The Queen Beckons

by AlicornPriest

Part 5: The Coming Darkness

1.

Cadance walks through the castle gardens. There is a fire burning inside her, furious and bright. Twilight is falling apart; to what extent, only she could know. Celestia, kind as she is, could not see it like Cadance can. Perhaps Celestia is falling apart, too. She, too, hides it too well. But ever since the day of the entrance exam, Twilight and Celestia have been unquestionably linked. That is why Celestia cannot be the one to face Twilight, powerful as she is. She cannot do what must be done.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a strange song being sung nearby. The melody is gentle and flowing, but the words betray the true meaning.

"Poppies, lilies, and roses shall bloom,

and wildflowers cover my broken tomb.

Beloved, remember what you have forgot,

and bring to my grave your forget-me-nots."

Cadance races over to the singer, but she sees neither hide nor hair of her. That is, until the willow tree above her creaks. She looks up and sees Lyra crawling across a long bough. "What are you doing?!" Cadance calls out. "It's not safe up there!"

"I am looking for flowers to give to my beloved," Lyra replies. "The best ones grow out on the edges."

Cadance follows underneath Lyra, but she stops when she reaches the edge of a river running through the garden. "Don't go any farther! I can't catch you."

"I don't need you to catch me," Lyra says. She stands up on the branch, steadies herself, then jumps for the very tip. She misses, then, with a lifeless "Oops," plunges into the water.

Cadance wastes no time in jumping in after her. The murky water clings to her coat and wings, but she holds strong against the chilling cold. Lyra floats nearby; her mane drifts about her head like a halo. She is completely still; Cadance fears the worst. She reaches out a hoof to Lyra, but the moment she touches her, Lyra thrashes and writhes in the water. "Not dead, then," Cadance thinks to herself. She swims closer and grabs Lyra more tightly, ignoring the frantic escape Lyra is attempting. She charges her unicorn magic into a spell that winks them both safely onto solid ground. Lyra coughs and splutters, but otherwise she is fine.

"What in Equestria were you thinking?" Cadance asks.

"I... I don't..." Lyra says. She visibly strains with every word. "The... the shadows, they... they make me want... strange things..."

"Why? What are the shadows?"

"My beloved... Twilight Sparkle..." I must serve her..." Lyra gets back up on her hooves and begins walking towards the tree again.

"Wait! Maybe I can help you," Cadance says. "My magic can help purify love."

In response, Lyra starts to sing again. Cadance pours her magic into Lyra's mind to see what the "shadows" are. To her surprise, they are literal shadows worming through her, taking advantage of Lyra's feelings for Twilight to bend her will. Cadance strengthens those feelings, armors them against the shadows, and pulls the shadows off of their roost. They form into a tiny patch of fabric shaped like an arrow, then revolve in Cadance's magic.

Meanwhile, Lyra has recovered from the effect the shadows bore on her. "Ugh... what's going on? I... I remember talking to Twilight, and then the opera. I said... something to Princess Celestia, but... why am I wet, exactly?"

"You jumped into the river to try to drown. This made you do it." Cadance puts the shadows before Lyra, who shies away.

"I remember that. Twilight took me to this really weird place and asked me to serve her in a weird rebellion. She has this magic cape she uses to control shadows!"

"Then I've got to get going."

"No, wait!" Lyra trots up to Cadance and looks at her pleadingly. "Twilight... she's so afraid and alone. Don't judge her too harshly, Miss Cadenza."

"Even after what she did to you, you still love her?" Cadance asks. Lyra nods. "What will you do if I cannot save her from Night Mare Moon's influence?"

"I... I'll do what's best for her," Lyra replies. "Even if it's not what she wants."

"All right. Perhaps you should come with me, then." She offers Lyra the shadowy patch. "Can you hold on to this for me?"

"Okay." When Lyra puts it in her magic, it turns and points down the mountain towards the Everfree Forest. Lyra asks, "What does that mean?"

"I think it might be where Twilight is," Cadance replies. "Which means we'll have to be careful."

"Maybe we should find some more ponies to help us, then?" Lyra says. "I know some ponies in Ponyville, if that helps."

"Lead on, then," Cadance says.

2.

"Oh, her?" Bon Bon says. "You mean Black Nova."

