A Study on Alicorns: Cause and Effect

Chapters

Chapter Two – Council
Chapter Three – Moon
Chapter Four – Heart
Chapter Five – Mask
Chapter Six – Sun
Chapter One – Scale
Chapter Seven – Casting

Chapter Two – Council

Twilight Sparkle disembarked from the train at the Canterlot Central Station. Just a few hours previously she had sent her letter to her mentor. It took only a minute to receive a response. She recounted the message in her mind while scanning the ponies in the station.

My dearest student Twilight,

I am glad that you are enjoying the book that I sent you. I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience to further discuss the matter with you. If you can make it here tonight, then I will send someone to meet you at the Canterlot Central Station. I have enclosed a ticket.
Your loving friend,
Celestia

After quickly sending her reply, in the affirmative, of course, she had packed the ancient tome in her saddlebags and galloped to the Ponyville train station. She had left Spike behind to manage (and clean) the library. She trusted the spell hanging over him would keep him safe. The train didn’t leave for almost an hour, indeed it was close to fifty minutes before it even arrived, but she didn’t care. Her anticipation earlier that morning was nothing compared to this.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE?” a voice behind her left ear deafened her.

“Um. Yes?” She turned while gently massaging her ear. Princess Luna stood there, emotionless and alone. “Oh… Your Highness, how can I help you?”

“THOU SHALT FOLLOW ME” The night Princess turned and started walking briskly to the exit. Or so it seemed to Twilight as she struggled to keep up with the larger pony’s long legs. Outside was a spacious carriage with a pair of Luna’s guards at the bit. One of them opened the door and assisted both alicorn and unicorn inside.

Twilight sat opposite the Princess on a lacquered oak bench. Ornate trim adorned the interior of the carriage. “I assume Celestia told you why I am here, Princess?”

Luna stared at the unicorn for a while. It made her uncomfortable, as if she was being judged but knew not why. Just as Twilight was about to look away, Luna spoke softly, “You will do.” She looked out one of the oval windows and tapped the roof twice. The carriage lurched forward and into the glorious city.

Nothing more was said by either party as they gradually wound through the city. Sunlight spewed through a window into Twilight’s eyes most of the way to the castle. She fought to keep them fully open, worried by Luna’s statement. It seemed like she was being tested for something and she didn’t want to falter anywhere. A heavy portcullis slid into place behind them as they entered the marble courtyard in front of the Princesses’ home.

The carriage eased to a stop in front of Princess Celestia at the stairs to the large double doors into the castle proper. “Go, child,” Luna urged. Twilight did so, leaving the door behind her open for Luna. Celestia’s horn shone briefly and the carriage closed. A moment later it was pulled away.

Twilight gulped nervously then walked over to the Sun Princess. The white alicorn turned and walked away, leaving Twilight no choice but to again follow. They walked into the main hall. It was completely deserted. Then it was a small door on the left, leading to a cramped corridor, likely for servants. It twisted and turned throughout the castle with doors leading off at regular intervals. Burning torches lit the way. At least, they did where they hadn’t sputtered out. They took a door, seemingly at random, and continued through corridors no different than the last.

This happened multiple times until a half hour later Twilight was thoroughly lost. She dearly hoped that she wasn’t tasked with finding her way out. She was about to speak on her concerns when they stopped in front of a wooden door no different than the last dozen and Celestia spoke,

“We’re here, Twilight.” Her serious tone was reflected well by the flickering torchlight on her pale face.

The large alicorn stood aside as best she could in the tight space to allow her student room to enter. Twilight gingerly opened the door with her magic and entered the blackness on the other side. Celestia followed and shut the door behind them. A solid click was heard as she locked them in. Darkness closed in for a moment before Celestia illuminated the room with her magic.

It was a grey stone chamber, complete with green slime growing down the walls and a steady drip-drip-dripping of water. A golden chandelier filled with white candles burst to light as Twilight gathered her bearings. The chamber measured no more than a half dozen pony lengths wide and perhaps twice as many long. It was bare other than a wooden table with five like seats at the far end. The middle chair was larger, but no fancier. Three of them were occupied; two on the Twilight’s left hoof side, one on her right.

She instantly recognized her sister-in-law, Cadence, and Princess Luna. The third, however, stumped her. She looked like the changeling queen, Chrysalis, but without her insectoid traits. Her hooves, hair and wings were filled, and her green armour no longer resembled a carapace. Whoever this alicorn was, for alicorn she was, she had a black coat and solid cerulean mane, tail and wings. Her cutie mark was a plain, white mask.

In the time it took for Twilight to take in the room and its inhabitants, Celestia had slipped to the front and into the central seat. Her authoritative voice roused Twilight from her observations.

“Twilight, come forward.”

She did so, stopping when Celestia waved a hoof. She was in the center of the room, two pony lengths from the table and under the chandelier. Twilight’s attention was drawn to the unknown alicorn. “Definitely Chrysalis. Even if she’s not a changeling anymore,” she concluded in her mind.

“Twilight, you know why you are here, correct?” Celestia paused for Twilight to hesitantly nod before continuing, “I am sure you already know Luna, Cadence and I. May I introduce you to the real Chrysalis.” The black alicorn lowered her head slightly in greeting. “She isn’t here for conquest this time. You can trust me on this one.”

Again Twilight nodded, this time with more confidence. “She was transformed back when she was defeated,” she hypothesized. “Much like Nightmare Moon turned back into Princess Luna,” she added with a brief glance to the left end of the table before looking back to her teacher.

“Correct, youngling,” Chrysalis spoke. There was no trace of her changeling past in her voice. She sounded like a regular, if bold and slightly arrogant, pony.

Celestia continued as if the interruption had not occurred. “You have the book, Twilight?” The student levitated it out and placed it gently on the table. “I trust you have read and understand the spell you wrote to me about?”

“Of course, Princess. I read the soul magic section and re-read the spell itself on the ride here.” When Celestia did not talk, Twilight continued, “The body is a physical representation of the soul. When the soul dies, the body likewise dies, and vice versa. The Spell of Souls grants the caster endless life and power by enhancing the soul. This will in turn transform the caster into an alicorn,” she concluded.

“Mostly correct,” Luna spoke this time, “You skipped the source of the spell’s power and method by which it is cast.”

“Hush, sister. The book has been edited since last you read it,” Celestia addressed Luna. Twilight wondered if they were sisters by blood or it was merely a title from one alicorn to another. “What happens now, Twilight, is up to you. Did you contact me just for information or do you have a desire to try this spell yourself?”

Twilight’s mouth went dry. She had been dreading this very question from when she first got her summons. Did she dare leap into the unknown and forever, literally forever, change her future? Or should she remain mortal in Ponyville. What would happen to her friends of she changed? Or what would happen to Spike if she didn’t? Luna said she was not fully correct. Was it wise to make such a major decision without knowing all the details?

After a few seconds of panicking, Twilight was saved by Cadence speaking up, “Relax Twilight.” Twilight didn’t relax in the slightest. “You would not be here if we had not thought you capable of this. Either decision is fine by us.”

Her words reassured Twilight enough to lower her panic to a manageable level. Or at least low enough to come to a logical decision. “Princess Celestia, I would ask to know more of the Spell of Souls. I cannot make an informed decision without all the facts.”

The white alicorn smiled at her student. “Of course, Twilight. Know that had you demanded this power we would have wiped your memory and sent you away, never again to have this choice. Being able to make a rational decision under pressure is necessary when one wields enormous power. Equestria doesn’t need another Discord abusing their power.”

Twilight slumped to the cold floor in relief. She had had come precariously close to failing her mentor, but seemed to have pulled away. She looked gratefully to her sister-in-law, knowing that she had given the reassurance to pass this test.

Celestia wasn’t finished yet, “It is for this reason that we, the alicorns, have enacted strict rules regarding those who are eligible to attempt the spell. A minimum of four members must council with the applicant and unanimously vote in favour of him or her. That is why I summoned you are here today.”

Still on the floor, Twilight dared to ask a question, “A minimum of four? So, there are more alicorns that I haven’t met yet?”

“Yes, youngling,” Chrysalis’ voice echoed off the stone walls, “They are away for now and do not yet know of you. Should you proceed, they shall be notified of your success… or failure.”

Twilight pulled her eyes off the stone floor and stared straight into Celestia’s face. “I am ready.”

