The change and the beginning
Twilight awoke to the soft rays of moonlight gently caressing her body. She stirred and sighed as she felt soft material slide off her unbound wing. She sat up and looked around. She was surprisingly awake for the time of night. Twilight glanced at the clock that hung on the wall and snickered. Or rather for the time of morning, as it was just an hour before dawn.
She looked around the room and saw that Princess Luna sat in front of the large television, a game controller in her magical aura and a concentrating look on her face. Twilight quietly slipped out of bed and sat by the Princess of the night and watched her play. She watched as Luna smirked as her aim was true and she blew a large, jellyfish-like thing to pieces, the creature giving off a screech as it died.
“Ah, Twilight. We see that thou art awake. Good, the time for thy friends' arrival will be soon,” Princess Luna said with the slightest of glances in her direction.
“My friends are coming here?” Twilight asked and Princess Luna nodded.
“They will be arriving in one hour,” she replied, “and they will be most worried about thee. We were supposed to return thee home yesterday, but we decided that it wouldst be best if thou weren't moved. Though now it is a moot point.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at that. “What do you mean, 'a moot point'?” she asked.
“Our sister and we believe that thee and thy friends have learned the lesson given to them.” Princess Luna shot another one of the jellyfish-like creatures with a ball of ice, freezing it in the air, then shattered it with what looked like a rock on fire.
“What lesson? I wasn't aware that we had a lesson-” Twilight started to say, but stopped when something dawned on her. “The book,” she whispered slowly, “the spell was a test. But it had no author.”
Princess Luna paused her game and turned to look at Twilight. “The book,” she said slowly, “has an author, though not one that you would expect to be when his book is full of spells on friendship. But all questions will be answered when your friends get here.” She turned back to her game and Twilight spent the next hour watching her destroy more and more creatures.
A knock at the door interrupted the game and Twilight turned to look at the door just as it was enveloped by a dark blue aura and pulled open. On the other side stood three pegasi, except they had bat wings instead of the typical feathered wings Twilight was used to seeing. The one in the center, a mare judging by the smoothness of her movements, stepped forward. She bore the crest of Princess Luna’s Night Guard, a silver moon, on her helm and she bowed to the Princess.
“Your highness, forgive our intrusion at this time, but Princess Celestia has stated that she is ready to begin. The other Bearers have already arrived,” she said, her voice soft like the night wind.
“We thank thee, Evening Glow,” Princess Luna stated, turning off her game and standing up, “inform our sister that we shall be along momentarily.”
The three guards bowed, then retreated out the door. Princess Luna turned to look at Twilight and smiled.
“Let us not keep thy friends waiting,” she said and started to walk out the bedchambers, Twilight following her.
It wasn't long before Twilight and the Princess arrived at the large, golden doors that bore the mark of Princess Celestia in the center, marking the entrance to the throne room. Evening Glow stood to one side, pulling open the doors with her sapphire blue magic.
As the doors swung open, Twilight gasped as she saw five familiar mares standing in the middle of the room, on the red wool carpet. She darted forward and embraced, and was embraced by, her friends.
“Twilight!” the five girls cried.
“We were so worried when we couldn't get a letter to you!” Rainbow Dash stated, her eyes shimmering.
“Yes, darling,” Rarity interjected, “but then little Spiky-wiky got a letter from the Princess telling us to come to Canterlot.”
“And we couldn't just stand by and wait, so we hurried on tha first train here!” Applejack smiled at the purple mare.
“Oh my,” Fluttershy stated when she caught sight of Twilight's wounded wing, “what happened?”
“Well-” Twilight started to say when she was interrupted.
“Twilight.” Twilight turned her attention at the strong tone to the Princess sitting on the throne.
“Yes, Princess?” she asked, noting that Princess Luna had taken up a seat next to Princess Celestia.
“Come here.” It left no room for questions. Princess Celestia motioned for Twilight to take a seat next to her.
