//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 - Getting Too Close to the Sun 
// Story: Changing Our Destinies 
// by silent_user 
//------------------------------//

It had all been for nought. 

Twister sat in a meeting room, waiting for the princess to arrive.

With her were a bunch of confidential documents.

Some of them were requested by the princess.

The majority, however, weren’t.

He lied to me.

He lied to me, and like a moron, I fell for his kind words.

After their talk, where Sneak had promised to help her get the position as the new head of the EBI, he had sent her back to Canterlot to oversee the ESS operations while he was gone.

I literally received deception training from him! How couldn’t I see it!

She had been giddy. Sure, working for Sneak had been a life of constant hell. Verbal abuse had been a daily occurrence. Overtime had become regular work time after a few years, and the things she did for him had been despicable. But now, she would finally get the payoff she deserved. 

Or so I thought.

The respect Sneak showed for mares was… lacking.  And that was already an exaggeration. The number of mares in the ESS was astonishingly low compared to other government agencies. 

What made it more appalling was the positions they were put in, primarily working secretary jobs or working as assistants. 

Just like I had to do, always running after him.

But not for much longer.

I will crush him!

Crush him like he had always dreamed of crushing Candy!

Sneak had seemed saddened by Candy's departure, but she knew better.

He is only sad because he wasn’t the one who finished her.

Still, at the time, she had been happy that Candy was leaving since it gave her the opportunity she had always wanted.

An opportunity she thought she deserved.

An opportunity she thought Sneak would help her with, despite everything she knew about him.

But then I got curious.

Once she had returned, she visited the ponies tasked with compiling the list of candidates.  

They weren't willing to show me their list, but they told me I was on it…

I even believed them, nearly continuing this life of lies!

She didn’t know why, but a letter with her name had caught her eye. 

Carefully she levitated it to herself without the other ponies in the room noticing.

He ordered them not to put me on the list!

He ordered them to deceive me!

It was then that her world had collapsed. 

But the feelings of rage, anger, sadness and betrayal were quickly replaced by determination.

I won’t be shackled to his side any longer!

I will free myself!

I will free myself of him!

And if I can't become the new EBI director, then there is another position waiting for me.

Twister may have been gullible, but she certainly wasn’t stupid. Meticulously she had kept records of all their doings.

Records of all the orders Sneak had given, many without the princess's knowledge.

Now, armed with the dirt she had on him, she was determined to get her revenge.

Thankfully he has made this easy for me by letting himself get arrested.

The local guard station had contacted her to verify Sneak's identity. Gleefully she instructed them to keep him locked up. It would prevent him from interfering with her plan.

I can't mess this up, though, or I will end up like so many of his other victims. 

Her life now depended on her ability to convince Princess Celestia that Sneak needed to be taken care of.


*** 


Sneak better has some good news for me.

Princess Celestia was starting to get a migraine. The last few days were really taxing, and now it seemed that she wouldn't even be rewarded for her efforts.

Hopefully, the magic of the elements will help them sort out their differences.

Yet, she feared the worst. After all, the elements hadn't prevented Luna and her from starting a civil war.

Protecting Twilight, saving Luna, moving the celestial bodies, administering Equestria, protecting the planet, protecting harmony...

Everything always depends on me.

I hate it.

“Auntie! We have to talk about Twilight!” Cadence came running down the hallway.

Do we now?

“The vision of her future… I think she killed us! I think she took over Eques-“

"Don't be ridiculous, Cadence," Celestia dismissed her. "Twilight would never do such a thing. Just look at the little bookworm. Also, she is the element of magic. I doubt it would have chosen such a pony." But speaking those words also reminded her of her previous thoughts.

“Celestia, this isn’t a game! I know what I have witnessed! We both know the danger she could pose! It is necessary-“

The princess of the sun walked into a meeting room, slamming the door in Cadence's face.

Twilight taking over…

Killing me…

What a bunch of nonsense.

It made her wonder if Cadence may be trying to sabotage the new princess.

If she may be falling to jealousy.

“My princess,” Twister bowed in front of her.

That’s weird. It isn’t like Sneak to send subordinates to talk to me.

“Good morning…”

"Twister, your Majesty." The unicorn helped her out. "My name is Twister. I am Sneak's assistant and formally the Deputy Director." 

Huh. Usually, I am aware of the deputy directors.

Also, did I imagine that, or was there a heavy emphasis on deputy director?

"Nice to finally meet you, Twister," Celestia replied. "Is there a reason for Sneak's absence? I was briefed that I would talk with him."

"I am so sorry, my princess. There must have been a clerical error," Twister stated while being fully aware that there was no such error. "I actually hoped to talk about him." 

What did he do this time?

The princess sighed, “Well, once we have gone over everything else, we can do so.”

"Of course, your majesty. Thank you for taking the time." Twister levitated a few documents towards her. "As requested, here is the information about Applejack's parents. They were murdered, but luckily, we aren't directly responsible." 

Finally! An unfortunate event I wasn’t involved in!

Had it turned out that Applejack's parent's disappearance was also something that could be traced back to her, she would have screamed.

Now disinterested in what happened to them, she put the documents away for later.

"There is also an urgent matter that has come up, my Princess." Another batch of documents changed their owner. "The EBI has filled a missing pony report. Director Candy has disappeared without a trace, never showing up at the Dodge City train station.”

“Former Director,” Celestia corrected.

Unfortunately.

“Actually, my Princess, Candy has never handed her resignation in.” Twister’s eyes darted around the room. Both mares knew that a pony with Candy rank just disappearing didn’t bode well. 

She didn’t…

That isn’t like her!

…

Did she snap?

Did I drive her to this point?

Celestia skimmed through the reports.

Apparently, Candy told her subordinates that she would go to the train station alone shortly after her talk with me.

She went there in uniform, fully armed, with proviant and her badge.

Suspicious. 

“I want her found,” Celestia ordered.

“Of course, your majesty,” Twister confirmed. “The EBI is already hunting her down with everything they have, suspecting her of high treason. After all, you don't just disappear fully armed, in a uniform you usually don't even wear, as well as equipped with documents that can be used to bypass all controls. A pony who does that has almost certainly no good intentions. Especially not after having an argument with the princess. Who knows! She could be planning your assassination as we speak! Or go around telling our enemies state secrets!" she speculated.

Candy wouldn’t do that…

And it wasn’t really an argument…

It still doesn’t look good.

“Just find her, Twister.” The princess shut her up. “Alive,” she added.

Equestria´s security services are crumbling before my eyes.

Twister was happy with that clarification, choosing to move on. After all, there was another topic she wanted to get to. “We have also successfully arrested the military leadership. Not only that, several subordinates have already confirmed that they planned to seize power in an attempt to prevent the nobility from installing Princess Mi Amore Cadenza as a puppet ruler while also, and I quote: "Restoring Equestria to its former glory, ensuring that it will not only be able to properly defend itself but also granting it with leadership that is able to properly take military matters into account." It looks like they have been feeling way more resentment than Sneak anticipated."  

Throwing Sneak under the bus. 

Then again, he should have alerted me to a possible coup. 

Worry spread on Twister's face. "Out of necessity, many inexperienced ponies are now holding high-ranking positions they aren't qualified for, with nopony to train them. But at least they seem to be loyal."  

That isn’t good. Even I can recognize that.

Also…

“Are the subordinates who are now in charge the same who threw their former bosses under the bus?” Celestia asked, eyebrow raised.

“Their statements aren’t the only evidence we have…,” was the sheepish response.

This is all so convoluted, but I will get to the bottom of it!

Regardless, Twister straightened herself out. She was ready to get to the topic she came here for in the first place. “Your majesty, this was all from my side.”

All right, let’s see what Sneak screwed up.

Judging by the truckload of documents you still have with you, it must be a serious issue. 

Celestia prepared herself for the assassination of her mood. “You may go ahead.”

“I have evidence that Sneak has used his position for personal gain,” Twister started.

What a relief. And here I was, fearing he did something serious.

Of course, the Princess didn't want him to do such a thing, but she was more than aware of how reality worked. 

Feeling that she hadn’t gotten her point across, Twister continued. “He put pressure on government officials as well as politicians, sometimes even resorting to outright blackmail, using the materials he acquired thanks to his position.”

That’s too far. I will have to talk with him about it. 

By now, Twister was getting desperate. Sneak would have her killed if she didn't finish him off first. "He discriminated against mares, going so far as to force them into… favours for him." It might have done the trick, yet she found herself unable to finish the sentence as she had planned. Pain and embarrassment turned out to be stronger than her fear.

However, Princess Celestia wasn't stupid. She didn't give it away, though she understood what Twister had meant to convey.

Ok. Not only is that definitely conduct unbecoming of an Equestrian Official, but it is also plainly disgusting.

I still need him, though. The ESS is the only remaining fully functioning security agency, despite the Royal Guard.

The poor mare in front of her was running out of ammunition. "He got himself arrested, shooting an unarmed pony in front of Fluttershy!” 

“He did what! I don’t need my reputation tarnished more than it already is!” Celestia couldn’t believe that Sneak would make such a blunder.

Relief washed over Twister. “I have already taken care of things. Fluttershy is being brought to Canterlot as we speak, and Sneak is in jail awaiting punishment."

You planned this, didn’t you?

"You don't have the authority to keep Sneak in jail," Celestia glared at her.

I will keep him in his current position until I have found replacements for the already vacant ones. Then I will deal with him appropriately.

Twister's panic returned full force. There was only one more shot she could fire. A shot that might kill them both. "He ordered the murder of Rainbow Dash's parents."

The princess felt her heart stop for a second.

Grasping for air, she asked, “Are they dead?”

Tears streamed down from the unicorn's eyes. It was the one thing she had overlocked. Forgetting to rescind the order to kill Rainbow's parents. It was a minuscule thing that seemed so unimportant at the time when she was preoccupied with getting revenge. "I… I got the confirmation before I left."

Twilight will have my horn for that!

A whirlwind of emotions crept up. "Did you know about it in advance?"

“…”

That’s a yes.

Sneak was the pony at fault, but Twister was close to taking the fall with him. “Why didn’t you stop him? Did you believe that I wanted them dead?”

“…”

You knew I didn’t want them dead.

“Are you aware that my daughter loves Rainbow?” she asked.

“…

"I… You have a daughter?" Twister wished she could drop dead. Her fate was already determined. Determined thanks to her actions. 

Actions that were way more severe than she could have imagined in her wildest dreams. 

Yet, she would take the consequences for them. She knew she wasn't a saint, and if today was going to be the day of judgment, then she would accept that. "My princess, I know that I shouldn't have gone along with his order, but I was afraid of speaking out. I will take full responsibility for that." Twister laid herself on the ground, putting her hooves around her head, waiting for the royal guard to show up.

Consequences.

Responsibility.

Realization hit Celestia. 

How can I blame her for not preventing this? After all, I was willing to overlook all the other crimes he committed.

How scared must she have been to come forward knowing that I could very well overlook all of them?

Heck, I more than likely would have overlooked this as well if it wasn’t for Twilight!

This was Sneak's fault.

This was Twister's fault.

But it also was her fault for allowing it to happen. She was the one who not only enabled ponies like Sneak but actively sought them out for the position.

And until now, I have always reaped the benefits.

I suppose it is finally time to face the consequences.

With Twilight here, it was time for reform. No longer could she tolerate wild cards.

Instead, she needed reliable ponies whose actions she could predict, even if it meant that they would sometimes hesitate.

Ponies who would be role models for Twilight.

Ponies who would make her look good in front of her daughter.

Ponies Twilight would actually want to work with.

Yes! That’s it! 

I will simply reform my government, changing it towards something Twilight is bound to like. This way, I can shift the blame while also improving my image with her at the same time.

There was still the issue of Twister, though.

I guess I can forgive her. Without her, I wouldn't even know about this.

“Twister, you can get up.” Barely believing her ears, the unicorn followed Celestia’s words. “You made a mistake, but I won’t blame you. Sneak is the one who gave the order, and I will make sure that he will be dealt with accordingly.”

"My Princess, thank you so much!" the unicorn wept. She had won. Sneak was finished, and she would live to fight another day.

“My royal guard will take it from here. For now, I want you to continue your duties,” Celestia instructed her. “Do not leave Canterlot, though.”

I can already see it! Twilight there with me! Both of us side by side...

And one day, Luna, too, will join us...

"Understood, your majesty!" Twister saluted.

“Dismissed.” Hearing those words, the unicorn fled the room.

Slowly Celestia collected the documents Twister had left, looking for the ones regarding Rainbow.

One last problem remained.

Sure, she would punish Sneak and avenge Rainbow's parents, even if she only did that because his actions threatened to further the divide between herself and Twilight.

But how was she supposed to break the news to Twilight and Rainbow?

Should she tell them the truth?

Should she make something up?

Or should she just cover the whole affair up, not mentioning it at all?

This wasn't a minor issue. How would they react to their death? 

If Cadence is to be believed, then there is no telling what Rainbow would do should she learn about their demise. Not to mention that Twilight might still blame me.

But if I don’t tell them the truth, then they might think I wanted this to happen, should they ever figure it out.

She would have to carefully consider her options. 

Rainbow might not be the pony I want for Twilight, but she still loves her. One mistake, and I will only push her further away.

It seemed like, once again, she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully. 


*** 


They had made their way to the royal gardens.

"Now, Twi. With me as your teacher, you will become a true pegasus in no time. Here, watch-“

“Dashie, I think I figured out a way that will protect you should I ever lose control again.”

Rainbow's face fell. All she wanted was to fly, yet Twilight had to bring this up again when she would much rather just forget it ever happened.

Regardless, if Twilight had an idea, then it was worth listening to it.  

“Hit me up, Twi,” she responded.

