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Chapter 8-Gari
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“State your name.”
The officer asked the question without a second thought, as formal and routine as any interrogation he had partaken in before. What wasn’t so routine however was that the princess herself was attending the investigation as well, leaning back in her chair beside him. In most cases, Silver Shield would have preferred to do the interrogation by himself, but he really couldn’t complain about his companion. It was Celestia, after all.
He remembered when they had brought the prisoner in, she had to be held down by four guards just to restrain her. One hell of a fighter, he thought, considering the mare that now sat before him, silent and calm as she stared right through him. At least she’s behaving now.
Currently, they were sitting in a white brick room above the Canterlot dungeons, a mirror to the left of him and a door behind them. The situation was definitely serious. This mare, from what he had been told, had performed some sort of spell that had put Nightmare Moon’s reincarnation into a cursed sleep. That was how he understood it at least, the details somewhat skewed by the princesses themselves. Any information on the filly was kept mostly quiet since she had been defeated by the princesses, anything anypony knew about the events surrounding those two weeks of her subjugation were taken from the newspapers.
All he did know was that they were taking this very seriously, especially Princess Twilight. He didn’t understand why. He knew that she had been placed in charge of the little runt, but she seemed distant and distressed, unusual for someone who simply failed to keep watch of a charge. He knew not to inquire, of course, it wasn’t his business.
What was his business was getting information out of this prisoner, his pencil at the ready to jot down whatever she might say if she chose to cooperate.
“You already know my name.”
Silver frowned, tapping a pencil against the paper in front of him. Behaving, but not playing nice, I see. He leaned forward, pointing his pencil at her. “Yes, I’ve heard Princess Luna state it, but I want to hear it from you.”
There was a moment of silence between the two ponies, the mare lining her gaze across his features for any break in his stare. There was none. Her eyes averted slightly towards Celestia, the princess looking at her with a face that told her she was trying her patience.
“Gari,” the mare stated, returning her gaze to Silver Shield.
He grinned, satisfied to have gotten it out of her before he jotted it down, letting the pencil dance in his magic. At least we’re making some progress now, he thought, knowing that interrogations were a power-play after all. “Unusual name. Sounds foreign. Your momma pull it out of a fortune cookie?”
Gari simply stared at him, unphased by his poor attempt at humor.
“Right…” He looked down at his notes for a moment, turning his head to the princess for confirmation. She simply nodded, urging him to continue, “And your date of birth?”
“The twenty-third of September, thirty-fourth year of the Royal Sister’s rule,” she said breathlessly, not noticing the look she was getting from both ponies.
“Think you’re funny?” the officer asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Did I stutter?” she replied, giving him the most bored stare she could muster. Again, he turned to Celestia for confirmation, his leader frowning but nodding, reluctantly telling him to write it down. Silver Shield couldn’t believe it. She was that old?! His eyes darted between Gari and Celestia, trying to comprehend that a mere unicorn was only a hundred years younger than the princess.
“Right, well…” the officer muttered, writing down the date as quickly as possible as to not dwell too long on the fact, “I suppose we should move on to some questions.”
“Why did you attack Nyx?” Celestia spoke up, interrupting Silver before he could ask that question himself.
Gari, however, remained silent, staring right through Celestia with a look of contempt that could have burned a hole right through her skull. Silver shuddered. He didn’t know why, but the way her eyes flashed with her distaste for the princess unsettled him. He never thought he would ever see a pony who could look at her like that, yet here she was.
Celestia for her part was unamused, leaning forward to look down on her, “You’ve been silent for days now, Gari, and I want my answers. Why did you attack her?”
Again Gari didn’t respond, her frown growing deeper. Celestia growled at the look the mare gave, her anger fueled by the distress her student had suffered since Nyx had fallen under the spell, and her patience was running thin with this mare’s stubbornness.
Celestia suddenly rose from her chair, her mane waving far more aggressively than it ever had before. Silver had to back away from the heat she was generating, the princess getting into the unicorn mare’s face as she put on a scowl. “It would be wise to answer.”
“I have nothing to say to you, princess,” Gari hissed, her words filled with hatred and contempt. She leaned up, putting her muzzle mere centimeters from Celestia’s, matching the princess’ scowl with her own.
“Besides,” the unicorn shrugged her shoulders, ignoring Celestia as if their confrontation never happened. She then gave her attention to Silver, “I came here only because Princess Luna wished to talk to me. I expect to only answer questions from her.”