Twilight hesitantly walked closer and took a seat next to Princess Luna, then turned to look up at Princess Celestia. From her seat, Princess Celestia looked much more intimidating than she remembered.
In one swift movement the air above the throne was filled with hundreds of daggers, each blade shining with the glow of a small sun. Twilight gasped, never before had she seen so many Mage Weapons at once. Then a thought hit her and she followed the points away from the throne and-
“No,” she whispered, then louder, “everyp-!” she froze as she felt something sharp against her throat. She glanced down to see another Mage Weapon, this one shining like the moon, against her throat. She looked over at Princess Luna for only a second before her muzzle was forced back so she stared at her friends by a midnight blue magic aura.
It took a second for the five mares to realize what was happening and in that second Twilight saw something that she'd only hoped would see in her nightmares.
As if they were all shot out of a cannon, every one of Princess Celestia's Mage Weapons shot toward the five, defenceless mares. They moved so fast that even Rainbow Dash only had time to gasp before they were upon them.
Twilight wanted to, she really did, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from the sight of dozens of daggers embedding themselves into the bodies of her friends.
“No!” she screamed and, as she felt Princess Luna's Mage Weapon slip, she darted forward. She winced slightly as she felt the blade of the dagger slide down her side, but she ran toward her fallen friends.
“No! No no no!!!” she knelt down and held Rainbow's head in her hooves, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at the two Princesses, trying to gasp for breath. “Why?” she pleaded, “why why why?” she sobbed as she held her friend in her hooves. She sat there for several minutes, trying to wish it wasn't real, that she wasn't holding Rainbow in her hooves and that she wasn't dead. She could only slowly look around at the fallen bodies of her friends and fresh tears flowed out of her eyes. She tilted her head back and let out a scream, one that had never been heard before. A scream that carried through the entire castle and resonated through the halls. A scream that carried with it the pain of losing friends of several years. A scream that bore the sound of a broken heart. Twilight screamed until she ran out of breath, then she could only sit there with her mouth wide open and tears running down her cheeks and mixing with her mane.
“Twilight.”
A voice pierced the air, a voice that only started a fire of anger within her. Twilight stood up, resting Rainbow's head on the ground.
“You.” The word came out in a whisper, pained and forced. “You. You!” With each word Twilight grew more and more angry. She could feel her magic flare up in her, a feeling she'd only felt once before at this magnitude. She welcomed it, reveled in it. If Celestia was going to take away all that she'd worked for, Twilight reasoned, then it only seemed fitting for her to return the favor.
She glared up at the two alicorns sitting on their thrones, her eyes boring like lasers into theirs. Princess Celestia stood there, emotionless, while her sister sat with a small flicker of fear in her eyes. Twilight grinned to herself, they had good reason to fear.
She gathered up every bit of magic she could reach with her pain-riddled mind, coalescing it and forming it into the most destructive spell she could think of. She was milliseconds from throwing the raw magic and the spell at the smug faces of her Princesses when something stopped her.
“Twilight?”
Twilight felt every bit of her anger drown out faster than if she'd been doused in water. She slowly turned around, not wanting to believe what she'd heard.
There, standing on unsteady legs, was Rainbow Dash with her mouth open in shock.
Twilight let the magic she'd held dissipate. She slowly moved forward until she was within hoof's reach, then she reached out a shaky hoof and stretched it out, reaching for her friend's cerulean coat.
“How?” she whispered, disbelieving, “how?”
“I don't know, Twilight,” Rainbow replied, “I was hoping that you'd be able to tell me. But when I came to, you were standing there, facing the Princesses with your mane set on fire.”
“But,” Twilight's brain started to work again, “that's impossible. Resurrection is impossible.” She looked past Rainbow to see the rest of her friends stir and start to stand up. Her brain tried to make use of this information, but despite it's best efforts, it couldn't. And so it did the only thing it could, it shut down, causing the mare using it to collapse to the ground, unconscious.
