//------------------------------// // Requiem // Story: The Forgotten Exile // by Echo 27 //------------------------------// Twilight wasn’t sure at all when sleep claimed her. All she knew was that she found herself rising from her pillow, hair disheveled and feeling as if she was burdened by the weight of the whole world. It took her several moments to realize what was bothering her so, but the memories of last night soon began to creep back into the forefront of her consciousness. Cobalt’s origins, the Lunar Rebellion, senseless savagery. It was all there now, a truth so inescapable that she could hardly bear it. It was a terrible sensation, to know such atrocities had occurred. To know that so much blood had been spilled for so long. The cries and screams of children as they were cut down echoed inside her magnificent mind. The clash of metal, the crackling of burning wound, the splatter of blood… Cobalt’s storytelling had been so vivid she was certain it would never leave her. There was no way she could un-know this. Twilight let her thoughts drift to the perpetrator of the majority of these events, the stallion she had let her heart yearn for. He had fought Sombra in defense of his people, and had nearly died to save the lives of the Royal Sisters. He had become their friends out of love, he gave his heart to Celestia. He killed Starswirl the Bearded, he had sought revenge against Celestia. He had brought about so much death and pain and terror that his legacy was unlike any other. She now understood why Celestia hated him so. But then Twilight remembered: his grief at the death of his entire race, the realization that he had brought about it all. The understanding he possessed in knowing that he had deserved his punishments. The despair that had followed him for over a thousand years. Her mind returned to more recent events. The time he had taken to help her when they had first met at Ponyville. He hadn’t even known her, then. His polite demeanor with her friends and the others at Ponyville. He had risked his life to save them from the timberwolf pack, and had even saved that young filly’s life with his fortitude and quick thinking. Even when he had been captured by Celestia, who had he been concerned for? Her sake, warning her not to try and free him. And when she had? Cobalt dedicated himself to keeping her and her friends safe. From Celestia’s guards, from the disaster at the Crystal Empire, and saved them from Silver Stone almost at cost to his life. Even their journey to this kingdom had been due to his drive to protect them all. Twilight decided she wanted to have a talk with him. As she walked back into Cobalt’s chambers, the whispers of the souls reached her once again, the eerie sound filling her ears. It was still a mournful sound, even more so now that she knew what had been the cause. She couldn’t imagine what it felt like for Cobalt. She pushed her way through the door and saw the stallion had taken to the bookshelves, relieving them of their contents and poring over the multitude of pages. He was so engrossed in the title he was reading that it took him several moments to hear the groaning of the door as Twilight entered. Twilight cleared her throat, and he glanced up at her. “You’re awake,” he greeted. “How were your chambers?” “Magnificent,” she replied, letting the whispers of the souls wrap around her. It was quite unlike anything she had ever quite experienced. “Were you up all night?” Without waiting for a response, Twilight knew she was right. His eyes were red-rimmed, bloodshot and haggard, dark circles wrapped around the sockets. His eyelids were drooping in exhaustion, and his head dipped every now and then. “I wasn’t going to be able to sleep, anyway,” he replied thickly, still sounding as though tears were just at the edge of his voice. “Besides, I wanted to listen to them a little while longer.” “The whispers?” Twilight asked, confused. “Why? I’m amazed you can even stand it.” “Oh, it hurts, I don’t deny that,” Cobalt said, looking up at nothing in particular. “But at the same time, they’re so familiar. I never thought I’d hear them again.” Twilight decided to steer the conversation away from such an eerie subject. “So what are you reading?” “Spellbook,” he muttered in reply, tossing it aside. “I’ve been searching for a copy of the spellbook I gave to Starswirl before he died. I want to see the story behind that spell Celestia used, see what its purpose was. A curse that grants eternal life? I started thinking about it and it just didn’t add up.” “And?” Twilight prompted, noticing he seemed to be biting his tongue. “And,” Cobalt added, “I was wanting to see if there was a way to undo it. I’ll remain alive so I can care for you six, but when you’re gone, I want to be able to pass on once and for all.” Twilight nodded, understanding what a burden time was to him. But as much as she wanted this simple conversation to continue, she had come back