The Archives

Chapters

1: The Chamber
2: The Underground
3: The Shards
4: The Servant
The Throne
The Princess
The Report

1: The Chamber

In a dimly lit library in the center of Canterlot lay a purple-haired pony. Her name was Twilight Sparkle and she was fifteen years old. Every day promptly at noon she would venture out of her dormitory to pay a visit to the library. She had a very strict schedule that she adhered too. The moment she would arrive she would spend exactly fifteen minutes going through the stacks and stacks of books until she had accumulated enough reading material to last her the rest of her visit. Usually she tried to avoid reading anything that she had already finished but after spending so much time in the library, she found it more and more difficult to find new books. She feared the day that she would read every book the library had to offer. Why, what would she do with her time? She couldn’t possible continue reading the same old stories over and over again…

Could she?

This week she decided to dedicate her attentions to the history of Equestria. Already she had read the origins of Hearth’s Warming Eve in which the Earth ponies, Pegasus ponies, and Unicorns were finally able to put aside their differences in order to create a new home in which to live. It was a heart-felt story but nothing that Twilight hadn’t known already. She had visited the Hearths Warming Eve pageant ever since she was a little filly and could recite the story by heart.

The second book she dedicated her time too discussed the mystical Elements of Harmony with numerous theories to how they had been formed. Twilight flipped through most of this particular book with mild interest. She may be one to enjoy studying, but old mare’s tales weren’t something she wanted to waste her time with, not when there were literally dozens of other books she could be reading instead. She made a note of what the book was about and promised herself to read it in more detail on a later date.

The next book she came across shared the tales of several different ponies who helped create the illustrious city of Canterlot. She read all about Star Swirl the Bearded; a powerful unicorn who was responsible for the creation of over a dozen spells. She poured over the fascinating tales of Cyclone, a Pegasus pony who came up with a way to transport water from the earth into the clouds by using her wing power. She studied the works of Astral, a pony who charted all of the stars so that the citizens of Canterlot could follow the seasons more accurately, and finally she ventured into the world of Celestia herself; how she helped bring all the ponies of Canterlot together in order to build a civilized society.

However it was here where Twilight’s troubles began. She flipped through the last few pages of the book as a frown formed upon her lips. “That’s odd,” she mumbled to herself. “Where is the rest of the story?”

She checked the book’s spine and made a note of its library number. She then ventured between the vast shelving until she came across the sport in which she had found the book. “Let’s see,” she muttered. “The next book should be right about…here!” she jabbed her hoof towards the shelf but felt a flutter of disappointment when she discovered that the next book in line was about exploits of pony adventures to helped map out Equestria. “That’s weird,” she frowned again. “Princess Celestia is the most important pony who had ever lived. Why aren’t there any more books about her?”

She began to gnaw on her bottom lip. “Maybe it’s in a different section,” she suggested to herself. She ventured through the library, all the while keeping an eye out for one of the clerks who tended to the books. She kept a mental note of the time, not wanting to get so distracted that she ended up being late to her classes.

Several minutes later, she finally found the pony she had been looking for. “Ah! Mrs. Paper! Can you help me please?”

Mrs. Paper, an Earth Pony with a light gray mane, a silver coat, and blue eyes, smiled. “Oh Twilight,” she chided in a playful tone. “Don’t tell me you’ve already finished that book I found for you. It’s only been an hour, sweetie. You should really take your time.”

Twilight blinked. “But I did take my time. I read through it twice to make sure I understood everything.”

Mrs. Paper shook her head. “I swear to Celestia herself that you’ll be the death of all these poor, helpless books.” A soft smile crossed her lips. “I guess it is safe to assume that you are seeking out another book?”

“I am!” Twilight chirped. “I was wondering if there are any other books that detail the Princess’s life before the days of Canterlot.”

Mrs. Paper’s cheery expression faltered for the briefest of moments. “Actually, sweetie, we don’t carry any books of that nature.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked while tilting her head.

“Because they simply don’t exist.” Mrs. Paper explained.

“They don’t exist?” Twilight groaned. “How can no pony ever think to write the history of one of the greatest, most powerful, most elegant Princesses who has ever lived?” She was back in her dormitory, her only companion being a young, purple-scaled dragon named Spike. He was glaring at her from underneath his blanket, his green eyes glinting in the dim candle-light. “Twilight,” he groaned. “You’ve been complaining about this for the past three hours. Can’t you just let it go?”

“No Spike,” she countered. “I can’t let it go. There are books detailing the lives of the most famous ponies in existence and some of them are so detailed that they actually chronicled the day-to-day lives of those very ponies. I find it hard to believe that they would write seven books on Star Swirl the Bearded and not a single book on Princess Celestia. What sense does that make?”

“None!” Spike whined. He buried himself deeper underneath his blanket. “But who cares. If you want to know so much about the Princess, why not ask her yourself? She has never turned down a request from you, Twilight.”

“Do you know how awkward that would be for her?” Twilight groaned. “Imagine her having to rearrange her schedule just to sit down and talk to me about her childhood. I would be so uncomfortable knowing that she had to cancel all her royal duties just to answer some silly questions.” She shook her head. “No way, I cannot do that to the Princess. It would just be too rude.”

“Well whatever you do,” Spike covered his head with his pillow. “Just do it quietly. Please?”

“I am being quiet!” She countered. “You are just too sensitive.”

Spike rolled over onto his back, half tempted to throw his pillow at Twilight’s head. “Why don’t you just visit the Archives? You said that they have all sorts of ancient scrolls down there, maybe there is something on the Princess.”

Twilight used her magic to yank Spike out of his bed so that she could nuzzle her cheek to his. He desperately tried to cling to his basket but to no avail. He was forced to submit to her nuzzles. He waited grumpily until she put her down before crawling back under his blankets, muttering all the while under his breath.

“Ohhh,” Twilight whined while bouncing hoof to hoof. “I just know that I won’t be able to get any sleep until I check it out.” She dashed towards her bedroom door. “Don’t wait up for me!” she sang happily.

Spike glared daggers at her. “I won’t,” he grumbled before falling asleep.

“Halt,” a deep throated voice growled. “Who goes there?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” said the purple-haired pony as she trotted up to the royal guard. He was a tall, muscular pony whose body was as black as night with a mane as red as rubies. His dark eyes peered through the slits of his helmet to examine Twilight’s smaller form. “Twilight,” he said. “What are you doing here so late at night? You should be asleep.”

“I know, BloodMoon, but I just couldn’t get any sleep.” She opened her eyes wide while giving him the most pouty, pitiful expression she could muster. “I was hoping,” she asked gently while kicking her left hoof behind her right. “That I could catch up on my studies by visiting the Archives?” she blinked her eyes. “I promise I won’t be long. I just want to have a little peak for an hour or two.”

He rolled his eyes. “Enough with eyes,” he grumbled. “You know that the Princess has instructed us to give you free reign to the Archives. No need for the act.”

She grinned so wide that BloodMoon could count all of her front teeth. “Yay! Thank you so much, BloodMoon. I promise I won’t be long.”

“You could spend the rest of the night down there for all I care,” he replied. “Just don’t fall asleep. I am in no mood to carry you back up those stairs.”

“I won’t!” She squeaked while hopping straight up into the air. The older stallion shook his head in exasperation. Such a strange, silly little filly. He would never truly understand the Princess’s fascination with Twilight Sparkle but he wasn’t about to question her intentions. He stepped aside to allow her access to the long spiraled staircase that he had been guarding. “Take a torch with you,” he said. “And mind your step. I don’t need you falling down a flight of stairs, now do I?”

“I’ll be perfectly alright,” she countered while using her magic to pull a torch from the stone wall. She floated it in front of her. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” She said before vanishing down the spiral staircase. BloodMoon rolled his eyes again. “A little bit. Hmph. And I’m a pretty little foal.” He snorted.

Twilight did her best to restrain herself. As much as she wanted to bolt down the staircase as quickly as she could, she understood how that could be dangerous. Whereas the upper floors of the castle were cleaned on a regular basis and adorned with plush carpeting or rugs, the lower regions were dark, dank, and rather grungy. She had to watch her step as she walked down the stairs for there were the occasional stone covered in slippery moss and if she didn’t watch herself, she’d fall face first down the length of the stairs. That was an experience she did not want to deal with a second time.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she made it to the bottom of the staircase. There was a short hallway before her that ended at a single wooden door. An old rust-covered lock lay upon the floor in front of the door – having never been moved since the last time Twilight had ventured down here. That was almost three years ago when Celestia had given her a tour of the entire castle. Celestia had kindly allowed Twilight a hoof-full of hours to examine the Archives from top to bottom but even that amount of time was not enough for the young filly to get her fill. Now that she was no longer under a time limit, she planned to examine each and every single scroll at her leisure.

A bubble of excitement rose within her stomach as she pushed through the creaky wooden door and into the vast room that acted as the castle Archives. She hung the torch upon the wall before using her magic to ignite the remaining torches. Soon the chamber was bathed in an eerie orange glow. She stared at the threshold of the room, staring in awe and wonderment at the sight that lay before her.

The chamber was massive; rectangular in size with several halls branching out every which way. Built into the stone walls were dozens upon dozens of shelves, each one jammed pack with moldy books and brittle scrolls. She knew from her previous visit that she would have to treat each and every single item within this chamber with foal gloves but thanks to all the time she had spent in libraries, she was an expert in the proper care and maintenance of books and scrolls. Besides, if worse came to worse, she would just have to try out her Restoration spell to bring the books and scrolls back to their original state. That spell was not without its side-effects, however. Too much use would lead to terrible migraines that would render her studies useless. How could any pony memorize hundreds of years of history when her head is throbbing in agony?

This meant that Twilight would have to use her spell sparingly. She would have to be at the very least, eighty percent sure that the book or scroll she was looking before using her magic. She strolled through the dank, dark corridors, humming a cheerful tune. Despite the creepy old-world décor, she found that she could never be truly uncomfortable when surrounded by books. They might as well be her best friends, the way they comforted her whenever she was nervous. Why, the only living creature other than Spike whom she considered as important as her books was her brother, Shining Armor.

She wasn’t so sure if she could include Celestia in that list. While she loved and admired the Princess above all else, she wasn’t a hundred percent sure if she could call the Princess her friend. Why, they only spent three hours a day together and during that time Celestia was so busy teaching Twilight the ways of magic, they never really had a chance to get to know one another. This was one of the reasons was so adamant in searching for clues to Celestia’s foalhood. Twilight wasn’t content in just being the Princess’s pupil; she wanted something more. How much more, she wasn’t sure, but she knew that she wanted to be as close to the Princess as possible.

