//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three: A Red Sun Rises 
// Story: Monarch 
// by Mickey Dubs 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Three:


A Red Sun Rises


—

At first, there was only starlight. In this inky abyss framed with twisting aurorae, every distant speck of light shone like a little pearl. Warm waves of color, ecstatic and inviting, lapped at her breast, numbing every muscle and fiber in her body. Afloat in an ocean of liquid light, there was nothing but silence. Twilight closed her eyes, let everything go, and allowed the waves to carry her onwards. At last, there was peace. 
A roll of thunder, a surging pain, and the ocean boiled. Shards of the sky ruptured and slammed the water, casting her under their rolling waves. Water coursed into her lungs, scorched her throat, drowned her screams. Dimmer the glorious lights became until nothing remained but light of one tiny star hanging in the sky. She reached out a hoof, begging for rescue.
The star died out.

~~~***~~~

The ocean faded, but the pulsing pain remained. Twilight blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the musty darkness. Through a dusty haze she could distinguish the joints of a hollow wardrobe, its walls hewn of a rich, dark heartwood. Soft sunlight trickled through the cracks of a door. She gave it a nudge. It moved, but only barely. 
A flicker of panic roused her other senses awake. The fibers of a rough cord sank their teeth into her heaving chest, her wings grating mercilessly against her side as she twisted for air. Every movement grated the ropes around her hooves and dug their way closer to the bone. Birdsong, tinny and distant, denoted time of day. Early morning, just barely dawn. If she left now, she might just make the ceremony.
Twilight froze. The ceremony...
Flashes of places, ponies, and promises sped through her mind as terror’s claws plunged into her heart. The meeting with Luna. Her independence. The evening with the girls. Rarity’s glass shattering. Rarity's blood. Rainbow’s body, crumpled in a heap. The bottle of champagne. Rarity staring. Rarity smiling. Rarity changing.
With every agonizing breath of stagnant air, she could feel the ropes constrict ever-tighter. Twilight took a deep breath and held on as more visions screamed through her mind: a skeleton bound in a closet, helpless; her captor gloating over her, her crown crumbling to ash in her hooves; Canterlot Castle falling to the ground; Ponyville on fire. Her stomach turned cartwheels as she struggled to hold onto anything stable. Think of something. Anything.
A night out on Ponyville’s rolling hills. Tea at sunset on the yard behind the library. Rainbow Dash speeding through Pinkie’s soap bubbles pulling spins and barrel rolls as she went. Rainbow tumbling to the ground in a tired, soapy, giggling mass. Applejack pushing her into a puddle, howling with laughter. Rarity cleaning mud off her blanket, smiling through her scowl as they wrestled in the dirt. 
Slow, deep breaths came pouring in of her own volition. The fog dispelled. That's it, Twilight, she urged. Just relax. Every breath was a bucket to douse the flames engulfing her library. A deep breath in, and Canterlot reformed. An exhale, and she’d be saved. Inhale. Exhale. The pain throbbing in her temples bobbed slowly away, drifting blithely apart from her as it had on her ocean of color. Twilight took another breath, let it out slowly, and opened her eyes. I’m safe.
Dust motes danced merrily on the sunbeam streaming through the keyhole near her nose. Pressing again yielded nothing new. Locked, but with some wiggle room. Nothing the usual Security Spell couldn't contend with. Those familiar words tumbled into place as she closed her eyes. Place them in the right order, think about the incantatio—
Bolts of red-hot agony screamed through her skull, spasming muscles against her will. The pain was beyond vocalization; it was as if an axe had cloven her horn in two and embedded into her brain. She weathered the slowly dying bite of her horn's rebellion with a return to her regimen: a deep breath in, and a long breath out. Another round of breathing dulled her senses enough for her to open her eyes. Looks like magic is off the table. 
Hesitantly, she scanned the closet for anything of use. Nothing came to light but a woolen bathrobe embroidered with the official Canterlot seal in golden thread, a set of thick rain barding, and a collection of wooden hangers waving freely in rows of rosewood, mahogany, and pine. Woods of the zebra lands, perhaps, to complement the suite's intended guests' creature comforts. Their size, too, Twilight mused, thinking of Ironhoof and his tasselled war regalia. These coat hangers are nearly as long as a pony.
Twilight smiled. Nearly as long as me.
She could almost watch the plan create itself as she rolled into position. Her back hooves slid precariously on the door's inner surface, but held under her pressure. A vision of Applejack trotted happily into her head, its rustic twang tickling her heart with all its purity of spirit. Now, all you gotta do is give it a good ole' buck there, Twilight. Ain't nothin' to it.
The first kick earned her a little crack and a sore spine. Her solitary beam of light grew a hair wider. An encouraging start. Another kick, another crack. Steel hinges shrieked as kick after solid kick pounded mercilessly against the door, flexing it slowly away. The progress of a few minutes summed itself up with the ability to stretch out and ease her muscles. Almost there.
A solid hit forced a new splinter of light to appear overhead; somewhere, the hinges were giving out. But not me. Not now. Twilight pushed with all her might, measuring her slow victory with every wooden fiber’s satisfying snap. Sweat trickled in and seared her eyes, adding its sharp sting to the orchestra of screaming sinews in her legs. A reinvigorated thrust, and the splintering grew louder. The beam of light widened and cool, moist air streamed in. She could feel the sun on her hooves, warm and inviting. It was just like being home. 
Home. Her library. Spike asleep in his blanket. Rarity brewing tea. Fluttershy tending baby birds in the boughs outside her window. Luna standing at her side onstage, proud to call her a princess. Hugging Celestia, but not as a student. As an equal. As a princess of Equestria, not as a captive. 
With a growl Twilight sent every scrap of energy and every happy memory through her legs and into the hardwood fibers below her hooves. There would be no laying low. There would be no waiting for a judgment outside her own. The boards creaked and bent violently, splintering and cracking in defiance. Twilight gave one last final growl and bucked with everything she had. Visions danced in her head as she strained, and through the haze she could see Rarity’s piercing eyes, the bottle at her side, those glittering fangs... 
The sunlight on the ceiling...
With a great crack! the door splintered and snapped in half, hinges and locks bending in place with a horrendous iron scream. They clacked against the wall and fragmented, falling from their hinges to die on the ground. Breeze, cool and moist, dashed aside the stagnant air and chilled the sweat on her brow. The muscles in her legs tingled in celebration as she sat upright and savored the sunlight. One challenge: surmounted. 
She kicked the door fragments unceremoniously with her hooves, then grimaced. She was still bound, but if a solid wooden door could be so easily conquered then these cords were minor trifles. The words of a flame spell came readily to her mind, but the throbbing of her head whisked them away. Magic is still off the table, she thought. Surely something else must’ve been available.
She toddled to her hooves and scanned the room. From beyond the bed tucked neatly in its corner, stained-glass windows lined the wall in a grand triptych. Curtains fluttered in the rolling breeze and cast their shroud over a divan and a pair of loveseats. Their plush, cerulean cushions lacked last night’s sleeping occupants. She perked her ears. The seats weren’t the only thing devoid of life; this wing of the castle was completely empty. Trepidation soon curdled into horror. The same couldn’t be said about the Grand Ballroom, not at this hour.
The binds about her chest and wings tightened as panic resurfaced and drove her to the garbage bin near the exit. If Fortune was kind, her captor hadn't disposed of the only chance she had for escape. That little hope was distraction enough from the embarrassment of her lopsided shuffle through the sticky residue of last night’s champagne. She breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing she was alone.
Twilight turned to the far wall. I wasn't the only one left behind...
Sunlight glinted off the wall’s polished surface, betraying a minuscule indent where Rainbow had made her impact. The glisten of blood could just barely be seen in shimmering swipes. Whatever cleaning had happened, it had been done in a hurry. Dragging herself closer, she found the carpet a black, crusted patch rank with the smell of blood. Twilight’s world went spinning as the scent of iron washed her over. Turning away towards the carpet was her sole relief, but as she counted the strands below she found that they, too, were stained with blood. She lifted a hoof, and Rainbow's blood came with her. The floor slipped out from under her as she stared, plummeting in freefall. Bile swam in her mouth as Rainbow's crippled body went soaring through her mind, again and again, the sickening crunch of the champagne bottle repeated and repeated until only the internal screaming of more happy memories could flush it out of her system.
