--- What Nightmares Dream Of ---
The tall, spacious hallways of Canterlot Castle surrounded Twilight, bathed in the light of the early afternoon sun allowed entrance by the many vast windows that lined the walls. Truly representative of the high status and power the nation had accumulated over the years: with shining marble floors, high pillars of beautifully carved white stone, and luscious red carpentry with golden trim. Every window was home to a breathtaking view of Canterlot itself, alongside the rest of the landscape far beyond the mountain the city resided on. More than capable of inspiring the artistic talents of all who would come to the glorious city that sat as Equestria's crown jewel.
It was magnificent, to say the absolute least.
Twilight slowly strode through these wonderous walkways, half out of spite and half out of curiosity. In spite of everything, the young alicorn had never been given the chance to explore the castle on her own. She had always been taken down the most direct paths towards whatever her destination was meant to be. The dining hall, her personal quarters, her classroom, and the throne room. But there was so much more to this place than she had ever seen. She had been kept from entire wings of the castle, them being of no concern to her, they all said. But today was different. Today, Twilight had had enough and wanted something to do to distract her from the admittedly awful day she was having. A quiet stroll through the castle seemed like a good idea.
Of course, facts always tend to outweigh fiction. And her peaceful self-guided tour was not as peaceful as she had anticipated. Every time Twilight passed by one of the castle's many guards, she was subject to a bitter moment's glance. Not a single guard attempted to stop her, as she technically wasn't trespassing, but the way they all stared was telling enough. These looks only lasted for a second or two, but it was easy to see that they were off-put by her. After all, an alicorn of her age was something unheard of before Twilight came along. It only made sense. But as she continued on her way, she started to suspect that it wasn't just her status as an alicorn that was putting them off. And that realization only served to further amplify her bad mood.
But then, a voice. Someone had just called out her name and was making no effort to hide just how upset they were with the young alicorn. Twilight sighed, recognizing both the tone and the voice, and stopped walking. She didn't bother turning to face them, for she already knew exactly who was standing behind her. Her overbearing and overprotective older sister, just as agitated as ever from the sounds of it. Twilight sighed in anticipation of the dreadful conversation that was to follow.
"There you are," her sister spoke sternly at Twilight's back, "You can not just up and abandon your studies like that. Your professor as been searching high and low for you."
"Humorous, normally he is doing all he can to look away from me," Twilight murmured back, recalling the less than pleasant series of events that had led up to her midday stroll. "Now he wishes to know of my whereabouts? Forgive me, sister, if I laugh at his hypocrisy. Ha, ha, ha." The fake laugh was the last thing Twilight contributed to the conversation before walking away. Or at least, before she tried to walk away. Instead, she felt something grab hold of her tail, keeping her from advancing. Still, that didn't stop her from trying, creating the admittedly funny sight of her walking in place.
"You should not walk away from your elders when they are talking to you," the older sibling continued. She began applying more force to her magic, drawing Twilight in closer, much to the younger pony's dismay. "Especially your sister."
"But our conversation is over. You want me to go back to class, and I refuse. The debate has come to a close." Twilight doubled her efforts in trying to escape the superior magical grasp, only to cause herself a great deal of pain from pulling at her tail so hard. So she stopped attempting to escape, prompting the release of her tail. Even still, she did not look back.
"This is not up for debate. You are an alicorn, a very young one at that. Your magic is far more potent than that of a unicorn's. You need to learn how to properly control it so you do not hurt somepony. Or yourself."
There was something in those last few words that resonated with Twilight. It was faint but noticeable, underneath the overbearing and unpleased tone, there was some legitimate concern for the younger alicorn's safety. Of course, Twilight didn't really care about that at the moment.
"Then why are you and mother unable to teach me?" Twilight pleaded back, practically begging at this point. "If alicorn magic is so volatile, then surely a unicorn should not be qualified to teach an alicorn how to use it."
"Starswirl the Bearded is one of the most accomplished sorcerers of our time, perhaps even in the whole of the world." Twilight didn't need to look behind her to see her sister's brow furrowing, she could practically feel her gaze bearing down on her. From personal experience, I can assure you that he is more than qualified for the task."
"Yes, from your personal experience," Twilight hissed, "But in mine? He is a bitter old bastard who absolutely despises me for no reason I can be blamed for."
The older sister gasped in shock. "Excuse me?! You are an eight-year-old filly, how do you think mother would feel if she heard you talking like that?!"
Twilight donned an unseen mischievous smile. "Who do you think taught me to talk like that?"
