This is Home.

by Lucy_Marigold

Chapter 13 - Picking Up The Pieces.

“You gotta really flap 'em hard. They’re a bit different from your normal wings though.” A disguised Rainbow Dash shouted from above, watching her friend below trying to fly while in disguise. 

It had been almost a week since the hassle that was the second changeling invasion. If you could call it an invasion at all. The changelings, the Enigma changelings, had taken up residence in the castle, much to the elite of Canterlot’s disapproval. Twilight still hadn’t been officially announced to the rest of Equestria as a changeling queen but rumours of another changeling queen that wasn’t Chrysalis had already taken root in the staff and among the residents of Canterlot. Only they just didn’t know it was Twilight yet which was somewhat a relief to the adjusting mare.

Twilight tried again to go up but struggled, shakily hovering in the sky. “Whoa!” She shouted, tilting a little to the side and almost crashing into Dash.

“Uh, maybe not quite that hard.”

“This is frustrating!” She shouted, flapping her wings again before landing on the ground.

“Lookin' good up there, Queen Twilight.” Was the first thing Applejack said when Twilight saw her.

“Applejack, you know you don't have to call me that, seriously.”

“Why do you protest so? You've already given up wearing your crown all the time. The least you can do is embrace your new title.” Rarity commented, trotting over with the rest of her friends.

“If other ponies or changelings want to address me that way, I suppose it's fine, but... not my friends. It just doesn't feel right.” She let loose a sigh, ruffling her wings a little. She still wasn’t used to them. “And neither does all this flying business. The Summer Sun Celebration is only two days away, and I'm never gonna be ready to perform my part.”

“Not if you spend all your time down here, you won't! Now get up there and show everypony the big finish!”

“Alright, alright.” She tried to take flight again, a moment of peace as she steadied herself. “Woo-hoo! I did it! I did-Whaaaa! Oof! Oof!” The wind working against her as she plummeted back down, letting loose a scream. She crashed headfirst into a bush before tumbling out and landing awkwardly. 

“Wow! That was a big finish!” Pinkie bounced over, helping Twilight back up.

She let loose a grumble, transforming as the leaves burned away in the magic before resuming her disguise once more.

Twilight Sparkle trotted around her bedroom, thinking as Spike spoke in the background. Her friends had gone back to Ponyville. Even Rainbow Dash and Applejack were heading back to Ponyville. 

“Check, check, check, check, and... check! Huh, whaddaya know? We're way ahead of schedule! I credit your extremely competent assistant.”

“So do I,” Twilight mumbled. She dropped her disguise, running a holed hoof along her face as she let out a sigh.

“The Celebration isn't until the day after tomorrow. We could still fit in a quick trip to Ponyville and be back in plenty of time to finish off these last few things before the main event!” Spike suggested.

Twilight turned to look at Spike. “That would be nice, Spike, but what if something else came up while we were gone? What if we were delayed getting back and I wasn't able to finish everything on that list?” Her nerves had suddenly grown as she began to pace around the room. 

“What if we lost the list on the way to Ponyville and then couldn't remember which things we'd done and which things we hadn't done, and then spent so much time trying to figure out what we hadn't done and what we had done, and we ruined the entire Celebration by not doing the one really important thing that we were supposed to do?!

Her wings began to buzz a little as she paced and paced.

“Uh... so that's a 'no' then?”

“These are the first royal duties Princess Celestia has given me. I can't risk letting her down!”

“And I'm sure you won't.” A voice in the doorway said as the door itself was shut. Startled by the sudden presence of another, a disguise found its way onto Twilight. 

“Ah!” Twilight instantly bowed down, brushing her bangs out of her face.

“Your highness!” Spike yelped.

“No need for that now, Queen Twilight.” Celestia stepped forward, smiling. She was always smiling. Twilight jerked up, awkwardly shuffling on her hooves.

“Sorry. I’m guessing they told you about that, huh?” She sheepishly chuckled.

The regent of the sun let loose a small laugh. “No need to apologize.”

“Sorry!” Twilight found herself saying.

“I must admit that it is wonderful to actually be looking forward to the Summer Sun Celebration.” The alabaster alicorn said, trotting over to the window before glancing outside.

“What do you mean?”

“For my subjects, it has always been a celebration of my defeat of Nightmare Moon. But for me... “ She let out a sigh. “It was just a terrible reminder that I'd had to banish my own sister.”

“I guess I never really thought about it that way.”

