A Long Tale Of Sacrifice

Relative Disturbance

Now we come to Twilight's library tree-house, at the turn of the previous day. In this, we find a Unicorn, deep in slumber. Ah, but the evil twistings of an unknown power caused these sweet dreams to sour. The young purple mare stirred as she was driven from her now horrific nightmares, to become awake.

Twilight sits up, or rather she moves the covers belonging to her bed, and she rouses herself. She gets up, now completely awake, and trots to her majestic, mithril-lined, great mirror. She gazes at the expert construction of her mirror. This mirror she had received as a reward for her part in the last time her and her friends saved all of Equestria. She didn't really want something so magnificent sitting in a tree, but Rarity and Celestia had persisted she accept. She then begins her staring contest with the purple mare in front of herself, examing every detail about her. This mare had a very deep blue mane, streaked with pink and purple, and beautiful eyes. Eyes that showed every past experience of her life up to this mark in history, like wells of knowledge. She wasn't looking at her for mere pleasure though, she was checking every detail for a more practical reason. She had had a horrendous dream. She doesn't really remember anything from it. All she remembers is a deep sinking feeling in her head, and an enormous fear of something unknown. She looks at her mane and almost laughs audiblely. "It seems that my mane has adopted a crazy new style in my absence from the physical realm." She runs her left forehoof through it and stops it's rebellion against her horn.

She didn't feel tired at all. In fact, she felt renewed. "I guess sleeping has much more of an effect than before." She decides to do some reading until Spike wakes up. She walks down the stairs to the other portion of the tree, and she lights some candles, delighted how easy it was for her to ignite a fire. She looks at her massive collection of books, taking a while to find the right book. Twilight reads this book until it was bright enough to see clearly outside. I would assume that it would be about eight AM in your time, reader.

It was then that Twilight's best assistant came down the stairs rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He stops his process of closing his claws and rubbing them on his eyelids to see Twilight sitting and reading. His astonishment and confusion is clear on his facial expression. Spike just stares at Twilight, mouth agape, for he had stopped in the middle of a very pleasant yawn. His face breaks it's frozen expression as he asks a question that was too common a few years ago.

"Twilight? Is something wrong; why are you up and around so early?"

Twilight responds, "it's a long story, but I am up because I woke up early, and because I wasn't tired after waking up." To Spike, that didn't explain anything.

Spike asks, "but why are you up early, what caused you to wake?"

"A dream, or more of a nightmare." As Twilight said this, a noticeable amount of worry crept into her voice. It was apparent to Spike that there was more to this than what Twilight had let out willingly. Twilight hadn't turned to look at Spike the whole time. He persists his questioning.

"Twilight, is there something you're not telling me?" Twilight slowly turned to look at Spike. Spike gasped. Twilight's face was a mess. Not in the sense that she was a physical wreck, she was far from it. Her face was flawless, except for her eyes, and her poorly concealed amount of stress.

"Spike, it's nothing." Twilight wasn't going to push Spike out!

"Twilight, whatever it is, I'm sure that we could solve it with the help of our friends!" It seemed for a moment that Spike's argument had won Twilight over, but then her dream came vividly back into her head and routed that spark of hope. Twilight's capacity for keeping control over her emotions had finally burst, causing her eyes to gush tears. Spike had seen and heard enough! He leaves to go upstairs to write a letter.

Twilight watched him turn and march up the stairs. Her anguish only increased. She put her head down in her forelegs so as to block out the world, and leave her alone with her thoughts and emotions.

Spike found what he was looking for in a drawer next to her bed. He pulled out the pieces of parchment, and grabbed up the quill and ink on the desktop. He proceeds to dip the quill in the pitch black ink, and starts to scrawl a letter addressed to royalty. He seals it with a quick lick and sends it on it's way.

Spike returns to find Twilight huddled over and sniffling. It seemed she had calmed down a smidge, so Spike walks over to her and puts his claw on her trembling shoulder. She doesn't make much of a reaction. Then, very quietly and slowly Twilight begins to speak.

"I saw them... I saw all of them... all of our friends..." It seems to Spike that she can continue no further, but after a few moments, she reveals more.

Twilight's voice was shaking uncontrollably as she said this. "They were strung up, like puppets... all of them. Not just them either, there were more ponies. And... Celestia was the puppeteer!" Twilight ended this with the words barely even reaching her lips. She began sobbing once more.

Spike's companionship shows true, "but Twilight, it was only a dream! It didn't effect who Celestia or any of our friends are!" At this Twilight looked straight at Spike, her eyes seeming to bore a hole through Spike's face.

"You're right. I-I am sorry you had to see me like this Spike. It just seemed so real!"

"It's okay Twilight, no need for apologies. I couldn't stand to see like this, so I sent a letter to Celestia." With that Twilight blushed.

