HiE - A Hollow in Equestria

by Charlie_K

Chapter One Hundred Three

Chapter One Hundred Three

Bonbon had absolutely hated the idea of Lyra venturing off into the Everfree Forest for the purpose of going to confront Nightmare Moon head on. The only thing worse than that was the fact Lyra had gone off without her.

It should've been her out there in the forest right now. She was the one who was best qualified for such a dangerous operation, even if she was an earth pony, even with Lyra learning offensive magic from Twilight. She was the one with the knowledge, with the techniques, and the technology that would've benefited everyone the most.

But Lyra would have none of that. She had attempted to raise such issues while still maintaining her cover, only to be shot down. And when the mint green unicorn was assertive... sweet Celestia she could be intimidating. The way she'd spoken when telling her to remain back in Ponyville where it was safe, and the tone of voice she'd used had made a shiver run down her back. Whether it was a good shiver or a bad shiver, she didn't know at the time.

She found herself back at home, uncertain of what to do with herself as she waited for news of whatever was happening. The only thing she really could do was pace anxiously as time moved at what felt like a snail's pace. She really should've been out in the center of town waiting. The only real difference between pacing out in the open with the others who remained, and pacing back in her home, was that she could actually see what was in her path and not trip over something.

Not for the first time since she got back, and likely not for the last, she contemplated returning to the center of town to see what the news was, even though there was nothing any of them could do but stand around and wait. But it felt rude to be here back at home, rather than standing around outside.

Although such thoughts halted at the sound of the front door being opened, bringing her out of the kitchen to see Ulquiorra walking through the door with Lyra currently perched atop his back.

She watched, uncertain what to make of the entire display as Ulquiorra crouched down to let Lyra climb off his back and stand on her own again, giving her an unobstructed view of her friend's current condition. Her mane and coat were both filthy and in need of a washing, and her right hind leg was injured, evidenced by the fact she was currently favoriting it and trying not to apply any weight to it as she stood.

Concern and confusion temporarily gave way to relief at the sight of Lyra still alive, and she quickly moved across the living room to pull her friend into a tight embrace, thankful she was back home safe.

"If you ever do something that stupid again, I swear I'm going to bite you next time. And not in a good way," she warned, before pulling back. "What happened to you? Are you alright? You look like you got ran over by a loose wagon!"

"Yeah, Bonnie, I'm alright. I just had a little accident, it's no big deal," Lyra replied absently.

"No big deal? Lyra, you ran off to face Nightmare Moon, and you came home injured. How is that no big deal?" Bonbon asked.

"You'll laugh," Lyra sighed, "Bulk Biceps fell on me when Nightmare Moon picked him up and tossed him away."

"Unbelievable as it may seem, it did happen that way," Ulquiorra stated, speaking up for the first time since his arrival.

Bonbon did indeed laugh in response. But it was the sort of laugh one gave when a tense situation diffused into a sense of relief.

"I'm just glad you're alright," she replied and hugged Lyra again. "What about the others, are they alright? What about Twist, is she with them?"

No one seemed to be in any big hurry to respond, and that in itself was concerning. It made her pull back to look Lyra in the eyes to try and decipher what was going on.

"Lyra? Where's Twist?"

"Bonbon," Lyra started hesitantly as she tried to find her voice, "I..."

"Twist is dead."

The blunt, straight to the point statement from Ulquiorra caught Bonbon off guard, leaving her both horrified, and wondering if she'd heard him right. Her little sister was dead?

"Nightmare Moon took her not only as a hostage, but also a host, to use her body as her own for her return. The Elements of Harmony were out of commission at the time, meaning the two couldn't be separated from one another. Difficult choices had to be made," Ulquiorra continued further. "There were no other options available. I was forced to kill Twist in order to kill Nightmare Moon."

Bonbon's mouth hung open as she dropped to her haunches at the revelation, far too shocked to speak.

"Whatever measure of comfort it may be, she didn't suffer. Her end was quick."

Bonbon's right hoof connected across his face, driven by a will that wasn't her own as something inside of her had just snapped. Whether it was his monotone delivery, or the words he spoke as he delivered the news, or even Lyra's efforts at physically comforting her, she didn't know what had been the final straw.

