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Chapter 6

For the Mare Who has Everything

Chapter 6

-~~ooooooo~~-

For not the first time since she began galloping down the hallway, Celestia slowed to a canter to catch her breath. Had… Had it always been this far from the throne room back to her family’s quarters…? Did distance even mean anything in this faux castle that only existed in her head?

Maybe… maybe she was subconsciously extending the length of the trip… Or… No, wait… this was already her subconscious… Wasn’t it?

“They’ll DIE if you stay here…” a feminine voice called out.

Celestia felt a shiver run through her entire body. The voice wasn’t Cadance or her own, nor even Luna’s or her dark counterpart’s, but another mare’s. A voice that had burnt herself onto her mind. A voice she could never forget.

“They’ll ALL die…”

She closed her eyes and focused, mentally (sub-mentally?) mapping out the directions to her family’s and her quarters. She broke into a gallop once more. After a quick dash down a hall and a gallop up a couple flights of stairs, she was there. She stared at the bright white door with her cutie mark painted right in the center. She felt the weight of her regalia become all the heavier. Her hooves felt like lead as she stared at the door and her horn ached with fatigue as her heart sank.

Could she… could she really go through with this? Could she say goodbye to her beloved family? Could she sever the mental ties that kept her anchored to this place?

Would she…

Would she really have to kil—

“They’ll die! EVERYPONY will die!”

Celestia’s ears flopped down around her head and she magically held them hard against her head as she clenched her eyes shut. “ALRIGHT ALREADY!” she shouted up at the voice.

The clock was ticking, possibly ticking away the lives of her sister… her adopted niece…

… Twilight…

Celestia took a deep breath, buried her feelings deep inside her, and pushed open the door.

“MOMMA!”

Her feelings came crashing back in a tidal wave. A small, lavender tidal wave that dove at one of her forelegs and wrapped its own forelegs around it.

During her rather long lifetime, Celestia had collected an assortment of tragic memories. Friends she had watched grow from foal into old age before they were taken away into the realm of death gently. Friends who has also gone to the realm of death slowly, but slowly and messily. Even friends that had been ripped away from her suddenly and unexpectedly.

She had been forced to banish her sister for an entire millennium… She once had an argument with her adoptive daughter that ended when said daughter left through a magic portal… She watched her love sacrifice himself to evil forces before she was sucked out of that dimension and rendered unable to help or do anything.

She thought she knew tragedy. Had felt true sorrow… had already experienced the worst life could possibly throw at her.

“I missed you, momma!”

She was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Sunrise Shine lowered a book she was reading to shoot an unamused look at Eventide from one of the family’s comfortable-looking padded chairs. “Seriously Eventide, she was barely gone at all!”

Eventide turned towards Sunrise and gave her a sour look. “SO! I still missed her.”

“Dear...?”

Celestia looked up into the eyes of her Prince Sombra. Beautiful green eyes, like a gentle field, so full of love… so full of understanding.

“Is everything okay?” Sombra asked, concern written across his face. He squinted slightly. “What happened to your mane? Don’t tell me meeting the nobles was that bad.”

Celestia shook her head. “Worse than you’ll ever know…”

Sombra chuckled. “Oh, I doubt that…”

Celestia winced. Was… Was that comment just the innocent quip of her beloved? Or… or a projection of her thoughts regarding her husband’s counterpart’s feeling from his own sacrifice…? Or perhaps a projection of from herself now that she had accepted the falseness of this reality…

“Momma? Are you alright?”

…as undeniably heavenly it was.

Celestia looked down at Eventide, who still had her forelegs wrapped around her leg. Eventide stared up with wide, inquisitive eyes of deep amethyst.

“Yeah… you’re just standing there looking super sad…” Sunrise said. She shook her head. “It’s kinda creepy.”

“Darling?” Sombra said, his smile dropping. “What’s wrong? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this way.”

Celestia took another look at her husband, then at her daughter Sunrise, and then down at her daughter Eventide. She closed her eyes as she fought back a flood of tears.

Was this her fate? Was this really her weight to bear? To find happiness… true happiness after so long and to have to give it up?! To… to destroy it? Was her fate as ruler really so miserable that she’d had no choice but to bring to an end what had brought her the most joy in her life?

Had she not earned this?

After centuries of saving Equestria from threats, running planetary bodies across the sky, and also government both day and night, couldn’t she have this? She had even established one of the planet’s largest and most successful kingdoms. Wasn’t she allowed a reward?

