“She was such a pain! Imagine a mortal demanding a favor of us, of all beings, and pestering us until we gave in. Famine, give it back!”
“Oh, there was no doubt War; she was just the worst. Hey, Famine hooves off! Those are mine.”
“Touch those potatoes and I’ll kill you myself, Pestilence.”
Twilight sat in stunned silence watching as Sunset, Starlight, and Cozy Glow fought over the luxurious banquet that graced the table. As a dagger whizzed past her head, she instinctively ducked, leaving the cursed blade embedded in the wall. Cozy Glow had her ax out and apparently had deflected the blade from hitting Sunset, who had her tongue out mockingly at Starlight; in her hooves was a bowl of potatoes.
A harsh grating sound caused Twilight to turn to look at Trixie who had been sitting next to her. The mare had risen to her hooves and before so much as a word was spoken, the other three had their weapons away. Still, Trixie opened her mouth to speak. Her voice was quiet, and far less jovial than earlier.
“Give Famine her potatoes, Pestilence. War, if you draw your arms at the table again, I will break that hatchet on your skull. And you, Famine, pull knives again while eating and I will take them. And you will give War back her cake, don’t you dare bite into that. You know better. We have a guest and I will not tolerate such behavior. Am I clear, girls?”
Murmured apologies of submission came forth as Trixie calmly took her seat once more. She glanced at Twilight and spoke courteously, tinged with embarrassment.
“I do apologize, they are usually better behaved.”
Twilight, however, just giggled in response.
“Oh, I think it’s wonderful!”
Was it a trick of the candlelights, or perhaps a memory of old resurfacing? Trixie watched as Twilight’s fur slowly shifted to a creamy white, while her mane took on the shine of an aurora. Even her voice sounded different as her eyes seemed softer, warmer. Her voice had a melodic tinge to its tone. A voice from the past.
***
“Oh, I think it’s wonderful! To see them arguing and bickering, in such a way. It means you all care for each other-”
***
Trixie blinked and shook her head, dazedly. Twilight sat where Celestia had been, her fur a vibrant violet, the flowing mane stationary once more, though her eyes held the same, familiar warmth. Watching that golden flash of light shine in Twilight’s eyes, Trixie felt an overwhelming sense of Deja Vu as she asked her.
“What did you just say?”
“I said, I think it’s wonderful to see them arguing and bickering. It means you all care for each other. Otherwise, why would you bother getting annoyed at each other’s antics, if you didn’t somewhat care? I think that is really wonderful and something worth celebrating.”
Around the table, the other three had gotten that same look in their eye. Trixie blinked in silence. Do they see it, too?
Cozy Glow broke the stunned silence that followed with a laugh.
“It’s eerie, isn’t it? Like she was sitting here again, huh Pestilence?”
“There can be no doubt, War. That is definitely Celestia’s spawn.”
Twilight looked around in confusion.
“What’s so funny?”
Trixie grinned.
“Your mother sat there 900 years ago and told us the same thing. In fact, it’s because of her that we sit at this table and eat together every night.”
Twilight couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.
“Really?”
Cozy Glow poured herself some chestnut beer into a wooden flagon, remarking.
“Yep. Our dinners are to celebrate. Ah, that’s so good.”
Sunset frowned in disdain as Cozy Glow gave a loud belch. Turning to Twilight, she continued explaining; her voice gentle, pleasant, and almost humble.
“What she means is we sit down at this table once a night to embrace togetherness. Truth be told, normally we can’t stand each other. As Destroyers, we each take pride in our own abilities, but our pride can be a bit obsessive. Each of us is undeniably destructive. However, we each have tendencies to see our abilities as more, or rather, the most destructive. And so we quarrel regularly.”
Sunset paused, reaching for some barbecue carrots, allowing Starlight to continue where she left off. She sounded calm, quiet.
“That night Celestia made us look within ourselves. We had to, reluctantly mind you, admit that while we didn’t enjoy sharing the spotlight, we all played an important part in causing the apocalypse. We don’t actually require any sustenance, food, or beverage to continue our lives. We do this to remind ourselves that we need each other.”
“Are you sure it was my mom?”
Trixie nodded, before passing a plate; fully loaded with delectables of the highest quality. She gave the confused Twilight a full explanation.
“The Tyrant as your kind refers to her, had always been a huge supporter of Harmony and the ways of Peace. As she once told us-
***
“My magic is strong, perhaps the strongest in my realm, but I will only intervene, never interfere in my subjects' lives. I will gladly end a conflict, I refuse to attack the innocent. All in existence have every right to exist that is unless they interfere in another’s right to do so. I will protect them, from others, from you and...from me, at any cost.”