There was a long pause in the situation, one that let Twilight know that she had gained the upper hoof in this sibling argument. She did all she could to stop herself from laughing, otherwise, her ruse would be revealed for what it really was. Of course, their mother didn't teach Twilight to talk like that, she was only eight years old for crying out loud. But the swiftness in which she had spoken was enough to have fooled her older sister, much to her own delight.
"Alright... I will play your game. Why does your teacher hate you so?"
The question was one Twilight didn't expect to hear, not from her sister at the very least. She had been caught off guard by the inquiry and hesitated for a moment. She knew exactly why and how her professor disliked her, but putting it into words was a more difficult task then she anticipated. She spent some time thinking it over but soon decided that the simple approach would be the best. Her sister was a busy pony, who knew how long it would take before she would be on her way? Taking a deep breath, Twilight simply raised a single wing, still not looking back to face her elder sister.
"Care to hazard a guess?"
Once more, silence engulfed the whole of the castle as far as Twilight was concerned. There was an honest moment where she believed that her sister had up and left before even hearing her out, something that wouldn't surprise the younger alicorn. She almost didn't want to look, instead, she just wanted to walk away and pretend like she had been heard out. But a heartfelt sigh from behind her was enough indication that she wasn't alone. Further proof of this came from the glittering golden light that surrounded her at that moment, and soon Twilight was forced to turn and face her elder sister.
Her coat was whiter than snow and accented heavily by the golden regalia that decorated her body. Her mane and tail, ever-flowing like their mother's, were both comprised of beautiful hues of glowing firey colors, reminiscent of the sun she had been named for. The second alicorn was still young, but she was well on the path to adulthood at this point. Even now in her adolescent state, she would be taller than most fully grown ponies. So, when compared to Twilight's stature, she came across as a giant. She was magnificent in every meaning of the word. Twilight had seen this mare many, many times throughout her short life. Her sister was known far and wide across the expanses of Equestria and beyond, and her name would likely live on for thousands of years to come.
Princess Sanctus Solis Celestia II
But as the older alicorn kneeled to look Twilight in the eyes with her own of royal violet hue, Twilight could see a look of great emotional turmoil upon her sister's face. At first, Twilight thought that her sister was upset with her, but that thought was eradicated as she was pulled into a tight sisterly hug. The size disparity between the two caused Twilight to practically vanish from the world in the larger pony's embrace.
"Mother is busy with her court at the moment, but I will see to it that she is made aware of your concerns," Celestia spoke softly as she pulled away from the hug, "You may go about your business... just try not to get into trouble."
Nothing else was said between the two before the elder sister simply turned and walked away. And as she watched the heir to the throne make her leave, Twilight was left in a dumbfounded state. She couldn't find the words to explain what exactly it was that had happened just then. She tried as hard as she could to recall a time when her sister had ever listened to her like that without some huge argument between the two, and there was none. She tried to recall a time when her sister had looked to be in such great turmoil, and there was none.
What in the world just happened? Twilight asked herself in her confused state. Though her attempts at solving the mystery were interrupted by a slight sniffling sound off to her right. Looking over, she saw one of the many royal guards watching her. The stallion's eyes were beginning to water, looking as if he was on the verge of sobbing. Frustrated by this, Twilight barked at him.
"What are YOU looking at?"
"Nothing, your highness." His expression and demeanor were quickly replaced by the typical stone-faced look the guards always had.
"Damn right."
--- — ---
Days began to blend into weeks, which soon faded into months and even years.
Twilight's days were spent as a young princess, and a young alicorn, should have been spending them. Her studies were her life, more often than not, even after her initial teacher had moved on to pursue other goals. Every subject was touched upon, from the most basic control of mystical energies to the most complex of transfiguration and conjurations. Even divinity was a touched upon the subject, something Twilight found herself to be decent at, at best. But magic was not her only subject, oh no, as a princess she was also required to learn of Equestria's many laws and appropriate social customs. Which were just as complicated and equally strenuous as trying to bend the forces of reality to your whims with a glowing horn.
But as the young alicorn began to mature and blossom, she found her interests did not align with the arcane arts or the political world. Every day on her various paths throughout the castle, she would see numerous members of the Royal Guard on their own routes and routines. Training their bodies and wills, ready to defend Equestria at a moment's notice with their very lives. While the work of the royals and the nobles were invaluable to the survival of the nation, it was these brave mares and stallions who would be the ones to keep the populace safe in times of strife and war. Thus, her mind was made up. Her path was set, her destiny in her own hooves from now on.
