How Twilight Lost the Throne

Opening her eyes, Twilight found herself back in her room within Canterlot Castle. Immediately, she burst open, nearly falling out of the bed, stumbling and collapsing on the floor. Looking around, she took a few moments to somewhat wake up a little more, at least enough to realize that she was indeed in her room. It was strange, was everything still on her mind just some dream? No, no, that couldn’t be it, she had to have done it. The nobles, yes that was it, if she could confirm with Moondancer, then she could make sure that what happened yesterday was real. As well as this, the sensation, a pleasurable afterglow was still rippling throughout her body. Her mind couldn’t stop but think of the sheer joy she felt.

Heph, she pleased him, she was his good girl. Twilight couldn’t stop giggling and shivering with delight. She loved the feeling, it was like how she felt whenever she used to complete tasks for Princess Celestia. Serving the thestral lord gave her this wondrous sensation, it wasn’t like impressing her teacher, but rather fulfilling a purpose. She was just so happy to have been Heph’s good girl. Smacking her lips for a moment, she could still taste him, the way Heph felt on her tongue, and the flavor of his cock, his cum, and the way his gaze was so intense that it sent a massive shiver down her spine. No, it had to be real, not a dream. How she got back to her room, that didn’t matter.

“Maybe I should see him?” Twilight pondered to herself aloud. “Maybe I should just wait until late.” Another thought crossed her mind. “Maybe…fuck, I feel horny. Maybe Moondancer is available?” Her mind couldn’t help but think of the ways she could enjoy the unicorn and her alluring body. And as such, her fantasies were getting ahead of her.

Her mind wandered onwards, fantasies dancing within her thoughts. Twilight couldn’t stop thinking about how the two of them had fucked each other, all for the amusement and pleasure of Heph and that guard. They serviced him, worshipping at his cock with the vigor and passions of a well-trained whore, and the compliments, his blessed dick, and the succulent cum that she could still taste on her tongue, sending trembles of lustful pleasures throughout her being. She was so horny right now, her pussy was so wet and her nipples were poking against her nightgown. She needed to let out this hot and passionate build up. She needed to get Moondancer.

But then, another thought crossed her mind, possibly a sane thought amongst the ever present arousing feelings. She couldn’t just order her friend to her chambers for a day and night of passionate sex. She was back in Canterlot, she wasn’t Heph’s Good Girl right now. She was Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. She had to be the mare who made all the decisions, the one who held the burden of being a Princess on her shoulders. The weight had never felt so heavy upon her than right now. She had tasted a freedom and pleasure she had never known, and her curiosity only drove her to want to explore more of it.

But she wasn’t a dominant personality, she was a submissive one. Brief, scattering moments of trying to take charge didn’t make her less of a submissive mare. She just wanted to make her do whatever Heph commanded of her. She couldn’t think of any way she had been asleep for so long, and was now awakened to a world that this thestral lord had shown her. Looking over her clothes for the day, she wondered if she could just come up with any excuse to go and visit TwilightForge, just to be there, alone, with Heph. The ideas of what she would want from him only drove her further into her passionate desire. She wasn’t sure where Moondancer was, but she was far too horny to think.

“I just…I just need to calm down…” Twilight panted, muttering quietly to herself. “M-maybe…maybe if I hold it in, it’ll make when I see him again all the better?” It wasn’t a thought she normally would’ve considered, she was somewhat still an impatient mare, even from her unicorn days.

Whenever the curious mare wanted to indulge, explore, or learn something, it was hard to get her to be patient for it. Whether it was her studies, especially around a particular subject that had caught her interest, or something that she wanted to snack on, it was difficult for her to focus on anything but that. And now that she had tasted Heph’s pleasures, and her body was feeling a longing, almost a subconscious itch for it, she could barely think of anything but the desire to indulge in it. Biting a little at her lower lip, she struggled, almost to the point of bodily shaking as she was attempting to reign herself in. As she did so, she muttered more and more under her breath.

“Come on, Twilight…you can’t do this…you’re a Princess…” Twilight muttered, almost chanting quietly as a means to relax herself. “I…I’m a Princess. And once I’m done with my duties…I’ll arrange a visit to TwilightForge. Yes, yes, that should work…” She wasn’t fully sure, but it somewhat relaxed her, pushing her intense arousal a little to the back of her mind. “Now…I guess I should figure out what to wear for today.”

