The Return
Celestia could not recall the last time she had felt so much pain. The force of the blast had knocked her through two walls and sent her old body to the ground. The dark magic of the blast burned the fur on her chest, and caused still more pain to pile on top of what she was already feeling. She could not even use magic to ease the ache in her ribs. Every time she cast a spell, her horn just flickered dumbly.
“I trusted you!” Luna screamed. She was sobbing as she tried to stay balanced on shaking hooves. Celestia tried to cast a healing spell, or a shield spell, but her horn only flickered pitifully. “I trusted you," Luna kept screaming through choked sobs.
“Luna,” Celestia said as she struggled to get to her hooves. “Luna please, calm down.”
“I did bad,” the darker princess said, a sob stuck in her voice. “I did something awful and it killed me inside. I spent all those years alone in the moon and I was forced to think about my crime. Then you said it would be alright, though. You said it was all alright. I had paid my debt, that’s what you told me. My imprisonment was enough and now it would all be fine. You said we would be happy again and I trusted you!”
“Luna...” Celestia took a step back and her rump hit the wall. “Luna, I can’t... I can’t use my magic. Something is wrong.”
“It was all a joke,” Luna continued. “You and Sparkle had a good laugh, didn’t you? All of you got to watch me and laugh when I wasn’t looking. I thought you loved me, but how could you ever love somepony like me?” Luna hid her face with her hooves as she sobbed, unable to stop her tears. “It was a good joke, wasn’t it?”
Celestia approached. “Luna?”
The dark pony erupted and a wave of shadow hit Celestia. The force was enough to send her into a desk, which shattered into pieces. If not for the raw pain that rippled through her, she would have guessed she was dead.
Tears ran down Luna's cheeks as she lowered her head, horn sparking. She either wanted to decimate her sister with a massive blast of shadow, or impale the white princess on her horn. She braced herself to rush forward, but her eyes happened upon something shiny. When the desk had shattered beneath Celestia’s girth, its contents flew out in all directions, and a small necklace composed of black and white rocks fell into Luna’s path. In an instant, Luna’s horn was no longer sparking. Instead, she took hold of the necklace with her magic and brought it up to her eyes. The tears slowed and softness returned to her eyes.
“Dark follows light, and light follows dark,” Luna muttered. “Night follows day, and day follows night. I gave this to you... when we were fillies. The white was for day and the black was for night.”
Once more, tears streamed down Luna’s face. She lowered the trinket from her vision and looked to Celestia, who now stood before her. Celestia held her arm cocked a moment, and then she swung forward with a furious haymaker. Her hoof collided with Luna’s jaw and knocked the dark pony to the ground. Celestia shook her hoof several times as a pained tingle ran up her arm. Then she checked on her sister to be sure she was alright. She was worried she had hit Luna too hard and broken her nose. She was scared that when Luna had fallen, she had hit her head. Most of all, Celestia was bitterly terrified of what had brought on the severe mood swing. Luna seemed alright though and Celestia gave a long sigh. She wrapped her arms around her sister and dipped her head to kiss her cheek. “I’m sorry,” she muttered for any number of reasons.
Celestia heard hoof steps. “Guard?” she called out. “Get a doctor. Something is wrong with Luna. Get Twilight Sparkle. Tell her to bring the Elements of Harmony here. Call Cadance and Shining Armor. Call everyone.”
“There are no guards to save you, princess.”
Celestia recognized the distinct voice in an instant. She found herself gripping her sister tight, both to keep Luna safe and hoping deep down that Luna might protect her. Eventually, she set Luna down and turned to face the grinning draconequus. “Discord,” she said, struggling to keep her voice steady. “I should have known it was you. This has your stink all over it. What did you do to Luna?”
The draconequus examined her with a scowl. Perhaps he was annoyed he was not greeted with a kind word like they were old friends, but soon enough a smile had spread across his features. “Do, my dear princess? I am insulted at the accusation. I didn’t do anything other than remind Luna of a few facts and point out a few inconsistencies in your relationship. I didn’t alter anything, if that is what you are so rudely implying. Everything was already there inside her head. She had buried her fears and suspicions somewhere inside, but they remained, always tugging at her heart. All I did was shine a bit of light on those fears and poof! I thought it would be cathartic for her.”
“I will make you will pay for this, Discord.”
“How do you intend to do that?” Discord lifted a hand and revealed a golden ball of fiery light. “I have your magic, princess. I do have to wonder actually, why did you hold back last time? Why did you let that little brat and her herd have all the fun? With all this raw power, you at least could have done something against me, but I suppose you may have leveled Equestria while you were at it. That is an amusing thought. I could bring down the moon and have it crush all these little insects. Or I could encase all your little ponies in living stone. Oh yes! That would be quite poetic.
“You see, Celestia, your apprentice didn’t do it right when she sealed me away. I was still conscious the entire time. Do you have even the slightest clue what it’s like to be trapped in stone? Just think about it. I spent day after day unable to move, unable to blink, but fully aware of everything that was happening around me. Banishment to the moon would have been preferable. At least then I would be able to vent my frustrations with a scream. Instead, you turned me into a tourist attraction. You turned me into a statue for dumb little foals to gawk and laugh at. I love laughter, but only when I’m the one doing the laughing! For a year, I was forced to watch as days bled into days. All that time though, all I could think about was you. All I could think about was what I was going to do when I finally got out. I knew I was going to get out, eventually. I always return, after all. Turns out I am actually pretty popular with your citizens. A couple of bandits stumbled upon an ancient scroll that would release me. They thought I might reward them. Since they like me so much, I thought they might enjoy taking my place in the royal garden.”