Silver Shield was stunned. He couldn’t believe how this mare stood her ground when facing off against Celestia, or how she brushed her off as if she were just an annoying insect. Why didn’t Celestia do anything in response to such disrespect?
“You don’t seriously think you can make demands?” Silver couldn’t help but chuckle as he spoke, finding it incredible how ballsy she was talking to Celestia like that.
“Oh, I think I can make any demand I desire within reason, I’m still a prisoner after all. But a prisoner with information is a prisoner with bartering rights,” she said with a sneer, pawing at the magical restraining collar fastened to her neck. She turned her head then, staring at the mirror with hesitation, a frown forming across her face.
“I want to talk to you.”
Princess Luna stood frozen in place, not daring to move. She stood outside the interrogation room, observing the conversation unfold. But everything had become silent once Gari turned to the glass, staring right at Luna. The princess wanted to smile, to feel pride in the unicorn’s heightened perception, but she couldn’t. All she could do was watch her, yet another ghost from her past.
“How can she see us?” a voice spoke breathlessly next to her.
Luna turned to the side, looking at the mare who spoke. Twilight Sparkle had arrived the night before, coming in late on the train from Ponyville. She stood stoic and observant of the unicorn inside the cell, her gaze cold and calculating, choosing only now to speak up. Her stance presented an atmosphere of authority, displaying an intimidating presence.
But Luna knew better. She could see it in Twilight’s eyes, the way they glazed over every so often. She was fighting to keep herself from crying, and behind that, there was so much more. Bags hung from the corners of her eyes, a testament to the sleepless nights she had endured. Her coat had faded slightly, telling her she had neglected to shower, and her mane and tail were in dire need of combing. Luna looked upon her sympathetically, wishing she could ease her pain, knowing that she couldn’t.
But to the question, Luna sadly knew the answer. She would have replied, but held it off, looking back to the door. Celestia and Silver Shield had stepped out of the interrogation room, frowns plastered on their faces as they approached the two princesses.
“She won’t talk to me.” Celestia sighed, casting a saddened look upon her student, who hadn’t taken an eye off of Gari for a moment.
“I expected as much. She always was stubborn when it came to how she wanted things to play out,” Luna remarked, shrugging her shoulders as she observed the mare. “A trait that was both a virtue and a hindrance for her.”
“Yes, I would like to ask you about that, actually,” Celestia remarked, pulling her aside so she could speak to her in private. “Maybe you can enlighten me upon a few issues.”
“Tia,” Luna groaned, not wanting to have this discussion.
“Don’t brush me aside, Luna! You both know each other personally, and I want to know why!” Celestia whispered harshly, not wanting Twilight to overhear what she had to say, grabbing Luna by her shoulders. “She’s old, impossibly old, and you’re the only one who can explain it.”
Luna tried to speak, feeling the words lumping in her throat. She turned away, casting her eyes to the ground. Celestia watched this as her eyes softened, knowing something was troubling the night princess.
Celestia put her hoof to her sister’s cheek, gently pulling her head to look up at her. “Luna, you haven’t spoken in days. What’s wrong?”
Luna looked at her sister with eyes threatening to burst, memories flooding her mind as the faces of twelve ponies surfaced in her mind, each of their names echoing in her head condemning her.
“Gari was one of the children I stole, all those years ago.”
Celestia recoiled from this, staring at Luna with disbelieving eyes. Quickly she shot a glance at the mare sitting in the interrogation room, her frown growing deeper when Gari turned to look at her, not knowing the mare could actually see her through the mirror.
“That’s impossible,” Celestia said, turning back to Luna with a look of horror.
“Many things thought impossible may become possible if given the right circumstances,” Luna replied, pulling away from Celestia as she walked towards the counter lining the wall, grabbing a pitcher of coffee in her magic to pour herself a cup.
Celestia shook her head. “But she died. She and the others you took. Their deaths were a piece in what drove you to become Nightmare Moon to begin with.”
Luna nodded her head, remembering how she had mourned for the foals and fueled her hate for Celestia. She had taken them away from the orphanages and street gutters in the hope that she could raise them into a new colony, away from the turmoil of Equestria in the aftermath of Discord’s reign. They would rise alongside their Equestrian cousins as a strong independent state, ready to aid them once they had conquered the lands Luna had chosen for them. But then disaster struck. The settlement she had set up for them was overcome by a plague, and by the time Luna had come to help them, they had already perished.
