//------------------------------// // Truer Words // Story: The Truth of Chaos // by dissidant1 //------------------------------// "Wake up." a voice she couldn't place in her exhaustion tried to rouse Twilight from her sleep. "Come on Twilie. You need to wake up." "Mmfuhh.....Shining Armor? What is it?" Twilight said, eyes barely open. "Princess Celestia requests you. Your friends are ready and waiting for you. She wants all of you. Even Spike." the serious look of her brother's face hid behind it a deep sadness, but Twilight knew asking would do no good. "I'm coming." _______________ The train housed an uncomfortable silence as the six friends and faithful baby dragon speculated about what everything means. Shining Armor looked completely drained, no doubt from his back and forths to Canterlot coupled with royal guard duty, so they insisted he take his own car in which to rest on the trip. "Does somepony want to fill me in?" Spike said breaking the silence. "I'm so sorry Spike. I forgot you didn't know anything about this." Twilight then recounted the entire story, from the start of her concerns to the origins of Celestia. "I didn't expect us all to be summoned at first but now it kinda makes sense." "Does that mean ya have and idea 'bout this whole thing?" "Not quite, but I suspected from the start that Celestia's power was weakening. After all, the Elements of Harmony were the source of her power and now she no longer controls them." "This is crazy!" Rainbow Dash yelled, "If she needs the Elements back, I don't understand why we can't just hoof them over. Discord and Chrysalis are gone. We don't need them anymore." "Rainbow is right in a way," Rarity chimed in, "Celestia is the ruler of all Equestria. Its not like we will need such amazing power in the everyday lives we live in Ponyville. She however can use them to protect us and make everypony's life better." "Oh, well, Rarity she was always able to do that anyway." "Yeah, until that Queenie Meanie wedding crasher came along." "Pinkie Pie is right." Twilight added with a nod. "It's unbelievable," said Rainbow Dash. "You can say that again darling." "No, I mean that Pinkie was right. Now that's unbelievable." A hearty laughter erupted in the train car. It soothed Twilight's heart a little bit to know they could still share such moments of joy even among these trying circumstances. The laugh died down as the magnificence of Canterlot appeared on the horizon. _____________________ Though Twilight had visited it many times in her fillyhood, the royal palace always daunted her with its overwhelming regalia combined with the air of openness it exuded. It was open to one and all and the Princess always be ready to hear any pony's problem. "Princess Celestia will receive us in her chambers. Cadence is already waiting." Shining Armor had been all business from the second the train docked in Canterlot. As they approached the door into the Princess' chamber, Shining Armor stopped. He hung his head low and breathed a massive sigh. "Alright. I want you all to be prepared for what you see. The Princess is.....well...." the sadness became more than apparent on his face and in his voice as he searched for the words. "She's.....see for yourselves." The doors opened. ____________________ The Princess was in her bed but there was something horribly wrong with her. The normally beautiful multicolored mane was grey and matted and her flawlessly white coat had lost its shine. She was over a thousand years old and she looked like it now. Cadence was at her bedside and she looked over to the six with tears in her eyes. The princess' labored breathing was enough to break any heart. "What's wrong with her?" Twilight asked, using all her might not to break down and weep. "She's dying." A familiar voice came from the opposite corner of the room. They glanced over and laid eyes on a pony they had never seen before. A beautiful jet-black mare. "Who're you?" "Its a shame that you've forgotten me already Twilight Sparkle." As the mare approached them from the shadows, it suddenly donned on Twilight who the mystery pony was. "Princess Luna!? But what-" It was definitely Luna but her horn was gone. She still had her beautiful black wings, but she was no longer an alicorn. "Is that you Twilight?" a weak voice came from the bed. "Oh my faithful student. Thank you so much for coming. All of you. I imagine you are all quite surprised by my appearance. My little ponies, I must speak with Twilight alone. Please give me a few moments." The five other ponies left the room, tears in their eyes, along with Shining Armor, Cadence, and Princess Luna. "Princess, tell me what to do." Twilight said, her voice cracking. "Twilight, listen. I have lived a very very long time. One of the curses I have suffered is the fact that I was never able to bear any foals. I have had loved ones who lived their lives while I watched them slowly die. Each death affected me little by little but I knew I had to keep going. I had to be strong for all of you. I don't think I could've lived if I'd had to watch my child grow up and die. All of the apprentices I've had in the past, I've refrained from getting close to, just so it wouldn't hurt me when they died. But then I met you. That scared little filly who possessed a far greater magic than mine, but did not know how to handle it. You are everything I ever wanted in a daughter. I have no regrets in my life for having known you." "Princess, you can't die. There has to be a spell to fix this. I just need to find it. Without you, who will guide us? Who will give us the sun everyday? The world is gonna be so dark without you." "Twilight, I have lived long enough. I am so tired. I want to see my mother and father again. And Serenity, my beautiful little sister." "What about Princess Luna? You'll be leaving her too." "Ah. Her state surprised me too. Her imprisonment must have kept her age in stasis. Without her magic, she can now have something I always wanted, but will never have the joy of knowing: a normal pony life. She can live, love, have babies and then one day join the rest of us. We have had our tears over this, and we both accept it this way." "What will we do without you? You have always been there to guide us and bring light to our lives. Where do we go from here?" "My little ponies will have to find someone new to guide and watch over them. Twilight, I have a choice for you."