"I am going to be so embarrassed! I hope I don't get in trouble for this! Celestia is going to be so ma-" She was cut short by the look Spike was giving her. The look said plainly enough that Twilight's reaction is way to over the top.

Twilight giggles, and she continues her day, not forgetting this moment and never her dream...

Later that same day in Canterlot...

Fellstar reached the doors leading to the Hall of Celestia. The Stewardess puts up her right fore-hoof motioning for them to stop. The guards on either side open the door for her and she disappears inside. The group waits there for a moment before somepony can't stand silence and speaks up.

"How come she made us wait out here?" It was Silver Wind, a pegasus who was rumored to be good friends with Rainbow Dash.

Then Starchord spoke up in answer, "Probably because she was checking with Celestia, making sure she had the time." This received some approval from most of the ponies gathered around. Then Wolfshadow cuts in.

"Well we've been waiting for a while, you would think she would be prepared to meet with us." Wolfshadow made a good point, Fellstar reflected. Just then the Stewardess came out, and told everypony that something had come up earlier, and that Celestia was heavily occupied with it.

"Do we even get a hint?" Fellstar asked.

"You get a small amount of time, maybe ten minutes, and then you have to leave and wait for a better time!" The Stewardess said this with immense amounts of dissenting voices rising around her. Suddenly the voice of a small pony breaks through the hate clumped around the Stewardess.

"I'm sure that Celestia has a reason for the delay, everypony! And I'm positive that it is a valid one at that!"

Everypony turns to see where this abrupt outburst originated from. They see a small Unicorn, without a cutiemark. Though young, it was evident this pony was wise. Fellstar examined her, noticing her deep brown eyes. What was most interesting was that not one pony had discovered her before.

"This pony is right! We need not blame the Stewardess, she's only performing duties. But that doesn't mean we don't have a right to be irritated. Everypony needs to calm down and be grateful for being allowed this miniscule amount of time with the ruler of Equestria!" Fellstar's voice flowed to the others, causing their hatred and irrational anger towards the Stewardess to cease. The pale green pony walks the others into the hall, and they see Celestia's magnificence, not for the first time, and certainly not the last.

They walk up to her, each enraptured by her majesty. None have the gall to speak up, so Celestia's kind character shines on them.

"How can I help you today my little ponies?" Celestia's voice is pure delicacy. Fellstar gains enough courage to state his mission.

"We- I should say I, have encountered something most troublesome, and would ask of your assistance." Fellstar looks up at Celestia, his eyes desperate. She gives a brief (and very un-princess like) sigh, and turns to her one of her great windows. She turns, and begins speaking.

"It would appear to me that we share a common purpose. I have received a letter from one of my most esteemed pupils concerning something that has been plaguing her night. Would you come with me, Fellstar and companions? Your history would be... appreciated." As she said this, her voice began to pick up a note of omnipresence. At this, Fellstar's head exploded as a million different questions arose. He stemmed them and narrowed his inquisitiveness to one question.

"Where to?"

Celestia turns back, giving Fellstar a smile of reassurance.

"Why, to Twilight's house of course." Fellstar looked up at Celestia, curiosity plain to read on his face.

Even later that day in Canterlot...

Luna looks up at the place that had been her prison for such a considerable amount of time. She stares towards the surrounding stars, like her friends she had gained through her time back in Equestria. She thinks about everything that has happened to her since returning, and she receives mixed feelings from her heart. Her friends, like that young and admirable pony, Twilight Sparkle, she realizes she holds dear. After living as long as an Alicorn age doesn't come into the equation of friendship. She remembers the first time she met Twilight. It was when she came to Ponyville for the Nightmare Night celebration to meet her subjects. It was Luna who recognized Twilight's costume, and it was Twilight who repayed debts do to Luna by integrating her with the rest of that small town. Luna turns and gets into a very comforable position on her pillow. She hardly ever slept, she had performed that action many times over in her exile. She casts her gaze about this tower, and rolls her eyes. Celestia's design choices were admittably poor, at least to Luna. She leaned more to silver and mithril lining, with a sparsity of gold and bronze. But she loves her sister, who showed mercy to her younger sister, even when she was evil. She recalls the conversation she had had with her elder after the events of her return. And she remembers what Celestia had told her. That no matter how badly she was received by the other ponies, she should always lend a helping hoof to those in need of a strong friend. Luna reflects on how too few follow this policy in today's society.

Luna's thoughts go towards her regret. The regret she felt every day of her life since she came once more unto Equestria's lands. Her regret was directed at her sense of debt to Celestia. To her, she could never repay a debt so merciful as Celestia's actions. If presented with such an opportunity, she would gladly go to it.

Ah, but there are ponies and others in which lies the desire to prove themselves, only to back down when their enthusiasm is most yearned for...