The Stranger

Chapters

Loss of Leaders
Loss of Friends
Loss of Students
Loss of Friends II
Loss of Family

Loss of Leaders

The first time Princess Celestia saw him was thousands of years ago.

She had been young then. Barely 400, naïve, unsure of the world and how to rule it. Her mother had trained her and Luna has best she could, but the world was at war. The most their mother could do was, in-between every battle, try and teach them the ideas of love, kindness, and trust.

The first time she saw him was when she was standing in a pool of her mother’s blood.

Contrary to popular belief, alicorns were not indestructible. They were immortal, yes, but a dagger in the back or an arrow through the heart would kill them as easily as it would any creature.

It had been a glorious battle. The ponies under her command had been brave and valiant, fighting their brethren to stop them from taking the newly formed Equestria. Luna had been in charge of the aerial battle; leading squads of pegasus soldiers against other squads of pegasus soldiers. Bodies and blood rained from the sky as the two armies hit each other head-on in the air.

Celestia had been in charge of the unicorns. They were attempting to shield nearby buildings and civilians from the incoming spells from the enemy. They were mostly successful. She tried to block out the pained and panicked screams of the ponies she could not save as she ordered her unicorns to retaliate. Fire streaked across the battlefield at the enemy, and Celestia could not help but feel a minute feeling of savage satisfaction as she watched ponies burn.

She cast a weary eye towards the front line, where her mother was.

It had been an effective way to boost morale amongst the troops, she mused. One Alicorn for each race of pony, fighting with them and showing them that they were not alone. Her mother was leading the earth ponies as they clashed against the oncoming wave of enemies. Even from where she was, far in the back, Celestia could hear the clanging of steel. She saw her mother, the Queen, rise up into the air, shining as golden as the sun. She dived at the enemy soldiers, sending heads rolling as her blade whistled through the air.

Satisfied that everything was going alright, Celestia turned her attention back to her unicorn mages.

The battle was long and bloody, with heavy losses on both sides. Finally, after hours of bloodshed and wasted lives, the enemy retreated. Celestia sighed in relief and ordered her mages to help the wounded. As for her, she spread her wings and flew to the meeting point her mother had set up.

She looked around as she landed on the plateau. She could see the entire battlefield from where she stood. Plumes of smoke rose from the burnt villages unlucky enough to be caught in the middle of the war. Celestia felt remorse, but acknowledged that there was nothing she could do about it now. The dead were going to stay dead, no matter how much she wished to change it.

She heard someone land and turned to look at the new arrival.

Luna looked worse for wear. Her onyx armor was chipped and cracked. Luna’s face was smeared with blood, the red staining her navy coat.

“Sister.” greeted Celestia neutrally. “Do you need to see the medics?”

Luna smiled a manic grin. “Do not worry so much, Sister. The blood is not mine.” She looked at the battlefield and said proudly, “The battle was most glorious. Our foes will feel this loss.”

“As we will feel our victory.” added Celestia. “Many of our soldiers died today.”

Luna’s smile faded and she sighed. “I know. But if we can make the enemy see that attacking us is foolish, is it not worth it?”

“I do not know.” admitted Celestia quietly.

The two princesses were silent for a long while.

Luna waved her hoof, as if to clear the somber air. “Enough of this! Where is Mother? It does not take her that long to converse with our generals.” Luna smiled warmly. “I only caught a glimpse as she tore through the enemy. She was most glorious!”

Celestia did allow herself to smile at that. At 170, Luna was young and hot-blooded. She yearned for battle, as it allowed her to prove her worth as a Princess and defender of Equestria. She often attempted to copy her sister’s tone of voice when dealing with the common ponies, trying to appear older and wiser than she really was. And yet, it was times like this, were Luna spoke of their mother in an awed voice, that she seemed like an excitable filly.

“I do not know.” said Celestia. “But you are correct. She is usually with us by now…”

That’s when she heard the arrival of another pony.

She was very surprised to see that it was not her mother, but one of the higher-ranked pegasus soldiers.

Celestia felt a wave of dread go over her as she saw the tears falling from his face.

The soldier led them to where her mother’s body lay. Her golden armor was torn apart, lying in pieces all around. Her crimson mane, usually flowing with magic, lay limp and lifeless on the dirt, all magic having been drained from it. Her golden eyes were still open, widened as though in surprise at what happened to her.

Her mother’s chest had been ripped open. Massive amounts of blood pooled around the body, staining the ground red.

From off to the side, Celestia heard Luna vomit, and swallowed the bile that was gathering in her own throat. She quickly looked at the burnt corpses of her mother’s killers. There were at least twelve of them, their broken swords on the ground beside them.

According to the pegasus solider, the Queen had been swarmed by the enemy. What they lacked in finesse, they made up for in relentless brutality, hammering away at the Queen with their swords. As they butchered her, the Queen had the energy for one last spell and waves of fire scorched the soldiers, avenging her own death.

Celestia gently closed her mother’s eyes and heard Luna sob and curse and scream behind her. Tears flooding her own eyes, Celestia quickly looked away from the corpse, unable to look at it any longer.

That was when she saw him.

He was a gaunt figure, dressed in black robes. His white fur seemed almost ghost-like as he stared down at the Queen’s body. His hood was up, hiding his eyes from Celestia’s view. He had a sad frown on his face, and his back was bent, as if carrying a heavy load.

Celestia was about to ask him who he was and what he was doing, when his head snapped towards her. He lifted the hood off his face and stared at her. His eyes were a deep black and seemed darker than the night sky. Celestia had the uncomfortable feeling that he was seeing everything about her just by looking at her.