Chapter Three – Moon

Celestia, Cadence and Chrysalis stood as one and walked through a door at the back of the room, leaving Twilight alone with Princess Luna. Twilight had not noticed the door when she first came in because it was hidden behind the massive center chair. Only when it clicked shut did Luna finally speak.

“We shall interview thou one by one. We are first. The others have not told us who is next.” She looked down at Twilight, still sitting on the stone floor, and pulled over a wooden chair with her magic. “Sit. We shall be a while.”

Twilight followed the order, trying hard not to give any reason for Luna to doubt her eligibility. “Not that I have decided to try the spell yet; I just want to keep my options open,” she thought to herself.

Once Twilight had gotten comfortable, or as comfortable as she could on the hard wooden surface, Luna continued. “We should thank thou, Twilight. It has been a long time since We have had an opportunity to join in the Committee.” She nodded towards the door the others had gone through. “That is partly because somepony sent Us to the moon for a time out.” There was no venom in her voice. She was just stating the fact.

“You’re welcome, Princess.”

“There is no need for titles amongst us, Twilight. Unlike our sister, We have no need to advertise our superiority over other ponies. She was the same before Changing.” Luna shook her head with a small smile, as if remembering a naughty student.

The revelation stunned Twilight for a moment. “You knew the Princess before she became an alicorn? But I thought you were the younger sister?” Other, ruder, questions were in her mind but she managed to suppress them. She was certain that her teacher would not appreciate being the subject for gossip.

“She is older. She Changed first, thus older. We were older before the change, her mentor in fact, but she Changed first. ”

“Her mentor? She was studying magic before finding the book? Did she discover the spell?” The parallels to Twilight’s own life were uncanny.

Luna shook her head as she spoke, “No, she wrote the book. She was given the spell by its creators. And yes, We were her mentor for a time, teaching her magic. At least, until the Element chose her. She was far too busy after that to study much.”

“Element? The Elements of Harmony? By creators do you mean the dragons? Why was she given a spell from the dragons? And why did she write it into a book?” Twilight was starting to hate how ignorant she seemed. Next time she was just going to nod politely.

“It is not Our place to answer most of those questions, child. We can tell thee that she only held the Element of Magic at the time. The others belonged to five other ponies after certain adventures that they had together. After Changing, the Element of Magic passed to us, like it will pass to another after thou Changes. After We Changed, we too lost control of the Element.”

Twilight blinked twice while trying to understand what the Prince– No, what Luna had just said. ‘Focus, Twilight. “No need for titles”, she said,’ the unicorn reprimanded herself mentally. It coincidentally gave her more time to try to figure out what was going on.

It was a solid minute before Luna next opened her mouth, “Take your time, Child. It is a lot to take in.”

“So… I will lose control of the Element of Magic if I attempt the spell? Why?” the unicorn spoke slowly, still coming to terms with the concept. The Element of Magic was a symbol of extreme magical prowess. Surely increasing her power would make her more eligible for it, not less. She couldn’t deny that if that were true, then Celestia would still be in control of it.

“Again, it is not Our place to tell you. Another will explain it further. It will make sense in time.” After a moment, “Did you have any other questions for Us?” Twilight shook her head.

Luna looked at her disappointedly for a moment before getting up and walking towards the door at the back of the room. Twilight’s voice rang out after her, “Wait! I have one last question, Luna.”

She turned back and returned to her chair, looking smug. No, closer to proud. A mixture of both, perhaps. “Go on.”

“I was just wondering…” Twilight trailed off, “No. It’s silly.”

“Tell us.”

“Um… Well, I was wondering how is it you stay sane over eternity? Silly, I know. It was sorta bugging me.”

“Thou wanted to ask Us how We, a pony who had a psychotic break and attempted to plunge the world into eternal night (twice!), managed to stay sane?”

Luna looked amused as Twilight blushed madly and looked down at her hooves. “Uhm… Er… Yes? I think so?”

The alicorn giggled at her before answering. “To put it simply, we play a game. All of us.”

“Game?”

“Yes, a game. A game of power and intellect. Are you familiar with the concept of chess?”

“Two players have a simulated battle to capture the opposing king, symbolizing the player controlling that team.” Twilight regularly played the game with Spike in the library when it was quiet. Well, quieter than usual. The dragon never put up much of a challenge, but she would sometimes let him win by ‘accident’.

“Something like that, although we are not constrained to board and wooden figures. We wage war on one another using our powers. The goal is to defeat the ruler of Equestria. This can be done by capturing her, banishing her, or simply making her unable to continue ruling. The alicorn who achieves this becomes the new ruler and the game begins again. Celestia won last time (with Our help), and so took control. That was somewhere around fifteen hundred years ago.”

Twilight had assumed something along the lines of writing books or secret concubines. Nothing could have prepared her for the truth. “Alicorns wage war for fun,” she realized. Just as the blocks were starting to fall into place, Luna continued.

“Shortly after helping her take power, We realized that We still had to play. We had not won, Celestia had. We were still in the game. It was far easier to analyze her from the safety of Canterlot than the mountains We had dwelt in prior to helping her win. We uncovered a weakness that We had not noticed before. She could not raise the sun while Our moon was up. Over the course of four hundred years We planned and waited.”

Luna conjured up a glass of water and took a sip before going on. “Two other alicorns tried to take over during that time. Chrysalis was first, leading a rebellion from the western parts of Equestria. You have not yet met the second alicorn. She attempted a head on assault by herself. Both times, Celestia and ourselves brought them low and expelled them from these lands. It was necessary to fully gain her trust. She would not have trusted another alicorn, but her former mentor? Perhaps. Surely We would not ever try to usurp Our student? Or so We thought.”

Another sip. “Even alicorns are not immune to the occasional cold. When Celestia took ill, We slipped a powerful sedative into her tea that evening, designed to sap both magic and physical strength. With the assurance We would manage both sun and moon until her return to strength, she retired to her room. We assumed she would drink her tea that night. She didn’t. Her natural rest alleviated her illness and upon learning of our plan, rushed to stop us. It had been night for over forty-eight hours by that time.”

Two sips this time. “Rioting and widespread panics had begun. Ponies were cursing Celestia, for they knew not that We controlled the moon. They had turned against her. Even her most valued assets betrayed her. Although she had rejuvenated greatly from her rest, We were still more powerful by far. All that remained was to smite her down in public view and restore daylight to Equestria. Her subjects would adore us and she would be banished from these shores. Victory was assured, along with the undying loyalty of every pony in the land. That had never occurred before. Somepony always remembered and challenged the new ruler in the past. We had but to confront and strike down our beloved pupil and We would win the round.”

Luna drained what was left in the glass and tossed it aside. It poofed out of existence before it could shatter against the wall. Anger directed towards herself was evident in her voice now. “But, We had forgotten something. A very important something. As We mentioned earlier, the elements of harmony pass to other ponies after the Spell is cast. Other ponies had control of them not long before my attempt. The last of them had perished a year or two prior to our attempt and We had forgotten one of the many rules of the elements. When none of them are controlled, they all pass back to the ruler of Equestria until new bearers rise up. We confronted Our sister in the front courtyard of the castle and everything was going to plan. We had laid her low and turned her subjects against her. Victory was at hand, but then something happened. It took Us years to discover what it was and why it waited ‘til then. The elements returned to Celestia, curing her entirely and doubling her powers. Already tired from our previous duel, We were annihilated in a blinding flash of magic. We awoke on the moon, and there dwelt for a thousand years.”

The room was silent after she finished. A silver tear slid down her cheek, although Luna was not crying. Twilight dared to break the silence, “Luna, that’s…” she swallowed and pushed on,” That’s awful. The books never mentioned any of that.” She placed what she hoped was a comforting hoof on the larger pony.

“History is written by the victors, Twilight. Sooner or later that harsh reality will find you and tear you apart. What happens next will be up to you. Do you expect that Celestia would be remembered for her five hundred years of peace if We had been successful? Neigh, she would have been a tyrant overthrown by her righteous sister. Sound familiar?” Twilight nodded. The version of Equestria’s history she had learnt as a foal matched this perfectly.

“Our story doesn’t end there, for We returned. There had been many unsuccessful attempts to overthrow Celestia during our captivity and We had a front row seat to see what did and didn’t work. The elements passed from and back to her a dozen times in our exile. We knew We had to wait until they chose a new bearer before trying to return. That is why We returned when We did. Celestia had lost them to you and your friends, although you did not know it. What better time to strike?”

She would have continued, but Twilight interrupted her. “Why did you return directly from the moon? Why not travel elsewhere and regain your strength, even get followers before attacking?”

