The scenery shifted away in the fashion of dreams, images spinning around them again in the chaos of the dreamworld; images of the counselors petitioning the princesses for a meeting, and organizing and arguing over the case they were about to present to the princesses swirled about the dreamwalkers as the Princess of the Moon led Lero and Twilight Sparkle on.

“It took them three days to organize their presentation, and actually successfully petition us for a private meeting. As you could guess, we had many frustrated petitioners at the time, and while we could not ignore the council, since we didn’t realize its nature, we could easily delay it bureaucratically for a bit. Not that I think they minded, at the time… I think all involved dreaded the possible results.”

Twilight frowned at some of what she saw. “There’s more people I don’t recognize,” she said, pointing out several non-ponies amongst the organizers, and let out a frustrated sigh. “I understand Celestia’s need for secrecy, but it bothers me how much history was lost.”

“Perhaps more introductions are in order?” Luna asked.

Twilight nodded. “Please.”

“That zebra looks awfully small…” Lero commented.

Luna smiled toward the zebra in question, who could not have been older than twelve. “That is Enyinaya, ambassador from the Zebra tribes. They believed she was the latest reincarnation of one of their greatest shamans, who formed a line back to the founding of their nation. As she had completed her training, but was not yet old enough to take her place as their leader, her parents made her an ambassador to learn of the world and their allies.”

“If she was a reincarnation, wouldn’t she already know those things?” Lero interjected.

“I’m not sure that’s how reincarnation is supposed to work, regardless of whether or not you believe in it,” Twilight contended.

“Ah, yes,” said Lero, starting to remember his Religious Studies class from college. “In some traditions you’re supposed to be reborn with a ‘clean slate,’ regardless of who you were… um, ‘recycled’ from. So to speak.”

Luna laughed. “Zebras believe souls have wisdom, not knowledge, which is parlance of the mind. And to be honest, I have never met another being who was such a combination of sagely wisdom and childlike wonder.”

“So, how’d they know it was her?” Twilight asked.

“Her cutie mark,” Luna replied, pointing at it.

“What.” Lero stared at the zebra’s mark, his tones flat.

“She was born with that cutie mark.”

Twilight frowned. “What is it? Zebra marks are so maddenly vague and abstract. It looks like… a clockwork gear or maybe... a spider web?”

“Could it be a roulette wheel?” Lero suggested. Really, zebra marks were as good as Rorschach inkblots to him, as well.

Luna shrugged. “I, sadly, cannot claim to know. But... moving on?”

The two nodded.

“That is Brunhilda,” Luna said, pointing to a griffon. “Brunhilda was the first female General Diplomat griffon. Griffonkind’s nobility and patriarchy had almost completely ceded power to their current ideals of absolute meritocracy at this point in time. She proved herself not only a clever tactician and brave warrior on the battlefield, but a canny negotiator at the diplomatic table. As such, she was assigned to the most important and — to them — risky and dangerous post: Envoy to the Alicorns.”

“Risky and dangerous?” Twilight asked, disbelieving.

“We were the only nation they had fought who defeated them. Not to mention my sister and I are powerful immortals who control the sun and moon. And aren’t griffons. You could see why they would hold us in such… regard. The only reason, I think, that they do not fear us is that we have never attacked them, only defended ourselves.”

Twilight nodded, soberly, never having thought of the griffons’ perspective of Equestria.

Luna pointed to the minotaur. “And that…”

He was hulking, like so many of his kind; however, he seemed to be a bit more...rotund than most. Judging by how he moved, Lero didn’t doubt that this minotaur still had muscle, but it had to strain to be visible under the layers of fat. Notably, instead of the minimal clothes like he was used to seeing on that kind, this minotaur was clad in rich and elaborate robes with golden highlights and jewelry. His gemmed nose ring and golden caps on his horns practically screamed, ‘Look at how rich I am!’

“...Is Copper Coin, master merchant and diplomat from the Minotaur Republic. They had been at peace with us and their neighbors for some time now, and were more interested in strengthening trade. Hence the merchant. Coin was a decent enough fellow, but he was always trying to figure out how to turn every situation into profit.”

“And that is… Frederico.” Luna’s tone shifted slightly as she said his name, in a way neither of her companions could quite identify.

“What, no titles?” Lero inquired.

“He insisted. He said that he was no greater than any other donkey, he had merely been chosen to represent them. As such, he felt titles were inappropriate.”

“So, this is his first time more than a few miles away from his home, sounds like?” Lero retorted.

“Perish the thought! Frederico is one of the most well-traveled beings I’d met, even visiting places that Celestia and I had never a chance to go, and seen much not well known to the rest of the world. Indeed, his exploits are near-legendary.”

“Legendary?” asked Twilight. “What sort of legends are completely forgotten to history?”

“The kind that fall into the gap between ‘history’ and ‘story,’” Luna said with a wry smile. “Simply put, those who never met Donkey Frederico refused to believe any being, let alone a donkey, could have accomplished any one of his exploits, let alone all of them.” She gestured with a hoof at him. “He ran with the minotaurs in Tramplona — in the opposite direction, and emerged unharmed. He invited an entire Dragon Migration to tea, and introduced them to the concept of pleasantries. Ask me not how, but he crossed a rainbow to young Cloudsdale with neither wings nor magic.”

“How is that even...” began Twilight.

“I said, ask me not how,” reminded Luna, with a slight shrug. “I was with him when he revolutionized the Neighponese sport of sumo, and I still have no inkling how he was able to talk them into opening their ports for us in the first place. I was told he romanced a windigo and am to this day unable to deny that if anypony could have done so, it was Donkey Frederico. I could go on and on about him...”

Just then, the entire council chamber went still as the double doors at the far end of the room opened up.

“But they’re about to begin.” Luna announced, silencing further discussion.

* * *

At this point in history, the alicorn sisters had already been acting as princesses for untold centuries. Every facet of proper royal deportment, all the expectations and pomp and circumstance thrust upon them as diarchs… such things were now as natural to them as a military march is to a four-star general.

When the princesses entered the council chambers, there was a tired, sloping quality to their bodies. Their smiles were forced and wooden. A pegasus mare, golden-coated with streaks of red along her flanks and a purple flower for a mark, followed them in, discreetly setting a tea service on a small table between the two. The cups sat empty.

“Hail and well met,” Celestia greeted all in attendance. “Though I am unsure what could possibly necessitate such a… diverse audience.”

“Indeed.” Luna scanned the assembly of council members and foreign diplomats. “Rarely do we see this many when we ask for an audience.”

It was several seconds before someone spoke. Tension hung in the air like an festering stench.

Finally, Starswirl gave a cough.

“Apologies for the unprecedented event, Your Majesties,” he said. “But the situation demanded it.”

“What ‘situation’ would that be?” demanded Luna, not blind to the several sets of eyes flicked over towards the open window, where her moon blazed.

“Perhaps, Princess, you would recall a petition brought by myself, on behalf of the pegasi?” Sirocco asked.

“About the sun?” Celestia shut her tired eyes momentarily. “I thought we had already settled this...”

“Forgive the interruption,” young Enyinaya spoke up. “But perhaps you recall a petition on lunar disruption?”

Princess Luna’s smile took on a cringing quality. “Why? You know what we have to say on the matter. Why bring this up again?”

“Because of this, Your Majesty.” This time, the speaker was Treacle Tart. Perhaps it was because the princesses were speaking kindly, perhaps it was the tiredness they saw in Their Majesties’ eyes, or perhaps the mortals had a sense of ‘strength in numbers.’ But one by one, the others were discovering their courage.

Treacle nodded to her assistant, Claypan, who held up a scroll and let its bottom drop to the floor. It rolled open…. foot after foot rolled out, past both princesses’ tails, longer than any bridal train.

“These are 20,000 signatures about the issue from the capital alone,” Claypan informed Luna.

Then the Earth Pony brought up a small chest from under her chair, opening it to show dozens more scrolls. “These are from every other civilized nation. Hopefully, this is enough to make our point about the changes you’ve made.”

Celestia and Luna’s smiles — already forced to begin with — disappeared completely before the sea of intent mortal eyes, all willing them to see it from their point of view. The sisters shared a look, their expressions hard.

“We agree,” said Celestia, turning back to the assembled. “Your point is made. Something has changed.”

Somepony in the back let out a loud relieved breath.

"My sister and I have thought about this whole… contention you have about the sun and moon for a long while,” Luna pronounced. “and though it pains us, there is no other reasonable conclusion... we traced the wrongness to that VERY DAY… with Starswirl.”

The princesses’ eyes fixed upon those of their venerable old mentor, who hung his head in silent shame.

“Good ladies and gentle lords, hear us out!” Celestia beseeched. “There is a confession we must make. My sister and I authorized Starswirl to perform highly experimental research on the Elements of Harmony, in an effort to better understand them! We believe that his efforts resulted in a disastrous outcome, that warped the perceptions and memories of everyone else in the world but the two of us.”

“Wow, the Swap has no idea how dumb that sounds, does it?” Lero commented.

“It would not have been the first time my sister and I were proof against powerful magic, Lero,” Luna said quietly.

“Fight it!” Luna begged the crowd. “Fight this witchery that has ensnared all your minds! Open your eyes! Deep down, you know nothing has changed! I believe in you!”

The outcry from the crowd was one of indignation, even anger, peppered with a few brays of incredulous laughter. The princesses shrank back away from it.

“Silence!” Starswirl boomed, and the room fell still.

“Your Majesties,” the bearded old stallion begun in his most conscience-stricken tone, “The ladies and lords of this council have already been informed of my experiments with the Elements of Harmony. That I had crafted a defective spell which had the side effect of conjuring a false reality in the minds of its victims. That is why we are here! But it is this council’s solemn belief that the victims of this spell are yourselves, Your Majesties.”

“Including yourself, Starswirl,” noted Celestia.

Then Starswirl surprised her, and all the rest of the people there.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna… As a gesture of good faith in this proceedings — and in acknowledgement that I am not infallible or immune to my own magic — I am willing to allow for the possibility that you are correct, and the rest of us have been deceived.”

“You are?” asked Celestia, plainly surprised.

And Starswirl had to raise his voice over the confused and troubled murmurs from the council behind him.

“I know is that if I were the one under an illusion, I’d want to have it be proven to me as soon as possible. If I were to be obdurate and un-convinceable, I would only be strengthening the illusion’s power. That is how they function, after all,” he reasoned. “Now, can all of us agree that a powerful illusion spell has been cast… yes or no?”

He waited for those around him to grudgingly agree ‘yes.’

“Therefore, if our noble princesses are indeed in the right… then it would only be reasonable that we extend them enough benefit-of-the-doubt to prove themselves, as I’m sure they would for us, if the opposite situation were true.” He tipped his hat towards Celestia and Luna. “Do you concur, Your Majesties?”

Again, the sisters looked at each other, then at Starswirl.

“Yes,” said Luna. “It’s clearly imperative that we get to the bottom of this fiasco at once, peacefully and reasonably. Elsewise, matters would sure descend into violence.”

“Thank you,” breathed Starswirl. “The sooner we establish exactly whom my spell has victimized, the sooner we can begin working on an appropriate countermeasure.”

“And once Luna and I prove that we are in the right?” questioned Celestia. “Then what?”

Starswirl broke out into a sweat, yet said; “If you can prove what you say, logically and reasonably, I vow to do everything within my magical power to make the world see you are in the right.”

“Hold on a minute,” interrupted Lero. “What’s Starswirl saying? That he… that he’d… if he couldn’t convince you and Celestia of the truth, he’d cast some kind of bewitchment on the world?!”

Beside him, Luna nodded sadly. “I believe so. He’d have done it for the sake of peace. ”

“Still, this hardly seems fair,” Celestia noted. “You’ve clearly had time to prepare your arguments, we have not.”

“Let me ask you something, Princess Celestia: You believe that, without a shadow of a doubt that you are correct, yes?”

“Absolutely.” the Sun Princess affirmed.

“Then, whatever convoluted theories or test we come up with should be easily disproven or passed by you, yes? As long as we all keep an open mind, we can get to the bottom of this, once and for all.”

“Hmmm. Fair enough. You may begin.”

* * *

“Then let’s start with a few simple ones.” Starswirl said, stepping back, gesturing to the stained-glass windows dominating the far end of the room. Most notable were the depictions of the sisters themselves; Celestia with a prominent Moon on her flank, and Lumina with the Sun.

“Please tell us,” requested Starswirl, pointing to a window showing the Princesses first being coronated, “what cutie mark is on your flank, Celestia?”

“A sun, of course.”

“And Princess Luna?”

“The moon, naturally.”

“I see.” From within his robes, Starswirl pulled out a large manuscript titled The Chronicles Of The Royal Sisters.

“Ever read that one?” Lero asked Twilight, as Starswirl opened the book.

“I’m sorry to say I haven’t,” Twilight told him, as the court mage proceeded to flip through the pages.

Lero was surprised. “Really? Sounds right up your alley.”

“I’ve never even seen a copy!” Twilight protested.

“Since the time of my return, I’ve not seen one, either. I assume it was lost in Celestia’s efforts to hide our old selves…” Luna commented. “I have seen… ‘revised’ editions, though.”

The manuscript contained many beautiful illustrations of moments in the alicorn sisters’ lives: them unifying Equestria under them, defending it from evil… Starswirl stopped at a picture of them moving their respective celestial bodies; Lumina the Sun, Celestia the moon.

“And which celestial body are you moving, Luna?” he asked, holding the illustration up for all to see.

“The Moon.”

“And Celestia?”

