The Handmaiden

Twilight paced the length of her room, clutching her dagger as she did. After Spearhead's death, Twilight had the dagger cleaned and sharpened, and she kept it in her room. She had no intention of using it, not unless provoked, but after being assaulted, she didn't like the idea of being unprotected. Magick, as she learned, was fallible. It was harder to argue with the results of a sharp blade.

She turned the dagger from hand to hand, pondering the difficult situation she found herself in. The message received in her dreams the night before was very clear; tonight, Twilight would need to seek an audience with Luna. Given the fortnight that had passed since the last time the pair spoke, Twilight could only imagine one possible reason for Luna to want to speak with her.

"Breathe, Twilight, breathe," she muttered to herself. "No need to panic just yet…"

Maybe the Empress was lying about Luna. Maybe the deal with Discord was a complete fabrication, meant to discredit Luna's claim to the throne and besmirch her name. Attractive though that prospect was, Twilight had a hard time truly believing it. The Empress wasn't a liar. She never lied, if for no other reason than it being wholly unnecessary. The Empress didn't need to lie to Twilight, for there was precious little she could do about the truth anyway.

No, Twilight was certain that the Empress was telling the truth. She just needed to hear the other half of the story.

"Alright, Luna," said Twilight, more as a means to compel herself to act than anything. She laid her dagger on her desk, sitting herself down on her bed. Her door was locked, and Chancellor Rarity was out adding to the enchantments of the outer walls, so it was unlikely that she would be disturbed. There was no use delaying further. Twilight inhaled, letting her mana bubble in her core. "I'm ready. Falsa Somnium."

A shimmering wave of energy descended upon Twilight, colourless and barely visible in its rippling. Twilight felt her mind go hazy, fuzzy, gray around the edges as the magick took hold of her consciousness. Though Twilight wasn't particularly tired before, it was nearly impossible to keep her eyes open upon casting her sorcery. Twilight blinked, her eyelids heavy until they finally fluttered shut, and she fell onto her back to allow the clutches of sleep grab her.

"It's time, Twilight."

In an instant, perhaps even less, Twilight was upright, standing before her bed, her allies across from her. Flash stood a bit behind his Lady, his eyes screaming for rest. He was clearly exhausted, and it was a wonder he hadn't keeled over by now. Luna, by comparison, wore a grin, her energy almost palpable. She was excited, and despite his clear fatigue, Flash was too. That led Twilight to believe that her initial suspicions held true: Luna was ready to make another move.

"Time?" Though Twilight was certain she knew what was coming, she still trod carefully. "Time for what, exactly."

"I tried to convince her to wait," said Flash, though he struggled to conceal his grin. "But Lady Luna insisted…"

"The time is right. We have everything in order, and the longer we wait, the fewer our chances will be," said Luna. "In seven days' time, I will assassinate my sister."

"You've found a way?" asked Twilight. Luna nodded, flashing a grin to her compatriot. "How? People say the Empress can't be killed."

"That's because most people try to destroy Celestia's body. That may suffice for the average man, but Celestia is more than that." Luna paced the length of the room, much like Twilight had done before. "Regardless of how resilient the body may be, one's soul is just as fragile. Once you can take advantage of that knowledge… You could undo the Gods themselves."

"And how do we take advantage, exactly?"

"Relatively simply, actually. Just a simple bit of sorcery." Luna swiped her hand through the air, scorching five arcane symbols into existence. The symbols burned into cerulean light, searing themselves into Twilight's memory. "These five symbols are what we need. Once it reacts with my mana, I will be able to cast a special sorcery of my own creation."

"To put it simply, once you use these symbols to create an arcana, Lady Luna will be able to carve through not just the Empress' flesh, but her very soul," said Flash. "You wouldn't happen to still have Spearhead's dagger, would you. The one with the golden handle?"

"I do. How would I make it into an arcana?" asked Twilight. Luna laughed, rubbing her hands together almost greedily.

"You will prick your finger and draw them onto the blade with your blood. Once you enchant the dagger, I will use your mana as a foundation for my own sorcery," explained Luna. "Without your magick, my own wouldn't be strong or stable enough to hold."

