Chapter 31 - The Return of Harmony
~~~~~The Shrine of the Sun, Ponyville~~~~~
Tia had seen the Harmony of the world before. She had even once - and only once - opened her senses fully to the fundamental forces that drove everything in the world’s existence, and even that did not compare to this. It was as though every shadow had been banished, every ill and every misdeed swept away in a torrent of power. Her body was no longer her own as that same power began to lift her off of the ground, her hooves leaving the earth as though she were flying...But I cannot fly any longer... I have given my wings to the world...
Not that anything more coherent could pass through her brain. The agony of giving part of herself, part of who she had always considered herself to be; even for the sake of others, was excruciating. Her soul was being rent in two, and her inner strength being drawn from it to give power to the creation of new Elements. It was the strangest, most paralyzing sensation - to be at the mercy of pain by one’s own choice knowing it was necessary but still desiring above all else to somehow escape it.
There was no way to tell exactly what was going on - she could feel the warm embrace of Harmony around her, she could distantly hear voices yelling words she was having trouble comprehending. For a few moments, she felt as though the best thing she could possibly do was simply lose consciousness and wait for things to sort themselves out. Then a firm hoof grasped her around the shoulders, and a voice pierced the haze that had blanketed her mind. “Don’t you dare, Tia! That thing isn’t finished yet!”
The voice - the words - they snapped through the fatigue and banished away exhaustion. Her eyes sharpened and the world came back into focus. Her head felt heavy as she looked to one side then the other - seeing her five friends joined hoof in hoof and glowing with an impossible amount of power. All of them were watching her, as her head shifted back to stare at the screaming chaos beast, its very existence held together now only by the truly massive amounts of chaos energy it was of which it was constructed and some unseen and immense willpower.
Then she felt the glow in the center of her forehead, where the gem of Tia’s cutie mark - her cutie mark, now - felt warm with power. She knew then, what had to be done - what the world was waiting for her to do. She seized that power in her mind - and simply gave it crude form. The blast erupted from around them, a whirling dervish of rainbow light that enveloped them all and shot toward the abomination at the speed of a Rainboom. Tia did not see what happened next - there was simply too much light, too many colors flashing around her. She felt the impact of power against power, and a piercing scream rent the air... and then it was gone.
Slowly, achingly, the power left her - the rainbows faded away into glittering sparkles that slowly descended to the ground and vanished. Her hooves touched earth again, and a jolt of ache rushed up her body as though she had spent weeks working non-stop. Her muscles hurt as she gently descended to the earth to lay upon the renewed grasses in front of the shrine, and finally came to a rest there.
Her friends one and all staggered a little bit, leaning on one another and shaking their heads in astonishment. “Whoa...” Vinyl whispered softly, her hoof gently running across the necklace which bore the shimmering azure musical note over her chest. “Wicked.” Vinyl grinned at the other ponies - each of them examining their new jewelry in awe. Tia could not help but smile a little at their reactions, even though any movement felt painful and rather unnecessary. Tia laid her head upon the grass and was content to just lie there for the moment.
Then a shadow loomed close overhead, and Tia cracked open an eye - Cadence. Good, pure, reliable Cadence stood there with a solemn look upon her face. Each of her friends were startled at the sight, and much to Tia’s surprise all five performed reasonable looking bows. “Come along, my little ponies,” Cadence said in a soft, but firm tone of voice. “Young Tia here will require medical aid, and there are some vital things you must know now that you are the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” Cadence spoke with a remarkably calm authority - and when the five ponies around her raised voices in objection to this, she lifted a gold clad hoof regally and by mere presence alone, silenced them. “I will not keep you from her for long, I promise you. We shall retire to the shrine.” She gestured imperiously towards the nearby stone building. “And when I have spoken to each of you, you may accompany Tia to the hospital.”
The five friends looked at one another, then at Tia. Tia nodded her head weakly and smiled, waving her hoof. “I just need to have a little lie down. It’s generally not wise to keep a Princess waiting, in my rather limited experience.” That got a chuckle from the five ponies - each of whom gently gave her a sign of concern or comfort. A pat on the head from Bon Bon, a gentle hug from Ditzy, a mane-ruffle from Chaser. Soon, they were trotting through the temple doors, and with one final opaque look from Cadence, the doors were shut firmly behind her.
