18 - Sweetveld
Chapter 18: Sweetveld
An interesting aspect of Twilight’s ascension was that magic, although something she originally studied and practised, became something more to her. Instead of ‘using’ magic, Twilight felt that magic had become more of an extension of her will. By this she felt that forays into magic would often turn up interesting insights. It had rules, of course, but nowadays those limitations seemed looser and looser with how adept she was with managing power and purpose. Once upon a time, she had once thought that it was an alicorn’s body that allowed her this relevating insight.
She wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t right either.
Though being an alicorn was certainly advantageous, being one didn’t necessarily augment magical ability. It gave rise to power, and made the application of difficult spells easier to handle, but it didn’t mean an unfamiliar spell would suddenly be achievable. It was like being able to pull a cart, but with no idea how to steer it. Magic was like that.
What Twilight realised was that magic was something that required practice, knowledge and skills and that time would be necessary to master all forms of magic. Though she could proudly say that her cutie mark destined her for magic, she could not help but feel inadequate as literally centuries of profound knowledge and distilled wisdom had accumulated into an encyclopaedia of spells for her mere convenience. An advantage afforded to her simply by the passage of time, but not by her achievement.
She might have felt a little better if she had contributed to the Art somehow, but the only magic she had been successful in creating was the Magic of Friendship, and even the Princess of that Magic was unable to explain what exactly it was and how to go about casting such a spell. It was more appropriate in the case of the Tree of Harmony to call it a force of nature. At times, seeing all the eager faces of her subjects wondering and sighing at her ‘achievements’ of which she ironically had the smallest knowledge about, Twilight thought that her position was somewhat ill-deserved.
So, Twilight, seeing herself as inadequate to the task, felt this insurmountable barrier between her and her teacher. The Princess of the Sun for which she revered as skilled, thoughtful, wise and a number of flattering adjectives that Twilight could and could not conceive in her limited mind.
To Twilight, Celestia was somepony that was able to raise the sun, a feat only capable with the strength of half a century of highly trained unicorns, and even then her mastery extended far beyond that. Not only that, but she dealt with the ferocious nobles that plagued her, endless paperwork and a country with a penchant for danger, all while smiling at a foal… whilst running their school. Celestia was as close to perfect as Twilight could ever imagine.
So that was why, in the loneliness of troubled nights, Twilight could sometimes be found brooding over her inadequacy to rise to the task. Her teacher often scolded her for her excessive modesty, for it bordered upon self-pity. Her achievements never matched the ponies around her, but at the same time, that became her drive.
What need had she for company and social settings, when there was so much to discover between the covers of a book? What more could be gleaned from the outside world, when there were worlds imaginary and real as far as one could reach on a shelf? And with her magic, she could reach far indeed.
Twilight’s friends had changed that.
Friendship had taught her the importance of others and how they would support her and she would support them. Strengths and weaknesses that were inherent in each ponies and that together they could cover each with their strengths to make up for their weaknesses. When she had realised this, she was already a Princess. When she thought for once to extend this to the Princess, it was only after she had gone.
What use was magic if there was nopony to benefit from it?
Twilight had snuck to the library in the dead of the night. Luna had expressly forbidden her from working too late, but Twilight was beset by wearying worry. Luna could see the toll it was having on her body and the exhaustion stemming from that was leading to mistakes. It did them no good if she couldn’t work efficiently. Twilight knew this. Twilight was certain of this. But when she closed her eyes, her body refused to sleep. She couldn’t help feeling that Celestia needed her more than ever.
So a ragged princess on the verge of collapse snuck off to the library. Guards had been posted to her door, but they couldn’t guard against a teleporting alicorn now could they?
She had snuck past them so easily and the library security was never any great shakes. She had learned from the last time she had snuck in. With a mirthless grimace, Twilight noted the importance of experience, no matter how cringeworthy the content.
She reached for a book and flipped it open.
In it was a note.
It said,
Twilight, I told you to go to sleep!
There was a crude drawing of a frowning Celestia. Twilight blinked back tears as she happened upon it. She recognised the note. Celestia had scattered them around the library in various books when a certain recalcitrant foal failed to heed the words of her teacher and snuck into the library to read. Celestia must have forgotten to take them out.
