Celestia's Darkest Secretby BronyxyChapters1 A Clerical Oversight2 Another Side to Celestia3 The Price of Immortality1 A Clerical Oversight“Thank you, Princess” smiled Twilight as she rose to leave her weekly audience with her mentor. The graceful white alicorn rose too and leaned her head down to give her lilac protégée a gentle nuzzle, her love for her prized student shining in her eyes. “I always enjoy our little chats, Twilight” she spoke softly, “It shows me how much you have matured since you first arrived as a timid young filly. Equestria owes you a lot, and so do I.” “Thank you, Princess” said Twilight, blushing as she reached forward to give one last tender kiss before leaving Celestia’s private chambers and heading back to her own duties. “Oh, just one more thing Twilight, while I remember” added her mentor, “I have a meeting with delegates from Saddle Arabia next week at this time; I’m so sorry, but can you talk to my secretary and reschedule a time to suit yourself from my diary?” “Sure thing, Princess” acknowledged Twilight, “Love you.” “Love you too” came the reply, a simple token of the deepest bond each felt for the other. Twilight trotted happily up to the desk where Celestia’s secretary, old Grey Tail, usually sat, but noticed that although her diary was there, he was nowhere to be seen. She knew that the diary was confidential and should not be left unattended, so decided to wait until Grey Tail returned, just to make sure it was not left unguarded. As she waited, she became curious. She had made friends in Saddle Arabia herself, and was interested to see who would be coming. She knew she shouldn’t, but she edged up closer to the diary and studied the outside intently. Then she looked around to see that nopony was coming and flipped the cover open in her magic. She didn’t look straight away, but instead kept a sharp lookout for Grey Tail’s unexpected return, or anypony else for that matter – it wouldn’t do to be seen nosing into Princess Celestia’s private business, even if she was a Princess herself. She allowed her head to turn just enough for her eyes to start scanning through the entries and quickly read the first few items before snapping her head back quickly, thinking she had heard a sound. There was nothing. Nopony had seen her. She turned back and looked some more. As she flipped through pages and pages of a packed schedule, she developed a profound respect that Celestia had given her such privileged access, considering all the other competing demands for her attention. However, the more pages she turned, the more she noticed one item appearing on a recurring weekly basis, ‘VT’, always on the same day, always at the same time. Everything else was flexible, but not this entry; it was there irrespective of whatever disaster may have been befalling the kingdom. She looked more closely and suddenly noticed that it occurred just after her own visit; Celestia would be coming out shortly and catch her! Quickly she slammed the diary shut, just as her heightened senses heard Celestia’s door start to creak open. She panicked. She couldn’t get out fast enough without being seen, and her hoofsteps would echo if she tried to run, so she hid behind the desk and prayed that Grey Tail wouldn’t come back and find her cowering there whilst the Princess was still around. Celestia’s hoofsteps, calm and measured, echoed as she walked slowly towards where she was hiding. Clip, clop, clip, clop. It sounded like a death knell. Drawing nearer, nearer… The hoofsteps stopped. There was a tutting sound and a gentle scraping as Celestia picked up her diary. She was only a few feet away! Twilight’s heartbeat grew loud and fast in her chest, her panic rising. The hoofsteps started again, this time moving away. Clip, clop, clip, clop. A door opened. “Princess!” stammered a male voice nervously, “I’m so sorry …!” “Grey Tail, you need to be much more careful” the Princess reprimanded sternly, “This cannot be allowed to be seen by anypony else. You have many privileges associated with your position, and all that is asked in return is that you keep this diary safe. Word could get out when sensitive meetings are taking place and that information used to compromise the delegates or even mount an attack where the meeting is being held.” “I’m so, so sorry!” stammered Grey Tail, fear evident in his voice, “There was something in the food at breakfast, and a lot of us have been ill, and …” “Be that as it may” said Celestia, her tone silencing any further excuses, “Your position is held because of trust, and if I cannot trust you, then you rule yourself out of performing this important duty.” Twilight had never heard Celestia speak so unforgivingly to any member of her entourage like this before, and redoubled her prayers that she wouldn’t be found right now. Celestia’s few stern words about trust made her feel dirty, as by reading her diary, that is exactly what she had done to betray her trust herself. She fought to control her breathing as she really did not want to give herself away. With Celestia in this kind of mood, she was doubtful whether such an encounter would turn out particularly