Twilight's Reign

by Flopinator1976

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One-Unexpected Guests
Chapter Two-The Wedding Must Go On
Chapter Three: Advice at the World's End
Chapter Four: A Brief Interlude
Chapter Five: Cobblestone Streets
Chapter Six: The Inn of Spiral Secrets
Chapter Seven: The Long Way Back
Chapter Eight: A Brief Interlude, Part Two
Chapter Nine: Back to the Castle, Back to Everything
Chapter Ten: Under a Scarlet Sky
Chapter Eleven: Solace in the Crystal Empire
Chapter Twelve: A Brief Interlude, Part III
Chapter Thirteen: A Royal Conversation
Chapter Fourteen: Preparing for War

Prologue

Author's Note

Thank you so much for reading. This is my first ever fanfiction, so thank you so much for giving it a chance. Constructive criticism is appreciated! This is a prologue to a larger story, and I will post more as soon as I can. I hope you all like it.

Prologue

Being a princess was hard work. Being a ruler was even harder work. While her friends took on various responsibilities as her fellow members of the Friendship assembly, it was she alone that perched upon a throne that once belonged to her mentor. It was she alone that signed decrees and smiled for photo ops with dignitaries that she barely talked to before being whisked away to another meeting. It was she alone that retired to her chambers, exhausted beyond belief by the duties of her reign. And it was she alone that stood in the mirror, day after day, wondering if Celestia was right when she told Twilight that she was meant to succeed her.

Twilight sighed. Although she knew the importance of her responsibilities to the greater Equestria, she couldn’t help but long for the simpler days, where she and her friends could traverse landscapes for days just to get roped into some wacky adventure. She missed the days when a pile of books could take up her whole week, when she and Spike would bicker on their way to get apples from the market in her adopted small town.

She sighed again, long-ago memories flooding her mind like crashing waves on a rocky shore. Her mind was sharper than those rocks, but the jaggedness was much the same. There were caves on her shore that longed to be explored, rabbit holes that were blocked by the business of her royal schedule. She wanted a break from being Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ruler of Equestria, and just be Twilight.

“Your Majesty, are you decent? I have some changes to your schedule I need to go over.”

Her chief of staff(and best friend) Spike, was knocking on her door, and it was then she noticed the sunlight filtering through her curtains. The curtains were velvety and rich purple hue, perfectly complimenting her starry bedspread and trusty Star-Swirl the Bearded-gifted coronation pillows. Raising the sun, a Celestian duty she once marveled at as a little filly, was automatic now, and it even surprised her sometimes that a sunny day was rising, as her horn seemed to raise the sun on autopilot. However, the simple task of raising the sun and moon each day wasn’t always so ingrained, and it was something she had learned the hard way a few moons ago, when she was faced with one of the worst moments of her royal career.

Twilight became lost in thought even more as she recalled, just a few months ago, how her carelessness as a ruler had caused such a ferocious uproar from the pony public. It was an event so tragic, so unexpected, and so preventable that she could hardly sleep a wink without the horror of that day claiming her even in dreams. As she tried to move on from her mistakes, she was reminded that the stakes were different. The lives of Ponies everywhere depended on her, and their problems were her problems too. She was still trying to become herself again after days of grief and guilt following the disaster. The mood in the castle was still somber, still sad, and still self-destructive.

Her friends and colleagues tried to reason with her that it wasn’t her fault, that sometimes tragedies just happen, but Twilight couldn’t move on, not now, not ever. As she attended memorials for victims and their families, she was faced with the duality of fervent, almost cultist support, and protests that swarmed her carriage wherever she went. The world of Twilight Sparkle was reaching a fever pitch, and she didn’t know if she would ever get to simmer down.

However, another sharp knock on the door broke her out of her daily guilt-fest, and she answered quickly before it was found out again that she was blaming herself. Again.

“Yes Spike! I’m ready. And I’m still Twilight, remember? You don’t need to call me that fancy title!” She answered, her words coming out strained as her voice was not accustomed to the daytime. She was, truthfully, still in her pajamas and slippers. Her mane was frizzy, and the bags under her eyes only seemed to get more pronounced every day. As she rushed to get into her royal garb, Spike came through the door, his scaly self fresh and shiny after one of his legendary seven-hour bubble paths. Twilight rolled her eyes playfully when he grinned sheepishly, picking up on her frazzled mane and eyes.

‘Wow Twi, you look awful. Maybe one of those seven hour bubble-baths will fix-”

His words were cut off as he tripped on the cold crystal floor, which was so shiny Twilight often used it as a mirror. Spike had tripped on a teddy bear that Twilight still had for comfort, a coronation gift from Fluttershy. Spike got up and tossed the bear back onto the bed, and gave a steadying eye to Twilight, keenly aware of the mess she was in, both emotionally and environmentally.

“You know, I was serious earlier about the bubble-bath thing, I think it would be great, if you can find time in your schedule, of course”. He said, simultaneously trying to reach a decorative gem on Twilight’s dresser, before he was swatted away with her hoof and she snickered. He had been trying to be sneaky with his claws, but she could see right through him.

“Spike, there’s plenty of gems in the kitchen!”

“I know, but they taste so much better when you aren’t supposed to be eating them!” He whined, before Twilight relented, taking the shiny red, heart-shaped gem off the wall with her magic and floated the object over to Spike, and he happily accepted it with a big smile, before clearing his throat and starting again.

“You know Twi, it’s been a tough time for you lately, what with the Manehattan elections and the Neighagara Falls disaster, and maybe you should, you know….” Spike trailed off, knowing how the word “relax” triggered something in Twilight.

As a ruler, she hated that word. It made her feel guilty, as if she couldn’t spend a moment without benefiting the world. Sometimes she wanted to “relax” to just lie back and read a good book or take a walk in the Castle gardens, but every step she took for her own self-care was rife with thoughts of guilt and shame. She was supposed to serve Equestria, not herself. Right?

Right.

A Few Months Earlier

Some moons ago, Twilight had turned in for an early night, allowing herself just a few minutes to read before her scheduled sleep started. As she had flipped through the pages of the latest Daring Do novel(a long-awaited collaboration between Do and her wife, Shadow Spade), disaster had struck the far North of Equestria, and it was Twilight’s fault. She had been so engrossed in the pages of her book that even her deeply ingrained task of raising the moon had gone unnoticed. She had just finished a chapter involving both Daring Do and Shadow Spade barely escaping a mysterious, probably haunted temple when she felt herself dozing off, and she entered the world of dreams, even as the sun still blazed in the sky. Ponies both within and outside of the castle were confused as to why the Princess hadn’t brought the nightfall, and a clamor of guards raced to her chambers, but the Princess was in a deep sleep, and it was forbidden for anyone but her to enter her room, as it was enchanted with a spell that only Twilight could break. Typically, this afforded her privacy, but unbeknownst to her now, it had brought her isolation from the disaster her unlowered sun was causing.

Many miles away, the famous Neighagara falls was gearing up for another summer season of fun and adventure, and perhaps a little danger. Tourists loved to brave the rushing rainbow water and jagged rocks of the waterfall, and the night time was often the best time to do it, and the reflective, multi-colored water was almost blinding during the day. As the night was raised at a precise time every day, some daring ponies would time their treks to the fall to swim in the waters just as the sun set. It wasn’t illegal, necessarily, but anypony who ventured out to the “nightfall” as the area was called relied on the Princess’s specific timing of raising the moon. That way, the sun would fall as soon as they jumped into the vibrant water, allowing the dark night to illuminate rocks and other cautions, so tourist groups and their guides could swiftly avoid fatalities.

Guides to this spot were specifically trained, down to the second, to give the all-clear. The tourists themselves forked up many bits to attend special safety sessions and classes for the chance to experience the adrenaline rush and natural beauty of one of Equestria’s most breathtaking spots. The tourists also knew the value of time, and the importance of the Princess raising the moon at the same time. One second earlier, and the ponies wouldn’t be able to see where to jump and where to avoid. On this particularly fateful night, guides and ponies jumped, either by themselves, or within inflatable crafts, to ride the waterfall down to the gorgeous lake that pooled below. The timing was so that for the first second, ponies would be blinded by the sun to their surroundings, and then the darkness would envelope the sky, and they would skillfully change course.

This tourist spot was swarmed by crowds every year, and brought in tons of revenue to the small towns that bordered the area. Although Twilight never liked seeing the inevitable photos of ponies’s travels there, she had coordinated with the Equestria Tourism Bureau to implement safety measures for the trendy and picturesque spot. Day after day, the moon rose precisely, and ponies whooped and cheered as their moments had come. The number of visitors to this spot had increased tenfold after Discord himself had made a pilgrimage there, plunging to the murky depths of the colored water before briefly turning everything into cheese(he was permanently banned, but permanently beloved).

On this particular day, Twilight was still wrapped up in her story and her dreams, and she hadn’t heard the knocks at her door and the increasingly frantic voices of her guards and Spike, who unsuccessfully tried to pick the lock with his claws. Eventually, Twilight had woken that fateful day with a pounding headache and a pit in her stomach as she looked at the clock and then outside the window, frantically lowering the moon before opening her door. She hoped that no one had noticed it was a few hours late, but she doubted that was the case. She lowered her head and opened the door.

The first thing she noticed was the color drained from everypony’s faces, as she was rushed to her throne room before one of her most senior advisors trotted up to her with a grim look on his face. It was still the middle of the night, she had thought. What could possibly be so important in the middle of the night on a random summer’s day? She knew it was nothing good.

Her guard carried with him a scroll that looked freshly written and stamped, as if someone had written it in a hurry. She saw the seal that indicated it was from the Northern Territory, and the put in her stomach grew as she remembered what she had messed up.

The moon…

“Your Majesty, a terrible tragedy has occurred at the Neighagara Falls National Park.” Her senior guard hesitated, as he must have known how devastating the news would be for the neurotic princess.

“What happened?” Twilight asked, her voice weak with worry. Somehow, she already knew. Magic works in funny ways, and even her horn seemed to be drained of color.

“Well, um…” the guard stammered, clearly unprepared for the news he was reading from the scroll. “It seems that there have been a high number of fatalities at the waterfall.”
The guard eyed her as he went on, the lines on his weary and aging face seeming to grow deeper every second, and he tried to muster up the specifics of what happened.

“Your Majesty…” He said slowly, as if bracing for impact. “The moon was raised too late.”

The moon was raised too late.

The words rang in her eyes as her vision blurred, trying but failing to focus on the rest of what was being said. All she could think about was the little information that could be shared with the pending investigation into the tragedy.

The guard's report haunted her as she could make out only sparse details.
Over a hundred bodies. The waters were so bloodied that rescue teams couldn’t tell survivors from the deceased, and there were even reports of rescuers fainting when they arrived at the scene. The area was entirely evacuated, and the attraction would be closed to the public for the foreseeable future.

All because the moon was “raised too late” in the words of the report.

But Twilight, even in her sleepy and shocked haze, knew what that meant. The statement may have been worded passively, but it certainly wasn’t passive.

She had raised the moon too late.

She had been reading when she should have been working.

She had been careless and selfish, and now she had caused the worst Neigahara Falls disaster in modern Equestrian history.

Twilight had known all along she would make mistakes as a ruler. It was inevitable. But not like this.

Not like this.

Present

In the months since the tragedy, news stations across every city were consumed with it. Stories of survival and demise seemed to be on every screen and in every paper. Tributes were held, and families gave tearful eulogies at the newly erected plaques in the castle’s gardens. Twilight herself gave a public speech, carefully tiptoeing around her own complicity in the tragedy. Since news had broken about Twilight’s unintentional role in the disaster, her public approval had plummeted to levels not seen since her disastrous, drunk appearance at Ponychella, when a few too many royal-box indulgences had prompted her bodyguards to whisk her away, just as Coloratura had started her highly-anticipating evening set.

A night of silly partying had nothing on this horror, though. Twilight was generally well-liked among the public, and even her occasional breaches of royal etiquette only endeared her to the public even more. She was loved Equestria-wide for her authenticity, her fairness, her commitment to justice, and-of course-her friendships with the Mane Six. Together, the group were paragons of their respective, modeling the elements of friendship for a public that was eager to learn. For a while in her tenure as Princess, as Princess Celestria and Luna watched with pride from afar, her public image had remained mostly unscathed.

Until now, that is.

The funerals and tributes were only the start. After the investigation revealed that it was indeed the unlowered sun that had caused ponies to plummet to their deaths, all eyes were on the Princess. She paced in her chambers with Spike at her side, away from the eyes and ears of her guards, some of whom had quit in protest after her mistake.

“I’m telling you, Twi. It wasn’t your fault! It was a mistake, alright!” Spike yelled, an uncharacteristic moment of intensity from him. Noticing Twilight’s widened, almost shell shocked eyes, his voice softened.

“What I mean is, I think taking a moment for yourself would be a good thing! Take a bath, go for a walk, or literally do anything that doesn’t involve meetings and ceremonies!” Spike’s big eyes were almost filled with tears as he tried to comfort the mare that had raised him.

“I’m telling you Spike, it might have been a mistake, but it was my fault!” She shot back, her fuzzied mane and bloodshot eyes making her look almost deranged as she started to cry.

Twilight couldn’t believe she had gotten to this point as she paced around her room, Spike following, giving encouragement that might have well have never been said at all. She couldn’t ignore the guilt that was so palpable it almost seemed to spill out of her body with her tears. It was as if there was so much sadness and negativity in her that it couldn’t even fit inside, and she half-expected some ghostly configuration of herself to rise out of her, tears and anger and all.

Her much-too-large room was decorated with pictures of her friends and family. Her large, four poster bed was in one corner, a desk and lamp near the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out into the gardens, where the plaques of ponies, visible from her room, almost taunted her. There was a plush carpet beneath her hooves, giving her a brief reprieve of the cold floor that took up most of the room. Sunlight filtered through the room. Her sunlight. Casting everything in a glow that reminded her of the beauty she was surrounded with while the outside world grew increasingly ugly. Polaroids adored the walls, and bookshelves were built into the walls, although nowadays she rarely had time to read for herself, her personal collection overlooked in favor of official documents and the occasional wayward manifesto.

There was a housing crisis in Canterlot, as ponies flocked to the dazzling city for increasingly smaller homes for increasingly larger prices. Neigahara Falls was still reeling from the horror of what happened, and the once tourist-swarmed towns that surrounded it were somber and prone to unrest. Manehatten’s contentious election for mayor had prompted riots, and the city had come under increased scrutiny for its pollution. Las Pegasus, the city that never seemed to stop partying, had been prone to increasing corruption within its resorts, as the Flim-Flam brothers continued their monopoly on the area which had once been a thriving place for small businesses and local markets. Phillydelphia and San Ponio seemed to be doing well, if you took out their ever-increasing storefront vacancies and the rising wealth gap. Even Ponyville was more chaotic than ever before. Even the castle itself seemed to sigh with relief as day turned to night, grateful for a chance to rest after the issues that seemed to envelop every day with increasing intensity.

All in all, Twilight was at the center of a swirling storm of controversy and corruption, of progress and pitfalls, of support and dislike. Most days, she could barely get through her duties without breaking down. She wondered how Celestia and Luna made it through for so long.

Then again, it used to be easier, didn’t it?

Now more than ever, Twilight needed to become herself again.

Chapter One-Unexpected Guests

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Chapter Two-The Wedding Must Go On

Fear seeped through the castle’s halls not unlike the misty fog of the Everfree forest. Ponies were huddled together, their beautiful gowns and impeccable manes betrayed by their anxious faces. While the event hall was being repaired after the attempted attack on Princess Twilight, all the construction ponies in Equestria couldn’t repair the ache in Twilight’s soul.

What was the meaning of their words? Why did they phrase it like that? Were they dissatisfied with Twilight’s work as a royal? Did they want her replaced? Were they trying to hurt her? Or worse….

Twilight wouldn’t put it past anyone to be unhappy with her handling of Equestria in recent times. With all of the problems plaguing the world, she wouldn’t put it past herself to want someone new. But couldn’t those cloaked ponies declare their intentions without violence? Without weapons? Without the potential of death? Her death…

She looked around again, as she was rushed up to her private chambers by her guards, trailed behind by her friends. Rarity was still somewhere helping the brides, and Spike had sent word of the attack but encouraged Rarity to keep Applejack and Rainbow Dash calm and ready for their big day. Even Zephyr Breeze, in all of his irksome self, needed to help keep the mood high and worry low. After all, the show must go on–in this case, a wedding. Such an important event couldn’t be canceled by such a rogue group of ponies, even if they had attempted to hurt Twilight. She refused to cancel the event even though her own fear crept down to her shaking hooves. The last thing Canterlot needed was to bring even more bad news to their citizens.

Although Twilight’s public image had taken several hits in recent memory, the sheer spectacle of a wedding brought much-needed revenue to the city’s various food and souvenir vendors, as tourists swarmed hotels and restaurants. The Tasty Treat, a delicious and unique spot that Rarity and Pinkie Pie had helped fix many moons ago, was even more crowded than usual, with ponies lining around the block for a taste of one of the castle’s official caterers. In short, a wedding may have been an uncomfortably elaborate and grand affair, but it was also exactly what Canterlot needed right now. Nevermind that most ponies couldn’t even afford the hoof-stitched tablecloths that were custom patterned for the reception. Nevermind that Canterlot’s most treasured historical buildings were being bulldozed for yet another set of apartment complexes. Nevermind that Twilight’s hometown had become more like the overstuffed chaos of Manehattan than the elegant, academic haven of her formative years.

But as the bells chimed across the city, signaling that midday had finally arrived, Twilight’s thoughts came to a screeching halt as she remembered her single responsibility for the day, something that had eluded her mind ever since the terrifying attack just a few hours prior.

“Oh crap!” She muttered, nudging Spike awake, who had fallen asleep on her plush carpet rug while her friends were sitting around and chatting quietly, not wishing to disturb the princess when she was deep in thought.

Spike shot up like someone had lit a firecracker under his scales. “I’m awake, I’m awake, I’m awa-” he started, but was quickly silenced by Twilight’s hoof as she caught her breath after Spike’s shouting scared her half to death. Even after raising him from just a hatchling she was amazed that such a loud sound could come out of such a tiny dragon.

Spike grinned as he stood up and brushed himself off, glaring at Discord as he snickered and mumbled something about Spike’s laziness. “Like you’ve been soooo helpful Discord!” Spike said. “At least I’ve gotten most of my tasks done!” Spike gestured to his ever-growing list, with the majority of boxes checked with neat little claw marks.

Discord huffed, and snaked himself over to the window where he gazed out on the view Twilight was currently pondering, glaring down at the various gardeners that Fluttershy had employed to help with landscaping. “Tsk tsk, Spikey Wikey… I can finish everything with a snap of my claws! Unlike your pitiful dragon self, the Lord of Chaos himself is able to rip the very fabric of reality with just a finger!” As if to prove it, he threw his mismatched arms up and started to chant some weird spell, before he was again silenced.

“Discord!” Fluttershy yelled, kind but firm with her words. “No chaos outside of your duties, remember!”

Discord’s entire body deflated like a balloon before he fell to the floor in a dramatic heap. “Oh, alright,” he begrudgingly said, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes muted but not gone entirely.

Twilight just rolled her eyes fondly. Of course Discord was always up to something. Even on one of the most important events in Canterlot, his chaotic spirit was always ready to cause havoc. She was used to his theatrics and silliness, something that was to be expected even in the most important of his diplomatic work.

But enough musings about her colleague! She had to prepare for her officiating at the wedding, and as she looked at the clock it dawned on her that the wedding would be starting in just a few hours. Her quiet morning of getting ready with Rarity seemed like a lifetime ago as she started to panic. Countless hours of preparing for both the aerial show and the wedding itself seemed to slip away entirely as her vision began to blur. An anxiety attack was coming on. Her grip on her surroundings melted away as everything became a blur. Her eyelids grew heavy as she felt the coldness of her crystal wall fall away, replaced by the familiar softness of her carpet. She must have fallen down, but at this point she didn’t know if she was even in her room anymore. All Twilight could hear and see were visions of herself being torn apart, both literally and figuratively. The angry flyers that were plastered on her carriage every time she attended any event. An avalanche of tabloid articles flooded newsstands whenever she made even the most minor of transgressions. Think pieces and opinion columns about how she was the worst thing to happen to Equestria since Nightmare Moon.

All of that and more flashed through her mind in the endless expanse of her memory. She could see ponies crying on television as they were interviewed about the Neigahara Falls disaster, or the missing pony posters that dotted every street corner, some families hoping that their children weren’t dead but had just gone away for a while. Twilight could see the raging wildfires that were plaguing cities close to the sparsely populated Foalwood forest. Before her mind flashed images of Cloudedale’s overworked weather factory employees, as they struggled to keep up with the increasing demands of the public. All of the mental waves she was trying to keep at bay crashed ashore, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She collapsed in a heap(her second breakdown of the day) and cried until her eyes were dry again.

What had gone wrong in her time as leader? Well, it seemed like everything. Celestia and Luna had given her the reins with a conviction that was so deep it must have come from their very bones. The elements of harmony had designed her the power of magic, so why had everything gone awry? Why had her storybook ending given way to such a darkness?

Why?
Why?
Why?

━━━━

At some point, the world became clearer as she remembered where she was again.

“Twilight, breath!” A familiar chorus of voices surrounded her. Fluttershy was holding her hoof, Spike had brought her a cup of soothing tea, and Pinkie had closed her curtains to bathe the room in a calming glint of sunlight that barely trickled through the curtains. She was never more grateful for her friends, even the one that frequently scared the daylights out of her by way of a surprise party cannon. She loved them more than any poetry or song could capture. She had read more books than anypony she knew, and still didn’t have the words for how her friends made her feel inside. But enough musings on friendship, she had a romance gig to prepare for!

As she managed to calm down, the ever-creeping nerves gave her the motivation to practice her speech a few times before everypony(plus one dragon, one Lord of Chaos) made their way through the labyrinthian hallways to the fixed-up wedding hall. The soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows looked polished so well that it was almost impossible to think that such a horror had occurred only a few hours before. Twilight filed away a thought to give the event ponies a bonus before making her way to the lectern. The lectern was placed in the exact middle of the altar, giving everypony from the front row to the standing-room back a perfect view of what was sure to be Twilight’s last invitation ever to do a public speaking gig.

She took several deep breaths as ponies from all walks of life filed in, politicians and dignitaries sharing rows with Applejack’s family of farmers and Rainbow Dash’s beaming parents. Even Flim and Flam had managed to take a break from buying up small-businesses to show up to weddings in laughably bad disguises. Twilight had no idea how they made it past the hundreds of guards stationed through the castle to inspect every guest, but she bet Rainbow Dash was cackling with delight at pulling such a stunt on her big day.

Speaking of the brides, Spike received a scroll from Rarity that the brides were on their way to the wedding venue after a few last-minute freak-outs. She cleared her throat and motioned to potions to take their seats and glared at Discord to be on his best behavior. She took her place at the altar, and was joined by Rarity soon after. The very proud maid of honor looked a little frazzled as she joined the bridesmaids, which for whatever silly reason included Discord in his dizzying choice of attire. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Starlight, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders rounded out the large group on each side. Rainbow Dash’s old pal Gilda came through the aisle as the flower griffin, and the ceremony started. Twilight let herself drown out the noise around her, only focusing on the big speech she was certainly not prepared for.

It was going to be a long ceremony, and that wasn’t because of the dozen folksy stories Granny Smith would tell in her toast later.

Like some kind of great cosmic joke, the wedding went off without a hitch, except for Twilight’s messy, rambling monologue about Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s love story. All the color-coded markers and notecards in the world could not contain her disaster of a speech, and the practicing she had done just a bit earlier seemed to leave her body with whatever remained of her dignity. Thankfully, as soon as she finished speaking, she could relax, and finally enjoy the ceremony to whatever extent her mind allowed her to.

The picture-perfect gowns that Rarity had designed, different yet complementary, seemed to taunt her. Everything about the ceremony was perfect, except for her. Typical. After the vows, she finished her stint as officiator, and the crowd clapped as the two brides came down the aisle, married mares for all the world to see.

As everypony made their way to the gardens for the afterparty, Twilight lingered in the hall for a few minutes to get her bearings. She looked around the nearly-empty hall, with its stained glass and velvet carpet. A few ponies had stuck around to help the workers gather up all the chairs, but from her vantage point at the altar, they could have been in another room for all she noticed. The hall was so large it was eerie, and the many ghost stories she had heard when she was a filly did little to absolve her of that feeling. She must have been staring into space–for the millionth time–because she didn’t notice the massive doors creak open.

“Come on, Twi-Twi” Pinkie’s cheery voice rang throughout the spacious hall as she poked her head in.

Twilight snapped up, her heart beating out of her chest. Why did she think the robed ponies had come back to finish what they started? She mentally chastised herself for thinking such an awful thought, as the castle grounds were stocked to the brim with guards, traps, and other safety measures. There was no way anyone could get it if they didn’t have clearance.

But then again, those ponies had gotten in earlier, when the halls were already at their maximum capacity for guards. If everything was according to her instruction, then it wasn’t possible for them to have made it inside. Unless…

A startling thought creeped up as Pinkie Pie was busy oohing and aahing at the stained glass windows.

Someone let them in.
Someone here wants me dead…

But who?

She quickly left the room(and her thoughts) with Pinkie before she could spiral again. The thought was troubling, of course, but that didn’t mean it was true. She quickly found the punch table, which was approvingly fitted with apple cider, and drank two full glasses before making her way to the crowd. She felt a bit woozy from all she had to drink, but anything was better than letting her mind wander to such scary territories.

She watched from the sidelines as both brides tossed their bouquets into the crowd, before both were snapped by Discord, who looked positively thrilled as he handed both to an embarrassed but charmed Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie had continued her role as party planner extraordinaire, as the smell of yummy baked goods made Twilight’s stomach grumble. Nowadays with everything on her mind, she found it hard to take care of some of her most basic needs, and that was reflected in the beeline she made for the buffet. As she stuffed her face with Pinkie Pie’s delicious treats(which included several untouched strawberry cinnamon cilantro cupcakes), she was joined by CMCs, who hid under the table as they tried to escape the young ones that had become a bit too attached to them.

Twilight giggled as it brought back memories of when those very fillies had acted the same way towards her. The circle of life is on full display, she thought, before chowing down on another cupcake. Although the day was marked by several crying fits and a very poor speaking effort, she couldn’t deny that it had turned into a pretty nice night. It was the first time in what seemed like forever that she seemed like something close to happy.

As the day turned into night, Twilight’s mood changed as the sun did to the moon. There was only one thing on her mind, and it was something else entirely. Something welcome. Something missed.

A new determination had set over her. She wanted to have more nights like this one, and the beauty of the evening had reignited a flame within her. Having her life back in shape was possible, and she would see to it that the castle gardens weren’t the only remaining carefree place in Equestria. Everypony deserved to feel the way she did, leaning up against a table and watching the birds say their goodnights. Everyone deserved to have these moments, and something long dormant had opened in her heart.

One thing was clear. She was going to repair Equestria one hoof step at a time. The frayed fabric of her nation would have her very soul woven into it if that’s what it took. She was going to figure out who, if anypony, had betrayed her, and everything would be okay again.

She gathered her things, and gingerly hugged Spike, leaving him a scrolled message as he slept soundly on the cold floor. As she watched him breath in and out, with a tinge of smoke every few seconds, she knew the second he realized she was gone that he would come find her. So she left a note explaining her absence, trotting over to her bed, fluffing up her pillows and bedspread. Even amidst the worst chapter of her life, she had to get some things in order. Her room was messy enough as is, the least she could do was make it a bit less of a hassle for the cleaning ponies that came every so often to clear out her mountains of paperwork, most of it trivial invitations and notices from neighboring rulers.

“I sleep like a baby under these cold cavernous ceilings” he had once said to her, back when they lived in her Ponyville castle. She knew now that was only a cover for one of the kindest gifts she had ever received, a massive chandelier made of the remnants of her first home in Ponyville. How long ago that seemed, she thought. How simple, how nostalgic, and how beautiful it was. If her time in this world was an endless, stormy ocean-as it often seemed now–her early days in Ponyville were a slow stream, a sparkling blue hue she wished she could bathe in until the water reached her heart.

She flipped over some of the gems in her hooves, careful not to wake Spike with her flight. The memories washed over her like the sun washes over an old church, the cracks in her spirit rejuvenated by the wonderful scenes she could see in her mind. Her first party in Ponyville, when she drank so much hot sauce she thought she would burst into flames. When she shared donuts with her friends after a disappointing Grand Galloping Gala. Lastly, she came across gems she had not seen before. Although her room was sealed shut with her own magic, the magic of the elements could never be transcended, and it dawned on her how many new gems had been added to the tree. It was beautiful to think that this tree was still alive in some sense, and that her time of making good memories hadn't come to a close.

She took a survey of the room that she reluctantly called home, not knowing when she would come back. She had a kingdom to attend to, but herself to attend to first. It would occur to her later, when she was halfway across her trek to Celestia and Luna’s home, that she could have sent a scroll instead. But she was grateful for her lack of foresight, as the flowery plains of rural Equestria gave her the time she needed to think. Without the instant use of her teleportation, her mind naturally wandered, in tune with her wandering hooves.

Eventually, she reached a small grove of plush flowers surrounded by trees, the perfect little place for privacy as she set up her tent. Was this spontaneous foray into Equestria’s countryside the safest idea? Probably not, considering that she was a public figure currently being hunted down by a group of rogue and robed ponies. She lowered the sun as the time for nightfall hushed across the land, hoping that Spike and the rest of her friends weren’t sending out a search party for her at that very moment. She looked up to the sky and wished upon a star, something that she hadn’t really believed in since she was a small filly with big dreams. Magic worked in unusual ways, and it couldn’t hurt to send out her wishes to the world that had given her everything.

She imagined Spike finding her letter and reading her handwriting, eyes wide but soft with heavy agreement. She imagined him calming down the castle guards, and designanting roles to her entire team in her absence. She imagined that her closest confidant would respect her wishes to take a short time off to get advice from her mentor. She imagined that Celestia and Luna would welcome her with the kindness she needed. It wasn’t that her friends couldn’t help her, and they certainly did, but it was different with her mentors. They knew better than anyone Twilight’s plight, and they knew what it took to make the world better again.

But that was still a few stretches of sun away. The fire that had lit inside her that night had dwindled just a bit as reality crept in. However, as long as the flame was still lit, she would continue through hell if it meant Equestria would recover. For now, there was nothing around her but the grass beneath her hooves and the trees that seemed to stretch infinitely above her. The sky above, partially blocked by the trees, was so enchanting she wished she could just be enveloped into the stars, escaping the hellishness that awaited on land. She wished in all her heart that the navy blue would hear her pleas, and lift her up into itself. But the ground needed her.

Sometimes, she wondered if being banished into the moon wasn’t so bad of a fate. But then again, that was the guilt talking, right? She just needed to fix the entire world, which totally wasn’t a massive undertaking.

If her talk with Celestia and Luna proved to be fruitful, then that fantasy of hers wouldn’t need to happen and she could fix what she had broken.

She just didn’t know how….

A rustle of leaves broke her out of herself, and she almost screamed before a familiar face greeted hers, wide blue eyes meeting her tired face. Twilight had expected to see a dangerous creature or one of those scary ponies from the attack, but instead the pony that stood in front of her was one of her best friends.

Twilight was the first to speak, and gave a small smile.

“Starlight?”

Her voice was quiet and raspy, a product of her sleepiness.
“…How did you find me?” Twilight stammered, startled to be in someone’s company after spending most of the day with no one.

“The Cutie Map sent me.” She said, “After you left, while everyone else was huddled with Spike as he read your letter, my cutie mark went off, and I found your location on the map. I ran, and I never stopped running.”

It was then that Twilight noticed Starlight’s disheveled appearance and the small bag on her back, which looked to have been hastily assembled in her panic. Her face was flushed, likely because of the long distance she had galloped.

Starlight continued, tears pricking her eyes. “Twilight, I came for more reasons than just the map. You’ve…” her words faltered, like whatever she was going to say next was going to pierce her heart. “You’ve changed. I know there’s been a lot on your mind, and it makes sense that you would go to Celestia and Luna for help…” she stopped briefly as her eyes weighed with all the words that were trying to claw out of her throat.

Twilight waited patiently for Starlight’s next thought, because she knew that despite the empathy her friends back in Ponyville held for her, if there was one single pony that could understand what she was going through the best, she was standing right here.

“Look, I don’t quite know how to say this. I’ve still got a lifetime to learn about this friendship thing, but what I do know is that I understand how you feel. I understand because, well, I let my own heartache destroy me and everyone in my village. I let my guilt fester until it became something far more dangerous…and…and…” Tears were streaming down Starlight’s face as she said something that shook Twilight to her very core.

“Twilight, I don’t want you to become like I was.” Starlight said, and the two ponies shared a weighty glance in the sliver of moonlight that filtered in the trees.

As she watched her friend’s eyes well up over and over, Twilight couldn’t ignore what Starlight was getting at. She was right. She needed help now, or things would only get worse. And if they got worse…well…

She didn’t let the thought finish before she let herself be wrapped up in a hug. Both ponies cried and shared a thousand words without saying anything at all.

If Twilight’s life was a stormy sea, then her friend might have been the soft sand that pillowed her crashing waves.

As dawn broke, the two ponies set out, with renewed hope and renewed vulnerability.

