I could only sit there and watch as the situation between the two sisters quickly deteriorated. As vile accusations were shot by one while the other begged and pleaded only to go unheeded. Celestia was circling Luna like a cat would a mouse screaming at her asking where she was. I couldn't help but laugh to myself at this I mean sure she looked different but Luna was still in front of her and cowering no less. As I watched the scene unfold it reminded me of "What a Shame" by Breaking Benjamin I even pondered breaking into song to defuse the situation. But a bright glow coming from Celestia's horn blew that idea to bits. As the spell was cast Luna cowered on the floor unmoving, realizing Luna's inability to move and Celestia's intent to maim. I shifted back to my human form and was off in a flash hoping to reach the cowering princess before the spell. It quickly became apparent I could beat the spell but not get Luna out of the way. So with a horrendous crash, billowing smoke, and searing pain my objective was completed. The smoke cleared to reveal Celestia glaring hard at us expecting to see Luna but not me standing their. I completely ignored the cold confused stare coming from Celestia and the flurry of questions from Luna to concerned with my injury. On my chest directly over my heart the skin was burned away to reveal ash grey scales that were quickly falling away to reveal charred hide beneath. All was quite for a long pause as they two pondered what to do and I tried to maintain my hold on conciseness. With some groans of discomfort and a few choice words the skin quickly covered the wound making it appear as if it had healed itself. Righting myself I faced Celestia properly a look of confusion dominating her features but her anger was still their.
"What are you" She asked her voice more controlled but still cold and hateful and It sent shivers down my spine. I prepared myself for what was to come and closed my eyes taking a long relaxing sigh. Allowing minor changes to my appearance, but none that would be seen right away.
"Their are some questions best left unanswered" I said letting my voice drop to a growling bass and opening my eyes giving Celestia a start. Seeing as my eyes were like Luna's except crimson red and for a much darker reason.
"So tell me my dear is this one question you truly want answered?"
"Indeed it is now answer me" Celestia said her temper flaring up once again. I chuckled to myself the sound vibrating the very ground we stood on.
"I will once you answer one question of my own." I stated matter of factly as Celestia huffed in annoyance and Luna remained were she was behind me to afraid to interfere.
"Tell me dear princess how can you take one look at me and automatically deem me a monster when I don't look it. But when it comes to your own flesh and blood who looks different but shows no sign of malice you attack her without hesitation." I asked her my voice calm almost uncaring as she huffed at me and glared before giving her reply.
"I don't have to answer that but you do have to answer me" she said glaring at me daring me to challenge her. And that was one challenge I had no problem accepting.
"Allow me to remind you princess I am not one of you little ponies" I said aggravation finding its way to my voice.
"I am in no way bound to answer you out of anything more than respect and the hope of preventing conflict. But seeing as only my answer will loosen you lips I will do you one better and show you what I am" As my words settled I let the change happen first I fell forward onto all fours as my hands and feet grew fearsome black claws. A searing pain began on my back like the flesh was being ripped from my back, which in a way it was. As huge black wings shot up and I began to grow to impossible heights. Then it was all completed by a blinding arc of fire flying from my body and across the room. And then when the light faded and my guests sight returned to them they both jumped back and screamed in fear. For now I was a midnight black dragon the spines and spikes that dominated the back of my head and neck scraped the sealing. Even though I hung my head low not having enough room to stretch my neck to its full length. That was a good twenty feet from the floor and with every movement or intake of breath. When the scales on my body moved light as if from a flame could be seen flickering behind them darkly.
"Now Celestia I look the part of the beast but yet I act not like one so answer my question." I said my voice rattling everything in the room from the thrones to the ornate windows and every door. Another long pause passed as both princesses just stared at me dumbly. Slowly I lowered my head to Celestia's eye level. giving her a questioning look as she just stared at me.