"Get out! Get out! I don't ever want to see you, just get out!" she screamed only semi-coherently as she tried to lunge at him, only held back by Lyra being in her path.

On Ulquiorra's side of the divide things were no better, but for entirely different reasons. He was well aware of how the ponies viewed both himself and his methods with fear, revulsion, displeasure, and a number of other negative emotions. But as he watched Bonbon breaking down into hysterical crying as she clung to Lyra, he was struck with uncertainty. This... felt wrong.

He felt compelled to do something in response, but exactly what that something was, he didn't know. Should he heed her demands and leave in order to give her time to sort things out? Should he remain present and allow her to properly vent her frustrations and pain against him?

Leaving the two in their current state didn't strike him as the right thing to do, but he couldn't explain why. Nor could he really explain what benefit could be achieved by his presence, other than letting Bonbon physically wail on him until she succumbed to exhaustion.

In the end, taking his leave was the only thing he could do, quietly stepping out the front door and closing it behind him with equal quietness. His continued presence would only serve as an irritant for Bonbon. There was nothing that he could either do, or offer to her, that would make up for his actions.

None of this was right. He wasn't prepared for this. He was a weapon, to be pointed in the direction of an enemy in need of being killed. His skills didn't include anything that applied in situations like this, after the battle was ended and the emotional fallout needed to be dealt with.

"Damn it."

There were far too many conflicting sensations right now, each of them wrestling for dominance in dictating what course of action was proper to take under these circumstances. There were also far too many questions about what should be done. But he did know of one thing that not only could be done, but likely needed to be done. Barring information that could be beneficial and suggest otherwise, he would do just that.

---

The hard plastic seats/benches/structural engineering atrocities of Ponyville General Hospital were hardly known for their comfort factor, especially over the long term. But in Twilight's current state she hardly noticed such. Her mind simply refused to absorb and process any new information presently.

She barely remembered the trek back from the Everfree Forest to Ponyville. Nor did she really remember the decision to move from outdoor triage to back at the hospital proper. She knew it happened, as she was here presently, but it was all nothing more than a blur to her at the moment.

Rainbow Dash was currently unconscious and showing no signs of rousing anytime soon. Nopony had been able to figure out how to get the remnants of her armor off, so there had been little choice but to leave it on her as she rested. Hardly ideal, but jostling her about wasn't a better alternative. She had fought against fatigue and exhaustion to the bitter end, holding out just long enough to receive confirmation from Ulquiorra that Nightmare Moon was indeed dead at last, before promptly passing out, and needed to be carried out of the forest on Applejack's back. Currently she was resting in one of the hospital beds, hooked up to an IV, provided with a mild sedative to ensure she rested, and given a high-level dose of broad-spectrum antibiotics to ensure she didn't get an infection from Nightmare Moon's bite.

Lyra had escaped serious injury with nothing more than a dislocated hip. She had been among those that were lucky, but others hadn't been.

Ditzy had suffered a detached retina. Whether or not it could successfully be reattached remained uncertain.

Thunderlane had suffered a concussion. The true extent of the damage done had yet to be discovered, but the change in his tone of voice in the aftermath didn't suggest anything good. She was no vocal expert, but she thought he sounded like Applejack's cousin, Braeburn.

Bulk Bicep's wings had been crushed by Nightmare Moon in her rage, necessitating word being sent for specialists up in Cloudsdale. Whether or not he would ever be able to fly again was anypony's guess.

Vinyl... her larynx had been crushed in a choke hold by Nightmare Moon, before she'd been flung away like trash. She was going to need numerous reconstructive surgeries and physical therapy to undo the damage that'd been done, and even then there was still no guarantee she'd ever be able to speak again.

Big Macintosh had suffered a fractured skull from tanking so many blows from Nightmare Moon, although the doctors were fairly confident there would be no serious long-term damage to be concerned about, as the fractures were all hairline. But there were just so many of them...

The list of injured ponies just went on, and on, and on. They didn't even know the full extent of injuries and damage yet, as it was still being tallied and accounted for. What made it even worse was the fact they were injured because of her and her friends. They were injured because of her...

