The Conversion Bureau: Tortured Soul

Chapters

The First Meeting
The Second Encounter
The Third Parley
The Fourth Congregation
The Fifth Assemblage
The Sixth Convetion
The Seventh Rally
The Ninth Tryst
The Tenth Confrontation
The Eleventh Reconciliation, Part One
The Twelfth Appeasement, Part Two
The Eighth Audience

The First Meeting

970 ANM, Canterlot, Equestria

Celestia stared longingly at the moon from her veranda, at the imprint that her sister had left upon it so long ago. She had wondered for centuries if her solution had been the right one. She had wondered if that so-called prophesy had any merit to it. She supposed that she had thirty years left to wait, but the nights had felt longer as of late even though they truly weren’t. She sighed as she looked to a book that she’d been perusing for the last while: a book on portals to other realities. There had been days when she’d debated using the book’s magic, but tonight she really would. She set up the rune circle with care, and shook her head to clear away distracting thoughts as she focused her magic on powering the spell to bridge realities. The golden magic arced through the air as she slowly levitated off the floor. The rune circle spun underneath her as a portal started to open in front of her. It may have been working, but she kept her calm until the portal stabilized. She chanced a look through the portal, and what she saw confused her immensely. It certainly wasn’t anything remotely near what she’d seen in Equestria. Through the portal, she could see a large city. The closest comparison she could make was to Manehattan, but this city was far larger, and was more advanced in technological terms by at least a hundred years. She hesitated for a moment before her curiosity as to what this city had in store won out, and Celestia went through the portal.

As soon as she stepped though, she heard the clanging of the steel of weapons, and the sound of… small cannons? She shook her head, deciding to not worry about that. As she drew closer, she saw that many of the buildings were made of fine metal, but they all bore extensive damage. These impressive structures that tore at the sky were somehow still standing, even with the holes torn right into their sides. Some of the buildings even had pieces of their framework missing, yet they did not fall to the earth. As she drew yet closer still, she found an army of strange bipedal creatures. They looked somewhat like Minotaurs, but they had no fur or horns. They had flatter faces on oval-shaped heads, and legs with only one joint in the middle, and a more oval-like portution at the bottoms. There were at least a million of them, all clad in strangely colored gear fighting a small army of a few thousand ponies, and the ponies were losing. Badly. They could not cope with the brute power of the strange hand-cannons that the creatures had, let alone the other powerful items that Celestia couldn’t even begin to think of how to properly describe, even with the power of magic. Why was this happening? How long had this war been going? What were these strange creatures? As she was about to go onto the battlefield to stop this nonsense, she looked to the center of the battle, and her jaw dropped as she stepped back. There was a strange alteration to these creatures, due to its… unique features. Clad in gray platinum armor, it towered over its fellow creatures at an impressive height of 19’11”. Its legs were like tree trunks, supporting his frame. One half of its skin was pure white, like snow. The other half was pitch black, like an onyx stone. This one somehow looked old, young, and everything in between all at once. The portion of this one that concerned her the most was a dark gray box-shaped locket that was around its neck. It was painted with her Cutie Mark, but it was being pierced by a bloody blade. In its right … paw was a blade, the very same one from the picture on his locket: it looked regal, and to be made of a glass-like metallic substance. However, when it struck the weapon of its opponent, it did not break, chip, or even scuff. Speaking of his opponent, that was the most surprising thing about the whole scene. It was her, or rather, another Celestia; most likely the one from this reality. Her weapon of choice was a warhammer, and flames licked around its edges. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. What was this alteration to these creatures? Why was it fighting another Celestia? What exactly was going on here? And what was with that wall of pink light encroaching and destroying everything it touched?

Celestia broke herself out of her thoughts as the ponies started to throw vials full of purple liquid at the creatures. The creatures scattered, presumably knowing full well what that liquid would do to them should it strike. So, the creatures used evasive maneuvers to not get hit by the strange purple liquid, causing the other Celestia no end of anger. However, the unique creature didn’t avoid the vials, opting to instead just shrug off the fluid like it was a mild irritant, and kept fighting with full vigor. This irked the other Celestia even more, and she charged up her hammer with magic for an attack, but this was her final mistake. The unique creature struck with a swift motion that was almost too quick to see, and the other Celestia cried out as its sword pierced her heart. As the other Celestia died, the wall of light started… retreating, and as it did, all the structures touched by it were rebuilt. As she noticed this, Celestia saw the unique creature look in her direction through its unruly rainbow colored hair. She was locked in place at its hate-filled gaze for what had seemed like forever. Those amber eyes spoke of great suffering and anger, somehow gained over several millennia of living. And all of those millennia of anger was now being leveled at her. The other Celestia broke into ashes as her death wail ended, and the wall of light was no more. The ponies surrendered, and the creatures turned to the odd one, and one of them addressed it. “Sir! What should we do with the ponies?”

It spoke with grace and power as it turned its gaze to the soldier who spoke, maintaining complete authority even as it sheathed its sword. “Spare their lives. We will be lenient to them, to show the extent of our humanity.”

One of the soldiers spoke out against this idea, however. “But Your Majesty sir Tortured! They attacked us! Destroyed our property! Tried to force us into a form not our own! Shouldn’t we be more harsh towards them?”

Said soldier felt squeamish as the now named “Tortured” spoke to him. “No. That would make us no better than that monster, Celestia. We must show that we are willing to forgive, to offer redemption.” He turned to one of his commanders. “Ensure that they are treated fairly. Offer them a choice. They can repair the damage done to our fair city, or be given other community service options. I have other important business to attend to.” Finally regaining her composure, Celestia backed away to get back to the portal, but was stopped by Tortured just shy of reaching the portal. He smirked, clearly enjoying himself. “So another Celestia decides to stop by…” He shook his head as he chuckled ruefully. “I must admit, this is quite surprising. In my mightily long journey through countless realities, constantly being molded into becoming the Tortured Soul, never before has this happened. You have my regards, but…” He sighed as he pointed his sword in her direction, and his eyes bore a fierce gaze. “Any last words, you foul monster?”

Stepping back, Celestia took a deep breath before replying. “I have a small request, actually…” Tortured raised an eyebrow, and motioned for her to continue. “This will require you letting me go back to my universe. If, in the Earth of my reality, I can prove to you that I’m not a monster, I win my life. If I can’t, you can deal with me as you please.”

Regarding her for a moment, Tortured sneered. “Do you think that I haven’t made such a wager before with other Celestias? None have succeeded before, and neither will you!” Tortured smirked as he lowered his sword. “However, I can’t resist a good wager. I can’t wait for your ultimate failure. However, how am I to know that I’ve entered your reality?”

Celestia blinked at that, but smiled gently. “When we meet, the password I’ll give you will be… Torn Heart.”

As Celestia went through the portal, she couldn’t help but feel that she’d somehow met Tortured somewhere before…

Author's Note

Here it is, at long last! My TCB fic that isn't a crossover! It took longer than expected, but here's the first chapter. It was originally going to be from the perspective of "Tortured Soul" for the majority of the first chapter, but I decided to give main narrator status to the Good Celestia- for this chapter, at least. If you liked/disliked/faved, please tell me why below!

The Second Encounter

8 Anno Harminae, Canterlot, Equestria

In the throne room of Canterlot Castle, Celestia looked upon the world she had found through her scrying orb. Earth, the one of this reality. She had been searching for 38 years, and now she had found it. No doubt that Tortured Soul was already there. She scanned this world to learn as much as she could, so as to properly present it to her sister. The race she had seen were apparently known as humans, and Earth seemed all but devoid of magic, much like the one she had stumbled upon via that portal years ago. With this knowledge in tow, she called her sister Luna, her niece Cadence, and her former student Twilight and Twilight’s friends into the room. When all of them were there, she showed them the magic projection of Earth. “This is Earth. A planet much like our own, far from here. This planet is different from ours in many ways, however. Our world has magic, Earth seemingly has none. Our world has many races, Earth has only one- humans. Our world has very little technology, Earth has it in abundance. You may ask why I’m showing you this.” She looked away. “38 years ago, I was troubled by doubts of the prophecy that would bring Luna back to me. One night, I used a portal spell to transport myself to another reality. While there, I saw the humans of an alternate Earth and alternate Ponies fighting each other, in a brutal one-sided war. The ponies stood no chance against the humans, especially with the humans’ leader fighting a twisted and vile reflection of myself. Their leader cut down the Celestia of that reality, and found me as I was about to come back here, to our reality. He was going to kill me on the spot, without a second thought- but then, I issued to him a challenge. He would let me come back here, and when I found the Earth of our reality, I would have the chance to prove to him that he is wrong about me being like all the Celestias that he’s met. I need you to know- We are going there in peace. Let there be no doubts of such.”

She then focused the scrying orb’s projection in on a city, and then the ponies saw something play out. One of the screens on the buildings was displaying something. On one side was one of the residents, dressed in a business suit. He was normal, compared to Tortured Soul, who was on the other side of the screen. The man in the suit spoke up. “So, President Soul. Are you saying that the Equinoids of your popular book series Earth Defence Saga are not only real, but that they are also coming here?”

Tortured looked to the screen, and his eyes seemed to meet Celestia’s. “Yes. And No. I changed the name of the species, for artistic purposes. I also changed the names of the important ones in my book series, also for artistic purposes. They- the Ponies- are coming. Their leader is watching right now. And to her, I say…” He then had a smug look on his face. “Celestia. The humans are ready for you. I’m ready for you. It’ll be a quick end for you, I promise. Come when you’re ready to die.”

In shock, Celestia unfocused the orb back out. He knew that she’d been scrying. How? She was knocked out of her thoughts when Rainbow Dash spoke up. “What are we waiting for!? Let’s get him!”

However, Celestia caught Dash in her magic. “No! Don’t you see? That’s what he wants! He wants us to be monsters, or more specifically, me. He wants to be right, he’s convinced himself that he’s right. I have to do all that I can to prove him wrong. That humans and ponies can get along. That I am not a monster. Rushing headlong into it, and treating the humans like bad guys won’t get us anywhere.”

Twilight seemed to get what she was getting at. “Instead, we treat them like friends. Isn’t that right?”

Celestia smiled. “You truly have come into your own as a Princess, Twilight. Yes. But, I will go first. Alone.”

She once again focused the orb’s projection back in, to the studio where Tortured was. However, Luna confronted her. “Are you certain? Shouldn’t you at least take your guards?”

Celestia stood firm on her stance. “I am certain. I must go as non threateningly as possible. This is all to convince him. If I don’t come back, ensure our Ponies know. I will not hide this from them long.” She then opened a portal into the studio. “Well, here goes nothing.”

3000 Anno Domini, Washington, D.C., United States of Earth

Tortured looked over as the portal started to open, and smirked as he addressed the host. “Well, whaddaya know? She’s here already.” Celestia stepped through, clad in her regalia, and Tortured blinked at the fact that she was the only one to come through. “Hm? Celestia? You’ve come… alone? That’s new…”

Celestia then approached a bit, and spoke. “The one of Torn Heart…. I have come alone, to prove a point. I mean no harm to you, or your people. I know you think ill of me, and have probably told tales to the humans of what others have done- but we had an agreement. The challenge still stands, does it not?”

Confused whispers ran rampant through the crowd, that was until Tortured stood to his full height. He regarded her for a moment, and chuckled. “Ah, yes. I remember. In the previous world, I met you while you soon after I had destroyed the Celestia of that world. Ah, memories.” He smiled, unfazed by the audience’s reaction of surprise. “Yes, my people. Your President has come from another reality. The main character of the Earth Defense Saga is in fact myself, and all events that happened within are very real. From the most recent book, I’m sure you all recall the challenge issued by ‘Solaria’ to ‘Tormented Heart’: ‘If, in the Earth of my reality, I can prove to you that I’m not a monster, I win my life. If I can’t, you can deal with me as you please.’ This is the challenge that Celestia speaks of.” Hushed whispers of anger towards Celestia rushed through the crowd, and this caused her to wince. However, they stopped as Tortured raised his hand. He put it down as he continued. “I have accepted this challenge, as you might recall.” He then turned to address Celestia. “So here is how things will work: Eight Trials. You pass one, I will answer one question of your choice, and you move onto the next trial. You fail even one, and you die. You pass all eight, which you will not, and I will recognize that I was wrong about you, and say as such. If you manage that feat, you and your ponies will be granted passports so you can come and go as you please. If you betray my trust at any point after I acknowledge that you are different, and there will be no end to your suffering. Are we understood?”

For a moment, Celestia stared into those deep pools of his, those eyes that she was certain that she had seen before they first met. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong about all of this, that there was something she was forgetting. She pushed the feeling down as she nodded. “I accept your terms. I will show the humans of this Earth, and you, that I am not a monster. Whenever and wherever the first trial begins, I will be ready.”

The audience waited with bated breath for their President to respond. He smirked, and nodded his head. “Very well then. Your trials begin tomorrow. I will allow your ponies to visit, and see it up-close and personal, if they so wish. After all, it’s not quite the same watching from behind a scrying orb.”

The audience was a bit concerned at this, but they were also a bit excited to meet the aliens from the books for real. They spoke in hushed tones excitedly at which ones they might meet, and what they were like. Even when things went south with Celestia- which they were certain they would- they still had hope that they could at the very least be on good terms with the Ponies. The day was barely half way done, yet the excitement was already high. Though, they toned themselves down as Celestia made to speak. “Thank you, Tortured. This will be eye-opening for not just your people, but mine as well. I do so hope that you will treat them well while they are here- Though, I must return, and assure my people that all is well.”

But, as she made to leave, she heard the snap of fingers- and an orihalcum cage fell from the ceiling, trapping her. The audience gasped, and Celestia turned to see Tortured’s hand glowing with magic. “Sorry, no dice. I’m not letting you leave just yet.” The glow faded from his hand, and he continued. “You will not be allowed to leave, Celestia- not until the trials are over. Don’t worry, you will be treated like a foreign dignitary during your stay here.” He snapped his fingers, and his secret service came into the room. “Escort her to her chambers. I must speak to the Ponies.” He walked off, and stepped through the portal.

