Princess Celestia was sitting on the balcony in Canterlot Castle after having raised the sun, her mind heavy. She knew Luna was out there doing her investigation, but she hadn't heard from her since her last letter. This silence was ebbing on her mind, a constant worry in the back of her head. Her sister shouldn't have had to work so hard after returning so soon. She should've been reconnecting to the world, experiencing the joys of Equestria. Yet... it wasn't the case. And Celestia couldn't blame anyone but herself.

Caught up in ruling the country all by herself, she had all but forgotten about Luna's return a thousand years after her banishment. She never even intended to banish her for so long - she never wanted her to be banished in the first place. She simply wanted to cleanse her of the darkness that enveloped her heart, she wanted her sister back from the monster that took her. Yet the Elements didn't take it into consideration - they were never made to do that. That was when Celestia decided to metaphorically bury them, trying to forget how much her mistake in trusting them cost her. The first clue should've been Discord - he was turned to stone and he was still stone, far more than a thousand years later. Her second clue should've been the Crystal Empire - the two sisters only wanted to defeat Sombra, not bring down the entire Empire and lock it away from time and space. She tried to tell her it was Sombra's last curse that did it, but she couldn't help but think - what if it was her? What if it was she and her sister that did it? An entire city-state, frozen in time for who knew how long. Days, years, centuries passed, and yet they didn't return. Celestia and Luna tried to bring them back, but nothing they did worked.

Was it a mistake using the Elements? They were powerful weapons, true. They helped the two princesses defeat their enemies, but what about the cost? There was no cost when it came to defeating Discord, but what about the Crystal Empire? What about Celestia and her own sister?

Years and centuries passed with Celestia looking at the moon, waiting. However, there was nothing - not a sign that her sister was even alive. The Elements weren't supposed to kill, but what if they did? She didn't know at the time, and so she mourned. After so long, she thought her sister dead or as good as. A thousand years of loneliness left no one sane. She never saw her even in her dreams, in Luna's domain. She was gone.

When she returned, Celestia was overjoyed. This prophecy came true, and the two sisters were finally reunited. Yet this union didn't last long - first there were these assassins who wanted nothing more than to get rid of Luna, then there was this demon who proved to be a menace. It was as if this reunion could never be a happy time.

The alicorn of the day sighed heavily - it seemed like she got her sister back only to be separated from her once again, this time willingly. Luna was deep into the notion that there was a conspiracy going on in Canterlot - something Celestia had trouble believing. Yes, there was this cult that apparently worked in Celestia's name without her knowledge, but how could they be connected to the ruling class? She had trusted the families to help her rule the ponies justly and fairly for centuries, how could they betray her? It was completely unthinkable.

However, Luna insisted it was true. Despite the doubts she had, Celestia trusted her sister and thus was inclined to believe her claim wasn't made up. But if there was a conspiracy, then what was their goal? If they were a part of the ruling class, belonging to the elite of society, didn't they already have all the influence they could? Why would they want to act out, thus betraying their existence? Was their goal to take over Equestria, depose the two sisters, and rule their own way, completely without the alicorns' input?

Celestia knew Equestria had persistent problems like tribalism, poverty in areas farther from the capital, a degree of corruption, and xenophobia. However, the alicorn of the day was convinced those problems could somehow be solved. The governors she appointed to various areas reported moderate success of her policies, and the advisors told her Equestria was improving day by day. Sometimes, she visited the places that were the worst off, and she was shown that things were indeed becoming better. However, ponies from there didn't seem welcoming of her. They regarded her with suspicion, looked at her with hostility, and she didn't know why. Didn't they know she was doing all that she could to help them?

Then there was xenophobia. For many years, Equestria stood alone against many outside dangers ever since the reunification of the three pony tribes. Many sought to conquer ponies by sword, and all of them had been driven back. Some desired to annex the country through diplomacy and political machinations only to be defeated. Changelings attempted an invasion a long time ago but were banished, griffons stretched their sharp claws over the lands but were beaten, diamond dogs tried to build a slave empire but were driven away, and those were only the worst things she remembered. Ever since she became the ruler of Equestria, she had to face many outsiders in battle of either blade or wit. History had proven it was better to keep them away as much as possible so that ponies remained safe.

