Sunburned

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Prologue

Chapter 1

Once upon a time, Equestria was a peaceful nation, but that changed a long time ago. For countless generations the land has been plagued by constant monster attacks, claiming pony lives each and every day. But the ponies did not sit idly by and watch while they got slaughtered.

The sole ruler of Equestria, Queen Glorious Sun, and the Royal Guard defended their fellow citizens with all they had, watching over all of Equestria, from the smallest town to the grandest of cities.

While the queen was a very harsh ruler, far from being kind and gentle, the ponies were grateful for her constant fight to make their lives as good as possible. Without their queen, they would all be lost to the darkness forever.

Or that's at least what everypony believes…

~*~

Breathing heavily Twilight Sparkle stood in place, her eyes fixated on her opponent as she caught her breath. Without any warning, she rushed forward and jumped, her hoof drawn back to deliver her next punch.

Her opponent made no move or even tried to avoid the incoming attack. Which was no surprise regarding the fact that it was a training dummy.

Twilight hit the dummy hoof first in its 'face', making the entire figure move back a few inches. Without waiting she went in again, kicking and punching against the dummy in every way she could think of.

Several minutes passed before she came to a stop, breathing hard as sweat drenched her coat. She smiled in satisfaction before she turned and walked toward the showers.
'Nothing beats a nice workout early in the morning,' she thought to herself, satisfied with her training.

Several minutes later she emerged from the showers, her coat and mane soaked with water, and began to dry herself off with one of the laid out towels. Just as she was about to start on her mane she heard the door open. Looking over her shoulder she saw a young cadet looking around the room. The moment her eyes fell on Twilight she walked up to her.

"Commander Sparkle," she said upon reaching her, her hoof raised to her head in a salute.

"At ease, cadet," Twilight said, her eyes closed while she continued drying her mane. "How can I help you?"

The cadet lowered her hoof to the floor again. "I have been searching for you everywhere. Her Majesty wishes to see you in the throne room as soon as possible."

Twilight stopped in her task and looked at the cadet, her eyes wide in surprise. She was supposed to be off duty for the day, but... could it finally be? She quickly finished her mane and put the towel down.

"I understand. I will leave for the throne room immediately. You are dismissed." The cadet saluted again before she left the room.

Twilight quickly turned to her locker. If the queen wanted to see her she should do her best not to make her wait any longer. Without hesitating, she levitated her comb out and worked it through her mane while at the same time her uniform came floating out of the same locker. Soon after she closed it and looked herself over in the nearby mirror.

Her uniform was the same as most other officers of the military wore outside battles, from a bright golden and orange coloration and adorned with sun insignias. Twilight, as a high officer, was allowed to add her own personal touch to it to some degree, but she has never done so. Honestly, she thought the uniform was ugly and clashed terribly with her coloration, but regarding her sense of fashion, or better the lack of it, she was afraid of adding anything and making herself a laughing stock among the other soldiers.

Satisfied with her look she left the changing room and went on her way. She had no idea how long that messenger had been looking for her and how long the queen was already waiting. Making the queen angry by letting her wait was among the things you do if you don't care about your life.

The halls of Canterlot Castle were active with life. Guards patrolling the hallways or standing watch at several key locations, ready to do their duty in the blink of an eye if necessary. Maids and servants walking around, cleaning the halls and rooms or tending to guests.

Twilight sighed as she thought back to her time standing guard in the castle. It was a stoic job, standing still for hours with barely anything to do. She was glad that those times are past her, even if it has been much shorter for her than for the average guard thanks to her talent and hard work. Being a commander at her age was already a rare achievement, and if her assumption for the queen's summon was right she might get another promotion soon.

She reached one of the last interceptions before the throne room only two hallways down when she heard someone calling out. A voice she could very well without ever hearing again in her life.

"Well well well, if that isn't our oh so famous Commander Sparkle."

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Of all the ponies to run into at this time, it just has to be her. Exhaling slowly she turned her head to look at the mare walking up to her.

"Shimmer," she growled slightly as she saw the amber mare with the red and gold mane wearing her bright orange robes.

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes slightly, a scowl on her face. "What was that, Commander?"

"I apologize," Twilight said through gritted teeth as she faced her rival, "Archmage Shimmer."

The rivalry between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer had been ongoing for several years - From the first moment those two met during their first guard training sessions they had been at each other's throats, trying to surpass the other, and no one had any doubt that they would one day compete against each other for the highest position in the guard.

All of that changed when Sunset Shimmer shifted her attention away from the guard and joined the Magic Circle where she very quickly rose in the hierarchy until she reached the top as archmage and the right hoof of the queen herself. A position which she rubbed into Twilight's face whenever possible, much to the mares annoyance.

"That's better," the archmage replied with a smug grin on her face. "We wouldn't want you to forget your place, or who it is that's giving you your orders."

'Oh how I would love to punch that grin right off your face,' Twilight thought while she kept her expression neutral. "I would never do that... ma'am. But I'm afraid I have to keep going, her majesty is awaiting me."

Sunset's grin slowly faded away. The queen rarely summons someone without a good reason, and she could only think of one for summoning Twilight. She didn't like it at all.

"Is that so? Well, we don't want to let her majesty wait any longer," Sunset replied while Twilight didn't say anything. She simply bowed her head slightly before she continued on her way. "I'm curious to see if you can survive the test. Oh well, if you fail you can at least see your poor, poor family again."

Twilight stopped abruptly midstep, her anger boiling over. She turned around and glared down the hallway with murderous intensity, only to see that Sunset Shimmer was already gone. She remained in place to take several long breaths to calm her nerves before she turned and continued on her way.

'Forget the punch in the face, I will throw her off the damn mountain one day!'

~*~

Soon after her 'pleasant' encounter with Sunset Shimmer Twilight arrived at her destination. The great, massive double doors to the throne room in front of her were themselves pieces of art. Standing at least thrice her size and made out of pure gold, ornamented with depictions of the sun and ponies praising the regal figure sitting on a throne.

Standing beside the doors stood a unicorn. The Herald, clad in similar colored robes than most of the employed ponies in the castle, waited for her to state her business.

Twilight took one last breath to calm her nerves and prepare herself before she spoke. "Her Majesty called for my presence."

He didn't respond. Instead, he simply nodded. His horn started glowing, encasing both of them in his protection spell before he turned and opened the grand doors. The second the doors opened slightly an enormous wave of heat rushed out of the throne room, but none of them showed any kind of reaction.

"Announcing Commander Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight stepped forward into the throne room, and the Herald closed the doors behind her. The throne room itself was a glorious sight. The floor was made out of big black and white marble tiles of the highest quality that could be found in Equestria. Stained glass windows lined both sides of the room, depicting either the queen herself or the sun, and tapestries and banners decorated the walls in between the windows. A red velvet carpet leads from the entrance through the entire room towards a pedestal with the throne upon it, both made out of pure gold.

Several guards were spread around the room, but those were not clad in the same armor as the others in the halls and out in the streets. While the armor shared the same coloration as the normal ones, it covered nearly the entire body, leaving only an opening for their horns, and they are also heavily enchanted to protect and assist their wearers. They were the Honor Guards of the queen, the best the kingdom had to offer. No one knew the identities of the ponies inside the armor, and their only purpose was to protect the queen from any kind of harm. Weirdly enough Twilight could not recall ever seeing a pegasus among the Honor Guard, but it was not her place to judge the queen's decision on her personal guard unit.