“…So young.” he said, his deep voice resonating in Celestia’s ears. He vanished, leaving no trace that he was ever there to begin with.

Author's Note

Trying something new with a more serious story. You guys probably know who this "stranger" is, it's pretty obvious.

Loss of Friends

Celestia ran through the halls of the crumbling castle. She used her magic to stop several chunks of the stone ceiling from hitting her. She threw them aside and kept running.

She reached the end of the hall and attempted to turn, but slid and slammed into the wall. As she hit the stone floor, her crown fell off of her head. Celestia swore as she picked herself up. She looked at the crown for split second before running off, leaving it to be buried in the rubble. There were bigger things to worry about.

Celestia stopped at another turn and looked down the hallway. There were dozens of doors lining the hall, and she did not have time to waste. She closed her eyes and used her magic to locate what she was looking for. She sensed another faint trace of magic coming from the end of the hall. Celestia’s eyes snapped open. The trace of magic was fading fast.

This…can’t be happening, she thought as she ran down the hall, This has to be some sort of dream…or a nightma-

She forced herself not to finish that particular thought. She did not need a reminder of what just happened.

The building shook as Celestia reached the end of the hall. A heavy wooden door was before her. She quickly threw it open and ran inside.

“Star Swirl!” she yelled.

The room was in ruins. The heavy desk that usually sat at the far wall was split in two, both halves lying against the wall as though thrown. Papers and books littered the floor and the bookcases had been toppled.

Celestia’s gaze went to the far wall. Blood was splashed against the wall and a crumpled figure lay slumped against it.

As Celestia moved towards the figure, her hoof hit something and bells jingled. She looked down to see a pointy hat with bells on the brim, a large gash ripped in it. She swallowed and moved towards the figure.

The old stallion smiled weakly as he saw the Princess coming towards him. “I…assume you won, then?” he asked softly. His front hooves were firmly pressed against a bloody wound in his stomach. He coughed and flecks of blood landed in his long white beard.

“…Yes. I did.” said Celestia sadly. “What were you thinking?” She concentrated and her horn glowed a soft gold.

“I…had to try.” panted Star Swirl. “She refused to listen to reason.”

“I know.” said Celestia softly. She tried to blink tears from her eyes. “Dark magic took over her mind. She called herself ‘Nightmare Moon’. I-” Her voice broke and she focused on Star Swirl’s wounds. Golden light flowed from her horn into the stallion’s stomach.

Star Swirl groaned as the magic hit his stomach. “What did you do?” he asked.

Celestia took a deep breath and said morosely, “I couldn’t kill her, Star Swirl. Not her. I used a banishing spell and sent her to the moon.”

“How long?” asked the stallion.

Celestia looked at the wizard’s bloody stomach, hesitant to answer.

“How long?” repeated Star Swirl.

“…One thousand years.” answered Celestia.

Star Swirl’s eyes widened in disbelief. He struggled to keep his voice even as he said, “Well. At least you didn’t kill her.”

“Small comfort!” snarled Celestia, glaring at him. She sighed. “I-I’m sorry, Star Swirl. I just…I…”

“What?”

“I never noticed.” admitted Celestia. “I never knew that Luna felt the way she did. Betrayed. Alone.”

“No one did.” said Star Swirl. He grunted and pressed his hooves tighter against his stomach. “Luna never told anyone about it. How could you have known?”

“If I was a better ruler…a better sister…I would have…” said Celestia quietly.

The building shook. Star Swirl looked up at the cracking ceiling and back down to his wounds. “Look,” he panted, “This castle is going to fall down on top of us. You need to-”

“I am not leaving you, Star Swirl.” said Celestia, guessing as to what the stallion was thinking. Her horn grew brighter as she poured more magic into his wounds.

Star Swirl groaned in pain. “Stop.” he said. “If you use too much magic, you’re going to only make me worse.”

The glow in Celestia’s horn dimmed slightly as the castle shook more vigorously.

“Th-then…I’ll…” faltered Celestia. “I can carry you out!”

Star Swirl laughed without humor. He pointed to his bloody stomach. “Moving me when I’m like this is only going to make me bleed out faster. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Then I’ll teleport you out!” yelled Celestia.

“Too much magic.” explained Star Swirl slowly. “It will only aggravate the wounds.”

“Damn it, Star Swirl!” sobbed Celestia. “I’m not losing you and Luna both! There has to be something I can do!” Her voice cracked and broke.

Star Swirl watched the Princess, tears falling from his own eyes. He sighed and said, “Celestia. Come here.” He held his hooves out.

Celestia leaned close and felt the stallion’s arms wrap around her. She could feel his blood staining her coat, but did not care. “I can’t lose you both.” she whispered. “I can’t.”

“Do you remember what I told you before?” asked Star Swirl quietly as he held her tighter. “Making decisions you don’t want to is part of being a ruler.” He kissed Celestia’s head and pushed her away.

Celestia looked at the dying stallion pleadingly. “But I can’t make this decision.” she whispered. Pieces of the ceiling fell and shattered against the stone floor.

Star Swirl the Bearded, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, smiled gently, tears running down his face. “I know.” he said. “That’s why I’m making it for you.” His horn glowed blue as he gathered his magic and cast a spell on Celestia.

The Princess found herself outside, facing the Everfree Forest. She turned back to the castle just in time to see it collapse on itself, entombing the old unicorn within.

Celestia stared at the destroyed castle in stunned disbelief, tears running down her face. She ran to the side of the castle, where Star Swirl’s study was located and focused her magic. She would blast the side of the building and save Star Swirl. She still had time, she could do it-

“It is too late.” said a deep voice from her side. “He is gone.”

