Hour of Twilight

by Shining Moonlight

Mirrors

"Hello?" Chrysalis croaked as she found herself in a dark big room. She couldn't see anything, though she thought she heard the sound of wings flapping and soft hooves landing on the cold ground. "Hello? I can hear you!" She said again, stronger and more confident. She wasn't afraid, she was the Changeling Queen! Or was she?

Chrysalis sunk to the ground and waited for the sounds to come back, but all she heard was a terrible shriek from far far away that found their way to her now and then. She had tried to find the noise several times but had found herself each time chained to the ground. She was growing desperate, she didn't know if it had been days or hours or even weeks time since she first woke up here. All she knew was that she had been there long enough. She rose to her hooves, trembling with exhaustion from lying still for so long. When she had walked for a while, she realized she wasn't chained anymore! She stopped to look around, but saw nothing except darkness. She was amazed that she wasn't growing used to the cold and cruel environment like Changelings usually do. She kept walking and walking until she flopped onto the floor, ready to give up. But she couldn't! She had to keep moving, she had to get out before she went mad... She rose once again and started to walk in what felt like circles. She kept going for hours and hours until she thought a week gone by. That's when she saw it...

She was just about to collapse again when she saw a faint, deep green light in the distance. Chrysalis felt like she had all the energy in the world as she started to run towards the light. This is it!, she thought. I'm getting out of here! As she neared the green light, she heard the scream again, only very faint, like a whisper. This time, instead of just a scream, she heard words. They were barely noticeable so Chrysalis made her way closer to the light. The closer she got, the louder the "screaming" became. When she reached the light, she stopped to study what the light shone upon, preparing herself if she had to fight. She saw a well in the middle of the light made of white marble. She walked up to it since she saw nothing that seemed capable of harming her. When she looked down into the well, she heard the whisper, now more clearly as if she was reading them from a page in a book.

"Hoola cassri dembedo... " Chrysalis gasped as she recognized the ancient language. It was spoken before Equestria was even near, before Discord, when Changelings ruled the world. "Fafora gorgeli y trispatic gensive... Tsahiku roras bendoreva..."

Chrysalis leaned in closer and saw something. Inside the well was a small ledge where a small pile of rocks where covering a green light that shone bright. It was the source of the light, her hope, that was lying beneath the rocks. She saw that there were cracks in the ledge and just as she thought about it, a small part of the ledge crumpled and fell into the what seemed endless well, disappearing. She gasped as she realized that if the object fell, it would be gone forever. She looked at the pile of stones again and saw that the falling rocks had uncovered part of the wall that kept her from seeing it properly. It looked like some kind of crystal.... Before thinking, she lit her horn and surrounded the object with her aura. She tried to bring it out carefully from under the stones but it wouldn't budge. Sweat drops started showing on Chrysalis' forehead and she started to feel light-headed. She tugged even harder but to no success. She stomped her hoofs on the ground and ripped the light out, making the rocks tumble down,the ledge crumbling down along with them.

That's when she heard the sound again. The flapping of wing, the sound of soft hooves touching down on the cold flooring. Chrysalis' head smashed into the ground as a pair of hooves grabbed the back of it and forced it down. As she dropped the crystal to the ground, the sound of it clashing against the floor echoed through the halls. Her head kept colliding with the floor until the pair of hooves pulled Chrysalis' mane so hard that she shot her head backwards and let out a terrible shriek that echoed through the room. The creature pulled one last time before scattering away, laughing devilishly to itself, the clattering of hooves making it ring in Chrysalis' ears. Chrysalis put her hooves over them, trying to block out the noise but failing to. Before Chrysalis had even a chance to recover from the assault, the creature came rushing back. The pair of hooves clutched Chrysalis fore-hoof and put a leather strip around it, tightening it while making her squeal. It did the same to the other three and flew into the air and fastened the chains - that were connected to the leather- into the ceiling. Chrysalis hissed as a knife cut across her belly and blood poured out onto the floor. She tried to wriggle out of the leather chains but instead, they tightened and sharp thorns shot lout from them, making her hooves bloody as well. She screamed in agony and the attacker laughed again.

