//------------------------------// // What was Done // Story: The Lost // by Lux //------------------------------// Chapter 11 – What was Done The next day Twilight was ready for the last part of her lesson on the origins of Discord. By now she knew what led to the reasons why a seemingly ordinary pony decided to radically change his form and his life. It was a reason as old as time and one that caused many ponies to act in ways that were different than their normal routines, sometimes to the point of being considered irrational. It was love, that ever-present force that affected the lives and minds of ponies throughout the ages. Yet although love in and of itself was a wonderful, powerful force, in the wrong hooves it could easily be corrupted into obsession and the sacrificing of everything and everypony in one’s life to blindly chase an obsession. Such was the case of Twist, who could not and would not see that in his pursuit of Princess Celestia, he was causing great problems in the name of love. This was especially true as he kept his obsession, even after the Princess rejected his advances, to the point that he made his own truth and followed through with a desperate and dangerous attempt to regain his ‘love’. But there were still some missing pieces to the story that the unicorn awaited from the Princesses, and today she hoped to learn everything, once and for all, about what happened. After breakfast, she went to the study with the Princesses. “So, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said, “Are you ready to begin?” “Yes,” Twilight replied, as she was eager to learn the remainder of the story. It was like she was back when she first became Celestia’s student, each day filled with golden knowledge being given to her by a pony of such power and majesty. It was humbling to her then as it was now that she was the recipient of such wisdom. “You have heard how Twist sought to win over my love with a dangerous spell that would change his appearance into that of the type of creature that he loved. You remember what was needed for the spell, right Twilight?” “Yes, it was the blood of every pony type and that of a dragon and a griffon,” Twilight recited, “and also something of the pony that one loves, like a hair.” “Correct on both parts,” Celestia said, “and that was exactly what he did. Many evenings after dinner, Twist left the castle and ventured out into the city. My sister and I thought nothing of this and actually were pleased that he was doing so. We thought that he was just enjoying the city more; something that we hoped would clear his mind and calm him. The fact that much of his life was spent in the castle, either with us or by his choice, was not healthy for a pony. He needed to go out and meet more ponies without being with us. I admit that I also hoped that in his outings, he would make friends and perhaps even find a suitable companion to fall in love with. This would not only make him happy but it would forever close any feelings he had for me.” “He wasn’t doing that, was he,” Twilight said, “He wasn’t looking for friends or love.” “No Twilight,” Luna said, “He was not. Shortly after he began making his outings, there were reports from the city guard about murders. Now as it was then just like as it is today, murders are very rare in Equestria. This is especially true in a capital city where there is a very well trained guard. It was no wonder that in Ponytopia there was so much fear surrounding these murders in a city that was deemed to be the safest place to live in the entire kingdom.” The scene flashed to the throne room in Ponytopia where Princess Luna sat on her throne in front of several ponies. From the look on the faces of the crowds, there was much worry and fear. “Night Court is now in session,” a pony dressed in armor announced, “The Princess of the Night, her Royal Highness, Princess Luna, will now hear your concerns.” A pink Pegasus pony appeared and bowed to the Princess. “Please state your name and your occupation,” Luna said. “My name is Lily of the Valley and I am a stay at home mother.” “What questions or concerns do you have?” “I heard about the murder in the city, and my husband and I are deeply afraid. You see, the murder of that earth pony happened just a block from our house. We knew the pony that died. He was a kind stallion who worked at a candy store and would always give free candy to my two foals when we visited. Now I’m afraid for my husband who walks to work every day past where the murder took place, and I’m afraid that my little ones are not safe.” The younger Luna looked into the fearful eyes of the mare. It was the same look she and her sister had seen every day since the murder took place. There were no queries about land disputes, taxes, or festivals any more. All that was discussed not in these court sessions was that shattering of the safety of the city. “Who else here shares in the concerns of this mare about the murder that took place?” Suddenly every hoof in the throne room went up revealing a sea of doubt and fear. “I know you are all worried about what has taken place, but I can assure you my sister and I are aggressively pursuing the matter. We have doubled our security presence, especially in the evening. We are also actively pursuing any tips that ponies may have concerning that night. I must assure you that this city is as safe as it has always been and I want everypony to rest assured that there will not be another murder like this again and…” Luna’s words were cut short when a royal guard approached her and whispered in her ear. The Princess’s expression changed from a neutral one to one of shock, something that was not lost on those present in the throne room. “I’m sorry ponies of Ponytopia in attendance, but I must prematurely end this Night Court session. I and my sister have a matter of grave importance to attend to.” With the citizens leaving with looks of wonder, lingering doubt, and questions unanswered, Luna immediately left the throne room in haste. “What happened,” Twilight said as the scene faded away. “There was another murder,” Luna said, “This time it was a Pegasus who was returning home after he was visiting some friends. A few days later, a unicorn was killed after she was taking an evening stroll in the park. In a week’s time, there were three murders, more than the number of murders that had happened since the founding of Ponytopia. After those events, life changed in Ponytopia. Ponies were afraid to go out in the evening and if they did they made sure to go in groups. The concerns were so overwhelming that my sister and I had to stop all court sessions. Guards unceasingly patrolled the street. It was as if the city was under siege by an unknown assailant.” “Were you afraid forTwist being out there?” “Of course my sister and I were,” Celestia said, “It was not only that we cared about him. We also realized that if any pony knew that he was our student, they might try to hold him for ransom or worse. But as much as we pleaded with him not to go, he was confident that he would not get hurt. After the murder of the three ponies, the city slowly returned to peace again. Still my sister and I could not find who committed the murders. Thankfully though, life returned to normal, or so we thought. A week later an ambassador from the Griffon Kingdom arrived to discuss peace agreements between their country and ours. She decided to take in the nightlife of the city, and that was when she was also murdered. This brought forth the fears again of the unknown murderer, but it also threatened the balance between our kingdom and the Griffon Kingdom.” “So that makes the three pony types and the griffon,” Twilight said, “How did Twist find the dragon?” “Well, it just so happened that the Great Dragon Migration was happening, a perfect time to find a dragon,” Luna said, “Unfortunately his plan didn’t go as smoothly as he expected.” A new scene formed, this time of a hospital. The young Princesses burst through the doors, causing the doctors and nurses to immediately stop and bow in respect. “Where is Twist,” Celestia demanded in a nervous tone. “He’s in Room 11, your Majesties,” one doctor said, “I will take you to him.” The three made their way to the room where Twist lay on the bed. There were bandages on his legs and body and one around his head. “What happened,” Luna said as she looked at her injured student. “Twist was found by one of the gate guards a half hour ago and was immediately brought here. He suffered several deep cuts and bruises which indicate that he was mauled by a dragon.” “Dragon?” Celestia said, “Are you sure?” “Yes, your Majesties. The cuts were clearly made by something that had claws and was large enough to be a dragon.” “Keep him safe,” Luna said, “I want the best care for him. I and my sister will be visiting him frequently to check on his progress.” “Yes, your majesties.” “So you can see,” the older Princess Luna said as the scene faded away, “Twist, in his desperation to finish the gathering of the spell components, almost perished that night. He made up a story that he was studying them and got too close. which I believed. It wasn’t the first time that a pony was hurt while being too curious of dragons.” “And the hair,” Twilight said. “That was the easy part,” Celestia said, “He could have found that anywhere in the castle where I had been. So, after the dragon incident, Twist stayed in the castle to recover. Now, with his quest done, and with the components needed, he was about to change the very fabric of his life, the lives of my sister and I, and the fate of Equestria.”