Chapter Twenty-One – Sunrise
“Let her breathe,” Luna said. Her magic enveloped the two Alicorns and not so gently pulled them apart. “She needs time to recover.”
At first, Twilight struggled to fight the separation. Her hooves slipped away from the one sided embrace as Luna’s magic took over. The limp body of her former foal-sitter showed only the faintest signs of life. However shallow they were, Cadance’s chest rose and fell with each barely registering breath giving slim reassurance she wasn’t dead.
Luna dropped her hold on Twilight, but continued to support Cadance as she swept out her wings and took to the sky. Twilight scooped up the book and opened her wings as well, following closely in the short hop to the balcony of the next tallest tower. The doors to Celestia’s chambers drew back making way for the trio, and Luna guided an unconscious Cadance through the door and over to the bed. With a final flip of her horn, the covers fell back and Cadance slipped into the fold.
Twilight stumbled forward, unsure of the best thing to say or do. Picking up the edge of the bedsheet in her bite, she pulled it across Cadance’s flank. Still, nothing but silence registered on the face of the spent princess. Twilight backed away from the bed and fell to her haunches. Her pack containing the spellbook and diary fell to the ground. Forelegs rose to cover her face. The beginning of tears started to form in her eyes.
Luna stepped up and put a foreleg over Twilight’s shoulder. “The task is complete. She has given us time to prepare for what lies ahead. The restoration power of the night shall hopefully grant a speedy recovery, but we must let her rest. Hopefully she will be ready to face the challenge of a new day.”
“This is all my fault.” Twilight choked back the tears. Luna’s hold further wrapped around her neck completing the embrace. For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was Twilight’s faint whimper rolling through the gentle waves of Luna’s mane. A knock on the door brought them back to reality.
“Princess, are you in there?” The husky voice of a royal guard sounded from the hall.
Luna drew back from Twilight and stepped over to the door. Opening it partway, she stared into the hallway.
The guard assumed a hurried salute. “Apologies, Your Majesty, I was looking for your sister.”
Luna’s reply left no room to question her authority. “Speak your business. She can hear you.”
Without dropping the hoof, the guard answered, “The Princess’ guests have arrived, the Maretonian envoy sends their regards and have turned in for the night, and Shining Armor inquires as to the status of his wife. How shall I respond?”
Twilight crept up to the door and caught the eye of the guard. “Show my guests and my bro—” She caught herself. “—Shining Armor up here.”
“Make sure no one else disturbs us,” Luna added.
The guard dipped his head. “Yes, Your Highnesses.” The echoing hoofbeats of a hasty retreat sounded down the hallway and stairs.
Twilight turned to pace the floor. Her cheeks puffed and red with her sagging tail behind gave little indication of confidence in her current state of uncertainty. Moonlight shone through the open balcony door as well as the high window above the bed. She avoided the patches of light on the floor as she kept her hooves busy trying fight off the growing fear that her plan had failed miserably.
“Sister,” Luna regarded Twilight’s sorry state and shifted tone, “thou mustn’t carry on like this. Do not blame thyself for past missteps. Think to the future and lay plans to overcome. Look to thy friends for strength.”
“That’s exactly what I did, and look where it got us.” Twilight walked up to the bed and lay a hoof across the blanket. “Cadance is my friend, my own sister-in-law, and look what I did to her. I can never forgive myself.”
“It got us further than we were before,” Luna said with a slight nod of the head. “Be that as it may, we must prepare for sunrise. Cadance shall recover, and perhaps thou shouldst get some rest as well.”
“I need to see my friends and explain this whole mess to my brother first.” Twilight drooped her head to the edge of the bed. The coming revelation of matters with her brother had the food in her stomach turning over, souring into a bitter pill that she must swallow.
“I shall see to my nightly duties then.” Luna turned and started to walk out the door. “Take courage, Sister. The night may be dark and lonely, but there are lights to guide us through.”
Twilight raised her head and called back, “You don’t have to call me that. I’m not really your sister.”
Luna swung her head back through the doorway. “As a fellow princess, thou hast proven worthy to be called such. Good night, Twilight Sparkle, sister-princess and friend.”
“Good night… Sister.” Twilight watched as the door slowly shut and the light from the hallway closed off. She took her hoof and gently traced it down the length of Cadance’s mane. A small crack of a smile formed on the sleeping mare’s face. The sight warmed Twilight’s heart and helped steady her nerves. It would be a long night, and those little reassurances were pivotal in deciding if Cadance would make a full recovery. Maybe her plan hadn’t been a total failure.
