Chapters A Diplomatic Incident - Negotiations
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Long ago, in the great and bountiful land of Equestria, there were two sisters of immense power and wisdom. All ponies across the land, earth pony, pegasus and unicorn alike looked to them for guidance, for leadership and for inspiration.
The eldest sister raised the sun, watching over the land in the light of day, and was known throughout as being fair and gentle. Kindness and compassion were her words and deeds, and to the ponies of Equestria, she was as beloved a figure as they could have ever hoped for.
The younger sister though? She raised the moon, and watched over the dark times of the night. While the elder was gentle, she was direct. Action over words was her path in life, and those who served her knew it well. Though perhaps not as loved as her elder sibling, she was nevertheless admired, respected, and perhaps even feared.
For a time, they ruled together, each having equal voice, and Equestria prospered over their joint guidance. But, as with all good things, this too came to an end. So different were they, so split their ways of ruling, that soon conflict emerged between them. While both believed that theirs was the true way for their people, neither would accept the ways of the other, even loving each other as they did.
Arguments arose time and again, and it became clear that their shared stewardship of Equestria could not last under such bitterness. Eventually, their divisions came to their inevitable end, and the younger sister chose to split entirely from her elder. Many followed, and while it broke the elder's heart to see it happen, she nevertheless did nothing as her sister and her followers left Equestria.
Many years have passed since that day, and while the ponies of our land know that the elder sister rules them well, those who did not stay, those who followed the younger, they are still out there, beyond the places where Equestrians will not go. Will they return? Will the two peoples become one again? Nopony can say. But even so, after a thousand years, the ponies of the moon have become more akin to legend than history.
But, as any with wisdom can tell you...even legends can come back one day.
A lavender hoof gently closed the pages of the large book in her lap, and as Twilight's horn lit up, she carefully set her glasses aside for the time being. Instead, and after putting the book itself away, she turned her attention once more to the one before her. A young drake, snuggled cosily in the confines of his bed, looking up to her with wide eyes.
"Is that story true, Mom? Is there really another Princess out there?"
The unicorn mare giggled slightly, reaching forward and giving a loving pat to the top of his head.
"Who can say, Spike? Who can say? It was a very long time ago, and if such a thing truly did happen...well...I suppose it'll be quite a day if we find out."
Spike nodded to this, looking up to his elder with a smile.
"Thank you for the story."
Smiling, Twilight leaned forward, planting a tender kiss upon his forehead.
"You're welcome, Spike. Now, try and get some sleep. You and I have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."
Spike nodded, getting himself even more comfortable in his bed, much to Twilight's amusement. Turning, she moved closer to the still-burning candle on Spike's bedside table, giving a brief puff out of her mouth, blowing the tiny flame out. Though dark, she knew her way well through the room, and was soon at the door of the place. Briefly, she looked over her shoulder, seeing her young charge smiling back to her, to which she could not help but reciprocate.
"Goodnight, Spike."
"Goodnight, Mom," he replied.
And with that, the mare closed the door behind herself, taking this moment of solitude to let out a deep sigh. When the moment had passed, however, she took in her new surroundings, the pristine and immaculately-kept library. A massive window stood nearby, gazing out at not only the rest of Canterlot, but also the nearby palace. Even at night, they were both marvels to behold, and as Twilight trotted over, she mused in her situation.
"Okay...now...she'll arrive there tomorrow at..."
But she didn't get the chance to finish, as just then, there was a relatively quiet knocking at her door. While taken aback by this, Twilight soon composed herself, walking over to the thing and using her magic to open it up. When she did, she smiled once more, as she now stared into a familiar bespectacled face.
"Ah, Moondancer. Nice to see you."
The other mare nodded, smiling back and adjusting her glasses slightly.
"You too, Twilight. Sorry for getting to you so late."
But Twilight raised a hoof, stopping her.
"Think nothing of it. Spike's already in bed, so I don't have anything going on right now."
Nodding, Moondancer looked down to her hoof, before offering her friend what she held within it; a small parchment.
"Well, I got all those names you needed."
Smiling in appreciation, Twilight took what was offered, unrolling it and giving the contents of the parchment a quick glance.
"So...this is everypony I need to talk to when me and Spike get there?"
Again, Moondancer nodded.
"Yep. With any luck, they'll have already sorted out most of what you need to look over when you get there."
Looking up from the paper, Twilight gave the other mare a warm smile.
"Thank you, Moondancer."
A thoughtful look crossed her face.
"You know...if you want to come along...?"
But this time, it was Moondancer's turn to raise a hoof, chuckling slightly as she did so.
"Oh no! This is your task, remember? You're the Princess' apprentice, so you should be the one to overlook all of this. I'm just happy to stay here and keep on studying for our exams."
A smirk crossed her face after saying that.
"Besides, like Minuette said, who better than Twilight Sparkle to organize the Summer Sun Celebration?"
Twilight rolled her eyes to that.
"Oh please, Moondancer! It's not as if this party is going to be the end of the world if I'm not there."
Ponyville
This high up, the wind was rushing past about as fast as one would expect, causing Twilight some measure of grief as her mane continually flapped in front of her face. With every few seconds, she would devote some time to setting the stray strands back in their place, much to the amusement of Spike, who stood at her side. The gleaming royal carriage that carried them was moving swiftly through the skies, with clear blue and bright sunlight greeting them wherever they travelled. The young drake often looked over the edge, marvelled at the sights below. But as for Twilight, her current mane situation had finally reached its end, as a look of sheer frustration crossed her eyes.
"That's it!"
Her horn lit up, and a small blue scrunchie emerged from the saddle bags she carried upon her back. After taking a few seconds to force her mane into a bun atop her head, she levitated the scrunchie into it, holding her mane still at long last. Letting out a sigh of relief, she finally glanced to her son, worry now breaking out on her face.
"Keep a safe distance from the edge, Spike!"
The youngster did as told, taking a cautious step backwards, before giving his Mother a nervous smile.
"Sorry, Mom."
The mare sighed, regaining her smile and giving the youth a quick pat on the head.
"Don't worry about it. I guess I'm just nervous about this whole thing."
Looking to her, Spike took a step closer to her, his face looking far more confident than hers was right now.
"It'll be fine. You're the best there is when it comes to organizing stuff!"
A blush of modesty emerged on Twilight's cheeks.
"Thank you, Spike. But this is still going to take some time. There are plenty of ponies to speak to."
Spike opened his mouth to speak again, only to stop when, despite the rushing of the wind around them, both he and Twilight now heard the sound of somepony clearing their throat. They turned in unison to see that it was one of the royal guards, who raised a hoof to point ahead of where they were flying. Looking up, both passengers saw what it was; a small village some distance away. Once again, Spike returned to his earlier excitement, and briefly forgot his Mother's warning, grabbing hold of the edge of the carriage.
"There it is! Ponyville!"
Twilight nodded, a smile growing upon her lips, as she took a step to her son and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Unfortunately, owing to her eyesight, it strained her to see it properly. As such, she lit up her horn and put her glasses, which had been resting atop her head, fully onto her eyes. Now, she could see that it was indeed Ponyville. A quiet and peaceful sort of place, at least from the looks of it. Even from this distance, Twilight was able to see the many ponies there, all going about their day, even as they continued their approach. But, before she could think any further on the matter, her eyes drifted yet again to the young dragon, as the latter then spoke up.
"What's that?"
He raised a single claw and pointed to something just beyond Ponyville, causing Twilight to look up also. It was something that, quite frankly, she hadn't really given much thought to prior to Spike pointing it out. A vast forest, stretching from the borders of Ponyville, reaching out far into the horizon. Perhaps it was simply because they were descending by now, but even so, it seemed to go on forever. But that alone was not what caught the mare's interest. No. Because, for whatever reason, looking at that forest gave her a sense of uneasiness. Something she couldn't quite put her hoof on.
"I...I don't know what it is, Spike."
Her tone must have had a tint of nervousness to it, for Spike now looked to her with some concern. Recognising this, Twilight cleared her throat, giving him another reassuring pat on the head.
"Let's not dwell on it. We have a lot to...ah, there we go!"
Spike turned to see what she was looking at, and noticed immediately that there was somepony there in the centre of Ponyville. It was the same spot that they appeared to be aiming for to land in, so whoever it was, clearly they were there to welcome the two of them. Both Spike and Twilight made sure to grip the edge of the carriage as, at long last, the thing landed safely in the middle of town. After noticeably exhaling over this, Twilight smiled to her son, before then turning and hopping off the carriage. And it was here that the one waiting for them finally spoke up.
"Welcome to Ponyville!"
It was a mare, clearly older than Twilight, judging from the grey in her mane, who walked about with a pair of glasses. Twilight smiled, taking a few steps closer to the stranger.
"It's nice to be here, Miss...?"
The other mare let out a brief laugh.
"Oh, where are my manners? I am Mayor Mare!"
Twilight gave a nod.
"Twilight Sparkle. A pleasure to meet you."
The Mayor stretched out an open hoof, and Twilight instinctively took hold of it, giving a friendly shake before then glancing over her shoulder.
"Don't forget your bag, Spike."
The youngster gave a nod, reaching over for a small bag that had, until now, been quietly resting in the corner of the carriage. As he did this, the guards who had been pulling it began to unhook themselves from their bindings, giving themselves a quick stretch before giving each other a short nod. Twilight watched them go, no doubt to perform some other duties before the Summer Sun Celebration got underway. But, for now, she turned once more to the older mare.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what you and your townsfolk have in store for us, Mayor."
A look of pride crossed the latter's face.
"Oh, I assure you, Miss Sparkle, you will not be disappointed. Everypony here has been working tirelessly to ensure that Princess Celestia will be arriving to a spectacular celebration!"
Twilight nodded.
"I'm glad to hear it. With luck, she'll be arriving in a few hours."
The Mayor nodded silently, prompting Twilight to continue.
"I realise that it's tradition for her to make her public appearance during the night before the sun's raising, but she wanted to get here a little earlier this time."
The other mare regained her earlier smile.
"Ah! Hoping to see what Ponyville has to offer, I take it?"
Twilight nodded in response.
"Yes. As you know, she doesn't get this far from Canterlot very often."
But the Mayor simply raised a hoof.
"Say no more! We'll make sure we give her a good impression of our humble little hometown!"
Twilight smiled back in a polite fashion, even though anypony with even a modicum of talent in reading people could tell that she was simply accepting an obvious political courtesy right now. But, thankfully, the Mayor had not picked up on her insight, instead giving a sweeping gesture to the rest of the town around them.
"I take it you wish to inspect what we've done so far?"
The apprentice of the sun nodded, briefly looking down to Spike, who had been quietly standing beside her for some time now, before glancing back up to her host.
"Indeed. I believe it's...Sweet Apple Acres we have to visit first?"
The Mayor beamed.
"Of course! Please, allow me to escort you!"
Not one to refuse such an offer, Twilight gave a silent gesture, giving the Mayor all the permission she needed to get underway, heading towards what had to be the farm. However, no sooner had the three of them taken a few steps away from their landing spot when, for some reason, Twilight felt a sudden chill down her spine. She turned, looking around for what might have caused her to feel that way, only to stop when she spotted something through a gap between two nearby houses. It was that forest again, which, even now, seemed darker than she remembered. She didn't know why, but something in her just compelled her to ask.
"If I may ask...what is that?"
Mayor Mare stopped, and for a time, she didn't know what Twilight was talking about. But, as soon as she realised what had caught her attention, her smile faltered for the first time in this visit. The look on her face made it clear that she very much didn't want to talk about this, but even so, the question had nevertheless been asked. So, after taking a moment to properly compose herself, the older pony gave her answer.
"Ah...that would be Everfree Forest, Miss Sparkle. An ancient place, by all accounts. Not really the kind of wood you'd want to find yourself."
Twilight looked to her, a slight frown forming on her face.
"Dangerous?"
The Mayor hesitated, before giving her response.
"Let's just say...we've grown used to having it nearby."
There was fear in her words, Twilight could feel it. So much so that, for now, she decided to let the matter go, pointing ahead to their original path. The Mayor, clearly relieved, nodded right back, before starting to once more head off, with Twilight and Spike close behind her. But, all the way, the younger mare could not help but look back to that place.
For when she looked to it, there was something there that made her feel as if it was staring at her .
Apples
Thankfully, the weather had remained pleasant during the Mayor's tour of Ponyville, which Twilight was immensely grateful for. After all, if her mentor was going to come here, it wouldn't do to have the local weather team slacking off. As she and Spike walked along the town's streets, their host would often point to the various venues the place had to offer. Sugar Cube Corner, the local flower shop, and so on and so forth. But all Twilight could think of right now was her current task, getting to Sweet Apple Acres. Hence why her expression was one of focus right now. But, in the end, her patience was rewarded, and the Mayor soon stopped as she reached the edge of what appeared to be a small woodland.
"Here we are!"
Looking to it in earnest, Twilight found herself pleasantly surprised by the idyllic look of her new location. Row upon row of carefully tended-to apple trees, giving a quite inviting feel to this farmstead. Giving a brief nod, she looked to the elder mare beside her.
"Very nice. And you're sure the Apple Family can accommodate the banquet?"
A brief giggle escaped the Mayor.
"Oh, I assure you, they very much can. If you need to go anywhere for good food in this town, it's the Apples."
For the first time, her enthusiasm seemed to be genuine, leading to a small smile on the part of Twilight. However, before any of them could make their way further in, they were halted by the arrival of the sound of rapidly-approaching hoofsteps. Turning, they saw that it was a smaller mare, panting as she ran towards the Mayor. At present, she was holding a number of important-looking papers, and once there, she took a moment to catch her breath before finally looking to the Mayor.
"Madame Mayor! There's been...well..."
The Mayor frowned.
"Spit it out, Quill!"
The other mare nodded.
"It's just...those two guards wanted to talk to you about security arrangements."
Hearing that, the Mayor turned to Twilight, clearly taken aback by this news. But, rather than seeming upset by this, as she'd probably been expecting, Twilight merely maintained her warm smile.
"It's fine. Spike and me can probably carry on from here. Go. See what they need."
A moment of hesitancy crossed the Mayor's face, but with the reassuring tone Twilight had taken, I wasn't long before the older mare returned the gesture by giving a slight bow of her head. With that, she turned, now joining her assistant in trotting back towards the centre of Ponyville. Once Twilight had seen her off, she turned her attention yet again to the farm beside her, giving the young dragon nearby a quick nod before, at last, starting to walk within. As one would expect of a place this large, it took quite a while for the mare and her charge to find their way around. The apple trees seemed to go on forever, which was something that Spike seemed to want to comment on.
"So...how are we going to find these ponies?"
Twilight looked to her son, giving him a small smile.
"Don't worry, Spike. They'll be around. We just have to...ah, there we go!"
Spike stopped, seeing where his Mother was now looking. There, just a few yards ahead of them, was an orange earth pony mare, about the same sort of age as Twilight. She ran across the space in-between the trees, before dramatically spinning around and giving the closest tree a good sharp kick with her hind legs. Barely a moment had passed before this resulted in the tree giving up its fruit, which promptly fell into a series of baskets that had been expertly placed on the ground below. After taking a moment to look proud of this, the newcomer soon realised that she had an audience, and took on a more hearty smile, taking a few steps closer to both Twilight and Spike.
"Well howdy there, folks! Name's Applejack!"
Twilight nodded.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Twilight, and this is Spike."
Hearing that, Applejack's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh yeah! Yer the pair from Canterlot, ain't ya?"
Again, Twilight nodded, prompting Applejack to continue.
"Well, if yer lookin ta check up on the food, ya needn't worry. We Apples have got it all covered."
Twilight's smile widened.
"That's good to hear. The Mayor gave some pretty glowing praise of your cooking, Miss Applejack."
The other mare chuckled to this.
"Heck, girl! No need ta be so formal! It's just Applejack! An' the Mayor spoke true. Y'all won't find better grub this side o' Equestria, y'all mark mah words!"
Her confidence was almost infectious, as Twilight looked to her in a manner that very clearly suggested that she believed her. But, it wasn't long after when she took on a more cynical expression.
"I'm inclined to believe you...but just to be sure, I'd like to take a look at what you've got myself."
There was every opportunity for Applejack to be offended or feel slighted over this remark, but thankfully, this turned out not to be the case. Instead, she gave a nod and turned right back around.
"Sure thing! Ah'll take ya ta mah home. We've got a couple of tasty pies just freshly baked if y'all want a preview!"
