An Equestrian Freedom

by FullMetalFurbee

Chapter 22

After they deposited Cian and Neeson, the returning leg of the journey was silent. Twilight's back throbbed, but Cadance graciously cast a long-lasting numbing spell on her during their brief interaction back at the infirmary. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow dash wished her the best of luck, and told her to stay safe.

Salvator insisted on leaving the site immediately and dragged Twilight along with him. He thumbed through Celestia's ancient tome of black magic as they traversed the mountain path. He read it intensely to himself as they passed onto the castle's grounds again. Looking around, Twilight could see that a few soldiers from both sides had already woken up and had gone about trying to resurrect their brethren. Snow continued to fall. The threat of freezing was near.

“Salvator, shouldn't we help these poor warriors?” Twilight asked. Many of the grounded troops moaned for assistance. Ponies, gryphons, dragons, buffalo, all of them. The wounded and thirsty alike all pleaded for help.

“Celestia first. I'll help them as soon as I can,” said Salvator.

“You're being selfish again. Why don't you get your nose out of that stupid book and help the wounded? Just because they're not on your side doesn't mean you have to let them bleed out and freeze. My brother is out here too. I should look for him.”

Salvator just kept walking. “It's not that I don't care about 'em all. Don't make dumb assumptions like that. The fact of the matter is that if we don't act now, we'll never get another chance. We may have already wasted too much time.”

Twilight sighed sharply. “What are you talking about?”

“Celestia is waitin' for us in there. So is Luna. They obviously know we're coming. The more time we give them to prepare, the less chance we have of succeeding.”

“You mean the less chance you have of succeeding. Besides, I thought Luna wasn't going to attack you.”

“She certainly ain't gonna attack Celestia, either. Can ya please just stop badgerin' me? Just this once? All you've been this whole time is a fly buzzin' around my ear. I'll say it again: my actions are independent of your wants and desires. This is my battle, not yours. If ya wanna talk to Celestia, run. Go. Get there before I do. That way you can squeeze some answers out of her before I kill her.”

Twilight snarled and quickened her pace. “You know what, I will. I don't get you, King Salvator. You keep pretending like you're just misunderstood and the whole world has forsaken you. You keep acting like there's this 'little shred of goodness' in your heart, or some stupid sentiment like that. Do you want others to pity you or not? Make up your mind. Quit lying to yourself, and quit lying to everyone around you. You're just a manipulative brat who doesn't care about anyone but himself.”

Salvator narrowed his eyes. “Get off your freakin' pedestal you stupid kid. You're in no position to judge me. I don't have to take all this criticism from little miss oh-so-perfect. It's the self-righteous pricks like you and Celestia who give other ponies reason to turn into murderers and anarchists. I don't know why I saved ya. You're just as selfish as I am, but you're so busy blowin' yourself that ya can't see it. Everything is always 'poor me' and 'my life is so hard.' Ya can't even squander one brain cell to consider what others are goin' through. Do ya miss your friend Fluttershy? Well I bet her parents are gonna miss their daughter even more. Are ya worried about your missin' brother? Well I'm worried about what I'm gonna tell all the wives of my soldiers when their husbands don't come home. Until ya learn that you're not the only one with feelin's and problems, you're gonna be miserable. I feel sorry for the sap that gets caught in your web of self-absorbed melodrama. Just, spare me.”

She didn't have a rebuttal. She glared hatefully at him, then took flight and sped to the castle.

Where could they be? There's nopony in here, she thought as she entered.

Spike had absconded from the library. Luna and Celestia were also absent from the immediate area. A call of their names received no feedback.

Wait. The throne room.

She reasoned it was as good a chance as any. Up the stairs to the second floor she climbed, foreboding doubts filling her veins with ice.

Gray light wriggled through the towering rows of stained glass mosaics. Princess Celestia sat alone on her throne at the very back of the grand chamber. She slouched lazily and drank generously from a glass of red wine. As she saw Twilight approaching and gazing at the beautiful windows, she set her glass down and slumped further. “Spike is safe. I don't know where Luna went. I don't know anything anymore...” she said.

Twilight cantered up to the throne and bowed. “That's not true. How are you feeling? Did that blast of light knock you and Luna out?”

“No. We toughed it out. What was that, anyway?”