“We did not because we could not, child. Celestia had placed spells over our prison to alert her if we tried to use our magic to teleport away, amongst other spells. She would know when we left and teleport us to her should we flee anywhere other than Equestria. She sent us a note shortly into our exile to tell us this.”

Twilight nodded slightly and let her continue with her tale. “As We mentioned, We had an excellent view of Equestria during our exile and saw the lay of the land change over time. We also saw where the elements returned after Celestia lost them.”

“The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters,” suggested the unicorn.

“That is one name for the place. It is where ponies first received the Elements of Harmony. We returned there because it was both inside Equestria, thus avoiding Celestia’s spell, and contained the only magic We suspected could stop us. We did not prepare for thy resilience and fortitude. Thou knowst the rest. Celestia again took us under her wing, although We understood not why at the time. We now know it pertains to this meeting and thy opportunity.”

Luna stood from her chair and walked to the door at the back of the room. Before she could disappear inside, Twilight asked one more question, “Luna, if you were under Celestia’s care because you were defeated, does that mean that Cadence also tried, and failed, to defeat her?”

Luna paused in mid-stride, “It is not our place to answer that, Twilight.” She walked through the door and closed it behind her with a click.

Chapter Four – Heart

Twilight tried to wait patiently in her seat after Luna had left the room. She honestly did. But after what felt like hours (though it was more likely only a few minutes), she stood up. Normally she was fine with waiting. Then again, she normally had a library full of books at her disposal to help her. She took to pacing the room and trying to measure it using her stride.

Seven, eight, nine. She had already determined it was fourteen paces wide. Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen. She wondered what the alicorns could be talking doing behind the door. No, she really didn’t. She knew they were discussing her. Not that knowing helped at all. Twenty two, twenty three, twenty four. The room was fourteen paces wide and twenty four paces long. It struck her that there was really no point in measuring a room that she was unlikely to return to.

She returned to her seat and sat down. Her mind wandered and she lost track of time. The door eventually creaked open. Her eyes shot up to see who it was. Cadence stepped out of the blackness behind the door. It was as if someone had set up a black curtain not far behind the princess solely to limit Twilight’s view.

Cadence gave her a warm smile as she walked over. The pink alicorn sat in front of Twilight in the same place Luna had occupied earlier. She glanced over at the large chair that Celestia had sat upon, “I’ve always wanted to sit in that chair.”

“Then why don’t you?” asked Twilight. She didn’t see any harm in it.

The princess shook her head slowly. “I can’t. Luna told us that you know of our little game. Only the winner can sit on it. That’s just the way it is.” She looked back at Twilight. “Not that it really matters. We’re here to discuss the spell, not Celestia’s chair. You read how the spell is cast?”

“Twice. The unicorn first casts a soul detection spell to visualize their soul. Next she draws upon the power of an artifact to enhance the power of the spell. Lastly she speaks the name of the spell aloud. All of this is done within a casting circle of enchanted emerald dust. Runes formed of crushed ruby ring the circle. Its design can be found in the book.” Twilight had clearly rehearsed the spell in her mind.

“You mentioned an artifact and the name of the spell. Do you know either of those yet?” Twilight shook her head in response to Cadence’s question. Her questions suggested that both used to be in the book. “Must have changed it at some point…” she muttered.

“Is there a problem, Cadence?”

“No, no. It just means I have more to teach you before we can continue. All previous casters have been bearers of the Element of Magic. I’m sure you can guess what the artifact is?”

A light appeared in Twilight’s eyes as she realized it. “They used the Element of Magic?”

Cadence bowed her head in the affirmative. “Even Celestia bore it briefly before Changing. It then went to Luna for a few years before her time came. It has passed from unicorn to alicorn and back hundreds of times over the millennia. About half of them have been given the opportunity before you today. Less attempted the spell.” A pained expression passed over her face, “Not all of them succeeded.”

Twilight hesitated before answering. Her stammered response: “The book mentioned nasty effects resulting from trying to cast the spell on other ponies. Is that what you mean?”

“Yes, and no. That accounts for some of the failures, but other unicorns were simply too weak to cast the spell properly. Their bodies twisted and deformed while their souls were simultaneously destroyed. I only saw it happen once. His screams still haunt my dreams.” Her voice had steadily fallen until it was barely audible at the end, as if speaking only to herself.

“Surely the Princess wouldn’t let me cast the spell if I weren’t capable.” Twilight didn’t dare make it a question.

Cadence brightened suddenly. “Of course not. There are ways to artificially augment magical capabilities. As long as you haven’t cheated to obtain your power, you should be safe.” She paused before adding, “Now would be the time to confess to using magical enhancing drugs, Twilight.”

“Um. No. What kind of pony could even think about putting that stuff in their bodies?”

“I agree, but not everypony does. Can you think of no one that would try to artificially increase their powers?”

Twilight remembered her duel with Trixie and the amulet that she had used to boost her magic. “I can think of somepony who might. It’s a real shame; she had a lot of potential.”

A tense moment passed. Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak. Eventually the moment stretched from tense to awkward and they both tried to rectify the problem.

“Why did you–”

“Did you bring–”

They both cut off to allow the other to finish. After a second or two, Cadence went ahead, “Did you bring the element with you? I’m not sure if Celestia would have told you to bring it or not.”

“No, I didn’t. Celestia keeps it stored here in the castle. It’s probably safer here. We tend to come here whenever Equestria needs saving so it’s fairly convenient.”

“We’ll have to ask her for it. Later, though.” Cadence tapped a hoof on her chair. “You were about to ask something?”

Twilight fidgeted uncomfortably. “Oh. Never mind that. It was nothing.”

Cadence wasn’t willing to let her off that easily. “No, Twilight, tell me. ‘Why did I’ what?”

Twilight did not answer at first. When she did, the words came slowly, as if being carefully filtered before passing from her lips. “Why did you marry my brother? I know it seems out of place, but I just realized that you, an immortal creature, married a mortal being. You will live on yet he will die in time. It doesn’t make sense.”

A smirk graced the princess’ lips. “We all have needs, Twilight. Although you won’t admit it, your brother, my husband, is one sexy hunk of stallion. As for why I married him instead of having my way and leaving him in an alley somewhere, keep in mind that I am royalty. It doesn’t do to have a princess casually fooling around with the guards. There’s far less political backlash this way.”

Twilight sputtered for a minute, trying to figure out whether or not to be mad that her brother was being used. Eventually she sorted out her mind enough to continue the conversation. “Does he know? That you’re using him, I mean. Not the politics of the situation.”

Cadence feigned being offended, “Why Twilight, it’s not as though he does not get perks of his own. Keep in mind I have a cutie mark in making love.”

Twilight’s jaw fell to the floor, and then burst through and kept falling. Cadence’s bluntness of the situation shocked Twilight. She took another minute to regroup her thoughts. Most prevalent was “She’s using him”, although not in so polite words. She realized something after replaying the princess’ words in her mind. “You didn’t really answer my question.”

The pink alicorn sighed before answering, “No. He doesn’t know that I’m using him.” Then, realizing how bad that sounded she added, “It’s not as though I don’t love him. I just love what he can do to me more.” Her eyes glazed over and smiled slightly as if remembering something pleasant. She snapped back to reality after a moment, “I’ve learned by observing others that getting emotionally attached to somepony that will die only causes problems. To be immortal is to be alone, Twilight.”

It struck Twilight that she too would end up alone if she lived on forever. Her friends in Ponyville would all die after time. Her family would likewise die. Did it not make sense to make the best of them while she could? Twilight could not begrudge Cadence for having the same wisdom, even if it meant taking advantage of her brother. She remembered that she would not be alone. Celestia had seen to that. She could live on forever with Spike, watching him grow as she likewise grew in magical capabilities. Twilight wondered when Celestia had started that tradition.

Cadence’s voice interrupted Twilight’s thoughts, “It’s not like I regularly do that or keep ponies around for that purpose. I’ve been an alicorn for close to six hundred years and your brother was the first since before my Changing. Not like a certain other princess in this castle.” A knowing smile skittered across her face, suggesting juicy gossip lay on the tip of her tongue waiting to burst out. “Why, I almost got Celestia removed from power for that very reason.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide, clearly not used to imagining that about her teacher. Cadence went on when she saw the unicorn’s response, “What? I’m an alicorn. I play the game too. I would have been around two hundred years old at the time. I was still a child as far as alicorns go; I still bore my original cutie mark.”

