Golden Dawn: Dusk of an Empire

"Wait!" Twilight pleaded, holding up her hooves. "Don't attack! Everything's fine, now!" The guards looked up to Rael'ia, who pondered the request for a moment before deciding to trust Twilight. She nodded, and the guards lowered their weapons.

"What happened? Where'd you go?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You used your Hearth Brooch to return to Equestria," Rael'ia mused. "Did you mean to take the Ruling Triumvirate with you?"

"Yes, I did," Twilight replied. "At the time, given what Autumn had said to me, I realized that no amount of fighting would end their hostility. So, I made a few quick calculations, and I took them all with me to visit Princess Celestia."

"Oh yea! These things can do that," Rainbow tapped her brooch. "Forgot all about it since it's stuck to us all the time."

"Those three were fixin' to fight ya 'till the bitter end, though! Just 'cause you're an Alicorn!" said Applejack. "Ah can't imagine they were thrilled to meet the Princess."

"No, not at first..." Twilight replied, a hoof raised to her chin as she gazed off into the distance.

~

The feeling of being yanked through time and space was disorientating, to say the least. Twilight felt herself land on a cold, hard floor, but the colors she saw and faintly familiar scents gave her no cause for concern. Autumn Jasper, Midnight Sun and Silverwing landed in a perfect triangle around her, struggling to stand back up. Upon realizing they were now someplace that didn't resemble Rael'ia's throne room in the slightest, they backed into each other defensively, or they would have if Twilight wasn't in the center. Squished momentarily by three enemy backsides, she quickly pulled herself free and flittered above them.

"Where are we?!" Silverwing yelled in terror.

"What magic was that?!" Midnight Sun demanded angrily.

"Who are you three?" Twilight spun around to see Princess Celestia sitting on her throne, dropping a scroll on the ground in surprise. The two Royal Guards at her sides looked equally stunned but quickly recovered, one using his glowing horn to summon more guards. "Twilight! So good to see you again! Oh, are you alright? You look like you've just been in a terrible fight!"

"Celestia!" Twilight floated over to her former mentor's side. She embraced her head and neck with a great sense of relief - besides the matters at hand, she had missed her terribly. While Celestia put a reassuring hoof around Twilight's back, she eyed the three strange ponies she had brought with her. The Pegasus and Unicorn were both awestruck at the sight of her, but the Earth pony trembled, although not out of fear.

"Alicorn... two Alicorns..." Autumn Jasper frothed with rage. "So, is this the one who created you, abomination?"

"...Excuse me?" Celestia's curious expression darkened somewhat. As if he expected a positive answer, Autumn Jasper quickly tore Silverwing's spear from her grasp and charged.

"Autumn, stop!" Midnight Sun quickly cast a tendril of magic in an attempt to restrain him, but to no avail. He leapt to the side to avoid it, somehow dashing even faster down the scarlet carpet leading to the throne, hellbent on reaching his targets.

"I will end you both, filthy creatures!" Twilight shivered, this Pony-kin had gone seemingly insane. Not only was he already trying to kill her, but now he was going to try to kill Princess Celestia herself! The two Royal Guards moved to defend their sovereigns, but the gentle noise of Celestia clearing her throat caused them to remain still. Autumn Jasper leapt with all his might, the spear pointed directly between the white Alicorn's eyes. But just before the spear could pierce her skin, Celestia blinked. Twilight noticed a barely discernible flash of warm, golden magic radiate from her former mentor that blasted the raging Pony-kin back across the floor. Alarmed, Silverwing and Midnight Sun stepped back to avoid being knocked over as Autumn Jasper came to a crumpled halt a few feet past them. He groggily stood back up just as more of Celestia's guard came galloping through the doorways around her throne room, surrounding the three with spears and magic.

"I see why you have returned," Celestia deadpanned.

"These three are the Pony-kin Ruling Triumvirate of Fae, Ladies Silverwing and Midnight Sun and Lord Autumn Jasper" explained Twilight. "Long story short, they and the ponies there think the Elements of Harmony were destroyed centuries ago by Starswirl, and also Alicorns are horrible creatures and want us dead."

"Ah."

"During our fight, I realized that if I won," Twilight followed by grumbling that she totally would've won, "...the Pony-kin would never see me as anything other than a monster. So... I thought if I brought them here and showed them Equestria and they actually met you, maybe they would change their minds and we could come to an agreement. Plus that portal to Fae should still be open, I figured it shouldn't be too hard to recalibrate it to reappear in Rael'ia's throne room when it's time to go back."