“The pony with three horns did it.”

“I see,” she said with only relative interest. “I'll have to investigate the origins of that strange creature.”

Twilight shifted nervously from hoof to hoof. “I feel like something horrible is about to happen, Princess. It's like there's a huge boulder over my head, and the net holding it up is about to reach its breaking point.”

“I know that feeling perfectly well. Believe me. I've felt it many times in the past few days. I feel it right now, along with my predominant emotion - fear. Despite my best efforts to be headstrong and focused as somepony of my stature should, I'm afraid. I haven't felt fear of this ferocity in a long, long time.”

Twilight approached Celestia and sat down beside her hooves. “There's nothing wrong with being scared, Princess. Nopony likes uncertainty.”

“It's not that,” said Celestia. “It's the reason why I'm scared. Why I'm uncertain. Equestria isn't meant to – I'm not – Sorry, I can't even concentrate right now.” She closed her eyes and lay her head in her hooves. “I can't control the things that I used to. What Salvator has set in motion, I can't stop. Even if I kill him, his ideas have been planted.”

“What kind of ideas?”

“Particularly what he's told you and Luna. I know he's told you about our past, and his own. The thing that scares me the most is what you'll think of me, Twilight. Your opinion of me might forever change after today.”

Twilight nodded. “Well, we can't know that for sure. I hope not. You've been my idol for years. Sustaining that image of you is something I'd love to do if I can manage. That being said, I do have quite a few important questions I need to ask you. I don't want to believe what I've heard about you. I really don't...”

Celestia drank some more. “Because I have the utmost respect for you, Twilight, I will be sincere. I know that something will change after today, but I hope it won't entail you hating me. You're not just a subject of mine. You're not even just a princess. I consider you a personal friend. That's why I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you.”

Twilight watched a snowflake from outside melt on her hoof. “Are you scared because you have something to hide?”

The ruler looked at her former student. “I'm scared because you're a purer soul than I. You hold more goodness than I do. I've committed many regrettable acts over the years. If you saw what I've become, you'd want nothing to do with me.”

“Wow,” murmured Twilight. “Honestly Princess, I'm surprised you value my acceptance that much. Is it just because we've spent so much time together throughout our lives?”

Celestia shrugged and took another swig. “I don't know why I have the reservations and opinions I do. They're simply here. I'm not nearly as perfect as I'd like to be. Now before I get to your questions, there's something I'd like you to hear from me so nopony else can feed you a faulty story.”

“Of course, Princess. Please continue,” said Twilight.

Celestia took in a deep breath and rose from her seat. She stretched and readied a spell. “Do you mind if we carry on with this discussion elsewhere? I'm not prepared to deal with Salvator right now.”

Twilight stood as well. “Are we going to teleport?”

“Yes, if that's alright with you.”

“Go ahead.”

Celestia's horn ignited and coated both of them in a sparkling layer of magic. Twilight felt a slight jolt from the metaphysical travel. As she sprang out of the magic, her hooves touched down on an unusually soft material. A white, billowing material. She waded around and surveyed her surroundings with amusement. She and Celestia stood atop a great cloud, overseeing miles of puffy light gray. The brooding snow clouds over Canterlot almost looked friendly from the aerial view. The sun had long since sunk past its peak and would soon need to be lowered. Twilight traipsed a few laps around the cloud, not used to using it as a feasible floor.

Celestia sat at one of the cloud's soft edges and chuckled at Twilight. “You'll get used to it before long. I just thought we might talk in a more pleasant location.”

“Absolutely,” said Twilight. She flapped her wings and managed to find her footing.

“Come sit by me,” said Celestia.

Twilight obeyed and laid down on the cloud. “This is amazing. From up here it's hard to even remember that it's snowing somewhere down there.”

“Yes, I agree. It's all a matter of perspective,” Celestia said passively while gazing into the creamy sky. “I've been waiting to bring you here for many years. I've always looked forward to the day we could sit up here together and talk to each other as friends.”

Twilight smiled. “So you've always known I'd become an alicorn?”