Normally, Twilight would wait for her maids to come and help her in deciding what to wear for the day. Not really fashionably minded, the alicorn wasn’t exactly sure just how important her choice in attire could be. When she first became a monarch, Rarity helped her with her outfits, trying to teach her to determine what was considered appropriate based on the time of year. Twilight was told that as a Princess, what she wore mattered, and it could make, break, start, or end fashion trends. And the last thing she wanted during her rule was any nobles believing their princess didn’t have a proper fashion sense. Still, Twilight never fully understood it, not to the point of not needing help. Thankfully, Rarity left detailed instructions to the maids, but they were running a little late and the Princess was feeling a little impatient, so she looked through her wardrobes.

Among her many dresses were the usual attires. Royal gowns, elaborate regalias, and other noble attires that she had won on casual and special occasions alike. But nothing about them really stood out to her. Twilight had worn these dresses during her daily routines, to grand events like the Grand Galloping Gala, and even whenever she met with members of other kingdoms. They were all so boring, nothing about them seemed to resonate with the alicorn. That is, until she got to the end of the collection. It was a black dress that Rarity had gifted her when she first became a Princess, but Twilight was far too nervous and self conscious at the time. But as she looked it over, she felt a little more confident about it.

“Yes, yes, this will do.” Twilight muttered to herself. Holding it up to herself, she looked at herself in the mirror. “Hmm, looks good, but I should try it first.” Stripping naked, a sensation she had become more accustomed to, and rather enjoyed, she put on the dress.

Putting on the dress, Twilight looked at herself in the mirror. It was fine, a lot more revealing compared to the others, but this only meant it exposed her shoulders and was a little more form fitting. Still, it wasn’t like the special dress Rarity had previously made for her with those expensive materials. Twilight almost considered wearing it, hoping that this would be the perfect dress to wear for Heph, but she remembered something her friend once told her about fashion. Unless it is your standard, never wear the same special gown more than once a week. It was strange, and hardly made any sense to her, but Twilight didn’t want to appear mundane to Heph. What he had given her the other day was the most delightful of gifts, and she only wanted more.

“This will do…well, maybe some adjustments are needed.” Twilight said, still looking at herself over and over again in the mirror. “Hmm, but how to adjust this?” Though not as skilled as Rarity, her practice with the previous dress did help her better understand fashion based magic.

The dress itself, form fitting, exposing her shoulders, still had her arms and chest covered. As well as this, it hugged comfortably against her bra, hiding her soft and sensitive nipples under the cushioning fabric. Doing a small twirl, Twilight wasn’t looking at this dress as if she cared about it, but rather was caring about how Heph would react to it. And while form fitting, and far more arousing compared to the other dresses she would’ve normally worn, it still felt so restricting. Her mind returned to TwilightForge, how freely dressed, almost liberating the mares looked with their own attire. Part of her wondered if she could get away with some illusion magic to disguise her as an ordinary mare, so she could walk naked in the thestral’s home as a guest, but this little fantasy was shaken from her head quickly.

“No, no. I can’t do that.” Twilight said, muttering a little to herself as she still giggled at the idea. “Still…I’m sure I can think of something. After a few more moments, she snapped her fingers as an idea struck her. “I know, this should work!” Igniting her horn, she let her magic wash and flow over her body.

The dress she wore rippled slightly, the magic taking a firm and in depth hold over it. The exposed shoulder area opened up some more, splitting more down the center of her chest, revealing her alluring cleavage, which meant her bra couldn’t be worn. Her nipples pressed against the fabric, almost visible through it should anyone look at her chest for too long. A faint giggle caused her body to shake, nearly exposing the faintest look of her areolas. From how her chest looked, just running, skipping, or even sneaking too hard could cause her tits to spill out of her dress. The already form fitting style of this dress only tightened on her, feeling more like second skin against her curves, which caused her to remove her panties, as the dress made them more visible against how it pressed against her.

By the time the magic was finished, the mare’s dress had been appropriately modified. It was so much tighter, and yet more liberating to the alicorn. Twilight felt as though she was naked, and yet still dressed enough where it wasn’t a fully exposed body to anyone who looked at it. Looking at herself in the mirror again, the Princess blushed, thinking less about how slutty she was looking, wearing no underwear, and having her tits almost on full display, but she was thinking about how Heph would react to the sight of her. She wondered if he would command her to suck him off or sandwich his dick between her boobs while wearing this dress, letting his hot, white spunk contrast against the black fabric? Or maybe he wouldn’t be able to control himself, tearing it off and fucking her into a mess.

“Princess?” Called a mare’s voice, knocking at the door. The sudden sound roused the mare from her thoughts, nearly startling her so much that her boobs nearly bounced out of her dress. “Princess Twilight? Are you awake?”

