//------------------------------// // World 3: Chapter 8 // Story: The Worst of All Possible Worlds // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// Golden flowers. Sunset was staring at the darkened canopy above her bed. The memories of her dream still fresh in her mind, though it hadn't been as bad as some of the others. Golden flowers. She wasn’t ready to get up. Nightmare Moon would soon be arriving, anyway. The previous night spent with Applejack went well, and the dark alicorn would most likely be preparing some sort of transport this morning. Hopefully, Applejack actually convinced her and I’ll be visiting Celestia soon. If not, I suppose I could try spending another night with Rarity, she thought, glancing at the locked bedroom door. She would’ve preferred more sleep, her drowsy mind was becoming a menace. She let herself have a smile, closing her eyes to lucidly dream about what new worlds there might be waiting ahead of her. Having found out that the parallel worlds were limited gave her a renewed strength, that or the massage did more wonders than she realized. The overwhelming sense of dread from her dreams was halted by the roll of her shoulders. She decided to hop out of bed, brush out her mane, and toss on the backpack in preparation. The straps did not dig in as tightly as before. Applejack, you’re the best, she smiled. A knock came to the door. Right on time. Throwing on her watch, Sunset opened the door with her magic. “Good morning,” she called out, coming to greet the dark alicorn. She did not expect Applejack to be standing right alongside the black and blue princess. “Howdy, Sunset! Beautiful night. How’d you sleep?” “Best sleep I’ve ever gotten, thanks to you,” Sunset replied, flexing her chest as if to show her newfound poise. “Can we please cut the chatter and move on?” Nightmare Moon said shortly. “This is not something that I am eager to have done.” Applejack patted the alicorn’s leg and hooted. “Don’tchu mind her none, Sunset. She and I both agreed that if anypony would get Celestia to talk, it’d be you. There’s just something about you, after all,” the earth pony said. “Getting her to talk won’t be easy, especially about the Elements of Harmony, but I’m sure if you ask her the right questions she’ll open up.” And ask her your question, you mean, Sunset mentally grinned. “Piece of cake!” “Just the Elements of Harmony.” Nightmare Moon stared down her muzzle at the unicorn. “No funny business, Sunset Shimmer. You don’t want to let down Miss Applejack, or me.” Her sour expression turned into a dark sneer. “Say hello to the warden for me.” “The ward—” Sunset started to say before a flash of light expelled from the alicorn’s horn. Blinded, for a moment Sunset thought she saw golden flowers. The soft carpet of her bedroom exchanged for cold, unforgiving marble. As her eyes adjusted, there were no golden flowers. Bending to the bright white decor, she was surprised to no longer see the alicorn and earth pony. Now in a small room with a blue fire burning behind her, she trotted forward past two pillars standing to the sides of the sole doorway. More white, she thought as she stepped into a long hall. There was no fire in this one, just decorative art pieces kept in bronze frames hanging on the walls as she passed. Surprisingly, the corridor was bright. That’s when the air was sucked right out of her. Sunset glanced above at the ceiling—a glass roof that stared back at Equestria, a billion stars surrounding the entire planet. “Is that—!?” “That’s right,” a feminine voice called from down the way. “Welcome to the moon. Population two.” It was the warden, Sunset knew, connecting the dots easily. She hadn’t expected who the warden would be, however, and was surprised to see a pink alicorn in a dark outfit. Her hair was cut short, her bangs brushed to one side. “Princess Cadance?” Sunset said, her eyes bulging. “I’m not a princess anymore.” The warden was slow, taking her time to walk down the long, petite hallway. As she drew closer, Sunset realized that the outfit Cadance wore was designed much in the same way a captain’s uniform was handled. A black breastplate across her chest with a crescent moon in the middle, gold straps tucking the metal around her flank and belly, and two purple shoulder pads on both sides. She did not wear a plumed helm, however, choosing to keep her head unguarded. “You and I must speak before I will grant you access to the inmate.” “Inmate? When Nightmare Moon said warden, I assumed someone different. Why would you be the one to guard Celestia?” “Come,” Cadance commanded, refusing an answer. The white hall turned and swiveled till it came to a black iron gate. On the inside, Sunset could see a rotund room with another set of black iron bars shadowing cells. How many cells there were, she could not tell from her hall. Cadance did not lead her into this iron barred room. There was another