Encounters
“Are you entirely certain this is a good idea?”
“Mom, I told you we will be fine,” replied Twilight Sparkle, looking back at her mother. “I’ve done this trip a few times already.”
“So I have!” squeaked Sweetie Belle, beaming from Twilight’s back.
“Yes, and it was a very poor decision on your part,” Twilight chided her. “You could have been hurt.”
Twilight Velvet let out a chuckle. “Oh look, the pot’s calling the kettle black.”
Twilight Sparkle let out a small huff and glanced back ahead. It had taken a bit of coaxing, but she had managed to persuade Rarity to let her take her sister to Zecora. The white unicorn had hesitated at first, but both Twilights had assured her that Sweetie Belle would be in no danger, accompanied by Celestia’s personal student, and a failed aspirant for a seat on the archmage council. After having a meager ration of oatmeals, the three unicorns parted.
“So, uh…what have you been up to?” asked Twilight after several minutes of silence. The Everfree was quiet.
“Not much, really,” replied Velvet. “There is a lot of work to do, but there are many ponies better suited for it than me. You know, the story of my life,” She smiled drily. “Shining and Night are trying to keep everything under control. There was already a lot of guardsponies on the streets , but they have called in the reservists. It’s not hard for civilians to figure out something big is going on. Something more dangerous than Nightmare Moon.”
“Twilight, are we going to die?” asked Sweetie Belle.
Both mares stopped on their tracks. “N-no,” stammered the youngest, looking back to the filly riding her back. With her telekinesis, she pushed away a pink lock of her mane. “What makes you think that?”
“They’ve killed ponies!” she squeaked. “Like Apple Bloom’s grandma! I saw her and her family come from Ponyville after burying her! They were…uh…what is more than sad?”
“Miserable?” offered Twilight Sparkle.
“For instance,” conceded Sweetie. “And I’ve seen a lot of ponies hurt. I don’t want that to happen to you. Or Sunset. W-where is Sunset? I want her back…”
Mother and daughter shared an uncertain look. Seeing that her daughter seemed far more lost and helpless than her, Twilight Velvet was the one to speak up. “Sweetie, you don’t have to worry about that.”
The tiny unicorn blew a lock of mane off her face. “Velvet, I may be a filly, but I am not dumb. I was there when the changelings attacked. And I know Apple Bloom is not going to see her granny again.” she stated.
Once again, both mares shared a look. This time, it was Twilight Sparkle the one to speak. “Sweetie, would you like to…talk about it? Sometimes, it helps a lot to get something out of your chest.”
“…maybe later.” she muttered. Twilight waited a moment to see if the filly decided to say anything else, and then resumed the march. The group walked in silence for several minutes, paying attention to any strange sounds around them, though up to that point, the only noises had been the crinkling of the leaves under their hooves.
“How did you get here so quickly, anyways?” asked Twilight, tired of the silence.
“Oh, I took a sky chariot,” replied her mother. “Ponyville isn’t very far from Manehattan if you can fly.”
“And you managed to convince a pegasus to pull you here?”
Velvet smiled mischievously. “I may be a Jane Doe to most ponies, but your brother and father are rather influential. Night Light decided he could spare a pegasus guard to make sure her careless daughter was safe.”
Twilight smiled sheepishly, but the words of her mother got her thinking. She had never considered how well situated her family was. How influential exactly were Night Light and Twilight Velvet? How much had it played on Shining Armor’s success? Or her own, for that matter? Twilight Velvet was a rather powerful unicorn, even if she failed to become a professional sorceress.
“What happened after you went to the School of High Magic?” asked Twilight.
Velvet let out a sigh. “The council wanted my help. Before Nightmare Moon made appearance, there were…signs. There were disturbances on the Celestial Sphere. The archmages felt them, and wanted to know my opinion. You probably perceived it too.”
Twilight tilted her head, trying to remember. “I…had a headache. Was it caused those disturbances?”
“Yes,” confirmed Velvet after a short pause. “Though most ponies didn’t feel a thing. The archmages were quite alarmed, of course. The Celestial Sphere is extremely stable, and only something very big would cause it to quake so much.”
“And since your special talent is, precisely, celestial magic, they thought you’d know more,” guessed Twilight.
“Precisely,” nodded Velvet, allowing herself a proud smile, which faded a second later. “Unfortunately, I was as lost as they were. I could perceive there was something off with the Moon, but I couldn’t know what. And the Mare in the Moon only disappeared after I left the school. Still, even if that had changed before meeting with the council, I doubt I would have been able to guess a mad alicorn had just escaped from the Moon.” The older unicorn went quiet for a minute, before adding with sotto voice. “What a waste of lives…”
“I thought you hated the Council,” muttered Twilight
Velvet shook her head side to side. “It’s true that I usually talk poorly of them, but that is quite unfair. Most are absolutely full of themselves, and a fair bit is absurdly ambitious; but some were alright. In fact, I can name four that are…were genuinely good ponies. Had the circumstances been different, perhaps I would count them among my friends.”
Twilight grinned slightly. “So it was just Adonis the only bad one.”
Velvet grimaced. “Ugh! Don’t let me start ranting about Adonis, I may not stop. I can’t say I am happy he is dead, but…” The unicorn paused a moment. “Let me put it this way: Equestria is probably a better place without him than with him.”
“Was he really that bad?” asked Twilight, crooking an eyebrow.
Velvet huffed. “Adonis was a moronic imbecile that was too busy trying to go up on the Council’s ladder to realize he wasn’t going anywhere. I do not celebrate his death, but I am not particularly sad either.”
“You may also be a tad biased against him, as he played a big part on you not getting a seat on the council,” pointed Twilight with a smirk.
“…maybe,” admitted Velvet. “Who told you that, anyways? You were too young to remember that.”
“Dad,” replied Twilight. After she became the Princess’ student, Night Light had filled Twilight with the usual behavior of upper class mages, fearing she may suffer the same fate his wife did. Thankfully for Twilight, the Princess’ protection meant that only foals like Sunset or Blueblood dared to mess with her.
“I thought so,” muttered Velvet. “Then again, perhaps my failure was for the best. Who can say where the road goes? It’s alright to wonder what could have been, but it makes no sense to long for something that will never happen. It’s not going to get you…” Velvet fell quiet and her ears swiveled. “Do you hear that?”
Twilight blinked and focused on her hearing. The sounds of the forest were the same as the other times. Only the ruffle of the leaves could be heard. It was unnaturally quiet. Twilight had yet to figure out why was that. The Whitetail Woods were far more noisy and full of life than the Everfree, a forest known for how dangerous it was.
“Yes, it sounds like somepony is screaming!” exclaimed Twilight, finally catching the sound. She and her mother shared a brief look, and then Twilight started a gallop, making sure to hold Sweetie Belle with her telekinesis. Velvet followed suit a second later. “Zecora’s is up ahead! Something must have happened to her.”
As they ran, the screams became clearer. It was a single voice, perhaps higher-pitched than Zecora’s. Twilight bit her lip. If something had happened to the zebra or that mysterious mare, she would never forgive herself. When the hut came into view, she sprinted and stormed inside, with her horn light up and ready.
Twilight had to double-take at what she found inside. Zecora was standing in the middle of the room, on a low stance that could only be understood as defensive. Opposite to her was the mutilated unicorn Twilight had found in the forest, standing on her hooves and looking strangely vivid. Both pony and zebra turned their heads when Twilight barged in, and a confused silence reigned for a second.
The injured pony was the first to talk. “Twilight! Thanks goodness you are here! Could you please tell this zebra who I am?” she said, pointing a Zecora. Her voice was rough and coarse. “She claims to know you; perhaps she will believe your word.”
“I…uh-w-what?” blubbered Twilight. “I-no…who-”
Zecora spoke up, rhyming in zebrican at an amazing speed. The injured pony frowned and swiftly replied in the same language, though she skipped the rhyme. Dazed, Twilight watched the two equines argue with each other, gradually escalating in volume and temper. The unicorn took a step to the door, but Zecora stood on her way; which only further angered the mare. Zecora pointed at her missing leg. The pony shook her head and said something in zebrican.
“What is going on in here?” asked Velvet, peeking through the door. Both Twilight and Sweetie turned to look at her, and gave a simultaneous, helpless shrug. “Huh, is that the mare you mentioned? She seems livelier than you said.”