Twilight searched through the Archives, using her magic to gingerly pry apart moldy books, gently separating the pages so not to tear the weakened paper. She scoured through dozens of different books and three dozen scrolls and while she discovered several interesting tidbits – such as one book that discussed the different spirits that once ruled over Equestria; from the dangerous and terrifying Windigoes to the powerful sorcerer named Grogar. She skimmed over stories of strange beasts composed of several different creatures, to monsters that can take the shape of any living creature they wanted. Timberwolves, Chimeras, Minotaurs; they were all here. What wasn’t, however, was any book or scroll that pertained to the Princess herself.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes into hours and before she knew it, she had spent the entire night inside of the Archives. Her eyes were growing heavy with fatigue and it was to the point where she had to read a single page several times in a row before she was able to process the information. Finally, after staring at a single word for ten whole minutes without being able to recognize it, she decided that enough was enough. Mrs. Paper was right. There were no books pertaining to Princess Celestia. Either they had vanished over the millennia or they simply did not exist to begin with.

Twilight pushed herself up off the floor and prepared herself for the long walk home. So tired was she that she didn’t even think twice about extinguishing the torches before arriving at the staircase. By the time she realized her mistake, the last torch had gone out bathing her in a sea of complete and utter darkness. She tried to light the torches but found that she was too tired. Sighing in exasperation, she tried to feel her way through the chamber. This resulted in several bumps and bruises as she bumped into walls, tables, shelves, and piles of books. She wanted nothing more than to give up and take a nap but BloodMoon’s voice echoed throughout her head, chiding her for not taking better care of herself.

She stumbled forward, grumbling under her breath, trying to feel her way through the chamber. Her ankle struck something hard and metal causing her to fall face-first into the hard stone floor. Tears stung at her eyes and for the briefest of moments, she wanted nothing more than to start crying but before she could manage the strength, a loud grinding sound rose throughout the chamber. A dim light tore through the darkness causing Twilight to squint against it. The light grew in size as a portion of the wall slid open to reveal a hidden chamber. Her fatigue momentarily forgotten, Twilight got back up onto her feet to see what lay within.

It was a rather tiny room; its size clearly meant to house only a single pony at a time. Against the back wall was an indentation carved into the stone wall and upon this indentation was a single book bound in leather with several intricate designs embedded upon the cover. Unlike the rest of the books in the Archives, this one was in great condition. In fact, it looked as if it had been recently published though Twilight could tell just by looking at its cover that it was over a hundred years old, if not older. That familiar bubble of excitement began to materialize once again within the center of her chest as she walked over the book. A mixture of excitement and adrenaline made her forget just how tired she was; finding a second wind thanks to the presence of this mysterious book.

She nosed it open and was shocked to see that this was no ordinary book. It was, in fact, a diary. She squinted her eyes against the dim light (whose source she had yet to discover) and read the first page.

My Dearest Reader,

Let it be known that thy name is Patience and I have served beneath many a King and Queen but not once have I served a Princess, let alone two of them. As such, I write within this journal to chronicle my time alongside them; the Bringer of the Sun and the Ruler of the Moon.

For they are the most noblest of rulers…

And also the most cruel…

Take heed, reader, for the tale thou are about to partake is not one of merriment and mirth, but of sadness, betrayal, and pain. As the Eldest orders all records to be destroyed let this journal live on so that all may know the truth…

That the most compassionate of all rulers…

Can also become the most dangerous.

2: The Underground

His name was Discord and we were his slaves…

Patience watched as the strange but very dangerous spirit plucked a cloud from the sky. The spirit dipped the cloud into a goblet of chocolate before popping it into his mouth. Bolts of lightning erupted from between his teeth causing him to laugh as if the electricity tickled the inside of his mouth. Patience could not fathom the insanity that was this spirit nor did he want too.

“You’ve got to try this!” Discord chortled as he lifted a Pegasus off the ground. “It is delicious!”

The poor Pegasus tried to keep her mouth shut but Discord clicked his claws together causing her mouth to snap open. He popped a portion of the chocolate cloud into her mouth before literally zipping it closed. Her cheeks began to glow as the lightning danced upon her pallet. Soon her mane was standing on end while purple sparks erupted from the tips of her tail.

Now, while there was not a Pegasus pony alive that hadn’t been struck by lightning once in their lives, there was not a Pegasus pony in all the sky who could survive prolonged exposure to the dangerous bolts. If Discord didn’t free the mare from his spell soon, her head would burst like a ripe melon.

Luckily for her, Discord soon grew bored of the living lightning rod that he had created and with a click of his claws, her mouth unzipped, allowing the cloud to escape back into the atmosphere. Black smoke rose from between the Pegasus’s lips as she slumped to the ground, tired and obviously in a great deal of pain. Discord poked her forehead with an eagle claw before vanishing in a blinding flash of light.

Patience’s instincts were to race across the street to help the poor Pegasus back onto her feet but previous experiences with Discord kept him from rushing to her assistance. He knew that Discord sometimes returned soon after torturing a pony so that he could continue his sick and twisted games. It wasn’t unusual for him to find a new “favorite toy” to play with and whomever he decided to obsess about would suffer for days, if not weeks, of his antics until finally he grew bored and moved on.

When he felt more confident that Discord would not be returning, he dashed across the street to where the Pegasus was still lying. “Madam,” he whispered. “Can ye get up?”

“Nae…” she whimpered. Her lips were dry and chapped, her teeth blackened from the lightning. “Too weak…”

Patience glanced over his shoulders then whispered, “Forgive me, M’lady.” He sunk his teeth into her mane and began to drag her back to the alley from whence he came. She winced but did not cry out although he was sure she was in a great deal of pain.

“I apologize,” he mumbled. “But we must get thee underground immediately.”

“Underground?” she groaned.

“Aye.” He pulled her down another alleyway, grumbling many apologies along the way. “It is where we hide to avoid his prying eyes.” He gently released her mane once they got to the end of the alley. He rapped his hoof against the brick wall, paused a second, and then tapped his hoof three times in rapid succession.

“Hast thou lost thine mind?” she asked Patience but he ignored the question. A few minutes later the bricks began to pull apart forming the entrance to a deep, dark tunnel. On the other side of the entrance stood two female Alicorns; one with hair as white as snow and a mane of soft pinks, blues, and yellows. The other had dark blue hair and a midnight blue mane and although they looked nothing alike, the fact of the matter was that these two Alicorns were sisters.

“Hast thou brought news?” The white mare whispered.

“He is gone, for now.” Patience responded.

“And this?” asked the blue pony, her dark eyes examining the wounded Pegasus.

“Another one of his playthings,” Patience answered.

“We must be swift to bring her to safety,” said the white pony. “Luna, if thou would be so kind.”

Luna’s horn began to glow and suddenly the Pegasus was lifted off of the ground, bathed in a blue light. “We must make haste.” Luna hissed.

“Aye, we must.” The four ponies retreated into the tunnel. The white sister used her magic to seal the tunnel before summoning a small ball of yellow fire to float before them all. “What is thine name?” she asked as they continued down the path.

“Prism Light,” replied the Pegasus.

“Honored. I am Celestia and this is my younger sister, Luna.” She kept her eyes forward. “The one who hast rescued you is Patience, Chancellor to the throne.”

“Ah!” Prism exclaimed. “Than ye be Princesses?”

Luna chuckled but it was Celestia who answered. “Alas we are but mere commoners but tis an honor that ye would think that. We came from the north to escape the tyranny that is Discord. It was to our greatest disappointment to learn that he had already paid a visit to this kingdom. By the time we had arrived, it was too late.”

“Aye,” replied Patience. “Twisted by his magic, His and Her Majesty became ponies of a different sort. They were no longer the noble steeds they once were; instead reduced to a pair of bickering mules who could do nothing but snap and shout at one another.”

“But are thee both Alicorns?” Prism asked. “How can thee not be of noble blood?”

Luna shrugged. “Tis just how it is.” She replied simply. “We come naught from a royal family, but from parents who worked upon farmlands.” She frowned. Celestia nuzzled her younger sister affectionately. Patience knew from prior discussions with them that their parents had both perished soon after the sisters were born. It had something to do with a terrible wildfire that swept through the land. The only reason the sisters had survived the incident was due to the fact that they had been visiting friends. Otherwise they too would have perished.

However it was a story that Patience had never truly accepted. It just seemed so unusual for Alicorn sisters being born from Earth pony parents. Deep down he knew that they were hiding something but, for the time being, he decided that it was in his best interest to let it go.

The trek seemed to last forever but finally they arrived to the central hub of the pony underground. This large chamber had once been used to mine for gems but once all the precious stones had been found, the miner ponies converted it into something of a storage facility for all their tools. There were dozens of wooden crates stacked up against the jagged walls; each one containing pick-axes, hammers, chisels, ropes, and woven sacks. A mine track lay within the center of the chamber and old oil lamps still hung upon the walls. Several dozen ponies were scattered all throughout the room, some lying down, others moaning in agony, and others still just sitting, staring at those around them.

“It tis our goal to protect as many ponies from Discord’s magic as possible but it nae easy. He is a crafty cur and it is impossible to predict his movements.”

“What happened to all of these ponies?” Prism asked.

“She,” Patience pointed. “Had all of her teeth turned to sugar cubes so she must sleep sitting up least the ants try to invade her mouth.” He gestured towards another. “His mane had been replaced with worms and the constant squirming sensation has been driving him mad.”

“All victims to that beast,” Celestia scowled. “His mirth knows no bounds and he is quick to target any pony that catches his interest.”

“That is horrible,” Prism frowned.

“Tis,” Luna agreed. “But at least we are safe. He has no idea that we’ve hidden away down here. As long as the secret is safe, we be safe from his playful gaze.”

“Playful my hoof,” Celestia growled. “Tis cruelty within his heart!”

“Hm,” Luna grumbled. She turned to Prism, apparently dropping the argument. “Ye shall be fine to rest.” She gently lowered Prism onto the ground. “Ah!” Luna exclaimed. “Tell me! Tis that a cutie mark I see upon thine flank?”

Prism blinked then glanced to her cutie mark; a white crystal with a rainbow flowing out from its center. “Aye, tis.” She replied. “When I was but a filly, I discovered some rare crystals while playing in the mountains. If the sun’s light was shone just right, a rainbow would rise from the crystals. I used them to decorate the homes of friends and family.” She blinked again, finally taking notice to the flanks of both Celestia and Luna. “But mercy! Ye are blank!”

“Aye,” Luna agreed. “As is every other pony within this chamber.” She smirked. “Excluding Patience.”

Patience snorted. “Aye, I have received my cutie mark many moons ago while serving besides the second Queen of this land.”

Prism raised an eyebrow. “Just how old art thou?”

“Never ye mind!” Patience snapped causing Luna to giggle. “The fact tis that my flank tis not blank.”

“But what about the others?”

