Princess Celestia knows the way to her sister’s room by heart. At the same time, her mind wanders, brooding over the knowledge that she may just have lost the two ponies closest to her. She wants to feel scared, to feel her heart beating faster. At least then she would feel alive, but instead she feels dead inside, devoid of any sensation but despair. She feels as though her future is looming ahead of her like a dark abyss, but rather than recoil in fear, she is walking forward with mournful steps into the darkness. Where that road will lead her she does not know, but she struggles to care.
Celestia had encountered a few unchangeable forces in her lifetime, but this does not feel like one of them. If only she knew what spell is affecting her sister, she could stop it. The answer is almost within her grasp, only to be snatched away by betrayal. If this is fate, it is very cruel indeed, to lose not only her sister, but her most promising student, her rising star, at the same time. She had waited so long. Lifetimes, by the reckoning of mortal ponies, for her sister to return. How could she lose her now? It was one of two questions which tortured her mind.
Celestia lethargically rounds a corner into Luna's wing of the Palace. Why had Twilight turned so suddenly? Celestia gathers that Twilight had discovered her secret. She found out about Luna's memories. But she had always been such an understanding and loyal student, surely she could see that Nightmare Moon had to be stopped, by whatever means necessary. It was for the safety of Equestria, after all. The Elements of Harmony held a great power, but without direction they could be dangerous. With a little additional guidance, that power could be channeled. I saved Luna, Celestia reminds herself. She couldn’t let herself forget that fact. Twilight would claim otherwise, she knows, but she had to maintain confidence in her cause.
First of all, Twilight had to be brought back. She wouldn’t let Twilight die out of spite… she was not evil, after all. Her student, now almost certainly former student, would have her own life to live. Celestia reflects on one of the lessons she should have learned: that she should let mortals be mortals. She should not be so deeply involved with them in the first place. They would live, and die, and she would remain, like the mountains, until her time here came to an end. It is a logical thought, but the visualization of those indefinite years, stretching out before her, alone and unloved, makes her feel icy cold inside.
Where would Twilight go? Celestia wonders idly, as a distraction from bleaker thoughts. Probably back to Ponyville. Ironic that it was I who sent her there. Would she stay? That was a good question. On the one hoof, she will probably avoid Canterlot, but on the other, Ponyville is the home of her friends…her friends… Celestia thought. Her mind swings into action, brought back into action by the seed of a plan developing in her head. She isn't sure why it took her so long to approach the problem from this angle. Perhaps because I don't have friends like she does. I have to rule, and I would soon outlive my friends anyway. Still, friendship is a powerful bond: There had been ample proof of that over the past year or two. If I could somehow get Twilight’s friends to help me, she thought, I might have a chance to swing her back to my side, at least long enough to save Luna.
Behind her, the sound of staccato hoof falls on the tile floor suggests to Celestia that Twilight's friends are following her. She had not thought much about their presence before, but she now realizes that they are essential to her one remaining chance to save her sister.
If Twilight's friends see her acting strangely, especially against me, her mentor, I might be able to convince them that Twilight is unwell, perhaps temporarily insane, and needs their help to return to reason. That would put Twilight's friends on my side, and force her to make a choice between losing them and fighting me. Celestia thought about it for a few moments. Surely Twilight would choose her friends over a futile cause won't she? Yes, surely she must, Celestia concludes.
The thought of manipulating Twilight's friends remains distasteful to Celestia, but compared with the alternative of her sister's life, the choice is clear. By the time she reaches her sister's room, she has made her decision.
The entrance to Luna’s chamber is via a large wooden door, painted pastel blue. Two Royal Guard ponies flank it. They salute as Celestia approaches, exchanging a quick nervous glance at each other. The atmosphere in the palace had grown more intense every day. Ponies are demanding answers, but Celestia doesn’t have any, or at least none that she is willing to give to them. Even the long-suffering Royal Guards have felt the effect, but they wouldn’t readily give in to it.
“Sergeant White Mane, open the door please.” She commands the nearest pony. He nods, and swings the door open for her without a sound.
Her most trusted Guard, Captain Bramble Briar, kept watch over Twilight, who had been moved onto a rug and had some pillows arranged around her for support, and Princess Luna, unmoving in the grand bed. Briar is a stout, serious-faced pony, with more than a few grey hairs in his mane. He is already standing at attention when she walks in. Over the years, Celestia had known many Guards, and in time she learned the characteristics that made for the most loyal and trustworthy ponies in all of Equestria. She had picked the best to guard what mattered most to her.
“Captain, I will take over from here.” She tells him.
He makes his way out without a word, which leaves Celestia with one more task before Twilight’s friends catch up with her.
