//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Home Sweet Home // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 11 Twilight and Rainbow Dash had returned to the Library after unsuccessfully chasing after Applejack, they had been so close, but their friend eluded them, she was frightened of what had happened, and they were too. Twilight and Rainbow wanted to help, but it seemed that help would not come. They pushed open the door; Princess Luna, Vinyl Scratch, and Scootaloo were sitting quietly, listening to a record of Pips Domino singing Blue Moon. The song ended and Luna pulled the needle off the record. “We have a problem,” Luna said plainly. “My sister.” “What?” Twilight asked in confusion. “Luna, what happened between you and Celestia after you told Goyle that the kangaroo forces could cross?” “Tia was not happy with me, to say the least, but she wasn’t going to do anything about it, she figured it wasn’t my fault... but it was the fault of South Island, which was when she started amplifying solar activity. She’s building up for a massive solar flare to cripple South Island, the initial flares have already hit, South Island can’t reach anybody else, and they can’t call for help because the solar flares are interfering with their Wireless broadcasts... worst of all, they can’t get the word out to evacuate,” Luna said. “What... why would Princess Celestia do this?” Twilight said gasping in surprise. “Tia blames them for Equestria’s recent problems... and she’s not willing to do anything about the ones who are actually responsible. The Siblings Nightmare,” Luna said sadly. “Why not!? She’s Princess Celestia! She’s all powerful! Can’t she just banish them to the moon or something like last time?” Rainbow Dash cried out in frustration. Luna shook her head, “She used the Elements of Harmony to do it last time... and she can’t use them anymore because the true bearers claimed them... and to be honest, even if she could, I don’t think she would. The Siblings Nightmare are keeping another threat to her busy, The Paragon of Order.” “So what do we do?” Twilight asked. “It’s simple; we have to remove Celestia from power before she turns South Island into an irradiated wasteland!” Luna paused, and then gave the group before her a frown. “I have a plan,” she said. “But you’re not going to like it.” ... “Do you remember when you asked me what the worst plan you’d ever had was Twilight?” Rainbow Dash said. “And I told you that you hadn’t done it yet? Well, this was it... turns out it wasn’t your plan though, sorry I blamed you for it.” “It’s all right Rainbow, I agree that this is the last thing I actually want to do... but I don’t think we have any other options. If we’re going to save South Island, then we need to do this, and we need to do it now,” Twilight said. “You know me,” Vinyl added. “You two have my hooves until you decide that you don’t need them.” “And mine too!” Scootaloo added at the last moment. Rainbow Dash, Vinyl Scratch, Scootaloo and Twilight were standing at the edge of the Everfree forest. “Scootaloo, I really don’t think you should come with us...” Twilight said, looking at the filly. Scootaloo frowned. “This is important! More important than Cutie Marks! I can’t just sit at home and wait for you all to come back!” Twilight frowned, looking to Vinyl to try and dissuade her. “Scootaloo might be young,” Vinyl said, ruffling Scootaloo’s mane with her hoof. “But she is old enough to make her own decisions. She wants to help? She comes along and helps.” “Fine,” Twilight said giving in. The sun was setting in Equestria, soon it would be rising over South Island and the solar activity would start to become worse. If they were going to do something it needed to be sooner rather than later. The four ponies trotted into the Everfree forest, on what was possibly, the worst idea ever had. They walked several hundred metres inward, along the path that was laid before them, and after several minutes of walking, Rainbow Dash stopped them. “Here, this is the place we need to be,” she said. They did not wait long. Out of the trees, they heard a faint ticking noise. Ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka! The Black Smoke rolled from the trees and out into their view, forming into the Siblings Nightmare and trotting casually towards them. “You are brave to seek us out,” Nightcaller said plainly. “Why have you come, my little ponies?” “We’ve come to make a deal,” Twilight said. The three Siblings Nightmare gave each other a quick glance, and turned back to the group before them. “You have our undivided attention.” … Twilight walked through the throne room in Canterlot towards her beloved mentor. But she didn’t see her as she had in the past. Princess Celestia was sitting on her throne, watching her as she approached, but she’d ceased to be the Princess that Twilight had known her as. She wasn’t the kind, brave, and gentile ruler that she would have them believe. Celestia was cold, calculating, and was frankly willing to sacrifice South Island to keep war from Equestrian soil. She would kill hundreds of thousands of kangaroos without a single thought, and that was wrong. Celestia was smiling at her. “Twilight! To what do I owe this visit from my star pupil?” “The solar flares,” Twilight said simply. Celestia frowned. “I had a feeling that’s what this was about… when I learned that Luna had escaped, I knew that she would seek you out. Let me explain to you why this has to be done.” Twilight was looking forward to finally having answers. “Appeasing the Twin Gryphon Kingdoms will put an end to the threat that