As she started to walk, Twilight followed, her tone a bit more calm as she replied to that.
"You're sure we won't be imposing?"
As before, Applejack let out a laugh.
"Hardly! Now that our annual reunion with all our kin is over, we got plenty o' space around."
But, after a few more steps, the farmer stopped, and while Twilight was a little surprised by this, she was even more surprised when Applejack turned to her again, her confidence wavering slightly for the first time since this visit began.
"Truth be told...ah'm actually kinda nervous. Nopony in mah family has seen royalty in generations. Heck, it's coz of her that we even have this land, goin all the way back ta mah Great-Grandpappy. Ah just hope the Princess likes what we can give her after all she's done fer us."
While taken aback at this sincere confession on the part of her new host, Twilight soon looked to her with a renewed smile, taking a step forward and speaking to Applejack with softness in her words.
"You have nothing to worry about, Applejack. I know the Princess, and trust me when I say that she's bound to love what you give her."
Seeing the open and honest expression on Twilight's face as she'd said that, Applejack stood tall once more, giving an enthusiastic nod before turning right around again and gesturing to her two companions.
"In that case...let's not waste any more daylight, y'all! Ah'm sure ya got lots ta do today!"
To that, Twilight gave out a brief dry laugh of her own.
"Yeah...no argument on that one."
Birdsong
Walking away from the border of Sweet Apple Acres, it was obvious that both Twilight and Spike had experienced a pleasant time there. Spike especially seemed to be enjoying himself, as he rubbed his belly with a contented smile upon his face.
"That was a delicious pie!"
Twilight giggled.
"Yes, it was well-made. I think it's safe to say the food situation is in good hooves with that family."
Smiling back, Spike glanced up to his Mother yet again.
"So...who's next?"
Hearing that, Twilight turned her gaze up to the sky.
"Well...the skies are pretty clear today, so I don't think we need to talk with the local pegasi weather teams. And as for decorations, the Mayor assured us that they've already been taken care of down at Town Hall. So..."
She stopped to think, but only for a moment.
"...I think our next stop is to look for the ones providing the entertainment for the evening."
That caught Spike's interest.
"Really? What kind of entertainment?"
Looking ahead, the unicorn beside him started to walk off, with him close behind as he heard her give her answer.
"Well, if you can believe it, there's apparently a pony here who can train birds to sing. At least, that's what our itinerary informed us."
Spike gained an incredulous look.
"No offense, Mom, but I'll believe that when I hear it."
The mare seemed to share his views on the matter.
"We won't know anything unless we find her, so I suggest we get to it."
And get to it they did, as both Twilight and Spiked continued to head on back into the centre of Ponyville. Pony after pony they asked, and whenever the subject of singing birds came up, they all repeated the same name to them; Fluttershy. So, with a name in hoof, they set off, trying to find this mare and her apparently well-trained birds. It took the better part of an hour, but soon, they found themselves once more towards the outer edges of the town, where there were plenty of trees and other greenery about. Spike, having at last walked off his food from earlier, looked to his carer with some concern.
"What if we can't find her?"
Twilight looked down to him, opening her mouth to reply, only to be halted when, all of a sudden, there was a loud and distinct sound of birds nearby. Immediately, both of them started looking around for whoever might be causing it, before then electing to look over a nearby set of hedges. Their efforts were rewarded when, to their amazement, the stories they'd heard now seemed to be proven true. For there, just ahead of where they were hiding, was a tree filled to the brim with all sorts of colourful and exotic-looking birds, all singing in unison. And before them, standing at the base of the tree, was a yellow pegasus mare, who bore a short pink mane that stopped just at her neck. But, as the songs continued, the mare had a somewhat unsatisfied look on her face, which then morphed into a softer smile as she flapped her wings and made her way up to the tree.
"Mr Sparrow? Remember what we discussed before? Just hold that one note a tiny bit longer, okay?"
Her voice was soft, almost to the point of a whisper, and yet, there seemed to be an indescribable sense of assertiveness and authority behind it. Certainly enough to get the birds in line, that much was certain, as the sparrow in question gave a dutiful nod before ruffling its feathers, much to the mare's delight. And it was here, during the lull in-between birdsongs, when Twilight finally chose to make her presence known.
"Um...excuse me?"
Instantly, all of the birds looked as if they wanted to fly away at the arrival of this newcomer, but one look from the mare, who Twilight was certain at this point was the Fluttershy she was told of, with her reassuring smile, stopped them right in their tracks, calming them down considerably. With that matter settled, the mare turned to Twilight, taking a step forward before speaking up to her in that same soft tone she'd used with the birds.
"I don't believe we've met. Are you the new arrival from Canterlot?"
Twilight nodded, prompting a wider smile on the other mare.
"I'm Fluttershy. Pleased to meet you."
The young unicorn returned the smile.
"Twilight. Same."
Both mares reach out their hooves and shook in a friendly manner.
"I'm guessing you wanted to hear what my birds had to offer?" Fluttershy asked.
But Twilight shook her head to this.
"That was the plan, but after hearing what you've got them doing already, I'd say there's little for me to be worried about."
Nodding, Fluttershy looked over to her feathered friends, speaking up in a happier manner than before.
"Did you hear that, everybody? You're all doing so well!"
Her words elicited a number of happy and cheerful squawks and other bird noises from those gathered in the tree, and as this continued, Fluttershy looked to Twilight once more.
"They've been practising for ages now. I'm glad to hear that you like them."
Again, Twilight gave a smile.
"Certainly! I don't know how you do it, but you clearly have a gift for dealing with them."
A brief look of pride crossed Fluttershy's face, which she then buried before a more modest blush.
"Oh, I suppose animals and I just have a liking for each other, that's all."
Twilight was clearly in agreement over that, and would have no doubt wanted to speak to her further on the matter. But before she got the opportunity to do so, Fluttershy's attention then seemed to be drawn to something else, as a look of shock now plastered her whole face. It didn't take long for Twilight to realise that it was Spike she was staring at.
"Oh! Of course. This is Spike."
The small dragon took a step closer and gave a brief wave to their new acquaintance.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Fluttershy."
At this, Fluttershy finally broke out of her trance-like state, kneeling down slightly to look Spike right in the eye, all while bearing a look that one would normally expect when they saw adorable or small animals.
"I've never seen a baby dragon before! Oh, he is just the most precious thing!"
Naturally, Spike's chest puffed up slightly, as he glanced up to his Mother with a smirk.
"Hear that, Mom? I'm precious! "
Of course, Twilight couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. However, the young dragon's words had the effect of causing some measure of surprise in Fluttershy, as she now looked once more to Twilight.
"Um...Mom?"
Though a little taken aback, Twilight quickly regained her composure, clearing her throat before giving a slight nod.
"Yes. Spike is my son."
Immediately, understanding dawned on Fluttershy's expression.
"Ah. So I'm guessing...?"
She didn't finish, for Twilight already knew where she was going with this, leading to her giving a pre-emptive answer.
"Adopted? Yes."
There was a small nod on the part of Fluttershy, before she then regarded the two with a warmer expression.
"Well then...it seems we have that much in common at least."
As one would expect, this prompted more than a little surprise for the unicorn and her dragon companion.
"Oh? You mean...?" Twilight started.
Fluttershy nodded, her expression now one of fondness as she looked over her shoulder to the nearby town.
"Her name is Scootaloo. The sweetest little filly you could ever meet."
Looking back, Fluttershy now started to look a touch excited.
"Oh! Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could introduce our children to one another? Have them be friends?"
A smile crossed Twilight's face yet again, as she too now seemed to share in this joint-motherly excitement.
"I'd love to!"
And of course, neither mare was aware of the somewhat indignant look Spike now bore as he grumbled under his breath.
"Sure, arrange a play-date like I'm not even here! "
Neither of the mares had heard him, and instead, Fluttershy looked at long last to her bird friends, addressing them in that same assertive tone as before.
"That'll be all today, friends. Keep on practising, alright?"
There were a number of nods to that, as each of them began to fly away, leaving only the two ponies and Spike behind. Now alone, Fluttershy looked to Twilight, her face one of curiosity.
"I assume you'll be staying the night for the celebration?"
Twilight nodded.
"Yep. Me and Spike have been given leave to stay in the town library for the night."
Fluttershy considered that.
"Would...would you like me to show you where it is?"
Hearing that, Twilight's smile widened.
"I'd be honoured. Truth be told, I actually don't have anypony else to talk things over with for the time being. So I guess it'd be good to get settled in before the Princess arrives."
Clearly pleased with that, Fluttershy turned around, heading off for Ponyville, with Twilight and Spike quickly catching up. As they travelled, however, Fluttershy could not help but ask the question that had clearly been burning in her mind for some time.
"So...how did you come across a baby dragon?"
A nostalgic look crossed Twilight's face at that, all while Spike gained a "here we go again" sort of expression, as the former started to reply.
"Well...it all began when I was just a little filly..."
Welcome
"So...he just hatched? All from magic?"
The sheer enthrallment upon Fluttershy's face as she spoke that question was plain for all to see, and Twilight, who seemed to be more than eager to tell this story, simply gave a smile and a nod.
"That's right. It was a strange thing...but at the end of it all, there he was."
Fluttershy looked away, clearly astonished by what she'd just heard. As for Spike, he simply carried on just a few steps ahead of them, grumbling under his breath.
"Oh sure, Mom, just tell the story of my birth to everypony that asks why don't ya!"
Twilight cast him a brief irritated glance, before resuming her smile and looking back to Fluttershy.
"I meant what I said before about your idea, Fluttershy, about our children. Having Spike get some more friends would be good for him."
The animal lover seemed pleased by this, but Spike, finally stopping for a moment, turned to look right at his Mother.
"I already have a whole bunch of friends, Mom!"
But Twilight merely placed a hoof upon his shoulder before replying.
"I mean your own age, Spike. Spending time with ponies like Moondancer and Minuette is all well and good, but a growing child like you needs peers their own age group. It's vital for proper development."
Spike stared at her, raising an eyebrow.
"...How many parenting books told you that one?"
Twilight paused, doing her best not to look him in the eye, before eventually looking a little embarrassed.
"...Twelve?"
Spike slapped his forehead in frustration, all while Fluttershy found herself giggling to this little moment between them. However, mere moments later, the pegasus mare looked ahead, her eyes widening somewhat as she pointed to what she now looked at.
"Well, there it is!"
Both Twilight and Spike now turned to see what she was talking about. And here, they took on a joint look of surprise. For there, right in the middle of an open space in the town, was what appeared to be a large tree. And yet, upon further inspection, they found that it bore many of the features of a building, such as windows and a front door. After taking a moment to take in this spectacle, both of them turned to Fluttershy, clearly awaiting some clarification, which the latter was more than willing to give.
"Golden Oak Library. Your home for the night."
Twilight smiled widely to this.
"Oh! Let's take a closer look!"
And off she went, trotting at a faster pace than before, with Fluttershy walking closely behind her. As for Spike, he took a brief moment to hold back, folding his arms and regarding the building with a somewhat more serious look.
"Huh...a literal tree-house? That's...kinda cool, actually."
Of course, as soon as he realised that he was falling behind, he upped the pace, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to catch up to his Mother, just in time to see her place her hoof upon the knob of the library's front door.
"Well...let's see what the place is like!"
Unbeknownst to Twilight, Fluttershy was doing her best to hold back what appeared to be a giggle of some sort. But the young unicorn merely walked on in, seeing nothing but darkness as she entered the library for the first time. Spike followed soon after, and together, the two of them squinted through the gloom to see if they could see anything discernible. Instead, what they got, to their eternal surprise, was a sudden flash of light, as all around them, they saw dozens of smiling ponies, mares and stallions alike. Before either of them could say or do anything in response to this, they all cried out in unison.
"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!!!"
It didn't take long for the two newcomers to figure out what was going on, as they could now see that the interior of the library had been decorated with all manner of balloons, streamers and banners, all giving a happy and jovial feel to the place. As one would expect, Twilight was a little taken aback by all of this.
"I...I...I don't know what to say."
As for Spike, he knew exactly what to say.
"A party?! Awesome!"
A chuckle was heard in response to that. One which, to Twilight's ears, seemed more than a little familiar. And soon, her suspicions were proved true, as the friendly face of Applejack now emerged from the crowd, taking off her hat and speaking to them both in that assured way of hers.
"Sorry ta catch y'all off-guard like this, but we figured it'd be good ta give y'all a proper welcome ta town!"
Twilight turned as Fluttershy then made her way beside her, smiling just as much as Applejack as she spoke.
"Oh yes, we felt that is was the least we could do, after everything you're doing to make sure everything's in order."
After faltering slightly, Twilight regained her composure, returning the smile.
"This is...this is wonderful. Thank you all so much for this!"
While Applejack understandably blushed over the praise, she replied with a far more humble tone.
"Well shucks, sugarcube, y'all are sweet ta say. But we didn't actually do the plannin of all of all this."
Twilight cocked her head in confusion, only to be kept from saying anything further when, all of a sudden, a new and unexpected voice came from the now-chattering crowd.
"That would be me ."
It was a somewhat high-pitched voice, and it was only moments afterwards when Twilight and Spike saw its owner. Another mare, light pink in her fur and dark-pink in her long and straight mane. She smiled as she approached the two, reaching out a hoof.
"Pinkie Pie. Pleased to meet you."
Clearing her throat a little, Twilight took the hoof, shaking it.
"Twilight Sparkle. And...well...thank you for doing all this."
The other mare gave a brief laugh to that, looking over her shoulder to her work.
"Yeah, parties have always been my thing, ever since I was a filly. Birthdays, weddings, you name it, I got it."
Spike looked to her, clearly impressed.
"You did all of this?! Wow, you must really like parties!"
Pinkie turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Like them? No...I love them! All the fun and the excitement, seeing everypony smile and have a great time, it just...it just..."
Then, to the shock of both Twilight and Spike, Pinkie's mane, which had been as straight as an arrow this whole time, suddenly poofed up into a more wild and fluffy look. This was soon coupled with a more excited and widely-smiled expression upon Pinkie's face as she started to speak in a somewhat rapid-fire manner.
"Seeing everypony love what I do is just so great! Hearing them laugh and be all gaspy when they see the surprise bit, that just makes me feel all bubbly and sweet and..."
Then, almost as quickly as she started, she stopped, looking almost embarrassed over what had just happened. She cleared her throat somewhat before turning to Applejack who, almost out of reflex, handed her a comb. The party-planner took it and, right in front of Twilight and Spike, started to comb her mane back to the way it had been before.
"Um...sorry about that. Parties kinda bring out...well...a bit more excitement out of me."
Though still unsure of what she'd just witnessed, Twilight nevertheless gave a small giggle.
"Yes...I can see that."
Having finally got her mane back the way she liked it, Pinkie returned to smiling softly as before.
"Well...don't let me keep you. Enjoy the party. Chances are we'll be getting another one very soon."
Twilight nodded.
"We will...and thank you."
Pinkie nodded back, before then turning and heading off to speak to some of the other ponies here. Now alone with her son, Twilight watched all the happy and smiling faces of those who had gathered here to welcome the two of them to the town. Naturally, she couldn't help but feel somewhat contented, as well as flattered about just how far they'd gone for her and her young charge.
"You know, Spike...right now...I actually can't think of a better place for the Summer Sun Celebration."
But, after waiting for a few seconds, the mare realised that Spike had not responded to her, prompting her to look down to her side. To her surprise, she found that he was not there, leading to her looking around in an almost frantic manner.
"Spike?"
"Over here, Mom!"
She turned, seeing him standing beside a nearby window, and she let out a sigh of relief as she approached him.
"Phew! Don't scare me like that!"
A brief look of guilt crossed his face as he looked to her.
"Sorry for that. It's just...look!"
He pointed out of the window, leading to a look of curiosity on Twilight's part as she stood beside him.
"What is it?"
Looking back to her, Spike now bore a wide smile of his own as he gave his answer.
"She's here! "
Twilight didn't need any clarification on that, for she knew exactly who her son had been speaking of. So, like him, she glanced through the window, up to the clear skies above Ponyville. And there, flying gracefully through the cloudless blue, was a golden chariot, larger and more elaborate than that which had brought the two of them to Ponyville, and pulled by at least a dozen of the royal guard. From this angle, Twilight could not see the occupant of that transport, but she didn't need to. For now, a warm and happy smile crossed her face, and as she patted her son's head, she gave him a nod.