“White Mane,” She whispers to one of the guards at the door. He turns his helmeted head, raising an eyebrow. “I need you to keep this door closed. Don’t open it for anypony until I open it myself. If Twilight’s friends ask, tell them I cannot be disturbed while casting the reawakening spell.” He looks like he wants to ask a question, but he nods anyway. “Oh, one more thing,” Celestia adds. “You might hear yelling and shouting. Do not worry about it. Just keep the door closed until I come out. Understood?” He nods again, somewhat uneasily. Celestia turns to Twilight, just catching White Mane shooting a fleeting look at the other guard, who shrugs. Once she steps inside, they close the door behind her with a dull thud.
Celestia approaches her sister Luna. She is tucked under the covers, as if she is simply napping and would soon awake. There is no frown on her lips, nor a crease on her brow. She looks perfectly at peace. Yet It is only a deception. Her breathing is shallow, feeble and almost imperceptible. Celestia sighs, but she knows she can’t linger by her sister’s side. She needs to deal with Twilight first. To that end, she takes a moment to compose herself. Deep breath in, exhale, repeat. Her mind needs to be clear.
Twilight lays motionless on the cushions. Celestia focuses her thoughts on casting the spell, and a moment later, soundlessly releases her magic as simply as she might lift a cup of tea to her lips. Her excuse to the guard is nothing but a cover. The spell is in fact quite simple to cast. At first there is no observable change. Then Twilight’s breathing grows deeper as her mind regains control of her body. Her eyelids lift ever so slightly. She squints at the light, and recognizes Celestia standing over her.
Twilight's legs flail, kicking at the floor and flinging away the cushions that had surrounded her. Her hooves scrape across the floor, raising an ugly sound. Celestia takes a step back, maintaining an unperturbed expression. Twilight tries to get her legs under her and stands to face Celestia, but her legs don’t obey her, and she ends up on her knees instead.
“You!” Twilight sputters, her hoarse voice croaking out the word. Celestia says nothing. She knows Twilight’s attitude is to be expected, and she steels herself against forthcoming accusations and denunciations.
“I’m surprised you even deigned to bring me back, dear Princess.” Twilight announces in a harsh tone. Her words sting Celestia, who notices Twilight no longer calls her Princess or even Celestia, instead insisting on a blunt, insultingly informal "you".
Celestia decides to try a direct approach first, and takes a conciliatory tone. “Of course I did, Twilight. I care for you. I am deeply sorry for my sister, but I will not lose you pointlessly. You must know that I would never hurt you. You are my student, and my dearest friend.”
“Says the one with blood on her hooves!” Twilight bites back in a raised voice, levering herself onto her hooves, her head in a low, tense posture.
Celestia lifts a foreleg and examines her hoof. “What blood? I have not hurt anypony.”
Twilight snorts dismissively. “Fine, use whatever excuse you will. I know the truth. Your sister is not this imposter you’re created.” She thrusts a hoof towards the bed to emphasize her point.
“What was I supposed to do?” Celestia thinks twice about her words. “No, never mind that. Just listen. Please Twilight, I need your help. There is still time to save Luna’s life!”
“I won’t go back. You won’t get anything more from me.” Twilight rejoins.
Celestia realizes this track is pointless. Twilight isn’t listening to her. She suspects something is amiss with Twilight. She senses a perceptible change in her character as though the two of them were acquaintances who meet after a long time apart, and upon seeing each other, realize they have grown estranged. Even the way she speaks had changed. Anger might explain some of it, but Celestia feels there is something deeper affecting Twilight. She begins to realize that sending Twilight into Luna’s mind had wrought more changes than she had bargained for. She had understood that risk, but had thought it worthwhile to save her sister. Yet now, she finds herself regretting that decision.
Nonetheless, there is no turning back the hourglass, she must salvage what she can. Her sister’s life depends on it. That leaves her with an unpleasant alternative. She had to provoke Twilight, and force her to reveal her anger in front of her friends. Only then would they understand how deeply Twilight had been affected.
Celestia heaves a sigh. “Twilight, let me be honest with you." She pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts, then looks Twilight dead in the eyes. "No matter how much you protest, no matter what names you want to call me, it does not matter. You see, my dear, you have no proof of what you say, and no one will believe your word over mine. I am Princess Celestia. You are a pony, a talented one, I will grant, but still just a pony. So go ahead, tell your tale and what you think you have seen. Tell your friends, tell them of your misguided feelings for a merciless tyrant. No one will listen, and no one will care. See how long it takes before your friends desert you.” She has to rein herself in, belatedly realizing how much malice she let slip into those words. Celestia’s words hurt her to say so blithely, so gloatingly. She feels uncomfortable, as she always did when she took on the mantle of the enforcer, the voice of unpleasant reason. She had felt the same when she warned her sister Luna not to get involved with that foolish pony Orion. Time hadn’t changed that aspect of her personality. Perhaps, though, it had made her wiser in the way she approaches her problems. Twilight wouldn’t listen to her directly, but there are more methods than reason alone to influence a young pony.