Celestia turned her head in surprise. A black cloaked figure was several feet to her right. His hood was off and he stared at her with black eyes.

“You don’t know that!” yelled Celestia. The stallion looked familiar to her, but she had bigger things to worry about. “He could still be-”

“Child.” said the stallion. “I know.”

“You don’t know anything.” snarled Celestia. “You don’t know him like I do. He’s-”

“Star Swirl the Seventh, also know as Star Swirl the Bearded.” rumbled the stallion. He moved in front of Celestia, his black eyes unblinking.

Celestia stared into those dark eyes and remembered that fateful battle thousands of years ago. He had not changed at all since then. He was as thin and pale as he had been in front of her mother’s corpse.

Shaking her head. she gathered her magic and her horn glowed a fiery gold. “Get out of the way or I will end you.”

The stallion raised an eyebrow. “You cannot end me, child. I am forever with you and your kind.” He paused, and bowed respectfully. “But I will do as you asked.” He started walking towards the dark forest.

The black-robed stallion froze as he reached the trees. He turned and stared at Celestia. “I will see you again.” he stated. He turned and disappeared into the shadows.

For some reason, those words, and the factual way the stallion said them, terrified Celestia more than anything else that had happened that night.

Loss of Students

Celestia and Luna walked down the darkened hallway, their hearts heavy. As they approached the door at the end, a pink-furred pegasus with a blue mane walked out. She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes and gave the two princesses a sad smile.

“She’s been asking for you two.” said the pegasus. She made to pass the princesses.

“Aren’t you going to stay?” asked Luna.

The pegasus shook her head. “All of us were in there earlier. We thought it would best if we all came in to…” She paused and wiped the tears falling from her eyes.

Luna put a hoof around the mare’s shoulders and hugged her. “It’s ok. We’ll be there with her.”

The mare sniffled. “You won’t be alone. He’s in there too.”

Celestia smiled sadly. “Of course he is.” She walked over and hugged the pegasus. “Go be with your family. We will watch over her.”

The mare simply nodded her head. She sobbed as she walked away.

Luna turned to look at the door. “…Well. We should not keep her waiting.” She made to move towards the door, but noticed that her sister was standing still. “Celestia?” she asked, looking at the other princess, “Are you ready?”

Celestia closed her eyes for a moment. “…No.” she said quietly. She opened her eyes and moved towards the door. She reached Luna and nodded.

Luna took a deep breath and opened the door.

The room was large. The massive window leading out to the balcony was letting the setting sun’s light cast an orange glow on the room. There was a large bed against the wall. A lone figure was sitting in a wooden chair at the side of the bed.

The figure turned his head as the two princesses walked in. He got up and walked over to the two, giving them both big hugs. “You’re here.” he said quietly. “I thought-”

“There is nothing that would keep us away.” said Celestia. She stepped towards the figure and gave him a hug of her own. “It’s good to see you, Spike.”

Spike was no longer the small, baby dragon he was when he arrived in Ponyville all those years ago. He was taller, standing almost as tall as Celestia. While he was not overtly muscular, he had lost the baby fat of his youth and was lean and lanky. His claws were sharper and his fangs bigger, but his eyes were still the same brilliant green they had always been. Celestia noticed that his eyes were red, as though he was either crying or hadn’t slept in awhile.

Celestia figured it was both.

“How is she?” asked Luna, pointing to the bed.

“About as well as to be expected.” said Spike softly. “She’s resting now.” He made his way over to bed.

“You don’t have to wake her.” said Celestia. “You can let her sleep.”

Spike smiled at her. “She would want to see you.” He leaned close to the figure on the bed and gently whispered, “Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle awoke, her purple eyes unfocused. “Spike?” she asked softly. She peered at the dragon, her wrinkled face giving him a sweet smile. “Are they here?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said Spike as he gently moved her gray hair out of her face, “Yeah, they’re here.”

Twilight slowly moved her head and smiled at the two princesses. “I knew you two would come.”

“Greetings Twilight.” said Luna sadly.

“Hello, my dearest student.” said Celestia with a smile.

Twilight laughed softly. “I haven’t been your student for over a century, Celestia.”

“I know.” said Celestia. She and Luna moved closer to the bed. “But can you forgive an old mare for hanging on to her memories?”

Twilight did her best to snort at that. “Old, my flank.” she said.

“Twilight!” said Spike, chuckling.

“Oh hush, Spike.” said Twilight. “I’m 183 years old, I can swear if I want.” She looked to the two princesses. “You say you’re old, but you two haven’t changed one bit.”

“Neither have you.” said Luna.

Twilight laughed quietly at that. “Now I know that’s a load of horse apples.” She yawned and said, “I started visibly aging again after I gave up my immortality.”

Celestia closed her eyes. She remembered that day. Ten years after Applejack had passed away, Twilight came to Celestia and Luna. She announced, with resolve, that she was giving up the immortality that came with being a princess.

“I’ve decided.” she had said as she stared at the two princesses, “I’ve already talked to Spike and the others. Spike was the only one who really understood.” She had sighed deeply at that point and closed her eyes. When she had opened them again, they were full of tears. “I miss them. I miss them so much. I can’t bear to live forever without my friends.”

Celestia and Luna, who had lived for thousands of years, understood. They knew the pain of losing a friend. It took Celestia years to get over Star Swirl’s death, and Luna, once she was redeemed and realized what she did, spent a long while refusing to interact with the public, and finally stepped outside a full year later to attend her first Nightmare Night.

