Princess Celestia coughed blood onto her hoof. The crimson droplets sparkled, dancing in the corner of her eyes. She swirled her tongue inside her mouth. Echoes of Nightmare Moon’s ghastly laughs thrummed inside her ears. Hooves trembling, threatening to buckle as she lifted her head up, she breathed in the smoke-filled air. Burning in her lung. Body convulsing.
Her wings were singed of most feathers, leaving them useless for flight as she closed them to her sides. They burned. Oh, gods did they burn, as if they were lit in flames.
Her mane had ceased to flow; split hairs lay limp all around her neck, clinging together with blood as the binder. Two sisters’ blood. Raven black hooves stepped forward, clad in silver armor. Nightmare Moon stuffed her other hoof into her mouth to suppress chuckles. Blood dripped down from the corners of her mouth. Red was a disgusting color, wasn’t it?
“My dear sister, you thought the elements would stop me?” she purred. A wild glint sparked in her slits for pupils. “You thought I would forget the very weapon we shared years ago, the weapon which defeated Discord?” She stood atop of a crumbling piece of stone from the ruined castle. Stomping her hoof, she threw her head back and cackled into the night. Celestia felt her hooves move backward.
“L-Luna…” she whimpered. Her eyes darted around the scene. Plumes of smoke streaked across the sky, particles of debris carried in the night’s chilling breeze. The castle was in ruins by now. Chunks of stone, shredded cloth, shattered china- everything was destroyed aside from a few walls clinging to dear life. And, of course, herself clinging onto each ragged breath she heaved.
“Luna?” Celestia’s eyes shot back. Nightmare spat the name out with venom. The moonlight faded behind a cloud, her body nothing but a black silhouette amongst the rubble. “You dare to use that name? Do you dare to address your queen so casually? You dare to act like I’m related to a heathen like you?”
Celestia's ears fell back. Her heart scraped against her ribs. Breathing heavy, vision bleary. World spinning; it had been a while since fear gripped her so tightly. She locked eyes with the shadowy beast before her; would she truly be a harbinger of darkness for Equestria?
Pangs of agony shot their way through her wings when they pressed against the corner of a wall that remained standing. Beams of light cascaded down suddenly, droplets of saliva on Nightmare’s pearly fangs glinting. Her forked tongue traced around her teeth. Ear-splitting cackles escaped her lips.
“My hunger for revenge seeks for you to grovel. I want to see tears in your eyes as you beg for life,” she hissed, the corners of her lips curling back into a snarl. Celestia closed her eyes. Her wings stung.
Just let me go. Celestia did have an urge to beg, but not for the reasons that would be interpreted. She wanted to stay with her. Help her. Repent her sins.
Nightmare Moon was awfully clever; aerial combat would’ve given her an upper hoof in this battle. Celestia looked at her. She walked forward, plodding, drawing out each step as if it were last. Celestia kept her eyes locked with hers. The only thing she could focus on was the mare- nay, shadow of a mare.
Each step echoed in her ears. Each breath that fogged up in the night’s cold was seen. The sour smell of burnt flesh flared inside her nostrils. The pain of her broken wings swirled in her head. Everything brought an uncanny anger and disgust boiling in Celestia’s stomach. The only reason it was held back was the silver lining Luna was somewhere hiding in that monster.
Celestia stepped forward, halting Nightmare Moon's advance.
“Luna, I’m begging you, please. I want you back,” she whispered, extending a hoof. It grazed against her midnight black chest. Nightmare Moon looked down at her hoof. Silence echoed.
“Revolting.” A flash of white appeared. Celestia’s leg dropped to the ground. A blood-curdling scream pierced the night. The stone below her was painted in red. “When I said beg, you know damn well I didn’t ask for your disgusting pleas for a dead pony!”
Nightmare Moon frowned as her sister collapsed to the ground. Her horn burst into a green aura, magic wrapping around Celestia’s skull and yanking her head forward. Her muzzle was an inch away from hers.
“Beg.”
“N-Never.”
She felt an excruciating pressure against her temples.
“I said beg!” she shrieked, thrusting her body into Celestia’s. Celestia coughed, jerking away before being kicked in her chest.“Beg, beg, beg, beg, beg!” She banged the mare’s head against the stone. Blood filled her pink eyes. “Beg!”
