“Oh, monsters are scared. That's why they're monsters.”

A monster stalked the halls of Canterlot Castle.

There are three types of fear. The first fear is rational. An immediate, present threat: hurtling towards the ground at Mach speed, a madpony lunging towards you with a knife as it hissed and snarled. The second type is primal fear - the fear that you feel deep within your bones as the earth rattles with the roar of a dragon. The fear that you're covered in spiders when you read about them or feel something crawling across your back -

Then, there is the third type of fear. The fear of the unknown. The irrational.

This is the fear that those who walk across the ruins of the Once Great Deer feel. The fear that those that have the misfortune to gaze upon the statue of the last 'quus feel. The fear of those near the Umberfoal mountains and smell the sulfuric air of Tartarus, the fear of those who sail across the ocean - not knowing that the Eldest Daughter lies dormant beneath them, locked beneath them the waves by fledgling divinity.

There is a fourth type of fear, and it stalks the halls of Canterlot.

Her name is Twilight Sparkle. She doesn't walk alone - she walks with the princess, the only one who can stomach her presence for more than a few minutes. She stands barely at two feet - her frame, gaunt, like skin and muscle stretched tightly over her bones. Her horn is something that belongs to no foal - as long as her foreleg, curved with a strange spiral pattern around it - and sharpened to a point. The weight is awkward, uncomfortable: and so her head droops to the side slightly as she walks on trembling legs. It drags against the wall - long, thin scratches that wear at the chiselled marble halls of the castle marking her path.

She's a secret, for the time being. Celestia hasn't quite managed to broach the topic of discussion to the Embodiments, let alone to the castle staff at large. Usually - she's confined to Celestia's private study, where the princess can keep an eye on her. But, ultimately - no matter how strange she is, she is a foal, so Celestia lets her wander within the gardens, or the castle - with supervision.

The animals hate her. They hiss and snarl at her. Celestia had been slow to intervene as a hawk slashed at her face - only for the claws to graze over her fur pathetically and Twilight to bare her teeth.

When Twilight was done eating, there weren't even bones left.

The staff fear her. They're right to. Being in her presence feels as if there is a pressure weighing down on their shoulders - their souls, their very being threatening to burst, to pop - as the dead-eyed filly stares through them. She never says a word, never leaves the princesses side - and there is something deeply, deeply unsettling about her. About her fur, so brightly coloured - in contrast to her hooves and eyes, so dark...

It's fear. The fear that gnaws at the inside of your chest, that eats through your stomach and fills your veins with icy sludge. The fear that runs through your mind like a wildfire - its fear leads good men to make cruel decisions, foolish rationalisations.

It's fear, that leads Private Wind Burst to where he lays in wait - poised to strike, with a dagger of poison and a heart filled with fear.

"Twi...lighttt..." The girl rasped. "Twi...light. Twi-light. Twilight." She spoke slowly, cautiously - her voice filled with so much pain, but each word coming out in an unsettling monotone.
"Very good, Twilight." Celestia beamed. In months, the filly had made excellent progress. While Celestia was reluctant to begin her on any magical instruction - teaching her to walk, as well as combatting her difficulties with speech had been going stunningly well.

"Twilight...Spar...kle. Twi...light. Spar-kle. Twilight. Sparkle. Twilight, Sparkle." The girl hissed out - her tongue flitting out for a moment as she did so before she shifted her position as she buried her face into her mother's chest.

She hadn't left her side for a moment, Celestia noted. Maybe this was what Cadence meant - that the love that Twilight felt for her could grow twisted. Grow dangerous, turn obsessive. Maybe, Celestia thought - and it felt like tearing off an arm to even think as such - that a bit of distance could do them some good.

Such thoughts were rather promptly quashed by Twilight rolling her entire body over - her stomach left exposed to the world, her tongue flopping out of her mouth as her horn scratched against Celestia's fur. The foal nuzzled against her silently, her eyes blinking slowly - and Celestia felt that she would rather set the nation aflame than do something as cruel as part herself with the filly, even for a moment.

"You know, Twilight..." Celestia trailed off for a second. "With a belly that cute - you're just begging to get tickled." Celestia rather promptly launched into a fit of tickles on the poor filly's unsuspecting stomach. Her hooves danced expertly - running their tip in circles over spots that usually resulted in the most vocal results. While the girl was stoic - borderline emotionless at times - tickles were one of the few things Celestia could consistently do to make her laugh. The foal tilted her head up as she giggled and giggled - her horn scratching against the floor and rubbing side to side.

