Second Chances

Darkened Sky stood at the edge of a cliff, staring down at the bright city far below. "Do I need to go through with this, Luna? Is there no other way? I'm scared," He said to the mare standing beside him. "What if I fail?"

Luna wrapped her wing around him and squeezed. "My dear son, you will not fail. You are courageous and kind-hearted, there is no pony better suited for this than you. You will succeed, I believe in you. Just remember one thing. When you stand on the sword's edge, do not be afraid to jump."

Darkened Sky backed away from Luna, eyes furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean, jump?"

Bright light started filling up his vision, obscuring Luna from view. "You will know when the time comes. I love you."

With those final words, the world shattered around Darkened Sky as he fell. "Luna!"

Darkened Sky sat up with a scream. Looking around the unfamiliar room, the first thing that stood out was Twilight stretched out on a few chairs, slowing waking up. He went to get off the bed and noticed that his right hind leg was shackled to the bed post. There were also two Solar Guards, standing on ether side of his bed. "Twilight, what's going on? The last thing I remember is falling over at our house."

She stepped off the stairs and walked over to the bed. "You passed out and I rushed you to the Ponyville hospital. I had Spike send a letter to Celestia about Trixie's attack and threat. A few hours later, she came to the hospital with around thirty Solar Guards to arrest you. Since you were still unconscious, you were moved to the Castle's guarded medical wing. Sky, why would they think you committed a crime bad enough for the reinforcements she had with her?"

Darkened Sky looked into his love's bloodshot eyes. "Because I plotted to overthrow Celestia ten years ago. I tried to start a lunar rebellion, and things got out of hand. After the first year, I decided that Luna didn't deserve to rule alone, I did. I convinced a lot of other ponies to support me."

Seven years ago we attacked the palace very late on Hearths Warming Eve. We made it all the way to Celestia's chambers without being caught. We rushed inside expecting to surprise her, and came face to face with a squad of Solar guards. She had some how known about our attack. We fought the guards, disabling most of them. We might have won had I not realized that what I was doing was wrong, on so many levels. I escaped that night, leaving my ex-comrades to face justice alone."

"I returned to Ponyville and met Pinkie Pie for the first time. She's the reason I'm here today. She showed me that the past has already happened, we can only put on a smile and look forwards to tomorrow. I don't know how Celestia ever figured out it was me in charge of the group. I had powerful enchantments that disguised me when ever I did anything as Glacium, a pure white pegasus."

He looked away from Twilight's shocked expression. "I'm really sorry. I know what I did was wrong, I won't try to make excuses."

Twilight her forelegs around his neck, her eyes tearing up again. "What's going to happen to you? I don't want to lose you, not now."

Darkened Sky returned her embrace, tears starting to stream down his muzzle. "Hopefully I will be banished, it's unlikely though. If not, I will be publicly executed for having declared war on Equestria."

Twilight jumped up, eyes wide in panic. In a flash of magic, both guards were unconscious. "I can't let that happen, you have to run. I can't watch you die!" She started using spell after spell on his shackle, trying to open it. Unable to break the enchantments on it, she collapsed on to Darkened Sky, sobbing uncontrollably. "No, not like this. I knew I would lose you, but I never imagined it would be this soon."

Darkened Sky looked at the calendar hanging on the wall, noting it was the day before the Summer Sun Celebration. "I know, my love. But the only way for me to stay with you, is to be pardoned. And the chances of that happening before tomorrow morning is next to none." He reached up and stroked her mane. "Even if I don't survive tomorrow, you must continue on. Your friends will need you, Ponyville will need you. Trixie will attack our home in three days, and without you, it will be destroyed. She is far more powerful than any other unicorn alive now, maybe even as powerful as you. But for tonight, let's forget everything and just enjoy each other." Shifting Twilight so she was beside him, he kissed her.

Twilight wrapped her legs around Darkened Sky and returned the kiss. "I love you."

Two lovers were woken up by the Captain of the Solar Guard. "Princess, it is time for Darkened Sky's trial. Please do not try to help him escape, we have an anti-magic field set up all the way to the throne room."

She nodded her acceptance and and got out of the bed. A guard locked a metal band around Darkened Sky's barrel, pinning his wings to his sides. The Captain took out a key and unlocked the shackle that keep the prisoner from escaping. The group left the medical room and marched briskly to the throne room. Inside, Equestria's three other Princess were waiting, along with an assortment of guards. Standing off to one side were the rest of bearers of the Elements of Harmony. All five had bloodshot eyes and tear matted fur, with a flat haired Pinkie Pie actively crying. The guards lead the lovers up to the thrones' steps.