“I-I know!” stammered Twilight. “She shouldn’t be up yet! I am amazed she is awake at all!” She bit her lip, uncertain of what to do. The pony was fighting with Zecora. Even if she couldn’t understand the language, it was easy to imagine what the dispute was about. But what could she say or do that would have a greater effect than whatever Zecora had tried before? ‘Hold on,’ Twilight blinked when her train of thought came into a halt. ‘She said my name, didn’t she? When did she-’
“Excuse me?” called out Velvet. The two equines went quiet and looked at her. The alabaster pony crossed the threshold and stood in front of the injured unicorn. “Look miss, I…did not understand a word of what you were discussing with Zecora here, but I can guess what it was about,” she said, with a gentle but strict tone. “You have to understand your health situation is dire, and you should let her take care of you until you recover. Please. You might disagree, but it’s for the best.”
At first, the unicorn’s eyebrows went so high up; they almost disappeared under her mane. A second later, her surprise transformed into a calm, mildly amused, smile. “Twilight Velvet, while I appreciate your concern, this is way too important. I must leave this cottage at once.”
Twilight Velvet blinked and gave her daughter a short glance. “How…do you know my name?”
“A-and mine, for that matter.” added Twilight Sparkle.
The unicorn’s eyes went wide, as if she had been asked how many wings a cat has. “W-well, Twilight,” she stammered after a long pause. “I think I should know the name of my younger student.”
Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. She stood there, gawking at the unicorn for a long moment. “P-princess Celestia?” she stammered, as tears began to pour from her eyes. The unicorn smiled and nodded her head. Twilight let out a choked sob and trotted into the inviting forelegs of the Princess.
***
Queen Lacera descended, making sure to land on her two uninjured legs. She grimaced when the slight shock transferred into the large bite of the foreleg and gave her a pang of pain. She looked back and scanned the sky. Nothing. She had made it. She had lost the Nightmare. But she was still in danger. She was weak, wounded and hungry. Flying was out of the question. Her wing muscles hurt to the point of being unable to fold them, hanging lamely on each side of her body.
Lacera pondered her options. The grassy field she was currently standing on was a poor place to be. It was exposed. To the north, she could see a small village, of no more than a hundred inhabitants. There she could find nourishment, but she was so exhausted she doubted she could transform. To the west, there was a solitary grove atop a hill. Lacera decided to make her way there first. Her injures needed to be tended.
Walking was a herculean struggle. It couldn’t even be called walking. It was more like dragging her two intact legs while avoiding to put any weight on her other foreleg. It was pathetic, and she realized that. She was lucky her two working legs were on opposing sides of her body. How low had she fallen to be thankful for that?!
The queen spat a blob of poison and coagulated blood to the side. In the course of a few hours, she had suffered an amputation, an injury that would leave her permanently lame, several fractures, and a straight-up evisceration. Lacera grimaced at that last one. That dammed alicorn had squashed her reproductive gear. However many drones she had left, it was all she would ever have. Squeezing her eyes shut, she reluctantly dove into the hive mind.
Cries of pain and calls for aid welcomed her. The decoys she had sent had died of exhaustion at some point, or perhaps the Nightmare had found and killed them. One by one, Lacera severed the connection of those drones that were damaged beyond repair. They were so few...most of her swarm was already gone. The queen hung her head in sorrow when the countdown reached ten and continued shrinking.
‘Two,’ she though, feeling her chest heavy like lead. That was it. Two drones was all she had left, now and forever. Her days of clashing against the other queens for dominance were gone. Pathetic! What kind of queen would she be from then on? Lacera opened her eyes, and bitterly ordered the two drones to meet her at the grove as quickly as possible. A second later, she corrected the order so they met her as safely as possible. They were valuable. Unique. Precious.
As she threaded towards the woods, Lacera realized something. While the pain on her right foreleg had mostly faded – except when she accidentally put any weight on it - her left hindleg still hurt as much. The changelings stopped and looked back at the stump. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. It looked exactly like a stump should look. Frightened by what she could find, she light up her horn and proceeded to peel the armor off her skin. The pitch-black plates came off with a slight yet pleasant itch, revealing the smooth lilac skin beneath.
Lacera’s heart skipped a beat. While her leg had been amputated at the lower gaskin, she was now missing up to her knee. A small flake of blackened flesh detached and fluttered down like a dead leaf. Her flesh was decaying at an alarming speed. The changeling queen gritted her teeth. “What kind of sick, twisted, wrenched crone would do this?!” she cried, stomping down in frustration with her only good front hoof. She looked back at the cursed stump, and shuddered when she considered what could have happened if she hadn’t checked out why it still hurt. The witchcraft was slow on what it did, thankfully, but Lacera wasn’t confident she would be able to figure out the spellwork before it had withered away her entire leg…or more. A more decisive solution would be more appropriate.
Lacera sat down, taking great care to avoid touching any body part with the stump. She closed her eyes and attempted to relax as much as possible, controlling her breathing and heartbeat. Two tortuous minutes later, she lighted up her horn, and a fraction of her magic took the shape of a misshapen rapier. Lacera glared at the mangled weapon for a split second…before it vanished into a lilac puff of arcane smoke. Lacera blinked, perplexed. “Fine, I’ll try something simpler,” she grumbled to herself. With some effort, she managed to cast something that resembled a kitchen knife. Disappointing, and not very appropriate for someone like her, but it would do the job. However, the knife lost its shape as soon as she moved it.
The changeling queen let out a hiss. The third and fourth attempts were no better than the previous ones. The fifth time, she settled for a small, pathetic scalpel. She inched it closer to her leg and steeled herself for the incoming pain. ‘One…two…three!’ But as soon as it touched her flesh, the instrument vanished into a rain of purple sparkles. Lacera screamed in frustration.
“Fine! Be that way!” she shouted to herself, jumping to her hooves. “If you can’t handle a bit of a sting, we can do it later! But you’re not getting away! No chance!” Lacera resumed her slow transit towards the forest, grumbling under her breath, cursing her back luck, her lack of guts, the Nightmare herself, and basically everything else that was in the world.
So focused she was on her rant that she failed to hear a buzz of wings until the newcomer landed to her very right. Lacera whipped her head around, baring her fangs. There stood another changeling queen, with violet mane, magenta eyes, and an impish smile on her lips. The two queens held each other’s gaze, one amused, and the other displeased. “Hello mother,” said the newcomer.
Lacera broke the eye contact and limped forward, pointedly ignoring the other queen. She clenched her teeth when she heard a sickish laugh. “Oh my! We are in quite a rush, aren’t we?” Lacera sped up, but the voice followed her, accompanied by the buzzing of her wings. “What happened to you, anyways? I could swear you escaped in a slightly better shape after our last encounter.”
“Miasma,” Lacera spat the word as if they were a disgusting maggot. “I really don’t have time for you, so why don’t you bugger off?”
“Tsk! You are as irritable and displeasing as I remember,” grumbled Miasma, hovering around Lacera. “Wait, is that a bite on your leg?” Lacera snarled and continued waking. “Did you have a face-off with a pack of timberwolves?”
“No!” hissed Lacera, glaring daggers at Miasma. “What kind of weakling do you think I am? The Nightmare herself found me! She did this to me! Not some stupid wooden dogs!”
Miasma was taken aback by the sudden outburst, but then smirked. “Huh! Impressive, you are so awful at hiding you managed to be found before that featherbrain of Ambrosia. Congratulations!” Lacera began to tremble in anger. She needed all her self control to not smack Miasma into the dirt. “Look how low you have fallen. I doubt you’ll be able to grow back that leg. The bite, perhaps. And where are your drones?” Lacera didn’t reply, but her stubborn silence was enough of an answer for Miasma. “You lost your hive? How did you even…You know? I don’t care. All I care about is that you are permanently out of the game.”
“I haven’t died yet, Miasma,” snarled Lacera “And I plan to be around for much, much longer! This is but a minor setback!”
“I bet you do,” cooed the other queen. “Sadly, plans don’t always come to fruition.”
Something on Miasma’s voice made Lacera pause. She hadn’t turned around when a telekinetic grip wrapped around her neck and lifted her off the ground, crushing her windpipe. The ancient queen let out a choked grunt, gasping for air. Miasma giggled as she calmly moved in front of her mother. “You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this,” she cooed, ignoring the baleful glare of Lacera. The two queens held each other’s gaze for a long moment.
“How dare you?!” snarled Lacera, unintentionally spitting poison. Miasma grimaced and wiped her face with a hoof. “How dare you! I am the reason you exist! You are nothing but an overgrown, discarded egg!” Lacera slid her good hoof under the magic ring and pushed outwards. The grip budged, and Miasma crooked an eyebrow.
Then, Miasma smirked deviously as a dense ring of magic appeared around Lacera’s neck, spinning expectantly. “How dare I? Because you are worthless. You have lost your small hive, and fragile health. Honestly, I don’t know why Chrysalis bothered to contact you. Even that airhead of Ambrosia is a better queen.” The face of the doomed queen was warped by the hate and anger, with her jaws gritted and a trickle of poison flowing from the edge of her mouth. Miasma stared intently, taking in the last moments of the life of her mother and rival. “Goodnight, mother,” she whispered.
