//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6 
// Story: A Guardian's Hope 
// by Last Satisfaction 
//------------------------------//

Twilight and Sunset landed in front of the library. The sight of the library dispelled Twilight's insecurity. She turned to Sunset. "I'm going to introduce you to my friends. I have the feeling that you'll get along well."

Sunset briefly raised one eyebrow, amused. "It can't be any worse than the one I met when I left the station."

Twilight tilted her head, intrigued. "Who are you talking about?"

"An earth pony mare with a pink coat. I ask where you live, she jumps three metres high, then gasps before taking off like she saw an Ursa Major behind me."

It didn't take long for Twilight to understand who she was talking about. She hid a muffled laugh behind a hoof. She used her telekinesis to open the door, "Please go in first and make yourself at home."

Sunset entered the library. It was completely dark, due to the curtains covering the windows. She took off the saddle, keeping it in her telekinesis as an improvised weapon. She then noticed her personal saddlebag was gone.

When she moved forward, the lights flipped on. Five mares and a baby dragon shouted "Surprise!", before a shower of confetti fell on Sunset and Twilight. There was a banner hanging from the ceiling that read, “Welcome back to Equestria, Sunset-senpai.” Sunset did not understand how this was possible, although she recognized the earth pony she had crossed paths with a few hours earlier.

Twilight, looking at the banner, couldn't help but ask, "Seen Pay? What is it?"

Sunset laughed "It's pronounced <Sane Pie>. It's one of the suffixes used in Japony. Senpai refers to somepony who is treated with respect because they know more than we do. Based on what little I know, I would say that, in a sense, you are the senpai of your dragon, insofar as he is your assistant. I'm surprised you know such a word," she said with a tear in the corner of her eye.  

"I don't think anyone here but you can speak that language. Unless..." Twilight decided to make the introductions. "Sunset, let me introduce you to my friends. First, the one you've already seen— who is certainly the culprit behind the banner—Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie hopped forward, greeting Sunset Shimmer by joining her hoof with hers, which resulted in a slightly unpleasant—but not too painful—shock. "We don't know each other, but we already have a connection," she commented jokingly, removing the joy buzzer she had been hiding and putting it in her mane.

Sunset shook hooves with her. She was a bit miffed to have been fooled by such an old joke. She smiled anyway, chasing away the tear with a little magic.

"She is a party planner, a prankster, and an amazing baker, but if I may give you a recommendation, it is this one. If Pinkie Pie does or says something that seems weird to you, don't try to understand it. I experienced it myself. In the end, I just gave up on the idea of explaining her faculties. A question that starts with  'How,' is often answered with, ‘because it's Pinkie Pie’."

"I think I will remember that," said Sunset.

Twilight nodded to her next friend. "Applejack."

As Pinkie Pie returned back to her original spot, Applejack came forward. Grasping the leg that had just been electrified by Pinkie, she offered Sunset a firm and vigorous hoofshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you for sure, Miss Sunset."  

"She and her family run Sweet Apple Acres. She is an honest worker who is always ready to help. She also  knows a thousand recipes when it comes to apples. Don’t lie to her; she’ll know."

"Pleasure shared," Sunset said, wondering what was worse—the previous prank,  or Applejack's strength, given the state of her hoof.

Twilight said next, "Rarity."

Applejack took her place alongside the others, replaced with Rarity, who made a distinguished bow. "My dear, you will have to tell me about your travels to Japony. I am sure it will give me some ideas for my next collection."

"She has her own fashion boutique, she makes the rain and sunshine in the fashion world or on social occasions, and she always has a heart of gold whenever the opportunity arises."

"After a good night of sleep, why not?" Sunset said, smiling.

Twilight nodded to another friend. "Rainbow Dash."

As soon as Rarity turned around, Rainbow moved in a flash to Sunset, messing up the unicorn’s mane in the process. Sunset coughed while she put her mane back in place. "I'm glad to meet  you, Sunset Shimmer," she said, stretching out her hoof to hoofbump with Sunset.

"She takes care of Ponyville’s weather. She's the fastest pegasus—the only one who can make a Sonic Rainboom. "

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see that."

"Any time you want! Even now, no problem!"

"Later, if you don't mind. Introductions  are not over," Sunset said.

Rainbow Dash looked at the others. She smiled sheepishly, rubbing her mane with a hoof, before turning to Sunset. "Okay, okay, okay. Later," she said, taking her place so Twilight could introduce the last of her friends. 

"Fluttershy."

The pegasus avoided  Sunset's gaze. She rubbed one leg with the other. "H-hello," she whispered.

"At first sight, she is fierce, but she takes care of any wounded animal. She's been in charge of Philomena since... the disappearance... of Princess Celestia."

Applejack raised an eyebrow, looking at Twilight.