“Discord’s games have prevented many a pony from discovering their talents.” Celestia explained her face a mask of displeasure. “Because of him, many a pony – adult and foal – have gone without discovering what makes them special.” She stamped her hoof against the stone floor. “Tis another injustice he must answer for.” With that said, Celestia left the group to attend to those still suffering from the effects of Discord’s strange magic.

“A personal grudge?” Prism asked Patience.

“Tis what I believe but try as I might, I cannot get her to speak upon the subject.” He looked to Luna who suddenly found the ceiling of the chamber to be quite fascinating. “And this one seems to forget where she is if the subject if brought up. I must say that tis quite frustrating at times.”

Luna stuck her tongue out at him before trotting away. She followed a few paces behind her sister, her dark eyes monitoring all those around them.

“Don’t ye find it strange?” Prism whispered. “How the eldest seems to have taken upon herself a more stoic persona, whereas the younger acts as if nothing is the matter?”

“I have always placed my belief in the fact that they deal with their demons differently. Celestia has taken Discord’s rule personally whereas Luna finds some amusement in it all.”

“Amusement?” Prism gasped. “Surely thou jest!”

“Nae,” Patience explained. “She agrees wholeheartedly that Discord’s reign must be stopped, but she has stated on several occasions that she has found some of his antics to be quite humorous. Ah, thou should have seen the fight that the two had once the poor dear with the sugar teeth was discovered. Luna could not stop snickering. Celestia was not amused with how Luna had reacted. Oh how they shouted at one another; so loud that I feared Discord could hear us from up above.” He shook his head. “Tis a rather strange relationship these two share.”

“How can any pony find mirth in the cruelty of Discord?”

“Once I had asked her. She responded simply that she could see things from his point of view.” He shook his head. “Whilst I find such a trait admirable; seeing things from all sides, it could be dangerous if she were to ever sympathize with such a monster.”

“Doest thou think she would ever?”

“I believe she shant, but tis still a worry that gnaws upon the back of my head. Tis rather difficult to understand what goes on within the heads of the sisters.”

“What of the other? Celestia?”

“She is quite grim,” Patience said. He watched as Celestia kneeled down besides one of Discord’s victims in order to console him. “She speaks naught of her past but I sense a great anger within her soul. Discord has done her wrong; for this I am certain, but she refuses to share her reasoning. It is normal for the ponies to hate Discord but she has taken the hate to a level I have seen naught.”

“Her parents perhaps?”

“Maybe.” Patience watched Celestia. She was offering the colt some comforting words but while her expression seemed gentle and sympathetic, her eyes were as cold as the northern winds. “Her rage may prove quite useful,” he mused. “For she has been plotting Discord’s downfall and I believe she may be growing close to a solution.”

Prism frowned. “But how can anypony cease his antics?”

Patience lowered his voice to a whisper. “There be rumors of ancient relics that contain within a magical force of untold power. She has been gathering these rumors and believes there may be truth to the legends.” He turned his attention from Celestia back to Prism. “And if the legends be true than she may be able to bring Discord to his knees.”

Prism did not look convinced. “Pray tell: what could possibly challenge Discord’s power?”

“Why, the Shards of Anarchy, of course.” Celestia replied.

I have heard of the legends of such relics but not once within my life did I believe in them. Shards of Anarchy? For what foolishness was this? Thine mind was a-flutter with doubt but Celestia believed that the myths were true. She was convinced that by finding the Shades, she’d be able to attain a power that could rival Discord’s.

We were broken and without hope so what could we do but cling to her beliefs? We needed a savior and so we turned to her for she was the only one who truly believed in Discord’s defeat. Alas, I could not shake the sense of dread that rose within my heart for if the Shards were indeed a reality, what would become of the pony that wielded them? Would she remain true and honest or could such a power corrupt thine mind? Only time shall tell…

Twilight closed the book, unable to continue. Her eyes were growing heavy and already she was suffering from a terrible headache. The sun had already risen and according to her internal clock, it was well past eight in the morning. She needed sleep though how she could possible slumber after reading such an engrossing, albeit terrifying tale, she did not know.

She would return immediately after sunset though it would take every ounce of patience not to return the moment she awoke from her slumber. However she had a very strict schedule to keep and even though she wanted nothing more than to pour herself into the rest of this journal, her obsessive need to stick to her schedule overruled her desire to read. Plus it meant that her chances of being disturbed were practically zero.

“I’ll be back,” she whispered to the hidden chamber. “I promise.”

3: The Shards

Twilight Sparkle found that, despite how tired she was, she couldn’t fall asleep. In the end, she resorted to using a sleep spell that she had discovered in one of the library’s tomes. It was an easy enough spell to cast and, luckily, it came with a secondary enchantment that would wake her up after a specific amount of time. This way she was able to catch up on her rest without accidently wasting her afternoon by oversleeping.

Thus Twilight was able to finally fall asleep. It was not as restful as she had hoped. Her dreams were full of strange images; images of creepy spirits, ponies in pain, and her mentor Princess Celestia. She kept tossing and turning in her sleep, unable to find peace so when the spell finally wore off, she felt more tired than she did when she had gone to bed. So now that she was up and about, she found that she couldn’t concentrate on her daily activities. Her schedule became a mess when she had forgotten to return her library books on time so when she tried to rush back, she discovered that she had also forgotten to brush out her mane. She arrived at the library just as Mrs. Paper was locking the front doors. “It’s okay,” she explained. “You can drop them off tomorrow.”

“But tomorrow I will be visiting the Canterlot Museum!” Twilight whined. “I will be there all day reading up on the history of the modern unicorn!”

“Just leave a little earlier and it’ll be fine,” Mrs. Paper countered.

“If I leave early than I won’t have time to finish the chapter of Rare and Exotic Herbs that I planned on reading.” Twilight shook her head. “I read exactly sixty seven and three quarters words per minute so I had set aside a very specific amount of time that will allow me to finish that last chapter while taking into account of the momentary pauses that rise whenever I take a sip of a hayseed smoothie. If I were to leave early, I would have to cut out the enjoyment of a hayseed smoothie!” Twilight tapped her hoof against her chin. “Although, if I ordered a small hayseed smoothie than I will be able to finish it faster than I would if it were a large. This way I can finish the smoothie and use that extra time to finish the rest of the chapter. It should save me exactly five minutes and thirty seven seconds.” She nodded. “Okay! I can leave early; granted that no pony stops to try and talk with me.”

“Uh,” Mrs. Paper said. “I guess that makes sense.”

“Excellent!” Twilight clapped her hooves together. “I will see you tomorrow! Now if you excuse me, I am very late for my pre-evening snack. Have a good night, Mrs. Paper!”

“You too Twilight.” She said as Twilight bolted through the bustling crowd of Canterlot. She shook her head in dismay. “That poor filly,” she sighed. “She really needs to learn how to loosen up and have fun…”

Twilight was just barely able to make it to the deli in time before it closed. Unfortunately, so did six other ponies, one of which seemed to not understand the concept of “fast-food”. He was staring at the menu while drumming his hooves against the counter. After what felt like an eternity, he finally placed an order (a lettuce and straw sandwich) and the line began moving once again. Twilight purchased her snack (an apple and strawberry salad with an orange smoothie), then made her way back to the palace. Within minutes she was back in the dark, dank halls leading to the Archives. BloodMoon raised an eyebrow as Twilight approached. “Burning the midnight oil again, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Something like that,” she replied with a smile. “Strawberry?” she offered.

He glanced around the hall as if worried that some other guard would see him accepting such a delicious treat. He finally snapped the strawberry up and swallowed it after a few bites. “Thank you. Watch your step.”

“I will!” she chirped. Twilight made her way down the spiral staircase and soon enough she was back in the hidden chamber that housed Chancellor Patience’s journal. She set her salad down next to the book before opening it to where she left off.

The legend of Anarchy is a terrifying one. According to the myths, he was a beast most foul: one who made Discord seem like a foal in comparison. Whereas Discord found his mirth in pranks and sick jokes, Anarchy found amusement in pain and destruction. As Anarchy was a spirit of the same breed as Discord, it is hard to believe that such a monster could exist, for spirits are unable to die. If tis true that Anarchy had at one point in time existed, than it is my duty to ask; where is he now?

Such explains my inability to believe in the Shards of Anarchy. For without the Spirit, how can there be Shards? Alas, Celestia was set in her ways. She would not be swayed…

“The Shards of Anarchy?” Prism asked. “But they are but a legend. There is no evidence that they have ever existed.”

“Nae, I disagree.” Celestia countered. “During our travels, my sister and I have heard stories of mystical stones that have been granting their owners mysterious power. To the south of this fair city is a stone that, according to the rumors, has allowed a single pony the ability to heal the wounded through laughter and bliss. To the west is said to be a stallion that lived in the lap of luxury while those around him suffered. He purchased a jewel during an auction and ever since he has been sharing his wealth with all those who needed it.”

Prism frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense. How could the Shards of Anarchy be helping ponies in need? They are to bring forth waves of misery, not happiness.”

“That is what I want to know,” Luna said as she approached the group. “Sister, ye have been speaking of these Shards since learning of their mythology. What thou hast described does not seem to be the Shards.”

“Aye, I know that the effects are different than the legend but I have a theory.” She used her magic to summon a stick of charred wood on over from a nearby fire pit. She used it to draw upon the stone floor. “According to legend, there was a cruel and sadistic spirit who tortured and killed ponies for its own amusement. The legend speaks of a fantastic war between this spirit and that of another who also wanted to rule over the land. In the end, the sadistic spirit was defeated and its heart was torn from its chest. The heart crystallized and shattered into six separate pieces. Those pieces would be known as the Shards of Anarchy.”

“Aye,” Patience responded. “Tis what the legend says, but pray tell, where are ye going with this?”

Celestia drew six separate icons representing the six shards. “The Shards brought forth suffering to any pony who found them. One brought forth a string of lies from the pony’s mouth causing them to lose any and all confidences that their friends and family had towards them. The second turned a kind and gentle old mare into a cruel, vicious being who constantly threatened any and all that came too close to her property.”

Patience watched as Celestia wrote the words Dishonesty and Cruelty beneath two of the six symbols. “The third Shard transformed a young, innocent pony into a greedy, temperamental bully who ended up stealing all the toys of all the other fillies in her school.” Underneath the third icon she wrote the word Greed. “And the forth convinced a stallion to leave his mare and children to chase after another mare who caught his fancy whereas the fifth tore out every ounce of enjoyment out of another, causing constant misery until finally she took her own life.” She wrote Betrayal and Misery beneath two more symbols.

“Finally there was a teenage unicorn that discovered the sixth and final shard. Upon discovering this jewel, the unicorn’s magical prowess increased tenfold but alas she was unable to contain the power and the resulting magic ended up destroying not only her, but the entire village in which she dwelled.” She wrote Sorcery beneath the final icon. “These are the elements that the Shards represent.”

