Equestria Forsaken

"If I must choose between Love and War, I will choose war." - King Sombra of Umbra, the Usurper

C

The first thing that she saw were the colors. So many colors. Familiar ones, reds and blues, greens and browns, and colors she had never seen before. Colors that could not be described for words would do them no justice. Colors not meant to be seen by any creature- alive or dead.

Colors whose majesty would break and blind.

The pressure it put on her skull was phenomenal. It felt as though the meaning of Divinity and Godhood had compressed themselves into this tiny, miniscule realm and were attempting to pry her skull open and tear her apart from the inside out. Goddesses, it hurt! But the colors were so beautiful... she couldn't look away.

It was impossible. A beautiful nightmare.

Her eyes stung with unshed tears as the swirling void of colors seemed to slowly drain away. It was so beautiful; but it hurt so much. It reminded her of the day she had first looked up at the sun. The day she had found its beauty so grand and majestic she had looked up at it, and reached out.

Gods.... gods, she felt like a foal again...

Only this time, she knew the chaotic abyss was not hers to touch. She knew who the amalgamation belonged to- she felt the mare inside of it- but hadn't the courage to seek her out. She had just done the most irresponsible thing on Equis! And... and she had enjoyed it. Twilight had felt amazing to her. Maybe it had been that she was a mare; or the way she had held her close after they had committed the act, but...

She'd enjoyed it. The thought disgusted her; Twilight was vulnerable! She shouldn't have agreed with the rash decision-making that had led them... wherever they were. At the same time, the feeling of a pair of purple teats pressing against her own as she was hilted in came back to mind.

Came...

Her hoof trailed down to her stomach, carefully prodding her bulging womb; stuffed to the brim with Twilight's sperm.

Gods, she was a mess..

She looked around at the new expanse. The colors- those elysium forsook pieces of infinity- had shrunk down to the point of becoming a dot in the distance. In its place, the light the sun shone, as brilliant as it had always been. The vibrant rays seemed to chase after the amorphous mass of tendrils and cosmos; attempting to coil around it with each second it became smaller and smaller.

She didn't know where she was- or why- but if it had anything to do with what they had done before...

She wasn't sure if she could face Twilight.

As her eyes scanned the void, a voice filled the space. "Ehm... Hello? I- uhm- sorry if I took a while. It's been a long time since anypony's been here; especially, y'know, divinity.. So, you and her are... wow, alright, let me... let me just get my bearings real quick. It's been a while. My name is Amor. I'm love- er, well, both of you already know that... but, I'm... I'm like the aspects. Like, Sol or.. or the other Elementals. The.. figurative voice of love. I'm bound to the alicorn you call Cadance, but I still.. well, I used to have another job.. here. It's been some time, like I said.. you two are an- uh, interesting couple. I.. is she normal? I mean, memory says she's not, and I've never... seen a pony with both of those. Or with that much Despair.. I- sorry, I just haven't had anyone to talk to in so long.. Uhm, I.. Would either of you have questions?"

"Indeed," Celestia looked around. "perhaps the first would be... where are we?"

"Oh... oh, ah... Ooh, that's a tough one. Well, it's hard to describe, really. This place.. you could call it another plane. Or a subdivision. It's.. a place where love is most prominent. It used to be different. Uh, organized. I just stopped taking care of it so long ago.. It's also the place I used to be able to drag two lovers to complete the ritual, but... well, Equestria's love has been tainted for as long as I can remember. I was only able to get you here because of how strong your love is. It... took a lot of effort, but I managed. This is.. uhm, I guess the place where I do my rituals. Or, ritual, actually.. I can't manifest at the moment, so this'll be one of the few times I've had to complete the ritual by letting the lovers do it.. but, you two will do just fine.. even if there is an underyling poison between you. But, this'll fix those problems as well! Uhm.... first I have to get you both together, though. Hold on one moment..." The voice turned into a low hum, gradually increasing in volume as Celestia felt herself dragged from where she stood over to the raging, angry cloud of colors. She'd have to face the mare now- whether she wanted to or not.