Slowly, once the feeling passed, Twilight fought her nerves and opened her eyes. She stared at her hooves and the blood still congealing on her skin. The world slowly righted itself as understanding finally crept back into awareness. The blood hadn’t dried yet. Wherever Rainbow was moved, she was moved there recently. 
Like little diamonds the carpet twinkled in a wet, winding trail, coursing its way below her hooves, around the divan, and finally to the base of the bed. She crept after it as best she could, inching across the carpet, her nose inches away from the glittering path. She rounded the divan and clenched; a bloody, half-moon hoofprint sat plastered on the cushion just inches away from her lips. It was still dripping. Rarity hadn’t finished her work.
Twilight inched silently forward to the base of the bed and drew up the bedskirt. Sunlight poured in, revealing nothing but another inky patch glittering in the sun. Against the far corner, the shadows remained. Twilight squinted, watching for movement. Something pulsed in the shadows, slowly rising and falling. The sound of feathers rustling sent shivers down her spine. She jerked at the sensation and cringed as her horn collided with the underside of the bed frame.
It was then Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. 
Luminous turquoise beams glinted through the shadows, lidless and foreign. Twilight stared, entranced. Eyes morphed slowly into a face, a neck, a breast. Pale blue feathers ruffled as the figure churned for a better look. Then, slowly, a blood-stained hoof extended towards Twilight’s. Twilight recoiled, watching in horror as Rainbow's hoof turned ashen black. Necrosis crept like ink in her bloodstream, soaking through her muscles and skin. Holes melted in her hoof, but she never made a sound. No cries of pain. No pleas. 
Slowly the darkness swept over her until nothing remained but a jet-black husk of a changeling mare curled in pain. Turquoise eyes fluttered like flames in a fire as they stared at each other, their breaths in time. The air rang with the sound of one final breath, but it wasn't one of pain. It was utterly calm, like a comfort before a plunge into the unknown. Twilight watched her chest rise and fall one last time, then move no more. Tears flooded her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to wipe them away. Twilight bowed her head. No soul deserved an end so rife with misery, not even an enemy. Not even one such as her. 
Silently, Twilight pulled herself away and let the bedskirt fall back into place. The room swam with color as she shuffled to the door, swept over the wastebin, and gathered up its contents. Glass glimmered before her eyes, still wrapped in its towel. She gripped it in hoof, twisted herself inwards, and hacked at her binds. Sweat and tears streaked down her cheeks as the cords slowly eased their bite and let cool air in. Twilight closed her eyes and strained. The sun was rising. There wasn’t much time. 
A tiny snap, and Twilight looked down. Her skin was rubbed nearly black, but it was finally exposed. The cord lay in a heap just below, stained in her sweat. Her wings snapped open against her will, flexing victoriously as she massaged the pain away. The rush of freedom was invigorating, sending sparks of excitement from her horn. Twilight turned her eyes upwards. Perhaps it was time to try again. 
Twilight pulled the words of a spell together through the blinding pain, and as they fell into place a beam of searing light, as thin as a wire, streamed from the end of her horn. The cords about her legs burned away under its light in seconds. The air was thick with the smell of smoke as she jumped to her hooves and scrambled for the door. Twilight pushed herself onwards and slammed the door open, battling her muscles with every movement. If she was quick enough, it would be the only battle she’d have to face. 
Never had Canterlot been so lifeless. Beams of sunlight streamed across the ground and shimmered against the mica flakes encrusted beneath her hooves. Every racing hoofstep berated the walls, threatening to send the castle toppling down upon her. She skid past a corner as the tinny sound of trumpets sounded out from far beyond. She stopped and listened. They sounded once more, bleating their rally cry. The princesses were being called forth as scheduled. The ceremony had begun. 
The world blended together as she galloped down the Hall of Heroes, blind to the happy faces smiling down at her from their stations on the stained-glass windows. She passed them by, ignorant of all save Luna. She’d be standing at her side on stage right now, a leader in her own right, a student no longer. A princess like her, strong and sure. The sound of clopping hooves and trumpets broke the silence once more, louder than before. She was getting closer.  Twilight turned a corner and spied the Grand Ballroom’s door at the end of the hall. A group of soldiers stood at attention just beside it. Twilight pushed herself forward. Just hold on a little while longer.
The hallway stretched for miles as Twilight stumbled breathlessly forward. Every sound grew as distant and fuzzy as voices deep in the bowels of a cave. She screamed for their aide, reached out to touch them, begged for help. No replies. The same infection that had enveloped Rainbow bled into the edges of her vision, staining her peripherals grey. The figures standing at attention before the door remained in their places. Twilight watched them as her eyes fell in the warm embrace of sleep. Please. Please, don’t stop now...
Like hammers striking iron, hoof-steps thundered in her ears, ringing clearly through the hall. Muffled voices morphed into hazy figures growing larger with every blow. One of them, a splotch of sapphire blue, sprinted straight for her. Another, a massive grey form, ran just beside it. She shook the fog away to find Shining Armor holding her close, looking at her frantically. Over his shoulder, another stallion as grey as ash looked on breathlessly, watching them both in confusion. Shining Armor spoke, and everything became clear again. “I said, are you alright, Twilight? What are you doing out here?”
Keeping a breath for herself was, at every moment, a struggle. “You can’t... Luna, she’s in... The girls! Where are they? You can’t let them go on!”
“What’s going on, Twilight? You’re supposed to be on stage right now!”
“Rarity, she’s not who—”
“Rarity and the girls are already on stage, as you should be!” He shot a quick order to the grey stallion, then turned back to Twilight. “You can’t get cold hooves, not now! You’re supposed to be presenting your plans for the embassy!” He dropped his head, his voice growing horribly severe. “You assured me you were prepared, Twilight. You told me over breakfast this morning that you had everything under control! What happened?”
The warmth of the sunlight faded as her body went numb. Terror seized her, tightening its grip around her neck. Her brother noticed and drew closer, his words as cold as death. “You need to tell me what’s happening, Twilight, and you need to do it now.”
Twilight looked to her hooves for inspiration, but found nothing: no words to illuminate on the horrors of the previous night, and no expectation of what would come. Only a terrible promise made manifest on her skin where Rarity's binds had sealed her failure. His eyes followed hers down. There was no hiding the bruises, not from him. He jolted for her hooves, staring soundlessly at the markings the ropes had made. He turned her hoof over, wincing whenever she gasped in pain. He set her hooves down and looked up. His eyes were on fire. “Who did this to you?”
“I don’t know, but they’re going to go after Celestia and Luna! Please, you have to stop the ceremony! We need to get them out of there!”
“That ballroom is the safest place in Canterlot right now, Twilight. Half my available guard is in there right now protecting Celestia and Luna. Cadance and I even personally inspected every delegate that went through those doors." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Do you think, after everything that happened at my wedding, that I wouldn't inspect for changelings? If anyone can spot a changeling it's Cadance and I, and I can assure you you won't find a single one in that ballroom. If anyone is trying to get to Celestia and Luna, they’ll have to go through us.”
Reassuring as he sounded, something within her kept scrambling for an answer. If not in there, then where could they have gone? Twilight looked over his shoulder to the three guards standing at attention beside the door. The grey stallion towered over two smaller ones, both alike in size and color, both toting their spears menacingly. From this distance, it was difficult to make them apart. Their size, their shape, their color... They looked so alike underneath all that armor. They looked just like every other guard in Canterlot.
Twilight froze, looking at the guards with fear in her eyes. “Did you inspect the Royal Guard?”
Shining Armor recoiled. “My own guards? No, but they've been with me this whole—”
"Not those," Twilight said, pointing at his accompaniment. "The other ones? The ones inside protecting the princesses?"
She waited for an answer, but nothing came; his eyes were glazed in the first vestiges of panic, his babbled words discordant and empty. “What about the girls," Twilight continued, rousing him with a shake. "Rarity and the others? Did you inspect them?"
Shining Armor drew back, looking at her curiously. "When I asked you this morning, you said you had already checked them!" He paused, trying in vain to read her face for clues, but there was nothing there. Horror had seized her, numbing her from head to hooftip. "I asked you just this morning, remember? We were eating breakfast, and I asked you if you'd checked the girls! I remember you were in a hurry because rehearsal ran late and you were going backstage to begin the... the..." His words died on his tongue as he stared at the panic in her eyes. His eyes fell on her hooves again. A shiver ran him through as he met her eyes and found nothing but confirmation. The nightmare was true. “That wasn’t you...”
