• Published 16th Apr 2012
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Is Immortality Really Worth It? - Nadake



Twilight is rejected by the Princess, and vows to become stronger, more perfect, to surpass Celestia

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Lights in the Dark

The Great Hall remained much as Celestia had last seen it, almost seven centuries before. A soft light radiated from the alicorn, shedding golden light about her, banishing the shadows. Celestia's light gleamed in the reflection of her frozen breaths. She shuddered slightly as she continued down the long, windowless hall. Nothing moved, not even the small pests that infested the ruin were to be seen. Either they had been driven out by the instinctive fear of the flames, or else by the far older instinct telling them to flee the malevolent magic that permeated the ruins.

As she walked farther, her hoof sunk into something wet and soft. Looking down, she jerked back. As she pulled the hoof up, a considerable portion of the rat followed, dripping from the golden armor. Face contorted in disgust at both the needless death, and the general revulsion everypony feels while dirty, she skirted the corpse.

As she continued down the passage, Celestia began to notice more subtle signs of what had happened. The ground was littered with the remains of insects, both old and fresh. Cobwebs were strung about the hall almost like streamers at a Ponyville celebration. From hall to hall the Princess walked, and no new horrors met her. This was something new, and something wrong.

Even the Batwings didn't wantonly destroy everything. They killed ponies and bound their souls, but this is... messier. The creatures have all been killed, and judging by the sheer amount, they all died almost simultaneously. What could profit from such mayhem? Discord? No. He remains imprisoned in Canterlot, I would know at once if he were free. Besides, this isn't his style. He may be mad, and powerful, but he isn't evil. He simply has a deluded idea of fun, and the power to force his idea on reality. This is wrong.


Twilight looked at the massive city. Huts made of sunbaked mud stood in layered circles, rings that reached ever higher. This city was built on a large hill, grass showing between the shacks. Zebras could just barely been seen at this distance, small discolorations moving about the hill. Twilight's goal was at the peak of the hill, looking out over the Plains. Terranis, the Earth King, sat upon a thick rug, a deep crimson stain on the bare earth of the peak of the hill.

Twilight drew the spike from the ground one final time. Aiming along the spine, she sent it rocketing forward once more. This time however, she layered moisture along the leading edge of the cone that formed around the speeding projectile. Hard as the gemstone may be, slamming into hardened mud at half the speed of sound would shatter the crystal instantly. More importantly, it would release the power that was contained within, an explosion that would destroy the surroundings. Not the most diplomatic solution. The moisture, infused with her will, would soften the mud, and the ruby would punch through, losing speed and landing on the interior of the palace.

One the hill, one of the walls disappeared in a blinding flash of energy. Apparently she had thrown it too hard. Her eyebrow raised slowly, a quiver on her mouth almost a smile. "Oops." More than the actual crystal, the explosion gave Twilight a firm spot to move to with her teleportion though, and the mare capitalized on the circumstance. If diplomacy wouldn't work, then a show of force would have to do.

She appeared in the center of the crater that had once held a wall, the grass on the rim of the scar flickering with flames. Rather than suppress her magic though, Twilight added more, drawing lightly from her pack to fuel the appearance. A spark of lightning struck down, the electricity drawn to the charged field the teleportation spell created. The report of the super heated air sounded, almost deafening at point blank range. Twilight walked from the cloud of smoke curling from the burning grass, and her hooves clopped on the tiled interior.

Whatever was lacking in the exterior of the Palace was more than accounted for inside. The minimalism of the Zebra art, combined with their characteristic lean, sharp edged style lent the impression of the building itself being a warrior waiting to attack. Rugs covered the tile, forming an orange and black pathway to the throne in the center of the circular room. More mats covered the floor, leaving only small paths between the rugs in which to walk. Zebras sat in all manner of shocked silences, many mouths simply hanging open at the sight of the purple mare's advance.

"HALT!" The shout was followed by the leveled tips of three spears. Creatures Twilight hadn't even heard of from Zecora held the spears before her. They were huge, almost three times her height, and stood on two legs. Rather than hooves, their limbs ended in dexterous appendages which were wrapped around the hafts of the weapons. Their skin was black, and a thick mat of shaggy black fur covered their entire body, leaving only the odd protrusions on their arms bare, and most of their face. "Who are you?"

"I request a private audience with your King."