Celestia hoped Discord would keep talking. She hoped he would ramble on and on and give her enough time to think of a plan. She tried every spell she could think of, but nothing could stir her horn to life. Discord paused in his monologue and she feared he may attempt something. In desperation, she charged forward to gore the demon on her horn. A backhand across the jaw knocked her through the room and she landed hard against the wall. Before she even hit the ground, Discord’s magic created shackles around her ankles and spread her eagle. A muzzle on her mouth prevented her from talking, though she still tried.
“Don’t worry,” Discord said. “I’m not going to destroy Equestria. I would love to, believe me, but I am sure that something would happen to monkey wrench my plans, right in the third act. You see, Celestia, I had a lot of time to think during my latest imprisonment, and I realized a couple things. The first is that I can’t win. Reality doesn’t like me, and reality will always send some little do-gooder who insists on fighting me. No matter how careful I am, one of those do-gooders will eventually get a lucky shot in and I’ll end up banished. So, what am I to do? I could just bring on the chaos all at once and binge until my next imprisonment, but that always ends somewhat anticlimactically. There are only so many pleas for mercy you can take before it’s all just white noise. I wanted to do something special, but I was not sure what. Then I had my second epiphany.”
Celestia turned her head to the side when Discord suddenly appeared before her, very close. His grin was wide and his yellow eyes were bulging out of their sockets in a revolting way. “I realized I hate you. I hate everything about you. Not like I hate that purple filly you’ve taken a shine to, no, my hate for you is something much deeper. Do you know why, Celestia? Do you know why I hate you? It’s because you are pathetic. You have all this raw power coursing through you and what do you do with it? You perform magic tricks for toddlers. You move the sun through the sky. You send little brats on quests and watch from afar. You have all this power and you can’t even think of anything fun! We should rule Equestria together, but you would rather sit on your throne and eat cake! I don’t want to kill you, Celestia. That would be too easy. I want to ruin you. I want you to walk down the street and for mares to hide their fillies. I want stallions to spit at you and foals to cast stones. I want you ruined. I want every single creature from coast to coast to see you as a little troll who should have been smothered in her crib.”
Discord sighed and tilted his head back. “I knew what I wanted to do. I had to get your magic away from you, but that’s a specialty of mine. Of course, you’re too strong for me to just break off your horn, so I drained your magic instead. I wanted to turn your sister against you, but that wasn’t hard at all. Like I said, I just reminded her of a few of her deepest fears. I imagine once her head is clear, she’ll be back to licking your hooves like a pet dog. The biggest problem was how to keep all those do-gooder subjects of yours from catching on that something was wrong until I had my fun. It occurred to me, I needed help. I searched Equestria for someone who might offer their aid and I managed to find someone who hated you as much as I. You can come in now, Queen Cheeselegs.”
Celestia managed to tilt her head to the door, which swung open with billows of smoke and confetti. Queen Chrysalis trotted forth from the smoke with her head held low and eyes only half lidded. She hadn’t spent more than a moment in the room before Discord wrapped an arm wrapped around her neck as if they were old friends. Her jaw clenched at the touch of the draconequus, but she said not a word and continued to trot to Celestia.
Celestia watched closely as Queen Chrysalis’ skin turned a creamy white and her eyes turned magenta red. Her mane changed to something long and flowing, and an adorable crown appeared on her head.
“Like it?” Discord asked. He had reduced his size to that of a foal and was happily straddling Chrysalis’ back. Her mane was tight in his claws and he tugged despite the whimpers that escaped his mount. “I hope you enjoy it. After you were so mean to old Queen Cheeselegs, she and her minions were left weak and starving. I, the noble King Discord, was kind enough to take them under my wing. Isn’t that right, queenie? I keep their little bellies full with a love magic substitute and she does exactly what I say. If she decides to disobey even the smallest of my requests, I kill every one of her children.”
Queen Chrysalis looked away as Discord stared. Discord shrugged and turned his attention back to Celestia. A disturbingly wide grin spread across his face. “One final thing to keep you out of the way. Shrink Celestia.”
Celestia’s eyes widened. The shackles disappeared with a sound like shattering glass and she felt herself fall dumbly through the air. She landed on the ground with a loud plop and a sore rump. She lifted her head, but found she had to look far up to stare at Discord and the imposter princess. Discord smiled, though Chrysalis looked shocked at the shrunken mare who was now no larger than one of her hooves. “Find a bird cage to keep her in,” Discord said. “I want her out of the way, but unharmed.”
The queen glared at Discord. The moment he turned his back, she lifted her hoof into the air and brought it down with all her weight and strength. Celestia’s eyes widened as the speed of the hoof increased. It slammed upon the ground suddenly, actually causing the tile of stone to shatter. Cracks ran out in all directions in a spider web of damage.
Discord grasped Chrysalis by the horn and threw her into a wall. “I said not to kill her!” he screamed.
Chrysalis stood slowly. She dropped her glamour spell and assumed her true appearance. “You are a fool to let her live, Discord. I have no choice but to provide my aid for the sake of my children. Regardless, do not think for a moment I will allow your idiocy to threaten my goals.”
Chrysalis gasped as Discord took her around the throat. Without effort, he lifted her off the ground and her hooves were left to swing helplessly. Her horn sparked as she attempted a spell, but Discord merely shook her until she was limp. He stretched his head forward on his long neck while his eyes remained fixated on the queen. Tears began to trickle in the corner of her eyes, though squeezing her eyes shut she tried to hide them. The sharpened nails of Discord’s claw bore small holes in her throat. “Speak to me like that again and I will devour all of your precious children with a glass of fine wine. Do you understand me?”
He waited several moments, before asking again, “Do you understand me?”
“Yes!” she screamed.
Discord dropped her, as she was no longer important to him. He looked to his fingers, wet with Chrysalis’ blood, and then looked to the dent in the floor where Chrysalis’ hoof had come crashing down. With a clean finger, he stroked the dent and brought it to his eye. “No blood,” he mused, and then slithered to Luna, for the first time noticing she was awake. “You teleported her somewhere. Where is she?”
