The One True King

by JDPrime22


Chapter 2 – An Invitation

Chapter 2

“Monsters are tragic beings. They’re born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They’re not evil by choice. That is their tragedy.”

Ishiro Honda

Canterlot, Equestria

Present Day

Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria had the entire world before her.

The throne room of Canterlot Castle was particularly beautiful that morning, as it was a beautiful morning for all of Equestria. The rays of the sun Twilight rose that day showered within the stained glass windows, filling the room with an enchanting and welcoming yellow glow. And how welcoming it turned out to be! Ponies, griffons, dragons, and so many others kept arriving for the day’s meetings and discussions. But they weren’t alone. With delegates, messengers, ambassadors, guards, and so many other visitors of every variety meeting with her, she pondered the idea continuously—in the back of her mind—if it truly was the world that she had.

Sighing contently upon her throne and basking in the warmth of her morning sun, Twilight could hardly believe that it was only a month and a half ago that she was crowned as the sole ruler of Equestria. “Sole ruler” made it rather disingenuous, Twilight imagined. For she would have never arrived to the position she was in, she would have never gained her ultimate achievement had it not been for the ponies that had been by her side the day she arrived to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship. Without them, Twilight would have achieved nothing. She would have been nothing.

It was a few years ago the day she stepped hoof in Ponyville. Twilight smiled contently at the thought, shaking her head softly. Time went by so, so fast.

But thanks to them—thanks to Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and, of course, Spike—they helped her realize her true potential. Together, they all achieved what seemed to be an impossible reality. Together, they all ruled Equestria. Their Council of Friendship ensured that the nation and the many nations that stood with them would continue to build the bridges towards a peaceful future for all of ponykind and beyond. They had already made the first steps in recent memory.

Over time, when Twilight believed it to have begun during the Storm King’s invasion and defeat, the outreach of Equestria to the rest of the world had already been born. Friendship quests helmed by her and her friends reached more than just ponies. Different creatures and races were able to experience the magic of friendship. The School of Friendship helped expand that reach, bringing forth students from across the lands to learn what friendship was truly about, so that they could take the same lessons back home and teach it themselves. Twilight expected it to take so much longer, but even she was surprised the day they nearly lost it all…

Back when Cozy Glow, Queen Chrysalis, and Lord Tirek all returned to seek vengeance upon Equestria. Back when her own home had nearly abandoned the lessons Twilight and her friends fought so desperately to teach. Back when… Equestria was nearly doomed.

And then they came. The ponies, the creatures, the people from across the nations all uniting for one cause, for one goal: to come together in the name of friendship to defeat the forces of darkness once and for all. Leading them were the ones Twilight couldn’t have been any prouder of. For it was their own students who united every corner of every nation not for the need of glory, or recognition, or some kind of reward. But merely for friendship and the magic of it. It was that balance, that harmony, that magic that united them—even if they were different species—to grow and become something new. To build something together. A bond. A relationship. A new idea…

A new world.

It was that new world that came together to wipe clean the forces of evil that threatened their peace and way of life. And it was that new world that stood triumphant in the end, ensuring that what they now had, what they held in their conjoined hooves, claws, talons, paws, and so forth was worth keeping together. To that day, to that very second Twilight sat on her throne breathing and living and smiling away, she knew that they had done it. They had created that world and continued to sustain it, holding strong the ideals of unity, togetherness, and friendship most of all.

And there was Princess Twilight Sparkle in the heart of it all. The uniter, the newly-crowned ruler of Equestria taking her throne and keeping that bond she, her friends, and so many others helped build. It was the most she could do, ensuring not only to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but also to what was now her people. Her little ponies. She made a promise to them all, vowing to never abandon the truths that made them who they were. With the Council of Friendship, with the now united world, all followed and turned to her in hopes that the promise she made would stand the test of time. As the rule of the Royal Sisters had. As Princess Celestia had.

Gazing to the sunlight, Twilight Sparkle slowly lost her smile. She just couldn’t shake off the feeling of… emptiness. Not that she wasn’t satisfied, but that it just felt like something was missing.

Twilight wasn’t complaining about her position, not by a long shot. She gratefully accepted it, and with a lot of training from Celestia and Luna, they ensured that Twilight Sparkle would undoubtedly become the princess Equestria needed and deserved. It wasn’t a stressful ordeal—even if it tried to be at times—because she had Spike and the rest of her friends to help her through any obstacle Twilight struggled to pass. But if she was to be honest about her feelings, sometimes… Twilight just missed what she used to be.

