The old one returns
The firework rocket shot into the sky with a whistle. There was an instant of expectant silence, and then it detonated into a rain of golden sparks that drifted downwards. The crowd gathered in the square cheered and clapped their hooves. Then the sound of conversations, laughter, and music filled the place once again as the Summer Sun Celebration continued. Every single pony in Canterlot was celebrating to honor their Princess.
Off to a side, leaning on the steel balustrade that delimitated the edge of the square, was Twilight Sparkle. The lavender unicorn flicked her ears in annoyance at the racket and let out a sigh. Her eyes glanced over the edge of the Everfree Forest. There, right next to the treeline, was Ponyville. That was where Princess Celestia had chosen to raise the Sun this year.
It had been Sunset Shimmer, Celestia’s older pupil, the one selected watch over the preparations. Twilight had felt divided about this decision. On one hoof, she would have loved to be there for the Princess. On the other, by staying in Canterlot, she would spend the evening and night with her family. Plus, it was Spike’s first Summer Sun Celebration, and she wanted to make sure he would enjoy it as much as possible.
However, as the day went on, the prospect slowly lost its charm. First, Shining Armor was called for guarding duty early in the evening, much to Twilight’s disappointment. Then, an hour into the celebration, Twilight Velvet received a letter in an emerald flame. After reading it, she headed to the School of High Magic of Canterlot in a hurry, to attend a council with the archmages. The scroll didn’t state the reason, but it had the seal of the High School of Magic, so it had to be important.
And now, Twilight was starting to develop a mild headache, for no apparent reason. The mare rubbed her temples with her hooves and let out an annoyed sigh. It was just midnight, and the celebration was pretty much ruined for her. Whenever her father returned from buying hay fries, she would tell him she was going home to sleep.
The unicorn’s mind drifted back to the letter. The archmages usually had a council every Sunday, but today was Monday; not to mention a national holiday. There must have been an imperative reason to call a meeting today. Then there was the fact they had requested her mother to go. Twilight Velvet was a brilliant sorceress, but nowhere near an archmage. Why they would need her presence was beyond Twilight’s imagination. But it was certainly worrying.
“Twilight?” The pony felt Spike putting his claw on her shoulder. “Uh…are you alright?” he asked, worry plain in his voice.
Twilight turned her head and gave him a small smile. “I’m okay,” she said. Spike always managed to cheer her up with his presence alone. She raised a hoof and petted the scales of his head. “I just have a small headache.”
“Oh,” muttered Spike, looking down. “Are you gonna be alright?”
“Yeah, I think so,” mumbled Twilight. When she noticed Spike was looking at her with concern, she let out a sigh and rested her chin on the balustrade. “I am a bit worried, though,” she admitted.
“Why?” asked Spike. “Velvet?”
Despite Twilight Velvet being his legal adoptive mother, Spike never referred to her as ‘mom’ or ‘mother’. Instead, he had called her ‘Velvet’ since the first day he learned to talk. Twilight often wondered if Spike considered Princess Celestia to be his mother.
“Yes,” muttered Twilight, looking at the horizon. “Mom has never been in good terms with the Council of Archmages, and if they require her presence…it can’t be anything good.”
Spike frowned at that. “I thought she’d like to know that the Archmages count on her.”
“And she does,” said Twilight, nodding slightly. “But nothing that urgent is ever good. No matter how positive something is, it can wait until tomorrow, when it’s not the Summer Sun Celebration. But, if the reason why she was called is something bad, waiting may be a terrible choice.”
Spike tapped his chin, following the unicorn’s reasoning. Then he shrugged and climbed to the bottom bar of the balustrade. He was just tall enough to poke his head over it. The little dragon followed her adoptive sister’s eyes and found Ponyville. “That’s where the Princess is?” Twilight made an affirmative noise. “Seems to be a nice place, don’t you think? Why don’t we go there someday?”
Twilight let out a chuckle and drew the little dragon into a hug, thankful for his obvious attempt at distracting her troubled mind. As usual, Spike struggled a bit and played tough, but ended returning the embrace anyways. Dragon and unicorn sat there for a minute, the pony finding comfort on the simple touch of a loved one.
“The Moon is sure clear tonight,” muttered Spike, after they parted.
Twilight blinked and looked up. Since its foundation, Equestria had been covered in a magic dome that protected it from outside. Inside this Celestial Sphere, the Sun, Moon and stars were not the actual celestial object, but eternal orbs of magic fire. And since the Princess Celestia was in control of them, she could also alter their appearance, although she hardly ever did so. Some ponies claimed it was possible to know her mood by studying the subtle changes in the patterns of the Moon or the position of certain minor stars.
Twilight had always considered those affirmations to be ludicrous. But now, she couldn’t help but wonder if they could perhaps hold a spark of truth. The Moon tonight was as clear as a pearl, and the Mare in the Moon was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it was something that happened every Summer Sun Celebration, and she had just failed to notice it?
Suddenly, Twilight felt a sharp pain in the base of her horn. The pony clenched her teeth and grimaced. The surge lasted for a few seconds, before slowly receding into a slight ache under her skull. “Twilight! Are you okay?” asked Spike in alarm. The mare pressed a hoof into her forehead and gave a half-hearted nod, but the little dragon noticed her strained expression. “Wait here, I’ll go fetch some ice!”