"Yes, Spike...looks like she's here already."
Revealed
The news had spread fast throughout Ponyville, and as soon as the arrival had been confirmed, everypony was on their hooves and making their way as fast as they could to the centre of town. Mare or stallion, young or old, everypony in the area wanted to be there, to greet their monarch and await the festivities of the Summer Sun Celebration. Naturally, the street just outside the town hall became increasingly cramped as the local populace tried to gain entry. Royal guards, stationed at the entrance to the place, kept a watchful eye on all who passed them, but for the most part, this was a time of excitement and smiles. So it was too for Twilight, who, of course, had managed to find herself there long before anypony else. While it was still a full day before the celebration proper, she was nevertheless eager to see her beloved mentor presented to the ponies here, to be greeted with praise and cheer just as she always had.
"Pretty packed, eh, Mom?"
The sound of her son's voice snapped Twilight out of her thoughts, and she looked down to him with a confident smile.
"Yes it is, Spike. But then, how often would these ponies get to see royalty?"
Spike chuckled.
"Yeah...guess it's easy to forget that most don't get to see her like we do, right?"
A look of slight pride crossed Twilight's face at that, as she acknowledged her young ward's point. Seeing her leader was indeed an everyday occurrence for her, and yet, seeing just how eager these other ponies were to see her, it was a fresh reminder of just how otherworldly the Princess must seem. But, for the time being, her focus was instead on the state of the hall around them all. As her previous inspection had shown, there had been plenty of expertly-placed decorations and banners. One looked at this place, and they saw a party of class and respectability.
"Pretty sweet, right?"
Turning, Twilight now gazed upon the one who had spoken; Pinkie. The party planner looked pretty pleased with herself, gesturing to the vast room around them.
"When I was told I'd be asked to sort this kind of thing out, I'll admit, I was a little nervous. But, I'd say I've done pretty good, right?"
Twilight looked to her, then to the surrounding decorations, then right back to Pinkie, clearly seeming impressed.
"You did this, Pinkie?"
Pinkie nodded, looking at her work as Twilight continued to appear happy from this.
"What you did for me and Spike earlier was good...but this? This is spectacular! "
Pinkie chuckled to that.
"Oh stop! You're gonna make me blush!"
Both mares laughed to that, but it was a sound that was becoming increasingly drowned out as more and more ponies began to make their way into the hall. Among them, Twilight could recognise many of the faces that she had become acquainted to since arriving here, including Applejack and Fluttershy. There was an air of both nervousness and anticipation as almost everypony here looked upwards, to the interior balcony that, at this moment, bore a set of fancy-looking curtains. The young unicorn knew, just beyond those curtains, her Princess was waiting for the moment when they would be pulled back, and she would be presented in all her glory to the adoring public below. Twilight smiled at the thought, and just for a moment, she could have sworn she saw movement up there.
"Princess Celestia has done this a thousand times...literally . It never gets old."
Pinkie smiled to her, as indeed did Spike, who seemed just as excited as she was at this point. But, all three of them, along with everypony else now began to grow more and more quiet. For just then, their attention turned to one who now stood atop the balcony above them. Mayor Mare, clearly trying to look as composed and formal as possible, stood at the edge of the balcony, looking down to all of her fellow Ponyville residents, before clearing her throat and starting to address them.
"Mares and gentlecolts! There have been many places of prestige and renown who have hosted this beloved celebration over the course of our history. But today? Today, it is the turn of Ponyville! And I think I speak for everypony here when I say that we are truly honoured!"
Leaning closer to Twilight, Pinkie brought her voice down to a whisper.
"Look at her. This is probably the most important thing she'll ever do in her whole career."
In spite of herself, Twilight couldn't help but giggle to that, though she did her best to hold it back, given the circumstances. As for the Mayor, she had not noticed, and instead carried on as before.
"And of course, to usher in this great tradition of our people, we have with us today, newly-arrived from Canterlot, our beloved monarch herself!"
Turning, the older mare gave a sweeping gesture to the curtains behind her.
"Please, let's give a warm Ponyville welcome to the mare of the sun...Princess Celestia!"
And of course, the moment those words were spoken, everypony's hooves were being beaten against the ground, giving a loud and almost-deafening sound of applause. Through it all, Twilight watched eagerly, her face bearing a wide smile at the thought of seeing her teacher yet again. So, the curtains rolled back, and back, and back, until they were completely open, revealing the one who all knew was there behind them.
And then the screams began.
Twilight's smile vanished, as did everypony's there, and the applause ground to a halt, replaced instead with gasps of shock and squeals of fear. Princess Celestia, the beloved and respected leader of Equestria, the Mother figure of all those of ponykind, now lay upon the ground. She did not stand. She did not speak. She did not even seem to be moving at all. Nopony there, from the Mayor, to the citizens, to even the guards nearby, seemed to know what to do. There was a clamour as several in the crowd began to panic, and the aforementioned guards rushed to their monarch's side, looking over in a vain attempt to try and help her. But they could do nothing but stand and watch, utterly helpless to what was now going on. But Twilight? She was not so paralyzed.
"Mom?" Spike called to her.
But she was off already, rushing forward as fast as she could, unceremoniously pushing past everypony she met, before eventually finding herself at the door that she knew from memory led upstairs. Though many looked to her as she did this, none of them followed, and instead, Twilight found herself alone as she rushed up the stairs and onto the balcony. At her arrival, several of the guards instinctively stood between her and the fallen Princess. But one of them, an older stallion from the looks of it, spoke up, his face bearing clear recognition.
"Stand aside, you idiots! That's Celestia's apprentice!"
Immediately, the lower-ranked guards stood to one side, allowing the unicorn mare by. Her face was one of obvious concern and worry, and she was soon kneeling beside the regal pony before her. Celestia remained unmoving, with only her breathing giving any sign that she was still alive. Calmly, Twilight placed a hoof upon her neck, and soon could feel her pulse. It was steady, which only caused further confusion.
"What...what's going on?" she asked to nopony in particular.
The sound of footsteps caused her to turn, and she saw Spike rushing behind her, his expression a terrified one.
"Mom? What are we going to do? Is she alright?"
But all Twilight could do was shake her head.
"I...I don't know, Spike."
He was scared, that much was obvious, but all the young Mother could do was look yet again to Celestia. Leaning closer, Twilight began to whisper, her tone a pleading one.
"Princess Celestia...please...say something!"
No words came. At least, not clear ones. For here, Twilight's ears perked up as she began to notice just the tiniest movements of the alicorn's lips. She seized upon this chance, knowing in her bones that her mentor was trying to communicate. Twilight brought her ears close, doing her best to drown out all other noises and distractions, focusing only on the sounds that now came from her teacher's mouth.
"What...are you saying , Princess?"
Almost in response, the sun-mare's lips moved again, but it was as if even this was as much as Celestia's meagre strength could allow. And in spite of the panic around them, Twilight could make out what was being uttered, though only just.
"T...Tan...Tanta...bus."
Twilight moved her head away, looking to the still-unmoving Princess, and shook her head in dismay.
"T...Tantabus? Wha...what in the name of Equestria is a Tantabus?! "
Two Kingdoms - Explanations
Explanations
The mood in Golden Oak Library was, understandably, a grim one. Not so long ago, this place had been one of celebration and excitement, but now? Now, the only looks anypony seemed to have here was of fear and concern. Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Spike all sat quietly around the place, never saying a word to each other, simply counting the moments as they rolled by. A nearby clock on the wall gave off the same "tick-tock" it usually did, providing the only real sound in the room. Then, at the end of it all, the library door opened, and all eyes were upon Twilight, who now entered the room with the rest of them. Her expression was about on par with theirs, and as soon as that door was closed, Spike rushed to her side, his eyes wide as he spoke.
"Mom? What's going on? Is the Princess okay?"
The young unicorn let out a sigh, shaking her head.
"She's the same as she was before. They've moved her to a private room in Ponyville Hospital...but so far, nothing's working."
Pinkie turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
"Not to criticise, but shouldn't she be sent back to Canterlot? I mean, they have a whole bunch of better healers over there, right?"
Twilight made her way further into the room, rubbing her temples as she replied to that.
"Under normal circumstances, they would. But the nature of this affliction is so strange, so unlike anything they've seen before, that they don't want to risk a long journey, just in case that makes things worse."
Pinkie nodded in response, and it wasn't long afterwards when Fluttershy added her voice to matters.
"So...what is her condition?"
Looking right at her, Twilight answered.
"From what we can tell...she's just...asleep. There's no physical harm that we can see on her. But...if she stays this way too long, without waking...the doctors have no doubt in their minds that she'll begin to...grow weaker."
She didn't elaborate, but the implication was clear, leading to even greater worry on Fluttershy's part. But for now, it was the turn of Applejack to speak up.
"Okay then...what about what she said to ya? That Tanty, Tantaby thing?"
Twilight nodded, turning around and facing a nearby set of bookshelves.
"The Tantabus."
Her eyes focused on the many books before her, scouring row after row until, finally, she spotted one title in particular. Her horn began to glow, and it wasn't long afterwards when that book started to levitate out of its shelf and now hovered in front of her. She narrowed her eyes at the thing, turning around and walking to a large table in the centre of the room. Curiosity gripped the rest of them, and they started to gather nearby, watching as Twilight placed the book upon the table and opened it. It was definitely an old tome, judging from the condition of many of the pages, and as Twilight flipped through them, they seemed to bear inscriptions and illustrations of many bizarre and unknown creatures. Then, at the end, she placed her hoof on one page in particular.
"Here it is."
Naturally, the other ponies and Spike gathered further, and saw the page she'd chosen. It was one in even worse condition than the rest, with what appeared to be a full half of it torn out. But on the page-piece that remained, they saw what she was looking at. It seemed to be a drawing of a cloud of some sort, albeit a strange and somewhat disturbing one, bearing many dark blues and purples to it. And as they kept their eyes on it, Twilight began to speak.
"The Tantabus...an ancient spirit of nightmares. In centuries past, it would plague the minds of ponies, homing in on those who suffered with nightmares and using those feelings of fear and dread to grow, become stronger."
She narrowed her eyes again.
"Had it been allowed to roam unchallenged, it would have grown powerful enough to escape the dream realm and into the physical world, becoming a threat to everypony."
However, shortly afterwards, her hoof then pointed to a second illustration, below the first. The others' eyes followed, and they saw that the new picture seemed to depict a very interesting event. It was still the Tantabus, but to one side was a sketch of a pristine white alicorn, her horn blasting powerful magic at the beast. As they focused on that image, Twilight continued.
"But it was through the intervention of alicorn magic that the Tantabus was thwarted, sealed away in the darkest depths of the dream realm, where it has remained dormant ever since."
She took her hoof off the book, and after a brief silence, Applejack looked to her and spoke.
"So...this thing...this Tantabus...is some kinda nightmare monster from way back when? Somethin Celestia fought back in the day?"
Twilight nodded, prompting Applejack to speak yet again, albeit with a look of confusion upon her face.
"But...if she beat it all those years ago...why's it back now? "
Twilight sighed.
"Some spells fade, Applejack. According to this text, it's been over a thousand years since the Tantabus was any kind of threat. Making a spell to imprison it for that long takes enormous effort. Perhaps...perhaps the spell's strength simply...came to an end."
A grunt of frustration was heard, prompting all to look at Pinkie.
"Well, I think I speak for everypony here when I say that this is just...sucky!"
A general nod of agreement spread throughout the room at that, to all except Spike, who looked to his Mother with renewed worry.
"Can...can this thing be stopped?"
Twilight looked to him, to his wide eyes, so clearly hoping she would have an answer. But, as much as she would have loved to calm him, to offer some kind of hope in this bad situation, she knew she had none. So, after gently placing a hoof upon his shoulder, she gave perhaps the only honest answer she could.
"It was alicorn magic that stopped the Tantabus before, Spike. And now..."
The youngster knew what she was implying, and so looked away, clearly concerned over this entire thing. Applejack, meanwhile, looked to her latest acquaintance with a degree of annoyance in her expression.
"Well, it's all well and good ta say that alicorns can beat it...but there's only one alicorn in the world! And she's already been taken out by this thing! If what y'all say is true...we're pretty much doomed , right?"
Twilight nodded.
"I know. If this creature had struck anypony else, Celestia would have been able to deal with it. At least, I hope she could have. But now?"
She hung her head low, staying silent as those around her began discussing the situation amongst themselves. The mood was one of wariness, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness in the face of what had happened today. But, through it all, Twilight kept her eyes on that book, at that ruined page. She kept on staring at that picture, of Celestia fighting the Tantabus, and as she did so, something else became known to her. For there, just along the torn side of the page, there was something else. A second hoof, on the opposite side of the Tantabus to where Celestia was. But this hoof was not white, but a darker shade. Unfortunately, owing to the aforementioned tear in the page, the identity of the hoof's owner was obscured. However, as Twilight considered this, a new idea formed in her mind. One that seemed to cause more than a little worry for her.
"...Fluttershy."
Everypony stopped speaking to each other as soon as she'd said that, and the yellow pegasus in particular took interest now.
"Yes, Twilight?"
Slowly, Twilight sighed, looking to Fluttershy with an almost vulnerable expression.
"I...I know this is a lot to ask, given that we've only just met. But...I need you to look after Spike for a little while."
Naturally, this caused confusion in all of them, especially in Spike, who now stood beside her once more.
"Mom? Are...are you going somewhere?"
Twilight looked down to him, trying her best to sound reassuring as she gave him a brief pat on the head.
"I am. But it won't be for long. And hopefully...everything will be fine when I return."
The small dragon was clearly still concerned, but the way his Mother had spoken those words gave him a sense of calm, at least for now. He nodded, prompting her to lean forward and give a tender kiss upon his forehead. But when she now turned to Applejack, her expression was steely, more serious than before.
"Applejack...we may have an opportunity to set things right."
The farmer tilted her head.
"How? Y'all said there only alicorn magic could stop it. And...well...we've just lost our only alicorn!"
Looking down at the ground, Twilight sighed.
"There's a chance...that might not be the case."
Applejack continued to look confused, but said nothing as Twilight looked to her yet again, bearing a slight frown.
"Tell me...what lies beyond the Everfree Forest?"
Chased
"Okay, Twilight, just calm down...you can do this."
If ever there was a place where Twilight Sparkle did not seem suited, it was this one; the Everfree Forest. This place had, according to what little she'd heard of it, been an environment that was here long before Ponyville, and from the looks of it, she could believe it. Ancient oaks, imposing sentinel and ironwood trees, as well as a myriad of vines and creepers connecting every growth, the whole area was just awash with old and disturbing imagery. This was not a place ponies should find themselves, that much was certain, and yet, here she was regardless of that. Craning her head upwards, she could only just make out the sky through the canopy of the forest, which now seemed to glow orange with the setting sun.
"Ugh...I've been walking for hours now!"
Stopping for a moment, she took a deep breath and sighed.
"It's alright, Twilight. Remember...you have a son waiting for you to come back. You can do this. You can find this mare, convince her to help, then return to wake up Princess Celestia."
Looking ahead, to the gloomy path through the forest, Twilight frowned.
"Yeah...just find a mare of legend with supposedly terrible and wicked powers and ask her to help against another legendary creature."
Slapping a hoof against her forehead, she let out a grunt of annoyance.
"Ugh! What am I doing?! Why did I think this was a good idea?! I'm not cut out for this!"
Lowering her hoof yet again, she took another calming breath, and when she exhaled, she looked onwards with a more relaxed expression.
"Okay...just think. Remember that time when you misplaced that first edition copy of Starswirl's levitation theorems? You made it through that , so you can make it through this ."
At long last, she began to walk forward, treading carefully, lest she step on some snake or other forest creature by mistake. On and on she walked, occasionally adjusting her glasses every time it seemed to get just that little bit harder to see. Eventually, she entered a more clear spot, and so started looking around for a while.
"I'll admit...coming here without a map was...problematic to say the least. But, then again, there were no maps of this place...so..."
She sighed again, her eyes scouring the surroundings for any sign that she could use, any tiny hint that there was a path she could walk. Then, shortly afterwards, her eyes drifted down to the ground, wherein she noted a large stone near her hooves. She knelt down, picking it up, and glanced at one moss-covered side of it.
"Okay, if I remember right, the moss always grows on the north side of stones...or the south...or the...ugh!"