well for her. Eventually, Celestia finished tearing Grey Tail off a strip and Twilight listened intently as a set of authoritative hoofsteps left and a door closed firmly behind. Was the secretary still in the room? Had he gone? Would he be coming over to the desk where she was hiding? She stayed still and waited. Eventually she heard some quiet cursing; a male voice. There were more hoofsteps and a door opened, then it closed again. She risked peeping around the desk for the first time and noted that she was alone as far as she could see, then leaned round a little further until she could see the whole room. Empty. She heaved a sigh of relief and crossed the room. When she got to the door, she listened carefully. Once having convinced herself it was safe, she cracked the door open, checked that all was clear and left, closing it quietly behind her; each step further away making her feel safer and less fearful of being caught, but not any less guilty. 2 Another Side to CelestiaAll through the week, Twilight mulled over what she had seen and heard. As she wrestled with her guilt, her curiosity began to take hold, its roots drilling down deep into her every waking thought. She tried to tell herself it was none of her business, but what if it was something that she needed to know about for the safety and security of Equestria? She knew she couldn’t very well ask, because that would reveal that she had stolen a look inside her diary, and she knew how touchy Celestia would be about that. The more Twilight agonised, the more only one solution presented itself; she would follow Celestia and find out for herself. She had eventually summoned up the courage to see Grey Tail and arranged to see her mentor the following week. She knew she would be unable to hide her guilt easily and so had scheduled the meeting for the day after Celestia’s next mysterious VT appointment, an appointment that she had already decided would be kept by two, not just one. So it was that Twilight found herself waiting on a cloud high above Canterlot Castle at the time she knew the meeting with the Saddle Arabian representatives would be finishing. She had already cast an invisibility spell on herself and lay on the comfortable cloud, ears twitching, alert. Down below, a pure white pony took off from outside the castle and flew purposefully on a straight heading. Twilight slipped gently off the cloud that had been her vantage point for the last half hour and flew the same heading, keeping her Princess in sight at all times. Her sense of guilt was almost making her feel sick, but her desire to know the truth kept pushing her forward like a relentless steam engine in a shunting yard. She had to know. Twilight watched as Celestia made a gentle turn and landed. She knew this place. She had been here before. As she watched, Celestia walked into the mouth of a cave and at that point there was only one destination – the entrance to Tartarus! Quickly, Twilight dove down and landed as close as she dared without making any noise to alert the white alicorn. She quietly gave thanks for the hard earth floor that stifled the sound of her hoofsteps, so unlike the hard stone in the passageways of the castle that broadcast a pony’s every step. Celestia stood before the grand double doors and took a careful look behind, before focusing on the large amethyst in the middle of her livery collar, which began to glow softly and then fired a beam of purple energy into the conical hole in front of her. Immediately, the intricate square pattern around the hole lit up with an electric blue iridescence that flowed around every filament of the design, disarming a series of cunning and deadly spells intended to prevent unauthorised entry. Finally, once all safeguards had been deactivated, the massive doors swung outwards, revealing a dark interior as uninviting as its fearsome reputation. As Celestia moved forward with unhurried elegance, Twilight sprang into the air and flew through the doorway high above her, feeling the sudden rush of air as the great doors closed behind her with a resounding and permanent clunk. The Sun Princess walked forward with practiced grace, her tail swishing gently behind her, not a hair out of place. The magical creatures in their cages sensed her coming and pressed themselves up against the bars as far away from her as possible, making scared mewing and whimpering noises. One creature was not caged, and he came bounding over happily to see his mistress. “Cerberus, you old softy” chuckled Celestia, cooing over the fearsome creature as if it were a playful little puppy, each one of his three slobbering heads jostling for her attention at once. She played with him affectionately for some time, while their uninvited visitor watched on from her vantage point with an enamoured revulsion. Once Celestia had satiated her pet’s desire for attention, he came obediently to heel and followed her as she walked up and down the ranks of jailed inmates, taking her time as she viewed each in turn. The pure white pony stopped by a cage containing a large bugbear. Last time this creature had been seen in public, it had attacked Ponyville