“Books!” Twilight cried as she burst into the library, Spike clinging desperately to her back. “Books! Books! Books!”
It was almost like a healing mantra.
Almost.
“There has to be something! Anything! There has to be!”
“Don't worry, Twilight,” Spike gasped as he slowly relaxed his claws from her hide. He looked worryingly at the small puncture wounds he’d left, though he wasn’t sure if was worried that he’d left them, or worried that Twilight was oblivious to them.
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” he assured her.
“Don’t worry?” Twilight demanded, rounding on him, her eyes wild. “Don’t worry? Did you see what happened out there? Did you see what we’re up against? Don’t worry?”
Any response Spike tried to make was overridden by a crashing at the door, as five ponies rushed into the room.
“There she is,” Rainbow Dash cried. “You’re behind this!”
“Easy there, Sugarcube,” Applejack cautioned, though no sympathetic smile graced her face. “Let her say her piece.”
Twilight shrank back before the very mob-like group before her, and their worried, scared, and angry faces.
“I... “ she stammered. “I didn’t… I mean, I don’t… .”
“Cut the crap!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “You know something! You called her by name! You ran back here looking for something! Spill it!”
“Now, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity chastised. “The poor dear was just as terrified as the rest of us, and shouting at her is not going to improve matters.”
“We’re not mad at you, really,” the soft-spoken Fluttershy said, somehow materializing beside her. “We’re just worried is all.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie chimed in. “And we wanna help!”
“I don’t…” Twilight tried, glancing at Rainbow Dash’s still scowling visage.
“Aw, don’t pay her no mind,” Applejack drawled. “She’s pretty harmless when you get right down to it. She’s just excitable, is all.”
Rainbow Dash grumbled under her breath before speaking up.
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get to the point. What the hay’s going on?”
“I… I don’t really know much,” Twilight admitted. “I was doing some research and found that the Mare in the Moon was Nightmare Moon, and that she was supposed to return after a thousand years. Tonight. She was stopped before by something called The Elements of Harmony. That’s all I know. I was going to do research here, but I ran out of time.”
“Surely you must know more than that, darling,” Rarity said calmly. “After all, you are the Queen’s acolyte, and her only pupil.”
Rarity pointed to Twilight’s white sash.
Twilight lifted one end, gazing at Her Radiance’s simple crest emblazoned there. Somewhere along the line it had gotten smeared with mud, marring its pristine appearance. She stared at the muddy streaks, feeling many conflicting and forgotten emotions warring within her.
“Fat lot of good that’s done me,” she cried, ripping off the sash and throwing it to the ground.
The others gasped at the implied blasphemy.
“What good has it ever done me! I did what I was told! I passed every test! Was I not good enough?”
Twilight’s cries devolved into sobs.
Why… why isn't She here? What… what am I supposed to do?”
Twilight sank to the ground, tears flowing freely, as despair overcame self consciousness.
She couldn't stop crying. She couldn't catch her breath. All she could do was weep.
Twilight felt Spike’s small arms wrap her neck in a hug, careful not to graze her with his claws. She rested her forehead against his scaly one, savoring the contact of one of the few constants in her life.
Twilight gave a start as another pair of legs surrounded her, then another. Then another. Soon she was surrounded by supportive embraces.
“You can tell us,” Fluttershy said softly as Twilight’s weeping tapered off into sniffles and hitched breaths.
“I… I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm Her Radiance’s acolyte, Her only protégé, but She never told me why. She just picked me out of class one day after I had an a-a-accident. None of the priests or ministers trust me,either. I'm not one of them, just a nopony, so they don't know what to think of me. Now this happened, and I told Her about it, and She knows everything, but She didn’t say anything, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do!”
Her breathing hitched faster, threatening to break down into sobs. Several pairs or forelegs tightened reassuringly around her.
“Sorry,” Twilight said as she breathed more evenly. “Sorry… I just… I… .”
“Well, Darling,” Rarity interrupted conversationally, “you must have had some idea of what to do. You ran in here so quickly.”
“Well,” Twilight started nervously, “I wanted to research the Elements of Harmony. They’re the only thing that can defeat Nightmare Moon, but I didn’t have time… .”
“The Elements of Harmony: Lights in the Darkness,” Pinkie announced. She’d moved so quickly that Twilight hadn’t even had time to notice the missing pair of forelegs.”
“Wh-where did you find that?!?” Twilight gasped.
“It was under ‘E’,” Pinkie sang out.
Twilight resisted the urge to tackle her, though whether it was to claim the book or throttle her, she couldn’t decide.
“Let me see that,” she cried, extricating herself from the pony pile. Pinkie relinquished the book as Twilight’s magic enveloped it. Twilight pulled it to her, opening it excitedly.
“Let’s see…
‘Thus Spake Zaniskari.
Five gems screamed their natures in the darkness;
The Kind Heart
The Laughing Mouth
The Generous Spirit
The Honest Mind
The Loyal Soul
The sixth, who bound the rest together, remained silent. It refused to reveal itself, instead remaining dormant, waiting for the spark which would awaken it from its slumber in the Temple of the Twins.’”
A collective intake of breath stopped Twilight mid-sentence.
“What?” she asked, looking up.
Wide eyes and pale faces- Applejack’s, Fluttershy’s, and Rainbow Dash’s in particular- met hers.
“The old temple is in the Everfree Forest,” Rainbow Dash rasped.
“Yeah, so?” Twilight asked.
“My farm backs up to the Everfree,” Applejack told her. “Things come outta there sometimes. Bad things. Things that ain’t right.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash continued, “and the storms that come out of there are wicked strong, and they don’t behave like normal storms do.”
“But…” Twilight protested, “but Fluttershy, your cottage is right on the edge of the forest!”
Fluttershy shrank back with a shudder.
“The edges are pretty normal,” she said softly, “but I don’t dare go in too deep. None of the animals I take care of do either.”
“Well… I can’t let that stop me. I’ve got to go in there.”
“Hold on there, Sugarcube,” Applejack interjected. “You can’t go in there alone. We’re comin’ with you.”
“Look,” Twilight said. “I really appreciate… I mean… I really appreciate it. But I think I should do this alone. I’ve really only just met all of you.”
“No can do, Sugarcube. No friend of ours is walkin’ into that forest alone. We’re stickin’ to you like caramel on an apple.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Especially if there’s caramel apples!”
“Yeah!” Spike agreed.
“Not you, Spike!” Twilight snapped.
“But Twilight…”
“NO!”
Twilight’s eyes softened.
“Listen here, Mr. Dragon,” she said softly, “you’re still a baby yet. You’ve got to get to bed.”
“Yeah,” Spike protested, “but Twilight!”
“Don’t ‘but Twilight’ me, Mister,” Twilight admonished, sweeping the small dragon into a tight hug. “You need your sleep. I want you tucked safe in your bed tonight.”
“But what about you?” Spike asked.