Author's Note

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for reading! Comments and/or constructive criticism are always appreciative. Just for a note, this fanfiction is very much a slow-moving character study, and my initial plan of 20 chapters might be extended a bit. Basically, as you might have noticed the story is mostly composed of long inner monologues with little dialogue. If anyone wishes I can add more dialogue, but generally this story is conceived of as a mostly internal deep-dive into Twilight as a ruler. Because of that, it's bound to be a bit longer. I have the story outlined well, but sometimes my writing takes me to different places. Anyway, I shall let you all know if changes are made to the length of the story. I am glad to see some engagement with this story, and thank you to everyone who has been reading thus far.

Chapter Three: Advice at the World's End

Twilight checked her map again, a holographic landscape she conjured up with her and Starlight’s combined power, and squinted.

“How could this possibly be taking so long!” She huffed, and dug her hooves into the earth out of frustration. She wasn’t normally an impatient pony, but the longer she stared at the same set of trees she had wandered into for what seemed like days, the more she was losing her patience.

Starlight, for her part, wasn’t doing much better. Even with her steadfast determination to help Twilight no matter the cost, she too could feel frustration in her bones. She peered at the map again, and both ponies took a long while to scan every detail of the magical conjuring.

“Hmm…” Twilight’s eyes were brimming with her signature curiosity, something that was a welcome surprise after her tough few months.

“I take it you’re thinking of something, Twi!” Starlight said, a tender smugness creeping over her as she mentally patted herself on the back. Perhaps her encouragement hadn’t been in vain, and they were getting somewhere with the whole “fixing Twilight” affair. Not that Twilight needed fixing…she was just a bit lost and needed some guidance. Starlight was happy to help her friend even in small ways.

As both ponies stared intently, both could feel the absolute agony of running like dogs chasing their tails. It seemed like they were galloping in circlings, despite the map’s eye for detail. Ever since Celestia and Luna retired to a quiet town in rural Equestria, the former rulers made the pilgrimage out to the cities of Equestria for only the most special of occasions. Although they both could not attend the wedding, they had sent their heartfelt congratulations, as well as some characteristic housewarming gifts for the newlyweds.

Celestia had sent over an antique sundial, a relic she wrote in the card was older than even Starswirl the bearded himself! In true Luna fashion, she had given a telescope that had once belonged to Grogar, the kind hearted brother of the infamous Tirek. No one, not even Celestia, knew how she had acquired such an item, but didn’t ask. Luna must have had plenty of gallivants across Equestria during the night, even when the two sisters were just fillies.

Regardless of her lovely musings over her mentors, Twilight was almost seething. She wanted their help, needed it, and all that was stopping her was a stupid fucking map. Why couldn’t she find Celestia and Luna’s residence? Why did the map keep leading her and Starlight into circles?

Unless…
Celestia and Luna had something to do with it.

Twilight’s mind raced with the possibilities her striking new realization brought her. Had the sisters enchanted the map? Were they hiding? Were they in danger, or did they just not want to be found?

Or, more accurately, did they not want to be found by Twilight?

No. No, that couldn’t be it, couldn’t it? There was no possible way that Celestia and Luna would be that cut off from the ponies they had been with through thick and thin.

She zapped the map with her horn even with Starlight’s protest. She wasn’t going to rely on her magic to help her get where she wanted to be. In fact, most of the journey she had completed on hoof. There was no way she was going to give up just because her magic was being unhelpful. Somehow, she knew that there was a reason her magic wasn’t able to guide her. It must have been a sign.

Was it a profound statement about Twilight’s emotional reliance on magic, or simply a mistaken spell? Either way, it wasn’t going to impede her success.

So she continued on, determined to not let the emotion boiling through her to go to waste. She grabbed a startled Starlight by the hoof, and raced towards the line of trees that dotted their view.

For what could have been many hours or just a few seconds, both ponies reached an area of Equestria not on their map, and probably not on any map. As the trees grew sparser and lighter, the leaves rustled as a salty wind picked up. Twilight could feel the breeze on her face, and it reminded her of when her mom would take her to the ocean as a young filly. She let the dirt caress her hooves and the wind ruffle her mane. Rarity would be appalled at her lack of brushing whenever she returned, but that thought faded with a glance at Starlight’s soft smile.

She looked even more at peace than Twilight as they both carried on, trees brushing their sides and soft grass petering out of the dirt they had been crossing for so long. The breeze picked up even more, and eventually what came into view was something so stunning that both ponies were left breathless.

A stunning, almost blinding lake was before them, with trees dotting along the shoreline like ants. The cliff edge they were standing on was a few hundred feet up, and below them was a rocky beach. It was all so gorgeous, and all so…familiar.

Twilight’s stomach churned at the site and she resisted the urge to vomit. It couldn’t be… could it? She looked down again, half expecting the water to be a crimson red and hear the voices of shouting paramedics, but nothing had changed. In the logical part of her brain that was currently screaming at her, she knew this wasn’t the place of her nightmares. It simply wasn’t possible. They were too far South and it was far too warm. She wanted to turn back, to scream and hide in the brush forever, but she couldn’t. Somewhere far deeper than where her intellect could reach, she knew she had come here for a reason. She couldn’t change the past, but she could shape the future. That’s what she was counting on.

A smile almost reached her face as she surveyed the lake once more. There were no waterfalls, no crashing waves, and certainly no jagged rocks. She trotted back to the edge and peered over, motioning Starlight joining her. It was almost the perfect view, until she noticed something that made her heart stop.

There was a tiny pebble right where Starlight was trotting over too. As her friend came over, time seemed to stretch out for an unbearable amount of seconds, and just like that, Starlight fell over the ledge,

Twilight’s heart seemed to beat out of her chest as her hooves raced into action. She grabbed Starlight just as she fell over, but the force was too much to bear. Starlight screamed as she did her best to hold on, but both ponies could see that her grip was failing.

A scene flashed through her mind. It was when she had first come to Ponyville, when she had ventured into the Everfree Forest to stop Nightmare Moon. There had been a point when all that was between her and certain death was the honesty of her friend Applejack’s words. Applejack had told her to let go of the cliff face she had been gripping onto. She thought her new friend was insane when she suggested that Twilight plummet down the edge.

“I’m telling you the honest truth, Twilight.” She had said, and the look in her big green eyes was unmistakably sincere. Twilight trusted her, and she let go. After a few seconds of flailing terror, she was gently guided to the ground by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Applejack’s radical act of honesty had saved her life, and she wondered what her friendships would be like had she not trusted in the goodness of her fellow ponies. She was in Applejack’s position now, and she had to help Starlight. Both ponies were barely gripping onto each other, and Twilight’s wings seemed locked in place out of fear. Her hooves couldn’t hold on much longer, and she took a second to gaze in Starlight’s eyes, frantic and filled with tears.

She closed her eyes again, and made a silent wish. She didn’t know what she was wishing for specifically, but she wanted things to just be alright. They didn’t have to be amazing or perfect or even good at all. Just alright, just okay. She breathed in and out for a few seconds and guided Starlight to do the same, trying to calm down the air of panic that lay between them both. Twilight looked at Starlight, and up at the morning sky. She gazed at the vivid green trees and the sparkling lake. She listened to the rustling leaves and the gentle serenades of the songbirds. She looked back at Starlight for what she hoped wasn’t the last time.

“Let go.” Her voice was firm but commanding.

“WHAT?!?!” Starlight looked like she was somewhere in the blurry bounds between laughter and a fit of crying. “No way Twilight, no way! I can’t! I’ll die!” Her voice was getting hoarse from the stress.

If there was some kind of cosmic joke that had been played on her for the past few months, the universe was currently apologizing to Twilight with its guidance. She knew Starlight would be safe. She didn’t know why, or how, but she knew Starlight had to let go, and that would save her. For some reason, she looked at the lake’s shimmery surface and knew it was safe. The way the sunlight reflected off the water made everything else fade out for a second, and Twilight found almost the presence of Celestia in this random neck of the woods. Was this place where she was meant to be all along? Did the map send her in circles and because she needed to follow her heart to find it? Was “letting go” about more than the cliff face?

The answers to those questions did not arise as the thoughts percolated in her mind. But somewhere between her visions of the future and her mind full of memories, in a place where her soul met her body, she knew everything would be right in the world.

“Starlight, let go.” She said, the calm in her voice guarding her aching heart.

“Twilight…I can’t!” Starlight was a complete mess. Salty tears streamed down her face, joining the iridescent water below. Her hooves were growing paler as her grip was loosening. The sandy cliff face was awash with her sweat as she hopelessly tried to cling on, fresh sobs coming from both ponies, for different reasons.

Starlight looked straight into Twilight’s eyes, and the two shared a gaze as soft as freshly fallen snow. Almost imperceptibly, Twilight’s expression helped Starlight’s nerves just so, and the panicked pony was a bit more keen to listen.

Twilight spoke for what she knew wouldn’t be the last time.

“Starlight, let go.”

And she did.

Starlight screamed for all the heavens to hear as she plummeted down, the trip going by in such a whir that she didn’t even think to use her horn. With her eyes shut impossibly tight, she waited for the cold hand of water to grip her until she stopped breathing. She waited, and waited, and waited. It seemed like it could have been full minutes in the air, but no such water came to kill her.

I must be already dead, she thought. An odd sort of peace came over her, as if all of her earthly troubles had faded like a mid-winter dusk. She slowly opened her eyes, surprised but spirited that she still had a pony from what she presumed to be the afterlife. She remembered that she could finally settle a debt with Twilight about what happens after death, but then she remembered that Twilight couldn’t be here to give her the bits she was owed.

When her vision was now longer blurry, she gazed at her surroundings, or rather her lack of surroundings. All she could see was an endless sky, a rich blue and green hue that seemed to go on forever in every direction. She didn’t seem to be falling, but she wasn’t standing either, because there was no floor. She resigned herself to the idea that the afterlife isn’t a place exactly, but a non-place. A place that is nothing and everything all at once. What seemed to be stars twinkled in her view, and it reminded her of the pony she would miss most, the pony that had taught her the value of friendship. She hoped Twilight would be here soon, a selfish desire that the seemingly immortal princess would abandon her earthly obligations to live in this place that was eons and dimensions away from anything at all. She let herself marinate in that daydream before two familiar figures appeared in the distance.

Celestia and Luna.

Both those ponies weren’t dead like she was. They couldn’t be?

Unless…Starlight wasn’t dead. But if she wasn’t dead, then where in the Tartarus was she?

As if to answer her internal monologue’s burning question, Celestia and Luna came right up in front of her and the former began to speak.

“Hello Starlight, it’s a pleasure to see you here.”

“I…what?!?” She sputtered out, still too stunned to speak.

The Princesses smiled warmly, and their manes flowed in a manner that all the haircare products in the world couldn’t replicate. They gave a quick glance to each other, and Starlight saw Luna give an almost imperceptible nod to her older sister.

Celestia stepped forward, or rather floated, in Starlight’s understanding of the place she had found herself in, which was really no place at all.

“I take it you’ve been traveling with Twilight to seek out our help, is that correct?” Celestia looked to Starlight for confirmation, although Starlight had a hunch that the sisters already knew the answer. She managed to find her voice and gave a quick yes.

“Wonderful, Starlight. It’s been an absolute joy to see how you’ve grown, both as a pony and student since you joined Twilight’s cohort all those years ago.” Celestia’s regal voice was not as intimidating as Starlight remembered from past meetings, rather it was as soft and comforting as a cup of hot cocoa on Hearts Warming Eve.

Starlight blushed at the kind compliment. “Thank you, Princess.” She found herself becoming shy at the thought of the two sisters–arguably the most iconic ponies in Equestria–being proud of her. She enslaved an entire village to rectify a trauma from her youth, and then traveled into the past just to get back at Twilight. And now Twilight was one of her closest friends, and her mentors had, in some way, become Starlight’s mentors too. It was a lot to take in, not to mention the unbearable amount of questions she had about her current state.

“Um, Celestia, Luna….where are we, exactly? I’m well versed in the magic of alternate universes”-she cringed at the untimely reference to her past–”but I have never been in a place like this.” She finished, her voice becoming a bit meek. So much for being comfortable in the presence of royalty.

It was Luna’s turn to speak, and the pony’s dark blue mane was gently swept out of her face so she could look Starlight right in the eye. Compared to her sister, Luna was a lot more blunt with her words.

“We’re dying, Starlight.”

All of Starlight’s thoughts seemed to vanish at that one sentence. Her eyes became blurry again, and she raised a hoof to her own face. She must be having a nightmare. Pretty soon she would wake up in the comfort of her own bed at Twilight’s Ponyville residence, and she would go back to her job as principal to the School of Friendship.

But as she opened her eyes after squeezing them shut for what seemed like hours, she was yet again face to face with the pony that had uttered the most devastating news of her life.

“I’m sorry, what do you mean? You guys can’t die? Alicorns don’t die…right? Right?”

Luna gave no answer, and Starlight glanced at her elder sister, who’s eyes were shiny but without tears of her own.

“Alicorns don’t die, Luna! Alicorns don’t die…they can’t die…” her voice trailed off when it became clear they weren’t joking around.

“I’m sorry, Starlight,” Celestia joined her sister in front of Starlight, and an uneasy silence fell over Starlight as she let Celestia continue. She wanted to speak up, to scream in their faces and tell them they were wrong. She wanted to get out of this place and go somewhere that was real, and help Twilight deal with her problems with the rest of her friends. But she felt compelled to stay, to hear out the voices of the two sisters.

Celestia breathed out deeply. Clearly it was a difficult topic for her as well. “Alicorns can die. We can die. Magic has its way of helping us, but time is still only time. And ours has come.” Her vibrant mane was more bright than ever, and Starlight noticed just how relaxed and at peace the two ponies seemed. Not that they weren’t always regal and composed–royal etiquette and all–but this serenity that had overtook them seemed realer by the second. There was no doubt in Starlight’s mind that they were speaking the absolute truth, no matter how much her mind begged her to not believe them.

Starlight followed their example and took a deep breath out before speaking: “So, you’re dying.”

“That is correct, Starlight. We are, in fact, on our way out of this thing we call life.” Luna’s voice had a tinge of humor in it, and Starlight was happy to see that the princess’s trademark personability was shining through.

Celestia continued. “For the past few moons or so, we’ve been given signs that our time on this mortal realm is coming to a close. We’re old, Starlight, older than anypony in Equestria. And we love life. It’s just time to say goodbye to it.”

Although neither of the two sisters seemed fazed by their impending deaths, Starlight still was. She could feel hot tears start to trickle down her face as she was faced with the news. But she still had one question to get off her chest.

“If you’re dying, then…am I dying too?”

They were in the same weird place, after all, and Starlight wanted to make sure she knew the fine print of what the sisters were saying. If her theory was right, this place that they were in must have been some kind of limbo, some kind of place between life and death. She ended up here because she let go off of a cliff, and the two sisters were here because….they were dying.
She didn’t even like to think about it that way, and quickly refocused on her own predicament to avoid the trappings of her mounting grief.

Celestia gave a quiet laugh. “Heavens no, Starlight! We didn’t bring you here because you’re dying, we brought you here because we wanted to talk to you! Why do you think Twilight told you to let go?”

Starlight was taken aback, and her mind feared the worst. “Did you cast a spell on Twilight, Celestia? Isn’t that, like, against pony ethics or something?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing!

“For the love of Celestia, Starlight, no!” Luna was almost doubled over in laughter at Starlight’s umbrange. “There was nothing nefarious going on. We just needed to see you, and the elements knew that. It’s as simple as that. No mind-control, or parasites, or whatever crazy conspiracies those young ponies are into these days!”

Starlight began to laugh too, both out of her own ignorance and because of the sheer absurdity of her situation. Here she was, talking to two dying princesses in a place that couldn’t even be considered a place, and she had just fallen off of a cliff. Crazy times, but it was nothing compared to some of the chaos that often befallen her and her friends in Equestria. There was a big ponderance that was still lurking however.

“Does Twilight know? Are you going to tell her?” She asked.

The two princesses sighed, and Celestia’s voice wavered ever so slightly as she spoke. “Honestly, telling Twilight is going to be the hardest conversation of my entire life…I know we will tell her when the time is right, but that time is not today.”

Luna piped up and finished Celestia’s thought. “Starlight, we need you to keep a secret.”

It felt Starlight was being punched in the gut for the millionth time that day. She just stared, month agape and eyes wide. Keeping a secret from anypony was hard enough, but Twilight? That sounded impossible.

“Why? Why are you doing this, Celestia and Luna? Why have you entrusted me? Why? Why? Why?” She couldn’t hold it in anymore, and loud, embarrassing sobs racked through her body as the weight of the entire world seemed to crush her.

“Because we need you to help Twilight through this difficult time in her career, and she needs to work on herself before we can truly depart. If she learns this news before she is ready to, then she will never be the ruler Equestria needs her to be.” Celestia’s voice, which was once as comforting as a warm blanket now felt like a stake right through the heart. The princesses were kind but incredibly firm in their insistence that Starlight keep this news from one of her dearest friends.

“But why tell me at all? Why tell anypony if you can’t share it with the one that deserves to hear it most?”

“Because you need to help her, that’s why!” Luna said.

“How would keeping a secret from her possibly help her? Why couldn’t you just ask me straightaway to help her?” Starlight yelled back.

Starlight’s voice seemed to echo right back at her, even though there were no walls surrounding her. She started to feel a bit bad for yelling in the faces of such important ponies, but her simmering frustration absolved her guilt immediately.

Celestia put a hoof on Starlight’s shoulder, a touch that both calmed her and reminded her that the two sisters were still real, even if they were…dying. “I know this isn’t easy, Starlight, and we wouldn’t have trusted you with this if we didn’t think you could handle it. Frankly, we didn’t want to have to break such news to you, but there’s just no other way to convey how much we need your help. This situation is dire, Starlight, and if Twilight doesn’t fix her problems soon, it will become much worse.” She paused, and Starlight could have heard a pin drop, if there was any floor at all.

“We won’t be around to help her much longer. It’s that urgent.”

Starlight may not have understood their reasoning exactly, but she would take this burden for as long as she could if it meant helping the princesses.

“I understand.” She said firmly.

Both Celestia and Luna gave their nods of approval, and a small smile even graced the face of the ever-stoic Princess Luna.

“Thank you, Starlight,” said Luna. “Look out for Twilight, okay? We fear there are forces working against her at this very moment. Time is of the essence, and we won’t keep you any longer.”

Starlight took that as her cue to go back to the real world. But how could she go back?

“Um, how do I get out of here exactly? Do I have to get resurrected or something?” She said nervously.

Celestia chuckled softly. “Of course not, dear! You’ll come back to Equestria soon enough.” Both sisters waved, and it occurred to Starlight that this was likely the last time she would ever see them, right in this strange place that wasn’t anywhere at all, and had to say her goodbyes in the waiting room between life and death.

“Goodbye Celestia, goodbye Luna.” She couldn’t help but shed a few tears as a blinding light started to envelop her. She could feel herself coming back to the normal world. Her last site in that other realm were the blurry outlines of two sisters, as regal and calm as she had ever seen them. And that was saying a lot, of course.

Her tranquility was interrupted as the screams of Twilight came into focus. Her friend was laying over her, pumping air back into her lungs. She had apparently missed the rocky beach, which was relief for any injuries that could have been caused on those slippery rocks. She started to cough almost uncontrollably, and sat up.

“Starlight! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight, for all her royal dignity and rationale, was still coming out of her “freak out” phase. Her eyes seemed red from crying, and her mane was mused, likely from her panicky wind-swept flight down to the lake.

“Well, I’m not dead, if that’s what you’re referring to. How long was I out?”

“You know, Starlight, it was the strangest thing! I expected so much worse when I pulled you out of the water. You had been down in the lake for a few minutes before I found you! But it looks like you never even got wet, aside from the coughing, of course!”

Starlight could practically see the gears turning in Twilight’s head. Did Twilight know this wasn’t a normal lake? Did she know that Starlight had just been meeting with Celestia and Luna?

Whatever the case was, Twilight had her reasons for telling Starlight to let go. Perhaps it was the elements that had given her the clearance to make that decision, as Celestia had said. Magic worked in funny ways. It was something that everyone was taught as a young filly, but Starlight now believed it with all her heart. There was definitely a reason that the Cutie Map had sent her on this mission with Twilight.

“We should probably get you checked out at a clinic, Starlight. You can never be too safe!” Twilight said, a bit of her cheerfulness returning.

“Yeah, that sounds great, Twilight!” Starlight said.

The only problem was, they had no clue where they were, so Twilight conjured up the map again, which was conspicuously back to normal. The temporary “residence”(if anypony could call it that) of Celestia and Luna made no indication of its presence just a few trots away. Both ponies scanned the map until Twilight’s eyes brightened at the site of big bold letters on the map.

“TROTTINGHAM”

Now Starlight couldn’t hold in her gasp. “Trottingham isn’t that far away, if we just fly to the train station a few hours from here! I’ve always wanted to visit there! They have cobblestone streets and old-timey Victorian architecture straight out of a movie!”

Twilight couldn’t resist Starlight’s infectious excitement, and started squealing too. Although she had made plenty of visits to the region for Royal business, she had never gone there on a whim. Of course, this whim involved going to a clinic and probably getting some egregiously overpriced pastries, but an adventure was an adventure. After their little detour, it would be back to finding Celestia and Luna and getting advice.

“Actually, a ton of movies have already been filmed there! The film franchises Harry Trotter and Shadow Spade have been filmed around those parts! My personal favorite was always The Mare Who Loved Me, if I’m being honest.”

As Twilight continued to rant about Equestrian cinema, Starlight couldn’t help but feel her heart swell. The Twilight that she loved and certainly missed was coming back, bit by bit. She didn’t know how she was going to deal with the secret she was supposed to keep, but she would have to manage. She also didn’t know how exactly she was going to help Twilight, either. But all worries could be addressed in due time.

For now, they had a train to fly to.

Author's Note

The next chapter will likely focus on Spike's point of view as he navigates castle life in Twilight's absence. Thank you for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Chapter Four: A Brief Interlude

Author's Note

This is a brief interlude from Spike's perspective. I apologize for the delay as well as the significantly lower word count than previous chapters. I have been dealing with end-of-year stress in college. Apologies, I hope you enjoy regardless.

Chapter Four: A Brief Interlude

Spike was not having a great time. Well, he was trying to, at least. His scales felt itchy, and the mere act of getting out of bed each day required a motivation from deep within his heart. Every time he felt the sun’s warm rays stream through his windows or the moonlight cast its pale light over the land, he felt more at ease. Whether Twilight had gone, she was still dying her basic duty as Princess. So there was that, to be grateful for.

When he had found the scroll, neatly wrapped in recycled twine beside his bed, he thought it must have been yet another royal decree or party invitation meant for Twilight. But when he opened it to see Twilight’s characteristic penponyship, the entire world went on pause as he carefully read her message.

“Dear Spike,
I hope this message finds you well-rested and content. Neither of those words can be applied to me at the moment, I’m afraid. As we both know, these last few moons have been immensely challenging to everyone involved with the crown. In this flood of problems and chaos, I have been drowning, just barely getting by. In the interest of being candid with you, I am unwell. We are on the precipice of disaster, and it is high time that I do something about that. You and all of our friends have reminded me how important it is that I continue to grow and change as a pony. In simple terms, I need to get myself out of this rut, and I am going to visit the two ponies that can help me more than any pony: Celestia and Luna. I will be traveling to their home, a location that I cannot locate on any map, enchanted or otherwise. What this means is that I might be gone for a while as I attempt to navigate this chapter of my life. Spike, I didn’t want it to come to this. I didn’t want to take a break from my sacred duties as ruler. But I am faced with no other choice if I want to become myself again. I know this is challenging to read, and my temporary absence will certainly cause some confusion amongst citizens of Equestria. Please know that I will be back as soon as I can, and I will write to you again to update you on this.

In the meantime, please delegate my duties to all members of my staff, as well as the Friendship Council. Please delegate a specific group to keep threats against myself and other rulers at bay. I am concerned that after what happened at the wedding, other ponies might be in danger as well. Attached to this letter you will find a short statement that I would like to be released to the public immediately. I would like for our citizens to remain calm. The last thing anypony needs is more to worry about.

Best,
Twilight Sparkle

True to her word, underneath the scroll was an official, gold-bordered piece of paper complete with the royal seal. It was a small bit of text that simply stated:

“Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria will be absent from her royal duties in the immediate future. She is temporarily vacating her position for personal health reasons. The Princess thanks everypony for their understanding and support during this challenging time, and she plans to continue her duties as soon as she can. In her absence, all royal responsibilities will be handled by the Friendship Council and other Canterlot officials. Any inquiries can be sent by mail at the Canterlot Post Office. Thank you.”

Spike had rubbed his tired eyes again to make sure he was reading the message right. A few too many glasses of fruit punch and staying up late to read the latest Power Ponies comic had made the dragon pretty lethargic. But his eyes hadn’t deceived him, because what he had read was simply the truth. Twilight was gone, and he was going to break the news to every pony. He yawned and shook off his blanket, his joints popping like firecrackers as he stepped on the cold crystal floor.

“Well, this is what I get for skipping my seven-hour bubble bath,” he had muttered for no one to hear. His joints eventually calmed down and he shuffled out the door and down the castle’s halls, eventually reaching Twilight’s royal office to send out the scroll.

A few hours later, he was slumped over the desk, trying to catch the evasive thing ponies called sleep. He couldn’t remember a night when he wasn’t awoken at least once from Twilight’s hooves clicking down the hall during one of her late-night freak outs.

And now he found himself alone in an office that wasn’t his, waiting for the arrival of the castle’s staff for the morning meeting while still trying to get a quick nap in. He just hoped that when the staff entered they wouldn’t find him asleep…how embarrassing would that be?

“The Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious, wake up!” A familiar voice shouted.

Spike could have sworn he hadn’t dozed off at all, but the mid-morning rays and the ringing in his ears proved otherwise. He rubbed his eyes and faced what he assumed to be Twilight’s closest guards and officials.

Instead, he was faced with the recent arrivals from the Crystal Empire. That at least explained the ostentatiously long introduction.

Shining Armor and Princess Cadence looked only marginally better than Spike felt. It seemed that a night of partying and socializing had taken a toll on the parents of two. Even with the help of family members and nannies, it must have been tough on their busy schedules.

“Sorry Spike, we didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just…we got your message and wanted to come as soon as we could! Luckily we were still in Canterlot because of the wedding! We were almost on the train when your scroll arrived, just in time.” Cadence’s voice was soft and sweet but did little to soothe the thrumming in Spike’s ever-tightening chest.

How was he supposed to be a leader? He wasn’t even a pony, for Celestia’s sake! He wasn’t cut out for this. Whenever Twilight came back, she would have a complete fit! He would probably do so terribly in the role that he would be banished to the Dragon Lands, forced to endure teasing from Garble and face orders from his friend, the Dragon Queen Ember! Or worse, he would just be hauled up into the town square and…and….

Wait, Equestria outlawed executions even before Celestia and Luna’s reign! He was getting ahead of himself. He took a deep breath.

“Thanks guys. Truthfully, it’s been…” No more words were spoken as his world seemed to tilt out of alignment. Tears welled in his eyes and he buried his face in his claws. He felt the embrace of neither Shining Armor or Cadence, but of Flurry Heart. He hadn’t noticed her when he came in, but the little pony’s grasp was unmistakable.

“I’m sorry you are sad, Spikey-Wikey. We want to help.”

The little filly’s simple words touched him deeply, and the thrumming of his heart managed to quiet just a little.

Shining Armor broke the calm silence. It was time to get down to business.

“So, we need a plan, Spike. And everyone is prepared to help.”

Suddenly, the doors flew open, but not from malice, just chaos. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash filed in, and Discord and the Cutie Mark Crusaders followed. Zecora made her entrance, and so did Sunburst. Even scrolls of support from fellow leaders such as Ember and Thorax popped into the air.

If one’s emotions could go from zero to one-hundred in the span of a few minutes, then Spike certainly has experienced such a shift. The ensuing conversations he had with his friends and colleagues filled him with enough hope to light the entire sky.

If only Twilight was here to see how much good their was in the world.

Chapter Five: Cobblestone Streets

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter Six: The Inn of Spiral Secrets

Sandwiched between the endless evening sky and the sparse buildings on the edge of town was a sunset.

No pony stepped hoof in the same river twice, the old philosophical saying went. But no pony saw the same sunset, either. For the stars renewed themselves every chance, and ponies did too. Ancient pony legends posited that the first settlers in Equestria had come from the very stars themselves, dusted with stardust and a cosmic perspective that was lost in the modern world. The remnants of ancient lore could be found in the eyes of frequent stargazing ponies, the twinkles in their eyes shining like the forces that supposedly brought their kind to Equestria. Nowadays, it was seen as more of an old Mare’s tale, stories spun from yarn just to get young fillies to respect the earth, mostly to not litter. But tonight felt far away from the childishness of a picture book or a plush space blanket.

Twilight gazed up at the stars, and discreetly used her magic to lower the sun officially. She was just barely gazing out of the rattling window, the soft night breeze musing her disguised mane. Since the two ponies were still in the outskirts of Trottingham, the disguises were necessary. Twilight didn’t think that the city was deserving of such a hideous coat and mane color combination, but she kept those thoughts to herself. There was no point in worrying or being vain about her appearance when she had bigger things to worry about. Most pressing was the pony that was obviously following them, mysterious in name and background but not in appearance or political affiliation. The red pony was clearly aware that he had made himself known to his targets. Clearly, this pursuer wanted Twilight to know she was in danger. But why be so blatant and so elusive at the same time? What was he trying to prove? What kind of game was he playing? And why did no one else notice him? His attempted assasinnation of Twilight was front-page news! Of course, he and his crew had managed to slip out of Canterlot jail by some extraordinary effort against the tip top security, but why was he making himself known to only them too? What in the Tartarus was happening?

And most importantly, who was helping him? Clearly, he couldn’t have gotten both in and outside of the castle without an insider’s help. Clearly, a staff member or several had coordinated the attack, knowing that the wedding stress would mean that most security personnel that day would already be overwhelmed with their duties. Clearly, someone close to Twilight had betrayed her.

The old adage was to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Whoever was responsible clearly took that to heart. Twilight has some guesses on which ponies had joined her attempted killers in their hatred of the crown, but didn’t want to go any further with her thoughts. Anymore of the thought spiral and she would be dancing with the devil himself, hoofs in rhythm to her own rapidly beating heart. Friendship was magic, of course, but magic wasn’t always for the greater good. She would have to figure out who had coordinated this attack, and why. Maybe she was right and maybe she was wrong. Maybe she was an evil power hungry figurehead of an abusive institution, and maybe she was an angel sent from heaven to save Equestria. It didn’t matter now what the extremes of public opinion meant, she only needed to jump over this hurdle, and everything would be as it was supposed to be. Of course that wasn’t true but it damn should have been.

Who was the mysterious pony? What was his organization? Why did they cloak themselves? Why did they want to kill and not just talk or sign a treaty or advocate for a law? Who was helping them?

The second, and less pressing of Twilight’s worries was the thing that was growing between her and Starlight. She didn’t know what this thing was, but it was certainly welcome. It made the world just a tad rosier. A bit warmer, like an endless amount of raspberry hot chocolate being poured in her veins.

Okay well, maybe that wasn’t the best simile, but this new and uncharted territory was aching to be explored. Her friends were all settling down. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were married, and so had Fluttershy and Discord, although their wedding featured a significant amount of sneezing piñatas and glowing origami napkins. Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich had a young son and were planning to have another baby. Rarity gently let Spike down after years of the dragon’s pining, and had recently moved in with a handsome colt who taught science at the Canterlot Academy of Magic. Even her own folks had been gently prying to see if there was a “special somepony” in her life. After a brief flirtation with her trusty guard Flash Sentry that had ended because of the stressful power imbalance between a ruler and her staff, she was bereft of a pony that made her heart sing.

Was Starlight that pony? It would be a perfect enemies-friends-partners story that any hopeless romantic would love, but Twilight was too plagued with her own problems to even consider such a thing. She had already roped Starlight into this wild goose chase that hadn’t even worked out. She hadn’t even got to meet with her mentors, which was the reason she had set out in the first place? How could she complete the hero’s journey and make atonement with herself and others if there was no change to begin with? If her entire trip was just a barren wasteland of simmering romantic feelings and near-death experiences? If that old quote about the river was just a pile of manure?

Whatever then.

The inn that they had checked in had a merciless lack of rooms, but they had managed to secure a tiny storage room on the top floor of the inn after paying what amounted to a small home’s mortgage. Although the owner was gruff and short, clearly annoyed with such an egregious last-minute check in, his eyes betrayed him, and Twilight could see the kindness in his eyes, even as he put away the equivalent to several years of a salary. They made eye contact again as he showed them up the stairs, and Twilight could have sworn there was a twinkle in his eyes. Did the owner know them? Were they being recognized? She put those thoughts away. Maybe the owner was just being kind because they were clearly wealthy customers.

The bits basically amounted to a mortgage for a room no larger than a home office, with dusty boxes and one small window. This room had a lot of stories to tell, Twilight figured. All those boxes had a whole lifetime in them. That was the thing about hotels, hostels, inns, and everything in between. They were the meeting place of every traveler, the great equalizer of the general pony condition. Whoever passed through, on the run from the past or a slow creeping pace to an uncertain future, they had passed here. Weary, excited, angry, aroused, depressed, hopeless, and hopeful; it was all here. In a place like this, ramshackle that had seen a fire a few too many times. Trottingham had plenty of places like that. For a city of such glamor and publicity, the old guard of Equestria had kept many secrets under its picturesque bricks and grasses.