“Y-yes…yes I am.” Twilight replied, composing herself as she recognized the sound of her maid’s voice. She knew what she was here, and so decided to see how they would react to her. “There is no need.” Walking over to the door, she opened it. “As you can see, I am already dressed.”

The seven or so maids all had the same look on their faces. A subtle blush with a gasping shock as they saw the attire their princess was wearing. Thinking back to what she wore yesterday, they were still in utter disbelief over what she was wearing now. This black dress was far more revealing, and how she wore it with such a beaming glow on her face, it only added to the confusion. These maids had serviced Twilight for a long while now, and to see the normally indecisive and shy mare they have worked with to be so much more open, so much more daring, they weren’t exactly sure what to do, or what to say. But Twilight looked to be happy dressing like that, so there had to be some reason for this change. Either way, they smiled warmly, wanting to be as supportive with their princess as they could.

“Since I’m already dressed, I am feeling quite hungry.” Twilight commented, already starting to walk, the maids quickly following. “Where is Moondancer?”

“The steward is hard at work for today, so I will have another pony act in her place today.” The maid said, keeping up with Twilight’s walking pace. “I am sorry that I don’t know enough about your schedule outside of breakfast.”

“It’s no problem.” Twilight smiled. “For now, I would like to eat, and I am in a very productive mood. So I would like to get as much work done today as possible.”

Throughout the day, rumors and whispers among the many staff, servants, maids, and guards spoke of how Princess Twilight was behaving. Some said she was wearing a dress so tight that it was like she was practically naked. Others commented how they were certain they had seen her nipples against her dress. And at least one or two guards blushed as they recalled how she sneezed during her meetings, and it looked like one of her breasts pushed out of her dress. Twilight herself was hard at work. After eating a hearty breakfast, she had spent the last few hours engaging in her royal duties, speaking to the royal court, negotiating with the many merchant leaders, and reviewing policy changes, adjustments, and other bureaucratic paperwork for the day.

By a little before noon, a well respected and well honored figure arrived at the castle. Dressed in his blue robes and pointed hat, golden stars and moons gleamed almost magically, and the faint chime of bells followed him as he walked. The elderly gray unicorn stallion, Star Swirl the Bearded, the most well respected and powerful of the unicorn mages. Stroking along his long, white beard, he couldn’t help but overhear the whispers that were being spoken about Twilight. Knowing her for a long time now, he wouldn’t believe for a moment that anything these guards and servants were gossiping about was true. This was only until he arrived in the throne room, and saw the alicorn mare herself.

“Star Swirl?! Welcome, welcome.” Twilight said, not expecting this visitor, but welcoming him all the same. “A pleasure to see you. What brings you to Canterlot?”

Star Swirl was hesitant in his response. The rumors he had heard when he entered the castle were true. Princess Twilight Sparkle, dressing in a gown like something from some strange, almost erotic dream. He could hardly believe it, and yet it was sitting there before him. Still, perhaps there was no need for any alarm. He recalled both Celestia and Luna were equally shy about their choice of attire before he and his allies were trapped in limbo. And when he met Princess Cadance that one time, he wasn’t sure if what she wore was royal regalia, or some elaborate nightgown. Still, it was strange that she had undergone such a change in attire since the last time he saw her.

“I was told that thestrals have moved back into Canterlot’s mountain.” Star Swirl commented. “I wanted to confirm for myself.”

“Lord Heph and his people have established a home in the ancient mines within the mountain.” Twilight explained. “They named it TwilightForge, and it’s-” Then something Star Swirl said resonated with her. “Wait, did you say ‘returned’?”

“I did. And I was worried if there were any lingering hostilities.” Star Swirl nodded. “Perhaps we can discuss this over lunch. I feel a meal may help process everything I have to say.” Twilight didn’t argue, and was feeling somewhat hungry anyways.

Sitting in a more private dining room, both Twilight and Star Swirl were enjoying their meal. And while the meal was delicious, the alicorn princess was more curious as to what this great sage of a unicorn had to tell her. Star Swirl hadn’t given much more information, and she had no knowledge of the thestrals living in Canterlot’s mountain. She knew, thanks to Luna’s journal, that the thestrals came from Equestria, but by the time she wrote about them, Canterlot was already established, and the thestrals lived more to the south. So the idea that they previously were in the mountain itself only added to her curiosity. Maybe this was how they were able to establish TwilightForge quickly? Like returning home after being away for so long.