Twilight couldn’t help herself. She just had to interrupt. “Original cutie mark? You mean it changes and you get a new one?”

“Yes. Keep in mind that we all used to be great wielders of magic. As far as I know, we all had cutie marks similar to yours before Changing. We discover our other talents after we Change and no longer need to focus on magical abilities alone. I used to have a pair of crossed wands, stars raining down from the tips. Celestia didn’t have a picture of the sun on her flank until she took control of it, long after Changing. Nor Luna her moon.”

Cadence didn’t seem displeased by the tangent, although she was eager to return to her tale. “Like I said, I played the game regardless of my youth. I was in a unique position. Celestia thought me too young to cause any real damage so she allowed me nearly unlimited freedom. Over time I got a great knowledge of the inner workings of Equestrian royalty, especially when it came to, shall we say, hidden relationships.”

Cadence was clearly not impressed with the nobles. “Because of their ‘power’, many of the nobles believed they could do what they will to any pony below them. While not excluded from the letter of the law, many of the peasants felt pressured to remain quiet about their abusers. This led to a gradual increase in occurrences. Naturally, Celestia trumps all of these nobles, and so she would, theoretically, be free to do what she would with any of them.”

A glimmer sparkled in her eyes. “When I realized this, I started thinking of how I could use it against her. She seemed oblivious to the fact, likely due to the nobles striving to hide their actions from her. I devised a way to force two ponies to lust for each other. I believe it is now referred to as a love poison. I later devised a spell based on it capable of the same thing, but lasting a shorter duration. Anyway, I slipped a portion of it into her drink one evening. She had invited a Count over for the evening to discuss something.

Cadence was visibly struggling to keep a straight face. “I don’t know why they met, but I do know what ended up happening. The whole of Canterlot heard exactly what happened. Their activities could be heard halfway to Ponyville. Of course, it didn’t end there. It took close to a week for the caretakers to soundproof the castle to a satisfactory level. By then complaints had started pouring in from all over of Equestria. Word traveled fast. Most of the castle staff had left by the end of the month.”

The princess was close to losing control, and she knew it too. She made an effort to wrap up quickly. “In short, she was too busy being… busy… to manage Equestria. I had the unicorns left in the castle take control of the sun and moon. Celestia left them to roam wild. In the end I took over her duties and had complete control for a few years, although it was from a location far from the castle to get away from the noise.”

“What ended up happening?” Twilight asked.

“He died. Time (and effort) caught up with the Count and he keeled over dead, freeing Celestia from the potion. Equestria had been mine for close to a decade before she regained her senses. Needless to say, she was less than amused, largely because she was powerful enough to remember what happened during that time. If not for the elements being under other ponies’ control, I imagine that I would have been sent to pay Luna a visit.”

After her conclusion, both Cadence and Twilight sat in silence for a while. Minutes passed, yet neither moved nor dared to speak. Twilight was busy figuring out where her role model now fit and Cadence was trying to figure out whether or not she had broken Twilight. She hoped not, or eternity would be a long, long time for the unicorn.

Twilight was roused from her thoughts by Cadence’s voice. “Before I leave, you should know the name of the spell. By now you should be able to figure it out.” There was a brief pause wherein Twilight scrunched up her face in concentration. Cadence carried on when Twilight’s shoulders slumped and she shook her head, “Fine. It’s <<>>.”

With that Cadence left Twilight to ponder her newfound knowledge. As she opened the door, the princess turned back. “Twilight, a word of warning: alicorn puberty sucks.” The door’s latch clicked shut behind her.

Chapter Five – Mask

Twilight was again given a lengthy waiting period after she was left alone. She expected that Cadence was relating their conversation to the other alicorns. She resolved to remain in her seat this time. She did not want to look as though she couldn’t be patient. So there she sat.

And sat.

And sat some more. She could feel seconds passing. Then minutes. It felt like hours had been lost since Cadence left. Sleepiness was starting to sink in. She yawned, trying hard to stifle it, but did not move from her seat. She mentally drew an image of her friend Fluttershy’s face on the door and challenged it to a staring match. Try as she might, her chin eventually began to bob, falling as she drifted off, jerking back up when she realized she was slipping.

Twilight had just pulled her eyes back up when the door swung open. It was not eased open gently, but flung open at full force. One moment Twilight saw Fluttershy’s staring face on the door, the next she saw an alicorn standing alone in the darkness beyond. Or rather, she saw a pair of green eyes and a similar mane. It was not until Chrysalis stepped out of the darkness that she could be clearly seen. Her coat and horn camouflaged well with the shadows in the chamber beyond the doorway.

Twilight blinked once, both shaking the cobwebs loose from her mind and checking that she had not drifted off to sleep. Chrysalis crossed the distance between them and sat down on a dark beanbag chair that had not been there a moment before. “Much more comfortable than those old chairs,” she remarked.

Twilight was not in the mood for idle chatter. She was bored and tired, and also had more important things on her mind. “So you’re not a changeling.” It was not a question.

The black pony’s horn glowed for a second before spreading to the rest of her body. When it faded, Chrysalis had been replaced with her normal changeling self in all her swiss cheesed glory. “What? You mean this?” Twilight nodded. “You know transformation magic, do you not?”

“That’s different. You can see what you are working with and shape the spell accordingly. It’s also entirely different to cast a spell on yourself than it is other objects.” Twilight was clearly not happy, although it was not clear if it was from being shown up at magic or having such a flaw in her teachings.

“Oh, it’s much harder. Yes. But far from impossible once you get the hang of it.” Chrysalis shrugged before changing back into an alicorn. “I used a reflective puddle as a mirror when I began.”

Twilight gave her a skeptical look, but said nothing. “Casting spells on oneself is one of the many benefits of an alicorn’s increased powers,” Chrysalis said, “You will come to know it in time.”

Twilight was clearly not satisfied by the answer, but dropped the topic regardless. “So changelings are what? Ponies you abducted then transformed?” Her tone was not openly hostile, but certainly far from friendly.

Chrysalis feigned offense. “Who, me?” Twilight waited for a real answer. “No, youngling. I did not make them. I knew them before I Changed.”

Twilight seemed to accept this. “Ponies used to know of changelings?”

“Ponies used to live with changelings. They inhabited Equestria before ponies immigrated here. At first there was conflict, but we eventually learned to coexist.”

“You were with the first ponies to travel to Equestria?” That would have been thousands of years ago. Twilight knew that alicorns could live forever, but even so that was a long time.

Chrysalis seemed genuinely amused by the unicorn. “No, youngling. I was born a few hundred years after the exodus. Changelings were leaving Equestria, but there were still a few changeling settlements around. In my youth I went to one to learn of their ways. You see, despite living together for so long we hardly knew anything of each other.”

“You lived together for centuries but knew nothing about them?” asked Twilight skeptically, “How is that possible?”

“Tell me, youngling, what do you know of dragons? They too have been in Equestria longer than ponies.” Twilight opened her mouth to answer before closing it when a retort did not come out. “I thought not. I trust you will not ask any more foolish questions?” Twilight nodded sheepishly.

“As I said, I went to a changeling settlement to study their ways and learn more of their culture. Strangely, they welcomed me with open arms. I was suspicious of them, but it aided my research so I did not question it too much. For all I knew they saw me as an honoured guest.”

Chrysalis shook her head, “It’s too bad there were no complete records of our first interactions. I knew little more than that they existed and we had had conflict between us in the past. How was I to know that they leeched love from their prey? As I said, they treated me kindly, kindness that I reciprocated, both out of respect and because it would aid my investigation.”

“Changelings live in settlements called hives, I learned. There is one hive per settlement, and one hive queen per hive. The hive queen is the ruler and mother for the entire population. You must understand that female changelings are rare, often no more than three per hive queen’s lifetime, and as such are highly valued. One of the few daughters will eventually take over the hive and become the new queen. This is significant as a queen can lay upwards of a hundred eggs per year and can remain productive for close to a century. Of course, the number of eggs will depend on how well fed the queen is, or rather how much love she can leech from other creatures. Since ponies had come to Equestria, they had lost vast amounts of territory, and thus food. We did not understand at the time, but the changelings were going extinct, not moving away. There were at least threescore hives when ponies first came to Equestria. By the time of my investigation there were five.”