“Where is who?” Luna asked.
“Tell me where Celestia is or I’ll-“
“You will what? Ramble out a couple more clichés? Turn the world into an abstract painting of your lack of creativity? Kill me? I am hoping for the last one, since the oblivion of death would be preferable to listening to the storm of bad puns that dribble out of your lips.”
Discord’s eyes narrowed. He took Luna by the horn and dragged her to the door. She refused to scream despite the pain that was surging through her. “Change to Celestia,” he barked to Chrysalis as he passed her. “Declare a royal decree that it is illegal to walk on the ground. Any pony caught walking on the ground will have their hooves chopped off at the knees.” Discord lifted Luna up to his eye level. “As for you, princess of the night, I don’t even need to turn the citizens against you. You are nothing but a bitter princess who rules the time of the day no one cares about, because it’s not the day! No one missed you in all the thousand years you were banished to the moon and they won’t even notice you are gone now. I’ll just have to come up with some other way to torture you.” He grinned, showing his serpentine tongue as it flicked out. “Oh the fun we shall have...”
Luna smiled. “You’ll never find my sister, Discord. You can look under every rock and behind every waterfall, but you will never find her. My magic will always keep her just one step out of your grasp. In a thousand years, she will return, stronger and brighter than you can fathom.”
XXX
Celestia had been acting odd the past week and Twilight Sparkle was worried. Strange decrees were issued almost daily and martial law had been invoked. Most strange, however, was Princess Celestia’s refusal to set the sun. Twilight had sent a number of letters to the princess, hoping to arrange a meeting. At last, a response came in the form of a pair of royal guards. Twilight Sparkle expected to be escorted to Canterlot, but instead, the guards ransacked the entire library, looking for “magical contraband.” When they were done, they gave Twilight Sparkle a letter from the princess with a date and time.
Despite the gravity of the situation, there was a spring in every one of Twilight Sparkle’s steps as she trotted along the polished white floor and through the castle. She was simply ecstatic to see the princess at all. Several times her magic got the better of her, and with a splash of magenta, she teleported just a few steps forward.
As she approached the throne room, the door suddenly swung open and she had to leap back. Despite that, Fluttershy, galloping forward at full speed, crashed into Twilight Sparkle. The pegasus was sobbing and crying, and finding a warm body, buried her face into Twilight’s purple chest. Instinctively, Twilight Sparkle stroked down her back to try to calm her. “Fluttershy, what happened?”
Fluttershy’s wing flapped and she took to the air. Without a word, she flew off as fast as she could (which was surprisingly fast given her fear of speed and heights.)
Inside the throne room sat Princess Celestia. Her head was bowed and her wings were stretched at her sides. Twilight Sparkle immediately fell to one knee in a display of respect. “You wanted to see me, Princess Celestia?” she asked. “Did something happen with Fluttershy?”
“Did you bring the Elements of Harmony as I requested?” Celestia asked.
“Yes,” Twilight said. She used her magic to open the satchel that she wore around her middle. It was Celestia’s magic that took the Elements of Harmony out of the bag, however. Without even inspecting them, she passed them to the guard on her right. He carried them away. “Is something wrong with them?”
“There is nothing wrong with the Elements of Harmony, Sparkle. Something is wrong with you.”
Twilight Sparkle took a step back. “Forgive me, my princess, I don’t understand.”
“You are pathetic,” Celestia said. “I have been watching you, curious if you were ready for the next step in your lessons. I am not pleased with what I have seen. Transmutation spells baffle you, as do age spells and your levitation spell is not at a level I am pleased with. There are a thousand other things wrong with you, but I have business to attend to so I cannot be here all day.”
Twilight Sparkle swallowed nervously. She took an instinctive step back. “I am studying as hard as I-”
“Here,” the princess said, and she used her magic to pick up an apple from beside her throne. “Turn this into an orange.” The apple was sent rocketing at Twilight Sparkle, whose eyes widened in shock and fear. Before her horn could even spark, the apple had hit her square in the forehead and sent a painful ripple through her body. “Now you’re going to cry?” Celestia asked.
“Princess Celestia... I..."
“I, I, I. That is the problem, right there. All you ever think about is yourself. I did not take you as an apprentice so that you could better yourself. I took you so you can protect Equestria. You cannot, can you?”
“I’m studying as hard as I can! I can work harder though. I can work much harder.”
“Why weren’t you working as hard as you possibly could to begin with?” Celestia asked. She lifted from her throne and trotted forward until she was towering over Twilight Sparkle. “Are you saying you are lazy? Are you saying you have not been dedicating yourself fully to your studies? Is that it? Or, like I said, you are only in this for yourself. Are you only concerned with yourself?”
“No!” Twilight Sparkle screamed. She blinked tears and took another step back, but her rump pressed against the doors to the throne room, keeping her from retreating any further. “I can do it. I can...”
Celestia’s horn sparked. An apple was formed out of thin air. This apple was abruptly rocketed at Twilight Sparkle and hit her squarely in the horn. Stiff whimpers escaped her throat. “Change it,” the princess screamed, as a dozen apples spawned and were all rocketed at Twilight Sparkle in a flurry. Each smacked into her horn, keeping her magic at bay even if she could remember the spell. She was forced to dip her head and hide her crown with a hooves or she feared her horn would snap in two.
“You are pathetic! Do something!”
“I-” An apple hit Twilight Sparkle in the snout. A trickle of blood oozed down her nostrils and onto her quivering lip.
“You can’t do anything. You have shown that time and time again. You are simply not the student that I thought you were. I do not ever want to see you again, Sparkle. Return to Ponyville. Oh, and while you are there, tell the orchard pony I want to see her. It seems she has been spreading lies.”
