Stuck In The Middle

***Stuck In The Middle

Resolution Part II***

As soon as Twilight left the two princesses, she immediately started worrying. Why would she leave? She loves them both, and they were undoubtedly going to to something awful.

This was her mess. Her fault. Her responsibility.

"So I have to do something," she declared out loud.

Her brother gave her a wary glance. "You have to do what now?" he asked.

Twilight looked at him and blushed. "I have to find a way to solve this, I just can't let them tear each other apart... over me." She cringed at the thought of being fought over. Even as a filly, when young colts would fight over her, she felt weird. So two immortal God-Princesses, who would probably end up fighting for her love made her feel... sick, to say the least.

Shining scuffled her mane in an affectionate, brotherly way. "Well, lets see Cadence first. I'm sure she'll want to see you, Twily. C'mon."

He led her deeper into the small town, and up to the Town Hall, where her friends and Cadence were waiting.

The pink alicorn threw her hooves around the little filly she loved so much, and hugged her greatly. "Oh I'm so glad you're OK, Twilight!"

Twilight smiled and hugged back. "Yeah, I'm fine. Hello girls," she said to her friends.

Applejack tipped her hat. "Howdy Twi."

Pinkie bounced over and hugged her, nuzzling under her chin as she did so.

All of them patted her on the back and welcomed her home.

"You all make it sound like I've been gone for days!" she laughed. "Thanks, Pinkie, but I'm fine. Really."

"No, you're not. Really," Shining Armour stated and steered her to a chair. "Why did you run, Twilight? What's really going on?"

Her friends all quickly and quietly shuffled out and closed the door.

Cadence placed a hoof on her husband's shoulder. "Take it easy, Shiny. She's been through a lot." She smiled and nestled down near Twilight. "Tell us what exactly's been happening, Twilight. From the beginning, so Shining can understand."

Twilight nodded and began the tale of this whole fiasco once more while her brother watched and listened.

~~~

Princess Celestia stared at her sister. Would it really come down to fighting like savages? Over a simple mare?

But Twilight wasn't like any other mare. She was special. As gifted with magic as she was beautiful, everything about her seemed perfect.

So why had it come to this?

Was she really worth fighting over?

What if the two sisters just couldn't resolve their differences and had to fight? What then? Either the sun would eventually fade out with it's avatar dying, or the moon would crash into the planet, having it's own avatar dying?

She wilted at the thought of her dead sister. As did Luna. Neither of them wanted to do this, and surely Twilight would not want them to fight.

Celestia held her ground with a worried stare as she watched her sister.

Luna straightened up and tried to ignore the harrowing in her skull.

While she's not expecting it! Drive your horn into her! Make her pay for touching Twilight! Nightmare Moon screeched.

She shook her head and felt her knees tremble.

Celestia saw her sister's face strife with turmoil. "Luna... please can we not just resolve this peacefully?"

Luna glanced up, shaking with anger, fear,  and sorrow. "I want to, Tia. I want to so much. But..."

The elder sister hung her head. "But?"

Luna's coat flashed from dark blue, to the blackest night, and back again.. "But... you will take her from us."

"No! No I won't," Celestia protested and moved forwards.

"Stay back!" Luna growled and spread her wings. "You will. You want her for yourself. You won't let us have her... you'll take her from us..." she hissed.

The Sun Goddess frowned. "Where would you get that idea? Luna, you're my sister and I love you, do you really think that-"

The Night Princess shrieked in anger and covered her face up. "Do not talk to us of love! You ruined ours! And now!" her body contorted and twisted into a larger form of itself, as black as night and her eyes changed once more. "You! Will Pay!"

Nightmare Moon charged at her 'sister' in a fit of rage, shrieking like a hyena savage in a bloodfury.

Celestia instinctively put up a protective spell around herself. "Luna! Please stop this!"

"We are no longer Luna. Nightmare Moon rides once more! Feel our wrath, Celestia, look upon us and tremble!" the Nightmarish creature roared and slammed against the shield.

The struggling alicorn gritted her teeth and held her ground. "Luna. Control yourself. I do not wish to fight you, but I will if I must. Please do not do this..."

"Fight us! Fight for your beloved Twilight Sparkle!"

"I said. No."

Celestia pushed the shield back, making Moon stumble momentarily. The white alicorn saw her chance and turned tail, deeper into the woods, closer to their old home. Perhaps if I can distract her long enough to talk some sense into her, she won't hurt any other ponies. She thought.

"Celestia!" the rage induced voice roared from the forest as she fled. "You can't run from your own shadow!"

The fleeing princess glanced back and saw shadows creeping towards her. "Bring my sister back!" she yelled and fired a golden beam back at one.

It hissed and retracted, forming Nightmare Moon once more. "Perhaps we shall take Twilight as our student and teach her the blackest of magicks. She will learn much from us. And eventually, maybe, she will carry our dark gift." The hideous abomination of Princess Luna grinned manically and crept forwards.

Celestia grunted and flicked her tail. "Liar! She will never help you! She will never listen to you! Luna! Come back to me!"

"Never. It's our time now!" Moon chuckled.

The Night Empress reared up on her back legs and charged, her horn pointed straight at her sister's chest.

Celestia parried it away and retreated back a step. "Luna, I will not fight you. Please... come back to me, we'll go back to Canterlot - sort this out. But please, think of Twilight-"

"We are!" Moon roared again and made another lunge.

Again Celestia parried it and sent a shield up, knocking the monster back and retreating further into the forest. She could see the castle's entrance just up ahead. Almost there.