"Ok, how about I place myself under a mind control spell, letting you be in control of it? This way, I will never be able to hurt you again!" the young alicorn proposed.

“Awesome!” Rainbow cheered.

I knew I could come up with something to protect her.

“I am glad you like it-“

“That was sarcasm!” Rainbow screamed. “What you just proposed was the dumbest idea I have ever heard. Could a smart pony like you not come up with anything different other than slavery!”

Of course, I have other ideas as well!

"How about this, then? I doubt Princess Celestia would want to proclaim you a princess as well, but if we marry, it should force her into doing that. It wouldn't solve the magic aspect, but it would at least provide you with some protection," Twilight responded, completely ignoring Rainbow's outburst. 

“We can’t do that! We are too young!” Rainbow once again shut her down. “You should know that the law-“

“The law doesn’t apply to me, Dashie,” the alicorn shrugged. 

And even if it did, they couldn’t enforce it against me.

"Just because you are a princess now doesn't mean you are above the law!" Her behaviour infuriated Rainbow. 

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "It does, though. Don't you know what the first page of the Equestrian constitution says?" 

The question caught the pegasus off guard. “Do I know… No, I don’t know what it says. Who does?” 

You were the one who said that one should know the laws they are governed-

Oh, who am I kidding? I bet Princess Celestia is somehow responsible for you not knowing about it.

“It is the most important page, Dashie. Everything that comes after it doesn't matter if push comes to shove. Here, I will quote it for you: In exchange for the protection and guidance of the crown, we, the ponies of Equestria, submit ourselves to the rule of the crown so that a new prosperous future may come. 

“It is our duty as loyal subjects to follow their every order and to protect them from any harm, just like they would do for us.

“To prevent the crown from being hindered in their duty, there shall be no authority, institutions, laws, courts, decrees or anything equivalent that restricts their authority, their power or both.

“Similarly, to prevent political infighting, a member of the crown cannot have his or her title revoked for any reason, can’t be removed from his/her position for any reason and cannot be stripped of their powers or authority for any reason.

“To prevent confusion, only the current, rightful member of the crown, Princess Celestia, can nominate new members by a unanimous vote.”

I always wondered why they felt the need to specify that a unanimous vote was needed if Princess Celestia was the only member. Seems like they stripped Luna out quite crudely.   

“Any attempt to subvert the constitution, to subvert the will of the crown as well as any violation of or attempt to violate the principles outlined above, even in spirit, is punishable by death.

“The contents of this page cannot be changed by anypony, including members of the crown. Any new constitution is invalid should it not have them included,” Twilight finished.

As I said.

Above the-  

“Oh yeah, does she think she can rob us of our voices, going around dictating our lives like that, not giving us any say in them! Does she think a piece of paper will gift her with our loyalty!" Rainbow could barely process the revelations Twilight had made. How could their ancestors agree to such a dictatorial constitution? She had always been told that ponies were happy with the princess, choosing to submit themselves under her kind rule voluntarily, but hearing those words, she severely doubted that. "Screw you, Celestia! You hear me! You may think you are all high and mighty up there, but the day will come when we take back our freedom! See how those words will protect you then!" she yelled in the direction of the castle. 

Barely having uttered those words, Twilight noticed guards readying their weapons, glancing at Rainbow with hostility, ready to cut the rebellious pegasus down on her command.

But Twilight didn’t give the command, signalling for them not to interfere. 

Those were dangerous words.

Really really dangerous w-

"And I will start with your daughter!" Rainbow grabbed Spike, tackling Twilight to the ground and starting another tickle attack. 

It had the intended effect. Twilight broke out in laughter, lying helplessly on the ground at the mercy of Rainbow. 

“Dashie, please!” Twilight choked out between laughter. “You know I am not on her side!” she defended herself.

“Lies! You alicorns are all the same! But I will defeat you.” Rainbow increased her tickling. 

Twilight wriggled on the ground, internally cursing that being an alicorn still made her so vulnerable to tickling.

But at the same time, she enjoyed their carefree time together. After all, this wasn't a random pony tickling her. This was Rainbow.

And she would always be allowed to tickle her.

Suddenly, the pegasus stopped, ready to do what she came here for in the first place.

Oh no! The guards!

Twilight had expected them to come rushing towards them.

Instead, they were smiling.

I guess sometimes you forget that deep down, they are ponies as well.

“I might not have defeated you, Twi,” Rainbow declared. “But I know your weaknesses." She pointed towards Spike before flying off with him.

“Dashie!” Twilight chased after her.

Yet, no matter how fast she ran, Rainbow flew quicker.

She is taunting me! 

Indeed, the pegasus seemed to sometimes slow down on purpose, giving Twilight the illusion of catching up, just to quicken the pace again.

Not only that, but Rainbow also performed stunts.

Stunts Twilight would have regarded as beautiful if she wasn’t preoccupied with catching her.

This pattern continued for some time until-

Wait! Where are we!

She stopped, finding herself in the statue garden.

Right in front of a draconequus, she recognized. 

She had been here several times before, yet this time it felt different. Twilight touched the statue. 

“You are quite the chaotic one, aren’t you?”

"Ahh!" quickly, she pulled back again.

Noticing that Twilight had stopped trying to catch her as well as hearing her scream, Rainbow rushed over.

"What's going on, Twi?" she questioned.

“He… He talked to me.” Twilight pointed at the statue. 

“What do you mean, Twi? That’s just some old and dusty-“ Rainbow motioned to it, making contact in the process.

“And you are quite the rebellious one. Although, it is foolish of you to think that you can actually defeat old Celly.“

Rainbow jerked away. 

“Oh, wow. The statue does talk.” She turned back to Twilight, hoping for an answer.

But Twilight just looked around, like she had found herself in another universe.

Those aren’t statues.

Those are prisons.

She needed to get away.

So, she ran.

Monsters!

We turned them into stone!

Why! Just why would we do that!

Rainbow threatened to close the distance between them.

We can’t be trusted to be near other ponies. 

She let her horn light up, teleporting away. 

Next thing she knew, she found herself face-first on the ground.

"Oh, wow, Twi. That was quite the stunt you just pulled," Rainbow looked down at her.

Buck my life.

In a flash, Celestia appeared next to them, alerted by the spell she had put around the castle. “Twilight, what happened?”

“We talked to the weird draconequus statue,” Twilight mumbled.

The princess turned pale. “Whatever he told you wasn’t true!”

“He told me that I was quite the chaotic one. That's all." It seemed that her account convinced the princess that Twilight was, in fact, fine. In another flash, Celestia was gone again, presumably on her way to turn a statue into dust.

Rainbow tried to find the right words. "Twi, I… This sucks."

She…

Is she unhappy with me?

"I… This is all going so fast! I can't even go around taking a nice flight and having some fun with you without some paranormal event taking place!" she clarified. "Twi, there are so many things between us that we still haven't addressed, and even when we have addressed them, we only did so superficially.

"Then there is also the fact that I still feel uneasy about the whole Applejack thing. I mean… I want to be with you, but I don't have weird kinks. I don't want to become your property or something... yet your proposed solutions just don't feel right.

“I guess what it boils down to is that I need to breathe. Some time to collect my thoughts. Don't you feel the same?" Rainbow looked at her.

"I do," Twilight admitted. "Those last few days were simultaneously the best and worst days of my life..." 

I just…

I want…

I don’t know what I want anymore.

I want to love you… to be with you…

Yet at the same time, I want to protect you from myself.

“You know, I just came here so that we could fly together. But then you began your weird ramblings.

"I want you to know that I don't want to get some stupid title from you. For me, you aren't a ticket to becoming royalty.

“Also, I don’t consider myself a romantic, but… if we were to marry, I would want it to be at least a bit romantic. Not something out of necessity.  

"Last but not least, Twi. I trust you not to hurt me again. Just look at your behaviour. You have clearly realized how wrong your actions were. I am… I tend to suppress my emotions. Yes, I am still a bit hurt by what you have done. But, I-“

“Dashie, I killed you!” Twilight interrupted her.

"You don't know that. Older, you never said that,” Rainbow argued.

She heavily implied it, though.

Realizing how weak her position was, Rainbow forced herself to put more thought into the implications. "Twi… We both saw the same. But what do you want me to do? Abandon you for something that never actually happened to us?"

Maybe that would be the best…

“Just look at how much this has put you down. You learned your lessons. I don’t think we need some weird mind control spells or anything of that sort." 

If only I could be sure of that.

"Twi…" Rainbow lay down on the ground next to her, together with Spike. The little one had quite enjoyed his flight with her, but now he just stared at Twilight in pity.

Additionally, he missed the wings he had previously, with the flight he had only adding to that.

Lost in thought, all three stared at the sky above.

"I don't want you to hurt me, but I also don't want you to hurt yourself. You need to stop thinking about this. If it happens again… I am sure you won't succumb to it." At least Rainbow hoped she wouldn't. 

We both don’t have the answers we need…

I can either fret over this…

Hurt myself, trying to prevent it…

Let it go, hoping it won’t happen again… 

Or if it does happen again, I will have to be stronger! Fight it with the strength she believes I have!

The three continued to lie around, taking the break they needed, hoping it would help them in navigating through their troubles. 


***


“They are weird.”

“You can’t say that about a princess!”

Why not, though? It's the truth. 

Rarity and Applejack stared at each other, both not knowing what to do next.

“Rarity, right? You know they do have a point. What you did wasn’t very-“

“I know! No need to rub it in!” Rarity wailed.

"Right… So, do you know something about why we are here?" Applejack asked.

“No,” Rarity responded. “I was fetched by some ponies and brought here. They didn’t specify their reasons.”

Sound like you had it at least better than I did.

Then again. It did result in me receiving the hopefully generous compensation my family needed. 

"I… was brought here as well without being told why," Applejack said.

“But, I mean, essentially, we know now why we are here. We were chosen to wield some artefacts required to defend Equestria. That’s a great honour,” Rarity proclaimed.

I suppose it is.

Although I fail to see how we are going to work with those two.

Especially after our disastrous first meeting.  

"Do you want to play something? The princess did say we should get to know each other." Applejack's eyes had noticed a board game somepony had left on one of the shelves.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” It wasn’t the most enthusiastic answer one could give, but it was enough for Applejack. 

Together they spent the next few hours playing board games and talking about each other's lives.  


*** 


Lying around in the grass isn’t that bad.

At some point, Twilight had cuddled against her. 

It made the experience all the more enjoyable. 

I can’t believe that she would ever turn into such a monster…

Just because I didn’t return her feelings?

No, that couldn’t have been the sole reason. She was sure of it.

When I first met her…

She adored the princess…

She was so misinformed about so many things…

Could it be that this is the reason? Her growing up without an honest pony by her side? A pony she could confide in?

Never realizing the true depth of her feelings?

Trying to follow a noble code she never fully agreed with?

It did seem like something that could make a pony snap. 

She did this to you…

She tried to force you into a life of unhappiness…

Until one day, you couldn't take it anymore.

Rainbow was sure that something along those lines must have happened or at least significantly influenced everything else.

But why wasn’t I there for you!

Could-

You hid it, didn’t you?

It was the final piece of the puzzle she needed. Twilight must have hidden the true depth of her feelings. 

Rainbow was convinced that the alicorn had done so because she would have done the same.

Not only would I have done the same. I already did the exact same thing in Cloudsdale until I, too, couldn't take it anymore.   

Relief filled her. If she had gotten it right, then they wouldn't need to worry anymore since the conditions for Twilight's fall didn't exist anymore. 

It allowed her to cross one of the many things she needed to work through from her list.

Ok, next on the list…

My feelings for her.

I told her that I love her and I want to stand by that. I have seen how things can go between us.

Fury took hold of her. It had all been going magically between them until the princess came, making it complicated. 

We need to get away from here. This place is hurting both of us.

For now, however, this wasn't an option.

Twi made a mistake.

But I have already decided to forgive her for that! Not to mention she regrets what she has done!

And I still care about her. There is no denying that.

Rainbow wasn’t good with feelings. That much she knew. 

It led to the same fear coming up that she had felt the day before.

Is it really love, or am I misinterpreting the signs?

Argh! Stop thinking that! It is love! I am sure about that!

“Dashie?” Twilight got her attention.

“Yes, Twi?” she responded. 

“Do you want to go on a date?” came the unexpected question.

Do I…

"You told me that you would like to make things more romantic between us, and until now, we never had a real opportunity for that," Twilight explained. 

That’s a great idea! 

“Sure, Twi. I would love to!” she exclaimed. 

“Oh, Dashie! It will be so awesome! I will make sure of it!” Twilight imagined all the possibilities of how she would be able to make it unforgettable. 

It also left an opening for Rainbow. “I wouldn’t expect any less, Twi. Why else do my parents pay taxes?”  

It caused her to receive a death glare. “Very funny, Dashie.”

My parents... I should probably tell them I am ok. At least write a letter.

Twilight stood up. "Ok, then it's settled. We will go on a date. But before we do that… You wanted us to fly together, didn't you?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

“You have no idea how much that prospect excites me.” Rainbow swooped in front of Twilight. “All right, Twi. Also, Spike, you may want to look as well, in case those wings of yours ever return.” Both gazed at her, ready to learn how to fly. 

“The most important lesson is that flying is an instinct. We can’t fly because of aerodynamics or anything. We can fly because of the pegasus magic we possess. The same magic you now have as well, Twi… maybe you too, Spike, since you are connected to Twi. 

"So, when in doubt, always try to reach out to the magic inside of you. It will guide you. Never ever doubt that."

Once you have experienced the feeling, a new world will have opened for you.

Just like it did for me.

“All right. Let the magic guide you. I think I can do that,” Twilight stated.

They all say that. Yet, entrusting your life to some supernatural force isn’t so easy.

