When Aspect awoke… he felt…

...More whole and hale than he had been in years.

And immediately he knew why. That dark whisper that was Arabus was gone from his mind.

Naturally, this concerned him. He’d functioned as Arabus’ mobile prison cell for ages, trying to get the ancient spirit to give in and accept his defeat.

The idea that he could be loose now…

A gentle beeping grabbed his attention and his eyes opened. The first thing he noticed was some medical equipment attached to him, and to the pony in the bed next to him. His eyes widened when he saw it was Midnight, wrapped in a few bandages as she slept peacefully, her heart monitor beeping away.

Oh...okay, so...that part happ-

The rest of his memories came flooding back, and his blood pressure spiked. He was going to wipe Chrysalis off the face of the bloody planet when he next saw her. Immediately his heart monitor began going into overtime, beeping up a storm.

The door burst open and a cute nurse pony came running in, followed by Celestia.

“Father!” the alicorn exclaimed as her aura washed over him, a gentle warmth filling him. “Please calm down.”

“Celly,” Aspect sighed, his monitor relaxing just a touch. “Where’s the traitorous bug-daughter? I’m going to run her through with Gungnir and my sword, in that order.”

Celestia sighed and looked at the nurse, the unicorn nodding and leaving the room. Once she had, the alicorn activated a nullsound barrier and sat down. “Okay, so there are… a few things I need to tell you about. But you have to promise me one thing.”

“I am willing to listen to the whole story before making any rash decision,” Aspect replied. “I make no promises beyond that.”

“Good,” Celestia smiled. “Now, first things first. I’m sure by now, you’ve noticed something very different about yourself.”

“Arabus is gone,” Aspect nodded. “Where is the storm demon? If I act quickly, I can reseal him away and the damage can be un—”

“It’s alright,” Celestia said soothingly, easing him back down onto the bed. “Arabus is gone for good. Mortal has seen to that personally.”

Aspect gawped. “He...he took Arabus to Nifelheim?” Aspect breathed. “But...I thought I had to wear him down before that could happen.”

Celestia nodded. “That… was what Chrysalis did. All of this? The deception, the invasion? The battle itself. It was all to goad you into releasing Arabus in his entirety, all to defeat him… and reap his black soul once and for all.”

Aspect mulled it over for a moment or three. “I’m still going to spank her,” he stated simply. “I understand why she did it, don’t get me wrong. But taking such a risk? That’s stupid dangerous. How did she know he wasn’t going to get free and be worse than he was before? How could she possibly know what amount of force to bring to bear? It’s a lot of assumptions, and I don’t like how she just blindly assumed she could do something because she should.”

“Oh, I agree,” a voice said and a pony emerged from the corner of the room. H-How long had she been… wait, he knew this mare? He’d met her before. Wasn’t she Celestia’s legal advisor?

“Plus there was the damage to the city, the strain that must have been put on Shining and Cadance, even Twilight and her friends through all of this,” Aspect continued. “It can’t have been pleasant for anyone involved.”

"Actually,” Celestia said with a light chuckle…

“Oooh, allow me~” the unicorn mare said as she burned with emerald flame, revealing her true form as Chrysalis. “Hello daddy~ Miss me?”

“Chrys-!” Aspect snarled. “Missy, when I can walk, I will paddle your chitin until it breaks!”

“Oooh, sounds like a fun time~” she giggled and waved her flank. “In all seriousness, helping you was just a means to an end. My larger plan has yet to be put into effect. And before you start, I might have taken a few risks, but I largely planned and expected most of what happened. Aside from… oh, did I forget to mention your lightning killed three of my children.” She leaned in close and her eyes flashed. “Mind you, they were shielding ponies at the time.”

“...To be fair, you and yours were playing the villain role masterfully, I fully thought you’d all fallen into being monsters,” Aspect replied. “I have a strict protocol with monsters ingrained into me from Dream Valley. But nothing can restore that which I have done...so I am truly sorry, daughter mine. I never intended to ever be a kinslayer.” He actually looked...depressed at that thought.

Considering, he never looked even remotely sad before...this was cause for concern.

“Tis… well it’s not fine, but I honestly expected more. They have been laid to rest, and in the end, not a single pony has come to harm. So as protectors, they passed performing their roles spectacularly.” She coughed into her hoof and regained composure. “I am sorry, that I provoked you as I did. But you never would have released Arabus willingly.”

“...No, no I would not have,” Aspect sighed. Still not looking even remotely cheery. “And in the end he would have consumed me, and brought a doom you all would have had to fight. I would have become that which you would have needed my blade to stop.”