Celestia felt the warmth of her husband wrapping a foreleg around her shoulders and pressing his body against hers. The feeling of comfort he gave seemed to wash over her much like she had felt when Nightmare Moon transformed back to Luna temporarily. She hoped the feeling would stay this time.

Maybe… maybe she didn’t have to leave… Cadance and Twilight had dealt with Chrysalis before. Why couldn’t they do it again? And this time Luna was there, so—

“You really think you can do it?”

Celestia bolted out of her thoughts and opened her eyes. Eventide was frozen in place, the little unicorn’s legs still wrapped around her foreleg. She turned her head to face Sombra, and he was also stationary with eyes full of concern and love directed at her as his foreleg remained wrapped around her shoulders. She looked towards Sunrise.

Sunrise stared back, her book laid on its side next to her. She was still, but her chest raised and fell slightly. She was not frozen like the others.

“… Sunrise?”

Sunrise spoke, “You really think you can stay here forever?” She nodded her head towards Eventide. “She’ll die, you know… Out there… And then Eventide will just be a sad reminder of the mare you chose not to save.”

Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise. “My… my little shimmering sunshine! What has—”

“No!” Sunrise exclaimed. “Do not call me that! I’m not her… I’m just who you hoped she would be.” Sunrise smiled knowingly and shook her head. “Your precocious, naughty little daughter who gets into trouble, but would never disappoint you. Who will always love you no matter what.”

Celestia felt warm hot tears on her face and closed her eyes tightly to clear the liquid away from her vision. When she opened them, Sunrise was no longer a little foal, but a young mare with a cutie mark of horizontally set curved red and yellow teardrops that formed a circle in the center of red and yellow shining sunrays. The mare looked at her with eyes full of anger.

“Oh, Sunrise… Sunset… I was never disappointed in you,” Celestia said as she shook her head.

“THEN WHY DID YOU SEND ME AWAY?!” Sunset screamed angrily.

Celestia flinched at the sudden outburst of anger. Not that she wasn’t somewhat used to this. She had never known a pony could get so angry… Could just be so upset at everything and anything. Could make her feel so mad in return… but even though she had felt pain and anger the likes of which she had never experienced because of the little orphan foal she made her personal student… no… that she had made her daughter… She had no regrets… No regrets, save one…

“You weren’t … You weren’t supposed to go far…” Celestia answered sadly. “You weren’t supposed to go to that other place so far out of my reach.”

“But I DID! And you did nothing!” Sunset cried accusingly. She leveled a forehoof at Celestia. “You could have gone after me! You could have tried contacting me! You knew I took the journal! You knew I took it, and yet never once did you write in it! WHY?!”

Celestia took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. She had been preparing for this moment for years… Still… it felt like all the preparation… all the time in the universe wouldn’t have been enough. “I… I had responsibilities… to Equestria… to my people…”

“OH! So those are more important than the foal you took in as your own daughter?”

Celestia answered immediately, “Yes.”

Sunset stomped her hoof down. “SO YOU LOVE EQUESTRIA AND YOUR PEOPLE MORE THAN YOU EVER LOVED ME?!”

Celestia hesitated this time. “… No,” she replied, her voice breaking.

Sunset’s turquoise eyes blazed with rage. “So why didn’t you do anything?!”

Celestia looked down at the floor, no longer able to meet the accusatory gaze of her daughter. “Because I’m… I’m a coward…” she answered simply.

“NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” Sunset screamed. “Now I’ll ask you again, WHY DIDN’T YOU DO ANYTHING?!”

With great effort, Celestia forced words out of her mouth. Each one trickling out only a little louder than a whisper. “Because… because…” Celestia felt something warm and wet dribble down her cheek, past her muzzle, and onto her nose. She watched as the tear dripped off her nose and hit the ground quietly. She continued to speak in a whisper quiet tone. “Because I thought if you could leave me like that, that maybe you didn’t love me… that maybe I had completely failed at the most important thing to me in my very long life… and…and if that was true… If I wrote you back and you told me that you never wanted to see me again… I knew… I knew it would break me… And that I would never be whole again.” Celestia kept her eyes fixed on the floor as she waited for a response.

“…”

Celestia looked up. “My little shimmering sunshine?”

Sunset was smiling back at her. She shook her head from side to side, causing her mane to shift back and forth with it. “I told you. I’m not her. You know that.”

