When Twilight eventually wakes up, she isn't in her library. She isn't even in Ponyville. With a more minor case of amnesia and lots of questions, it becomes more and more clear, that Twilight isn't sane anymore.
Twilight wakes up, strapped to a hospital bed with a nasty enchantment that begs the question, why do they want to keep her here so badly? Stuck in a dream for two days, and with a little filling in from her friends, she learns that not only she has amnesia, she perhaps committed some very terrible crimes to pony kind. The mystery only gets deeper from there as conspiracy theories, tragic lifes and the severity of Twilight's madness gets uncovered. Needless to say, she breaks free. (This story takes place right after/in between Lesson Zero.)
"Princess Celestia, Wait! How did you know I was in trouble?"
"You're friend Spike made me aware you were letting your fears get the best of you." Celestia said as Spike peeked through the door way.
And after learning that you should take your friends worries seriously, Spike wrote a letter to Princess.
And the day seemed to finish, just like another day in Equestria should. With a letter to the princess and ending with a smooth cup of chai tea.
Twilight, after her friends leave for the night, sits down. She levitates a cup of tea, lifting the small cup to her lips. The tea stays at the bottom, even as Twilight shakes it vigorously. Appalled at the discovery, Twilight stands up and goes to find her notepaper.
"Wait..." Twilight lifts objects with her magic, only to find her paper was not there. "Spike!" she calls her companion, her "go to guy" when she ever wanted anything found, done or researched here in the library.
"What?" Twilight turns around to see Spike much larger than her. He stood almost as tall as the bookshelves.
"Spike? Why are you so large?" Twilight asked. "Did you drink some potion?"
"Twilight, I'm not a LITTLE KID ANYMORE!" Spike shrieks in rage.
Twilight find herself unable to breathe, the pressure building up in her chest. Spike strangles her. "Spike!" she screams.
"She's in shock." a mare in the other room says.
"Get off of me!" Twilight screams. The mare comes up to Twilight's ear, and whispers.
"Everything is okay." she laughs.
"Spike!" Twilight screams to find herself strapped to a hospital bed. My heart rate is abnormally high, Twilight thinks to herself. She closes her eyes, and slows her breathing. The soft beep of the machine quietly nags her. With a burst of magic, the machine explodes into flames and falls over onto the white floor. The fire dies out quickly, but the beeping takes a few moments to finally stop. Twilight closes her eyes, still struggling with the dream that had seemed so real, it seemed so normal and comfortable.
The dream was picture perfect.
Wherever Twilight was, it seemed to be the opposite of that. It was dark, uncameraworthy. The small glimpses of distant shapes fuzzy and unrecognizable In the dim light of this place. Surely it is something more... She thought. Twilight had excellent vision. The shapes were blurred by not darkness alone.
The only source of light is the tiny slit between the curtains. Daylight slowly streaks through the opening, landing on the wall opposite of Twilight. It seems warm, like the warm feeling of picnic. Twilight slowly took in this small pleasure, watching the small band of light wave with the curtains. Experimentally, Twilight opens the curtains slowly. When the curtains barely open, a beam of light lands on the side of the mare's foreleg, burning a straight gash across right leg. Twilight gasps and drops the curtain, leaving the room in complete darkness once more. No more summer picnics for me... Twilight jokes with herself, only to immediately feel sadness wash over her. No more watching Rainbow dash fly in her loops. In fact, no more rainbows. And all while Twilight sits there, trying to think of what a world without sunlight could possibly mean. Twilight thinks of opening the curtain once more but she decides against it immediately.
It is only minutes until an attendant comes into the room. The mare shakes her head and lifts and replaces the annoying machine.
"I don't want that... " Twilight tries to say, but it comes out in jumbled pieces of words. She tries again, only to have the nurse panick a bit quickly finish and leave hastily. What she really needed was water, her mouth dry and her tongue a useless piece of muscle sitting in the way of speech.
Twilight Sparkle lifts her head to examine her body strapped down. All over her body are scabs and bruises. She has the unhealed gash across her leg also. I look aweful, Most of them do not hurt, but the unicorn cannot decide if that is a good thing or bad thing. Either her wounds are severe enough to have cut all nerve cell fuction, or she is fine. Either or. She inspects each scrape, hoping for the best, but still expecting the worst.
Bored, Twilight then directs her attention to the ceiling, where a dark maned Pegasus hovers, staring...
"Quit that," Twilight says, annoyed. "Who are you?"
The pegasus just laughs. "The question is, who am I not?"
What a nonsense question, Twilight thinks. Not at all amused by the pegasus, Twilight decides to narrow her options a bit.
Twilight frowns, "You aren't some version of me, are you? Stalking and commenting on my choices, because that could get annoying fast."
"Annoying?" The Pegasus screeches. "I have unfathomable power of the darkness that surrounds your dreams. I am in the corners of the shadows Luna wouldn't dare to temper with. Perhaps she should not take lightly the very element that your body choose to embrace. Need I remind you?" the Pegasus accents her statement by slightly opening the curtains, sending waves of pain through Twilight's body. She closes the curtains, to Twilight's relief, and floats above the unicorn.
This pony is more self involved than I thought. Twilight decides the mares intentions, or even her name are not that important. The more important thing is that she is tied to a hospital bed.
"Then why are you here?" Twilight asks, her curious side showing.
"Just welcoming you to the family." the Pegasus laughs. She waves goodbye and walks into the halls. Twilight hears shrieks down the way she went. Well, at least I'm not insane, hallucinating on a bed. Or maybe she was... Just not the pony. At this point, she can't be sure of anything. She can't be sure that this is even a hospital. Despite its looks, Twilight can sense a darker magic weaving its way throughout the place.
"At last I am rid of that crazy mare!" Twilight laughs loudly, when a doctor walks in the open door. What a convenient outburst. And, so unlike me... Twilight stops, and turns to the stallion. The doctor comes and gets a large red pill from the cabinet. He then helped (well, forced really) the pill down Twilight's throat. Checking his watch, he left. Thanks for the conversation there mystery pony. See you next hour? Sitting there, watching the minutes go by, she felt the drug. It felt awful. She could feel the effects coursing through her veins. The shapes blurred once again, into messy colors. Twilight tried to vomit, but without the help of her hooves, she could not. The straps were covered in spells, redone each day at sunrise. Twilight could try to dispell it, but the intricate weaving done, would result in the strap exploding. Twilight knew this with past experience, and it hurt. Twilight stopped, how... The question hung into the air. She briefly remembered panicking, throwing magic... Twilight squinted subconsciously as she tried to make out her memory. It ended with a needle, and more lie dreams. That, the unicorn was sure of.
She watched the clock, until 15 minutes had passed. Then the doctor came with the unicorn in her memory. They let her out of the straps. Twilight sat up quickly, too quickly, and fell onto the ground. While the unicorn re-worked his magic on the bed, 5 mares came in through the door. The room was comfortable enough. Well, the floors anyway, where Twilight would be staying for at least five minutes.
"Twilight, I can't believe that happened..." Rainbow Dash started. Her voice choked up.
"I can't eith... " the words came out wrong. Twilight cleared her throat and tried again. "I can't either. I almost didn't have anything to send the Princess. Thank goodness she didn't mind." Twilight sighs with relief. Wait... She knew those were lies. Twilight moved without permission, it seemed the drug had somehow... Taken control of Twilight, making her think erratic thoughts. Her muscles moved involuntarily, sending her chin to the ground. Perhaps this is how I had gotten most of my bruises. She thought.
Rarity then started to cry. Fluttershy then by her side, stroking her mane. "Twi, that's not exactly how it happened." Applejack said. "After ya put that spell on your doll... It only went downhill." Applejack stopped, not wanting to go into detail. "You killed seven ponies Twilight..."
"You killed Scootaloo! Twilight!" Rainbow Dash screamed. "You ripped her apart with your own fucking magic! You ... You monster!"
Twilight looks up, smiling, "I did, did I?" Twilight laughed. She threw her head back and rolled on the floor and laughed. Her mind jumping to random thoughts. Her conscious mind now foggy and unaware, STOP, stop... stop. It whispered.
Pinkie then started to fume. Her hair was beyond straight anytime Twilight had seen it. Pinkie looked so close to tearing Twilight apart with own two hooves. "I need to get some fresh air." Pinkie said, walking out to the reception area.
"Yeah," the yellow maned mare interjected. "We could use some light too.." Twilight shrieked when she saw Fluttershy heading toward the curtains. It too was involuntary. Even so, the Pegasus pulled the curtains halfway, and upon hearing a blood-curdling scream, she instinctively pulled them closed again. She turned around to see the purple pony on the ground, with her hooves on her muzzle, shivering and practically burning. Bits and pieces of the mare were black and falling off, the rest was already scabbed over and oozing liquid. Rarity threw up into the trash can, and Fluttershy grew nauseous, and almost fainted. Rainbow Dash wanted to throw up. Twilight looked up. "Don't do that again you fucking idiot." Her mane dishelved and her eyes angry. Fluttershy only meant well. Even though she was a stupid pony who never helped anypony but a bunch of filthy animals. Twilight got up and casually walked out the door. Wait apologize! "Miss!" the doctor called after her. Soon the group saw ponies chasing down the way Twilight went. "Do you think we should go help?" Applejack asked cautiously. Rainbow dash angrily responds, "I think we have seen enough of Twilight for today."
=======
Standing on a balcony, a white alicorn sits. Looking up at the night sky, perhaps thinking. "Sister, why do you lay there? What illness has fallen over our kingdom?" Luna asks her sister. "What could possibly worry you so to the point that you shall not come inside?" Celestia closes her eyes and bows her head. "Perhaps you are right." she says, lifting herself off the ground. "It is probably nothing. I just... Twilight is late to send me her letter."