here with a purpose, and she wanted to fulfill it. “Can I actually talk to you for a moment, Cobalt?” she asked hesitantly. Cobalt looked up at her in mild surprise and nodded, tucking his hooves beneath his body. “What do you need?” Twilight settled down across from him, drawing a deep breath before she began. “I’ve been thinking about your story,” she started. “About all of it. I started with how you went to the Crystal Empire, when you came to Equestria, and everything that came with it. I started thinking about when I first met you as well,” she added. Cobalt nodded slowly, his eyes dimming. “And what conclusion have you reached?” he questioned. “I forgive you,” she replied simply. Of all the responses Cobalt had been expecting, that had not been one of them. His eyes popped and his jaw went slack. “You- you what?” “I forgive you,” Twilight said again, gaining confidence. “And nothing you say or do is changing my mind.” Cobalt shook his head in disbelief. “Twilight, you’re out of your mind. Celestia loved me and she sure as hay didn’t forgive me. Why you?” “Everpony makes mistakes,” Twilight answered. “Yours are just messier than most. If Luna can forgive you for what you’ve done, then I certainly can.” “Twilight, kiddo,” Cobalt said faintly, “those were not just mere mistakes. They were acts of terror and murder and bloodshed. I did those knowing what I was doing. Those were acts of evil. I’m a murderer.” “And you’re also a soldier,” Twilight butted in. “A brave soldier who risked his life to protect his kingdom from Sombra, who risked his life to save Celestia and Luna. You risked your life to save Ponyville from Timberwolf attacks. You dedicated yourself to protecting me and my friends. You’re a guardian, Cobalt. You’ve done a lot of things wrong, I know that now. But you aren’t defined by your sins, even though you want yourself to be. If you were truly evil, the acts you committed wouldn’t horrify you so. Deep down, you’re a stallion who fights to save those he doesn’t even know. Deep down, somewhere in your heart, is that young stallion who fell in love with a Princess, and all he wants to do is the right thing.” Cobalt bowed his head, not wanting Twilight to see his tears. His body shook ever so slightly as he lay there, overcome by her words. “You still love Celestia, don’t you?” Twilight asked gently. “That night when I caught you singing, you were singing for her, weren’t you? When you told me you couldn’t love me…” “I have been on this earth for over a thousand years, Twilight,” Cobalt said softly. “I could live a thousand years more, and I will never stop loving her. Nothing will ever change that, not even if she takes my own life will I stop loving her.” He rose and kissed Twilight on the forehead, taking her by surprise. “Thank you,” he said, a newfound warmth in his voice. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but thank you.” He walked over to a nearby pile of books, grabbing the copy off the top. “Why don’t you go wake your friends?” he suggested. “Tell them I’ll be going out to bring them a meal in just a bit.” Twilight nodded, rising from her place across from the stallion and went on her way back to the throne room, leaving the deep-sea room of whispering souls. It was still eerie to her, no matter how he felt about it. When she crossed the threshold and returned to their chambers, she found Applejack had already awakened, tufty-haired and sleepy-eyed as she stumbled towards her alicorn friend. “Mornin’- evening- whenever it is, Twi,” Applejack yawned. “How long have you been up?” “Not long,” Twilight answered. “Only a few minutes ago.” Applejack looked over the lavender mare’s shoulders, glancing down the darkened hallway. “How’s he?” “He hasn’t slept at all. He’s been up all night looking for that curse Celestia used against him.” “Looking for a way to reverse it?” the farm pony guessed shrewdly. “Can you blame him?” “I doubt anyone could,” Applejack remarked, shaking her head. “How has he managed to live with himself for a thousand years? With what he’s done?” Twilight sighed, unused to feeling at a loss for answers. “Maybe because he doesn’t have a choice.” “I’m guessing you already went in and talked to him?” Twilight nodded. “And?” “I told him the truth,” Twilight replied. “I forgave him.” Applejack’s expression was unreadable as she peered at Twilight, apparently thinking hard. “Why did you?” she questioned in a measured tone. “Because who he was is not who he is now,” Twilight responded. “He’s not the same stallion.” “But he still did all those things,” Applejack protested mildly. “He still killed all of those ponies.” “I know that, and I told him so,” Twilight countered evenly. “But he that’s not who he decided to remain as. He chose to be the one who protected us, who led us here to safety, who risked everything to save our lives. Even you began to think of him as a friend after he saved Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy