//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 - Quiet Nights // Story: Changing Our Destinies // by silent_user //------------------------------// The stage is set. Now it's all up to you. Time to- “Twi, today sucked.” “The day isn’t over yet! I can still-“ “You can’t,” Rainbow interrupted her. “Not until you have figured out why it sucked." Well, it's obvious! “I know I should have planned this out more! Should have checked everything in advance! But I was just too excited-“ Rainbow's face fell. Yes, she as well needed some time to figure out why they failed to enjoy their time together, yet she thought Twilight was smarter than her. No, no, no! I am making this all worse! Quickly Twilight tried to think of anything to fix the situation. “Dashie, I can give-“ “You can give me anything I want,” the pegasus finished the sentence. “That’s the problem.” I don’t understand. “It's like a virus that's slowly trying to infect us. Can’t you see it?” A sense of urgency lay in her voice. A virus? Indeed, Twilight couldn’t see it, despite trying her best to figure out what Rainbow meant. “Dashie, I-“ The blue filly stood up, making her way to her. “Why are you doing this, Twi?” Doing what! “Dashie-“ “Why do you think I returned your feelings?” Rainbow lay her wing around her. Because you love me! Right? “I have been asking myself this question over and over again. Why did I return your feelings? Why did I fall in love with you? "Most importantly, is it really love?" Please don’t leave me… “I have come to two contradictory conclusions. The first is that if I have to ask myself if it is really love, then it more than likely isn’t.” But… Rainbow was putting Twilight in distress. However, before the purple filly could react, she received a kiss on the cheek. “The second is that it must be love since I don’t want to leave you. You tried to edit my memories, yet I still stick to everything I have said back in the Badlands. I will be by your side no matter what happens. The thought of us getting torn apart really scares me.” I rushed you into this. “I don’t know, Twi. The logical conclusion would be that I spoke too soon, yet I was so sure when I told you that I love you! I really was!” I pressured you. You probably weren't in the right state of mind to answer me. “Dashie!” This time Twilight wouldn’t allow Rainbow to interrupt her. “I love you. I will always love you. However, if you don’t feel the same way…, then I... I-I will have to live with that." No matter how much it hurts. "I knew I shouldn't have confessed that day, but I just couldn't hold it in after everything that happened. For that, I am sorry. Take your time, no matter how much you need. If you come to the conclusion that it is indeed love, then I will be there.” Speaking those words caused an internal fight to break out within her. It reminded her that the side that would have loved to jump up right now, ready to take what it thought rightfully belonged to it, was still there. Only this time, her other side was stronger. “I am proud of you, Twi,” Rainbow nuzzled her. “However, you still didn’t get it.” Get what! What more do you want! That last thought shouldn’t have been there. “Are you happy?” asked Rainbow, taking Twilight by surprise. Why would I be happy? “No,” mumbled Twilight. “We both have let the power influence us," Rainbow proclaimed. "We have authority, money, an army of guards… “You know, we even had an innocent pony arrested… Yet we are much more unhappy than when we were on the run, aren’t we?” The blue filly tried to explain the many thoughts swirling around in her head. He was rude to you! I wanted to impress you! Rainbow had already figured that part out. “I didn’t fall in love with Princess Twilight, that’s for sure. If anything, I fell in love with the ordinary dark mage Twilight.” I am not a dark mage! The alicorn jerked away. "Follow me." We can’t continue this conversation here. Too many are listening in. She dragged Rainbow away from their fancy table into a secluded corner of the beautiful garden they were sitting in, making sure that the guards were far enough away as to not overhear them. Whispering, she finally responded to Rainbow's statement. "Have you thought this through, Dashie? Not that I wouldn’t throw it all away for you, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dashie, you could be a princess! Just think about the life you could have! You would never have to worry about anything!” Truth be told, Rainbow hadn't really thought about it like that, only considering all the negative aspects she had seen up to this point. Yet, it didn't matter. To her, it was clear that staying would be a massive mistake, no matter the potential benefits. “Twi, the princess, is a wild card. We can’t trust her. She could change her mind at any moment, and to tell you the truth, when it was just us, I already was the happiest pony on the planet. Nothing could ever trump that.” Just us… No responsibility… No ponies staring at us… No concerns on our minds… Just us being us… “Twi… do you understand what I mean?” Rainbow looked at her with big, pleading eyes. “I do, Dashie. I do,” came the assurance. “What use is all this when it only ruins the happiness we had? Money, power, safety, we didn’t need that before, and we certainly don't need it now.” “Exactly, Twi!” Relief washed over her. It had taken some time, but now Rainbow had finally made sense of her own thoughts, managing to convey them to Twilight as well. However, one thing remained. In one swift motion, Rainbow pressed her lips onto Twilight, enveloping her in a tight hug. The purple filly didn’t return the gesture. “Twi, I know I said I am still a bit unsure, yet that doesn’t mean that I want to give up on this! I am… just a bit confused.” Rainbow stuttered, taken aback. I know… Which is why I have to restrain myself from taking advantage of that. Because if you love somepony, you will do what’s best for them, not what’s best for you. “Twi? Did I do something wrong? I didn’t mean to hurt you!” The silence of Twilight led to speculation within Rainbow. Speculation that she had pushed her luck too much. Speculation that by admitting that she may not feel the same way towards her, Twilight may have decided to move on. How to handle this! How to handle this! *** Why did I say that! Why did I feel this way! Now I understand what they say when they tell you that you only realize what you have lost when it's gone! Rainbow was feeling awful. If Twilight did indeed decide to give up on her now, then she would be right back to square one, forced back into a life that she hated so much. She was supposed to return that kiss! She was supposed to tell me that she loves me! Arghh! She may have been unsure if it was love, but being with Twilight definitely meant happiness and freedom. The clock is ticking! At any moment, Twi will come to the conclusion that running after me like that isn’t worth it after all… Not when an entire country is awaiting in exchange. A life almost everypony would kill for. Everypony who isn’t as screwed up as I am. It made her question why she ever thought that the filly she had just met would choose a lowlife like her over being a princess. She was being nice! I should have noticed that she didn’t actually agree with me when I told her that being royalty sucked! Only ponies who aren’t royalty themselves say that. A last-ditch effort was needed to save what she had. “Twi, I am sorry that I tried to play hard to get. That was stupid. I love you, all right?” Rainbow used everything she had, fully trying to exploit the feelings she knew the alicorn held. “I am all yours, Twi.” It didn’t work. “Dashie, you are what? Twelve?” And you are even younger! What has that got to do with anything! Just kiss me and forget this talk ever happened! “It has just occurred to me that my visions may have given me a head start when it comes to… love? I don’t actually know. Is it normal to have a date at our age?” Twilight tried to navigate through the topic with the little knowledge she had. I don’t think it is. “You don’t need to worry about that, Twi. I know what I want, and you know what you want. Since we are both around the same, there aren’t any issues with that,” Rainbow quickly tried to placate the newfound concerns. Yet, the alicorn managed to see through the rouse. “Dashie, I want you to be happy, which is why I think it would be best if you do indeed take some time to further think about this. Anything else just wouldn’t be fair. That doesn’t mean-“ She didn’t manage to complete her sentence since Rainbow took off in a fit of anger, darting right up towards the sky. So once again, those damn visions are the issue! You think you are the only pony who can have them! I made the sonic rainboom! I- Her flight got interrupted when she got hit with a ball of magic. “Aaargh," Rainbow wailed in pain. She couldn’t move, her whole body twitching. Next thing she knew, she started falling. Not for long, though. Quickly a guard caught her, bringing her down safely, while tears of pain rolled down her eyes, with her brain doing its best to retake control of her body. It hurts so much! Make it stop! The effect of the stun gun was still in full force when she was returned to Twilight. “Dashie! I had to do that! You understand that, right!” The young princess tried to justify the actions of the guards she had just ordered. “You forgive me for this?” Twilight was close to a mental breakdown. It was all just too much, and no matter how much they tried to navigate through the wild sea of emotions they were sailing through, it threatened to swallow them again and again. Constantly exposed to the rough sea, even the sturdiest ship would succumb to it eventually. You have nothing to apologize for. “I…” The purple filly buried her head in her wings. That was it. Their first date didn’t suck. It had ended in outright disaster. *** I am hurting her! Why! Just why! Why am I constantly hurting the pony I love most! The more she thought about what had happened, the darker her thoughts became. Just look at you! In front of her lay Rainbow, still twitching in pain. Yet before Twilight was able to nullify the effects of the stun gun, they finally started to fade on their own. Instinctively she helped Rainbow up. I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you! “If you genuinely care about Rainbow, you will do what's best for her, even if sometimes it will hurt you.” Why! Why does it all have to be so complicated! Why can’t I just take her! Why am I hesitating now that happiness is this close! The pegasus in front of her felt like kicking herself. She hadn't been in a good place before she met Twilight, and the thought of losing the purple filly, no matter how ridiculous the notion had been, had caused her to