Mistress of the Everfree Forest

Chapters

Chapter 1 | That Fateful Meeting
Chapter 2 - Part I | Faith
Chapter 2 - Part II | Buds in Bloom
Chapter 3 | Preparing For The Inevitable
Chapter 4 - Part I | In a Perfect World
Chapter 4 - Part II | Worth

Chapter 1 | That Fateful Meeting

Chapter 1 - A New Friend?

~ Exposition ~

The Everfree Forest has always been there, dark and secluded from the rest of Equestria. It borders a small rural town called Ponyville, its citizens have learnt to not bother the forest, save for a few daring adventurers never to be seen again, in turn, the inhabitants of the Everfree have learnt to stay to the shadows away from view, safe and protected.

"Sweetie Belle, darling!?" The fashionista called out to a bedroom upstairs in the Carousel Boutique.

Moments later, a small white furred filly with a pink and purple curled mane answered "Yes Rarity?" before hopping down the stairs to face her sister, who was staring thoughtfully at an empty patch of fabric on her new ensemble.

"Be a dear and go to Zecora's hut to ask for a blue gemstone for me please? Like the one she showed me once from her stash!" Rarity tossed her curled lock of mane, "It would simply look divine!"

The filly, Sweetie Belle, rolled her eyes, "Alright, but can I invite the Crusaders over after?" Getting a nod of agreement, she dashed towards the exit, to put a saddlebag on, intent on getting back to see her best friends as soon as possible.

"Make sure to not stray from the safe path darling! You never know what could be in those ghastly shadows." The taller unicorn called after her sister, shuddering.

Making her way through the cleared path between two walls of dense trees, Sweetie Belle trotted happily, breathing in the damp smell of wood and vines.

Almost reaching the small, wooden hut, the pale unicorn was about to quicken her pace when a sudden crunch from beyond the foliage caught her attention.

She gasped, Was it a monster? Was it dangerous? Her thoughts halted to a stop, taking a different turn. Was this an opportunity for a... "Cutiemark Monster Catcher!"

Ignoring her sister's warnings from earlier, Sweetie Belle dove into the thick vines, taking advantage of her small size and following the faint rustling of leaves.

The filly came to a clearing, "Hello? Mister Monster? Is any creature here?" suddenly, she was thrown across the grass, landing on her side and wincing in pain.

When she opened her lime eyes, her pupils dilated. She was facing five timberwolves, their teeth bared and grins victorious. Sweetie Belle held her mouth agape, willing herself to scream for help, but instead, a helpless whimper came out as she curled into a ball around her injuries and waited for the inevitable strike to come.

It didn't come.

After a few tense moments, Sweetie Belle opened her eyes a crack, expecting to see pointed teeth before her or the insides of a timberwolf, but instead, she was met with five wolves lunging into a deep bow, still and silent.

Now she was confused, "Huh?" Were they bowing to her? Did I hypnotize them?

"Aegis." A stern voice came from behind the filly, she jumped and swiveled around to see a lavender mare, the timberwolves bent down lower, their noses touching the earth, "What have I always told you about innocents?"

Her voice was light and calm, similar to wind chimes on a spring afternoon, Sweetie Belle gaped in awe as the ferocious creatures flinched and cowered away from just her voice.

The young unicorn nearly tripped over her hooves when the next voice spoke, a deep rumble of words, yet easily distinguishable "Do not harm unless harmed Mistress, forgive us."

Sweetie was about to warn the anonymous mare as she walked up to the timberwolves, who were shrinking away at her glare, before she softened her expression, "It is quite alright, if you would please return to your patrols now," prompted the violet unicorn before sending them a smile.

The wolves relaxed their posture upon seeing their mistress's kind features, bowing down once more before retreating back into the shadows.

The mare wore a black coat covering her mane and cutiemark, she had soft violet eyes and a warm lavender coat.

Gazing at the mare in wonder, Sweetie flinched as the older unicorn's attention turned to her, stepping back and trembling. If she could defeat a mob of monsters with just words, what could she do to her?

To the filly's surprise, the mare spoke in a gentle voice, full of concern, "I'm sorry about them, they're just not used to strangers, what's a little filly like you doing out here alone?" as she sent a powerful wave of magenta healing magic through to Sweetie Belle, repairing the bruises from when she had tumbled onto the ground before.

"I-I was o-on my way t-to Zecora's hut, and I- uh I heard a noise in the v-vines so I decided to investigate!" The pale filly stammered, still shying away from the powerful mare.

"No need to fear me little one, I merely want to help, do you know the way out?" The unicorn asked, voice laced with a tinge of sadness at the filly's reaction.

Catching the suppressed sigh, Sweetie Belle was filled with guilt and shame at her own actions, the mare had been nothing but kind, both to the creatures and herself, why would she fear her?

"I'm sorry, I can't retrace my steps, I live in Ponyville, do you think you could just send me in the right direction please?" the filly questioned tentatively, releasing her breath in relief as she received a heartwarming smile.

"Of course, would you like me to accompany you there myself? The creatures will know you are under my protection." offered the cloaked pony, starting to trot towards a thick cluster of vines and letting them part for her.

"Thank you!" the white filly exclaimed before adding, "You can call me Sweetie Belle!"

Throughout the stroll, they had stayed respectfully silent, occasionally coming across a creature who would immediately bow and receive a gentle smile and a nod from the mysterious mare.

As they neared an opening revealing the familiar sight of Ponyville, Sweetie Belle sighed, obviously relieved at the sight of home, before leaving up and hugging her savior, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Miss Mistress!"

The mare let out a little gasp, before curling a foreleg around the small bundle, returning the hug and letting out a soft, melodic chuckle, "You can call me Twilight, If you ever need me, just shout alright?"

Receiving an enthusiastic nod, Twilight let the little filly run towards a purple structure, watching as she reached the door, before disappearing into the canopy of trees.

Chapter 2 - Part I | Faith

Chapter 2 - Suspicion

"So this purple mare comes up, and scares a pack of timberwolves by talking to them?" An orange filly asks incredulously, raising an eyebrow to signify her obvious disbelief.

"No offence Sweetie Belle, but ah think yer just hit yer head too hard or somethin..." The pegasus and earth pony shared a worried look, concerned for their friend.

"Look, I'm telling the truth!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, rolling her eyes, "I'll prove it to you! We'll go to the Everfree tomorrow!" clearly exasperated by her friends' lack of faith in her.

"Are yer outta yer mind! Yer know what sorta filly eatin monsters are in there?" Apple Bloom all but shouted at her unicorn friend.

"I know, just trust me! Twilight said to just call if I needed help, and we'll definitely be safe with her!"

Scootaloo stared at her red maned friend for a few moments, trying to make a decision, before finally speaking up, "Fine, we trust you, but I'm just saying, this is crazy!"

Shooting a grateful look at Scoots, Sweetie Belle continued, "Thank you crusaders, She's really nice, I promise! We'll meet beside Zacora's hut first thing in the morning, just don't let her see you!"

Chairs screeched as the three fillies packed up their saddlebags and made for the door, not noticing the white mare with a deep amethyst mane standing behind the door, boundless questions racing around her head about the anonymous unicorn.

"Scoots! Bloom!" Sweetie Belle called out, trotting to a bush where two fillies sat, faces full of trepidation.

"Uh, so we're definitely not changing our minds?" Scootaloo asked tentatively, hoping against all hope that the answer was one she liked.

It wasn't.

"Nope! I'm gonna prove to you Twilight is real, and she's so kind!" The unicorn filly chimed, eager to see her savior once more, "Follow me!" She pranced into the dense forest, her friends bounding in behind her, shortly followed by an alarmed mare trying to keep up with her sister.

Rarity, the fashionista, cursed her sister's habits of leaping into trouble, What pony in their right mind would knowingly jump into such an uncouth place? But despite her reservations, she cantered after the crusaders, curious as to who this 'Twilight' mare was and her intentions.

They had been calling for what felt like ages now, with not a single pony to answer for their efforts, "Twilight! Twilight! Twilight? Twil-" The three fillies felt their blood run cold as they screamed.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle faced a monstrous beast, part goat, part tiger, part snake.

A chimera.

A chimera who was staring murderously at the three fillies caught in his grip and opening his mouth.

"AHH!" The sound made Rarity freeze.

"SWEETIE BELLE!? WHERE ARE YOU?" The mare desperately called, having lost their trail a few corners before.

Her ears swiveled in alarm, turning in all directions, unable to trace the yell for help due to the cavernous echoes.

Rarity began galloping at full pace upon seeing a cluster of birds flying off into the air, fleeing from the disruption and alerting the white unicorn, now covered in mud, of the direction she needed to pursue

Just as the Chimera was about to thrust his meal into his gaping mouth laced with venomous fangs, a strong breeze rustled the leaves and jostled his fur, making him stop dead in his tracks.

The beast felt a powerful and familiar energy in the air, the magical signature of-

"Elijah." A cold dread swept across his body as he quickly released the frightened fillies, letting them scamper behind the bush, before crouching down and shaking before his master, awaiting his punishment.

A lone cat, with her smooth lavender fur and navy mane, stood before the trembling creature on a newly made platform constructed of vines, staring down at him regally with a disappointed gaze.

"What were you about to do?" The smaller animal questioned with a soft, calm tone despite the fury rolling off her in waves as she grew in height, swiftly transforming from the feline into a pony, her shadow draping over the chimera.

The lavender mare was beautiful, devoid of her usual cape covering her features, her navy mane was striped with locks of pink and purple as it whipped around her neck, shimmering with stars and flowing in a non existent breeze, her flank sporting a magenta starburst cutiemark.

The creature gaped in admiration as his mistress revealed her beauty, but he faltered upon noticing his master's bright violet eyes, filled with sadness as she regarded the chimera.

"I-I'm sorry my Mistress." The mixture of animals bowed deeply, "I...I accept your punishment..." While hanging his head in shame and holding back tears, wholly unexpected from an outsider’s view for a creature of his size, power and dominant features.

Would his mistress disown him? Leave him to rot in the forest? He had betrayed his promise.

Instead of the harsh words the chimera expected, he felt a warm hoof under one of his chins, bringing his tiger head to gaze into her eyes, filled with compassion, kindness and a small trace of disappointment.

"It's alright Elijah, just... don’t forget the promise you made in the future," Seeing the creature's hesitation and regret, Twilight added, "I trust you will not let this happen again."

Elijah, the once fearless chimera, was startled by his master's kind words and faith, though he had never seen his powerful mistress so much as strike a creature under her care, experiencing her forgiveness first paw had bought a sense of eternal loyalty to his heart.

He quickly knelt down into a deep bow once more before pouncing into the thick vines.

"Sweetie Belle?" A gentle, soothing voice rang in the fillies' ears, calming them and allowing them to slowly crawl out of their bush cautiously, looking for any other potential dangers.

The unicorn filly was the first to stammer, tears streaming down her face as she recalled the horrible experience, "Tw-Twi-Twilight?" she trembled as she gazed into the mare's deep, sympathetic eyes.

Twilight reached towards the shaking filly with her hooves, gently cradling her into her chest as she sobbed, murmuring soft words of comfort as the terrified filly buried herself in the mare's fur, drawing reassurance from her voice. "Shh, all of you are safe now."

After a few minutes, Sweetie Belle was calmed, pressed into Twilight's chest and basking in the soft, silky fur's warmth before she was placed gently onto the damp grass before her.

Turning her attention to the other ponies present, Twilight noted that they were, thankfully, in better shape, both were whispering to each other excitedly and casting worried looks at their friend, "Would you care to tell me what you three fillies were thinking, rushing into a dangerous forest?"

Said fillies quickly diverted their attention to the powerful unicorn, tensing up, but finding no sign of malice or fury in her features, relaxed their stance, "Well yer see Miss Twiligh..."

Finishing their tale, the trio looked to Twilight, wondering whether she was angry or not that they trespassed into her home, though they found nothing but a faint veil of disappointment.

"When I say call for me if you need help, I don't mean jump into danger to see me, it isn't that I'm unhappy to see you fillies, I just don't want you getting hurt, do you understand?" The purple mare glanced expectantly at the ponies she now knew to be called Scootaloo and Applebloom along with Sweetie Belle, content upon spotting their small nods.

"But...” The unicorn tapped her chin thoughtfully for a second, “Since you’re already here, how would you like to come with me to my gardens? We can have some tea and I can show you my hom-" Twilight's offer was cut off by a piercing scream and a rock thrown at her.

Reacting quickly, the lavender mage threw her hood on before the white unicorn saw her and was prepared to defend the three crusaders when Sweetie Belle let out a confused, "Rarity?"

Twilight looked to the unicorn filly, who was now giving the intruder a glare, "Sweetie Belle? Do you know th-"

"YOU! What did you do to my sister!? Were you the ones who sent those foul beasts to attack them? You disgusting monster! Let them go!" The mare yelled as she aimed her horn to Twilight, panting and shouting accusations.

"M-monster?" Twilight, who had seemed like the epitome of calm mere moments ago, was now staring at the muddy unicorn, whose mane was frazzled and eyes wide, "I- I-" her throat dried, unable to procure anymore words, she hung her head as she murmured a soft command.

"A-Aegis," She addressed the timberwolf about to pounce along with his pack, who had come to protect their master. The aforementioned wolf quickly looked to her with a mixture of concern and rage, "...Stand down, and show our guests to the border of Ponyville."

Before the creature could protest, his mistress disappeared in a blinding flash of light, the last any creature saw of her being the drops of saltwater which dripped down onto the soil, creating a small trail of flowers. "Mistress..."

Silence reigned supreme for a few tense moments before the crazy unicorn, Rarity, shot out a beam from her horn aimed at one of the many creatures surrounding the group. It was admittedly pretty powerful for a dressmaker more used to lifting fabrics and threads, fueled by her intense emotions.

She was confused at the intentions of the mare, she had to be the crazy pony attacking her sister, right? But why did she tell the creatures to stand down? These thoughts invaded her mind, but she brushed them away in favor of her panic and fear, "Get behind me girls!"

For a moment, the animals did not move, their eyes fixed were on the flowers, they had witnessed something they had never before seen, their untouchable mistress, always calm, collected and kind, had broken down in front of them because of one unic- Unicorn!

Aegis, the Alpha timberwolf, returned to his senses. Although he desperately wanted to chase after his mistress, that would have contradicted her direct orders. He gave a growl to his fellow creatures, who in turn, followed their orders, returning to their posts reluctantly, glaring at the unicorn mare before dissolving into the shadows, leaving Aegis with the ponies.

The mare, Rarity, let out a relieved sigh, before darting around to check on the fillies, "Are you alright? That vile brute didn't do anything to y-" she was halted by the looks on the crusaders' faces.

The trio glared at Rarity, Sweetie Belle starting to tear up again while Scootaloo put a hoof on her unicorn friend's shoulder, gaze still resting on the elder unicorn, who began, "What are you looking at m-"

"Wha in Celestia's name were ya thinkin? Tha monster just so happens to be our friend!" Apple Bloom shouted, before turning to follow the flowers, but was caught with a claw. The claw of a timberwolf.