“No,” interrupted Twilight, raising up a hoof. “It’s just some sort of magic backlash. I just need a minute.” The mare gave Spike a small smile, and the dragon hesitantly stopped on his tracks and returned to her side. Backfiring magic was a fairly common injury for powerful unicorns, and Twilight knew well how they felt. The pain would fade in just a couple of minutes.
It was quite strange, since magic backlashes happened just and only when the unicorn in question was wielding a considerable amount of magic. But Twilight hadn’t even been using her telekinesis. Once the ache receded, the unicorn started to ponder a possible explanation for the sudden pain. But before she could figure out the enigma, a voice boomed through the air.
“Citizens of Canterlot!” The roar drowned the noises of the party and the fireworks. Everypony went quiet and looked upwards, where the silhouette of a large alicorn cut against the Moon. Twilight frowned at the low pitch of the voice. It wasn’t Celestia’s or Cadance’s. Indeed, when the figure slowly descended, flapping its large wings, the light of the Moon revealed a pitch black alicorn, with a shining blue armor and an ethereal mane and tail, sprinkled with stars. “Citizens of Canterlot, your queen has returned!” she announced, a bit more quiet, but still unnaturally loud.
There were confused murmurs on the square, everypony wondering if they were in presence of some kind of joke. The alicorn noticed it and her grin slowly turned into an annoyed scowl. “Here as well?! Not even the capital of Equestria knows of my return?” She paused, as if expecting an answer that never came. The alicorn let out a sigh and descended, landing on the balcony next to Twilight, who quickly took a step back. The pony stood as tall as the Princess Celestia herself, towering over the intimidated ponies.
“Disappointing,” she muttered. “No doubt our sister must have done everything on her hooves to keep our existence in secret.” she said, walking forward. The ponies moved out of her way, and some even turned tail and tried to put as much distance between them as possible. She noticed this, and smiled. Unfortunately, the rows of fangs that decorated her mouth made her gesture more unsettling than calming. “There is no need to be afraid, our little ponies. None at all…” She glanced over the crowd for a moment, before turning around and walking back to the edge of the square.
“Our name is Nightmare Moon, and we are the legitimate ruler of Equestria,” she began. “A long time ago, we ruled this kingdom along our older sister, the Queen Celestia. For centuries, we gave stability and progress to Equestria, that flourished more than it could ever have without us. But then, avarice nested in the heart of our sister, and she tried to avert us from power. When we resisted, she got rid of us and banished us into the Moon.” The alicorn raised a hoof towards the satellite and for a moment seemed lost in her memories.
Twilight blinked, confused. Nightmare Moon was a legendary malevolent spirit. The whole celebration of Nightmare Night spun around her, and trying to placate her hunger for foal’s with sweets. But Nightmare Moon wasn’t real, and-
Suddenly, the alicorn opened her wings and took flight, once again hovering over the city. “But now we have returned! And we have taken by force what our sister stole from us, what belonged to us by right!” she yelled, raising her voice much more than before, loud enough for all Canterlot to hear her. “And we will crush anypony who stands against us!”
Three words resonated in Twilight’s mind. Taken by force. The Princess. Where was Princess Celestia? She wouldn’t let this happen, and there was no way this alicorn could have defeated her. ‘Perhaps she just doesn’t know of this Nightmare Moon?’ wondered Twilight. She glanced down at Ponyville. She could send her a message. All she needed was some parchment, a quill, and Spike.
“And don’t think you have the least chance against me,” continued Nightmare Moon. “For we have defeated Celestia, and granted her a fitting punishment.” The alicorn lifted her hoof and pointed upwards. “She will spend the rest of her days trapped in the Sun.” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat and her jaw dropped. The alicorn continued speaking. “But you have nothing to fear, our little subjects.” she continued after a brief pause. “This is none of your business; it’s nothing more than a mere fight among sisters. A battle I have been victorious. By the power that was taken from me, I hereby reclaim the throne of Equestria and declare the eternal night!” The alicorn beat her wings and lifted to the sky, leaving a blue trail behind her. Once she was over the city, her horn emitted a magic glow. Around Twilight, the ponies muttered in disbelief.
Twilight slowly shook her head, unable to believe what was happening. Her claims couldn’t be true. It was a bluff, it had to be. Celestia wouldn’t go down without a fight. And this eternal night she was talking about…life was impossible without the Sun. Surely, she couldn’t be serious, right?
‘Right?’
“Hear me, Canterlot!” Everypony let out a startled yelp when the voice of the alicorn came from the very stones under their hooves. “We have nothing against the ponies that live here, but this city represents an age that has come to an end. It represents the dominion of Queen Celestia. And, now that she is gone, her city must disappear with her.”
Nightmare Moon lighted her horn again, this time channeling far more energy, to the point that Twilight had to shield her eyes with her hoof. Suddenly, the floor under her hooves shook slightly and her heat skipped a beat. The ponies in the square screamed in fear and galloped away, but everypony stopped when Nightmare Moon spoke up again.
“In exactly one day, the city of Canterlot will fall to the void below,” said the alicorn. “You have more than enough time to gather your belongings and leave. And finally, to be certain that my spell won’t be countered, we are dissolving the Conclave or Archmagi. We do not want anypony to get airs of greatness and try to force a return to the old status quo,” bellowed the alicorn, lighting up her horn for the third time.
Twilight crooked an eyebrow and looked over to the High School of Magic, proudly standing next to the palace. Then, confusion became dread as she felt the overwhelming presence of a spell and understood what the alicorn was implying.
