The Threat of Change

If it weren't for the magic of unicorns, the purple pony limping alongside the Princess of the Night would still be in that dreadfully quiet, clean and boring hospital room. Doctor Red Cross was quite annoyed Twilight would be leaving the hospital so soon, her wounds needed more time to heal naturally - but Luna did not have time for that, and neither did Celestia. Twilight was eager to leave in any case, several days in the hospital was too long despite being able to look over the books Luna had sent down to her, she was un-eased with the thoughts of a twisted Sun Princess and doing nothing about it.

"Twilight, I must warn you... no matter what she says do not go into the cell."

Twilight shivered. The thought let alone the fact, that the Princess was chained up down in the Canterlot Dungeons sickened her and filled her with dread. In a time of peace, those cells of stone and iron were never used - not so much as a petty theft took place, and so the iron bars and shackles were left to rust.

Now they had purpose... but for the worst possible reason.

"I know."

They reached the dungeon's entrance doors. They were deep within the lower levels of the castle, completely out-of-the-way of normal tourists or even general castle staff. The dungeons themselves were an extension of the underground crystal caverns, magically sealed off from the main cavern Twilight had found herself in when the Queen had imprisoned her. Luna dismissed the guards' salute and with a wave of blue magic from the two guards' combined magic, the dark wood doors opened. Several meters in they were met with a second set of doors, this time of metal with carvings running along the sides. Incantations to prevent unicorns breaking free - if they even got this far.

"Where even is the dungeons?," Twilight had asked shortly after they left the hospital. Luna smiled as she responded, "in such a time of peace, the remnants of evil or wrong-doing still lingered over the dungeon's entrance and so we agreed to hide it. Ponies still know it exists, they just can't see it."

The purple unicorn frowned at what had been Luna's response in a knowing way. It was surely not the most friendly sight and many of the ponies who had witnessed or read about the events of Nightmare Moon's return or the story of how the Royal Sisters had conquered Discord, already feared that if they did something wrong Celestia would banish them to the moon or turn them to stone. Luna was still feared as a shadow of Nightmare Moon, but theories went around that Celestia had been temporarily banished to the sun during her return and it only added to the list of horrible things that could become of a pony.

As a result, the ponies were on their best behaviour around the Princesses and, perhaps not as much as Twilight, panicked if they thought they'd done something wrong. The annoyed look Celestia and Luna often flashed at the mention of such banishment were usually caught by the poor pony and, nine times out of ten misinterpreted, only heightened their fears. It was a continued frustration to the sisters knowing their subjects feared them like that, but all they could do was try to re-assure their subjects no such fate would fall upon them. Not that it changed anything.

"Go away - we don't have visitors."

Luna stepped up to the metal bench that the pony who had spoken was behind. The pony was a pegasus, a much darker blue than she was herself, with a bluish-black mane, shining like obsidian. The stallion wore the helmet and armour of the Night Guard but while he possessed the draconic eyes and ear tufts, he did not have the bat wings or frill the bat-ponies of the normal guard were known for. Upon lifting his head up to see who it was, the stallion nearly fell off his chair trying to stand and salute his Princess.

"P-Princess Luna! Uh, eh, Captain Nightfall at your service! Please forgive me Princess, I didn't realise it was you."

The gift Luna gave them was entirely up to the individual pony. If they wished to keep their appearance, Luna had promised they would not be forced to change it. Very few didn't accept the gift however, in fact it was a surprising small number that had requested not to receive it - or only a modified version of it like Nightfall. As such the Night Princess found no reason why they couldn't be given half the gift and allow them to keep their normal wings and were simply gifted with the earth pony equivalent of the gift. Luna held back the urge to smile at the captain's reaction and settled with a slight nod.

"Captain, at ease - you were just doing as ordered."

"Yes," Nightfall paused momentarily and looked down the staircase that led to the dungeons, "are you here for her?"

"Who else would I be here for?"

"Uh- yes, well.. Commander Fire Storm will be there at the entrance waiting."

"Fire Storm?"

"He wishes to stand by her. Stubborn that one is."

