“Dear Princess Celestia…”
Twilight never quite understood why those three words stood out to her so much. For all her time in Canterlot, she seldom had reason to send a letter to a princess who was just around the corner.
And yet, on the few times she did, Twilight was always filled with a sense of missing… something. A strange sense of déjà vu that she never quite got to the bottom of.
Even now, as she sits upon a throne of gold made for somepony twice her size, the answer remains out of her grasp.
But it didn’t matter now, did it?
The walls of the citadel had been breached a few minutes ago, but the sheer size of the place would buy her enough time. A few minutes was all she needed, and her guardians would fulfill such a task within acceptable parameters.
A hoarse cough split the silence like a thunderbolt in a library, her aged and aching lungs once again protesting their continued existence. A parting gift from the ‘Battle of the Rock Farm,’ a real shame, the Pie family would’ve been able to turn the tide of the war with their Biochemical weapons.
Now, that dour place was nothing more than a pit of poisonous gases.
With a careless flick of magic, the lights of the crumbling throne room were renewed, allowing her faded purple fur to be seen for just a little longer. Twilight didn’t need it, after so long at war, her body had more enchantments then most armies, but the two stalwart guards did.
It was always the little things that made ponies happier.
A bit of light here, and small smile there.
She would’ve loved to research it, but time wasn’t an ally of hers.
“What shall we do, general?” One of the guards, Flash… something, asked. Shuffling lightly in place.
“We wait.” Twilight replied simply, her raspy breath seeming to double her age.
Although it stung to high heaven, she cracked open her eyes and gazed at her final protectors. Clad in battered and worn golden armour, personally enchanted by herself, they stood at the base of the raised throne.
They didn’t even look at her as she talked, the fear that runned through their minds forced them to remain watchful over the sole entrance.
Though, it may be that they didn’t wish to be reminded of how far they had fallen.
Archmage-General Twilight Sparkle, heir to the Solar Throne. She was once a sight to behold, clad in ancient battle armour imbued with the power of the sun, with enough magical power running through her veins to challenge the Goddesses themselves.
Now, she was just an old mare.
The armour had broken many years ago, at the ‘Fall of the Crystal Empire,’ as the troops had called it. The thought of it still brought tears to the edges of her eyes, but it was… manageable.
With a light sigh, Twilight stood up from the throne and descended to the stone masonry below. Her chipped hooves echoed loudly through the spartan throne room, and the tattered remains of her Archmage cloak offered no respite from the frigid air.
The guards snapped to attention and got ready to open the doors for her, as their muscular bodies strained against the effects of sleep deprivation.
That had to be one of the hardest parts of this damn war, the fear that haunts you as you try to sleep. It was always a gamble to do so, ever since the Nightmare had consumed the old Spirit-King of the Crystal Empire, the nightmares that came from sleep had become all too real.
Twilight had seen her fair share of soldiers wake up screaming, as blood ran from their eyes like tears. Others had their veins split in their sleep, and drown as the internal bleeding flooded their lungs. Some were even lucky enough to pass without a word as their internal organs shut down.
She never tried to risk sleep, for years now, she remained awake through powerful magic and high intakes of caffeine. Sometimes even resorting to cycling sections of her brain so she never fully slipped into unconsciousness.
It didn’t really matter now though, she wouldn’t see another sunrise anyway.
“I want you two to flee the citadel, go find what family you have left, and keep your heads down.” Twilight commanded quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“B-but General! What about you?”
“Spare me the cliché, you two have long lives ahead of you.” She chuckled darkly, lighting up her horn as she revived long-dead enchantments in the walls.
Unlike Flash, the other guard obeyed without question, slipping out the door and into the labyrinth of halls. It didn’t really matter what direction he ran, the hallways would guide him to the right place anyway.
“I’m not leaving.”
“I know, I had to offer though.”
Sections of the walls started to glow a pale lavender, lines of runes powering up for the first time in centuries.
“It’s been ah’ long time, Twi.” A heavily accented voice interjected, given an unholy depth and echo by the Nightmare’s corrupting powers.