A nod from Twilight, and he was on his hooves. His eyes flared with a fire she’d never seen, his words soaked in an undeniable command. He wheeled towards the two smaller stallions and stamped his hoof. “You two, guard the door. No one enters, and no one leaves! Vanguard?” The grey stallion turned from the door and snapped to attention. Shining Armor raced forward, Twilight hot on his heels. “Sound the alarm! Our princesses are in danger!”
The ash-grey stallion froze, then stampeded for the far end of the hall, making the empty hallways tremble with a declaration of battle. Hooves clattered pell-mell on the tile as Twilight barged past Shining Armor for the ballroom door, speeding past the two other soldiers in a violet blaze. Pain thumped in her head as she applied her magic on the door. A crack emerged, just wide enough for her to dart through. Shining Armor followed close behind, whisking open the door to the sound of applause. Hundreds of multi-colored ponies swarmed all around them, a living sea all jostling for a clear view. There was barely enough room to breathe, let alone move her wings from her sides. Another round of applause prefaced a warm voice echoing from the top of the stage at the far end of the hall. Twilight’s heart raced. Celestia was making her address.
Every instinct kicked into gear as she scrambled and weaved her way through the crowd. Ponies passed by in a blur, their outbursts unheard as she fought for every inch of ground. Nothing mattered save seeing Celestia unharmed. The thought pushed her on harder, made her blind to her pain, and erased every unwelcome vision flashing in her eyes. Please let them be okay, she prayed. Please, just let them be safe.
A pocket emerged. Twilight broke through and caught her breath, looking in the spaces between nearby delegates for a glimpse of Celestia. She could just barely be seen, smiling proudly at Luna’s side. A few final words and the crowd cheered, pressing her from every angle. Another round of trumpets, and Luna stepped forward. Soon, it would be Twilight’s turn. She flung herself back into the fray. The stage was just out of reach. Another few seconds, and everything would be alright. 
A sharp pain smashed her knee and sent her sprawling. A few ponies came down with her in a jumbled, angry mess. They shuffled quickly from the ground and resumed their stations, all of them disgruntled and oblivious save one: a Crystal mare staring at an apparition, confusion running rampant on her face. She looked at the stage, then back to Twilight. Back to the stage. Twilight watched her face turn pallid; she looked as though she’d seen a ghost. Perhaps she had. Twilight lunged through a gap and wrested her way to the front, breaking through the crowd and into the open air. It was then the stage came into view.
At first, the only thing Twilight could see was Luna raising her voice high over the heads of the hundreds at attention. She stood proudly in all her stoic command, breast full of hope, words lofty and soft, crashing against every wave of doubt with nothing but a clear, honest smile. She spoke not of demands and declarations, but promises, opportunities, prideful works conducted by a hopeful, unified nation. She was no battlelord, nor shrewd professor. She was Luna, just Luna, and never had she been so magnificent.
Nor had Cadance or Ironhoof who stood together behind her, friends for all their outward appearances. Cadance’s royal headdress glittered in the sunlight, her easy smile pacifying the crowd—zebra and pony alike—as though she were their natural-born mother. Lord Ironhoof, for all his animosity, looked no less than the father of his nation. His spear had been exchanged for a golden staff wrapped in ivy, a wreath of exotic branches and their vibrant berries ringing his head. Though he scowled, it was plain to see he was in his element. At the fore, side-by-side with Celestia, was where he belonged.
Luna swept closer to the crowd, revealing Celestia in her timeless yoke and gown. Her hair waved in the non-existent wind and sent light in myriad colors swimming across the floor. She looked at her sister as though she was seeing her for the first time, as though she had finally fully returned to her. She smiled, and the world went quiet. She was perfection, her body's white pillar unmarred, utterly at peace. She turned to her side, bent her head low, and whispered to a smaller, resplendently-dressed violet unicorn at her side.
A Twilight standing regally beside five familiar mares, each of them waiting patiently.
Twilight never heard herself scream Celestia's name, but she had felt her body seize and her throat roar out. She had listened as everyone and everything froze. She had heard Cadance gasp, could feel Luna's fierce eyes melt with fear. She could even see Lord Ironhoof, for the briefest second, cede some ground to surprise. But it was Celestia that chilled her most.
Celestia lazily turned her head and looked out into the crowd, scanning the room for the disturbance until slowly her eyes rested on Twilight. Confusion melted into fear, fear turned swiftly into panic, but despite everything she never ran. She didn't say a word. Her eyes became a vacuous hole from which every unspoken hope evacuated her for Twilight. A murmur of activity grew louder, but between the two of them there was only silence. Celestia blinked, and the hole slammed shut. She spared one last little smile, then gave her the smallest of bows. Celestia turned back to the Twilight at her side to find her grinning, her fangs bared. Her eyes flashed green, but still Celestia was unafraid. She merely closed her eyes, took a deep breath, smiled, and waited.
And in a fluid movement and a flash of steel, the Twilight on stage swung her hoof and plunged her dagger into Celestia’s breast. Neither of them made a sound.
A scream pierced the air. Time grew still, devoid of sound or sensation. Twilight watched Celestia, only Celestia: her eyes closed in serenity; her blood-slicked coat warping the light as she breathed deep and calm; every minuscule shiver of the knife as her heart beat against its edge. She watched her as long as she could, but soon Celestia's face lined with pain. She toppled over, her gown stained in blood. 
Twilight never saw her hit the ground. She hadn't needed to. The world trembled instead.
A second scream. The masses bolted, zebra and pony alike hurtling for the door in a brutal, desperate wave. The soldiers along the walls dropped their spears and readied the charge, but hesitated. Twilight's imposter gave a shrill command, and scores of soldiers burst into emerald flames. Some scurried from their burning brethren and watched them with horror, but as the flames subsided they found their brothers as black as night, their brilliant turquoise eyes gritted together in malice. Another bark, and they pounced on their prey. Twilight looked on, numb. The battle for Celestia had begun.
A primal howl erupted from the stage as Luna charged towards Celestia, screaming her name in a song of death. Three gouts of flame washed her over as Applejack and two others leapt in to intercept. One slammed headlong into her breast and broke her stampede, but with a swift flutter of wings Luna recovered. Another changeling, her mane still inked in Fluttershy's radiant pink, lunged for Luna’s legs, buckled them under, sank her fangs into Luna's hindleg and brought her down. Luna lashed wildly at the changeling's face, her battlecries muffled behind the buzzing shrieks of her attackers. A pulse of magic pushed them back, but not far. Her mane whipped violently into a whirlwind of darkness as she howled for Celestia to rise. Furiously she struggled for her sister’s side, but with every inch closer another changeling joined the pile hell-bent on bringing her down. Twilight's muscles screamed for action, but she couldn't move. She could only stare in horror. 
A roar of unbridled fury prefaced a sudden jolt as Luna's shield spell popped on and jettisoned them aside. They hadn't even hit the ground before she was upon them, her hooves tearing at their wings, her horn sweeping left and right as beam after crackling beam took out those too unfortunate to have landed. She wheeled and lashed out a hindleg, sweeping two more over. She drew it back, but not before a second changeling sank its fangs into the meat of her flank. She howled and bucked it off, but another slammed her neck and bit her as well. A steel-shod hoof slammed once, twice, thrice into his skull and sent its body flying, but every hit took a bit more energy than the last. They regrouped all around her, but as Twilight watched Luna made no effort to keep fighting. Her neck and hindlegs ran with blood. Her eyes were clouding over. Her legs shook uncontrollably. 
Her eyes flicked over to Twilight, held her for the tiniest moment, then grew soft. Twilight watched, petrified, as with one final magic pulse Luna raised her eyes to the ceiling, her mane and tail swirling into a diaphanous, jet-black cloud. They whorled around her as changeling after changeling lunged onto her body and wrested her to the ground. Twilight could see Luna smile. Then, with a flash of light and a pop, she couldn’t see her at all. The space she’d resided was utterly lifeless, as though no soul had ever once trespassed where she'd made her stand. Nothing came back into the space she left behind, not even after what seemed like an eternity. Twilight’s heart stopped. Luna was gone. 