Sunset gave Fluttershy a short bow. "Thank you for that." She walked towards the little dragon, smiling. "And you must be Spike, Twilight's friend and assistant. She told me about you when we were in Canterlot."

For a moment, he looked at the new mare in the eyes. "Yes, it's me." He proudly puffed up his chest, lifting his head high, claws on his hips. "I put your saddlebag in the bedroom when Pinkie was preparing the party. She said you were going to stay for a while."

Sunset was surprised. "How..." She quickly changed her mind, smiling. "Because it's Pinkie Pie, I guess."

Twilight, with Celestia's old saddlebags on her back, headed towards the stairs. She had to force herself to smile. "I'll be right back, girls. Start the party. I'll take this up to my room," she said before going upstairs.

The celebration soon began. Sunset laughed as they began asking her many questions about her life and travels, unaccustomed to being the centre of attention. However, two of the mares were more focused on the door Twilight had closed behind her. 

"She lied," said Applejack quietly.

"It wasn't a real smile," added Pinkie Pie.

"You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’, sugarcube?"

"Tickle her until she smiles again?"

"Or we go ask her what's wrong instead?"

"What about... we tickle her, and THEN ask her?" suggested Pinkie Pie, bouncing excitedly. 

Applejack rolled her eyes, then began to climb the stairs, closely followed by Pinkie.

In Twilight’s bedroom, she was staring at her collection of Celestia's scrolls. Her morale was lower than ever before as she put her letter from Celestia away with the others. She wanted to cry, but couldn't. Sunset’s arrival was the only positive end  to this succession of stabs. She jumped when the door opened, turning around to see the two earth ponies coming in before Pinkie closed the door behind her.

"Twilight, are you okay, sugarcube?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile.

"Twilight, if there was something wrong, you'd tell us, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, of course, I..." Her smile faded. "...I would have told you."

"Spike told us that you received a message from Princess Luna and went to see her. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I..." Twilight's heart had preserved itself all this time by denying the truth. Thanks to Sunset's presence, she had remained in a bubble of denial, refusing to accept Celestia's death. Unconsciously, she knew she would have to tell others sooner or later. She was trying to postpone this fateful moment. She didn't want to say it; she couldn't accept the truth. "I'll say it after the party in honour of Sunset's arrival," she said, trying to buy time.

"Oh, don't worry, it's already over," said Pinkie Pie, her mane slightly less poofy as she opened the door. Sunset, Spike, and Rarity fell head first to the floor, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash falling on them.

Twilight turned her back on her friends, retreating a little more. "These scrolls are not at all in the right order. You have to put them in chronological order, not alphabetical order. I will do it right away," she said, her voice trembling. She used telekinesis to organise the scrolls differently, putting her heart into the work.
 
The others looked at each other. Only Pinkie Pie seemed to understand, her mane almost flat, her ears drooping.

"Twilight, tell us what's going on!" Applejack said, coming back to the charge.

The young princess stopped fidgeting with her pile of scrolls. "Pepper has..." No, she couldn't say it so brutally. "... spoken to Princess Luna. A short time ago." She held back a sob. "I'm sorry, Sunset. I didn't want to talk about it until you all got here." She could no longer contain her tears as they rolled down  her cheeks. "Princess Celestia is... she is..." She didn't have the strength to say such a simple word. She didn't want to accept it. She refused it! She lashed out with her hoof, breaking a shelf, the books collapsing on the floor. Then, she no longer felt the strong desire to deny it. She might as well tell them. “... Dead. Princess Celestia was killed by Pepper. She was after her magic. She wanted to be able to raise the Sun. That’s what she said to Princess Luna."

Every creature baulked at this revelation. 

Fluttershy fell unconscious. 

Rarity also fell unconscious, but in a much more elegant way. 

Applejack took off her hat to observe a minute of silence.

Pinkie Pie cried silently, her body wracked with sobs and spasms, her smooth mane framing the right side of her anguished face.

Sunset shook her head, in tears, before bringing her hoof to her mouth.

Spike fell on his knees, crying hot tears. 

Rainbow Dash looked at everyone else, frightened, before turning to Twilight with a desperate smile. "It can't be! This is a joke! Pepper's not a monster! She would never do such a thing!"

Twilight turned to Rainbow with unbridled anger. "I, too, would have liked to keep my head buried in the sand, but you saw her, Rainbow Dash! Her aura turned yellow! Princess Luna said that Pepper set the sun before her eyes! We have to face the truth. She killed Princess Celestia. She was here to do just that from very the beginning! She lied to us all, Rainbow!"

The pegasus turned away, her eyes fogging with tears, her maw twitching upward with anger. Suddenly, she fled. As soon as she left the house, she flew away and disappeared into the horizon as fast as she could, leaving a Sonic Rainboom in her wake. Twilight locked herself in a bubble of anger, staring at a corner, still crying.

Applejack put her hat back on as she met Sunset's gaze. Sunset looked at her with a sympathetic glance, but had no idea what to do first.