Celestia clenched down on her teeth. “Fine… but… but… please… tell me you still love me… I know I sent you away, but that was a mistake! I’m… I’m so sorry I didn’t reach out to you! No! I’m sorry I didn’t run into that mirror right after you. I should have… should have…”

“No.”

“… No?”

Sunset shook her head. “I won’t tell you that I still love you.”

Celestia felt a sharp pain in her heart, a deep piercing pain that hurt her more than anything had before. “But… but…”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I am not her.”

Celestia felt the pain in her heart ease, replaced with an all too familiar sense of dread and despair that soon wrapped around her and held her tight as if it was clothing.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the absolution that you seek. I can only give you this…” Sunset’s horn glowed brightly, and in a flash she was a foal again devoid of cutie mark.

“Sun… Sunset?”

The foal gave Celestia a quizzical look. “Ugh… What? Don’t tell me you’re giving me another nickname…” She shook her head and raised her book back in front of her face with magic, opening it. “Little shimmering sunshine’ is bad enough as it is,” she muttered.

Now unfrozen, Sombra chuckled. “Maybe she’s just lonely because you haven’t joined in the family hug.”

“Yeah, Sunrise!” Eventide with a smile. “Momma still has another leg you can hug!”

Sunrise rolled her eyes. “Pass…”

With a gentle green glow, Sunrise soon found herself airborne. “Wha— Hey! Wait!” She cried as she dropped her book onto the chair before she was floated over towards her family. She began to fail her legs uselessly as if reaching back for the chair. “Abuse! Abuse! I’ll scream for the guards!”

Sombra chuckled. “Do you really think they’ll take your side over your mother’s and mine?”

Despite the almost overwhelming feeling of sadness Celestia felt, she couldn’t help but smile even a little bit.

“See! This is why monarchies are inherently a flawed system!” Sunrise quipped as her father deposited her next to her sister. She stared up at her father with a grumpy expression. “No representation of the little people when the oligarchy are involved.”

Sombra rolled eyes. “So… you’re proposing what, exactly?”

Sunrise smiled. “A democracy where ponies are free to elect any ruler who they see fit!”

“Oh?” Sombra replied. “And who did you have in mind to run for this elective rulership?”

Sunrise’s smile widened. “Me, of course!” she said, motioning to herself with a forehoof. “How could I lose? I mean… look at me!”

Still smiling, Sombra shook his head. “I think you’ll have to work out one or two policies or something before running. Just ‘being adorable’ is probably not enough.”

“I have some pretty strong opinions on chores and sleeping in that I’m sure will go over well with my constituents.”

Eventide looked over and stuck out her tongue. “I’m not going to vote for you!”

“Of course you won’t!” Sunrise said with a wry grin. “You’re going to be under the required age for voting.”

“What?! No fair!” Eventide protested. “How old is that going to be?”

Sunrise shrugged. “Depends on how old you are when we start elections…”

“Wait… you’re setting the limit specifically based on me?!” Eventide cried indignantly. “See! This is exactly why I wouldn’t vote for you anyways!”

Sunrise nodded. “And anyone who thinks that way must be too young to understand the importance of the issues to vote properly.”

Eventide narrowed her eyes. “That’s just confirmation bias!”

Sombra chimed in. “I’m guessing I’m going to disagree on your position on ‘chores’, but what about ‘sleeping’ in?”

“Illegal, I’m going to create jobs by hiring ponies to blare trumpets and horns as loud as they can as soon as the sun rises.”

Sombra’s brow slid forward and he pursed his lips into a look of deep resentment. “Yeah, I’m never voting for you ever.”

Sunrise raised her brows. “Hey, if you wanted to sleep in, you shouldn’t have named me ‘Sunrise Shine.’”

Sombra’s eyes drifted upwards as he thought about this. “Yeah, okay… between your mother and your name, I really am the author of my own misfortune here.”

Sunrise looked up at her mother. “So how about it? Would you vote for—Wha!” Once again, Sunrise found herself unexpectedly airborne as she was raised up to Celestia’s face where a foreleg was wrapped around her, her cheek pressed against Celestia’s as the alicorn nuzzled the foal like she’d never get the chance to do it again.

“Hey! Not fair!” Eventide cried. “She’s getting super hugs!”

Sunrise spoke up. “I agree with the assessment that this is unfair!” she cried out.