Twilight walked down the carpet towards the throne. Her head was buzzing lightly from all the magic in the room, emitted by the guard's armor and the spells protecting all the flammable materials, but she ignored the unpleasant feeling. Upon reaching the base of the pedestal she immediately bowed down, her nose nearly touching the fabric beneath her.

"Your Majesty."

At first, everything was silent while Twilight remained in her position. "You have kept me waiting, Commander Sparkle," an unamused voice said.

Twilight gulped. That tone was not a good sign, so she had to be careful with her next words. "My sincerest apologies, your Majesty. I was off duty today, so it took the messenger longer to find me. I came immediately upon hearing your call," she said, her head still near the ground.

"I see, and you are forgiven. At ease, Commander."

Twilight raised from her bow and looked up at the throne, marveling at the being sitting atop it. She was twice as big as the general pony and even bigger than the tallest stallion she knew of and her coat was the purest white she had ever seen. Her mane was a mix of different shades of red, yellow, and orange and moved on its own, which made it look like fire, but Twilight has seen before that it can turn into actual fire if the queen gets angry. She stared down at Twilight with her crimson eyes that could either project the love or the wrath of the sun at you.

"Leave us," she said to no one specifically, but all the guards saluted as one and left the room, leaving Twilight alone with the queen. "You are an impressive mare, Twilight Sparkle. Even though it has only been four years since you completed your basic training and joined the guard, you have climbed through the ranks like no pony before with your talent, strength, and magical power. You succeeded where others would have failed. Even if your lineage has always been known for their talent, you excelled in all of them. I'm sure your family, and especially your brother, would be proud of you."

Pride flooded through Twilight. Getting praised like this from the queen, the closest being to a god to ponykind, was more than most ponies accomplished in their entire life. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You may have surpassed your brother in everything else, but your rank is still below him, who went down as the youngest Captain of the Guard in history. We will see if you can pass your last test and surpass his legacy as well.

"Recently we received several reports about movements of Night Forces all around the Everfree Forest, and we assume they are gathering and hiding somewhere inside the forest. We do not know where they are hiding or what they are planning."

The queen rose from her throne, stepped forward, and spread out her wings to their full length. "Your mission is to enter the Everfree Forest, find the Night Forces, gather information on whatever it is they are planning, and return to report to me personally within seven days. If possible your task includes capturing an officer for interrogations.

"Do you accept this mission?"

Twilight's mind was running. Many of the younger soldiers and even very few officers she knew of would claim that a simple scouting mission was beneath their talents and ask for something else, but she knew better. This was a scouting mission she would complete all alone in the Everfree Forest, one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. A natural fortress of the night filled to the brim with dangerous monsters, and apparently a big gathering point of the Night Forces. Usually they would send entire groups of at least a dozen soldiers there, with expected casualties of at least ten percent.

To be sent there alone would be either a suicide mission or the biggest challenge she could think of. Furthermore, this was her only chance to step into her brother's hoofsteps. There was only one obvious answer she could give.

Standing up straight, a spark of determination in her eyes, Twilight replied. "Of course I accept, your Majesty. I will succeed and prove my worth to you!"

The queen folded her wings back to her side, and for the first time since Twilight entered a small smile appeared on her face. "I expected nothing else from somepony with your reputation. Now go, Commander Twilight Sparkle! You have your mission, and may you return in glory!"

Twilight saluted before she turned around and left the throne room. She only had a week, and every second could determine if she would succeed… or fail.

She had preparations to do.

Author's Note

Welcome to my new little story. I have been working on this story for a very long time, something around 4 years, and I'm really happy to finally feel confident with what I planned to post it.

This is really new territory for me with a complete Alternate Universe, and I hope that I manage to get it done the way I imagine it and that you all like it.
Should you ever notice anything plot-wise not fitting feel free to point it out to me :scootangel:

The entire plot is planned out, and the first couple chapters are nearly finished and ready to be published hopefully soon enough, as long as the accursed writers' block won't strike again. It's also possible that I will add additional minor tags to the story along the way for some specific parts, depending on how far I decide to go while writing the scenes in question.

There are a lot of things that will be explained along the way, but I won't say that I thought of everything. Should you ever wonder about something feel free to leave a comment. If it is something that will come up at one point, I won't go into too much detail to not spoil anything, but if it is something I just never thought of or thought it would be clear enough I might build it in somehow or at least try to explain it in more detail.

I really hope you like my story and that you will accompany me on this journey :twilightsmile:

Biggest thanks go out to my good friend Nyhll who helped me with feedback and editing

Chapter 2

...but on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring forth true harmony.

~*~

The Everfree Forest. Known across Equestria as the largest, most hazardous wilderness free from anyone’s control. All across the land, ponies knew of the dangers and ferocious creatures living in its depths. Only the most daring or foolhardy adventurers entered, for reasons unfathomable by the more rational populace, and few ever returned to tell their tales, often telling of others falling victim to the inhabitants of the dreaded Forest. Cockatrieces, dragons, manticores, and Timberwolves were the most well known, but even the flora itself had fatal capabilities that shouldn’t be underestimated. But there were those that swore that the flora and fauna were far from the most dangerous threats to one’s life in the Everfree Forest- most of these poor fools often madly babbled that the night itself took their late friends.

Thanks to its dangerous environment and the huge area it covered, the Everfree was a very hard to control area, which in turn made it into a common meeting place for the Night Forces. Again and again guard squads had been sent into the forest to patrol, and nearly every time they either found new traces left behind by Night Forces or got into small fights with members, but it could never be confirmed that there was an actual hideout somewhere hidden in the darkness of the forest, not to speak about the prize in lives the forest claims every time.

Twilight Sparkle was no newbie on how to proceed through the forest. She has been on two previous patrols, the first time as a fresh recruit out of basic training, and the second time as one of those leading the procession of new recruits. She knew that even the slightest mistake could be fatal. One wrong step and she might step on a cragadile. Proceeding through bushes without care and she might end face to face with a cockatrice. Letting her guard down even for a short time might give a timberwolf the opportunity to sneak up on her.

Carefully Twilight proceeded through the thick forest, taking her time to not meet the same fate as so many others before her. Dressed in her enchanted suit that covered most of her body and changes its appearance to roughly match her surroundings she nearly vanished into the cacophony around her. Personally she would have prefered to wear her usual armor, but it was too heavy and made too much noise to be useful on a stealth mission. And, of course, she would be a big gold and orange colored beacon in the forest.

So far her mission went by without problems. The only encounter she had has been with a lone, injured timberwolf that got separated from its pack. She barely had to do anything for it to turn tail and run for the hills.

All things considered Twilight had to admit she was getting bored, which was a weird concept regarding the fact that she was in the middle of the most dangerous forest in Equestria. Where were all those animals and monsters? The last time she has been here it was hard to proceed for more than thirty minutes without encountering anything dangerous.