“The Sun! I hope there is a point to this?” The now-Sun Goddess replied, a note of impatience entering her voice, especially when the rest of the council started up their mutterings again.

“Please, grant us this indulgence; there is only one other question along this line.” He produced a scroll, unrolling it and presenting it to Luna.

“Interesting that you would choose to submit this letter as part of your evidence, Starswirl,” Luna commented, as she glanced it over.

Starswirl smiled slightly at her. “It’s not the contents of this letter we need concern ourselves with, Your Majesty. In fact, I deliberately selected one of the most innocuous letters I had for this.”

“What did it say?” Twilight asked the Luna who wasn’t being interrogated.

The Moon Princess smiled slightly and froze time for them so they could walk over and read the letter for themselves.

Dear Starswirl,

For your birthday cake this year, would you rather we have the chefs bake you red velvet or chocolate ganache?

Princess Lumina

“I still remember he ended up asking for a sesame and poppy seed cake.” Luna told her companions. “Can’t believe he even kept that letter.”

“Why? I keep copies of all my correspondence.” Twilight replied, which just elicited a chuckle from her companions. “...What?”

“Princess Luna? This letter, which you signed your name to, was sent to me about five months ago. Is that correct?”

She looked over the signature of ‘Princess Lumina’ on the letter, and nodded. “That is correct.”

“Can you read the signature aloud for us?”

“Princess Luna.”

“I see. Can you sign your name again, below it? Try to keep it as close to the original as possible.”

So, telekinetically accepting the proffered quill, Luna wrote her name. A perfect copy, except missing two letters.

“And those look identical to you?” Starswirl asked. “Same length?”

“Of course.”

“Hmmm. And you, Princess Celestia?”

“They are identical, yes. What are you getting at?” Celestia asked, as Starswirl passed the two signatures around for the rest of the council to see.

“Because to us, Princess Celestia, the stained-glass window showed your cutie mark as the moon, hers was the sun.” He pointed at Luna. “That illustrated manuscript showed you moving the Moon, and Luna the Sun. And what’s more, the document reads “Princess Lumina” on top and “Princess Luna” below.”

“Ugh, that name again.” Luna rolled her eyes.

“Why do you hate it?!” Treacle Tart called out. “Luna’s just a nickname!”

An expression of complete bafflement crossed Luna’s face. “What are you talking about!?”

“You know, she brings up a good point,” Lero noted. “Was there any reason the Swap made you change your name like that?”

“I suspect on some level, it felt that ‘Luna’ was just more, well, lunar a name than Lumina,” the princess said.

“Please!” Starswirl said, turning to the rest of the council members, who were still passing around the letter, “Good lords and ladies, I beg you; if I give false testimony, if you see these things in a different way, speak out!”

“You speak true, Starswirl!” shouted Sirocco, and many in the audience echoed her sentiments.

“I could offer you a fantastic deal on eyeglasses, Your Highnesses,” offered Copper Coin. “All your vision problems will be a thing of the past!”

Celestia stomped a hoof, and silence fell. “Then this proves nothing,” she insisted.

“No one really expected it to be this easy,” Starswirl sighed. “But we need to start somewhere.”

“Perhaps I can be of assistance?” Frederico came forward, and Starswirl stepped to the side. “First, Princesses: Let me thank you again for inviting me to the Grand Galloping Gala this year. It was an enchanting evening; a memory I shall carry with me until the end of my days.”

That such a lavishly seductive voice could ever have belonged to a donkey was astonishing to Lero; low and breathy, seasoned with a hint of Spanish-sounding accent. That no less than the alicorns, themselves, were so obviously enamored of him left the human amazed. As if reading his thoughts, Luna explained, “Frederico wasn’t just any donkey, he was THE donkey. There hasn’t been another like him since.”

“Such a shame…” Twilight sighed behind him. Lero managed to resist rolling his eyes.

“Why, thank you, Frederico!” Luna smiled.

“But why bring it up?” Celestia asked, curious.

“Because I would like to ask you: what were you each doing during the Gala?”

“Oh, that’s simple,” Luna started. “We greeted the guests and dignitaries, then...”

Both Princesses stopped, staring blankly. Several moments passed.

“Your Majesties…?” Frederico asked, confused.

“I’ve… seen this before.” Starswirl responded, to the troubled and worried audience as a whole. “I think it occurs when they’re asked something they’d not be able to remem-”

At which point he was cut off.

“...I spent the evening sampling the exotic delicacies from around the world.”

“Exotic cakes, you mean,” Celestia teased.

“They certainly were!” Luna laughed. “Bienenstichs and Schwarzwälder Kirschtortes from Germaney! Petit fours and mille-feuilles from Prance! Spekkoeks and tompouces from the Neightherlands!”

The dark alicorn’s tongue flicked across her teeth, as though tasting these strange-sounding desserts all over again, too caught up to even note her sister’s ribbing.

“And, Frederico, I’m surprised you could forget!” Celestia gave the donkey a suggestive grin that practically made her look like a downright normal mortal girl with a normal mortal girl’s needs and desires, rather than the deific mother-goddess of the entire pony race.

“I spent most of the evening with you, dance after dance! Oh, Rico, you made me a lucky mare that night; there’s never been a soul alive who can dance the saltarello as lively as you!”

Frederico’s ears flattened back. “Well,” he laughed weakly, “That much is certainly true.”

“And after our legs were finally too weary for dancing,” Celestia continued breathlessly, “we went out by the balcony and you regaled me with all your tales of adventure. How you fought an evil volcano and won. How you prevented a war with your grandmother’s secret gazpacho recipe. Not to mention your amazing year as King of the Manticores...”

The donkey came up to Celestia, giving her an apologetic kiss to her cheek. “Alas, while I wish I could say I both literally and figuratively danced the night away, it was not you, Celestia, who I was with. It was Lumina.”

Poor Celestia looked crushed and heartbroken. As if Frederico had spat in her eye. She flashed her sister a look of jealous fury, but Luna only shrank back with a clueless shrug of her shoulders.

There were several nods of assent. “Heck, I even talked to you over the cakes,” Brunhilda told Celestia, as Frederico backed away.

“Oh, Celestia…” sighed the Luna of the present day. “I wish you could’ve enjoyed him for real. How I wish… just once in your life… you could have let yourself step down from your pedestal and open yourself up to that kind of love, instead of always being the unreachable star.” Lero and Twilight looked at each other, uncertain how to respond to such a personal comment. Before they could decide, the moment passed.

“I’m certain we could summon several other ponies to confirm your whereabouts…” began Starswirl.

“Which would prove nothing!” Celestia’s voice was almost shrill, clearly starting to lose patience with the proceedings. “Just that all your memories and your eyes have been tampered with by this horrible spell of my idio… my teacher!”

“Sister! Calm yourself, please,” Luna beseeched. “I know that they are telling the truth, as best as they know. We must see this through, otherwise we breed resentment.”

Celestia exhaled slowly, then regained her calm demeanor. “Fair enough,” the elder sister replied. “Proceed.”

There was a long pause. “Forgive me, Princess Luna, but how are you so certain we are telling the truth?” questioned Sirocco.

Luna’s brow furrowed. “Because I’m the bearer of the Element of Honesty, of course.” There was a long and awkward pause as the petitioners exchanged glances. Luna let out a sigh. “Let me guess; something else that is ‘wrong?’”

“Yes, but… something we’d not previously been aware of,” Starswirl replied.

“I suppose you’re about to say that I’m supposed to be the bearer of the Element of Honesty, instead of Luna, yes?” Celestia asked tetchily.

“Well, actually… yes,” the archmage admitted.

Celestia gritted her teeth. “If my sister and I were to exchange every single possession we own, would that make the whole world happy again?”

“Listen,” Starswirl cut in, in a conciliatory tone. “As we’ve not prepared any questions in regards to this matter of the Elements, why don’t we move on to other things? And we’ll trust that Princess Luna will act as a good caretaker for the Element of Honesty in the meanwhile.”

The council as a whole seemed content with this arrangement.

“Question!” Equinox piped up, raising a hoof in the air. “Your Majesty? Princess Luna? Shouldn’t your Element of Honesty be able to sense what’s factual and what’s not?”

"You’re forgetting there’s a difference between Honesty and Facts,” Starswirl answered for Luna, easily falling into lecture mode for his old student. “Honesty is speaking from the heart. Not deliberately lying. Telling what you believe to be true. It’s possible for a gambler to honestly believe he’s winning his card game, only for the facts to prove him wrong.”

“Quite,” Luna assented. “Or otherwise we’d have already resolved this long ago.”

“Now… moving on to more convincing material,” Claypan announced. “I trust the Princesses are familiar with our most recent weather and crop reports?”

“Yes, we are aware, and are concerned,” Celestia confirmed.

“We’re already devising plans to counteract these effects,” Luna added.

“Hey, if you need funding, maybe we can work out exclusive licensing rights for the whole ‘Crescent Sun’ and ‘Burning Moon’ thing you’ve come up with. They’re brilliant! I’m sure they’ll sell like hotcakes. Say, a 70-30 split?” Copper Coin interjected, before trailing off when he realized everyone was glaring at him. “We’ll talk.” He grinned, stepping back.

“Anyhow, plans aside, aren’t you curious about the cause of this change?” Claypan persisted.

“Of course we are! If we knew the cause, we could deal with it," Celestia replied.

“Then I would like to suggest a theory. While the premise might sound absurd, I pray you tolerate it.”

“Proceed.” Luna nodded.

“Equinox, if you will?”

The mage noded, and his horn flashed. An image of Equestria was projected over all their heads, with a full, gleaming sun and a phase-changing, unburnt moon rising and lowering. “Imagine if the sun was a steady source of both heat and light. Imagine that the moon was a diminished source of light,” Equinox started, both of the princesses frowning.

“Now, imagine if the Moon suddenly became a source of heat,” Claypan said, the image of the moon bursting into flame. “And the heat from the sun was reduced, but not eliminated.” The sun started showing phases.

“This would result in a net heat increase... the sun would about halve its energy output, but the moon would more than make up for it,” Equinox continued.

“Which, in turn, would result in a net increase in temperature Equestria-wide,” Claypan concluded.

“Wow,” Lero interrupted. “Not for anything, but between the 3-D projections and terms like ‘net heat increase’... are you sure we’re still in medieval times?”

Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna gave the human flat looks.

“First, while we’ve already discussed the technological… disparity between your and my world…” Twilight began... and they had; ‘human innovations’ was a favorite subject of hers.

“Yeah. Schizo tech. You’ve got horse carts next to video games,” Lero replied.

“Don’t get me started on the subject, we don’t have the time.” She shook her head. “That said, you give the ponies of the past too little credit. Their understanding of astrophysics was very sound, even back then. Especially with such knowledgeable sources as Luna and Celestia helping fill in the blanks. What’s more, unicorns have been using image projection magic since before ponies started to paint drawings on cave walls.”

“And you, yourself, requested that I modernize the language,” Luna said. “Would you rather I cancel that effect? I warn you; Claypan and Equinox’s original wording was considerably more… long-winded.”

Lero shook his head. “Nah. Keep it modernized.”

“It’s a well-established fact that weather is produced by energy. Usually for us, it’s crafted in the weather foundries and by Pegasi Magic,” Equinox explained. “However, in areas not controlled by ponies, the weather forms from ambient energy, such as raw magic… or temperature.”

The image of the sun and more faded away, replaced with a detailed graph showing the change in temperature over time.

“As you can see here,” Claypan picked up where Equinox left off, “temperatures have been increasing in incremental but steady amounts since this date.”

“...The date of Starswirl’s spell.” Celestia’s eyes widened as Starswirl continued to look abashed at his failure.

“So his magic caused this as well!” Luna concluded.

Claypan and Equinox’s faces fell. “Yes, except the point was that this change could have come about by a change in the sun and moon… from a bright sun to a dimmed one, from an, er, ‘unlit’ moon to a burning one.”

”That’s all well and good, but the moon’s always been on fire.”

Claypan and Equinox looked at each other askance; they’d thought their argument was foolproof. “Can someone get a book on the moon?” Equinox asked, grasping at straws.

“Let’s skip ahead to when they retrieve it.” Luna said, as the dream shifted to when Private Pepperpot returned to the council chamber with The Stargazer’s Guidebook by Heliopause.

Equinox and Starswirl both quickly perused the book a little, before deciding on a promising passage.

“Now this book was written thirty years ago,” Starswirl announced, before bringing it over to Luna. “If you would be so kind, please read aloud starting from the top of page 103. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

Luna held the book open. “We have it on the authority of Princess Luna,” she narrated, “That the surface of the moon is thoroughly suffused with an atmosphere of pressurized gasses, which intermingle with other gasses constantly issuing forth from the moon’s core through porous perforations in the lunar crust. These gasses burn at a temperature of…”

“That’s enough! Stop, stop, stop!” Starswirl cried. He almost looked ready to tear his own beard out by the roots, as he thrust The Stargazer’s Guidebook into Brunhilda’s talons. “Please… you read what’s on page 103!”

So Brunhilda did. “We have it on the authority of Princess Celestia,” the griffin read, “That the moon would’ve been a smooth and featureless landscape, if not for the existence of meteors. Because the moon lacks any sort of atmosphere…”

“Lacks atmosphere?!” Luna balked, but Brunhilda read on.

“...There is nothing to prevent even the tiniest of meteors from leaving their marks on the moon. This is why its surface is so marred with craters of every size; from miniscule to gargantuan. Newer, fresher craters impact over the older ones…”

“No more!” Celestia shouted, looking out over the room in real anger. “I can tell what’s really going on here! This is a coup! This whole room reeks of treachery! You’re nothing but a vast confederacy of serpents! Trying to usurp power from my sister and I through fraud! By making us out to be lunatics!”