Twilight sat and stroked Cadance’s mane for what seemed like an hour. In reality, only a few minutes had passed before another knock sounded at the door. She pulled away only a touch. “Come in.”
The door opened with an armored hoof pushing in on the handle. A parade of color followed as Twilight’s friends all filed into the room. The last to enter was her brother.
“Cadance!” Shining Armor yelled. The door shut behind as he rushed toward the bed. “What happened?”
Twilight backed away and let her brother have some space. The worried looks from her friends did nothing to lend comfort to an already delicate situation. Even Pinkie’s grin was nowhere to be found.
Applejack approached. “Are you okay, sugarcube?”
“Let’s just say, I’ve had better days.” Twilight gave Applejack a hug, shaking her tired head in the process. Breaking off, she looked around the room realizing the general darkness cast a shadow on the greeting. “Rarity, could you get the lights?”
“Certainly, dear.” Rarity’s horn glowed, and the sconces around the room flamed to life, bringing welcome light to the moonlit space.
“Princess?” Shining Armor held Cadance’s hoof in his own and peered back at Twilight. The look in his eyes told a story of worry and fear even though his words would never come to say it out loud.
“Brother,” Twilight began, “I owe you an explanation.”
Shining Armor drew his wife’s hoof close to his chest. His look of worry quickly changed to one of anger or mistrust.
“Although I may not look the part right now, I am your sister, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight bit her lip and met Shining’s glare.
“I know who you are,” Shining said, his hornglow building up a powerful mass of magic energy. “You’re a changeling, and you’ve come to feed on my wife again.” Dropping the hoof, he jerked around to aim his horn square at Twilight. The blast would have quickly followed, except Applejack threw herself in front of the shot.
“Hold on!” Applejack yelled. “She’s telling the truth!”
“How?” Shining pulled back, but kept his horn pointed at his obfuscated target. “This isn’t a joke; Cadance is hurt!”
Twilight moved herself around Applejack. “That is all my fault and I regret ever making that choice. I didn’t think she would get hurt. All I needed was for her to lower the sun… It wasn’t supposed to come to this.” Her puffy and tear stained cheeks lent credence to her words.
“She lowered the sun?” Shining Armor half shouted the question. “She’s never done that before!” He dropped his hornglow and turned back to his wife. “She’s completely drained of her magic—even worse than the time we fought King Sombra.”
Twilight paused to consider his reaction. “So… you’re okay with me being your sister?”
“Only my sister would be crazy enough to try something like that.” Shining Armor focused in on his wife, stroking her already overstroked mane even more. “But why did you let Cadance try? Shouldn’t you have done it?” His fiery gaze swung back around to Twilight.
“I had no choice.” Twilight hung her head, oblivious to any of the others in the room. “I’m stuck in Celestia’s body and I can’t use my magic until the Trial is over.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!” Shining pointed up at Twilight’s horn. “You’ve got one of the most powerful horns in Equestria sticking straight out of the smartest brain that I know. How can you not combine the two and take care of the sun like you’re supposed to? I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t add up.”
Twilight’s hooves shot up to her face as she slouched back and turned away, starting to cry again.
Shining glanced over at the confused, yet empathic stares of their friends and then back to his sister. “Twily… I… I didn’t mean it like that.”
“You’re right,” Twilight choked out though sniffs and sobs. “It’s all my fault.” With a flash of her tail, she picked up her step and dashed into the private study room. The door slammed behind her following a swift kick to the frame, and she dove onto the window bench burying her head in the corner pillow pile. One of the fluffy, velvet pillows took a direct hit from her horn.
I can’t do this anymore. The weight of her peytral felt like an anchor dragging her down. Her wings hung to the floor and across to the window without heed for keeping them neatly tucked in at her sides. She shook off her golden shoes letting them clatter to the ground, wishing to be rid of the burden of being Celestia, the princess that should have all the answers.
The minutes ticked away, each one weighing more heavily on her. More than a week of adventuring stress piled on her burden contemplating the ultimate failure at the end of it all. She couldn’t handle the sun, and she couldn’t ask anyone else to do it for her.
A tap at the door made her pull the pillows tight around her ears.
“Twilight,” Shining Armor said as he pushed his way into the small room, “I’m—“
“No!” Twilight tossed one of the pillows aside, but didn’t turn her head to face her brother. “I’m the one that’s sorry. I’m sorry I can’t be like Celestia. I’m sorry I’m not a perfect princess. I’m sorry that my decisions end up hurting those around me. I’m sorry I failed my Trial.” She shook her head, tossing off the pillow impaled on her horn. “I’m sorry for everything.”