That set off the fireworks. “TIA!” Luna screamed, her voice full of more anguish and pain than Tia could have imagined her having at that moment. There was no hesitation of movement, just four silver clad hooves galloping against the green and sere grasses at a frantic pace before sliding to a halt next to her. Tia looked up into those gentle eyes of her dear sister and tried her best to put on a brave face. “Tia... Tia what have you done!?” Luna sobbed out, her hooves hesitating to touch her for a moment - then simply giving up on hesitation to gather her up. It had been so rare to feel small around Luna... for so long, Tia had been the big sister, and had far more often been the one to gently hold her in times of grief. “Oh... Oh no...” Luna whispered, her eyes obviously seeing far beyond the physical.
Tia winced a little at the look in Luna’s eyes... but she would not shy away from it. “Don’t Lulu,” Tia said softly, running her hoof slowly and gingerly along Luna’s. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. I walked into this with open eyes, and I knew... what it would take.” Tia swallowed softly, as Luna’s cheeks shone with silvery tears. She wanted, more than anything in the world, to make those tears vanish... but there was no way to do that now. “Lulu... You gave me a chance to... to make a life for myself. To finally be my own pony.” Tia gently craned her head up to kiss a tear away.”Please... I’m okay with this. I really am.” Tia tried to summon up her best smile, even though she knew she probably looked utterly spent.
Luna shook her head helplessly for a moment, looking up over her shoulder and then back to Tia. “Tia... What of thy daughters?“ Luna asked quietly, then bowed her head. “What of me? Dost thou truly think I wish to pass the centuries without thee?” Her voice was gently pleading, full of sorrow. “Only so recently have I regained thee... a thousand years of darkness and silence, and a scant hoof-full of days to regain all we have lost... and now I must face losing thee again?” Luna’s voice was not accusatory - nor was it angry - it was... sad. Just sad, almost broken hearted. Tia felt her own eyes tear up at the feel of that voice in her ears. “Just... tell me why, Tia. Why wouldst thou sacrifice thy Spark?”
Tia exhaled softly, lowering her head back to the grass and placing it upon her forehooves. “I couldn’t... I couldn’t stand the thought of losing them, Lulu.” Tia’s voice slowly dipped into a whisper, her eyes closing so she wouldn’t have to see those tears, and hoping that she could hide her own. “I found friends... and when I finally had them for the very first time, I found I didn’t wish to be without them. I was already losing my mind, trying to figure out what to do when...” She gestured a hoof limply at the altar. “What else could I have done? I had to choose between losing them forever or...” The tears came anyway then, streaming into the grass around her hooves. “Or this. I made a choice, Lulu. Nothing more.”
Silence then fell upon the hill for a time, and neither sister spoke a word. It felt like minutes had passed, when out of the silence soft hooves gently hugged her and a familiar warmth rested against her back. Then a faint sense of wetness against the back of her neck, and whispered words under sobbing breaths. “I remember watching the madness take you, all those centuries ago. I remember seeing my sister vanish into the Princess, and leaving naught of the pony I loved behind. I remember returning, and finding no sign of Tia left in you...” Hooves tightened around Tia, and the voice became harsher. “I cannot begrudge thee thy choice, and yet I hate it so,” Luna gasped out, her voice going ragged. “For at last, I thought I had found my sister again... and now that sister is no more, forever and aye.”
Tia opened her eyes then and turned her head to gently press her cheek to Luna’s. “I am sorry, Lulu,” Tia said gently, her own voice breaking and cracking a touch under the strain. “Please. I know I do not deserve it, I know I have no right to ask for it, but I beg of you to forgive me.” Tia sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “It will be difficult enough to explain this to Twilight as it is.” There. It was a cheap and low blow, but she knew that Luna would hone in on thoughts of Twilight being distressed by this.
It worked too, no matter how guilty Tia felt for saying it. “She’s-” Luna’s head whipped up and looked around rapidly. “She must be with Cadence,” Luna breathed out, and then half glared at Tia. “That was a mean trick, Tia.” There was a pause as Tia looked up slyly at Luna, and Luna chuckled half-heartedly. “Not that you are incorrect in that it will be difficult to explain this to Twily.” Luna sighed expressively, and Tia tried hard not to gawp at her sister. Twily? Wasn’t that Shining Armor’s nickname for her? “Regardless...” Luna paused, then sighed again. “You are forgiven, Tia. Had I been in your boots, I do not think I could have made a different choice, but you are wrong about one thing.” Luna gave a wry little smile. “This is my fault. After all, it was naught but I who commanded thee to come to Ponyville to make friends. I am simply getting what I wished for.” Luna stressed the wry humor in those last words, and Tia couldn’t help it. She laughed a little.