She had been forced to watch helplessly for weeks as these ponies and countless others were preyed upon and attacked, subjected of mental atrocities few could truly imagine. As a result of that, her own objectivity had been compromised. She hadn't been the voice of reason when they'd needed it. She'd allowed her own anger to cloud her judgement. Ulquiorra's warning and advice had been ignored in the name of vengeance, and the misguided belief that they could do better than he could. Now look at where they were...

If they had simply remained behind, rather than charging into danger like they could do something about it, none of them would be where they were now. Twist would still be dead, slain by Ulquiorra's hand, and she knew that for a fact. But none of the others would be injured from a battle that wasn't theirs to fight. Celestia and Luna wouldn't be depowered and vulnerable. And she wouldn't currently be experiencing a massive sense of guilt over the part she'd essentially played in killing an innocent foal.

What she felt currently was far, far worse than what she'd felt with any other death on her conscience right now. Worse than when Ulquiorra had essentially forced her to help him kill the changelings in Ponyville. Worse than what she'd felt over the death of Cupid. Those could be rationalized away as not being her fault, and she knew it. But this was different. This couldn't be rationalized away, no matter how much her mind might try; not after everything that they'd done To Nightmare Moon, all the while not knowing she'd taken an innocent filly as a physical host.

This mess had been all their fault. All her fault. They had seen fit to interfere, forcing Ulquiorra to restrain himself for their own safety. They had meddled with what was his business, forced him into a disadvantage, nearly gotten him killed, and had to clean up the mess afterward.

Over, and over, and over again, these thoughts and more played out in her mind in an endless loop, showing no signs of letting up.

How many more deaths was her name destined to become associated with? Ponyville seemed to get besieged with at least one crisis a year, there was no reason to think tonight was going to be the end of world-threatening events developing. How many more deaths was she going to wind up playing a part in, either directly through her own actions, or indirectly simply by being in the vicinity?

A squeak on her left side finally pierced through the haze of her own thoughts, alerting her to the fact that somepony had set down next to her. Turning her head, she saw that it was Applejack currently making use of the next seat over.

"Hey."

Short, simple, but not the sort of greeting she'd expected to encounter. Not under the present circumstances anyway.

"We're all bunkin' in RD's room fer the night."

Again, short and simple. She could appreciate that, but not right now. All she could manage in response was a detached grunting noise to signify she'd heard the statement.

She expected there to be more from Applejack, but all she was met with was silence from her companion, and the general commotion that was associated with a hospital. She waited, but Applejack continued to say nothing.

Turning her head once again, she saw Applejack looking back at her. Sort of. She was looking at her, but not directly at her. Not like she was waiting for any sort of response before continuing to say whatever she had to say. She was just sort of there in a way.

"Ah reckon Ah know what yer goin' through right now, Sugarcube."

That statement nearly earned a humorless chuckle in response, but she just couldn't muster it.

"Do you, now?" she asked.

"Ah was forced ta kill mah friends an' family. So, yeah, Ah do," Applejack replied.

Ouch. She'd forgotten about that small detail. And now having it presented to her again made it hurt anew as she remembered the incident. Simply because Applejack's ordeal had been an illusion brought on by Nightmare Moon, didn't make the trauma of what she'd experienced any less real for her to languish over.

"I'm sorry."

"It's a'right. Ya were there fer me when Ah needed ya most. Ya kept me from breakin' like RD did. So the least Ah can do is be there fer ya in turn," Applejack replied.

Despite how she presently felt, Twilight couldn't help but smile at Applejack's words. Right now that honestly meant a lot to her, even if it was only a small measure of comfort.

"Thank you."

Applejack's response came in the form of pulling her into a hug and holding her close, despite the awkwardness of the chairs they currently resided in. But she didn't mind, as the awkwardness was a small price to pay for the measure of comfort she was experiencing from the hug right now. She needed this, even if she didn't really deserve it.

"Now. Ah'm gonna give ya a piece o' advice 'bout this, even though Ah know ya probably won't take it. That advice is ta stop thinkin' 'bout what happened."