An avenue to the stage emerged amidst a furious clash of swords and bolts of magic. Celestia couldn’t have been fifty feet away, her hair flowing like water over the ground. She wasn’t moving. She wasn’t breathing. Twilight heard her name screamed from somewhere behind her. She whirled to find Cadance exchanging blasts of magic with two changelings still bedecked in their stolen armor. The pink bubble of her magic shield flashed and braced every attack, but with every strike she grew visibly weaker. She screamed once more for help, but before Twilight could move a howling flash of royal-blue broke free from the screaming crowd and lunged towards the closest changeling. She squinted and made out Shining Armor smashing aside her buzzing attackers, carving a path to his bride. Twilight looked to the door; a steady trickle of soldiers was pushing their way against the waves of diplomats scrambling for safety, led to the fight by the monstrous grey stallion from before. Pegasi soldiers streamed through the air over the wave of delegates and straight into the waiting hooves of changelings on intercept. Still, they pressed the advance. Hope surged somewhere beneath the mounting layers of fear. Just hold on a little while longer...
Twilight turned her attention back to Cadance to find her fighting at her husband’s side. A well-placed shield spell deflected a charging changeling straight through the window, ejecting him through the glass and out in the open air. Her spell faltered long enough for a changeling to break through. He was not as lucky as his companion. Shining Armor’s spear flashed with green, and the changeling was no more. Another one turned its attention towards him, but there would be no surviving his fury. A howl of rage, a lunge, a spurt of blood, and his black, broken body fell limp at the end of Shining Armor’s spear. Twilight averted her eyes as bile’s sickening taste filled her mouth. 
Another battlecry broke through the clamor as Ironhoof pounced from the other end of the stage, a striped comet screaming a cry of war. Two changelings turned to cut him off, but there would be no stemming his bloodlust. His golden staff flashed through the air, smashing limbs and crippling skulls with unerring precision. A bolt of emerald magic blasted past his cheek as a second changeling lunged for his neck. Blood oozed down his face and matted the marble steps, but before the changeling could sink his fangs the great zebra reared on his hindlegs and caved his attacker's throat. The changelings body flew limply towards her, nearly bowling her over. She could see Death’s cloud glaze his eyes as he passed. 
Twilight turned her eyes back to the stage, back to Celestia, and in a surge of anger found herself staring into the eyes of her imposter. Her doppelganger stood gloating over Celestia’s body, a blithe little smile on her lips. A blinding rage swept her over, and before she could even control it Twilight’s horn surged with a blinding beam of amethyst light. The imposter’s shield spell flashed and blasted the beam aside, earning Twilight a brief second to charge. The imposter howled, and a passel of changelings buzzed between Twilight and Celestia, grinning at Twilight hungrily. The mare screamed an order, and three of them lunged. A flash of light from over their shoulders and she, too, disappeared, blending into the background with an iridescent glimmer. Twilight rocketed forward to meet them. There would be no escaping, not if she could help it.
A well-timed shield spell bounced one changeling away and sent it clattering down the steps. The others darted swiftly away, buzzed to her side, flanked her, and pressed the advance. Her wings snapped open as she spun on her hoof. Another searing beam fired away at the nearest one. It leapt to the side and countered with a quick jab at her wingbone, sending electric shocks down its length as the bone took a hit. She winced, flapped weakly, and jumped out of the way, but still they rallied to head her off. A second shot from her horn sent a beam of light straight through one of their shoulders, but they were unfazed. She took stock of her situation: three in front, two beyond, and a few rallying to flank her, but not a single one bent on her death .Twilight’s heart seized with panic. This was no standoff. This was a corral. Luna wasn’t the only one they wanted alive. 
Two bolts of red flashed over her shoulders, followed by two simultaneous screams. She whirled; two changelings’ necks had been pierced by red feather-flighted arrows, quivering slower and slower as their targets succumbed to death. Another scream, and another changeling fell prey to a similar shaft. Twilight threw up her shield spell and looked to the ceiling. An armor-clad pegasus bobbed overhead, an archer with a harness of bronze. He screamed for her to duck, and as she fell to the ground another arrow flashed over her head and embedded into its target. The others lay in their own blood, utterly still. She turned to thank him, but found the skies empty. She turned back to the last two changelings, and for a second she swore they took a step backwards. Twilight gritted her teeth. Not so fast.
The first one buzzed straight for her, but she was ready with a quick drop to the floor and a buck to his gut. He flew limply into the air, but with a quick tumble caught himself mid-flight and sped back to the ground. She rolled and sent a beam at the other. The changeling took the blast straight to the heart, sending it flying down the steps. She hopped to her hooves and sped for the top of the stairs, but as Celestia’s body came once more into view a great weight slammed her from the side and sent her flying. With a crash she hit the ground atop her attacker, rolling across the ground firmly within a changeling’s ice-cold death grip. 
She bucked and kicked wherever she could, but the more she fought the tighter the embrace became. She jabbed her head backwards, but her horn missed its target. The changeling drew close, plunging its fangs into her neck as she let out a grisly scream. Her blood pulsed in her ears, but as she struggled she could feel a creeping numbness radiate from her neck down into her hooves. Panic reared its head. Soon, she would be just as helpless as Celestia. Just as weak as Luna.
Three more changelings advanced on her as the numbness trickled through her veins. Her vision faded, but this time it was utterly blissful. Her body gave in, her aching muscles relaxing their tense grips. There was no pain anymore. No worry about Celestia or Luna. No anger at the mare with the knife. Twilight smiled as the rocking of the waves slowly returned and lulled her to sleep. She’d been so very wrong to believe eternity was a gift. If this was death, then she was happy about her fate. A radiant light coursed through the stained-glass windows. The ponies emblazoned forever on the glass seemed to move and sway in time. Twilight’s ears perked as she listened closer. They even seemed to be humming. Singing. Screaming.
She blinked, and her vision returned. The dancing ponies morphed into a whirlwind of soldiers: two of them twirling in a dance of death, their weapons unleashed. She blinked again, and their screams turned to battle cries. Their oaths and promises went fulfilled as one-by-one, changeling after changeling fell under their attacks. A bulging ash-colored hoof lashed out and crippled a changeling forehoof, sending the changeling to its knees before the haft of a silver halberd cracked its horn and jaw in two. The stallion turned, his glacial mane and helm swinging like a tempest as he sent another changeling to his grave. A smaller pegasus soldier, his helmet’s plume a pink-striped crimson, flapped over the larger one’s back and tackled two changelings head on, pummeling them with armor-plated forehooves until they could fight back no more. The pegasus turned, ducked a pouncing changeling, then snapped open his wings and barreled towards another cluster of waiting attackers. In a few moments, he was hoof-deep in biting, clawing changelings, screaming a cry for Equestria and victory.
Sensation crept back into Twilight’s hooves as her blood boiled. Her captor wasn’t paying attention, not with the halberd-wielding stallion carving his path through the changeling attackers. She slid from his grasp and kicked his hooves out from under him. He crumpled to his knees, but with a cry of pain stood back up and dove in towards her belly. She braced his neck as his fangs flashed closer and closer to her breast, mucus dripping from his fangs as he snapped at her. Looking over helplessly, Twilight’s eyes met the halberd stallion’s. He stopped, turned, and readied his weapon. It was clear what would come next.
Twilight shoved her attacker away, earning her a few inches of space from his gnashing teeth. Her horn seared with a blinding pain as she sent a pulse in the space between them, jettisoning him a few feet into the air. It was all the stallion needed. A flash of silver, and his halberd snapped the changeling’s spine and sent his body flying. Twilight stared at the ceiling, trying in vain to catch her breath. The soldier drew close, knelt down, and pulled her to her hooves. Their eyes met, but before she had the chance to say another word he lunged back into the fray and disappeared. The only thing left of him was a battlecry for victory.
Looking around, it seemed he was right. The last remaining changelings clashed against the Royal Guard, both sides’ brothers lying broken on the ballroom floor. A dense black cluster of changelings rallied around Celestia, holding the upper ground. Twilight drew herself to her hooves and sprinted for the stage. Turning to her side, she found the red-plumed soldier right at her side. They pounded over the tile and mounted the steps, taking them three at a time. A pegasus guard swept through the gap between them, the same archer from minutes before, and as he passed sent a few more arrows into the waiting changelings. They fell to the ground and clutched their wounds, but the damage had already been done. The lines had broken, and with a howl the stallion at Twilight’s side took a few flaps of his wings, sped forward, and dove right in. What followed was calamitous. 