“Star Swirl.” Twilight said with a pleasuring greeting, finishing her meal. “You sounded like the thestrals lived in Canterlot’s mountain before?”

“That is correct.” Star Swirl explained, also finishing his meal. “Though I think it would be better if I showed you.” With that, he pulled out a scroll from his robes. Unrolling it, a series of arcane glyphs sparked to magical life.

Starting as a dim light, it grew and grew until it was so bright, that Twilight needed to cover her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she saw that the scroll had created a magical projection. Within this projection, she saw that the land appeared to be Equestria, but it must’ve been ancient, even predating the alicorn princesses. None of the towns she knew existed, no Ponyville, and not even the Castle of the Two Sisters. But there was the mountain of Canterlot, and while it looked like there was some settlement on the mountain, it wasn’t the city of Canterlot, but instead something similar to that of TwilightForge, but outside of the mountain. Her jaw nearly dropped as she looked in on it, marveling at it.

“Now, many long centuries ago, before myself and the other Pillars sealed yourself in Limbo with the Pony of Shadows, but before the first stones that you have walked on in Canterlot were laid, the mountain was home to the thestrals.” Star Swirl explained, swirling his hand to adjust and display more and more of the arcane conjured images for the mare. “The thestral empire the High Forge was founded within the mountains that were later called Canterlot. There, they mined countless gems and metals.”

The image then shifted, as if it was traveling along the streets of this ancient city. Twilight was amazed with how this city looked so similar to TwilightForge, though seeing it on the surface, rather than deep within the cavernous depths was strange, like it was something out of a fable. Still, she continued to look on, even as the images moved into the caves and mines, the alicorn saw what could only be described as rivers of metal ores, shimmering gemstones, and the countless thestrals mining them. The way the minerals were running along the stones was like veins in some earthen giant. It was marvelous, making her eyes widen as she continued to listen to Star Swirl’s explanations.

“Their magic altered the very foundation of the stone, making a near endless supply of these resources.” Star Swirl explained, adjusting the image some more. “Ever they delved, all but hollowing out the mountain, creating near endless tunnels and caverns of mines.”

The thestrals worked on the mines, digging into the metals and gems, but what's more, was the smithing methods. Twilight saw as thestral smiths worked in unison to strike at metals so hot, they were a blazing red. Other smiths were so skilled in some manner of defensive magic, they could stick their arm into the forge, grabbing the raw, hot metal from the inferno, lifting it upwards to let it be smashed by massive hammers easily many times larger than the thestral itself. Were these how ancient thestrals worked their craft? It was nothing like what she had seen in TwilightForge. Were these ancient techniques that have been lost to history? She felt like she should tell Heph about this, maybe she would be praised by him, be his good girl? The thought made her quietly coo in delight.

“Now, the High Forge was the capital of the Thestral empire for untold centuries and generations. Rumors and legends had it that the mountain itself was crafted by them rather than a naturally occuring feature of the land, explaining why Canterlot’s mountain stands alone in the center of Equestria. But these are only legends.” Star Swirl commented, changing the image back to outside the kingdom. “And while they ruled their domain, the rest of what would be Equestria was unclaimed, the perfect place for fields, farms, and pastures for the settling ponykind.”

The image shifted again, now spanning outwards from the mountain, focusing on the fertile hills and grasslands that would be where Ponyville was founded. And as the images moved about, time seemed to speed up, revealing to Twilight the arrival of the three tribes. First the clan of pegasi, led by Commander Hurricane, founded the cloud domain of Pegalopolis. Then the unicorns, stumbling upon the massive gem-covered hills and lesser mountains that were the byproduct of the thestrals, led by Princess Platinum, founding the kingdom of Unicornia. And finally, the earth ponies, seeing the value in the land, and already developing what would be massive farmlands, led by Chancellor Puddinghead, founding the territory of Earth.

“The three tribes, fleeing the windigos they had brought about by their conflicts, came across the thestral’s lands.” Star Swirl resumed his explanation. “And while the thestrals remained in their mountain, the three tribes, with the assistance of their aids, one of which being my student, Clover the Clever, they had defeated the windigos and the three became allies. At the time, the thestrals continued to more or less ignore the newcomers to their territories, but eventually, they could no longer ignore them.”

The image moved, showing the city of Pegasopolis, looking more like an ancient version of Cloudsdale, floating close to the High Forge. From there, a series of pegasi flew down to the thestral city, and some leader, possibly the successor of Commander Hurricane, met with a strong, well dressed, and armored thestral, possibly their leader, meeting with this pegasus leader. The two seemed to be discussing something, and the end of this discussion ended with a handshake. From there, the images sped up, seeing a unicorn king, the heir to Princess Platinum, shaking hands with the same thestral king. And then an earth mare in some fancy, albeit dirt covered clothes, the leader following Chancellor Puddinghead, shaking hands with the thestral leader.

