Nightmares Aren't Just For Nightmare Moonby BronyBraeburnChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Twilight Sparkle dragged her tired hooves into the library, Spike passed out and draped over her back. Pinkie Pie had thrown a wild party for Applejack’s birthday, stuffing themselves with apple pastries and sharing a special bottle of cider Braeburn sent her as a present, entirely made from Bloomberg’s apples. Her body was exhausted but her heart felt light and content, filled with the love of her friends. He grunted in response as he pulled his blanket tighter, a small smile appearing on his face. “Dreaming of Rarity, lover boy? I hope it’s a good one for you.” She crawled into bed and fell asleep almost immediately, emulating her number one assistant and turning her blankets into a cocoon. Often her dreams took her home to Canterlot, the many rooms of the castle, or her personal favorite, the Canterlot library, but this time Twilight was in some kind of hellish void. The ground beneath her hooves was solid black and felt like stone. There was nothing in all directions except a hate-filled colored sky of swirling reds, yellows, oranges, and more black, and the horizon seemed to expand forever. She took a step to try and run but remained frozen in place. The sky seemed alive somehow, as if it was concentrated evil energy condemned to circle this place, just as the stars forever circled the planet. Though she couldn't explain it, she felt if she tried to run, the sky would attack her, like a predator bringing down its prey. “Where am I?” She wondered aloud, hearing her voice echo ominously. “Is anyone here?” A dark chuckle answered, seemingly coming everywhere at once. Twilight’s ears fell as her eyes widened, her knees suddenly growing weak. She knew that laugh anywhere; she heard it far too often for her liking. “Good evening, Twilight Sparkle,” a familiar voice answered. “Welcome to hell.” “Discord,” she growled, summoning all of her courage as she stared the draconequus down as he emerged from the shadows. Instead of his usual playful attitude, his whole demeanor was hostile and he glared dangerously at her. “What are you doing here? I imprisoned you!” “Mighty proud of that fact, aren’t you, Twilight? Say what you will of everything I have done, I have never turned someone into stone. I have never condemned them to this hell. But no, you want to be just like your precious princess and do things the proper way. Well done, my little pony, well done,” he applauded slowly, glaring daggers into her very soul. “Your idea of fun is what other ponies would call hell,” she corrected him. “The needs of the many outweigh the few? I’d expect a better excuse from someone as educated as you, or are you too ignorant to question the wishes of a princess?” “Stop insulting Celestia!” She demanded, stomping her hoof. “She is a wise and benevolent ruler who knows what’s best for everypony! You just wanted a good laugh at the expense of thousands of miserable ponies, but Celestia wants everypony to be happy and content. The princesses turned you into stone for a reason, and my friends and I did it again not because we were blindly told to, but because we knew we had to do it for the sake of all Equestria!” Discord raised an eyebrow. “No titles? My, my, aren’t we bold and brash. Getting a bit of an ego, Twilight? No matter what your accomplishments, you’re still a common unicorn of no breeding. Never forget your place.” The lavender unicorn hid her embarrassment as best she could. It was an accident that she didn’t address the princess as she should, but she couldn’t tolerate hearing her beloved mentor being insulted, especially by a being who thought her an oppressing dictator though he ruled with chaos. “Never forget yours, either. Just because you’re a being of great power and magic doesn’t mean you have the right to abuse us common creatures.” “Nor does Celestia have the right to rule fairly over all living things. Nothing is true; everything is permitted.” “You tried to break my friendship with the girls,” she growled. “By your own logic, I was therefore permitted my desire to keep the bonds between us and imprison you in stone to ensure that happens. I know you used your magic to change them; they would never willingly abandon me.” “Are you so certain of that?” He asked, his face suddenly regaining the playful expression that she expected of him. “Yes my magic corrupted them but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will forever be your friends.” “They love me just as much as I love them,” she insisted, remembering how they saved her from punishment when she placed the want-it-need-it spell on her Smarty Pants doll. Spike was afraid to get involved but they barged right into the room without ceremony, all five contributing to her defense, clearly afraid to see her be taken away from them. “We shall see about that, won’t we?” He snapped his fingers and Twilight went momentarily blind from the white light. When she could see again, she was home in the library, still in bed, with the sun high in the sky. “I’ll show you the power of our friendship,” Twilight promised out loud, unsure if Discord was able to hear her. “Spike, are you awake? Spike?” His bed was empty, maybe he was out on some errand. Rarity was often borrowing him to hunt for gems for her dresses, especially now that the Diamond Dogs left her small piles of gems as a tribute so she would never bother them again. Though Rarity was probably away and busy, no doubt the other girls were around and all too happy to show Discord just how much they loved her. She left the library with a confident swagger in her step as she trotted into town, pleased to see Applejack minding the apple stall in town today. “Hi Applejack,” she greeted, flashing her a brilliant smile. “Hi,” the earth pony replied curtly, ignoring her as she searched the crowd for potential customers. Twilight’s smile shrank. Applejack was never so distant. They were complete strangers and yet she almost tore Twilight’s foreleg off in a passionate hoofshake when they first met. “Is everything alright?” “Are you going to buy something or just waste my time?” She snapped, making Twilight back up. Her color was still the same, not grayed out like when Discord corrupted her, so what was going on? “Applejack, don’t you know me?” She quietly asked, suddenly feeling afraid. “Should I?” Her green eyes showed no recognition and Twilight’s heart sank as she took several steps back, tears welling up in her eyes. Discord’s magic or not, losing Applejack for a second time hurt worse than before. She ran away before the earth pony could see her tears, deaf to the warning shouts before she collided into a pony, dumping a box of cupcakes over her, the frosting sliding onto her body as her hooves crushed the fallen pastries. “Watch where you’re going!” A shrill voice shouted. Twilight open her eyes just as a glob of frosting slid from her mane into her eye, making her curse as she tried to rub it out. “The whole box is ruined, thanks a lot!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, taking the one untouched cupcake and impaling it on Twilight’s horn. “Sorry we can’t all be Canterlot royalty. Better watch out for us common ponies next time.” She smacked Twilight’s face with her tail before storming off back to the bakery. “What is wrong with everypony?” Twilight stood up and shook off the cupcake mess, stopping when she heard the cries of protest of a friend. “I am so sorry, Rarity, I had no idea you were there!” She hastily apologized, but the prissy unicorn would have none of it. “This was a Hoity Toity exclusive, designed just for me, and you RUINED IT!” Rarity shouted, using her magic to try and spot clean her clothes, throwing the pastry mess back at Twilight. “Just because YOU don’t care about fashion doesn’t mean you should abuse those who do! I’m sending you the cleaning bill from the most expensive cleaner in all of Equestria! I may even double it to pay for mental scarring!” With her nose high in the air, she stormed past the miserable Twilight, who didn’t even bother to clean herself of the cupcake mess. She would have sat there forever, feeling miserable, but a familiar laugh made her look up, spying Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy lounging on a cloud, with the cyan pegasus laughing at her mess while the pastel yellow just shook her head. “What did I tell ya, Fluttershy? Eggheads don’t belong outside in the real world. They’re much better off with their heads stuffed in dusty old books.” “Rainbow Dash, that’s not very nice,” Fluttershy said, making a small smile appear on Twilight’s face. Finally, somepony who cared! “Though it is true; she spends so much time there, like she prefers the written word to real ponies.” Twilight recoiled as if she had been kicked. “What are you talking about?” She shouted up to them. “We’re friends, don’t you remember?” Rainbow Dash rolled over onto her back, laughing hysterically as she clutched her stomach. “Me, friends with an egghead, oh that’s a good one!” “We’ve never seen you outside of the library before today,” Fluttershy reminded her. “We all figured you thought you were too good for us lowly common ponies.” “You girls are the best thing that’s ever happened to me! You, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack! You’re my best friends!” “Those books are rotting your mind,” Rainbow Dash snapped as she rolled back onto her stomach. “We’ve never shared words before today, and I never want to do so again. Let’s go, Fluttershy.” The two flew off without another word, and uncontrollable sadness fought with rage to be the dominant emotion in Twilight Sparkle’s body. The two combined as she tried to use her magic to expel the cupcake mess off of her body, but instead of the magic being focused around her body, it was concentrated a few feet from her on all sides, and refused to come any closer. She tried to harmlessly dispel the magic but it was released at ten times her intended power, resulting in an explosion that wrecked the open market, covering everypony with mashed fruit and vegetables. “What the hay are you doing?” A stallion shouted. “You’re going to pay for this!” A mare shouted, until more and more voices joined in and crowded around the poor cupcake-covered unicorn, glaring at her with evil eyes and accusing her of evil deeds. She tried to teleport away but her magic refused to work, she couldn’t even feel it struggling like when she was a filly. She shrunk the ground, trying to escape, desperate to distance herself from such anger, but the ponies were tightly circled around her, their voices growing louder, and louder, and louder, as Twilight put her hooves against her ears to try and drown them out, her eyes shut tight, wishing and praying they would go away and leave her alone. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Twilight’s eyes shot open as wide as they could reach. The roar of the angry alicorn silenced the crowd, and with a flash of bright light, the mass of ponies dispersed, abandoning the street. She looked up and cowered before the enraged princess. “I took you under my wing, made you my personal protégé, the first in centuries, and THIS is how you repay me?” Celestia motioned to the destroyed carts, crates, and barrels, many turned into matchwood. “Perform a spell.” When the unicorn hesitated, she stomped her hoof, making the ground tremble. “Do it, NOW!” Twilight strained as hard as she could, but she couldn’t even feel the magic flowing through her body. There was simply nothing, nothing but her physical strength. “I can’t,” she finally admitted in defeat, collapsing to the ground and buried her face in her hooves. “I’m sorry I ever wasted my time on you,” Celestia growled before teleporting away. Twilight sobbed openly; there was nothing for her now if the ponies she cared about most no longer loved her. When a shadow blocked her light, she turned to see her parents looking over her and suddenly a ray of hope entered her heart. If anyone still supported her, it would have to be them. “Mom, Dad?” But the two just looked at each other, shame in their eyes, and walked away with their heads hanging low. Twilight felt as if someone grabbed her heart and squeezed with all their might, trying to crush it. “Wait!” She shouted and ran after them, but the two were deaf to her pleas and only ran faster before disappearing around the corner. Now she literally had no one. If Spike could not be found, then no doubt he ran off hours ago, not wanting to be connected to such a loser. For the first time in her life, she was utterly alone. She dropped like a rag doll to the ground, burying her face in both hooves, feeling utterly defeated and dead inside. A shadow covered her from behind and her heart sank even lower, already knowing its owner. “There, there, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said soothingly, gently patting her back. She lifted her head from her hooves and her body began to shake with rage as her tears became silent. He was responsible for everything; his magic that turned the world to chaos subtly manipulated her friends, her loved ones, and she was going to make him feel the indescribable pain in her heart and soul. With a wild battle cry, she quickly turned and violently gored him with her horn, smiling grimly as she felt his warm blood on her face. Her pleasure quickly vanished into fear as Discord wrapped his paw around her body and lifted her into the air, tightening his grip on her. “I was going to be your friend, to replace your beloved princess, but now the game has changed, hasn’t it?” Pain coursed through Twilight’s body, feeling as if he was going to crush her. She desperately tried to escape, attempted to use magic, but she was stuck in his ever-tightening grip as she struggled to breathe, slowly losing consciousness. “I underestimated you the first time we met. I lost a hard battle to two alicorns, so when Celestia sent six little ponies after me, I thought Equestria was mine forever. You would never survive me at my full strength; your precious princesses barely managed to. Without your friends, you are nothing; hardly the great magic user Celestia said you were. Arrivederci.” With one final squeeze, Twilight knew this was the end and attempted one last struggle to escape. She bucked against her restraints so hard that Applejack would be proud as she felt a few feet to the ground and slipped free. Her magic returned as her anger summoned a powerful blast to be released at any moment, but when she leapt to her hooves and turned to face her opponent, Discord was gone, and she just saw her bed and her sheets and blankets on the floor. “Was it a dream,” she wondered aloud, or perhaps another one of Discord’s tricks? “Spike!” “Five more minutes, Mom,” the baby dragon mumbled before rolling over and going back to sleep, still tucked tightly in bed. “A dream, it was all a dream,” she said in relief as she dropped to the floor in relief, but then a new panic gripped her. “But what if Discord can escape? What if he has escaped? Spike, take a letter! Oh wait, you can’t,” rousing dragons from sleep was almost impossible. It was a miracle that she could wake him up at all when he slept. She raced downstairs to her writing desk and hastily penned a warning letter to Princess Celestia, waking Spike long enough to send it. She paced for half a minute waiting for an answer but Spike remained asleep. “Princess, where are you?” “Right behind you,” came the alicorn’s angelic voice, greeting her distraught student with a warm smile, quieting her with a raised hoof before Twilight informed her of what she already knew. “Discord can never return as long as you and your friends wield the Elements of Harmony. When they passed on from Luna and me to you, Discord’s imprisonment was weakened, needing the right moment to seize power and escape. Today is the anniversary of the day he was first imprisoned, and the stars alignment enables him to project his will, and he torments those he hates most with nightmares that shook even my sister and me to the core. We’ve always been hesitant to sleep on this day; I should have warned you, but it slipped my mind, please forgive me.” “Did he go after the others?” Her panic seemed to latch onto some new fear whenever one was abated. “I sent Luna to check on them and make sure they understand the situation. I had to check on you first and foremost, make sure you were okay.” “Of course, I am. Just a nightmare, no reason to fret and worry; I’m not a filly anymore, no reason to fear the boogeypony,” she said quickly, trying to put up a good front of courage for her mentor, but Celestia quickly wore it down into nothing with a concerned look. Twilight threw herself at the princess, crying into her chest. Celestia put her head over the pony’s shoulder, and wrapped her wings around her. “Just let it out, Twilight,” she said soothingly. “Don’t hold anything back. I know how bad his nightmares are, and Luna and I have always felt so much better after exchanging stories.” “It was worse than before! When Discord came, my friends at least knew me, but in the dream, we were never friends to begin with! They had no idea who I was; they kept saying I was holed up in the library everyday and nopony ever saw me. They assumed I thought I was too good for them.” Her voice was stolen as she struggled to keep it together. As much as she loved her hometown, it was a sore spot to be lumped together with the high society ponies. She was of the small but growing middle class neighborhood; a section that considered itself just as normal as Ponyville despite being placed in the oldest city in Equestria. She was grudgingly forced to attend several high society parties as a representative of Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns though, and possibly to make friends, as the princess was often on her case about spending too much time studying. How could she though, when the upper crust was always so judgmental and fake? Anyone remotely close with the school knew that she was the princess’s personal protégé so they never looked down on her, but they never bothered to get to know the real her either. “No matter what your origins, my most faithful student, you are not, and never will be, better than anyone,” Celestia assured her, “and anypony who thinks otherwise are fools. In all our years together, you’re still the same filly I met, only with a much better harness on your amazing magical ability.” Twilight wiped away her tears with her foreleg and smiled warmly at her mentor. How she loved being called that, her special name that only the princess used. “You inspire me to be everything I can be,” she admitted, though she had told the princess the story of her first Summer Sun Celebration so often that no doubt the alicorn had memorized it. “In the dream, you said I was the first in centuries to be your personal protégé, is that true?” The school was founded long after Discord was imprisoned but knowing his great power, he had a way of learning things despite him limitations. Celestia shook her head, and Twilight struggled to hide her disappointment. The subject was never brought up until now, but she was hoping that their relationship was a quite rare and special one. “You’re my first ever,” she corrected with a grin. As much as she enjoyed jokes and pranks on ponies, it was very rare that she pulled one on her student, but she couldn’t resist the moment, feeling that it would make the truth that much sweeter. “I have lectured students, taught classes, and offered the occasional tutoring service, but never have I taken someone under my wing like I have with you. I started the school after working with great unicorns like Starswirl the Breaded in the hopes of finding and nurturing more ponies to live up to the full potential of their abilities. What you were capable of the day we met is something advanced students aspire to with several years of hard work and dedication. I knew I found someone truly special in you: one destined for the history books, and a dear friend I cannot live without.” Tears threatened to overtake the lavender unicorn once more, only this time, it was tears of joy. “I love you, Celestia,” she declared, perfectly aware of the boldness of her words as she once more pressed herself against the alicorn. She considered the princess a surrogate mother and soon the title of princess became more a part of her mentor’s name rather than a reminder of the vast differences between them. In casual situations, many formal actions showing reverence and loyalty were dropped, as the two knew Twilight was one of the most dedicated and loyal subjects that ever lived, but the final barrier of Celestia’s title remained until today. Now they were just unicorn and alicorn, two friends who loved each other dearly. Celestia was taken aback by her words; never once had her student dropped her title, and she doubted it was an accident. Was it wrong for her to have gotten so close? Did it really matter? Not even Spike was conscious enough to hear it, and the moment would never leave the room. Unlike Luna, she had never had a child of her own, and Twilight was the closest she would ever come. She was smart enough to only drop it during private moments. “I love you too, Twilight Sparkle,” she replied as she wrapped her neck over the unicorn’s shoulder, holding her tightly. The two stood there for several minutes, treasuring each other’s company. Twilight felt herself lulled back to sleep by the steady beating of the alicorn’s great heart and wobbled slightly on her hooves, hoping the princess wouldn’t notice, but she didn’t have a prayer of hiding it from the all-knowing alicorn. “I think it’s time for bed, don’t you agree?” Like a filly, Twilight stubbornly shook her head though she knew sleep was coming. Celestia chuckled warmly, remembering Twilight’s childhood where she would study magic long into the night, even when she was falling asleep on her books. There was only one way to send her to bed back then, the same that she would do now. She used a levitation spell to carry the unicorn to bed, manually pulling back the blanket before lowering her onto the mattress and tucking the lavender unicorn in. “Good night, my most faithful student,” she said with a nuzzle and a kiss on the cheek. “Celestia?” Twilight weakly asked, fighting the pull of the sandmare. “Stay with me please?” She didn’t want to admit it aloud, but she was fearful of another nightmare. What if Discord came again, and this time made things so much worse? Smartypants always kept her safe from nightmares as a filly but Big Macintosh was so reluctant to let her go so she gave him the doll, glad that she could be passed on to someone who loved her. “As you wish,” the alicorn replied with a warm smile. Twilight contorted herself as much as possible to give the princess as much space as possible. Celestia lied on her stomach; hooves all tucked in, and laid her wing over Twilight, who pressed herself tightly against her mentor. It wasn’t long before the unicorn was fast asleep, a slight smile on her face. Celestia lost track of time as she stayed there, watching her student sleep peacefully, free of any troubles. Such a magnificent pony deserved nothing but good dreams and deep sleeps every night of her life. She was so young, yet had accomplished so much. She eagerly anticipated what great wonders her student would accomplish in the future, but for right now, there was no better place for her then in Ponyville surrounded by her loving friends. A tap on the window startled her and immediately she felt protective of her little pony, glaring dangerously at the window with her horn glowing, ready to defend Twilight with a passion. But it was only Princess Luna, who came inside from the balcony and Celestia immediately backed down with some shame. “Forgive me, sister, I didn’t know what to think. My fears got the better of me and for a moment I thought Discord had come for her.” It had been over a year since Luna’s return but still she made sure never to give her sister a reason to believe that anypony thought she would become Nightmare Moon again. Luna shook her head. “Your love of the unicorn is admirable. After Nightmare Night, I can see why you are so close to her.” Celestia looked down at the still sleeping form of Twilight who was oblivious to her company and lovingly nuzzled her. “She’s like a daughter to me; the child I never had.” “Discord visited them all. The Element of Kindness was attempting to fight him by tearing her pillow in her sleep,” the princess looked uneasy as she remembered the pegasus cruelly tearing at her pillow like a predator with its prey. Was she really deserving of the Element of Kindness? “I dared not ask what happened in her dream. I did as you asked however and I left them all sleeping peacefully.” “Thank you, Luna. I wish he targeted us again rather than the girls—no, I was expecting him to target us, but he is bound to hate those who imprisoned him mere hours after his escape.” She didn’t dare say it, but she was glad Discord left them alone this night. It wasn’t long after her return home that she remembered a horrific night awaited her in several months, and no doubt the spirit of disharmony would play upon her fears of losing her beloved sister forever, despite her redemption. If she never suffered another one of his nightmares, it would be too soon. “The hour of dawn is approaching. Perhaps we should depart.” “Yes, we should,” Celestia agreed, though she didn’t want to leave her beloved student. “We have some time though. There’s someone I wish to speak to first.” With one last nuzzle and a quiet declaration of love, she carefully slid off of the bed, trying not to disturb the sleeping unicorn. “I love you both dearly, but no one could ever replace you, dear sister,” Celestia reminded Luna as they walked to the balcony and took to the skies, quickly teleporting to Canterlot. Luna expected to arrive at the castle gates as it was the usual spot, but instead they appeared in the old dungeon buried beneath the castle, perhaps the only section not to be updated in a thousand years. But why were they here? The cells were abandoned centuries ago according to the history books she had buried herself in for the past year. The prison was built miles away in the wilderness, though rumor had it the ancient dungeon held one inmate. She gasped as the answer came to her. “Celestia, you aren’t—” “I must,” she confirmed as she opened the large maximum security cell, narrowing her eyes at the prisoner. “Celestia,” the prisoner greeted. “Luna, my my, it’s been far too long since I’ve seen you last. About a thousand years, I’d say.” “Discord,” Celestia said sternly, glaring at the stone prison that held his spirit as she stood protectively in front of her sister. Discord’s mind games laid the seed that would make Luna succumb to the darkness of Nightmare Moon. “You were never meant for this world if you can’t control yourself. How does it feel to be beaten by six little ponies?” “I did you a favor, Tia. The nightmares I gave the girls were nothing compared to what I had in store for you. If you thought my previously nightly visits were bad, this one takes the cake. Picture this: a beautiful sunny day, not a cotton candy cloud in the sky, the pure white of your horn and hooves stained forever with blood, and your precious Twilight looking up at you with wide, soulful eyes, ‘Why, princess, why?’ before she dies by your own hoof.” Celestia lost control as she unwittingly imagined such a horrific image. She planted her forelegs in the stone ground as she turned and kicked him as hard as she could with her rear legs, putting Applejack’s apple-bucking to shame, but she could not make a dent in the stone. His mocking laughter infuriated her but Luna stopped her before she could make another attempt. “You shall remain here for eternity,” Luna reminded him. “The Elements of Harmony shall remain with Twilight Sparkle and the others for many years, and when it is time for the Elements to seek new masters, your weakened bonds will not break, as nopony knows you are here. Laugh while you can, Discord, for this is your new home, the only one you shall ever know! Equestria shall know chaos no longer, only peace and understanding, love and tolerance, under its true leaders. Do your worst when you are able, for we will not submit to your tyranny or lies any longer! Come Celestia; let us leave him to ponder his fate.” The two alicorns walked out with their heads held high, ignoring the draconequus’s idle threats. “Thank you, Luna,” Celestia said as they left the dungeon and onto the castle grounds. “I fear I would have attempted to kill him, though if the Elements wished for his death, surely they would have killed him in our first encounter rather than imprisoned him. What he said about Twilight, it took control, drove me mad. He’s right, such an image is worse than any he has ever given me before.” “When I was away,” the phrase was preferred whenever discussing the millennium that Luna was stuck on the moon, “did he ever send you nightmares about me?” Luna shyly inquired. “Yes, but no matter how brutal they were, what hurt me most was waking up and knowing that you weren’t in the next room; that you were trapped within a monster on the moon, because I didn’t know how to bring you back. