The Daughter of Discord

The commotion in the throne room was set to a loud ruckus, due to the sheer amount of ponies who talked in hushed tones was contrasted by the guards and Alicorn sisters. The throne room of the two royal princess' was filled with added wooden bleachers and seating for the public to view the event of the century. Nobles of every stature, reporters and journalists, from rich heads of corporations to the street sweepers, everyone in Canterlot had stopped all business for this... for her. The grand doors to the throne room slammed opened, and in seconds, silence was all that could be heard.

Twilight took stunted steps, with the chains restricting her movement, before the throne where Celestia sat. She slowed to a halt when she sat directly in the center of the room, far away from the bleachers, the doors, and the ornate, stained windows. She looked up to the sun goddess and her sister of the night, both looking down upon her. Their imposing stature dwarfed Twilight. Celestia's gaze connected with Twilight, and she gave a moment of silence before she spoke up.

"Twilight Sparkle,"

Many faces have entered the throne room under very similar circumstances in the years of old.

"You have been convicted of the crime of high treason against the throne,"

Though it may have been arranged to imitate a courthouse, this wasn't the place for the guilty to make their case.

"As the Element of Magic, you are not above any law that binds all of the ponies of Equestria, more over, because of your position you are suppose to uphold these laws even higher than if you were the royal guard"

This was not a room for lawyers, judges and witnesses.

"Twilight Sparkle I have given you many chances to give grounds to justify your actions, but you have failed to bring forward anything that holds weight."

There is no jury to sway, there is no truth to reveal, nor facts to obscure.

"Do you have anything you wish to say to the people of Equestria?"

The throne was not a place to make a last stand, it was a place to make your final wishes.

Twilight's heart fell heavy in her chest as she spoke, "No, your Highness"

You are not here for your god to hear your plea, you are here to face her wrath.

"Then it is with a heavy heart that I sentence you to supreme exile."

This is when the ponies in the bleachers all started to talk amongst themselves again. How much would this change Equestria? Would the Elements of Harmony protect them if a crucial piece was missing? Questions like these and more were buzzing around before a blinding light from Celestia's horn put them in silent awe.

Celestia herself was focusing her magic to the complicated and intricate design of Star Swirl's spell. It had been centuries since Celestia had to try a magic new to her, but the ancient training she had received a millennia ago had prepared her to facing the new. She harnessed enough power to form the spell matrix and power it up. Then she added another layer on the matrix to form a timer. She lifted Twilight from the ground and slowly embedded the enchantment onto her. And with one last flash of golden light, she slowly lowered to the ground.

"Twilight Sparkle, due to your service for Equestria I am giving you time before you are taken to your next destination. I will leave you with a moment's peace with them before you are gone from our shores, and lifted to the next."

Celestia's magic then unlocked the chains and magic inhibitor on Twilight as her guards flanked next to the prisoner. She nodded to the guards, who motioned Twilight to follow them out the room. Just as the unicorn was leaving Celestia was addressing the ponies in the crowd with some assuring speech, but as the door closed behind her, it was too muffled to understand. The long walk down the castle halls ended abruptly as her guards stopped in front of a wooden door to her right.

The guard gave off a very neutral tone as he faced Twilight, "Your time here is limited, so Celestia gathered your friends and family here for you as her last gift to you. Make it count."

The guard put his hoof to the door handle and pulled it back, before ushering Twilight in. She knew this was a gift she couldn't refuse and walked into the room.

The walls were bright yellow and the furnishing was rather sparse with two couches against the two walls facing each other to the left and right of Twilight. Directly opposite to the doors were huge windows that went from the floor to the ceiling, adorned by thin curtains that barely dimmed the sunlight from coming in. But it wasn't the pleasant scenery of the room that mattered, but the ponies inside. Despite the circumstances, she afforded herself a smile.

"Twilight!"

Before she could speak a single word, her parents rushed her and brought her into a hug. Already in tears, she held them tight and wished to never let go. But despite their deepest wishes for the same, Twilight's parent's let her go ever so slightly, ever so slowly, only to give her time to to see her friends too.