door, wooden and half open, which she pushed into. Sunset followed in only to see nothing more than a shelf covered in books, a bed with pristine sheets, kitchenware, and a birch table with two bone-colored chairs. “Is this your room? Do you stay on the moon all the time?” Sunset asked as Cadance rounded the table, taking her seat. “Yes. The moon is my prison just as much as it is Celestia’s, though I chose to be locked up here.” “Why would you choose that?” “Without me, Celestia has no one. She speaks to me as little as she can, but I know she’s grateful, and it’s better than being down with that awful Nightmare Moon.” Sunset was surprised to hear someone speak so derogatorily about Nightmare Moon. In fact, this was the first time she could recall ever hearing anyone speak of the dark alicorn in a negative manner. “I’m sorry, back up for a second. You know who I am, right?” “Some mare Nightmare Moon has sent to question Celestia about the Elements of Harmony. You should be aware, Nightmare Moon herself has tried to get that information from Celestia, but just like most, Celestia is silent. Nightmare Moon knows where the Elements of Harmony are, you know.” Sunset’s eyes lit up, and the alicorn frowned. “Perhaps you did. If I had my way, everyone would just leave Celestia alone—leave us both alone.” The alicorn crossed her hooves on the table. She almost sounds like Shining Armor, gleamed Sunset, glancing at the dull eyes of the pink alicorn. “I have a feeling she’ll talk to me.” “Of course you do, but I very much doubt it. I’d appreciate it if you would leave now, instead.” “What? Why?” Cadance did not answer. “If you truly want to talk to Celestia, I won’t stop you. All that I ask is that you make it brief. She’s a kind soul. No matter what you’ve heard about her or what you believe she is, she’s not. Not that I think my words will have much impact on a tool for Nightmare Moon,” she explained. “Cadance, I’m not—” Sunset threw her head back, revolting at the thought “—No. Cadance, how is it you ended up here? Why are you Celestia’s warden?” “Never heard the story, have you?” Cadance reclined, her expression unchanged. “Where did Nightmare Moon drag you up from? No. I chose to be here. I could not turn on Celestia like… like so many others did. Nightmare Moon was going to grant me the freedom to do as I please, but I requested this position. I think she liked that idea but she couldn’t suggest it herself, she’d lose support.” Cadance tapped the table twice. “I thought you were here to question Celestia, not me. Perhaps, knowing what you know now, you should heed my advice. Leaving is your best option. Have Nightmare Moon tell you where the Elements are.” She really does sound like Shining Armor. Has she been here all these years? Trapped with Celestia? Sunset hadn’t bothered sitting down and she was glad she didn’t. Turning to face the door, she said, “No. I’m going to speak with Celestia now.” Nightmare Moon knows where the Elements of Harmony are. She’s known all along, but I have too. The Tree of Harmony glowed like it had in the first world, something it hadn’t done in the second. There was no denying it now, however. They were in the Tree of Harmony. “Very well. Don’t try to let her out or use your magic in that room. I’ll send you back immediately if you do.” The guttural tone of her voice made sure Sunset know she was serious, but Sunset had no plans of doing such things. A creak and a squeak echoed from the hall, and as Sunset trotted past the doorframe, she saw the black iron entry was now available. She had not expected to find Cadance so intolerable, and she wondered what Celestia’s state would be as well. Surely it can’t be worse than with the changelings, she thought, stepping into the circular room. The white stone architecture was somehow more grey in this prison of a room. Another skylight, iron and glass, as circular as the room, sat above displaying the blue and green world. Inside the room were hovels where black iron bars thick enough to be a flagpole kept prisoners. Each hole in the wall was dark and cramped, aside from the one meant for the sole prisoner. That hovel was the largest, three times the size of the others, clearly meant to hold only the alicorn. A soft-looking pink floor bed sat in the corner of the giant cell, the only piece of furniture for the oversized mare. The pink looked sad compared to the colors of Celestia’s mane. Light magenta, cerulean, and turquoise poured down the white-furred back, reaching the tail, creating a waterfall of the same colors that extended out toward the bars. A bit of tail extended past the black iron, wrapping around it like a chained dog wraps around a tree or post. Her slumped head hid her eyes and muzzle from the outside, and even though the cell was large, Sunset could not move far enough to either side to reach the peripherals of the alicorn. The soft breathing of the