She had no words. Even if she did there would be no voice to give them power. Twilight was once again safe in the folds of her mentor’s wings. It was… it was…
————————
By the time Twilight had made her way back to her room, Luna was been just about to storm off to the library to tell her off. She spotted the alicorn trudging back and started forward with an angry expression, but coming closer, it morphed into potent concern.
In a quiet voice, Luna spoke in the encroaching silence.
“Twilight, what ails you?”
A broken smile greeted the princess and she held out the scribbled note. Luna immediately recognised the writing and held a hoof to her mouth. Conflicted emotions stormed within her milky eyes. Luna could only bite her lip as she herself felt suspended on a thread above a torturous abyss of raging emotions.
“Twilight,” she finally said, “if you would drown yourself in work, I will no longer stop you, but please…”
She did not make it any further. Twilight had already made up her mind.
“The note says to sleep, so I’ll sleep.” Twilight looked different. Refreshed almost, and charged with purpose. She smile self-mockingly. “I’m only one pony, after all.”
Luna bowed her head, hiding her face. Twilight didn’t know what expression she was making under the layers of her beautifully shaded cosmic mane, but she could guess that a complicated feeling of anguish and pride swirled underneath that canopy of star-studded hair strands.
“Twilight,” Luna whispered, “we must find our sister, but I do not want to lose you too.”
Twilight recognised the depth of her folly with sagging shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” she replied sincerely. Then added with a sigh, “I just can’t sleep.”
Now it was Luna’s turn to give Twilight a wry smile. It was hard to tell under the dark coat of hers, but the bloodshot eyes were unmistakable.
“I cannot either, Twilight, but I must. For her and myself. Even if I have to force it to be so.”
Twilight realised a distinct spell wrapped around the Princess. It was a sleep spell. Twilight’s eyes widened at the implication. Luna was still standing under the influence of a sleep spell! The amount of mental fortitude it would have taken to resist the spell would have been enormous. It was so far out of the scope of her imagination that she could only stare at the princess in shock.
“P-Princess, you—”
Luna waved her concern away with an airy hoof. “My condition does not matter, we must attend to you. You are far worse off.”
Twilight could only nod dumbly at the force of Luna’s fervent consternation.
“I will sleep,” she told the princess. “I-I’ll try my best.”
Luna nodded wearily, then headed off. “Be well, Twilight. If not for yourself, than for the one you are saving.”
Twilight nodded once again, eyes downcast. She had made such a foal of herself. With a nod and passing apology to a pair of surprised guards, Twilight excused herself and entered her room. Books were scattered everywhere, but for once, Twilight paid them no heed. She headed to the small vanity mirror mounted on the wall above the desk and looked at the stranger that stared back.
It was a mare that looked tired beyond her years. Sagging bags under her listless eyes, dull, matted hair in her mane and her coat, a worn-down face that stared back with ferocious intensity enough to call mad more than driven. She had become somepony that had regressed into her bad habits so quickly. The visage that stared back was frightening.
With a thick swallow, Twilight tried to force down the feelings of shame as she clutched the note sent from her mentor ten years from the past. She cried for a long while and then exhausted herself into sleep. Celestia made good on her promise from a long time ago. No matter where she was, her mentor would always be there for her.
And for that, she wept all the harder.
——————
That was a week ago. For now, things were more positive. With renewed tenacity, Twilight reached out and gathered information at breakneck speed, asking for help and no longer isolating herself with the arduous endeavour. She met new ponies from the University of Canterlot and Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. She conversed with them, made new friends, and gathered fresh perspectives that shed light on development for this ‘interversal’ travel. Her goal was much simpler this time. Instead of getting there herself with magic, she knew what she had to do.
“Princess Twilight, it’s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Spectral Aster, the current Chancellor of the University of Canterlot.”
Twilight bobbed her head in greeting and smiled.
“I’m so glad to meet you, Chancellor, would you like some tea?”
The Chancellor shook his head. “Goodness me, no, no, no, I’m nervous as it is and tea in my shaking hooves would just make it spill all over the place!”
Twilight blushed profusely. “I’m not that great of a pony, Chancellor Aster.”