"I see," Celestia nodded, showing a small smile. "A wise plan, my former student." Following this, she arose from her throne and calmly approached the Triumvirate, her wings gracefully extended and her mane billowing like an aurora. She gently motioned to her guards to clear a path so she could address the three personally. "It is a great honor to meet the Pony-kin Ruling Triumvirate! After all I have heard about Fae from Princess Twilight and Princess Rael'ia, it brings me great joy to know our interdimensional ancestors still live. I am Princess Celestia, and I would like to personally welcome you to Equestria." While Autumn Jasper growled and seethed, keeping his head lowered, Midnight Sun offered a curt bow, while Silverwing bowed deeply and gracefully.

"An honor to meet you as well, Princess!" Silverwing cheerfully greeted.

"Well met," was all Midnight Sun had to say. "Greet her, you buffoon, we are clearly outmatched here," she muttered under her breath at Autumn, who begrudgingly nodded his head.

"You needn't worry for your safety, I am a kind and benevolent ruler," Celestia continued while staring down Midnight and Autumn. "You may want to refrain from such manners around my sister, however."

"There's... three of them..." Autumn snarled, almost inaudible through his teeth.

"Five, actually. Myself, my sister, Princess Twilight, Princess Cadance and Princess Flurry Heart," Celestia replied matter-of-factly. Autumn was now nearly beside himself with twitching fury. He suddenly pounced towards Celestia while screaming, but within a blink of his eyes he found himself floating inside a bubble of golden magic. He attacked its walls with the ferocity of a rabid animal, but the magic was truly impenetrable. After about five minutes straight of his tantrum, to the amusement and embarrassment of those around him, he finally conceded, electing to cross his forelegs over his chest in a pout.

"Finished?" Celestia asked to no response. "Well then, allow me to lead you on a grand tour of Equestria and its wonders, dear guests. Of course, we shall begin with your living quarters during your stay here."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I think Autumn Jasper might be certifiably psychotic," Twilight cautioned in a hushed voice as she walked beside Celestia.

"Sister and I can handle them. They're all just in need of a little Harmony," Celestia smiled warmly.

Over the next two and a half months, Twilight, Celestia and the Triumvirate traveled to every major city in Equestria, where they saw how the ponies had grown and evolved to adapt to their new universe. They met with representatives from the Griffon kingdom, Yakyakistan, the Dragon Lands, Seaquestria, Saddle Arabia and many other kingdoms and realms, all attesting to the peaceful and benevolent nature of the Sun Princess and her ponies. They met with Princess Cadance, Prince-Consort Shining Armor and their young daughter Princess Flurry Heart in the Crystal Kingdom, and for a time Princess Luna accompanied and spoke with them (although she kept her time as Nightmare Moon a justifiable secret). They even traveled to the cave where the Tree of Harmony safeguarded its Elements, whereupon the Triumvirate rejoiced that their precious holy relics still, and had always existed.

As time passed, old hatreds and misconceptions faded away. Silverwing explained that she had never harbored any ill will towards Twilight or her friends. Her appointment as Ruler of Pegasi had come as a complete surprise to her; though the late Lord Skyline praised her levelheadedness and tact in diffusing hostile situations, those were the only reasons she could think of for being chosen. She had been kept largely in the dark about the exact details of the meeting with Princess Rael'ia, assuming they would ask for assistance rather than ponynapping Twilight and her friends, only putting two and two together when they were fighting their way past the guards. Autumn Jasper, on the other hand, had been raised since birth to believe that Starswirl's final experiment had been to sacrifice the entirety of Ponyopolis, along with the Elements of Harmony, to finally create the first Alicorn... an experiment that seemed to fail catastrophically. A lifetime of indoctrination was ultimately the cause of his fervent vexation and eventual short-lived crusade. Despite, or because of this revelation that his childhood stories were untrue, it took him the longest of the three to come to terms with the fact that Twilight, Celestia and the other Alicorns were not the soulless monsters he had believed, and that their existence and rule had benefited all of Ponykind given their circumstances. Lastly, Midnight Sun admitted feelings of suspicion and unease upon first hearing Autumn's plot to save their citizens from captivity, but ultimately agreed due to having relatives among those held prisoner. She agreed that such a horrible deed was a poor trade for the lives of her Pony-kin and asked for forgiveness, which Twilight happily gave.

Towards the end of their stay, Twilight made known Rael'ia's plot to return the Elements of Harmony to Fae, which pleased the Triumvirate greatly. With the condition that their citizens unable to fight were offered safe refuge in Equestria, they pledged their aid to the Greater Magikin Alliance. Princess Celestia agreed to offer shelter, and set her brightest mages and wizards upon the great task of creating an interdimensional portal capable of mass transport. Midnight Sun offered her and her mages' help on their side, expressing interest in future emigration and trade opportunities.

~

"...And so, now that we're all back, the Ruling Triumvirate wishes to propose an alliance with your people, Rael'ia," Twilight finished.

"Yes... I am ashamed to say we may have gotten a bit carried away," Midnight Sun glanced at Autumn Jasper briefly, who looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"Understatement of the year," Rainbow mumbled under her breath. Applejack nudged her quiet.