She remembered the rage she felt from their deaths, directing that anger towards Celestia. At the time, she reasoned that if her sister had simply allowed her to create the colony, none of the foals would have been lost. This reasoning was one of the many factors that led her to becoming Nightmare Moon, the anger clouding her judgment for a long time. Upon reflection, however, she ultimately blamed herself for everything that happened, knowing she had been rash and irresponsible in her actions, putting those foals in unneeded danger.
Of course, due to recent events, she doubted any of that was true anymore.
“It would appear that my memory is something we can no longer rely upon.” Luna brought the cup to her mouth, letting the hot liquid wash over her tongue, energizing her. “She wants to speak to me, I suppose I should have seen that coming. My child of the night.”
Her sister frowned. “This troubles me deeply, Luna. Not only has she aided an unknown spirit in an attack on an Equestrian princess, but your altered memories speak of something sinister at play.” Celestia raised her brow, moving behind Luna. “The magic required for such a feat could only be cast by an advanced mage, or somepony proficient in dark magic.”
Celestia continued, “Not only that, but there’s also the matter of why she’s still alive. Even if she survived the plague, she should have died a millennium ago. No unicorn can prolong life for that long. Not physically anyway.”
“Don’t you think I know that?!” Luna hissed, the coffee mug shattering in her magical grip. Luna recoiled from this, noting to keep her temper in line as she continued, “Why this, though? If such magic was used, why not use it to turn me against you? Why this?”
Celestia watched as Luna brushed away a few hot tears, relaxing as she put a hoof on her shoulder. “Will you be fine talking to her?”
Luna sniffed, nodding to her sister, “Yes, I need to be. It’s the only way we’ll be able to get any information from her.” She looked up to Celestia, her voice taking a serious tone. “And I want Twilight in there with me.”
Celestia frowned, glancing over to the lavender alicorn for a moment, seeing her tired form locked on the mirror. “I don’t know if that is such a good idea.”
But Luna protested, “Nyx has been placed in a spell-sleep, one powerful enough that even I cannot penetrate. Twilight deserves answers as well.”
Celestia's ears flattened, looking to her student and friend as her face fell. Twilight was hurting, she knew that, but if she spoke to Gari face to face, would that make things worse? She thought for a moment and relented. Either way, it wasn’t her place to deny her.
“Alright, you and her. Silver?” she called over her shoulder, the stallion coming to her side instantly, “Princess Luna will continue the interrogation along with Princess Twilight. I’d like you to wait out here with me while they go inside.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Silver Shield bowed, surrendering his notes over to Luna. She took them into her magic and walked towards Twilight. Celestia watched them from afar, her heart sinking for them both. She knew so much was on both of their shoulders, weighing them down. She hoped they could find the answers they needed, and that they could heal the damage caused.
“Be careful, my student,” Celestia whispered, her wings drooping in sadness for Twilight.
Gari leaned back as the door opened, watching as Princess Luna stepped in. The Princess said nothing as she sat down in front of her, even as Twilight feebly followed soon after, closing the door behind her and taking a seat. Luna was relieved when Gari didn’t protest Twilight’s presence, thankful that it wasn’t going to be a problem.
What was a problem was the death glare Twilight gave the unicorn. Luna understood why; she’d feel the same way if she had a child of her own. But she didn’t need that right now, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder as she gave her a look that said ‘don’t’. Twilight lowered her head but nodded, leaning back into her seat to observe.
“I’m certain you have many questions,” Gari said nonchalantly, playfully tilting her head at Luna, much to the ire of the princess.
“Gari, you have been charged with the assault of an Equestrian Princess and aiding in an act of terror. These actions, along with the practice of dark magic, are beyond damning.” Luna looked at her with a stern expression, yet her eyes held within the hurt she felt. It was no surprise that she leaned away when Gari simply laughed at her words.
“Oh, always straight to business, not even a thousand years banished to a barren rock could change that, could it, mother?” she said with a smile, batting at her mane as she swooned dramatically. “Don’t I get a hello?”
“Gari!” Luna growled disapprovingly, causing the unicorn to pout.
“Well, I’m sorry! You’d think after a thousand years I could at least get a little acknowledgment!” Gari strained, shifting her gaze down at the table, looking genuinely hurt. “I’ve… missed you.”