However, now more than ever, a creeping thought appeared in her mind - what if her vision for Equestria was... wrong? She had to consider it from time to time - during the old times when she and Luna ruled together, they balanced each other out. Celestia used to be quite arrogant and sure of herself, as well as naive. Luna was sometimes impulsive and inconsiderate, but mostly stubborn, always focusing on something until she had her way. However, Celestia was also kind and benevolent, as well as a great teacher - or so she was told. Meanwhile, Luna was collected, quite clever, and had a deep understanding of ponies. Both of them managed to rule together in peace, making their country prosperous while defending it against those who would wish to harm their subjects. Since Luna was banished, Celestia thought she did her best as one ruler, never letting this loneliness get to her. But now, she was more unsure than ever before. If she did a good job in the first place, then why did Nightmare Moon happen? If she did a good job, why did her sister seem even more distant than before? If she did a good job, then why did more unexpected things appear in the recent time, things she should've seen coming?

Knocks came from her door, making her ears twitch. She sighed, stood up from her place, and went back into her room.

"Enter," she called, and the door to her chambers opened. Her secretary, Raven Inkwell walked in with a list of ponies attending the morning court this day.

"Is something wrong, your majesty?" she asked, "You look... down."

"It's nothing, Raven," the princess said, grabbing the list and straightening her posture. It was not the time to look weak in front of her secretary and, dare she say, even a friend. The two had grown close since Raven rose through the servant ranks two decades ago. She was always diligent in her work, performing to the best of her ability. Yet she wasn't as distant as the majority of the staff was - she could lend an ear in more personal matters too, "Not many ponies today... hm, nothing unusual. A few petitions for funding, uh-huh..."

"Have you gotten enough sleep, my princess?" Raven Inkwell continued, "You could postpone the court."

"I know, but I'm alright, truly," Celestia assured him, "I was simply... thinking."

For example, she wondered who the conspirators were and who sponsored them. There was no report of any huge discrepancies in the budget, no real thread to follow. So, could the support come from overseas, from all the countries that looked at Equestria as possible land to expand into one time or another throughout history?

There were quite a few nations across the seas and oceans that once stood against Equestria. Tauria - the country of minotaurs - was one of them. They came in force a few centuries ago, sailing their ships into the docks of many Equestrian ports, taking them and blocking trade. Yet they were repelled and hadn't tried to even trick Equestria since then. Could it be them that sponsored the conspiracy? Celestia had to struck that thought down - the minotaurs had long since improved their relationship with Equestria, and the trade between the two was very successful. They wouldn't try to bite more than they could chew, they now depended on Equestria more than ever.

There were the many villages and small towns in kirins throughout the world. No one really knew where they came from, but they were content with remaining isolated from others, rarely trading. It couldn't be them - they lacked funds and influence to attempt something like this.

There was one country that could, and it was an absolute pain in Celestia's flank - the Free Territory. On paper, it was a part of Equestria, of course, but it was an independent self-proclaimed state that broke off soon after Luna's banishment. It mostly consisted of thestrals, who were once the followers of Luna. Now, however, they successfully lived in communes on the south side of Equestrian Peninsula, ruling themselves and not letting anyone bully them. There wasn't a ruler - the communes were largely independent and self-governing, yet they could band together if ever threatened. They accepted everyone as long as they didn't cause trouble, and their population was at the very least a quarter of Equestria, comprised of not just ponies but minotaurs, kirins, griffons, even dragons, all living together.

Celestia was often told she needed to deal with them, to show Equestria couldn't be denied what rightfully belonged to it, but she didn't want it. The Free Territory didn't cause trouble, so she preferred to leave it alone to its devices. It was unlikely it suddenly decided to conquer Equestria through either direct measures or political conspiracy.

Another country across an ocean from Equestria was not a country at all but a bunch of kingdoms warring with each other almost constantly. They were the remnants of a once large and powerful Griffon Empire. They too tried to conquer Equestria, only to be repelled from the peninsula and fought back to their own continent. The war was long and bloody, and griffons were eventually forced to swallow their pride and surrender. Herbivores and carnivores were natural enemies, so neither was willing to back down until griffons were threatened with total extinction. It was a measure Celestia hoped to never even speak of, but the griffons were vicious and violent, and the ancient alicorn had seen too much death to allow it to continue. She gathered her power and pronounced that she would burn down the entire Empire if the griffons didn't surrender. Contrary to what many ponies thought, they did. The Empire broke down into a civil war after it, fracturing into many self-proclaimed kingdoms under the rulership of various former generals and commanders. Equestria left the continent and returned to its peaceful existence, letting the griffons sort themselves out. To this day, the kingdoms waged war against one another, and it had been so for centuries. It was unlikely there was a force among them clever and resourceful, as well as ambitious enough to attempt revenge on Equestria. They had far too much to deal with by themselves.