Twilight Sparkle swallowed and lifted her head high. She opened the heavy doors with her magic and trotted out into the hallway. She waited until the doors were closed and only then allowed her tears to stream down her face. She cast a teleportation spell that would take her someplace, anyplace, other than this.
Queen Chrysalis locked the door to the throne room and allowed her glamour spell to fade. The royal guard who remained allowed his spell to fade as well, revealing the shape of a changeling drone. He came to stand before his queen and gently rubbed his head against her long leg in a sign of affection. She smiled down at him and dipped her head to kiss his crown.
Chrysalis sensed Discord’s presence, but did not acknowledge him until he cleared his throat impatiently. She lifted her head. “Isn’t there an orphanage you can go set fire to or something?” she asked.
“Have your scouts found Celestia?”
“No. As you requested, I sent several of my children to the library where Sparkle resides. They looked under every table, on every shelf, and inside every book. They found nothing. I have sent others to the Crystal Empire in case she is hiding with Princess Mi Amore. They have found nothing suspicious.”
Discord was suddenly before Chrysalis. “You’re lying,” he hissed. “You know something you’re not telling me.”
Chrysalis swallowed, but refused to blink. “I may hate you with all my heart, Discord, but I hate Celestia far more. There is nothing I would like more than to place her in your claws and allow you to have your way with her.”
Discord’s lion’s paw was suddenly upon Chrysalis’ throat and he pressed her against the back of the throne. For a horrid moment, Chrysalis feared he would break her with a twist of the wrist. Her changeling guard feared the same, and he jammed his spear beneath Discord's armpit. Discord released Chrysalis and lifted his lion paw above his head. It inflated to twice its size before he swung it down, bringing the full weight down onto the changeling. Chrysalis had to close her eyes as she heard her child scream and then an eerie silence fell over the throne room.
“Disgusting insects,” Discord hissed, as he shook his paw several times to get the red goo off it.
Chrysalis walked forward and fell to her knees before the red splotch, what was left of the guard. She stared at it, as if unable to comprehend what had happened to one of her children. Some part of her actually thought her child had just put on a glamour spell, and any moment he would pop out of the red splotch, alive and unharmed. Discord snapped his fingers. Chrysalis backed away as black fire erupted on the ground. The odor of burning blood and flesh made her sick and want to cry.
“Get into character,” Discord barked. “The honest one will be here soon and I want her emotionally broken before lunch. If you need me, I’ll be in the dungeon with the princess of the night.”
XXX
Twilight Sparkle’s night was sleepless and filled with tears. She refused offers of kindness and refused to eat. The simple sight of an apple only made her cry harder, much to Spike’s confusion. Eventually, desperate for a moment without heartache, she cast a sleep spell upon herself, and fell to the embrace of the pillow.
Minutes later, she woke screaming. Spike was pounding on the door, pleading and begging for her to let him in. She opened the door and knocked him down as she rushed to the main library. “Spike,” she said. “I need a book called, The Origin of the Sun. Where is it?”
“Twilight, this isn’t the time to study history.”
“Please Spike, just trust me.”
Spike sighed. “Top shelf, tenth from the left.” With care, the unicorn embraced the book with her magic and very slowly took it down. Beads of sweat rolled down her brow as she guided the book to the table. In fact, she took such care one would think the book was made of crystals and glass. Twilight Sparkle trotted to the table and with a shaking hoof, gripped the book’s cover. She took a deep breath before opening it and looking inside. The pages had been hollowed out, though enough of their shape was left intact to maintain the book’s structure. Inside the book was a small, shrunken white pony who both Twilight Sparkle and Spike immediately recognized as Princess Celestia.
“Spike,” Twilight Sparkle ordered. “Get me two bowls of water: one ice cold and one lukewarm. Get me a washcloth, a small towel, a blanket, a plate of hay and nuts, and a roll of bandages. Then I need you to gather my friends and tell them to meet up at Sweet Apple Acres. Nothing is more important than them getting there as soon as possible.”
“Wha-“
“Spike,” Twilight snapped. She sighed and nuzzled the young dragon’s cheek. “Spike, please. I need you now more than ever.” She leaned forward and softly kissed his forehead.
Spike nodded curtly and with speed that bellied his stubby legs, he gathered all that Twilight had requested. Then he was out the door and off to his first stop: the Carousal Boutique.
Twilight Sparkle dunked the washcloth in the bowl of warm water and with delicate hooves lifted Celestia out of the book. Celestia’s body was limp, but Twilight Sparkle could feel the delicate inflation of her chest and the subtle beat of her heart. Twilight Sparkle held the washcloth with her magic and carefully brushed Celestia’s fur. She dried her princess with the towel and then set her on the table. With her magic, Twilight tore a piece of blanket off the main body and lifted Celestia into the air. Carefully, she wrapped the white princess in the warm embrace of the blanket and then set her down beside the plate of hay and nuts.
Celestia stirred weakly and lifted her head. She opened her mouth to talk, but only a weak gasp could escape her parched throat. “Just a moment,” Twilight said. She used her magic to pick up a few drops of chilled water from the bowl. She brought these drops to Celestia’s lips, and Celestia slurped each up. She scooted out of the blanket’s embrace and walked to the plate of hay. Picking up one of the now giant nuts, she nibbled gently on it. It was the first food she had eaten in a week.
“Where am I?” she asked Twilight Sparkle. “What has happened?”
“I don’t really know where to start. You called me to your throne room a few days ago. You said that I failed and I was no longer your student. You said...” Twilight Sparkle sniffled and looked away.
“That was not me.”
“I know,” Twilight Sparkle said quickly. “Princess Luna came to me in a dream. She explained that Discord has returned and that you were in that book.”
Celestia gritted her teeth. “What is that monster doing to you, Luna?”