Luna and Prism nodded. “Aye,” Luna said. “Tis why I am so confused in thy belief that the Shards are now helping ponies instead of destroying them.”

Celestia set the charcoal stick down to look at her younger sister. “There is not a force within the world that cannot be corrupted. As the legends say, even the happiest, most generous of ponies fell to the power of the Shards, but I say this to thee: What if the Shards themselves could be corrupted?”

Prism crinkled her nose. “How could relics be corrupted?”

“I ask thee to humor these thoughts,” Celestia explained. “The legends are over a thousand years old. What if, after all this time, the essence of the Shards began to weaken? It is no secret that the ponies of this land radiate love and kindness so what if the Shards absorbed all of this positive energy and turned into something else?” She shrugged her elegant shoulders. “And instead of Anarchy, they brought forth Harmony?”

Luna gave her sister a tired, withered look that suggested that she had heard this argument far too many times. Prism on the other hoof seemed rather interested in what Celestia had to offer. “Could it be true?”

“We have heard many a rumor suggesting this to be true. Luna and I have heard several rumors about ponies that have changed their lives around for the better. These changes have come out of the blue; grumpy, irritated ponies that suddenly became kind and loving. I cannot ignore such stories for they support my theories. I must venture forth to see if there is truth to these rumors.”

“What can we do to help?” Prism asked. Luna shot her an irritated look but Prism ignored it. “Tis the only plan we have so I say we go with it. At the least it be an excuse to escape this city.”

“But what of them,” Patience pointed towards the weak and injured victims of Discord’s twisted antics. “We cannot abandon them.”

Prism bit her bottom lip in thought. “Allow me to stay behind,” she finally said. “I shall watch over them as thou hast watched over me. Ye three need to venture out and if luck tis on our side, ye shall find these shards and bring an end to Discord’s reign.”

“Are ye sure?” Luna asked with eyes wide. “Ye have no magic to protect you against Discord.”

“Aye, I am sure. I shall work my tail off to protect the ponies of this city and I shall find others to assist in the Underground.” She nodded. “Ye mission to find the Shards is worth more than my safety, than all of our safety. Ye must find them and stop Discord.”

“And stop him we shall.” Celestia said.

Prism accompanied the trio of ponies to the outskirts of the city. Throughout the journey they kept their eyes to the sky for any signs of Discord but he was nowhere to be found. If luck was on their side, Discord would be hundreds of miles away finding amusement in some other city. There could literally be weeks, even months, without a sighting of the trickster spirit for he could literally be on the other side of the world. However, even during these quiet times the ponies found that they could not relax for they all knew that at any time, at any moment he could return. This resulted in living their lives in a constant state of paranoia. It did not help matters that his influence could be seen all over the land; from the red licorice trees to the cotton candy clouds, Discord’s magic was everywhere.

“Before we leave,” Celestia told Prism. “Ye must be wary of those ye take to the Underground for there be some ponies out there who find amusement in Discord’s magic. They are always on the lookout for any pony who tries to rise up against Discord and if they find out where the Underground is, they will be more than happy to alert the spirit of its location. Ye must be very careful in who you trust.”

“Is she serious?” Prism asked Patience as Celestia and Luna stepped out of earshot. “How could any pony support Discord?”

“She is very serious though I have yet to meet a pony who supports that dreadful spirit but it would be wise to take heed in her warnings. These are trying times and while tis hurts to admit it; we cannae take the risk of trusting every pony. Ye must be cautious.”

“I shall.” Prism responded. “And ye do your best to be careful as well.”

“The sisters are quite powerful in their own right. I be feeling quite safe under their protection even if they are keeping secrets.”

“Hmm,” Prism mumbled. “I still have doubt their intentions.”

“Not I. Whilst tis true that I find their past suspicious, I do not doubt their motives in wanting to rid the land of Discord. They may be our only hope in finding peace.”

“I hope ye are right, sir Patience.” Prism said.

“As do I, my dear.” He responded. “As do I.”

And so we began our quest for the Shards of Anarchy. Whilst I still held reservations concerning the Shards’ existence, I could not deny Celestia’s passion in wanting to find them for if her theory was indeed correct, than these corrupted Shards of Anarchy could contain within them a source of unfathomable power.

But could that power truly rival Discord’s own?
Only time shall tell…

4: The Servant

The sisters dared not to use their magic or their wings, so paranoid were we of Discord’s attention. We hid along the outskirts of our little city until nightfall. Once veiled by night’s shadows, we snuck away, moving as fast as our hooves could carry us. I myself, being no longer a pony of younger age, struggled to keep up with the sisters but not once did I allow my fatigue get the best of me. Even though it felt as my heart would burst, I ran.

For the third time in the past hour, Patience stumbled over his own hooves. His body was slick with sweat, his tongue lolled out from the corner of his lips. His vision was getting blurry and it felt as if his muscles were on fire and yet he continued to run.

“If ye cannot keep up,” he heard Celestia snap, “Than return to the town and take solace with Prism.”

“Celestia,” Luna hissed from between clenched teeth. “Do not be so haste to dismiss Patience! We require all the help we can get!”

Celestia turned her head and Patience could see the stars reflecting off her ice-cold eyes. “Help is only as good as the pony who provides it.” She set her steely gaze towards the former Chancellor. “If thou art too weak for this journey than thine help is not welcome!”

Patience narrowed his eyes. “Brute force,” he wheezed, “Can only get thee so far, Celestia. Without utilizing one’s mind, ye may as well walk up to Discord and surrender thy freedom right now.”

Celestia dug her hooves into the earth, bringing herself to a sudden stop. She whirled around to face Patience. “Doest thou think me a fool?” her voice echoed throughout the valley. “I know what must be done!”

“Do you now?” Patience growled. “So far, Celestia, all you have shown me is that ye act before thinking. Without so much as a plan to where we are going, we left the safety of the Underground to pursue your reckless quest and while I did agree to come along, I had hoped that thou had some sort of idea to where we are supposed to go.” He snorted. “But alas, your attitude has proven me wrong. Ye have rumors and theories but no concrete evidence.” He took a bold step towards the white Alicorn. “Pray tell, Celestia, where is it that we are going in such haste?”

Celestia glared daggers down upon her elder. Both Luna and Patience alike could see the power radiating off of Celestia’s horn, just waiting to be used. He knew that he would be helpless against Celestia’s magic but at the moment he did not care.

“Sister,” Luna pleaded. “Please don’t.”

“Thou hast nothing to prove,” Patience whispered. “We do not doubt your dedication or your loyalty. There is nothing we want more than to see you through until the end but we cannot continue along this path unless ye are willing to work with us and not against us. We are not chains around your throat meaning to drag you down but your companions and friends. Do not resist our help, Celestia, and do not think that you must do this on your own.”

Patience saw that his words struck true for as he spoke them, Celestia’s stony gaze began to soften. Tears sprang forth from her eyes as she lowered her head in embarrassment and shame. “Thou speak the truth,” she whispered. “So obsess am I in finding the Shards that it has narrowed my vision to the grand scheme. As it is you say, I cannot abandon those willing to fight alongside me.” She bowed her head. “Forgive me, Patience, for my harsh words.”

“Only if you forgive me for my fatigue,” he said light-heartedly. She offered him a soft smile. “Let us move,” she said. “Though this time at a more manageable pace.” She turned around and continued along her way. Patience and Luna ran side-by-side, just out of earshot of the white sister.

“This is not like her,” Luna said.

“I understand,” Patience responded. “The stress must be getting to her. It only makes sense that she be so edgy.”

Luna shot him a look. “Not that. I am referring to how quickly she gave in. It is unlike her.”

Patience frowned. “Than I suggest we keep a close eye on your sister,” he suggested.

“Agreed.” Luna said.

Hadn’t a day gone by and already we were at each other’s throats. I tried to brush aside my reservations but I found that I could not. While Celestia’s desires were pure, I could not forget an old saying my teacher had once said…

‘The Road to Ruin can be paved with Good Intentions.’

All throughout the journey I tried to figure out what exactly had happened to make her so angry. I made several attempts to ask Luna but each time I was thwarted by Celestia’s ever-mindful gaze. To add to the struggle was the fact that Luna refused to leave her sister’s side. I figured the dark-maned Alicorn felt guilty for siding with me and wanted to prove to Celestia that she was still willing to fight alongside her elder sister.

It took us a week to arrive at our destination it was at this time when I finally realized Celestia’s true nature…

The trio had finally arrived to their destination; a small farming community called Palomino. From what they understood, the majority of the town was under the ownership of a single stallion that had made a fortune in his farming business. Even with Discord’s antics causing the corn crops to explode into a mountain of popcorn, this stallion was still able to turn a profit. He just sold the popcorn at a much heftier price than he did the regular corn, claiming that Discord’s involvement made the treat that much more unique than the regular stuff and, because he was the sole supplier of a majority of the town’s food, they were forced to purchase it at his price.

However all that changed a couple of years ago. For no reason at all, this stallion suddenly began to donate a large portion of his fortune to the town in order to assist in any destruction caused by the mischievous spirit. For every home Discord turned into a muffin, he had a new one built in its place. If some pony’s pet suddenly sprouted wings and flew away, he went out of his way to replace it. He even had hired a hoof-ful of unicorns from the big city to act as guards for the town. Whenever Discord showed his cruel face, they would sound an alarm, causing the air to be filled with a loud screeching sound so that the ponies could all escape to their cellars and basements.

It was Celestia’s theory that this stallion, one MoneyBags, had somehow come across one of the Shards of Anarchy. She believed that the Shard of Greed had transformed into a Shard of Generosity and as such, he was under its influence. Now all they had to do was ask him if her theory was correct.

When they entered the town, they were all amazed to see that every pony was in high spirits. Not a single one of them showed signs of being affected by Discord’s chaos. Even though the streets were covered in jelly beans (causing several ponies to fall flat on their faces), they seemed happy to go about their daily routine thanks to the assistance of several janitor ponies who were constantly sweeping up. There were several homes that had been turned into pastries; foals and young adult ponies using them as a place to both play and snack upon and finally there was a single section of the down that seemed to be devoid of sunshine for a large umbrella hovered overhead. The towns-ponies had converted that one section into a romantic getaway complete with a bed and breakfast-style establishment, candle-lit diners, and even ponies playing violins for any happy couples.

“Truly astonishing,” Patience whispered as they wandered through the streets, ever mindful to not slip upon any jellybeans. “They have somehow managed to live in peace with the havoc Discord has created.”

“Aye!” Luna said with a smile. “Tis truly a beautiful sight indeed. I nae can remember a time in which I saw so many smiling ponies.” She nudged Patience with her shoulder. “And look! Cutie Marks! When hast thou seen those last?”

“My gracious,” he responded. “What a sight!”