Luna followed suit with a slight chuckle of her own, then looked up to the golden statue at the center of the field. “If it were not for Twilight, I would...” Luna said softly, and Tia looked up in astonishment at her sister, who was staring at the icon with an oddly... hungry look. “She is so strong, Tia. I find myself grappling with her power more and more each day.” Luna cast Tia a sharp look then, her eyes narrowed. “She hath not become a Tyrant, I promise thee. But she is taking far too much pleasure in the exercise of her power. I am finding it more and more difficult to keep her balanced.” Luna shivered a little, licking at her lips in an uncharacteristic nervousness. “I can feel her... changing me...”
Tia would have moved quickly if she could - but, Curse this body! She could not move so quickly in the state she was in. “Lulu, what is going on in Canterlot?” Tia’s voice was sharp and firm, though lacking the once ineffable power which had once suffused it. Still, she did an excellent impression of a concerned parent... which, come to think of it, she was. “What is Twilight doing to you?” She wanted to reach out, to try and sense with her power... until she realized the power simply was no longer there. It was a startling, sobering moment for her - a reminder that if she ever wished to wield Harmony again, she would need to start at the beginning. But right now, Lulu was far more important.
Luna shook her head briefly, her mane shimmering in the moonlight. “There is naught you can do about it now, Tia. I promise you, should the need arise I shall consult with both you and Cadence. But...” Luna took in a deep breath and exhaled. “I chose this path as well, Sister. I knew what it might cost me to see it through.” Then there was a brief, almost whimsical smile. “Still, tis not all bad, I suppose. She is a truly wonderful pony in her heart, and a remarkably attentive lover.” Tia felt her cheeks burn red at the thought of her student and her sister doing...that. Tia sighed a little, and had to chuckle wearily. I need to spend more time around Vinyl and Chaser. Between them, I ought to get over my embarrassment quite quickly.
Worse still, Luna was grinning at her after that off-hoof comment. Tia tried to stand, but found she’d no strength in her limbs and winced. “I think you ought to get a doctor, Lulu. I’m going to need help getting into bed.” Tia looked over towards the town, where the bright lights still shone from town square. “And then somepony is going to need to calm the citizens. There will be many questions... and we ought to keep them from getting out of hoof,” Tia remarked dryly, then paused and lowered her head. “Go, Lulu. When Twilight comes out, it might be better if it was just us.”
Luna’s mouth opened, then shut and she nodded softly - leaning in to give Tia one more fierce hug before lifting off into the skies. Tia watched her wistfully, and cast a glance over her shoulder. I will never fly again. But I have friends to lift my soul upon wings of friendship. And that would have to be enough. Tia gently laid her head on her hooves and stared up at the golden icon of the pony that had been her... and was her no more.
~~~~~Temple of Harmony~~~~~
Twilight felt her coat itch.
Logically, it had to be because of where she was - the very beating heart of the power that stood opposed to her own. Worse still, she could feel that power calling out to her, beckoning her closer to the smaller altar that stood at the end of the homey hall. She’d been here so many times before, meditating and contemplating the words of the Book and the Code. She had grown to be good friends with Bright Dawn too, and missed their esoteric conversations about the meaning of parts of the Code.
And even now - as she stood there as a scion of Dissonance, her powers in the dark arts without better, and with only a few peers - the white light that shone from the altar still beckoned her. Come back, Twilight. Come back. You can turn down the righteous path again. We forgive you your sins, forgive you your mistakes. You know at heart you are still a child of Harmony... Twilight whipped her eyes away from that light, feeling a cold sweat chill down her spine at the ethereal words that begged at her - shutting them out with a concentration of power. No. I cannot come back. The world needs Balance, and I am the lone guardian who dares to fight for it. In spite of the need, in spite of the cold logical knowledge that Balance required both Harmony and Dissonance... she could feel the pull of the white power within her.
Would she ever lose her connection to Harmony? Luna had said such connections ought to erode over time with use of Dissonance power, yet in spite of all of her profligate use of the dark arts - Harmony sang strongly within her, down near the core of her being. Perhaps that was why, as she stood before the newly minted Elements of Harmony, that she did not feel revulsion or fear. She was wary of them - and she had good reason to be, given that the Element of Magic had fallen upon the brow of Celestia - but not afraid.