“Well, we saw it through, and a few unexpected things did occur,” the Changeling said as she leaned down on the bed, placing her head in his lap. “I… have missed you Father. All this time, I tried to do what you entrusted to me. Even… even when ponykind shunned us, because of what we are, what we need to survive…”

“The fault lies with me,” Aspect shook his head. “The witch was cursed, for she did not drink enough to truly secure her immortality. So it was passed to you, which was my fault alone. I could have spent more time hammering out her essence, making you better than you are...forgive me, daughter. I have failed you at every turn.”

“What, oh dear god no, I’m bucking perfect,” she chuckled. “Ponies are the issue. My kind is adorable. Have you even seen them? Their cute lil blue eyes. Those nibbly fangs and widdle hoofsies!” She grinned and gushed over her little spawnlings.

“Mmm,” Aspect chuckled. Then he decided to tell her something she would love to hear. “So, I’ve been inspired lately to give over my copies of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings to some pony publishers to be re-imagined as a pony story…”

“TOLKIEN!?” Chrysalis’s head snapped up and she beamed brightly. “Ohhhhh! I get to give my little ones those stories. I…” She paused as Celestia cleared her throat, but the alicorn was wearning a small smile. “Er… right,” Chrysalis blushed. “In any case, we have a few things to go over, li-ERK!” She let out a strangled grunt as something slammed into her, and Aspect saw that Midnight had awoken… and was now trying to strangle the Queen with her bare hooves.

Aspect sighed and looked over at the door, seeing Gungnir waiting there like a loyal dog for its master. It might not have as much power as before, he remembered that...but it would still obey Air. Which he was now the sole master of, no Arabus in his head anymore. With a jerk of his head, the spear feigned stabbing at Midnight to make her let go, distract her from the queen, before standing between them.

“I *cough* that was… *hack!* O-Okay… That was… mostly uncalled for,” the queen groaned, rubbing her neck.

“Te voi ucide pe tine și pe toată specia ta!” Midnight spat, trying to get past the spear. “You killed my sister! I will have your HEAD!”

“Midnight, she got Arabus out of my head,” Aspect said. “She killed a demon that was already dead. I’m willing to give her a chance.”

“I’m not!” Midnight snarled as she grabbed the spear. “I’ll wear her head like a hat!”

“I promise I can make things right, I just need a little time,” Chrysalis yelped as Celestia stepped forward.

“Midnight, stand down. That’s an order.”

“But—”

“That. Is. An. Order,” Celestia said, her gaze taking a more stern tone. Midnight trembled, part of her wanting to ignore the order but…

“Your sister isn’t dead!” Chrysalis yelped again, hiding behind Celestia.

Aspect sighed. Apparently the big bad bug was just an act. A very good act for a very long time, but…

Chrysalis could feel it now. That familiar, old feeling of fatherly love drifting her way...being directed her way. She sighed softly as Midnight stared at her with wide eyes.

“I’m not lying,” the Queen said. “Look, just, give me until tomorrow, I promise.”

“You…” Midnight took a step back and dropped the spear, and before anypony could stop her, she flew out of the door and down the hall.

“Aaaand that’s a bat that we’re not getting back easily,” Aspect sighed. “She’s...probably actually gone for that one.”

“I shall go and find her,” Celestia said. “Chryssie. Explain the rest to him okay?”

“Yeah…” the changeling replied as the alicorn took her leave.

“So what else did I miss from your grand plan?” Aspect asked as he leaned back in his hospital bed. Honestly this all was probably pretty unnecessary.

“Well, the true reason I’ve done all this is one I’ll reveal later,” she smirked. “Oh and by the by, we have a new Aspect as well.”

“Wait what?” the stallion blinked. “How...why...who?”

“Well, remember that comment you made about Shining being unable to shield the city against Arabus?”

“...Vaguely?” the stallion replied. Honestly most of those memories were...dark and dim and hard to read.

“You literally said it not ten minutes ago,” she facehooved. “Well guess what? He actually did and well…” The Changeling sat down and smirked. “We have the world’s first male alicorn now.”

Wait what.

Aspect tilted his head, his eyes widening a little in shock.

Okay...impressive. But...how? Where was he? That can’t have been pleasant. All those thoughts and more competed to be said first, a myriad of emotions playing across his face.

“First, calm down,” Chrysalis said. “Second, he did a fine job and I guess he was rewarded for that. Upside is that Lovebutt has a hubby that won’t die in a century now.” She chuckled and then looked at him. “And you… Three mares? Seriously?”

“They picked me, not the other way around,” Aspect replied seriously. “I don’t regret it for a moment.”

“I don’t know whether to be confused, impressed or slightly aroused…” Chrysalis said with a sly smirk.

“Ehhh…” Aspect waved a hoof. “So...Pupal. She was never disconnected, was she?”

