Unexpected Ultimate Test

by Kalreas

Deciding Fact

The morning sun's rays of light broke through the window's glass, forcing itself onto the soft eyelids of the lavender, slumbering mare. The rays of light made the eyes behind the lids stress, waking the mare they belonged to. The light caused further troubles, as the mare had to turn her head away from the window.

Several minutes passed as the intensity of the light increased slowly, waking the mare further. Reaching up with her front hooves, she rubbed her eyes slowly and cautiously, as to not hurt them. Opening her eyes, she gained view of her bedroom, the room she spent every night after reading a book.

The pure peace that carefully took hold of the room was precious, no matter how many times she had seen it already. Silently breaking part of the blissful peace, she shuffled off of the bed, bringing her hooves to the relatively cold wooden floor.

She wanted to call out to Spike, to wake him from his still-deep slumber, but she decided to wait until she began breakfast, as he always did for her. Quietly, as to not disturb the adorable peace again, she stepped out of the room and down the stairs to the library floor.

Focusing her mind onto making a small breakfast for the both of them, making sure to make today special, she headed for the kitchen. She quickly made her favorite, a Dandelion sandwich, and made Spike his favorite pony food, as well as a gem or two as a treat.

Setting the table with her magic, as delicately as her slightly unstable mind would allow her. Once she finished arranging the dishes, she turned her attention to the stairs. By now, she was relatively awake enough to function properly, so she quietly headed up the stairs to her bedroom to get Spike awake.

Looking inside and seeing the baby dragon resting peacefully, despite the sun's rays landing softly on his scaled back. If anything, it was keeping him warmer, she rationalized in her head. Stepping over to the resting creature, she nuzzled her head against his.

"Spike," She spoke softly, as to not startle him to sleep. "it's time to wake up. I have gems in there waiting for you today." Speaking softly and slowly, she worked the baby drake to awaken, causing him to stretch and groan lazily. Taking a big sniff, he smelled the gems in the distance.

"Smells good." He said groggily yet happily. She gave a small giggle and headed back downstairs.

"Come on down when you're ready, sleepy-head."

Joining her moments later at the dinner table, Spike eagerly and happily ate his breakfast and his special treat from Princess Celestia. Supposedly, this gem was one of the tastiest to a dragon. She would have to ask for the name of it again.

She watched as Spike finished his meal, burping slightly. He proceeded to laugh it off a little, but then something started happening to him. At first, it was slight twitches, then it quickly progressed to a stomach ache. Only moments later, he looked up at Twilight.

"T-Twi-" He was interrupted by a letter from Princess Celestia forcing itself out from him. He fell unconscious, reasons unknown to the both of them, as Twilight frantically tried to wake him up. After running out of ideas, she opened the letter and read the contents, finding unexpectedly surprising information.

Dear Twilight Sparkle.

I'm terribly sorry about having to do this, but lately, my sister and I have decided on a course of action. I need to speak with you at once, I've already sent out a carriage to retrieve you and you alone. Once Spike gets this enchanted letter, as you can probably see, he will fall unconscious for a set amount of time.

I apologize for having to bring this matter up like this, at this hour, and so suddenly. For more information on the matter, you must come and speak to me and my sister personally. I have a test that you must pass, or the consequences will be dire.

- Princess Celestia

Arriving at the Canterlot castle, Twilight and her test equipment marched towards the throne room with a purpose. To see what in Equestria the Princesses wanted her to do this time, as well as to figure out what exactly was wrong with Spike.

Entering the throne room, she saw Princess Celestia sitting in the multiple shades of light cast from the suns rays on the stained glass window. Silently walking closer, she saw her in deep thought, staring blankly yet sadly at her crown.

"Princess.. Celestia? I-I'm here."

"Good. My sister and I have been expecting you for a while now." She turned her head to face the confused Unicorn mare. "I'm sorry about Spike, but he will be fine.. on.. one condition. I'll wait to reveal that until you've heard me out completely." She set the crown atop her head slowly and carefully.