“That it has.” Twilight responded, as she forced her stiff bones to straighten into a regal pose. Not taking her eyes off of the darkness on the other end of the door, even to look at her final remaining guard as he drew his shortsword. “I had hoped it would be you.”
“Bah, yer’ jus’ hoping ta’ finish off ya’ work.” The voice continued, now back up by the sounds of heavy hoofsteps as it approached the door. “Ah’d still be buckin’ apples if it wasn’t for ya’.”
“Part of me doubts that, Applejack. You would’ve followed your brother in the end, don’t bother lying to me.” Twilight spat, straining her eyes to peer through the unnatural darkness.
“Dont ya’ DARE talk ‘bout mah’ brother!” Applejack screeched as she emerged from the darkness. The flickering light of the throneroom dancing across her all-encompassing Nightsteel armour, the silver highlights seeming to drink it in, leaving a slight void around her. “Mah’ brother was a doin’ what was right! Yer’ princess was driving our kind into the dirt!”
“Well it seems you managed to get what you wanted, didn’t you? There is no one left to oppose your ‘Empress.’” The Archmage retorted as she conjured a blade of pure sunlight. “I only hope it was worth it, traitor.”
With a scream of rage, Applejack ripped off her helm and threw it to the side. Giving Twilight a perfect view of the mat of scars that marred the former farmer’s face, each gouge parting the fur like magma through a forest. Entire sections of flesh having been stripped away, leaving only a thin covering of scar tissue to hide the muscle beneath. The very sight of it caused Twilight to flinch as her eyes were drawn to the empty right eye socket.
“LOOK AT WHAT YA’ DID TA’ ME!” Applejack demanded, her body shaking with each labored breath. “Ya’ killed em’ all, Twi! Ah’ had watch mah’ lil’ sister BURN becus’ of ya!”
“DIE SCUM!” Flash screamed as he charged with his spear, using what little remaining magic his wings held to give him extra speed.
It was only a heartbeat of hesitation on Twilight’s behalf, but it was enough time for the earth pony to throw a magically enhanced punch through Flash’s skull. Bone gave way and crumbled to dust as the armoured hoof connected with enough force to break steel with ease.
His body slumped to the ground with a bloody smack, skidding for a meter or so as blood poured from the gaping hole.
“Ya’ even got me talking lik’ ah damn supa’ villain…” Applejack said quietly, her rage having turned to cold rage as she took a moment to rub her hoof against the floor. Almost as if she had merely stepped on something. “Ah’d like ta’ think ye’ were a good pony under it all. Hell, we mighta’ been friends if ya’ had a little more sense.”
“I doubt it.” Twilight replied, as she tried to bury the grief towards the death of one of her own.
“So, are ya’ gonna fight it? Or do ya’ just want ta’ get this over with.” Applejack chuckled as she moved closer to her foe. “Ah’ll be honest, ah’m keen ta’ kick tha’ shit outta ya.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline the offer.”
“What? Ya’ still think ya’ can escape? Yer’ backed inta’ the corner, Twi. We both know ya’ got nowhere else ta’ go.”
“I’m done running. I’m done fighting. This is it for the both of us.”
And with her final words, the citadel was rocked with a powerful explosion, sections of the roof crumbling as the runes did their work.
“Yer’ a cheeky bastard, Twi.”
“I know.”
“You-” Twilight started, interrupted by her own dying coughs. “You took your time…”
She said to the setting sun, the final one if Nightmare Moon was to be believed, as she layed in the rubble of her efforts. A large beam of steel had cut through her body, puncturing a lung and pinning her, with only her natural magic doing its damndest to keep her alive, she waited for death.
The same could be said for you.
The Pale Stallion, The Alicorn of Death, or even just Death, said. His voice made no sound, but he was always heard perfectly.
You didn’t make it easy to get you, you know.
“It was necessary...” Twilight shot back, before being struck with another fit of coughing.
Are you ready now?
Twilight, too weak to speak, nodded.
It is good to see you again, my faithful student.
And with the final, yellow tinted words of a dead soul, Twilight passed with a smile...
Author's Note
Just a random short that jumped to mind whilst writing other things...
I'm sure it's only slighty terrible. xD