And so, the princesses reluctantly agreed and set up the ceremony to remove Twilight’s immortality. When the magic had been cast to remove her immortality, her wings went with it, leaving her a unicorn again.

That had been almost seventy years ago. Twilight, although she never married, became an almost-matriarchal figure for Shining Armor’s and Princess Cadance’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Presently, Twilight coughed harshly. Spike quickly grabbed a glass of water sitting on the nightstand and helped Twilight drink. Once she had ceased coughing, she looked at the two princesses and said, “You just missed Heart and her family. You should have seen her little son. He was trying to hold back his tears and be so stoic.” She chuckled. “He reminded me of Shining. He was never good at holding back his emotions either.”

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “I’m so tired.”

“You should rest.” said Luna.

Twilight looked at her. “No.” she said softly. “Not yet. This is the last time I’m going to talk to either of you.”

“Twilight…” whispered Celestia.

“I know this is the end, Celestia.” said Twilight, with surprising steel. “I’m ready for it, but I want to talk to each of you one last time.”

She turned to the dragon by her side. “Spike. You’ve been at my side my whole life. I cannot remember a single day where I didn’t see you. You’ve helped me so much throughout the years. I know I didn’t always treat you the way you deserved, but know this. I love you. You’re as much of a brother to me as Shining was.”

Spike nodded, tears falling from his eyes. “I love you too.” he choked out.

Twilight smiled and looked to Luna. “Luna. I know we weren’t exactly close during those early years, but you’ve become one of my best friends. I wish I could go back and befriend you earlier.”

Luna struggled not to sob. “You brought me back.” she said quietly. “You redeemed me. That was more than enough.” She swallowed, unable to speak further.

Twilight cast her purple eyes to Celestia. “Celestia. It’s still a little weird not to add ‘Princess’ in front of that.”

Celestia laughed softly, tears clouding her vision.

“I always put you on a pedestal.” continued Twilight. “You were…are…the one I look up to the most. It was an honor to be chosen as your student and I loved every second of it. I viewed you as a goddess without flaws.” She smiled and said, “I was wrong. You do have your faults. But that’s ok. Realizing that you were just like everyone else made me stop viewing you as some sort of idyllic image, and allowed me to see the pony behind the crown and the regalia. It allowed me to see you as a friend.”

“Twilight…” began Celestia. “When I chose you to be my student, I never imagined the impact you would have on my life. You brought back my sister. You saved Equestria time and time again.” Tears fell from Celestia’s eyes. “I felt so guilty at times. Forcing you to confront the likes of Tirek and Sombra. I treated you like a weapon rather than a student. But you never said a word of complaint. You never said you were fed up with it, or that the task was too hard. You went above-and-beyond what you needed to.” Celestia sniffed and said, “You are a far better pony than I ever could hope to be. It…” She took a deep breath. “It was a joy to have you as a student, a fellow princess, and a friend.”

Twilight smiled and rested her head on her pillow. “I’m so tired…” she repeated.

“Would…” began Celestia, “Would you like to rest?”

“…Yes.” said Twilight. Her breathing got heavier as she looked around the room. “Where are the others? Where are my friends?”

“They…” said Celestia, choking back a sob, “They’re coming. They’re coming to see you. You just need to rest.”

“Good…idea…” said Twilight. She closed her eyes. “I hope they hurry.” she said softly. “I want to see them so badly.”

Celestia, with tears running down her face, said comfortingly, “They’ll be here soon. When you wake up, you’ll see them again.”

Twilight relaxed and closed her eyes. The three occupants of the room watched her chest slowly rise and fall.

After what seemed like hours, her chest stopped moving.

Spike leaned back in his chair and put his head in his hands. Celestia watched as he broke down in tears, shaking.

Luna muttered something about raising the moon, but Celestia could see the tears running down her face. Luna quickly moved to the window and used her magic to finally lower the sun over the horizon.

Celestia turned back towards the body lying on the bed. “Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle.” she whispered. She stared at her former student’s wrinkled face for a long time.

When she finally looked up, she noticed a new visitor in the room. The white stallion had his hood lowered and he cast his black eyes down at Twilight.

“No.” whispered Celestia.

The black eyes shot up and stared at her.

“Please don’t take her.” she quietly pleaded.

The stallion looked at her. He closed his eyes and said softly, “I am sorry. She is gone.” He disappeared, leaving no trace that he was ever there.

Celestia sobbed and put her face in her hooves. “Please don’t take her.” she repeated quietly.

Loss of Friends II

Celestia soared through the night sky with Luna at her side. Her wings flapped furiously as she headed for a plume of smoke that was rising from the outskirts of Ponyville.

“You don’t think-?” began Luna.

“He wouldn’t,” said Celestia, her eyes focused on the smoke. “He knows better than that.”

“Does he?” asked Luna. “It is Discord, after all.”

The white-furred Alicorn did not reply, but she started to fly faster. Below them, the ruins of Ponyville smoldered in the night. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief and felt grateful that the evacuation of the town had been successful.

Soon enough, the two princesses touched down near Twilight’s old castle. The once gleaming crystal had cracked and faded, and there were smoldering craters in the ground around the building. The doors to the castle had been smashed in, the broken pieces lying on the floor inside.

“Celestia…” began Luna, surveying the scene.

“Find him,” ordered Celestia. “Now.”

The princesses carefully stepped into the castle, looking around warily. Their steps echoed off the empty walls as they walked through the lobby and climbed the stairs. At the top of the stairs, they looked around. Various rooms littered the hallway, their doors torn off their hinges.

“Should we split up?” asked Luna. “We’d find Discord faster that way.”