“You ARE lunatics, and you must be dealt with soon!” exclaimed Enyinaya, springing up to a stand. “Before you do to our world what you did to the moon!”

The council chamber boiled over in outrage and senseless yelling, some siding with Brunhilda, others doing their best to defend the honor of their princesses.

“Sister, please!” Luna cried over the tumult. “There is no fraud at play here! No deception! These people are victims of a spell; I swear it on the Element of Honesty, itself! As princesses, it is our duty to help them see it!”

As Starswirl banged for silence, a shame-faced Celestia needed to shout loudly several times in order to beg the council’s forgiveness.

“To think,” Luna whispered in horror, while the noise died down. “The illusion goes so deep as to affect the written word!”

As this chaos ensued, Starswirl flipped despondently through the pages of the astronomy book, looking for all the world like a stage actor who’d blanked out on every one of his lines. However, he suddenly stopped, hoof on a random page.

“Princess Luna, would you mind describing a total solar eclipse? What happens? And how does it appear, visually?” Even as he said all this, the archmage was clearly half-distracted, struggling to think up a better argument.

Luna drew a lengthy breath. “Well… high up in the heavens, my moon will pass between my sister’s sun and our world so that the moon completely blocks the view of the sun for everyone living on this world. That’s what a total solar eclipse is.”

“And visually, it looks like a big black circle, ringed by a haze of bright light from my sun’s corona.” Celestia added. “The whole sky goes dark when an eclipse happens, but it still can be dangerous for mortal eyes to look upon.”

Starswirl snapped erect, slapping shut his book, looking at his princesses with naked astonishment. “R-really?! You are certain of this? Both of you?”

“Quite,” said Celestia.

“Pray tell, Starswirl, what do total solar eclipses look like to your eyes?”

“Exactly the same as you just described them!”

The sisters were quite surprised to learn this.

“Well, well, well. Common ground at last.” Luna smiled wearily. “I was beginning to think we’d never see the day again!”

“I’m almost disappointed,” Celestia said. “I was rather hoping his version of eclipses would involve floating green manatees.”

Their mentor went over to the window, where the moon blazed like a great vanilla candy flung into the fire. Opening up The Stargazer’s Guidebook, he flipped back to the chapter about eclipses, glancing back and forth between it and the burning moon.

“Princess Luna, Princess Celestia.” He turned from the window and shut the book. “I think I have the answer. Decisive proof! But in order to show it, I will need you to create a total solar eclipse for us.”

The sisters shared a long look between themselves. Was it really, truly worth it? This wasn’t just some fireworks Starswirl was asking for, this wasn’t just some magic display, this was rearranging the heavens.

“Fair enough,” Celestia finally said, “On one condition: that this be the final test. However it turns out, this must be the deciding factor. No more stalemates. Have we got a deal?”

“Princesses, I am confident enough of this to make such a wager. Any disagreements?” There was some muttering amongst the gathered, but ultimately, they consented.

“Then perhaps it would be best if we adjourn from this chamber and all move outside, so as to more easily view the eclipse?”

“Agreed.” Starswirl assented, “All of you, this way, please.”

Everyone in the room began to file out behind Starswirl, letting him lead the way.

Luna inhaled deeply. “This is it. Come along.”

* * *

The three dreamwalkers found themselves in the castle’s royal courtyard, a few yards away from the alicorn sisters. The princesses stood in the middle of the courtyard, staring intently towards the sky, waiting for the rest of the procession to gather around them.

“What’s Starswirl doing?” Lero asked.

“He’s casting a light protection spell on everypony’s eyes so they can safely watch the eclipse. Well, everypony except for us, as Alicorns are beyond needing such things.”

“Hunh,” Lero commented, watching the darkened shapes form over their eyes. “Look kinda like sunglasses.”

”Are we ready?” Celestia asked to the surrounding crowd as the last spell was cast; there were murmurs of assent. “How long would you have us keep this eclipse in the sky, once we’ve created it?”

“Not long, just enough to confirm its appearance,” Starswirl replied. “Merely a minute or two at most. Afterwards, you’re free to return the moon and sun back where they were.”

“Good. This thrice-accursed spell of yours has gotten everypony in such a state over the simple day-to-night cycle. I dread to think how they’ll react to this eclipse.” Celestia shook her head.

“Let’s just be done with it, sister,” Luna insisted.

“Very well.” Celestia’s horn shone with an almighty glow, Standing opposite of her, Luna’s horn ignited with matching luminosity. Up rose the sun in the east, so blackened throughout its main body that it almost looked to be dying.

At the same time, its counterpoint, the burning moon, arced upward from where it sat low in the west. Both climbed higher and higher. All eyes were glued to the celestial bodies, as slowly but surely, they intersected each other at a zenith in the sky.

The expected black circle with a halo of light did not appear. Instead, the sky burned with a fiery orb with a faint yellow halo about it. The princesses stared at this apparition in utter confusion for several, long seconds.

“You remember your words?” asked their mentor.

All eyes turned to Starswirl.

“I beg your pardon?” asked Luna.

“‘Visually, it looks like a big black circle, ringed by a haze of bright light from the sun’s corona,’” Starswirl quoted. “Do you both still remember that?”

“Of course we remember what we said!” Celestia snapped.

“Oh good,” Starswirl said, chummily. “I was afraid that your memory might’ve fogged over on us.”

“Maybe… maybe we did it wrong?” suggested Luna.

The sun and moon drew apart, and then reconverged at a different angle.

“Come now!” Starswirl’s voice was gently teasing at this point. “You clearly remember what a total solar eclipse is supposed to look like! This is scarcely the first time in history you’ve ever made one happen!”

The diarchs turned away from the other, to try again at making a proper eclipse. But this met with failure, so they tried again. And again. And again.

“At the risk of sounding stupid,” Lero spoke up, “Could someone please tell me why this isn’t working for them? In simple layman’s terms?”

Twilight was all too happy to play the knowing teacher. “Well, think of it this way, Lero: when the moon covers the sun during an eclipse, it decreases the light. Just like putting a lampshade over a lamp, right?”

“Well, yeah, I understand that, but…”

“So what happens when you set the lampshade on fire?” Twilight asked. “How much light gets decreased then?”

Lero Michaelides looked at the two great fireballs in the sky and laughed out loud.

“Your Majesties...” Starswirl began.

“Silence!” hissed Celestia as she focused on her efforts upon the sky, beginning to visibly sweat and shake.

“Ha! Score for Starswirl!” Lero grinned, before realizing his two companions were staring at him. “What? Take it from the guy who helped Farmer Pinkie, there’s a definite satisfaction that comes from outthinking the Swap!”

The Moon Princess gave him a grave look. “While I sympathize with your position, Lero… This was not a victory. Or if it was, a pyrrhic one. Catching the Swap in a lie it cannot refute does not mean it surrenders. Like an army that refuses to let their enemy profit from their conquest, it burns the cities and salts the earth in its wake,” Luna replied.

“You mean...” Lero started before the dream cut him off.

“IT’S WRONG!” Celestia screamed abruptly, tears of fear and horror streaming from her panicked eyes.

“IT’S ALL WRONG!” echoed Luna, practically sobbing as she stared forlornly and disbelievingly at the false eclipse.

“Itswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrongitswrong…”

The two princesses sobbed and babbled in utter despair as the Swap that enthralled them finally snapped under the pressure of its own lies, laid bare.

“...Holy shit.” Lero said in horror.

Everyone was backing away from the alicorns. “Your Highnesses!” cried Sirocco.

“Mad… they’re MAD…” spoke Princess Peridot, her horror echoing Lero’s own.

“It’s all over! Flee for your lives! The Demon Alicorns will slay us all!” shrieked Brunhilda, taking flight as fast as her wings could carry her, heading for the distant mountains.

“YOU!” Both Princesses snapped to attention suddenly, the utter despair in their faces replaced by something more terrifying: Absolute and utter fury.

“You did this to us!”

Little Enyinaya burst into tearful, terrified wailing on the spot, jarring, as it was the first moment her otherwise disciplined countenance revealed the young child she was.

“I’ll kill you!” the princesses echoed in disturbing concert. “I’ll kill you all!” and they charged at those around them, horns lowered like infuriated rhinos, seeking to gore all those present.

“Equinox, now!” shouted Starswirl.

The two unicorns sprang into action. Both the master and his apprentice had spells readied for just this possibility, which burst from their horns at the princesses. The alicorns’ charges terminated into boneless flops as they collapsed, insensate, to the ground.

“We shouldn’t have done anything,” Treacle Tart insisted, wildly looking between the sun and moon and the alicorns. “We should’ve left well enough alone…”

“There was nothing ‘well enough’ about any of this, Lady Tart, no matter how it went,” Claypan replied, sorrowfully, her hoof patting the recovering Enyinaya comfortingly.

“Are they alright?” asked Copper Coin, looking deeply concerned that his licensing deal might be in peril. Oh, and that the princesses might be hurt.

“They’re fine,” Starswirl insisted, watching them breathe. “As I suspected, forcing them to see the truth caused a mental breakdown. Equinox and I prepared spells made for the treatment of such mental illnesses for this possibility. Give them a few moments for the spell to kick in, and they should be right as rain. Ah, here they go.”

Nervously, everyone else gave the princesses even more space, as their eyes fluttered, and they slowly but steadily righted themselves.

“What… happened?” Celestia asked gently.

Starswirl bowed. “Forgive us, Your Majesties, but you were afflicted by a mind-altering spell which caused you to exchange cutie marks and several memories. A spell for which no counterspell existed. We had to cause the spell to break… though there might still be some lingering mental trauma. How do you feel?”

“...like someone dropped a mountain on my head.” Luna muttered, rubbing her head, but her eyes widened. ”But... oh, yes, I see now... the spell is gone! The confusion of how things are is no more.”

“Are you, ah, sure the spell is entirely gone, Princess Lumina?” Private Pepperpot asked. She was gazing at both Celestia and Luna’s flanks. Soon enough, everypony else was too, for both cutie marks still remained on the wrong bodies.

“‘Luna,’ if you please. I still feel more comfortable with that name...” Luna replied, placing a hoof to her head. “Starswirl… I still have both memories.”

“Both memories?” he repeated.

“I can now clearly remember dancing with Frederico at the Gala,” Luna said. “Yet… I can still also remember the taste of all those cakes I indulged in. Those memories haven’t gone away.”

“Nor have mine,” Celestia said. “I can remember being a Sun Princess AND a Moon Princess.”

“I’m certain I can fix that in time,” their teacher assured them. “But perhaps you can fix the heavens right now?”

“Ah, of course.” Celestia and Luna closed their eyes, their horns glowing. The moon extinguished, and disappeared towards the west, while the sun regained its full luminance and drifted to its proper position in the east. “Better?”

A great cheer rang out from everyone around them. Happy tears were shed; ponies hugged one another; Sirocco and Private Pepperpot flew up into the air spiraling about each other in jubilation while their fellow ponies reared up and kicked their forehooves in joy. Joy that unquestionably must’ve been shared by all living beings, everywhere under the sun.

“And… then what? That… seemed to resolve almost everything,” Lero noted, as Starswirl began to lead all the others back inside the castle.

“Yes, seem is the key word, here,” Luna replied. “While Starswirl nullified the immediate threat of our psychotic break, it didn’t not resolve the fundamental underlying issue; that fractions of our souls were torn off and exchanged, and were now held together with the thinnest of threads. The spell you saw Starswirl and his apprentice cast on us prevented us from falling back on rampant hysteria as an outlet. The psychological equivalent of stitching up a gaping wound without disinfecting it first. This resulted in… subtler expressions of our internal conflicts.”

“That…” Twilight started. “... does not sound good.”

“Indeed not. We held together for several months, but… well, let me show you the conversation where I feel things went downhill.”

With that, they were elsewhere.

* * *

The dreamwalkers found them outside of the palace, on the familiar balcony where Starswirl first confronted Celestia. Luna stood there, Her eyes towards the heavens. Her horn glowed, the moon rising in the sky, the world darkening as night began. She looked out over the surrounding city for several moments, the lights slowly flickering off as people went home or went to bed, few staying awake to celebrate the night. Her ears lowered, and her face fell as the pony world prepared for sleep.

“Princess Luna?” Lero asked.

“Yes?”

“Why do you still have swapped jobs? I mean, I thought your swap was broken?”

“It was. However, the results of it were not. Our talents and cutie marks were still swapped. Not until later was Celestia able to move the moon. If she could push it away at any time, how would have Nightmare Moon’s threat of eternal night been anything but laughable?”

“Oh. I see,” Lero replied, as they turned their attention back to the scene.

The younger princess slowly strode inside, still looking despondent, the dreamwalkers following her, as she made her way to Celestia’s office. Her older counterpart became visible. Celestia, her brow furrowed, sorting through piles of paper, frustration clear on her face.

“I don’t know how you do it, Luna,” she said, not looking up. “The Night Court usually only had a few dozen petitioners a night, if that. Now from dawn to dusk, I’m inundated with ponies wanting my attention on endless manner of things. There’s scarcely time to think. And most of it is pointless minutia they could easily resolve on their own.”

“They’re our ponies, Celestia. They need us,” she sighed, glancing outside. “Or, at least, they need you. Honestly, I don’t know you deal with it. The night is so… isolated.”

“Peaceful, more like it,” Celestia retorted, her voice more on edge. “Maybe they need us, but perhaps they shouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?” Luna asked.