“Twilight!” the five, barely recovered mares cried as they rushed forward and swept their unconscious friend off the floor. Then they turned to look at a shadow that had fallen over them.
“Princess Celestia!” Fluttershy begged, “please tell us what happened.”
Princess Celestia smiled down at the six mares, then nodded. “I will, but not here. I have a special room where everything will be explained.” She led the way to the throne room doors and pushed them open with her magic. She turned back to make sure that the five mares were following, Applejack carrying Twilight on her back, and her sister taking up the rear.
The little parade moved down the hallway, winding down stairs and through more hallways until they arrived at a door, one made of simple gold and emblazoned with the six gems of the Elements of Harmony. The door handle glowed with a golden aura and slid open, revealing a large, empty room beyond.
Princess Celestia moved into the room and allowed the rest of the entourage to follow her. Rainbow Dash froze as she caught sight of the only other inhabitant of the room.
“Discord!” she shouted, falling into a battle stance, the rest of the girls falling in behind her. Only Fluttershy shied away from it, hiding behind her mane.
“Calm yourselves, girls,” Princess Celestia stated, “he is here because you all need to hear something.”
Applejack slid Twilight off her back and rested her on the ground. “Like what kinda somethin'?” she asked.
“Why Applejack!” Discord stated, holding a paw to his chest in mock shock, “I would have thought you would have realized what your vision meant by now?”
“Yes, but first we need to wake Twilight up. She will want to hear this,” Princess Celestia stated, walking over to the unconscious mare. Her horn glowed gold and Twilight's horn glowed gold as well. Twilight stirred awake and blinked her eyes. She looked up at her friends looking down at her. She grunted and tried to rise to her hooves but stumbled, falling into Rarity who supported her. She smiled her thanks, then turned her attention to the two princesses and Discord.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“We are in a chamber of which very few ponies know,” Princess Luna stated, “ a chamber that holds great power. And it is finally going to be used.”
“Twilight,” Twilight turned to look at her mentor, “there are several things we need to tell you. Particularly what has happened over the past few days.”
“Ah yes,” Discord sauntered forward, a smile on his face, “that is where I come in.” He snapped his fingers and a familiar book fell into his outstretched paw.
“That's the book that-” Twilight started to say.
“-I gave you!” Discord finished, smiling at Twilight's look of shock and surprise.
“But, that's impossible! Why would you write a book on friendship?” she asked.
“Why, because of all the research that I've done over my years,” Discord stated, the smile never leaving his face, “I had spent hundreds of years playing pranks on ponies and testing their friendship to each other. I finally realized that some ponies' friendships lasted longer than I thought they would and so I began to study and experiment. I eventually devised dozens of spells that would incorporate both friendship and my own sense of humor. You six had chosen to cast one of my favorite ones.” Discord clapped his paws in applause, then snapped his fingers, causing the six mares to gasp as a bright light surrounded them.
Each gasped as their respective abilities returned to them. Rainbow gave a whoop of glee as she darted into the air, flipping around and smiling down at the five mares. She tapped her forehead and smiled as she felt the distinct lack of horn. She looked down at the others and saw that Fluttershy was a pegasus again, Twilight and Rarity were unicorns and Applejack and Pinkie Pie were earth ponies again.
“And now,” a tap on the floor drew everypony's attention to Princess Celestia, “let me tell you the next thing that affects you all. It concerns these.” Her horn glowed and a familiar box appeared next to her in the air. She opened it and revealed the six Elements of Harmony. She nodded to Princess Luna, who spoke up.
“It all happened back when the Elements were first used when we returned from the moon. Our Nightmare shattered the Elements. But she did not destroy them, as was her intention. The Elements could not be destroyed, but they were shattered, and we freed part of their power. Thus they did the only thing they could do. They sought for new hosts, latching onto those ponies that held each element in a high regard.” She turned to look at the Elements in the box, then looked back at the six mares. “The powers went to thee,” she motioned to the six mares, excluding Twilight, “granting thee a great blessing. And before today our sister and we did not know what it fully entailed. Now we know that thou have been granted a great gift, one that only was known to us alicorns. The gift of Immortality.”