Now, Twilight has been wandering the woods for several hours since her arrival in the early afternoon without anything worth mentioning. It was like every single creature in this forest was hiding from something, and just the thought of something dangerous enough to cause timberwolves and manticores to hide was worrying. She shuddered upon thinking that any second the ground would begin to tremble and an Ursa Major came into her field of vision out of nowhere.

Nonetheless, Twilight proceeded on her way. She had to find a clue that could lead her to the hidden Night Forces, and who was she to complain that there was a lack of obstacles? Maybe it was just her lucky day.

Reaching the edge of a clearing Twilight looked around for any sign of life, but it was just as quiet as before. Using the opportunity she looked up to estimate the time of day. The forest itself was nearly always in a state of darkness thanks to the thick canopy above blocking out the light, so one of those rare clearings was one of her only ways to see the sun.

Surprised Twilight realized that it was not as late as she had assumed. She had expected to see the moon high in the sky, with the mark of the Mare in the Moon on its surface, but instead it was just about to rise.

The fact that the night had not arrived yet could be an explanation for the lack of monsters so far, but Twilight doubted it. With the night only lasting for five hours the monster always used part of the daytime to hunt. Something else had to be going on Twilight knew nothing about.

Looking around the clearing to decide in which direction to proceed something at the edge of the clearing on her right caught her attention. Carefully stepping closer she saw that something had made its way through the bushes, something not much bigger than Twilight herself judging by the broken twigs.

With no other lead to go on Twilight followed the path through the bushes, and soon enough a grin spread on her face. Just ahead Twilight could see a small area covered in mud, and a hoofprint embedded in it.

'Looks like somepony wasn't careful,' she thought as she stepped closer to examine the print. 'It's still fresh. It truly seems to be my lucky day.' Twilight continued in the direction the print was pointing, still very careful to not run into any monster, or even the one who left the print behind.

She knew that this could very much be a trap laid out by the Night Forces who are already aware of her presence and waiting for her to walk into it, but sometimes it was necessary to take certain risks.

It only took a couple of minutes until Twilight saw movement a small distance ahead of her. Her first thought was that the wind was rustling the branches of the trees and bushes, but it was too much focused on one area. It certainly was something living moving through the thicket.

Taking a moment to make sure her stealth suit was covering her properly Twilight moved closer towards it, moving slightly around the left side to avoid getting spotted.

Soon enough she was able to see what was disturbing the quiet of the forest, and she smirked.

'Found you,' she thought in satisfaction as her eyes wandered over the small group ahead.

While she couldn't make out many specific details through the darkness, she could see that the pony closest to her was a unicorn, and regarding the small frame it was most likely a mare. While she was following the others she kept looking around the forest in apparent fascination, and Twilight assumed that it was her first time visiting the Everfree, and that she might have been the one careless enough to leave the hoofprint behind for her to find.

However, Twilight's focus was mostly on the other two ponies with the unicorn, or to be precise on the wings attached to their sides. Squinting her eyes she tried to get a better look, but the darkness made it impossible. While she was certain about the group being part of the Night Forces, it was also possible that it was a group of adventurers foolish enough to explore the forest.

Just when she was about to get closer one of them began stretching slightly, showing his wings in the process which allowed Twilight to see that they were in fact not the normal feathery wings of pegasi, but more leathery, like the wings of bats.

"Thestral...," Twilight muttered to herself, narrowing her eyes.

Thestrals had been a thorn in Equestrias side for countless centuries. Corrupted by darkness these ponies had been preying on innocent lives since the founding of the country, always hiding in the darkness. Long ago they aided the Mistress of Darkness in her war against the Queen, and nowadays they continue the fight as agents of the Night Forces.

Their identities now confirmed Twilight's eyes wandered back to the unicorn mare who was still looking around while following her partners. Not showing any kind of fear or anything at all indicating a kidnapping it was clear that she was one of countless traitors that turned their back on Equestria and followed the darkness and its false promises willingly.

Just the thought of somepony betraying the Queen and all of Equestria made Twilight growl in disgust, but there was nothing she could do about it.

The group had nearly disappeared by now in between the trees, and Twilight carefully moved after them, keeping enough distance to not be spotted. Sooner or later this patrol would return to their hideout, and they are leading her right to it.

~*~

Twilight followed the patrol from the shadows until she came to the edge of a cliff overlooking an area that was hidden from the air by the huge treetops above. Contained within was a camp made up of many tents, magical fires to provide warmth and at least three dozen armed guards of the Night Forces.

With a grin on her face Twilight observed the camp from her position. She had fulfilled the first part of her assignment and found them, now she only had to find out what they were doing here and maybe find a prisoner to bring back with her.

While there have been rumors of a huge hidden base of the Night Forces somewhere deep in the Everfree, Twilight could tell this was by far not that base. From the look of it this camp has been built at most a week before her arrival, so there had to be a reason for their presence.

Twilight knew that getting into that camp would be no easy feat with the amount of guards around, not even accounting for the fact that she had no idea where to look once inside the camp, but maybe whatever they were looking for was still outside the camp.

Observing the surrounding area Twilight saw something of interest on her left: the ruins of an old castle, not too far away from the camp. That could be the reason for their presence, and even if not it was a good hiding place to overlook them from a safe distance. Either way it would be worth investigating.

With her decision made Twilight slowly moved backwards away from the cliff, keeping her eyes open in case of more patrols, before she moved between the trees towards the castle.

~*~

It took Twilight nearly an hour to reach the castle without being noticed by patrolling guards. Getting inside the castle instead was much easier, but considering the worn down state it was in it was no surprise.

A quick surveillance of the interior revealed nothing of interest. No matter where she looked, she found nothing but dust and rubble. The only object that looked even slightly interesting was a six-armed pedestal in the main hall that might have once upon a time held some kind of magical artifacts, but the non-existing magical residue made it clear that those have been gone for a very long time.

This at least meant that it was unlikely that the Night Forces would disturb her during her observation besides the occasional patrol, so Twilight set herself up in a small room on the top floor close to the main hall, with a now frameless window facing towards their camp. High enough that she could observe them with her binoculars without being noticed too easily, but not too high so that the trees would block her line of sight. It was the perfect observation point.

Too perfect for Twilight's liking. Either they expected someone to spy on them from the castle and set a trap, or the one in command is an idiot to not secure this area. Either way, she kept her eyes and ears open and her magical wards up to identify and warn her of any approaching danger.

Hours past as Twilight watched the camp and nothing of interest happened. No matter how often she swept over the camp, nothing stood out to her that gave any clue on why they are in the Everfree, or even that there was a specific leader among them. It seemed more like they were waiting for something or someone to arrive.

Taking a sip of water from her canteen Twilight looked up into the sky. Judging by the moon's position it was nearly three in the morning, which meant the night was nearly over and that she needed to look for another place of observation. In daylight it would be too easy to spot her looking through the window and her binoculars might reflect the sun and show her position.

Just as she was about to leave she noticed movement in the camp. A look through her binoculars showed her that the guards seemed excited and pointed at something in the sky somewhere in her general direction. Moving to another window to get a better look Twilight gasped when she saw a bright ball of light hanging in the sky just above the castle, but it didn't take long for the light to diminish. It left behind a dark shape in the sky she couldn't make out properly in the darkness.