"It's like iron and carbon coming together to make steel," chimed Flash.

"Then, on the day of the attack, you'll leave the dagger someplace I can find. I'll retrieve it, my men will clear a path to the throne room, and then finally… Equestria is free."

"We have men in place to cause a diversion, to divert enough of Celestia's men for a small group of us to sneak into the castle undetected," explained Flash. "The plan is solid, Ms. Twilight. The Children will be victorious shortly, and you will be reunited with your love." He smiled at the handmaiden, unable to conceal his amusement any longer. "Any questions?"

"I do, actually. But not for you, Flash. I have questions that only Luna can answer." Twilight swallowed her fear, turning to face the would-be queenslayer. "I was speaking with the Empress recently. About her past, and why you two are fighting. She told me how you're only half-sisters, and how your mother poisoned her."

"My mother did no such thing. Celestia was paranoid, and she worried that my being a 'bastard child' would taint our rule of Equestria." Luna spoke stiffly, through her teeth. As if it caused her physical pain to discuss these matters. "So she sought to have me eliminated. I suppose she told you that I helped in the poisoning?"

"She did, yes."

"You'll take the word of a tyrant at face value?" asked Flash.

"The Empress hadn't lied to me yet," said Twilight, perhaps a bit stubbornly. "I see no reason why she would start now."

"If one is a truly good liar, you'd never know it, and my sister is no doubt exceptional at deceiving others," snorted Luna. "She is a manipulator, and this is without question her attempt at tricking you, to keep you loyal to her and—"

"She told me about Discord."

Every bit of color seemed to flood out of Luna's face, leaving her white as a sheet. She said nothing at first, too shocked for words. Luna shuddered slightly, as if a chill ran through her, and she slowly turned away from Twilight. Flash looked to his leader, concerned for his friend, but Luna turned again to avoid meeting his eyes. If Twilight were to wager, she'd guess that this was shame.

"Do not speak that name in my presence ever again," whispered Luna.

"Luna, what is she talking about?" Flash stepped around to look Luna in the eye, and, again, Luna turned away. "Luna. Tell me. You gave me your word, no more secrets. What's this about Dis—"

Luna turned on the spot, forcing her hand against his mouth to muffle his words. When Luna looked at Flash again, it was not with her usual cool, calculating, confident aura. Her eyes displayed fear, shame, disgust. Slowly, after the two stared one another down for a spell, Luna removed her palm, taking a half step backward from Flash.

"Do not speak His name. You cannot say His name," said Luna. "He is a flippant being, and I cannot risk evoking Him. Not now, when victory is so near."

"So what the Empress said is true," said Twilight, crossing her arms over her chest. "You sold your soul to… Him."

"You're wrong. You have to be mistaken," said Flash. He looked up at his leader, locking eyes with the huntress. "Tell me she's wrong, Luna. Tell me it's not true."

"You… you must understand. Please, you have to understand my position," said Luna slowly. "I was out of options. Everything I had thrown at Celestia had failed. My allies, extinct. My power, dwindling. And Celestia was marching to my door. If I didn't act, she would have killed me, or worse. I was young, still mourning my family's death, and I was without any recourse and so… I prayed. I prayed to the Gods for some way out, and but one of them answered my calls. The one God that did not fear my sister. Him."

"Gods above…" Flash stiffened his jaw, his hands clenched tightly into fists. "What did you do?"

"I made a deal. A terrible deal, but the only deal I could make. He bestowed to me a small army, each strong as ten men, who would obey my every command without thought. Additionally, He gave me a way out. He rendered me unkillable, at least for a time. Long enough for me to escape, and mount a counter-attack against my sister." Luna paused for a beat, reading her comrades' expressions. Twilight simply shook her head, frowning at the truth. She had never wished more that the Empress was a liar. "In exchange… I offered to Him my future."

"Your future…" Flash's stoney expression hardly shifted, his bold blue eyes staring sternly through Luna's very being. "What in three hells does that mean?"