"Ok, then, why don't you try using your wings?" Rainbow suggested. "Be careful, though. For now, all we want to do is enable you to get a rough feeling for those new wings of yours. Try to hold a position close above the ground."

Should it go awry, I will catch you.

"I will do my best, Dashie.” Twilight tried flapping her wings, yet she didn’t manage to gain altitude. 

“You have to trust the magic inside of you. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. For some reason, it doesn't lend aid to those who doubt it," Rainbow told her.

I wonder why that is. It doesn’t affect our ability to walk on clouds, only to fly. 

Twilight closed her eyes, wings still flapping frantically.

Next thing she knew, she found herself in the air higher than anticipated, only for her to fall into Rainbow's hooves.

Just like I said.

I will catch you.

"Don't worry, Twi. It happens to all of us. The moment you find yourself in the air, fear overtakes your faith. It will get better in time," but Rainbow quickly realized that Twilight wasn't listening, instead choosing to cuddle with her “saviour”.

It wasn’t that high…

She chuckled.

I guess being flown around is nice as well…

She totally has to return the favour once she has learned how to do so.

She returned Twilight to the ground, not letting her escape her lesson.

“Try again, Twi. This time be more careful with your wings. Even slow flapping will allow you to take off, thanks to our magic. Also, don’t doubt it or falling will be inevitable,” she halted.

Believe. 

Is that why I believe in you? Because flying has taught me so?

Believing in something can be a blessing as well as a curse. If you choose the right things to believe in, your reward will be great. But like Twilight had shown with her belief in the princess, a wrong choice will only make the fall that much harder.

The alicorn slowly increased the flapping of her wings, hovering above the ground. 

Not bad. 

“Well done, Twi. Now try to slowly gain altitude. This will allow you to get used to heights. 

“Just remember, if you feel uncomfortable, you can always call for me to bring you down again. Also, I will be there to catch you again should you lose control,” Rainbow promised. 

Hopefully, she won't fail on purpose just for me to do that.

She grinned at the thought. 

Carefully Twilight flew higher and higher. 

Hmm, that’s higher than I thought she would feel comfortable with.

Just as she thought that Twilight disappeared into a cloud.

Instantly Rainbow flew after her, desperately trying to restore her view. 

Following her were two Pegasus guards who had watched the spectacle, internally cursing themselves that they hadn’t thought of flying with the young princess.

Is she…

All three were stunned when they saw Twilight bouncing around in the cloud, examining it.

"This is so awesome! I didn't have the time to appreciate it last time!" She threw herself into it, savouring the fluffiness, rolling around the cloud.

Seems like the way I speak is infecting her.

The guards were at a loss. The princess was definitely not supposed to be up here, exposed like that. Yet, they knew how much new fliers enjoyed their first time on a cloud. 

In the end, they chose to let it go, not ruining the princess's moment. 

I was born on clouds. I never had this first moment on one…

The thought filled Rainbow with regret. She never appreciated them, but seeing Twilight, she felt like she should have.

The young princess stopped. “Dashie, how do I get down again? We shouldn’t leave Spike-“

You are right. We shouldn’t leave him alone.

Rainbow swopped her up, returning her to the ground once again. 

And once again, Twilight cuddles herself against her. 

Seems like you enjoy this even more than the clouds up there…

Hopefully, you, learning to fly doesn't mean that I can't carry you around anymore.

That thought stung.

“You did great, Twi,” Rainbow praised her. “Next on the list would be manoeuvring.”

This is where it becomes complicated. Faith alone will not get you through this one.

“It's hard, Twi. So, don’t be disappointed if you don’t manage to get it down today,” she warned her.

“Understood, Dashie. What do I need to do?” Twilight looked at her expectantly.

How do I explain this?

"First, you lift yourself off the ground again." The young alicorn did just that. "Don't take this lightly, Twi! Most accidents happen during this part!” Her forceful warning was received with questioning eyes. “Your goal is to move around. To achieve this, you must, among other things, adjust the speed of your two wings according to the direction. Additionally, you will have to steer your body in the direction as well.” Rainbow signalled for Twilight to wait. “The problem is that fliers oftentimes lose control, not managing to correctly differentiate the speed of their wings." 

I still remember how many times I crashed.

Carefully Twilight tried to fly to the right, but just as Rainbow cautioned her, she immediately began to sway around unstably.

Not too bad. She didn’t immediately kiss the ground.

For a few minutes, Twilight continued to wobble around in the air until she tried to regain control with more force.

"Look, Spike. Seems like Twi made beginner mistake number one. Let's try to save her, shall we?" Rainbow picked Spike up and flew towards Twilight, who had immediately lost control once she let her anger out on her wings, dangling around the air, completely lost, moments away from crashing.  

Rainbow caught her once again in time. "Don't worry, Twi. A bit more training, and you will become an expert in no time," she assured her. 

Twilight panted. Flying had strained her and her untrained wings. “Dashie, this was fun and all, but can we take a break? There are still some books I need to take care of. Also, I need to ask the princess for permission if we want to go out on a date."

Asking the warden if she will let us out.

"Sure, Twi. I know that using those wings for the first time can be taxing. Let me take Spike to the library so that you can visit her." Both ponies made their way to their destination. 


***


This was… peaceful.

I hope we can have more of these moments. Just being ourselves, no worries, no fears... just us.

Twilight had been going around the castle guided by a guard. They had nearly reached Princess Celestia's study when a yellow pegasus prevented them from entering. 

“You are Twilight Sparkle,” the pegasus whispered.

I know my name, thank you.

"I am. Can I help you?" she asked.

"Can you please tell me where Rainbow is? That is if you don't mind?" Once again, the pegasus was barely audible.  

“I am sorry, who are you?” Twilight responded, not wanting to give that information to a stranger.

The yellow filly looked embarrassed for having forgotten to introduce herself. "I am so sorry! I am Fluttershy, her friend.”

That’s Fluttershy?

"Nice to meet you. If you stay around for any longer, you will probably hear ponies refer to me as princess Twilight Sparkle, but since you are a friend of Rainbow, I insist that you just call me Twilight," she told her cheerfully. 

Fluttershy, however, immediately shrunk back at hearing the word princess. 

She also realized that Princess Celestia had deceived her. After all, you don't become a princess out of nowhere. Or an alicorn, for that matter.

This is really getting annoying. Just because I am a princess doesn’t mean that ponies have to treat me like that.

Then again, I wouldn't want to risk anything either knowing the Constitution. 

"You don't have to be afraid of me," she tried to assure Fluttershy. "I am just a filly like you. Also, Rainbow and I are marefriends, so I would probably get in trouble with her if I were to hurt-“

“You are marefriends!” the yellow filly exclaimed. “I mean… how? Or when?” She didn’t even think that Rainbow swung that way. Or that a pony existed who would ever be able to steal her heart, for that matter.

But then, another thought invaded her mind. "Did she… did she run off with you?"

Oh dear… How should I answer that?

Twilight felt the need to defend Rainbow. “She did. We fled together from the guard. They were after us for fabricated reasons.”

Rainbow's parents had been correct. That much was clear to Fluttershy now. “There never was any dark magic, was there?” 

I nearly forgot. Princess Celestia did kind of assassinate our character. 

“There wasn’t,” Twilight confirmed. 

Fluttershy's face fell. It more and more seemed that Sneak had been right about most of his statements. 

The door opened, revealing a surprised Celestia. 

Before anypony could say anything, Twilight went in, closing the door again.

“Hello, Twilight. What can I do for you.”

You could let me go.

You could let my parents go.

You could apologize for everything you have done.

“I want to go on a date with Rainbow. And while we are at it, I would like to show her Canterlot.” Twilight almost insisted. 

Celestia contemplated her request. “Very well. If you want to have fun with her, I am not going to deny you that. You will, however, have to take guards with you.”

Of course. I didn’t expect anything different.

“You can go around Canterlot all you want and buy everything you want. The merchants are instructed to bill the crown afterwards. Just have fun. Your position does come with privileges, after all," Celestia encouraged her.

I already noticed.

“About that… How come we can afford all that? Gems for Spike. A giant castle. An army of guards. Expensive décor…”

The older princess hesitated. “Twilight, we… there are certain rules…

"Money is power," was the answer Celestia settled on. "As sole rulers, the treasury is our personal bank account. That doesn't mean we can abuse it. Let the money run out, and a revolution will break out within minutes.

"What it does mean, however, is that we can make decisions, from time to time, that benefit us. After all, we too have a right to be rewarded for our work," was the quick rundown Twilight received. 

I guess I already knew that much.

“How much do we have right now?” she asked casually. 

In response, Celestia began sweating. "About…."

“I am sorry, I didn’t get that.” 

“About…”

“Could you please talk loud enough for me to understand?”

“About 80 billion bits.”

What!

The! 

Buck!

“80 billion bits! How is that even possible! Did the tax rate get raised to a hundred percent while I wasn’t looking!” Twilight just couldn’t fathom where those numbers had come from.

“I did have many years to save. Also, we did make some cuts here and there while also raising the tax-“

“For what purpose!” Twilight interrupted.

“…”

She doesn’t even know! 

Or it was an answer the princess didn't want to give, but that thought didn't cross Twilight's mind at the moment. 

80 billion bits, yet she doesn’t know what to use them for!

“Setting the government budget is a really complicated-“

"How high is the surplus this year?" Once again, she interrupted the older princess.

"About 100 million bits," Celestia responded.

I can’t believe this.

“What about investing! Even I know the terrible state of our infrastructure!

“Or how about unemployment insurance!

“Expanding the health care system!

“Investing in public services!

“You know I could go on for ages!” The outrage just wouldn’t let go of Twilight.

“It is not the duty of the crown to waste money on handouts-“

"Handouts! Handouts! Handouts!" Each time her voice got louder. "How is infrastructure spending a handout! Or investing in the education system! I heard rumours that some towns don't even have schools!" 

"…They can hire private educators." Celestia had spoken the words, but even she didn't believe them. It was hard to do so when you knew that only the poor towns didn't have schools.

This!

Is!

Ridiculous!

“Fine! Keep your treasure-"

"If you want, we can change the budget," the older princess quickly proposed, trying to calm her daughter down. 

I…

Change the budget?

“You would let me do that?” Twilight could barely believe it.

“Sure. As long as a surplus remains.

"Be warned, though. I didn't lie when I said that it is a complicated matter." Celestia was happy. It looked like her plan for reforms was about to make an early debut.

And that Twilight was willing to go along with it. "Sure. I would be happy to do that. Thank you." The little filly may have been still suspicious, but she wasn't about to waste the opportunity. 

Celestia smiled. Her offer had seemingly been a full success. "I look forward to it. Now in case we don't see each other today anymore, I wish you lots of fun with Rainbow."  

Twilight left the room.


*** 


Rainbow has a marefriend. 

An alicorn princess marefriend.

Fluttershy could barely believe it.

Twilight did seem nice.

She was happy for her, even if she couldn't explain how it happened.

Rainbow always seemed troubled. Hopefully, this will help her.

Help her more than I managed to help her.

The thought filled her with sadness. She never managed to get through to Rainbow. The relationship between them was simply too strained.

Too strained from the previous history between them.

She suffered.

Suffered with nopony able or willing to help.

Even Rainbow's parents always thought she was just standing up for her friend when she tried to explain her concerns. 

Unable to see what was right in front of them.

If only I had been more assertive. 

The door opened. 

Twilight turned towards her. “Come visit us in the library once you are done.”

Then she left.

Did I…

Did I just make a new friend?

A princess, no less?

A real genuine ali-

“Please come in, Fluttershy." Celestia was standing at the door, waiting for her.

Here goes nothing.

She composed herself. There were things she needed to say.

Hopefully, she would find the courage to do so.

“Fluttershy, I have to apologize. Since you have just met my daughter, it is time for me to drop the act,” the princess started.

Oh my…

Twilight is her daughter?

Rainbow is in love with the princess's daughter? 

"I hope you can understand why we did what we did, though. We couldn't allow our enemies to be alerted about her disappearance, or we would have put her in danger. That is why we came up with a cover story that still allowed us to mobilize our forces." 

Once again, Princess Celestia's explanation seemed reasonable on the surface.

It still felt off. 

“My princess, how does Rainbow play into all of this? Why did Twilight run away in the first place?” Fluttershy inquired. 

“Twilight had a vision in which she saw Rainbow. She sought her out and eloped with her.” Unknowingly the princess had just crushed Fluttershy.

I truly failed, didn't I? 

If she felt the need to run away without even giving me any hints, then I clearly wasn't the pony she needed... 

Which is why I got replaced with a pony who is way out of my league... 

But there was still a tiny bit of hope. "Umm. Twilight told me that they fled due to guards being after them for fabricated reasons," she probed. 

"That's… true as well. But they ran off first. The fabrication came later." Celestia quickly quashed the remaining bits of hope Fluttershy had tried to hold onto.

That’s right… It was early morning when I read the newspaper.

The story seemed to check out, with it providing a crucial piece of the puzzle needed to see the whole picture.

"I see you are disappointed. Don't be. They were under a lot of pressure, making a mistake as a result. A mistake they deeply regret," Celestia tried to play down the events. 

Correct! I shouldn't assume before talking to them! 

"As you have probably guessed by now, the reason why I called you was also fabricated. The real reason is, is that you are one of five known and assumed to be six bearers chosen to wield powerful artefacts that are crucial in Equestria's defence. Twilight and Rainbow have been chosen as well. 

"It is my hope that you get to know each other so that you are ready when we need you." 

I can’t…

We are supposed to protect Equestria?

Fear grabbed her. She wasn’t a soldier.