"The King does not speak with assassins. Begone foul creature, before you leave here in pieces." The creatures were intelligible, though only barely, their voices gruff and strained. Leaning to the left, Twilight could see the throne. There was no King there, there was only a young mare sitting upon the throne.

"Then I desire to speak with whom soever holds the greatest authority here. I would assume that to be she on the throne."

"Leave!" The tip of the spear jutted forward threateningly once more.

"Will you not cooperate?"

"No! Begone. NOW!" The creature ended in a roar, baring long dangerously sharp teeth. It began to lumber forward, spear inching closer to her face.

Her horn glowed, and the spears of all the creatures were ripped from their grips. They crumbled to powder under the force of the unicorn's telekenetic prison. The assembled stared in surprise as the weapons simply ceased to be. Roaring once more, the group charged, now moving with all four limbs on the ground, throwing themselves forward with their thick forelimbs. They slammed into a wall of energy, and fell back howling. The acrid smell of burnt hair washed over the area as the creatures rubbed at their faces, whimpering at the pain of their burns.

"I asked for a private meeting." The calm voice came from beneath the menacing glow of her horn, and the room emptied with a most gratifying haste. Of course, as everywhere, they had their own concepts of nobility and propriety.

"Excuse me. There is a protocol for such requests. You must await your rightful place before addressing her-"

"Harlorn, be silent. Leave us, now." The command was sharp, a bark of orders that the zebra obeyed, albeit will ill grace. Muttering small, self assured curses under his breath, the zebra exited the room.

"What are you?" The mare on the throne asked, the pose and words those of self assured royalty, the quaking voice that of a scared filly.

"You need only concern yourself with one thing. Telling me where the King is."

"He is dead. I am now the leader of these people. What is it that you wish?"

"I want to know who holds Prophecy. And then I will make them help me."

The mare looked shocked, almost stunned at the request. She held herself with a grace rarely seen, more akin to that of the true royalty than the gawky movements of mares her age, she was barely old enough to even be thought of as an adult, much less the leader of a nation. It was a shock to Twilight, as it would be to any pony, to think of a ruler as young. Rulers were meant to be ageless, ancient beyond time, and powerful beyond imagining.

For a moment Twilight stood there, awaiting the answer, and simply looked at the young queen. Like Zecora, and every other zebra she had ever seen, the queen looked like an earth pony with stripes. Light muscles that can only be obtained through the grace of birth rippled along her spare body, the skin hugging close to that hidden strength. Her eyes were a beautiful gold, almost the color of thick honey, and they held an almost predatory ferocity as they looked on the unicorn.

Where a cutie mark would be on a pony, a tribal tattoo stood scared into the queens flank, some strange design. What appeared to be a circle, encircled by seven triangles, all facing away from the circle. It was also the sickly redish purple of a new scar. They had cut the mark into her flank, and left it to heal, unaided. Barbarians

"I hold that power. What need is there for you to come to my home and assault my subjects?" The golden eyes narrowed, glaring at Twilight.

"Because I want you to answer my questions."

"What are your questions Twilight Sparkle. Ask, then leave my realm."

Twilight raised and eyebrow, looking at the zebra. Apparently she had Knowledge as well as Prophecy. Interesting. "I want you to tell me how to obtain what I desire."

"I need more-"

"Don't lie. We both know that you don't need any more detail. Tell me."

"As you wish then. I shall need time to prepare."


Luna found her sister in the Hall of Memory, rooted in place. Before her sat a mirror, one that had plagued the alicorn's dreams. That mirror, for her especially, was a presence both malign, and darkly seductive. From the depths of the vile thing, amid the swirling images of the minds of ponies truly gone mad, a single, reptilian eye stared at her.

So you have returned at last my child. It warms my heart to see you once more. The mental presence broke into her mind like a foal destroys a block castle. The demon sent a feeling of contemptuous amusement pulsing along the forced rapport.

You have no heart.

Oh dearest Luna, you wound me. All I have ever wanted was to aid you, to give you whatever you desire. I could tell you what is happening now, for example.

"Sister, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Luna tore her eyes from the mirror. They found the white glowing form of her sister, her mane still flowing in the celestial wind. There was a tension in her back, the great wings mantled about her. Luna walked around the marble pillar that her sister had become, attempting to see into the difficulty that her sister faced. She froze.