“A changeling holiday occurred less than two weeks into my visit, and I was invited as a guest of honour. The festival went well at first. There was music and dancing that, although I was not accustomed to it, was strangely pleasant. There were exotic arts on display and floral exhibits decorating the walls. It was during this time that the hive queen drew me aside for ‘a matter of great importance’. She explained to me that her magics allowed her to look young, for such she did, despite her great age. She was nearing the end of her life, another year at most, less if winter was hard, and that her hive would die out when that happened. A rival tribe was encroaching on the edge of their territory and waiting to take control. Even if her daughter took control, the hive would still be destroyed: they did not have the strength to fight another, larger hive.

“She asked me to help, and as a young male unicorn with an ego to feed, I accepted. Her plan was to have me create a unicorn/changeling hybrid with her daughter, bearing both their abilities in transformation and my power of magic.”

She was interrupted by Twilight, “Wait, wait, wait. A male unicorn?”

Chrysalis had expected that question to come up, “Yes, youngling, male. When I Changed my gender was changed. There have been female unicorns that turned into male alicorns, too. Discord was one of them, although he chooses not to appear as an alicorn. It seems to be random what gender will be produced after the Changing.”

Gears ground in Twilight's head as she processed this tidbit of information. “So I might have different plumbing…” She murmured to herself. A few seconds later she looked at Chrysalis again. “Please, continue.”

“As I said, I accepted the hive queen’s offer. I will admit, I was greatly excited to see if it were possible. A unicorn changeling, free of hive restraints, could save the failing changeling race and simultaneously ease prejudices between our two species. Towards the evening the activities died down for a feast. Their queen had me sit at her table to her left, her daughter to the right. I later found out that her other daughter had been slaughtered by a rival tribe’s ambush. As (I assumed) was customary, the queen rose for a speech, more or less sharing her plan with the hive. I was almost surprised at how much support they gave.”

“It turns out that changelings can work extremely fast when they set their minds to something. We, myself and the queen’s daughter, were wed after traditional changeling fashion not long after. At first it was great. I lived as royalty and had access to changeling secrets that had been kept from me until that time. Despite being kept busy by my new wife and having far less time to research, I found that I was learning at a significantly greater rate. It gradually realized that the queen’s daughter was extremely active, if you know what I mean. More than I expected she would. Sure, she could transform herself to ensure that we were never bored, but eventually it got to the point where I would look forward to the couple hours each day I was given to study.”

“About six months into my visit, for I originally planned to stay but a short time, I concluded my research and announced that I would be travelling away for a week to publish my findings. They knew why I was there, and so I was shocked when my request was denied. I knew that my new obligations would keep me attached to the hive, but I had not expected that I would not be permitted to leave for any amount of time. Over the next week I tried pleading with the queen, whose body was now failing fast, to be allowed to leave. At first it was little more than a five minute discussion, but after a few days we had nearly gotten to blows.”

“One night I decided to simply slip out. When I had arrived, there was only a pair of sickly guards on the main doors and the odd patrol wandering the streets. I was confident that I could use my magic to deal with any guards that tried to stop me if pulling rank failed. I got to the main gate without issue, and there found an obstacle I had not thought of. My wife was there, waiting, waiting. The moment she stepped from the shadows, we both knew my escape was over.”

“To be short, she raised the alarm and I was captured by the guards. In the months since the wedding the entire hive had grown strong. It had not occurred to me that they had been feeding off the love and lust that the queen’s daughter had extracted from me. I was taken and bound in the deepest cell they could find. My wife explained that I could not leave; they needed me for a food source. I was contained for years being… harvested… at regular intervals. Unlike before where she would take but a little from me, she would not drain me entirely each time, leaving just enough for me to recover between sessions. During this time her mother, the hive queen, passed away. I had hoped that I could escape while the hive changed ownership, but I was not so fortunate. My magical capabilities had been gradually drained throughout my imprisonment.”

Twilight was surprised at how forthcoming the alicorn was with what must have been a traumatic event in her life. “You must have gotten out somehow. After all, you’re here, not in a dungeon.”

“Eventually, youngling. Escape came in due time. I had been sending regular reports to my master, the current ruler of the land (Celestia had been overthrown by the time I was born) while I was still free. I guessed that they would be read by the queen so I was careful to leave out any details. I assume that they cleverly forged messages from me after I was captured. Otherwise the Prince – my master, I mean – would have surely extracted me sooner.”

“It was three years after my foiled escape that I came up with a plan to break out, although it took longer before I managed to get away. By this time there was a significant unicorn/changeling population in the hive. I had seen enough of them to learn how they transformed themselves using magic, and was confident that I could use it on myself. Despite the new queen’s best efforts to squeeze my power from me, I had held onto a small fragment of magic. I used this scraping to transform myself into one of them. My plan worked and one of my captors lowered his guard long enough for me to incapacitate him. It was then a simple matter to walk out the main gate, transform back into a unicorn, and hitch a ride back to my master.”

“Five years from when I had first arrived at the hive, I returned home to my master. We counselled for close to a week. I recounted my misadventures and how the changelings had manipulated me for their own gain. He shared what I had missed during my imprisonment. The other changeling hives had fallen to my hybrid offspring, leaving my hive free to spread. They had risen in power to the point where they challenged the pony population of Equestria for power and had secured alternate food sources to back them up. By the time of my escape, I was being farmed for torture and punishment more than a need for food. War was coming and my completed research came at a perfect time.”

“For my trials I was rewarded with the same opportunity that you face today, youngling. I passed, Changed, and was appointed to lead the Equestrian forces to war against my children. It was long and bloody, but in the end I stood triumphant above the body of my broken wife, though she no longer recognized me. I sent away what remained of my children, never again to inhabit Equestria.”

“I should have returned to a hero’s welcome. For a time it seemed that I did, but my master never again trusted me. Like my former hive, I had grown too powerful for him to ignore and I had influence over the hearts and minds of his subjects. He came to me while I slept, still recovering from the battles that I fought in his name, and banished me. Nothing fancy, but teleported me away with a note to never return. With nowhere else to turn, I transformed myself into a changeling and took command over what was left of my banished hive. Blessed with an alicorn’s longevity I have led them since, biding our time until we could again return to the land we originally inhabited.”

Chrysalis ended the tale there. Twilight knew what happened next. She had thwarted the changeling return.

Chrysalis started talking again, although noticeably less focused that before, “The changelings you saw in the Canterlot invasion were my hybrid changelings. True changelings have been extinct since before I escaped. After my master was overthrown I spent years searching the wilds for any survivors, but my hive had been thorough. I doubt you would recognize a real changeling. They were far smaller, no larger than a filly, without a horn. They still had the wings. The holes in their limbs would appear and disappear depending on how well fed they were. They would fill when nourished, but get larger if starvation was setting in. My children were starving when you fought them. It had been decades since we had a steady food source.”

Twilight sat in silence, unsure of what to say. Eventually she decided on, “What happened to them? After being defeated again, I mean.”

Chrysalis laughed a humourless laugh, “Most of them? Dead. They no longer had the strength to recover after being flung across the countryside. I gathered what few survivors I could find. Perhaps two dozen. They are being kept alive here in Canterlot, by Celestia, until we safely move out again. There might have been more who survived at first, but they are likely gone by now, either flown away or hunted down.”

“Chrysalis, I did not –,” Twilight tried to apologize, but was interrupted by an angry alicorn.

“Did not what? Did not know? How would you? How could you?” Her voice softened, “We came as aggressors, attacking a civilian city. Worse, I should have anticipated that Celestia would keep failsafes in case she was defeated. The entire plan was based on rounding up the population to show them their monarch fall. Although you do not see it, she has me bound to her. I can no more leave this city than I could save what’s left of my hive. Beware, Twilight, eternal power comes with chains heavier than any iron, walls stronger than any stone. You have my support.”

Chrysalis abruptly stood and exited the room.

Chapter Six – Sun

Twilight expected she would again be waiting a while before her next, and final, interview. Celestia would be next, she assumed. This was the one that worried her the most. While Celestia was her first and closest friend, she was also her teacher. Twilight did her best to remain still while waiting, but her forehooves fidgeted slightly, the only visible sign of the anxiety that tormented her.

Unlike before, the door opened within a few minutes. As expected, the Sun princess stepped out from the shadowy room beyond the doorway. Closing the door gently behind her (using her golden magic), the white alicorn walked over to her large chair behind the table and sat down. She rested her elbows on the wooden surface and stared at her student over her hooves. Twilight felt that she being analyzed by her teacher. It was far worse than waiting alone.

The two of them sat there for what felt like an eternity, one watching intently, the other doing her best not to move. Eventually the younger of the two shifted slightly in her seat to take her weight off of her thoroughly crushed tail.

