My Faithful Student:
Your presence is requested and required in Canterlot. Depart with the sunrise. Do not bring Spike, or any of your fellow Elements. There are important matters we need to discuss. You may be spending several weeks in Canterlot, so plan accordingly.
Your Teacher, Mentor, and Friend;
Princess Celestia
Requested and required, a phrase that stood out sharply in Twilight’s thoughts. Celestia’s letter was disturbing. The Princess was normally very friendly, very informal. The sharpness of her letter made Twilight think something was very wrong in Canterlot.
Twilight made some simple preparations. Spike was more than capable of minding the Library in her absence. She spoke with Rarity, arranging for Spike to spend the next few weeks staying with her, much to his delight. She spoke with Pinkie, apologizing in advance for missing her upcoming birthday, and explaining how she had to visit Canterlot. When Pinkie insisted they simply move the party to the capital, Twilight had to rather harshly reject her idea. She left a gift for the party with Applejack, hoping her tasteful present would cheer up the dejected pink pony. Then she packed, taking a simple dress, a couple of pieces of modest jewelry, and several indispensable reference guides. She needed to be prepared for anything.
The train took Twilight to Canterlot the next morning. She noted with a chill that she was its only occupant. Was the Princess displeased with her? When the train pulled into the station, she was met with a pair of surly looking royal guards, as well as a bevy of reporters. The attention that Twilight and her friends were receiving in Canterlot was embarrassing. It had been that way ever since the unfortunate events at Shining Armour’s wedding, which had revealed to the entire court their identities as the Elements of Harmony. Upon the last trip she had made with the girls to the capital, they had been hounded by reporters, well-wishers, and photographers. By the end of it, even the spotlight loving Rainbow Dash, and the glamour loving Rarity, were camera shy.
She dutifully followed the guards towards the carriage that was waiting for her, gritting her teeth, ignoring the blinding light of the cameras’ flashes. Once she was inside, she let a sigh of relief. When were those ponies going to tire of news stories about the Elements of Harmony?
She was greeted at the palace by a solemn looking Celestia. Twilight felt her hair standing on end. Something was wrong. Something had to be wrong. Celestia let out a melancholic sigh. “Come with me Twilight.” The white princess started walking towards the castle, clearly expecting Twilight to follow along beside her. “You’re probably wondering why I’ve had you come.” Celestia looked down at Twilight, who nodded back. “Simply put, there are areas of your education which have been neglected, as they are…” The princess trailed off, then shook her head. “Unpleasant.”
Twilight waited quietly until they were alone in the Princess’ study. “What do you mean, unpleasant?” Twilight asked in a flat voice. They sat at a small, two person table near the room’s solitary window. Tea, coffee, and a variety of pasties were lain out upon it. With the smallest effort, Twilight poured herself a large cup of steaming coffee. Her horn still glowing with magic, she inclined her head towards the Alicorn.
“Tea, thank you Twilight.” Celestia’s face was still nearly expressionless, something that worried Twilight a great deal. Her teacher was usually vibrant, and energetic. Twilight poured a cup of tea, ignoring the pastries. Twilight looked expectantly towards Celestia. Celestia looked away from Twilight, before posing a question, “What do you know about the Black Archives?”
Twilight’s eyes widened at that. “You…we store forbidden magics there. It’s a repository for the knowledge that nopony should have.” Celestia nodded.
“Nearly right, my dear Twilight,” Celestia winced at her unintentional rhyming. “Though the archive contains mostly magical knowledge, it also contains histories, and several artifacts. It has, over the years, become a hiding place for the ugliness that I did not wish to expose my little ponies to.” Twilight watched Celestia intently, thinking to herself, that in this instance, the princess looked very old. “However, It is short-sighted and wrong for me to feign ignorance about certain things. Some knowledge is necessary.” A very serious look crossed Celestia’s face, “What do you know about dark magic, Twilight?”
Celestia studied her student intently, looking for tells, reaction, anything to imply that her faithful student had been trotting in forbidden grounds. The matter of fact way that Twilight answered stripped any lingering suspicion from her mind. “Very little, Princess. I know that Dark Magic is mainly used to cause injury, pain, or death to other. However, more malicious compulsions, summoning rituals, and certain restorative spells are classified as such.” Twilight rattled off, word for word, a textbook definition of Dark Magic. “I’ve never cared to really look into it, Princess. Some unicorns at the academy were very interested, but…” Twilight trailed off. “It’s repugnant, isn’t it?” I mean, what it the point of magic that can only do bad things to others? It’s just not something I’d ever need to know.”
“A very practical attitude. However, there are other considerations.” Celestia shook her head. “You know Alicorns may not use Dark Magic, yes?”
Twilight looked at her teacher, furrowing her brow. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t think there was anything you couldn’t do.”