“The pegasi, being a flying race, were the first to meet with the thestrals. Their leader, King Lugh, met with Commander Typhoon, and the two made the first trade arrangement with a foreign power. The High Forge would have preferential weather, a responsibility the pegasi were taking a more active role in, and the pegasi would be given thestral smithed weapons and armor.” Star Swirl said, his tone sounding far more monotone and academic as he spoke. “The unicorn king, Electrum Light, traded arcane knowledge that the unicorns had spent millennia studying, in exchange for knowledge on gems and gem crafting. This has led to some unicorns having spells to locate gems, much like your friend, Rarity. And finally, the earth pony leader, Chancellor Stewson traded food in exchange for thestral aid in clearing out many hills and smaller mountains to make more room for farmland.”

The images continued to flow, and time sped up, possibly another several decades or so passing by in front of Twilight. She was becoming more and more excited about it. Reading what she did in the TwilightForge library, she was so eager to learn as much as she could. As well as this, she was thrilled that Rarity’s natural magical talents at locating gems could have a possible connection to the ancient thestrals and unicorn alliance. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little playfully, thinking about how the unicorn would try and trace back her lineage and see if she could’ve gotten this talent from some ancient unicorn nobility. Putting these thoughts aside, Twilight continued to watch on as Star Swirl’s images moved on.

The flow of time accelerated, and the settlements of Earth grew out, becoming no longer a singular large town, and was spread about a series of towns, villages, and other settlements. The farmlands grew as well, accommodating to the growing populations. The unicorn kingdom shrank as the nobility became more inclusive, and the pegasi became less and less isolationist. This joining of the three tribes established a new settlement, the town that would eventually become a home for all of ponykind. It was only years after that, that a new set of visitors arrived. They flew in, coming as if from the heavens. A pair of familiar alicorns, the mares that would eventually become the Princesses of Equestria, Celestia and Luna.

“Celestia and Luna came a few decades following the founding of this settlement., and the lands of Equestria that surrounded the Canterlot mountain. Once there, they spoke with the now King Hadur of the High Forge. The alicorn sisters wished for a new place for them to live and when the many tribes and settlements began to follow them, the thestrals agreed to this.” Star Swirl said, sounding almost a little proud as he explained this part of the history. “I and the Pillars of Equestria had been founded by this time, and the thestrals agreed to this, traveling down from their mountain to create the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

The images changed again, focusing now as the thestrals traveled down from the mountain, venturing to the large cliffside that would eventually be surrounded by what would eventually be the Everfree Forest, the craftmen got to work. Time sped up, and in a relatively short amount of years, the Castle of the Two Sisters was formed. It was amazing, and Twilight saw as both Celestia and Luna spoke with the King, as well as numerous scribes that were exchanging information between this new united kingdom and the thestral empire. Looking at how this exchange happened, the Princess watched with glee as in one vision, Princess Luna writing in her journal, the very same one that Twilight would eventually find. She couldn’t help but giggle at this.

“For a time, the two civilizations prospered.” Star Swirl stated. “But overtime, the thestrals started to realize just how far the new kingdom at the base of their mountain was spreading.”

The vision changed, and while time was speeding up to show the development, the lighting and tone seemed to be different. The many settlements were getting bigger, spreading far and wide, so much so that it was becoming closer and closer to modern day Equestria, though there was something else about it. The vision resumed at a more modest speed, but was now showing an intense arguing between Celestia and Luna. Her heart sank a little, as she knew what this was, the birth of Nightmare Moon. Even Star Swirl’s face gave a saddened look as he looked at the vision. Speeding it up again, he didn’t want to show the rise of the corrupted alicorn, nor the battle and eventual banishment of the alicorn princess.

“By the time this happened, the Pillars and I were sealed in Limbo, unaware of time and space.” Star Swirl said, wiping a tear from his eyes. “Even now, I feel if I was there, I couldn't have stopped this from happening.”

“I understand.” Twilight commented, nodding as she watched the rest of this vision of Nightmare Moon’s banishment to the moon. “I’m happy my friends and I were able to free her from the corruption.”

“As am I. But let us continue.” Star Swirl nodded, changing up the vision. “Celestia, now alone, reached out for aid from the thestral king, who served as a somewhat confidant for a few years before this.”