panic, severely hurting Twilight. “Twi… It seems we are both terrible at this. I thought you were the only one who didn’t manage to handle rejection very well, but I think it is evident now that I, too, have massive issues with the prospect.” “Rejection! Who said anything about rejection! Celestia, dammit, Dashie! I love you! You hear me! You! You! You! Only you and forever you! What makes you think I would ever reject you!” Twilight was screaming loud enough for the entire neighbourhood to hear, utterly outraged that Rainbow had thought that she had been rejected by her when she had only wanted to help her. “Not even the strongest mind magic could make me do that!” the alicorn proclaimed. "Do you know how scared I was! I was fearing you were going to hurt yourself! I had to order them to shoot you! Shoot you!” Rainbow had shrunken with every word. “I didn’t- I wasn’t- It wasn’t my intention-“ The blue pegasus simply didn’t know how to respond. She hadn’t even considered any of the points Twilight had listed when she took flight. What I wouldn’t give for Cadence to be here right now. “Dashie-“ “Twi, please! Just let me take it back!” she begged. “We can forget this ever happened! I love you, ok! Why else would I be so scared of losing you!” It almost sounds like you are forcing it. Twilight's feelings were replaced by numbness, making her wish she could just slump down and never get up again. Why is she putting this show on? Why not just ditch me if you don’t love me? Why pretend? Rainbow, on the other hoof, was completely misinterpreting Twilight's reluctance, making her wonder what else she could do to try and reverse the irreversible damage she thought she may have done. "Come on, Twi! Forgive me! Please!” There was one other thing that came to mind, something that she never fully understood but that always worked for the adults. Quickly her wings massaged Twilights before she leaned toward her ear, whispering, “You know you want me.” Badly. The effect wasn’t what Rainbow had witnessed when the adults did it, but it achieved what she had hoped it would nonetheless. If she genuinely loves me, then there is no reason to hold back! Buck, you, Cadence, for not just telling if she felt the same way! Then I wouldn't have to try and read her mind! “I want to protect you, Dashie. That’s why I have to make sure you really feel this way about me, ok? Not because I don't trust you, but because I love you. Can you-” “Anything!” The quick response only gave Twilight further indication that something wrong was going on here. Even if she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. Maybe it doesn’t even matter. Tomorrow morning, Cadence can take another look, after all. “I would like you to answer under a truth spell,” she muttered. “To make sure that you are not lying to yourself, jumping into something that you don’t actually want.” It's necessary. It's only to protect you. Protect you from me and from yourself. Protect you from us. Numbness returned once more. Something is wrong with us. “…No problem,” Rainbow answered defiantly, but only after some incriminating silence. Oh, Dashie. That didn't sound like no problem. Spells required concentration, especially the advanced ones. Right now, however, Twilight didn’t feel in the right state of mind to try any spells at all. So, a guard was fetched, and Rainbow was placed under what was a standard interrogation spell for them. We are going about this all wrong, aren’t we? A truth spell? Who does that? Who forces their marefriend into one? What marefriend would agree to such a demand? “Do you love me?” Twilight's voice was lifeless. This was the moment of truth. Rainbow had brought Twilight's hopes up. She had proclaimed her love for the purple alicorn multiple times. And she knew that if the spell were to reveal that it had been a lie the entire time, then they would have a broken princess on their hooves. “Yes.” The spell stayed green. She loves me… Why did I ever doubt her! Why couldn’t I just believe her! Everything was forgotten, as if somepony had pressed reset. That included the follow-up questions Twilight had intended to ask just to be safe. Instead, the purple princess wept. “I am so sorry-“ “No, Twi! It was my doubts that started this! If I had only stuck to what I felt yesterday, to what I knew was right, then this wouldn't have happened!” Rainbow again pressed her lips onto Twilight, but before she could envelop the filly into a hug, Twilight had already done that herself. Life was complicated, but together, they had once again prevailed. *** Candy and Amaya were sitting at the fireplace, having nearly finished their food. While they were eating, Candy was slowly wiping away the poison from the weapons she had confiscated. "I will never understand how you can fight with those without constant fear of poisoning yourself." “At the end of the day, when we got them, they made us watch those who had managed to injure themselves with them. After that, we learned fast,” answered Amaya with a full mouth, immediately returning to her food. They did what! Candy was no stranger to cruel training methods, but choosing to let those tasked under one’s protection die just to prove a point? As leaders, we have a duty to protect! Every death of a subordinate is a sign of personal failure on our part! Silence reigned once more. But, after some time, the last bit of poison was finally removed. And while it had seemed to Amaya that that was all Candy had been doing, the older mare had been spying on her the entire time, watching her every move. It seems my initial assessment was correct. She isn’t a threat. She still used dark magic, though. I need to be prepared to take her out if there are any signs of her getting consumed by it. That meant that she should probably try to get as much information out of Amaya as possible, or else it would be lost forever in such a scenario. “How old are you, exactly? You look a bit young.” That should do it. Get her to start talking and then steer the conversation- “14 or 15. I don’t exactly know.” 14! Candy nearly choked on her food. Instantly Amaya was levitated towards her. Closely she inspected the bat pony. The armour… The weapons… The many scars you bear… The look in your eyes… Not to mention how Amaya had fought her. Still not believing it, Candy removed the remaining pieces of armour, despite the protests the filly made. Now with them gone, together with the few enchantments they had provided, there was no denying it anymore. The “soldier” she fought had been a filly all along. A filly that she had threatened as well as hurt. A filly that she had shot. “Can I have it back? I feel weird without it?” Suddenly the voice sounded much younger. Those animals are using minors as soldiers! Why did Sneak never tell us that! The request fell on deaf ears. If it was up to Candy, the filly would never see a piece of armour ever again. “Since when have you been fighting?” “I don’t know? I trained since I could think and had my first mission when I was 8, I think? Why?” Amaya’s eyes longed for the armour she had been robbed of. They are right on our doorstep! We could have stopped this long ago! We certainly will stop it now! The princess had always insisted on leaving the bat ponies alone, reasoning that the tiny nuisance they were wasn’t enough to justify military intervention. It is sad to see that her kindness has led to this. The bat ponies have already caused so many troubles for us, yet Princess Celestia has always looked the other way in her endless benevolence. If only she had known about this sooner, then maybe you could have gotten the childhood you deserved. “What about your parents?” Candy probed further, having forgotten the original reason for her questioning. “I don’t know them. None of us do. All children must be given away to caretakers who raise us together based on our birthyear until we are old enough for training and basic education. It is intended to achieve a bond between us. In my case, however, I wasn't assigned to a unit with my peers since I didn’t function well with them… “I actually miss my unit,” Amaya admitted. “They were much older, always looking the other way when I screwed up or taking the extra time to help me… “Without the captain sticking up for me during my performance review, having my back, I would have ended up as a scout long ago.” If you hadn't been a bat pony, you were as good as dead when you encountered him, but to her, he had been the closest thing to a parent she had. Why would it be a miracle? Scouts need to be highly trained- They send their own on suicide missions! “You are safe now,” Candy assured her. “Nopony will never be able to hurt you again. “You will receive treatment for your injuries. Physical and mental ones. "You will get a proper education. “You will be able to grow up in peace in an environment you will love. “You will make friends. “And you will see how real parents treat their child.” I have money! I have power! I can fulfil all those promises, no matter what happens! The last sentence had caught Amaya’s attention in particular. “Real parents?” “Yes, I am sure there are ponies out there, who would love to adopt you,” Candy saw eyes light up. And if not, there is always another option. *** Fluttershy and Spike had been absolutely crushed, despite the little dragon’s protests urging her not to always give their opponents a pass when they landed on their properties. “Want to play something else?” asked Applejack. If it's nothing competitive. But even then, she was forced to decline. “It's already late. I think it would be best if I bring Spike to bed.” Should I be jealous? Everything felt surreal to her, but taking everything into account, there was a part of her brain that told her that she should be jealous. From one day to another, Rainbow has been gifted with everything one could want. Yet, despite knowing that, she simply didn’t feel any jealousy. Instead, she was happy for her friend. I wonder if I, too, will be this lucky someday? The other two fillies wished her a good night, and with that, she carefully carried Spike to a place where he could sleep. Hold on… where am I supposed to bring him? Or where am I supposed to stay, for that matter? Her eyes darted to a guard. I will have to ask them again, won't I? It will be ok! All you need to do is do a short pep talk, and you will be able to approach these heavily armed strangers in no time to ask them for directions! Hopefully. *** I could have lost everything. Rainbow may have parted lips with Twilight, but that didn't stop her from continuing to gift the purple alicorn with kisses. I want her! I want to go out there with her! I want to see the world with her! I want to be happy with her! And that’s because I love you! Anger seeped into her, resulting in