“They’ve grown soft and coddled under your rule of the day. Someone needs to bring the stick along with the carrot. Teach them some independence. Or if, failing that, obedience.”

“You would mistreat out ponies!?” Luna exclaimed.

“No. Discipline. Why would you care? These are the same ponies that, as you put it, ‘abandoned’ you.”

Luna winced as if she were struck. “I...”

“No, Luna, this isn’t the time for softness or half-measures. This needs action. Now, if you’ll excuse me… I have a kingdom to run.” With that, she telekinetically resorted her desk, summoning a quill, and began to write proclamations, clearly dismissing her sister.

With that, Luna strode out, her face hardening. As the door closed behind “Not if I take it from you…”

From the corner of his eye, Lero spotted two figures on the far side of the room where it faded into the haze of the dream realm. Their forms we indistinct by from what he could tell there was an alicorn... and a human? But as quickly as the two had caught his eye, their forms vanished from view, blending into the dark of shadows as if they had never been.

“Lero?” Twilight asked, spotting him staring off in the distance.

“It’s nothing.” He turned back. “What happened then?”

“After that…” Luna sighed. “It was shocking to see how quickly it all unraveled. Particularly with hindsight.”

Historical moments flashed by in fast succession; Celestia imposing more rules, curtailing freedoms, and micromanaging her subjects’ lives. Curfews, restrictions on travel and employment, regulations on many aspects of business, and setting up new layers of bureaucracy between her people and herself. When they came to the Night Court to petition Luna for relief, the younger alicorn happily granted it... only for a furious Celestia to clamp down with even more punitive restrictions.

“That is how I garnered favor with a good portion of the populace: exploiting Celestia’s growing madness to appear to be the ‘good guy’ while subtly inspiring rebellion against her,” Luna explained. “Not that everyone did. The nobles, the rich, many in the military, those who otherwise saw benefit of her policies putting more power and bits in their hooves still backed her. However, the working pony, the downtrodden and dispossessed saw much appeal in my potential single rule.”

As they passed through scenes of change, they saw a poster reading "Working Ponies of Equestria Unite! New Lunar Republic" before it was torn down by one of Celestia’s guards. “I, of, course, denied all knowledge and association with these rebels… which, at first, was true. But it was not long before Celestia started to crack down upon them, and start her own counter-propaganda campaign.”

They saw rows of posters, some of a stern image of Celestia, that read "OBEY," while others had slogans such as "Strength Through Purity Through Celestia."

The three of them happened to spot a small colt painting Luna’s cutie mark and ‘NEW LUNAR REPUBLIC!’ over these posters before fleeing as Celestia’s guard spotted him and yelled at him to halt.

“What were you doing all this time?” Twilight inquired.

“Well… if there’s one thing the history books got correct, it’s that I planned to make it eternal night, so ponies would have to appreciate my night. But the history books made me look… more shortsighted than I was. Even in my madness, I knew the world, as it was, would not survive eternal night. So, I sought to… change things.”

Luna walked through remote corridors of the castle, a large number of pegasi following behind her, many of whom Twilight and Lero recognized as being among the New Lunar Republic supporters in earlier glimpses of history. One of them, he saw, was heavy with foal.

Luna led them to a dead end, but her horn glowed, the corridor inverting itself, revealing a magical lab back out the way they had come, similar to Starswirl’s, but… darker. Scorpions, rodents, cockroaches and other nocturnal beasts watched them everywhere from their cages.

“I experimented with several different kinds of creatures,” the Princess told Twilight and Lero. “Owls, badgers, wolves… but when I tried to splice them with ponies, what resulted was either too animalistic or else just… inviable. Then finally, I somehow struck gold with bats and pegasi.”

Luna led her faithful to a raised platform, surrounded by arcane apparatuses connected to several caged bats. Luna’s horn and eyes glowed with terrifyingly familiar purple-black magic as she activated the device, the energy channeling through the bats, then focused onto the Pegasi. Their bodies shifted as they writhed in pain. Feathers fell out, replaced by leathery wings, their pupils constricting to slits, and their teeth extending into fangs...

Twilight was agog. “So… you created Thestrals!”

“This is true. I did create my night children… and it is the only thing that I did then that I am proud of. They were better than their maker deserved.”

Luna paused, remembering a point.

“Actually, the name of ‘thestral’ was one they came up with for themselves at some point after my banishment. At the time, I simply referred to them as ‘bat-pegasi’ or ‘bat-ponies’. And they would’ve been just the beginning. I intended to eventually do the same thing to all the other equine races as well: bat-unicorns, bat-earth ponies, bat-zebras, bat-donkeys… maybe even make a few breeds of bat-dogs so they would have pets. Eventually, an entire ecosystem of eternal night.’

“Bob Kane would’ve been proud,” Lero muttered.

“Well, at least… I would have, if bats were more compatible with any of the other equines. If bats had proved completely fruitless, there were dozens of other nocturnal animals out there to try.” Then Luna sighed. “But then, that is neither here nor there. I was banished before my experiments were complete, so I couldn’t find nocturnal animals compatible with earth ponies and unicorns before... Well, you know.”

“But… you were using dark magic!” Twilight protested, confused. “What…!?”

“You are a student of magic. You know that living beings resist permanent transformation.”

“Yes. Most living beings revert back, given time, depending on how complex the transformation is, and how much power is in the magic that caused the transformation.” To Lero, she explained, “Permanent change is possible, but hard, as living being’s spirits always seek to maintain their natural physical forms. A defense inanimate objects don’t have.”

Luna nodded. “Dark magic allows you to do things that violate the natural order. For example, if you wanted to do such transformations en masse…”

“Forgive my ignorance... again... but if they were made from dark magic, shouldn’t Thestrals be… you know… evil? I mean, I don’t know many, but they seem like decent folk…” Lero asked.

“Dark Magic is dark because it violates certain boundaries set by the natural world. The results of it aren’t inherently any more evil than any other use of magic,” Luna told him.

“There are actually Dark healing spells,” Twilight contributed.

“However, the cost on its user is… more dire.” Several more glimpses of Luna’s experiments flashed by, her coat growing steadily darker as weeks passed…

Time shifted again; a throng of protesters in front of the palace, openly wearing New Lunar Republic colors, holding burning effigies of Celestia and chanting, as the Royal guard, armed, faced them down.

“This… is the moment it began. where the war started.”

Tensions ran high on both sides. The guard were motionless, but sweat beaded openly on their foreheads as they readied their weapons, while the disgruntled peasants’ shouts grew louder and angrier. Finally, the image of Celestia’s head was projected from the palace, large and imposing.

“This gathering is illegal! All complaints must be filed at the appropriate offices. Disperse now, lest you face my wrath!”

It wasn’t clear who threw the rock; even from the dream, it arced out of the crowd with no obvious source. It arced through Princess Celestia’s image, causing it to flicker, before striking a guard’s helmet.

Celestia’s features contorted with fury. “Strike them down!”

Celestia’s guards charged, some flinging spears. But as they struck, the skies darkened, clouds rolling in as a squadrons of fliers appeared, led by the Princess of Night herself; her thestrals struck back against the guard and her royal voice echoed over the city.

“DOWNTRODDEN OF EQUESTRIA; YOUR PRINCESS ANSWERS YOUR CRIES! NOW IS TIME TO THROW OFF THE TYRANNY OF THIS CELESTIAL EMPIRE! COME TO ME AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM! FOR THE NEW LUNAR REPUBLIC!”

A deafening cheer arose behind her, and the ponies charged, and the battle engaged.

“Then the war was on,” Luna narrated, her tone dismal. “The first battle here was a fiasco. Untrained civilians against a veteran military force with only a single squad to support them?”

The crowd slammed into the guard, sparks flying as improvised weapons struck enchanted armor. They held... and shoved back, knocking ponies off their hooves, stabbing with their spears. Cries of agony filled the air along with sprays of blood. Several guard paid for their brutality as thestrals pounced from their air, moving out of formation to make killing blows, their own screams joining their victims, Luna literally crushing one guard beneath her feet as she landed.

The guards flinched back from the alien appearance of the bat ponies and their imposing Princess. Suddenly, the sky opened up and the sun, glowing brighter, burned away the clouds. Looking up, the unicorn captain pulled out his sword, holding it up so it glinted in the light.

“Slay the beasts! Celestia is with us!” the Captain called, the troops rallying, charging amongst the rebels. A chaotic melee ensued; Pegasi clashing with Thestrals, guards being dragged down by mobs, Luna pulling out two crescent silver blades from their sheaths with her telekinesis, slashing through foes like a farmer reaping wheat, heads and limbs shorn off behind her. However, the screams of the rebels’ pain and death grew as they were steadily overwhelmed by the better armed, armored, and trained guard. Luna spun around, gritting her teeth, her horn’s glow intensifying, and with a flash, they vanished, leaving the puzzled guard among the bodies of the slain.

“I teleported them away after enough of them had died to infuriate them, but not demoralize them. All very calculated. They became the core of my military, as we began recruiting, training, staging guerrilla strikes... eventually capturing villages at first, then towns, then cities and repelling Celestia’s attacks…”

More scenes flowed by, disjointed but all flowing along the same theme. Death and destruction reigned rampant. A granary exploded as thestrals drove thunderclouds on it in the night. An isolated farm burned, a sobbing stallion reaching back toward the flames before the chain about his neck forced him away. That same stallion, body bloated and black, looked up in death from the reservoir his corpse was tainting, bare flesh showing on his flanks where once skin had supported a cutie mark. Silver blades flashed and dark hooves crushed skulls and snapped wings, the viewpoint sometimes shifting to Luna’s own perspective.

Cloudsdale did not fall — but it was severed. The great cloud city literally tore in two as pegasi on one side and pegasi and Thestrals on the other sought to claim it for their own. A white-coated pegasus with the mark of a leg in a cast flew up to help another pegasus with an injured wing. The other pegasus called out, “Boneset!” And then when the doctor neared, the injured pegasus’ wingblades flashed, slicing through his throat. “Wrong side,” the falling warrior hissed, and fell to her death. When Celestia’s pegasi had the battle all but won, the Lunar forces drove their section forward before fleeing. Two masses of cloudcrete met, and in a single day of battle the great pegasus capital had been reduced to a third of its former size. Feathers floated on the wind around it for days.

Ponies ran screaming through the streets of a small, nameless town as dark-shrouded unicorns blasted apart walls and doors. Any building that showed a sun in any form in its decoration was lit on fire. The Solar forces had been thorough since they recaptured the town a few weeks ago, putting Celestia’s mark anywhere it could go. Soon there was nothing left but dying cries and sizzling ash on the edge of the dangerous Everfree Forest.

“It was a war unlike any previously known. Pony fought Pony, not based on tribal lines, on ideology and loyalty to a ruler… Unicorn, Earth Pony, and Pegasi died on both sides, Sun versus Moon… ”

The shadows of Pegasi soldiers criss-crossed the battlefield, cruelly sharp hooks worn on all four of their ankles, bent inwards. They swooped down, snagging earthbound enemies by the back, the ankle hooks driven into their flesh to allow a better grip. They lifted their foes up six or seven stories high, then dropped them like hungry eagles dropping turtles, shattering their bodies against the rocky ground. Others guided controlled storm fronts, raining down sleet, hail, lightning, and even tornados against their foes.

One of the swoopers spotted an easy target; an injured earth pony limping towards rubble to hide behind. The swooper veered down, faster and faster… only to scream out in agony as powerful telekinesis grabbed her wings, her own momentum tearing out her flight feathers… her scream cut off by a horrific crack as she slammed full speed into the earth.

Her unicorn assailant laughed in victory, summoning her feather trophies to her…. a costly mistake, as an enemy earth pony sprang out of nowhere, kicking the unicorn so powerfully in the forehead, it drove her own horn straight through her skull like a dagger. Her agonized writhing was gruesome to behold.

“"Even the peaceful and wise were caught up in the madness. The most contemplative of ponies would gird herself with her mother's armor to avenge the deaths of her foals."

Long ropes were tied around all four of Commander Sirocco’s legs, stretching her body into a very unnatural X-formation. At the end of all four of these ropes was an earth pony, awaiting a signal from their leader. Sirocco’s wings, broken first, then plucked bare, wept blood onto the ground below her. Her remaining eye wept with agony, but she would make no sound of surrender, even then.

“Behold, your ‘hero!’” Treacle Tart sneered to the gathering of conquered villagers. The fat pony’s eyes were alight with murderous zealotry. “See the fate that befalls those who would see fit to betray her glorious Solar Majesty and snuff out her precious light!”

Then Treacle Tarn blew on a horn, and the four executioners ran: southwest, northeast, northwest, southeast, all at once. It wasn’t long before Sirocco’s limbs tore loose, bones snapping and muscle ripping free. Even the determined pegasus could not keep from screaming, a high and horrible note of pain. The only saving grace was that it did not last long.

The horrific tableau of war continued to spread before them. “Luna,” Twilight said hoarsely, sounding like she was fighting down the urge to be sick. “Luna, please…” was all she managed before she had to close her mouth and swallow hard.

Lero, however, knew exactly what she wanted to say, because he felt it himself. “Let’s get the hell out of here!” He turns to look at the princess of the night. What he saw almost caught him short. Pain, sorrow, shame, loss — she was lost in the moment.

“Luna!” he called, his hand alighting on her side, snapping her out of it.

“...Yes. Yes, of course.” She shook her head and the image of the world collapsed about them, leaving nothing but the distant sparkles of the dreamscape.

“...Forgive me.”

Lero couldn’t tell if she was apologizing to them for being lost in the moment… or to the world for being the cause of what they witnessed.