Her head slammed against the stone one more time. Celestia opened her eyes.
She was still very much in Nightmare Moon’s grasp, and her head was very clearly on the verge of becoming mush. But everything seemed… frozen? Her sister’s cruel countenance remained unmoving, her mane no longer sparkled, her breathing was at a standstill.
She could move her eyes, and that appeared to be it. She looked around.
A guard? Luna killed them all. He sat on a pile of rubble, smiling. His golden armor was polished to perfection. His fur was an alabaster white. Surely all the fighting would have injured him? He smiled, closing his eyes. A rose was in his hoof.
“The neglectful sister meets her end. How tragic,” the guard mulled, touching his hoof to his chin. “I don’t support unnecessary death, but I can’t say this wasn’t coming.” His eyes met the rose. “It's funny how something so beautiful can be deadly if approached the wrong way…”
Celestia tried to move her mouth. “W-Who… are yo-you?”
“Me?” The guard seemed taken aback. He raised his eyebrows, biting his bottom lip. “I can be anything, though I guess you ponies would call it a god.”
Celestia paused. He simpered. “Yes, a god is very befitting for me.”
A strained laugh echoed.
“G-God?” she croaked. Her eyes rolled back. “Is this my moment before death hallucination?”
“I’m afraid not,” the unicorn said with a sigh. “You’re dead. Beyond dead, in fact. You should be off to the afterlife by now, but you’re a special little pony, aren’t you?”
Celestia rolled her eyes. “As if you’re a god. Ever heard of the question where-”
“-You must create a rock you cannot lift, yeah, yeah. Whatever.” The guard heaved. “Let me cut to the chase. You’ve sinned. You’ve killed innocent ponies and neglected those in need.”
“W-what?” she snarled. The guard smiled.
“Remember the war with Sombra? The hundreds of soldiers who died by your miscalculations?”
She slammed her eyes shut.
“Remember when Chrysalis destroyed both her own kind and ponies because of your negligence? Because you refused to let ‘disgusting bugs’ roam amongst your pure Equestria? ”
“I was young! I-I’ve done right by my ponies.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He sat down. “And I doubt Raindrop would agree you’ve done ‘right by your ponies’.”
Celestia paused. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t place a pony with the name despite its familiarity.
“You don’t even remember,” he said with a roll of his eyes, “so I'll remind you.”
Celestia felt her eyes seemingly close on their own, reopening into a brightly lit courtroom. She could see herself sitting on her throne, her mane swirling our in front of her as her tiara glinted in the sunlight peeking through the windows. A frown twisted upon her muzzle.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Raindrop,” she said sternly, before following with a sigh. “I truly do feel sympathy, though.”
“But he’ll die!” the white mare screamed, her blue mane in knots as she trembled in place. The guards standing on either side gave her a firm stare. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.“My husband needs medicine.”
“If I were to give you medicine now, all ponies would come here requesting help.”
“Is that such a bad thing!?”
“I can’t act upon every pony’s request. And if the disease you’re describing is indeed from what I think it is, no medicine can cure what will happen-”
“It doesn’t matter!” she shrieked. “Help him!” She began charging her way up to the throne, only to be blocked off by two guards as their spears clinked together. Her ears fell back and she stepped away slowly. Celestia looked down with a sigh.
“Your husband is under Doctor Lilac’s care, he will be receiving the best help he can get. And disrespecting your princess does no good by him.” The mare’s eyes widened. “Guards, escort her out.” With that, she levitated a pile of papers to her muzzle, a quill following suit. The mare broke into hysterics, clawing at the guards as they enveloped her in their auras. Princess Celestia tapped a hoof to her forehead.
“Whatever shall I do about these cases, Luna?” she murmured despite the absence of her sister.
Celestia’s growled as the memory faded.
“What was I supposed to do, give her false hope in the form of some medicine?”
“Yes, or you could’ve acted kinder to her. And you know there’s a spell that can cure the rot of a timberwolf bite.”
“It would’ve taken days to prepare, and the odds of him surviving were already low!”
“She’s not the only case, and certainly not the worse. Tell me, princess, must I educate you on the wrongdoing in this situation? Or that of the many other cases where you treated ponies lesser than you?”
Silence.