Her sister terrified her. There was a cold, intense hatred burning behind her eyes. Almost tangible waves of power, rage, and bitter sadness rolled off of the ancient creature. There were things moving deep in the pits of her eyes, the usual lavender hue turning into a molten silver. The last time such a look marred the serene being that sat rigidly beside Luna, her sister had singlehoofedly obliterated an entire species. She had wiped them not only from the face of Equestria, but from the very pages of history, the echos of time itself.

Reflected in the silver eyes, was an image in the Mirror. Twilight Sparkle sat curled into a ball in the Mirror. Chains of fire were wrapped around the mare, writhing and sliding along, hideous burns gaped in the wake of the flames. The Mirror Twilight twitched once more, her bonds tightening, searing their image into her flesh once more. Within the Mirror, the proud, capable Twilight Sparkle sat cowed, beaten and broken. She was the closest thing to Celestia's daughter, and if the image seared its pain into Luna's heart...

"They will die."

"Sister, you must not-"

"Silence." The command came out in a harsh whisper, stinging Luna like the bite of one of the ethereal chains binding Twilight.


The plains, even while remaining still indoors in the shade, were almost deadly in their heat.

"What you ask of me is impossible!" The zebra queen, Nolux, growled at the unicorn.

"Don't be foolish. Try again." The mare sat, unruffled at the most recent outburst. The last hour had seen five, the hour before that two more. "You know as well as I that Prophecy is never false."

"Damn it! Don't you get it? There is no Prophecy. The future is muddled, there are hundreds of futures branching out from each other. All I see are a white and black creature with a horn like yours and feathered wings, you, and a mirror. Those are the only constants in the sea of possibilities. I can't tell you what you want to know, because I'm not even sure which you I should be looking at! Why do you think that I could not install greater defenses? I knew that you may have come here, but amid the different places you could have entered, the cities you might have destroyed, I could not spare the guards to my people." The queen growled in frustration. It was hell, to know all of the horrors that could befall her subjects, and knowing that nothing she could do could stop it. To know that there was an equal chance of her blood staining the rug beneath her once more, as each of her predecessors had met their own end.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Hundreds?"

"At least. Its a muddled mess, you can't know anything, because all of those futures are fluid, constantly changing, but none of them ever becoming nonexistent. Time is about to branch off enough to look like a shattered glass, shards and chips everywhere. If it doesn't simply fall apart, then it will be distorted by the cracks running through it. Not only that, but you aren't the only one who is going to make choices that alter reality. Small stones continually appear, a statue, even those two creatures, they are all going to affect the future, and until it is happening, there is no way for Prophecy to work. Until that time, there is nothing I can do to help you, because there will simply be too many possibilities." Nolux said, her voice edging back from the almost frenzied frustration of a moment before to one more akin to awe. Never had any creature held as much sway over the future as the little purple creature before her. "There is only on constant I see, at the end of the branches."

"You just cannot understand. You, all ponies, just don't get it. You think of time as a linear construct, a simple chain of event to event, cause and effect. What you don't understand is that everything that we do, every choice we make affects the future. If I were to decide between a salad and a sandwich for lunch, that single decision would break the flow of time, making two, entirely separate timelines. You think of time as linear because in your memory, one thing leads directly to another, because in your reality, in every reality, it does. What you don't see is that right next to you are hundreds, thousands, millions of different yous. Each choice breaks time, yes, but they are minor, maybe a single hair is a different color, or something minor like that. You though, you are straining the, the stuff of time by your very prescence. You are putting too much strain. If I were to die, here and now, then there would be little change in the outcome of the future, maybe a slight crop decrease or something. The amount of power you hold over others has a direct link into the amount of change the future would have. You though, every choice you make will lead to a distinct future, entirely seperate from, well, everything. They will create and shape their own timelines. But what is truly terrifying is that they will never rejoin. Reality will become separate, apart from itself, based on the choices you and those two other creatures make. You are going to shape the world Twilight Sparkle, and in most, you shall not shape it for the better. There is only one constant in the times I can see."

"Oh?" The eyebrow quirked once more, Twilight's ears flicking to face the queen. The tirade, almost an attack, caught her off guard. Until this point, the queen had been calm, composed and only angered at Twilight's intrusion. Now though, she was near tears, the frustration and helplessness of her position hitting home. There was anger, hot blazing fury in her eyes now.

"Your death."