The womb of fire rumbled underneath, struggling to break free from her hold. She rode high in its heat, saturated and dripping with the intense scarlet color. Her wings were caught; the molten rock refused to release her, determined to creep higher and fulfill its blind drive to engulf.

The primal power pushed against her. The pressure built up, barely bearable but pleasant. She cried, and the flames surged with a wildly swirling smoke. The crater wall collapsed; an intimate emulsion of ash and air was liberated.

Gracefully, she plunged deeper into the wild molten chasm. Her delicate lips met with the primordial fire of a volcano.

The heat of the Sun seemed tame in comparison to magma... But neither the elements nor the time—a sublime deceiver—could truly move her now. Even a hundred years could fly by her like no more than a decade.

The wave of cold air rushed across the room, and Celestia snapped her eyes open. Luna was already up close, pouring out words with the speed of her breath, "Canst thou believe the ponies!? 'Twas such, such excitement, and the villagers enjoyed it more than I could ever have anticipated! 'Twas a glorious time!" Her smile shone with pearly white. "Glorious!!"

"Please, quieter, dear." Celestia smiled back. Her wary eyes traced to the sack Luna brought. The bounty of different sweets spilled on the bedsheets, and the alicorn craned her neck in curiosity.

Luna blushed and pressed her forehoof against her lips, but her impish smile couldn't be contained. "My apologies. 'Twas an improper conduct of mine, and I have not meant to pull you from your slumber, but..." she giggled like a child. "The Nightmare Night was a success! Oh, where to begin!?"

She went through a simple breathing exercise, and Luna diligently followed suit, toning down her excitement. While she was at it, Celestia absentmindedly picked a candy. A licorice one? Far from her favorite, but it will suffice.

"Sister, I..." Luna stuttered but then spoke with happy confusion. "The ponies, they did not loathe me after all! Canst thou believe that We played games with them? We got to hear their laughter! I have learned what fun is!"

"Oh? Fun, you say?" Celestia's tone was patient and parent-like. She propped her chin, giving Luna a sly look. During the past weeks she had worried that lack of proper socializing might leave her sister stunted. "Did Pinkie Pie helped you?"

"'Twas a conjoined effort, Sister. She hath been instrumental in it, playing the part of a ringleader of the scared children." Luna smiled shyly. "However, most of the responsibility should lie on the shoulders of one Twilight Sparkle, thy valiant protege."

"You got along with her? I am glad to hear that." Celestia nodded, making her appraisal between half-closed eyelids. "Please, tell me more about your experiences."

Luna had begun her speech, and Celestia's mind immediately wandered off, despite her investment.

She had only recently wrapped up observing Canterlot's festival of Nightmare Night and hadn't delved too deep into the arrived Friendship report from Twilight. She wanted the experience to be as authentic as possible, but simply watching Luna talk was already making Celestia soar with happiness. Her sister's heart was pure, untainted, and beautiful. She was truly hers. Her little Moonlight, bright and clear.

Celestia prepared a lovely chamber for her return, befitting a little sister. It had a big ivory bed in the shape of a crescent in which she could climb like a crib. Luna was ecstatic about it but preferred to spend her nights in the warmth of the big sister's room.

Efforts to wean her from such tendencies were present, but so far soft and unintrusive.

In ponies' eyes Luna was wreathed in rumors, speculations, and mystery. Many have connected her with the disappeared Mare in the Moon, and Celestia had made great strides to protect their public image. Announcements, appearances, ceremonies, first ventures into the dream realm—it all was controlled, all made together. Celestia had put on her best act to make it work.

Even the night tribe, after some coercion, had accepted their newfound Princess without much of a complaint. They had seen all the signs, after all.

"But Moonlight, I thought that you've enjoyed it?" Celestia spoke worrying, like she wasn't expecting it. The celebration was barbaric in its origin, and now with Luna's blessing they finally can move on from this—

"Did you?" Celestia trembled with silent laughter. "It is as I've told you before: you will adore their silly simple traditions."

Luna nodded. "'Twas only but a harmless ritual. We doth enjoy the merriment and games, and I must confess: I never thought I could speak with them as casual as with you. Thou should join Us next time!"

"I see." Celestia looked aside. "I had the limelight aplenty in my time. Now I would want for you to shine."

"'Tis absurd! It needst not to be like this! Thine intentions ought not to be the reason to deprive yourself of fun!" Luna climbed closer to her sister, nuzzling her way into an embrace. Her curious eyes stared at Celestia from beneath. "Doth thou afraid of their reception?"

"I am imbued with responsibility for all the ponies of Equestria, and with their trust as well. The opinions of townies of Ponyville are appreciated, but not the biggest of concerns of mine." Celestia's smile became a bit crooked.

"They would never learn how great you are! Our subjects must know!" Luna playfully stomped her hoof on Celestia's chest.

"You've seen it for yourself: nothing is like it was in the ages of old," Celestia replied evenly. "I've worked hard to alleviate their intrinsic dread, and there's still a lot that needs to be done. Rest assured that I know how to have fun without the need to descend to them like you did."

"But Sister, may it be that their dread is not as cumbersome as it appears?" Luna pursed her lips, contemplating. "During my foray into the village I have discovered that they love playful scares! Especially the children, they adore my persona!"

"Oh, but of course they are!..." Celestia laughed melodiously. "They love the illusion, the thrill! What a jest!" Her smile widened. "I like to hear that!... Still, I can't take the same approach. We are too different, you and I."

"Sister, but thou must see that it is not that difficult." Luna's ears drooped down. "Thou have to put thyself out there, and If we get through it as a dyad, surely thee will have fun and nothing bad will happen!"

Celestia pulled Luna into a stronger embrace. "I am sorry, my Moonlight. I have too complex view of the emotion of fear. I know that fear can be a necessity sometimes, but each time I see them scared of me, it stings me. If I can help it, I do not want to experience this."
She placed her muzzle on her sister's shoulder, musing aloud. "I suppose it can be put this way: I can intimidate easily, and I am too often afraid that I will say something wrong and they will hate me for it."

"'Tis an absolute shame..." Luna sighed. "But, I think, I can understand... Sometimes ponies in the higher stratum of society can be too entangled in how they are perceived to deviate from the norm too far. But Sister, I am a royalty as well. Why can I be an exemption from the rule?"

"The truth is, I believe it's just not as simple for me as it is for you," Celestia replied in a dull, quiet voice. "Transition from fear to hatred can be too elusive. That is to say, I do not mean they will come to hate you, no, you are too lovely for that. For me, it is... tougher. There must be a process, you know it well. There are rules that were created not for us to besmirch. Since I am easy to be feared and hated, I would prefer to be cherished and adored and to remain familiar, compassionate, and known... For this, I aim to uphold the principles of love, kindness, and generosity that I swore to protect and inspire. It is what brings me confidence."

