The Tragedy of Twilight Sparkle

Twilight jumped out of the forest while Dash soared out of the trees. They saw Applejack, taking the lead, galloping towards them while Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity where far behind her.

“T-Twilight!” Applejack exclaimed, breathless as she reacted the two ponies baffled by their appearance.

“What’s wrong AJ?” Twilight asked.

Applejack opened her mouth attempting to say something, but her husky voice and dry mouth made no words. Rarity, seeing Applejack’s attempts to say the vital information to Twilight, she laid a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.

“Darling, allow me to explain.” Rarity offered.

Applejack shifted sideways while dropping her gaze towards Twilight, closing her eyes and breathing heavily.

“Twilight,” Rarity began in a quizzical tone, “Have you noticed …something…rather odd about today?”

Twilight greeted Rarity’s out-of-the-blue question with a quick glance around her surroundings.

“Nnn…oooooo.” Twilight slowly responded still looking at her surroundings. “I…don’t…th…think so…”

“What time do you expect it to be dear?” Rarity asked.

Twilight looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful afternoon about near sunset. The colorful hues of purple and yellow littered the sky; the moon may be rising any minute now. The clouds patterns, smartly devised by the Cloudsdale ponies, added an extra intensifier for the colors, making it an awe inspiring sight. A flock of birds flew by casually, chirping their heavenly tune as they soared the skies, the cool autumn breeze brushed gently amongst the trees making a soft, calming rustling sound, it was peaceful, serine and tranquil as if this war virtually had no effect amongst their surroundings.

Twilight, realizing that she was supposed to be answering a question, looked down towards Rarity’s blank face and replied;

“About six to seven in the afternoon?”

“Well, it would be expected of you dear.” Rarity responded, her facial expression not changing the slightest.

Twilight immediately knew something was wrong; she looked up towards the sky with an expression of fear. “Am I going mad?” She thought to herself.

“Darling, darling.” Rarity piped up, soothingly stroking Twilight’s mane as she saw the fear in her facial expression.

“I-I don’t understand.” Twilight stuttered looking fearfully into Rarity’s sapphire blue eyes. “I-If it r-r-really isn’t six to seven, then w-what is the time right now?”

“Well, this might come as a shock to you dear but it is in fact past nine-thirty at night.” Rarity responded in a soft, calming tone while keeping her eyes fixed on Twilight’s.

Twilight had already assumed what happened, but she chose to oppose her thoughts. Yet she had to ask “Please,” she thought, “Please do not let this be true.”

“Rarity…” Twilight quietly asked “A-Are you saying that Princess L-“

“I am afraid so darling…Princess Luna is indeed dead, if that is what you were thinking of course.” Rarity cut in. “Everypony is shaken, Princess Celestia being the one that has been victimized the most…this isn’t exactly GOOD news is it dear?” Rarity rhetorically asked.

“No time to waste Twilight, we must all get to Celestia’s castle immediately, come on Rainbow, you as well.”

And with Rarity’s speech with the now re-formed group, the five of them galloping towards the direction of Celestia’s castle leaving an agitated and still quite exhausted Applejack cursing silently and groan in despair before hurrying off to join the others that where far ahead of her.

-=-=-=-

“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student.”

This was Celestia’s greeting as Twilight approached her presence.

As the four ponies galloped as fast as their hooves would carry them leaving the two pegasi to glide through the air, Twilight thought deeply about the Great War, the possibilities of Princess Luna’s death and the changeling’s prophecy. She was having a hard time trying to focus on the three different subjects all fighting for the spotlight of concentration inside her brain, screwing up her face in determination, she ruled the Changeling’s prophecy to be the most important…for now at least after weighing the three topics. “The Prophecy.” she thought while galloping. “Could they really be true?” She continued thinking. “Could ALL of them be true? Could I trust these potentially evil changelings?” She didn’t know for she has received knowledge about the death of Princess Luna, and according to the prophecy, SHE was going to be the Princess of the Night, she wasn’t officially, but it was close…oh so very close, maybe-

“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, the volume of her voice digging into all of Twilight’s thought’s and concentration.

Twilight shook her head and turned back, slowly reducing her speed from a galloping to trotting.

“What is it?” Twilight questioned twisting her head to face Pinkie, she saw the four other ponies trot towards a running river; she then asked, “Where is everypony going?”