* * *

They all sat there in silence for several moments. Finally, Twilight spoke up. “Tell me it gets better.” It was an absurd request, as all present knew it, but all of them understood the need for reassurance. Lero simply hugged her, while Luna raised her head and looked up to her.

“It does. It gets worse before it does, but it does get better — and much of it is because of you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight blinked. “Freeing you by vanquishing Nightmare Moon, you mean.”

Luna nodded. “And restoring the Elements, and much more besides. And, Celestia hopes, fixing Starswirl’s spell. There’s a reason we entrusted this task to you: you proved to be more than equal to every other challenge presented to you. It seemed only right that you be the one to fix the last remaining thread of this dark time.”

“One question,” Lero interjected.

“Yes?” Luna asked.

“Where was Starswirl during all this!?”

“He was trying to complete his spell and correct the effect it had on us. Speaking of which, that is where we must go next.” Before any further response could come from Lero or Twilight, the dreamscape whirled around them, revealing a now-familiar locale: Starswirl’s lab.

“No no no No NO NO!” Twilight and Lero started at the sudden outburst of noise, only further intensified as the speaker flung a book across the room. “Why can’t I get this right!? Why isn’t anything working!? Why can’t I fix this!?”

Twilight scanned the lab; rather than the organized, if esoteric testing chamber it used to be, it was a wreck. Notes, equipment, books and the detritus of failed experiments were strewn about everywhere. Also, failed experiments were running circles around the laboratory, honking like geese. She peered at several of the notes, blinking hard. Many of them resembled some of her own, stuff she’d written up in the cloud house. “He’s… trying to fix the swap spell and failing, isn’t he? Just like I am, right now...”

“And having even less success than you, it seems,” said Luna, over the sound of another spell shorting out and Starswirl’s anguished cry.

“This is impossible!” the wizard growled, sweeping his latest failure off the table, ignoring its outraged bleating as its cage clattered to the floor. “...Impossible…” Starswirl slumped down, looking off into the middle distance.

Seeing the stallion she’d idolized her almost entire life, defeated, hopeless, left Twilight staring in horror. “Luna… If you knew that the spell was capable of… all this...” she gestured to Starswirl, as well as the glow of distant fires visible through the windows; fighting and villages being razed, “...how could you have agreed to let it be cast again!?”

“I consented to it precisely because I know what the spell is capable of. We believed you, above all others, could solve this problem, succeed where even that accursed spell’s creator had failed. You saw all the pictures of apprentices my sister had in the past. You know how long she searched for someone who had it all. Talent, intelligence, raw magical prowess, trueheartedness, dependability… and most importantly, a solid comprehension of the magic of friendship. Only a pony like that had the potential to finally end all this.”

While the two debated, Lero had walked closer to Starswirl, glared down at him — then stopped short.

He recognized the expression. He’d seen it on his own face, reflected back at him in the window of Foamy Lager’s store, before he’d gone in to try and make it disappear with booze: utter loss and hopelessness, hurt deeper than most could imagine — even worse, he saw the same guilt and self-blame that he gotten used to seeing on Twilight’s face as well. A beaten, broken man.

Disgust, and much to his surprise, sympathy for the stallion warred within him. He knew Starswirl couldn’t hear him — he was just an image from the past. Nonetheless, he leaned in, and in a whisper, hissed, “Get up. You can’t give up. People are depending on you. You can’t give in. Even if this doesn’t work, you just find another way! Get up!”

Suddenly, the tower rocked, startling Starswirl out of his fugue. He stood up, looking out over the castle ground, and the residence beyond - Amber-red light flickered through the morning light, the city alight from siege and bombardment. His expression shifted to grim determination.

“Enough!” he shouted, bringing Luna and Twilight out of their conversation. Though he spoke not to them, nor Lero, but the madness outside. “If I cannot solve this, I will end it, one way or another!”

“Damn straight!” Lero couldn’t help but agree.

His telekinetic aura lit, reorganizing the entire lab, pulling several books out of the air to the table he’d settled before, ink and quills and parchment — and the infamous journal — landing before him.

“Wait, what’s he doing... Hey, I recognize those books!” Twilight said, scanning several as they passed. “Momentous Magicks For Mental Maladies, A Soul Distorted, Advanced Psychomancy… those are all books about mental illnesses and their cures — whether natural, chemically induced or… magically created.”

“Indeed… If one cannot reverse a spell, heal its effects,” Luna commented.

“But… you and Celestia are mixed up with one another, like the Swapped. If he did that to you, you’d…” her eyes widened in realization, “...become the mares I know now.”

Lero snapped his fingers. “I get it! Princess Luna… I think I finally understand what this is really all about!”

Luna furrowed her brows curiously at him. “Hmm?”

“What do you mean, Lero?” Twilight asked.

“Don’t you see?” Lero continued, excitedly gesticulating. “The reason Celestia and Luna are so intent on us researching the Swap and uncovering a cure is because they, themselves, have been swapped all along! And they desperately want to be cured of it!”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Cured…?” She tilted her head at Luna. “ ...Could it be…?”

“Of course! Think about it! After so many centuries living each other’s lives, after all the hundreds of thousands of miles walked in each other’s shoes… it’s clear that what these two are most desperate for is to be themselves again. Their true selves! They want us to find a cure for them so Celestia can finally go back to being a Moon Princess and Luna a Sun Princess!”

Luna’s shamefaced expression conflicted with Lero’s bright and self-satisfied look. “I’m so sorry, Lero. But you are completely mistaken.”

His face fell, confusion spreading over his features. “Huh?”

“Celestia and I are who we are now. The inversion you suggest to try to return us to our old selves…. would be a new swap for us, just as disastrous as the last, not a cure. Your task is not for you to fix past mistakes.”

“But… but… I mean, if you’d wanted to be your old selves all along, it would almost justify everything we’ve been put through! But to have us struggle so hard to create a cure that you’re not even going to use?!” Before she could give any response, an outburst distracted them.

“There! ‘Soul Synthesis’ is complete!” announced the wizard.

Twilight blinked. “That was… fast.”

Luna smiled. “I did say he was good. But fine-tuning a spell to solve a malady using established techniques on a known ailment is significantly easier than an experimental spell using magics never before attempted.”

“Tell me about it,” Twilight concurred.

“Uh, ladies? He’s leaving,” Lero noted.

“Just as well. Come, we must see what happens next outside.” Luna led them on, until they were outside the tower. Approaching Lunar forces were visible in the background.

“They’re moving to take the capital,” Twilight observed. Luna nodded, looking up. Twilight blinked, shading her eyes. “The Sun’s so bright…”

In fact, it was slowly growing steadily brighter.

“What’s going…?” Lero started, but before anyone could say anything further, the doors to the tower burst open and Starswirl sprinted out — only to stop dead in his tracks. The same aberration of light blinded him as he emerged from the darkened interior. All eyes, past and present, gazed up at the sky in wonder and horror.

The Sun.

The fiery disk hung massive in the sky, far closer than it ever should be. As they stared in confusion, they saw something they'd never imagined they would see.

The sun cracked.

Or, more accurately, unfolded. Ancient runes glowed along ancient seams, closed for time beyond memory; Slowly, the glowing surface pulled back and locked into place, revealing the core of ancient, magical fusion empowering the massive artifact — as well as the tines of magical golden metal meant to focus its power to a point.

The conclusion was inescapable: A weapon.

“This is insanity…” Starswirl muttered, before ducking his head down and charging towards the center of the castle, to the throne room.

The trio followed. “Luna, what’s happening!? What happened to the sun!?” Twilight sputtered.

“The Lunar Republic’s forces are close and strong enough to make Celestia feel threatened. She is deploying the sun to… smite them.”

“Smite them!? Excuse me, but since when was the sun a Doom Cannon!?” Lero interjected.

“It always has been. In addition to bringing light and life, the Sun was made to be the weapon of last resort to fend off threats to Equestria from… Elsewhere.”

“What kind of threat would need an Orbital Death Ray!?”

“...Lero, you of all people would understand the sort of horrors that await between worlds.”

“...” Lero had nothing to add to that.

“But… How does this make any sense?” Twilight asked. “Using it against Equestria… This seems like… overkill.”

“By several orders of magnitude, Twilight. It was never intended to be fired at Equestria. Hence Starswirl’s haste. My sister had become quite… unhinged by this point.”

As if to emphasize the point, they shifted into the throne room. Its decor was subtly altered; the once harmonious interplay of light and dark, gold and silver was entirely replaced by gilt, all darkness banished by large mirrors placed strategically to channel light from the outside.

And the centerpiece was Celestia herself, seated on her Solar throne. The Lunar throne was every bit as gone from the room as the Lunar princess was. Attired in armor not worn since the last Griffon war centuries ago, Celestia’s horn glowed with golden radiance as she channeled massive mystical power.

The doors to the throne room burst open, Starswirl barreling inside. “Princess Celestia, stop this madness at once!”

Her eyes opened. Rather than the kind, familiar purple eyes Twilight and Lero knew, the entire orbs glowed with a yellow light, as if the sun itself burned in her brain.

“Ah, Starswirl! Glad to have you here — I wished for an audience.” She smiled in a way that would terrify most. “And you are right: it is time to stop the madness of Luna’s rebellion against me!”

“By firing the Apollion cannons at them!? You’ll burn all of Equestria down to its molten foundations!”

Celestia frowned. It was a heart-freezing moment, seeing the expression on that face. “So what if I do? I am the Sun. I bring light and life, as much as fire and drought. If I must burn the world down and then remake it to stop this foolishness, then so be it!”

“You would kill your loyal followers and your friends!?”

There was a moment of silence. “Do you know what some of my own people have begun calling me, after I instituted martial law to protect them from those Lunar Republic subversives? The Tyrant Sun. I work to protect them, and they call me a tyrant.” She bared her teeth. “Of course, the rebels took it up. ‘Fight against the Tyrant Sun!’ All very inspirational, I’m sure.”

Anger seethed in her voice, restrained but audible, unlike anything anyone present had ever heard from her. “Then, if a tyrant is what they want, then they shall have it! You will have ETERNAL DAY! No evil shall have darkness to hide under again! No deviant will be unshamed! Peace and Order will reign — AT ALL COSTS!” She ended with a snarl, before settling down, to a whisper. “Even if it means ending them all.”

“Celestia.” The tone was undeniable: master to student. “I have served Equestria longer than you, before it truly existed. It was created to unite the ponies to live in peace. Your reign exists because they trusted you as a leader to guide them wisely... not to use and break them as if they were your playthings. Despite your power, Equestria is greater than you or your sister. I will not see it burned down over a conflict between you both. Please, stand down, let me help you find a way to end this — for the good of all.”

There was a pause. “And if I do not?”

“Then I will do as I have ever done: serve and protect Equestria from threats from without…” He looked firmly at her. “Or within.”

There was a long moment of silence, she closed her eyes, before. “So. You, too, my old friend, would betray me.”

“No. My actions are dependant on yours. You can only betray yourself.”

Her eyes flared open, leaning forward aggressively, baring her teeth. Her helmet obscured her eyebrows, making it impossible to tell if she was a vision of fury, or simply the gaze of madness, the anger revealing that the raw power she was channeling was causing her horn to crack and char, reddening as if molten, steam and heat distortion radiating off it.

“I am the sun! You would seek to alter my course across the sky! You will meet the same fate of all those who show such arrogance: You will be cast down in flames!” There was a blinding flash of light, as solar flames engulfed the spot at which he stood. As the fires relented, there was nothing but a scorch on the floor.

“But… That’s impossible!” exclaimed a stunned Twilight.

Celestia seemed to agree, looking about in confusion. “Starswirl!” she called. “Do not try to hide! I know the greatest unicorn mage in history would never be so easily felled!”

“Indeed,” came the response, as the mage strode out of one of the side quarters. “My body may be weakening, but my mind and magic are sharp as ever, student. Might I remind you, for all your power, you have yet to best me in a magic duel?”

“In sparring, yes, but now you face the true power of an Alicorn! Nothing held back!” The Princess unleashed a withering storm of bolts of burning fire… through which the Unicorn walked towards her, casually dodging every shot with what seemed only slight movements. To Celestia’s frustration, echoes of him were stuck down, before fading away in the never-were timelines they spawned from, Starswirl’s time magic letting him select the timeline where she missed every shot. However, at the moment he was about to reach her, she flared with the brightness of the sun. Starswirl cried out in pain, but his magical reflexes were too fast, and he vanished in a flash of teleportation before her attempt to strike him down with an armored hoof could succeed.

“You can’t escape!” She followed his astral trail, teleporting into — she looked around — the castle garden, and he wasn’t in sight. “Come out, Starswirl! Don’t think I won’t burn down this castle around us to get at you!”

“You just tried to crush my skull with your hoof. I have very little doubt as to what you are capable of,” Starswirl said, appearing across the garden from her.

“I am an Alicorn! Not just the magic of an Unicorn or the flight of a Pegasus! The strength of an Earth Pony is mine as well! I could crush your bones like twigs!” She blinked, her eyes narrowing as she peered at him. “Your eyes…”

His eyes were covered with the distinct black of a Light Protection spell. She glowered at him. “Contingency spell.” He smirked slightly. “Wizard lesson: always be ready for when your foes try to take your senses.”

“Then what about your mobility?” Sunlight surged about them, inundating the greenery with energy, the plants exploding with growth, entangling the wizard in a single smooth motion. She charged, lowering her head to spear him with her horn. With a flash, he cast a spell at the plants, making them swell and explode, slicking the ground with botanical ichor. Celestia’s hooves’ slipped on the slime, forcing her to raise her head and spread her wings to counterbalance. With a tiny telekinetic shove, Starswirl toppled the overbalanced Alicorn over, slamming her to the ground with a titanic crash due to her armor.