O

Oblivion was a lot of things. A genius? Definitely. Magically powerful? Always had been. A good decision maker?.. Most of the time.

She was many things. Not all of them were good in that moment, though.

She was also feeling very panicky. After waking up in a tartarus-scape of rainbow, she'd started hearing a voice. As smart as she was, she hadn't the slimmest idea of where she was.

Or where Celestia was, for that matter.

She had to see her!

... But why? To apologize?

... no. that wasn't it. As stupid as it was, she wasn't going to bring up the topic yet.

She...

missed her.

The all-consuming, all-encompassing storm around her slowed in pause.

A force, most likely whatever the voice had been, was yanking her along. It'd been very keen on remaining silent, not having said a word since the feeling of being dragged to wherever her destination would be had started. It was getting frustrating having to wait for it to pull her there, but the thought of reaching Celestia had kept her quiet.

Just as she was considering asking the voice why it had stopped talking, the heavens split, and the signature warm, yellow light of the sun spilled through. Gods, she was free!

.. and an angel awaited her arrival on the other side.

C x O

Two towering, monolithic alicorns eyed eachother in awestruck silence. It had been that way for quite some time, neither having the will to speak up as they took in their changes. Oblivion avoided Celestia's gaze, the sight of the amber irises stinging her broken heart. They screamed her ignorance back into her face, reminding her of what she had done to the formerly alabaster mare.

Celestia, meanwhile, felt small. It wasn't for the first time in her life she'd felt small, but.. The trip had made Twilight's dominance crystal clear to her, a hurricane of rainbows and chaos as her proof.

Both awaited the return of the voice- hoping for words of distraction. Instead, when it returned, it only made them feel worse. "See? This is what I mean. Neither of you can just.. be open with each other. Oblivion, guilt is eating you up; why aren't you talking to Celestia about it? Is it because you're scared? That you'll do something wrong, and she won't love you anymore? Or are you lettingArrogancedrown out the sound of the voices that eat you up inside?" It inquired. "And Celestia, you blame yourself for putting her and you here. Do you really think that's a bad thing? At that, was this a one-party effort? No. Both of you, even if it was on a complete whim, fully consented. Is it that you need something to blame yourself for, or the fact that you've reigned so long you've let everypony's 'problems' become your fault- even if they aren't problems at all?"

They both looked down at their hooves, one flipping her ears back while the other resigned herself to shamefully nodding. "This is whatSolis talking about, Celestia. Do you see it yet? I am love- all aspects of love influence me. You both have an unbreakable bond, and the most love I've seen in a very long time- especially from Equestria- but you poison it. If it weren't for me, it would only get worse. You both already hide your shame and worries about what you've done from each other. Tartarus, one of you despises your own existence! But let me tell you a secret..." It let the silence consume all things once more as it disappeared. They sat in utter lack-of-sound for a full minute, before finally,

"Exactly. Love has no secrets. I never have. But do you know why I exist? To stop these trends. One of you has the Sin of Lust and Malice inside your head, and those can lead to the destruction of a couple very quickly. I've seen a lot in my years; marriages so stained with lies and affair and violence the fact that the love had managed to survive the venom that was slowly killing it impressed me greatly enough to allow the mortals in. I've seen starstruck lovers who are in physical pain when they're apart. Those ones are so beautiful.. but, I've also seen alicorns.. and they are, out of all the liars and cheaters, the worst. They believed their divinity an excuse to participate in their indulgent hedonistic desires. Any alicorn romance was crushed under the weight of sheer lust for any sex either alicorn could come across. They were arrogant and foolish. Whenever they appeared here, they would attempt to run and flee."

