Ruins of Ponyville
The one remaining building
“Bucking hell, Twilight!”
“What's wrong now?”
“If your horn gets any longer I wont be able to do that anymore.”
Twilight stuck out her tongue in playful teasing of Rainbow’s comment as her wife got down from off her horn. Rainbow landed on the floor next to the bed and Twilight could not help but laugh as Rainbow was walking funny.
“Oh buck up, it’s not like you don’t enjoy it. Besides it was your idea, remember?”
Rainbow simply smirked at her wife. “Please, you enjoy that as much as I do. I know exactly how sensitive horns are.”
Twilight smiled at that, her horn had always been sensitive, but over the years, its sensitivity seemed to increase as her magic became stronger.
“A little pain can be fun, and it's not like it will kill you or anything.”
“Trust me, there is nothing ‘little’ about that.” Rainbow gestured to the glossy horn on Twilight’s head.
“So you don’t want to do that anymore?”
“Well, I never said that, did I?”
Rainbow hobbled over to her wife and kissed her on the lips, despite everything, they always found new ways to express their love for each other. In many ways, it was still amazing to the mare. “Besides, I’ve seen what happens when you don’t get your way.”
Twilight pulled away from the kiss and grabbed the blanket on the bed; unfortunately, she failed to realize just how soiled it was. Twilight tossed it over to the corner of the room and crossed her hooves in front of her.
Rainbow smiled at just how cute a pouty Twilight could be, unfortunately, the state she had left her mane in detracted from that. However, based on the earlier screams, it was well worth it.
Twilight did not want to talk about what happened, she did not want to face that reality, she did not want to know what happened (even if it was too late for that), she did not want Rainbow to have that grin on her face, and she did not want a towel thrown at her. Sadly, all these thing happened at that moment.
Rainbow laughed as the towel hit her wife square in the face and then fell loosely to her side. Twilight gave the mare a death glare that only served to increase the humor of the whole situation in Rainbow’s eyes.
“It will take more than a towel to clean this up, Rainbow.”
“I know, we will probably have to get a new bed after this.”
“Trust me, there is no probably about it.”
“Well the towel should make you feel better anyway. Hopefully, one day you will give up your crown of denial and we can actually have the conversation about what occurred.”
“Hey! If I want to be the Princess of Denial, I can! Royal privileges give me that right at least.”
“Yes, your highness.” Rainbow bowed sarcastically to her wife, the Princess of Denial. Unfortunately, the move also cost Rainbow, as her muscles protested at the sudden movement of parts of her that had yet to readjust.
‘Least she paid for that.’ Twilight thought.
As Rainbow slowly got up from her show of servitude to the princess, she flew over to the bed and lay down next to Twilight. She sighed in relief as her muscles thanked her for not stretching them any farther.
Rainbow relaxed a little as Twilight adjusted to the extra body back in the bed. So many times in the last few months, she would have given anything for that warm body to be there. She could not stay mad at Rainbow, even if she kept bringing up the ‘subject she never, ever, ever, wanted to talk about.’
Rainbow relaxed a little as Twilight’s hoof wrapped around her. Even with the pain and discomfort being touched brought, she would not want it to stop for all the bits in Equestria. Rainbow let out sigh of contentment as she lay next to her wife.
“You know we still have to talk about it.” Rainbow said to her wife.
Rainbow landed face first on the floor with a loud thud. “Ouch!”
“Serves you right.”
“You don’t want to face reality so you push me muzzle first on the floor?”
“I just want to lay in bed with my wife and you keep bringing that up. Why?” Tears began forming in Twilight's eyes.
Again, Rainbow flew up and landed directly to the side of Twilight. She lay next to the mare and wrapped a hoof around her. Rainbow pulled Twilight tightly to her chest, not wanting to see her cry anymore, yet not willing to let her suffer alone. “Shh… You’re not ready yet, I get it, but it’s not good to try and ignore this, you taught me that, remember?”
“…” Twilight said nothing; she simply started rubbing a hoof along Rainbow’s flank.
“I love you more than anything Twilight, but it's been over a week, you and I both know this is not healthy, you have to talk about it, eventually.”