Luna let the smile slip, an amused expression crossing her face, Fire Storm was of the Night Guard but his allegiance to the two Sisters combined was well known. If given the chance, he'd gladly join a separate Guard dedicated to both Luna and Celestia. Nightfall found the silly smile creep onto his own face and happily lead the two down the stairs. As they descended he asked about Twilight being here and Luna had simply said it was private business. Nightfall said nothing more as they reached the bottom of the stairs and met with the black stallion adorned in Night-Guard armour. Fire Storm re-positioned himself and lifted an armoured hoof to his head to salute. It was also well known that the stallion was originally a Day Guard and chose to switch willingly to Luna's Night Guard. As such, his loyalty to Celestia was just as equal to that of Luna.

Captain Nightfall returned the salute and both Twilight and Luna dipped their heads in greeting. Fire Storm's eyes drifted over the three and came to rest on Twilight with a surprised look on his face.

"I remember you. Miss... Sparkle? Wasn't it?"

Twilight nodded and smiled - as did the guard. Something about a large majority of night-guards acting in particular ways gave ponies the impression they were far more relaxed and at ease than Celestia's Day Guard. Even the usually at-attention Fire Storm allowed a small sense of emotion show. His smile quickly vanished as he blinked and turned back to Luna, all composure returned.

"If you are here for Her Highness, I must inform you things have been going rapidly downhill since you brought her in early the other morning. Please, be cautious."

Luna nodded, a frown replacing her pleasant smile. Twilight's fear returned and her ears lowered as she ever so slightly lowered her head.

Fire Storm opened the door and lead them through to the cell at the end. It was larger than most and surrounded by stone on three sides and metal bars on the fourth. Inside lay the black form of something that slightly resembled an Alicorn. The wings were shredded, but still white feathers stuck out and patches of white fur clung around her chest, sides and forelegs. The sun cutie mark was shredded and torn by the loss of fur and barely recognizable. Her crown and necklace remained however, unaffected by the transformation her body was going through. If not for the patches of white and the jewelry, Twilight would have had a hard time believing this was the sleeping form of Celestia and not the Changeling Queen.

"Tia?"

There was the brief rustle of chains dragging but then silence. Luna moved closer to the cell door and put her hoof up against the bars. Fire Storm moved uneasy as Luna leaned against the metal.

"...Sister?"

All of a sudden Celestia shot forward towards Luna with speed that would have made even Rainbow jealous. An enraged animal cry roared from the creature, followed by a gagging and gasping sound as Celestia was literally yanked off the ground and landed on her back, holy-hooves clawing at something around her neck. Twilight and Luna had jumped so far back they nearly hit the bars of the cell opposite Celestia's. It took several moments before anyone recovered, Celestia rolled on her side and stood, head lowered, frowning and narrowed her eyes at her prey who had escaped her, the green in them flashing. Twilight held her hoof to her chest, trying to still her frantically beating heart, Luna was only just doing better and was the first of the two to recover.

"I warned you to be cautious," Fire Storm said bitterly, but his eyes betrayed his words, showing signs of concern.

A hiss escaped Celestia's curled lips, revealing dangerously sharp teeth.

"S-she told me about what h-happened to Aerith at th-this point b-but... I didn't," Twilight couldn't finish her sentence. Celestia and Ventios reported Aerith's aggressive, animal-like behaviour towards the end of the transformation but she simply couldn't imagine the Princess in such a state until now. Luna's stiffened wings relaxed and she gently wrapped it over Twilight's back, careful not to press down on the still-healing wound. The coolness of her wings seemed to calm the purple unicorn slightly, but the shock still remained. Returning her gaze upon Celestia she noticed her eyes flickering. They flashed between green and pink and the twisted goddess slumped to the ground like a tired animal. Indeed, her eyes did close and after enough time that allowed both Twilight and Luna to fully recover, they fluttered open again. Slowly, her alien green eyes rested on the dark blue alicorn.

"L-Luna?"

Immediately she lifted herself off the ground and with a pathetic flap of her torn wings, she jumped back to the darker end of the cell much like Twilight and Luna had done mere moments ago.

"I-it happened again... didn't it?"

"It's getting worse," Luna replied and startled Twilight with the response. Getting worse?! She felt a nudge on her unharmed side as Luna continued, "you're student insisted on seeing you."