Moments after its appearance the shape started moving towards her, and Twilight quickly dove into cover, thinking that she had been located. A loud crash echoed through the room and dust clouds swirled around. Twilight coughed as dust covered the entire room and her head began pounding from all her wards going off at the same time. She quickly released her wards, casting another spell to get rid of the dust and crouched down to be ready to fight back whatever was attacking her, but after the dust was gone from her immediate surrounding and nothing happened she realized that whatever that shape in the sky had been did in fact not attack her, but fell from the sky.

Twilight knew that she had to get out of there. Whatever that thing was, it got the attention of the Night Forces, and judging by their reactions upon seeing it in the sky they would be here very soon to investigate, but this was her opportunity to see what they have been waiting for, and maybe even acquire it before they could.

Twilight stepped closer to where the object had fallen as the remaining dust surrounding it slowly settled down. She came to an abrupt stop, her eyes growing wide and her jaw dropping when she realized that the object from the sky was a pony.

She had a midnight blue coat, and her dark blue twinkling mane wavered without a breeze, reminding Twilight of the night sky. Her body was covered in injuries and bruises and her eyes were closed, but the steady rising of her chest indicated that she was alive. That alone was a miracle regarding the height she fell from and that she crashed through the roof, but what held Twilight's attention was something completely different.

Spread out from the mares side were two glorious wings, and she had a horn, which made it clear that she was an alicorn.

"That's impossible..." Twilight whispered, a shiver running down her spine. There was only one other known alicorn in history. She slowly moved her head to look up at the ceiling and through the hole the mare had left behind when she crashed, her eyes widening even further.

The mare in the moon was gone.

Looking back down she tensed when she saw that the alicorn had opened her eyes and was staring at her.

"Who... are... you?" she said quietly between hard, labored breaths. Twilight found herself frozen in place. Her mind locked up, unable to process the situation she found herself in. What are you supposed to do when a god-like being crashes through the roof?

Twilight was so lost in her mind that she never heard the approaching footsteps until it was too late and the guards of the Night Forces were upon her. Snapped out of her frozen state she fought back, but she was greatly outnumbered. Her eyes met once more the alicorns who was watching the scene from the floor before she got hit by a spell and her vision turned to darkness.

Author's Note

I'm really bad at estimating how long I need to finish a chapter xD
Nonetheless, here it is, and I hope you like it :scootangel:

Before someone mentions anything, I have no real idea about how the military operates besides what I saw in movies, so I'm kinda improvising here and there with how I want it to happen, so don't be mad if I make any big mistakes :twilightblush:

And this time for real, the next chapter won't take long, it's already written and just needs a few adjustments. It's also gonna be quite a bit longer than those previous ones. This will happen from time to time, I don't have a real goal for chapter lenghts, but I try to not make them too long :twilightsmile:

Chapter 3

Twilight grumbled to herself, the angry growl bouncing off the stony walls and echoing through the barely lit cave. She desperately wanted to hit herself for how foolish she had handled the situation that led to her current predicament. Freezing on the spot while knowing that the enemy is closing in on your location? Her drill sergeant would turn in his grave upon hearing that!

Twilight had no idea how long she had been unconscious after the fight in the castle, but upon waking up she found herself in this cave without any of her equipment, a magic suppressor ring on her horn and her hooves chained up. Two unicorn guards wearing armor and holding spears have been watching her the entire time from the only exit, their hostility clear on their faces. The cave itself was nothing extraordinary at first glance, with just a few magical torches attached to the walls for light, but even with her magic suppressed she could feel the defensive wards around her.

No knowledge of her location, hoofs chained, magic suppressed, defensive wards all around her and two guards not letting her out of their sight with who knows how many more lurking beyond her prison. Escaping would be by far no easy feat under those circumstances, but not impossible.

The sound of approaching hoofsteps snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. Looking over to the guards she saw another one appear from around the corner, this one a thestral wearing the same armor as the unicorns. He spoke for a few moments with them before all three moved closer, their weapons leveled at her.

"Get up!" the thestral snapped at her. "You are coming with us."

Twilight narrowed her eyes and growled again before she got to her hooves, her chains rattling with each move. As long as they are not going to get rid of her now, this was a good opportunity to learn more about her location.

The chains connecting her legs left her enough room to walk slowly, but not enough to fight. The unicorns took places behind her, their spears never pointing away from her, while the thestral led the way.

During their trip, Twilight did her best to memorize as much of the cave as possible for a later escape. The cave system was much bigger than she expected and had barely anything she could use to orientate herself. She had to admit, their choice of a hideout was impressive.

After several minutes of walking, they reached a big cave filled with several tents and more guards. The leading guard brought them to one of the biggest tents flanked by two more guards under the watchful eye of everypony they passed, many of which glared openly at Twilight or whispered to each other. One of the guards opened the flap of the tent, letting Twilight and the leading guard inside while the other two remained outside.

The inside of the tent was not filled with much, making it look like it had been erected quickly and not long ago. The only thing Twilight could make out thanks to the little bit of light provided by the magic orbs that floated around was a small mountain of pillows near the back.

And, of course, the dark alicorn laying on them. She had a few bandages around her legs and her barrel, but no sign of the smaller injuries Twilight had seen in the castle. It appears she has been unconscious for longer than expected.

Immediately upon seeing her Twilight growled and glared at her, but she didn't seem to notice as she looked her over before her eyes fixated on hers.

"The prisoner, your highness," the thestral said with a bow.

"Thank you," the alicorn said without looking away. "Please, leave us alone."

The thestral looked up, his brow furrowed. "By all respect, your highness, I don't think-"

"I appreciate your concern, but I wish to talk with her in private. There is no need to worry. I may be weakened, but I'm still capable enough to deal with her if necessary."

The guard hesitated for a moment while his gaze wandered from the alicorn to Twilight, both still looking at each other, before he bowed once more and left the tent. The silence in the tent stretched out for what felt like hours before the alicorn spoke up.

"This tent has been soundproofed, so we can both speak freely. I'm Princess Luna of Equestria, ruler of the night." Twilight continued glaring without saying anything. Luna cocked her head to the side before she perked up. She used her magic to grab one of the pillows and positioned it on the floor close to Twilight. "Please, feel free to make yourself comfortable. This is not an interrogation and I mean no harm, I only wish to talk." Twilight only threw a quick glance at the pillow as it landed before she ignored it completely and remained standing.

"You are an unrelenting mare, Twilight Sparkle." That got a small reaction out of Twilight as her ear twitched and her glare hardened. "Yes, I do know who you are and what you are capable of, but I assure you I only wish to talk with you. Maybe this will help you relax."

Her horn began glowing and before Twilight could do anything she heard a rattling from below and weights falling off her legs. Looking down she saw that her chains had been unlocked and her legs were free. A second later her eyes widened when she felt the familiar rush of magic through her body as the magic suppressor was lifted off her horn and placed atop the chains on the floor.

She looked in surprise at Luna who seemed to wait for something before she returned to simply looking at her. Luna waited for a minute before she spoke again.

"I admit that I expected you to try something once the ring and the shackles are off, either to escape or to fight."