Down the hallway the unicorn runs, with perhaps the entire hospital behind her. Just as one pony barely swipes his hoof across her mane, her horn glows and she teleports. Ponies scatter around the hospital.
In a different, dark room Twilight pops into existence. "That was a close one," Twilight whispers to herself. She peeks out the door window, seeing ponies run past the closet she is in now. Twilight makes herself comfortable. I'll be in here for a while, Twilight thinks. She positions herself on the top shelf, and gathers the sheets and blankets to make a nest. She makes sure no pony who even comes into the closet will see anything but stacks of hospital beddings. With nothing better to do, Twilight goes to sleep.
------------
"We checked everywhere!" Twilight was awoken by the sound of voices outside the closet.
"She can't be outside the hospital!" a stallion says. "You need to find her within an hour before sundown, or this entire facility could be jeopardized!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but everypony is exhausted." the mare says. "Can't we just call reinforcements in the morning?"
"NO!" he says. "No... This particular pony happens to be very dangerous. If we don't find her and contain her, then all of Equestria could be in danger!"
"Alright," the mare says with a hint of exhaustion.
Twilight hears the tapping of hooves that slowly get quieter. One hour... Twilight thinks. She is almost free, from this terrible place with beeping machines. With attendants who only scream. Away from this stupid place with doctors tying her into beds. Drugging her into states of mind that make her mind foggy and mad. She felt sorry for her friends. She didn't know what happened. But whatever she did, Twilight knew she could never had purposely hurt her friends.
"Did you check in here?" She heard a stallion outside say. Oh no, it sounded close. Twilight froze, not breathing, not daring the chance to be caught.
Twilight heard the door open. Dim light came through her shelter of sheets. Twilight didn't dare blink, scared of the chance he could hear her.
"She's not in here," the stallion started.
"She might be in the sheets!" a mare shouted. "Check under goddamn plates, look under trashcans! We can't afford to not find her!"
Before Twilight could think, her shelter fell down, and her eyes met the pearly blue of the stallion. Her fell over himself backwards, as Twilight leaped out of the closet, and ran.
Damn, Twilight was slow from hours of being in a small space. Her legs cramped, and she hurt everywhere from withdrawal of that fucking drug they put her on. Even so, adrenaline coursed throughout her body, pushing harder then ever before.
It was not long until Twilight was cornered by the ponies. Her mind exploded, and she felt things dragging at her feet, but she teleported away. She teleports into another victims room. She hears the mare cry softly. Twilight quickly unbuckled the straps and the mare slowly stands up. Just a filly, Twilight thinks.
"Thank you," the small pink filly says.
Twilight does not respond, instead drawing the curtains with upmost caution. Outside she seeing the purples of sunset. She sticks her hoof, only after a few moments, it begins to burn. Close, it's still lethal outside, but soon.
"What's your name?" Twilight asks.
"Diamond Tiara." the small filly responds.
"Come with me." Twilight says.
"But, I'm just a filly! I'm sure you don't Want little kids with you all the time."
Twilight checks the light level again, this time only minor stinging in her hoof. "Fine, stay here." Twilight opens the window and starts to climb out. "Who are you staying for?"
Diamond Tiara pauses. "Nopony." she realizes. she comes and hops out the window.
Twilight lifts the earth pony onto her back. "Good choice." she says. Together, they ride into the night. The small filly eventually falls asleep when the moon is high into the sky. Still, Twilight rides, eventually till she can't see the facility. The dark desert is shivering cold, and Tiara's shivers cant be felt on the unicorn's back. It is just about sunrise when Twilight stops to wake the filly.
"What?" Diamond Tiara says. She jerks when she realizes that she is in the middle of the desert.
"You can stand the sunlight? Right?" Twilight asks.
"Well, yeah... " Tiara says, confused.
"Good, because I can't."
"Is that why you have... " She trails off, not wanting to acknowledge the mares poor condition.
"Yes, as you can see, it hurts." Twilight pauses. "A lot. I need you to make sure that I don't burn in the sun, okay? I think if I bury myself, then I'll be fine. But I need you to dig me back out when the sunsets. All the way. I suggest you mark where my body lies. I trust you, okay? Don't die, get some water, and mark my body, got it?"
"Yeah..." the filly says, looking at the sun. She turns around to see Twilight already digging a hole. "Are you sure you'll be alright... Without air?"
"Yes, I'll replicate a stone spell, kinda like the one we put on Discord. Except extremely easier to break out of. If Discord could live like that for years without air or water, I think I can manage a few hours." she said reassuringly, "When I bury myself, I'll cast the spell. Throw sand on top of me, so no light can touch me. Can you do that?"
"I think so." Diamond Tiara says, nervous. She watches as Twilight solidifies, and then starts pushing sand on top of the Pony, extremely nervous that the unicorn wont be alright. She promised though... After the pony was completely covered, Diamond Tiara started to look around. She would have to look far to see any water. She looked back at the pile of sand. Diamond Tiara then laid her small, reflective tiara onto the pile. For if nothing more, good luck.
"Good." Tiara said aloud. She would be able to follow the bright reflection that her tiara offered. Tiara then started to walk in a straight line. She was careful to leave a large line to find her way back to Twilight. It wasn't long until the bright sun lifted and turned the cold desert into a frying pan. After hours of walking, Tiara then found a small, deserted shelter. Hastily, she ran into the small home. It looks decades old, the rotten planks tied down with rocks. Tiara was glad for the shade, and began to look for water. The cabinets turned up empty, and there was no running water. The only thing Tiara found was an old can of food, a knife, and some of papers, full of holes and falling apart.
Carefully, Tiara held the can with her hooves and the knife in her teeth. She plunged the knife into the can, opening up preserved fruit. Thankfully it wasn't dried, and the juice inside she gulped greedily. Almost forgetting her manners, she grabbed the knife in her hooves and stabbed each piece of apple, and bringing it to her mouth. When she was done, her mind came to realise she had forgotten to save some for Twilight. She immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over her.
Twilight had carried her all night, while she rested. She trusted Diamond Tiara with her life, and now she took all the water for herself. Twilight was the pony who had gotten her out of that retched place anyway! Diamond Tiara searched the entire place, but she could not find any more. Even the well outside was no more than a glorified hole in the ground. She looked outside. The temperature had gone down a little, and so she decided to find Twilight again. She ran along the line she had drawn. It was almost sunset when she saw the glint of a very special tiara. She picked it up. She watched the sunset, specifically waiting until the light was gone, just like Twilight asked.
The sunset splayed purples and oranges across the sky. The sun sparkled across the desert, illuminating clouds above the atmosphere, far higher than any pegasus could reach. Soon it purples turned to blues, the deep sea of sky burning with stars. The filly dug at the pile of sand, after a minute or two the filly started to panic, digging faster, trying to find the stone of Twilight.
"Twilight! Come on..." the filly said, trying to mask her panic. "Time to get up." she dug at the sand. "Twilight!" she screamed. Perhaps the wind blew the sand and she wasn't digging at the right spot? What if she didn't cover Twilight enough and she shriveled up into nothing? She didn't mean to murder Twilight! Tiara started to cry. Stop. She told herself. You don't want to waste the precious water you have! ... that Twilight didn't get... The thought only made her cry harder, which led to more guilt and the loop began again.
"Twilight!" she screamed, which made the ground underneath her hind hooves shake a bit. She then turned around and dug. She soon found the purple mane, and she dug faster. Twilight came out and gasped for air. She pulled herself out of the hole. Diamond Tiara hugged the mare.
"Thanks. I'm glad I trusted you. Hop on." Diamond Tiara jumped onto Twilight's back. "Do you know where that facility was?" the unicorn asks.
Tiara pauses. "I believe it was south of Ponyville. Twilight looks at the rising moon to her right.
Twilight thought. "Well it seems were going north. To Ponyville."
Tiara shudders. "I mean, do we have to? It just has so many bad memories. I was a real jerk to those blank flank fillies."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that..."
"Why not, Twilight?" Diamond Tiara asks.
"I think I killed them..."
------------------------------
"What do you mean think?" Tiara asks, hours later.
"I don't know. I hadn't sent a letter to the princess that week, so I freaked. I thought it all worked out in the end." Twilight paused.
"You get to send letters to the princess?"
"Yes, Diamond Tiara, keep up. But the more I think about it, the more it seems unlikely. I must have gotten out of hand, I never had been tardy before. I think that's where reality ended. Life does not end like that, where everything is just okay and with no consequences at all. Whatever I did, it must have been terrible to make my mind reject it. I have selective amnesia, Tiara. I'm worried that what I might have done is unforgivable."
"I can't believe it." Diamond said.
"I can't either..." Twilight stopped walking. "Why we're you in there?"
"My father, Filthy Rich. I guess he thought it was a camp or something..." Diamond Tiara started to cry. "But he saw it was a hospital, he didn't even care. He just left me! He was tired, I remember him saying. He didn't even care! His own daughter!" She sniffled. "I've been under their stupid experiments since. I was only there a week... Ish" she stopped, realizing she had no way of telling how many days had passed.
"That's terrible."
"Yeah, it is." She yawned. "Twilight, I need to get some sleep. Okay?"
The small filly slept for a few hours. Twilight's hooves beat against the sand. The moon slowly completing it's arch in the sky, it's waning. The desert seemed to be endless, the sand envoloping the land for miles. Even cacti were few, their green protrusions catching the moonlight.
The desert was only ended by a familiar group of plants.
"Look!" Twilight said "The Everfree Forest."
"We're almost there, and we still have half the night left?" Diamond Tiara mumbled sleepily.
"Okay, from now on, we'll only talk on whispers, okay? I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly."
"Okay." Tiara whispered. "I'm ready." Her yawn sleepy and long.