Twilight mentally blocked out another torrent of mental monologue so she could focus on the sun’s lowering, when the sky had completely darkened she had sighed away a weary few hours. Starlight was passed out, using her magic to conjure up a simple configuration of boxes that made a less than comfortable bed. Neither pony wanted to use their magic for what was completely necessary, for fear of attracting unwanted attention. That, and deplugging from the convenience of magic was good for the soul apparently.

While she tried to ignore Starlight’s unbearably loud snoring, she decided to open a few of the boxes, careful to keep the room tidy so the owner wouldn’t know they were snooping. Then again, with the amount of bits she had paid she felt okay snooping to her heart's content. The first few boxes were nothing to write home about, a collection of building deeds, floor plans, employee contracts, and the like. It was when she opened the sixth box, which was remarkably lighter than the rest. She opened the flaps, expecting to find an empty space. Maybe the owner had accidentally left too many boxes in here and some empty ones had remained. But no, that was not the case. Inside was a simple note with a dark scrawl. A dark purple scrawl.

It read: “I know who you are. Don’t look behind you. What you find won’t be good. Keep your attention on your pony friends. Some are not who they seem.

Open the seventh box. It’s in the wardrobe.”

The mountain of boxes did, indeed, cover a larger wardrobe made of deep mahogany wood. The sides were curved with a beautiful molding, and the large doors were smooth and oddly inviting, even with the dust. The moving of boxes tousled Starlight awake, and she gently started helping.

“Soooo……what are we doing?” Starlight’s voice was deadpan with a hedge of sleepy annoyance. Her disguised mane was rumpled and her eyes were struggling to stay open in her post sleep haze.

“Um…moving boxes, I guess. I’m trying to get that wardrobe open.” Twilight didn’t speak of the strange note she had found, but it didn’t take long for Starlight to take the crumpled note of its open box and scrutinize the words.

“Well, that’s not ominous at all. Between the note and the pony following us, I’d say this is challenging Nightmare Night ‘88 for creepiest night of my life.”

“What happened on Nightmare Night ‘88?!?”

“Well, as a teenager I thought it was a fantastic idea to explore the caves that lay on the outskirts of my village. Let’s just say that my fashion sense wasn’t the only horrifying thing I found in the cave. Apparently it was a rendezvous point for some secret…ahem…club of sorts. There are things you can’t unsee, Twilight. Things you can’t unsee.” Starlight was half-laughing at the unsavory memories of her adolescence.

Twilight wondered if that, combined with her heartbreak at Sunburst’s absence, had led her to the equal-cutie-mark cult she had started. But that was a conversation for a glass of wine and a comfy couch, not a creaky-floored and dusty glorified closet.

They worked for a while to clear the boxes, stopping every so often to collect a pile of papers that had slipped out or some little trinkets that had been spilled. The silence seemed to envelop them like waves lapping at a sun-soaked shore.

Eventually, the last of the boxes had been cleared away, and both ponies opened the doors to reveal…nothing.

Well, it wasn’t nothing, but it wasn’t the fabled seventh box they had been expecting and likely hoping for. After all it was a shaky sign of support from a world that had seemed to shun them. However sketchy, it was also just another glimmer of hope.

Instead, they were greeted with a line of dark coats, probably vintage from the looks of it. Mothballs and a stale air wafted from the cabinet, as if it hadn’t been opened for a long time. Maybe never. Starlight looked at Twilight, and Twilight looked at Starlight.

Twilight gave a slight nod to her companion, and both walked in at the same time, expecting to hit the wall at any moment. It was apparently a quite deep wardrobe, as they surely must have been in a different room by now.

“Oh my Celestia, it’s like we’re in Narnia!!!” Twilight’s bookishness was showing through as she shifted a squeal in the small space.

Starlight couldn’t quite see Twilight’s face in the dim wardrobe, but she knew that her friend had the biggest grin in the world. It made her heart happy. While Twilight’s emotions were hard to reign in these days, Starlight was thrilled for any glimpse she got of Twilight’s infectious joy.

They might have been headed to certain death or the greatest treasure known to ponykind. It might have been a secret passageway or a truly large coat closet. But as the floor descended into a tunnel-like structure, Starlight’s bet was on the former. Whether they were smart or foolish to follow this path was anybody's guess.

There were no torches on the walls or any light source for that matter. The coats that were long behind them did a great job of blocking out the steady stream of moonlight that had filtered into their room from the darkened sky outside. The floor of this mysterious passageway was cold and damp, further confirming the hunch that both ponies had that this hallway was not well-traveled. As the hallway continued to descend, it started to curve sharply into a lowered stairwell that could have gone on forever if Twilight hadn’t chipped off a piece of the hallway’s molding and dropped it into the abyss below them, hearing a soft clank after a few very long, very tense seconds.

“Well, at least we know it has a bottom!” Starlight chuckled nervously. She felt the same chills as she had when she and her friends had ventured into the changeling hive. An intoxicating mixture of adventure and determination, of apprehension and wonder, of fear and courage and everything in between. The cocktail of emotions was draining down her throat and settling into her nervous stomach. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins like a sacramental wine.

“Yeah…but what’s down there?” Ever the skeptic, Twilight’s darkened face was sure to have been creased with concern. “We’re down in a stairwell in a town we’ve not exactly been safe in, after following a mysterious note that could have easily been written by a serial killer. This. Is. Just. Wonderful.” The last few words were bitter on her tongue and just barely made it past her teeth. Twilight wasn’t scared really, but it wasn’t lost on her just how suspicious this whole situation was. She hadn’t gotten to talk with Celestia and Luna, her wake was clearly being stalked by a scary and dangerous pony, and now she and her closest friend were trotting down a mysterious stairwell that appeared in a long tunnel that they found after going through a wardrobe. Were the Narnia kids scared when they traveled into their winter wonderland? She couldn’t remember. It had been ages since her mom had read her the series by her bedside.

“Well, we’re already going down it, and the distance can’t be too far judging by the chip we broke off. I say we just keep going and hope for the best.” Starlight wasn’t used to being the optimist of the group, but she mustered all of her emotional strength to keep going down the steps. The olden walkway hadn’t seen pony hooves for ages, probably.

Eventually, Twilight used her horn to light up the room. The stairs they were descending were fashioned like an upside down lighthouse, the dim light casting creepy shadows on the black stone walls. There were no corners, and as they rounded the last set of steps and plopped on the stone floor, it was a relief to see a small circular room, barren except for a small table with a lit lantern and what looked like a map of Trottingham’s underground. With the room illuminated enough, Twilight and Starlight looked around the small space, failing to notice the shadowed door just under the curve of the stairs where they had stepped off. The desk was a simple wooden set fashioned with a darkened cherry hue. The few books that were piled on it looked to be from an earlier century, with their deeply yellowed pages and Old Ponish language. It was probably a hangout for underground intellectuals, those who resisted the political corruption that plagued Trottingham a century earlier.

A wealthy oil baroness has ascended to the position of mayor for the iconic city and had done more to pardon her rich friends than anything for the struggling artists and academics that lived on the streets. The “Trottingham Revolution” as it was often referred to, was a city-wide series of protests that kicked off subsequent hearings and meetings that reached all the way to Princess Celestia, who promptly instigated the most consequential royal review in a millenia. Trottingham’s reputation as a cosmopolitan city was stained somewhat by the discovery of its rising population of ponies in poverty, but the recovery within the next few hundred years was nothing short of remarkable.

That was something that always amazed Twilight when traveled, and even when she was a young filly sitting in class, paying attention to the textbooks with rapt attention. Every city block had a lifetime stored inside every storefront, from the hooves that had passed over the sidewalk to the reflections in the glass window. No history book could ever truly encapsulate the heartbeat of a city street or historic market or stained glass window. In this specific instance, what Starlight and Twilight were likely looking at was a secret remnant of a secret meeting. The desk was probably for manifestos or pamphlets of some sort. It was quite literally an underground operation, if the small pile of evidence was to be extrapolated from accurately.

“Hello, Princess Twilight.” A voice that came from neither Twilight or Starlight pierced through the vale of tense silence.

Starlight screamed, a loud shrill sound, and all the color drained from her face, and Twilight nearly did the same before she was stopped by her royal inhibitions.

She was expecting to see the scary red pony that had been clearly stalking them, but instead it was the front desk pony from earlier, the small business owners that had battered them out of a massive pile of bits. His clothes were the same as earlier, a faded cream-colored button down shirt and jeans that were clearly well-loved. His shoes were a simple pair of green tennis shoes, and a pair of reading glasses adorned his gaunt, middle-aged face. He had big, king eyes and a thinning brown mane with streaks of gray. They were the same kind eyes that had checked in, and Twilight felt relief when she noticed that same and now familiar twinkle in his eyes. The shock of seeing another pony in the hidden room subsided in favor of blatant curiosity.

“So, um….are you going to kill us or something?” Starlight’s voice piped up before Twilight had a chance to speak. “Because I’d rather not have that happen.” Although there was a bit of a nervous quiver in her voice, her deadpan cadence showed that she wasn’t really convinced she was going to be murdered. And neither was Twilight. They may have just found their guardian angel.

The pony laughed. “Heavens no, of course. I’m on your side.” He said. His voice was no longer the gruff bluntness they had encountered earlier. He was speaking in a much softer tone, as if he was wary of others in earshot. Must have been par for the course for somepony who spent time in a secret chamber.

“You’re on our side? I….what?” It had been so long since Twilight had heard somepony say something like that who wasn’t already on her payroll. “We just happened to waltz into the one building in Equestria that housed a single pony who not only supports us but also has a secret bunker?!?” The sheer absurdity of the situation seemed to hit twilight like a truck, and she turned to sit on something, before just plopping down on the floor when the lack of seating became apparent. “This. Is. Insane.” Each syllable was sharply articulated and she just shook her head back and forth as if this situation was a fever dream she needed to wake up from.

“It’s a little bit of a strange place we’ve found ourselves in, but I promise I mean no harm to you young ladies. I just came to warn you.” He paused before continuing. “You see, I’ve owned this building for over fifty years, and have spent thirty-five of those years at that very front desk, after my receptionist became convinced the building was haunted and fled town.” He laughed, but no one found it funny.

“I mean….is it haunted?” Twilight ventured. She wasn’t one to believe in ghosts, but she also knew magic worked in mysterious ways. A chill seemed to run through the room, but it was just in her head.

The pony pushed his glasses up higher and considered her question. “In all likelihood, yes. Considering the age of this building, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few spirits here and there. But that’s not why I wanted to get you both down here. This matter is urgent, much more urgent than ghosts. As I have worked as a receptionist for my business, I have seen all matters of ponies come through those doors. Backpackers on a shoestring budget, wealthy patrons wanting a taste of Trottingham’s suffering artist days, and the like. The point is, I’ve seen a lot of folks over the years, and I am deeply, deeply worried about right now.”

“Why?” Starlight asked, then immediately facepalmed at her silly question. Of course a small business owner would be worried right now. Clearly, he was facing some budget issues, and wanted the help of a wealthy and powerful princess to get his life back on track, even if she was one of the most persecuted ponies on the planet. She rolled her eyes and made sure the pony saw.

“Of course, the economic concerns for ponies like me who rely on tourism are worth talking about, but it’s part of a larger picture. Ponies aren’t traveling like they used to, and the amount of anger, weariness, and even just plain sadness that I see coming through these doors each day is a fright. I go to the farmer’s market and the mood is more like a funeral. Everything is getting more expensive, and the sacrifices a pony has to make to get by is something I would not wish on anypony. And it all comes down to you, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight was stunned by the pony’s moving speech, if one could call it that. The various issues that he had pointed out were things that kept her up at night, serious horrors that seemed to increase tenfold after the disastrous Neigharaha Falls accident.

He continued. “You are in grave danger, Princess. And although some would not agree, I think your leadership is something that Equestria would be even worse without. You are the pony we need for the world to come back together. And that cannot be done if the pony that is following you gets his way.”

At the mere mention of this pony, Twilight’s blood ran cold. That strange group she encountered were obviously violent, but even her attempted assisination didn't quite hit her heart that way it did just after the pony’s faltering words.

“HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS?!? ARE YOU STALKING US TOO?” Starlight's voice was angry and dark. In the dark room it seemed even more amplified and Twilight was startled at how loud a single pony could get.

“I am not ‘stalking’ you two. I am merely looking out for you too. It’s my job, you know.”

“IT’S YOUR JOB MY RUMP!!! HOW DARE YOU EVEN SUG-”

Twilight held up a hoof to silence her steaming friend. Something in her heart told her she could trust this gentlecolt.

“It’s my job, you see. I’m a remotely stationed member of the royal guard. There are plenty of us around Equestria, for cases such as this. Runaways, I mean.”

“How….how did you know it was us? We’re disguised, obviously!” Starlight had regained her composure(and her dignity) after her brief outburst.

The pony, whose name they still didn’t know, seemed almost amused. “You may be disguised as ponies, but your magic is not. All royal guards, especially those outside of the Royal Castle, have magic maps. I simply followed your star. I must say, I was surprised and delighted that you chose my humble inn for a stay!” he grinned, and his yellowed teeth showed. Clearly he was getting up there in age, but his mind must have been as sharp as a tack if he was still a member of the Royal Guard.

“But…but that still doesn’t explain what in the hay is going on here? Why are we down here? Who is the actual owner of this inn?” Twilight's questions were speeding into the forefront of her brain so fast she could barely get them out.

“Well, I may be a Royal Guard member, but this is still a real inn. I’m a legitimate business owner. I’m afraid if you're looking to bust up money laundering places, you can go to the rival business across the street and cause some havoc there.” The owner wiped his glasses with a handkerchief and gave an eye-roll at the mention of the place across the street. Twilight and Starlight had seen that business on their way to the inn, and it was much larger and fancier than the place they were currently at. And from the looks of it, much snobbier too.

The puzzle pieces were starting to click together in twilight’s mind. Starlight, for her part, had stayed mostly silent, but Twilight could tell she was beginning to understand. Clearly, this owner was a secret member of her royal team of guards, stationed in Trottingham, which was randomly the city that they had happened to be closest to, and also happened to be in the exact inn they had chosen to stay at. It would have been a suspicious coincidence if the pony hadn’t looked so kindly at them. The elements of harmony were always helping Twilight out when she was least expecting them too, so perhaps meeting this innkeeper wasn’t a twist of fate as much as it was right on the path she had a;ways been walking on.

There were still more questions to be asked, even before they got to the clearly heavy subject of the conversation. “So, if you're a guard member, why are you running a struggling small business? Why not just retire to some wicked mansion somewhere or a nice cottage, or even one of the Victorian townhomes in Ponyington?” Starlight asked.

“Well, I’m a guard, not a billionaire, first of all. Those Victorian townhomes are pretty pricey, you know! Also, the point of being a secret guard is to be secret, and a pony with loads of money and no job is pretty suspicious, so most guards have legitimate jobs to prevent such inquiries into their real jobs.” A fond but bittersweet smile crossed his face as he added, “And I love my job anyway. It helps me connect with the world. I get to hear the stories of this wonderful city.”

“Well that makes sense. But what about this place? What’s the deal with this secret passageway? I feel like I’m in a Shadow Spade novel!” Starlight’s anger at the pony had clearly waned as she pressed him for answers.

The pony’s glasses were again cleaned with the handkerchief in his right hoof. It must have been a tick of his, because he always seemed to do it when he was about to tell a long story. “Well, you’ve heard of the ponycombs in Mare-is right? Those ponies had so many bodies they had to bury them down under the city. There’s a similar system in Trottingham, but it isn’t nearly as well known, and this room was an offshoot of that.”

“So when you say this place is haunted…you mean we’re standing in an underground graveyard?” Starlight’s teeth began to chatter as she chewed on her hooves nervously. Even Twilight was a little rattled by the revelation of where they currently were.

The pony clearly wanted to soothe their nerves as he held off his hooves to placate them.
“This room, in particular, is not where the bodies were stored. A small circular room is not a place for corpses, that’s for sure. When these tunnels were being built, so much focus was on the larger systems in Mare-is that the Trottingham system wasn’t given the same attention. When workers were digging, they were “persuaded” by some powerful officials to create private spaces as offshoots of the original tunnels. As the tunnels were no longer in active use, these rooms were forgotten. But a ton of these spaces still exist, and I’m sure there have been some crazy happenings in these walls.”

Twilight gulped. The thought of what kind of debauchery had occurred in places like the one she was seated in was unnerving. It was not unlike the cave system that Starlight had reminisced about in her anecdote about her teenage years in her small village.

The pony looked at the both of them with a level of earnestness that made Twilight relax just a bit after such a disturbing revelation. It was almost even worse to not know the specifics of what kind of things had gone down in these rooms.

The innkeeper-who-was-secretly-a-guard continued. “In the seventies and eighties, there was a bit of a revival with some crazy underground discos and the like, and even a satanic cult scare at the turn of the century, but since then it’s been a bit quiet. Most of the rooms have likely been either filled in or used for storage purposes. This room had been used by the previous owner as a small and secluded study, and as you can see I haven’t done away with any of that.”

Suddenly, the books and maps made a bit more sense. This room must have been used as a secret intellectual haven. Whether or not it was a place of political dissent like Twilight and Starlight had theories about earlier was still up in the air.

The room grew tenser as their mysterious pony companion had run out of a story to tell. Without the pleasant distraction of the impromptu history lesson, Twilight would have to face the real reason she had been sent down here: she was going to die.

As if he could sense her hesitancy in broaching the subject, the pony offered a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I’m truly sorry about this Twilight. But you are being more than stalked, and this mess won’t stop even if–Celestia forbid–you are done away with. That rogue group of ponies that tried to kill you a few weeks back? They aren’t in this for murder. They’re in this for war.”

War was not a topic that Twilight thought about lightly. With just three letters her world was shaking, and although of course she had considered that the mysterious cloaked ponies were plotting some kind of revenge, she hadn’t really thought about it that much ahead. Selfishly, she had been most concerned with her own wellbeing as a pony, and the further ramifications hadn’t settled in yet.

The pony sighed. “I’m telling you this not because you aren’t already aware of the severity of the situation, but for my own sake. I cannot sit by in the shadows and wait for a war to break out. I know conflict is bound to happen at some points of a royal rule, but I fear this is much, much worse than anything before. If you and your friends don’t help stop this upcoming problem, Equestria as we know it will be over.”

The guard walked over to the little enclave under the stairs, where Twilight just noticed a few extra books lay, along with what looked to be entrance to a small closet. The guard, noticing her curiosity, swung open the tiny door to reveal a bar-bones shelf with just a few trinkets, papers, and some small weapons. “Nothing to look at, I’m afraid. Just junk left over from the previous owner. I’ve stored some stuff down here, and occasionally use this space for private royal messages and whatnot.” He shut the door, which gave an audible creak as it was closed. He had grabbed a small white book.

He gave the book to Starlight, who was slightly closer to him. She, like Twilight, seemed shell-shocked by the revelations of the evening. The guard then adjusted his glasses that seemed to be perpetually sliding down his face, and gave a smile that could have as well been a grimace. He gave a look down the book that Starlight now held in her shaking hooves.

“I’m sorry that I don’t have time to talk more about this, but I must attend to my duties upstairs. But please read the book I just gave you. It explains everything. It’s..well…it’s certainly something. I can’t quite explain it. You’ll understand when you read it through.” And with that, the air of the room settled into something resembling acceptance. Not acceptance of the specific horror that was almost certainly heading Twilight’s way, but acceptance of her life in general. Twilight knew that the first step to solving a problem was to accept that the problem existed in the first place. Celestia had taught her that.

She started up the first couple steps of the stairs, Starlight slightly ahead, both of their legs dreading the serious climbing they would have to do. But a tinge of curiosity made her stop briefly.

She had one final question before she and Starlight took up the long, long way back up to the surface. “If you didn’t let the ponies into the castle, then who did?”

The guard's face darkened to an impossibly forlorn state, but he could not give her the names. “I’m sorry, Princess, but I’m not at liberty to discuss such things.”

“So was it a stranger, then? Do Celestia and Luna know who did it?”

“Yes, Princess, yes they do. There were no strangers involved, as far as I am aware. Have a good night.” The guard spared no further glance, as if his eyes would reveal the truth that his words weren’t permitted to.

Twilight and Starlight climbed up the stairs in silence, each not wanting to break each other’s quiet contemplation. Who could have done such a thing? If it wasn’t a stranger, then Twilight was right that she had been betrayed. Who betrayed her was the real question.

As the two ponies settled into their shoebox-sized room for the night, it occurred to Starlight that they hadn’t gotten their massive deposit back from the guard, something she hoped that he would do considering all the information they had just shared. But no such pile of money came, and she flopped down on her bed of boxes in a huff. Starlight’s snoring soon filled the room, but Twilight was wide away as she gazed out the window, illuminated only by moonlight.

As she peered out into the night sky, it occurred to her that whoever let the rogue ponies in must have had a lot of authority and power over castle staff. They must have instructed the guards to let the cloaked wannabe-assassins in without much of a tussle. They may have even instructed Twilight’s senior guard to act surprised, if he had been on it, too. But Twilight figured that none of her friends or even most of the guards had been on it, only a select few who must have been sworn to secrecy. The operation must have been so incredibly covert to make sure it looked like an authentic break-in.

But who could have pulled that off? Who had more power than Twilight? Who were her staff more loyal too than the princess herself? Who could it have possibly been, other than the two ponies she desperately wished it wasn’t?

There was only one possibility of Twilight’s betrayal, and tears clouded her vision until the moon was a blurry mass. Celestia and Luna wouldn’t stage an attack, right? They wouldn’t play with the possibility of war just to prove some lesson about friendship, right? But with the way her heart was beating and ringing filled her ears, she couldn’t be sure of anything anymore.

She glanced down at the book that rested on the floor next to her, and lay down for a few hours of sleep. She…hadn’t known that was a possibility, until now.

Chapter Seven: The Long Way Back

Twilight and Starlight gave their goodbyes to the innkeeper.

As Twilight trotted up to the innkeeper’s desk to hand back their keys to the shoebox room they had stayed in, he politely declined their offering, shaking his head.

“Keep the keys. That storage room isn’t available for just any pony. I gave it to you both because of that, well, you know.”

The innkeeper glanced around the small entryway nervously, as if another customer would catch them discussing such secretive business. Dawn had just barely broken, but the innkeeper had been cracking groan-inducing dad jokes like he had had seven cups of coffee already.

Twilight and Starlight just giggled at the kooky pony. He may have been a royal guard, but clearly his sense of humor had accompanied the severity of his job. He was professional and silly at the same time, a mix of charm and seriousness all at once.

They trotted to the entryway, where they could see faded posters of Trottingham’s history, and a basket of tourist pamphlets that looked to be several decades out of date. The carpet was itchy underneath their hooves, and the inn itself looked like it could do with a renovation that made it look less like a haunted house. But despite the unsightly looks, the innkeeper’s kindness and generosity, and the reveal of his secret identity,

Twilight and Starlight got an early start out of Trottingham the next morning. Both of their bodies ached after sleeping on boxes the whole night. The room was also not well-insulated, so the nighttime breeze was less gentle after a while and more just plain cold. But still they persisted on to the nearest train stop, which was only a short walk away from the city center and down the main road. Both of their bellies were grumbling for food, and they stopped at a small cart to buy a breakfast treat before they realized neither of them had any bits, all given to the struggling innkeeper the night before.

But the pony running the stand, having seen them exit the nearby inn, just happened to be a good friend of the owner and gave them their pastries for free. Although Twilight’s visit to Trottingham had been marred by a scary stalking pony and a creepy spiral staircase, she couldn’t deny just how lucky she had gotten, and how kind the residents had been to her. Well, most of them anyway, not counting that stalking pony.

The train station was now just a few blocks away, and with it not due for another half an hour, Twilight’s shoulders slumped from their normally rigid stance as she relaxed a bit. This allowed both her and her companion to enjoy the scenery.

Although it was still the early morning, many service ponies who worked at restaurants, shops, and outdoor venues were already setting up for the day ahead, putting up signs advertising a sale on hamburgers at a local fast-food joint and a concert by Sapphire Shores at the city’s large amphitheater just a few buildings away. Twilight took a mental note to remind Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash of the tour, knowing that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were still massive fans of the pony popstar(although Sweetie Bell in particular was more of a theatre pony) and were keen on seeing a show when it arrived near them. Her heart grew fond as she realized how much the little fillies weren’t little fillies anymore. All three were in their late teens, with the mood swings and evolving personal styles to match. She remembered how hard it was to understand herself and her identity at that age, and was glad to see a greater diversity of identities and personalities in the young ponies of today. More teenagers were open about topics like mental health, gender, and other areas of discussion that were still considered shameful when Twilight was growing up. It was heartwarming to see how Equestria had changed, even if some of the new-fangled technology and fashion trends bothered her.

“Uh oh ... .you're in Twilight land, aren’t you?” Starlight was waving a hoof in front of her face, and in all of her reminiscing, Twilight hadn’t realized she was about to step into a construction zone full of ponies hard at work. Of course, that would be so typical of her. She didn’t want to step into wet concrete or fall down a sewer. Again.

Twilight blushed at being called out for staring into space. It seemed that most of every single day was filled to the brim with monologues that were as winding as the staircase they had crept down last night.

“It’s okay, Twilight. You’ve had a lot on your mind. We all have, I guess.” Starlight smiled sweetly and they continued to the train station, offering an apology to the construction workers they had almost run into.

“How long will it take to get back to Canterlot from here?” Twilight asked. “Obviously, we only took the train part of the way from Canterlot.”

Starlight glanced at the map, this time a faded paper pamphlet she had grabbed from the lobby of the inn. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself or Twilight by using a magic map. “Hmm…” she squinted, the tiny font not doing any favors for her reading comprehension. “It says ....about 900 kilometers, so probably around 12 hours. Makes sense, considering the train advertises its “overnight honeymoon” package.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Honeymoon package? Seriously?”

Starlight laughed, a redness across her face. “Yeah, I checked out their website on the inn’s desktop computer and it said for 2,000 pounds you could get the special treatment cabin!”

Twilight raised her brows. “You must be joking about that….how bizarre!”

Starlight gave a small, silly bow. “I can assure you I have done no such thing. The website does offer it, I swear!” She said faux-dramatically.

Both ponies shared a laugh about the advertising antics of the train company. Union Ponycific, the company behind Equestria’s famed cross-country steam trains(and in some places, bullet trains) had been known for their nighttime and daytime trains since long before Twilight started riding them as a young filly. Train routes like the Ponyville Express and the Trottingham Underground(which wasn’t really underground!) carried millions of creatures across Equestria daily. Since places beyond Equestria such as the Changeling Hive and the Dragon Lands had been “reformed” by Equestrian principles, new train routes had sprung up between those locations as well, and now train cars were filled with many more creatures besides earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns.

As they waited on the raised wooden platform for their train, Twilight and Starlight noticed the familiar multi-colored train appear in the distant flatlands just beyond the city’s official entrance. Pretty soon the steaming engine appeared before them, and Starlight gave her train pass to the conductor, who scanned Starlight’s card and let them through into one of the back cars. They had chosen one of the less popular cars because although both still had disguises on, paranoia was always lurking in their heads. Twilight was relieved that Starlight had brought her train card with her, something that she had forgotten to do in her haste to leave the castle a few weeks earlier. She was suddenly aware of just how grateful she was to have Starlight by her side on the trip. Although she valued her alone time, there was always room for a friend in her travels, however arduous and unexpected. Maybe they would be something more, or maybe they wouldn’t. Twilight enjoyed Starlight’s company greatly.

The two ponies settled onto one of the plush benches in the car, grateful to see that the car wasn’t too crowded. An older gentlecolt to their left was reading a newspaper, and an exhausted-looking mare was trying to wrangle in two young fillies. Another seat was occupied by a dragon couple, the wife with blue scales and the husband with red. Lastly, a teenage Yak was gazing out the window while wearing those strange cat-ear headphones that seemed to be all the rage for the young generation. She looked on, amused but endeared.

They both enjoyed the comfy feeling of the benches, a far cry from the boxes and creaky wooden floors of the previous night. Starlight could have sworn she saw a flash of red in the car in front of them, but it could have easily just been in her head. With the little sleep she had managed, every little thing was making her jump. But then again, that pony was clearly trying to follow them. Starlight just sighed, for what could she do about it? It seemed that, to both her and Twilight, war was inevitable, and Canterlot’s crown was just sitting around, waiting for a conflict that would cause such devastation. Was war really inevitable? Was conflict something inherent to the Equestrian spirit? Or could it be avoided? Starlight just put her head into her hooves and tried to get some sleep in the remaining time it took to get to Canterlot. Her sleep schedule would be completely out of whack, considering the time differences and all, but her head pounded too much for any protest from the logical part of her mind. She slumped down, put her head on the gently rumbling window, and fell into a deep sleep.

Unlike Starlight, who seemed to be able to sleep anywhere, Twilight’s eyes and ears were wide open. Even though they were in an enclosed space and moving at a rapid pace, she half-expected to be ambushed with the rogue group of ponies that had tried to kill her(or so it seemed). One of the ponies, the leader of which most likely, was on the train with them. He was in the car up ahead of them. She had seen a flash of red, and Starlight had seen it as well. Twilight supposed she could have looked further, perhaps even gone into the car ahead, but decided against it. She didn’t need to look. She already knew.

She glanced at Starlight, who was fast asleep. She didn’t know how that pony managed to sleep given the rambunctious young fillies up ahead of them or the loud rustling of the elder gentlecolt’s newspaper, but she was clearly getting some well-needed shut-eye. Perhaps her massively loud snoring drowned out any of the other sounds on the train.

For all the gentle swaying of the train and the soothing thoughts she tried to fill her mind with, Twilight could not get to sleep. Even though she was tired out of her mind, the fear and worry that was consuming her kept her awake. She settled on flipping through the unusual white book that the innkeeper-who-was-secretly-a-guard had given her. The pages were thick and smooth, clearly made from high-quality paper. But where she had expected to find either typed or hoof-written words, she found mostly blank pages, aside for some messages at the beginning.
The first one read: “Hello to the pony that is reading this. This book belongs to the two female ponies that stayed at my inn yesterday evening in Trottingham, Equestria. This is a correspondence book. Please immediately disregard if that description does not apply to you.”

Twilight gasped. It was a message book, the kind of which she had not seen since her correspondence with Sunset Shimmer, her friend that lived in an alternate world. She made a mental note to update Sunset on the recent happenings of her life. She didn’t necessarily want to air out her dirty laundry, but in the decade or longer since she had been reformed, she had learned a lot. Sunset had become very wise. Twilight would make an effort to visit her adopted home sometime soon, when all the mess in Equestria was settled.
` Unlike the large, leather bound volume that she had once held in her hooves, this was a thin white book that was about as small as Twilight’s front hooves. However, its smallness was actually an asset. It would fit well in her bag. Perhaps that is why it was designed in such a way. She took a pen out of her bag and began to write a brief message to the innkeeper, who she assumed must have been waiting around for a response since he gave her the book. Like the innkeeper’s vague language, she kept it as deliberately generic as possible to avoid the danger of spilling her secrets. Although it was clearly being shared between the three ponies who were meant to have the book in their possession, a pony could never be too careful, especially when traveling between two large, crowded cities. Also, a pony could never be too careful when there was a would-be assassin on the train.

“This book is safe, in the protection of the two ponies it was handed to.”

A few minutes later, the book gently vibrated with an incoming message. Twilight stifled a laugh. It was just like a cell phone!

“Thank you for your quick message. Let us be cognizant of the challenges you will face ahead. I am here to help. Stay well and inform me at the end of your travels back to your destination. I will keep track of those that wish differently.”

Twilight shivered, although the train was plenty warm. The guard’s message was brief, but vague and ominous. Just like the whole situation was. She was glad to have a guardian angel look out for her, but even then her trust was faltering. If those closest to her had been her betrayers, then who could she turn to? Who could she lean on during such times, if everypony could be out to get her and she wouldn’t know? It felt like the world’s walls were slowly closing in on her, crushing her skeleton, tearing through the soft flesh of her body. She would be chewed and spit out, a bloody heap of her former self. It was grisly and violent, but there was little other she could say to describe her torrent of emotions.

She glanced over at Starlight, who was fast asleep in the train seat facing her. The benches had these faded flower patterns that reminded her of the Canterlot gardens, where she would occasionally go to pick berries and flowers with her mom when she was a young filly. No pony but royalty was technically allowed to visit the grounds, but it was never really enforced. Twilight had come from a high-ranking family of professors and intellectuals, so she was often never given a second glance when coming through the gates. Even regular ponies with little societal clout could waltz through and have a picnic or walk around the buzzing bees and serene stream. Back then, Canterlot(and the world at large) was experiencing a golden age of peace. Before Nightmare moon, before Tirek, before the Crystal Empire and Chrysalis and Cozy Glow and whoever else had tried to destroy Equestria to take the power away. The garden gates were always open even when they weren’t supposed to. Times were different now. They had to be.

Twilight realized her gaze was still fixed on the flower patterned fabric, which always greeted her cheerfully when she stepped on a train. But this time she did not smile back at the familiar pattern. She glanced out the window, past the rushing fields and clouds that whirled by so fast they could have been nothing at all. She felt tears at the edges of her eyes. She couldn’t quite describe the feelings anymore.