"Sister, art thou sure in thine deductions?" Luna cast a bright look. "Why would anyone ever want to hate you?"

Celestia's heart skipped a beat. She embraced Luna tighter, covering her with a wing, shielding her from all of the world and all of existence. "I've come too far to allow any risks," she whispered warmly.

Luna became quiet and still as a mouse in her grasp. "Thou just cannot be serious... 'Tis all there is to it, truly?"

"All of this is for your own good," Celestia breathed out and pressed Luna against her chest.

"This is alright." Celestia pressed harder. The dark wing under her hoof had twisted in an unnatural angle.

Luna gasped, struggling to push back. "Big sister, you are hurting me!" she whinnied in a small voice, barely able to breathe.

She felt how something snapped in the smaller body. "Please," she pleaded, "please, do not hate me."

A sudden touch made Celestia's body jolt. She gasped and raised her head. Her heart was thumping madly, and she felt dull surprise: how she didn't wake up from this alone?

The bed was moist from her sweat... Luna stared from above, straddling her big body. Celestia averted her eyes in shame and laid back, trying to calm her nerves. The apparition under her forelegs had dissipated into moonglow.

As realization finally dawned on her, she buried herself deeper into the pillows. "You shouldn't have witnessed that," she droned skittishly. "I am sorry... It was unthinkable."

"I am too careless. This newfound ability to dream like a curse in disguise, sometimes..."

"Balderdash," Luna replied with a smile in her voice. Her hoof gently went along Celestia's mane, stroking it. "Water under the bridge."

Celestia glanced at Luna, and after some consideration, leaned into her caresses. "Am I too overbearing?" she asked, still meek.

"On occasion." Luna's gaze shifted. She seemed guilty. "However, you are not supposed to waste your resting hours on such nonsense as torturing yourself."

"Neither should you squander your precious time on my nightmares. Our subjects need your attention more than me."

"I can say the same about you and the realm of awake, and yet you are always mine companion and intercessor in it."

"'Tis simply something friends do, am I wrong?" Luna frowned. "Do they not provide assistance when it is needed?"

Celestia couldn't manage a proper answer, and they stared at each other for a long moment.

"Hogwash." Celestia immediately stopped doing that. "Princess Celestia never pouts."

"What the tabloids might write about that?" Celestia teased. "No, I must remain immaculate. The stability of the whole realm might depend on the tiniest things like that!"

Luna laughed again. "On your pouts? Oh, Sister!... You are like a stubborn foal sometimes."

"A foal, seriously?" The ancient alicorn was amused. "I guess you would know something about that, considering your proclivity for the dreams of the little ones."

Luna snorted. "Lately, I have begun to venture more into the dreams of an adult pony. They are not as impressive as I expected them to be. When they fear, they fear reflections of their own emotions, and when they do not, they are beckoned to follow wherever their imagination guides them. That imagination is oft most boxed, and not as vivid and insightful as that of a child.
"The dreams of a child can be a whole universe full of profound truths and clashing primal emotions." Luna sighed. "And the more change they go through, the more the impact on the realm of sleep... 'Tis a fascinating sight to behold, Sister. A whole plane of existence that can be shaped by mind alone..."

"Fascinating, certainly. Those are curious observations, Moonlight," Celestia replied with suitable reverence. "I envy your pastime. To commune and play all night with children and fragile dream-selves of our loyal subjects—sounds like a dream come true, indeed."

"Perish the thought, Sister dear." Luna seemed offended. "This 'pastime' is very taxing. Need I remind you that I help ponies face their fears and insecurities?"

Luna giggled and replied in an unctuous tone, "Uneasy is thy head, I understand. The weight of thy crown must be a heavy burden to bear. You are always in 'mid of devout ponies that surround thyself and ready to prostrate at your beck and call, surely, it must be such a great suffering...'

"So you keep pestering." Celestia smiled. "I should leave you in charge for a few days, dear. That'll clear things up."

"Equestria is still not ready for you," Celestia nickered. "You are not ready," she meant. "Perhaps you should rein in the Night Realm first, then we'll talk."

"I must agree," Luna's grin was nothing short of provoking, "night ponies doth require more firm touch than surface-dwellers."

"Oh, do they? Your ponies always seemed to be self-sufficient to me." Celestia smiled innocently.

"Well tell me then, when they will be ready to be introduced to the rest of Equestria?" Celestia asked with a pointed look. "Do they even want to?"

"How can they be ready if I do not know what I must prepare them for?" Luna became defensive.

"The crux, as I see it, is that they are still the creatures of the dark. Maybe in the next months we'll shed some light for them, when the time comes for the Harmony to thrive and expand." Celestia sighed. "We can arrange for Twilight to introduce young ones into a proper society..."

Secretly, she hoped that night ponies wouldn't reemerge under her rule, and was not above looking into ways to postpone it. Due to bad blood, some things were better to remain buried, for the time.

Luna's eyes flashed. "I appreciate your faith, but you hinge too much on that child," she uttered, becoming tense.

The conflicted look from Luna had sobered Celestia up. She wasn't attentive enough... The Solar Princess centered herself. "I mustn't hurt her."

"I'd never!—..." Luna jerked her head up and then relapsed into a short silence. "Twilight is a dear friend." She sighed. "You are mistaken to think this way."

"I didn't mean to scorn you." Celestia smiled, trying to appease. Talking to Luna was like treading a traitorous swamp, sometimes...

"Don't mind it, Sister," Luna replied dryly. "When the time is ripe, my people and I shalt be ready to perform the necessary duty."

"Luna. Remember, I'd never ask too much, not from her nor from you, and I would never act without rhyme or reason," Celestia assured, placing her foreleg on Luna's shoulder.

"Naturally." Luna relaxed and curtly nuzzled Celestia's fetlock in a trusting motion. "You always have a plan. My only wish is for you to be more transparent, I suppose."

"I might need more time to learn how... I've lived far too long without a proper confidant." Celestia leaned and bumped foreheads with Luna. "Will you forgive me for it, little sister?"

Luna sighed and stepped away from the bed, moving with the grace of an elegant feline. She stopped at the balcony and glanced back with a sullen look. "Celestia. Your spirits are impaired, and I cannot leave it like that. A saunter would do well for your well-being, and let me be frank—I long to spend more time with thee. Can I come over?"

"I miss you too, dear." Celestia smiled sheepishly, curling under a blanket. "Maybe some other time. Things must calm down for me first, and I need my good rest."

"Well..." Luna lingered. Her voice had a nervous hue to it. "Then... I wanted to ask you... I cannot but wonder... Do you remember your dreams back in the olden days? What were they like?" There was a bright hope in her eyes.

Celestia heaved a breath, trying to appear more confident. "It might be a dull answer, but I don't. I remember only speaking about them with you, faint...
"It was nice," she added, almost in a whisper.

