a little bit of guidance and the support of her friends, after all, she had earned this position, proven that she was capable of handling Equestria’s fate time and again. A draft snuffed the candle on Celestia’s desk, making the parchment she had been writing on too dark to see. She looked to the window, the moon was no longer visible, dark clouds now in its stead; they weren’t due clouds for another few days. She relit the candle and resumed her work, she would have a talk with Cloudsdale later about keeping to the schedule. The clock ticked, second after second, Celestia’s ears twitching to each one. A minute went by. Then another. Celestia sat at her desk, her face blank and head drooped. She jumped up, the sound of a bell reverberated throughout her room. It was one in the morning. She walked to the fireplace and stood there, watching the flames as they danced about. There was a cold splash on her neck and she flinched. She wiped it off, it was...water. Another. Then several. They stopped. A little white flake gently drifted down and settled on her nose. She took in a deep breath, and as she breathed out a slight mist had become visible. She shivered, it was probably just Luna pulling a prank on her. The flakes had started clumping together into snow. “Alright Luna that’s enough, you’ve had your fun, now fix everything.” A gust of wind extinguished the fire. “Luna, I swear if you don’t fix this now, I will pay you back tenfold.” The snow was coming down at a steady rate now. “Luna?” A gust of wind blew open the balcony window. Celestia jerked back. “Guard I need you, come in here.” No response. She slowly made her way to the door. “Guard?” She looked back, her room was blanketed in white. “Sergeant Stormwing?” She put her hoof up to the door, it burst open, letting the storm in her room flow out into the corridor. The hallway was shrouded in black, not a single one of the torches lining the walls lit. “Is anypony there?” She lit up her horn, no guard was in sight. Several moments passed by, when the sound of hoofsteps began echoing from down the hall, slowly, one at a time. A faint blue glow emerged from the spiral stairs, emanating from a shrouded figure. He stopped moving, just standing there with a black hood over his head, staring at Celestia. “Who are you?!” Celestia yelled, “Answer me!” The dark figure walked towards her. “I’m warning you, I will not hold back if you approach me any further!” she warned, her horn glowing. There was no response, the figure just continued. “I don’t want to hurt you.” She could now see it well enough to make it out to be the shape of a pony. “So be it.” She let out a blast of light from her horn, illuminating the hallway. A small explosion lifted dust and rubble into the air. The cloud settled, the shrouded figure still there, without a mark on him. He stepped forward, taking his time with each step. She tried another spell, but her magic passed straight through the figure. “Get away from me,” she yelled, backing away from it. Celestia was preparing to teleport away, when she was interrupted by the feel of an icy touch from behind, “It’s good to see you again Celestia, it’s been far too long,” a voice whispered into her ear. The figure in front of Celestia had vanished into the air. Her body stiffened. “You…how?” “How did I recover from your betrayal you mean?” “You were a threat to the safety of Equestria, and I did what had to be done to ensure the safety of my little ponies.” She turned to face him, he hadn’t aged a bit. “Is that what you think you accomplished by putting me through that hell!? Well it doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that I’m back, and this time, you’ll be powerless to stop me.” “Like I’d just let you—“ “My dear Celestia, I don’t think you understand your situation. What I’m saying is you’re not going to be around to stop me. In fact, you’re not going to make it past the night; everypony must pay the price for their actions, don’t you remember saying that to me once? Well that includes you.” Celestia jumped back, her horn glowing. He just smiled. The faint blue glow encased his body. His horn and eyes started giving off the same blue glow. “Goodbye, Celestia.” *** Luna sat at the balcony, tapping her hooves impatiently on the ground. The sun was late, and she was tired. Celestia must have overslept. She headed for Celestia’s room. The castle was beginning to wake up, the bustle of everypony’s morning routines filling the great halls. As she drew closer she noticed a guard collapsed on the ground. “Guard, are you alright?” When he didn’t respond she knelt beside him, touching him with her hoof. His body was cold…and stiff. She alerted some nearby guards she had passed on the way, before she ran towards her sister’s room, several more collapsed guards lining the hallways. When she reached the final corridor heading towards Celestia’s room, she noticed the door was cracked open. “Celestia, what happened, are you alright?” she asked, almost slipping as she lost her footing. The floor was iced over. When she didn’t get an answer she pushed her way through the door. Inside the room, furniture was scorched and strewn about, tables turned and chairs broken. Her hoofs sank into snow. She picked up what looked like a piece of one of Celestia’s bedposts. It shattered into icy shards in her grasp. Luna gasped when she spotted her sister. She was spread out on the floor, buried under a blanket of snow, her hair no longer flowing. Luna rushed to her side. Celestia’s eyes were wide open, empty, staring into nothingness. Her body was pale, even the coloring in her hair was faded. Luna collapsed, trembling, tears welling up in her eyes. She called out, her voice reverberating, “GUARDS! I NEED A MEDIC!” She lightly touched Celestia’s face, withdrawing immediately; Celestia’s body wasn’t just cold. Tears streamed down Luna’s eyes, her body shaking. A few guards rushed in with a medic. She embraced her sister’s body, the warmth of her own fracturing