during Cranky and Matilda’s wedding. Then, it had run amok looking for ponies to attack; now it pressed itself into the furthest corner of its cage, whimpering. Celestia approached the cage and reached out with her yellow aura to unlock the door. The bugbear screamed and began to scrabble frantically at the bars behind it, but they held firm. The door opened and its desperate cries for help rose to a crescendo, but nothing made any attempt to help. Cerberus walked round in a little circle then dropped his great bulk down to watch the coming spectacle as the creatures all began to scream. A safe distance away, Twilight sat down too, her feathers ruffling as a strong sense of unease spread through her. Celestia advanced on the fearsome creature, goading it, challenging it, but the animal, known for its mean and aggressive nature reached out from between the bars, desperately searching for something, anything that could help, but found nothing except for air. The terrified cacophony of screaming creatures rose higher, creating an atmosphere of panic as the large predator shrank from the pony whom Twilight had always seen as the kindest and most considerate of companions. Something felt seriously wrong to her and she was wired in to the feeling that the wait was nearly at an end. Celestia lunged at the fearsome predator, which in response tried instinctively to protect itself by angling its stinger towards her. She dodged it easily with reactions far faster than her victim and as she drew closer it flailed its legs at her, howling in fear. She placed her forehooves firmly on its chest and thrust her head forward, sinking her teeth into the flesh under the brush sharp fur and pulled back a strip revealing the raw pinkness underneath. It fought to bring its deadly claws to bear on her, but was unable to reach her as it thrashed around in pain. She plunged her muzzle back into the soft exposed flesh and pulled back sharply, ripping a bigger size hole, the creature making the most unearthly sounds in its terrified agony. Twilight couldn’t bear to look at the gruesome spectacle any longer and turned away, but the screaming sounds followed her, begging her to intercede and stop this madness. Her eyes filled with tears at the fate of the bugbear and also at the shock of seeing what her beloved mentor, the pony she had come to love as her second mother was doing. Her revulsion reached overload and she looked around for some cover, feeling the bitter taste of bile rising into her mouth. An outcrop of rocks beckoned, and she ran towards it, the sound of her hooves all but obliterated by the frenetic baying of the caged creatures. From the direction of the bugbear’s cage, she heard the sound of crunching bones followed by a high pitched scream of such finality that she knew in an instant she wouldn’t get to the rocks in time, and was powerless to resist as her stomach propelled its contents up into her mouth. She felt revolted and betrayed in equal measure, and began throwing together hasty plans for an escape; it mattered not where she went, but she would have to get out as soon as she could. With awful clarity, she suddenly realised she would never be free again; a fugitive on the run until the end of her days, constantly having to keep one step ahead of Celestia, lest she feel the wrath of her retribution. Her mind was in turmoil; it was all to shocking to take in, and she just curled up on the floor and wept. After a few more minutes, the ungodly sounds began to die down and Twilight knew she had to find a better place to hide, preferably somewhere by the door so she could escape back to the fresh unsullied air of Equestria at the first opportunity. 3 The Price of ImmortalityA methodical clip-clopping reached Twilight's ears where she was hiding. It was coming towards her from the direction of the cages and reminded her of that time only a week ago, when she had hidden from the sound of the same hooves as they threatened to discover her hiding behind the secretary's desk. She shrank back in fear, praying that Celestia wouldn’t see her and pass on by. The hoofsteps got closer; clip, clop, clip, clop. Then they stopped. “You can get up now, Twilight.” Twilight shivered in shock and refused to admit she could have been seen. It must be a bad dream! This couldn’t be happening! "Wake up, Twilight! Wake up!" she screamed inwardly, desperate for this nightmare to end. “I’m waiting” came the calm voice in front of her. Twilight peered up through the fringe of her mane and saw two forelegs right in front of her. They were white, but badged in blood. The further she looked up, the more she feared what she would see. Heart pounding wildly, she looked up into a pair of gleaming bright red eyes, yet these were not the most shocking features; moreover it was the blood soaked muzzle and the large carnivore fangs! This wasn’t Celestia – this mare sounded like her, but was a twisted and nightmarish effigy of that most beautiful mare! “You might as well get up. You can’t escape.” “But, how … why …? “Come with me” said the mare, turning back the way she had come. Twilight had no choice and she knew it. She