Sombra chuckled. “Me too.”

“Oh, girls…” Celestia uttered sadly as she floated Sunrise back to the ground. “I wish I had been a better mother to you both.”

Every other pony in the room seemed to be taken aback slightly as they stared at Celestia.

“What are you even talking about?” Sunrise exclaimed. “You’re like… a perfect mom!”

Eventide nodded her head in agreement.

Sunrise frowned. “But you’re not allowed to tell anyone I said that or even repeat that ever again.”

Celestia shook her head. “No… I could have done better… Should have done better…”

Sunrise looked upwards as Celestia with a slightly worried expression.

Celestia looked downwards at Sunrise, leaned her head down and nuzzled the filly gently. “My little shimmering sunshine… When I first met you, you had little more than a roof over your head…” She looked deeply into the deep pools of turquoise that made up Sunrise’s eyes. Bright eyes that beamed with pride, but never quite lost the sad, lonely look of a pony afraid to disappoint and be abandoned. “You had plenty of food and were in no fear of dying… but I could see what you were missing… What you wanted most of all was love.” Celestia smiled sadly. “I tried to fill the void left by those that were never there to love you. I made sure you knew every day that you were loved and that you were somepony special, but I didn’t know when to stop. I ended up showing you so much love you thought Equestria itself owed you its adoration. As if you needn’t work for such a thing and that it should simply be handed to you like everything else since you met me.” Celestia clenched her eyes tightly and inhaled sharply. She opened her eyes and continued, “And when you were at your worst… I let my anger get the better of me and dismissed you rather than try to help you… As if the fault of what had happened was yours and yours alone. For that… I am truly and desperately sorry.”

Sunrise looked up at her mother in confusion. “Mom… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I mean… Is this about the time I broke that pitcher and blamed Eventide? ‘Cause this feels a bit extreme for putting me in timeout for a few minutes…”

Eventide looked visibly more shaken as she clutched Celestia’s leg tightly. “Momma… you’re scaring me…”

Celestia turned and nuzzled Eventide. “Oh my precious little sparkles… You didn’t need love from me, you already had it… and I was so afraid to make the same mistakes with you that I simple left you to your studies. Days and nights of you alone with your head in a book… No friends save your brother and foalsitter… I neglected you for too long… Perhaps not to a cruel degree, but enough that I know I could have guided you to the correct path so much sooner if I only wasn’t afraid of repeating my mistakes… For that… I am sorry.”

Celestia brought her head up and looked out a window. The sky was bright and blue and the sun shone brightly. “I need to go back… for both your sakes… You both still need me… everypony still needs me…” She looked down at her two fillies, nuzzling them both in turn. “I will never forget you two as long as I live… and I daresay that will be a long… long time…”

Eventide began to cry, softly baring her face in her mother’s alabaster coat. “Mamma…”

Sunrise’s lips drifted upwards ever so slightly and she gave a look of pride. This time not for herself, but for her mother.

Celestia quickly looked away from the fillies and at her husband. “Sombra…”

Sombra raised a forehoof to Celestia’s lips. “Shhh… You needn’t say anything.” Sombra said as a purple waft of energy began to emanate from the sides of his eyes. His gentle green irises began to turn brown, and then shifted to a blood red as the whites of his eyes began to glow with sinister jade energy.

Despite the odd change in her husband’s eyes, Celestia could still see the same warmth and love that had been present since she had met him. All those centuries ago…

“I know you’ll make the hard decision,” Sombra said. He shook his head. “Maybe it will be the right one, maybe it won’t be…” Sombra gave Celestia a forlorn smile. There was sadness in his eyes, but Celestia could see there was pride for her as well. “But you’ll get there in time… like you always do.”

“Oh my dear, sweet, loving Sombra…” Celestia said as tears streamed from her eyes. She took one of Sombra’s forehooves in her own hoof and brought it up to her face to nuzzle it lovingly. “I cannot even begin to tell you how sick and tired I am of making the hard decisions.”

Sombra nodded solemnly, then closed his eyes, and leaned forward. He placed his lips against Celestia’s.

Tears streaming down her eyes, Celestia returned the kiss. It was full of passion, understanding, and even loneliness. It was a kiss that Celestia wished she had experience more of, a kiss as good as the best he had ever given her… but she knew that here it would never get any better than this.