“Don’t you worry about me,” Twilight said softly. “You just go get to bed. It will be all over before you wake.”
“One way or another,” she whispered under her breath.
“O-okay, Twilight,” Spike said. “If you’re sure.”
Twilight nodded, and watched as Spike slowly climbed the stairs.
None of the others felt like talking after that. With one final shared look, the left, one by one, in silence.
Spike crept quietly down the stairs. It was silly, really. The others had all left. Spike was alone. Regardless, the silent library seemed to urge Spike not to disrupt its stillness.
Spike gingerly picked up the discarded and forgotten tome. It didn’t make sense, he thought. Her Radiance, Celestia, knew… well, everything, as far as Spike knew. Didn’t She know about Nightmare Moon? Wouldn’t She have done something to prevent it?
Then there was the book. It had told them exactly what they needed at exactly the right time. It was almost like it was planned. Did She know? Did She not?
Spike opened the book and looked at a passage that caught his eye.
“Zaniskari raised his eyes to the sky. His mind blazed with rage. ‘Of course she knows!’ he screamed. ‘She always knows! We are but puppets to her! She makes us dance like marionettes on strings!’
The Light appeared behind Zaniskari and chided him.
‘I may have marked the path before you,’ the Light told him, ‘but it is always your choice to follow it. I have no need for puppets. I desire the love of those with their own minds. Each is offered My love and each is free to reject it. I am sad when I am rejected, but it makes those who accept Me all the more precious.’
Zaniskari refused to turn and face the Light, for he was afraid. Despite this, the Light blazed brighter, so that Her light wrapped him in a warm embrace.
Zaniskari’s heart broke, and he wept.
‘You made your choice to accept My love,’ the Light told him, ‘though you knew the path to be hard. Do not spurn Me now, when your promised rest is so near. I did nothing to sway you. Your choice was your own. So it was with her, as well. She will finish what you started, but it will be her choice, and hers alone. Now, go to bed, Spike. All will be well in the morning.’”
Spike nearly dropped the book as his claws went numb and his mouth dry. He worked his mouth as though somehow trying to utter a response to the printed page. He flipped the pages back and forth, as though hoping somehow to find evidence that it was a prank.
Nothing.
He closed the book with shaky claws, and took one last look around the silent library. Seeing nothing, he crept back up the stairs and went back to bed, though sleep did not find him for quite some time.
The Everfree forest, for all its density, was not quite impregnable. A single road stretched from the old temple to the rest of civilization. A relic of a forgotten age when ponies by the hundreds would make pilgrimages to the temple, it had now decayed to a broken path, overgrown and barely noticeable. Colts and fillies now dared each other to see who would go furthest into the forest. None, however, had ever traveled as far as the ponies who walked it now.
To say the Everfree forest was dark was absurd. Equestria was dark. Nightmare Moon’s threat of an eternal night was proving true. Regardless, even in the nighttime there is light. The moon and the stars provided ample light, as ponies were rediscovering, though not of their choosing.
The Everfree forest, however, was entirely different. Even the gentle light of the moon and stars was blocked out. Under the dense, leafy canopy was a world of absolute blackness. A blind void.
Six ponies slunk through the forest, a small magelight their only comfort. Every sound was an unseen enemy, and every silence was a readied pounce.
Only Rainbow Dash seemed immune from the inky darkness. She seemed to thrive on her fear, flitting this way and that, and exuding a mixture of anxious impatience and exhilaration.
“Y-you girls have really never been in here?” Twilight asked.
“Nope,” Applejack muttered.
Fluttershy merely shook her head.
“Nope!” Rainbow Dash almost cheered. The others cringed at the volume of her voice.
“Nopony knows what’s in here, wanna know why?” she asked.
“Rainbow Dash,” Applejack warned, “quit it.”
“‘CAUSE NOPONY EVER COMES OUT!” Rainbow Dash crowed.
Fluttershy let out a squeal and huddled in the middle of the herd.
“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity scolded. “That was uncalled for!”
“Now, see here, Rainbow Dash,” Applejack added.
Fluttershy’s whimpers were lost in the growing din.
“Uh… Girls?” Twilight called.
“Aw, don’t get your tail in a twist,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. “It was just a joke.”
“It was pretty funny,” Pinkie giggled.
“Girls!” Twilight insisted.
“Well, I ain’t laughing,” Applejack retorted.
“Truly,” Rarity added, “that was dreadful.”
“Well, you just don’t have a sense of humor,” Rainbow Dash said. “You wouldn’t know a joke if it-”
“GIRLS!” Twilight yelled.
The arguing ceased, but the noise did not.
The snapping of branches and rustling of leaves, accentuated by a low rumble, filled the air. It came from all directions, making the source undefinable in the darkness. The ponies huddled together. The sound intensified. The rumble became a low thrum, then the beat of something running through the forest.
A shape burst through the foliage, causing them all to shriek.
A rabbit darted past them.
The herd sighed. The sigh turned to a scream as a timberwolf loped past, hot on the heels of its prey.
“Well, the good news is I don’t have to pee anymore,” Pinkie said with a shaky laugh.
Fluttershy sobbed.
“I shouldn’t have come in here,” she whimpered. “We’ll never get out, and… and… and I’m so… .”
“Of course we’ll get out,” Rainbow Dash assured her. “I was just joking before. We’ll be fine, won’t we girls?”
“Well, of course,” Rarity said soothingly. “As long as we stick together, we’ll get through this.
“Yuppers!” Pinkie added.
Applejack looked around at the nods conflicting with the uncertainty in their eyes.
Lie to her, Applejack, an itch in the back of her skull told her. Tell her everything will be well. It’s just a little lie. It won’t hurt if it reassures her.
The eyes of the others turned to her expectantly.
Follow the herd, the itch told her. Make her feel better and continue on.
“I... “ she started, tasting bile in the back of her throat.
“I don’t know, Sugarcube,” she admitted. “I just don’t know.”
“Bucking hay, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash cried. “What the hay was that?
“Yeah, you big meanie-head,” Pinkie said.
“Really, Applejack,” Rarity said, “that was quite uncalled for. We were trying to keep the poor dear from being scared.”
Lie, the voice in her head said. You are the solid, reliable one. Lie. Say you aren’t scared. Tell them they can depend on you. Tell them they can lean on you. Who else can they rely on? It’s just a small lie. A tiny, harmless white lie. Lie to them. Tell them it will all turn out well.
Applejack ground her teeth in frustration.
“Ain't you scared?” Applejack demanded finally. “‘Cause I’m sure as hay scared!”
“Well, yes,” Rarity admitted, “but sending her into a panic helps nopony.”
“I’m not trying to panic her, but I ain't gonna lie either. I don't know if we’ll get out of here or not, but I ain’t gonna stand by and watch my crops wither, and farm die, just because I’m scared. I’m gonna do what I can to protect my family and farm.”
Rainbow Dash glared at Applejack. Rarity turned stiffly, refusing to look at her. Pinkie looked pale.
