Twilily Saga: Past, Present, Or Damnation

by Lighttone GryphonStar

Chapter 9: Sorrowful Guilt

Twilight and Starlight woke up a jail cell. There were guards at the gate, and by the look of the cell, they were clearly inside Canterlot Castle. Starlight found that her wounds were healed. Twilight found her wounds healed as well, though the scars remained. This was most disconcerting for her because she had hoped the scars would be gone by the time she got away from all of this She hoped that if she ever got back home, that Spike wouldn’t ask too much about the scars.

However, it was at that moment Twilight realized her disguise was gone. Somepony had removed it. But who? And why? Next thing she noticed was that ‘F’ was not with them. Getting separated again was getting really annoying.

She looked to Starlight who seemed more mad than anypony. “Starlight, is everything okay?”

“Why should you care? I was doing fine until you showed up.”

“Me? That wound on your back could have killed you.”

“But it didn’t.” She turned away from her. “Look, just leave me alone.”

Twilight looked away from her and looked towards the ground. “Look, I’ve been through a lot since we last saw each other. War, travesty, pains and sorrows.”

“And why should I care? All I need is to get the spell --” Suddenly Starlight stopped herself upon checking her pocket. The spell was gone.

“Are you looking for this?” They both looked toward that voice and saw Princess Celestia on the other side of the cell. She had dried tears on her face, obviously still in sorrow from Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon and subsequent imprisonment. Princess Celestia was holding the spell in her hands.

Twilight jumped up, “Wait what about Grogar? He said he would be trying to turn Princess Luna.”

Celestia looked at Twilight strangely. “You call her Luna?” She turned her head slightly and softly spoke, “Twilily?”

“That name again.” Twilight looked in confusion. “Selena Moondie called me by that name, now you.”

Celestia looked to her guards. They understood instantly what she was asking without words being needed. They opened up the cell and Celestia walked in. She looked at Twilight closely and spoke once more, “No, you are not her. At least you are not now.” Celestia turned away and walked to the exit. She gestured Twilight to follow.

They left the cell. However as Twilight turned toward Starlight to have her follow, Starlight just kept looking away. Twilight was slightly taken by this but understood, she had seen so much and Starlight had seen so little. What had been only hours for Starlight was over a year for Twilight. She understood it would take more time to explain. And right now her mind was on two things, what happened to Grogar and who is this Twilily?

Twilight and Celestia left the cell area and went upstairs. They left through another hallway once they got to the top and then went up more stairs. This may have been the past, but Twilight knew this pathway well enough. This was the way to Celestia’s personal quarters. After taking many more hallways and stairways they finally arrived at Celestia’s personal quarters. Twilight was, of course, a little confused that Celestia would let her into her quarters. Twilight was from the future, there was no way Celestia would trust her.

Celestia’s guards opened the doors and Celestia and Twilight walked in. The guards closed the doors behind them. Celestia used her magic to bring a seat over for Twilight to sit in. Once they both had a spot, Celestia spoke, “Mare, as to your first question, Grogar is dead.”

Twilight was taken back greatly by this. “What?! How?”

“I’m not sure how, but shortly after I imprisoned my sister, I found his dead body over an altar. Luna’s blade was in his chest and his body was devoid of all life.” She took a moment for Twilight to process all of this before she asked her own question. “Mare, please tell me what Selena Moondie told you exactly about the name Twilily?”

“Well, all she did was call me that name? Who is Twilily?”

Celestia looked to her books and used her magic to bring over a gold line navy blue book. She opened it up and quickly turned to a certain page. Once she found what she was looking for she showed it to Twilight. Twilight’s eyes widened upon seeing what appeared to be a lavender unicorn with a long flowing navy blue mane. “This is Twilily Moonlight.”

“This can’t be. She looks just like me.”

“Indeed, though Twilily was no alicorn, or at least wasn’t before it happened.” She stopped for a moment and then continued, “She was a unicorn and she lived two thousand years ago. She was the most powerful unicorn wizard of her time.”