her putting more and more force into the affection she was showing Twilight. I will go all in! This time for real! No more questioning! No more hesitation! No more hesitation! This is the path I chose, and I will walk it until I die! I will walk it with you, Twi! You and Spike! My new family! Together happiness is awaiting us out there! I just know it! Twilight was not returning Rainbow's affection, instead just enjoying the moment and hugging her as tightly as she could, as if she was scared that someone would steal the blue pegasus if gotten the chance. “Dashie…” Twilight mumbled. “I don’t want this to stop. “Ever.” Then we will make it happen! Not just you! You are trying to handle everything yourself, but no more! Rainbows slowed down a bit, focusing on Twilight's neck. “Have those books given you any clues?” she asked between kisses. “They have,” confirmed Twilight. “And I already have some ideas.” This is everything we want! The future really is bright! Without thinking, the young alicorn continued. “I will need some test subjects, though. I won’t risk your life.” Umm… We will see about that. Twilight lunged forward, finally returning her affection, giving her a passionate kiss. “I will never allow the world to suffer the loss of such a beautiful being, you hear me, rainbow angel! Never!” And I will never allow the world to lose its purple devil. Together they made their way back to the table. It was finally time to eat. *** Father, why didn’t you listen to me? Why did you ignore me when I told you to save her? Cadence was lying in a dusty cell, someplace she didn’t recognize, unable to move. She could have lived! It would have been so easy! Yet they didn’t. A decision that had seemed entirely irrelevant at the time. We had promised her protection! Promised to bring her to safety should the plot be uncovered! A genuine promise at the time. A genuine promise until they had decided not to honour it since, with the discovery of the resistance cell, there had been a high chance of their involvement being discovered as well, which would have alerted the empress to the fact that there was a conspiracy against her. It would have cost them the element of surprise they needed so badly. “How important can a single pony be?” With those words, it had been decided. For the greater good, they would have to sacrifice her as well as all their other allies on the inside, launching their attack immediately instead of bringing them to safety first. And in the end, we didn’t even manage to take the empress out, killing them all for nothing. It had been the last time she had seen documents about the inside resistance. As far as Cadence was concerned, they were all dead. But then I woke up in this strange new world. A nightmare created just for me. *** It was perfect. The garden they were sitting in was beautiful. The stars were shining bright. The weather was just right. Yet it’s nothing compared to her eyes... The way they look at me… I can see the affection she has for me… The hope she has placed in me… And I will not disappoint! It had taken them some time due to being preoccupied with looking at each other, but they had nearly finished their food. Again, Twilight's eyes wandered towards the sky. "How about we fly together in it?” "You know, up there, I usually race ponies. Not make out with them,” joked Rainbow. "I guess until now, nopony has proven themselves worthy enough.” You are so beautiful… The way you speak! The way you view the world! You outclass the you in my vision in every way! Compared to you, she seemed… faded. While Twilight contemplated the many differences between her Rainbow and the Rainbow she had seen in her vision, the pony in question had already made her way towards her, ready to show her the night sky up close. A commotion, however, ruined their plans. “Twi, what’s going on over there?” asked Rainbow. The leader of their personal guard was arguing with a bunch of new ones that had shown up, wildly gesturing and seemingly discussing a piece of parchment with them. Then their original guards left, and one of the new guards approached. All of them had armour as well as weapons Rainbow had never seen before. Twilight, on the other hoof, had seen them before. Once. It had been during a tour her brother gave her. He had shown her the castle armoury during it. This equipment is meant to protect the capital as well as the crown in wartimes or riots! What was it called again? She tried to remember the tour her brother gave her. Right! Shining called those weapons lethal crowd-control machine guns or something along those lines! And he said that they had never been used before! Possibly they have never even been taken out of the high-security storage facility they were stored in! Yet here they were, multiple guards at her command equipped with them for reasons she didn’t know. “Twily, the day those are deployed will be a black day in our history.” That was the only answer Shining had given her when she had further asked him about the unknown pieces of modern technology she didn’t know Equestria had. “And if we use them, it will become a red day.” An on-duty guard had mumbled those words in response to her brother's statement, earning him a dirty glare. Spike and Dashie are in danger! Or, at least, there was a good chance of them being in danger if Princess Celestia suddenly decided to deploy those weapons. "Something happened, Dashie! We must leave! Right now!“ The new head of their guards quickly spoke up. “Everything’s under control, my princess. We-” But Twilight was having none of it. “We will go back right now!” Once we are safe, we can figure out what is going on. And right now, the palace would probably be the safest place for them since they couldn't leave the capital. “Twi-“ Twilight grabbed Rainbow, unknowingly using her earth pony strength to force the pegasus back towards the palace, with the guards accompanying them like they always did. “Twi-“ "The royal guard operates on principles of tradition! That’s why their weapons are usually so outdated! The equipment you are seeing right now, however, is the best they have! It has never been used before and is only supposed to be used when the existence of the crown is credibly threatened!” Twilight explained, scared. “Those weapons are capable of killing ponies is masse! They shouldn’t even exist!” And we are part of the crown now, no matter if we want to be it or not. A valuable target for those who want to harm Princess Celestia or Equestria as a whole. The revelation made Rainbow see their surroundings in a whole new light. “Twi…, there are more of them on the streets,” fear had taken hold of her as well. I know! Military! Royal Guards! Other agencies! They are everywhere! It appeared the whole city had been invaded, with the few remaining civilians looking puzzled at a situation that felt wrong but that they were unable to place. Blissful ignorance… Just as I once had it. They couldn’t reach the palace quickly enough. *** The sun had set, and she had extinguished the fire. It was time to continue their journey. Amaya gave her old set of armour one last look. I won’t need that anymore. With that, she stood up, only for her legs to give way. “Amaya!” Candy rushed towards her. Come on! You need to get up again! Yet, before she could do that, she was levitated onto the unicorn's back. "You're burning up, which means you should rest!" Yet, the filly tried to get off of her again. “You can't carry me as well as-" “Doesn’t matter! Since I am returning, I am not going to need most of the stuff anyway! You, however, need rest, and I will make sure you get it! So, stop struggling, or I will put you under a sleeping spell!” Candy seemed stressed, quickly fetching some pills. “Take them!” Why is she suddenly so adamant- Amaya had made the mistake of not immediately heading her words, which led to Candy forcing her to swallow the pills. “Hey! What even were those?” “Medicine,” was the only answer she received. “Now sleep. I will bring us to Equestria, don’t worry.” Sleep. She was tired. Very tired. Despite that, she had tried her best to hide it since she didn't want to slow Candy down. Now, however, the cat was out of the bag. She doesn’t care. There is nothing to fear. You can show weakness. She will protect you. She will… Candy smiled. The moment she had given her the opportunity, the little bat pony had fallen asleep. “That’s right. Like I said, you are safe now.” *** They were running towards a column of smoke, but their guards suspiciously hadn’t stopped them. They know more than we do, Twi. You should have let them talk. Darting around a corner, they were greeted by what was left of the Equestrian Parliament. The remainders still burning brightly. What in the actual-What happened! Royal Guards had secured the area, yet nopony was even attempting to extinguish the fire. This is a coup! Why though? Twilight, on the other hoof, seemed lost. “Do something!” she screamed, gesturing towards the building. “I am sorry, my princess." The guards shifted around uncomfortably. “The damage is too great. Now, we can only make sure that the flames don’t spread.” Liars. This is the first time any of you dared to talk back to Twi, and it is to refuse to extinguish a fire that has taken hold of one of the most important buildings we have? There is only one pony who would be able to make you do that. The picture was clear to Rainbow. Princess Celestia had decided to secure her rule. And still, I can't fathom why she decided to do it now. Yet Twilight seemed to believe the explanation her guards had given her, dragging Rainbow further towards the castle. “She did that, Twi!” shouted Rainbow, trying to get through to her. “You are dragging us towards the danger!” Twilight, however, only hardened her grip, running even quicker. “Ouch! Twi! You are hurting me!” Rainbow did her best to wriggle away. “Why are you-“ Spike! Spike is still in the castle! Immediately Rainbow stopped struggling, but before she could take flight in an attempt to bring them to the castle even quicker, the gates were already in sight. They had finally reached the castle ground. Castle grounds? More like a military base! Heavily armed royal guards had secured the perimeter, looking like they were ready to shoot down anything that dared to cross. Thank Celestia, I didn't fly us here, or they might have killed me by accident. If they did that, Equestria would probably have to deal with two madmares. They rushed past, with the everypony saluting, and finally, their assigned personal guards stopped following. Hey, that is Twister! The mare in question was addressing a bunch of ponies, handing out lists, in the distance. Why am I not surprised that those buckers are involved! I wonder where her master is? They made eye