“…”
“I'll make you this deal; I'll never bring this up again, provided you do agree to talk about it to somepony, eventually, when you’re ready.”
“Ok…”
"It doesn't even have to be me."
"Of course it will be you."
……………………………
“How's the rehab going, Dawn?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Sorry… Mine is going ok, I can walk again.”
Bright Dawn looked over his sister-in-law. Aurora was indeed walking again; from the looks of things, she would make a full recovery. Of that, he was at least glad. She had always been a spunky little pegasus and to see her so injured. It affected more ponies than even she realized.
As Dawn went to sit down, He groaned again from the stinging on his flank. “You ok?” Aurora asked.
“I will be.” That was at least partially true; he spent a full week under the tender care of Twilight Night’s minions. They seemed to play with him at least once an hour. Only his wife knew, but he still woke up to the nightmares of that cell. However, he could not bring himself to complain to Aurora about it. Compared to what they did to her, he had no right to bitch. She was quickly become an inspiration to the pegasus.
Bright Dawn did not want to be here, he did not want to wait outside his in-laws house for when they came out. The two of them retreated here a week ago. If they were going to come out, they would have already. Whatever was going on in there (and despite the soundproof spell, the screams that did escape gave him some ideas) it did not involve leaving anytime soon. If he was being honest with himself, truly honest, he did not want to be around Twilight Sparkle at all. It was hard not associating her with that creature that tortured him, regardless of the assurances Luna gave on her behalf.
Shimmering Night asked him to wait here for her. Luna and Night were busy as ever these last few weeks. Reconstruction began in earnest on Canterlot. Princess Luna decreed that the capital of Equestria would once again stand tall, regardless of what occurred. While several council members did object, she was anything but in the mood to argue about it. Luna simply reminded them that they were still under martial law until she declared it over. Their failure to follow orders under such conditions was an act of treason and will be treated as such. That quickly shut them all up.
Bright Dawn looked over to his only companion at that moment. Aurora patiently sat across from him. A stab of guilt quickly overtook the stallion, it was not her fault that this all happened. She was not to blame for his injuries, for his week of torture. Why was he taking it out on her?
“Aurora?”
“Yes…”
“Never mind…” He could not do it. He just could not bring himself to talk about it to anyone other than Night, not yet anyway.
Luckily, the arrival of three additional ponies saved the two from any more pathetic attempts at small talk. Princess Shimmering Night, Luna, and Cadance all arrived to lessen the awkwardness of the whole situation.
Bright Dawn ran towards his wife and embraced her in a hug. Cadance simply smiled at the two as Luna walked over to Aurora. “You look well, we are glad.”
“Thanks. You seem to be doing better as well.”
Luna looked down to her stomach, she was fully healed, however, some patches of hair on her belly would never return. “We are, adequate. We were under the impression that there were three here today.”
“Yes there are; however, Ataxia quickly grew bored and said she was going to find something to destroy.”
“You allowed this?”
“How much more damage can she do?”
A huge column of water shot up in the air following a loud explosion near the river. “Ok, dumb question.”
“Something troubles you young one?”
“I'm not that young, Luna.”
“Dear one, once you reach my age, everyone is young.” Aurora laughed at that.
“I suppose, I just don’t like it here anymore.”
“We are confused.”
“Here, Ponyville, it doesn’t feel like home anymore.” She gestured around, indicating all the rubble strewn about the place. “I don’t like seeing it like this…”
“This is just stuff Aurora, it can be rebuilt.”
“I know that, I do, but still… We were raised here, even discounting the destruction and rubble everywhere; it doesn’t feel like home anymore.”
“You know, when we… I was sent away, Canterlot did not even exist. Once we came back, everything had changed.” Luna walked over to Aurora and wrapped a hoof around her. “Imagine such a change; even our speaking patterns were wrong.” Luna laughed at that.
“You never really talked about that before.”
“Indeed, however, we adjusted to all of this, to this new age. Would you like to know how?”
Aurora nodded to that.
