The Unforgiven

by Dillena Monger

Truths

Daring Rose smiled at the revelations Twilight told her, “So you were born as a unicorn? It means I can ascend to an alicorn as well?”

“Let’s not dream so high as yet, okay?” Twilight smiled at her softly. “For now, it’s getting late, time for me to lower the Sun and raise the Moon. Care to come and watch? It will be the first time in a long while that a pony saw such a thing.”

“Of course I want to!” she jumped upright, excited as never before.

“Discord, please, find Rar-109.”

The draconequus made a quick bow and vanished. Daring Rose looked at Twilight curiously, “Errr… what’s this ‘Rar-109’, Princess?”

Twilight Sparkle only got up from her mattress. “As I said, it has been a long time since any pony has seen this. And as such, I intend to make it a formal event. Discord will fetch you a dress from my personal achieves and see you to your room so you can freshen up. The town may be in ruins and dusty, but this situation calls for it.”

Daring Rose’s smile widened even more. She only watched as Twilight walked graciously outside the large library and, not too long later, Discord appeared with a box in his claws, “This way, Miss Rose.”

==================

The sole unicorn in the whole city was now in front of a circular, badly damaged altar with a piece of what would once be called a sun and at the other side a moon, also broken and mostly unrecognizable. She was wearing a glamorous light green dress with beautiful darker laces adorning around her neck. The tail of the dress was artfully decorated with small roses in full blown.

Discord looked at the altar and tsk-ed. With a snap of his fingers, the altar returned to its former glory long before Twilight appeared. From afar, a chirping could be heard, going straight to Daring Rose’s direction. Turning to that sound, the unicorn saw a beautiful orange and red bird, which feathers moved in her flight like fire. She was utterly enchanted by the creature, which landed gently on Discord’s antler.

“Oh. Hi there Philomena. Came to see the Moon Rise?” Discord asked, to which the phoenix only chirped and nodded, before looking at Daring Rose.

Enchanted by the sight of the phoenix, the unicorn was with her muzzle agape. She never saw a phoenix in person before. They were very rare even before some greed ponies began hunting them down for their feathers.

Then her attention changed to the altar Discord just fixed. From the other side, Twilight came walking, her mane moving softly in a breeze Daring Rose couldn’t feel in her fur. The Princess was wearing more than just her usual regalia, a long dark blue dress with silvery stars placed all around her neck. Both forelegs were completely left out, showing her lavender coat, as the hooves were still covered in the silver ponyshoes she saw earlier. When near her waist, the dress would then part in half to allow her ever flowing tail to be free, but it was still glamorous with the white fluffy edges which went under her belly.

Twilight stopped there, right between the Sun and the Moon and mouthed a thank you to Discord, who just nodded with a smile, and looked at the three of them. Daring Rose noticed that, in her eyes, Twilight wasn’t ‘seeing’ just them, but rather a full town of ponies looking at her.

With a warm smile, Twilight spoke: “My little ponies, another day has come to an end. May the Sun set taking your problems with it and the Moon rise bringing light for your dreams!”

And then, the alicorn began floating, her horn glowing a soft pinkish aura and Daring Rose noticed the change in the color of the skies: the Sun was sinking in the horizon. As the darkness took over the sky, Daring Rose looked at the other side and noticed a silvery body rising at the horizon. For the very first time in her life, she had a perfect view point to see the ‘beacon of dreams’, as some poets called it, to rise slowly and leisurely before being thrown into its orbit around Equestrian night.

Twilight then floated down and landed softly with barely a sound to be heard when her ponyshoes hit the marble altar. “And then, may the night begin,” Twilight said finally.

“Wow... that was... beautiful!” Daring Rose said.

Without losing her smile, Twilight walked down from the altar and towards the smaller pony, “Thank you, Daring Rose. However, this was just a copy of the original. It was always a masterpiece whenever Celestia was there to raise her Sun and Luna do the same with her Moon. Besides two thousand years of practice gave me a pretty good control over them, I’m still learning how to make them works of art like my two mentors did.”

“Luna made it even more beautiful? How is it even possible?”

“You would have to see in order to understand. It would be like trying to explain music to deaf: they can feel the vibration, but the lyrics are completely lost.”

“I guess I understand,” Daring Rose said.

“Let’s head back inside. The nights are getting chilly as we approach the winter,” Twilight said, turning and returning to the castle.

“Come to think of it… you do a Winter Wrap Up around there?” Daring Rose asked.

