To my most devoted student, Radiant Dawn,
Tambourine sounds like an absolutely lovely pony! I'm so glad you're already making friends! See, It's not as difficult as you thought it would be, is it? Things in Canterlot are much less lively without you around, but we'll be back together before you know it. Have you gotten settled in at Platinum Oaks? I had it rebuilt years ago just in case... or maybe it was just nostalgic for me to do so... Hmmm, and not so much rebuilt as it's not the same building as Golden Oaks was. It hasn't had a caretaker in a while so it was probably a little bit dirty, I sincerely apologize for that oversight. I should've had it prepared before you arrived. I hope it's to your liking since you'll be the librarian for the duration of your stay in Ponyville. Running the library was one of my favorite parts of living there, other than spending time with my friends, of course. I remember one time Spike and I were sorting and shelving the entire library, A to Z. It took hours and right when we were about to finish, Rainbow Dash flew straight through the window and slammed right into the wall. Needless to say, the work we'd done was all for nothing, but Rainbow helped us get everything back in order. She stayed all night to help us out. Come to think of it, that probably happened a lot more often than I remember... I've gone off on a tangent, I'm sorry. Remember Radiant, as long as you show loyalty to others you will change the world for the better.
Your friend, Twilight Sparkle
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It's not too late for you...
I couldn't lift my gaze from the dirt. The soil beneath my hooves coarse and dry, inviting in a peculiar kind of way. If I could, I'd bury myself deep within it, never to be seen or heard from again. It was such a simple thing, to oppose someone I thought hated me, so easy to lash out when I was heartbroken or filled with rage.
I could imagine, could pretend they deserved to be punished for their evil deeds, that I was somehow justified in my aggression, no matter what judgement I'd choose to impose upon them. I wanted to get rid of her, wanted to remove a part of the equation I couldn't solve in any other way. She hated me. She had to hate me. I'd turned her home to rubble, tried to murder her only sister, and yet... yet here she was, telling me that she loved me, that my sister loved me, that my niece loved me, that Celestia...
And Radiant...?
"I can't..." I whispered. I couldn't stop, not now.
I have to see this through to the end.
What I'd done had to mean something. Their deaths couldn't be in vain. I had to save them... all of them.
"Why, Twilight?" Luna's voice was kind, full of the hope that I could still be redeemed, like she was all those years ago by her sister. The difference was I wasn't possessed by some nightmarish spirit. I wasn't wrong, I was doing the right thing. If I didn't do something then...
"Nothing will change!" She was taken aback by my sudden outburst.
An opening!
I had one failsafe left, one card up my sleeve I hadn't played that could turn the tide of this battle in my favor. The energy around my horn twisted black and magenta, a combination of my magic and the forbidden power I'd attained. "I might be on my last legs, but alicorn blood is a potent source of magic." The splotch of my own blood was on the ground behind Luna. Summoning him through a gateway would be easier than reading a kindergarten level book.
"Twilight, our quarrel is over! Have you no honor?"
Honor? What had honor ever done for me? It never called me when I was down. Would it bring my friends back? My family? Radiant? Honor is useless.
"My honor means nothing if everyone I love ends up dead." The spell was ready. With an explosion of light particles Spike appeared behind the Princess of the Night. I lost Luna's attention as the presence of the mightiest dragon lumbered over us.
DO IT, SPIKE! The new bond I'd established with my best friend was completely telepathic. It was the most economical way to communicate with somepony as expansive as a city. I limped away from the immediate area, still much too exhausted to cast any spells, even something as simple as teleportation. Spike could control his breath, but I wasn't about to put him to the test when I didn't have to.
I stole a quick glance over my shoulder. The tiny alicorn was sprawled on her back, Spike's mouth wide and ready to unleash a blazing torrent of flame. His roar almost sent me tumbling head over heels, the flood of thick fire consuming the Night Princess.
This is for the best.
Even if she was immortal, she'd be safe... at peace... happy...
Need... more
I ignored my thoughts as I stumbled to the ground, a safe distance away from the fury of the flames. Finally secure, I decided to mend myself. I took a deep breath and drew on the power that had fused with me after my assault on Celestia. The intense glow of black energy shined forth from beneath my overcoat. It felt wonderful, the aches and pains melting away like mud in a nice hot shower. Spike cut off his stream of fire.
We did it. We actually did it!
