//------------------------------// // Expanding the Plan // Story: No Elements, No Harmony // by Fret //------------------------------// The bitterness at the back of Twilight's throat made her shudder. The grass in her mouth felt too dry to swallow, causing her to hack it back up. "Ugh... my tongue feels numb..." she mumbled, her tongue lolling over her jaw. "It can't possibly be that bad," Luna bent down and picked up some half-dead grass in her own mouth. She started to chew, but ended up throwing it up to the side, her vomit almost landing on Celestia's hoof, if she hadn't moved it away. "Thy shouldn't even be allowed to be called food, tis so vile!" Luna hissed, trying to get the flavor out of her mouth. Celestia sighed. "We have to eat something. This is all I could find," she told them both. The two looked at her disbelievingly. "What about in Ponyville?" Luna pointed out, scraping her tongue with her hoof. Her sister gave her a surprised look. "Why should they waste their little food on us?" she retorted, "and don't say because we're going to save this place. Considering we don't even know how we're going to do it." The alicorn started to walk towards the cave entrance. "Without the elements... how do we stop not one, but two dark-magic-possessed tyrants?" Twilight tilted her head. "You mean three. Discord counts, right?" When she said that, Celestia turned her head to glare at her. "Why? He's in cuffs, for harmony's sake. What threat is he?" "He isn't reformed. Once he's out of slavery, he can do anything. You never got Fluttershy to reform him - he's still evil, slave or not," Twilight explained, silently hoping she didn't offend her. Celestia looked at her hooves, then nodded. "I suppose you're right," she admitted, "And I think he'd spite those who forced him to use his magic for good, without his free will." The alicorn looked back outside, staying silent for a few moments. Then it hit her. "That's it..." she whispered. "What's it?" Luna asked. Celestia didn't seem to hear her. "Use his magic for good!" she exclaimed. It only half answered her little sister, but then again, she wasn't paying attention to either of them. Before they knew it, Celestia spread her wings and flew off. "I'll be back soon!" She called to them. Twilight and Luna looked at each other, confused. "Should we follow her?" Twilight wondered. Luna thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I think she knows what she's doing," she said, "I don't know what she's doing though." Twilight shrugged. "Well, I'm hungry. No matter how horrid, I'm gonna eat that grass... err... gross hay... whatever it is." --- No matter what book Spike read, he couldn't find anything that could help him get to Twilight. He growled at the book he was holding, then threw it backwards. He heard it thump somewhere behind him, but he didn't care. "This is hopeless," he muttered to himself. For a moment, he sat in the middle of the library to think, before he sighed and stood up to leave. "Spike?" He hadn't taken even a few steps when he heard somepony call his name. "Rarity? What are you doing here?" the dragon asked as he spotted the white unicorn entering the large library. "Looking for you. You've been gone for quite a while," she explained. "Spike... what's wrong?" She looked at the baby dragon, whom didn't seem so thrilled to see her, unlike usual. "Isn't the answer obvious? It's possible we may never get to see Twilight again," he folded his arms. Rarity tilted her head. "What in the world makes you think that?" she asked calmly. "Well, apparently she had to save this weird... other world she's trapped in to get home, as far as they know, and we're not there to help her!" he grunted. "Didn't we talk about this?" Rarity set her memory back to about two days ago. "I'm sure three alicorns are able to save an alternate Equestria." "We usually have four alicorns here, yet it's always us - you," he corrected, "who saves Equestria." The white unicorn blinked. "You've helped save Equestria too. Remember the Crystal Empire, or the Equestria Games?" she reminded him. "Yeah, I guess..." Spike huffed a small chuckle. "You need to have faith in Twilight. We don't always need to blast the villain with friendship and rainbows," Rarity giggled. "Yeah, I guess," Spike sniffed. "Are we ever going to have a cool magic lazer beam explosion defeat?" "Now that would be something." --- Celestia hovered above the gorge below her. It was hard to see the bottom, however, she could tell where the cave was where they last saw Discord. Taking a deep breath, she started to lower herself towards the bottom. Yet, uncertainty still gnawed at her hooves. What if this didn't work? What if this was a ridiculous plan to start with? Why didn't she tell Luna or Twilight? Non of those questions she could answer. She just had to hope. She landed right in front of the cave's entrance. Inside, it wasn't exactly