“I’ve always found balance more important.” He approached her, his horn glowing. “Now hold sti-” He was cut off by wings lashing out, buffeting him away, the princess leaping from the earth, taking to wing. She hovered over the stunned mage, and had just one thing to say:

“BURN.”

Bolts of fire rained down on the mage, singeing his trademarked beard and hat, before his magic made time and space warp about him. He leapt behind ancient rock faces that had long since eroded away, and then hopped up to structures yet to be built by some future aristocrat. The Sun Princess screamed in frustration as ancient and future structures flickered into the present just long enough to provide cover for and support of the mage, shattering beneath her wrath, but never long enough for a clear shot.

“ENOUGH!” With a cry of fury, a blinding blast of fire erupted from her horn, annihilating the pan-temporal structures before her. She flapped her wings, hanging in the air, panting in exertion. Silence, no movement — had she won?

“Do know the most important aspect of magic is?” whispered a familiar voice in her ear. Celestia whirled about, catching a glimpse of the mage standing on a cross-time ledge next to her before he cast a spell. Her weight instantly quadrupled as gravity’s grip on her increased; she flapped fruitlessly for a fraction of a second, knowing it was hopeless: she could not stay aloft.

“Timing,” the mage said. And she fell. She focused her power inwards, protecting herself. She crashed through the roof of her throne room, stone, metal and glass debris raining down around her as she smashed through, before finally impacting the ground, the marble cracking and giving way into a crater beneath her.

She struggled to move, finding herself unable to shift under the weight of herself and her armor… and floating down light as a feather, his cape billowing out as he floated down, Starswirl alit atop her, his singed hat jingling down after him, floating through the air, fluttering like a leaf before plopping perfectly down on his head.

“Man, he just can’t not show off even when he’s fighting Celestia, can he?” Lero snarked, rolling his eyes, only to be shushed by Twilight, who watched rapturously.

“Now to end this.” Magic focused at the tip of his horn, as he paced up toward Celestia’s head.

“No… You can’t beat me! I am the sun! I give light, life, and heat... and I can take it back!” Celestia rasped — and in a horrible sight, her magical aura inverted, light and heat being pulled from the room, until the only light left was that being emitted from Starswirl’s horn. With terrifying rapidity, ice coated the room, thickening with shocking speed. Starswirl struggled against the ice freezing about his very body.

“No,” he gasped, the cold rasping his lungs. “I will not fail Equestria…” his hooves froze against Celestia’s armor, his neck stretching out towards her head. “Or you…” he let out, before the ice cover his mouth, finding one final burst of movement — and the tip of his horn touched her forehead, the power flashing into her mind.

Celestia’s eyes widened as she gasped, the spell purging the mystical taint, soothing her agitated and artificial neurosis, and sealing the fractures of her soul. No longer was she Celestia of the Night, or Lumina of the Day. She was, finally, truly, Celestia of the Sun.

She blinked, seeing the world with new eyes — and they widened in horror. “Ohnoohnoohnoohno, Starswirl!” She burst free of her armor; her aura burned with light, this time tender and warming, melting the ice, and restoring the elderly stallion as he slumped against her. Her wings enfolded him, pressing him tight against her. “Please don’t die, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Outside, the brilliance of the Solar Cannon faded, as it closed, retreating into the sky, Celestia pressing her muzzle against Starswirl. Suddenly, the archmage gasped for air. “Praise the Maker! you’re alive!” And she pressed a grateful kiss against his lips. It was unclear if he was reciprocating, or too insensate to resist.

There was a long, awkward pause as it continued for several seconds. “Uh.” Lero started. “This is… sweet, and all. But why are we staying here?”

“Because…” Luna replied. “This… is where I come in.”

“Oh, how sweet,” came her voice — but now behind them, dripping with venom.

Celestia looked up. “Luna!”

* * *

Out of the corner of his eye, Lero watched Luna... his Luna... shrink, almost as if collapsing in upon herself as her past self strode forward onto the platform that once held her throne. Pain, shame, and horror etched her face as she watched her ancient self.

Celestia stood, stepping towards her sister, Starswirl slumping down to the floor as she did. “Not another step!” hissed the dark princess, and Celestia hesitated.

“Sister, please...” Celestia started before being interrupted.

“Did you really expect me to stand idly by while they all basked in your ‘precious light?’” She sneered the last part, giving a significant glance to the still retreating sun.

“Luna, this isn’t...” Celestia tried again before being cut off.

“There can only be one one Princess in Equestria!” Luna announced, stepping to the podium between thrones. “And that Princess…” she began, rearing up, “WILL BE ME!” She smashed her hooves down, shattering the podium, her eyes flashing with lunar light.

As all onlookers watched in horror, the impact traveled up the wall behind her, cracking and weakening it. A cloying, shadowy darkness that was unlike the absence of light that had just moments ago occupied the chamber flowed over it, the wall shattering, revealing the still retreating sun. Luna raised her hooves to the sky and took flight, and the moon answered, rising in the sky, overtaking its sibling, casting the room in shadow once again: a horrific return of the total solar eclipse.

In the alien shadows, the worst horror was yet to come. Luna landed, and the darkness whorled about her, as if alive. A brief expression of confusion and fear crossed her face before the darkness closed about her, spinning as an orb so fast that it glowed with a dull red incandescence before being fully engulfed in darkness — which seemed to collapse in upon Luna. With an alien howl, it erupted, revealing a transformed alicorn.

Her coat was now as black as night. She was attired in silver armor that mirrored Celestia’s fallen golden armor. Her eyes opened, and her pupils receded to slits. She began to laugh maniacally, her teeth sharpening horrifyingly to points, her wings spread, blue-black energy sprinkled with dotted light flowed from her, obscuring the room as the figure of darkest night was born.

Nightmare Moon.

Lero fell Twilight shrink back in…. Fear? Dismay? He wasn’t sure. He himself had been caught up in the moment, fascinated. He had not experienced the childhood horror stories or the fateful clash against Nightmare Moon as Twilight had. Nor was it a deep, shameful memory, tainted with grief and regret like it was for Luna. He had caught himself watching in deep fascination. While he was a masseur and handyman, he was also something of a historian. Thus, seeing history — however terrible — come to life like this was nothing short of riveting. What brought him out of it was... well, he would’ve sworn he saw Luna looking at him intently out of the corner of his eye, but when he turn to look, her gaze was elsewhere. So instead he hugged Twilight to him, and let this scene continue to unfold.

Nightmare Moon collected herself, and an icy black-purple lance of energy emitted from her horn. Her first act was to obliterate the statue of Celestia, the blast continuing on and tearing through the already damaged ceiling, causing rubble to smash to the ground. The dream audience flinched as it passed through them. She strode through the rubble, dust clearing as she strode towards Celestia.

“Luna! I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty to Equest...” But she was sharply cut off by Nightmare Moon.

“No! No more ‘Little Luna’ for you, Celestia! I am Nightmare Moon!” She glowered at Celestia. “And I have but one royal duty now!” She reared back, her horn charging with power. “To destroy you, Tyrant Sun!” Her beam of power lanced out at Celestia, who fled into the air.

“No! You can’t escape!” she hissed, leaping to flight after, continuing to fire cold, blue lances of energy after her sister, who desperately dodged each shot. Each effortlessly tore holes in the stonework, arches collapsing as their supports were blown away when Celestia dodged behind them.

“Luna, please!” Celestia begged. “Stand down! Do not let it come to this!”

“Do not call me that!” Nightmare Moon screeched, taking advantage of the opening Celestia left to speak with her, striking her in the chest. Celestia’s scream of pain tore at the hearts as much as the ears of her audience as she fell down to the throne room once again, Nightmare Moon’s taunting laughter following her down as it echoed about the courtyard.

“Celestia!” Twilight tore herself out of Lero’s arms, racing over to her fallen mentor, as an ominous crimson stain started to spread from her injury, marring her white coat. Twilight reached her side, only to find her intangible, the stuff of dreams. She recognized the absurdity of it, but couldn’t help but say, “Please, be okay.”

Nightmare Moon landed, walking over to the downed Celestia, who struggled to find her feet. “Now to end this.”

“Sister, no…” Celestia pleaded… though, oddly, it didn’t seem to be for herself.

It was that moment that Nightmare Moon noticed something missing.

“Wait, Where’s Starsw...”

Her question was interrupted by a mage teleporting on her back, tapping her on the head with a spell, and teleporting off before she collapsed, her eyes rolling up in her head...

“Wizard lesson: Never count a foe out until you confirm it yourself.” He stepped over to Celestia, casting a healing spell, starting to seal up her wound. “Are you alright, my Princess?”

She nodded, finding her feet. “Yes, now.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Twilight breathed. And then suddenly looked intensely embarrassed when she realized what she’d done.

“Do not feel poorly, Twilight. Emotions run strong in dreams,” Luna assured her, sounding strained herself.

She frowned, concerned, looking over at Nightmare Moon, thrashing as the spell glowed about her head. “Is she… alright? I don’t remember it being as rough for me…”

“I detected large amounts of Dark Magic in her… she’s been busy. It’ll take a lot more effort to undo all she’s done to herself, compared to you.”

Nightmare Moon finally righted herself. Her slit eyes returned to roundness, her fangs retreated. No longer was she Lumina of the Day, or Celestia of the Night. She was, finally, Luna of the Moon...

“Welcome back, sister,” Celestia said with a tearful smile.

“Celestia… Help…” Luna pleaded

“Celestia, get back!” Starswirl warned frantically.

...and was then swallowed by the nightmare of her own making.

An explosion of darkness knocked Celestia and Starswirl away.

“NO!” a furious Nightmare Moon bellowed. “You will not be rid of me that easily, Starswirl!” She wheeled about, recognizing her true threat, blasting her ice-cold energy at him... only for him to blink away.

“Remember our lessons, Luna,” echoed his voice through the chamber.

“Do not call me that!” She wheeled about, looking for him. “I am Nightmare Moon!” She spied Celestia, starting to aim at her instead... only for Starswirl to teleport in between them.

“A good mage can teleport himself,” he stated. Her only response was to fire at them both — only for both of them to vanish.

“Blast you!”

“A better mage can teleport others with him,” he continued, as if lecturing a particularly disruptive student.

“Come out!” bellowed the queen of the night.

“And the best mages…” With a flash of light, Nightmare Moon vanished, replaced by Starswirl and Celestia. “...can teleport others away.”

“Where is she?” Celestia asked.

“A couple miles outside of city limits. She can’t sneak back in past the wards now that she’s transformed, so she’ll most likely rally her forces into an all out attack. That means we don’t have to long to stop her.”

“What happened to her? It looked like the spell worked!”

“I’m not sure, I only saw it for a moment… an invading presence taking advantage of her corruption. I suspect it to be a fractured fragment of her own psyche forming its own mind; deep, subconscious jealous desires so amplified by darkness they could no longer be controlled… well, it could be that or dozens of other things.”

“Then we must use these.”

Celestia’s horn glowed, and a square of the throne room's floor slid back, revealing (after much mechanical grinding,) the hiding place of the Elements of Harmony, carefully posed in an orrery, the other five Elements rotating around the central Element of Magic. “My link is not as strong without her, but It is enough to use it at least once. We will purify her by simply blasting the corruption from her.”

“No,” Starswirl replied. “I saw it for but a moment, but I know that the nightmare’s hold on her is deep, as she placed the hooks there herself. While I have restored Luna’s mind, and the spell will seek to reinforce it, simply tearing the nightmare from her now would shred her fragile mind apart.”

“Then… What shall we do? I... I do not know if i could… end my sister, and she is too strong for us to hope to hold.”

Starswirl frowned, his brow furrowed in thought. “The spell will continue to work. It won’t stop trying to free her from the corruption until it succeeds. We just need to give it time.” He glanced out the damaged wall, into the garden, spying the statue “...Can you imprison her? Like Discord?”

“...Not exactly like him, but… she now has my former affinity to the moon. I could exile her to it. Bind her to it.” She looked down at him. “How long would it take?”

“To be absolutely sure? Given the corruption I observed…” Starswirl tilted his head, clearly making mental calculations. “A millennium.”

“...A thousand years!?”

“I’m sorry.”

“...Then we should get this started as soon as possible.” Stoically, the princess levitated the Elements to herself, striding out the door, followed by Starswirl. As she disappeared, the dreamwalkers heard her voice calling the guards to attend her, before fading entirely in the distance.

There was a long pause.

“...Princess?” Twilight looked over at Luna, who was still looking down.

“...May I ask a favor of you two?” the Moon Princess asked quietly.

“Yes…?” Lero asked hesitantly.

“May we please… skip this next part? It has little to do with the spell… and you know how it goes… and I would rather not… relive it, if I can avoid it.” Despite her best efforts, her voice had an audible quaver in it.

Twilight walked over to her, putting a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Of course, Princess.”

“Thank you,” the Princess of the Night responded. After a brief pause, she found a set of lavender arms around her, hugging her — and a few moments later, a pair of human arms joined them from her opposite side. She blinked, her eyes glimmering. “...Thank you both so much.” They stayed in that embrace for several moment, before Luna lifted her head. “We must go, there is more left to see.” They nodded and released her, and she stood, leading them through the dream.