A slight sting extended from the tip of her horn to her body, making every single hair stand on end; and in the entire city resounded a distant hum.
An instant later, the lighting fell. A cascade of electricity plunged from the sky into the School, infinitely larger and more terrible than any natural lighting. The impact engulfed the building in an explosion of light so intense that it stung her eyes, even after closing them. Then came the thunder, that sweeped across the square and knocked all the ponies off their hooves.
Twilight opened her eyes and saw dozens of colorful, shapeless blobs and specks of light that danced on her vision. She heard nothing but a high-pitched ring on her right ear. Dizzied, she could only lie there and grunt in pain when somepony stepped on her foreleg.
A purple stain stopped in front of her and reached over, giving her a gentle push. The unicorn blinked and her vision focused. A small dragon kneeled before her, eyeing her with worry. It took her stunned brain a second to remember his name.
‘Spike.’
“Spike,” she said. The ringing dissipated and was substituted by a gibberish of panicked screams and cries, the sounds of hooves against cobblestone, and the beating of her own heart, echoing in her ears.
“Twilight? Twilight, can you hear me? Are you okay?” said Spike. The unicorn let out a grunt and forced herself to sit up, despite the general dizziness. Spike lets out a relieved sigh and hugs Twilight. The mare appreciated the support, as she feels terribly sick, and not just from the physical discomfort. Taking in a ragged breath, the unicorn looked up with a knot on her throat.
The School of High Magic of Canterlot was no more. Instead of the proud and elegant building of white marble, next to the palace there was just a charred husk, dead and broken.
***
Chaos.
The capital of Equestria was sunken in chaos.
Ponies galloped disorderly, pushing and stepping on each other, in a desperate attempt to find their loved ones, lost in the crowd. The Ground Guards strived to establish order, but their efforts were fruitless. The ponies were too scared to pay attention to a Guard that is telling them to stay calm.
Night Light looked over the ruins of the School of High Magic, trying to comprehend what had just happened. A black alicorn had appeared, announced being the sister of Celestia and banished her into the Sun. Then she had destroyed the School, to eliminate the archmages.
The School, where Twilight Velvet was.
His wife.
She was gone.
Night Light felt a sudden sickness, and had to lean onto a streetlamp to not fall to the floor. His wife, the mare he had spent the last twenty-five years of his life, was dead. He wouldn’t see her anymore.
Suddenly, the stallion let out a grunt of pain and reached to his horn with a hoof as he felt a slight itch on the tip. He looked to a side and noticed a few unicorns in his field of view had done the same gesture.
Then he saw something in the sky. The celestial sphere was as dark as any night, but in the south there was something strange, an area much more clear and bright. It was as if something was trying to push through the fabric of the night. The spot slowly got brighter and brighter until it was painful to still look at it directly.
Night Light had just enought time to look away before the fabric completely tore. The stallion, along with every unicorn in the city, felt a pang of pain on the horn when the magic disturbance reached them. Night squinted and forced himself to look to the south.
An immense ball of white-yellow fire plunged to the ground, so radiant that the stallion felt his eyes hurt immediately. The orb fell slowly, as if it was too massive for gravity to affect it normally. The whole city went silent, staring in terror as the sphere precipitated.
The fireball fell in the center of a huge forest, and exploded in a burst of light. For an instant, the night turned day and everypony had to cover their eyes. Then the flames fizzled out, and the night was dark again. Where the orb had fallen there was a massive black crater, and a ring of charred trees.
Night Light managed to recover faster than the rest of the ponies, and took the chance to use the deadly silence that reigned on the square.
“Ponies of Canterlot!” he firmly called out. Everypony on the square turned and saw Night Light on the pedestal of a statue, with the helmet of the Captain of the Ground Guard on his head and a determined expression on his face. “You can't let fear take you over. A day is more than enough time for everypony to get to their houses, gather the indispensable, and leave Canterlot.” The stallion makes a pause and looked over the ponies that closely listen to him. “The Ground Guard will help you in the evacuation, but I want everything to be done calmly. Is that clear?” Night Light waited a moment, but when nopony said anything, hopped down from the pedestal.
Next to it waited a mare of gray coat that looked at him with an impassible expression. Night Light took off the helmet and hoofed it back to her. “Have you decided to come back to the Guard, Captain?” asked the mare.
Night Light gave her a tired smile. “Thanks, but no.”
“Then I would be thankful if you stopped doing my job, Captain.” replied the mare, not changing her tone.
“I don’t mean to offend you, Maud, but I don’t see you climbing the pedestal and shouting to keep order,” replied Night. “It’s not your style.”
Maud nodded. “True. It’s a shame, Captain. I had hoped to be under your command again, just for a while.”
Night Light looked at the mare for a long moment. Maud was a strange pony. Her face was always an impassible mask that never let her feelings be seen. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have them. Night was the only pony in the Ground Guard of Canterlot that had learned to read the imperceptible facial tics and slight changes of tone in her voice. For everypony else, Maud was as expressive as a brick.
Thanks to that knowledge, Night Light knew Maud was asking him to get in charge. For a moment, he felt tempted to accept, but quickly discarded the idea and shook his head. “I’m sorry, but no, Maud. I have…I have to find my daughter.”
“And where is your wife?” asked Maud.
Night Light grimaced and looked away. He took a deep breath and tried to push off his mind the memories of Twilight Velvet. He would have plenty of time to mourn her later. There were more important things to do. “She was in the School of Magic.”