“We put our trust in our sister, our family. She helped us acclimate to this new Equestria. Yours will too.”
“Well, your speaking patterns are still wrong.”
Luna cuffed the pegasus over the head with a hoof, “We do it on purpose, as a way to remind ourselves of the past.”
“Thanks, auntie.”
Luna smiled at her, while they were not officially related in any legal matter; the princesses had always been there for Twilight’s foals. They were as much a part of their life as any other ponies were.
They were soon interrupted by a polite cough coming from Cadance; looking up, Aurora saw the other three had joined them. Although, there was one thing she wanted an answer for now that she remembered.
“Dawn, may I ask you a question?”
“I think you just did.”
Night cuffed him across the ear for that. “Smartass, you know what she meant.”
“Okay, sorry. Go ahead Aurora.”
“Your tree cutie mark, what is it for.”
He glanced over to his side; on his flank was an oak tree cutie mark. He smiled at the memory. “Well, you know how a tree can grow to such a huge size, practically anywhere.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s my special talent.”
“You can grow anywhere?”
He smiled at that. “No, the tenacity to reach my dreams regardless of the obstacles involved.”
Shimmering Night smiled at him as they kissed.
“Cadance, where's Radiant Star?” Aurora asked. Wondering why her cousin was not here.
“Oh, my son had to go back to the Crystal Empire, we've been gone for far too long as it is. It was time one of us returned. I told him to go, I would help out here.” Cadance smiled as she was practically giving away another juicy detail with her body language.
“Cadance, what is it?” Aurora did not by it one bit.
“Fine, you found me out. He has a date.”
Night jumped up and down like a filly. “Who, who, Tell me, tell me, tell me!”
Cadance stuck her nose in the air. “It's not my place.”
“It is Commander Firestar.” Luna spoke, matter-of-factly.
“Firestar?!” Aurora, Dawn, and Night all gasped in shock.
“Auntie! Way to ruin my fun! How did you know anyway?”
Princess Luna glared at Cadance with an ‘are you serious’ face.
Cadance playfully punched her in the shoulder. “You’re not supposed to reveal what you see in dreams, you know.”
“Please, you've been dying to tell them anyway, we simply beat you to it.”
Cadance simply smiled at that, she was busted red-hoofed and she knew it. The others began pestering her with questions about her son. Questions she was all too happy to answer. The five ponies quickly fell into idle gossip about that and all they missed since the last time they were together.
……………………
“TWILIGHT. What are you doing?”
“What, you said you wanted me to use my tongue.”
“Yes, by talking to…MEEEEE… ok, keep that up.”
Twilight smiled at Rainbow and went back to work.
……
A deadly silence came over the ponies outside at the noise they just heard. Luna was the first to break it. “Perhaps, when they do come out, we will let Twilight know she should strengthen the soundproof spell.”
Four blushing nods accompanied that comment.
…………………
Rainbow lay on a soaked mattress with Twilight in her hoof. She attempted to get some of the matting out of her wife’s mane, but much to Twilight’s chagrin, all she managed to do was pull on her hair. “Just leave it.”
“I don’t think there is enough shampoo in the world to save that, Twi.”
“Hey if I have to shave my head you’re going to too.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re responsible for it after all.”
“I guess…”
“Hey Rainbow?”
“Yes?”
“How long has it been?”
Rainbow laughed at that, “I lost track of time a while ago. Why do you ask?”
“Because you stink.”
She laughed at that. “Have you smelled yourself, Twi?”
Twilight looked up and smiled at her, “I guess it has been a while since I left this bed, huh?”
Rainbow smiled back, “Shall we take a shower then.”
“Yeah I guess we do need one.”
“I’ll say.”
They both turned to the newcomer in the room. Shock turned to anger as they saw just who managed to break through the shielding around the house. Nothing should have been capable of it.
The new pony was a huge red earth pony with a jet-black mane. He wore a disgusted look plastered over his face from the aroma in the air, with a macabre scythe strapped to his back.
Rainbow spoke his name like a curse on the wind. “Tartarus.”
“I see her mistress remembers me.”
“I’m not her mistress, I'm her wife.”
