Chapter 33
You pull yourself away from your sister's comfort, eliciting a jolt of surprise from her in the process. But you don't hesitate to look at her face; instead, you deftly step around her and head for the doorway. You've run out of tears at this point as you steel your mind away from the glances of sympathy from the guards.
"Luna? Sister, where are y-"
A slam of the bedroom door cuts off your sister's voice, taking a moment to seal the door once again.
You know Celestia will try to stop you, try to comfort you. Tell you that your mind is not clear at this point in time.
It's perfectly clear now as you begin a determined march down the hall, ignoring the sound of hooves pounding on oak behind you. But it's drowned out by the pounding of your heart, the scalding hot blood rushing through your veins.
Whether there are guards in the hall that try to stop you or you are alone, you don't know. Your mind is focused upon what lies in the dungeon.
Information on the hive. Information on Chrysalis, her whereabouts.
All ripe for the picking.
However, you cannot help but notice the lone guard pony at the entrance to the dungeon's entrance, a spear within the grasp of his hoof. As you approach him, he looks quite disturbed, uneasy.
Whether by your gory appearance or demeanor matters none to you.
"We have the dungeon under control and on lockdown, your Highness," he says as you come to a halt in front of him.
"Good. I wish to see for myself," you say coldly.
"It's - with all due respect, there is nothing to see, your Highness. The prisoners are secure, two guards are keeping watch as we furnish magic sealing bindings for th-"
"You misunderstand us. Whether we are needed or not matters little," you growl, squaring your jaw and raising your chin as you look down upon him. "We desire to see the dungeon for ourselves, whether you yield by your own accord or by force. Is that clear enough, or do you require a demonstration?"
Your vision blurs, everything around you growing brighter for a moment before returning to normal. The guard before you stares dumbfounded, before hastily stepping to the side. You say nothing as you stride past him and head downward.
Adrenaline seeps through your every pore, driving you on as you grit your teeth. You feel your sister trying to pry her way into your mind telepathically, before you slam that door shut as well.
All that remains is the sound of your hoofsteps, your heartbeat, and your deep breaths as you traverse the stairs. You reach the bottom in what feels like a second and you quickly make your way through the dim prison system. Before long, two more guards come into your view down the corridor.
While one stands attentive to the cell in front of him, his horn aglow with magic, the other is fiddling with what looks to be a hastily crafted set of shackles for one of the prisoners.
As you get closer, they take note of the echoes of your hooves, snapping to attention as they see who their guest happens to be.
"Princess, we have the situation under con-"
"I have already been informed. Put those bindings on one of the prisoners," you say, your eyes dancing across the neighboring cells and their inhabitants. While one changeling lies in the back of its cell, as if already asleep, the other one glares back at you, sitting upon its haunches near the cell door.
"That one," you quickly add, pointing a hoof to the either asleep or unconscious creature. "Then leave."
Both guards seem unsure of your orders as they glance at each other, which only stirs the ire that smolders within you. You stomp a hoof down.
"That is an order! Ensure that one is secure, and leave the other to us!" you shout. "Is there a problem with thy hearing?!"
Again your vision blurs before clearing, finding yourself able to see better in the dim light. Evidently, the pair of guards are spooked enough by your shouts that they spring into action, the one unlocking the cell door and the other quickly fastening the special bindings onto the incapacitated prisoner. The iron shackles glow with a ghastly green energy as they activate, the guard retreating and locking the cell behind him.
Without another word, the two quickly salute, before rushing past you toward the stairs. But as they do so, you spy the key to the other cell tucked in the armor of one of the guards. You slip it out and tuck it under your wing for now.
You turn your attention to the other changeling, who continues to stare at you.
"Do you know how to speak?" you ask bluntly. It had occurred to you that not once have you heard a drone speak in anything but hisses and some sort of chattering.
The changeling doesn't respond, closing its luminescent eyes for a moment. The drone's whole form flashes in a blaze of green, before revealing another form.
That of you.
"My, it seems we are having a temper tantrum right now," your twin quips with a smirk.
"We have merely asked if you can speak. That does not mean we will allow you to speak out of turn," you warn, stepping closer to the bars of the cell. The prisoner is not fazed in the slightest by your tone, its (you suppose now, her) mischievous grin growing wider.
"Oh? Or what? You'll lock me up?"
The sarcasm resonates within you, pushing your rage past the boiling point. Your magic whips from your horn - and to a lesser extent, your mane. The tendrils wrap themselves around your twin's body, before you yank her into the bars with an audible smack.
Your magic lets go, the doppelganger so stunned by the event she drops to the floor, while you stare at her pathetic form.
"Get up," you order. She obliges, albeit slowly, holding her temple with a hoof.
"I guess that answers my question. But tell me, isn't torture ille-"
You repeat your same actions, with slightly less force as you bash her into the cell bars. Once again, she falls in a heap.
"You will not speak unless directed to. Now get up."
By this point, your grief, your sorrow is... what is grief? Your whole being wracked with anger, a sense of injustice. Hatred. It feels as if an abyss has been torn open within your heart, wrenched from you as Anonymous has been. A bottomless pit of emptiness remains.