“Y-YOU FILTHY MAGG-” Lacera began, but her outcry was cut short when the ring contracted violently. Her head hit the ground just a second later.
***
Celestia let out a ragged breath. She was contemplating her reflection on the reflective spell casted by Twilight Velvet. The Princess ran a hoof down her cheek, feeling the warped skin. It wasn’t painful, but the scarring was still jarring to look at. Turning her head, she studied her left eye. It was swollen and remained half closed despite her best attempts. Celestia raised a hoof and carefully touched her horn, biting her lip at the slight pain. The crack ran from the very tip to the middle, so there was a very minor risk of more severe damage. The crack would heal, with time; even the little missing piece of ivory in the center of the horn would grow back.
More worrying was her body. Celestia looked down, feeling her shoulders, torso, waist and hips with her hooves. Breathing was still painful, but nowhere as much as much as when she had woken up. And the ache on her body had been reduced to a numb discomfort. The scarring got worse as she descended down her body, until her skin was warped like a nightmarish map at her hips.
Celestia didn’t know what to make of her three missing limbs. Looking down, she could see the awful stump where her hindleg now ended. She had suffered similar wounds before, so she wasn’t as concerned as a mortal pony would be. Her wings, however, were a different issue. They were completely gone. Her back was smooth, as if she had never had an extra set of limbs sprouting from her shoulders.
“Well,” muttered Celestia, attempting to crack a small smile. “It could have been worse.”
“Princess?” said Twilight, sitting next to her. She raised her hoof to place it comfortingly on the Princess’ shoulder, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to hurt Celestia.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” said Celestia, closing her eyes. It was the closest thing to a lie Twilight had heard her say. “It’s just…there is so much to take in at the same time. I…” The mare inspired and expired deeply for several seconds. When she opened her eyes again, she looked slightly less miserable, and more determined. “I am afraid I have just caused the greatest crisis in Equestria’s recent story. And this time, I am powerless.” Celestia shook her head and leaned forwards with a grunt. Twilight hurried to hold her, but Celestia landed on her three hooves and straightened her neck. “Let’s go. All of us.”
“I am afraid must interfere,” said Zecora, who had been quietly preparing a potion for Sweetie Belle’s ailment up to that point. “You must rest, or else your health will deteriorate.”
“Zecora, there are far more important things at stake than my healt-” Celestia stopped short when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw Twilight Sparkle’s pleading eyes. Her determination quivered. “…fine,” she sighed. “We will go to the encampment, and I will sleep for the whole night. Is that acceptable?”
The zebra grinned widely. “You may if that is what you wish, though personally I find it unnecessary.”
***
Sunset Shimmer woke up with a start. She let out a groan and sat up straight on her bed, rubbing her eyes. Her ears swiveled around. It was quiet in the palace at the moment, but something had waked her up. The unicorn grouchily stretched her body, delaying just a bit more.
There was a loud crash. Alarmed, Sunset jumped off the bed and dashed downstairs, barely touching the steps. She skidded on the training chamber when she did a sharp turn and headed up the staircase that led to Nightmare Moon’s living quarters. Sunset climbed the steep steps as fast as she could, cursing under her breath. Why was Nightmare’s bedroom so much higher than hers?
Finally, she reached an intricately decorated door, which she flung open. Behind it was what seemed to be a combination of bedroom, living room and library, several times larger than her own. Every single piece of furniture was made of the same dark wood as the palace itself. Most of the walls were covered by bookshelves, cupboards and cabinets containing ceramic vases and jars. Filling the space were a few elegant tables with chairs, and many sofas and couches; often grouped together and accompanied with pillows. In the center sat a massive, alicorn-sized bed with curtains; and upon it, was the alicorn that owner that room. Nightmare Moon turned her head to Sunset and furrowed her brow. “What are you doing here?!” she snapped.
“I...uh. I heard a noise, and decided to investigate,” meekly replied Sunset. “In case somepony had broken in.”
Nightmare’s gaze softened a bit. “You followed our instructions; there is no need to apologize. Come forth, Sunset,” she said, making an inviting gesture with her foreleg. Sunset hesitated, but her curiosity was stronger. She trotted forwards, careful not to touch anything. Sunset noticed the furniture was around her size, too small for the large alicorn; with the bed being the notable exception. She reached her goal and glanced at Nightmare, uncertain. ‘What does she want?’
The alicorn smiled and tapped a spot next to her with a hoof. Sunset’s heart was pumping heavily, but she obeyed and sat on the bed. Nightmare Moon dwarfed her. “We fear something terrible has befallen to Equestria,” she said. Sunset tilted her head. It wasn’t what she had been expecting. ‘What was I expecting, actually?’
Nightmare Moon seemed different. Had her fetlocks always been that long? Had her chest fluff always been that dense? Had her fangs always been that sharp? When had her missing tooth grown back? And finally, when had she molted most of the feathers of her wings, and grown a bat-like patagium? She looked more intimidating, more menacing. Like a predator.
The alicorn didn’t seem to notice Sunset’s concern, and continued speaking. “Have you ever heard of changelings?”
Sunset crooked an eyebrow. “I don’t think I have, no.”
“They are unholy creatures that feed from the positive feelings of ponies,” explained Nightmare Moon, her lips stretching into a thin line. “They resemble ponies, but are not like us. Most are mindless drones that do their queen’s bidding without hesitation. The queens themselves are powerful beings, but vile and heartless. They exist solely to feed from us like leeches.” The alicorn paused, and furrowed her brow. “We wonder why our sister has failed to cleanse Equestria of their existence.”
“Are the changelings the evil you mentioned before leaving?” guessed Sunset.
Nightmare Moon nodded. “Indeed. We sensed a strange presence, and found a changeling nest not far from here.” The alicorn paused and bared her fangs. “We destroyed the hive and severely injured the queen, but the dammed bug managed to get away!” she snarled.
Sunset fidgeted with her hooves. “W-well, I am sure you did the best you could,” she said, trying to be supportive.
Nightmare Moon whipped her head around. “Are you insinuating we are not powerful enough to end that creature?!” she hissed, glaring the poor unicorn, who suddenly felt much smaller and weaker. The room temperature seemed to drop a few degrees.
“N-no! I-I didn’t mean it like that!” stammered Sunset, scooting backwards on the bed. ‘What have I said?!’
Nightmare’s gaze softened. Her anger faded as fast as it had appeared. The temperature rose to its former value and Sunset let go of a breath she hadn’t realized to be holding. “Hmn. Mayhaps you are right. We are just a single pony, after all.”
The young unicorn was breathing heavily. It had only been a moment, but the aura of the other pony had left her with a tight chest. Strong emotions of powerful unicorns could affect other ponies, but that wasn’t it. It was the sheer might of the alicorn, left unbound for a second, what was heaving on her like a slab of stone. “W-what do you mean?” weakly asked Sunset. Her eyes felt moist.
Nightmare Moon didn’t answer right away. Her eyes were fixed on the opposite wall, but her mind was elsewhere. Sunset could almost hear the cogs turning inside her head. The silence stretched for a minute, but Sunset didn’t dare to interrupt her. ‘It’s the first time somepony’s aura has affected me,’ though the unicorn. ‘Why? I am powerful unicorn. And it’s not the first time I have angered an alicorn. Why has it affected me today, and not that night when Celestia caught me? It doesn’t make sense. I am much stronger now-’
Sunset’s train of thoughts was interrupted when Nightmare Moon stood up and jumped off the bed. The bed suddenly sprung upwards and threw the unicorn off balance. “We have made a decision,” said the alicorn, moving through the room with agility and grace. “What we intent to do is fairly unorthodox, but it is necessary.”
Sunset sat up on the bed. “What do you mean?” she asked, watching the alicorn rummage inside a cupboard.
Nightmare Moon turned around, smirking and holding several crystals on her telekinesis. Sunset shuddered. They weren’t just any crystals. They were the shattered fragments of the Elements of Harmony. “It’s time for us to unshackle your potential!”
***
Twilight stirred awake. For the first time in days, she had had a quiet sleep, with no nightmares or bad dreams. It was nice for a change. She stretched her limbs, letting out a satisfied groan when her joints produced a satisfying ‘pop’. She pondered getting up immediately or delaying it a bit more. The mattress was comfortable. The campsite seemed quiet. Celestia was probably still asleep. Much to her surprise, the ponies hadn’t asked as many questions about the Princess as she had expected. They had accepted their explanations, and turned their curiosity to Zecora. ‘How is a zebra more unusual than a mangled unicorn?’ wondered Twilight, and instantly grimaced. It was painful, physically painful, to see Celestia like that. She looked as weak and fragile as Gatling, the century-old and recently-deceased archmage.