“No,” said Celestia immediately. “We should stick together. The last thing either of us wants is to run into Tirek on our own.”

Luna scoffed. “I’d love to run into him. I’d make him pay for disrespecting Twilight and her friends like this.”

“Don’t be foolish,” said Celestia. “We don’t have any idea about Tirek’s strength this time. Who knows how long it’s been since he escaped Tartarus? We were lucky we got notice that he was coming back to Ponyville. If we hadn’t evacuated the town, he could have drained the magic of dozens of ponies by now. Our goal should only be to find Discord.”

Luna sighed, but nodded her head regardless. “You’re right. It’s just…” She gestured at the destruction around them. “This was Twilight’s castle. The fact that he’s even here feels like an insult to her memory.”

“I know,” replied Celestia. “Once we find Discord, we can-”

There was a loud crashing noise from the end of the hall. The two princesses’ heads turned to the door at the end of the hall. Without another word, they quickly ran to the cracked glass door and threw it open.

Seven cracked and broken thrones rested in the middle of the room, set up in a circle. In front of the thrones was a crystal platform that had been broken in half, the pieces lying on the floor. A pile of rocks was lying near the platform pieces. Across from that was…

“Well…” said Discord, leaning against the far wall. He gestured down to the smoking hole in his torso and murmured, “Took you long enough…”

Celestia and Luna quickly ran over to Discord. As Luna knelt down to examine him, Celestia turned to examine the room, her horn glowing gold. “Where is he, Discord?” she asked, “Where’s Tirek?”

“Oh relax, Celestia…” coughed Discord. “Tirek’s over by the map…”

“What?” asked Celestia, looking over at the broken platform. She frowned, seeing nothing different. “Discord, there’s only a pile of rocks next to the map.”

“Uh-huh…” nodded Discord slowly. “That’s Tirek…or, rather, what’s left of him.”

Celestia blinked and the glow in her horn diminished. She slowly turned back to Discord and stared at him. “...What did you do?”

Discord sighed and leaned back against the wall. “Thought I’d take a page out of your book, Celestia. I’d imprison Tirek in stone and deliver him back to Tartarus. Two prisons for the price of one.” He grinned and said, “He panicked when he realized what was happening and started firing off blasts of magic like crazy. What a sore loser, right?” Discord coughed and gestured down at the hole in his body. “Good aim, though. Pity that it made him tip over onto the platform. Poor guy went all to pieces.”

“Fool…” muttered Luna, her horn glowing as she stared at the smoking wound in Discord’s torso. “Why didn’t you wait for us? We could have attacked together and taken him by surprise.”

Discord chuckled, only to quickly grimace in pain. “Would you believe I felt guilty about the last time? Thought I’d make up for it by handling it alone. Man…” he grinned at the two princesses, “The looks on your faces would have priceless when you came here and saw that I took care of it.” He laughed again, but started coughing harshly.

“Be quiet, Discord,” said Celestia, kneeling down to his level. “You’re just going to make that wound worse.”

Discord smirked at her and said, “Worse than this? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were joking.”

“Luna can heal you,” said Celestia. “We’ll take you back to Canterlot and-”

“It’s not working,” interrupted Luna, still focusing her magic on Discord’s wound. “He’s not healing…and…and I-I think the wound’s getting bigger!”

Sure enough, the burning hole in Discord’s body hissed as it grew wider. Celestia’s eyes went wide and she pointed her own horn at the wound. “Together!” she commanded, her horn glowing as she concentrated. Luna nodded and the glow in her horn increased to match Celestia’s.

After a few moments, the glow faded from both sisters’ horns. Discord’s wound had not healed and smoke was pouring out of it.

“I…I don’t understand…” said Celestia desperately. “Why isn’t this working? What spell did Tirek cast?”

“Beats me…” murmured Discord. “I just can’t believe I let him hit me. I mean…honestly…” He chuckled lowly and said, “Smoking’s a terrible habit…”

“This isn’t funny Discord!” said Celestia. “We need to get you back to Canterlot. We’ll get doctors and…and…why are you laughing?!”

Discord’s laugh subsided into coughs as smoke kept leaking out of his wound. “Forgive me for being blunt, Celestia…” he chuckled, “But if the two of you can’t fix me up, what chance does some regular doctor have?” He sobered as he looked at his wound. “I’m finished.”

“Don’t talk like that,” scolded Luna gently. “We’ll get you fixed up. We just need to-”

“Look,” said Discord weakly, wincing as he sat up straighter, “Can the two of you suggest anyone…any one doctor who could possibly be more skilled at healing magic than the two of you together?”

Luna and Celestia were silent.

“Thought so…” wheezed Discord. “…Everything’s getting dark…” he muttered.

“…Discord…” said Celestia quietly. “I…I’m so…”

“Don’t say sorry,” said Discord. “…Please. This isn’t your fault. I knew the risks in facing Tirek alone…” He smirked and said, “What’s with that sad look? I won’t be around to cause trouble anymore…”

“You haven’t caused trouble in a long time,” said Celestia weakly. “Not since Fluttershy…” she trailed off, unsure if she should continue.

“Not since Fluttershy died…” muttered Discord. He swallowed and croaked out, “I miss her, you know. She was the first friend I ever…” He went quiet, his eyes watering. “…Do…do you think I’ll see her again? When I’m gone?”

“…I hope so,” said Celestia quietly.

“Me…too…” panted Discord. He chuckled and said, “I…hate to say it…but you two…just aren’t as fun to tease…as she was…”

Luna giggled, tears in her own eyes. “Sorry that we’re no fun…” she choked out.