sun princess was the only noise Sunset could hear other than the sudden speedy beating of her own heart. She wasn’t sure how long she had been standing in the middle of the room, soaking in the chamber as if it might be her own tomb one night soon. After working up the nerve, Sunset said, “Princess Celestia?” Her voice was as meek as a coward’s courage, but she had said the name and there was no turning back now. The awkwardness, she winced. This isn’t my Celestia, but that doesn’t make it any easier. When the echoes of the name dissipated, Sunset noticed the alicorn had not stirred. She spoke again, this time less gentle. “Princess Celestia.” Not even a twitch from the alicorn. “So it’s true, you do ignore everyone,” Sunset mused aloud, a bit surprised that the princess had not recognized her voice, or if she had, she didn’t care. “Out of all the ponies, I wasn’t expecting to be ignored by you. That’s some dramatic irony. I ignored you all those years ago. Your advice, your teachings. Your misgivings.” The white ears flicked for a second, but the rest of the alicorn remained as solid as a statued Discord. She could ignore the feelings, but she couldn’t ignore the words. “I’d like to say this isn’t uncomfortable for me, having done this twice now, but it still is. You still remember the angry filly who was too stubborn to take your advice. You still remember the me who was pretty… awful.” “Sunset… Shimmer?” Celestia’s voice was rough and coarse. Years of silence kept the chords dull. Though she spoke, her body remained the same. Her ears stood still, listening intently on the unicorn behind the bars. “The one and only, I’d like to say, but after what I’ve seen I know that can’t be true,” answered Sunset. “Have you turned for my sister?” the miserable voice asked. Sunset answered the question with a question, “You mean like everyone else in this strange timeline?” Somehow, Celestia’s head slunk even lower. Her shoulder blades looked like white wooden spoons jutting up out of the snow. When Sunset saw the way her words affected the princess, she knew she would need to walk on eggshells. “I’m sorry,” Celestia said to Sunset’s surprise. “Sorry? For what?” “Everything.” “Wow. Everything, huh?” Sunset walked forward and wrapped her hooves around the bars, poking her muzzle into the cell. “That’s a lot to be sorry for. Here I was only hoping to apologize for being a terrible, awful, resentful student.” She chuckled. “You’ve been around a lot longer, though. But, everything? There’s a lot of good things you’ve produced.” The alicorn didn’t respond. Her head slumped over like an old bag of potatoes collecting dust in a corner. “The sun, for instance. That’s something good.” That stirred the giant white mare, if only a little. The mane did not move as the head twisted to one side, her eyes hidden behind the turquoise and cerulean. “The sun.” When Celestia spoke, Sunset could see the dry lips of the alicorn, broken and torn. “I’m sorry.” She sounds like a broken record. Sunset dug her cheeks closer between the bars, trying to get as close as she could to the alicorn. “You’re saying sorry a lot.” “Sorry.” “Stop that!” The alicorn unhurriedly turned her head back to the position it had been when Sunset arrived. “Sorry,” the ancient alicorn said as quiet as a burglar’s cat. “Geez,” Sunset sighed, tapping her horn against the black metal. “I’m sorry too. I’m not sure what I was really expecting by coming here. Everyone said you were quiet. I think… I had hoped that you wouldn’t be for me. That you’d turn and greet me like a long lost child.” She paused, her mind returning to the Celestia who stood staring at the Crystal Empire through a looking glass. She was surprised to see me, just like how the Celestia of the Resistance timeline was surprised to see how good I had become. But in the end, neither of them treated me like I was their apprentice again. “Here I am, finally learning that I can go back home, yet things can never truly go back to the way they were.” Not that I’ve earned that right. “Home? Back?” Celestia sounded as if she hadn’t ever heard those words; as if she was trying to say them for the first time. “I’m not your Sunset Shimmer,” she answered, “I’m from another Equestria, one that is peaceful and is saved by the bearers of the Elements of Harmony on a constant basis. One that you and Luna rule together.” Magenta streaks shifted, then turquoise. The entire waterfall of mane fell off the alicorn’s back as her head turned, displaying a messy pattern of feathery wings. Sunset glanced into the look that stared back at her, getting caught in the sad, sullen, sunken, sickening gaze of the alicorn’s crusted eye. Distraught, misery, guilt, exhaustion. The nightmares. It took Sunset everything she had not to cry or look away. A black hole of pale lilac drew her in until the alicorn slumped her head forward once more. Sunset’s own eyes fell to the