Turning and facing Twilight, her apprentice, her pupil, she began to walk over. "About the test... I know you haven't expected this to come from me, but.. I'm getting too old, too weak. It's a difficulty for me to raise and lower the sun every day.

"I know I'm not giving much of the information you want, but I need to tell you the vital information first. I'm dying, Twilight. Much faster than I had ever hoped, or expected. Me and my sister, Luna, have discussed this several times during the times we meet, and we've come to a frightening conclusion.

"In order for me to leave this world happily, I need to pass my crown to one that is at least as powerful and as wise as myself. You, Twilight, have been selected as my choice, but in order for me to do this, within the Royal Law, you need to defeat me in combat."

Twilight stepped back, shocked and confused beyond comprehension at what she thought she just heard. "Wait, WHAT?!"

"I know, and there's a second part. In order for Spike to awaken, my heartbeat needs to stop. The spell I put on the scroll that was sent to him using that magically sealed gem was a Blood Pact spell. A type of magic that has been forbidden across Equestria for ages.

"I cannot express how sorry I am for bringing this unto you so suddenly, but you must understand. There is no other way. In order for me to pass down my crown, and my duties, you need to beat me in fair combat. Also, if you ever want Spike to awaken, you need to stop my heartbeat. If it ever starts again, he will fall unconscious again." She hardened her expression and walked towards her throne, leaving Twilight behind her near the now-closed doors. Celestia reached her throne, but stopped just before the first step, and turned around.

Twilight simply stared, unable to say anything or move. She wasn't prepared for this.

Frowning, Celestia spoke her last words before the conclusion of the fight.

"This must be done! The battle is to the strong."

She charged her horn slowly, giving time for the unicorn apprentice to make up her mind. Fully charged, she let out the bolt with no hesitation, sending it flying at high speeds to the small mare. Twilight used a quick teleportation spell to get out of the way just in time to look behind her and see the impact nearly destroy the wall.

Turning back around, she saw Celestia galloping towards her at full speed, relentless in her plans of attack. Twilight wanted to run, she wanted to stop this from happening. She needed to stop this from happening. She closed her eyes and wished.

The impact of the side of Celestia's head slamming into the side her her entire body made her eyes open wide, her lungs force all of the air out. Within a second, she was flying across the great hall, landing and skipping from time to time on the cold stone floor.

Finally, she slid to a stop, and had to wait for her body to regain its strength in order for her to just open her eyes. She saw her teacher once again galloping towards her at full speed, no intention of stopping. Straining, she tried to get to her hooves so she could dodge.

Trying with all of her might and focus, she dodged to the side just in time to avoid getting run through with a horn. Focusing harder, she charged her own magic bolt quickly and decisively, launching it after only a second of her dodge, causing Celestia to fly to her side uncontrollably.

"CELESTIA!" Twilight shouted, on the verge of tears from facing the cold, hard fact of what she had just done. Fighting the tears back, she started to walk towards the destination of where Celestia had landed. The dust and small rubble cleared enough for her to see through, but-

A sudden, large impact of four hooves landing on her back forced her to the ground instantaneously, knocking the breath out of her. Forced onto her side and unable to move, she looked up to see what was holding her in place, and saw the face of Princess Celestia.

She was covered in small cuts and bruises from her impact on the side of the stone wall, making her visage horrifying. Breathing heavily, she pointed her horn towards the chest of her pupil and started to move her head downward. The tip of her long, sharp horn made contact.

Using a soft lightning spell, she made the mare underneath her violently shake. Stopping so she wasn't to kill just yet, she drove her horn past the soft flesh covering the ribcage of the small unicorn underneath her. Twilight let out a groan of pain, that being all she could do from the relentless force.

Gathering her breath and screaming once more, she shot a bolt of magic onto the chest of the Princess holding her down, making her fly through the air once more. Twilight was on the offense, teleporting to behind where Celestia was going to land.

Once there, she waited for the half-second to pass before Celestia snapped her wings open, slowing her a surprising amount before she inevitably slammed against the wall again. Moving in-front of the Princess, Twilight began to charge a specific type of spell, one that improved the front leg's muscle strength.