“You're really scared, Applejack?” Fluttershy asked, surprised.
“Terrified, Sugarcube,” Applejack answered.
Fluttershy nodded thoughtfully.
“L-lets go,” she said. “Quickly, b-before I lose my nerve.”
As the herd regrouped, Twilight placed a hoof on her aching forehead. It was like she was hearing things. Dark things. Things that couldn’t possibly be real, since nopony else had heard them.
“So,” Rainbow Dash said conversationally as they continued, “you see Queen Celestia a lot, right?”
“Y-yeah,” Twilight responded cautiously.
“So, tell me… is She hot? I mean, seriously, how hot is She? She looks totally smoking from Her statues ‘n stuff.”
“Ugh,” Twilight grunted as she rolled her eyes. “You really don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?” Rainbow demanded.
“It’s… it’s like… have you ever read about a mountain…”
“Nuh-uh. Reading is egghead stuff.”
“...or seen a picture of a mountain and thought, ‘Gee, that looks lovely. I’d like to see that for real some day.’”
“Um… no. No, I haven’t.”
“And then you get there, and you realize the picture doesn’t nearly convey how huge the mountain is. Or how ancient. And you stand on this mountain and you think about how small you are compared to the mountain, and about how your great-great-great-great-grandmother could have stood on that same mountain in the same place, and it probably looked exactly the same. And your great-great-great-great-granddaughter could stand there in the future, at it would still look exactly the same. And you realize that your whole life is barely like a second to that mountain, and that hundreds… thousands will pass by barely noticed by that mountain, and you wonder about if that mountain actually noticed you, how small you must look. How insignificant. And what must it think when it sees you. Do you understand?”
“Uuuhhh…” Rainbow Dash uttered, “you’re into mountains?”
“Ghah!” Twilight gasped in frustration. “What I’m trying to say is, not only does a mountain exude more sexuality than Her Radiance, but you’d also probably have better luck with it.”
“I think I understand, Dear,” Rarity chimed in. “How is She when you meet Her, though?”
“She’s a force of nature,” Twilight said.
“She’s that intimidating?”
“No, not really,” Twilight admitted. “Actually She’s more like a mountain in that respect, too. She’s really very quiet, but She shapes everything around Her by Her very presence. You can’t ignore Her. You can’t forget She’s there. Her presence is like a weight on your back, or the summer sun on your face. After a while it can get uncomfortable.”
“My,” Rarity exclaimed, “you paint quite the picture.”
“I don’t do it justice, I assure you.”
“Well, I can’t believe Queen Celestia could be all that bad,” Applejack added, “what with all She does to protect ponies ‘n all.”
“Oh, no!” Twilight exclaimed. “She’s not bad at all. Please, I never meant to imply She’s somehow mean or overbearing. It’s… it’s more like She’s… . I can’t describe it. When She looks at you, you feel like you’re stripped bare. That She sees everything about you, everything you’ve done right, and everything you’ve done wrong. And you want to feel ashamed, but you know She loves you. You can only feel accepted. She’s… She’s wonderful.”
“Huh,” Rainbow Dash grunted. “You sure you ain’t into her?”
“You… you don’t understand,” Twilight said, feeling her face heat slightly. “It’s not like that.”
Any reply was lost as a roar shook the air around them.
A manticore lunged at them from out of the darkness, snarling and seething.
Ponies ran in every direction.
All but one.
“Oh, my poor baby!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Look at the mess you’re in!”
The manticore reared back and lunged again, but managed to get no closer. Brambles and briars tangled the manticore, restricting its movement and piercing even its thick hide with long, wicked thorns.
“Poor, poor, baby,” Fluttershy crooned softly. “Just look at you. You just keep still, and I’ll get you out of there.”
The manticore growled menacingly, but seemed to relax at Fluttershy’s words.
“There you go,” Fluttershy said, creeping over to the bound creature. “You just let me help you.”
“A-are you sure about this, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked.
“We can’t just leave him here,” Fluttershy insisted. “He’s in pain.”
Fluttershy pulled the thorns off a section of vine before biting firmly through it.
“Y-yes,” Rarity said, “but m-might not the… gentleman be… be dangerous?”
“Don’t be silly,” Fluttershy chided, pulling the thorns of another vine. “He wouldn’t hurt us. Not after we freed him, would you?”
The manticore growled a low, menacing rumble.
I will kill you, it seemed to say. Free me and I will kill you all.
Fluttershy hesitated.
Leave me and I will die, the manticore spoke in her mind. Free me and I kill you. There are no other options. You cannot run. I will find you, and you will die. Leave me and the thorns will continue to cut me. I will bleed until I have nothing left, or I will starve. The Everfree forest is harsh and unforgiving.
How far does your kindness extend? How much will you sacrifice to it?
Fluttershy’s mouth had gone dry. She felt frozen, trapped between two impossible evils.
“Wh-why?”
Because I am a manticore, it told her. I am hungry, and it is in my nature to kill. Why else was I given a scorpion’s sting?
The manticore’s tail flexed as if stressing the point.
“I… I…” Fluttershy stuttered.
Leave me to my death.
The manticore sounded almost gleeful.
Leave me to die alone in the darkness.
Fluttershy shook. Her stomach twisted painfully and her hooves were numb. Regardless, she pushed forward.
“Fluttershy…” Rainbow Dash called.
“Wait,” Fluttershy insisted. “J-just trust me.”
Fluttershy pulled the thorns off another section of vine, but instead of biting through it, she chewed it partially through. She worked her way around the manticore, systematically chewing through what she judged were just enough vines.
“There,” she said. “Y-you should be able to free yourself with a little work. I-I’m sorry. This is the best I can do.”
“I think we should leave now,” Fluttershy told the others.
She let out a squeak as the manticore lunged against the brambles. Several snapped, and the manticore pushed nearer to the ponies.
“I think we should leave quickly,” she reiterated.
The manticore gave a roar as it lunged again, and the ponies heard more vines give way. The scrambled deeper into the forest, away from the frightful beast.
They didn’t slow until the roars had died away in the depths of the forest.
“Golly, Fluttershy,” Applejack gasped. “I didn’t know you liked to live so dangerously!”
“I couldn’t just leave him there,” Fluttershy protested. “He was hurting!”
“I am hurting, Darling,” Rarity moaned. “My sides hurt, and all this running is making such a mess of my mane.”
“And such a lovely mane it is, deary,” a new voice added.
The ponies jumped at the new intrusion.
“Who… Who’s there?” Twilight asked.
“It's only me, deary,” a voice like a rusty hinge answered. “Gravenring, that’s me.”
A figure shuffled out of the darkness. She was a huddled, misshapen pony, with a muddy, grey-brown coat and nondescript mane. Her eyes, however were bright and sharp.
“What are you doing out here?” Rainbow Dash demanded.
“I could ask you the same question,” she retorted. “I live out here, I do.”
“Y’live all the way out here?” Applejack asked incredulously.