Before Rarity could shoot another glowing beam of magic, Aegis spoke with a dangerous edge in his voice, "You are to leave our Mistress alone, follow me to the exit."

The trip was silent save for the threatening hisses sent in Rarity's direction, who stared at her hooves, reflecting on her actions. Why had she just randomly attacked the mare like that? It was like she suddenly had a tunnel vision, not even thinking about things logically, taking one look at the timberwolf sitting calmly by her side and the girls before her, then jumping to conclusions immediately without thinking about alternate explanations, or even giving her the chance to explain anything herself. This wasn’t like her at all.

None of the crusaders spoke, occasionally sending glares in the elder mare's direction.

Reaching the end of the trail, Aegis halted at a safe distance, motioning for the ponies to go on and sending a disgusted scowl at Rarity, he warned, "You are lucky our Mistress has a good heart, We don't want to see you anywhere near here ever again." And before the mare had a chance to speak, he disappeared under the canopy of trees.

"Uh, Girls, would you like to com-" Rarity started, only to be interrupted by the fillies.

"Busy."

"Also busy."

"Busy with them."

Without another word, they cantered off to the direction of the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, leaving Rarity hanging her head in shame, "I...What have I done..."

On a small hill, covered with countless different flowers, with an opening in the canopy of trees overhead, Twilight let her ethereal mane bellow in the wind without her hood as tears streamed down her cheeks, matting her soft fur and each crystalline drop sprouting a flower as soon as it made contact with the earth underneath her.

Her faithful creatures knew not to disturb, watch or come near her here. It was her private sanctuary, a place of reflection, a place of regret, a place where she could let everything go without the need for appearances.

Am I really a monster?

“N-No.. No I'm not...”

She seems to think so... just like her...

“That was different... I-It was a mistake!”

How was it different?

I- I- Celestia- she- It was a accident! She wasn't thinking properly then... I don't blame her...

Twilight remembered the sun goddess' heart breaking accusations as the lavender mare tried to protect the innocent timberwolves, who were wrongly imprisoned for a few of their species' crimes.

The events of the Battle of the Timberwolves.

"Twilight Sparkle! We order thou to come back here!" Celestia yelled at her former student, eyes alight with fury as Twilight desperately unlocked the prison cells to where the timberwolves were held.

"Tia! I beg of you! you must realize the ones who killed Silver Spear are long gone! You saw to that yourself! These wolves have done nothing wrong!” Twilight pleaded with her mentor, tears rushing down her face, Celestia had to see that what she was doing was wrong!

"Tis Princess Celestia to thee, traitor! That species killed our lover! Dost thou nary care about that? Now they all hast to pay the price for their kind!" The Sun Goddess roared at the mare, failing to notice the rest of the cages had been magically opened, their captives fleeing the scene.

This was not the teacher she used to love like a mother, This pony was blinded by rage and sadness.

"Celestia! Of course I care! I care for you more than you know! It hurts to see you like this! Please, calm down and talk to me!" The lavender mare tried once more, not giving up on her friend.

"Talk?" Celestia mocked "Thou hast sided with thy enemy! Thou hast betrayed all ponykind! Thou art a disgrace!" Before thrusting a deadly spell at Twilight, who threw up a magenta shield just in time.

"Please, Princess! I do not want to fight you! You need to trust me!" The lavender alicorn dodged yet another spell, still hesitant do go on the offensive lest she hurt the alabaster alicorn.

Sneering, the white alicorn launched into the air, "Trust thee? Surely thou jest! Thou deservest to fall! Thou art a Monster! Watch as we destroy thine hideous beasts thou hast given thou worthless life to save!" And with that, she collected her energy, creating a giant mass and sending the full force of the sun towards the petrified creatures, who were throwing their cubs as far away as they could while shielding themselves from their inevitable fate.

Monster. Monster. Monster. the words of her surrogate mother repeated itself in Twilight's head. 'Is that all I am? No...’ She watched as the sickening blow neared the innocents and...

The blow never came.

The once eager crowd watched in horror as a shout erupted out of the chaos, "NO!" A lavender blur shot out of the rubble, leaping and sending a powerful strike towards the timberwolves, pushing them away as wrapped her wings around herself, facing the brunt of the attack.

Her wings.

They were beautiful... warm.. comforting.. and now, they were gone, destroyed.

Twilight curled in on herself, weeping until she fell asleep under the soft moonlight dancing across the meadow and on the soft earth, dampened by her tears.

Author's Note

24/08/20 - Underwent a small edit, fixed a couple of issues regarding words and punctuation, things that I picked up later on in my stories and used some helpful criticism in the comments!

Chapter 2 - Part II | Buds in Bloom

Chapter 3 - Meeting Royalty

"Ah don't understand how ya sister could be so cold..." Apple Bloom broke the silence, kicking the wooden planks of the Cutiemark Crusaders Clubhouse.

"I know! If I had Twilight's powers, I would have ordered my timberwolves to attack, she was just too kind..." Scootaloo mumbled, staring at her hooves.

"She was crying too..." Sweetie Belle added, keeping her eye glued to a rusted nail on the roof.

"Ah wonder wha that was all about, she didn't seem like tha type o' pony to get riled up so easily..." The yellow earth pony pondered aloud.

Suddenly, their musings were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door, the crusaders glanced at each other.

"Who is it?" Scootaloo called out, hoping it wasn't Rarity, it would be the last pony she wanted to see right now.

To their relief, another familiar voice yelled back, "Girls! Ya'll comin down for lunch?"

The door opened to reveal an orange earth pony with three apples for her cutiemark and her trademark hat.

"We'll be right there sis!" Applebloom exclaimed as the three fillies quickly cleaned up the dirt tracks they left on the ground before dashing out the door to Sweet Apple Acres as the delicious scent of apple fritters caught their attention.

Twilight conjured up more plates of raw meat out of thin air nonchalantly, placing them down randomly and making sure to cover the entirety of the Everfree lest the creatures under her care get hungry.

After several hours of neglect for the animals while she was... indisposed, the lavender unicorn was determined to show them she cared by checking on each and every one of them personally to make sure they were alright, and to reassure them that she herself was okay, having heard about the distress they had showed upon seeing her break down.

She had to be a pillar of support to the inhabitants of the Everfree, to stay strong and resilient, and to show them the ways of kindness, teaching them to not be the monsters others deemed them to be.

"Does any creature want more food?" Twilight sent her voice across the forest with a gust of wind, and hearing a distant grumble, the vines parted for her, creating a direct route to a pack of timberwolves and a manticore.

"Good evening every creature," The lavender unicorn greeted with a gentle smile, receiving deep bows in response, "More food?" Twilight asked, producing more meat and setting it down on the forest floor, where the ravenous creatures bounded over to, eating to their heart's content.

All but one timberwolf, Aegis, who made his way towards his master, who regarded him with a quizzical look, "Aegis?" She questioned, "Is there something wrong?"

"Mistress." Aegis bowed before rising and sitting down, "Are you alright after..." He paused, worry making it's way into his normally stoic voice.

Twilight gave a small chuckle, before letting a grateful smile cross her features, "Of course Aegis, your concern is much appreciated, thank you."

"At your service, Mistress."

Twilight made her way to a secluded section of the Everfree Forest, where all the eggs were stored.

She checked for damaged or missing eggs, and finding none, was about to exit the canopy, when suddenly, a loud crack caught Twilight's attention, making her swivel around to find the source of the disruption.

A cockatrice egg, made of stone, bore a large crack in the middle, and the lavender unicorn suspected only a couple of days before infant cockatrices would be crawling all over the Everfree, freezing anypony who is unfortunate enough to cross its' paths.

"Every creature to the hatching den please." Twilight let out a soft, melodic summon, her voice travelling across the entire forest, within minutes, every animal, big or small, were lined up in a straight line, awaiting their master's next orders.

"My apologies to those who were still in the midst of their meals, but this cannot wait." Twilight addressed the bowing creatures, "The infant cockatrices have started to hatch, this means anypony entering the forest within these couple of weeks will not stand a chance." she explained,"You are all still under the effects of my shield spell I assume?" receiving nods she smiled, "Any creature other than the adult cockatrices, please guard the border of the Everfree Forest, do not allow anypony to wander in oblivious to the consequences, and do not engage in conflict either." With their instructions, most creatures bowed once more, before hurrying off to their posts near the outskirts of civilisation.

"Howdy Rarity! Are yah here to pick Sweetie Belle up?" The orange farmhand called to the approaching fashionista, smile faltering when she noticed the mare's expression.

"I'm not sure she wants me to pick her up anymore darling." The white unicorn stroked her mane as she stopped in front of Applejack.

"Ya'll two alrigh? The girls seemed mighty eager to go ta Applebloom's room when they saw ya.." Applejack asked concernedly, were the two sisters fighting?

"Oh darling , I've made a disastrous mistake!" Rarity exclaimed, putting a forehoof on her head in a dramatic gesture and falling back on a convenient fainting couch.

Where the hay d' that come from...

"Ya mind tellin meh wha yah did?" The orange mare asked, taking a seat on the haybale.

"Darling, I've been terrible!" Rarity muttered as she launched into her recount of what happened.

"So ya'll saw her with the girls, talkin, and ya heard a scream, so ya assumed she attacked them, an' ya verbally assaulted her?" Applejack summarized with a small dose of disgust.

Seeing Rarity's small nod and regret filled eyes, the orange mare proposed, "How 'bout we let the girls sleep over tonigh, and first thing in tha mornin, we'll go ta tha Everfree ta apologise?"

The pristine mare pondered this "Yes, thank you Applejack, I don't know what I would have done without you, can you please tell the girls for me?" Rarity nodded in agreement, sending her companion a grateful smile.

"Nah problem Rares, I'll see ya at the edge o' the forest tomorrow." With these words, the two mares parted ways with wishes of a good night.

Casting the protection spell on herself, Twilight trotted into the clearing, where the adult cockatrices knelt down and the infants crawled over to their mistress as she studied their half reptile, half chicken bodies for injuries or malnutrition. Satisfied all were healthy, Twilight proceeded in the next step of their training.

The lavender mage took out a dozen dead birds, she had found them near Ponyville, where two stallions had been hunting the 'beasts' of the Everfree and sent home running and calling for help with tales of a mysterious shadow unicorn. She placed them before the baby cockatrices and observed as they clambered up to see the bodies, immediately turning them to stone without a second thought.

The mistress decided to test her influence over them, "Could you all please turn them back? For me?" For a moment, all was silent, then, one by one, the stone around the trail bodies of the birds dissolved to reveal the vibrant hues of red, yellow and blue.

'These infants cannot restrain themselves unless told to, At least the ponies aren't able to get in here, that would be disastrous...

"Thank you all." Twilight sent each cockatrice a soft, encouraging smile, earning proud chirps in return.

"Stella?" The lavender mage addressed the eldest cockatrice, who stepped forwards, lunging into a deep bow as she replied in a dry, feminine voice, "At your command Mistress."

"Would you be so kind as to bring the little ones to a secluded area close to your den?" Twilight inquired despite already knowing her response.

Stella gasped, "Oh Mistress you know me too well! I would love to!" The cockatrice cooed at the little infants, who stared up at her with a curious expression.

Twilight chuckled, the soft, tinkering sound echoing off the trees and sounding like a gentle melody, "Enjoy yourselves." As the cockatrices all bowed in unison, before they followed their elder to the stone dens.

"Fine, we forgive you Rarity, but you have to promise you'll apologize to Twilight, alright?" Sweetie Belle spoke as the rest of the crusaders nodded along with her.

In the morning that followed the events of the day before, Rarity had met up with them at Sweet Apple Acres, apologizing and asking for forgiveness. The Cutiemark Crusaders had forgiven her of course, under the condition she talks to Twilight to smooth things out.

"Of course darling! I promise Twilight will receive a proper apology, my outburst yesterday was most unbecoming of a proper lady." Rarity exclaimed, "maybe I could give her a new dress? You did say she wore a ca-" Her train of thoughts were rudely interrupted by Applejack, who had stopped in her tracks.

"Wha in tarnation is goin on 'ere?" She asked, pointing at the small crowd of ponies arguing with a dismissive royal guard in front of the Everfree Forest.

"By order of the crown, nopony is allowed in the Everfree Forest." The stone faced guard repeated in a monotone, staring straight and unblinking.

"I have to go in for the berries I use in my muffins!"

"Can you not just get rid of the ones near our homes?"

"Get more guards over here and scare them away! Surely the Princess will view this as a threat!"

The fillies and the two mares stood confused, swept up in the crowd. "Wha in tarnation are ya'll shouting about?" Applejack asked the ponies closest to her.

"Haven't you seen?" Derpy Hooves, the local mailmare responded, "The timberwolves are all around the border of Ponyville for some reason, they won't let anypony in, none of us can get to the potions, berries and wood from the forest anymore!"

"Timberwolves? That sounds like..." Sweetie Belle started, thinking in sync with her two friends, before she was cut off by Rarity.

"Are they going to attack us? Oh my! What is the Princess doing about this?" The fashionista's eyes widened as she frantically looked around for some symbol of help.

"Apparently Princess Celestia herself is on her way now, she wants to deal with this problem without any fighting if possible." Cherilee, a local school teacher added, as she was listening to the conversation beside the crusaders.

Before Rarity could utter out another word, she was dragged away from the discussion by the three fillies, "What are you doing? Sweetie Belle?" The helpless mare frailed in the crusaders' strong grip, she was about to use her magic when a low, menacing growl made her jump out of her fur.

"HEY! YOU FOUR!" A royal guard stationed nearby called out to them, "TOO CLOSE! TIMBERWOLF!"

Sweetie Belle gazed up at the timberwolf, trembling and stuttering, "W-We n-need to see y-your mistress!" as Rarity was pushed forwards by the other two fillies, whimpering and avoiding the glowing, green eyes of the ferocious monster.

For a moment, the wolf bared his teeth and prepared to attack, before his eyes widened in recognition, dropping his stance but immediately rearing up when he spotted the white mare, who froze at his venomous glare, "You! I told you to never come back here again. Did I not make myself clear?

"W-Well, I-I am sorry! Uh y-you need t-to move aside!" Rarity managed to blurt out, "P-ponies need t-to get p-past!" Before concentrating a weak amount of power at the tip on her horn, ready to strike.

"The sole reason why I did not rid you of your life before now, is because our master would not have agreed with my methods. But consider this as a warning..." The timberwolf, Aegis, did not wait for a response as he striked with his sharp claws, the fillies yelling, crowd gasping in horror, and white unicorn shrieking...

The pain didn't come.

Rarity opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by a golden orb radiating with power, "Who..?" She tried to say, the frightened mare turned to see her sister and the citizens of Ponyville crouching low on the ground, waves of relief flooded over her as she faced the the almighty Goddess of the Sun.