Celestia broke the kiss and looked down at her children once more. Eventide smiled up at her with big glassy amethyst eyes. So eager to learn, to absorb, and to prove. “I love you, mommy.”

Her features stepped in sorrow at this point, Celestia smiled back. “I love you, too… but… You know that…” She turned towards Sunrise Shine. Sunrise was smiling as well, but it was a knowing smile. Celestia closed her eyes hard. “I love you, Sunrise.”

Sunrise said nothing.

Celestia looked up, opened her eyes, and once again turned towards the window where the Sun hung brightly, sharing its warmth and love with everything it touched. Celestia horn glowed with a bright yellow as her pink mane and tail began to shimmer. The sun began to shift in the sky, at first appearing as if it was lowering, but then quickly looking more like it was growing. Slowly, Celestia’s sparkling mane began to grow a bit as it lifted into the air. The pink was quickly joined by a shimmering blue color, then a pale green, and a light shade of blue.

The sun was now closer, much closer.

Tears poured from her eyes as Celestia felt things grow warmer, then hot, uncomfortably so, and then sweltering. Soon the room around her caught fire and there was a scream. Celestia looked over her children and her husband. They had collapsed around her. They did not move nor make a sound, seemingly having passed out from the heat. They even looked peaceful as the flames licked at their bodies and danced around them, yet the screaming persisted.

Celestia’s tears evaporated into steam as she realized it was her who was screaming.

And then her world turned to ash and was no more.

>~-oooo-~<

“NOOOOOOO!” Twilight screamed, helpless to stop the outpouring blaze of jade magic that shot forth from Chrysalis’s horn and burned everything it touched.

Chrysalis laughed maniacally. True, this was not really what she wanted. Celestia’s love courtesy of the Heart’s Desire pollen was making her strong and losing the energy and the pollen would be such a waste. She had also made quite a few plans for the other princesses, Cadance specifically. But whatever was going on needed to stop before preverbal tables were turned. At least she could enjoy Princess Twilight’s delicious screams. Which reminded her, she’d have to move fast and purge that purple princess who spewed putrid platitudes about evil and heroics without the constant love from… from…

Chrysalis sighed as she realized she was still receiving a generous helping of love from one tall, white princess… She stopped her magic blast and was greeted by the sight of Cadance standing resolutely in front of Celestia and Luna. The lunar princess was slowly getting to her hooves as Princess Cadance’s horn glowed with a bright light blue aura that matched the color of a bubble of magical energy which surrounded all three princesses.

Oh well… Guess Plan ‘A’ was still a go.

Twilight’s face lit up. “Oh, yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes! Now your reign of terror comes to an end, evil vill—”

Twilight was cut off by a jade glow that pressed down on her neck and windpipe before said magic aura lifted her off the ground, slammed her entire body the nearest wall three times and flung her towards the hole in the middle of the floor were here limp body silently fell. It made such satisfying sounds as it bounced off one carved wall then the next.

Cadance’s eyes flew open wide and she gasped.

“You… monster!” Luna exclaimed with an equally shocked expression.

Okay, opportunity to slowly drain Twilight of love possibly lost or not, worth it!

Chrysalis’s vexed expression suddenly exploded into a devilish smile. “I’m sorry… Were you under the impression that my plan was anything besides capturing you all, feeding on your love until you’re nothing but withered husks, or failing that, killing you? I mean… I thought that would have been clear by now.” She shook her head. “Still, I must applaud your resilience Princess Luna. When I fought your sister, she went down with a single blow. You’ve taken quite the beating and are back on your hooves.”

Luna shot Chrysalis a determined look. “As long as there is still air in my lungs, I will fight you with every fiber of my—”

Beating her wings hard, Chrysalis shot forward. She lowered her horn, blazing with jade energy, and thrust it through the shield, which began to burn away as the green flames consumed it. “Wanna bet?”

Luna’s horn began to glow with brilliant midnight blue energy, but Chrysalis simply swatted at the princess, knocking her barely standing body into the burning shield. Luna shrieked with pain as she rebounded, her coat smoldering as Chrysalis struck again. This time Luna sailed across the room and hit the wall with a ‘Thud!’ Her body slumped to the ground and did not stir.

Chrysalis smiled. “Good, so that just leaves…”

Chrysalis’s vision was suddenly filled with bright blue energy.

‘Ptchoooo!’