at the Crystal Empire, didn’t you? If we truly are the Elements of Harmony, who are we to turn our back on him now? We showed what friendship can do, and I say it can help us make a choice like this: we can still forgive him, even if he’s done horrible things. That’s my choice, and I won’t budge.” As Twilight finished speaking, she noticed that the rest of her friends had been awake and listening intently. Even Rainbow Dash, who loved sleeping for as long as possible, was staring at her with undisguised interest. Applejack gave a slow, lingering sigh, and nodded gently. “Ah understand,” she said finally. “May not fully agree just yet, but ah understand.” The others came to join the two, making small talk as they tried to avoid the most prevalent subject at hand. It had been hard enough to hear the first time, it would not be easy to discuss it once more. “Say, why don’t we go exploring in this place for a little while?” Rainbow Dash suggested. “After all, we’ve got nothing else to do. Let’s go take a look around!” The others quickly agreed, though in the back of her mind Twilight wondered if they would find more than they wished to see. Reminders that this was once a real kingdom filled with real ponies would surely come crashing down on them at some point. The group of friends made their way back to the city, but before they could even reach the exterior of the throne room, Cobalt gave a cry and called them back. “Where are you going?” He demanded, his face taught with worry. “We were just-” “There’s no time, we need to get out of here!” he said, grabbing a book he had dropped as he had run to catch them. “What? Why?” Rainbow Dash demanded. “Is it Celestia?” Rarity asked. “Does she know we’re here?” “No, nothing like that!” he replied hurriedly. “We need to get back to the mainland, as quickly as we can!” “The mainland? Where ponies are looking for us so they can kill us?” Rainbow replied incredulously. “No way am I that dumb!” Come on,” Cobalt said, exasperated. “I’M telling you to do this. Me! Do you think I’d honestly say this if I didn’t have good reason?” “So what is it?” the multi-colored pegasus asked bluntly. “I found out the source of the earthquakes,” he answered without preamble. That was one answer Twilight had not been expecting. “The earthquakes?” she echoed in confusion. “But I thought you were looking for Celestia’s curse!” “I was! I found both!” Cobalt replied heatedly. “Starswirl merged two curses together and Celestia used it against me.” “Two curses?” Twilight asked, completely stumped. Cobalt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I think,” he said slowly, “that Starswirl the Bearded knew what I was up to when I went back to Luna. I think he knew that I was beginning to corrupt Luna’s mind, and was planning some sort of attack on him and Celestia. He didn’t use the spellbook to help heal Luna, he was using it to try and prevent me! So what he did was he merged to spell incantations together, having both spells be useable in the event of the two possible outcome of the rebellion.” “Alright, what were they?” Twilight asked. “The first part of the spell was simple,” he answered, beginning to pace back and forth. “The first spell is an immortality spell, designed to give eternal life to any organism the user desires, whether it be himself, another living creature, or even a plant. I think it’s the spell that was used to grow this coral into the city it is today. Starswirl turned it on me, cursing me with immortality in the event the Lunar Rebellion was crushed and I was defeated.” “And the other outcome?” Applejack asked. “The other outcome was that we would win, that I would be victorious against Celestia,” Cobalt answered. “In the event such an outcome became reality, a second spell was merged with the first, which would destroy the accursed as well as the conquered territory. It was a failsafe spell, designed to connect the accursed to the land on a magical level. If I remained in the same area for a period of twenty-four hours, the curse would activate and begin the countdown. Even if we had won against Celestia, the very earth would turn against me and my followers, killing us in a violent earthquake that would destroy the entire land of Equestria. Therefore, if we were destroyed, any other lands that were on the earth would be spared our wrath.” “Destroy Equestria?” Twilight asked, appalled. “But Celestia- Celestia wouldn’t knowingly risk her own kingdom!” “She wouldn’t, which is why Starswirl was working on the spell himself,” Cobalt replied. “I think he was going to place it on me himself, but I acted before he could try, nor before he could complete the translation of the spell’s effects into common Equestrian for someone to complete. Celestia used the curse as a way to honor his legacy, not realizing she had just linked me to her kingdom. I don’t think she knew what the entire effects of the spell were, so she just went