In frustration, she threw the thing behind her, and it sharply landed in the bushes that were back there. But when it did, they yielded not the expected sound of stone falling, but rather, a voice .
"Ouchie!"
Immediately, Twilight spun around, her horn aglow, and she aimed it in a threatening manner to the bush where the voice had come from.
"Alright! I can hear you! Come on out!"
There was silence for a few moments, and when it ended, the bush began to rustle, causing Twilight to look on with slight fear at it. Then, to her surprise, who should suddenly pop out of the thing but Applejack and Pinkie, the latter of which taking a moment to get her back hoof unstuck from the shrub.
"What the...?" Twilight began.
Now free, Pinkie looked to her with slight embarrassment.
"Okay, I know you told us not to follow you, but...we did it anyway."
Applejack looked to her with incredulity, prompting her to speak further.
"What? It was all I had!"
Sighing, the farmer looked to Twilight again, taking a step further before she began to explain herself.
"Ah'm sorry fer followin y'all like this, Twi, but we couldn't just leave ya in here!"
Twilight took on a more serious look as she glanced over her shoulder, to the trail she'd been following.
"I have to do this, Applejack. This may be the only hope Celestia, and possibly all of Equestria, has!"
Walking beside her, Applejack looked to her with concern.
"But even if...if she is real...is it really a good idea ta find her? Y'all know the stories, how she goes around at night, spreadin nightmares and snatching little foals outta their beds?"
Twilight looked to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Those are just old mare's tales, Applejack. Nopony has seen her in a thousand years, if legend is to be believed. Do you know what that means?"
Applejack shook her head, and Twilight continued.
"It means that she's been fine to stay on her side of things and not bother anypony. That doesn't strike me as the kind of pony who'd cause trouble if she didn't have to."
Looking around, Applejack continued to look fearful.
"But...but it still ain't right ta come here, Twi. This place is dangerous! Our family have been goin on about beasts and stuff from these woods fer generations! "
Twilight turned to her.
"I've been walking this path for hours now, Applejack. If one of those things were real, I'm sure they'd have found me by now."
This time, it was Pinkie's turn to stand beside her.
"Well, still better to go with friends, right?"
A pause, and then Twilight sighed.
"I know, but...I'm her apprentice. I just...I felt I should..."
She didn't finish, for Pinkie now placed her hoof upon her shoulder, gaining her attention.
"Hey, turn that frown upside down. You don't have to do this alone, Twilight. And if you want company, then cousin AJ and me are happy to help."
The look on her face made it clear that she'd meant that, as indeed did the expression that Applejack herself now wore. Looking to both of them, Twilight, just for a moment, didn't know what to say. Then, after almost a minute of thinking on what had been said to her, she now found that she couldn't help but smile.
"Th...thank you. Both of you."
Pinkie and Applejack nodded, and together, they looked on ahead, walking together as one as they made their way further along the trail. Then, after only a few steps, there was a loud snapping sound, most likely from a twig.
"Pinkie? Could y'all maybe not step on stuff like that while we're here?" Applejack remarked.
To that, the party lover looked to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Er...I didn't ."
Instantly, all three mares stopped, looking to one another nervously. Then, in a somewhat inevitable manner, they turned in unison, to the part of the forest that was right behind them. At first, none of them could see anything, but as time went on, something all too apparent became known to them. A pair of green eyes, almost glowing, emerging from the dark of the treeline. Then, a snout, and teeth. It was like a wolf in shape, albeit far larger, and as it drew further from the tree, Twilight found, to her shock, that it seemed to be made of wood, not flesh. But most disturbing of all was the growling sound it made, it's mouth salivating at the sight of them. Before she could say or do anything, Applejack yelled out as loudly as she could.
"TIMBERWOLF!!! RUN!!!"
She span around, as did Twilight and Pinkie, and they darted off ahead just as the creature began its pursuit. On a wide open space, ponies were clear victors when it came to speed. But here, in this dense forest, they could not go more than a few steps without having to adjust to avoid hitting some tree. Thus, the beast behind them had the advantage, which was made all too clear when it began to catch up to them. The three mares were all running together as much as they could, but after several minutes of this pursuit, Twilight began to fall behind, and as she did so, she glanced over her shoulder to see the clearly-hungry monster pursuing them. Then, while her eyes were on the creature, she tripped.
"Oof!"
A stray vine on the ground had caught her, and she tumbled to the ground. The other two noticed this immediately, and soon rushed back to her side. They tried helping her up, almost panicking as they did so, but it was only moments later when they saw, to their horror, that the timberwolf was almost upon them. It drew closer, and closer, and closer, and the mares knew in their hearts that this would be the end for them, so they huddled together and shut their eyes tightly.
But the death they so expected did not come to them.
Slowly, they opened their eyes, and as soon as they did, they saw what had happened. The timberwolf was still there, still glaring at them and growling ferociously. But, it did not advance any further. It snapped its jaws at them, but kept on looking to the ground, to something that none of them could see. Then, to the confusion of them all, it turned around and started skulking back the way it came. As one would expect, this led to many questions on the part of the ponies, first and foremost of which was soon asked by Pinkie.
"Why didn't it eat us?"
Twilight shook her head, catching her breath as she started to stand herself up.
"I...I don't know."
Then, before she could get another word out, Applejack poked her in the side, gaining her attention.
"Er...is it me...or it is a touch...darker than it was a few moments ago?"
Looking up, Twilight saw that it was indeed darker in the skies above. Her expression was one of confusion.
"But...it can't be night-time already!"
Applejack and Pinkie looked to one another, but neither had any answers. As for Twilight, she instead chose to look where the timberwolf had been mere moments ago. She cast her eyes down to the ground, to the spot where the beast had been so obsessed with. Then, curiosity gripped her, and she started to take a few steps forward. The other mares saw her go, and began to follow. Soon, Twilight looked up again, and found, to her amazement, that something had occurred.
"The...the sky!"
The other two looked up with her, and soon realised what she was seeing. It was the same sunset-bathed sky as before, not the sky of the night. Naturally, this caused further confusion amongst them, and they soon walked back to their previous spot, looking up and finding, as before, that the night sky was there yet again. On and on they did this, stepping from one side to the next, seeing the change occur over and over again. In the end, it was Pinkie who spoke what was on everypony's minds.
"Okay, so...it's regular sky on this side...but night sky on this side?"
Twilight nodded.
"Yes...that seems to be the case."
Raising a hoof, Applejack scratched her head.
"But...what does it mean? "
Looking ahead, Twilight narrowed her eyes.
"It means...that our legend might be real after all."
Contact
The close encounter with the timberwolf had, understandably, shaken the three mares a great deal. Now, with almost every step they took, there was a sense of caution to them, as they frequently glanced about themselves, almost expecting another such beast to pop out of the undergrowth at any moment. That is, except for Twilight, who instead occupied herself with something else entirely. The night sky above them, so clear and full of stars, with the centrepiece of a bright full moon. It was a beautiful sight, to be sure, and yet, the circumstances of its presence here seemed to have her complete attention. Nopony said anything for quite some time, but eventually, it was Applejack who broke the silence between them, trotting along to stand beside Twilight before speaking to her.
"So...yer sure this is the way?"
Looking down from the sky at last, Twilight nodded, determination plastered upon her face as she replied.
"I am. For an entire region's sky to be altered like this, and for the change between it and our own to be that seamless...there has to be powerful magic at work."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Ancient magic. The kind our side of the world hasn't seen in...in centuries ."
Slowly, she turned to the farmer.
"If nothing else, we know that somepony with access to great powers lies in this direction, alicorn or not. And that's as good a reason as any to press onwards if the Tantabus is still roaming free."
Applejack sighed, looking ahead at the path before them.
"Ah know that, but...what if it's a mistake ta come here? What if Nigh...what if she is even worse than the Tantabus?"
Looking ahead herself, Twilight's expression softened a bit.
"I guess...we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."
Glancing at the two of them, Pinkie sped up a little, joining them and starting to speak up herself.
"Geez! Remind me not to come into a deep dark wood with you two ever again! The conversations so far have been pretty down."
Twilight looked to her, raising an eyebrow, only to be met with a slight smirk on the part of the party lover. In spite of herself and their circumstances, the spectacled unicorn couldn't help but laugh, and was soon joined in by both Applejack and Pinkie. Naturally, this did much to lighten the mood, but it was short-lived, as all of them continued to look on warily at the gloomy woods around them. Every once in a while, the clam and quiet of their surroundings would be interrupted by the rustling of tree leaves by the wind, or by the occasional flapping of birds wings high above, but for the most part, things were as uneventful as they came during their journey. But then, just as things seemed as quiet as they could be, Twilight stopped.
"Wait!"
The other two halted as instructed, looking to their nominal leader with both concern and curiosity. Taking a step forward, Twilight narrowed her eyes. Though it was undoubtedly dark around here, the light of the full moon actually did a lot to help her see ahead. And when she did, a look of surprise crossed her.
"I...I think...yes!"
She turned to her companions.
"There's an opening over there!"
She pointed ahead, and both of the other mares looked to where she had been looking. Sure enough, they could see that there was indeed some sort of clearing up ahead, evidenced by a less dense collection of trees. Though at first wary, a silent look at one another made it clear what was going on in their heads; this was their best sign yet of where to go. So, together, they made their way further ahead, passing tree after tree after tree until, finally, they reached the edge of the tree-line. Here, they stopped, crouching down behind some bushes that marked the edge of that part of the forest, and as they looked on at what was before them, their faces were marked with disbelief.
"Is that...what I think it is?" Pinkie asked.
Bathed in the light of the moon, the clearing beyond yielded a most unexpected sight this far from Equestrian lands; a farm. The open land before the three mares gave way to a rather large field, wherein a number of ponies were hard at work. From the looks of it, the crops they were tending to had only just been planted, given that few, if any, growths could be seen from the ground. But a farm was a farm, no matter the place, though the ponies who worked here did not truly seem to be like those encountered in Ponyville, given the more stoic faces they bore. There were many cooler colours here also, blues, greys and whites, rather than the warmer oranges, pinks, yellows or other such colours of the residents Ponyville. All the same, this was a sight Applejack was quick to comment on.
"Okay...ah weren't expectin this ."
There were nods of agreement from her cohorts, leading to a rather obvious remark from Pinkie.
"Yeah. Big farm way out here? I mean, I guess other lands have them, but still, I was expecting the lands beyond the Everfree to be, you know...scary and stuff?"
Twilight frowned slightly, pointing ahead.
"Well...there's something we don't get much of on our side. Look."
The other two turned their attention to where their friend was looking, and it wasn't long when they noticed what it was. Though their garb were different, there were clearly soldiers of some description watching over the area. Their armour was that of dark blues and purples, with helm bearing what appeared to be ornate bat-like wings on either side. Unlike the helms of the Equestrian guards, however, these covered the entire faces of those wearing them, giving away nothing except the eyes, which looked on with vigilance at the ponies working on the farm-land.
"Huh...kinda...strict-looking, aren't they?" Pinkie remarked.
Twilight sighed.
"There's no question now. These are the ponies we need to speak to."
Immediately, both of her friends snapped their heads in her direction, looking to her as if she were insane.
"What?! If we go out there, they'll try and catch us or somethin!" Applejack said.
But Twilight shook her head.
"We have no choice , Applejack! If we need to find the other alicorn, we're going to need information. So we either talk to these ponies...or we find somepony else! "
The farmer looked to her, then to those in the lands nearby, then back to Twilight. Eventually, and after glancing to Pinkie, Applejack let out a long sigh.
"Okay...we'll do it your way."
Twilight nodded, standing up from her hiding position.
"But you're right about one thing, they won't be used to seeing ponies from our side of the line. If we're clever, we might be able to get some info out of them without causing alarm."
Standing up herself, Pinkie raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
Looking over to her, Twilight suddenly seemed a touch nervous.
"...Act."
Naturally, that remark did little to alleviate the others' concerns, and they watched as the young unicorn began to head off out from their current spot. After a short moment of hesitancy, both of the others started to follow. It wasn't long before they were in the farm proper, but, fortunately for them, nopony working the fields seemed to pay them much attention, instead content to simply carry on with their various tasks. This earned at least a touch of relief from Twilight, who did her best to simply look ahead and try not to get herself or her companions noticed. However, as anypony would have expected under such circumstances, this lucky streak did not last long.
"You there!"
The three mares stopped dead in their tracks, turning together to see an older unicorn stallion approach them. He had a dark blue colouration to him and bore a badge, the shape of a crescent moon, upon his chest, clearly indicating some position of importance. His horn was aglow as he drew nearer, levitating what appeared to be a clip-board of some kind. The expression he bore was a stern one, which was further reflected in his tone as he finally reached the three of them.
"What are you doing out here?"
The mares looked to one another, each hoping the other would have some sort of response. But all they could manage were a few mumbled and hesitant words from Twilight.
"Um...well, we..."
But she was halted by a raised hoof from the stallion.
"You know the rules. All new workers are to report in with me before they begin their tasks!"
A pause, and when it ended, Twilight, while doing her best not to sigh with relief, put on a nervous smile.
"Right, yes, sorry. I guess it just...slipped our minds?"
The stallion narrowed his eyes, then let out a sigh.
"Never mind. We can just register you here, I suppose."
He levitated the clip-board right in front of himself, obscuring his face from Twilight as he spoke once more.
"I've been waiting all day for some extra help, so let's make this quick."
Pinkie and Applejack cast each other worried glances, but said nothing, instead looking to Twilight, who herself remained silent as the stallion carried on.
"Okay then, which of you is from Crescent Town and which is from Shade?"
There was a brief bout of frantic concern as the mares glanced to one another, before Twilight simply blurted out her answer.
"Erm...I'm from Shade."
The stallion nodded, writing that down on his board, and in the silence that followed, Twilight, perhaps driven out of nervousness from her situation, spoke up before he said anything further.
"So, um...just out of curiosity...how are things with our great leader at...wherever she lives?"
The other mares looked to her with incredulity, and Twilight responded to that by giving an apologetic look for that, admittedly, rather terrible attempt at subtle questioning. Fortunately for all of them, the stallion hadn't noticed, and instead simply grumbled to himself as he kept on writing.
"Hm? We'll talk personal stuff after you finish your shift for today. In the meantime..."
He stopped, lowering his board and holding out his hoof to Twilight. Looking to it, the unicorn mare put on a small smile, reaching for it and giving it a friendly shake.
"And it was nice to meet you , Sir."
She let go of him, leading to a look of confusion on his part, as he glanced to his hoof briefly before looking right back to her.
"No...I mean I need to see your transfer papers."
Twilight froze, as did her friends, and while the stallion waited patiently, the former started to fumble her words again.
"T...transfer papers?"
Again, the stallion nodded.
"Yes. I'll need them for our records."
Twilight's eyes darted about, and small beads of sweat started to roll down her forehead.
"Yes...transfer papers. Well...um...you see...funny thing is...we kinda...forgot them?"
She chuckled nervously, leading to the stallion narrowing his eyes slightly. Twilight did her best to try and cover herself, which went about as well as one could expect.
"You see, we were going along and, wouldn't you know it, there was this...um...big gust of wind! Blew the papers right out of our hooves! Really inconvenient!"
To that, the stallion looked past Twilight, giving a silent gesture to some of the guards which were nearby. Immediately, they started to make their way over, much to the dismay of Twilight and her friends. Soon, they were surrounded by about half a dozen of them, and the first stallion took an imposing step towards Twilight.
"I think you need to come with us."
Twilight gulped, but before she or anypony else could say or do anything, a confident voice called out from above.
"That won't be necessary, Overseer!"
All of them looked up, and saw a trio of pegasi silhouettes against the bright full moon. They darted down, landing with ease nearby, as all looked to them. While they were clad in the same blue armour as the other guards, it seemed more ornate, though the one who led them, a mare from the looks of her, had less of it, revealing the cyan fur she had along her legs. The Overseer frowned to this, stepping towards this new arrival.
"Captain Dash? I hope you have a good explanation for this interruption."
The peagsus nodded, lifting a hoof and removing her helmet. Twilight now saw her, and widened her eyes at her unusual mane, which, while much shorter than she was used to seeing on mares, was coloured in stripes of green, blue and purple. But there was a snarkiness to her expression as she glanced over at the stallion.
"Sorry to interrupt your busy schedule..."
The Overseer frowned to that, but said nothing as she continued.
"...but I'm afraid I'll have to take these strangers with me instead."
