//------------------------------// // Her Country in Ruins // Story: A Dream of Dawn // by Starsong //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle When Twilight and the others reached the other side, they stood amidst a mound of alabaster rubble and broken glass. It seemed as if they had left behind all of the metaphysical space, entering instead a place so alike Equestria that they had difficulty believing otherwise. Were Cadence not still with them, it may have been more difficult to discern. Twilight flew to the top of the pile and looked out across the ruins. All around them the castle walls fell in on their torn foundations, forming a labyrinth of pits and broken arches. Discord and Cadence rose up beside her as she turned and tried to find an end to the desolation. The golden sun stripped the land naked, and down the mountainside and each terrace, all the way to the valley below, all that remained was scorched earth and wreckage. Plumes of smoke continued to darken the sky with globs of ash. “This can't be Canterlot.” Twilight took a step and stopped when she heard the crunch of glass under her feet. She lifted the shard with her magic and held it up to the sun. The stained glass visage of Princess Celestia, cracked, looked back at her through ancient eyes. “It's as if we were in a nightmare,” said Cadence, brushing the broken window out of their path. “I've had a few like this, but none this clear.” Discord picked up a stone and dug his teeth into it. It cracked and crumbled and he spat the gravel out. “We are in no dream. This place is real.” Twilight shook her head. “No. You can't be telling the truth. Canterlot can't be...” “I said it was real,” Discord cut her off, “not that it was Equestria.” Twilight glided to the top of another rise. "A reality that cannot be real. A dream that isn't a dream. It's like the time I was lost and confused, and the fields became the forest." "Interesting," said Discord, looking her in the eyes. "But who is 'dreaming,' then?" Twilight caught herself about to collude with him, then turned away and glided again. I can't let him into my head anymore... but it doesn't matter. Princess Celestia must be somewhere here. But where would she be? Her gaze wandered over toppled towers and the remnants of fountain waters spilling aimlessly down the mountain. Even the gardens had not been spared. Every shrub was reduced to a line of ashes. Statues of old heroes and mystical beasts lay in pieces, strewn about the remains of the yard. Their ascent took them through the memories of the old halls and up towards the highest rise that would have nested the throne room. The dream cracked where the throne should have sat. In its place rose a monolith of obsidian and grayed stone, and whatever shape it may have once held was indiscernible, lost in a sea of fragments. The markings, however, were unmistakeable: although they varied and repeated in an infinite number of shapes, there were always six. Six signs. Six elements. Beyond the ruined crag, Princess Celestia stood motionless, her wings open, her gaze fixed upon the distant sky. And then as they crossed the throne room, she spoke. “I see that this place still taunts me with visions and illusions. There is nothing more to be done. Why do you torment me now?” Discord coiled upon himself and chuckled. “Why not? It's always such fun.” He waited for her retort, but she did not reply. They heard only the sound of the dry wind swirling the dust, saw only her mane twist in it, her breathing slow but uneasy. “Don't ignore me, Celestia. Have you seen what your country has become? How your loyal subjects bowed so happily to me?” “I have seen it...” Princess Celestia lowered her head, her voice wavering. “Through the eyes of the sun, and through golden vestiges I have remained sentinel. But even these now fade away.” She stamped the stone with a hoof. “One by one, I have seen my loved ones fall. My sister. My niece. My student. All of Equestria is falling into ruin.” Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “No, it isn't too late!” “Equestria still stands,” said Cadence. “Your subjects still await your return. And Twilight Sparkle still lives.” I live... Twilight repeated to herself. That's right. For whatever reason, I'm still here. I can't imagine the pain of what she's lost, but I am still here. And I have to reach her. “Princess Celestia, please listen to me,” said Twilight. She began to canter towards the princess. As she did, Celestia lifted her head and tucked down her wings. When she looked back there was nothing in her eyes but white light. “Twilight, wait!” said Discord. “Don't get near her!” I will never listen to you again... thought Twilight. She galloped harder. Away from Discord, towards her teacher, her princess, her mentor... the pony she'd yearned to return to for so long. Her heart quickened and her face flushed with heat. The air about her crackled and the scent of ozone filled her nostrils. Then Celestia moved and a bright wall of fire rose like a wave before her. Twilight cried out as the burning heat crashed down at her. And then she was back behind Discord again. The fire still raged where she had once stood, before he had blinked her out of the way. “What are you doing?” Twilight cowered against the ground. Celestia's mane glimmered with the golds and oranges of a flaring sun, her body filled not with the grace of the aurora but with the rage of a churning furnace. “You must be mocking me,” hissed Celestia. “Don't think you've made me suffer enough, Discord? Now you bring my dead student before me, trussed up in some mockery of my kind.” Princess Celestia flared and another wave of flame rushed towards them. This time Discord snapped and it crashed to either side of them as a milky foam that smelled peculiarly of nutmeg and cinnamon. “Oh, please, do fight me,” said Discord, chuckling. “Your sister was a better scrapper and I kicked her sorry flank six ways to Sunday.” Celestia glowered at him. “It would not be the first time I've put you down.” Discord laughed. “But that was because you were cheating with your stupid Elements of Hobnobbery or whatever. Just the two of us? This should be entertaining.” “It won't matter,” said Celestia, ducking her stance. “Soon we'll all be gone. But before that, I'll make you hurt...” “What do you mean, sister?” Every pony looked up as the shape of another rose from the shadows like fog, coalescing into the black form of Nightmare Moon. Apple Bloom and her friends materialized beside her, looking dizzy but otherwise unharmed. “What do you mean 'we will all be gone?'” demanded Nightmare Moon. “The dying stars. Was it you? What have you done?” Discord tore his eyes away from Nightmare Moon long enough to gesture at Celestia. “I'll admit even I'm stumped,” he said. “Which you should be very proud of, I might add. Care to shed some light on the situation?” But Celestia did not respond. The heat of her anger shifted from Discord and Twilight and now burned brightly at her sister. The sibling princesses stared at one another. “My sister was lost long ago,” said Celestia. Nightmare Moon recoiled at her words. “I fought to convince you of that,” she said, “but it has merely taken time for me to return. Please, sister, I wish to speak with you...” Discord snorted. “Good luck with that,” he said. “She's completely off her rocking horse.” Nightmare Moon glared at him. “Silence, foul beast. We will deal with you when the time is right.” Princess Celestia shook her head. “There is nothing more to say between us,” she said. “Especially not to conjurations.” She doesn't think we're real... thought Twilight. How can I convince her that we're more than just a vision brought up by the afterlife? Why won't you listen to me, Princess? Why can't you see me? She wanted to raise a hoof to help. No words came. No spells to intervene between the three titans facing off against one another. Princess Celestia stood against the sun and Nightmare Moon met in her shadow, and between them stood Discord. The three stood more still, more silent than they had ever been, their only movements made to look at one another intently, daring another to make the first move. “This is foolish!” cried Cadence. “Equestria is in danger, and its fate is guaranteed if we do not act soon. Can't you drop your squabbles until this is over?” The three were beyond reproach. Each waited for the other to move. Each wondered who hated the other more, who would strike out at who. The one who moved first would determine the entire conflict. Celestia scuffed her hoof against the ground. Nightmare Moon pushed the children back with her wing. Discord tightened his coils. I don't want any of them to get hurt... Twilight slowly crept her way back towards the fillies. And these three... here? I can't believe they're alright. They don't look afraid of Nightmare Moon at all. What in Equestria has happened? The longer they waited, the less she knew. She fell into a knot of frustration and flapped her wings. She sparked her horn once, hoping that it would somehow set things in motion. Celestia's maddened rage took her first. She hefted one of the obsidian shards and imbued it with magical force, hurling it towards Discord. He swept his hand and it bounced to the side of the throne room before exploding into a miniature mushroom cloud. Then he twisted to