Then again, Commander Gatling was not a pony to be underestimated. From what she could recall, there were two young archmages below her in terms of power. Twilight could only hope Celestia would only appear frail.
Twilight opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with the baby blue eyes of Pinkie Pie. “Uh…h-hi,” whispered the unicorn.
Pinkie Pie looked miserable. She had bag under her eyes, her mane was a limp, lifeless curtain and, before Twilight spoke, her eyes were lost in the infinite. Upon hearing Twilight’s voice, Pinkie focused her sight on the lavender pony, and her lips curved in a tiny, sad smile. “Hi Twilight.”
Twilight felt her heart sink further. Her voice was weak, fragile. It didn’t match the bubbly mare she had seen not too long ago. “Hi Pinkie.” whispered back the unicorn. “H-how are you holding up?”
Pinkie’s weak smile faded entirely, and she let out a heavy sigh. In a sudden urge, Twilight scooted closer and wrapped the pink mare in a tight hug. Pinkie seemed to tense up for a moment, but relaxed a second later, embracing Twilight back, and burrowing her face into her chest. The unicorn let out a sigh. Her intent was to comfort Pinkie, but honestly, she could use the hug too. In a few minutes, both ponies were fast asleep.
Twilight woke up again sometime later, and instantly realized Pinkie Pie had left already. She sat up and stretched her limbs, groaning. The campsite seemed to have awoken not too long ago, as there were several ponies still sleeping, and the few working were only half-awake. Twilight opened the lid of the watch and frowned. Late morning. And yet, it was cold. Not the kind of cold that would require a coat to be outside, but certainly colder than it should be in summer.
After getting a couple of rations from one of the guards managing the food, Twilight made her way to the medical tents. After the initial surprise of seeing a severely-injured pony walk into the camp, they had assigned Celestia a tent to sleep in, and a doctor had given her a quick check-up, before letting her rest.
So when Twiligh opened the flap of the tent, she almost dropped the food when she found Celestia chatting amicably with a nurse. “Pri-er…why are you awake already?”
The princess smiled. It was the same calm, warm smile she had seen so many times, but it looked out of place on that gaunt body. “I was restless. I tried to leave, but Nurse Redheart here was adamant about me staying. She didn’t trust me to comply,” she pointed a hoof to the while mare, who smiled bashfully. “so she sat here with me, and a conversation sparked up. Did you need anything, Twilight?”
“I-I’ll be going,” said the nurse, getting on all four. “I’m sorry, I didn’t intent to stay for so long.” She stepped out of the tent, and turned to wave a hoof at Princess Celestia. “It’s been nice talking to you, Quill. It’s not too often that a patient is so, uh, talkative.” With that, Redheart left, leaving a very confused Twilight behind.
“Quill?” asked the unicorn when she finally regained her voice.
“I certainly can’t introduce myself as Celestia,” replied the Princess. She waved Twilight to come in, which the unicorn complied without hesitation. The tent was large enough to fit four ponies comfortably, and somepony had taken the trouble to put a mattress inside, and cover the rest with blankets to make sure whoever patient was stuck inside would be comfortable. Even in such a meager setup, the Princess had a certain semblance of royalty. Or perhaps Twilight was trying too hard to see her beloved mentor in that unicorn…
“Twilight, my dear, I see you brought me food, but I won’t be able to eat unless you let go,” came the gentle voice of Celestia. Twilight shook her head and realized she had been staring. Smiling sheepishly, she lowered one of the dishes and loosened her telekinetic grip, allowing Celestia to hold it on her hooves. It was a generous ration of diced carrots, peas and green beans. The Princess licked her lips. “Thank you Twilight. I am starving. Please, sit with me,” she asked, patting the empty space where the nurse had been sitting.
Twilight complied. It wasn’t the first time she had shared a meal with the Princess, but it was possibly the strangest. She levitated her fork and poked one of her carrots. She eyed it critically for a few seconds, remembering the sweet apples that Apple Bloom had gifted her. Her contemplation was interrupted when Celestia let out a yelp. “Princess! What’s wrong?” she asked, getting on all four.
The Princess was rubbing her horn with a hoof. Her face was contorted with pain. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” she whispered “I forgot I can’t use magic at the moment,” Celestia opened her eyes and gave Twilight an imploring look. “Please, sit down. There is no need for alarm.”
“A-are you sure?” squeaked Twilight, opening the flap of the tent. “I can call a nurse in a moment! It’s fine!”
“Twilight, look at me,” said Celestia. Her adamant tone made Twilight stop. She let go of the flap and turned her head, surprised by the sudden change on her mood. “I know you are used to see me as the monarch I have become, but I haven’t always been a princess,” She smiled, and her voice softened. “In the palace, I am okay with being pampered. It’s comfortable and it gives a good image to the emissaries from other nations. But now the castle is gone, and we are here. There is no need to pull a one of the doctors form tending another patient just so they can tell me not to use magic until my horn has healed.”
Twilight didn’t say anything. She remained on her hooves, shifting her weight from one side to the other, uncertain of what to make of Celestia’s words. The Princess let out a sigh and patted the spot next to her. “Please, eat with me, Twilight.”
Once again, Twilight complied, idly eating her vegetables while she watched Celestia do the same on the corner of her eye. Since Twilight had brought an unicorn fork, all the Princess could do was awkwardly hold the tool on her hoof, and use it to push the food closer to the edge of the dish, where she ate it like an earth pony would.
“I can tell there is something bothering you, Twilight,” said Celestia, setting down the dish and fork. It was empty, while Twilight was only halfway finished.
The lavender unicorn dipped her head and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Princess. I just hate to see you like this. I feel…responsible.”
“Twilight, no part of my current state is your responsibility,” gently said Celestia.
“Maybe if I had found you earlier-” began Twilight, but was interrupted by Celestia, who put a hoof on her lips.
“I would still be scarred, and both magically and physically crippled,” she said, shaking her head gravely. “What you are responsible of is finding me. You saved me, Twilight. Who knows what could have happened to me otherwise? The Everfree is a dangerous place.”
Twilight felt a chill descending her spine. She could have missed Celestia, and then she could have died inside that bush! It was a terrifying prospect, not just from the emotional attachment, but for how important Celestia was to Equestria as a whole. “You’re right,” she muttered. “Although I have been in the forest a few times now, and it hasn’t struck me as dangerous at all.”
No answer came. Twilight looked up, and saw Celestia completely still, with a shocked expression on her face. “Uh…princess?”
“You haven’t…no,” Celestia covered her mouth with a hoof, shaking her head restlessly and rocking back and forth.
Twilight was bewildered by Celestia’s reaction. When the Princess kept doing the same for several seconds, she panicked. “Princess!” Twilight repeated, grabbing the other pony by the shoulders. That snapped Celestia out of her trance. She came to a rest, and Twilight could feel her slumping on her grip. The princess blinked twice, before locking her pink eyes into Twilight’s.
“How many times have you treaded the Everfree?” she whispered.
“Uh…four times, I believe?” replied Twilight. She was still holding Celestia.
The white mare dipped her head. “Then I fear my sister might have harmed Equestria even more than I though.”
Twilight’s own shoulders slumped. “What kind of damage…” What Celestia had just said clicked, and Twilight froze for a moment. “W-wait, wait, hold on a second!” she stammered, waving her hooves. “Sister?! You mean Nightmare Moon is your sister?!”
Celestia recoiled as if she had been slapped. She took a deep breath, and remained quiet for a minute, before finally answering. “Yes, Twilight. Nightmare Moon is indeed my sister,” her voice calm and steady, but Twilight could see her fidgeting with her hooves. “I didn’t intent to say it so soon, but I suppose I can’t take it back now.” The princess looked away for a second. “You…probably have questions,” she said, hesitant. “Ask away, and I will do my best to answer them.”
Twilight was still shocked by the sudden revelation. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact that her loving, fair mentor was related to the madpony that had plundered Equestria into darkness. Her mind was buzzing with dozen of questions, but there was one that required to be answered first. “You said Nigthtmare Moon has harmed Equestria more than you though. What could possibly be worse than the eternal night, destroying the Sun, and the changelings? Or your own wounds, for that matter!” she said, pointing at Celestia’s missing leg. Once again, she felt a pang of pain at the Princess’ mutilation.
