//------------------------------// // To Repair the Broken // Story: Apparent Trilogy // by PioneerofImagination //------------------------------// Forest awoke once again finding himself in the bed within the hospital wing of Canterlot castle with several guards once again around said bed guarding him, Forest even though they were the same guards. "Oh hey he's awake." one of the said guards said after seeing Forest get up. "Oh that's good I was worried he'd take as long as last time to wake up." another guard answered, confirming Forest's theory. Just like last time a guard went to inform Princess Celestia who went to see how he was, but this time by herself. "Forest, are you feeling better?" Princess Celestia asked. "Yeah. I feel aches all over, but it's not too bad." "Do you remember anything about yourself?" "Yes, actually I remember everything about myself." "Really? Well I'd love to hear, trust me I'm a really good listener." "It all kind of came to me as I was sleeping like the memories were dreams of memories but it was still clear to me. I was built in a timeline different from this one. I was built by Star Swirl the Bearded to be some sort of guardian or was it protector?" "Those are kind of the same things." "Yeah good point, one or two of the details are still a little screwy. So anyway, even though I was built for that I looked down on ponies and I planned to rule over them, but Star Swirl stopped me. Centuries later I found a way to get my power back but I was stopped once again, this time the source of my power being destroyed. The timeline I tampered with was going back to normal but I was blasted before the timeline reworked itself, and I think that's how I ended up here." "I see. So you weren't exactly doing what you were made to do." "No," Forest answered as he grabbed the sheet of his bed a little. Seeing that Celestia placed her hoof on top of his to help calm him down, which did exactly that so he continued. "I didn't like the creature I was before. I don't know if it's because getting blasted here sets me straight like when you hit a machine and it starts working, or if spending time with ponies when I was Forest and forgot who I used to be helped me see things differently." "I suppose it doesn't matter all that much as long as you turned over a new leaf." "Yeah, but maybe it was you that helped me change." "Me?" Celestia said, surprised. "When I first got knocked into this timeline you found me and took me in as a student. Even though you literally had no idea who I was, you cared for me like a mother, I was a rather silent pony but I couldn't hold back my tears when I learned you died." "Yes I think you may have mentioned that before, how did I die exactly again?" "Twilight killed you," Forest answered. "I didn't see it but got told about it, you tried to get her to see reason but she was so consumed with hate that nothing you said or did worked. In the end Twilight killed you but doing so took all of her strength and she died as well." After Forest finished answering there was a moment of silence as Celestia didn't quite know how to respond. "Wow, just wow." "Yeah after that, well long story short things got worse but it somehow unlocked the power I had when my source was back and I was flung back in time. So now I have a chance to make things right but I don't think I can do it again." "I see, this is quite a bit to take in. But perhaps it can help me when Twilight wakes up." "Just be careful I don't want to lose you again, mom." After saying that there was another pause as once again Celestia didn't know how to respond. "Was that a bit much?" "Yes a bit." "Sorry." "It's all right, well thank you for sharing all this and nice work on helping us get Twilight back and putting Discord in stone. In all honesty we brought the elements to help Twilight remember if she needed an extra push, I had no idea you could help the others use them." "I didn't know at first either perhaps it was because of my connection with magical objects or perhaps it's because I know how important the friendship Twilight shares with those five is, and that it must not be broken like before. Or I guess after? As for helping Twilight that was simple in the future, Discord filled her heart and mind with hate so I took the precious memories that future you put in the sphere and put it into her head." "Yes you already told me that, you figured it would cancel out what Discord did to Twilight. Speaking of which, maybe it's time I checked on Twilight. Why don't you get some more rest, I have a feeling you're going to need it." "I have a feeling I'm going to need it as well." Forest said as he laid back down as Celestia made her way over to Twilight's bed which was literally surrounded by royal guards all standing in a circle around the bed. Several of whom parted the way when the princess approached the bed as well as the doctor looking over her daughter. "How is she?" "Her condition seems to be stable but there are quite a few uncertain elements. She needs rest above all else. Princess with all due respect, I said I would tell you when she woke up the same as the other pony." "I know I just wanted to check up on her since I was already here." Celestia said as she gently stroked Twilight's mane making sure it wasn't hard enough to wake her and followed with a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well Twilight. Sleep well, my daughter." "By the way Princess Celestia, do you think you can send a few of these guards somewhere else? It's kind of hard to work with them around?" The doctor asked. "I'm sorry but no," Celestia replied right away. "I lost her once, I will not lose her again." Celestia would then return to her royal chambers for a nap thinking she was going to need rest as well. *** West of the Canterlot there was an area known as the Undiscovered West, a place untouched by ponies. There was vast forest there as well as several mountains, one of which was where Discord and the changelings along with Twilight called home for nearly an entire year. There the changelings were attacked out of nowhere by a small yet effective group of ponies pushing their forces back and even somehow turning Discord into stone. "How can this be!?" Chrysalis said completely frustrated while she looked over at the statue that used to be her chaotic partner in crime while several changelings surrounded it. "Is he gonna be okay, Pharynx?" "How should I know Thorax I've never been turned into stone?" "I imagine it's quite uncomfortable," Thorax said. "Oh trust me it is," Discord said, surprising not only the changelings, including Chrysalis. Discord was then freed from the stone prison and the chunks of stone that surrounded him scattered everywhere, hitting a couple changelings in the process. "Discord," Chrysalis said in relief as she flew over to him. "You were able to