Back in Equestria-

The Ponies of Canterlot had been shown what had happened through the scrying orb, thanks to Luna. They were a bit skeptical of the reality of it all, that was until the portal that was re-anchored had the “Tortured Soul” on screen step through. Just as they were about to panic, he once again lit his hand and snapped his fingers, and they just suddenly stopped. He then addressed them all. “Ponies of Equestria. I am the Tortured Soul. On behalf of humanity, and myself, let me assure you that I will keep my word- I will not harm your Princess of the Sun, unless I find her guilty. Rest assured- I will not go back on my word. As for your sun, I think Luna can handle raising it a little over a week while I judge her sister. I will allow you passage to view the trials first-hand, if you so wish. The portal will be in Canterlot, though only a certain amount will be allowed through. The rest of you may watch on the scrying orb. That is all.”

He waved his hand, and the Ponies regained mobility. He was about to leave when Luna approached him. “Halt! Tell me, what crime do you think my sister is capable of that you would accuse her preemptively?”

He had a dark look on his face as he looked into the eyes of those present. “Xenocide, plain and simple. She is a monster- you just don’t see it yet.” During their shock, he turned away and left through the portal.

Back on Earth-

Celestia had been guided to a hotel room, and been placed inside. Once there, Tortured came into the room and removed the cage using magic. “I’m not sorry about that. You must understand- I don’t trust you. Not even a smidge. You are my enemy- always have been, always will be. You will be exposed for the monster that you are. And then I’ll kill you. It’s just that simple. Why you insist on this charade is beyond me. Then again… I suppose it is just the way of Celestias to play ‘saint’. It disgusts me. Play your game, for now. It won’t change anything.”

Tortured once again left, setting guards outside the doors. Now alone with her thoughts, Celestia pondered a few things. She had scanned this world, and found little evidence of magic- yet Tortured used it with great finesse and power. How did he have magic, when no other humans did? Who was he, and where had he come from? And, most importantly… why did she feel that she had somehow met him before that “first time”? Today had been very draining, and she made to set the sun- but then she remembered that Earth worked differently, that the sunset came naturally. She cut her magic and opted to watch the natural sunset as she drifted off.

Author's Note

Finally got this chapter done, and a bit early, too! I hope you like it so far- there's much more in store for this story this year.

The Third Parley

The day came on its own in this world, something Celestia wasn’t quite used to. After all, she’d been guiding the sun of Mytharia for a long time. To experience a world where she didn’t have to do that was foreign to her. She didn’t know the full details of why Tortured was insistent that she was evil, but what she had to do was show him how wrong he was. Sure, she had to play his game to get him to listen, but that was a price she was willing to pay to show him that she had no ill will towards humanity. She was thrown out of her thoughts when the door to her guest room opened, revealing a human with a trolly of sorts that floated off the ground. The man was dressed in a fashion similar in design to that of a pony butler, but with obvious adjustments given the stark differences between the races. The man stopped the trolly in front of Celestia, and spoke. “Your breakfast. Our President insists that you be given nourishment, though as to why I will not question. He is a man of principle, always looking to show his good nature. Once you are finished, he has asked that you come with him to the trial site.”

Smiling, Celestia replied cordially. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be down soon.” The butler left the room, honestly a bit perplexed. Nevertheless, he repressed it and left Celestia to eat in peace- and the meal was rather good, too. She had not expected the food to be this good, considering that she was essentially a prisoner- but she supposed that Tortured was doing this to maintain his image to his people. After all, what better way to allay their fears that they might have about him being alien to their world than by showing that he would not treat their “common enemy” ill? Giving the “monster a treatment it doesn’t deserve” until it revealed itself was a tactic that she’d heard of before- but Tortured seemed to be using it very effectively to his advantage. After all, he had painted her as the villain indirectly through his book series. She made a mental note to try and get her hooves on it at some point, and allowed herself to be escorted to the Oval Office.

The hallways of the building were rather sparse compared to her home castle, seeming to ill-fit a ruler of a nation. Instead the building, though large, seemed rather like a standard dwelling as opposed to a castle or even mansion. There were however very beautifully painted pictures- and later on famed photographs- adorning the halls, most of various male figures of the human genome in what she presumed to be era-suitable “respectable” garb. Thre were a few females sprinkled in after the first one in the fiftieth frame. The last frame also contained a photo of a female in the group, near the end of the hallway just before the double doorway that led to the office. She seemed to be the most recent of the faces, and seemingly pretty young, too. Then, Celestia was led inside the office- and it indeed was shaped like an oval. There was an ornate desk made of some kind of wood- though she couldn’t guess which one. Paned windows were on each side, along with a flag. In the top left corner was a blue field that had a picture of what she knew was what Earth looked like when viewed from space. There were thirteen alternating stripes of red and white as well, though she was uncertain as to what they could represent. Above a chair that had its back turned to her, there was a very good photograph of Tortured himself in a suit and tie that was tailored to him to not clash with his dual skin tones.

Then, the chair turned to face Celestia, revealing Tortured himself. He had a smug smile on his face. “Ah, the monster has arrived. Are you ready for the first trial?” He stood from his chair, and came around the desk. He snapped his fingers, and one of his men warmed up a strange platform device. Tortured led Celestia onto it, and stood still as he arrived. He then addressed the operator of the machine. “Let’s take her to Madison Square Garden. I want as many people to see this as possible.”

The man nodded, and tinkered with some dials on what Celestia presumed to be some sort of Control Panel. “One trip to Madison Square Garden in New York ready to go, sir. Shall I contact the local news of the area?”

Tortured smirked. “Sure. Tell them we’ll be there by the time they reach it.” the operator nodded, and flipped a switch. He then went to make a call. As Celestia was about to ask, Tortured shook his head. “Observe. Energize!”

The platform started to emit soft light, and Celestia was caught off-guard as the energy encased them. “What is-” She was cut off as the high tech device whisked them off in beams of light.

The next thing she knew, she and Tortured were set down in a large area that looked reminiscent of parks back home, save for the vendor stalls looking more high-tech, among other things. Tortured smirked at her slack-jawed look for a microsecond before producing an orb of magic. He expanded it, form a portal a ways away, which he could see Canterlot through. Luna was in the throne room, and he smirked. “You seeing this alright? I can offer you a front row seat to the unmasking of the monster that is your sister, if you like.”

However, Luna just shook her head. “That is quite alright, Tortured. The citizens and I will witness Celestia prove you wrong from here in Equestria.”

Instead of being insulted, Tortured merely shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just know that the offer is always open.” He then shut the window to Equestria, just as the reporters showed up. He grinned. “Time to get this show on the road.”

A crowd started to gather, and one of the reporters went up to Tortured, a strange object in hand. The lady spoke into it, and her words were made audible to the masses around them. “Mr. President, what is the trial that you will put Celestia through to find her true nature?”

The lady extended her arm so that the object was near enough for Tortured to speak into. He chuckled slightly, and spoke candidly. “I call this first one the trial of burning loyalty. Fairly straightforward, to be honest. I have a volunteer from Equestria here ready to participate. Isn’t that right, Miss Sparkle?”

From behind the treeline, Twilight became visible to the humans. She took a deep breath, and came close enough for the object to be directed to her. “Yes, I am ready. You may not have faith that Celestia is not a monster as you claim, but I-”

Tortured cut her off abruptly. “That’s quite enough, Miss Sparkle. You, as well as all the ponies that are watching through scrying orbs back in Equestria, will soon be faced with the truth. Celestia is a monster, and we are here to prove that. Sure, many have passed the first test- but none ever pass them all. Regardless of if she ‘succeeds’ in this test, I will be proven right in the end.” He then snapped his fingers, and Twilight was encased with his gray magic. “Let’s get to the point, shall we?” He paced some sort of black ring on her horn, and tied her wings with metal cord. He then levitated her high in the air. He turned to the audience, ensuring that everyone got the point. “This test is rather simple.” He snapped his fingers once again, and rings of fire came into existence in a line beneath Twilight. The audience gasped, but Tortured held up a hand. “Relax. It isn’t real fire. It’s… symbolic. I’ll explain at the end. Let’s begin.” He then suddenly let go of Twilight, causing her to fall.

The people gasped, and Celestia showed no hesitation in going to catch Twilight. But Tortured wasn’t done with her just yet. He snapped his fingers, and the rings of fire started to move constantly so they couldn’t be avoided. Celestia huffed with determination, using her innate grace to safely guide Twilight and herself through the rings. Once she was through all of them, she set on the ground, and turned to Tortured. He snapped his fingers, and the rings disappeared. He also released Twilight from her binds, and smiled. “Well done. Of course, if you hadn’t stepped in, I would have ensured that she wasn’t hurt. I’m not a monster, after all. Though, you did react the fastest of those I’ve tested, so that is marks in your favor. A promise is a promise. What would you like to know? Just one question, though.”

Celestia had to consider this carefully. There were many things that she wanted to know, but she could only ask a single question. After a bit of deliberation and considering which ones he would likely answer, she made her decision. “What atrocity did the others commit that you presume I will? You only took one look at me in the previous world and judged me the same as them. I think it’s only fair that I know what you accuse me of being capable of doing.”

Tortured blinked. For a split second, he almost saw… He shook those thoughts away. No. He would not be tricked again. He couldn’t afford to give her an inch. He shrugged, a nonchalant smile on his face. “Xenocide against humanity. Forcing them into pony bodies with a magic potion. General acts of terror. Need I go on?” He glared at her for a while, burning hatred in his eyes. She was the same as the rest, he was sure of it. She may have had the best results from the first test, but that meant little. There were seven more- and if she was like half of those he’d met, she’d fail the next test. Then again, there was the other half that went on to the third test. He’d just have to see which category she fell into. He opened the portal to Equestria. “Miss Sparkle, you may go home now. As for Celestia, she will stay here.”

As Tortured guided Celestia away, Twilight looked on with concern. Tortured had issues, that was for certain. He would stop at nothing to prove himself right. Even so, Twilight had faith that Celestia would win the trust of the humans- and perhaps even the respect of Tortured. With this thought, she went through the portal home.

Tortured closed the portal, and turned to the audience. “Now to explain the rings of fire from the trial- Put simply, each represents a hurdle that tests true loyalty. Conflicts of interest, differing opinions, scepticism, trust issues, the works. This Celestia may have passed with the best score I’ve seen- but so what? Loyalty far from proves her innocence. We will meet again tomorrow for the next trial. But for now, adieu.” Tortured and Celestia were then teleported back to the Oval Office, and stepped off the platform. Tortured adjusted his tie. “Escort Celestia to her room. The rest of you, stand guard. I’ll be right back.” Celestia was taken from the room, and only just managed to get a glimpse of Tortured lighting his hand before the doors closed.

Author's Note

Alright, here it is! The first trial has been completed. Tortured won't let up, though. The Sun Princess has more trials to face before he relents. I'll see you next chapter.

The Fourth Congregation

Celestia awoke the next morning, still troubled by stray thoughts. Thinking on them would do her no good, so she put them aside as she focused on the meal that had been left behind. Even so, she could not help but wonder if some other power was at play here. She shook her head, and exited her room- only to bump into Tortured in the hallway. “Oh! Sorry about that! I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Tortured scoffed indignantly. “Don’t play that card. I’m no fool, Celestia. You may pull the wool over the eyes of your ponies, but you’ll have no luck with that here.” He made a motion towards the hall. “Let’s go. I’ll have you out of my hair soon enough.”

The pair walked in silence down the Hall of Presidents, as one of her escorts had called it last night. As they passed each one, she couldn’t help but feel some kind of presence looking at her- but such a thing was ludicrous, right? She shook herself out of her musings, and she found they were back in the Oval Office. The guards- or Secret Service as she had heard them called- from yesterday weren’t there, so Tortured led her to the teleporter. “Alright, set destination: London Square.” The machine whirred to life, and the energy began to charge. “Five. Four. Three. Two. One! Energize!”

Once again, they were whisked away in beams of light. When the light died down, they were in an area unfamiliar to Celestia. In the distance was a tower with a clock on all of its faces. The area itself was quite interesting, too. The rest of the visible city was far more high-tech, but only this small park was similar to something back home. She even saw a few objects flying through the air that she could only akin to a chariot- just with nopony pulling it. Of course these objects were far more sleek than that, but it was the best comparison she had. She guessed that all of the cities of Earth probably had them- it was just that she could not see any through the many tall steel towers in the previous city she’d been taken to.

Reporters found their way onto the scene, and one questioned Tortured. “Mr. President, what will this test entail for Celestia? Do you think she’ll pass?”

Tortured took the object that Celestia had learned was called a “microphone” in his hand, and spoke into it. “Well, this next test is about honesty- and knowing the track record that one can glean from my book series, her chances are about 50%. Remember though, about 75% of all had passed the first one- so the more things go on, the slimmer the chances will get. That is, until she ultimately fails. None have ever survived the scrutiny of the eighth trial. NOT. ONE.” He turned to Celestia, his fingers in a snapping position. "Now, for the test of Orange Honesty! Let's see what you're made of, cretin." He snapped his fingers, and an orange ring surrounded Celestia’s neck. Tortured then explained. “Alright, time to answer some questions. Let’s begin with… Tell me, did you set up your sister to become Nightmare Moon so you could secretly mold her into your little puppet once she was ‘cleansed’?”

She saw the audience of humans judging her, peering into her soul. She also could feel the confidence her ponies had in her, making her able to stand the scrutiny. “No. I regret that I did not pay attention to her concerns that the ponies did not love her. Had I done something back then, it is likely that she never would have become Nightmare Moon at all. Luna is my sister; I would never try and control her like that!”

The ring around Celestia’s neck glowed brightly, before dimming back down. However, Tortured was not done just yet. “Next Question. Did you intentionally seek out Twilight Sparkle specifically to become a fourth alicorn so that you could make her a perfect replacement for you in the event that you retire?”

Celestia shook her head. “I stumbled upon Twilight by chance alone; and I had no intention of making her act like me, nor does she. She has grown into her own as the Princess of Friendship, and I am proud of her work. As for if she could run Equestria… I am positive she could, given time.”