Looking at the vision, she saw this king, now a much older stallion, speaking with the alicorn. Though she couldn't hear any words, Twilight could see that this thestral was kind and caring about her. For a moment, she wondered if this could be the beginning of some relationship, similar to how she and Heph were, but as the vision continued on, nothing of that sort came of them. Still, it was so nice to see this thestral helping her, even offering to let her live in the mountainous home of the thestrals, giving her a nice place to stay, and once she was there, the look on her face was so amazing. Something about the spectacular view of the mountain seemed to be so breathtaking, it seemed to help her move on, though she would spend every night looking out at the mare on the moon.

“Upon the king’s suggestion, Celestia moved to the mountainous kingdom as his most honored guest.” Star Swirl explained, his tone becoming a little lower and more serious. “But from here, things began to move in a way that neither the ponies, nor the thestrals would ever return from.” As the magic changed, the vision’s details also became more exaggerated, most likely because unlike before, he wasn’t there and rather learned of these events when he came across this historic scroll.

The vision now changed, showing not only the thestral city on the mountains taking in numerous ponies into the newly developing city, there were more and more thestrals who were slowly pushing themselves into the mountain. Twilight was a little confused by this. Why were these thestrals going deeper into the mountain? It seemed that while many still lived on the surface of this slowly forming city, the majority of them were choosing to leave the surface. She didn’t understand why this was happening, especially as so many were seemingly enjoying themselves. Even the king seemed to be moving his throne down into the mountain, as his former palace was being slowly changed into the Canterlot castle that she was more familiar with. And eventually, the city was complete, and nearly everyone in the surface city were ponies, while the thestrals all lived within the deep mines of the castle.

“At first, the new ponies of Equestria settled in the now former thestral capital. The citizens migrated deeper and deeper into their mines, and before long, the new city of Canterlot was founded by the ponies.” Star Swirl explained. “It was difficult at first. The thestrals had a far more open and free spirited culture compared to the many ponies who had been moving there.”

The vision swirled to show a much better look of the ancient thestrals, dressing in clothes quite similar to how they were before, which seemed to be practically something skimpy compared to the migrating ponies. There was a clear looking difference between the ponies and the thestrals. It was nothing openly hostile, but there was an obvious enough tension between the ponies who wore clothes that semeed to overly cover their bodies, and the thestrals were not afraid to engage in debacherous things, though openly fucking was minimum. But the number of brothels seemed to only further cause tension between the migrating ponies and the thestrals. The vision then changed to show Celestia meeting with the thestral King, and whatever it was talking about, it seemed to be something intense for a moment.

From there, it seemed the thestrals were getting along much better with the ponies, though it wasn’t that all of them were into it, but there were a number of ponies who were adjusting more to thestral culture. Some were dressing in more and more revealing clothes, much to the shock of their peers, but nothing seemed to be anything bad or hostile yet. Twilight only looked on as she felt a little comfort at how it wasn’t strange to want to experience the culture or another. Though she did notice how just about none of the thestrals were bothering with pony culture, at least not outside of what they could use in their crafting. Maybe they just weren’t interested? Or perhaps it was just they didn’t see a need outside the pragmatic?

“Princess Celestia assured the next King, Igni, that the thestrals would always have a home on the surface, but this relationship was slowly dying down.” Star Swirl commented with a saddened sigh. “Time unfortunately eroded this promise.”

The vision became darker, more saddened. The many thestrals in the mines worked hard, sweating and bleeding in the darkness, lit only by the countless forge fires. All the while, the city of Canterlot continued to grow. From the way Twilight was looking at it, it looked less like a partnership, and more like the ponies were taking advantage of the thestrals’ craftsmanship and skills. Even Celestia seemed to be engaging in far more meetings and social events, such as the Grand Galloping Gala, with the growing unicorn nobility than the thestrals. Even her meetings and talks with King Igni were becoming less and less, eventually she didn’t bother to come, only having some stand in to serve as her emissary. But then something else happened, focusing less on the thestrals, and more on Celestia herself.

She was still in despair over the loss of Luna, and seemed to have been focusing on establishing alliances with the other nations. The king of Griffonstone, the jarl of Yakyakistan, the Queen of the Crystal Empire, the Leader of the Kirins, and even the Dragon Lord of the Dragonlands, the Princess tried to establish peace. Though for most of them, this alliance was little more than an agreement not to war with each other, as hardly any of them wanted anything to do with Equestria. And during this time, one of Celestia’s most personal and loyal unicorn guards grew close to the alicorn, and with the passing of a few years, they became even closer. Before long, the two were lovers, and for the first time in so long, she felt a comfort and peace she desperately needed.