Pinkie was still crying by herself. Sunset, barely knowing her, looked at Applejack, gesturing towards their friend. Applejack approached Pinkie.

Sunset gently lifted Spike with her magic, offering him a shoulder to cry on before approaching Twilight. She began quietly. "Twilight, I understand why you didn't tell me before. I don't blame you. But you have to channel your anger; you can't let it control you."

Twilight glared at Sunset. "How can you act so cold when I just said Princess Celestia is dead?!" A wick of her mane started burning.

Sunset slapped Twilight with the back of her hoof, snapping her out of her rage. Her ignited flame became part of her mane again. Sunset’s chin trembled for a moment, tears flowing again. "Make no mistake, I'm as devastated as you are. But I can't afford to let my feelings push me to act rashly again. Princess Celestia asked me to look after you, and I intend to do so, Twilight."

Twilight felt pitiful compared to Sunset. She’d let her feelings run rampant, whereas Sunset kept control of herself. She sank to her haunches, her head down, her face tightened by her self-loathing as she let her shame invade.

Sunset watched Twilight for a moment, doubting whether she could find the words to get her out of this spiral. She placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't just stand there. Go lie down. I’ll be here when you feel better," she whispered.

As Twilight climbed the stairs to the mezzanine with Spike's assistance, Sunset found the extra bed. She set it up for Rarity and Fluttershy. Applejack and Pinkie left the room before Sunset, who looked at the place one last time. Not knowing what was waiting for her, she took her saddlebags and katana, then closed the door gently.

Once downstairs, Pinkie started to put away the party decorations. Applejack and Sunset came to help her, the latter first leaving  her bag in a corner. "Usually my surprise parties end better than that," Pinkie commented, her head lowered, ears flattened against her skull.

"It's my fault," Applejack said. "If I hadn't pushed Twilight, we'd still be celebrating for sure."

Sunset wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie's neck in a comforting embrace. "When I left Japony to come home, I thought that nopony would be here to welcome me. And you, Pinkie Pie, without knowing me, offered me the most beautiful welcome. If we hadn’t had a good connection, I think I would have started crying. So, from the bottom of my heart—thank you."

"It must be contagious, because I want to cry now," exclaimed Pinkie Pie, her mane reshaping to full lushness. Tears gushed from her eyes like a fountain as she embraced Sunset, her words a balm to her heart.

"Pinkie... the decorations..." Sunset gasped, slapping Pinkie on the back as she unintentionally strangled her. 

"Oh, that's right," said Pinkie before separating from Sunset. Pinkie sniffed and wiped her tears before picking up where she had left off. 

As they were cleaning up, Sunset thought about the situation. She realised that she knew so little that she risked ruining the morale of Twilight's two friends. "Say, you look like you're holding up, but... Do you think the others will be okay? I think we can exclude Twilight, since it's obvious she's going to need time to recover."

Applejack and Pinkie Pie exchanged a look before continuing to detach the banners.

"Rarity will certainly make black the signature trend for her autumn collection. It’s possible she might overwork herself to keep her mind occupied," said Applejack. 

"The animal caretaker will have to be taken care of," said Pinkie Pie in a failed joke attempt, not having the morale to find anything better than that.

"Rainbow Dash—"

"Rainbow was good friends with Pepper," Pinkie cut in.

"You're telling the truth, Pinkie. I don't know what's gonna be the hardest thing for her. Accepting the idea that Pepper lied all this time, or that she... did what she did."

Sunset asked, "Before this, did Pepper ever do anything wrong?"

"Except for her first day that ended in prison, no. She hung out mostly with Rainbow and Princess Luna, sometimes Fluttershy. Mostly for a free meal. For the rest of us—Twilight, Rarity, and I—she avoided us like a herd of cows would flee a snake."

"She became interested in my storage pockets. Once or twice she came to see me right before dawn,  when I was preparing deliveries for Sugarcube Corner. And even though I'm as up for a prank as Rainbow Dash is, I was always the last to know about hers."

"Your storage pockets?" asked Sunset.

"Yep," said Pinkie Pie, before she pulled her festive cannon out of her mane. "Where I keep the important things."

Sunset's jaw dropped. She turned to Applejack, pointing at the festive cannon.

Applejack shrugged. "And again, she didn't mention her Pinkie Sense."

Sunset, her jaw still on the floor, turned to Pinkie.

"Twilight spent a full day trying to prove that there was an explanation for my Pinkie Sense. After being chased away by a four-headed hydra, she gave up, just accepting that there were things she couldn't explain scientifically."

Sunset suddenly grew a mischievous smile. "Oh, I bet I could explain it easily."

Applejack and Pinkie exchanged a curious glance, then approached Sunset. "Could you, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Yes," Sunset replied, looking at Applejack, before pointing at Pinkie. "Because it's Pinkie Pie."