"Don't stress yourself out. You will have much time to prepare," Celestia soothed her. "With that, I don't want to keep you waiting any longer. I think there are some ponies waiting for you.” At least one bearer other than Rainbow Twilight had taken a liking to. It was a start.

“Your majesty. I wanted to address a few other things, if that is ok with you,” Fluttershy meekly informed her. 

Don’t be afraid. She won’t hurt you. 

It annoyed the princess, but she wouldn't show it. "Of course. What is on your mind?"

“The pony you left me with, Sneak-“

"I have ordered his arrest. His behaviour was not only unacceptable but also criminal. Something I will never tolerate." Without Celestia noticing, anger had infected her voice.

He… he really will be punished?

It surprised Fluttershy since Sneak was so confident he would get away scot-free.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Celestia asked. 

Just one more thing. You can do this, Fluttershy. For them.

"The guard in Dodge City seems to be in horrible shape, barely functioning. I think they should receive more funding, including a higher salary. That is if you don't mind, your majesty," she asked with a wavering voice.

Celestia minded. Very much, in fact. 

She answered regardless. "I know that there are many unnecessary guard stations out there. We are going to close them soon, concentrating the funding on better-equipped, more central ones." 

She is going to… fire them?

Fluttershy felt awful for the poor guards. “But my princess? What will happen to them?” 

“There are many other opportunities for them out there. The crown simply can’t afford to waste taxpayer money on unnecessary expenditures.”

Again it seemed like a reasonable statement.

On the surface.

“But shouldn’t a guard station be a fundamental public service in each town? Where should ponies go if something happens?" Unintentionally, she had caught the princess off guard.

“Fluttershy, Equestria is a safe country. You don't have to worry about that. Studies show that in most small towns, the guard is called less than three times per month, mostly just aiding in other tasks," a flustered Celestia justified her decision.

What about those three times, then?

Yet, Fluttershy's courage had left her. She wasn’t about to argue with the princess. 

Instead, she bowed in front of her. “Thank you for listening to my concerns, my princess.” 

“It was a pleasure, Fluttershy,” Celestia lied.

The pegasus turned around, making her way to the library.

If she managed to find it, that is. 


***


I wonder what she has done to the statue…

Discord, right?

She can’t just destroy him, right?

It was unfortunate that she had forgotten to ask the princess about his fate.

"Her heart may have been broken, but her hope was shining all the brighter for it. 

"The ponies may not have been able to see their true self, yet somewhere out there was a place for them. She was sure of it. All they needed to do was leave this place that had brought them so much pain. If only she could convince Mother of it."

Seems like Rainbow has decided to read that book once more.

I wonder how she got it again.

"And one day, when they had found that place when they had crafted the country of their dreams, a place they could genuinely call home, they would return. 

“They would return and show the ponies just how wrong they had been.

“They would return not for revenge, but to extend forgiveness, finally ending the circle of violence between them.”

This is just sad. Poor Skylar. No wonder Chrysalis was angered by Dashie bringing up the book.

This isn’t fiction. This is her life experience.

A dream that was brutally crushed.

"Equipped with gifts, as well as presentations about their culture, they would make the ponies realize that they weren't lesser beings. That they weren't parasites that needed to be exterminated for the protection of ponykind.

"The ponies would be sceptical at first, but they would guide them around the country they had built for themselves.

"Not to make them jealous but to present them with the evidence they had always demanded.

"In the end, it would word. It had to work! She could already see it! A future of peace and harmony between them!

“And maybe, just maybe, once the ponies had accepted them, the rest of the world would then be able to accept them as well.

“A bright future was awaiting them. 

“All they needed to do was seize it.”

Skylar may not have been able to see that future, but that doesn’t mean that it will never come true.

Rainbow closed the book, turning around to face her. “Hi, Twi. What did she say?”

“She gave us her permission, surprisingly,” Twilight responded. “I see that the book has quite captivated you?”

“It is really sad, yet also quite fascinating. The insight it gives one into the changelings…

"Twi, I made the mistake of looking at the last page. This book was supposed to be only the first half. She wanted to write a continuation once her dream had become true." For a moment, Rainbow had trouble holding back tears. If the book was accurate, something she did believe, then the changelings, indeed, were just like them. Yet, society had condemned them to a life of pain and suffering.

Or, more accurately, Princess Celestia, as well as Princess Luna, had done so.

"It is always a tragedy when one doesn't live to see one's dream come true. Especially when it is such a beautiful dream like this one.

“That she also wasn’t able to complete her work of art is just cruel,” Twilight agreed. 

"But, Twi," Rainbow mustered her expectantly. "What is stopping you from changing it right now? Wouldn't the Constitution allow you to do that? Why not make a decree recognizing them as citizens?"

I could do that, right?

Could it be that easy?

She contemplated Rainbow's suggestion, playing the scenarios out in her head. "It wouldn't work," was the conclusion she settled on. "Yes, I could do that. However, there is nothing that would stop Princess Celestia from revoking it again, with a new decree, creating an endless spiral of decrees."

I wonder if they overlooked that scenario or if it was written like that on purpose.

"Furthermore, Princess Celestia holds way more political power than I do. A decree doesn't enforce itself, and I doubt anypony would listen to me over her,” Twilight reasoned. 

I could, however, at least bring it up. 

And I should probably give her the opportunity to explain her side of the story. Surely they didn't act so cruelly for no reason whatsoever, right?

"That sucks, but you are probably right, Twi," Rainbow sighed. "Now, let's address this tower of books in front of me." She motioned to about 200 books that lay in front of her. "You know the librarian told me that she is still waiting for more books that are being sent from other libraries around the country and that there are even more books on the topic in the forbidden section of the archives that she doesn't have access to."

The forbidden section of the archives! If any information about how to gain immortality exists, it has to be there! 

I don't think, though, that she will let me get access to them.

“I have seen worse, Dashie. A few all-nighters and I will have dealt with those books in no time,” Twilight assured her. “By the way, I met Fluttershy. She is here in the castle.” 

“…Fluttershy is here?” Rainbow stuttered. 

“Yes, and you know what? Not only do I think that she is a bearer as well, but I also have to say that she seems really nice," she happily told her.

Unlike Applejack and Rarity.

Twilight grabbed the first book, checking if it met her criteria.

I need books telling me how to gain immortality or how to ascend a pony. Not some philosophical contemplations about those aspects.

I also don’t need historical accounts.

Quickly she sorted out a bunch of books.

Still, a sizeable number remained.  

All right. About 60. That will definitely take a few days. 

“Dashie?” Twilight turned back to her.

Rainbow had panic written all over her. “Twi! I can’t face her! I abandoned her!”

You do seem to take loyalty very seriously. I wonder why? Because of your old "friends", maybe? 

“Dashie.” Twilight soothed her. “You were hurting. I am sure she understands why you did what you did.” 

“I suffered, all right! Yet, she suffered as well! I ran away, thinking only about myself, knowing that it would only increase her suffering!” Now she would have to face her friend, either lying to her or admitting to her betrayal.  

You are just a filly. You shouldn’t have to burden yourself with these things…

We shouldn’t have to burden ourselves with them.

“Dashie… In a perfect world, you would have stayed by her side, yes. But in a perfect world, you wouldn't have faced those problems in the first place.

“Our world isn’t perfect. What use would staying by her side have been if it would have broken you?" Twilight tried her best to conince Rainbow that she shouldn’t blame herself.  

“I don’t know Twi…” the Pegasus responded. “I just don’t know.”

Poor Dashie. 

Anger grabbed Twilight.

Anger at the ponies who hurt her angel. 

I will find every single pony who hurt you.

I will find them and make them feel the same pain you felt. 

Yet, for now, there was another task at hoof. A task she didn't want to delay any longer.

“Are you really going to read all those books, Twi?” Rainbow still had trouble believing that she would be able to work through all of them without dying of boredom. 

“Every single one, Dashie. After all, I have a pony to ascend, don't I?" With that, Twilight began reading. 

"You are too good for me, Twi…." Rainbow gave her a smile. The purple filly really was determined to make her immortal. 

Make her immortal without demanding anything in return, not even expecting her to help.

Rainbow looked at the little Spike on her lap. The dragon looked eager to hear the rest of the story.

Happily, she began reading it to him.  


***


I just noticed. I am actually reading a book.

I am reading a book in public!

It made her feel… free.

Rainbow had always liked reading. Not the boring school books, of course, but the many great ones that were out there. However, the ponies she associated with didn't. With them, the best you could read without being made fun of were comics. 

And when they turned their back on me, I couldn’t even read those anymore. 

It had resulted in her just giving up on reading, except when she couldn't avoid it.

That is until she picked up the book back at the hive.

I didn’t even think about it! I just did it out of instinct! 

The thought that Twi could look down on me for that didn't cross my mind at all!

To be fair, Twilight didn’t look like the pony who would judge anypony for reading. Still, she couldn’t ignore it.

Being near Twi has enabled me to be myself-

Spike began kicking around, demanding for Rainbow to finally continue reading.

There were still a good number of pages left.


*** 


“It had been custom for queens up until mother took reign to watch their children closely. To use the hivemind to monitor their every thought, constantly spying on what they were doing, even taking them over if deemed necessary. But not with Mother. Mother had always granted her children a significant amount of leeway.

“Mother had always granted her a significant amount of leeway.

"And for the first time, she would take advantage of that." Rainbow could already guess what would come next from what Chrysalis had told them.

"She turned around, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. 

"In it, she no longer saw a princess. She saw a queen.

"A queen that would not only lead her subjects to a new future but also make her mother proud.

“Even if she would have to defy her in the process.”

"Umm, excuse me… Hi, Rainbow." Rainbow and Twilight's heads shot up. In front of them stood Fluttershy. “I am sorry for taking so long… I was too scared to ask for directions.”

Celestia dammit, Fluttershy! We have been reading for hours now!

“No problem, Fluttershy. I am so happy to see you,” Rainbow lied. 

“…”

“…”

Twilight jumped in. “Dashie has told me so much about you! It truly is an honour to meet you.” The words had been genuine. Rainbow may have had her issues with Fluttershy thanks to their backstory, but from the accounts she had given to Twilight, it became clear that Fluttershy was the pony who had set Rainbow on the right path, intentional or not.

Without her, Rainbow might very well still be in Cloudsdale, trying to pretend to be somepony she wasn’t. 

“Umm, thank you?” Fluttershy was taken aback by the purple alicorn. 

Seems like Twi really has taken a liking to her. 

I can see why…

It made Rainbow feel much, much worse. Seeing Fluttershy again made her realize just how wrong she probably was when she accused the pegasus of trying to take advantage of her.

Luckily, I kept those thoughts to myself.

“Spike! You found Spike!” Fluttershy shouted. “I was so worried about him! Can I pet him?” she begged with big eyes.

That’s the Fluttershy I know. Animals truly have a special place in her heart.
He isn’t just some animal, though.

"You know him?” Rainbow and Twilight said simultaneously, earning a giggle from the little dragon.

“Princess Celestia introduced me to him when I accompanied her to the Badlands.” Her face fell. “I-I freaked out when he coughed up blood, allowing him to be abducted.” 

I never thought about how Isabella managed to bring him to us.

“It’s all right, Fluttershy,” Twilight assured her. “If you hadn’t allowed for him to be abducted, then he might very well be dead by now.” It was another thing Twilight would be forever grateful for.

Fluttershy, however, only seemed confused by the statement.

Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other, trying to determine who would continue.

In the battle of stares, Rainbow emerged victorious. "Spike is-“

Ok… this is weird to say out loud.

She did so regardless. “Our son.”

Fluttershy's mouth hung open.

“I hatched him,” Twilight explained. There was no need to tell her that she created life. After all, that was still considered a crime.

Even if nopony would be able to hold her accountable.

“Oh… I see. I am so sorry for not realizing that. Can I… hold the little one? Please?” Fluttershy begged once again, eyes now even more desperate. “He looks so cute!”

Looks like you already stole her heart, Spike.

“Sure,” both agreed, with Twilight a bit more hesitant than Rainbow. After all, she didn’t know Fluttershy as well as Rainbow.

Spike was handed carefully to the yellow filly, who immediately hugged the little dragon closely. He may have been annoyed that, once again, the story was interrupted, but Spike did enjoy the influx of attention he received.  

We have to find a better balance with him. Make him a proper part of our life and not just some add-on.

If not…

If not, Twi will have a rude awakening. He will only accept our lack of attention for him for so long.

It made Rainbow's heart ache. Twilight obviously wanted to take care of Spike, yet she also wanted to try a relationship while at the same time looking for a way to make her immortal.

It was too much. Along the way, she would inevitably neglect at least one of those things.

Not to mention that we may be too young to take care of him in the first place…

What if we… hurt him?

What if we…

She began to tremble. For a moment, doubt overtook her. 

My parents always took care of me! They were always there for me! Yet-

Yet, it didn’t matter.

Fluttershy and Twilight were staring at her.

We can do this! Sure, we may have multiple disadvantages, but that’s life! Nothing is set in stone! 

What assurances did they have that another pony would indeed take better care of Spike? 

Who else would love him as much as they did?

Why would a stranger care more for Spike than they did?

The thought seemed more and more ridiculous.  

We care for him! We love him!

We will be there for him…

We won’t abandon him.

“Dashie? Why are you crying?” Twilight nuzzled her.

"Do you think we can do this, Twi? Are you convinced we are the best choice of parents for him?" Rainbow may have decided for herself, but Twilight's opinion on the matter was just as important.

The answer came quicker than anticipated. “Of-“

Which meant it wasn’t the answer Rainbow was looking for. “Twi, I want you to seriously entertain the idea. For his sake.” 

Silence reigned. Both could see Spike trying to reach for them, fearful that they might decide to give up on him, making Fluttershy work overtime to soothe him, shooting them glances and silently begging for help. 