Twilight lifted her horn experimentally. It glowed softly, and so far she did not get a headache. It seemed the withdrawal had finally been over, and painless. "Hang on," Twilight said as her whole body teleported with Tiara. Over and over she did this through the Everfree forest. She could not risk stopping for the forest was infamous for it's many dangers, especially at night. At last they met the other side, with only scratches, and in Twilight's case, a nasty headache.
"Are you okay?" Tiara asks.
"I think I'll be okay, but what about you?" They had teleported to the graveyard outside of Ponyville, and right next to Twilight Sparkle, was a large stone with 'silver spoon' etched into its surface.
"I don't know." were the words that felt even less comforting than they sounded.
The filly then resumes crying. Her tears fall atop the grave of perhaps the only friend that she could ever have. And such is the punishment for a life of humiliating other ponies, and enjoying each bit.
"Come on, you can't sit here and cry until sunrise."
No response came from the small pony.
"Hop on my back, we're going to my library."
She did not move.
"Come on Diamond Tiara! You can't sit here and cry and expect anything but misery to come out of it. She's dead, and nothing is going to change that. Now come on."
"Okay," her voice barely above a whisper. She lifted herself off the ground and vaulted onto Twilight's back.
They teleported behind bushes, stopping and going to avoid anyone seeing the flashes of light they produced. Finally the duo landed inside the dark library that Twilight called home. The pair were a pair of ninja's, flashing like stars in the night.
"This is where you lived?"
"I still live here." Twilight said bluntly.
"Oh," Diamond blushed. "Yeah."
Twilight started pulling books from the shelves. "I need to find a book to help me find out what is wrong with me." she turned to Tiara. "Can you block all the windows with sheets and blankets? I need it light proof in here."
"Oh course Twilight." Tiara held tape in her mouth and quietly started to gather sheets to cover the windows. Thankfully, there wasn't as many as in her house, she thought. The filly was beginning to be a substitute for Spike. The dragon was nowhere to be seen. Blankets found under the stairs were brought out, and layers of cloth began to grow on the windows.
"Nothing!" Twilight said, throwing another book behind her. "Come on!" soon a messy pile of books had developed behind the unicorn.
"Twilight, it's about sunrise, you better go sleep."
"I can't! I have... So much work..." Twilight mumbled off. She started up her stairs to her bedroom. "Okay, but wake me up early. I need a couple... Of hours."
Diamond Tiara then sat in front of the window, and made sure nopony noticed Twilight was here. The windows on the bottom floor were still uncovered, and she could not stop looking out them, paranoid. I need to calm down. Nopony is going to try to come in now, I mean, Twilight isn't here... She thought to herself. A quick snack might distract me. Tiara went into the unicorn's kitchen and made herself a daisy sandwich. She was just putting a piece of bread on top when she heard the door open.
"It's eerie, don't ya think?" A southern drawl said. Why now? Tiara thought. She quickly and quietly hid in a cabinet.
"Why did she have so many books?" a small voice asks.
"Flutters... It's a library." a hoarse voice says... Kind of like a ...
Tiaras thought was interrupted by the sound of feet, walking up stairs. Oh no. In a hasty retreat, she fell out of the cabinet.
"What was that?" a very feminine voice asks.
Tiara bolts backwards to only be caught by a pegasus with a rainbow mane.
"It's just a kid!" the hoarse voiced pegasus says.
"Put me down, or my daddy might come and..."
"Come and what?" the rainbow pony asks.
"Rainbow dash, she's just a filly!" the yellow one says.
"What are you doing here?" the white one questions. "Don't you know that this was Twilight Sparkles library?"
Tiara made her body freeze up in mock fear. "Really?"
"Yes, we were her friends." a pink one says.
"Are her friends..." she thought she heard the butterfly one speak.
"Pinkie Pie? The pony who through my birthday party?"
"What are you doing here?" the delicate one asks.
"Nothing," wait, that is my answer, NOTHING?!? This is bad. Of all suspicious things.
"Nothing? Really, little filly?" the apple one says.
"I... I, just was" she stammered. "Masturbating!" she yelled.
"Oh dear, and you came to a LIBRARY to do so?" Rarity asked, appalled.
"Well, scram. We're looking for a book." Rainbow Dash lets Tiara go. She fell on the floor while every pony started to go upstairs. She ran up, trying to stop them, but there were too many and too big.
"Hey, why are all the windows covered?" Rainbow Dash asked, pulling off a blanket.
"Stop!" nopony listened to the filly.
"And it's a mess! What happened to Miss Organized?" Rarity toppled over a pile of books.
"Stop!" she shouted, hastily taping the blanket back onto the window.
"Oh dear, what is in Twilight's bed?" the butterfly pony asked.
"Don't!" she shouted as the blanket was pulled off, revealing Twilight shivering in her bed, sound asleep.
"It's Twi, get 'er!" the apple pony said.
"Stop!" the filly screeched. She jumped by Twilight and lifted her front hooves. "I wont let you!"
"Why are you protecting her? I mean-" Fluttershy asked, her pink mane covering her face.
"What is wrong with you?" Diamond Tiara interupted.
"She killed seven ponies!" Pinkie Pie blurted. "You think she didn't kill your best friend?"
"I don't care!" she shouted, realizing it's truth. "I don't care. I promised her, and unlike some ponies!" her eyes scanned the crowd. "I am going to keep that promise."
"She murdered Silver Spoon. How could you ever forgive her..." Fluttershy asked.
"I don't know, but I keep a promise." a silent tear fell down her cheek, and she looked at the purple unicorn, oblivious to how close she was to being hurt by her own friends. Her chest slowly rose and fell. I may do many bad things... but I'll keep a promise.
The small filly fell onto her front hooves, panting, and thinking.
"Diamond Tiara. Get off."
The filly looked up, and saw Fluttershy pacing around the bed.
"Get off now, I don't want to hurt you, but we are taking Twilight with us." the yellow pegasus announced.
"No!"
"Get off. NOW." the mare said firmly.
"Please, no...." Diamond Tiara was shocked by the shy Pegasus' sudden change of nature. She circled around her, her wings flapping menacingly.
In a flash the Pegasus whipped Tiara off the bed. She fell onto the ground stunned for a moment as she watched her friend be captured by her friends.
But they weren't her friends anymore.
"No! Twilight!" the filly screamed, kicking and biting the mares who were taking her friend. They surrounded her, and she could barely see.
"Get off of me!" a familiar voice shouted. Diamond Tiara leaped when the purple unicorn sent the others flying away from her. She ran to her savior, and stood by her side.
She was kicked to the side by her friend. Startled, she flew across the floor without resistance. "Twilight?" the small filly whispered.
"I told you to watch over me." Twilight said firmly, not bothering to look at Diamond Tiara. "And somehow with such a simple task, you have alerted my friends of my presence." the words bit at Tiara, sending her body in shock and involuntary tears down her face. The whole time, Twilight watching her friends for any movement.
Diamond Tiara felt something break inside her chest. Anger, desperation, despair. It all pushed at her chest, sending the filly over the edge.
"I thought we were friends..." the small filly said, her voice cracking, despite her intentions to remain cool on the surface.
Twilight directed her attention to the filly. "Friends? I barely know you. You bullied my friends sisters relentlessly, and only degraded other more unfortunate ponies. You think just because that you were in a bad situation, I would forget that and just help you? And be yourfriend?" Twilight laughed at the filly.
Diamond Tiara shied away, her body pressed against the wall of the library. The unicorn's eyes were without highlights, and Diamond Tiara had to take her strength not to look away.
Twilight stared at the filly in disgust, her ears not picking up on the hoofsteps until it was too late. Her back leg was enveloped in something cold, and she could feel it's magic take hold. Her body jerked as she could feel the mechanism dig into her leg, reaching her nerves. She fell onto the ground on her side.
Diamond Tiara was snapped out of her focus. Her mind was hazy and she did not even see the pony behind Twilight. Somewhere inside of her she felt guilt, guilty of breaking her friend's concentration. But her sorrow was overridden by shock, and most of all, fear.
The mare screamed in pain. Her body was still, paralyzed by the contraption on her leg. Her mind was trapped, unable to move against the thing. Her mouth, so directly connected to her brain, was the only thing she could voluntarily control. It was terrible, the screams.
Diamond Tiara watched stiffly as the pony screamed motionlessly on the ground. Something dark within the pony, loved to watch her in agony. How dare she say those things to me, she thought to herself. How dare she accuse me, even when I tried my best? I even stayed with her, after she killed my best friend. Diamond's mind was ablaze with dark thoughts of the purple unicorn who saved her life. Torture? It was a small step in the horrible thoughts of once an ignorant, innocent filly.
"Ya'll are lucky we don't lock ya up with Twilight." The orange apple pony said. Once again the filly was ripped from her thoughts. She looked away from the screaming mare.
"Twilight is lucky she doesn't get personally tortured by me."
The mare stepped back in shock, but then immediately remained cool. "How so?"
"You saw how she treated me." the filly started. "She saved me, and I saved her. But even when I found out that she killed my best friend... My only friend, I still stayed by her side. And after all of that... She... She leaves me in the dust. She kicks me to the side... Even when.... I tried my best." the filly felt her voice quiver with sadness, but her tone was firm.
"Come with us. We were all once deserted by Twilight... Despite our best intentions, I mean- we will look after you." the yellow pegasus blurted.
The small filly thought. She only nodded, in fear of her voice giving away her true feelings. The filly was scared. And sad. But for them she wanted to be strong. Friends united by a common enemy.
Twilight was still screaming. Still from the pain of having her flesh dug into by a foreign device. Suddenly, she stopped, tears still streaming from her face. The nerves simply stopped sending pain. For Twilight, this was a turning point. For the rest, it was a small achievement, for the device had completely finished its programming stage. Fluttershy looked away.