"It means… Everything I would ever have could become forfeit, should He decide to collect. Or when, I suppose." Now, Luna looked down at her feet, her shame filling Twilight with a sense of pity. "At the time, I hadn't considered—"

"No, you didn't consider, did you?" Twilight was just as surprised as Luna to hear Flash raise his voice, to see that burning anger in his eyes. "You didn't consider that you were gambling the whole world against the most wicked of evils, because the only thing you considered was yourself!"

"Had I not made that deal, I would be dead. There would be no Children of the Night," said Luna quietly. "You would still be protecting my sister. You wouldn't have had me guiding you along, teaching you to hunt. You would have been alone."

"Maybe I should have been. At least then I wouldn't be risking all of humanity with our plan." Flash took in a deep breath, trying, and failing, to remain calm. "How could you do this? We said no more secrets, you gave me your word."

"I couldn't. If you knew, then—"

"If the only thing keeping me around you is a lie, then maybe you don't fucking deserve to have me."

"I… I don't," whispered Luna. Her eyes welled with tears, tears that she just barely contained. "I don't deserve you. You deserve so much better. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough, Luna!" snapped Flash. Twilight reached for him, and the knight shook himself free of Twilight's gentle grasp. "You and your obsession with the throne, you've damned Equestria far worse than Celestia ever did! If we kill her and you take the throne—"

"I never intended to take the throne."

And, with that, silence descended. Twilight wasn't sure whether she believed that claim. After all that had transpired, it seemed irrefutable that Luna wanted Equestria for herself. Yet now, she told a different story entirely. A convenient change in motive, as far as Twilight was concerned.

"What?" asked Flash. "What are you talking about? Back when you were just a woman in my dreams, we spoke of the changes you wanted to see when Celestia was no more."

"Indeed. I spoke of change, but I knew that it could never be me to lead in that effort. It was simply too risky. If He ever decided to collect my debt while I sat on the throne, Equestria would be nothing more than a fourth hell," said Luna with a sigh. "So, very early on, I decided on finding a successor. Someone to bear the crown and lead Equestria into a new Golden Age, lead in the way I never could."

"Who? Who did you choose, who could you possibly—?" Flash stopped himself when he realized that Luna was staring at him. Realization washed over him, and he slowly shook his head. "No. No, no, it's out of the question."

"Equestria has had powerful leaders, and she has had cunning leaders. But you know what sort of leader Equestria has never had?" Luna approached Flash, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "A kind one. You are certainly capable as a warrior and a leader, but your heart… the kindness in your heart is the likes of which I had scarcely seen in my sister's Equestria. It has to be you. It couldn't be anyone else."

"No. I'm not a leader, not a ruler. Destiny did not smile so graciously on me."

"This has nothing to do with destiny. It would be a grave mistake to believe that fate had anything to do with this. You are a strong man, a sharp military mind, yet instead of sticking in the ranks of my sister's guard and rising to Captain someday, you chose to be a force for good. That's not destiny."

"I always did think that of you," said Twilight softly. "Since we met, I thought you were exceptional because you chose to treat me with kindness, even when you had no reason to. A man who treats even a lowly slave with honor and respect is a man that would make an excellent ruler." Twilight cracked a tiny grin. "Besides, you have to admit, King Sentry has a nice ring to it."

"I don't… I'm not…" Flash clutched his head, shaking himself firmly. "No! I can't, Luna. I'm not a leader. All my life, I looked to you for guidance. How am I supposed to lead an entire kingdom?"

"I will still be here to serve as your advisor. If you would have me, that is." Luna stepped back, giving a slight, nodding bow. "I said this is not a matter of destiny, and I stand by that statement. This choice is yours, and yours alone."

"This isn't fair, Luna," said Flash.

"I know. And, for that, I am honestly, truly sorry."

Flash didn't respond, too absorbed in thought. He looked not to Luna, nor to Twilight, but down at his own two hands. For several moments, he said nothing. Then, with a weighty sign, he raised his head to meet Luna's gaze.