Luna was taken aback by that, staring at her with heavy eyes. Did she really miss me? she pondered, frowning as she pushed the intruding thought away. As much as she wanted to speak to her on a personal level, she had a job to do.
“I’ve missed you too, but that doesn’t change what you’ve done.” Luna stared right through her, making the unicorn recoil slightly in both disappointment and a little bit of guilt, a huff exiting her nostrils.
“What? You mean the child? You don’t even know what’s going on.” Gari rolled her head, cracking a joint in her neck. “It’s all a matter of perspective. Something you’re severely lacking in while I have the monopoly.”
“Why?”
Gari turned curiously towards Twilight, her brow raised at the shaking mare. The alicorn sat staring at her through shadows, her irises glowing coldly with built up power. Luna looked upon this worriedly, placing her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder to remind her why she had allowed her inside. Twilight, however, persisted, not caring as her focus became completely fixed on the mare in front of her.
“Why did you hurt my little girl? We’ve done nothing to you,” Twilight strained, trying hard not to go off the handle.
Gari sighed. “You’re her mother, it’s alright to be scared of what you don’t understand,” she spoke soothingly, placing a hoof over Twilight’s.
Twilight immediately recoiled from her touch, rising up in her chair. “Don’t understand?! You broke into my home! Made that thing do whatever it wanted! Now my daughter won’t wake up! She won’t wake up!”
Twilight growled in anger, the tips of her mane threatening to catch fire. “You’re so dismissive of everything! Acting as if what you did wasn’t wrong!” she roared, her temper flaring red.
Luna recognized this raw form of magic. Rage-shifting was a rare form of untamed magic, reserved to unicorns who held within them a large sum of magical capability. Luna figured since Twilight had once been a unicorn it made sense that the ability transferred over when she ascended, but she was relieved that Twilight apparently had the restraint to keep herself from transforming. She hoped she would continue to hold this level of control.
Gari had noticed the display of magic as well, yet she didn’t even flinch at it. In fact, though her face twisted into a fiery glare, she still retained a sense of sympathy towards the mother.
That didn’t mean she wouldn’t snap back at her.
Gari knew what Twilight was thinking and beat her to the punch, stomping her hoof on the table to silence her before she could take things into a physical direction. “You won’t hurt me because your daughter is fine, but she won’t be if you go ahead with that threat you were thinking about using on me.”
The silence in the room was painful, both mares locked into each other’s gaze. Twilight stared at Gari with wide, disbelieving eyes, her expression loosening up as her words registered. But Gari saw something else as she looked beyond her purple irises. Something she had hoped to install by bluffing.
Fear.
“W-What did you say?” Twilight stumbled, the fight she had moments ago suddenly crumbling away.
Gari sighed. “As it is, it’s not my place to tell you much. My master wouldn’t approve of it,” she smiled, raising her eyes to look at her, “But I can say that she's important to him. He won’t hurt her without cause.” Gari leaned forward, her expression hard and her eyes narrowed as she simply spoke in the most calming manner, “Don’t give him that cause.”
The unicorn smirked. Mind games were her forte, not that she meant anything by them. She mainly used them to keep others in line. That said, being able to do that to a princess certainly gave her a sense of pride, in light of the circumstances, of course.
Luna, on the other hand, wasn’t so easily intimidated. She was the one who taught Gari how to do that to begin with, her body going stiff as she took the threat seriously. “Perhaps then you’d like to share some of that perspective, rather than scaring the wits out of a concerned parent.”
“Fair’s fair,” Gari sighed, backing off as Luna requested, “I’m not heartless, I just want things to go my way.”
“It would appear to me that that is all you care about. You’re not the Gari I remember,” Luna whispered emotionlessly.
The unicorn frowned, jutting her jaw out as she gave Luna a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that the faithful unicorn filly I took under my wing as if she were my own has become a cold shell of what she once was,” Luna said bluntly, earning a shocked glare from Gari, “You hold the despair of a frightened mother as if it were some joke. With such disregard and lack of empathy, I would not be surprised if the others I left with you did not survive, and if they did, they probably soon died from your carelessness.”
Gari frowned, a mild twitch forming in the corner of her eye. Got you, Luna thought, smiling to herself internally.
“You think I gave up on them? That I didn’t do my best?” Gari hissed, her features showing Luna that she had hurt her.
Luna frowned. “No, I don’t. They died, and you’re still here. Making jokes.”