“I hoped you would, and I helped you when I could. Now we're here. It's hard to imagine that today could be one of the best and worst days of my life all at once. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. My efforts are finally being rewarded. Both good and bad. But I digress. The subject isn't one I'm particularly fond of talking about, but I feel you should know. I don't have that many true friends. My relationships tend to stay professional with typically everypony. Even with Luna I struggle to connect at times. That's why you fill me with so much pride, Twilight. I see myself in you. You're a lot like how I used to be. That's why I forced you to relocate to Ponyville and befriend the locals. I knew you would succeed where I failed. I wanted you to have what I never did.”

Twilight was blushing. “That's so sweet. I – thank you. I don't really know what to say.”

“That's quite alright. I'm happy I got to share that with you. I'm getting majorly off-track though. Please excuse my wishful tangent. May I get back on track?”

Twilight nodded.

“Okay,” said Celestia after thinking for a moment. The unfiltered sunlight gleamed gold on her coat. “By now you know about our past. About when we were all little. Luna said Salvator revealed what happened. Like I said before the battle, I did stop him from gaining a horn.”

“You mentioned that already. You said that he was emotionless and distant even back then?” asked Twilight.

“Yes. In my eyes, Salvator was succumbing to the path of darkness. He often grew violent and confrontational for little to no reason. Many times he made me worry about Luna and I's safety. Of course, he was a little angel when our parents were around. They worshiped him as the perfect child and would have given him the throne one day if events went any differently. Equestria would be a dark and terrible place if he was given sovereignty. I can only imagine what Halcyon is like. That's why one night, I made a decision that still affects me today. My parents kept a book in their library that possessed startlingly destructive powers. I lost it when Luna and I battled King Sombra a thousand years ago, and I doubt it's still intact today. Anyway, they didn't know I knew about this book, and I took it.”

“The black magic spellbook,” stated Twilight.

“You've heard of it before?” asked Celestia.

Twilight held her tongue for a second.

Luna didn't tell her about Sombra getting hold of it?

“Er, no. I just assume there's only one, which is the one you're talking about,” she lied.

“Yes. I studied a certain curse for several weeks. The one allowing the caster to remove any and all of the target's magical power. When the chance presented itself, I used it on Salvator. That was the worst mistake I've ever made for two reasons. One, because any measly scrap of love that Salvator had for me disappeared on that day. You could practically see the hatred burning in his eyes. Two, because that curse also infected me with a terminal side effect that I didn't notice until much later. Do you know what happens when a pony uses black magic, Twilight?”

She adjusted her position on the cloud. “Not particularly.”

“That type of power isn't designed to be tampered with. It poisons you. It seeps into your soul and slowly darkens it out. For many years, I was unaware that I was growing ill from that one time I used black magic. Just that one single time was enough to give me an incurable dose. Once I realized what was happening, I tried everything to purify myself to no avail. Black magic is much more powerful than any single being. Including me. The most frightening aspect of it is that sometimes the black magic almost crosses the hazy line into sentience. I can feel it. It's still there inside me, willing me to let it free. On very rare occasions, the shadow consumes me and makes me act in appalling ways. It never stays in control for long, but it makes me commit horrible acts. It almost seems to spread. It passes from caster to target. The pony who wrote the spellbook, Starswirl the Bearded, suffered from fatal amounts of poisoning toward the end of his life. He spent his final days frantically scrounging for a cure, a way to purge the darkness, but did not succeed.”

Twilight was taken aback from the revelation. “Oh my goodness. Somepony as adept in magic as Starswirl ended up dying from it?”

“Yes,” said Celestia. “Many ponies theorize that ponykind was never meant to uncover black magic at all. Of course Starswirl wasn't the first to find out how to harness it, but he was the first to dive in gung-ho to see what he could find. He considered it a 'natural evil' without cause or purpose. It will latch onto your very core and turn you into a monster. There have been cases when somepony used a forbidden spell and suffered no consequences, but the risk is so steep that none are legally allowed to go near it. Not even limited research is permitted here in Equestria.”

The fur on Twilight's neck stood on end. “Princess, we're both poisoned with black magic...”

Celestia unfolded her wing and wrapped it around Twilight. “I... I'm so sorry. Infinitely, infinitely sorry. It's my fault...”

“I was poisoned when Shining Armor attacked me in Neighpal. That means he must have it to.”

“I'm so so sorry, Twilight. Please forgive me...”