Living first as a librarian. Ruling as the Princess of Friendship in Ponyville, in her very own castle made just for her. It was much more convenient, not only for her friends, but for Twilight. Because back then, sometimes it was just the simplest things that made her feel more at home. Knowing her friends were just down the street or even a few doors away made a world of a difference. Even the occasional friendship mission that the Cutie Map sent them on gave Twilight that love and thrill she desired of her old life. Going on adventures with her friends, seeing them day in and day out, not knowing what tomorrow held but anticipating every single second… perhaps that was what Twilight missed the most.

She still saw her friends. Every moon, as they promised. And Spike was always still with her. Equus was at peace with no signs of danger or threats imaginable. The planet was truly united for the first time in its long, long history. All united under the banner of friendship, under the ideals she helped bring. Though Twilight had the entire world, all she really wanted—what she would give—was another day back in her old life.

That thrill.

That unknown journey.

That one last adventure with her friends…

And lo and behold, that adventure came knocking on her doors faster than she anticipated.

Technically, it came busting through her doors, in the image of a gagging, choking young dragon. A pair of Royal Guards were quick to act, at first jamming their spears in the direction of the unwarranted interruption and then quickly turning them away when it was only Spike who had entered the throne room. Despite that, they rushed to his aid when they noticed he still hadn’t coughed up the scroll he was obviously trying to reveal from his magic, belching flame.

By the time Twilight flew from her throne and reached him, one of the guards slapped his armor-plated hoof onto the dragon’s back, that simple strike just being enough for the burp to escape and the green flame to unveil the scroll. The Alicorn caught the message within her aura of magic, giving it a quick once over before turning to her best friend.

“Spike, are you okay?” Twilight asked, worry coating her voice.

“Jeez… could’ve sworn the molting process ended after the wings. That, or I’m getting sick,” Spike coughed, punching his chest and managing a few more spits of lingering flames out of his windpipe. He suddenly noticed his empty claws, spotting the scroll already unfurling in Twilight’s magic. “Oh, yeah, uh… message for you, Twilight!”

Despite still holding some minor worries over Spike’s condition, Twilight sent a quick and relieved smile his way while slowly opening the scroll. She cleared her own throat and began reading the letter silently to herself. The guards stood at attention, straightening their postures while Spike forced another fiery burp out, that flame holding no scroll. Then, to their intrigue, they studied Twilight’s facial features and watched as they shifted. The first turning into mild confusion, then into deep dissection, and finally into a subtle state of disturbance. Twilight lowered the letter from her face.

“What does it say, Your Majesty?” her guard asked.

“Whoever it is, they sure have a lot to say,” Spike mumbled, rubbing his throat gingerly.

Twilight turned from her guards, to Spike, back to the letter, and slowly dropping it once more. That time, she rolled it up and held it close to her side, under her wing, which allowed her to bring her full and undivided attention onto the three of them. With her brow furrowed, expression tightened and holding that mixture of confusion and disturbance, Twilight opened her mouth and tried to speak.

She tried to formulate the words she read. Yet she didn’t know why it was so hard.

Instead, she gave them the abridged version to the best of her ability, saying, “It’s from Princess Celestia. She wants my friends and I to meet with them in Silver Shoals immediately…”

Twilight paused, staring solely at Spike when she finished.

“… as a means that must be discussed in private.”


Ponyville, Equestria

Home of Lyra and Bon Bon

“Bon Bon! Mail’s in!”

Lowering the latest Daring Do book, “Daring Do and the Dragon’s Tomb”, from her hooves, Bon Bon slowly lifted her weary but satisfied eyes when her loving wife Lyra Heartstrings sauntered her way into the kitchen. In the unicorn’s magical gold aura, she held what was depressingly more junk mail by the looks of it. Maybe a scroll, but Bon Bon didn’t pay the mail much attention. Her eyes settled on Lyra, a sweet smile sent the mare’s way.

It was an average, tender morning in Ponyville. The sun was shining into their humble abode, the birds were chirping on the windowsill, and the rest of the town was awakening for what was undoubtedly another fantastic day. So, to Bon Bon, it was an average morning. Not like that was a bad thing by any means. The simple, average, and peaceful mornings were what she looked forward to the most every single day, knowing not what the day held but at least being grateful she got to spend it in peace with the pony she loved.