"Twilight?" her gaze shifted down to the purple unicorn who took a step forward, Luna removing her wing and exposing the bandages wrapping her torso and forehead up. Even with a single step, her limp was evident. Twilight put on a weak smile hoping to coax the Princess out of her dark hiding spot. Celestia lifted herself up and all-but crawled forward until she reach the bars and sat on her haunches, hooves around the metal bars that kept her prisoner.

"Luna.. Luna told me what happened... what I did. I know no matter what I do, nothing can excuse my actions - even if they were not of my own will. I.. I never wanted to hurt you - I don't want to hurt anypony and I don't expect you to ever accept my apology.... but I am... truly, very sorry," Celestia looked Twilight in the eyes as she said it, but then quickly turned away, looking at the dirt gathering on the stone ground. It gave the purple unicorn a good look at how she was chained as well; around her neck was a thick metal collar with a taut chain attached at the back, likely bolted to a wall or the ground somewhere behind her. A second collar strapped above the metal one, a single black strand with a gem at it's center. The gem itself was an array of blue and green, the two colours magically moving and shifting around in a swirl of colour. An anti-magic collar, Twilight noted.

Celestia was always strong, she never snapped under pressure and could, at the very least, say something reassuring in times of hardship. It was horrifying seeing her like this, she was all but broken.

Twilight hesitated, then took several more steps closer and rested her hoof on the bars just below Celestia's own. Both Fire Storm and Nightfall narrowed eyes on the two, re-adjusting themselves just the tiniest bit so they could spring into action at a second's notice.

"I forgive you."

Even the guards looked dumbfounded when Twilight spoke, but no one dared say anything. Celestia looked down at her student, but no tears fell. Her eyes didn't even water. In fact, she was smiling - and not in a good way.

"Thank you."

And then her eyes flashed.

Luna lunged forward and grabbed Twilight, pulling the unicorn towards her just in time as Celestia snapped forward to bite, missing by only an inch. Pain shot through Twilight as her back was pressed against Luna and she gave a short gasp upon the contact. Fire Storm had positioned himself between the two and Celestia and Nightfall stood beside him, both standing protective of the Night Princess, swords unsheathed and held in their mouths.

Celestia jumped to her feet, grinning madly as a two-toned laugh erupted from her throat. When she leaned back forward and spoke, her voice resembled that of an echo and it didn't take long for Luna to understand why.

"Foalish ponies. You are so easy to fool, but I must say - well done Twilight. Even after what I made her do, you still managed to find a way to forgive her - or I should say, me."

"Chrysalis."

Twilight recoiled back under Luna's wing, not quite understanding what was going on.

What?

"Ahh, dear sister..."

"Don't call me that. You lost that right a long time ago."

"Luna, what's going on?" Twilight asked, but by watching the scene unfold she was starting to piece things together.

"Awww, can't you find it in your little, wittle heart to forgive me?" Celestia's child-like voice was followed by a very silly smile, quickly shattered as the night princess spoke again.

"No. Now... Release mine sister, thou foul beast!"

Celestia lifted a hoof in front of her, as if to somehow shield the hurt in those words, and shifted back ever so slightly. A frown formed on her lips. Her eyes drifted down to the unicorn and an almost excited grin spread across her face.

"Twiliiiight~ It's been too long!"

By now Twilight had worked out what was happening and through the shock, she returned with a hardened glare. The twisted goddess merely smiled in amusement and took the unicorn's silence as a 'I'm not going to talk to you' response. She turned her head back to Luna.

"You know what is coming Luna, my dear sister. Celestia is already broken - mine to control whenever I wish it. Soon, even when she is not under my spell, she'll willingly follow my orders. Make note of this Luna - The Changelings will return, we will take Canterlot and with the power of the very sun on our side...you do not stand a chance! Surrender now and when we arrive, I'll ensure your deaths are swift," she broke into a hideous laughter that seemed to ring inside the dungeon and off the walls, the kind of laughter Nightmare Moon was renown for, "you're lives are forfeit! Canterlot is ours!"