Once more, the ring glowed brightly before the glow faded. Tortured scoffed a little, and proceeded onwards. “Next Question. Do you forgive Discord for siding with Tirek when he escaped? Or, is it some ploy to get in his good graces?”

Taking a deep breath, Celestia kept her cool. “I am not a manipulator like that, Tortured. While what Discord did was wrong, I have long since forgiven him. He is a dear friend, and I wouldn’t use him like that.”

As the ring lit up again, Tortured’s left eye visibly twitched. The glow dimmed again, and Tortured regained his composure. He then addressed her once more. “Last Question. What else have you hidden from your ponies? You let Luna, Discord, Sombra, Tirek, the Pony of Shadows, and Grogar all slip into obscurity. Who’s to say what else you hide from them?”

Celestia could see it in his eyes that he thought he had her. He thought that he’d trapped her, that he would prove himself right here, once and for all. Yet, Celestia felt no qualms in proving him wrong. “I didn’t try and obscure them- that happened on its own. I did try and keep the knowledge of them public, yet ponies decided to forget them. It’s not my fault that they chose to be in the dark- I knew that these threats would come back some day, but ponies relegated my predictions to old mare’s tales. I myself did start to think so at a point, but when Luna came back- that was when I knew that the others would likely follow. Since I knew that they were likely not to listen, I let them discover them on their own- a bit of a faux pas on my part, I will admit. Regardless, the threats have been dealt with, and Equestria is better for it.”

The ring glowed one last time, causing the crowd to whisper amongst themselves. Tortured snapped his fingers, and the ring disappeared. “Well. Congratulations. Best results I’ve ever seen, once again…” At this, murmurs in the crowd grew to a fever pitch. But Tortured held up a hand, and they died down just as quickly. “No matter. Let’s cut to the chase: One question, one answer.”

Celestia thought a bit, before settling on her query. “How many have you broken? How many Equestrias have you left bereft of a Celestia?”

At that, Tortured blinked, then shrugged. “Do not act like I’m the monster here. I was only doing so to protect my people. As for how many… easily a few thousand, if not more. They were monsters, so I destroyed them. Simple.” At Celestia’s horrified look, he shook his head. “Don’t act so surprised. Every version of you is pure scum. Play your games all you want. You will be exposed for the monster you are.” He turned to the crowd. “The show’s over, move along.” He snapped his fingers, and the two of them were back in the Oval Office. He turned away from her, and addressed one of the Secret Service. “Escort her to her room. I need space.” Once more, Celestia was taken out of the room, and escorted away.

Once all of his Secret Service were out of the room, Tortured lit his hand. He needed more than just space. He needed to think. He turned the photo hanging behind his desk into a portal, and jumped through. He found himself in a secret space, that none of his Secret Service knew about. It was an empty room, save for a single mahogany desk with a tattered book on its surface. Light shone from above, giving detail to the torn book. Its navy blue binding was faded and worn, and the golden etchings had long since gone. One could barely make out a single word on the front: Journal. There was once a name above it with an apostrophe s after it, but it had long since been blotted out. Tortured winced. Time had not been kind to his journal, despite his efforts to keep it together. He sat at the chair at his desk, and perused his journal. Reading old entries did wonders for his addled mind, to remind himself of where he came from. After sifting through the pages for what seemed like hours, he found a blank page. It never ceased to amaze him that he still had any of those left in the old book. Taking great care, he took out a pen and began to write down the events of the day.

Author's Note

It's out early! Finally, I let you see what happens on his end. What think?

The Fifth Assemblage

The morning came again, and Celestia woke readily. Breakfast’d been left for her before she woke, likely an order by Tortured so that none of his workers got “influenced” by her. Speaking of, his vision on her was disturbing. He hated her, right down to his core. He wouldn’t stop until he “exposed” her, but what’d he do if she beat his final test? He’d said that he’d apologize, but… she wasn’t so sure that he’d keep his end of the bargain. She finished her breakfast, and got ready to go- and once more, she had escorts. As she was once more guided to the Oval Office, the thought that had bothered her before wormed its way to the front of her mind. For some reason or another, ever since she first came across Tortured, she’d had this nagging feeling that they’d met before somehow. Yet, according to what he himself said, that was impossible. No Celestia he’d come across before was ever spared, so the fact she still lived didn’t jive well with the feeling that they’d met before. Even so, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t quite shake that feeling. She couldn’t dwell on the thought though, seeing as they soon entered the Oval Office. Tortured got up from his chair and sighed. “Are you ready? Because you should know that your chances have dropped to about 25%. If you forfeit now, I can give you a slight bit of dignity when you die… How about it, hm? Just admit your true nature, and I’ll make your death quick and painless. Your choice.”

Celestia shook her head. “I’ve come this far; I won’t give in now. You won’t get me to change my mind on this matter, Tortured.”

A huff came from him as he shook his head in what seemed to be resignation. “Very well, then. If you want to drag out your fate, then so be it. I see no need for this, but since you insist on wasting my time, then I’ll oblige. Let’s get on our way.” He turned to face his Secret Service members. “Set location to Beijing. We leave in a few minutes.”

Tortured once more led Celestia to the warp pad. He remained silent, but Celestia wanted to know something. “You have magic, yet you don’t use it as often as unicorns do. Why’s that?”

A shake of the head accompanied his sigh. “I don’t think you’ve earned your right to ask a question yet. If you manage to pass today’s test, then I will oblige you with an answer. You can’t go messing with the structure of our agreement.” He received the signal from his Secret Service members, and nodded. “Energize.” The teleportation pads engulfed them in light like they had last time, and it wasn’t long before the light died down. Celestia took in this place, seeing as it was different than most places she’d been taken to so far. There were banners with strange script everywhere, and the style of the buildings were like nothing she had ever seen before in her life.

She was shaken out of her reverie when the reporters approached them as they tended to do. They posed a question to Tortured, just as the other one had before. “President Soul, what’s the test you have prepared for the one known as Celestia this time?”

Tortured smirked in victory. “Follow us to the hospital. I’ll explain there.” Tortured started walking, and Celestia followed close behind. The humans had their judging gazes locked on her, scrutinizing her very being. She could tell that some of them were perhaps starting to have their doubts about Tortured’s claim, but the rest of them were almost as stubborn as he was about it. It wasn’t long before they reached the hospital, and they entered inside. The place was impeccably clean, possibly to an extent that the ponies’d yet to achieve themselves. Once inside, Tortured turned to face the reporter. “The rules of this test fare simple. Help out our doctors today. This particular one is backlogged, so I’ve decided to outsource a bit. Ready?”

Celestia nodded firmly. “Always.” Without a second thought, Celestia went to work. She went from room to room helping the doctors as Tortured observed. At first, he seemed sure that she would crack. But the longer it went with her helping as genuinely as she did… he immediately dismissed that thought. No. No Celestia was that pure.

Before long, she’d helped ease the burden of many in the hospital, she turned to see Tortured as he looked at a timer that’d just gone off. He sighed. “Well, you did better than any I’ve put through this test. Congratulations. Remember, one question’s all you get.”

For a moment, she considered the questions she had. But with a nod, she reaffirmed the one from that morning. “Why is it that you don’t use your magic very often?”

Tortured sighed, shaking his head. “Humans of most realities are not used to magic. It is foreign and new to them, so I keep mine toned down and sparse in use unless absolutely necessary. Of course, I have run across some that have humans that use magic, but those realities are few and far between.” He cleared his throat. “That’s all, then. Let’s be off.” With a wave of his hand, they found themselves back in the Oval Office. Tortured turned away from her. “You know what to do.” Once more, Celestia was escorted away.

Tortured was left alone in the Oval Office, and that was fine. He needed time to think. This Celestia… She certainly was different from most, that much was clear. Though, he couldn’t help but consider the impossible. Was she somehow a reincarnation of one of the Celesita he’d faced before? Or perhaps there was some other explanation… Tortured shook his head. No. She was just like the rest. He wouldn’t be distracted but such a ludicrous notion any further. No matter what.

Author's Note

Tortured is just so stubborn, isn't he? If he isn't careful, he might end up doing something he regrets.

The Sixth Convetion

The next morning arrived as Celestia finished her breakfast for the day. Thoughts of how her ponies were keeping her a bit preoccupied however. She knew that Luna was keeping an eye on them, but she couldn’t help but worry. She was jolted out of her musings by a knock on the door. She went towards it, and opened it with her magic. Tortured was standing there, an unamused look on his face. "Ah, rested well, I see? Not that it matters." He sighed. “Let’s get this over with.” He led the way as she followed.

She gathered that something was bothering him, most likely that she had passed as many tests as she had with flying colors. She knew better than to try and ask him about it, though. She did try and ease the tension in the air, though. “This building. Quite exquisite, yet also simple. The mix in design is astounding. I never thought it possible…”

Tortured let out a dry chuckle. “Please. This old place? Been around for over a thousand years, it has. Only had to refurbish it a few times.” He shook his head. “Nothing compared to some of the places I’ve seen, though.”

Celestia tilted her head to one side, but reconsidered asking what he was talking about. After all, he was only likely to brush her off like last time. She noticed that the path that they were taking was a bit different. Off to one side was a pair of double doors that led to what appeared to be a library from what she could see through the slightly ajar door. Tortured noticed how she had stopped in front of it. He sighed and shook his head. “Listen, we’re not here to have you side-tracked.” He noticed the look on her face. He pinched his temples. “Pay attention, would you? We’ve better things to be doing. I won’t be letting you wander around unattended. Come along.”

Celestia gave a solemn sigh as she fell in step behind Tortured as they continued on towards the Oval Office. It wasn’t much longer before they found themselves there. However, this time there were a lot more members of the Secret Service in the room. One of them came towards them, and addressed Tortured. “Mr. President. The telepad is out for repairs today. Would you like to board Air Force One to get where you are going today?”

Tortured gave a dry chuckle. “Sure, for old times sake.” He turned towards Celesita, an unreadable look on his face. “You’re in for a treat. It’s not often that I bust out Air Force One.” He turned towards the doors, a small smile growing. “Let’s get going.”

After following Tortured through a few more hallways, they found themselves out in an open field in front of a magnificent machine that Celestia could hardly comprehend. It looked to be designed like some kind of giant metal hawk, though the resemblance was quite abstract. She turned to look at Tortured. “We’re going to get there using that?”

Tortured gave a strange smile. “A beauty, isn’t it? Come. The hyper flight engines are almost ready.” He walked on, and Celestia followed quickly soon after. They went up a staircase that connected to one of the outside doors, and went inside. The door closed behind them, and Tortured motioned for Celestia to sit on the couch as he took a chair on the other side of the room. After Celestia sat down, Tortured pressed a button on the wall and spoke. “Engage take off. Our next stop: the city of Las Vegas.”

Celestia took a look outside the window as she felt the mighty machine lift into the air. She saw for the first time the world of the humans as it flew past. Their capital was immense! All those tall structures, far larger than they had any right to be. It was also the first good look at the place that she had been kept in. Unlike her expectations, the White House was not the largest building in the area. It was a much different style from the surrounding city, commanding a certain air of respect. Celestia turned to look at Tortured once more, confusion apparent on her face. “That is where you had me kept? Why is it so… different from the surrounding buildings?”

Tortured scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “Those skyscrapers are new. Just built a few years back. The White House has looked the same for centuries. People would be rather upset if it was remodeled from the classic look. You could say that it’s become quite iconic. Sure, the inside can be redecorated all the time- save for a few rooms- but nothing will save you if you try and change the outside look of it.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I had thought you would not have answered, and yet you did. Why?”

Tortured gave a shrug. “That question is one that I find insignificant. I could have let you find out yourself, or just answer you myself. Practical that I am, I chose the latter.” It was then that they noticed the airplane pickup speed. Tortured smirked. “Hold onto something. It’s time… for hyperflight.”

Celestia gripped the arm of the couch as the plane lurched forward at insane velocity. It took a moment to adjust, but the sensation was really something else. But only a few minutes after the “hyperflight” began, the plane slowed down. Celestia looked out the window, and saw a different city. This one was chock full of casinos, bars, and hotels as far as the eye could see. The plane set down, and Tortured stood. Celestia followed suit and they made their way out the door and down the stairs that had been attached. A crowd had gathered, anticipating what this new test would bring. Celestia turned towards Tortured, a bit confused. “Why this place?”

A grin appeared upon Tortured’s face. “Simple.” He snapped his fingers, and a suitcase appeared from thin air. He opened the suitcase to reveal hundreds of green bills- somewhat akin to the griffon’s paper money. He explained. “Your test today involves the use of all this money however you please within a time limit of 6 hours. Once the time is up, you should bring the suitcase back, along with any extra funds you’ve acquired. Ready?”

Celestia grasped the suitcase with her magic. She took a careful look as to how much she had been given- roughly two hundred stacks of two hundred high of “Five Hundred Dollar” notes. She ran the numbers, and she had just been handed a fortune of 20 million in their money. The question was, what was she expected to do with it? What should she do with it? After taking a deep breath, she nodded. Tortured smirked. “Let the challenge… begin!”

Celestia started taking a look around the city, getting a good feel for it first. Some of the crowd had followed her, curious as to what she would do, but Celestia didn’t seem to mind. After a while, she started to notice some people upon the streets with worn clothes. Instead of approaching them openly, she would go in while each was distracted by somebody else and place half a stack of 500s in their pail. After doing this for all the destitute that she managed to find across the city, her total had dwindled to 5 million. She hadn’t really noticed the time, but it had flown as she had been on her escapade. 3 hours remained. She looked around the city for a while longer, until she found an orphanage. She saw that it was in sub-par shape, and she went towards it. She found a slot in one of the walls, with the words: “Place donations here” etched above it. Knowing what to do, Celestia carefully put the rest of the fortune through the slot. Once the suitcase was empty, a light on it glowed green.

