//------------------------------// // Interlude 3: The Question // Story: The Holy Covenant of the Triumvirate // by rathgood //------------------------------// Interlude 3: The Question The only sounds in the royal chambers was the turning of ancient pages by a lone unicorn mare in the center of the floor. The two diarchs lay side by side upon cushions befitting their size, exchanging glances as they wait for Twilight Sparkle to read the text to completion. Another brief glow of her horn and Celestia's face darkens; this does not go unnoticed by the lunar princess. A glow of her own horn and the mental link only the two of them can share is created. "Sister, you look troubled. Is something amiss with your student?" Looking up at her sister, the Solar diarch shakes her head no. "No Luna, it is just that she has just read of the shattering and is about to move onto the darkest times recorded in the tome." "I see why this would trouble you. Even now, the memories of that time still bother me. Should we still carry on with the plan this evening or wait for another time?" "No, we have dragged this on for longer than I had ever planned to. We must let Twilight know the history and then we must ask her to make a great sacrifice." Pain is etched across her face at the prospect of what she must ask. A comforting wing is placed around her. "It will be alright. We will give her time to decide as we gave the other one involved her time to decide." The sound of curtains parting and the muffled noise of hooves on marble break the sisters from their mental conversation. Turning their heads towards the great window they see the third Alicorn has joined them. She has a smile on her face and greets her aunts. "Aunt Luna, Aunt Celestia, how nice to see you this afternoon. I received your missive while in the North and came as fast as I could, it sounded urgent. What would you like to..." Her gaze turning to the lavender mare so caught up in reading that she had not noticed Cadence's arrival. She recognizes the book being read and her smile vanishes. "discuss, oh... I see, so its time then?" The pink princess's thoughts turn inward, back to a few months after her wedding when she had read the same book. -------------------- Her stomach churned. She knew that the time before her aunt's rule was bad, but never this bad. She was horrified by so much of the text. The death, slaughter, terror, and fear present in the past made her ill. The twisted origin of the one who's face still haunted her dreams was almost more than she could bare. But even that paled in comparison to the first reign of chaos she had just read. The tome's story had left her distraught and disoriented. "Aunts, how can this be, was it truly this bad? Why did you need me to read this? Was it to plant sympathy for my captor?" "Neigh my dear niece, we did not do this for any sympathy," The dark alicorn replies, "and no, it was much, much worse..." She visibly shudders as if recalling the events. "We had you read the tome so that you might have a background on what we must ask of you now. She looked between the two diarchs, a puzzled expression on her face. Seeing this, the solar princess speaks. "There was a prophecy made over 1000 years ago. A prophecy foretelling of your birth and of Twilight Sparkle's birth." "My birth” knowing of her wings and horn, "I can understand, but Twilight's?" Celestia sighs, "Yes, she is the second piece of the prophecy. According to it, when the Twilight was shattered, she did not die, but was split between two pieces. Body and Spirit. You my niece are the first alicorn born since the Twilight's ascension, the 'thrice blessed born of mortal kind shall be marked by love'." Her eyes heavy with the weight if centuries, Celestia continues, "and Twilight is 'the spirit returned heralded by a rainbow's explosion'. Two pieces of the same whole." Cadence was shocked. Her and Twilight were linked in such a way? "How...How can you be sure about Twilight? I don't doubt my part," her voice quivering, "but are you sure?" Tears began to flow down the face of the white alicorn, "Yes. I had my suspicions, but they were confirmed when she was able to fully wield the elements to cleanse my sister." regaining her composure she continues, "We do not know what will happen if and when we rejoin the spirit to the body. The choice to do so lies with the two of you." Having compassion and love as her special talent, Cadence embraces her aunt to soothe some of her pain. Her resolve hardens and speaks, not as their niece but as an equal. "Princess Luna, Princess Celestia I ask you, as another princess to share your memories with me. I must know what you have seen over the millennia. I cannot in good conscious make such a weighted choice based upon just the words of a book. I must know. I want to know. Luna was the first to respond, "I will not. Far to long did I stew upon these memories during my imprisonment on the moon. I do not wish them upon you." "Like my sister, I do not wish my memories upon you, but if this is what you wish, I will oblige." "But sister!" "She is far stronger than you give her credit Luna. She will endure." The glow of Celestia's horn illuminated the room as Cadence sank into a trance. The raw emotions that assaulted her made the torment in the caves seem like a nice spring walk. The love, the loss, the hate, the anger, the relief, the laughter, the kindness. All the emotions of the spectrum from thousands of years of life washed over her. The flow of the vast ocean dragged her along its currents. The currents became a river and the younger alicorn was taken upon a journey parallel to the stories in the tome. She stood against the forest. She raged against it. She was granted a sister. She fought with her sister. She gained a second sister. She helped unti the tribes. She fell from grace. She lost her sister to the devil. Cadence's scream broke the connection as she collapsed onto the floor, quivering from the deluge. She is gently levitated to the bed to recover. A few hours later she wakes to see the worried faces of the diarchs. "How...How do you deal with these memories? How can you continue on with such burdens? I don't if I could take such upon my back. I...I need to think." The solar alicorn nodded, "It is the immortal's curse. You must endure through so much sorrow and heartbreak that you feel as if you will never smile again. But there is also the Immortal's blessing, you also get to experience untold amounts of happiness. It is those events one must focus on or," She turns her head towards Luna, "you will lose yourself to your grief." Luna's face showed that she knew the latter from experience. Cadence did not press further. The moon princess spoke, "We understand. We will let you think on this. Please go rest in your room. The memory viewing has taken more out of you than you would expect." -------------------- Back in the present, the three Alicorns have gone to the balcony to talk away from the younger pony and so the diarchs can do their celestial duties. The sun in the midst of setting and the moon in the midst of rising, the land is bathed in the orange and purples of the twilight hours. Luna turns towards the smaller alicorn to address her. "Niece, have you made a decision?" "I...Um..." "Princess Cadence," Celestia interrupts, "If Twilight agrees, will you accept the spark of magic? Will you reclaim the power of the twilight? Will you ascend to join us in immortality? Will you walk side by side with us as our sister?" Cadence thinks first of her favorite filly, eagerly devouring the words that had caused her so much strife. Was she willing to deprive the world of the things Twilight could accomplish? Would Shining Armor forgive her for the choice? No, her husband was a stallion of duty and honor. If both chose to go through with this, he would understand. He would not be happy, but he would understand. But could she forgive herself? Could she bear to become immortal while her beloved faced the sands of time alone? The Immortal's curse and the Immortal's blessing...She looked towards the setting sun, tears escaping her eyes. Burying her feelings under the regal demeanor cultivated in her since she was a foal, she turns towards the diarchs. "I have made my decision."