"They'd fail, of course. No one can physically leave without completing the ritual. It didn't stop them from trying, yes, but their efforts were futile. 'Love conquers all' may not be the truth entirely, but it conquers many things. That's why I am here now. You two are the first alicorn goddesses to exist in this realm with no panic over what the ritual entails. That being said, you don't exactly know what it is. If that was not impressive enough, you worried more for the other than yourself. Oblivion, though you may insist you are inferior, you enjoy dominance. You seek a pony who will not cast the judgement of ignorance or cruelty for your hermaphroditic nature, and instead adore you for the pony you are. You seek to protect what is yours at all costs. You wished for Celestia's presence not only because you found comfort and piece with her, but you sought to ensure her safety. And yet, you are also incomplete. You claim to be a mare, and yet reject it as a part of your nature. You have no partner to fulfill the half of your desires you neglect. There is a... quick fix, a way to overcome this, but.. you can. As long as you're the one demanding Celestia do it to you. I will admit, your fragile state of mind made you quite difficult to transport here.. you're barely stable enough to be considered sane."

"In the case of Celestia, it is strangely fitting. Her rule has made her long for a pony to dominate her, and a millennia of waiting for one that she could finally love has left her with a lover's subservient mindset. Never having set herself a pony in mind, she was blind to her own attractions toward her most faithful student- one does not simply become the Goddess of Virginity without reason, hum?-. She wishes to follow the commands given and be controlled by the one whom holds her heart. You both seem to be, 'suckers,' for romance, so I don't think you'll mind what the ritual entails." The voice's giddy undertone was unmistakable to the two nervous, blushing ponies.

Oblivion's indignation had skyrocketed- then plummeted. "Y-you keep talking about some kind of... ritual. What... uh, if you don't mind, what is it?"

"In due time. Now, one of you has ambiguous morals at best. You are both inexperienced in the topic of love- as the novels you read are... hooey, because I... well, they're stupid, and... I don't really have a better word for it.." The voice chuckled awkwardly. "But that's besides the point I'm trying to get across here. To answer your question, the Bonding Ritual is... major. If you've heard of ponies that get married and have a long, healthy relationship for the entirety of their lives.. it was likely the Bonding Ritual- sometimes ponies don't get it, and still do that.. it depends on how well they're going to do throughout the.. union. What it does, in essence, is... well, bind you. Spiritually, of course. It's like... inseparability? It comes with a few rules for both parties. I'd made these because the alicorns kept going off and... well, rotting their bonds by fighting and cheating. The amounts of affairs and inter-marital wars alicorns had... gods, they were fools. Never learned."

"They also exist to aid ponies similar to Oblivion. Ponies with a strong bond and excessive love are almost guaranteed to be together, but for a pony who has a difficult time telling right from wrong, they see nothing wrong with sex outside of their relationship, or a, 'roll-in-the-hay,' with somepony that wasn't their partner normally ended with.. devastating consequences. The first and most important rule is about your relationship. It is monogamous; as are both of you. It may be against equine nature to some ponies, but they seem to forget gods are the antithesis to equine nature. You do not follow the same rules as them. This is what you've chosen to be your nature and, because of that, the nature of your relationship as well. While I have seen many polygamous lovers in my time- and I have let them agree to a similar rule between all ponies in their group- there are many monogamous as well. That is why your first rule is to wholly and fully accept that. This relationship- one between only two gods- will never be broken. It will be as infinite and vast as both of you. You will not break this rule- you will not coitus with any besides eachother, you will not have romantic affections for any creature besides eachother, and you will be connected on the level of your souls-"

"D-don't you think that's a bit much for only two days in? W-we only just got together..." Oblivion stopped as Celestia whimpered. "N-not that that's a bad thing! We've just... we've been going so fast it's... I'm just.. How do we know we can do this?" She bit her lip, feeling her uncertainty cave in the face of Celestia's pleading, tearful gaze. The look caused her heart to tighten in her chest, and her mindfulness was beaten to a pulp.

Gods... she couldn't say no. Even if she wanted to. Not if that was how it would make Celestia feel. She loved her. She'd...

she'd put foals into her, damnit... they'd need eachother...

With that, any of her remaining uncertainty was blown to the wind.