"But after hearing about your plans," Silverwing piped up, "we have found that your goals would greatly benefit the Pony-kin if successful. It's only right that we do our best to help you achieve them."

"Yes... well..." Rael'ia paused, considering the paths laid before her. She looked to Twilight, who broke into a wide, hopeful grin, then back to the Triumvirate. "If Twilight has faith in you, then so shall I."

"Just don't forget about what happened earlier," Aternus sternly added. "We sure won't. Betray us, and you will find yourselves in much worse shape than merely kicked out of our alliance."

Rael'ia glanced over to Aternus. "Was that supposed to be threatening? That was lame."

"You know what I mean," he pouted.

"The Pony-kin always stand by their word," Autumn Jasper took a few steps forward before bowing before Rael'ia. "And the Pony-kin will stand with you, Princess." Midnight Sun and Silverwing bowed in turn. "The Pony-kin Ruling Triumvirate hereby pledge their allegiance to House Golden Dawn and the Greater Magikin Alliance."

"Hear, hear!" the guardsponies chanted in agreement. Nodding their heads was the best they could do within their ice block prison. Reminded of this fact, Aternus waved his hand, the ice melting into a splashing torrent of water in an instant.

"An honor to welcome you," Rael'ia bowed in return. "Now, Twilight, you mentioned that the Pony-kin unable to fight were to be evacuated to Equestria if they wished?"

The lavender Alicorn nodded. "Princess Celestia is awaiting your approval and a suitable site to focus a mass-transport portal on."

"Ah, yes, it will have to be big. Archmage, would you have a site in mind?"

"I can think of a few places," Aternus replied. "I'll let you know by the end of tomorrow. It's quite late, after all."

"All this excitement, I've forgotten it was after midnight!" Rarity yawned dramatically. "Suddenly I'm feeling so tired, indeed."

"Guards, please show the Triumvirate and their party to the guest quarters in the Forest wing," Rael'ia motioned. "We will continue this business in the morning, if you please." Nobody argued with that suggestion.

Twilight and her friends were slow to rouse the next morning. It wasn't until near midday they gathered around the table in the dining hall for brunch. Rael'ia entered shortly after they had begun eating, mentioning another meeting with the Ruling Triumvirate to finalize their inclusion into the Greater Magikin Alliance, and making sure the Archmage wasn't still asleep when he should be designating an appropriate site for a large interdimensional portal. Rarity asked about Fluttershy's condition and when and where they would be able to visit her, to which Rael'ia replied that they could all go after they were finished eating. A few hasty bites later, the ponies gathered near the Elven Princess and she teleported the group away.

They reappeared in the lobby of what appeared to be an ordinary hospital. Stark white walls, floors and ceilings reflected the pure white light from the panels above, the only other colors present being the glowing purple of floating Arcane magic screens and Fairy wings, curtains, chair cushions and bedding in cool pastel hues, and the similarly-colored modern scrubs the doctors and nurses wore. Each worker wore a name tag crafted from a piece of rectangular Magicite, which made a quiet beeping noise like a doorbell and changed colors when the worker was called to duty somewhere, along with projecting and transmitting the voices of those calling and being called. An Elf with his long hair combed into a neat high ponytail sat at the reception desk, typing away at one of the strange devices - an Interley terminal, as Aternus had informed Twilight during her visit to the Arcanaeum - though he looked up very shortly after their arrival.

"Hello- oh, Your Highness! Are you in need of aid?" the Elf asked nervously.

"No, I'm fine," Rael'ia shook her head. "I am here about the yellow Pegasus Pony-kin transported here a short while ago."

"Ah, yes, one moment please," the Elf quickly typed away at his terminal. The glowing images and text flashed in and out of existence almost faster than Twilight could comprehend. "Fluttershy, yes? She is in Room #312." Rael'ia thanked him and they quickly set off for the third floor.

As they approached Room #312, a male Fairy doctor approached as well. "Your Highness," he addressed as he straightened his posture.

"Hello, Doctor... Zoleus," Rael'ia said as she squinted to read the Fairy's name tag. "Is Fluttershy doing alright?"

"I was just about to do a final check up on her before discharge," Dr. Zoleus replied as he tapped at a glowing screen beside the room's door. He then pulled at the text as if removing a tissue from a box, the text copying itself in midair and floating until coming to rest about a foot away from his left shoulder. It followed him as he knocked, then entered the room.