The three mares had a laugh together.





Twilight was lying in her bed, Spike dozing between her forelegs. She felt empty. Nothing had any taste. She couldn't even cry anymore. All she had left was her memories. So, she closed her eyes, trying to remember a happy memory, allowing herself a moment to forget reality. And the most beautiful memory was her first meeting with Celestia. 

At that time, she was just a filly. She didn't have her Cutie Mark yet, though she already had a gift for magic. A preliminary appointment was arranged by the school for Celestia's Gifted Unicorns to test her talent. Twilight found herself alone with her back to the blackboard, facing six rows of chairs. Four judges sat in the middle of the penultimate row at the very top, haughtily taking notes every time she had the misfortune to make a move. In a cart was a dragon's egg. Twilight had to hatch it to prove that she deserved to do her apprenticeship in this school.

Carried by the encouragement and smile of her parents, Twilight reared up, spreading her wings, concentrating all her magic on hatching the egg. Despite her efforts, the egg remained intact. 

At the same time, in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash obtained her cutie mark by making her first supersonic rainbow. The wave propagated throughout Equestria. The latent power of Twilight was released by it. She was in a trance, the energy pulsing around her to the point of levitating herself as she used her magic on the egg again, making it hatch.

Laughter was heard from the heights of the benches.

A hoof gently fell on Twilight’s shoulder. 

Twilight calmed down, the energy gradually dissipating as she looked at the egg. The laughter became louder. Between the broken shells was a plate with an omelette on it.

Twilight recoiled, looking at her flank. To her horror, her cutie mark was an exact copy of the state she’d left the dragon's egg. The laughter became deafening. Twilight turned around, but instead of Celestia, Nightmare Moon stood there, cackling with the crowd. The young princess turned pale. "N-Nightmare Moon?!"

Dressed for the occasion in a white robe attached by a crest on her shoulder with a moon motif, the one that shared the moniker of “Princess of the Night” realised that she was not behaving in a manner worthy of her rank. Quickly, she resumed a royal attitude before looking up at Twilight, a mocking smile on the corner of her lips. She sighed, for the cacophony of laughter filling her eardrums didn’t help her focus. "It's launch time. The judges have gone to the canteen."

Twilight tilted her head, uncertain how to react.  She turned to the judges, realising that they were no longer there, even though they were still laughing just a second ago. She turned to Nightmare Moon, looking for an answer.

"Post-hypnotic suggestion. Your mind accepted the idea that it was noon and that they were indeed gone. Well, now it would be a good time for you to be a little more lucid about your situation; I don't have all night ahead of me."

Twilight blinked several times. Her cutie mark became what she had always been. She understood then that she had fallen asleep while looking back at a happier past. She turned against Nightmare Moon, not very cheerful. "Is this how you take care of ponies' dreams? By making them have nightmares?" she accused, pointing with her hoof.

Nightmare Moon scoffed. "Excuse you?! How dare you, Twilight Sparkle?! To accuse me of a crime I didn't commit! I came to 'stop' this nightmare, which is only the product of your mind. But when I saw the turn it was taking, I took pleasure in seeing your embarrassment. It's not as if this nightmare was full of Timberwolves. We must act as allies, but that doesn't mean I have to act as if I were your friend."

Twilight shot back, "If you're done laughing at me, I'd like to finish dreaming in peace."

Nightmare Moon took three steps back before making the same bow she did earlier in the day. "Actually, I'd like to ask you for an audience, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Lives are at stake, and I need your help."

The young princess did not know how to react to this. Nightmare Moon asking for her help? She was both surprised and frightened, reluctant to imagine what she wanted from her. But if lives were at stake, she could not refuse without knowing the details. "I'm listening to you."

Nightmare Moon straightened up, about to explain herself, but the scenery caught her attention. "I can't believe I'm in charge of doing everything for you," she said. With these words, she slammed her hoof on the floor. The decor slipped, the classroom disappearing in the distance as the two alicorns found themselves in the throne room of Canterlot Castle.

Twilight observed the new setting, only slightly appreciating the change of scenery. "If you don't mind, I'd rather have this dream happen at my place in Ponyville." The decor changed immediately. Around them were the library’s bookshelves. Twilight, surprised by this sudden change, turned to Nightmare Moon. "Am I the cause of this change?"

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "Of course this is your work. Is this the first time you are lucid dreaming? The slightest desire can manifest itself if you so wish. But let us be clear—I refuse to see you make anypony appear, and you better not use this power over me. I need your full attention. This is about lives. I don't want to be subjected to the soulstates of a filly, Princess."  

Twilight tried to concentrate, briefly flapping her wings. "I am ready. I'm listening."

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I make sure I'm in the best conditions for this conversation by accelerating my heartbeat so that the blood flows into my brain."