As if this movement was some sort of signal, the larger pony started talking, “Here we are. The oldest alicorn and potentially the youngest alicorn. The others spoke highly of you. Mostly.”
Twilight was not sure if that made her more or less comfortable. “Mostly?” she questioned, unsure what else to say.

“One of them, and I will not say who, is still undecided. She will be listening in on our conversation.” Twilight gulped nervously and her mentor gave her a reassuring smile. “Just be yourself. I am confident that you will convince her.”

Celestia lowered her hooves until they rested horizontal on the table, “Now then, onto business, Twilight. I am here to explain the history of the spell, and to answer any remaining questions you may have. Are you ready?”

“Yes, Celestia.” Could she have answered otherwise?

“Good. As I am sure you are aware, Luna and I were among the first ponies to settle Equestria. I used to be the unicorn Clover the Clever, the first bearer of the element of magic, although we have not yet gotten there. Yes, Twilight?” The unicorn’s hoof was waving in the air to gain her attention.

“If you were Clover the Clever, and Luna was your mentor, does that make her –”

“Starswirl the Bearded, yes. After returning from Ponyville during Nightmare Night she commented on your choice of costume.” Twilight blushed madly and stammered out something that ended up sounding like ‘MEEP!’. Her teacher tried to reassure her. “Think of it this way: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. She was not mad at you. In fact, I think she was glad to have been remembered.” The way that Twilight looked down at the floor suggested that it did not help.

Celestia continued undaunted by her ashamed pupil, “As I said, we were the first to come to Equestria. I should really amend that to the first ponies to come to Equestria. There were already inhabitants here. Dragons ruled the skies and mountains while changelings dwelt in the ground and under the hills. Despite the abundance of resources, neither were happy to see a new civilization moving in. We sent for the rest of our kind shortly after arriving and seeing the riches in Equestria.”

“What happened? With the dragons. I already know how you conquered the changelings.” Twilight’s confidence had returned and she risked a question.

Celestia switched over to a more authoritative tone, usually reserved for speeches and long monologues. “What always happens when territory is at stake. We fought. Within a month we had a firm stronghold on the ground and had buried many of the changeling tribes. Earth ponies fought them on the ground, pegasi in the sky. Unicorns would collapse hives and prevent them from resurfacing. In short, we dominated them. After a time we left them alone, excluding of course their occasional raids.”

“The dragons, however, presented a much greater challenge. It took many pegasi to challenge them in the air, and the earth ponies were entirely useless. Some unicorns could fight the dragons, but unlike changelings dragons had magic of their own. It is much more primal and they have less control over it, but it was far more powerful than our own. It would only be a matter of time until both our races were reduced to ash in the wind.”

“The changelings had been unable to communicate with us. They spoke a different language to us and we were content with wiping them aside. On the other hoof, the dragons spoke the same language as us. Out of necessity we sent ambassadors to negotiate the end of conflict. They came back severely wounded or not at all. We tried again and this time none returned.”

“The final time I went myself. I ventured alone through treacherous passes and over rocky mountains. I had to regularly avoid dragon patrols who might fancy a roast pony dinner. It took weeks, but eventually I arrived at their main nest, a hollowed mountain where they dwelt. Under cover of night I snuck inside and navigated their caves as best I could. I mentally mapped my path in case I was discovered, although I knew that I had little chance of survival if I were found.”

“After hours of wandering dark tunnels I came across what appeared to be their king’s throne chamber. It was abandoned, likely due to the late hour. I slipped inside and took cover in a stony alcove to wait ‘til morning. A couple hours later sunlight pierced small cracks in the ceiling that served as windows. It had been designed that dawn would make pillars of light flank the pathway between the main doors and the jewel-encrusted throne. Their king entered during this time with only a couple guards as an escort. Knowing that more dragons would come later, I ventured from the alcove that sheltered me and alerted them to my presence.”

“As expected, the guards reacted quickly and violently, incorrectly assuming that I was an assassin. I stunned them with my magic long enough to let their king know I meant no harm and was there to talk. That day I managed to negotiate a temporary ceasefire and a small area in the sky for the pegasi. Shortly after we exchanged ambassadors and slowly tensions between our races fell. Myself and the five ponies that led our kind worked together to bring peace. Other than isolated conflicts, fighting was done within our first year in Equestria. All hostilities ended in less than five years. By the end of our first decade we had peace treaties signed and trade was flourishing between us.”

“The king recognized our efforts in ending what would otherwise have become a horrible war. He gifted us with the Elements of Harmony to show his appreciation. In private he taught me of a powerful spell that bound his people, the same spell that you are here to learn today. He guided my efforts and helped me refine the spell until it was fit for use on ponies. Originally we intended to Change the other five founders of Equestria, however it became clear that it would not work on anypony other than the caster, much unlike the original spell that was over the dragons. Regardless, I cast the spell and Changed into the first alicorn using the power of the Element of Magic. The king of dragons and I remain close friends to this day.”

Celestia ended her speech both surprised and impressed that her student had stay quiet for its entirety. The blissful silence that followed did not last long, however.

The ever inquisitive Twilight was full of questions and eventually burst, “So this king of the dragons is how you get eggs for your students? What’s he like? Does Spike know? What else did they teach you? How did they get the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight stopped to take a breath.

“Yes, he supplies eggs for some of my students. You will meet him in time if you decide to Change. Spike doesn’t know yet, hence his quest to learn who he is. You already have a book full of what they taught me. And I don’t know how they got the Elements. I imagine they either found them while harvesting gems or created them. When I said I would answer your questions I meant one at a time, not all at once.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak before closing it again and letting Celestia talk. “I will not fill you in on everything that has happened since then. It would take far too long to recount thousands of years of equine history. I will, however, give you some key points of what happened after. After Changing, I continued in my six-way rule of Equestria. During this time Starswirl Changed into Luna and joined our ranks. As time went on the others aged and succumbed to time, leaving the pair of us alone in ruling the ponies of Equestria. Another alicorn was created a couple hundred years later, a male this time.”

“By this time myself and Luna were getting bored. A new alicorn was an exciting change, but not for long. We decided upon a game of strength and wits.”

“The game,” Twilight filled in.

Celestia nodded her white head, “Yes, Twilight. It was a public three-way magical duel, winner keeps Equestria. Ponies came from all around to watch. We struggled for days against one another. If not for magical wards placed over the spectators more than a few would have been killed or worse. Regardless, they stayed to watch and cheer for their chosen team. In the end both myself and Luna fell to the new alicorn and departed from the land, vowing that we would return. It became an annual event for us to fight each other. After a few dozen matches, and all three of us controlling Equestria for a time, we decided to expand the game. Our contest would span years and much more closely resemble a real war. At one point I led a dragon legion against Luna.”

“The death toll rose significantly, but what were mortals but the playthings of gods? For that was what we had become. I controlled the sun itself, Luna the moon. The land fell under control of our colleague. Over time our attacks became increasingly sparse, but of greater magnitude. Eventually the dragons stepped in the lay down official rules to prevent loss of innocent life, spanning from rules of engagement to integrating new alicorns into the game.” After a few seconds, “Was there anything else, Twilight?”

Twilight thought carefully for a minute. Eventually, “What will happen to my friends in Ponyville if I Change? Will I still know them?”

“That’s up to you. And them. Luna and I chose new names when we Changed. Chrysalis did not. None of us look like we used to, but we still act and behave like we did as unicorns, albeit with far greater experience in life to draw upon. Should you attempt something foolish, such as trying to dethrone me, you might find yourself banished for far longer than their natural lives. Even if you stay with them, they will die and you will live on. I gave you Spike so that you would not be completely alone when this happens, although the grief will still be terrible for you. Despite your best intentions, they might disown you for your choice. Cadence lost her friends when she Changed. They simply could not accept her as an alicorn. Anything else?”

“A few weeks back I had an encounter with a strange magical artifact. The Alicorn Amulet. Where did it come from? What does it have to do with alicorns?” asked Twilight.

Celestia hesitated before answering. “I’m not sure, Twilight. It was here before I regained the throne. If I had to guess, I would assume another alicorn created it as a plot to overthrow the last ruler.”

Celestia stood up from the chair she was sitting on. “I am going to speak with the others. Please wait here until we come to a decision.” Celestia’s colourful tail disappeared the door a heartbeat before it clanged shut.