Twilight listens, but Celestia doubts she hears. “I’ll find a way.” she promises, hooves bracing against the ground like she’s weathering a storm.
“How? Do you have any ideas in mind?” Celestia insists, pressing for an answer. “Go on, tell me.”
“My friends will stand with me!” Twilight says through gritted teeth.
Celestia admits that Twilight possesses determination and grit. Familiar qualities of the Twilight she knows. Deep down she is pleased to see her student’s stubbornness shining through. That trait is exactly what she hopes to see. She needs Twilight to be vocal, to be stubborn, and to fight. Now she simply needs to steer the conversation in the right direction.
Celestia holds her head high. Along with her natural height advantage, she towers over Twilight. “Will they?” She asks.
“Yes!”
“Then go on. Your friends are not far away.” Celestia nods towards the door. “I will not stop you.”
Twilight eyes Celestia warily, searching her face for a sign. But Celestia had ruled long enough to perfect a calm and serene expression when she wished to present that face to the public. She keeps that impeccable stony façade, which only seems to infuriate Twilight.
Twilight heaves an angry sigh and turns for the door, walking with a determined effort. Celestia lets out a shallow breath, and prepares herself for the next part of her plan.
For Celestia it is a trivial matter to reach out with her magic. She aims in Twilight’s direction, but not at her. In a moment the broad door creaks to life, flinging itself outwards in a wide arc and squeaking to a halt just short of the Guard pony flanking the doorway.
In front of Twilight stand her five closest friends. Celestia notes that they are concerned, their expressions demonstrate that much. All of them are gathered to the left of the door, where Sergeant White Mane is stationed. Poor pony, Celestia thinks, he had withstood their pleas and questions asking why they couldn’t see their friend. It must have been difficult to tell them “no” when they heard raised voices arguing through the door.
When they see Twilight, it takes a moment to register, then everyone speaks at once. Applejack speaks loudest. Celestia hears her voice rise above the clamor.
“Twilight!” Applejack crosses the distance to Twilight in a few strides, as everyone else gradually settles down and starts to gather around their friend. “Are you okay? Still in one piece ah hope!” She chuckles after her last words, but it rings hollow and tinny, lacking its typical heartiness.
Twilight takes a step backwards as a circle forms around her. She looks momentarily stunned. She turns her head this way and that, trying to meet the barrage of questions, as though she is facing a pack of circling wolves. after a second she regains control and focuses on Applejack.
“Uhm, I’m fine Applejack. Really, girls, I’m fine.”
Celestia clears her throat. “I am afraid that is not quite true, my dear ponies.” She delivers the news in a slightly sad tone, but intentionally uses her regal incantation and form of address. Her voice commands respect. The other ponies’ eyes shift from Twilight to Celestia, then dart furtively back to Twilight. True, they couldn’t see anything amiss from the outside, but perhaps they notice as Celestia does, how Twilight’s body language screams tension and stress. Twilight herself turns to face Celestia. Anger burns in her eyes, but she holds her tongue for the moment.
“Our dear Twilight is very confused right now.” Celestia continues. “I am afraid something must have gone wrong when I sent her into Luna’s mind.”
“Nothing went wrong but your plan…” Twilight mutters under her breath. Celestia ignores her.
“She has come to believe that I hurt our dear Luna, by some machination, many years ago. Nothing could be further from the truth, I assure you all.”
Twilight’s temper flares. Growling like a feral dog, she grits her teeth until she could take it no more. “Liar!” she shouts at Celestia. “You’re lying through your teeth and you know it!”
Her friends peer at her, wide eyed, staring at what they had thought impossible. Twilight accusing the Princess of lying, acting like a crazed beast. Fluttershy steps back, ducking her head and flattening her ears like she refused to hear the words being said.
“Twilight! What do yah mean?” Rainbow Dash steps towards Twilight, demanding an answer.
“How can you talk to the Princess like that!” Rarity cries out, blushing as though just hearing Twilight’s words embarrasses her.
“I’m just angry that our Princess,” Twilight mocks, “Is a fraud. She ought to be ashamed.”
“It saddens me so, to hear you say that, my dear Twilight. I do not know what she claims to have seen,” Celestia lies, “but it is plain to see that she is not herself.”