Even somepony who didn’t know Maud would have seen the flash of grief that crossed her face, before returning to the same expressionless mask. “My condolences, Captain.” Maud responded, bowing her head. She seemed to think of something for a moment, before speaking again. “Captain, I invite you to join the Guard for this night and help us with the evacuation. As a Guard, mind you. Maybe you would like to have something to keep yourself busy after what has happened.”
Night Light pondered the suggestion for a few seconds and eventually nodded, a bit reluctantly. “It’ll be the best.” muttered the stallion. “Now, let’s go!”
***
Once the flaming trail had faded, Twilight Sparkle turned her head and stared at the destroyed building for several minutes, trying to comprehend the succession of events that had lead to this outcome. There was a new alicorn in Equestria. A pony who, in her brief presence in Equestria, had already caused more damage than many natural disasters. The eternal night, the archmages and the High School of Magic; and her own mother.
And now the Sun itself.
And with it, Princess Celestia, is her words were anything to go by.
Twilight turned around, made her way to the edge of the square and glanced over the Everfree. The edge of the forest was lost in the dark horizon, but she could still make out the crater, a charred scar on the woods.
Twilight considered what she knew. There was always the chance Celestia had survived. Perhaps she had broken free from her banishment before the Sun crashed. Perhaps, that was exactly the reason why the Sun had fallen from the celestial sphere. Yes, it made sense. Why else would the Sun be torn off from its proper place? The Princess was definitely alive. Twilight just needed to find her, and she would make things right. She would defeat Nightmare Moon.
The unicorn was torn from her thoughts when Spike put a claw on her foreleg. Twilight looked down and saw Spike, barely holding back the tears. The dragon bit his lip and looked down. “Velvet is…” he croaked, his voice breaking.
“Yes,” muttered Twilight, sitting down and embracing the little dragon. Up to that point, the pony hadn’t fully assumed what the destruction of the School of Magic meant. But when she voiced it, she felt her heart shatter and a tear fell from her right eye. She and Spike just sat there for a few minutes, finding comfort on each other.
Finally, after giving her adoptive brother a little squeeze, Twilight got on all four and nodded to her back. “Let’s go,” she said, wiping away the tears.
“Where are we going?” he asked weakly.
“We are going to Ponyville,” replied Twilight, her tone firm and determined. “We are going to find Princess Celestia. She can defeat Nightmare Moon, just like she did in the past.” Spike hesitated for a moment, but then nodded weakly and climbed to her back. Twilight then headed straight to the train station.
Getting there was surprisingly easy. While Twilight walked past many ponies, most of them were going to the residential areas, to gather as many personal objects as they could. But the unicorn didn’t have the time for that. The sooner she found Celestia, the sooner everything would go back to normal. Despite this, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret at the thought of abandoning her belongings. ‘I am so sorry, Smarty Pants.’
The station was practically deserted. Nopony stopped Twilight from accessing the areas reserved for the staff. She trotted through the train garage, past several locomotives and cars, looking for somepony that could take her to Ponyville immediately. She got a few curious looks from the mechanics, but the unicorn ignored them. What she needed was a conductor.
After a few minutes, Twilight noticed a fat stallion with a conductor cap, and walked over him. He was crouching, rummaging in a toolbox. “Excuse me, sir,” said Twilight. When she got no reaction, she coughed and tried again, a bit louder. The stallion tensed up and tilted his ears to her. Very slowly, he turned around and looked at Twilight. It turned out that, what Twilight had assumed to be a toolbox, was in fact a lunchbox. From it, the stallion had extracted a massive sandwich, which he was now holding tightly against his chest. Twilight crooked an eyebrow at the pony.
He let out a sigh and relaxed. “By Tartarus, you gave me a good scare, miss!” he said with a chuckle, carelessly tossing the sandwich back into the lunchbox. “You’re not from the station are you? You should be waiting on one of the platforms, we’re not done preparing the trains.”
“You are a conductor, right?” asked Twilight.
“Uh-hu,” nodded the stallion.
“Perfect!” grinned Twilight. “You need to take me to Ponyville as soon as possible!”
The stallion frowned and clicked his tongue. “That’s not how it works, miss. You’ve got to buy a ticket, then wait ‘till the train leaves the station. You don’t get to choose when it leaves. Er...what am I saying! Have you just arrived? The Captain of the Ground Guard has requisited all the trains to evacuate Mount Canterlot! You should go home and grab your stuff!”
Twilight was already expecting that objection, so she had an answer ready. “I understand, but it’s of the most importance that I get to Ponyville immediately. The fate of Equestria depends on-”
The stallion huffed. “Yeah, yeah. We all have things to do. But look, whatever you need to get done so fast, it’s not as important as getting everypony outta here, get it? Now, if you excuse me, I am busy,” said the stallion, turning around.
Twilight lighted up her horn and raised a magic barrier in front of the stallion. He glanced at her, clearly annoyed. “I am Twilight Sparkle, personal protégé of Princess Celestia,” said the mare. She didn’t like mentioning her position to persuade ponies to do what she wanted, but it was too important. “and I have to be in Ponyville urgently. It is an official matter,” she added, for good measure. “Please.”
The stallion seemed to hesitate. “Uh…is it really that urgent?” he muttered. “We have to get everypony out of the city in less than a day, and there is no way of getting around that. Couldn’t you just…uh…teleport, or something? You’re good with magic, right?” he suggested with a weak smile.