"Are you going to answer princess?" I asked my voice mocking and mirthful. "Or must I present you with the answer I believe to be correct.?" Again nothing was said and I just chuckled to myself vibrating the room once more before I shrank back to human form and made myself comfortable on the floor. Surprisingly enough Luna was the first to speak as she approached and look down at me as I lounged on the floor.
"What matter of beast are you I can sense great evil in you and yet. You are nothing but polite and even put yourself in harms way for me when I condemned you why?" I cracked open a eye and looked up at her as she looked down at me confused I chuckled and said.
"Dear princess have you forgotten already what I said before. I mean you no harm I simply wish to live in peace"
I did my best to give a reassuring smile but it was broken by a painful cringe from the wound hidden on my chest. It would seem Celestia's magic did more damage than I originally thought. So that meant I would have to rap up this little meeting as quickly as possible. But it was at this time that Celestia decided to speak up.
"So you claim to mean us no harm and yet you can supposedly see our worst fears. How do we know you arnt simply scouting us out for a later attack?" She asked raising a quizzical brow at me earning a chuckle from me in return, that was again cut short by pain in my chest. Groaning I stood and gave her my best smile trying to hold a nonchalant pose despite the rising pain in my chest.
"Truly princess if I wished you gone it wouldn't take much effort" I said flatly staring into Celestia's eyes with a bored expression earning a angry growl in return.
"I speak nothing of the truth my lady all I need to know is what you fear most and I can make that a very real possibility" As I spoke the very thought I sought flashed across Celestia's mind giving me what I needed. But when I learned what it was she feared it took all I not to fall over laughing.
"Oh that is rich truly princess is that what you fear most?" I asked between pants and laughs earning a scowl from Celestia and a confused look form Luna.
"What is it?" Luna asked looking back and forth between me and her sister worry etched on her face.
"Will you tell her princess or shall I?" I asked openly mocking Celestia for her childish fear. And when nothing was said I took the liberty to tell Luna myself. But first I changed to someone more appropriate, my hair thinned out until it was all but shaved off. My muscles bulged and formed to a body more fit for grueling survival, and then lastly my eyes became a dark grey color that reflected white whenever white reflected off of them. I looked over my shoulder at Luna and smirked saying.
"Your sister fears monsters, but not just that she fears at what time they come." I then turned back to Celestia ignoring Luna's protests of incomprehension and held my hands out to my sides as if over candles and said to Celestia.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" and dropped my hands and as they fell total darkness fell over the hall. As soon as darkness fell their was a ear splitting scream from Celestia and she began to cower where she stood twitching and looking to and fro as if expecting something to attack her. I watched on in pity as she whimpered and Luna only watched in complete silence to stunned to speak. Deciding it was time to do something about this sad scene I began to approach Celestia and as my bare feet slapped against the stone floor. Celestia's head swiveled towards the sound but she kept looking all around as if she expected me to attack from some other direction. I stopped when I was in arms reach and crouched before her seeing she was now on the floor whimpering like a lost child.
"You know Celestia there is nothing here to fear especially in you sisters domain." I stated bluntly causing Celestia to jump back and yelp in surprise.
"Stop this at once I beg you" Luna said behind me as she began to approach us. But a hand held up stopped her as I said.
"You may not believe me but I don't gain pleasure from seeing you like this Celestia. In fact if you will calm down and trust in your sister all will as it should be." When I finished speaking Luna looked at me worried as Celestia just continued to whimper and whine. And I shrugged and motioned her over and moved so she could take my place before her sister. She looked at me confused only to have me motion to her sister with a nod and I began to back away to give them space.
"Tia everything is alright im here nothing is going to hurt you." Luna said draping a wing comfortingly over her sister. which was quickly grabbed and pulled tight over her body as the shivers began to subside.