“Disgusting,” Celestia hissed. “How can they be so happy knowing that the rest of the world is suffering? Have they no sense of humility?”

“Sister,” Luna started but Celestia quieted her with a look.

“Let us find this MoneyBags and be on our way. I wish not to look upon this wretched town any longer.”

“Pray tell,” Patience whispered to Luna as Celestia stomped through the town. “How could she not rejoice at the sight? Has her heart truly grown so cold?”

Luna sighed. “Trust in me when I say that tis much more complicated than that.”

“Does it have something to do with why she detests Discord so?”

“Aye,” Luna whispered. “Ye see…”

“Luna!” Celestia snapped causing her sister to jump. “This mare has informed me of the location of MoneyBags’ homestead. Make haste and keep up with me.” Without another word, Celestia spread her magnificent wings and took to the air. Luna shot Patience an apologetic look before following suite. Patience watched in dismay before rushing over to the mare who had provided Celestia with directions.

“Forgive me, Madam, but where did ye send the sisters off?”

“Over that hill, about a mile away ye shall find a rather large plantation. That is where he be.”

“Thank thee very much!” Patience responded. He took off like a bolt of lightning, commanding his tired legs to propel him as quickly as possible to the destination. His lungs burned and his legs ached but he was able to make it just in time to see the sisters being greeted by an elderly mare with a silver mane and a powder blue coat.

“Glad you could join us,” Luna whispered with a playful smile.

“Can’t,” he wheezed. “Get…rid…of…me…that…easily…” he coughed.

“Buck up,” Luna giggled. She turned back to Celestia. “This won’t end well,” she whispered.

“He is not in?” Celestia growled.

“Nae, M’lady.” The servant bowed her head in shame. “Ye just missed him. M’lord stepped out to survey the city to see if there be anything else he could do to accommodate the citizens.”

Celestia stomped her hoof into the porch so hard that the wooden boards cracked. The servant pony cringed at the outburst. “Go fetch your master. We shall wait.”

“Sister, calm.” Luna said while approaching her side. “Please forgive my sister,” Luna said in a comforting tone. “For we are very tired and are in high hopes that your master could assist us in our mission. We are searching for a mystical relic, a Shard that supposedly bestows upon its owner an incredible sense of generosity and we be hoping that this relic not only exist, but has fallen into the hooves of your Master.”

The servant’s eyes grew wide. “Aye!” she exclaimed. “Tis true! The relic of which ye speak, we have it here within the mansion.”

Patience felt as if his heart had suddenly leapt into his throat. Celestia’s body grew tense with excitement while Luna wore an expression of utter shock upon her face. While they each had hoped for the Shard’s existence, they each held within their hearts a shred of doubt. “They exist,” Luna said while looking to her sister.

“They exist!” Celestia echoed. “You there, servant mare, show us this relic immediately.”

“If ye’d be so kind, that is.” Luna countered.

“But of course!” She took the trio into the spacious mansion. “I am sure thou hast heard of my master’s legacy; how he would do anything for a bit? Well a couple of years ago he began to show interest in collecting ancient relics, not for the preservation of our history but to be used as a status symbol amongst his friends.” She shook her head at the idea. “So he began to fund search parties to find as many relics as possible and during one of these expeditions, they uncovered this strange gem.” She led them into a vast room, rectangular in shape and brightly lit with oil lamps. Mounted upon the walls and sitting upon shelves were dozens upon dozens of artifacts. Vases, paintings, jeweled headpieces, rusted armor, weapons of war, and treaties of peace. In the center of the room, set upon a marble pedestal sat a white jewel with a soft purple sheen. It was a most peculiar shape, looking as it had once been part of a much large gemstone with how its edges were jagged and chipped.

“M’lord wouldn’t even bestow a ‘thank-you’ to those who fetched him these relics but all of that changed once he held this jewel in his hooves. I witnessed the entire event. He held the stone to the light and I be swearing when I say that I saw this spark, this twinkle suddenly appear within his eyes. I have never seen him look so content in his entire life. It was at this time when he began to pay his adventurers.” She smiled proudly. “After that he began to help the towns-ponies with their problems. He worked diligently throughout the night plotting new ways to counter anything Discord threw at us. He has become a hero to the ponies, a true knight in shining armor!”

Celestia approached the stone, her eyes narrowed into slits. “Art thou certain this jewel was the cause of his sudden change of heart?”

“Aye, M’lady for you see, in one of his most generous of moods, he actually sold the jewel to a travelling merchant for a rather miniscule price. The moment the merchant left the homestead, the spark in my Master’s eyes vanished and his sullen mood returned. He began demanding back payment for all the work he did for the town and his temper was most foul, he believing that the stone had bewitched him.” She frowned. “I had to give the traveler my life savings in order to return the jewel to my master.”

“So if we were to take the Shard,” Patience said with a whimper. “We shall be dooming the town. MoneyBags will cease his assistance.”

“Ye wish to take it?” the servant squeaked. “Nae! I cannae allow such a thing.” She forced herself between the pedestal and Celestia. “Times are at their roughest. Whilst the towns-ponies seem content they still live in fear for Discord grows impatient with my Master’s interference. We fear that Discord will retaliate in a manner most foul so my Master has begun setting up a mass exodus out of the city. He is the only one who can afford organizing such a feat! Ye mustn’t take the stone!”

“Celestia,” Luna said in a teeny voice. “We can’t.”

“This is the Shard of Generosity,” Luna hissed through clenched teeth. “By its very definition it should be shared with the world, not hoarded by a single, greedy stallion.”

“I won’t let thee take it!” the servant snarled.

Celestia stared deep into her eyes. “Ye have no choice.” A bright flash of light rose from Celestia’s horn and the servant was thrown across the room. She crashed through a set of stallion armor, the heavy metal raining down upon her.

“Sister!” Luna exclaimed. She ran over to the servant, using her own magic to pull the chunks of armor from her body. She didn’t seem too badly damaged, only a couple of bruises and a cut along the side of her face. Luna could see the fear within the servant’s eyes but also a fire of determination that would not be doused. “No, please,” Luna pleaded but the servant didn’t listen. She lunged at Celestia, a feral growl escaping her lips.

Celestia didn’t even bother to look at the mare. She used her magic to fling the servant up against the ceiling. Patience winced as he heard the air escaping the servant’s lungs as the wind was knocked out of her. She began gasping for air but Celestia wasn’t done. She brought the servant back down to the floor. “I understand your plight,” Celestia whispered. “But I will not be stopped by such foolishness. Ye wish to use this stone to help your village instead of using it to help all of pony-kind. How could any pony be so selfish?”

“I will…not let you…” the servant gasped.

“Ye have no choice.” Celestia flexed his muscles and the servant screamed out in pain as the invisible vice tightened around her fragile body. “Do you nae understand that what we do today is for the greater good? I sympathize with your village, I truly do, but I must think about the world. I cannae be bothered with such trifles.” She increased her magical grip. The sounds of bones groaning against the pressure echoed throughout the chamber.

“Celestia!” Luna shouted. She used her own magic to wretch the servant from Celestia’s grasp. She laid the unconscious mare upon the ground for Patience to attend. He placed his ear to her chest and felt relief when he heard that her heart was still beating strong. “She’s alive,” he sighed.

“Celestia,” Luna stepped in front of her sister. “What has come over thou to act in such a manner?”

“My dearest sister,” she responded with a sigh. “Please see me not as a monster. I did what was necessary to achieve our goal. Yes my methods were harsh but what I did was for us all.” She looked back to the servant with a frown. “For us to accomplish our goals we must shed sympathy for there will be more stories just as heart-wrenching as hers and if we were to bow to each one, we shall never attain the Shards and Discord will never be stopped. We must do everything necessary if we wish true freedom.” Celestia took the Shard off its pedestal and slipped it inside her saddle bag. Without so much another word, she left the room.

“But,” Luna whimpered. “What is freedom if the cost is our very soul?” She looked to Patience. “Doest thou still wish continue along this journey?”

Patience looked from Luna to the servant pony, back to Luna. “I must,” he responded with a frown. “I must see this to the end.”

“As must I.” She closed her eyes. “Let us pray that we do not lose ourselves along the way.”

Upon leaving the plantation, Celestia explained that once our journey was over, she would return to this village to use her magic to redeem herself. She would give the protection that MoneyBags would eventually refuse. However the promise itself would be as hollow as MoneyBags’ heart for we all knew that the town would not last the end of the month without any sort of protection.

How far would Celestia go to attain her dream? How many lives would we ruin along the way and was it truly worth the sacrifice? We were fighting for freedom, yes, but at what cost?

At what point do we become the very thing we fight against?

‘The Road to Ruin can be paved with Good Intentions…’

How those words would ring true…

So very true.

Twilight Sparkle closed the book. “She had no choice,” she whispered, trying desperately to justify the Princess’s actions. “History has proven that war is a terrible thing and that innocents sometimes suffer. She had no choice.” Twilight sat down upon the cool stone floor. She fought against tears as they threatened to trickle down the sides of her face. “It was a different time, a different era. How could I possible understand what the Princess was going through?”

She could almost hear the sound of the servant pony’s bones, could picture the terrors Discord would bestow upon the town now that it was without protection, and the lives of so many ponies ruined. She lost the battle against her tears and they poured from the corners of her eyes freely.

“She had no choice,” Twilight whispered. “She had no choice. She had no choice…”

The Throne

The following morning found Twilight Sparkle dreary-eyed and restless. The poor pony was unable to catch a wink of sleep last night as every time she tried, her mind kept wandering to Patience’s journal and the horrible images it had chiseled within her mind.

She found it so hard to believe that her mentor, the kindest and gentlest of all ponies in Equestria, could be capable of torturing a defenseless servant pony. Twilight had tried to justify Celestia’s actions by reminding herself that it had been a different time and Celestia had pure intentions but she could not forget what Patience had written.

The Road to Ruin can be paved with Good Intentions.

All throughout the day Twilight’s mind was focused on the journal. So much so that she hadn’t been able to accomplish a single task on her To-Do list. She was unable to concentrate on her studies, her attempts at learning new spells ended up in disaster (she needed to conjure a salacious snail and instead summoned a salamander’s tail), and any effort to start upon her next objective was met with thoughts of chaos and disharmony. Finally, after failing to read the same page in her magic book for the tenth time in a row, Twilight decided that enough was enough. If she had any hopes in getting things accomplished, she needed to find out what happened to Celestia, Discord, Luna, and Patience.
Her trip to the Archives went without a hitch. BloodMoon let her through the doors without so much a word, just nodding in greeting as she trotted down the steps. She maneuvered her way back to the hidden chamber before opening the journal to where she left off.