Somehow she knew... that if she gave the word, if her resolve broke and shattered beneath the weight of her responsibilty... that the Elements could free her from the ties of the Trinity. Much as Luna had been reborn from the shell of Nightmare Moon, so too would Twilight be reborn from the shell of the Nightmare Queen. It was terrifying to contemplate. But it was also comforting to know there was a way out. Twilight shook the thoughts from her head though, as Cadence shut the door firmly behind them and turned to face the five ordinary ponies.
That Cheerilee and Ditzy were here was unsurprising to Twilight. Both of them were devout Harmony believers, and had long tried to live up to the simple ethics and morals of the Book. The rest though... Twilight had never had many dealings with either Vinyl or Cloud Chaser. They both ran in a much more active social circle than she ever had. Pinkie would know more about them, anyway - so Twilight did not need to worry. Bon Bon, on the other hoof... Bon Bon was an enigma. Pinkie might know more about her, as might Rarity who had a thing for such fancies - but Twilight herself knew next to nothing about her.
Cadence spoke up quietly, interrupting Twilight’s internal monologue. “I will not keep any of you long, I promise,” she said quietly - and Twilight had to admire her poise in this situation. Something had happened to Celestia out there, and the one most capable of dealing with it was already working it. There were strong feelings of anguish and anger coming down the connection from Luna, but that was to be expected in a reaction for somepony you loved so dearly. “But there are things you must know,” Cadence continued, her regal warmth and motherly kindness pouring through the room like thick syrup. Sweet, cloying, but also quite genuine.
“First, I must congratulate you on becoming the new Bearers of Harmony. Few indeed have carried that honor throughout the centuries, and as such they come with both certain benefits... and certain responsibilities.” Cadence paused and smiled briefly at all five of the awed ponies. “First, I insist that you do not show overmuch deference to either myself of Queen Twilight. Your new status means you will be interacting with the royal house on a much more frequent basis.” Cadence paused again, but this time it was to give off a long and low chuckle. “And I am quite tired of being bowed to all the time. I am simply Cadence, and I insist that any friend of Tia’s is a friend of mine.”
That got a startled gasp out of Chaser, and Twilight noted that of all the ponies there - only Ditzy and Vinyl seemed unruffled by the statement. “Um...” began Bon Bon, looking a little uncertain. “Then I guess Tia had much more to do with the crown than we’d guessed? I thought she was just a librarian...” Bon Bon trailed off after a moment, and Twilight almost shook her head in surprise. Celestia had not revealed herself to them? Then again, perhaps that wasn’t surprising at all...
Cadence actually grinned softly. “Tia has been a valuable asset to the Crown for many, many years,” she said with a bright smile. Hah. Totally true, but also concealing the truth. Twilight thought with a grin of her own. “We owe her a great deal, for more than the general public will ever be able to know,” Cadence continued, nodding her head slowly. “Still. I am glad to see that she has found a place amongst friends. Especially such obviously wonderful ponies like you.” Cadence laid it on thick, and the assembled ponies preened under the attention. Twilight had to chuckle a little, shaking her head. Cadence was still the master when it came to gladhoofing.
“Anyhoof. To business.” Cadence clapped her hooves together, and Twilight concentrated on the five ponies and how they reacted to Cadence’s information. None of it was unexpected - Twilight had sat through this speech herself once, not so long ago; when she’d stood in the ancient castle of the Twin Sisters and Celestia had explained to her the responsibilities - and the privileges - of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight tuned out the words - not wanting to be reminded about those times or the events that had led her here - and focused instead on the five ponies... and the steadily increasing feeling of loss coming from Luna. What in the name of Power was going on out there?
Vinyl didn’t react much. She was bobbing her head still to some unseen beat that made Twilight vaguely nervous - still, she got the strong impression Vinyl wasn’t impressed by the trappings of power, and never would be. Cheerilee was the calm center of the group, with the rest of the ponies flanking her as the nominal leader with Tia not present. She had always given off a faint air of authority, probably as a result of her teaching experience, but here it was stronger than ever. Ditzy was constantly looking towards the door, worry evident in every inch of her carriage and body language - worry for Tia, that much was obvious. Twilight had to fight down a small surge of jealousy at that look, wondering what had happened between the two of them to engender such obvious love.