"Celestia trust me their is nothing here that will hurt you, nor will their ever be on any night that I watch so relax please and trust me." Slowly Celestia stopped shaking all together and then all was silence broken only by the occasional shuffle of a hoof or wings. Then a long sigh could be heard and as it left its bearer the ceiling lit up with stars to bath the room in their soft light. Both sisters looked to each other and embraced warmly and as they did light returned to the room to find me back to my human form sitting with my back against the farthest wall holding my chest trying to regulate my breathing. Luna jumped up and rushed over and tried to inspect me for injury her sister was much more reserved in her actions, approaching me with calm steady strides.
"you are unwell let us help you" Luna said trying to gently push me to my feet only to be pushed gently aside as I stood with a grimace.
"I will be fine twas but a flesh wound nothing more" I said taking a deep breath and facing the two before me properly. Only to look to each door as the sound of hooves scraping and shuffling alerted me to the presence of many ponies at every door.
"Now that our little meeting has come to an end allow me to leave you two with these things to think on." I said as I slowly approached Luna first and ran a hand gently along her muzzle and through her mane saying.
"Where I come from their is a saying yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift that it is why its called the present. Worry not so much on how others view you but how you view yourself that in the end is what truly matters." With a gentle smile I left Luna and turned to her sister who was watching me with a expression I couldn't read, and we stared at one another for a long second before she spoke.
" You are a strange creature first you reveal to me what Luna truly looks like. Then in a crude way helped me and Luna to come closer together, and gave me the courage to face my fear. So tell me honestly what are you?"
" In all honesty im not entirely sure what I am, im not really human any more I have demonic power and perceptions. And yet im not a demon either because it is locked away but still taints my very soul and caused me so much heart ach." I said sadly the first tears I've felt in years threatening to overcome me though I wouldn't let them.
"Now if you would be so kind as to dismiss the guard at all the doors or must I risk damaging one of your beautiful windows?" Both princesses looked at each other and then the doors around the room before motioning to one of the windows towards the middle of the room.
"We can not dismiss them after all they have undoubtedly heard through those doors but that window swings open outward that should allow you easy passage." Luna said watching me with a unreadable expression. I nodded my thanks and approached the window to have it open wrapped in a golden aura. I looked back and smiled warmly at Celestia before leaping from the window and changing back to the dragon spreading my wings and pumping them slowly to level out and then gain altitude. And as I watched the sun slowly fell and the moon took its place full and bright gently blanketing the world in its soft glow. As I searched for their fears I learned a thing or two about the alicorn sisters namely their control of their name sakes in the sky and smiled. As it would seem Luna did me one small favor allowing me plenty of light to navigate by. And with a pained sigh I dropped the illusion across my chest allowing myself a good look at my wound. The charred flesh was now cracking and bleeding profusely with my heart beating insanely behind it. So I pushed forward with all I had making it back to the forest I have stayed at in a matter of minutes. But I didn't get much father as the blood loss and insane heart rate finally got to me and I flickered in and out of conciseness. One minute im flying beside the moon in the night sky and the next im falling then I've crashed with searing pain all across my body. I had just enough energy to change back to a human and climb to the edge of the crater I made before I complexly faded to black.
And then I heard voices far off at first but they began to become clear and I could understood what was being said.
"We must help him doctor surely their is something we can do."
" I don't know my lady none of us are familiar enough with his anatomy to even begin to proscribe treatment."
"With what you do know what would you recommend"
"with what little I know I think the best bet would be a tissue graft with magical stimulation to be the safest bet, but who would donate?"
"I will"
"B.. but the implications that would mean.."
"I know exactly what it means now do it"
"As you wish your majesty prepare for the procedure." And then all faded away once again, but not to black but white. And then I saw a familiar shape began to form. A large pony with both horns and wings and flowing mane. And then a voice like a angel singing as I seemed to fly past beautiful moon lit landscape
follow sweet children, ill show thee the way
through all the pains and the sorrows, weep not poor children
for life is this way, murdering beauty and passion.
And then blissful sleep claimed me and all the world was lost to me as I slept ignorant of what was going on around me.