Hooves trembling and heart racing, Twilight began the second half of the journal…

What transpired beyond that dreadful encounter is something I wish to forget. The discovery of the Shards had ignited a flame within Celestia’s heart that threatened to consume her entire being. Not once have I seen a pony with such ambition, with such drive. Alas, I fear that her intentions are not as pure as she makes them seem.

As we left the mansion, I try to corner Celestia’s sister, Luna to find out for what reason Celestia is so driven but to my dismay, Celestia kept her sister close as if she knew what my intentions be.

To complicate matters further, Celestia made the suggestion that I return back from whence I came…

“What doest thou mean?” Patience exclaimed.

“We must move swiftly if this war is to end,” Celestia commented coolly. “No longer shall we be grounded. We shall take to the skies and hasten our journey to collect the remaining Shards. As such we can no longer tolerate your presence.”

“See here,” Patience started but Luna stepped in front of him. Her dark blue eyes gazed deep into his own as she spoke. “Kind Patience,” she whispered. “Please do this for us. We need thee to return to the town and assist Prism. While I wish thee could come along, my sister is right. We must move swiftly lest Discord discover our intentions. If he discovers even one of the Shards before we do, than I fear all is lost.”

“But M’lady,” Patience protested. “I am unsure if I will be able to make it on my own.”

“That is none of our concern,” Celestia barked. She shot a look towards Luna. “Enough of this. We take to the skies.” She gestured with her jaw towards the southern sky. “Sister, you shall take the south whereas I will continue towards the east. Ye shall contact me the moment you discover the Shards. Once we have collected all six, we shall return home and put an end to Discord once and for all.”

Luna nudged Patience’s cheek with her own. “Please take care,” she whispered. Celestia flexed her powerful legs before leaping high into the air, her wings spreading wide open to catch the evening wind. Luna took flight soon after and within moments the sisters were out of sight.

Leaving Patience to fend for himself.

I returned home as requested only to discover that things had taken a turn for the worse. Discord, as it would seem, had grown tired of ponies and hath decided to alter reality itself. The buildings were no longer attached to the ground, instead floating high within the air. The clouds were of candy pastries, the ground slick with butter. Everywhere I looked ponies were slipping and sliding across the ground as they struggled to go about their everyday lives.

In the center of town was a throne and sitting upon it was none other than Discord himself…

“Not quite,” Discord muttered while examining the town. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

Patience was in a nearby alley, crouched behind a bale of hay. He couldn’t believe his eyes at all the chaos Discord was causing. Several ponies were lined up in front of the spirit’s throne, their hooves glued to the ground. Their manes had been transformed into steel plates and upon those plates were several candy treats that Discord occasionally snacked upon. Patience could see the beads of sweat dripping down the poor ponies’ foreheads as they were forced to endure the weight of their steel manes bearing down on them. Their knees were trembling from exhaustion but they fought with every ounce of strength to keep their bellies off the ground.

“Perhaps a change of scenery is in order.” Discord said. He raised his claws high into the air causing the ponies before him to cower in fear. He clicked his thumb and index claws together causing a loud clack to echo throughout the town. The ground beneath Patience’s hooves began to tremble as the grass sunk back into the soil and the dirt transformed into slick, cool tile. The ground was now in a checker pattern, alternating between dark blue and light blue tiles. Patience struggled to keep from slipping on the butter-covered tile. To keep from falling, he lowered himself to his knees, having to tolerate his stomach getting soaked in the foul-smelling butter.

“What do you think?” Discord asked one of his prisoners.

“Go to he…” the stallion started but a metal plate suddenly materialized over the stallion’s mouth, shutting him up. Discord ran his claws over the stallion’s cheek lightly. “No, no, no.” Discord purred. “We cannot have any of that, can we? You must learn your place.” He clicked his claws together and the stallion’s mane went back to normal as did his hooves. Without waiting for an explaination, the stallion took off running. Discord leapt off his throne as a white uniform with white stripes appeared upon his body. Laughing manically, Discord formed a ball of yellow energy between his claws, twisted his hips and lunged forward, hurtling the ball towards the escaping pony.

“Nae!” The stallion shouted as he tried to dodge Discord’s magic. He dove in and out of alleyways, turned up one street and down the next but still he could not avoid the magic. The ball struck the stallion in the rump and he transformed into a large footstool with four pony legs and a tail. Discord grinned at the result and motioned the stool over. It ran over to Discord, tail wagging all the way, and lay down before Discord’s throne. Discord hopped back onto the throne, his uniform vanishing as he did so, and propped his feet up onto the living stool.

“Much better,” Discord said, grinning.

Patience had seen enough. As quietly as possible, he crawled away from the center of town towards the secret entrance to the Underground. He kept as quiet as possible as he moved through the tunnels until he came upon the vast chamber that housed Discord’s victims. The number of victims had doubled since Patience left and the transformations seemed to have worsened. Prism was tending to a mare whose lips had been melted shut. Prism was trying to come up with ways to help the mare eat some food but to no avail.

“M’lady Prism,” Patience whispered.

“Patience!” She exclaimed. She gave her patient a soft nuzzle on the cheek before approaching Patience. “Doest thou bring us good news?”

Patience sighed. “Aye, I do. It turns out that the Shards are indeed real. The sisters are seeking them out as we speak.”

“Huzzah! That is news most joyous!” She tilted her head. “But why does thou seem so upset?”

“Celestia, the elder sister; she seems to have become obsessed with Discord’s destruction. I fear that in order to attain the Shards, she may cause more damage than good.” Patience explained the situation with MoneyBags and how Celestia had injured the rich stallion’s servant. By the time he had finished his story, Prism had a look of absolute disgust on her face. “Let us hope that they encounter no further resistance.”

“Let us hope,” Patience agreed. “But enough of this. Tell me, what has been going on? It seems that our troubles have escalated.”

“Indeed they have. Discord has made an announcement that he has grown bored.”

Patience winced. “That cannot be good.”

“I am sure you have seen what he has done to our town. We are not the only one who has undergone such horrible changes. He is transforming the entire countryside into a realm of chaos. I fear that if he is not stopped soon, our world will no longer be what we remember.”

Patience sighed. “Is there nothing we can do to retard his plans?”

“Nae,” Prism frowned. “Those who have risen against them have suffered terrible consequences.” She glanced over her shoulder towards the mare without a mouth. “He has yet to cause any deaths, but his message is clear; ‘Any pony who rises against me, shall suffer a terrible fate’. All we can do is continue to assist those who fall victim to his antics.”

Patience lowered his head with a sigh. “So it is the sisters to whom we must rely upon.”

Prism nodded. “Let us pray they put an end to this madness soon lest there won’t be any world left to save…”

Days turned to weeks, weeks into months and still no news of the sisters came to pass. Discord continued to alter the world in his image; turning mountains into mole-hills, causing animals to undergo dreadful mutations (such as having two heads or long, scrawny legs), miniaturizing our crops, and causing lightning storms that centralized over specific ponies causing them to continue their lives in a constant downpour. Every one and a while he would leave our town, without a doubt to cause trouble somewhere else. He would be gone days at a time but never longer than a week.

Whenever he disappeared we would send two teams out into the town. One team would search for food and water while the other sought out any of Discord’s victims whom we could assist. It was during the fifth month under his reign that we discovered that Discord had dried up all the rivers, replacing the water with thick chocolate syrup that was all but inedible. To make matters worse, the fiend had transformed what little crops remained into metallic copies. We were at a loss. Without food or water, we’d last a few days, a week at most. I fear that the only option remaining was to abandon the town lest we succumb to starvation.

Ah, but glory reign down upon us for, just as we were about to leave, something amazing happened.

“I do not like this,” Patience whispered. “He has never been gone this long.”

“Could it be he has found some other town to torment?” Prism asked.

“I doubt it. We have been his favorite for quite some time. I do not think he would abandon us so easily.” He and Prism were hiding inside of a large purple and pink bush that had its leaves transformed into some kind of gelatin treat. They were staring out towards Discord’s vacant throne. His slaves were still glued to the ground, the living footstool sleeping at the base of the throne. The slaves were using this time to catch up on their rest, lying on their stomachs trying hard not to let their heavy steel manes twist their necks around.

“Well if there has ever been a time for us to escape, this is it.” Prism nosed Patience’s flank. “We need to get the others topside and begin the exodus.”

“Go ahead,” Patience responded. “I shall keep watch for his return.” He frowned. “I still care not for this silence. It is unbearable.”

“I shall hurry.” She nuzzled his cheek and ran back to their hidden headquarters. Patience spared a glance in her direction before returning his attention back to the throne. Something didn’t feel right. There was an odd tension in the air that he couldn’t quite explain. It was as if the very air itself was charged with a magical energy. It gave him an unsettling feeling deep within his gut.

“Something is not right,” he whispered to himself. “There is something going on and I nae like it.”

Prism returned a few minutes later with two other ponies at her side. “We have everypony waiting.” She looked out towards Discord’s slaves with a pained expression upon her face. “Alas there is nothing we can do for them.”

Patience shook his head. “Pray that they understand.” He said in a comforting voice. “Let us make haste!” Together the four ponies retreated from their hiding spot towards the edge of town. Patience spared one last glance towards the center of town as if to say goodbye. He was about to return to Prism’s side when something unusual caught his eye.

“Wait,” he raised his hoof into the air. “Lady Prism, doest thou see what I see?”

She looked towards the throne. “Nae.”

“The center of the throne.” He cautiously walked down the central road into down, keeping an eye out for any signs of the chaotic spirit.

“Patience!” Prism hissed. “We don’t have time…”

“Silence!” he barked back. He stepped between Discord’s slaves who opened their eyes upon feeling his presence. He stepped around the living footstool in order to get a better look of the throne.

There, straight down the back of the throne, was a long, jagged crack.

“What the…”

The crack suddenly doubled in size, splitting the back of the throne in half. Patience jumped backwards in surprise then let out a loud yelp as the ground beneath him began to shake. He fell onto his side, eyes wide as the tiles shattered into a thousand little pieces exposing bright green grass beneath. The floating houses fell back to earth, settling back into their original spaces while the mountains returned to their original state. The clouds overhead returned to normal, the sky reverting from its pink coloration to its natural blue. Discord’s slaves found themselves free from his curse, freeing their hooves from the ground while turning their manes back to hair. Even the living footstool transformed back into the stallion that had dared speak back at Discord and despite looking rather haggard, he seemed to be alright.

“What is going on?” Patience shouted.

“His spells,” Prism exclaimed. “They are failing!”

Patience met Prism’s eyes. “Then that must mean,”

“The sisters were successful!” Prism screamed. She tackled Patience and wrapped him up in a tight hug. “Discord has been defeated at last!”