the frozen corpse. Chapter 2Chapter 2 Twilight sat on a wooden seat, the clacking of wheels filling the passenger car. It was empty except for her, Cadence, and a small detachment of crystal guards. “Cadence, I just…I don’t think I’m ready for this.” Cadence was sitting across from her with a gentle smile on her face. “Twilight, you’ve been the most wonderful friend a girl could ask for, ever since I first foalsat for you. You’re talented, you’re kind, and you’ve got the support of your friends. Of course you’re ready.” “But I’ve never had this kind of responsi—“ “You defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Luna in the process. You defeated Discord when nopony else could. You prevented Chrysalis from taking over Canterlot and rescued me! Do I need to go on?” “Yes, but I don’t know the first thing about ruling, or politics, or any of that. I don’t want to be a princess, I never did. I don’t want the responsibility and I definitely don’t want everypony to start treating me differently.” “Don’t worry. You’re friends aren’t going to abandon you, you’ll have me there to help with your transition, and Celestia isn’t going to stop helping you just because you’re a princess. So relax, everything is going to be fine.” Cadence rested her head back. “Now I’m going to get some rest before we get to Canterlot. You should do the same. You’ve got a big day.” Twilight shifted in her seat, looking out the window. She knew Cadence was probably right, but what if she let everypony down? What if she was seen as the worst princess ever? Or worse, the worst pony ever. What if she single-hoofedly caused the fall of Equestria, and was considered an outcast, or a traitor? What if— “Twilight, stop working yourself into a frenzy!” Cadence said, “I can see it in your eyes.” Twilight sighed and laid her head down, her eyes drifting shut. Perhaps a little rest before they arrived would help calm her down. *** A silver pegasus, clad in black armor, was lying atop a ridge overlooking a small encampment. He found the cool night’s sand and countless stars in the sky calming. The moon was full as well, providing just the right amount of light for their operation. Another pony crawled up beside him, whispering, “Captain Steelwing, all our men are in position.” “Good work Lieutenant, now make us silent.” With that, the other pony’s horn glowed, enveloping the dozen ponies lining the ridge in a soft black aura. Steelwing took flight, prompting several other pegasi to do the same, and motioned for everypony to get ready. He and the other pegasi glided silently through the air until they were well above the camp, and drew their swords. There were a few earth ponies on lookout, guarding the entrances to the camp. Steelwing and the other pegasi went into a free-fall. He aimed his sword at one of the guards. As he approached, he let his wings catch the air, slowing his descent, and readied his sword to stab down. Within seconds, the lookout had a sword through his neck, and Steelwing on top of him. The life faded from his eyes as he coughed up blood, and before long, he was dead. He looked up to check on the situation; each of the pegasi had hit their marks, killing each of the lookouts. The rest of his squad charged in, running into the tents to dispatch the sleeping ponies while he made his way to where the leader slept. Two pegasi followed, the sound of muffled screams filling the air behind them. Steelwing burst through the tent door. He made his way to the sleeping earth pony, ripped him from his bed, and threw him down on the floor. The pony jolted awake, his eyes darting around before he was gagged by the two pegasi that had followed Steelwing. “So we finally meet,” Steelwing said in a gruff voice. The other pegasi held his face against the floor. “I’ve been tracking your group for a while now. I hear you and your little friends have been scheming lately.” He walked over to a desk, eyeing some of the papers that were laid on it. “In fact I’ve already dispatched of several other of your group’s camps.” He turned back and crouched in front of him, staring into his eyes as he brought his hoof up to the pony’s chin. “Did you really think you’d be safe all the way out here in the Gryphon Kingdoms? Did you really think that you would be out of our reach by going overseas?” The pony struggled to get up, but the pegasi just slammed their hoofs into him harder, dropping him to the ground. Steelwing stood up again as he said, “We don’t take kindly to those who would disrupt harmony for personal gain. And I personally dislike individuals who would harm innocent ponies as a means to an end.” He gave a nod and the two pegasi lifted him up and ungagged him. “Now, with all that said I have a duty to ensure balance is kept and harmony maintained, and I can’t do that without your help. So regardless of what I’d like to do to you, I’ll make you a deal. You give me what I need, and we’ll let you rot in the Canterlot dungeons instead of killing you on the spot. Deal?” The pony looked up at him and spit. “No.” One of the pegasi punched him in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood. Steelwing glared at him before shouting, “You and the rest of your friends at the Earth Pony Liberation Front have been meeting with the Gryphons. Why?!” “Go to hell.” Steelwing nodded again. They turned him around and punched him in the face. He could hear the sound of his jawbone cracking. “You have to know the Gryphons would never risk war with Equestria, not as long as they depend on it for their weather! Are they supplying you?! Are they training you?! Or is it something else?” He averted his gaze, “I…don’t know.” “Oh really? In that case kill him, as slowly and painfully as you—” “Wait…,” he said, his head hanging. Steelwing’s eyes perked up. “I don’t know exactly what’s happening, we only hear rumors. I just know there’s supposed to be something big going down, something game changing.” His eyes narrowed, confidence returning to his voice as he said in