Lies and Heartache
At Pony Plaza, the gang got together for merriment and joy at the tavern on this rainy day. Casual conversations took place, but most of all was the renewal of trust to their alicorn companions. Celestia discusses with Charles on business far more captivating than the usual slice of life the others had to offer. The bridge between worlds can be built by his theory. He reveals the blueprints of his design, and the crowd gathers to eye at his work. His shyness however makes him retreat a bit from the sights of the reviewers. Celestia however blocked him from retreating any further and said, “I need you to explain this to me.”
Charles nodded and gave a deep breath. Regaining his confidence, he goes to the paper. “See… over the years, I learned a lot about magic. I can’t say I harness a spec of it even myself, but I do know that magic is involved in the crossing between worlds. The portal way contains tons and tons of magic flowing, enough energy to ensure the infinite travel between worlds.”
“The Doorway to Equestria.” Harold titled.
“Precisely.” Charles agreed. “The rope are actually wires. Attached to these tough and resilient wires is a collection of devices that harness the energy of the portal. They also are the same device that keep the portal open using magnetic pulse to, in reverse, prevent the closing of the portal. Therefore, as long as the ropeway passes through the portal, you’ll have yourself a portal way back and forth.”
“Amazing!” Celestia exclaimed. “Your work is remarkable Charles! I cannot think of a single pony that can best this invention!”
Charles grinned slightly in embarrassment, scratching his head as he takes in the unforeseen compliments. “D-Don’t say all that Celestia! You’re making me blush!”
Julie turned to Alex with a wide smile asking, “Does that mean we can see every pony again!?”
“Sure looks like it.” Alex answered. “This will bring a lot of happy faces.”
“I can see Bonbon again.” Brin said in pure bliss.
“Wonder how Braeburn is doing?” Harold thought.
“I wonder how every pony is doing…” Celestia said to herself. Alex held her shoulder and comforted her. “I know that they’ll be thrilled to see you again, alive and healthy.”
Celestia smiled warmly and embraced Alex. Everyone started to make love teases at the two, laughing about. The two stopped their hugging and looked at each other’s eyes. The world became silent for the few seconds, as the most precious thing was before them. Celestia’s heart began to beat, feeling the perfect moment was now. Alex suddenly felt more than a simple connection to Celestia. For the second he looked at her, he instead felt a life line to her. Before anything more could happen, a door slams open, gathering the attention of everyone inside.
“Didn’t you see the sign at the entrance?” Harold groaned. “We’re closed.”
“Not the time Harold.” She hissed.
The voice threw everybody off. The shocked expressions left and the joyful times come to an end. A return of an old wound had entered the gates of the present, and the sorrowful reminder had come to relive the images to their heads once more. Alex remained smiling however, seeing his old friend once more.
“Aurabelle!” He said aloud in a gleeful greet. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming over? We could’ve made a better welcoming party than this!”
“…Aurabelle…?” Celestia repeated. She looked at Aurabelle’s eyes and saw hate and anger welling inside. The girl had an aura to her as well. It was strange, not like the humans she met before. However, at the same time it was… familiar.
“Why are you friends with her Alex?” She asked.
Alex stopped his smile to the strange question. His eyebrow is raised in confusion and he asks, “What are you talking about?”
“Why are you friends with HER?!” She shouted, scaring everyone a bit. She expresses her question further by pointing at the white mare with the moving mane. Alex turns to take a look and turn back to Aurabelle still confused.
“The usual thing. You know? Pony comes out of nowhere, take care of them, and see them happy before they go back home.”
“Are you that dense Alex?” She questioned angrily. “Do you not see the wings? The horn? The moving mane!? Are you that blind!?”
“Aurabelle…” Alex said sternly for the first time. His voice of playful banter and fun loving personality turned bitter. His eyes now were threatened and is now is pushed too far. Celestia watches the darker side of Alex take over. “This isn’t right. Just because she’s an alicorn doesn’t mean a thing. She’s different. Different from… what happened last time.”
“That history doesn’t matter Alex!” Aurabelle shouted. “She’s still what she is! A liar, a traitor, and none other than the sister of Nightmare Moon!”
The room became silent, and Celestia finds herself cornered. As if the labels didn’t hurt enough, she found herself stripped of her disguise. Her friends turn to her with the look of betrayal and sorrow. Julie was in deep conflict as well, but not as much as Alex. She soon finds her beloved now stepping back.
“You’re… you’re wrong!” He stuttered. “She’s a ruler… of a… small kingdom… That’s what she said…!”
“OH!” She sung in sarcasm to Celestia, walking to her with much threat. “So you played them that far, did you? The lie had to twist them up to thinking Equestria is made up of smaller kingdoms? Wow! And to think so MANY ponies loved their dear ruler for her benevolence!”