~~~

Shining Armour stared at Twilight as she finished. The idea of his little sister - the cute little bookworm, Twilight Sparkle - as some sort of 'item' of the princesses was... was...

"Whatwereyouthinking?!" he yelled.

She cringed and buried her face in Cadence's shoulder. "I didn't-"

"Didn't what? Didn't think that cheating on both princesses, both, would have consequences? I thought you were better than this, Twilight, I really did... my own sister... Twily... a cheater... just imagine what mom and dad would say!"

Twilight started crying. Whenever her brother shouted at her it was for really, really bad things. There were only two incidents where he raised his voice, the first at the wedding, and the second was right now. And he was furious.

Cadence scowled at him. "Ease of, Shining. She's been in turmoil with this whol affair. The last thing she needs now is her own brother yelling at her."

"Ease o- ease off?!" Shining continued. "Our family may be disgraced, I'll lose my position as Captain, you'll be kicked out the royal family, or worse, we'll be separated, and Twilight will be left in the gutter to raise her tail for bits, raising some fatherless foal!"

Twilight whimpered and brought her tail between her legs. "Shiny, please..."

"Shining Armour," Cadence said, standing up and covering her sister-in-law with a wing. "Enough is enough. Go wait outside until you're calm enough to discuss things rationally. Now."

Her husband flared his nostrils and stormed out.

She slowly exhaled and nuzzled the whimpering unicorn beside her. "I'm sorry about him, this must be difficult for him to understand. Don't listen to him, Twilight."

"But he's right... I've probably doomed the family, I know I've hurt both the princesses, which I can be executed for-"

"Enough, Twilight. They would never hurt you, you know that. "The foalsitter brushed her charge's mane aside and kissed her forehead. "Besides, myself, your brother and your friends would stop them."

Twilight sniffed and looked up. "Thanks, Cadence... but I'm still not sure... I had a dream last night," she mumbled and shuddered at it's vile memory.

"What about?"

"The princesses... you, my friends, my parents... hurt me. It was... awful..." she trailed off, and started to shake on the floor as she slumped off the chair.

Cadence quickly slipped a leg around her shoulders and nuzzled her cheek affectionately. "It's alright, Twilight. Shhh."

Twilight sniffed again and nuzzled her face into the pink foreleg. "Th-thank y-you..."

The door slowly creaked open. "Twilight?" Shining Armour's head murmured.

She sniffed and looked up at him.

"I'm... sorry... it was just a big shock," he apologised.

She nodded and hung her head again.

The captain pushed the door open wide and shuffled inside.

Twilight merely reached her legs out and feebly gestured for a hug from her big brother.

He obliged and quietly moved to her.

Cadence smiled as he patted her back and cradled her in his legs.