***
Twilight was in utter disbelief. Her mother was Peaceful? In her world, such claims were calls of treason against the populace and crown. She thought maybe she had heard wrong. She blurted out in shock.
“Wait, Mom supported...What?”
***
"That...Ooh, I am just so...so peeved! How dare she...and not even let us know...that...that...Oh!”
Applejack watched Fluttershy angrily pace back and forth. The Pegasus had been stomping about for the past 25 minutes. She stayed silent watching as the soft-spoken Pegasus vented her frustration before turning to see Rarity laying on a sofa in a sprawled state as though fainted. Her hoof lay across her forehead as she whined out loud and tears poured forth.
“Sweetie Be-el-el!”
What a drama queen. And Flutters has petered out. Maybe I should tell them, I can’t take much more of this whining and there ain’t much time left till Twilight returns. Applejack had never told the two just what exactly Celestia had shown her, back on the night they were resurrected; what it was that had been so horrific as she stared into the eyes of the Tyrant. Celestia had shown Applejack everything.
Celestia had shown her the fates of Sweetie Belle and Angel, the mutilation of Maud, and even the arrival of Twilight. She had known, for the past 8 years, Applejack had been forced to carry the heavy burden of events that could be prevented, yet she had also been given a warning; don’t interfere. The events must happen. More so, Celestia had shown her something that had eaten her alive daily: Her own sister’s demise.
She had known that night she had taken Applebloom out to spy on the cultists; those would be the last moments with her baby sister. She knew her sister would become overeager, she knew that she would go to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, that the three would try to earn their cutie marks by hunting cultists; and how only Scootaloo would remain in the aftermath.
It had haunted her for the past 7 years. There wasn’t a night that went by that she didn’t see the mangled remains of her sister, an event that she could have, but didn’t prevent. Applejack had watched Rarity fall to pieces over her sister’s disappearance that night. It had torn her up inside. And she couldn’t take it anymore. Looking at the clock on the wall, she saw it was nearly 8 AM. Twilight will be returning soon. It was now or never. Applejack swallowed hard.
“Girls, Ah...Ah got somethin’ ta tell ya.”
***
“Mom really supported Harmony and Peace?”
Starlight spoke up amidst the silence that followed.
“We are not peaceful creatures. Our very being is forged to destroy. We slay, ravage and bring worlds to utter ruin. We possess no souls; we have no dreams, no desires, or so we used to believe. Your mother awakened something in us, we didn’t know we had. You see that night she stood against us…”
***
“I have witnessed an event that is to occur and borne the creation of a new form of a ruler; one that embodies the infernal magic of my sister, blended with the sacrificial magic I’ve been blessed with. One that can instill Harmony within others.”
The leader of The Four, spoke slowly and thoughtfully.
“Infernal magic, I can understand. Your kind’s rulers are anything but kind. Tell me, though, what is sacrificial magic?”
Celestia nodded, pawing at the ground with her hoof, as if in embarrassment.
“A magic that can only be activated when there is something worth protecting or when the user sees it as worth protecting. The stronger that conviction, the more the caster can endure or the more potent the magic cast...and the more agony the caster is afflicted with in return.”
Trixie looked Celestia in the eyes.
“Are you saying that you get stronger by absorbing others' pain and making it your own?”
“Yes.”
Trixie glanced over her shoulder to see Starlight munching on a bag of chips and offering the other two some; much to their surprise.
“Want some War?”
Trixie nodded; she could feel the magical aura flowing from Celestia and it was making her feel a bit more benevolent as well.
“I see, so that’s what happened.”
Trixie played back the scene where Cozy Glow had charged in her mind. She calculated the outburst of magic from within Celestia in retaliation to War’s many strikes. Her eyes widened in realization. Celestia had been completely aware of War’s overwhelming force; which she had taken and used against her. Had she actually struck back, War would have been obliterated on the spot.
“You could have destroyed her.”
A silence fell upon all present. Behind her, the three froze as they heard their leader’s words. Celestia seemed hesitant for a moment before replying in the same even tone.
“Yes.”
Cozy Glow dropped the chips, much to Starlight’s dismay, and stormed forward.
“Hey! My chips…”
“What do you mean you could have destroyed me? How dare you, do you even know who I-”
Unbeknownst to Cozy Glow, Starlight, furious at her sacred food being mistreated, had drawn her Daggers of Starvation and charged forward. Celestia ignored Cozy’s outburst and immediately moved; placing herself between the two.
Within that instant, Starlight’s blades pierced her flesh, causing an unholy scream of pain to tear itself from her throat; moments before flames erupted from within her. The flames tore through her flesh and as Trixie watched, Celestia took a deep labored breath before narrowing her eyes determinedly.
“Calm...Down!”