"If that's this pony, then yes, we're looking for Black Nova," Cadance says. "Do you know where she is?"

"No, I'm really sorry." Bon Bon nods to the picture Cadance is holding and sighs. "It's a shame, really. She seems like she's really lonely, like she doesn't really get along very well with other ponies."

"Bonny," Lyra says, "it's really important that we find her. She's in a lot of trouble, and we just want her to get better. Do you know anything at all about what she was doing?"

Bon Bon thinks. "I'm... not sure. I think she said she needed to talk to Fluttershy about... something. I don't remember. Rarity might know more."

"Then we don't have much time to waste." Cadance looks about for a moment, confused. "Where did you say Fluttershy lived, Lyra?" she asks.

"I don't know! She wasn't around when I left for Canterlot," Lyra answers.

"I can help you," Bon Bon says. "Besides, I want to come with you. Black Nova -- or Twilight, I guess -- knows me. She trusts me."

"Very well. You can come along." Cadance re-adjusts her saddlebags and says, "Lead on, then."

Bon Bon takes them through the main streets of Ponyville, glibly doing a tour while the fate of the world hangs on their adventure. When they pass the hospital, Bon Bon mentions, "Over there is the new mental health asylum wing, where we take care of ponies who can't take care of themselves. There's two new ponies in there right now who are waiting for their handlers to come by. Twilight was talking with them yesterday: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, whatever their names were."

"Rosy Ray? Gilded Lily?" Cadance asks. "They're not mentally ill. I bet Twilight had something to do with it!"

"Well, if they're not sick, then we should really get them out!" Bon Bon says.

Just as Bon Bon says this, a huge crashing sound erupts from the side of the building, and Rosy Ray comes racing around the side. At the sight of Princess Cadance, she practically jumps the rest of the distance and cowers behind Cadance's outstretched wings. "Princess Cadenza, you've gotta help me!" she cries.

The stallions in white come out the front door and address Cadance. "Are you her handler, miss?" one of them asks.

"No. As a matter of fact, I am Princess Cadenza, and by my authority, I command that you release Gilded Lily and Rosy Ray from your care at once. They are not mentally ill; you were instructed to confine them under false pretenses."

They notice both her wings and her horn and make the connection. "I see. We will talk with the head of the facility and have this worked out as soon as possible," the other stallion says.

"Sir, with all due respect, that's not good enough. At the very least, please let us keep Rosy Ray with us."

"...I suppose we can make an exception. We will need her to come back and fill out the paperwork, though."

"That's all right. Gilded Lily can do it. She knows how to forge my signature." Rosy Ray laughs and waves the two stallions off. "Ta-ta, you two. Nice not seeing you!" Once they are gone, her attention returns to Cadance. "Your Highness! Twilight's here, and she's completely off her rocker!"

"We're aware of that, yes. Bon Bon here told us everything."

"Are you going to help her?" Rosy asks. "Because if you are, I need to come with you. I know her brain better than just about anypony else!"

"I don't doubt it," Cadance says. "Why do you think I asked to hold on to you?"

"This is so exciting!" Lyra interjects. "You, me, Bonny, and Miss Rosy Cheeks, all traveling together to save Twilight! We're like a little adventuring party now."

"We still have to get Fluttershy, you know," says Cadance.

"Even better! With our combined forces, we'll be sure to help Twilight feel better!"

Cadance nods, but she recalls her promise to Princess Celestia. If Twilight is beyond help... but she shakes it off. "I certainly hope so," she says instead.

"Then let us be off!" Lyra cries out, her hoof pointed out. "Onward, ho!"

3.

Late in the evening, Mr. Script takes a leisurely stroll to the Ponyville graveyard. Many of his friends are now taking their final rest there among the quiet stones. The calm suits him. A few moments ago, a group of ponies had come to ask him for help, but he couldn't. He isn't as young as he used to be.

Along the path, he runs into Lawful Good, the resident Turner. Lawful is the caretaker of the graveyard who makes sure everything stays peaceful. Every now and then, there comes an outbreak of necromantic awakenings, so it is Lawful's job to put them back to rest. "Oh, Mr. Script," he says. "I was just about to head back there myself."

"Oh?" he says. "Trouble with the spirits again?"