The former alicorn was quiet for a moment. “A full explanation would take very long, and there are some personal matters involved that I would rather not speak of,” confessed Celestia. Twilight blinked, surprised. Celestia very rarely outright refused to deliver information. The Princess caught her student’s confusion, and smiled “What I can say is that the Everfree Forest does not welcome visitors, and the fact that you’ve been undisturbed is unusual, to say the least.” Celestia stared at her half-empty dish for a moment, before shrugging and finishing off the rest of her food. “We’ll tackle that matter later. Right now, I would like to meet the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”
***
“Uh….hi?”
Apple Bloom’s ears swiveled around. That greeting was likely directed at her, but she chose to ignore it. She wanted to be alone.
“Hey, I am talking to you. Yellow filly with a bow on her mane. Helloooo?” insisted the squeaky voice, breaking at the very end of the last word. It would have made her giggle, in other circumstances.
“That’s a great bow, by the way. I should ask my sister to tie my mane on a tail,” there was a pause. Apple Bloom heard the sound of tiny hooves coming closer. “Hey, are you asleep?” she asked, giving her a nudge. Apple Bloom couldn’t ignore that anymore, and let out a grunt while she pulled herself deeper into the lump of sheets that served as her improvised bed. Even without the Sun, it was way too warm to be bundled up, but she wanted the comforting contact anyways.
“Oh, you are awake!” squeaked the voice. “Could you do me a favor?”
Apple Bloom raised her head, just enough to give the other pony a baleful glare. She was a white unicorn filly, about her age. Once she had made her point, she pushed her face back into the sheets.
“Good!” she said. Apple Bloom let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, you’re using my saddlebags as a pillow, and I kinda need to get them back? So I you could-”
The yellow filly sat up and looked downwards. Indeed, there was a pair of saddlebags bundled right below her head. She sighed, and carelessly tossed them in front of the white foal, hoping to be left alone once and for all.
“Thank you!” she happily squeaked. “You know, you seem kind of mopey, let me give you something!” That got Apple Bloom’s attention, who raised her head an inch and peeked through her mane with a single eye. She saw the filly turning the saddlebags upside down in her telekinesis. A small assortment of items fell to the ground. She shook the bag a few times, and a sticky mess splattered over everything else.
The two small ponies stared at the haphazard mixture of strawberries, frosting and biscuit. “Right,” muttered Sweetie Belle, still holding her saddlebags up in the air. “The cake…”
Apple Bloom stared at her in disbelief. “You put a cake on your saddlebags?”
“Well…yeah!” said Sweetie, dropping the bags and trying to, once again savage the cake with her telekinesis. At that point it would be a stretch calling it anything other than a sweet vortex. All the components were slowly being mixed into a homogenous paste. “Where else would I put it? I had this happen yesterday too, and I saved it! Well, mostly. I got rid of all the dirt and rocks and leaves and…” Sweetie furrowed her brow and shook the vortex. A small rain of non-edible objects fell, along with an alarming amount of edible portions.
Apple Bloom couldn’t help but smile. “Y’all are determined to save yer cake, huh?”
“Of course! Sunset always told me to never give up! Watch this!” Sticking her tongue, Sweetie began casting a spell. The contents of her vortex accelerated within her telekinesis, slowly separating by color and –presumably-composition. Apple Bloom’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know much about magic, but what Sweetie Belle was doing seemed quite advanced. And somewhat mesmerizing.
And then it caught fire.
Sweetie Belle yelped and lost concentration. What little remained of the cake splattered on the dirt, burning with emerald flames. Both fillies stared in bewilderment at the definitive death of the baked good. It burned for a minute, before the flames dies out, leaving behind a pile of ash. Apple Bloom looked up and met Sweetie Belle’s eyes. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, and then burst into laughter at the same time.
“O-ow!” said Apple Bloom, chucking her belly after a few minutes of uninterrupted mirth. Her sides hurt and her face ached from grinning, but she hadn’t felt so good in days. “Ah can’t believe you set fire to a cake!”
“Well, I mean,” squeaked Sweetie Belle, rolling onto her belly. She had yet to get on her hooves. “you can burn a cake when you bake it. Right?”
Apple Bloom giggled. “Yeah, but not after it’s done! It’s the first time ah hear of that happening.”
“It’s happened to me more than once,” admitted Sweetie Belle. She light up her horn and levitated a wrapped candy that had survived the fire. “Here, have one,” she said to Apple Bloom. The yellow filly took it on her hooves and muttered a ‘thank you’. “I am Sweetie Belle, by the way.”
“Ah’m Apple Bloom,” she replied, unwrapping the candy and tossing it onto her mouth. It was orange-flavored.
***
Celestia carefully studied each of the seven ponies gathered in front of her. It was a very diverse assortment of individuals. All mares, but amazingly different. She knew both Twilight Sparkle and Twilight Velvet already, but the only information she had about the other ones was mostly based on assumptions. Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Elements of Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Honesty and Loyalty; respectively.
Applejack was sitting on a stone, looking at Celestia with curiosity. Next to her was Fluttershy, unsuccessfully trying to stare at Celestia without being too obvious. The way she hid behind her mane made the Princess smile. Rarity was standing behind both of them, wearing a gambeson and with a spear propped against her shoulder. Her attention was somewhere else, her eyes fixed on the edge of the forest. Pinkie Pie was leaning on a tree, idly cleaning her hooves with a kitchen knife. Rainbow Dash was lying lazily on one of the branches of the tree, looking at Celestia with a mixture of curiosity and mistrust.
“Pinkie Pie, darling, could you please stop that?” asked Rarity. “You’re making me nervous.”
“…fine,” grumbled the pink pony. She twirled the knife around her hoof, and then drove it into the bark of the tree, leaving it there.
“Thank you,” said Rarity, nodding approvingly.
Celestia blinked. The new generation of Bearers were an interesting group, no doubt. The Princess folded her legs and sat down. Managing to convince the medical team to let her leave the tent to ‘stretch her legs’ had been a challenge on itself. Hopefully, the reunion would be short enough that they wouldn’t start looking for her. The privacy spell that Velvet had cast around them would be rendered useless if any pony purposefully looked for her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet the Elements of Harmony, even if the situation is not optimal,” she said, bowing her head.
“Shucks…” muttered Applejack, rubbing the back of her head. “It doesn’t feel right to see you like that, uh…Princess.”
Celestia nodded. “I am afraid I had a short but intense confrontation against Nightmare Moon. Though what left me in this state was my own attempt to free myself from the Sun, where she had sealed me.”
“Is that why you look so awful then?” asked Rainbow Dash.
Seven sets of eyes turned to her, with expressions that varied from Celestia’s daze to Twilight Sparkle’s poisoned daggers. Applejack was the first to break the silence. “Are y’all sure there isn’t an ‘Element of Lack of Tact? ‘coz I think Rainbow Dash would match that pretty well.”
“Or perhaps, ‘Rainbow Dash, the Element of Disrespect’ ” muttered Rarity, tapping her chin. “It has a certain ring to it.”
The sky blue mare rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah whatever. At least I match my Element. Speaking of which, Pinkie here is usually in a very bubbly mood,” she said, pointing to the pink mare. Twilight blinked. She could swear she was even skinnier than that very morning. Her skin was tightly stretched over her ribs. “She’s just been through some rough times.”
Celestia opened her mouth, but Pinkie spoke first. “The Element of Laughter is linked to optimism, more than being in a permanent good mood,” she grumbled, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “Life has ups and downs. The important thing is to look to the future with hope and trust.” A hint of a smile appeared on her lips, only to fade a second later.
Now it was Pinkie’s turn to be the focus of all the stares. Even Celestia was dumbfounded. “Y-yes,” she stammered after a long silence. “What Pinkie said is correct. The meaning of the Elements is not completely literal, much like a pony’s cutiemark might have a different meaning than what it could be suggested by its shape.”
“Wait, how do you know that?” asked Rainbow Dash, turning on her perch to look at Pinkie from above.
Pinkie shrugged. “There was a book on the Elements in the library.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow, decided there was no point on trying to understand, and turned back to her previous position.
“Speaking of library,” interjected Rarity, cracking a smile at Rainbow’s reaction. “We still have no clue what that surge from yesterday was.”
“Surge? What surge?” asked Twilight.
“Oh! That’s right, you weren’t here,” muttered Rarity. She rested her spear on the opposite shoulder. “Yesterday, I felt a faint wave of magic wash over me. It came from the general direction of Ponyville, and I suspect its root was what used to be our library.”
“I still think you’re making it up!” muttered Rainbow Dash up on her branch.
Rarity turned her muzzle up. “Ump! Excuse me, but I am absolutely certain that what I felt was as real as the spear I am holding. If you took the time to ask any other of the several unicorns who are currently stuck here, you’d find they can confirm what I said.” She paused, and gave Rainbow a baleful glare. “Also, I fail to see why I would make that up!”