“That I do, deary,” Gravenring answered.
“Why?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Why not live in town?”
“Why?” Gravenring repeated. “The kingdom is for the perfect! Nopony wants to see me in town.”
Gravenring limped up to Rarity.
“Ponies are generous if one is lovely. Take you, for example,” she said to Rarity. “I’ll bet you’ve never wanted for anything, deary. Those of us less pleasing to the eye are left to scrounge to fill our poor bellies. Always hungry. So hungry.”
“Th-that’s awful!” Rarity exclaimed. “I wish I could help.”
Rarity cringed as the misshapen mare reached toward her.
“Such a lovely mane, deary. Such lovely hair. I weave little bracelets sometimes. I sell them to gain a little coin. Such beautiful hair would make wonderful bracelets.”
“Well… I, I mean I…” Rarity stammered.
“Such a lovely mane, deary,” Gravenring repeated. “Such lovely bracelets would bring in many coins to buy food. Poor me. So hungry.”
Give her nothing, said an itch in the back of Rarity’s head. The hideous thing is trying to use you. Just look at the smirk on her face.
Sure enough, Gravenring was smirking. Her eyes sparkled maliciously.
“So hungry,” she moaned.
She's enjoying this, the itch said. She likes making you squirm.
Rarity set her jaw.
“Twilight, would you please…?”
“Rarity...” Twilight said, unsure. She placed a hoof to her forehead, unsure of what she was hearing.
“A close trim of my tail, please, Twilight. Nothing fancy.”
Twilight summoned her magic and cropped Rarity’s tail short with one decisive stroke.
Rarity levitated the locks over.
“There you go,” she said. “I hope that helps you.”
“Oh, yes, deary,” Gravenring cackled. “This will put food in my belly for days. Though, with the hair from your mane, I could eat for a whole week.”
She will take everything you give, and manipulate you into giving more, the itch said.
Rarity pawed the ground for a moment.
“Rarity,” Twilight interrupted. “You can’t honestly be… . Girls? A little help?”
“Yeah, I think she’s got enough,” Rainbow Dash said.
“That’d make a really neat haircut, though,” Pinkie added.
Applejack said nothing. She merely sat, looking morose. Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.
“Twilight, if you would be so kind,” Rarity said.
“Rarity, I… I can’t. Your mane.”
“It will grow back, Twilight, and it will help somepony in need. Now, please.”
Twilight nodded, and without another word clipped Rarity’s mane short.
“There you go,” Rarity said, levitating the remaining hair to Gravenring. “I hope it helps you.”
Gravenring’s eyes glittered as she accepted the locks.
You’ve just provided an addict another hit, Rarity’s mind told her.
“Don’t ask for more,” Rarity warned her as Gravenring opened her mouth. “I’ve given all I can right now. If you want more, you’ll have to come to Ponyville to get it.”
Gravenring smirked.
“What generosity, deary,” she cackled. “I’ll put this to good use, yes I will. Good luck to you, ponies. You’ll need it.”
Gravenring faded into the depths of the forest, leaving only the sound of her laughter echoing in the darkness.
Rarity stared off into the darkness, her face ashen, but her jaw set.
“Rarity,” Twilight called.
Rarity turned and gave a wan smile.
“It’s quite alright dear,” she assured her. “My mane bothers me more than anything, but it will all grow back in time.”
She raised her hoof to flip her mane back, halting half way. Her eyes glistened with tears.
“It will be fine,” she said, her voice wavering. “I am more than just a pretty face, after all. Anyway, shall we continue?”
Twilight nodded uncertainly. She glanced back at the others. Rainbow Dash was pacing impatiently, and Pinkie Pie was pronking along behind her. Applejack, however, was simply sitting, a heaviness lingering around her. Fluttershy had reappeared from wherever she’d hidden. She was just barely visible peeking out from behind Applejack, a similar heaviness clinging to her.
“‘Onward Radiant Soldiers’, I suppose,” Twilight said.
“OH!” Pinkie chimed in. “A hymn! I love hymns! Actually I love any excuse to sing.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and pushed onward past the babbling mare. Twilight shrugged and followed after, with Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy close on her hooves.
“Hey,” Pinkie Pie continued, heedless of the exchanged looks, “that reminds me of a song!”
“Oh, no,” Rainbow Dash groaned.
“When I was a little filly and the sun was going down…” Pinkie sang.
“Honestly, you’re not going to-” Twilight started.
“The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown…”
“Yeah, she totally is,” Rainbow Dash affirmed.
“I'd hide under my pillow,” Pinkie continued,
“From what I thought I saw
But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way
To deal with fears at all!”
Pinkie used the end of the verse to take a breath and engage the others. She would have, that is, if the others had been there.
Pinkie Pie was alone.
“Girls?” she called.
No answer came from the darkness.
Curious, Pinkie decided. Even at their rudest, she didn’t think the others would leave her in the forest alone.
“Oh, no!” she gasped. “Maybe they got lost!”
“Don’t worry girls,” she cried. “Auntie Pinkie’s coming!”
Pinkie hopped forward, ready to run to the rescue, but stopped short. The Old Road had vanished.
“Huh.”
Pinkie looked around. Twilight’s magelight was gone, but oddly there was still enough light to see. Not much, mind, but enough.
The shadows lengthened. The bare limbs of dead trees became skeletal talons reaching out toward her.
Pinkie snorted derisively. She knew how to handle this.
Pinkie took a deep breath, feeling her ribs expand and diaphragm drop.
Pinkie sang.
“She said, ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall
Learn to face your fears
You'll see that they can't hurt you
Just laugh to make them disappear.’”
Pinkie inhaled, preparing to illustrate the lyrics
Go ahead. Laugh, a new voice in her head spoke. You are all alone in the dark. Do you know what kind of pony laughs by themselves? Insane ponies. Ponies that get taken away and locked up.
Pinkie let out her breath slowly. She had lots of voices in her head. She had the voice she imagined for Gummy, the voice when she remembered Granny Pie’s words, the voices of the rocks on the rock farm, all sorts of voices. However, those voices were hers. This one was new, and it felt… foreign.
They thought you were odd on the rock farm, didn't they, the voice asked her. They thought there was something wrong with you.
The shadows deepened, and seemed to press in closer on her. Wherever the voice came from, it was not wrong. Her family loved her, but they never really understood Pinkie. As a result, she'd spent a lot of time talking with therapists, priests, whomever. They’d all had the same question, even if none of them could come right out and ask it.
‘What's wrong with you?’ they asked without asking. ‘Why are you different? Why are you not like your family?’
They were wrong, of course. She was like her family. After all, wasn't it Granny Pie that had taught her to laugh her fears away?
Yes, they were wrong,the voice was wrong, and Pinkie knew what she had to do.
She inhaled again, ready to show those shadows what for.
It was different when you were with your grandmother, the voice interrupted. You were laughing with somepony. Laughter is something you share. Laughing alone?