And on this day, her sixteenth birthday, she was finally ready to enact on this decision. Finishing up her daily duties and studies, Twilight made her way down to the castle barracks, to the private office of the captain of the guard, where she would take the first step to define the rest of her immortal life.
"... You can't be serious?" The guard captain asked with a cocked eyebrow, gazing upon the younger pony's ever eager expression. A tall, powerful built earth pony stallion. He was currently without his enchanted armor, leaving him with a dark grey coat and a lighter grey mane, colors very reminiscent of powerful metals. He was a seasoned soldier who worked hard to protect country and crown, a pony Twilight admired despite scantly knowing him.
"I am most serious, Captian Iron Oath," Twilight responded with the same enthusiastic grin, "And today is my sixteenth. The age in which ponies may be legally drafted into military service should the need arise, or enlist should they choose to do so. And I choose to do so."
Iron Oath continued to stare blankly at one of the royal alicorns he was pledged to protect. Despite her claims, he couldn't tell if she were being serious or not. He looked around his sparsely decorated office space with warry eyes. A feeling deep in his gut told him that this was some sort of royal prank and that any moment either of the other two alicorns would pop in from nowhere to laugh at whatever it was the joke was meant to be. But that never came, and Twilight was the only pony sitting in front of him.
"I... mean no disrespect when I say this, your highness... but I don't think you're applicable for a spot in the royal military."
"Why would I not be? I am in top physical condition, I am sound of mind and soul, and I am fairly certain that I can pass the background check. If I cannot, then I will have to speak with mother about lowering the standards."
"That's not exactly what I meant..."
"Then what did you mean?"
Twilight's pressing eyes upon him was enough to make Iron Oath shutter. He might have outclassed this mare in terms of physical ability and size, but she dwarfed him in every other category. She had authority over him, she had unfathomable magic prowess over him, and she had a direct line of communication to the two other ponies in the world with that kind of overwhelming advantage against him. She could very easily just order him to comply with her request, and that would be the end of that. But she wasn't, and the confusion that brought the stallion was enormous and neverending.
"Well... you're a princess, you aren't meant to be fighting wars or catching common crooks. You... well," he gulped heavily, "It just isn't your place."
Twilight just sat there for a moment while her friendly smile fading into a stern glare, enough to send another shutter down the soldier's spine. Her eyes pierced through him like spears, as she thought heavily on his words. For a brief moment, Iron Oath thought he might have convinced her to leave. But then she spoke up again.
"And what exactly is my place?"
"You... I... Umm..." Iron couldn't finish the thought, he was far too intimidated by the sixteen-year-old mare sitting in front of him to properly form words. Sweat began to build up above his brow, and his eyes began to dilate and twitch. His breathing was becoming faster and faster, so much so as to risk his oxygen intake entirely. And he was trying to hide all of this from the princess sitting just on the other side of his desk. Seeing that he had no answer to give, Twilight went to finish her thought.
"I am not heir to the throne, captain. That right is reserved for my elder sister, as I am sure you are well aware. And she has fully embraced her duty and her destiny to lead our people into further greatness. And as for me? I have decided that if it is my sister's fate to lead this land, then it shall be mine to protect it. Would you rather I spend my days pining over a throne that is not mine to have?"
"I... actually didn't know your sister was the heir..." Iron's dull face was painted with the shade of pink synonymous with embarrassment. "I just assumed that your mother would rule forever... or that you and your sister would... I don't know, take shifts? Or something? I don't know?"
Much like Twilight herself, it seemed the political world was not on this earth pony's list of high priorities. Yet unlike her, he was not tasked with learning the inner workings of said political world.
"Fanciful ideas, captain, but unfortunately the real world cannot always accommodate such ideas. The real world can be a dark and unforgiving place, and we need brave ponies to protect those who cannot protect themselves." A confident smile found its way onto Twilight's lips. "And who better than an alicorn to be the one to protect them?"
The stallion couldn't argue with her on that front, her status as an alicorn alone made Twilight more capable than any other recruit right out of the gate. He pondered for a time on the princess's request, before finally continuing.
"Very well. But don't expect special treatment because you're a princess. You want to be in the military? Fine. You got it. And everything that comes with it."
Twilight smiled brightly. "Oh, captain. On the contrary, I expect nothing less than to be 'put through the wringer' as they say. Do your worst, I will overcome."
"... All right. But if I hear anything from the Queen, then you're—"
"You just leave that to me."