Luna was silent for a long moment. Her expression was unreadable.
"Try to have a good dream," she said eventually, also quiet.

Luna disappeared, taking away the drowsing influence of the dream realm. Left in the world drained of its blueish and purple tones, Celestia turned, inspecting the ceiling.

"A good dream," she muttered, discontent. Some things were more easily said than done.

She slowly raised her forelegs, as if calling for the dream to whisk her away, and lowered them back on a feather bed. She listened to her own breath, to the distant rustle of leaves, and to the ticking of a grandfather clock...

She had spent the whole night without moving, being washed with a gleaming white and looking like a living ghost.

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𒄈 When your every word is capable of shaping the fates of countless others, the sad reality becomes unavoidable: the truth is a malleable thing. Celestia already made arrangements to take precise control over the information regarding the incurred catastrophe, entrusting several loyal ponies to keep close attention to what might go to the press. The information and its shape was like the lifeblood of this calamity, a resource that could be used either to reinforce balance or to throw the scales further into disarray.

Over a millennium of ruling Celestia had learned these lessons intimately. She had no other choice. She was the keeper of secrets for a reason.

Things weren't going as smoothly as she wished to, but it mattered little. Once again there was a struggle, and once more there was bound to be a ripple effect. The decision to invite the workers from Canterlow, in particular, also invited more crime: petty thievery, weird sightings of ponies where they did not belong, the emergence of thrill-seekers, mostly false accusations of the changelings... Oftentimes, ponies were their own worst enemies, and for all its valiancy, the police force of E.U.P. Guard remained severely understaffed. The holding cells at their barracks were filled to the brim for the first time in centuries.

Celestia did everything that she could to contain the situation, bar holding another public speech. She had enough of that, nor she had deemed it an opportune moment for it. The ponies took the impostor's performance as a sign of impending turmoil, and it was going against the meticulous message of comfort that Celestia wanted to communicate through her appearance at the sermon.

Still, there were pros from Chrysalis' arbitrariness, as the ponies received a reminder that they had a powerful benefactor at their side. The cons were predictable: now they were less eager to leave the damaged city, believing that the worst had already passed. The ponies were steadfast creatures by their nature, but that resilience also meant they lacked certain flexibility.

The wages of the guards were doubled for the month. Volunteering was organized. The flood problem in the north district began to be addressed. Leading a team of custodians, Celestia personally looked through the royal archive—the one that was located in the Royal Palace—trying to discern how much of the administrative apparatus would be salvaged in case she'd need to emergently terminate her authority. 'Anarchy' was the word that modern ponies weren't closely familiar with, and Celestia hoped to keep it that way for at least a while longer.

The weather department remained in panic. Cloudsdale kept sending missives about utterly paranormal from their point of view activity around Canterlot, and for every inquiry Celestia advised to stand put and manage other regions as per schedule. Responses of a similar nature were already prepared and sent all over the country: a projected promise of stability and peace, downplaying the severity of harm caused to the capital. Per the semi-constitutional nature of Equestria, sorting out the damage was planned to be delegated to the Royal Council and the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Welfare—at the moment, the most busy government body as it is.

Lord Night Light and his wife haven't yet appeared in the court to inquire about the fates of their children, to Celestia's quiet relief. The first thing she did was to shut off access to the dragonfire channel for them. It was a cowardly decision, but as far as it wasn't her immediate concern, it could be treated as just another perspective problem to deal with, as inexcusably cold as it might sound.

It was too early to speculate, but Chancellor Cookie Cutter of the Industry Ministry seemed to have definitely gone off the grid, leaving behind a lot of unresolved problems. "Who knows what he was doing in Canterlow, right in my shadow. Coward," Celestia lazily thought. "I must conduct an investigation into his activities..." Personally, she never was interested in wealth or material gain. The concept of greed seemed boring and unbecoming to her. Money was just another resource—like the time itself, like many other things.

His father's corpse hadn't become cold yet, and Vladimir Blueblood already was taking office as Minister of Arcane. It was a hereditary position for his clan (mostly honorary, really), but the boy now was running around completely wide-eyed, more a nuisance than a genuine help. Luckily, he had capable aides at his side, far better suited for the task at hoof. If the situation was any brighter, Celestia could've found some amusement in it...

She had some shade of curiosity if the external threat would make Canterlot's intrigue any more interesting. Probably not, as for hundreds of years ponies squabbled over the same power struggles in constant disgruntled repetitions. The permanence of their little ambitions was a disappointing, but necessary little evil.

She made a mental note to look out for the Blueblood clan if she would be around in the following years. The young aristocrat was not ready for the position he happened to be in, and might've had access to more power and resources than he was ever ready for—wait, what was she thinking about? What does it matter right now? Her people suffer, and she casts her thoughts into the future as if everything would be the same?

"Yes, yes. I know." Celestia returned to the hornwriting. There were required measures, including some last-minute changes to the revised legislation related to Equestria armed forces and requirements for conscription. At least, for however long the law will remain enacted this time, ponies would be somewhat protected... It still needed to be pushed past various institutes such as Parliament (that still needed to be effectively rebuilt from ground zero. Another mess to deal with), and accustomed to peace ponies won't appreciate the measures, but Celestia tried to involve herself in as much work as she could anyway.

An armored pegasi barged into the study through the open window, disregarding the protective barrier. Celestia flinched and quietly sighed, seeing that her quill had left an ink spot on the paper. Most of the other papers flew all over the floor, and Raven, with a harrowing gasp, rushed to collect them.

It seemed another emergency had occurred. The Princess wasn't thrilled in the slightest. "Ah, Commander Magnus," she said, proceeding with writing. "You came just when I need your expertise. I require your opinion on—"

"Lady Celestia!..." Magnus exhaled, leaning into a deep bow. He was shaken to the core, and that was the most concerning.

"The statue, in the sculpture garden," he said keenly. "The statue from it was destroyed."

The statue? A momentary confusion followed, as she glanced at Raven, who was equally perplexed...

...The statue! Discord! She had completely forgotten about him! All this ongoing strife was bound to set him free... Celestia felt cold sweat all over her forehead.

"I see, my little pony." She stood up from the desk, resolute. "Raven, take it from here."

"Right." Celestia smiled apologetically. "I'll be back in five, try to hold the line until then. Commander, a moment of your time."

She reached out to the pegasus with her aura, and the floor violently shifted from beneath them.

The direct teleportation always bore a certain risk for creatures of her power and origin. There was a minuscule chance of being stranded on the another plane of existence, and a far more severe danger of drawing rather unpleasant attention.

This time it went without trouble. Magnus fell at her side, gasping. The tips of his feathers were barely noticeably singed. Sometimes, the urgent matters demanded drastic actions...

The sculpture garden was half-destroyed by a powerful, targeted blast. It was easy to pinpoint the origin and direction of it. Her stare lingered on the charred and cracked remnants of the pedestal that was supposed to host the draconequus.