“We’re just having a quick rest and a drink from a stream we found earlier!” Pinkie informed Twilight. “You don’t want to waste all your energy Twilight, come on!”

Twilight took her time to walk over as Pinkie bounded towards the others, as she arrived at the stream, she took a quick gulp of water. It was cool and relaxing. Swallowing it with relish, she took a few more drinks before shambling off the group, which were now discussing this tragedy, what Dash and herself have been doing and ways to stop Rarity’s complaints about sweating while some of them washed the blood off their bodies, and into a nearby arch with a tree growing on it. She leaned against the tree and continued her thoughts guided by the calming force of the cool breeze. “Ok, where was I?” she thought. “Ahh yes” Twilight indeed knew a few things about the night, and moon respectively, from a few private lessons she attended with Princess Luna some months ago, naturally excelling in the theoretical proportion of it, yet lacked on physical demonstration though she did have one or two tricks in the mystical unicorn horn of hers.

She thought about the next prophecy, the commandment of the moon AND sun. Twilight naturally had a few private lessons with Celestia about the sun, yet she knew nothing about controlling it, she didn’t know ANYTHING about mandating the sun although her extra academic work on the sun, she could literally revise the complete edition of Celestia’s lectures from top to bottom. Controlling the sun however was different. COMPLETELY different, to Twilight, the job of controlling both cycles where like burning a candle from both ways. Discarding this prophecy into one side for the meantime, she carried on into the next point, this stated that Rainbow Dash’s daughter, Scoots, will become Queen. “Probably take over my place when I pass on.” she thought. “Could be thousands of years.” She gave a short laugh at her little joke. Twilight heard a small fluttering of wings; she slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head to see Rainbow Dash hover slowly towards her.

“Have some room for me?” Dash asked Twilight, pointing towards the tree trunk in which Twilight was leaning on.

“Sure,” Twilight responded in a friendly gesture, “Come here.” she patted a patch of grass beside her.

Dash slowly descended from her flight and dropped onto the ground, she sighed slowly.

“Some war huh?” The Pegasus asked her unicorn buddy.

“You said it Dash…some war,” Twilight responded, “…some war…”

“You alright?” Dash quizzed, looking at Twilight’s face.

“Oh…yeah don’t worry about me,” Twilight reassured Dash, sighing, she continued, “just…really tired that’s all…”

“Ugh, I know what you mean,” Dash groaned, turning to face the scene that was within her vision, “Now with this mumbo jumbo going on, we gotta double time it.” She gave the tired unicorn a soft push “Hey, do you think that the changeling’s prophecies where correct? Or were they just some WORDS OF WISDOM that they just spat out faster than a sonic rainboom?”

“Honestly, I am not too sure Dash.” Twilight admitted. “I am not going to trust them, yet I do not think that EVERYTHING they said was completely a lie, I mean look, Princess Luna has been confirmed as dead. Yet when the changelings chanted their prophecies, they said I was going to be the Princess of the moon, I’m not officially one yet but it is close. With all this evidence, I can’t really decide.”

“Well,” sighed Rainbow Dash spitting out a blade of grass she was chewing on, “I don’t really understand what my prediction was, but my Scoots will become Queen, I hope that is true, though I may not live to see that happen *sigh*” Looking up at the sky, she self-consciously said, “Make me proud Scoot.”

Twilight looked at Dash, who was serene, closing her eyes and smiling a bit, and placed a hoof over Dash’s hoof.

Dash looked at Twilight’s hoof before looking up at her, Dash’s smile turned into a frown.

“I’m sure she will Dash,” Twilight said quietly, “I’m sure she will.”

Dash’s frown disappeared allowing her smile to take form as Twilight said those words.

“Hey,” Twilight said a little surprised, “D’you thinking we should get going?”

“Oh yeah!” Dash exclaimed, taking flight forgetting that they are meant to be heading to Celestia’s castle. “I forgot that! I’m all rested but wasn’t too tired from before.”

Twilight stood up and started to walk away while Dash glided swiftly in front of her.

“Come on everypony!” Twilight announced as she walked into where everypony was chatting.

“Y’all all ready to go?” Applejack asked.

Five heads nodded.

“Let’s set off then!” Dash exclaimed. “Hey Applejack, you got any energy left inside ya for a race?”

“Darn tootin’!” Applejack said smiling. “That rest and drink aughta place some energy in these kickers! You got yourself a race Sally!”