“No,” replied Twilight. “Such a long range teleportation requires more skill than I have. And even if I did, it would leave me exhausted, which could be potentially dangerous.”
“A…a flying chariot?” muttered the pony.
Twilight opened her mouth to discard the suggestion, but she closed it an instant later. It was actually a possibility she hadn’t considered. A flying chariot, like the one Sunset had used that morning to get to Ponyville would probably be faster than the train. She would just need to find a pegasus guardspony willing to pull the chariot.
“Uh…excuse me?” said a voice. Mare and stallion turned their heads and saw a mint-coated unicorn with a small, awkward smile on her face. “Hello. You see, I’m in the same situation as my friend here, although the reason why is somewhat different.” She walked to the stallion and draped a foreleg over his shoulders. “But I am not gonna be so diplomatic. So I understand your absence may have some impact, and it will take a bit longer to get everypony out of the city, but…” She smirked and gave him a poke on the muzzle. “If you don’t take us to Ponyville, the impact you are going to get on your teeth will be pretty permanent.”
‘Unorthodox, but efficient.’ though Twilight. The stallion swallowed and nodded nervously. Very carefully, he freed himself from the lock and backed away. Never losing eye contact from the green mare, the conductor motioned them to follow him.
Half an hour later, they were on their way. The conductor prepared a small locomotive, and attached a single cart to it. The whole process was fairly quickly, but every lost minute was a torture for Twilight. She was agitated and nervous, and didn’t relax until the other mare, Spike and her were sitting on the cart.
Through the window, she could see Canterlot getting smaller and smaller as they descended on the mountainside. The train entered a tunnel and the capital disappeared from her view. By the time the city was on sight again, they were on the plains and it was nothing more than an illuminated speck on top of Mount Canterlot.
Twilight let out a sigh and looked down to Spike, who was placidly sleeping on her lap. The pony wished she could do the same. Falling asleep and waking up in Canterlot, only to discover all that hadn’t been anything but a nightmare, a terrible nightmare. Her mother was alive, the Princess was fine, and Canterlot wasn’t threatened by any ancient evil alicorn. Sadly, such thing wasn’t going to happen.
Strangely, Twilight didn’t feel sad, but more like melancholic. She had only lost her grandmother before, but she was too young to fully grasp the concept of death. So she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel. Perhaps her brain hadn’t fully processed that she was never going to see her mother again. Until it did, the lump in her throat was the only sign of the loss.
The mare realized her father was probably sick worried. In her haste, she hadn’t considered telling him where she was going, and had instead made a beeline for the train station. Thankfully, Spike’s fire was enchanted to send letters both to Celestia and her home. She just needed something to write, but of course there was nothing useful in the cart.
‘In hindsight, I should have prepared myself a little better,’ though Twilight, mentally smacking herself for her mistake. Something as simple as a pair of saddlebags, some food and water, or even a first-aid kit would be immensely useful if she planned to explore the Everfree.
“Um…” said a voice. Startled, Twilight looked up to the mare in front of her. She had completely forgotten she wasn’t alone. The mint pony gave her a small smile and waved a hoof. “Hi! I’m Lyra!”
Twilight blinked. “Oh….um. I a-am Twilight Sparkle,” she stammered. She extended a hoof, which the other pony bumped with hers.
“So, what is it that you have to do in Ponyville that can’t wait?” she asked, shuffling on her seat. Twilight couldn’t help but crook an eyebrow at the unusual way of sitting down.
“Well, um…I s-suppose I am kind of in an official mission,” said Twilight, shrugging.
“Hold on,” interrupted Lyra, raising a hoof. “You mean to tell me what you told the conductor wasn’t a bunch of horseapples?”
Twilight blinked, confused. “N-no. Why should it?”
There was a pause, and Lyra’s expression of surprise turned into glee. “Oh my goodness! You mean you really are Celestia’s student?!” she almost shrieked.
Twilight was taken aback by the sudden outburst of the mare. “Uh…y-yes? I mean, she has two students, but-”
“I can’t believe I am sitting with you!” said Lyra, bouncing on her seat and clapping her hooves together. “Quickly! Do something cool!” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted. “Wait, no, nevermind! That’s rude to ask. I’m sorry,” she said with a bashful smile. “I just didn’t expect to be sharing a seat with one of Princess Celestia’s pupils.”
Twilight gave her companion a sheepish smile. “I am not that big of a deal, really,” she said, awkwardly shifting on her chair. “I am sure you are a talented unicorn yourself.”
Lyra waved her hoof and huffed. “Nah, I am just a simple unicorn with a simple talent. Not that I am complaining. I am happy, and that’s what counts, right?” she said, with a small smile.
“Right,” agreed Twilight, nodding. “Mind if I ask what is your reason for being so…um, adamant about getting to Ponyville as soon as possible?”
The mare smiled broadly. “I live there with my special somepony! Name’s Bon Bon, and that pony is the sweetest thing has ever happened to me.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the way she spoke of her lover. “Bonnie makes sweets and jellies, and takes the job very seriously, to the point of being kind of grumpy. But when the day is over, Bons relaxes and it’s like a completely different pony. Too bad most ponies only know one of the sides, the grouchy one.” she said with a chuckle.
Twilight shared the laugh with her, and silence reigned for a moment. Then she remembered the letter she had to send, and her smile disappeared. “Lyra? You won’t have by any chance paper and pencil?”
“Sure I do.” she said, opening her saddlebags with her telekinesis. “What for?”