Celestia's chest filled with warmth. Some part of her found it amusing - she had heard that expression before but never truly understood it.

Her chest filled with more warmth. And more. And more, and more, and more - until she let out a soft gasp and promptly stopped her ticklish assault. She stumbled backwards - letting out a soft cough as pink fluid trailed down her mouth in a thin stream.

Celestia let out a pained sigh. "T-Twilight." She coughed up more of her own blood, wiping it clean from her mouth on the side of her hoof. "Did you - melt my heart?"
"Sor...rryy...Celestia..." The filly rasped.
Celestia smiled a bloody smile as her heart slowly reformed. "It's quite alright," she nodded.

She tried to pretend that she wasn't disturbed by the fact that Twilight had managed to penetrate her natural magical defences as well as her warding. She failed.

Private Wind Burst felt his heart pound within his chest as he heard the light clopping of hooves.

She was an angel. Her voice a crystalline choir - yet, too kind for her own good. She couldn't do what she had to do. What needed to be done.
"Good night, Twilight. Would you like the light on, or off?"
"O-off..." The monster that wore a foal's skin hissed. Her voice was a grating reminder of what the Private was here to do - and so, he clutched the dagger ever tighter.

He would have to commit a cardinal sin to die a martyr - the ultimate sacrifice. He did not do this for martyrdom, though - no. He did this, for it was what had to be done.

He waited. He waited until he could hear nothing but the heart pounding in his ears - and only then did he dare so much as to peak into the foal's room from his hiding spot in the closet. The curtains and drapes were drawn - the lights turned off, the door shut. He was lucky that the monster enjoyed the darkness.

He slowly pushed the closet door open - only for it to ring out with a lout creak, and he cursed to himself. He waited, so still that he felt as if he had died - not daring so much to breathe, and only when a minute of silence had passed did he feel brave enough to move.

He stepped forward, slowly. His steps were slow, cautious - measured - until he stood, directly over the demon. Wind Burst gripped the dagger with both his hooves as he stood on his hind legs. He positioned the dagger directly above her heart -

Her eyes snapped open. Disturbingly, her eyes didn't move to lock onto him - as if they had been looking at him before her eyes had opened. Her head tilted to the side; her mouth fell open - "hel...loo...." She wheezed.

Wind Burst let out a bloody scream as he brought the dagger crashing down into her heart - only for it to sink into a white membrane. There was a sudden, sharp impact - and when Wind Burst's ears stopped ringing, Celestia stood over him. Blood matted her right wing, and Wind Burst was suddenly very acutely aware of how multiple of his ribs were broken.

Celestia's horn lit. Her face was as cold as ice.
"Treason." She whispered. Her voice was the Sun.
"No - no, my princ- gah! No!" Wind Burst had shifted into a pleading position on all fours, kneeling and pressing his hooves together above his head as he grovelled below the alicorn. However, it did mean that he was pressing down into his ribs - causing a sharp flare of pain.

"I meant to rid the monster from the world. Not you, my princess. I promise, I swear it - I swear. I know - I know that you are kind, and that you cannot strike the monster down. Please - please, oh great Celestia - allow me."
"You - are you-" Celestia stepped back. Her ice-cold expression shifted into one of pure, unadulterated rage. "You-"

There were several things Celestia was planning. Some part of her wanted to vaporize him on the spot. One part wanted to shatter all four of his legs before sentencing him to a trial. Another part, still - wanted to throw him off the Canterhorn with broken wings. But Celestia was not cruel. Quite promptly, she decided - she would lock him in chains and cast him into the royal dungeons.

She didn't have the chance to even form the teleport spell in her mind before he promptly melted in front of her.

She could see magic. That was part of what made it so grisly - she could see magic swarm into his body even as it was pulled out. She could see his cells beginning to burst as they sloughed off his skeleton in a puddle - gallons of molten pony staining Celestia's floor. The rancid puddle that was once Private Wind Burst stained Celestia's hooves, and she could do little more than stare in abject horror at a level of grim efficiency that she hadn't seen since the time of the Once Great Deer, or even the Sister.

She slowly turned towards Twilight. The unicorn's horn was alight with a pure lavender glow. She locked her eyes on the pony puddle.