Discord let out another breath of laughter. “Don’t be…too hard on yourselves. Not everyone…is as interesting as I am. I mean…look at how I’m going out. Saving Equestria. Who…would have guessed? I’m supposed to be a bad guy, right?”

Celestia chuckled as she leaned down to nuzzle Discord’s face. “You were never a bad guy, Discord,” she said, sniffling. “You just had a lousy sense of humor.”

Discord grinned at her before closing his eyes. “…This…this is a good ending…right? Being with friends…” The smoke rising from his chest finally stopped as his breathing slowed. “What…more…could…” He fell silent.

The two princesses stared at their fallen friend for a few moments.

“…We…” choked Celestia, wiping tears from her eyes. “We should let everyone know that Tirek’s gone. That Discord stopped him.”

Luna was silent as she stared at Discord’s body.

Celestia sighed and turned around. She glared at the dark robed pony that was standing by Tirek’s shattered body. The white-furred stallion seemed to notice her gaze and moved his head to return it, staring at her with his empty eyes.

“I know it sounds like something a foal would say,” said Luna quietly, “But I hope he sees Fluttershy again. Do you think he will?”

Celestia looked at the pony by the thrones.

“…I do not know,” he rumbled in his deep voice.

“He will,” said Celestia, almost defiantly. She turned back around, ignoring the stallion. She nuzzled Luna and said, “I know he will.”

When she turned around again, the stallion was gone.

Loss of Family

Celestia shivered slightly as she flew through the icy air. While it wasn’t snowing, the freezing tundra was cold enough that even she, with spells specifically designed to keep her warm, was feeling the biting chill of the wind. As Celestia flew, she gazed off to the side, where the bright lights of the Crystal Empire beckoned to her. Sighing, she tore her gaze away from the bright kingdom and brought her gaze to the mountains underneath her.

“Where are you?” she muttered to herself as she searched.

Orange light flashed in the corner of her eye and she quickly turned her head. Down on a cliff of a tall mountain was a shining orange glow.

“There you are,” said Celestia, smiling lightly. She dived downwards and landed on the cliff. In front of her was a massive cave. A warm light glowed from deep inside, almost beckoning her to come inside.

Celestia walked into the cave, desperate to get away from the cold air outside. As she made her way deeper into the cave, she became warmer and warmer as though she was stepping into a hot bath.

She finally walked into a large cavern and smiled at the what was in front of her. “Well,” she called, “You’ve certainly done well for yourself.”

A massive purple dragon stared down at her, its bright green eyes locked on hers. It was resting in front of a large pile of gems. The dragon scoffed and rolled its eyes. It opened his mouth and said, “You finally decided to visit, huh?” He chuckled and said, “And by that, I mean you decided to drop in unannounced. As per usual. Would it kill you to write a letter?”

Celestia shrugged. “I sent a letter to the Royal Family. It’s not my fault you decided to move out of the Crystal Empire before I got there, Spike.”

Spike snorted, smoke coming out of his nostrils. “You’d move out too if ponies thought you were going to eat them whenever you opened your mouth to yawn.”

“Surely you told them you only ate gems?” asked Celestia.

“I did,” said Spike, a wry grin coming to his face. “That doesn’t really comfort crystal ponies, oddly enough.” He gestured around to the cavern around them. “The Royal Family found me a nice, quiet cave close by. Close enough to keep an eye on things, but far enough that those panicky ponies can go outside without fear of winding up as my dinner.”

“Speaking of which,” said Celestia, “Where did you get all those gems? There can’t be that many out here for you to find on your own.”

“The Royal Family sends me carts full of gems every once and a while,” explained Spike. His sharp claws delicately plucked an emerald from the pile of gems. “I think they feel guilty about me leaving.”

“They are still fond of you, you know,” said Celestia as Spike tossed the emerald into his mouth. “They still tell ponies about you saving the Empire from Sombra.”

Spike scoffed again as he swallowed the emerald. “Twilight and Cadance did more to stop Sombra than I did. I always thought everyone blew that whole thing out of proportion.”

Celestia smiled a bit at that, but her face soon grew somber. “So…” she said hesitantly. “How…how have you been? I haven’t really seen you since…well…”

“Since Twilight,” finished Spike. “I’ve been fine, Celestia. Ever since Shining Heart and her family invited me to stay up here, I just…well…there just wasn’t anything to go back to, you know?”

“…You had me,” said Celestia quietly. “You know you were always welcome to stay in Canterlot with us.”

Spike closed his eyes and sighed. “You were always so busy. Even when you were raising me when I was a hatchling, you were always running to this meeting or that meeting.” He opened his eyes, but refused to meet Celestia’s gaze. “I...I didn’t want to be in your way.”

“You were never in the way,” said Celestia immediately. She stared at the dragon, a forlorn look on her face. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you were.”

“I’m not blaming you,” said Spike quickly, looking at her again. “I’d never blame you for that. I knew you had a kingdom to run.”

“That’s no excuse,” said Celestia. “I should have made the time for you.” She sighed and said, “I suppose I wasn’t much of a guardian for you, was I?”

“You were raising both the sun and the moon, dealing with stuffy rich ponies, and dealing with a neurotic student,” said Spike with a grin. “You did fine. Besides…” The scales on Spike’s face darkened and he looked away awkwardly. “…Whenever I think of a mother, you’re the one who comes to mind.”

Celestia blushed slightly, but she smiled warmly at Spike. “To be honest,” she said quietly, “I think you are the closest I’ll ever have to having a child of my own.”

Spike chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. “This is a little weird, huh?”