Applejack was right. She probably wouldn't take that advice. She didn't have a clue how she could even go about doing that right now.

"But-"

"If ya don't listen ta me then Ah'm gonna spank yers. Now don' interrupt," Applejack warned. "Sugarcube, Ah've been there. But thinkin' on what happened isn't gonna change it, no matter how much ya want it to. Ya gotta put it outta yer mind, even if ya think it's impossible. The longer ya dwell on it, the worse it's gonna be. It'd be best jus' ta stop now, rather than stoppin' later."

Twilight shook her head in response. "I can't do that, Applejack. This wasn't an illusion this time around, we can't deny it happened. We not only killed another pony, but we played an active part in the act. We gave Ulquiorra the power and strength he needed to kill her. It's no different than if we murdered her ourselves with our own hooves."

"Yes, it is different, Twilight. We mighta played a part in what happened, but all we were doin' was helpin' Mr. Cifer so he didn' die. That's all you, and I, and everypony else did tonight. Nightmare Moon killed Twist, not us. Ah know it's hard ta believe right now, but that's what happened, whether or not ya choose ta believe it."

"Applejack-" Twilight started, only to be interrupted once again.

"Twilight. Listen, Ah could argue back an' forth wit' ya on this fer a couple o' hours, an' likely not get anywhere. So ta save some time Ah'll jus' say this. What if Nightmare Moon planned on this, so whatever victory we had was, er, whadda ya call it, pyrophobic?"

"Pyrrhic," Twilight clarified without even thinking. "Do you think that's actually the case?"

"Would you really put it past her, with all o' her schemin' an' such?" Applejack asked in a non-answer response. "She had a lot o' tricks up 'er sleeve ta use against us, stuff ta ensure her advantage an' such. So what if she had a final "up yours" in mind, in the event she did lose, knowin' full well that it'd have this sort o' result?"

"That's an awful lot of conjecture," Twilight pointed out before sighing. "But at the same time it makes a disgustingly, disturbing amount of sense. Nightmare Moon was sadistic and vindictive in her methodology; I've got the reports as proof of that. And now that you said that, I honestly can't stop thinking about it being a possibility. It would make perfect sense for her to pull something like that," she said and groaned.

Applejack, in response, merely rubbed her back in a supportive manner.

"That would mean the only way to really deny Nightmare Moon victory, is if I stop thinking about this myself," Twilight continued, before groaning again and hanging her head. "Why did you have to go and fill my head with such thoughts anyway?"

"So ya'd have enough reasonable doubt ta forgive yerself without feelin' guilty 'bout doin' it," Applejack replied.

Twilight slowly lifted her head up to look at Applejack in response to her words. She was smiling back at her, despite how exhausted she must've felt just below that friendly veneer she was presently wearing. A veneer that was infuriating yet oh-so welcomed all the same. It was a friendly, bright smile one friend would give when they wanted another to believe everything was alright, even if it really wasn't, because that was the narrative they wanted to sell above all else. It was a narrative she was having a hard time arguing against.

Not that she didn't try to mount an argument in response, but it just didn't stand up under scrutiny to that friendly smile she was in need of right now. It was like the forces of darkness trying to stand in opposition of the sun, and withering away in the process.

"Why did you have to go and be so smart?" she asked, all the while trying to determine if she should be mad at Applejack, or thankful.

"Well when yer roommate is one o' the smartest ponies in all Equestria, ya tend ta pick up these things," Applejack replied.

Another smile on her part, despite how she presently felt. This wasn't fair, not at all.

"Ah know this isn' gonna make ya forget about wha' yer feelin' right now. Ah don' think anything ever will. But does it at least help, even jus' a little bit?" Applejack asked as she continued to rub her back in a supportive manner.

"No," Twilight replied and shook her head, "not right now anyway. I think my brain has reached the critical threshold of not being able to process any new information without rest."

"Well then let's go an' take care o' that. C'mon," Applejack said as she climbed down from her chair.

Twilight wanted to protest, but she honestly couldn't find sufficient reason or energy to to attempt such. It would be a futile struggle, both with applejack and herself. So rather than resist, she silently complied and began following after Applejack.