“I have to send a message to somepony.” replied Twilight. The other mare offered her a notebook and a pencil. Upon opening it, Twilight found the sheets covered in staves, filled with musical notations. The unicorn ripped off one of the blank pages and began writing the message, using her telekinesis to keep the paper flat.
Once finished, she folded the paper and gently touched Spike with a hoof to wake him up. The little dragon let out a displeased grumble and slowly peeled his eyes open, stretching himself awake. “Umh? What’s up?” he muttered, half asleep.
“Spike, I need you to send this home,” said Twilight, hoofing him the paper. The dragon studied it thoughtfully for a second, then held the paper over his head and exhaled a gout of emerald green flames that consumed the page. A flow of magic swirled above their heads for a moment, before slipping under the window, in the direction to Canterlot.
“An'thin’ else?” asked Spike. Twilight shook her head, and the tiny dragon yawned and rested his head on Twilight’s lap. A few seconds later, he was fast asleep.
Twilight sighed. The baby dragon was gloomy, which was understandable. Still, it caused the mare a pang of pain for the loss of her mother. Twilight gently ran a hoof over the soft scales of Spike’s back, more to comfort herself than the dragon. She wanted to hug somepony close to her, she really did; but finding Princess Celestia was a priority. She would make things right again.
“So, are you a composer?” asked Twilight, hoofing Lyra back her stuff. Noticing the other unicorn was taking very long to grab it, she looked up and saw Lyra staring at her with wide-open eyes. “Uh…Lyra? Is everything okay?”
A smile slowly spread over her face. “That was amazing!” she exclaimed, excited. “Is that something dragons can do?”
Twilight blushed. “Actually, no. Dragon fire is very magically powerful, but it certainly can’t send messages. It’s actually the same spellwork used on pre-enchanted message scrolls, but adapted to work with Spike’s fire.” she explained. “It was one of my first custom spells.”
“Do you think you can teach me?”
“Uh…maybe,” replied Twilight. “The spellwork itself is relatively simple. Figuring out and setting the coordinates is a bit trickier, but it’s more a matter of having time to spare than skill.”
Lyra continued asking questions, and Twilight replied, eager. While the musician had a rather basic knowledge on magic, it was just enough to allow her to follow her explanation and ask further inquiries. Soon, the two ponies were submerged in a lively conversation about thaumatology and charms. Twilight discovered that Lyra was an ingenious mare that liked to experiment with her telekinesis, and used an exotic variant of if to play her lire. At some point, the musician offered to play a short piece for her. However, the fatigue caught up to Twilight, and the lavender pony fell asleep, soothed by the slow melody.
***
“Are you sure you can do this?” asked Night Light, still not convinced.
“No doubt.” responded the mare, giving her mane a toss.
“It is very important it works.” insisted the stallion, frowning. “I know you are an illusionist, but we’re talking about a huge illusion, which has to be visible from any place of Canterlot.”
The mare let out an annoyed huff. “Please! The great and powerful Trixie is perfectly capable of carrying out what you have asked, and much more!” she said, tossing her cape over her back in a way that was intended to be majestic.
The other pony let out a sigh of resignation and nodded. “Very well. Go on.” If he had more options, this mare would have been the last he would have asked for help. But right now there were no more options, and this was urgent. Trixie was, literally, a pony that happened to walk by and had responded when Night Light was asking for help.
Trixie Lulamoon huffed and walked away a few steps, muttering under her breath. “Trixie needs space to work.” she said out loud, speaking to the many curious ponies that had gathered around her. “So shoo! Everypony take two steps back.” Once satisfied with the space she had available, the cerulean mare extracted a piece of white chalk from the brim of her hat and delineated a perfect circle on the cobblestone. After a pause, she began drawing a number of different symbols inside it. A few minutes later, the magic circle was finished. Careful not to step on the lines, Trixie positioned herself on the center. “Ladies and gentlecolts!” called out the mare, addressing the ponies. “Come closer and behold the amazing magic of the great and powerful Trixie!”
The unicorn lit up her horn and from the circle emanated a blinding blue glow. The hum of the magic grew as the spell weaved and amplified itself thanks to the runes that Trixie had drawn. In the center, the mare fed the spell with more and more energy, much more than she was used to. Droplets of sweat pearled her forehead and her legs shook.
A flow of magic shot upwards from her horn and lighted the roofs of Canterlot with blue. A massive hourglass appeared hovering over the city. The upper half was practically full, but the bottom had already a small amount of sand.
On the floor, there were mutters of approval and amazement among the congregated ponies. Even Night Light’s jaw dropped. Trixie smiled and allowed herself to enjoy for a moment the effect she had on her audience, but quickly turned her attention back to the spell. “Night Light?” she said, eyes closed.
“Yes?” The stallion made his way through the ponies and stood next to the illusionist.
“I have to stay here to keep the illusion up.” explained Trixie in a mutter. She spoke very slowly, as if it was hard for her to articulate the words. “The glass with precisely show how much time is left until the city collapses. When there is an hour left, a bell will toll. Mare sure everypony is safe before that.”
Night Light nodded, even though Trixie couldn’t see him. “Are you sure you will be okay?” he asked, worried. There were still many hours until the time was out.
The mare didn’t answer, just nodded with her head. The other pony looks up to the hourglass that hovered above Canterlot. About an eighth part of the sand was already on the bottom half, which meant they still had twenty-one hours to empty the city. ‘It will be enough.’ though the stallion. He delayed one more minute, contemplating how the grains of sand fell, before trotting away to help with the evacuation.