--- — ---
Twilight's family wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that she had joined the Equestrial Royal Milliotary under their noses. She had spent months attempting to talk the two into letting her pursue her desires, but they hadn't been as easy to sway as Captian Iron Oath, much to her dismay. But in time, she was finally able to get them to understand that this was what she wanted to do with her life. And thus, the youngest alicorn was able to begin her training in earnest.
And the following six years to come had done wonders for her physical condition and her social life. At first, the other recruits and guards were wary around her, being an alicorn princess and all, but she was able to get them to open up to her in time. And while she chose to spend most of her off-hours in the barracks, wanting to live the full experience, she allowed herself the luxury of returning to her high-societal ways of life for one week every six months. To see her family, to catch up on her academic and arcane studies, and to tell no end of stories about all the friends she had made amongst the common folk to her sister and her mother.
She might have accidentally gotten a few ponies promoted by doing that, but she didn't mind. If anything, she was happy that her comrades had gotten to advance in the ranks, they didn't need to know that she had any involvement in these progressions.
Of course, everything changed one day when Twilight returned to the upper levels of the castle, only to learn that it was finally time. Her mother was ready to pass on the mantle of Queen down to her elder sister, an announcement that shook the whole of Equestria. The Queen had been the nation's only leader since the country had been established, it only made sense that the citizens would be wary. It seemed that ruling a kingdom for four hundred and twenty-six years was all she could take and wished to pass on the throne to the next in succession.
The month before the coronation was a bizarre one. Twilight was asked to put her military duties on hold for the time being to help in the preparations, a request she complied too without hesitation. This was to be a momentous occasion in Equestrian History, she wanted to make sure that it went off without a hitch. She had found that her sister had her own senses of anxieties and fears about all of this as well, and had not been informed of her ascension until the day of the public announcement. Their mother had always been one to wait until the last moment to do things, she was always one for dramatic flair.
Finally, the day had come for the official ceremony. Twilight had spent the past several hours in her room preparing for the event. She was still a princess after all and was obligated to be there front and center with the rest of her royal family. Despite this, her mother absolutely insisted that she wear her armor to the occasion as opposed to any regalia or gowns to the event, much to the dismay of several counselors and hired event planners. Twilight herself even objected to this, until her mother informed her that she wished for the people to see her as she wanted to be seen: a powerful guardian to the people.
And so, Twilight stood before the full-sized mirror within her chambers, taking one last moment to tidy up any unsightly details that might have remained. And staring back at her from the other side of the glass was the same pony she had known her whole life. With a coat made of a stunning shade of dark cobalt and a mane of brilliant ivory strands, almost aglow like pale moonlight. Normally tied up to keep it out of her eyes, today it was worn down in a matter more befitting of a princess. And while she vastly preferred the former style, she could definitely appreciate the way her mane framed her face. It didn't dance and wave about as her mother and sister's did, but that was something she was glad for considering all the horror stories the two had told her of those unruly manes. Her eyes were of a magnificent silvery teal hue, a trait she had only seen in herself thus far in her life. Her eyes trailed down towards the suit of armor she was wearing, custom-built for her natural height difference and regal status.
She had requested to have armor identical to that of her fellow soldiers, but it seems the blacksmiths still felt the need to add some bravado to show that she was indeed a member of the royal household. A bright silver-colored set of plate mail with very miner highlights of gold inlay and an intricate carving of a crescent moon upon the chest. It at least matched the traditional uniform in coloration, in addition to the gold highlights, but it was far more detailed. Far more elaborate. It was still perfectly functional, which was the only reason Twilight had accepted the set in the first place, but still, she longed for something less conspicuous. She already stood out enough as it was.
And with that train of thought, her eyes fell upon the features that distinguished her from all other ponies in Equestria. Her gorgeous teal eyes had an almost cat-like alure to them, with tall narrow pupils as opposed to the round ones that her kin had. The horn atop her head was not a streight narrowed cone but was more akin to an upwardly curved wedge of some kind. The princess had been told that there were unicorns with horns such as these in Seară, but she had yet to ever meet such a pony. She flicked her ears, watching the tufts of fur at their tips wobble and bounce slightly. And then there were her wings, large and bat-like in appearance, and easily the most eyecatching aspect of her form.
All features befitting of the world's only sarosian alicorn.
Twilight frowned at these abnormalities. She was the only member of her family to have such traits, and one of the only few sarosian ponies in Equestria to begin with. Even to this day, she got occasional disapproving glances from the ponies she had dedicated her life to protecting. She was different, there was absolutely no hiding it, and she knew that. The black sheep of the royal family, a dark stain upon their perfect bloodline according to some. The sarosian alicorn had long since learned to let these glances and words pass her by, but that didn't stop them from hurting all the same.