feared what she would see; she feared what Celestia would do. She had already seen what she was capable of. The scared lilac mare staggered to her hooves, the acrid taste of her vomit still lingering in her mouth as she lowered her head and her stomach convulsed again. “Why?” she shouted when she had finished coughing, sticky streams of foul tasting liquid still hanging from her mouth. Celestia did not answer but kept walking slowly away. Twilight knew she was being summoned and wiped her mouth, then trotted after the white mare, as Celestia knew she would; obedient, inquisitive, doomed. They stopped by the cages, all the creatures cowering as Twilight had seen before. Celestia stopped by the bugbear’s cage and Twilight forced herself to follow her mentor’s eyes. There it was, pressed into the corner of the cage, whimpering in fear, but otherwise untouched. “But …” began Twilight, uncomprehending. Celestia sat, and Twilight knew she was expected to comply, the constant wailing of the creatures around them providing an eerie backdrop. “I can only guess you read my diary, Twilight.” The lilac pony flushed bright red and looked down at the ground. “You shouldn’t read other ponies’ diaries; you never know what you may find.” Twilight couldn’t speak. She knew she had betrayed Celestia’s trust and had been caught. It was a horrible feeling and it knocked the fight out of her. “What do you know about Tartarus, Twilight?” “It ... it’s where creatures are banished if they present a threat to society" ventured the lilac pony, then adding as an afterthought, "And they stay here until they either reform or end their days …” “Partly. The cave of Tartarus has a magic that only I fully understand. Deep under the ground is a sentient source of great power known only as The Guardian that provides all the magic in Equestria. It reaches upwards and emerges in the Cave of Harmony, where it provides sustenance to the Tree and the Elements of Harmony; it also emerges here and provides immortality. Any creature that stays in here cannot die. These creatures have been taken out of society for their past actions as you concluded correctly, but will neither be released, nor die. No, they provide a far greater role than you could have ever imagined. Each dreams of receiving the sweet kiss of death, but they are all cursed with immortality.” “Cursed?” queried Twilight hesitantly. “Yes. My immortality was not inherited as ponies widely believe, but it comes from in here. When I entered adulthood many years ago, I made a pact with the Guardian. It allows me to take the gift of immortality beyond the threshold of the cave, but only if I return every week to eat the living heart from a creature that remains here. To this end, it gifts me a set of predatory teeth strong enough to break through an animal’s rib cage. It also gives me its eyes to look through, so it can see what I see, and savour every feeling and every emotion I have whilst I am in here. For the last thousand years, I have been sustained at the peak of my physical prowess and have used this gift to lead my little ponies and keep them safe. If I were to stop, my body would fail and Equestria would soon fall." Twilight was numbed by the shocking truth revealed to her and took time for the awfulness to sink in before replying, “So these creatures are cursed to feel the pain of death over and over again without ever being able to die, just to keep you in power? That’s inhumane!” “That” replied Celestia simply, “Is their punishment.” “What … what about me?” Twilight asked quietly, dreading the answer. “You have uncovered a truth you were never meant to know. I should have thought the answer was obvious to somepony with your intelligence.” “But, my friends – my family, they’ll all miss me and come asking questions.” “Nopony asked any questions when my previous prized student, Sunset Shimmer went missing; even you hadn’t heard of her until she reappeared through the crystal mirror. I will choose another personal student and life will go on.” Twilight suddenly felt very vulnerable. “I could fight you” she suggested, hoping Celestia didn’t hear the tremor in her voice. The white mare laughed. “You have no magic. As soon as you crossed the threshold of the doors, it was all neutralised; only my magic prevails in this realm. I confess I had a sixth sense that I was being followed, but couldn’t be sure until your little invisibility spell was stripped off you. You’ve been in plain sight all this time!” Twilight felt sick again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to return to Canterlot. And by the way, VT stands for ‘Visit Tartarus’, in case you wanted to know.” “Princess! No! You can’t do this” she pleaded, “Surely our friendship counts for something?” “Yes, that’s why I’m not putting you in a cage like the others, Twilight.” “Can’t you cast a memory erasing spell on me?” she begged, “Anything but this! Please!” “No, Twilight, what you have seen can never be unseen. Even the strongest spell could not keep such knowledge hidden forever.” “You … you wouldn’t eat my heart out, would you?” “Goodbye Twilight Sparkle” said Celestia as she walked slowly through the big double doors and did not look back.