“What did you do to him? What did you do to my brother? You spread it to him, and he spread it to me.”

Celestia's tone was soft, almost defensive. “I just wanted to make sure you and Luna would be alright. I told Shining Armor to keep watch over you until you could come back. I enchanted him to protect him from the cold, but a tiny sliver of black magic found its way in. His body reacted badly and he fell under a frenzied hypnosis. Please believe me, I didn't mean for it to happen!”

Twilight was having trouble controlling her temper. “Celestia, you almost killed my brother and you almost killed me. That's so irresponsible! How could black magic just 'slip in?' That's never happened before has it?”

“Twilight...”

“Has it?”

“I don't know. I don't think so.”

Twilight wiggled out from under Celestia's wing. Her eyes darted back and forth as she thought. “Does this mean my magic will be permanently impaired? Am I going to turn into a villain just like Salvator? Are my brother and I going to die just like Starswirl? I can't believe this... You poisoned me, Princess...”

“Hopefully it won't be anything more than a mental scar. You've never used the magic, and you're extremely resilient. Same thing with your brother. I think you should both be fine-”

“But you don't know for sure,” Twilight interrupted. “You don't know for sure, do you?”

“No.”

“This is unbelievable...”

Celestia reached out to Twilight. “If there's anything at all I can do, please let me know! I'll support you and your family in every way I can!”

“There's just one more thing I need to know,” said Twilight softly. She looked directly at her ruler's sad, pleading lilac eyes. “Did you kill her?”

Celestia choked up and tried to hold back tears. “The black magic makes me do things...”

Twilight could feel her cheeks flushing with anger. “Answer me, Celestia.”

“I – she-”

“Did you murder Fluttershy!?”

The ruler lost herself to tears. “Yes.”

Twilight turned her back and spoke with a stinging inflection Celestia had never heard before. “Take me back to the castle. I'm done talking to you.”

Celestia withdrew into her regret and hid her face from Twilight. The two didn't speak to each other. Celestia whisked them off the cloud and transported them back to the castle's throne room. As soon as the magic dissipated, the ruler regressed to her throne and picked up her glass of wine. She sized it up, frowned, and summoned a full bottle instead. Twilight grasped at straws for the next action to take. Nothing would cure her poison. Nothing would bring Fluttershy back.

“I at least need to find my brother,” she finally concluded.

“I'll help you in any way I can,” said Celestia.

Twilight briskly stomped away from the throne. “No thank you. You've done quite enough. I really... I really can't talk to you right now. Give me some time to think.”

“Of course. Anything you need.”

Twilight rubbed her back and made for the exit. The clanging echo of a door being thrown open startled her. Rushed hoofsteps approached the throne room.

“Is that Salvator already?” asked Twilight, backing up fearfully.

“It shouldn't be,” said Celestia. “There are guards hidden throughout the castle that I told to stop him. Plus, how would he know where we are?”

Both alicorns summoned their magic in preparation.

Here we go...

Princess Luna blew through the door and marched straight toward her sister.

“Get out of my way, Twilight,” she barked.

Twilight nervously jumped out of the way and kept her eyes glued on Luna.

“I've had enough!” yelled the midnight princess. “Celestia, I don't understand how you plan to keep me in chains for the rest of our lives! I'm done lurking in your shadow. Either you grant me my rightful power as co-ruler of Equestria, or... or I'm leaving!”

Celestia made an agitated noise. “Luna, are you honestly going to start this now? You have plenty of power. You hold sway over just as much as I do. You're choosing the absolute worst possible time to get upset over this. Can't we talk about this after we've dealt with Salvator?”

Luna unfurled her wings instinctively out of anger. “No! If I don't voice my concerns now, nothing will ever change! I'll just go back to being your underling again!”

“You're not my underling. You're my sister.”

“Then treat me like it! Stop excluding me! You didn't even think I could protect myself from Salvator, that's why you sent me to Neighpal! I'm starting to remember why I became Nightmare Moon all those years ago. It's the very same reason – you don't respect me! I'm not good enough for you! I'm also starting to think you want the throne all to yourself!”

Celestia slowly walked toward her sister with an apologetic hoof extended. “You know that's not true. I need you. We back each other up, we lean on each other. You raise the very moon in the sky! How can you say that I don't appreciate you? Losing you to evil all those years ago was one of the worst times in my life. I thought I'd lost both of my siblings forever...”