retaliate, uncoiling and surging towards Celestia. Nightmare Moon shot forward and tackled him from the side. They tumbled together through the air for a few moments before Discord vanished and reappeared a few feet away, upside down but steady. He turned and prepared to parry another spell from Celestia, but her attention was no longer on him. Instead, she charged her fallen sister and sent her rolling across the floor. Her mane blazed white as she chased after her. Nightmare Moon rolled to her hooves and rose but Celestia knocked her down again. The princess of the night began to gather the shadows and the princess of the day stoked the fires within her heart. But before either could strike, Apple Bloom and the others dived into the way. And even in the depths of her fury, Celestia stayed her wrath from the children. She looked down, confused. They showed no fear. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo postured themselves as Nightmare Moon did. Small as they were, they still protected her as best they could. “Don't lay a hoof on her,” said Scootaloo. “Your sister loves you,” said Sweetie Belle. “You shouldn't be fighting like this.” “And I know you love her,” intoned Apple Bloom, “and that's why I can't let you hurt her. Not a bit.” Celestia was at a loss for words. Both of her hooves went lax on the ground and her eyes met her sister's. Even Discord hung back at that moment as they studied one another anew. Twilight knew that she would not have another chance to intervene. She stared at Celestia and crept closer. Any moment the princess could have turned and engulf her in flames. But she did not. Twilight walked until she could feel the heat pouring off of the princess' fire. Twilight raised a hoof up in front of her. Then she brought it down across Princess Celestia's cheek. The sound echoed in the ruined throne room and Celestia's cheek bruised, turning cherry red. Celestia stumbled back and stared dumbfounded at Twilight. The unicorn turned alicorn began to sob. “I'm real,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “Don't deny it.” “Twilight...?” The glow in Celestia's eyes began to flicker. “I believed in you so much,” said Twilight. “But you keep hurting me, keep hurting us. Where were you when we needed you the most? What were you looking for? What was so important that you were willing to let us suffer and die!?” “I was looking.” stuttered Celestia, touching her cheek. “Looking for a way to save...” “To save us?” Twilight stepped towards her. “You could have stayed with us. You could have saved Equestria." “To save my sister.” Celestia sat before the throne, her eyes shut. “For over a thousand years, I've done everything I could to bring her back. I failed. None of that matters, now, though.” Twilight scraped her hoof. “Why do you keep saying that? What did you do, Princess Celestia?” “You don't know what it's like,” said Celestia, “to have lost everything.” Nightmare Moon pulled herself to her hooves. “I do,” she said. “For there was such a long time when I thought I had nothing left.” She walked closer and lowered her head before her sister. “I thought that there would never be another happy day in my life. And it has taken me a thousand years to learn that wasn't true. That I always had somepony to come home to.” “Luna...?” Princess Celestia's eyes widened. Nightmare Moon smiled a little. “No matter how horrible your transgressions, I will forgive you, sister. Because I know that you would do the same.” Princess Celestia squeezed Nightmare Moon into a hug. “I do,” she said. “I always have forgiven you.” What should have been such a joy to her only seemed to punctuated her sorrow. “I wish... I wish I hadn't done so many things.” Discord gagged from his latest insertion of a claw into his mouth in disgust. “Enough of the sappy sod,” he said. “Tell us why the cosmos is dying, or I'm going to go crazy over here.” The sisters leered at him but did not raise themselves in anger. Instead Nightmare Moon ignored him and turned back to her sister. “Please,” she said. “We must know.” Princess Celestia heaved a sigh. She looked slowly over all of them, each and every one. She even looked at Discord with a sense of pity and guilt. “I had lost everything. My family... my closest friends. Equestria has been stained by war and treachery, and if it should survive, it will change forever.” She turned her gaze upon the shattered obelisk. “This is the place where all things are connected... we see it as the Seat of Harmony. But Harmony was broken...” She shook her head. “There was enough power here to begin a spell. The last spell. To make things right. To end this Equestria and bring about a new one."