"Princess Selene?" A voice spoke from the open door, the sound of her own name pulling Twilight back to the real world. The pony standing there was one of the many royal guards that she had come to know in the past several years. The unicorn's natural colors were overwritten by the enchantment of her own suit of armor—another difference between Twilight's set and the rest—appearing to have a snow-white coat and a solid blue mane and tail. Even still, Twilight recognized this pony from one unique feature: the silver fob watch dangling from her neck.
"The... the ceremony is going to start soon," the unicorn mare spoke nervously, "I was sent to collect you."
Twilight took a moment to regain her composure before offering the guard a kindly smile. "Thank you... but between you and I, you are out of uniform."
The unicorn guard looked confused for a moment before looking down at her accessory, gasping in surprise as she quickly tucked the watch safely away underneath her chest plate. "AH! How'd I forget that?! I'm sorry, I'll—!"
"It is fine, I am not the one you should be worried about," Twilight chuckled as she left her chambers with the unicorn following close behind, "In fact, you are quite lucky that I was the one to catch it. Otherwise, you might have gotten your family's heirloom confiscated."
"Yeah... that wouldn't be good..."
The rest of the journey to the castle's frontmost courtyard was silent, leaving Twilight to her thoughts. Not that there was much to think of at the moment, all she had to do was stand up in front of the crowd of attending ponies and be quiet. She could do that in her sleep, eyes open and everything. Maybe she'd be asked to say a few words, or maybe even put the crown upon her sister's head, she didn't know. All that she knew was that all eyes would be upon her sister and her mother, as it should be on such a day.
Finally, she arrived at the scene. The largest banquet hall in the castle had been cleared of most tables in favor of just a minor few, as the various nobles and royals of Equestria and a few allied countries all could be seen mingling and chatting amongst each other, with castle staff-members roaming about with trays of drinks and those weird little sandwiches that Twilight would never understand. A few guests of note that Twilight noticed were a few ponies from the Crystal Empire to the North, as well as a number of sarosians hailing from Seară. Though the biggest standout was the single emissary from the distant nation of Minok, the lone minotaur wearing nothing but slacks and a bowtie as he awekwardly stood alone in the corner of the room. The "before party" had been set up in this venue as it had access to the balcony overlooking the castle's largest courtyard, where hundreds of bystanders were likely gathering for the event proper to begin.
Twilight glanced about the room in search for someone to chat with and pass the time, noticing that the guard who had walked here with her had vanished. Likely to get back to whatever assignment she'd been assigned earlier, as the Royal Guards were on high alert for the occasion. She earnestly considered walking over to the Minok Emissary, just to hear whatever his wild story was, but the choice to do so was ripped from her as she caught two unicorns approaching her—from the Crystal Empire if their extravagant garbs were to be believed. And much to her dismay, Twilight recognized these individuals.
The first, the older looking stallion, was none other than Emperor Mi Coraggio Rapsodia of the Crystal Empire, a crimson coated well-built stallion who offered nothing but the kindest of smiles towards the sarosian alicorn. Then there was his accompanying daughter Princess Mi Amore Melodia—Twilight's other older sister. While her eldest sibling, Celestia the Second, lived here in Equestria, Melodia was destined to be the future ruler of the Crystal Empire, and thus had made that kingdom her home. The resemblance she had to Celestia II—and by extension, the trio's mother—was prevalent. In fact: if not for her pale pink coat and her bright pink mane, it would be very easy to mistake the second alicorn for this unicorn.
"Ah, well if it isn't Selene!" Rapsodia bellowed with a great laugh, Twilight doing her best not to roll her eyes as the two stopped to chat with her. "My, my, look how much you have grown! And that armor! Befitting of both a princess and a soldier, if I may say so!"
"Hello, Emperor Rapsodia," Twilight replied dryly. She moved her glance down towards her other sister. "Melodia."
"Selene," the pink unicorn almost hissed back. While the relationship between Twilight and Celestia II had been one of mutual love and respect with the occasional bouts of bickering—as siblings do—her relationship with Melodia wasn't quite as civil, to put it kindly.
"Oh, you do not have to be like that, I have already told you that you can call me father!" Rapsodia continued, either oblivious to the tension between the two mares or just blatantly ignoring it. "You might not be my daughter by blood, but I do care for you and your wellbeing as a father should!"
"And the sentiment is... appreciated," Twilight lied back, "But I am more comfortable with Emperor Rapsodia if you would not mind."