"If our ideal of Equestria is to survive, then it needs to have a leader in place as soon as Celestia is removed," said Flash slowly. "What we have planned is nothing less than a paradigm shift. Without a ruler prepared, the kingdom will crumble before it has a chance to thrive. If that ruler must be me… Then I accept the responsibility." He narrowed his gaze at Luna, who had begun to grin. "Only until the kingdom has stabilized, and I can find a proper king. Someone worthy of the crown."

"Respectfully, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a man more worthy than yourself," said Luna. She smiled warmly, and bowed deeply. "But as you wish it, it shall be, my king."

"Please, for the love of all that is holy, get up." Flash buried his face in his palm, unable to meet eyes with Luna. "This is… Too much. I need to clear my head."

"That is more than fair. Go on, I will meet you back at camp." Luna waved Flash away, giving one last bow. "I just need to talk to Twilight about the arcana."

Flash nodded and then, without another word, he was gone, vanished in a blink, leaving Twilight alone with Luna for the first time in quite a while. The silence that descended was tense, uncomfortable, and lasted for nearly a full minute. Throughout it, Luna and Twilight stared through one another, neither woman breaking contact. Twilight could almost feel Luna's bitter anger, her fury and disdain. Twilight took a half step back before, finally, Luna broke the silence.

"You think that I'm lying," said Luna curtly. Twilight said nothing, which only seemed to further irritate Luna. "You know, Twilight Sparkle, I can't help but find myself wondering exactly whose side you are on."

"I want to be on yours," said Twilight. "But I find that harder and harder to do when you insist on lying to me."

"There is no lie. My mother never raised a finger against Celestia before her reign, nor did I."

"Then what happened? What really happened?" Twilight threw her hands up, incredulous at Luna's stubborn behavior. "Why did the Empress' magick go out of control, if not an attempt on her life?"

"I don't know. It was a freak accident, a fluke, a—"

"A fluke? You really expect me to believe that?"

"I don't give a damn what you believe, it's the truth!" snapped Luna, taking a step forward. Her demeanor had shifted, her former shame replaced by fire and fury. She held her fists clenched by her side, as if to strike Twilight, but kept her hands to herself for the time being. "My sister is a madwoman, Twilight. She's a monster. A butcher. She killed my mother, our parents, for no reason more than her delusions and paranoia. And the fact that you insist on believing her over me is very telling of how you view our alliance."

"I am not your enemy, Luna. I am your friend," said Twilight carefully. "But I need to know I can trust you. I need to know the truth."

"I have told you the truth. I did not poison Celestia. I showed my sister nothing but love and affection, and she lashed out when we learned that our father was a rapist and that I was a lowly half-born." Luna stood firm on that, unwavering, unflinching in her conviction. "And what if I did? What difference does it make now?"

"It's the difference between a victim and a villain. It's the difference between what you want, and what I want."

"What we want is the same."

"I want peace, Luna. I want to be able to go to sleep in a warm bed, with my wife beside me," said Twilight, matching Luna's defiance with a bold determination of her own. "I want to have enough to eat without suffering abuse like in Golden Oak, or humiliation like here at the castle. I want that for everyone in Equestria." Twilight leered at Luna, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want peace. You want revenge."

"I did not request your help just for you to question my morality, Twilight Sparkle. I was under the impression that you wanted to see my sister dead, just as I do." Luna took in a breath, steadying herself. Twilight wasn't sure how much she believed Luna's display of restraint. The longer she examined the situation, the less Twilight believed quite a few things about the disgraced royal. "We cannot do this. Don't you see, Twilight? This is exactly what Celestia wants! She wants to control you, to keep you under her thumb. She wants you to remain a pet, willing to obey her will without question. You cannot give her what she wants."

"Is that what the Empress wants?" asked Twilight sharply. "Or is it what you want?" Luna frowned but, for reasons Twilight did not yet understand, said nothing more on the matter. "Fine, then. You said you were a woman of honor, and that your word is your bond. Then look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Did you or your mother poison Empress Celestia all those years ago?"