"I'm not an idiot or an overconfident newby who thinks she can defeat an alicorn all on her own, so why waste the time and strength?" Twilight replied. "Not to speak of all the guards outside this tent."

"I see," Luna replied with a smile before she once again motioned to the pillow on the floor. "Are you sure you do not wish to take a seat? It must be tiring to remain standing this entire time."

Twilight glanced at the pillow once more before she cast a spell over it to search for any kind of trap or spell, but found nothing. It was just an ordinary pillow. She stepped closer and sat down before she continued to glare at the alicorn.

"Alright, what is it you want?" Twilight snarled. "I doubt you are just interested in small talk."

"You are right," Luna said. "I did my best to learn as much as possible about you during these two hours since my return from my prison, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight perked up in surprise upon hearing that. 'Two hours?' she thought. 'It's been only two hours since I got knocked out? Judging by her healed injuries I thought I would have been out for at least a full day! The healing powers of alicorns are amazing.'

"You are a strong mare in regards to both, your physical strength and your magical talent. But those do not compare to your will to protect Equestria and its citizens against who or whatever is threatening it." Luna stopped in her speech for a moment during which she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm afraid that you, just like most of Equestria, have been used. It's neither I nor the night itself that's been threatening Equestria, but my sister."

Faster than Luna expected Twilight rose from her pillow, glaring at the alicorn with a snarl on her face. "Don't you dare insult her majesty after everything you did!" she snapped. "It's your fault that we need to fight for our lives every single day! Her Majesty's been doing what she can to protect us for hundreds of years from your monsters, and we of the guard assist her!"

Luna remained calm and seated while she waited for the mare to finish. "And that's what she's been lying about to all of Equestria this entire time. I never did anything to endanger our country and our citizens, and neither did those she declared as "creatures of the night". I do not claim that timberwolves and other monsters do not attack innocents, but they are just that: wild animals and monsters, doing what is in their nature. It is my sister who is the betrayer, she attacked and banished me before twisting the truth to fit her desire to rule as she wanted."

Twilight gritted her teeth, getting angrier with every word Luna said, but before she could say something herself Luna continued. "Tell me, how many ponies have gone "missing" over the past ten years under unknown circumstances?"

Twilight glared at the alicorn. "Countless. No one knows the exact number, but most are not unknown reasons! They have been taken by your monsters!"

Luna shook her head. "And those reports came from the crown or the guard, am I right?" She waited a moment to let the implication sink in before she continued. "They are those that either learned about the past or did something else to anger my sister, so they had to disappear. Or, in the worst case, just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up as casualties, dealt with by the help of some individuals inside the guard that are aware of the truth and assist my sister to seek power or just because they enjoy causing pain."

Twilight gaped at her, her mouth hanging open, unable to process the alicorns words. "You can't be serious."

"Sadly, it's the honest truth."

"YOU ARE LYING!" Twilight yelled. "Her Majesty may not be the kindest ruler, but she is our protector who fought for and with us against the darkness! Give me one good reason why I should believe any of your blasphemous words!"

"You would never be able to forgive yourself if you dismiss this information now, only to discover later that it is the truth and that you could have prevented the death of countless innocents," Luna said calmly, her gaze not leaving Twilights. "You can not deny the possibility that what I'm telling you is the truth."

Twilight gritted her teeth. Luna was right, as much as she hated that thought. No matter how ridiculous it may sound, it is a possibility. It is possible that the queen was a manipulating monster, that she had killed and ordered to kill innocents, used all of Equestria for a thousand years.

It was possible that everything Twilight has been fighting for was nothing but a lie.

After what felt like hours of both mares staring into each others eyes Twilight averted her gaze, settling back down onto the pillow. "Fine, I admit that it could be true. So what, you think I would just take your words for granted and believe you?"

The princess shook her head. "No, it would be foolish to simply believe anything I'm telling you. As you admit that I might be telling the truth, I admit that everything I told you could be a lie. Instead I want to tell you about what happened a thousand years ago with my sister, and show you proof that what I'm claiming is true. Sadly, I won't be able to do either of those now."

Twilight scoffed, rolling her eyes. "How convenient. And why can't you prove anything?"

Luna closed her eyes. "For one, there is no time to tell what happens, we are about to leave the forest very soon. And second...," she opened her eyes again, "...I have been back from the moon for not even three hours, and as such I lack any sort of evidence to provide credence to my claims. However, I have an offer for you."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. She was not keen on making a deal with the enemy, but there was that nagging voice in her mind that thought about what the alicorn had said, and that it would not hurt to hear her out. "I'm listening."

"I'm willing to let you go before we leave if you agree to return and meet me in-" Luna stopped for a moment while she thought, "-three days. By that time I will be able to tell you everything about the events that led up to my banishment, as well as present you proof about the truth of my words. Afterwards you can decide for yourself which road you wish to take."

Everything was still as Luna finished speaking. Twilight sat still, silently locking eyes with the alicorn. "That's it? You call that a deal?" She chuckled as she finally spoke up. "It's a joke, nothing more. The freedom you are offering me means nothing. Should I agree to this I would need to get approval to leave again which would not happen without a good reason. I could just leave without approval but the second I return to Canterlot I would be arrested, interrogated and probably executed for unauthorized absence. You can just save both our times and take me down right now, that way at least my good name would not be dragged through the mud!"

The princess remained silent for several long moments while she thought this new information over. "I see, but what is if you return with something to show? Something that would be worth this risk. Would that at least save your life?"

Twilight looked at the alicorn warily. "If it is of enough importance, yes, but I doubt there is anything you could offer that's worth this risk. Even if my life gets spared there would still be consequences for me."

"I can assure you of its importance," Luna said, shifting on her pillows. "The original deal remains the same, but should the proof I present you not be sufficient enough to convince you that what I am saying is true, I will surrender myself to you and return as your prisoner to Canterlot."

No amount of training could prevent Twilight’s jaw from dropping, her eye’s widening in surprise at the alicorn’s offering. This wasn’t some petty offering- if Luna was telling the truth then Twilight would be able to bring the leader of the Night Forces herself back to Canterlot! The very monster that brought darkness over their lands! No doubt the Night Forces would be devastated by the capture of their leader so soon after her return!

And yet, as much as she wanted to deny it, the thought that Luna may be telling the truth was too tantalizing to Twilight. She would know who was the true threat to Equestria’s peace, and she would be able to concentrate all her efforts and power into fighting it, to protect the innocent even if they don’t recognize nor appreciate her efforts. It was seeming that no matter the outcome of this offer, Twilight had very little to lose, but much to gain.

Twilight took a deep breath to regain her posture. "That's truly a generous offer, but why should I trust you?" she asked, her scowl returning. "For all I know you will never turn yourself in, or even show up in the first place, leaving me stranded with nothing but death awaiting me upon returning to Canterlot."

"I may not look like it, but I'm a warrior myself. I'm honor bound to keep my word," Luna said with pride in her voice. "But you're right, there is no reason to trust my words, or for me to trust yours. Luckily there is another way to ensure my honesty to you. I assume you are familiar with a magic pact?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow, bemused at the question she had just been asked. “Of course I am.” A magic pact was an unbreakable bond, only able to be formed by unicorns. It required three parties to enact, the two making the pact, and the third to cast the spell and act as the anchor. It had been created centuries ago by the great Starswirl the Bearded, and was intended to make sure that whatever agreement was reached was followed through, no matter how much one or both parties would fight it. If Luna really was telling the truth, she would be stuck as Twilight’s captive.