Twilight wondered why the present Celestia never told her of this mare. “Listen, princess, I’m not this Twilily, I’m from the future. I was once a student of you in my future.”

Celestia smiled at that. “I suspected that. The way you looked at the pathway here showed me enough. But then again what I have seen tells me there are things that you don’t know about the truth.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. All the pieces seemed to be fitting into place. “I see. I met Grogar, and he told me the truth about dark magic.” Twilight stopped herself before asking the next question.

Celestia could see the fear growing in Twilight’s eyes. She placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Calm yourself. Yes what he said is true. Though it was not Twilily who made the deal with Grogar. It was her father the warlock knight, Rex Moba.”

Her face fell at this. It was a lot to take in. Twilight took a breath before finally giving an open answer about all of this. They had a lot to talk about.

******

Back in the cell area, Starlight tossed back and forth. She couldn’t stand still. She had to find a way out of there as quickly as possible. But what would she do after that? She still had no idea on how to get home, or the real reason Cult Race was after her. She knew very little about him. Of course, she had heard rumors in the present that spoke of such a killer, but she assumed they were just rumors.

She decided enough on the worrying. She laid down and took a nap. She certainly needed one. She had been running from Cult Race since last night and never got any sleep. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. However, in this sleep there was no safety. She found herself being attacked by a series of images. A red gem and a blue gem, both in the shape of eyes. Next was the image of a yellow geode in the shape of a brain. And finally a red, blue and yellow stone in the shape of a heart.

She thought it was over, but then she found herself in a field of bodies. Corpses as far as the eyes could see. They were so shredded that she couldn’t even tell what species these were. Beyond it, she saw a pyramid. A figure stood on top of the pyramid. The figure was colorless and featureless. Well, not completely featureless, as the two eye-like gems were over the place where eyes would be, the brain shape geode in the skull and the heart shape stone was in the place of the heart. The only other prominent feature on the figure was that it had four arms.

She turned her head and saw another figure. This new figure felt very familiar. It was like she knew this figure all too well. This new figure pulled two blades out. One red, the other blue. The new figure charged at the original and the two fought.

Soon the dream cleared. But not before the words, “Mind Temple” filled her head along with coordinates. She woke up and looked around. She saw that she was still in the cell. Not much time had passed since she fell asleep as seen from where the light in the room laid. In fact, it was in the exact same place that it was when Twilight was in here. Suddenly she jumped up upon seeing Celestia and Twilight back in here. Actually, they were in the exact spots they were earlier. It was at that moment she realized that they weren’t moving at all. In fact, nothing was moving at all. Time itself had stopped. Starlight looked around. She couldn’t believe it. This made no sense, yet this matched Starswirl’s notes on time spells perfectly.

“Are you going to keep looking around?”

Starlight jumped at that and turned toward the voice, only to see a naked gray pegasus. She practically screamed upon seeing him, that is until she notices this pegasus was very unusual. His body was absent of all features. In fact, the only way she knew it was a male was the male voice. “Are you the one who cast this spell?” Starlight finally questioned.

“Spell?” he looked around, or at least that was what she assumed he did as his head turned back and forth. “I used no spell. I need no spell for I am Realta, Demigod of Light and Time.”

She looked in confusion. “You're a demigod. I always thought they took the form of their elements.”

“Well, most of the time. But this time I thought you would be more preferable to a pegasus. Or would you rather a unicorn, or maybe an earth pony though I could try a batpony. I always try to change it up. Now on to the dream you had or more or less will have.” He pointed away from her and she saw herself in the spot she was just at. “Time itself has been pulled back to a moment when the cell is open. I suggest you go to those coordinates right now. I can keep time like this for as long as possible.” He then held out the time spell. “I took this off of Celestia during the time movement. They won’t notice it’s missing until you are long gone. Now go.”