“Not once,” Chrysalis mused. “How do you think I could plan around you so easily… also if you yell at her for lying, I will tell her and all your daughters to use the Cute on you at the same time.”

“Ack, my one weakness,” Aspect swooned as he fell back against the bed. “You do realize I’m not happy about how you did it, yes? You got results...just, try not to take on something like this again? At least not without telling me?”

“If you knew, then you’d have held back,” she said. “Or tried to talk me out of it. The less ponies that knew the better. Sparkle almost ruined everything, so I… might have kidnapped her for a night.”

“Oooh, what a naughty daughter I have,” Aspect cooed. “Did you get your sons to service her every whim? Or did you and Cadance team up on her to finish what I started?”

“...I’msorrywhat?” Chrysalis blinked.

“Aaaand I just managed to pull one over on you as revenge for what you did as Cadance,” Aspect chuckled, letting her work it out from that clue alone.

“...I will get you for that,” Chrysalis said as she picked herself up. “In any case, we can talk more at length later. I need to put Phase Three into action.”

“This is why I suggested Celly get you on her side,” Aspect sighed. “You’re good at this sort of stuff.”

“Who says I’m not already?’ Chrysalis said with a teasing smirk. “What do you think Phase Three is~?” And on that note, she resumed her disguise and left the room, singing something about the day being perfect.

Aspect sighed as he laid back, noting that the null-sphere had vanished with both Celestia and Chryssy leaving. “Being bored in a hospital sucks,” he muttered out loud.

The door opened and a new pony walked in with a smirk.

Rainbow Dash.

Dressed as a nurse.

“Hell-o, Nurse,” Aspect perked up immediately as she winked at him and smiled. Minor edit to his previous comment. Hospitals were awesome!

“I…” Twilight stared at her brother, now sporting a pair of wings as he looked himself over, still unable to believe it. “HOW!?”

“I have no idea,” Shining shrugged. “I just woke up like this after I passed out from the battle. I think I remember a voice in my head but…” he sighed and shook his head. “Sorry Twiley, I don’t remember.”

“You… turned into an ALICORN!” Twilight exclaimed, raising her voice. “And you don’t know HOW….” she paused and narrowed her eyes. “Aspect! I will bet my horn that this is his doing, or someone related to him!”

“Maybe,” Shining said with a weary sigh. “I’m just worried on how Cadance is gonna react. She hasn’t seen me yet.”

“Ohhh, I have now~” a voice purred as the mare in question draped herself over his shoulders. “Mmmm, Cady like~”

“Ahehe…” Shining blushed as Twilight facehooved and turned around.

“Right, I’m going to see if Aspect is okay,” she said. “You two um…” She heard sounds that sounded like kissing and she sighed, taking her leave. Today was going to be one of those days wasn’t it?

Twilight sighed as she nudged open the door to Aspect’s room. “Honestly, you’d think somepony would know how they bloody ascended to…” Twilight trailed off as she saw the position that Rainbow and Aspect were in. “Yup… definitely one of those days,” the unicorn mare sighed. She should not be this used to this…

“Aheh...Dash? Twilight’s here, and I doubt it’s to give me a checkup,” Aspect tried dissuading the prismatic pegasus.

Said pegasus was giving him a thorough oral exam at the moment, she opened one eye and looked at Twilight, waving a wing before carrying on with her task.

“Sorry Twi, I tried,” Aspect offered, before grunting.

“I’m honestly learning to tune it out,” she shook her head. “Also, speaking of, I discovered something interesting I thought you might like to know.”

“Do go on,” the stallion said, trying to hold a serious conversation.

“Well… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over this,” she said, blushing slightly. “And, I was actually wondering, seeing as you are a stallion I mostly trust. If I could borrow you for an… experiment of sorts.”

Rainbow coughed, almost gagging at that comment.

“Such as?” Aspect asked, taking full advantage of that momentary reprieve.

“Would you… be so inclined, as to accompany me on a date?” she asked him. “I’ve been doing research, going over feelings that I have an… I think that… well…” She trailed off, as Rainbow lifted her head.

“Well what Egghead?” she prodded.

“I think, that I might… kinda be attracted to mares,” she said with a heavy blush. “So… I want to go on a date with a stallion, to really rule it out or not.”

“Ah, I was about to say, mare isn’t one of my forms,” Aspect chuckled. “Yes, I can do that for you Twilight. Just...not right now? We have a lot going on as of late.”

“I know, it’s just I… well nevermind,” she shook her head.

“Huh, so if you like mares…” Rainbow tilted her head. “You got one you like?”

“I…” Twilight blushed very hard at that one. “Shutup already.”

“Can do,” Rainbow beamed and resumed her task of slow torture.