Though Princess Celestia kept her composure, the air around her heated, her mane cracked with power and her eyes were filled with rage as she regarded the timberwolf standing resolute and staring up at her, unblinking. "No creature ever harms my little ponies." Celestia charged her horn, as much as she tried to be fair to all the creatures in Equestria, she would not tolerate any harm inflicted upon her subjects.

Bang.

The monarch linked, her spell had not even touched the wolf, instead, it came into contact with a magenta shield, protecting the creature from Celestia's attack, without even a slight crack on its surface.

What? A unicorn was protecting these beasts? Such a powerful shield...

The crowd erupted into murmurs, The great alicorn cannot break the shield? What now? What happened? Everypony was asking themselves the same question.

Who was helping the monsters?

Everypony except for the Cutiemark Crusaders.

"Twilight?" Scootaloo, who was standing closest to the Princess, murmured to the other two fillies, gazing towards the shadows of the Everfree.

The name did not escape the Regent of the Sun, "My little ponies, do you have an idea of who could be responsible for the shield?" Celestia bent down, staring encouragingly at the trio, willing them to reveal what they know.

After some exchanged glances, a yellow filly with a vibrant red mane came forward, "Ah'm mighty sorry Princess, We don't think its a good idea to tell yah" Applebloom craned her neck to look at her sovereign, resolute and defensive.

"Pardon me?" Celestia was shocked, nopony had ever directly refused her orders before, certainly nopony as young as this.

"We just don't want you to hurt her, she's our friend..." Sweetie Belle trailed off, joining Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in front of the majestic white alicorn.

Princess Celestia put on her best gentle smile, "My little ponies, I would never hurt h-" She was cut off by a low growl.

Bringing her neck back up to regard the one who had rudely interrupted her, she shot the wolf a glare before he spoke, "Our ancestors have spoken about your deeds against our kind and our savior, we will not allow you to pass, Princess." He spat the last word, taking up a defensive stance along with the other wolves behind him.

Deeds? What deeds?

"My little ponies need the resources from this forest to survive, as the Princess of Equestria, I grant you a last chance to step aside before my guards proceed into the jungle." Celestia calmly stated. Their shields, although strong, would not last against her forces for long, but where was the pony who had cast these protective spheres?

Just as the regal alicorn was about to send the command for her guards to attack, a soft voice made itself heard, "That would be ill advised, Princess Celestia."

The crowd, now consisting of mostly guards and devoid of citizens save for the fillies and the two mares, froze, and gaped openly as the threatening beasts, releasing their defensive stance, all lunged into a bow. Princess Celestia squinted into the shadows of the Everfree, where a tall lavender mare moved forward. She stopped at a respectful distance in front of the Princess and bent her forelegs into a bow.

"I presume you are the one they call-" Celestia was interrupted yet again by a voice beside her.

"Twilight!" The three crusaders bounded up to the mare, ignoring their sisters' alarmed yells and Princess Celestia's gasp of horror.

"Girls" The mare greeted with a small twinkling in her eyes, "What have I told you about coming to the Everfree Forest?" Twilight asked in a light, scolding tone, oblivious to the Princess's defensive stance.

She lowered her head so she could see the fillies at their height, where she was met with sheepish smiles.

"We came to see what your timberwolves were doing out, they weren't letting anypony in, could you please tell them to leave us alone?" Scootaloo pleaded, giving her the biggest puppy eyes she could muster.

Twilight spared a glance at the now confused princess along with her guards, and bought her gaze back to the crusaders, "I'm sorry, I was the one who stationed them out here in the first place, they are here for your safety, and will not harm unless provoked." Before any of the ponies could say a word, she added, "The forest is not the best place to be right now."

The lavender mare wrapped the trio up with her magenta aura, and before any of the ponies could protest, Twilight levitated them over to Applejack and Rarity, who were still in a daze, mouths agape, but nodding gratefully as the Crusaders were back in their hooves.

After she had seen the fillies safely held in their sisters' embraces, Twilight turned back to the Princess and rose to stand to her full height, a little shorter than Celestia, and spoke in a quiet, calm tone, "Princess, my friends will return to the shadows of our forest once your ponies are safe to enter, I urge you to tell your subjects to stand down, lest they get hurt."

"Was that a threat Miss Twilight?" Celestia asked with a dangerous edge in her voice, no creature would dare to harm her little ponies as long as she was still standing.

"No. A word of advice. I cannot claim the blame for what fate is bestowed upon your subjects, they are making a mistake if they wish to sneak into the Everfree despite my warning, and I will not have the time to look after them all anymore." Twilight responded curtly, before turning back towards the shadows of her forest and disappearing under the dark canopy of trees and the flow of creatures filling the gap their mistress left.

The guards stared at the defensive monsters in disbelief, awaiting the princess' next command.

The mares held the frailing fillies back, staring at the forest with distrust.

The princess stared at the spot where 'Twilight' disappeared, looking through her memories, Had her magical signature seem too familiar somehow?

Chapter 3 | Preparing For The Inevitable

Chapter 4 - Realization

"My little ponies, do you have any information on this Miss Twilight that you would care to share with me?" The Monarch of the Sun spoke in a regal tone, magenta eyes soft and encouraging, and wearing a bright smile.

In the crowded Carousel Boutique, Princess Celestia sat still upon a padded seat, gazing expectantly at the three fillies and two mares.

"Ta be honest yer highness, Rares an' ah don' really have any proper encounters with tha mare, but from wha ah've heard, she seems ta have no bad intents." Applejack was the first to speak up, shuffling her hooves awkwardly on the pillow Rarity had gotten for her.

The Regent of the Sun quirked an eyebrow, a clear invitation to speak.

"Well you see Your Majesty, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were actually the first to meet the dear," the fashionista explained, "They've probably seen her without her coat too, she was pulling her hood up when I encountered her after all."

All the mares in the room, including Princess Celestia, turned their attentions to the Crusaders, who had sheepish smiles and shy eyes.

"Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, do you fillies have anything you would like to explain?" The white alicorn asked kindly.

"Well.." Scootaloo drawled, looking to her friends for help.

"Ah think that if Twiligh wants us t' stay outta tha forest, then its probably for a good reason." Apple Bloom reasoned, looking hopefully up at Celestia.

"And why do you say that my little pony?" Princess Celestia questioned, wondering as to how their trust had developed.

"She saved us all! From the monsters in the Everfree!" Sweetie Belle blurted out, remembering her savior's awe inspiring actions.

"Oh? How so?" A twinge of curiosity leaking into the monarch's neutral tone.

"It was so awesome! You should have seen her Princess Celestia! She didn't even touch them!" Scootaloo recalled eagerly, "She just told them to let us go!"

"She commands these creatures?" Celestia wondered out loud, Some sort of hypnotism? "And how do you know Miss Twilight?"

"I was the first to see her Your Majesty! She was..."

"And then she just asked the wolf to show Rarity and us out of the forest!" Scootaloo finished, wearing a small grin along with her friends, oblivious to the blushing Rarity in the corner.

"Did you fillies see her cutie mark? Or underneath her hood?" the Princess inquired, intrigued by the identity of 'Twilight'

Apple Bloom furrowed her brows together before responding, "Ah didn't really get ta see her cutie mark tha well, but it was pink..." her friends nodding in agreement.

"Oh but her mane! It was so beautiful!" Sweetie Belle gushed with wide eyes, "It was all sparkly! And it was flowy like yours Princess!"

"An ethereal mane?" Celestia's eyes also widened, while the two mares beside her gasped, Nopony I've ever known has an ethereal mane except for my sister and Twilight was going to develop--. "Colour! What was the colour?" She blurted out, startling the ponies present in the room.

Scootaloo recovered from the Princess' outburst first, "Uh.. Blue! Dark blue with stripes of pink and purple!" She added helpfully.

The ponies looked at the harbinger of the sun confusedly as she stood up suddenly, thanking them and trotting hurriedly towards the exit without another word.

As Princess Celestia, flanked by four guards, drew nearer to the Everfree Forest, she felt her heartbeat accelerate.

Could it really be Twilight? My Twilight? My student, friend, surrogate daughter and.. the one I betrayed?

'No.. I saw her get hit... hit by me...'

But her body was never found! And the loyalty of the timberwolves, surely that can't be a coincidence?

'What about the other creatures?'

... Maybe a result of her influence over the wolves...

'Oh how I've wronged my Twilight! I need to apologise!'

Does she even want to see you?

Celestia halted near the timberwolves who were watching her every movement, 'Would she want to see me?'.

She remembered her accusations of her friend, calling her a traitor, a disgrace and a monster...

'No, I have to try at least.'

The Princess of the Sun walked up to the nearest creature, a manticore, and readied her horn to throw up a shield as her guards spread out in a semi circle when the creature approached the princess.

"Princess." The guards gave the manticore a stern glare upon seeing the lack of respect, but the animal seemed unfazed as he continued, "As you know, our Mistress has warned you herself, our home is currently not safe for your kind, alicorn princess or otherwise, please turn around before you get hurt."

"It's alright guards," Celestia nodded to the guards who saluted hesitantly before adopting a cautious stance behind the princess, "I wish to speak with Twilight, it is of utmost importance."

"You may leave your message with us and I will make sure our Mistress receives it. But her orders are to keep ponies out of the forest, and we shall do everything in our power to obey her command." A timberwolf appeared at the manticore's side, staring at the Sun Princess suspiciously.

"This is something I want to speak with Twilight alone" Celestia paused, before testing her suspicions,"Tell me... does the name Sparkle mean anything to you?"

The guards pointed their spears at the creatures in a threatening manner as more animals suddenly bared their teeth and came out of the shadows to create a barrier between the forest and the alabaster alicorn.

"Do not speak of what our Mistress wishes to be forgotten" The manticore snarled, "Our Master is currently preoccupied, you cannot see her."

What she wishes to be forgotten? Does that mean... is she really my Twilight Sparkle then?

"Please, sirs" Started Princess Celestia in an almost desperate tone, "I need to see if she is somepony very dear to me."

The Princess' personal guards all exchanged a look, 'did their sovereign know the mare protecting the monsters?'

"Nothing will stop me from making things right."

In a blaze of sheer power, blinding all ponies and creatures alike, the Goddess of the Sun was gone. Chaos erupted.

Frantic guards arrived as backup, proving to be no match against the ferocious inhabitants of the forest.

Creatures prowled the forest for any sign of the white alicorn.

Two mares and a trio of fillies arrived at the scene, staring wide eyed as the fight unraveled before them.

In a flash of bright light, Princess Celestia felt damp moss underneath her golden horseshoes, staining them with wet grass and mud, but the regal alicorn seemed unperturbed as she cast several layers of her invisibility spell around herself and shielding her body from view.

I just have to find my former student, apologize, and hope for the best.

'Can't be that hard, right?'

Oh dear, was it a mistake to leave my guards to fend for themselves?

'Stop fretting Celestia! The quicker you get to Twilight and talk it out, the quicker you can get to your little ponies!'

I still don't even know if she is my Twilight!

'Well then what are we waiting for? I can sense a powerful pool of magic nearby, it must be the mare! Just go and confirm it yourself!'

A faint shuffling caused the Princess of the Sun to whip her head around, staining her ears for the slightest hint of life, a few moments later, a faint voice echoed from a nearby cave.

As Celestia approached the cave entrance, she heard a sharp yell, causing her to step behind a patch of thick foliage, secluded from view and away from dangers of the forest.

Or so she assumed.

"Snap!" A twig snapped under the weight of a creature.

The Princess swiveled around in alarm, horn ready and wings flared, looking for the intruder with narrowed eyes, she came face to face with an infant.

An infant cockatrice.

Celestia quickly cast a cockatrice safe shield around herself and dispelled the invisibility wards, before preparing to step forwards, horn charged and scare the half chicken, half snake newborn away.

Except she couldn't.

The alabaster alicorn bought her gaze to her disobeying hooves, refusing to move, and saw that they were transforming into stone, the rough, grey substance travelling up her body rapidly.

Her shield had been activated a moment too late.

Power gathered violently at the tip of her horn, forming a bright, sizzling orb of power before being released, the full brunt of attack crashing down onto the frightened animal, and in an instant, the only sign of a struggle being the darkened, burnt patch of grass.

As the stone reached the great Goddess of the Sun's jaw, she shut her eyes tight, lighting up her horn in a panicked attempt to teleport, dissolve, levitate or destroy, anything to stop the spread, but to no avail.

Ha! The invincible Regent of the Sun, whose defeated countless evils without batting an eye, destroyed by an infant! Oh stars above, my little ponies are not going to take my... situation well... I'm so sorry Luna, Sunset, Twilight, I never got the chance to apo--

"Cele- Celestia!"

If she could, the large alicorn would have jumped out of her fur, but being immobile, she only managed to open her eyes a fraction, catching a large purple blur before grey clouded her eyesight.

Author's Note

I know it's a short chapter and probably a bit rushed, any suggestions to improve are welcomed! I'll try harder next chapter, hope you enjoyed nonetheless!

-Meowofy

Chapter 4 - Part I | In a Perfect World

Chapter 5 - Revealed (Rewrite)

— Centre Everfree Forest - Afternoon —

"Ugh..."

An alabaster figure moaned, shifting on the luxuriously comfortable bed, the soothing scent of flower petals calming her and the cloud mattress allowing her to sink into the covers.

Wait. Cloud mattress?

Then she recalled the events which had occurred, the cockatrice, the forest, the stone, Twilight.

Celestia's eyes snapped open. She scrambled to a seated position, throwing off the covers and taking in her unfamiliar surroundings.

The walls were make of leaves, branches and flowers, the ground was stone brick and the furniture was made mainly of wood.

The bed she was on was a thick cloud with a frame made of vines and lavender branches, it was warm and soft and had a beautiful violet rose in the middle of an oak headboard.

There was a small library beside the fireplace with a tall bookcase and filled with all kinds of books and scrolls. A circular table was situated in the middle of the room with a tea set and a vase on top accompanied by two padded chairs. A small bedside cabinet found itself next to the bed, it was woven from thin twigs and on top, she found a lantern, a few books, and a elegant photo frame containing a stained photograph. A photograph of herself and... Luna!?

What? Luna? Who would know Luna?

Celestia quickly flipped the frame over, and in a small, graceful script at the bottom was a short caption.

'My dearest friends, Celestia and Luna'

"Friend?" The princess murmured in confusion, rereading the writing once more.

Celestia's ears pricked at the distinct conversation outside the door, her alicorn hearing strained to catch the words.

"Don't worry about me Stella, I'll be fine, how is the princess?"

"She should be waking up soon, especially with her magic restored now."

"Thank you."

"A pleasure... Mistress?"

"Yes Stella?"

"Get some rest won't you? Heaven knows you need it!"

"I promise I'll take care of myself, like I said, you need not worry about me."