contact. Immediately Twister turned white. That’s right! Your boss’s boss is my fillyfriend! Of course, she was still intending to ditch the country together with Twilight, but Twister didn't need to know that. They entered that castle, causing Rainbow to lose sight of the mare. “Spike! Where!” snapped Twilight at the first guard she saw. “Guest room five-” She rushed past him. “Twi, you have to calm down. He is safe,” Rainbow tried to calm her down. “Don’t you have a connection to him?” The young alicorn stopped dead in her tracks. That’s right, Twi. Everything is fine. Those are still your guards. We aren’t their target. “You are right. I can feel him. He is safe.” Twilight slumped down. We need to know who their real target is, though. "How about we visit Princess Trigger-Happy and ask her what is going on?” she suggested. “You hate her,” the young princess mumbled. I do. I don’t even want to see her. Why do you think I didn’t go with you last time? Not to mention that I am still afraid that she could change her mind and wipe our memories after all, one of the main reasons I want to leave. For you, though. I will face her again. You shouldn’t face her alone right now. “Come, Twi.” Rainbow forced her up. “Let’s figure out where she is.” What they couldn’t have known at that moment was that they had unknowingly removed the last line of protection the ponies of Canterlot had, preventing the princess’s forces from turning against them, like they were already doing in the rest of the country. Now that both fillies were in the castle and Equestria’s newest princess wouldn’t be able to see what they were about to do, they were ready to start. There was nothing protecting the city from Celestia’s wrath anymore. *** Amaya was placed on the ground carefully. Huh… Candy? “I know you are out there! Bring it on and face your reaper!” Candy! We are being attacked! She isn’t a soldier! She needs help! She tried to grab her knife, only to remember that she didn't have it anymore. I! Must! Help! But her body wasn't listening, with the medicine in full effect now. “You think you can defeat me! A champion of the sun! Trained to join the Sunrays since I was six!” Sunyrays? Trained since she was six? Am I hallucinating? Amaya couldn't make out what Candy was facing, but whatever it was, it was attacking, not intimidated by Candys's proclamations. Candy, however, only teleported away, appearing in the sky, hovering. A bright light was shining from her neck before all hell broke loose. “This is your last warning! Leave or face the magic of an alicorn!” The bat pony's entire focus was on the mare, who was now engulfed in golden light. Around her, golden spears had formed, a few of them flying through the air towards the distance. Whoever they were directed at was apparently still willing to fight. She looks more threatening than the acolyte. Candy whirled towards her target, a huge explosion indicating her landing. How powerful is she? How close to the princess must she be if she has been granted access to her magic? This time their attackers got the message, or rather those who were still alive. “That’s right! Run! Go back to hiding in the shadows and be grateful that I didn’t cut you down like the creatures of darkness that you are!” Hearing steps approaching, Amaya quickly closed her eyes, only one thought on her mind. You have tricked me. *** They hadn’t managed to find Princess Celestia. All they had been able to find out was that the guard was doing a changeling riad and that Princess Celestia would talk to them about it tomorrow. At least she had the decency to wish me a good night. Just too bad that she couldn’t tell me that herself. Then again, if there is a genuine emergency… Twilight sighed. I can’t believe that she is my mother. “You know, you two seem to have a bunch of similarities.“ We have, haven’t we? I can’t become the same pony she is. “All right, Fluttershy. Once again, thank you for taking care of him.” Rainbow left the room before turning around for a final time. “See you tomorrow.” And now they are out there hunting changelings… I should stop them! I have the power to do it! I have the authority to do so! Yet, she holds all the cards… "Twi?" Rainbow looked at her, concerned. But does that even matter? Dashie wants to leave… Dashie doesn’t want to stay here… Dashie doesn’t want to have anything to do with all these things… Rainbow guided the young princess to their room. I have to find a way to fulfil that wish! But what about Spike? If we leave, we will rob him of all these amenities he could have. He could be a… prince? Twilight glanced at the little dragon. They would never make him a prince. Another memory from the future she had seen had returned. They didn’t even want to give him citizenship! They only ever viewed him as an animal! Best case scenario, they viewed him as a subpony! She only ever viewed him as that. Viewed him as my personal property. The same fallacy I succumbed to as well. They reached their room, and Rainbow carefully placed the young dragon into their bed. “Ok, Twi. What’s on your mind?” she tried once again. “I know there is a bunch of stuff going on right now, but you can’t just ignore me like that.” Yet Twilight did just that, turning towards Spike instead, giving him a kiss on his head again. "I love you, Spike Sparkle. Never forget that." Did Dashie just glare at me? “Spike… We would like to leave.” The young alicorn gently stroked him. “I don’t know if you can even understand what I mean by that… What I wouldn't give to know if you would agree with leaving…." The young dragon snuggled against her wing. You don’t care about all this as well, don’t you? I am the only one who does, am I? “I think Spike agrees, Dashie,” Twilight informed her. You only want to have a happy family… Something far more valuable than this. "Awesome," Rainbow answered dejectedly. What happened? “Come, Dashie. You need to give him a kiss as well,” Twilight encouraged her. Without answering, Rainbow did just that. You could have told him that you love him as well. Twilight stepped out onto the balcony with the blue pegasus following her. "You want to know what's on my mind, Dashie?" she looked towards the city below them. “We don’t like how things are, but the question is, by running away, aren’t we condemning all of them to the life that we hate? Why don’t we try to change things?” “They will never change,” answered Rainbow quickly. Ponies thought the same of you. “I think things can change, Dashie. I have the power to force that change. If not today, then tomorrow.” You changed me, too, after all. “I wonder, though, is it my place to force that change? Who am I to dictate how they live their lives? Wouldn't that make me the same as Princess Celestia? A Princess Celestia with reverse values?” Twilight couldn’t settle on a definitive answer. “Does the end justify the means?” “Just because you have the power to improve things doesn’t mean that you have to, Twi. We can live a happy life out there instead of making ourselves unhappy trying to fix a system that will never truly get better. A system that will end up dragging us down with it," retorted Rainbow. “They didn’t help me, so why should I help them?” You have already given up on improving things. All you are trying to do now is swim away as far as you can before the undertow drowns you. But you are fortunate. You don’t have the burden of being in a position where you can genuinely change things. Twilight tried to make out the ponies below them. “They hurt you…” “They did,” confirmed Rainbow. “And I will never forgive them for it.” All of the ponies involved? Society in general? What exactly do you mean? “Dashie-“ “No, Twi!” By now, Rainbow was enraged. “I don’t understand where this is suddenly coming from! I thought we agreed to leave!” We did. I just wanted to make sure that this was the right decision. The young princess enveloped her in a tight hug, giving her a kiss on the head. “We will. We will,” she promised before continuing to soothe Rainbow. And maybe one day we will return again. *** She is right. Once again, you are making ponies suffer due to your own selfish desires. Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Only this time, you are making an entire country suffer. What do you think the princess will do once Twilight is gone? Who will put through the reforms once you are gone? How many more will have the same experiences you had? … … … I don’t care. I finally want to be happy. Somepony else can play the hero. Only in this world heroes don’t get happy endings. Then why did you refuse Princess Celestias offer? Why did you refuse to become royalty? Why aren’t you exploiting her for all- Because I love her! Because that would have meant betraying her! Because I don’t want to sacrifice myself to become a hero, but I don’t want to be a villain either! … … … Those who stand by idly in the face of injustice are just as guilty. They are not! Then why are you angry at them for not helping you? She would have stayed. She would have made it all better. She said so herself. And she would have failed in the end! Out there, happiness is awaiting us! All we have to do is let go! Why can’t you just stay quiet! Why can’t you leave me alone! Rainbow felt like bashing her head against the railing. … … … It stopped. Thank Celestia, it did. Twi would have thrown a fit if I hurt myself again. She would have liked to breathe a sigh of relief, yet that would have made the purple fill suspicious and as much as she would have loved to have Twilight by her side right now, helping her navigate through her troubled mind, that would have meant admitting that the young alicorn may have been right when she told her that them staying would be better for everypony. It caused Twilight, unaware of the extent of Rainbow's troubles and needing to further sort out her own thoughts, to let go, turn around, and look towards the distance, with Rainbow following her example. As the young pegasus’s head cleared further, she tried to think of happier things. Spike Sparkle… Would that make me Rainbow Sparkle one day? She smiled, finally calming down a bit. Rainbow Sparkle. I like that. From time to time, they could see flashes of light coming from the city below. I shouldn’t have gotten jealous. But the screams couldn’t reach them, for they were simply too far away. Together we are strong. Together we can work through anything. From their perspective, the night locked beautiful, and the city peaceful. And if we wanted to, we could totally take a better country for ourselves. Rainbow placed her wing on Twilight's back. But that’s not what we want. I lied to you. I told you we could defend Equestria by ourselves when I never had any intention to follow through. I just didn’t want you to return. I am manipulating