“Hnnnrgh,” Aspect grunted as she restarted what she’d left half-finished. “Well...consider a pin put in it for later,” the stallion offered. “When we get back to Ponyville, remind me of it after we’ve had time to unwind, and I’ll pencil you in.”

“Great, I just turned a romantic event into an appointment,” she giggled, tactfully ignoring Rainbow. “Now for the real reason. Are you responsible for my brother growing some new appendages.”

Rainbow snorted again.

“I...don’t know,” Aspect replied honestly. “I mean, there was something that happened, I can recall that much. Something about a shield that just wouldn’t go down...but...I didn’t do it.”

“Well yes, he shielded the city for the whole of the attack, even when Arabus became that giant storm pony. He pushed him out of the city and kept him out.” Twilight rubbed her horn with a hoof. “I mean, the Princess and I helped by giving him magic but…”

So wait…

Shining protected the entire city, standing up to the full might of Arabus and even pushed back!?

Just how fricken powerful were these Sparkles?

“That’d...probably do it. Effort is rewarded,” Aspect explained. “By standing up to an Aspect, he gained the right to join their table. He’ll probably be sore in his new wings for days on end. I wouldn’t be surprised if he needed a flying instructor to actually use them. Ascension is rarely painless.”

“So…” Rainbow pulled up. “If I kick your butt? I’ll get immortality?”

“Only if I went full on villain,” Aspect replied, beeping her nose.

“Aww,” she sighed and grinned, before her nose met his hips. Nrrgggh fuck, somepony had been getting lessons from Midnight.

“Hnnnnrgh,” Aspect grunted, trying to hold out. “Is there...hah...Anything else you need, Twilight?” he tried asking.

“W-Well, I was going to ask about your relation to a shapeshifting bugpony…” she said, blushing lightly.

“If I were to...Nnngh...tell that story now, I don’t think I’d...hah...finish,” the stallion panted.

Oh, he couldn’t finish huh? Rainbow smirked as she started to pick up pace and then use that tongue trick that Midnight showed her.

Aspect grunted as he tensed up, doing his best to hold back. “Hah...yup, definitely wouldn’t be able to tell you the story,” he said to Twilight. “It’d...probably be best if you left while you still could.”

“Oh yes, because I haven’t seen this before,” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Geeze, just… get it over with so we can have an intelligent conversation.”

“I dunno, Dash is...insatiable,” the stallion pointed out. “She’ll probably just...get more lewd…”

“Hmmmmm~” the pegasus purred as she sped up and added some rather lewd noises to the mix.

“This is honestly more than anypony should know about their friends,” the unicorn sighed.

“Fuuuuuu-” Aspect trailed off, before his hips jerked a few times, finally giving Dash what she’d been searching for. She let out a small coo as he heard her gulp it down.

“Honestly,” Twilight sighed. “And how can you even do that? Wouldn’t it… I dunno, taste gross?”

“Well, a mare tastes very fine to me,” the stallion replied, panting as his orgasm tapered off. “I don’t know how it goes the other way.”

Rainbow finished and pulled back, licking her lips. “Actually, he kinda tastes like… hmm, I’m gonna say some kind of sweet. I blame Bon Bon though. Her candies are wicked addictive.” She turned to Twi and waggled her eyebrows. “Hey, we can test your like for mares, and answer that question all in one if you want Bookworm~”

“Pass,” Twilight retorted, shooting her down instantly. Ohh, that was brutal.

“Twilight’s learned how to deal with our antics, love,” Aspect chuckled as he ran a hoof through that rainbow mane. “Guess we’ll just have to pick up our game.”

“Oh, you have something in mind?” Rainbow giggled.

“Nah, nothin’ at the moment,” the stallion replied. “You’ve drained me for the time being.”

“Hmm, glad to hear it,” she giggled and kissed him before he could protest about it. Aspect spluttered and pushed her back, sticking his tongue out.

“I haven’t forgotten what you just had in there, you know,” he rejoined.

His silly pegasus just giggled.

“So he can dish it out, but can’t take it?” Twilight said with a smirk.

“I have no desire to taste myself, thank you,” Aspect replied curtly.

The mares just giggled again, before Twilight’s ear flicked. “Hmm, you… hear that?”

That was the sound of a lot of ponies, and most sounding quite unhappy too.

“Uhoh,” the stallion winced. That wasn’t going to be pretty.

“We should go check that out,” Twilight said and looked at Aspect. “Need some help?”

“Eh...I should stay here and not give the nursemares heart attacks,” Aspect waved a wing at them. “Plus, exerting myself like that gave me a Tartarus of a headache.”