The power of the moon was now a part of him. All that was left was Celestia and the sun. Cadance and Flurry would be reasonable once everything else fell into place. They'd have to be. If I could keep this up, they'd all be together forever.
How does it feel? He'd absorbed so much energy already, but this was different, this was one of the immortal sisters. He craned his castle sized head to the left, then right, then back to the left again.
What?!
He...failed
How?
I'd watched it happen... it couldn't be. Spike's flames paralyzed as they disassembled for preservation. I'd performed enough tests, they were the basis for this entire plan. Not only that, the book was crystal clear on the subject. Escape was impossible once preservation was underway.
She has to be on her deathbed.
I'd made his flames stronger than any alicorn magic. Even if she'd managed to get away, she had to be as helpless as a foal. With a flick and a spin of my horn I pulled the magical screens connected to all of my surveillance spells in Equestria. Keeping my land safe meant constant supervision. I'd learned that lesson decades ago.
Monitor everything.
It was the safest way to make sure things went according to plan. No matter what happened, I'd be ready.
Logically speaking, Luna would go right back to her sister. There was no other safe haven, nowhere else she could run to. Not with such terrible injuries, at least.
"There you are." She was a semi-transparent mess of dirt and hair. She was still vulnerable, but there was one very imposing complication keeping watch over her. My ex-mentor sat next to the Night Princess, her hoof pressed against her little sister's head. Whatever I was going to do, I'd have to do it quickly. I couldn't recall if Celestia knew any sort of healing spells, but Luna's natural alicorn resiliency would be kicking in soon.
I can do this.
If what Luna had said was true, I might be able to take advantage of Celestia's foolishness. It could still work... maybe even better than I'd initially planned.
You're shameless.
I... Celestia... could it really be possible she still cared about me? Even after I'd...
Quickly... preserve
It was irrelevant. I had things to do. Thank you Spike. I'll bring you back once everything is in place. I was already working, charging both my teleportation and his return spells. It was hard enough to keep somepony so big hidden, but drawing on the forbidden magic had allowed me to hollow out a mountain range near Canterlot. He seemed at ease in his new dwelling and that's really all that mattered. He dipped his head in reply. With a clap of thunder and flash of lightning he was gone, back inside his rocky abode. Next, it was my turn. Another flash of lightning, though no thunder this time, and I was standing behind... her.
All of this destruction because they would never see it from my perspective.
I had to do it.
Dropping a spell of that magnitude hurt. I had good memories of this place too. So many visits. So many precious moments. They were so happy here, happier than they'd ever been, but I needed them. Equestria needed them. Their duty wasn't done. It would never be.
"She's in bad shape," my voice snapped her head to attention, although she didn't turn away from her sister.
"Twilight... did you do this?" She tried to sound cold but I could detect a feeling of betrayal, as well as something I couldn't quite put my hoof on.
"Yes." A gentle breeze blew around us. Neither of us moved an inch.
"Why?" Still she refused to face me.
"You wouldn't understand." I couldn't trust anypony but myself with this, not even her. She lifted her head to the sky, a sigh leaving her lips.
"I thought I was so clever, was so certain of myself until I lost control. I thought I could move everything into place, manipulate every little thing so that friendship could spread, so that peace, so that you, could reign. So that I wouldn't have to see my sister like this ever again. What a fool I've been."
Is she buying time?
It didn't seem like it. Why was she talking like this?
"At least we agree on one thing." Luna was still motionless, but if I didn't act soon she'd be conscious in minutes.
"And what is that?" Her head turned ever so slightly in my direction.
"You are a fool." I took a shot at Luna at just the right angle to destroy her horn. My sparkling star of energy collided with a golden wall of sunlight, exploding into pieces. My ex-mentor sighed, clearly disappointed with me.
"Twilight, I can accept you wanting to hurt me. I can even understand you attacking the world itself. What I cannot tolerate is any aggression directed at her." The Celestia that turned to face me was so unexpected, so startling, it caused me to fall back onto my flank.
Too... far
Her intense expression told me one thing, if I made another move for Luna I would die, there was no question in my mind.
"If only you had been as protective of me." I had to recover from the shock of a murderous Sun Princess. With my initial plan in shambles, I'd have to venture down another route, but this Celestia was a whole other dimension of intimidating. Whereas Luna had been aggressive and swift, akin to an arrow flying at the heart of its victim, Celestia was the polar opposite of her younger sister. Facing her felt as if I were up against an unbreachable fortress, impregnable and steadfast.