Silence, once again, blanketed the room, leaving an air of tension between the two. Luna paced quietly, her lips pressed together in some attempt at biting her tongue. Twilight just watched her, observing the huntress carefully. She looked for some hint as to the truth, something to tell her that Luna was done hiding behind her lies. Something to convince her that she could trust Luna.

"No. And I will not be repeating myself in that regard, Twilight Sparkle," said Luna, her voice little more than a snarling growl. "If this troubles you, then perhaps we can discuss things when my sister's head is on a pike. For now, I need to be sure you are capable of creating this arcana."

Twilight frowned, but said nothing. Once again, Luna had deflected Twilight's accusations, refusing to give a satisfactory answer. She knew Luna to be lying, she must have been. It was painfully obvious, so why deny it? It was beginning to frustrate Twilight in no small amount. This was her ally, supposedly a friend, and yet she could not seem to uncover the truth. If this was the sort of person Luna was, then Twilight was beginning to see why it was said that she was not meant to bear the crown.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Twilight dismissed her concerns. Not much she could do about Luna, not at the moment. She was without many options, unable to do more than agree with the plan and prepare things on her end. Twilight could only hope that, once the Empress was dead and Flash was king, she would be able to pry the truth from Luna eventually.

That is, assuming Luna hadn't lied about her intentions for the throne as well.

The sound of crackling sparks and the smell of scorched hair filled the throne room, the evidence of intense sorcery. Chancellor Rarity stood before the doors, examining the runes she had carefully drawn in chalk while her protege caught her breath. While Twilight did indeed possess a great deal of mana, and her mastery of sorcery has only grown since discovering her potential, she still struggled to combat the physical toll that magick inflicted upon her. While the Chancellor could still undoubtedly cast any number of sorceries before needing a breather, Twilight was barely able to stand. The last sorcery she attempted to cast backfired, scorching the ends of her hair to cinders before she managed to regain control over the arcane flames.

Suffice it to say, Twilight needed a break.

"I think we're ready for a test, Empress," said the Chancellor, inspecting her handiwork carefully. "If you would be kind enough to oblige me."

"Very well," hummed the Empress. She snapped her fingers to get Twilight's attention, then pointed to a spot beside her throne. "Here, girl. Ms. Rarity is casting potentially dangerous magick, and doing so on very little sleep. I would greatly prefer you to be out of harm's way, just in case."

"Yes, my Empress." Twilight lurched forward, dragging herself to the Empress' side. She dutifully offered the Empress her leash, which she grasped firmly in her hand. "Are you certain all of these precautions are necessary? It feels as though my mana pool will never replenish at this rate."

"No, it doesn't," said the Empress, a gentle laugh to her tone. "You are certainly tired, rightfully so, but you still have plenty of fire in your belly. If your mana was truly in danger of running dry… Well, you wouldn't be coherent enough to complain about it. I speak from experience." The Empress pulled Twilight closer and used the back of her hand to gently straighten Twilight's hair, and pull it from her face. "The fortifications to Canterlot are vital to ensuring the safety of my subjects, although I do agree that turning my throne room into a wartime fort is a bit excessive."

"Then why bother?" asked Twilight. Celestia beckoned with a finger, and Twilight leaned in close to hear her whisper.

"To give the Chancellor something to do." The pair shared a bit of a chuckle before Empress Celestia sat herself upright to address the Chancellor. "Alright, Ms. Rarity. Ready when you are."

"Of course! I won't keep you waiting." Rarity briskly jogged forward, stepping outside the boundaries of the throne room, and closed the door. When she next spoke, she did so a bit louder than was necessary, to ensure she was heard through the door. "Ready, Empress!"

"Fortifica." With that simple word from the Empress, Rarity's chalk drawing began to glow, the runes emanating a sunny, golden light before fading away to reveal the darker, almost charred lines of the magickal symbols. "Fire at will, Ms. Rarity."

"Ariesalta!"