“Thanks, Lyra,” Bon Bon said, yawning mere seconds later. Lyra settled the mail on the kitchen table, watching as Bon Bon stretched out her forelegs. “Was feeling kinda groggy this morning… so the mail seemed a little too hard this time around.”

Lyra smirked. “Well, it’s a good thing you can choose what you’re tired with. You haven’t put down that new Daring Do book since we picked it up last week!”

Popping her eyes wide at that, Bon Bon noted that the book in question was raised above her head, joining her stretching hooves. She quickly placed it flat on the table, but it was to no avail. Lyra was still smirking like a maniac. She even had the audacity to say, “But yeah, you’re right. Getting the mail in the morning can be really hard.”

Bon Bon playfully shoved her away. “Shut up,” she laughed.

“So, what’s the news! Anything for me in that bundle?”

Bon Bon raised an amused brow to Lyra’s excitement, reaching for the pile of mail and sifting through it. The tip of her hoof slid away each piece of advertisement, coupons they didn’t need, and other letters that were just another scam for the both of them. By the time they reached the end of the pile, there was just the large scroll left.

“Annnnd… nope! Just junk mail and this scroll with my name on it,” Bon Bon noted, lifting up the tightened letter and analyzing it between her hooves. Lyra smushed her face against Bon Bon’s cheek, narrowing her own eyes and getting a much closer look. Suddenly, both of their eyes suddenly widened, each mare frozen in place momentarily.

“Is that… what I think it is?” Lyra quietly asked.

Bon Bon slowly turned the scroll, showcasing a bright red stamp in the center of the rolled-up paper. “A royal stamp…” Lyra stated, gripping the scroll with her own hoof much to Bon Bon’s dismay. “Holding the insignias of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!”

“Technically, they’re not princesses anymore,” Bon Bon corrected, smirking as she broke the seal and unfurled the scroll with the tips of her hooves.

Lyra just shrugged as she backed away and moved on towards the kitchen, muttering, “Eh, it’s too hard to call them anything else at this point.”

Bon Bon laughed. “And you say I’m lazy…”

Her voice drifted away as she began to read, but that didn’t stop Lyra from babbling on. She was already pouring in the pancake mix onto the pan with her magic, multitasking while gabbing about the possibilities. When it came to the princesses, almost anything was possible! When have they ever been noticed by either Celestia or Luna? Heck, it was not everyday you received a letter from them! It was so much that Lyra just couldn’t stop talking.

“But, I mean, come on! You’re getting a letter from the former rulers of Equestria! Oh, this is big! I gotta get the camera! Wait, I need to turn off the stove! Okay, now I need to get the camera! This is definitely going in the scrapbook! Hang on, I’ll be right back!”

Normally, Lyra’s antics would have gotten a laugh out of Bon Bon, at least a smile. Only, there was nothing gracing the Earth pony’s features. Bon Bon was frozen after having finished reading the letter, all expressive emotion seemingly doused from her face. It was definitely Celestia who wrote it—Bon Bon could point out her hoofwriting out of anypony else’s. The words were not comforting in the slightest, the former princess asking for Bon Bon’s presence in Silver Shoals as soon as possible for a private discussion. She didn’t specify exactly what it was in the letter, possibly as a means of security. However, it was what came at the end of the letter that assured Bon Bon of the seriousness in the summons. It was what caused her to lose her breath, nearly stop her heart, and curl her blood until all had simply leaked out from her face.

In Celestia’s own writing, just before the Alicorn’s signature, she addressed Bon Bon personally as her “most trusted special agent”. She didn’t reveal her true name in the letter, probably out of respect for Bon Bon’s privacy and safety. But still, addressing Bon Bon as a special agent was still pretty risky in public mail transportation. What if their mail had been lost or stolen? What if Lyra misread the scroll and took it for herself? What if Lyra’s curiosity got the better of her again?

How would she have reacted? What more could she possibly find out about Bon Bon’s secret double life?

Too much.

Lyra stormed into the kitchen at the worst possible time, holding in her aura an empty camera. “All right, bad news is that I’m out of film! But I can run to the market real quick and—!” she declared, stopping abruptly only after noticing the distant and chilling look on her wife’s expression.

It instantly doused the flame inside of her, darkening Lyra’s mood and filling her with all she could bear to hold at the moment: concern. “Bon Bon… is everything okay?” she asked, placing the camera on the table and approaching her.