The Overseer hesitated for a moment, then let out a sigh.
"Of course, Captain."
The other nearby guards stood aside, allowing this Captain to approach Twilight and her friends. After a brief moment of her looking the unicorn over, the cyan mare narrowed her eyes.
"I'm Aurora Dash, Captain of the Night guard."
Her smirk returned as she pointed straight at Twilight's chest.
"And you , Twilight Sparkle...have been summoned by our Queen ."
Escorted
There was an old saying amongst ponykind; out of the frying pan, and into the fire. Such seemed to be the case at this very moment for Twilight and her friends. Before, they were right on the cusp of being captured by locals. Instead? They now find themselves, under escort by members of the Night Guard, being taken to their leader. The moon, as usual, illuminated the way, and the three Equestrians walked along further farmland, as well as other empty meadows, with vast forest land on either side all the way. Every once in a while, they would get odd looks from other ponies from this region, but for the most part, everything was quiet on this leg of their journey. That is, aside from the remark Pinkie gave to Twilight as she walked alongside her.
"A gust of wind? Really?"
Twilight cast her a frustrated look, but said nothing, for their "guide" looked over her shoulder and called back in an authoritative manner.
"Keep it quiet back there!"
Aurora Dash, Captain of the Night Guard. She was leading this convoy, with two other pegasi guards at the rear. Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie took up the middle, and did their best not to cause any further trouble at this point. But, in spite of the command that had just been given to her, Twilight could not help but ask the obvious question.
"What...what does your Queen want to see me for?"
A grunt preceded Aurora's reply.
"If I were a betting mare, I'd say she wants to interrogate you intruders personally ."
She looked over her shoulder, right to Twilight.
"So, you know...no pressure."
Naturally, Twilight took a gulp to that. But, as before, she was not given the chance to respond, as all of a sudden, Aurora stopped, pointing ahead.
"Eyes up, prisoners! We're here!"
As instructed, Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie looked up, and their faces were ones of astonishment at what they now saw. It was, without question, a palace, though quite unlike the one Twilight would have been used to seeing from Canterlot. Much of the architecture seemed, at first glance, almost like an ornate fortress in appearance. But towards the middle of that vast structure, there were three large towers, all crafted from some sort of dark blue stone. Two, while still dwarfing any other towers seen on the complex, only reached half of the height of the whole place. But the third, placed right in the middle, stretched all the way up, with a bright yellow crescent moon adorning its peak. While the three mares stared in awe at it, Aurora smirked at them.
"I love it when they look like that."
But her smile faded as she resumed her march.
"Onwards!"
The two guards at the rear nodded, unceremoniously pushing behind the three mares, snapping them out of their focus and getting them to carry on walking. Closer and closer they went to the palace, and as they did so, they could see other soldiers in the grounds before the palace walls, clad in the same armour as those escorting them. There were whole squads, ordered in formations of about a dozen, being drilled and re-drilled, never stopping, even as Twilight and her friends were brought past them. The whole place just had a sense of order and control to it, emphasised even further when they finally reached the front gates of the palace. The ancient oak doors were pulled open by the simultaneous magic of two unicorn guards who stood on either side. As she gazed within, Twilight whispered to the two behind her.
"Don't worry...it'll be okay."
Of course, her words had little effect, as both Applejack and Pinkie maintained their fearful expressions. As before, they were "encouraged" to move inwards by their escort, and kept up a fair pace as they entered the castle proper. In an almost cliché manner, the doors let out a loud creak as they closed behind them, causing Pinkie to jump at the sound of it.
"Do you guys really have to do that?" she asked in an annoyed tone.
But the rear guards did not reply, merely continuing to stare at her through the visors of their helmets. As for Twilight, she once more found herself focusing on the sight before her. It was, in all honesty, a magnificent and enormous hall. Again, blue was the predominant colour in this place, with the walls contracted from the same stone as the towers outside. The walls were lined with torches, each one ablaze with light-blue fire. Above, the ceiling was glass, allowing all to view the night sky beyond. And everywhere one looked, there were tapestries, expertly-crafted and beautiful. But all of them seemed to bear the exact same dark figure, whom Twilight now narrowed her eyes at.
"Captain Dash! Explain yourself this instant!"
The new voice caught all of them off-guard, and they turned in unison to see an alabaster white unicorn approaching them. Her purple mane and tail were both tied into buns, and she wore formal-looking black and dark-blue attire, giving the clear sign of some sort of official. Though her expression was one of irritation as she approached the Captain.
"You know the rules as well as I do, Aurora! No visitors at this hour!"
Aurora rolled her eyes before replying.
"Cool it, Rarity. These are...the ones she asked for."
Immediately, the one called Rarity halted, looking over to Twilight and the others. There was a pause, and she silently considered each and every one of them, before once more turning to the Captain.
"...Very well. I will announce you."
Aurora nodded, and watched as Rarity began to walk down the hall. Looking to Twilight, the Captain gave a silent gesture, before then starting to follow the unicorn. Twilight looked to her friends, then started to walk in tow. Silence fell over them as they made their way through the hall, looking around with interest at the tapestries they saw along the way. But, in the end, they reached the far side, wherein there was another large wooden door. Again, there were two unicorn guards, and again, they worked together to get it open, just in time for Rarity to get there and pass through. Aurora, Twilight, her friends and the other two guards entered as well, and on the other side, they found yet another hall, almost exactly like the first.
That is, with one notable difference.
"...It's her," Twilight whispered.
At the end of this second room, there could be seen, even from this distance, a throne. Bright blue steps led up it, and it bore not only a crescent moon atop it, but also bat-like wing ornaments on either side. But of greater interest was the one sitting within it. Having spent much of her life around Celestia, Twilight knew an alicorn when she saw one. But this one was different, black in her fur, with a mane almost like the night sky itself. Upon her was azure amour, on her hooves, chest and head. She sat still within her throne, and it was only when Twilight drew closer that she realised that this mare had her eyes closed, almost like she was in the middle of some sort of meditation. Nevertheless, Twilight felt afraid to be here, saying nothing as Rarity knelt before her leader. The nearby guards did the same, and before long, the white unicorn spoke in a polite and refined manner.
"My Lady...the ones you asked for are here."
Slowly, the ruler's eyes opened, and here, Twilight felt a chill down her spine. For those were not the eyes of a pony, and looked more like the eyes of a dragon instead. Their blue gaze was piercing, and Twilight felt as if even the slightest step out of line could anger her. But instead, there was no anger, nor rage, as the mare of the night began to stand from her throne. She spread out her wings, giving an impressive and regal display, and as she focused on Twilight in particular, she did something the young unicorn would never have expected this being of legend to do.
She smiled .
"So, Twilight Sparkle...we meet at last ."
Meetings
The Mare of the Moon. The Dark Alicorn. The Lunar Princess. All these names and more had been used to describe the figure who now stood before Twilight and her companions. Everypony in Equestria, young and old, had heard of her, had told stories of her, and had feared her. Now, here she was, staring at the young unicorn, while her friends trembled behind her. As for the alicorn herself, she remained silent, almost amused by the fear on display before her, before, at last, speaking up yet again.
"Well...I was expecting our guests to have something to say . Perhaps I was mistaken."
At that, Twilight shook herself out of her state, looking to her and taking a deep breath before moving a single step forward.
"Your Grace...I, Twilight Sparkle, have come here from the land of Equestria to...to...to seek your aid."
The older mare atop the throne raised an eyebrow.
"Truly?"
Twilight nodded.
"Princess Celestia has been brought low. Afflicted by a being known as..."
"The Tantabus."
The interruption was unexpected, and Twilight looked to the other mare with surprise, prompting the latter to continue.
"Do you think me blind, child? I am well aware of my sister's condition, just as I am aware of what now roams free in Equestria."
Her eyes narrowed.
"If it will alleviate your concerns, know that I already have plans to deal with this abomination of a creature."
Naturally, that caught Twilight and her friends off-guard, and in the silence that followed, they looked to one another. When they looked back to the dark monarch, it was Pinkie who spoke, her face bearing a somewhat nervous smile as she did so.
"That...that's great news!"
The alicorn gave a single nod.
"Indeed. I felt that beast the moment it first became active. As for my sister's fall...that I unquestionably felt."
Slowly, she started to move off to one side, staring at a window on the nearby wall. Nopony said anything as she did this, and it was not long before she spoke once more.
"Celestia always believed it would remain where it was. The Tantabus will never threaten Equestria again, she said."
The mare gave a grim chuckle.
"But, of course...she was wrong ."
She frowned slightly.
"One of many mistakes she made."
Hearing that, Applejack frowned right back, taking a step forward, only to be barred by a hoof from Twilight. The farmer looked to her, only to see her unicorn friend shaking her head, prompting a grunt of annoyance. This motion had not gone unnoticed by their host, however.
"It appears your friend wishes to say something."
Her voice bore no malice or aggression, but even so, a chill went down the mares' spines at hearing it. Applejack, while at first hesitant, took another step forward, speaking in a tone far less confident than usual.
"Beggin yer pardon, Ma'am...but y'all don't seem that concerned that yer sisters is...well..."
She didn't finish, as the alicorn had finally turned to look at her, her eyes as piercing as ever.
"My relationship with my sister should be well known by now. After all...did our split not become legend amongst your people?"
That silenced the orange earth pony, who now looked to the ground once more, almost afraid of looking at her again. Pinkie, who was likewise worried, leaned closer to Applejack and started to whisper.
"Probably not a good idea to be insulting Nightmare Moon, AJ."
Unfortunately, her remark had been heard, and immediately, she was set upon by Aurora Dash, who glared at her aggressively before pointing a hoof straight into Pinkie's chest.
"You will address her as Queen Moon, outsider!"
For a brief moment, it looked as if things were about to get ugly, as several other guards began to approach and surround the mares. However, one raised hoof from "Queen" Moon, and the guards halted their advance, returning to heir previous posts.
"If I feel slighted, Captain Dash, I will let you know."
To that, the pegasus gave a low bow to her monarch.
"Sorry, your Majesty."
She backed away slowly, leaving Twilight to look to the dark alicorn yet again.
"If you already plan on dealing with the Tantabus...then you have my thanks. Equestria will be in your debt for this."
The Queen regarded her, giving a slight nod.
"Oh, I am sure it will. My army is ready, and they await my word to begin."
Hearing that, Twilight froze, hesitating in her next words.
"I'm...I'm sorry?"
Facing her fully, Queen Moon began to explain.
"With my great power, finding the Tantabus will be no difficult task, nor will combating it. However, there is still the matter of my sister."
She looked away before continuing.
"There is no guarantee that Celestia will rise again after this, and without her, Equestria will be left leaderless and unprotected. Divisions will emerge, panic will spread, and before long...your lands will plunge into chaos."
Looking back to Twilight, The Queen's expression was a serious one.
"I may not have been present in your part of the world for the last millennium, but that does not mean for one moment that your people have not been on my mind."
She began to take steps down from her throne.
"It has always been the duty of alicorns to defend and safeguard the other ponies of the world. And if Celestia falls from this...then the responsibility of looking out for the wellbeing of your people...will cede to ME."
Having reached Twilight, the Queen looked down to her.
"Eliminating the Tantabus will be but one part of fulfilling that responsibility. The rest? My armies will take their place in the lands of Equestria, to guarantee stability in the region. And the ponies there will know that they are protected, by me , if not by my...beloved sister. They will not be abandoned ."
As one would expect, this prospect did not sit well with Twilight or her companions, who glanced nervously at one another before, in the end, Twilight looked to their host yet again.
"You...you can't! "
Like before, many of the nearby guards started to move upon hearing those words, but again, the Queen halted them, looking to Twilight with interest.
"Oh? Was it not my aid that you sought when you came to my domain, Twilight Sparkle?"
Briefly, Twilight looked down at the ground, then back up to her.
"If you do what you're planning...they won't see it as salvation. You'll have helped with the Tantabus, yes, but...to send an army? They'll just...just..."
Like she did previously, the Queen finished her words for her.
"They will see it as a foreign invasion, and me as the conquering evil Queen from their darkest legends."
Twilight stared at her, never saying anything as the older mare kept on speaking.
"I am well aware of how it will be perceived, Twilight Sparkle. But their love or hate for me matters not. Being a figure of fear is a small price for their safety, and one that I am more than willing to pay."
Here, Twilight seemed more concerned than ever, shaking her head.
"I...I...I can't let you do that!"
Silence fell, and all of the Queen's staff and guards looked to Twilight as thought she were some sort of blasphemer. As for the Queen, she simply stared at her, never uttering a single word. The way Twilight looked to her, the way she stood, the way she'd spoken, all of these things made it clear that she was adamant in what she'd said. As such, and after looking rather thoughtful on the matter, Queen Moon turned her attention to the rest of those in the throne room.
"...Leave us."
There was not a single moment of hesitancy, as Aurora, Rarity and all of the other guards and servants began to do as instructed, giving their respective bows to their monarch as they began to depart. The guards closest to Twilight were quick to ensure that Applejack and Pinkie also began to leave the room, though they were more than a little resistant. However, Twilight gave them a reassuring look, which calmed them down considerably. So, Twilight watched as her friends were escorted out of the chamber, and saw the old doors slowly creak shut. Now, it was just her and the Queen, and the latter began to walk over to the nearby window, staring out of it before finally speaking to the young unicorn again.
"Come."
Twilight did as asked, slowly walking beside the older mare, wherein she saw her point with one hoof to the window.
"Look...and tell me what you see."
The unicorn looked, and saw, out of the window, many ponies in the lands surrounding the castle. There were earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns, all attending to their various tasks. But, Twilight didn't really know what, exactly, she was being asked to describe, so she just gave an honest answer.
"I see...stonemasons, working on the castle. I see soldiers being drilled. I see farmers bringing in supplies."
But the Queen shook her head.
"No...you see ponies who are safe . Every single mare and stallion in my kingdom can live their lives without the fear that now grips your own nation. And do you know why that is?"
Twilight sighed, for she knew the answer.
"...Because they know you can face whatever comes...like the Tantabus."
The Queen nodded.
"Yes. No doubt you figured that out when you saw the timberwolf. A savage beast from an accursed forest...yet it turned tail and ran when it approached my realm."
Twilight considered that.
"...You must be very...vigilant."
A brief look of pride crossed the alicorn's face.
"I have spent the last thousand years making sure of it. It is good to see my sister's student is perceptive at least."
To that, Twilight looked to her with curiosity.
"How...how did you know my name, before? How did you know I was Celestia's student? How did you know I was coming or...or about any of it?"
A smirk crossed the older mare's face.
"As I said...I am not blind."
She faced Twilight completely.
"Magic, when one is attuned to it long enough, can be like an orchestra. And if one concentrates...they can know when the notes change."
Slowly, she leaned forward, looking Twilight right in the eye.
"You were young when it happened, yes? A mere filly, perhaps trying some new spell...when all of a sudden, you felt magic coursing through you like nopony else could possibly know."
Immediately, Twilight backed away.
"H...how...?"
The Queen stood tall again, looking almost triumphant as she replied.
"Even from this far away...I could sense you. And ever since...I have been sure to keep a close eye on you, Twilight Sparkle. Through the realm of dreams and nightmares...I have seen you."
Twilight frowned.
"So...it is true. You bring nightmares to my people."
Hearing that, the Queen chuckled.
"Oh, is that what the legends say about me?"
She did not explain herself further, merely walking back to her throne, with Twilight following close behind.
"If nothing else, I am impressed by your initiative. To come past the forbidden lands, to seek out a being of legend and myth, all because your people needed help."
Looking over her shoulder, the mare smiled.
"I am satisfied to see my sister's charges are not as foolish as she is."
Twilight frowned further to that remark, though the Queen did not seem bothered by it, instead focusing on her throne as she approached it further.
"You came here to gain my aid in the fight against the Tantabus, and so you shall have it. However..."
Having reached the throne, she sat upon it, focusing her attention upon the young unicorn entirely.
"...if my further plans for Equestria concern you so much, then I am willing to compromise."
Twilight's ears perked up, and she listened further.
"I will give you twenty-four hours to seek out the Tantabus yourself , and deal with the threat it poses. But...if you are unable to do so..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...then my plan will continue."
In spite of the nervousness she felt about her, Twilight found herself asking something. Something that had been on her mind for some time now.
"What about your sister?"
The Queen raised an eyebrow to that, prompting Twilight to elaborate.