“Celestia had found what she needed, but it wouldn’t be until it was too late that she learned what the cost was.” Star Swirl said, his voice sounding sullen and down. “I’ll admit, this is one of many regrets I have for my absence. Part of me still believes I could’ve done something about this. But this was when the relations between the thestrals and Equestria broke. It began when she returned from a diplomatic mission from Mount Aris and her meeting with Queen Nova of the hippogriffs.”

The vision shifted to Celestia returning to Canterlot, but looked on in horror as she saw part of the city was burning. There were riots, and both thestrals and the city guards were fighting each other in the streets. And while she looked around for what the source of this conflict was, she spotted a royal looking thestral, having thoroughly beaten her lover. Enraged, she unleashed her magic, freezing the thestrals, ending the conflict immediately. The next series of images that flowed through this magic depicted the thestral king, who was now a much older stallion, along with the younger looking royal. But Celestia, with her injured lover beside her, seemed to have no interest in anything the king said, and whatever was being spoken of brought about an inflamed anger from the alicorn.

The next series of images were all of the thestrals in a mass being magically carried off from Canterlot’s mountain. Celestia, standing on the balcony of her castle, her lover at her side, looked out, watching the numerous magically carried thestrals. The only thing about them that seemed to be moving were their eyes, looking up at their former home in betrayal. Twilight was horrified by this. As far back as she could remember, she had always known Princess Celestia to be a kind, benevolent, and understanding ruler. So the idea of her not only being so uncaring for other groups, especially when they were the ones who helped her and her kingdom, and then banished them from their ancestral home filled her with a sadness, like she never truly knew who her mentor was.

But what really scared her was how Celestia did it with her magic. She had seen the Princess raise and lower the Sun, but to forcibly exile an entire race with such a show of force. There wasn’t even a chance for discourse, for negotiations, or anything. The alicorn just punished an entire kingdom, forcing them from their homes, and using her magic to freeze them just to ensure they had no choice in the matter. She felt like her insides were in a knot, and she couldn’t help but wonder if her mentor was still like this, even after all this time. She had never felt such a guilt wash over her. She needed to do something about it, and Star Swirl noticed the sorrowful look on the mare’s face.

“It was a tragic event, and things only became worse from there.” Star Swirl said, changing the image, showing a much older looking lover laying on a bed, with Celestia at his side. Twilight could tell what this was. The stallion was dying, and the Princess wanted to be with him until the end. “It wasn’t until he was on his deathbed, fifty years later since that day, that he revealed the truth to her. He had picked a fight with Prince Hamel, enraging the passionate thestral and baiting him into a fight.”

“Why?! Why would they do that?” Twilight asked, interrupting the magical vision. “Celestia had been nothing but kind to them, and they all but built the city for them. So why would anyone do this?!”

“It was greed.” Star Swirl said, speaking in a low, saddened tone as he shook his head. “The nobles had gotten to him, brought them more to their way of thinking. They were taking full advantage of the thestrals, and when they refused to pay for the services, the thestrals tried to object through the proper channels. Celestia’s lover took advantage of the young Prince’s anger and resentment, getting him into a fight which erupted into a riot. As well as rumors that the nobles were planning on slowly outing the thestrals from their homes anyway, if Celestia did not take their side.”

“So they used her.” Twilight commented, looking at the vision of Celestia being told the truth by her dying lover. “She loved him, and he used her. He took advantage of her and it caused the thestrals to be banished.”

“He was possibly a good stallion at first, but the position he held exposed him to nobles he should’ve never met. And by the time Celestia learned the truth, it was too late.” Star Swirl said, sighing a little. “After his funeral, she tried in vain to reach out to the thestrals. But the now King Hamel was not interested in her words, and his son, the volatile General Vulca, wanted war. It was only the wisdom of the King’s grandson, someone I know you’re familiar with, the young Heph, kept a somewhat peace.”

“Heph kept the peace?” Twilight asked, amazed as she saw the young thestral she has come to fall in love with. “He was around, even back then?”

“He was. The enchantments the thestrals had learned from the unicorns in the ancient past allowed them to craft items that have aided in prolonging their lives.” Star Swirl said, showing the visions of Celestia sending emissary after emissary, letter after letter, and gift after gift, all of which were ignored. “Celestia spent many long years trying to make things right with the thestrals. And in her desperation, she tried to use Princess Luna.”