"Doesn't matter, really. Each one moves at it's own pace. You two don't seem to understand that well, so let me give you an example: for mortals, it can be years before they have sex, foals, or know that they'd found the pony they wanted to spend the rest of their life with; or, in other cases, they know it the moment they lay eyes on each other, and two days later they're married and in bed together for the rest of their lives. Rare, but they happen. Alicorns are infinite, so they don't have to worry about time. Literally. You'll all still be living when creation comes to an end! Unless you're killed by some other deity... But, that's why this is so important. It doesn't matter how fast you're moving, only that you're content to just be with each other, and that it is a pace you both agree with. Relationships with ponies that can never have enough... never come here. It's why Equestrians have always been so rare in my realm. The lovers and unions are always over before they can even begin, and it was always painful to watch.. That's another reason we have that first rule. It'll make sex with any other creature besides eachother and romantic love for anyone else, impossible. This rule brings the possibility of rape down to non-existent simultaneously, due to the magic that it takes to ensure this rule is followed. I take pride in that, you know. It also brings us to our second, and just as importantly emphasized rule:"

"You will not, in any serious or malicious way, bring harm to each other. I'm not a creature to deny ponies their kinks, so long as they agree with rule one. If you enjoy pain; then so be it. Exhibitionism? Why not. Humiliation? Go ahead. This won't stop anything like that. What this will stop is any abuse. There are relationships that come here; and one of the ponies in love is sick and twisted, whether for one reason or another, and will bring harm to their partner. It's love, but something has happened to one of the ponies involved that has poisoned them and given them the ability to injure their partner in anger or spite or simply.. simply because they want somepony to take their anger out on. It is far worse, though, when the pony enjoys the pain they bring upon the one they love. When they use their power to play with their partner's mind.. It's heartbreaking, seeing them push through even with their evil ways. That's why rule two exists. You will not bring harm- physically or mentally- in any malicious, cruel way to your partner."

"Rule three is much simpler than the others. It is not a rule that applies to all couples, but ones with your deviances do receive them. Oblivion, as the alpha, you will be tasked with the protection of your mate. At any cost, you will defend her and use all powers available to you to ensure her safety. Alongside your duties as Protector of the Virtues and Sins, Goddess of Magic, Aether, Nether, Knowledge, Power, Energy, and Death, you will hold it with just as much importance as the rest, and remain constantly vigil in your task of her defence; and be her caretaker in her times of sickness and depression. You will not misuse her, but love and treasure her. She is your equal in godhood, but your lesser in power and bond. It is your duty to keep her safe. Celestia, you are your mate's subservient half. You will instinctually be drawn to and desire their presence, even in the most mundane settings. You will seek the comfort that lay under her wing more than the glamour of the throne, and be more keen to obeying her requests. You will seek to serve and to be loved, and you will work in the name of success for you and your lover's bond. You, in particular, will seek to keep your lover from the cloud of sorrow and despair that hovers above her infinity."

"You will place her above even the needs of your ponies."

They all sat in silence. Oblivion looked contemplative as she went over the terms. They made sense to her- even the last one. They checked off multiple boxes on her 'guide to a successful relationship'...

wherever that came from.

It was wrong, she knew. This wasn't how love normally was between ponies. She had always thought it a rocky stead of ups and downs. Of course, she also weighed the pros. These rules may have dictated how they behaved, but it was to ensure their success. Besides, rule two hadn't implied making them think and talk the same. They would still be themselves, and they would still agree to disagree.. It was a very useful rule, in her opinion. Rule one may have been a bit... controlling, but the specifications for just being here qualified for its existence. They wouldn't drift apart. The ones who had come before them had resulted in that rule. She worried quite thoroughly about the third, though...

She looked up at Celestia. Those amber eyes looked at her with so much love and hope... love and hope she needed to feel.

The choice was obvious.

She wanted to know first, though.

"Well... uhm, I do have a question myself. You've talked a lot about us, but..." Her hoof shakily pointed at the lower half of Celestia's torso. "I... maybe it's stupid, because you probably wouldn't interfere with that, but... we'll.. they'll be fine... right? They'll.. we... I'm..." She quieted, letting her hoof fall limply back to her side. "I just wanna know... we'll love our foals, right? We'll... I.."

Huh.. her vision was blurry. That was strange, she didn't remember...