Concealing the statue of Discord as the statue representing discord was exactly the kind of irony he would've appreciated, especially since he wasn't a real statue, but merely something suspended in space-time by the powers of Harmony. Celestia was amused by it each time she witnessed him being marred by bird waste. Life was a marvel of absurdity sometimes…

Nonetheless, there was no denying the fact: he had been destroyed irrevocably. There was no trace of his magic. Celestia half-expected something of this nature ever since the Elements were shattered. For hundreds of years he, along with the members of the Cosmic Council, was a reminder of the olden days of the earlier world, and now he was gone, too.

Celestia heaved a sigh... There must be said something. It was the ponies' custom, after all. "The elder spirit..." She gulped. "I always believed that we would find a way to see beyond our differences and cohabit this new age for however long we can, and that the judgment of Antiquity had reserved a role in it for you as well—"

It... should not be possible. It was an event beyond possibility, probability, even. Why did she accept it so easily?

It felt like a prank. It must be a prank. Nonsense. Just like everything else that was happening recently. Utter nonsense.

If the world was lacking the Spirit of Disharmony... then... where does this leave Harmony?

The silence dragged on. It was suffocating. Celestia sat there with unfocused eyes, until she noticed a simple ladybug, crawling on top of the remains. Disregarding her intent gaze, it spread its tiniest wings and took off.

Kingdoms rise and fall. Creatures live and die. Even the ancients will meet their final day. Those are the incontrovertible laws of the world, and whatever happens, it will go on. Opposing them is unnatural.

There was some solace in such thoughts, however fleeting it may be... And it wasn't a time to grieve, not for her... But that begged the question, what time would be fitting?

"If I will constantly push my feelings aside, I might never have a chance to process them."

She defiantly rose her head, sending more ripples through her flowing mane, and forcefully proclaimed, "Everything would be lesser without your presence, albeit a silent one. We didn't see eye to eye on many things, but we both moved toward the same goal. Your wit will be missed. Fare thee well, my oldest foe and accomplice."

Celestia bowed sorrowfully to the remains. Discord was a complex being, but in past centuries the ancient alicorn entertained almost a fraternal connection with him, and through it, a delusion that he could learn an encompassing power of Friendship... Maybe she would've learned something from him, as well.

"No, Your Majesty. Nothing beyond the fact that it was a powerful magician," he stared with a blank expression. "Could it be the Queen?"

His neutrality was almost accentuated. Discord already was a myth during the Pillars' emergence, and Celestia could tell that he didn't care about the loss of such a being as much as about the fact of this loss.

They will forget about this, about all their struggles and fights. Only yesterday she would've thought it's just the natural way of things...

"It is not how she operates. The beast prefers subterfuge and wouldn't use her destructive capabilities unless it is absolutely necessary," Celestia assured. "I want guards to be posted here. Any unusual activity must be reported to me without delay."

Celestia observed the scenery. The traces of residual magic indicated that the blast had occurred merely a few hours ago. Not many unicorns of this age were capable of a spell of this magnitude... Was it another agent of Order? She glanced in the direction of Starswirl's Tower. This magic was odd, similar to his, but lacked the refinement. Was he involved?...

Celestia plunged into the depths of uncertainty. What if he had done something to her?... No. He wouldn't dare. If he had harmed her, Celestia would hound him to the spine of the world and destroy him, and he knows it better than anyone. He would never risk her ire again. Never. They are on the same side in this.

Indeed, Luna is fine... She must be fine, otherwise, Starswirl would've contacted her already. There's no room to be paranoid and to make rash decisions. Celestia was not about to take a risk and lead the changelings to Luna's location. No doubt they try to monitor the presence of alicorns in the city.

"I am coming back. There's nothing to be done here." Celestia outstretched her wings and sent whirlwinds of dust with a powerful flap.

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𒄈 She stared down at the blank paper, trying to focus on the incoming words. Usually, they came to her much easier in the written form. Each word always needed to be measured and eloquently composed with others. Every one of them was supposed to be working toward the desired effect.

Luna. Twilight. Cadance. In case the worst happens, they all need to be left with personal letters with instructions, as well as words of wisdom, guidance, and love. She considered Sunset too, but ultimately decided against it. The girl would be better off living the rest of her life without the unnecessary complications.

It was a peculiar feeling—to know that you were around for so long, and to be able to count those who are closest to you and not add up to a double-digit number. There was a reason behind it... and it was for the better. All of her close ones were hurt in some way by her decisions and actions, and even while being hurt was a normal part of life, Celestia felt more hopeful for Equestria without her, in a roundabout kind of way.

There was something specific that she wanted to ingrain into the parchment. She wanted to show how she was proud of them and of all that they had built.

Luna would be so confused by everything related to the impromptu wedding. Celestia wasn't sure how even begin to explain her feelings on the matter. What tone would be the most appropriate?

Her quill hovered above the name like a pointed spear. The Princess hesitated, then crossed it out, and added something else.

The name mocked her... It made everything worse. It was not invoked for hundreds of years... Thinking about it, she tried to brave her own ancient and fuzzy memories. It was like searching through the contents of a dusty, moth-eaten suitcase.

The hurrying, uneven beat of someone's hooves abruptly stopped at the door to the study. As the visitor tried to calm down before inviting himself in, Celestia heard Kibitz's characteristic raspy wheeze. The parchment burned with hot fire, and with all evidence cleansed in an instant, Celestia calmly waited for the pony to enter and speak.

"My liege!" Kibitz gasped. "The Changeling Queen is in the palace! She issued a demand for you to meet her at the entrance!"

The Queen had a death wish. Celestia glanced at the clock. Still too early. She isn't nearly done. "She knows where the ruler of this dominion resides, and I welcome her to come for an audience."

The majordomo was of the finest training and conditioned by years of service, but even he couldn't hide the urgency and tremor in his voice. That's why she loved him: the old pony could act natural around her. "My Princess, my apologies, but she threatened, per verbatim, that heads will roll if you won't descend to her."

The Princess' mane surged to the ceiling for a split second. Not good. "Is that so?" she replied evenly, standing up. "Anything else?"

He hesitated but pressed on. "She had brought what seemed to be dead animals and demanded to see a cook, but none were present. Should I try to accommodate?"

The Royal Palace wasn't the safest place right now, and most competent ponies were needed elsewhere. Celestia frowned. "That defiler... No need, I will take care of all this. You are to stay here, warn others, and maintain the appropriate distance. Providence be willing, it will be over soon."

As she trotted to the hallway, Kibitz uttered under his breath, "Good luck, Your Majesty!"

On her way back to the foyer the air became significantly colder and the darkness devoured the sheds of light from curtained windows. It was there, this abundant Dark, that the Queen carried within like her trusted companion.