Princess Luna let this information set in to the six mares. Twilight was the first to speak up.
“So that's what happened in the throne room?” she asked and the two princesses nodded.
“But,” Princess Celestia stated, staring right at Twilight, “there was one Element who's power was not split. The Element of Magic.”
“So then, you're tellin' me that Twi's going to-?” Applejack asked, then her eyes widened as she remembered her vision.
“That's correct, Honest Applejack,” Discord stated, then looked at Twilight, “our little spark here is not immortal,” –the six mares gasped— “ but that is what this room is for.” He gestured with a paw and the room seemed to glow. A large circle was carved out by a sparkling light and Twilight could feel the magic grow in the room. She and the rest of the girls watched as the light drew out a circle about twenty hooves wide, with five, smaller circles spaced equidistance apart, finally ending with one circle in the center of the room.
“To fix this,” Princess Celestia stated, gesturing with a hoof at the circle, “we have prepared a magic array, one designed to focus and strengthen any magic performed in any of the five outer circles and funnel it into the center circle. That is where you girls come in. Each one of you will need to take a place in one of the circles, with Twilight in the center. Then, using the Elements, you will grant her the same gift you yourselves have.”
The six mares nodded and, grabbing their respective Elements, stepped into their positions. When they were ready, Princess Celestia smiled and nodded to Twilight.
Twilight closed her eyes and tapped into her magic, pulling it up out of her font and into her Element. As she did, she could feel the resonance echoing through the other five, each one focusing the wills and feelings of her friends. She reached out and guided each one of the Elements, calling them down the engraved lines of the array, pulling them into the center. As she did, she could feel her friends and their desire to have her with them forever, their desire to bestow on her the same gift that they were given unbidden.
Princesses Luna and Celestia as well as Discord stood back and watched as the six mares in the room started to glow with a magenta light, each one pulsing in time until the two alicorns and single draconequuis could feel the room itself bend to the will of the six mares. When they thought it would last much longer, Twilight's eyes shot open, glowing with white light. Princess Celestia smiled, it was almost complete.
Then the room was blasted with a blinding white light, causing two of the inhabitants to look away. When the light dimmed to a manageable level, the three inhabitants turned their attention back to the six ponies. And what they saw amazed them.
There, sitting in their respective circles, lay the six Bearers. Princess Celestia smiled as each one started to stir, then arose, blinking and shaking their head. The five ponies turned their attention to the sixth, which still lay on her side. Applejack took a step forward.
“Twilight?” she asked, nudging the purple mare. The five mares stood there with baited breath as they waited, unsure that it'd worked.
Then, as Twilight stirred and stood up, they released it and rushed forward, embracing their friend in a hug.
“Hi girls,” Twilight said, weakly. Then they all separated, still smiling until Pinkie started jumping up and down.
“Hey!!!” she shouted, drawing everypony's attention to her. She jabbed a hoof at Twilight's back and smiled, “look!”
The other four ponies gasped as they saw what had caught Pinkie's attention and Twilight stood there, stunned.
“What?” she asked. Princess Luna summoned a mirror and presented it to her. She took it in her magical grip and held it up to her face. She felt something on her back and she came to a realization as she remembered the feeling from just a few minutes ago. She directed the mirror so that she could see her back and she gasped.
There sitting on her back just like they had a few minutes ago, were a pair of wings. She raised a hoof to her forehead and came in contact with her horn. She blinked and looked at Princess Celestia.
“Princess?” she asked.
“It appears that there is only one type of pony that can have the gift of immortality is the type you are now,” Princess Celestia stated.
“So, I'm an alicorn now?” Twilight breathed. Both princesses nodded and grinned.