Images of being locked away in a padded cell filled Pinkie’s mind. Mad laughter echoed there.
Pinkie shook. The shadows pressed closer. Pinkie had nowhere left to move. She was surrounded by darkness. She could feel the walls of the cell and the mad laughter bubbling up from her throat.
Pinkie giggled. It was a ludicrous choice. Be swallowed by the laughter, or swallowed by the darkness.
Her laughter deepened, broadened. She ignored the hysterical edge to it. Between the darkness and the laughter, she knew which one she trusted more, which one had never let her down.
“So, giggle at the ghostly,” she sang softly, her voice wavering.
“Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy”
Pinkie’s voice grew stronger as she found her groove. She closed her eyes and bopped to the rhythm of the music.
“Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky,” she sang.
“Pinkie!”
Pinkie opened her eyes to find herself back on the Old Road, and saw the other girls huddled together, eyes wide and afraid. Shadows and shapes surrounded them much like they had Pinkie.
Not on my watch, Pinkie thought to herself. It’s time for a reprise.
“So, giggle at the ghostly
Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy
“Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky!”
Pinkie danced. She pronked. She leapt. She shook her tail at the shadows surrounding her friends.
“And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna…”
Pinkie inhaled, preparing for the big finish, ignoring the gnawing doubts. Ignoring the thoughts of padded rooms and doctors. Ignoring the fear of being different and shunned.
Pinkie sang.
“Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!”
The creeping shadows were gone. Left were only the normal shadows, deep though they were, of the forest at night.
“Pinkie!” Twilight exclaimed. “Where did you go?”
Pinkie hopped over to the others, snatching several up into a big hug. She felt a couple hug back firmly, and she smiled into Twilight’s mane.
“I don’t know where I went. All I know is that I couldn’t find you girls, but here you are now.”
“Well, I’m glad you found us,” Twilight said. “You saved us, Pinkie.”
Pinkie giggled, hoping the others didn’t hear the hysterical edge still clinging to her laugh, or the sob lurking just underneath.
“I saved you?” she asked. “Silly filly, you saved me! Ooh, if we saved each other, does that count for two saves, or do they cancel each other out?”
Rainbow Dash chuckled.
“Well, I’m glad to see you,” she said, “and I’ll be glad to get out of this creepy forest.”
“I think we’re almost there,” Twilight said. “Look, I think that’s the Temple.”
The girls looked up to see the silhouette of the Temple looming above the trees.
“All we have to do is cross... this… bridge.”
Twilight felt her heart sink as she saw the state of the bridge. Whomever had strung up the rope bridge after the collapse of the grand stone one had done their job well, but time and neglect had taken its toll. Fog formed a barrier between the two sides, but by the way the bridge hung, it was obvious it was only half connected to the far side.
“Oh, no,” Twilight moaned. “What are we going to do? I can’t teleport that far even if I could see through the fog!”
Rainbow Dash snorted.
“Duh,” she said, snapping her wings for effect. “I’ll be right back.”
Rainbow Dash flew to the other side of the gorge in a sweeping arc that looked more like a single leap. She landed neatly on her hooves and turned quickly to tend to the bridge.
“The buck ‘r you?” a voice asked from behind her.
Rainbow Dash nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun on her hooves to face the new presence.
The new figure was imposing, to say the least. He was a large pegasus stallion with a black coat, black wings, black mane and tail, and cold, steely grey eyes.
“Who the buck are you?” Rainbow Dash demanded.
“Asked you first,” the black pony drawled. Rainbow Dash had gotten used to Applejack’s easy drawl, but the words out of this pony’s mouth didn’t have the same ease to them. Whereas Applejack’s drawl was friendly, welcoming, the drawl of this pony was almost menacing. ‘I’m talking nicely right now,’ it said. ‘You better hope it doesn’t change.’
“‘Sides,” the stallion continued, “you’re in my home.”
“Home?” Rainbow asked, looking around. “Out here?”
“Ain’t got much to do with other ponies lately. Not since…” the pony tapered off. “Say, that was a good bit of wing-work you did there.”
Rainbow Dash was torn between pride and suspicion.
“Heh, thanks,” she said, trying not to preen. “I am pretty awesome. Name’s Rainbow Dash.”
“Rainbow Dash, eh? I’m Shadowbolt. Skills like yours, you’d make a good Wonderbolt. Shame really.”
“Thanks, Shadowbolt. I’m gonna… Wait, what do you mean ‘it’s a shame’?”
“Shame you’ll never be a Wonderbolt,” Shadowbolt drawled.
“WHADDYA MEAN I’LL NEVER BE A WONDERBOLT?!?” Rainbow Dash demanded, darting forward to face down the offending stallion.
Shadowbolt leaned forward so that their muzzles were almost touching.
“I mean,” he said softly, “you’ll never be a Wonderbolt. Not with those friends holding you back.”
Rainbow Dash stepped back uncertainly.
“...Hold me back?”
“What did you fly over here for?” Shadowbolt asked.
Rainbow Dash blinked.
“I…”
It was strange. Rainbow’s mind was curiously blank. She couldn’t remember what she was doing over here. She twisted her neck to look behind her. The chasm seemed wider than before, and there was a fog obscuring the other side.
“I… was trying to fix the bridge,” she said slowly. It was like flying through molasses. “So my friends can cross.”
“Your friends,” Shadowbolt sneered, “They can’t help themselves?”
“Well, none of them have wings,” Rainbow Dash defended. “Except for Fluttershy, I mean… and she’s… um… scared of heights.”
Shadowbolt snorted.
“A pegasus scared of heights?” Shadowbolt scoffed. “What kind of company are you keeping?”
It did sound pretty ridiculous when she heard it out loud. A pegasus who was scared of heights.
Something wasn’t right. Fluttershy. She was supposed to defend… protect Fluttershy. They were friends.
“Hey, Fluttershy is-”
“And they just sent you over to fix things for them.” Shadowbolt interrupted. “Can’t do it themselves, so have Rainbow Dash do it. And you just came running.”
“Well, yeah. They’re my friends.”
“So what happens when they need your help and you’re in the middle of training?” Shadowbolt demanded. “What happens then? Do you go running? How many times do you think the Wonderbolts will let you get away with that?”
“Well…”
“‘To be a Wonderbolt takes more than just talent,’” Shadowbolt quoted. “‘It takes hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. It means continuing to train when everypony else has gone home. It means pushing yourself beyond what you thought your limits were. We don’t choose Wonderbolts. Wonderbolts choose themselves.’”
Rainbow Dash jerked at those words. She knew that speech. It was a speech Spitfire had given the last time they selected new members of the Wonderbolts. Rainbow Dash had that speech memorized, not only because Spitfire was something of a hero to her, but also because it spoke to her. It told her she had what it took to be a Wonderbolt. All she had to do was want it badly enough, and work hard enough.
“Does that sound like a team that’s okay with you skipping out on training?” Shadowbolt asked her.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t find her voice. She could only shake her head weakly.