The stallion took a defeated grimace at that. "... Could we at least compromise with just 'Rapsodia'?"
"If you insist..." Twilight sighed. "... Rapsodia."
The Emporer was practically aglow from that exchange, trotting away with a spring in his step and humming a catchy tune. He was earnest in his desire to want to be a surrogate father, but that had also been his greatest undoing as he was also far too eager to be as such. And frankly, it had only served to push Twilight away from him. But maybe this little compromise would get him to back off a tad bit. But as he began to chase down one of the sandwich servers, Twilight noticed that her sister had stayed behind.
"You realize that this is a coronation, not one of your training exercises, right?" Melodia asked bitterly, glancing up and down at Twilight's armor with a judgmental gleam in her eyes. She then resumed eye contact with a bitterly sarcastic smile. "Or are you here to provide security? Because if that is the case, I think that guard over there could use a short break." She pointed daintily at a distant member of the Royal Guard. "Chop-chop, soldier mare."
"Oh, is that jealousy I detect in your tone?" Twilight asked back with an equal amount of snark. "What? Still upset that you have to settle for cubic zirconium instead of real diamonds for that little tiara of yours?"
The unicorn's taunting expression transformed into one of frustration. She looked around worriedly to check if anyone had heard the comment before turning back with a hissing whisper. "You promised you would never speak of that again!"
"And I was told you had promised to be civil today. By both our sister and our mother."
"Oh, it was just some sisterly teasing, grow some thicker skin!"
"Said the pot to the kettle," the sarosian alicorn chuckled much to the other princess's dismay.
"Said the black sheep of the family."
"Said the unloved middle child." Twilight knew what she game that Melodia was playing at this point. But she was going to play along. Any excuse to get this unicorn to throw a tantrum. After all, if she caused too much of a ruckus, Twilight had the authority to legally detain her. And that would absolutely make her day, even if she'd have to deal with her mother's consequences.
"Said the would-be-commoner!"
"Said the spoiled brat."
"Said the knife-toothed-FREAK!" Based on how her face had darkened from pink to red, it was clear that Melodia was done with this little game. She was so flustered, in fact, that she failed to notice that she had raised her voice a bit too high until it was far too late. She looked around, only to see that all eyes were currently on her. There was no getting around it, everyone had just heard that little outburst. Furious, she looked back to her younger sister. Twilight, with a triumphant smile, simply readjusted her wings and allowed a spark of silver to dance about her horn.
"Said the unicorn," she whispered before walking simply away with a swish of her tail.
While she didn't get to make the pink unicorn spend a night in the dungeon as she wanted, this outcome was far more enjoyable. Her little outburst was the only thing noticed by the others in attendance, and they didn't exactly appear to be quite to pleased her choice of words. The sarosians, in particular, weren't a fan of the comment. She would be spending the rest of her evening struggling and squirming to undo her mistake. And "struggling" was the perfect word to describe it, especially as Twilight saw the mare's father stomping back towards her. The pink unicorn only had enough time to mutter something about "waiting for her coronation" before her father's lecture was upon her.
Oh, how Twilight was going to enjoy watching Melodia's backpedaling from afar. The only thing that could have made this better would have been if their mother had been present to witness it. And as she watched Melodia getting her ear chewed off by her father, Twilight could only imagine how the eldest alicorn would react, and it tickled her fancy to no end.
She continued to wander about the room, occasionally stopping to speak with whoever it was who decided to try and speak with her. Just simple small talk, nothing more and nothing less. Not many of the discussions had been much of Twilight's interests, aside from a choice few. The Minok Emissary was more than happy to share his entire life story, and what a story it was. A grand tale of mammoth herding and sand-shark hunting. A life that was truly worth living, in both his and Twilight's honest opinion. This was someone Twilight greatly enjoyed the company of, more so than the other stiffs at the party. Speaking of, the Searăn Representatives were also amongst those that she decided to speak with. And this was when she learned that her actual father would not be in attendance this evening. Something that Twilight found herself feeling indifferent about. The old bat never left his domicile unless the event in question had something to do with him, and this occasion did not meet those standards. But, if nothing else, it meant that Twilight wouldn't be getting a little sister anytime soon.
Unless mother dearest decides to fancy another suitor. She shuttered at the thought. Especially considering the fact that it was a very real possibility, doubly so seeing how the mare was ready to retire.