………………………………………

Starlight awoke as the subtle shifts of the train turned into a sharper curve. She could see they were just past one off the minor mountain ranges of the greater Equestrian plains. It was really a set of large hills, but tourist ponies flocked to the range for the magnificent views of the sea. The way the sun sparkled off the water could blind a pony if they weren’t careful, something the entire country had realized with a screeching halt, hours too late. As the “mountains” passed by with a blur that resembled an impressionist painting, Starlight gradually grew more awake. Her eyes adjusted to the light, which had dimmed from a bright morning to a more subdued late afternoon. It would only be several hours until they were coming back to Canterlot, and even less until the evening would come back from its daytime slumber. It was ironic, Starlight thought, to imagine the moon sleeping during the day, snuggled in a blanket made from the stars. But Luna slept during the day, didn’t she? When she had resolved that conflict between the two sisters all those years ago, she vaguely remembered the younger sister being grumpy in the mornings, as she had come off a long night of work. She wondered what Luna dreamt about during the day, and if it was possible for her to dream at all.

But with the way the sisters had spoken with her several days ago, it would not be long until neither sister would dream of anything at all.

But maybe there was something beyond. Maybe some kind of heaven, or hell, although she didn’t really believe those things anymore. The few times she had visited Tartarus on royal duty with Twilight had convinced her that hell was an Equestrian thing. It was pony-made. No, the thing she was hoping for was something beyond anypony’s power, even Celestia or Luna, maybe even the aging Starswirl the Bearded and his group of Pony Pillars. Something more, something deeper. If she could reach down and pull the fabric of life itself and stitch it back together into something gorgeous, she would do it. If she could give Celestia and Luna a place for eternal rest, where their souls could seep into that stitched tapestry, she would. But such fantasies were just that. Fantasies.

Starlight sighed. Hope was the driving force for everything she did, and yet it a torture all it’s own.

Eventually, the sun began to dip below the hills, casting the train car in a warm orange glow. Twilight, still disguised, had excused herself to use the restroom, which also served the purpose of allowing her to lower the sun without anypony seeing it. She returned to her seat and huffed a soft sigh. There was often a period of weightlessness that accompanied the afterglow of a magical ritual such as the one she had just covertly performed.

An announcement beamed from the loudspeaker, which was crackly and startling and much too out of date. The conductor said that because of a storm brewing near Canterlot, the train would be lowering its speed, meaning that the train would likely not reach the city until after midnight. It was supposed to arrive in the mid-evening, but secretly both ponies were relieved at the extra time they were afforded. It gave Twilight time to worry and Starlight time to sleep. As the moon cast a long glow over the train car, Twilight was at once relieved that she had been able to perform her spell in peace, and that the train had been delayed. She was also worried too, because the more time she spent on the train the more her mind began to wander. Her “Twilighting” episodes often began out of the stress of being inside, and even the expansive windows and air conditioning were still not enough. The creeping dread she felt at returning to her real life could not be assuaged by any kind of wishful thinking or positivity. Instead, she flipped open the little white book and scribbled out a message. Her handwriting was messy and unguarded, her mind unbound by the social conventions of the daytime. That’s what the nighttime did to ponies. It made them more real.

As the darkened sky gave way to thunderous illuminations and cracks of sound, Twilight made herself as comfy as she could in the flower fabric that reminded her too much of a world that wasn’t real anymore. It was going to be a long, long journey back. She took a few minutes to greatly study the car in front of theirs, the small windows that bordered the connecting doors. It was nighttime and most ponies were asleep, and the clouded moonlight was little help in giving her details of what ponies were in the car ahead. But she was certain that a particular red coated and tan haired pony was sitting at the back right corner of the train up ahead. She couldn’t tell if the blur of red and tan was asleep like everypony else or awake like she was. It didn’t matter to her anxiety if he was or wasn’t. He was always watching them, it seemed, like those rushing pedestrians she always saw when she visited Manehattan or the flashing billboards of Manehatten’s
Mane Square. Those ponies never slept. Their lights were always on.

However afraid and anxious Twilight was, her eyelids were growing heavy and her limbs felt they were melting into the hauntingly patterned seat. After barely sleeping the night before(and little on the rest of her journey). Although her brain protested beyond all hope to keep herself awake and vigilant of the potential danger in the car ahead(not to mention the absolute shitshow that was waiting for her back in Canterlot), it was a losing battle. Her valiant effort to stay awake amidst everything proved to be fruitless as her world grew blurry and she fell into a deep sleep. The gentle comfort of the dream world pulled her into a tentative, or temporary, sense of peace. Although her dream self was certain that Luna would visit her that night(as the princess often did when she was stressed) the navy colored pony never did. In fact, she hadn’t done so for a while. Twilight wanted to wonder about what was going on with the decreased presence of both sisters at events and the lack of letters she was receiving from her mentor, but it wasn’t possible to do so when the answer was right in front of her. She didn’t need them to tell her what was already in her heart. The elements always knew before anything, and the heaviness in the air every time she put her crown on was because of more than her own political failures. But there wasn’t any more thinking to do, as she slipped further into dreamland and away from the anxieties of the waking world.

The train chugged to a stop, and both Twilight and Starlight groaned as they were forced awake, both by the sudden jerk of the train’s stop and Twilight’s need to raise the sun. She slipped into one of the bathrooms at the back of the train to covertly raise the sun. Hopefully no pony would sense the pattern that was emerging. Except for the red pony, he already knew and there was not a Celestia damn thing Starlight could do to fix that. Was a brain-erasable spell ethical? Definitely not. Starlight harrumphed in frustration. If she had her away, a lot more things would be legalized. Eventually, the crackly loudspeaker announced that ponies could begin exiting the train, and both ponies moved into the line to begin the frustratingly crowded process of deboarding. Twilight couldn’t see the red pony anymore. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or bad thing. But that red fellow was like a cockroach or some other horrid bug: it could disappear for all eternity and would still be back the next day.

The bright sunlight hit Twilight’s tired eyes like a truck as they exited the platform into the city, eyes bleary and manes fussed. Starlight used her magic to conjure up a hairbrush, and both ponies used the public bathroom next to the train station to freshen up a bit before heading into town. Twilight scribbled a quick message into the little white message book, and had gotten a quick reply. The guard was happy to see that they had arrived safe and sound to their home.

Canterlot had expanded immeasurably in the last few years. The drawbridge, a relic from ancient pony times, was nearly sinking under the weight of all the ponies and other creatures that crossed in everyday, each one with their smiles illuminated under the shining city gate, a structure designed in the same vein as the castle. The gates opened into the familiar town square, which housed the many farming stands that dotted throughout the neighboring countryside. Canterlot’s elevated status(literally, it was built on a cliff side) meant that the traditional conventions of a city were not available to it. The city was arranged like a giant circle, with the castle being at the very center. Like a nesting doll, businesses and homes on the outskirts were considered more affordable, while the closer a pony got the castle, the smaller and more expensive the properties got. Even the townhomes, once considered an affordable alternative to a detached house, were eye-wateringly priced. Numerous roads sprouted left and right from the main square, paths leading off the space like branches on the tree. On the left side road, closest to the castle, was Resteraunt Road, which housed the finest dining establishments in Equestria. Most of the cuisine was elite and expensive, but since the rousing success of the Tasty Treat all those years ago, more casual establishments had popped up, yet still with the same high-quality standards of food. It was a place where a street taco stand was respected as much as a five-star sit down restaurant.

Another one of the streets that came into existence down a left road was Canterlot’s shopping district, which housed designer boutiques, upscale chains, and small businesses selling and reselling the latest fashions and trends. To the right was the entertainment district, with enough high quality productions to rival Bridleway in Manehattan. Classic amphitheaters shared parking lots with large cinema chains. Canterlot was a place where the old guard of Equestria met modernity. It was like Trottingham in that way and many others; the two were considered sister cities.

On the mountainside just a very nerve-wracking train ride away was the agricultural and industrial district; although not technically a geographical part of Canterlot, the farms, factories and warehouses supplied all of the culinary, commercial, personal, and technological needs of the city.

In essence, Canterlot’s rounded shape was perfect for its contents. It was a world inside of a city, a microcosm of the numerous cities and towns outside. There was a reason it was right in the middle of the world. Canterlot was the beating heart of Equestria.

In the town square was where Twilight and Starlight were standing, deliberating on their next move. Should they take off their disguises? Should they go back to the castle right away or try and get some relaxation or conversation in before they walked up to the castle?

“I think we should just rip it off, you know? Like a band-aid.” Starlight’s voice was hushed, even though the city’s entrance was so crowded that no pony would even give them a second glance.

Twilight was less keen to go marching back into her old life. “I mean… I think we should mull it over. I don’t want to do anything too drastic. What if we scare everypony? What if they aren’t happy to have us back?” Her voice was much more shrill than Starlight’s calm one. It would make sense, considered she was the center of the storm.

“Twilight…” Starlight hesitated. It was tough to be in the position of delivering blunt words. “It’s not going to get any easier by waiting. It’s just going to fester. Like….like…” she searched for the right simile to finish her point. “Like an infection or something.”

Twilight hummed in thought as the crossed the square into the gardens that led up to the castle’s public walkway. Another fifteen minutes or so of walking through the castle’s public park and they would be approaching the front steps, which would likely be swarmed with tourists. They would have to try and find a more covert way in, to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Twilight considered that thought and realized Starlight was completely right, even if she was more scared of coming home than she would ever admit out loud. “Yeah…” she sighed. “You’re right, Starlight.” A heaviness hung in the air, but Twilight punctured the tension with a a laugh. “You know, being a zombie would be pretty awful!” She giggled. “It was bad enough when I had to pretend to be one for that rainbow cookie prank over a decade ago!” The two mates shared a laugh, remembering the silly event. Starlight was just glad that Twilight was taking her advice to get back to castle sooner rather than later. That way, their impending doom by way of a red and tan pony could at least be dealt with in some way. It was good to be proactive, rather than hide behind the shame of one’s past. Sunburst had taught her that.

“We don’t want to be zombies, Starlight. Being a zombie is bad.” Twilight repeated, as if trying to sloth herself with a new self-made mantra.

“Right, Twilight. Exactly.” Starlight offered, herself a bit deflated as they came closer and closer to the castle’s entrance. With all her pep talk energy, she was getting a bit nervous, unsure of the reception they would receive once they got into the castle. They got to the completely thronged front courtyard leading to the endless front steps. Twilight remembered trudging up those front steps every time she came to the castle for lessons. As a filly, she wished to spend every waking moment in the property’s gorgeous rooms and halls. As a ruler, she lamented every second she had to stare at another golden wall or trot down a millionth crystal tiled floor.

Twilight craned her neck, trying to look through the massive crowds. Tourist ponies with cameras and guidebooks were taking pictures and listening to the several Canterlot Tourism Bureau that were stationed at the famed site. Being a weekend, it was an especially hectic time. It was so loud that both ponies practically had to yell to get each other’s attention as they waded further into the crowd, looking for the side entrance gate. That gate was a special entrance for staff and royals, as well as esteemed guests. It was enchanted by a protection spell to be invisible to those who did not already know the magic code to see it in the first place. It was something that Celestia and Luna had passed on to Twilight, and any guards stationed outside of the castle were kept under strict rules to keep such entrances out of public consciousness. As the underground tunnels beneath the castle had been sealed many years ago, the castle was as secure as it had ever been. Well, until about a week ago, that is. But Twilight did not want to think of such things. In the wise musings of Starlight, she didn’t want to be an infected zombie like in those scary movies that Spike always insisted on watching, when he had nights with Big Mac and Discord.

“So, it looks like the side entrance is our best bet!” Starlight yelled, dragging Twilight along to the semi-covert entrance. Many alternate routes inside and outside the castle serves as private places for royals and their guests to depart without being mobbed on the front steps. The steps themselves and the hall that welcomed tourist groups as they made their way up them were mostly for show anyway. The so-called private parts of the castle, including bedrooms, staff offices, and archival rooms were strictly off limits to the public. That meant, if Twilight and Starlight could manage to get to the gate, then they would be safe and sound, able to make their return known to their staff without fuss from outside.

As Twilight was poked in the eye more than a few times by a straw hoof or unicorn horn by hordes of ponies around her, she was endlessly grateful to see the gated entrance just beyond the small steps around the side. She motioned for Starlight, who was now taking her turn to be dragged out of the crowd. As soon as they rounded the corner, it was as if they were in another world entirely. The massive crowd was still loud, but the protection spell gave Twilight a bit less of a stress headache, and Starlight was immediately experiencing less sensory overload. There were two guards stationed at the gate, which was just beyond a short gravel path, also hidden from view. A normal pony would just see a blank royal garden wall, and would think nothing of it.

Both guards seemed surprised that two strange ponies were waking to the gate that was supposedly hidden. As neither Starlight nor Twilight had the courage to remove their disguises, they continued walking, ignoring the guards, until one was forced to hold up a hoof.

The left guard spoke, his voice soft yet authoritative and firm:

“Who goes there? This entrance is restricted to approved Canterlot Castle staff and their guests. You must leave at once!”

Twilight breathed in deeply, giving a look to Starlight. Without speaking at all, both ponies knew that the time of pretending was over. They had to come back home, to the real world. Starlight’s horned glowed as she cast the spell, a brief flash that startled the guards. She was just glad the burst of light wasn’t visible to anypony else. It was so bright that without the secret spell, it would be visible from the highest mountain in Yakyakistan!

“Princess Twilight?” The right guard said cautiously. Both ponies, who were dark gray, with stocky and muscular builds, were confused. “Is that you?”

“Yes, Gentlecolts. I permit you to use any spells you wish to believe me, but I am back.” Any hint of Twilight's nervousness has vanished. She spoke with a royal voice that had no hint of a quiver.

The left guard squinted. “Well, it does sound like Princess Twilight…” he said cautiously.

The right guard was more suspicious. “Well it would, wouldn’t it?” He said, his voice laced with frustration. “That’s how they get you.” He turned to the other guard, and they nodded at each other. “I’m afraid we will have to perform a detection spell on the both of you to make sure you are accurate in your identities. Please stand still for the scanning.”

Neither pony was worried. Royal detection spells were as old as time, and they were both painless and vital for the safety of the castle. Twilight was first, stone-faced as the bolt of magic coarser through her up and down. Starlight was second, equally unaffected by the powerful magic.

The guards still seemed perplexed that the Princess was standing right in front of them. Spike must have kept a tight lip about her real whereabouts.

“Pardon my intrusion, your highness. I was informed by the Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious that you have been quite ill for the past few days. I must say, you look like you have recovered quite well! Please disregard our rudeness at your arrival. We were just not expecting you to be out and about.”

Twilight smiled warmly. “All is well, gentlecolts. I was simply going for a short walk around the castle with Starlight here. We wore disguises to avoid unwanted attention as I continue to recover from my short illness. Thank you.” She bowed gratefully to the guards who took off their helmets and bowed as well.

The guards parted away from the gate, and Twilight stepped in first. The entrance gave way to a short non-descript hallway leading to an official castle side entrance, which was again guarded. Security had been high since the attack last week. The guards parted, surprise again written on their faces. But all was silent as the two ponies made their way, bowes and all. Reaching the carpeted hallway that lead into the staff corridor, Twilight turned to Starlight, fear, hope, relief, and terror all pooled in her eyes.

“Are we ready?”

Starlight didn’t hesitate. “We’re ready.”

Chapter Eight: A Brief Interlude, Part Two

It had been about a week since Twilight, and later Starlight, had gone away.

Spike was getting wary of his newfound power over Equestria. As the de facto leader in Twilight’s unexpected absence, he was overwhelmed with the various tasks he had delegated for himself and his friends and colleagues. Cadence and Shining Armor had travelled back to the Crystal Empire, along with Thorax back to the Changeling Hive. Even his pony friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity still had to travel back and forth between Ponyville and Canterlot, as day-to-day tasks never stopped, even in the midst of what certainly was a royal and political crisis. Applejack had to check on Big Mac and Applebloom’s progress for the season’s harvest at Sweet Apple Acres, and Rarity was busy designing dresses for the next Grand Galloping Gala, an occasion sure to be marred with much disdain and controversy after all that had happened since the last celebration. Pinkie Pie was tending to her duties at Sugarcube Corner, while caring for the ageing Mrs. Cake, who was dealing with an unfortunate illness. Even with the help of their twins–now in their early adulthood–Pinkie Pie rarely had a moment of peace in the shop. Rainbow Dash was indisposed helping Spitfire design training lessons for a batch of recruits at the Wonderbolt Academy. Finally, Fluttershy had gone back to visit her animal sanctuary and pay respects at the grave of her deceased pet rabbit, Angel Bunny. The elderly rabbit had passed away peacefully in his sleep after a long life of mischief.

Even Zecora had to travel back to Ponyville, as her status as the town’s resident medicine woman meant she was often crowded with ailing visitors who sought out her unconventional methods rather than pay increasingly exorbitant hospital fees. Great. Now Spike was thinking about the Ponyville Hospital, which always reminded him of the healthcare situation in Equestria. It was a royal headache, no pun intended.

Only Discord remained, a fact that would have been perfect to play some O and O, but there wasn’t time for such things during the daytime. Every day for the past few weeks since Twilight and Starlight had gone away, he was awake before the sun rose and asleep until well after his room was flooded with moonlight. His tail dragged on the cold wooden floor and even Discord’s antics couldn’t make him smile. He could understand why Twilight broke down so often. He would too, if he wasn’t forced to be the calm, reassuring face for a city in an uncertain limbo. Now, he and Discord were walking to his office, a rare moment of quiet before being faced with the mountainous responsibilities of the day.

“Discord!” One of the guards yelled at the draconequus, who had momentarily turned the curtains into Swiss cheese.

“Sorry!” Discord said quickly, although the glint in his eyes said otherwise. He snapped his fingers, and the curtains returned to normal, although the guard was grumbling about it as he walked abc to his assigned post.
As they walked, Discord was quietly fuming at the refusal of his unconventional castle decor. “Honestly, what is with these uptight ponies? Celestia forbid a handsome fellow like myself give this castle a little pizzazz.” He rolled his eyes.

“I don’t think cheese curtains count, Discord!” Spike said, although he was grinning.

“Hmm ... .then what counts as pizzaz to Canterlot? More red carpets and depressing curtains? If I had my way there would be a portrait of me in every room, to remind everypony of my greatness!”

Spike grunted. In the decade or so since Twilight’s coronation, Discord’s silliness had only grown, along with his self-importance. Now, as a very high-ranking member of Twilight’s staff, Spike feared that Discord’s ego was….actually warranted. He shuddered at the thought. Now that Discord was so powerful, perhaps he would have settled down now that he had gotten the recognition he craved. But nope! He had just gotten sillier and more annoying. But it was all in good fun, because guy’s night had only gotten more elaborate the few times a year that all had enough free time. Last time, Discord had gotten special permission from Princess Twilight to briefly turn the castle’s hallways into a slip and slide. Spike had been mercilessly tossed onto the wet ground and had nearly collided with one of the guards, which only made the whole situation funnier.

A gentle buzz went off in his bag, and he opened his phone to check who was calling. Cell phones were a very new device in Equestria, but they were much less taxing to use than having scrolls come out of his mouth every so often. The caller-ID showed that Ember, his dragon friend, was calling. Spike wasn’t really looking for romance at the moment because he was so busy, but Ember had insisted that one of her childhood friends would be perfect for him. According to Ember, this lady dragon was really into comics, had a lot of close friends and family, and was studious and smart but not neurotic. She even worked as a professional baker, specialising in gem cakes, which were Spike’s favourite dish. It was a match made in heaven, according to Ember. Spike would have to see. Would he ever have time for romance with Equestria in such a state. Also, it still was a gentle pang every time he saw Rarity with her “special somepony”, although he was of course happy that they were happy. He sent a text back to Ember, saying he would agree to go on a date with this dragon. He didn’t know why he said yes, exactly. He didn’t exactly want to, really. But Equestria had been in such a crazy state lately that he needed something to kind of look forward to.

Discord caught onto the message Spike was sending back to Ember and gave him a knowing smirk, nudging him in the ribs good-naturedly.

“So….you have a special somepony…..very nice!” Discord’s claws were clasped together and his eyes had a chaotic glint in them.

Spike gulped. It was always hard to tell with Discord, but he hoped the chaotic creature wouldn’t try to prank him or something. “Well…” he said, shifting his feet, a blush spreading across his face. He hadn’t even met the pony! Why was he already getting butterflies in his stomach? Maybe the elements or something already knew Ember’s dragon friend was the one and were sending him some funky signals. Or he had eaten something bad the night before. He had been chowing down on too many red gems lately….

“Well…not a special somepony….but a special somedragon, I guess?” His voice went high-pitched at the end, like he was asking a question to himself.

Discord’s eyes lit up. He knew how much Rarity’s gentle rejection many years ago had hurt his friend deeply and was thrilled that his buddy was getting back into the dating scene. “Ooooh,” He said, his voice teasing and shrill. “Tell me more!” He snapped his fingers, and a bewildered-looking Big Mac suddenly appeared beside them. He was clearly in the midst of picking apples, because a few of them appeared beside him on the floor.

“Um…yup?” Big Mac asked, always the pony of few words.

“Discord!” Spike shouted. “We agreed you can’t do that, remember? We told you that, like ten years ago buddy!”

“I know….I know…” Discord said, but everypony knew he would never quite listen to that message. “I’ll try to ask ponies before I teleport them instantaneously using my infinite powers of chaos.” His ears became droopy, and he held a single rose to Spike, in a mocking apology. Spike swatted the flower away, and just gave Discord a dirty look.

“So Big Mac, you’ve probably been wondering why I teleported you here without prior warning or consent.”

“Yup.”

“Well, Spikey-Wikey here has a special somedragon in his life, and we are going to be his wing- creatures.”

“Yup”

“Which means, when Spike goes on his date in a few weeks, we need to be on standby to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Spike interjected. “I don’t need dragonsitters! It’s a date, not a haunted house!”

Discord ignored him, waving his claw to silence Spike with his magic. “Well, Big Mac, are you up to that?”

“Yup!”

Both Big Mac and Discord shared a grin for the frustration they were causing an increasingly red-faced Spike, steam practically coming out of his ears as he couldn’t speak a word.
“Sounds great! I’ll give you the rundown on Spike’s new lady-friend! Make sure to study up on it every day! We need to be prepared for anything!”

Discord took a scroll out thin air and snapped his fingers, and a tiny version of himself started writing down everything Spike had been thinking about earlier. Things like “needs confidence” and “reads too many comics” appeared in chaotic rainbow writing, each letter a different size and colour. Except for the font, which was a basic, but annoying comic-sans. Typical Discord. He would nonconsensually mind-read a close friend, and then write it down in the worst font ever.

Big Mac received the scroll like he was receiving an ancient text, and carefully set it aside in his satchel, which was old and worn from years of field work. He snapped it shut, and gave Discord a nod, ever committed to his vow of saying as little as possible.

Discord shook Big Mac’s hoof so furiously that the pony was ricocheted up and down the walls. Discord snapped his fingers, and the blur of red and brown stood still again, Big Mac’s eyes all over the place, dizzy beyond belief. Just as Big Mac was able to balance on his hoofs again, Discord snapped his fingers again, sending the pony back to Sweet Apple Acres. He then snapped his fingers to give Spike his voice back.

Even though he had all the words in Modern Ponish available to him now, it was a solid minute before Spike said anything at all. He was too busy feeling sorry for Big Mac, who was probably trying and failing to get his bearings after being dropped out of and back into a hectic work day with no warning. Although for ethical reasons he should have been peeved at Discord for taking control of his dating life and disrupting the work day of his friends, it was always a bit funny. However annoying it was, it was a bit of chaos in a routine that had fast become draining.

The dragon and Draconequus started back down the long hallway, ready for another day to lift up the weight of the world.

Author's Note

Second, funnier part of Spike's Interlude. Thought this story needed some more lighthearted stuff. This takes place right before Twilight comes back.

Chapter Nine: Back to the Castle, Back to Everything

The door creaked open. Twilight half expected to be hit in the face with a tsunami of ponies, or struck by lightning, or have an alarm go off. But opening the door and stepping back into the castle she hadn’t seen for over a week was anticlimactic. Was that good or bad? She couldn’t decide. Maybe it just was nothing at all.

“Ugh, it’s so dusty here! Why couldn’t we just through the main entrance. Anything would be better than this!” Starlight held her nose, and Twilight herself was trying desperately not to wretch as the stench of garbage wafted over them.

As they were entering into one of the smaller side entrances, this basement room was often used for garbage disposal, and clearly the sanitation ponies were still making their rounds to everypony else before coming to pick up the trash from Canterlot Castle. The last she had heard, Twilight’s Sustainable Canterlot initiative was a rousing success, and ponies across the city were recycling and wasting much less food than before. At least the success of the campaign gave her something good to distract her from the disgust she currently felt. The two ponies quickly lumbered up the stairway up from the back of the room, making their way into the lower left wing of the castle. It was mostly used for record keeping and storage, so it would be a lot of walking down empty hallways before they reached the busier parts, like the staff office hall, the main tourist areas, and the private royal residence.

“Well, you know that those front steps are an absolute chore to get up! It’s practically like a marathon just to get up to the entrance!”

“True,” Starlight agreed, but her grossed out face said otherwise. “Isn’t there a spell or something the staff use to mask that smell?”

Twilight hummed in consideration. “I know Celestia used to let them do that, but near the end of her rulership that decision was reversed. Environmental groups said that if ponies couldn’t smell the trash, they wouldn’t have any reason to not crowd the streets with it. The smell and appearance of all that nastiness did incentivize ponies to be more careful with what they were wasting. So I’ve not allowed any spells down here since that, and even though it’s gross I’ve been happy about the progress we’ve made.”

Starlight nodded. “I do remember you bringing that up in a meeting one time a while back! I guess that adventure of ours is making me a bit forgetful!” She rubbed her temples.

Twilight was also not in the best shape, considering she had just returned from a trek across the land, mostly on hoof. Both she and Starlight really wanted to rest up for a few more days(or weeks, maybe) but the calling of royal duty never stopped. Twilight sighed. They would take the long way to Spike’s office. It gave just a few more minutes of calm before the storm.

So they found themselves crossing paths with vault rooms, archives, and the rare book room, a much smaller and more secure offshoot of the Canterlot Royal Library. That absolutely magnificent space had recently been opened to the public, although they were only allowed in small, highly secure tourist groups. Despite the expensive fees, slots for library tours were fully booked for the next several years. It was probably just gossip, but Spike said he heard a rumor that the waiting list took up an entire square mile of paper. Twilight could definitely understand why the library was so popular.

On particularly stressful days she liked to peruse the upper levels of the library’s domed interior, happily hidden away from the crowds. It might have been her favorite room in the castle. When nighttime came over Canterlot, she would look up at the glass ceiling and see the stars shining back at her, like she was a space cadet. Sometimes, she even fell asleep amongst the books, and Spike would come find her. Together they would look up through the library’s massive telescope, and see the constellations. It reminded Twilight of her time at the Golden Oak Library. She felt a little twinge in her heart every time she thought about her former home.

“Okay, so…what are we going to say to Spike exactly?” Starlight asked, right out of the blue. She looked at Twilight for the answer.

“I….I don’t know.” Twilight admitted, her ears drooping slightly. “I guess we could….I don’t know…explain a bit?” It was phrased like a question.

Starlight, truthfully, didn’t know anything more than Twilight did. She assumed Spike would be understanding, but then again that said nothing about the situation they were currently facing. If they came back to Spike with news that there might be another attack on Canterlot, no pony would be thrilled to see them. Starlight imagined the scenario.

“Hey Spike, we’re glad to be back! By the way, Twilight has a crazy stalker pony that’s going to kill us all, and there’s nothing we can do about it!”

Or,

“Hey Spike, Twilight’s back and feeling better! Oh, and also, we’re on the brink of war!”

Or, the worst of all,

Hey Spike! Good to see you! Make sure to tell your friends you love them because every creature is going to die soon! Celestia and Luna probably are behind it, also! By the way, have you seen the latest episode of Pony Confidential? I’ve heard it’s mind-blowing!”

There was no great way to break such news, and no halfway decent way either. They would just have to….talk about it. How wonderful. Starlight grumbled.

She started. “I guess you’re right. There’s no other way to say it other than honestly. I don’t think dancing around it will make the secret any easier to keep.”

“Yeah. I’ll try to pencil out a good way of explaining that won’t make Spike’s head explode.” Twilight said.

“Yeah, we don’t want to become zombies!” Starlight said.

“Right on, Starlight!”

“Since when did you start talking like a surfer?”

“I have no idea!” Twilight said happily.

Starlight sighed. They were both feeling nerves, but they were on opposite ends of the emotional coping spectrum. However she trotted alongside Twilight without comment. They needed to save all their focus towards the difficult conversation that was to follow.

Eventually, after many twists and turns, the two ponies reached the office corridor, and were greeted by castle staffers wishing well for Twilight’s health. Spike had clearly done a good job in convincing every creature that she was just feeling ill, not that the world was going to collapse. She reached Spike’s door a few paces ahead of Starlight, and gave a soft knock.

“Who is it?” Came Spike’s voice from inside.

“Spike, it’s me, Twilight.”

“And Starlight!” She added a second later.

A few moments of silence occurred before the door was slowly opened and Spike’s face popped around the corner, looking a bit cautious. Twilight couldn’t blame him. Things had been scary around the castle recently.

Twilight did a double take. The normally baby-faced dragon looked to have aged twenty years in just a week. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but he did look pretty awful. His eyes looked weary and bloodshot, with intense bags under them. His scales were not as sharp and bright as they typically were. His claws were in desperate need of a trim. Even with all the help he had likely received from coworkers and friends, the last week must have been rough for him. Twilight didn’t know what to think. She hadn’t checked a news stand for a few days since she left the castle in the cloak of night time.

Starlight broke the silence. “Jeez Spike, you look like shit!” Her words were blunt but she meant it with genuine concern.

Twilight elbowed her and smiled apologetically at Spike. “Sorry Spike. We’ve had a long trip.”

Spike just stared in shock, before breaking into a massive grin. “Twi-Twi, you’re back! Both of you!”

He suddenly found his footing and pulled both ponies into a rib-crushing hug.

“Aww, I missed you both so much! I trusted Twilight’s judgment, but I won’t lie, there were a few sleepless nights here and there.”

“Yeah, we can tell.” Starlight said, winking at Spike. They shared a silly smile.

Spike ushered them into his office. It was a spacious round room, with an airy, domed ceiling. His mahogany desk was littered with papers, books, and some stray candles that looked to have been burning all night.

Spike nearly tripped over a box of books he had near the double doors before straightening himself up. “Sorry about the mess, I meant to clean earlier but Discord got in the way. I’m sure we can manage just fi—“

Apparently summoned by his own name, a gray, Discord-shaped whirlwind began forming in the rotunda. All the papers that were strewn throughout the room were swept up in the raucousness. Instead of making the room messier, all the papers were placed into piles in their respective sections, and all the books were organized on the shelves. In a matter of seconds, Spike’s office had gone from a teenager’s bedroom to the cover of Vanity Mare’s design issue. He was oddly touched by Discord’s small gesture of kindness. The draconequus himself appeared in the middle of the twister, along with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and of course Fluttershy. She and Discord were wearing matching smiles. However, each of the other ponies looked a tad discombobulated by the chaotic entrance.

Discord snapped his claws, and the room-cleaning storm dissipated into a stream of water that he used to feed the plants on Spike’s back window.

As if every pony was aware of her presence at once, Twilight was suddenly inundated with hugs from all sides. Every creature stayed like that for a few minutes. They were all glad to see Twilight and Starlight back from their brief journey.

“It’s so good to see you! I didn’t know when you would be back, so the dates for your welcome home party are still tentative, but we’re thinking of hosting it at Sugarcube Corner…which reminds me, I still have to plan the party for RainbowJack’s one month anniversary—“

“That’s our couple's name? That could be at least twenty percent cooler if I had any input!”

Pinkie Pie, sticking her tongue out at Rainbow Dash, continued speaking a mile a minute.

“By the way, Starlight, it’s almost time for your twelve-year-anniversary of not being a cult leader anymore, I need to plan for that too!”

Starlight cringed in embarrassment. “That sounds lovely, Pinkie, but I’m not sure we need a celebration for just twelve yea-“

“Well I already have it in my filing system!”

“Fair enough.” Starlight grumbled good naturedly. She didn’t like being the center of attention, especially when it reminded her of those awful years from her past. Every few months, she made a pilgrimage back to her old village, which had expanded beyond the single street into a few more. It was still a tiny town, but Starlight was glad to see that the lovely, tight knit community had become a bit more livable. Sometimes walking down that single street, devoid of any color or personality, made her crazy. But now that the town was long out of her grasp, it had evolved into a small but lively community. It wasn’t enough to absolve the treachery of her past, but it was enough otherwise.

Before Pinkie could go on another party planning spree, she was gently shushed by Twilight.

“It’s great to be back every creature! Even if I have to endure Discord’s chaos or Pinkie’s high energy, or Rainbow’s competitive streak, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Her kind remarks had a bittersweet quality to them, but no one except Starlight knew why. At least she thought.

Applejack covertly wiped her eyes with her hooves. After being exhausted from the harvest the past few days, she found herself unexpectedly emotional. Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her shoulder.