"Twilight Sparkle, you're sleeping. Your mind is in the world of dreams. Flapping your wings is useless. Let me guess: you think you're breathing?"

"Of course I..." Twilight realised that she was playing the Nightmare Moon game. "Well, what do you want from me? I hope you're not here to ask me to help you make the night last forever. It’s a no from the get go."

"Nonsense! It was Luna who was afraid that her night would never be revered as much as the sun was, and that she would lose her title because of her sister. This is because of the words of the tyrant whose name must be kept silent because of the prediction. The same tyrant who, a thousand years earlier, distilled a poison in the mind of an immature filly. That same filly eventually succumbed, giving life to the physical manifestation of her jealousy that I am.”

Twilight's anger gave way to disbelief. "And you don't want that anymore?"

"Why would I want that? All of Equestria loves the night. The ponies stopped falling asleep as soon as the sun went down. Through Luna's eyes, I was able to witness it. They stay up late, sometimes even until dawn, to observe the night and have fun. There's even a party where they dress up because they're afraid I'll eat them. Even you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, appreciate my night for its true value. If Luna and I had known four years ago that this was the case, the outcome could have been similar without the use of the Elements of Harmony."

Twilight frowned. "What do you mean, 'Luna and me'? Aren't you one and the same mare?"

"We were, but the Elements of Harmony have this curious habit of refusing to destroy in absolutes. As such, their power separated us, freeing Luna from everything I could represent. From that day on, I was silenced, forced to observe, hidden in a corner of her heart. Once again forbidden to put my hooves upon the world where I came to life, forced to live by proxy through Luna. Watching her do what I could have done, if you hadn't found the Element of Magic."

"That doesn't explain why you're no longer there."

"Luna began to study in secret. She created what she called the Tantabus. I shall spare you many unimportant details about this creation. The important thing is that the Tantabus is the borrowed body that I asked for in exchange for my help. And that's where the heart of the matter lies. Four months ago, as Luna said, I proposed an exchange for reasons of good form; conditional freedom in exchange for my services. No one should know—not even you—that I was walking Equestria, which was fine with me. Taking Luna's appearance had its advantages here in the dream world."

"You could have asked to rule by her side."

"Seductive as this idea may be, I am the one who sought to make an eternal night reign. I am the one the children fear. I know myself all too well. I would have ended up harbouring jealousy towards Luna, because nopony would have ever approached the monster that they see me as. Moreover, I am the only queen in the eyes of bat ponies and vamponies; they have been loyal to me since my return."

"So Dusty Nova—"

"Slowly, Princess. We're not there yet. If you want to understand why I need your help, you have to understand how we got here. I'm trying to be as concise as possible, and it's not easy without truncating the facts."

Twilight kept quiet. She still had trouble believing that Nightmare Moon needed her help. Considering how hard she was trying to explain what had happened, the problem must have been serious.

"Also, Luna, who felt cheated by Pepper, needed to unleash her anger on somepony. There was little choice. In the end, she opted for changelings, Chrysalis at the top of the list."

"The changelings? Why? We haven't heard from those monsters since my brother Shining Armor and Princess Cadance married."

"It is true. But tell me, Princess Twilight Sparkle—how many ponies were injured? How many ponies died during this invasion? Could you answer these questions?"

"No." At that time, she had not considered taking an interest in this kind of detail.

"None, and you already know why: because changelings cannot afford to kill ponies. They need them. Without ponies, a changeling is guaranteed to starve. Changelings are predators by nature. They only know deception and manipulation to feed themselves. Now, consider Chrysalis and Pepper for a moment. Who they are, how they operate, their abilities."

Twilight did so, turning her gaze to the right. While she thought, they appeared before her eyes, standing side-by-side. She went back to their first meeting, when Chrysalis changed her appearance and became Cadance. Pepper also changed her appearance: her mane was shortened into a simple bun, the ornament gone. For a time, both played a role until they took action. Manipulators, liars, unscrupulous. And both of them were able to take on any appearance. If she linked these two profiles with Pepper's absence, it led to only one result. The two silhouettes disappeared as Twilight looked towards Nightmare Moon. "Chrysalis was a substitute Pepper, and, given her liabilities, no one would go to mourn her disappearance?"

"Precisely."

"But it's—"

"It doesn't matter. It's too late now. With a bat pony regiment, I blockaded the northern Badlands, preventing any attempt at a changeling incursion. They had orders to kill those who would try their luck."

Twilight was speechless, unable to imagine that Princess Luna would give such an order.

"However, when I was about to eradicate them, something made me realise that I was making a mistake, and I ordered my troops to retreat."

"What was it?"

Nightmare Moon slammed her hoof twice. The scenery changed to the Badlands on the night of the genocide.

Twilight observed the frozen scene now before her.