visible, so a spark escaped her horn, in which turned into a light spell. "Hello?" she called, waiting for an answer before she stepped inside. "Ugh... what do you want now?" a voice came from the corner. Celestia turned her horn towards it, and spotted a slender body curled up there, his back facing towards her. "Um... Discord..." she started awkwardly, slowly making her way into the cave. The draconequus lifted his head then turned to her. "Just spit it out quee - huh?" He flinched in surprise when he saw her. "Great, I'm having another lucid dream," he muttered. Celestia paused, then shook her head. "You're awake. And... you were awake last time you saw me too." Discord stared at her in confusion. He turned his whole body around so he could face her completely, and started to crawl towards her on all four limbs. She cringed as she saw the cuffs once again. "I'd say something, but I don't know what to say," he said, as he stood up on his two hind legs. "I understand," Celestia answered calmly, "if you're willing to listen, I can explain how I'm standing here." Discord tilted his head, then scoffed disbelievingly. "What? You just chose to take on your old form?" She sighed, then shook her head again. "Are you going to listen to me?" she spoke more firmly. Discord glared at her for a few moments, then shrugged. "Go ahead," he said to her, sitting down. Celestia settled right next to him. "This will sound crazy. Even for you." --- Twilight stared out into the dying woods. There was no breeze, in fact, it felt like there was no atmosphere at all. Everything seemed silent, until she heard Luna come up from behind her. She turned to the dark coloured princess. "Still thinking?" the older alicorn asked. Twilight sighed. "Yeah... I haven't really thought of anything though," she mumbled. Luna knelled next to her. "...Luna?" Twilight said after a few moments of silence. Luna looked at her, and waited for her to speak. "How hard is it being here?" The princess blinked at her, as if she didn't expect her to ask her that question. Then she spoke, "Difficult. I'm watching my own doings. All the suffering and pain in this world... caused by me." Twilight gave her a pitiful look, trying to think of a way to cheer her up. "But this isn't you," she pointed out. Luna swung her head around to face her and gave her a glare. "It is Twilight Sparkle! This is what would of happened if I wasn't stopped! Heck - I threatened to burn my own sister in Tartarus. Do you know how that feels? Knowing I was that close to plunging our home into utter destruction, all because of my own selfish desires," she spat. Twilight didn't flinch at her tone because she was yelling at her, rather yelling at herself. "I meant, Nightmare Moon isn't you," she corrected her. Luna looked at her. "But I was once." "No... that was your inner demon that you've locked away. We all have one, just like Celestia in this world. It just takes something to trigger it." She put a hoof on the other alicorn's shoulder, but Luna shook it off. "Jealousy? Everypony feels that at some point. Do I see them transforming into some sort of demonic version of themselves? No I don't." "You were an easy target. Especially since you hold great magic, being an alicorn and all." Luna huffed her doubt. "Not that I wish it upon her, but I'm surprised Celestia's inner evil didn't corrupt her. She suffered one thousand years of loneliness and despair, suffering depression and blaming herself for all what was but my own fault." "Well... that's because she still knew she loved you," Twilight said. Luna's jaw dropped when she heard her say that. "You're saying I became Nightmare Moon because I stopped loving her?" her voiced raised as she narrowed her eyes at the younger princess. Twilight did her best not to cower in her intense gaze, "I'm not saying that..." Twilight rasped, "I'm saying, you let your envy and hatred overtake your positive emotions for Celestia. You didn't not love her, you forgot." Luna kept her angry gaze on Twilight for a moment longer, then calmed herself. "That makes sense," she admitted. The two sat in silence for a while longer, then Luna sparked in realization. "Wait... so if I transformed into Nightmare Moon because I forgot that I loved my sister more than I despised her... what does that say about Solar Flare?" Twilight blinked in confusion. "Uhh... repeat that?" "This Equestria's Celestia isn't corrupted. She became what she is unwillingly, for the sake of being with her sister!" Luna stood up. Twilight was still trying to get her head around what she was saying. "Do you know what this means?" Luna picked Twilight up by the shoulders. The lavender mare shook her head. "Solar Flare may still be our Celestia!" she exclaimed, dropping Twilight on the floor. "I have to tell Celestia, we could be one step closer to getting home!" With that, Luna took to the night sky, leaving Twilight at the cave.