Shouldn't be," says Lawful Good. "Just settled them yesterday. Should be down for 2d6+3 days at least. Might be the skeletons back in 2A, though."

Post Script nods. "I'll walk over with you, then."

As they get closer, Mr. Script starts to hear the rattling of bones and strange laughter; he assumes that Lawful's fears have come true. But instead of walking bones, they find the strange mare from the day before, Black Nova or Twilight Sparkle or whatever her name is, playing with the skulls. She lifts one up to eye level, laughs, and says, "Alas, poor Mr. Script! I never knew him. He was smart and wise and kind, or so I'm told. I would have loved to have learned from him, or borrowed his books. But now it is too late. He is dead, and his teaching is gone."

"I'm right here, you know," Mr. Script says. "I'm not actually dead."

"Well, I know that," Nova says. "I was just imagining what it would be like if I hadn't come to Ponyville two nights ago. You wouldn't have survived that heart attack without me, would you?"

"Yes, I'm very grateful," Mr. Script responds. "But why are you playing in a graveyard, Nova?"

"I was waiting for you, as a matter of fact," Nova says.

"How did you know I would come here?" he asks.

"All ponies do, eventually." Nova sighs and throws away the skull she is holding. "Except Celestia, of course. I had hoped she would be mulch by now."

"Why would you say something like that?!" Lawful Good asks.

"No, it's a good thing! Her body would be buried, then decay, then be food for the plants. You know, mulch!" Nova laughs at her own stupid joke. "It's the circle of life, you know. Celestia is unnatural. Perhaps you should turn her instead of these skeletons," she adds.

"Can't," Lawful Good says. "You can't turn things, even undead things, if they are inherently good at heart. Only if they're 100% evil."

"...What about me, then?" Nova asks. "Can you turn me?"

Lawful Good raises his pendant and calls out, "Evil, flee from me!"

Nova doesn't respond. Mr. Script tells her, "See, you do have a good heart after all."

Lawful reminds both of them, "That doesn't prove anything, you know. You could still be really evil, just not 100%."

"No, but it does prove something else." She casts a spell, and a black mist fills the graveyard. "I know your cleric level now," she says, smiling, "and this Mist of Protection from Good should help with this next bit.

"Oh, and Mr. Script. When I said I came here to see you... that was only half-true." She raises a hoof, and an army of skeletons emerges by her side. Lawful Good raises his pendant again, but he knows as well as Nova does that it will not work; the skill check is too high.

The two of them gape at this. "What... what on earth do you need all these for?" Lawful asks.

I've been hearing that my 'friends' are gathering to face me. I figured I might be able to use these little guys to... dissuade them," Nova says.

"It's not just anypony leading them, though," says Mr. Script. "It's a princess from Canterlot!"

"...Cadance?" For a moment, Nova's bravado fades; she looks like a child again.

"Yes, that was her name! Or... Cadenza. Either way. She knows what you're trying to do, and she's going to stop you. Maybe Lawful Good can't stop you; I certainly can't; but she can."

A thousand doubts fill Black Nova's mind. If Cadance has left her mission, then she knows how great the consequences are. And if Cadance wants to stop her, then shouldn't she listen? Cadance isn't particularly skilled at magic, but her love pointed in the right direction could be devastating. Better, Nova thinks, to simply end this work and beg for forgiveness.

But then she remembers: a test of her resolve. This is what Selene meant. Cadance is the final test. If she can only slow Cadance long enough, delay her and the others, then it will be too late for her to do anything anyway.

Nova rears up on her back hooves and whinnies. As one, the skeletons behind her follow her lead. She comments to the older ponies, "More than one way to skin a cat, goes the old Griffin saying. Or a princess or two, in this case. Hee-ya!" She leads her troops into a full-blown gallop into the night.

Lawful Good sputters. "I thought you said she had a good heart!"

Mr. Script shakes his head. "I thought she did."

4.