"I've always tried to be there for you, Twilight." There was a tinge of annoyance in her. Such skilled linguistics to avoid lying made my skin crawl, though It was finally starting to become easier to see through her.
"You must've tried really hard these last few years." The barb hit home. She faltered, almost imperceptibly, but I'd watched my teacher enough to know when she was affected by something.
"I..." she closed her mouth. I was interested to hear what she'd come up with. She'd abandoned me, left me to my own devices.
Why?
It didn't really matter anymore, but something deep inside me had to know. "I made... the wrong choice."
How utterly disappointing.
"You made the wrong choice!?" I snarled, very unbecoming, but it was from the heart. Her head drooped as she said something under her breath. "WHAT!?" I spat.
"I was SCARED!" Her purple eyes pleaded with me, but I could only deal with the absurdity of her words.
Scared? She was scared!?
"You were scared!?" I had to restrain myself from launching myself at her outright. "I WAS SCARED, CELESTIA!" Although I'd never learned to use the Royal Canterlot Voice my yell could rival it. "I lost EVERYPONY! You have Luna! Cadance has Flurry!" I would not cry, but I would make her understand. "Even Spike will have to go into hibernation soon," my voice lowered to a whisper. "You abandoned me." She winced. "You did nothing for our friends, you didn't even try."
"What would you demand of me, Twilight? That I conquer death itself!?" Her words sounded measured, like she'd rehearsed them over and over and over again in front of a mirror.
"That would've been fantastic!" I shouted.
"I DID!" She lost herself for just a moment, and it was enough for me to finally realize what I'd missed earlier. She was still afraid. Of what, I didn't know, but her temper betrayed that weakness. "I made you immortal, made you one of us. You've no fear of the sands of time an-"
"And what about everypony else? What about YOUR subjects?! What about OUR friends?! What about my family?!" I was quickly losing my composure.
"Death is inevitable for mortals! What do you think I am, Twilight? God?"
"You're the Goddess of the Sun!"
"I AM NO GODDESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" she exploded in her Royal Canterlot Voice. I had to lift a hoof to block some of the wind pressure sent at me. She sighed at the realization that she'd lost her temper again. "Goddess?" she laughed as she placed a hoof against her face. "I couldn't even stop Luna from turning against me. I can't stop you, the only one I've ever loved as much as a daughter," she shook her head. "I am no goddess... I don't even deserve to be recognized as your mentor, much less a goddess."
"But you saved me and Cadance. You gave us immortality. How coul-"
"Cadance's transformation was beyond me."
"W-what?" That wasn't true, it couldn't be. We were the same. Just as Celestia chose me for ascendance, she'd chosen Cadance.
"I didn't choose Cadance because she'd performed some act of righteousness, Twilight. I'm sure you've heard the story of Prismia from your sister."
"You did it for that exact reason! She said-" the way Celestia looked at me made me pause and reevaluate. Cadance had said she was brought before Celestia, that they'd never met before and Celestia transformed her. That happened immediately after her clash with Prismia, but I guess that didn't necessarily mean it happened because of that encounter. "Then why?" I was lost. If it hadn't been based on the merit of her actions what was it?
"I... don't know."
"YOU DON'T KNOW?!" my horn was shrouded in black magic in a second, my anger boiling over.
How could she not know?
“HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW!?"
"Twilight, have you ever encountered something or somepony you couldn't explain?" She knew what she was doing, knew I wouldn't forget one of my own letters to her, knew I had no grounds to contradict her. I just stared at her, seething. "I don't know. I can't explain to you the way I felt that day or what compelled me to change Cadance. It was a warmth? Perhaps love? Maybe something like Cadance's intuition. Something or somepony that, to this day, I can't comprehend, compelled me to do it. To make things right. To make them just. Perhaps a higher power took control of me... What I do know is that it was the correct thing to do, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat," she chuckled once again. "If I had the power to change every pony that defeated or reformed a fiend there'd be hundreds, if not thousands of alicorns running about." I felt my anger dissipating, being replaced by an emotion I preferred much less. She'd saved Cadance on a whim? Then...
"Then was I..." My head fell involuntarily. I'd promised myself there'd be no more tears. Never again, not out of sadness, but they were peeking their ugly little heads out from under the locked lid.