“Ah’m pretty sure she is saying the truth,” interjected Applejack. “Why wouldn’t she? Besides, I did fell a very weird…thing just yesterday. A sudden shiver, outta nowhere.”
Rainbow Dash spun so fast she almost lost balance. “Wait, me too!”
“So did I,” muttered Pinkie Pie, giving her mane a toss.
All eyes turned to Fluttershy, who let out a faint ‘eeep!', hid behind her mane and nodded, apprehensive.
“It seems to me,” said Celestia after a moment. “that Nightmare Moon has used the Elements of Harmony. All five of you have bonded already with your Elements, and thus felt when they were being tampered with.”
“But I though the Elements could only be used by its bearer. Isn’t that why Sunset Shimmer couldn’t use them to stop Nightmare Moon?” asked Twilight.
Celestia nodded. “Indeed. You can’t use the Elements of Harmony unless you have been chosen to bear them. And while Nightmare Moon used to be a bearer, I am fairly certain that connection was severed long ago. Not to mention they can only be activated if all six of them are being worn by their respective bearers,” explained the former alicorn. Her frown deepened before continuing. “However, like any other artifact that contains magic, the energy inside can be used be taken and used for any purpose.”
“Such as?” asked Twilight Velvet. “I saw what Nightmare Moon did to the School of High Magic. I question whether all thirteen archmages combined could have had that output. With that kind of power, what could she possibly be doing that required more?”
“She must be trying to destroy the Elements, then,” muttered Rarity, somber. “Siphoning the magic out of an artifact is a very effective way to destroy the charm inside. She knows they are our best chance against her.”
Celestia shook her head. “Good observation, but thankfully you can’t destroy the Elements that way; their power doesn’t come from within, but from another source. I actually doubt they can be destroyed at all.”
“Nightmare Moon did shatter them, but they reformed later, when Sunset was getting ready to use them,” pointed out Rarity.
“And then they broke again when she couldn’t,” added Applejack. “Maybe we need all six ponies at the same time?”
“Well then what are we waiting for?” asked Twilight, jumping to her hooves. “We have to find the pony that will carry the Element of Magic!” The lavender mare tilted her head and smiled at Celestia “Do you think Shining Armor could be a good candidate? He is a very capable spellcaster!”
“Actually, my faithful student,” cooed Celestia, with a smile gracing her lips. “I already have a pony in mind.” Her eyes were fixed on Twilight.
“You do? Who is it? It has to be an unicorn, right? Is it Minuette? Lemon Hearts? Shoeshine? Libra? Moondancer?” Celestia didn’t answer. Twilight crooked an eyebrow. Having run out of close acquaintances, she began to name classmates from the School for Gifted Unicorns. “Blazing Heart? Thunder Clap? Hopeful Light? Blossoming Flower? Black Ribbon? Envy Apple? Glowing Stone? Er…Moon Dancer, as opposed to Moondancer?”
Celestia’s eyes flickered to the right, where Twilight Velvet was. Twilight Sparkle caught it, and her eyebrows went to high up that they disappeared behind her mane. “Is it mom?!” she asked, pointing with her hoof.
There was a pause, as Twilight waited for an answer. “I…hum. I think the Princess means…that you are the Element of Magic,” meeked Fluttershy. “I-I think.”
The lavender unicorn shook her head. “No, that’s not…” She fell quiet when she noticed Celestia was nodding. Twilight staggered as if she had just received a physical blow. She sat down, staring at the ground with a bewildered expression on her face. Twilight Velvet rested a supportive hoof on her shoulder, causing her to whip her head up. Mother and daughter looked at each other, one confused, the other concerned.
“Twilight?” came the gentle voice of Celestia. Twilight turned her head to the former alicorn and uttered a single word.
“Why?”
The smile faded from Celestia’s face. “I beg your pardon?”
“Why?” repeated Twilight. She was looking at her mentor with a rare intensity. There was none of the usual adoration on her eyes, just confusion. “If I am the Element of Magic, why did you send Sunset here, instead of me?”
Celestia lowered her head. Before she could say anything, Twilight Velvet interjected. “That’s what I would like to know too. What kind of twisted logic made you take that choice?”
The former alicorn let out a heavy sigh. “I couldn’t have known. The Elements do not present me with a picture of whoever they choose to wield their power. The best I can do is try to find a pony that would be a good candidate, and present him or her to the judgment of the Elements themselves.” Celestia ran a hoof over her non-existent mane. “You and Sunset, my faithful students, are not the first ponies I consider as bearers of Magic. Of course, there have been singular unicorns before, but only those that were close to my sister’s return made sense as candidates.”
Celestia closed her eyes, reminiscing on past memories. “The first was a stallion with a rather unfortunate name, who died many years ago. He would have been around seventy now. In hindsight, perhaps I was foolish to consider him. The next is…was Solar Eruption, the late Prime Archmage of Canterlot. Even if my sister hadn’t killed her, she was no longer suitable to wield the Elements, as greed and ambition nested on her heart. I feared she would use the power of the Elements to her own benefit.”
“She probably would,” agreed Velvet, still eyeing Celestia with hostility.
“Sunset Shimmer was the next one,” continued Celestia. “She isn’t all that different from how Solar Eruption used to be. I wondered if the Elements had somehow given me a second chance with that same pony, so I did my best to prevent her from striding away from me,” Celestia paused. A troubled look crossed her eyes from an instant, but it faded just as quick. She fixed her eyes on Twilight, and she smiled. “And then, just a few years later, you appeared. So wondrous. So full of curiosity, just for the sake of learning, the journey of discovery. You were perfect! Even your cutie mark seemed to hint at your fate!” Celestia’s expression turned somber. “But as years passed, the choice between Sunset and you didn’t get any clearer. You seemed better suited, but the Elements require a bond between the bearers to work! And in that regard, Sunset seemed to be a better choice.”
“What do you mean with that?” asked Twilight, honestly confused. “What kind of bond?”
Celestia hesitated. “I can’t prove or disprove if it is completely necessary, but from my past experiences, it is more than safe to assume the bearers must have bonded somehow before using the Elements. Trust, friendship, love, blood ties…any of them.”
“B-but…why would that disqualify me?” asked the purple unicorn. “I have plenty of friend.”
“No, Twilight. I am afraid you have two friends: Shining Armor and Spike,” countered Celestia. “The five unicorns you usually hang with are little more than acquaintances.” Twilight tried to protest, but Celestia raised a hoof. “You know their names and birthdates, but that is about it. I’m sorry. For instance, just a few days ago, you rejected the invitation to Moondancer’s birthday party, despite the fact that you had free time, and the obvious interest that mare has on you.”
“W-what?!”
“Sunset, she doesn’t have anypony she can actually call a friend, but she is far more sociable,” continued Celestia, ignoring Twilight’s fluster. “In the end, I had to make a choice, so I sent here the pony with the biggest chance to make friends with the other five future bearers,” Celestia paused, staring to the ground below her hooves. “Alas, I made the wrong choice.”
The small group fell quiet. Twilight observed Celestia. The usual calmness of the Princess was gone. Instead, the eyes of the mutilated mare darted back and forth while she chewed her lower lip. Once again, Twilight felt a pressure on her chest at the Princess’ fragility.
“What about us?” asked a voice. All heads turned to Pinkie, who was still leaning against the tree, with her forelegs crossed and cynical frown. “You keep talking about Twilight, but there are other Elements.”
Celestia hesitated. “The Element of Magic…chooses its bearer. There is only one pony who can wield them. However the other five, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty and Loyalty,” the mare pointed a hoof to each of the bearers. “Are not bound to a determinate pony.”
The answer lingered in the air for a second, until Pinkie again made the question everypony was thinking. “So that means we can walk away from this and let somepony else do it?” she concluded, giving her mane a flick. Celestia didn’t voice an answer, and just nodded sagely. Twilight looked around, suddenly aware that she didn’t have any bond with those five mares. Perhaps Sunset had, somehow, made friends with them in the single evening they had shared before the return of Nightmare Moon. But she hadn’t. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, all the deference they had to the Elements was through Sunset Shimmer herself. Now that she was the real bearer of the Element of Magic, they no longer had any commitment to stop Nightmare Moon.
Rainbow Dash spoke up almost immediately. “I don’t see how that changes anything,” she said nonchalantly. “C’me on! I would be a pretty awful Loyalty if I flew off now, wouldn’t I?”
“Rainbow Dash is right,” agreed Rarity. “We wouldn’t deserve to wield such ancient artifacts if we turned tails at the first sign of hardship.”