Now out of her parent's hooves, she turned to face the other members of the room.

Gathered all around her were her friends who all carried the sad smile. Applejack and Rainbow Dash to her right and Fluttershy and Rarity to her left, while Pinkie Pie was adjacent to her standing by the window. Twilight wanted to gallop towards them all, but before she could try, a weak, shaky little boys voice called out for her, "Twilight?"

In the corner of the room between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, a slow, and rather small Spike walked took hesitant steps toward the purple unicorn, until he was right in front of Twilight.

"Twilight what's going on? What's happening to you?"

Twilight took a small swallow and sighed. There nothing she wanted more than to lie Spike, but she just couldn't do that to him. He deserved to know the truth or at least the parts that mattered most.

Twilight crouched down to the young dragon's level, and looked him in the eyes, "L- look Spike," Twilight said hesitantly, "I'm going to be gone for a while. And..." she paused, "I need you to stay here in Equestria."

"But where are you going? Why can't I go with you?" Spike asked with deep concern.

"Because this is a trip I have to make alone, and I can't let you come with me, because I wouldn't know for sure if you were going to be safe."

Spike's head moved down to look at the floor, "Now look at me," Twilight took her hoof under Spike's chin and raised it to look back at her.

"I don't know if I'm coming back," Twilight said as Spike was starting to sniff, desperate to hold back his tears, "but, I need you," she softly pointed a hoof into his chest, "to be strong while I'm gone. I need you to be the biggest, the bravest, and the nicest dragon, I know you are. Can you do that for me?"

With tears streaming down his eyes, Spike tried to stop sniffling and slowly nodded, which made Twilight swell with pride and couldn't help her smile. Spike though couldn't help himself and reached out and hugged Twilight around the base of her neck as hard as he could and started crying into her fur.

Twilight didn't mind and pulled him close with one hoof, and used the other to rub his back.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's okay. It's okay," Twilight closed her eyes and whispered in low voice. This went on for a minute, before the young dragon's crying died down back to a wet sniffling. He slowly let go and looked at Twilight as she rose back to stand. She mouthed to him, "Don't worry" and nodded to him.

Spike took a few slow steps back, before he felt the hooves from where Fluttershy was sitting pulling him close to her chest. She looked over to Twilight with a soft gentleness, but steadfast reassurance, "Don't worry Twilight, I'll look after him."

Twilight then looked over to Rarity who added, "And she'll have help. We'll take good care of him, Darling, just stay safe. "

She gave Rarity a respectful nod, and thanked her. Her gaze soon moved rightward, and was met by Pinkie Pie, who had watery eyes, and hoof over her quivering bottom lip. Twilight could only raise her front legs wide open for Pinkie Pie before the pink pony was holding her in a death grip hug. She was already hysterical shaking Twilight as she cried, "Ohhh, Twi-ie-ie-liegh-t!"

In moment's she started to loosen her hold on Twilight, who was merely smiling at the party pony's antics. When Pinkie set Twilight back on the floor, she spoke to Twilight, "Make sure you try to come back home. You'll prove yourself, and then you'll come back to Ponyville an even bigger hero than you were before."

Twilight thought to herself, "I don't think that's how exile works, Pinkie," but instead gave her a smile and said, "I'll try, Pinkie".

Pinkie Pie's smile wavered though and she put her hooves on Twilight's shoulder as she demanded, "You've got promise me. I want you to Pinkie Promise me."

Twilight hesitated to think about it. If I could... can I even....

But before she could get caught up in her thoughts, she felt her friendship mattered more now, she shook her head and looked at the party Pony with new resolve, "Cross my heart, and hope to fly," she said loudly, and freed herself from Pinkie's grip to go through the last motions, "Stick a cupcake in my eye. Ow."

Now that was official, Pinkie Pie backed satisfied with friend commitment. Twilight continued back to where she was looked further right, till she caught sight of Applejack.