Celestia kept her horn alight, observing the entrance hall from the second floor. Disregarding the alicorn, there was barely a scant of natural sunlight. The marble floor was covered by slick blood, contrasting the colorful furnishing of the ponykind, mirroring it being dripped into the violent dark shade of red.

The Queen was waiting. Giant by pony standards, she was sitting hunched over something small, covering it with her holey forelegs. The alicorn could barely discern the body of unassuming gray color.

"What is the meaning of this?" Celestia inquired steely. Whatever the creature was, it was still alive. She could see it breathing.

"I am not here to fight." Chrysalis' whisper filled the room with a reverberant echo. "You wanted to talk to me, earlier. It is my turn now."

"Come and see, my powerful Sun... It is harmless, be assured," lied Chrysalis.

The Queen sneered derisively, "Are you really so indecisive? Or maybe you're just enjoying the thrill?" She leaned down to her quarry. "What do you think it is, so worthy of your attention?..."

Celestia was anticipating to see how it could go. She felt drawn to it and couldn't ignore the threat, and so, she took the risk. Keeping up her protective wards, she stepped on a stairway leading to the ground level.

Chrysalis wasn't moving at all, following the alicorn only with her intense inequine glare. Her vertical pupils dilated, overtaking the shimmering green with the rich black.

Celestia's hooves were tapping on the stairs like the beat of a broken metronome. She stopped a few steps short of a pool of blood, and when the Queen moved to reveal her prey, the truth of its abominable nature dawned on Celestia—moments before she actually saw the abhorrent creature in full.

And, by stars, it was disgusting. A jolt went through all her nerves and all sinew and fiber of her body, all of it demanding from the alicorn either to flee or to lunge at it and to furiously stomp it. It was disproportionately bloated, with weird stumps of wings and tiny yellow claws on a single pair of its legs, and the head, oh, the head was worst of all! Celestia yelped and stumbled, jerking back from the awful monstrosity. The dull red eyes were staring from a misleading avian-like skull that concealed razor-sharp teeth within a crooked beak.

The hideous cockatrice shrieked like no tomorrow, thrashing in the green aura and flapping its wings. Celestia felt just like eons ago, when she foolishly treaded into the deep and dark cave, arrogant, short-sighted, not knowing horrors lurking out there, waiting for her. The damp walls converged on her, pressed from all directions. She desperately gasped for air; she needed to get out—

The cockatrice's neck twisted and snapped. Celestia whinnied loudly in shock and nearly fell when it was tossed under her forelegs.

The pure dread gripped her. And, at the same moment, a thousand cold green needles pierced the base of her horn.

If Celestia could go pale, she became paler. Chrysalis' aura seeped through the opening in her defenses, grasped her, and knocked her down from her hooves, bringing on the hard stone of the stairs. Unable to move her head, Celestia cried again, blinded by searing pain. As she furiously blinked, the Queen closed in and loomed above her.

"Who'd knew that such tiny things can turn you into a quivering mess?" Chrysalis scoffed.

The smallest exertion of her power could change Celestia's fate forever, cut off from her divinity, and leave her a mere husk of flesh and bone, even if not completely without magic... But how much of that would be true? She did not knew. Did her horn, this delicate and refined tool, define her so much that without it she would stop being herself?

And still... Celestia never was this close to the edge. Even during the previous days when she was completely at Chrysalis' mercy, she never felt so vulnerable.

The Changeling Queen leaned closer and opened her maw. Her tongue, long and dexterous, moved along Celestia's horn.

Celestia's breath became labored and erratic. She watched wide-eyed as the Queen was meticulously counting the spirals of her enormously long horn. This moist and warm, tender touch, captivated her... All her senses submitted to this feeling, intensifying her attention to the movements of her torturer... When Chrysalis reached the tip, their eyes met.

Chrysalis knew perfectly well what she was doing and to what effect. The clench of her sharp teeth grazed the tip. Just barely.

Unabated pain shot through Celestia's whole body like a white flash. She whinnied, began to pant. A few tears slid down her muzzle.

"This is fun... Who is pathetic now, Princess?" Chrysalis uttered with vengeful malice.

"You were expecting I would wait until duskfall like an obedient dog!?" Chrysalis growled fiercely.

The afterglow of pain still resonated through the alicorn, but it hardly could be compared to the humiliation.

"You are no challenge to me... You washed your soft body with scented oils while I bathed mine in the blood of your subjects," Chrysalis gloated.

Celestia suppressed a small peal of nervous laughter. She glanced down at the dead cockatrice for a moment longer than intended, still deeply repulsed by it. A new pang of pain in her horn made her gasp.

Chrysalis' voice was rich, slow, and raspy. She was full of contempt and sadistic joy. "Everyone are subjects to my royal power. I can own you... I can carve open your skull and remake you as I see fit. I can own your ponies... I can flay them alive, tear out their cutie marks, and force them to chase those down the streets..." She gleefully smiled at this image. "I can turn this city into a gory carnival of blood and pave the walls with the severed skulls... It would be such a spectacle... I can't wait for my venom to run through their veins, to starve them until they turn on each other for my favor. All this city can become a trap for them with me. The Queen." She leaned closer, salivating. "Have you ever in your life felt hunger, true hunger? Are you aware of what a driving power it is? Have you ever endured such privation that you would feast on yourself just to survive?"

"Do you still blame destiny for your folly?... Blame me. You misjudged me. You never treated me and my army with the respect I deserve."

The fiery spirit was building up inside. Not opening eyes, ever so carefully she turned to the monster, uttering glaringly calm words, "You love the sound of your own voice, don't you, my Queen?"

She nuzzled into the alicorn's neck, and Celestia couldn't help but tense up more. For these drawn out moments everything else fell into nonexistence—so there was only the Queen and her firm grasp, her movements, each one of them measured and thorough.

"Your calmness cannot impress me," Chrysalis crowed in a perfect mixture of rough, primal savagery and tender affection, "but your subtle fragrance weaves for me another tale... Right now it is spiking with all kinds of flavors. -"

Inhaling the thick smell of blood in the air, Celestia was being consumed by this experience. The world of the Changeling Queen was leagues apart from her own. She wanted to know what does she feels and sees; how does she perceives things.

What an unfamiliar voice she used, sweet like honey and wine, almost submissive... Her body pushed against the alicorn with more insistence.

Her aura wrapped tighter around the horn, sensitive like a bare nerve. It began to slide upwards and then back down, excruciatingly slowly, exerting a delicate but strong pressure.

Celestia was like a piece of art that wasn't supposed to be treated this way. She bit her lip, trying to endure this abuse and not show more weakness.

"You are scared of these forest pests more than of me. Why?" Chrysalis demanded.

A foreleg moved to her flank and went over her taut muscles, gracing them with a thorough caress. The touch of the Queen was becoming more possessive by the moment...

"Do you have no sense of danger?... What's wrong with you? You fool..." Chrysalis chastised. Her voice quivered.