"No, Twilight." It felt as if she had raised my head with her hoof, but she was nowhere near close enough to do so. "I watched you since you were a filly. I taught you, nurtured you... Twilight, I know you, the real you. I know your wants, your needs. I know who and what you love. I know your hopes and dreams, your fears and weaknesses. I chose you Twilight, because I love you."
Be... cautious
Her speeches were like witchcraft, able to lull anypony into a web of hope and peace. After all this time, I was still just as susceptible to them as anypony else. I desperately wanted to run to her, to hug her because we'd been apart for far too long, to rest in her goodness and love.
You can. She'd forgive.
Family... friends
But it was still just the five of us, and that was not fair. "Why not more? Can't you do anything for anypony else?" I'd already lost so many, but that didn't mean anypony else should have to go through what I had. Celestia slumped, an air of guilt coming from her sudden change in posture.
"Turning one into an alicorn is astoundingly complex, Twilight. Certain parameters must be met to even ponder attempting the first stages of a transformation."
"Such as?"
"Well, for one, anypony I choose must already have such vast reservoirs of magic that it would not completely annihilate them when they are imbued with an alicorn's level of mana. You were already reaching that zenith when I changed you. The majority of mortal bodies simply wouldn't be able to handle the mana that comes with the change. In reality the only other pony in history that might've had enough power was Starswirl."
"Then why didn't you change him?"
"Well, to be honest, I don't think he would've wanted to be immortal. He was such a strange stallion, much more interested in what would come after this," she giggled.
A fool
Death is the end.
There was no scientific evidence of a soul or an afterlife. Once taken, none returned. He could have continued to make a difference here, could've helped so many more than he had.
"But there is another requirement that must be met. My own feelings towards the candidate. Starswirl was like a mentor to me and Luna, despite our knowledge, experience, and ability surpassing his several times over," she glanced back at her sister. She was still out. Apparently, Spike had done more damage than I'd thought. "But I could not say with certainty that my love for him was unconditional."
Well of course not, unconditional love is-
"Wait... then..." N-no way...
She... lies
"I would've thought you'd realize it sooner," her crooked smile made me take a step back. Why was I afraid? Why did it feel like everything I had sacrificed for was in jeopardy? "I'll always love you, Twilight. Nothing you do can change that." A phantom blade sunk into my skull, the pain so excruciatingly potent I fell to my haunches and gripped my head in my hooves.
Nghhhh... STOP
"TWILIGHT!?" Her concern was real. It would cause my death.
"STOP!" I was still too fragile for this, not disciplined enough to face that kind of love. Time was almost up and I was not about to back down, no matter how she felt. "Give me Luna," I stood back up, shaking my head to clear away the migraine that had developed.
"What!?" she braced herself. She wasn't a fool, I'd just caught her off guard at the castle. This time things would be much more difficult.
"I need her, Celestia. She's vital to a spell I'm working on." It was mostly true, but she'd probably see right through it. She looked back at her little sister.
"Would she be safe? Could you promise me no harm would come to her?" When she looked at me again her eyes had changed, they were full of righteous conviction. The fact that she hadn't rejected me outright confirmed her claim.
You can't.
Shut up! "...Yes, I can." Curse my useless conscience, even now it was causing me to trip up. She'd seen right through me because of my slight hesitation. Her horn burned gold, equal parts beautiful and frightening.
"You can't have her, Twilight."
"I thought you loved me?" I began charging the initial phases of the forbidden spell I'd used on Luna. Its purpose was originally for Celestia to begin with. The fog forced its victim to lie, and to truly believe those lies, or succumb to unendurable pain. Lies could break a creature, especially one honest beyond reason. Luna was already lying to herself. What unfortunate circumstances that after all this time she still couldn't be honest with herself. Celestia on the other hoof only ever told the truth. This would be over quickly.
Finish... this
Then I can feed them both to Spike.
"I do, but there's another I love even more." Her magical aura surrounded her body stirring up a maelstrom around her. Her coat shined porcelain as if she were a flawless sculpture. "One that has always been with me, one that has carried a piece of my heart since before I existed. I cannot let her down again." They were not alicorns. Not in the traditional sense. Cadance, Flurry, and I were, but Celestia and Luna were something more. Something otherworldly.
"Then I'll just have to take her from you." Black smoke lurched forth from my horn. In seconds the spell would take hold of her and this would all be over.
