Author's Note

Violence Warning! From now on, the violence tag is in effect. Just a warning in case you don't like blood.

Scroll 10: Elements

Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,

Sorry for the wait on this letter. Dreams were never my specialty, and when I tried to remember what had occurred when I was asleep my mind would fog up instantly. Funny enough, I had to contact Luna to help me in engaging my memories. She wasn't very keen on the idea, and left very quickly from my dream once I started to remember.

After fully viewing the dream once again, I can see why she didn't want to be witness to its events.

"Here we are."

A voice, echoing off of every wall in every direction. I was in my chamber by the foot of my bed, sitting on the ground. Luna walked up to me with a frown on her face, and came to stop above me. I'm in a dream.

"Obviously."

Luna had heard my musings. Not a thought was safe in this realm, and I had to be extra careful.

"What do you want, Luna?" I asked.

"To ask you some questions. There's no avoiding or games in this realm. I'll know when you're lying."

I thought it over for a few seconds, before realizing it was pointless either way. "Go ahead, as long as I get to ask some of my own."

"Okay. Why did you raise The Sun?"

Was she this foolish? Did she not see her own work cause so much harm to everypony? "When people can't wake up from their dream, I want to save as many lives as possible. It seems you don't share the sentiment—"

"Halt! How dare you spout such hypocrisy towards my face! 'Saving lives' while you try and take my own!"

"What? I'm not trying to kill you."

Luna paused. She scanned my eyes to find any lie. Of course, I knew she would find anything.

"But. . ." she murmured, "The dream realm can always sense a lie. And that was a true statement."

"I don't know anything about what's happening to you Luna."

"I'm not sure I know anymore either."

I stood up. "Let's find out, then. Use your dreams to go through my memories and replay tonight over. We'll start in these chambers after you raised The Moon, and end when I evacuate the castle."

Luna pondered the option, before nodding her head. She ignited her horn, and I found two figures appear to my left, standing in front of a window. It was sunset, and the two celestial bodies were drifting in opposite directions. As the ending stages of dusk commenced I saw the taller, white alicorn look down at the blue alicorn, who held a solemn visage.

"What troubles you, Luna?" The white alicorn asked. The blue alicorn jumped, but quickly recovered with a smile. Although I hadn't noticed it then, her jump was not of surprise or shock. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"I was simply enjoying the show we put on." The blue alicorn said.

"It seems you think it was awfully boring then, focusing on your moon alone."

"I was concentrating on what it looked like," she breathed out. "It is beatiful, right?"

I looked over at my Luna and raised a hoof. "Pause it." The two ponies looking out the window stopped still, and I turned to face her. "Explain what's going on here, Luna. Why were you acting so strangely?"

She stared at the blue alicorn's back. "I thought you were confronting me."

"About what?"

"The poison! You were taunting me! Listen to what you say next."

The white alicorn looked at the blue one and said, "Why would you need to concentrate on your moon, Luna? You can look at it again tomorrow night, and the next, and so on.

The alicorns in front of the window paused as I yelled, "What poison! I don't know anything about that! I was joking with you because I wanted to cheer you up!"

Luna turned around looking away from me. "I thought you were finally admitting to poisoning me. I can sense you aren't lying. I figured you said that because you thought you had already beaten me and was ready to take the throne to yourself. What happens next solidified my thoughts. I had made up my mind to fight back."

The two alicorns unfroze. The blue one frowned and said, "Why should I wait until the night to look at it?"

Her frown turned into a wince as she keeled over and fell to the ground. She looked up at the white alicorn and her eyes switched from fear to hatred. She teleported out of the room as the white alicorn froze in shock, trying to understand what had just occurred.

The scene paused once again. "That was where the poison kicked in. Do you know how much it hurts, Celestia? It clicked in my brain, right before the effects of poison struck me: I was either going to die at your hooves or try to save Equestria. That's what I meant, by not wanting to wait until night to view my Moon, my glory. I had to take a stand now."

I looked away from the window and towards Luna. "Luna, I never meant any of the things you saw. I don't even know anything about this poison."