Celestia giggled and said, “I could make it weirder. Why haven’t you given me any grandfoals yet?”

Spike choked and spluttered as Celestia laughed. “I-It’s not like I haven’t tried!” he replied. “I haven’t met another dragon that’s been interested in me yet.”

“Oh?” asked Celestia, a grin on her face. “Just dragons? I seem to recall you being interested in ponies.”

“Only one pony,” corrected Spike. “And I realized she didn’t feel the same way about me as I did about her. It just took…awhile.”

“Years,” coughed Celestia.

Spike frowned at the grinning Princess. “Well…what about you? You’ve never been interested in anyone for as long as I’ve known you.”

Celestia laughed at that. “When you get to be as old as I am, everyone starts looking like children to you. Besides, anyone who would try to court me would only be interested in Princess Celestia, not Celestia the mare.”

Spike smirked and said, “Guess we’re both unlucky with love, huh?” His smirk disappeared and he said, “In all seriousness, how have you been doing?”

“Fine,” said Celestia quickly. “Ponyville’s rebuilding is on schedule and the restoration of Twilight’s castle is well underway-”

“Celestia,” said Spike, holding up a claw to stop her, “I’m not all that interested in hearing about construction projects. I want to know how you are doing. You personally.”

“I…” began Celestia. She paused for a moment before continuing, “I’m doing fine. I’ve just decided to take some time off, is all. Luna has everything under control in Canterlot, so I decided that I’d take a tour of Equestria to-”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you take some time off,” interrupted Spike, “Ever. Are you alright?”

“I’m…” began Celestia. She sighed and used her magic to take off her crown. “…I don’t know how I am.” She stared at the crown in her magical grip and muttered, “…I feel like a failure.”

“…What happened with Tirek wasn’t your fault,” said Spike.

“I should have realized that he would’ve escaped again...” muttered Celestia, more to herself than to Spike. “I should have gone down to Tartarus and-”

“And what?” asked Spike. “What reason would you have had for going to Tartarus? As far as you knew, Tirek was still locked up. No one could have predicted that-”

“I should have,” said Celestia. “If I had, Discord would still be…be…” She paused. With a sigh, she put her crown back on her head.

“…Discord made his choice,” said Spike softly. “He chose to defend Equestria in the end. He chose to fight in honor of our friends’ memories. Celestia,” At this, the princess looked up at him, “Are you going to dishonor Discord by taking away his decision? By claiming that you forced him into it by some oversight? Are you that conceited?”

“No!” said Celestia, growing angry. “But if I had planned ahead, Discord would never have had to face Tirek in the first place!”

“And how many ponies would have died in Discord’s place?!” roared Spike, his shout echoing off the walls. “Tirek wouldn’t have waited for you to come up with a plan to defeat him! He would have gathered his strength and annihilated Equestria!”

“I don’t need you to tell me what could have happened, boy!” yelled Celestia, her horn glowing with a golden flame. “Where were you when all this was happening?! You’ve been hiding away in the Crystal Empire for decades! What gives you the right to tell anyone how they should act?”

“At least I’m not moping around like a foal!” shouted Spike defensively.

“No,” growled Celestia. “You’re just hiding like a coward. Just like you’ve been doing ever since Twilight died.”

Spike glared at her, his emerald eyes blazing with fury. “Get out,” he said quietly. When Celestia didn’t move, he roared, fire shooting out of his mouth. “GET OUT!” he screamed.

Without another word, Celestia turned and stormed out of the cave, leaving the furious dragon alone.

A couple of days later, Celestia found herself standing on the balcony of the Crystal Castle, looking out at the city below. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the breeze blow on her face.

“Ma’am?” asked a voice. “Are you alright?”

Celestia opened her eyes and turned around. Standing behind her was a unicorn with grey fur and a cropped white mane. One purple-colored eye was looking at her in concern, while the other was covered by a black eyepatch.

Celestia smiled at the mare and said, “I’m fine, Blazing Shield. I was just thinking.”

“About Spike?” asked Blazing Shield, stepping forward until she was standing by the princess. Her silver armor gleamed in the sunlight as she looked out onto the Crystal Empire. “He’s a stubborn old lizard, isn’t he? We tried telling him he could stay, but he was convinced the ponies here would run him out sooner or later.”

“Thank you for taking care of him,” said Celestia. She gazed out over the city and said, “You and your family are doing an excellent job ruling over the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadance would be proud of you all.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” said Blazing Shield, “But you should really tell the Prince that. I’m just captain of the Crystal Guard, after all.”

“And you’ve trained them all well,” said Celestia. She gave a small smile to the captain and said, “I probably shouldn’t say this, but the guards in Canterlot could learn a thing or two from your troops.” She turned her head back to the city and frowned.

Blazing Shield gazed at her. “…With all due respect, ma’am…why don’t you just go and talk with him again? You shouldn’t leave things the way they are.” She fidgeted and added quickly, “Not that I’m telling you what to do, but-”

“What good will it do?” asked Celestia, cutting off the captain. “I snapped at him for trying to comfort me and insulted him for grieving over Twilight’s death. I doubt he wants to see me again.”

“…He hadn’t seen you in years, ma’am,” said Blazing Shield. “He missed you. Before he left, he’d tell us all stories about his adventures with Princess Twilight and her friends. He mentioned you a lot, especially whenever he mentioned some party called the Grand Galloping Gala.”

Celestia chuckled at that. “I haven’t thrown one of those parties for decades. I’m a little surprised Spike would mention such a dull event. Twilight and her friends were the only reason I kept it going for as long as I did. They always had a way to liven up a party.”