The laughter died down as Celestia lost consciousness and fell to the floor with a thud. Torn between running for her life and simply giving up all hope, right there on the spot, Twilight's legs trembled and after a bright purple flash and the sound of thunder, she vanished.

~~~~~

"Twilight!?"

The voice was familiar as Celestia came to, she never lifted her head but she found her green eyes lock onto her sister's blue. For a brief moment all she could do was stare, the coldness in her sister's gaze never leaving hers.

"She will fight through this and you will never set foot within Canterlot's walls again," Luna said, an aggressive tone to her voice but keeping it level at the same time, "I will never allow you to harm Twilight or anypony else again, and you will never have my forgiveness for your heinous crimes."

Celestia remained still as Luna moved away from the cell, Nightfall leading back to this level's entrance, re-sheathing his sword, before the Princess stopped short and angled her head just slightly to see Celestia out the corner of her eye, "and you have no right to call us sisters."

The words were directed at Chrysalis but the hatred in Luna's eyes and voice found the words burned into Celestia's mind and they hurt all the same as the night princess vanished out the door.

She looked up to see the midnight colours of metal and the ash coloured coat and red mane of a Night Guard Commander sitting in front of her, metal bars separating them. He seemed to be waiting for something and the only move he made was re-sheathing his own sword as the sun goddess turned away.

"I'm a horrible pony."

"No you're not."

Celestia looked back up at him, and was taken aback by the hardened look he returned.

"You're not a horrible pony - you've done nothing wrong."

"I have. I hurt my si... I hurt Luna. I nearly murdered Twilight," the words were like knives, stabbing into her heart as she admitted to her crimes, "even if these actions were not of my own will they were still mine and I must accept the consequences of them."

"Princess Celestia, they are well aware you were not yourself and had no control when it happened. I don't fully understand the transition but I was told by your sister you don't possess any memory of events like these... so I know you didn't hear her, but your student forgave you."

There was a brief silence as Celestia found her hooves and sat herself up, although she kept her eyes on the stone ground.

"I did hear her."

Fire Storm blinked and looked at her with surprise. Celestia read his expression and continued talking but her voice was low and the beginnings of the changeling-two-tone echo-voice was starting to set in, causing her voice to shift from it's usual delicate tone, to something quite similar to the Changeling Queen's, at random intervals.

"I didn't want to tell her... I didn't want to scare her and I now understand why Aerith never told us either. I remember it all. I am present, I am there, I remember every little detail. I remember the charge, I remember the thrill of chase.. I remember the smell of blood..." Celestia remained expressionless, even her words were without emotion. It startled Fire Storm, for various reasons, and a cold shiver ran down his spine as Celestia confessed, "It's... a horrible experience- but wonderful at the same time. The freedom, the power, the.... hunger. It's wrong - so wrong - I don't want to hurt anypony... Luna would never mention it but all the times I... I can feel her in my mind... sometimes it's just... it hurts... the pain, the transformation - I've never felt so much, but she relieves it."

"She?"

"Chrysalis."

Fire Storm's hooves moved back a step unconsciously and his startled expression was now riddled with fear.

"W-why are you telling me? Can't you stop it?"

Celestia shook her head and finally lifted her eyes to gaze upon the soldier. The piercing green adding to his fear.

"At first I thought I could. At first I thought I could resist... finally, after all these years... finally I understand what Aerith went through. It hurts to resist... I.. I don't know if I even want to resist it..."

"But you have to resist it!"

Celestia cocked her head and gave him an odd look, another surprise the guard was not expecting, "do I?"

Fire Storm sighed and after several seconds he collected himself and rested a hoof on the metal bars.

"You are Princess Celestia, Guardian of the Sun and Ruler of Equestria. If the ponies of Equestria can not put their trust into you, then who do we look up to?"

He turned and exited the cell block and resumed his guard duty outside the cell block doors. With such a great matter of importance, only the most trusted guards were selected for this kind of job and all of whom were quite prepared to help protect Celestia, even if it meant protecting her from herself. However, despite their loyalty, their skill and their rank, they were unprepared for this.

Celestia watched the door long after it closed before she turned away and rested herself on the cold ground. The temptation was there - Chrysalis promised the pain would go away, she promised freedom, she promised everything if Celestia simply let go. It was the promise to end her suffering - and she was tempted. Her mind, tainted with the transformation like poison, made the change seem all the more pleasing. Each day she grew closer and closer to Chrysalis and the hive, each day losing a part of herself.

It was only a matter of time.