She grabbed the spell, but then spoke, “Time is your domain. Why would you give me a spell to mess with it?” He refused to answer, instead, he vanished from her sight. She wanted to know more, but time was still frozen. She decided to just leave. Maybe the coordinates led to somepony who could fix the spell.

What she didn’t realize was that he never left. In fact he was waiting for her to leave. Once she was gone he reappeared. He set time for her to start back up once she got far enough away from the castle. Once that was done, he moved forward in time to just after he pulled her back. He turned toward the wall and left a message for Celestia and Twilight to find. Once he was done he got ready to leave. He moved time forward to the moment when the guards would notice Starlight gone. As they did, they opened the cell and he walked out. They couldn't see him because he was in another time flow. It was how he always traveled.

Once he was out of the castle he became annoyed. “Old friend, it has taken me so long to set my plans of this into motion and you and that Twilight show up to change things. Looks like I will have to adapt my plans. But two things you must realize is that fate cannot be changed and that time always will repeat. If you don’t go down this path, then somepony else will.”

******

As time resumed, miles away near the Castle of the Two Sisters, a group of guards gathered around a small crater where a charred body laid. The group was mostly curious as to the body’s wings.

One of them walked over and poked at the blade-wings with his spear. “Well, they’re real.”

“Horn and wings, do you think she was some sort of alicorn?” questioned another.

“Look, whatever this mare was, she’s dead now. We need to report this to the princess,” spoke the leader. At that, they took their leave.

However, they were stopped as Cult Race walked up to them carrying several bodies with him. "Oh, you're not going anywhere."

They took up their guard when one of them looked behind for but a moment. “Look she's up,” he pointed to the mare as she wobbled back and forth as she slowly stood. They all turned towards her as she wobbled around. “Look mare, try not to move too much, you’re badly injured.”

As the leader stayed back and kept his guard on Cult Race, the others slowly approached her, trying to ascertain how she was standing so easily and if she needed help. Right now, she should have been in agony, yet all she could do was grin.

As they surrounded her, she lifted her hands slowly. Unbeknownst to all of them, she was levitating the broken shards of her strange-looking chain blades. Her grin turned into a large toothy smile as she showed off her fangs for all to see. Cult Race dropped the bodies he was carrying and jumped far back upon seeing her smile. He knew all too well what was going to happen next.

Without warning the shards glowed, she pulled in her arms and the shards shot into the guard’s hearts killing, them all instantly. The leader was the only one left standing as his jaw hung agape in shock. The burnt mare laughed psychotically aloud for a moment before stopping. and lifting her head upward to scream aloud, “I’M NOT DONE WITH YOUR SOULS YET!!!!” She spoke in a strange language, “Aljahim mulzimat tartafie alnnufus ealayha watamnah li alssulta.”

At that, all the bodies of the dead glowed a maroon red as they followed her hands and rose into the air. She then opened her mouth wide, as the dead bodies twisted and contort. The flesh move like a rubber mask upon the bodies. Their muscles pulse largely and shrank just as quickly in rapid succession. Despite them being dead, they screamed in agony, as everything magical was being ripped out of them.

The leader of the guards trembled as he heard his soldiers screaming in agony beyond death. With every second she spent devouring their magic, she regenerated her flesh. The bodies became thinner and more wrinkled with each passing second. Soon the bodies became dark and gray, and as she finally finished reforming her flesh, they own flesh fell to ash. In the end, all was left of them were piles of gray ash and armor. Even the bones were turned white chalky dust.

Now with all his soldiers dead, the leader of the guards felt everything in his body telling him to run. He ran past Cult Race who didn’t even flinch upon the scene that had just unfolded. Selena Moondie laughed upon seeing the guard run for his life, “I love it when they give chase.”

She flew after him, chasing him down for several minutes, almost toying with him. Finally, she decided enough. Charging at him from behind at high speed, she stabbed her arm right through his stomach, going up and grabbing him by the face.

