Duskfall

by Celestial Swordsman

Heavy Choices

Chapter 35

Rainbow Dash, Celestia’s guardian, brought her charge to a spacious chamber on the other side of the mountain. The far end of the room was open to the air. There the floor dropped off into a jagged precipice. Beneath stretched the glassy surface of a lake cradled between the mountains, and beyond that, the fateful eastern horizon. The others were gathered about the extraordinary centerpiece of the ancient architecture. A huge, multifaceted spike of clear crystal jutted down from the high ceiling. Beneath it a round section of floor was raised a pony’s shoulder above the rest. A second stone table was ringed by smaller deposits of gemstone that protruded from its edge like miniature battlements. An unexplained golden light filled the crystals and danced through their crisp, translucent features.

Luna informed Twilight and Trixie, “You cannot reach the sun, but I am not strong enough to take this task alone. When Sidayana feels my signal, the magicians outside will give their power into my aura. You must link your energy with me as well.”

Twilight tried not to blush again. Doctor Sparkle set aside her personal discomfort, reminding herself, “It’s just professional.” She took a deep breath and offered her horn to the night Princess’s touch.

Luna stood aloof. “That will not be necessary,” she said, relieving both of them from the impropriety.

As Twilight understood that there were less intimate ways to complete the transaction, she shot an exasperated look towards Celestia. The cursed alicorn shrugged, and returned an apologetic yet amused expression. Twilight realized with consternation that she had initiated their exchange in the library.

“Both of you, simply summon your strength and allow my spell to work.” The three of them lit their horns, and as each unicorn released control a faint streak of ether passed to the Princess. “Now we are ready. Nevertheless, we will only be able to hold the sun above the horizon for a short time.”

Rarity and Fluttershy quietly entered and stood inconspicuously behind the others. Celestia was uncomfortable again with her guilty secret lurking in the room. All eyes turned to her, and the company parted to usher her towards the ritual platform.

It was time to face the truth and the unknown. Dusk approached it fearfully. Exerting her weak legs and wings, she heaved herself on top of it. As she gazed up at the glowing spike, now pointing down at her, she could sense that its energy was more ancient than the city. She remembered with dread the awful power that had so easily undone her. She turned back to them and, hanging her head, tried to find a way to tell the cruel news.

“What is it?” asked Twilight, eager to complete her mission.

“I should have told you before,” she confessed. “For me to be restored, somepony has to be sacrificed,” she continued mournfully.

“What do you mean?” Twilight said, as her misgivings about trusting unknown magic resurfaced.

“I stand here, and a pony stands there,” she said, indicating beneath her and then at the second pedestal nearby. “When the sun comes up, from what I understood, the crystal will take life from there and put it here, into me. I’m not sure the pony who gives will have any left.”

The ponies’ eyes widened as they took in the situation. They looked at each other, and some of them backed up a step. Ever protective of her comrades, Applejack demanded indignantly, “You mean you brought us here just for you to suck the life out of another poor innocent pony?!”

Dusk shot back with weary frustration, “I came here because this is the only way I know to bring back the sun. I doomed the whole world, and this is the one chance I have to make up some of what I’ve done.” She lay down, resolute and fatigued. “Whatever you do, I’m staying here. If no one wants to try this crazy magic, if no one is ready to die, that’s fine. But I’M dying, and this is my last chance to do something good with my life. I’m not moving.”

“Well, I ain’t giving my life to the likes of you!” Major Applejack declared. “I’d pony up for Luna and Equestria, but this is the craziest thing there is! Me and every Rough Rider worth their salt would have the great white tyrant banished to the sun, or worse! No pony here would be willin’ if they knew the truth about you.” As she looked around the chamber full of nodding heads, she understood the full import of what she had just said. “Well, no, wait now…”

Luna clarified the boundaries of the discussion authoritatively: “Even if it would work, no pony will be sacrificed against their will.”

“Applejack’s right, though,” Twilight acknowledged, “No Lunar soldier would be willing. It has to be one of us.” Twilight hung her head, and closed her eyes. Was this it? “I should do it. I have been Celestia’s disciple my whole life. I couldn’t see what she had become, and I helped her make a mess of things. I guess it would be worth it if I could have Celestia live on after me, the Celestia I always thought I was serving. That Celestia was wonderful.”

With a glance to Rarity, Celestia worried that she did not live up to her pupil’s hopes.

“No,” said Luna sadly, “If it were only a matter of remorse I would do it. I am her sister. And when she started to go wrong--” regret stifled Luna’s speech for a moment. Regaining herself, she confessed, “When she started to go wrong, when I could have helped her, I became Nightmare Moon instead. However, I am required to complete this ritual, and whatever happens, Equestria will need me when this is over. As for you, Twilight Sparkle, do not forget yourself: you may be the most magical unicorn here. I will need your help.”

With the finality of these statements, all their minds rushed to fill in the next logical conclusion. Sooner or later, everyone started looking at the “Guardian of Celestia”. Rainbow Dash sensed the attention and stood perspiring and regretting the gaudy Solar emblem on her vest.

“Who, me? Are you saying I should?” Rainbow Dash blurted incredulously. That was exactly what they meant. Feeling a twinge of shame, she recovered, “You know I’d never back down if there was a fighting chance, but, like, dead?”

“Oh,” Twilight said, “I just thought since you were so… loyal.”