The feelings from Luna were only getting stronger, buoyed by a potent undercurrent of sardonic amusement. Cloud Chaser was the most nervous of the group - an odd comparison to Rainbow Dash, who had never been anything but blusteringly confident... except when her shields came down. Bon Bon remained much the enigma, however. There was a strong sense of... Twilight couldn’t put a word to it. Fatalism, perhaps? But that didn’t exactly fit. It was more like looking at a leaf on the wind. The wind blew her to and fro, and she calmly accepted every pique and every mood. She didn’t much mind though - she’d keep floating along, just a leaf on the wind. The world would take care of itself.
Twilight’s concentration was getting broken into by those absurdly strong emotions, and finally she lost patience with them. Her eyes snapped shut, even as Cadence continued to natter on to the five ponies about something... oh, she was talking about access to the Royals in the event of personal difficulties... whatever. Twilight sent her mind down the link between her and Luna - a link forged in Obedience - and strengthened with the power of Love. There was little that could be hidden between them, and Twilight was just fine with that. Luna was her bedrock, her port in the storm when the stresses of Ruling became too great.
Down that link, she could feel Luna soaring through the air towards Ponyville, her mind focused on the task of dealing with the inevitable fallout of the day’s events. There was a moment of startled pleasure as she felt Twilight seeking through the link, and a warm feeling of love and sympathy streamed into Twilight’s heart. Love... and Sympathy? Why was Luna... The knowledge came, like a punch into the gut, of what Luna knew... and now had told Twilight.
Celestia, her teacher, her guardian, her friend, her mother..., had sacrificed her immortality and her power as an Alicorn to resurrect the Elements of Harmony and defeat the Chaos being. In fact, in the purest sense of the word, Princess Celestia was no more - she had vanished into the planes of power, her divine Spark ripped from her very soul in a sacrificial offering to Harmony.
Only Tia Sunbeam remained.
“Excuse me,” Twilight said in a hurried voice. “I need to... Excuse me.” She practically babbled, shoving her way through the door and slamming it shut with her hooves behind her. It couldn’t be. It had to be a mistake - Luna had to be wrong. Perhaps the power was simply exhausted, dormant, sleeping within her from such an exertion.Perhaps the Chaos Being had done something to her. Perhaps this was all a ruse by Celestia, to try to leave her old life behind for a time... but she couldn’t be mortal. She couldn’t lose her mother - not now, not when it had finally seemed like the Princess Celestia she had so beloved had returned in soul and heart, redeemed by her willingness to fight for true Harmony.
It just couldn’t be.
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Judging by how heavily this seems to be hitting Twilight...
Uh oh.
Damn Celestia, you are such a weak willed being. How can she hold the element of magic? She feared her friend's death so much she will kill herself so she doesn't have to be without them? I do not think Harmony, or the Elements, would have liked that in way shape or form.
3074522 Sometimes in order to save many you have to sacrafice something, in order for Celestia to be proven as fixed she'd have to do something drastic in the name of harmony, Celestia Doesn't really think to plan anything well in the short term, she can set up plans Centuries in advanced but the here and now still out paces her. She honestly is in trouble for what she did, and I think that Getting real and new friends in such a fast manner would really hamper a lot of her logical thinking and cause her to be just a bit too emotional to care about anyone but them in the short and long term situations.
So suicide Celestia is a-go
Oh and Rage-break or super depressed Twi as well.
3074665>>3074522
I dont know where you guys got the idea that she's going to kill herself... She just made herself into a Mortal being.
But if you're drawing from what she thought was going to happen back at the end of Code's Apprentice, well..... Read on.
Hmm... so Celestia has become mortal. But this is not the end of the world, or the end of Tia. I'll explain later of course.
This chapter actually kinda hit me close to center point. Tia actually looks, in my minds end, like she is close to the end of her rope. She did what she did out of desperation to save her friends. But once that sinks in, how will she react? "I am no longer immortal." Perhaps she'll be happy. Her mental suffering of what she has done to her citizens and her very family. She'll be mortal and be able to die and no longer be tormented by those thoughts and all the feelings running through her. Then again, she must feel some level of torment because of Luna's reaction. Plus again, when the reality hits her, she might be completely against what she did and seek out a way where she can become an Alicorn again. Which is where your last comment comes in handy Lapis.
Maybe my brain is just on the fritz, but I can't quite remember what happened. I am keeping in mind though, that we have Faust still on the planet. The Element of Harmony bearers are going to get used to their powers with their respective elements and that could be used like in the season three finale. All in all, I see Tia regaining her immortality somehow. Because she is too precious a gift for Equestria to lose.