floor. Her forelegs shook, she could see them vibrate but did nothing to stop them. “What happened to you?” she asked. There was no more fun or games, there was no room for it here on the empty moon. “I gave up,” Celestia answered. “You what?” Sunset couldn’t believe her ears. No, no, no, no, no. Not again. She slammed the iron with the side of her hoof, echoing out the tremor like an idiophone. “You can’t have given up. You can’t have given up! There’s no way. You didn’t give up against Sombra, you didn’t give up against Chrysalis. How is it that, in a world that’s almost as peaceful as the one I’m from, that you finally gave up?” Sunset ruffled her mane, pulling red and yellow globs of hair in every direction. “Is it?” asked Celestia. “Is it what?” Sunset half-shouted, exasperated. “Peaceful?” “Yes! It’s more peaceful than I’d ever admit to Nightmare Moon, and that’s the problem!” The alicorn went quiet. So quiet it hurt Sunset, she couldn’t speak another word. What can I even say? Maybe Cadance was right, this was a mistake. Sunset dropped her hooves to the floor and backed a step up. She didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t know if it would be right to try and ask any more questions. What about Applejack’s question? she remembered. Before she got a chance to ask, Celestia said, “You… are not my Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset inhaled and exhaled. “That’s right.” “What happened to you?” Whether it was meant as a snappy retort or not, Sunset felt the sting. “As I said, I come from another Equestria, one that’s peaceful. In my timeline, a friend of mine, Princess Twilight, was forced into a battle in the past with another unicorn. I was caught in the crossfire. Their actions in the past have brought me to a different present. Twice now, I’ve been to worlds that are far worse than this one, and poles apart.” “You mean… this world is… wrong?” A smile lit up on Sunset’s face. “That’s right! It’s wrong!” she said, perhaps too enthusiastically. “Then… I truly am the worst.” The wind swept out of Sunset’s sails as if she had been punched. This isn’t going well, she thought. The alicorn was a big white rock, an impasse that blocked Sunset’s path. Celestia even started to look like a boulder, the way her head and shoulders bent her spine. Sunset remembered one of her literature studies at CHS of a mythological creature that was made of stone, clay, or dirt. A golem, the word came to her. Mindless creatures usually, meant for building or defending. Without a mind, emotion is gone. Celestia clearly wasn’t emotionless, but the deep, teary eyes told of emotions that had long since driven her mad. The ponies of Equestria spent years dealing with Nightmare Moon’s rule, to get used to the Forever Night, to deal with the passage of time. Celestia had years too—but it was only to contemplate her own failure; to give up hope, and Sunset almost felt the need—the want—to give it up too. She’d felt that way since the talk with Rarity. Not this world’s Rarity, but the last. “Just let go,” she had said and Sunset heeded the advice, but now it was clear that advice would only aid in the choice of giving up completely. Sunset wondered what the lesson of this world might be—if there was one. Thinking back to the older worlds made her remember—each world had beaten Nightmare Moon. “Why did you lose? How did you fail to banish Princess Luna a second time?” she asked the elder alicorn. “Is that what happened? In your other worlds?” The voice of the princess strained like a bent cello string. “Somewhat. In my world, the bearers of the Elements revived Princess Luna, breaking her curse. In the last two, you defeated her with the Elements, banishing her back to the moon. But in this world, Nightmare Moon doesn’t seem like she’s affected by any… curse. She’s a normal, slightly stressed princess with a checkered past.” Sunset then pointed at Celestia. “Tell me how she won, please.” Celestia seemed to sigh, every breath she took gave the impression of a sigh, though. “I told you, I gave up,” she answered. It was clear Celestia did not like speaking. Every final word was a long, exaggerated gasp for air. Celestia must have realized Sunset noticed that, as her horn lit up, casting a light on the dark white wall of her cell like a projector. It was surprising that the alicorn could use magic. Sunset half expected Cadance to show up and yell angrily at her when it was Celestia who had done it. Before she could ask why Celestia was allowed to use magic and why she did not teleport away, the lights shifted into a memory. Blacks, then blues and purples. The night sky over Ponyville. Celestia had come in the long night to celebrate the Summer Sun Celebration, but something else had come as well. She knew to draw away as fast as she could, sneaking off from her guards, rushing to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Her