"What if she can't fight back against what the Tantabus has done to her? What if...if she...?"
To that unfinished question, the dark alicorn looked away, out of the window once more. For just a second, Twilight could see a flicker in her eyes. The only sign of hesitancy she had shown in this entire encounter. But when she spoke, she did so with an additional edge to her voice.
"My si...Celestia's fate is now in her hooves. We have not spoken in centuries. Whatever I may have once felt for her...those feelings no longer concern me."
Twilight frowned.
"I don't believe you."
The Queen turned to her, looking to her with slight surprise, as if this was the first time anypony had ever spoken to her like this. Regardless, her surprise was short-lived, as she narrowed her eyes once more.
"It matters little to me what you believe, Twilight Sparkle. Because if memory serves, you have other matters to deal with."
With that stark reminder of her task, the young unicorn seemed fearful the prospect that now stood at the forefront of her mind, but watched silently as the Queen pointed ahead, to the door at the other end of the hall.
"Now...I suggest you get to work. Time stands still for nopony..."
Her expression became serious once more.
"...and you have an ill task to attend to."
Twilight waited, expecting something else to be said, but in the end, that was all. This was her task, and these were the terms given to her. Twenty-four hours. The words repeated themselves over and over in her mind, and as she slowly backed away, the dark alicorn sat in her throne, regarding her carefully. Eventually, Twilight spun around, heading straight for the door at the end of the throne room. When she reached it, she found herself surprised when it again opened up by magic. Now on the other side, she panted heavily, just as her friends approached her at long last. Seeing the concerned look she bore, they asked the obvious question.
"Twilight? What's wrong?" Applejack asked.
The unicorn opened her mouth to speak, only to stop and glance over her shoulder. Even from here, she could see the Queen staring at her intently. In the end, she looked back to her friend, giving as honest an answer as she could.
"...I think...we haven't got much time."
Adversary
Hope and joy. Those were the feelings that now coursed through Twilight as she gazed up to the pristine white alicorn before her. Princess Celestia, the leader of her both her and her people, was awake once more. Whatever the Tantabus had done to her, clearly it had been overcome, and that her mentor was simply too strong-willed to be taken by it. These were the thoughts that now surged through the young unicorn's mind, and as she drew closer and closer to the older mare, she could not help but smile.
"I...I thought we'd lost you! I thought I'd lost you! But...here you are!"
Celestia smiled.
"Yes, my student. I have returned. You needn't fear the Tantabus any longer."
Twilight grinned even wider, then looked over her shoulder, seeing the stunned faces of the other three mares.
"You see? I told you everything would be fine, and it is! "
Applejack nodded slowly.
"Yeah, ah...ah wouldn't have believed it, but...there she is!"
Pinkie too seemed taken aback.
"Yeah...she's here alright."
Then, she suddenly looked a little disappointed, leaning over and whispering to her cousin.
"Kind of anti-climactic if you ask me."
As for Aurora, she eyed the newly-arrived alicorn with suspicion, narrowing her eyes and taking a few cautious steps forward. Twilight, not really caring at this point what her escort was up to, turned instead to her teacher yet again, still smiling as widely as ever.
"Oh, Celestia! I've missed you so much!"
The Princess nodded, closing her eyes for the moment.
"Yes, Twilight. And I have missed you . Your quest to vanquish that terrible foe was admirable...but misguided."
Here, Twilight's smile faltered.
"Princess?"
Celestia slowly opened her eyes.
"You needn't go out of your way to face such a monstrous creature, Twilight."
For a second, Twilight lowered her head.
"I...I just..."
But Celestia raised a hoof.
"Don't worry yourself over it. Now..."
She reached that same hoof out, offering it to her student.
"...come to me, dear Twilight."
The young unicorn smiled once more, taking a few steps closer. Then, as she did this, Aurora narrowed her eyes further. She couldn't quit put her hoof on what it was, but there was something about all of this that clearly concerned her, far more than all the other mares, if their expressions were anything to go by. Then, as Twilight drew closer, Celestia's smile changed, becoming less calm and motherly, and instead becoming almost a smile of victory . Instincts kicked in, and Aurora spread out her wings and gave an almighty flap, launching herself forward. And she was just in time too, for Celestia's eyes began to glow bright purple, much to Twilight's confusion. Then, just as the alicorn began to lunge forward, the unicorn was pushed out of the way by the arrival of Aurora, who swept in the nick of time.
"Aurora?!" Twilight exclaimed.
But Aurora wasn't looking at her, and was instead assuming an attack position, her hooves planted firmly in the ground and her wings spread out, all while glaring at Celestia. As for Applejack and Pinkie, their jaws dropped at this sight.
"Okay...what?!" Pinkie asked.
Celestia turned her attention to the cyan mare now standing before her, and started to, to the shock and confusion of all of them, growl. Twilight, naturally, was more than a little concerned by this.
"P...Princess?"
But Rainbow shook her head.
"That's not Celestia!"
To the horror of Twilight and her companions, the Captain soon proved to be right, as the alicorn before them quickly took on a dramatic and unexpected change. There were convulsions all along her body, almost as if something was inside and trying to break its way out. Her eyes rolled back up into her skull, giving a dead and lifeless look to her. Then, in a move that caused gasps from many of the mares there, something started to emerge from the alicorn's mouth. A sort of magical mist, dark blue and purple in its colouring, forcing its way out, and as it did so, the bright white body of Celestia started to almost melt away, like a costume slipping off its wearer's body.
"Wha...what is this?!" Applejack called out.
The transformation was soon complete, and it was as if "Celestia" was wholesale turning inside-out, which was naturally a sight that caused some measure of disgust for those watching. At the end of it all, what now stood before them was no alicorn, no any other kind of pony, though it seemed to bear the shape of one. Like a tall and imposing unicorn, it stood, with no eyes or any visible face whatsoever. If they had to say, it was as if it was made of magic, similar in look to Queen Moon's mane, though with far more noticeable purple in its outline. Shrinking back from this sight, Twilight gazed in terror at this being.
"It...it's the Tantabus! "
Immediately, the creature of myth turned to Twilight, taking a menacing step forward and continuing that growling it had been making earlier. Everypony started backing away, with Applejack in particular looking to Twilight for explanation.
"But...ah thought it couldn't come ta that real world?!"
As before, Twilight shook her head.
"I don't know! The legend only said that..."
Slowly, realisation crossed her face.
"...that it would only emerge after growing strong enough!"
Aurora looked over her shoulder to her.
"What? What is it?!"
Twilight stepped back in fear.
"It's Celestia! That's why the Tantabus went after her first! She's an alicorn! Taking power from her was all it needed! "
Aurora grunted to that.
"Ugh! Wonderful!"
She scraped her hoof along the ground, snorting aggressively before starting to charge forward.
"Alright, monster! Time to taste my hoof! "
With that, she launched herself from the ground, spinning around in mid-air before giving an almighty kick at her foe. Unfortunately, owing to the Tantabus' nature as a purely magical entity, this attack only resulted in Aurora passing straight through it. Before the pegasus could respond to this properly, she veered off just in time to avoid striking the stone wall of the cavern behind her enemy.
"What the...?!"
Twilight pointed to her, calling out while the Tantabus was still focused on her now-failed assailant.
"It's magic! You can't hurt it!"
Of course, Aurora wasn't taking any of that, and moved to assume an attack position once more.
"Like Tartarus I can't hurt it!"
Again, she lunged, and again, she merely passed through the beast. On and on she did this, with the Tantabus moving slowly, if at all. The other mares watched fearfully, but never once stepped closer, worried more than ever of what this thing would do to them. In the end, and after countless attempts, Aurora landed back down again, panting furiously.
"This...this thing is just...argh!"
Fortunately, she had landed close to where Twilight was, and the latter rushed to her side.
"Aurora! We have to get out of here!"
But the pegasus shook her head.
"No! I am a Captain of the Night Guard! This creature has entered our territory, and I will face it!"
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to be halted when, to the surprise of all of them, the Tantabus, at last, started to move. For a brief moment, it was as if it lost its pony-like shape, becoming much more like the cloud Twilight had seen in the book previously. It swept forward, becoming almost like a violent storm, growing closer and closer to the undefended mares. Twilight's eyes widened, and her breathing was heavy, and as she saw her enemy drawing ever nearer, she acted out of pure desperation.
"GET AWAY!!!"
She shot a bolt of bright magic from her horn, which immediately struck the cloud head-on. This, surprisingly, seemed to have an effect, as the Tantabus halted its advance, swirling around after having been struck, even so far as to let out a primal and ear-piercing scream, which was a naturally unpleasant sound to the ponies near it. In this moment, Twilight regained her composure, turning to Aurora.
"We have to run! "
The pegasus seemed hesitant, but, after seeing the Tantabus start to re-form itself, she let out an annoyed grunt, giving Twilight a short nod. That was all the permission Twilight needed, and she started to run off back towards the tunnel they'd come from, with Aurora, Applejack and Pinkie close behind her. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, as the Tantabus had quite literally puled itself back together, shooting forward and, in a move that was faster than anything the ponies could do, blocked the way to the tunnel.
"Oh no!" Twilight exclaimed.
The mythic beast swirled around again, trying to take on yet another shape. This time, it was as if it was becoming two massive pony legs, which reared up as if to stomp on some unsuspecting bug. Most of the mares cowered at this, but Twilight, seeing the ethereal hooves coming down, lit up her horn yet again. Before the Tantabus could strike them, a bright pink magical dome appeared out of nowhere, shielding the ponies within from the beast outside. The Tantabus, frustrated by this, screeched yet again, before starting to pound away at the barrier. On and on it pummelled, until, inevitably, Twilight's defences started to show cracks.
"Come on, Twi!" Applejack called.
But it was no use, as the clear exhaustion of resisting this thing was taking its toll on the young unicorn. As further cracks appeared on the dome, a single tear fell down Twilight's cheek.
"Spike...forgive me."
The Tantabus reared up, ready to deliver what was undoubtedly going to be a killing blow. But then, to the shock of all of them, the blow didn't come. Instead, the Tantabus was struck from the side by a ray of magic, light blue in its colour and easily more powerful than what Twilight had been able to muster against it. The mares all watched as their enemy was slammed into the nearest cave wall, constantly lashed by this new magic until, eventually, the blast stopped. Again, they turned in unison, and their eyes widened. For now, gracefully hovering down from the hole in the cave's ceiling, was a very familiar face. A dark alicorn, who landed in the very centre of the chamber, eyeing the fallen creature with a sense of amusement.
"Well now...what do we have here? "
Dawn
Slowly, the dark alicorn approached, and the Tantabus, having finally recovered from the attack she'd sent against it, merely hovered in place as the Queen finally spoke again.
"Well...you are a bold one, aren't you? Coming here, to my territory, attacking one of my subjects?"
She gave a brief chuckle, before gaining a very steely glance in her eyes.
"I'd be impressed if it wasn't such a...foolish decision."
Twilight, who had been keeping utterly silent since the Queen arrived, turned her eyes to the Tantabus. It continued to slightly swirl around itself as always, and yet, there was something else going on as the Queen drew nearer. There were ripples in its outer surface, vibrations, almost like a shiver of some kind. If Twilight didn't know better, she'd have assumed it was actually afraid right now. It was a fact the approaching alicorn had not missed herself.
"Yes...you remember, don't you? Many ages may have passed, but one universal truth will always remain."
She halted her advance, giving the Tantabus her absolute attention.
"Ponies may fear the dark..."
Her eyes narrowed.
"...but the dark ...fears me! "
And with that, the Tantabus had heard enough. It shot upwards, heading for the hole in the ceiling of the cave, looking almost as if it were about to flee. But the Queen merely smiled to this, her horn and eyes glowing a bright blue. Her magic grew faster and faster, enveloping her swiftly until, to Twilight's shock, she too began to change. In an instant, it was as if she was like the Tantabus itself, a cloud of pure magic, albeit one of dark blue rather than purple. This magical entity raised itself faster than any of them could move themselves, and certainly faster than the Tantabus, for it now barred its path from the hole above. Then, almost as fast as she had changed, the Queen changed back to her more solid form, though her eyes were still glow.
"I do apologise...but were you trying to escape? "
Before the Tantabus could react, the Queen shot it with yet further magic. And like before, it was massively effective, slamming the beast into the ground so ferociously that it actually formed a crater in the ground. The impact shook the cave all around them, to the point where Twilight and the other mares had to hold on tight, lest they fall over. As for the dark alicorn, she soon landed upon the floor once more, watching with interest as the Tatnabus struggled to emerge from the crater.
"Pitiful. Have the centuries so dulled you, Tantabus? You were once a force to be reckoned with. But now?"
She frowned.
"Now...you're barely even worth the effort."
The Tantabus, at long last, reacted to this, shooting forward a number of dark and ethereal tendrils from its main "body", attempting to strike the Queen as vigorously as it could. But, in a move that further surprised all there, such an attacked seemed to have no effect whatsoever. For the Queen now seemed to be surrounded by some other aura of magic. Dark, like smoke, almost as if she was bathed in shadow. Twilight took on a fearful look, which Pinkie soon commented on.
"Twilight? What...what's she doing?"
Twilight shook her head.
"That's...dark magic!"
Again and again, the Tantabus struck, but like before, it had little effect. Though the Queen was far from annoyed by this, bearing a small smile as her assailant continued its efforts.
"Yes...that's the spirit!"
Unfortunately for the Tantabus, the Queen's mood did not remain so entertained, and her horn began to light up in a menacing way yet again. The ancient ethereal monster sensed what was coming, flying off to try and get away, but it was too late, for the Queen's magic was upon it, surrounding it like some kind of rope. It grew tighter, forcing the Tantabus into a single shape and squeezing hard. A confident smirk crept onto Queen Moon's face, and with an almighty tug, she pulled her enemy down, crashing it into the ground once more. But she was far from done, and so began to repeat this motion, hurling it into nearby walls, the ground, the ceiling, anywhere where she could cause damage to her captive. And all the while, Twilight watched, unable to do anything right now. After several minutes of toying with her foe, the Queen, after bashing it to the ground again, released it.
"Now...it is over."
Slowly, Twilight began to walk forward, much to the concern of her colleagues, but she still remained quiet as the Queen took step after step towards the fallen Tantabus.
"You think we ponies would stand by while something like you roamed about, doing whatever you pleased?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"You were sorely mistaken, beast!"
Her horn lowered, and it began to glow once more, gathering power while the Tantabus twitched upon the floor. Twilight's eyes widened, for she knew what was about to happen. It was a suspicion confirmed by the Queen's next words.
"For your heinous crimes, your terrorising of Equestria...I bring you your death! "
Then, a flash. A bright magical burst appeared in front of the Queen, catching her off-guard and causing her to take a step backwards. When the light died down, she saw, to her surprise, that it was Twilight, having teleported in-between her and the Tantabus. But, as impressive as this magical display was, an even more startling feat was soon performed, as Twilight soon spoke.
"Wait! You don't have to do this!"
Confusion promptly covered the older mare's face, leading to Twilight pointing to the fallen Tantabus behind her as she began to explain herself.
"I...I know it's done terrible things...and I know it seems hostile...but it's still a unique life! There's never been anything like it before or since! We..."
A determined look crossed her face.
"...we have to give it a chance!"
The Queen stared at her, then soon responded in a highly incredulous tone.
"You are jesting, right?"
Here, Twilight looked to her with a more pleading expression.
"Please, just...just give me one chance."
The alicorn turned her eyes to the Tantabus, still upon the ground nearby, then back to Twilight, before narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Then be swift, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight nodded, appearing grateful for this opportunity. Her friends watched her, aghast as they observed her drawing nearer to their collapsed enemy. As for the Tantabus itself, it continued to appear docile and largely motionless on the ground, but even so, Twilight's moves towards it were cautious at best. She looked it over, taking a few deep breaths, before then starting to say what she needed to.
"Tantabus...I know you must feel great hostility towards me. Towards all ponies. You've attacked us, hurt us, risked the lives of those we hold dear."
Her expression softened.
"But I cannot and will not believe that there is nothing good in you at all. I don't know if you can understand me. But if you can , then..."
Slowly, she reached out a hoof.
"...know that we can make a place for you in our world...if you're willing to make peace."