The Apple Farmer just trotted slowly to Twilight and leaned in to give her a soft hug. It was simple and over in a matter of seconds. "Now Twahlight, don't get hurt none. We'll take care of things here; just make sure ya take care of yourself, you hear Sugarcube?"

Twilight smiled before saying, "Okay, Applejack."

Applejack returned the smile and walked back to where she was previously sitting. Next to her, was Rainbow Dash who just started to look off at wall, while scratching the back of her neck. Applejack who was on her other side gave the pegasus a hard "tap" to the shoulder, before giving her a glare that prompted Rainbow Dash to make an insecure approach Twilight.

"So uh, Twilight. I, um, not sure if... um..." the pegasus said before looking away, giving an agitated sigh to herself before channeling it into a deep breath and calmed herself.

She looked back to Twilight, a gleam of doubt in her eye, but that disappeared quickly as a pair of purple hooves seized the moment and brought her in close for an unexpected deep kiss.

Rainbow Dash's eyes were wide at first, after a moment she leaned into the Twilight and returned kiss with redoubled passion.

At what seemed like an eternity too soon, Twilight slowly backed out, and could soon see the wide shock and blush on her friend's face. "Wow. I, uuuuuuuuuuuuuughhhhhh..."

The reaction of the normally wild pegasus elicited a cute giggle from the lavender unicorn.

She soon took a hoof from around the pegasi's wing and tapped Rainbow Dash on the nose.

"Boop."

Rainbow Dash was broken from her trance and shook her head rapidly. "Oh, s-so Twi-Twilight, I um, what was going to say? Ugh."

She quickly looked off into space off to the right, before regaining her composure and confidence, breathed a heavy sigh. She looked back at Twilight and whispered, "I'm going to prove you right, and I'm going to look out for your brother. I don't know how, but I'm going to fix things here."

Twilight pulled Rainbow Dash into a hug and whispered, "Thank you so much Dashie."

Rainbow Dash returned it and whispered, "You can thank me after you come home."

Twilight was starting to pull away from Dash, when she noticed she was glowing hue of soft gold. She slowly pushed Rainbow Dash back as the glow became more and more intense. All her friends except Rainbow Dash were waving their hooves, while her parents were starting to shed tears while they held each other close. Twilight was slowly being lifted up by the aura and Spike started going hysterical crying out for Twilight.

Rainbow Dash could only look on with sad eyes as a black portal lined with stars opened up above Twilight as she ascended into the opening.

Her friends all yelled out to her repeated, "Stay safe Twilight!", We'll miss you!", and "We love you, Twilight!" nonstop.

But Rainbow Dash looked into the unicorn's eyes and said in barely a whisper, "I love you Twilight."

Twilight gave a soft smile before mouthing, "I love you too."

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breathe in.

And once her hooves were lifted above the stars, all in the blink of an eye, it closed in on itself.

The moon did not make an appearance in the nighttime sky, but only to allow the stars twinkle brighter in it's absence. Princess Luna made sure to hide a six pointed patter in the night time sky to commemorate her savoir before she finished setting in the night. We walked in from her balcony, but did not stop to rest on her bed. She continued out into the halls and walked across the castle to her sister's chambers.

As she approached the golden double doors, she nodded to the guards who knew of their princess's mood and did not dare to make the slightest action to slow her down. Luna did not even bother to knock  and simply pushed the door in and closed it behind her.

In Celestia's large room, the white alicorn has been lying on the floor in front of a mirror for hours. Earlier in the day she used it to look in on the room that previously held her favorite student. The tears on her face had only just dried recently.

As the black alicorn lied next to her sister,  Celestia and listen to her whispers, "If only I have done more, or given her more time. I should have controlled things so much more." she dropped her head to the floor, "I could have at least been with her when she left."

Luna wrapped a comforting wing around the white alicorn, "Thou hast done all you can for Twilight, dear sister." Luna looked up from her sister, and peer out to the starry night sky, "the rest is up to her now."