Spectral Aster widened his eyes as if he’d seen Luna do a cartwheel. “Ludicrous! You are the most academically-inclined mare at the bleeding edge of magic! New spells are being discovered by yourself almost monthly! A new field of magic was opened up by you, but more importantly was your scholarly dissertation covering all these topics, I’ve never seen a pony more suited to becoming an academic at our university. Would you not reconsider at least accepting our honorary award?”
Twilight grinned in genuine gratitude, but slowly shook her head. “Thank you, Chancellor, but I’m afraid I couldn’t possibly accept. Perhaps when I retire from my duties as Princess, I could consider formal study to attaining that accreditation, anything less would feel like cheating.”
Spectral Aster shook his head. “Ah, Princess, you’ve more than fulfilled the requirements for an academic body of work that proves your competence thrice over.” He smiled wryly. “But I’ll hold aside my enthusiasm to recruit you for now. How can I avail myself to you?”
Twilight appreciated the gallant Chancellor’s polite chatter, but grew serious as the matter was brought up.
“Currently, you are one of a few ponies that know of Princess Celestia’s… true circumstances.”
Spectral Aster bowed his head. “Yes, Princess, how unfortunate, know that we will commit our upmost to anything you so require, Princess Celestia has been nothing but kind and generous to our University, she is a mare that places great emphasis on education. Although it is a shame she is more politically-inclined than scholarly, she is however, a fountain of knowledge, nevertheless.”
Twilight found herself smiling in recollection of Celestia’s early impressions of her voracious appetite for knowledge. She found it heartwarming as Celestia never withdrew any information, no matter what she asked for, she was a true believer in that the pony decided whether knowledge was a blessing or a curse and that knowledge itself was blameless.
Well unless she counted the restricted section, but it was understandable why considering that there were spells that could literally turn a pony inside out…
“Princess Twilight?”
“Oh I’m sorry, Chancellor Aster, I lost myself in some recollections.” Twilight straightened her posture and firmly rebuked herself silently for being so rude. “What I’m planning is this.”
With a levitation spell ignited, a vibrant purple glow illuminated a scroll sitting on the desk behind her and carried itself aloft in the air for the few moments it took to deposit itself at the fore hooves of the Chancellor. The wizened stallion took the scroll carefully and with a searching look of confirmation, broke the royal seal on the scroll, unfurling it with his own magic and reading the contents.
At first his eyes showed only confusion, then as he read on the confusion spread from his eyes through the wrinkling surface of the crow’s feet around his widening vision to spread downwards, slackening his jaws and painting a shocked impression over the canvas of his awed features.
“This… is… are you sure, Princess?”
“Never more in my life.”
The Chancellor stiffened at her look and then sagged in his seat with a flustered expression that eventually moved into acceptance. “I guess as fantastical as this sounds, a princess wouldn’t lie about something so important, but it will be done.” He bowed deeply. “And the magic surrounding this is beyond my experience, it will take some time to gather enough to meet the stringent requirements.”
“Thank you,” Twilight replied sincerely. “I really do appreciate your help, Chancellor.”
“Call me Spectral or Speccy,” he answered with a laugh, “all my friends do.”
Twilight giggled, but she refrained from using his quirky nickname.
“Thank you, Spectral.”
“Ah, don’t make an old coot like me blush, Princess. Consider it already done. I wish you well on your side of the impossible task.”
With that, the door closed as Spectral Aster left the room, and Twilight, to their own devices. She was alone in the room, or so she thought.
“So, you have decided to trust me, then?”
Twilight turned to the corner of the room where the other Celestia had sequestered herself. Twilight hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the princess through the last couple of weeks.
“Where did you go?” she mumbled in disbelief. “I thought you were gone, but…”
The other Celestia tossed her head and snorted in displeasure. “But I wasn’t important enough in your mind to go looking for me?”
Twilight stayed silent, unwilling to give voice to the vicious thoughts that were residing within her.
The other Celestia smiled thinly. “Well, Twilight, I was actually wandering around Canterlot, visiting and seeing things from the commoner’s perspective. I must admit, it was more than I expected from a society hoofed over with a free rein. I was slightly disappointed that nopony cared about my disappearance, but I’m used to that now.” The alicorn shrugged. “Instead, I did things my own way and decided to leave you to your own devices before returning with a suitable plan. Looks like my decision was the correct one. You look like a different mare. I like the look of your eyes.”