The hospital room was rather nice, Twilight noted to herself. Though big enough to hold two patients comfortably, only one bed sat in the middle of the room, colored a very pale light green. A large window allowed sunlight in, flanked by curtains of a slightly deeper green, and offered a view of a decent-sized, finely manicured garden courtyard below. Below the window was a small bookshelf that also served as a counter, with a white pitcher of water and two cups beside it. There was enough room for a couch beside the bookshelf, and a door beside the couch that led to a small but accommodating bathroom. Facing the hospital bed was an Interley terminal with a large screen, along with a plain white chair to sit in. Instructions on how to use the terminal for various Magikin races were attached to the wall beside it. Finally, Fluttershy laid in the bed on her right side, her cheek lying upon her outstretched right foreleg, the rest of her body tucked gently under light pink blankets. A single oval cabochon of Magicite was attached to her extended inner leg just above her hoof, pulsing faintly in time with her heartbeat. Multiple electrodes were attached to her head, which were then attached by wires to a machine resembling an electroencephalogram. A variety of monitors were embedded in the wall behind her, one listing various life signs such as blood pressure, pulse and oxygenated blood level, another displaying the EEG readings of her brain, the rest blank and powered off. Upon hearing the door open and multiple sets of footsteps approach, Fluttershy stirred from slumber.

"Good afternoon, Fluttershy," Dr. Zoleus greeted quietly. "Are you feeling well?"

"Oh, yes. Oh, hello everypony," Fluttershy smiled sleepily. Dr. Zoleus turned partially towards Rael'ia as the ponies crowded around Fluttershy's bed.

"When we were able to rouse her, she was in a near-catatonic state," he spoke as he pointed out various runes and figures on his Arcane magic tablet of sorts. "We proceeded with a neuroarcanic brain scan and found recent evidence of magical paralysis and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A low-level amnestic potion was administered intravenously, and we have been monitoring her brain activity in case of complications. It has been a long time since anyone has treated a Pony-kin, after all."

"Will she be okay?" Twilight asked.

"The past twelve hours after administration should be completely wiped from her memory... Fluttershy, what is the last thing you remember?" Dr. Zoleus turned back towards her. The yellow Pegasus was silent for a moment as she thought.

"Hm... I think... we had all just finished dinner and were going to meet in the throne room afterwards," she finally answered. "After that... I woke up here."

"The amnestic worked perfectly, then," Rael'ia sighed in relief.

"What happened to me?" Fluttershy asked worriedly. "Should I remember?"

"Darling, it's best if you don't-" Rarity began to answer.

"You almost died," Rainbow Dash replied bluntly, cutting her off. "We all almost bit it, actually." Rarity and the others in the room glared at her in response.

"...Oh." Fluttershy's eyes widened as she pulled the blankets over her mouth and curled her hind legs to her chest. One of the monitors beeped as her displayed heart rate increased a little.

"It's all been resolved now, don't worry," Rael'ia soothed as Rarity stroked Fluttershy's tangled mane. She recoiled slightly as she realized her mane was sticky with electrode paste.

"Yes, the recent telemetry we've received from your body shows you should be perfectly fine now," Dr. Zoleus added. "I see no reason to hold you here any longer. But do come back if you feel anything unusual."

"Okay. Um, thank you," Fluttershy yawned and stretched as Dr. Zoleus pointed a hand at the Magicite attached to her leg. Arcane magic veiled over his hand and the cabochon, which dimmed as it left her body and floated gently into one of the Fairy's pockets. The electrodes on her head floated up and away, tying themselves in a neat bundle and resting the conductive bits in a small container of sanitizer near the EEG machine. The two monitors above the bed powered off automatically as well. As she swung her hind legs over the side of the bed, a flash of sudden recollection washed over the doctor's face.

"Also, I feel I should mention..." Dr. Zoleus whispered to Fluttershy, showing only her the Arcane tablet. "Besides the catatonia and recent PTSD we treated, your neuroarcanic scan detected signs of multiple mental ailments, the most prevalent being other instances of PTSD, four different anxiety disorders, moderate equinophobia and mild agoraphobia. If you'd like, I can set up an appointment with one of our specialists to help alleviate them."

Fluttershy paused to consider his words before sliding off the bed and onto her hooves. "Uh... maybe later. I'm afraid I don't have the time to spare at the moment."

"Very well," he nodded after blinking in surprise. "If you change your mind at any time, please don't hesitate to contact me." Out of another pocket, he produced a business card a little bigger than a postage stamp and handed it to her. He then waved away his magical tablet and bowed to Rael'ia. "Well, Your Highness, I must take my leave now. Have a good afternoon."

"Thank you, doctor. You too," Rael'ia bowed her head as Dr. Zoleus flittered out the door, disappearing in a puff of purple sparkles a moment later. "I'm so glad all is well, Fluttershy. Shall we return to my palace, then?"

"This calls for a celebration!" Pinkie Pie bounced in place. "It's the perfect time for a 'Fluttershy No Longer Remembers Everypony Being Nearly Horribly Murdered' party!"

"Um... yea. Sure," the Elven Princess winced in reply, along with her friends. Wordlessly she cast a teleportation spell and the seven of them disappeared from the room in a light breeze of sparks.