"Alright... I've had some time to think about it," he finally said and pulled away from her.

Twilight sniffed and smiled at him.

Her brother smiled back and brushed some of her messy mane out her eyes. "And while I think it was a terrible idea to start with, I am happy you've found that special somepony. Ponies. Princesses. Oh for-"

Cadence giggled and shushed him. "You're getting worked up again," she stated.

"Sorry. Point is, I'm happy for you, Twily. I just wish you'd come clean sooner."

Twilight nodded. "So do I," she bitterly admitted. "So do I... I'm so worried, Shining... I'm worried of what will happen to Luna and Celestia, I'm worried about what will happen to me, to you, to our family..."

He nodded, letting the gears turn in his head, taking in what she said. If he had to defend his sister from his beloved princesses, then so be it.

"I didn't mean what I said, Twilight, you know I didn't," he said and hugged his sister again.

"Heh. The big and touch Captain of the Royal Guard is just a big softy when it comes to his sister isn't he?" Cadence chuckled and kissed them both.

Twilight smiled weakly and rubbed her temples. A light throbbing had started up. Probably just stress about the princesses. She thought.

She must have shown she was in slight pain, for Shining took her hoof and led her to the door. "C'mon, Twily. I'll take you home. Didn't you have a little assistant?"

"Mhm. Still do. Spike, he's one of my best friends. He'll take care of me when I get home."

"OK, good. Your friends will want to speak with you too, so I'll tell them to go easy..." He watched her face for a few moments, then turned back to Cadence. "Will you be alright, dear?"

The alicorn of love nodded and smiled as the siblings walked away.

Shining turned back to his sister. "I'm still disappointed you hadn't told anypony about this sooner, Twily. But I'm glad you explained yourself... So you really love both of them?"

Twilight nodded dumbly. "So much. I... I don't think I could ever choose between them."

The captain grimaced and rubbed his chin as they approached the magical, and quite literal, tree house. "Well... maybe there's something Cadence could do. I'll ask her when I go back. But you should take it easy, Twily. Don't strain yourself. See if there's anything in those 'marvellous' books of yours," he chuckled.

Twilight pouted and scowled at him. "They are marvellous. But I'll see if there is anything. Surely there's got to be something right?"

"That's the plan, Twily. Take care. Try not to overexert yourself."

The elder sibling smiled and trotted back to his wife, ready to bombard her with more questions about Twilight's relationship and see of there was anything she could do. The thought of both princesses with his little sister made him feel sick, they were - no offence, of course - so much older than her after all. But the though of her heartbroken made him feel dead inside.

Just as Twilight opened the door to her house, a small, purple blur threw it's arms around her neck and hugged her greatly.

"Twilight! You're back!" Spike cried as he hugged her. "Applejack said you were safe and sound. What happened?" he interrogated, as any concerned friend would do. Especially if they were mostly clueless about the whole thing. Like the baby dragon was.

The lavender pony smiled at him and hugged him back. "I'll explain later, right now I need to find a book about love. Can you help me look for one?"

He thought for a moment and scratched his chin. "Love as in one of Rarity's books? Or love as in... 'love'?"

"Spike!" Twilight turned a deep shade of red. "Just... a book about love. About the love of two ponies. Or three. You look over there and I'll look over here."