There was a dull thud from the other side of the door, the force of Rarity's sorcery shaking the wooden door right down to its hinges. Even still, the door remained shut, unflinching, unmoved. Rarity tried again, shouting her incantation with similarly lackluster results. Lightning crackled and flames licked at the door as Rarity threw sorcery after sorcery at it, each one failing to break down the door.

"It is of my belief that nothing can get through, m'lady!" declared Rarity through the door. "I call this a success!"

"Hm. I tend to agree. Very good, Rarity, you've managed to impress me," said the Empress. She turned her head and gave a little wink to her handmaiden. "As did you, Twilight Sparkle. Your control over your mana is impressive. You make for an excellent student."

"Thank you, Empress." Unlike her usual brand of faux politeness, Twilight meant that thanks genuinely. The fact that the Empress noticed her growth in the arcane arts made Twilight swell with pride.

"Now that we've done the door, Sparkle and I can turn our attention elsewhere," said Rarity. The door shook again, followed by a curious, concerned hum. "Erm… Empress? I can't get in."

"How long do you suppose we should leave her out there?" asked the Empress with a mischievous grin. Twilight couldn't help but be amused at the expense of the Chancellor, and she hid her giggles behind her palm.

"Not very long," said Twilight through her laughter. "I don't imagine she'd be happy otherwise."

"Hm. Right you are." Empress Celestia turned the leash over in her hand, caressing the leather with her thumb. "Though it seems to me as if my Chancellor won't be happy until you've keeled over from exhaustion. I hadn't realized it, but she's running you ragged. I'm surprised you haven't collapsed from overexertion."

The honest truth was that Chancellor Rarity wasn't working Twilight too hard. At least, not as hard as it first appeared. Twilight's lack of mana wasn't due only to her assistance in fortifying the castle, though that surely contributed. Instead, her exhaustion also came in part from the private sorcery that she had been casting on Luna's behalf. Something she couldn't mention to the Empress, for obvious reasons.

"E-Empress… Is everything okay?" asked Rarity. Even behind a door, it was possible to imagine her concerned, panicked frown. "The sorcery doesn't seem to have dispelled…"

"Yes, yes, just a moment," said the Empress, rolling her eyes. "Imperia Tranquillus." With a simple incantation and a wave of the hand, the rune on the door began to glow again, the light soon fading back into the original white of the chalk. "There. Now come along with the agenda, I wish to know when to sneak in a tea and pastry."

"Right away, my Empress!" Rarity burst into the room, briskly striding into the room and pulling a scroll of parchment from her jacket's inside pocket. She unrolled it, and gave it a quick read. "Next on your agenda, your Divinity, is the matter of your guard. Currently, you are without a captain." Rarity pursed her lips, letting out a concerned little hum. "I still don't understand what was so wrong with Captain Spearhead. He kept those animals in Golden Oak leashed well enough."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were one of those animals, Chancellor," said Twilight flatly. Rarity frowned, shaking her head.

"Just because you managed to clean up into a half-decent lady doesn't mean that those prisoners are anything more than savages. Left unchecked, they'll eat each other, and Captain Spearhead was very good at controlling them."

"Captain Spearhead damaged my personal property and insulted me directly," said the Empress curtly. "And I do not believe it is your job to question who I decide to have killed, Ms. Rarity. I did not request your opinion on the matter, and I certainly do not need your permission to act."

"O-of course not! No, that was not what I meant at all, your Grace, please forgive me." Rarity essentially tripped over herself to bow in her Empress' direction. "I live only to serve you and execute your will. Please, forgive me for speaking out of turn."

"Go gather the competent men left in my army, assuming there are any of those left," snorted Empress Celestia. "I will pick a captain from them in an hour. On your way out, send the tea cart to my parlor."

"Right away, your Greatness."

"Thank you." Twilight glanced at the Empress as Rarity bounded out of the throne room, leaving the handmaiden alone with her Empress. "You didn't need to come to my defense like that."

"Oh? And what makes you think I was defending you?" said the Empress, giving Twilight a cheeky smirk. "Have you forgotten? I am the big, bad High Queen of Equestria. Why would a monster concern herself with a mere girl's feelings?"