It didn’t take much time for Celestia to make her way back to find Tortured. When she showed him the empty suitcase, his smug look melted. “Interesting… so you gave it all away.” He looked to those that followed her, and then to the suitcase. Your witnesses confirm it with their eyes, as does the suitcase with its hidden camera. You are one of the few to pass this test so flawlessly…” Celestia gave a smile, and Tortured sighed. “Ask your question, then.”

Celestia thought on it for some time before asking what she had been wondering about. “Who were you, back in your home world?”

Instead of a ready answer, Tortured remained silent for a while. He eventually sighed, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter now. I was… royalty. King of Humanity, I called myself. But those days are passed. Those people that I ruled are gone, like ripples on a pond.” He turned away. “We are leaving.” He led her back to the plane. They boarded, and silence ruled as they flew back to D.C.. Once they landed back in D.C., he addressed her as they returned into the White House. “You have been surprising so far. But you’ll recall your fate. I’ll allow you to peruse my book series, only through the ones that have faced the four tests you have, or less. Tomorrow, though.” He addressed the secret service guards. “See that she gets rest. I’ve business to attend to.”

Celestia looked towards the strange man as she was dragged away, a single thought in her mind. Why is it that I feel I know you?

Author's Note

The time approaches...

The Seventh Rally

Celestia looked around, at a place that seemed familiar. The world below her ethereal consciousness was large and vast, full of lush Forests, pristine Lakes, vast Seas, large Mountains, ambient Valleys, deep Oceans, winding Rivers, rolling Fields, and much more. As she drew closer, she could see that this world was populated.

On one half of the Globe, there were ponies of every tribe, ruled by an Alicorn King that she almost recognized, but not quite. This king had two daughters, who she instantly recognized as herself and Luna. Was this a memory of her father, then? She supposed that could be so, but that made little sense. Why wouldn’t she recognize him?

The other half of this world that she was whisked away to was populated by humans and ruled by a Human King, who himself had only one son. This young boy looked oddly familiar to Celestia, however. But how was that so? She hadn’t seen a human before meeting Tortured… right?

She was awakened by a knock on the door. What’d that dream meant? Some clue as to what was going on here? Celestia was unsure. She pushed the thought aside to answer the door. She blinked as she saw the Secret Service at her door. She then recalled what they were likely here for. “Time already?” She rubbed her eyes. “Can I at least get some breakfast first?”

They nodded. “President Soul is busy right now anyway. He asked us to show you to the Library.”

They led her through the halls, ensuring to not go “too fast”. Celestia rolled her eyes. She was faster than both of them, but she decided to humor them. It wasn’t much longer until they reached the library. When she saw it, she was amazed. The doors themselves were made of what was considered back home to be some pretty expensive wood- Sandalwood. Above the double doors was a golden plaque that read: “The Josephus M. Cartwright Presidential Library”. She was let in, and she saw bookcases lined with thousands and thousands of books- though there was a chair near the door that had what was likely her breakfast on a plate. Near said chair was a pile of peculiar books. Celesita sat on the chair and grabbed her food. The Secret Service addressed her. “President Soul will be along once he is no longer busy. Until said time, you are free to peruse the books provided near the chair; but no others.” The two left Celestia alone.

She took a chance to look upon these books, and saw their titles. “Earth Defense Saga: The Legend Of Atlantis”, “Earth Defense Saga: The Glory Of Rome”, “Earth Defense Saga: The British Crown”, and “Earth Defense Saga: The Revenge Of Solaria.” These were all books in Tortured’s book series, all based on his past. Though, she noticed something odd. The earliest book there, “The Revenge Of Solaria” was book number two. That meant that the one containing the first Celestia was not among the collection that she’d been allowed to peruse. She took the second book, and looked to the list of others in the series. However, much to her surprise, there was no book listed above “The Revenge Of Solaria”. Filing that away for later, she started to read. She read on and on, getting pretty far in the anthology of the second book before the Secret Service came back.

She summoned a bookmark and placed it in the book and stood. She followed them out, and they took her to the Oval Office. She saw that the telepad was still being fixed, so she addressed Tortured. “So where are we going today?”

He was in some sort of white bulky suit, and he turned towards her and handed her a modified version. “Luna City. We’re going to the moon.”

At his response, Celestia balked. “The moon? How?”

He smirked. “Put that on. I’ll show you.” He turned and left the room, and she put on the suit as best she could. Once she figured it out, she left into the hall, and followed Tortured’s lead. They took a few more turns through the halls before they reached a long hallway that she had noticed from the airplane yesterday. It was gray and had rims going across the ceiling. They walked on, and entered a large room. Inside was a giant metal machine unlike anything that Celestia had seen before. Tortured walked up to the stairs that protruded out of the door of the machine. He stood atop the stairs, and looked back. “Behold, Space Force One!” He gestured to the dart-like machine behind him. He jerked his head towards the door. “Come along now.”

He went inside the ship’s door, and Celestia hurried up the stairs to get inside. He gestured to the seat on one side of the vehicle, and she had to twist herself a bit to get in and secure herself. She looked to see that he had already done the same. She felt her blood pool briefly as she heard a voice call out as the machine began to rumble. “10… 9... 8... 7...”

Celestia quirked her head. “What happens when it reaches zero?”

“6… 5… 4…”

Tortured grinned. “Just wait.”

Celestia huffed and rolled her eyes, but complied. “3… 2… 1…! Blast off!”

The rumbling continued for a bit as Celestia felt herself pulled into the back of her seat. In mere seconds, they shot higher and higher as Celestia could see from the window. The city got smaller and smaller, and soon she could no longer see any distinct building. As the machine went higher, she saw the full beauty of the Earth come into view. She had seen it through the projection when she showed it to Twilight and the others, but that view paled in comparison to what she now saw. A massive blue and green sphere with dots of brown and gray. Her eyes could hardly process the full majesty of Earth. She turned towards Tortured. “Your planet is beautiful from this view… So beautiful…”

Tortured raised an eyebrow as the gravity of Earth dispelled as they coasted through space. “Hm? It’s not mine, but yes. Earth is beautiful, regardless of the version that I wind up on.” He turned to look at her with a perplexed look. “You are very insistent to stick to this shtick, aren’t you? Not even a mention of how ‘you humans have twisted its beauty’ or something to that effect? Just admit defeat now, and your end will be less painful.”

Celestia sighed. “I’m not like the Celestias from your past, Tortured. They all had tells, at least from the book I’ve managed to read. I think that maybe you’re being a bit harsh, painting me with the same brush as them. I might be a Celestia, but there is a non-zero chance that I am not like them.”

He blinked at first. “You sound so much like…” He shook his head. “Nevermind. I will admit that you are the most clever one that I’ve encountered, but your charade will soon end.” He perked up as the moon came into view. “Here we are.”

Celestia looked upon Earth’s moon and gasped. She hadn’t seen in detail what it had looked like through the projection, but nothing could possibly compare. The moon was a sea of white rock with craters strewn about. Inside the biggest was a large domed city, complete with several skyscrapers carved from large trees. Everywhere she looked, each building was carved from a different tree. From super-sized oaks to super-sized maples and everything in between, the city was full of them. She turned to look at Tortured as they drew closer. “It’s like looking at a forest of Twilight’s library. Are they… still alive?”

Tortured grinned. “Yes. All of them are spliced with the longest-living and sturdiest tree known to man. Tree-splicing tech used to be pretty difficult. But we broke through because of our desire to colonize the Solar System. Sure, it’s only a few moon cities and the odd towns on Venus and Mars, but it’s a start.” They then set down at a metal door that was connected to a small hall that was jutting out of the dome. The ship was docked carefully so that the door of the ship connected flush with the extended hall. Tortured looked to Celestia. “Well, that’s our cue.”

He got out of his seat, and Celestia did much the same. They went to the door and went through once it and the one it was connected to opened. Once on the other side, the doors closed and they were greeted by a person in a white suit much like Tortured’s. He spoke cordially. “President Soul! What an honor it is to see you here in the Lunar Colony! Please, right this way.” He turned, and led them down the hall. It wasn’t much longer before they reached another door. It opened, and they went through. Once it closed behind them, Celestia felt the gravity shift, and the suit was heavy again. Their erstwhile guide chuckled. “Ah, I see the artificial gravity has kicked in.” He gestured to a pair of bathrooms. “Please feel free to take those suits off now, as here in Luna City, the pressure’s fine!”

Tortured walked off towards one of them, and Celestia found her way to the other one. Celestia took off the bulky suit, and breathed a sigh of relief. Though she was certain that she would have to put it on again when they went back to Earth, it was good to be out of it. She exited the bathroom to see Tortured in his suit, and their guide had changed into a more casual attire. Tortured spoke. “Alright. Now, to business.” He turned to Celestia. “Your task today is to find those that have had a bad day before the East Coast of North America has nightfall. As for what you should do with them? I’ll let you figure that out.”

Celestia took a deep breath, and once more travelled into a large city. It wasn’t long before she found somebody that was down on his luck. She helped him by going up to him and having a cheerful chat. At first, he was a bit put off. But after a while, he was smiling and laughing. She had to say farewell, but that was fine. That man had a new outlook on the day. Not long after, she found a crying girl. She played a game with her until her parents showed up. The glowing smile on her face and her chuckle as she waved good-bye were precious. She scoured the city a little longer, racing against the clock. She managed to find one more, a woman that had just lost her job. Celestia did her best to ensure her that it would be alright, but the woman didn’t seem to believe her at first. But Celestia helped her look for another job, and one of the places she went did accept her application and schedule an interview. After that, the woman smiled softly, and nodded.

Then, time ran out. Celestia was forcibly teleported back to Tortured, and there was a crowd now. Tortured looked upon her for a moment before speaking. “You did it. Once more, you passed. With flying colors.” He paused as he massaged his head. He then continued. “Ask away.”

Celestia considered for a moment. Could she ask about her dream this morning? Or was that too out of line? She shook her head, deciding to ask something else. “You said that you were a king once. The Celestia that took that from you… were you close to her?”

The crowd gasped as Tortured clenched a fist. He fumed slightly before catching himself, and calming down. “You could say that. I don’t elaborate on it. It’s why I never published a book for my Earth. It’s too painful.” He shook his head. “That’s enough. We’re getting back.” He channelled his magic, and the next thing Celestia knew, they were in the Oval Office. Their suits lay on the ground, and Tortured had his back to her. He spoke firmly, a tad of venom seeping in. “Get her out. All of you will keep an eye on her tonight.”

One of the Secret Service spoke out. “But sir! What about you?”

Tortured huffed irritably. “GO.” The Secret Service members stood straight as they all escorted Celestia away. The last thing she saw through the door was Tortured clutching his head.

Author's Note

Well now. This complicates matters...

The Ninth Tryst

Celestia looked around, once more becoming aware of the scene in front of herself. It was the same scene she had ended her last dream upon- The young man wielding what she now recognized as Tortured’s sword, pointing it at Dreamlestia. The tree’s golden leaves swayed in the wind, as the silence surrounded the isolated hill. The Celestia of the dream just smiled, and responded. “At ease, Prince of Man. My sister and I don’t agree with our Father's war. Personally, I find humans quite… fascinating.”

The Prince debated with himself whether or not to believe the Celestia before him. He thought for a good while before sheathing his sword with a sigh. “To be honest, I’d hoped you would say that.” He looked towards the battle camps in the distance, a somber look upon his face. “This war is so agonizing. Father is so obsessed with it that he doesn’t see how it’s hurting his people… or how it’s hurting me. Most of the citizens I’ve spoken to would rather learn from the ponies than fight them.” He turns to face Dreamlestia again, a hopeful smile on his face. “I’d wager that most ponies feel similarly?”

With a nod, Dreamlestia replied with stars in her eyes. “Exactly! Why don’t we use that to act out? Unite in opposition to this dreadful war? That might end this whole thing!”

A thoughtful look appeared upon The Prince’s face. He nodded. “A bit optimistic to think that, but it’s worth a try. If all goes well, we’ll have no need for bloodshed. ”He outstretched his hand to her. “So, shall we make it official?”

Just as Dreamlestia placed her hoof in the Prince’s hand to shake, the dream faded away…

Celestia woke suddenly. She looked to the window, and saw that it was not yet morning. Troubled that she was roused from her slumber, she decided to get up and about. She walked to the door, and to her surprise, it opened. She looked both ways in the dimly lit hallway, but nobody was around. She lit her horn a bit and ventured into the hall. She kept her thoughts off what Tortured might do if he found her out by herself by digesting a few things.

First, the outburst yesterday. She was sure now that he was trying his hardest to contain his darker desires. However, it seemed that it was inevitable that he’d snap. How long had he been doing this? Milleniums? Frankly, she was surprised he hadn’t snapped long ago. She only hoped that once she proved that he was wrong about her that she could guide him back from the edge.

Next were the dreams. They felt so... real. It was clear that the human Prince of the dream was Tortured’s younger self. What still bothered her was why she was having them. Was it as simple as the first Celestia’s spirit reaching out and showing her these dreams? Or was there something far more unexpected going on?

She shook the distracting thoughts away as she found herself near the library. She hadn’t intended on going there, but since she was already there… she took a deep breath and tested the doors. Locked, of course. She gathered her magic, for the first time in this strange world. She wasn’t too surprised she had no difficulties. After all, Tortured used magic just fine here. She put that thought away and teleported to the other side of the doors.

Once on the other side, she went towards the stack of Tortured’s book series. Those books were her only other insight into Tortured’s past, aside from his minimalistic answers and the dreams. She hesitated for a moment. Was it alright for her to go behind Tortured’s back like this, though? He’d said that she could read them, but…

A deep sigh escaped from her. This wasn’t right. She had to- *Click*! Startled by the sound of the lock opening, she Quickly used her magic to make herself invisible. She quickly added on a few hasty charms to hide her magic signature from Tortured. She was right to do so, for he was walking through the doors.

Locking the doors behind him, Tortured found his way over towards where Celestia was hiding. He gazed straight at where she was as Celestia held her breath. Tortured shook his head. “Shoddy work, Celestia. You always were a lousy spell crafter when startled...