The princess heard some fading hoofsteps outside the room, followed by a trio of soft knocks. Celestia hastily placed the frame back down on the small table, then she drew herself to her full height and in her most regal tone she commanded, "Enter," while prepared to confront any harm that may be in her way.

The door swung open to reveal a blue unicorn half concealed by a dark cape with a green gem at the front, who looked at Celestia with a gentle smile, she first asked, "How are you feeling Princess Celestia?"

"I am fine, thank you." The alabaster alicorn replied curtly, trying to peer under the hood, "Where are we?"

"You are in my bedroom, within the depths of the Everfree." The mysterious blue unicorn sat down at the round table, picking the teapot up with a hoof, mixing in a variety of different flowers and petals. The pungent aroma spreading across the room before she drew a porcelain teacup from the tray, pouring the unusual blend of tea out and offering the cup to Celestia with a hoof, smiling when she took it in her telekinesis with a hesitant nod.

Celestia stared at the teacup, swirling it around in her magic and basking in the peculiar scent, it was a strong blend as if all the petals in the world had been used, but there was just the perfect amount of each flower, she had never encountered another cup of tea like this, but it was somehow familiar.

She lit up her horn, checking for poisons and toxins, and finding none, took a sip of the tea, it was, to her surprise, a light blend, not sickly sweet yet definitely not flavorless, it had a creamy texture, yet a thin consistency, much better than her regular tea bags imported from Saddle Arabia.

"It tastes delightful, where did you get such an unusual flavor?" Celestia asked, sipping more of the amazing blend with a small smile on her muzzle.

"It's actually one of my own blends, lavender, rose, daphne, daisy, a touch of mint, sugar and vanilla, complete with a last secret ingredient."

Celestia dropped her cup, it was caught just in time by her aura and put unsteadily on the bedside table next to the photo, she felt her heart jump into her throat and her eyes widening.

"Wow Twilight this is amazing! How did you get this blend?" Celestia sat on her haunches with a lavender alicorn under her wing as she sipped on the tea with a broad smile.

"It's one of my own concoctions, lavender, rose, daphne, daisy, a touch of mint, sugar and vanilla, complete with a last secret ingredient!" The smaller pony grinned proudly before adding, "I made it just for you Tia!"

"Princess?" A small voice called out to the white alicorn, a hoof was placed on Celestia's shoulder, she blinked, looking up at the concerned features of the blue unicorn.

"...T-Twilight?" Celestia whispered with uncertainty, staring at the mysterious mare, who jerked her hoof back, startled and wide eyed, before glancing down at the green gem with a small bemused smile, tapping it with the hoof she retracted, and in a blinding flash of light, the cyan unicorn gained a new coat color and grew higher, her once turquoise irises became amethyst, shimmering and wide.

"Heh, should have guessed I couldn't fool you." Twilight joked, looking away and pulling down her hood to reveal her ethereal mane, it was navy blue with two stripes of violet and pink, catching an invisible breeze and had twinkling stars all throughout, it looked divine.

Celestia’s jaw hung open at the sight, eyes filling with tears, she lunged forwards, grasping her former student with her forehooves and wrapping her in her strong and admittedly unkempt wings, "Twilight! Twilight, please! Please, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I-I thought it might have been you but I— I didn’t— I’m sorry. Please! Please f-f-fo-for-forgive—" she broke down and clung onto Twilight as if she was a lifeguard in an endless, rolling ocean.

Twilight stiffened at first, but then melted into the wall of gentle, comforting feathers, "C-Celestia, i-it's okay... I... I’m here." the lavender mare rubbed her hoof on Celestia's chest in a soothing circle motions, attempting to put an end to the tears cascading down the princess' cheek.

"But I...H-How? How did you survive what I— I thought I— I thought you were—" Choked Celestia, weakly bringing her head up to see Twilight's ears fold and her eyes shut, a wave of melancholy sweeping over the lavender mare, and as she used a hoof to wipe her tears away, only more followed.

Twilight stayed silent for a moment, before whispering, "...My w-wings..." a sob catching in her throat as Celestia felt a chill travel down her spine. She drew a ragged breath, praying to the high heavens that she had misinterpreted.

She used her magic to slowly lift her former student's cloak with increasing dread, finally revealing two patches of short fur where her wings should have been, clearly distinguishable among the rest of her fluffy, overgrown coat.

"N-No. Oh, Tw-Twilight..." Celestia bought the trembling mare to her chest, letting her own tears stain her friend's unfamiliar flowing mane, "My...” She choked at the thought of the endearing little name she used to address the mare with, the one which now bought so much pain and guilt when she used it, “—M-My little Sparkle... How could I have— What have I done..."

Twilight said nothing, basking in the comfort of the larger alicorn's embrace for a while, before at last mustering the courage to continue her tale, "After I... After I survived the blast, the timberwolves—"

"NO!"A lavender blur shot out of the rubble, leaping and sending a powerful strike towards the timberwolves, pushing them away as wrapped her wings around herself, facing the brunt of the attack.

The blast sent a massive shockwave across the continent. In a flash of blinding light, where there used to settlements next to the explosion, all that was left were piles of dust. You could not even see your hoof in front of you as the once clear sapphire skies turned gray, clouds blocking the weak rays of sunlight.

At the center of the dust cloud, beside a large pack of injured timberwolves enveloped by a light, magenta orb, lay a limp bundle of lavender fluff covered in ashes and rubble within a deep crater, the rise and fall of her chest was barely visible, her feathered appendages torn and broken, her fur burnt and bruised, and her horn smoking.

With a combined effort, the wolves within the protective sphere shattered their shield, only to be assaulted by hot air and dust. Just as they were pulling the children onto their backs and preparing to flee into a nearby, overgrown forest, a thick cloud of dirt was swept away by a gale of wind, revealing the alicorn who had risked her own life to save them.

With a collective growl and an unspoken command, the timberwolves approached the fallen pony, lifting her onto a large wolf's back side, before retreating quickly towards the Everfree forest, protected under the canopy of trees, as they heard the 'Clop, Clop' of hooves blindly advancing towards the location where they had been but a moment ago.

"The wolves bought me to the zebra elder, Mitsuma, an ancestor of the zebra occupying her lands these days, for help, and she nursed me back to health using her potions. She promised to keep me a secret, and in return, I managed to persuade the creatures to keep away from her hut.”

“I have been providing the inhabitants of the forest with food, teaching them, and caring for their young ever since." Twilight finished, a small, nostalgic smile adorning her features.

Celestia swallowed the rising lump in her throat before starting, "I... M-My little Twilight... I-I'm so sorry— I-I never wanted this to happen— I didn’t think that— I'm so, so sorry! I could say it a million times and it wouldn't change what I've done..."

She lowered her gaze, hanging her head and clenching her eyes shut, "Is there a chance— I mean, can— Could— Will... Will you, i-in the future that is, ever be able to forgive me?" The princess finally asked in a defeated whisper.

After a few, tense seconds, the lavender mare put a hoof gently under her friend's chin, raising it so she was looking directly at two watery fuchsia orbs, before giving a soft smile and saying, "Tia—” The nickname caused a small flicker of hope to rise in Celestia’s chest, “—There is nothing you could do that I wouldn’t forgive you for."

"B-But Twilight—"

The mare in question interrupted the larger alicorn with a hoof booping her muzzle, “A... A thousand years is a long time to reflect, Tia. I spent nine hundred and ninety nine years in my forest, and a grand total of six whole days trying to hate you.” Twilight cracked a small smile.

“At first, I tried to tell myself that you would have never done something like that to me, and that it was all just a vivid nightmare.” A tear trailed slowly down Twilight’s cheek before she continued, “But I knew it wasn’t, so after I had finally stopped trying to fool myself, I... I guess I tried to organize my thoughts again.”

"I don't blame you. I know it wasn't your fault, we had just lost Luna after all, then Silver Spear was taken. If anything, I'm proud you've managed to bounce back and become the caring and benevolent ruler I once knew." Twilight gently nosed her former mentor’s damp cheek.

“I... I won’t lie to you, it really hurt—” Celestia’s ears flattened against her skull, “—and I might not... I might not trust you the same way as before, but I know that I’ll at least always trust your intentions.”

Princess Celestia, using a hoof, brushed Twilight’s bangs of ethereal mane away gently, a gesture she had made so affectionately countless times in the past, “T-Twilight, I... I made them forget about you. I-I replaced you! You... You can’t just f-forgive me!”

Twilight looked away with a whisper, “I know, but I understand.”

Either Celestia didn’t hear, or she made a good show of it, “I didn’t want to see the statues of you everywhere, and when farmers praised you, all I could think about was that you weren’t there to look after them anymore, our citizens hung pictures of you with black ribbons and all I could think about was how innocent you were and how I did nothing to deserve you in the first place, much less—” She choked on a sob, “—I just wanted to forget about what I did!”

“Tia, I understand. You—”

“But that wasn’t even the worst thing!” Celestia continued, heedless of the interception, “I got desperate, Luna was coming back and I needed to find a new bearer for the Elements! Sunset came along, and she was powerful! I-I thought I could mold her for Magic so I tried to build her trust in me. I gave her your title! I-I called her my Most Faithful Student! Most Faithful!”

The Matron of the Sun sniffled and gave a bitter chuckle, “You should have seen Cadence when Sunset pushed me to call her it at breakfast, she spat out her milk and demanded an explanation. You know how she is when she’s upset, and I’ve almost never seen her so enraged! I told her that the reason I pretended you never existed, why I gave your special title to somepony else, why I defiled Cadence’s last memories of you, was because I wanted my sister back. It was her sister, f-for m-m-mine. She said that she had never heard of anything more selfish in her life.”

Celestia tightened her hold, “And she was right! Hah! But I kept doing it! I thought I had a student who respected me, who trusted me, who listened to me, just like you once did! I had subconsciously replaced you, in every way and form. But then Sunset turned away from me, she wanted to be an alicorn and she wanted to raise my sun, she believed it was her destiny to do so by the mark on her flank and she became arrogant, selfish and distrusting.”

The Solar Regent brushed her lips over Twilight’s forehead just under her horn, and planted a small kiss there, “It was only then that I finally realized my mistake. I banned study of the dark arts from her when she began to want power almost obsessively, and she thought I just didn’t want her to become more powerful than myself! To this day, I still... I still don’t know where she ran off to...”

“...Tia, what’s done is done, and I don’t resent you for any of that. I didn’t feel... replaced, I don't think. After all, if there was a Most Faithful Student after me, then there were ones before me as well—”

Celestia shook her head, “I told you that you were the first to ever bear the title, remember?”

Twilight looked down and said evenly, “You did, but you also said the same thing to Sunset Shimmer, didn’t you?”

The Princess’ breath caught in her chest at this, and her eyes suddenly stung, “T-Twilight, I... I-I wouldn’t lie t-to you— I- Please believe me! N-Not to you, Twilight, never... never to you...”

The lavender alicorn gave a slight smile and nosed the larger mare’s withers again, “I know, Tia, I know you wouldn’t, I was just...” She took a calming breath, “I know you wanted to forget about the guilt from what you had done, and I can’t fault you for it. If you wanted to replace me, in a way—” Celestia muffled a whimper at this, “—Then who am I to stop you? If you replacing me could bring you happiness then I would rather you do it a thousand times then stop on my account.”

“But I—”

“No buts.” Twilight interrupted with a smile, cuddling into the larger figure, “And plus, I... I’ve missed you...”

”I’ve missed you.”

With three words, Princess Celestia’s features softened almost instantly and she nuzzled her former student affectionately, savoring the touch she had so sorely missed, “...My little Sparkle?” Twilight rested her muzzle on the Solar Regent’s shoulder and looked to her with a questioning look, “...I love you. I love you so much.” The lavender alicorn’s eyes widened and she froze.

“I-I know that I never said it before, but I always have, and I always will, I know that the things I did... it doesn’t seem like I love you, but I do! I love you like the foal I never had, and when you came into my life a millennium ago, I remember you could brighten up rooms with your antics, cheer anypony up with your words... I never forgot you, Twilight, not once! A-And I thought that I would never have a chance to tell you, o-or even apologize, b-b-but...” She took a deep breath.

“B-But you’re really here, now, with me.” Celestia sniffled, trying to halt the tears gathering in her eyes, “A-And I just... I needed to tell you be-because— E-Even though...” She felt her resolve dripping down through her eyelashes, “E-Ev-Even though you p-probably h-hate m-me, and f-for good reason too, a-a thousand years o-of isolation, a-and your wings, goddesses above, y-your wings! It’s a wonder you h-haven’t yelled m-me out of E-Equestria by n-now, a-and... I-I mean, I just wanted to let you know that I-I love you.”

The Sun Princess hung her head, “...I-I’m sorry, I— You h-hate me, but I just...”

The alabaster alicorn stifled her cries, the only comfort being the pony she held in her hooves, somepony who would probably like nothing more than to bound out of the room cursing her name if not for her courtesy, but even if she were to claim she didn't hate Celestia, she would be looking at a web of lies stitched together for the larger alicorn's own contentment, the princess refused to have her surrogate daughter live with deceiving her own happiness, if Twilight didn't want her, she would leave her alone and never come back.

"Tia..." Twilight wore a sad frown as she looked up and saw her former mentor clench her eyes firmly shut, as if shielding herself from the expected assault of harsh words and demands of punishment.

'This is it you old mare, of course she doesn't love you! She never has and she never will, what was the point of telling her? It's only going to make her words hurt more when she tells you she hates you with every bone in her body, she is going to b-'

The onslaught of criticism never came.

Instead, Celestia felt a soft, warm hoof gently wipe the streaks of tears away from her cheeks, making her eyes snap open in surprise. Her field of vision was partially blocked by a lavender hoof, but it was retracted to reveal the smaller pony tucked between her forehooves looking up at her with a heartfelt smile.

“How could I ever hate you, Tia? How could I ever hate the one who sang me lullabies, who read me stories, who always supported me, who gave me a family, who played with me, who comforted me, and who made me daisy sandwiches? ...I love you, just like I love Cady, and Lulu, and Silver, and ‘Rora, and Aegis, and Stella, and Elijah, and Rose, and Willow, and Shade, and Estelle. I... I love you too.”

Gazing into her former student’s eyes, deep and earnest, Celestia saw not a single mask of deception, only unrestrained emotion, genuine intentions and a heart of gold.

The Princess of the Sun let out a sob of pure joy, and leaned down, pulling her long lost friend into her chest and felt a hole in her chest finally repair itself after a millennium.

The two mares sat in each other's arms for a while, whether it be hours or mere moments neither knew, seeking assurance in the embrace, a promise of 'everything is going to be alright'.

They were interrupted after a while by three consecutive sharp knocks followed by a long tap.

Celestia released her former student and gave her a questioning look as Twilight stirred and her face lit up, "Twilight?" She asked curiously.

The mare in question gave her a reassuring smile, she tidied her mane and wiped her tears dry before calling out, "You can come in ‘Rora!"