Cadance swallowed, huffing and puffing as she tried to grab the reins on her ragged breathing.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis, who was still standing in front of her despite the small wafts of smoke coming off her face blinked her eyes as if they were adjusted to the light and turned to face Cadance. “Wow… Dealing with you is going to be even easier than I thought.”

Cadance took a few more shallow breaths followed by a deep on. “Oh, I think-huff- you’ll find me much more capable-puff- then you give me credit for.”

Chrysalis let out a dark chuckle and shook her head. “I doubt that. You’re no seasoned warrior unlike the princesses still here and at least Twilight had an absurd amount of magical energy and cleverness going for her.” Chrysalis puffed out her lower lip into a mocking pout. She began to trot in a circle around Cadance and the comatose Celestia. “Poor Princess Mi Amore Cadenza… Princess of Love, but almost useless in a fight without her husband around to protect her like a knight in… Well, you get the point.”

Cadance craned her head, keeping her eyes focused on Chrysalis. She took another deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “You’re… you’re right… Fine… cocoon me or whatever you planned to do… You win… there’s no point in fighting anymore.”

Chrysalis stopped her circling, stopping just a bit to Celestia’s side. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, then glanced at Celestia before glancing back at Cadance. “Oh… So that’s your game! Distract me so… so…” Chrysalis turned and eyed Celestia warily.

Cadance quickly lowered her horn as it began glowing immediately. A black leg was brought across her face with a ‘SWAT!’ that sent her reeling towards the ground.

“Nice try,” Chrysalis said. “But don’t take me for a fool. I know your weaknesses but cowardice is not one of them.” Chrysalis lowered her head as she looked down accusingly at Cadance.

Cadance grit her teeth and fired back an expression determination.

“You’re stalling…” Chrysalis’s horn glowed jade once more as an aura pushed Cadance onto her side. The princess uttered a choking gasp as Chrysalis placed a forehoof on her neck and turned back to Celestia.

“But why…?” Chrysalis said as she once again cast an expectant gaze at Celestia. “What were you…” Chrysalis’s lips twisted upward like thorny vines forming a smile as realization sunk in. “Oh! OH! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA!” She shook her head.

Cadance swatted at Chrysalis’s leg ineffectively as she tried to gasp for air.

“You tried to reach in and pull Celestia out from her trance! I suppose I owe you an apology of sorts.” Chrysalis leaned down to smile at Cadance. “You’re not completely useless it would seem,” she purred out. She looked up and turned to stare at Celestia once more. “Still, seems it was a futile effort.” She shook her head. “Such heroic nonsense to think you could get Celestia out of what she longs for deep in her heart. Also, I daresay given your current state you used up quite a lot of energy in the attempt.” Chrysalis’s malevolent smile grew. “Such a futile waste that makes my victory all the sweeter!”

Cadance horn glowed a bright blue that surrounded the leg on her neck, the leg drifted upwards long enough for Cadance to gulp down some air before Chrysalis pressed it back down.

“Goodness… You would not believe how hard it is at the moment not to just press down and end your life right here…”

Cadance desperately gasped for air and began frantically swatting at the hole-filled pitch black leg as it began to glow with green power.

Chrysalis tut-tutted and shook her head. “Just a little more pressure—”

Cadance gaged as Chrysalis pressed down ever so slightly.

“—and I dare say I could pop your head clear off your body.” She shook her head slightly. “But what a waste of love that would be… No, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza… You shall live…” Chrysalis’s smile grew wider. “Live to see me collect your husband once more…” She looked up with a wistful expression. “Perhaps I’ll be so merciful as to cocoon you next to each other… Years and years of both your overflowing love feeding my people as you two helplessly watch the other waste away.” Chrysalis threw back her head and laughed. “Oh… perfect… I think I’ll arrange your cocoons into a heart above my throne… a twisted black and green monument to-HAAACHK!”

Chrysalis’s eyes fired open wide at the choking cough she had just uttered. Her vision began to blur as she felt more coughs well up inside her very core and rise up through her neck and out her mouth. “HACHK-COUGH-COUGH-HACHKKK… What… what is this?!”

With a wide swing of her foreleg, Cadance batted Chrysalis’s leg off her neck and took a deep breath.

‘Pomff!’

Oh, and Twilight is apparently still alive. Lovely… Chrysalis attempted to focus her eyes on the pink blur directly below her and fired a quick blast into it. Cadance made a satisfying shriek of pain before her body flew away and hit a wall or a burnt piece of furniture with an even more satisfying ‘thump!’