---

The walk to Rainbow Dash's room had been mercifully short, which was just fine with Twilight at this point, being far too tired for any greater deal of physical exertion than was absolutely necessary.

The hospital staff had been kind enough to supply their group with spare blankets and pillows from storage upon learning that they planned on stay until Rainbow Dash woke up again. But they were hardly being utilized appropriately right now, as everypony was more or less sleeping in a pile on the floor. Everypony other than Rainbow Dash, who currently rested in her own hospital bed due to the aforementioned IV.

They were dirty, disheveled, and obviously quite sore, but they were all together and looking quite comfortable in the presence of one another as everypony was essentially serving as pillow duty for one or another.

"This isn't exactly the slumber party I had envisioned when you predicted one following Nightmare Moon's defeat," Twilight whispered in an effort to not wake anyone as she carefully stepped into the room.

She surveyed the situation carefully in the dim light, before moving to settle down and pressing her own body up against Zecora's. The zebra stirred momentarily, but ultimately didn't wake up and merely settled back down once again, sinking into the touch as much as she could.

Before she could even close her eyes in an effort to rest, she found Applejack stepping over her, and laying down next to her, leaving her sandwiched between them. The matter could've ended then and there without so much as a second thought. But it didn't. Instead, without even a single word, Applejack rolled onto her left side, and wrapped her forelegs around her while scooting even closer, leaving her in the position of her face practically being buried in her friend's chest fluff.

"Ya jus' try ta sleep now, Sugarcube, Ah'll be here in case ya need anything," Applejack whispered in a reassuring tone. "An' no snorin', Ah'm mighty ticklish there," she added.

Oh how the tables had turned...

Twilight wanted to respond, either with a nod or a laugh, but found she didn't have the strength to do either right now. All she could do in response was simply close her eyes and mumble incoherently, uncertain of what she was even saying.

The situation wasn't perfect; not by a long shot. But for right now, in this particular moment, surrounded by her friends as they were all safe and sound, it would be acceptable. They could deal with everything in the morning, but for right now, this was all there was for her and them.

"Ah love ya too, Sugarcube..."

---

Being the palace physician, Malar was no stranger to being forced to keep odd hours in his line of work. Although it was rare for him to be awoken in the dead of night because of a case the night shift couldn't deal with on their own.

This was one of those rare occasions he currently found himself in. But the patient circumstances were another story.

"So... what exactly happened?"

He understood -he thought so at least- the patient on the examination table was Princess Celestia. But he had never really seen her so vulnerable before. So small. So powerless. So adorable!

Honestly, she looked a little bit like his niece cosplaying as Princess Celestia, only somewhat taller and with a better looking horn.

"Nightmare Moon decided on a comeback tour," Celestia replied, her voice somewhat higher -almost squeaky- than it'd been previously. "We fought against her hard, but neither Luna nor I were strong enough to take her on, even when we were working together. So I transferred my magic to Luna in hopes that it would benefit her."

"And that's how you wound up in your current state?" Malar asked.

Celestia nodded. "The regal form... requires a certain degree of magical energy to be maintained. So when I transferred all of my magic to Luna, I reverted back to what you see before you. Back to what you might call my "real" form."

That was information Malar hadn't expected to be made privy to. And now that he had it, he wasn't really sure what to do with it. To think, this cute little filly before him was what Celestia actually looked like when she wasn't powered up in her Princess mode.

"Did it work?" he asked.

"I don't know," Celestia replied and sighed. "Luna had me removed from the scene immediately after. But on the way back to Canterlot I could feel my magic slipping away from her. I honestly don't know what happened. Right now I can only hope for the best, and wait to see what develops. In my present state I can't even exercise basic levitation, much less make contact with Luna."

"Oh," Malar replied, not sure of what else to say in light of such. A change of subject was needed. "So, Your Highness... this is what you look like under all that... pomp?"

"Essentially, yes. Although it's been quite a few centuries since I was last like this," Celestia replied. "I didn't realize just how much it's messed up my physical perspective of things. Everything looks so much bigger now as a result."