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Chrysalis has been doing things. There is a curfew now. Ponies are only allowed out of their house for a few hours a day. Chrysalis has refused to set the sun, as well. Our crops are being scorched. The damage done to Sweet Apple Acres alone may be unfixable. The court has also begun taxing water despite the awful heat. There are guards that no one recognizes standing over all the rivers. Worst of all, there have been disappearances.”
“Why hasn’t anyone tried to stop Chrysalis?” Celestia asked.
Twilight looked away. “We think it’s you, Princess Celestia. You’re our light. You’re our sun. You’ve always lead us and you’ve always protected us. We don’t understand your actions, but we would never question you.”
“It’s Discord,” Celestia spat. “Imprisonment has made him savvy and subtle. He is causing just as much destruction as before, perhaps even more. By the sun, he has my magic. Just look at me! I’m the size of a doll! Twilight Sparkle, where are the Elements of Harmony? We need to banish the demon and then focus on reconstruction.”
The purple pony recoiled. “I was summoned to the court and asked to bring the Elements of Harmony with me. I gave them to you. No, I mean I gave them to Chrysalis, but I thought it was you. I’m so sorry. By the sun, I am so sorry. I didn’t know!"
“Twilight Sparkle,” the princess said softly, although loud enough to silence the purple pony’s ramble. “It is not your fault, in any way. Please do not blame yourself. The Elements of Harmony cannot be destroyed, they can only be hidden, which means all you and your friends need to do is find them. First, I would like my magic and size returned, however.”
Twilight nodded quickly. “What do we do?”
Celestia looked to the many books that lined the library’s shelves. “Long ago, I gave you an aged book. It was black and had no markings on the cover. I told you never to open it, but always keep it safe. Where is it?”
Twilight Sparkle turned and trotted up the stairwell to the second floor of the library where she slept. After a few minutes, she returned carrying a boring looking book in her mouth. What was remarkable about the book was that nothing about it was remarkable. The cover was black and without a title or image. The pages were dull and ugly. Twilight Sparkle set the book down on the table where Celestia stood and looked to the shrunken princess, unsure of what to do next.
“Thirty-four pages in there should be spell nineteen.”
The purple pony nodded and used her magic to flip through the pages. She found the spell and read it over quickly, but then looked to Celestia, puzzled. “This is just a spell to break jars.”
Celestia smiled. “You haven’t been studying your ancient languages, have you? It is a spell to break containers. My magic is being held inside a container. A container created from Discord’s chaos magic, but a container nonetheless. With time my magic will recharge, but it may take months, if not years to reach the level of strength I was before. When my magic is freed, it will naturally return to me. I need you to cast this spell, Twilight Sparkle.”
“What if something happens? I have let my study of ancient languages lapse. What if-“
“You are Equestria’s only hope. You are my only hope. Most important, however, I believe in you. Never has a challenge been presented that you could not overcome.”
Twilight Sparkle smiled slightly. “No pressure, huh?” She looked over the spell once more and then to Celestia, who gave her an encouraging nod. Twilight Sparkle swallowed. She braced her hooves and closed her eyes. After a moment her horn sparked before ceasing. She closed her eyes and focused again, and this time a large, magenta bubble appeared at the tip of her horn. Celestia took a step back.
“That’s right, Twilight Sparkle. You can do this.”
The bubble swelled quickly and began to cackle with purple lightning. Just past the transparent sheen of the bubble’s coating, a thousand tiny bubbles could be seen bouncing around angrily inside. Twilight’s left foreleg bent and her eyes fluttered opened. The bubble whined and began to compress before she screwed her eyes shut to concentrate.
“Breathe, Twili,” Celestia said. “This should be nothing for a sorceress of your caliber.”
Swells of magic traveled from her horn to the bubble, causing it to grow larger and larger.
The bubble popped. The force was enough to knock Twilight Sparkle onto her rump and send Princess Celestia skidding across the table. At the last moment, she managed to catch hold of the table’s edge and hold tight, not sure if a fall from this height would prove fatal. The thousands of tiny bubbles that were housed inside the larger one spread out suddenly. They punched adorable holes in the library’s walls and spread out through the town, then all the area beyond. Off in the distance, screams and the sound of shattering glass could be heard.
Twilight Sparkle placed her horn beneath Celestia and lifted her head slowly, so the princess could rest on her crown. “Did it work?” she asked. She felt the miniscule weight lift off her head and watched as Celestia fluttered to the table. She nodded happily. Celestia attempted to reverse the shrink spell that afflicted her, but the horn sparked like a dying light bulb. She tried again and barely anything happened.
“It is a start,” she said quickly. “My magic is weak from being separated from me for so long. With time it will replenish, but there is no time to wait.” Celestia thought to herself. “Twilight Sparkle, there is one more spell we can try. It is not a spell I cast without reservations, but I do not believe we have any other choice. We need to reach Sweet Apple Acres and your friends. I do not know how strong my wings are, so do you think you could carry me?”
Twilight Sparkle smiled, and bowed with genuine respect. “It would be an honor, my princess.” She trotted to the table and offered her back, patiently waiting for the alicorn to climb on. When Celestia was holding tight to her mane, Twilight Sparkle took off in a gallop. After a few minutes, she returned to the library. Gathering the black book in her mouth, she once more galloped out.
XXX
“Words cannot describe how sorry I am to each of you.” Celestia sighed. “Even if was not my hoof that hurt you, it is my responsibility to protect you. I have failed in that duty and I am so sorry.”
Applejack was the first one to speak. “We all have our missteps, your majesty. The sooner we get that imposter taken care of, the sooner we can start makin’ things right. What do ya need us to do?”
“Page two hundred and thirty-eight of the book, Twilight. Look for spell one hundred and fifty-one.”
Twilight Sparkle skimmed the book until she found the page. She smiled as she read it over, expecting the answer to all their problems. Her expression turned solemn quickly. She looked to Celestia, who only nodded.