“You okay, Applejack?” Fluttershy said softly from across the circle they were in.

“Yeah, yeah…I’m okay. It’s just, well, I ain’t a pony of mushiness….but I love you guys…and…and…”

She burst into tears. “I think the end is near. I’ve been having dreams, well, nightmares. I have to be honest with y’all. I don’t know if we’ll make it out of this one.” She continued to sob, her body wracked with hurt.

It was then that Twilight and Starlight noticed how bleak everycreature looked. Like all the energy had been zapped right out of the room. Even Pinkie Pie’s manic energy had tapered off a bit. Neither of them knew how their friends figured out what was going on, but it must have had something to do with the elements.

“I’ve been having strange dreams, too.” Rarity said suddenly. Twilight noticed how her normally perfect hair was a little less of the brilliant purple she had come to expect. She continued: “It started with normal dreams of stress—fashion week is just around the corner, darling—but, lately, they’ve been wrong.”

“Wrong like how?” Starlight asked.

Rarity struggled to articulate her thoughts. “I can’t explain it quite right, dear, but it was like…the inverse of my element. I could actually see the wrongness of my element in the dream. Like, instead of generosity, it was selfishness. That’s what the dreams have been, selfish. I know I can’t explain it very well—“

“My dreams were like that, too.” Rainbow Dash said. “The dreams I’ve been having don’t make much sense, logically, but they make me feel. And not in a good way. When I sleep at night, I feel like the loyalty is being drained right out of my dreams. Like Rarity said, it’s the inverse. Excuse my language, but it’s really fucking weird.”

“And…how long have these dreams been going on?”

“Two weeks, about.” Rainbow Dash answered, and the rest nodded in agreement.

“I know…I know I don’t have an element, but…I’ve been feeling uneasy too. We all have.” Starlight said, unsure of her place amongst the conversation.

Twilight softly gazed at her friend. “You might not have an official element, but you’re as much a part of this conversation as I am. Besides, who says there have to be six elements?”

Every creature went silent. Was Twilight correct to cast doubt on the elements being an accurate and complete representative of friendship?

Twilight wasn’t fazed. “Guys…the elements are just some magical gems that shoot lasers. What really matters—and I know this is cheesy—is what's in your heart! Think about it! We’re all a part of this!”

Slowly, every creature nodded, even Discord, who conjured up two inflatable thumbs up out of nowhere. It was the kind of pep talk Starlight needed. Her eyes were shiny as she took in all the love surrounding her. One day she would get the courage to tell Twilight how she felt, and her words would be simple. She just didn’t know how to say them.

Twilight didn’t want to bring down the jubilant mood, but she had to. “I know this is hard to say…” her tone sent a hush through the group.

She swallowed the bile that was rising in her throat. “Things…are really bad right now.”

Everypony waited with bated breath for the knife to hit down their bones.

Twilight couldn’t say it. That would make it real, and she wanted the big dark mass inside her mind to stay there. But it was ever growing, aching to get out. She turned and nodded to Starlight. She looked like a deer in headlights.

“I think we’re going to war.”

If the room had been quiet before, it was silent now. All Twilight could hear was the ticking of the clock, the birds outside, and the pounding in her ears. There was nothing she could do to fix her broken heart, to temper the flames stoked inside her, to repair the shattered glass. She just sighed and addressed her friends.

“I want everypony to take some time to recoup. I know it’s only midday, but we all need some rest. You’re welcome to the chambers upstairs.” Twilight’s words were firm.

“But what about our situation? Shouldn’t we make plans or something?” Pinkie Pie asked, her usually cheery words binded by her own worry. Even her usually bouncy mane was droopy and deflated.

“We start tomorrow. I need every pony and every creature to get a good night’s sleep and filling meals. We have some very long days ahead of us.”

With that, Twilight dropped her head and didn’t dare look any creature in the eyes as they shuffled out.

She looked up to see Spike give her a saddened nod as he walked out. She wanted to cry. She had raised him from the moment he hatched out of the egg, but not for a world like this.

Discord had exploded into thin air, up to his castle chambers that broke the laws of physics.

Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash left without a word, the clatter of hooves making enough noise already.

Starlight remained. She pursed her mouth, clearly wanting to ask something.

“What is it, Starlight?” Twilight said, exasperated. She quickly apologized: “Sorry for being snappy…I just really need to be alone right now.”

“No no, I totally get it! No apology necessary. I was just wondering…what do you think my element would be?”

That was…not the question Twilight was expecting. Or what she hoped for(but that was an unopened can of worms). She didn’t know how to respond.

“Hmm…” Twilight made her “I’m thinking hard” face.

Starlight was happy to wait. Minutes passed, but Twilight slowly broke out of her concentration.

“I think your element would be progress. Or a word like that. Transformation, responsibility, self-awareness. Evolving. Like a butterfly.”

Starlight wrinkled her nose. “Or a snake that sheds its skin.”

Twilight grimaced. “Yeah…let’s stick to the butterfly thing.”

“I agree.” Starlight said. “I’ll see you around, Twi. I’ll be ready and early tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you there.”

With the creak of a door hinge, Starlight was gone. Although the power of teleportation was easily available for both ponies, oftentimes walking was preferred. It was a moment of transition, a rare refuge in a life that was always between a rock and a hard place.

Twilight was alone in the office. The afternoon sun streaked through the window, the dust particles floating by like a stream of tiny fish through a river. She looked around at the place she was forced to call home. Lately, her mind had been toying with visions of a different Equestria. A world without a queen or a king, a world devoid of a crown. A democracy of sorts. Although she would never admit it out loud anytime soon, Twilight could feel the monarchy’s grip on Equestria lessening, and perhaps that was a good thing. Maybe if the monarchy wasn’t burnt to the ground in the next few weeks, she would have the clarity she needed.

She trotted out of the office, closing the creaky door behind her. The sun seemed to follow her as she walked up the many, many steps to her room. The twists and turns she made through the castle seemed much longer when she was stressed. It felt like heaven had descended on earth when she was finally able to sink down into the comfort of her own bed. After a week of sleeping in a tent, on a train, and on top of some boxes, she could have cried with the relief that her aching joints felt. She let her eyes close, and fell into a deep sleep, even though it was still mid-afternoon.

She awoke a few hours later with a nudge against her side. It was Spike.

Aside from herself, a few others were granted access to her most private chambers. She smiled at him.

“Hey Spike, what are you doing up?”

He pointed at the window. “You know it’s only early evening, right?”

Twilight yawned. “Really, wow! I must be more tired than I thought. I bet I could sleep for a hundred years.”

“Twi, are you feeling better? It’s been hard without you.” He said.

She looked him in the eye. “No, Spike, I’m not okay.”

Spike’s eyes grew big and sad. It made her heart ache. “I know.” He said softly. “I know, Twi, I know.” He didn’t say anything more, and Twilight didn’t need him either. She was just glad he understood so much of what she couldn’t articulate.

She buried her head into his shoulder and sobbed. Her tears were enough to fill an ocean with her pain. But that was the thing about crying. She needed it so badly. As her body was wracked by anguish, she could feel just the smallest amount of weightlessness. It was as if her soul was breathing a little better, like all the tears she had shed were drowning her inside.

“Twilight…I’m so sorry.” Spike spoke up after a long while of silence. “I…I don’t have answers for any of this at all. I just…I’m here for you, and I’m…I’m…going to do my best to be here for you even more.” Spike’s claws were clutching her hoofs as they sat on her bed. It was like when he was little, when the thunder and lightning scared him so much he couldn’t sleep. But it was her baby dragon that was comforting her now. How times had changed.

“Spike…this isn’t what I envisioned being a ruler would be like. Celestia and Luna made it look so much easier than it really was, and I’m so scared!” She started to cry again. “I’m so scared that we’re on the precipice of disaster!” Although she was crying, she smiled just a bit at the silly memory her word choice had conjured up. Spike gave a small laugh. Twilight had lost a lot of confidence within the past year or so, but she still had a fighting spirit.

“Twilight, we’ve got this. I know it’s scary, but we’ve got this. No matter what happens, I’m going to be with you every step of the way.” Spike wasn’t sure if his mini pep-talk had done the trick, but he was glad to see Twilight wipe her reddened eyes, hop off of the bed, and start towards her desk.

“Spike, get some sleep. I still have an hour or so before I have to raise the moon, but in the meantime…I’m going to start on our plans…with some research.”

Twilight put on her reading glasses and grabbed her small white book off the desk.

Spike was suddenly a bit confused. Why was she leaving her room?

“Twilight, where are you going?”

She smirked at him, a fiery glint in her eyes. It was the kind of look that she got before she dove into a long book or started a research essay. She didn’t even really have to say where she was going. Spike understood.

“Where do you think I’m going, Spike? The library, of course!”

With that, she bounded down the hallway outside her room at a record speed. Spike wanted to remind her she could have just teleported to save the convoluted castle hallways from getting her lost, but she was out the door in a flash.

Spike didn’t even have time to ask her about the little white book. He made a mental note to inquire about it later. He was thrilled to see a glimpse of Twilight’s, well, Twilighting.

Spike stepped out the door, carefully closing it shut. He headed down to the left elevator, taking him to his chambers on the floor below. He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into the new Power Ponies comic book. After over a week of constant meetings, debates, and headaches, he needed a bit of me-time. The elevator doors closed, and he was off to his room.

Twilight, on her part, was heading to the ground floor of the castle, where the library’s massive, circular shelves rose up from. Research, she told herself. It was just research.

But she knew she was preparing for something bigger.

The library was filled to the brim with books on every subject. Everything from finances to gardening to cheap romance paperbacks had found a home here. As ruler, one of her first official acts was to diversify the library’s collection. Ancient spell books shared shelf space with genres of all kinds. There was even an erotica section, and on the rare occasions a non-staff member was allowed to peruse the library, they were often found huddled amongst the more…colorful books in the collection. It certainly brought a few snickers out of the more conservative members of Canterlot’s elite, but she wanted the iconic space to highlight the progress of the modern world.

She trotted up to the highest level, which was the seventh. It housed books that were not suitable for being at the entrance. Nopony would feel welcomed if they saw a kiosk of occult books, spell books, and some of the darkest treatises the world had ever seen. There was even a copy of Starlight’s manifesto somewhere amongst the stacks of literature. Twilight was ready to search. If this section didn’t work, she would go back down to the Canterlot Archives, where all the extremely rare books were housed. If that didn’t work, then…well…she didn’t let herself finish the thought. It was too much. She focused on the task at hand, which was her need to know more about her attackers. Perhaps there was some kind of key to their motivations that she would find here.

“No, no, no…” Twilight was muttering to herself as she went through book after book. A printed version of a public speech against Equestria’s integration of other creatures into society? An opinion piece arguing for the windigos to be treated as citizens? A spell book written by Discord’s alter ego, Drocsid? None of these would work…

She went through pile after pile. She found a book by an infamous separationist, which were ponies that believed unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi should have separate thirds of Equestria. She even read a few chapters of an essay collection about the virtues of Tirek as a potential leader. She was utterly baffled by some of the material she found! But then again, Canterlot Library was about preserving literature, not censoring it. She just sighed and turned away at the stream of awful messages being put her way.

She found a few anti-monarchy texts, but it didn’t tell her anything specific. That is, until a title caught her eye.

The Elements of (Dis)Harmony

It was a recent-looking book, which was unusual. Rarely were there new books about the elements, save for scholarly journals and the like. But this book, this book was wrong. What were the elements of disharmony? Were those…were those what the dreams were about?

She took a chance on the book. She opened to the first few pages, trying to find publishing details or one of the short author bios on the flaps. But there were none. It didn’t look to be authored by anyone at all. All she found was a short introduction:

The Elements of Harmony are perhaps the most well-known and influential objects in Equestrian history. Made famous by their role in Princess Celestia’s defeat of Nightmare Moon and the subsequent quests of Princess Twilight Sparkle, these magical gemstones are among the most sacred cultural artifacts in history. There are six elements of each. Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic. While some scholars have posited the existence of multiple other elements(some believe there are up to ten or more!), there are just six that have been confirmed.

Each element is connected to a different pony, and this group of six has had several iterations. Nopony is for certain why each element is assigned, and perhaps it will never be known. It lies beyond the conventions of science and technology.

Together, these six elements form the basis of interpersonal relationships. The elements of friendship have been used to teach school ponies for generations, and even world leaders rely on their lessons.

However, it is my opinion–and that of others—that these elements are not what they are cracked up to be. In this work, I will be arguing against these six elements as a foundation of Equestrian life. This book is about disproving the elements as they are commonly seen, by the ponies that represent them.

I am not of the opinion that the six elements are being used improperly, or that we as a society rely on them too much. I am arguing that the concept is intrinsically flawed. This book has six sections, and it will end with Twilight Sparkle, who represents the element of magic.

Twilight stopped reading as soon as she saw her name being written about in such a way. As a public figure, she was used to the slander of gossip magazines. But this…this was different.
She flipped to her section, glancing at sentences aimed at her friends along the way.

Regarding generosity: Rarity is supposed to represent the element of generosity, but why? Her clothing empire isn’t nearly as sustainable or affordable as her advertisements claim it is. Her business relies on the exploits of common ponies, while she gets all of the glory! She steals the work of past fashion giants and rebrands it as her own! It’s not generous inspiration, it’s selfishnessI I will admit that while she definitely started out as a small-town pony, she certainly isn’t one now.

Twilight winced. He…he wasn’t exactly wrong, here.

Regarding honesty: Applejack’s story is similar to that of Rarity. Sweet Apple Acres is a fraudulent business. They drove out the pear family in their greed, and they partnered with Filthy Rich on far too many occasions. Their “small town values'’ contradict with their business practices. They have bought up almost all of the land surrounding Ponyville, and have completely overrun the actual small businesses in the town for their manufactured authenticity. Is that honest? Absolutely not.

Twilight could feel a full-body cringe coming on. Although this book was written rather unprofessionally, she could sort of understand what made somepony think like this. Although she had a much more favorable view of her friends, she knew she was looking through rose-colored glasses. She continued.

Regarding kindness: Fluttershy’s element couldn’t have been further from the truth. I for one had the chance to meet her at a book signing event several years ago, and she was curt and snippy. Furthermore, what is kind about being a right-hoof mare to the most consequential ruler of modern Equestria? She is supposedly a paragon of compassion, and yet she spends so much time abroad on royal trips that she rarely visits the animals she claims to love so much! An entire staff works at her massive animal sanctuary while she is out parading around as the element of kindness. What a joke!

Twilight rolled her eyes at that one. That book signing, which was for an updated edition of the Friendship Journal, was just a few weeks after her beloved pet rabbit, Angel Bunny, had passed away. Who could blame her for not being her normal self? She was grieving! Additionally, Twilight knew for a fact that every waking moment of Fluttershy’s life outside of the Crown was spent in Ponyville at her wonderful sanctuary. Fluttershy had never once claimed credit for her sanctuary, always thanking her staff by name at every public appearance. Clearly, this pony had a bone to pick with her friends and it overshadowed their capacity for reason. This pony was obviously never at odds with their own intellect, because they had none.

Okay, maybe that was too harsh. But Twilight was starting to feel…upset by this book. Yet, she couldn’t stop reading. She scanned some more pages in each section.

Regarding laughter: Pinkie Pie is not funny. While her baking skills are a true marvel, her designation as the element of laughter feels bizarre. Is that the true humor of her? The painfully unfunny irony of it all? When she cracks jokes and pulls out party cannons at serious events, it feels insulting and demoralizing. Furthermore, the element of laughter feels out of place with the five others, because it's ultimately meaningless. Kindness, generosity, loyalty and the like are all words with depth. Laughter is merely an action. It does not fit with the others, because it only exists to fulfill Pinkie Pie’s class clown narcissism. Of all the designated element representatives, this is one that feels most egregious. That’s because it isn’t the pony that is wrong for the job, it’s the element itself that is flawed.

The opinions flowing from the pages almost made Twilight want to cry. She knew that her and her friends weren’t perfect, and far from it. They weren’t always in their element, so to speak. Sometimes, Applejack lied. Fluttershy had several instances of rudeness. Rarity could be selfish, especially if it came to a rare fabric or design. There were times when Rainbow Dash bailed on her friends. Pinkie Pie had moments of awkward unfunniness. But that was what made their friendship real. They argued, fought, bickered, and didn’t always communicate poorly. They squabbled over the simplest of decisions, like which restaurant to go to or which film to see in the cinema. They weren’t perfect. No pony was. It felt like this book was taking their flaws and putting them under a microscope. As she continued reading, she felt like a bug being dissected in a science class.

On loyalty: Rainbow Dash is an exceptionally good flier, and an exceptionally bad pony. Who could forget when she left Cloudsdale behind for the glitz and glamor of Canterlot Castle? Or when she had her tax evasion scandal? Rainbow Dash’s claim to the element of loyalty is laughable at best and dangerous at worst. She made headline news a few years back after selling her iconic Cloudsdale home and moving to a swanky neighborhood in Manehattan! Clearly, she has no loyalty to the city that gave her everything. She spends more time with unicorns and earth ponies than she does with her own kind. She’s a traitor! That doesn’t sound very loyal to me.

It seemed that the more Twilight read, the more unhinged and unprofessional the writing got. She couldn’t believe that a piece of writing like this was bound so beautifully, with gilded edges too. It was an object far too beautiful to hold such hatred like this.

Rainbow Dash was as loyal as they come. While she did move to Manehattan, it had nothing to do with a lack of loyalty towards her hometown. She simply wanted to be closer towards the wonderbolts training facility in Rainbow Falls, which was just outside the city. She was always visiting Cloudsdale, and had personally funded affordable housing projects in the city, as well as a new community center. She made appearances at city hall, toured the expanded Rainbow Factory, and much more. When she wasn’t in public, she was enjoying home-cooked meals and merry conversation with her parents. While Rainbow Dash’s failure to pay her taxes was an immense disappointment to her friends and a hit to her public image, she was earnest and apologetic, completing her community service in record time. Even today, Dashie’s eyes clouded with shame whenever that tumultuous period of her life was brought up.

But this author would never know how sorry she was. They would never see her tears, and her hatred towards herself. They would never see the countless hours she spent trying to better herself, in therapy and in charity. They would never know who she truly was. They would know who any of them truly were.

Well, she wouldn't lie to herself. While the author was certainly mean-spirited with their words and sloppy with their sourcing, the opinions shared weren’t…uncommon. Twilight’s reputation had certainly taken a hit, and she wasn’t in a bubble of her own merit. Of course there were many ponies that thought this way. A large swath of the public disliked or even hated her. She wasn’t stupid. So why did this hurt so much? Why did it scare her? Why did she feel like a ticking bomb, just waiting for the rug to slip from under, just waiting for the other shoe to drop? Just waiting for the explosion?

It was obvious. Of course she was hurt by this, and the dozens of other books, pamphlets, and radio shows that said the same thing. Political disagreement was normal, but this level of dissent wasn’t…

The word was war. Equestria was going to cannibalize itself, tear the meaty flesh off its own bones until there was nothing left. She could almost visualize the sickly sweet smell of blood, feeling its warm metallic rush against her tongue.

That is, unless she and her friends would do something about it.

But first, she was going to rip the band-aid off and read her section.

On magic: Even Twilight Sparkle’s name feels like a stereotype of her own self. The relatively new ruler of Equestria is lost in her own head. Unlike the untouchable grace of Celestia or the warm relatability of Luna, Twilight has little to offer her Kingdom outside of a frozen smile. Don’t forget that it was her behind the Neighagara Falls disaster, it was her behind the raised taxes in Canterlot. She forced schools to add the history of non-ponies to the curriculum, a sickening paradigm shift to pander to the youth of today. Twilight Sparkle sits on her ostentatious throne while cities are ravaged by poverty. She enjoys a lavish garden while the average citizen is lucky to have a potted plant that isn’t made out of plastic. Furthermore, she doesn’t fit the element of magic, because she doesn’t fit in any element of friendship. Many anonymous school ponies have confirmed that she was indeed studious, hard-working, and socially inept. While the narrative is that her worldview shifted when she moved to Ponyville, that’s hard to believe. Most ponies embody her element from the time they are young. Her story isn’t inspirational, it’s a familiar tale of a privileged city transplant finally seeing the world for what it is. It’s demeaning, and frankly silly that such a non-friendly pony represents what she is not. Her technical skills are marvelous, of course, but her social skills are not. Ceremony attendees report on her awkwardness and aloofness. Certainly, no single pony, and especially not her, should be making such monumental decisions for the entirety of Equestria. She’s supposed to be the glue that holds the world together? Her?

Twilight couldn’t read it anymore. She had to put the book back on its shelf to calm her raving mind. Of course, what the pony had written was nothing more than an opinion piece devoid of any critical thinking or research. It was a gossip magazine spiel under the literal cover of prestige! The author wasn’t even credited!

But what the piece had been right on, was that she and her friends were flawed, and perhaps not the most equipped ponies to handle an entire nation. Celestia and Luna had put so much faith in her that they misted up their own perspectives. She would never be ready to be the pony they wanted her to be. Because no pony would. This document was ridiculous, but it had offered her a peek into the mind she didn’t understand. They may have unnecessarily blamed her for the failure of Equestria, but deep down they shared a common thread.

It was fear. Ponies and creatures alike that hated Twilight were scared. Twilight and her friends were scared too. Not for the immediate tasks in their control, but for a future they could not see. A new chapter of Equestria was coming, but those pages couldn’t be turned until they were turned. A new dawn was rising, and it was terrifying and exhilarating and anything else under the sun.

Twilight was struck with a sudden empathy for those that she often derided as no more than vultures. She didn’t want war or strife, or any kind of violence. It’s not like singing songs and shooting lasers would solve everything, but there was a common, if vague goal. To save Equestria, to change it for the better. They just had vastly different ideas on how to do that. She had always known to see the best in others, no matter the situation. She would just have to figure out how to do that now.

Twilight yawned. She needed to go to bed. The deep philosophical thoughts would be paused in favor of the dream world. She trotted down from the seventh level, carefully placing the piles of wayward books back to their respective shelves. She yawned many more times before even reaching the stairs. It had been a long day.
was so tired from the events of recent memory that even her horn seemed to ache as she lowered the sun and rose up the moon. Considering it was a spell that no common pony knew, the burden was always on her shoulders. Sometimes she wished that the communal practice had stayed beyond ancient times. But that was not how modern society worked, so she just sighed and did the routine act, all by herself.

She slept soundly that night, with no nightmares. There was only an inky blackness waiting for her in the dream realm. She would realize later that the lack of color should have scared her, but it didn’t. It made her feel at peace.

A buzzing from the little white book alerted her. The book was almost falling off its perched table with the movements. Twilight roused from the land between sleep and wakefulness. She quietly trotted over to the book, which by the looks of it was filled to the brim with messages from the guard in Trottingham. She hadn’t been able to make out the words very well; it was all so rushed. But everything was clearly a warning, and her heart leapt into her throat. Something was happening. Something terrible was going to–

A sound louder than anything she had ever heard rattled her steel-strengthened windows. Her bedside lamp crashed over onto its side, sending shards of glass into the thick carpet under her hooves. Outside, there were flashes of brightness. But that couldn’t have been right, couldn’t it? She hadn’t raised the sun yet. By the looks of the clock, Canterlot was still a few hours away from the sunrise. Every corner of her brain screamed at her to look away, every fiber of her being wanted to curl up under her bedspread and never again get up. But she had to look outside, even if she knew in her heart that Equestria would never be the same.

Fire. Fire everywhere. Buildings far into the distance, including the city’s famous gates, were blown apart. The normally moonlit night sky had traded its rich navy hue for a bloodied, smoky orange. More sounds rattled her eardrums, and her beloved city was besieged in front of her eyes. That’s when she realized just exactly what was causing those sounds.

Bombs. The massive, hulking death machines not seen since she had glimpsed the alternate futures of Equestria during her battle with Starlight. When the future was shattered because Rainbow Dash couldn’t make the sonic rainboom. But this wasn’t a product of vengeful time-travel, and it wasn’t a bad dream. It was, it was…unequivocal to anything she had seen before, anything but the spinning mental threads of her darkest days. Twilight couldn’t even fathom the horrors in front of her. She thought she could hear screams in the distance, but perhaps that was only in her mind. Maybe they were just echos of her own.

She heard the most dreadful knocking on her door and the panicked but professional voices of her guards. She didn’t think the rapp of a pony’s hoof could ever have sounded like that. The taps against her door sounded like the keening cries of loss, like the castle staff were preparing for a funeral of the world. She just shook her head. There was just no way that Equestria would fall at the feet of these incendiaries.

She bounded out of her door into the swell of concerned guards. No matter the guttural, animalistic fear that penetrated to her very bones, and no matter that the room was spinning and shaking. No matter that she knew her friends’ dreams weren’t just nightmares, but warnings. She wondered if Luna had given them a heads-up of what was to come. But she didn’t know if she could even trust her mentors anymore. Even though her emotions more often than not felt like a hamster wheel, she knew one thing for certain.

Twilight wasn’t going to give up. Not this time. Not ever.

All throughout their time as the Mane Six, her friends had done one single thing. Try and save the world.

And they would try again.

Author's Note

So this chapter is a bit all over the place and random, and it certainly strays from the outline I planned! We are about forty percent of the way through the story, and I am glad to see that there is engagement with this story from the kind strangers of the internet.

Chapter Ten: Under a Scarlet Sky

The sky was a burning, scarlet red, the ground a blood-splattered black. Twilight could hear the screams, the explosions, the terror. She could feel it down to her bones. The magnificent flowers had wilted; even the trees seemed barren. She could barely see through the ashen haze surrounding her as she bounded down the side steps near the Canterlot Gardens.

“Your Majesty, you must come inside immediately. It isn’t safe out here!” The regal yet panicked shouts of her guards felt like they were miles away.

She continued her descent, winding her way down the cobblestone streets, past the crumbling townhouses and burning lawns. Even the lamp posts were bent at odd angles or completely obliterated. It was like racing through a field of nightmares. Everything was slightly off; it was as if she was in a surrealist painting. The red was too red, the orange too orange. The black was blacker than death. The bombed city was saturated with the most striking, terrifying colors. Mangled, disfigured corpses littered the ground, their lifeless bodies practically melting into the earth. Canterlot’s elite, sophisticated ponies shared screams with farmers and starving artists. It could not have been a worse moment for Twilight to see the emotional baseline of pony-kind.

She doubted that she would even be recognized as any of her trademark features were muddled by smoke, ash, and debris. She continued pacing down the snaking residential streets, making her way down to the main commercial districts.

She stopped in her tracks once she reached a familiar storefront. It was Rarity’s beloved boutique, a passion project for her friend’s once-burgeoning fashion career. Although she was now a fixture of red carpet designs and a friend to the stars, Twilight could still remember when opening a boutique in Canterlot had been the pinnacle of her career. To see such an important part of their earlier days in Ponyville made her heart sink. As the building went up in flames, Twilight could feel the sadness seize her completely. An invaluable relic of Rarity’s life was just…gone.

She looked around. Although she was surrounded by a variety of businesses, it was always tough to understand the toll of the bombings without a personal attachment. Seeing such a profoundly personal venture of Rarity’s disappear from the world was like a knife to the heart. The screams surrounding her were worse than fear or terror; it was grief. It was the mourning of a lost life, but in real time. It was the wretched grasp of nothingness in one’s hoof. Twilight could feel the agony surrounding her, and inside her. Every business in Canterlot had a village of ponies that cared for it. Every building with its little garden or bookshelves or picture frames had a story to tell. All around her, the lives of ponies were crumbling along with their homes and stores. It wasn’t just destruction for the sake of destruction. The bombers wanted more than bloodshed. They wanted the soul of Canterlot.

But there was little time left to wax poetic about the ruined buildings or burning gardens; it was time to act. She bounded back to the castle, dancing with her own terror in the ballroom of her mind. It was a mental waltz of an indescribable, primal fear. She continued down what was left of the streets, nearly avoiding a fire that singled near her tail. She could feel the ground shake with the bombings.

Interestingly enough, the castle itself had not been affected by the bombs. Certainly the gardens were a different story, but the actual regal structure was unaffected besides the tinge of smoke. A chill ran down her spine as she realized what that must have meant. They wanted the castle, so they must have wanted the crown.

They wanted the crown.

—-

Her hooves seemed to quiver as she bounded up the steps, not caring about the arduous climb as she could barely see the sides of the castle through the smoke. Her legs were aching from running and her mouth was dry. Even her eyes were becoming bloodshot from the sting of smoke. Her vision became blurred as the regal front entrance came into view, the stoic guards still doing their jobs even as the city crumbled around them. She gave a respectful nod to both and practically tripped over her own speed. Her hooves found their footing on the plush red carpet of the main hall.

Most every morning, her staff and friends gathered in her office for a brief meeting before starting the day’s tasks. That is where she anticipated they were now, probably worried sick about her erratic bolt from the castle when the first bomb fell.

She continued up the carpet and down the right side hallway, where the office corridor started and the public side to the castle ended. Beyond the velvet roped security gates, two guards nodded at her, and she trotted through the arched entryway. Because it was an inner-castle corridor, the walls were adorned with paintings and sconces instead of the expansive windows of the outer hallways. The sparkling high ceilings contrasted well with the medieval era statues and plaques. It was not at all as scary as the abandoned rooms of the Castle of the Two Sisters, but it had an imposing, intimidating energy. That would make sense, considering it was one of the most important spaces in Equestria. Below each office, only accessible by the inside of the rooms themselves, were secret vaults containing the most valuable items in all of Equestria. They were beyond the glamorous jewels and old books that were housed in the main Canterlot Archives, which were near the library. No, these were private possessions. In Twilight’s case, she had a few things. One was the spell she had created to fix her friend’s cutie marks on that fateful day she became a princess. Another special item was an ancient spell book given to her by Starswirl the Bearded, inside of which there were the most powerful spells known to ponykind. A foal’s diary that once belonged to Cozy Glow during her days at the School of Friendship was also protected under her sealed magic office. Looking at the childish writing, adored with smiley faces and hearts made her shudder. What a pony that young filly would become.

In other words, there was serious stuff behind the walls of this place. She continued down the hallway, passing the offices of lower-ranked staff as she trotted to her office. The walk was designed so that with each hoof-step farther in, the more important each office was. Offices for the Friendship council, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Discord, and her senior security team were at the end, where the high vaulted ceiling led into a massive circular chamber. There were ten offices situated in this very back area, with two more under construction. It was the most exclusive meeting place in the world.

At the very center of the massive room, under spectacular statues of Celestia and Luna, was a domed ceiling not unlike the one in the library. A massive magic map of Equestria was situated all around the statues, forming a giant circular view of anywhere in the world. However, instead of being bathed in sunlight, all Twilight could see were shades of a bloodied and bruised sky. It was like the whole room was aglow with the fires of Tartarus. If she didn’t know the very mortal threats against her, she would have been easily convinced that this terror was being executed by Tirek. The pony that was stalking her was a similar shade of violent red…

But Tirek was still imprisoned in a stone statue, under the watchful eyes of a dozen guards who could have heard a pin drop; they were deathly silent.

But…what if somepony had been reading the wrong kind of books, or looked up to the wrong kind of monster? What if their anger and rage towards Twilight was bolstered by an association with the darkness of Equestria’s past? What if the red coated pony was working to rebuild the terror of Tirek?

Twilight couldn’t think about any of that. It wasn’t the time to get all philosophical when the walls and sky were more the color of agony than hope. She bolted to her office, situated in the very, very end of the magnificent rotunda. She carefully pried the door open with her magic, careful to not startle those that were in deep concentration. It was usually a very productive time of day for her staff.

If the looks she had gotten yesterday were somber, the faces she gazed at were already planning a funeral. It was as if any of the invigorating energy from her rousing speech yesterday afternoon was gone.

Discord was the first to speak up. “I’m…so sorry Twilight,” he said sadly. “We all are.”

Twilight’s eyes stung. Discord didn’t even bother making a silly gesture or trick. Any levity in the room had vanished. He just hung his head sadly, his mismatched features vulnerable and full of sorrow.

Pinkie Pie spoke up a few long seconds later. “I know I’m supposed to be the optimistic one…but…I don’t know how.”

Twilight waited for her to finish.

Pinkie’s normally cheery disposition was turned inside out. “I…don’t know how to laugh away the bombs, Twilight. I can’t be optimistic about war, either.” Her face filled with shame and her ears hung droopy. Even her trusty party cannon seemed sad.

But one thing that Pinkie said struck her deeply. It was a feeling that was easy to fall into. Feeling alone.

“Pinkie, it’s true that you can’t stop bombs with your laughter.” Applejack, ever the honest pony, stepped in to what Twilight was already thinking.

Pinkie only cried harder. Fluttershy rushed to her side.

“Is that supposed to comfort her right now? Is that supposed to help any of us? You know, honesty is not an excuse to make a pony’s day worse.” Rainbow Dash shot out.

“Rainbow, please! That’s not what I meant.” Applejack was growing frustrated at her message not being understood.

“Well, you could have phrased it differently, darling, is all we’re saying.” Rarity spoke up from the corner. Her prim and proper hairdo was barely making it through the unendurable stress of late.

“Okay, okay…yes I get it! I was real blunt with that.” Applejack conceded. “Sorry, ya’ll. What I meant was that none of us can do it alone. Rarity’s generosity won’t save us, neither will Fluttershy’s kindness or Rainbow’s loyalty or even Twilight’s plumb crazy magic! None of us can stop our enemy by ourselves. But together…we have a real shot.”