Luna nodded. "That's how we will proceed if you accept. This way I will not be able to stab you in the back or try to flee, and you won't be able to lay a trap.

"Do you accept this deal?"

It wasn't a deal she could refuse. Not much to lose, much to gain. Twilight would be an idiot to refuse, and she knew it. Even if the queen decided to sentence her to death for her decisions, it would be in exchange for the other alicorn's imprisonment, a deed worth her death if it meant dealing a critical strike to the Night Forces. No matter what her punishment would be, it would be worth it.

But there was one detail Twilight couldn't wrap her head around. Something she couldn't find an answer for.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "You are going to incredible lengths to make sure that I agree, even gambling away your own freedom after a thousand-year imprisonment. I doubt that you would do something similar for any other pony, so why me?"

The princess remained silent, with her eyes closed, for several long moments. "Do you believe in fate, Twilight Sparkle?" she finally asked before she opened her eyes. "I do. I believe that everything that happens is dictated by fate, no matter how terrible or wonderful it is. It was my sisters' fate to fall to darkness, and it was my fate to be banished to my own moon.

"I believe it was fate that brought you to our old castle, in that specific room on that specific night so that we could meet. I have the feeling that you are a very important piece in fate's overall picture, even if I can't say on which side. I'm willing to try my luck and hope that, for once, fate will be on my side."

Twilight remained silent as she thought about the princess' speech. She couldn't care any less about fate or something, or of the role she apparently has in all of this, but she had to admit that the alicorns faith in her believes was admirable, even if it is stupid in her own opinion.

Steeling her resolve Twilight looked deep into Luna's eyes. "I do not believe in fate, and I don't think that I'm that important, but you are right in one aspect: Knowing that you might be telling the truth, I need to know for sure, even if I have to pay for it. I will do it for Equestria, so I accept."

Luna nodded, a tiny smile on her face. "Very well. We do not have much time left, so let us proceed." She used her magic to open the flap of the tent. A robe clad pony standing a few feet away saw it open and moved closer, stepping inside. The night-blue robe, adorned with silver stitchings to symbolize stars, concealed every feature that would help to identify her. Her face was hidden by a veil of shadows, as well as her tail and her hooves whenever they would have been visible while walking. A very common magic trick to remain unrecognized, but the small frame made it clear that it was a mare.

The magus suddenly came to a stop in her tracks and looked down. Following her line of sight Twilight realized that she was looking at the chains and the suppressor she had left on the floor earlier, showing that she was completely free. After a few moments, she continued on her way, stepping past Twilight until she stood besides Luna.

"Princess, once more I have to voice my objections regarding your intentions," she said in a deep, magically distorted voice. "It's too dangerous, we can't lose you again."

"I appreciate your concern, but it is my decision."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "You planned this," she said in a low voice. "You never expected me to agree in the beginning, offering your freedom was your plan from the very beginning."

Luna smirked. "I may have been the warrior a thousand years ago while my sister was the diplomat, but that does not mean that I don't know how to fight with words to reach my goals." She turned back to the magus. "I know what I'm doing, please trust me on this."

The magus sighed in defeat. "Very well. I trust your intuition, your highness. Let's begin the preparations."

They spent the next fifteen minutes on coaxing out the exact details for the pact to cover. Once everything was done Twilight stood in front of Luna who was still lying on her pillows, with the magus standing to the side between them. Her horn was glowing a light pinkish-grey color which split to the sides to connect both Twilights and Luna's horn.

"I, Princess Luna, agree to grant Twilight Sparkle her freedom today in exchange for a meeting in three days time. The meeting point will be the clearing one mile east from the castle ruins in the Everfree Forest at midnight. I will come unarmed and without guards accompanying me or stationed in three miles surrounding the meeting point. I will tell her my side of the story and provide evidence to my claims. If my evidence does not convince Twilight Sparkle, I will surrender myself to her and follow her back as a prisoner.”

"I, Commander Twilight Sparkle, agree to meet Princess Luna alone in three days time in exchange for my freedom today. I will not harm anypony today while on my way out of the forest besides self-defense if necessary, and I will not talk to anypony about today’s or the upcoming meeting of any kind. During the meeting, I will listen to her claims and decide on the following course of actions, either by believing her or taking her as a prisoner back to Canterlot."

"Do both sides agree to the mentioned parts of the pact?" the magus asked and received a yes from both mares. "So shall it be. The pact has been made!" The magic vanished from her horn, but the connection between Twilight and Luna remained for another minute before it vanished as well.

"My task has been done. If you will excuse me, princess, I have...," she looked at Twilight for a moment, "...other places to be." She bowed before she walked past Twilight towards the exit of the tent.

Twilight noticed her look. "What's wrong? Not feeling comfortable in my presence?" she asked with a smirk while the magus walked past her.

The mare stopped for a second but didn't turn. "You have changed, Twilight. You are not the filly I used to know."

Twilight's eyes widened and she quickly turned around, but the magus had already left. She turned back to Luna. "Who was that?!" she snarled.

Luna looked after the magus herself, surprise written on her face. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you. It was her wish to stay anonymous, which was a reasonable request, but I wasn't aware that she knows you."

Twilight calmed down a bit and turned her head slightly to look behind her. 'I wonder who she was and from where she knows me,' she thought.

"Anyway, if there is nothing else you wish to know I will fulfill the first part of our pact." Twilight turned back and nodded at the princess who lifted the flap of the tent and called a guard in, the same thestral that led her through the cave earlier.

"Your Highness," he said with a bow, keeping Twilight in his line of sight.

"Please show the commander where her equipment is stored and the way out of the cave," Luna said. "She is free to go and no one will be harmed by her as long as no one strikes first."

The guard opened his mouth to say something but closed it again after a moment. "As you wish," he said slowly, and it was clear that he wasn't fond of that order. He turned around and looked at Twilight. "Follow me."

Twilight nodded and followed the guard. "Until we meet again, Twilight Sparkle," the princess called from behind.

"Whatever," Twilight said, wondering as she followed the guard what in Equestria she has herself gotten into.

Either way it didn't matter. She has made her decisions, and in a few days she will deliver her prisoner to the queen, explain her reasons and face the queen's judgement. After all, there was no way that Luna was telling the truth.

...

Right?

Author's Note

I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter even thou it was mostly done long ago. Had to deal with some health issues which took quite some time from what little free time I have.
Also, I just got Satisfactory at the Steam Summer Sale and am hooked :twilightblush:

Anyway, I hope you like this little chapter, but I can already tell you it will take me a while longer for the next chapter. While parts of it are already written, the biggest parts are still work in progress. It's also possible that I will split it because its now already nearly as long as this chapter :scootangel:

Chapter 4

The sun had already long risen when Twilight exited the cave system and the guard left her without another word. The hours-long track out of the forest and up the mountain towards Canterlot was also remarkably uneventful. She only encountered one half-asleep manticore while she was still in the forest and the beast didn't even notice her presence. By now Twilight was convinced that the absence of monsters the previous night was a result of them feeling that something dangerous was going to happen, like the return of a god-like being.

