The last rays of the sun were just dipping below the edge of the hills when the coronation parade returned to Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle plodded up the stairs, her new wings hanging limp by her sides and her dress rather dirtier than it had been a few hours before. Pinkie Pie had really gone all out with that party; half of Equestria must have been there! Rarity had been overjoyed to see all of this season’s Canterlot fashion, and had talked Twilight’s ear off about her dress and those of the princesses. Twilight still couldn’t see how the width and color of Princess Celestia’s sash had disturbed Rarity enough that it warranted fifteen minutes’ discussion, but she had humored the fashion-conscious unicorn.
She stepped inside as the double doors of the palace entrance closed silently behind her, cushioned by her magic. It was quiet inside, though she could still hear the faint echoes of celebration in the street outside.
“Princess?” There was no response. “Are you there? Is anyone home?” A murmur came from a room upstairs. “Princess?” Twilight trotted up the curving staircase and entered a small parlor, from which she could see light coming from the crack under the door. She looked around and spotted a something white curled up on a cushion.
“Princess Celestia?” At the sound of her name the princess raised her head.
“Twilight?” The mare looked startled. “I didn’t think you would be back so early! Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just a little tired, that’s all.”
“Well, it certainly has been a long day. You should probably go to bed.”
“Princess, is something wrong?” This didn’t sound like Celestia at all.
“No. Nothing’s wrong. Why would anything be wrong? You’re probably just tired and starting to imagine things. Did you drink anything at the party? Maybe there was something in the punch. You should go sleep it off. I’m about to go to bed myself.” Celestia pushed herself to her feet, but fell back against the pillows with a gasp as she tried to take a step.
“Princess!” Twilight surged forward to help the older mare, but Celestia waved her away.
“I’m… fine. Just need to… catch my… breath. There.”
“You’re not fine! What’s wrong?” Twilight stared at Celestia, who shifted away from her, curled protectively around herself. Even that small movement made the alicorn wince, and now that Twilight was closer she could see why. Although Celestia had shed the formal gown she had worn for the coronation, the wide white sash that had Rarity so worked up was still wrapped around her waist. It seemed less a sash than a bandage, and at a spot on the princess’s side Twilight saw something deeply disturbing.
“Princess, is that… blood?”
A nod was Celestia’s only response.
“What happened? Wait, never mind that now, we need a doctor. I’ll go find someone. Oh, I don’t know what to do! This has never happened to me before!” Twilight quickly descended into panic before making up her mind. “I’ll find Princess Luna. She’ll know what to do.”
“No.” Celestia’s voice was quiet but firm. “Luna cannot know.”
“B-but -”
“No.” The princess sighed. “Now, if you would be so kind as to help me up I am quite tired.”
“You’re just going to bed? But you need to see a doctor!” As Twilight watched, Celestia struggled to stand. She rushed in to help.
“Ah!”
“Oops. Sorry, Princess.” Between the two of them, they managed to get Celestia on her feet and out the door.
“Oh. Stairs.”
“Perhaps I should call for the doctor now?”
“No!” The princess wriggled her way out from under Twilight’s supporting wing and started off. She made it five steps before her legs crumpled beneath her.
“Princess? Princess Celestia?” Twilight raced to her mentor’s side, frantically calling her name. There was no response.
“Help! Somepony, anypony, help!”
The shadows at the corners of the ceiling seemed especially dark at one o’clock in the morning. Shouts of delighted ponies and the fluttering bang of confetti cannons still filtered in from the street outside, where thousands continued their revelry as if nothing was happening. To them, nothing was. To Twilight, their joy was obscene.
A purple pony in a nurse’s cap pushed her way through the door from Celestia’s bedchamber. Twilight leapt to her feet, questions tumbling from her lips.
“How is she? Do you know what’s wrong? Is she going to be all right?”
“Whoa there. Slow down. One question at a time.” Twilight was nose-to-nose with the other pony, her wings spread out to their fullest extent behind her. She was aware that she looked terrifying. At the moment, that was the last thing worrying her.
“Is the Princess going to be all right?” To her credit, the nurse was remarkably un-intimidated by the enraged purple alicorn.
“I can’t say.” This did nothing to placate Twilight.
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t. We have to figure out what’s wrong first.”
“You mean you don’t know?!” Twilight’s voice shot up a full two octaves, and the nurse winced.
“Doctor Lemonsnout is with her now. He’s very good. I am sure we will know quite soon, dear. Now, though, you need to rest.”