As his blood poured from the wound, she laughed, “Well don’t get all wet, just because you’re being held by a naked mare,” she noted, on the fact the regeneration did not bring back her clothes. She soon pulled his head back, exposing his neck. “Did you know that I’ve found that the blood of the living is tastier than the magic of the dead.” At that, she opened her jaws wide and licked her fangs before digging them deep into his throat.

She drank, taking every single drop of blood from the body. The body squeezed and contorted like a sponge as the leader screamed up until the very end. Once she was done, she pulled back, licked her lips and took the most Intoxicating breathe, “Well, blood type B+ is not as good as blood type A+, but definitely a close second.”

She pulled back her bloodied arm slightly, and then with her other hand, she grabbed the dead body by the throat. With one swift pull, she ripped his head and spine clean from the body. “Hmm, you’ll make a fine trophy.”

Afterward, she released the body and threw it to the ground. Cult Race flew over to her, as she returned to her previous form and wrapped her cape around her naked body. "Well, it's good to see you back, Selena Moondie," Cult Race leaned in and wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind.

As Cult Race held her she used her magic to rebuild her strange-looking chain blades. Soon she noticed her mane fall onto her face. She became annoyed that it had returned back to the length and color she was born with, as it did every time she did that spell. “Looks like I’ll have to go home and get a quick haircut, and of course die it back to red,” At that she smiled, “Well I guess that just gives Twilily some time to get away.”

Eventually, her strange-looking chain blades were fixed. “Though I’m mostly annoyed that she destroyed my prized possessions.” She leaned into Cult Race and looked onward with a deadly cold stare. “You know Twilily, you’re just as annoying as you were in your previous life.” She smiled once more, “Though killing you this time will be just as fun as it was last time.” On that, she laughed aloud.

******

Twilight and Celestia walked back downstairs as they continued to talk. Celestia noticed the weapons Twilight had with her. “Tell me Twilight, those wouldn’t be Selena Moondie’s weapons right?”

“Actually they are. For some reason she threw them to me to use in my battle against her.”

“So I assume you know their purpose.”

“Yes, unfortunately. But I plan to not use these with Grogar’s power. I will use my own magic with these.” Twilight held one of them upward.

Soon they arrived at the bottom floor where the cells were from before. They were going to let Starlight out. However, as they came upon the room, they found the guards with their spears ready, aiming at the cell as it was left wide open. The cell was empty and there were coordinates written on the wall.

Celestia and Twilight ran into the cell. “Damn it she escaped. I have to find her before it is too late.” Twilight ran back out.

“Too late. What do you mean too late?” Celestia was truly concerned now. “You said that Starlight was the one who trapped you on this journey. But you have yet to tell me why you would protect such a mare.”

Twilight turned toward Celestia and took a breath. “You know how she trapped me in another timeline. In that timeline, I encountered another version of her.” Twilight took a moment before continuing. This part was hard because she wanted to put that timeline's horrors behind her. “This version of her had suffered so much pain. And yet she never gave up hope. I want to believe that this Starlight can be like that Starlight. No, I have to believe it.” Finally, a tear couldn’t be held back as her body trembled. “Because I saw so many suffer in that timeline and if I could use the knowledge I learned from that timeline to at least save one soul……” Twilight couldn't say anymore but Celestia could see what she meant in her eyes.

Celestia walked forward and placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I can see now why I chose you to be an alicorn.” Afterward, they turned toward the writing on the wall. “This writing is Realta’s.”

“The Demigod of Light and Time. I have only heard of him once before. Why would he leave this?”

“Because this is clearly where Starlight will be.” Celestia and Twilight flew out of there as quickly as possible. They reached a map room and looked up the coordinates. Once they found the spot that Realta left them, Twilight was given some supplies and sent on her way.