Twilight stared at Celestia with wary-filled eyes.
“You’re thinking what I’m thinking.” Twilight’s initial query ground itself into a statement as she stared with conviction at Celestia.
Celestia smirked in an infuriating way, like she knew that Twilight would fall into her hooves.
Just. Like. That.
It annoyed her to no end.
“Yes,” Celestia replied, “I will, as the stallion that exited before suggested, help you achieve this ‘impossible task’.”
Twilight laughed at the haughty princess. It wasn’t impossible and she would do it.
They were going to break the ground.
“Together?”
Celestia nodded firmly. “Together.”
They would trap a human.
——————
“Suppress them all!”
Shock had turned into rage. Blinding as the sun, it burned with a scorching inferno that swallowed all the participants in a conflagration that wouldn’t accept anything but meek compliance.
They didn’t dare move a muscle under the weight of her fiery gaze.
“There will be no victor here, only order!”
The words felt like they were dragged bodily out of her mouth. Her throat had tightened with the strain of holding back and not lashing out at these impetuous participants. How dare they stand up against her, how dare they mock—
Rainbow flashed in her vision.
No, this wasn’t her.
“Princess, what would you have me do?” Shade posed the question, loyalty unwavering.
Burn them.
“Let them go.” She turned around and left the Arena, not sparing another glance at the participants’ relieved gazes as they were liberated from their close contact with mortality.
“Merciful Princess Celestia,” Luna was quick to comment on, smugly.
Celestia could only stare at her sister. Mercy…? What is mercy granted in the danger they themselves she herself fostered? Was that truly mercy? No, that was tyranny. That was right wrong.
“What am I becoming?” Celestia whispered to herself.
“Powerful,” Twilight answered with a proud smile.
Disconsolate, Celestia could only blink at the rift closing between her own identity and the Other Celestia. How far apart were they now?
————————
Celestia allowed herself to be led by Twilight. The unicorn walked forward at a stately pace, looking like she was treading on eggshells rather than on tile. Every few moments she would cast a worried look back, as if afraid that she wouldn’t be there the next time she looked. The action reminded her so much of a dog that she couldn’t help but smile a little. Seeing her brightening mood, Twilight prompted herself to speak and she sent an endless chatter of conversation in a lightened tone.
She knew Twilight was just trying to cheer her up, so she felt bad not being able to meet her attendant’s expectations. She herself was drowning in a sea of her own doom and gloom.
“…And the lights in the room were very bright, we couldn’t see a thing! Then, we realised, the room was filled with crystals! Ceiling to the floor were crystals piled into a mountain! A tribute to your greatness, I’m sure—”
“Twilight, do you think it’s right to hurt somepony?”
Twilight stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“It depends,” she answered simply.
Celestia was shocked, she simply stood there unable to answer.
“What do you mean?” she asked with a hard tone.
Twilight, this time, didn’t back down. “If somepony is out there trying to hurt you, do you stay still and get hit? Sometimes it’s for the best to take action first to prevent greater harm from befalling either one.”
Celestia thought about that sentence and realised that she herself actually believed in it too. Was she so mired in the concept that this world was infecting her that she was no longer able to think of such a simple deduction?
“You’re right…”
“Well, Princess, it’s what you taught me before.”
Instinctively, she recoiled, but then, as she kept thinking about it, it dawned on her that she was being foolish. Just because she didn’t like the Other Celestia, didn’t mean everything she did or said was wrong.
“I was being just as intolerant as her,” she whispered.
“What?” Twilight tilted her head. “Did you say something, Princess?”
“Nothing,” Celestia said with a smile. “I’m sorry, Twilight.”
Twilight’s expression almost made her laugh. To her, she must look like she’d gone off the deep end.
“You’re just so wonderful, Twilight, in every world.”
“… Thank you, Princess.”
Celestia held her head high. Ignoring the world and returning to her own would be in breach of her own set of values.
The Other Celestia may not care for my subjects, but that does not mean I do not care for her’s! I am a better pony than that!