Twilight then suddenly came to a halt. Discord downed his head to whisper in Daring Rose’s ears, “It’s a touchy subject…”

Philomena had, by then, left his antler and was flapping her bright fiery wings in front of Twilight’s face. The alicorn gave her a sad smile. “It’s alright, Discord. It’s just a bad memory, but it’s part of Equestrian history and as such must be remembered,” Twilight said.

“A… part of Equestrian history?” Daring Rose asked puzzled.

As Twilight resumed her walk, she turned her face to the smaller unicorn and answered, “Ever heard that old saying? ‘Those who don’t know their own history are fated to repeat it’?”

“I… had heard it a couple of times, but never understood it fully…”

“Well… I guess you’ll see what it means now,” Twilight answered. “Back then, when I was just a newly crowned princess, I almost destroyed Ponyville when Tirek attacked. I knew the destructive power of mixed magic. However, I choose to turn a blind eye to it…”

==================

During one of Twilight’s courts, she suddenly lifted her head, feeling another of those monstrous magical disturbances. It had been the fourth in this last month. After she embraced her alicorn nature truly, Twilight has begun to grow both magically and physically, already getting half again as taller than her brother, her horn slowly growing proportional to her new size as did her wings. What called more the attention of everypony now was Twilight’s ethereal mane. Since Celestia declared she had enough magical reserves to keep one without endangering her running out of magic, even in the heat of battle, Twilight preferred the weightless ever flowing characteristic mane and tail of Princesses. And hers were a deep purple in color, gently softened at the edges, with pink streaks running randomly through the entire length, actually moving in random directions and not keeping static.

What called most of Twilight’s attention, however, was the fact that she could pinpoint more and more the precise location of the disturbance. It was both good and bad news: good for her own powers were growing and bad for the disturbances were also growing more powerful.

“Is everything alright, your highness?” one of the ever loyal guards asked Twilight.

“Yes, it is. Let’s continue,” Twilight answered. Not quite a lie, since for now everything was alright. The rest of the court passed uneventful and soon Twilight had a little time to herself.

“Twilight?” Spike peeked inside her room slowly to access if it was a good time or not.

“Come in, Spike,” the alicorn said without looking back. She was sitting in the window of her room, looking at the south horizon of Ponyville. The disturbance had come from that direction, generally speaking.

“Actually, I was charged to take you to dinner…” the dragon answered. The once baby dragon was now more as a teenager one, having grown in size and developed some muscles. As he grown in age, also did his horns and wings, and also her breath slowly become more powerful. Months back, when Twilight went to chat with the other dragons, she was informed that Spike was still a child for dragon standards: all dragons started as bipedal and then evolved into the gigantic creatures famous to be impervious to magic and powerfully magical themselves.

“I’m sorry… I’m not feeling that good today… Would you mind in bringing my dinner to my room, Spike?”

“Not a problem, Twi. However, would you mind if I joined you?”

Twilight chuckled softly and turned to him with a warm smile, “Of course not, Spike. I truly expected you to join me, really.”

During dinner with her number one assistant, Twilight’s mood improved some and she was able to smile while doing small talk with the dragon. The next morning, the winter would arrive officially and there would also be what became routine training for her and her friends with Celestia, Luna and Cadance. Unknown to him, Spike had helped Twilight to have the best night’s sleep she ever had.

The following day’s training started as any other. Twilight and her friends were met by the unmatchable force of three fully grown alicorns. However, practice quickly brought their harmony magic, only Twilight not summoning it now, as they all darted to start another fight. This time, though, the lavender alicorn had another target in mind.

As usual, Luna and Cadance charged against Twilight and her friends, but all of a sudden, a pinkish spark made the Princess of Friendship all but disappear in thin air only to reappear a second later in front of her mentor to everypony’s surprise. That second hesitation in Celestia’s defense was all Twilight needed to charge her horn and shoot a point-blank all powerful magical blast right into Celestia’s chest.

With the Solar Princess flying backwards fast, Applejack was the first to see an opening and gave a full body tackle on Luna, soon joined by Rarity’s magic blast and in care by Fluttershy’s natural protective magic. Cadance, though, had to deal with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, one so fast it blurred her vision and the other just naturally random and completely unable to be predicted.

Different from all other training starts, Twilight’s team had started with the advantage.

Celestia, besides surprised, didn’t stood long in the state, flapping her wings and regaining composure barely soon enough to avoid Twilight’s hooves on her back. Celestia tried to counterattack with a spin reinforced with magic, only to see it barred by a strong pinkish shield. Twilight and Celestia’s battle above the others created such powerful magic and physical blows that after a while, all the others all but stopped in common agreement to watch them fight. In the course of six months training, Twilight Sparkle ascended from the weakest of the living alicorns to matching Celestia’s powers.