"W-we won't be.. b-be so obs-sessed we.. don't love our own... our..."

Oh.. She was crying. Right. She forgot she could do that. Better than most.

There was another pony hugging her. Probably Celestia, if she had to guess...

it was nice. It made the tears stop- even if they were soaking into her pristine golden fur. The feeling of Celestia's rapid heartbeats and long, deep breaths was.. soothing.

The voice came back, much softer than it had been before. "It's alright to worry about them.. Tartarus, I would too. There's implications in here that are going to effect you both forever. You have a right to worry about what it'll mean for your foals... Funny. They were unintentional, weren't they? You two couldn't control yourselves- but.. fate has a funny way of making unintentional consequences have wonderful results. So, to answer your question, no. It won't. It won't get in the way of your instinctual parental love. I'm not a monster.. just trying to make sure everything goes by smoothly. My job, right? You will have perfectly healthy, truly lovable foals."

Oblivion chuckled, hiccuping. "Y-y'know, I-I normally wouldn't-t believe y-you, b-but... w-well, with how I-" Her voice cracked. "p-panicked before, I.. d-didn't really th-think about it.. j-just.. just knew I did something.. wr-wrong.. but.. I-I can't g-go back now... and.. a-and, as crazy as I-I might b-be... I..."

"Come to find out you've always liked the idea of having lots of foals? Believe me, that's something a lot of creatures find out. Normally it's mortals; and they get twelve or so before they can't anymore and decide to stop. For the occasional dragon? It's a couple hundred hatchlings. The perk of never having to die, huh? You'll see them- however many you want to have- grow up. For all the friends you'll lose, you'll never have to give up the family you make. I'd say it's worth it, but... maybe I'm biased. That's why I let you ask these things. It's easier to know about the changes and accept them; moving on with your life, than to have them forced onto you and dwell on them. I think the phrase... 'If I am to be chained, it will be of my own volition,' comes to mind?"

Oblivion nodded. Logic worked. It never failed. The hoof stroking her mane was calming- the familiar warmth of Celestia's sun.

"She is correct. Perhaps it was thoughtless, but.. I do not doubt it will end wonderfully." Celestia whispered.

She sighed, wiping the dream-tears from her face. They were pink-just like her real ones had become. "How do we start?"

"Oh, that's easy. You both just need to let your magic flow into one another. I'll do the rest."

Oblivion furrowed her brow. "That.. seems a bit, y'know, suspicious.."

"Oh, I know. You don't like ponies touching your magic? That's how I imprint the rules, though. They're more of a... code, you're going to follow. I also need a direct link to your souls for the bond, and this is the only way I can do it. Happy?" The voice sighed.

"Yeah.." the Goddess of Magic grumbled. "You can imagine why I'd be pretty nervous about some corporeal entity digging into my wellspring for my soul."

Celestia hushed her. "It'll be fine, Twilight. If.. if we are where I think we are, then she will truly bring no harm to us."

"I have no reason to try and start something with the embodiment of magic. I'd be crazy! Just remember, though- while you're right to think this is controlling, the better question would be this: is it wrong? Perhaps to some. They have morals and expectations, and enjoy the full experience in a relationship's progress. But they so easily accept heartbreak and loss. They say it is a part of life, but gods do not live, do they? Gods are eternal, and those mortal ponies are not. Who are they to decide what is and isn't toxic? Are morals not subject to change, just as the view on a proper, wholesome relationship is? I leave you with that. Otherwise, I wish you two safe travels. This'll take quite a while, so.. be ready."

They both fell silent.

"Alright.."

In the realm of the living, the gloomy backdrop above Equestria's capital seemed to reflect a light that burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.

As Love's realm shook with the might of two goddesses, Amor felt an odd sense of relief. The feeling of that accursed structure- the crystal city- exiting her home through the rift the ponies had torn open was like the weight of a thousand years of suffering souls lifted from her back. The joy at creating the first new bond in a millennia was almost as great as the relief.

Her kingdom had returned.

And this time, Sombra would fail.