Twilight sighed and cast a spell on the wall, and it took a moment, but he could see that the spell projected what Twilight was seeing. “There, I’ll go check it out, you can watch from here.”

“Mkay, try not to do anything I would do,” Aspect called.

“Don’t worry, I don’t desire to have sex with anypony here,” she quipped as she left the room. Did… did Twilight Sparkle just burn him?

“Dash, we’ve created a snark monster,” he sighed.

“Nope, this one’s all your fault,” she giggled as she nestled against him. “Now, let’s cuddle and watch Sparklevision.”

“Sounds good,” Aspect said as he leaned back and watched what was transpiring outside the hospital walls.

Twilight found the room with all the commotion. It was the one Celestia reserved for speaking with the press in large groups. It took a moment, but she saw that most of the ponies gathered were Canterlot nobility.

And addressing them was the Solar Alicorn herself, along with that legal aide of hers. Wait… wasn’t she actually…

“This is outrageous!” one stallion yelled. “And why should we—”

“Because it’s in the law,” Chrysalis stated as she stepped forward, still in her unicorn disguise. “Under the Rebuild Obligation clause. In the event that Canterlot is devastated by an attack, be it natural disaster, or other. It is the Noble’s duty to care for the citizens. It is why you have those titles. Because your ancestors were of worthy valor. In days of old, they would be the ones to keep the common folk safe from harm. As Knights of the realm, etc…”

“Preposterous, we have heard of no such clause,” another mare spat.

“Are you calling Princess Celestia a liar?” Chrysalis hummed. “The law is right here in the Archives for anyone to see. Of course, anypony who fails to assist will lose their titles and Crown-given land.”

That… caused a particular uproar.

“If you aren’t Noble in action, then the title is useless to you,” Chrysalis sneered. “What use is a Noble who is greedy, self-centered and heartless? You’d be little more than the monsters that ruined this fair city.”

“Oooh, clever,” Aspect mused. “I approve of phase three.”

“Furthermore…” Chrysalis hummed. “This attack might not have happened were it not for the incompetence of the Council…”

That… got some pause from everypony.

“You see,” she said. “It has come to my attention that they knew more than a week beforehoof of this attack. They waited more than a week to tell the Princess and the Guard. Had they acted sooner, this might not have even happened.”

And now everypony was murmuring amongst themselves.

“She’s scary good,” Aspect said to Dash. The pegasus nodded in agreement.

“So as such,” Chrysalis said with a smile. “The current Council will be disbanded.”

Now everypony was shouting, though they calmed when Celestia stomped her hoof and frowned. Hooboy, Celestia looked angry. Now they’d dun fucked up.

“For too long, Canterlot has primarily been a Unicorn-run city,” she said calmly. “So this new Council shall be created with that in mind. A fair council comprising of several species. Earth, Pegasus, Unicorn, Thestral, even Diamond Dog and dragon. This will be a Council to represent not just Canterlot, but all of Equestria.”

“Nice to see her taking my idea and running with it,” Aspect nodded as he snuggled next to Dash.

“Ponies are supposed to work together,” Celestia said with a weary sigh. “And yet, I still see my dear little ponies bicker and fight. To look down on those less fortunate…” She sighed again. Oh dear, this many times meant she was really stressed. “I also wish to apologise. Many many years ago, ponies used to have much more power. Special magic that no other species possessed. It took a special kind of stupid to even think of challenging us. But… then we started attacking ourselves. We turned our might upon our own kin. Even…” She paused, Aspect hearing her voice hitch in her throat. “Even foals were not spared in their indiscriminate attacks. So… so I solved that problem. I used a magic that should never have been used. If… if my father truly knew what I did, I doubt I could ever forgive me… but, trust is built upon trust. If we are to move forward. Then history must be rediscovered. What… what my unforgivable sin was.”

Okay, this had his attention. Aspect sat up as he watched the wall intently.

“Long ago… my father created a spell. He called it… the Null-field. A special Runic spell that removes all magic from within it’s radius…”

Oh no. No no no. He always built a null-field to fall apart if the right runes were pulled away from each other.

“Princess?” one pony asked.

“The civil war that followed the wake of Nightmare Moon was terrible,” Celestia said. “Pegasi and their floating cloud fortresses, Earth ponies rearranging the very landsapes… and Unicorns and their nigh unstoppable magical might. I… I was distraught over losing my entire family in a single night. I was still young ruler… I…” She sighed as her mane lost it’s luster, falling limp. “So, I created a Null-field. One that… that covered ALL of Equestria. And… and I left it there. For generations. Not a single pony… sans a selected few, were capable of any magic. Not the Lost Artes. Even simple spells, even a pegasi’s flight… Even…” She shuddered. “Even Cutie Marks…”

Oh no...to go so far...Aspect was wringing his hooves.