Again the other Luna rises to her hooves, the arrogance knocked out of her expression as she looks at you, wincing in pain.
"Where is your queen?"
"Long gone. That's all I will say," she replies.
"Where is your queen?" you repeat again, pulling the prisoner up against the bars. Her snout pops through to your side of the barrier, while the rest of her stays put, her breathing becoming more frenzied and shallow by the pressure you exert upon her.
"Why would I tell you?"
You hurl your twin backward into the wall of the dungeon, as you fetch the cell key and unlock the door.
You fling the sliding door open with a clatter and make your way to where your double lies.
"Get up. We tire of your games," you lament.
Again Luna slowly rises, a few contusions opened up here and there on her body, seeping with a viscous green ooze. Her head rises up to face you, her nose bloodied with the same green fluid, as her eyes have teared up. Whether from pain or fear matters none to you.
You have no compassion for this vile thing. For any of them.
"Fine. Tell us, where is your home, your hive?" you growl.
"She won't be there. Not right now."
You strike her in the chest with a sharp kick from your forehoof, waiting as the fake you sputters for breath, hacking and coughing loudly.
"We did not ask for your queen's whereabouts. We asked where your hive is located."
You don't get a response, the other Luna shaking her head in defiance. You mane seeps outward, a smoky haze dotted with starlight latching on to the pitiful thing in front of you. It yanks her upward, her hooves a foot off of the ground until you are nose to nose with her.
"We will ask once more. Where is your hive?!" you snarl through gritted teeth.
"I'm not telling you," she manages to bleat, choking back tears.
Furious, you throw the whelp to the ground, turning and exiting the cell and slamming the door behind you.
"So be it. If you will not tell us anything, you are worthless to us," you tell the impostor as you lock the door. You glare back at her as she picks herself up gingerly, no longer possessing any sort of composure as she begins to openly weep. You feel nothing toward this sniveling weakling.
And why should you?
"You can do whatever you want. I'm not telling you where mother is, my family's location. I never will," she mumbles, keeping her head low.
Though barely audible, you catch her musings. The sweltering furnace of pent up rage within you flares up again as you drag her back to the cell door, your magic inching its way toward her neck.
"Whether you tell us or not doesn't matter in the end. We will spend an eternity searching for every one of your kind and end them all. You wretched creatures took our friend, the one that we loved!" you scream as the tears rush back to your eyes. "Your queen, your mother took away from us the one we held most dear, and we intend to do the same!"
You let your anger flow freely, letting go as you feel the pit inside you grow, expanding around you, swallowing you in its cold grasp. You hardly need to focus on your magic as it seizes the prisoner's windpipe, gradually applying pressure.
"Perhaps you save Chrysalis for another week, another month. But rest assured, we will find her. We will wipe out your kind, we will have our revenge!"
The other Luna struggles fruitlessly as she begins to grasp for breath. Her teal eyes dart around, filled with terror as she looks for any sort of opening or reprieve from this end. Eventually, they settle upon you, silently pleading, begging for your mercy.
The sight spurs a moment of clarity from within, a small voice crying out to let this helpless drone go. To step back and look at yourself, what you know you've become. What you risk becoming on the inside.
But the black chasm within you is louder. It desires blood, a thirst for an unspeakable, vengeful retribution for what you have lost.
Anonymous did nothing wrong, he defended himself in a life or death situation. Yet there was no mercy for him from these heartless cockroaches.
You will not grant clemency for anypony. You clench your jaw, submitting to the wicked thought.
"Luna, stop."
A solemn, wavering voice causes you to whip your head around to find the source.
Your sister stands just a few feet away, panting as she stands there. Her head kept somewhat low as she catches her breath, her magenta eyes stay locked on you, silently continuing her short plea.
"Why? Why should we spare this... this... this monstrosity?!" you bark back. Celestia flinches from your harsh, biting tone, but nonetheless remains steadfast.
"This isn't you, sister," she says, choking back her tears as she takes a step closer to you. "I know you're upset, I can't imagine how much pain you feel right now, but this isn't right. Deep down, you know that."
The voice inside your head nearly drowned out by your fury pleads in unison with Celestia, louder now as it fights back against the hatred raging within your heart.
"She killed him - they killed him!" you shout back at Celestia.
"I know, Lulu. But what is this going to solve? What kind of closure can you get from taking a life?" she asks, shaking as she starts to cry. "The changeling that killed Anon is dead, Luna. Taking this one's life it..it's not going to bring Anon back."
Nausea washes over you upon her utterance. You look back at the fake Luna, nearly given up at this point as her eyes begin to glaze over. Within them, you see your reflection.
You've become what you have feared all this time, as teal blue predatory eyes glare back with malice. A pitch black, foreboding specter, whom you swore would never return as long as you lived.
Yet here she is again. It's always been within you, that darkness was created by you.
But Anonymous has helped you conquer it, to face your past. He looked past it, upon revealing the mistakes you have made. He forgave the missteps, the lies you told him, because his love for you was stronger than that.
And you're willing to take his determination, his love for you despite your misdeeds, and throw it all away. To make a mockery of his insistence that you weren't a monster, even when you were at one of your lowest points.