Despite her reluctance, moments of history still flashed by; Celestia, staring mournfully into the sky, tears streaming down her cheeks as the Elements of Harmony fell to the ground around her, now lifeless stones. The sky filled with pegasus feathers, torn from warriors in battle, flittering through the air, caught on updrafts, slowly falling to the ground like a horrific rainbow snow. Thestrals were attacked and driven into hiding as Lunar loyalists before Celestia recovered from her shock and grief enough to realize what was going on and forbid it — too late, all of them dead or hidden beyond hope of finding.

The silence was broken by Twilight. “Princess Luna?”

“Yes?”

“This… doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t even come close to what I’ve read in history books. Not even the old obscure ones in the Canterlot archives,”

“From what I understand, my sister made… a concentrated effort to conceal the details of our actual conflict from both historical record and memory. Even magical attempts to scry this point in time will give an edited account of the events of that age. I believe our conflict was reduced to a single, bloodless fight rather than the protracted conflict it actually was.”

“Well… that explains how Celestia knows everything, even if she wasn’t there,” Lero reasoned. “But how do you know about it, Luna?”

“I saw them.” They finally stopped; it was a familiar room once again. Starswirl’s tower — but now, everything was put away, equipment stowed and locked, shoved to the side of the room, books in place on their shelves, even his once-crowded blackboard wiped clean. Dominating the room was… a single bed, Starswirl’s, with him resting in it, looking far older than any of them had seen before. Celestia sat beside it, one hoof resting gently on his. “...In her nightmares,” Luna finished, looking at Celestia.

“Is there anything I can get for you?” Celestia asked quietly. “Tea? Something to eat? Anything…”

“Water would be nice.” Starswirl’s voice, always rough, now almost creaked, the age obvious even there. In fact, the entire room seemed weighed down by age, as if a subtle pressure of time was bearing down.

“Of course.” She smiled at him softly, and fetched a cup telekinetically, dipping it in a nearby basin, then holding it to his lips, where he drank it down.

“Ah…” he said, when finished. “You are too kind to an old stallion.”

“Never…” Her hoof resumed its position atop his. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?” Pain and concern flashed across her face briefly.

“No. My time has come, Celestia,” he responded slowly.

“Oh no…” Twilight whispered, putting a hoof to her mouth.

“My age is great enough that not even my power can hold it back any longer. Even your power would give me but a few more decades… and I will not risk the kingdom again.”

“But a few more decades could…”

“Could what? Leave me with more aches and pains, more times when I forget what I was doing, or where I am? I’m mortal, Celestia. As much as I’d wish otherwise... time claims us all, even with my mastery over it.” He paused, looking up at her face, reaching up to stroke her cheek. “I’m sorry. I really made a mess of things, didn’t I? The most famous wizard in the entire history of Equestria, and the only one who shows up to his deathbed is the Princess… And not just because she’s the Princess… She’s the only one who is his friend… Mostly because of her dogged persistence.”

“That’s not true, Starswirl, Luna...”

“Is banished to the moon, because of me!” he shouted, only to have his outburst cut off by a fit of coughing. Celestia patted him gently until it subsided. He looked up at her. “And worse, I took her from you. The only person you could depend upon to be there… gone. For a thousand years. And getting her back depends on luck and chance, finding someone else who can wield the Elements…”

“It will happen. I was bonded with them, I know they’ll return when needed.”

“...You mean that. You know that.” She nodded to him.

“Thank you for putting at least one of this old stallion’s fears to rest.” He looked up at her. “You shouldn’t be alone. Promise me, you’ll find at least one pony to be close to. I know it’ll hurt when they leave, but no one should be alone, especially one who’s surrounded by so many ponies. Take an apprentice. By Tartarus, set it up like a school for gifted unicorns and pick the best if it’d otherwise look like favoritism. Something. Promise me?” He gazed up at her through rheumy eyes.

“Of course, Starswirl.” She leaned down, resting her cheek next to his. “You’re… on your deathbed, and you’re worried about me.”

“Of course. My worries will soon end. Yours won’t.” He let out a slow sigh, his breathing slowing. “I’m a fool. I wasted my life.”

“No, don’t say that. You’re the greatest wizard ever known. You put our understanding of magic forward uncountable years! You were vital to the creation and maintaining of our nation. And I daresay none will ever scoff at the idea of a stallion wizard again.”

Starswirl laughed at that, which erupted into another fit of coughs. He stared up at the ceiling. “Yes, but… There were so many other things that in retrospect, I should have done… Start a family, fall in love, make friends…” He looked back down to her. “Magic was so easy for me… and people… so hard. I never knew what to do, or say. Magic was simple, reliable, never made me feel nervous or stupid. So I shut others out or drove them off as much as I could… But you… and Luna… kept at it. Didn’t just keep me as your advisor, you made me your friend, whether I wanted it or not.” He closed his eyes, his breathing labored. “Thank you… for being… my friend, Celestia. I think… I finally… understood… what you were… trying to show me… That not all magic… is in books… or spells… Forgive this... stubborn old fool… for taking this long… to see it...”

With a slow hiss and rattle, he breathed no more.

Celestia leaned forward, looking down. “Of course, old friend,” she whispered, before pulling the sheet up over his head.

Then she wept.

* * *

The light of the dream faded until nothing was visible but the dreamers, huddled together in the darkness, silent for a long while, no words needed.

“That was… Wow.” Lero said, finally, as the silence approached awkwardness. “I came in this expecting more reasons to hate the guy, but… Damn.”

“So, now you know why Celestia worked so hard to keep this hidden. Not one, but two heads of state were held in magic-induced madness. And the spell still exists. In a way, we are both still under its influence. My sister feared that if the truth were known, not only would her government be destabilized, but that more wars might erupt between those who would seek to depose her and those who were loyal to her. Even if she attempted to peacefully step down from her throne, it still might incite a war.”

Twilight nodded soberly. “I understand.. Not that I’m… ungrateful, Luna, but… What was with showing us Starswirl’s… passing? Why show us something so heartwrenching? It… didn’t have much to do with the unfinished spell, did it?”

“Because sometimes answers are in subtleties… and because it is the best way to reach the final part of this dream.”

“Final part?” Twilight asked.

“She means me,” came a familiar voice. Lero and Twilight looked over, then performed a spontaneously synchronized double take. Starswirl the Bearded stood there, in his prime, as when they first saw him. Incredibly, Starswirl looked to be a solid, healthy, flesh-and-blood being; nothing about him was vaporous, translucent, or the least bit cadaverous.

“What... but how!?” Twilight sputtered out.

“What is death but an eternal sleep?” asked Luna, walking towards him. “As the Princess of Dreams, I can reach out to those who have passed. Whether it is truly the souls of the dead, or the impression of their minds left behind in the dreamscape, even I do not know. But I can bring them into dreams. Not often, and not easily, but it is within my power.” She smiled welcomingly. “Hello, again, Starswirl.”

“Hello, Luna. I’m glad you’re home and safe.” They leaned forward and pressed their necks gently together, rubbing gently against each other. “Forgive me,” he murmured, looking down at Luna’s cutie mark.

“I already did, long ago,” she replied, perking up. “Ah! Formal introductions! Twilight, Lero, this is Starswirl the Bearded, Archmage, Professor of the Arcane Arts, innovator in the fields of time magic, and former advisor and Court Mage to the Diarchy. Starswirl, this is Twilight Sparkle, Mage, Apprentice to Celestia, and the bearer of the Element of Magic. And this is Bellerophon Michaelides, refugee from another world, stallion to Twilight’s herd, and as I hear told, a skilled handyman and masseur.”

Starswirl raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, walking around Lero, looking at him from all sides, while Lero awkwardly positioned himself behind Twilight. “I recognize the form. He escaped from them, didn’t he?” Luna nodded in confirmation.

“I’m a human, sir,” Lero felt obliged to say, but Starswirl disregarded him.

“Centuries we spent, sniffing out their portals and freeholds! Whenever those serpents tried to slither their way in, we ponies always dealt with them speedily and sealed up their verminous burrows into our world!” the deceased archmage kvetched. “How were they able to reach us again? Has Celestia allowed the bindings to weaken?”

“Blame not Celestia; she performed the rituals as you specified, and all of the known portals are unbreached. I checked them all personally. Alas, I know not whence this one came from. I have been back less than two years, and have not yet enough time or power to research how such a breach was made, and am further hindered by the fact the area such a portal most likely originated is already awash with wild, uncontrolled magic. However, we can talk later, Starswirl. This is not why I summoned you.”

Starswirl nodded, turning to Twilight. “Yes, of course, this is all for your sake. Tell me, little pony, what are your magical accomplishments?”

Twilight’s startlement rapidly shifted to delight. “Oh! Well, first, I’d like to say what an honor it is...”

“Of course it is.” Starswirl interrupted curtly, causing Lero to scowl at him. Which was once again ignored. “But as Luna implied, our time together is far from infinite. I’m here to help you with a problem that has eluded both myself and the alicorn sisters, some of the most powerful and learned spellcasters in existence. So, please: your qualifications.”

“Now see here, you…” Lero started with a growl.

“Lero! Please.” Twilight looked up at him. “He’s right. Besides, I always wanted to see how I measured up to my idol!”

Lero let out an exasperated huff. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” When she smiled at him, Lero couldn’t help but return it. “Anyhow! Most Esteemed Archmage Starswirl the Bearded, Sir...”

“‘Starswirl’ will be fine.”

“Oh, right! Um, well, to start with, when I was a foal, I was reading even before I got into school, and when I was, I placed highest in reading comprehension, including in magical basics.”

“Hmmm. When I was young, I was apprenticed as a cooper, and during that time, I taught myself magic by trial, error, and whatever scrap of knowledge I could steal, con, copy, or cajole from the mares in charge.”

“Oh… I had read that you had difficulties but... Wow, you were teaching yourself magic by then…?”

“...Cooper?” Lero asked, his head suddenly filled with the image of a raccoon-striped bearded pony thief.

“Barrel-maker,” Twilight explained.

Starswirl cleared his throat, pulling her attention back. “Go on.”

“Oh, right. Uhm, then in my early adolescence, I got accepted into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I managed to hatch a dragon’s egg! And, uhm, accidentally turned my parents into potted plants and levitated the instructors in the air…”

“Hmmm. I think it was about that time that I had managed to win my independence and recognition as a mage by defeating the strongest unicorn mares of the time in wizard duels.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “I read about that... but as a foal!?”

“Yes. It might have borne more dramatic weight had I waited until a later age, but… I was impatient. And I really hated making those barrels! Also, it wasn’t that great of an accomplishment. There were only three of them. While they were all much stronger than me, their arrogance and self-assurance going against a self-taught stallion foal left some extremely wide and easy-to-exploit holes in their defenses. Remember: the strongest mage isn’t the one with the most power, but the one with the knowledge to apply his power most effectively.”

“Wizard lesson,” Luna broke in, smiling, and Starswirl favored her with a short smile back. His gaze shifted back to Twilight, his stern countenance returning.

“Er… Oh, in my first year, I’d memorized the entire spell catalogue in Canterlot front to back, and cast my first spell before the finals of the year, which no student had before!”

“I believe at roughly that age, I was creating many of those spells.”

Twilight started to wilt, as Lero reddened angrily at the mage. Starswirl, however, remained inscrutable, waiting for her to continue.

“Uhm… By my second year, I’d already learned advanced mental magics, including the ‘Want It, Need It’ spell…” she continued, enthusiasm flagging visibly.

“Hmmm. I believe roughly about then, I had invented an all-new branch of magic.”

“Yeah, time magic.” Twilight sighed, lowering her head. “Big fan, after all.”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Lero exclaimed. “Listen here, you rancid old goat…!”

“Lero, please!” She looked at him pleadingly.

“...Fine.”

She turned back towards Starswirl. “But there is still a topper on that… During my last year as Celestia’s apprentice in Canterlot, I became the Bearer of the Element of Magic, defeated Nightmare Moon, and helped return Princess Luna to her rightful throne. A year later, I defeated Discord with the help of my friends!”

There was a pause. “Hmmm. I do give you credit: those are all impressive deeds. As for myself; I personally trained countless apprentices. Including two alicorns. I helped found the nation of Equestria, supporting it through several conflicts. I discovered the Elements of Harmony, and orchestrated the downfall of Discord... but that was over centuries of life.” He paused again. “I think I’m beginning to understand what Celestia saw in you, young lady.”

“...Starswirl…” She managed to bite down on the ‘sir’ she’d been about to say. “This… everything you’re saying, right now… it’s not just to demean me, or edify yourself, was it?

There was a slight tinkle of bells as Starswirl’s head dipped in a nod.

“Then what is this line of inquiry about, really?”

"Isn't it obvious?"

"...Yes, I think so, but I'd rather be sure than suspect."

That finally rewarded her with a small smile. "Heh. Good girl. If it were about anything besides the crazy thoughts in my ancient spectral skull, I'd tell you to set up an experiment to confirm your hypothesis. But let me tell you this: if I know Celestia, she’d have already trained thousands of unicorns before you over the centuries between my death and whatever point in time this is.”

Twilight nodded in the affirmative.

“She’d have even taken several to be her personal apprentices. And since ‘there’s always a bigger fish,’ odds are some of them were stronger than you. Some were smarter. Some were braver. Some learned faster. Some crafted ingenious new spells you, yourself, would’ve never thought to create in a thousand years. Some might’ve even had a firmer grasp of the conflict of good versus evil. But..."

"But…?" Twilight prompted, after a few seconds.

"You are the first she trusted with my final spell. From what I've seen and heard here, your methodology involves reading, theorizing, and experimentation. I admire it — it's what I'd do. But the problem is — I did that already. And I failed. You've done amazing things — but I think the academic approach is the wrong path to go down. Don't try to outdo me. Figure out what's so unique about yourself that Celestia would have entrusted you to fix my greatest failure. Find your path. That's where the real solution lies, Twilight Sparkle."