you. Once again, her happiness vanished, and a serious face appeared. “We will work through this, Dashie,” whispered Twilight. “We will come out on top.” We will. Because that’s what lovers do. The question is how much damage we will suffer in the process. They didn’t know how long they continued standing on the balcony, just looking towards the distance. The future depended on them. For the first time, they could feel it in full force. *** Sneak was being transported in a chariot, escorted by royal guards who had fetched him from his cell. Where have I gone wrong? What did I do for her to axe me? He had had his fair share of arguments with the princess. He had done many things she wouldn't have wanted him to do. Yet he had always been careful not to step over the line. Sneak turned towards the guards. "I am not going to reach Canterlot, am I?” Their silence, combined with the looks they gave him, confirmed what he already knew. “Has she said why?” he asked. “She said she warned you about this when you first started.” “If you want to survive, always ask yourself if I would have wanted you to do this.” Sneak had been cautious at first. However, once he noticed that there wasn't any oversight, he quickly made himself comfortable. “You didn’t even warn us about the military’s coup attempt.” “Impossible!” Sneak retorted, caught off guard. “There is no way the military would have attempted a coup!” he insisted. “That’s why Deputy Director Twister will be taking over from now on.” “That’s not- I-“ Sneak was stammering, feeling himself get cornered. Buck it. “Twister isn’t fit for the job. I didn’t choose her because of her skill level,” he admitted. In response, the guards just nodded. I wonder how she will remember me? Why couldn’t I just resist the temptations? “You are disgusting, but to be honest, what finished you off was that you killed the parents of Rainbow Dash. The princess’s daughter loves Rainbow Dash.” The chariot began slowing down. "It is only fitting that she will pin everything that happens tonight on you once the changeling story has run its course.” The princess has a daughter! Of all things, something I couldn't even have known finished me off! That stupid little piece of- Magic enveloped him, and his restraints were removed. What? Before he could react, he was thrust off the chariot. Out of instinct, he extended his wings right as spells began whirling at him, puncturing them. Nopony would catch him. *** The guards looked at the result. “He doesn’t even resemble a pony anymore. More like a mixture of Swiss cheese and soup.” "Stop joking around and remember the story. He freed himself, and we thwarted his escape. We simply couldn’t allow him to get away with the terrible deeds he has done.” “How sad that he will never face justice.” Most of them had mixed feelings about the situation, trying to joke their way through it. Among their biggest concerns was that the princess was knowingly ordering them to treat the law they had been taught by her herself to uphold like dirt. Yet, they had to stay strong. The princess always came first. Always. *** At first, she had slept in again, thanks to the medicine. “Medicine”. As if. She probably poisoned me. It was still dark outside, but Amaya knew that the sun was to rise soon. She didn't notice me waking up, and she is bound to be tired by now! I can take advantage of that! Carefully as not to alert Candy, she located her gun. "I am sure there are ponies out there who would love to adopt you." She fed me lies! She took my weapons! And now she brings me to the princess for judgment! Amaya was devasted. Equestria is just as bad as my old home, only bigger and more pretentious. In one swift motion, her wings grabbed the gun, ready to take the mare carrying her out. Only it wouldn’t budge, magic holding it in place. “What do you think you are doing?” asked Candy, eyebrow raised. She knows! But there was always a plan b. Quickly Amaya bit the unicorn in the neck, trying to cause as much damage as quickly as possible. In response, she was violently thrown towards the ground. She didn’t even twitch! Blood was running down Candys’s neck. The mare seemed in disbelief, only uttering one word. "Why?" “You lied to me! You admitted as much during your fight!” Amaya was defensless. You broke my wing. Maybe even my leg. The pain was yet to come. However, it was already clear that her victim had been more than thorough in her swift counterattack. "You heard that?" Candy rushed towards her, once again trying to fix Amaya’s injuries. I did! Why are you still pretending? “My upbringing isn’t representative. I was an orphan who got enrolled into a special program that no longer exists,” revealed Candy. “I can’t tell you much more since this is classified information, but I assure you, nothing I told you was a lie.” I ruined it. I judged too soon, and now I ruined everything. "Yes, I was acting a bit hypocritical since, technically, I was a filly soldier as well, but there were major differences." Against her better judgment, she continued to reveal parts of her past. "I didn't have my first mission until I was 16, and I was never in any real danger before then.” That does sound more reasonable. “When I saw you, it reminded me of my past again!” Candy continued her explanation, "Nopony should have to go through the things I had to go through, yet here you were, having it even worse.” I really bucked it up… “Hey, don’t cry.” She wiped away Amaya's tears. “I am not mad at you.” Blood continued to flow down from her neck, and air was wheezing through her partly punctured throat, but she still didn’t seem alarmed. How much blood loss can you take? How much damage can you take? The answer came when the necklace that Candy didn't seem to have removed after her first fight lighted up, fixing all their injuries. “There. I barely even felt pain. Trust me, I have been through worse. Far far worse.” Sometimes death can appear more pleasant than the alternative. Just like that, Amaya was levitated onto her back again, and Candy continued her journey. That was it? Completely forgiven for two counts of attempted murder? By the intended victim, no less? Amaya didn't feel like she deserved this kind of forgiveness. However, she certainly wouldn't question it. Instead, she focused on Candy's neck. "Did she give you that?" Amaya touched the necklace. For a moment, Candy frowned. Nopony but her and the princess were supposed to touch it. "She did. She personally channelled her magic into it. It is one of the greatest honours you can receive. Her biggest gift.” How much is left? Those spells had to be taxing. Also, the necklace reminded her of another one she had seen before. "The acolyte has one as well,” replied Amaya. Candy stumbled. The implications were severe. Nightmare Moon had a direct connection to their planet. Yet she also got excited at the opportunity that was provided to her. “What can you tell me about her? She is your leader, right?” “She is, but she always wears a disguise. Furthermore, she tends to only associate with our high command. I think it is so that we can’t reveal any useful information about her.” Amaya halted. What she was about to say next might be the acolyte’s death sentence. When I talked to her, she was kind. Maybe the kindest pony I ever met, second only to Candy. But then, why did she allow all of this to happen? Her fellow bat ponies would never forgive her for this. “I have talked to her personally once. When I did, she was a grey Pegasus, a form I have never seen her use before or again.” Still, it could have been a disguise as well. “She isn’t a bat pony?” It seemed unlikely but not impossible. “She isn’t. Most of us are, yet there are also a few non bat ponies among us. The acolyte is one of them. We never use them in field missions, as to not alert you about us having non bat ponies as allies.” And now I ruined all their efforts. “Amaya, I know that you must be troubled right now. However, you did the right thing.” Candy tried to soothe her. “Thanks to you giving us that information, we can prevent anypony from having to go through the same thing you did.” I don’t think they want your help, though. The forest became lighter. They had reached the desert. They had reached Equestria. *** A new day had begun. Princess Celestia was reviewing the final reports. Zero losses on our side. All targets were eliminated. Full success. There had been issues as well. Mainly with organization, but in the end, their targets had nowhere to hide. Now, in front of her was the Equestrian Constitution she was currently rewriting. I will need to reform many institutions, and I will need to find many replacements. However, in the end, it will have been all worth it. And I will have my forces secure the streets the next few days, just in case anypony does get any ideas. Revenge is a powerful force, after all. Yet she had accounted for that as well. When a pony was on the list, they hadn’t left any close family members unless specified otherwise. And I doubt friendship will be enough to pick a fight with me. To pick a fight with the sun. Raven entered the throne room. “My Princess, here are the daily newspapers.” A tiny stack of papers was levitated towards her. “Where are the others?” “Most of the papers were owned by nobility. Additionally, many journalists have been killed tonight. Finally, many papers ceased circulation out of fear. Unfortunately, that only put them on the lists as well since Deputy Director Twister saw it as an act of defiance. All of it led to only four papers reaming, able to publish,” Raven explained. Celestia sighed. Four should be enough, I suppose. Who needs more than one anyway? “My princess, I didn’t receive your schedule today.” Raven looked at her, fully expecting to be handed a copy. However, there was no schedule for her. “That’s because you have betrayed me, my unfaithful assistant.” Two guards grabbed her from behind, one of them throwing Raven to the ground violently before they began beating her. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure out who alerted Cadence about my plans? Who enabled her to turn Parliament against me? Did you think I would forgive you for that? You helped them in trying to sabotage my daughter!” Having done their job, the guards grabbed the now bloody mare, picking her up. “Oh, and Raven, when they are done with you, do tell me if the ESS has already started to treat mares better under Twister.” With that, they began to drag her out. “My princess, I am begging you, please show me mercy! I will never defy you again! Mercy!” Her former assistant was kicking and screaming, but it was no use. It was a stark reminder for anypony what would happen to them if they stepped out of line. What would happen if they, too, were to betray the princess. Mercy? Mercy? Ridiculous! I trusted you! Ponies like you have no place in the new world I am about to create! *** "Morning, princess." Rainbow and Twilight were staring into each other's eyes. "Morning, rebel." Rebel. “The princess falls in love with a rebel, turning against the queen… Sounds like the plot of a cliché romance," Rainbow laughed. "I wonder why Princess Celestia didn't have those books burned as well in an attempt to prevent you from walking that path." “Dashie! Are you a fan of romance?” Twilight was beaming at the prospect. I love it! But only the good ones. “What can I say, Twi. Yes, I am a sucker for a good romance,” she giggled. Action and adventure are cool too. “A good romance like ours?” The young alicorn gave her a kiss on her nose. They can’t even compare to ours. “Pff. No one could ever describe our love. It is way too awesome for that.” She returned the kiss. Spike is still sleeping. We shouldn’t wake him… Will I ever become a true parent for him? He must hate me after I suggested abandoning him. There was a knock on the door. Breakfast? Twilight used her magic to open it. In came Isabella and two guards. They really can’t see through her disguise. "Thank you. Dismissed." The young alicorn waved them off without bothering to get out of bed. “So, how was tonight?" Isabella mustered them. “Aren’t you a bit young to sleep together? What is with the bed over there? Or have those hormones made an early start with you two?” You pervert! I didn’t even consider doing that to her! Both fillies had turned bright red. And once again, Twilight's wings were stiff. Celestia, dammit, Twi! Stop thinking about me like that! The changeling smirked. “At least you have figured out the feelings you hold for each other. In record time, no less. It is always infuriating when we sense them, and the ponies in question have no idea.” Being a changeling sounds nice. Hivemind, sensing emotions… Endless persecution… I think I will stick to being a pegasus. “Have you come all this way just to embarrass me in front of her?" asked Twilight, annoyed. Hey, I don’t think any less of you for that. I mean, sure, it is a bit weird, but it's also supposed to be normal… Even if I can’t fully understand it yet. "Maybe?" Both fillies deadpanned. "All right. However, before we get down to business, I would like to thank you for saving my life. I was certain we were all going to die out there." Isabella looked down in shame. "This should never have happened. We promised you protection, yet we failed miserably." Her voice shook. "I failed miserably, and if it wasn't for your magic, I would have joined the Great Mother together with my siblings." The events of that night would haunt her forever. No matter how hard her remaining siblings tried to help her through the hivemind, she would always have to live with the question of why she got to live while the others didn't. "I hope you are still able to trust us after this?" You weren't at fault. They didn't behave like ponies but like unhinged killer machines. I doubt anypony would have fared much better. Twilight looked at Rainbow, receiving an affirmative nod. "We forgive you, and we still trust you." For a moment, the little alicorn seemed at a loss. How was one to talk to a mare that had just seen a bunch of her siblings die in front of her? "W- We are sorry for your loss. I wish I could have saved the others as well." Twi, you aren't blaming yourself for this, are you? "Thank you." Isabella smiled at them. "You know, this is the first time in a long time that anypony has spoken those words to one of us while knowing that they were talking to a changeling." She recalled the first time she had heard about the two fillies. She hadn't known their worth at the time, yet it hadn't mattered to her. All she had wanted to do was to stop lying for once. All she wanted to do was see how it would be. See if the ponies really would lash out should they know she was a changeling. Having been undercover for nearly as long as she had been alive, the thought had become more and more intoxicating. But had she revealed herself to her Equestrian family or friends, she would have endangered them as well as her fellow changelings while also making herself an enemy of the hive. Strangers were out of the question, too, since the thought of the ponies in question being taken out to avoid them having a chance to tell anypony else about their continued existence burdened her too much. And so, she had to pretend further, with any hope of the ponies around her ever accepting the real her fading by the day. That’s why she stole Spike. With him, she had a reason to come. To see the first ponies in hundreds of years to interact with them that weren't immediately killed or cocooned. To see how they would react to her. And now she had not only befriended them but also had her life saved by them, in addition to them helping them in their fight against the princess. The princess. She sighed, remembering why she was here again. "Rest assured that Mother will track down those who are responsible for the attempt on your life. We no longer take these kinds of things sitting down. The dead will be avenged." The hivemind… Did Chrysalis experience them dying as she did with her daughter? The changeling took a deep breath, preparing herself for the assignment she had been given. An assignment she couldn't fail. An assignment in which she, fortunately, had hardly anything to do since her mother wanted to do it herself. Did your eyes just glow green for a second? Before they could ask, Isabella began. "Are you aware that Princess Celestia killed all ponies she considered opposition yesterday? She burned down Parliament, removed countless officials she didn't fully trust, had the nobility disbanded and murdered, declared martial law, and the list goes on and on. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of ponies are dead, with them claiming that they were all changelings." “…” The filly's mouths hung open in disbelief. What they had been told seemed simply impossible. T-T-Thousands? “Of course, they weren’t changelings. They didn’t even manage to get a single one. Like I said, they just killed the opposition, all ponies that looked the wrong way at Celestia, members of the institution she disliked and ponies who were involved in securing your freedom. “In fact, killing freedom was on top of her list of priorities as well. You know, the little freedom you still had." Isabella turned towards Rainbow. “She also killed your parents.” She… “Dashie, I am so sorry.” Twilight carefully navigated around Spike and hugged the pegasus, who began to breathe heavily. I did this… Without me, this would have never happened! I killed them! The changeling gave her a look of pity, yet this was about something bigger. “We are all sorry for your loss, but what you are feeling right now is still better than most of the other ponies who lost their parents this night since she had them killed right along with them.” Why! Why! Why! "Just like she killed Princess Cadence." Isabella continued to press on, not giving them any time to process anything. “Cadence… is dead?” Twilight tightened her hug around Rainbow, who returned it. … Y-Your parents are nobility as well, Twi! What happened to them? Didn’t she hate them? But the purple filly hadn’t made that connection yet. “However, in fighting Cadence and you, she has more than likely exhausted herself." The changeling switched to a voice of urgency. "Now is the perfect time to strike! With you by our side, we will win!" Isabella looked at Twilight expectantly. No! No! No! No! I can’t lose Twi as well! Not receiving an answer, she continued. “Princess Celestia obviously feels something for you. Our plan is for me to disguise Rainbow as myself. That way, she can leave the castle with Spike. We will just tell the guards that she will go and show him Canterlot. Once she has left, we will evacuate her and Spike. I, on the other hoof, will take Rainbow's place, going to the princess with you. On our way, mother will join us. “We will post our guards at the door and cut off Celestia’s line of communication. Then mother will take you hostage. Maybe this will be enough to make her surrender, but should the princess not surrender, then mother will be prepared to fight her. Now, should she be losing, despite our expectations, then it will be the point where you would have to come into the picture. Celestia will be focused on mother, which would make it easy for you to take her out, using your element of surprise as well as your alicorn power." Isabella took a short moment to breathe. "If it all goes awry, then I will still be there and jump in to get you out. However, with you as well as mother, that scenario is highly unlikely.” It seemed like an easy and cutthroat plan. One that may not even require Twilight but that was certainly more likely to succeed with her. “No! The risk is way too high! If Twi turns against her, she could easily decide to discard her!” Rainbow was holding onto the filly for dear life. “She is a monster! You said as much! What is stopping her from just making a new child!” “Dashie.” Twilight was taken aback by her outburst. Especially the last statement had struck her. But she, too, didn't give Isabella a sign of agreement. "You don't trust us, do you?“ her face fell. "Has she made a better offer? Has our plight become irrelevant now that you have been graced with comforts we could never imagine? After everything that has happened, why mistrust us now? We were ready to support you at your lowest, but now that you have recovered, you are no longer keen on keeping word? I thought you were different.“ The changelings seemed hurt, like she had just lost some lifelong friends. "We can up or offer. Whatever she promised, we can give you more. Our future depends on it.“ “That won’t be necessary. You are right. This is the perfect opportunity. And once we have defeated her, we can still leave.” Twilight turned to Rainbow. “Remember, Dashie, Princess Celestia will hunt us down if we leave without taking her out.” No, Twi! This is too dangerous! But Twilight had been convinced. I must stop her! I must protect her! I can’t lose her! “We are happy you agree… I am happy that you agree." She gave the purple filly a thankful smile. “No matter what happens today, all of us will forever be in your debt, Princess Twilight. We know it would have been easy to ignore our suffering, yet you-“ "Chaaaaangeling!" screamed Rainbow from the top of her lungs. I- I- I- I had to do that! To protect you! Isabella turned around for a second, giving her a look of sheer incomprehension. Then she jumped out of the window just as guards burst in, immediately whirling spells at her. “She threatened our life!" Twilight's voice was cold as ice. “Kill her once you have caught her!” The sudden switch in personality was shocking, yet it was apparent why Twilight had given the order. Only a dead changeling wouldn't be able to reveal their involvement with them. No, Twi! This isn’t what I wanted! Despite that, Rainbow stayed quiet. This may not have been what she wanted, but it was the only logical result of her actions. "Of course, your majesty!