With the big players out of the picture, Celestia didn't know who else could be behind it. Various smaller countries around the globe either depended on Equestria or were too small to be any threat to it. There was simply no one left whom Celestia could think of as enemies who plotted her and her sister's demise.

One would suspect the ruling class from inside Equestria, but Celestia didn't. The nobility depended on her for power, and the Guard was loyal to her to their very core. Her advisors likewise depended on her good will and wouldn't go against her. However, maybe she did have to keep a closer eye on them just in case.

There was one somewhat questionable situation - a few days ago, Shield Bearer approached her asking for a vacation in order to deal with his thoughts and injury. Of course, she granted it, but she wondered why he decided about it so late. However, she didn't think it had anything at all to do with the conspirators - why would someone who was injured by them join them? Perhaps he realized that he still needed to deal with what happened, and she was perfectly fine with giving him time to do so.

Maybe sorting her work would clear her head a bit.

Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be the case - the workload only added to the now clearly-felt headache. Celestia sighed deeply and ended the court early, deciding to go for a nap before dinner, hoping it would help her. She returned to her chambers and flopped down on her bed, and it immediately enveloped her in the feeling of serenity and surety. She was just a bit more stressed, everything was alright. Clearly, she would be in a better shape once she took a good long nap.

Something, however, made her frown. She stood up, and the feeling of serenity, of everything going right, quickly faded away as if it was never there. She hadn't slept in her bed for quite some time now, having most of her time spent in the study looking over various books and reports as she tried to track down where and when exactly did the cult in her name start. Even more, she kept a close eye on various guard reports to see if there was any suspicious activity since Luna departed. More often than she'd like, she fell asleep at the table in her study, having spent countless hours way into the night on her own investigation. Her bed now felt... foreign, odd. It wasn't quite right.

Slowly, she got on top of it again, and the feeling of serenity returned. She sprung back up and away from the bed, her heartbeat increasing. This wasn't right at all. Carefully, she grabbed her bed with her magic and put away the pillows and the blanket. Then she took off the sheets. The only thing that was left was the unusually-shaped mattress. She tried to lie down again, and the feeling entered her mind as soon as her body touched the mattress.

She unzipped the cover and slid it off. Then she took off the first, softer layer of the mattress. She found what she expected - flat polymer disks attached to the second layer. The polymer had bits and pieces of magical crystals embedded in it, connected by thin metal wires. It was a somewhat recent invention - polymers themselves came mostly from the minotaurs, and the patterns on the polymer could store and direct magic like nothing else. These disks were supposed to host comfort spells that made the bed warmer or colder depending on the ambient temperature, as well as removing excess moisture. They were activated by the tiny bit of magic coming off the princess when she lay on the bed.

She looked closer at the crystals - they were faded, clearly the enchantments would need to be redone soon, maybe in a couple of months. Such disks were expensive and tended to degrade relatively quickly compared to old stone inscriptions used for long-lasting but much cruder enchantments. However, something about those disks was... wrong. Celestia had yet to study the new magic and technology in depth, but she knew the basics. If the disks were doing what they were supposed to be doing, they wouldn't be so complex. Celestia decided to play it safe, so she ripped the disks from the fabric, summoned a small wooden meteorite-lined box, and put them in there, assuring they couldn't interact with outside magic. She would need to look at them closely, preferably with Twilight - she could be trusted, and she had more knowledge on the matter.

Celestia sat down, unsure of what to think. These disks, they did something to the way she thought, they did something that they weren't supposed to do. Luna was certainly right - a deep conspiracy against Equestria was in motion. But who started it? Who was behind it? How would she find them? She desperately needed to get into contact with her sister.

Her desire for a nap was completely forgotten.

"If thou art to be of any use, thou hast to learn," Nightmare Moon spoke as she oversaw Andromalius sparring with her guards. The hell stallion held a sword in his maw by a D-shaped handle, "Magic can be taken away, but thy physical strength if always with thee."

Andromalius grunted and continued, doing his best to defend himself and retaliate whenever he could. The future Queen insisted he learned to fight against multiple opponents. It wasn't going too well - he lacked experience in sword combat, and so many hits rained down on his body. He barely felt them thanks to his thick skin and armor, but it didn't mean Nightmare Moon would let him off the hook for letting the attacks get to him.