Princess Celestia stifled a yelp when a mat in the middle of the room was set on a turquoise flame, and she gaped as the unusual fire died down to reveal a tall, slender bird, she bought itself to her full height, showing off the pristine white feathers which covered most of her body. The ends of her wings and her long, beautiful tail were soft blue and fading into regal violet near the bottom and she sported beautiful sapphire irises, which were now narrowed and focused on the unfamiliar guest in the room.

"Tia, allow me to introduce you to Aurora, she is a phoenix very precious to me and my-" Twilight took a second to wink at the bird looking proud on the stone floor where she had just sat down, "Number One Assistant"

Celestia stared, speechless at the phoenix, who was clacking her beak and spreading her majestic wings for the princess to see before she composed herself, "Oh! Uh, very pleased to meet you Aurora."

Aurora. Twilight’s middle name, how fitting.

She briefly wondered if there were different types of phoenixes in the Everfree forest, she had never yet encountered a phoenix with colors different to the typical red, orange and, in the case of her Philomena, golden hues.

Aurora squawked in response before flapping her wings once and gracefully landing on her owner's back, nuzzling her for a moment before clicking her beak in a series of long and short clacks, Twilight nodding along.

The lavender mare furrowed her brows in concern, before confirming with her pet, "Nobody was harmed?", receiving an affirmative nod in response, Twilight nodded and rubbed her cheek against Aurora's sleek feathers once more in appreciation before turning to Celestia, who was gazing at the scene in confusion.

Twilight let out a soft chuckle before explaining, "Sorry Tia, it's just a way of communication between Aurora and I. As you have no doubt seen, I have been able to teach most of the creatures in my Everfree Equish, just to make my interactions with them more convenient, but some species aren’t able to reach the frequency levels needed for our language, therefore, we need to improvise.”

“Yes, yes, I was getting to that, thank you.” An insistent clicking pushed her to add, "Aurora, in particular, has taken to this particular method of contact quite well, she was one of the first to master it and as a result, she now helps me personally, carrying messages and running errands."

"I- That's amazing Twilight! I wonder if Philomena will be able to learn this way of speech? It would certainly make her gestures easier to understand." Celestia wondered out loud, astounded at the advancements Twilight had made in the forest.

"If ‘Rora doesn't mind, I'm perfectly content to let her fly over to the palace to deliver some lessons." The smaller mare agreed easily, before speaking in a more serious tone, "For now, however, there seems to be an incident with your guards and my creatures, or rather-" Twilight let a twinge of amusement enter her voice, "-your guards have gotten themselves in a bit of... trouble per say."

"They aren’t injured, are they?" Celestia asked worriedly. If anything happened to them, it would have been because she neglected to explain the situation, causing the needless search party to be inevitably sent.

Twilight smiled reassuringly at her friend, "Not to worry, Tia, my creatures haven't touched them yet, but we just need to calm the guards down. Would you like to stay here? My friends may be a little... hostile to you considering our history, and I would very much like to avoid a dispute."

What happened to them if the animals haven't engaged with my guards?

"It's alright Twilight, I can defend myself and it would make it easier if my guards saw me, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll stay concealed under an invisibility spell." The Goddess of the Sun said as she prepared a invisibility charm.

Twilight nodded before lighting up her own horn for teleportation, but she immediately clutched her head as the spell fizzled away, causing Celestia to swiftly put an end her own spells, supporting the smaller mare as she took a few deep breaths, leaning on the white figure whilst Aurora nuzzled her.

"Twilight?" The princess studied her former student's strained expression, steadying her with a guided hoof.

The lavender mare pushed herself back onto her own hooves, taking a few moments to calm herself before speaking in a tight, quiet voice, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Tia? Could you teleport me with you please?"

"What- You are most definitely not fine!" Celestia spoke incredulously, voice thick with worry, "You had better just tell me what the matter is."

"I assure you, it's nothing to concern yourselves with, both of you." Twilight tried to sound dismissive, but her labored breathing gave away her true state of health, no matter what she did to cover it up.

After a few tense moments of silence, Twilight let out a groan, "...You're not going to let this go are you?" Receiving shakes of heads from both parties, she sighed and turned to Aurora, "Rora, would you go ahead and make sure the guards are separated from the creatures? I'm afraid that if I don't show up now, my creatures are going to take action, and that would hardly be fair if the royal guards are unable to even defend themselves."

Aurora chirped in annoyance, hesitating as she spread her wings and looked over at her master's sagged posture, clearly struggling to support her body, but flying off when Twilight shot her a small smile and said, "I'll be alright in a moment."

Twilight watched as her faithful assistant disappeared from view, before sitting down on her haunches, her breaths steadily becoming more controlled as her friend sat down with her, placing a wing carefully around her body.

"It's nothing serious!" Twilight rolled her eyes, exasperated but wincing upon seeing her former mentor's brow arch up, "Just a little magic expenditure, temporary at best!" Mumbled the mare in what she hoped was a convincing tone.

The princess, with over two millenniums' worth of diplomatic meetings and masks, saw over her facade with little effort, "How little?"

"...I uh... Sort of... I overextended my... entire wellspring?" Finishing with a sheepish smile.

Celestia's eyes widened and she lit her horn, "Wha- Overex- Your entire-" Her half completed sentences came to an end when she ran the magic scan over her body, "What happened to...It shows that you've somehow... let go of all your magic?" Her accusing gaze rested on Twilight, "Did some creature take your magic?"

The smaller alicorn flinched, "Actually..." She drawled, "It was a- uh- a pony..."

The Sun Princess felt a sudden urge to protect her former student, "What? Who was it that took your magic? I swear by the sun and moon, when I get ahol-"

She was interrupted by a hoof on her muzzle and a frazzled Twilight shaking her head, "No no no, I gave my magic away, she needed it more than me!"

Princess Celestia was utterly perplexed, what would convince her surrogate daughter to give her entire store of magic away? To do such a thing was highly unpleasant, and would leave the donor weakened and in pain for days if not weeks. "Tell me! Who was it? Why?"

Twilight started with a nervous chuckle, "Well, you see..."

— A few hours ago —

A small, lavender feline crawled out of the cave to pursue the missing cockatrice, she was making her way into the dense foliage when a nearby disruption caught her attention.

Bam!

It sounded like an offensive blast, an offensive blast meant to leave the victim with no chance of survival.

The small cat was growing as she leapt from bush to bush, fully transformed back into a pony by the time she reached a small clearing, where the air smelt like ash and a pile of burnt rubble showed the corpse of the infant she was searching for.

But her gaze was not on him.

Her gaze was firmly drawn to the alicorn across from the cockatrice, who frozen into stone up to her muzzle and whose eyes were shut.

Twilight bounded over to the oh-so-familiar figure quickly, "Celestia!" She shouted, alerting the creatures in the nearby vicinity and sending them leaping to their Mistress, lined up and on guard, but the cloaked pony only had attention for the Princess as her eyes flicked open briefly before it too, was encrusted into stone.

"...D-Don't worry, you're going to be okay" The violet mare whispered, pouring her magic into her horn and lighting it ablaze in a magenta aura, before sending the blast to the mentor she had once come to regard as a second mother. Before the incident.

The light blinded every creature for a moment, in the next, an alabaster alicorn could be seen slumped over, devoid of the flowing mane she was renowned for and her usual pastel colors a light, rose blush instead, her usually radiant coat now dull and light grey.

Twilight knelt over the seemingly lifeless figure, running a scan over her to check for any physical injuries, finding none, she checked the princess' magic. Completely depleted.

The cockatrices' stone prisons were able to sap the victims of all their magic, using it to fuel the spell and leaving their prey defenseless. Therefore, when the princess woke up, she would undoubtedly experience a number of particularly adverse side effects while her body focused on resupplying her with magic.

She was not about to let that happen, not if she had anything to do something about it.

"Elijah?" Twilight called to the crowd of animals who were, but a moment ago, hissing at the fallen alicorn.

A familiar chimera made himself known by stepping out of his pack and leaping to his master, "You called, my Mistress?"

"Yes, In a moment, after I cast a... spell, would you bring our guest to my chambers? Ensure she remains unharmed and--" Twilight directed her words to the crowd, "I trust you will all be respectful if not kind."

"...Of course, Mistress" Elijah grumbled through gritted teeth, shooting a withering glare at the Princess of the Sun.

With her former teacher's safety ensured, the lavender mare turned her undivided attention back onto the pony still lying before her.

Twilight let her floodgates open. Magic flooded into and out of her horn at an alarming rate, gathering in a huge orb floating ontop of her, crackling and growing to be bigger than herself.

The creatures stumbled back and gaped in awe at the show of their master's incredible prowess. When she had emptied every last scrap of magic into the orb, Twilight focused, channeling the enormous ball of pure magic all into the tip of Princess Celestia's horn, filling her up with life and energy.

When the last of her power was gone, Twilight’s eyes cracked open briefly to see her friend's features replenished with their former glory, seeing this, the lavender mare smiled and tumbled to the side, the creatures' calls of alarm falling on deaf ears as the darkness enveloped the cloaked figure, dragging her into the unconscious

— Present —

"...So the reason you're hurt... It's because of me." Celestia concluded with a burning glare at her hoof as she turned her head away in shame and folded her wing back, berating herself for not listening to Twilight's warnings telling her to leave the forest alone.

"Tia." Twilight firmly stated, using a hoof to gently nudge her friend's cheek back so that she was facing her, "Nothing is your fault, I bought this upon myself."

"But I-"

"No buts!" The lavender mare interrupted, "Listen to me. It was either you getting hurt or me, and you weren’t going to get hurt, not on my watch, and I was the one deciding."

Celestia swallowed guiltily before reasoning quietly, "I'm just... saying you shouldn't be hurting because of my mistakes..." her ears pinned back, "Again..." Her fuchsia eyes pierced the amethyst ones, "You can’t just hurt yourself for me, Twilight, I am no more important than you!"

Twilight sighed in irritation. Why could her friend not get it into her head that she wasn't to blame? "You’re always going to be more important to me." She mustered a small smile, "Besides, it will last for a few weeks at best, and no one will even be able to tell anything was wrong as long as I don't use my magic."

"If nopony can tell, then I'll give the magic back to you! What's a little endurance for me? It will be served as punishment for all my sins!" The Princess of the Sun rebutted, staring at the smaller mare pleadingly.

Twilight grew exasperated, "I told you you needed it more remember? Think, Tia! You are in an unfamiliar environment where every living being, save for me, detests the very earth you trot on, and they will no doubt want to hurt you in which ever way they are able to, regardless of what I have claimed!”

“I am home! There is nothing in this forest willing to harm me, not one creature I have not personally nurtured and cared for, not one plant I have not earned the respect of!"

The mare's features softened, tearing her gaze away, "And I don't know what I would do if something happened to you just because I was afraid of a little discomfort."

Celestia scoffed, "I'm more than capable of defending myself! With or without magic." But Twilight saw the doubt in her eyes.

"What's important is that you remain safe, no discussion." The lavender pony smiled, "Now, we were on the way to save the 'knights in shining armors' were we not?"

With that, Celestia recognized the conversation being labelled as over and 'no debate', so she reluctantly stood, reapplying the invisibility charm and teleporting the two mares, one visible and the other hidden, to a small hill near the edge of the forest, where Twilight had pointed to mere moments ago.

— Eastern Everfree - Afternoon —

To a spectator, it would have seemed like a mysterious violet pony had just appeared alone, sporting a dark cloak and looking calm and collected, as if the scene before her was to be expected. But she had not been alone. In fact, the Radiant Majesty of the Sun herself was present beside her friend, looking at her surroundings with confusion and shock.

The hill was separated into halves by a roaring cyan flame, controlled and not spreading the slightest.

On one side, animals were lined up and kneeling upon seeing their master. On the other, royal guards were hiding behind a strong, raspberry force field, obviously conjured by the stallion standing defiantly at the front.

They were raising their spears in the directions of both the creatures and the new arrival, whilst also being restrained by vines and spikes, which were clutching to their limbs and allowing no movement.

Silence reigned supreme as Twilight held out a hoof expectantly, neither sides knowing what it was that the mare wanted before her foreleg caught on a familiar turquoise flame, fading to reveal Aurora chipping proudly, oblivious to the looks of incredulity she was receiving from the soldiers.

"Good job ’Rora." Twilight praised proudly before letting her phoenix onto her back and walking over to the royal guards, smiling, and facing the leader of the group, the only object between them being the shield he still maintained over him and his companions.

"Unhand us at once, and release the Princess!" The guard at the front called, the unicorn had a pale coat and and a blue mane, his striking blue eyes would send a shiver of doubt down any usual foe, but Twilight was no normal pony. She met the leader's glare with a soft smile.

"Allow me to be the first to welcome you and your friends into our Everfree Forest. What is your name young stallion?" The cloaked mare asked in a pleasant tone, as if they were talking over tea and cookies.

"Captain Shining Armor, first in command, second only to the Princess and most powerful unicorn in Canterlot." The leader smirked, "So I would suggest you unbind us and let go of her Highness ma'am, you've got enough charges on you as it is."

Celestia so desperately wanted to send a word of warning to her beloved friend. Her captain was certainly not bluffing. His shields were virtually indestructible to anypony, and even she had trouble breaking them, let alone Twilight with not a drop of magic in her wellspring! So what was her former student planning?

"Well then Captain, if I was a real enemy of Equestria, you would have just told me who you are, how influential you are, and by extension, who I can use you as hostage against..." She lent forward whispering so that only the stallion could hear, "Prince Consort." Twilight watched as the color drained out of Shining Armor's face.

"I believe there are no charges to my name, you and your comrades have foolishly entered my forest against my warnings— " Celestia winced, "—destroyed part of my home— " She gestured to the trampled bushes and trees, "—all to look for a monarch who was not captured, but came of her own free will." The lavender mare stated calmly from under her hood.

Everypony's jaws dropped as Twilight passed through Shining Armor's impenetrable shield, barely disturbing the edges of her black cloak. She smiled kindly, lightly stomping her fetlock once, and just like that, the bindings loosened, and retreated back into the earth.

The other stallions jumped up quickly and shuffled hurriedly to the edge of the 'unbreakable' shield, while Shining Armor, although free of his vines, just lay there, frozen and looking up at Twilight as if she was a ghost, jaw unhinged.

"Wha— I— How did y—" He spluttered, completely oblivious to his fellow guards shaking and pounding on the orb.

'Was it a spell? No... Her horn didn't light up. Who is she? How can somepony break my shield?'

Twilight extended a hoof to help him stand, and smirked knowingly, "I’m afraid that's for me to know, and you to find out, Captain."

Shining Armor dispelled his shield and reluctantly took her hoof before silently retreating back along the path they made on the way to the hill, followed quickly by his soldiers, all glaring warily at the lavender unicorn as she turned tail, and approached the creatures behind her.

Celestia was walking alongside Twilight, both intent on spending more time with each other, when a loud Bang. caught them both off guard. They spun around quickly, the Princess lighting up her horn and the lavender mare's eyes narrowed.