The crowd that had gathered around Trixie dispeled in a few minutes, but the mare didn't notice. She was completely focused on the spell, barely moving, and breathing in a controlled and slow manner. She didn't notice the ponies that walked by her, on their way to the train station or their homes.
Hours passed. After the initial chaos, the Ground Guard managed to keep control of the situation at all times, except for a few minor incidents. Most ponies were too scared by the imminent destruction of the city and the return of Nightmare Moon to even try to loot anything.
The great noble families lamented the inevitable loss of their centenary houses. They took long to leave, carrying with them all the family relics they could.
Small flocks of pegasi flew away from the city every few minutes, most in the direction to Cloudsdale. Thanks to their flight, they were the first race to completely abandon Canterlot. In a few hours, only those that are part of the Ground and Royal Guard remained.
A group of earth ponies walked by Trixie, each carrying or pulling a case. A mare of gray mane and coat stopped on her tracks, and looked around, giving one last glance to her city. With a sigh, she dropped the case from her back and carefully put it on the floor. She unlocked the bolts and opened the lid. Under it there was a dark wooden cello, which the mare took on her hooves and held against her left shoulder. With her right hoof, she took the bow and put it on the strings. There was a moment of silence, and then the pony began playing, closing her eyes to lose herself on the melody.
Her companions stopped on their tracks and stared at her in disbelief. They looked to each other, uncertain. Then a second mare turned around, pulled her own instrument from its case, and joined the music. One by one, all the components of the band started playing, weaving a melancholic melody that sounded across the whole square, in consonance with the sad mood that reigned over the city.
Some ponies stopped to listen, but most continued on their way. They had no time to lose. Trixie, still with her eyes closed, sank on the melody and fell in a serene trance. Her body relaxed and her breathing turned slower, unaware of the world that surrounded her, lost in the depths of her spell.
***
Shining Armor wandered about in the corridors of the palace. The echo of his hooves resounded like hammer strikes in the silent building. Everypony that worked and lived there had left many hours ago. Now the only thing left was loneliness.
The stallion looked over for the last time at his second home, so full of experiences and memories. Since he was a foal, his dream had been joining the Royal Guard, but he had never dreamed he would become captain. Some veterans saw his ascension with suspicion, because of his lack of experience. Honestly, Shining had wished for something, anything, to prove his worth as a captain. Now that moment had come, but it was very far from his skills.
“And what’s the use now, without a Princess to protect?” sighed the stallion. Now his position seemed redundant. Captain of the Royal Guard. Of what royalty? If what Nightmare Moon said was true – and there was nothing pointing to the opposite – Shining wouldn’t see the Princess again.
His hooves took him to the throne room, the last place where he had seen the Princess, giving instructions for the Summer Sun Celebration in her absence. Had it really been less than a day since then? Shining rested his hoof on the heavy door, hesitated for a moment, and the pushed it open.
The small spark of hope that had flourished in his chest immediately faded when he saw the empty throne. Shining shook his head in disapproval. Had he really hoped to see the Princess in her throne, as solemn as always? How foolish.
The captain made his way to the staircase on top of which sat the throne, and puts a hoof on the first step. What he was about to do seemed like a grievance to the Princess, but…heck, the city was going to fall, and he would never have the chance to do it. With an impish smile, Shining climbed the stars, ready to sit on the throne.
However, he stopped. He turned his head back and realized how absurdly large the throne room is. The wall where the door was almost lost in the distance, and the steps raise the throne almost one and a half meters. That, together with the already impressive height of Celestia, made Shining wonder why the Princess had decided to keep the old throne, which dated from before the unification of the three tribes.
“Taking one last stroll, my friend?” echoed a voice on the room. Surprised, Shining Armor toppled and ends sitting next to the throne. There was a chuckle, and a pony crossed the doors. It was a tall and strong stallion, covered from head to tail with a shining and baroque golden armor. Over the back he carried a large sword on its sheath, as rich as the armor itself. The only visible thing of the pony was the white horn that poked through the helm.
Despite his best effort, Shining Armor bursted in laughter. The other pony let out a huff and trotted to the throne. “Blueblood? Did you loot the royal treasure and made yourself an armor with the gold?” asked Shining, wiping a tear.
“For your information,” responded the prince, unamused. “this armor is a family relic. It has belonged to my family for centuries. I wasn’t going to let it go to waste with the rest of Canterlot. Besides, it was about time the damn thing was used for what it was created.” he added under his breath.
“What do you mean?” asked Shining, getting on all four.
“Look at it, it’s perfectly immaculate. What kind of great warrior would wear a pristine armor?” responds Blueblood with disdain, opening the visor and turning to show the shining plates. “I grew up hearing epic tales about my ancestors, but it wasn’t until a few years ago when I realized they were just that, tales. Perhaps my family did produce some of the finest warriors of Equestria, but that was a long ago. Too long.” Blueblood shrugged. “Who knows, perhaps it’s my chance to forge my own name.”
Shining shook his head, but couldn’t help but smile. “I think you’ve been reading too many books, Blue.”
“Oh! How dare you!” replied the Prince, faking injury. “I’ll let you know that I am Prince Blue Blood, bearer of the most useless nobility title that has ever existed!” he said as he climbed the last steps, staring Shining. “I’ve saved damsels, killed dragons, conquered fortresses and jammed toilets. And that’s nothing but a mere fraction of my achievements! Remember my name, commoner!” The stallion sat on the throne, pulled out his sword with a flourish and screamed at the top of his lungs. “I am Blue Blood, and you will bow down under my command!”