“Princess…” One pony said softly. “Why… why tell us this now?”

“Because,” she said quietly. “You will have this new Council. They will be fair. And then…” She looked down. “I will step down as ruler of this nation. I will still handle the task of the Sun, as I always have, as is my sacred duty… but, I am not fit to rule this nation. I am… a monster, more than any that has ever walked these lands. I am not fit to be your Princess.”

And now the room was in an uproar as the vision Aspect etched shimmered. It took a moment for him to realise that Twilight was crying before the spell cut out entirely. He did manage to catch Chrysalis’s outraged expression though.

“Something tells me Celly did not confer with Chryssy about that plan before she made it,” Aspect grumbled as he made to get up.

“The… the Princess won’t be our Princess anymore?” Rainbow gasped. “But… but she’s the Princess! Nopony else can be the Princess!”

“I am going to have words with her about this,” Aspect nodded as he began unplugging himself from the monitors. Several flatlined before Rainbow switched them off.

“Um… need a hoof?” she asked him.

“The more hooves taking things off me, the better,” the stallion agreed. She nodded as she slipped under his wing, holding him up as the pair hurried as fast as they could from the room. This needed to be solved sooner rather than later.

It wasn’t long before they were slipping into the palace itself, making their way past guards and sneaking towards Celly’s room. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any trouble in just getting inside. Two guards stood outside, and he recognised one as the pegasus mare he met recently.

“Okay,” he said to Dash, “Just act casual.” He nudged her towards the pegasus and began preparing a speech.

“Causal… sure…” Rainbow nodded as they approached the armed guards. As they neared the door the guards glanced at them and tightened their grip on their spears.

Aspect did his best to pull himself up and look impressive. He was still weak from his prolonged hospital stay, but he would be damned if he would let Celly lock herself up in her room all day. “Stand aside,” he ordered. “I have business with my daughter.”

“Nopony is to see the Princess right now,” the stallion said in a firm tone.

“Colt, if I weren’t recovering from being hospitalized, I would shock you for that one,” Aspect countered. “I still might. For the last time, stand aside before I make you.”

“Sir. It is a crime to threaten a Royal Guard,” he said, Secure barely containing her giggles. “I'm going to ask you to wait here while I place you under arrest for further questioning.”

Rainbow was doing far more poorly in containing her giggling.

“Tell me something colt, you ever fly before?” Aspect asked, as Dash felt the air pressure around her stallion increase.

Secure chuckled and extended a hoof, poking him right in his sore rib. Aspect flinched, but quickly readjusted his footing to avoid collapsing.

“No threatening my subordinates,” she said. “And don't worry Shield, he's got clearance. Remember that briefing? He's him.”

“Oooohhh,” the stallion nodded. “My apologies sir. After what happened, we can't be too careful.”

“I get it, I do, but honestly, you’re just holding me up,” Aspect muttered as he reshelved his power. “Just...open the door so I can collapse in Celly’s forelegs rather than out here.”

Secure opened one door to allow the pair entry. “Good luck,” she whispered to him as she closed the door behind him.

Inside was… less bright than he'd thought. The curtains were drawn as Celestia sat in the center of the room, looking through some kind of book. Her mane and tail were disenchanted, and right now… she was honestly showing her age.

“Celly,” Aspect called out from the door, managing to get a few steps in the room before collapsing on the rug. At least it was comfy. A golden glow surrounded his body as he was gently floated closer.

“What are you doing out of bed?” she asked before sighing. “Right, you're a stubborn jackass.”

“Couldn’t just...leave you to brood,” Aspect said.

“Why not?” she murmured. “You and Lulu get to. S’my turn.” She continued to flip through the book and Aspect looked over at it. It was a photo album, a lot of the pictures being that of Celestia, and a fiery maned unicorn mare with a yellow coat and a sun Cutie Mark.

“...I’m not gonna convince you that what you just did was wrong, am I?” Aspect asked as he lay next to her.

“Which part?” she scoffed. “The speech? Maybe the part where I essentially collared and leashed an entire species over the acts of a few?” She let out a dry laugh. “All Hail the Tyrant Celestia.”

“I’m worse than you, you know,” Aspect replied. “I made the Phoenixes, but it wasn’t until Yggdrasil that they gained a leader. I gave a gift to the dragons...one that’s all but been bred out of them, because they weren’t meant to have it. I bucking made the Griffons on a whim...and they’ve brought nothing but war to ponies. For someone that was supposed to be central to the world’s scene, I’ve been terrible about keeping up with my creations.” He sighed. “Buck’s sake, I made Neptune to watch over the Seaponies rather than take a dip every now and then.”