The Nightmare Moon of this scene was behind her army. At her side was Antares—still just a private—who assisted the command. The body of a high-ranking bat pony was behind her, a spear stabbed through her throat. Swift, armed with a pertuisane, secured the perimeter, preventing any attempts to attack the Princess of the Night. On the other side of this battle was Chrysalis. Chitin was by her side, keeping the enemy at bay, holding two short swords with  telekinesis.

Twilight noticed that all the warrior changelings seemed exhausted, their magic weak and obviously famished. Without warning, the scene came alive. A changeling charged Twilight, ready to strike. Twilight reflexively raised a shield. But the changeling passed through, disappearing as a bat pony went for the neck with his blade.

Nightmare Moon lightened the scene, erasing the changelings about to succumb 
from the battle in order to spare Twilight’s innocence.

The battle was one-sided. The first lines of the changelings disappearing in the blink of an eye, succumbing to the bat ponies' assault. 

Chrysalis saw no way out of this confrontation. She lowered her head and clenched her teeth. Her time had come, and she knew it. She concentrated what remained of her magic, creating a luminous sphere that flew off into the sky. The changelings in the rear lines imitated it. Like a domino effect, no more changelings were fighting. The bat ponies took advantage of it. 

The Nightmare Moon in this scene had stopped commanding. She watched this spectacle unfold before her eyes, seeing each sphere of light disappear every time a changeling was killed. By the time she screamed to stop the fight, the bat ponies had reached the last lines, hooves covered in what Twilight’s mind assumed was mud. They looked at their queen for orders. She ordered a retreat. They obeyed, flying away from this hecatomb.

When only Antares, Swift, and the queen remained, she spoke directly to Chrysalis. "Explain to me, Queen of the Changelings—this wasn't a spell, was it?"

Chrysalis was running out of steam. Her eyes wandered through the mass grave. There were only a few changelings left by her side other than Chitin. "When a changeling dies, the whole hive gathers to create bubbles of light with magic, thus guiding the soul of the deceased through the endless darkness of death to the afterlife. Since we are going to die tonight, I prefer that my last act as queen be a prayer for my subjects."

Nightmare Moon fell silent for a moment. "Private Antares, Private Moonlit, we're leaving."  

Twilight had never witnessed war before today. Despite Nightmare Moon’s attempt to make it easier to handle, she was crying, shocked by what she had just seen. She turned to face Nightmare Moon. "Why?"

"Why?!" Chrysalis whispered. "Have the courage to finish what you started!" she barked, crying with rage.

The Nightmare Moon of the scene turned away from her, returning to the camp, accompanied by her soldiers. "I have the courage to admit my mistake. And if an ant about to die looks to the stars of my night for the salvation of her soul, she deserves more respect than a weak filly who seeks to rule over the void."

The memory faded, leaving Twilight and Nightmare Moon alone in the dark of a dreamless sleep.

"I realised that, if I killed the changelings, there was no guarantee that Luna wouldn't ask me to eradicate another race. All this time, the euphoria of having my own body had blinded me. It made me forget that I was a queen—and that a queen has duties towards her subjects. And even if the changelings are not residents of Equestria, they are part of it, no matter what  they may think. Until now, I've been lying to Luna. The last lie is how I got the piece of mane you have. Chrysalis gave it to me; she claims she killed Pepper."

Twilight remained strangely silent following this revelation, before resuming, "That doesn't explain what Pepper was doing so far away. She had never left the Ponyville area."

"One of my subjects questioned her.She claimed that something made her go there. But who can believe her?" Nightmare Moon preferred to avoid talking about Aglowing Shell; she didn't want to tell Twilight that she was the aunt of an illegitimate child. "Despite what she said to you this morning, Luna wants Pepper dead. She wants her to die a slow death, like a cat playing with its prey. Hearing someone else have stolen this pleasure from her would prove fatal for that creature. As unpleasant as it will be to hear, I wanted to kill Celestia. When Pepper said that she stole this royal duty from me, I wanted to trample her. So, based on my own reactions, I ordered Dusty Nova to lie. Now, I need you to do the same about your attempts at localization. Otherwise, Luna will find out that she was being lied to, and she will seek the bloodbath the changelings stole from her."

"So that's the purpose of this hearing? To ask me to lie to Princess Luna about the results of my attempts to locate Pepper?"

"Luna is bruised. A thousand years ago, it was jealousy. Now,  it's something else, and I'm afraid the Elements of Harmony can't help her this time. She'll sink and become a new Nightmare. I only see two possibilities after that. I possess her, and stop it. Or, I do nothing about it, and she ends up next to Discord in Canterlot's gardens."

Twilight was shocked. "Are you implicitly asking for my consent to possess Princess Luna and rule Equestria?"

"It's a possibility I'm considering. But without your agreement, I would not do anything about it— as long as you have the Elements. Oh, and no, I don't intend to steal them. I'm here because I'm convinced that you'll have the wisdom to see me as an ally. Probably not the one you expected, but a reliable ally for the greater good of Equestria."