Chapter One – Scale

Twilight Sparkle stood atop the highest balcony in the Ponyville Library in the darkness of the spring pre-dawn. Admittedly, the highest balcony wasn’t all that far from the dirt ground below. Perhaps twenty feet from the ground, just below the leafy canopy that covered the tree that in turn formed a shell around the library. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten with slight tinges of orange. To the west stars were still visible to the naked eye.

The unicorn, for such Twilight was, was facing north, towards Canterlot. She was looking out intently, searching the sky for any trace of a pegasus convoy. Her ruler and teacher, Princess Celestia, was sending her a delivery of books for her continued studies. Because Twilight was exceptionally gifted in magical pursuits, the Princess had sent her to rural Ponyville to research the magic of friendship. While she enjoyed the chance to explore new avenues of magic, it was not without its difficulties. Difficulties like not having the entire Canterlot Library at her disposal, hence the impending delivery.

The delivery was due to arrive shortly after sunrise. However, the impatient Twilight was unable to sleep in her anticipation. It was not the anticipation of new books, for she had read them all already, but the anticipation of more books. She had earnestly tried to keep busy while waiting inside, but her patience was lost after having sorted the library for the additions twice (alphabetically by author, divided further by subject) and deciding the order she would read them in (reverse alphabetical order by title). And so she waited outside, quivering slightly at the prospect of her delivery.

A cool breeze fluttered by the hamlet causing Twilight to shiver slightly. She considered popping inside for a moment to get a blanket, but decided better of it. After all, what would she do if the delivery arrived in the moments she was inside? The rational part of her mind told her that she would see the sky chariot at least twenty minutes before it arrived and that grabbing a blanket would take less than one. The other half of her mind shouted ‘B-But, books!’ as though it were an adequate rebuttal. Somehow that won the argument and she remained outside despite the chill sinking into her coat.

Half an hour later the sun peeked over the horizon. Twilight squinted slightly at the sudden light, but quickly resumed her watch. A small black speck had appeared at that moment to the north. It was out several kilometers, but contrast greatly with the lightening sky. Several minutes passed before Twilight could make out four smudges flanking the growing speck. The next handful of minutes was an unbearable wait for Twilight. The village around her woke during her wait, giving her mind something else to pay attention to.

It was still far too long before the speck became a chariot and the smudges four black royal guards, garbed as those belonging to the Night Princess, Luna. Twilight wondered why they were not Celestia’s white guards, and more importantly why there were guards in the first place. Surely a crate of books doesn’t warrant such protection. A purple blur whizzed from the balcony to the front door of the tree in a half moment while the chariot came in to land. Twilight’s speed defied all laws of physics, and half the laws of Pinkie Pie. The pegasi stopped a couple meters from the doorway.

“Miss Twilight Sparkle?” A dark unicorn stepped from the chariot, dressed similarly to the pegasi. An embroidered crest adorned his left breast. The leader, then.

Twilight nodded briefly before looking for the box that would contain her prize. “Sign here,” he said while bringing forward a form and quill from the chariot using dark grey magic. Paperwork first, books second. And third, fourth, and so on until the day was spent. She hastily scrawled her name across the bottom of the form and resumed her search for the books.

Once the form and quill had been safely returned to the chariot, the leader levitated out a medium sized crate, perhaps the size of a small table. A heavy padlock bound it shut and a note was stapled to the lid. Twilight took the note while the other unicorn floated the crate inside the library. The pegasi stood outside, keeping watch.

My faithful student,

As promised, here are the books you ordered. May they be a help to you as you advance in your studies. In addition to the books requested, I have included an old tome that you will find interesting. It contains some of the oldest and most powerful magics found in Equestria and beyond. This book is for academic purposes only and the spells within should not be attempted without either Princess Luna or myself there to aid you.
I trust that you will use this knowledge responsibly,
Your loving teacher,
Princess Celestia

Twilight trotted inside after she finished reading the note. Her anticipation before was nothing to how she felt now, knowing that a new book was waiting for her. “Spike! Wake up!” she shouted to her assistant. She expected the dragon to be sleeping upstairs. The sound of tired mumbling drifted down the stairs. She sighed before conjuring up her magic to ‘assist’ the dragon downstairs. A few second later the juvenile lizard came floating down the stairs supported by Twilight’s magical glow.

“Twilight, you said I could sleep in today,” the dragon whined as he was set down on the wooden floor.

“No. I said you could sleep in until the books arrived. The books have now arrived.”

The guard looked to Twilight for direction on where to place the crate, and when none came he lowered it to the middle of the floor next to a low table. “There you go. If you have any questions or concerns the Princesses are just a dragon’s burp away.”

“Thank you. Give Her my thanks.” The guard exited, shortly followed by the sound of clopping hooves and flapping wings. The sound disappeared a moment later as they flew back to Canterlot. She turned to the sleepy dragon. “Well? They won’t shelf themselves. The organizational guides are on the table.”

Spike sighed once before getting to work. By the time he got the papers on the table Twilight had already opened the crate. She removed the top book and took it upstairs, leaving Spike to his arduous task. She closed the door to her study and set the book on the table. It was dark brown with faded gold trim. Despite its age the book was in excellent condition. Twilight suspected that it was kept locked away safely most of the time.

Pulling over a cushion, she sat down and cracked open the book. A light layer of dust fell from the cover. Twilight sneezed before continuing into the book. The first page was blank. It was odd for there not to be a title page at the beginning. She closed the book and looked for a title. There was none. She shrugged and turned past the blank page.

A long table of contents was on this page, written by somepony with excellent penmanship. There were five chapters, each broken down into sections. Offensive magics, defensive magics, spatial magics, time magics ,and finally soul magics. It was the last section that caught her attention.

Soul Magics

Introduction 1794
Soul detection spells 1813
Soul manipulation spells 1876
Soul destruction spells 1942
Soul transfer spells 1998
Soul enhancement spells 2027 see 2053
Conclusion 2055

Someone had written ‘see 2053’ in the margin on the right side of the page. It was written in a neater, if less fancy, hoof than the original author. Twilight, of course, flipped through the book to page 2053. She caught glimpses of diagrams depicting magical casting circles and ancient symbols. There were occasional recipes or notes crammed into margins about various spellcasting techniques.

And then she was there. Page 2053. Halfway down the page a subheading read Soul Preservation and Extension with a footer. It read ‘See page 1496: Time Progression Altering’. She started to flip back through the book, but thought better of it and instead read the page before her.

By now you have a thorough understanding of the concept of the soul and its nature. You are able to manipulate them, bend them to your will, and draw energy from the souls of others. You can even destroy them should you choose to do so. Earlier in this section you learned how to reinforce, expand, and otherwise enhance souls, as well as the resulting effects to the physical form (body) of the soul. This subsection will teach you how to preserve a soul through time, and by doing so granting eternal life to the body that it inhabits. This spell will also remove the upper limit of power that a soul can contain. The result is an undying soul that can attain theoretically infinite power. While the being will have eternal life, it can still die from wounds and the most severe of diseases.

This spell has only been cast a handful of times. It was first done by an ancient reptilian race, now known as dragons. Their eternal life has been passed down the generations to the point that all dragons have unnaturally long lives. The spell in the following pages has been adapted for pony usage from the original cast by the dragons. It is limited to the caster only; attempts to extend the lives of others have had disastrous results for both caster and recipient.

The spell has thus far been unnamed. This is because of the immense power contained in the mere name of the spell. Some of its titles include The Spell of Life, The Spell of Souls, and (incorrectly) The Spell of Immortality.

Because the spell can only be cast on oneself, it can only be used by unicorns. A side effect of this spell, however, is the development of both earth pony and pegasi features. This will most noticeably cause the unicorn to grow a pair of wings. The effects from becoming part earth pony are less visible, although still present. Signs of this are increased physical strength and an enhanced understanding of the natural world. This new form is referred to as an Alicorn, being a mix of all the land based forms of pony.

Twilight stopped reading here. She felt that she had a far greater understanding of her monarchs, although it did not increase her respect for them. The thought of Princess Celestia the Unicorn horrified her. It was blasphemous, although it made more sense the more she thought of it. The sun used to be controlled by the Unicorn race before the settling of Equestria. It logically followed that Celestia came after unicorns.

She then thought of Princess Luna. Celestia’s younger sister, or so she said. Twilight thought it more likely that this was a ruse to explain why there were suddenly two alicorns instead of one. “‘She’s my younger sister. She came back from another land’ or something like that,” Twilight hypothesized in her head.