There is an instant of silence, and the two ponies bursted into laughter at the same time. For an instant, the drama of the situation was forgotten and the two stallions shared a moment of bliss. However, it lasts little, and when the echo of their laughter faded, the expression of the prince turned grim. “She really is gone, huh?” he muttered, resting the sword against the side of the throne.
“Yes.” confirmed Shining, looking down.
Blueblood sighed and closed his eyes. “What are we going do to, Shining?” he asked in a whisper. “I admit I’ve always dreamed to sit here, in this throne, instead of Celestia. Being the one that gives orders and all that.” The stallion tapped the stone hoofrest. “But not like this. Not like this…For the first time in my life, I’ve got the chance to do something useful, but I feel lost. I am not ready for this, Shining. I don’t know what do to.”
“Get everypony to a safe place,” immediately answered the captain.
Blueblood emitted something between a chuckle and a huff. “And then what, my friend? Shall we kneel before Nightmare Moon and beg her to return our Sun?” The prince shook his head with a grave expression. “Right now I see no way out of our situation. The most I can think of…I suppose Cadance could not...?” said the pony, leaving the question in the air.
Shining didn’t need to hear the rest to know what he meant. “No.” he replied, shaking his head. “Cadance says it would be completely hopeless. If she won against the Princess, she has no chance.” he replied. Next to him, the prince gave a slow nod and sank further in the throne.
“S-she is terrified, Blueblood.” whispered Shining after a minute of silence. The prince looked at his friend, who was staring him with his eyes wide open in anguish. “You saw what she did with the School of High Magic. What do you think she will do to Cadance if she discovers there is another alicorn?”
Blueblood felt his blood run off his face at the implication of Shining’s words. “By the heavens above…” he muttered, looking away to the throne room.
A grim and cold silence reigned over the chamber. None of the two ponies spoke each lost in their thoughts and worries. In the end, it was Blueblood the one to break the quietness. “You should go. Your princess needs you.”
Shining gave him a sad smile and got on his hooves. Blueblood mimicked him, emitting a grunt of pain when he stretched. “I expected the throne to be more comfortable!” he complained under his breath.
The two ponies descended the staircase and crossed the throne room. This brief rest did well for both of them, but now they had to return to their respective responsibilities. However, none of them couldn't help but stop at the doors, and give the throne of Canterlot one last look.
***
The last grain of the hourglass that hovered above the city fell.
Despite being the capital of the kingdom, Canterlot was not a big city, because being located on the peak of a mountain didn’t allow much room for expansion. As so, when the time was over, the twelve thousand ponies of the capital had been completely evacuated. A good part of them had been taken to the closest cities by train, but as the time ran out, it was obvious that the rest were going to have to descend the mountain by hoof.
Only a small group of ponies stayed until the very last moments. The garrison of the Ground Guard, the Royal Guard, and a hooful of civilians, among whom was Night Light.
After a night of non-stop activity, the stallion felt completely exhausted, physically and mentally. Until that point, he had managed to keep himself busy enough to not think of what had happened to Twilight Velvet, but now that all the fuss was over, there was nothing he could do to stop the feelings to take over his mind. The loss and grief gripped his chest.
Next to him, Shining Armor tried to give his father all the support and comfort he could, even though from inside the same sadness and loss is eating him too.
A deadly silence reigned over the group of ponies.
Suddenly, echoed the snap of breaking stone. A crack opened a few meters in front of the ponies, exactly where the cobblestone of the city began. There was a rumble that was felt on the whole mountain, and the entire city sank a few centimeters.
There a brief pause, in which everypony held their breath, aware they are about to witness the death of an entire city. Then it began.
A rumble of shattering stone was heard. Between buildings could be seen how the spires of the farthest towers sank behind the city, disappearing from the view. The hundreds of old manors and shops from Canterlot fall to the void one by one, like a cataclysmic castle of cards. An alarming roar rose from the valley every time a building shattered against the base of the mountain. From the crowd emanated a wail when the palace of Canterlot was ripped off the mountainside and fell down the slope. Shining Armor and Night Light feel a stab of pain when, an instant later, the School of High Magic followed the palace. The destruction advanced faster and faster, collapsing buildings at a terrifying rate. Nopony can’t help but think of what would have happened if Nightmare Moon hadn’t given them time to evacuate the city.
Suddenly, a shriek of terror cut through the roar of the stone shattering. The ponies needed a moment to realize the scream was coming from the city. Some ponies take a step forward, but stopped when a dozen pegasi took flight and dashed to the rescue.
The pegasi flew above Canterlot, desperately trying to locate the trapped pony, but the narrow of the streets and the thick clouds of dust caused by the devastation make it almost impossible. The platoon of Wonderbols of Canterlot, leaded by Spitfire herself, dove into the streets, dodging the falling rubble with skill. The others continued searching from above the buildings.
A new scream caught the attention of a pegasus Royal Guard. He turned his head and located his target. A light blue mare that galloped as fast as her legs could carry her. Not hesitating for an instant, the guard tilted his wings and dove to her.
But it was too late. With a deafening crack, the section of the city where she was shook and sank a meter. The mare stopped on her tracks, raised her head, and gave the pegasus a pleading look. Then the street collapsed for good, and the pony fell with it.