The creature rushed off again and pressed something that clicked. Before the thought of what would happen even became obvious to Chrysalis, the whole room lit up to reveal mirrors. Everywhere she looked, she saw mirrors. The walls, ceiling and floor was made from mirrors. The mirrors underneath her was almost totally covered in blood and Chrysalis once again tried to break free, the thorns going deeper the harder she tried. She tried to look around but she was dizzy because of the sudden brightness, being used to walk in the dark for who knows how long. What she could make out though was the well and the crystal from the ledge. As she looked harder, it lit up and she blacked out.
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*Knock, knock, knock!* Cadance started as there was a knocking on her door.She put her comb down on the table and went up to the door. "I'm coming!" She said as the knocking was repeated. When she opened the door she was instantly "attacked" by Princess Celestia when the white mare hugged Cadence tightly. She hugged back and then stepped back with a smile.

"Celestia! How wonderful to see you again! How have you been!" Celestia smiled back.

"Oh I've been just fine! I was just coming to well, say hello and escort you to the courtyard. The fireworks along with Princess Twilight are being shown soon. Don't want to miss either of them." Cadence snickered.

"Oh of course! We can't keep the birthday girl waiting!" The two princesses trotted down the halls until they came to the courtyard.

It was very crowded with both ponies from Canterlot and Ponyville, Unicorns, Pegasi and earth ponies. When the two princesses arrived, Fancy Pants along with his wife Rarity, the Bearer of Generosity came up to them. They bowed to the two princesses and then went along to take a drink with Applejack, Bearer of Honesty and her husband Caramel along with their two sons Woody and Caramel Apple. Across the courtyard stood Discord with his daughter Screwball. Celestia narrowed her eyes as she saw the look in Discord's eyes and saw that he was looking at Sapphire Shores that was dancing with Trenderhoof. Suddenly Sapphire squealed as her mane turned pink. Just as Celestia was about to cast a spell to make it blue again, she heard Trennderhoof saying.

"Oh it's aright. You're still beautiful to me." They went off to the private garden together and Celestia smiled. Discord had only meant good after all.

As she looked over to where he stood, she saw that Fluttershy, his wife had made her way up to her husband and daughter.They shared a hug and Screwball said what her father had done to Sapphire Shores mane. At first Fluttershy seemed almost angry but when Screwball finished she just smiled and kissed Discord on the cheek. Celestia was brought back when Cadance gasped. During the next couple of seconds all you could here was the sound of ponies "ohing" and "ahing". As Celestia looked to where all the antension was sent to she gasped as well. In the entry of the courtyard stood Twilight Sparkle in a white gala gown. Her mane was curled up in the same manestyle as she had at her cornation ten years ago. The fabric of the gown looked like it was made from the softest clouds and her eyes were sparkling with the reflection of the stars in the enchanting night sky. Beside her stood her brother, Captain Shining Armor and held her tight. Celestia realized that there were a lot of young stallions at the party as well and concluded that he was going to play protective big brother as he always did.

"Oh please, don't mind me, enjoy the party..." Twilight said and smiled. Many ponies that had gathered around went back to dancing, drinking and talking with each other while some stayed to greet the princess.

Cadence walked up to Twilight with a grin on her muzzle. As Twilight smiled back they crouched down in front of each other. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake." They sang, while jumping up and down and then covering their eyes and uncovering them. "Clap your hooves and do a little shake." Then they clapped their hooves against each others and shook their tails. They then laughed and embraced each other. Shining Armour stood embarrassingly beside them.

Suddenly Soarin' along with his two sons, Thunder Soar and Rainbow Storm, came up to Shining armor and greeted him. Before the Captain knew it, he was on the other side of the party. Twilight and Cadence joined them after a while and soon Rainbow Dash showed up too. Soon Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich followed by their daughters the Tri-Pies joined them once they had finished entertaining them with magic and dancing and stuff that they normally do. Celestia looked up at the sky and sighed at the beautiful full moon.

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Celestia went into the castle to get some rest from all the loud noise and went up the stairs to the forbidden floor, the fourth floor. No guards or visitors were allowed here, not even the other princesses, only Celestia. She looked at the stained glass panels that she passed as she sulked thought the halls. In her mind she went through the story that the glass pictures resembled. Tears started forming in the corner of her eyes. She went into a room that looked very similar to her room on the first floor. When she looked down at her hooves and saw the shape of the moon carved into the stone floor she broke. Tears flowed out of her eyes and she collapsed to the ground, crying herself to sleep.

When she woke up the next morning she went down and out to the courtyard. Everything from the party had already been removed by the staff and so she sat down on a bench in the private garden. She looked behind her where a statue of Celestia as a young filly. Beside her was another filly that resembled Celestia so much it could only have been one pony in the whole of Equestria, Luna...