“Cadance!” Twilight called out. “Oh, you’ll pay for that Chrysalis!”

Great… That obnoxious and overconfident whelp Twilight is STILL well enough to spout heroics… Ugh… Maybe I should have saved my energy… I don’t see what could have—

A yellow glow caught Chrysalis’s attention. She looked up just in time to see the glow turn into a fiery orange sunstone color before a blast was fired off directly at her.

Oh… Chrysalis thought. On impulse she attempted to put up a shield but simply felt a wave of nausea run through her body as she tried before the burning energy slammed into her, sending her skidding across the cold stone floor.

Ho… HOW?! HOW COULD THIS BE HAPPENING!? EVEN IF CELESTIA AWOKE HER LOVE SHOULD STILL BE— As Chrysalis’s thoughts turned towards Celestia’s love she felt the noxious feeling crash into her… Chrysalis gritted her teeth as realization set in. Celestia was no longer overflowing with love. She was now a fountain of pure hate and Chrysalis had been sucking down the poison without noticing for the last several seconds.

Chrysalis closed her eyes and with a dull green glow of her horn that that suddenly seemed to burn ember, Chrysalis winced painfully as she severed the connection between her and Celestia.

The sickly feeling of her body weakening ceased, but she no longer felt strong… in fact, she felt quite the opposite.

“Celestia!” Twilight cried excitedly. “You’re back!”

Chrysalis felt the heavy vibrations of approaching hooves. Celestia who normally walked around with such poise and grace was practically smashing her hooves into the floor as she approached, and with Chrysalis’s head on the ground, each step sounded and felt like the mighty boom of a thunderclap from an approaching storm.

‘BOOM!’

Chrysalis attempted to force her eyes back open but her lids now weighed heavily on her face.

‘BOOM!’

“Uh, Celestia?” Twilight called out. “Could you help me with Cadance and Luna? They’re both still breathing but…”

‘BOOM!’

Open… Damnit, OPEN! Chrysalis breathed deeply and focused. Little by little, she could start to see cracks of light as her eyelids finally cooperated…

‘BOOM!’

…too late, as the storm was already there.

Chrysalis managed to get one lid open, if only just a crack. Something towering and white…Celestia no doubt… stood above her. Something round and yellow… likely the pouch of Heart’s Desire pollen still contained in small orb-like barrier, was floating alongside that towering white thing… Chrysalis forced open her other eye. Yes… it was Celestia and that was the pouch in its barrier, but neither the barrier or nor pouch were around Celestia.

Which was a shame, really. Judging by the angry look on Celestia’s face, she could use a little joy at the moment.

Chrysalis tried to raise her lips at that last thought, but her mouth muscles failed to cooperate.

And then she felt a sharp blow to her abdomen as Celestia kicked into her with her full force.

‘THWACK!’

Chrysalis eyes shut again as she felt fluids involuntarily eject themselves from her mouth as everything in her midsection shifted away from the heavy blow, and before she even realized she was airborne she felt herself crash into something solid with a resounding ‘THUMP!’ Her body slid to the ground with yet another painful blow.

Twilight, of course, spoke up. “Take that, evildoer!”

If she ever heard Twilight Sparkle speak like that again, it would be too soon.

‘BOOM!’

A cold feeling of dread washed over her as Chrysalis realized she might very well get her wish.

‘BOOM!’

The storm was coming again.

‘BOOM!’

And Chrysalis doubted it was done with her.

‘BOOM!’

With what seemed like monumental effort, Chrysalis opened her eyes once more and stared what could very well be her death in the face. Celestia was staring back down at her. If Chrysalis hoped to catch a glimmer of mercy somewhere in Celestia’s eyes, that hope quickly died when she searched them and found nothing but contempt for the reflection she caught in the lavender prisms staring down at her.

The reflection being herself.

“Do you know what I’ve lost?!” Celestia yelled out. “Do you have any idea what it’s LIKE?! No… How could you?! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND, YOU UNLOVING WRETCHED CREATURE?! How dare you?! HOW DARE YOU?! Over a thousand years… OVER A MILLENNIUM SPENT CLAWING FOR TINY BITS OF HAPPINESS THAT COMES SO EASILY TO MY SUBJECTS! CENTURIES LETTING IT ALL GO BECAUSE I HAD RESPONSIBILITIES!”