1 A Clerical Oversight“Thank you, Princess” smiled Twilight as she rose to leave her weekly audience with her mentor. The graceful white alicorn rose too and leaned her head down to give her lilac protégée a gentle nuzzle, her love for her prized student shining in her eyes. “I always enjoy our little chats, Twilight” she spoke softly, “It shows me how much you have matured since you first arrived as a timid young filly. Equestria owes you a lot, and so do I.” “Thank you, Princess” said Twilight, blushing as she reached forward to give one last tender kiss before leaving Celestia’s private chambers and heading back to her own duties. “Oh, just one more thing Twilight, while I remember” added her mentor, “I have a meeting with delegates from Saddle Arabia next week at this time; I’m so sorry, but can you talk to my secretary and reschedule a time to suit yourself from my diary?” “Sure thing, Princess” acknowledged Twilight, “Love you.” “Love you too” came the reply, a simple token of the deepest bond each felt for the other. Twilight trotted happily up to the desk where Celestia’s secretary, old Grey Tail, usually sat, but noticed that although her diary was there, he was nowhere to be seen. She knew that the diary was confidential and should not be left unattended, so decided to wait until Grey Tail returned, just to make sure it was not left unguarded. As she waited, she became curious. She had made friends in Saddle Arabia herself, and was interested to see who would be coming. She knew she shouldn’t, but she edged up closer to the diary and studied the outside intently. Then she looked around to see that nopony was coming and flipped the cover open in her magic. She didn’t look straight away, but instead kept a sharp lookout for Grey Tail’s unexpected return, or anypony else for that matter – it wouldn’t do to be seen nosing into Princess Celestia’s private business, even if she was a Princess herself. She allowed her head to turn just enough for her eyes to start scanning through the entries and quickly read the first few items before snapping her head back quickly, thinking she had heard a sound. There was nothing. Nopony had seen her. She turned back and looked some more. As she flipped through pages and pages of a packed schedule, she developed a profound respect that Celestia had given her such privileged access, considering all the other competing demands for her attention. However, the more pages she turned, the more she noticed one item appearing on a recurring weekly basis, ‘VT’, always on the same day, always at the same time. Everything else was flexible, but not this entry; it was there irrespective of whatever disaster may have been befalling the kingdom. She looked more closely and suddenly noticed that it occurred just after her own visit; Celestia would be coming out shortly and catch her! Quickly she slammed the diary shut, just as her heightened senses heard Celestia’s door start to creak open. She panicked. She couldn’t get out fast enough without being seen, and her hoofsteps would echo if she tried to run, so she hid behind the desk and prayed that Grey Tail wouldn’t come back and find her cowering there whilst the Princess was still around. Celestia’s hoofsteps, calm and measured, echoed as she walked slowly towards where she was hiding. Clip, clop, clip, clop. It sounded like a death knell. Drawing nearer, nearer… The hoofsteps stopped. There was a tutting sound and a gentle scraping as Celestia picked up her diary. She was only a few feet away! Twilight’s heartbeat grew loud and fast in her chest, her panic rising. The hoofsteps started again, this time moving away. Clip, clop, clip, clop. A door opened. “Princess!” stammered a male voice nervously, “I’m so sorry …!” “Grey Tail, you need to be much more careful” the Princess reprimanded sternly, “This cannot be allowed to be seen by anypony else. You have many privileges associated with your position, and all that is asked in return is that you keep this diary safe. Word could get out when sensitive meetings are taking place and that information used to compromise the delegates or even mount an attack where the meeting is being held.” “I’m so, so sorry!” stammered Grey Tail, fear evident in his voice, “There was something in the food at breakfast, and a lot of us have been ill, and …” “Be that as it may” said Celestia, her tone silencing any further excuses, “Your position is held because of trust, and if I cannot trust you, then you rule yourself out of performing this important duty.” Twilight had never heard Celestia speak so unforgivingly to any member of her entourage like this before, and redoubled her prayers that she wouldn’t be found right now. Celestia’s few stern words about trust made her feel dirty, as by reading her diary, that is exactly what she had done to betray her trust herself. She fought to control her breathing as she really did not want to give herself away. With Celestia in this kind of mood, she was doubtful whether such an encounter would turn out particularly well for her. Eventually, Celestia finished tearing Grey