The clamor and commotion that floated about the room had been quickly cut silent as the elaborate doors were once again swung open, all eyes turning over to the entrance and the two alicorns that strode into the room. The first was Princess—soon to be Queen—Celestia II. Wearing a beautifully elaborate gown of reds and golds, crafted specifically for such an occasion. She was radiant, even if she fought to conceal just how overwhelmingly nervous she was. Even from such a distance, Twilight could see her sister shaking like a leaf.
Seems even she can't escape the power of stage fright, she chuckled to herself, partaking in one of the martinis as a service mare walked passed. Ugh, how can these things be so expensive yet taste so terrible?
The second mare to walk through, however, was far more confident than her daughter. A moment's glance was enough to see the family resemblance between Celestia II and her mother was strong indeed. To the point where you could mistake the princess for a younger variation of the Queen, and vice versa. From the perfectly carved features of their faces to the colors of their coats, there were only two distinct ways to tell the two apart. The first was their eyes: whereas Celestia II's were of a violet complexion, her mother's were a brilliant scarlet hue. The second, and more distinctive way, was their manes. Twilight's sister had a mane colored like brilliant golden flames, that gave off a small aura of light akin to that of the sun. It was a beautiful and stunning sight to see in person, one that could never be replicated. But their mother? Hers was an entirely different story.
If Twilight's mane could be called silver, and Celestia II's gold, then the Queen's was without question platinum. Beautifull, ever-flowing locks of flawless hair colored in the same way as the rarest of the precious metals. And like her daughters, her mane also had a certain glow about it. The platinum threads glistened and shined with the complete color spectrum, creating a rainbow aura about the Queen that was beyond description.
Queen Sanctus Solis Celestia I was truly a sight to behold. She stood there, observing the guests to this little soiree with the kind of look that only a respected queen and a proud mother could. That expression wavered when she saw her middle child getting a lecture from her father off in one corner of the room, but she didn't seem to pay it much mind outside of merely noticing it. Instead, she merely cleared her throat instead, a powerful sound that hushed all in the room who had not already given her and her eldest their undivided attention. Afterward, the soon to be former Queen of Equestria began to speak. Mostly thanking the VIPs for attending, both the before-party and the main event soon to follow, and expressing her hopes for future prosperity and cooperation between all nations.
Twilight, of course, had heard this little song and number before. Her mother had been practicing this routine—as well as her address to the people that would follow shortly—for weeks now. One would think that after four hundred years of ruling a country that she'd be better at public speaking. But as evidence suggested, it was still something that the eldest alicorn still had anxieties about. And as a result of that, the two daughters that lived with her in Equestria had been made to hear these very speeches many times over, giving them both an excuse to pay attention to other matters. For Twilight, that meant trying to find something to clean the taste of martini out of her mouth. For Celestia II, it meant trying to down as many of those martinis as she reasonably could to drown the anxiety radiating off of her like light off of the sun. It wouldn't be long now before the coronation proper had begun, it was scheduled to coincide with the rising of the sun. "The first sunrise of a new era," as their mother had put it. She was always one for the theatrics.
The status quo was reestablished quickly once the Queen's second-to-last speech as the nation's queen concluded, now with the two alicorns being the central focus of attention and conversation. So much so that hardly anybody noticed as the sarosian emissaries began to distance themselves from the crowd, save for the ever-vigilant Twilight, that is. Four representatives from Seară had arrived in total—two guards and two members of the King's Court, and now each of them was slowly marching towards one of the four corners of the spacious room.
That seems peculiar... Twilight kept her watchful eye on them as they continued to spread out. Something was definitely wrong with them, however, as they moved in a very unnatural manner. Stiff, puppet-like, like they weren't even ponies at all. And then, upon reaching their destinations, the four ponies simply turned and stood at attention. Their gazes fixated forwards, unblinkingly so. Curious as to the reason behind this behavior, Twilight cautiously made her way over to one of the transfixed individuals.
"Excuse me, but what are you and your comrades doing?" The sarosian alicorn was given no answer. In fact, the other nocturnal pony gave no sign that they had even heard her question at all. He simply stood there, staring forward without any sign that they were even still conscious. "Excuse me, I am speaking to you. It would be wise too—"
This time, she was given an answer, but not the one Twilight would have preferred. The stallion's eyes flashed brightly with an unnatural white light before continuing to glow with a less intense, but still all the ominous, pale glow. If she could see the other three at this moment, she'd have been mortified to know that they had undergone the exact same change. And then, the four sarosians spoke in unison, impossibly loud for such a minor amount of ponies. But stranger still was the number of voices that called out. Where there should have only been four, instead there were so many more. Uncountable, even.