“Ah’m in for the rest of the ride,” drawled Applejack, nodding with determination.
“I’ve already lost as much as I can lose,” muttered Pinkie Pie. “No point on fleeing now.”
“I…um…I’d rather stay,” whispered Fluttershy, so gently she would have been unheard if it wasn’t for the absolute silence under the privacy spell. “U-unless you’d prefer to have somepony else.”
Twilight looked at the ponies that surrounded her. She had barely known then for a couple of days, and yet, they were willing to give her their support. Her lip quivered. “T-thank you girls,” she quaked, suddenly feeling much more optimistic about the future. “So what should be our next step?” she asked Celestia.
“Stealing the Elements of Harmony, if I am not mistaken,” interjected Twilight Velvet.
Celestia got on her hooves with some effort. Twilight moved to assist her, but the former alicorn raised a hoof and gently shook her head. “I am fine, Twilight,” said the Princess. “Now, as your mother correctly said, we need the shards of the Elements. Just like last time, they will repair themselves when their bearers call upon their power. And this time, they shall stay together.”
“I am concerned of how we are going to be able to use them on Nightmare Moon herself,” said Rarity glumly. “I don’t think the lights show from last time will work.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Celestia. “She will notice the Elements are no longer in her power, and will be expecting us. That is why, somepony has to…, well, force her into submission.”
Celestia’s words were met with incredulous looks. “Sooo…we just have to beat an alicorn in a fight,” said Rainbow Dash, voicing everypony’s concerns. “Awesome! Any volunteers?” she sneered, throwing her hooves on the air.
“Actually,” interrupted Celestia with a calm smile. “Twilight would be the perfect candidate for that task.”
A tense silence stretched for several seconds. It was broken by Twilight’s semi-hysterical laugh. “V-very funny, Princess!” she stammered. “Me, fighting an alicorn! What is next? A flying earth pony? Because both instances seem about as likely to me!”
“Twilight please, I need you to calm down so I can explain,” said Celestia, but Twilight was enumerating increasingly unlikely scenarios and making a rough estimate of the odds of success. It wasn’t the first time Celestia had seen it. Under pressure, Twilight seemed to enter overdrive mode, and her brain worked at full capacity. However, she also lost focus and rambled, so all that burst of intellect went mostly to waste. The Princess glanced at Twilight Velvet for assistance, but the white mare was staring at her with a mixture of confusion and hostility. Celestia decided she could have handled the revelation far better.
Help came from Applejack. The orange mare grasped Twilight by the shoulders. “Hey Twilight. Twi, listen to me,” She gently pushed Twilight’s cheek so they were looking at each other’s eyes. Applejack held her until her breathing slowed down and the tension on her body dwindled. “Take a deep breath, and hold it,” she muttered. Twilight did so, closing her eyes. “Now release it,” whispered Applejack three seconds later. Both ponies repeated the same pattern a few more times, until Applejack felt Twilight had calmed down. She let go of her, and the unicorn sat down, rubbing her eyes.
Twilight took a deep breath. “S-sorry about that,” she muttered. She kept her eyes stuck on her hooves even as she motioned Celestia to keep talking. “I am listening, Princess.”
Celestia let out a sigh. “I apologize, Twilight. I worded that terribly. You wouldn’t have to defeat Nightmare Moon. You would just have to stand your ground until the rest of the Bearers can come forth and activate the Elements. I would never put you in a situation I didn’t think you wouldn’t be able to handle.”
Twilight tilted her head. “I…still think you are asking for the impossible.”
“I…” Celestia looked away, chewing her lower lip. “…didn’t intent you to go against Nightmare Moon as you are right now. I can use the Elements of Harmony to…empower you.”
“And how would that help?” said Twilight, throwing her hooves up. “How much can the Elements do, that I would put up a better fight that Cadance? She is an alicorn and she almost got killed!”
“Well, for alicorn standards, Cadance is fairly weak so-”
“Celestia,” rang the chilled voice of Twilight Velvet. Celestia looked at the white unicorn, and found her two blue eye piercing on her like drill bits. “We have to talk in private. Right now.”
Celestia opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it a second later. “I am right behind you,” she muttered, lowering her head. Velvet abandoned the privacy bubble with the defeated Celestia in tow, leaving the six younger ponies behind.
“…wow,” muttered Rainbow Dash after a long pause. “Does anypony else think that’s an awful plan?”
“Perhaps, but as it stands right now, it is probably the best one we have,” replied Rarity. “Either Twilight challenges Nightmare Moon, or we have to find some other diversion.”
Applejack glanced at Twilight and smirked. “Ah think you can do this.”
Twilight had her eyes fixed on her mother and Celestia. The two mares had moved away several meters, and were now under an independent privacy spell. There was no way of knowing what they were saying, as Twilight could not read lips, but Velvet was furious, while Celestia had regained her royal poise and composure to a certain extent. “Well, you are mistaken,” muttered Twilight. She turned to look at her five companions, a mixture of fear and doubt clear on her expression. “I am not a battle mage! I wouldn’t last a second against Nightmare Moon!”
“Let me disagree with you there, darling,” said Rarity. “Perhaps you haven’t gone though any formal training, but I refuse to believe Celestia’s star student hasn’t done at least some amicable magical sparring.”
Twilight couldn’t help but crack a half smile at that. Those were actually fond memories. “Yes, Sunset and I did have magical duels every now and then. Well, I’d say they hardly qualified as duels. It was mostly just us throwing blazes as each other until somepony’s shield began to crack. Nothing as impressive as what the Archmages did.”
Applejack tilted her head. “Ah think y’all are comparing yerself with the wrong ponies,” she said. “Ah mean, if yer good at something, but y’all compare yer achievements with literally the best ponies at that, y’ll always going to feel like yer not good enough.”
“Especially now that those ponies are dead,” added Pinkie Pie before Twilight could answer.
“Pinkie Pie is right, even if I would have worded that differently.” Rarity added. “With all that has happened, you are probably among the mightiest unicorns alive.” Twilight blinked. She hadn’t considered that. Even back at the School for Talented Unicorns, she stood out. “I have an idea. Why don’t we have a little magic duel, you and I? It doesn’t have to be right now, of course. Just so you can measure you against a more average unicorn.”
Twilight opened her mouth to turn her down, but stopped herself. “You know?” she began, smiling to her own surprise. “I’d like that.”
***
“You cannot be serious!”
“Twilight, please if you let me expla-”
“Oh, sure! Go ahead! Try to explain to me why you want to have my daughter fight Nightmare Moon!”
Celestia glanced at the pony in front of her. Twilight Velvet was furious, and was showing it by trying to glare a hole though her head. She had all the reasons to be angry. Celestia hadn’t revealed her plans for Twilight as delicately as she should. “I admit the circumstances are not ideal. Trust me, if I had a better alternative to Twilight, I would draw upon it.”
“You said the Elements are enough to defeat Nightmare Moon!” grumbled Twilight. “What happened to that?”
“Like Rarity correctly pointed out, Nightmare Moon won’t fall for the same trick twice. Somepony has to defeat her before we can use the Elements.”
“Then what is the point of the Elements?!”
“They will cleanse her of the darkness that nested within her,” replied Celestia. “It’s the only way she will turn back into the pony she once was. However-” She stopped short, and looked away.
Twilight waited for her to continue. Celestia remained quiet “However what?” she prodded her after a few seconds.
Celestia hesitated. “It has to be done…as soon as possible. She is not as she used to be. Her captivity in the Moon has left her weakened, but she is growing stronger. I fear this will not only make it more difficult for Twilight to fight her, but also cause the Elements to throw her back into the Moon.”
“Yes, and we wouldn’t want that to happen to your sister, would we?” said Velvet dryly. Celestia’s eyes widened. “Your tongue slipped a while ago, while talking about Solar Eruption’s death. The girls heard it too.” Velvet smirked. “That is what this is all about, isn’t it? You and she are fighting over this kingdom like two kids fight over a cookie.”
Celestia recoiled as if she had been hit, but only for an instant. The mutilated unicorn’s eyes sparkled with anger as she stepped forwards, cornering Twilight Velvet against the edge of the privacy spell. “Velvet, I would appreciate if you didn’t joke about my sister’s condition.” Her voice was still calm and smooth, but it carried a threatening undertone. Despite being the same height, Velvet felt like Celestia was towering over her. “If it is not abundantly clear, Nightmare Moon has tried to get rid of me twice now. Once by murder, the second by permanent confinement. Not to mention the current state of Equestria. So please, refrain from mocking of the situation.” Celestia took a step back and Twilight Velvet released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. It was hot under the privacy bubble. “Now, could we go back to Twilight?”