In spite of herself, Celestia chuckled, forgetting at time just how her subjects viewed her. Omnipotent. Immortal. Omniscient. She had heard all these phrases thrown about before. The events of the last two years should have proven to everypony how she was mortal, fallible, just like them. But no, since everything worked out, everypony assumed that it had been her plan all along. In truth, her recently revealed weakness had left her very worried. She hadn’t lost a battle in over a thousand years, yet Chrysalis had bested her. With ease. The Changeling Queen had expected annihilation when she had faced the Alicorn. Celestia had expected the same outcome. She was willing to act, decisively to protect her subjects. Both her and Chrysalis, had been shocked she had failed.
“Twilight,” Celestia spoke, a very gentle reprimand on her lips, “I’m not a god. I have never claimed to be such.” I am as mortal, as prone to mistakes, as any. Even more so than someponies.” Celestia stared at her student, who was looking rather shaken. Idly, Celestia reached out with her magic, and poured another sugar into Twilight’s nearly untouched coffee. She offered her student a reassuring smile. “Which brings us to the matter at hoof. Redbeard, as you know, is the head of the Academy, as well as being in charge of the School for gifted unicorns. He has, slipped deep into senility as of late.”
Twilight watched her with cautious interest. “I’m sorry Princess, but I don’t understand what that has to do with me”
Reluctantly, hesitantly, Celestia replied, “Redbeard is very learned in Dark Magic.” Twilight let out a sharp gasp. Very firmly, Celestia continued, “At my order.”
“But why, I don’t understand why anypony would need to know…” Twilight nearly spit out the words, “that horrible magic.”
Celestia had expected this. “It’s a failsafe. Against me. And now you must learn the same, so if it ever comes to it,” Twilight’s expression was one of pure horror, “You can kill an Alicorn.”
Two of the Royal Guard stood awkwardly outside the doors of Celestia’s study, trying to ignore Twilight Sparkle’s yelling. Neither of them had ever dreamed she would raise her voice to the Princess.
“How dare you! I won’t! To even think such a thing!” Twilight raged. Celestia watched her faithful student with a growing sense of déjà vu. She had been through this several times before, though she hadn’t expected sweet Twilight to be so vocal. “If anything goes wrong, if you went wrong, we could just use the Elements of Harmony!”
Celestia spoke, a stern note entering her voice, “Enough.” She motioned for Twilight to sit. Glowering at the ancient monarch, Twilight lowered herself on her stool again. “I promise I will explain, dear Twilight, if you’ll but give me a moment. The elements of Harmony are extraordinarily powerful, of course, but they have a simple weakness.” Twilight was still glaring at Celestia.
“They seemed quite effective against Nightmare moon,”
“Yes. They probably did. Since she didn’t expect them to work at all. And didn’t know who bore them.”
Twilight stared back, at the implications of that, “Princess, what do you mean?”
Celestia looked quite somber as she spoke next, “The Elements are the most powerful force in this world. Yet, without just one of the Elements, they can’t work properly. Since the identities of you and your friends are now public, we must take certain steps.”
“Are you saying that someone would go after me? To stop me from using the Elements?”
Celestia shook her regal head. “No, not you. No one would go after the most powerful unicorn born in recent memory. If an Alicorn was attempting to control all of Equestria she would probably go after Fluttershy first.” Celestia swallowed hard. “I simply adore your friend, but she is no soldier.”
“Princess, neither you nor Luna would do such a thing!” Twilight said, raising her voice again.
“The decision is made, Twilight. I do however; have a way to convince you of its necessity.” Celestia stood up, looking bemusedly at her untouched tea. “Follow me Twilight.”
The two guards outside the study were very careful to avoid eye contact with their Princess and her student, when the pair exited the study. Both ignored them, which was strange in among itself. Princess Celestia addressed all the ponies of her guard by name, and seldom stood on protocol.
The pair of teacher and student headed to a section of the palace that Twilight had never been before. Twilight realized, startled, that they were heading in the direction of the archives. She frowned but followed. They eventually reached a solid looking wall of some glossy, matte black substance. Twilight spoke, this time in a very small voice, “Princess, I don’t want to know these things.”
Celestia gave her student a sympathetic look. “I know, Twilight. Which is the only reason you’re going to be allowed to learn these spells. If I thought for a second you had an interest in the subject, we would never speak of it again.” A brief flare of Celestia’s magic illuminated a series of runic patterns covering the door, bathing the two ponies in red and purple lights. Several seconds passed, and then the seemingly solid wall split down the middle. A cold, stale draft wafted out of the revealed passage. Celestia bravely walked forward, into the dark corridor. Twilight hesitated for a second, and then followed.
The pair reached a wide, winding stairway. The doors closed behind them, shutting off all light, leaving only the soft glow of Celestia’s horn to see by. Twilight peeked over the edge of the stairs, and then swallowed hard, looking down at the seemingly endless void beneath them. “The archives are down there?” Twilight asked, nervousness colouring her words. Celestia nodded, and then started down the stairs. Twilight followed, carefully staring at the stairs and not the endless darkness on either side of them.