She wasn’t sure how he knew, but Celestia could tell he wasn’t bluffing. “She let herself breathe as she let the spells drop. “I’m sorry I broke in… I couldn’t sleep…”

Surprise took shape upon Tortured’s face for a split second before he regained his composure. “I see.” Anger attempted to rest control, but he firmly restrained himself. “Nightmares of your inevitable defeat, no doubt. Rest assured-”

Celestia took a gamble and interrupted. “Actually, my dream was more like a vision of your past… Prince of Man.”

Shock colored Tortured’s face for a few minutes as he processed that. He soon regained his composure, though and had a museful look upon his face. “Now there’s a title I haven’t heard in eons…” He shook his head. “I don’t know how her ghost is contacting you- for, that’s all it can be. I know all the spells she had- Spectral Communication sure wasn’t one of them, unless I missed something…” With another head shake, he dropped the subject. “Now, onto more important matters…” He turned away from her. “I’ll forgive this little break in just this once, Su- *Khrm!* Celestia.” Celestia was about to comment upon his slip-up before he looked back at her with a smug look. “Are you ready for the penultimate test? I must warn you- your chances of success are slim."

Celestia knew he was diverting the inevitable question, but she’d allow it for now. “I believe I am, Tortured.” She took a step closer. “I mightn’t know what’s bothering you, but... I will always be there to-”

“Don’t say it!” His look of anger was clearly indicating that those words bothered him. After a moment, Tortured found his calm. He turned away, and a somber tone entered his voice. “You don’t get to say that to me.” He sighed and started to walk away. “Just get out of the library. It's almost morning. You’ll need your energy for the test today, anyway…”

Celestia stood still for a moment after Tortured had left. His reaction was indicative of something, for sure. It was clearly about another Celestia, that much was certain. She pushed aside the thoughts for now, and left the library.

A few hours had passed, and she was now being brought to the Oval Office. She was let inside, at which time she and Tortured exchanged a look. Both knew something hung in the air, but now wasn’t the time to address it. To her surprise, news crews were already here. Tortured gave a nod and one of his Secret Service started to fire up some kind of new machine. Celestia raised an eyebrow. “So where is this… ring-like device… going to take us?”

As the energy crackled, Tortured gave a small smirk. “Ah, the Portal Machine. I’ve been meaning to break it out of storage for some time.” He looked towards the Turquoise energy that started to spin in the ring. “We’ll be going to a place that can’t exactly be reached through normal teleportation. We’re going to visit an old pal of mine…”

The way he said that, Celestia could sense a bit of wistfulness in his voice. As she was about to ask what that meant, the portal’s turquoise energy pushed aside as a picture began to form within the ring. Beyond the ring was a strange place that looked nothing like anything that she’d seen so far.

The land beyond was flat and gold- but as far as she could tell, there was no grass. Rivers of sand flowers across the land like water. The trees that dotted the land were even stranger. Instead of bark, it appeared that they were made of stone. The branches were shaped like sundials, flowering with hourglasses. In the sky where the sun would be was a giant clock face illuminating light. And in the distance, there was a figure adorned with a cloak and as many time-telling objects as one could feasibly wear.

Celestia saw a smile upon Tortured’s face. “There he is, Father Time.” He turned to face the crowd. “Come on, all of you. Let’s get going.” He stepped through the portal first, and the news crews filed in after. Celestia digested the situation as she waited for the rest of the reporters to enter. She was about to enter a realm that was separate from any reality. The figure she was about to meet was far more powerful than any she’d seen before, she could tell. Steeling herself, she followed into the portal.

The figure spoke before anyone else could. “Ah, you’re all here. That’s good.” His voice was strong and commanding, brimming with hidden wisdom that no mortal was privy to. He looked towards Celestia, and spoke. “So you’ve brought another one, have you? How many have met me before they’ve been brought low by you? Roughly 10% of all the ones you’ve met, I believe.”

Tortured sighed. “Father Time, while reminiscing would be nice, I have things to do. We’re here for the test.”

With a nod, Father Time turned and raised a hand. Magical energy filled the air and a giant clock presented itself in front of Celestia. “Relax, and let the Hands of Time glance into your past friendships… and judge them.”

The hands on the face of the clock started to turn backwards and scenes started to form. Old friends she had known, and missed. She saw all the times they had together, and a smile tugged at her face. There were so many over the years, keeping her company while she waited for Luna’s return… And then she saw her past interactions with Luna. How she always tried to reach out, always tried to make time for her. The only black mark was when Luna disappeared. She recalled feeling that there was something more that she could’ve done to stop Luna from leaving. But alas, she knew that she had done her best- and it hadn’t been enough. She was glad that things were good between them again, though.

As the scene began to shift, Tortured intervened and cut the spell. “I think we’ve seen enough.” He turned to Celestia. “You’ve passed the test. Congrats. Now, ask your question, and let us be out of here.”

Celestia thought for a good while. She wanted to know so many things, but she knew that not all of them would be answered- at least, not yet at least. There was something that she had been wondering, though… “Tortured. I’ve noticed that you portray your immortality as a curse in the book series. However… That couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality… you asked Father Time for it, as a gift. My question is: Is it really so simple as trying to stop all the evil Celestias? Or, was there another reason that you asked for it?”

For the second time that day, shock displayed itself upon his face. He took a moment to compose himself. It seemed that he didn’t really want to answer that one… However, he consigned himself to it with a sigh. “Your observation is correct. When I was young and naive, I thought I could prevent other worlds from suffering like mine. Fool that I was, I asked for immortality. Sure, for a while it was great- That was until I realized something. I could never do it all. The body may have been made immortal, but the mind was not expanded in capacity. The more time went on, the more I forgot the faces and names of people. They started to… blend together. I regretted it.”

After a small pause, Tortured continued his reply. “As for the other part of your query… You asked if there was another reason for my foolish decision...There was.” He turned to look at the exit portal. A sorrowful look was upon his face. “I had hoped to find somebody. I didn’t want to believe at first… You know the phrase that I believe so mightily now, the very reason I’m testing you.” He shook his head. “Alas, ‘twas folly to believe that I’d find her. After all, I’d ended her long ago. It was foolish to believe that she’d been… replaced.” He sighed and started to walk away. “I think that’s enough for today. Let’s get out of here.”

After everyone filed out and left the portal, Tortured looked back as it started to close. He couldn't quite put his finger on why he was so open with that answer… Mayhaps, he was starting to believe again… He sighed. There wasn’t room for thoughts like these. He noticed that everyone else had left- aside from his Secret Service. He dismissed them for the night, and once more walked through the secret passageway. He had to read something again, just be sure…

He once more sat at his desk, a giant journal on the table. He flipped it open to the earliest pages and started to skim. He recalled how different things were back then, How he and Celestia fought against the Pony-Human war that was waged by their fathers. He recalled how every once and a while, he’d joke with her about using his holy blade Recrisintyr on her if she corrupted. He remembered how close they had become… And then came the day where it all changed. He recalled how differently she acted, and how it threw him off. He was close to where the passage was, now.

He skimmed through most of the war- after all, he didn't much care for recalling all those deaths. He stopped as he saw the words he’d recorded long ago. The final words of the first Celestia he’d slain. “Fool Prince of Man! I see upon your face so many warring emotions… You don’t seem to quite understand what’s going on here.”

His reaction back then was one of confusion and anger. “What are you talking about! We used to be friends, Celestia! What’s gotten into you?”

He grimaced as he remembered the evil grin that accompanied her reply… “Oh, that’s cute! Do you really think that I’m the same pony as before? I can tell you… That’s far from the truth! I may die, but you’ll never find the mare you once knew! She and I… We exchanged worlds, you see…”

He hadn’t believed it fully back then. At some point he dismissed it as mad blatherings of a friend that’d betrayed him. But now… With this new Celestia, so much didn’t make sense. She even tried… reassuring him. That was something that Sunsun- his Celestia- once did.

He shook his head as he closed the journal. There was no way that first Celestia had been talking anything but nonsense. He couldn’t afford to waver, not now. Tomorrow was the final test. If She passed it, there was only one reason: cheating. He glanced at Recrisintyr over his shoulder. That blade would show the truth of the matter, if it came to that.

Celestia sighed as she came back to the guest room, a few books from Tortured’s series under wing. She was a bit surprised that they’d let her borrow one today, after what happened that morning. She shook her head. If anything had answers for her, it would be those books. So, she sat down and started to read from where she left off. As she read, she noticed the slow transformation of “Tormented Heart” from an eager man wanting to protect everyone, to what he would ultimately become; a shell that saw it all as formality. She knew that the book series reflected Tortured’s exploits, but she hadn’t fully understood how explicitly it did so. It went over all the thoughts that went through the protagonist’s head. From doubts to hopes. It covered everything.

However, what she didn’t expect was a reference to the first world. For most of the book, it hardly ever touched upon that. But the passage she stumbled upon had “Tormented Heart” mention the first world’s “Solaria” spiel about “not being the one he once knew, in more ways than one.” Intrigue sparked upon Celestia’s face. What did that mean? She read on as “Solaria” claimed to have “switched places” with the one he once knew.

That phrase could be literal, or just blatherings of a madmare. Either way, though “Tormented Heart” held on to hope that it was true at first, the further along in the books she got, the less and less he believed it. She also noticed that much like his real-world counterpart, “Tormented Heart” started to forget friends from his past. At first it disturbed him visually, but as the series continued he started to accept its inevitability.

Sadness ached in Celestia’s heart. If what Celestia had read was implicative of Tortured’s past- and, to her knowledge, the book series was- then she could safely surmise that there was a third reason that Tortured initially asked for immortality: To find his Celestia. But as time went on, he started to think ridiculous, and ignored it as he continued forward. After all, why try and find somebody if they’re surely dead?

Celestia sighed as she closed the book. She set it aside with the others, and called for somebody to return them to the library. She laid awake in the bed, thoughts buzzing in her mind. Was the first Celestia truthful in her final words? If so… where was the original Celesita? Such thoughts would keep her from slumber, so she let them fade. Maybe, a vision would give insight… She decided to get some rest for tomorrow.

Author's Note

It's finally here! Sorry that I've been away so long. Just doing this to see if I can do stories on a rough schedule. Might not be often, but I'll see if I can do two story updates every few months.

The Tenth Confrontation

Celestia'd grown accustomed to these dreams at this point. She gazed upon a new scene unfolding. Upon a plain rolling with golden grass, fighting roared in earnest. It was a battlefield, similar to the scene that she'd first dreamed of. Banners wielded above the fighting armies, reflecting their allegiance. This scene, though, was different. Three sides fought on this plain- Humanity’s King, and his loyal/cowed soldiers; the King of the Ponies, and his loyal/compelled soldiers; the Prince of Man and the Sister Princesses of Ponies, with their emboldened civilians and soldiers who vied for peace.

Dead were strewn across the battlefield, mostly on the side of the Kings. Some had fallen on the front of the Prince & Princesses, but it only emboldened them further. The banner of Human Superiority, which was once a golden fabric emblazoned with the crest of the King, was now dirtied and tattered, a ghost of its former splendor. The banner of Pony Dominance , which was once a brilliant silver fabric gifted with the King’s Cutie Mark, was now scorched and barely hanging on the post.

The third banner was basically unscathed, however. It was made of emerald colored fabric and bore three symbols. In the top left was Celestia’s Cutie Mark, and Luna’s was in the top right. The Prince of Man had placed in the bottom middle, a self-invented crest; a human with a Giant shield with ponies and humans alike behind his guard. In the center of the banner were words in a strange script, but she seemed to know what they meant: “Peace will always prevail over Conflict. Understanding will bridge all ravines between our peoples. This is our Hope and Conviction.”

On the battlefield, Celestia could see connections being tested. Friends winding up on opposite sides, siblings clashing blades with each other. Some saw their friends or family under the Alliance, and decided to change sides. Others felt they could not afford such a luxury, but they were captured instead. However, some were too blind, with no reasoning getting through. These were sadly cut down. But then there were the Kings fighting their respective offspring…

The King of Man took his greatsword and clashed with his son’s blade. Anger and disappointment filled his eyes as he looked straight into his son’s gaze. “R------n! Why hast thou forsaken our kingdom!? How could you let these Ponies infect your mind!? How can you possibly still claim to be my son?”

The King of Ponies blasted bronze colored magic from his horn, which Luna & Dreamlestia combined their magic to fight back. Disgust and disdain filled his countenance as he glared at his daughters. “Mine own daughters, daring to challenge mine rule? How far has this rotten Human wormed his way into thine minds? Have you no sense anymore?”

The leaders of the resistance found themselves backed up against each other, and they replied as one to the Kings, conviction filling their voices. “Dost thou not see what thine actions have done? What cause could possibly warrant this much death? Both of you've allowed yourselves to be blinded by fear and thirst for conquest! Hast thine souls withered away?”

The Kings refused to listen or answer, and Prince R------n shook his head and sighed. “Very well. Your silence speaks volumes.” He knocked his father back with extreme force with the blunt of his sword, and called out in a loud voice. “I, Prince R------n of Mankind, Do judge thee darker than pitch in soul!” He pointed his sword at his father, a grim resignation coming upon him. He consigned himself to what he must do. “Recrisintyr, Blade of Holiness! Cosine this foul irredeemable beast to ash!” With the swiftest dash he could muster, he plunged Recrisintyr right into his father’s heart. He shed a tear as his father burst into ash. “Farewall, father. I did what I had to do.”

As Prince R------n sheathed his sword, Dreamlestia & Luna’s magic burst through and pushed their father back. They hesitated, until R-yuzan placed his hands upon their backs gently. He smiled as they glanced back, which they returned. With restored conviction, they fired the Elements of Harmony at their father. Tears fell from their faces as the Elements turned their father into pure aether. Dreamlestia spoke as Luna buried her eyes into Celestia’s coat. “We didn’t want to, father, but you left us no other choice.”