Her mind turned to the dragon sorting books on the floor below. Knowingly or not, he was under the influence of the same spell. “To live forever, even after I pass on,” she thought. It saddened her to think that her assistant would continue on after all his friends died, after Ponyville was just a footnote in the annals of history.

Her musings were interrupted by a knock on the door. She turned to see Spike poking his head in the doorway. “Miss Rarity says you had a book for her. A Guide of Equestrian Diamonds or something.”

Twilight closed the book on the desk and headed towards the stairs. “Yes. It should be in the box that arrived this morning.” The young dragon was already walking back down the stairs. Twilight followed to the main library below.

There were books everywhere. It looked like the crate had exploded some time after Twilight had gone upstairs. There were books on the floor and rug. There were books on all the furniture. There were even books hanging from the chandelier. In the middle of the mess was a beautiful white unicorn, about the same age as Twilight, contrasting starkly to the chaos around her.

Where Rarity gracefully ignored the mess around her, Twilight fell to her haunches in shock. “Spike! What is this? You just needed to put the books on the shelves.” Spike smiled sheepishly, but offered no excuse. “Ugh. Just go find the book.” Spike knew better than to say anything.

“Twilight! How good to see you, dear. How are you this fine morning,” Rarity distracted Twilight from the books lying around the room.

“Oh, not too bad. At least, not until I saw the mess that Spike made,” she glanced towards the dragon for a second before continuing. “The Princess sent me a new book and it seems to contain a bunch of new magic. I was just reading one of the spells.”

“New spells? Well make sure you share them with me.” They both knew that it would be futile, but time with a friend is never truly wasted.

A crease appeared in Twilight’s forehead as she hesitated for before answering, “Celestia said not to try the spells without her.” Rarity’s expression fell. “But I’m sure that it’d be fine if we keep quiet about it.” Twilight gave the other unicorn a sly grin.

“Okay, how does, say, Thursday afternoon sound?”

“Spike has a dental appointment. Thursday evening?”

“Aha! Gotcha!” Spike had found the book under one of the cushions on the sofa. He presented it to Rarity with a flourish and bow, managing to look both cute and incredibly corny. “Here, milady.”

“Why thank you, darling.” Rarity took the book in her blue magic and gave him a light peck on the cheek, causing the dragon to blush fiercely. She turned back to Twilight and continued speaking to her, “Thursday evening sounds wonderful. Come over to my place. Sweetie Belle will be out with her friends.”

They two unicorns walked to the door. “Great. I’ll see you then. Enjoy the book.” Twilight closed the door behind the other unicorn. She turned to see Spike standing in the middle of the room. He apparently had been stunned by the kiss from his crush. Twilight knew the solution to this.

A large, heavy book levitated silently behind the dragon. Twilight let the magic around the book fade. It fell. A loud crack startled Spike back to reality. “Focus, Romeo. We’ve got work to do. A letter, to be specific.” The dragon sighed heavily before going to grab a quill and parchment from an adjoining room.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight dictated after his return, “Thank you very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very much for the new book.” By the sound of Spike’s scratching quill only the first ‘very’ was included. “It looks intriguing and will no doubt be a great aid in my studies.” The letter continued for a short time and after a brief editing session with Spike the following was magically sent to Princess Celestia:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Thank you very much for the new book. It looks intriguing and will no doubt be a great aid in my studies. Of particular interest was a page added to the Table of Contents, page 2053, about a spell to empower the soul of the caster. It mentioned that it can be used to convert unicorns into alicorns. I am interested in learning more about this spell. As per your instructions, I have not attempted the spell by myself. I will continue to research the spell.

I await your prompt reply,

Twilight Sparkle

Princess Celestia read her student’s letter as it hovered in her magic before her. A small smile crept onto her white face. She magically sent three letters away and turned to begin her preparations.

Author's Note

This was an idea I got at work one day. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Seven – Casting

The door had hardly been closed five minutes when it reopened and Celestia stepped out.
“Come, Twilight. We have made a decision.”

The unicorn obeyed, and followed her teacher into the darkness beyond the door. The room brightened the moment she passed the doorway as if a veil fell away from her eyes. The room was about half the size as the one she just left, and decorated with the same bare stone. There was no furniture. It was replaced by a large circle of emerald powder that was surrounded in strange runes made of finely crushed ruby. The circle glittered and sparkled – and strangely enough, glowed slightly.

The alicorns each stood in a corner, facing inwards to the center of the circle. Clockwise from Twilight’s left was Luna, Cadence, Chrysalis, and finally Celestia on her right. The unicorn paused just inside the door before shutting it behind her. The clang as it fell into place filled her with a sense of finality. This was the end for her. Either her future as an alicorn or future as a mortal unicorn would end here.

She noticed four empty rings of emerald dust in the center of the circle, spaced perfectly as if for the hooves of a perfectly average sized pony. Twilight slowly clopped over to them, being careful to avoid stepping on any of the gemstone dust on the floor. Her hoof gently lowered into the rings one by one, each fitting perfectly and not requiring her to stretch to fill them all. After checking that she was in place and had not ruined any of the casting circle she turned to her mentor, located behind her rear-rightward flank.

“Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia’s voice filled the room, seeming to come from both everywhere and nowhere. Her mouth did not move, but her horn was glowing slightly. Twilight glanced around and saw the others had a similar light around their horns. “We, the alicorn council, have assembled today to invite a newcomer into our fold. She has shown her merit and is now presented to you, sisters, for you to vote upon. I, Princess Celestia of the Sun, vote in favour of Twilight Sparkle.”

Princess Luna spoke next. Well, not really. Her voice filled the chamber next, but her mouth was also not moving. “We, Luna of the Moon, vote in favour of Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight turner her head around to follow who she assumed was the source of each voice. “I, Cadence of the Heart, vote in favour of Twilight Sparkle.”

“I, Chrysalis of concealment, vote in favour of Twilight Sparkle.”

“The votes have been cast, and Twilight Sparkle has been found eligible to continue.” Celestia’s voice continued. Magical tendrils spread from each of the alicorns and intertwined around Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, do you swear to use your enhanced powers for the defense of the weak and serving your fellow pony? To protect the inhabitants of Equestria, be they under your rule or not?”

Celestia’s white head signalled the unicorn to answer. “Um… Yes? I suppose?” she cleared her throat before trying again, “Yes, Princess.”

“Then show us what you have learned, Twilight. We will be here to guide you in your efforts, but the magic will be under your sole control.” The white alicorn levitated out the box that contained the Elements of Harmony and opened it in front of Twilight. “Twilight, take your element.”

She obeyed and gently placed the jewel encrusted tiara on her head. She stared forward at the stone wall while she awaited further instruction. The box was pulled away and put down near the door.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Chrysalis spoke this time. “We will not think less of you if you choose to stay a unicorn. At worst you will have to come back should you change your mind.”

This was it. Twilight’s choice. Her really, really, really big choice. She was not sure if she wanted this change. How would her friends react? She closed her eyes to aid in her concentration and she started sweating slightly from the stress.

Rainbow Dash would stay loyal to her, and by extension her decision. On the other hoof, she might see it as a betrayal of her loyalty.

Pinkie Pie would throw a party in celebration of her new form. Or would she see it as losing a friend, complete with the mental breaks that accompanied Pinkie Pie losing a friend?

Rarity would be eager for an opportunity to create dresses for Twilight Sparkle the Alicorn. However, she might decide contorting oneself into an alicorn is ‘unfabulous’ or some such.

Applejack would see the practical purpose of changing to continue her studies, but might not understand the need for more magic, an already foreign concept to the earth pony.

Fluttershy would be happy for Twilight to advance, especially if it made the unicorn happy. The risk was that her new form would intimidate the timid pegasus and scare her further away.

Twilight saw potential for both good and bad result with her friends. Was the risk of losing her friends worth gaining more power? No matter how they treated her after Changing, she would eventually lose them to the slow decay of time.

She assumed that Spike would stand by her, especially if they were both going to live for eternity. Then again, he might leave when he got older. He would have no need for a caretaker.

What about if she didn’t change? Would her friends think she made the wrong choice? Would it be right to tell them that this meeting even occurred? Could she live a lie to all of her friends?

These thoughts and many more plagued Twilight as she stood there in the middle of the magical casting circle. A significant amount of time had passed, though the alicorns around her remained impassive.

Eventually Twilight opened her eyes and looked into the faces of each of the alicorns around her in turn. She had made her decision.