“ The guards ran off. “Twi-“ “Forget about her, Dashie. Time to shower and eat breakfast.” The purple filly jumped out of bed, marching towards the bathroom before slamming the door shut. What have I done? *** “Director Candy! The princess has requested your immediate presence!” A few of her EBI agents were among the first ones to see her once she had entered the town, immediately recognizing her. Are they still calling me Director? Also, why are they still here? The agents may have referred to her as Director, yet they were eyeing her and especially the bat pony she was carrying with suspicion. “Where are your manners! You will show me and my charge the respect we deserve, or I will make you show it!” At once any distrust disappeared. "Status report!" It is way too quiet, even for the small town we are in… is that blood on their uniforms? “Things… are not great, Director.” Her agents pointed towards a pile covered by a blanket. Are those dead ponies! A list was presented to her. “Princess Celestia has ordered for all forms of opposition to be thoroughly silenced. Permanently.” Candy could feel the increase in Amaya’s heart rate. Her eyes were fixated on the paper in front of her. Sneak had once joked about her name being put on a list with undesirable ponies if she didn't stop getting on his nerves. The thought that such a list actually exists… That the princess would not only be aware of it but act on it… I shouldn’t have left. “You will stop this nonsense right now! I want everypony informed about that, understood!” Candys looked like she was about to mangle them. “Those who continue anyway are to be arrested!” Yet her agents couldn’t comply. Not when her orders were directly contradicting the princesses. “But Director! We can’t defy Princess Celestia! Remember she ordered-“ "Lies! I don't know what exactly has happened, but I do know that she would never order something like this!” Candy stopped, realizing that she was fighting a losing battle. If her forces really did believe that the orders were coming straight from the princess, then they wouldn't listen to her. After all, she trained them that way. Not to mention that I would send them in a battle against everypony else who has fallen for this. They won’t allow us to interfere with their directives. “Very well, don’t arrest anypony. However, until I have confirmed the situation, we won’t be participating in this farce either.” With that, her agents seemed content. I won’t let them slander your name, Celestia! No matter what they have done to you… a trick, mind magic, a coup, blackmail… I will save you! “Take me to Canterlot! Now!” *** I let you die twice right before my eyes. There was no failure on my part to detect your heartbeat or breathing. There was none because you were dead. And one of those times, I was the one who killed you. Rainbow was doing her best to avoid eye contact with Twilight. Feather had been right, after all. The sonic rainboom was a mistake. The only reason you are still standing is because you are an alicorn. If it wasn't for that, I would have already lost you. Lost you because of my own actions. Actions that have already killed my parents and hurt so many other innocent ponies. Actions that will continue to hurt those around me. Twilight, too, seemed to avoid eye contact, fully focusing on Spike instead, helping him eat his breakfast. A breakfast that continued in complete silence until a guard entered without knocking. “Princess Celestia has requested your immediate presence.” Maybe Princess Celestia, too, was right when she- Twilight used her magic to throw the guard out of the room before she grabbed Rainbow, forcing her to look her in the eyes. “Whatever happens, Dashie, you will stay in the background, and you will stay quiet! Understood! No stupid stunts! No talking back! I will handle this!” Rainbow nodded. I- You are scared! You are afraid of what she will do should she have uncovered our involvement with them! Why didn’t I think of that! “Remember! She loves me! She would never hurt me! No matter what it may seem like!” Twilight was shaking her, trembling in fear. "You, on the other hoof, are fair game! So, don’t draw any attention to yourself!” She levitated a frightened Spike on Rainbow's back, put on a strong face and opened the door. *** What have those bugs told you? The fillies she had been expecting entered the room before halting in shock, noticing the changeling on the ground. Faint breathing indicated that Isabella was very much alive. I must say, I didn't think you had it in you to order the death of a creature like that. Unfortunately for you, it alerted me all the more about the fact that you are hiding something. The young alicorn turned around, with Rainbow positioning herself behind her. "Hello, Mother." One day you will say those words, and you will mean them. "Hello, daughter. Let me be direct. Is there something you would like to tell me, or must we do this the hard way?" This wasn’t a discussion she looked forward to having, but she would have to get through it. This will end in an argument. I don’t want to argue with you. “I don't understand, Mother? She tried to kill us! How can you let her live!" Twilight's performance was immaculate. With eyes full of hurt, she gestured towards the changeling as if Isabella had been the root of all evil. If Celestia didn't know better, she would have fallen for Twilight's show. But she did know better. Also, you just changed your story. You told the guards that she only threatened your lives. The hard way it is, then. The older princess threw a book in front of them. "Do you still want to stick to your fairytale?” “That’s the book we got from the library? What about it?” Twilight stayed firm. It actually managed to raise some doubt within Celestia this time. Maybe I- No! She is trying to use your feelings for her against you! She is afraid of what you will do to her. “Look, my little star. I love you. I know they have done something, and if you tell me what, I can help you. Whatever part you played in their evil schemes, I will forgive you for it." She walked forwards, enveloping her daughter in a tight hug, trying to convey all the feelings she had for the young filly in one gesture. You can never get rid of me. No matter how much you despise me… No matter how much you want me dead… No matter how much you lie and insult me… I will always love you. No longer would she make the mistakes of her past. From this point on, she would give Twilight the love she should have given her from the start. With that, Celestia let go of Twilight again. Her daughter hadn't returned her hug, but she didn't mind. I have a lot to make up for, I know. If I want you to open up to me, I must do the first steps, no matter how long they take. The purple filly had lowered her head, pointing towards Rainbow. You want me to give her those assurances as well. "Of course, the same will apply to her. I thought that was already clear?" she guaranteed, with a kind smile. I should have never hurt her. Just look at how she is standing behind you, looking like she is whispering into your ears, controlling you like you were a puppet. I bet she is seeking revenge, making you afraid of me, trying to separate us… I wonder, would it truly be so hard to drive you apart? Make you fall for somepony else? Forget her and make her have an acid- “Why are you treating them like that? The changelings have shown us nothing but kindness?” asked Twilight. I suppose it does look unreasonable if you aren't aware of what they did, as well as the risks they pose to you. “I have skimmed through the book." She could count herself lucky that the librarian had alerted her about the unknown book her daughter was reading that had her portrayed in such a bad light. “Either Skylar has deceived herself, or it is changeling propaganda.” You don’t believe me. I can see it. She should have expected it, yet it stung nonetheless. So, before Twilight could argue, Celestia continued. “I had only heard bad tales about them until they showed up at the Crystal Empire someday.” She conjured up a map that had a country in a place where only ice should have been. "We had no reason to do anything. If Princess Amore wanted to accept them, then that was her decision, and they certainly didn’t seem like a threat to us.” Amore… Your trust in strangers was your undoing. Misplaced trust just like the empress once held it. To her, it was yet another reminder of why she shouldn't trust anypony. A reminder of why she had so many different layers of security in place. “For decades, everything seemed fine until a creature of darkness overthrew her, forcing the changelings out of the country.” I look forwards to our round two! This time we will crush you! Without you, none of the following may have happened! The princess sighed. I must stick to the plan. Death might be too kind for you, but I can’t risk keeping you alive just to torture you. Sombra would be dealt with swiftly, as much as she loathed the prospect. “The Chrystal Empire was small, but it was right next to our border, harbouring strong magic, which made him a threat that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.” Simple rules, really. You either listen to me, or I will find a ruler who does. “So, we gathered our forces, and while we did that, the changelings approached us, offering assistance, claiming they wanted to protect their home. “We accepted." A decision she didn't regret, despite what it led to. Sombra was far worse than I expected at the time. If it wasn’t for them, we would have lost so many more ponies. Their infiltration skills had been invaluable. That and the fact that the changelings were always assigned to the most dangerous positions, constantly filling the first lines of any attack. "I won’t bore you with the details. In the end, we achieved a stalemate.” Twilight and Rainbow looked surprised at hearing the word stalemate. I need to know what they told you! However, for now, she had to finish her side of the story. “We could have defeated him, but we thought that banishing would be easier, enabling us to simply take him out when he returned weakened. Never could we have imagined that at the last moment, he would modify the spell, taking the entire empire with him. “That left us with one problem. What to do with the now homeless-” “Accept them.” Interrupted