“Princess,” Twilight interrupted gently, “we’re here.”
Twilight gestured to the grandiose set of door that led to the Throne Room, for now, considered to be her Throne Room. The unicorn was fidgeting by herself and her worry sent stabs of guilt into her already fragile heart.
I must do better.
“Twilight,” she replied wistfully, “I wish to step outside.”
Twilight opened her mouth instinctively to retort, but stopped herself and slowly retracted her jaw with a slight snap. She nodded instead, the movement growing firmer with her own convictions as she reached some kind of unknown conclusion about her.
“Yes, let’s go outside. I know a place that would make you happy.”
Twilight trotted forward, bolstered by her steps and she moved with a certainty and purpose that worried her tag-along alicorn.
“Twilight, what do you mean something that would make me happy?”
Twilight smiled at her. “Curious, now, Princess?”
Celestia nodded.
“Follow me and you’ll find out.”
Celestia followed Twilight obediently. They moved at a stately pace, but it was a pace that covered ground rather quickly compared to simply walking. Nostalgically, Celestia recalled the time when she had tutored her own student about the nature of a ruler’s pace.
Like a duck, she had once said, they swim on the surface looking serene and graceful, gliding along the surface without skipping a beat. Underneath, in the water, the furious paddling and constant strain are nowhere to be seen, but they are still there. Walk with purpose, Twilight, and you will find that the destination arrives no matter how resplendent your pacing is.
Twilight had once doubted her, but when Celestia trotted forward in that special manner, Twilight stumbled in surprise at the speed she had moved and the distance she had covered.
It’s all in the rhythm, she had told the awed fledgling princess then.
In the blink of an eye, they had arrived. Celestia hadn’t realised, but they were at a cold stone building situated not so far from the castle. Celestia didn’t recall such an impressive scale of architecture situated there… but this was a different world.
“Where are we?” Celestia asked instinctively.
“Central recruitment,” Twilight answered reluctantly, “wait, Princess! Don’t go!”
Equally resistive, Celestia finally stopped and turned back around. Every time she was exposed to something drastically different here, something went terribly, terribly wrong. Like the feel of those ribs breaking… the hoarse cry, the shock and her paralysis…
Celestia savagely shook her head. Twilight was giving her the look again. The only reason why Twilight wasn’t getting a doctor was because there wasn’t a condition for a mental disease here. You were crazy and that was it. It was insanity in so many ways!
I’m past that. All I can do now is everything I can. No more snap decisions. No more regretting the have-beens. It is time to move forward.
Inside there were grandiose statues and military figures posing in powerful stances, showing off their prowess in a menacing way that made even Celestia, who was no stranger to such displays, a little uneasy. To the front was a rather austere desk lined with gold, red and black.
“Twilight,” she began unsteadily, “why is so much of Canterlot coloured in red and black?”
Twilight looked liked she had something to comment about—unrelated to her question—but she held it in and answered the princess instead.
“They’re the royal colours,” she remarked as if one were to comment about the time. “You chose them yourself.
“Of course,” Celestia muttered with rolling eyes. “Of course I did.”
There was a prim-looking desk attendant that glanced up as Celestia approached. Her eyes, initially dulled with boredom, quickly rose through the temperature scales from cool to practically on fire. They bulged out of their sockets as the pony scrambled to present herself.
“Princess!” The pony burst out of the chair and gave her a rigid bow. As she came up, she saluted.
“Private Heartly, reporting for duty, ma’am!”
“Well Private Heartly… do I know you?”
The private blushed profusely, looking flustered by the direct question.
“Yes, Princess, you were there in the Arena.”
It suddenly came back to her. This was the downed pegasus that Rainbow had been trying to protect.
“Where is Rainbow, Private Heartly?”
Heartly glanced around. “Is she in trouble, ma’am?”
Twilight stepped forward. “How dare you! The Princess asked you a question—”
“Twilight!” Celestia rounded on her in shock. “Where did you learn to speak like that?”
Twilight hesitated, her cheeks suffused with prickling anxiety. “Princess…? I’m only—”
“Twilight, this pony is only concerned for her friend, isn’t that right, Private Heartly?”