Velvet nodded. “Yes,” she took a second to clear her dry throat. “Why my daughter?” She was still glaring at Celestia, but nowhere as bellicose as before.
“Because she is the best option,” simply replied Celestia.
“She is no warrior!” exclaimed Velvet. “Even if she is a fairly powerful unicorn, there has to be somepony better suited for this! Somepony from the army, one of the chivalry orders, or the militant magi!” Velvet ran a hoof through her bangs. “Does it even have to be an unicorn? The Wonderbolts are experienced soldiers! Heavens, how many Royal Guards do you have?” Velvet’s voice had slowly degraded into a choked plea.
“You know as well as I do that Twilight is not a ‘fairly powerful’ unicorn. She is an outlier, even for the high standards of the School for Talented Unicorns. You were there when she gained her Cutie Mark.” Celestia glanced to the group of young ponies. “I treasure Twilight highly, Velvet. I wish there was another way, but the way I see it, Twilight is the best.”
Twilight gritted her teeth. “She is my child,” she muttered, dipping her head.
Celestia let out a sigh. “It’s always somepony’s child,” she said in a faint whisper. “Or sibling, or parent, for that matter. I am sorry it has to be this way, Velvet. But Twilight will be fine.”
Twilight Velvet was quiet for a minute. “Can you promise me that?” She looked up, and both ponies held each other’s gazes. “Can you promise me Twilight will be safe?”
“I can’t make that promise, Velvet,” softly said the former alicorn. Celestia shook her head and a spark of fire appeared on her eyes. She raised her head and gently lifted Velvet’s chin with a hoof. “But this is an oath I can make: I swear I will make everything within my reach to keep Twilight safe.” She traced a cross over her heart with a hoof.
Velvet narrowed her eyes. “I hope that promise holds true.” She let out a huff and looked at her daughter. She was talking to the other five ponies, and seemed more shocked and confused than afraid. “It’s her decision, anyways.” she muttered grimly. “Twilight has always been happy to give assistance to whoever needs it. She has you in a pedestal. She will gladly fight your battle, and there isn’t much I can do to stop her. But answer me this one question…” Velvet closed her azure eyes. “The Elements can heal you, can’t they? Why don’t you do it?”
“W-well, my health is quite fragile right now,” awkwardly explained Celestia, running a hoof through her non-existent mane. “I f-fear putting me in such a stress would kill me.”
“Is that so?” muttered Velvet. “Or you just don’t want to fight her?” She gave Celestia a piercing glare, which the Princess quickly avoided. She didn’t reply. It was all the answer Velvet needed. “I see. Twilight will help you because that is the way she is. But if something happens to her, you will regret.” Having said her part, Velvet whirled around and walked off, nearly smacking Celestia on the face with her tail. The privacy field collapsed with a gentle ‘pop’ as soon as she left it. The Princess watched her go, with a knot on her throat.
“At least we agree on that,” she whispered.
***
“I can’t believe Celestia slipped her tongue again,” muttered Twilight.
“Me neither,” replied Rarity from behind her. “I mean, I don’t know her personally, but she strikes me as the kind of pony that wouldn’t reveal that kind of secrets lightly. Her mind must be a mess.”
Twilight attempted to nod, but it was prevented by Rarity’s gentle telekinetic grip on her mane. “I think so, yes. I can’t even imagine what she must be feeling right now. If I were immortal, and had been separated from my brother for a millennia, only to have him return and to kill me…” Twilight made a helpless gesture with her forelegs and tried, unsuccessfully again, to shake her head. “I can’t even begin to imagine it.”
“Darling please, you are making this difficult.”
“I’m sorry,” apologized Twilight. “Do you do this very often? Doing ponies’ mane?”
“A good look is composed of several things,” replied Rarity, running the brush down Twilight’s mane. “I am a seamstress, but to make a pony look fabulous, everything must be perfect. The coat and the mane are as important as what you are wearing. That’s why I learned to peigner manes. I am no professional, but I think I am quite passable.”
“I think you could do this for a living,” quietly said Fluttershy, looking up from the wing she was preening. “You do the most wonderful dos.”
“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Rarity smiled at the pegasus. “Don’t forget that I am doing your mane after I am done with Twilight’s.”
Twilight leg out a chuckle. “Are you going to everypony’s mane now, or something?”
Rarity smiled. “No. I just figured we could use this moment to do something useful. Watching over the tower is rather boring, if nothing happens. Perhaps I could do Pinkie’s. She has got such a gorgeous curtain of pink mane. And the poor dear could use something nice happening to her.”
Twilight looked to her right while keeping her head still. There, on the corner of her eye, was the tower where Nightmare Moon now lived. The ponies had established turns to watch over the palace and try to make out a pattern on the alicorn’s absences. In the last day, she had left a single time, and returned an hour later. Enough time to break in and get the Elements, but they couldn’t give it a try until they were absolutely certain there was no risk of getting caught.
Twilight turned her eyes to Fluttershy. In theory, it was Rarity’s and Twilight’s turn to watch, but the pegasus had offered to keep them company. The yellow pegasus was busy preening her wings, with her nuzzle buried in the soft down feathers of her left shoulder. Twilight briefly wondered how having wings would be. She idly moved one of her shoulders. She couldn’t wrap her mind around having an extra set of limbs sprouting from her shoulders.
‘By the way, she is adorable,’ she though, smiling at how the pegasus slowly made her way down her wing, straightening the individual feathers with her mouth and plucking out the weak ones. One of Fluttershy’s eyes turned in her general direction, and suddenly the pegasus stopped her preening and raised her wings to hide her face. “Eeep!” she yelped as her feathers fluffed up.
“I know it is interesting to watch, darling,” whispered Rarity on her ear while she clutched her shoulder. Twilight felt a shiver go down her spine. “But you are not supposed to stare pegasi doing their wings.”
“What! Oh no, I am so sorry Fluttershy!” quickly apologized Twilight, sheepish. “I’ve grown up almost only with unicorns, I have don’t know anything of pegasi customs and proper manners.”
“It’s a-alright Twilight,” replied Fluttershy, opening her wings. The unicorn could see her cheeks were tinted red. Rarity continued working on her mane, but the pegasus didn’t resume her preening, and instead fixed her attention on the tower. Several minutes passed. Twilight felt Rarity sliding a few hairpins into her mane. ‘Did she have a complete grooming set with her?’ she wondered.
“Um, girls?” muttered Fluttershy, pointing with her hoof at the tower. Both unicorns turned their heads. Indeed, the alicorn was standing on the balcony of the tree, with her large bat wings unfurled. With a few majestic flaps, Nightmare Moon took off and flew west, leaving behind a trail of specks of light.
Twilight stared at the alicorn until she was out of view. She opened the neck watch and levitated paper and quill. “Hmm…it is five-fifteen in the evening,” she said as she wrote. “It’s been eighteen hours since the last time she left. If this is anything to go by, she will be leaving the tower fairly regularly. That is good.” Twilight put down the paper and let out a sigh. “Sadly, right now the sample size is too small to draw any relevant information.”
“We’re not in a hurry,” said Rarity. “We can keep doing this until we get the pattern.”
“If she has any pattern at all!” countered Twilight. “That is what frustrates me. What if in three days, she stays in the tower for a week? We would be stuck staring at a mutated tree for…” The unicorn fell quiet and her eyes widened. “Who is that?!” she hissed, pointing at the tower.
Rarity and Fluttershy turned her heads to the tower. There was a yellow pony on the balcony of the tower. Rarity and Twilight squinted to try to get a clear picture. “I think it’s an unicorn, darling.”
“I think so too, yes.” agreed Twilight.
“Oh dear…” muttered Fluttershy, covering her muzzle with her hooves. “That’s Sunset Shimmer.”
“No, that’s impossible,” stated Twilight.
“Twilight, um…we pegasi have better eyesight than ground ponies,” she explained. “That pony is most certainly Sunset.”
“But w-why…why would Sunset Shimmer be in the castle of Nightmare Moon?!” shrieked Twilight, causing the pegasus to cower behind her mane, and regretting it instantly. “I-I’m sorry Fluttershy. Just….it makes no sense!” She stared at the distant figure. There was red on her mane and tail, but Twilight refused to believe it. “Wait, let me try to make a magnifying sp-” All three ponies gasped at the same time when the distant pony spread two golden wings and took flight. It wasn’t the polished flight of an adult pegasus, but the clumsy and awkward glide of somepony who had barely flown before. She ascended in a lazy, broad spiral; then paused for a few seconds above Ponyville, and threw herself into a dive, howling in bliss as she fell.
“…okay,” muttered Twilight, watching the pony open her wings and fly upwards. “That’s Sunset alright"