“Look,” said Luna sternly. “You're my family. I love you, but if you want my presence here at this castle, if you want me by your side, something's got to change. Right now. Whether you can perceive it or not, you shackle me. I feel like a prisoner in my own home because of you. My bags are packed. I'm leaving right now unless you take me seriously and stop neglecting my concerns!”

Twilight huddled in the corner, frightened by the episode.

“You can't leave. I need you...” Celestia said softly.

“I can and I will. Are you going to pull your head out of your selfish haze and talk to me like I matter?”

Celestia's expression grew grim. “Yes, whatever. Just calm down. You're obviously not thinking rationally right now. I just - where is all this coming from? You never told me it was this bad!”

“Yes, I did,” Luna growled. “I've told you for years about how oppressed I feel. You've either ignored me completely or passed it off as insignificant. The time I spent with Salvator opened my eyes, sister. He's crazy, but he makes some good points. How come it's only you that makes the rules for our entire country? We have that stupid – oh, what is it? Constitutional scroll? It's all written by you! You didn't even consult me! Mom and dad would be ashamed if they could see how narcissistic you've become!”

Celestia's wings flared out and she bared her teeth. “Don't tell me what mom and dad would think!” she screamed. “You have no idea what you're talking about! Just shut up! Shut up with all your nonsense!”

Each pony hushed. Twilight felt a hot wall of dread crushing her chest.

“Okay then,” said Luna. “Goodbye Celestia.”

“I forbid you to leave. You're acting childish!” said Celestia.

Luna shook her head. “No. No more forbidding. I'm done. Goodbye.” She turned her back to Celestia and trotted toward the door. All of a sudden, a white magic consumed the door and slammed it shut.

“I said you're not leaving.” said Celestia.

“Are you going to stop me?” hissed Luna.

“If I have to, yes. Please don't make me.”

Luna faced her sister once again and summoned her magic. “Okay. Get Twilight out of here. She doesn't need to see this. Make sure she can't teleport back in.”

Twilight began objecting but halted when a burst of magic coated her, ejecting her from the throne room. She appeared on the first floor foyer in the midst of several wounded royal guards. They hadn't been there before. She almost didn't care to stop and talk to them, but decided to at least acknowledge their presence.

“I'm going to come back and help all of you as soon as I can. Please, I need you to tell me who did this to you. Was it King Salvator?”

The beaten unicorn breathed heavily. “Yes ma'am. We'd have been goners if the captain didn't show up when he did. He distracted Salvator and drew his attention away from us.”

Twilight swore inwardly out of fear for her brother's safety. “That's not good. Okay, I have to go. I'll be back. Where are Salvator and Shining Armor?”

“I assume they're heading towards the throne room.”

No no no! They're going to tear each other apart!

She left the guards and made a panicked beeline for the staircase. Her heart thudded as she flew out onto the second floor.

“Salvator! Shining Armor!” she called.

Her brother's voice came from around a corner. “Twilight? Is that y- gah!”

“Shut up, swine!” seethed Salvator.

Twilight dashed over and around the bend. Salvator had pinned Shining Armor up against the wall and threatened him with a revolver. His fur was ragged and bleeding in spots from the battle outside. Both stallions struggled to subdue one another. Salvator pulled the pin back on his gun and jammed it in Shining's face.

“Shoot me instead!” Twilight screamed vehemently, throwing herself in her brother's direction. Her own words chilled her as if the voice she heard changed everything. “Don't shoot my brother! Please!”

Salvator forcefully grabbed Shining's neck and threw him to the ground. “You again? Damn you're annoyin'. This here zealot is your brother, ya say?”

“Yes! Don't hurt him!” pleaded Twilight. She fell to her brother's side and huddled over him. Shining coughed raucously and clutched at his neck. He wheezed painfully at the lack of air.

Meanwhile Salvator holstered his weapon and shot a sinister glance at Shining Armor. “Caught me off guard, the sneaky bastard.”

“You lowlife,” growled Shining. He pushed Twilight away and rolled over onto his side. “I won't let you reach the Princesses. You die right here.”