The guard sighed. “You’ve been neglectful in both your role as a ruler and a sister, Princess Celestia.”
“Are you here to just show me how terrible I am?” she wheezed. “I’m already being slaughtered by my own kin.”
“But I’m going to offer you a second chance.”
A pause.
“Reincarnation?”
“Much better. A do over.”
Celestia forced herself to grin.“There’s a catch, isn’t there?”
“A small price.” The guard chuckled. “Though you’re quite stubborn, huh?”
Silence.
“You must have faith.”
Celestia growled.
“Faith? As if.”
The unicorn cocked an eyebrow, drawing closer to her.
“Just a few words and promises and you could save yourself, save Equestria. Would it not be selfish to deny such a small request? Have I not taught you anything in this brief little meeting?”
“I refuse to acknowledge lies!” she spat. “Gods do not exist, and I refuse to believe your claims of being one!”
“Why is it you lack faith, my dear Celestia?”
“Because why would a god let ponies suffer? You insist I’ve let ponies suffer when you’re no better yourself.”
The guard smiled, a gleam in his eyes. “That might be so. Is that so?”
Her pupils dilated. She pieced together his words. “No, you can’t be… I… I-”
“Very well!” he exclaimed, standing up. “I shall give you the world where you will have faith.”
She stuttered. “I-I, please-”
“Yes, I have a certain world in mind.” He locked eyes with Celestia. “Call it a universe parallel to yours, only without any of the mythical beasts you’ve faced or those known as Alicorns. Ponies from this world exist there too but won’t be the same, so be wary. Do not die, my fair princess, for there will be no second chances.” The world began to fade into darkness.
“Wait, you, I-”
The guard walked up to Celestia. “Call me being X.”
She slipped into unconsciousness.
Then reopened her eyes.
Moondancer snarled, spiraling in the air her hooves heated up. Beads of sweat flew out in the corner of her eye. She grit her teeth. All around her were the wispy trails of clouds painted against pale blue as the sun beat down on her. She snapped her head over her shoulder.
Why, of all times, would I remember that? There she was, suspended in the sky, the black and blue shoes on her hooves glowing. She was dressed in her military uniform, a red gem strapped around her neck. A bird darted across the sky. Moondancer snorted, tucking her head in her chest. Her chin scraped against the gem.
It was an experimental gem, one meant to help channel her magic through her gear and amplify it. Unicorns in this world were odd; a limited amount could be used through the horn. Mechanical objects had to be used to help channel it through both the horn and into the devices themselves. Even some pegasi and earth ponies could use unicorn like magic with the right… things. Technology. Whatever it was. Her Equestria didn’t need such ridiculous devices.
“Gah!”
The things on her hooves were overheating by the second; they couldn’t handle the gem increasing her magic’s intensity by tenfold. Her jaw dropped open, her tongue lolling out as she panted. Hot.
If I cut off my magic suddenly, the device will either explode or leave me falling into the ground. Both options meant death. In the sky, beads of sweat dripping off her muzzle, she suppressed a scream. This was surely Being X’s doing. She felt her hooves sting, memories of her wings filling her thoughts. She was dead, dead, dead.
She turned her head to her shoulder. “Requesting help to get this garbage off of me!” Another strange item that allowed her to communicate with the idiot who pushed her into this situation.
“Garbage!?” a muffled voice screamed back. Moondancer pushed back her ears, flinching at the voice.
“Your garbage gem is going to kill me!” she shrieked back, keeping as still as possible. Moving could mean risking a fiery death.
“I have faith,” he yelled back, “faith that this will work! Give it a chance!”
“You bastard scientis-” she felt her magic cut away from her hooves. Her pupils dilated, her hooves stretching in front of her as she hurled towards the earth. Red mane lashing outwards, she deadpanned to the sky, biting the inside of her cheek. A metallic taste filled her mouth. She looked at her chest. The gem had cracked, leaving her hoof mechanisms without any magic to keep them running. Option two was currently happening; malfunction. She hadn’t expected her magic to literally crack the gem, though. She made a mental note.
Being X’s words flowed through her head; faith. It was either death or a shameful, pitiful attempt at having faith.
There was a lot to learn about this world.
“Curse you,” she hissed. Closing her eyes, she drew in a crisp breath. “God…”
She began her prayer.