“Princess Luna? But wasn’t she still banished to the moon?” Twilight asked, watching as the vision was now showing both alicorn sisters in a negotiating room with Hamel, Vulca, and Heph. “I don’t understand, how could she be there?”

“That’s because she wasn’t.” Star Swirl explained. “In her desperation to try and at least open up a conversation, let alone a negotiation, Celestia used her royal mage to masquerade as her sister. Given how long it had been since Luna was gone, it came as somewhat of a surprise, but the Princess was able to explain everything away. How she did, or what she said, I am not sure.”

The vision of the alicorns with the thestrals played out, and while the fake Luna seemed to be doing all of the talking, Heph was focused, calm, and said little, if anything at all as Hamel reluctantly spoke with Celestia, though seemed to be interested in what Luna had to say. But then something else happened, something Twilight couldn’t understand. The Princess, her mentor of so many years, lashed out. She asserted herself in a way that utterly ruined the negotiations, even as the fake Luna was shocked by the alicorn’s words and tone. And if there was a chance, even a fraction of one, it was destroyed by Celestia’s more dominant personality. Though no wars, conflicts, or open hostilities were brought about from this, the damage was still done. The thestrals left the swamp lands that they were all but banished to.

“This is the last of the events I know about.” Star Swirl explained, letting the vision play out. “Following that negotiation, the thestrals migrated away, far away from the lands of Equestria. From what I have learned, they settled somewhere, and they lived out their lives until they were discovered again, by you.”

The vision showed the lands around the swamp were somewhat becoming rich in ore and gems, but were utterly incapable of growing food. Despite some terraforming efforts, it wasn’t enough, and eventually, they abandoned the land, migrating as far to the west as they could go. As the vision further played out, it showed the fake Luna, dropping her disguise, clearly berating Celestia for what had happened. The princess, stressed and frustrated with how everything turned out, was not interested in what the mage’s words, and from the intense look on her face, whatever was said, it led to the unicorn retiring from their position. Celestia was alone in her chambers, a swirl of magic rippled and flickered around her. She knew this was her fault, and yet she couldn’t allow herself to look past herself, the ego that had grown in her, and now the relationship with the thestrals were ruined beyond repair.

“And that is it.” Star Swirl commented, letting the magic fade. “That was the history of the thestrals with Equestria. How it started, how it ended, and now we have what you have done.”

“I…I didn’t know. When I first found Luna’s journal, detailing them, there were countless notes about where they could’ve gone.” Twilight commented, muttering a little to herself. “How could she have possibly known when she was…” Then it dawned on her. “The mage?!”

“Yes, that is my belief as well.” Star Swirl said. “I believe after retiring from their position, the once former royal mage managed to locate Princess Luna’s journal.” He couldn’t help but let out a low sigh of pride in his voice. “Though banished, Luna could still reach out in dreams, and from there, managed to predict where the thestrals would’ve migrated to, and the mage then marked it all down in the princess’ journal, hiding it away from Celestia.”

“So now…what do I do?” Twilight asked, looking at the elderly unicorn. “I…Lord Heph has a right to know about this, all of this.”

“I cannot say whether that is the right or wrong path to take.” Star Swirl commented. “I wasn’t around, and I failed to stop what could’ve been preventable. But you have shown me wisdom in ideals such as unity and friendship I have never known. So if anything could be done, I am sure you can do it.” He then smiled warmly. “And whatever you decide, I will support you, however I can.”

“Thank you, Star Swirl.” Twilight said, feeling a heaviness on her shoulders from the revelations she had just witnessed. “But…can I have some time to think this all over.”

“Of course, take all the time you need.” Star Swirl said, getting up from his seat. “I’ll send Steward Moondancer along if you so desire.” Twilight only nodded, letting the stallion leave the room.

Twilight’s mind was in a massive flurry of emotions. She had no idea that such a history had happened. She felt terrible for what Celestia did, and yet also felt guilty for thinking of her mentor in such a way. The Princess wasn’t sure what to do. She had to tell Heph, that much she had decided. But how could she approach him about this? Maybe the histories in the thestral archives already had this information? She trusted in Star Swirl’s spell, knowing that the vision was not incorrect or biased, but who knows what the thestral’s accounts would say. She needed to speak to him, she wanted Heph to know that she would do anything to make amends to him and his kingdom. Canterlot is just as much their home as it is hers, and she wanted to remind all of Equestria of this.

“Yes…I…I’ll speak to Moondancer. Everything must be done with the most precise care.” Twilight muttered to herself. “Yes, yes, that should work. I’ll reach out to Heph, I’ll let him know I need to speak with him.”