Twilight. “You should have given them refuge after you took away their home. No one blames you for Sombra modifying the spell, but you can’t just deny the fact that your choice of action did lead to them losing it. They had proven that they could be trusted. Why cast them out now?” They always blame me. As for why I cast them out, the reason is simple. I would have never been able to control them, which is why they, in fact, couldn't be trusted. Tolerating their existence in the Crystal Empire had already unnerved her. Still, it was nothing compared to the thought of having a race of creatures within her border that could decide to rise up against her at any point. A race able to communicate and coordinate through their hive mind, making it impossible for her spies to alert her in advance. Not to mention the fact that they can easily disguise themselves, that they have magic enabling them to manipulate others and that they feed off of us. However, Celestia had a feeling that her daughter would take offence to that line of reasoning. Luckily there was another series of events she could point towards. "During the war, countless ponies died or simply went missing for all sorts of reasons. Yet, we never could have imagined the possibility of them falling victim to our own allies." The claim shocked the two fillies in front of her. “They abducted or replaced an innumerable of ponies, sometimes both, and they did it right under my nose. “We only found out about it when one of their victims managed to escape. Of course, we immediately stormed their hideout, which revealed the true extent of their crimes. Many ponies were already dead, and others were never found by us. Of those who were rescued by us, the majority never recovered, forced to live out the rest of their lives incapable of feeling emotions. “Needless to say, our relationship with them never recovered from that. They had demonstrated that they couldn’t be trusted, and we took measures to defend ourselves from them as a result.” Celestia had thought that she managed to portray herself in a good light, maybe even as the victim, yet Twilight seemed not only unconvinced but also irritated. “That was how many years ago? You can’t hold a grudge against an entire race for something that happened so long ago,” she rattled off. “Additionally, the changelings feed off positive emotions. How many of those are there in a war? Wouldn’t you have done the same to secure our surv-“ “What if one of the ponies had been Rainbow?” Any further line of reasoning was stopped in its tracks. Or so Celestia thought. “How many Rainbows have you killed last night?” The older princess felt the colour drain from her face. A comeback! I need a comeback! I need a justification! Alas, she couldn’t think of one. At least not one that her daughter would accept. I did it for you! You are just too innocent to see it yet! And since she didn’t respond, Twilight continued. “Just last tonight, you had countless innocent ponies killed. Ponies you had sworn to protect. Ponies who all had friends and family.” Twilight felt like crying. Maybe she could have prevented all of this if she had cared to investigate last night instead of accepting the fake explanation she had been given. “You had Rainbow's parents killed.” Who even told you all of that! Quickly her eyes focused on the changeling on the ground. You will pay for that! I had nothing to do with that! How dare you tell them I killed Rainbows parents! She had waited too long and, therefore, wouldn't be able to shape the narrative around their unfortunate death as well as the events of last night. “You are a threat to harmony. You…“ Instantly her attention was back on Twilight. Was the purple filly fated to say those words? It sounded like she had spoken them as an afterthought. Despite that, they hit Celestia full force, causing her to drone out the speech about morality her daughter was giving her in front of her. No! Up until now, their conversation had been going better than what both of them had expected. Sure, Twilight had given her massive pushback, yet Celestia didn’t hold that against her. She was her daughter, after all. If anypony was allowed to question her, then it would be her. Now, however, things were about to take a turn for the worst. “You are a threat to harmony.” The vision… The bearers resenting me… Twilight running away... fighting me… Suddenly it all made sense in her mind. This was the revenge of the elements. With one tiny vision, they had set her daughter on the path to destroy her, transforming the pony she had originally intended to be a tool under her control into her undoing. I was so happy when they chose you! I should have questioned it more… By now, the two fillies were staring at her, seemingly trying to get her attention, but she was busy answering an impossible question. Saving her beloved sister, a goal she had strived for so long or being with the daughter she desperately wanted to connect with. Luna or Twilight! Luna or Twilight! She looked into her heart for a moment. Forgive me, Luna! “Guards!” The fillies jumped back, startled. Immediately, guards rushed into the room. “Find Rarity and Applejack! Kill both of them on sight!” Quickly she motioned for them to leave again. And just like that, a millennium of work has been for nothing… Her daughter and Rainbow were left speechless. At least I will have you with me from now on. Also, I suppose Cadence had been right when she told me that you killed me… that won't happen now. Instead, I will make sure we become a family. She didn’t think it was possible, but she had found the pony she was willing to sacrifice her sister for. I doubt I will find another way to save her… You are everything I have left now. I will guard you better than- “Twi? Twi?” Rainbow’s voice managed to get her attention. Celestia looked up again. In front of her, Twilight was trembling, tears of pain rolling down from her eyes, cutie mark glowing. No! No! N- Bright white eyes stared right into her soul. “Do you even realize how big of a favour we are doing for you right now!" It was Twilight's voice, yet it sounded nothing like her. Favour! Favour! “Do you even realize how big the favours are we have done for your daughter just because we didn’t want her to suffer for your sins! Because we see her potential for good!” Twilight conveyed rage she had never encountered before. I don’t- “We have seen what you would have done to her! We have seen many different scenarios! We have seen her many falls!” Whatever was controlling Twilight was calming down. “Her misery. “Needless to say, it didn’t look good for your daughter. In barely any scenario would she have gotten a good ending, with her taking Equestria or even the planet down with her in most of them. The vision your daughter got was what we estimated was most likely to happen at the time.” I-I would never allow Twilight to suffer! “This might be her one and only chance to change things. To make them better for everypony. Yet, here you are already choosing the worst possible choices again, destroying her chances of happiness.” Twilight looked like she was scolding a small filly. I am not- “Are you aware that it was you who would have introduced her to dark magic? Dark magic that would have slowly killed the pony that she is?” Finally, Celestia was given a chance to respond. "I would never let her anywhere near dark magic!” she insisted. Twilight's face turned into pity. “Those who are under its influence tend to drag those around them down with them. How can you be sure that it isn’t influencing your decisions as we speak? You know of its dangers, yet you are foolishly insisting that you are stronger. Does that mean Luna was weak?” N-No Luna was one of the strongest ponies I knew. “What am I supposed to do! There is no cure for it! I can’t fall!” she pushed back. “We know. As always, you are trying to play the strong pony, settling the burden of the world on your shoulders.” A knowing smile appeared on the fillies face. "It's not too late. We wouldn't have chosen you as a bearer if we didn't think you were worthy. What matters is that one tries their best. We, too, have made mistakes. For example, we should have never left you alone after Luna was banished. For that, we are sorry.” Celestia held her head low, making it impossible to see her reaction. “And you know that there are cures. One of them the same cure you have planned for Luna and her misguided followers.” I knew it! You want Twilight to turn against me! In an instant, a spell was whirled at the purple filly, only to be deflected with ease. Undeterred, Twilight continued. “We gave her the opportunity to change her destiny, and thanks to that, new alternative scenarios were created. “In many, we wouldn't have needed to intervene again. “You, however, took this route. “We were divided. We have been for a long time on many issues. You once have been our chosen one, just like your sister, and despite everything that has happened, we didn’t think it possible for a pony that has experienced true harmony to fall like this. We also didn't think you would lash out like this just because Twilight wanted to walk her own path. Especially with us knowing what would have likely happened in the original timeline.” What do you mean by that! “We can see all the possibilities. “We can estimate the chance of them happening, acting accordingly. “We knew that changing things created new risks, but we decided those were risks worth taking.” Twilight halted for a moment. “At least the majority of us did, after months of discussion.” Once more, a pause followed, a face of defeat appearing. “It was another mistake. “We have seen this scenario, too, but we didn’t think it would happen. Had we truly believed it would, we would have never given your daughter this chance." Rainbow's ears perked up in alarm. Or rather more alarm. “Too many have paid with their blood due to our miscalculation. Consequences we will have to live with. “Consequences we will never be able to make up for because death is final for normal creatures.” A death glare was directed towards Celestia. I know. “And no matter how badly the future would have turned out, we still consciously robbed others of their happiness just so your daughter could have a fair shot of walking down a path of her own choosing. Who knows if they will achieve the same happiness now?” Twilight's horn lit up. "We have done everything we could to help her, going so far as breaking many of our principles. If she falls now, there are other bearers. “We will restore harmony. “With or without you. “Both of you.” A bright light engulfed the room. I won’t let you leave like this! Yet Twilight teleported herself through her hastily erected barriers with ease. And with that, Celestia was alone once more.