But this wasn’t about what he wanted. This was about what would be best for him. And needing to think about the answer to that question, they were unable to help Fluttershy. 

Finally, Twilight spoke up again. “There are definitely ponies out there more suitable to take care of him.” 

It was obvious what she was going to say next.

It was obvious because Spike had stopped struggling, big, thankful eyes staring at Twilight.

You two have a connection. There is no doubt about that.

Rainbow, on the other hoof, received death glares.

I deserve this. I brought this up.

"They may be more experienced. They may be able to provide him with a more stable environment. Some might even say that they will protect his innocent mind from us.

“Make him grow up in a proper family, you know…

"After all, a child needs a mother and a father, not two mothers, to properly develop."

Twilight had spoken the words casually. There was no resentment in her voice. 

But they are wrong, right?

We know they are wrong, Twi! They must be!

“Dashie, until you have opened my eyes, I would have agreed. Now, however, I know better. Thanks to you, I can properly understand many aspects of my vision that have previously eluded me.

“They have changed me.

“Changed me for the worst in some areas.

"Not in this one. I never told you about Spike in regards to my vision, did I?" Nopony would be able to stop her anymore. Twilight had her speech already planned out in her head, and she would complete it.

You haven’t.

“I just tried to remember the relationship I had with him in my vision. 

"I didn't realize it before, but until I learned about his existence back in the hive, I didn't even think about him. He wasn't an important part of my vision. He wasn't my son. He was just there.

"I didn't raise him for a substantial part of his life. 

“Honestly, I don’t even know who did. I think Celestia did so herself, but it is also possible that she let somepony else tend to the task. 

“I visited him, though. Spent time together with him.

“In the end, we were more like siblings.” Rage had gripped Twilight.

Spike being your little brother is cute? Would it really be such an-

“I was a moron! An idiot! Not only did I allow them to steal my son, but I also failed to realize that they didn’t even care about him in the slightest! Viewed him more as a pet than a pony.” Even if Twilight incorrectly referred to Spike as a pony, in the heat of the moment, she had been more than able to bring her message across.

I see. Then it's settled. We will take care of-

Still, Twilight wasn’t finished. “They couldn’t even be bothered to… to…

"Actually, I can't recall that part right now," She admitted, defeated. The young alicorn was enraged, partly for reasons she couldn't even remember. "What I can recall right now, however, is that I let their behaviour infect me.

"He should have been my little brother, but when they stepped out of our life, it was already too late. By then, I had let them corrupt my relationship with him into one that was more like a relationship between a mistress and her slave… 

“I don’t think it ever recovered from that…

“I don’t think it mattered…

"They had ensured he as well wasn't in a state of mind to realize how wrong it was… 

"At least for a very long time..."

He isn’t a pony.

It doesn’t matter to us.

We love him anyway.

But others might not feel that way.

“That’s awful,” Fluttershy whispered.  

I nearly forgot. She is still here.

“It is,” Twilight agreed. “It happened once. It can happen again. 

“At least if we give him away.  

“But we won’t do that. I, and I hope you can say the same, Dashie, would rather die. He is our son! Nothing will change that! We love him! We will take care of him!”

We will, Twi. We will, Twi.

“Sure, we may be young and inexperienced. 

“We are going to make mistakes. That’s inevitable. 

"Other ponies might pounce on that, trying to stir up doubt within us, claiming that that's evidence of us being unsuitable."

I don't think so. Not with the princess backing you.

“Don’t let that get to you, Dashie. We know better. We will learn. We will improve. 

“We will be the best parents for him.

"Because we love you, Spike." Twilight had walked forward, gifting the little dragon with a kiss on his forehead. "In the end, that's all that matters." 

The speech was finished, and her viewpoint had been made more than clear. 

Nopony would be able to change it.

Was she correct, though?

Could the two fillies raise the little dragon properly?

It didn’t matter. 

It didn't matter because, by now, neither Twilight nor Rainbow doubted it.

And with Twi as a princess, the naysayers can all go kick sand.

“You know, Twi, that was a beautiful speech, but a yes would have been more than enough. I was of the same opinion anyway,” Rainbow revealed. 

“Then why question it in the first place?” Twilight asked.

"Because your opinion on it matters as well," was the response. "After all, it is a serious question."

I am glad, though, that we see eye to eye. I don't know if I could have lived with myself if we had decided to abandon him just for a stranger to raise him in our stead. 

Or worse, the princess.  

“Dashie, if I had agreed to give him away and it wouldn't have resulted in you beating me to death, then I would have been massively disappointed." Twilight had meant those words. There was no question about it.

I will have to remember that. Hurting Spike is definitely just as much of a valid strategy to get in her bad books as hurting me is.

I wonder what would happen if I were to hurt him? 

Nah, scratch that. There is no need to find that out.

“If I may say so, you two seem like great parents for him,” Fluttershy caught their attention again. 

Hmm. She seems livelier than usual.

“Thank you so much,” Twilight grinned. Being validated always felt great.

She wants to ask something.

I can feel it.

Barely audible, the expected question came. "Did you run away, Rainbow?"

She knows.

“Fluttershy, I told you that-“

“I am not mad, Rainbow. You don’t have to lie to me… 

“You know I wouldn’t blame you, right?” Interrupting Twilight. It was not something Fluttershy had wanted to do, but it was necessary. 

Of course, you would blame me!

Don’t act like you wouldn’t!

“Fluttershy, I am telling you. Dashie didn’t intend to abandon you.” Twilight lied through her teeth. The tone made it clear that any retort would put the yellow pegasus in dangerous territory. “Stop making her feel bad.”

"I- I- I didn't mean to…."

Why are you fighting this battle for me, Twi?

The alicorn wasn’t finished. “Rainbow even wanted to go back for you, but I had to convince her otherwise. It simply was too dangerous with the guard after us.”   

Twi...

“Rainbow, I am so sorry for doubting you.” Fluttershy turned towards her, having fully bought into Twilight's lies. "Can you forgive me?"  

She is making herself look bad just so that I can avoid facing the consequences of my actions! 

There is no way I am going to allow that!

"She lied, Flutters," Rainbow admitted. "She lied to shield me."

Twilight's face fell for a second, worried that her well-meant attempt to protect her had backfired.

“I hope you can forgive me,” Rainbow turned to worried filly, seeking guidance.

Happily, she flashed her an encouraging smile, signalling to the troubled pegasus that she had done the right thing.

Who needs Fluttershy anyway? 

Sure, I may have lost her, but Twi and Spike are still with me.

“Twilight, you didn’t need to do that for her. I meant what I said. I am not mad at her,“ Fluttershy insisted. "I merely wanted to understand what was going on so that I could be there for her if necessary. I mean… Rainbow, you were gone for such a short amount of time, and now you are a completely different pony."

I am, am I not?

A better pony.

Without Twilight demanding it, I have changed.

“Rainbow, we both know how bad the bullying has gotten. I don’t blame you for wanting to get away. Why can’t you see that?” Fluttershy felt like crying. It was obvious. All her attempts to get through to Rainbow had failed. In five minutes with Twilight, she had probably built a bigger trust bond between them than she had managed in five years with Rainbow. 

Because!

I!

Abandoned!

You!

“Dashie, don’t make this so hard for yourself,” Twilight whispered in her ear. “You want to be forgiven. She wants to forgive you.

“Both of you can be happy.”

Both?

I… Am I hurting her by blaming myself?

Ever since the day she had saved her, Fluttershy had tried everything to become friends with her.

But Rainbow had never truly let them become friends, too troubled by the past they had shared.

“I am sorry, Fluttershy. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just had trouble believing that you would forgive me for that.” There was still a mountain of things they needed to work through. 

But the first step was done.

“Rainbow, I do. Please don’t question that.” Fluttershy assured her again.

Heh. You are reminding me of Twi there. 

Speaking of which.

“Look at the time, Twi. How about we go visit Canterlot like we planned earlier?" she suggested. She was happy that they had sorted out their differences, but some fresh air, as well as room to breathe, couldn't hurt. 

“Sure, Dashie. Can you go ahead and fetch a few guards to accompany us? The princess insisted on us taking some with us. I  will find a pony to take care of Spike.”

“Sure thing.” Rainbow sped off.


*** 


“What’s the matter, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, now that Rainbow was gone.

I wonder how Dashie managed to overlook the signs she gave me of wanting to speak alone. 

Fluttershy's face had turned red. Now that she could actually speak with Twilight alone, her courage had left her.

“Fluttershy, please. There is no need to be afraid,” she assured her.

“How did you do it?” the pegasus whispered. “That is if you don’t mind answering.”

I see.

"It just clicked. Right place, right time. The universe truly was kind to me." Twilight explained. 

Not to mention the many bonding moments our little adventure enabled us to have. 

"I… I tried so hard! I did everything I could! Why... Just why..." 

Twilight felt pity for the yellow filly.

The universe can be cruel...

“I am sorry to hear. It wasn’t my intention to take her away from you.” 

Yet, I have no doubt I would have done so regardless.

"But why...

"Why you..."

Why me?

Why me, indeed? Why did I have this vision?

Why was I gifted with the pony of my dreams?

Why did she just fall into my lap without me having to do anything?

“Fluttershy, you helped her more than both of you may realize," Twilight eased her worries. "It makes me happy to hear that Dashie has another pony looking out for her, even if she still needs some time to recognise that."

Fluttershy flashed her a smile. Maybe the purple alicorn was right. She hadn't been able to help Rainbow like she had wanted to, but that didn't mean that she accomplished nothing, right?

"Do you want me to take care of Spike while you are gone?" she suggested. 

Dashie did seem to trust you, and I am not on the best terms with Cadence right now…

“If you would be willing to do that?” Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you, that's very kind of you. We will be back in the evening to fetch him. And don't worry about us finding you. The guards will tell us where you are."

The Pegasus looked around. Indeed, there they were. 

Scary, right? 

“All right, have fun,” a now frightened Fluttershy wished her. 

But before Twilight left, there was another thing she needed to do.

“Don’t worry, Spike. She will take good care of you, or else she wouldn’t be friends with Dashie. We will be back in the evening,” Twilight gave him another kiss. 

To her relief, Spike seemed to not hold any ill will for being left out of their date.

We will have to visit Canterlot tomorrow with him to make it up.

Slowly she walked after Rainbow, glancing over her shoulder multiple times, trying to make sure that the yellow filly would indeed take good care of Spike. 


***


She had done her best to make her way to the border as quickly as she could. The detour she needed to take to avoid the Badlands meant that she had to travel through the Hayseed Swamps.

I arrived here quicker than I thought.

It was a small victory. One that left her body feeling weak.

It made her doubt that she would survive the trip.

I just need to run!

As soon as I am in Equestria, I am safe. There I can visit a hospital. 

Here, however, there were dangerous plants, beasts and quite possibly bat pony patrols.

All of these things could mean the end for her.

Instinctively, she grabbed her knife.

I can do this!

I can do this!

I-

Is that a fireplace? During daytime?

She could see a bit of smoke in the distance. 

It could only mean one thing. 

Travellers!

I am saved… hopefully.

Quickly she darted over, making more noise than she would have wanted in the process. But the prospect of a warm meal made her forget her training. 

There it is! A fireplace! Food! 

…no ponies?

"If you move, you are dead. This is a lethal gun. Courtesy of-“

Training kicked in again, resulting in her hind legs kicking the other pony while her head darted out of the way. 

A shoot echoed. 

Ears rang.

Come on! You have to take her out before she recovers from your kick. 

Her arching body forced itself up. With her knife, she darted at the other mare.

It gave her enough time to analyse her opponent. 

Equestrian Armed Forces. I don’t recognize the department, but she clearly has a high-ranking position. 

I must take her out before her subordinates return!

The other mare, however, wouldn't make it easy for her. Quickly the mare darted out of the way, only barely avoiding the poisonous knife. 

What am I doing here! 

She remembered why she had come here in the first place. To flee to Equestria. Not to attack. 

But by now, it was too late. She needed the food as well as the medicine her opponent may have.

And she had a feeling that asking would no longer work.

Dark magic! If I want to win, I must use dark magic!

The moment of surprise had worn off. The unicorn she faced was bound to use spells any moment now.

She would have to be quicker.

Quickly she thought about all the suffering she had to go through during her short life.

A ball of dark magic wailed towards the unicorn.

That’s what you deserve, you mindless servant of the sun!

Enchantments activated. The dark magic was dispelled.

How-

Another shot echoed. 


***


This is starting to get to me.

Ever since Twilight ran away, she had been working overtime. Despite that, the mountain of work she had to work through seemed to get bigger by the second.

The ponies rose from their seats.

It was time to address parliament.

“My Lords and Ladies of Parliament. I thank you all for coming on such short notice."

Celestia saw Cadence sitting in the front row next to Prince of Parliament Blueblood Senior.

Bestowing their speaker with that title, despite the confusion it caused. A rare insult Parliament managed to get away with due to her having bigger problems to deal with at the time. 

It became annoying, though, when rumours spread that the Blueblood family was, in fact, related to her.

I will have to put them in their place eventually.

She continued with her speech. Cadence sitting next to Blueblood wasn’t a good sign, but in the end, she had no doubt about where the loyalty of the nobles lay. "These last few days have been turbulent. Rare outliners in the centuries of peace we have been gifted with."

All the attention was on here. Everypony was awaiting her explanation.

A more believable one than the one the newspapers had printed. 

An explanation they, as nobles, would receive since they could be more trusted than the common pony. 

“Enemies of Equestria have dared to show their face again.”

Commotion broke out. The implications were clear. 

“Peace has made us weak.

“Peace has allowed us to divert funding away from our armed forces to other projects.

“Projects that benefited everypony at the expense of our security.