To Twilight, it seemed like they descended on those endless stairs forever. The air seemed to grow fouler with every step. Unconsciously, Twilight found herself with her own horn glowing, hoping to dispel the gloom. Noticing her student’s discomfort, Celestia slowed her stride, falling in step beside Twilight, and offered her a kind smile. “There’s been nothing alive here in fifty years. You don’t need to be afraid.”
Boldly, Twilight responded, “I’m not afraid. The air just feels so…” Twilight trailed off.
“Wrong?” Celestia finished for her.
“Yes.” Twilight shuddered. “I don’t think anything will hurt me down here, but I think that it wants to.”
A knowing expression crossed Celestia’s face. “This is not a happy place.”
They took a couple more steps before Twilight paused, “Princess Celestia,” Twilight paused and inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the suddenly foul taste in her mouth, “You promised you’d explain. You haven’t.”
“There is a history recorded, and stored within these archives. One I’ve suppressed.”
A dark look crossed Twilight’s normally soft features. “That you’ve suppressed? Doesn’t everypony have the right to know history?”
“Sometimes,” Celestia sighed, “Sometimes for people to heal, things need to be forgotten. I’m afraid you need to discover the darkest parts of Equestria’s long history. Please, trust me, my faithful Twilight,” Celestia gave Twilight a plaintive look.
“Of course I trust you!” Celestia was startled by how strong Twilight’s outburst was. With that, Twilight strode confidently forward, leaving Celestia to follow along behind her. The two walked in silence for many minutes, eventually reaching a small, simple room, at the bottom of the stairs. The room was worked stone, and looked perfectly plain. There was a tattered looking curtain drawn across an opening in the far wall, and a scarlet line running across the floor, bisecting the room. Twilight looked at the line, curious. She could feel it, ancient magic coursing through the floor. She reached out with a simple sensing spell, and then reared up as if struck, a jolt of pain coursing through her horn. “Princess, what is that thing?”
“The final protection of the archives. It only will admit those who have no malicious intentions.” Celestia walked across the line, wincing in pain as she did. Seeing Twilight’s concerned eyes, she spoke, “Do not worry, Twilight. I do not believe it will harm you.”
Tentatively, Twilight put a single hoof across the line. She was quite surprised when she felt next to nothing. The only change was that the air on the other side of the line was dryer, and warmer. She strode across the line, and then stopped. She opened her mouth, as if she was about to speak, but then stopped, and nodded. Celestia used a gentle gust of magic to push aside the curtain, revealing a single roomed chamber.
Bookshelves lined the walls of the room, which was surprisingly tiny, smaller even then Twilight’s cozy bedroom back in Ponyville. A desk stood, lonely, in the center of the room, and single nearly spent candle rested upon it. Celestia walked towards a shelf, and delicately used her magic to prise an ancient looking tome from its companions. Celestia gently placed the book upon the desk, and then looked towards Twilight. “I wrote this over one thousand years ago. In places, it is far too personal, to be a formal history. More like a journal, though it covers events that I reconstructed through magic and interviews.” Celestia was speaking in a soft, sorrowful voice. Twilight had to push back an instinct to reach out and comfort her teacher. “I never had the talent for essays, analysis and objective discussion that my sister did. That you do.“ Celestia smiled briefly, and then continued. “Please don’t judge Luna too harshly. I was…” She hesitated, before carrying on, “Distraught when I wrote this, and didn’t perhaps explain her side of it.” Celestia continued to speak, a slight catch in her voice, “Everyone neglected my poor sister, no matter how she tried, and I was the worst of anyone, piling work on my lonely little sister so I could run off to bathe in the people’s adoration.” She shook her head, “And there were other things. It doesn’t excuse what happened…” she trailed off, avoiding Twilight’s gaze “Still, you need to know about Luna, about Nightmare Moon, and The Longest Night.”
Celestia said little else before she departed, only explained that she would be in her study, waiting for Twilight to finish, that the candle was spelled to burn extremely slowly, and that there would be guards at the top of the stairs if she needed refreshment. She left Twilight alone in that tiny room, the only lights cast by the now guttering candle, and the illumination of Twilight’s horn. The room smelled of ancient paper and wax, scents Twilight usually enjoyed. Yet perhaps knowing what was inked on the pages cast a sharp edge to the scent. Twilight felt nervous. She was not precisely afraid. She had felt like this before, first when she had confronted the Ursa Minor. Not afraid, but anxious. She looked down at the familiar, ornate script on the cover, recognizing the flourish in the ink, the delicate way the ‘t’s were crossed, the elaborate and often animated way the ‘I’s were dotted.
“Nightmare Night”
A record by Celestia, First Daughter of Solaris, Sole Monarch of Equestria, Bearer of Element of Laughter, Holder of the Golden Fire, Conqueror of the Night, and Phoenix-friend.
Twilight opened the cover, and started to read.