After a particularly strong blow, both were sent backwards, flapping their wings and holding still in place. Celestia was tired as Twilight, a feat in itself, and kept a huge grin in her muzzle.

“Good to know you’ve came such a long way, Twilight...” Celestia said.

“I’ve been waiting long enough to hear this, Celestia...” Twilight grinned back. After her ascension was complete, she found it easier to call Celestia and Luna by their names rather than their titles.

“But let’s see if you’re really that much stronger after all!” Celestia then stiffened her both wings and all four legs, raising her head and charging her horn.

Before Twilight could use that little time to attack, she had to bring her best defenses up: the process of charging her horn was enough to actually create heat waves from Celestia!

Luna, at the ground, looked at everypony else and yelled: “DREAM TRAINING OR NOT, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

Twilight only looked at the others and saw them running before bringing her attention back to Celestia. “Celestia! What are you doing?”

“This spell is called Solstice Wrath, my apprentice, and it will test your resistance and power to their limits!”

Instead of leaving through Celestia’s horn, the spell was projected in a wide radius all around Celestia’s body. Twilight knew already if she touched those flares it was ‘game over’ for her, so she thought fast and quick. Charging a magic of her own repertoire, the lavender alicorn shoot it against the Solstice Wrath, only to see the spell itself burning and disappearing.

Now flying backwards, Twilight finally understood the Solstice Wrath. It was magical flames so hot it could burn magic itself. And by the way it was growing, soon it would engulf her friends, no matter how fast they ran. She acted first, though and teleported right before them.

“Luna! Cadance!” everypony there quickly came to a halt upon seeing Twilight popping out of thin air.

“Twilight! What you’re doing! RUN!” Luna called.

“It’s useless, Luna!” Twilight called back. “I have to stop it! Or else there will not be anyplace for you to hide! Luna, Cadance, remember what happened with Tirek? I need you to perform that ritual again and give me your magic!”

Luna looked behind them. The flares were growing closer to them, dangerously closer, so she didn’t have time to argue.

“Twilight! That wasn’t a ritual! It’s just your natural magic!” Luna called.

“WHAT?” Twilight yelled back. She was about to ask more when Luna cut her.

“TWILIGHT! We explain later! You must focus now! Remember that sensation! You have my consent!”

Cadance, after being surprised by Luna’s revelation, nodded her head and agreed, “You have mine as well!”

Rainbow Dash then shot forward, “And ours! We will give you everything, Twi!”

Twilight looked at them surprised but closed her eyes and did as Luna said. The flares were getting hotter and hotter by the second, coming closer and closer to them. Twilight soon could feel their magic and, as easily as that, she reached those magic. When she did, she felt her friends’ magic following her will, moving as she asked and then out of their body and into her own.

But different from last time, she felt this magic now not only for belonging to her friends, but as Princess of Friendship, a part of herself. Shooting her eyes wide open again, Twilight took a burst of strength and took off, leaving seven tired-looking cutie mark-less ponies behind.

Focusing her new found magic, Twilight’s horn glowed white with rainbow sparks before quickly returning to its pinkish traditional color and creating a whirlwind barrier. As the magic began to spin, the flares were suckled inside it... and died! She now had enough magic to triumph over Celestia’s behemoth and she made progress going forward. As she reached visual range of Celestia, Twilight charged her horn once more and shot a simple magic blast against the Solar Princess. A loud hiss could be heard as Celestia’s spell tried to burn Twilight’s magic and soon it hit Celestia’s chest, but instead of shooting her backwards, the spell enveloped her and began to drain all her magic through those potent flares.

Outside that shield created by Twilight, the inferno-hot flares slowly died down and the seven magically drained ponies walked slowly towards Twilight. The lavender unicorn, after confirming that Celestia was tired enough to surrender inside her shield, slowly floated down and only then broke the spell. In the next second, she also could easily separate the magic from within her body and return it to her friends without any complications.

Celestia looked at Twilight, “How...”

Twilight also was drained by such powerful magic, but smiled nonetheless, “I’m the Princess of Friendship, Celestia... So I got by with a little help of my friends...”

Celestia chuckled, “You figured it out or was you told?”

“I was told, I admit,” Twilight agreed. “Care to explain me how you knew about my magic before I did?”

“By watching how the Elements of Harmony reacted with you in comparison to us...” Luna answered for Celestia. “Whenever Tia and I used the Elements, they drained our magic and focused it at the Element of Magic before casting the intended spell. However, when it was you whom represented the Elements of Harmony, whenever you used them, your magic focused first on Twilight and then was released. The Elements of Harmony were preparing Twilight for its own and particular kind of magic, the magic of Friendship.”