ahead and used it. That’s why the earthquakes have always struck where we stood. I was the cause, the epicenter was me! I destroyed the Crystal Empire simply because I was there!” “Don’t you see?” Cobalt asked them all. “That’s why Celestia sentenced me to death! That’s why she’s been hunting me down! She wasn’t trying to get revenge, she was trying to save Equestria! I bet- I bet after it was all over, after waiting who knows how many centuries- she went and finished Starswirl’s translations of the effects of the merged spell and realized she had made a mistake! But when I disappeared, she either probably thought I was dead. But when you sent the letter to her Twilight, and told her I had been there for almost three whole days, she knew the curse had been activated! She needed to find me and save her kingdom!” The full enormity of what this meant came crashing down on Twilight like an enormous tidal wave, striking her and tearing her off her feet. “So the only way to stop the earthquakes from destroying Equestria-” Cobalt nodded. “The only way to save Equestria is to kill me. And Celestia has to be the one to do it.” And so there it was. The solution to it all, the explanation for everything. The reason why the earth had shaken so gravely, why Celestia had been so intent on ending this stallion, why she refused to tell anyone the reason why. It had been because of this. Amazingly, Fluttershy was the first to regain control of her voice. “How long before the last earthquake destroys- destroys Equestria?” Cobalt sighed mournfully. “The spell lasts for seven days before it breaks the land,” he replied softly. “When the last hour strikes today, the center of Equestria will collapse, and the entire nation will fall into the sea. Everypony, everything will die.” He turned to Twilight, who still stared at him with a numb expression. “Twilight, we’re running out of time,” he said. “We’re reaching the twilight hours, which means we have six hours at best to reach Celestia and finish this. I need you to teleport us all out of here and reach the surface. Can you do that?” “I- I don’t know,” she said hesitantly. “Cobalt, are you sure there’s no other way?” “Twilight, I’ve checked and re-checked, this is the only way,” he answered. “But I don’t know if I can’t-” “You can and you will!” Cobalt said determinedly. “You will bring me to Celestia, you will allow her to take me to death, and you will save every single being in Equestria. You will do it because it is what you have to do.” “But you’ll-” “Die?” he interjected. “Twilight, this is life or death for tens of thousands across an entire continent! There is only one clear choice, and you have to take it! Please, I need you to do this! I’ve destroyed an entire nation once before and took another to the brink, I can’t bear to do it again! My soul cannot take that sort of pain.” Twilight was appalled by what she was being asked to do. She was being asked to be a courier of the final destination, the embodiment of the angel of death. It was too horrible for words. Cobalt, however, had had enough. “Twilight, you have to do this!” he barked. “The right decision isn’t easy! It takes all of your strength to do, but in the end it’s proven right by the results. But the wrong decision… the effects of one’s mistakes can last a lifetime. They cause pain and regret and hurt that never fades, never goes away. This is your chance, Twilight. You have to make things right.” Deep down, Twilight knew he was right. She knew that this was what she had to do, to save everyone she knew. Her family, her friends back home, so many ponies she loved. But she didn’t want this, she didn’t want this task. Not him. Cobalt walked forward and placed his head gently against hers. “You are brave young girl,” he whispered gently. “And your heart is very big. You do what you believe is right, no matter the consequences, because you know what it means to love. You are a great pony, and a great princess. You know what it means to lead, which is why I’m asking you to do this. I know it’s hard, I can see how it’s hurting you. But I need you to lead me to death. I destroyed so many lives, Twilight. I have a chance to save countless more. Please, let me save them.” Twilight nodded slowly, tears beginning to drip down her cheeks. She took a few steps back, motioning for her friends to circle around her. “I’m going to take us back to the Empire,” she stammered. “It’s the closest place I know well enough.” As the magic began to charge and encircle them, Rarity turned to Cobalt and asked, “One thing I don’t understand. Starswirl cursed you with immortality. Why not choose a spell that would destroy you, no matter the outcome?” Cobalt looked over at her. “Because he was the wisest being who ever lived,” he replied. “He knew me better than I knew myself, and he knew the Princess he served. He understood.” And Twilight understood. She pushed forth a strong burst of magic energy, one that