The friends all gathered around, Rarity looking at a scroll, pulled out a remote from her parcel. The scroll had instructions for the device on Twilight's leg. Rarity mumbled to herself, trying to decrypt the words on the page.
With the remote, Twilight stood up. The device now acting as the brain of her body, Twilight was useless to move against it. Her front hoof slowly moving in front, sending Twilight's chin to the floor. The pony whimpered. With a thought, Twilight tried to cast a spell, any spell. The effect never came, and as a punishment, the device sent waves of sharp pain everywhere on Twilight's body. It died out quickly, but the mare cried willingly. Soon there was a shallow puddle around Twilight as Rarity messed with the remote, trying to get the pony to move in a straight line.
The group stood in a semi circle, watching the pony flail against her own control.
She scanned through the pages. Her horn eventually flipped to the last page of the manuel, where at the very bottom, it was signed. ~With love, Princess Celestia~
"Sister, you did not mention you have sent some royal mail to the elements." Luna said, walking out the balcony.
"You are correct, I did not mention." Celestia responded, watching the sun slowly set.
"Sister, it is customary..."
"I do not care for customs, Luna. You know I don't." The white alicorn turned around to face her sister. "I shall do what please."
"Well, sister, I just think it would be nice to be informed about what is happening in our kingdom."
"You mean my kingdom." the dark alicorn steps back in shock. "I have ruled Equestia for a thousand years without the aid of my beloved sister. I do not believe that I would become dependent on your existence for how short of time you have been here."
"Sister...." was all Luna could respond.
"Now I have a right to my privacy, and you should respect that." the alicorn said firmly. Luna turned around to leave, watching her sister turn around to face the stars.
"I shall find out what is happening in our Kingdom, Celestia." she muttered very softly to herself. "Whether with your blessing or not." Luna started to fly off into the night as her sister slept. She was going to Ponyville.
------------------
Twilight woke up. Her eyes opened, and still in a daze she stood up.
Except she didn't. Her legs stayed underneath her. Momentarily she was in shock, and almost fell on her side.
Except she didn't. Twilight blinked her eyes. After a second she remembered what happened.
Her mind frantically scrambled inside her brain, trapped within its own body. Twilight started to hyperventilate. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Her breathing slowed, and when she opened her eyes, she recognized the room of Rarity's boutique.
"Rarity!" Twilight called out. Her voice was dry, she had to stop and cough.
She heard a whisper at the door. "Rarity?" she asked. There was a small giggle, and then the shadow passed by.
What the hay? She asked herself. Her question was not answered, but she did hear the door slam below. Twilight listened closely to the frantic footsteps going up the stairs. The door slightly opened, the mare peeking through the crack.
"Rarity!" Twilight shouted. "Please," the shadow took a step away from the door. "Please..." Twilight begged. Instead she trotted down the stairs, leaving Twilight alone, thirsty. Hours passed as Twilight's head pounded. Her headache only got worse and worse until she passed out.
When Twilight woke up, she was no longer in Rarity's home.
Fluttershy came though the door. "Hi, Twilight." she whispered, faking a smile. Her hooves were shaking horribly.
"Fluttershy, that isn't Twilight any more. She.. She's a thing!" Rarity said from outside.
"I'm sorry, but Rarity couldn't stand to have you in her shop. She was really scared. So we had a rusty old shed in my backyard made into a little home. It was the best I could do. I hope you don't mind."
"She can't mind, Fluttershy, she is an animal!" Rarity shouted.
"Even if that is true, animals are what I am best at Rarity, and I know my friend is still alive." Fluttershy said, rubbing Twilight's body with her muzzle. The warmth was overwhelming.
"Thank you." was all Twilight said. She let her eyes close.
"Twilight, there is water here, and you can reach it with your head, right?" Twilight tested, and by stretching her neck, she could reach the water. "I'm sorry that it had to be this way, but Princess Celestia said we had to use all means necessary to make sure nopony was hurt. I feel awful watching you without your body..." Fluttershy's voice began to crack.
Princess Celestia? The name rang in her ears, over and over.
"But they just want to make sure you didn't hurt anypony else, Okay?" The pegasus left, and closed the door behind her. Even though all Twilight wanted to do is talk, her throat was dry. She bowed her head and drank. The cool water tickled her throat. Not soon after Twilight could feel its heaviness in her stomache. Now full, she rested her head. If nothing else, she needed sleep over the days she spent walking. The time underground was less of a deep sleep and more of a rest. Twilight could feel fatigue slowly pulling her head closer to the floor.
Twilight woke up, feeling okay, a monumental step for Twilight. The water had done only good things for Twilight. She looked back, only a few times in the hospital had she been able to drink freely. Added the fact she had gone two days without any water. No wonder she had been feeling so poorly. She tried to catch glimpse of what time it was, but the small window was covered. There was no clock. It maybe hours until Fluttershy could visit her. Twilight was eager to speak to anypony, her conversations with Diamond Tiara had been short and unpleasant. Diamond Tiara.... Twilight felt awful for what she had said. It was in the past now.
Twilight thought for hours, waiting for Fluttershy. She thought of all the possible ways she could apologize to Diamond Tiara. None of them seemed any good. She had spat in her face practically. The filly was her partner, and the very first time she made a mistake, Twilight rubbed in her face and left her. But not just the things she said. I... Killed her only friend no matter what Twilight said, no matter what she could do, she could never make up for that. As the sun finally set, Twilight felt terrible for the things she had done. All she wanted to do is to see the filly, in the sunlight. The moment for Twilight ended as quickly as it had begun.
"Twilight?" a small voice asks. "Oh, I see your sleeping, I'll come back later..."
"No, Fluttershy." Twilight lifts her head and opens her eyes.
"Oh, okay. I brought you some food." in Fluttershy's hand was a delicious looking plate of daffodils and lettuce.
"Thank you Fluttershy." Twilight's eyes watched at the pony, her face expressionless. Fluttershy fidgeted under her stare.
"Anyway," Fluttershy started, while the unicorn ate the salad. "The princess told me to help 'reform' you. You know, because I an nice, and I take care of animals."
"I don't need reforming Fluttershy. What I did was a mistake, and I'm sorry. I don't even remember anything I did. All I remember is from the time you saw me in that hospital. I... I don't know what happened." the unicornvsaid calmly.
"Well, Twilight. The princesses just want to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I mean, it was tragic and they have to watch over all of Equestria."
"I understand Fluttershy it's just..." Twilight began.
"It's okay. Besides, Rarity has a suprise for you." Fluttershy stood to the side while the shaking mare came out in front.
"It seems, that we can let you walk. Uh." the purple maned mare stumbled. "So... " she said, pulling out the remote from her side bag. With a click, Twilight felt a wave of sensation from her body. She tested her legs, and then began to stand up.
"Yes! Thank you Rarity." Fluttershy hugged the unicorn.
"Fluttershy, I know you hate to see anypony hurting... But are you sure it's safe for you and your animals?"
"I trust Twilight, Rarity. But if you are so very worried for me, you can stay at my cottage. I'm sure the animals won't mind."
"Thank you Fluttershy." Rarity acknowledged. "I hate to see you helpless, and I just want to make sure you are safe, Darling."
Twilight, with a new sense of hope walked forwards a bit. She fell. "Ow."
"Oh Twilight, I'm sure you will get the hang of it again." Fluttershy encouraged.
"Thank you. I am grateful." her lips pulled into a smile.
Rarity joined in. "I made sure that you can't do any magic Twilight, so you don't even try to hurt Fluttershy! You got it?"
"Rarity! Don't be rude!" Fluttershy scolded.
"It's okay. Rarity, I understand why you are scared, I'm a little scared too, okay? But I'm trying my best to redeem myself, so try to be a little considerate?" Twilight asked.
Rarity took a visible gulp. "Okay, but don't you dare think about hurting my friend."
The conversation ended, with Fluttershy showing how she could help with the many chores Twilight could help her with.
"Now, the owls are nocturnal, so you are solely responsible for their care. I made you a list." Fluttershy passed the note as Twilight struggled to hold it in her hoof.
"Rats? Ew." she commented.
"Twilight, the owls need a proper diet, don't be childish."
"Right, sorry Flutters." the name rolled off her tongue... Flutters...
"Rarity will be with you from sun down until midnight, that is about five hours. Then I will get up and can be with you until sunrise, okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"That's fine Fluttershy, thank you." Twilight said, carefully laying the piece of paper onto a nearby table.
*************
"Silver Spoon." the voice said.
"Please." she cried. The filly curled up in the darkness. "I just wanna go home."
"Let me see your face." a cold hand reached out to pull the filly's face away from under her hooves. "Strange."
Tears started to run down the filly's face. "Please..." she cried.
"Yes. Come with me." the mares body came out from under the shadows. Her silky dark blue hair came out in waves, reaching over her face, covering her eyes. Her ethereal mane was somehow magically tied in a loose bun with excess hair reaching down to the ground. The strange mare's coat was dark purplish grey, and her cutie mark was concealed beneath her light grey cape. Her eyes... They were so ... Indescribable. As Silver Spoon stared into them, she almost became entranced.
"Am I dead?" Silver asked.
"Young pony, of course not. You are with me now." The mysterious pony lifted her up with her horn. "If you stick beside me, you shall always be safe." The mare set the filly atop her back. The night sky surrounded them as they lifted off the ground, her wings tipped with silver.
The dark blue sky shimmered with stars. Soft billowing clouds slowly drifted by, sending cold sprays into the filly's face. The waning moon was slowly rising above the trees.
"Who are you?" Silver Spoon asked.
"I am your mother dear child." The alicorn responded.