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you when you first came back to Equestria. Without the connection to the Elements, I was helpless to do anything to defeat Nightmare Moon.” “You were always at my side since the very minute of my transformation,” Luna reminded her. “It is not your fault I changed. The night’s darkness can be evil as well as beautiful. It is a seduction I unfortunately gave into, and have paid the ultimate price: a thousand years without you.” She nuzzled her oldest sister for a moment before shyly pointing out that it was time for the dawn. As she watched her sister raise the sun, she smiled with happiness and pride as a new day began in her beloved country of Equestria. Chapter 2Celestia stretched casually as she entered her chambers, pleased that court was finally over for the day and she could give Twilight’s latest report on friendship a full read rather than a quick glance as it deserved. She missed having her student so close but she was better off being on her own with friends her own age than always buried in a book. As soon as she settled down on her body pillow, another scroll appeared and dropped to the floor. “So soon, my dear student?” She commented to no one, thinking back to when poor Twilight let her magic start a war among the Ponyville residents in an effort to write a friendship report. She put Twilight’s previous scroll to the side as she read the latest arrival, quickly frowning as she read the contents. “Guard!” She called, and a thunder of hooves came to her door as a stallion rushed to answer her call. “Is something wrong, your highness?” He asked, doing his best to calm his beating heart and appear professional. He was flirting with a pretty maid and the princess’s sudden shout startled him as he quickly dashed to his monarch’s chamber. Did she somehow know he was fooling around on duty? He wouldn’t put it past her; an alicorn had abilities far beyond the greatest unicorn. “Please tell Princess Luna I need to see her immediately. There is something she and I need to discuss.” “Yes, your highness,” he bowed, pleased that she was ignorant of what he was up too, and dashed off to follow her command. It wasn’t long before Luna teleported into the room, concerned for her sister’s safety as she took a fighting stance against an invisible foe. “What is wrong, dear sister? Is someone after you?” “Old habits die hard,” Celestia chuckled as she shook her head. “We’re no longer under a constant threat from enemies, remember? We’ve established peaceful negotiations with the other creatures, and allowed them their own land in the Everfree Forest, letting the wild will of nature control everything so they would be free of any threat of our control.” “Of course, naturally,” Luna said with some embarrassment as she stood straight. “The guard was frantic I see you; I thought you were in danger.” “Nothing of the sort, I think he was just eager to please me, but we do need to talk. Do you remember Infernius?” “The alicorn, our cousin from our esteemed father’s line, guardian of fire,” Luna immediately recited as she took a formal stance before relaxing slightly. “But the others never contacted us after we came here, has that changed since…?” she feared it would be forever painful to mention her banishment as her eyes momentarily darted away from her sister. “This is the first correspondence I’ve ever received from the alicorns, and as you may have guessed, it isn’t a friendly social call. Word has reached them that Discord escaped his prison and that the Elements imprisoned him again in half a day. They fear that he will escape again when the Elements pass on to their new bearers, and wish to stop him once and for all.” “Have they had a change of heart in the past millennium?” Luna asked coldly. “This doesn’t sound like their traditional motives at all.” “Sadly, they haven’t changed. They only wish to get involved because they fear he will eventually turn his attention to home and wreak havoc and chaos there in addition to Equestria. His letter was terse and to the point; I fear they still look down on us for getting involved in the affairs of ‘inferior beings.’” She stifled a growl that lingered in her throat. How dare they treat the great ponies of Equestria like garbage just because they did not possess the abilities of the alicorn race? It was an honor to live among them and guide the ponies down the path of enlightenment. Luna’s eyes narrowed. It was her admiration of how the tribes came together under one banner on their own that made her leave her homeland to follow Celestia in her attempt to protect others from Discord’s wrath. “How do they suggest we stop Discord forever then?” “In the traditional manner,” Celestia said grimly, wondering how they could accuse her subjects of being inferior when peace and harmony was the cornerstone of all pony kind, when the enlightened alicorns still engaged in violence to solve their differences. “They wish to kill him.” Luna fought to banish the dark grin from her face before Celestia saw, but the white alicorn noticed it immediately and looked hurt. “Forgive me, please. You know I prefer following the pony way, but we both know it was his fault I became a monster. I hate him for what he did, and I shall never stop hating him.” “I understand,” she nodded. “I hate him too, and perhaps it is best if he dies. His hostility is growing, what’s stopping him from killing others rather than transforming the world for his own personal amusement?” The sisters shared a solemn nod and Celestia wrote back to Infernius, inviting him to the royal hall to better discuss his proposition. “Come, sister, we must greet our esteemed cousin.” The princesses casually walked to the hall, speaking with every guard and servant they passed, ordering all to stay away from the royal hall until further notice. “Our guest is probably already there. Shouldn’t we hurry to meet him?” Luna whispered though nopony shared the hallway. “He is on our land and we will show him who rules here,” Celestia replied. “We will not bow to his whim; he shall wait for us.” After a thorough search, making sure nopony was spying, they entered the royal hall, where Infernius was stamping his hooves and snorting like a bucking bull. Where the princesses were sleek and slender, he was stocky and muscular with large feathered hooves. His body was white, his ethereal mane was a mix of red, orange, and yellow, and his cutie mark was a ball of fire. “Where have you been?” He demanded. “I have been waiting several minutes for you! You do not treat an alicorn this way, or have you forgotten your manners after spending millennia among the inferior beings?” For a moment, Luna wished to hide behind her sister like a filly, but seeing Celestia stand bravely before him gave her the courage to do the same. “On our land, you will follow our traditions,” Celestia haughtily informed him, “but since you have disregarded the formalities, we will speak plainly. How do you propose we go about the execution?” “We shall take him to Poneiul Mountain; there is a massive cave system inside, a labyrinth of rooms stretching the entire base of the mountain. We have chosen a large cavern in the middle, where the walls are too thick for even alicorns to teleport out of, and there are many pathways out, impossible to navigate unless you know the way. I have hoof chosen nineteen of the finest warriors to join me in battle, where we shall overwhelm the beast with our numbers and our might. The creatures in the cave shall have a feast of his corpse!” “And you are certain you will be able to control him so he won’t escape?” Celestia inquired, unshaken as Infernius’s short temper got the better of him and his body became covered in flames as he reared and cried out in anger. “HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME? ALICORNS ARE THE STRONGEST CREATURES IN THE WORLD! TWENTY OF US WILL OVERWHELM HIM AND PUT AN END TO HIS MADNESS! IT SHALL BE A GLORIOUS SLAUGHTER!” His words echoed throughout the hall and Celestia stole a glance at the stained-glass window depicting the girls imprisoning Discord a second time. “Nevertheless, I want the Elements of Harmony to accompany us as a backup plan, just as a precaution for the slight chance that things don’t go as planned.” The alicorn snorted smoke as his body returned to its natural state. “Do what you will, but the draconequus shall die. You had your chance to preserve his life, but you’ve only made him worse. He has a personal vengeance against you; what will stop him from coming after us? We who had the intelligence to hate him from the very beginning? We warned you not to have anything to do with him. Could you not tell from his deformed body that he was a monster? How Universo, the greatest of us all, sired such an ignorant daughter is beyond—” “When will the execution take place?” Luna boldly interrupted, seeing the anger in Celestia’s eyes. The only fighting she wanted to see was alicorns against Discord, not each other, no matter how well deserved. “Tomorrow at dawn,” Infernius gruffly answered. “I wish to transport the statue as soon as possible and have everything ready for tomorrow. Our combined magic will be enough to free him from his prison and then we shall ambush him before he has a chance to retaliate. How convenient that your precious Elements prevent us from smashing the statue and ending his life so simply.” “The Elements of Harmony have a will of their own that not even the bearers can override. You know that, Infernius,” Celestia snapped as he stamped her hoof. “Don’t you dare imply I have secret motives; I want Discord dead just as much as you do. I want to protect the ones I love from his chaos!” “Very well then,” he consented. “Where is the statue now located?” “Deep in the dungeon beneath the castle, the largest cell on the right,” she explained. “Do not let anypony see you or the others. I never told anyone about my past before I came here, and I’d like to keep it that way.” “As you wish,” he nodded. “We do not wish to be in the presence of inferior beings anymore then we have to. How you tolerate them is beyond me, beyond all of us. I shall come at first light, and the three of us should be able to teleport the Elements to the mountain.” Celestia let the insult slide, though her fur bristled in anger. He would never apologize, believing it to be the truth. Not even time spent with Twilight and the others would leave an impact on him. His stubborn nature would deliberately ignore their great qualities. “They are not to join the battle. They shall be hidden away in a side-room until needed.” “They would only get in the way and endanger us all if they joined us!” Infernius argued with a huff. “Consider yourself lucky I am tolerating their unnecessary presence among us.” "It’s settled then. We will meet you here at first light.” “Agreed,” and with a puff of smoke, he was gone. “And may our time together be as brief as possible,” she added quietly. “Homesick, sister?” Luna teased; hoping her attempt at humor would make Celestia feel better. “Yes, quite,” she joking replied, allowing a smile. “Who wouldn’t want to spend time with an arrogant, short-tempered pony who judges you solely by your breed and familial history?” Luna produced a scroll and quill and Celestia penned a quick letter instructing the girls to come as quick as possible. “Maybe this was fate,” the moon princess suggested. “Discord’s antics led us to our true home.” “Fate wouldn’t decree him to die for it. His willful actions dictate that,” her sister argued, “and I will do whatever is necessary to protect those I love. You don’t have to be here when the girls arrive, you can leave if you’d like. I have no choice but to tell them our history, help them understand why I’m justifying something I’ve always taught to be wrong.” “I won’t leave you,” Luna insisted. “We need to make a united stance, and perhaps my story will help ease their conscious.” “Thank you, dear sister.” The two didn’t have to wait long before the girls galloped in with Twilight once again apologizing for their lateness and asking all kinds of questions at once. “As the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I fear I have no choice but to ask you for your help in a potentially dangerous mission to safeguard Equestria,” Celestia formally announced. “I dislike involving you girls, but I fear circumstances are beyond my control. To better explain, I must entrust you with state secrets that no one in Equestria, dead or alive, has ever known. Will you promise never to reveal what I am about to tell you?” “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” the six said in unison. “You don’t ever go back on a Pinkie Promise,” Pinkie informed the confused princesses, “EVER!” Twilight and Applejack nodded fervently, remembering how passionate Pinkie got in defense of breaking the promise. “Very well,” the two nodded, taking the information to heart. “Luna and I are one of many alicorns in the universe; we originally hail from a land called Alicor, where the only ponies are alicorns. Being the strongest of all the pony races, they have developed quite the arrogant attitude toward others, referring to earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi as ‘inferior beings’ when they wish to be polite. We have not been in contact with them for over a thousand years as we have been banished from Alicor, giving up our right to our homeland to live among the ponies here in Equestria.” “A right we happily relinquished,” Luna added. “The arrogance of the alicorns makes them unbearable to be around, and as daughters of Universo, the first alicorn and creator of all, and Tempus, the guardian of time, we were surrounded by the elite, and we bore the brunt of it all. It made our lives miserable, which is perhaps why—” “One story at a time, Luna,” her sister interrupted. She would prefer to leave their personal history with Discord out of this, but she feared it was inevitable. Still she hoped there was some way Twilight wouldn’t push to learn more about a previously forbidden subject. “It is common knowledge you and Princess Luna came to Equestria to save ponies from Discord’s tyranny,” Twilight pointed out. “You both took pity on the races and found the Elements of Harmony to banish Discord to his stone prison. The grateful ponies asked you two to be our monarchs, and the council of the three tribes happily stepped down to become the royal court. All ponies have been your loyal subjects ever since. Princess, forgive me for asking, but what is the purpose of your summons? Is it something to do with Discord? Has he escaped again? Have other alicorns contacted you?” Celestia noted a twinge of fear in her student’s voice and hated herself for bringing her so close to her mortal enemy and endangering her life. “Our cousin Infernius has contacted me, but Discord has not escaped. In fact they wish to prevent him from escaping ever again, a permanent prison that does not depend on the Elements.” “Such as, and why hasn’t this been done before?” Rainbow Dash boldly asked. “Execution,” she said grimly, and based on the collective gasp, they knew why this option was never explored before. Crime was rare but still a threat in Equestria, but execution was never an option, legal or otherwise, no matter what the offense. Over the centuries, Celestia turned the ponies away from the idea of violence, even altering history to turn the great war that nearly decimated the tribes into an argument among the leaders in a cave. “Infernius will lead a group of nineteen alicorns, all trained warriors, against him. The statue was already taken to a cavern system in a mountain far from Equestria. The alicorns shall release him from his prison and kill him. I know I am asking a lot of all of you, but Luna and I would feel more comfortable if you were there, safe on the sidelines and far from battle, to turn him into stone once again in case things don’t go as planned. Infernius is confident he and the others will complete the mission as planned, but I still want the precautionary measures taken.” “But why is killing him necessary?” Fluttershy bravely asked. “We possessed the Elements for months before Discord escaped. Can’t you banish him and then throw him in a dungeon in the place that you banish him to?” “Ever since we came to Equestria, we’ve been negotiating treaties with the creatures to ensure ponies and others can co-exist peacefully, but I fear Discord is not someone to be reasoned with. He is capable of so much more then what he did to Ponyville: destruction, physical harm, mass murder, and more. He holds a grudge against all of us, especially you girls. He grossly underestimated your powers, and given the chance, he would attempt to hurt you, something I could never forgive myself for. I know this goes against everything Equestria stands for, but you have to trust me when I say there is no other way,” Celestia pleaded. The girls still seemed uncertain, seeking advice from other. They were in no position to argue against it, but did they really want to be near such danger? Fighting for self-defense or to gain advantage over the opponent was one thing, but knowing ponies wished to kill another, it did not sit well with them. “For the safety of Equestria, we will be there, ready for any and all orders,” Rarity said, speaking for the group. The others nodded solemnly, hoping that if nothing else, the execution was quick, clean, and far away from them. “Thank you, thank you all,” the sun princess said with visible relief. “I give you my word that I shall do whatever it takes to protect you all from harm. “Tonight you will stay in a suite near my chambers, so I may sleep easier knowing you girls are safe. At dawn, we will travel to the site.” “Since we’re here, why don’t you show us around, Twilight?” Applejack suggested, eager to find a distraction from the grim reality of tomorrow. “I’m not going to spend all day getting an in-depth tour of the library,” Rainbow Dash argued. Twilight smiled. “While I do know the library top to bottom, I do know my way around the castle. It’s a second home.” “Go wherever you wish, Twilight,” Celestia said. “Just try to get enough sleep for tomorrow.” “We will,” they promised, and left the room as Twilight shared personal experiences rather than the castle’s history, wishing to avoid any more playful arguments. Celestia felt tears of pride well up in her eyes; her faithful student was growing up into quite the mare. Still, how she prayed she could protect her innocence and leave her ignorant of what was to happen tomorrow. “Is this a mattress or a trampoline?” Pinkie asked as she jumped on one of the two queen-sized beds, gaining height with every bounce. “Can I take it home with me? This makes bedtime so much fun!” “I’m not sharing a bed with her,” Rarity grumbled, exhausted from running around the castle all day and engaging in filly mischief. “Did she sneak sugar when we weren’t looking or something?” “Pinkie always has unlimited energy, you should know that by now,” Applejack reminded her. “She could applebuck all of Sweet Apple Acres and still have enough strength to buck one of my family’s farms.” “Let’s just try and settle down,” Twilight suggested, jumping up onto Pinkie’s bed, who ceased her bouncing and slipped beneath the covers. “We have a long day ahead of us.” “Don’t remind me,” Fluttershy said softly, shivering at the idea of murder. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in disgust. “You have a zoo of animals living with you, many who are predators, who kill other animals for food. Why should tomorrow horrify you so?” “Because they do it for food, not for pleasure or ‘justice,’” the shy pegasus pointed out, “and I teach them to hunt for themselves in the Everfree Forest, hiding the remains of their meal from me. I teach all my animals to be friends with each other.” “You teach them manners too?” Rainbow asked curiously, remembering how surprised she was that the falcon acted so well when she decided Tank would be her pet. “I do my best,” she said humbly. “Listen, Cheerliee said Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were fighting the day they went to the statue garden, the very same day Discord escaped. What if he fed off of their anger and that gave him the power to escape? So why can’t we go with my original plan and just put him in a cage far, far away from anyone so he can’t feed off of their negative emotions?” “I’m confident the princesses and the alicorns discussed that option and found some flaw in that plan,” Twilight defended. “They are beyond us in everything we could ever be, so they must know something we don’t. Princess Celestia has never steered Equestria wrong before, and she always puts the safety of her subjects before everything; I think we should trust her decision and not worry about it. It’s not like we’re being asked to kill him ourselves, so our consciouses are clear.” Ever the voice of reason, the five agreed and settled into bed. Fluttershy curled up next to Rainbow Dash for protection, making the cyan pegasus groan. “Aww, how cute,” Applejack teased as she lay beside Twilight. “Shut up,” Rainbow growled softly, trying to hide her wing as she wrapped it around Fluttershy’s body, holding her close. “Hey, it’s just to make her feel better, okay?” She snapped as Rarity looked at her so fondly. “She’s such a scaredypony, it’s unbelievable.” “Thank you, Dashie,” Fluttershy mumbled in her sleep. “And we wouldn’t have her any other way,” Rarity replied, pleased to see Rainbow Dash drop her gruff exterior and be soft, as the pegasus looked lovingly down at the pony at her side. It wasn’t long before everyone was asleep, all except Twilight, her mind abuzz with racing thoughts. Fluttershy had a point; Celestia didn’t seem all that sorry about Discord’s fate, she seemed more concerned with how they would handle it. Was death really the only option? If Discord’s statue couldn’t be simply abandoned in the mountain because he could still escape, why couldn’t Celestia tell them why? She confided state secrets about the other alicorns, why couldn’t she entrust them with more? Early history books spoke of a great many of the creatures living in Equestria attacked the pony settlers in an attempt to chase them away, but no animal was ever murdered. There was only negotiation and compromise, allowing ponies and creatures to live in peace. Why must Discord be the first one to die because he couldn’t get along with ponykind? She carefully slid down the middle of bed, not wanting to disturb the earth ponies. Sleep wouldn’t come until her mind was put to rest, and only her mentor could do that. The lavender unicorn crept carefully to the door, trying not to make a single sound. She thanked the old architects under her breath as the heavy door swung silently and she slipped out, making a short trip down the hallway, only to discover the princess’s door was already open. She peered inside to watch her mentor pace with uneasiness in her eyes. “Celestia?” The white alicorn looked up in surprise and smiled, savoring the treat of hearing her faithful student say her name without the trappings of royalty attached. It was an unspoken agreement that such familiarity would only be observed when the two were alone, and it made their time together that much more special for both of them. “Come in, Twilight, please. Can’t sleep?” Twilight eased the door behind her shut after she entered, not wanting anypony, not even Princess Luna, to overhear. “You’re my monarch, my mentor, my oldest and best friend. I know I should trust your decisions as you never led me or Equestria astray, but still, I need to know why we can’t just abandon him in that mountain. How could he escape being so far from contact with sentient beings when the Elements pass onto others?” “Your loyalty is astounding as always, my most faithful student, as is your intelligence and reasoning. The truth is…” she sighed and she couldn’t hide the truth any longer, not when Twilight knew how to wear her down with a such a look of concern. “You’re right. If we do just abandon him there, there is barely any chance of him escaping. Infernius won’t hear of anything short of killing him however, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want him dead as well.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she heard her student gasp in horror and prayed the unicorn didn’t hate her. “All the trouble he ever caused Equestria, I drove him to it. I was the reason he came to this land in the first place, and he focused his trickery on Ponyville because he wanted to get back at me. Now he hates you girls just as passionately. I want to protect you from him. If he hurts any of you, I could never forgive myself, and Twilight…” her mind suddenly brought up the horrifying image Discord described last time they met, where she murdered the mare in cold blood, and she violently shook her head, trying to banish the memory forever. “Twilight, if he killed you, I could never survive, I could never move on, and I fear he might make an attempt if your nightmare has a grain of truth in it.” “There’s more to your history with Discord then turning him into stone, isn’t there?” Twilight prodded, hoping that her mentor would open up and share the thoughts that scared her so much. “Luna and I met him when the three of us were children,” Celestia confessed. “Our parents advised us against it, hating him and his kind, warning us that draconequus were nothing but trouble. They did their best to separate us, but we always found a way to see each other. Our destinies were apparent from the very beginning; Luna and I were being trained to be monarchs and Discord always loved chaos and disorder, but we were able to put aside our differences and enjoy each other’s friendship. We were close, inseparable, but as we grew older, our destinies clashed with each other. Discord saw us as rigid, strict rule-abiders; we were no longer ‘fun.’ His antics used to be small and contained, just tricks to amuse us, but now he took pleasure pulling pranks on others, twisting reality to suit his sick sense of humor.” “Like how Pinkie Pie adored his chocolate-filled cotton candy clouds, but he couldn’t be satisfied with that and altered all of Ponyville,” Twilight compared. “To be fair, Pinkie has a very bad weakness for chocolate above all other treats, which is why she was so quick to defend his reign of chaos.” Celestia nodded. “What he did to Ponyville, he did to all of Alicor, and the alicorns rallied against him and banished him from being any near the country. He just disappeared, until months later, when word returned to us that Discord had found Equestria and was using his magic to make their lives miserable. Even the combined power of every unicorn available had no power against him, who deflected their power with a snap of his fingers. We couldn’t let them suffer, though my family ordered my sister and me to ignore their plight. We were not responsible for the affairs of ‘inferior beings.’ Discord wasn’t coming back to harm Alicor, so they saw no reason to care, but I couldn’t stand back and let others suffer because I was foolish enough to start a friendship with him. Two alicorns alone couldn’t stand up to his magic, so I researched any possible way to stop him, discovering the Elements of Harmony. Luna sympathized with the ponies’ plight but wasn’t certain if we should get involved. Finally she came with me because she didn’t want us to be separated. We fell in love with the great ponies we met and took their gracious offer of making us monarchs, never once considering the idea of going back home. “I loved Discord, I thought the world of him, but after seeing what he did to helpless ponies, I had to accept the truth: my love was now a monster and I hated him for it, hated him with all my heart. Before the Elements turned him into stone, he planted the seeds that would drive Luna insane and turn her into Nightmare Moon, and in less than a year, I had to use the Elements against her as well. I lost two friends I loved so dearly in so short a time, both condemning me for going against their beliefs.” Twilight threw herself at her monarch in a loving embrace. It nearly killed her when she thought her friends were lost to her forever, but she knew they were corrupted by Discord’s magic, it wasn’t their true selves. Discord however couldn’t escape his fate of letting chaos dictate his actions and rule his life. Their friendship was doomed from the very start, and to lose Luna so soon afterward, it was a bucket of salt being poured into the wound, something her beloved princess did not deserve. “I’m so sorry, Celestia. I could never live without my friends, and I could never have an idea of the pain you felt. I don’t think I could survive either if you lost your mind and became a monster, even with the support of my friends.” The sun princess allowed herself to cry freely for her tormented past as she held the one she loved so dearly close to her as she wrapped her neck around Twilight’s. “He threatened to kill you in your nightmare and in mine…” she shuddered from the thought. Sometimes in her sleep, no matter how peaceful she was feeling, the images would suddenly appear, ruining her sleep for the entire night as she tried to bury them deep in her subconscious. “In mine, it was so much worse.” “Please tell me,” Twilight asked, prepared for whatever horrors awaited her, but still the princess refused. “I’ve always confided everything in you, why can’t you do the same to me?” “I don’t want you burdened with such knowledge. I don’t want your sleep to be ruined as mine has been.” “Just being near you keeps me feeling safe and secure,” she argued, begging with wide eyes that always made the princess bend. “Please, let me take away some of your pain.” The white alicorn gave up, her student was relentless. “In the nightmare, I…I attacked you, I wanted to kill you. I had no reasoning, no emotions; I was just mindlessly killing you. It terrified me; it terrifies me to this day. What if Discord turns it into a reality? What if he somehow gets control of me, or creates an illusion that is strong enough to hurt you? Twilight, how can you ask me to remain sane after that? That’s why he must die, why I do not wish to argue with Infernius. I won’t tolerate anyone who wishes to hurt those I love.” Twilight’s whole body shook with fright, but she kept it together, finding strength in her mentor’s violet eyes. “Just promise me one thing, please,” she shyly requested. “Anything, Twilight, you know I would do anything for you.” “Don’t get involved tomorrow, don’t bloody your hooves, just let Infernius and the others do what they have to.” “As you wish,” Celestia smiled, finding her request easy to obey, and nuzzled her student. “The hour is late, and we have an early wakeup. Please, stay with me tonight?” “Of course,” Twilight agreed, honored that she could bring such peace to her monarch’s troubled mind. After the princess settled into her ample bed, the unicorn debated for half a second before lying next to her mentor, pressing herself against the alicorn’s warm body. “Deep down, I know what you have to do tomorrow is right, and I am grateful that you would go to such lengths to protect me and my friends. No matter what you do, I could never hate you, Celestia.” “And I could never hate you, my most faithful student,” she replied, kissing her forehead. The two shared a deep and dreamless sleep for the entire night, only interrupted when Celestia’s cutie mark tingled, and she knew it was time to raise the sun. She carefully slipped out of bed, wanting to give Twilight a few more minutes of sleep, but the unicorn immediately noticed the princess’s absence, disturbing her from her rest. “Celestia…wha…” she mumbled before a yawn took over. "Go back to sleep,” she advised, but Twilight shook her head as she clumsily tumbled out of bed, and attempted to stand up, but the peaceful hold of sleep refused to let go of her. “It’s time to raise the sun, isn’t it? Take me with you, please.” “Alright, Twilight,” she conceded, levitating the tired pony onto to her back. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Celestia’s neck and nuzzled the base, murmuring how much she loved her, still trapped in a half-asleep state. The princess carried her to the grounds, thinking nothing of the stares the night guards gave as she passed. Twilight remained half-asleep until Celestia let her slide off onto the dew-covered grass, the cold sharply contrasting the warmth of her body, causing her to cry out in shock. “I’m awake, I’m awake,” she insisted as she stood up, beaming with joy as Celestia took her traditional stance. Just for you, my most faithful student, I shall make this a sunrise to remember, she thought as he put all her effort into gripping the sun as it hovered around the curve of the planet. She took to the sky with careful concentration, bringing the sun with her, until suddenly the sky exploded with light and color, a distorted rainbow of soft colors spread all across the sky in shapeless blobs and random order. Twilight cheered with delight, how could any day possibly be bad when it started with a grand mastery of natural art? Chapter 3Princess Celestia escorted Twilight into the dining hall, where Luna oversaw a quiet and subdued breakfast. The girls ate from a sense of duty, not to satisfy hunger pangs, as their stomachs were uneasy and the delicious delicacies sat like stones, but the sight of their dear friend lifted their spirits and they greeted her in unison. "Where have you been? We were worried about you," Fluttershy asked. The lavender unicorn hesitated to answer, unsure if she should confide exactly how close she had become with the princess, especially with Princess Luna in the room. "She was with me," Celestia replied. "We were discussing her latest friendship reports in greater detail." The mare nodded fervently as a servant placed a plate loaded with food before her. She busied herself with eating, not wanting to slip up and tell the girls any secrets. Rainbow Dash fidgeted nervously. "What kind of greater details?" "Nothing incriminating, you have nothing to fear," the sun princess assured her. The cyan pegasus sighed in relief. She wrote too many letters for her liking, too many embarrassing moments not revealed in the letters, moments that she'd rather not have her monarch knowing. "Alright, I'm ready," Twilight announced as soon as she emptied her plate. No use delaying the inevitable. The sooner it was done, the quicker they could put it all behind them. "Let's go, girls." Celestia couldn't help but smile proudly as the others got behind Twilight's leadership. "We shall meet Infernius in the royal hall, and then we'll travel to Poneiul Mountain," she explained as she and Luna escorted the ponies. "Discord and the other alicorns are already there waiting for us. It's been arranged for you girls to sit patiently in a small cavern near the main room, safe from any danger." The lavender unicorn stole a glance at her mentor but the princess's face was expressionless. Didn't she feel any sadness about what was to happen, even if only for the lost friendship of her youth? Discord couldn't be all bad if they were friends once upon a time. "About time you got here," Infernius growled as they entered the royal hall, now wearing armor similar to the royal guards spread around the castle, with the addition of a metal sheathe with a sharp, pointed tip covering his horn. His red eyes narrowed to slits and looked away with a snort when he saw the ponies with the alicorns, offended that he had to breathe the same air with inferior beings. "Nopony disrespects the princess," Rainbow Dash growled under her breath but remained where she was as Applejack already grabbed her tail to restrain her. "The less we have to do with him, the better," the earth pony advised, defiantly ignoring him as the six were equipped with the Elements of Harmony, then huddled into a circle with the three alicorns on the outside. With a concentration of magic, their horns glowed, and the nine were whisked away to the entrance of the mountain. Two armored alicorns stood to attention and bowed before Infernius, ignoring the others as if they did not exist. The cyan pegasus's sense of loyalty bristled as they were escorted along in silence. The princesses were daughters of the first alicorns who ever existed, and great leaders who ruled Equestria fairly and justly, why weren't the others on their knees, kissing their hooves? The cave held an eerie atmosphere that bothered the ponies, feeling as if they were trespassing on some ancient, sacred ground that disapproved of their presence. They watched the shadows carefully, half-expecting some demon to suddenly pounce. Was it just their nerves, or their fears feeding off the negative energies coming from the statue and the coldness of the alicorns? All they knew for certain was how desperately they wished to flee and never return, but still they pressed on. After what felt like forever, Infernius stopped the procession and pointed down a small corridor to the right. "This is where you shall stay," he instructed. "If your services are required, someone will come to fetch you." The group nodded and the stallion left as they entered the cavern. Luna fidgeted with restlessness, ignoring the concerned looks from those around her. She was close to her revenge, so why wasn't she out there? "Don't, Luna," Celestia warned, her eyes narrowed into slits. "It's not worth it." "Yes, it is," the moon princess argued and ran from the room. She wasn't going to be held back this time, Discord would taste her wrath. "Luna, get back here!" Celestia hissed, but her sister refused to obey. "Stay here," she hastily instructed the girls before chasing after her. "I don't know if I feel safe here," Pinkie Pie quietly confessed, "without the princesses I mean." "Would you prefer to be on the battleground?" Rarity asked sarcastically, surprised when no one objected. "I'm surprised at you all! Discord won't go down easily; it will be a fight to the death!" "Exactly, but the princesses are there without armor or weapons," Twilight argued. "I can't stay here knowing my monarchs are in danger, not when we have the power to save them." The mares saw the logic in that, though they were scared of getting involved in the fight. The six regarded the princesses as their friends, and after everything the two had done for them, they couldn't sit back and hide. Most importantly, the princesses ruled Equestria for so long; nopony could imagine their country without them. They quietly tiptoed out of the cave, following the hoof prints in the dirt, till they arrived at the massive room and quickly darted behind a large cluster of loose boulders on the ground. The battle had not yet begun, instead the twenty-two alicorns were still concentrating their magic on the statue, creating and expanding cracks within the stone. The girls barely peered over the edges of their hiding place, shivering with fear as Discord was once again free. Not wasting a second to revel in his freedom, the draconequus instead dropped to all fours, carefully watching the glaring alicorns as he stretched out his claws with his lip curled into a growl. The setting told him everything: he was released only to be killed. Celestia was the first to move, stepping away from the crowd of alicorns and into the center. For a moment, Twilight noted Discord's expression softened before his face contorted back into a scowl, "You too, Celestia?" "What are you doing?" Infernius growled quietly. This wasn't the plan! The alicorn next to him looked at him, wanting to know if it was the time to strike, but the stallion shook his head. Celestia's stupidity would probably be a good distraction, allowing them to get a great first blow, but Universo would have them all begging for death if his daughter was harmed. "You brought this on yourself," the sun princess said coldly. "For following my natural urges, my direction in life, I am to be punished?" Discord scoffed. "You can't control nature, no matter how hard you try. Just because I don't fit into your neat little ideal fantasy doesn't mean I deserve to die." "You targeted Equestria; you harmed others for nothing but vengeance against me, and repeatedly you have threatened those I love most. I'm sorry, Discord, but you give me no other choice." Her voice was laced with sadness and tears welled up in her eyes. Her purple eyes met his red ones and the two shared a moment of sorrow. "NOW!" Infernius shouted and the twenty alicorns blasted the draconequus with a concentrated burst of magic, causing him to roar in pain and start wildly lashing out with his claws and tail. "SCATTER!" He instructed, and the twenty assaulted their foe on all sides, using a combination of magic and horns. If one alicorn was struck, the others flew back to get out of way as they continued to pepper their foe with attacks. Discord's magic was broad and expansive, not focused on any one target but wide enough to strike as many as possible. The ponies were deer in the headlights, unable to turn away from such a scene no matter how it disgusted them. Rainbow Dash was the first to cower behind the rocks, losing her breakfast as the spirit of chaos ripped open Infernius's lower flank, spurting blood everywhere. Twilight quickly scanned the room, trying to find the princesses, knowing her friends would not manage to last much longer. As promised, Celestia did not join the battle, not even to send blasts of magic, only stayed out of harm's way while keeping a worried eye on Luna, still in the thick of battle. She didn't dare call out to her, not wanting Discord to focus his attention on her, but she prayed Luna would abandon her desire for revenge and run to safety. "Remember me?" Luna growled, glaring deep into his pain-filled eyes. The draconequus growled in reply and tried to bite her, but the moon princess swiftly dodged and dove at her opponent's neck, slashing the left side with her horn. She reveled in her victory a second too long as the eagle talon collided with her, and sent her crashing to the ground. "LULU!" Celestia shouted, galloping to her side, standing between her and the battle with her horn glowing brightly, ready to attack any who came near. "I'm fine," Luna grunted as she forced herself to her feet, fighting though the pain, and cried out as she tried to put weight on her back left leg. "Come on, we're getting you out of here! You've had your revenge!" The sun princess slipped beneath her sister, lifting her up on her back, and quickly galloped out of the cave, with the ponies quickly following behind. Discord showed no acknowledgement of their disappearance, focusing on the alicorns before him. His body was covered in wounds and blood, but every alicorn had at least one injury of their own, and no one could say they could easily predict how the battle would go at this point. When everyone was safe in the side-room, Celestia allowed Luna to slide off and she inspected the injured leg, gently probing it with her magic. "It's just a sprain," she said with relief, focusing healing energy upon it. "Don't scare me like that," she chided her sister, and then turned to the ponies. "All of you, please don't ever scare me like that." Twilight stepped forward to better explain but Applejack jumped in the way. "We couldn't let our leaders go into battle with no armor or weapons to defend you. We didn't disobey from insolence, just a concern to keep you safe." "I appreciate that, my little ponies," the white alicorn nodded, unable to bring herself to scold them for such sentiment. "But I'm not leaving this cave unless we're ordered to, and you better do the same." "I'm not going back there!" Rainbow quickly insisted, "I saw enough!" Celestia lay beside her sister and nuzzled her, fearing she had more memories to disturb her sleep. "Please don't ever do that again. Losing you once was hard enough, but if I lost you forever, I don't know what I'd do." "I had to show him I wasn't a little filly that he could push around. It was too easy for his golden tongue and deceptive magic to corrupt me last time." "And did you succeed?" How she prayed her vengeance against Discord was complete! "I saw the fear in his eyes, and it was a sight I shall treasure forever," Luna answered with pride. Celestia didn't like the dark joy in her tone, but perhaps it was just a part of her nature. Being the princess of the night encompassed so much, and evil was potentially a part of it. At least it was over, Discord could not survive such an onslaught, and now she could move on. The eight lied there in silence, savoring each other's company, and listening to the muffled sounds of battle. Rainbow Dash shuddered as she heard a screaming cry of pain. "Do you think any of the alicorns will…die?" The sun princess shook her head. "They are all trained warriors, and it is extremely difficult to kill an alicorn. I do however believe Infernius was being cocky bringing only nineteen warriors with him. He assumed sheer numbers would overwhelm Discord and enable them to quickly finish him." She stopped when she saw how uncomfortable her words were making the girls. Just because they accepted what to be done didn't mean they were comfortable with it. "I am forever sorry I subjected you all to this. You're all just innocent mares." "We do what we have to to protect our country and those we love," Pinkie Pie said with sincerity, and the five nodded in agreement. A rumble ceased all conversation as the floor shook and Celestia and the unicorns leapt to their feet, using their magic to encase them all in a pink bubble that filled the room and provided support to the ceiling and walls. "They must have caused a cave-in!" Rarity shouted. "Concentrate, Rarity!" Twilight scolded, putting all her effort into the spell. "Don't use up all your energy, girls! I have this!" Celestia ordered. The unicorns lessened their effort, but did not back down entirely, as the princess knew they would. None of them ever thought before protecting their friends, they only acted. In less than a minute, it was over, but still the barrier remained erect for a minute more, removed when they could see a bloodied Infernius standing in the entranceway. His armor was torn and dented, some plates stripped away entirely, his entire horn was coated in red, and there were splotches of blood all over his body, but his eyes blazed with adrenaline and his mouth was twisted into a dark smile. Rarity covered Rainbow Dash's eyes with her foreleg before she got sick again. "We have won," he panted. "Discord is dead." The ponies fidgeted nervously, uncomfortable with the idea of a corpse less than a hundred feet away from them. Luna smiled grimly, clearly pleased with their effort, and Celestia only solemnly nodded, unsure how to feel about the news. "Are there any casualties on your side?" "None," he proudly announced. "All are injured, but the degrees vary, and all shall recover just fine. I told you my forces were more than adequate. You brought the Elements here for nothing." "I always had faith in your abilities, Infernius. I insisted they come solely as a backup plan on the slight chance Discord got the upper hoof." He scowled at her, annoyed that she refused to react to his insults. "I must see to my stallions. We have left markers for you to follow out of the cave whenever you are ready," he said before leaving with a flick of his tail. Celestia sighed and lied next to her sister, applying a little healing magic to her swollen calf. "In an hour or so, you should be able to walk, and then we can leave." "Are you alright, Tia?" Normally the nickname was reserved for private moments but none of them were able to discern the white alicorn's true feelings about the announcement of their foe's death, and Luna was greatly concerned. She didn't view her childhood friendship with the draconequus with fondness as her sister did, just bitterness and regret that the kindness they showed him was returned with malice and hatred. "It's been a long day," Celestia answered curtly. "I just want to go home and put this all behind me." Twilight wished her mentor would open up more, but the princess's tone warned her not to. The ponies huddled together for comfort and solace, letting the news of Discord's death sink in as they sat there in silence. All of Equestria and future generations were safe from his chaos and tranny; protecting them took more precedence over their aversion to execution. It wasn't long before they all fell asleep, lulled by the darkness and the peaceful atmosphere in the cave. Twilight snapped to attention when a low, ominous moan invaded her sleep, sending her analytical mind into action. A ghost? No, they don't exist. Many animals make caves their homes, but a bat's cry is much higher in pitch. Is it some other animal looking for a meal? She tensed when the sound came again. No, it's too mournful, almost like it is suffering pain. She gasped as the answer came to her. Was Discord still alive? The lavender unicorn carefully slipped out from between Applejack and Fluttershy, not wanting to disturb anyone and alert them to her absence. Creeping past the princesses was the worst, her heart pounding as she passed them, afraid their heightened senses would detect her, but no one stirred and she hurried down the passageway to the site of the battle. The cave-in didn't block the whole room; it was mostly concentrated toward the back of the large room, where a mountain of rubble now stood. Now or never, she thought, trying to summon the courage to speak. "Hel-hello?" She called, jumping when she heard the low moan again. "Discord?" A repeated tapping of an eagle's claw against stone came in reply, and she knew he had somehow survived. She galloped to the base of the pile of rocks and began levitating and placing them on the edges of the room, frantic to free him without putting him in more danger. Progress was swift as it wasn't long before she saw his lone fang in the gap a few feet away from her, his mouth moving with labored breaths. She proceeded more cautiously, not wanting a sudden loose rock to fall and crush him. Apprehension gripped her more and more as she got closer to his head, sensing a presence behind her. She turned with a start, half-expecting a hungry animal drunk on bloodlust to come and finish them both off. "Leave him be, Twilight Sparkle," Celestia ordered softly, though her tone was harsh and not one to be questioned. The mare cowered before the power exuding from her mentor, seeing her monarch rather than her beloved friend and surrogate mother. "I can't," she quietly confessed, fighting to face the alicorn. "I can't let him die, not when I have the power to save him." "Do you honestly think he will return the favor? That he will spare you from harm because you saved his life? What is stopping him from impaling you from behind when you turn your back to him?" "Nothing," she admitted honestly. "I can't say for certain if he would honor what I did for him, but I can't live with myself if I just walk away from someone who needs my help." I taught you too well, Celestia thought, torn between admiring her student for standing by her principles and being angry for defying a direct order. "He separated you from your friends to make you give up and abandon your quest to save Ponyville, and then you relive the experience in the nightmare, only it's made worse as you lose everyone you ever loved. You retaliate against him, and he attempts to kill you. He wants you dead, Twilight, don't you understand that? If he's not afraid to threaten it in nightmares, then he's prepared to do it in real life. How will your friends feel if you died doing something so stupid, or Spike, or your parents, or even me?