Heartly’s eyes flickered between the two as she slowly formulated a reply. “Yes… Princess, please forgive my insolence. I was only worried about my friend.”
“The Empire is your friend,” Twilight announced coldly, “there’s no need mmph—!”
“What Twilight meant to say,” Celestia cut in, whilst wrapping a magical gag around Twilight’s mouth, “is that we would very much like to see Rainbow Dash.”
Heartly glanced at Twilight and then nodded in assent with a tangible hint of hesitation.
“Yes, Princess, I’ll show you to Sergeant Dash’s quarters. She’s on her way back from training and will be with you in the meantime.”
Nodding, Celestia allowed herself to be led to Sergeant Dash’s dormitory.
“If you would please wait inside, I will… fetch somepony with a higher rank and serve you tea.” Heartly mumbled more than spoke. “I will also try and find Sergeant Dash and ask her to come with all due haste!”
“That won’t be necessary, Private Heartly, thank you for your time.”
Twilight looked like she had much to say, but couldn’t say it through the gag. Seeing her pitiful look, Celestia undid her gag as Heartly exited the room.
“Princess! Why are you so interested in Sergeant Rainbow Dash? Also, why did you stop me from reprimanding Private Heartly? I know you’ve… that you’ve…” Twilight trailed off as she saw that she wasn’t really paying attention to her rant. Celestia was inspecting the room.
The room was rather unremarkable. There was a simple desk with one bed and a diary that was mostly blank except for a few passages. On one wall was a painting that was slightly askew. Frowning, Celestia instinctively reached out with her magic and fixed the frame.
They both froze as they heard a clicking sound.
“What’s this?” Celestia murmured. The frame wasn’t attached to the wall with a simple nail and hook. It swung out to the side instead. As the painting moved out of the way, a wall cavity revealed itself, showing stacks of documents, loose files and photos.
“What are these?!” Twilight exclaimed, trying to peer in. Her height didn’t quite allow that to work out, but Celestia took out the files and perused the title. They were in effect biographies, identities and communiques. The photos were locations around Central Recruitment and the Palace.
“This…” Twilight peered closer. “There’s no mistake, these are the plans of the Resistance!” She glanced up in sparkling admiration of her princess. “Princess, I had no idea you were investigating Sergeant Rainbow Dash!”
As if on cue, the door opened to reveal a weary pegasus who stumbled in, flanked by a rather serious-looking stallion decked out in armour and Private Heartly.
“So, Princess, you’ve found out.” Rainbow glared at them with furious intensity.
Celestia couldn’t really say out loud that she found it by accident.
“Yes, but—” She wanted to explain that she wasn’t part of the resistance, but the next thing she knew, spears were levelled at her.
“Well, Princess,” Rainbow commented mildly, not looking at all concerned. “It’s your unlucky day. The Resistance has finally executed their plans today and you’ve made your move too late!”
Confused, Celestia shared a look with Twilight.
“We’re in the middle of Central Recruitment,” Twilight said with an annoyed look. “Stop kicking up a fuss and give up. There’s no way you could escape here.”
“Oh?” Rainbow took a few steps forward. “Try yelling for help, see where that gets you.”
Not intimidated in the least, Twilight took a deep breath and yelled at the top of her lungs.
“Guards! Guards! The Princess is under attack!”
Twilight grinned smugly at Rainbow, but the pegasus merely smiled at her in return. Seconds dragged on as Twilight stood there sweating.
“Any moment now…” Twilight’s smile died down a couple of notches.
Celestia turned to Rainbow. “So, what is your plan?”
Rainbow glanced at the Princess with her spear at the ready. “We’re going to kidnap you.”
Celestia glanced at Rainbow’s waist. A softly glowing ring was hooked onto her belt. “And you’re going to use an inhibitor to do that?”
Rainbow’s lips tightened. “You must have learned a lot in the year you were gone, Princess. I must admit, we wished you were gone longer. Since you know about the collar, you must know that any magic here is useless. We have twenty guards outside with me. You won’t be able to leave here without being seriously injured.”
“Well,” Celestia began in a playful tone, “that’s if I don’t use teleportation.”
Rainbow’s lips tightened. “We’ve seen you teleport, but we haven’t seen you teleport with anypony else. I can guarantee that we’ll be able to reach Twilight first, even if we cannot reach you.”