The cluster of changelings routed as the soldier’s armored hooves slashed wing from bone, his screams chilling friend and foe to the core. He was a whirlwind, the red plume of his helmet spinning left and right as one after another crumpled under his onslaught. Twilight’s magic bolts sent a few scurrying for the windows, their fizzling pops lost in the din as, panicked, they took flight and raced for the windows. The pegasus archer landed closeby and sent arrows chasing after them. He felled one with a shaft between the shoulder blades, another with an arrow to the eye. The remainder clattered against the marble pillars as their targets looped through the broken window panes and streamed outside. Twilight watched them escape and cheered as a wave of indigo and screaming black fettered wings descended upon them and tore through their ranks. Twilight caught her breath, elated. Luna’s Night Guard had finally come.
With a pang Twilight turned to find guards stampeding to the top of the stage. Shining Armor and Cadance mounted the steps and pushed their way through, Twilight following close behind. They broke through the armored rank and file and emerged in the center of their pocket. The room went quiet. Cadance gasped and fell to the ground as Shining Armor removed his helmet and covered his heart. Twilight tiptoed forward and pushed him aside. Celestia’s blood matted her coat, but as she knelt closer she could see it glistening in the sunlight, bending the light as her chest rose and fell in time. Twilight placed her ear to Celestia’s breast, closed her eyes, and heard a single dull heartbeat. A few moments, and then another dull beat. Tears of relief streamed down her cheeks. Celestia was still alive. 
She shot Cadance a little hopeful smile, but it was clear something else was wrong. Twilight looked back down, followed Celestia’s chest down towards her stomach, and found the blood’s source: a puncture wound, jagged and deep, wreathed in black. Tearing away her gown revealed the wound entire. Rivers of ink spread beneath her skin like cracks on a pane of glass, staining every vein in Death’s sober trappings. Twilight retreated, breathless, as Cadance fell on Celestia and sobbed uncontrollably. The other soldiers remained rooted to the ground, their faces lined in abyssal pain. Shining Armor pulled his bride away, but still Cadance fought against him, struggling to apply her magic on the infected wound. Twilight turned her eyes away, found solace on the far wall, watched the curtains, and tried not to cry. 
The image of Rarity returned to her from beneath the sound of Cadance’s cries for help. She’d been right there in front of her. Bowing before Luna. Hugging Twilight. Playing her role flawlessly. She’d been right there this whole time, but Twilight hadn’t seen. She just hadn’t seen it. Turning back, Twilight looked at Shining Armor and found his face empty. She could almost see his heart break as he stared into the spaces over her shoulder. 
She watched him a little closer. He was staring, yes, but not at nothing. Silently Twilight followed his eyes towards the far end of the room. There, by the window, the silk curtains rustled and waved. There wasn’t an open window to be found anywhere nearby.
Something was moving in the shadows.
“The curtains!” Twilight screamed, lunging for the far wall. Shining Armor bounded over Celestia and raced at her side, joined after a few seconds by what guards had energy left to run. They closed in, and through the furious pounding in her head Twilight watched the curtains roil. A glimmer of light raced from the far side and sprinted for the nearest broken window. Twilight adjusted her course, searing the air with magic bolts. Chunks of marble dusted the air before her target, coating her in a fine, white powder. It was her! Twilight shot another bolt that sent the figure crashing to the ground. Twilight closed her eyes and pounced into thin air. 
She met not marble and glass, but skin, fur, and what felt like teeth. She hugged the air for all she was worth and brought her target down to the ground. A set of translucent fangs sank into her arm, but with a howl Twilight rolled and pinned her target to the ground with a growl of triumph. Shining Armor was just seconds behind her. There would be no escape, not if they could help it. 
Something slimy and cold pressed itself to her heart. Twilight felt her innards curl and freeze, plummeting within herself for some unending chasm. It was as if a part of her had pulled itself from her body, and as she looked down she found no reason to think otherwise: her captive's eyes were the same shade of royal purple, her skin the same deep violet. The mare grinned, and there were no fangs. Even her hair was the same, its familiar stripes all askew. Twilight looked her over and gasped. She was Twilight, a perfect copy. Indistinguishable.
Twilight scrambled off her only to find her quarry doing the same. She turned to Shining Armor only to see her imposter mirror her perfectly. “Please, she’s the real one,” they howled in unison, both of them watching a wholly dumbstruck Shining Armor. His spear wavered in the air between them, pointing at one, then the other, then neither as he fell deeper into confusion. “No, please,” the Twilights pleaded in tandem, their eyes begging for his attention. “She’s the fake one! She stabbed Celestia!”
Twilight watched him slowly freeze; there was nothing he could do. He faltered, and as he looked between them a bark broke the still of the room. Lord Ironhoof, bloodied and furious, swept aside the Royal Guard and sprinted towards them, his eye blazing. He looked at Shining Armor reproachfully, then snatched his spear from his hooves and held its point carefully on Twilight’s throat. “Speak, or you die.”
Every word rattled down through the spear’s shaft and directly into her neck. Twilight gulped down some air. “She’s the fake one,” she said, pointing at the imposter. The other’s eyes flashed with panic. “No, it’s her,” the mare replied, pointing a hoof at Twilight. “She’s the one responsible!”
He looked between the two of them, then settled his eye on Twilight. “Give me one reason not to kill both of you, right now.”
“She’s the fake one,” Twilight said tremulously, pointing at her doppelganger. “I swear it, Lord Ironhoof! She’s the one who stabbed Celestia, the one who put you in danger! She’s the fake one! You have to believe me!”
His eye flicked over to the other Twilight, freezing her in her tracks. He returned his attention, squinting venomously. “Why should I believe you over her? You changelings will say whatever you need to survive, won’t you?” His spearpoint pressed closer. She could feel a thin trickle of blood already making its way to her heart. “Prove to me you’re the true Twilight Sparkle. You have one chance.”
Panic sent her mind scrambling for an answer, searching for anything that might curry his favor. Her eyes flicked over his face and examined the flesh seared from his cheek. She couldn’t help but wince. It looked infinitely more painful than she could’ve ever handled. It would be sure to scar. 
Twilight’s ears perked. Scars...
“I should've let Shining Armor kill you when I had the chance.”
Every guard reeled in shock at her words, but none more so than Shining Armor himself. Ironhoof shot a little snort, holding her eyes with every ounce of his attention. They stared for some time, wreathed in silence. Then, with a grin, he pulled his spear from her throat, wheeled its haft through the air, and sent the other Twilight head over hoof with a solid crack to the chin. Her skin flashed from fuschia to black, then to Rarity’s porcelain-white before settling on a mix of all three. She groaned in pain, then collapsed to the ground. Ironhoof nodded to the guards nearby, then threw Shining Armor’s spear back to its master. “Welcome back, little princess.”
He turned his back as every guard rallied around the fallen imposter and sealed her in irons. Shining Armor sprang to her side, but Twilight barely noticed. Crippling waves of relief surged through her, pushing out everything else. The lights grew distant, the world warm, and before she could cry out the gentle waves of her peaceful little world returned to carry her out of mind. Twilight closed her eyes and let sleep take her over. She fell into Shining Armor’s embrace, beyond it, and soon let everything go. It was all over.
Everything was over.


	
"Can we come in, Twilight?"
Twilight almost couldn't hear Cadance’s little whisper. The dreary cold of the lingering shadows drew the silence tightly around her, bearing none of the fear. She savored the stillness, the calm after the storm of hooves and muttered incantations that had left nothing behind but a broken Celestia and a tear-sodden Twilight. The last thing she remembered was the sound of screaming. Zecora's pleas for another moment of work. A slamming door. Her hooves beating the bedside in agony. That had seemed like hours ago, a distant memory. She looked over the bedside and the sleeping, smiling Celestia tucked in her covers. Twilight waved her guests closer. Don't wake her, she prayed. Let her have her dreams.
I can handle her nightmares.