"Because she's not the monster people like to see her as." Though it was strange to say, Twilight spoke only the truth. The Empress had more to her than the image of a bloodthirsty tyrant. She could be gentle, caring, even kind. There was something in her, and Twilight believed she was the one who could bring it out. "I'm still not certain what she really is, but a monster? Perhaps not."

"You have a way with words. For a savage Golden Oak animal, that is." The Empress laughed, and Twilight soon found herself chuckling. "Take care to remember this, Twilight Sparkle. A true lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep. My Chancellor has a great many flaws, one of which is that she believes herself a lion. Yet, as I hope you will see soon, it is you who claims that title. Do not worry yourself with her."

"Yes, my Empress. I'll try to remember that." Twilight glanced sideways at the Empress, somewhat perplexed by the soft, genuine smile that the High Queen wore. "So. What will you do next? About Luna?"

"That is the operative question," sighed the Empress. "If my scouts do not find her soon, I may have to begin a search of my own. I have been hesitant to do so, lest Luna see my kingdom abandoned and see fit to mount another attack. I worry our fortifications may not withstand a direct siege, and my mana… I cannot afford to act brashly. I need to consider my options further before I come to a decision."

"I understand. Still, these times are a bit scary…"

"Worry not, Twilight Sparkle. Luna will be found, and you will be safe." The Empress tugged Twilight closer and gave her a tiny peck on the cheek. "I give you my word on that."

A warm blush bloomed on Twilight's cheeks as the Empress retreated, leaving her skin buzzing from the kiss. Empress Celestia had this electric quality to the way she touched Twilight, giving the handmaiden the sensation that she was being set ablaze. It was an intensity that Twilight had never before known. It filled Twilight with a sense of warmth and assurance that she had been without for most of her life. She couldn't put her finger on why, but Twilight believed the Empress when she promised to keep her safe. Though it was her only course of action, Twilight was beginning to regret that she and Luna would need to kill the Empress. It would be interesting to see how much of her cruel nature that Twilight would be able to tear away.

Sadly, Twilight thought, she would never find out, because Empress Celestia would surely be dead by the end of the week.

"Wait, sister, don't!"

Twilight turned away, but could do little to avoid the spray of blood that splattered across her face. There was a sick, unsettling gurgling and choking before the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor. When the choking stopped, Twilight finally turned to gaze upon the fallen body of the High Queen. Her eyes gazed vacantly forward, seeing nothing even as Luna stood over her body. The queenslayer panted heavily, her body trembling with emotion.

"May your soul vanish into the shadows," whispered Luna, her voice shaking and uneven. She dropped her dagger, the blade dripping with her sister's blood, and collapsed onto the Empress' corpse. "Suffer for eternity, murderer."

"That was… somewhat anticlimactic," said Twilight. She grabbed a handkerchief from the Empress' tea cart and used it to wipe the spray of blood from her face. "Not much pomp and circumstance to it."

"The reason I am here is that my sister wanted to enjoy the 'pomp and circumstance' of my public execution," said Luna. "I will not fall folly to the same hubris."

"So. That's that. I suppose Flash is off killing the Chancellor?" Luna gave a small nod, which brought a sigh out of Twilight. The handmaiden, now a free woman, approached the window, looking out to the sky. "What now?"

"It will be a bit before we have true control of the castle," explained Luna, standing up straight to recompose herself. "We still need to eliminate her army, at least the ones who we fear might seek retribution, and then—"

Luna let out a screech of agony, her scream just overshadowed by an unsettling series of snapping and cracking. Twilight turned, nearly fainting at what she saw; Luna's hands and feet were twisted the wrong way around, one arm snapped backward at the elbow. Bloody bones protruded from her torso, the sharp points of her ribcage piercing through her flesh at awkward, unnatural angles. Her skin began to stretch in an ungodly manner before, with another anguished scream, Luna's chest split open. With nothing to hold her in place, Luna's innards spilled out onto the floor, her body collapsing onto her back with a thud.