“That’s why you gave me your consent...” Twilight said. “I remember when Discord had... messed with us. When I tried using the Elements of Harmony, I couldn’t feel the others magic...”

“In other words, we weren’t willing to share it with you...” Rarity nodded.

“And that’s the weak point of Twilight’s magic,” said Celestia. “Do not ever leave her side, any of you.”

“You bet!” Rainbow Dash said with a smile.

“Best Pony Friends Forever!” Pinkie Pie said bouncing excitedly around Twilight.

The other ponies chuckled and nodded with them. Twilight looked at Luna and Cadance. “So… and about you two?”

Both Luna and Cadance giggled, “We surrender.”

And with that, another training day had come to an end. Along the following two months, once a week, they all continued training and developing their skills.

And then, came a day that always was special to Twilight: Winter Wrap Up!

Using her usual uniform that combined all three groups of workers, she and spike were in front of her Friendship Castle were the meeting was being held. She grinned to Everypony there and smiled.

“Another winter has come and gone, and now it’s time for another Winter Wrap Up!” Twilight’s announcement was met with a loud cheer from everypony. They talked among themselves for quite some time before Twilight hit her hoof three times. Even with the rather loud sound of their rumbles, the ponies stopped to look at their Princess now. “I’m pretty sure everypony knows their places just like last year, but always pay off to remember. Applejack?” Twilight called with a smile.

“Clear the ground and plant the seeds,” answered the farm pony.

“Excellent. Pinkie Pie?”

“Cutting the ice while skating!” answered the enthusiastic earth pony.

“Just wait a little to start. Rainbow Dash?”

“Clear the skies and bring the birds in!” the cyan pegasus said already flapping her wings.

“Very good. Fluttershy?”

“Wake up the critters from their long slumber and get them to their new homes.” Answered the yellow pegasus.

“Which will be built by…?”

“By me of course, and my fabulous team,” answered Rarity right on cue.

With a large smile, Twilight continued with her check to fit everypony in their functions. With that out of the way, Twilight asked if there was any pony new in town that would like to help and assigned them to their proper teams, once again remembering the unicorn outsiders that they were going to do a Winter Wrap Up earth-pony style, so no magic allowed!

And then, as every year started, the ponies started singing in unison the typical Winter Wrap Up song. With the cheerful melody warming their hearts, the ponies started working on their chores in order to bring spring to bear once more in time.

After plenty of hard work, everypony gathered before Princess Twilight’s Castle once more, “It was a very good work, everypony! Now I declare--”

Suddenly a chill run down Twilight’s spine, along with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Spike noticed this and hasn’t lost a single second, already taking off a scroll and a pen out of his back and writing to Princess Celestia. All the six Elements of Harmony turned their face to the same direction.

As soon as she recovered from her shock, Twilight faced the other ponies and, in the Royal Canterlot Voice that claimed no arguing, she addressed them all. “EVERYPONY! IT’S A ROYAL ORDER! EVACUATION PLAN ALPHA! GO!”

After the decree of Twilight, not a single stayed. They all rushed to fulfill to perfection the evacuation plan Twilight had made for this occasion, as Twilight and the others faced the direction south of Ponyville. With her friends at her side, Twilight let out a weak smile, trying to say to herself it was alright and that she wasn’t afraid.

“What a way to greet Spring…” commented Applejack.

“Indeed… It may not want to return ever after this…” Rarity said, still a lot more dramatic than a pony had the right to be.

“Do not forget for what we’re fighting today, girls…” Twilight took a step forward, her mane suddenly stopping its ethereal motions and falling softly over her neck and one of her shoulders, as her tail also fell almost touching the ground. “The enemy is strong and we’ll need every single drop of magic we have.”

==================

“And then what happened?” Daring Rose asked curiously after a full minute of silence.

Twilight closed her eyes and looked into the starlit sky, “Let’s take dinner first and then settle for a nice night of sleep.”

“Do you need any sleep at all?” the unicorn asked.

“No, but you do. Even more so after a full day exploring ruins after climbing up a mountain.” Daring Rose was about to argue further, but she was stopped by a jaw-cracking yawn. With a chuckle, Twilight looked at Discord, “Would you please fetch some comfortable bedding to our guest, Discord?”

With a short bow, Discord smiled, “Of course, Twilight.”

Much against her will, Daring Rose just nodded and followed the former spirit of chaos and disharmony.