“B-but -”
“No buts. You won’t do Princess Celestia or anypony else much good if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep.” Twilight sighed.
“Fine. But please send someone to get me if there’s any change.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” The nurse smiled at Twilight’s surprised expression. “You are a princess now, remember?”
“Yes. Yes, of course.” She gave a weak smile. “Well, goodbye.”
“Goodbye.” Twilight headed down the long corridor to the guest quarters where she and her friends were staying, her hooves dragging and her wingtips brushing the ground. Sleep, yes. She needed sleep. But the Princess…
oOo
Everything was so, so cold. The floor stung her hooves (dimly, she wondered where her shoes were) and her breath froze instantly into tiny chips of ice. It was absolutely dark inside the throne room, and despite herself Celestia let out a squeak of fear. She immediately regretted it.
“There you are, my little pet.” Discord’s face appeared from nowhere in front of her, and although the rational part of her mind realized that he had already known where she was, the rest of her was kicking herself for giving up her location. “What’s the matter? Don’t you like the cold?” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Well? Aren’t you going to answer me?” She forced her words out between teeth already chattering with cold.
“It doesn’t m-matter, Discord. The Elements of Harmony will d-defeat you. Just like last t-time.” He smiled, showing razor-sharp teeth.
“Boring, as usual. I suppose I could make you a little…cooler?” With a snap of his claws the room temperature dropped again. Celestia shuddered. The cold, the dark… “Not so powerful without your precious Elements, are you? They’ll never find them, believe you me. And I know a thousand ways to hurt the sun.”
“No…please…” Discord’s expression morphed from one of cruel triumph into one of gentle concern.
“You have the power to make it stop, Celestia. Do you understand? I can make it warmer in here, I can bring back the light – but only if you do just what I tell you. And if you don’t…well, what is given can also be taken away.” He grasped her jaw with his talons, their polished tips cutting thin lines into her skin that began to bleed, the crimson liquid freezing as it came into contact with the air. “Ah, but if you say yes it will be warm again, Celestia! All you need to do is say one little word and you will never have to worry your pretty head again. I will be the ruler of Equestria, and you can live happy and carefree, forever in the light of day. Or,” and now his tone turned darker, “or I will take the throne by force, and you will stay here forever. The cold, the dark – such a waste. But either way, I will win.”
“No.” Her voice was quiet and it trembled with fear and cold, but it carried with it enough force to make Discord draw back, releasing his grip on her. “You won’t win. You can’t.”
“And who will stop me?” he challenged, smirking. “There is no one who equals my power now that you and Luna have given up the Elements.”
“Someday…”
“Never.”
“No!” The sound of her own voice woke Celestia. She opened her eyes, her vision still hazed over with memories. She blinked.
“Feeling better?”
“Discord!” She had hauled herself to a crouching position on the bed and was beginning to gather her magic around her horn when she realized that the yellow pony standing halfway across the room did not remotely resemble her old (and now reformed) enemy. She collapsed again with a groan born of both pain and embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s quite all right.” He moved closer. “Now, how are you feeling this morning?”
“Morning? But I haven’t raised the sun! Who will raise the sun? How -”
“Calm yourself, Princess. It is four-thirty. Dawn is not for another ninety minutes.” She sighed with relief and dropped her head back down on the cushions. She felt more tired than she had in centuries, and her side throbbed in time with her heartbeat.
“Who are you?” The question passed her lips with the confused effortlessness of a thought, and she did not realize until he answered that she had spoken aloud.
“My name is Doctor Lemonsnout.” The doctor smiled gently down at her. “Now how are you feeling this morning, Your Highness?”
“I -” A sudden thought broke through the haze around her mind, shattering her mundane answer. “Luna!”
“What about Princess Luna?”
“Does she know? She can’t know! You can’t tell her!” Celestia stared at the doctor, panicking.
“Tell her what?”
“This! All of this! She cannot be told!”
“The Princess Luna is still out celebrating in the streets. She has not returned to the palace since Princess Twilight Sparkle’s coronation.” The doctor looked at her sternly. “Yet for the life of me I cannot understand why you would not wish your sister to be informed of this, Your Highness. Whatever has caused your injury is a complete mystery, and I hope you will forgive my bluntness when I say that we must be prepared for any eventuality. It is not my decision, but if it were I would notify your royal sister immediately.”
“It is not… a complete mystery, Doctor.”