Equestria Forsaken

"I am not a kind Emperor. I am not a wise Emperor. I am simply a pony given a place and a title. I do not have any obligations to anypony but myself. That is how the world should be." - God-Emperor Aeternum

/

"Interesting..." She muttered, flipping through her mind. It'd been a stressful few days. The news of her righteous accusations... hadn't done much. Her chest still felt empty and cold. She didn't mind though. She'd found the gifts Magic had given her to be much more interesting. She didn't understand- and yet she did. She'd been given a plethora of knowledge that was, for all intensive purposes, impossible.

And with the impossible, the possibilities were endless.

Of course, she had a few visitors every now and then. Her former friends had tried to coax her into coming out.

She obviously didn't.

Her brother had come by.. but she forgot what happened. It didn't matter, truthfully. They all made the empty feeling in her chest worse. She didn't need them.

But..

Her magic flicked off, bringing the large, sleeping form of another alicorn into view. She stared at the red stain on her white coat.

She didn't know- what to do, feel, or say. Celestia had made the feeling go away. She wasn't sure why- her mentor had abandoned her as well- but..

She could stay. Maybe it had been they way Celestia had cried when she'd found her. Or the way they had had to get Luna to pry the Solar monarch off of her body while she'd slept. But...

Gods, love could make you feel damned.

Spike had been sleeping at the end of her bed. As much as he made the feeling vastly expand, he was her damn child!.. even if she'd never told him that was how she felt. She wouldn't turn him away.

If it hurt to have him around, then so be it.

Before she could return to looking at all the knowledge she had gained, the sound of the door opening brought a flicker of annoyance.

"Girls, I told you all before; I'm not coming out." She repeated for the... fuck, seventh time...!

"Twilight Sparkle?" The sound of Luna's voice saying her dead name came from the door, bringing the chasm's return. Luna hadn't even been there to back her up- and likely wouldn't have. 'Just another traitor...'

"Mmm, that's not my name, go ahead and wear it out.." Her horn lit again, bringing the tablets of spells and symbols back into view. She casually scrolled through them, manually working them all out. She enjoyed it quite a bit- redoing the spells in her mind to get a complete layout of the theory. It passed the time.

She ground her teeth as an azure flash of magic dispelled her construct. That had taken time to make, fuckwad!

She snapped her head towards Luna. "Yes, Luna?" To her ever-increasing satisfaction, the Lunar Goddess flinched at the rising anger in her voice. "I'd like you to make this quick, I don't wanna have to deal with you right now."

"Ehm, yes... apologies, uh, we.. what should we call thee?"

She stopped for a moment. She.. hadn't thought about it much. After organizing a private funeral for Twilight Sparkle (attended, sadly, only by herself), she hadn't made up her mind. She'd been hoping to put it off. She wasn't Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle had been mortal. She'd been a unicorn. She'd had a normal mind and body. Mostly.

She wasn't Twilight Sparkle... she didn't think so, anyway. Celestia still called her by her dead name, but she didn't have the... heart? To correct her. Maybe...

She opened up the magic tablet again, scrolling through the sections. If she was right, then....

"Call me... Oblivion."

Luna stared at her for a moment, analyzing her features. "We... understand. Why doth thou pick such a name, if.. if we may ask?"

Oblivion looked at her. She put on her dumbest look. "As the Goddess of Magic, I am also subsequently the Goddess and Empress of both the Aether and Nether, the Realms of Magic, and the Holy Protector of the Elements and their Virtues- of Time with Charity and Contentedness, Technology with Knowledge and Diligence, Fire with Courage and Justice, Wind with Love and Chastity, Magic with Faith and Wisdom, Dark with Compassion and Prudence, Death with Humility and Forgiveness, Water with Kindness and Sincerity, Ice with Tolerance and Empathy, Life with Temperance and Determination, Earth with Fortitude and Patience, and Light with Hope- of the Aether and the Elemental Sins- of Fear, Lust, Apathy, Arrogance, Malice, Despair, and Madness- of the Nether. The the Aether's antithesis. I am then essentially the Oblivion."

"Balancing them results in a state of totality; a state in which transcendence to a higher state-of-mind occurs. I balance them with Dominance, magic's sub-element; the greatest of them. I'd think a Goddess should know that. Simply because one is a lesser of one those elements, their virtues and sins, does not mean they must give in to it. Arrogance is for the weak, fear is for cowards, and justice is for the damned. I am simply here to uphold their integrity and existence. It's strangely contradictory, that I'm an exception to those rules because I'm their defender. Magic's is of the greatest influence, but you may be familiar with... some of the virtues."

Luna stared at her for a moment, seemingly assimilating the information until she whispered, "The Elements..."

"Precisely." Oblivion grunted. "It's why they were able to stop Discord's mad rampage before it could begin. He may be a channel for Madness and Chaos, but not even he can hold his own against five combined virtues and an Aether's element. It was never friendship- only the state of the virtues' power. Harmony is otherwise- Harmony and Eternity and Creation. They are made up of the virtues in the same way Silence, Oblivion, Destruction, and Mayhem are by the Sins of the Nether. Time is a very unique case, though. It is part of the virtues in of themselves, and a part of its own obscure, virtueless-sinless branch. The branch contains Time, Soul, Space, Reality, Power, and Mind. Those are universal branches of magic, ones that can be used by any magic wielder. They're what we use most commonly."