“No longer can we afford this.”

Fear gripped everypony in the room, even her guards. This sounded more and more like a declaration of war.

A war nopony wanted.

They could only hope this included the princess as well.

“My Lords and Ladies of Parliament. Ten years ago, I gave birth to my daughter." 

Another shock.

But not as many ponies were shocked as Celestia had expected.

You told them, Cadence.

You meddled. 

If you did what I think you did, you will pay dearly. Nopony will deny Twilight her birthright.

"I kept the existence of Princess Twilight a secret."

Dominos fell into place.

The filly the princess had been looking for, like a madmare, was her daughter.

Yet, it also caused a ton of new questions to appear. 

"I wished I could have taken care of her myself, but as your princess, this luxury was denied to me. After all, I couldn't just abandon you. I had duties to fulfil. 

"It broke my heart, but for the good of the country. For the good of you, my loyal subjects, I had to place her well-being into the hoofs of other ponies. 

“Ponies I thought I could trust.”

They had planned to confront the princess about the arrest of the Sparkle family. Since they were nobility as well, their arrest was a direct affront.

Now, however, that was off the table. The princess's words made it clear that the family was doomed. 

"Unfortunately, a few days ago, they betrayed my trust by causing Twilight to run away.

“Needless to say, I immediately mobilized all our forces before one of our enemies could get their hooves on her. 

“Yes, you heard right. I know that I have done my best to keep you all safe, but they are still out there.

“They are still out there, and they got their hooves on her first.”

I never asked Twilight about what exactly happened with the changelings. 

The room was melting down. Most ponies had no doubt anymore that a declaration of war was going to follow. 

“The enemy we are talking about is one of the most dangerous ones I have ever encountered.

“They could be in this room as I speak.

“In fact, I have no doubt about that.”

I can’t tell them about the bat ponies. They are precious to Luna.

It meant that all the more blame would be passed onto the changelings.

The eyes of the guards darted frantically around the room, trying to identify the enemy Celestia was talking about. 

"They are parasites, surviving by feeding on positive emotions.

“They manipulate their victims, sucking them dry until only an empty husk is left.

“They can fly.

“They can use magic.

“They are called changelings.” 

It didn’t matter what she said anymore. The fear everypony in the room held by now made rational thinking impossible.

"They are bug-like "ponies", that have specialised in disguise magic.

“Magic that enables them to copy the look of anypony they want.

"Magic that enables them to kill ponies and take their place without even the closest friends realizing. 

“Magic that enables them to make doubt disappear in the rare event it does show up.”

Time for the big moment.

Using the changelings like this had been a last-minute decision.

A genius decision.

“To better protect Equestria against the resurgence of this major threat, we will make profound changes in all branches of government, with the most significant focus on our armed forces.

"Some of the changes, like a replacement of high-ranking personnel, have already begun.

“Once we are done, Equestrias government will be more efficient as well as stronger than ever.

“My Lords and Ladies of Parliament, to handle these new developments, I am introducing three new pieces of legislation.

“The first one will confirm the role of my daughter within government as a new princess of Equestria.

“The second one will allow us to make the necessary reforms within government.

"The third one will reintroduce a modified version of the Pony Protection Act so that our security forces can properly root out the parasites hiding in plain sight.

“I urge you to vote yes on all of them. The future of Equestria depends on it.”

Collectively a gasp of relief went through the room.

There would be no war.

For now.

The princess had completed her speech. 

Blueblood senior walked forward. “Due to the urgency of the situation, debates will be skipped. We will start with the vote on the reintroduction of a modified version of the pony protection act. Those who are in favour, please stand up.”

None of them had seen the law.

Nevertheless, they jumped up.

He split the vote up!

Princess Celestia could barely believe it. 

The ponies, who only hold their privileges so that they would have her back when it mattered, were going to betray her.

“The motion of the princess has been decided in the affirmative.” Applause went through parliament.

They are going to backstab me after everything I have done for them!

They are going to do so with Cadence pulling the strings in the background!

She shouldn’t have allowed them to get away with their games for so long. It had obviously given them the illusion that they held way more power than they actually did.

“Are there any requests to split the remaining two motions up?” he asked.

There weren’t any.

“Those in favour of granting Twilight the official title of princess, making her part of the Equestrian crown as well as allowing the crown to make comprehensive changes within the Equestrian government without oversight, please rise.

"Also note that a 2/3 majority is needed for the motion regarding Twilight." 

Traitors!

If one was generous, about 40% had risen from their seats. 

“The motion-“

Blueblood stopped when suddenly a few more nobles rose up.

Celestia's magic forced them down again.

Too long have I been complacent!

Too long have I been trying to avoid conflict, choosing the easy path instead of implementing the changes I wanted!

It had been easy for her to ignore her surroundings since she was in a position where they didn’t affect her.

No more! The time to play nice is up! Instead, it’s time to shape this pathetic country into what I want it to be! Time to introduce the reforms I want to introduce!

Time to let the old realities die…

And from its ashes, a new, better reality will arise…

One Twilight will have to be happy with!

Seething, she pushed Blueblood away while her magic teleported the ponies that had voted in favour to one side of the room and those who didn't do so to another. 

“Princess-“

“When I took power, I needed loyal ponies to help me administer the country. 

“Those ponies had been your ancestors. 

“They were honest.

“They were kind.

“They were loyal.

“They were generous.

“They befriended the ponies they were meant to govern.

"And in return for their services, they were rewarded with the privileges you still enjoy today." 

I should have eliminated you all when you betrayed Luna. It was foolish to think you learned your lesson then.

"You all enjoy your position thanks to your birthright! Yet here you are denying my daughter hers, you hypocrites!" The princess ranted.

Blueblood turned to Cadence. They wouldn't have been happy with the motions anyway, but she had tipped them off, encouraging them to deny them.

At the time, they happily agreed.

Now they regretted that. 

“She is just a child! She shouldn’t-“

"Silence, Cadenza! I will deal with you later!"

Celestia let all her appearances drop. 

I hate you all so much.

“I am an immortal being! I control the sun as well as the moon! 

"I fought side by side with the pony who freed us all from the clutches of the ancients." The frightened nobles didn't know who the ancients were, but Celestia didn't care. "The pony who once ruled the entire planet.

"With my sister, I dedicated my life to you, unworthy creatures. We spent millions of years helping the planet to recover, aiding its inhabitants in their efforts to re-establish their lives. 

“Ensuring there would be no more conflicts. No more wars. 

“Battling multiple all-powerful creatures that had used the power vacuum to grow stronger.

"Among them, the tyrant that has ruled Equestria before us." A crazy smile appeared on Celestia's face. “But you know what? I never truly cared.

“I don’t care about this planet.

"And I certainly don't care about you." The ponies in the room were appalled by her words, yet she also didn't care about that.

I said it!

I finally said it!

Celestia felt like laughing.

It feels so good.

"Are you going to cry now? Like I said, I am immortal. Every day I see faces that all look the same to me, all begging for my attention, presenting me with their unimportant live stories."

Like, I am interested in the taxes being too high. Your fault for not earning enough. 

"Do you even realize how hard it is to learn new names when you have lived as long as I did?" Celestia took a deep breath. 

"So, yes, I don't care about you, which is also the reason why I have taken such a backseat in recent times, allowing you all to do as you please."

Not to mention that parliament was only created to establish the illusion of ponies having a voice in their government and us sharing power. 

"Everything changed, however, with Twilight."

My little shining star.

The one pony who managed to genuinely make me smile for the first time after Luna's disappearance.

“Seeing her grow up made me happy again!

"Sure, it made me break my vows to the empress, but buck it! Buck the planet! Buck nature! And buck you! Why would I care about her wants when they had condemned me to this life of misery? A life of misery that was only fixed when I jumped over my shadow, accepting Twilight into my life! Now you want me to stand by idly while you take that happiness away from me again?"

Just get this done. You didn't go through with it when Luna begged you. You put it off afterwards even when you learned the truth…

This time there will be no mercy!

"We gave you a say in these matters as a sign of gratitude for the actions of your ancestors towards the crown, but we aren't bound by that decision. The constitution clearly states that.

I never needed to ask you in the first place, but it's good that this made me realize just how disloyal you all have become.

“Therefore, by royal decree, the nobility is disbanded, and all their privileges revoked. Those who voted in favour may leave now.” She had barely completed the sentence, but they were already gone. “Those who didn’t, your assets are hereby seized. Have fun enjoying life like the common ponies you despise.” Celestia turned around.

But there was one more thing. “Oh, by the way. By royal decree, I hereby declare Twilight part of the crown, formally granting her the title of princess. Furthermore, the Government Improvement Act also goes into effect immediately." Now, she was done here.

You!

She darted around. Cadence had jumped up. The realization that Celestia had just eliminated one of the few, if not the only, forms of opposition within Equestria stirred a will to fight within her she hadn't encountered before. "By royal decree, I hereby-"

“Silence!” Magic impacted a hastily formed shield. 

Ponies ran. 

Two alicorns were about to fight. Nopony wanted to be near them when that happened. 

“You are unfit to rule! Just like Twilight!” Cadence screamed.

Showing you true colours now, are you?

“I have brought peace to this planet! Who are you to accuse me of that!” Celestia increased the strength of her spell. 

But Cadence's shield didn't waver. "Nopony should be allowed to rule alone! You are sitting on your comfortable throne, completely out of touch with reality! Nopony dares to question you, providing you with a deceptive feedback loop! 

“No longer!” In a rare move that made Celestia realize that she must have trained in secret, Cadence teleported away, firing a spell at her.

Quickly Celestia shot a new spell at the princess of love.

They collided. 

“Equestria has enjoyed peace! Economic prosperity! What more do you want!” Celestia didn’t allow Cadence to answer. “I planned for you to administer a country of your own, but you threw it away! Now that I have found suitable bearers, I no longer need you to back me up in a fight against Nightmare Moon! 

“Instead, I will kill you like I should have done when I found you! I can sense their magic on you! Ponies like you destroyed my home. Ponies like you killed my love! Now you try to take Equestria from me! Probably Twilight, too, while you are at it!" The older princess screamed. 

Cadence ignored it, focusing on her spell instead.

The fate of Equestria depended on it. 

Celestia returned the favour. Now, both princesses put everything they had in their spells, determined to take the other one out quickly without a big fight.

A fight that would once again make the building of a new capital necessary.

The spells became brighter and brighter, with more and more energy being put into them with every second.

I won’t be able to continue this for much longer. 

Cadence, on the other hoof, seemed to keep going effortlessly.

I can find another pony to administer the empire for me.

It will be far safer than ignoring the threat you pose any longer. 

Celestia was older. More experienced. 

And although she was never properly trained in magic during her younger years and had been born unusually weak, she had the sun backing her up.

Cadence, on the other hoof, was still young, with it being unknown if she had ever been trained in magic or how strong she truly was.

But she definitely hadn't exhausted herself these last few days like Celestia had. 

She could win.

If she did, then this would become one of the most pivotal moments in Equestrian history.

The day Celestia was overthrown. Replaced by Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. A princess set on reform convinced that Celestia's way of centralized dictatorial top-down governance was wrong.  

Would she have been better in the end? After all, intentions were one thing, execution another. 

It was impossible to determine that. Especially since power tended to change ponies.

Luckily, I don’t play fair.

“I want her dead!”

Guards jumped at Cadence. 

She couldn’t understand it. After everything Celestia had just said, those ponies still followed her order, attacking her. 

For one crucial second, her concentration was broken.

Instantly, Celestia's spell overtook Cadences, vaporizing everything in its path, including the guards that had jumped her. 

The princess of love had lost. 

And now, Equestria is mine again. 


*** 


The guards had told her to head towards a meeting room.

Two fillies were sitting in it, playing Monopoly. 

“Umm, hi?”

“Hi?” both fillies responded.

This must be the wrong room.

Then the white one seemed to have a realization. "You must be the other pony the princess mentioned! I am Rarity. This is Applej- Why do you have the dragon with you?"

Is there something wrong with Spike?

“Rainbow and Twilight entrusted me with him,” Fluttershy proudly stated.  

“Do you know them?” the fillies asked her, curious. 

"Umm, I have been friends with Rainbow for quite some time, and I befriended Twilight," she hesitantly answered. 

Do they have a backstory with them?

Applejack and Rarity glanced at each other, unsure how to treat the newcomer.

In the end, they decided that there was no harm in letting her play with them. Fluttershy seemed nice enough, unlike certain other ponies. “Do you want to play with us?” 

They are letting me play with them?

“Oh, thank you so much.” She glanced at Spike. “Can he play too?”

“Why would you want to let the pet play with us?” they asked.

I can’t fault them for that. I jumped to the same assumption.

“He isn’t a pet,” Fluttershy corrected. “That’s Spike.”

Now, Rarity and Applejack could see why Fluttershy was friends with Twilight and Rainbow. She seemed to share the same weirdness.

Regardless, they were willing to entertain her weird request. “Fine. He can play with us.”

“Thank you so much. Now, Spike. Which figure do you want?” Fluttershy asked the little dragon, showing him the figures.

Kindness would have to take a backseat for some time.

It was time to crush their opponents together.  


***


She was already waiting for Twilight when she arrived. 

“Ok, Twi. Hit me up. What is your plan to seduce me?”

The purple filly turned bright red.

And even redder when she could hear the giggling of a guard for a second.

You look cute when you are embarrassed. 

“I just wanted to show you Canterlot! Have a good time with you!” Twilight insisted. “And in the evening, I wanted to go to a romantic restaurant with you,” she added as quietly as she could. “But not to seduce you!”

You are making this too easy.

"Why? Am I not beautiful enough for you, princess?" Rainbow tried to make herself look as attractive as she could. 