Her face heated up as she scowled at me. "It's you and that damned Glowing Sera! You're conspiring against me! I've seen you working with her this entire night. How asinine of me to trust her."

"Luna! You know I can't lie here! I didn't try to poison you!"

Luna became even more flustered as she realized I wasn't lying. "Well, she—she wiped your memories! Oh, she's a sneaky one to try and get around me like that! I'll have to wait until she falls asleep as well, and then we'll see who's—"

"Stop!" I yelled. "You've gone insane, Luna! How much have you been overtaken by paranoia? Listen to what you're saying!"

Luna did as I asked and stopped her tirade, but only frowned in response. She reignited her horn, and I found she teleported us to the entry hall at the front of the castle. Unlike any other time I had seen it tonight, each room was full and lively. In the middle of the hall stood a kneeling blue alicorn, who quickly stood up and started to trot toward the guard's lounge.

Luna started following the blue alicorn and said, "These are my memories now. Let us continue through the night to find out what truly happened."

The blue alicorn stood in front of a doorway and pushed it open. Peering in from the outside, the room was full of guards in uniform, laughing around a table. She opened up the door wider and cleared her throat to notify her entrance.

One guard looked up at her. "What do you want, Luna?" He spat out.

She scowled. "That's Princess Luna to you. I need one of you to help me apprehend a traitor of the crown."

The ponies glanced around each other, shifting slightly, until an azure earth pony stallion stood up and said, "I'll go. Let me get my sword."

The guard grabbed his sword and trotted up to Luna's side. "Lead the way," He curtly commented.

The blue alicorn then left the room with the guard and moved to the throne room. Although neither ruler was occupying it, plenty of ponies were bustling through. The blue alicorn scanned the room for the pony she was looking for, but couldn't seem to find her target. The quickly made their way to the other end of the throne room before she stopped dead in her tracks.

Glowing Sera had just entered the room. The blue alicorn's eyes lit up in fury. She didn't make a move, though. As Glowing passed her by she was grabbed in a magic hold and pulled directly in front of the alicorn's face.

Shock quickly flashed in Glowing's eyes, but she calmed down to enough that she was able hide it with a smirk. "What is this, Luna? Would you like to discuss something about our spells—" She was interrupted as a blade conjured up by magic was placed in front of her throat.

Now, the guard that was with Luna was awfully confused at the events that were unfolding. Luna went from determined to furious and ready to kill. Following his duty as a guard, he stated, "Princess Luna, a princess is not allowed to threaten or attack any subject or denizen. I will handcuff her and bring her into the dungeon for questioning." He stepped forward. "Please, let me—"

Another knife was conjured and placed on his throat. "Don't make any moves," the blue alicorn threatened. "I don't want to cause any more trouble."

"Pause," I said. "What were you thinking? That's against rules you helped create!"

Luna stomped her hoof on the ground. "How am I supposed to follow the law when it is against me, sister! I did what I had to."

The scene unpaused, and the ponies traveling through noticed a manic Luna holding two blades to two different ponies throats. She glanced at them. "Go."

There were many different reactions from the ponies to this response, but the majority were screaming and running away. Most of them ran toward the entrance and past the guard hall, where a frazzled white alicorn was asking the guards for any information in their lounge. Quickly, the white alicorn soared over the stampede and landed down into the throne room. A blade met her throat as well.

"What is this, Luna?" The white alicorn asked gently.

The blue alicorn responded with a scream that did not help with making her sound sane. "YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS, SISTER!"

"Luna, you've taken two ponies hostage, and for what point? Stopping now is better for all parties."

An idea struck the blue alicorn. "I will release the hostages, but I am going to need a trade."

"What do you want, sister? We can get anything adequate for your needs, as you know."

"There's a mountain north of here."

"Yes. What do you want with it?" The white alicorn inquired.

"Turn it into a monument. Of me. Once it is built I will release these two."

I jumped in quickly and raised a hoof. "Luna, why did you make us build the monument of you? What was the purpose?"