"I will not harm you, Twilight, but I will do everything in my power to protect my little sister." She watched the mist roil and fold in all directions, cautiously assessing her level of danger, just like Luna, and just like her sister she'd-
She flapped her wings once, hovering just above the ground. With a force that could not be categorized on a scale she flapped again, this time grunting with effort. The gust of air she'd created was like an unstoppable hurricane, the sound enough to make me feel like I might go deaf. I had to use a spell to anchor myself to the spot or risk getting swept away in the current. As the wind finally died down and all of my fog had been blown away, she landed gracefully, not a feather or hair in her mane or tail out of place.
This... was not part of the plan.
"Quite impressive... Sister."
Yeah, this is all falling apart at a rather sickening rate.
Luna's head was lifted off the ground. She looked whole once again, all signs of transparency a thing of the past. Soon she'd be back in fighting condition. It was time I took my leave.
"Thank you, Lulu. Now... watch your big sis-"
"This has become too troublesome," I turned around and channeled magic to make a hasty exit.
"Wait! Twilight, you can't just-"
"Are you going to stop me?" I asked knowing she wouldn't. Her face scrunched up, unsatisfied.
"Halt, Twilight Sparkle!" Luna tried to stand but was still too weak, collapsing back into the dirt.
"Sister, don't push yourself too hard," Celestia's concern was now fully on Luna. They wouldn't keep me here. They couldn't, even if they wanted to.
"Celestia, we must stop her. She is-"
"Did you figure it out?" I was genuinely surprised. Maybe she was more capable than I gave her credit for. She grit her teeth at me in response. Her face said she didn't completely understand, but she was putting the pieces of the puzzle together. She was so very easy to read, an open book for anypony to see.
Geez, Celestia. How'd you manage to let her be depressed for so long without noticing?
"You're a clever girl, Luna. I underestimated you, my sincerest apologies for that." I bowed my head eliciting a look of shock from the dark blue alicorn. A fully powered, angry Luna was not something I wanted to cross paths with ever again. She'd shown me mercy. I would not be so fortunate a second time. "Nevertheless, it's time for my departure."
"I will not let you!" The blue flames that emanated from her horn told me all I needed to know. If she couldn't conjure the silver power I would be fine. As I began to walk away I heard a blast of magic surge toward me from behind. It never made contact, instead another chime behind me seemed to have intercepted it.
VERY interesting.
I looked over my shoulder to find an absolutely stunned Luna. Her eyes were massive, her mouth hanging open further than I thought possible. Celestia was staring down at the ground, boring a hole so deep it could reach the center of the planet, her horn sparkling gold. I'd never seen her look so ashamed.
"S-Sister?! You would still... even after everything she has done? Has your sense fled from you?!" I was just as surprised as the Princess of the Night.
How very interesting.
Celestia said nothing, instead shutting her eyes. I laughed hysterically, enraging Luna and somehow making Celestia look even more pathetic.
"Very well, you've shown me kindness, Celestia." She lifted her head, looking at me with hopeful eyes. "Come to Canterlot tomorrow, alone, we can speak of my grand scheme then."
"You would postpone unt-"
"I never said that," I cut Luna off. "If Celestia wishes to stop me, she is welcome to try, but..." I looked into her eyes. She said nothing, casting her gaze downwards once more. "I didn't think so. Tomorrow, Celestia. Noon. ALONE." I smiled so wide I thought my face would never go back to normal. "And one last thing, don't run back to Cadance either or you can consider my offer null and void."
"Celestia she is going to- You honorless coward! Get back-'' I teleported to the outskirts of Manehatten, the next city on my list, not listening to the rants the dark alicorn directed at me.
Interesting indeed...
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Dear Princess Twilight,
I'm not sure I'd go so far as saying Tambourine is my friend, but she is very kind. We had tea and cupcakes together, so that's something, I guess... isn't it? Oh! The library was a huge mess! I'm still working on it, but I'm not doing it alone. Tambourine has been helping since I first arrived. Honestly, it's weird and makes me a little uncomfortable. We barely know each other, but she treats me like a sister. Maybe she sees me as a friend? I'm not sure though. Loyalty... loyalty is tough when I don't really have any friends here. Do you think Tambourine might want to be the first? How would I even know? You don't have to apologize for talking about your friends, you know I love hearing about them. I miss you, Princess. My whole world is less lively without you, but I know you're right. Still doing my best.
Your devoted student, Radiant Dawn