“We trust you Twilight, we really do, but ah just can’t believe it without seeing some proof.” Applejack adds.
“Well, not with me, but… Look, I know what I saw in Luna’s mind. I’m telling you, I’m not going to save Luna because it doesn’t matter. She isn’t the real Luna!” Twilight facehoofs out of frustration. Explaining the situation without hard evidence is like trying to convince a lamb that its mother is wolf.
“Luna is Luna, silly! Of course she’s real.” Pinkie Pie tells her. Twilight starts to protest. “Princess Celestia, isn’t there anything we can do?” Pinkie Pie pleads, asking Celestia, not Twilight.
Twilight jumps in before Celestia can answer. “Pinkie Pie! It’s me!”
Pinkie Pie gives her a poignant glance. “No, something’s wrong Twilight. Princess Celestia is right, you’re different, like, well, I don’t know how, but you are.” Pinkie Pie tells her.
“Come on! You’re my friends! Don’t you believe me! Celestia is lying!”
Rainbow Dash puts her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Look, we just want to help.”
Twilight sidesteps and shakes off Rainbow’s hoof. She glares at Rainbow Dash for her betrayal.
Celestia speaks up in the lull. “The best we can do for our dear Twilight right now is to give her time to rest.”
“Fine,” Twilight retorts, “I’ll go back to Ponyville.”
“But Twilight, what about Princess Luna?” Rarity asks.
“I… I can’t Rarity. You just don’t know. You haven’t seen what I saw. Luna isn’t even…”
“I am afraid,” Celestia cuts in, “that Ponyville is too far away. You’ll be staying in the Palace, for the time being.“ Celestia informs Twilight.
Twilight slams her hoof against the tile. “Like hay I will!” Her horn flashes to life, shimmering violet light encasing her like a cocoon. It takes only a split second, but then, nothing happens. Her magic envelope pops like an ephemeral soap bubble, and her magic fizzles away.
“It is quite rude to try to teleport out of the palace, dear.” Celestia chides. “Sergeant,” she calls, waiting for him to step out. “Please escort Twilight to her quarters, and see to it she gets some rest.”
Twilight glares at the Princess, realizing that she is powerless to resist at the moment. “This changes nothing.” She says, “You can’t win.”
Celestia looks down at her. “This is not about winning or losing, it is about living and dying, my dear. My sister is dying. How can I win?”
Twilight doesn’t have an answer for her, but keeps her gaze for a moment. Scowling, she turns and stalks away, shrugging off her friends who want to give her words of encouragement. White Mane follows. She doesn’t look back. The sound of her hooves fades from them as she turns out of sight, leaving only echoes behind.
A small voice speaks up. “Princess Celestia, do you really mean it? Luna can’t…die?” Fluttershy looks up at the Princess with round, sad eyes.
“I wish that was so, little one. I wish that was so.”
“You can’t save her?”
“Not without knowing what is draining her magic.”
Applejack nods with a forlorn look in her eyes. “Then we’re no closer to saving her than when we started out.”
“I am afraid so. Without Twilight’s help, my sister…” Celestia lets her emotions show as she sniffles, “she won’t make it.”
Celestia’s words hang in the air for a few moments.
“I just can’t believe she would… refuse! Refuse to help save Princess Luna.” Rarity exclaims.
“That’s can’t be her. A few days ago she said she’d do anything to protect Luna. Look,” Rainbow Dash paces, “if the Princess says only Twilight can help, then there’s just one thing we gotta do. Find a way to get Twilight back to normal! Because we’re her best friends, and that’s what friends do!” Rainbow Dash stomps one hoof to place an additional exclamation mark on her point.
“But how?” Pinkie Pie asks. “She was so mean and hurtful. She won’t talk to us!”
Celestia speaks up. “I think she will. She’s angry right now, but give her an hour and she may calm down enough that she will be willing to talk.”
“But Luna needs her help now!” Rarity insists.
“She does,” Celestia agrees, “but we cannot force Twilight against her will. Wait an hour, then go to her. I know our Twilight is still in there, you just have to remind her who she is, and who her friends really are. Besides, I will need time to prepare a new spell. It may be a long shot, but there is still hope. Stay true in your hearts and never give up, my little ponies.”
“We will, Princess. But, there’s just one thing I don’t understand… What did Twilight mean by all those things she said?” Pinkie Pie ventures.
Celestia shakes her head. “Dear, there are some things that even I cannot explain.” She wouldn’t tell them any more. She could explain, but to do so would only muddy the water. It would only cast a shadow across the sun. So she spared them that burden. If only she could have found a way to spare Twilight from it as well.
End Part 6