Twilight's heart lurched into her throat as she saw Aurora swoop in front of her, intercepting the incoming beam and falling to the ground, she reared up, striking the earth and watched as vines rushed to create a safe landing for the phoenix.

For a tense moment, all was still, before Twilight tore her gaze away from the limp bird, and she directed her attention to a tall unicorn guard who was already cowering and stepping back in hopes of escape.

The other guards stared in horror as the cloaked figure disappeared under a whirlwind of leaves, only to reappear right before them, eyes devoid of the kindness they had been greeted with but a moment ago.

Twilight turned on the unicorn who was trembling with fear, trying to back away slowly, but the Mistress would not have it. She stepped forwards, outrage clearly evident in her features.

The trees on either side of their path grew, arching over, under and to the side of the guards and the mare, branches interlocking and trapping them in an enclosed space at Twilight's complete mercy.

— EE, Inside Branches - Nearing Sundown—

Shining Armor stepped in front of the recruit defensively, turning Twilight's gaze towards him instead.

If he was being honest, he understood the mare's fury. if somepony dear to him had been striked down with no apparent reason, he would surely spare no pity for the tormentor, and he was certainly going to give the soldier a stern talking to when they got out of this mess, but his job as Captain was to protect his guards, and that was what he fully intended to do.

Twilight spared Shining a mere glance before vines brought the struggling stallion back along with the rest of his recruits, revealing a terrified unicorn. His pupils were the size of pinpricks, and as with every step, Twilight seemingly grew in height while the guard shrunk until he was almost sprawled out on the curved bark.

"P-Pl-Please d-d-don't h-hurt m-me!" He stammered, diverting his gaze to look anywhere but the towering form of the cloaked mare.

"Name?" Twilight's voice seemed level and calm, but her features told otherwise. Her mane, although devoid of it's full radiance due to her depleted wellspring, cracked with unknown power and rage under her hood. Her fur bristled with rage and her irises were now a hard lilac instead of their usual dark violet color, filled to the brim with ferocity.

"B-B-Blustering W-Wing ma'am! P-Please! I-I have a w-wife and-" He was cut off by the mare before he could finish his plea.

"-and two children, I am aware... So, tell me, Lieutenant Blustering Wing the third, eldest son of former Lieutenant Swift Wing and deceased Captain Storm Swirl, what was the motive of your attack?"

Everypony had their jaws agape at the exact description of the stallion, and held their breaths as Blustering Wing helplessly swallowed a lump in his throat before explaining, "I-I-I..."

He turned to his fellow guards desperately, but none would meet his gaze, "Y-You were holding her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia captive!" Blustering tried frantically.

"And you're completely sure I was holding her prisoner instead of offering her tea and a warm bed?" Twilight asked, eyes hardening.

"W-Well we-"

"You deliberately ignore my advice, telling you to not come into the forest, telling you that there are dangers you should avoid, warning you for your own safety?"

"Th-There was no proo-"

"You attack me after I have released you from your bindings and let you go freely, not even charging you for the extensive damage you have dealt to my home?"

The guards collectively winced, Twilight's accusations were harsh and hardly restrained, but worst of all, they were true.

The lavender unicorn was now bent over the Lieutenant, who was almost in tears, "Lastly, the most unforgivable thing, you have harmed my Aur-"

To the collective confusion of the guards, Twilight suddenly, reluctantly drew back, taking deep breaths and resuming control over her composure, before turning to look at the empty space across from the constrained guards and asking quietly, "Is Aurora alright?"

Unbeknownst to all but Twilight, who flicked a ear in her direction, being the only pony who caught the soft sizzle of teleportation, Princess Celestia, under the shelter of invisibility, appeared inside of the ball of twisted trunks and bark to witness her best soldiers tied off to the side, unharmed and their attentions focused on Lieutenant Wing, the unicorn who fired the beam at the phoenix.

The pony in question was sweating buckets, pressed against the wall, shaking and facing the advancing mare, Twilight.

To others, it may have seemed like she was out of control, knowing nothing but rage and intent on destroying Blustering Wing. But to Celestia, despite losing several centuries of experience, recognized Twilight's small signs of fear, fear for her beloved Aurora, and shock, shock for the guard's wholly unexpected behavior.

In Twilight, the princess saw no intention to harm, only to deliver a stern reprimand, so she made no move to stop her former student.

But as she noticed the lavender mare growing increasingly distressed, Celestia tenderly draped an invisible wing around Twilight, calming her instantly.

The guards, in particular Blustering Wind, gave a deep sigh of relief as the Princess of the Sun unraveled her own spell, eyeing her soldiers serenely.

"Oh thank Celestia! Your Majesty! You're alright! You have to hel-" The Lieutenant's gaze drifted from the newcomer to Twilight, then to the wide wing wrapped comfortingly around her. "Oh."

"..Don't worry Twilight, it was just a stunning spell, one of the timberwolves carried her to your chambers, I think she should be up and flying again in the morning." Celestia reassured Twilight, brushing her barrel with the tip of her wing soothingly.

Twilight nodded in relief before turning towards Blustering Wind, who was wearing a guilty expression. "I believe... I have made my point quite clear." She helped the poor stallion up and cleared her throat once.

The structure around the guards apparently seemed to take the hint. The vines released their prisoners and the trees slowly unraveled away, dropping the stallions unceremoniously onto the earth while Celestia let go of Twilight and glided down gracefully. The lavender mare, herself, was swept up by a gale of leaves. She landed beside the princess, touching down lightly as the guards shuffled to their hooves awkwardly.

Shining stepped forward, turning towards Celestia and saluting, the rest of his soldiers following in his hoofsteps. "Your Majesty. Are you well?"

"Quite well, thank you Captain, my host— " The princess smiled at Twilight, "--has been very hospitable. My apologies for your concern."

"Not at all, Princess." Shining Armor turned his attention to the lavender unicorn next to his monarch, "Please excuse the trouble we have bought to your... home, Miss. Would you wish for us to help you replant and restore the nature we have destroyed?" He asked politely, gesturing to the bare path, which was once overgrown.

To his surprise, the mare just shook her head and laughed, "I believe that I am able to handle that myself, but I do appreciate the offer."

Everypony gaped in awe as Twilight prompted gently to nopony in particular, "If you would?"

They watched as foliage from the two sides spread across the barren path, meeting at the center and sprouting bushes, flowers and dense trees. In a blink of an eye, it was as if the incident never occurred, the area was covered with rich greenery and beautiful red roses.

"Wha— " Shining Armor fell to his rump in disbelief, staring at the new vegetation, brimming with life. Suddenly, he had a sudden stroke of inspiration, he directed his next question to Twilight, "Miss? Are these roses consumable?"

Twilight nodded, and let out a small chuckle, "They are, although..." She drawled, leaning in and whispering into the Captain's ear, "I think I have something better for her"

Shining blushed. 'Did she know about Cadence? How had she known?' He eyed the mare questioningly, wondering what could be a better present for Hearts and Hooves day than a bouquet of red roses fresher than any he had seen at the other florists.

Everypony gasped as Twilight touched her hoof lightly to the soil, and as she slowly removed it, a beautiful rose grew. It had tantalizing baby blue petals which glimmered in the sunlight, the center gave out a dim turquoise glow, spreading a warmth across the ponies nearest to it. The fragrance was soft and alluring, sweet and tempting. It looked heavenly.

The guards all had wide eyes, some even had saliva drooling out of their mouths and many were subconsciously shuffling closer and reaching out.

"...I-Is that what I think it is?" Celestia whispered to Twilight, receiving a nod of confirmation, the princess muttered, "Stars above! Twilight, I haven't tasted one of your 'Azure Blooms' in over a millennium! My scientists have never even come close to replicating it!"

"A millennium?" Twilight chuckled, turning away from her and plucking the rose delicately from the stem with a hooftip, "What do you think the secret ingredient in my tea is?"

None of the guards noticed as Celestia fell to her haunches in shock.

"M-May I-I..." Stammered the Captain of the Royal Guard, still admiring the flower and not even sparing Twilight a glance.

"Of course, as long as you give it to her, that is." The lavender mare passed it to Shining with a hoof, and he caught it delicately in his raspberry aura, cradling it carefully.

Twilight laughed a little, before smirking at his awestruck expression, "After all, it does match that ring you spent three entire months looking for, does it not?" Twilight giggled as the stallion's face turned beetroot red.

An insistent tugging at the base of her horn reminded Celestia of her duty to lower the sun. "Captain?" She ventured, snapping Shining out of his trance like state and standing at attention. "It is nearing sundown, and it is in my best interest to make it out of the forest before it gets dark."

"Oh yes, the infants-" Celestia suppressed a shudder as Twilight subtly reminded her of the horrifying experience she had just had, "-should be waking up from their nap soon, it would be a death wish for you to remain here when that happens."

Some of the guards raised an eyebrow, but otherwise made no comment as their Captain agreed, "Very well. Miss Twilight, I... cannot thank you enough for the flower, I give you my word, I will try to make it up to you in which ever way necessary." Shining thanked the violet mare appreciatively before tucking his precious cargo safely into a storage compartment embedded into his armor.

"No need to thank me, it was for a good cause after all, just... take good care of her." Twilight nodded with a smile.

'Who is she to you?' Shining Armor pondered with mild suspicion, but otherwise just thanked the unicorn once more before turning to his soldiers and calling out, "Preparing for departure! Protection around the Princess!"

As the princess nuzzled Twilight a final time, she asked, almost pleadingly, "Twilight? When... will I be able to see you again?"

The smaller mare smiled, "I'll meet you at your balcony once I regain enough of my magic. I may even bring you a gift, if you’re good..." Twilight trailed off, grinning slyly and giggling as Celestia huffed in mock annoyance.

"Alright, we best be going then... and Twilight?" The princess started hesitantly, "I... Thank you, for forgiving me."

"Always."

With that said, the guards circled around the monarch, spears pointed and ears pricked attentively. They began walking away from the hill, finding the path they made before walking forwards, enveloped by the dark of shadows cast by the dense forest.

Twilight was about to turn away to check on the infant cockatrices before a nervous recruit's words caught her attention,

"Are you sure this is safe captain? I can't really see anything"

"Use your other senses soldier!"

The lavender mare hid her amusement, she spun around to face the retreating party and sent her soft voice across to them with the wind, causing them to halt abruptly and turn towards her with confused expressions.

"Hold on a moment."

Twilight looked to her surroundings, spotting the remaining creatures who had stayed for her own safety despite her reassurances.

"Willow?" She called out to the closest timberwolf, who bowed low and growled in respect.

"Yes Mistress?" He responded, a questioning edge in his voice.

Twilight smiled, "Would you be so kind as to gather up a pack to escort Princess Celestia and her guards to the nearby civilization?" She asked, despite already knowing his answer.

"Of course Mistress." Willow agreed, but he grit his teeth and looked at the ponies in disdain. He let out a grumble, and in a blink of an eye, ten wolves leapt out of the shadows, surrounding Celestia and her guards, who gave startled shouts and raised their spears threateningly, which went unnoticed by the creatures.

"Thank you. Keep them safe for me." Twilight appreciated the creatures' undying loyalty even when asked to protect a former enemy of theirs.

She sent her alabaster friend a nod of assurance and watched as Celestia reluctantly told her guards to stand down, and they moved out of the Everfree at a faster pace than before.

~ End of rewritten chapter. ~

Author's Note

I don't know if anybody noticed, so I'll just say it here,

In this chapter, I tried to portray their relationship by using different words:
"Friend" for friends
"Former mentor / Former student" for teacher-student
"My little Sparkle" for something like a mother-daughter (last chapter: "Surrogate daughter")

I'm also having a bit of trouble on what to call Twilight, she looks like a unicorn and I referred to her as such before the secret was revealed to the audience, but she technically has Pegasus magic and Earth Pony magic along with her Unicorn magic despite her physical appearance, so should I call her alicorn instead?

Hope you enjoyed! Each chapter will now on be uploaded the first of each month! I'm going with a regular schedule so I can maybe include more content in a chapter and have it better edited.

(Sorry this chapter is so abnormally long)

-Meowofy

29/08/20 - Rewritten

Chapter 4 - Part II | Worth

Chapter 6 - Distrust

The Goddess of the Sun was surrounded by a small squad of soldiers led by her Captain, Shining Armor. The ponies were all staring suspiciously at the surrounding pack of wolves, sent by their master to accompany them.

At the front, the Captain of the Royal Guard noticed a soldier march up to him hesitantly. He turned towards the recruit questioningly, his strides never slowing, "Yes Steel Blade?"

Steel gave his superior a hopeful glance and started shyly, "W-Well, my wife just came out of hospital from a dangerous operation, and I wanted to give her something special for Hearts and Hooves day. You understand don't you?"

"...Yes, I do." Shining agreed cautiously, he did not like where this was going.

The recruit seemed to gain a little confidence with the Captain's answer, "I-I saw the flower that mare gave to you... I don't suppose I could..."

"I'm sorry, it's actually for my own special somepony, I cannot, in good conscience, give it to you..." Shining Armor apologized, looking at the guard sympathetically.

"No no no, I wasn't asking for the whole thing. Please Sir, just a small petal next to her first meal out of the hospital, you wouldn't even be able to notice it was gone!" Steel begged, he was now trotting to keep up with his Captain's pace.

Shining Armor bit his bottom lip, he was aware of the disease that Windy Willows, Steel's wife, contracted, and he knew that she may not have a long time in this world left. Would one petal hurt? For the sake of an old friend?

"I... I guess a single petal couldn--" Shining started, watching his companion's face light up, only to be cut off a gruff voice.

"Don't even think about it."

Princess Celestia and her guards turned to regard the interferer with shock, it was the first noise any of the wolves had made since their departure from the hill.

"Pardon me?" The Captain challenged with a hint of annoyance seeping into his neutral guard's voice.

The same timberwolf, Aegis, growled, "You have no idea what you're about to give away. That blossom is made completely of pure, untainted magic. This rose you have acquired from our Mistress blooms only once every century. An Azure seed is born from her own private recollections and is only offered to those closest to her--" He shot a disgusted glare to Celestia, who averts her gaze, "--regardless of whether they deserve it or not"

"Closest to her?" Shining Armor echoed, confusion evident in his tone, "We've just met!"

Steel Blade returned to his place in formation, wearing a disappointed frown and knowing begging would do no more good.

"And are you the pony our Mistress has gifted the rose to?"

The Captain scoffed, "You saw it yourself, the Miss gave me the flower on the condition I take care of..." His eyes widened and his steps faltered for a moment, then he snapped at Aegis, "What does she want with Ca- my marefriend?"

"Captain Shining Armor, calm yourself," Princess Celestia spoke in a soft, firm tone, "Twilight does not wish harm upon... your lover. They have had a long history together and were very fond of each other, no doubt it was just a blessing for her happiness."