And so with great happiness without our hearts, we celebrated the fall of Discord. Days after our land had returned to normal, the sisters returned to our town dragging with them a statue of Discord. We ran to embrace the sisters but we could see within their eyes that the war against Discord had taken their toll. Luna, who had been so beautiful and cheerful, looked haunted with anger and despair. Celestia herself, as impossible as it would seem, contained within her a rage that I had never thought possible. She did not return our cheers nor did she bother explaining just how Discord fell. In fact, the sisters said few words to us after returning. We believed it be due to stress and fatigue so we let them be.

Word of the sisters’ triumph spread through the land like wildfire. Within days, our tiny town was invaded with all kinds of ponies, each one wishing to share their gratitude to the sisters. They bestowed upon the sisters dozens of precious gifts from every corner of the land, riches beyond imagine. It did not take long for rumors of the sisters’ power to begin a spreading. Ponies, rightfully so, wanted to know how two Alicorns could defeat a creature who could alter the very fabric of reality itself. They refused to answer their questions but that didn’t keep ponies from claiming that the sisters were, in fact, goddesses sent down to protect us. Within weeks, ponies began proclaiming the sisters Princesses, a fact that astounded me. I had served beneath royalty before, serving as Chancellor to those who had yet lost their kingdoms to Discord, but never have I seen the people actually appoint peasants to the throne. Aye, the sisters were indeed special, but they were not of royal blood.

Though as I write this, I must admit that I contain doubts for who hath heard of Alicorns that were not of royal blood? Their lineage remained a mystery but that did not seem to bother the citizens for, three months after Discord’s defeat, they officially pronounced the sisters as Princesses over the land. To my surprise, it was Celestia who asked me to retain my position as Chancellor and advisor, a task that I was happy to accept. We worked hard to rebuild the lives Discord had ruined, but soon we would learn that the nightmare wasn’t over.

In fact, it had just begun…

The Princess

Discord may have been gone but that did not mean our troubles were over. The citizens had appointed the sisters Luna and Celestia as rulers over the land, protectors against any and all who dared bring back the darkness. If only we knew the truth…

“M’Ladies,” Patience bent his front knees to bow before the Princesses. “Shall I present onto thee the monthly report?”

It had been six months since Discord’s defeat and already things were looking on the up and up. The town, which had seen a huge increase in population, was now a bustling city. It had been renamed Canterlot in honor of the sisters and as of this very moment, dozens of ponies were working their hardest to provide onto the sisters a castle worthy of their greatness.

As for the sisters themselves, they have not fully recovered from their battle with Discord. The color of Luna’s coat had grown several shades darker making her look more black than midnight blue. Her eyes looked haunted, almost distant as if she was constantly lost in thought and whenever she spoke, there was a coolness to her voice that hadn’t existed before.

Celestia on the other hoof looked the same but her tone practically quivered with rage. She was able to contain this anger when in the presence of civilians but when she was alone with Luna and Patience, her wrath was quite apparent. She would snap at the littlest of inconveniences causing those nearby to cower in surprise.

The greatest change came in the fact that the sisters now bore necklaces around their throats. Patience knew from experience that the jewels contained within these necklaces were none other than the mystical Shards that had given the sisters the power to defeat Discord. Upon Celestia’s neck were the Shards of Loyalty, Generosity, and Magic. Luna’s necklace held the Shards of Kindness, Laughter, and Honesty. The Shards were supposed to affect the personalities of those who bore them but at the moment, they seemed to be malfunctioning for the sisters seemed more miserable than they did joyous.

“Proceed,” Celestia said. She was standing before a tall window that overlooked the construction of her castle. Luna on the other hoof was lying upon a plush couch, her chin resting upon her front legs.

“The repairs to Canterlot are coming along nicely. Though the work is difficult, there are no complaints to be had. The ponies are more than willing to bring forth a city of such extravagance in celebration for thine work.” He tried to share a smile with the sisters, a gesture they did not return. He swallowed. “News from other towns has begun pouring in. Many of which have already returned to normal allowing their citizens to continue on with their usual routines. Any evidence of Discord’s presence has all but vanished.”

Celestia began to grind her teeth together. “Not all of it.”

Patience perked his ears forwards. “Pardon?”

She turned away from the window. “Never you mind,” she growled. “What of these troublemakers that I have been hearing rumors about? Those who dare deny our rightful place upon the throne?”

Patience winced. The troublemakers to whom Celestia referred were none other than a group of ponies who had dedicated themselves to Discord. As crazy as it may seem, there were some ponies who had actually found enjoyment through Discord’s chaos. These ponies had convinced themselves that the sisters had actually orchestrated Discord’s downfall just so that they could put themselves in power. These ponies weren’t very troublesome; they would just spend their time painting images of Discord upon walls or causing their own version of chaos – which basically resulted in pie-fights or the throwing of eggs against doors. They were an annoyance, but nothing to be concerned about.

“Three of the Discordants have been detained by the royal guard but I…”

“Any ye did not tell me this, why?” Celestia whirled around on Patience to stare into his eyes. The Shards upon her necklace glowed as her temper flared.

“I-I did not think it worthy of your attention.” He responded. “The only crime these ponies committed was that of singing of Discord’s antics.”

“That name,” she hissed. “Shan’t be spoken in my presence ever again.” Her nostrils flared as a growl rose deep within her throat. “Doest thou understand?”

He swallowed. “I do.” He ran his tongue over his lips. “B-But as I was saying, I did not find it necessary to inform thee, Princess for it was such a trifle.”

“What shall their punishment be?” she demanded.

“Considering that all they did was sing in the courtyard, maybe a slap on the hooves and curfew enforcement?”

“Banishment!” She shouted eyes ablaze with a barely contained fury. “Thou shall banish the fools to the furthest reaches of the land!” She smashed her hoof against the tile floor causing it to crack on impact. “I shall see to their punishment personally and ye shall make a note that any of His followers captured shall be sent to me immediately. Doest thou understand me?”

Patience felt like a mouse staring up into the eyes of a snake. “A-Aye M’lady.”

“Where are they being held?”

“In the main chambers.” He pointed a hoof towards the double doors leading out of the room.

“I shall take care of them personally.” She stormed out of the room, her multi-colored mane wafting behind her. Once the doors slammed shut, Patience turned to Princess Luna. “M’lady,” he stammered while approaching her. “Doest thou not find this punishment a bit extreme?”

Luna raised her eyes to meet his. “They shall be lucky to escape with their lives,” she whispered in a monotone voice.

“Whatever do you mean?”

She sighed. “Doest thou know why my sister has taken this war so personally?”

“Nae. I wished to ask but never had the chance.”

“Before we came to this town, we lived further north in such a small village that Discord didn’t deem us worthy of his attention. Life was harsh, yes, but it was still life worth living. It was there were my sister met a stallion and soon they fell in love.”

She lowered her eyes. “Whilst it was difficult for me to see my sister share her attention with another, I was happy she had finally found someone worthy of her love. They were talking of marriage when Discord discovered us. Since we were such a small town, he grew bored rather quickly but before he left, he put upon my sister’s lover a spell that replaced his memories with that of a farm animal. Sister was so devastated and stricken with grief that she vowed to put an end to Discord’s tyranny in order to return her love to his former state.”

Patience’s eyes widened. “So that is why she acted the way she did…”

Princess Luna nodded. “Aye, but her love doesn’t justify just how cruel she had become. Her grief had transformed into anger as she lay witness to Discord’s acts upon the land and the more she saw, the angrier she became. We thought that by defeating Discord, his spell over her lover would break and in that sense, we were right. The moment Discord fell, his magic reversed, freeing every pony from his madness.” She closed her eyes. “We succeeded in freeing her lover from Discord’s curse but the damage had been too great. While his personality was still the same, his memories had been lost. He has no recollection of Celestia or their time together. It is this reason my sister remains so upset for she lost the only stallion she had ever loved to Discord’s chaos.”

Patience felt his heart sank. “I can understand that,” he admitted quietly. “I would feel just as upset if I were to lose the mare I loved to Discord.” He paused for a breath before whispering in a cautious voice, “But even thou have to admit that her anger is out of control.”

Luna shrugged her shoulders. “I will not deny it but I will not stop it. Anything I say will only compound her fury.” She looked towards the very window Celestia had been gazing out of. “Tell me Patience, what do the citizens say of me?”

Patience blinked, taken by surprise by this sudden question. It took him few seconds to gather his thoughts. “They speak highly of Your Majesties.” He said.

She shook her head. “Not of us, but of me, myself.” She looked into his eyes. “What do they say of me?”

Patience frowned. “That is something I cannae answer, Princess for whenever I hear them speak, they refer to both of ye, rarely one over the other.”

Luna nodded. “I see.” She placed her chin back down upon her hooves. “Ye may leave now, Patience. Take the rest of the afternoon off.”

Patience frowned again. “As ye wish, M’lady.”

I hadn’t known it then, but I do now that Luna’s question came not out of curiosity but from loneliness. She had not had a stallion of her own to miss or love and I would discover later on that she was jealous of her sister. She felt herself within her sister’s shadow, never to be loved as an individual but as part of a pair. It would be this jealousy that would bring forth Luna’s downfall but alas, that is of a different tale.

Celestia became increasingly unstable as time went on. Her hatred towards Discord had twisted her perspective on life. She soon deemed any unscheduled celebration, any sign of randomness or chaos, to be in celebration of Discord. This anger soon turned to paranoia as she enforced a very strict curfew on Canterlot. The streets would soon be patrolled by Celestia’s personal guards and they would arrest any pony who failed to live up to her strict rulings. I witnessed with my own eyes the banishment of several families to the frozen tundra of the north. Ponies who had once cheered Celestia’s name now were afraid to speak of her lest the catch her attention. She would have peace and control no matter what the cost…

It was during this time when I realized that one could not live without the other. As chaos needs control, control needs chaos. By forbidding one, you would be denying the other which will only cause turmoil. If only Celestia could realize that…

“I do not know which is worse,” Prism whispered as she and Patience walked through the castle’s empty corridors. “Her temper or His chaos.”

“I wouldn’t speak like that if I were you,” Patience whispered while looking over his shoulders. “Her guards are everywhere.” He bit his lower lip. “Did you hear about the foals that had been caught playing in the woods? Apparently they had been playing as the Princesses and one was playing as Him when the guards fell upon them. Celestia ordered that, for the rest of their lives, they be banned from leaving their homes. She even had guards stationed outside their houses. If they so much step a hoof out the door their parents will be thrown in prison.”

“I cannot believe it has come to this,” Prism frowned. “At least with Him, we knew where we stood. We could etch out an existence if we knew where to hide. With her, there is nowhere we can go. Her eyes are everywhere.”

“Some ponies requested her permission to leave Canterlot. She felt that they were deserters and demanded that their property be seized. They are now living in the streets.” Patience growled in disgust. “And Luna, she is becoming more of a shut in with each passing day. It is as if she no longer cares what happens.”