“Whatever.”
“What are you doing here, brother?” Twilight smiled at the obvious discomfort calling him her ‘brother’ brought him.
“I have come to give you a warning, the Titans have escaped.”
“Hmm, how about you file that under SHIT WE BUCKING ALREADY KNOW!” Rainbow screamed at him. “Good job at that by the way, so much for being their jailer. How does the old saying go? One bucking job?”
Anger radiated off Tartarus, he quickly approached the cyan mare and the scythe flew from off his back. He slammed it down into the bed, cutting right through it like a hot knife through butter. “One job huh? I got news for you; this was never meant to be my job. This was meant to be YOUR JOB.” He gestured at the scythe sticking out of the bed. “I can’t do both full time. Every second of the day, another soul drops dead. Another soul requires my attention. Just to have this meeting I have to stop bucking time.”
To her credit, or perhaps as a monument to her stupidity, Rainbow was not backing down. She jumped on all fours and glared at the God angrily. “So it’s my fault you suck so much? You’re a God, deal with it!”
Tartarus glared back, until, at last he gave up and turned around to leave, with the scythe reclaiming its spot on his back. “Whatever, forget I even came, I will be in enough trouble from the others for even this much contact.”
“Wait!” Twilight shouted. “You said the Titans escaped, plural. “
Tartarus smiled, “Yes, they are now all gone.”
“All three of them?” Twilight asked.
“One now, only Cronus is still loose.”
“What about the other two.”
“Well, that one killed Hyperion.” He gestured a hoof at Rainbow, who just smiled and nodded. “Cronus killed Crius; beat her to death for her arms.”
“So are you actually going to do something about Cronus, or are you just going to let us mere mortals deal with it again?”
“Rainbow, shut up.”
“Twi?”
“Rainbow, please, just for now, shut up.”
“Hmm…” Rainbow scoffed and crossed her hoofs over her chest, but she did keep quiet.
“That's a good question though Tartarus, why didn’t you help us with Hyperion, you had to have known.”
“Yes, I did. As soon as a Titan steps foot on this world every God knows. However, it's a double edge sword. As soon as they appear, interfering is breaking vow two.”
Rainbow went to speak but Twilight used her magic to keep Rainbow’s muzzle sealed shut. “What's with this anyway? It seems like all you Gods do come up with new ways around your own rules.”
“Hey, I'm not the one who figures out new ways around the vows. That's all the others.”
“Says the God who is right now, directly interfering in the lives of mortals.”
Twilight stared at Rainbow; somehow, she used her wings to cut away the magic seal keeping her from talking.
“Unlike the others, I don’t find loopholes, and when they come back I will pay the price for this, willingly.”
Twilight nodded at that, she could respect someone who took responsibility for their actions. “How are they getting out of Tartarus anyway?”
“They are being transported in the Occulous. Their minions figured out a way to encase their essence in them and bring them out that way. Of course, it requires a God's power to free them, which they have found in abundance up here, between Chaos and you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When Chaos lost control of his power. They leached enough off to free Hyperion.”
“No, what do you mean me?”
“The stone you wore while possessed, it was a dark stone. Slowly, it leached some of the power of Gaia from you and filled itself to capacity.”
“How are they getting past Cerberus?”
“They killed him.”
Twilight stared down with a guilty look on her face. Rainbow jumped to her defense. “So, it’s not like they have the Tree of Harmony or anything.”
“What do you think they were doing while you were off fighting your little war?”
“The tree is gone?” Rainbow asked.
“No, they don’t need the whole tree, just the elements.”
“So what? We will just kick his ass again when he gets here.”
“How? You going to risk cutting the world in half next time? Besides, Cronus is a lot stronger than his brothers and sisters. With the power he will gain from Gaia, he will be even more so. You two do not have the strength to stop him.”
“I doubt you just came here to tell us we're doomed.” Twilight commented.
“Indeed, there is something you can use to defeat him. However, you cannot get it yourself. Only this one will be able to reach it.” He gestured at Rainbow with that statement.
“What is that?” Rainbow asked.