The memory of that pale blue hoof turning black returned in a cold wave. For a second, as she looked at her, it wasn't some changeling assassin huddling in the dark. It had been Rainbow Dash, pleading for forgiveness and solace before the end. She'd seen her eyes darken in death's numbing cloud and could still feel it tingling hours later. She had seen her life leave her only to blaze brightly in the eyes of Celestia's attacker. Twilight felt the place where that decrepit soul had pulled her energy from her. It felt as though her hoof still lingered, draining her dry. For as long as she lived, that patch of skin could never be warm again.
The memory of the battle was a whirlwind, but not those last few moments. Those moments were frozen in time, as cold as Twilight felt now. The mare had waited for Twilight to touch her. She hadn’t taken her shape without her. Once the façade had fallen, no mere recollection could’ve brought it back up again. Not without help. Not without a template. A crippling fear took hold as she thought of her friends. What chance was there that they, too, had been subject to such horror? What chance was there that they were unharmed? Twilight closed her eyes and prayed she could see them, just to know they were safe. Perhaps, when all this was sorted out, she could be with them again. Perhaps that was no longer an option.
Soft hooves enveloped her from behind and spread serenity through her body. A powder-pink chin rested in the crook of her neck, pulling her close. Twilight gave Cadance a little smile and nestled herself closer, allowing her to cradle her fears away. Her voice was melodious, but it was obvious she, like Twilight, wasn’t finished crying. "How are you doing, honey?"
"I don't know," Twilight whispered, shaking her head. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel right now."
"You're in shock, sweetie. It's natural to be confused about how to feel."
"It shouldn't be. I should feel like wanting to kill the mare who did this, to do to her what she did to Celestia. I feel like I should want to watch her suffer, but I can't. I can't feel anything."
Cadance gave her a nuzzle. "Can you feel me?" Tears fills her eyes as she gave Cadance a little nod. Cadance gave her a kiss and rocked her close. "Then there's hope for you yet, sweetie. There's hope for you yet."
Shining Armor rounded the bed and stood scowling over Celestia. Wrinkles carved canyons in his brow; he had aged decades in the hours following the attack. He shook his head and muttered to the bedsheets, his voice miles away. "How is she?"
"Stable," Twilight replied quietly, staring at Celestia. A vein in her neck pulsed dimly beneath her flesh, ushering that black death closer. Twilight's hoof traced the sheets, but she couldn't bring herself to see the damage done. "It took them a while, but they were able to halt the course of the infection. Sleep will do her more good than anything now."
He jolted for the blankets fold, then retreated. His eyes mirrored her own; that was a horror best left undisturbed. "What could have done something like this?"
"Changeling blood." She said it so matter-of-factly it was hard to believe it was truly a fact. "Zecora said that's the only thing she knows of that can do this much damage this fast, and given what they were it seems the most likely."
Only a demon could've taught him the curse he muttered under his breath. He shook his mane. "Will she be alright?"
"I don't know. Zecora says her body is fighting the decay as it should, but if we don't find a cure she won't be able to keep it up for very long." Twilight shuddered. Even Zecora, proficient in her craft, hadn't been confident. "If she takes another turn for the worse..."
"What then," whispered Cadance. Twilight leaned against her cheek. "I don't know," she replied. "The scales tip against her, the poison takes hold, and she... she passes."
"Passes?" A shroud of disbelief lowered over Shining Armor. "What you're saying is impossible. Celestia is immortal!"
He didn’t miss the little glance she and Cadance shared. "She feels everything you do, Shining Armor," Twilight offered, "especially pain. No pony who's a pony can avoid feeling pain. The only thing that separates you from her—you from Cadance and I—is the magic to prevent the body from dying naturally. Her magic can stave off apoptosis, prevent her cells and organs from decaying. In a perfect system, her lifespan is indefinite."
"And now?"
 Twilight's head fell. "Now she's lost the ability to fight. Her magic is repairing cells as fast as the poison is destroying them, but no source of magic is limitless. Soon, she won't be able to take it anymore. The poison will eat her alive from the inside out, and then she'll pass."
He stared at her incredulously. “Then why aren’t you doing something about it?”
“What am I supposed to do, Shining Armor? Every apothecary and physician in Canterlot Castle did everything they could. Zecora and her kin plied every potion to no effect! We've tried everything!”
Hell itself seemed to blaze from his eyes. “Bullshit! You of all ponies should know we have one power those monsters can never get their hooves on!"
Cadance tensed and went cold, and in a wave of horror Twilight felt that portion of her bent on seeing her friends recede to some hole deep inside, somewhere she couldn’t feel. A chill ran through her as she pictured the glint in her attacker's eye, imagined the sensation of her warmth flowing through her hoof as her attacker transformed into her perfect copy. Cadance, too, had experienced that horror. She, too, had had her essence stolen from her. All it took was a brush of the skin. A shared glance. A template. 
Twilight turned to him, hollow. It was no horror anymore. It was a reality. “They already have.”
A cold wave of understanding washed his anger away. “No,” he whispered, backing away. “You... you’re mistaken, Twilight. You’re wrong. You have to be wrong!” He turned to Cadance, his eyes pleading for support. “Cadance, please... Please tell her she’s wrong! The girls are fine! Tell her they're fine!”
An icy tear splashed on her shoulder as Cadance shook her head. “Changelings can’t change without their subjects, honey. They have to come into contact with them in order to take their sha—”
Like a tempest he thundered a resounding “NO!”, rending the stillness in a sweep of sound. Ripples of surprise coursed through her as he, with a sweep of his hoof, dashed aside the bedside table and sent its contents crashing to the ground. Cadance covered a scream and quivered as he slammed the wooden slats with his hooves, slivers and shards flying to the corners of the room with every tear-drenched howl of rage. Flecks of his blood coated the ground, but still he kept on fighting. Twilight watched him with longing. How she wished she could join him. 
When he had finished, he kicked aside the last remaining nails and boards and sat down hard, staring into oblivion. "I should've been there," he said to himself. "I should've been right there to take it. It should’ve been me." 
"Honey, don't say that,” Cadance pleaded, drawing close. “I never want to hear you say anything so heartless again, do you understand me? Never again!”
"It's my fault she's injured, and it's my fault Luna's gone! Anyone in their right mind can see that!" He glanced at Cadance, but just couldn't hold her eyes. "I've failed her, Cadance. I've failed them both."
"You haven't failed anyone! There's no way you could've gotten to her in time!" 
"That's no excuse. None of this would've happened had I inspected the girls beforehand, or hoof-picked the guard, or been there on stage instead of taking patrol! There’s no way this isn’t my fault!” He turned to Twilight. "I must pay the price for this. I have failed in my duties as Captain of the Guard by allowing my princesses to come to harm. My life will be the price of my failure."
Cadance was more livid than Twilight had ever seen her. "You selfish bastard," she whimpered, her bottom lip trembling uncontrollably. "You heartless, selfish, self-centered jerk..."
"I have to pay for this, honey,” he muttered. "I have to atone. I don't have any other choice."
"You could choose to stay with me, not throw everything away over something you can’t control!"
“Honey, I didn’t mean—”
“Oh? What did you mean? Explain that to me in a way I’ll understand! Tell me how sacrificing yourself will do anyone any favors!”
Trembling, he shook his head. "You wouldn't understand, Cadance. She's been my prin—"
"I wouldn't understand? I wouldn't understand?!" A slap cracked the air, leaving a perfect hoofprint blazing on his face. His eyes watered with pain, but he held his tongue. Cadance stared up into his eyes, utterly heartbroken. “You don’t get to talk to me like that! You don’t get to rip me apart and act like I don’t matter!”
“Please, I didn’t mean—"
“Not another sound, mister.” Slowly her breathing calmed enough for her to push through her tears. “You don’t get to say things like that and expect me not to care! You don’t get to be so cruel, not to me! When I married you, I married your insecurities, your problems, and your damn foolish pride!” Tears streaked down her cheek as she finally broke and leaned against him, pulling him as close to her heart as she could muster. “You don’t leave the ones you love! You don’t leave them behind where they can’t follow!”
She clutched him tight and howled into his armor, permitting the flood of tears to finally come storming out. He remained ever her shield, rubbing her back and holding her close, his eyes closed. 
Twilight watched her belly heave as she struggled for control. Twilight watched her brother sit in silence, a tear carving slowly down his bruising cheek as he stared, lost. She turned to Celestia and watched her smile. Somewhere beyond Canterlot, somewhere beyond these dour walls, perhaps in the recesses of her memories, there must have been something worth smiling about. There must have been something worth staying hopeful for. As sure as her sun beaming outside, there must have been something. Something worth leaving her for.