disgust, “Something that will finally rid us of Equestrian oppression.” The Lieutenant walked in, carrying a letter. “Captain, we’ve received a royal notice.” “Very well.” He looked at the pony, now on the ground just holding his sides. “Thank you for your cooperation. Do make sure he finds his way to the Canterlot dungeons, I hear they’re lovely this time of year.” The pegasi dragged the earth pony out of the tent to be processed with any other survivors. “What does it say?” “It appears you’re needed in Canterlot immediately. An emergency council has been convened.” Steelwing’s eyes widened. “Really? Does it say what for?” “No, just that it pertains to a highly sensitive matter and that all high level officials are to report as soon as physically possible.” “Very well. Before I head off, did we suffer any casualties?” “No sir, the mission went off without a hitch.” “Thank you Lieutenant. Gather the rest of the unicorns, they’ll teleport me to Canterlot. In my absence you’ll take command and finish things up here, make sure to mop up any signs of our presence before heading back to base. I’ll give you further orders when I know more.” “Roger sir.” *** Twilight stepped off the train, Cadence just behind her. A group of guards approached them. “Princess Twilight, Princess Cadence,” one of the guards said, nodding to each one, “We’ve been sent to escort you two to the castle.” “What? Why?” Twilight asked. Cadence responded, “You’re a princess now, they’re here to make sure you’re safe. You’ll probably be assigned your own group of royal guards later today.” Twilight and Cadence approached Canterlot castle, the number of guards increasing the closer they got. Twilight questioned the guard leading them, “What’s going on here, why are there so many more guards than usual?” “We’ve been put on high alert.” “Did something happen? Was another threat made?” “I don’t know Princess, they’ve yet to inform us of the reasons.” Twilight looked around. There were hundreds of guards lining the walls and streets, all standing at attention. When they reached the entrance to the castle, she saw guards searching ponies trying to enter. “What’s going on here? Why are they being stopped?” The guard responded, “Captain Shining Armor’s orders. All ponies requesting access to the castle are required to be searched until further notice.” As they approached, the ponies guarding the entrance snapped to attention and saluted, standing aside to make way as Twilight and Cadence passed through. Inside they were greeted by Luna. Her eyes were bloodshot, her head downtrodden, her expression solemn. “What’s wrong, Princess Luna? And why isn’t Celestia here to greet us?” asked Twilight. “Twilight, I…I…” her voice quivered, tears forming in her eyes, “It mustn’t be discussed here in the open. Let us depart to the Royal Council Chamber. I’ve gathered the heads of state there. We need to discuss our next steps.” Chapter 3Chapter 3 Luna led Twilight and Cadence through the great halls. Her voice was tired, lacking its usual enthusiasm, “We will try our best to get you up to speed as was originally intended, Twilight, however there are important matters that must be attended to.” “You still haven’t told us what happened,” Twilight said. Luna sighed. “All will be made clear soon, Twilight. Just know that I’m…truly sorry.” Her head hanged a bit, her eyes downtrodden. It must have been something bad to have put Luna into such a state, but what, she couldn’t even imagine. As they continued through the castle Twilight looked around. She counted more royal guards than there had been during even the changeling threat. “I never realized there were so many,” she mumbled to herself. Cadence piped in, “Yep, that’s because there’s usually only a small part of the guard on duty.” “Right now, however, we can take no risks,” Luna interrupted. “Is my brother here as well, Princess Luna?” Twilight asked. “Yes, he teleported here this morning to coordinate the changes being made to royal guard protocols. He is already aware of the situation and will not be at the meeting.” Twilight’s eyes drifted upwards, her mouth agape, as they approached a double-door. It was as tall as the ceiling and had a guard to each side. The guards’ horns lit up and the doors slowly opened, filling the hall with the sound of heavy stone sliding against the floor. On the other side of the doorway emerged the sounds of ponies conversing. Luna spoke, “Welcome to the Royal Council Chamber, Twilight, used for all matters of importance, and especially those that are not for the common ear. It is warded against any who would wish to eavesdrop.” As they entered, the conversation stuttered to a halt and the ponies bowed. Twilight looked around, noticing there was a large oval table in the center with the cutie marks of Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and herself all imprinted on it. There weren’t any windows, the only light coming from torches lining the walls. A deep echo resounded throughout the room as the doors behind them shut. “Please, arise,” Luna commanded, prompting everypony in the room to return to what they were doing. She looked to Twilight, “Twilight, these are our heads of state. They are responsible for many of the daily functions of the Equestrian government, and for advising us on a variety of matters.” “I thought you and Celestia had control over everything.” She flinched at the mention of Celestia’s name. “The princesses’ of Equestria maintain the final say in all matters, however there is far too much to do for us to handle it alone, and that is where these ponies come in.” She led Twilight around, introducing her to everypony. Eventually, they came across two ponies conversing in a corner. “Twilight, here we have Ms. Rainfall, the head of all weather operations in and out of Equestria.” Rainfall, a pegasus, barely glanced at Twilight, her eyes dull. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Princess Sparkle,” she said, “I’m sure you’ll be a great boon to our government.” “Thank you Ms. Rainfall,” Twilight responded, “I just hope I don’t get in the way.” Rainfall allowed a brief smile, but mumbled something under her breath when Twilight turned away. Luna continued, the next pony being a unicorn. “And this is Silver Heart. He is responsible for all agricultural and trade oversight.” “A pleasure Princess Sparkle,” he said with a smirk. He brought his mouth close to her ear, whispering, “Perhaps once you’ve settled into your new role we can discuss some...policies...which could benefit the both of us.” “Um, I don’t—” “Are these political diamond dogs trying to get you into their pockets, Princess?” said a deep voice from behind. A black-coated unicorn in formal military attire walked up. His mane was a shade of grey, and his eyes a weathered stone-gray. The other two glared at him. “I’m not sure what you mean,” Twilight said. He let out a bellowing laugh. “Don’t worry then, I’ll protect you from these political scavengers.” Luna interjected, her voice an annoyed monotone, “And of course we cannot forget our esteemed military commander of the Equestrian Legion. Responsible for the defense of our borders and the protection of our lands from the hostile creatures dwelling in Equestria,” she let out a sigh, “Twilight, this is General Midnight Rain.” He brought his hoof in front of his chest, bowing his head. “At your service, though you’ll hopefully never need any of my services. Truly, it is great to finally meet you. Celestia never stops raving about her prized pupil, though I suppose you are pupil no longer.” “Thank you, Mr. Rain,” Twilight said. He chuckled a bit. Luna whispered into Twilight’s ear, “It is customary for military officials to be addressed by their rank.” Twilight blushed at that. “I’m sorry, general.” “It’s quite alright. So, Princess Luna, what exactly is this meeting about? There hasn’t been an emergency council session in decades.” “Soon, I believe we are waiting on just one more.” The doors opened again, and a pegasus in black armor entered the room. He walked to where they were standing, giving a customary bow, “Princesses. I apologize for my lateness, I was…dealing with certain issues overseas.” He stood back up. “Ah, I see we have a new face since the last time I was in Equestria.” “This is Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “It is good to meet you Princess, I’ve heard a lot about you, and I must say I’m impressed at how well you’ve handled yourself with the situations you’ve been pushed into.” He grabbed her hoof and gently kissed it. Twilight averted her gaze, blushing. “I impress you?” she said lightly. “Of course. The feats you’ve accomplished are more than most ponies will in their lifetime.” Luna cut in, “Twilight, this is Captain Steelwing of the Sentinels.” “Charmed,” he said as he gave another bow. Twilight asked, “What are the Sentinels?” Steelwing grew a grin, his voice enthusiastic. “We are responsible for maintaining harmony and balance throughout the world, fighting evil doers and all those who would see the world burn. We operate mostly in the shadows, though. While our existence isn’t exactly a secret, most ponies don’t have a clue we exist.” Midnight Rain gave a pointed stare to Steelwing. “A ragtag band of cutthroats without any sense of loyalty or honor is what they are.” “General, you wound me, we have both loyalty and honor. Just because they’re not to your liking or preference doesn’t mean they’re non-existent.” “I don’t understand,” said Twilight, her eyebrows furrowed. Steelwing responded, “We are an independent organization. We renounce all former loyalties to take up the cause of the greater good. Our primary loyalty is to maintaining harmony in the world.” He smiled at Luna. “What do you say we get this show on the road? I’m sure everypony is eager to hear what it is you pulled us from all around the world back to Canterlot for.” Luna sighed, “Yes, I suppose it is time.” She spoke up, projecting her voice throughout the room, “Mares and gentlecolts, please take your seats. It is time for us to begin this session.” Twilight and the others gathered around Luna at the table. She was frowning, and took a deep breath before speaking. “It is with a heavy heart, that I must declare, the dea—“ Luna choked on her words. She hung her head low as she shut her eyes, tears building up. “It is with a heavy heart—“ she pressed her hoofs against the table, trembling, “—t-that I—“ her voice quivered, her eyes glistening, “—must announce—“ She paused. Tears streamed down her face. “That Celestia is dead!” Everypony was silent, their mouths and eyes wide open. Luna broke down, her head buried between her hoofs, the table wet from her tears. Twilight just sat there staring into nothing, her mouth agape, her eyes empty. There was stunned silence throughout the room, except for the lonely sound of a single mare crying. Almost a minute went by with nopony making a move. Twilight shakily rose from her seat, her head low, and her eyes holding back tears. Slowly she walked over to where Luna was crying, barely able to get one hoof in front of the other. Luna looked up at Twilight. “I’m so sorry,” she said with a sob, her eyes bloodshot. Twilight threw her forelegs around her, holding Luna in a firm embrace. Luna wrapped her wings around Twilight, resting her head in Twilight’s shoulder, neither of them saying a word.