Silver looked inside herself to question the mare. She could not find any reason not to. "Mother?"
"Yes?"
"Who am I?" The filly asked, restless upon her back.
"You are my child."
"I mean... what's my name?" Silver asked again.
"You're name is Silver Spoon. Look upon your flank." And so the small filly did, her curiosity satisfied for the moment. She rested her head and relaxed as great grey clouds passed though them. The cool air was chilling but not cold. As they rose higher and higher into the sky, they were still hours from their destination.
Princess Luna landed upon the soft grass in front of Twilight's home. She knocked at first, but when no answer came, she came rushing through the door. "Twilight Sparkle?" She cried, running up the stairs. She searched the house, in a frenzy. Perhaps the Element of Magic is taking a stroll... she thought to herself. At 3-Oclock in the morning...?
The princess stepped out of the empty husk of a library. Perhaps I may find the other elements. Princess Luna took flight to the nearest Element of Generosity. When no one was found, the alicorn cast a clairvoyance spell. "Help me find the Element of Magic." she said aloud. Her horn only lead her back to the PonyVille's favorite Library. Luna sighed. "Help me find Twilight Sparkle." Now her horn was leading her to the forest. The Princess started to run, until she realized it was leading her to a cottage.
Twilight was sweeping the floor, with her mouth. Exhausted, she spit the blasted stick out of her mouth.
"Fluttershy? How do you do it? I have splinters in my tongue and my hooves hurt from standing all day. How does Applejack do it?" the unicorn questioned.
"Oh Twilight. I know having magic must be wonderful, but you give Earth ponies and Pegasi too much credit. We've lived without magic all of our lives."
"Ugh." the unicorn grumbled, trying once again to lift the broom with her hooves. "Get, come on!" she said, trying to grip the blasted broom.
"Here, let me help." Fluttershy grabbed the broom in her hooves with practiced ease.
"Twilight Sparkle!" a strong Canterlot voice called from outside. It could only be her favorite princess of the night.
"Princess Luna." Fluttershy said, bowing. "What could possibly have brought you here at this time of night?"
"Twilight Sparkle, are you alright?" the alicorn said, ignoring Fluttershy.
"Well, Princess," Twilight started. "Okay is a relative term..." she nervously laughed, backing up into the door.
Suddenly Twilight was lifted up in Luna's magic. She twirled her around, checking for any signs of damage, when she noticed the odd light on her leg accessory. "What is this? Another one of your fashion items from...." she started, lifting her magic to pry the metal off her leg to inspect it further, when her horn exploded.
Twilight's eyes watered and her entire body was shivering involuntarily. Not only had it exploded, but the shock shredded the last of Twilight's physche. "Please," she muttered. "I just a poor pony, poor pony, poor pony, explain my mare, is it okay?" she said, mumbling the words and slurring them together.
"Oh my," Luna stared while Fluttershy immediately went by the unicorn's side. She crooned over her, having her already sending pets to fetch some water. Fluttereshy whispered soothing things into the lavender unicorn's ear, her soothing voice speaking of daisies and bunnies and other pleasant things to think about.
Rarity had finally her robe on and came to inspect the scene. Fluttershy's pets were shaking and trying to hide. Rarity was shocked to see the very princess of the night to be there as well. Birds flew above her in the air, still hyped from the recent explosion.
"Twilight Sparkle, what impossible thing has forsaken you?" Luna questioned, her large eyes inspecting the damage over the poor pony.
Angel returned, the only one brave enough, with a pan of water. Fluttershy grabbed a towel and dipped it in. She carefully dabbed the unicorns forehead with the warm wet towel. It seemed to calm her down until she jumped again, making Fluttershy's heart skip a beat.
"Perhaps I could have found, but no! The light.... Why? My poor self, I don't care for it. I just wanna be a pony. Instead I am just a poor pony, poor pony, poor pony." Twilight returned, getting stuck in a loop once again. Her eyes were closed tightly and water streamed from them. She shook in Fluttershy's arms, dispite her constantly stroking her mane.
"Wait a second," Rarity turned to the princess. "You didn't know Twilight was getting treated?"
"Treated? Tis' no treatment here! Only treachery." Luna went to softly comfort the mare, only to be sent back with more words.
"Mother! Mother! I have stayed at your side despite your time as Nightmare Moon." the unicorn shouted, with shocking clarity. "Mother!" Twilight shouted, leaping towards the alicorn to kiss upon her feet. "I never forgot about you and now you have come to bless me! I am so glad, I had feared you had forgotten my immortal form!" the unicorn shouted.
"Twilight? What has gotten into you?" Fluttershy asked worryingly.
"Fluttershy, I don't think Twilight is 'Twilight' anymore..." Rarity spoke wearily.
"I know who has forced herself into Twilight's soul." Luna said to not only Twilight, but the wondering mares around her. "She happens to be some pony I know very well."
Hours passed as questions were answered. Everyone was shocked to hear that Celestia had been going to behind Luna's back, her sister of all ponies! Rarity told the tragic story of what had happened with Twilight. Even when Fluttershy was outright bawling, Rarity still trudged through the story, making sure that everything she knew, the princess knew. Even though she was not there for most of it, the simple rumors she heard sent shivers down her spine. The princess, however, remained a stone-like expression throughout the story.
"How... How do you do it?" Fluttershy questioned the princess.
"Do what dear?" Luna asked back, her head tilting very slightly in curiosity.
"Remain so calm... After all that has happened?" Fluttershy asked again, wiping her tears off of her soaking wet coat.
"It is practiced dear. You don't live a thousand years and never learn how to control your emotions." she responded simply. Fluttershy cried some more over her already deep pool of tears. "Even tis' thousand years on a moon." She mumbled almost bitterly.
"What was that?" Fluttershy asked genuinely.
Rarity said, trying to change the subject, "Luna, dear? Who was Twilight back then? The pony you said you knew?" she turned around to see the unicorn on the ground, asleep but appearing to still have nightmares.
"The last I saw of her was decades ago. She used to be just a Pegasus, but now I cannot know for sure. I cannot remember her name, for I have many memories and eventually I forget, but... I could never forget her voice. She was insane, of that I am sure. Back in Canterlot I am sure somewhere I can find a book with her history." Luna cryptically put.
"Um... Princess, how is it that you could even remember that much from so long ago?" Rarity asked.
"She was a serial killer, and she almost murdered me when she was still just a Pegasus."
The night was chilling upon the filly's back. Her grey coat ruffled as her body shivered.
"Be patient, my dear one. Patience, is key." The alicorn responded.
"But... we have been in the air forever." Silver Spoon said.
"You exaggerate. For a pony such as I, forever is trivial." Her dark wings beat in the clouds. "Besides, we are minutes from our destination."
"Finally..." the filly sighed in relief. "We can land."
"You know, this entire time I have solely done all of the work. You simply rode upon my back." The filly smiled in embarrassment. "Look under you my dear."
The filly carefully peeked over the alicorn's back. Thousands of buildings were lined up, and despite the night, it seemed the buildings were alive. Tiny sparkles shone in the distance, illuminating the entire city. In the jagged mountains thousands of ponies had carved giant palaces into the stone. Something however... seemed off.
"You might have noticed my dear child," The alicorn started, almost reading the filly's mind. "The city is alive not with ponies, but changelings."
The filly's body froze in shock, for she had never heard of such a species. And of course coming from xenophobic society, she expected the worse. "Changelings?"
"You need not fear us. We do not prey upon pony's themselves." The mention of pony gobbling did not help the filly calm down. The 'alicorn' rolled her eyes. "We feed on love dear child. It is in our best interest to keep you happy."
"But... how come I have never heard of 'changelings'?" Silver Spoon asked.
"We are more of a secretive species, but we are harmless. We all live in our own cities, and we as long as queens go, we live on our own."
"Wait..." the filly started to think. "That means there are more queens, like you?"
"Yes. There are many spread across Equestria. We only sometimes meet up, otherwise we mostly attack one another."
"That's awful. Why can't you all work together?"
"It is just not our species way. Do lions work together as a team?"
"I guess so, but why do you need me?" The filly asked the changeling queen.
"Patience dear child, knowledge will come with time." The 'alicorn' laughed, her sharp teeth shining white.
"What?" Twilight said, raising her head from a deep sleep. She noticed Rarity's absence first, and then remembered what had recently happened.
"Twilight!" Fluttershy shouted, glad to see her dearest friend was still okay.
"Ow..." Twilight's head was thrumming to the beat of her heart, each one hurting more than the last. "Why....?" Still in a state of shock, she tried to stand, bringing her head even closer to the light. Wait, Twilight panicked as the very first rays of the sunrise were rising closer and closer to her hooves.
"Twilight." Princess Luna brought her muzzle to Twilight's. "You have snapped out of your ..." Luna paused, thinking of the correct terminology for such an incident. "transformation." she said, somewhat indecisively.
"Luna... I don't know what came over me, but, once I saw you my head just filled with... with this darkness..." Twilight's headache only worsened with the effort of conjuring up the memory.
"Twilight, my beloved friend." Luna embraced the smaller unicorn. "I can only hope that you will be alright." She added, barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry."
The moment was ruined when a sliver of sun landed upon Twight's front hoof. She screamed and jerked in the firm grasp of the alicorn. It was only a moment before the alicorn let go in shock, stepping back to see the unicorn curled up on the floor, shivering. Twilight's eyes did not stray from were the beam landed across the floorboards. Her front hoof was dark, as it was burned, and Luna stood back, wide eyed and scared for what this could mean.
"Twilight Sparkle..." her voice quivered, as Luna started to step towards the small unicorn.
"Oh dear," Fluttershy was already grabbing blankets and draping them over the windows. The princess blinked in the sudden darkness, only half-seeing Fluttershy grabbing some cold water to nurse Twilight's wounds. "Are you okay Twilight?"