“You think I don’t care? You think I think this is funny?!” Gari rose from her chair, glaring at Luna as she went into a rant. “They were my people too, you know! Who are you to speak of them, right in front of me, after what you did? The ponies of Eidolon were your responsibility, mother, and you just threw it all away, and for what?! Because the ponies in Equestria didn’t care about you? Love you? Were we not good enough?!”
Gari took a moment as her eyes widened, realizing that she had let a few things slip she shouldn’t have. “Your selfishness left us trying to rebuild without a protector, foals barely grown having to fend off an unforgiving world. Tell me, did you even think once of us while you were blasting your sister into the ground?” she quickly spat, trying to divert Luna’s attention away from her previous words with as many mistruths and personal jabs as possible.
But Luna didn’t take the bait. The princess had caught the slip, narrowing her gaze as she leaned forward. “Eidolon? What is Eidolon?” she pressed, her eyes burrowing into the unicorn to try and force an answer.
Gari frowned, leaning back into the dark of the room, letting the shadows mask her features as she let silence return.
Twilight shook her head, having her fill dealing with the unicorn. “I’m done. May I be excused?” she asked Luna, the older mare nodding her head as Twilight turned to the door. “Guard!”
The lock on the door was undone, Twilight getting up to leave the room, giving one final glance before she stepped through the door.
“She won’t be harmed.”
Twilight paused, the hairs on her back standing up as she slowly turned, staring Gari right in the eye in question.
Gari’s expression had softened a little, and Twilight would have believed that there was a hint of guilt hidden behind her features. But she couldn’t believe that. Not from her.
“I promise you. You have my word,” Gari said politely, offering a sympathetic smile.
Twilight grunted at the gesture, slamming the door behind her, leaving the two ancient ponies to stare at each other in silence.
“That was kind of you to say,” Luna was the first to speak, breaking the ice that was building between the two.
“It wasn’t a pleasantry. It’s true. I lied about him hurting her,” she admitted, sighing as she rested her head on the desk. “It doesn’t matter. All will be made clear soon.”
Luna cocked her head. “And what exactly will be made clear?”
“I can’t tell you. Father wouldn’t approve,” Gari said nonchalantly, not noticing as Luna’s eyes grew serious, taking in that title.
“I’m sorry I said those things,” Gari quickly said, looking up to Luna with sad, apologetic eyes, smiling weakly as she continued, “I don’t blame you for what happened. I just wanted you to know that.”
Luna snapped out of her train of thought, looking at the unicorn in front of her. Really looking at her. Seeing into her being, gazing at her soul. As much as she was disappointed with her, she did see, deep down, that she cared. For whatever drove her to do this, it was to a sense of duty, honor.
“It is already forgotten,” Luna told her, a faint smile resting on her lips. The princess rose from her chair, feeling that the conversation was over. She knocked on the door to the cell, waiting for the guard to open it for her.
“I know what you had planned for me, before the fall. Before it all went to hell.” Gari frowned, remembering that night so long ago. “It took me a while but I figured it out. Honestly, I was both flattered and a little let down when I did.”
Gari shrugged, knowing it was all she could offer her. “I know you’re a bit disappointed in me right now, I get it. How could you not? But… all things considered, I think I turned out alright.”
Princess Luna paused at that, turning back as she stared at the unicorn sadly. “I hope you’re right,” she whispered, walking out of the cell and closing the door, leaving her Child of the Night alone.
Celestia watched as Luna stepped out of the interrogation room, knowing this hadn’t been easy on her. What she was more concerned with, however, was how Twilight was holding up. She had held back the urge to burst into the cell the moment Gari began taunting her student, her horn itching to blow her through the wall.
Twilight sighed as she leaned against the glass, looking completely lost. “She hasn’t told us anything of value.” She shook her head, cursing under her breath.
Luna, however, could only offer a weak chuckle. “On the contrary, I believe she said plenty,” she reassured Twilight as she placed a hoof on her shoulder.
Twilight pushed her away, an angry glare in her eyes. “Like what? What did she say that could possibly be of any use to us?”
“Her mention of her master’s name for one. She referred to him as ‘Father’.” Luna frowned, narrowing her gaze. “That is interesting...”
Twilight looked up to her hopefully. “How so?”
“I will explain in due time, but for now, I need you to go home,” Luna said calmly, Twilight’s eyes widening.