white wings blew her between the trees, reaching the grey, crumbling stone. Something caused her to look back, a sound of laughter or thunder most likely, or the voice of an escaped villain. Whatever it was, Sunset did not know. There was no sound to the imagery. Cracked rubble, decrepit pillars. The Celestia flew past the old throne that held so many memories. An offshoot of the great hall, Sunset recognized it. Another sound caught the memory of Celestia off-guard. The white alicorn turned and her reflection stood with a smile staring back at her. White turned black, gold turned blue. Nightmare Moon laughed, her teeth bore. “Please, sister, I don’t want to fight you,” Celestia voiced the memory, her coarse tone nothing like what it would have truly been that night. Sunset had to imagine what Nightmare Moon’s reply was, but it was an easy tell. The black alicorn struck with magic and the white alicorn shielded. Colors splashed against the white of the cell, turning the whole hovel into one of those theaters that you’d have to kink your head back to see everything. All at once the colors stopped and rose bright, the memory of Celestia with it. Six Elements of Harmony surrounded her, and Sunset knew this was the same battle that had happened in the last two worlds. Unlike those, however, this Celestia dropped the Elements to the ground. “I will not banish you, Luna,” Celestia said, hoarsely. “You are my sister! For all the ponies in the world, I cannot banish you twice. It was wrong the first time, it’s wrong the second!” Nightmare Moon threw her head back in laughter, her horn lit. The Elements of Harmony floated, and Sunset could see clearly what the dark alicorn was saying. “Then I shall use them myself!” the words were mouthed in silence on the wall. The magic of the evil alicorn poured out and wrapped around the Elements, but the Elements did something Sunset had not expected. The Elements turned Nightmare Moon into a power monstrosity, not unlike what the Element of Magic had done for Sunset. The memory of Celestia must have realized her mistake, the Elements turned black. With a dash of white, Celestia stole back the Elements and fled. The sky opened, the moonlight lit her path. Nightmare Moon recovered, the blue mist followed Celestia’s trail as she hurried down the incline of the jungle. The crevice opened before her and she took a leap, landing not-so-gracefully in a puddle before turning to the only cave along the dried up river’s wall. The Elements were cracked and breaking, their power releasing. It was clear Celestia knew what to do—she always did, somehow. Inside the cave, the Tree of Harmony grew bright like a lightbulb before it bursts. One by one, Celestia threw the Elements into the tree. The brightness succumbed and the gems reverberated in place, restoring the cracks. The blue mist was there in an instant but was stopped by the barrier produced by the Tree of Harmony. “Sister! You know evil cannot wield the Elements! What were you thinking!?” “I was thinking of destroying you,” was how Sunset imagined the dark alicorn replied. “My sweet sister, are you truly that lost? Can you not see that the ponies of this world rely on us to keep the peace? This is not peace!” Every word sounded harsher and sadder than the last, words that Celestia clearly had a long time to relive in her mind. Sunset couldn’t tell exactly what Nightmare Moon had said, but it was clear from the expression. “It’d be peaceful without you!” The memory of Celestia was taken aback, her face hurt as the brightness lowered. The Tree of Harmony was safe, the Elements were safe, but the barrier remained. “Do you truly believe that, dear sister?” The words fell out of Celestia like berries rolling off a table, thumping the ground with every final syllable. “I do!” Nightmare Moon replied, that was easy to see. Celestia’s head hung low, just like it did now in the cell. “Very well,” she said, and the memory trotted forward out of the barrier. The surprise of Nightmare Moon’s face matched Sunset’s own. “I concede. I will not fight my own sister any longer.” The memory of Celestia fell to her rump, her head still low. She looked exactly as she did now, her back to Sunset, her mane flowing down her back. The dark alicorn whipped her head around and laughed, and the light of the wall faded. Celestia’s horn went cold, and there was silence. Sunset took it all in, everything she saw. Every detail needed to be jotted down in her mind, she had to remember every key point. But she couldn’t. It was too much to believe. Celestia had said it before, she had given up. That one little difference between worlds altered what evil had taken over. “I traded the future of my people for my sister. I was too weak-willed to try and fight her, to save Equestria. And even then, in the end… I was wrong. I failed my people from the very start, denying them a ruler who was better than I.” Celestia crumbled, the statue that had sat there for years fell forward. The big, white alicorn laid on the floor like a dog, her hooves pressed against her cheeks, her chin on the dark white floor. “I failed everyone.” Teleporting into the cell, Sunset did not care about Cadance’s threat. Her teacher needed her, and she would go to her. Sunset fell in beside the bigger mare, nuzzling against her neck like a cub nuzzles the mother lion. Celestia’s eyes popped in her sockets, surprised to feel the unicorn, but she did not move. She did not say anything, either. Neither mare did. Sunset had no words for the senior alicorn. “Get up! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!” she wanted to say. “It’s okay! It’s not your fault! Don’t worry!” was another side. “We’re both failures! Look at us!” she felt, even deeper. But the worst words she thought, the worst of all possible words, were the ones she said. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m sorry…” Why had she said that? What did she have to apologize for? She wasn’t the one controlling Nightmare Moon. She had nothing to do with the past. Why did she feel so sorry? Yet she repeated those words, and Celestia nestled back. They were both sorry for different things but the feelings were the same. Tears soaked their fur and each other’s, they cried together for what seemed like hours, only stopping as Sunset fell into dreamland. Watching Celestia’s memory had drained the last bit of strength out. While her cheeks rested against the elder alicorn, her dream self awoke beneath golden petals, staring up at a blank, dark grey sky. She immediately recognized the place, the dream; she grew used to seeing it. Golden flowers as far as the eye could see, rising up an incline around an indigo gazebo. She always climbed up to the open structure, a curious mind would often return to see if something new occurred. “I’m sorry,” she could hear herself whisper as she strode up into the center, feeling the dirty wood on her hooves. It wasn’t her who spoke it, but it also was. The picture of Celestia filled her mind and became translucent in front of her, the alicorn was sitting vaguely happy on one of the benches. Sunset smiled, remembering she had just cried on her teacher’s shoulder. “Wait, I’m asleep in her cell!” she realized, becoming far more lucid than before. She shook her head and smacked the back of her neck, trying to wake up. The vision of Celestia vanished, and she took that as a good sign of waking up. When she didn’t, she tried again. “Now’s not the time to sleep! I’ve got to talk more with Celestia, I’ve got to get her help!” “Unfortunately, that wasn’t our deal!” Sunset heard another voice speak, causing her to flip around and stare out into the field of flowers. She half expected it to be Nightmare Moon, but this was worse. There was no one there, not physically, but there were voices. A hundred, a thousand, all whispering. Things Sunset had heard before, things she would hear in the future, and things not meant for her. One stuck out from the rest. “I’m sorry.” It was her voice, but it wasn’t her. She awoke in a sweat, her mane drooping in front of her eyes. “That’s not good,” Sunset mumbled as she pushed the hair away. Lights were filling the cell, the shifting colors of memories had returned, but they were not a memory. “Golden flowers,” Celestia said in her croaky voice. The images splashing on the white prison wall was that of Sunset’s own dream. The indigo gazebo, the fields of golden flowers. But she could not hear the voices. For a moment, Sunset felt angry. Her dreams were her own. But when she looked up and saw the wretched eyes of the teacher she had long missed, she couldn’t help but forgive the intrusion. “I often dream of that—sometimes there’s more to it,” Sunset mentioned, feigning a loud yawn. “Golden flowers and a gazebo, those are always in my dreams.” “It’s not a dream,” Celestia replied, catching Sunset off-guard. “You have my talent, one of many reasons I wanted you as an apprentice.” Sunset watched as the lights faded away. The gazebo, the golden flowers, and the gentle wind pushing the petals in one direction or another. The wall grew dark and cold. “Your talent? Not a dream? What do you mean?” Celestia did not answer, she didn’t have the answer. For Sunset, no one had that answer. “My apologies,” Celestia croaked. “I should not have invaded your dreams. You did not look peaceful as you slept, and it peaked my worried curiosity.” “I should be the one apologizing,” Sunset replied, wiping Celestia’s shoulder. “I cried and then fell asleep on you. Reminds me of my days as an apprentice, except those weren’t sad tears.” A sudden lift of her mane caught her by surprise as the elder alicorn kissed the top of her forehead. Another bout of tears came surging up, but Sunset repressed them. Enough crying you big loon, she mentally slapped herself. “It’s