“Sooner or later you’re gonna have to choose,” Shadowbolt told her. “You follow your dreams, or you follow your friends. You can’t do both. I hope, when the time comes, you choose better than I did.”
Shadowbolt turned and began to walk away, his dark coat melding with the darkness.
“Wait,” Rainbow called. “You were a Wonderbolt?”
Shadowbolt turned. He looked almost translucent in the darkness, he blended in so well. His grey eyes stood out, clearly visible. Instead of steely, they now looked haunted.
“I coulda been,” he said. “I coulda been the best. I was great. Instead, nopony’s ever heard of me. I gave up on my dreams to be with my friends, and once they turned their backs on me, I had nothing. That’s why I’m out here.”
“But… but they wouldn’t…” Rainbow started.
“Wouldn’t they?” Shadowbolt asked. “How well do you really know them?”
“I… I don’t…”
How well did she know them? She’d seen them all around Ponyville, except for Twilight. Twilight she didn’t really know at all. She’d only just met her. And the others, well she didn’t really know them either. She’d only just seen them around town. Except for Fluttershy.
“I could train you, y’know,” Shadowbolt said. “May be past my prime, but I still know a thing’r two. With me trainin’ you, there’s no way you wouldn’t get it.”
“Really?”
“Course, you’d have to walk away from your friends right now. I’m not wasting my time on somepony who ain’t serious.”
Only Shadowbolt’s eyes were visible. It was the darkness talking to her now. It was the forest whispering in her ear.
“But… I… I can’t…”
“Told you. You got to choose. You can’t be a Wonderbolt and their friend. Might as well try to fly with rocks tied to your wings.”
“Rainbow?” The call came from a million miles away.
“Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash, where are you?!?”
“Mark my words, they’ll make you choose soon enough. Choose now, and it won’t hurt as bad. Choose later, and, well…”
“Rainbow, where did you go?!?”
“Choose,” the darkness demanded. “Give up your friends, or give up your dreams.”
It was a curious pain that wracked Rainbow Dash. She felt as though her soul was being split, rent right down the middle. She was pulled in two directions, not strong enough to resist either.
“Rainbow Dash, please, where are you?” Twilight’s panicked voice called from afar.
Then Rainbow Dash heard the quiet sob. It was a sound she’d recognize anywhere. Fluttershy was crying.
Rainbow Dash looked across the foggy chasm to where her friends likely stood. They needed her. She was supposed to be helping, and instead was just sitting there. And Fluttershy. She was supposed to look out for her. That tipped the balance.
“I’m sorry, Shadowbolt,” she said. “I have to help my friends.” She turned to the broken bridge.
“You will never be a Wonderbolt,” the voice whispered in her ear.
Rainbow Dash choked back a sob as the soul-splitting pain lanced through her, but it wasn't the pain that drew the tears from her eyes, it was the truth. Rainbow Dash heard the truth in Shadowbolt’s words. She was making a choice she would have to live with the rest of her life.
“Maybe,” she said softly, “but Rainbow Dash doesn't leave her friends hanging.”
Without looking back, she quickly tied off the dangling ropes to the bridge, and made another high-flying hop to the other side.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed. “We were so worried!”
Rainbow Dash looked around at the wide, worried eyes of those around her.
“Heh, sorry,” she said, rubbing the back of her head. “I had some trouble with the rope. Don’t worry, nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Rainbow Dash ached inside. She felt like she’d sacrificed part of her soul.
Her eyes met Fluttershy’s. She saw the same pain reflected there.
Rainbow Dash gave her best smile, though she doubted she was fooling anypony. Especially not Fluttershy.
“There it is,” Twilight cried as they crossed the bridge. “The Temple of the Twins! We’re almost there!”
She turned to look back at her companions. She expected to see excitement. Anticipation. Interest, at the very least. Instead she saw five very subdued ponies. Even Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie did little more that raise their eyes from the ground in front of them.
The looked beaten. Defeated. They were…
Useless, her mind told her. Look at them. How can these ponies help? Sure, they helped you get here, but look at them now.
They were morose. Despondent. But Twilight was glad they’d come. She wouldn’t have gotten this far without them. Despite their initial craziness, she’d gotten used to having them there. She was almost thinking of them as…
Friends? Her mind scoffed. You don’t have friends, Twilight Sparkle, Remember? Friends can turn on you. Friends can be used against you. Friends are a weakness you can’t risk. Besides, who needs friends like these? Look at them. What good will they be against that terror? Once you find the Elements, you can handle things on your own, just like you’ve always been.
“Look, girls,” Twilight said before she knew she was going to, “I’m really grateful you got me here, but I think I can take it from here.”
None of them immediately argued. Twilight felt a pang in her heart at that.
“I know you’re trying to help,” she said as Rainbow Dash tried to open her mouth to argue, “and you have. You got me here. But I have to do this part alone.”
The sadness in their eyes swelled, but it was the new emotion, the hurt that shone there, that really magnified the pain in Twilight’s heart. Silently, they turned and slipped back across the bridge.
Twilight watched them go.
Forget them, her mind told her. You’re better off on your own. Besides, you don’t deserve friends Twilight Sparkle. Friends are for ponies who can relate to others. Who don’t spend all their time buried in books. Who don’t fail their Queen when She needs you most.
Twilight tried to ignore the pools forming in her eyes. She set her back, turned, and marched into the temple. She would face whatever awaited her there alone.
Twilight wandered through the Temple, hopelessly lost. She’d been optimistic, sort of, when she entered the crumbling ruin. So much of it, from the patterns of hallways to the overall feeling of the walls felt familiar. On the other hoof, there was something different woven through it. Something… not evil, but alien. It was the presence of that other that befuddled Twilight, sending her in directions she might not otherwise have gone.
Twilight tripped over a buckled section of floor, but managed to keep her hooves under her.
“Sunlight brighten my way and guide my steps,” she muttered.
Twilight choked back a sob as the reality of what she’d said sunk in. She was alone. She’d sent away the others, left Spike back at the library, and even Her Radiance, the omnipresent figure in her life, was gone.
Twilight leaned against the corridor wall, trying to use the cool stone to soothe herself as she held back tears.
“The Light can’t help me now,” Twilight whispered to herself. “The light is gone. I’m on my own.”
Twilight sat back, blinking the tears from her eyes. Now that she was near the wall, the detailed carvings were visible in the dim magelight.
Twilight gasped.
“Celestia!”
A familiar image of Her Radiance was emblazoned there, carved in relief on the wall. It was the familiar image of Her Radiance bringing dawn to Equestria. Twilight had seen it her whole life in the temple at Canterlot. The carving here was different, though. It was bigger. Mirroring the dawn was another figure, a dark pony bringing night.
Twilight shivered as the thought of night washed over her. It urged haste, knowing that the unending darkness still covered Equestria.
The dark figure in the carving didn’t feel evil, though. It mirrored the sun perfectly, and there was nothing in the posture of either the Light or the Dark which suggested aggression.