"You killed him," Celestia whispered dumbly.
"He...hurt...you."

Celestia stared at Twilight for a long while - and those earlier thoughts came to her, much easier this time.

"Repeat it. Again."
"B..but-"
"Twilight Indomita Sparkle." Celestia spoke sternly. "You will repeat it again."

Twilight tilted her head down. "I didn't - I - I'm - sorry." She whispered.
Celestia's heart melted. Not truly, this time - but it melted with pain. Oh, Twilight - how she wanted to scoop her up in her hooves and say that she knew she was sorry - and that it was okay, that everything would be okay.

But she couldn't. Not now.

"I know you are, Twilight. That doesn't mean I don't want you to repeat it again."

"...It...s...hard." She whined. She scratched her hoof at the marble floor. Celestia was thankful that it was marble, not carpet - getting liquid pony out of the floor was hard enough as it was.

"I know that it is hard, Twilight. Sometimes - I will ask you to do things that are hard. I am not strong because I am able to do many things - I am able to do many things because I am strong enough to try again when I fail. And I am certain, that you are, too. Repeat it - one last time, and I will be sated."

It was light text, but it still took Twilight the lions share of a half-hour to read through it - but Celestia was patient. Eventually, she had managed to read it in its entirety.

I, Twilight Indomita Sparkle, do solemnly swear that I will never take the life of a pony unless explicitly ordered to by Celestia Astrella Indomita. However, I recognize that such a prerogative may be changed according to the will of Celestia Astrella Indomita.

I, Twilight Indomita Sparke, do solemnly swear that this evening, I will not intentionally harm Fluttershy Blade in any shape or form, be it physically or mentally. Furthermore, I swear that I will not intentionally upset her to avoid making a friend.

Twilight sat there, panting. Finally, Celestia reached out a hoof and slowly ran it through her mane.
"I'm proud of you, Twilight." She whispered. In that moment - Twilight felt as if she could do anything.

The Royal Gardens of Canterlot - tended to exclusively by Her Royal Majesty Celestia herself, was a sight that few go to witness. So it was no surprise that the daughters of the two of the most important mares in Equestria were allowed access. And considering Twilight's sheer dependence on Celestia, as well as Fluttershy's sheer timidity - the two mothers thought that it would be good for their children to interact with one another.

Twilight stared blankly at Fluttershy as she tried to see if she could disappear behind her mane. The butter-yellow pegasus shifted lightly.

The daughters of the two most powerful mares in Equestria sat and stared at each other blankly. Fluttershy tried to disappear behind her mane. Twilight stared at her, and Fluttershy felt as if her gaze was digging into her soul. Something was strange about the child - her mere presence made Fluttershy feel almost - heavier. Like it was somehow harder to breathe.

She was used to feeling that way, though.
"..do...you like...animals?" Fluttershy suggested weakly. She batted her hoof at the ground, digging a trench with its tip.
"N-no." The unicorn rasped. "They - don't - l-like me."
"oh, um. sorry. D-does - it hurt you to talk?" Fluttershy frowned and shifted closer.
"N-no." Twilight shook her head. "J-just...hard. Mind - fast. Mouth - slow."
Fluttershy nodded. "O-oh, that's alright. I'm sorry. Um - is there - anything I can do?"
"...are...you - s-scared of me?" Twilight whispered. Her voice was weak - oh, so weak. It reminded Fluttershy of a wounded bird that she and her mother had nursed back to health.
Fluttershy nodded slowly. "oh, um. a little bit. y-yes." Fluttershy glanced down.
Twilight's expression fell. She turned her head to the side.
"I-I mean, I'm - um. I'm afraid - of - everyone. People are just - oh, um. I don't - I don't want to be, a bother - and, I don't really - um. Understand people. Not - really."

Twilight turned to look at her. She didn't say anything - but Fluttershy felt as if she wanted her to continue.

"I - oh, I - well. I know you said you don't like animals, but they're just - so...adorable, and friendly - and so interesting...did you know that hawks can dive faster than most pegasi?"
There was a glimmer of something in her eyes. Twilight tilted her head to the side.

And so, they sat for a while there as Fluttershy rambled on and on about animals - about birds of prey, about snails, about creatures as enigmatic as the World-Tortoises that walked at the bottoms of the oceans - or as beautiful as the phoenix. Creatures that were reborn from ash - immortal.