"Salutați corul."
Each of the Searăn representatives left their mouths agape after that, hissing as thick streams of black smoke began to flow outward. Twilight was the first to be caught up in it, coughing and hacking as the horrid substance penetrated her lungs. She could do nothing as the room was enveloped, the dark smog eliminating all ability to see. And as the shadows continued to swirl and stir about the spacious room, an unnaturally chilled gale found its way in, which served to diminish the ability to hear as well as see. But that didn't stop the screams of confusion and fear from the party-goers. If anything, it only encouraged them, especially when the crackles of arcane lightning began. Whatever was behind this was a powerful force of magic, that much was clear. Twilight was quick in her attempt to try and stop this, thinking that maybe if she stopped one of the sarosians that it would diminish this horrid effect. But despite restraining the stallion with her magic, the other three simply increased their efforts, which more than made up for the sudden lack of their comrade.
The tragedy that followed happened far too quickly for anyone to stop.
As the winds continued to howl and the black smoke continued to swirl, a pattern could soon be seen within the unnatural phenomenon. A cyclone, a pillar of pitch-blackness, had formed around Equestria's Queen. Whatever was going on, she was the sole target. And notice this, the first alicorn took immediate action. A powerful multicolored burst of light spread throughout the room in an instant, disrupting the shadows for but only a moment. But the seemingly useless countermeasure had succeeded in its purpose: getting everyone else in the room away from the Queen. But before she could take any further action, the room was silenced by the sickening sound of flesh being torn by cold steel.
It was only then that the four representatives ceased their dark ritual. Their eyes returned to normal, and the smoke ceased flowing, just in time for the four sarosians to pass out. Whatever it was they had just done had taken a great deal out of them, rendering them unable to even remain conscious. With the source of the chaos gone, it was not long before the unnatural storm began to clear. The winds were silenced, the lightning faded, and the black veil that had been cast about the room began to disperse. All eyes were locked onto the spot where the Queen once stood, watching with wide eyes and bated breath in fearful anticipation.
Standing in the shallow crater was not her mother, but a single coal-coated sarosian who had not been there moments prior. His black mane was tattered and jagged like a sinister dark flame, his body covered in small patches of onyx crystals, seemingly protruding from his flesh, one of which sat at the right spot to mimic a twisted and jagged horn of a unicorn. Dark iron armor also decorated his frame where crystals did not, in addition to a heavy-looking crimson cape. Twilight had seen this individual before, just all in attendance knew who this was. While he had undergone a few changes since they last saw him, this stallion was undoubtedly King Sombra of Seară.
It seemed Twilight's father had decided to attend, after all.
He stood there while taking slow, raspy breaths. His crimson eyes were wide with exertion and exhilaration, as unnatural tendrils of dark magic flared and whipped from their sockets. As he gazed down at his hooves, a slow smile began to form across his lips. It began with a slow chuckle, but soon it transitioned into full-blown cackles of madness. It was a horrific sound in it of itself, even more so when one considered what had touched his fancy. For laying there at his hooves was Queen Sanctus Solis Celestia the First. Unmoving and unbreathing. Her mane had also fallen flat, losing the lustrous rainbow aura that floated about it. Slowly, a puddle of red began to form and expand around where the fallen queen laid, flowing from the point where her throat met the large and jagged metal knife that had been buried deep within. And aside from Sombra's manic laughing, all in attendance were just as silent as the corpse he stood over.
"It is just as they said," Sombra blared out between his bouts of insane laughter, "There is no such thing as a true immortal! Not even you!"
Twilight watched in utter disgust and horror, unable to act and unable to pry her eyes away from the lifeless form of her mother. Her body refused to move, her breaths were short and haggard, and her mind could not possibly comprehend what it was she was even looking at. This couldn't be real, could it? Celestia the First was an alicorn, she was meant to be immortal. Unable to leave the mortal realm by any means. Yet there she was, dead in the dirt like a common slain beast. And standing right above her was the monster that had managed to do it.
But as Sombra continued to revel in his triumph, Twilight was approached by a new sound that drowned out Sombra's triumphant laughter. It came from everywhere and nowhere, the sound of her own voice—No, it wasn't her voice she was hearing. It had never been her voice in the first place. It was the voice of Princess Selene, the alicorn who she had been masquerading as for what felt like a lifetime, accompanied by hundreds of other voices all speaking in time. A sound that Twilight had come to know very well within the past few days of her real life.
Where did you learn to dream-walk?
And with that, Twilight was abruptly awoken from this horrid nightmare.