“I refuse to accept your resignation,” Twilight said quietly. Cadance clenched tighter in relief, but Shining Armor looked no less troubled. Twilight gave Celestia one final smile. “I will need my Captain of the Guard at his post if Equestria is to be defended in my absence.”
Shining Armor removed himself from Cadance and stared, dumbstruck. “What are you saying, Twilight?”
Twilight bowed her head. Don't give in. Not now. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. You know what I have to do.”
“You can’t ask for this,” he growled, rounding the bed. “You can’t leave us, not now! I won’t allow it!”
"I love you, Shining Armor, but you can't tell me what to do."
“I can, and I will. You may be a princess, but I’m your older brother. It’s my job to protect you, and as long as I’m living that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”
“I don’t need protection. I need Celestia.”
“Don't you think we need her too?” Never had she seen him so afraid, and never had she been so afraid as a result. “I swore an oath to protect you, Twilight. I made a promise to Mom and Celestia that I would always be there to take care of you, no matter what. You can’t ask me to stay behind and break that promise! You can’t go, not when you’re needed here!”
She took his hoof in hers. “No, brother. You’re needed here. You have to do your job, and I mine. Assemble your guard, erect the defenses, and protect Celestia. I’ll go find Luna and the girls and bring them back home. You know it's what Celestia would’ve asked of me.” She gave his hoof a little squeeze. “You know I don’t have any other choice.”
“You could choose to remain here where it’s safe!”
“What makes you think, after what happened today, that Canterlot is safe anymore?”
A pall drew over his face. She had hit on the truth. Never had they been so vulnerable. Looking into his eyes, she could see that he knew she was right. He had to let her go. “Let me go in your place. Let me get her back. I have enough soldiers. I can spare enough to scour the world for her.”
“No. I need you here. As your princess, I am charging you with defense of the city. Portion out your guard to the outlying towns as you see fit, but not so much that ponies start asking questions. We can’t let anyone panic. We can’t let anyone know.”
There was some acidic stain on her tongue that made him recoil. “You would lie to them?”
“I will do what needs to be done, as will you.” She could feel him shudder, for she'd felt it too; for a moment, she'd sounded just like Luna. “I will not allow anyone else to come to harm if I can help it. If Equestria is to recover from this, we need the Elements, and if Celestia is going to do the same, she needs Luna.” She nodded her head, resolute. “These are my orders as your princess. You would be wise to obey them.”
Twilight looked at them both and could sense they were staring at a stranger. Only Celestia, with her ever-present smile, seemed to know how she felt. Twilight stroked her hoof. “I can’t lose her, Shining Armor. I can’t bear to think of what might happen if she wakes up and finds me missing, finds her world in tatters on the brink of war... finds Luna gone. It nearly killed her once before.” Celestia’s hoof was so wonderfully warm beneath her own. If only she could stay here forever, knowing she would remain too. “I have to do this for her. I have to. I don’t want to leave any more than you want me to, but I have no other choice. I’m not capable of running this country by myself, and I never have been. I never will be.”
"Don't say that, honey," Cadance said. "I know it's a lot, but you... You’re the most capable princess I’ve ever seen! I wish I could do a fraction of those things you can! I’m jealous of what you’re capable of, of what you’re destined to do!"
“I don’t have a destiny. I should never have become a princess.”
She could almost hear Cadance's heart shatter. “You don’t mean that, honey. I know you don’t mean that.”
"But I do mean it! You heard Chancellor Strata yesterday morning. You heard him speak up. You may have stopped him, but you know that what he said was the truth. I can’t do this, can’t you see? I can’t be like them! They adore Celestia and Luna, not me. They only listen to me because it would insult them if they didn't." Twilight averted her eyes and watched Celestia dream, wondering what solace she'd found from this hell. "I can't do what they do alone. I have to find Luna, and I have to find a way to make Celestia better. Equestria needs a sun and moon. They don't really need a Twilight."
Twilight could almost hear Cadance's tears hitting the floor through the quiet, raspy breathing from beneath the covers. With every second, the promise of Celestia’s recovery lived with her, hovering just over the sun-baked horizon outside. All it would take was a hoof strong enough to journey out and bring it home. Why couldn't they see that? "I have to save her, and I have to do it alone. I can't risk anyone else getting hurt because of me."
"Too late," Cadance said with a wet little chuckle. Wiping her cheeks dry, she whirled around the bed and pulled Twilight close. She gave her ear a little nuzzle, her whisper for them alone. "I love you more than anything, Twilight, but sometimes you make me want to scream." Twilight couldn't help but laugh, and that little dash of happiness was relief beyond measure. Cadance pulled away and gave her a smile. "I wish I could change your mind, but I know you well enough to know that's nearly impossible. You care too much, Twilight. It's what I love about you most." She stamped her hoof and smiled, her eyes shining with tears. "How can I help?"
Shining Armor stepped forward. "Cadance, darling, I don't think you're considering every aspect of this. We already have one nation to worry about. We can’t take on another."
"What choice do we have? If Celestia gets any worse, it won't just be Equestria that's impacted. The sun won't set, crops will wither, and ponies will die. We risk famine, drought, and a whole host of other things if we don't help her stay healthy."
"And how do you propose we do that? It could be weeks before Twilight gets headed in the right direction, and if she’s struggling now, how can we be sure Celestia will be able to hold on until she starts on the right path? If Zecora can’t fix her and the Elements are gone, how can we possibly help?”
Cadance gave Twilight a smile. "Twilight will figure something out. We just have to buy her time. In the meantime, we'll call on our allies and negotiate all the help we can."
"Our allies..." He shook his head and snorted. "We are Equestria's allies, honey. The zebras won't help us, not after Ironhoof persuades them to avoid us like the plague. The dragons are too violent to be reasoned with, and the griffons? They didn't even bother to show up! The Crystal Empire is the only friend Equestria has right now, and we don't have the resources to support two nations at once!"
Twilight's ears perked. "I'll talk to Zecora's tribal elder and convince him to help out. He told me he would do anything to help facilitate a good relationship. I bet he can be reasoned with!"
"You can try," Shining Armor said, shaking his head. "But you won't get anywhere. They don't have any reason to trust us, not after today. We put their leader on stage next to a madmare and nearly got him killed. If I know anything about Ironhoof, it’s that he’ll turn the tide against you the second he gets wind of your departure. He can’t be trusted.”
“Can I not?”
A looming shadow crossed the threshold and crept over the sheets, shrouding Celestia in darkness. Shining Armor turned and bristled as Lord Ironhoof, reclothed in his war regalia, stepped uninvited into the room. With a rustle of tassels and metal he plodded deftly to the base of the bedframe, eyeing Celestia emotionlessly. "Zecora spoke true. Celestia has fallen."
Twilight placed herself between him and the prey of his thoughts. "For the time being, only. Nothing will keep her down for long. If you think you can take advantage of this, you're sorely mistaken."
"I wouldn't dream of it." He brushed past her and tiptoed closer to the bedside, looming over them all. Celestia churned in her sleep, making him smile. "To think the flame of eternal life could be so easily snuffed out." Her hair flowed over his hoof like water, glittering as it met the sun. He watched it in awe, ignoring Shining Armor's violent eyes. "The sun incarnate. It’s hard to believe she’s been your figurehead for millenia, so precariously perched a dagger’s length away from dooming you all."
"Get the hell away from her," Shining Armor said, snarling. Ironhoof shot him a glance, took a final look, then allowed the last strands to tumble from his hoof. Twilight watched them and stifled her concern. Already Celestia's mane was wasting away.
Ironhoof set his hoof down heavily and eyed Twilight with a scowl. "I gave you a chance to prove yourself, little one, out of respect for Celestia. She was worthy of that one allowance. To believe you deserve the same regard would be a grave misstep." His tongue traced his teeth beneath his lips. "What plan have you to fix this?"
Twilight watched her brother. He shook his head as discretely as possible, his eyes pleaded for reconsideration, but she couldn’t find any justification. The fault was her own, no matter what either of them said. There would be nothing gained by lying, not to him. The truth was all that mattered.