There were an equal number of steps between Twilight and herself. Twilight tried to edge closer to Celestia, but a spear rose threateningly to check her. Rainbow and Heartly looked committed to the fight and an itching hoof could be the trigger of a cascading waterfall of brutal events. Princess Celestia eyed each of them carefully and weighed her options.
“Hmm,” Celestia said, “those aren’t very appealing circumstances. Alright, how about this? I give up and you let Twilight go.”
“Princess!” Twilight quivered in her spot. “You cannot negotiate with these… these despicable barbarians!”
“Barbarians!” Rainbow shot back, face boiling with rage. “You’re the barbarians! Equestria used to be a nation united in harmony. Magic used to flow free and strong in this land! If it weren’t for your meddling, Equestria would be a better place!”
“Absolute rubbish!” Twilight growled. “Your vile propaganda has soiled my ears. The Empire has brought peace, prosperity, strength and unity. All things that you could possibly want! How dare you ungrateful sows point your weapons at our esteemed princess! The Empire will not stand—mmph!”
Rainbow and Heartly both shared a shocked look as Celestia once again gagged her assistant. Twilight’s eyes bulged for a moment, before Celestia made eye contact with her and slowly shook her head. When she was sure Twilight wouldn’t speak, she dispersed the spell on the poor mare and continued calmly.
“I do apologise about that. So, what of our deal?”
Rainbow glanced at Twilight. “Much as I hate to admit it, Twilight Sparkle, the number one assistant of Princess Celestia herself. The Royal Attendant. Also, according to the Shamare, a bearer of an Element of Harmony.”
“The Resistance believes in such ridiculous notions!” Twilight snapped. “Even if it was true that I was a bearer of the Element of Harmony, or whatever, how would you convince me to join you?”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I don’t make the rules, I just follow them. If Fluttershy believes in it… then so do I, no matter how crazy it is—why are you smiling like that?”
“No reason,” Celestia remarked.
“Stop it, then, it’s creepy.”
“How dare you—mmph!”
Again, Twilight was wrapped in a silencing spell. Celestia apologised to her assistant in her heart… and out loud just to be sure. “Sorry, Twilight, although I appreciate you ‘defending’ my honour, it looks like the Resistance wants to take you away.”
“That’s right, Princess, I’m glad you can understand. Do what you do best and think of yourself.” Rainbow glared at Celestia, taunting her. “Or you could run away?”
Celestia sighed. “There’s no need to resort to petty tactics like that. I will go with you and Twilight will as well.”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she huffed. “How stupid do you think we are? You’re just going to escape the first chance you get!”
Wait, weren’t you trying to goad me into coming with you in the first place?
“Of course,” Celestia replied calmly, “but it’ll be hard to escape with those collars on, right?”
Rainbow’s eyebrows drew in closer.
“It’s a trap,” Heartly ground out, staring intently at the Princess with a laser-like scowl.
“I know,” Rainbow muttered, “but this is an ideal opportunity! We can achieve all our goals with this one move!”
Heartly bit her lip. “Okay, Rainbow, I trust you.”
Rainbow nodded and pulled out another collar from her saddlebag. She tossed them on the ground and stared at them. “Put these on, and don’t try anything.”
“Mmph!” Twilight immediately balked from the collars, eyeing the spears and desperately trying to maintain eye contact with her princess.
Celestia undid the spell and reached out for the collar. When Twilight tried to move forward, the spears came up, ready and willing to put her down if the need arised. The unicorn swept her eyes between Celestia and the spears, looking absolutely torn.
“Princess, you can’t be thinking of acceding to their demands, just let me go! You have… you have other ponies waiting for you, don’t you?!”
Despite this all going to plan, the heartfelt plea from Twilight was unexpectedly heartwarming. Celestia gave Twilight a kind smile. “Twilight, I must admit, you’re just as much of a friend here as you are over there. In fact… maybe a little more since we’ve been spending so much time together.” She reached out and snapped on the inhibiting collar, sinking down to her fetlocks with a groan as the magic left her system, swallowed by the mysterious artefact.