Twilight only nodded, fearing that if her mouth opened, she would scream. Her hoof stung when Fluttershy put the damp towel on it, but she only flinched.
"Twilight Sparkle..." Luna started again, trying the think of all the things she could say, but her mind came up blank.
"Oh no..." Fluttershy tried to talk to Twilight. "I guess since the sun is up now, you can stay in my house for today, maybe we could have some tea..." she said quietly, making small talk with the injured pony. "We could have a tea party! I'm sure I could convince Angel to have it with us, and we could read books together. Maybe we could send somepony to fetch some books from your library! I'm sure that would be fun." Twilight's ears perked at the mention of hooks, which Luna responded with a chuckle. Even if she was minorly possesed and hyper-allergic to the sun, she was still Twilight Sparkle.
"Twilight Sparkle... I am so sorry." Luna finished.
"Sorry?" the unicorn managed to gasp out, "Is there something you weren't telling us?" she said, reading though all of Luna's attempts to remain innocent.
"Well... you see. It was along time ago. You know the story where I was saddened by my daily struggles, and confronted Celestia... and it ended with me turning to Nightmare Moon." Luna's eyes were filled with worry. "There is a part however, that you may never had heard. I had help in my plan to destroy Celestia. And I made perhaps the worst mistake of my life in trusting a certain pegasus. A mistake that without Celestia, would have ruined Equestria forever."
"What?" Twilight shouted, stood up, fell over from pain, and sat back down again.
"Twilight don't do that..." Fluttershy muttered.
"I made a mistake, alright? I was angry for revenge, I had stood in my sister's shadow for long enough! A pegasus offered me more than magic... she offered me power..." Luna stood defensively. "For all of my life I had always just been her shadow..." Luna's voiced grew smaller. Her wings beat, fidgeting with the warm air around her. "It's not like I had never seen the pony before! She was a mailmare, a personal royal servant who was faster maybe then the likes of Rainbow Dash. Her wings were strong and steady, and she was the best on our squad. She saw my troubles... she often comforted me on my worse days. She would find me in my quarters, weeping. I never knew..." her voice trailed off, heavy with memories.
"I know princess... you trust the wrong pony when your desperate." Twilight stood up, despite Fluttershy's advice. "I understand, but... I don't know if I can get out okay... Hell, I don't know if I can make it out alive. I just... am worried. I'm worried for me, I'm worried for the elements, I'm worried for the fate of Equestria. If this pony can live that long on their own, they have to pose a serious threat to you and Celestia."
Luna frowned. "This... mailmare, she did not do it entirely on her own. When she finally convinced me she could help, I started a spell to share power, she was offering the stuff of my dreams! But... when I cast the spell I suddenly felt her presence gathering all of my energy. She stole my magic, and It took the last of my energy to stop the spell. I was too weak to stop her from leaving, forever. She only took a fraction of my magic, and I eventually recovered, but not enough. When I battled Celestia, I was even weaker than before. Perhaps by stealing my magic, she helped Celestia win in the end, and stopped me from destroying her. She was a wonderful and caring pony, even putting herself in danger to cover my rashness. Pegasus holding an alicorn's magic? Downright mad. But things change in the course of a thousand years."
"Luna..." Fluttershy went to comfort the alicorn, but she turned her head away.
"I do not deserve consoling. I have risked the life of a mailmare too kind for words, and turned her to a monster as well. I risked the fate of Equestria, and only Celestia would stop me. And even still she forgives me for these crimes. I indeed am only to rest in her shadow. I deserve the sadness, perhaps it is only the last shred of soul I have left. But, it was all a ruse. She had murdered ponies before and kept a positive image for herself. She was mad before I even could help her. And I prolonged her insanity with my foolishness."
"Princess Luna..." Fluttershy said in her usual soft tone. "Nopony deserves to be sad. I don't care that you that you put someone's life in danger. It is in the past. You should not feel sad for what happened a gazillion years ago, you should be happy that you have friends now that forgive you and love you all that you are, mistakes and all." Fluttershy stood beside the alicorn, brushing against her wing.
"Princess Luna," Twilight started. "I have a plan."
Celestia lifted her head towards the night and brought forth the sun. The shimmering light brought a sense of calm over the princess, her daily ritual relaxing and amazing. Content, the alicorn turned to find her sister as to wish her sweet dreams.
"Lulu?" the alicorn called out, opening the door to her sister's room. She sighed when she noticed her fond sibling was not there. "I have a pretty good guess at where you are Luna. You may play me as a fool, but I will not have you meddling with my affairs." she muttered to herself. Her white wings expanded and she took flight after her rebellious sister.
"Princess Luna." Celestia's voice called from outside the door. Luna flew upright in shock and turned to see then no other than a very angry alicorn at the door.
"Celestia! Oh... is it day already? I should be getting to bed..." Luna said nervously.
"Don't play dumb. I told you not to meddle with my affairs, and I meant it."
"Celestia! You are being unreasonable. Twilight is in critical condition and you are nowhere to be seen! Or is you most faithful student not important?" Luna retorted, flying up in the air to see her sister below.
"Well it seems that I have had more important things to do, such as find our favorite ageless mailmare. It just so happens that 95 ponies in all have either gone missing or been killed, and I know she is behind it. The fate of Equestria is in my hands, and if she gets to much power before I can stop her, she could destroy all of Canterlot."
"So, why don't you get the Elements of Harmony?" Luna asked, and then thought of what she just said.
Celestia just frowned. "As you can tell, the Elements are in no condition to be fighting. Instead I entrust Twilight to possibly the only ponies capable of curing her, and you are blaming me for not paying attention to one pony?! Twilight is my most faithful student, and she is linked to the very thing I am trying to destroy, why would I not try to nip this in the bud?" Celestia rose a few feet to meet Luna's eye level. "Instead, I have to waste my time, finding my sister getting herself too close to the situation, and I have to stop you from ruining everything AGAIN!"
"I'm sorry..." Luna whispered. The blow struck hard against Luna's already guilty conscience.
"Do you know what would happen if you decided to go fight Mrs. Mailmare now? Of course you would run in with no plan, And she would destroy you. She has an ARMY! She would steal your power, again, and then I don't know if I could beat her!"
"Celestia, I wasn't...." Luna started.
Celestia's voice was rising in volume, until all the ponies except Luna were cringing at the shear amount of sound. "You weren't what? Don't tell me you weren't planning to run in there and fight her, that any plan you could have had wouldn't end in defeat. Twilight is in the best hooves she could be in. She is surrounded by forgiving mares that have been with her through thick and thin, and Fluttershy is the most kind mare there is. She doesn't need magic, she needs love. Even I could not give her as much as her five friends who would give anything to help her out."
"But... what about her brace, it's unnecessary and inhumane! It's downright cruel!" Luna shouted back.
"Luna for hell's sake she is a bucking conduit for perhaps the most downright insane pony.... thing we have faced. You just want to leave that unchecked? What if she decides to completely take over Twilight's body, and use her magic against her friends? If she struck down the Elements, there is NO hope. Do you think that I just half-assed all the things I did? I have been working, this whole time against an enemy I have never seen before, never fought before, and you think that I don't have important things to worry about? Twilight might die, and you assume that I am just messing around in my room, doodling on paper?" Celestia's eyes fluttered as she fell from the air, gasping.
"Sister!" Luna cried, reaching for her sister. "Have you not been sleeping again?" she asked worriedly.
"Lulu... there is more important things to be doing than sleeping. I have lived a thousand years, I can always make up for sleep later." Celestia said, rising.
"Celestia?" Twilight's voice came from the corner. She came out, her eyes showing her fear, despite her rigid body.
"Oh Twilight... I am sorry for all of these circumstances, but I cannot sacrifice the safety of my kingdom, even for you." Celestia said, her eyes blinking slowly.
"I understand..." Twilight used all of her will not to back away from the frightening alicorn.
"I am so sorry, I did not mean to scare you like that Twilight... it's just, I have been under so much stress lately. Come, lay under my wing."
Twilight trotted nervously to her teacher and sat next to her. She looked at her teacher, all of her anger melting away into something else. A mixture of regret and sorrow flooded over Twilight.
"I never wanted this to happen. Not to my Twilight." Celestia said. "Never to my Twilight."
It was nighttime when the pony betrayed her. When the pony betrayed her trust and abandoned her when things went sour.
No, perhaps it was morning. Ah, yes it had to have been morning. Diamond Tiara remembered running away from the sunrise, away from the library where her betrayer once lived. Or was she running towards the sunrise?
She was definitely running toward the sunrise. She remembered now. The bright sun leaving spots in her eyes as her eyes watered. She had been crying because of the sun. She had closed her eyes, running with tears down her cheeks because the sun was too bright.
She really should be writing this down. It was after all the speech she knew (hoped) Twilight Sparkle would hear last.
As in she couldn't hear anything after that.
As in Twilight Sparkle would have a hard time hearing two meters underground. In a coffin.
Diamond Tiara grabbed a pen. A smile on her lips as she felt the words on her tongue.
Twilight Sparkle sat in front of her, tied up and helpless. Diamond Tiara laughed as tears fell down her cheeks.
"Please Diamond Tiara, pity me!" she cried.
Wait no, she thought. She wouldn't be crying... that's out of character. Diamond Tiara stopped. Would she? No, Twilight is the kind of pony that would be stubborn to the end.
"I will get my revenge!" shouted Twilight. It felt much better.
Diamond laughed. "Don't you see? It's over! Give up!"
"Never!" Twilight cried adamantly.
"You left me there that morning, you betrayed me when I went so far for you. But you never thought that I would come back for revenge, that ole' Diamond Tiara would never-"
Ole'? This wasn't the bronze age.