Tail off a strip and Twilight listened intently as a set of authoritative hoofsteps left and a door closed firmly behind. Was the secretary still in the room? Had he gone? Would he be coming over to the desk where she was hiding? She stayed still and waited. Eventually she heard some quiet cursing; a male voice. There were more hoofsteps and a door opened, then it closed again. She risked peeping around the desk for the first time and noted that she was alone as far as she could see, then leaned round a little further until she could see the whole room. Empty. She heaved a sigh of relief and crossed the room. When she got to the door, she listened carefully. Once having convinced herself it was safe, she cracked the door open, checked that all was clear and left, closing it quietly behind her; each step further away making her feel safer and less fearful of being caught, but not any less guilty.
2 Another Side to CelestiaAll through the week, Twilight mulled over what she had seen and heard. As she wrestled with her guilt, her curiosity began to take hold, its roots drilling down deep into her every waking thought. She tried to tell herself it was none of her business, but what if it was something that she needed to know about for the safety and security of Equestria? She knew she couldn’t very well ask, because that would reveal that she had stolen a look inside her diary, and she knew how touchy Celestia would be about that. The more Twilight agonised, the more only one solution presented itself; she would follow Celestia and find out for herself. She had eventually summoned up the courage to see Grey Tail and arranged to see her mentor the following week. She knew she would be unable to hide her guilt easily and so had scheduled the meeting for the day after Celestia’s next mysterious VT appointment, an appointment that she had already decided would be kept by two, not just one. So it was that Twilight found herself waiting on a cloud high above Canterlot Castle at the time she knew the meeting with the Saddle Arabian representatives would be finishing. She had already cast an invisibility spell on herself and lay on the comfortable cloud, ears twitching, alert. Down below, a pure white pony took off from outside the castle and flew purposefully on a straight heading. Twilight slipped gently off the cloud that had been her vantage point for the last half hour and flew the same heading, keeping her Princess in sight at all times. Her sense of guilt was almost making her feel sick, but her desire to know the truth kept pushing her forward like a relentless steam engine in a shunting yard. She had to know. Twilight watched as Celestia made a gentle turn and landed. She knew this place. She had been here before. As she watched, Celestia walked into the mouth of a cave and at that point there was only one destination – the entrance to Tartarus! Quickly, Twilight dove down and landed as close as she dared without making any noise to alert the white alicorn. She quietly gave thanks for the hard earth floor that stifled the sound of her hoofsteps, so unlike the hard stone in the passageways of the castle that broadcast a pony’s every step. Celestia stood before the grand double doors and took a careful look behind, before focusing on the large amethyst in the middle of her livery collar, which began to glow softly and then fired a beam of purple energy into the conical hole in front of her. Immediately, the intricate square pattern around the hole lit up with an electric blue iridescence that flowed around every filament of the design, disarming a series of cunning and deadly spells intended to prevent unauthorised entry. Finally, once all safeguards had been deactivated, the massive doors swung outwards, revealing a dark interior as uninviting as its fearsome reputation. As Celestia moved forward with unhurried elegance, Twilight sprang into the air and flew through the doorway high above her, feeling the sudden rush of air as the great doors closed behind her with a resounding and permanent clunk. The Sun Princess walked forward with practiced grace, her tail swishing gently behind her, not a hair out of place. The magical creatures in their cages sensed her coming and pressed themselves up against the bars as far away from her as possible, making scared mewing and whimpering noises. One creature was not caged, and he came bounding over happily to see his mistress. “Cerberus, you old softy” chuckled Celestia, cooing over the fearsome creature as if it were a playful little puppy, each one of his three slobbering heads jostling for her attention at once. She played with him affectionately for some time, while their uninvited visitor watched on from her vantage point with an enamoured revulsion. Once Celestia had satiated her pet’s desire for attention, he came obediently to heel and followed her as she walked up and down the ranks of jailed inmates, taking her time as she viewed each in turn. The pure white pony stopped by a cage containing a large bugbear. Last time this creature had been seen in public, it had attacked Ponyville during Cranky and Matilda’s wedding. Then, it had run