Shining Armor closed the door behind him. “No you aren’t.” His single comment cut like a thousand knives, tearing into Twilight’s already vulnerable hide.
“What?” Twilight spun her head around to give the full view of her pained and tear-streaked muzzle. “I couldn’t be more sorry if I tried! Cadance is suffering because of me!”
“Twily, you can’t be sorry, because you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” Shining Armor lay a hoof across Twilight’s mane. Snuggling in close, careful to avoid stepping on her wing, he used his other forehoof to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “You’re doing the best you can, and I’m the one who should be sorry for losing my temper.”
“You don’t understand.” Twilight turned away to stare out the window. “I forced Cadance to lower the sun because I thought that was the only choice I had. Her magic might be gone for good and I’m the one to blame.”
“Your friends filled me in on what’s happening.” Shining Armor’s grin spread across his face as Twilight whipped her head around. “And that’s definitely not what Cadance says.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight’s hooves slipped against the stone floor as she tried to raise herself from the seat. “Is she awake?”
“Yeah, she woke up right after you stormed out.” Shining Armor hugged the wall with Twilight zipping past him back into the bedroom.
“Cadance!” Twilight cheered seeing her sister-princess sitting up in bed. “I’m so sorry!” Her friends parted allowing Twilight direct access to the bedside. With three strides, she covered the distance and fell into a warm embrace with her sister.
“We did it,” Cadance whispered, weak from her recent exertion.
Twilight pulled back, relaxing her grip. “But, what about your magic?”
“I’ll be fine.” Cadance smiled the best she could. “I just need time to recover.”
“I think we could all use some rest,” Applejack said. The voice of reason brought Twilight back into the moment, and she turned to consider the rest of those gathered around her.
“That… sounds like a good idea,” Twilight said as she slid her hooves off the bed. “It’s been a long day and we could all use a little shut eye.” She paused to consider the current arrangements. “Why don’t I take my usual guest room and let Cadance and Shining sleep here. There should be plenty more rooms prepared for all of us.”
Heads nodded all around and hooves shuffled toward the hallway door. Twilight reached back and gave Cadance a goodnight hug. Breaking away, she stepped over to the almost forgotten saddle bag and slung it across her back. With at least one burden lifted, she tossed her hooves around her brother. “Thank you for coming. I’m not sure what I would have done without you.”
“Anything for my little sister,” Shining said, trying to extract his muzzle from the flowing royal mane. “Even if she’s not so little right now.”
The siblings shared a chuckle, and Twilight waved a final goodnight wave slipping out the door. The spring in her step returned in just the slightest given the prospects for Cadance.
In the hallway, the rest of her friends shared a moment for more hugs before shuffling off into the nearby guest rooms. Twilight heaved a sigh of relief as she turned to close the door of her own familiar room.
The bed called for her. She grabbed the bag in her bite and tossed it up on the comforter. Glancing around her old room, the mirror in the corner reflected her sorry state in terms of the purple alicorn she longed to be again. Edging closer to the glass, she fitted a smile and was rewarded with the same in reflection. The moment gave her time to reflect on her situation.
“Dear Princess Celestia,” she began with the phrase so often said, “I may never be as wonderful as you, but I hope you know that I’m trying. I don’t think I could have gotten this far without you, but I’m going to need a lot more help before I’m done. Hopefully my best will be good enough, because that’s what I’m going to give. Even if it kills me, I’m going to finish this Trial and raise the sun. Thanks for always being there for me. I won’t let you down. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”
With a simple nod of her head in confirmation, Twilight hopped up on the bed and reached over for the saddle bag. It would be a long night, and she needed to study as much as she could. It might be a longshot, but she had to try. Hopefully come sunrise she could handle her duties, but it would take quite a while to teach herself the magic required starting from scratch. The moonlight through the window provided just enough light, and she pulled back the cover on Starswirl’s book and began to read.
The warm rays of the morning sun tumbled through the window glass, tickling Twilight’s muzzle and dancing through her flowing mane. A gentle, prodding hoof nudged her side. “Twilight,” Applejack whispered in addition to the hoof. "You need to wake up."
Twilight shifted from her side and rolled over on her back. The sun caught her square in the eyes, and she bolted upright. Rubbing the sleep from them, she turned to face the pony by her bedside. In the light of the mid-morning sun, the sparkle of fresh tears highlighted the muzzle of the apple farmer’s face.
“Twilight,” Applejack said, struggling with the words to follow, “you need to come with me.”