An thought niggled in the back of Twilight’s mind, begging for attention, but dancing just out of reach. The answer was here. Twilight just had to realize it.
Twilight crept up and down the section of hallway, looking at the carvings there. More of them looked familiar. They were all of Her Radiance in her many forms and common portrayals. Wherever she was, though, the Darkness was nearby, never sinister, never confrontational, but always there.
“That’s it!” Twilight cried. “That’s why this place is familiar!”
The familiar feeling, the alien presence; the Temple of the Twins was half Light, half Dark. The Light was the same as Celestia’s temple in Canterlot. That’s why it felt like Twilight knew it. The Dark woven through was the alien presence. The two were overlaid. Knowing this, Twilight could estimate where the center was. That was where the Elements had to be, at the focus of everything.
Twilight looked up and down the corridor with new eyes. Her mind was already mapping out where she had been and plotting paths to the center. The Darkness might confuse or delay her, but it couldn’t stop her now.
“Let’s see,” she muttered to herself, “if this was the Temple, Her Radiance would be… this way!”
Twilight hurried, stumbling heedlessly over the crumbling stone. Her heart was racing now, and she felt lighter than she had before. She was almost there. It was almost over.
Twilight burst through the door into the main worship area. There, in the center, was a raised dias, two thrones, and a ring of pillars bearing stones.
“The Elements!” Twilight cried. They didn’t look like she’d pictured. They were dull and opaque. They looked more like granite than the jewels she’d imagined. Regardless, there they were.
Twilight ran to the dias and snatched the stones up in her magic.
“Okay,” she said to them, “whatever you do, do it!”
Nothing happened.
FOAL
HALFWIT
THESE ARE BUT STONES
VAIN HOPES
BROKEN DREAMS
YOUR SALVATION IS NOT HERE
The stones crumbled to dust in Twilight’s magic. She turned on trembling legs to face the terror behind her.
She was worse than Twilight had remembered. Nightmare Moon stood there leering at Twilight. The air around her writhed and wavered, as though loathe to touch her.
THAT YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR
IS INDEED IMPRESSIVE
IT IS TIME
LITTLE ONE
FOR ME TO BREAK YOU
HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR DESTINY
AS THE PROPHET OF MY RETURN
THE OMEN OF THE COMING DARKNESS
TO ALL EQUESTRIA
The blow which struck Twilight was more mental than physical, though there was little difference when Twilight hit the ground. She was struck again and again, crushing any thought of resistance.
She was being toyed with. She could feel the massive strength behind the attack still being kept in check. If unleashed, it would destroy her, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.
Twilight wept as what little hope she had left slipped away. She’d lost. They’d all lost.
“Whoa!” a voice cried. It had an unmistakable drawl that could only come from one pony.
“Hold on, Sugarcube,” Applejack yelled. “We’re comin’”
“We’re here, Darling,” Rarity added.
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said. “We’d’ve gotten her even sooner if we hadn’t got lost!”
“Hey,” Rainbow Dash argued, “we weren’t lost, just turned around. I don’t get lost.”
“Oh my, oh my,” Fluttershy muttered. “Twilight, are you okay?”
“She’s fine now that we’re here,” Rainbow Dash chimed in.
“Now hold on, Sugarcube,” Applejack cautioned. “We ain’t outta the woods yet.”
“That was a terrible pun, Darling,” Rarity chastised.
“Applejack made a pun?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Wow! I’m impressed. We need to celebrate!”
“What pun?” Applejack asked.
SILENCE
The commotion stopped.
KNEEL
The ponies fell to the ground as their legs betrayed them.
FOALS
WHOM DO YOU THINK YOU ARE
THAT YOU WOULD DEFY ME
HEROES
SAVIORS
GODS
YOU ARE NOTHING
YOU ARE FILTH
I WILL SHOW YOU YOUR ERROR
AND YOU WILL PRAY TO ME
YOU WILL BEG FOR RELEASE
Twilight felt a wave of terror roll over her. She vomited on the ground in front of her. As she coughed and tried to spit away the vile taste in her mouth, she realized it wasn’t just her stomach and her bladder she’d lost control of.
Another wave rolled over her. She felt the same pressure, the same violation of being stripped bare as she had in Ponyville. She saw herself without delusion. She was filthy. She was vile. She was worthless.
Twilight was ashamed. Humiliated. She wished she could die to end her miserable existence.
A whimper brought Twilight out of herself. She risked a glance across the room to the others. The were in a similar miserable state as she. Twilight felt a tug at her heart. She’d tried to push them away, yet they still came after her. They hadn’t known what they were getting into. They hadn’t fully appreciated the risk, but they were still here, suffering with her. Her heart went out to them.
Her heart went out to them.
Somewhere, in the back of her mind, the cool, analytical portion of Twilight started focusing. Gears started slowly turning.
Another wave washed over them, trying to drown them in self-hatred. It couldn’t touch that portion of Twilight that was detached and beginning to make connections.
Threads, Twilight thought. Connections between ponies. Binding ponies together. Binding. Bringing together.
The pieces fell into place.
Twilight struggled to her hooves. Once upright she teleported to the others.
“Thank you for coming for me,” she said, pulling several into hugs.
YOU DEFY ME YET?
Twilight turned to the Nightmare, afraid, yet oddly calm.
“You’re wrong,” she said. “Salvation is here, and so are The Elements.”
DECEIT
“No,” Twilight maintained. “The Elements are here. Applejack is the Honest Mind. She resisted lying, even when the truth wasn’t what we wanted to hear. Fluttershy is the Kind Heart. She tried to free the manticore even though she thought it was dangerous. Rarity is the Generous Spirit, who gave her mane and tail to the old mare, even though she got nothing in return. Pinkie Pie is the Laughing Mouth who refused to lose her humor even when alone and afraid. And Rainbow Dash is the Loyal Soul, who refused to leave her friends even if it cost her what she wanted most.”
FIVE ELEMENTS
YOU HAVE FAILED
WITHOUT THE SIXTH YOU ARE NOTHING
Twilight surprised herself by laughing.
“The sixth is here. It is the thread that bind the others together. It is the spark that drives the others to action. It is in the bonds we formed on the journey here, and the reason they came back for me after I told them to leave. It is the love and friendship we share.”
With renewed hope, Twilight opened her heart. She opened herself to fill the longing she’d long ago buried. She’d always known deep inside she’d been missing some critical piece of herself, though she’d never fully internalized the fact. It was those threads she was missing. Those connections.
Friendships.
Warmth spread out from her core, filling her and radiating out. Twilight rose off the ground, as did the others. Beams of light connected them.
NO
NOT POSSIBLE
The warmth expanded until it filled everything. Twilight could no longer think. She could only be inside the warm connectedness.
The warmth erupted from the group of ponies, striking Nightmare Moon.
Then it was over.
“What…” Twilight gasped. “What was that? And what are those?”