Applejack looked around the room as her friends slowly nodded in reaction to her impassioned speech. She was not a pony for grand spectacles of the verbal word, but it was just the right thing everypony(and every creature) needed to hear.

“We have a real shot.” Starlight repeated, as if to convince herself. “We have…a real shot.”

Nopony else spoke up for a long, long time.

There weren't any sky-high levels of enthusiasm, but the sentiment was enough. They had to try. That’s all they ever did, right?

“Everypony, what is our plan, then?” Fluttershy asked meekly. Although they could stand in the office all day trying to convince each other that it was going to be okay, nothing would ever be alright again if they didn’t try and evacuate the ponies still alive out of the city.

Twilight put her stoic, regal facade on and marched out of the office, her friends following silently behind her.
Once they got to the front of the hallway, Twilight trotted over to the main castle doors and poked her head out. Bullets and bombs seemed to fall like hail as the screams of ponies and other creatures filled the early morning air. She could see her panicked guards gathered together on the lawn, as well as several other of her staffers. Some guards had taken their shields and spears up in the air to fight the bombs head-on, but it was much too smokey for anypony to actually see the cannons and stop them. Besides, watching her guards fly up into the air felt more like watching a game of roulette. She guessed that the tens of ponies she didn’t see were either hiding, or something far worse.

“Prancelot!” She shouted for her oldest, most trusted senior guard. He had a graying mane and a weathered face after decades of service. As if she was blowing a dog whistle, the entire mass of guards gathered up into lines and faced their ruler.

“Your Highness, we are waiting on your call!”

Twilight was suddenly filled with rage. These guards had just been…standing in the yard instead of helping ponies for the last few hours?

She felt sick to her stomach. Was the hierarchy she controlled really so detached from reality that her staffers and guards couldn’t understand the importance of saving lives as opposed to just following rules?

She swallowed her anger at the momentary incompetence of her guards and made orders in a booming royal voice:

Sir Prancelot, I want all 500 guards to be split into ten groups. Each group of fifty will round up one of the main surrounding neighborhoods. First, focus on residential areas like Fillyngton, and then move on to the entertainment district, the commercial district, and every other place that ponies reside. I’m sure there is a lot of panic right now, but I want you to keep everypony calm and take them as far away from here as you can.”

Twilight wasn’t completely confident in her plan, but it was better than waiting around for everypony to die. Her ears drooped at the thought. She didn’t even like to0 think about death at all.

Sir Prancelot had his brow furrowed in confusion and concern. “But Your Majesty, wherever shall we take them? The entrance to Canterlot is completely inaccessible!”

Twilight thought she had misheard. “What?!?”

Sir Prancelot didn’t want to give more bad news to Twilight, but he had to. “Your Majesty…the entrance is completely blocked by boulders. Some of it is even on fire! The only accessible way out of Canterlot is through the sky, and we can’t possibly take our entire population unnoticed! They’ll kill anything they see in the sky!”

“Well, then we have to figure out a way out, not through the entrance or the sky.”

The guard gulped, sweat beading on his forehead. For all the military experience he had, there was little that compared to what he was facing now. “What do you propose, Your Highness?”

Twilight furrowed her face in concentration, nearly closing her eyes for several silent seconds. “I…don’t know exactly. But it would have to be some kind of mass transportation spell. Something that’s never been done before.”

The guard, still waiting on her answer to his question, cleared his throat.

“Your Majesty, are you suggesting that we round up every citizen and just…teleport them all somewhere? Forgive my bluntness, but how could that possibly work?”

Discord interjected: “I’m afraid, my dear, that even my chaos magic has its limits, and even then how could be guarantee that the spell wouldn’t mess with the very fabric of reality?” He said that last part with a little flourish.

Starlight rolled her eyes. She wished Trixie was here just so they could both snicker.

Every creature looked to Twilight for her voice of reason. She just looked at the floor, unsure.

“I…I don’t know. But we have to try something. We don’t have much time, so everypony finds as many spell books as you can. Meet back here in half an hour.”

Every pony bounded out the door. Discord, however, disappeared into a cloud of glitter. Only Spike remained.

“Even with the spell books, how would this work? It would take an unbelievable amount of power!”

He winced at what he said next. “No offense, but what if you…fail?” He looked up at her with big, teary eyes. Even though he was a full-grown dragon, Spike was still her baby brother at heart.

Twilight sighed, but her words had an undeniable conviction. “Then I fail.”

Spike hummed in acknowledgment. “You’ve really gotten better about not catastrophizing, Twilight.”

“I know.”

Spike steered their conversation back to the topic at hand. “Should we try to get Celestia or Luna over here? What about Cadance? Maybe together you all could figure out the spell?” He was fumbling for any semblance of a plan, truthfully, he had absolutely no clue what was going to happen with Twilight’s spell idea.

Twilight shook her head. “We don’t need them.” Although Spike was oblivious, her words were laced with bitterness. She was still at the prospect that they had staged the attack on her life.

“Then…who is going to help us?”

“Starswirl the Bearded.”

Spike was aghast. “Twilight, he’s on bed rest, remember? He’s not exactly in shape to do some crazy spell!”

Twilight could tell that Spike thought she had lost her marbles, but that wasn’t the case. Although Starswirl’s health concerns were of grave concern, there was simply no pony else who could provide such assistance. And although she didn’t want to admit it, a smug part of her wanted to prove that she didn’t need the help of her betrayers.

“I know that. I know it’s a long-shot. But he’s still the most powerful wizard in the world, and it’s worth reaching out.”

Spike nodded. “Okay. If that’s what you think will work.”

“I think it’s the closest we’ll get, at least. Spike, send a scroll. I doubt a pony from his generation has a cell phone yet.”

“What should I write?” Spike was clueless.

Twilight waved him off with her hoof. “Just tell him he needs to come to the castle immediately. It’s an emergency. He’s being treated at Manehattan Hospital. Send the scroll there.”

With a nod and a burst of green flame, the scroll was sent.

For once, Twilight didn’t care about Spike’s sloppy handwriting or spelling mistakes; there was one thing on her mind, and that was the response she got. Would he decline? Would he accept? Would he be too weak to help?

Before Twilight’s thoughts could go further, a bright flash eclipsed her view of the office. Right in the center of the round room was…Starswirl. He looked rail-thin, exhausted, and weary from the teleportation spell. But he was here, actually here, only a few minutes after Spike had sent the scroll.

It was Starswirl who broke the silence. Twilight was still stunned that her idol was standing here, in the flesh. Although they had known each other for many years now, she still looked up to him like a personal hero.

“Hello, Twilight. I received your message.” His voice was gravely and gruff, like all the exuberance of youth had been completely drained out of him.

She bowed in his presence, even though she was the royal and he was technically her subject.

“Twilight! Twilight!” A rapid knock came from the door, and Rarity bounded in with several books held up by her magic. “Look what I found, darling! It’s a book all about old transpiration spells, from the times before boats and trains!”

Rarity held up the book, a dusty, leather-bound volume with gilded edges and a worn spine. The cover was mostly faded but she could see the “compendium of transportation spells for the modern pony” moniker.

Obviously, with the advent of transportation came a decreased understanding of such spells. Much like a phone book, the days of carrying around a book of transportation spells were long gone.

But here was the book she needed.

Twilight flipped through the pages, unsure of which geographic region she should aim for. An entire population couldn’t fit in Manehattan; the city was overcrowded already. Trottingham, Fillydelphia, and San Ponio were also massive cities. Any other big city wouldn’t work, neither would major destinations on the other side of the world. Dropping her citizens off in a random, po-dunk little town wouldn’t work, because there would be no resources. The place would quickly descend into panic. Lastly, although she had considered it, the Castle of the Two Sisters was much too hazardous and decrepit to house an already traumatized mass of ponies. They couldn’t just stay in Canterlot and wait for the next round of bombs, either. That would be suicidal, and Twilight wasn’t going to risk losing even more of her population. She didn’t even want to know how many ponies and other creatures had already died.

So where would they go? It would have to be a place that was isolated enough that her citizens could shelter without fear, large enough to have resources and extra space for tents, and run by ponies that she trusted well…

“The Crystal Empire.” Starswirl’s voice was rough like a choppy sea.

Twilight was startled out of her concentration. It was as if Starswirl could read her mind. She wouldn’t put it past him.

“The Crystal Empire? It’s so…so…crystally.” Rarity’s eyes went starry at the prospect of spending time in the glamorous city.

Twilight waved her hoof in front of Rarity’s face before she needed a fainting chair. Both ponies jumped when Starlight trotted into the room, catching the last bit of the conversation.

“Rarity, there’s ponies that are dying. The “crystal-ness” of the Crystal Empire is the least of our concerns.” Starlight deadpanned, although her words were firm and serious.

Rarity flushed red. “Yes…yes…I’m so sorry everypony, that was inconsiderate of me. Please carry on.” She bowed out of the conversation completely.

“It’s okay, Rarity. I understand your excitement…Although I wish it were under better circumstances.” Twilight said. She gave a reassuring smile, although there was nothing to be reassured about.

While the bombing outside had mostly silenced, the lump in Twilight’s throat had not. It was as if her mind was becoming as hazy as the sky outside. She couldn’t even breathe a sigh of relief at the stop in bombings, because she could still see the smoke and blood permeating the earth.

A loud knock resounded in the rotunda, and the rest of Twilight’s friends came in, each with varying degrees of success. Applejack had found an old user’s manual for transportation spells outside of Equestria, while Pinkie Pie was holding a series of posters dictating the underground crystal caverns all over Equestria. Fluttershy, Discord, Rainbow Dash, and Spike had little luck as well.

But the book that Rarity had brought in was a beacon of hope in the darkest chapter of Canterlot’s history. If Twilight, Starswirl, Discord, Starlight, and perhaps Rarity put their magic together, then a monumental transportation spell from Canterlot all the way to the Crystal Empire might just work. But it would require more effort and stamina than anything before. It made Twilight nervous to see just how weak Starswirl had become. Although he still had a fire in his eyes, the rest of him was burdened by his rapidly advancing age. Being trapped in limbo for over a thousand years hadn’t helped him, either.

Twilight was beginning to understand what being trapped in limbo felt like. For her, it was always one step forward and a million steps back. Every time she rounded a corner, her fears rounded it too. It felt like her life had become one giant ferris wheel, her misery and anguish cycling around and around with no end. But if she could get her citizens to safety, then maybe she could take the tentative first steps into a new, different Equestria. A better Equestria.

She put her thinking face on, and pondered over the books her friends had brought her. Rarity’s book was obviously the most pertinent to her situation, but Pinkie’s Pie’s book had struck her too. The crystal caverns under Equestria were remnants of older civilizations, as well as relatively modern mining excavations during Equestria’s industrialization period. Twilight had glimpsed a small part of the massive system when she was briefly imprisoned under Canterlot Castle when trying to rescue her brother from marrying a disguised Queen Chrysalis. The labyrinthian tunnels were mostly abandoned save for historic excavations and the occasional guided tour. All of that to say, the Crystal Caverns were a great place to shelter while figuring out the spell.

—

Four hours and several thousand boxes of medical supplies later, all remaining residents of Canterlot had been herded from their homes, streets, and other structures, taken down the steep, winding staircases to the castle’s lowest subterranean level, and guided into the massive section of the caves that had been roped off by Twilight’s guards.

Watching her residents be shepherded into the caverns broke Twilight’s heart, although she was grateful at the same time. It wasn’t just about the ponies that were alive and here. It was about those who weren’t. Hundreds of corpses littered the ground, the stench of death wafting throughout every district. Even though medical teams had been dispatched and mortuary workers delegated by Twilight’s staff to gather the remains of deceased ponies, there were simply too many. Although every major city was equipped to handle death, Canterlot had never, ever seen a massacre of this magnitude. It would take days, if not weeks, to restore and dignity the bodies, to prepare them for the thousands of funerals that should have never happened. The tragedy at Neighagara Falls seemed far, far away from the terrors facing Canterlot.

Some ponies that had survived the initial bombings were otherwise unharmed, but most of the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies entering the caverns sported serious, potentially fatal injuries. Twilight watched her guards usher in pegasi who had lost their wings, unicorns with cracked and broken horns, and earth ponies who had lost mobility in their legs and faces. With the thousands of ponies came a steady stream of blood that pooled on the shiny crystal surface. The aches and agonies of untreated survivors filled the massive underground cave that was being used as a makeshift shelter. For every tent and medical area being pitched up by hardworking staff, guards, and volunteers, dozens more were still in desperate need. As Twilight looked around from the entrance just below her castle’s basement, she could see an alarming number of ponies that looked near-death. Even with her staff working overtime, no amount of medicine or magic could cure everypony in time, unless…

Unless she could figure out the spell and take everypony to the Crystal Empire.

Cadence and Shining Armor had been notified earlier in the day, and they had sent back word that the back of their kingdom, home to mostly empty forestry, was being constructed into a camp for the survivors. Hundreds of crystal ponies had spent the better part of a day working on a temporary cohort of tents, yurts, and cots.

But their efforts would be in vain if she couldn’t transport her citizens to safety. Although walking to the empire through the caverns was an option, there was no telling what kind of dangerous situations her citizens could encounter, not to mention the very real threat of getting lost in the mirror-maze like system. With the consideration of rest stops and the limited physical ability of most of the injured ponies, it would take weeks to reach even the halfway point of the journey. By that time, her population would have run out of medical supplies and other resources. Venturing into the tunnels as a group or thousands was akin to walking into Tartarus and throwing away the key.

So that left…the spell.

—

“Crystalis Transportus Maximus—doesn’t quite have a ring to it but I guess that’s the spell we need.” Starlight had been scouring every page for a hint of help for the spell. As the Crystal Empire had disappeared for over a thousand years, most books written before the last few decades had never even mentioned the city, because it didn’t exist. But by some Celestian grace, this book was so old it was from a time before King Sombra’s arctic nightmare of a reign. The only thing left to do was channel the largest reservoir of Equestrian magic in history to transport an unprecedented number of ponies, creatures, and pets.

So, in other words, Twilight had to potentially risk her life to save her city. Starswirl’s case was even worse. Although his determination and stubbornness was unmatched, it was difficult to see him pale, weak, and elderly. How was he going to fare, with this high of a stake?

Twilight almost wanted him to quit, hoping that she and Starlight could do it on their own, and Starswirl could rest easy on one of the cots. A feeling of regret started to creep up on her, and she mentally chastised herself for even thinking of asking Starswirl to help! He was practically on his deathbed, for Celestia’s sake!

But although Starswirl was nearing the doorway, he would not beckon the knock of death until he was satisfied. The elderly pony had done everything in his power to help Equestria, even trapping himself in a limbo of complete darkness. He watched over the happenings with Twilight, seeing the massive cavern turn from glossy to bloodstained, from eerie and empty to bustling and alive. Within hours the space had been turned into a massive underground ‘city’.

Tears almost filled his eyes, but it was from pride, not sadness. He had felt the looming presence of death for months. His joints ached more than ever, and his gray beard was brittle. His vision was impaired, and even simple acts like getting out of bed for his daily walk were frustratingly tiring. But for Twilight, he would go to the ends of the known world, and even beyond that. It was she who had taught about friendship, about the world of possibilities that lay beyond academics. It was her that shared a laugh and a simple cup of tea with him on her visits to Manehatten. As his gaze traveled across the cave, he saw the city, famed for its snootiness–become whole in the face of tragedy. Ponies that had previously been divided by class and wealth were helping each other change bandages and swap stories. He saw the richest of the rich tearily hugging the poorest of the poor. He saw the community overcome with trauma, riddled with despair…and yet emboldened by the magic of friendship. The kind of magic that Twilight carried with her to the most profound degree.

Of course, there was a long, long way to go for the citizens of Canterlot to feel stable again, both in their homes and their hearts. But right here, on a ledge next to the most powerful pony in Equestria, Starswirl knew that day would come eventually.

If this spell killed him, he would be okay. Because wherever it was ponies went after death, he knew that his heart would remain full. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; there was no time to waste. The spell would begin promptly.

—-

Twilight, Starlight, Discord, and Starswirl gathered on the ledge that overlooked the cavern, all sitting around the spell book like they were sitting around a roaring fire. In a darkly humorous way, sheltering from the violence on the surface was like some kind of gnarly summer camp.

Rarity, who was on the immediate outskirts, was prepared to lend her magic in case something went wrong. All the citizens below them were instructed to get as close together as possible to increase the likelihood of the spell working. Larger space had been given to severely injured ponies who were still receiving last-minute treatment, but other than that everypony and every creature were packed like canned carrots at the grocery store.

First, Discord pointed his claws at the book and muttered an ancient anti-chaos incantation, and Starlight began a spell to give all of Twilight’s citizens a kind of momentary anesthesia for their jarring teleportation. Lastly, Twilight and Starswirl glanced at each other, and Twilight could have sworn she saw tears in the elder pony’s eyes. It was probably just a reflection of her own. A feat of magic of this magnitude had never been done before, and getting emotional about it was the least of things to worry about.

Together, Twilight and Starswirl shot bright blasts of golden light into the book, and everycreature on the ledge, including Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack joined their hooves and claws together. Forming a wide circle, they performed the spoken words in unison, and the book began to glow. It rose up and floated over the massive crowd of ponies, all of which had become completely still thanks to Starlight’s work.

Twilight watched in awe as the brightest flash of light she had ever seen enveloped the cave, until there was nothing she could see except a delicate, ethereal yellow. Twilight could feel the erasing of her earthly body as the light consumed the cave. Although the spell had only lasted for a fraction of a second, it felt like an eternity had been compressed into that one fraction of time.

It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, and she was both bewildered and grateful that all of her citizens had left the cave. Second later, a scroll erupted from Spike’s greenish flame, and her eyes went as wide as saucers as she read that her citizens had arrived safely(if expectedly quite discombobulated), and she felt her heart leap out of her chest. It worked! It worked! It worked!

As her friends whooped and cheered around her, there was one pony missing from the celebration. The vibrant voices of her friends slowly faded from her mind as she saw her friend for what would be the last time.

Starswirl the Bearded.

Her hero was lying on the far side of the ledge, just barely avoiding a deathly fall. He was limp and paler than a ghost. She checked his pulse with her hoof, noting its slowed and erratic rhythm. He showed signs of life, but he was so worn out from the spell that he was barely clinging onto them.

“Starswirl? Are you…alright?” Twilight asked, her brilliant beacon of hope fading to a dim flicker.

He turned to face her, his bones creaky and face more gaunt than ever. His eyes were sunken in and grayed, his hooves cracked as well. “Twilight, I think you know the answer to that.” He said simply.

Twilight had known for months that Starswirl’s health had taken a turn for the worse. After a rememergence a few decades ago, he was ceaseless in his quest to better understand friendship. Becoming one of Twilight’s closest allies, friends, and teachers, he had been instrumental in shaping Equestrian life for the better.

But here he was…dying.

In some way, Twilight had always carried a sense of pride that Starswirl the Bearded was as much of a mortal pony as she was. Unlike the gods, goddesses, and other mythological figures she had grown up idolizing, Starswirl the Bearded was but a humble wizard when he first met Celestia and Luna. Through trial and error, he had mastered the craft of magic to an impeccable degree. He had shown Twilight that mastering magic wasn’t just about natural talent(although he had plenty of that) it was also about working hard, studying, and never giving up. In the ancient world, he had worked as a simple tradespony before he turned his career to being an advisor to the royal sisters. In every aspect except his celebrity, he was ordinary.

Twilight had always loved that about him. He admitted his mistake in not learning the value of friendship, and had spent many years learning and growing as a pony, student, and friend. It had given him one of his best characteristics: humility.

But here Twilight was, wishing that he was immortal. She wished he was a god, she wished he was some egotistical maniac creature who lived forever. He could be turned into a statue, or commit crimes and be imprisoned in Tartarus for the end of time, but he would be alive. Perhaps that was an exaggeration, but she would grasp onto life with a wretched desperation if it killed her instead of him. She wanted him to continue living, continue helping Equestria, and continue spreading the gift of friendship. But most of all, she wanted her fillyhood hero to continue being her friend.

Because if Starswirl was gone, who was Twilight’s hero?

Starswirl didn’t have time to wait for Twilight to answer him. He let out a gasp, a low mourn from the rattle of death. Performing the spell had completely depleted him, but it was all worth it for the safety of Canterlot. It was a city that, in both the ancient world and the modern world, had given him so much.

Twilight was beside herself, sobbing as she leaned over him. Starswirl could feel the tears wetting the ground they shared.

“Starswirl, don’t die. You can’t die! I can help…there must be a spell to help you! You can’t die…you can’t die…you can’t die…” her voice faded and she sat, silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her friends surrounded her, murmuring various epithets.

Only Applejack answered her directly. “There ain’t nothing we can do, sugarcube.” She said somberly. She took off her trademark hat and held it against herself tightly.

“I know.” Twilight admitted, and looked down at Starswirl with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. “I’m so sorry Starswirl…I’m so sorry.” She buried her face in Starlight’s shoulder and sobbed violently. The rest of her friends were too shocked to cry. Even Discord had resisted the urge to make a joke.

Starlight lifted Twilight’s head up and looked her directly in the eye. “Don’t be sorry, my dear. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Twilight sniffed and Spike brought her a tissue. Even in such a stressful situation, he had remained her right-hoof dragon.

He continued. “If I didn’t want to help I wouldn’t have answered your scroll. This is what I wanted. You might not understand until it comes for you, but I welcome death. It’s my time.”

Everypony remained still for how Twilight would respond. She just nodded her head, tears still spilling from her eyes.

Her voice hiccuped and faltered. “Starswirl…you’re my hero. I can’t…I can’t lose you. I just…” Her face crumbled and deep, roaring sobs wracked her whole body. Her body gave out and she wilted like a flower in late autumn. The sadness rang out of her in waves, because where else could it go now?

Where could she turn when all the pages were stained black? How could she go on when even the tide was too far out?

The waves of despair continued to crash against her shores. She had barely composed herself when Starswirl spoke again.

“Oh Twilight,” He said in the kindest voice she had ever heard. “You won’t lose me. I’ll be there to guide you, every step of the way.”

Twilight sniffed again, her tears starting to slow. Her reddened eyes said all the words in the world, but she was silent.

Starswirl could feel his vision blurring and the breath leaving his lungs. He was reminded of when he was a very young filly, and he would be so tired from a long day that he would fall asleep before his head even hit the pillow. He wouldn’t even hear the goodnight from his parents.

But now, he could almost hear his parents sounding overjoyed to see him again, the smiles on their faces. He could see his sister, gone before he had finished kindergarten. His memories of her were all blurry, but now she was clearer than a prairie sky. They were waiting for him. He had to leave, if only for the beginning of his next chapter.

“Goodbye everycreature. I’ll see you all again sometime. And Twilight…”

Twilight could barely get a word out. “Yes, Starswirl?”

He only had one thing left to say. “I hope I was a good friend. You were always a good friend to me.”

With that, he took his final breath.

—

Starswirl would be remembered for a lot of phenomenal accomplishments. Being one of the most famous and adored ponies in both ancient and modern Equestrian history meant that his life would be remembered by many libraries, universities, and museums across the world. But most all, for the several ponies crying on the ledge of the crystal cavern, he was more than anything a plaque or statue could convey.

For Twilight most of all, the series of events had left a deep hole in her heart. She stared at the lifeless body in front of her until she was ushered away by guards, some of whom were called back to Canterlot after hearing the news of Starswirl’s death. They took his body away, and a private funeral was scheduled for the following week. It was to be held at an undisclosed location to avoid unwanted media attention, and any potential threats from the cloaked group.

Twilight and her friends were now headed to the Crystal Empire, packing up essentials from the conspicuously unharmed Canterlot Castle, and preparing for teleportation into the Crystal Empire Castle. Everycreature was in a dejected mood for obvious reasons, but the duty of her rulership still called. She didn’t know when she would be back in Canterlot.

It was funny, really, the way she only started to love Canterlot when it had been taken away. For now, she would have to take refuge with her brother and sister-in-law while the storm weathered the crown.

Before teleporting, she took a long, long look at the crystal caverns. She saw the glossy, reflective surface, and looked at herself.

She swore she could see a twinkle of light in the air, at the very edge of the ledge. Perhaps it was only her imagination.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, everyone. Life is busy. Thank you for the continued support of this chapter. It was challenging to write and I am not quite pleased with its quality but c'est la vie my friends. This chapter is also quite depressing so apologies for the sadness. Thank you for the engagement with this story!

Chapter Eleven: Solace in the Crystal Empire

Chapter Twelve: Solace and Stress in the Crystal Empire

Twilight was almost blinded by the glassy street surface as she trotted up the castle. After a few days in the Crystal Empire, her routine was set. She spent her mornings in intense meetings with her guards and staff, working out a plan to return Canterlot’s decimated buildings into being livable again. Her citizens were still shell-shocked by the bombings, but had adjusted as well as they could to their temporary home in the northern Equestrian kingdom. The massive conglomerate of tents and simple makeshift structures had proved to be immensely helpful for the injured and otherwise disturbed survivors, who enjoyed the beauty of the grassy city outskirts before being plunged back into the horrific memories they carried.

It was not unlike the treatment that the crystal ponies had faced themselves from King Sombra, over a thousand years ago. Thus, despite the trauma and strife facing the refugees, a sense of unity pervaded the newly-expanded kingdom. The Crystal Empire had long been defined by its checkered past and unusual landscape, but something far more special encapsulated the empire. It was the empathy of its citizens that bore deep into the ground, growing more beautiful than any of the magnificent crystal buildings. Even the ubiquitous crystal heart seemed to glow brighter and brighter each day. There was so much compassion and understanding for her citizens that it nearly brought Twilight to tears.

But today, she had another long, intense meeting ahead of her. As gorgeous and wonderful as the empire was, her citizens still needed their true home, Canterlot. However, nopony except for a few select guards had dared to venture back there, as concerns over a second strike were still alive and well. She had a dozen of her toughest guards stationed below the city, in the remaining tents that had been left in the crystal caverns after the massive teleportation spell. Nopony had dared go to the surface for more than a few minutes. There was no telling what kind of dangers still lurked in the ruined city. However, the castle was still impeccable, according to the guards specially assigned to check on the structure. If she was honest with herself, that scared Twilight more than anything.

As she trotted up the steps to the castle’s entrance, the topics of the coming meeting raced through her mind. Much like the intrepid, if foolish jaunt into the Everfree forest she had undertaken her first time in Ponyville, she felt as if she was walking right into a lion’s den. Every meeting she had with Cadence, Shining Armour, and her guards and staff proved to be more exhausted and draining than the last. Despite the utter devastation of the past few days, the world still turned, and with that so did the cycle of events across Equestria. It was easy for the solipsistic pain of grief to overwhelm a pony, but Twilight was still determined to break free from its grasp. There was still a world to save, a city to repbuild, and a society to uplift. Life would go on, and she was determined to stay around for it.

But Starswirl had died, and all other thoughts seemed to fade when her mind replayed his death on an endless loop. All her motivation for saving the world felt like nothing compared the sea of grief she was stranded in. There was no boat to rescue her, no wings on her back to rise out of the ashes like a brilliant phoenix, and certainly no slowing down for the harsh, stormy waves. She would have to swim right out of her grief if it killed her. Inch by inch, day by day, she came closer to the shore.

She was greeted warmly at the castle entrance by several of the crystal empire guards, many of which gave even deeper bows when Great and Honorable Spike the Brave And Glorious made his entrance a few minutes later. She was just grateful that it hadn’t gone to his head…mostly!

“Fellas, fellas calm down! There’s plenty of autographs for everyone!” She saw Spike maneuvering his way through a massive crowd of fans, paparazzi, and other curious spectators. All that was missing was a red carpet, and it would have looked like a movie premiere. He quickly finished signing as many posters, booklets, and photographs as he could before being ushered in by his security. He gave one last promise to the crowd that he would finish greeting them after the meeting, and the doors finally closed. In the entrance, a massive set of stairs, one on each side, greeted Twilight and Spike. A humongous chandelier, which looked to be made entirely of diamond, hung over them from a massive pillared dome.

“This castle always looks way smaller on the outside!” Twilight muttered.

“That’s for sure! I can barely see the ceiling!” Spike agreed.

They brushed their hooves off on the light blue carpet, and headed up the right-hand staircase, where the meeting room lay behind a short and secure hallway. They took another right, past the massive doors to the throne room, and into the much, much smaller adjacent room. It had a wide, circular table, showing a map of Equestria made with the same magic that Twilight’s Canterlot table had. The room itself was square, with bookcases lining the far wall and a large set of locked drawers on the right side. The left side, where the window looked out on the castle gardens, had a simple set of velvet curtains and a low table with various crystal-empire themed trinkets. One of the trinkets was even a miniature version of the massive statue of Spike from the town square.

Inside the room already were Cadence, Shining Armor, Discord, Fluttershy, Starlight, and Rainbow Dash.

“Twily!” Shining Armor gave her a quick hug. “Ready for the day?”

She didn’t want to give her friends any more cause to worry about her. They knew that the bombings and Starswirl’s death had been weighing hard on her the most of all of them.

Rainbow Dash launched into the air. “Ready to kick some butt Twilight?” She flew up even further than she already was and crashed into the ceiling. “Ouch!” She rubbed her head and grumbled at her misfortune.

Cadence took charge. “Okay every creature, I think that we should impose a no-flying-while inside-rule for Rainbow Dash. All in favor?”

She looked around the room, and every creature gave her a thumbs up. Discord snapped his claws and momentarily vanished Rainbow Dash’s wings, and she screamed.

“DISCORD, WHAT DID YOU DO?” She yelled. Her face was reddening by the second.

“Who, me?” Discord put a hand to his chest, dramatically aghast at the accusation. A fainting couch appeared and he flopped down onto it, still mimicking the mannerisms of an overdramatic socialite.

Rainbow’s face was so red it was almost comical. “Yes, you! Give me back my wings! NOW!”

Discord was silent except for a considering hum.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “DISCORD!” She snapped.

That seemed to do the trick. Discord shot up, fire shooting out of his posterior like a rocking shooting into space.

“Okay fine…I suppose…” He said begrudgingly. He snapped his claws again, and Rainbow Dash’s wings returned. She immediately began cradling her wings like they were lost children.

Shining Armor was the first to sit down at the table. “Okay, we’ve had our fun, but there’s a lot on the agenda today.”

Everycreature took a set around the magic map, carrying personal notebooks and any relevant documents to contribute. A few minutes later, the rest of the group joined, including Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack, who had come in the nick of time.

Shining Armor gestured his hoof to the map, where several cities of interest had been highlighted in red. “First, we have new developments on the attack on Canterlot. My guards have been investigated, and a sample piece of DNA left behind indicates that the attack was carried out by the same group that attempted to kill Twilight.” He said grimly.

Even at the mere mention of the attack, Twilight shivered. Her sister-in-law put a comforting hoof on her shoulder, and she smiled back gratefully.

Shining Armor continued in his authoritative voice, developed from years working as the head of the Royal Guard. “This group that is responsible for the attack on Canterlot, and Princess Twilight, are currently being investigated. Our current research shows that, in some fringe circles among Equestria’s youth, this group has exploded in popularity. Although we don’t know much more than that, we do know that they call themselves the Red Cloaks.”

“So…it’s a political movement?” Rainbow Dash asked. She cocked her head.

“Well, everything is political right now.” Twilight sighed. “With the attacks and everything, Equestria is…fractured.” She admitted.

“I’m not surprised that it was that dastardly group. Anypony with fashion that awful has to be guilty of something.” Rarity said.

“I wish we all weren’t so divided. I know that a lot of ponies are dissatisfied with the monarchy, but isn’t there a way to solve this without senseless violence?” Fluttershy asked.

“There’s never, ever a need for violence.” Applejack said, shaking her head. “But clearly the Red Cloaks believe differently.”

“Why didn’t that group just talk to us first?” Pinkie Pie roared, startling everypony with her anger. “What does killing prove that talking does not?” She was so angry that she was shaking with rage. Even her pink curls seemed more intense than usual.

“They want more than just power or recognition. They want our life drained out of us.” Twilight said, her voice tight. “We need to be hopeful. As long as we remain hopeful, they can’t take everything away from us.”

It was an astute observation, but seemed far out of reach. What was there to be hopeful for when Canterlot was turned to dust before their very eyes? When there were more ponies killed than ponies that survived? Those questions hung over every creature's head.

Amidst her own inner turmoil, her own diminishing hope, and her own grief, Twilight wouldn’t let the Red Cloaks take her spirit. As her soul seemed to slowly slip out her grasp, she clung onto her livelihood like the future depended on it. Because it did.

“They can’t take our spirits, everypony. They just can’t.” Her voice cracked and wavered. “I know it’s tough right now. I know it’s hard…but we have to keep being optimistic. There’s nothing else that will work.” She admitted.

Applejack looked directly at her. “I remember having this conversation with you a while back. What was it I said we always did?” She asked, although the fire in her eyes indicated she knew the answer.

Twilight smiled. “Try and save the world.”

Applejack echoed her words. “Try and save the world.”

Cadence piped up. “Twilight’s right, every creature. It is difficult. Probably the hardest threat our world has faced. But I know we have to keep on keeping on.”

That was an old slogan from Equestria’s tumultuous post-industrialization period. Twilight smiled at the phrase. It made her think about all of the difficult times in her world’s past, and how ponies had always managed to make it to the other side. They could too, if they took Cadence’s words to heart.