All eyes were on the Tantabus, especially the Queen's, whose expression was one of utter contempt as she regarded the beast. As for Twilight, her face soon lit up with a slight sense of hope, for the Tantabus soon started to move, crawling upon the floor towards her in a manner far more calm and non-threatening than she'd ever seen on it. Then, just as it drew near enough, her smile vanished. For just like it had done with the Queen, the Tantabus lunged out, aiming what seemed to be a hundred razor-sharp tendrils towards the defenceless unicorn. Twilight, in the instant this happened, did nothing, merely watching with disbelief at what was now about to befall her.
"TWILIGHT!!!" Applejack called from afar.
However, in the fraction of a second before the Tantabus could fulfil its violent intent, it was kept from doing do. A massive blast of magic shot forth from behind Twilight, striking the creature right in its centre. The tendrils disappeared immediately, and it was sent flying, before being slammed into the wall nearby. Twilight continued to stare blankly as this happened, as Queen Moon's magic intensified, causing the Tantabus to writhe against it. The screams the creature let out were growing louder, more ear-piercing. Then, at the height of it all, the Queen concluded her work, intensifying her magic further, which resulted in an almighty flash, as the Tantabus was engulfed entirely in a near-blinding light. All the ponies shielded their eyes from this, but it was not long before that intense light died down.
Slowly, they all lowered their hooves, seeing what now lay before them. The Tantabus was no longer where it was. Instead, the only thing there was a massive dark scorch mark upon the wall where it had been hurled. Wisps of purple smoke could be seen quickly evaporating, until at last, there was truly nothing there at all. The Tantabus, the great adversary of the waking world, was dead . And even those unfamiliar with magic, like Pinkie or Aurora, could recognise this when they saw it. But Twilight remained, looking where her enemy had been mere moments before. Her expression was both of shock and disappointment all in one, and so stunned was she that she did not notice the sound of hoof-steps coming behind her, until the Queen gently lowered her head to just behind Twilight's.
"When next you offer mercy to a monster...it could well cost you your life , Twilight Sparkle."
The young unicorn hung her head low, continuing to stare at the spot where her enemy had once been. The victorious Queen stood tall once more, moving away from the still pony, but watched as her friends rushed over to her side.
"Twilight! Are you okay?" Applejack asked.
Slowly, Twilight nodded.
"Yeah. A little shaken, but...yeah, I'm fine."
A sigh of relief was heard from both her and Applejack, and as they looked to each other with warm smiles, the nearby Queen was soon greeted with a salute from her Captain, Aurora.
"Thank you for coming, your Majesty. I don't think we could have fared much longer without you."
The Queen raised an eyebrow to her subject.
"I am sure. But I do not recall giving you orders to engage the Tantabus, Captain Dash."
A look of guilt crossed the cyan mare's face, but when she opened her mouth to reply, the Queen halted her by raising a single hoof.
"No matter. The beast is felled. That is what's important."
Aurora breathed a sigh of relief herself, but remained silent as she looked up, seeing Twilight approach her Queen. The latter too noticed this, regarding her with interest as Twilight began to speak up softly.
"So...what happens now?"
The Queen considered that for a few moments before giving an answer.
"Well...that all depends upon my sister."
Twilight took on a serious expression, but before she had the chance to say anything to her elder, she was kept from doing so by a sudden bright light emanating from the massive hole in the ceiling. All eyes were upon it immediately, and the Queen frowned at the sight of it.
"Well...speak of the devil."
At those words, Twilight took a single step forward, hope filling her face once more. And soon, that hope was rewarded. For there, floating gracefully down from the sky, bathed in bright light like the sun itself, was Princess Celestia. All the ponies there, save for the Queen and Twilight, took a step back from this. It was not long before the white alicorn was upon the ground, looking as composed and as regal as ever. The Queen looked to her with caution, Aurora with nervousness, and Applejack and Pinkie gave an instinctive bow in the presence of their leader. But Twilight began to take careful steps closer to her "mentor".
"P...Princess? Is it you? I mean...is it really you?"
The elder alicorn looked to her, smiling sweetly.
"Twilight...my beloved student."
Hearing that, Twilight's eyes began to well up, and she rushed forward. Celestia anticipated this, and knelt down to her level, before promptly embracing her with her vast wings. As the two held one another, Twilight's words, though coming through the occasional sob, were tinted with joy.
"I...I thought I'd never see you again!"
But Celestia merely smiled.
"It's aright, Twilight. I am here now. Everything is going to be okay."
Twilight's smile widened, as indeed did Applejack's and Pinkie's. However, there came a time when Celestia looked past her student, and to the dark alicorn nearby. There was a brief moment when the look those two gave each other was, for lack of a better word, cold. Celestia stood once more, catching Twilight's attention, and soon after, she watched as her teacher started to walk closer to her sister. She stopped just a few short feet away from her, and there was utter silence in the chamber for a time. Both alicorns regarded one another in an analytical fashion, and all others in attendance kept as silent as the grave. Then, at long last, it was Celestia who broke that silence.
"Sister...it has been a long time."
The Queen narrowed her eyes.
"Indeed. Over a thousand years, to be precise."
The elder sister looked her sibling over, then took on a brief look of slight concern.
"You have...changed since last we met."
The younger sister gave a short nod.
"And I see that you have not ."
Celestia paused for a time, then resumed.
"I sensed that I have you to thank for the Tantabus' defeat?"
The Queen nodded right back, leading to a brief pause from Celestia. And when she spoke again, it was with a more steely tone.
"...You killed it, didn't you?"
To that, the Queen maintained her serious glare at her sibling.
"I did."
Celestia sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.
"I see. Then you really haven't changed, have you?"
The Queen frowned deeper to that.
"And I see that you have not learned gratitude in the last millennia."
Celestia opened her eyes again.
"Luna..."
But she was halted by a raised hoof from her sister.
"Do not call me that. It has not been my name for a very long time."
The elder sister kept quiet, allowing her darker counterpart to continue.
"I go by Moon now. Queen Moon."
Again, Celestia was quiet for a time, then let out yet another sigh.
"Very well then...Queen Moon it is."
After that, the dark alicorn let out a snort, turning her attention to her Captain.
"Come, Aurora. I believe it is time we returned to the castle."
Briefly, Aurora glanced over to Twilight, who gave her a quick smile and a nod, before instinctively giving her Queen a salute to that command. As the pegasus began making her way back towards the tunnel, however, Celestia, after briefly looking hesitant about something, spoke up again.
"Lu...Queen Moon."
The younger alicorn halted, looking once more to her sister as she spoke.
"Is...how is...she doing?"
Twilight took on a confused and curious look to her mentor's words, but said nothing, instead looking to the Queen as she responded.
"Better than she was , sister."
For a time, Celestia seemed almost insulted by that remark, which was something the Queen appeared to delight in, before the latter began to turn in the direction of the tunnel herself. But, before she did so, she stopped, and looked over to Twilight. The young unicorn was, at first, unsure of why this was, but then it became clear when the dark alicorn spoke her final words to her.
"You fought well today, young Twilight."
Though taken aback by this, Twilight nevertheless showed her appreciation for it, giving a slight bow to her teacher's sister. The Queen herself gave a short bow of her head in response, before yet again facing the runnel. This time, she actually began to walk within it, with Celestia and all the other mares watching intently as she continued onwards. Eventually though, both the Queen and Aurora had moved off so far that they could no longer be seen. And here, knowing they were at last out of view, Celestia turned to her student with a small smile.
"Twilight...let's go home."
Two Kingdoms - Celebration
Celebration
The mood in Ponyville over the last few days had, understandably, been rather dour, with a great deal of panic thrown in. But now? Now, things had lightened up considerably, quite literally in fact. With the return of Princess Celestia, the sun had been raised over Equestria yet again, and all now basked in the warm glow of the day. Naturally, her safe return and the proceeding of the Summer Sun Celebration could mean only one thing; a party. And celebrate they did, with Pinkie Pie, of course, leading the way, arranging for many of the party treats and favours she'd arranged prior to the crisis that had befallen them. Everywhere one looked, there were smiles of joy and relief, especially within the town hall, where the majority of Ponyville's residents had gathered.
Many of those same ponies could not help but approach their monarch, going on and on about how grateful they were that she had been returned to them. Celestia herself, as always, looked upon them with warmth, greeting and speaking to everypony who came her way, young and old alike. As for Twilight, she stood to one side, gazing in admiration at her mentor from afar, and simply taking a moment to relax after the stressful ordeal she and her friends had gone through. Occasionally, she'd glance over to Pinkie, who had to work her hardest to keep the "poofiness" of her mane under control, causing no end of giggles for Twilight. In other places, she'd see Applejack, who'd cast her a smile and a tip of her hat as she surrounded herself with her relatives. Twilight, of course, returned the nod, and when it was done, she simply let out a contented sigh.
"This...this is more like it," she spoke softly.
Suddenly, her solitude from everypony else was interrupted when, to her surprise, she found her foreleg grabbed and held tightly by something much smaller than her. Looking down, she soon regained her smile, as Spike looked up to her with tears in his happy face.
"Spike...you don't need to do that every time you see me now."
The young dragon chuckled, then held onto her even tighter.
"I know, but...I just missed you so much!"
Twilight's smile widened, and she knelt down to his level, embracing her son warmly. As they held one another, the young unicorn whispered to him in a soothing manner.
"Don't worry, Spike...I'm not going anywhere."
They would have probably stayed this way together for a very long time, had it not been for the sudden arrival of somepony clearing their throat. Looking up, Twilight saw that it was none other than Fluttershy, who promptly smiled down to the both of them.
"I'm sorry to interrupt."
But Twilight, now getting herself off the floor again, shook her head.
"Don't be. I'm glad you came, actually. I never got the chance to thank you for looking after my son while I was gone."
Fluttershy nodded.
"It was no trouble. He was one of the most polite youngsters I've had the pleasure of looking after."
Twilight looked to her son with pride after that remark, though the latter seemed more than a little embarrassed. But, before she could say anything further to her pegasi friend, the unicorn then noticed something. Somepony very small was standing just behind Fluttershy, almost as if hiding behind her leg. It was another pegasus, a filly, with bright orange fur and a long purple mane, which hung low, almost to the ground, obscuring one eye. The filly looked to Twilight with nervousness, while Twilight herself found realisation, and soon smiled to her.
"Hello there. You must be Scootaloo."
Scootaloo retreated further behind her adopted Mother's legs, eliciting some concern from Twilight. But Fluttershy merely giggled to this, looking over her shoulder to her daughter.
"Don't worry, sweetie. Twilight's a friend. She's Spike's Mother, remember?"
Slowly, Scootaloo re-emerged, though she seemed hesitant to do so. As Twilight smiled down to her, the young pegasus could only respond with a small smile of her own, as well as somewhat muted speech.
"Mmm...hmmm..."
Twilight titled her head, looking to Fluttershy for clarification. The yellow mare, after giving a soft smile to her daughter, looked back to the unicorn before speaking.
"She's just a little shy. Takes a while to warm up to people. She was the same with Spike...at first."
Twilight raised an eyebrow to this, looking down to her son, who promptly blushed at being talked about like this. As for Scootaloo, she too gained a blush, looking away from the young dragon nearby. Twilight, looking from one to the other, couldn't help but gain a knowing smirk, before speaking up to Fluttershy once more.
"Well then...I'm glad to hear they got on so well."
The two older mares laughed together, so much so that they did not notice the arrival of a far larger figure close by. Spike however, did notice, and so poked his Mother in the side to gain her attention. It did not take long for Twilight to notice who it was, as Celestia herself was now drawing nearer. Out of reflex, both Twilight and Fluttershy gave a bow, with Scootaloo once more retreating behind her Mother. Celestia, looking once more to her student, gave a warm smile.
"I am glad to see you having a moment of peace at last, Twilight."
Looking up, Twilight returned the smile.
"And you, Princess."
Fluttershy looked to her friend, giving a short nod, before then started to move away, with Scootaloo close behind her. Spike soon followed, recognising a "private moment" when he saw one, though he was not above giving his Mother a quick hug before leaving. Now here with her mentor, Twilight found herself unable to avoid asking the obvious question.
"So...how are you feeling?"
Celestia sighed as she stood beside her student, looking out over all the other ponies at the party.
"Far better than I was . Thank you for asking."
Twilight nodded, looking quite relived, and so joined her teacher in looking out at the other ponies. It contended her to see so many of her people so happy and safe now that the danger had passed for them. However, as she dwelt on this, thoughts from the past few days began to well up in her mind once more. So many that, for a time, she took on a more troubled look. The elder alicorn beside her had noticed this, and though she remained as composed as ever, she spoke with clear concern in her voice.
"You have questions, Twilight?"
Though briefly embarrassed at being seen to have concerns, Twilight soon cleared her throat, looking to her mentor with earnestness in her eyes.
"Yes, Princess. I was wondering...why? Why did the Tantabus come after me? "
She looked ahead, to the other ponies, before continuing.
"I mean...it had the perfect position of safety. It could hide in the dream realms. It had taken your power. If it had stayed there, I couldn't get to it. Instead? It exposed itself, left itself open to the Queen. So..."
Slowly, she looked back up to Celestia.
"...why?"
The Princess sighed, turning away from her student.
"When I was under the beast's spell, I could feel it probing my mind, seeing into my thoughts and memories."
Her expression was an angry one as she recalled that time, but she calmed herself soon afterwards before continuing.
"It would have known of you through me . It would have sensed that you would try to stop it, that you'd try and arrange for some defence against it. And because you lacked my sis...the Queen's strength, it no doubt saw you as a more manageable threat it could deal with."
Twilight nodded, accepting that answer. But, her doubts continued.
"That makes sense, but...there's still something that doesn't make sense."
Celestia looked to her as she continued.
"How was I able to hurt it?"
At first Celestia seemed confused by this, prompting Twilight to explain herself.
"It's just...the legends about it all said that only alicorns could thwart the Tantabus. And yet, in the fight...I struck it with my magic. It reacted as though my attack actually hurt it."
She looked Celestia right in the eye.
"But...how could that be possible if only alicorns could cause it harm?"
For a moment, Celestia seemed hesitant to answer, thinking over her words carefully. But, with Twilight continuing to await an answer, the elder mare soon put on a small smile for her.
"I wouldn't concern yourself, Twilight. No doubt the legends were...exaggerating. Perhaps alicorns were not the only ones capable of hurting it?"
Again, Twilight nodded, though Celestia continued to seem uncertain about what had been said to her. Then, after a brief pause between them, curiosity began to grip the Princess, and it was not long before she asked a question of her own.
"Twilight...may I ask something?"
The young unicorn looked up to her again, giving a nod as consent. Celestia hesitated, but only for a moment.
"Did...did the Queen see your strike against the Tantabus?"
The question had caught Twilight off-guard, but not so much so that she was unable to come up with an answer shortly afterwards.
"I...I don't think so. I mean...I suppose it's possible , but...I'm not really sure."
For a time, Celestia seemed almost worried by that answer, leading to a degree of understandable hesitancy on the part of Twilight.
"Is...is something wrong?"
But Celestia, quickly regaining her composure, simply smiled at her student.
"Do not mind me, Twilight. I just get overly-worried sometimes."
Twilight nodded, though it was clear from looking that she was not wholly satisfied with that response. However, as the silence between them carried on, Twilight found that there was yet another question brewing in her mind. A question that she knew was going to cause some issues, and yet, in this place, with her mentor so close by, she felt as if she had no choice but to ask it.
"Princess..."
"You wonder what happened to us? Between my sister and I?"
The remark caught Twilight off-balance, and yet, as Celestia now started to bear a serious look, the young unicorn simply nodded in response. Slowly, Celestia closed her eyes, and it was not long before she started to explain.
"As legends said, she and I once ruled Equestria together. We always had our differences, but in almost all things, we worked as a team. Nothing ever came between us that could not be resolved later on."
Then, her eyes opened, revealing a more steely glance.
"But, one day...the differences simply became...too great."
Curiosity gripped Twilight, and she watched with increasing interest as her teacher carried on with her story.
"Long ago, before the divide...Equestria was plagued by a terrible foe. A spirit of chaos and disharmony. Discord."
The Princess sighed.
"He had travelled from one side of our lands to the other, bringing nothing but pain and misery to our people, all to satisfy his need for self-amusement. Naturally...my sister and I had to stop him."
A firmer look crossed her face.
"The battle was long and hard-fought. Using every magical trick we knew, we matched Discord, spell for spell. But no matter what we did, he always found a way to come back from whatever we threw at him. It was a stalemate, and all of us grew increasingly frustrated from it."