The Earth pony was slow to react, seemingly broken out of a dark trance when her eyes were peeled away from the scroll. Quickly rolling it up, Bon Bon slid it under her Daring Do book and hopped off her chair, stepped hoof onto the kitchen tiling, and reached Lyra before she could even get close to the scroll. The unicorn noted the action, her concern transforming into confusion and into mild irritation from the look Bon Bon gave her. Like she was trying to hide something.

“Hey, um… Lyra,” Bon Bon began, even her voice failing to hide it. “Look… something just came up and I need to… uh… head on over to Silver Shoals to meet with Celestia and Luna.”

Despite her prior assumptions, the idea of traveling to Silver Shoals instantly brightened Lyra’s attitude once again. She smiled, already trotting off into the living room while calling back, “Awesome! I’ll get our bags packed right away and—!”

“Um…”

And just like that, Lyra stopped dead in the living room. She spun around, brow furrowing when she noticed Bon Bon already standing at the entryway, already meeting her to give her the bad news personally. Lyra was quick to figure it out on her own, reading her wife’s expression and spelling it out for herself.

“Oh…” Lyra mumbled, voice losing all sense of life. “They just wanted to meet with you.”

Bon Bon’s ears flattened against her skull.

“Special agent stuff?”

She instantly perked up, taking a step forward and saying, “Lyra—”

“Bon Bon, I’m not stupid,” Lyra scoffed, turning fully to meet her face to face. She approached the Earth pony, holding a sad smile through every syllable. “Ever since you told me about your secret identity, I kinda always knew that one day Celestia might need you again to capture some other Bugbear or whatever monster was roaming Equestria. I mean… yeah, why else are we gonna get a letter from the princesses?”

Tilting her head, Bon Bon curiously asked, “So… you’re okay with this?”

To her mild surprise, Bon Bon watched Lyra shake her head. “Not really, no,” she told her. “I’d love to go with you, but…”

“It’s a matter of national security. I can’t let you be put at risk.”

Lyra almost anticipated that answer, but it still stung nonetheless. The unicorn dropped her head, eyes falling to the carpet as she sighed. “Yeah…”

Bon Bon’s expression shifted from weakened to broken, just hearing the strength leave Lyra’s breath being that devastating punch into her heart. Heck, they practically did everything together, so it definitely hurt Bon Bon too when she knew Lyra couldn’t come. The threat of a Bugbear was one thing, but the fact that it was Celestia who contacted her, the pony who scrapped the whole agency and hid everything from the public domain only to now bring Bon Bon back into the field was another threat entirely. It was something big. Too big.

Far too big for her to get Lyra involved in and possibly hurt, or worse…

She tried to convince her of that, placing her hoof gently on Lyra’s chin and bringing her eyes back onto her. “Listen, Lyra, this is the first time Celestia’s contacted me about something that involves the monster-hunting agency since I moved to Ponyville five years ago. It has to be something big… something dangerous. I just want you to be safe.”

It wasn’t fair. Nothing ever truly was. But Bon Bon was right. If the monster-hunting business required Bon Bon to come out of retirement, and if Celestia herself needed her to do it, then Lyra wouldn’t be a roadblock for the both of them. She nodded, earning a relived sigh from Bon Bon. For both of their sake, Lyra understood.

“Okay,” she whispered, backing off and meeting her wife dead in the eyes. “Okay. But if there’s anything too much for you to handle, if there’s anything you can’t do on your own, then you come back for me… and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you kick that monster's butt.”

Both mares doubted that statement held any weight for either’s predicaments, but she said it anyway. She said it as a means to hold a promise strong with Bon Bon, to show her that she would be with her, for her, through every storm and war that dared to threaten their home. Bon Bon just chuckled, smiled, and accepted it nonetheless, moments before allowing Lyra to crash into her with a spine-cracking hug. She returned the embrace Lyra gave her, amplified it tenfold.

“Be safe out there,” Lyra said.

Bon Bon nodded, enjoying the feeling of Lyra’s breath on her neck. Even if it was just one last time. “I’ll try.”

Soon, they broke apart, Lyra already backpedaling back into their bedroom and nodding Bon Bon along. “Come on then, I’ll help you get packed,” the unicorn called, disappearing into the hallway.

Bon Bon was a little more hesitant that time. She turned her gaze back to the kitchen, not even being able to enjoy breakfast with her best friend. Not being able to enjoy the tender morning or the peace that came with it any longer. Knowing now, without a doubt, what the events of her day would entail: Nothing good.

She whispered that last shred of assurance to herself again and again.

“… I’ll try.”