"What if I refuse?"

"Luna will become a Nightmare. However, if you base our first confrontation on imagining what the fight against this new Nightmare will be like, you are making a big and terrible mistake. I was the embodiment of Luna's old-fashioned jealousy. I didn't know you. You were just a bunch of fillies in my eyes. She's mature, more powerful, and knows you all; she'll have the advantage of the first strike. You are free to take this warning into account, now that you know everything and understand the purpose of my request. As for now, I'm going back to the dream plane; you're not the only one having nightmares." Her horn lit up as she made the door that led out of this dream appear.

"But I didn't even give you my answer!"

Nightmare Moon looked at her. "I'm not the one waiting for an answer. I warned you that you must not give Luna a clear answer under any circumstances, otherwise she will react badly. Tell her you're not getting any results. With this warning, I have made you an honest offer. You have all the time you need. I will wait until the next audience to act accordingly. If you consider my intentions sincere, I'll come back to you. If you think I'm trying to manipulate you, I won't interfere when Luna goes crazy. You'll have to assume the consequences of that choice alone. Although, you are not really alone. You have your friends. You can tell them about this audience if you think they can keep the secret of my presence."

Twilight tried to think. "What if I need to contact you outside of dreams, without Princess Luna's presence?"

Nightmare tried as best as she could to repress a satisfied smile. "The observation platform at the top of the tree where you live—put a letter there before the sun is lowered, I will check it every night when I fly over Ponyville. It's my turn to ask a question." Nightmare Moon had a doubt about Aglowing Shell and needed to hear the opinion of an expert in the field. "Tell me, Princess of Friendship. One of my bat ponies has a problem with a friend. He lied to him about his identity. If he found out who this bat pony really is, he could hate him for a more than justified reason. What should he do? Keep lying to him to preserve their friendship? Or tell him the truth, at the risk of losing it?"

Twilight never would have thought she would hear such a question from Nightmare Moon. If she didn't know she was already asleep, she would have thought she was dreaming. "Friendship cannot be built upon a lie. Sooner or later, the truth will catch up with the bat pony. If he really respects his friend, he must be honest and say who he really is. It is better to lose a friend by being honest than to lose him because the truth was discovered."

Deep down, Nightmare Moon already knew this. She just needed to hear it to muster the courage to face the consequences of such a choice. "I understand. Goodnight, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and thank you for the advice."

At the very moment Nightmare Moon closed the door behind her, Twilight opened her eyes, waking up in her bed. Spike was no longer there. When she turned to look, the extra bed was empty. She looked out the window. It was dark outside. The night was quiet in the streets of Ponyville.

She opened the door and went down the stairs unenthusiastically. She could see that the cleaning had been done. The table that usually sat in the middle of the room had already been moved against a wall. The welcome cake sat on it, a few slices missing. Twilight heard a few murmurs go silent. The assembly of ponies—and Spike—playing cards turned their attention towards her. "How long did I sleep?"

"It's past twenty-one," Sunset replied.

"Rainbow hasn't come back?" Twilight asked.

"You know her. She needs some time to be on her own and figure things out," Applejack said, pointing east with a hoof.

Twilight rubbed a hoof across her face ."Okay." She walked towards the door. "Girls, don't leave. I'll be back with Rainbow. Spike, make some coffee for everypony." Upon these words she left the library, closing the door behind her.

The others looked at each other. It took only a few minutes for Twilight to come back with Rainbow Dash, who was clinging to a cloud as black as her mood. She had refused to follow Twilight, the alicorn trapping her and the cloud in a telekinetic field.

Spike returned just in time from the cellar of the science lab, a tray with eight cups of coffee, sugar, and milk in his claws. He handed a mug almost full to the brim to Twilight, who accepted it in her magic. She offered a short hug to the dragon to thank him, before he went to give the one that had been prepared for Rainbow Dash.

"Once again, I'm sorry, Rainbow. But what I have to say is too important to wait. Bad news has accumulated without my knowledge, and Equestria's future is at stake."

"When the kingdom learns that the Princess is dead, Discord will come back in a second." Rainbow frowned.

"Princess Luna will not make an announcement about this. She told me that it must remain a secret, so as not to deprive Equestria of any hope of seeing her again one day. They must continue to live as if she would come back tomorrow," Twilight explained, eyes misting up, ears flattened to her head, unable to look her friends in the eye. 

There was a cacophony of turmoil, but Rainbow's voice roared louder. "So, what, we're gonna have to lie to everypony?! What's the point of knowing?"

Twilight smiled sadly. "I reacted in much the same way. And Princess Luna found the words to persuade me that this is what Princess Celestia would have wanted. Equestria lives in expectation of her return. I don't like it." She sighed. "But that's not the worst part." She walked towards the display case that kept the Elements of Harmony under glass, which had been  hidden under a cloth during the celebration.