The moment she stepped into the castle and one of the guards at the entrance informed her that the queen demanded her presence immediately upon her return she wished to be back in the forest. She had hoped to at least be able to rest for a short time before she had to face her majesty, but apparently, she was out of luck.

During her walk through the castle towards the throne room, Twilight noticed several things that didn't make her feel more comfortable. For one, the guards she passed by looked really nervous, shifting from hoof to hoof. Several servants had looks of fear on their faces and it seemed many tried to get away from a certain part of the castle, the one she was heading towards. It also grew hotter with every step she got closer to her destination.

Twilight gulped as sweat ran down her body when she connected the dots: The queen was angry.

The heat grew in intensity the closer she got to the throne room. It became so intense that she had to rely on a barrier spell to protect herself much sooner than usual. Twilight stopped in her tracks when the great gates of the throne room came into line of sight. They were partly opened, just wide enough to let two ponies enter side by side at most. The golden gates seemed to shine brighter, and Twilight assumed they must have heated up to be burning upon touching them, and giving up enormous heat themselves to their surroundings.

Besides the now open doorway stood the same herald from the previous day, but he was panting and sweating heavily, even with his own barrier in place to fend off the heat. Twilight did not envy the poor stallion that had to perform his duty the entire day under these conditions.

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, steeling her nerves for the following encounter that very much could be her end. Opening her eyes she stepped up to the herald. He noticed her before she could say anything and nodded, turning towards the open gateway.

"Announcing Commander Twilight Sparkle!"

He turned back as Twilight walked past him and entered the throne room. The heated up gates and general atmosphere of the castle had already been a bad sign, but compared to the throne room they were nothing. The former pristine floor had cracks running through it, with hoofprints burned into the stone in some places. Even with heat protection spells in place, the banner and tapestries were scorched as well or completely burned, one was even still burning, and the room-long carpet leading up to the throne was nothing but a road of ash. The queens' Honor Guards scattered around the room stood as stoic as ever, unfazed by the state of the room or the intense heat.

As Twilight walked along the road of ash she looked towards its end and at the dais. The queen was sitting on her throne, her full attention on her. Her posture seemed calm and orderly as always, but one look into her eyes revealed the pure fury behind the mask.

Twilight reached the bottom of the aisle and bowed down. "Your maj-," she began, but was interrupted by the queen herself.

"All of you!" she yelled at the guards. "Get out!"

As one the guards saluted and walked out of the room. The second the last one walked out the gates closed behind them, leaving Twilight alone with her queen.

The queen rose from her throne, slowly stepping down the aisle towards Twilight who was still bowing and kept her head low. With each step the queen made the gold of the aisle and after that the marble of the floor fizzle whenever her hoof touched down, and when the hoof rose again for the next step a hoofprint was burned into it.

"Commander...," she said in an eerie calm voice. "This entire day I wanted to hear about the incident from last night, and if my fears are true. So far I have heard every excuse and assumption under my sun, but nopony was able to give me an accurate report with proof. You have been the only one of my soldiers inside the forest at the time it happened, so I hope that you can tell me what I need to know." She stopped right in front of the still bowing Twilight, who could only see her front hoofs burning another print into the floor. "I only have one question for you: What happened in the Everfree Forest last night?"

Twilight didn't hesitate with her answer. "Your majesty, I'm afraid I have to report that the dreaded Mistress of the Night has found a way to escape from her imprisonment on the moon. I have seen her with my own eyes."

The heat in the room seemed to rise for another few degrees as the queen shifted her attention away from Twilight to look out of the closest window. "So it is true, my sister has returned. I feared that it was the case, but I still hoped it to be some kind of trick or illusion used by her followers to cause unrest." She looked back at the commander. "Rise, Commander, and tell me everything that happened."

Twilight did as told and recited everything from the moment she arrived in the forest in detail until she reached the moment she was ashamed to admit.

"When the dust settled I could only stare in disbelief at the alicorn that was lying on the floor. I knew immediately who she was, but I still looked up at the moon for confirmation and saw its now unblemished surface." She hesitated for a second. This was the moment she had dreaded the most: the time to lie to her queen to keep her deal with Luna a secret. Not that she had much of a choice, since her keeping it a secret was part of the pact, but it still bothered her greatly. "Before I could do anything else the Night Forces from the camp came rushing into the room and immediately attacked me upon sight. I fought back, but I was outnumbered and got knocked out, presumably by a spell."

Twilight lowered her head in shame. "I do not know how long I was unconscious. I awoke in a cell with a magic suppressor over my horn, but I was lucky. It appears that all the troops in that camp were celebrating their mistress' return, and they only placed a single guard to watch over me. I managed to trick the guard and escaped to report back to you about her return, your Majesty."

"Which was wise, commander," the queen agreed after a few moments of silence. "Until now no one could confirm if she had truly returned or not. Now, I need to plan and prepare for her next move." She took a step forward and spread her wings. "But for now, we will discuss your mission."

Twilight gulped. Has she made a mistake in her story that the queen had noticed? She knew it was a mistake to agree to that pact.

The queen didn't show any notice of Twilight's discomfort as she continued. "Even though you did not manage to capture a member of the Night Forces for interrogations, you found out the reason behind the Night Forces presence in the Everfree Forest and brought back valuable information regarding the return of one of Equestria's greatest threats. Because of this, I see your mission as a success, and you will be promoted to Captain of the Royal Guard!"

Twilight's eyes grew. At one point she had totally forgotten what was at stake for her in that mission during this madness. It had been her goal for several years, ever since her brother's demise she wanted to continue his work. This was what she has been aiming for, but... it felt hollow. Her eyes drifted down to the floor and she frowned.

This did not go unnoticed by the Queen. "Is something bothering you, my captain?"

Steeling her nerves she looked up again. "Your majesty, may I speak freely?" The queen looked at her in curiosity before she nodded. "Your majesty, I can not accept this promotion. Even though I managed to gather the information, I got captured like a rookie. "Always expect the unexpected", that's what has been drilled into me during my training, but the moment something truly unexpected happened I froze, unable to act as necessary. I could have gotten away sooner to report back and maybe return with reinforcements, or I could have tried to capture the Night Mistress while she was on the floor in front of me. Instead, I got captured, and it was only through luck that I was able to escape.

"I don't deserve the title of captain right now. It would be a stain on my honor to be rewarded for such a shameful show of my talents." She looked up into the queens' eyes, determination in her own. "I beg you, let me return to the forest, I know where their hideout is. While I do not believe that they are stupid enough to stay, I'm sure I can find clues on their whereabouts. Let me show you that I do have what your captain needs to have to serve you!"

Silence reigned in the throne room while the queen looked at Twilight. After a full minute, she finally spoke again. "Not a single soul has ever declined a promotion from me before, not even once in the last thousand years." A hint of a smile appeared on her face. "You are truly a very interesting mare, commander, and regarding your record of accomplishments, I will grant you your wish." The smile disappeared. "However, since you wish to retake your mission, your previous one will be seen as a failure, no matter the information you gathered." Her eyes hardened. "You know the prize for failing me. Are you still willing to hold on to your request?"