Celestia stepped forwards, a neutral expression on her face. "Darkened Sky, you have been found guilty of attempted murder and warmongering. Do you deny these facts."

Kill her, kill them all. We have the power, just give in to the dark. "I do not. I accept full responsibility for my actions. I surrender to the Equestrian Diarchy and—"

Darkened Sky was interrupted by a grey blur smashing into Celestia. She fell over, winded from the impact. The grey Pegasus rose back into the air, ready to strike again. Luna's horn flashed and the attacked dropped to the ground, stunned. The guards pounced on the shrieking pegasus, gagging and dragging her to were Darkened Sky stood. Celestia got up and turned to the grey mare. "You have just assaulted a Princess, the punishment for that is banishment or death."

Darkened Sky looked and the mare beside him and swore, it was Derpy Hooves. He stepped in front of the wall eyed mare and bowed. "I accept whatever punishment you were going to give this mare, Derpy Hooves, as well as my own." No! Let her die! You could destroy them all now. You would be king of Equestria.

Celestia frowned at Darkened Sky. "You would sacrifice yourself, so that this mare would live. That is...very noble of you." She looked at Luna, who nodded her head. She turned back to the three ponies standing in front of her. "Very well. Darkened Sky, as punishment for your own and Miss Derpy Hooves' crimes, i sentence you to death. As you have shown kindness this young mare, I will show you a kindness in turn. You may chose how you want to die."

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy started yelling at the Princess, while the rest of Darkened Sky's friends Started to cry again. Twilight grabbed him and broke down completely.

Darkened Sky extracted him self from Twilight's embraced and stepped toward the white Alicorn. Now is your chance, take off your bracelets and freeze her! Shut up! I will never listen to you again, that's what got us into this mess. "Princess Celestia, may I have a moment with my friends before I give you my decision?"

She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. The watching guards let the bearers run to Darkened Sky.

When the the five friends reached him, Darkened Sky held out a hoof to stop them from embracing him. "Listen to me carefully, take care of Twilight. Do not let her try and save me. I love you all. I'm going to miss each one of you. When I stand on the sword's edge, I will have our memories until I fall." He hugged each of them and stepped over to the sobbing grey pegasus. "Derpy, I'm sorry we never went on that picnic I promised you. You need to let me go now, you have Dinky to worry about. Take care of her for me, okay?" She nodded, tears streaming from her eyes. Satisfied, he turned to his lover. "My dear Twilight, you will survive this day. Keep living for me, please. I love you, My Princess."

Wait a minute. When you stand on the sword's edge, do not be afraid to jump. I get it now. Turning away from his friends, Darkened Sky bowed to Celestia. "I would like my friends removed from the room before I give my decision. I do not want them to witness it."

"I agree with you. Guards, please escort these mares outside." The guards slowly got all seven of them out of the hall. "What is your choice, Darkened Sky?"

"When I go through with my execution, both of our crimes will be paid for?" Seeing Celestia nod, he looked at the ground. "Then for my punishment, I want the leather in my wings cut at equal intervals so I can't fly. Then I want to jump off the top of the mountain."

There was dead quiet in the throne room. After a few minutes, Celestia broke the silence. "If that is your wish, then I will oblige." With a flash of her horn, the three Princesses and some guards teleported to the mountain top. One of the guards came up and removed the metal band around Darkened Sky's barrel. An other guard started to cut his wings with a sword. Soon enough, Darkened Sky's once proud wings looked like confetti attached to a furry pole.

Darkened Sky stepped to the edge of the cliff and took off his bracelets. "Give them to Twilight please." Looking down he took and deep breath. Without looking back, he jumped off the edge. Celestia watched his receding form fall towards the ground fall below. After a few seconds, a dust plume rose a little ways in the air. Satisfied that he was dead, she turned back to the other spectators. "We should go tell Twilight and her friends Darkened Sky's fate. Let us re—"

The Princess was cut off by a huge explosion, coming from where Darkened Sky had impacted the ground. Spinning around she saw a pillar of smoke rising from the forest. She jumped off the cliff and started flying towards the source of the smoke. Luna and a few Guards followed close behind. Arriving at the impact site, they found four half melted horseshoes in the middle of a small crater.