Luna looked at her, shaking her head slowly. "How doth thou... know such things?"

Oblivion shrugged. "Magic's Godhead isn't the only one I was given. Knowledge, Power, and Energy and.. some others. I know things- even if I don't remember. I... I know a lot of things. Things that should be impossible to know. I can... feel, creation in a different way. It's like... a connection. I... know things. Feel things. That's... it's the only way to describe it. It's.. why I'm acting this weird. Or... out of character? Yeah.." She looked past Luna.

"Well.. we have... come to discuss, with thee. Since thine ascension, we will be required to maketh thee... a princess, as tradition states. We find it best to do so sooner rather than later, and thou will be coronated here in Canterlot."

Oblivion's look shifted from impassive- to outright furious. "Like tartarus I will!" She cursed, to Luna's utter shock. "Who the fuck do you think you are telling me what I do and don't have to do? Tradition? Do you think I give a fuck about your shitty little traditions? Do you know who I am? Do you know what I am capable of, plebian? You would dare-"

Celestia's groan quieted her rampaging tirade. "Mmmoo.. Sister?" She blinked her eyes. "Mm-Twilight? What's going on?" She looked at them.

CO

Oblivion opened her mouth to retort the use of a dead name- but stopped. Unlike with Luna, she didn't have the ability- almost physically- to correct that with Celestia. Celestia hadn't betrayed her like the rest- Cadance was her niece, after all; and had been since before she'd been Luna's. Besides.. she loved Celestia.. Her friends, on the other hoof, had sided with Cadance because she was a princess, and...

Everything stopped.

They had sided with her...

... because she was a princess.

She smiled a crooked, surgical smile.

"Me and Luna were talking. Nothing big. Just my coronation. I had second thoughts about it, but... well, I don't see any inherent issues with the decision..." She paused, scowling. "Nobility aside."

Celestia stared at her, dumfounded. "I-I.. Well, I did not think you would..." she stuttered, "I did not believe you would accept so easily..."

Luna looked at her quizzically- a look she ignored in favor of indulging Celestia. "I think it's fine. She said my coronation would be, 'sooner rather than later'." Her smile dropped away.

"Ah... I see.. well.." she looked Oblivion up and down. "Twilight... we may want to work on your voice beforehoof... it is quite... convincing." Celestia scratched the back of her neck.

"Sorry, that's just the residue magic. It tries to take control of your mind and.. well, make you listen to me. Sort of like a puppet." She laid back down in her bed. "Sorry about waking you up, Celestia."

The Sun Princess blinked in surprise at the blatant use of her name.

Then smiled brightly. "It's fine, truly. I was merely curious about what you were talking to sister about. It... seems to be sorted, yes?" She looked at Luna, who still sat, utterly confused. The Lunar diarch rubbed her head, turning towards the door again.

"Indeed... but... Oblivion, remember. This is no game- even if you may dislike it, even if you may despise them. You have a duty to Equestria as an alicorn. Such has been the rule in history. I know little of the role you may play, but you have become what you are, and therefore, as a princess, you will be the will of your ponies. Do you understand?" Luna waited for a response.

She stood in the doorway for a full minute, fearing what she would see if she turned around. After receiving no reply for several more minutes, she finally peaked- and went galloping down the hall. Oblivion had sat, staring at her with wide, vacant eyes. Eyes filled to the brim with the blackest of malice and hatred.

With a look that could only be acceptance.

Celestia stared after her sister. Luna had acted strangely, of course, but... Twilight had spoken to her. That was what mattered. She now had a now topic to discuss with the mare, as well.

"Twilight..." Celestia whispered.

Oblivion remained silent, contemplating whether or not to reply. To reply would be to give in to the burning desire to have an intelligent conversation the only pony who didn't hurt to be in the presence of... but she would be giving in. She ran the options through her mind. She could talk to Celestia... that had always made her feel better..

Or she could ignore her.

Then she wouldn't have to talk to anyone.

"Twilight, pl-please..." Celestia's voice cracked at the second plea. "I-I.."

Oblivion felt a blade enter into one side of her hollow heart- and exit out the other as she heard Celestia. Her damn heart... even emptied out, it made itself known as she tried to force the desire to speak to her former mentor down, her courage ridiculing them for their emotional vulnerability. She gulped.

"Twilight..." Celestia buried her face into her hooves. "I'm sorry... I-I.. I'm so sorry..." She swallowed a sob. "I-I shouldn't... I sh-should've trusted you..."

The stabbing pain tore through her resolve like tissue paper. Her conviction may have been powerful, but not that powerful. She quietly got out of her bed.

Being alone wasn't worth making Celestia cry.

"Twilight... Twilight, p-please... please... I'm sorry... j-just..." she choked, "please do not leave me... please..."