The dragon nodded and began searching, as did the pony.

~~~

The two sisters battled furiously in their old home, where they had so joyously been reunited with one another after a thousand years of solitude. And now, here they were again, fighting over the love of one mare.

"We trusted you, Celestia!" Nightmare Moon raged as her sister deflected yet another bolt. "You betrayed us! You broke our heart by stealing the one we gave it to!"

Celestia flinched as her shield faded momentarily. "No, I didn't Luna. I would never to anything to hut you, you know that. Please just put aside your jealousy and-"

"Jealousy?" Moon cried incredulously. "You think we are jealous? Pah! Hardly. We want revenge on you for taking or little Sparkle," she stated and fired another bolt.

Celestia's shield absorbed it and flickered again, eventually fading out of existence as it's caster fell back behind a pillar.

The Sun Princess's mane was all bedraggled and hardly befitting of a princess. The pounding in her head increased with the strain of her shield eventually fading out and Nightmare Moon's energy blasts taking their toll on the victim.

Yet she knew she had to keep it up as much as possible. Or at least, long enough for her sister to see reason, lest she would die, and Equestria be plunged into darkness, and Twilight would become as much of a monster as her sister was.

As they both were.

Celestia felt sorrow tear through her body. "Luna... I only did it because I was jealous of you. I only wanted a somepony like you had," she confessed, finally feeling happy that she'd opened up.

The jet black mare stopped her barrage and listened for a moment.

"I wanted somepony like you had," Celestia repeated. "I wanted to be in love, and I saw Twilight. I heard a rumour about the two of you and couldn't stand it. I thought of her as mine. I'm sickened by my actions now..."

Nightmare Moon was silent. Did this mean Celestia was guilty? Did this mean that she would surrender and let the Empress and her lover be?

"You lie."

"No I don't. I'm truly and deeply sorry. Could you ever forgive me?"

A few moments of the deadest silence.

"Luna?"

A quiet sobbing echoed around the old castle.

"Oh Luna..." Celestia murmured as she looked around. Nightmare Moon sat in a heap of self pity and loathing.

The elder sister stepped forwards and outstretched a hoof.

The sobbing sister saw this as an act of aggression in blind fury and lunged at her with her dark magic.

"Luna.. please..." Celestia mumbled as darkness closed around her throat.

The darkness released itself as Moon stumbled backwards. "No! No, we won't go back! We are the strong one, we are the rightful owner of Twilight Sparkle's heart! We are the... monster I have become..."

Moon glared at Celestia as she rubbed her throat and readied her own counter spell.

"Once I told you I was trying to impress you. Do you remember, Tia?" a different voice asked quietly and sat back.

The elder sister glanced up and saw her sister's eyes staring back at her. "Yes. We were fillies and just starting to raise the sun and the moon. I remember how excited you were at your first eclipse... I was so proud..."

"I know. We both were. I- AHHHH!"

The younger sister screamed and suddenly twisted herself back into Nightmare Moon. The evil mare rose up with a renewed anger and snarled at her sister.

"And I once told you, I would kill you myself. There are no Elements here, Celestia."

She plunged her head downwards in a stabbing motion with her horn.

Celestia just barely dodged and found herself beside her sister's dark form, obsessed with paranoid jealousy and revenge.

"Luna, please, enough of this. Strike me down if you will, just to end it. I can't bear seeing my beloved sister like this. My beautiful, loving sister whom I care about so much so  I would raise Tartarus just to see her again. Keep Twilight Sparkle. I just want my sister back."

Moon baulked.

The white alicorn started taking off her regalia and throwing her crown away. She kicked her golden shoes off and spat out some white spittle.

She stood, stark naked and ready to be executed, eyes shut and all.

Nightmare Moon saw her chance and reared her head back, ready for the kill.

And yet.

She couldn't.

She couldn't kill the one pony who could tear her and Twilight apart.

She couldn't dream of hurting her sister.

She couldn't bear the look on Twilight's face when she found out her other lover was dead...

"Oh... Tia...." she whispered and backed away.

Celestia opened her eyes. Fresh tears stained her battle-weary cheeks. "Luna..."

They stared at one another as the Nightmare slowly changed back into her smaller, kinder self.

Her jaw worked up and down as she sunk to the ground with a disgraced and utterly disgusted look on her face.

The elder felt her knees wobble as she staggered over to her sister. "Luna... I... I'm sorry...."

Luna reached her forelegs up and wrapped them around her big sisters neck. Her quiet weeping had turned into loud, raucous sobs of regret, shame and sorrow.

Celestia's own tears fell too as they embraced one another.

"I meant it, Luna. While I do love her, I only started our relationship because I was jealous. I didn't like the fact that my own student preferred my sister over me. In a moment of blind jealousy, I visited her and confessed my love for her. Can you ever forgive me?"

Luna sniffed and shook her head slowly. "I want to... but I can't. Neither of us can... but... but please promise me... let us never fight again."

Celestia gave a single laugh and nuzzled her baby sister. "Agreed. Come, let us visit Twilight, and put an end to this once and for all."