“Something happened when they went against Him,” Prism suggested. “We know what happened to Celestia, but with Luna, that remains a mystery.”

“Whatever happened, it was enough to suck the joy out of her. It worries me.”

“As it does me,” Prism agreed. They turned down another corridor and paused. Two royal guards were approaching from up ahead. “Your presence is requested upstairs,” one of them said towards Patience.

“Ah?” he blinked. “Aye, of course.” He shot a look towards Prism. “If you’d excuse me, M’lady.”

She nodded. “I understand.” She stepped between the guards, moving just quickly enough not to draw attention to herself but fast enough to remove herself from their presence as soon as possible. Patience followed the guards to the royal chambers. “For what reason am I being summoned this late in the evening?”

“The Princess wishes for all of Canterlot to lay witness to her greatness.”

Patience frowned at this. “Oh?” he asked but they did not elaborate. The escorted him to the royal chambers where Celestia and Luna stood before the grand double-doors that led out to the balcony. Patience could hear the rustling sound of thousands of ponies that had been pulled out of their houses by the royal guards to assemble before the castle. Princess Luna and Princess Celestia stood upon the balcony, Celestia standing a few feet in front of the younger sister. Luna had a dark expression upon her face as she stared at Celestia.

“Citizens of Canterlot!” Celestia exclaimed so loud that her voice echoed across the land. “We have heard your concerns and we have brought it upon ourselves to heed your voices! We understand that life hath not been as easy as ye have wished it to be but We have not become your rulers just so thou can live in the lap of luxury! Glory must be earned and We shan’t no longer tolerate the whisperings that hath gone on!” Her dark eyes gazed down upon the crowd who were not bustling with nervous energy. “Whisperings of doubt have spread and We know that there are those who doubt Our right as Princesses so I say onto you, look with thine own eyes and bare witness to Our Devine Power!”

Celestia closed her eyes in concentration while pointing her horn towards the horizon. Her lips curled back to expose her teeth as she began to focus all of her magical energy into her horn. The ground beneath Patience’s hooves began to tremble as the air around him became charged with a magical energy. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise up as a beam of pure energy erupted from Celestia’s horn into the night sky. A sound of aw erupted from the crowd as the sun suddenly broke over the horizon bathing the world in its orange glow. The ponies below began to panic as the sun rose a full three hours before it was supposed too, guided strictly by Celestia’s magic. Their eyes went from the sun back to their Princess and Patience could see, even from up so high, the look of admiration and awe crossed the faces of the ponies below but beneath that admiration there came a third expression…

That of fear…

Celestia eased off her spell, allowing the sun to continue its rise on its own accord. Her face moist with sweat, she glared down at her citizens for a breath before raising her white wings high into the air. There, upon her once blank flank, was the mark of the sun, showing all those below that it was he special talent to control the sun.

“All Hail Celestia!” the crowd shouted. “All Hail Celestia!”

Celestia smirked. “No longer,” she muttered under her breath. “Will they forget their place lest they do so without the warmth of the sun.” She stepped between her sister and Chancellor with a cold, arrogant expression upon her face. Luna’s dark eyes followed her sister and there was nothing but contempt within those dark blue orbs.

“We shall see about that,” she hissed.

How I wish that I could say that life became easier after this show of power, but alas I cannot. It is with great regret that I share onto thee, my reader; the truth of Princess Celestia for it was shortly after that ceremony that I bear witness to the extent of her cruelty. It became apparent onto me that my dearest friend Prism had vanished. I asked both Princesses to Prism’s whereabouts only to be told that they did not know of what I was speaking. I took it upon myself to explore the castle grounds and in doing so; I discovered a chamber hidden away.

There, deep within the bowels of the castle there be a prison that were reserved strictly for the most heinous of criminals though they were erected to inspire fear for there has not been a pony in existence deemed so horrific. There had not been a day that I gave the dungeon a second thought but with the disappearance of Prism, I could nae ignore them any longer. It was upon discovering these chambers that I realized just how far Celestia had fallen for within those very rooms were the remains of those ponies whom she had banished. Full families, from foals to the elderly, had been imprisoned within these walls, left to starve, left to die.

It was at this moment I realized that we did not defeat the monster, only substituted one in its place.

I tell this onto thee, reader, so that ye may understand the true cruelty of our Princess for I fear that by the time of my passing, she shall remain in control. The ponies must know the truth lest a time of darkness fall upon the land…

Celestia must be stopped…

She must be…

The pages of the journal erupted into flame causing Twilight to scream out in surprise. She spun around and felt her heart leap into her throat at the sight before her. There, standing only a few feet away, was Princess Celestia herself. Her face was but a mask of seriousness as she used her magic to destroy Patience’s journal. Twilight stumbled away from the book until her back was against the wall. “P-P-Princess Celestia!” she exclaimed.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia’s voice was soft.

“I-I-I, that is to say, I…”

Celestia squinted towards the journal. Her horn took on an unearthly glow as the journal was blown into tiny flaming bits. Twlight Sparkle squealed in surprised, diving low to the ground to cover her head with her front hooves.

“How much do you know,” Celestia asked her voice still soft.

Twilight felt tears well up within her eyes. She did not know how to answer this so she kept her mouth shut.

“That is what I was afraid of.” Celestia sighed. “I have heard from my guards that you have been spending a lot of time down here so I came to investigate. I was curious to see which of these old books you would find so fascinating that you would devote so much of your time in reading them only to find you reading that.” She lowered her head, her mane covering both of her eyes. “I did not need to read that book to know what it contained. I’ve seen Patience writing in it before he left Canterlot and I have always assumed that it was about me though I had my doubts. Seeing your reaction, however, confirms my suspicions.”

“So it’s true?” Twilight squeaked. “You really did all of those terrible things?”

“I did,” Celestia’s voice grew softer. “But you must understand that I was a different pony back then. I did not mean to cause so much pain but I had been so blinded by my anger that I could not see just how much damage I was causing.” A tear trickled down the side of her cheek as she continued talking. “It wasn’t until I lost my sister, Luna, to the terrors of NightMare Moon that I realized just how far I’ve fallen. I lost everything because of my inability to let go of my anger. I lost those closest to me, Patience, Prism, even Luna. For the next hundred years I had to live with my mistakes, seeing the distrust in my subjects' eyes, knowing that I have done horrible things. It wasn't until later, when a new generation of ponies were born, that I could start anew. I vowed to never become that pony every again and I swore to bring peace and tranquility to all those I serve.” She looked through her mane to peer into Twilight’s eyes. “There is not an evening that goes by that I don’t regret the things I did, and I can never truly ask for forgiveness, but all I can say is that was a long time ago.”

“P-Princess…” Twilight whimpered. She still could not bring herself to relax in front of Celestia’s presence. In a matter of hours everything she knew about her mentor and friend had been ripped asunder, replacing her love and devotion with fear and caution. She felt as if she did not know Celestia, let alone trust her.

“Twilight,” Celestia shook her mane from her eyes. They were wet with tears. “I know this is something that you cannot forgot let alone forgive, but I promise you, no, I promise every pony in all of Equestria, that I have changed.”

Twlight felt a tiny stab of hope strike her heart. “I…believe you…” she managed to whisper.

“Even as it may,” Celestia wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hoof. “I cannot allow you to leave this chamber with the knowledge that you have uncovered. That book was the last remnants of my former life and I intend to keep it that way.”

“Princess?” Twilight exclaimed.

Celestia’s horn began to glow. “I promise you,” she sighed. “This won’t take long…”

Before Twilight could cry out, a bright white light enveloped her entire body, sending her into a deep, dark abyss.

The Report

Twilight awoke to musky scent of old paper and binding glue. Jerking awake, she discovered that she had fallen asleep in the royal library. She looked all around her for any signs of the ponies who ran the library only to realize that it was late in the evening!

“In Celestia’s name!” Twilight yelped. “I must have fallen asleep!” She grabbed the books he had apparently been reading (although she could have sworn to have read it once before), stuffed it into her saddle bag and made her way out of the library as quickly as her hooves could carry her. She was about to leave the castle grounds when a familiar figure stepped out from around the corner. “Twlight Sparkle!” Princess Celestia exclaimed happily. “What are you doing here so late?”

Twilight flushed. “I am so sorry, Princess! I must have fallen asleep in the library again.” She offered the Princess a corny smile. “I guess I just have been too busy studying that I have been neglecting my sleep.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Oh Twilight Sparkle. How many times must I remind you to get enough sleep? You’ll be no use to us if you cannot keep your eyes open.” She chuckled and nudged Twlight’s flank. “Go on home. Get your rest.”

Twilight smiled. “Yes Ma’am!” she ran on home. Celestia watched as Twilight left the castle grounds. It wasn’t until the younger pony vanished from sight that Celestia allowed herself to relax. The memory spell seemed to have worked just fine; Twilight would have no memory of the books. Celestia wasn’t proud of herself for casting such a spell on her prized pupil but she knew that she had no other choice…

No other choice…

“Hm,” Twilight Sparkle dumped her saddle bag upon her table. The sound of books striking the wooden surface was enough to wake her baby dragon companion, Spike.

“Huh?” he whined. “What’s going on?”

“I’m so sorry, Spike!” Twilight exclaimed. “I fell asleep in the library again.”

“Hm. What else is new?” he grumbled while rolling over in his basket. He yanked his blanket over his body. “What were you doing there so late anyways?”

“I must have been working on a report for the Princess,” Twilight tapped her hoof against her jaw in thought. She nosed through the pile of books from her bag until she came across the one she had fallen asleep against. It was titled The Mare in the Moon. “Huh,” she bit her lower lip. “I thought I read this one before. I wonder why the Princess would want me to read this again.” Her eyes grew wide. “Oh my Celestia! What if she wanted me to summarize the story? What if she wanted me to write a report about it?” her eyes grew even wider. “What if it is due tomorrow?” She grabbed a hold of Spike’s basket. “Spike, wake up! We need to write a report about this book before the sun rises!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because if I don’t, I’ll be tardy!” She whined. “I have never been tardy before in my entire life, and do you know what happens to ponies who don’t fulfill their duties to Celestia on time?”

He covered his head with his pillow.

“She banishes them to the deepest darkest dungeons!” She screamed.

Spike sat up in his basket to glare at Twilight. “What?”

“She is going to keep me locked up until I finish the report! She will have her guards watch me all day and all night until I finish the report, in triplicate! I cannot work while other ponies watch me! Whatever will I do?”

Spike gave her a dubious look. “And what makes you think the Princess will ever do something as crazy as that?”

Twilight blinked then tapped her hoof against her jaw. “I actually have no idea, Spike, but trust me,” she tapped her hoof against his nose. “If I am tardy, the Princess will do punish me!” she used her magic to fetch a quill from her desk. “So let’s get this report started!” she exclaimed while opening her book.