Chapter 1Chapter 1 Celestia sat up in her bed, drenched in sweat. She checked the time and sighed, just past midnight. It was going to be another sleepless night; an endless sea of memories hadn’t allowed her a peaceful nights sleep in years. She felt a breeze through the balcony window as she got up, the chill of the night air stinging against her body. She walked over to it, peering over the edge. The landscape was gently lit; the moon was encompassed by the same enthusiastic glow it had had before...before she had banished Luna. She couldn’t help but stare, it was mesmerizing, enchanting, as if nothing could go wrong with it guarding the night. She closed the window and went about lighting a new fire; winter was approaching and the castle had yet to be insulated. After wrapping herself in her covers, she headed to her desk; if she couldn’t get any sleep she might as well get some work done. Twilight was supposed to be arriving in Canterlot tomorrow to discuss the new duties she would be taking on as a princess of Equestria. She worried about how Twilight would handle the pressures of governing, she needed to be eased into it, especially with how her mind was prone to cracking under stress. But she knew she could handle it with a little bit of guidance and the support of her friends, after all, she had earned this position, proven that she was capable of handling Equestria’s fate time and again. A draft snuffed the candle on Celestia’s desk, making the parchment she had been writing on too dark to see. She looked to the window, the moon was no longer visible, dark clouds now in its stead; they weren’t due clouds for another few days. She relit the candle and resumed her work, she would have a talk with Cloudsdale later about keeping to the schedule. The clock ticked, second after second, Celestia’s ears twitching to each one. A minute went by. Then another. Celestia sat at her desk, her face blank and head drooped. She jumped up, the sound of a bell reverberated throughout her room. It was one in the morning. She walked to the fireplace and stood there, watching the flames as they danced about. There was a cold splash on her neck and she flinched. She wiped it off, it was...water. Another. Then several. They stopped. A little white flake gently drifted down and settled on her nose. She took in a deep breath, and as she breathed out a slight mist had become visible. She shivered, it was probably just Luna pulling a prank on her. The flakes had started clumping together into snow. “Alright Luna that’s enough, you’ve had your fun, now fix everything.” A gust of wind extinguished the fire. “Luna, I swear if you don’t fix this now, I will pay you back tenfold.” The snow was coming down at a steady rate now. “Luna?” A gust of wind blew open the balcony window. Celestia jerked back. “Guard I need you, come in here.” No response. She slowly made her way to the door. “Guard?” She looked back, her room was blanketed in white. “Sergeant Stormwing?” She put her hoof up to the door, it burst open, letting the storm in her room flow out into the corridor. The hallway was shrouded in black, not a single one of the torches lining the walls lit. “Is anypony there?” She lit up her horn, no guard was in sight. Several moments passed by, when the sound of hoofsteps began echoing from down the hall, slowly, one at a time. A faint blue glow emerged from the spiral stairs, emanating from a shrouded figure. He stopped moving, just standing there with a black hood over his head, staring at Celestia. “Who are you?!” Celestia yelled, “Answer me!” The dark figure walked towards her. “I’m warning you, I will not hold back if you approach me any further!” she warned, her horn glowing. There was no response, the figure just continued. “I don’t want to hurt you.” She could now see it well enough to make it out to be the shape of a pony. “So be it.” She let out a blast of light from her horn, illuminating the hallway. A small explosion lifted dust and rubble into the air. The cloud settled, the shrouded figure still there, without a mark on him. He stepped forward, taking his time with each step. She tried another spell, but her magic passed straight through the figure. “Get away from me,” she yelled, backing away from it. Celestia was preparing to teleport away, when she was interrupted by the feel of an icy touch from behind, “It’s good to see you again Celestia, it’s been far too long,” a voice whispered into her ear. The figure in front of Celestia had vanished into the air. Her body stiffened. “You…how?” “How did I recover from your betrayal you mean?” “You were a threat to the safety of Equestria, and I did what had to be done to ensure the safety of my little ponies.” She turned to face him, he hadn’t aged a bit. “Is that what you think you accomplished by putting me through that hell!? Well it doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that I’m back, and this time, you’ll be powerless to stop me.” “Like I’d just let you—“ “My dear Celestia, I don’t think you understand your situation. What I’m saying is you’re not going to be around to stop me. In fact, you’re not going to make it past the night; everypony must pay the price for their actions, don’t you remember saying that to me once? Well that includes you.” Celestia jumped back, her horn glowing. He just smiled. The faint blue glow encased his body. His horn and eyes started giving off the same blue glow. “Goodbye, Celestia.” *** Luna sat at the balcony, tapping her hooves impatiently on the ground. The sun was late, and she was tired. Celestia must have overslept. She headed for Celestia’s room. The castle was beginning to wake up, the bustle of everypony’s morning routines filling the great halls. As she drew closer she noticed a guard collapsed on the ground. “Guard, are you alright?” When he didn’t respond she knelt beside him, touching him with her hoof. His body was cold…and stiff. She alerted some nearby guards she had passed on the way, before she ran towards her sister’s room, several more collapsed guards lining the hallways. When she reached the final corridor heading towards Celestia’s room, she noticed the door was cracked open. “Celestia, what happened, are you alright?” she asked, almost slipping as she lost her footing. The floor was iced over. When she didn’t get an answer she pushed her way through the door. Inside the room, furniture was scorched and strewn about, tables turned and chairs broken. Her hoofs sank into snow. She picked up what looked like a piece of one of Celestia’s bedposts. It shattered into icy shards in her grasp. Luna gasped when she spotted her sister. She was spread out on the floor, buried under a blanket of snow, her hair no longer flowing. Luna rushed to her side. Celestia’s eyes were wide open, empty, staring into nothingness. Her body was pale, even the coloring in her hair was faded. Luna collapsed, trembling, tears welling up in her eyes. She called out, her voice reverberating, “GUARDS! I NEED A MEDIC!” She lightly touched Celestia’s face, withdrawing immediately; Celestia’s body wasn’t just cold. Tears streamed down Luna’s eyes, her body shaking. A few guards rushed in with a medic. She embraced her sister’s body, the warmth of her own fracturing the frozen corpse.
