//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Situation Reassessment // Story: The Adventures of the New Nightmare // by hmaf43 //------------------------------// The sun slowly rose to the sky as Celestia's horn glowed softly, casting a warm light throughout the room. The white alicorn lay in her hospital bed, her eyes closed as she rested. She may have been numbed to physical pain from her long life, but even she couldn't escape the exhaustion that came with losing her little lulu. The events of the previous night had thrown everything into disarray, leaving Celestia to pick up the pieces and try to figure out what had gone wrong. As she lay there, lost in thought, a pony entered the room, a doctor, his expression filled with worry. "Your Highness are you feeling any discomfort?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. Celestia opened her eyes, offering the doctor a small smile. "No need to worry, doctor. I'm fine," she reassured him. The doctor hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Very well, call me if you need anything," he said before leaving the room. As soon as he was gone, Celestia's faithful student, Twilight Sparkle stepped out from the shadows, her expression grim. "Why did you keep me in the dark, Princess?" she demanded. "You asked me to come to Ponyville and oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, but I had no idea that you were planning something like this," Twilight asked, her tone laced with frustration. Celestia sighed, "I'm sorry, my faithful student," she replied, her voice soft with regret. "I didn't want to involve you in such a dangerous situation. But I had to maximize the probability that the Elements of Harmony would work." Twilight's eyes widened in shock. "What if I don't make any friends? What if the Elements don't work?" she asked in leveled tone. "I had faith in you, Twilight. I knew you were capable of making friends, and I knew that the Elements would work. Nothing will go wrong. " "But why did it have to go so wrong?" Twilight pressed on, her voice rising in anger. "You didn't even tell me that you were planning to confront Nightmare Moon yourself, and now you are hurt, and she's gone!" Celestia's expression softened as she looked at Twilight, "I know, Twilight. I never intended for things to go this way," she said, her voice filled with sorrow. Her plan to save her beloved sister had gone awry, and she was left feeling helpless. The first plan to confront Nightmare Moon herself had failed spectacularly, and the second plan using the Elements of Harmony never got off the ground as Luna declared that she no longer wanted the throne and even hated the night, something that was unimaginable for the alicorn of the night. "I was too stunned to take any action before Luna ran off to who knows where," Princess Celestia admitted, her eyes filled with tears, she couldn't help but feel the weight of her failure. Her carefully crafted plan had hinged on a specific set of assumptions that were no longer true. Her plan had been based on the premise that Luna wanted eternal night and that she was willing to do whatever it took to achieve her goal. But now it seemed that her assumptions had been completely off the mark. Twilight's anger dissipated, replaced by empathy for her mentor. "I may not know how you feel, but as somepony with a sibling." She walked over to the bed and placed a comforting hoof on Princess Celestia's side. "We'll find her, Princess,” she promised. "But we must assess the situation first." She offered her most faithful student a grateful smile. Suddenly the door swung open, the sound of hoofsteps echoing throughout the room. Celestia and Twilight turned their heads to see the captain of the royal guard, entering the room. "BBBFF, what are you doing here?" Twilight called out, happy to see her brother. Shining Armor's expression softened as he caught sight of his sister. "Twily, it's good to see you," he said warmly before he walked over to Princess Celestia's bedside and looked down at her, his expression unreadable. The sun princess gulped as she met her captain's gaze. "I read the report," he said, his voice stern. "Captain, I understand that you may not agree with my actions," Princess Celestia began, her voice hesitant. "Agree? That's an understatement, your Highness." Shining interrupted, his voice laced with anger. "You put yourself, my sister, and this whole town in unnecessary danger, and now you're injured and unable to rule. Even if it was just a couple of days, who knows what kind of chaos could ensue in your absence?" "I never meant for things to turn out like this," Celestia said, her voice barely above a whisper. Celestia nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She knew that she had put everypony in danger with her selfishness, and she had to make amends for her actions. Shining let out a deep sigh, his anger dissipating slightly. "I don't doubt your intentions, Princess, but your actions were reckless," he said, his tone softer now. "You need to trust your guards to protect you. We're here to serve and protect you, not just stand around and look pretty." Celestia wisely holds her tongue. The room fell into awkward silence. "What's our next move?" Twilight who had been standing silently in a corner, spoke up. Celestia opened her eyes and looked at Twilight and sighed deeply, her thoughts drifting back to the failed plan that had led to her being hospitalized. "My plan should have worked flawlessly," she lamented. "I wanted to confront my sister alone, maximize the chance of bringing her back peacefully without a fight. But if that failed, I was prepared to fight her. Even if I lost, I knew that the strain of escaping from the moon and fighting against another alicorn would have weakened her enough for Twilight to handle her." Instead, her sister somehow run away with nearly full reserve, if flaring up her power just to silence the panicked crowd last night were to be any indication. She paused, her gaze turning to the window as she continued. "But if the agents I placed around Ponyville deemed her still too strong, then we were prepared for the worst-case scenario. They would lure her to the capital city and work together with the Royal Guard for a final siege that would hopefully have minimum casualties, with most of the population going out for a long holiday trip." Her voice trailed off, the memory of the battle still fresh in her mind. "But that plan failed spectacularly," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. Celestia's heart sank as she thought about the failed plan. She had put so much faith in her assumptions, but they had been built on a foundation that was no longer true. Her sister didn't want an eternal night, she didn't want to rule Equestria. She just wanted to be left alone. Even if everything goes well, even if they still can track her down. It would still fail in the end. It was a harsh realization, but Celestia knew that it was better this way. Despite her love for Luna, she couldn't ignore the political implication that came with her return. It is better for Equestria if her sister stayed away. The captain of the Royal Guard, who had been listening silently in a corner, spoke up. "Then why did she come to Ponyville? Why did she harm the princess at all?" The room fell silent again as everyone contemplated the question. Suddenly, Twilight's eyes widened, and a light bulb went off in her head. "Herd instinct," she said quietly. "Herd instinct?" Celestia repeated, confused. "Herd instinct," she repeated. "It's a natural behavior for ponies. When they feel threatened, they group together for protection." Princess Celestia and Shining Armor looked at Twilight with surprise, impressed by her bottomless insight. "That's very interesting information, Twily," Shining Armor said, nodding his head. "But how do we use that information?" Twilight smirked. As a new hope ignited in the heart of the Princess of sun.