Instantly, Starlight was thrown back forty feet, being caught by a surprised Sunset. Cozy Glow stared in disbelief at the selfless act. Starlight’s unholy blades still stuck out of Celestia’s torso, and the Daybreaker gave a strangled growl, as she slammed her forehoof down and gnashed her teeth; before the daggers were grabbed by the flames.
As all four watched, stunned, the daggers were slowly pulled down into Celestia’s flesh before vanishing completely. Staggering from the magic within the blades, Celestia began to sweat profusely. Moments later, and looking completely tormented, Celestia’s horn glowed a bright golden, causing the daggers to re-materialize on Starlight’s belt and a new bag of chips to appear in her hooves.
Joy filled the eyes of Starlight, as she eagerly tore open the bag and happily began eating once more; completely placated. Cozy Glow however was stunned. Did she just...try to protect me?
“Wh-why did you do that?”
Celestia’s wounds filled in with hungry, flickering flames before the flames turned to cinders, and then the burns faded to reveal her normally creamy white fur. Her labored breathing slowly returned to normal and she smiled gently.
“I don’t hold a grudge.”
Cozy’s eyes filled with a light of gratuity, as she stared at Celestia. The Tyrant spoke calmly and evenly, once more expressionless. Her words, however, carried an authority even Trixie felt.
“I will tolerate no more fighting.”
Without a word, Trixie raised her hoof, and instantly the other three were thrown down on their haunches; sitting there in surprise. She spoke just one word.
“Stay.”
Turning back to look at Celestia, Trixie smiled.
“You have my undivided attention. We are listening; tell us about this future you’ve foreseen and how you’ve come across this information.”
***
“...And that’s how my granddaughter, with your help, will bridge the chasm between the two realms.”
A roaring campfire crackled as the moon shone down overhead. The four sat and listened to Celestia as the flames hungrily licked the air. Trixie looked towards the ground, kicking at a rock and shaking her head, dazedly. After a moment of silence, she spoke slowly, as though piecing together everything she had heard.
“You really are asking a lot of us. I can see your drive to see this through, and I have no doubt you’ll eagerly stand-off against us; in an eternal stalemate if we attempt to go through you. You’ve stated that the ones who damaged the realm should be the ones to fix it, and frankly, I agree. Mortals should fix what they break. Still, we can’t just sit around and do nothing. Especially not for the 900 years, you’ve requested. Now then-
Celestia looked startled.
“But-”
Trixie slammed her hoof down causing a miasma to erupt from the ground, mimicking the form of flickering black flames. Her voice thundered across the empty landscape.
“Silence! You presented your point well, now it is my turn.”
Celestia balked at the aggressive reaction, while the three behind her shivered slightly. Taking a deep breath, Trixie paused to clear her throat, before continuing with her soft tone. The black hellfire faded away as she did so.
*Ahem* “My girls and I were created for one purpose, Daybreaker; to destroy. We have no other purpose, no other reason to exist. You claim all creatures deserve the chance to be themselves; what about us? What would you have us do, if not our sole reason for being? Would you deny us the right to be ourselves?”
With these words, a cold wind whipped across the campfire; causing it to sputter and flicker. The floundering flames mirrored the expression on Celestia’s face.
***
“...Her wide eyes and slight scuffing of the ground with her hoof revealed that she hadn’t considered that. We may be the shadows the light casts, but we are still creatures that are living and breathing. Why shouldn’t we be what we were designed to be? What made those of her world more deserving than us? Aren’t we just doing what we are meant to?”
Starlight paused her tale to refill her plate, loading up steaming carrots, boiled potatoes and pouring herself another pint of burdock cordial. Twilight watched as she happily took a quick bite, noticing off to the side Sunset was busy wiping a struggling Cozy Glow’s messy icing-covered face with a wet washcloth. The smile on Sunset’s face was glowing, and her voice was filled with tenderness.
“C’mon my little filly, show me that lovely smile.”
Growling, Cozy Glow flinched at the words ‘little filly’. Twilight however saw that even though she frowned, her eyes sparkled with happiness while looking at Sunset. The two mares were very much into their roleplay of mother/daughter, but more so, they seemed to be normal creatures enjoying their life as though actually a family.
“Famine! Hooves off the table!”
Trixie, rapped Starlight’s hoof as she ate, resulting in Starlight quickly taking her hoof off the table as she continued eating. It’s odd, I never would have guessed...but, she’s not wrong. I wouldn’t have taken them for harbingers of the apocalypse at all. They seem fairly normal. Still, if they were really soulless destroyers before, what changed from then to now?
Sighing in distress with a gentle smile, Trixie spoke directly to Twilight as she poured herself some apple juice.
“That is true, Celestia was a bit startled by my words, after all, it certainly had never occurred to her. To be honest, however, what she did next really surprised all of us and put us forever in her debt.”