amok looking for ponies to attack; now it pressed itself into the furthest corner of its cage, whimpering. Celestia approached the cage and reached out with her yellow aura to unlock the door. The bugbear screamed and began to scrabble frantically at the bars behind it, but they held firm. The door opened and its desperate cries for help rose to a crescendo, but nothing made any attempt to help. Cerberus walked round in a little circle then dropped his great bulk down to watch the coming spectacle as the creatures all began to scream. A safe distance away, Twilight sat down too, her feathers ruffling as a strong sense of unease spread through her. Celestia advanced on the fearsome creature, goading it, challenging it, but the animal, known for its mean and aggressive nature reached out from between the bars, desperately searching for something, anything that could help, but found nothing except for air. The terrified cacophony of screaming creatures rose higher, creating an atmosphere of panic as the large predator shrank from the pony whom Twilight had always seen as the kindest and most considerate of companions. Something felt seriously wrong to her and she was wired in to the feeling that the wait was nearly at an end. Celestia lunged at the fearsome predator, which in response tried instinctively to protect itself by angling its stinger towards her. She dodged it easily with reactions far faster than her victim and as she drew closer it flailed its legs at her, howling in fear. She placed her forehooves firmly on its chest and thrust her head forward, sinking her teeth into the flesh under the brush sharp fur and pulled back a strip revealing the raw pinkness underneath. It fought to bring its deadly claws to bear on her, but was unable to reach her as it thrashed around in pain. She plunged her muzzle back into the soft exposed flesh and pulled back sharply, ripping a bigger size hole, the creature making the most unearthly sounds in its terrified agony. Twilight couldn’t bear to look at the gruesome spectacle any longer and turned away, but the screaming sounds followed her, begging her to intercede and stop this madness. Her eyes filled with tears at the fate of the bugbear and also at the shock of seeing what her beloved mentor, the pony she had come to love as her second mother was doing. Her revulsion reached overload and she looked around for some cover, feeling the bitter taste of bile rising into her mouth. An outcrop of rocks beckoned, and she ran towards it, the sound of her hooves all but obliterated by the frenetic baying of the caged creatures. From the direction of the bugbear’s cage, she heard the sound of crunching bones followed by a high pitched scream of such finality that she knew in an instant she wouldn’t get to the rocks in time, and was powerless to resist as her stomach propelled its contents up into her mouth. She felt revolted and betrayed in equal measure, and began throwing together hasty plans for an escape; it mattered not where she went, but she would have to get out as soon as she could. With awful clarity, she suddenly realised she would never be free again; a fugitive on the run until the end of her days, constantly having to keep one step ahead of Celestia, lest she feel the wrath of her retribution. Her mind was in turmoil; it was all to shocking to take in, and she just curled up on the floor and wept. After a few more minutes, the ungodly sounds began to die down and Twilight knew she had to find a better place to hide, preferably somewhere by the door so she could escape back to the fresh unsullied air of Equestria at the first opportunity.
3 The Price of ImmortalityA methodical clip-clopping reached Twilight's ears where she was hiding. It was coming towards her from the direction of the cages and reminded her of that time only a week ago, when she had hidden from the sound of the same hooves as they threatened to discover her hiding behind the secretary's desk. She shrank back in fear, praying that Celestia wouldn’t see her and pass on by. The hoofsteps got closer; clip, clop, clip, clop. Then they stopped. “You can get up now, Twilight.” Twilight shivered in shock and refused to admit she could have been seen. It must be a bad dream! This couldn’t be happening! "Wake up, Twilight! Wake up!" she screamed inwardly, desperate for this nightmare to end. “I’m waiting” came the calm voice in front of her. Twilight peered up through the fringe of her mane and saw two forelegs right in front of her. They were white, but badged in blood. The further she looked up, the more she feared what she would see. Heart pounding wildly, she looked up into a pair of gleaming bright red eyes, yet these were not the most shocking features; moreover it was the blood soaked muzzle and the large carnivore fangs! This wasn’t Celestia – this mare sounded like her, but was a twisted and nightmarish effigy of that most beautiful mare! “You might as well get up. You can’t escape.” “But, how … why …? “Come with me” said the mare, turning back the way she had come. Twilight had no choice and she knew it. She feared what she would see; she feared what Celestia would