Celestia held her breath as she saw the color fade from her student’s face, her heart sinking to see her hope fade away. Twilight shook as her jaw dropped, stammering as she desperately tried to get her to reconsider, “B-But Princess, I--!”
“Can do nothing more here,” Luna finished bluntly, forcing Twilight to silence her protest. She then leaned down to look her in the eye, her expression softening as she placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Go home. Be with your family.”
Twilight’s ears drooped, bowing weakly as she gave in to Luna’s wishes. “Yes, Princess.”
Celestia and Luna watched as Twilight retreated, her head hung low as she moved toward the exit through the hallway from the dungeon house. As soon as she left, Celestia pulled Luna to the side, her voice low as her body took a serious stance.
“Luna, I know from what I’ve heard you made Gari the leader of the colony you had wished to establish. But I also sense there is something more.” Celestia read her features, looking to see if she would try lying to her to hide from whatever pain would be felt. “What was Gari to you?”
Luna sucked in a breath of air, pleading to Celestia with her eyes. When Celestia didn’t relent, Luna shook her head weakly. “Don’t make me answer that.”
“Luna...”
Luna sighed in defeat. “You have to understand. At the time I was angry with you, but I still loved you. I didn’t want us to be apart. That said, I couldn’t abandon the still fragile colony. I didn’t know what to do until Gari showed her potential.”
Celestia’s brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”
Luna held her breath, looking to the cell as the mare in question tapped on the table, staring at her sadly. “As Twilight is to you, Gari was to me. A prodigy, all to my own. And if whatever truly happened hadn’t, before my memories were altered...”
“There would be five princesses instead of four,” Celestia finished, looking at her sister in shock.
Luna frowned, knowing Celestia was intentionally excluding Nyx from the equation, but nodded all the same. “Yes.”
Celestia paused, preparing herself for the answer to her next question, although she had an idea of what it might be.
“And me?” she asked.
Luna looked away from her sister, thinking back to all those years ago, to all the anger and jealousy she felt, and the hate that possessed her. Hate that made her do things she would regret till her final days.
“Had we not been separated, it is likely she would have aided me to usurp you,” Luna spoke through barely a whisper, ashamed of what she had admitted.
Luna was surprised when she was pulled into a hug, Celestia’s wings folding around her as she held on tight. The Princess of the Night didn’t protest, returning the gesture by holding on as hard as she could, knowing any other would have despised her for all that she had done. But not Celestia. Not ever.
Celestia would always be there.
The train ride home was quiet, leaving Princess Twilight alone with time to think. Something she really wished she could stop doing right now. Her mind was riddled with conflicting thoughts and doubts and criticisms screaming at her, reminding her how she failed. She’d like to tell herself that her friends could comfort her when she arrived in Ponyville, but she knew that wasn’t true. Hell, even if they were with her right now, they wouldn’t be able to lift the burden off her troubled shoulders.
Not that the ponies in the car were of any help either. Normally, strangers would come up to her to talk to the famous Princess of Friendship, hoping to gain some of her wisdom or expertise. But ponies also had a way of sensing when something was wrong, being able to handle others’ emotions and help work to tend to their needs. Unfortunately, the vibe the alicorn was giving told everyone else to back off, and if there was one thing ponies did, it was following their own instincts.
When the train rolled into the station, her friends were there to greet her, to provide the comfort they felt needed to be given. Twilight put on a face to tell them everything was going to be alright, knowing full well that Applejack immediately saw through the lie. She didn’t say anything, though, knowing Twilight just wanted to relieve them of any worry for her.
They offered to spend the night with her, but she declined, telling them that she just wanted to be alone right now. Nodding their understanding, they left one by one, giving their words of reassurance before departing for the night, leaving her to her wish. Applejack was the last to leave, casting one final glance to the alicorn before turning away, slipping onto the dirt road leading to the farm.
The walk across Ponyville was quiet, and on any other day, it would have been pleasant. But Twilight felt no joy, her head rising to look at the towering spires of the castle before her, just as the setting sun fell below the forest horizon.
Home.
Twilight entered the castle, closing the heavy door behind her with an echoing clank. Immediately she leaned against it, rubbing the bridge of her muzzle as she lost herself in thought.