The stallion exhaled, cheeks tinged pink at being called out by royalty, "Yes Your Highness, please excuse my outburst." Then he recalled a small detail the ruler had included and asked as an afterthought, "They were very fond of each other?"

Celestia looked uncomfortable for a moment, then her features returned to that of a calm and benevolent princess before responding, "They most likely still are, they were just separated as a result of an accident."

Aegis snorted before grumbling sarcastically, "'Accident' indeed"

No pony nor creature made another sound until they approached the path leading to the exit of the Everfree, where the timberwolves ended their escort and let the ponies walk onto the exposed road. Before the princess could thank the wolves, they dissolved into the shadows and disappeared, out of sight.

Princess Celestia spared a last glance at the canopy of trees they had just emerged from, before lighting her horn and finally allowing the sun to dip below the horizon, making way for its pale counterpart.

She made her way over to the prepared chariot and climbed aboard, before pegasi charioteers spread their wings and made for Canterlot in the north, facing the moon.

"There, that should be the last one." Twilight used the lightest of touches to press the 'Horcus Plant', a weed used for healing, onto the chimera's burn, he winced but otherwise offered no comment, only an appreciative nod.

She planted a soft kiss onto each of his heads, gentle as a feather, just as she had done for all the injured creatures in the cave.

"I must thank you all for not engaging with the royal guards, I am happy to report no casualties on either sides, all soldiers and animals alike retreated unharmed, save for a few burns and bruises." Twilight smiled gratefully at each of her creatures, earning proud grunts of pleasure at receiving the Mistress' acknowledgement."Rest here for the night, I shall deliver your dinner to you in a moment."

As she turned to leave, a manticore to the side of her called out in a worried tone, "Mistress, is Miss Aurora alright?"

Twilight smiled at the creature, her eyes speaking volumes of her love, "Thank you for your concern Hollow, Aurora should be fine, it was just a stunning spell."

Hollow growled, "I could have finished that pony off... the nerve!" He pawed at the ground, thinking about the phoenix's tormentor.

"I understand your fury towards the guards, all of you, but we must also remember how threatening we must have looked from their perspective. They were sent into a dangerous environment where they could have easily been 'finished off' as you say, to look for a princess who, before today, would have seemed flawless and infallible. If a goddess couldn't keep herself safe, what chance did they have?"

The chimera he had tended to last spoke up, "If I may Mistress," He received a small nod of approval,"Why would you save the pony princess after... all she's done?"

Twilight hid a wince and explained evenly, "Elijah, I acknowledge the crimes Princess Celestia as committed against me along with many of the creatures here, but is it really your wish to know you can save a life and you refuse to, due to a past event? Would that be so different to having her blood on our hooves, paws and claws?"

"But now she'll never understand how you felt Mistress! It's justice!" The timberwolf to the back of the group asked in deep voice, sounding strong and sure.

"Is it justice? Or is it revenge?" Twilight questioned softly, eyeing the animals surrounding her, "Forgiveness is an important skill, it creates new bonds and allies. Vengeance is deflecting all your negative emotions onto a being, making them hurt the way you did, would it really make the situation better? To deal pain to Celestia for her past actions?"

"The Princess comes before us a changed pony from how she was nine centuries ago, she now tries to treat all animals with respect, she is once more humble and kind. Just as you cannot blame the ancestors of your tormentors in the past, we should not think of all the damage Celestia has done, but rather the things she's done to fix her... mistakes.”

Twilight smiled once again as she saw the reluctant bobbing of the animals' heads, "Thank you, I am not asking you to forget what she has done to you, I have not forgotten and doubt I ever will. My hope is that you will come to know the new Celestia instead of focusing on the old."

The mare trotted out of the cave before any of her creatures could speak.

"Are you sure you're alright 'Rora?" Twilight stroked her phoenix's feathers tenderly upon receiving a reassuring nod, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have let my guard down. But next time, don't jump in front of every danger, alright?"

The bird ruffled her wings indignantly, clacking her beak together repeatedly with a huff.

Twilight raised a brow, “I know you want to protect me, but getting hurt isn’t the right way to do it.”

Aurora hung her head and tapped once more, letting out a low cry at the end.

The lavender pony smiled, “It’s alright, I forgive you. But do you think you could do something for me once you get better?”

She watched as her pet's eyes lit up, turning to her and letting out a questioning squawk. Twilight leaned forward whispered quickly, Aurora letting out a guffaw when her master had finished her request, nodding excitedly and already planning the event.

“Much appreciated ‘Rora, I don’t know what I’d without you.” Twilight gave her assistant a last nuzzle before setting a tray of food to the side of her perch and making her way over to the cloud bed her former mentor had just vacated in the afternoon.

For the first time in a while, Twilight drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

“Good evening Captain, is something the matter?”

“Your Majesty.” Shining Armor bowed before his monarch before receiving a polite nod and standing straight once more, “I would like to talk about the... encounter we had with that mare.”

Princess Celestia was resting in her chambers after the unexpected chain of events when her Captain had requested an audience.

The Regent of the Sun nodded, she had expected questions to arise of course, it wasn’t everyday you came across a powerful mare residing in the Everfree and controlling it's wild, unpredictable beasts after all.

“What would you like to know Shining Armor?” Celestia offered graciously, taking a sip of tea and setting another cup infront of Shining.

“Well, I have many questions, if you would answer them all.”

Celestia swirled her cup gently, sending puffs of steam up into the air, “There are some questions that I cannot, and will not, answer, but I will attempt to provide an explanation to at least some of your questions. I must ask, however, that this knowledge imparted to you today along with the events which have occured this afternoon stay strictly between us and the deployment of guards who have witnessed it firsthoof.”

The Captain of the Royal Guard nodded and shuffled nervously, “My first question, who was she and how did Your Highness come to know her?”

The Princess smiled serenely, “Twilight is a... very dear friend of mine, she was my former student and is remarkably talented in magic.”

Shining arched a brow, “With all due respect Princess, I have never seen you interact with her before today, and you haven’t announced a protege since Sunset Shimmer. If she was your student, what is she doing in the Everfree Forest of all places?”

Celestia let out a small sigh at the mention of Sunset, unnoticed by Shining Armor. So many years had gone by since another one of her students had fallen as a result of the Princess’ own mistakes, however indirectly it may have seemed. “Twilight and I go a long way back, we were very close but I pushed her away in an act of foolishness. I... hurt her, both physically and mentally, and she was saved by the timberwolves when they bought her to the Everfree.”

“You hurt her? Princess, she seemed comfortable with your presence, neither angered or resentful.”

The Solar Regent let out a chuckle, “Indeed Captain, my dear Twilight is very forgiving. She prefers to settle disputes over a conversation, something I had forgotten when I lashed out at her...”

There was a tense silence for a few moments before Shining spoke up, “If she has dismissed your actions, why has she not revealed herself to ponykind? Her magical abilities could certainly be used to help Equestria.”

“Twilight believes she owes a debt to the creatures of her forest, she is their protector and master, she feeds, takes care of them and has built strong relationships with both the fauna and flora , as you have no doubt seen. Neither side feels comfortable apart from eachother.”

Shining huffed, “Your Majesty, please, you are talking about the monsters in the forest as if they were sentient beings, who is to say ‘Twilight’ does not practice the branch of hypnosis?”

Celestia eyed her Captain sternly, “Can you honestly say these ’monsters’ are not aware after what you have witnessed today? Twilight has managed to teach them communication and restraint. Furthermore, for hypnosis to work, the caster must have a sufficient amount of magic stored in their wellspring, she had none.

The Captain’s eyes widened, “None?” He spluttered, “But what did she use it on? That’s impossible! The trees and vines!”

The Princess peered straight into Shining’s dark blue eyes, “She gave it all to me.” Shining gaped, “There was a good reason why Twilight had requested for ponykind to stay out of the borders of her forest, I did not heed that advice.”

“Cockatrices. Infant cockatrices. They have not been taught mercy or control yet and will petrify all living beings on site, with no hesitation. I teleported into the trees without questioning the reason for her request and I encountered one. Twilight saved me, despite the strain in our relationship, she freed me from the stone.”

Shining gawked at his monarch, “Princess! We have to get you a physician! A cockatrice’s trap saps your magical stor--” His eyes widened in realisation, “You mean she...”

“You are correct Captain, Twilight poured her entire wellspring into mine to shield me from discomfort at the cost of her own magic.”

Captain Armor shook his head, “But the Everfree Forest! The vines, trees, flowers! She must have an alternate source of power for her to be able to shape nature.”

“I do not know how my former student manages to control her forest or her creatures, but it isn’t unicorn magic. I have personally seen her empty wellspring and she does not light up her horn while she ‘shapes nature,’ as you say.”

Shining Armor ran possible debates through his head, but none fit the situation. He sighed, “Princess, there is one other thing...”

Celestia nodded, “Yes?”

“My shield.” Captain Armor stated bluntly, “She went through my shield, and if what she said is to be believed, she passed my shield with no magic. that ‘Twilight’ didn’t even shatter it! How did she just...”

The Princess furrowed her brows, “I apologize Captain, I do not have the answer to your question, you would have to ask her yourself, but there is no assurance that she will reveal her tricks to you either, Twilight likes to allow her enemies and adversaries find out on their own, catching them off guard with her magical prowess at the last possible moment.”

“For her allies, she encourages them to delve into her secrets themselves, again revealing nothing, testing their independence and teaching them in her own way.”

“Her closest confidants may receive a small gift given to them in their time of need, crafted to suit their uses and provide a spark of hope for the future.”

Shining huffed, “I’m guessing I can be counted as an ally then? How about you Your Highness? Could you ask her for me?”

Celestia nodded, “Despite your actions in her forest, I’m sure all is forgiven, Twilight likes to look at both sides of the conflict before delivering her final judgement after all.”

She paused, breaking eye contact and taking a sip of tea, “While I was no doubt considered one of her... closest confidants before, I believe it would take some time to regain the same level of friendship we once had... The things I did, cruel wouldn’t even begin to describe it. Twilight forgives me of course, like always, but there just isn’t the same level of... familiarity. Still, it’s better than what I deserve and I am grateful.”

The Captain of the Royal Guard wore a thoughtful frown, “How do I... ‘delve into her secrets?’ then? There are no records with her name on it as your student or otherwise, I would have seen.”

Princess Celestia let out a melodic chuckle, “If she does not wish for you to find anything, you will not be able to, but I believe she may lay down a trail for you very soon, she did always like to string her allies along before, always several steps ahead and guiding you to success without your knowledge, praising you for your achievements and never acknowledging her own subtle hoof.”

“Actually, it sounds...” Shining glanced at his Princess, “like you...”

Celestia widened her eyes a bit, at a loss of words, before bursting out in laughter, “Oh Captain, if you could tell, then I am nowhere near the level of my former student!”

Shining Armor grinned awkwardly as he ran through the thoughts in his head, ‘She sounds very powerful, she has an advantage over me, my shields do nothing to her, she also has nature and her animals...’

“She sounds like a formidable foe Princess.”

Princess Celestia leveled a steely gaze at her captain, dropping her smile, “I assure you, Twilight means no harm, she will never use her magical abilities for anything malicious. I will not tolerate you regarding her as a threat and an enemy. Do I make myself clear?”

Shining nodded quickly, sweat seeping from his pores, “Very clear Your Highness, please forgive me, I was not thinking straight.”

“Of course Captain, anymore questions?”

The Captain hummed, “Will Miss Twilight be visiting regularly? Should I allow her clearance with the Royal Guards?”

Celestia chuckled, “I highly doubt it will matter Shining, the guards cannot keep her out or in, should she decide to visit me, she’ll appear on my balcony. She is only seen when she wants to be.”

Captain Shining gulped, “Uh, I see Your Majesty. I have no further questions, thank you for your time and have a good night. Permission to leave?”

The Sun Princess gave a curt nod, “Granted.”

“Okay how do I look?” Shining Armor glanced at his mirror for the dozenth time, arranging his mane until it was perfect. He tidied his tuxedo again and checked the little, black box within his pocket.

It was time to go meet with his marefriend. It was time to ask her for the final stage. He held a beautiful flower up against the sunlight, he thought about the mare who had given it to him and their encounter a week ago. ‘I still need to figure out who Cady is to her... No matter, questions can come after our date tonight if all goes well.‘

Shining tucked the blue rose into the same pocket as the small case and made sure it wasn’t cramped before regarding his reflection one last time and heading off to the palace gardens.

The love of his life was there. Dressed in a dazzling pale dress and standing in the light of the afternoon sun.

“Cady!”

She spun around to face the ivory stallion with a bright smile on her face, “Shiny!”

The two lovers met in the middle, embracing each other, “Shiny I didn’t see you at all yesterday! Where were you?”

Captain Armor grinned slyly, “Sorry Cadence, I was preparing for today...”

The Princess of Love cocked an eyebrow, “What do you mean?” She questioned, “Aren’t we just going on a date?”

The stallion felt sweat build on his back as he slowly knelt down and reached into his pocket with his aura. He pulled out the beautiful flower out and smiled at his marefriend’s widening eyes, but it couldn’t compare to the loud gasp she gave when Shining held out the tiny velvet box, it was so light yet held so much value.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza... W-Will you marry me?”

It was still and silent, nothing made a noise. He had done it, now he just had to wait for her reaction.

“Yes. Yes! Yes!” Cadence exclaimed as her coltfriend let out a massive sigh of relief. He levitated the ring up to the Love Princess and slid it smoothly down her horn before allowing Cadence to take the flower in her own telekinesis.

They dove into a passionate kiss.

Suddenly, light burst from all around them as they broke apart, startled. From the foliage, usually shy and secluded animals, squirrels, rabbits and butterflies surrounded them, birds of all kinds sang a synchronized tune, landing on the two newly engaged ponies.

Shining Armor and his fiancée laughed and pranced around the woodland creatures. Could they have come over just for their celebration? Even mother nature agreed with their union!

Everything was perfect until a bird flew past. A bird familiar to Shining.

The pale phoenix, driven by her master’s request, circled through the air, elegant wings propelling her and leaving a trail of flames suspended by an unseen force. The turquoise fire shaped a beautiful heart.

The Captain’s protective instincts took hold. He stepped in front of Cadence who was staring up at the phoenix in awe before, but was now staring at him in confusion as he put up a shield and glared at the bird defiantly.

“You!” Are you here to spy on us? For your owner? I don’t know why Celestia trusts her, but I refuse to fall into her ‘gentle and caring’ trap! Your ‘mistress’ is dangerous, and I will protect my new fiancée from her!”

At first, the phoenix recoiled as if struck, then, at his last statement, she let out a low, threatening warble and took off to the sky, disappearing in a cyan flame.

Shining exhaled in relief, turning back to his perplexed fiancée, “Are you alright? It’s okay, we’re safe now.”

“I-I’m fine Shiny, but what happened?”

The Captain smiled reassuringly, “Don’t worry, just something I saw on the rescue mission the other day. How about we just continue with our date?”