“There is magic in each of you,” the princess explained. “There is the magic of your friendship and the magic of your love. It is this magic that gives strength to your souls. Today, I must ask you to give that magic to me.”
“You can’t do this,” Twilight said. “My arcane languages might be a bit rusty, but I know how to translate the word ‘death.’ ”
Celestia lowered her head. “There is no risk for you six. The worst that will happen is a nasty bout of fatigue. The magic inside you is constantly flowing and refilling. The danger of this spell is for the one who accepts the magic into their body. They run the risk of overloading, for lack of a better term. I’m sure you can imagine what can happen.”
“You can’t do this,” Fluttershy whimpered.
“We don’t have a choice. It will be weeks before I can hope to challenge Discord. He knows that he has lost control of my magic and I fear what he will do in retaliation. This spell scares me, but it is what I need to do. It is my duty to Equestria.”
There was a long pause as each of the six bowed their heads, unable to look to the princess in the eye.
“What do we do?” Twilight Sparkle finally asked.
Celestia managed to flap her wings and place herself before the book. “Focus on me,” she said. “Will your strength to me. Feel the magic inside you and release it. I will recite the necessary incantation.”
It was the easiest for Twilight Sparkle and Rarity of course. Magenta wisps lifted from the purple pony and blue from the fashionable one. Rainbow colored magic soon rose from Rainbow Dash, who spread her wings and let out several pleasured giggles. A pinkish glow emerged from Fluttershy, who let giggles escape her as well. Orange rose from Applejack and pink from Pinkie Pie. The various wisps all wandered through the air, but were soon attracted by the subtle glow on the tip of Celestia’s horn.
The six ponies collapsed. Each felt as if they had just galloped for three days straight. Celestia quickly focused all her energy on a growth spell, eager to remove the limitations of being so small.
The table she stood on broke as her girth increased slowly. The six ponies all watched with relief as their princess returned to her normal, majestic size, but then watched with confusion as her growth did not stop. Celestia showed no sign of concern, however, and was simply careful with where she placed her expanding hooves. “You should leave,” Celestia said as her great body came to press on the inside of the barn.
With a burst of golden magic, the barn exploded into a thousand pieces. Celestia stretched her wings out at her side as she balanced on her hooves. She was the size of a castle now, and took several steps back before lowering her head. The six ponies all stared up at her with awe and fear, but she gave them a smile as warm as the sun that immediately put them at ease. Sure to speak softer for their tiny ears, she said, “A precaution. This will lessen the likelihood of my body overloading from the magic.” She leaned down and with her massive snout gently nuzzled Twilight Sparkle. “I thank each of you for entrusting me with your strength. I wish I could tell you to sit back and rest, but there is still more for each of you to do. Rainbow Dash, I need you to travel to the Crystal Empire and explain to Cadance and Shining Armor what has happened. The rest of you must infiltrate the castle and find the Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle, you must find my sister. Her time to lead you has come. She will know what to do.”
Celestia sighed, but once more managed to smile. “Let me tell you six, you are the greatest students I could have hoped for. Today, I need you each to step up in the way I know you can. All of Equestria will look to you soon and a great burden will be placed upon your backs. You may not believe you can carry such a weight, but never forget the faith I have in you.”
Celestia turned in a stiff circle, careful not to step on anyone or knock over any trees. She braced her rear legs and then flapped her mighty wings to take to the air. A great gust blew over the country side. The six ponies struggled to remain standing under the heavy winds. When they were able to look up again, Celestia was in the sky. She set off for Canterlot, her great wingspan blocking out the sun that had been shining for so long.
The damage done to Equestria was far greater than Twilight Sparkle had realized, but she was not as attuned with the soul of the land as Celestia was. The sun was angry and had turned a shade of crimson that was unnatural. If Celestia could spare the magic, she would set it and give it a chance to rest, but to even survive Discord she would require every ounce of strength she could muster.
The streets of Canterlot were so quiet, it made Celestia shiver. There should have been the sounds of hooves beating the streets, children laughing, mares sharing sweet words with their stallions. There was not a sound. She flapped her wings and landed in the spacious city square which she could just fit in. She looked around. Banners were hung over every wall and from every roof. Each banner was exactly the same. They were black with yellow trim and a golden silhouette of Celestia’s head was emblazed at the center. Flanking the silhouette were the words, “Big Sister is Always Watching.” It was tacky and pompous propaganda and made Celestia’s blood boil. Discord had done everything he could to make her image something to fear, and perhaps he had succeeded. She could hear so many thoughts, but she wished she couldn’t. She could sense all the rage that dwelled in the hearts of her friends and family.
Her arrival had been noisy. Tiny pony heads peeked out of windows and viewed the grand, titanic body of their princess. Many screams were heard. The citizens believed their princess had fully embraced her monstrous side and now prepared to destroy them all. Celestia sighed and began to trot towards the castle. Although she was careful not to cause any harm, she did stomp her hooves just a little loud in order to wake any of the still sleeping citizens up.
“Citizens of Equestria,” she said as she trotted. Her voice echoed and made the ground shake even more than her hooves. “I have failed you. I allowed Discord to return and his horrors to reign upon you. He had the goal of causing dissent in your hearts and perhaps he has succeeded. I can hear, as I walk, you curse beneath your breath at the very sight of me. I cannot blame you. Even though it was an imposter’s hoof that caused you harm, your protection is my duty. Today I shall fight for you. Regardless of your feelings for me, I love each and every one of you so very much. If today I die, I can only promise to take that monster down with me. I have no right to seek your aid, but I must. Please grant me the strength of your love and friendship for this final battle.”