“Wow, Twilight. You look just like a princess,” Fluttershy stated.
“That's because she will be a princess,” Princess Celestia stated, walking up next to Twilight, “but for right now, I figure that you will have enough to worry about, what with getting used to wings and such. I will keep in constant contact with you, in case you have questions. I will also be looking into a place where you will have your castle, as every alicorn has one.”
“Eh??” Twilight gasped, her brain trying to process twice in the same day an impossible amount of information. The result was the same and the newborn alicorn toppled over, unconscious.
Princess Celestia smiled, then looked at the rest of the Bearers. “I will arrange for a train to take you six home. Take Princess Twilight home and let her rest. She'll need your help and support. Until the time that I crown her myself, please refrain from calling her by her title. To Ponyville, and for now to you five, she is still Twilight Sparkle, local librarian and exceptional unicorn.”
With that, Princess Celestia led the way out of the room and back up to the castle proper, then called a guard to guide them to the train station. Princesses Celestia and Luna watched the six mares step onto the train, then they headed back to the castle.
“You think she'll handle it?” asked Princess Luna.
“Of course,” replied Princess Celestia, “now that she too is immortal, we can move on to the next stage of their plan. We need to be prepared for when he comes. I will let the others know.” She walked off down a hallway while Princess Luna watched her.
“Let us hope that the six of the Bearers are ready, lest disaster falls upon our fair country. We can only hope that they will learn the lessons prepared for them.” With that, Princess Luna turned to a balcony and reached out with her magic, utilizing the ancient magic that was weaved into the very ground, the very world itself, and guided the moon into the sky as her sister set the sun on the other side of the castle. She stood there for several minutes, then sighed and turned back to the castle. With the events of the day, there was much that needed to happen. And she was going to be a part of it this time.
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Good job! I wish I was a talented writer like you.
2973074
To be honest, I kind of rushed the end part there. I wanted to get it done before the month ended, as that was the time frame I gave myself. Thanks for that, I really wanted to do a great job on this story and I'm glad that you were able to enjoy it.
Now I can move on to other stories. Like, one of the dozen I have floating around in my head. Where to begin?
4190752
Yep, I tried not to make her all doom and gloom, like in Cupcakes. I think it went well, don't you?
4976969
Not in this story, but they'll come back in Shattered Harmony. Particularly her part, which I will be rewriting.
Wow...That was REALLY GOOD. The only problem I had was the fact that Celestia toyed with Twilight's emotions in such a heartless way
, but other than that, I would like to see this in the show. 
I like how Twilight fainted not once, but TWICE. 
5191523
Glad you enjoyed it! This was really fun to write and I'm really glad that it's had such a great reception on this site!
5191309
It was mostly because it gave them a reason to go to Canterlot. They needed to be there, and Celestia figured that it was the best way at the time. Spur of the moment thing.
5192039
6160403 Thanks!
Yeah it probably won't take too long before the whole country knows that twilight is an alicorn.
10843232
Bruh. That was more than 6 and a half years ago. I can barely remember some details of last week, lol. I’ll have to reread this and get back to you. Give me a week or so.
10846401
Thanks.
10852374
Sorry it took me so long.
I don’t really know most of what she was trying to say. The biggest takeaway I could see was what you said you already understood, but I think part of how I understood it on my first read was ignoring a lot of the connecting words like “with the” and trying to think outside the box on what some of the words like “wanting”, “who”, “how” and “where” could be referring to. It’s still extremely hard for me to figure out and maybe harder than the first time. I remember very little.
As far as I can tell, a good chunk of the way it works is replacing important words in a sentence with vague references to what type of word it is. Instead of “you”, “me”, “I”, or “her” everything like that is “who” which makes most sentences lose nearly all meaning because you can’t differentiate between all the possibilities.
I could be totally off base with this, but that’s the theory I came up with.
I still appreciate the “Great to be Different” reference in the letter Derpy drops, but maaaan the rest of that scene is so jarring.