Chapter 2Chapter 2 Twilight sat on a wooden seat, the clacking of wheels filling the passenger car. It was empty except for her, Cadence, and a small detachment of crystal guards. “Cadence, I just…I don’t think I’m ready for this.” Cadence was sitting across from her with a gentle smile on her face. “Twilight, you’ve been the most wonderful friend a girl could ask for, ever since I first foalsat for you. You’re talented, you’re kind, and you’ve got the support of your friends. Of course you’re ready.” “But I’ve never had this kind of responsi—“ “You defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Luna in the process. You defeated Discord when nopony else could. You prevented Chrysalis from taking over Canterlot and rescued me! Do I need to go on?” “Yes, but I don’t know the first thing about ruling, or politics, or any of that. I don’t want to be a princess, I never did. I don’t want the responsibility and I definitely don’t want everypony to start treating me differently.” “Don’t worry. You’re friends aren’t going to abandon you, you’ll have me there to help with your transition, and Celestia isn’t going to stop helping you just because you’re a princess. So relax, everything is going to be fine.” Cadence rested her head back. “Now I’m going to get some rest before we get to Canterlot. You should do the same. You’ve got a big day.” Twilight shifted in her seat, looking out the window. She knew Cadence was probably right, but what if she let everypony down? What if she was seen as the worst princess ever? Or worse, the worst pony ever. What if she single-hoofedly caused the fall of Equestria, and was considered an outcast, or a traitor? What if— “Twilight, stop working yourself into a frenzy!” Cadence said, “I can see it in your eyes.” Twilight sighed and laid her head down, her eyes drifting shut. Perhaps a little rest before they arrived would help calm her down. *** A silver pegasus, clad in black armor, was lying atop a ridge overlooking a small encampment. He found the cool night’s sand and countless stars in the sky calming. The moon was full as well, providing just the right amount of light for their operation. Another pony crawled up beside him, whispering, “Captain Steelwing, all our men are in position.” “Good work Lieutenant, now make us silent.” With that, the other pony’s horn glowed, enveloping the dozen ponies lining the ridge in a soft black aura. Steelwing took flight, prompting several other pegasi to do the same, and motioned for everypony to get ready. He and the other pegasi glided silently through the air until they were well above the camp, and drew their swords. There were a few earth ponies on lookout, guarding the entrances to the camp. Steelwing and the other pegasi went into a free-fall. He aimed his sword at one of the guards. As he approached, he let his wings catch the air, slowing his descent, and readied his sword to stab down. Within seconds, the lookout had a sword through his neck, and Steelwing on top of him. The life faded from his eyes as he coughed up blood, and before long, he was dead. He looked up to check on the situation; each of the pegasi had hit their marks, killing each of the lookouts. The rest of his squad charged in, running into the tents to dispatch the sleeping ponies while he made his way to where the leader slept. Two pegasi followed, the sound of muffled screams filling the air behind them. Steelwing burst through the tent door. He made his way to the sleeping earth pony, ripped him from his bed, and threw him down on the floor. The pony jolted awake, his eyes darting around before he was gagged by the two pegasi that had followed Steelwing. “So we finally meet,” Steelwing said in a gruff voice. The other pegasi held his face against the floor. “I’ve been tracking your group for a while now. I hear you and your little friends have been scheming lately.” He walked over to a desk, eyeing some of the papers that were laid on it. “In fact I’ve already dispatched of several other of your group’s camps.” He turned back and crouched in front of him, staring into his eyes as he brought his hoof up to the pony’s chin. “Did you really think you’d be safe all the way out here in the Gryphon Kingdoms? Did you really think that you would be out of our reach by going overseas?” The pony struggled to get up, but the pegasi just slammed their hoofs into him harder, dropping him to the ground. Steelwing stood up again as he said, “We don’t take kindly to those who would disrupt harmony for personal gain. And I personally dislike individuals who would harm innocent ponies as a means to an end.” He gave a nod and the two pegasi lifted him up and ungagged him. “Now, with all that said I have a duty to ensure balance is kept and harmony maintained, and I can’t do that without your help. So regardless of what I’d like to do to you, I’ll make you a deal. You give me what I need, and we’ll let you rot in the Canterlot dungeons instead of killing you on the spot. Deal?” The pony looked up at him and spit. “No.” One of the pegasi punched him in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood. Steelwing glared at him before shouting, “You and the rest of your friends at the Earth Pony Liberation Front have been meeting with the Gryphons. Why?!” “Go to hell.” Steelwing nodded again. They turned him around and punched him in the face. He