Celestia felt a rush of exhilaration, sensing that her enemy was once again devolving into a needy, starving beast. Her dark and ravenous passion was infectious and desperate.

Almost ready to surrender to the pleasure, Celestia whimpered, and the Queen suddenly jerked away—and as if it were a cue in a reprised play, Celestia opened eyes and stared down at this gnarly monster, mangled and mended many times over, but proudly bearing her scars like a front. Beneath that front, it was evident that Chrysalis was startled.

The Princess always tried to consider her own unwaning beauty as an asset and an object of admiration for ponies, but to be a temptation for this creature? A nigh irresistible, genuine object of her unbridled desire? Therein laid the true weakness of the Queen, and Celestia was struggling to deny it.

So many things about Chrysalis were going against all semblance of common sense...

"You are a sundew," growled Chrysalis, taking another step back. Her green eyes darted from side to side, expecting danger.

Not willing to fan the flames of Chrysalis' paranoia, Celestia restrained the urge to smirk at this sight.

The Queen came to her senses, but her tail kept lashing against her flanks, communing that she was an irritated and disturbed predator. "Soon our lives may come to culmination, so don't you want to make every second count?... Maybe you desire something twisted, something... wrong?" The Queen flashed a sinister smile, trying to reassert herself. "I can make it happen. Me, pretending to be your little sister, was only but the faintest taste of what we can enact."

"You are a dark, deviant soul," said Celestia almost carefree. "There is no need to conceal the truth and go against oneself. Continue being simply who you are."

"What a deliciously pony thing to say. Shall I hunt down and cull all the species that are even remotely similar to chicken?" replied Chrysalis.

"They are still... still living creatures." Celestia subtly bobbed her head from side to side. The Queen was distracted and her grip on the horn had been loosened. "They had done nothing wrong."

"Those creatures have no place in nature, and yet you allowed them to survive on your whim. Do you enjoy that your ponies could wander off into the Everfree and be turned into stone?" Chrysalis spat.

Celestia chuckled faintly, covering her mouth. It wasn't an unknown opinion, but it was plain ironic to hear it from this parasitic monster. "Maybe so," she murmured.

A strange nervous exhilaration continued to bubble up inside her. She couldn't stop smiling now, feeling both maddened and lightheaded. None of this was supposed to be happening...

"I can bring to you the bodies of all your enemies and nightmares..." Chrysalis offered in a smarmy yet vicious voice. "After all, if you aren't ready to kill for something you want, how important can it truly be?"

It had driven the final nail in. Celestia couldn't restrain herself. She threw her head back and laughed.

Her real laughs were always like this one—all-consuming, ringing, completely unbefitting for an elegant creature that she is, and even unhinged, but with a breathy fringe and a pure tenacity in its core.

Celestia gave into the hearty emotion, unapologetically genuine and swelling like a roaring thunder. The Queen hadn't mattered right now. She herself hadn't mattered. All that mattered was that she couldn't be able to adhere to decorum anymore.

"So you wish to keep jockeying me," she sucked in air, "to be taken seriously, after all!? You seek validation for your own worthless sake, is this what it is all about to you, Queen!?" Celestia finally quelled down her laughing fit and managed to heave a sigh. "Oh, my dear... To you, violence is satisfying, yes... but to you, it is also merely a means to an end. I know it because I share this feeling.
"You ask me why am I not afraid of you?" Celestia stood tall and defiant, towering above the dark creature. "Because you do not believe in principles! Because you do not know devotion! Because I know that being cruel can be easy; because I know that my fear will give you power; because I am aware that you were always terrified of me!!"

The changeling kept listening. Her grip on the horn, the projection of her will, finally slipped away.

"Because I am Princess Celestia!" Celestia spread her great vibrant wings. "Everyone fears me!!" She pierced Chrysalis with a direct and heavy glare. "You've become too accustomed to hunting my little ponies. I've tempered myself for hundreds of years! Do your worst to me!"

Chrysalis did not pull back. She did not sneer or smile, nor she did not get defensive. She lowered her eyes and puckered her brow. "Robust, ancient things like us do not bend under pressure... We do not adapt, do we? We break, and when we break, we break hard.
"I am a connoisseur of dark arts... and of fear. It is my passion. Your ponies aren't all that different from the other creatures of this world..." She smiled mirthlessly. "They all are superstitious, wanting to be deceived by their own mind. None of them ever needed much to be afraid.
"I think that the fear is an artistry. It is ambiguity. It is a power and a tool. It is something... controlling... demanding your attention. It is a lack of morality to which you cling for guidance." Her aura caught the dead cockatrice and lifted. Chrysalis turned to it, scowling. "It is my belief that you should face the things that you're afraid of, and devour them."

Chrysalis made a low, irritated hiss, and the cockatrice was tossed back into the puddle of blood. She drew herself upright, stepped closer... A moment of deliberation reflected on her muzzle, and she immediately pulled back, turned, and walked to the exit. Her tail kept lashing all the way.

Celestia glanced at her own legs. They were trembling. She felt overwhelmed. She tried to direct her thoughts: it was only nervousness, nothing more... Someone needed to clean all this mess in the entrance hall... She will return to the study, command ponies to do it, and will finish her work.

"Celestia," the Queen called. She was standing in a few steps from the door, eyeing her askance.

The Princess silently raised her brow, somehow managing an expression of calm confusion.

To her great displeasure, this question only started Celestia more. Her confusion became real.

As she hesitated, bewildered, Chrysalis asked again, "Is there anything that you desire?"

Celestia exhaled, centering herself. "What I want you can never provide. I desire for the Harmony, so it could be spread among all."

Chrysalis lolled her head. "Oh, no, no. No..." She pulled an avid grin. "Let us forget about the Harmony for at least a few minutes. I'm not talking about that, not about your despicable altruism. Have you ever craved anything?... Where does your luster come from? What do you want for yourself?"

Celestia couldn't help it. Her inquisitive mind worked against her. She gave it a thought, and her voice died in her throat.

Long ago, before everything, she wanted so many things—but she did not truly forget them... did she?... she was... postponing them, yes... For a special time, when... But disregarding that, she always knew what words she would use in all times if someone dared to earnestly ask that question. "I want the Sun to shine. I want everyone to be happy and warm. I want my subjects to prosper."

How strange it is. Everyone always assumed something about her. Everyone always wanted something from her. Everyone expected lessons and directions, and everyone needed input from an adult in the room, from her: the monarch of the land; the level-headed sovereign, efficient and approachable in many matters. Just.

The trickster Chrysalis was the only one who kept asking about her thoughts and wants. How did it come to be like this?

Chrysalis kept staring at her from above the shoulder. Her glare festered, drilling into Celestia's soul. "Everyone are defined by their desires. They are the sole thing that is giving us the drive in life. So what it is for you? What lies in your heart, I wonder?"