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she contemplated the grim reality of the possible outcome of her actions, but her mind was made up. "I've always tried to make you proud, worked myself to the bone mastering some complex spell just to see you smile, but this is one thing I have to do for myself. If I do die, at least I died doing what I thought was right, what you taught me to do. I know my friends and family will understand and respect that, but if you can't, well it's a burden I will have to endure in the afterlife." "You asked me to stay out of this, to not bloody my hooves. If you die, I'll have no choice but to kill him myself, because I will go mad with rage and I shall make him suffer as much as possible, to make him feel the great anguish in my heart. I ask you again, leave him be." Tears fell silently down her face as she looked directly into the angry eyes of the mare she loved more than anything. "Please understand how much this pains me; how every fiber of my being wishes to obey your command, but I cannot do it. His blood would be on my hooves if I left him. I can't accept that; I can't compromise my morals. I am aware of everything he could do to me, and what would happen if I am wrong, and that you—" a sob took over, distorting her words, "you would hate me, but this is something I have to do; I have no choice. I'm so sorry, Celestia, but no matter what your decision, I won't hate you. I could never feel anything but love and adoration for you." The sun princess didn't know how to respond, feeling as if her heart would burst with such conflicting emotions inside her. After giving her student a hateful glare, she turned and regally walked out of the cave, never once looking back nor slowing her pace. With her head held low, and her heart no longer into her task, Twilight continued to levitate the boulders to the side of the room, giving the draconequus the same hateful glare the alicorn gave her when Discord's head was free of the rubble. "I heard everything," he said, showing no reaction to the unicorn's anger, "very brave of you to stand up to your precious princess." Rage filled her like never before and for a moment she felt as if she had the capacity to kill him herself, but instead she levitated a small pile of dirt and pebbles and threw it as hard as she could at his face. "Don't ever speak ill of the princess," she growled menacingly as she got right in his face, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "She's everything to me, and I just gave it all up, to save you, a worthless soul who spat on her friendship and is always scheming to find ways to hurt her. In return, you'll kill me and then present my mangled corpse to her, gloating how her most faithful student was a joke, such a stupid, trusting, little foal, just so you can savor the pain in her eyes! So just SHUT UP!" "For a mere unicorn, you were certainly born with the heart of an alicorn," Discord replied, trying to use humor to diffuse the situation and hide his fear of her. "If you're so convinced I'll kill you, why bother saving me? A good twenty-four hours beneath these rocks, I would have died from any number of causes." "I hate you. It goes against everything I was taught: from my parents, from my princess, from my friends, but I still hate you, hate you with everything I am, but even so, I can't sit back and watch any living being die, not when I had a chance to save you. I didn't feel joy when Infernius announced you were dead, only sadness that you couldn't change, that you didn't want to change. Rather than celebrate your freedom and protect yourself from being transformed back into stone by running away, you immediately targeted Celestia; you did everything in your power to hurt those close to her to get to her." She was taught never to provoke an animal, to run if she ever found herself in danger, but she stayed where she was, less than an inch from the draconequus, continuing to levitate the heavy boulders off of him as she spoke. He could easily kill her in any number of ways, but she didn't move and never stopped staring him down. Part of her was convinced that Celestia was right; this was all folly that would get her killed, and for what? For principles that couldn't be followed in every hypothetical situation? For her refusal to believe that a soul could not be redeemed? If death was to be her fate, so be it. She had no fear. With more than three-quarters of his body free, Discord managed to slip out from the remainder of the rubble. He was covered in a patchwork of cuts and bruises, from his head down to the top of his tail, and a mix of alicorn blood and his own were splashed at random across his body. When he stood up, he couldn't put his full weight on his hoof, and his left arm hung limply at his side. Twilight jumped back, putting several feet between them, her horn glowing bright red as she stored power, ready to strike him at the slightest sign of danger. The two stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING HER, DISCORD!" A voice suddenly cried out from above. The pony didn't look behind her, kept her eyes focused on her foe though a determined smile crossed her face as the other Elements and the alicorns stood by her side. "Just say the word, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said. "We'll put this jerk right back where he belongs." "Six feet under?" Discord retorted. "Back into stone," she corrected. The lavender unicorn hesitated for a moment. Could she trust Discord to walk away and never bother Equestria again? She opened her mouth but the words never came out, distracted by a loud, banging near the north end of the cave. Something was trying to break through the blocked passageway, something huge and very determined. Her fear came rushing back to her as the pounding grew louder until the rocks were broken through. A hovering ball of light appeared first, and then a set of very large and very sharp teeth attached to an enormous scaled body that hovered several feet above ground with flapping fins propelling it forward. "A cavangler fish!" Fluttershy shouted. "The hay are you all waiting for! Forget him and RUN!" Rainbow Dash shouted, leading the pack as they ran as quickly as they could. The fish continued to smash its body against the rock barriers, driven mad by the scent of blood and the desire for an easy meal, not caring that it was making the already unstable cavern worse. The alicorns put themselves at the bottom of the group, separating the ponies from the slow and limping Discord and the speedy cavangler fish. Fall back, fall back and sacrifice yourself, Celestia mentally tried to force her will onto Discord as she ran to evade the hungry predator and the falling rocks above. If the fish caught and ate him, it would be best for all. Equestria would be safe and no one would feel guilty over his death. She often stole glances backward, growling as the draconequus was managing to stay far ahead of the open jaws of death. No one else split their attention between their own safety and Discord's hopeful demise, sparing them from the fair size rocks that often struck the sun princess, putting her body under more strain then was necessary. You won't survive, Discord. You're too injured, give up already! For once in your life, do something selfless and noble! She looked behind her once again, prepared to order him to throw himself to the fish when a large rock that could have been avoided fell right on top of her head. Twilight heard her mentor cry out in pain and turned to look, feeling her heart stop a moment as she saw the princess sprawled out on the ground, not moving, and with Discord and the fish close behind. "CELESTIA!" She screamed and immediately ran to her side, fearing the worst. "Get up," she urged as she nudged the alicorn's head, tears welling up in her eyes as she didn't move. "Please get up!" Luna's heart went out to Celestia but her royal duty was to protect her subjects first and foremost, and she herded the other ponies out of the cavern and into a more stable section. The sun princess grunted before attempting to stand, quickly falling back down from the sharp pain searing through her head. "I'll be fine, just go, save yourself!" "I won't leave you!" Protectively, she stood behind her friend, using her magic to encase them both in a protective bubble, ready and willing to defend her at any cost. Discord was baffled by what he was witnessing. Celestia all but disowned Twilight when she refused to leave him to his fate, yet the unicorn was ready to risk her life trying to protect her. What madness of love was this? Did Twilight think that this would put her back on the alicorn's good side? No matter what the reason, he owed the fool his life, and the only way any of them would escape this is if the cavangler fish disappeared. When he caught up with the ponies, he stopped and turned to face his foe. With a snap of his fingers, a bustier appeared on his upper torso with metal cone frames placed above the cups, and he began to dance, temporarily distracting the fish as it approached, but it quickly ignored the spectacle and focused on its intended meal. He pulled a string that hung loosely down the side and fireworks shot out of the bra, exploding right in the beast's face. With a cry of pain, it ran away, leaving the way it came. Without its floundering antics, stability returned to the cave. Celestia leaned on her student as she stood on her wobbly feet, her head still swimming in pain. "You…you saved us," she managed, trying to focus her blurry vision on her savior. "Why?" "I believe the correct response is 'Oh thank you, Discord! I am forever in your debt! Please allow me to kiss your feet and tend to your injuries,'" he said in his best falsetto imitation of her, before frowning in great disappointment. "You insult me, Celestia; I thought you prided yourself on being 'better' then your alicorn brethren?" "I am. Infernius would have killed you on the spot. I'm simply being cautious." "Cautiousness that I could interpret as being rude and ungrateful, which would drive me to return the favor you did for me earlier," he reminded her, and the two angrily stared each other down while the unicorn growled menacingly at him. "Consider yourself lucky, I can't. Twilight's mercy prevents me. Think about that, Celestia, the mouse saved the lion." "Stop speaking in riddles and talk sense!" "Twilight saved me from an excruciating death where you would rather see me die. Not only that, she openly defied you in order to save me, someone she loathes, knowing you whom she loves so dearly, would abandon her. How can I turn my back on that?" "Honor doesn't become you, Discord; this is all just a trick, isn't it?" "It's called protecting my life!" He snapped, appalled at her lack of trust. "I went after you twice, and that resulted in swift imprisonment and then my possible death. It's been suggested I find some wasteland devoid of life and turn that into my own little home of chaos." Celestia glanced down at her student, who shrank and looked away, before looking back at him. "Very well, the alicorns think you are dead, and they cannot be bothered to explore the world around them." Discord smiled. His freedom was guaranteed if the stuffy alicorns didn't demand to see his corpse. "However, if I ever see or hear of you in or around Equestria, I will kill you myself, make no mistake about that." Her eyes glowed with intensity, making him feel as if she would kill him where he stood, and only the unicorn's presence protected him. "Understood," he confirmed with a nod, cautiously watching her for any sudden, betraying moves. Twilight's eyes darted between the two, hoping to see something besides negativity. If Celestia could spare his life, then maybe it was possible that the two could put aside their differences and be friends again. Sadly it was not meant to be as the princess refused to stop scowling at him and the draconequus's expression was unreadable. Without a word, the alicorn turned to leave, keeping her head held high and her expression stern. Twilight lingered just long enough to give Discord a warm smile of thanks before joining her mentor, but her happiness was fleeting and Celestia still retained her grim expression, her violet eyes staring straight ahead, barely acknowledging the pony at her side. Twilight's head dropped as her heart sank down to her hooves as the two walked in silence. The princess's magic levitated and moved rocks in their way without a sound, not even pausing when her student's magic grabbed rocks before the alicorn knew it was there. Celestia hates me, I know it, she thought with sorrow. Their discussions on morality and ethics never allowed for exception: holding a grudge, hating someone, wishing death on another, or even a justified death was never allowed in any hypothetical situation, yet the princess was displeased with her for wishing to protect Discord despite everything he had done. If it was wrong to continually hope and pray that he could be redeemed, then why couldn't the princess entrusted her with knowledge of him and her feelings on the subject before the draconequus escaped the first time? After what felt like forever, the two reached the entrance of the cave where Luna and the others waited impatiently for them. "Twilight!" The five ponies shouted as they rushed at her, taking her into a tight group hug. The lavender unicorn shed a few tears of happiness, feeling some of the weight lifted off of her heart. Luna nuzzled her elder sister, trying and failing to hide her tears. "I'm so glad you escaped, I was beginning to fear the worst." "Twilight and—" it physically pained her to say it, but she couldn't hide the truth from her sister. It wasn't worth risking a rift in their relationship if the draconequus went back on his word and pursued them again, uncovering her deception. "Twilight and Discord saved me, and in return, I allowed him to live, on the condition that he is never seen in or around Equestria again." "You let him go?" She demanded angrily, appalled at what she was hearing. "How could you? How could you trust him? He's a monster!" "Was it stupid of me? Perhaps, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. He has been warned that I shall kill him personally if he ever came to Equestria. I won't endanger the lives of my subjects, nor those I love most. He seemed eager to keep his freedom and preserve his life, acknowledging that coming after me results in nothing but imprisonment and worse. Please, let's all go home and put this ugly business behind us." A month had passed, and nopony spoke of what happened. On the surface, it didn't appear that anything had changed between the mentor and student, but Twilight felt she lost the close bond. They only spoke through the latest friendship reports, but the tone of Celestia's replies was a neutral one, discussing the merits of the lesson and nothing else. She was too afraid to send a personal letter, not wanting to give voice to the fear that hung heavy in her heart. It wasn't something she dared confide in her friends, afraid that openly acknowledging it would make it true. "Aren't you coming to bed, Twilight?" Spike asked, clutching a pillow and blanket, distracting the mare from her thoughts. "No, I think I'll stay up a little longer and do some reading," she replied, mindlessly staring at the bookshelf. "You've been reading all day!" He snapped with impatience. "For studying, not for fun," she corrected as she levitated a Daring Do book off the shelf, blushing as Spike gave her a look. "I promised Rainbow we could discuss it over lunch sometime soon. I'll stay down here so I won't disturb you." "Okay," the dragon relented, dragging his tired feet upstairs. "Good night, Twilight." "Good night, Spike." She didn't want to go to bed until she was physically and mentally wiped, anything to keep herself from reliving that nightmare of the princess humiliating and disowning her while the draconequus laughed in her ear, which ruined many a night's sleep. She sat on the bottom step and was barely finished with the first chapter when heavy knocking on the door distracted her. Who could that be at this hour? She memorized the page number before placing the book beside her as she trotted to the door, swinging it open with her magic. Her heart began to pound as two of the royal winged guards stood before her. "May I help you, sirs?" "The princess has asked to see you immediately," one spoke gruffly. Twilight saw that the two were harnessed together and assumed that a chariot was behind them. "Is something wrong? Has she called upon the Elements of Harmony? Am I in trouble?" "She only requested to speak with you, Miss Sparkle. She wouldn't tell us the reason. Now please come along, she is anxious to see you," the two backed up, giving her space. With her head held high and her heart sunk low, she climbed into the chariot, feeling as if she was a condemned prisoner. Despite the urgency of the letter, she and the others took a train to Canterlot when Discord returned, and now an escort was sent to bring her expediently to the princess's side, but why? Had Discord come back and she was going to be presented with his corpse? Was she going to be mocked for thinking he could be redeemed? She sighed in despair, staring down at the floor, preparing herself to accept her fate. At least she would now know the truth of how the princess felt about her. Though a chariot ride was the closest thing she had to experience flight as a pegasus, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it tonight, and continued to stare at the floor of the vehicle for the entire trip. "We've arrived." The pegasi announced as they landed. Twilight jumped out, expecting to feel the stone pathway leading to the castle beneath her hooves, but instead felt grass. The shock knocked her out of her funk momentarily as she looked around, realizing she was standing on a grassy cliff side on the outer edges of the castle. "Are you sure we're—hey! You can't just—" she galloped after the departing chariot, stopping short when she reached the cliff edge. "You did," she grunted, watching the two fly off. "Now what?" "Now this," said a voice from behind and Twilight was suddenly shoved off of the cliff. The mare's screams were soon silenced as she plunged into a pool of water and she hastily swam to the surface. "What—" a hacking cough stole her voice as she spat up water. "What was—oh no!" She quickly swam away, trying to avoid a falling body, but she was caught up in the wake and momentarily went under again. "What is your problem—" her voice gave out as she stared dumbfounded at a soaking wet white alicorn, her mane hanging still and loose, and her face alight with a mischievous grin, "Princess?" "Celestia," she corrected, giggling like a schoolfilly. "Celestia, why—" her eyes widened as she got a good look at her mentor: no tiara, no necklace, it was safe to assume her boots were somewhere on shore as well. Though the coverings never covered anything explicit, the unicorn felt uncomfortable as she never saw her mentor without her attire. "Why are you naked?" "Why, you like what you see?" She teased with a grin. Twilight's whole face turned red and she shyly hid beneath the water until only her horn was above the surface. "I was only teasing, my most faithful student," she apologized, and the mare's head promptly shot back up. "It's been a long time since you called me that," the pony shyly pointed out, her eyes locked with those of her mentor's. "Yes, far too long, and I sincerely apologize for it. Please, forgive me; I haven't been myself for quite some time." Her violet eyes were full of sorrow as they begged forgiveness from the one she loved most. "It's my fault, isn't it? I forced your hoof; I made you save Discord's life even though he can't be redeemed." "What makes you say that?" The princess asked in a gentle tone. "That's why you summoned me isn't it; to show me his corpse because he came back and you killed him?" Celestia chuckled softly and levitated a scroll from the shore in response, unfurling it before her companion. "This is what I wanted you to see." Twilight gasped in surprise. The scroll contained a photo of a smiling Discord standing before land that was multi-colored checkerboard and distorted with hills of varying sizes and random structures and clumps of land hovering above, and chocolate rain and upside down apple pies fell from cotton candy clouds. "'Having a wonderful time, wish you were here,'" she read aloud. "He found a compromise! He's able to live his life as he pleases without encouraging his demise!" "After everything he did to you, you didn't give in to the darkness in your heart. I'm very proud of you, my faithful student." The unicorn's face was engulfed in a beaming smile and the princess mirrored it as her magic pushed at the surface of the water behind the unsuspecting mare, and a tidal wave crashed over her much to the alicorn's delight. "Why you," the mare playfully teased and used her hooves and magic to splash back. The air was filled with her mentor's ringing laughter and her student's jovial tones as they engaged in a splash battle, chasing each other around the lake as hooves and magic pummeled them both with water. Twilight's heart was light as a filly as she playfully romped with her friend, feeling all worry and anxiety vanish. Nothing had changed between them, all that worry was for naught. The moon had shifted in the sky by the time their energy waned and the two swam to shore. Celestia climbed out first, gracefully stepping onto shore and with a brief shake, her body was free of water, and her ethereal mane and tail flowed freely once again. She stood still a moment, savoring the beautiful night sky above them. Luna should be proud of the artistry she created tonight, she thought. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" "Absolutely," the unicorn replied, staring up at her mentor's regal face. Even in the moonlight, the sun goddess beamed with radiance, the very embodiment of grace and perfection. "I wasn't myself for quite some time," the princess repeated, her tone suggesting she didn't want to continue, but Twilight pushed anyway. "You hated me for protecting Discord, didn't you?" She asked cautiously, fear and trepidation in her voice. She felt Celestia's body stiffen in response and noticed her eyes dart to the side. Twilight flinched as if she had been struck and slipped out from the embrace. "You've always taught me love and tolerance, to respect life; that nopony deserved death as punishment, no matter how dangerous. You never allowed for any exceptions in our discussions, no matter what the situation. You always taught me to think for myself, to never blindly obey another if I knew in my heart it was wrong, yet you can't forgive me for doing as you wanted? You honestly expected me to just go against morals I hold so dearly? Was everything a sham then? Am I not supposed to act as you expect me? What other lies do you want me to believe, alicorn?" Twilight's eyes widened as she clamped a hoof over her mouth, appalled and disgusted with herself for showing such disrespect to the pony she saw as a second mother. With a sob, she ran away, her sorrow and tears blinding her to where she was headed, and stumbled into the lake, landing face first in the muddy bottom. How fitting for such an idiot, she thought grimly, convinced Equestria itself was laughing at her naiveté. She didn't fight the magic that surrounded her, levitating her back to shore, lying like a rag doll on the ground. She didn't bother to move when she felt a strange weight on her head, nor reacted when magic gently wiped her face clean of mud, feeling like a stupid, helpless filly that needed a mother to take care of her. "Dear Twilight Sparkle," Celestia began, snapping the mare from her depressed state. She turned to face her mentor, a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue, all silenced with a bare hoof to her lips and a soft, teary-eyed smile from the princess. "No one is perfect, not even a mighty alicorn, and even a teacher can learn from a student. I let the darkness in my heart consume me, going against everything I had believed and taught for centuries. I came so close to hating a pony I love more than anything, causing me great physical and mental pain, when I should have applauded her efforts to stick to her beliefs no matter how hard it was. I trusted her, which is why I allowed Discord to live, but it started a war inside of me. Was she right, or was I? How long would it be before Discord came after Equestria again? I wanted him dead; I would not feel at ease until I saw his corpse. Not even imprisonment would put my fears to rest, and here he was running free with only his word to keep us all safe. I should have had more faith in her judgment. She would never lead others astray just to prove a point. I taught her far too well; perhaps I have unconsciously trained my successor. Your faithful mentor, Princess Celestia." Twilight stared dumbfounded at the princess, her head reeling with the alicorn's words. She had lofty expectations of what she could accomplish with her magical ability, but never had she allowed herself to believe she had the ability to rule over Equestria. She thought a shelf named after her in the Canterlot Library was the highest honor she could ever receive in her life. "You're not serious, are you?" She asked hesitantly, afraid of what she might hear. Silently, Celestia motioned to the lake behind Twilight, and the mare looked into the still water. Her breath was caught in her throat and she staggered backward, disbelieving her eyes. She crept forward once more, surprised to see that it had not been an illusion. "I…I…" a hesitant hoof reached up and she gasped at the feel of cold metal. "I'm wearing the royal tiara." "The only pony to ever do so besides me," the princess informed her with pride. "The tiaras Luna and I wear were designed and forged solely for us, gifts from the great council to show how sincere they were in their request that we become the new monarchs." "Celestia, you're not—you're not considering abdicating the throne, are you? Or Princess Luna?" Her mind immediately conjured images of the nobility rising up against her, claiming their right to rule by blood alone, and the common ponies rioting against a sudden change in leadership. She wasn't ready to rule an entire country! The alicorn chuckled warmly as she shook her head. "No, Equestria is our home and our subjects are our family. We could never possibly consider leaving, but all the same, I have complete faith that you would be a wonderful monarch, Princess Twilight Sparkle." "I prefer being your most faithful student," the lavender unicorn modestly replied, tears of joy filling her eyes. "As do I," Celestia said as her own tears fell, kissing her student's forehead. "I want nothing more than just that." Twilight lunged at her mentor, wrapping her forelegs around the mare's neck as the tears fell freely. She had hoped tonight would reestablish their friendship, but it instead grew to levels that the young mare never thought possible. The alicorn eased them both to the ground, wrapping a foreleg around the unicorn's body and holding her close. "Let it out, don't hold back," she advised. "I love you so much, Celestia," Twilight sniffled, looking up into her mentor's eyes. "Please don't ever leave me again." "I'll always be there for you, my most faithful student. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," she said as she mimed the motions. "You remembered," the mare said softly, touched that her mentor would care enough. "Of course I did. I could never forget something so important to you and your friends. Applejack told me what happens when you break a Pinkie Promise and I do not wish to be at the receiving end of such backlash." "No, you don't," Twilight agreed with a smile, wiping her face dry with her hoof. Her head bobbed as she felt sleep creep over her body but she quickly shook it off. The whirlwind of emotions she went through tonight drained what energy remained but she refused to give into sleep's embrace. Maximizing her time with the princess was much more important, but her head grew heavy and her eyelids dropped and she curled up against her mentor, smiling as she heard the heartbeat of the great alicorn. "Love you, Celestia," she mumbled as sleep suddenly claimed her, granting her peace with no dreams, only a deep feeling of satisfaction and contentment. "I love you more then you will ever know," the princess softly replied, her voice breaking with emotion. "Despite everything you know, everything you've seen, you're still an innocent filly at heart. Stay that way, Twilight Sparkle. Don't ever let yourself be hardened. Don't ever end up like me."