“Spike always bursts out laughing whenever he talks about a…‘Smooze’, I think?” said the captain. “Was that something Princess Twilight did?”

“Oh yes,” said Celestia, giggling. “I had forgotten all about that particular Gala. I’m afraid you’d have to credit Discord for that one. I’m sure he’ll…” She paused for a moment before correcting herself, “I’m sure he would have been happy that Spike remembered that so fondly.” She sighed and muttered, “I suppose it wouldn’t be right to leave without giving him an apology, would it?”

“Would you like an escort, ma’am?” asked Blazing Shield. “I might be able to calm him down if he’s not in the mood to listen.”

Celestia smiled and said, “That might be a good idea. Spike tends to sulk when-”

The sky suddenly seemed to flicker, switching between a clear, sunny day to overcast with dark, stormy clouds. A chill blew through the air and, far below the balcony, ponies began screaming.

“What’s happening?” asked Blazing Shield. “The only way the spell around the Empire could fail is if-”

“Someone was attacking the Crystal Heart,” finished Celestia. She gazed out into the distance, trying to make out what was happening through the flickering sky. She could barely see a dark, smoky shape moving outside of the city.

“What is that?” asked Blazing Shield, having spotted it as well.

“An old enemy,” explained Celestia, having realized what was happening. “Assemble the Crystal Guard, Captain. Get the citizens off the streets and protect the Crystal Heart.”

“We’ll get it done, ma’am.” Blazing Shield said with a salute. “But who’s attacking us?”

“King Sombra,” said Celestia, keeping an eye on the smoky figure.

“Sombra?” asked the captain. “That mad king foals tell ghost stories about? I thought Spike and Princess Cadance defeated him.”

“Apparently not,” said Celestia. “We need to-”

There was a roar in the distance. A burst of green light lit the night sky in the tundra outside, causing the smoky figure to shrink back.

“Is that-?” asked Blazing Shield.

“Spike,” confirmed Celestia. She turned to the captain and said, “Captain Shield, get civilians off the streets and protect that Heart.” She spread her wings and turned back towards the battle outside of the Empire. “I’m going to help Spike.” Without another word, Celestia took off from the balcony and flew towards the edge of the city. Below her, the crystal ponies were in a panic. They ran to and fro, screaming in fear.

Trusting the Blazing Shield would have the citizens calmed down and off the streets, Celestia looked ahead, attempting to see the battle through the flickering sky. She could see the green flames shoot towards Sombra’s smoky form and headed in that direction.

The second she crossed the barrier between the Empire and the tundra, a loud, agony-filled roar reached her ears. The green flames in the distance flickered as the smoky figure seemed to grow larger. She sped towards the battle and stopped to stare at the scene in front of her.

“No…” she muttered.

Black crystals were everywhere, shooting up from the frozen earth. Several of them were shattered, their pieces glinting in the green glow of the dying flames. The black smoky figure was in front of her, growing to a massive size. In front of it, near the ground, was the body of a large, purple-scaled dragon. Its wings were torn and filled with holes, blood leaking from the torn membrane. Crystals of various sizes were impaled in the body, with the largest stabbed right through the heart.

“Spike…” whispered Celestia, looking sadly at his body. She took a deep breath and gazed at the smoky figure. “Sombra.”

The smoke fidgeted and roared loudly. Celestia thought she could make out Sombra’s face glaring from the darkness. Crystals rose out from the ground as the smoke moved towards her.

“King Sombra,” said Celestia, her horn glowing a blazing gold, “I don’t know how you returned. To be honest, I really don’t care.” She glared fiercely at the smoke. “You are attempting to invade the Crystal Empire again in order to subjugate the crystal ponies again. And you’ve killed someone close to me.” She forced herself not to look at Spike’s body, keeping her eyes locked onto Sombra. “I imprisoned you before. I thought that, during your imprisonment, you could change and become a better ruler. A better pony.” She paused for a moment. “…I was wrong. It seems as though you’ll just keep coming back again and again.”

The smoky figured screeched at her in response and started moving towards her.

Celestia didn’t react to Sombra’s movements, standing motionless as he made his way towards her. “You won’t kill me,” she said firmly. The glow in her horn increased until it was blinding. “You won’t hurt anyone ever again. For your crimes against Equestria, I sentence you to death.”

Smoky tendrils shot out from Sombra’s body, but Celestia was quicker. She shot a wave of golden light at Sombra, engulfing him completely. Sombra shrieked in agony as the smoke hissed and evaporated in the burning light. He thrashed violently, attempting to escape from the blaze, as his body was torn apart. Soon, the only thing that remained of Sombra was his horn, which quickly shattered to pieces.

The wave of light faded as the glow disappeared from Celestia’s horn. She panted and carefully dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. She looked over at Spike’s body and her breathing slowed.

“I…I’m so sorry…” she muttered. Her vision blurred and she blinked, feeling tears running down her face.

“He was brave, you know,” said a voice from behind her.

Celestia frowned and turned. “What did you say?” she asked the white-furred stallion. “What did you just say to me?”

The stallion stared at her unblinkingly. “The dragon. He fought Sombra with all he had.” He looked over at Spike’s body. “Even when he was brought down, he refused to go quietly. He fought until the very end.”

Celestia glared at the stallion. “You just stood there…and watched?!” she snarled.

The stallion looked back at her, almost uncaringly. “It is not my place to interfere. You should be proud, though. The battle was fierce.”

Celestia felt a white-hot fury building up in her. Her horn burned with golden light as she faced the stallion in front of her. “Not as fierce as this one will be,” she spat.