“The most dangerous weapon ever created by the Gods, the one that ended the Titan war. The weapon I'm sure Cronus wants more than anything else. Cronus’s Sickle.”
“His what?” Rainbow asked.
“Cronus’s Sickle, it was a weapon Gaia forged for him, back when there were still twelve of them. None of the other Gods could create anything near it. When the blade cuts you, it destroys your very essence, there is nothing left of those who are injured by it. Using that, he began killing his brothers and sisters, taking their power for himself. It is what caused us to realize our folly in granting them such power. Gaia and I sealed them away shortly afterward.”
“What did you do with it after? Twilight asked.
“We sealed it in the far north. Where no living thing could touch it. Just to insure that one of us were not tempted by such power we cast a spell that prevented Gods from being able to reach it or even sense it. That is why only this one can actually reach it. You cannot.”
“This is not some trick right. Rainbow won’t pick it up and become corrupted by it, will she?”
“No, the sickle has no consciousness, to most it will feel just like a normal blade.”
“Most?”
“Well, it is a God weapon after all, such relics tends to carry a power all of their.”
Twilight had the sinking feeling something was being left out of his story. However, once again, she did not see any other options. “We will get it, together.”
“You can’t.”
“You misunderstand; I will go with her to retrieve it, regardless if I can make the last portion of the journey with her. We will go together or not at all.” Rainbow simply nodded her head in agreement.
“Fine, when you retrieve it, bring it back here, I will verify it has not degraded so you can use it to kill Cronus.”
“How long do we have before Cronus is brought back?”
“My best guess is a week, however I might be able to delay it longer; it will take you about two weeks to find the sickle though. So make sure your ‘friends’ know that they might have to deal with him on their own for a while.”
“Two weeks? I can find it in an hour!” Rainbow puffed up her chest as she bragged.
“Really? Good luck with that, we sealed that thing a millennium ago and the snow hasn’t left it alone.”
Rainbow deflated at that comment.
“If it can’t be sensed, how are we going to find it?” Twilight asked.
“We sealed it at east side of the tallest mountain there was. That’s all I can tell you.”
“Doesn’t sound too difficult.”
“Then Chaos found out, he changed the landscape just to ensure we will never find it. By the way, my two week estimate, was taking into account your speed and power.”
“Oh, before you go rally the troops sort of speak. You might want to take that shower.” With that comment Tartarus turned and walked through the wall of the bedroom. To ‘whatever’ required his attention.
"He's a prick." Rainbow spoke.
Rainbow and Twilight both looked at each other, despite it all, they started laughing at the state they had left each other in. “C’mon Twi, let’s go take a shower.”
“Sounds great.” Twilight tried to stand. Unfortunately, it had indeed been a while since she last used her legs to support her own weight. Rainbow was instantly by her side, catching the mare before she fell to the ground. “Thanks Rainbow.”
“No need to thank me, Twi.”
“Rainbow?”
“Yes?”
“I think… I think I am ready to talk about it now.”
“And I'm ready to listen. But first, we should really do something about that smell.”
“On it.”
All the sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, ball gags, and other 'assorted' toys magically levitated to the bed as Twilight lit the thing on fire. She trapped the area in a magic bubble and when nothing remained but ashes, Twilight teleported the bubble to the bottom of the ocean. Just to ensure that nopony else would ever know what occurred in this room.
While Twilight was disposing of the evidence, Rainbow retrieved every bottle of soap and shampoo they had, while she was never one to doll herself up, even Rainbow had to admit they both needed this, badly. Briefly, she wondered if thirteen bottles were going to be enough. Somehow, she doubted it. Rainbow took the bottles and went into the shower.
As Twilight joined Rainbow in the shower, Rainbow directed the water to her wife’s mane. She dumped the first bottle out on Twilight's hair and began scrubbing viciously.
“So, what do you want to talk about first?”
“Tell me how my son died.”
Rainbow signed inwardly. ‘Of course she would want to know that first.’ That was a scar Rainbow would rather not pick at herself, but if Twi was finally willing to talk she would go through it again, for her.
“Ok, it all started…”