Chapter 1Twilight Sparkle dragged her tired hooves into the library, Spike passed out and draped over her back. Pinkie Pie had thrown a wild party for Applejack’s birthday, stuffing themselves with apple pastries and sharing a special bottle of cider Braeburn sent her as a present, entirely made from Bloomberg’s apples. Her body was exhausted but her heart felt light and content, filled with the love of her friends. He grunted in response as he pulled his blanket tighter, a small smile appearing on his face. “Dreaming of Rarity, lover boy? I hope it’s a good one for you.” She crawled into bed and fell asleep almost immediately, emulating her number one assistant and turning her blankets into a cocoon. Often her dreams took her home to Canterlot, the many rooms of the castle, or her personal favorite, the Canterlot library, but this time Twilight was in some kind of hellish void. The ground beneath her hooves was solid black and felt like stone. There was nothing in all directions except a hate-filled colored sky of swirling reds, yellows, oranges, and more black, and the horizon seemed to expand forever. She took a step to try and run but remained frozen in place. The sky seemed alive somehow, as if it was concentrated evil energy condemned to circle this place, just as the stars forever circled the planet. Though she couldn't explain it, she felt if she tried to run, the sky would attack her, like a predator bringing down its prey. “Where am I?” She wondered aloud, hearing her voice echo ominously. “Is anyone here?” A dark chuckle answered, seemingly coming everywhere at once. Twilight’s ears fell as her eyes widened, her knees suddenly growing weak. She knew that laugh anywhere; she heard it far too often for her liking. “Good evening, Twilight Sparkle,” a familiar voice answered. “Welcome to hell.” “Discord,” she growled, summoning all of her courage as she stared the draconequus down as he emerged from the shadows. Instead of his usual playful attitude, his whole demeanor was hostile and he glared dangerously at her. “What are you doing here? I imprisoned you!” “Mighty proud of that fact, aren’t you, Twilight? Say what you will of everything I have done, I have never turned someone into stone. I have never condemned them to this hell. But no, you want to be just like your precious princess and do things the proper way. Well done, my little pony, well done,” he applauded slowly, glaring daggers into her very soul. “Your idea of fun is what other ponies would call hell,” she corrected him. “The needs of the many outweigh the few? I’d expect a better excuse from someone as educated as you, or are you too ignorant to question the wishes of a princess?” “Stop insulting Celestia!” She demanded, stomping her hoof. “She is a wise and benevolent ruler who knows what’s best for everypony! You just wanted a good laugh at the expense of thousands of miserable ponies, but Celestia wants everypony to be happy and content. The princesses turned you into stone for a reason, and my friends and I did it again not because we were blindly told to, but because we knew we had to do it for the sake of all Equestria!” Discord raised an eyebrow. “No titles? My, my, aren’t we bold and brash. Getting a bit of an ego, Twilight? No matter what your accomplishments, you’re still a common unicorn of no breeding. Never forget your place.” The lavender unicorn hid her embarrassment as best she could. It was an accident that she didn’t address the princess as she should, but she couldn’t tolerate hearing her beloved mentor being insulted, especially by a being who thought her an oppressing dictator though he ruled with chaos. “Never forget yours, either. Just because you’re a being of great power and magic doesn’t mean you have the right to abuse us common creatures.” “Nor does Celestia have the right to rule fairly over all living things. Nothing is true; everything is permitted.” “You tried to break my friendship with the girls,” she growled. “By your own logic, I was therefore permitted my desire to keep the bonds between us and imprison you in stone to ensure that happens. I know you used your magic to change them; they would never willingly abandon me.” “Are you so certain of that?” He asked, his face suddenly regaining the playful expression that she expected of him. “Yes my magic corrupted them but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will forever be your friends.” “They love me just as much as I love them,” she insisted, remembering how they saved her from punishment when she placed the want-it-need-it spell on her Smarty Pants doll. Spike was afraid to get involved but they barged right into the room without ceremony, all five contributing to her defense, clearly afraid to see her be taken away from them. “We shall see about that, won’t we?” He snapped his fingers and Twilight went momentarily blind from the white light. When she could see again, she was home in the library, still in bed, with the sun high in the sky. “I’ll show you the power of our friendship,” Twilight promised out loud, unsure if Discord was able to hear her. “Spike, are you awake? Spike?” His bed was empty, maybe he was out on some errand. Rarity was often borrowing him to hunt for gems for her dresses, especially now that the Diamond Dogs left her small piles of gems as a tribute so she would never bother them again. Though Rarity was probably away and busy, no doubt the other girls were around and all too happy to show Discord just how much they loved her. She left the library with a confident swagger in her step as she trotted into town, pleased to see Applejack minding the apple stall in town today. “Hi Applejack,” she greeted, flashing her a brilliant smile. “Hi,” the earth pony replied curtly, ignoring her as she searched the crowd for potential customers. Twilight’s smile shrank. Applejack was never so distant. They were complete strangers and yet she almost tore Twilight’s foreleg off in a passionate hoofshake when they first met. “Is everything alright?” “Are you going to buy something or just waste my time?” She snapped, making Twilight back up. Her color was still the same, not grayed out like when Discord corrupted her, so what was going on? “Applejack, don’t you know me?” She quietly asked, suddenly feeling afraid. “Should I?” Her green eyes showed no recognition and Twilight’s heart sank as she took several steps back, tears welling up in her eyes. Discord’s magic or not, losing Applejack for a second time hurt worse than before. She ran away before the earth pony could see her tears, deaf to the warning shouts before she collided into a pony, dumping a box of cupcakes over her, the frosting sliding onto her body as her hooves crushed the fallen pastries. “Watch where you’re going!” A shrill voice shouted. Twilight open her eyes just as a glob of frosting slid from her mane into her eye, making her curse as she tried to rub it out. “The whole box is ruined, thanks a lot!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, taking the one untouched cupcake and impaling it on Twilight’s horn. “Sorry we can’t all be Canterlot royalty. Better watch out for us common ponies next time.” She smacked Twilight’s face with her tail before storming off back to the bakery. “What is wrong with everypony?” Twilight stood up and shook off the cupcake mess, stopping when she heard the cries of protest of a friend. “I am so sorry, Rarity, I had no idea you were there!” She hastily apologized, but the prissy unicorn would have none of it. “This was a Hoity Toity exclusive, designed just for me, and you RUINED IT!” Rarity shouted, using her magic to try and spot clean her clothes, throwing the pastry mess back at Twilight. “Just because YOU don’t care about fashion doesn’t mean you should abuse those who do! I’m sending you the cleaning bill from the most expensive cleaner in all of Equestria! I may even double it to pay for mental scarring!” With her nose high in the air, she stormed past the miserable Twilight, who didn’t even bother to clean herself of the cupcake mess. She would have sat there forever, feeling miserable, but a familiar laugh made her look up, spying Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy lounging on a cloud, with the cyan pegasus laughing at her mess while the pastel yellow just shook her head. “What did I tell ya, Fluttershy? Eggheads don’t belong outside in the real world. They’re much better off with their heads stuffed in dusty old books.” “Rainbow Dash, that’s not very nice,” Fluttershy said, making a small smile appear on Twilight’s face. Finally, somepony who cared! “Though it is true; she spends so much time there, like she prefers the written word to real ponies.” Twilight recoiled as if she had been kicked. “What are you talking about?” She shouted up to them. “We’re friends, don’t you remember?” Rainbow Dash rolled over onto her back, laughing hysterically as she clutched her stomach. “Me, friends with an egghead, oh that’s a good one!” “We’ve never seen you outside of the library before today,” Fluttershy reminded her. “We all figured you thought you were too good for us lowly common ponies.” “You girls are the best thing that’s ever happened to me! You, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack! You’re my best friends!” “Those books are rotting your mind,” Rainbow Dash snapped as she rolled back onto her stomach. “We’ve never shared words before today, and I never want to do so again. Let’s go, Fluttershy.” The two flew off without another word, and uncontrollable sadness fought with rage to be the dominant emotion in Twilight Sparkle’s body. The two combined as she tried to use her magic to expel the cupcake mess off of her body, but instead of the magic being focused around her body, it was concentrated a few feet from her on all sides, and refused to come any closer. She tried to harmlessly dispel the magic but it was released at ten times her intended power, resulting in an explosion that wrecked the open market, covering everypony with mashed fruit and vegetables. “What the hay are you doing?” A stallion shouted. “You’re going to pay for this!” A mare shouted, until more and more voices joined in and crowded around the poor cupcake-covered unicorn, glaring at her with evil eyes and accusing her of evil deeds. She tried to teleport away but her magic refused to work, she couldn’t even feel it struggling like when she was a filly. She shrunk the ground, trying to escape, desperate to distance herself from such anger, but the ponies were tightly circled around her, their voices growing louder, and louder, and louder, as Twilight put her hooves against her ears to try and drown them out, her eyes shut tight, wishing and praying they would go away and leave her alone. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Twilight’s eyes shot open as wide as they could reach. The roar of the angry alicorn silenced the crowd, and with a flash of bright light, the mass of ponies dispersed, abandoning the street. She looked up and cowered before the enraged princess. “I took you under my wing, made you my personal protégé, the first in centuries, and THIS is how you repay me?” Celestia motioned to the destroyed carts, crates, and barrels, many turned into matchwood. “Perform a spell.” When the unicorn hesitated, she stomped her hoof, making the ground tremble. “Do it, NOW!” Twilight strained as hard as she could, but she couldn’t even feel the magic flowing through her body. There was simply nothing, nothing but her physical strength. “I can’t,” she finally admitted in defeat, collapsing to the ground and buried her face in her hooves. “I’m sorry I ever wasted my time on you,” Celestia growled before teleporting away. Twilight sobbed openly; there was nothing for her now if the ponies she cared about most no longer loved her. When a shadow blocked her light, she turned to see her parents looking over her and suddenly a ray of hope entered her heart. If anyone still supported her, it would have to be them. “Mom, Dad?” But the two just looked at each other, shame in their eyes, and walked away with their heads hanging low. Twilight felt as if someone grabbed her heart and squeezed with all their might, trying to crush it. “Wait!” She shouted and ran after them, but the two were deaf to her pleas and only ran faster before disappearing around the corner. Now she literally had no one. If Spike could not be found, then no doubt he ran off hours ago, not wanting to be connected to such a loser. For the first time in her life, she was utterly alone. She dropped like a rag doll to the ground, burying her face in both hooves, feeling utterly defeated and dead inside. A shadow covered her from behind and her heart sank even lower, already knowing its owner. “There, there, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said soothingly, gently patting her back. She lifted her head from her hooves and her body began to shake with rage as her tears became silent. He was responsible for everything; his magic that turned the world to chaos subtly manipulated her friends, her loved ones, and she was going to make him feel the indescribable pain in her heart and soul. With a wild battle cry, she quickly turned and violently gored him with her horn, smiling grimly as she felt his warm blood on her face. Her pleasure quickly vanished into fear as Discord wrapped his paw around her body and lifted her into the air, tightening his grip on her. “I was going to be your friend, to replace your beloved princess, but now the game has changed, hasn’t it?” Pain coursed through Twilight’s body, feeling as if he was going to crush her. She desperately tried to escape, attempted to use magic, but she was stuck in his ever-tightening grip as she struggled to breathe, slowly losing consciousness. “I underestimated you the first time we met. I lost a hard battle to two alicorns, so when Celestia sent six little ponies after me, I thought Equestria was mine forever. You would never survive me at my full strength; your precious princesses barely managed to. Without your friends, you are nothing; hardly the great magic user Celestia said you were. Arrivederci.” With one final squeeze, Twilight knew this was the end and attempted one last struggle to escape. She bucked against her restraints so hard that Applejack would be proud as she felt a few feet to the ground and slipped free. Her magic returned as her anger summoned a powerful blast to be released at any moment, but when she leapt to her hooves and turned to face her opponent, Discord was gone, and she just saw her bed and her sheets and blankets on the floor. “Was it a dream,” she wondered aloud, or perhaps another one of Discord’s tricks? “Spike!” “Five more minutes, Mom,” the baby dragon mumbled before rolling over and going back to sleep, still tucked tightly in bed. “A dream, it was all a dream,” she said in relief as she dropped to the floor in relief, but then a new panic gripped her. “But what if Discord can escape? What if he has escaped? Spike, take a letter! Oh wait, you can’t,” rousing dragons from sleep was almost impossible. It was a miracle that she could wake him up at all when he slept. She raced downstairs to her writing desk and hastily penned a warning letter to Princess Celestia, waking Spike long enough to send it. She paced for half a minute waiting for an answer but Spike remained asleep. “Princess, where are you?” “Right behind you,” came the alicorn’s angelic voice, greeting her distraught student with a warm smile, quieting her with a raised hoof before Twilight informed her of what she already knew. “Discord can never return as long as you and your friends wield the Elements of Harmony. When they passed on from Luna and me to you, Discord’s imprisonment was weakened, needing the right moment to seize power and escape. Today is the anniversary of the day he was first imprisoned, and the stars alignment enables him to project his will, and he torments those he hates most with nightmares that shook even my sister and me to the core. We’ve always been hesitant to sleep on this day; I should have warned you, but it slipped my mind, please forgive me.” “Did he go after the others?” Her panic seemed to latch onto some new fear whenever one was abated. “I sent Luna to check on them and make sure they understand the situation. I had to check on you first and foremost, make sure you were okay.” “Of course, I am. Just a nightmare, no reason to fret and worry; I’m not a filly anymore, no reason to fear the boogeypony,” she said quickly, trying to put up a good front of courage for her mentor, but Celestia quickly wore it down into nothing with a concerned look. Twilight threw herself at the princess, crying into her chest. Celestia put her head over the pony’s shoulder, and wrapped her wings around her. “Just let it out, Twilight,” she said soothingly. “Don’t hold anything back. I know how bad his nightmares are, and Luna and I have always felt so much better after exchanging stories.” “It was worse than before! When Discord came, my friends at least knew me, but in the dream, we were never friends to begin with! They had no idea who I was; they kept saying I was holed up in the library everyday and nopony ever saw me. They assumed I thought I was too good for them.” Her voice was stolen as she struggled to keep it together. As much as she loved her hometown, it was a sore spot to be lumped together with the high society ponies. She was of the small but growing middle class neighborhood; a section that considered itself just as normal as Ponyville despite being placed in the oldest city in Equestria. She was grudgingly forced to attend several high society parties as a representative of Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns though, and possibly to make friends, as the princess was often on her case about spending too much time studying. How could she though, when the upper crust was always so judgmental and fake? Anyone remotely close with the school knew that she was the princess’s personal protégé so they never looked down on her, but they never bothered to get to know the real her either. “No matter what your origins, my most faithful student, you are not, and never will be, better than anyone,” Celestia assured her, “and anypony who thinks otherwise are fools. In all our years together, you’re still the same filly I met, only with a much better harness on your amazing magical ability.” Twilight wiped away her tears with her foreleg and smiled warmly at her mentor. How she loved being called that, her special name that only the princess used. “You inspire me to be everything I can be,” she admitted, though she had told the princess the story of her first Summer Sun Celebration so often that no doubt the alicorn had memorized it. “In the dream, you said I was the first in centuries to be your personal protégé, is that true?” The school was founded long after Discord was imprisoned but knowing his great power, he had a way of learning things despite him limitations. Celestia shook her head, and Twilight struggled to hide her disappointment. The subject was never brought up until now, but she was hoping that their relationship was a quite rare and special one. “You’re my first ever,” she corrected with a grin. As much as she enjoyed jokes and pranks on ponies, it was very rare that she pulled one on her student, but she couldn’t resist the moment, feeling that it would make the truth that much sweeter. “I have lectured students, taught classes, and offered the occasional tutoring service, but never have I taken someone under my wing like I have with you. I started the school after working with great unicorns like Starswirl the Breaded in the hopes of finding and nurturing more ponies to live up to the full potential of their abilities. What you were capable of the day we met is something advanced students aspire to with several years of hard work and dedication. I knew I found someone truly special in you: one destined for the history books, and a dear friend I cannot live without.” Tears threatened to overtake the lavender unicorn once more, only this time, it was tears of joy. “I love you, Celestia,” she declared, perfectly aware of the boldness of her words as she once more pressed herself against the alicorn. She considered the princess a surrogate mother and soon the title of princess became more a part of her mentor’s name rather than a reminder of the vast differences between them. In casual situations, many formal actions showing reverence and loyalty were dropped, as the two knew Twilight was one of the most dedicated and loyal subjects that ever lived, but the final barrier of Celestia’s title remained until today. Now they were just unicorn and alicorn, two friends who loved each other dearly. Celestia was taken aback by her words; never once had her student dropped her title, and she doubted it was an accident. Was it wrong for her to have gotten so close? Did it really matter? Not even Spike was conscious enough to hear it, and the moment would never leave the room. Unlike Luna, she had never had a child of her own, and Twilight was the closest she would ever come. She was smart enough to only drop it during private moments. “I love you too, Twilight Sparkle,” she replied as she wrapped her neck over the unicorn’s shoulder, holding her tightly. The two stood there for several minutes, treasuring each other’s company. Twilight felt herself lulled back to sleep by the steady beating of the alicorn’s great heart and wobbled slightly on her hooves, hoping the princess wouldn’t notice, but she didn’t have a prayer of hiding it from the all-knowing alicorn. “I think it’s time for bed, don’t you agree?” Like a filly, Twilight stubbornly shook her head though she knew sleep was coming. Celestia chuckled warmly, remembering Twilight’s childhood where she would study magic long into the night, even when she was falling asleep on her books. There was only one way to send her to bed back then, the same that she would do now. She used a levitation spell to carry the unicorn to bed, manually pulling back the blanket before lowering her onto the mattress and tucking the lavender unicorn in. “Good night, my most faithful student,” she said with a nuzzle and a kiss on the cheek. “Celestia?” Twilight weakly asked, fighting the pull of the sandmare. “Stay with me please?” She didn’t want to admit it aloud, but she was fearful of another nightmare. What if Discord came again, and this time made things so much worse? Smartypants always kept her safe from nightmares as a filly but Big Macintosh was so reluctant to let her go so she gave him the doll, glad that she could be passed on to someone who loved her. “As you wish,” the alicorn replied with a warm smile. Twilight contorted herself as much as possible to give the princess as much space as possible. Celestia lied on her stomach; hooves all tucked in, and laid her wing over Twilight, who pressed herself tightly against her mentor. It wasn’t long before the unicorn was fast asleep, a slight smile on her face. Celestia lost track of time as she stayed there, watching her student sleep peacefully, free of any troubles. Such a magnificent pony deserved nothing but good dreams and deep sleeps every night of her life. She was so young, yet had accomplished so much. She eagerly anticipated what great wonders her student would accomplish in the future, but for right now, there was no better place for her then in Ponyville surrounded by her loving friends. A tap on the window startled her and immediately she felt protective of her little pony, glaring dangerously at the window with her horn glowing, ready to defend Twilight with a passion. But it was only Princess Luna, who came inside from the balcony and Celestia immediately backed down with some shame. “Forgive me, sister, I didn’t know what to think. My fears got the better of me and for a moment I thought Discord had come for her.” It had been over a year since Luna’s return but still she made sure never to give her sister a reason to believe that anypony thought she would become Nightmare Moon again. Luna shook her head. “Your love of the unicorn is admirable. After Nightmare Night, I can see why you are so close to her.” Celestia looked down at the still sleeping form of Twilight who was oblivious to her company and lovingly nuzzled her. “She’s like a daughter to me; the child I never had.” “Discord visited them all. The Element of Kindness was attempting to fight him by tearing her pillow in her sleep,” the princess looked uneasy as she remembered the pegasus cruelly tearing at her pillow like a predator with its prey. Was she really deserving of the Element of Kindness? “I dared not ask what happened in her dream. I did as you asked however and I left them all sleeping peacefully.” “Thank you, Luna. I wish he targeted us again rather than the girls—no, I was expecting him to target us, but he is bound to hate those who imprisoned him mere hours after his escape.” She didn’t dare say it, but she was glad Discord left them alone this night. It wasn’t long after her return home that she remembered a horrific night awaited her in several months, and no doubt the spirit of disharmony would play upon her fears of losing her beloved sister forever, despite her redemption. If she never suffered another one of his nightmares, it would be too soon. “The hour of dawn is approaching. Perhaps we should depart.” “Yes, we should,” Celestia agreed, though she didn’t want to leave her beloved student. “We have some time though. There’s someone I wish to speak to first.” With one last nuzzle and a quiet declaration of love, she carefully slid off of the bed, trying not to disturb the sleeping unicorn. “I love you both dearly, but no one could ever replace you, dear sister,” Celestia reminded Luna as they walked to the balcony and took to the skies, quickly teleporting to Canterlot. Luna expected to arrive at the castle gates as it was the usual spot, but instead they appeared in the old dungeon buried beneath the castle, perhaps the only section not to be updated in a thousand years. But why were they here? The cells were abandoned centuries ago according to the history books she had buried herself in for the past year. The prison was built miles away in the wilderness, though rumor had it the ancient dungeon held one inmate. She gasped as the answer came to her. “Celestia, you aren’t—” “I must,” she confirmed as she opened the large maximum security cell, narrowing her eyes at the prisoner. “Celestia,” the prisoner greeted. “Luna, my my, it’s been far too long since I’ve seen you last. About a thousand years, I’d say.” “Discord,” Celestia said sternly, glaring at the stone prison that held his spirit as she stood protectively in front of her sister. Discord’s mind games laid the seed that would make Luna succumb to the darkness of Nightmare Moon. “You were never meant for this world if you can’t control yourself. How does it feel to be beaten by six little ponies?” “I did you a favor, Tia. The nightmares I gave the girls were nothing compared to what I had in store for you. If you thought my previously nightly visits were bad, this one takes the cake. Picture this: a beautiful sunny day, not a cotton candy cloud in the sky, the pure white of your horn and hooves stained forever with blood, and your precious Twilight looking up at you with wide, soulful eyes, ‘Why, princess, why?’ before she dies by your own hoof.” Celestia lost control as she unwittingly imagined such a horrific image. She planted her forelegs in the stone ground as she turned and kicked him as hard as she could with her rear legs, putting Applejack’s apple-bucking to shame, but she could not make a dent in the stone. His mocking laughter infuriated her but Luna stopped her before she could make another attempt. “You shall remain here for eternity,” Luna reminded him. “The Elements of Harmony shall remain with Twilight Sparkle and the others for many years, and when it is time for the Elements to seek new masters, your weakened bonds will not break, as nopony knows you are here. Laugh while you can, Discord, for this is your new home, the only one you shall ever know! Equestria shall know chaos no longer, only peace and understanding, love and tolerance, under its true leaders. Do your worst when you are able, for we will not submit to your tyranny or lies any longer! Come Celestia; let us leave him to ponder his fate.” The two alicorns walked out with their heads held high, ignoring the draconequus’s idle threats. “Thank you, Luna,” Celestia said as they left the dungeon and onto the castle grounds. “I fear I would have attempted to kill him, though if the Elements wished for his death, surely they would have killed him in our first encounter rather than imprisoned him. What he said about Twilight, it took control, drove me mad. He’s right, such an image is worse than any he has ever given me before.” “When I was away,” the phrase was preferred whenever discussing the millennium that Luna was stuck on the moon, “did he ever send you nightmares about me?” Luna shyly inquired. “Yes, but no matter how brutal they were, what hurt me most was waking up and knowing that you weren’t in the next room; that you were trapped within a monster on the moon, because I didn’t know how to bring you back. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you when you first came back to Equestria. Without the connection to the Elements, I was helpless to do anything to defeat Nightmare Moon.” “You were always at my side since the very minute of my transformation,” Luna reminded her. “It is not your fault I changed. The night’s darkness can be evil as well as beautiful. It is a seduction I unfortunately gave into, and have paid the ultimate price: a thousand years without you.” She nuzzled her oldest sister for a moment before shyly pointing out that it was time for the dawn. As she watched her sister raise the sun, she smiled with happiness and pride as a new day began in her beloved country of Equestria.