"-that little Diamond Tiara would never come to haunt you. Well I have! I've never forgotten how you killed my only friend. And now you will feel the pain." She laughed, lifting up a knife and...
and...
Diamond Tiara sighed. She stared at the page, filled with her speech. She had the feeling that the words would never actually be heard, by Twilight or by anypony. Diamond Tiara sat the pen down.
She wasn't a killer.
You could be.
No! ... I couldn't.
Oh? Tell me, how is Twilight doing?
I don't care.
You do. Don't tell me you have forgiven her.
I would never! Diamond Tiara grit her teeth. My... my only friend. Her resolve faltering for only a moment.
Then kill her.
Then I'm as bad as her! Maybe worse because she couldn't even remember that she did. I'm no murderer.
Are you?
"Keep questioning me and I will murder you!" Diamond shouted. A light blue pot smashed on the wall, leaving beautiful pieces of glass on the carpet.
A moment passed "Dazzle-Doo?" a quiet voice questioned. The door creaked open, bleeding golden light into the dark grey room.
Diamond lifted her head up, not letting one ounce of anger fall from her face.
"Are... are you all right?" the voice was careful but overwrought with fear.
"Yes mom I-" she stopped for a second, a moment, tops. "I'm not okay."
The door creaked open showing a mare with outwardly concern on her face. The room illuminated, the grey walls holding trophies that undoubtedly held no value to her. Tiara jumped on her bed, wordlessly inviting her mother to join her.
Her mother's hooves were quiet on the light blue carpet, as if any noise would change her daughter's mind and she would be sent out of her room like so many times before. She noticed the tiara in pieces, under and beside her bed. She felt sad to see her daughters favorite possesion tossed to the side in anxiety and depression.
She sat beside her daughter, not wanting to say a word lest she scare her daughter away. The light grey cushion crinkling under her weight. She knew she had made the right choice when she felt Tiara's head lie against her neck. Soft sobs joined them.
"Dear, are you crying?" she spoke softly.
"No!" Tiara shouted.
She asked no further questions wondering to herself how to help her daughter recover. She felt that perhaps the best way was to just be there. To let her recover on her own and to not try to intervene. Another voice inside cried to talk to her, and yet another said to shower in gifts as if that had ever worked before.
At last she spoke, breaking the silence. "Mom...?" she cleared her throat. "Can, can we redo my room?"
She lifted her eyes, only now noticing the grey, light blue morbid color scheme of her own daughter's room.
"Of course my dear. Anything for you."
Nightfell somewhere in Equestria. A blackened mare sat in a corner, gnarled horn pointed and the sky and eyes closed in concentration. The night fell and soon the crickets began chirping, one, two at a time until the world was made of them, each one loud, shouting for attention in the darkness.
The trees started hooting, the nocturnal birds flittering around in the night sky. Squirrels skittering around at the last minute, and the rustling of leaves.
She frowned, first trying to ignore the racket then gritting here teeth and denying herself to hear them. The noise continued until the mare had enough.
Before a spell could be started, or even thought of, every single cricket in the forest a stopped chirping all at once. Just as the mare opened her eyes to turn around and see the cause, a blinding flash in the form of a steel baseball bat slammed into her face, sending the mare skittering across the forest floor.
"You silly, silly filly." A sickly voice commented.
Celestia sat beside Twilight, sighing. Her student looked up at her hesitantly.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I'm just-" the words stuck in her mouth. "under stress is all. I didn't mean to frighten you." Celestia's wing fell over her, and suddenly Twilight felt like a foal again, laying under the massive wing. So often they would get together in the night, as Celestia would read books near the fireplace. Now with so many disasters at hoof it felt there was no time to waste with such trivial things.
"Celestia, I'm scared..." It was not often her title was dropped, and Celestia could feel the genuine concern ebbing from Twilight. She paused to compose herself. "I- I battled Nightmare Moon and- and Discord but then I had my friends and now I just don't know-" she broke into sobs. "but this time I DON'T KNOW! and I'm so scared!" As Twilight sobbed Celestia wing reached around and comforted her, as Twilight nestled into the feathers Celestia forgot how much of a mother she was to Twilight. She didn't mind when her white wings grew dirty.
It was at long last when somepony broke the silence. "Tia, don't worry. I will oversee any more problems at the castle." She turned to leave.
"Luna," she met her gaze. "you must get your sleep."
"And you yours my dear sister. Tis' but one day, and you are long overdue for a nap." Celestia sighed as if to say something, but instead met Luna's eyes and nodded. Her midnight wings caught air as she gallantly flew into the distance. As Luna left Fluttershy suddenly realized herself.
"Oh, um princess, I'm sure you came along time, and well, I was wondering if you would like some tea- I feel it relaxes me, and maybe you're overdue for a nap, not to say your lazy, your highness-" Celestia watched with a glint of laughter in her eyes, as she did when anypony was nervous around her. "I just mean that you seem a little high-strung, not to say you're mean or anything-"
Celestia let out a small, terse chuckle. "Some tea would be lovely."
"Okay." Fluttershy managed to squeak out. She zoomed to what Celestia would assume was the kitchen.
Rarity yawned, stretching her shoulders, no doubt tired. Celestia's eyes met her's and they both stopped, staring at each other for some time.
Rarity bowed. "Good day Princess." She shifted akwardly, trying to read Celestia's unmanagable face. She refrained from squinting, trying to try to get any reading from the Princess's face.
Celestia chuckled, "I suppose it is."
A moment paused, "So, I guess I have to back to my boutique, I do have dresses to sew and all kinds of things to do so..." Rarity slowly backed up to the door, giving the princess a terse bow before running outside. She sighed in relief, trotting contently to her house.
"You do have the oddest choice in friends Twilight." Celestia looked down at her student, masquerading as somepony who wasn't tired beyond belief. Celestia sighed contently, bringing her head down on the floor. "What do say that we lay down on those fluffly pillows in the corner there and take a long, nice nap."
"I never thought you would ask." Twilight stood, slightly limping to the pillows arranging some sort of nest around her. Celestia joined, and soon they both realized how exhausted they were.
Fluttershy brought forth the tea, and after a single cup, they both had fallen fast asleep. Fluttershy left, no doubt to take care of her precious animals. Hours passed and soon the night rose as promised. Celestia dreamed with her sister, not as communication, but as she supposed normal ponies did, thinking of relatives deep into their dreams. Twilight dreamt of galloping in the sun, and for once, she did not have nightmares, not one in her slumber. The sun was bright and warm on her fur.
The world seemed content at that moment, so still and silent as it let the ponies recover. Clouds passed as it did not rain and the worries of the world seemed so distant.
They had stopped for the night. Silver Spoon readjusted her glasses, akwardly placing them as a hoof almost in disbelief of what she saw.
"And this, my dear friend, is the army you will be feeding." The smooth and gentle voice had betrayed the words, so distant from the voice of war. It's warmth felt akward against the content of its meaning. Silver Spoon stared ahead.
There had to have been hundreds, thousands of these soldiers, each one encased in alien, green goo. The world slowed as she counted them, almost obsessively until she no longer could distinguish how many were in the distance. They were all foals, small, petite things sucking their tails in their embryos.
"How many?" the words were whispered.
"Thirty thousand." it was said with a smile.
The words rattled around in Silver Spoon's brain. Thirty thousand. Thirty thousand infants, each growing with no doubt tremendous amounts of love.
Each one of these creatured devoured love. Each one of them gobbled it up as candy. How much love would they need to produce to feed so many?
"Do- do I eat love?"
A dry chuckle escaped the mares lips. "No, you make love silly. You are one of a kind, in that you can love. I want you to know that I'm showing you this, so you know you're on the winning team. We will win this war-"
A quaint town just west of Applaloosa, the wind blowing over the grass hills and sand flying through the air like tumbleweeds. Sea Shine, a young foal barely ready to begin is in the fields, chasing butterflies and bees. His bright eyes sparkle glittering gold as he watches in amazment.
"Hello dear little pony." a nearby bumblebee whispers in his ear.
A giggle, "Why Mr. Bee, I didn't know you could talk!"
"Oh small foal, there are so many things in this world you do not know about. Say, would you like to go on an adventure?"
"Silly Mr. Bee, I can't go on an adventure now, my mom is waiting for me."
"It'll take but a second. Come with me." The bee began to rise, skipping a few meters in front of young Sea Shine. He looked back at the red house, resting upon the fields.
"Okay Mr. Bee, but only for a second."
"Wonderful..." A smirk and soon they were off into the forest depths.
"Twilight Sparkle?"
"Huh? Oh princess, you're still here. I'm sorry I dozed off there for a second."
"Oh? And what did you dream of?"
Twilight smiled. "Oh, nothing in particular."
Fluttershy walked in, Angel on her back. "Oh, you two are awake." Angel stirred, Fluttershy hushing him.
"I thank you for allowing me some rest in your... cottage I suppose. I do appreciate it." Celestia bowed.
"Oh princess, it really wasn't any trouble at all! I'm just glad you're feeling like yourself again." Fluttershy smiled.
"Celestia?"
"Twilight?" Celestia turned to face her.
"Do you think we could go for, have a walk together? I mean, it's night time now and-"
"Of course." Celestia nodded. "A walk would be lovely." she stood, her wings folding gently around her. Twilight stood as well.
Celestia's magic opened the door, the nighttime stars shining above.
"May I ask what you have been doing this week?"
"Not much, I guess... I've been asleep alot of it."
"I know that's a lie."
A moment passed, the soft thuds of hooves against the ground filled the air.
"You know why you have that... instrument on you."
"I do."
"I can't have you destroyed,"
"I know."
"you destroying."