There was something more than any of this, wasn't there? Something beyond the incessant movement from goal to goal... But now, the ever-alluring end was almost in reach. She knew what must be done. It was another problem to solve. It had a solution from which she could not stray.

Celestia's cutting response was laced with a promise of danger. "If you expect that I will bare my heart before you, then you are sorely mistaken. No gestures of ostensible goodwill would be enough to amend the rifts and suffering you've caused."

"But I do not seek to amend anything, demigoddess..." Chrysalis grinned. "Let's say it is but a tribute..."

Celestia scoffed. "Your desires are primitive: to satisfy your hungers and to have power." She lowered her head and trained her horn. "There is no life in this. You might as well be dead."

"You don't say." Chrysalis' grin became wider, but her nervous shifting betrayed her fright. "Then how come I am better, my alicorn?"

The doors slammed shut after the changeling, leaving Celestia alone. With the released tension, she shook uncontrollably. Not immediately, but she turned and made her way back to the study. Everything was like a blur.

"Princess! Are you alright?" she barely registered Kibitz's agitated voice. "Your Highness?... Are you wounded?"

Celestia noted that her fur was partially in blood stains, and uttered in a cold, breathless voice, that scared the help away, "It's fine. Everything is as intended."

She sat at her desk and buried her muzzle in fetlocks, shivering. Why did this encounter shatter her so much?... It won't do. She took a deep breath and raised clear, calm eyes. The switch must've been jarring to the pony, judging by his expression.

"Please, summon the others from my inner circle. And bring me a glass of water. Thank you." She smiled. It was a familiar, kind smile.

She feared that it was too late for her and that she had already strayed too far off-course, just like her little sisters in the sky.

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𒄈 So, he didn't believe in her victory too? Celestia laughed. "Oh, and what will you do, my little pony?"

She immediately regretted it. The proud soldier looked like he received a slap, but still, Magnus' resolve was unwavering. "My Lady, I am bound in servitude by the vows of chivalry. Do not look down upon us!"

Celestia sighed, contemplating the situation. As was expected, none of the three in the room—Kibitz, Raven, and Magnus—had taken the news of the upcoming duel lightly. Still, some things needed to be confronted, to be said, and to be done.

"Allow us to side with you, at least," Magnus reiterated, speaking out of order. "Right now I can lead no less than fifty good ponies who aren't afraid to lay their lives on the battlefield. We can ambush the Queen, say, employ the hit-and-run tactics? Won't the distraction, at least, be sufficient?"

"Is that what you consider to be chivalrous enough for an Equestrian knight?" Celestia raised her brow in disapproval.

Magnus took the hit. "Nay, but those monsters, these Changelings, m'lady, they are of the Dark! They know no honor. Their deplorable tactics bequeath to us the right to act with all of our might, and to provide all the impediments that are necessary to succeed! Unlike them, we are fighting for something, for our people! All the realm needs to rally to help us combat this threat!"

"I will never betray my principles, Sir Magnus, nor I will never force you to betray yours." Celestia smiled and turned back to her advisors. "Now, please, do you have any more suggestions?" she prompted with morbid curiosity.

"We can indeed try to call others for help," Kibitz offered warily. The majordomo was a poor substitute for a military advisor, but he was a trusted pony with access to a lot of correspondence. "What about Princess Luna, or about arcanists? We can still rely on Princess Cadance's aid. We have an option to summon every ally we have: Starswirl, Princess Twilight, the Pillars, the Elements..."

"The Queen will not wait on us and for these plans to come to fruition," replied Celestia. "She will strike first and force the battle on her own terms. Following your suggestion would mean that I will keep risking the lives of others, and there is little reason for it now, believe me."

"What if our ponies come with better equipment?" proposed Marcus. "There are illegal weaponry that we can move in from the Industry District. I doubt that there is a lot of it in circulation, but some of the guards were forced to use it against changelings and it went with resounding success. Can it be that their Queen won't be any different?"

"You want me to lift the ban on it? You do understand that once it is done and these things leak into mass distribution, it might cause an irrevocable shift in the whole societal structure?" Celestia arched her brow. "Even if my rulership might be in its twilight, I refuse to tarnish it with such hasty and unbecoming decisions. More than that, are you trying to imply that my power is not enough to beat the Queen?

"No, Lady Celestia." Marcus stepped back, his ears drooped down. "I didn't mean to offend."

"It's quite alright," Celestia calmed him down. "Whatever my stance on it, we don't have time to properly utilize this technology anyway. Besides, most likely we will only expose it to the changelings and make our problems worse tenfold."

"Your Highness, what about the girl that tried to secure an audience with you?" interjected Raven. "She seemed to be offering an alternative solution."

Celestia stood from her table and slowly crossed the room, wanting to stretch her legs. "You refer to Starflower and her research. It wasn't finished, and according to her, it is scarcely even a theory. If there is a project associated with it, it remains completely within the Ministry of Arcane and subsequently the Starswirl's Tower jurisdiction."

"If the weapons from Undercity are not allowed, why won't we use magic from the Tower?" Magnus wasn't giving up on his noble intent to help. "Starswirl is a powerful wizard of his own, and as far as I concerned he and his gadgetry already should've been on the first lines of defense!"

"I'd advise you to stay clear of the Tower. As of now, its contents are more dangerous to the ponies than to the Queen," Celestia warned.

Magnus looked at his peers and made an exasperated sigh. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, we are the denizens of this city. We must have the right to defend ourselves."

"I understand," Celestia acknowledged in a quiet voice. "Believe me, I understand. Still, I can't allow you. Your actions would be followed by the violent response from Chrysalis, she will rope in her changelings, more innocents will suffer, and this conflict will proceed to scale until we won't be able to contain it at all. Right now I've reached some semblance of parity with the invader. I know where she will be and when, and I am aware of her intentions and motives. This is a once-a-millennia chance to put a definite end to her strife, and it is my duty to see it through."

The room lapsed into silence. Celestia stared at the panorama of Canterlot, deep in thought. One way or another, one of them will savor the defeat this night.

"Please, understand that I do not wish to hurt your feelings or demean you," she spoke again. "This is the Darkness that only I can face—there can be no doubt about it."

"I can't stand by and do nothing. As a knight, I am obliged to act," said Magnus sternly.

"Then, do all you can to protect the citizens, as you always did. I can't ask anything more," replied Celestia.

"Lady Celestia!" the Commander pressed on. "We cannot allow the Dark to win. We must fight!"

A certain millennia-old school of thought persisted in Equestria, shaping its philosophy and magic practices. It was frowned upon to speculate about, as otherwise, you might quickly gain a reputation of delinquent. The ponies were being taught that the Darkness is something that exists only outwardly, as an antagonistic force that preys on negativity and insecurities.