Chapter 2Celestia stretched casually as she entered her chambers, pleased that court was finally over for the day and she could give Twilight’s latest report on friendship a full read rather than a quick glance as it deserved. She missed having her student so close but she was better off being on her own with friends her own age than always buried in a book. As soon as she settled down on her body pillow, another scroll appeared and dropped to the floor. “So soon, my dear student?” She commented to no one, thinking back to when poor Twilight let her magic start a war among the Ponyville residents in an effort to write a friendship report. She put Twilight’s previous scroll to the side as she read the latest arrival, quickly frowning as she read the contents. “Guard!” She called, and a thunder of hooves came to her door as a stallion rushed to answer her call. “Is something wrong, your highness?” He asked, doing his best to calm his beating heart and appear professional. He was flirting with a pretty maid and the princess’s sudden shout startled him as he quickly dashed to his monarch’s chamber. Did she somehow know he was fooling around on duty? He wouldn’t put it past her; an alicorn had abilities far beyond the greatest unicorn. “Please tell Princess Luna I need to see her immediately. There is something she and I need to discuss.” “Yes, your highness,” he bowed, pleased that she was ignorant of what he was up too, and dashed off to follow her command. It wasn’t long before Luna teleported into the room, concerned for her sister’s safety as she took a fighting stance against an invisible foe. “What is wrong, dear sister? Is someone after you?” “Old habits die hard,” Celestia chuckled as she shook her head. “We’re no longer under a constant threat from enemies, remember? We’ve established peaceful negotiations with the other creatures, and allowed them their own land in the Everfree Forest, letting the wild will of nature control everything so they would be free of any threat of our control.” “Of course, naturally,” Luna said with some embarrassment as she stood straight. “The guard was frantic I see you; I thought you were in danger.” “Nothing of the sort, I think he was just eager to please me, but we do need to talk. Do you remember Infernius?” “The alicorn, our cousin from our esteemed father’s line, guardian of fire,” Luna immediately recited as she took a formal stance before relaxing slightly. “But the others never contacted us after we came here, has that changed since…?” she feared it would be forever painful to mention her banishment as her eyes momentarily darted away from her sister. “This is the first correspondence I’ve ever received from the alicorns, and as you may have guessed, it isn’t a friendly social call. Word has reached them that Discord escaped his prison and that the Elements imprisoned him again in half a day. They fear that he will escape again when the Elements pass on to their new bearers, and wish to stop him once and for all.” “Have they had a change of heart in the past millennium?” Luna asked coldly. “This doesn’t sound like their traditional motives at all.” “Sadly, they haven’t changed. They only wish to get involved because they fear he will eventually turn his attention to home and wreak havoc and chaos there in addition to Equestria. His letter was terse and to the point; I fear they still look down on us for getting involved in the affairs of ‘inferior beings.’” She stifled a growl that lingered in her throat. How dare they treat the great ponies of Equestria like garbage just because they did not possess the abilities of the alicorn race? It was an honor to live among them and guide the ponies down the path of enlightenment. Luna’s eyes narrowed. It was her admiration of how the tribes came together under one banner on their own that made her leave her homeland to follow Celestia in her attempt to protect others from Discord’s wrath. “How do they suggest we stop Discord forever then?” “In the traditional manner,” Celestia said grimly, wondering how they could accuse her subjects of being inferior when peace and harmony was the cornerstone of all pony kind, when the enlightened alicorns still engaged in violence to solve their differences. “They wish to kill him.” Luna fought to banish the dark grin from her face before Celestia saw, but the white alicorn noticed it immediately and looked hurt. “Forgive me, please. You know I prefer following the pony way, but we both know it was his fault I became a monster. I hate him for what he did, and I shall never stop hating him.” “I understand,” she nodded. “I hate him too, and perhaps it is best if he dies. His hostility is growing, what’s stopping him from killing others rather than transforming the world for his own personal amusement?” The sisters shared a solemn nod and Celestia wrote back to Infernius, inviting him to the royal hall to better discuss his proposition. “Come, sister, we must greet our esteemed cousin.” The princesses casually walked to the hall, speaking with every guard and servant they passed, ordering all to stay away from the royal hall until further notice. “Our guest is probably already there. Shouldn’t we hurry to meet him?” Luna whispered though nopony shared the hallway. “He is on our land and we will show him who rules here,” Celestia replied. “We will not bow to his whim; he shall wait for us.” After a thorough search, making sure nopony was spying, they entered the royal hall, where Infernius was stamping his hooves and snorting like a bucking bull. Where the princesses were sleek and slender, he was stocky and muscular with large feathered hooves. His body was white, his ethereal mane was a mix of red, orange, and yellow, and his cutie mark was a ball of fire. “Where have you been?” He demanded. “I have been waiting several minutes for you! You do not treat an alicorn this way, or have you forgotten your manners after spending millennia among the inferior beings?” For a moment, Luna wished to hide behind her sister like a filly, but seeing Celestia stand bravely before him gave her the courage to do the same. “On our land, you will follow our traditions,” Celestia haughtily informed him, “but since you have disregarded the formalities, we will speak plainly. How do you propose we go about the execution?” “We shall take him to Poneiul Mountain; there is a massive cave system inside, a labyrinth of rooms stretching the entire base of the mountain. We have chosen a large cavern in the middle, where the walls are too thick for even alicorns to teleport out of, and there are many pathways out, impossible to navigate unless you know the way. I have hoof chosen nineteen of the finest warriors to join me in battle, where we shall overwhelm the beast with our numbers and our might. The creatures in the cave shall have a feast of his corpse!” “And you are certain you will be able to control him so he won’t escape?” Celestia inquired, unshaken as Infernius’s short temper got the better of him and his body became covered in flames as he reared and cried out in anger. “HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME? ALICORNS ARE THE STRONGEST CREATURES IN THE WORLD! TWENTY OF US WILL OVERWHELM HIM AND PUT AN END TO HIS MADNESS! IT SHALL BE A GLORIOUS SLAUGHTER!” His words echoed throughout the hall and Celestia stole a glance at the stained-glass window depicting the girls imprisoning Discord a second time. “Nevertheless, I want the Elements of Harmony to accompany us as a backup plan, just as a precaution for the slight chance that things don’t go as planned.” The alicorn snorted smoke as his body returned to its natural state. “Do what you will, but the draconequus shall die. You had your chance to preserve his life, but you’ve only made him worse. He has a personal vengeance against you; what will stop him from coming after us? We who had the intelligence to hate him from the very beginning? We warned you not to have anything to do with him. Could you not tell from his deformed body that he was a monster? How Universo, the greatest of us all, sired such an ignorant daughter is beyond—” “When will the execution take place?” Luna boldly interrupted, seeing the anger in Celestia’s eyes. The only fighting she wanted to see was alicorns against Discord, not each other, no matter how well deserved. “Tomorrow at dawn,” Infernius gruffly answered. “I wish to transport the statue as soon as possible and have everything ready for tomorrow. Our combined magic will be enough to free him from his prison and then we shall ambush him before he has a chance to retaliate. How convenient that your precious Elements prevent us from smashing the statue and ending his life so simply.” “The Elements of Harmony have a will of their own that not even the bearers can override. You know that, Infernius,” Celestia snapped as he stamped her hoof. “Don’t you dare imply I have secret motives; I want Discord dead just as much as you do. I want to protect the ones I love from his chaos!” “Very well then,” he consented. “Where is the statue now located?” “Deep in the dungeon beneath the castle, the largest cell on the right,” she explained. “Do not let anypony see you or the others. I never told anyone about my past before I came here, and I’d like to keep it that way.” “As you wish,” he nodded. “We do not wish to be in the presence of inferior beings anymore then we have to. How you tolerate them is beyond me, beyond all of us. I shall come at first light, and the three of us should be able to teleport the Elements to the mountain.” Celestia let the insult slide, though her fur bristled in anger. He would never apologize, believing it to be the truth. Not even time spent with Twilight and the others would leave an impact on him. His stubborn nature would deliberately ignore their great qualities. “They are not to join the battle. They shall be hidden away in a side-room until needed.” “They would only get in the way and endanger us all if they joined us!” Infernius argued with a huff. “Consider yourself lucky I am tolerating their unnecessary presence among us.” "It’s settled then. We will meet you here at first light.” “Agreed,” and with a puff of smoke, he was gone. “And may our time together be as brief as possible,” she added quietly. “Homesick, sister?” Luna teased; hoping her attempt at humor would make Celestia feel better. “Yes, quite,” she joking replied, allowing a smile. “Who wouldn’t want to spend time with an arrogant, short-tempered pony who judges you solely by your breed and familial history?” Luna produced a scroll and quill and Celestia penned a quick letter instructing the girls to come as quick as possible. “Maybe this was fate,” the moon princess suggested. “Discord’s antics led us to our true home.” “Fate wouldn’t decree him to die for it. His willful actions dictate that,” her sister argued, “and I will do whatever is necessary to protect those I love. You don’t have to be here when the girls arrive, you can leave if you’d like. I have no choice but to tell them our history, help them understand why I’m justifying something I’ve always taught to be wrong.” “I won’t leave you,” Luna insisted. “We need to make a united stance, and perhaps my story will help ease their conscious.” “Thank you, dear sister.” The two didn’t have to wait long before the girls galloped in with Twilight once again apologizing for their lateness and asking all kinds of questions at once. “As the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I fear I have no choice but to ask you for your help in a potentially dangerous mission to safeguard Equestria,” Celestia formally announced. “I dislike involving you girls, but I fear circumstances are beyond my control. To better explain, I must entrust you with state secrets that no one in Equestria, dead or alive, has ever known. Will you promise never to reveal what I am about to tell you?” “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” the six said in unison. “You don’t ever go back on a Pinkie Promise,” Pinkie informed the confused princesses, “EVER!” Twilight and Applejack nodded fervently, remembering how passionate Pinkie got in defense of breaking the promise. “Very well,” the two nodded, taking the information to heart. “Luna and I are one of many alicorns in the universe; we originally hail from a land called Alicor, where the only ponies are alicorns. Being the strongest of all the pony races, they have developed quite the arrogant attitude toward others, referring to earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi as ‘inferior beings’ when they wish to be polite. We have not been in contact with them for over a thousand years as we have been banished from Alicor, giving up our right to our homeland to live among the ponies here in Equestria.” “A right we happily relinquished,” Luna added. “The arrogance of the alicorns makes them unbearable to be around, and as daughters of Universo, the first alicorn and creator of all, and Tempus, the guardian of time, we were surrounded by the elite, and we bore the brunt of it all. It made our lives miserable, which is perhaps why—” “One story at a time, Luna,” her sister interrupted. She would prefer to leave their personal history with Discord out of this, but she feared it was inevitable. Still she hoped there was some way Twilight wouldn’t push to learn more about a previously forbidden subject. “It is common knowledge you and Princess Luna came to Equestria to save ponies from Discord’s tyranny,” Twilight pointed out. “You both took pity on the races and found the Elements of Harmony to banish Discord to his stone prison. The grateful ponies asked you two to be our monarchs, and the council of the three tribes happily stepped down to become the royal court. All ponies have been your loyal subjects ever since. Princess, forgive me for asking, but what is the purpose of your summons? Is it something to do with Discord? Has he escaped again? Have other alicorns contacted you?” Celestia noted a twinge of fear in her student’s voice and hated herself for bringing her so close to her mortal enemy and endangering her life. “Our cousin Infernius has contacted me, but Discord has not escaped. In fact they wish to prevent him from escaping ever again, a permanent prison that does not depend on the Elements.” “Such as, and why hasn’t this been done before?” Rainbow Dash boldly asked. “Execution,” she said grimly, and based on the collective gasp, they knew why this option was never explored before. Crime was rare but still a threat in Equestria, but execution was never an option, legal or otherwise, no matter what the offense. Over the centuries, Celestia turned the ponies away from the idea of violence, even altering history to turn the great war that nearly decimated the tribes into an argument among the leaders in a cave. “Infernius will lead a group of nineteen alicorns, all trained warriors, against him. The statue was already taken to a cavern system in a mountain far from Equestria. The alicorns shall release him from his prison and kill him. I know I am asking a lot of all of you, but Luna and I would feel more comfortable if you were there, safe on the sidelines and far from battle, to turn him into stone once again in case things don’t go as planned. Infernius is confident he and the others will complete the mission as planned, but I still want the precautionary measures taken.” “But why is killing him necessary?” Fluttershy bravely asked. “We possessed the Elements for months before Discord escaped. Can’t you banish him and then throw him in a dungeon in the place that you banish him to?” “Ever since we came to Equestria, we’ve been negotiating treaties with the creatures to ensure ponies and others can co-exist peacefully, but I fear Discord is not someone to be reasoned with. He is capable of so much more then what he did to Ponyville: destruction, physical harm, mass murder, and more. He holds a grudge against all of us, especially you girls. He grossly underestimated your powers, and given the chance, he would attempt to hurt you, something I could never forgive myself for. I know this goes against everything Equestria stands for, but you have to trust me when I say there is no other way,” Celestia pleaded. The girls still seemed uncertain, seeking advice from other. They were in no position to argue against it, but did they really want to be near such danger? Fighting for self-defense or to gain advantage over the opponent was one thing, but knowing ponies wished to kill another, it did not sit well with them. “For the safety of Equestria, we will be there, ready for any and all orders,” Rarity said, speaking for the group. The others nodded solemnly, hoping that if nothing else, the execution was quick, clean, and far away from them. “Thank you, thank you all,” the sun princess said with visible relief. “I give you my word that I shall do whatever it takes to protect you all from harm. “Tonight you will stay in a suite near my chambers, so I may sleep easier knowing you girls are safe. At dawn, we will travel to the site.” “Since we’re here, why don’t you show us around, Twilight?” Applejack suggested, eager to find a distraction from the grim reality of tomorrow. “I’m not going to spend all day getting an in-depth tour of the library,” Rainbow Dash argued. Twilight smiled. “While I do know the library top to bottom, I do know my way around the castle. It’s a second home.” “Go wherever you wish, Twilight,” Celestia said. “Just try to get enough sleep for tomorrow.” “We will,” they promised, and left the room as Twilight shared personal experiences rather than the castle’s history, wishing to avoid any more playful arguments. Celestia felt tears of pride well up in her eyes; her faithful student was growing up into quite the mare. Still, how she prayed she could protect her innocence and leave her ignorant of what was to happen tomorrow. “Is this a mattress or a trampoline?” Pinkie asked as she jumped on one of the two queen-sized beds, gaining height with every bounce. “Can I take it home with me? This makes bedtime so much fun!” “I’m not sharing a bed with her,” Rarity grumbled, exhausted from running around the castle all day and engaging in filly mischief. “Did she sneak sugar when we weren’t looking or something?” “Pinkie always has unlimited energy, you should know that by now,” Applejack reminded her. “She could applebuck all of Sweet Apple Acres and still have enough strength to buck one of my family’s farms.” “Let’s just try and settle down,” Twilight suggested, jumping up onto Pinkie’s bed, who ceased her bouncing and slipped beneath the covers. “We have a long day ahead of us.” “Don’t remind me,” Fluttershy said softly, shivering at the idea of murder. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in disgust. “You have a zoo of animals living with you, many who are predators, who kill other animals for food. Why should tomorrow horrify you so?” “Because they do it for food, not for pleasure or ‘justice,’” the shy pegasus pointed out, “and I teach them to hunt for themselves in the Everfree Forest, hiding the remains of their meal from me. I teach all my animals to be friends with each other.” “You teach them manners too?” Rainbow asked curiously, remembering how surprised she was that the falcon acted so well when she decided Tank would be her pet. “I do my best,” she said humbly. “Listen, Cheerliee said Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were fighting the day they went to the statue garden, the very same day Discord escaped. What if he fed off of their anger and that gave him the power to escape? So why can’t we go with my original plan and just put him in a cage far, far away from anyone so he can’t feed off of their negative emotions?” “I’m confident the princesses and the alicorns discussed that option and found some flaw in that plan,” Twilight defended. “They are beyond us in everything we could ever be, so they must know something we don’t. Princess Celestia has never steered Equestria wrong before, and she always puts the safety of her subjects before everything; I think we should trust her decision and not worry about it. It’s not like we’re being asked to kill him ourselves, so our consciouses are clear.” Ever the voice of reason, the five agreed and settled into bed. Fluttershy curled up next to Rainbow Dash for protection, making the cyan pegasus groan. “Aww, how cute,” Applejack teased as she lay beside Twilight. “Shut up,” Rainbow growled softly, trying to hide her wing as she wrapped it around Fluttershy’s body, holding her close. “Hey, it’s just to make her feel better, okay?” She snapped as Rarity looked at her so fondly. “She’s such a scaredypony, it’s unbelievable.” “Thank you, Dashie,” Fluttershy mumbled in her sleep. “And we wouldn’t have her any other way,” Rarity replied, pleased to see Rainbow Dash drop her gruff exterior and be soft, as the pegasus looked lovingly down at the pony at her side. It wasn’t long before everyone was asleep, all except Twilight, her mind abuzz with racing thoughts. Fluttershy had a point; Celestia didn’t seem all that sorry about Discord’s fate, she seemed more concerned with how they would handle it. Was death really the only option? If Discord’s statue couldn’t be simply abandoned in the mountain because he could still escape, why couldn’t Celestia tell them why? She confided state secrets about the other alicorns, why couldn’t she entrust them with more? Early history books spoke of a great many of the creatures living in Equestria attacked the pony settlers in an attempt to chase them away, but no animal was ever murdered. There was only negotiation and compromise, allowing ponies and creatures to live in peace. Why must Discord be the first one to die because he couldn’t get along with ponykind? She carefully slid down the middle of bed, not wanting to disturb the earth ponies. Sleep wouldn’t come until her mind was put to rest, and only her mentor could do that. The lavender unicorn crept carefully to the door, trying not to make a single sound. She thanked the old architects under her breath as the heavy door swung silently and she slipped out, making a short trip down the hallway, only to discover the princess’s door was already open. She peered inside to watch her mentor pace with uneasiness in her eyes. “Celestia?” The white alicorn looked up in surprise and smiled, savoring the treat of hearing her faithful student say her name without the trappings of royalty attached. It was an unspoken agreement that such familiarity would only be observed when the two were alone, and it made their time together that much more special for both of them. “Come in, Twilight, please. Can’t sleep?” Twilight eased the door behind her shut after she entered, not wanting anypony, not even Princess Luna, to overhear. “You’re my monarch, my mentor, my oldest and best friend. I know I should trust your decisions as you never led me or Equestria astray, but still, I need to know why we can’t just abandon him in that mountain. How could he escape being so far from contact with sentient beings when the Elements pass onto others?” “Your loyalty is astounding as always, my most faithful student, as is your intelligence and reasoning. The truth is…” she sighed and she couldn’t hide the truth any longer, not when Twilight knew how to wear her down with a such a look of concern. “You’re right. If we do just abandon him there, there is barely any chance of him escaping. Infernius won’t hear of anything short of killing him however, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want him dead as well.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she heard her student gasp in horror and prayed the unicorn didn’t hate her. “All the trouble he ever caused Equestria, I drove him to it. I was the reason he came to this land in the first place, and he focused his trickery on Ponyville because he wanted to get back at me. Now he hates you girls just as passionately. I want to protect you from him. If he hurts any of you, I could never forgive myself, and Twilight…” her mind suddenly brought up the horrifying image Discord described last time they met, where she murdered the mare in cold blood, and she violently shook her head, trying to banish the memory forever. “Twilight, if he killed you, I could never survive, I could never move on, and I fear he might make an attempt if your nightmare has a grain of truth in it.” “There’s more to your history with Discord then turning him into stone, isn’t there?” Twilight prodded, hoping that her mentor would open up and share the thoughts that scared her so much. “Luna and I met him when the three of us were children,” Celestia confessed. “Our parents advised us against it, hating him and his kind, warning us that draconequus were nothing but trouble. They did their best to separate us, but we always found a way to see each other. Our destinies were apparent from the very beginning; Luna and I were being trained to be monarchs and Discord always loved chaos and disorder, but we were able to put aside our differences and enjoy each other’s friendship. We were close, inseparable, but as we grew older, our destinies clashed with each other. Discord saw us as rigid, strict rule-abiders; we were no longer ‘fun.’ His antics used to be small and contained, just tricks to amuse us, but now he took pleasure pulling pranks on others, twisting reality to suit his sick sense of humor.” “Like how Pinkie Pie adored his chocolate-filled cotton candy clouds, but he couldn’t be satisfied with that and altered all of Ponyville,” Twilight compared. “To be fair, Pinkie has a very bad weakness for chocolate above all other treats, which is why she was so quick to defend his reign of chaos.” Celestia nodded. “What he did to Ponyville, he did to all of Alicor, and the alicorns rallied against him and banished him from being any near the country. He just disappeared, until months later, when word returned to us that Discord had found Equestria and was using his magic to make their lives miserable. Even the combined power of every unicorn available had no power against him, who deflected their power with a snap of his fingers. We couldn’t let them suffer, though my family ordered my sister and me to ignore their plight. We were not responsible for the affairs of ‘inferior beings.’ Discord wasn’t coming back to harm Alicor, so they saw no reason to care, but I couldn’t stand back and let others suffer because I was foolish enough to start a friendship with him. Two alicorns alone couldn’t stand up to his magic, so I researched any possible way to stop him, discovering the Elements of Harmony. Luna sympathized with the ponies’ plight but wasn’t certain if we should get involved. Finally she came with me because she didn’t want us to be separated. We fell in love with the great ponies we met and took their gracious offer of making us monarchs, never once considering the idea of going back home. “I loved Discord, I thought the world of him, but after seeing what he did to helpless ponies, I had to accept the truth: my love was now a monster and I hated him for it, hated him with all my heart. Before the Elements turned him into stone, he planted the seeds that would drive Luna insane and turn her into Nightmare Moon, and in less than a year, I had to use the Elements against her as well. I lost two friends I loved so dearly in so short a time, both condemning me for going against their beliefs.” Twilight threw herself at her monarch in a loving embrace. It nearly killed her when she thought her friends were lost to her forever, but she knew they were corrupted by Discord’s magic, it wasn’t their true selves. Discord however couldn’t escape his fate of letting chaos dictate his actions and rule his life. Their friendship was doomed from the very start, and to lose Luna so soon afterward, it was a bucket of salt being poured into the wound, something her beloved princess did not deserve. “I’m so sorry, Celestia. I could never live without my friends, and I could never have an idea of the pain you felt. I don’t think I could survive either if you lost your mind and became a monster, even with the support of my friends.” The sun princess allowed herself to cry freely for her tormented past as she held the one she loved so dearly close to her as she wrapped her neck around Twilight’s. “He threatened to kill you in your nightmare and in mine…” she shuddered from the thought. Sometimes in her sleep, no matter how peaceful she was feeling, the images would suddenly appear, ruining her sleep for the entire night as she tried to bury them deep in her subconscious. “In mine, it was so much worse.” “Please tell me,” Twilight asked, prepared for whatever horrors awaited her, but still the princess refused. “I’ve always confided everything in you, why can’t you do the same to me?” “I don’t want you burdened with such knowledge. I don’t want your sleep to be ruined as mine has been.” “Just being near you keeps me feeling safe and secure,” she argued, begging with wide eyes that always made the princess bend. “Please, let me take away some of your pain.” The white alicorn gave up, her student was relentless. “In the nightmare, I…I attacked you, I wanted to kill you. I had no reasoning, no emotions; I was just mindlessly killing you. It terrified me; it terrifies me to this day. What if Discord turns it into a reality? What if he somehow gets control of me, or creates an illusion that is strong enough to hurt you? Twilight, how can you ask me to remain sane after that? That’s why he must die, why I do not wish to argue with Infernius. I won’t tolerate anyone who wishes to hurt those I love.” Twilight’s whole body shook with fright, but she kept it together, finding strength in her mentor’s violet eyes. “Just promise me one thing, please,” she shyly requested. “Anything, Twilight, you know I would do anything for you.” “Don’t get involved tomorrow, don’t bloody your hooves, just let Infernius and the others do what they have to.” “As you wish,” Celestia smiled, finding her request easy to obey, and nuzzled her student. “The hour is late, and we have an early wakeup. Please, stay with me tonight?” “Of course,” Twilight agreed, honored that she could bring such peace to her monarch’s troubled mind. After the princess settled into her ample bed, the unicorn debated for half a second before lying next to her mentor, pressing herself against the alicorn’s warm body. “Deep down, I know what you have to do tomorrow is right, and I am grateful that you would go to such lengths to protect me and my friends. No matter what you do, I could never hate you, Celestia.” “And I could never hate you, my most faithful student,” she replied, kissing her forehead. The two shared a deep and dreamless sleep for the entire night, only interrupted when Celestia’s cutie mark tingled, and she knew it was time to raise the sun. She carefully slipped out of bed, wanting to give Twilight a few more minutes of sleep, but the unicorn immediately noticed the princess’s absence, disturbing her from her rest. “Celestia…wha…” she mumbled before a yawn took over. "Go back to sleep,” she advised, but Twilight shook her head as she clumsily tumbled out of bed, and attempted to stand up, but the peaceful hold of sleep refused to let go of her. “It’s time to raise the sun, isn’t it? Take me with you, please.” “Alright, Twilight,” she conceded, levitating the tired pony onto to her back. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Celestia’s neck and nuzzled the base, murmuring how much she loved her, still trapped in a half-asleep state. The princess carried her to the grounds, thinking nothing of the stares the night guards gave as she passed. Twilight remained half-asleep until Celestia let her slide off onto the dew-covered grass, the cold sharply contrasting the warmth of her body, causing her to cry out in shock. “I’m awake, I’m awake,” she insisted as she stood up, beaming with joy as Celestia took her traditional stance. Just for you, my most faithful student, I shall make this a sunrise to remember, she thought as he put all her effort into gripping the sun as it hovered around the curve of the planet. She took to the sky with careful concentration, bringing the sun with her, until suddenly the sky exploded with light and color, a distorted rainbow of soft colors spread all across the sky in shapeless blobs and random order. Twilight cheered with delight, how could any day possibly be bad when it started with a grand mastery of natural art?
Chapter 3Princess Celestia escorted Twilight into the dining hall, where Luna oversaw a quiet and subdued breakfast. The girls ate from a sense of duty, not to satisfy hunger pangs, as their stomachs were uneasy and the delicious delicacies sat like stones, but the sight of their dear friend lifted their spirits and they greeted her in unison. "Where have you been? We were worried about you," Fluttershy asked. The lavender unicorn hesitated to answer, unsure if she should confide exactly how close she had become with the princess, especially with Princess Luna in the room. "She was with me," Celestia replied. "We were discussing her latest friendship reports in greater detail." The mare nodded fervently as a servant placed a plate loaded with food before her. She busied herself with eating, not wanting to slip up and tell the girls any secrets. Rainbow Dash fidgeted nervously. "What kind of greater details?" "Nothing incriminating, you have nothing to fear," the sun princess assured her. The cyan pegasus sighed in relief. She wrote too many letters for her liking, too many embarrassing moments not revealed in the letters, moments that she'd rather not have her monarch knowing. "Alright, I'm ready," Twilight announced as soon as she emptied her plate. No use delaying the inevitable. The sooner it was done, the quicker they could put it all behind them. "Let's go, girls." Celestia couldn't help but smile proudly as the others got behind Twilight's leadership. "We shall meet Infernius in the royal hall, and then we'll travel to Poneiul Mountain," she explained as she and Luna escorted the ponies. "Discord and the other alicorns are already there waiting for us. It's been arranged for you girls to sit patiently in a small cavern near the main room, safe from any danger." The lavender unicorn stole a glance at her mentor but the princess's face was expressionless. Didn't she feel any sadness about what was to happen, even if only for the lost friendship of her youth? Discord couldn't be all bad if they were friends once upon a time. "About time you got here," Infernius growled as they entered the royal hall, now wearing armor similar to the royal guards spread around the castle, with the addition of a metal sheathe with a sharp, pointed tip covering his horn. His red eyes narrowed to slits and looked away with a snort when he saw the ponies with the alicorns, offended that he had to breathe the same air with inferior beings. "Nopony disrespects the princess," Rainbow Dash growled under her breath but remained where she was as Applejack already grabbed her tail to restrain her. "The less we have to do with him, the better," the earth pony advised, defiantly ignoring him as the six were equipped with the Elements of Harmony, then huddled into a circle with the three alicorns on the outside. With a concentration of magic, their horns glowed, and the nine were whisked away to the entrance of the mountain. Two armored alicorns stood to attention and bowed before Infernius, ignoring the others as if they did not exist. The cyan pegasus's sense of loyalty bristled as they were escorted along in silence. The princesses were daughters of the first alicorns who ever existed, and great leaders who ruled Equestria fairly and justly, why weren't the others on their knees, kissing their hooves? The cave held an eerie atmosphere that bothered the ponies, feeling as if they were trespassing on some ancient, sacred ground that disapproved of their presence. They watched the shadows carefully, half-expecting some demon to suddenly pounce. Was it just their nerves, or their fears feeding off the negative energies coming from the statue and the coldness of the alicorns? All they knew for certain was how desperately they wished to flee and never return, but still they pressed on. After what felt like forever, Infernius stopped the procession and pointed down a small corridor to the right. "This is where you shall stay," he instructed. "If your services are required, someone will come to fetch you." The group nodded and the stallion left as they entered the cavern. Luna fidgeted with restlessness, ignoring the concerned looks from those around her. She was close to her revenge, so why wasn't she out there? "Don't, Luna," Celestia warned, her eyes narrowed into slits. "It's not worth it." "Yes, it is," the moon princess argued and ran from the room. She wasn't going to be held back this time, Discord would taste her wrath. "Luna, get back here!" Celestia hissed, but her sister refused to obey. "Stay here," she hastily instructed the girls before chasing after her. "I don't know if I feel safe here," Pinkie Pie quietly confessed, "without the princesses I mean." "Would you prefer to be on the battleground?" Rarity asked sarcastically, surprised when no one objected. "I'm surprised at you all! Discord won't go down easily; it will be a fight to the death!" "Exactly, but the princesses are there without armor or weapons," Twilight argued. "I can't stay here knowing my monarchs are in danger, not when we have the power to save them." The mares saw the logic in that, though they were scared of getting involved in the fight. The six regarded the princesses as their friends, and after everything the two had done for them, they couldn't sit back and hide. Most importantly, the princesses ruled Equestria for so long; nopony could imagine their country without them. They quietly tiptoed out of the cave, following the hoof prints in the dirt, till they arrived at the massive room and quickly darted behind a large cluster of loose boulders on the ground. The battle had not yet begun, instead the twenty-two alicorns were still concentrating their magic on the statue, creating and expanding cracks within the stone. The girls barely peered over the edges of their hiding place, shivering with fear as Discord was once again free. Not wasting a second to revel in his freedom, the draconequus instead dropped to all fours, carefully watching the glaring alicorns as he stretched out his claws with his lip curled into a growl. The setting told him everything: he was released only to be killed. Celestia was the first to move, stepping away from the crowd of alicorns and into the center. For a moment, Twilight noted Discord's expression softened before his face contorted back into a scowl, "You too, Celestia?" "What are you doing?" Infernius growled quietly. This wasn't the plan! The alicorn next to him looked at him, wanting to know if it was the time to strike, but the stallion shook his head. Celestia's stupidity would probably be a good distraction, allowing them to get a great first blow, but Universo would have them all begging for death if his daughter was harmed. "You brought this on yourself," the sun princess said coldly. "For following my natural urges, my direction in life, I am to be punished?" Discord scoffed. "You can't control nature, no matter how hard you try. Just because I don't fit into your neat little ideal fantasy doesn't mean I deserve to die." "You targeted Equestria; you harmed others for nothing but vengeance against me, and repeatedly you have threatened those I love most. I'm sorry, Discord, but you give me no other choice." Her voice was laced with sadness and tears welled up in her eyes. Her purple eyes met his red ones and the two shared a moment of sorrow. "NOW!" Infernius shouted and the twenty alicorns blasted the draconequus with a concentrated burst of magic, causing him to roar in pain and start wildly lashing out with his claws and tail. "SCATTER!" He instructed, and the twenty assaulted their foe on all sides, using a combination of magic and horns. If one alicorn was struck, the others flew back to get out of way as they continued to pepper their foe with attacks. Discord's magic was broad and expansive, not focused on any one target but wide enough to strike as many as possible. The ponies were deer in the headlights, unable to turn away from such a scene no matter how it disgusted them. Rainbow Dash was the first to cower behind the rocks, losing her breakfast as the spirit of chaos ripped open Infernius's lower flank, spurting blood everywhere. Twilight quickly scanned the room, trying to find the princesses, knowing her friends would not manage to last much longer. As promised, Celestia did not join the battle, not even to send blasts of magic, only stayed out of harm's way while keeping a worried eye on Luna, still in the thick of battle. She didn't dare call out to her, not wanting Discord to focus his attention on her, but she prayed Luna would abandon her desire for revenge and run to safety. "Remember me?" Luna growled, glaring deep into his pain-filled eyes. The draconequus growled in reply and tried to bite her, but the moon princess swiftly dodged and dove at her opponent's neck, slashing the left side with her horn. She reveled in her victory a second too long as the eagle talon collided with her, and sent her crashing to the ground. "LULU!" Celestia shouted, galloping to her side, standing between her and the battle with her horn glowing brightly, ready to attack any who came near. "I'm fine," Luna grunted as she forced herself to her feet, fighting though the pain, and cried out as she tried to put weight on her back left leg. "Come on, we're getting you out of here! You've had your revenge!" The sun princess slipped beneath her sister, lifting her up on her back, and quickly galloped out of the cave, with the ponies quickly following behind. Discord showed no acknowledgement of their disappearance, focusing on the alicorns before him. His body was covered in wounds and blood, but every alicorn had at least one injury of their own, and no one could say they could easily predict how the battle would go at this point. When everyone was safe in the side-room, Celestia allowed Luna to slide off and she inspected the injured leg, gently probing it with her magic. "It's just a sprain," she said with relief, focusing healing energy upon it. "Don't scare me like that," she chided her sister, and then turned to the ponies. "All of you, please don't ever scare me like that." Twilight stepped forward to better explain but Applejack jumped in the way. "We couldn't let our leaders go into battle with no armor or weapons to defend you. We didn't disobey from insolence, just a concern to keep you safe." "I appreciate that, my little ponies," the white alicorn nodded, unable to bring herself to scold them for such sentiment. "But I'm not leaving this cave unless we're ordered to, and you better do the same." "I'm not going back there!" Rainbow quickly insisted, "I saw enough!" Celestia lay beside her sister and nuzzled her, fearing she had more memories to disturb her sleep. "Please don't ever do that again. Losing you once was hard enough, but if I lost you forever, I don't know what I'd do." "I had to show him I wasn't a little filly that he could push around. It was too easy for his golden tongue and deceptive magic to corrupt me last time." "And did you succeed?" How she prayed her vengeance against Discord was complete! "I saw the fear in his eyes, and it was a sight I shall treasure forever," Luna answered with pride. Celestia didn't like the dark joy in her tone, but perhaps it was just a part of her nature. Being the princess of the night encompassed so much, and evil was potentially a part of it. At least it was over, Discord could not survive such an onslaught, and now she could move on. The eight lied there in silence, savoring each other's company, and listening to the muffled sounds of battle. Rainbow Dash shuddered as she heard a screaming cry of pain. "Do you think any of the alicorns will…die?" The sun princess shook her head. "They are all trained warriors, and it is extremely difficult to kill an alicorn. I do however believe Infernius was being cocky bringing only nineteen warriors with him. He assumed sheer numbers would overwhelm Discord and enable them to quickly finish him." She stopped when she saw how uncomfortable her words were making the girls. Just because they accepted what to be done didn't mean they were comfortable with it. "I am forever sorry I subjected you all to this. You're all just innocent mares." "We do what we have to to protect our country and those we love," Pinkie Pie said with sincerity, and the five nodded in agreement. A rumble ceased all conversation as the floor shook and Celestia and the unicorns leapt to their feet, using their magic to encase them all in a pink bubble that filled the room and provided support to the ceiling and walls. "They must have caused a cave-in!" Rarity shouted. "Concentrate, Rarity!" Twilight scolded, putting all her effort into the spell. "Don't use up all your energy, girls! I have this!" Celestia ordered. The unicorns lessened their effort, but did not back down entirely, as the princess knew they would. None of them ever thought before protecting their friends, they only acted. In less than a minute, it was over, but still the barrier remained erect for a minute more, removed when they could see a bloodied Infernius standing in the entranceway. His armor was torn and dented, some plates stripped away entirely, his entire horn was coated in red, and there were splotches of blood all over his body, but his eyes blazed with adrenaline and his mouth was twisted into a dark smile. Rarity covered Rainbow Dash's eyes with her foreleg before she got sick again. "We have won," he panted. "Discord is dead." The ponies fidgeted nervously, uncomfortable with the idea of a corpse less than a hundred feet away from them. Luna smiled grimly, clearly pleased with their effort, and Celestia only solemnly nodded, unsure how to feel about the news. "Are there any casualties on your side?" "None," he proudly announced. "All are injured, but the degrees vary, and all shall recover just fine. I told you my forces were more than adequate. You brought the Elements here for nothing." "I always had faith in your abilities, Infernius. I insisted they come solely as a backup plan on the slight chance Discord got the upper hoof." He scowled at her, annoyed that she refused to react to his insults. "I must see to my stallions. We have left markers for you to follow out of the cave whenever you are ready," he said before leaving with a flick of his tail. Celestia sighed and lied next to her sister, applying a little healing magic to her swollen calf. "In an hour or so, you should be able to walk, and then we can leave." "Are you alright, Tia?" Normally the nickname was reserved for private moments but none of them were able to discern the white alicorn's true feelings about the announcement of their foe's death, and Luna was greatly concerned. She didn't view her childhood friendship with the draconequus with fondness as her sister did, just bitterness and regret that the kindness they showed him was returned with malice and hatred. "It's been a long day," Celestia answered curtly. "I just want to go home and put this all behind me." Twilight wished her mentor would open up more, but the princess's tone warned her not to. The ponies huddled together for comfort and solace, letting the news of Discord's death sink in as they sat there in silence. All of Equestria and future generations were safe from his chaos and tranny; protecting them took more precedence over their aversion to execution. It wasn't long before they all fell asleep, lulled by the darkness and the peaceful atmosphere in the cave. Twilight snapped to attention when a low, ominous moan invaded her sleep, sending her analytical mind into action. A ghost? No, they don't exist. Many animals make caves their homes, but a bat's cry is much higher in pitch. Is it some other animal looking for a meal? She tensed when the sound came again. No, it's too mournful, almost like it is suffering pain. She gasped as the answer came to her. Was Discord still alive? The lavender unicorn carefully slipped out from between Applejack and Fluttershy, not wanting to disturb anyone and alert them to her absence. Creeping past the princesses was the worst, her heart pounding as she passed them, afraid their heightened senses would detect her, but no one stirred and she hurried down the passageway to the site of the battle. The cave-in didn't block the whole room; it was mostly concentrated toward the back of the large room, where a mountain of rubble now stood. Now or never, she thought, trying to summon the courage to speak. "Hel-hello?" She called, jumping when she heard the low moan again. "Discord?" A repeated tapping of an eagle's claw against stone came in reply, and she knew he had somehow survived. She galloped to the base of the pile of rocks and began levitating and placing them on the edges of the room, frantic to free him without putting him in more danger. Progress was swift as it wasn't long before she saw his lone fang in the gap a few feet away from her, his mouth moving with labored breaths. She proceeded more cautiously, not wanting a sudden loose rock to fall and crush him. Apprehension gripped her more and more as she got closer to his head, sensing a presence behind her. She turned with a start, half-expecting a hungry animal drunk on bloodlust to come and finish them both off. "Leave him be, Twilight Sparkle," Celestia ordered softly, though her tone was harsh and not one to be questioned. The mare cowered before the power exuding from her mentor, seeing her monarch rather than her beloved friend and surrogate mother. "I can't," she quietly confessed, fighting to face the alicorn. "I can't let him die, not when I have the power to save him." "Do you honestly think he will return the favor? That he will spare you from harm because you saved his life? What is stopping him from impaling you from behind when you turn your back to him?" "Nothing," she admitted honestly. "I can't say for certain if he would honor what I did for him, but I can't live with myself if I just walk away from someone who needs my help." I taught you too well, Celestia thought, torn between admiring her student for standing by her principles and being angry for defying a direct order. "He separated you from your friends to make you give up and abandon your quest to save Ponyville, and then you relive the experience in the nightmare, only it's made worse as you lose everyone you ever loved. You retaliate against him, and he attempts to kill you. He wants you dead, Twilight, don't you understand that? If he's not afraid to threaten it in nightmares, then he's prepared to do it in real life. How will your friends feel if you died doing something so stupid, or Spike, or your parents, or even me?