Celestia stepped back as she finds Aurabelle lifting her hand to her. Alex widened his eyes and pulled Aurabelle back by the shoulder. “Stop! You’re going too far!”
“It’s just a simple spell. She will do in her power to block it, and we’ll have our answer.” Aurabelle told Alex.
Turning back to Celestia, her hand glowed. Finding herself cornered, Celestia uses her magic to create a barrier. The spark goes off from Aurabelle’s hand and makes its way to Celestia. When the blast and the shield connects, nothing happens. Celestia slowly opens her eyes, and finds Aurabelle satisfied. Confused of this event, she turns to see her friends, now having their mouths agape from the sight. She turns to see them going away from her. Most of all however, Alex has that look of despair. Celestia turns and is bewildered by what was going on, so she pleads for an explanation.
“W-Why are you looking at me as if I did something wrong?”
“That spell is a special one.” Aurabelle explained. “It’s actually quite harmless. It cannot be blocked however.”
“I… I still don’t quite understand.” Celestia replied. “If it cannot be defended against, how was I able to?”
“Because the only one who can stop it is the sister of Nightmare Moon!” She announces. Celestia steps back and realizes what had happened. She had provided the proof Aurabelle needed to conclude on her theory. And now, they all know.
“You… lied to us…” Charles spoke.
“Celestia… How could you…?” Brin whimpered in near tears.
“Celestia…?” Julie called out.
Harold remained silent. He walked over to his bar and took out a bottle. He chugged it down and never batted an eye to the mare afterwards. She turns and see the world crumbling. Everything built falls before her. Her friends are close to fleeing, but the worst of it is the change in Alex. His face never changes from that despair. Still stunned by everything, but he was the most hurt. Suddenly, he runs out of the bar. Celestia quickly runs after him, leaving the others behind.
“Alex! Wait!” Celestia called out.
Alex kept running and running. He was holding his chest tightly as he wandered the stormy day. Looking back in the days of getting to know Celestia had rushed back to him faster than light. His memories of Celestia of her being her, now seemed nothing but a lie. The dishonesty didn’t hurt when she spied on him or had her suspicions of him. It didn’t matter that she was an alicorn, the species that killed his sister. What did matter was who she really is.
The sister of Nightmare Moon was his enemy.
He ran to his truck, and started up the engine. Turning on immediately, he drives away. Celestia just makes it in time and was about to stop him. Just as she attempts to, a wall appears. She turns to see Aurabelle aiming her hand to Celestia. The rain drizzles down and the two, and the conflict continues further. Celestia grits her teeth as Aurabelle now puts on a face of an emotionless soldier.
“You’ve hurt him enough Celestia. It’s time to leave him alone.”
“Why… Why are you doing this to me!?” She questioned, nearing rage.
“Why did YOU have to send your own sister to the moon!? You monster!!” She yelled.
A pause took place as Celestia’s eyes shrunk at what Aurabelle just said. Her eyes were gleem of hate, but sorrow. Her fists shakes in furious rage, but her legs shivered in sadness. Tears begin to shed as she says, “If… You’re here… Nightmare Moon is dead, isn’t she…!?”
“Why… would you want her to be… Alive…?” Celestia wondered, believing everyone wanted her dead.
“So you did kill her!!” Aurabelle yelled as she launched a fist of stone to her stomach. Celestia groaned as she was slammed to the stone wall that was made earlier. Celestia had easily given up the fight, and stayed on the ground. Being deep in distrust, hatred, and heartache had left her unable to continue the struggle. Aurabelle walked up to her, looming at the body saying, “Nightmare Moon told me she was destined to fight you. The fact that it was over a kingdom was pitiful, but Rochelle and Alex loved her regardless. They shared many things, and even in death of Rochelle, Alex still wanted her to succeed. Though he couldn’t bear to face Nightmare for the reminder of his sister’s death, he still wanted her to live. I wanted the same for Alex’s sake.”
Walking away, she begins to cry. “Finding you alive is the worst thing that could happen Celestia. Finding the sister of Nightmare Moon is the worst thing to find out! You’re alive… and she’s dead… As much as I want to end you here… I’m not going to stoop to your level…”
Celestia looks up a bit and tries her best to inform Aurabelle of the massive misunderstanding, but her weak voice could not reach her.
“She’s… not dead… I wouldn’t dare do such a thing… Luna’s alive…! You have to believe me…!”
Although Aurabelle couldn’t hear her, Julie did. She pulls out her phone and calls her brother. A tone of ringing echoes, and the line picks up.
“Stop him.” Julie spoke.
Alex drives down the wet road, still shedding tears. Wiping them off every now and then, he focuses on going home, locking the doors, and keeping himself holed up. His plan to be alone took over his mind. The others may not understand, and he’d rather have it that way. He doesn’t want to think about it ever again.