Twilight pointed to necklaces on each of the girls’ necks.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Applejack said.
“What? I don’t have one,” Twilight said.
“Look up, Brainiac,” Rainbow Dash taunted.
Twilight lifted her head to look up, and felt something shift behind her horn.
“What? A tiara?” she exclaimed, pulling the ornament off. “But what… I mean, are these…?”
“The Elements of Harmony,” a familiar voice confirmed.
The ponies gasped, and all but Twilight bowed to the ground.
“Radiance!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Radiance?” Her Radiance asked.
Twilight looked at the ground, her cheeks aflame.
“Celestia,” Twilight said.
Twilight could feel the warm affection coming from Her Radiance.
“You’ve done marvelously,” Her Radiance said. “You all have. Rise, all of you. That you purified the corruption infesting My Sister this day will be remembered for millennia to come.”
“S-Sister?” Twilight stammered.
Indeed. I thank you for freeing me.
Twilight spun on her hooves, fearful of what she might see behind her. Instead of that fractured, terrible monster, there was a perfect image of Her Radiance in negative. She sat just as serenely, only she was a statue of obsidian rather than Her Radiance’s porcelain.
“I… Y-you… I-I mean….” Twilight attempted.
I was once called ‘Queen Luna, The Most Luminous, Protector of our Souls, Oasis in the Desert.’ You may call Me ‘Luna’.
There was a mirth in Her words, and they wafted through Twilight like a cool breeze on a warm summer’s night.
“There will be time enough for everypony to get to know My Sister again,” Her Radiance said. “For now, we have ponies to calm and a celebration to continue.”
Queen Celestia began to glow. It started softly, barely more than a slight aura around her, but it quickly grew. It began to swallow everything, filling everything, consuming Twilight’s world.
Then it was over. Twilight blinked tears from her eyes to find that they were conspicuously clean, and in the Library. Rarity’s mane and tail had even grown back.
Twilight gasped. She’d never seen Her Radiance take direct action like that before.
“If you would excuse us for a moment,” Her Radiance said.
The group quickly vacated, eyes wide and amazed, and mouths agape.
Twilight scanned the room. She was alone with Her Radiance.
“There was true danger tonight, Twilight. Danger that you knowingly walked into, thinking I had abandoned you. For that, I thank you, but there will be future trials. There will be more dangers and I will not command you to face them. Twilight, I asked you before if you loved Me. Do you still, even after tonight’s ordeal? Will you face these future dangers for my sake?”
“Yes, Rad… Celestia,” Twilight answered with a bow. “With all my heart.”
Twilight tried to bask in the presence of Her Radiance, but as when facing Nightmare Moon, gears began to mesh, and wheels began to turn.
“But,” Twilight blurted out, “Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you do anything? Why didn’t you tell me what would happen? I… I could have been better prepared!”
Twilight felt more than heard the chuckle.
“Didn’t I tell you what a treasure she was?”
Twilight tensed, knowing but not wishing to see what was behind her.
Indeed you did, and a treasure she is
Twilight turned to see Her Most Luminous.
Do not fear, Twilight. You are in no danger from Me. And to answer your question....
“Twilight,” Her Radiance drew back Twilight’s attention, “if I chose, I could make every pony dance like a puppet on a string, completely subservient to My will. I do not, and so allow ponies to make the choice to be stubborn, petty, narrow-minded, and evil. I do this because without the ability to choose, a pony cannot truly love. Love, true love, is a choice you make, not something you feel. I could have told you everything you needed to know. I could have given you perfect instructions. By doing so, I would have removed much of your capacity to choose. The friends you made tonight, would they truly be your friends if you’d known they had to be? Would you or they have chosen to open your hearts if it was simply a means to an end? Whatever I did or did not do tonight, your choices were real. They mattered, and they were yours.”
Queen Celestia stood, and opened her wings.
Twilight gasped, feeling her heart stutter. She felt Celestia’s presence wash over her, and Luna’s as well. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Luna had mirrored Celestia’s actions.
“Twilight,” Celestia said, “you are different than others. You do not just follow the herd. You think and reason. You ferret out satisfactory answers where others simply accept. This makes you precious beyond measure.”
Celestia took slow, deliberate steps toward her.
“This will be a double edged sword for you, I’m afraid,” She said. “It will make it hard for you to accept on faith what you cannot see with your eyes. Despite that, I treasure this in you. You are special, and I want you to know now, since there will be times that you doubt, that I… We love you.”
Twilight felt buoyed by the power and emotions washing over her. Washing through her. Driving out everything else.
To her surprise, she was actually hovering above the floor.
Celestia neared her, and Luna neared opposite. Slowly, gently, the two embrace her, wrapping their wings around her and each other. Twilight was swept away by the magnitude and dichotomy of the Power. It was both still as a breezeless summer evening, and as tumultuous as a rapid river. It was hot as glowing iron, and cold as a frozen pond in January. It was hard as stone, and as airy as a cloud. It was anything. It was everything. It filled her, sending her heart flying on wings of light and dark.
Then it was over.
Twilight sat trembling, feeling regretful at losing the sensation of flight. For a moment she thought she’d understood what it was like to be a pegasus.
Twilight heard a chuckle beside her.
Now, now. Patience, little one. It is morning; the day is still young. There will be time enough for that in the fullness of the day.
Twilight glanced up at Her Radiance before twirling around.
“What do you mean by that?” she demanded.
Queen Luna was gone.
Twilight whirled around.
“What did she mean by that?”
Queen Celestia was gone.
Twilight was alone.
Yet…
Twilight heard voices outside the Library. Ponies were beginning to recover from the shock of the evening, and were poking their noses out of their homes. Once, Twilight would have considered each of those voices a threat. A danger to be avoided.
Now?
Twilight took some deep breaths to steady herself. It was morning, but there was much work ahead of her. She had many, many threads to form.
I, Zaniskari, saw the Light and the Dark, and between them, six gems, five surrounding one. Around them, a throng of ponies with pure white coats rejoiced, crying in loud voices, “Blessed be The Light! Blessed be The Dark! And blessed be The One!”
I fell to my knees, afraid and ashamed of my impurities.
As I watched, the five left from around The One, traveling in all directions. One of the five, whose eyes sparkled with joy, came to me. She gazed upon me with kindness.
She said unto me, “Don’t be afraid. The ponies in white are only the first. The love of The Light, which nourishes and sustains us, the love of The Dark, which provides rest at the end of our days, and the love of The One, who binds the herd together and makes the whole stronger, is not just for the chosen few, nor is it just for ponies. All have a place waiting for them in the assembly. They need only claim it.”
The words of the pony set my soul at ease. I rose from the ground and looked to the assembly. I wished for there to be a place for me there. As I wished this, I knew that there was. I felt the love of The Light and The Dark, and I felt the love of The One, bringing all in.
The pony smiled at me and said, “And if you think this is nice, just wait until I get my hooves on my party cannon. Then it will be a celebration.”
Apocrypha 1