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she contemplated the grim reality of the possible outcome of her actions, but her mind was made up. "I've always tried to make you proud, worked myself to the bone mastering some complex spell just to see you smile, but this is one thing I have to do for myself. If I do die, at least I died doing what I thought was right, what you taught me to do. I know my friends and family will understand and respect that, but if you can't, well it's a burden I will have to endure in the afterlife." "You asked me to stay out of this, to not bloody my hooves. If you die, I'll have no choice but to kill him myself, because I will go mad with rage and I shall make him suffer as much as possible, to make him feel the great anguish in my heart. I ask you again, leave him be." Tears fell silently down her face as she looked directly into the angry eyes of the mare she loved more than anything. "Please understand how much this pains me; how every fiber of my being wishes to obey your command, but I cannot do it. His blood would be on my hooves if I left him. I can't accept that; I can't compromise my morals. I am aware of everything he could do to me, and what would happen if I am wrong, and that you—" a sob took over, distorting her words, "you would hate me, but this is something I have to do; I have no choice. I'm so sorry, Celestia, but no matter what your decision, I won't hate you. I could never feel anything but love and adoration for you." The sun princess didn't know how to respond, feeling as if her heart would burst with such conflicting emotions inside her. After giving her student a hateful glare, she turned and regally walked out of the cave, never once looking back nor slowing her pace. With her head held low, and her heart no longer into her task, Twilight continued to levitate the boulders to the side of the room, giving the draconequus the same hateful glare the alicorn gave her when Discord's head was free of the rubble. "I heard everything," he said, showing no reaction to the unicorn's anger, "very brave of you to stand up to your precious princess." Rage filled her like never before and for a moment she felt as if she had the capacity to kill him herself, but instead she levitated a small pile of dirt and pebbles and threw it as hard as she could at his face. "Don't ever speak ill of the princess," she growled menacingly as she got right in his face, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "She's everything to me, and I just gave it all up, to save you, a worthless soul who spat on her friendship and is always scheming to find ways to hurt her. In return, you'll kill me and then present my mangled corpse to her, gloating how her most faithful student was a joke, such a stupid, trusting, little foal, just so you can savor the pain in her eyes! So just SHUT UP!" "For a mere unicorn, you were certainly born with the heart of an alicorn," Discord replied, trying to use humor to diffuse the situation and hide his fear of her. "If you're so convinced I'll kill you, why bother saving me? A good twenty-four hours beneath these rocks, I would have died from any number of causes." "I hate you. It goes against everything I was taught: from my parents, from my princess, from my friends, but I still hate you, hate you with everything I am, but even so, I can't sit back and watch any living being die, not when I had a chance to save you. I didn't feel joy when Infernius announced you were dead, only sadness that you couldn't change, that you didn't want to change. Rather than celebrate your freedom and protect yourself from being transformed back into stone by running away, you immediately targeted Celestia; you did everything in your power to hurt those close to her to get to her." She was taught never to provoke an animal, to run if she ever found herself in danger, but she stayed where she was, less than an inch from the draconequus, continuing to levitate the heavy boulders off of him as she spoke. He could easily kill her in any number of ways, but she didn't move and never stopped staring him down. Part of her was convinced that Celestia was right; this was all folly that would get her killed, and for what? For principles that couldn't be followed in every hypothetical situation? For her refusal to believe that a soul could not be redeemed? If death was to be her fate, so be it. She had no fear. With more than three-quarters of his body free, Discord managed to slip out from the remainder of the rubble. He was covered in a patchwork of cuts and bruises, from his head down to the top of his tail, and a mix of alicorn blood and his own were splashed at random across his body. When he stood up, he couldn't put his full weight on his hoof, and his left arm hung limply at his side. Twilight jumped back, putting several feet between them, her horn glowing bright red as she stored power, ready to strike him at the slightest sign of danger. The two stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING HER, DISCORD!" A voice suddenly cried out from above. The pony didn't look behind her, kept her eyes focused on her foe though a determined smile crossed her face as the other Elements and the alicorns stood by her side. "Just say the word, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said. "We'll put this jerk right back where he belongs." "Six feet under?" Discord retorted. "Back into stone," she corrected. The lavender unicorn hesitated for a moment. Could she trust Discord to walk away and never bother Equestria again? She opened her mouth but the words never came out, distracted by a loud, banging near the north end of the cave. Something was trying to break through the blocked passageway, something huge and very determined. Her fear came rushing back to her as the pounding grew louder until the rocks were broken through. A hovering ball of light appeared first, and then a set of very large and very sharp teeth attached to an enormous scaled body that hovered several feet above ground with flapping fins propelling it forward. "A cavangler fish!" Fluttershy shouted. "The hay are you all waiting for! Forget him and RUN!" Rainbow Dash shouted, leading the pack as they ran as quickly as they could. The fish continued to smash its body against the rock barriers, driven mad by the scent of blood and the desire for an easy meal, not caring that it was making the already unstable cavern worse. The alicorns put themselves at the bottom of the group, separating the ponies from the slow and limping Discord and the speedy cavangler fish. Fall back, fall back and sacrifice yourself, Celestia mentally tried to force her will onto Discord as she ran to evade the hungry predator and the falling rocks above. If the fish caught and ate him, it would be best for all. Equestria would be safe and no one would feel guilty over his death. She often stole glances backward, growling as the draconequus was managing to stay far ahead of the open jaws of death. No one else split their attention between their own safety and Discord's hopeful demise, sparing them from the fair size rocks that often struck the sun princess, putting her body under more strain then was necessary. You won't survive, Discord. You're too injured, give up already! For once in your life, do something selfless and noble! She looked behind her once again, prepared to order him to throw himself to the fish when a large rock that could have been avoided fell right on top of her head. Twilight heard her mentor cry out in pain and turned to look, feeling her heart stop a moment as she saw the princess sprawled out on the ground, not moving, and with Discord and the fish close behind. "CELESTIA!" She screamed and immediately ran to her side, fearing the worst. "Get up," she urged as she nudged the alicorn's head, tears welling up in her eyes as she didn't move. "Please get up!" Luna's heart went out to Celestia but her royal duty was to protect her subjects first and foremost, and she herded the other ponies out of the cavern and into a more stable section. The sun princess grunted before attempting to stand, quickly falling back down from the sharp pain searing through her head. "I'll be fine, just go, save yourself!" "I won't leave you!" Protectively, she stood behind her friend, using her magic to encase them both in a protective bubble, ready and willing to defend her at any cost. Discord was baffled by what he was witnessing. Celestia all but disowned Twilight when she refused to leave him to his fate, yet the unicorn was ready to risk her life trying to protect her. What madness of love was this? Did Twilight think that this would put her back on the alicorn's good side? No matter what the reason, he owed the fool his life, and the only way any of them would escape this is if the cavangler fish disappeared. When he caught up with the ponies, he stopped and turned to face his foe. With a snap of his fingers, a bustier appeared on his upper torso with metal cone frames placed above the cups, and he began to dance, temporarily distracting the fish as it approached, but it quickly ignored the spectacle and focused on its intended meal. He pulled a string that hung loosely down the side and fireworks shot out of the bra, exploding right in the beast's face. With a cry of pain, it ran away, leaving the way it came. Without its floundering antics, stability returned to the cave. Celestia leaned on her student as she stood on her wobbly feet, her head still swimming in pain. "You…you saved us," she managed, trying to focus her blurry vision on her savior. "Why?" "I believe the correct response is 'Oh thank you, Discord! I am forever in your debt! Please allow me to kiss your feet and tend to your injuries,'" he said in his best falsetto imitation of her, before frowning in great disappointment. "You insult me, Celestia; I thought you prided yourself on being 'better' then your alicorn brethren?" "I am. Infernius would have killed you on the spot. I'm simply being cautious." "Cautiousness that I could interpret as being rude and ungrateful, which would drive me to return the favor you did for me earlier," he reminded her, and the two angrily stared each other down while the unicorn growled menacingly at him. "Consider yourself lucky, I can't. Twilight's mercy prevents me. Think about that, Celestia, the mouse saved the lion." "Stop speaking in riddles and talk sense!" "Twilight saved me from an excruciating death where you would rather see me die. Not only that, she openly defied you in order to save me, someone she loathes, knowing you whom she loves so dearly, would abandon her. How can I turn my back on that?" "Honor doesn't become you, Discord; this is all just a trick, isn't it?" "It's called protecting my life!" He snapped, appalled at her lack of trust. "I went after you twice, and that resulted in swift imprisonment and then my possible death. It's been suggested I find some wasteland devoid of life and turn that into my own little home of chaos." Celestia glanced down at her student, who shrank and looked away, before looking back at him. "Very well, the alicorns think you are dead, and they cannot be bothered to explore the world around them." Discord smiled. His freedom was guaranteed if the stuffy alicorns didn't demand to see his corpse. "However, if I ever see or hear of you in or around Equestria, I will kill you myself, make no mistake about that." Her eyes glowed with intensity, making him feel as if she would kill him where he stood, and only the unicorn's presence protected him. "Understood," he confirmed with a nod, cautiously watching her for any sudden, betraying moves. Twilight's eyes darted between the two, hoping to see something besides negativity. If Celestia could spare his life, then maybe it was possible that the two could put aside their differences and be friends again. Sadly it was not meant to be as the princess refused to stop scowling at him and the draconequus's expression was unreadable. Without a word, the alicorn turned to leave, keeping her head held high and her expression stern. Twilight lingered just long enough to give Discord a warm smile of thanks before joining her mentor, but her happiness was fleeting and Celestia still retained her grim expression, her violet eyes staring straight ahead, barely acknowledging the pony at her side. Twilight's head dropped as her heart sank down to her hooves as the two walked in silence. The princess's magic levitated and moved rocks in their way without a sound, not even pausing when her student's magic grabbed rocks before the alicorn knew it was there. Celestia hates me, I know it, she thought with sorrow. Their discussions on morality and ethics never allowed for exception: holding a grudge, hating someone, wishing death on another, or even a justified death was never allowed in any hypothetical situation, yet the princess was displeased with her for wishing to protect Discord despite everything he had done. If it was wrong to continually hope and pray that he could be redeemed, then why couldn't the princess entrusted her with knowledge of him and her feelings on the subject before the draconequus escaped the first time? After what felt like forever, the two reached the entrance of the cave where Luna and the others waited impatiently for them. "Twilight!" The five ponies shouted as they rushed at her, taking her into a tight group hug. The lavender unicorn shed a few tears of happiness, feeling some of the weight lifted off of her heart. Luna nuzzled her elder sister, trying and failing to hide her tears. "I'm so glad you escaped, I was beginning to fear the worst." "Twilight and—" it physically pained her to say it, but she couldn't hide the truth from her sister. It wasn't worth risking a rift in their relationship if the draconequus went back on his word and pursued them again, uncovering her deception. "Twilight and Discord saved me, and in return, I allowed him to live, on the condition that he is never seen in or around Equestria again." "You let him go?" She demanded angrily, appalled at what she was hearing. "How could you? How could you trust him? He's a monster!" "Was it stupid of me? Perhaps, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. He has been warned that I shall kill him personally if he ever came to Equestria. I won't endanger the lives of my subjects, nor those I love most. He seemed eager to keep his freedom and preserve his life, acknowledging that coming after me results in nothing but imprisonment and worse. Please, let's all go home and put this ugly business behind us." A month had passed, and nopony spoke of what happened. On the surface, it didn't appear that anything had changed between the mentor and student, but Twilight felt she lost the close bond. They only spoke through the latest friendship reports, but the tone of Celestia's replies was a neutral one, discussing the merits of the lesson and nothing else. She was too afraid to send a personal letter, not wanting to give voice to the fear that hung heavy in her heart. It wasn't something she dared confide in her friends, afraid that openly acknowledging it would make it true. "Aren't you coming to bed, Twilight?" Spike asked, clutching a pillow and blanket, distracting the mare from her thoughts. "No, I think I'll stay up a little longer and do some reading," she replied, mindlessly staring at the bookshelf. "You've been reading all day!" He snapped with impatience. "For studying, not for fun," she corrected as she levitated a Daring Do book off the shelf, blushing as Spike gave her a look. "I promised Rainbow we could discuss it over lunch sometime soon. I'll stay down here so I won't disturb you." "Okay," the dragon relented, dragging his tired feet upstairs. "Good night, Twilight." "Good night, Spike." She didn't want to go to bed until she was physically and mentally wiped, anything to keep herself from reliving that nightmare of the princess humiliating and disowning her while the draconequus laughed in her ear, which ruined many a night's sleep. She sat on the bottom step and was barely finished with the first chapter when heavy knocking on the door distracted her. Who could that be at this hour? She memorized the page number before placing the book beside her as she trotted to the door, swinging it open with her magic. Her heart began to pound as two of the royal winged guards stood before her. "May I help you, sirs?" "The princess has asked to see you immediately," one spoke gruffly. Twilight saw that the two were harnessed together and assumed that a chariot was behind them. "Is something wrong? Has she called upon the Elements of Harmony? Am I in trouble?" "She only requested to speak with you, Miss Sparkle. She wouldn't tell us the reason. Now please come along, she is anxious to see you," the two backed up, giving her space. With her head held high and her heart sunk low, she climbed into the chariot, feeling as if she was a condemned prisoner. Despite the urgency of the letter, she and the others took a train to Canterlot when Discord returned, and now an escort was sent to bring her expediently to the princess's side, but why? Had Discord come back and she was going to be presented with his corpse? Was she going to be mocked for thinking he could be redeemed? She sighed in despair, staring down at the floor, preparing herself to accept her fate. At least she would now know the truth of how the princess felt about her. Though a chariot ride was the closest thing she had to experience flight as a pegasus, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it tonight, and continued to stare at the floor of the vehicle for the entire trip. "We've arrived." The pegasi announced as they landed. Twilight jumped out, expecting to feel the stone pathway leading to the castle beneath her hooves, but instead felt grass. The shock knocked her out of her funk momentarily as she looked around, realizing she was standing on a grassy cliff side on the outer edges of the castle. "Are you sure we're—hey! You can't just—" she galloped after the departing chariot, stopping short when she reached the cliff edge. "You did," she grunted, watching the two fly off. "Now what?" "Now this," said a voice from behind and Twilight was suddenly shoved off of the cliff. The mare's screams were soon silenced as she plunged into a pool of water and she hastily swam to the surface. "What—" a hacking cough stole her voice as she spat up water. "What was—oh no!" She quickly swam away, trying to avoid a falling body, but she was caught up in the wake and momentarily went under again. "What is your problem—" her voice gave out as she stared dumbfounded at a soaking wet white alicorn, her mane hanging still and loose, and her face alight with a mischievous grin, "Princess?" "Celestia," she corrected, giggling like a schoolfilly. "Celestia, why—" her eyes widened as she got a good look at her mentor: no tiara, no necklace, it was safe to assume her boots were somewhere on shore as well. Though the coverings never covered anything explicit, the unicorn felt uncomfortable as she never saw her mentor without her attire. "Why are you naked?" "Why, you like what you see?" She teased with a grin. Twilight's whole face turned red and she shyly hid beneath the water until only her horn was above the surface. "I was only teasing, my most faithful student," she apologized, and the mare's head promptly shot back up. "It's been a long time since you called me that," the pony shyly pointed out, her eyes locked with those of her mentor's. "Yes, far too long, and I sincerely apologize for it. Please, forgive me; I haven't been myself for quite some time." Her violet eyes were full of sorrow as they begged forgiveness from the one she loved most. "It's my fault, isn't it? I forced your hoof; I made you save Discord's life even though he can't be redeemed." "What makes you say that?" The princess asked in a gentle tone. "That's why you summoned me isn't it; to show me his corpse because he came back and you killed him?" Celestia chuckled softly and levitated a scroll from the shore in response, unfurling it before her companion. "This is what I wanted you to see." Twilight gasped in surprise. The scroll contained a photo of a smiling Discord standing before land that was multi-colored checkerboard and distorted with hills of varying sizes and random structures and clumps of land hovering above, and chocolate rain and upside down apple pies fell from cotton candy clouds. "'Having a wonderful time, wish you were here,'" she read aloud. "He found a compromise! He's able to live his life as he pleases without encouraging his demise!" "After everything he did to you, you didn't give in to the darkness in your heart. I'm very proud of you, my faithful student." The unicorn's face was engulfed in a beaming smile and the princess mirrored it as her magic pushed at the surface of the water behind the unsuspecting mare, and a tidal wave crashed over her much to the alicorn's delight. "Why you," the mare playfully teased and used her hooves and magic to splash back. The air was filled with her mentor's ringing laughter and her student's jovial tones as they engaged in a splash battle, chasing each other around the lake as hooves and magic pummeled them both with water. Twilight's heart was light as a filly as she playfully romped with her friend, feeling all worry and anxiety vanish. Nothing had changed between them, all that worry was for naught. The moon had shifted in the sky by the time their energy waned and the two swam to shore. Celestia climbed out first, gracefully stepping onto shore and with a brief shake, her body was free of water, and her ethereal mane and tail flowed freely once again. She stood still a moment, savoring the beautiful night sky above them. Luna should be proud of the artistry she created tonight, she thought. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" "Absolutely," the unicorn replied, staring up at her mentor's regal face. Even in the moonlight, the sun goddess beamed with radiance, the very embodiment of grace and perfection. "I wasn't myself for quite some time," the princess repeated, her tone suggesting she didn't want to continue, but Twilight pushed anyway. "You hated me for protecting Discord, didn't you?" She asked cautiously, fear and trepidation in her voice. She felt Celestia's body stiffen in response and noticed her eyes dart to the side. Twilight flinched as if she had been struck and slipped out from the embrace. "You've always taught me love and tolerance, to respect life; that nopony deserved death as punishment, no matter how dangerous. You never allowed for any exceptions in our discussions, no matter what the situation. You always taught me to think for myself, to never blindly obey another if I knew in my heart it was wrong, yet you can't forgive me for doing as you wanted? You honestly expected me to just go against morals I hold so dearly? Was everything a sham then? Am I not supposed to act as you expect me? What other lies do you want me to believe, alicorn?" Twilight's eyes widened as she clamped a hoof over her mouth, appalled and disgusted with herself for showing such disrespect to the pony she saw as a second mother. With a sob, she ran away, her sorrow and tears blinding her to where she was headed, and stumbled into the lake, landing face first in the muddy bottom. How fitting for such an idiot, she thought grimly, convinced Equestria itself was laughing at her naiveté. She didn't fight the magic that surrounded her, levitating her back to shore, lying like a rag doll on the ground. She didn't bother to move when she felt a strange weight on her head, nor reacted when magic gently wiped her face clean of mud, feeling like a stupid, helpless filly that needed a mother to take care of her. "Dear Twilight Sparkle," Celestia began, snapping the mare from her depressed state. She turned to face her mentor, a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue, all silenced with a bare hoof to her lips and a soft, teary-eyed smile from the princess. "No one is perfect, not even a mighty alicorn, and even a teacher can learn from a student. I let the darkness in my heart consume me, going against everything I had believed and taught for centuries. I came so close to hating a pony I love more than anything, causing me great physical and mental pain, when I should have applauded her efforts to stick to her beliefs no matter how hard it was. I trusted her, which is why I allowed Discord to live, but it started a war inside of me. Was she right, or was I? How long would it be before Discord came after Equestria again? I wanted him dead; I would not feel at ease until I saw his corpse. Not even imprisonment would put my fears to rest, and here he was running free with only his word to keep us all safe. I should have had more faith in her judgment. She would never lead others astray just to prove a point. I taught her far too well; perhaps I have unconsciously trained my successor. Your faithful mentor, Princess Celestia." Twilight stared dumbfounded at the princess, her head reeling with the alicorn's words. She had lofty expectations of what she could accomplish with her magical ability, but never had she allowed herself to believe she had the ability to rule over Equestria. She thought a shelf named after her in the Canterlot Library was the highest honor she could ever receive in her life. "You're not serious, are you?" She asked hesitantly, afraid of what she might hear. Silently, Celestia motioned to the lake behind Twilight, and the mare looked into the still water. Her breath was caught in her throat and she staggered backward, disbelieving her eyes. She crept forward once more, surprised to see that it had not been an illusion. "I…I…" a hesitant hoof reached up and she gasped at the feel of cold metal. "I'm wearing the royal tiara." "The only pony to ever do so besides me," the princess informed her with pride. "The tiaras Luna and I wear were designed and forged solely for us, gifts from the great council to show how sincere they were in their request that we become the new monarchs." "Celestia, you're not—you're not considering abdicating the throne, are you? Or Princess Luna?" Her mind immediately conjured images of the nobility rising up against her, claiming their right to rule by blood alone, and the common ponies rioting against a sudden change in leadership. She wasn't ready to rule an entire country! The alicorn chuckled warmly as she shook her head. "No, Equestria is our home and our subjects are our family. We could never possibly consider leaving, but all the same, I have complete faith that you would be a wonderful monarch, Princess Twilight Sparkle." "I prefer being your most faithful student," the lavender unicorn modestly replied, tears of joy filling her eyes. "As do I," Celestia said as her own tears fell, kissing her student's forehead. "I want nothing more than just that." Twilight lunged at her mentor, wrapping her forelegs around the mare's neck as the tears fell freely. She had hoped tonight would reestablish their friendship, but it instead grew to levels that the young mare never thought possible. The alicorn eased them both to the ground, wrapping a foreleg around the unicorn's body and holding her close. "Let it out, don't hold back," she advised. "I love you so much, Celestia," Twilight sniffled, looking up into her mentor's eyes. "Please don't ever leave me again." "I'll always be there for you, my most faithful student. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," she said as she mimed the motions. "You remembered," the mare said softly, touched that her mentor would care enough. "Of course I did. I could never forget something so important to you and your friends. Applejack told me what happens when you break a Pinkie Promise and I do not wish to be at the receiving end of such backlash." "No, you don't," Twilight agreed with a smile, wiping her face dry with her hoof. Her head bobbed as she felt sleep creep over her body but she quickly shook it off. The whirlwind of emotions she went through tonight drained what energy remained but she refused to give into sleep's embrace. Maximizing her time with the princess was much more important, but her head grew heavy and her eyelids dropped and she curled up against her mentor, smiling as she heard the heartbeat of the great alicorn. "Love you, Celestia," she mumbled as sleep suddenly claimed her, granting her peace with no dreams, only a deep feeling of satisfaction and contentment. "I love you more then you will ever know," the princess softly replied, her voice breaking with emotion. "Despite everything you know, everything you've seen, you're still an innocent filly at heart. Stay that way, Twilight Sparkle. Don't ever let yourself be hardened. Don't ever end up like me."