Next thing she knew, she herself turned red when stiff wings gave her an answer. 

I- I thought we were still too young for that.

Maybe a difference with her being an ali-

“Daaaaashie!” Twilight died of embarrassment.

“Umm…”

“Make those wings go down!” Twilight nearly commanded. 

Does she even know what she is experiencing right now?

“Twi… whatever you are thinking right now… stop it?” she suggested, trying to look for another pony to help.

It made her notice that the guards had significantly increased the distance between them. 

What are you even thinking right now, Twi?

“It doesn’t work! They won’t budge!” If anything, they seemed to get even stiffer. 

I wonder if other races have this problem as well. If not, that seems extremely unfair. Hopefully, I won't be that exposed when I first experience this...

Puberty sucks. 

“Twi… I really don’t know how to fix this,” Rainbow admitted. “Every Pegasus goes through this face. You know, as part of puberty. I am told we learn to control it at some point. Maybe-“  

"Just make it stop before I cut them off!" Twilight was losing it. 

Luckily for her, Rainbow was there for her. "Hey, it's ok, Twi." She nuzzled the panicked alicorn. "As I said, what you are experiencing right now is completely normal and nothing to be ashamed of. Just calm down."

I wonder... should I be flattered or weirded out that you seem to think about me like this?

Twilight buried her head in Rainbow.

Nah.

"This is just my cute devil having evil inappropriate thoughts. Nothing unusual going on here," Rainbow patted her head.

"Dashie!" Twilight protested. "One more word, and I will have your wings tied up!"

The guards tying Rainbow's wings up so that she wouldn't be able to fly anymore. It was meant as a threat that Twilight wouldn't go through with, but that was actually believable.

Already planning out your fantasies, I see.

Rainbow had to keep her desire to further tease Twilight at bay. The wings of the young alicorn had only just gone back to normal, and her voicing that thought would probably return them to their previous position.

Let’s try not to stir them up again.

Twilight collected herself, and both agreed wordlessly not to talk about this again.

For now. 

“Ok, Twi. Where do we go first?” Rainbow asked. 

“Right now, we are at the castle. Next to it are most of the government buildings. We will pass them on our way to downtown.” They made their way towards the street. 

Sounds-

Actually, why not. This isn’t a school excursion. This is Twi showing me the capital. 

Her capital.

“You see the building over there? That’s parliament. Normally they have their own guard. The presence of the royal guard indicates that the princess will address them today.” They continued walking. “Nearly all the buildings here contain government agencies and ministries. If you wish, we can visit one."

We could find the ESS and fire that Sneak pony.

“Nah. I don't want to go into politics right now," Rainbow waved her off.

“You are right, Dashie. That was a stupid suggestion. 

"Over here are the Canterlot Archives. I spent countless hours in them, preparing myself for the entrance exam of the school for gifted unicorns. You can see it over there in the distance.” Twilight pointed towards a complex. 

They really did concentrate all the power in one place…

Seems risky.

“Cool. Those archives have definitely done their job. 

“Although, why is there only a school for gifted unicorns?” Rainbow inquired. 

“Umm… Well…” Twilight wanted to go on the defensive. Then she reminded herself that there was no need to do so anymore. “At first, I thought that there was such a school. Just not in Canterlot.”

That would be a reasonable assumption.

"But then I was told that there was no necessity for a school specializing in earth ponies or pegasi since they didn't have any noteworthy traits that would need to be developed.

"I assume that this isn't true?" Twilight stared at her.

They are using us.

They are using us while claiming they created a fair society for everypony.

Hearing the thoughts out loud, coming from a princess no less, caused some of the guards to break character, giving their unicorn counterparts death glares, who tried to avoid eye contact, visibly embarrassed by the words of the young princess.

Those words weren't supposed to be spoken aloud.

"Dammit, Twi. Of course, it isn't. Our magic is different, not useless," Rainbow lectured her. Thankfully this was a lesson from Flight School she could remember. "We can fly. We can walk on clouds. We can manipulate the weather, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Who knows what else we could do if one would invest resources into studying our magic?”

I bet it is the same for earth ponies.

“I will bring it up,” Twilight mumbled.

You can try, but this has to be a system.

A system to keep us down.

They kept going. 

“On your right is the supreme court. It is Equestria's highest court, overlooking all the lower courts,” Twilight lectured. 

The building itself looked pretty impressive, definitely giving one a feeling of awe.  

"Just like all the others, it directly answers to the princess. However, unlike others, three of its five justices are directly nominated by her.

“The other two are nominated by parliament.” 

You can’t actually allow them to wield power. Just allow them to have the illusion. 

"Also, the princess can choose to preside herself at any time." Twilight made sure that she had Rainbow's attention for the next part. "She can have anypony brought before herself at any time, for any reason, without any legal protections. If she then also chooses to preside as the sole judge, there will be nothing you can do anymore.”

Brutal. Just brutal.

Makes me question what hypothetical future me thought about it.

Twilight was done with showing her government buildings. "Interesting fact, Canterlot is Equestrias youngest city, even if others may be bigger or more impressive. It was built when they gave up on the first capital due to it being too close to the Everfree Forest.” 

They moved an entire capital just for that?

Yea, right. As if.

“As a result, Canterlot has been built after the princess's ideals." As Twilight finished her sentence, she questioned if that was a point in Canterlots favour or not.

Well, not everything has to be bad about her. Canterlot does look nice.

After all, she wouldn't want to look down on an eyesore. 

“Well, Dashie, we have reached downtown. Anything you would want to do, specifically?” Twilight asked. 

“Not really, Twi. It's your city. What do you suggest?” Rainbow replied. 

"Oh! I know something! Follow me!" Eagerly, she rushed towards a store. 

A boutique?

“Do you like something? It's one of the best in Canterlot! The others always gushed about it!” Sure, the money was blood money, but at the moment, Twilight was more concerned with pleasing Rainbow. 

Who cares about what those pretentious jerks want. We don’t even need clothes.

“What about this one, Dashie?” Twilight eagerly pointed towards a jacket that looked surprisingly modern.

How am I going to break this-

Dang. That jacket looks awesome.

“Wow, Twi. I- 2000 Bits! How can this cost 2000 Bits!” Rainbow exclaimed. It garnered her the attention of everypony on the street.

The ponies recognized the fillies from the newspaper. 

What followed was the acknowledgement of one of them being an alicorn.

Finally, their attention was diverted to the guards, who made sure to convey the fact that the first pony to ruin the mood of the young princess would find themselves in a world of trouble. 

Quickly they moved along. 

“Umm, Dashie," Twilight stuttered, embarrassed. "Price doesn't matter. If you want it, you can have it. I doubt the princess would care about that." 

How can she not care about wasting so much money on that?

For some reason, Twilight didn't give her an explanation.

"Ok, it seems I have misjudged your taste in clothing," Twilight misinterpreted Rainbow's reluctance to buy clothing. "How about this one?"

Oh no!

Definitely not!

Never ever will I wear that!

Twilight pointed towards a dress that one would expect royalty to wear. There was even a regalia sitting right next to it. 

I won’t have to wear that if I become a princess, right?

“What do you-“

“Ok! Enough of that! You aren’t wearing clothes yourself, so why should I?” She shoved Twilight to the next shop. 

A jeweller. I doubt there will be any big surprises.

"Come, Twi. Since I already rejected your proposal, we aren't going to marry. So, why should we bother with a jeweller?" Rainbow tried to get her moving once again.

“Mmmh. This one wouldn’t sell to us anyway,” mumbled Twilight in agreement.

Woaaah!

In one swift motion, Rainbow turned around, marching through the door.

Quickly the shopkeeper came from the back. For a second, she was greeted with a face of anger before it quickly turned to submissives when the guards, accompanied by an alicorn, entered. 

Not wanting to turn this into an unnecessary arrest, one guard gave him a hint. “Announcing Princess Twilight.” Had Twilight officially confirmed her relationship with Rainbow, he might have stated that as well, but since she hadn't done so, it wasn't the place of the guard to assume. 

Twilight leaned into her ear. “Dashie. This is a very traditional store, with the family running it for generations. When it comes to weddings, they only sell horn rings meant for unicorn weddings. That's what I meant."

Oh yeah! What a bunch of scumbags!

"Hey!" Rainbow addressed the shopkeeper as rudely as she could. "My marefriend, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I are looking for wedding rings." 

Ignoring the rude pegasus, the shopkeeper turned towards an embarrassed Twilight. "My princess, unfortunately, we only sell horn rings-“

"Well, you better have something for us." The young princess threatened, any embarrassment having completely vanished from one second to another. If Rainbow wanted rings, she was going to get rings. It was as simple as that.

Hah. Awesome, Twi.

The stallion began sweating. 

"Umm, technically, there is nothing stopping horn rings from being repurposed, my princess," he admitted. 

Just being a douche, then. Just like I thought.

"So, suddenly, you can cater to us?" Rainbow pounced on him. 

“Those rings have been specifically made for unicorn horns! Just because they can be repurposed-“

“Hey! You don’t get to talk to her this way!” Twilight shut him down. 

He was seething by now, but the presence of guards kept him in check. 

Ok. How can I upset him the most? 

"I am sorry, my princess. I didn't mean to offend," he bowed before Twilight. "I will personally ensure that you will receive-“

“I want this!” Rainbow interrupted. 

The shopkeeper didn’t look up. He already knew what Rainbow was pointing at.

It would mean his financial ruin. “Of course, we would be happy to-“

"For Twi and for me. With our cutie marks engraved, just as the sign states," Rainbow gleefully added.

“I can’t afford that!” he shouted. 

Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, with a guard above him.

That definitely shouldn’t have upset him that much.

“You are aware that you can bill the-“

“You buckers never pay!” he shouted, his outfit not matching his vulgar language. “Nopony wants you in their stores! There I said it!”

Why am I even surprised? Of course, the princess doesn't pay them.

“Let’s just leave, Dashie.” This time Twilight dragged her away. “I don’t want this to ruin our day.” 

You didn’t tell the guards to release him…

What will happen to him now?

He didn’t seem like the nicest pony, but she hadn’t intended for him to get arrested. 

I need to be more careful. I am wielding way more power now, even if I am not a princess myself. 

With one guard less, they continued to stroll through the street. 

He is right. Not a single pony is trying to get our business. 

They are all trying to look busy, desperately avoiding eye contact. 

Also, a surprisingly high number of stores were closed when they reached the doors. 

They despise us. How can Celestia look into the mirror with ponies hating her so much?

Does she even know?

"This is ridiculous!" Twilight broke the silence, turning towards one of her guards. "You! Go back and fetch enough bits for us to enjoy the evening! We will just pay them directly instead of telling them to bill us afterwards." 

The mare saluted, running off. 

Smart.

I-

"Rainbow!" 

Is that-   

“It's me, Spitfire! What are you doing here?" the yellow pegasus asked. 

I should ask you that. Pretty bold to just show up in the capital like that. 

The display had failed to do its job. Two guards drew their swords, not intending to let Spitfire get any closer.

“She is a friend,” Twilight quickly told them.

“Oh!” Recognizing the problem, the yellow pegasus handed them her weapon. “I forgot.”

Right. Wonderbolts.

Didn't know they had weapons…

Guess they are a part of the military, so it should be expected. 

Spitfire bowed before Twilight. “I am sorry. I don’t think we have met?”

Damn. She is so good at this…

If all changelings are that good, then Equestria is doomed. 

"Umm… I am Princess Twilight Sparkle." Twilight barely managed to keep up the act. 

“My princess! Please forgive my insolence!” the mare wailed. “I didn’t know!”

Putting it on thick, aren't we?

“It's ok,” Twilight mumbled. 

"Thank you so much, your majesty. Your mercy truly knows no bounds." Twilight had put her wing forward to motion for the changeling in disguise to get up again.

To her horror, Spitfire kissed it. 

Ok. Now she is just insulting Twi. 

“That’s enough.” Rainbow forced her to stand up.

Only I get to kiss-

"Say the word, and we will get you out of here right now," Spitfire whispered in the short moment Rainbow would be able to hear her without the guards noticing. 

Get us… out of here?

The changeling increased the distance between them before anypony could get suspicious. 

Rainbow looked around. 

Some of the ponies she had thought were normal by-passers were definitely eyeing them too much.

We can get out of here!

But what would be the consequences? 

The princess would be furious…

Her gaze drifted towards the guards, who had no idea they were in a life-or-death situation.

Ponies might die on both sides…

Do I really need to leave that urgently?

The answer to that was clear, as much as she wanted to deny it. “Twi and I are on a date right now, but we can talk later. Maybe visit us in the castle?” Rainbow suggested. 

"Rainbow, I am so happy for you! Now, I don't want to interrupt you any longer, but I will definitely visit you as soon as possible.” Quickly Spitfire walked away, not before confirming, however, that the guards would instruct the castle staff to let her in. 

“That was weird, Dashie," Twilight concluded. 

It was Twi.

It definitely was.

They continued going. There was still much to see.


***


I shouldn’t have done that.

Why did I have to attack her?

Why did I think I would win when I have never successfully used dark magic in the first place?

She was lying on the ground, paralyzed by pain.

I have to get up again!

Steps were getting closer.

That’s it. 

This is what I deserve…

Everything I have done…

Why did I think happiness would be granted to me?

The other mare knelled down, trying to examine the injuries. 

Is she…

Is she going to help me?

"Looks like your armour wasn't designed to protect you from that, but considering those weapons are only handed to the princess's most trusted ponies, I am not surprised."

You are right. Why invest in protecting against a threat that is unlikely to show up.

Our lives aren’t worth enough for that.

"Don't have anything to say for yourself?" The older mare grabbed bandages. "That's fine. I am no expert when it comes to the methods my colleagues from the ESS use, but I think they have their ways of getting answers."