3074713 not kill herself per-se but technically she already has since she is used to being Immortal, so She really is doomed to finally age and die. so now the perfect eternity that Twi and the others were planning to have with Celestia is no more. unless of course the power returns and or Celestia is reborn and re-gifted Immortality.
Hmmm
well there's still the vampire that can make her immortal again.
3075760
That was intentional on Tia's part, not a mistake on the Author's part. =P She was being snarky.
3075872
Good job, again! Just one quick question.
The "Trinity". Am I correct to assume Harmony, Dissonance, and Chaos? And was this explained in more detail earlier, way back when? (This story has been going on for a while. I may have forgotten.) And wouldn't balance require an equal part of Chaos? (All hail Queen Discord, Bearer of Chaos!)
"... just a leaf on the wind."
STILL TOO SOON.
3075972 Nein- The Trinity was the triumverate of Dissonance power - including Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra. Queen Twilight became the Third of the Trinity, which had always been held by the Apprentice of the King.
That was explained back in Ch13 - The Queen. I think.
3076029
Oh. Darn. I really feel that chaos would be neat. Chaos deities (Specifically Royal, not discord) and Chaos Element bearers. Bad guys are the best, and Dissonance isn't evil anymore.
3076043 Oh, dont worry. There are plenty of bad guys.... on both sides, actually.
They're going to be popping up soon..
3076107
Good to hear!
How much longer is this gonna be? (Not complaining, I long a long story) Is this going to beak off and start a sequel, or just make this one longer?
Hope to see more Discord. Rumor is, he escaped his stone prison. Don't tell anyone!
th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2011/318/a/3/discord_by_jazzza001-d4g5dak.jpg
3076125 This story? About 3 more chapters (That includes the epilogue)
This series?
I have no fuckin clue. Whenever I decide its over, I guess. Or when people start saying "Hey, can I write a fic in your verse?"
3076137
If I had any measure of creative or artistic talent, and was a not-terrible author, this is the universe I'd write in. Harmony and Dissonance + Chaos allow for SOOO many options. But sadly, my ideal of art is a well balanced algebra equation or an optimized piece of code. So, I can't help you there. But here, fulfill your art needs of the week.
http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~huberty/math5337/groupe/digits.html
Let it be said that a new era never came without sacrifice, but when you are marrying Harmony and Dissonance to create a world of balance, sometimes that sacrifice goes a whole hell of a lot farther than anyone realized.
Ah, and so it was known that Tia had come triumphed over Celestia, but in a way, those two are two sides of the same coin. Tia herself, still have the mind needed to do what Celestia did, it was the power that made those to reality, but I think... Tia no longer had the too strong desire she had before.
And now I must await on the next chapter, for how will Twilight reacted in front of Tia?
3076422 Welcome back, Noyoki!
3076579
Well, that's true, but their friendship really prevails after sometime, is it not?
Both of them seem to develop different kind of friendship, to which it boiled down the same if you go to the middle, but they have different dynamics. :3
It's kinda sad to see Tia loose her immortality. Even with her mistakes she was still instrumental in holding Equestria together and for the most part Equestria flourished under her rule. Now all of that is gone. In the span of a single pony lifetime all the experience and knowledge Celestia possesses will be gone.
I'm curious as to what Luna was referring to regarding Twilight. What exactly IS she turning into? I'm guessing that will be the focus of the next story?
Wow. Wasn't expecting that. Great show.
The creation of the new elements gets me thinking about how the originals were created, and what can REALLY be done with them. Hmmmm.
I'd been lagging behind a good seven chapters because I'd gotten lazy with reading, and now I'm back and wow. I didn't expect Tia's choosing between her old and new life would have to be so... literal. I'd thought it would have been a symbolic, metaphorical choice, but damn.
I can't wait for the next few chapters because Twilight has to deal with Tia's mortality and she still has not learned of Spike's transformation to a mortal unicorn. I think that the prospect of losing the to beings who have loved and been with her for almost her whole life will lead to depression followed by a classic example of Twilight doing something rash and making the situation worse.
ah, good old Celestia, selfish as all hell all the way to the grave.
6162713
Eeup
Yet Chaser and Cheerilee were the only ones who knew that Tia is Celestia, shouldnt they be the two who werent shocked by the statement that Tia had close ties to Cadence (Celestia's Niece as far as the public was concerned) and Twilight (her student).
For Chaser in particular since it was specified here.