“Only because you're a lousy swimmer,” Celestia snorted and then sighed. “See her?” she held up a photo of the unicorn. “She was my last student before Twilight.”

“Huh,” Aspect looked her over. “And why haven’t I heard about her?”

“She was brilliant,” Celestia continued. “She soaked up all I could teach and more. She… could have been an amazing pony, capable of amazing things…”

“Sounds like an ideal student, then,” Aspect nodded.

“Ambitious too,” Celestia said. “I… I had everything planned. I was going to help her Ascend. Become an alicorn… But…”

“But?” Aspect verbally prodded.

“She wanted more. She studied the Lost Arts… Runes… Dark magicks.”

“We’ll skip over how you know runes, or had a book on runes just lying about for now,” Aspect said briskly. “She was meddling in dark magic? That’s Grogar territory.”

“I asked Yggdrasil to help her ascend, I'd hoped if she became an alicorn, she'd forget about it… But he wouldn't. Her heart was… tainted,” She shuddered. “I tried to talk with her. B-But we got into an argument. She… She found one of Starswirl’s damnable mirrors…”

“Must have been a thing he made after I left,” Aspect muttered to himself.

“Oh right, he never told you,” She sighed as her shoulders sagged. “He found a way to breach the dimensional barriers. Luna and I often explored them as fillies with him. He… might have kept that a secret from you and Mom.”

“Yes, I can imagine why he would,” Aspect nodded seriously. “Gallivanting around in other dimensions at your age? What were you thinking filly?” For a moment, Celestia could hear the tone of her father in his voice, and not that of someone trying to comfort her.

“Sorry Daddy…” she sniffed, her voice cracking.

“So...she’s in another dimension,” Aspect sighed. “How long has she been there?”

“I guess… it's been around fifteen years now,” she sighed. “Time moves differently in some places. For all I know, she's either been away a few days… or she's long since passed.”

Rainbow had seen some things in the recent past. Insane alicorns of darkness, evil chaos gods and immortal demi-god stallions…

Seeing the infallible Princess Celestia break down and sob like a little filly was a new one. And not one she liked…

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Aspect soothed as he ran a hoof through Celestia’s mane. “Look...I think I know a guy who can help you get over your little spell that you did. But you’re gonna have to trust me, okay?”

“You heard what I did!” Celestia yelled at him. “Why… why aren't you angry? You… you should be furious… You, should find… a new Sun Aspect… a-a new daugh--”

That was Aspect lightly smacking her cheek with a hoof. He didn’t have the energy to do more.

“I’m not about to do that to you,” he said. “You’re not irredeemable, Celly. Yes, you’ve taken yourself off of your pedestal that others see you on, you’ve revealed some of the ugly truth that rulers sometimes have to engage in. But...you’re not irredeemable. You’re not a monster. You’re my daughter. I’m not going to stop loving the filly that called me her dad, even when I didn’t look anything like a pony.” He tapped her chest. “In this chest beats a heart full of love and care. I know it, and everyone else sees it too. You’re the same pony I trusted with running Equestria. You’ve just had some milage put on your mind and soul.”

“Your trust was misplaced,” she muttered. “I can't do anyt--”

And that was Rainbow smacking Celestia’s cheek not so lightly.

Rainbow Dash… just bitch-slapped the hell out of Celestia. The alicorn mare held a hoof to her reddened cheek, eyes wide.

“Shut. Up!” Rainbow yelled. “So you screwed up! Big fucking deal! Everypony screws up. The fact that Equestria is so great is because of you. That despite your screw ups, you still made this an amazing place to live.” She sighed and lowered her hoof. “I get it you know. I get being scared. Every time I perform, I get scared. The fact I'm getting married? That terrifies me. But, sometimes you just gotta bite the bit, suck it up and put your best hoof forward. Because the most cowardly thing to do is not look forward. Walk the path you choose without regret.” Her momentum died down and she looked at Celestia, still staring wide eyed at her.

“The worst thing you could do right now is be another me,” Aspect agreed. “One who ran from all the problems, rather than confront them. One who ignored what his family needed of him, rather than stay and help. If you step down now, the ponies will never recover. The world will never be the same. But if you stay, you can make a difference, make sure that what you had to do...never happens again.”

Celestia chuckled weakly. “Guess I can't do anything with you and Rainbow Mom here huh?”

Dash squeaked a little at that one.

“But my mind is set. Equestria will be better off with someone competent at the helm. And after that… I doubt my little ponies would want me back anyway.”

“Two points of order,” Aspect said. “First, can you think of anyone who has experience running a country like Equestria for thousands of years?”

“Chrysalis seems to be adept at it,” Celestia replied. “And Luna isn’t entirely incapable.”