Black Nova arrives with her skeleton army within the Everfree Forest. There, walking across an outcropping, are Cadance and her allies. She had been so certain before, but seeing her here in the flesh wounds Nova to her very soul. Everything is going wrong, so wrong. If only there were some way for compromise, to make both sides happy... But Cadance is on the warpath. Selene is counting on a show of loyalty. Reluctantly, Nova holds her hooves up, miming an invisible bow. She releases the "arrow," and the cliff collapses beneath the five ponies up above. Nova notices one pony who, standing just off to the sides, had avoided falling like the others. She teleports up to the site and finds Rosy Ray about to jump down after them. "Hold on!" Rosy Ray calls out. "I'm coming!"

"Just a second," Nova says. Rosy jumps back and holds her hooves up in defense.

"What are you doing here?" Rosy asks. "Aren't you supposed to be trying to summon Night Mare Moon right now? Maybe cackling and plotting your world domination?"

"I'm here to... warn you, I suppose," Nova says. "Your quest is doomed to fail. You can't convince me to stop what I'm doing. That cliff is proof of my resolve."

Rosy shakes her head. "I have to believe that's a lie, Twilight," she says. "I know there's still good in you somewhere. That's stone cold fact."

Nova growls. "There's is nothing left of me that does not serve my mistress!"

"I don't believe you," Rosy says simply.

Nova huffs and teleports the two of them down to the bottom of the cliff, where the others are waiting. Before any other pony notices Nova's presence, she disappears to rejoin her skeletons. She gathers them and places them at a bottleneck where Cadance's allies must cross. When they arrive, she points, and the skeletons descend upon them all. As they fight, Black Nova sees Fluttershy slipping out the back of the group. She quietly sneaks up on her and whispers, "Boo."

Fluttershy nearly jumps out of her skin. "Twilight! Please don't hurt me! I'm only trying to help!"

"That's the thing," Nova says. "You can't help me anymore. The only way this thing is ending is in my bloodshed. Are you willing to go that far?" she asks.

"Please, don't do this," Fluttershy pleads. "There has to be a way that we can solve this without fighting."

"There isn't! If there was, I would have found it!" Nova shouts.

Fluttershy begins tearing up, to Nova's smug satisfaction. But to Nova's shock, Fluttershy says, "I forgive you for being mean to me. To all of us."

"I didn't ask for your forgiveness, you self-important weakling," Nova says. She storms away, and the rest of the skeletons dissolve away.

The ponies are stronger than they seem. Another tactic must be tried. As they pass through a thick copse of trees, Black Nova creates an aura of fear that will freeze them all in utter terror. The aura holds, but before Nova can congratulate herself, a voice calls out from the tree cover. "Girls? What's wrong? We've gotta keep moving!"

Nova teleports in and finds Bon Bon wandering from pony to pony, shaking them and looking into their eyes. "How are you still moving?" Nova asks.

Bon Bon flicks her gaze over to where Nova is standing. "I don't know. But I'll get them moving again, and when I do, we'll stop you from bringing Night Mare Moon here, Twilight."

"You know that's not my name," she replies, her bile rising. "You should be afraid of me, just like the others."

"That's the thing, though," Bon Bon says. "I'm really not. I only knew you for a little bit, but I get you. You don't scare me, Twilight. In fact, you just make me laugh."

"Laugh? I am one of the most powerful unicorns in existence. I wield the powers of the sun and the moon! I am a god!" Twilight pounds the ground with a hoof, and the air rips with a lightning bolt.

Bon Bon chuckles. "Really? You're trying to play the intimidating villain here? If you're really as evil as you claim, why didn't you kill Rosy Ray or Fluttershy when you had the chance?"

Nova pauses. "...What?"

"You don't want to kill them. You can't. You're a better pony than that, Twilight. It's all an act, all of it. And shouldn't I laugh at a funny act?" Bon Bon asks.

"You don't know anything. You just run a candy shop." Nova feels utterly out of control, like some otherworldly force has already decreed that she will lose.

"Maybe, but at least I'm having fun. Are you?"

"I... argh!" Black Nova teleports away, leaving the aura to weaken on its own.

The ponies are getting closer. As Nova watches from a parapet of the castle, they arrive at the bridge and begin their crossing. But she has one last trick up her sleeve. She blows heavy winds against Lyra, separating her from the rest of the group. As they disappear into the fog, Nova steps out to replace them. She places a glamour on herself to appear even more seductive to her erstwhile marefriend. "Hello, my love," she croons.