She should have seen it coming. Spike had informed her of the silver mist in the nightmares Nyx had been having, enduring the angry shouts and screams from Twilight demanding to know why he hadn’t told her months ago. The fight had been massive, and the two didn’t speak to each other for a few days. But eventually, she cooled off, knowing he had only done it to protect her daughter's trust. It didn’t matter in the long run. She should have been able to figure it out herself. Maybe then she could have done something, prepared. Again Twilight shook her head. Even if she had known about the ‘stallion in silver mists’, she never would have made the connection.
Twilight got up from her spot, shuffling towards the hallway to the stairs. If only she hadn’t failed. She had done everything, everything to protect Nyx, to protect her family in the aftermath of Baltimare, and it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t enough. She had allowed that witch to possess her with that… thing. Twilight seethed, angry with herself.
Twilight passed by a few guards as she moved down the hall, each of them standing at attention as she passed by. Twilight frowned. Why did she even keep them around? What good were they? The mare shook her head, just as she began climbing the stairs to the castle bedrooms. She wasn’t being fair with them thinking that. After all, what had she done?
As Twilight reached the top of the steps, she cast a glance down the hall, then paused. The lamp from Nyx’s bedroom was on, casting a beam of yellow light into the dark hall. Was Spike staying up to watch her? she asked herself, slowly moving toward the door.
Twilight pushed the door open to see her daughter’s bed surrounded in violet flowers, so dense and full she could have sworn a garden had been planted and grown right in the middle of the room. She couldn’t tell what kind of flowers they were, herbology not being one of her strong points. Twilight’s eyes rose, finally noticing the small figure moving around the room, diligently organizing several flowers into a vase. But it wasn’t Spike that she had expected. Rather, it was a familiar pink earth pony filly, her tiara reflecting the light of the lamp as she moved about.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the filly, her distaste for the childhood bully of her daughter showing as her wings rose slightly in aggression. “What are you doing here? Get out of my house!”
Diamond Tiara stared at her for a moment, reading her as she debated on doing just that. However, after a moment she let out a sigh, finishing up her work as she started placing a bouquet of flowers into the vase.
“Stop!” Twilight rushed forward, grabbing the filly aggressively by her leg, making her drop the flowers onto the floor as she barked at her. “I said stop! What do you think you’re doing?”
Diamond winced at the hold she was in but kept calm, having expected she might get this reaction if she were caught. “I brought her some lavender.”
Twilight recoiled in confusion, her eyes probing the foal. “What?”
“Lavender,” Diamond reaffirmed, meeting the alicorn’s hard gaze with a softer one of her own. “I overheard Princess Luna talking about it once when she came to visit you, said that the flowers have a calming effect on dreamers.” Diamond paused, motioning back to the bed. “Spike told me Nyx has nightmares, so I thought with these, she might be able to rest peacefully for once.”
Twilight’s expression relaxed with confusion as she let Diamond Tiara go, the filly rubbing her foreleg as she looked up to the princess. Twilight would have expected some snide remark or cold retort, at the least a heated glare from the filly. But Diamond only gave her a sad gaze, giving a final glance toward Nyx’s bed before turning away.
“Goodnight, Princess.” Diamond Tiara bowed, passing Twilight out into the hall as she closed the door behind her, leaving the alicorn alone.
Twilight’s gaze held onto the door for an eternity, the gears in her mind processing what she had just heard. Turning away, she looked down to the broken vase, the bouquet of lavender lying strewn upon the carpet floor. Slowly she lifted the flowers and vase in her magic, mending the pieces and placing the violet plant back where it belonged. Then, in the quiet of the moonlight, she levitated one of the flowers toward her, sitting down on a wooden chair that resting by the bed.
Twilight held the flower up to her face, its soft purple hue glowing in the candlelight. It was lovely, fresh. She could smell faint tones of sweetness along with a few herbal notes. They certainly made the room more lively, her daughter resting peacefully on her bed surrounded by the plants. She felt bad for snapping at the filly, and she told herself that she’d apologize to Diamond the next time she saw her. Afterall, it was rather thoughtful. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the gift, knowing how sentimental Nyx could be towards a gesture like this. She’d probably run after Diamond to give her the biggest hug she could, if only… she...
Twilight’s eyes watered, crushing the flower in her magic as her horn suddenly flared, jumping up as she sent the chair across the room, smashing into a million pieces against the wall. Her composure gone, she slumped down onto the floor, her head resting in her hooves as she cried. Tears were all she could offer her, because she had broken her promise. Because she had let her daughter down again.