"Enough," she spoke after a while. Her guards were winded even though Andromalius was still fine, "Thou hast strength, thou hast endurance, the only lack in thee is skill. Now, thou shalt show me thy magic."

Nightmare Moon let her guards go rest for the day as she stepped in front of the hell stallion. Their duel began - she mercilessly sent a spell after spell at him, and she was pleased to see he blocked and redirected them relatively well. He still had many lessons to go over, but he was progressing at a good pace. By the time her plan entered the final stage, he would be ready.

"Very good," she nodded after a while. She felt slightly tired, and Andromalius was definitely winded now, "Thy performance hast improved. Thou needs to work on the speed of your casting and on the variety. Debilitating lightning bolts are quite useful, no doubt, but thou needs to learn how to melt the earth, ignite air, turn flames into ice, and burn water. Everything others think impossible, thou must learn to accomplish. I shall show you the spells and thou shalt practice them by thyself first."

Nightmare Moon instructed him and then left, a pair of changelings escorting her to their Queen. There was still much to be talked about. The basic plan had already been made, yet the details needed to be finalized, and then the consequences of either failure or success needed to be discussed.

The talents of changelings would prove very useful indeed.

Twilight Sparkle appeared mere moments after Celestia sent her a letter, ready and eager to help the princess to the best of her ability. The alicorn smiled at her student, glad to see her, and sighing silently in relief at knowing she could always rely on her.

"This is an advanced enchantment," Twilight commented as she examined the disks, "On top of the simple layer of warming, cooling, and drying charms, there is a second one, fused with the first expertly. The two layers come from different enchanters, I think."

"Very good," Celestia praised the unicorn, motioning for her to continue.

"The complex second enchantment influences the mind," she said, "It is meant to calm and reassure, but it is done in a way that would be too much. It's a difference between a friend telling you that everything will be alright and someone ordering you what to think. I believe this enchantment influences others to be too sure of themselves, not to question their own choices. It also makes them susceptible to outside influences like suggestions and such."

Celestia's blood chilled in her veins. So it was true - someone was trying to take over Equestria. What was worse was the fact that they had enough funds to afford something so complex and something so illegal to ensure Celestia would act like they wanted her to. She always was a bit arrogant, and this enchantment fueled her natural feelings. That was why she failed to notice it until the enchantment stopped interacting with her regularly.

"Princess?" Twilight asked uneasily, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so, my student," the alicorn let herself sigh deeply, "There is... something wrong going on in Canterlot. You've just confirmed it."

"How can I help?" she asked seriously.

Celestia looked away, unsure. She knew Twilight could be trusted - she was a terrible liar, a worse actor, and she had studied under her since she was just a filly. Talented and loyal, strong in spirit and magic, that was Twilight Sparkle. Yet the alicorn hesitated - she didn't want to drag the young unicorn into the possible hellscape that was this conspiracy against Equestria. Twilight was completely unprepared for politics, lacking subtlety and the needed amount of cunning.

To be entirely honest with herself, Celestia saw her student as more than that. She had never been a parent, but the level of affection she had for the young unicorn could only be described as motherly. She cared about her and didn't want her to get hurt, and she knew the conspirators could harm her well beyond what she was prepared to face.

"Twilight," she said softly, "I'm grateful, but... it's too dangerous here in Canterlot. I..." an idea appeared in her mind, "I think there's something you can do, but not here. I need to tell my sister about it. Can you - and your friends - find her?"

"Of course, princess!" she grinned, "We'll do everything we can!" she turned to leave but was stopped.

"Luna was last seen heading south," she supplied, "I've a report here somewhere..." she ruffled through the papers in her office until she found it, "Here. That's all I have to give, unfortunately."

"We'll not fail you!" Twilight swore, eliciting an amused chuckle from the princess. Even grown, Twilight had retained her ability to be excited in that adorable childish way Celestia always liked.

"I know, my student," she smiled at the young unicorn, "Now go. And please, be careful. This mission is only for you and your friends - don't let anyone else know it. I... don't know whom else I can trust."

Celestia watched as Twilight left the castle and made a series of teleportations back to Ponyville. The alicorn knew she couldn't do it alone - she needed her sister for this.

She wouldn't let herself be fooled and remain arrogant anymore.

Author's Note

For those who don't know, you can play as Andromalius in Heroes of Might and Magic 5: Tribes of the East. I've made the mod before, but I've updated it since.

Blog post about it.