"But your fight against the Darkness never ceased. You have fought an unseen battle ever since you were born," said Celestia. It was time to speak about it plainly. "The truth is that there is the Darkness in all of us. Yes, my little ones, it exists even in ponies. Your hearts are the battlefields of constant war for peace, however contradictory that may sound..." Celestia glanced back from the window. An enigmatic smile graced her muzzle. "My heart is no exception."

They all looked confused and distraught. Magnus shot her an utterly betrayed look, but it was Raven who connected the dots and vocalized their shared thoughts, "Your Highness, what are you implying? Are you saying that you truly can become like Nightmare Moon? Like Pony of Shadows? Like Chrysalis?"

"A fearsome thought, is it not?" Celestia replied ruefully. "Frightening enough that it is all-consuming. It is because of it I want to ask of you: bear hope for me, for the hope is something that allows us to see the light in things, and those who are of darkness often are deprived of it."

Magnus spoke, finally heeding her, "All our hopes and dreams are with you, Your Majesty."

"With me and Luna. And Cadance. And Twilight." Celestia felt overwhelming tenderness to the other alicorns, as well as to her ponies. She fixed her smile back.

"Lady Celestia, please, remember Her Highness Princess Amore," Magnus spoke sullenly, not raising his head. "Fight for her too."

Her smile slightly waned. "Princess Amore..." Her head bowed down, weightened by the thoughts and memories. "That's right... I won't forget her, good knight. My Sun brings hope and life to all, and for their sake and for her sacrifice, I have to... I must endure."

Celestia turned to the window once more. speaking in a calm but hollow voice, "If I won't be able to care after Twilight, you may find her statue in the forbidden section of the library. Kibitz knows how to reach it... And one more thing. The war against the Darkness has been raging on since the inception of this world. When the dusk comes, please keep in mind that whatever it brings, it will be nothing more than another step toward its resolution."

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"I release you. I don't want to see you hurt." Celestia nuzzled with the bird. Her tears were quickly evaporating from the close proximity of the phoenix. "I know, I know you were always here for me... I don't deserve it, and... You should find your place in your homeland, or wherever else the wind takes you. You should be free. Find a mate, build a real family. Don't let this ancient mare bog you down."

Her familiar was aware of her turmoil and plight, and that is why it wasn't budging... The chains of the shared good and agony were heavier than lead. Celestia loudly sniffed. Right now she could allow herself such luxury.

"What am I to do with you..." She smiled sadly and extended her wing, letting the bird climb on it. "With all of you... We are all just incorrigible, aren't we? Completely hopeless."

The whole study was a darkened and lifeless place, and such was the Royal Palace as a whole. Celestia tried to ensure that the ponies stayed in the safety of their homes. The city remained in a sorry state, but now, so close to the evening, the ponies, like rambunctious children that they were, finally got tired of their panicking and squabbling and tremulously listened to the dawning of silence.

While she was feeding Philomena the extract of rare fruit collected on distant mountainsides of the Dragon Lands, a snap of magic brought her back from the morose self-reflection. The parchment was drifting down from the ceiling; a message, urgent enough to be sent by the dragonfire channel. Feeling nostalgic, Celestia caught it midair and pulled it to her eyes.

Dumbstruck, Celestia reread the parchment several times. It wasn't a cipher or a forgery. It was, unmistakably, an odd message from Sunset in her hornwriting.

It was a piece of evidence, either way. Under Celestia's searing gaze, the parchment caught fire and turned into ash in an instant.

A creeping unease settled in. What had happened to the girl?... Did someone feed her lies or the truth? Celestia wondered which might be worse, but of course, it was too much dependent on from whom she received this information.

The bird was tensely staring at the far corner of the room. Celestia turned but saw nothing.

The bird made a shrill cry, flapped her wings, and nestled on a perch higher in her cage. Celestia felt a budding headache and caressed her temple.

Celestia peered into the warm and quiet darkness, hearing nothing but ticks of the clock. She was sure that some presence was there, an elusive one, that always hid just outside the corner of an eye...

Eventually, after a few detection spells were cast, she accepted defeat. There were too many diverse beings in the world that were potentially capable of something like it. The last thing she would need is to become paranoid and begin to act out of mere suspicions and tricks of her own mind... Too many unenviable concerns she had. Too much was at stake already.

Her foreleg moved to her peytral and she pressed on it, listening to the life that was slumbering beneath it.

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𒄈 The light grew dimmer, and the air became richer with shadows. Succulent, divine orange poured into the distant skies.

For the first time in a long, long while, there was no concrete plan nor expectations. Just her, her thoughts, and the impending darkness.

Her figure, clad in the ethereal silver raiments, was standing on the balcony overlooking Canterlot. She wondered if the Moon or even the Sun would ever rise again... The ponies will remain, though, that's certain. The world may find its way, yet. It was supposed to be enough for her, wasn't it?

The feeling of being in control of the future was slipping away by the minute. It was a terrible burden to have, to know that it is not just your own fate that you are in charge of, but it is the fates of millions, and there is no escape, there is no respite, just a silent, unending treading into a dark abyss.

But in the unknown of the dark, there was something more than fear... there were also boundless possibilities. In the ivory tower where she resided, rising against the firmament of stars, anything could happen.

She looked at the storm coming from the east. She turned and slunk back into her chambers which were filled with aromas of arcane incenses.

It is time. She felt it, in her bones, in her soul. It was like a call. It is time.

"When the great darkness dimmed the sky,
The earth trembled at her hoofsteps. -

The stars were shining bright around her. The rumble of thunder broke in the sky. She traced her forehoof between the candles on the floor and sharply turned her body. Her head bobbed like a puppet's.

- She had roamed the world.
She had drunk foreign waters
Outside of your bound,
And she had become strong by their power. -

The cold wind surged and violently broke through the closed windows, swirling thick fumes above her head.

- She had seen the Sun rise from the seas,
To be set down to rest in your vastness.
The evening star shines on your lap,
And if she must leave,
She'll entrust it to your love and your grace,
To your vigil and to your soft embrace. -

The candles began to flicker and fall, ruining the intricate magic pattern. Some of them were set ablaze by the sudden verdant witchfire.

- You bind the mountains, and hold fast the lands,
You carry the blood of the vanquished, and their defeat in your hands,
You are the path to the victory, and the way to the end,
But you know not, what you hold within... -

- I know that you are here, Dark Queen."

In the mirror on the wall she saw her, emerging at her side, bringing with her a whole realm of emotion, forbidden, intoxicating, tantalizing.

Her figure shadowed Celestia's slender frame; her hoof ran down the curve of the alicorn's delicate muzzle in a sleek, dominant motion.

"Let there be no judgments. No constraints. No doubts." Chrysalis' words were filled with the demand of fire. "I want your power and passion. I want you real, raw. I want you, now.
"I want you to hate me."

The Queen of the Dark Ch. I

by Forcalor

Step 15 — ...𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴... — Princess Celestia — Day 2, afternoon