Lyra tries to hide her reaction, but Nova is far too perceptive. Dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, widening smile: Lyra is still in love with her. "Twilight! Are you... okay now?"

"I've never been better," Nova says. "And I really want to be your marefriend again."

Lyra gasps. "I'd love that!" she says. "If you're really all better, then it won't be a problem at all. I've just gotta go with Cadance and the others and make sure Night Mare Moon doesn't come back, and then I'll definitely--"

"No!" Nova shouts. She regains her composure, then says, "I mean, why go through all the trouble? I'm right here. We can start back where we began, forget everything that's happened."

Lyra suddenly looks distrusting. "'Where we began' was you mind-controlling me with shadows."

"T-that's not what I meant!" Nova backtracks. "I meant we could start over, start with a clean slate."

"I... You know I want that, Twilight," Lyra says. "But I just want to make sure you really are all better before we do."

Nova puts on her strongest puppy-dog eyes. "Don't you trust me?" she asks.

Lyra pauses. "...I do, Twilight. But I trust Cadance more." And with that, she pushes Nova to the side and rejoins the rest of her companions in the mist.

Something deep inside Nova snaps. They've all betrayed me, she thinks. They laugh at me, mock me, lie to me. I have no choice. If I am to succeed in my endeavors, she decides, Cadance must die.

5.

The castle is utterly quiet, like a tomb. Cadance motions the others to stay close to her as she decides upon the best course of action. Lyra trots up quickly; at Cadance's look, she says, "Twilight again."

She's talked to all of them... but why? Cadance thinks to herself. Why not me? She withholds her disappointment for the moment and leads the group deeper into the blackness of the ancient ruins. Every room reminds Cadance of Twilight in some way or another: the spiral staircase, just like the ones in Canterlot that Twilight used to ride the banisters down; the old torches, like the temples in the Daring Do books; the dusty library, like a second home to the little filly. The fact that none of the books seemed to have been touched says too much to her.

At last, they find a particularly battered room with a massive statue in it. The statue looks somewhat like a tree, with five long branches each supporting a weighty stone sphere on the ends, and another, similar sphere on top. But all the way on the other side of the room is Twilight, standing before a wide table. A strange, starry deer-like creature is tied to it, and it is attached to a bizarre device clearly of Twilight's creation. Whatever it does, it is clearly important, as Twilight is disturbingly hard-pressed on completing it. Without looking back, Twilight remarks, "I know what you're doing."

Cadance falters. "...Twilight?" When Twilight turns around, Cadance is shocked at her appearance. "What in Equestria has happened to you?"

"Nothing, Cadance. Nothing at all." She laughs, then turns away and shouts, "I said I can handle it, Selene! Don't push me!"

"Who are you talking to?" Cadance asks. "There's nopony there."

Twilight scowls. "Don't play with me. I've had quite enough with that. And I said I know what you're doing, bringing them here."

Cadance replies, "Well, I don't. They all asked to come because they care for you, Twilight. They want to see you get better. You're not thinking straight."

"I'm not insane!" Twilight says. She turns once more to the invisible figure and says, "It's fine. It will all work as expected. We will not be delayed." She faces Cadance again and says, "You still don't have the sixth; the spark won't work." Another turn. "Precisely. They aren't a threat without a sixth." Finally, she says to Cadance, "I am hard at work at the moment. Either go away, or do what you came here for."

Cadance steps back and stamps her front hoof. "I tried the easy way. Here's the hard way, Twilight: destroy that machine, now, and I won't kill you where you stand."

Twilight laughs again. "Is that your generous offer, then? All right, then." Twilight twirls a hoof, and the other four ponies are pushed out of the room by a magic force field. Twilight charges her horn and fires a bolt into the air, creating a explosion like a rocket. "Let's have a magic duel, shall we? En garde!"

The battle is nothing short of epic. Cadance and Twilight dance about the chamber, dodging and counterattacking, weaving in and out of range. Cadance dodges every spell Twilight fires, while Twilight occasionally tries to press an advantage and ends up grazed by one of Cadance's attacks. The other four ponies press their snouts to the edge of the barrier and attempt to shout support to Cadance, though the barrier is soundproof. And as the two continue their duel, the moon rises ever higher towards its zenith.