“I… I think I understand. Thank you, Starswirl.”

He smiled as she gave a sincerely respectful bow. “However, as glad as I am to offer you my insight. I am here for your benefit. What questions would you ask of me?”

Twilight thought. “Well, first, what was your spell supposed to do? I mean, how will we be able to know when this spell is ‘properly’ finished?”

“What it will actually do isn’t clear. Magic this experimental is highly unpredictable. My intent was to harness the magic of harmony to empower the caster, using the Elements of Harmony to serve as focal points. How exactly such a thing would manifest... I have no clue.”

Lero cut in suddenly. “Can it think?”

Starswirl frowned. “Pardon me?”

“The Swap. Dealing with…”

But the human stopped short at the wry smirk on the archmage’s face.

“The Swap,” repeated Starswirl, as though it were a particularly comical pun. “What a… charming little nickname for my final spell. Did you come up with it yourself, sir?”

“Honestly? I can’t even remember at this point,” Lero admitted.

“Well, no matter. The Swap… yes, I think I like that term. Simple and apt. But I digress… you were saying?”

Lero took a breath. “Dealing with the Swap often feels like I’m grappling with a wily opponent. Is it a thinking entity? Or an unthinking force, like fire or the ocean?”

“Yes, it can think; in the context that all magic can.”

“...What!?” came the response from both Lero and Twilight.

“Magic is shaped by the will of the caster and the degree of power he or she invests in it. For any magic to obey a caster’s will, it needs to at least be smart enough to understand their intent. As a byproduct of this, all spells inherently imbue themselves with enough intelligence to do their job.”

“Wait, you said ‘to obey a caster’s will’… so are we to understand that you wanted this to happen!?” Lero accused.

“No,” Twilight interrupted. “That’s not how it works. It’s just that… in this case, Starswirl hadn’t found the proper way to ask the magic correctly. That’s a problem you often face with experimental magic. Established spells are well-worn grooves, the question and answer well-established. Experimental magic is forging a path in the wilderness, figuring out how to ask the right question to get the answer you want. Spellcrafting can be a very dangerous art, full of dead-ends, detours, and pitfalls.”

“Again, well done,” Starswirl replied.

Lero nodded. “Like your experiments... they’ve never quite done what we wanted, right?”

“Exactly,” Twilight confirmed, ruefully.

“Well, then… How big a factor is time?” Lero persisted.

“In what sense?” Starswirl responded.

“Are there long-term negative effects on the Swapped? If this spell’s intelligent, is it possible for it to change or evolve over time? Are we looking at a ticking clock?”

“As for its intelligence and capabilities, the ‘Swap,’...as you call it... would only do what it needs to maintain its effects. Ironically, it’d be you tinkering with it that’d make it expand and develop more than anything. As for detrimental effects… not really.”

“Nothing beyond the minor annoyance of the Swapped being ruinously bad at each other’s jobs, you mean,” said Lero, arms folded.

“Er, yes, but that goes without saying.” The archmage coughed. “These… ‘Swapped’ individuals… er… how many have been altered this time around?”

“Five,” said Twilight. “The other Element Bearers. My five best friends.”

“Five?” Starswirl the Bearded gave the unicorn mare a truly remorseful look. “Well, the five of them are having new memories conjured in their heads on a continuous, ongoing basis. Effectively, they’re slowly becoming new people. But it’d only be irreversible after they’d accumulated the same amount of life experience while swapped as they had unswapped. Doing naturally what the Soul Synthesis spell does instantly. So one could argue there’s a ‘ticking clock,’ as you put it, but it’s a rather generous one.”

“Well… That’s a relief. Sort of,” Lero replied. “So that gives us somewhere between two decades to a quarter-of-a-century, more or less.”

“Should we focus on trying to come up with good rhymes?” Twilight asked Starswirl. “Most advanced spells, including many of yours, rhyme.”

“But not all of them, yes? Rhymes are patterns, and magic tends to respond to patterns. However, not all magic need or wants rhyming. As I said, do what feels like the right thing to you.”

“Well…” Lero interjected. “You’ve had all your death to think back on this incident. Any solutions you could suggest?”

“No.”

Twilight frowned. “Haven’t you been watching our progress from the afterlife? ...At all?”

Starswirl let out a long, slow, exhale. “To be honest? I have no idea, one way or the other. I don’t recall anything after my death.”

“What?”

Luna interjected. “That is a quirk of this magic. In these Dream Worlds of mine, the souls of the dearly departed hold no remembrance of what lies beyond the veil of death. In fact, as I know I mentioned before, we cannot be certain if this truly is Starswirl’s spirit, or perhaps the Dream World’s ‘memory’ of him. I personally prefer the former…”

“...As do I…” Starswirl spoke.

“...but there’s no real way to be sure.” Luna looked sadly at Starswirl, but he just gave her another reassuring nuzzle.

“Well… That cuts off a lot of inquiries.” Lero sighed, suddenly looking deflated.

“Lero…?” Twilight asked, looking up at him, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh… No, it was silly.”

She nudged him insistently. “No, tell me.”

“Well… I kinda wanted to find out if ponies and humans end up at the same place when they died… and maybe ask if he’d heard from my grandparents.”

“I’m… I’m sorry, Lero.” She nuzzled him, and he shook his head.

“No time right now.” Twilight blinked at his response, and nodded, turning back to Starswirl.

“Uhm… Actually, I think I’ve exhausted my questions about the Swap. Though I got a feeling I’ll come up with thirty more I should’ve asked when I wake up from this,” Twilight said with a quick, bashful laugh. “But there is something else I want to ask, Starswirl; is there any favor, or any ‘unfinished earthly business’ you’d like us to perform on your behalf?”

“There were only two things that I truly regretted leaving unfinished, and…” He glanced at Luna. “You’ve already corrected one of them, and are hard at work at the other.”

“I have one last question.” Lero said firmly. “After everything that Celestia and Luna went through, why didn’t you just rip out that last page of your book, and burn that damn spell to ashes before you died?”

Twilight gasped at the thought of desecrating Starswirl’s work in such a way, but Starswirl’s reaction was different. His expression was… sympathetic?

“Your name is Lero, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“There were times that I was sorely tempted to do just that, Lero. But it was never my place. Princess Celestia forbade me from destroying that spell.”

“Why?” asked the befuddled human.

“For reasons of her own,” the wizard explained. “Reasons she never chose to share with me. At any rate, the magic belonged, ultimately, to Princess Celestia. After all she and her sister had suffered from it, I determined it was her place to decide its fate. If it helps, I am sorry.”

Lero stared at him for a long time. “Alright. Fair enough.”

After several more moments of silence passed between them, Luna cleared her throat. “I believe our time runs short. Starswirl, I must show these to back to their bed. I will be back as soon as I can afford the power.”

But the archmage took a long look at Twilight Sparkle, removing his hat.

“Before you bring them back, Luna, please let me do one thing first. Allow me to give this one a gift.”

And Starswirl the Bearded set his horn against Twilight Sparkle’s forehead.

“From soul to soul,
From heart to heart,
A scrap of wisdom
I now impart.
A special skill
You’ll get from me
Writ on your mind
Eternally.”

Blazing blue light shone from Starswirl’s horn. Twilight let out a pained wail.

“OW! OWWWW!! Sweet Celestia, that… OW, OW, OW, OW—WOW-OWWWWW!!!!”

“Twilight!” Starswirl the Bearded withdrew from her before Lero could knock the dead stallion away. “What did you do to her?!”

“He… he… I...” Twilight took a deep breath, her eyes widening. “I know Soul Synthesis now. I know it perfectly.”

“Perfectly?” repeated Lero.

“Any spell crafted by Starswirl the Bearded is a thing of power,” Princess Luna said, with deep pride. “Strong and built to last.”

“I figured the least I could do is offer you a last resort you can fall back on, if all else seems lost,” Starswirl explained, more humbly. “Should your five friends grow so unbalanced that they turn murderous… as poor Luna and Celestia had… let Soul Synthesis be your salvation.”

Twilight rubbed at her forehead. “Feels like you took a branding iron directly to my cerebral cortex. I bet I have scarring tissue in there. Owww… couldn’t you think of a less brutal way to teach a spell?”

“Well, yes, but we hardly have time for rote memorization,” said Starswirl, returning his hat to his head. “Luna, I believe there’s not much more I can do to help. Go ahead and return them to their beds. Best of luck to you! Oh, and Luna? When you come back, could you bring Celestia with you, perchance? It would warm my heart to see her again.”

She nodded at her beloved old teacher. “We will both be back if we are able.” She turned to the two dream-travellers. “This way, you two.” As they followed, the starry backdrop of the dreamworld closed, Starswirl disappearing behind them, stars forming stairs — or something like them as the definite sensation of descent flowed over them.

“That was… something,” Lero commented.

“I know. I so want to write it all up. But I know I’m not supposed to and won’t,” Twilight responded, shifting tracks when she earned a glance from Luna.

“If you feel it absolutely necessary, you can share the information with the others on the exemption list, if you trust in their ability to keep it secret.”

“So... definitely not my mother.” Twilight scowled.

“Or Discord,” Lero commented. “Not to disparage the… guy, but this is definitely not something he could keep under his hat, metaphorically or literally. Assuming he doesn’t know already, that is.”

“And… I’d rather not include Spike. Not that I don’t trust him, but I’d rather not burden him with… all this.”

“As you see fit. This is where our journey ends,” Luna replied.

Lero let out a small snort as he recognized that they were back in the expansive shower. With so much steam, the floor was effectively invisible.

“And I bid you a good night.” Luna moved to leave.

“Luna!” Twilight interrupted.

“Yes?” She turned to face Twilight — only to find herself in a hug.

“Thank you. For trusting us, and showing us all this. I know how hard it was for you.”

Luna froze up for a moment, before returning the embrace. “It was my pleasure. If… If you need help in the future, know you can call on my aid, not just my sister’s.”

Twilight smiled, releasing the embrace. “Of course. Good night, Princess Luna.”

“Good night, Luna,” Lero echoed.

“Good night, my little pony and my…” The Moon Princess paused. “Hah. Habit betrays me. Hard to call you ‘little’ when you can look me in the eye.”

“You know you can call me Lero.”

“Of course. Goodnight, my Lero, and sleep well.” With that, she vanished.

Twilight and Lero looked at each other, and shared a laugh before the infinite shower around them gently dissolved into normal dreams.

* * *

“How did it go?”

Luna hadn’t expected an audience upon her return to the waking world. Her eyes opened fully to the sight of her bedroom: its lazulite walls, its furniture and curtains colored to match the finest shades of eventide.

“Celestia,” she greeted her sister, rising from her bed. “You’re up late. Not convinced I could manage this?”

The Sun Princess sighed. “No, it’s not that. I just… want to know if I’m going to be getting an angry or upset letter from Twilight tomorrow… or ever again.”

The lights were low in her room, and Celestia had wiped her eyes dry, but Luna could still see how red and puffy her sister’s eyes were. How damp the handkerchief beside her was.

“Fear not, my sister, you still have your faithful student. She was shocked and saddened by what she saw, but I think nothing could shake her faith in you. Not even seeing you at your worst moment.”

Celestia let out a shaky breath, but managed a smile. “I am heartened to hear that. I feel downright… relieved… that someone else knows about how things used to be for us. Let us hope it provides Twilight with the information she needs.”

And she drew closer to her sister’s ear.

“You may not believe this, Luna, but to this day, there’s still a part of me that sorely misses how your mornings look,” she whispered. “Each day you raised the sun, our world knew true beauty. As much experience as I’ve gotten, I’ve never quite been able to replicate it.”

“Perhaps I ought to try it again, just for one day,” Luna whispered back. “Simply for old time’s sake.”

“I’ll make it your next birthday present,” Celestia promised.

The sisters drew away from whispering proximity, facing one another. “There is one other thing of significance,” Luna continued. “I took Twilight and Lero to see Starswirl’s spirit, and Starswirl ended up teaching Twilight the Soul Synthesis spell using Brainscribing.”

“Brainscribing?!” Celestia raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I didn’t know that he could do that, postmortem.”

“Neither did I, sister,” Luna admitted.

Celestia’s bright mane continued to ripple in the air as she went over to Luna’s window. “I wish Starswirl hadn’t done that. But perhaps it’s for the best. This whole experience has been absolutely brutal on poor Twilight. If nothing else, she now has an easy way out.”

“Indeed,” Luna joined her sister, both of them staring out at the pony cities and villages spread out below, across the land of Equestria. “But will she take it? That still remains to be seen.”

Author's Note

Hoo, wow. This was a trip. Hello, Divided Rainbow readers! I’m Rikmach, Mike’s editor and occasional idea man- which is how this all came about. I was busy as I usually am, editing Mike’s work, pointing out the occasional plot hole, and pitching suggestions on how to patch them, when I found myself putting together a surprisingly large backstory, linking together loose threads in DR and the show itself. Mike, as he is wont to do, said, “Hey, how about you write it?” I- possibly foolishly- agreed, and the last three chapters are a result- while I didn’t write the first half of the first one, all the broad strokes of plot were my idea. I’m eager to see how you all react and like my ideas here, and my takes on Luna, Celestia, and Starswirl. Lastly, I want to thank Mike, Spinel Stride, and TheQuietMan, who contributed much help in getting this done. I hope you guys like the trial scene, getting that written was like pulling teeth. From a shark’s mouth. While it was eating you.