Slowly, Celestia's face became almost a pained one.
"Then, at the end of it all, my sister and I knew that there was only one way to subdue this creature. A spell. One so powerful that it required the magic of both of us to see it done."
The Princess looked down to her student once more.
"...A spell of change. To imprison Discord within himself. To turn him from flesh...into stone ."
Twilight seemed stunned by this information, something which did not go unnoticed by her teacher.
"It was not something ever thought possible for pony magic to accomplish. A stone prison of one's own body, far more potent than anything a creature like a cockatrice could do. But, we succeeded, and Discord was, at long last, prevented from continuing his reign of chaos."
But then, Celestia's expression became a despondent one.
"I remember it still. How weak I felt. How drained. So exhausted was I that I could not even stand . My powers returned at a later date, but for the time being, I was utterly spent."
Then, her eyes narrowed.
"But Luna...she was not so exerted. As much as it may pains me to admit to this, she always was the more powerful mage. She still had strength to spare, even as I lay motionless upon the ground. She stood, making her way over to Discord...then looked me in the eye."
Twilight knew where this was going, but even so, she said nothing as the older mare resumed.
"I could feel it, her anger. She had witnessed every atrocity, every act of maliciousness that Discord had wrought upon Ponykind...and it had enraged her. Now, he was there, paralysed and defenceless before her. Luna, my sister, looked me right in the eye..."
She hesitated, gulped, then said what they both knew had to be said.
"...and then, with her greater strength...she shattered his statue."
Twilight gasped, clasping her hoof over her mouth. Celestia too was looking very down by this, but did not look at her student, instead remaining stoic in her expression.
"Whatever life-force that had been within that stone...vanished with Luna's assault. Discord, the Lord of chaos...had been slain. When our strength had both recovered, I argued with her. I told her that he was contained, that he was no longer a threat, that he might have even reformed one day."
She shook her head.
"But Luna would not believe it. On and on, she kept telling me that if Discord ever found a way to escape, he would simply go ahead and do what he'd been doing all over again."
Here, sadness took hold in Celestia's eyes.
"That...was the divide. We simply...simply could not reconcile after that. Luna left, and those closest to her followed. And our nation...was never the same again."
There was silence now, even in spite of the party going on around them. Twilight wanted to say something, anything to get her mentor to feel better, but every time she thought of something, none of it seemed good enough. In the end, she approached her, placed a hoof gently upon her side, then spoke softly.
"Princess...maybe...maybe things can be good between you again? It's been a long time, so...maybe the wounds have healed?"
But Celestia merely shook her head, looking to her apprentice with utter seriousness.
"No, Twilight. Things were said and done that can never be taken back. Luna, even during her isolation, has been an opponent, to the point of taking somepo...something precious from me. Far away she may have been...but she has still hurt me."
To say Twilight was depressed by such words would have been an understatement, as she looked down to the ground. Celestia, at least for a time, seemed guilty about causing such feelings in her student, and so nudged her slightly, gaining her attention. When Twilight looked to her, she gazed up into a smiling face.
"At the very least...I am glad I was able to talk to somepony about this."
Twilight nodded to that, trying to seem as upbeat about the matter as she possibly could. However, it was not long before her teacher looked to her with concern in her expression.
"Twilight...I have a favour to ask of you."
After a brief moment of hesitation, the young unicorn nodded.
"Of course."
Celestia considered her words for a moment, before just coming out with it.
"Would you, perhaps...consent to living here, in Ponyville, for a little bit longer?"
Twilight looked to her with confusion.
"I...I wouldn't object to it, but...why?"
Celestia sighed.
"This incident...with the Tantabus...I fear it may have set off events that cannot be undone. This will not be the last time you or I see my sister, and our two kingdoms...they may have far more to do with one another in the coming days."
Concern gripped Twilight, but she kept silent as the Princess looked down to her.
"I need somepony here...somepony I can trust ...to remain in this place. For make no mistake, Twilight...things will change from now on."
Naturally, such a remark was not an easy thing to take in. But, to her credit, Twilight did not shy away. Instead, she steeled herself, taking in a few calming breaths before, finally, looking to her mentor with a look that was just as serious as hers.
"I will do what I can, Princess. You can count on me."
That, at the very least, seemed to put the monarch at ease.
"Thank you, Twilight."
As she turned to look upon the rest of the party-goers, Twilight, under her breath, muttered the only thing that was on her mind right now.
"Shining is going to freak when I tell him about this."
Plans
Slowly, the ancient doors of the Moon Palace creaked open, as they always did. Out of pure instinct the members of the Night Guard stood at attention all along the hallways within, giving a simultaneous salute. Queen Moon walked within her home, her steps slow, yet graceful. Nopony looked at her, instead stoically remaining where they were until she'd passed them. Silence was the order of the day through this entire ordeal, with the exception of the echoes caused by the Queen's every step. Eventually, and after several minutes of walking down the entrance hall, the Queen entered her throne room, and here, she stopped, looking over her shoulder to the one who followed; Aurora. The latter continued to appear professional, standing tall and ready to receive whatever was said to her, but it was not the Queen who spoke first.
"Did you have a pleasant evening, my Lady?"
Turning, both mares looked upon Rarity, who emerged from one side of the throne room, giving a sweeping bow to her monarch. As for the Queen, she gave a brief smile to her aide.
"Indeed. It is always nice to get out of the castle every once in a while."
With that, the dark alicorn began to head off towards her throne, leaving the other two mares behind. And speaking of whom, Rarity now regarded Aurora with some measure of disdain.
"I trust your little adventure did not end too terribly, Captain?"
The cyan pegasus frowned to this.
"At least I did something useful today!"
Rarity frowned right back, but was kept from saying anything when her leader decided to speak up yet again.
"The Captain may have erred...but things nevertheless ended rather well."
Aurora took on a look of smugness, much to Rarity's chagrin, but neither said anything as the nearby alicorn continued.
"Things ended...very well, as it turns out."
Both Rarity and Aurora looked to her with curiosity, but instead of being able to ask anything further, they watched as their leader looked over her shoulder, staring at both of them.
"I would have a moment alone."
Immediately, the two gave another bow, before moving off together, heading straight for the doors leading out of the throne room. It was not long before said door closed with yet another loud creaking noise. Now, the Queen was alone, and so she elected to walk over to her throne. Once within it, she let out a sigh, and her horn began to glow, carefully lifting her azure helmet from off her head. She levitated it to one side, resting it upon a nearby pillow that had been sitting beside her throne. Shaking her head slightly, she began to run a single hoof through her mane, letting out a contented sigh as she did so.
"Rough night?"
The arrival of this new voice was, it had to be said, unexpected, but that sense of surprise was short-lived for the Queen, who merely raised an eyebrow.
"It is nothing I have not had to face before."
The alicorn glanced out of the corner of her eye, seeing the figure standing in the shadows beside her throne. The voice, that of a mare, called out yet again soon afterwards.
"I hear you had an interesting meeting?"
A small smile crept onto the Queen's lips.
"Indeed I did. A rather...intriguing individual."
The figure in the shadows moved slightly, before promptly speaking up again.
"Do you think...she could be...it? "
Slowly, the Queen raised a hoof to her chin, thinking on those words for some time, before then giving a short nod.
"She may be. But it is still too early to tell for certain."
A silence fell for a time, but when it ended, the second voice made itself known, speaking with a tint of curiosity.
"So then...what happens now? "
Briefly, the Queen let out a chuckle, before finally turning her head fully to the figure in the shadows.
"Now, my apprentice...I believe it is time for our kingdom's thousand-year isolation...to end ."
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The Mare and the Bear - Tricks Up Her Sleeve
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"Okay...let me just go over this whole thing, just so I have a clear picture in my head. We've travelled all this way, found a hidden kingdom unknown to Equestria for a thousand years, met the Mare of the Moon, who tells us she plans to invade Equestria once she stops the Tantabus. And the only way we can stop her from doing that...is if we find and stop it first?"
Twilight sighed after Pinkie had finished, slowly nodding her head.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it."
The party-lover looked ahead as they walked, considering that for a moment, before then looking back to Twilight with an incredulous look.
"Us? Find the Tantabus? A creature that can hide in dreams and only be stopped by an alicorn? Is that the thing we've been asked to stop?"
Again, Twilight nodded.
"Correct."
A silence fell between them after that, and instead of looking to Twilight, Pinkie instead looked ahead to Applejack, who was just a few steps further from them.
"Cousin? On a scale of one to ten...just how up-the-creek are we on this one?"
Applejack too hung her head low, glancing over her shoulder to look at Pinkie with a somewhat despondent look.
"Honestly? Ah don't think a high enough number has even been invented yet."
To that, Pinkie looked down to the ground.
"Yeah...thought as much."
A grim seriousness took hold in Twilight's expression as she glanced to her colleagues.
"Look...I realise that this isn't the best situation we could have found ourselves in. But it's also our only chance."
Looking over her shoulder, Twilight regarded the path they'd come from.
"The Queen may believe that her plan is what's best for Equestria...but we all know that's not how our people will see it."
Thinking on that, Pinkie looked to her leader.
"Hold on...if the Queen has this creepy I-can-see-everything thing going on...why can't we just ask her where the Tantabus is before going off like this?"
Twilight shook her head.
"If we did that, then all it'd do is let her now that we can't do this without her, which means she'd probably just go ahead with that plan of hers right then and there."
Pinkie seemed disturbed by that, leading to Twilight looking back to her and Applejack.
"We have a responsibility here. I have a responsibility. The Tantabus has to be stopped, and while I don't know how we can do that...we have to try ."
Unfortunately, her words didn't exactly have the desired effect, as Applejack's words soon attested to.
"Pardon me, Twilight...but that ain't much of a plan. Even IF we find this thing...what can we actually do with it?"
Twilight considered that, seeming deep in thought as she continued to walk.
"I'll...think of something."
Naturally, Applejack frowned, then looked ahead.
"Well...ah imagine you'd have a better time thinkin if we didn't have her with us."
All three mares turned their attention to the one at the head of their little convoy; Aurora Dash. Of course, the cyan mare didn't exactly take well to the remark made against her just now.
"You should consider yourselves lucky, outsiders. Her Majesty's orders are for only me to escort you. If my whole squad had been here, you'd be far less snappy with me."
Applejack upped her pace, looking more than a little aggressive as she neared Aurora. Twilight, sensing a fight brewing, immediately got between them, giving Applejack a calming look. The farmer snorted with annoyance, then got back to her usual pace. As for Aurora, Twilight looked to her, trying to sound as grateful as she possibly could under the circumstances.
"When you get back...tell your Queen that we're happy for the escort."
The Captain gave a formal nod to that, looking ahead once more. Twilight, now surrounded by nothing but silence as they carried on through the dark woods, thought about her situation over and over again. Every time she would think of a plan, she would sigh, realising some flaw within it. And every time she came close, one fact above all repeated itself in her foremost thoughts; only alicorn magic can stop it. As one would expect, she was feeling rather down right now, as was everypony else. Looking up to the night sky above, the young unicorn could only pray at this point.
Twilight...
She stopped, her eyes widening considerably, and started looking around. The others noticed her, and they too halted.
"Hey! What's the hold-up?" Aurora called.
But Twilight merely started walking a few steps to the side, her eyes narrowing at her surroundings.
"I...I thought..."
Pinkie looked to her with concern.
"What? You thought what?"
Twilight shook her head.
"I...I don't know. I know it's impossible...but it sounded like..."
Twilight...please...help me!
Urgency took hold of the unicorn, and she frantically started looking around.
"Princess? Princess!"
The others looked to each other with uncertainty.
"What is she babbling about?" Aurora demanded.
Applejack shrugged her shoulders.
"Ah dunno! Twilight? What is it?"
Twilight turned to her.
"Don't you hear her?!"
The farmer glanced around.
"Hear her? Hear who? "
Twilight placed a hoof upon her shoulder, hope now filling her eyes.
"It's her! Princess Celestia!"
To that, Aurora stepped forward, looking both surprised and cautious.
"You wanna explain that, Sparkle?"
Twilight turned to face her.
"I heard her! She's here somewhere! Calling out to me!"
Pinkie looked to her friend with worry.
"Um...Twilight? I know I'm probably the last pony to be able to say this, but...you're acting kinda weird."
Looking to her, Twilight's expression was one of confusion, prompting the pink mare to start explaining herself.
"Princess Celestia isn't here. She's not calling out to us."
But Twilight shook her head.
"No...I know it was her! I just..."
Twilight...please...I need you...
That was the last straw for the unicorn, who now turned to one section of the forest in particular. Without warning, and to the shock of all of them, she started running in that direction. There was a brief moment of confusion and hesitancy from the rest, but it wasn't long before they too started to follow. Even Aurora did so, though she seemed far less concerned, instead bearing a look of seriousness, which Applejack was quick to pick up on.
"What's goin on in that head of yours?"
The pegasus snorted before answering.
"If the sun Princess herself has truly come into my Queen's lands, it's my job to find out and report back."
She looked to her farmer companion and narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, and keeping track of all the mares I was sent to escort would be great too."
Applejack rolled her eyes to this, before then focusing on Twilight yet again. As for the latter, she was not thinking of the others, but instead on her path ahead. Between her natural poor eyesight, the need to constantly adjust her glasses and the darkness of the permanent night around her, she was having obvious difficulty in finding out where, exactly, she needed to go. But, after several minutes of just charging forward, she managed to break through the woods and find herself at some sort of clearing.
"Here! She's here somewhere!"
The others soon arrived behind her, and they saw what was now ahead. A steep cliff-face, just a short distance from the tree-line, and at its base was, unmistakeably, a cave entrance. They watched as Twilight began to run towards it.
"Twilight!" Pinkie called.
But her words were of no use, as Celestia's student continued her charge. The other mares soon followed, and before long, they were within the cave, with even the light of the moon now obscured to them. They fumbled around in the dark, occasionally bumping into some larger stones on the ground, and all the while, Twilight continued to call out.
"Princess! It's me, Twilight! I'm here!"
Aurora grunted to this.
"Touched in the head, this one!"
Applejack, ignoring the pegasus, tried speaking in a calmer tone to her friend.
"Twilight...ah don't know what yer hearin, but..Celestia' ain't here!"
But the unicorn just kept on searching, always going further and further into the cave.
"I...I heard her!"
Then, a sound. All of them drew their eyes to the ground, and saw, right where Twilight had just stepped, that there was a crack in the ground. A crack that now grew wider and wider, spreading all around on the floor surrounding them. They looked to one another, with Pinkie letting out an exasperated sigh.
"...Of course."
The ground gave way, and Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack immediately fell below, into a massive chasm that had been below the floor they'd previously stood on. As for Aurora, she, being a pegasus, had been able to take flight just before the floor had given way, and now lowered herself down. It was difficult, given how dark it was, but even so, she soon found the others. They were shaken, but otherwise unharmed, though they did have a brief bout of coughing as the dust of their fall continued to float around them. As soon as Aurora had landed, however, she looked to Twilight with aggression.
"Okay, that's it! You have completely wasted my time here!"
Getting to her hooves, Twilight looked to her with almost pleading eyes.
"But...but Celestia..."
Aurora planted a hoof squarely in her chest.
"Celestia isn't here , Sparkle! This whole Tantabus thing has made you crazy! You nearly got yourself and your friends killed in here! And for what?! All so you could chase after..."
"Twilight!"
The second voice caused all of them to freeze in place, even Aurora, and they turned in unison to a tunnel that lay to one side of the chasm they stood in. All of them stared at it, waiting with baited breath, before they heard it yet again.
"Twilight!"
Aurora shook her head.
"It...it can't be!"
But Twilight's face lit up, and she once more darted off in the direction of the voice, with the others close behind her. On and on she ran, until, at last, she saw her. Princess Celestia. Her teacher, her leader. She was indeed here, in a larger chamber at the end of the tunnel. There was a large hole in the ceiling, allowing the light of the moon to pour in, illuminating this place. As for the sun Princess, she stood at the far end, looking a little weak in the knees, but otherwise far healthier than she'd been seen to be before. Twilight, naturally, began to walk to her slowly, her eyes almost welling up at the sight of her.
"P...Princess? I...I thought we'd lost you!"
The white alicorn smiled sweetly.
"No, my student...I am here."
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, seeing Twilight approach her further, her gaze was one of absolute focus.
"I just knew you'd come to me."