do. She had already seen what she was capable of. The scared lilac mare staggered to her hooves, the acrid taste of her vomit still lingering in her mouth as she lowered her head and her stomach convulsed again. “Why?” she shouted when she had finished coughing, sticky streams of foul tasting liquid still hanging from her mouth. Celestia did not answer but kept walking slowly away. Twilight knew she was being summoned and wiped her mouth, then trotted after the white mare, as Celestia knew she would; obedient, inquisitive, doomed. They stopped by the cages, all the creatures cowering as Twilight had seen before. Celestia stopped by the bugbear’s cage and Twilight forced herself to follow her mentor’s eyes. There it was, pressed into the corner of the cage, whimpering in fear, but otherwise untouched. “But …” began Twilight, uncomprehending. Celestia sat, and Twilight knew she was expected to comply, the constant wailing of the creatures around them providing an eerie backdrop. “I can only guess you read my diary, Twilight.” The lilac pony flushed bright red and looked down at the ground. “You shouldn’t read other ponies’ diaries; you never know what you may find.” Twilight couldn’t speak. She knew she had betrayed Celestia’s trust and had been caught. It was a horrible feeling and it knocked the fight out of her. “What do you know about Tartarus, Twilight?” “It ... it’s where creatures are banished if they present a threat to society" ventured the lilac pony, then adding as an afterthought, "And they stay here until they either reform or end their days …” “Partly. The cave of Tartarus has a magic that only I fully understand. Deep under the ground is a sentient source of great power known only as The Guardian that provides all the magic in Equestria. It reaches upwards and emerges in the Cave of Harmony, where it provides sustenance to the Tree and the Elements of Harmony; it also emerges here and provides immortality. Any creature that stays in here cannot die. These creatures have been taken out of society for their past actions as you concluded correctly, but will neither be released, nor die. No, they provide a far greater role than you could have ever imagined. Each dreams of receiving the sweet kiss of death, but they are all cursed with immortality.” “Cursed?” queried Twilight hesitantly. “Yes. My immortality was not inherited as ponies widely believe, but it comes from in here. When I entered adulthood many years ago, I made a pact with the Guardian. It allows me to take the gift of immortality beyond the threshold of the cave, but only if I return every week to eat the living heart from a creature that remains here. To this end, it gifts me a set of predatory teeth strong enough to break through an animal’s rib cage. It also gives me its eyes to look through, so it can see what I see, and savour every feeling and every emotion I have whilst I am in here. For the last thousand years, I have been sustained at the peak of my physical prowess and have used this gift to lead my little ponies and keep them safe. If I were to stop, my body would fail and Equestria would soon fall." Twilight was numbed by the shocking truth revealed to her and took time for the awfulness to sink in before replying, “So these creatures are cursed to feel the pain of death over and over again without ever being able to die, just to keep you in power? That’s inhumane!” “That” replied Celestia simply, “Is their punishment.” “What … what about me?” Twilight asked quietly, dreading the answer. “You have uncovered a truth you were never meant to know. I should have thought the answer was obvious to somepony with your intelligence.” “But, my friends – my family, they’ll all miss me and come asking questions.” “Nopony asked any questions when my previous prized student, Sunset Shimmer went missing; even you hadn’t heard of her until she reappeared through the crystal mirror. I will choose another personal student and life will go on.” Twilight suddenly felt very vulnerable. “I could fight you” she suggested, hoping Celestia didn’t hear the tremor in her voice. The white mare laughed. “You have no magic. As soon as you crossed the threshold of the doors, it was all neutralised; only my magic prevails in this realm. I confess I had a sixth sense that I was being followed, but couldn’t be sure until your little invisibility spell was stripped off you. You’ve been in plain sight all this time!” Twilight felt sick again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to return to Canterlot. And by the way, VT stands for ‘Visit Tartarus’, in case you wanted to know.” “Princess! No! You can’t do this” she pleaded, “Surely our friendship counts for something?” “Yes, that’s why I’m not putting you in a cage like the others, Twilight.” “Can’t you cast a memory erasing spell on me?” she begged, “Anything but this! Please!” “No, Twilight, what you have seen can never be unseen. Even the strongest spell could not keep such knowledge hidden forever.” “You … you wouldn’t eat my heart out, would you?” “Goodbye Twilight Sparkle” said Celestia as she walked slowly through the big double doors and did not look back.