“Princess!” Twilight gritted her teeth and glared at Rainbow and Heartly with a pained expression. Rainbow seemed disturbed, whilst Heartly stared back, expressionless.
Twilight, never once taking her eyes off her captors, snapped the collar around her neck as well. Unlike Celestia, Twilight stood on her own, her legs shaking with the sheer willpower to stay standing.
“Mark my words,” Twilight said with a low voice, “you will regret this.”
Rainbow tightened her lips, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she simply motioned for both of them to walk out the door in front of them.
Celestia took the lead, with a disturbingly relaxed smile, whilst Twilight followed reluctantly behind.
“The Princess is acting strangely,” Heartly commented. “Is she for real?”
“She looks kinda…”
“No, I mean, is she actually ‘real’?”
Rainbow touched the collars at her saddlebags. “We’ll see when we give these collars to Rarity, but any illusions or false doubles or something should have been cancelled when she put on the collar.” Rainbow shrugged. “Twilight’s reaction seemed real enough.”
“Maybe Celestia has some sort of countermeasure?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her…” Rainbow kept glancing back at Twilight and Celestia.
“What?” Heartly glanced at her partner with concern etched into her expression.
“It’s just… never mind.”
“What is it?” she pressed.
Rainbow bit her lip. “Why does it feel like we’re the bad guys here?”
Heartly chuckled. “Oh Rainbow, you’re such a good pony. I don’t know why you even joined the Resistance if you couldn’t stomach doing something like this.”
Rainbow sighed. “I just want it to be over.”
“It will be,” Heartly replied with a malicious gleam in her eyes. “It will be soon.”
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Intense stuff.
We're building up to a climax, aren't we?
Rainbow Dash is part of the resistance. Gasp. I am shocked and surprised.
See, this is why you make it so that you have to tilt the painting out of alignment to open the secret passage.
So yeah, hearty wants to kill Celly. She and most likely a lot of other people. Interesting.
Also, princess Twily plan is completely Loco in the Coco. I like it!
Jerklestia confirmed for terrible cliché ponyfic writer.
Another excellent chapter, as usual.:D
Then here's an idea: DON'T ACT LIKE HER!! Sheesh! She might as well just cry melodramatically, "ALAS!! THE FATES HAVE WRITTEN MY STORY! I CANST BUT TO OBEY THEIR WHIMS!! WOE IS ME!"
Show some mental fortitude, you stupid horse!
You know, this whole story is becoming rather ridiculous with each Celestia being dragged so strongly along by the plot to become the other that they now do feel like little more than computer programs. Because real people don't change on a dime after being who they are for decades. Celestia has been 'herself' for over a thousand. Humans show far more resistance to change and even hard-core torture cannot break some of the strongest-willed.
But perhaps Celestia is an easily-led douche in every dimension.
If that world's Celestia had been there, they'd all be dead right about now and she'd be merrily hunting down and slaughtering the rest of this shoddy Resistance.
This story has TOO MANY PLOT THREADS HAPPENING!! It was hard enough to follow when it was just keeping up with each Celestia trying to get their heads screwed on straight. Now it's more convoluted than "Spiderman 3"! I don't even feel like listing all the subplots because it would take too long!
I think Resistance want use Elements against Celestia to "cure" her. And now this is totally useless...
Well, that would make me happy. I love Cold Stone!
Plz Update!
One thing I'm still curious about is the fate of alternate Celestia's prince blueblood. Is he dead? in the resistance? a vastly different pony? something else? I must know his fate!
8315553
with regards to acting like one another I think it has something to do with that strange "magic" that compulsed angry Celestia into having a parade. Maybe Benny is fixing things by swapping their personalities rather than transporting them physically, he did say his plan would take a week, maybe that is how long it will take for him to get the personality spell correct?
8673741 This just makes the humans worse.
And once again, I regret reading an incomplete story. God-fucking damnit... I wonder sometimes if I should just take a break from fimfic for a while.
Yes! She's off to see the resistance!
The wonderful resistance of Shy's!
Color me intrigued. Cant wait to see where this goes.
9038097 Apparently it's not going to go anywhere...
9205057
Dagnabit...
Featured in August for Rated 'E' for Everyone
10872146
I think the anime was called, 'Restaurant to Another World' or something like that