“But now it has become a wonderful reminder of her transformation back into Princess Luna, and our happy reunion. I am so pleased that you will be playing a role in the festivities. I know it must have been difficult to see your friends return to Ponyville without you." She was smiling again, resting a wing across Twilight’s shoulder.

“Maybe a little. I just so used to having them around for all this. Especially Applejack and Rainbow Dash.” Twilight Sparkle mumbled.

“I know. You may no longer be my student, Twilight, but I hope you know that I will always be here if you need me. Just as I hope that you will always be there when I need you.”

“Do you ever miss her? My mother?” She glanced upwards at Celestia, biting her lip a little.

“Every day. Just as with Luna’s banishment, I regret that I couldn’t help her sooner. But unlike Luna, I cannot help her anymore. I can only remember who she once was. Odonata was brutal at times, yes, but she was a kinder soul than I could ever be. She was one of my greatest friends.” Celestia muttered. “I think I’ll leave you to your evening.” 

With that, the solar princess left the room.

It was dark. A void of nothingness that stretched out endlessly. There was no light and no noise. There was nothing. The inky blackness was what Twilight opened her eyes to. Taking in a gasp of air, Twilight found nothing but liquid as it swallowed her from the inside out. She tried to scream, to scramble, to escape but it was futile. 

The abyss had swallowed her up, tossing her out on the other side as if she was nothing more than a ragdoll. She lay there for a moment, eyes closed as she breathed in laboured breaths. It was cold. Utterly cold. 

She opened her eyes to see light. Black and shiny walls that gave off a subtle lavender shine. Plants were easing their way inside through the holes in the ceiling. There was rubble, broken glass and even skeletal remains. It was musty and there was dust everywhere. 

She heaved up some of the shadow liquid as it spilled out of her mouth, splattering onto the shattered tiled floor below her. 

And then she saw it. 

An ornate balcony that sat on shiny black columns with dead plant life weaving in between them. Moonlight shone down upon it, glowing with ethereal light. Shakily, Twilight stood up. Glancing back up at the ceiling, she saw the moon through the shattered stained-glass. Trotting carefully, Twilight headed up the corrode steps. Her hoof trailed along the railing as silence, her own steps and the occasional drip of water filled her ears. 

“Mommy! Higher! Higher!” The voice echoed around her, childish laughter causing her to halt in her tracks. She had reached the top of the balcony. There were two doorways, one more ornate than the other. The large one was blocked by boulders and rubble, some of it spilling outwards.

She trotted towards the smaller one, shifting back the dead vines to see a small bedroom. A small bed sat in the centre of the room, layers of dust coating the ratty old sheets. On the right side of the room sat a dresser and a bookshelf, the left side had a spotted mirror and a dead potted plant. What caught Twilight’s attention where the faded drawings that were etched into the walls. 

She trotted towards one, placing a hoof against the childish drawing of a large purplish changeling with long flowing hair and a smaller one with bangs.

Realization hit her like crashing into Rainbow Dash at high speed.

“Oh, Celestia. This is… “ She breathed out, disturbing the two decades of dust.

“Mommy. I drew us!” A childish voice said, echoing around her like a ghost.

“Oh, Twilight. That’s wonderful.”

Memories began to flood back to her. Countless memories of her first few years of life. 

And then she heard it. The screams and shouts. 

Twilight bolted from the room, skidding to a halt in front of the blocked off room. Examining the surroundings, Twilight with unknown desperation tugged at one of the loose rocks until it all tumbled away. When the dust cleared, another room was presented to her. 

It was another bedroom. It looked equally undisturbed, dust and cobwebs filled the room. In the centre of the room was a crown covered in dust, a brownish stain on the floor.

Twilight felt tears welling in the corner of her eyes, falling to the ground. “Mother…?”

“Don’t worry Twilight. I won’t ever let anything happen to you. Ever.” Odonata’s voice echoed in her ears as Twilight stared forward.

“Mommy? What’s going on?”

“Just go to sleep, sweetheart. May Luna give you good dreams. I’ll always love you, you know that right?”

“Uh huh. I love you too.”

Sitting there on the ground, staring at the remains of a mother she barely got the chance to know, Twilight wept. 

“Princess Luna! We need your help!” A changeling shouted, entering the throne room where Luna was currently presiding over the Lunar Court. The two nobles mid-quarrel paused, turning to see the group of changelings following swiftly behind the first. “Our Queen has gone missing! And we cannot find Princess Celestia!”

“WHAT?!”