Just as he drives further down, another car gets in his way. The car swishes in the wet ground and blocks the way. Alex widens his eyes and steps on the brakes. The slipping of the car shows how useless his efforts are as his truck hits the side of the other. He steps out and sees Charles standing there, waiting for him. Alex holds his head and looks to see Charles cutting across the grass to act as a road block to Alex. He grinds his teeth as he walks over to Charles, preparing a long lecture.
“What are you doing Charles!?” He complained. “You could have gotten yourself killed! You could be thrown in jail right now too!”
Charles interrupted Alex by holding him by the collar of the shirt and throwing a punch to Alex’s face. He shoves him to the ground and yells, “What are you doing!? You stupid idiot!”
“What are you doing!?” Alex yells back, only to receive another punch.
“What was that face you made back there Alex!?” Charles questioned.
“What!? I was the same as all of you! Shocked and confused!”
Another punch strikes across his cheek.
“Don’t lie! You’re just as bad as Celestia!” He lectured back. “That face… I remember it when Rochelle died! You never made anything like that until today! What do you know about Nightmare Moon and her sister!?”
“That her sister and Nightmare were gonna fight!” Alex shouted. “Nightmare said… only one of them will rule the kingdom… and that the loser was gonna…”
“How long…” Charles asked. “Did you hide this from us…?”
Silence was all Alex could give back. Charles saw the clues though, and began to piece it together.
“Is that why Nightmare Moon’s documents are always missing? Is that why you never talk about Nightmare? You’ve been hiding your friendship with her, even after what she did to Rochelle? Why would you want anything good to happen to that mare!?”
“Because all she wanted to do was protect me!” He shouted. “Rochelle… didn’t die because Nightmare attacked her. Nightmare protected me from Rochelle…”
“…What…?” Charles stuttered.
“Rochelle and Nightmare didn’t get attention… they didn’t receive the love they desired… They understood each other, and became the best of friends. But when Nightmare… fell in love with me, Rochelle got jealous of how I stole the attention. The ponies, the people… it wasn’t long before the curse of Nightmare brushed off on Rochelle. She became corrupted, and tried to kill me. She pulled a knife from the kitchen and tried to end me. I couldn’t do anything because I loved her too much. Nightmare’s love for me stood out more than her friendship with Rochelle, and she took the shot. But Nightmare wasn’t thinking straight when she was defending me, so she overdid it and got Rochelle to the point where she couldn’t recover.”
“So what we saw when we came over to see you and Nightmare…”
“You came at a bad time… and assumed Nightmare killed Rochelle out of nowhere…”
Charles, not only lied to by one, but by two people. His best friend kept the truth hidden for such a long time. He threw another punch and yelled, “Why didn’t you tell us!? Why’d you let us think that way of Nightmare!? You’re just as bad as Celestia! How could you!?!”
“Because you’d think bad of Rochelle… wouldn’t you…?”
Charles stopped and finally understood. Alex laid in silence as Charles finally stopped his rampage. He sat against his car and sighed. The two stayed in the rain for a while, letting things sink in.
“You are worse than Celestia.” Charles corrected himself. “You lied to your closest friends for years… You two belong together.”
“I don’t love her.” Alex stated.
“Shut up liar.” He demanded. “Lying to yourself is getting everyone in a worse of a mess than last time. I tired of your dumb excuses. Now go to her. Aurabelle beat her in pretty bad.”
Alex still laid in the road, not moving an inch. Charles sighs and gets up, going to his car. He turns on the engine, and before leaving, he says to Alex, “I guess you don’t want to hear how Luna is doing.”
Alex gets up and looks to Charles. “Luna!? What about Luna!?”
Charles wheels screech on the road and drives off. Alex is left alone on the road, only seeing himself and his car. He looks up and thinks long and hard about what he should do. The rain washes some of the blood from his bruises and cleans his face a bit. He looks at the mirror of his car and finds the bumps not too bad. Charles his really bad at punching apparently, no matter how far he pulled that fist. Going back into his car, he sits down and gets ready to go.
The rain pours down around the fallen mare. She stays in place, letting the end sink in. To never see Alex’s smile again pained her. What did she do that makes it so awful? The secrets are still being kept from her, but she herself has been holding back on the truth as well. If she was honest from the start, maybe things wouldn’t turn out this way. All Celestia could think about was what she could have done. The injury she received was minor compared to how much her heart hurts. She simply laid on the ground, waiting for something to happen. Perhaps she could go back and forget about everything…
But she still wanted to be with him.
She chuckles at herself, crying at her greatest defeat. “I truly am a hopeless mare… I can’t seem to do anything right…”
Just as she said that, she looks up and sees Alex. He comes to her level and picks her up. The two make their way to the truck and head back home. The two find their other beaten and bruised in punishment for something. The heavy weights they had just let go of showed a new person. It was time to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth. The lies end here, and the heartache must be healed.