It was true. Rainbow Dash wondered what was wrong with her now. She thought aloud, “Well, I think I found out a couple days ago where my loyalties really were. I disobeyed Solar orders from the highest levels to save you and Rarity. All along, since we met up—you know, with the Elements of Harmony and everything—I knew I would do anything for my friends. I was almost ready to do it, too. I was about to do it to save you, Twilight. But now my friends are safe, and I just… I don’t know. I don’t know Dusk, and I guess it turns out I didn’t really know Celestia after all.”

“THE WORLD WILL PERISH IN DARKNESS!” a deranged voice yelled. It was Pinkie Pie, sensitive as ever. Having so effectively gotten everypony’s attention, she giggled nervously. “Um, I think, my tail is twitching!” she invented, wagging her puffy pink tail in all directions. No one really expected her to do it anyway, but if nopony stood up, she would be right.

Rainbow Dash began to reconsider. The end of the world meant the end of her friends, too. Tears welled up as she thought about the possibility that she would never be a Wonderbolt. Forget the Wonderbolts, what if she never felt the wind rush under her wings as she soared through the open sky? Every time she did that she felt so alive. But with her friends on the line, how could she be so selfish? “I guess, I’ll do it,” Dash said, falteringly. “Well, um, look, is there any other way?”

“Yes,” came the audible answer.

“Huh?” was all Rainbow Dash could manage. That wasn’t the answer she expected.

A white unicorn stepped forward from where she had been forgotten and overlooked. “I will do it.”

“Oh, Rarity, no!” Applejack pleaded, suddenly replacing her harsh tone. Celestia’s jaw dropped and Fluttershy gave a gasp.

“Why would you do that?” Twilight honestly asked.

Rarity answered calmly, “It’s simple. All my life I have been in search of beauty. I have worked so hard to create and keep it, starting with myself, but also my house, my town and my world. Ever since the troubles started, I didn’t know what to do. All I could do was to carry on. I sent out fashions and fabrics to somehow fight the ugliness and pain that gripped everypony. Now everything that is fair and lovely is dying, and I can save it. It’s what I’ve tried to do all along.”

Fluttershy panted, whimpered, and almost growled. She wanted to jump in the way and blurt out that something was wrong, something was sinister. The only thing that held her back was that her friend did not want to be stopped.

Celestia was astonished. She had made a mistake; it shouldn’t work. Yet Rarity was in the middle of the speech that had been prepared for her.

“Rarity, why’d you have to go and be so generous?” Rainbow Dash complained, once again yanked onto the scene by her own character. “Come back here, I’ll do it!”

“No, Rainbow Dash, you really don’t want to. The sky should really have you and your rainbows in it. I’ve always dreamed that royalty would appreciate my work. I can go in peace knowing the graceful Princess will carry on after me. And my sister! Sweetie Belle deserves to live in a beautiful world. I know in my soul, this is right,” she spoke pleasantly, moving past Rainbow Dash as she pardoned her and approached Applejack.

She took out a jeweled mane brush and gave it to the reluctant country pony. “While I’ve been in Canterlot, everything has been clean and controlled, which I quite enjoyed. It also made me realize I missed you.” She passed over to Twilight. “As for you, Twilight, I never understood your magic, but when you showed me the magic of friendship you helped me see myself in a new way,” she said, hoofing her fellow unicorn a silver mirror.

She was out of trinkets when she reached Pinkie Pie, but she knew that wouldn’t matter. The teary-eyed party pony was bouncing on the tips of her hooves holding herself back. “It’s alright, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity invited, though she knew what would follow would be un-ladylike. The tremendous bear hug messed up her mane, but that wasn’t what finally brought tears to her eyes. When she was finally released, she picked her way on dainty hoofsteps to Fluttershy.

The sensitive pegasus was once again hiding from the situation under her mane. Why was she still quiet? She frantically considered, “Am I being good, or too shy to help?” Rarity stood patiently until Fluttershy sniffled and looked up. With renewed fear and anger, the yellow one stared sideways at the duskling who still pretended to be helpless.

Rarity put out a hoof to capture her attention. Fluttershy timidly met the hoof with her own and held it there, and they looked into each other’s eyes. Rarity’s serene disposition reassured her sensitive companion, and she whispered, “Don’t blame her for this. It’s for my friends, for you.”

She turned and strutted right up to Celestia, who was still confused. The unicorn shifted from peaceful to defiant. “Do you still think you did this?” she whispered, then commanded, “Say ‘thank you’. Say it out loud.”

Celestia realized her schemes had been defeated; Rarity’s integrity had so triumphed that she was above the situation. She would give as her heart led her whether or not she had been betrayed and without the need to react to the situation.

“I’m sorry for everything,” the humbled Princess said in the midst of them all. “Thank you.”

When she was done saying goodbye, Rarity approached the platform that was ringed with crystals. Mounting it and posing at the top, she indulged, “Stylish, isn’t it?” The death device lit her like a Vaudeville stage. She looked thoughtfully into the crystals that rose up around her and studied the golden light that danced inside them. “This may seem foolish,” she admitted, “but I trust it because it’s beautiful.”

Comments

[Dawn Darkling]

This is so heavy. I can hardly bear to see what happens next, but I must and I will! See you on the other side.

Much heavy. So sad.
-Doge