Once Twilight was gone, Celestia turned toward her guards, “Ready my chariot.” As the guards followed her orders she turned toward the Sun as the day was finally drawing near a close. She channeled her magic toward the Sun to set it. “Twilight survived such great horrors. But I wonder is she ready for what is really out there. Is she ready to face the ones that have no hope of being saved?”

******

<1,000 years ago>

A month had passed since Sunfire’s ascendency. News spread across the country. However, Celestia was less on her love rising to greater power and more on her sister. Luna had cut contact after the wedding. Sombra had launched several attacks on neighboring countries on that same day as the wedding. But as the months passed war didn’t spread. Instead, the lands were at a random stop. It was like the wick of cannon had been cut just seconds before it could go off.

Celestia wanted there to be peace. She called on all the countries to meet in Equestria to try and seek a solution to stop the wick from being relit. She hoped this would work.

Creatures from across the land came to Equestria. They all arrived in the capital. A city known as Canterlot. The city had been created by the elites of the ponies and Celestia hoped it would be a good neutral point for them to meet. Sunfire wanted the talks to be New Shangri La, but Celestia knew this would only put tensions on harder ground. Especially since the ascension of Sunfire, Celestia had been feeling very uneasy in New Shangri La.

Dignitaries from across the lands entered the central building of Canterlot. Celestia sat at the far end from the door. She looked closely over the dignitaries as they entered. She noticed her breathing was slowing as she watched. This had been happening a lot lately, even before the wedding. She didn’t exactly know why, though she had a few ideas. In the end she came to the conclusion that it had to be most of all a great concern for Luna. But she had no idea how wrong she was.

She hoped Luna would be with the dignitaries. She hoped that she could make things right with Luna and make her see the dangers that the Crystal Empire had within it. Yet as more dignitaries walked in, her heart slowly sank as Luna was not among them. She tried her best to keep a strong heart in all of this, but it was hard. She looked again and again as more walked in. She near jumped from her throne when she thought that she had seen her, but Sunfire stopped her as he noticed it wasn’t Luna.

Sunfire was greatly concerned with Celestia. From the strange mood swings to concerning herself with that traitorous alicorn mare. He hoped that Luna wouldn’t show up at all. For if she did, he doubted he could hold back his wrathful judgment.

Yet as the hours crawled to the close there was no sign of Luna at all. Celestia took a hard deep breath and gestured to the guards to close the doors so they could begin. They walked over to the door and got ready to close it.

However, the guards were stopped as a pair of strange-looking chain blades shot forward and wrapped around their throats and swung them around in the air. Celestia looked in shock upon the all too familiar weapons. “No, I killed her.”

“Actually sister, she kind of refuses to die.” On that, the doors flew open as Luna and Selena Moondie walked into the room. “But you gave it a good try.”

Celestia got off her throne and almost ran to Luna, but was stopped as Sunfire’s guards put up their weapons and aimed them right at Luna. Sunfire stepped forward between Celestia and Luna. “This is meant to be a place of peace. Tell your assassin to let my guards go so we can get this over with.”

Luna looked toward Selena Moondie and without even a word being needed she threw the guards to the ground. Afterward, Sunfire looked at Celestia as she and he slowly backed away to their thrones.

Once Celestia was back in her throne she took a breath. Her breathing had become harder upon seeing Luna here. She had to remember that Luna was now in league with a different kingdom. Celestia could not show even the slightest amount of favoritism around the other dignitaries.

As they all took a seat, the call was put forth for the first speaker to make their voice heard. At first, there were no volunteers. Most just wanted to stay seated. The ambiance of silence was almost deafening. Moments moved like hours and minutes moved like days.

Finally after what felt like eons of waiting somepony stepped into the center to speak. To Celestia's weak surprise it was Luna. Luna stood at the center of them all and looked around to all of them. She took a breath and then spoke with greatness, “Citizens of all countries. As you known me and my sister protected the country from evils like Discord and Cult Race. Yet as I look upon you now and only see…. Fear.”