Cadence looked like she wanted to know more, but held back as she nodded with a bright smile.

It was only then that they noticed the friendly creatures had backed away, glowering and hissing at them. No, at him.

“No! Wait, please!” Shining called desperately, not wanting the warm comfort of the small creatures to leave, but it was too late. They had disappeared into the bushes.

Captain Armor dropped to his haunches. Everything was going so well, his would-be-wife was so happy and even nature had blessed their relationship, all ruined because of his tendency to lash out. Come to think of it, was that mare even untrustworthy? The princess seemed to know her well...

“I’m so sorry Cady, I ruined everything...”

Cadence sat next to her fiancée, basking in the brisk, afternoon sun, “Shining, you haven't ruined anything,” She gave him a small peck on his cheek, “I’ll admit I don’t know the full story, but we just got engaged, and our date isn’t exactly over yet...”

Shining Armor’s ears perked up and he gave a small smile, “Thanks Cadence, you always know what to say.”

The Princess of Love winked at him, “Well?”

The Captain shook himself, he would worry about the bird and that mare later. “Milady,” He offered a hoof and grinned as she took it gracefully, “May you accompany me out on a date?”

Cadence’s eyes twinkled, “Why, good sir, I would be delighted!” They made their way to the nearby restaurant, Cadence shooting occasional glances at her new ring and Shining still eyeing their surroundings for any sign of the phoenix.

Stars shone like sugar spilt over black marble, glistening in the moonlight. The night sky was such a welcome sight, appearing like magic at each sunset, promising to return as she faded in dawn's first light. There were times in the daytime, under skies of blue, Celestia would think of those faraway stars and how they'd return after the shadows blended into the dark.

It truly was a masterpiece, but contrary to what the astronomers in the foyer, praising her endlessly, believe, it wasn’t her masterpiece.

The Sun Princess had agreed to hold a ball for the Astronomers’ Guild in the palace and had gotten pestered with complements and questions. The ponies commending her stolen canvas had bought a dagger of guilt down onto her heart and twisted it too.

Celestia had excused herself and retired back to her private chambers for some privacy.

The moon was a warm milky glow in the sky, as if the sight of it could become a song in the eyes of anyone willing to raise their head upward. But to the Princess of the Sun, it was a reminder. A reminder of her failure, her neglect and her flaws.

The craters visible on the pale surface of the sun’s counterpart were shaped into a unicorn mare, silently judging her. It was her dearest sister.

Her own flesh and blood whom she ignored and abandoned. Celestia stole the spotlight, snatched the ponies’ love and now she had taken the results of her sisters pride and joy, her beautiful night sky, as well.

“Oh, Luna... I’m so sorry... Please! Please forgive me!” Princess Celestia felt saltwater gathering in her eyes, filling them to the brim and threatening to burst.

“Please... I miss you...” She whispered, head still tilted up to the shimmering moon, it’s rays reflecting her glistening tears.

“I miss her too.”

Celestia started, swiveling around hurriedly and flinging water droplets onto the marble floor.

“Tw-Twilight!”

The alabaster alicorn was met with a smaller mare with a familiar lavender coat and sparkling violet eyes, staring up at the pale orb in the sky with a small smile.

Twilight walked over to her former mentor and sat next to her, pulling down her hood to reveal a limp, overgrown mane, it’s ethereal qualities disabled.

The lavender mare did not meet Celestia’s gaze, instead studying the night sky and leaning into the larger frame beside her, lending her comfort and support.

“You know, the one good thing about having less magic is that I can finally let my hair down, you know how manes like these always get in the way.” Twilight joked, laughing lightly and finally resting her attention on Princess Celestia, who was furiously swiping at her eyes.

“Go ahead,” Twilight offered softly, “You can tell me what’s wrong, let it all out.”

“I’m sorry, you shouldn't have to see me like this... I’m fine, this doesn’t happen... often...”

The cloaked mare nudged her friend, “Tia, you’re acting as if I don’t know exactly how many times this has happened. I’m here for you now, you no longer have to hold it all in.”

The Sun Princess gazed into her former pupil’s wide, encouraging eyes and averted her attention quickly, “Y-You know?” She received a small smile, “I.. I guess there really isn’t anything I can hide from you, is there?” Celestia chuckled before choking on the lump in her throat.

“I want to hear it from you. You know you can trust me with anything and everything, I will listen and I will understand. Tia, let me help, please.” Twilight nuzzled the larger alicorn as she trembled like a leaf in the storm, still desperately holding it in.

“I-” Celestia wanted to rein it in, to deny any sign of weakness, to tell her beloved friend that she couldn’t possibly understand, but it was all a lie. Twilight knew better than anypony what she was talking about, what she was feeling and why. “I just miss her so, so much... It’s like I have nopony to lean on anymore, no bastion of support, no... constant. I-I’m... alone...”

Twilight pulled her weeping mentor into a hug, stroking her flowing mane gently and catching every single word.

“I’m lonely, and I can’t show it, my ponies all want to see an unflappable goddess, perfect and pristine, and I have to try my best to be that... but I’m not. They sing me praises not because they want me to be happy, but because my happiness brings them riches and advantages. Twilight, I just want somepony to like me! To like the imperfect side, to admire something other than just my shell. That somepony was once Lulu, and now I’ve lost her.”

Princess Celestia wrapped the smaller pony in her soft, ivory wings and let her bottled up feelings flow, for once not thinking and just saying.

“Today. Just then, the Royal Astronomers were talking about how magnificent my nights were! Twilight, my nights! They don’t know about her, and I’m stealing the one thing she’s always had away from her too! I have never even changed the stars, they’re in the same positions as they were in before she... I... I was a horrible pony, the only memories I have with Lulu are the ones from when we were fillies! I don’t even have a photograph of her any more. I never even noticed my neglect until it was too late.”

Twilight remained silent, her own tears unnoticed by her mentor as she cast a quick drying spell for herself and focused on soothing Celestia, she could grieve later, right now, her friend needed her.

“Luna is coming back soon Twilight, and I can’t fight her. The Elements have abandoned me, they won’t respond to my pleas and refuse to even acknowledge my presence. They are little more than just inert stone spheres now, and I don’t know what to do! Ponies depend on me, but who do I have to depend on?” Celestia sobbed into Twilight’s fur, staining it wet and turning its color into a darker shade of purple.

The next moments passed in silence, broken only by the sniffing and cries of the Princess.

“Celestia,” The use of her entire name made the pony in question look up at her friend with glimmering eyes, still wet from tears, as Twilight continued in a soft voice, “Do you trust me?”

The Sun Princess nodded hastily, “O-Of course Twilight, I-I trust you completely”

Twilight sent her a smile, “Then believe me when I say you are not alone. You have me...” Her eyes shut and she hesitated before continuing, “...I apologize. I know I’ve been a terrible friend and I--”

Celestia gasped, her tears momentarily ceasing, “Twilight! Don’t say that! If anything, I should b--”

The lavender mare felt her eyes pooling as she explained, “No, Tia, I... I saw you. I saw you crying every night for the first couple of centuries, and I--” Twilight quickly blinked her tears away, “--I never helped, I let you wallow in sadness and did nothing! All because I was... afraid.”

The Princess gaped, processing the newfound information before blurting out, “That’s hardly your fault! If I hadn’t foolishly hurt you the way I did, then you would have never been afraid in the first place!”

Twilight shook her head, “No, I was never here for you when you needed me, but now I will be. I could never replace Luna, I know that, I just want you to know you can always count on me, anything you need to talk about, tell me and I’ll listen, anything you need help with, I will do everything in my power to help you.”

“Lulu is going to come back soon, but you won’t face her alone. You may have felt like you could never lean on me, like I was just another student to you, but we are going to get your sister back whether we have the Elements or not! Together.”

“I’ll never leave you again, ever... I promise.” Twilight smiled despite the twin trails running down her cheeks as she was drawn into a tight embrace by Celestia.

“Thank you... Thank you so much... You have no idea what your words mean to me” The alicorn princess sobbed into her coat, “You’re the best friend a pony could ever ask for...” Her words of gratitude gradually ebbed into silence.

Neither pony disrupted the peace for a long while until the Solar Regent let out a light yawn and tilted her head forward, mind and body exhausted as she drifted off.

Twilight shut her eyes for a mere moment, basking in the hushed quiet before gently unraveling herself from the larger alicorn’s loose grip. She stood, dispelling her multiple privacy wards from around them and floating Celestia over to her bed, carefully landing her with a soft ruffle of feathers.

She was about to leave when a muffled voice called out, “mph... Twilight?”

“Yes Tia?”

“Can you... Will you... Could you maybe stay with me? Just until I fall asleep? ...Please?”

The lavender mare smiled privately, she was getting a major sense of deja vu from when she was a filly... “Of course.” before adding with a small giggle, “Just until you fall asleep”

She made her way over to the offered wing and nestled into the royal mattress as said wing closed down on her, covering the entirety of her body save for her head.

“Thank you Twilight, I really missed this...” Celestia mumbled quietly, “Love you.”

“Sweet dreams Tia,” The lavender alicorn listened for her former mentor’s slowing breaths, “Love you too.”

Twilight stayed in the same position for a few more minutes before letting a long exhale escape and suddenly lighting her horn and blinking out of existence, reappearing at the foot of Celestia’s alicorn sized bed while her former mentor’s wing slumped back down onto the plump pillow she had teleported in.”

At Celestia’s slight shiver, Twilight pulled the princess’ comforter over her, tucking it under her body and creating a warm, comfortable cocoon.

The lavender mare made her way to her friend’s heavy, mahogany desk and conjured up three objects.

She levitated the first gift. A white candle, lit with an ever-burning turquoise flame, was placed lightly onto the smooth surface, landing with a small ‘clink’.

Next, she revealed a thin scroll of parchment secured with a small, glowing vine and a sealing charm, making it so that the only pony able to read the contents would be Princess Celestia.

The last item was a dark oak box. It was old and obviously treasured, Twilight undid her several dozens of security enchantments and gently lifted the lid to uncover her most precious possessions.

~~~”The only memories I have with Lulu are the ones from when we were fillies! I don’t even have a photograph of her any more”~~~

She shuffled through the contents carefully and grabbed out a single, small slip of paper in her telekinesis before closing the container and resealing it, followed by disappearing with a quiet ‘pop’.

The piece depicted a navy figure with a blue billowing mane, complete with thousands of pinpricks for stars. The pony in question held a majestic sabre in her aura, pointing it at the fallen stallion on the opposite side of the fencing ring and grinning trianphantly.

Twilight smiled, it was one of the only photographs she had of Luna, but for her friend, she was willing to go to great lengths to spark even a small glimmer of joy in her heart.

She stroked the pony a last time and teleported it into the scroll with an audible fizzle before glancing at Celestia, slumbering peacefully on her grand bed.

The lavender mage flared her horn, several coatings of shields covering her friend. Protections, whiplash resistance, sound cancelling domes.

She checked her orbs before shutting her eyes and exhaling deeply, opening them again to reveal an unnatural platinum glow.

A burst of magic swept across the room, fluttering documents and flickering the fire, disrupting every corner in the royal chambers save for Celestia’s resting place beneath the protective shields.

Suddenly, hundreds of magical strings and runes written in a distinguishable golden aura leapt out from the walls, floors and ceiling, showing Twilight all the enchantments used to secure the most protected room in the palace.

Twilight hummed, inspecting the blinding sight, “Not bad Tia, most of the potent defensive spells I see... fires, sparks, regeneration, shields, water, earth, light, healing.”

She smiled, “Although you were never really that good at designing your own wards... Let’s see if I can add something for you.”

Her horn blazed with a sudden jolt of magic as she began her work. Magenta lines of pure power traveled from her glimmering hooves up the walls and along the ceiling with thin strands connecting the trails together with precise geometric shapes. Tiny runes, charms and symbols were woven in between the complex wards and arcane cantraps, leaving not a single blank area left.

The display of her magical prowess was then hidden behind a discreet veil and shone like the stars as it pulsed constantly, looking for signs of danger and harmful intents.

The light died down to reveal Twilight letting out a breath and observing her masterpiece. The chamber was wrapped with her newly added layers of intricate spellwork and personified defenses. She nodded to herself before coating the room with a powerful illusion, wiping away all traces of her magic.

Twilight’s gaze swept across her surroundings for a last time before turning to the balcony and staring out at the night’s sky like she had done before.

“Being a ruler is a very trying task.” She spoke into the silent room, devoid of any living being save for the sleeping princess and herself.

“It requires patience, confidence, kindness and no hesitation, but even the most perfect creature or pony in our world needs to have time to let that facade drop. To be themselves.” Twilight sighed, the balcony providing a perfect view of the illuminated city of Canterlot.

“Most are able escape from prying eyes in their homes, where they can take off the mask, where nopony is judgmental, where nopony is looking to them to set an example. But what if that cannot be? What if you were the Monarch of Equestria, Princess Celestia, and your home is but a tourist attraction?”

Twilight tilted her head back, staring at the pale orb hanging in the sky, “Her room is the only place where she can achieve complete privacy, where nopony will assess her on her every move, where she can be free. Free from reservations and what is expected of her.” She shut her eyes as an icy breeze abruptly appeared and swirled around her, tousling her mane as her voice gained a cold edge, “But it seems that there are ponies who are not content to give her even that.”

“To plan for a potential enemy out of fear, I understand. To place guards atop my trees to keep a look out, I understand. To dive through files for my name, I understand. To dig for my history in the archives to achieve a better view of your suspect, I understand. To place my name under the title of ‘Potential Threat’, I understand.”

The temperature around her dropped as Twilight lifted her eyelids to reveal her rage filled gaze, “To undermine Princess Celestia’s authority and take advantage of her trust, intruding on her privacy, the only reason being wanting to catch me ‘red-hooved’ in the flesh, is not something I will stand for.”

She spun around abruptly, attention locked on a blank space atop the mantle of Celestia’s fireplace.

“It is admirable that ponies wish to protect their Princess, but sometimes we need to learn where to draw the line. Understand that just because somepony possesses the potential to pose a threat does not mean they are a threat.” Twilight stated coldly, “Do you realize that scrying on your ruler is accounted for as a Class One Felony? That you could be facing a lifetime prison sentence? Consider this a warning. Do not doubt a single word when I claim I will not allow this to happen again.”

In a flash of her horn, Twilight conjured a complex rune, one she invented herself, and shielded her spellwork before readying to release it into the room, “Before I forget, my congratulations on your engagement Guard Captain Shining Armor.”

The invisibility spell unraveled from the mantle, revealing a raspberry scrying orb for a moment before Twilight’s charm sent a pulse of power across the royal chambers, dissipating the sphere upon contact.

The lavender mage checked on the Solar Regent for a last time, retracting her privacy shields before disappearing into the shadows of the darkened room.

Captain Armor jumped back as his orb suddenly erupted in a burst of light.

He gaped at his office desk, unblinking and jaw working uselessly.