The sound that followed was so unnaturally loud that Twilight was certain she would go deaf. It was a screeching, twisting, quaking noise, shaking her chest, the castle, the whole of existence itself. Twilight turned back to the window, an indescribable fear in her heart. The sky went bright emerald green, the sun in the sky deep indigo standing opposite the moon, which had become a stark, bloody crimson. Slowly, the screeching shifted in tone, into a sound so horrible and unworldly that it had no descriptor, no equivalent or comparison. It was pain, it was torment, it was sorrow itself. After a moment, a terrible, sinking, haunting moment, Twilight realized what that sound was.

It was laughter. His laughter.

"H-He's here…" gasped Luna. "He has come… for my debt…"

"Luna!" Twilight stumbled back against the wall, clutching her head in a futile attempt to block out the terrible, awful laughing. "What do I do?"

"Pray… May He end your suffering quickly…"

The laughter shook the sky itself, so loud and horrible that it caused blood to drip from Twilight's ears, to cascade from her eyes and down her cheeks. The sky quivered and quaked before a seam appeared across the heavens, splitting reality in two. What came from that schism defied everything Twilight knew to be possible of the world. Great and big and fearsome, some manner of beast or force of nature, whose very appearance was enough to rend the fabric of the world around it. The thing reared its great head, or what Twilight thought to be its head, and it scorched all of being with its awful gaze. Eyes, golden and scarlet, innumerable and indescribable, slowly panned across the landscape before, all of a sudden, they all turned to meet eyes with Twilight. The eyes smiled, and lit her mind ablaze, a single word scorching and sizzling into her brain as they bared their razor fangs and laughed that terrible laugh.

Chaos.

It took Twilight almost a full minute to realize that she was screaming, her entire body drenched in a cold sweat. She had fallen out of bed, pushing herself to her hands and feet as she attempted to regain her breath. She wiped the blood from her eyes, confused when her hand returned dry. No, she was not bleeding. That was not real, Twilight realized. It was a dream.

Except it wasn't, it couldn't be. That same fuzzy, murkiness that plagued her brain when she spoke to Luna in her sleep, it tinged the corners of her vision. It was fading, much like it always did, but the sensation was unmistakable. This was Luna's sorcery. But why would Luna force that image into her mind? Why would she make Twilight see that?

"A nightmare," whispered Twilight. "Luna's nightmare… She's terrified…"

Twilight stood herself up, breathing heavily as she approached her desk. With her right hand, she grabbed Spearhead's dagger, enchanted as Luna previously instructed. With her left, a candlestick, which she lit with a quick flare of magick. Her body seemed to move on its own, dragging her out of her room and down the shadowy hall of Castle Canterlot.

Before long, she found herself approaching a pair of Daybreakers, standing guard before a grand set of doors. Ironically, Twilight approached the monstrous guards without the fear she typically held in her heart. Whether they sensed Twilight's urgency, or recognized some sort of authority that her rank held, or perhaps they were simply unable to acknowledge her at all, the Daybreakers made no attempt to stop Twilight as she brought her fist to the door. She knocked loudly, continuously, relentlessly even as she heard stirring on the other side. A few moments, the door swung open, and Twilight suddenly realized the weight of what she was doing. But she had no choice. Her hands were tied.

"You shouldn't be approaching my chambers at this hour, Twilight Sparkle." The Empress stood nude in her doorway, a grin betraying her somewhat stern words. "This is how rumors start. You know how I love a bit of gossip, but…" The Empress paused, taking note of Twilight's expression for the first time. "Twilight? Is there something wrong."

"Empress, I…" Twilight glanced down at her dagger, trembling alongside the rest of her body. She looked up at the High Queen, her eyes welling with frightened tears. "I…"

"What has gotten into you?" asked the Empress, wiping a tear from Twilight's face. "Are you well? You look ill, pale as a sheet."

One last time, Twilight looked down at her knife, that terrible, awful, evil laughter echoing in her head, pinging off the inside of her skull. That sound, shaking Twilight down to her very spirit, made her decision for her.

"Empress, there's something I need to tell you."