Luna grinned. "I've known you for too long, Celestia. I had to keep you on my plan, or you would devise something to stop me early on. Not only that, I know how easily you get tired at night. Making you build a monument took a lot out of you, and it showed." She looked at the two ponies her younger self was holding hostage. "And, being honest, I don't want to harm either of them. But there must be a necessary evil to achieve success in preserving Equestria's future."

"But, why a monument specifically? Why not make me renovate the castle or something?"

"It was an act of folly, but I wanted a monument. As a way to show that I had succeeded. Deep down, though, I knew you wouldn't actually build one."

"Okay. You can resume."

"Luna, it will take days to build something out of that mountain. Release them when it is half finished, and we will finish the second half afterwards." The white alicorn said.

Originally, I thought Luna's smile was sinister. After looking at it again, I think that was a mask. She seemed more worried to me than before. "Very well. Have it done fast."

The white alicorn stepped away from the blade, and it didn't follow. She turned around and looked down at the hallway, meeting faces of eager and anxious ponies, afraid of what to do. Her face fell into a regal gaze, and she shouted out her line. "EVACUATE THE CASTLE!"

Then, she disappeared. The blue alicorn disappeared as well. Everypony had vanished in the throne room except me and Luna.

"Well, there we have it," Luna announced, "Everything that went on in the castle tonight. Are you happy now, Celestia? Satisfied seeing me make another blunder in the countless line of them?"

I trotted over to Luna and stood in front of her. "Luna, how did you come to the conclusion that I was trying to poison you?"

She scoffed. "You take me as someone who hasn't dealt with poison before. I know what it feels like, and you and Glowing are the only ponies that have the means to pull it off. When will it actually kill me, though?"

"Luna, how many times must I say that neither I nor Glowing poisoned y—"

"I weaved a catch into my spells. If any spell I create is used in a negative way, whether it be full-out murder or holding a blade to my throat, the catch will activate. The spell will inflict pains similar to poison on her."

Glowing's words when we first met echoed through my mind. We did poison her, in a way.

"Oh, Luna," I whispered, "It's the spells Glowing made you."

She looked up at me. "What?"

"Glowing put a vice in her spells that would harm you if you were trying to do something wrong with them. What have you been doing that's caused the pain? When did it first start?"

Luna shook her head. "That's not true. I first felt the poison when I was—"

She tilted her head down at the ground, defeated. "When I was trying out and testing what the spells could do."

I put my hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay, Luna. I forgive you for misunderstanding. It's partly our fault for not realizing how seriously harmful the catch was to you. Let's wake up, explain the situation, and let bygones be byg—"

"We can't get out of this that easily, Celestia!" She blurted in. "The only way to keep you in this dream is if it's a nightmare. We haven't really gotten to any painful part yet, right? That's because you're still stuck. I'm not letting you out."

I stepped back in shock. "But, Luna, we can figure this out—"

"No we can't!" She yelled. "You committed treason, Celestia! You've rallied every pony of Equestria against me! There's no way we can just walk out and say that we've made up. Despite all of that, there's still one big thing blocking us!"

"What is that?" I asked.

"I still haven't forgiven you!" She huffed out air. I watched solemnly as she brought out her magical blade. "You've made my life like Tartarus for years! So what if this was a misunderstanding this one time! Now we've shown our true colors, and whatever mine is, it isn't compatible with yours! This was bound to happen sooner or later, Celestia. It's a shame that it's come this way, but I'm going to take the crown for myself."

Luna's words flew right past me. I focused fully on the knife that was in her hand. She swung it to the left.

"This is still your nightmare Celestia, and I think I know just how engage it."

She swung the blade to the right.

"Not being able to escape the dream and watch as your kingdom gets brought into a new age is one thing that terrifies you. But that isn't enough. You have to feel some of the pain I've felt trying to keep up a facade all of these years."

The blade was right in front of me.

"For the better of Equestria!"

It swung forward and sunk all the way into my chest. She pulled out the blade and jabbed it into my neck as well.

I stumbled to the ground as my legs fell out from under me. The two wounds in my front were starting to ooze out blood, and I felt like the ground was spinning.