Cadance's advantage cannot last, however. Eventually, Twilight's superior firepower backs her into a corner. Twilight cuffs Cadance's hooves to the wall with rings of magical light and suppresses her horn with dark crystals. Then, she decides to gloat. "Well, it seems I've defeated you. But I can't let you live to try to defeat me, even after I've brought Selene back. I think I'll try this new spell on you." Her horn charges a sickly black-green, and she points it at Cadance. "It's a poison spell, which will take your life slowly, agonizingly, tortuously. I think it will be amusing to watch." Twilight sneers. "Good night, sweet princess. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

The spell fires, and Cadance impulsively flinches as the bolt nears her. Her wings close around her to protect her; their magic, unimpeded by Twilight's suppressor, reflect the spell and send it back to where it began. Twilight doesn't even notice the ricochet effect before it has already hit her.

Immediately, Twilight falls to the ground with a scream. The barrier falls, and the other four ponies rush in to comfort Cadance. Behind them is another pony that neither Cadance nor Twilight had expected: Celestia herself. She sees Twilight, fallen and dying, and her face falls. "So," she asks, "this is how it had to end?"

"No... no, it can't end like this," Twilight says. "I can still complete the study. Kill Orion, emulate his effect, free Selene..."

"Twilight," Celestia says quietly, "there is no Selene. I didn't steal her power. Everything she told you was a lie to get you into this very position."

"No... No, she told me the truth! She told me you hated her!" Twilight shouts.

"No, Twilight. Selene is my sister," Celestia says.

Twilight shakes her head as hard as she can manage. "That's not true. That's impossible!"

"You know it's true," Celestia said. "She was Luna, my younger sister, and I loved her with all of my heart. But she was jealous of me, oh so jealous, and I didn't notice. She was the one who betrayed me. She became Night Mare Moon. And Night Mare Moon still has its clutches on her... and on you."

Twilight only sobs, "No, no," as her body twists and turns in utter pain. Then, slowly, she settles down and only whimpers. Quietly, she whispers, "How could I have been so foolish?"

"She tricked you, Twilight," Celestia tells her. "She played upon your feelings for me and used them to attack me. I wish there was something we could do. ...I'm sorry, Twilight. Will you forgive me?"

Twilight responds, "Bring them to me." Celestia, a bit confused, motions to Fluttershy, Bon Bon, Rosy Ray, Lyra, and Cadance and circles them around Twilight. She struggles to find breath, but says, "All of you... forgive me. I have done such horrible wrongs to you, wrongs that can never be repaid.

"Rosy Ray... to repay your honest support, I lied and deceived... forgive me.

"Fluttershy... to repay your kind assistance, I promised cruelty and sharpness... forgive me.

"Bon Bon... to repay the laughter we shared, I embarrassed us both with my rage... forgive me.

"Lyra... to repay your loyal, heartfelt nature, I betrayed you and stole your will... forgive me.

"Cadance..." Here Twilight turns her head and looks directly into Cadance's eyes. "You were my closest, truest friend. You gave so generously to me, your time, your skills, your love, and in return I tried to steal everything from you that mattered. Forgive me."

Suddenly, the moon behind her reaches its highest point. At that moment, a bright beam of moonlight splits the darkness of the chamber and engulfs Twilight. Her back arches all the way until it seems about to split, and a dark, ravenous energy begins overwhelming her. Her mouth opens, and the voice that comes out is not her own. "This mare was weak!" cries out the voice of Night Mare Moon. "It seems I have no choice but to take over and do this myself!"

"No!" Cadance replies. "We've come to save Twilight; we won't let her be taken from us so easily! There is a bond between us that is stronger than anything you can devise. We forgive Twilight, because forgiveness is what holds us together. She is our friend!"

A bright, wide tendril reaches out from Twilight's heart and connects itself to the other five ponies. The Night Mare, furious, cocoons Twilight deeper in an inky black shell. "You cannot have her!" The Night Mare says. "She is mine! She is the sacrifice I need, the star that shall aid in my escape! She is MINE!"

"No..." Twilight's voice returns to her body, and with it what sounds like a new strength. "You are not my mistress. I will overcome you... no matter how long it takes."

The Night Mare screams her rage as the light of the Elements of Harmony overcomes her. The whole room is awash with light, and nothing can be seen. When the light fades... Twilight is gone.