time for you to go, little one,” whispered Celestia. Her voice sounded better, less gravely, whenever she spoke low and quiet. “I hope I have helped at least one pony.” Sunset pushed her head up and behind, she could barely make out the pink alicorn standing at the black iron bars of the door. “I just have two questions,” she whispered back, pushing her head against Celestia. One of my own, and one for Applejack. Celestia gave a sluggish nod, and Sunset decided to go with her own question first. It was the same one she had decided it better to not ask Nightmare Moon on the night they arrived in Canterlot. “The sun—where has it gone?” It was a painful question for Celestia, which was clear to Sunset, but everything looked painful for the broken mare. A hoof lifted and tapped the ground. “My sister. The sun combined with her moon, phasing out my sun entirely. I can feel its presence beneath me even now, hidden below like locked away treasure.” “So that’s why the moon is always so bright. It draws on the sun’s power.” That was an easy answer. Now here comes a hard one. “Okay. One more.” She decided against saying who this question was from. “Could Equestria live on without a princess to lead?” “I have failed my people, Sunset. I do not know. Once, I thought they couldn’t. My sister has proven I was wrong about many things. Perhaps they can. But why would you ask such a question?” Sunset hadn’t thought of a reason behind it. In truth, she had no idea why Applejack would even ask such a thing of her. Her only reasoning was drawn by the evil centaur who once stole a portion of Nightmare Moon’s power. But could Applejack have known about that? “It’s just a backup plan. In the last world I visited, the Elements of Harmony did not work as I would have liked them to.” The sad look of the alicorn seemed even sadder. “The Elements… they are mysterious. Even I do not know everything about them.” “But you knew enough to bring them back to the Tree of Harmony—and that’s a good start,” Sunset replied as she stood up, almost reaching eye level with the alicorn. “Thank you for all your help. I promise,” she whispered, “I’ll do everything in my power to save this world.” “Sunset,” the alicorn said, grabbing the unicorn’s hoof. “Don’t promise me that.” Sunset tried to pull away, but the strength was incredible. “Promise me instead that you’ll leave this world the first chance you get. Promise me.” “W-what? I can’t do that, even if I wanted to. I’d need the support of all the bearers, and the only way to do that is to get the Elements of Harmony.” The hoof slipped out and Celestia’s head hung suspended for a moment before falling forward. “Then promise me you’ll be careful.” Sunset couldn’t help but smile at that. “You know me, Celestia. I can’t promise that either.” The elder alicorn remained an emotionless statue. After teleporting out from behind the bars, Sunset waltzed up to Cadance who nudged her head toward the hall. She ushered the unicorn into the other room. “I’ve never heard anyone talk to Celestia like that. She hasn’t spoken in so long,” Cadance said after closing the door to her room. “I’m impressed.” “You heard everything, huh? You’re not going to tell on me, are you?” Sunset asked, stopping at one of the bone white chairs and turning back to face Cadance. “To Nightmare Moon? No. I wouldn’t be here if I wanted to whisper gossip in her ear like some sort of traitor. No, Sunset, I believe I misjudged you. I don’t recognize you from the past, but Celestia does, and she trusts you. That’s enough for me to trust you.” “Thank you,” Sunset replied, still feeling a bit emotional. “I don’t have a plan yet, but can I rely on you in the future?” The young alicorn nodded. “As long as you don’t go against my aunt, you have me. I’d do anything to see her happy again.” Sunset absentmindedly smiled. I would too, just another for the list of things I have to do. This world… Her smile faltered and she could feel the tears rising once more. There’s no war, but this is certainly one of the worst worlds I’ve visited. “Hey, hey,” Cadance said coolly, crossing the room to put a foreleg around the unicorn. “It’s alright.” “I’m okay.” Sunset sniffled and breathed in, taking a moment to center herself. “Sorry. Thoughts got the better of me.” She wiped the beginnings of tears away. “I’m fine, and I’m ready to return to Equestria.” The alicorn gave a nod and lead her back to the first white room, giving Sunset one last look through the hall’s skylight at the big blue and green planet in the distance. She knew Nightmare Moon would be waiting, eager to hear everything that was said, everything that she learned. Lights flashed, leaving her blinded again. When her eyes corrected, she was not surprised to be standing directly in Canterlot’s throne room or to see Applejack standing at the foot of the throne. She should have guessed Applejack would be waiting patiently, wanting