//------------------------------// // Meanwhile, In An Alternate Universe... // Story: Fire vs. Love: A Battle for Supremacy // by UnweptSchlipps //------------------------------// The two magical beings fell through the air, reentering the atmosphere in a free-fall of meteoric proportions. Cadance had the upper-hoof, pointing her aunt towards the ground like a missile. The heat of reentry began to overtake the two alicorns, their speed far exceeding that of the speed of sound. However, if it was bothering the love princess, she certainly didn’t show it. For the burning sensation was but a tiny ember compared to the heat of Cadance’s rage from having her hubby insulted. It was this rage that would be her downfall. She was so blinded by her anger that she hadn’t noticed the sly smirk spreading across her aunt’s face. Unbeknownst to the relatively young princess, Celestia had planned this out perfectly. And unfortunately for Cadance, she was simply no match for thousands of years of knowledge. Just when the duo entered the stratosphere, with only about twenty seconds left before they hit the ground, Princess Celestia made her move. She quickly wrapped her hooves around her niece’s petite body, and with a flap of her wings and the pull of her magic, the goddess pulled her through the air. They tumbled around and around for few seconds until, finally, it was Princess Celestia pointing her enemy towards the Earth. “Auntie! What are you-,” was all the surprised love princess could say before Celestia pushed her off with a final burst of magic. The ruler watched stolidly from high above as her niece throttled toward the ground, unable to stop her rapid descent. “And that would be…game over, Cadenza,” the regal ruler uttered triumphantly. Then…the impact. And just like that, Canterlot would never be the same again. xxx It was bad enough that Shining Armor had to watch helplessly while his sister and his boss lay on the ground unconscious. How could he have known that, in a matter of a second, his home would be destroyed too? He was the first to notice the mystical comet streaking across the sky, and at first, that was exactly what he thought it was. But then he saw the comet split into two, one piece strangely hovering in the same place. He saw the other piece fall, and as it got closer, he began to make out the pink figure encased in fire. “C-Cadance?” the captain stuttered, realizing that he was seeing his own wife falling towards the ground at breakneck speed. “No!” he cried, leaping up, trying to gallop down the hill. That was when she impacted the ground, sending a force as strong as an atomic explosion throughout Canterlot. Shining Armor took the brunt of the force, and he was thrown up into the air, flying back a few feet. He landed awkwardly on one leg, and he fell face-first into the ground. All he could hear was the cacophonous sound of multiple buildings collapsing at once. And although he would never admit it to his troops, the fearless Captain of the Royal Guard was too scared to even look up. The catastrophic force ended just as suddenly as it began. The gusts of wind were replaced by a gentle breeze, and warmth overtook the city once again. In fact, one could say it was almost peaceful. If you just drown out the worried screams of the populace, of course. Shining Armor found the courage and strength to raise his head and survey the destruction. And unfortunately for him, it was just as bad as he thought it would be. Most of the buildings located within ten blocks of the epicenter were practically reduced to rubble. In the very center, a plume of smoke rose up into the air where Princess Celestia was slowly descending. “Oh nonononono,” the stallion muttered. He screamed, “Cadance!” before limping his way down towards the site of impact. Many eyes followed him questioningly, thinking he had probably gone mad. After all, anypony with common sense would run away from a catastrophe, not towards it. But Shining Armor wouldn’t let a bum leg and skeptical watchers slow him down. Eventually he came upon a giant crater in the middle of the courtyard, where Cadance lay down at the very bottom. Almost losing his footing, the captain slid down the edge until he was kneeling next to his sweetheart. “Cadance,” he whispered, cradling her head in his hooves. Wiping her mangled mane out of her face, Shining Armor planted a tender kiss on her forehead. Needless to say, there was no response from the love princess. All Shining could do was hold her petite body close to his, listening to her soft but steady breaths as Canterlot smoldered around them. A shadow began to loom over the duo. Shining Armor gazed up to see a tall figure standing before him stolidly, looking more like she had just negotiated peace rather than beating down her own niece. There were many things Shining Armor could have called her, most of which were much too vulgar to say in public. But certainly, none of those things was the word “Princess”. “You…you…how could you?” the stallion said, pointing an accusing hoof at the goddesses. His voice teeming with frustration, he barked, “She’s your niece, for