began to teleport them away from that ancient world. But as she began to drift away, she heard something. Not a cry of pain, or the sea outside. She heard the whispers, and finally understood the words they spoke: “Come, come. Come, come.” They were back in Ponyville, waiting anxiously for it to begin. With their go-to having been gone for days, the village’s weather had been erratic and deadly. Even now, stormclouds were billowing in the near distance, threatening them all with rain. The moment they had teleported, they had appeared at the ruins of the Crystal Empire and been discovered by some of Celestia’s guards, who had been searching for survivors. Having recognized Cobalt, Twilight, and the others, they were promptly put under arrest, with Cobalt demanding to speak to Princess Celestia. They had been whisked away to Ponyville soon after, where the Princess of the Sun had met them. She made no indication that she saw Twilight, but focusing solely on the ocean-colored stallion that came and knelt before her. “Princess Celestia,” he had said with his head to the ground. “I wish to speak to you in private. If you would allow it.” Celestia appraised him with raised eyebrows, taking note of the mistrusting expressions of her guards. One even visibly shook his head. But to their great surprise, she agreed, and the two had slipped away into a private residence. That had been two hours ago, and conditions all across Equestria had begun to deteriorate. With the cataclysmic earthquake on it way, small tremors were striking the entire coastline of the nation, reported from Vanhoover to Manehatten. Guards were on their feet and tense, waiting for their Princess to reappear once more from inside the home. The ground beneath their hooves had been shaking incessantly for nearly an hour now, and showed every sign of intensifying. “They’ve been in there ages now,” Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash. “What do you think they could be talking about?” The technicolor pony simply shook her head in reply. Someone gave a yell and pointed to the sky, where a midnight-blue alicorn appeared and descended to the ground. Luna arrived and began pounding on the door where Celestia and Cobalt Storm had entered. “Celestia! Let me in!” she demanded. The door then opened without a word, and the younger sister entered hastily. One of the guards shifted uncomfortably, kicking away a stray pebble. “They need to get this over with,” he muttered. “Those earthquakes are ‘bout to kill everypony, we need to stop this.” The door to the home opened slowly, and out walked Luna, her head bowed in grief. She took no note of any pony who was watching, slumping against the wall in utter defeat. After her came Celestia and Cobalt Storm, gazing at each other. Celestia broke off the connection and turned to the others. “It is time,” she declared. “Final Breath, if you please.” The executioner came towards Celestia with the weapon of choice: a beautiful axe, pristine and untouched. Celestia took it without a word, gazing at it with an unreadable expression. “You may leave this to me,” she said softly. She and Cobalt Storm began to walk off into the horizon, side by side, their steps in perfect tandem. Twilight wondered if they had been this way once. So united, so dedicated to each other. They had loved each other once. Was this the only glimpse she would ever see of that moment? As the rain began, Twilight began to weep. She wept for everything: For the love that had been lost, for the evils that had been committed, for the lost souls of all those who had perished. She wept the nation of the Waterhorse, and for the tragedy that had brought them to their deaths. She wept for Cobalt Storm, who had endured a thousand years and a hundred lifetimes of agony and suffering for the crimes he had committed. She wept for Celestia and Luna, who must now watch and take part in the death of their oldest friend and love. She wept for the pain that they would had been forced to endure as they killed the only pony left alive who knew their story. Twilight wept for the pride and anger and hurt and pain that had brought about all of this. She wept for every drop of blood that had brought it to this, and for the way that it must end. She wept that a world like this could exist, and that the only thing she could do was sit there and watch. Cobalt Storm, now only a distant shadow, lay down before Celestia. He bowed his head, his neck outstretched. Celestia raised the shadow of the mighty axe. And as Twilight screamed, the axe fell with an echoing thud. In that moment, the vibrations that had so violently been breaking Equestria ceased. Reports from all along the coastline indicated the tremors had finally come to a close. Miles away, deep beneath the ocean floor, a mighty tree of coral stood. It had once been a kingdom, a dwelling place for an ancient and mighty race. Its branches gleamed bright for the nation it had