Silence came from the other two armies, both unsure what to think. Prince R------n spoke to the enemy amies. “The Dark Kings have fallen! But worry not! We are most reasonable. Any who surrender will get the lightest treatment, and be monitored until we believe you are well adjusted to the new government. Those who changed sides during the battle will be rewarded depending on why. As for those who choose not to surrender peacefully, I will have the others detain you. You will be closely watched until you have mellowed out a bit. All of you who have lost someone dear during the clash, they will be given proper funerals. It is our mission to heal this world with peace, that war no longer will come.”

Celestia didn’t see how that unfolded, though. She was bought elsewhere, and saw another scene. Prince R------n was talking with Dreamlestia about something, and they were alone. “Sunsun, there’s something that I’ve been meaning to tell you…”

That nickname was probably the one that Tortured had almost said yesterday. Dreamlestia looked up from her desk, a big smile upon her desk. She was reviewing some of the new laws, just to make sure it was fair. “What is it? If it’s important, I can make some time now.”

R------n hesitated as he hid a tick of nervousness. What was it that he had to say to her? He took a deep breath, possibly to try and calm himself down. However, just as the Prince finally opened his mouth to speak, Celestia felt the dream start drifting away…

Celestia woke very suddenly with a knock on her door. Just when it was getting interesting, too… Tortured spoke though the door. “Get up. Today’s the day. It’s time for your final meal.”

With a sigh and a shake of her head, she got up and straightened herself up before going into the hall. She followed Tortured to the Dining room and sat in the seat provided. The cook set the dish upon the table, a sympathetic look in his eyes. It was a dish unlike anything she’d seen before. It was a large salad with slices of: tomatoes, pears, cinnamon, zucchini, and a strange striped meat. The drink was a tall glass of gold-colored milk, and the side was a dark chocolate bar. Then there was a small slice of strawberry cheesecake drizzled with almond butter.

With no hesitation, she dug in. She could see Tortured’s eyebrow raise up. As she ate, she couldn’t believe how good it tasted. Who thought that cinnamon worked well with salad? The strange meat was one that her stomach could tolerate, thankfully. It tasted like the feeling of adventure, somehow. Dark chocolate was her favorite kind, and the cheesecake’s texture was like a winter cloud. As for the drink, it seems that she didn't guess right. It was Eggnog, Though she had never tasted one made quite this rich before. After she finished it all, she smiled. “My thanks to the chef! This was amazing!.” She didn’t say it outloud, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but think that she had somehow had this meal before… but that was impossible… right?

She was knocked out of her thoughts when Tortured spoke. “Fascinating. Your the first in a very long time to not turn up your nose at it without even tasting it. The last one was…” he shook his head. “Nevermind. Let’s get going.”

After getting up from the table, she followed him to the Oval Office. “So, where are we going today?”

Tortured shook his head as he pulled out a remote from one of his pockets. He pressed a button, and the back wall of the office pulled apart to reveal a sidewalk that was perfectly obscured by the wall. He pointed at a large circular building in the distance. “That is the Grand Coliseum. There is where you will be judged, and fail. That is where you will die.”

Celestia sighed. “What if I pass your test?”

Tortured stared at her like she’d just sprouted a second head. “You won’t pass it. After all… you can’t. No Celestia has passed it… Legitimately.”

He started walking quickly and Celestia followed behind. Tortured clearly implied that one (or more) of the others had found some way to cheat the test. That means, if she passed this final test… He would presume that she had cheated as well. But she would prove him wrong. She might not be perfect, but she wasn’t rotten either. She would prevail against this test. As they walked in silence, she started to take in the structure before them. She was unsure how she had missed it when she was first flown to the White House. It stood at about twenty times her height, made of a checkered pattern of marble and onyx stone. The entrance was an arched entryway that was tall enough that the biggest dragon she knew of could fit through without crouching. Rows of windows littered the outside of the structure, sitting about the width of all four alicorns sitting in a row. Stretching across the top was a dome of tempered glass to keep out the weather.

By the time she had processed all the details, Tortured was already leading her through the entryway. She could feel herself walking through a bubble of magic, and she started to hear the cheers of a large crowd.

As she walked into the center of the granite floor, Celestia gazed around at the crowd that inhabited the Grand Coliseum. The coliseum seated tens of thousands of people. Humans from all around this world had gathered, some to see her fail, others of whom she could recognize from her trials. They ignored the looks they were getting and cheered her on. She was glad to see that her sister had been granted passage, as well as Twilight and her friends. Seeing them here really gave her strength. She turned to face Tortured, and looked upon him. He had a cocky, arrogant air about him today. Celestia knew that Tortured had already presumed his victory; that he would not, could not be proven wrong. But Celestia knew better. She understood now why she was here, and what she needed to do. She then spoke, determination blazing within her being. "Alright, Tortured. I'm ready."

Looking around, Tortured stepped into the center of the granite floor. He held up his right hand, and the cheering stopped. He then cast a bit of magic, and his voice carried to all the coliseum as he spoke. “Today is the day of judgment! Of the countless Celestias that I have fought, this one-” He paused and gestured to her with his left hand, then he continued. “ -she has joined the scarce few to make it to the final test.” His hand dropped back to his side before he resumed speaking. “Today, it all ends. No Celestia has ever passed this test.” He looked her in the eye. “Shall we complete this journey, then?”

After he saw her nod, he walked away from the center and she took his place. She then spoke so all could hear. “So, what is this final test, Tortured?’

At that, Tortured gathered his magic in his right hand. He explained. This spell that I’m casting is very special. It can determine the purity of the soul. You are one of twenty that I’ve used it on now.” He paused, then chuckled. “I don’t think I should explain further.” He hurled it towards her, calling out with force. “Now, Princess, let the Darkness inside be revealed! Judgment Dome, expand!”

The ball of magic stopped about 6 feet in front of her, and it started to stretch. A dome of crystalline magic grew around her, the peak being above the center of her back. As the dome completed, Celestia was about to speak. However, she lost her train of thought as small clouds started to form inside. With a smile, Tortured decided to explain again. “Those clouds represent the aspects of your soul. The spell pierces beyond any surface thoughts to bring out the depths of who somebody is. The darker the clouds get, the bigger they become. If they touch, they start to merge. If the majority of the clouds merge, you fail.”

Despite this, Celestia would not worry. She had nothing to hide. The clouds started to slowly orbit around her. At first, she noticed that Tortured was still smug. However, the clouds around her only barely changed. Some remained white and small, others barely turned a very light gray and were only slightly bigger. Tortured’s face shifted into a hard look as nothing changed for a few solid minutes. After a while, the clouds stopped and dissipated. The dome of magic then shattered like glass. The crowd was stunned silent, except for the cheering of those that had put their faith in her chance of passing the dome’s test. The jubilation didn’t last, though. Tortured shouted. “Silence!” All the cheering stopped, and their attention was drawn to him. He then started to laugh. “Heheheheha! Do you really think that you’ve won, cheater? I won’t stand for this!”

He pulled Recrisintyr from the sheath that had magically appeared on his back. He pointed the blade at Celestia, a look of confidence striking upon his face. “Now, cheater, you will fall like all the rest! Noone has faced the might of Recrisintyr’s Holy magic and lived!” He smirked. “I will end your charade, once and for all! Recrisintyr, smite down this demon!”

As Tortured charged at her, Celestia shut her eyes and calmed herself. She shut out the noise from the crowd, ready to face what was to come. She was not afraid. If he wanted to test her with Recrisintyr, so be it. All the things she had seen in the dreams comforted her. She knew that Tortured had lost his way along the way. If she survived… she would guide him back, no matter how long it would take. She would save him from himself. She was knocked out of her musings as she heard a loud Clang! She opened her eyes, and saw Recrisintyr fling itself from Tortured’s hand. It landed at the edge of the arena, sticking itself into the ground.

She saw surprise upon Tortured’s face, and the crowd was hushed. After a while of silence, Tortured straighted himself and looked at Recrisintyr. “Impossible… Recrisintyr has never done this before… Does this mean…” He paused and thought for a moment, and sighed. “I was wrong about you.” He turned back to face her, and he shook his head. “Even I cannot deny the evidence before me. Recrisintyr cannot be fooled. Since it flew from my grasp, I acknowledge that you are different from the others.” He bowed his head slightly. “From the bottom of my heart, accept my sincere apology.”

Letting out a breath that Celestia didn’t realize that she was holding, she smiled as she spoke. “All is forgiven, Royuzhan. I won’t hold a grudge.”

The cheering that was about to start was nipped in the bud as the audience gazed to Tortured Soul. Shock was etched into his face, and he was silent for a long time. After processing that, he replied. “How do you know that name? It was tossed aside ages ago!” He looked straight into her eyes, questioning at the ready. “Who told you that name!?”

With bated breath, all eyes turned towards Celestia. They weren’t sure what the significance of that name meant, but the crowd’s curiosity had peaked. Celestia’s smile didn’t fade as she replied. “Sunsun did, Royuzhan. She told it to me as I stood in that dome. It is a sign of my wish to be your friend that I address you by your real name.”

Gobsmacked, Tortured- or that is, Royuzhan- stared at her for a while. He shook his head in disbelief. “So she did have a spell that I didn’t know of after all.” A sigh of relief escaped him. “At least I know this means you can’t be her…” He pushed the thought away. “So, any questions weighing on your mind, Celestia?”

Celestia ignored that for a while and thought. She wasn’t so sure that Royuzhan’s assertion was correct.. As she saw more visions, the more they felt like her own memories, as opposed to somebody else’s. Was this some kind of trick by magic? Or, could it be true that she was the same one from long ago in Royuzhan’s past? Unfortunately for her, Royuzhan could not answer her questions. She shook her head. “None that you can answer, I’m afraid. I must seek the answers myself.”

The rest had been a blur. In all honesty, she was too distracted by her own thoughts. But now she found herself back in her guest room. She knew that Royuzhan wasn’t preventing her from leaving anymore, but she feared that she wouldn’t have a vision if she went home now. So she told Royuzhan that she wasn’t quite ready to go home, which was the truth. She calmed the torrent of her thoughts. She nibbled at the dinner that she’d been allowed to take into her room, but she wasn’t really all that hungry. With a sigh, she set it aside and called for one of the staff to take it away. She lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Anticipation vied to keep her awake, but she soon calmed down enough to fall to sleep.

Author's Note

Here it is, the end of the first arc. After this, I believe I'll do a few more chapters and then see where to go from there. The conflict may be over, but the story is far from concluded.

The Eleventh Reconciliation, Part One

Fire and sounds of battle preparations echoed through the wind. It was in the middle of a large castle town, and the two sides were different from before. Standers-by were peering at the imminent battle from their homes, hoping to be safe. Celestia saw at the castle gates that Royuzhan and Luna were standing with their Pony and Human army. On the other, was Dreamlestia and an army of strange, markless ponies. A shiver went through Celeastia’s dream-body as she saw the dark, malevolent look on Dreamlestia’s face. She was clad in ornate gold armor, and she bore a warhammer. Royuzhan glared at her melancholically, and spoke with a hint of disbelief. “ I thought it impossible that you would turn against us, Sunsun. Yet, here we are…” He clenched his fist around the locket that she first saw back when she had first crossed into another world. However, it was lacking the iconic Anti-Celestia brand that she knew it for. She saw him let go of it, and he sighed. “Things weren’t meant to be this way. The future was meant to be brighter than this…”

At that, Dreamlestia scoffed. “Enough, foul chaotic monster! The future is absolute order! Your Celestia is gone, and I have taken her place! Now, lead your people, and ponify all of them for me!” She levitated a vial of purple liquid, the same that she had seen on that trip so long ago…

Anger swelled on Luna’s face, and she barked at her sister. “What is wrong with you!? Peace was finally achieved! Why did you throw it all away?”

A look of uninterest pierced right through her from Dreamlestia. “Ugh. You. I thought that you were already gone here. Meddlesome pest! I never needed you, nor will I ever! Once this war is over, I will rip away your power, and take it for myself!”

Hands trembling, Royuzhan pointed his blade at Dreamlestia. He steeled himself, and his eyes turned cold. “You sicken me. Was our friendship all a ploy to you!? Some sick, twisted fantasy!? And to think that I almost…” He stopped and glared harder at her. “No matter. For this, you will DIE! Prepare yourself, scum! I will free my people from your thrall, and your blood will enrich the land for ten thousand years!”

The battle broke out, and Ponies and Humans clashed with the strange blank-eyed zealots praising Dreamlestia. She was attacking Luna and Royuzhan with her warhammer and magic, a manic look on her face. The ferocity of the scene spiraled as bodies started piling on both sides. The heat of battle was crashing through homes, drawing the innocent into the line of fire, but not much could be done about that. The fighting escalated, and casualties on both sides mounted far beyond what she had seen from the previous fight. Dreamlestia Managed to kill Luna, and her manic attacks met Royuzhan’s exhausted fury. He was holding on, but not by much.

As the numbers on both sides dwindled lower and lower, Dreamlestia tossed her potion at Royuzhan while he was distracted with the death of the last human under his command. The potion struck him just as he ignited his magic to defend. His magical aura seemed to absorb the blow from the potion, but he still winced in pain. Dreamlestia cackled in confidence as the last of the other combatants fell down, dead. Aside from the two of them, the town was devoid of life. Not that Dreamlestia cared, her goal seemingly manifesting before her. However, the p[otion stopped after Royuzhan’s height grew beyond his late father, and his skin turned into its iconic dichotomic nature. Dreamlestia balked as Royuzhan closed the distance. Anger boiled to the surface, and all of it was directed to Dreamlestia. She tried throwing another potion, but it did nothing. Fear set into her eyes. “How!? You were supposed to become a pony! This is impossible!”

Royuzhan spat in her face, and his blade leveled at her heart. “My will and magic have thwarted your little potion, scum. Now, accept your death with dignity!” Dreamlestia attempted to flee, but her escape was blocked by an invisible magic field. She tried in vain to break it, and shock entered he5r face as she turned to see Recrysintyr pointed closely to her throat. Glaring, Royuzhan asked her one final question. “Any last words, you vile cretin?”