could hear the sound of his jawbone cracking. “You have to know the Gryphons would never risk war with Equestria, not as long as they depend on it for their weather! Are they supplying you?! Are they training you?! Or is it something else?” He averted his gaze, “I…don’t know.” “Oh really? In that case kill him, as slowly and painfully as you—” “Wait…,” he said, his head hanging. Steelwing’s eyes perked up. “I don’t know exactly what’s happening, we only hear rumors. I just know there’s supposed to be something big going down, something game changing.” His eyes narrowed, confidence returning to his voice as he said in disgust, “Something that will finally rid us of Equestrian oppression.” The Lieutenant walked in, carrying a letter. “Captain, we’ve received a royal notice.” “Very well.” He looked at the pony, now on the ground just holding his sides. “Thank you for your cooperation. Do make sure he finds his way to the Canterlot dungeons, I hear they’re lovely this time of year.” The pegasi dragged the earth pony out of the tent to be processed with any other survivors. “What does it say?” “It appears you’re needed in Canterlot immediately. An emergency council has been convened.” Steelwing’s eyes widened. “Really? Does it say what for?” “No, just that it pertains to a highly sensitive matter and that all high level officials are to report as soon as physically possible.” “Very well. Before I head off, did we suffer any casualties?” “No sir, the mission went off without a hitch.” “Thank you Lieutenant. Gather the rest of the unicorns, they’ll teleport me to Canterlot. In my absence you’ll take command and finish things up here, make sure to mop up any signs of our presence before heading back to base. I’ll give you further orders when I know more.” “Roger sir.” *** Twilight stepped off the train, Cadence just behind her. A group of guards approached them. “Princess Twilight, Princess Cadence,” one of the guards said, nodding to each one, “We’ve been sent to escort you two to the castle.” “What? Why?” Twilight asked. Cadence responded, “You’re a princess now, they’re here to make sure you’re safe. You’ll probably be assigned your own group of royal guards later today.” Twilight and Cadence approached Canterlot castle, the number of guards increasing the closer they got. Twilight questioned the guard leading them, “What’s going on here, why are there so many more guards than usual?” “We’ve been put on high alert.” “Did something happen? Was another threat made?” “I don’t know Princess, they’ve yet to inform us of the reasons.” Twilight looked around. There were hundreds of guards lining the walls and streets, all standing at attention. When they reached the entrance to the castle, she saw guards searching ponies trying to enter. “What’s going on here? Why are they being stopped?” The guard responded, “Captain Shining Armor’s orders. All ponies requesting access to the castle are required to be searched until further notice.” As they approached, the ponies guarding the entrance snapped to attention and saluted, standing aside to make way as Twilight and Cadence passed through. Inside they were greeted by Luna. Her eyes were bloodshot, her head downtrodden, her expression solemn. “What’s wrong, Princess Luna? And why isn’t Celestia here to greet us?” asked Twilight. “Twilight, I…I…” her voice quivered, tears forming in her eyes, “It mustn’t be discussed here in the open. Let us depart to the Royal Council Chamber. I’ve gathered the heads of state there. We need to discuss our next steps.”
Chapter 3Chapter 3 Luna led Twilight and Cadence through the great halls. Her voice was tired, lacking its usual enthusiasm, “We will try our best to get you up to speed as was originally intended, Twilight, however there are important matters that must be attended to.” “You still haven’t told us what happened,” Twilight said. Luna sighed. “All will be made clear soon, Twilight. Just know that I’m…truly sorry.” Her head hanged a bit, her eyes downtrodden. It must have been something bad to have put Luna into such a state, but what, she couldn’t even imagine. As they continued through the castle Twilight looked around. She counted more royal guards than there had been during even the changeling threat. “I never realized there were so many,” she mumbled to herself. Cadence piped in, “Yep, that’s because there’s usually only a small part of the guard on duty.” “Right now, however, we can take no risks,” Luna interrupted. “Is my brother here as well, Princess Luna?” Twilight asked. “Yes, he teleported here this morning to coordinate the changes being made to royal guard protocols. He is already aware of the situation and will not be at the meeting.” Twilight’s eyes drifted upwards, her mouth agape, as they approached a double-door. It was as tall as the ceiling and had a guard to each side. The guards’ horns lit up and the doors slowly opened, filling the hall with the sound of heavy stone sliding against the floor. On the other side of the doorway emerged the sounds of ponies conversing. Luna spoke, “Welcome to the Royal Council Chamber, Twilight, used for all matters of importance, and especially those that are not for the common ear. It is warded against any who would wish to eavesdrop.” As they entered, the conversation stuttered to a halt and the ponies bowed. Twilight looked around, noticing there was a large oval table in the center with the cutie marks of Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and herself all imprinted on it. There weren’t any windows, the only light coming from torches lining the walls. A deep echo resounded throughout the room as the doors behind them shut. “Please, arise,” Luna commanded, prompting everypony in the room to return to what they were doing. She looked to Twilight, “Twilight, these are our heads of state. They are responsible for many of the daily functions of the Equestrian government, and for advising us on a variety of matters.” “I thought you and Celestia had control over everything.” She flinched at the mention of Celestia’s name. “The princesses’ of Equestria maintain the final say in all matters, however there is far too much to do for us to handle it alone, and that is where these ponies come in.” She led Twilight around, introducing her to everypony. Eventually, they came across two ponies conversing in a corner. “Twilight, here we have Ms. Rainfall, the head of all weather operations in and out of Equestria.” Rainfall, a pegasus, barely glanced at Twilight, her eyes dull. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Princess Sparkle,” she said, “I’m sure you’ll be a great boon to our government.” “Thank you Ms. Rainfall,” Twilight responded, “I just hope I don’t get in the way.” Rainfall allowed a brief smile, but mumbled something under her breath when Twilight turned away. Luna continued, the next pony being a unicorn. “And this is Silver Heart. He is responsible for all agricultural and trade oversight.” “A pleasure Princess Sparkle,” he said with a smirk. He brought his mouth close to her ear, whispering, “Perhaps once you’ve settled into your new role we can discuss some...policies...which could benefit the both of us.” “Um, I don’t—” “Are these political diamond dogs trying to get you into their pockets, Princess?” said a deep voice from behind. A black-coated unicorn in formal military attire walked up. His mane was a shade of grey, and his eyes a weathered stone-gray. The other two glared at him. “I’m not sure what you mean,” Twilight said. He let out a bellowing laugh. “Don’t worry then, I’ll protect you from these political scavengers.” Luna interjected, her voice an annoyed monotone, “And of course we cannot forget our esteemed military commander of the Equestrian Legion. Responsible for the defense of our borders and the protection of our lands from the hostile creatures dwelling in Equestria,” she let out a sigh, “Twilight, this is General Midnight Rain.” He brought his hoof in front of his chest, bowing his head. “At your service, though you’ll hopefully never need any of my services. Truly, it is great to finally meet you. Celestia never stops raving about her prized pupil, though I suppose you are pupil no longer.” “Thank you, Mr. Rain,” Twilight said. He chuckled a bit. Luna whispered into Twilight’s ear, “It is customary for military officials to be addressed by their rank.” Twilight blushed at that. “I’m sorry, general.” “It’s quite alright. So, Princess Luna, what exactly is this meeting about? There hasn’t been an emergency council session in decades.” “Soon, I believe we are waiting on just one more.” The doors opened again, and a pegasus in black armor entered the room. He walked to where they were standing, giving a customary bow, “Princesses. I apologize for my lateness, I was…dealing with certain issues overseas.” He stood back up. “Ah, I see we have a new face since the last time I was in Equestria.” “This is Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “It is good to meet you Princess, I’ve heard a lot about you, and I must say I’m impressed at how well you’ve handled yourself with the situations you’ve been pushed into.” He grabbed her hoof and gently kissed it. Twilight averted her gaze, blushing. “I impress you?” she said lightly. “Of course. The feats you’ve accomplished are more than most ponies will in their lifetime.” Luna cut in, “Twilight, this is Captain Steelwing of the Sentinels.” “Charmed,” he said as he gave another bow. Twilight asked, “What are the Sentinels?” Steelwing grew a grin, his voice enthusiastic. “We are responsible for maintaining harmony and balance throughout the world, fighting evil doers and all those who would see the world burn. We operate mostly in the shadows, though. While our existence isn’t exactly a secret, most ponies don’t have a clue we exist.” Midnight Rain gave a pointed stare to Steelwing. “A ragtag band of cutthroats without any sense of loyalty or honor is what they are.” “General, you wound me, we have both loyalty and honor. Just because they’re not to your liking or preference doesn’t mean they’re non-existent.” “I don’t understand,” said Twilight, her eyebrows furrowed. Steelwing responded, “We are an independent organization. We renounce all former loyalties to take up the cause of the greater good. Our primary loyalty is to maintaining harmony in the world.” He smiled at Luna. “What do you say we get this show on the road? I’m sure everypony is eager to hear what it is you pulled us from all around the world back to Canterlot for.” Luna sighed, “Yes, I suppose it is time.” She spoke up, projecting her voice throughout the room, “Mares and gentlecolts, please take your seats. It is time for us to begin this session.” Twilight and the others gathered around Luna at the table. She was frowning, and took a deep breath before speaking. “It is with a heavy heart, that I must declare, the dea—“ Luna choked on her words. She hung her head low as she shut her eyes, tears building up. “It is with a heavy heart—“ she pressed her hoofs against the table, trembling, “—t-that I—“ her voice quivered, her eyes glistening, “—must announce—“ She paused. Tears streamed down her face. “That Celestia is dead!” Everypony was silent, their mouths and eyes wide open. Luna broke down, her head buried between her hoofs, the table wet from her tears. Twilight just sat there staring into nothing, her mouth agape, her eyes empty. There was stunned silence throughout the room, except for the lonely sound of a single mare crying. Almost a minute went by with nopony making a move. Twilight shakily rose from her seat, her head low, and her eyes holding back tears. Slowly she walked over to where Luna was crying, barely able to get one hoof in front of the other. Luna looked up at Twilight. “I’m so sorry,” she said with a sob, her eyes bloodshot. Twilight threw her forelegs around her, holding Luna in a firm embrace. Luna wrapped her wings around Twilight, resting her head in Twilight’s shoulder, neither of them saying a word.