protected and nurtured, giving them light and a chance to make a better life. It had been their home, their place of rest. Now, the coral began to dim, the magic within giving way. The coral broke as the water began to flood the corridors. The force of the ocean tore apart the remnants of the civilization, wiping it away from all existence. Behind the throne room, in a magnificent chamber that had been the dwellings of a king, a multitude of whispering voices gave one final cry and faded away. For Cobalt Storm, Crown Prince and last surviving member of the Waterhorses, was dead. One week later… Twilight sat in her room, her eyes focused on a book she wasn’t really reading. It was a children’ book, a simple story about a heroic knight who went off to save a princess. It had been a favorite for the young fillies and colts who sometimes frequented the library. Today, with the doors locked and curtains pulled to, she was alone. Twilight hated herself for choosing this book, for daring to read it. It had been a horrible choice and she knew it. But it had been the only thing she could think of after- There was a gentle knock on the door, and Twilight paused. The knock sounded again, and Twilight went down to check who it was. She had sent Spike away for a while, asking to be alone. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Princess Celestia standing before her, looking down at her former student. “May I come in, Princess Twilight?” she asked. “Of course,” Twilight replied mechanically, allowing the beautiful alicorn into her home. She felt a prickle of embarrassment as she looked around, realizing she had been living in squalor ever since she had returned. Books were tossed about everywhere. She had barely eaten, forced into it by Spike, but even then she had left plates and cups on every shelf and stool. It was a mess and she knew it. “I came to talk to you, Twilight,” Celestia began, wrapping her legs underneath her body. “If you don’t mind.” “Go ahead,” Twilight answered, her back to the ancient Princess. “I wanted you to know that nothing will happen to you, or any of your friends,” Celestia said. “When Cobalt came to me, his first words were to protect you. He said that you had been honestly mistaken, and that you had acted out of a means to save his life. You did nothing wrong is what he reported.” “That’s nice,” Twilight said tonelessly, trying not to drop the pile of books she carried. Celestia said nothing, allowing Twilight to work in silence for a few moments. She didn’t say a word to jumpstart Celestia, forcing the Princess to gather her own thoughts. “Are you alright, Twilight?” Celestia asked. “I wanted to know if there was anything you wanted to say. Anything at all.” “I’m fine,” Twilight replied a little too stiffly. “Twilight, you can say whatever you feel like saying-” That was all the excuse she needed, for Twilight whirled about and faced the ancient alicorn. Her chest was heaving, and her face was taught with unshakeable rage. “It was all your fault!” She screamed, her voice shrieking loud enough to split the skies. “You started all of it! All he ever did was love you, and you turned him away! All because a bunch of stupid, filthy, racist unicorns made you scared! You were so afraid for your petty crown that you turned away somepony who loved you and turned him into a monster! You set him against you, you turned Luna to Nightmare Moon, you caused it all! All because you were a stinking coward!” Twilight began to sob, her tears forming in her rage. She could barely stand, her knees were shaking so furiously. As she stood there for nearly a minute, Celestia finally found her voice. “Twilight, you’re right.” These were the only words that could have made Twilight look her former mentor in the eye, and found to her surprise that the old alicorn was starting to cry. “Twilight, you’re right,” Celestia said faintly. “I was scared, because I didn’t know what to do. I was scared for Luna and I didn’t know how to help. I was so comfortable with my position that I became proud, and spurned away the stallion I loved. I was proud and fearful. We all failed, Twilight. Luna was jealous and proud, Cobalt was hurt and angry, and I was a coward. I could have stopped everything, but I failed. I failed Luna, I failed Cobalt, I failed my kingdom. I failed everyone because I chose myself over everypony I loved. I’m here because I needed to talk to you, Twilight,” Celestia said through her gasps. “Because you can’t understand why we failed so horribly. You have always been better than us, Twilight. You have always been more pure, more loving, and more courageous than we ever were. And I brought my mistakes into your life and tainted you. I’m sorry… I am so sorry.” Twilight, her eyes streaming, could barely take it anymore, and rushed to embrace her former teacher. The two alicorns sat on the floor and wept together, letting their tears drop onto the oak floor at their hooves.