And with that, the two athletic ponies shot off into the distance leaving the four ponies behind them chuckling briefly before galloping to try and keep up.

-=-=-=-

As they approached the entrance of the jaw dropping castle, one of the two guards, whom were guarding the entrance, immediately recognized Twilight amongst the six tired and heavily breathing ponies. The guard greeted Twilight with a brief message;

“Miss Sparkle, Princess Celestia requests your presence as soon as you possibly can.”

“Thank you.” Twilight replied politely, walking in as the guards let down the drawbridge for the six to pass.

Everypony followed Twilight into the majestic town square where they saw ponies all over the place discussing the tragedy of Princess Luna. As they walked through the town directly to the castle that opposed them, they saw ponies reading newspapers with the front page as “The Tragedy of Princess Luna.” The six friends saw despair everywhere as the town was buzzing with ponies although the time was at least twelve, and walked for a few more minutes before arriving at the Royal palace. There were eight guards standing on four leveled platforms, one on each side. Twilight approached the closest guard to her and stated;

“Twilight Sparkle requesting to see Princess Celestia.”

The guards closest to the door used their magic to open the door, their blue glow emanating throughout the grand doors, a yellow aura slowly too over before the doors swung open to reveal the majestic figure of Princess Celestia.

“Princess!” Twilight exclaimed while the other five bowed deeply in respect of this god-like Alicorn.

“Welcome everypony, come in.” Celestia beckoned with those words to the five ponies whose heads were still touching the ground.

“I trust that you heard all about the news Twilight?” Celestia asked as the six friends all walked inside the warm and brightly lit walkway while the doors closed softly upon them.

“Yes Princess.” answered Twilight. “A-are you alright Princess?”

“Well, not as you would think, naturally,” Celestia answered, “This coincides with the fact that both of us spent a little time a few months previously to individually write out will, thus, the reason you are all here everypony.”

“How will all of us be of any assistance Princess Celestia?” Questioned Rarity while walking.

“Princess Luna requested that you organize her f-” Celestia choked on the very word, “-her funeral, s-she knows how well you ponies pull off a special occasion when one decides to arrive.”

The five funeral-planning ponies nodded at Celestia instinctively knowing what each individual pony must do.

“She wanted it to be set out like this,” Princess Celestia handed Rarity a neatly folded scroll. As Rarity controlled the scroll with her own magic, she opened it carefully and quickly skimmed over the details before folding it neatly again and handing it over to Twilight who placed it gently in her saddle bag she was still carrying.

“Consider this job done Princess Celestia!” Rarity announced confidently. “We’ll give it our best shot.”

Celestia turned her head towards Twilight leaving everypony behind her to chat amongst themselves about the funeral.

“As for you Twilight,” Celestia started, “Princess Luna has informed me of your private lessons with her some months ago where fruitful, am I incorrect?” she questioned her faithful student.

“No Princess,” Twilight responded, “Although I have to admit that the physical bringing-up-of-the-moon I lack, but I have basically memorized every theoretical advice and work she has given me, not to mention her techniques she has also taught me.”

“I know I can count on you Twilight.” Celestia smiled gently, Twilight’s heart soared at her praise “I would assume that you would probably be –oh, mind the steps,” Celestia warned as they approached the spiral stairs, “disappointed,” she continued, “and or excited by this news, Princess Luna has written that you are now the new Princess of the moon.”

“What?!” The five friends and Twilight exclaimed out loud, she caught her five friend’s faces by the corner of her eye to see that their mouths agape.

“B-but Princess, d-do I have to bring out the moon and stars now?!” Twilight stuttered.

“Well it would be helpful to everypony in town.” Celestia commented looking outside her window. “Everypony is still up but first, you must have a look at this, I have seen what this room contains, try make a deduction and repot to me, I don’t dare do it myself.” Celestia simply put stopping in front of two large doors with a plaque on top of it. “Sleeping Chamber” it read, embedded on the gold slab of plaque.

“I must warn each and everypony that the contents behind this room are very…disgusting…” Celestia warned. She opened the doors with her magic to reveal a horrifying sight.