Salvator stifled a snicker. “Right. More noble words from a loyal Equestrian. You're only about the thirtieth pony to say that this week. Your view of the world is about as romanticized as your sister's. Must be a unicorn thing.”

“We don't have time for this!” Twilight cried. “Celestia and Luna are up there right now going at each other and I don't know how far they're going to take it!”

“Oh no. Luna ain't takin' my trophy away from me!” yelled Salvator in righteous anger. He struck his hooves together in a show of aggression. “I wanna savor my victory. I want first dibs on Celestia!”

Shining Armor took Twilight's help and got to his hooves. “You'll die before you get anywhere close to her! Twilight, back me up. We cannot allow him to continue!”

Twilight bit her lip skittishly. “I want to help, but I really need to intervene in the throne room. The princesses' lives could both be in danger. They didn't look like they were going to hold anything back.”

Shining grunted. “Rgh. Fine. I'll deal with Salvator. Just go. I – I got this.” He rubbed his head and wobbled dizzily.

“What's wrong, pretty boy?” Salvator mocked. “Ain't got the mojo ya thought ya did? Let's fight! A beatin' will do ya good!”

Shining continued to groan. He clutched his head as if gripped by an awful migraine.

“What is it?” asked Twilight. She rubbed her brother's shoulder. “Maybe you should take it easy. You don't look like you can handle a fight right now.” She glowered at Salvator. “Besides, I don't think he's taking you too seriously right now. Let's just go to the throne room together.”

“You need to leave, Twilight. It's coming back... I don't want you around me when it comes back...” said Shining in a low tone.

“What's he talking about?” Salvator asked Twilight with a sheepish grin as he leaned against a wall. “Repressed sexual urges? He's crazy!”

Twilight looked at her brother. He'd stopped squirming about.

“Shining Armor?”

He looked at her. His stare was piercing and the color in his eye had muted completely.

“Are you okay?”

A dark violet magic coiled around Shining's horn. In the blink of an eye, he telepathically swiped Salvator's gun out of its holster and brought it to his side.

“Whoa whoa whoa! That's black magic!” Salvator exclaimed.

Shining Armor pulled the pin back on the revolver and aimed it at Twilight's head.

“Watch out, kid!”

Twilight screamed and overcharged her magic into an emergency teleportation spell. Salvator lunged at her out of nowhere. Just as the terrible crack of the gun tore into her ears, Twilight felt a body blast into her and her magic take them up.

---

Am I alive!? Did I get shot!? S-Shining... The black magic...

She frantically surveyed her tingling body for signs of injury. Luckily she failed to spot any wounds. Salvator breathed through his teeth next to her. Twilight looked to her side and saw the King tightly grasping his shoulder.

“Thanks for the free ticket out,” he said.

“You got shot,” said Twilight in mild shock. “Shining Armor's bullet hit you.”

“Yeah well, it only grazed my shoulder. I've taken worse from late night poker games. I just need to catch my breath for a moment. Where are we anyways?”

Twilight glanced up at a dark pair of doors. “The throne room.”

Salvator flexed his arm and examined the bullet wound on his shoulder. He delicately reached into his nearly shredded tunic and retrieved a small hypodermic needle.

“Is that the same stuff you gave me earlier?” asked Twilight.

“Yeah,” said Salvator. “Opium would be better. This will have to do.” He tapped the needle a few times and inserted it in his arm. “I got a bit more roughed up than I anticipated. I need to get in shape.”

Twilight looked at her hooves blankly. “Shining Armor tried to shoot me. He's poisoned worse than I am.”

“No time for a therapy session. Your brother probably isn't far behind us. Unless ya plan on wastin' more time, I suggest we go forward.”

“They're keeping the door locked with magic. I know they are. We can't get in.”

At this, Salvator blinked a few times. “Okay then. Stand back. This is where being an earth pony comes in handy. I'll just smash the door open.”

Twilight rigidly stepped aside. “Are you sure you can do that?”

“Oh yeah. I ain't got magic or wings. Nowhere for my power to go except into my muscles,” said Salvator. He backed up, got a sprinting start, and launched his whole body into the doors. Even with a magical blockade, the material rived easily and exploded under his might. The path was open. With her heart beating so loud that she could swear everypony in Canterlot could hear it, Twilight followed Salvator into the throne room.