Celestia looked in shock at her sister’s words. "Why would they be in fear?”

Luna looked to Celestia with a stern look and continued, “The truth is that we have failed you all and you know this. We thought we got rid of the corruption with the defeat of Redsting during the fall of the previous Shangri-La.” Luna stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. As they reopened, all looked in shock upon seeing the eyes in a different form.

Celestia got up. She knew these eyes were Nightmare’s. Celestia tried to say something but was stopped upon Nightmare Moon speaking outward. “The corruption is not gone. It can never be gone, so we must always fight it on all sides.” Nightmare looked at Celestia and smiled.

Celestia felt a great amount of fear rise within her. Suddenly the world around them shook and quaked as the sound of an explosion filled the ears of all. All looked in shock as it came from New Shangri-La.

Sunfire ran to the window and looked toward the kingdom that his Lord had blessed him with and it was completely gone as what stood in it's wake was a mushroom shaped cloud. He looked closer and could see the faint image of Sombra in the smoke of explosion. Angered, he signaled his guards to surround Luna. However, the roof fell upon them as a giant cloud-like hand tore a hole in the ceiling.

Celestia looked in shock to what she saw. "It’s a.... It's a titan. They have a titan on their side.”

The massive arm of the titan reached in and took Nightmare in his hand. Nightmare looked at him and spoke, “Arabus, grab Celestia too.”

The titan moved in quickly to grab Celestia while Selena Moondie went to killing the guards. Sunfire saw this and ran over to his beloved to protect her. He got in front of her and held out his arm-braces and spoke in inaudible language as the writing on them glowed.

Seconds later the entire roof of the building was completely destroyed. Sombra looked from the miles away as his armies stood behind him. Seeing the explosion put a sense of urgency in his mind. Soon Zeb walked up, “Sir, New Shangri-La has been destroyed, but there is still no sign of the final remains of that beast.”

“Enough, I can see where it is now.” Sombra summoned his scythe. “Now, to Canterlot.” He swung his scythe in a commanding motion.

******

<1,000 years later>

Deep inside the Castle of the Two Sisters, on an altar laid a cold calm unmoving blue body with goat horns. By all accounts, it looked like he was dead. But without warning, eight strange limbs sprouted forth. The limbs pushed the body upward and then forward as the blade in the chest tore through the body as it stayed in place. Once the body was off the altar it changed shape taking the form of a giant spider before changing again to take the form of an all too familiar brown donkey. The donkey made his way out of the room he was in and walked out of the castle. After which he met back up with Zeb.

“So, why did the emperor change his plan?”

The donkey let out a small giggle. “He didn't change his plans at all. He just adapted them. Very much in the same way Realta most likely did for his own.”

“So what was the point of telling Twilight the plan?”

“As our lord may have told you once before. Sometimes the truth is the best deception.” On that he walked away. “Now I must complete the next part.”

“And what is that?”

“He said that he had seen Twilight before this day,” Bray kept walking until he was out of sight. “And I am to find out how.”

Back in the castle some of the maroon red blood stains on the blade slowly fell to the ground and seeped through the small aging cracks in the floor and went down lower and lower almost looking for someplace warm to hide until the time was right. A voice spoke as it settled, “Sometimes the truth is the best deception. We both know this, Blood Diamond. That why you didn’t reclaim your empire and it’s the same reason that I now fake my death. Because in the end, patience is the true victor.”

******

Author's Note:

Wow, now we know how Twilight is connected to the name Twilily and her connection to Selena Moondie. But is there more than what was said?

Either way, I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Selena Moondie's unique form of resurrection is really gruesome to write with, and I loved every minute of writing that scene. Though this power may seem a little overboard, it not quite as the more damaged she is the more bodies she needs to feast upon. Though it kind of helps that her cutie mark is the dark alicorn's symbol for soul-stealer.