Celestia, predicting what she was about to do, tried to cover the side of her body with her wings once more. Standing on her back legs, Twilight pummeled down onto Celestia's side relentlessly and swiftly, each strike lasting only a fraction of a second before returning to her body and striking back once more.

Celestia charged what she could of a fire spell and sent it to the exposed belly of the lavender unicorn apprentice, making her lose her breath and focus on her magic. Celestia pounced forward, trapping the mare underneath her once again.

Disabling both of their magic, she painfully clashed her horn against the unicorns' own. Grinding her teeth, she brought her left hoof up and struck Twilight in the face swiftly, making her snap further into the reality of what was going on.

Her instincts had made her do what she had done already, she was unable to control what she did then, but now it was certain in her conscience. Blocking all things out and closing her eyes, she used the fraction of a second she had when their horns weren't touching to send out a massive shock-wave.

Celestia landed gracefully on the floor a good distance away from where she was holding the mare down. She looked towards the lavender unicorn curiously for only a second before realizing what was happening. Her eyes widened at the sight, but only for a moment, as everything stopped.

Twilight's eyes widened with determination and unparallelled power, glowing a bright, radiant white. Her very heartbeat resembled thunder, even to Celestia's ears. Thump thump. Even simple steps alone made Celestia cringe in fear.

Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump.

Four steps in total, four heartbeats, all working in sync to create a terrifying sort of music. Celestia didn't even see the glow of her horn before Twilight was directly in-front of Celestia's face, gazing at her for only a moment before using her enhanced magical powers to bring her opponent down.

It wasn't any physical transformation, but it affected all of the body, including the mind.

Twilight proceeded to speak only one word.

"Unchained."

Flying backwards from the impact, and choking uncontrollably, unable to register what was happening, Celestia was being held in the air. Magical bolts of arcane slowly circled her body, immobile from the grasp on her legs, wings, neck and horn. Fear radiated through her entire being, escaping through her eyes as she struggled to gain clear sight on someone, something to help her regain her focus. One shocking, burning and forceful impact on her side caused her to scream as much as she could in pain, eyes roaming wildly. Another bolt of magic hit her other side, and another on the opposite. She couldn't count how many impacts her body had taken within less than the minute she was trapped in the air, immobile and unable to do anything to counter-act what was happening to her.

She was being overwhelmed in power, slowly strangled and beaten to death by the untamed, uncontrollable and unchained magic of her apprentice- no. Her gift. Her pride. Her thoughts were cut off as she was dropped suddenly from the air, left to limply fall to the floor.

No later did she land when a hoof stomped onto the base of her wing. She looked up, fear shooting freshly through her once more as she looked desperately into the white, radiant eyes of the lavender Element of Magic bearer holding her down.

Twilight raised her left hoof and touched the chin of her mentor, and all time around them seemed to stop. White feathers were scattered in the air, loosely and slowly falling to the ground around them. Her wings were shredded and bruised, her horn was cut nearly half-way off, and her entire body was covered in cuts and bruises.

Celestia was covered in more blood than Twilight, and the exhaustion and dizziness caught up with her. Her eyes closed, and her head softly fell to the floor, just as she saw magic light starting to form on the tip of Twilight's horn for the last time.

'Twilight, my dear, dear apprentice. You've learned so much from me, and gained such unimaginable power. If not for me, where would you be right now? Would you have the friends you have now? Would Equestria still be a safe place to live?

Putting such thoughts and questions aside, I wish to thank you for aiding me this way. I would never have been able to pass down my place on the throne to my sister, she has a hard enough time with her moon. But you.. you are everything I've wanted to be.

I never would have told you in person, but I've always admired you, Twilight Sparkle. You were the best part of my life, despite my having lived for hundreds of years before you. I thank you for every moment you've been here for me, every letter you've sent to me, and every lesson you taught me.

A soft smile came to her lips, and her eyes began to swell and let loose tears of sadness, happiness, madness and every other emotion.

A single bright light, piercing through the eyelids of the Princess, was the last thing she saw.

The first experimentation of using a single picture to create over a thousand words.
Let me know what you think.