Now before the castle, Celestia stomped the ground with her mighty hoof. The doors opened slowly and with casual swagger, Discord the draconequus strolled out. With his hands behind his back he took residence at the steps and looked up at Celestia casually. He even had the audacity to wave as if greeting an old friend. Celestia lifted her hoof above her head and brought it down. There was a splat and the sound of bones crushed. She dragged her hoof back to smear a stain of red across the castle steps.
“I know that didn’t kill you, Discord,” she said. “Honestly, that was just to make me feel a bit better. Now, show yourself and I will kill you proper.”
Celestia’s vision swayed left to right and her ears strained for the slightest noise. She was terrified of being taken off guard. Behind her, the street was slowly filling with miniscule ponies. Having spent days inside their homes, frightened and scared of the mood swings their ruler seemed racked with, they now stared in awe and horror at the great white body of their princess. Her hooves alone were as large as their houses. They were frightened of course, unsure what mood may take her now that she could easily crush hundreds with a single misstep, but there was something about her that drew them forth.
A blast of magic impacted Celestia in the back of her head. She tumbled forward, but managed to catch herself before she crashed into the castle. As best she could, she turned in a stiff circle to face her blindside. There stood Discord, now her rival in size, and on the other side of city. The ponies at her hooves compressed tighter as those who stood before Discord attempted to back away.
“Oh, what now?” he asked.
Celestia lowered her head and spread her hooves. Her horn sparked several times with golden magic. Discord stared with his arms crossed over his chest and his massive hoof tapping the ground in a show of boredom.
A golden beam of light lanced out of Celestia’s horn and rippled through the air. Discord’s eyes widened as he sensed the raw magic of the blast and he lifted his hands to catch the beam at arm’s length. His claw and hoof dug into the ground as he was pushed back several meters, but shifting his weight, he threw the beam off and into the sky.
Celestia’s left foreleg buckled and she almost fell, but managed to catch herself. She quickly looked down to be sure none of the ponies had been crushed beneath her, before she got back to her hooves. The fur and skin on Discord’s hands had been burned to black. He spent an idle moment picking the dead skin away. It healed quickly. “You are strong, Celestia. If you stood alone, you would be unstoppable. You’re not alone though, are you? You have a glaring weakness that I do not share.”
Discord grinned wide as he looked down at the thousands of ponies who were all standing in the street, filling the space between him and the princess.
“Face it Celestia, you could have killed me a millennium ago if you and your sister and all the other horn heads really set their mind to it, but you just don’t have the will. Why? Do you think the world would weep if these little twits got caught in the crossfire? Would all of Equestria mourn their passing? Or would there be a thousand others to take their place? These ponies should be our playthings and yet you insist on watching over them like a filly who watches an ant farm.” Discord’s smile returned and he bent at a painful angle on his torso. He smiled and displayed his sharp teeth to the thousands of little faces. The ponies compressed tighter and tighter, many soon taking shelter beneath their now giant princess. They hid behind her hooves or in her tail. They prayed to her and begged her for protection. There were stragglers however, and Discord casually followed them until he could lift his foot and gently place it upon an elderly stallion’s back. “I’ll make you a deal, Celestia. Let me crush this one like a bug and if the heavens weep, I will willingly return to my imprisonment forever. Is it a deal?”
Discord lifted his foot high into the air and then brought it down, but before it could crush the stallion, a golden beam of light lanced out Celestia’s horn. Discord let out a scream as he was pushed back several meters. When the beam of light ceased, he realized an ugly hole had been burned through his chest.
“That actually hurt,” he snarled.
Celestia spread her hooves and released another beam of golden light. Discord quickly lifted his hands and caught the beam of magic, but found he could not simply throw it aside. There was pain in his stomach that distracted him and the energy that touched him burned like the sun’s embrace.
“Citizens of Equestria,” Celestia shouted. Her great voice boomed through every corner of the land. Her eyes were screwed shut and her legs were shaking. Her hooves dug into the ground, boring large, horseshoe shaped craters. The strength of her magic waned suddenly, but with a shout, the lance of golden energy resumed.
“You won’t win Celestia,” Discord screamed, as he took a step forward. “Do you hear me? They don’t care about you.” He spread his legs and braced himself. At his palms, a black flame spawned. He used his own magic to push the golden beam of light back towards its source.
“Citizens of Equestria,” Celestia said again. “I failed you in my duty and allowed Discord to return. His horrors befell you and he brewed hatred in your hearts. I will give my life for you on this day, but I fear the strength of my soul is not enough.” Her leg buckled and her magic stopped. She screamed as the black flame burned her shoulder and pushed her into the castle. Discord formed a ball of black fire in his lion paw and threw it, not at Celestia, but at the ponies collected at her hooves. The princess spread her wings and barely managed to shield the ponies from the dark flames. Tears streamed down her face as the fire burned her, but before Discord could form another ball of black, a lance of gold had rocketed out of her horn. Another ugly hole burned through his thin chest. Celestia released another beam of golden light, which was caught by Discord, and the struggle resumed.
“Citizen of Equestria, please,” Celestia said. “Please lend me your strength. Lend me the magic of your kindness and loyalty. Lend me the magic of your charity and joy. Will it to me. Pony and changeling, dragon and manticore, mare and monster, please. I call upon you all. Help me to banish this abomination once and for all.”
Discord took a step forward. Arms in front of him, he kept the golden, cackling ball of magic gripped tightly in his claws. He took a step forward, and another, slowly approaching the princess. Laughter, cruel and black, rolled off his tongue. His grin was wide as he almost reached the princess and her little ponies, but suddenly he felt himself pushed back several meters. He looked down to all the ponies standing around the princess and noticed little sparks of magic were lifting out of their bodies. The golden ball began to grow hotter and harder to hold. His arms began to feel weak under the increasing pressure.
“You won’t win!” he screamed. “She’s tricking you ponies, just like she did before. This will extinguish your life. She’s going to devour your soul. It’s a trick. Stop helping her!”