“This is all my fault, Lord Ironhoof. As a princess, it's my responsibility to ensure that Celestia and Luna are capable of performing their duties. In that respect I'm to blame, not Shining Armor. He did everything he was asked and more.” Ironhoof's eyes returned to hers, earning a little sigh from Shining Armor. “I had the chance to prevent this from happening, and I failed. Therefore, I see no reason to put anyone else in danger. I will be leaving Canterlot before the day is out to find Luna and bring her home. Based on our reports, our best bet is that whomever is responsible is somewhere to the north, so that's where I plan to start. I’m leaving Princess Cadance and my brother here in the castle to look out for Celestia until I return.”
“We know who’s responsible,” he growled. “Your damned Elements, in collusion with that changeling monster!”
“The girls had nothing to do with this! You fought them too, you know they were imposters!”
“Then I demand the Elements of Harmony and their bearers be shown to me! Bring them forth! Let them stand testament to your words!”
Twilight sat in silence, and soon the same realization dawned on him as it had Shining Armor. “You have truly doomed us all, Twilight Sparkle,” he said, advancing on her. “Your greatest weapon is gone, and with it, any hope of saving your princesses or Equestria.”
“I have a plan to fix this,” Twilight asserted, though every part of her begged her to cry, to scream, to fall apart. But not in front of him. Not until he was gone, when she was alone. Not until the flame of hope had been extinguished. “I have a plan that will make everything right.”
“Do you? What hope is there now that you’ve given our first and last defense to the enemy?”
Twilight took a deep breath. “I’m going to get Luna back. I’m going to find the Elements. I’m going bring whomever is responsible to justice, and I’m not coming back here until I do.”
He chortled horribly. "Noble, but foolish. To leave Equestria undefended would be a threat not only to me, but every soul in your borders. Besides, you'll never survive the Northern Wastes without a guide."
"She won't be alone." Shining Armor stepped forward. Though he didn’t look at all pleased, he gave Twilight the most sincere smile he could muster. Twilight took it in and held onto it. In the face of Ironhoof, there could be nothing more useful than a little encouragement. "Cadance and I can defend Equestria on our own if we pull back every soldier in our possession. Defenses will be tight, but we can spare a few hooves to help.” 
“A few against the world. How poetic.”
“It’s better than doing nothing,” Cadance interjected. “Twilight is the only one who can do this. She’s got more brains than any of us, and she’s stronger than you think she is. She just needs a little help.” She paced closer, her eyes pleading for attention. “Please, my lord. We’ve been your friends for millenia, and never have we wavered in our dedication. If your fealty to Celestia could but extend to helping Twilight, you could help save millions. If you could but spare a few soldiers to help her, we—”
Ironhoof raised his hoof, silencing her in a swift movement. He held the silence for a moment, then shook his head. “You beg for too much, princess. The zebras will not help you, not in this endeavour.”
The three of them jolted forward, but Ironhoof stood his ground, utterly unfazed. "You can't do this," Cadance barked. "You can't abandon your friends!"
Ironhoof chuckled. "How deluded you must be to believe we could ever be friends. I have spoken with the other lords, all of whom are in agreement: to linger would invite this curse to our lands and threaten our tribes. We cannot allow this to occur. We depart on the morrow."
Twilight stood in shock. "You can't do that! You pledged your friendship to Equestria, said you would defen—"
"I promised nothing, not to a helpless pup like you. My allegiance was to Celestia and Luna, and neither are able to uphold their oaths any longer. If they cannot, then why should I?" His neck bristled as he stared deep into her eyes. "I gave you my ear, and instead you threatened my neck. I will not be insulted further."
"Insult you?" Cadance snarled, stepping to Twilight's side. "She didn't do anything to insult you, you pompous brute! You are bound by ties as old as Celestia! It's your obligation to come to her aide, no matter what!"
"Is it? Lest I'm mistaken, this summit never officially concluded. Luna's precious treaty goes unsigned, as it will remain. To join our borders would mean carrying you forward when the merciful thing would be to make your passing swift. Lighten the load for the sake of all."
Twilight could barely breathe. "Why are you doing this? We had an agreement to trust one another! You can't rescind your help, not when we need it most!"
"I can do as I please, and I shall in order to protect my nation from your mistakes. It was the folly of my forebears to place their trust in the weakness of ponies. It will not be mine." He plodded to the door, looking over his shoulder at Twilight. He grinned, and her insides curdled. "Think about it in terms of scars, little princess. Sometimes, you must sever the limb to save the body entire.” 
He threw open the door and paced back into the hall without a backwards glance. Cadance closed her eyes and sighed. Shining Armor muttered a vile curse under his breath. Twilight watched him depart, staring at the door until he disappeared from view. “What do we do now?”
“Leave him to me,” Shining Armor said quietly. “If he won’t help us, he sure as hell won’t get anything out of us. I’d tell you not to worry about it, but there’s no knowing how he’ll act if he doesn’t see results soon.” Despite his efforts, fear weighed his words. “You don't have a second to waste."
"Then let's not waste them." Twilight took a step towards the door, but it felt too unnatural. Something hadn't yet been taken care of. She turned to Cadance, unable to hold her eyes. "Can... can you two give me a minute alone with her? I need to say goodbye."
Cadance's eyes watered as she smiled. "Of course," she said, her voice like honey. "We'll be right outside."
Twilight nodded her thanks and crept to the bedside, counting the seconds until the sound of the door closing echoed around the room. The sun rose high beyond the curtains and threw sunbeams in the gaps, splitting the room into neat, even portions. Celestia stirred, brushing against Twilight's hoof. Still warm, and still smiling. Twilight couldn't help but smile too. What wonderful place could she have retreated to to escape all this? Was she thinking of the pain? Was she thinking of Twilight?
Twilight cradled Celestia's hoof in her own, pressed it against her cheek, and closed her eyes. For now, there was nothing to fear. For another few moments, there was no looming disaster, no danger, no grievous injury or ticking clock. For now, there was only Celestia, protecting her always, ever at the ready to wash her fears away. Twilight found herself crawling onto the bed as gently as she was able. She slipped beneath a wing and drew close, savoring Celestia's warmth. It was almost like she could feel her too.
“Do you remember my first night away from home?” Celestia churned slightly, but made no response. Twilight turned her hoof in her own. “There was a thunderstorm that night. You remember the one. I had stumbled into the Hall of Heroes, looking for my mom.” Twilight grinned. It had seemed so long ago in every recollection prior, but not with Celestia here. “I was a mess when you found me, but you told me everything was okay. You said the thunder was Luna’s way of saying ‘hello’, that she couldn’t meet me personally but wanted to tell me I shouldn't be afraid of her night. You told me everything about her and your adventures, your plans for the future...” Twilight bit her lip. She couldn’t cry, not now. “You brought me to your room and played with me, remember? We spread out an atlas and pretended to travel anywhere I touched. We made it all one big adventure until the thunder died down. You let me fall asleep right here, right next to you. Don’t you remember?” 
From deep within Celestia groaned and jerked in pain. Cautiously, Twilight pulled the blanket aside; pure-white gauze had been wrapped tightly around her chest, but even now the black stain of blood lingered just out of reach. Twilight peeled back a patch of gauze and gagged. A deathly splotch blazed beneath her stitches, painting her veins black. With every heartbeat, Twilight could see them extend their reach, cell by cell. Soon, there would be no area left untainted. 
Twilight slid the bandage back into place, but once removed it refused to reapply itself. Tears flooded her eyes as attempt after attempt fell short of fixing the damage done. The wrappings sloughed off her chest, revealing that deathly sun beaming proudly in defiance. Nothing could hide it from her. Nothing could erase it from her chest, no matter how hard she begged. No matter how hard she cried. 
Twilight buried her face into the sheets and smothered the howls breaking free from her heart, suffocating them before they could be birthed into the world. She could feel them roaring out from the chasm her heart had once resided, gathering mass until they could contain no more stifled tears. Grief thundered in her throat as she heaved and struggled for air, but as Twilight wiped away her tears she found Celestia smiling from far away. Even now, apart from her, she was thinking of better times, of happier days. Twilight must have been in there somewhere. Somewhere warm. Somewhere forgiving.
The cavern in her breast grew cold, but it wasn't nearly as frightening as it had been before. In this moment, it was just the two of them in this whole world. They would hold on and weather it together. This storm would pass.
Not all things last forever.