to know the answer to her odd question. “And the time traveler returns from her long trip to my precious moon,” Nightmare Moon greeted from her royal seat, looking far more regal than she had the right to be. “You were gone awhile. I trust that Celestia spoke to you?” “She did,” Sunset answered, wasting no time. “She told me of the damaged Elements of Harmony, Nightmare Moon.” Terror filled Nightmare Moon’s face. It was clear she hadn’t expected Celestia to speak, much less go into great detail into the original battle that led to Nightmare’s reign. “She did, did she?” “It explains why you’re so adamant about getting the Elements of Harmony, but not willing to get them yourself. You can’t. The bearers could, or Celestia. But not you.” Her eyes stared at the alicorn, and by Nightmare Moon’s face, she knew she was right. “If we bring the bearers to the Tree of Harmony, I’m certain the tree will relinquish the stones, granting you what you want.” And hopefully, granting what I want as well. “So it all ends at the Tree of Harmony? I should have guessed it.” The princess scowled, leaning forward in her seat. “I thought you said you could draw them out of the bearers? Why need the tree itself?” “The barrier is still up—they may require their presence to release them. Perhaps some of the bearers already earned their Element, but the stones can’t leave.” “Very well,” Nightmare Moon agreed. “We leave at night’s break tomorrow morning.” “Beg your apologies, Nightmare Moon, but I don’t believe I can afford another night away from my business nor the banquet planning,” Applejack interjected. “You’ll have to head off without me if you are going out tomorrow.” Sunset was about to speak up—without Applejack there’d be no way to use the Elements of Harmony immediately on the dark alicorn—but Nightmare Moon spoke first. “That’ll be fine. If what Sunset deduced is true then we’ll gain five of the six, and we’ll wait in Ponyville for your arrival. Once you arrive, we’ll send her off and get you your Element. Then the banquet won’t just be celebrating Equestria, but another protective marker against the evil of this world!” Applejack clapped her hooves and cheered to that, but Sunset was less enthused. “That’s fine with me,” she feigned her agreement. Perhaps I can convince the other five to turn on Nightmare Moon, and once Applejack gets there we can drag her into the plan too. “I am surprised, Sunset Shimmer. I assumed visiting the Tree of Harmony would be pointless, and I had thought that a visit to my sister would prove futile. In the end, you were right about both things. You have my thanks. We shall see you on your way soon enough.” The elder alicorn tilted her head down as if to bow, but it was very frank. “If you would, Miss Applejack, please lead Sunset back to her room. I shall tend to the preparations for tomorrow’s trip.” “As you wish, princess,” Applejack replied, giving a wink to the unicorn as she trotted close. She hooked a foreleg around Sunset’s, huddling adjacent to the mare. “C’mon, Sunset. I’m mighty glad you did so well. I knew you could.” Carrying themselves out into the hall, Applejack remained close to Sunset as they walked. “Did you manage to ask my little question, sugar cube?” the earth pony whispered. “I did,” answered Sunset just as quietly. “She doesn’t know. She believes it could happen, that she didn’t believe Nightmare Moon could be a good ruler. A world without a ruling princess might be possible. But why did you want to know such a thing?” Applejack’s brows furrowed. “Possible, probable. Nothing solid. That’s why it’s important for us to get the Elements of Harmony. The princess is a valiant leader, without her around I fear we’d lose everything, but the Elements will help us all remain protected and secure.” Trotting into the elevator, the door closed. “I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. The Elements of Harmony and Nightmare Moon,” Sunset replied. “It’ll have to wait, Sunset. There’s somepony I want you to meet first,” Applejack cut the unicorn off. The doors reopened and they stepped out into the hall. “You asked why I wanted to know such a curious thing,” she said as they turned the corner, reaching Sunset’s room. The guard wasn’t present for once, which surprised Sunset. A few quick knocks on her door and it opened. "C’mon. I’ll explain inside.” Applejack winked at the unicorn, taking the first steps into Sunset’s room. Sunset cautiously followed, keeping her eyes trained on the bed, following up the sheets until she could see a stallion sitting on the edge. “This is who I wanted you to meet, Sunset,” Applejack said, throwing a hoof at the stallion who was busily sifting through Sunset’s backpack. “You!?” Sunset exclaimed, wanting to rip the backpack out of his hooves. “Hello Sunset,” Shining Armor greeted, an award-winning smile on his lips. “You just can’t seem to stay out of trouble, can you?”