crying out loud!” “I don’t expect you to understand, Shining Armor,” Celestia said, maintaining her calm façade. “I had to do this so nopony can dispute the fact that I am the most powerful ruler…in all the land!” The stallion glared at the deity with such intensity that he could have ended her immortal life right then and there. “You…what?” he uttered. “You did this all…just to prove a point?” Furrowing her brow, Celestia began, “Well, no…I…” “You exploded my sister off a roof, you broke your sister’s back, you wrecked half of Canterlot, and you threw my wife at the ground at the speed of sound…just to prove a point?” “Don’t you patronize me, Shining Armor.” But the stallion was in no mood to listen. He extended his hoof towards the destruction behind them, saying, “Look around you! Do you not see what you’ve done?” Princess Celestia followed Shining Armor’s trembling hoof, which led her to the pillars of smoke, the imploded buildings, the remains of a once-glimmering castle. Her castle. And for the first time, she was able to just stand there and take in the sheer catastrophe by this “measly” Magical Duel. Frankly, she felt a bit guilty, despite being too proud to say so. “Well…now that you point it out…” she began. But by now, the captain was through dealing with the sun princess. He figured if he stayed any longer, either he or Celestia would do something they’d both regret. “Twily was right!” Shining Armor shouted, his voice cracking. Placing his wife in his back, the stallion galloped over piles of rubble while screaming at the top of his lungs, “In-laws SUCK!” Two days later… Princess Celestia? Or Princess Sucky McStupidpant-estia? In a shocking revelation regarding the catastrophic Divina Duellum that left Canterlot in ruins, it turns out this publicity stunt was really a botched attempt by Princess Celestia to prove just how powerful she is. Two days ago, in a fit of rage caused by the Magical Duel, Princess Celestia sent her own niece hurling towards Canterlot at a force estimated at 10 megatons, as much force as a sonic rainnuke. This explosion ended up demolishing half of the Canterlot Castle (due to magical protection) as well as the complete destruction of surrounding buildings. Surprisingly enough, aside from the many broken bones and boo-boos, there are no known deaths. However, the most glaring issue was not only the fact that our “beloved” ruler destroyed half her own city but that she resorted to cheating in order annihilate her niece, Princess Cadance. When told about the latest revelation, one rainbow-maned spectator said, “Yeah, yeah, that’s great…wait…she cheated? So…that means I get my money back! Hey Rares, where the hay is my money! Don’t you run away from me, you weaseling little bit-.” Amongst the piles of rubble and smoke, one thing still remains true. The fact that Princess Celestia did this all to prove a point. The only thing she’s proven, however, is the fact that she’s got a major inferiority complex. And that’s on top of her multiple family issues and questionable sanity. All I know is, Princess Cadance had better be getting a very good apology for all that she’s been through. But then again, after the glimpse of anarchy we witnessed, there’s just no telling how unhinged Celestia truly is. *The info published above comes from a reliable and completely UNBIASED source within the Royal Guard known only as “Gleaming Set of Attire Used for Protection” Flames began to tickle around the floating newsprint, slowly engulfing it until it was a black speck levitating in midair. Princess Celestia sat on her throne looking extremely angry at the pile of ash, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the entire roof of the room had been sheared off. Frankly, she didn’t know what pissed her off the most; seeing her throne room wrecked or the utter liesspewing from that measly piece of newsprint. Or maybe it was all that, plus the hastily duct-taped crown sitting crookedly on her head. “This horrid excuse for an editorial isn’t even fit to wipe the royal…nevermind,” Celestia uttered to nopony in particular. She tossed the ashes up into the air, scattering them into the breeze. With nothing else to occupy herself, Princess Celestia decided journey through the halls and examine what was left of her castle. From some strange reason, the goddess met no other ponies on her short walk through the palace. In fact, if she didn’t know any better, Celestia would have guessed that everypony was actually avoiding her. But she was the ruler of Equestria of course, so that simply couldn’t be true. After aimlessly wandering past huge cracks and missing passageways, Princess Celestia found herself moving into a random room. There, she finally found somepony to talk to. Unfortunately for her, it just so happened to be the absolutely last pony she wanted see. “Well, well. Look who it is!” Princess Luna snidely commented upon seeing her elder sister saunter into the infirmary. The Goddess of the Night was tucked into her hospital bed, a blanket covering the cast around her chest and back. Despite the less-than-optimal condition she was