Shining Armor continued. “Regarding the Red Cloaks, we will need a significant amount of time and money put towards our investigation of them. I pay my guards three times their normal rate to research into their group, because of the obvious risks involved. Additionally, many of my staff have been traveling across various borders to access any information they can find. So a budget increase is certainly in order.”

Twilight nodded, and signed the relevant documents to increase the pay towards the guards assigned to the Red Cloaks research team. She handed them back to Shining Armor, who confirmed the authenticity with his wife.

“I’ll take these to my treasurer immediately. Thank you, Twilight.” Cadence said, and swiftly exited the room.

Shining Armor continued. “We have another item on the agenda, and this one is for Discord specifically.”

Discord snapped his claws, putting himself right between Twilight and Shining Armor. “Hmm…a task for me? What is it? A vacation to Las Pegasus? A pilgrimage to Saddle Arabia? An act of thrilling espionage for this handsome devil?” He snaked around the room, barely concealing his excitement for whatever “dangerous mission” he was to be sent on.

Twilight hoped it wasn’t anything too interesting. His ego was inflated enough already?

Shining Armor didn’t quite know how to answer his barrage of questions, because for all of Discord’s rambling, he was right on the money about one thing: espionage. “Sort of?” he said, still confused. “I’m asking you to disguise yourself and spy on a Red Cloak meeting. I have received word that an underground meeting is happening tonight.”

Discord was surprised. “You mean, you actually want me to spy on the most dangerous people in the world? Oh sure, that makes sense!” He ranted. “Yes, force the lone draconequus to risk his beautiful, wonderful, perfect life to go mingle with a bunch of assassins?” He paced around the room, apparently too caught up in his rant to continue floating.

He then stood up to his full height and shoved right into Shining Armor’s face, who was not phased at all. He was used to Discord’s drama. “Are you KIDDING ME? The Lord of Choas himself will not be debased to such danger! I can RIP THE VERY FABRIC OF REALITY from my LIVING ROOM and you want me to hang out with terrorists?” He was clearly not having it.

Shining Armor, who must have thought long and hard about how he would convince Discord, only had a few words to say. “If you do this, you’ll get your own crystal statue next to Spike.”

Although Discord had been given plenty of recognition and admiration in the last decade or so, this was one place that didn’t care about him enough for his liking. He immediately perked up at the offer.

Shining Armor stuck out his hand, and Discord eagerly took it, the force of his hand nearly sending Shining blasting to the ceiling. “I accept!” He said happily. Apparently every one of his legitimate concerns went out in the window when his vanity was concerned.

Twilight whispered to her brother. “Are you sure about this? You know how arrogant he gets! He’ll probably want ten statues after this!”

Shining whispered back. “We’ll make them out of cardboard if we have too. I just wanted him to agree, considering his chaos magic and all.”

Discord was busy setting off invisible party cannons, and unfurling a magic banner that said “Go Discord!” on it. Fluttershy, for her part, looked increasingly ill. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

“I think…I think..I’m going to throw up!” She was green in the face and quickly bounded out of the room, to the bathroom down the hall. She emerged a few minutes later, looking a bit calmer.

“Hmm…I suppose I’ll have to be away from my dear, sweet Fluttershy for a few days.” He snapped and made the fainting couch reappear. Before he could lie down again, Spike ran over to him.

“I’ll go with you!” He said confidently.

Twilight’s head whipped around so fast that she nearly pulled a muscle. “You will?”

Shining Armor asked him to reconsider. “Spike, it’s far too dangerous for more than one creature to go to!” He pleaded.

“Nah, I’m tougher than you think.” he waved off their concerns with his claws. “Besides, it will help me and Discord catch up on the latest Ogres & Oubliettes updates while we travel. Spiketopia has some cool new buildings that I won in a round from Big Mac last month–”

“Okay, okay we get it.” Twilight said. “Spike can go. But you need to write to me twice a day.”

Spike folded his arms like an annoyed teenage pony. “Fine. Whatever you think is best.”

He and Discord shared a high-five, and were both given scrolls containing the top-secret coordinates of the supposed “meeting place” of the Red Cloak.

“Twilight, what if it’s a trap?” Applejack asked. “Those red fellows aren’t known much for their honesty, I reckon. What if this is all a plan to lure members of our team out there?”

Twilight hadn’t thought of that, and it was a long minute before she spoke again, knowing how risky the plan was. “I…I don’t know. But from all accounts, the guards did their research. They disguised themselves as regular ponies and reached the very farthest corners and the smallest, most remote towns. If something was fishy, I think they would have caught it by now. Either way, I think it’s worth checking out, because at the very least Discord and Spike can find out more.”

Discord interjected. “I’m very much okay with risking my life if it means I get a cool tribute out of it.”

Spike, too, was confident. “Me too. I mean, not the statue thing–I could care less–but the other part. I want to do whatever I can to stop these ponies.”

Twilight hesitated. “Okay…alright. Well, I can’t say I’m completely thrilled with this, but it needs to be done. I wish you both the best of luck.”

Shining Armor cleared his throat to get the focus back to him. “It is from my understanding that you two should leave immediately. There’s no telling how long you will be gone for, so I would get an early start if I were you.”

Discord and Spike disappeared with a flash, and the room was now two seats emptier.

Shining Armor winked at Twilight. “Technically, they still had a few hours left, but I couldn't stand the thought of hanging around Discord for any longer,” He admitted.

Everypony burst into laughter, even Fluttershy, who hid her giggles behind her hoof. It was nice to enjoy a brief moment of merriment in an otherwise dark time.

—

A few hours later, Twilight and the rest of her staff were busy handing out food to her citizens. On the menu tonight were hay burgers, carrot dogs, salads, apple cider, and Pinkie Pie’s famous cupcakes. To avoid attracting unwanted attention to the Crystal Empire’s secret refugee camp, dozens and dozens of ingredients had been sent in nondescript crates from Manehatten, Trottingham, and every other major city. Each city had utilized the underground crystal caverns, narrowly escaping the dangerous twists and turns to fulfill their obligation as fellow citizens of Equestria. Only the most senior politicians and guards of every city even knew that boxes were being sent, and nopony except for Twilight’s secret guard from Trottingham knew what was in them and what they were for. She was grateful for the absolute secrecy that was provided. It did mean that she paid a lot of bits for the expedited efforts, but anything was worth it to give her citizens the nutrition they needed after days of barely scraping by.

She munched on her salad, putting down her fork for a few moments to thoughtfully focus on the flavors of her food. For ingredients that were delivered from all over, the crisp lettuce and juicy peppers tasted like they were plucked fresh from the castle gardens. Such was the power of magic these days that ingredients could be kept fresh for much longer than nature allowed.

Beside her, her friends were sitting with her on the curbside of the Crystal Empire’s largest public park, which was the site of Canterlot’s refuge. Although two of her friends were not with her.

Spike and Discord had not returned from their trip to spy on the Red Cloaks, which they had set out on in mid-morning. Although she knew they were using the utmost amount of caution and responsibility(by Discord standards, of course) she couldn’t help but worry. After narrowly escaping the terrors wrought upon her city, her mind was overloaded. Of course, the sting of grief was relentless. Sometimes, she felt so sad she thought it would never end. Of course, things always ended. Starswirl’s death was a prime example of that principle. But knowing and feeling were miles apart in the pain they caused.

Twilight sighed. She continued eating.

A few hours later, everycreature was finished eating, and Twilight performed her duty to lower the sun and raise the moon. Appropriately, a twilight evening had befallen the city. A mix of purple and blue permeated through the sky. This far north, the “northern lights'' weren't so much north as they were right above. She gazed at the green glow of the lights, allowing a moment of reprieve before her mind fell back into the darkness that had been eating her alive. What if Discord and Spike were in danger? What if the Red Cloaks truly were unstoppable? What if Canterlot could never be rebuilt? What if her public image was beyond repair? What if she was hated not only by the general public but by her friends? What if? What if? What if?

Twilight took a big breath in and out. It was a trick Cadance had taught her when she was first designated a princess. How long ago that had been, she thought. How long ago when her biggest problems were the Grand Galloping Gala and whatever villain of the week she had to stop. Even battling Tirek or pre-reformed Discord felt like filly’s play compared to now. Much like their namesake, the Red Cloaks were, well, cloaked. Twilight didn’t know their names, and could barely remember their faces in detail. She hoped Spike would write to her soon. Only then could she form a plan. In Starswirl’s travels, he had once told her about the time he had crossed paths with a revered warrior pony in ancient times. When Starswirl had made a pilgrimage to the far East, he had conversed briefly with a captivating and highly respected military general. What he had learned was that the key to defeating a pony is to understand them.

In order to defeat the Red Cloaks, Twilight would have to understand them, and perhaps empathize with them. After all, they were only just a group of ponies. If Twilight was hard-set in her morals, they were too. It was just vastly different in outcome. Twilight kept having to remind herself that. There was nothing she could do before she truly understood them. She made a mental note to check back for that “Elements of Disharmony” book she had read a few days earlier.

She headed back up the castle with her friends, tired after a long day of meetings. She hung her head, willing herself to stay away until she was in the comfort of her own bed. Even having her own bed was a luxury. As a protected and important official, she was granted access to a small bedroom in the castle. It wasn’t anything ostentatious, but it was far away from the conditions of the camp outside. She had used some of her magic to fix up the hastily-built camp, but there was little else she could do, considering the limited use of her magic. With the chance of her magic being tracked, she feared using it for anything other than an absolute necessity.

She took her white book out of her saddlebag and opened it. She flipped to a fresh page, past the frantic messages she had received just as the bombing started. She wrote to her guard, telling him briefly of her city’s current refuge from Canterlot. She avoided any identified details or titles of where she was, because at this point, any information she gave out could be compromised. The guard wrote back a few minutes later, expressing sympathy for those that were killed as well as the physical destruction of the city, but shared Twilight’s relief that the remainder of the citizens were somewhat safe. The guard also wrote that Canterlot’s bombing was receiving widespread coverage in newspapers and media stations, although there was still a lack of consensus on the motive or the group behind the bombs. It seemed that the Red Cloaks were so covert that they had vanished without a trace.

Like a guard dog sniffing illicit magic, Twilight knew that there were out there, somewhere, whether it be in the bustling streets of a large city or a dim tavern in a forgotten town…the Red Cloaks were likely having their meeting now. Under hoods and cloaks, they slunk in the shadows and trembled in the nasty glare of the bright full moon. Anything, even just a glint in their eye, had to be covered under the literal and metaphorical veil of secrecy. Twilight wished they could have been as cartoonish and silly as their past foes had been, but these ponies were made of something far, far darker, a seemingly impenetrable ink that would seep through the powers of friendship like water through a flimsy piece of paper. It was the gravity of the situation that terrified Twilight. Typically, any Equestrian villain had been locked up long before they had destroyed an entire city or slaughtered tens of thousands. There had been no indication that the bombing was a one-off affair, either. The war had not even begun and yet the first attack was more brutal than anything the world had ever seen.

Twilight put her head into her hooves as she rested on the top steps of the castle’s magnificent stairs. A familiar face trotted up to her. Although she mostly wanted to be alone, she welcomed the comfort anyway.

“Hey Twilight.”
“Hey Starlight.” Twilight sighed.

Starlight took a seat alongside her defeated friend and both ponies were silent for a long while.

Twilight mulled over what to say, until the only words she could utter were simple.

“We have to make a plan. Not preparations, a plan.”

Her words were very weighted.

Starlight nodded, her big purple eyes shining in the moonlight. “Like weapons and whatnot, I’m guessing.”

Twilight confirmed her suggestion with a quick nod. She looked down at her hooves sadly. “I never believe in violence. I never do. But…where do we go from here if not fighting fire with fire?”

Starlight didn’t have an alternate solution. “I…I don’t know. But if warfare is the answer to this problem, I absolutely support it.”

“It’s…it’s not the answer. But if it helps us get there, then…” She never finished what she said, because her heart seemed to crack into two. She burst into tears, every cell in her body wracked with its own universe of agony. How could it come to this? How could the so-called Princess of Friendship even think about the possibility of using violence to defeat the Red Cloaks?

Starlight seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. “This isn’t just on you, Twilight.”

Twilight sniffed. “I know.”

Starlight continued. “There’s a reason why we’re all different elements, Twilight. We balance each other out ... .So I would talk about this line of thinking in our meeting tomorrow, and see what the others think.”

She handed Twilight a tissue that seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. “In the meantime, crying is good for the soul.”

Twilight eventually dried the last of tears. “Thanks Starlight. I don’t say it often enough but I really, really appreciate you.”

Starlight smiled. “I know,” she said, and laughed.

The two ponies watched the stars, enveloped in the rich navy of the sky. It was hours before either of them climbed into their separate rooms and went to bed. Sometimes the soft night breeze and the presence of a dear friend was what Twilight needed most.

Author's Note

This chapter is relatively short and mostly filler...just wanted to get something out because it's been a while since I have posted! Thank you all for reading!

Chapter Twelve: A Brief Interlude, Part III

A squirrel scampered across the dewy morning ground, and Spike shot a foot in the air. On a crucial mission like this, every little sound of nature could spell death.

Suddenly, the squirrel was frozen in mid-stride, locked in a bubble of chaos magic. Spike looked behind him to see Discord staring impatiently. His face looked so sarcastic it was almost scary.

“Honestly, Spike, you’ve done more to slow us down than any possible threat could!”

Spike nervously bit his claws, a habit he had never managed to shake off. “Well, in my defense, this mission of ours isn’t exactly a walk in the park, is it?”

Discord gestured vaguely at the surrounding woodland area. They were on a dusty path that winded its way through a thick patch of evergreens. It was far from any of the untouched corners of Equestria they imagined they would be stomping through by now. He just smirked, the chaotic glint in his eyes making Spike want to never speak again.

Spike regretted his choice of words. They were, in fact, in a public park. There were even marked signs on the trail. He sighed. When they had agreed to take the less crowded route to the small town they were assigned to, he didn’t anticipate how jumpy he would be.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. Poor choice of words. Let’s continue.” He gritted his teeth, trying to get his spine back.

Discord followed, on foot as they both declined to use magic lest they be discovered. Nevermind that Discord had just used his magic for an unnecessary reason. Whatever. Such things were bound to happen whenever Spike traveled with someone who had unexpectedly become a good friend.

They marched on through the woods, all the way down south from the Crystal Empire they had sheltered in. It was a relief that at the very least, Discord was able to transport them out of the frigid plains. It was still a long and arduous journey, but Spike was grateful that he wouldn’t have to wade through deep snow. There were sinister things in the frozen north, he was sure of it. He hadn’t surveyed much of the area aside from the time he first met Thorax, but he knew enough to know that the Crystal Empire’s Crystal heart was protecting a lot more than just a frosty winter and a bitter ex-ruler.

Spike was just glad that their journey started through the picturesque plains of Equestria’s lower northeast. They had spent several hours hiking on flat ground, something that they both would long for once they reached the hilly, treacherous marshes of the south. But for now, the evergreens were gorgeous as they made their way between several small towns on the outskirts of the greater Ponyville area. The once bustling small town had been sheltering in place since the bombings in nearby Canterlot, citizens urged to huddle in their basements and only venture out for emergencies. As they ventured past town and its eerie outside forest, it felt like walking through an exact replica of the town; exactly the same except for no life at all. Like one of those model train sets that Spike had played with as a young dragon. They hurried out of there as soon as they could, not wanting to attract any attention at all. Not that anypony would have seen them, anyway. More than windows were closed. were closed in the town.

If Spike could have knocked a hole through the boarded up blinds and peeked through, he would have found that the barrier between the desolate outside and the somber inside was only a physical one. A superficial protection against a threat that had already touched many residents. They may not have been bombed or killed, but an equally disturbing thread had already woven itself around the town. Spike didn’t know exactly what it was, but the eerie feeling he got while standing on the outskirts of town was something he couldn’t pinpoint. It had something to do with hope, he knew. Or the lack of it. It was as if the reservoir of dreams and hope had been drained out of Ponyville. The vibrant sun and lush gardens had been replaced with a lack of color that belonged to a faded photograph of a town, rather than the town itself.

“Well, it’s certainly seen better days.” Discord broke their silent stalk up rolling hills that lay beyond the broken town.

Spike only nodded. “Yeah. It’s certainly seen better days.”

That was the extent of their conversation. Spike couldn’t believe himself, but he was actually missing the times when Discord would never stop talking. He wished his draconequus friend would never shut up until the end of time if it meant things would be normal again. But when would that be? When were things ever normal?

Spike just pursed his lips and they trudged on, finally emerging from the thick trees that had subtly enveloped the rolling hills. The ground grew thick and mushy, like the whole path was made of dirty water and peanut butter. They were in a marsh, havens of some of Equestria’s most unsightly creatures, like large snakes and spiders. Hopefully this chapter of their trip would be closed soon enough. Spike gulped as he took his tentative steps into the increasingly sticky and watery substance. Discord had no issues with it, trudging along like a ginormous alligator or some other horrible bug wasn’t one wrong step away.

It did, however, occur to Spike later that Discord still had the powers of chaos, so perhaps they would become well-acquainted.

A big sigh came out of nowhere, followed by a grumbling expression on Discord’s face. “This mud-water does not please Discord.” He yanked his tail from where it had been dragging behind him, away from the quicksand-like surface.

“Why do you always speak like that? In the third pony?”

“That’s the third draconequus, for your information!”

“Okay, fine. Why do you speak in the third draconequus? It’s annoying. Even Fluttershy can’t stand it.”

Discord glared at him. “Well, first of all, Spike, I don’t always speak like that. Simply when I feel like it. You ponies are all so boring and blase,”–He said that last word with a wave of his left talon–“I'm sure you could forgive me for bringing the tiniest iota of flair to our conversations, considering I’m reformed and all.” He stretched out his right claw, inspecting his nails like he was having the most boring exchange of all time.

Discord’s explanation for his continuous annoyances left Spike incredulous. “Really? You drive us all insane, considering we’re friends and all. You should really get some etiquette lessons from Rarity. She’ll teach you to be less annoying!” He crossed his scaly arms. Getting into a row with Discord was infuriating, sure, but it helped distract from the emotional heaviness of what they were actually living through.

Discord rolled his eyes. “Believe me, no amount of speaking in the third draconequus will ever be as annoying as your crush on Rarity.”

Spike’s whole face went as red as a tomato. It had been over a decade since Rarity had gently let him down, but he still got butterflies when he thought of her. He would never in a million years admit that he was still hung up on Rarity, but of course Discord could see right through it.

He did his best to sound over it. “Oh, please, Discord! I’m a full-grown dragon! I got over that fillyhood crush decades ago.” He tried to sound confident with that last part, even though he had barely been alive for three decades, let alone enough to distance him from his crush.

Discord had a glint in his eyes. Not an antagonizing look, but a knowing one. He stretched out his clawed hand and patted Spike on the back. “Well, not all of us can say we got over a beautiful, wonderful, perfect pony who crushed the dreams of a pathetic, weak dragon who can barely fly.” He smiled, sly and self-satisfied. Distracting Spike was the perfect way to get them through the marshes without complaint.

Spike stomped his foot, then frantically pulled it out of the muck that was certain to capture his foot if it didn't get his spirit first.

He grumbled, but trudged on.

Discord was happy to continually make conversation. “So is this a bog, or a marsh, or a swamp? Because, frankly, my thoughts are swamped with ideas about what could be in this mud!” He chuckled to himself.

Spike rolled his eyes, again, making sure Discord could see. “That’s so not funny, Discord. For an immortal creature of chaos, you have the humor of a middle-aged stallion!”

Discord corrected him. “I’m not technically immortal. My powers of chaos override immortality, to be precise.”

“Okay, so an immortal with the choice of being mortal.”

Discord nodded. “Exactly.”

Spike had a follow-up. “So, if you’ve lived this long, through being a statue and one-time ruler…are you just going to keep going on forever? Because it seems to me you’ve pretty much lived any chaotic scenario imaginable.”

Discord, shushed Spike. “Remember what happened with Big-Mac’s proposal? All those dastardly apples? I would caution against making such statements.” He was practically stage-whispering, even though there didn’t seem to be civilization for miles.

Spike nodded, and Discord lifted his claw. “So, what’s your plan, then? Lounge around the castle forever? Outlive us all? What’s Discord’s future looking like?”

“Now you’re speaking right!”

“Ugh, good grief.”

“But seriously, I don’t want to live forever, anyway.”

Spike perked up at this. “But why?”

Discord looked…uncomfy, for just a moment. It was rare for him to show any true vulnerability, but for just a second, in the bog/marsh/swamp on Southern Equestria, a little glimpse was given. “Well, I suppose I will die when…you all do.”

‘Well, that’s pretty grim.” Spike hung his head.

Discord did not look sad. “Not, really, I don’t think so. I’ve lived a long time, Spike. I’ve seen a lot of things. But, truthfully–and this conversation never happened, by the way–the best times of my life have been with you all. When that time in my life comes to an end, well, so do I.”

Spike was about ready to cry, tears ready to stream down his face. Who could have imagined the marshes would invite the sentimental?

Spike just nodded and hummed, taking it in. Although most of the time he was annoyed by Discord, there were occasional moments when he was stunned into silence. Whether it was a profound statement about death or the stupidest thing he had ever heard, these were the moments that defined their friendship most.

They continued plodding through, the heaviness of their mission offset by the various emotions circling around in Spike’s brain. Sadness, fear, and gratitude were all amalgamated into one big lump of feeling.

Before they knew it, the midday sun had relaxed into that of the late afternoon. They had a few hours left before the sun set, and just a day before the meeting was set to start.

In the secret scroll that Twilight had given them, the coordinates met at a small town in the Southern corner of Equestria, where an old, abandoned amphitheater supposedly served as the Red Cloak’s meeting place. Whispers across other southern towns posited that the small, tight-knit community had been recently taken over by the terrorist group. Citizens had reportedly fled to neighboring communities, most of which were hours upon hours away from the isolated spot. If any town could qualify for the title of “most isolated place in Equestria” it would be these coordinates. Neither Spike or Discord was able to scrounge up any more information, as the research trips of disguised guards were brief and hesitant. Nopony could risk anything more than what they already had. This was all the information Twilight was going to get, that is until Spike and Discord arrived.

At last, the wet mud ground gave way to solid dirt paths again. The heat of the region was almost unbearable, and the stickiness of the mud was replaced with the dreadfully humid air. They were in truly uncharted territory, considering both of them spent most of their time in the Northern and Middle regions of Equestria and its bordering countries. Even a small-town dragon like Spike hadn’t ventured much into towns that barely occupied a small stretch of road. Which was, barring any heat-induced delusions, exactly was in front of them. As they stood on the overlook that separated them from the gently valleyed slopes beyond, all they could see were vague clusters of homes and stops. They had made it to the final stretch, the various villages that would eventually give way to the place only known in hushed whispers and the fearful air of late-night tavern gatherings. The specific place they were looking for was curtained by its own secretive and scary volition. Nopony visited that place, because of, well, the atrocities committed against Canterlot. Spike honestly didn’t know why Twilight wouldn’t send a massive army to one of these supposedly “secretive” gatherings and just kill the entire group, but he and everypony knew she didn’t operate with violence.

Although Spike knew that they would have to exhaust all of their nonviolent resources(hence the espionage) before any kind of battle would be able to start, he was still lured by the prospect of an easier solution for the Red Cloaks. But that wasn’t how Twilight had raised him, and that was not how an associate to the Princess of Friendship was supposed to think.

It was frustrating, being caught between the desire for a peaceful outcome and the relief that would come without one. Spike wasn’t a violent dragon, but these ponies Equestria was dealing with were not something they had ever faced before.

But the violence was inevitable. Spike could feel it in his bones. They were still preparing for war, even if battle was something no creature actually wanted to do. Would they have to kill the Red Cloaks? Would they send them to Tartarus? Would they be imprisoned in a stone statue like Queen Chrysalis, Grogar, and Cozy Glow? Would Twilight be able to reform them? Would they be banished to someplace beyond Equestria? Beyond this dimension?

Spike rubbed his temples. All of the unknown consequences of the Red Cloaks actions gave him a headache. But right now, all he needed to focus on was getting to the meeting without being found out first.

They first village they came through was beyond charming. Cottages with thatched roofs shared roads with shops that had probably been around longer than Celestia’s reign. Most houses were an off-white, some criss-crossed in a Tudor style. Some larger, fancier homes had gabled roofs, but were just as inviting and cozy. As they reached the town square, they saw rows of stalls selling everything from hay and apples to dish towels and hoof-made soaps. Discord immediately transported over to the baked goods table, where a fresh batch of croissants had come out to the bakery case. Spike watched, amused, as Discord attempted to haggle with the baker before giving up, snapping his claws to put a mountain of gold coins on the table as payment. The baker’s eyes went so wide they almost popped out of his head. Spike wondered if that amount of money had ever been seen in this small town.

They continued on their way, enjoying the chocolate croissants, careful not to spill crumbs on the fresh grass roads. As they reached the outpost, a dressed-down guard nodded in greeting as they left the town. Spike had seen that face before. He figured it was one of the many disguised Royal Guards that had been stationed across Equestria, something Twilight had only informed him of recently.

As the thatched roofs and vegetable gardens faded to nothing more than recent memory, Discord and Spike continued plodding through to the edge of Equestria. Perhaps it was the edge of the world, too.

A few hours later, what came into view was not a village, but the whispering, eerie remains of one. It was like looking at a skeleton after all of the body had rotted away.

Discord broke the silence. “We…should probably disguise ourselves now.”

It was strange hearing this new timbre in Discord’s voice. It was not just hesitance. It was pure fear. Spike turned to him, they locked eyes, and he nodded.

Discord snapped his claws, and neither of them needed a mirror to see what they looked like. It took a few minutes for each to get adjusted to the now-infamous uniforms. They were much heavier than they looked, apparently.

Discord scrutinized the clothing. “You’d think criminals would have less cumbersome clothes. You know, for galloping away from crime scenes.”

Spike agreed. “Yeah, it’s probably more for show than anything. Like some kind of really messed up unity.”

A natural silence fell upon them as they crept closer to their destination. Neither knew quite what to expect.

Eventually, they didn’t have to look around for the meeting spot anymore. It loomed over them, piercing the veil of mist that had overcome the area.

What was between them and finding all the Red Cloak secrets was quite literally something out of Ancient times. The old amphitheater was much, much larger than either had anticipated. It must have held thousands of spectators back in the day.

This of course begged the question…how many members of this rogue group were there? How many ponies put on cloaks and made the trek out here?

How many members of the enemy hadn’t revealed themselves yet?

Spike gulped and he wrapped himself tighter in his cloak. For all of its unnecessary weight, it was quite comforting, like a blanket he had once had as a baby dragon. He looked over to Discord and the fear was as clear as day on his face, even through the disguise of a pony. They continued on towards uncertainty, towards terror, towards their own nightmares.

Author's Note

Hello everyone,
I am so sorry about waiting a month to post this chapter, and also sorry for how short it is. August is always an extremely busy month, so life kind of got in the way. Thank you for sticking it out with me and I hope to get back to a more regular posting schedule soon.
Best,
Flopinator1976

Chapter Thirteen: A Royal Conversation

Author's Note

Hopefully you all saw my blog post, apologizing for my absence. This chapter gets a bit cheesy at some points, but I wanted it to be as genuine as possible. I hope you enjoy. Thank you!
Flopinator1976
p.s. If there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, that's because I am unusually fatigued at the moment.

Chapter Thirteen: A Royal Conversation

Twilight was busy pacing, which was all she seemed to do these days. After the second day without the return of Spike and Discord, she was growing seriously concerned. Of course their journey was perilous and risky, but a part of her just assumed that the interval would be quick. In between the regret of letting them go and the anticipation of their return was a dull, aching pain. It was not physical, but the way it had enveloped her brain seemed much the same. Her worry was a low, humming headache. Her hooves were worn down from all the pacing around, and she barely had consideration to get them polished. Any kind of self-care felt like a slap in the face to her citizens, who still had to make do with tents and boxed food. Although many citizens had lent their spare bedrooms to ponies in need, it simply was not enough for the population of Equestria’s capital city. Priority was given to more vulnerable members of the population, which meant that a sizable chunk of Canterlot was still calling home to a shabby tent.

Twilight sighed. She tried not to be so cynical. It was the best the Crystal Empire could do, considering the remote location and smaller infrastructure. But as boxes and boxes came from cities across Equestria, something a little like a home began to emerge on the outskirts of the city. With the fancy new blankets, clothes, and yurts that had arrived, Twilight was beginning to feel that they would easily get through the harshest nights of winter. She could have just asked the weather factory to avoid sending snow to the area, but anything out of the ordinary would just draw more attention. She couldn’t rely on her royal prestige or powerful magic. In this secretive survivor's camp, she was stripped to her barest bones. Every day was shrouded in fear that the Red Cloak was staging a new attack. If not in the Crystal Empire, cities like Manehatten or even Ponyville were vulnerable. It seemed nowhere was safe.

On the bright side, her citizens were warm, well-fed, and decently entertained with the activities the Crystal Empire had to offer. Rarity had even teamed up with locals to create a workshop for traditional Crystalian weaving. Hats, baskets, and other random objects made of straw seemed to permeate every street corner. For every cafe and deli there were hundreds of ponies coming in, day in and day out. It could have felt like a normal life, but it wasn’t.

Her citizens having to take shelter in the Crystal Empire was just so incredibly wrong, so frustrating, and so...so…preventable. Violence of the kind she had witnessed just a few weeks ago wasn’t supposed to happen in Equestria, in a city defined by the “magic of friendship” slogan hawked in touristy merch stalls at every bustling corner. Even looking beyond the cynicism that had made itself home in her mind, she knew that Canterlot was special, it was symbolic. It was the glue of Equestria, it was the beating heart that sustained every other vital part of the nation. As ruler, she always wanted to grumble about the way that the value of friendship had been commodified into merchandise and unauthorized biographies of herself and her friends.

But in truth, friendship was still magic. It was what had saved her life, in more ways than one. All the baseball caps in the world couldn’t cheapen the very fibers of her being. And now, the monuments that had memorialized that, the cobbled streets that held generations worth of memories…it was nothing but blood and smoke.

Except for the castle. Twilight couldn’t stop thinking about that. She couldn’t stop worrying that at any moment, the sky would turn into a burst of red, black and gray. She couldn’t stop worrying that things were about to get much, much worse.

She kept pacing. Her hooves were numb, ever so slightly illuminated by the unwelcome return of the morning sun. Her own mind had swiftly robbed her of any sleep that night, and she was feeling the effects. Her body was starting to break down, and her focus had been lacking for the past few days. It seemed like every time she had any flame of hope or optimism, it immediately extinguished itself.

She looked around her makeshift bedroom, briefly marveling at the intricate crystal moldings on the ceiling. The castle was truly a work of art. It may have even rivaled her own, both in Canterlot and in Ponyville.

She sighed. It would be a long time before she could marvel at the beauty of either of those places. Even if they won their fight against the red cloaks, the damage would be immeasurable. The violence was just the beginning, and the aftermath would be its own kind of horror. Ponies would have to rebuild their homes, their lives, and their souls. Many other ponies didn’t have the fortune of getting to rebuild anything at all. For the unlucky, flowers and stifled sobs would be the only frills of their fate.

Her alarm clock almost made her jump out of her skin, reminding her that she should have been waking up from a restful sleep. Instead, she plodded to her bathroom to take the coldest shower she could manage. She would do anything to get her mind out of a sleepy, nightmarish haze. Although she had a myriad of spells available to her, she was too paranoid about being noticed. Who knows what kind of technology the Red Cloaks had.

Just before the bathroom door was her dresser, and on top was the little white book. Although the last few weeks had been disrupted, she and her mysterious guard had struck up a correspondence. She still remembered his scribbling, manic hoof writing on the day of the bombs. She opened to a new entry, dated from just a few minutes prior. The guard must have been an early riser.

“Dear Twilight,
I hope this letter finds you well. I have overseen this week’s shipments of supplies, and I am happy to report that our vegetables and fruits coming in are at the peak of the harvest! May you and your citizens enjoy the fresh food. Our urban farmers have been quite proud of their accomplishments, especially with the limited green space we have in the city. Once this hell blows over, the farmers will hopefully understand where their hard work was truly going. This operation has been immense, but the secrecy of it is the real challenge! Trottingham has been working tirelessly for this cause, and I want to let you know something:

Don’t give up. Please, please, don’t give up. I know that times are challenging, and will be challenging still. There is much evil and strife in this world, but there is much more goodness. Ponies like you show the world that friendship will triumph over animosity, peace over violence, and good over evil. From Trottingham to Manehatten to Saddle Arabia, ponies and other creatures alike are scared and tired, but not without a fight. Equestria has your back against these rogue ponies.

I hope this message helped you at least a small bit, and I have received word of the intense preparations of the Royal Guard. I can confirm that guards stationed across Equestria are prepared to the highest extent. We may not want to fight, but we have to prepare for battle. I send this message with urgency but understanding.

Take care of yourself, Twilight.

Twilight finished reading the letter, the pages rippled with tears. She didn’t want to face the reality that was already facing her. She quickly jotted down some of the message on a non-magical sheet of paper. But when she turned back to the message, it was already fading, until all that was left was a blank page. It must have been a discretion tactic, considering the sensitive nature of the message. She closed the book and headed into her bathroom to get ready.

—

“Okay everypony, we understand what this means, correct?”