Twilight was particularly fascinated by the story of the phoenix. So fascinated - that she almost didn't hear the whispers at the corner of her mind. Almost.

"-ld bag of bones is still kicking." The first voice was masculine - deep, yet smooth as velvet - it wrapped around Twilight's mind, and she found herself lost in it.
"Why did you choose the name Discord?" The second voice was feminine - high pitched with a soft sultry purr in it...but an undertone of utter hatred in it.
"Hm. Somewhat random. Are you saying it isn't fitting?"
"Far from it. Your very presence brings Discord to my peace of mind."
"How polite, as ever. I did not choose the name, you know - it was given to me."
"You know - you remind me of my son."
"I'm offended."
"You should be. It was meant to be an insult."
"Hm."
"You chose the name, because you ask to be called it. Are you so daft that the concept of choice flies above your mind? I thought you were meant to be the aspect of change."
"I take offence to being diminished to merely an aspect, sister dear. I am the Shepherd of Magic itself, you know."
"And yet, I can still beat you in a fight with a hand tied behind my back."
"Oh, you know what they say. With age comes experience and all - and you are quite old, aren't you - Eldest?"
"I chose a name, recently."
"Truly? How very much unlike you."
"Unlike you - I am capable of change."
"You don't understand how deliciously ironic that is, from where I sit."
"I thought you were in more of a standing position."
"Hmph."
"Kesmera is the name I've chosen. It was the name of the first girl who I ever spared. The only one, in fact."
"Spared? I didn't know that you spared anyone."
"There is much you don't know about me, brother. Much you don't know about this world. About all worlds."

"Kesmera is a pretty name," Twilight Sparkle said - although she couldn't quite tell the difference between physical speech and mental speech. It came out more fluid than any other sentence she had said - and stopped three people in three very different locations right in their tracks.

"No." Horror.
"And who is this gem?" Curiosity.
"Um - sorry?" Confusion.

Twilight thought for a moment. Most normal ponies didn't have voices in their head. It would probably scare Fluttershy if she said that she did - and that would upset Celestia. And to upset Celestia -

"N-nothing." Twilight wheezed. Fluttershy gave her a strange look but continued rattling on.

There was a noise that rang out in Twilight's head. It was the noise of a thousand creatures crying out in agony simultaneously - and suddenly, she felt her mind was much heavier than normal. She pressed a hoof against her head and shut her eyes.

"You're something new," a voice whispered in her ears. "Hmm. A bit of my blood in you - one of his children. Oh, how I don't envy you. If it makes you feel better - when he was young, I made sure to beat him within an inch of his life quite frequently." There was a growing pressure in her head. Twilight's eyes watered.
"w-who..." Twilight rasped out.
"Ah! Isn't it fascinating how a single phrase can give so much information? You don't know who I am - which means that you aren't being trained against me as a weapon. How fortunate for me. You're quite the beauty, aren't you? Magically - of course. A burning beacon of mystic energy - hm. How was it I didn't sense you earlier - ahh. There it is." Twilight felt exposed all of a sudden. She was cowering now, underneath her hooves - Fluttershy was there, she looked upset, but Twilight's head hurt.

"How pesky. It means - hm. Oh! You can hear this, can't you? Every single word I'm thinking. How fascinating. How would you handle - this?" And then - there was hatred.

Twilight's world began to spin as she repressed the urge to vomit. Every inch of her was filled with hatred, her hooves trembling with rage - oh, how she hated. How she wanted to grind the world to a pulp underneath her hooves - how she wanted to feast, to kill, to eat - for such was her purpose, was it not? For why else would she have such power? For why else would she have such ravenous teeth?

"That certainly broke you. Oh - yes. I can see through you, now. Hmm. The yellow horse. Kill her," the voice spoke lazily. Twilight glanced up at Fluttershy - and she saw her throat and how pretty it was. She wondered what it tasted like. She hated Fluttershy - and so, killing her was within her right. She hated everything-

Strong hooves curled around her. Her world was hidden away under a shield of white feathers - and suddenly, all the hatred was gone.

There was a stunned silence in her head.
"My my, Twilight Sparkle. You're interesting."

As Twilight lost consciousness - there was blessed silence.

-

Author's Note

can't sleep
might regret cranking out so much in one day but hm, future Via problems

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