Twilight lowered her head. This was the question that has been on Twilight's mind for hours; was she willing to pay this price just to meet with Luna? She could simply leave for their meeting and return afterwards, but then she not only would have to face the consequences of lying to the queen, but also for unauthorized absence from duty. If she agrees now she knew what her punishment would be, would be allowed to return to the Everfree, and after the meeting, she could return and explain the truth of what truly happened, and face whatever consequences her majesty would see fit for her.

Her decision made, Twilight looked up again into the queens' eyes with determination and nodded. "Yes, I do!"

"I admire your pride and dedication, commander," the queen said, the small smile reappearing on her face before it disappeared again. "Now, brace yourself for your punishment."

She flared her wings as her horn started glowing, bathing the throne room into brightness. Twilight stood up straighter, her chest puffed out. She slowly closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come.

~*~

Night has long fallen over the Everfree Forest when Twilight came into sight of her destination: the clearing mentioned by Luna for their meeting.

Her way back into the forest has not been as peaceful and dull as when she got out three days prior, but this time there was no need for stealth, no reason to hold back against whatever was facing her. A fact the pack of timberwolves learned very quickly as Twilight used pyromancy to set them ablaze and binded them to the ground to prevent the fire from spreading before she continued on her way, the pained howls of the timberwolve behind her slowly growing quiet.

The manticore was a different obstacle, one she neither had the time nor the motivation to deal with properly. While she was wearing her full armor and weapon this time, Twilight still cast a shield over herself to be safe from the manticore's swipes. Using weak but painful magic blasts against it was her approach, until it deemed her not worth the effort and left.

Those encounters had already left Twilight in a bad mood upon her arrival at the clearing, so when she saw Luna in the middle waiting around a campfire with two other ponies by her side, she was angry. She stopped half hidden in the shadows of the trees and glared at the alicorn. "Who are they? You were supposed to come alone!"

Luna gave no sign of surprise upon hearing her yell and didn't look concerned. "It's good to see you too, Twilight Sparkle, but you are mistaken. I agreed to come without guards," she said calmly before she pointed a hoof at the other ponies. Just like the mage before they were concealed by robes, but while the other one had been a dark blue with stitchings among the hems, those two were of a simple black. They also used the spell to conceal their faces and hooves, but it was clear that both are unicorns and that it was a mare and a stallion. They had been sitting calmly side by side before, but when Twilight called out they huddled together, the stallion wrapping a hoof across the mare's withers. "These two are civilians who came with me to help prove my claims. They mean no harm."

Twilight's eyes moved from the alicorn to the pair and back. "Fine," she said before she stepped closer towards the fire and removed her helmet.

Luna nodded. "Please, take a seat so that we can-'' Luna stopped mid sentence the moment Twilight removed her helmet, her eyes widening in shock. The mare gasped and whimpered while the stallion pulled her closer. "By the stars... What happened to you?"

While obscured by her helmet nothing looked different from the last time Luna had seen Twilight, but now she could see that part of the left side of her face, just beside her eye and beneath her ear, had been burned. The lavender fur was gone in that area, and the revealed skin was scarred.

Twilight tsked. "This? This is what I was willing to pay to keep my life running once I return to the castle without being branded as a traitor for meeting you." Seeing the confused expression on the alicorn's face she continued. "My queen considered my mission a success and promoted me, but I refused for being captured so easily. I begged her to let me return here to find clues on your whereabouts so that I could meet you without being arrested for unauthorized absence. She agreed, but the old mission would be considered a failure and punished accordingly."

Luna kept staring at the mare with wide eyes. "You mean this is a common punishment by my sister?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, only for those missions given by her majesty herself. No one has to take them on, but if you fail and disappoint her trust in you, you will be punished. The bigger the failure, the worse the burn. Among the guards, it's known as the "mark of shame"."

Luna looked down at her hooves. "I had no idea, otherwise I would have never let you agree to those terms." She closed her eyes. "Sister, what happened to you?"

A stomp of a hoof on the ground brought Luna back to the present. "Enough of this, let's get to business!" Twilight growled. "I don't have all the time in the world for your nonsense! The sooner we finish this farce the sooner I can deliver you to her majesty and face whatever punishment she deems worthy for lying to her."

Luna shook her head. There was more time later to lament what had become of her sister. "Very well. Please, take a seat. But before I begin I would ask one more favor of you."

Twilight eyed the alicorn warily as she walked towards the fire and sat down. "What, trying to negotiate with me? We both know it's impossible to change the pact."

Luna shook her head. "No, all I'm asking is that if I can't convince you and go with you that you will not harm my two friends. As said, they are civilians who have gone through enough pain and loss in their lives."

Twilight's eyes shifted towards the pair. They still sat huddled together, the mare crying while the stallion comforted her.

"I see no reason to harm them. They don't seem like soldiers or anything, and the magic of the pact would have prevented you from bringing guards anyway." She looked back towards Luna. "I do not harm civilians, as long as they don't give me a damn good reason to. So as long as they don't do anything stupid, I have no business with them."

"I thank you for your mercy towards them," Luna said with a light bow of her head. "Now, I wish to begin by telling you what truly happened before my banishment. I need to go back a little further than you might think, but I assure you it helps understand what happened between me and my sister."

Author's Note

Later than I planned to upload, but I still got it out :twilightblush:

Once more I wish to apologize for the long time between chapters, that new idea I'm working on has totally consumed my mind and drove everything else out.

This chapter is only edited by myself using Google Docs, so if you see mistakes feel free to point them out.

Prologue

Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together.

The Older ruled over the Day. Every day she used her god-like magical power to raise the sun and to protect every being that lived under its warmth. The Younger ruled over the Night. Every day, once her sister lowered the sun, she raised the moon to bring forth the darkness and cold of the night and protected those that called the night their home. Together they kept the balance between day and night and created harmony.

Over time the younger grew restless. She desired more power and decided that the day shall be hers as well. She gathered her troops and went to war against her sister, intending to claim what was rightfully hers in her twisted mind. The older tried to reason with her, but no matter what she did her sister ignored her pleas for peace.

In the end, the older was forced to fight against her sister, but her love for her family made her hold back, hoping that her sister might come back to her senses. Using that weakness the younger defeated the older after a long battle. Heartbroken upon seeing her sister lost completely to the darkness, and with the knowledge that all of her beloved subjects were going to suffer from her failing, the older gathered her remaining powers. Using a moment of distraction she unleashed her powers and managed to banish her sister to the moon, to be locked away for all eternity. With the loss of their mistress the creatures of the night lost their will to fight and retreated into their domains.

At long last, the war was over. The elder took over her sister's task to raise the moon at the end of the day, for she knew that the night was a necessity to ensure the wellbeing of the entire world.

But the younger one was not willing to give up that easily. During her last moments before her banishment, she put a curse on her beloved night- it would strengthen and empower her subjects, allowing them to continue their fight.

To this day the older sister keeps up the fight against the creatures of the night to maintain the brittle harmony that keeps the world alive.

~*~

History is written by the victor…