"I think that's a good enough nightmare now. The wounds will never heal, but you'll never pass out."

I looked up at Luna and tried to speak, That's torture, before feeling my throat catch up in blood. She looked down at me sadly.

"I'll see you when it's all over, Celestia."

As she vanished from view, the pain began to reach immense heights. I sat up from the pool of blood I was in and looked around the throne room for anything that would help to stop the bleeding.

Everything in the room that I could have used disappeared instantly when I looked at it. She thought of everything. I laid my head down in defeat.

That was it for me; The Princess of Equestria doomed to a fate of lying on a floor, drowning in blood. I was useless. Luna was right that it was my worst fear: I was alone, without a single pony to save. I reevaluated who I wanted to be when I was laying on the ground. I wanted to be the pony that didn't just rule, but cared for and connected with my ponies. Experiencing death had taken me down a level, from ruler and commander to just another pony with hopes and dreams.

Hopes and dreams of wading down a river, strumming a tune, waving to friends, and basking in the glow of my own Sun.

I couldn't let Luna rule, but she had already beaten me.

The warm light coming from the inside of the throne room was a small comfort. I stared directly into it, the closest thing I had to The Sun. I got on to my weak hooves and moved closer to it.

You can wake up.

No, I couldn't. There was nothing but pain and the throne room. I was going crazy as well, listening to the lights.

One of the lights floated down in front of me.

You can wake up, just touch me.

"What?" I said aloud. Wait, I wasn't able to speak earlier. The wounds on my chest had disappeared, as well as the blood I was soaked in.

Come on!

I reached out a hoof and placed it on the light. It started to grow brighter and larger. I stood still as the light enveloped my body and all I could see was its rays.

"NO!" I heard Luna yell.

The light was warm, comforting, and—

Familiar.

I had felt that light before, each day. However it managed to get into my dream, it knew its purpose: save its controller.

And then I woke up.

I was staring directly at The Sun. I felt it shine through me, and I felt it bring back my vigor to a full. I was laying on the ground. My head shot up and I quickly glanced around the area, making out the surroundings.

Then I saw Glowing Sera.

She was floating in the air, forelegs raised, eyes glowing and wide. Her horn was shining brightly and her magic was covering The Sun, giving it a tint of teal. Then, as she placed The Sun over The Moon as I had earlier, she floated back down.

"G-glowing?" She smiled.

"You said that you could wake somepony up with the power of The Sun. So I did, to you."

I scrambled to my hooves and cantered over to her. "H-how?!"

She grinned. "I might have gotten a little bit of help," she lifted her hoof, "from this."

A magenta shard; wafting out more magic than any of the previous elements. We had completed a full set.

"Glowing, you've got The Element of Magic!" I exclaimed. "See, even The Elements know that you're a great magician."

She flushed. "Thanks, Celestia."

My mind made a quick realization. "We've got all of The Elements now!"

"Huh? Where's The Element of Kindness!"

"Oh, I got that earlier when I was comforting you. I didn't think it was the right time to show it to you."

She nodded her head. "Oh, okay. So what happened in your dream?"

My smile vanished and she took a step forward. I sat on the ground. "It was all a misunderstanding, Glowing. She thought we had poisoned her because of the catch you put in her spells."

Glowing's eyes widened in shock and she sat down next to me. "But. . . that means we've sorted it out, right? We can explain everything and she'll come back."

"I'm afraid not," I said with a hint of sadness, "she's decided that there's no way to come back from this. We're still going to have to use The Elements on her, or worse."

Glowing stomped a hoof on the ground. "Damn. I guess there's nothing stopping us from confronting her now, then. Do you feel refreshed, Celestia?"

I looked down at my hooves. "How long was I out?"

"An hour. I only got The Element when I tried to lift The Sun on my own."

"Ah, okay then. It's almost morning."

Whether it was the rest I had just gotten, The Sun flowing through my veins, or the power of The Elements, I felt more than ready to take Luna on, even if I didn't want to.

"Let's go get this over with."

-Princess Celestia