“The ponies would run from Chryssy in her true form in an instant thanks to her act, and Luna probably still isn’t caught up on modern law,” Aspect retorted. “Second...help your old man over to the balcony.”

“Okay… why?” Celestia said as she stood up, helping his up with her magic until he was standing and leaning against her.

“Just a hunch,” the stallion replied. “Indulge me.”

“All I do is indulge you,” she rolled her eyes as she led him to the balcony, opening the curtain and wincing at the sudden sunlight filling the room.

“Close your eyes,” Aspect said, doing so himself. “Lose yourself to the feeling of being out here…”

And he could hear it, faintly below them. Not the outcry of the nobles, no…

But the common pony. The ponies from the artisan district and those that made a living in Canterlot. They’d joined forces…

And were trying to get their message to the Princess. That they loved her anyways.

“W-Why?” Celestia said, fresh tears staining her cheeks. “I… but I…”

“Because they love you,” Aspect said, nuzzling her. “Because you’ve done what you could to lead them safely. Because you loved them too. They want you Celestia. Not some council they’ll have to pick. But you. ‘Tis far harder to usurp a leader that is loved than one that is feared.’”

“It still doesn’t change the fact that I failed them,” she said. “That… I don’t feel strong enough to lead them. What Chrysalis did, what she’s still doing. I could never have done that on my own like she has.”

“She’s a powerful ally, you should get her to run a spy ring, to keep her from planning a coup against her old man again,” Aspect mused. “But...you can’t abdicate. They won’t let you. And if you’re not strong enough on your own? You do still have your sister to rely on. You’ve both fallen, in your own ways. But that’s not the important part, you know.”

“Oh?’ she said, looking down at the stallion. “What is the important part then?”

“The rise is all the sweeter after the fall,” he said in an airy voice. “True, tis better to have never fallen, but when you touch grace a second time, you treasure it all the more.”

“So basically what you’re saying is to learn from the past then,” she said and looked out over the city. “It would appear that I have made yet another mistake.”

“Eh, when you get to be as old as we are, you remember the mistakes more,” Aspect chuckled. “Though, I look at you and Lulu as a blessing that will never be forgotten. Not even your little prank wars back in the hidden valley.”

“Hmm, I haven’t pranked you in a while have I?” she chuckled and nuzzled him, before pulling Rainbow over and hugging her as well. “Honestly, you just couldn’t leave me be could you?”

“You gave me a flippin’ mansion to stay in so you could always find me,” Aspect deadpanned. “Turnabout is fair play. You kept me from leaving Equestria, so I’m gonna keep you where you’re loved.”

“Well damn… guess I walked into that one,” she giggled and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her mane and tail billowed in a non-existent wind, filling with life and motion again as she looked up at the sky. “Well, guess I’d better start making things right.” She looked down at her father as a pulse of healing magic washed over him. It eased the pain and helped kickstart his regeneration.

“Aaaah, that feels much better,” Aspect groaned as he closed his eyes. “And hey, there’s always a way for you to make up for it. Come by more often to the classes I’m teaching to offer pointers. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something about Geomancy in the past thousand years, and I was never very good at Mountain Root.”

“Hmm, isn’t Twilight Velvet a suitable teacher?” she asked as she opened the rest of her curtains and started heading for the door. “I made sure to teach her what I could.”

“She’s good for Sorcery, and if any unicorn starts showing aptitude for the Still Way method of learning, I can handle that too,” Aspect replied. “And Aeromancy and the Gale King are still well within my purview. But I might’ve gotten rusty at my Geomancy, and I’ve never fought someone with Mountain Root. I’m so rarely an Earth Pony, and I passed off Earth not long ago.”

“Hmm, I barely remember Mountain Root myself,” Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Anyway, we’ll come back to that later. I need to fix this, and you need to find your thestral mare.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she stayed away until noon tomorrow to give Chryssy all the time she asked for before trying to kill her again,” the stallion sighed.

“Oh father…” Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Perhaps you should go and find her, before she does something foolish in her emotional state?”

“I can try, but I don’t know her all that well,” Aspect grumbled. “I mean, I don’t know where she would go. One such option would be her sister’s grave, but I don’t know where that is. I don’t pry.”

“Not here in Canterlot,” she said and nudged him with a wing. “Try the training field. She likes to work off her stress with exercise or training.”

“Alright, I’ll head there,” Aspect said, flaring his wings. “Dash, can I count on you to be a firm hoof in case Celly starts being silly again?”

“Mhm,” Rainbow said and smacked her hoof with the other. The alicorn blinked and raised an eyebrow at her father as he took off. Oh yes, he was getting pranked and pranked hard at some point in the future.

Author's Note

And now the consequences come home to roost.

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