"Well, welcome down to our level, Your Highness," Malar replied with a friendly grin. "I'll be honest, seeing you like this gives me sort of a nostalgic sense from when I did pediatrics during my residency. You're as cute as the dickens right now."

The resulting pouty scowl of indignation as Celestia folded her forelegs, in a desperate effort to not crack a grin at the comment, did absolutely nothing to change his evaluation of the matter. If anything it just confirmed it further!

"I can assure you, Doctor, I'm the same mare who recruited you all those years ago," she replied, "and the same mare responsible for your paychecks," she added.

"Oh I'm well aware of that fact, Your Highness. Believe me, I don't respect you any less, just because of your present condition," Malar assured her. "Now, would the patient care for a lollipop?"

Celestia just sighed in response. "Green apple, please..." she grumbled softly as she glanced down at the floor.

For Celestia, it was equal parts considerate, and embarrassing that Malar undid the cellophane wrapping around the requested treat before holding it out for her to take in her mouth.

"Alright then, while we wait for news on what's developed, what say we have a look and make sure there's nothing else wrong with you. If I'm going to be up at such an early hour, I might as well be working," Malar stated.

"Yes, well, I apologize for that. It certainly wasn't my idea," Celestia replied around the candy tucked in the corner of her mouth. "What time is it anyway?"

"Wednesday, July fourteenth. Presently four-seventeen AM."

Both Celestia and Malar looked up at the sound of a third, unexpected voice in the room, and turned to see Ulquiorra presently standing in front of the infirmary doors. How long he'd been standing there observing them, and how he'd entered the room without being noticed, were both a mystery at the moment. But they knew he had his ways of doing such.

He'd even retrieved his jacket and satchel, indicating he'd been at the palace for a while now.

"Is Nightmare Moon dead?" Celestia asked as best she could under present circumstances.

"Quite dead. She will not be returning for a third time," Ulquiorra confirmed.

For the first time in a very long time, Celestia let out a sigh of genuine relief at this news. Or at least partially, as there was still more that needed to be done.

"And the others? Are they alright?" she asked.

"Such would depend entirely on how one defines being alright," Ulquiorra clarified, before continuing on. "During our absence, numerous other ponies joined in the fray against Nightmare Moon. Numerous injuries were sustained by those present. But of those injured, none appear to have suffered anything life-threatening. Not to the best of my ability to determine at least."

"And fatalities?" Celestia asked hesitantly.

"Five foals," Ulquiorra confirmed. "The initial four victims, Peachy Petal, Aquamarine, Firelock, and Bee Bop. Along with Twist, who Nightmare Moon was utilizing as a physical host for her return."

Again, Celestia sighed, but not out of relief this time. She honestly wished she could say that this turn of events surprised her, but she couldn't. Nightmare Moon taking a host body, rather than simply creating her own, was her standard way of doing business, as Luna could attest.

Perhaps the fact it was a foal this time around was why Ulquiorra insisted he was the only one qualified for killing Nightmare Moon. Perhaps, unlikely as the thought may be, he had actually been trying to spare them the mental suffering they would've experienced if they'd succeeded.

"The deaths were unavoidable, however the injuries were not," Ulquiorra continued further. "If not for the interference on the part of yourself, a great deal of pain and suffering could have been avoided, and several dozen ponies wouldn't currently be injured."

"Do you plan to draw parallels between you and I, to suggest I'm some sort of a monster?" Celestia asked pointedly. Having already been subject to such a maneuver once before, she honestly wasn't interested in a repeat performance.

"It was contemplated on the journey to Canterlot," Ulquiorra admitted. "It would certainly have been warranted, seeing as how I had to inform Bonbon that I killed her little sister. But the notion was ultimately discarded. There's been enough needless suffering already without adding more on top of it, by fixating on a matter that can no longer be changed."

Celestia had no immediate response, simply thankful that Ulquiorra wasn't going to berate her for her actions. She could do that well enough all on her own, without needing him to add to it.

"However," Ulquiorra continued, "in the future, when a situation arises where my particular skills are again warranted, stay out of my way."

Whether it was a request, an ultimatum, or even an order, Celestia didn't know. Nor did she feel bold enough to seek clarification on the matter; not at present time at least. She needed to change the subject.