in, Luna wore a wide smile on her face, one that just reeked with all-knowing joy. “If it isn’t our benevolent ruler…my beloved sister. How hast thou been Celestia?” “I don’t like your tone, Luna,” Celestia replied, trying to keep a calm face. “Need I remind you that I was the one who won this battle?” “Oh congratulations, sister! And what hath you won exactly? The chance to deal with all your scared subjects and their loss of trust for the next century or so? My my, I’m sure t’was all worth it!” The younger princess was quite obviously enjoying this, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Huffing angrily, the Goddess of the Sun lowered her voice and accused, “Be quiet Luna. I know how you helped Cadance.” “Oh, well I suppose thou hast caught me then,” Luna replied, putting on a bored expression. “But it doesn’t matter, Tia. The damage hath already been done.” She weakly levitated something from underneath her pillow, a certain newspaper with Celestia’s name plastered all over the front page. The moon deity began, “I read the paper too, Tia. Need I remind you that the portal you made destroyed half of Canterlot, injured hundreds of ponies including your own sister, and created an earthquake felt all the way to the Fillipines? Oh, and you also callously broke an Equestrian law which you just so happened to create. Not sure how that’s going to look on next year’s approval ratings…” Celestia, who was finding it extremely hard to keep her cool now, uttered, “Luna, I am definitely not in the mood right now… “Well at least that shows you possess some kind of conscience. Now perhaps we can work on that abusive nature of yours.” Celestia slowly walked towards a hole in the wall, staring dejectedly out at the ruins before her. The joy of victory had long since passed, leaving her with the stark realization of the consequences that would follow. Not since the defeat of Nightmare Moon all those years ago had winning tasted so bitter. Luna saw her sister’s saddened state, and so she stated quietly, “Believe me, sister. Trust is something not taken lightly. It takes a second to destroy…and an eternity to rebuild it. Lucky for you, you’ve got the time. Eventually, they will move on and forget about it.” Princess Celestia turned to face her injured sister, the corners of her lips turning into a small smile. And at first, Luna returned the sentiment. But the Moon Princess’s mischievous grin soon returned, and she added callously, “But unlucky for you…I shall always be there to make sure you never do. Celestia’s momentary happiness deflated and she began to walk towards the closest doorway she could find, saying, “This is why I never ask you for advice.” “Have fun having to deal with everything while I’m recovering!” Luna cried. “I will!” Celestia spat as she marched out the door. She stumbled into the next room grumbling obscene words about her sister. She was so caught up in her thoughts, in fact, that she hadn’t realized she had wandering into an extension of the infirmary. And of course, who else could be lying there besides the princess’s most faithful student? The Sun Goddess stopped in her tracks upon seeing the broken-legged unicorn before her. “H-hello Twilight Sparkle,” she managed to get out. “How are you…erm…feeling?” After Luna’s hurtful words, Celestia expected Twilight to react just the same, perhaps even to the point of hysteria. But, to her surprise, the lavender mare replied in a subdued voice, “I suppose I’m doing fine Princess Celestia. Umm, thank you for visiting me.” The injured pony then gave the kindest smile she could without making herself wince. The all-powerful was in awe of what she was seeing. Taking from her many little…episodes she had been through in a thousand years, she knew that breaking a pony’s leg tended to make them a bit…jumpy. So when Twilight whispered her reply, Celestia whispered back, “You’re...not mad?” “No, I guess not. I am your faithful student, after all,” Twilight replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, it was just an accident after all. Granted, it was accident that destroyed half of Canterlot, but it was an accident nonetheless.” “Oh…” Celestia trailed off, letting silence overtake the room. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she said, “Well, I suppose I must be going, Twilight Sparkle.” “No, wait!” the unicorn squealed, stopped her mentor in her tracks. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something, Princess. There’s something that I’ve learned.” “Really? Even after all this...you still have a friendship report?” the princess replied. “Not a friendship report, per se. More like a…a life report. It’s pretty short too,” Twilight replied, slanting her bed so that her head was at the same level of her mentor’s. With a smile usually reserved for somepony with decades of knowledge under their belt, the unicorn recited, “I’ve learned that we all make mistakes. Even immortal goddesses. And healing can take a pretty long time, Princess. Sometimes, it could take centuries. But most of the time, the healing starts…with a simple apology.” As soon as those words were uttered, Princess Celestia knew what she had meant. She glanced at her student with anxious eyes, as though the roles had been reversed. And as if on cue, the always-wise Twilight Sparkle pointed towards a door and whispered, “She’s in there, Princess Celestia. I think she’d be happy to see you.” Celestia was hesitant to follow the unicorn’s hoof. But after a kind nod from Twilight Sparkle, the princess slowly walked through the door. It was just another room, much like Twilight’s and Luna’s. Frankly, Celestia didn’t what else she was expecting. A side table held a vase of roses and a pink balloon that read “Get Well Soon”. A small stack of letters was piled on the floor, the top of which read, “Thanks Cadance. Best one hundred bits I ever spent! –Rainbow Dash.” And lying in the cot with a book levitated up to her face was none other than Princess Cadance. The pink blanket concealed the fact that she wore a body cast, leaving her limbs immobile. Her face and neck were the only areas not covered by bandages or a cast. Despite the shattered skeleton, Cadance’s eyes still had some young sprightliness as they followed along the page. Finally, she heard the door creak open, revealing her divine visitor. Cadance made no attempt to hide her astonishment, saying, “Tia? I’m…I’m surprised to see you. Not that I’m not happy, or anything…” After an extended moment of silence, Celestia cleared her throat and whispered, “How…how are you feeling, Cadance?” “Well, I guess I’m feeling better than I should be considering the circumstances. Buuuut I’m definitely not going anywhere for a few weeks.” Celestia nodded sympathetically, and the room descended into silence once again. The princess’s face began to scrunch up, and Cadance did her best to keep from commenting on the weird faces Celestia was making. Finally, wanting the break the veil of awkwardness over the two, Cadance asked, “Sooo...what are you doing here? I’m sure you have other more important things to attend to.” “Well, I’ve been thinking about what happened,” Celestia replied, her voice low, just like her head. “About what I did. Perhaps I may have gone over line back then. And after realizing what I had just done, I felt…I felt…” “Felt what?” “N-nevermind, Cadance. Maybe I should come back later.” Sitting up in her bed, Cadance shot out her hooves, beckoning, “No, no, you can do it Auntie. You can tell me anything!” “Well I…you see, I…what I want to say is…” Celestia bit her lip, rubbing her temple with her hoof furiously. After expelling a really, really long and raspy breath, she finally admitted, “I’m sorry Cadance. It was very inappropriate for me to take out my frustrations on you. I suppose…I just had to vent on somepony. It was…it was wrong. Especially since it was to my only beloved niece. But now, after seeing what I had done just to prove a point, I realize I was the monster. And for that…I am truly, deeply sorry. Can you forgive me?” The two alicorns stared at each other for a few seconds, sweat beginning to form around Celestia’s brow. She had a reason to be anxious, for her niece’s face was black, showing no emotion at all. In fact, it soon got to the point when Celestia was about to sulk out of the room, her smile slowly deflating. But then suddenly, Cadance’s mouth bursted into a huge smile, and she cried, “Oh give me a hug, Auntie!” And frankly, Celestia wasn’t about to disappoint. The aunt and niece found themselves in a loving embrace, huge smiles plastered on both of their faces. Light began to stream into the room, casting the two in a warm glow. For that moment, the fight, the injury, the insults, all of it was forgotten. In that moment, the two friends knew everything was forgiven. “Oh Auntie, you know I can’t stay mad at anypony. Especially when it’s family. After all…Famiglia è sempre famiglia! Family will be family, even when we fight.” “Thank you Cadance,” Princess Celestia replied, releasing her niece. “I truly hope you get well soon. You know, you really did give me a good fight.” “Aww, thanks Auntie. You’re not so bad yourself. Besides, I think I should be apologizing to you.” “What do you mean?” She pointed to a newspaper on the side table, saying, “Well, the nurse told me about how everypony’s scared of you now and how you have to help rebuild all of Canterlot and travel to every town of Equestria to apologize for your actions. Plus there was that whole gambling scandal on the news, and I heard everypony’s been attacking each other for their money back. And I also heard Shiny ordered his guards to head home ‘until further notice’. I don’t know what that means, but he sounded really really angry. Not to mention the fact that everyone thinks you’re a cheating, arrogant, selfish, power-abusing dictator! But you know; who am I to judge?” The smile on Celestia’s face deflated, and she slowly began to back out of the room. “Yes…err…I suppose I should be going now,” she uttered. The princess quickly slid out of the door, mumbling something about punishment for somepony… And so, Cadance was left alone in her room, her eyebrows raised in honest confusion. “Wha-? Was it something I said?”