they pose! They’re mad about the kangaroos in Equestria, they’re mad about the ambassador here. They’re mad about everything! And they’re on our doorsteps Twilight. Equestria hasn’t fought a war in a thousand years. We couldn’t win, and even if we could… so many would die in the process… I can’t let that happen, my subjects look to me to rule them! I can’t send them to their deaths!” Celestia said, she was rationalising, and it was making Twilight sick. “So then it’s okay to kill a million of kangaroos to keep a million ponies safe?” Twilight harked at her angrily. “I’ve come to stop you, Princess, you’re my mentor, and I loved you as if you were my own mother... but I can’t let you do this. It’s wrong!” “And what, pray tell, are you planning to do about it?” Celestia asked. “I am a goddess! You’re a just a single unicorn, even as the bearer of the Element of Magic, your power pales in comparison to mine.” “True,” Twilight said. “But not theirs.” “What?” Princess Celestia asked in confusion. “What are you talking about?” “NOW!” Twilight called towards the door. Vinyl Scratch and Rainbow Dash pushed it open from the other side, and bursting through the door was a cloud of thick Black Smoke. The cloud howled loudly, and charged towards the Princess, ticking angrily. Ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka! “What have you done?” Celestia asked, but did not wait for a response, instead, her body changed, forming into a cloud of White Smoke. The White Smoke roared and charged the black smoke. Racka-racka-racka-racka-racka-racka! The smoke clouds collided with each other, electricity burst from them upon contact; Princess Celestia and the Siblings Nightmare were locked in combat the likes of which they had never seen before. The electricity being emitted by the two had started to grow more violent, arcing between every bit of metal in the room. “Twilight!” Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, Vinyl Scratch, and Scootaloo called to her. The fighting had become too violent for them to stay any closer. Twilight ran towards the exit, and with a loud boom and a flash of light, Twilight was throne towards her friends. They all covered their eyes, lest they go blind to the huge display of light behind them. And then with a flash, the light was gone. The group opened their eyes and looked at what they saw, both Black and White Smoke Monsters were gone, and lying on the floor in their place was a white Alicorn filly with a pink mane and a sun cutie mark, huddled up in a little ball, her eyes shut tight. Princess Luna approached the filly, whose head snapped up in reaction. “Momma?” the filly asked. “You’re not momma!” “No… I’m not; I’m your… big sister! Luna, don’t you remember?” Luna asked the filly. “Un-uh,” the filly said, shaking her head no. “Where’s momma?” “I don’t know,” Luna said truthfully, they had to have had parents, but Luna was unable to remember what had become of them. “But I promise you that we’ll find her!” “What’s my name?” the filly asked. “You’re Tia!” Luna said with a smile. “I’m Luna, and these are my friends, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Vinyl Scratch, and Scootaloo!” Tia found herself trying to hide behind Luna, fearful of the other ponies in the room. “You don’t need to be afraid!” Twilight said. “We’re all good ponies… Even Vinyl Scratch!” “Hey!” Vinyl called out. Twilight merely grinned at her. … Twilight, Luna, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Vinyl Scratch and Tia had since returned to Ponyville, and were standing in the Library. Tia gasped at all the books that she saw. “Do you like books?” Twilight asked her. “Yes…” the Alicorn filly said timidly. “Tell you what! This is a public library, so you can borrow any of the books that you want, and read them as you like!” Twilight said cheerfully. “I… can?” Tia asked, her eyes lighting up in the process. “Is that okay big sister?” “Of course it is!” Luna said with a smile. “Yay!” Tia called out and quickly crossed the room to look for a book. “Twilight? I have a favour to ask of you,” Luna said. “My sister needs somepony to watch her, make sure that things happen right this time. Ponyville seems to be the best place for it to happen… I’ll be taking up her duties from here on out, but that leaves me with no time to devote to her. I need you to make sure that she turns out all right. Can you do that?” Twilight smiled. “I can do that,” she said softly. “Thank you,” Luna said, and went over to her sister to say goodbye. Vinyl approached Twilight next. “Seems as good a time to tell you as any, I’m moving out. I’ve sold my flats in Fillydelphia and Canterlot, and gotten a place here in town! Vinyl Scratch is officially a resident of Ponyville!” “I hope you’re not moving out because you feel obligated to! Because that’s so not the case Vinyl! We love having you here!” Twilight said. “Nah, it’s time to get my own place… besides, I think you and Rainbow will appreciate being able to have snuggle time without worrying about me hearing you… which I do, ever time. You’re quite loud Twilight,” Vinyl said with a grin, causing Twilight to blush horribly. Vinyl laughed hugging the mare before her, and with that, she and Scootaloo departed. Luna following shortly after. Tia, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash were the only ones left in the Library. Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other uneasily, they would be raising Princess Celestia from the ground up, but as they looked at the smiling filly, who was absorbed in the book she was reading. They both smiled. They could manage.