Oh no!

No! No! No! Not them!

“Did I hit a nerve, terrorist?” A mocking smile appeared briefly.

Terrorists. 

Is that what they call us?  

Pain filled her again. Methodically the pony cleaned her wound, removing the bullet, before she applied bandages. 

Then she removed all the weapons from her reach, and restraints were quickly placed on her wings as well as her hooves. 

"There. You are going to live. Lucky you. That shot was definitely meant to kill, but since I only hit your leg, it looks like I should have trained more." The mare looked happy with her work and how the events had turned out.

This is not going how I thought it would go.

“Now, there is one tiny problem.” All the happiness disappeared from her face, replaced with the look of a predator. “I may have been trained to uphold the law, providing aid to anyone who needs it, regardless of who they are, but, unfortunately for you, I don’t think I work for the EBI anymore.”

EBI?

Never heard of them. Are they special forces?

Wait… why wouldn’t she-

The weapon appeared again, pointing straight at one of her legs. “Where are the others?”

This is more in line with what I expected.

“I am alone-“

"Look at that! You can talk!" She pressed the weapon against the leg. "Now, the only thing you need to do is to stop lying, or I will make you feel a world of pain."

Buck! Buck! Buck!

“I really am alone!” she pleaded. “The others are all dead! I was fleeing to Equestria to avoid the consequences of my failure!"

“Lies,” was the hissing response. “Never ever has a bat pony fled towards Equestria.”

Never?

But…

"But there are bat ponies in Equestria! There must be!” Desperation took hold of her.

“Not a single one.” Her hopes were crushed. Equestria wouldn’t be the place of dreams she had hoped for.

They didn’t lie.

Of course, she had always been told that Equestria was a tyrannical place of segregation, where they had been cast out for being different, but considering all the lies she had been told, she always assumed that this also had been a lie.

Not a single one…

We founded this place with them…

We lived with them…

Rage gripped her, "You can't seriously tell me that every single bat pony chose the queen's side!"

It took the other mare off guard. "I don't know about that." 

Why am I even bothering?

I am just prolonging the inevitable. 

The gun was holstered again. "Ok, suppose I believe you. What exactly happened to the others?"

She believes me?

Does she…

She can’t be…

She isn’t part of the military, is she?

Sweet Moon, what a humiliation.

She would never live this down. “During a routine patrol, we encountered what we thought were Equestrian soldiers escorting unknown individuals.

"As it turned out, the soldiers were changelings.

“Changelings who escorted the element of magic as well as-“

The other mare had tried her best not to give anything away, but she couldn’t hold back anymore. “Another power has Twilight?

“Oh no! No! No! No! The princess…

“Is that why the sun disappeared! I must return-”

Is she close to the princess?

"There is no need to," she calmed her down. "We killed the changelings, and after realizing who they were escorting, we planned to kill the fillies-“

A kick to her stomach interrupted her. “You didn’t!”

I know I deserved that, but damn, that hurt.

"She killed us first," she panted. "The element of magic went berserk, killing every single one of us. I was the only one who barely got away.

“I did, however, see the princess appear, picking them up.”

“That’s a relief.” Now, the older mare looked embarrassed for kicking her.  

Restraints were removed. 

What?

"Today is your lucky day. I don't intend to return just to bring you into custody, and I can't just leave you here or kill you,” the mare proclaimed. 

You totally could.

“So, I will just let you go. Without your weapons-”

"I need them! Without them, I will die before reaching Equestria, considering the beasts that roam around!" she insisted. 

“I am not letting an armed terrorist enter Equestria-“

"Take me with you! Please! I know I will be a burden, but without you, I don't think I stand a chance.

"We can do whatever you came here to do, and then you can hand me over into custody! Just, maybe throw in a good word for me?" Going with this mare would increase her likelihood of success significantly, and entering Equestria with one of their own should also make things easier.

Please say yes! Please say yes!

“I don’t…

“It’s not…

“I…”

The mare sighed. She didn't want to do it, but she knew that the words were true. Without weapons, the bat pony wouldn't survive.

And even with weapons, she didn’t look healthy enough to make the trip. 

In the end, she was and forever would be a part of the EBI. It didn't matter what she desired. Her honour, as well as her duty, demanded of her to help the bat pony.

Not only to ensure that the pony would survive but also to ensure that the princess would get the intelligence that the pony could provide. 

“You win,” the mare uttered, defeated, helping the bat pony up.

Yes!

The next thing the mare knew, she was enveloped in a hug.

It made her realize that the “terrorist” was way younger than she had thought. 

It also put a smile on her face. Being there. Helping ponies. Moments like these made her love the job.

Moments like these and moments with the princess.

At that moment, the mare knew that she had made the right decision.

I guess I haven’t introduced myself yet. 

“I am Amaya," the bat pony revealed. "Before I abandoned my post, I served as a Private in the Badlands Border Patrol. Our job was to monitor the border, secure supplies from any unfortunate travellers, and kill all those we determine have connections to Celestia."

The older mare chose not to ponder the revelations too much. Right now, her goal was to bring Amaya safely to the princess. Once she had done that, it would be up to the princess to judge Amaya's fate. "Nice to meet you. I am Candy. By now, probably, former Director of the EBI." 

But why former?

Pain filled Candy. However, she knew that she would have to explain. "I fell into disgrace with the princess. Yet, instead of resigning like promised, I took the stuff you can see lying around, planning to fight my way through… some other place where my skill set might come in handy," she sighed. "Fired by the princess herself means that no other agency would have ever hired me again. Even private business would have probably had their issue with me." 

Ok, not the best pony to be associated with.

Argh! Don’t be unfair to her! She spared you! 

You know you wouldn’t have done the same.

“I am sorry to hear that,” Amaya whispered. 

“It's ok. The princess will be angry, but deep down, she is a kind mare. She will forgive me for my stupid stunt, and she will forgive you," Candy spoke with a belief and with a conviction Amaya had previously only witnessed from her fellow bat ponies when they talked about the queen.

It's good to know Celestia isn't the evil pony they told me she is. 

After all, Candy can speak this way about her without having grown up in a cult-like environment.

“What exactly is the EBI?” Amaya asked.

“The Equestrian Bureau of Investigation,” Candy told her. “We help the guard in investigating crimes and help the crown.”

Help the crown doing what?

Leaving that detail out was suspicious, but she wasn't going to pressure Candy.

I guess that confirms it. Defeated by a simple police pony...

“Can you help me with the food?” Candy asked, unsure about Amaya’s state. After all, she had just taken a bullet, even if the bullet had failed to do the intended damage. "We can't leave the fireplace burning at night, or it will attract too much unwanted attention.”

“I can help,” Amaya insisted. 

Together they prepared their meal, readying themselves for the journey towards Equestria. 


*** 


I am such a failure. 

Here I am, a princess that can't even ensure her marefriend has a good day within her own capital. 

They had been going around, trying to have some fun, but it didn't work out. Everywhere they went, they were constantly watched by the ponies surrounding them. That was in addition to the previous events that had already killed the mood. Not even the bookstore could cheer them up.

In the end, they decided to eat dinner early.

This is my last chance to save our first date!

Nothing will ruin it.

Twilight had led Rainbow towards the best place Canterlot had to offer.

They weren't open yet, but the doors wouldn't stop her. Without Rainbow noticing, she had instructed a guard to go there and ensure they were ready for them.

To Twilight's delight, they, indeed, were ready.

Considering the bag of bits I handed them, I would have annihilated them if they weren’t.

She had not only ensured that they would be prepared for their arrival but also instructed them to make sure they were the only ponies allowed in today.

The guards would definitely help with that task.

This will work! 

I will have a romantic evening with Dashie!

I-

The ground shook. 

Everypony looked around, yet there was nothing indicating the reason for it.

“Twi-“

"It was nothing, Dashie. Let’s just enjoy the evening.” Whatever it was, she didn’t care.

Just me and Dashie. Right now, nothing else matters.


***


Several walls had collapsed, with the princess of love having smashed through them, partly buried by one.

Slowly Celestia made her way towards her.

Parliament...

Pathetic.

Who came up with the concept that those backstabbers would ever be able to govern themselves?

Part of the building had caught on fire and in the distance, she could hear guards shouting, trying to reach her as well as trying to determine the situation. 

I will just let it burn down.

A message everypony is bound to understand. 

Walking over shards of glass and rubble, she reached Cadence.

She picked her up.

You are in pain.

Good.

The princess of love looked horrible, completely burned by Celestia’s spell.

“You know what they say about those who get too close to the sun,” Celestia mocked her.

Cadence, however, barely acknowledged her, magic working overtime to fix the damage. 

Additionally, there was nothing that the princess of the sun could throw at her that would hurt as much as knowing that now she truly had failed everypony. 

That included Twilight, the poor, vulnerable filly that had counted on her to be there for her. Had opened herself up to her, thinking Cadence would help.

Now that wouldn't be possible anymore. All thanks to her own actions. Her own fear. 

Fear of Twilight, based on things the little filly could not even influence, had caused her to lose sight of the real threat in the most crucial moments.

Time to die, traitor.

In one swift motion, Celestia broke her horn, causing the magic that was healing Cadence to weaken severely. 

“Do you know how to kill an alicorn, Cadence?” Celestia glared at her. “I think you do.

"I think you know way more than you let on." This time Cadence's wings fell victim to Celestia. "To kill an alicorn, you have to disrupt the magic that flows through them.

“Unicorn, Pegasus and earth pony magic.

"But that isn't so easy. After all, magic is an integral part of everypony. A broken horn or wings will weaken us, but it won't be enough to kill us.

"For that, our ancestors have created a spell that, when placed correctly, will be able to finish the job by taking advantage of your now weakened state.

"And once I have placed it on you, a fatal injury will truly be fatal, Mi Amore." Celestia laughed manically. "The constitution says I can’t remove you from your position, but do you want me to tell you a secret?

“It doesn’t matter. We are alicorns. Even if there would have been a legal way, it would have always resulted in bloodshed.

“Your life ends here, Cadence, and once the deed is done, nopony will question it. History is written by the winners, after all.

“I will simply create the reality I want, and everypony else will have to adapt to it.” 

Celestia would change Equestria into what she wanted it to be, and at that moment, she had decided that she was willing to go over bodies to do so. Once it was done, everypony would have to accept the new reality she had created, including Twilight.

A reality that would be better for everypony. 

Cadence gave her a look of pity.

I hate you so unbelievably much.

“You are all high and mighty, Cadence!” Celestia began the spell. “Who knows, maybe I will rescind a few of the reforms you introduced just to spit on your grave!”

This would have been the end of Cadence. 

But regardless, life would have continued.

Barely anypony would have been aware of the tragedy that would have occurred.

About how Equestria would have lost its voice of reason.

About how Celestia would have re-established her iron grip on the country, nopony left to oppose her.

“Aurora would despise you for what you have become, Flare.” 

The spell collapsed. Cadence fell to the ground.

H-How…

The princess of love had used her trump card.

"You know this isn't my magic giving me the insight. After all, you always maintained enchantments preventing me from looking into you." Cadence ignored the pain speaking caused her.

Aurora…

It has been so long since I heard your name…

I miss you so unbelievably much.

"You fought with her against the empress. Do you even still remember that?" Cadence pounced on the vulnerable sun princess. "You had it all planned out. You were going to use your access to the palace to deploy a bomb that would kill her, able to overpower the alicorn magic keeping her alive.”

We were so close to victory.

“You planned to form a democracy in place of her tyrannical rule.”

Everycreature deserves a voice.

That’s what she always used to say.

“What do you think Aurora would say if she could see you right now?”

Nothing.

She is dead.

She died, killed by the rebels she looked up to.

Died because I enabled her to flee from the safety the empress would have been able to provide.

“What has happened to you, Flare?

“What has happened to the pony who wanted-“

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Celestia kept hitting her. “You don’t get to call me Flare!”

That was the cover name she gave me.

It died with her.

“It seems you have managed to hide more from me than I thought.” Celestia let go of her, instead enveloping her in magic.

"Are you proud of me? You should be since I managed to fool the goddess of deception." Cadence tried smiling but failed to do so, coughing up blood instead.

Mock me all you want.

You will be forgotten soon enough while I prevail.

“You may have managed to extend your pathetic life by a bit, Cadence, but I promise you, you will not enjoy it,” Celestia vowed.

"Are you sure Luna was the corrupted one?" Cadence interjected. Seeing Celestia like that made her realize how well the princess of the sun had been able to hide the poor mental state she had been in.

Why she was never allowed to look into her emotions.

Green eyes gave her the answer she had feared. "Even one-time use can be fatal.

"Even one-time use can lead to it never letting go of you.

"It always being there, trying to influence you.

“Trying to get you to use it.

"Pushing you to drag others down with you." Green eyes disappeared again. "Luna fell to it, but I am stronger," Celestia proclaimed. "This has nothing to do with dark magic. 

"This what I want." Cadence was hit with a sleeping spell.

Celestia turned around to the scared guards that had managed to fight their way through the crumbling building. 

Time to end these political games!

“Kill the witnesses.

“Kill anypony left who is able to defy me.” 

I have started this, and I will finish it.

Tonight, another purge would occur.

The same form of purge that enabled them to rise to power in the first place after they defeated Discord.

Although this time, it would be more organized.

Good thing the ESS has been keeping track of all forms of opposition. 

The guards saluted, rushing to pass on the orders or perhaps simply trying to increase the distance between them and the princess.

What was left was for Celestia to imprison Cadence. 

As an alicorn, the princess of love would recover, which meant she would have to get those answers quickly.

But for now, she needed to prepare for the night of violence that was about to befall her country.

Tonight her wrath would show no bounds.