Twilight looked at her crown, the Element of Magic, wondering if the gem had always been so dull. "I could tell as accurately as possible what happened in Canterlot, but it’s a real jumble of events, and I, myself, do not know the truth from falsehood in the end. I need you guys to understand that this is an even bigger secret. For the moment, nopony else but us in this room must know about it. Not even Princess Luna. If you don't think you can’t keep it to yourself, it would probably be best if you went home."

Behind her back, everyone exchanged cautious glances. Rarity stepped forward. "Twilight, my dear, I think I speak for all of us when I say that no one will leave this room, but... even Princess Luna? You talk as if something even more terrible has happened. I’m not saying I don’t believe that could be the case, but that’s still a tough idea to swallow."

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," promised Pinkie, drawing a cross on the chest of her hoof before hitting her eye with it. The others imitated the gestures, all taking an oath like Pinkie.

Twilight smiled briefly. "Thank you, girls. And thank you too, Spike. I have no doubt that I can count on all of you, but I want to make sure that you understand the importance of what I am about to reveal. When we defeated Nightmare Moon, she didn't completely disappear like we thought. About four months ago, when Pepper left, Nightmare Moon came back."

At these words, everyone except Twilight and Sunset—who was not there four years ago—felt a great chill run down their spines. The revelation left them speechless.

"The Elements of Harmony purified Princess Luna by separating her from Nightmare Moon. They are two distinct alicorns today. And they have a mutual aid agreement. Princess Luna manages Equestria's business, while Nightmare Moon takes care of the world of dreams. And while I was sleeping this afternoon, Nightmare Moon approached me without Princess Luna's knowledge." 

As she recounted this, she opened the window, took her crown, and placed it on a hoof. She could not remember if she had always had this weight—not on her head, but her shoulders. "Nightmare Moon asked for my help. She lied to Princess Luna. She asked me to lie as well—about Pepper's location. In the bag Sunset was carrying when we arrived, there is a piece of mane covered with coagulated blood, decorated with the ornament Pepper had worn since her return. This was apparently the evidence Chrysalis provided that proved that she killed Pepper. The thing is, Nightmare Moon suspects that might have been a lie. Whether or not this is so, if Princess Luna finds out about this, she will try to exterminate every single changeling out there. And finally, Nightmare Moon asks for my consent to take possession of the Princess, to curb her bloodlust. I... " 

Twilight dropped her crown on the ground. 

"I can’t make such a call... According to Nightmare Moon, in both cases, Princess Luna is condemned, and I think... she’s not wrong. The Elements of Harmony can’t obliterate her pain over her sister’s death. If we use them on her, she will end up as a statue. I can’t see any other solution. But postponing a problem isn’t solving it. What do I do? Do I let Nightmare Moon take over? What if she's playing me? What if she lied to me about everything?! What if she had told the truth?!!! And—" She was pulled out of her rantings by a claw on her side. 

Spike was the most empathetic of the group when it came to Twilight’s meltdowns. He gave Twilight a soft smile. "You'll know what to do, Twilight. You always do."

The bearers of the Elements approached Twilight to offer her a collective hug.

Applejack took off her hat and put it on Twilight’s head before grabbing her by the waist and squeezing against her side. "It's not an easy task, but it's not impossible for somepony like you."

"She's right. And we're here if you need help," Rainbow Dash added.

"Or to make you smile again!" said Pinkie Pie.

"At any time, day or night," Rarity said.

Fluttershy didn’t speak; her just being there spoke for her.

Spike looked at Sunset. "Aren't you coming to join the hug?"

"I'm not really the affectionate type in front of others," she replied.

Pinkie Pie gasped. She pulled a red cap out of her mane and screwed it on her head before turning it backward. "Pinkie Pie, Attack Cuddle!" she said with a deadpanned expression. Then, she chirped, "Pie!" She leapt onto Sunset, throwing her forelegs around Sunset’s neck and nuzzling her cheek.

Sunset startled, but didn’t fight back. She accepted Pinkie’s affection with a smile. "Okay, okay. Maybe it's not so bad once in a while."

"Sunset appreciates the hug! The attack was very effective!" cheered Pinkie.

A general laughter echoed in the library. Observing Pinkie and Sunset, Twilight lent herself a moment of serenity. At a time like this, she was more happy than ever to have her friends at her side. She allowed herself a small, genuine smile. After all this time, when she had spent her days locked up in the library, hoping to find some way to find Princess Celestia or go after Pepper. After her life had just turned upside-down. Finally, tonight, she had hit rock bottom.

In the darkness in which she was drowning in revelations, her friends remained her guiding light. 

Opening her eyes again, she looked back at her tiara. The star-shaped gem was shining again, or perhaps... the glow had never dulled. Only the doubt in her heart was behind that change.  Despite everything she would endure, her friends would still give her the strength to smile. Friendship was still something magic.