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