A mischievous look crossed her eyes, surprising Royuzhan. Dreamlestia spoke, taunting him. “Oh, poor little human. I wasn’t lying when I said that I wasn’t your Celestia. I took her place, and she mine. A cosmic swap, if you will. Though, I doubt she remembers you. By now, she likely is on the start of the same path that I took. What will you do, if when you find her, she has become like me?”

Royuzhan shook his head. “What does it matter to you? I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Now, enough of this! Begone, foul demon!” With one slice, Royuzhan struck down Dreamlestia, and she turned to dust. However, the damage had been done. He looked around, distraught. He had nothing left…

Turning away, Celestia willed herself awake. She had some idea of what would happen next, and she had no wish to see it. However, before she could wake up, she was pulled somewhere else. She was in an elaborate room with diamond flooring. The walls were too bright a white to discern any other features that might distinguish them. In front of her was another Celestia, looking much like the one from her earlier dreams. Unlike the one from earlier, this one had a pure kindness about her. Celestia couldn’t help but ask. “You’re her, aren’t you? His Sunsun. Why are you showing me this?”

A pondering look was on Sunsun’s face for a moment. “I wonder. Should I tell you now, or should I let you piece it together?” A gentle smile lit up her face. “Well, you’ve been patient so far. I think I’ll leave the rest for you to piece together. Now, you best be going. You’ve got quite the day ahead.”

Suddenly, Celestia jolted awake. Now she knew how Twilight felt about constantly being kept in the dark about certain things. She shook that thought away. Now was not the time for that. She wasn’t sure what to do from now on, but she would figure it out somehow. She got ready for the day, and opened the door to the hallway. There stood Royuzhan as she had come to know him, a distant, pained soul. Sure, he had acknowledged that she was different from the others, but he still hadn’t opened up fully.

Still, it was understandable. Knowing how much he’d gone through… Anyone would find it hard to trust others after that. She pushed that aside as she addressed him. “Royuzhan, what are you doing here?”

At first, he seemed mildly stunned. He calmed quickly, though. “Right. Sunsun’s little spell to give you knowledge. I’m not sure how she found you, but somehow she did.” He cleared his throat slightly. “Nevertheless, I’ve come to take you home. There’s really no reason for you to stay.”

As she stared at his offered right hand, she considered something. Even if she had “spoken” to Sunsun herself, Celestia just couldn’t let go of this nagging feeling that the two of them still might be connected deeper than Royuzhan presumed. She had to know. She shook her head. “I’m not so sure. These dreams feel more than implanted memories. Couldn’t I still be-?”

At that, Royuzhan stared her in the eye with an icy glare. “Impossible. Sunsun died long ago. Even if what Prime Xenolestia said was true- it’s likely that I already found her, and killed her. The number of worlds I have been to makes it more likely than not. Why torture myself with the thought that she might still be alive, when it’s easier to believe that she’s long gone? There is no reason to. Sure, it would be nice if I could still end up finding her, but the probability of that is so close to zero that it’s not worth thinking about. So just drop it.”

A sigh escaped Celestia. As much as she wanted to sort this whole thing out, she knew that it was unwise to push Royuzhan any further on this for now. The next best thing she could do was try and bridge the gap between them by befriending him. She grasped his hand with her forehoof. “Alright. I’ll go. But that doesn’t mean that you’ve seen the last of me. I want you to know that I am willing to be patient with you. We can still be friends- no matter how long it takes to get there.”

A bemused look spread across Royuzhan’s face. “Oh? And what if another world needs my help? Will you let me go? After all, there’s nothing really keeping me here.”

As much as she didn’t like it, he had a point. He could easily walk away from this world, like he had done so much before. However, Celestia voiced her one question that was bothering her at this time. “If that’s the case, then why stay? Why not just leave? Is there some reason for that?”

For a moment, Royuzhan pondered her query. It was a good point, but he readied his reply quickly enough. “Listen, Celestia. I have eyes in many universes, constantly surveying the situation. As of now, most are not close to conflict yet. Some have already solved the issue, one way or another. Whether by peace or destruction they have found a way through. As of now, none of them seem to need my help.. Yet. That is why I remain. Not because I don’t wish to leave, but because I have no reason to. Now, I believe you were leaving yourself?”

Seeing that Royuzhan would not divulge further, Celestia let him guide her to the Oval Office one last time. In the room awaiting her was Luna, and the sisters hugged as soon as Celestia came into the room. Celestia stroked her sister’s mane, feeling the tears wet her neck and face. “I missed you too, Lulu. We will never be parted again, I swear.”

Luna pulled away, and looked at Royuzhan with skepticism. “Now, you made a promise, correct? Shouldn’t you get to that?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “Already done. I’ve let customs know that they can accept passports from Equestria, as well as the other nations. I’ve kept my word.” He brushed himself off. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s something that I should do. I have to make an official statement to the people.”

Before Celestia went with Luna, she asked one last question. “Statement? What is this about, Royuzhan?”

Once more, a chuckle escaped his lips. “Haven’t you been reading anything about our government? It’s an election year. Some might expect me to run for reelection, but…” He shook his head. “I need to dissuade them of this. I’ve done enough. I led them through the turmoil of this time, and that should be enough. It’s time to let somebody else be in charge.”

Celestia was shocked, and uncertain. She spoke her doubts to him. “Are you sure that this is the right time to do that? What if the other ones running for election would throw away what you’ve done? Shouldn’t you try to halt that possibility?”

For a moment, his eyes sparked with fire, but he soon shook that away. “I suppose it might not hurt to delay the announcement until I know who might take my place…” He sighed. “You saw it, didn't you? The fate of the First World. Playing to my guilt like that…” He shook his head. “I know you mean well. But you should really get going.”

Once more relenting, Celestia entwined her magic with Luna’s and they teleported home.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

I told you guys that I wasn't finished with this just yet! The story now will focus on Royuzhan getting to a place where he's not as guarded. Obviously, he will never be what he was before the First War, but he will recover somewhat. It's a long road ahead.

The Twelfth Appeasement, Part Two

A few weeks had passed since then, and things were starting to calm down. Celestia had gotten back into the swing of things back in Equestria, but she couldn’t ignore the feeling that there was more to do. Sure the relations with humans were peaceful, but there was a part of her that wanted to heal the scars of Royuzhan’s past. She allowed herself a small chuckle at the thought. It was clear that that task would be monumental, perhaps even impossible. Yet she couldn't help but want to see him again. She sighed as she adjourned the day court.

Taking advantage of the lull in activity, Celestia found her way to the portal to Earth. Before she could go through, Luna caught up to her. “And just where do you think you’re going? You’ve nothing left to do there, sister.”

Celestia shook her head profusely. “No, Luna. There is something else to do. Ever since I started his challenge, something hasn’t quite fit. I’ve felt that maybe, I don’t quite belong here. Like there was somewhere else I once belonged, and I need to find a way back.”

At that sentence, Luna was appalled. “Are you suggesting what I think you are? Do you really think that you’re the Celestia from those dreams you were having? Do you have any idea how mental that makes you sound?”

Sighing, Celestia stared into the portal. “I know that it seems unlikely, and that Royuzhan asserts that it’s impossible. Even so, I must know for sure if that is the case or not. The only place that has my answer is Earth, and the only one that can enlighten me is Royuzhan. Please, try and understand.”

Knowing that Celestia would not be content until she found the answer, Luna relented. “Alright, fine. However, I want to come along. If you really are not from this reality, I would prefer to learn so first-hoof. I will not relent on this.”

Celestia smiled, and jerked her head to the portal. “Come on, then! We don’t want to waste any more time!” She then stepped through the portal, and Luna followed. On the other side, they saw an embassy like the ones set up on the borders of Equestria. When the person that checked passports saw theirs, she lit up and ushered them through. After that, Celestia and Luna flew off toward the White House.

After about half an hour they landed on the back lawn, and Royuzhan was waiting for them. He stood and greeted them cordially. “Ah, what a pleasant surprise. I suppose you came for some reason, yes? Or did you just come to chat?”

Celestia had gotten a bit of good repor with him over the past weeks, and she was hoping that it might be enough to get him to open up a bit more. She took a breath to steady herself and spoke. “I want to know more about the first world. The dreams only showed me so much, you know.”

A pained look flashed across Royuzhan’s face for a moment. He shook it off after a while, but he still looked a bit somber. “So you’re dead set on testing your little theory, are you? You want to see if what I have to tell you will jog any memories, right?” After Celestia nodded, he sighed. “You don’t quit when you put your mind to something. Just like Sunsun.” He shook his head. “Alright, I’ll tell you some things. But not much. I’m still a bit uncomfortable talking about it.” After Celestia and Luna gave nods of understanding, Royuzhan began. “I’ll start on the day we first met, eons ago…
“It was a day like any other in the Kingdom of Man. I was once more aggravated by my father’s bigotted nonsense. I had gone to my favorite spot to think, under the Crimsonwood Tree on the hill away from the battlefield. However, that day was different. When I saw her for the first time, I was cautious and skeptical. When I pointed Recrysintyr at her, I asked her a question. Her answer surprised me.
“She too had grown tired of our father’s bickering, and wanted an escape from it. I know that she was telling the truth. Back then, I knew how to tell just by looking her in the eye. But after not seeing it for so long… that’s off topic. Suffice to say, I lowered my blade. At that point, I had a feeling that we would come to be great friends.
“The two of us made an alliance, and started training our forces in secret. Luna was a great asset, helping ensure we weren’t discovered until we were ready to attack. But as things continued, our bond grew closer. As for how close… I don’t think I’m ready to talk about that yet.
“Regardless, our forces overcame our fathers, but we had to use drastic measures to end the war. For a while, things seemed to be going well. But then, Sunsun started acting strange. At first, it didn’t seem to be very important… However, that thought was what doomed us. Sunsun had gone mad, and another war broke out.
“The main issue were her… ‘Newfoals’ as she called them. Hideous abominations that used to be human. Stripped of all free will and personality, they became mindless zealots for her cause. Luna and I were on the back foot when it happened, and the war raged for months. In the end, It came down to just the two of us, just like it was on that hill all those months ago.
“Then, before she died… She implied that at some point, she had switched places with Sunsun. After I vanquished her, I laid all the world to rest. There was nothing left there, except for painful memories. I believe you know the rest.”

Silence prevailed for a while. Celestia had seen all the events through the dreams, but something about hearing Royuzhan speak made something click. He was leaving details out, and that was understandable. But something in her pierced together a few things hidden in the subtext. She spoke out without much thought. “I recall that we were hardly apart during the days after our first meeting. Of course, most of that time was preparing for the offensive we were going to mount on our fathers, but we made time to get to know each other. You were so different back then. A dream you held on tight to, and a strong will of determination.
“I saw your softer side, too. It wasn’t all for the people, though that was your surface concern. Part of it was also for your little brother. You wanted him to grow up in a world without war, and that was your true driving force. That was another thing that brought us together. Sure, Luna was closer to my age than your brother was to yours, but that didn’t mitigate our shared desire.”

Shock spread upon Royuzhan’s face, and Luna was just as surprised. Though, Luna recovered first. “So you really are from another reality. I didn’t want to think that it could be possible, but…”

Before she could continue, Royuzhan interjected. “Certainly is a convincing little display, but maybe it’s nothing more than a spell. I’m still hesitant to say that you are her. After all, you only ‘remembered’ very little. I won’t accept that the two of you are the same on such little evidence. Maybe you are her, or maybe her spell is messing with your head. I need to know the truth of it before we proclaim that you are the same Celestia that I used to know. Our friendship cannot go any further until I know for sure.”

While it pained her to admit it, Celestia knew that Royuzhan had a point. Sure, she had gaps in her memory that made it seem like it would be a perfect fit. But was it really all just some trick? She wanted to believe that she wasn’t mistaken. She needed some kind of proof one way or another. It was then that her features lit up with realization. “Royuzhan, don’t you have a spell that can sort this out? Check if I’m under some kind of enchantment?”

At the mention of that, He raised his eyebrow. “You ‘remember’ that too? I suppose I could try, but it’s been ages since I used that spell. Hold on, I want to make sure that I get it right.” He snapped his fingers, and an old tome appeared before him. He started scanning the pages, searching for something. After a minute or so, his face lit up. “Ah, here we are. Brace yourself, Celestia. This might be a mite uncomfortable.” He outstretched his hand, and chanted in an old language as his hand glowed. “Gätr híva stø vœz, çåo hæl ȧƒ mãvül zhârb! Råvœ våzt ɇb ųf ubshɨn! Råvœ ųf ív Dămiri Celestia îi yunfaa ȏ glĥu cãzt!”

Celestia felt a sudden twinge as the spell washed over her. She wasn’t sure exactly what the words had meant, but she somehow had some indication of it. Some part of her recognized it, but she wasn’t sure why. As the spell worked its magic, she felt something else. A nudging feeling in the back of her mind. Something was starting to loosen back there. She was about to tell Royuzhan to stop when she felt something pop open. Celestia cried out in agony as she clutched her head. Images flashed through her mind, showing many things.

Specifics were filling in where there once were none. Names of places, long forgotten. People she knew, friends she had. Royuzhan, and all the time they had together before. Then, the clincher. Her, face to face with another Celestia. The other grinned with malice as she used her magic on her. She remembered the slimy feel of that magic, of a spell that she couldn’t fight.

As fast as the images came, they stopped. Mentally drained, Celestia couldn’t register what Royuzhan and Luna were saying. She did manage to say something, though. “It’s good to be back, Roy. I’ve been waiting for you… for so very long… And finally, we are together once more…” After her words, she collapsed into a heap.

Luna shot straight to her side, and Roy turned away. He hadn’t thought that it could be possible. But there on the ground was his proof. She was Sunsun, for nobody aside from his long-dead father and brother had ever called him Roy. He knew it might seem silly to others to accept it on that fact alone, but he couldn’t ignore the feeling in his gut anymore. He had been hoping for that feeling to have been wrong, to make it easier to deal with. But fate decided to have a laugh at his expense. He clutched his locket tightly. He thought that maybe, they could pick up from where they left off so long ago. However, that thought was quickly dismissed. The pain was too much to ever consider that. They may still be friends, but things would never get back to where they were.