"Is Luna alright? Was she among those harmed by Nightmare Moon?"

"Other than exhaustion, Princess Luna is unharmed, presently in a physical state much like yourself. At last check she was at Ponyville General Hospital with the others," Ulquiorra replied.

Another sigh of relief, quieter than that of last time. If Luna had been harmed by Nightmare Moon, or worse, she didn't know what she would do.

"Good. I'd like to see her immediately. How soon will you be ready to return to Ponyville?"

"Now just a minute there, Your Highness," Malar quickly interrupted, speaking up for the first time since Ulquiorra made his presence known, and bringing their attention back to him. "I can understand you being anxious about your sister. But I'm not about to release you for long distance travel in your current condition. Not without first performing a full medical examination to determine your condition. You can just wait right there while I get ready."

Celestia frowned, displeased with this development, not liking it one bit. "Is that really necessary?"

"In your present state, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist on it. We have no idea what your current condition may be, and I'd be remiss in my duties, to say nothing of my oath, if I let you go running off," Malar explained, before shaking his head. "It won't hurt anypony for you to wait an hour. If I'm going to be up at this accursed hour, I might as well be working. So you just continue sitting there while I get ready."

Celestia didn't like this news at all. In truth she downright hated it. But she held her tongue... up until she was certain Malar was out of earshot as he went about gathering supplied for the examination, before turning to Ulquiorra.

"Get me out of here," she whispered as discretely as she could. "Back to Ponyville. Fast."

"On this particular matter, I defer to Dr. Mandibular Malar and his expertise," Ulquiorra replied simply, effectively shutting down her plans of escape. "His position is logically valid. We've already had enough death and suffering taking place. I am not about to risk the potential well being of Equestria, simply because of anxiousness on your part."

"If we stay he's going to insist on a blood sample. And I really don't care for needles one bit," Celestia admitted.

"If the method of acquisition is ultimately what's being objected to, perhaps a punch in the snout would serve as an acceptable alternative?"

The delivery had been so deadpan, Celestia nearly swallowed the sucker currently tucked into the corner of her mouth. Whether Ulquiorra was issuing a veiled threat to exert compliance from her, or was actually making a bad attempt at humor, she honestly couldn't tell. Nor did she feel bold enough to seek clarification on that particular matter either, for fear of what he might say in response.

Like it or not -and she really didn't- sitting down and shutting up for this might be in her best interest right now, lest she wind up making things even worse for herself than they were already.

Comments

[Fireeaters]

Oof ×1000000000000

[Grahf]

wow my comment on the last chapter turned out to be a real Twist

[Emperor of Jurai]

Poor Bon Bon....that is all I can say just...ow poor mare...

[Nikolas]

Well, Ulquiorra is at least is making some progress. That's something. I can't wait to see when Discord finally come back to explain his actions, then dealing with some canon problems like the Plunder Veins or Tirek. He will not even know what hit him.

[Pony Knight]

Well, shit... poor bon-bon...

[Black_Knight]

Well this definitively close the Nightmare Moon arc and now it's time for the ponies to heal and grieve.

Pretty amaze you are using the injuries some ponies suffer to explain their canon trait.

And as someone who is into dark humour, I take Ulquiorra's last comment as a joke.

[Dirty Bit]

The fact that Twist was revealed to be Nightmare Moon's host serves as kind of a dark joke to me.

[The Dark Wolf Shiro]

10124990
Fair enough, I do get having a specific idea about your story.

Even with the endless fight, I really enjoyed the majority of the story even with my lacking knowledge of MLP (I came here after someone recommended it to me after to mentioned reading the Rise of Darth Vulcan, it’s only the second MLP fic I’ve read and I’ve never watched the show)

[Antiguo]

Wow.I have reread your story from the beginnig and its amazing how micj your writing has developed. Its more fluid and concice, making the scenes distinctive in their tone and emotion. Love this development of Ulquirroa feelings and how you are developing the aftermath

[Ghost Fox]

10112660
You could say it was…quite the twist~

[demonwarden]

so moving on to the other seasons now I really want to see our hollow lay in to cadence and shining armor