She stepped up to the crying alicorn. Thin trickles of tears were a new addition to her.

It was too much.

She wrapped her hooves around the massive alabaster torso, letting her head fall limply against it.

She wasn't sure why- but she felt better. The nothingness in her chest had faded. For the first time in days... She felt whole. She felt her heart beat anew; like a breath of fresh air.

She was alive.

"There's nothing to forgive... It wasn't your fault, Cadance is your niece, and I... it made sense-"

"I was so cruel to you!" The Princess of the Sun wailed. "Sense or not, I should not have allowed my emotions to detest you! I should have known then that your accusations were not unfounded! I should not have left you to drown in despair! I... I should not have said..."

'You have a lot to think about.'

There was the pain again. They both felt it now.

Celestia was eating her own words.

"Celestia, I... I know.." Oblivion closed her eyes. "It... hurt. A lot... like, it really, really hurt." She gave a dry, emotionless chuckle. "Th-they hurt me too, but.. you... you just..."

"Gods, it hurt.."

She closed her eyes, shutting off her own tears. It was curious that even after she'd ascended, it still hurt so badly.

"But... I-I already forgave you. It's just... hard. To talk to you. I'm... dealing with some stuff, in my head. I... I know I... I know I might've said fear is for cowards... but..."

"I'm scared, Celestia. What's gonna happen to me? I... I'm just..."

Oblivion felt the stinging in her eyes intensify as she buried her face into the nape of Celestia's neck. "Please... I forgive you... just... please stay. I don't.. feel right.."

A pair of hooves wrapped around her neck and a set of wings draped themselves around her. "I will... I swear, I will... I'll cancel Day Court... I... I should not have left. Not earlier today. Not yesterday... not... not then, either... Gods, I am a fool... I'm so sorry... I'm-mmph-" Celestia blinked in surprised, her face beet red as a pair of lavender lips pressed themselves against her own.

Oblivion pulled away, her face a similar shade of crimson. "I told you I forgive you... just... do this for me... if you... if you go again.. I-I don't think I'll make it.."

"I just.. Celestia.. please.. I can't do this alone. Not now.."

Celestia nodded mutely, the beating of the organ in her chest trying to break out of its cage quickening as the taste of dandelions and lilac lingered behind. She... wasn't sure what she felt. Love was a foreign emotion to her- desires of the flesh she had dared not participate in- and if the feeling of a flock of angry hummingbirds trying to peck through her rib cage wasn't enough...

She missed the tender pair of lips that had so briefly met hers.

The nobility had tried to force her into marriage thousands of times in the past. They had failed, obviously- the Goddess of Virginity and Chastity had done a wonderful job at defending herself from those demands in particular. In the ancient times, it had made her feel out of place to be the only pony who refused to partake in the... displays of horrendous coitus. Ever. Ponies would do the deed.. in many ways, wherever, whenever, and with whoever they wished. Many ponies- her own mother included- had attempted to force her into the activities- or force themselves onto her.

They failed. They ended up with their heads on pikes.

It had been tartarus. So, after using Discord as a trap to slay her parents, she had begun reshaping Equestria into a land where she wouldn't feel too out of place. The trauma from Discord's reign had effected her judgement during that time. She'd been volatile to violence and cold to those around her...

Sister...

This wasn't like either of those, though. It wasn't the movement that had caught her attention. The action, either. It was the pony.

Twilight...

She didn't know if it was possible- she knew what Twilight was, of course- but... a relationship? It seemed so... impossible. Twilight, a mortal, and her? Why love a pony when you will lose them..

That had been her excuse before... now she had none. None but guilt..

She had no excuse to cover up the truth- a fact. The harsh truth of her situation.

She was in love with Twilight Sparkle.

Her student. A... mare.

She was in love.. and had no clue what to do. She didn't know how long that had been so. All the shitty novels in Equestria couldn't even begin to compare to her situation. So, she laid there and contemplated. She had sworn she wouldn't leave Twilight- and Tartarus, nothing short of Discord returning would make her leave the mare alone again. She'd made that mistake before...

Twilight's tense body had scooted skittishly away from her. The impassive mare was visibly swallowing her embarrassment, trying to inch away.

The kiss had been positively delightful... Gods, she felt old.

It was sudden, perhaps? But, after a desperate millennia, she was willing to take her chances, inhibitions be damned.

Besides, her student.. was quite a lovely mare.

If only she knew how to deal with her own emotions...

Celestia pulled Twilight into her, curling around the smaller mare's body. She held her in a firm grasp, noticing the frost that seemed to cling to Twilight. She was freezing cold- something Celestia planned to fix. A teary, joyful whimper sounded from underneath the cocoon.

She was in love with Twilight Sparkle...

And maybe that was just fine.

Even if she hadn't the slightest clue what to do about it...

And she had only hurt the mare... A lot.

The thought filed itself away for the morning, when she could panic about it unbidden.

"Mmm..." she heard the voice murmur. Sleep was subjective for them all the same, but it was a simple thing that worked wonders for coming back with a clear head.

Sleep came quicker than her nervous body would have liked.