He looked back to Luna and Celestia, and jerked his head back to the main building. “Come on. She can rest in the hospital wing until she recovers. After all, there are quite a few words that the two of us need to exchange when she wakes up.”

Luna gave a nod, and the two of them carried Celestia to the hospital wing. After they set her down on one of the hospital beds, Luna asked him something. “So what now? I don’t exactly know how to break this to the ponies…”

After a bit of a pause, Roy let out a chuckle. “You have nothing to worry about. Sunsun’s an amazing person. Your people will accept her soon enough. As for me… It’ll take some time to get used to”

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

Alright, now we're getting somewhere! What is in store, now that the true nature of Celestia has been confirmed? Will peace prevail? Or is there something dark still on the horizon? Only time will tell...

The Eighth Audience

Once more, Celestia found herself in the world that seemed unnaturally familiar. This time she saw the two major races of this world clash on the battlefield, the ponies led by the Alicorn King and the Humans with their own King in tow. The details started to fill in. The Alicorn King was more like the father she remembered than she had initially thought, with the same massive stature that neither she or her sister had yet achieved. Yet somehow, this version was more martial than the one Luna had oft talked about. Yet as she looked at his grizzled face she couldn’t help but feel that he was more familiar. She tried to take her mind off the disturbing thought as she looked to the other side. The Human King was almost as tall as Tortured was, but only slightly shorter. His skin was a darker peach, and his eyes matched the hateful gaze of the Alicorn King.

Celestia then heard the Alicorn King speak. “This has gone on long enough.” He huffed irritably as his gray hoof struck the ground. “You humans will be brought to heel, and shown that you are far from the most powerful race!”

The Human King rolled his dark blue eyes. “Arrogance will be thine downfall, and your people will be cast down as is your place!”

The argument was starting to heat up, but Celestia found herself being drawn away from the scene to another one upon a hill. Upon it was a massive tree, easily the largest one she had yet seen. Yet what she saw was somewhat… familiar under its reddish branches. Standing under the tree was the same human boy from the first dream, but this time he was much older. His hair blew in the wind, and he turned to see the Celestia of the dream approach. He drew a sword, and pointed it at her. “What business do you have here, Princess? If I don’t like the answer, your life is forfeit.”

Once more, Celestia was jolted from the strange dream by a knock on the door. This one was far more confusing than the last. It had felt different than a dream, and almost like… Celestia massaged her temples. That couldn’t be right. But… what else was there to explain it? She had to put the thoughts out of her head as she let herself be escorted to the library to wait for tortured again. This time, she was given access to more of Tortured’s book series. She read on through the books, noticing that all of these had something in common: none of the Celestias portrayed had finished as many trials as her. Though, there were more books in the collection that she wasn’t allowed to peruse, so she would likely get to read those later.

What intrigued her most was what Tortured did with the ponies after each Celestia was beaten. He often parleyed on their behalf towards his people, instead of punishing them. Perhaps she had misjudged him. After all, if he didn’t care about the ponies, he would have left them to rot after each war. It was good to know that, deep down, Tortured was more reasonable than she thought.

However, she did wonder what was taking him so long. She shrugged, and continued to read. All of these books were anthologies, and sometimes the order of the stories made little sense. After all, though the “Second Book” had many stories, all of them seemed to come far after his true second encounter. At least, from the pages she could read. It still irked her that the first part of the book was kept under lock and key. Maybe that portion held the second world, one she so desperately wanted to read about. Many of the stories she had read were after Tortured had started to come into his own. Sure, there was the odd hint at his past here or there, but no dead giveaways.

She gave a large sigh as she relocated the bookmark and closed the book. There was also the matter of her recent “dreams”, if they could even be called that. Why was she having them, and why now? Was a spirit of a deceased Celestia reaching out to her? Or was there some other explanation? She wasn’t sure what to think anymore. She needed answers. She unintentionally shot a bit of magic at the book’s locked portion in frustration. To her surprise, the lock opened. She knew that Tortured hadn’t allowed her to read this chapter yet, but… Curiosity got the better of her. She had to know.

She opened the forbidden chapter, and began reading. This one was different from the others. It started with him struggling to come to terms with the fact he was in another world. It showed him waking from disturbing nightmares that the book dared not go into detail on. It portrayed him as vulnerable and unsure, much unlike how he was now. It slowly had him gain confidence as he tested the Celestia of that reality. But he had doubts. He wanted to be absolutely certain that she was evil before sentencing her, as opposed to how now he saw the tests as more of a formality. This chapter went over all the tests that she herself had faced, showing the Celestia of that world overcoming them. Celestia decided to stop reading when it mentioned the sixth trial, the one she was to have today. Out of respect for Tortured’s wishes, she closed the book and made a note of the page she had been on. She locked the chapter just to be safe, and stood just as Tortured entered the room.

He seemed amused that she had done so at just that moment. “Well now, somebody’s a bit eager. Waiting long were you?”

Celestia gave a nod. “I was starting to wonder if you’d forgotten.”

He shook his head. “I just had to get the destination ready. It might not be the moon, but I think that you’ll find it mildly impressive nonetheless.” He beckoned, and Celestia followed him out of the room. They walked in silence until they reached the Oval Office and She saw that the telepad was up and running. They stepped on, and Tortured addressed one of the technicians. “Is the connection with Atlantis City stable?”

The technician shook her head. “I’m afraid not, sir. They’re having trouble connecting the network there. I can send you to the nearest port, though.”

With a sigh, Tortured gave a nod. “Alright then. Tell them to ready Sub Force One.” The technician made a call while another took over getting the destination ready. Tortured chuckled. “Well, looks like we’re taking a bit of a detour. I almost retired the Sub Force, too… Ah, well. Guess it was smart to keep it around.”

Celestia was about to ask what he was talking about when the second technician spoke up. “Ready, sir! Transmitting to Port Luminous in 5!”

Celestia decided to wait until after transport to ask her question. Or maybe… she wouldn’t have to ask…

“4!”

“3!”

“2!”

“Now!” Celestia and Tortured were transported away instantly, arriving in a massive sea port. It was much larger than anything her ponies had made, but all the ships here were made of metal. However, there was one different than the others. It looked like a massive hemisphere-ended cylinder with some sort of telescope on the top. Tortured led her towards it, and she saw the words “Sub Force One” embossed on the side underneath some circular windows. Tortured stopped short as the ladder on the side glowed to life and extended outward like stairs. They touched the dock, and Tortured stepped on first. After seeing him climb up with little issue, she followed after. It was a bit awkward climbing stairs meant for humans, but she got the hang of it rather quickly.

Once on top, the stairs collapsed onto the side of the massive ship. Tortured went into the hatch and down the ladder into the contraption. Celestia gulped. She steadied herself as she went down the ladder. She made it to the bottom in one piece, but she was unsure of this new locale. The hatch closed, and the lights in the ship turned on. Now, she saw that the interior of this device was unlike anything she had seen before. There were many levers and buttons in the driver’s place that she didn’t recognize, and so much more that she was having a hard time processing.

Tortured looked on in amusement as she strapped herself in on one of the seats. “Don’t worry, this thing’s completely safe.” He turned to the driver. “Commence diving.”

Those two words set off an alarm in Celesitia’s head. They were going underwater? She herself had never been there, and despite Twilight’s tales of her venture to the hippocampi, Celestia couldn’t help being nervous and a bit afraid at the prospect. She braced herself subconsciously as the submarine dove down into the water. It didn’t take as long as she expected, as Tortured snickered lightly as the sub began to move underwater. “You can relax. We aren’t going that deep underwater. It’s going to be a long trip, so might as well enjoy the view out the portholes.”

Celestia hesitantly follow Tortured’s suggestion, and the view outside took her breath away. The sight of all the underwater creatures was something else. Celestia had not been out of the castle very often, so this sight was quite amazing. She started to actually calm down. The novelty of these being the first wildlife she had seen on Earth was part of it, she supposed- but that thought caused her to think. Where had the rest of it gone?

She turned to look at Tortured, and he seemed to read the question on her face before she spoke it. “There are preserves for wildlife in days like these, but quite a few species have been domesticated and live with people at this point as well. It is not the best split, I know. But… balancing cities with nature is hard. There is always going to be some give and take. That’s just how the world works.”

Silence reigned until the submarine started to approach a domed city underwater. This city was just about as impressive as the one one the moon, seeing as humans (aside from Tortured Soul) didn’t have magic in this reality. The dome had to be made from special glass, she presumed. After all, they might not be deep in the ocean, but they couldn’t exactly scrimp on safety. It wasn’t much longer until the submarine’s side connected with the dome of the city.

The captain checked over some things before calling out. “Connection secure, sir. You are free to exit into Atlantis City.”

Once the go-ahead was given, Tortured opened the door and the two of them stepped out into the city. Celestia looked around in awe. The buildings looked to be made from living sea coral, which was far more impressive without magic than the living tree buildings were. Not long into the city’s limits they were approached by reporters. One of them questioned Tortured. “So today is a big day, huh? Most were certain that this celestia wouldn’t make it this far, but now we await with bated breath… what is her challenge today, Mister President?”

He had a strangely calm look in his eye as he addressed the crowd. “She has passed five so far, this is true. But this one has broken many to show their true colors. This… is the test of Hope.” He gained a smirk as he saw the reporter’s gasps. “Yes, this is the reason I have brought her here, to Atlantis City. Many call it the ‘Heart of Despair’, so I’m curious to see how she’ll fare…” He turned to face Celestia. “Are you ready for your hardest challenge yet?”

Celestia nodded. “What is the mission?”

Tortured’s face flashed with irritation before twisting into a malicious grin. “Your task is to find all the people of the city who have fallen into despair, and solve their problems. By my estimate… there are about one hundred thousand people in the city who have given in.” Celestia saw that he seemed all too pleased with himself, like he had finally figured out how to “defeat” her. He sneered. “Best part is… you have only until dusk to finish. You’ll fail for sure!”

At this statement, the reporters seemed to back away, uneasy. They could sense it too. Something was wrong with Tortured, and Celestia had seen it before. He was starting to falter to darkness, and was getting close to the edge. Celestia stood firm and smirked, surprising Tortured enough to snap him out of it. “Well, I best get started then.”

Tortured shook himself off as he followed her to see what she would do. It had been a while since he had slipped into insanity. He had almost wanted to toss away the rules and kill her on the spot. He couldn’t slip like that again. He was humanity’s hero! He could afford to become the monster.

He saw Celestia find many of the depressed and disheartened in groups, and give rousing speeches that he at first just tuned out. He was certain it wouldn’t work, but… it did. A group of a thousand people, back on their feet and ready to work. Tortured was impressed, but that wasn’t enough. He kept observing, and she found more groups that had given up.

A group of two thousand. A group of three thousand. A group of four thousand. Two groups of five thousand. Three groups of ten thousand. She had convinced them all to find hope again. And then… she found a group of fifty thousand. Was she about to finish his task in mere hours?!

Part of him wanted to do something to stop her, make her fail. But… That would ruin the validity of the tests. He swore to himself he wouldn’t cheat for his own ends, assured of the fact that eventually, all Celestias wound up the same way.

But as he looked upon her success, he couldn’t help but wonder. Had he been wrong about her after all? It was certainly harder and harder to call it all a ploy at this point… He shook his head. He couldn’t doubt himself. If the trial of friendship failed to stump her… there always was the final test. After all… none had passed it… without cheating.

Later, back at the starting line, Celestia came back to see Tortured congratulate her. “Impressive. I was certain that you’d fail… Yet, once more, you’ve passed with flying colors. Alright, a deal’s a deal. Ask your question.”

Celestia was unsure what to ask about. It certainly wasn’t safe to ask about the second or first world, he was likely to get angry… That meant asking about the dream was dangerous too. She pondered for a while about what to ask, and finally something came to mind. “Tortured, let’s say I prove that I’m not evil to you. How do you think that’d change your approach should you continue to travel dimensions to protect humanity?”

Taken aback, Tortured blinked. He paused for a long time. He eventually shrugged. “To be honest? I’m not sure. I’d figure something out.” He turned to the reporters, shooing them away. He then followed Celestia back to the submarine, and she could see in the corner of her eye that he had a contemplative look on his face. Was she finally starting to get through to him? It was hard to tell. Yet, every time they were alone, she felt strange. Like… they’d been like this before they’d met. Were the strange dreams messing with her head? Why was she having them, anyway? She had no answers. The trip back to Port Luminous passed in silence as Celestia and Tortured each had their thoughts occupied by other things. They exited the submarine at Port Luminous and were teleported back to the White house.

Once there, Tortured seemed to return to his usual self as he asked Celestia to be escorted out. Celestia compiled and let herself be returned to her room. There was so much bothering her… If only she could talk to Luna....

Tortured sent the Secret Service out of the room and once more entered his secret room. Nobody could bother him here. He looked at his journal, from which he had adapted the stories… except he’d never adapted the early pages. He’d tried rereading them, but… he found the memories the words represented too painful to even look at. Yet now… He couldn’t stop himself. He turned to an early page, and read.

I stood atop a hill in the Neutral Zone to think. Dad had been getting too aggressive lately. He wanted to make the ponies slaves, and kill their royalty. It sickened me. How couldn’t he see that we were more alike than he knew? I sighed as the fall leaves fell. Maybe I’d have to start a coup to instill change.

I was knocked out of pondering when I turned and saw Princess Celestia. My dad had taught me to be wary of her, so I had the perfect response to her arrival. I drew my sword, and questioned her. “What business do you have here, Princess? If I don’t like the answer, your life is forfeit.”

What I didn’t expect was her answer. She came to escape from her father’s madness, much like I had. It was then that we hatched a plan…

Tortured closed his journal. That was the day that he had first met the Celestia of his world. If only he’d known back then what he knew now. He could’ve… He shook his head. Dwelling would do him no good. He decided to leave his room and get some rest.

Author's Note

Well, this took longer than I thought. It's a longer chapter than I first anticipated, too. Now we are getting close to some answers....