“What’s wrong, Applejack?” Twilight tossed back the covers and slid off the bed. The sudden realization that the sun was already up added another level of urgency to her exit.
“It’s not my place to say,” Applejack replied, wiping a foreleg across her muzzle. “I better let him tell ya.”
“Shining!” Twilight dropped all semblance of formality and bolted for the door. A clatter rang through the hall as she ran toward the royal chamber. Keratin tore away from her hooves as she rounded the turn through the royal bedroom door. Lying on the bed next to Cadance, Shining Armor rested his head against the soft pillows.
“Don’t you dare blame yourself,” he said, his voice low and raspy. “This was my choice; I had to help.”
“You raised the sun?” Twilight asked, already knowing the answer and fearing the consequences all the same. “All by yourself?”
“Yes,” Luna’s reply caught Twilight by surprise, “and his magic is forfeit as a result.”
“No!” Twilight felt her legs buckle as she fell to the floor.
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....Whut....My brain...Whut....Well, I think I need a minute...
*a few minutes later*
Well, that quite a bombshell. A rather large, life-changing, Shining Armor shaped bombshell.
I was rather looking forward to a nice happy ending, and now you throw this? Sweet Celestia, if this is what you use as a curve ball, I dread to think what the finale is going to involve. Keep up the amazing work, but just one thing: don't make my brain break like that again. I don't think I could take much more...
Goddamnit, I hate cliffhangers.
Please keep writing this!
5613371
I most certainly will. I want to get it done even more than some folks want to finish reading it.
Luna separates Twilight from Cadence and puts the Love Princess to bed, stating she needs some space to recover. Yup, it's Magic Exhaustion. Hope she has MP Hastega equipped. (Kingdom Hearts ability reference: check.) And Twilight is feeling extremely guilty.
So the Maretonians are heading to bed, the rest of the Mane Six have arrived, and Twilight asks for them and Shining Armor to be brought to her chamber. Once the guard leaves, she's.....
Oh, sweet Celestia, she's turning into a SquareEnix protagonist......
So Luna tries to consul her - with marginal success - and then decides to see to her nightly duties.
So a few minutes pass before Shining and the rest of the Mane Six arrive, and when Twilight starts trying to explain things to Shining Armor, he ends up jumping to the conclusion that she's a Changeling.
Technically, Chrysalis was feeding on you, Shining. She just stuck Cadence in a cave.
But the others manage to stall him long enough for Twilight to give just enough of an explanation for Shining to bite.
Wait, "Only my sister would be crazy enough to try something like that"? Just how many of Twilight's adventures have you been aware of, Shining!?
Twilight, have you even attempted to unlock Celestia's magic locks since your first try earlier today? Perhaps, if you can figure out how her intricate horn works, then you can use the Mantle to raise the sun next time.
Seriously, you go through all the trouble early on in the story and trials with both Sweetie Belle AND the Generosity Trial to establish and reinforce that each horn is unique, and then just up and not use it again when it's even MORE important!? Consistency, please!!! (Writing: -1)
This would make more sense if Celestia's horn didn't even flare up earlier when Twilight tried to move the book, which seems to me that she just needs more practice with this particular horn. I thought the plan with Cadence was just to give Twilight more time to get used to the new horn and figure out how to use it. But it seems her magic is completely locked up now. Because......reasons?
So Twilight goes tot sulk in Celestia's study for a good hour, and I think we can fill in this bit of the review with just some sad music. Because I have no jokes to make nor flaws to point out other than "sad character sulks in secluded room" cliche, which is only natural for literally anyone in Twilight's situation.
So Shining comes in and attempts to apologize, but Twilight cuts him off.
Actually, what would happen if Twilight DID fail her trial? I'm wondering this now. I know the long-term effects; Equestria would fall apart at the seams. But I mean, how would we know if she failed? Would she be ejected from Celestia's body, or would she just go on until she fixed her mistake?
Anyway, Shining explains that Cadence woke up just moments after Twilight stormed out (Convenient!) and the girls explained the situation.
Always funny to see someone dashing past fast enough to force someone else to flatten out against a wall to avoid them. (Humor: +1)
So Cadence is alright now - albeit weak - Twilight's resolve returns - if only slightly - and they all decide to turn in for the now.
Okay, we haven't heard the phrase "Dear Princess Celestia" since early in season 3. Talk about nostalgia.
So Twilight goes on studying the Mantle via Starswirl's book.
No......No, no...please don't tell me---
(Apologies, Sunlight's mind has crashed. Will be back in time for the next chapter.)