"Celestia,"
"Twilight I'm so sorry."
"I forgive you."
Celestia smiled a sad smile. "You could never forgive me."
"But I understand, is that not enough?"
"Twilight, it is the world."
They walked, the soft lights of Ponyville in front of them. Lamps flickered between the trees and slowly it seemed they went out.
"Are the stars not shining beautifully tonight?"
"My sister tends to them well." her head fell nearly an inch. "There is not a day I dream I lose here. Not a day that I don't wake up sweating and crying and, and scared that I would lose her."
"Does Luna know this?"
"No, I guard my dreams like my - our castle."
"I am so sorry Twilight."
"It was necessary."
"Nothing is necessary."
Diamond Tiara was sitting in an empty room, the walls white and ready for painting.
"What color should I pick?" A row of paints sat in front of the filly, each lid carefully opened with a screwdriver. There was a rainbow of paints, each one bright and ready for the painting.
"Whatever one you want." Her mother answered. "Just hurry and pick I have to leave in twenty minutes.
"You can't paint it with me?"
"I would love to Diamond, but I have a very important meeting."
"I- I miss her so much!" her tears fell to the floor in big drops.
"Diamond, no I didn't mean-"
"But if you think that gettting over the death of my best friend isn't important-"
"Darling you are the world to me and that is final." her mother put.
"No-no if if you have more important stuff to do then- then worry over me- me!" she sobbed.
"Here, no it's okay I'll paint with you, I just have to call the company, okay baby? Don't you worry Dazzle-Doo, I won't let my baby cry anymore."
"Thank you- you mommy."
Her mother left immediately, and Diamond Tiara watched her as the door shut, the faintest of arguing coming through the door.
She yelled into the phone, "No I can't come to the meeting."
"No, It's extremely important for me to be there for her."
"I'll make it up to him later. I'll bring the griffon to dinner."
"No, I don't know a restaurant that serves meat much less griffons."
"Now is not the time to be racist, Paper."
"Listen, tell him that I will make it up to him however I can."
"No! He should understand that I have issues with my family."
"Well when you're daughter's best friend- hell only friend dies, Paper, I'll keep that in mind."
"Oh really? Congratulations."
"No I do not want to see the pictures!" the flip phone is slammed shut. She sighs under her breath and gets a pad and paper and begins to write down a note.
"Okay honey! What color do you want?"
"Here," Diamond grabs a nearby magazine, showing her mother a picture with a smile on her face.
"That can't be too hard can it? Here, I'll grab the masking tape and brushes, let's get started!"
The rest of the day, Diamond Tiara painted with her mother, small drips of paint falling on the floor. Perhaps for a moment, Diamond felt happy, and somehow, she felt a weight lifted from her back. She smiled and laughed, and it felt nice to have laughter that didn't result in another crying. She smiled as her mother left again, looking at the walls, realizing the happiness was fleeting and she should have savored it more.
Silver Spoon turned to her side, smiling at the pony next to her. He was about the same height as Silver Spoon, with a grey mane and bright pink coat.
"You look ridiculous! Don't you know colts are supposed to have- I don't know, more masculine coats?" Silver chuckled.
In a flash of green the changeling came back with a blue coat.
"Aw, I didn't say I didn't like it."
The changeling flashed green again, this time with a smile on his face. "I don't know, maybe pink isn't my color."
"Keep it. You look, positively dashing."
Silver Spoon turned to her other best friend, Silver Spoon.
"Sparkles, you're doing it again!"
"What? Oh you mean this old thing? I just pulled it out of the closet."
Silver Spoon laughed and both changelings collected the energy immediately. "Take it off! People are going to get confused if there are two of me running around this joint!"
"Let them be confused, this is fun!" Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. "No! It is true, I cherish the time we have together. You are by best friend."
Silver tried to hide her blush but the changelings could tell from the love she was pouring that she had been complimented.
"What do you guys want to play next?"
"Whatever you want Silver Spoon."
"Hmmm..." she muttered.
"We could play hoofball outside."
"Yeah! I bet I could kick both of your flanks what do you say? Me against you two?" Silver prodded Sparkles with her hoof.
"You're on!" they shouted in unison.
The filly ran outside, the nighttime not making the alive city one bit darker. The stars shone above them, flickering in the distance. They had previously sketched out a square of space on the black, paper-like ground. Black buildings towered above them and the buzzing of wings could be heard in the background. Silver ran and fished the ball out of a nearby hole.
"Let's play!"
The nighttime chirped and a cool breeze flowed through the buildings. Thousands of holes bore each one, changelings flying through them. The walls were alive with the amazing architecture. The city was quite literally a hive, each citizen helped one another, and Silver supposed there weren't really families like she knew ponies have.
"Who is your family?" The game stopped momentarily. Silver Spoon stared at hooves glancing up at the shuffling changlelings in front of her.q
"What do you mean?" He asked still wearing Silver Spoon's face.
"You know... your mother, your father."
"You mean our Mother? She is our mother and everyone is our sisters and brothers."
"Not Mother, I mean, the people you live with, the people- the people you love."
"Then you are our family, Silver Spoon. We love you very much." Sparkles replied.
Silver Spoon bit her lip. "But... you guys can't love, can you?"
The two looked at each other worried. The pink coated colt stepped forward, looking down at Silver's hooves. "It is true, we cannot collect, each other's love, but, we still do. We love each other and we love our Mother and we love you. Our love, we protect our love and we cannot feed off of our love, but-" he turned to Sparkles. "we still love, deep inside our souls."
Silver Spoon smiled, her fears assuaged. "You mean it?"
He nodded. "You may be one of a kind but we all still love like you."
A smile crossed here face. "Then prepare to have your flanks handed to you!"
"Bring it on!"
Luna had not realized how much paperwork Celestia had to sort through everyday.
The alicorn held a quill in her magic, absentmindedly chewing on it as she tried to make sense of the form in front of her. Luna had always fancied herself for a mare that was well-read, but they didn't have quite the same feel as language now, and though Luna felt she had made some remarkble strides in modern slang, this- this was simply ridiculous.
"In the event of a fire, herby whether it be the significant incident regarding the collected damage not the sentimental nor the estimated amount of damage done but the regulatory comand unit in which 13 sums would be administered according to the public value system in which the amount of ponies currently residing in the house hold, that is to say foals under the age of which they have graduated school would deteremine their final 'age' in the sense of the point they reached adulthood in society, whether that be a foal or a pony in which the-"
Luna scanned the paper, "Where are all the periods? What the hay?"
Luna's eyes moved slowly across the page and Luna mumbled the words out between sips of coffee. She had waved off her assistants, asserting that she would be fine by herself, the Princess of the Night was fully capable of handling 'a few papers'.
Little did she know that those few papers would have such small font and certainly- certainly make some sense. Do some poniesactually talk like this nowadays? Do ponies say nowadays nowadays? Would it be rude to ask for a litre of coffee?
Luna decided no- formalies aside, she needed a litre of coffee and she would have to set aside her etiquette and do what was best for Equestria.
It was a day later, and Celestia almost cringed at the lost of losing a whole day how many ponies- no, it was fine. Luna had promised to take care of her duties, nevermind the fact Luna didn't have much of a clue what Celestia did most of the time, but Celestia trusted her sister, she perhaps the single most capable pony of handling her tasks.
But Celestia wasn't above admitting she was wrong.
Celestia landed on balcony gracefully, her wings folding at her sides. Her room was as pristine as ever, and the In-box at her desk lay empty of papers. Luna has them. Of course, she'll just drop off at Luna's wing and get them.
The castle was curiously devoid of life. The floors were squeaky clean and the windows were all washed but Celelestia didn't see any of the staff, or guards for that matter, anywhere she looked. But, as she approached closer to Luna's wing, the noise thickening into a cacophony, she found out why.
It seemed everypony was here, some watching, some trying to calm Luna down, and others stood around her getting the worst of the bunch. The room was full of ponies shuffling around, some flying and some in the back talking and everyponies eyes was on Luna.
"Silver scroll! Get these to the Griffons, I want their Ambassador here by Tuesday, send them five of our best pigs and bring-" Luna stood in the middle shouting orders at ponies, seemingly at random and talking faster than almost Celestia could hear. Ponies saw Celestia and looked at her as if to say "Thank goodness-"
"Luna, what is this about?" She watched the pony Luna mistakingly called Silver scoll try and get out of the fray. She extended a wing in her way. "Don't do anything with the ambassodor, please." she added softly. She nodded and wandered off.
"exactly nine chickens. Tia' 'tis most efficient way of ordering ponies- send him a letter and a bouquet of flowers and make sure to reimburse his family.- too many ideas, cannot let a single one go to waste!-" Celestia looked around. Good- she figured she wasn't the only one thinking that her sister was erratic, but she always had to make sure.
"Luna, how about we get you to your bedroom and you can-"
"Better yet Tia' we get Element of Kindness and have her train squirrels to act as a communication system - I said to Manehatten, not Las Pegasus - and they can have a specialized tunnels throughout the castle to send messages. Take his number and-"
"Luna," Celestia sighed. "How would anypony tell what the chipmunks were saying?"
"Squirrels, sister, and that's the point, it's encoded!"
Celestia knew something was wrong with her sister. Until she literally smelled it. Coffee.
"You haven't been drinking coffee have you?" Celestia remebered the last time her sister had coffee and it was a memory to be avoided.
"Of course, I would estimate that the amount coffee is directly related to how much work can be done on a graph! Sister, graphs! Which reminds me, scribe send 92 caramels to the giraffe nation, would you-"
"Nope! Luna, you have been doing great, but I am taking charge again and you-" she thought a second. "drink some milk."
Luna solemnly stood down from her podium and let Celestia stand. "Now to all ponies who have recieved orders from Luna-"