Princess Luna’s head was nailed with a sword on the wall directly opposite to the six ponies horrified by what they are seeing. They noticed that her wings were pulled from her body, being nailed on each side of the wall above them they could then see a heart nailed just a little bit above the body of Luna, blood still cascading from it. Looking down, her face was sightless, the eyes have been gauged out, blood running down her train wreck of a face. There were cuts, bruises, wounds and missing teeth, her skull was deformed, bits of bone sticking out of her flesh, positioning of certain parts of the face were askew. Following the blood tricking down her lifeless face, was her mangled throat. Twilight could only assume that her throat was either pounded on by something, strangulation by magical force or stepped on by hoof or some other strange object.

Further down, her stomach was the main point, a visibly infinite amount of sword cuts were evident, there were so many that the flesh slowly started to dislodge and fall to the blood puddle-covered floor. Her stomach looked like an object exploded from it, peeling back to view her hollow stomach. Twilight questioned the entrails, but placed the thought aside. They looked a bit further down into the floor, the puddles of blood gradually increasing in size and amount, staining everything that came into contact with it. They walked into the chamber towards the life void Princess Luna before Rarity screamed at the ceiling, blood dripping from the ceiling as Luna’s entrails where nailed to form a messy pentagram, blood splatters were evident from the place they were nailed onto.

The six ponies carefully avoided the blood dripping from the entrails laid to form a pentagram to walk over to examine Princess Luna’s boy further. It was evident that she was nailed here before somepony or something had performed slashes of her stomach as blood splattering was in the form of downward strokes, bits of flesh slapped upon Celestia’s bed that was next to her nailed body forming tiny blood spatters where it landed, the strips of flesh that slapped on the walls slowly slid down dragging above them a blood trail. Rarity was quick to jump as she could not take any more of this “muck”. She trotted out as quick as lightning followed by Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.

Twilight and Dash remained in the room “I still haven’t surveyed the balcony yet.” Twilight thought as she saw a blood trail from coming and/or leading to the balcony. Twilight asked Dash if she could carry her on her back as to view the bloody scene without touching any of the evidence. Twilight carefully opened the blood spattered door to hop on Dash and zoom out. The balcony was equally disgusting as the sleeping chamber, Twilight deducted that this was where the assault probably started.

Airborne, she looked at the balcony, she deducted that it started with an arrow that pierced her wing, explaining the hole on her left wing. It may have started that she was attacked by something that pushed her over as there was a small dent on the balcony, she was then probably bashed on the hand rails, Luna’s face and the bloody hand rails did correlate in a way, Twilight then assumed that her face was repetitively forced on the handrails, noting the bits of teeth in the balcony floor.

Twilight asked Dash to lower her until they reached the willow trees not far below the balcony. She then roughly estimated the trajectory if Luna where to spit down here, Dash flew down to where Twilight asked and sure enough, Twilight found traces of saliva, blood and vomit present on some of the willow trees, staining their innocence. She then deducted that her throat was forced onto the handrails repetitively while probably getting injured in the stomach as traces of the internal blood were present externally. Dash then flew up allowing Twilight to examine the balcony once again. The dragging could mean that Luna was then slammed onto the ground, face first as there was a huge splattering of blood. Her face was probably repetitively jumped on as Luna’s head was oddly out of shape, there where tiny pieces of bone which probably indicated Luna’s broken cranium. She was probably swung by her legs onto the building wall beside the balcony as large amounts of blood splatters were evident.

After that torturing period, she was probably dragged inside the room as blood trails roughly the diameter of Luna’s head lead into the room where her lifeless body then suffered a redundant amount of times. Dash flew back inside to allow Twilight to be on her hooves so she could examine the body further, she then noticed a small piece of blood-stained paper inside Luna’s stomach, she carefully dislodged the nail using her magic to levitate the note.

It read “The Devil inside”

“Probably conveys the deformation of her stomach.” Twilight bitterly thought. She flipped the paper around, which read:

“Paid for her sins”

“Strange…” she thought “What sin did Luna commit?” Twilight’s head went blank at the thought. Armed with all her deductions and knowledge collected, she approached the Princess and the other ponies who were madly discussing this as if it was the only topic to talk about during the end of the world.

Inside, Twilight was also thinking about an inferior subject as of now. The Changeling’s prophecy, it stated that she will become Princes of the Night…now she is! With this fact, she wondered if EVERYTHING they said was correct. How was she meant to become Princess of both? Did she have to do the one ultimate thing she never thought about, the biggest sin….Kill Celestia?