“Celestia?!” Twilight called out in concern. “It’s alright now… You’re free… I’m sure we can talk about—”

With yet another heavy ‘THWACK’, Chrysalis was kicked across the room.

Once again hitting a wall and falling to the floor, Chrysalis tried working her muscles, her magic, anything that could help her here. All she managed was a pained expression which she directed at the alicorn that had been her meal ticket mere minutes prior. Chrysalis had considered the possibility that Celestia might break free of her paradise-like mental prison, but she didn’t anticipate her love turning into hate and poisoning her.

‘BOOM!’

Celestia continued to approach the changeling queen with a murderous glint in her eye.

Chrysalis thought she’d be stronger if this happened…

‘BOOM!’

“Celestia!” Twilight said, practically pleading this time. “Stop! You beat her! We won!”

… She thought she’d at least be in a position to mock Celestia for her loss…

‘BOOM!’

Celestia continued onward, either ignoring or deaf to the pleas of her fellow princess. Her horn began to glow brighter and brighter, changing from yellow to sunstone orange. Heat began to pour from the alicorn in great, big stifling waves.

…Chrysalis thought this moment would at least be amusing, if anything…

“CELESTIA!” Twilight screamed.

Celestia’s horn grew in brightness until it was blinding. Twilight and Chrysalis closed and shielded their eyes with their forelegs. Almost as soon as the overwhelming brightness had come, it passed, but the heat remained and light still imitated from Celestia’s direction.

‘BOOM!’

Chrysalis slowly lowered her forearm and opened her eyes, but immediately wished she hadn’t. Who or what stood in front of her resembled Celestia in shape only. Her wings where ebony black with what looked to be cracks of pitch black darkness in them. Her skin was similarly ebony save for cracks of bright orange and red, like lava peaking up around pure obsidian. Her hair that usually looked like a shimmering sunrise borealis was just flames billowing out around her, looking much like the sky itself had caught fire. Celestia’s lower legs and hooves now appeared to be made of semi-solid molten rock as flames fired out from them which licked at the ground and turned the stone floor around them red.

Celestia, or what had become of her, stared down at Chrysalis with slit-like black pupils surrounded by fiery yellow irises sitting atop a lava flow of red.

Chrysalis didn’t find any of this amusing. She didn’t find it amusing at all.

Author's Note:

[source]

I fashioned a prison that you couldn't leave without sacrificing your heart's desire. It must have been like tearing off your own arm.

--Mongul, For the Man Who Has Everything

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dangerbrony

dangerbrony #1 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 11 · ·

This hurt to read. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy let alone someone as kind as Celestia. Anyway, I hope this turns out all right for her.

mechspeck

mechspeck #2 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 1 · ·

Well fuck.

Golanth

Golanth #3 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 9 · ·

A wild Solar Flare has appeared!
I wonder what her thing will be? Will she go on a rampage taking out threats to Equestria, or just bail straight for the mirror to get Sunset?

Snowkitsune

Snowkitsune #4 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 2 · ·

called it

JavaScript

JavaScript #5 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 7 · ·

Looks like Celestia is the one with The Power, now.

... Get it? Because of the reference last chapter?

... Fine, I'll stop.

BringBackSonicSatAM

BringBackSonicSatAM #6 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 8 · ·

Since this chapter had the original material's most heartbreaking moment, I figured I might as well post it here:

tana1100

tana1100 #7 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 7 · 1 ·

this is why you do not taunt an immortal god with the one thing they cannot have!

SilverySunlight

SilverySunlight #8 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 2 · 1 ·

So... Nightmare Sun?
...Actually, that would be horrifying. To quote another fic: "If Celestia went evil, do you really think any of us would be able to stop her?” continued Twilight. “She would have crushed us with a single thought."

JFalk

JFalk #9 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 1 · ·

7152050 I agree. Celestia really didn't deserve to go through this!

Chrysalis, through I really hope that Celestia recovers enough to return from being Nightmare Star - I have to say: you earned everything that will happen to you!

ARTL

ARTL #10 · Apr 23rd, 2016 · 2 · ·

This hurt so badly I'm not even sure I could say how much so.

I'm no fan of Celestia, really, but this is beyond wanton cruelty, and I would never. wish something so intimately painful in anyone, not even my worst enemy. And I've made a few of them, with my line of work.

This... This is just evil.

Cynewulf