Everything is quiet; nopony can quite seem to understand what has happened. Then Lyra looks at Cadance, and notes, "Hey! You've got a necklace thing on!"

Sure enough, Cadance bears a beautiful purple necklace in the shape of a heart. Cadance marvels at it for a second, then says, "Oh, but Lyra! You have one, too!"

Lyra's is a red gem shaped like the lyre in her cutie mark. Each pony has a similar piece: a baby blue piece of candy for Bon Bon, an orange rose bud for Rosy Ray, and a pink butterfly for Fluttershy. They congregate together and wonder what they could be. While they celebrate their victory, Princess Celestia stands alone to the side. She puts a hoof to her peytral, now fully restored, and says quietly, "She never forgave me."

A deep voice interrupts their thoughts. "I believe there's somepony here you should see," says Orion, now free of his bindings. He motions forward a small little filly, who tries to hide behind his legs and her own long mane. To the ponies' surprise, she has both wings and horn, and atop her head is a gilt crown with Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark on it. Cadance is the first to ask the obvious. "Who is that? Is she... Night Mare Moon?"

At this, the filly breaks down sobbing and runs to Celestia's open embrace. "I'm so sorry!" she cries. "I missed you so much, big sister."

"Sister?" they ask.

"I've missed you too, Luna," Celestia says. "I'm so glad you're back home. But what happened to the Night Mare inside of you? And where is Twilight Sparkle?"

"Twilight's... she's not dead, is she?" says Bon Bon.

"No, not at all," Orion says. He points up to the sky, and they all look up. Up in the sky, the moon hangs over all of them. But the image of the Mare in the Moon is gone; in its place is a six-pointed star. "She is up there right now, waging war with the Night Mare inside her mind as her penance. When a year, years, and half a year have passed, she will return, either victor and vanquished, and the world will face new light or new darkness. The moon was her prison, but the moon shall be her ally when she returns, and she will need the light of friendship once more."

Celestia smiles. "That sounds like a prophecy to me."

Orion nods. "You'll have to replace the old one, I'm afraid."

"But at least she is alive. That much is a blessing." Celestia cradles Luna in one of her wings. "Come, sister. Let's go home."

"Wait!" Fluttershy calls out. The other ponies, surprised at her outburst, stop and heed what she wants to say. "I was just thinking, Twilight traded places with you. While we're waiting for Twilight to come back... I was just thinking I might like to be friends with you."

"That's a great idea!" Rosy Ray says. "You've spent almost a thousand years on the moon all by yourself. I bet you could use a couple friends like us to help you acclimate."

Luna wipes a tear from her eyes. "We think that we would like that very much. Thank you so much."

Lyra says simply, "It's what Twilight would want, I think."

Together, they leave the castle and all its buried memories to pursue a grander future.

Comments

[Arnyx]

Ummmm.... Twi decided celestia was right and that she had been deceived by nightmare Moon quite quickly. She had spent the last few days basically going insane over ensuring the return of nightmare Moon, and then when she is hit by a rebounded spell and celestia tells her that nightmare Moon deceived her, she accepts that it must be truth with virtually no fight. While it could be argued that the same thing happened in the beginning of the story, it's very possible that some mind magic could have been involved, and either way, twilight already had negative feelings for celestia for nightmare Moon to work off if. In a nutshell, I'd call her change of heart one hell of a plothole, and a deus ex machina.

[AlicornPriest]

8294359
I suppose so. Though part of it is, 1) Twilight was already starting to doubt Selene's intentions, 2) Celestia's explanation fills a bunch of holes in Selene's story, [EDIT 2.5: It's also Celestia's tone that really convinces her] 3) Twilight takes some time after Celestia explains it to think it over, and she realizes it's true, 4) Word of God, Twilight did everything of her own accord, but it's meant to be ambiguous, 5) That part of the conversion isn't that important, in contrast to her decision to ask for forgiveness from her friends.

Oh, and, uh, 6) it's a Star Wars reference. But you're right that it's a bit abrupt. I'd originally intended for Twilight to die, but I really wanted to use the Elements of Harmony, and this ending is what came to me. EDIT: I also wanted Twilight to die knowing she'd been misled, just to boost the tragedy of it.