Shining Armor was characteristically firm with his commands, but even still Twilight winced. It was scary to see a pony she loved preparing to face danger.

In a massive basement gymnasium-which served as a makeshift training ground for guards-Shining Armor was busy instructing new cadets on the basic drills of the guard. Twilight felt overwhelmed just looking at the massive group. She didn’t even know there were that many ways for a pony to stand up straight.

Over the last few weeks, young stallions and mares alike had signed up for the army in droves, all prepared to defend Equestria. As the horrors of what the Red Cloaks had done seeped through the city, a sense of Equestrian devotion was revitalizing the citizens.

Shining Armor continued with a barrage of seemingly mundane drills.

“Attention! Face Left! Face Right! Back Around Again! Hooves Together! Hooves Apart! Spine Straight! Look Up! Look Down! Right Hoof Up! Now the Left Hoof! Again!”

Twilight’s head was spinning. She knew that these ponies, most of them barely out of their secondary education, were training for a battle.

No, that wasn’t quite right. They were training for war. She shuddered, causing Shining Armor to break free from his teaching voice for just a second. He instructed his trainees to grab water and a snack during their impromptu break.

He was calm yet concerned as he trotted over to her.

“Everything okay, sis?” His eyes were clouded with worry.

Twilight knew she looked terrible. Her frame was thinning as a result of her decreased appetite and sleepless nights. Even after a heart-to-heart with Starlight a few weeks back, she was still plunged into a feeling blacker than a starless sky.

She looked him right in the eye. “No, everything is not okay.” Her words had a bite to them. She was angry, angry at Starlight and Shining Armor and the little white book and all else that still believed in her. How did everypony and every creature have so much faith in her, in a broken institution? How could any creature muster up the audacity to believe in her when she didn’t believe in herself?

She felt the embrace of her brother before she realized it. In all her pacing and worrying, it had been a long time since she felt the hug of another pony. She returned the embrace, and they shared a moment of stillness.

“I know it’s tough right now, Twilight.” He said, his voice choked with tears.

It was unusual for her brother, a stallion practically raised in the Royal Guard, to show such emotion. But the undercutting fears were getting to everypony.

He continued, somehow saying exactly what Twilight needed to hear.

“I don’t have anything encouraging to say, Twi.” he sniffled, and wiped his eyes. “The situation right now is just plain horrific. That’s all it is.”

He looked at her, and it was like he was seeing directly into her soul.

She nodded, her gaze warped by her weeping eyes.

A determination set over Shining Armor’s face, as if he remembered his military duties. The vulnerability was gone, and in its place was a stony, if stumbling, facade. He was the leader of the Royal Guard. This is who he had to be.

“I’ve got to get back to my duties, Twilight.”
Twilight sniffed. “I know.”

For a split second she was reminded of when they were fillies, playing together at the edge of a small stream. Their parents had owned a vacation home deep in rural Equestria, and the two had spent countless summers catching fireflies and roasted marshmallows around a camp fire. On this particular day, Twilight had wobbled on her hooves, dizzy after spinning in circles to chase a wild rabbit. She had fallen, then, into the stream, and it was not long before she could feel the icy water entering her lungs. It was then that Shining Armor had plunged to save her, just a few ways away when he had heard her water-muffled screams. All she could remember after that were the terrified faces of her parents, and most importantly how her brother seemed to shiver for days on end after that. It seemed that every time he even looked at water, he began to hyperventilate, his pale white fur becoming even more stark and scared.

Shining Armor had always been afraid of water, she reasoned. Drowning had been one of his own fillyhood nightmares, countered with Twilight’s night terrors, which mostly consisted of academic failure. But he had plunged into the freezing cold stream, against the agony of his own mind, just to save her. She had never forgotten how shocked her parents were, or how haunted the look in her brother’s eyes has been.

If Shining Armor could have faced his fears all those years ago, then maybe she could as well. She knew, of course, that it would not be long before the inevitable cynicism came back around. She knew, of course, that she would have to keep herself motivated and present, and rested and well-fed.

She spent the rest of the day as an inspector for various battle preparations, from armor and weapons to food and shelter. Even with the enormous amount of supplies that was already being allocated to the refugees from Canterlot, the Crystal Empire was making the best of the situation. She had also received word that other large and vulnerable cities, such as Manehatten and San Ponio were secretly preparing their own armies, albeit without the help of citizens. Unfortunately, until Twilight was able to gather more information about the Red Cloaks, these preparations would have to be kept away from the general public. Although the mood across Equestria had been somber since the attack on Canterlot, Twilight didn’t want any hidden members of the group to be listening in on their preparations.

It was challenging, this balance beam she found herself on. Always teetering on the thin line between right and wrong, between light and shadow.

Eventually, of course, the world would have to know what was going on, the war that they were preparing for. But a public panic was the last thing Twilight needed.

For just a little while longer, the secrets were safe with her.

She lowered the sun, went to bed, and entered the realm of dreams.

Twilight woke with a start. Well, that would be the wrong verb. She wasn’t awake, she must have been dreaming. She was weightless and fuzzy, floating in some vast place that was no place at all. A dizzying combination of green and blue seemed to surround her in every direction, as if she was underwater. As if she was drowning at sea, a thousand miles away from the shore.

She took a tentative step forward, and another, and another. She did not know where this place began or ended. She wasn’t really stepping, either, she was…she was…nothing. She was a ghost, a spirit, a soul, a memory. A projection of herself, the ether of her life.

She continued on, time stretching into oblivion, and not passing at all. She did not know how that worked, but the laws of science and magic did not apply here. At least not “regular” magic. This was something else. Something esoteric, something unique, something…something…divine.

A soft light flickered ahead, and she went as fast as she could. However, she wasn’t moving anymore, it seemed. The light was coming to her, and it was not alone. A darker form appeared alongside it. Was this heaven? The universe itself? What was this place?

It would occur to her later that the green and blue hues, with their tinge of familiarity, were the same colors that she glimpsed while Celestia had made her an alicorn.

The colors that were coming closer eventually became fuzzy forms, then shapes, then…then ponies.

Celestia and Luna.

Mixed emotions swirled around Twilight’s brain. Ever since that epiphany had hit her during her visit to Trottingham, she didn’t know what to think. She wanted to scream and cry, throw a fit like a filly who was forced to eat vegetables. She wanted to be stoic and graceful, an icy glint of rage just behind her eyes. She wanted to tear her mentors apart, limb from limb, into a bloody mess. She wanted to break down, to give them forgiveness, to fall apart in the hooves of her second family. She wanted to do it all.

But standing there, face to face with the ponies who had likely betrayed her the most, she couldn’t say a word or conjure any sound from her rapidly constricted throat. She couldn’t breathe, even though she was breathing just fine. Anxiety was an unwelcome contradiction, knocking at the door.

Celestia was the first to speak.

“Twilight.” She nodded.

“Celestia. Luna.” She nodded back.

“Twilight.” Luna greeted her back.

Neither pony said a word, forcing Twilight to find the words lodged in the back of her throat.

She looked them both in the eyes. “So…are we just going to stand around exchanging names and pleasantries?” She practically spat out the last few words. “Because I don’t believe that would be productive.”

She had chosen the icy, graceful option. But anger and rage were crawling up her sides, like the most unbearable bugs of the Everfree forest.

Celestia’s hardened royal gaze softened, like the gentle mentor she had remembered from her fillyhood years. “No, of course not.” She said, her voice soft.

Twilight looked over to Luna, who only gazed back, eyes equally soft. She just stared ahead. It was strange to see two of the powerful ponies in Equestria being vulnerable.

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the sympathy. But try as she might, she couldn’t hate her mentors. She felt anger, sadness, and every emotion possible. But hate…hate was something different. At the very least, she wanted to listen, wanted to understand why they did what she was almost certain they had done. She wanted to know.

Of course, it was possible that they hadn’t staged the attack, and somepony else had betrayed her. Considering the shenanigans that Discord used all those years ago, she wouldn’t put it past him. But nopony else could have possibly done it, could they. Nopony else had such power, such reach, such authority.

So who else could have roused the Red Cloaks other than the ponies who had angered them in the first place. An unlikely partnership, sure, but not out of the question. After many sleepless nights, she had found her reasons, and they were confirmation enough.

Celestia and Luna shared a glance. It was time for them to share the truth. All of it.

Celestia stepped forward. “Twilight, there’s something we need to tell you.”

Twilight nodded, preparing for the reality she had been trying to face for weeks.

“We’re dying.”

Twilight felt like she had been hit by a truck. That was not the news she was expecting to hear, and all previous thoughts vanished into her murky mental waters.

“WHAT? Excuse me?!? You’re dying…You’re DYING?!? How is this possible? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Aren’t you immortal? How could this–”
Celestia waved her hoof, motioning her to stop her rambling. Twilight obeyed. Even as the ruler of Equestria, she was still Celestia’s student.

“We’re dying, Twilight.” She said again.

Twilight looked over to Luna, who nodded silently.

She felt like her heart had stopped and her stomach had plummeted. How was this even possible? She wanted to pace and pace and pace, but she stood as still as a statue. Even her limbs couldn’t muster up the will to move.

“You’re dying.” She said, hoping desperately that it wasn’t true.

They both nodded.

“How?”

It was Luna’s time to speak. “As always, magic works in strange ways, and our time in the mortal realm is up. We are getting weaker and weaker. Eventually, we will take our places beyond the stars.”

Twilight nodded. Although Luna never had the gift of spoken clarity of her sister, what she had said was still intelligible. They were dying, off to some ethereal place. Maybe heaven, although she was far too old to believe in such fillyhood fantasies. Something else then.

She couldn’t believe it, but she found herself nodding in agreement. “I understand..I guess.”

Celestia smiled warmly, a twinkle of hope in her eyes. “We’re glad you understand, because we know this is a difficult thing to process.”

Twilight was grateful that she had chosen a graceful demeanor. Anger would come when she needed it to. “When you say “beyond the stars”, what exactly does that mean?”

Celestia chuckled softly. “Ah, Twilight, always a stickler for the details.”

Both ponies took a beat, trying to explain it easily.

Luna found her footing first, so to speak. “It means that while our bodies will be gone, our magic is not. Look up at the night sky, or see a blooming flower, and you will find us.”

Of course, it was now that Luna chose to be cryptic. Twilight wanted to grumble and roll her eyes at the confusing wording, but at the same time couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of her language.

“You will find us, Twilight.”

Twilight just stared at them both, unable to cry and unable to not. In some weird, in-between stasis, she found the words she needed.

“What the hell does that mean?” She surprised herself with the vicious language of her words. She was not one for swearing.

“It just means that when we die, we don’t really die. Our souls, our magic…it lives on through everything. Our magic goes back to the place it came from, which is the entire world. Twilight, one of the fundamentals of magic training is the knowledge that it can come from anywhere. We will just be adding to that ecosystem.”

Twilight considered Celestia’s words. “Huh, that makes a lot of sense. It’s actually kind of beautiful.” She could feel tears prickle her eyes, but it wasn’t just sadness, it was acceptance as well. As much as she would grieve, she would remember those words for as long as she lived.

A long time passed before anypony said anything else at all. In that time, Twilight’s initial shock at her mentor’s news faded. With it came the original conversation topic.

As if they knew exactly what she was thinking, both ponies became noticeably more serious and stern. Bracing themselves for Twilight’s breakdown. Twilight stood her ground, refusing to cry, yell, or swear. The anger in her eyes was enough. She would not let them see her fall apart. Even just minutes before, she would have yelled any obscenity that came to her mind. But like the flick of a light switch, no longer did she feel the need to. As any true leader would be, she was poised, graceful, and absolutely fuming.

“Why did you do it?” She asked, her seething words barely escaping her gritted teeth.

They did not answer.

“Why. Did. You. Do. It.” This time, she did not frame it as a question. It was merely an objective statement.

Luna stepped forward. “We never meant to go this far. Truly.”

Twilight gave zero reaction, so Luna kept going.

“We saw you struggling with your leadership. A few years in and you haven't yet found yourself as a true leader. Celestia and I debated for months on what to do, all the while our own health slowly deteriorated. The longer your reign becomes, the worse our health gets, like we aren't needed anymore. And we wanted that to be true. We didn’t want you to need us anymore. But you did.”

Twilight was bewildered. “That doesn’t make any sense at all! Why not just…wait to die if you cared so much about my reliance on you? Why not just go into hiding? Why not just…be a normal pony and help me out sometimes?”

Luna just shook her head. “In order to be a true leader, Twilight, you need to let go of the past. As it happens, Celestia and I are that very past. In order for you to let go of what is tying you down, we needed to sever ourselves. We needed to leave.”

Twilight practically sputtered out her words. She felt like she was listening to the deranged ramblings of a drunken pony at the bar. “This…this makes no sense! It makes no sense at all! Why go to all this trouble, create a fake terror plot, just to get me to hate you?”

There, she admitted it. The emotion she could feel closest was hate. In this moment, although she swore she would never feel this way about anypony, she hated Celestia and Luna more than anything. Maybe even more than the Red Cloaks.

“Our initial plan was never this convoluted. In our various post-rulership travels, we encountered a fringe group of anti-monarchists, colloquially known as the Red Cloaks, for the cloaks they wear are the color of blood. Although we were not welcome by them at first, we soon discussed with them what we needed to do. Twilight, although we never wanted you to hate us, we needed to do something drastic before you became consumed by yourself. So we devised a plan to stage an attack on you, to scare you into thinking for the future. We wanted to train you into the future-forward, pragmatic leader we know you can be.”

Any semblance of grace was gone by now. “Are you getting advice from DISCORD?!?! Do you even hear yourselves? This is the plot of a cartoon! Some kind of Old Ponish tragedy!” Twilight’s voice was hoarse from her screaming. “You killed ponies! You killed creatures! You bombed YOUR OWN CITY! For what?!? Celestia, Luna, please answer this question. FOR WHAT?!?”

The silence was deafening.

“Twilight, this was not the doing of any of your friends. I promise you, this had nothing to do with them. When we started out planning with the Red Cloaks, we had no idea that they would take things this far. We simply staged an attack. Everything else…was out of our hooves.”

Twilight’s voice finally cracked open, and with it her heart. “I don’t believe you! I don’t believe you! I don’t believe you!” She sobbed uncontrollably. She was a shipwreck, wrecked endlessly with ferocious waves. Her body and mind were splintered, rotted, devastated. It was endless. Endless, endless, endless. Until it wasn’t.

She wiped her tears. “I don’t believe you.”

Celestia’s hoof found its way to her own. She hadn’t felt that warmth from Celestia in a long while.
“It’s okay, Twilight. It’s okay. We wanted this. We wanted to become villains. It’s okay.”

Twilight just scrunched up her face. It would have been comical had it not been so sad. “So you devised your own villain fantasy, which you simultaneously insist isn’t really your fault, just…to teach me a lesson? Couldn’t a pep talk suffice?”

Twilight knew the answer to her own question.

“No, Twilight, it would not. You might not understand why we did this. It’s okay if you never do. But it was necessary. Twilight, we did this…because we love you, okay?”

Twilight nodded. “I know.”

Celestia found herself crying now. It was the saddest two words she had ever heard.

Luna finally continued. “We saw you continue to struggle, even after the Red Cloaks. We saw you run away, go to Trottingham, and come back. You tried to live up to expectations that fundamentally are flawed. You had ups and downs. But as always, it is darkest before dawn. You may hate us now, and you may hate us forever. But ultimately, that’s not what really matters. What matters, Twilight, is that you become better than us. You can let go of the past, and stop living under our shadows. You can become your own pony, your own leader, and your own soul. To accomplish that, we needed to offer ourselves up.”

Luna sighed, and breathed in deep. This was the hardest part of all. “We know that our reputations, our legacies, and our friendship is forever undone. We are privy to the anger in your bones. We are aware that this changes everything. There is nothing you could say, or shout, that we haven't heard a million times in our own heads.”

Twilight, for her part, was still flabbergasted. “But still, why do this elaborate, convoluted scheme? For what, Luna, for what?!?” her rage was palpable, but her voice had become softer and smaller.

Celestia spoke.

“Twilight, you need to let go of the past.”

“Is that supposed to be helpful? Why don’t you just stitch that onto a pillow and give it to me for heartwarming!” She snarled. “I can’t let go of the past, Celestia, it doesn’t work like that! I made mistakes in my life, and I have to live with them. Every. Single. Day. I can’t let go! That doesn’t exist. I have to learn to live with it!” She was panting from how fast she was speaking, utterly enraged that her mentors, some of the smartest ponies in Equestria, were so confident, and so wrong.

“Twilight, your rulership is defined by courage in the face of crisis. All we did was bring that crisis to you.” Celestia said, words tinged with regret at what her actions had spiraled into.

Twilight was vibrating with anger. “That. Isn’t. True. It just isn’t! Why would leadership be defined by grand events? Those don’t happen very often, you know, and you can’t be defined by any single thing. Courage is not something that comes up every once in a lifetime, it’s what you do Every. Single. Day. I never defined you both by your inaction during our battles, so I hope you would never pin me down on my own!” She was still screaming, every word laced with enough venom to kill an entire population.

“Furthermore,” She continued on her rant. “Why would I listen to anything you have to say when you are so clearly wrong about being a leader? No wonder you two never did anything to help! All you did was look poised in your cushy little throne rooms while I was out fighting and risking my life. I was a leader when you two never were. I’ve shown more competence in this entire conversation than you two have in your entire lives!”

Unbeknownst to Twilight, Celestia and Luna looked at each other, sharing a proud smile. Although Twilight did not realize it at the moment, their conversation had worked perfectly. Everything had fallen into place like clockwork.

Twilight was so consumed with rage she could not see the contentment on Celestia and Luna’s faces. “It doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t make sense. You want me to forget about the past, measure my worth by grand tragedies, and somehow become a better leader?”

Twilight just shook her head. “I can’t believe this. I really can’t believe this. I used to look up to you both so, so much. I had your poster on my bedroom wall, Celestia! I was your protege, and I saved your sister from eternal evil! And this is what you repay me with? This is how it ends? After everything Equestria has been through, after everything I’ve been through…this is the culmination!?!”

Luna looked at her intensely. “This may be the conclusion of our friendship, Twilight. I know it's hard for you to understand right now.”

“It’s hard for me to understand?” Twilight mocked. “Luna, Celestia…this has completely wrecked me! Do you have any idea how much this hurts?”

Just for a flash, Twilight saw through Celestia’s regal exterior, as a few tears threatened to fall from her shining eyes.

Celestiia choked back her own sadness. “Twilight…this is not the end. I know you think it is, but it’s not. We will still be around. Just not in the same way. This is the beginning of your story, Twilight. What happens next is up to you. Eventually, when you are in the epilogue of your life, so to speak, you might understand just a bit more.”

Twilight wanted to spit in her face, but even with her anger she could not do something so disrespectful. “Nice metaphor, but it doesn’t make this situation any better.”

Celestia nodded. She knew her student so well. “Of course it doesn’t, Twilight. Of course it doesn’t.”

And that was that.

Twilight had one more question, one question with a possibility so paralyzing that she could barely whisper it.

“Did Starswirl know?” She asked.

Luna smiled gently. “Of course not, Twilight. Nopony but us, and well, the others.” She finished her answer grimly. Outside of this protective, dreamlike space, a war was looming. One that they had caused, if not directly.

Twilight had little else to say. All she could do was continue her rant. “When I wake up, I’m going to spite you two for the rest of my days. I will live with my past, not bury it. I will measure my worth as a leader by my triumphs, not my mistakes. I will go forth into the present with true courage, something you two never showed. Never at all.”

Celestia and Luna both exchanged a glance and a nod. Twilight didn’t understand why they were so thrilled at being screamed at. Why were they so happy to die, so happy to be hated? She just sighed again. There was a lot about Celestia and Luna that she would never know. Magic did work in mysterious ways. She had never felt that saying so acutely until now.

“So, this is it then.” She said.

“Indeed.”

“Goodbye, Celestia. Goodbye Luna.”

“Goodbye, Twilight.”

A flash of light so bright it was blinding suddenly enveloped both princesses, and they disappeared. Slowly, the space began to turn to inky black. Twilight was startled. She must have been waking up, even though she didn’t feel like she was dreaming. Not at all. This must have been some place beyond both the waking world and the realm of dreams. Something beyond life at all.

When she opened her eyes, she was lying back on her bed, covered in a heap of blankets. Her room was as she had left it, papers and clothes all over her vanity. She needed to clean, but there was no time for any self-care when the world was at stake.
She checked her alarm clock, which showed the very little time she had before it went off. Although Twilight valued sleeping in as much as the next pony, she was grateful that she had managed to get any sleep at all. Even more, she was grateful for how refreshed and energized she felt. Long ago were the times when she had a zeal for just being alive.

Her limbs felt as revitalized as her brain. She took a quick shower and got ready, practically tripping down the hall from speed. She would have some things to do before her daily meetings began. In the spare closet that was now her personal office, she set aside a large stack of papers and took out her finest pens. She began to write.

Some time later, she heard a knock at her door, and in came Starlight. She looked tired, bags under her eyes and ears droopy.

“Wow! You’re up early! Working on something?” She nodded at the massive stack of writing on Twilight’s desk, with just a bit of concern. Twilight was prone to short bursts of mania like this.

Twilight adjusted her working glasses. “Yes, yes. I’m working on something.”

Starlight had a look, and was shocked. It was a statement, in two parts. The first was an alert to Equestria’s population about the Red Cloaks, and a call for volunteering, both for civilian services and military. The second part was something else. A resignation.

“I take it these will be released on separate occasions.”

“Yup”.

“Okay….”

Twilight gave her a look. “Okay, what?”

“You can’t possibly be doing this right now, can you? What’s gotten into you?” Starlight asked incredulously.

“Well, I just feel more sure of myself, that’s all.”

Starlight nodded. “Uh huh,” she agreed. She did not look convinced of Twilight’s newfound confidence.

“I’m not afraid anymore, Starlight. I can’t hide from the Red Cloaks anymore, and neither can Equestria. We have to be pragmatic about this.We have to be future-forward.” She was borrowing a word from her conversation with Celestia and Luna, although Starlight would not have known that, would she?

“You do know that the terms ‘pragmatic’ and ‘future-forward’ are somewhat contradictory, right?”
Twilight smiled and shook her head. “Of course I know that, Starlight. This is Twilight you’re talking about!”

Starlight smiled back. Of course she knew. She just missed Twilight feeling passionate about something. “We contain multitudes, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you for reminding me.”

Twilight giggled, a sound Starlight missed dearly, although she would never say it out loud. At least not yet.

They were interrupted by Rainbow Dash barging in, thankfully only knocking over a few books. “Would you two lovebirds quit it and get to the meeting? It starts in exactly one minute!”

Starlight’s face went white. Twilight’s went completely red.

“We’re..we’re not dating, Rainbow. We’re not lovebirds, or at least I don’t think we are. That would be weird, wouldn't it? You know, a conflict of interest, right? Either way, we’re not. Right Starlight? I don’t think we are! Unless I’ve misread our situation. I mean, there are times where we seem to finish each other’s sentences, and that’s kind of sweet, but I don’t think it means anything. Although if it did, that would be cool, too. But it doesn’t. Mean anything. I mean, you know what I’m saying. Oh gosh, I’m not saying it right, aren’t I. These things are so complicated, I should probably stop talking. I haven’t even had any coffee yet and I’m–

Starlight held her hoof up, giving a blank, unreadable expression. “Twilight, Rainbow left before she even finished her sentence.”

Twilight blushed even more, if that was even possible. “Oh, right. We should get going.” Her ears drooped out of embarrassment.

Neither pony spoke a single word as they headed up the flight of stairs to the meeting room, just one floor above. Luckily, the awkwardness was quickly saved by the bickering from the meeting room.

“I’m telling you, they’re definitely dating.” Rainbow Dash sounded as confident as she ever was.

“No they ain’t, Rainbow Dash. You can’t make assumptions for ponies. It just ain’t an honest thing to do. “ Applejack’s signature southern drawl seemed to grow even stronger when she argued.

“Well, you did just assume that they weren’t dating, which makes you a hypocrite. So there.”

“Rainbow Dash, why I–”

A scuffle could be heard, and then Twilight finally opened the door. Everypony went silent.

Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle. “Why hello friends, you didn’t happen to be listening, did you?”

Starlight decided to play along. “Listening to what?” She asked innocently.

Rarity burst into fake laughter, tossing her curled mane for effect. “Why nothing, darling, just the contestants for my newest televised fashion runway competition.”

Applejack whipped her head around so fast she might have pulled a muscle. “Now how could you possibly have the time to be doing that? Might I remind you of our situation with the Red–”

She was silenced with a single glare from Fluttershy. It seemed her signature “stare” was as effective as ever.

Shining Armor had had enough of the gossip(and the humiliated look on his sister’s face) and addressed the room. “We can talk about our friends later. Right now, we have pressing matters. I have received word from Spike and Discord just a moment ago that they have located the location of the Red Cloaks. Also”-he gulped- “they have…a schedule…”

He paused, letting the news hang in the air like a battered, blood-red banner.

Cadence was equally as grim with her explanation. “What Discord and Spike were able to outline in the brief letter they sent us is that the Red Cloaks are planning to attack densely populated cities like Manehatten, Cloudsdale, Trottingham, Fillydelphia, and San Ponio first. Then, smaller, sprawling cities like Saddle Arabia and our own Crystal Empire. Finally, the town of Ponyville will be the target of their ‘grand plan’.”

“What…what is the ‘grand plan?’” Twilight asked nervously. This was news to her. What could they possibly have planned?

Cadence didn’t have an easy answer. “We don’t know for sure. Discord and Spike were not able to write for long, and the letter ended rather abruptly. But from what they said in the letter, the Red Cloaks specifically referred to the ‘grand plan’ as something “symbolic” of a new era.”

Twilight’s heart dropped. It couldn’t be, couldn’t it?

Shining Armor broke the tense silence. “We don’t know for sure, but Spike and Discord clearly couldn’t give that much information about it. Which means that whatever they have planned is so secretive that only a few ponies must know about it.”

It wasn't hard to put the pieces together. “So it’s something…more violent than anything Equestria has ever seen.” Fluttershy offered, shaking her head in disbelief. It seemed as if on cue, everypony came to the same conclusion.

Shining Armor spoke for the group. “What we believe is that the Red Cloaks intend to carry out a public execution.”

A public execution. The thought was so horrific, so violent, it was unbearable. Executions were something from ancient pony times, times when crowds would gather and cheer in a town square or hall, watching a blade slice down on a pony’s neck. She could almost see the glint of silver come down. Executions were something from the past, something archaic, something almost fantastical.

Shining Armor continued, looking his sister straight in the eyes. “The ‘grand plan’ as it is referred to, is likely a plot to ceremonially kill the most important ponies and creatures in Equestria. That includes everypony in this room. Flurryheart too,” he said, glancing over at Cadence, who burst into tears. What the Red Cloaks had planned was terrible, but there was something particularly awful about involving a filly. Cadence excused herself briefly to compose herself.

“I reckon they’ll take the cutie mark crusaders, and the student six too. Probably even Thorax and some of the high-up Changelings and whatnot. They’re coming for us all. Anypony who works with the Crown.” Applejack took off her hat, holding against her heart.

She was right. Everypony and every creature was at risk. Judging by the way Spike’s letter had gotten cut short, both him and Discord were likely in even more immediate danger.

Twilight gulped, sweat forming on her brow. This was a lot to take in. Between the words in the letter and in her “dream”, the next chapter of her life(as the princesses referred to it as) was shaping up to be a busy one.

Pinkie Pie noticed Twilight’s reaction. “Twilight’s what’s on your mind?” She quickly corrected herself. “Well, besides everything.”

Twilight hummed in response. She didn’t quite know how to phrase it. “I don’t know. We have to try. We’re capable. I’ve already drafted a notice to all major cities, and I can send it as soon as we’re done here. I’m done hiding in the shadows. We shouldn’t be afraid of the Red Cloaks. They should be afraid of us,” she said defiantly.

Starlight, who had seen her in some of her worst moments, was the first to speak following Twilight’s bold declaration. “Wow, Twilight. “ her voice was soft, like it was only meant for her. “That was…a beautiful thing to say. I agree completely.”

A chorus of voices lifted Twilight’s own. It was like the old days, where a pep talk and some donuts was all she needed. Simpler times. Everything had changed so much since then. For better and for worse.

Cadence came back through the door, her eyes red but not teary anymore. She took her place next to Shining Armor, and the two shared a meaningful glance.
“I’ll send training manuals to every city’s royal guard faction, as well as the civilian military branches. We can utilize the crystal tunnels, as we should all be wary of using magic during this time. We need to keep all of our strength for what comes next.”

Shining looked around. Everypony was nodding, faces as hard as stone.

Twilight was so proud of her brother. It was moments like these when she remembered what a rock he was to those around him.

Shining Armor looked to Twilight for confirmation. She nodded. It was exactly what she had in mind.

“Secondly, from what Spike and Discord could understand, the Red Cloaks are not aware at this moment of the refugee camp set up in our empire. However, due to their planned attacks, they will find out soon enough. At this point, everypony who is not able to fight, particular mares and fillies, should be evacuated to somewhere safe. While our hope is to evacuate everypony before the Red Cloaks attack, we need to deal with the most vulnerable members of our population first. Hopefully we will get a large number of civilians to volunteer to fight, but we will not force them too. Anypony who can help us in the battle means we are ever closer to winning the war.”

He took a beat to let that information sink in.

Rainbow Dash spoke up. “I’ll ask Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts to help pegasus ponies get into shape. I also think we should try to get as many ponies and creatures as possible ready for fighting.”

Nopony wanted war, or even just a fight. But the power of friendship did not seem to be enough this time.

Fluttershy quietly sighed, looking up to face her friends with the saddest expression she had ever given. “Is this really who we are? Is this really what we’ve come to?”

It was a weighty question to consider. Twilight and her friends were supposed to mend hearts, not wreck them. Equestria was not supposed to be a land of war. But at this point, what other reality were they living in?

“No, it’s not who we are, Fluttershy. But how else do we make Equestria safe again, and save our ponies? How else are we supposed to know peace again without this violence?”

She nodded, soft pink mane rustled from stress, although Twilight could see tears forming in Fluttershy’s eyes, only blurred by the tears in her own. It was a terrible thing to endure, the nightmarish space between who she was and who she wanted to be.

“I hope that we don’t have to resort to violence, or even resort to killing. I truly don’t. But we have to do what’s best for our ponies. If we let the Red Cloaks win, they will do much worse than anything any of us could.”

It was choosing between death and more death, essentially.

“Lastly, we need to prepare for a wide range of possible attacks. Given the brief description in the letter I received, the Red Cloaks have far more members than what we have seen thus far. Likely a couple hundred ponies and other creatures, at least.”

“Hold on, do we even know who the Red Cloaks are? Do they have a leader or something?”

Shining Armor scrutinized the letter carefully before answering. “That is…unclear. It seems that the letter was written hastily. It just said whoever was addressing the group was very tall and had horns.”

“TIREK?!?” The entire group shouted in unison, as if they were on cue.

Twilight squinted. She had considered the possibility, especially considering the signature color scheme of the group. But Tirek was imprisoned in a stone statue, alongside Cozy Glow and Chrysalis. The only way he could have done it is if he was freed. But by whom?

Could the mysterious pony with horns…be Grogar? Could it be the both of them together? Maybe it was even Iron Will, seeking revenge after his failed cruise ship enterprise. The idea was funny to entertain, but the pony or creature they were dealing with was far more sinister than a disgruntled motivational speaker. Maybe it really was just a fringe group of dissatisfied anti-monarchists. Her head swirled with these new fears.

“Hmm, what do you think, Twilight?” Shining asked his sister.

All eyes were on her, waiting for her analysis of the tidbit of information they got.

“I..I don’t know for sure. But with the brief description we got, it likely has something to do with Tirek, or even Grogar, although I still don’t know how that’s possible. It’s also a possibility that the “tall pony with horns” is some kind of elaborate disguise or costume, maybe an emblem of the group’s philosophy?”

She was searching for a way to explain it right. “You know how cult leaders are often very flashy and charismatic, perhaps the whole horn thing is just part of the act. They could also be trying to fool Spike and Discord into accusing the wrong ponies. Maybe it’s even just an ostentatious distraction from what they are really planning. Maybe they knew we were spying on them the whole time.”

A collective chill ran down everypony’s spines.
Twilight needed to reassure the group. The prospect of what she was saying was terrifying. But ultimately, it didn’t really matter who this leader was. They would just fight back as best they could.

“Everypony, it doesn’t matter who this leader is. It just doesn’t. What we need to focus on is what we can control, not what we can’t.”

Shining Armor took over. “What we need to figure out now is where exactly to take the evacuated populations. No major city is safe, but most rural areas lack the infrastructure to support such a massive wave of ponies, and surely would give way to disease and poverty. What we need is a middle group, a place that is somehow rural and urban at the same time. Someplace that the Red Cloaks wouldn’t think to infiltrate.”

Twilight had absolutely no idea where that could possibly be. There wasn’t much time to search for one.

If they couldn’t find a place in Equestria, perhaps they would have to find a place that wasn’t a place at all. It would likely be of a magnitude the world of magic had never seen.

She had to keep Equestria’s vulnerable populations safe. She had an idea how.

For now, it was one hoof in front of the other, day after day, towards a future brighter than its sordid past.

Chapter Fourteen: Preparing for War

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