Glistening sparkles of a thousand colors filled the sky and descended upon Celestia, who was soon able to stand on her four hooves. She focused all her energy against the draconequus. “You won’t win Celestia,” he shouted. “You can’t kill me! I’ll be back! Do you hear me? I am going to kill you for this.”
The beam of golden light stopped suddenly. The magic burned to wisps and Discord fell to his knees. The skin of his hands was charred and melted. He looked up to see the tip of Celestia’s horn glowing brilliantly with white light, the intensity almost blinding.
“I’ll be back,” he snarled. “Do you hear me? I’ll be back!”
“No Discord,” came Celestia’s voice. “This time, you shall never return.”
She lowered her head and aimed her horn, before releasing a blast of purest white. If Discord screamed, it was not heard as the light fully engulfed him. The ponies actually had to shield their eyes at the glow that washed through the entire city. It dimmed and then disappeared, and not a trace of the draconequus could be found.
Celestia’s skin turned to golden fire as she fell forward, her legs buckling beneath her weight. The fire burned away her increased size and soon only a normal sized pony was plummeting to the ground. A pair of pegasi swooped forth. Each took one of her forelegs and they flapped their wings furiously to keep her in the air, but soon found themselves falling as well. More pegasi took to the air and they helped each other fly. Then the magic of a thousand unicorns embraced them, slowing their descent until all were safely on the ground.
Celestia looked different. The slender princess had been replaced with a youthfully filly. Her once flowing mane was now distinctly mundane and pink. She attempted to stand, but fell forward instead. Magenta magic embraced the princess before she hit the ground and she was placed on the back of a particularly burly stallion.
“Thank you,” Celestia mumbled. “Thank you all. Thank you all so much.” Tears began to stream down her face. She buried her face in the stallion’s mane as if she was ashamed to cry. “I failed you all. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” she kept repeating.
“Take her to her bed chamber,” Twilight Sparkle ordered. “I will be in shortly.”
XXX
Celestia was exhausted when she woke. There was not a single part of her that did not hurt and when she tried to roll out of bed and onto her hooves, her legs buckled and she fell on the floor.
She felt magic embrace her and was vaguely aware she was being lifted. She was placed back onto the bed gently and a blanket was tugged so it rested under her chin. “You need your rest,” came a soft voice, the voice that belonged to Luna.
Celestia forced herself to sit up and look to her sister, who came trotting forth from a shadow. Her middle was taped with white bandages that starkly contrasted her midnight fur and she was hiding half her face with her flowing mane. Her right wing was worn with a splint and she was limping with each rear step. “Luna...” Celestia asked. “Is everything alright?”
“Discord wanted to know where I had sent you.” She giggled nervously. “I wasn’t even sure where I sent you. I’ve never been too good with teleportation spells, as you know. I just had to do something. It was all I could think to do and I knew I could get a message to Twilight Sparkle."
“Luna,” Celestia said, but stopped, searching for the proper words. What could she possibly say in response to all she had done? “Thank you, my sister."
Luna smiled.
Celestia walked to the mirror and looked at herself. Her mane still had the pink coloration instead of the flowing rainbow, and of course, she looked like a filly. In fact, Luna could be called her “big” sister.
“I’ve been raising the sun and summoning the moon,” Luna continued. “A great celebration was held on that first night. It filled my heart with a sense of joy like I have never known.”
Celestia giggled. “I think we should make a holiday out of it. It will be a day to celebrate Discord’s defeat and the return of the moon. I don’t ever want the ponies to forget what you did, and what they did for themselves.” Soon her expression turned solemn. “That took everything I had and then some. It will be months before I can raise the sun again. Will you be able to handle the celestial rotation for a while longer? I know it is such a burden to place on you, I just don’t have the strength.”
“You did it for a millennium. I think I can do it for a couple weeks.”
“Is every citizen alright? Has there been any sign of Discord?” Celestia asked.
“I thought he was destroyed?”
“We can only hope. What about the changelings? Has there been any news of them?”
“We believe Chrysalis and her minions escaped during the confusion. We are testing our citizens, but it may be weeks before we are sure all the changelings are gone. I haven’t sent out any search parties for the queen, though. I felt that, with all that has happened, it would be better to reinforce our borders.”
“You chose right.” Celestia spent a few moments looking at her reflection. “When I was fighting Discord, and begged for the strength of all, I could feel Chrysalis lending her strength to me. She is a ruler who protects those she loves, just as I am. If she did not keep trying to kill me, I think we could be friends.” Celestia used her magic to lift a brush and gently stroked her mane. That miniscule exertion left her utterly fatigued and she soon she was forced to sit.
“You need your rest, dear sister,” Luna said.
Celestia was placed in the bed and Luna tucked her under the covers. Celestia tried to sleep, but soon sat up and looked to Luna. “Do you remember when we were younger? You were afraid of the sun?”
Luna giggled softly and smiled. “You rested in bed with me. You wrapped me in your arms and kept me safe all through the day.”
Celestia looked down at herself. She was so small and so weak. A sense dread was tugging at her heart, but she found she could not put it into words. Without needing to be asked, the princess of the night climbed into the very large bed and lay down beside Celestia. “It is alright, little sister. I will keep you safe.”
Celestia buried her face into the midnight blue chest and closed her eyes, though soon found herself crying. She did not know why, but grief and fear had taken hold of her heart and refused to let go. Luna did not mind. She hummed a nursery rhyme that slowly put the white princess at ease, and eventually Celestia slipped into a deep sleep. Luna bent down and kissed her on the cheek. She closed her eyes as well, standing guard over her sister's dreams.
Author's Note
I am working to get this fic accepted for EQD. It would be a dream come true. So please, whoever reads this fic and gets this far, if you see any problems or have any comments, send them over. And thank you so much for reading.