free yourself, how?" "To be honest I'm not exactly sure of it myself," he answered. "That one pony who was holding the Element of Magic was weird." "Coming from him that's got to be saying quite a lot." Pharynx whispered to his brother. "Yeah." Thorax agreed. "Perhaps while he was able to get the elements to work it was only the bare minimum of their overall power." "Bare minimum?" Thorax asked. "Yes, the last time the elements were used on me by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna I was trapped in my uncomfortable stone prison for a thousand years. But when that guy and Twilight's friends did it I got out in no time at all." "I don't care about the details," Chrysalis said. "Now that you're free you'll be able to help us launch an attack." "Yes, but first we need to get Twilight back." "What?" Chrysalis asked in shock. "You can't possibly be serious. You saw what happened to her. She looked like her brain was scrambled. What use can she be to us now?" "She's the key to all of this." "She's a broken tool, we should use other more effective methods of taking over Equestria." "Like what?" "You talked about collecting others that also wish to rule as a backup plan. Perhaps it's time we sought them out." "Honestly I just thought that would be something to help in the last push or so, between you and me and all the other changelings listening I don't really like getting my claw and paw dirty." "Well I don't mind one bit getting my hooves dirty." Chrysalis replied who would soon gather a group of changelings to help her get the backup she was talking about. "Chrysalis I want to make the ponies as miserable as you do, that's the whole reason why I brought this little alliance of ours together. But Twilight is the key and we need to get her back first." "You already told me that and I already told you that she's a broken tool. That's all she ever was to us, a tool. Honestly, what do you care? You act as if she was a comrade to us as well." Chrysalis then left Discord to wonder why indeed he cared so much for Twilight. *** Back at the castle Twilight had woken up and the very instant Celestia was told about it, she teleported to the bed and ordered the guards away to speak to her daughter in private. "Twilight," Celestia whispered to her while she was awake she was still coming to her senses. "Twilight, can you hear me?" She whispered again. "Celestia?" "Yes it's me Celestia, m-mother's here," Celestia answered with a tear in her eye. When suddenly Twilight jumped right on Celestia forcing her to the ground to her shock and surprise. "You left me to rot in the dungeon!" Twilight then hit Celestia several times and would have continued but then the memories Forest put in her head earlier came back making her remember all the great times she had with Celestia. While not as much as before it still overwhelmed her causing her to fall down. "I know, that was wrong." Celestia said as she got up then went over to Twilight to pick her up as well as pull her into a hug. "No!" Twilight said when Celestia hugged her as she started slapping her to try and make her let go. But that just made Celestia hug Twilight tighter. "I know, that was wrong," Celestia repeated. "I don't blame you one bit. But please understand I was in an impossible situation. I care for you greatly but I also feel the same about Cadence. No matter what I could do I was going to let down one of you." "So you took the easy way out and screwed me over like you always did! You were a horrible mother and a worse princess!" Celestia wanted to say something to defend herself but couldn't. So for a moment or two she continued to embrace Twilight as she continued to struggle but quickly stopped and broke out into tears. "Come on Twilight, let's get you out of here." Celestia then picked her up and brought Twilight to her royal chambers to get more rest. After Twilight fell asleep Celestia left the chambers and made her way to the kitchen where she ran into Twilight's friends as well as Forest. They asked how Twilight was doing and Celestia explained what had happened. "She attacked you?!" Rainbow Dash said shocked as the others were. "You aren't going to lock her in the dungeon again are you?" After that the others even Forest stared at Rainbow quite mad at her for saying what she said. "Oh come on, I wasn't the only one thinking it." "Be that as it may," Applejack said. "Maybe we should do that." "WHAT!" The others said. "If she attacked Princess Celestia who knows what else she'll do, she's dangerous." "But she's still your friend," Forest said, this time the one that got the other's attention. "Please, you've all been given a chance to set things right. I may not have seen it with my own eyes, but I've seen how selfish actions can destroy even the strongest bonds." "But even if we do screw up again you can just go back in time," Pinkie said. "No," Forest replied. "I don't think I can. I'm pretty sure that was the only time I can do that. So that means it's up to all of us to set things right and protect the ponies we care about." "Forest is right," Princess Celestia said as she was looking through the kitchen and finally found a cake making Pinkie jump from just the smell. "I lost Twilight once, I'm not going to lose her again." "Hey Princess-" "No Pinkie, this cake is for Twilight. I'm also having Shining Armor and Cadence coming here to help me help Twilight." Celestia then made her way back to the royal chambers and saw Twilight in her bed looking rather peaceful. "Twilight, are you asleep yet?" She didn't respond but Celestia could tell she was still awake. "Twilight if any good came from this it made me realize how much I should have appreciated all that you did. And all your little things you did that I missed your letters, your visits, that glow in your smile when you saw how proud of you I was," Celestia had to stop herself as she started to tear up a bit. "Please forgive me Twilight, though honestly I don't blame you if you didn't, I probably can't forgive myself. But please know I am truly sorry and I'll do anything to make it up to you, even if it takes the rest of my life." Twilight didn't respond so Celestia then started to make her way out of the royal chambers with more tears in her eyes. "Just leave the cake by the bed," Twilight replied, making Celestia turn around. She saw that Twilight had rolled over so she could face Celestia who with a bit of warmth in her heart placed the cake on a table by the bed and gently kissed Twilight on the head. "I love you Twilight." Celestia whispered. "I love you too, mommy." Twilight answered as she cried a bit as well. Celestia then fluffed the pillows a bit for her and placed another blanket over Twilight before she made her way out of the chambers. Once again determined to face any challenge she would have to in order to protect her daughter.