No, this is wrong.
With a sob, your magic snaps away from your twin, dropping her to the floor as she begins gasping for air. You feel the black specter within you fighting, trying to finish the task at hand, but it is in vain as you wrest yourself under control.
Causing pain with only bring more pain. You know this lesson, and yet you nearly repeated the same mistake.
You feel your elder sister's presence upon you, finding her clutching you in an embrace. This time, you voluntarily give in, throwing your hooves around her as you slump toward the floor, exhausted. The darkness within you recedes, as you feel yourself reverting back to normal.
"It's - it's not fair!" you sob, your sister beginning to stroke your mane as she gradually rests you and her upon the stone floor.
"I know, sister, I know," she says quietly. You feel her tears drop down onto your head as she continues stroking your mane, while you let go and openly weep into her chest fur, tapping into another well full of tears you didn't know you had.
"I don't want - I can't bear to lose you again, little sister," she whispers, her voice ragged and tinged with raw emotion. "I promise you, we will get Twilight back, we will get justice for Anonymous. Just talk to me, don't let yourself go."
The sorrow in her voice makes you realize how close you were to letting go, letting that same coldness into your heart as you once did before. Leaving your sister alone, isolated.
She's always been here for you, it's time to do the same for her.
"I'm sorry. I - I just hurt. I don't know what to do..."
"I know. You just need to trust me, Luna. I am upset, I am angry, too. But we need to stick together."
You pull back a bit from Celestia, turning your head to look back at your doppelganger. Instead, the changeling has reverted back to its normal form, its breathing finally settled down somewhat. However, it has retreated to the farthest corner of the cell, its luminescent eyes locked upon you fearfully.
"I'm sorry" you mumble, just barely audible. You get no response or sign of acknowledgment.
"Come sister, there is no need to be down here," Celestia says, pulling herself up off the floor with a slight groan. You turn back to her as she offers a hoof, helping you up. Meanwhile, it is only now you note the cuts and scrapes that dot her white coat, from the earlier scuffle down here.
Perhaps more noticeable is her chest, now dyed a hideous reddish brown with dried blood.
Anon's blood, which you realize is also caked upon you. The thought sends another wave of sorrow and nausea through you as you hang your head.
But the presence of a warm, comforting wing across your back pulls your gaze upward, while your big sister pulls you up next to her. It is a silent reassurance that you aren't alone, while the two of you squeeze up the narrow staircase, side by side.
For the first time, you realize how much you mean to your big sister. That seal you put on the room should have held her at bay, but it didn't. While her wounds from the fight look harmless, she should still be checked out by a doctor to be safe.
But her priority was you.
And she is here for you now, in this difficult time.
"Tia, I-"
"I know. I heard your thoughts," she says. "It is times like these when we are quick to give up, to give in to our pain. Feeling alone, isolated from the world. I have lost many friends through the years, Luna. It will be hard, but I promise you, it does get better. I am here for you, I am your rock, your foundation. Always."
Nothing more needs to be said as the two of you complete your ascension to the top of the stairs, and back into the hall. You start to feel what composure you've built up to slip once again, seeing personnel milling about your room's doorway, and knowing why they are present.
Without warning, the hall and its contents vanish, the tingling sensation of a teleportation spell tickling every nerve in your body. Pure white emptiness is all that greets your eyes, before the confines of a castle guest room greets you.
"I feel it is best we stay away from... it's best we have some privacy," Celestia quietly explains. You say nothing while you climb onto the comfort of the bed.
You just - what do you even do now?
The bed shifts as your elder sister lays beside you, giving you a comforting nuzzle.
"I started this mess, it's my fault," you moan, the water works beginning to work overtime once again as you eyes dampen. "This started with me, my selfishness. Now it has come full circle to haunt me, and Anon had to pay for my mi-"
"No, stop." A wingtip under your chin persuades you to turn and look at Celestia. "There is no way to have known what you did back then would lead to this. You can't focus on that, on the 'what-ifs'."
"What do I focus on, Tia? What is left to focus on?"
You choke back a sob, silently cursing your immortality. Not once have you considered what happens after death, because it never applied to you. You had friends, but they came and went so quick over the years, you never gave it a passing thought.
Of course, there was a long gap in your life. A gap without friends, which led to an even longer spell of total isolation. It further separated you from these thoughts of life after death mortals often consider.
But Anon is different. You've never been this close to anypony. Time has meant nothing to you, until now.
Now, you're out of time.
"Luna. Lulu, talk to me, please." Your sister's concerned voice snaps you out of your inner turmoil to find her face to face with you
"I understand why you have always mockingly referred to our immortality - our phoneix-like rebirth abilities, why you always disparagingly referred to them as a gift. It is a curse. I would give anything to be with Anon right now, to-"
"Stop. Please, don't think like that," Celestia responds. "I promise you, I promise it gets better. There is a light at the end of this."
"I can't ever forget him, Tia."
"You don't forget, Luna," Celestia says. Her wingtip wipes away your tears as they form. "You don't forget him, you live for him. You carry on, you do the things you enjoy. You go out of your way to bring others happiness, to brighten their day. You live your life because you know he would not want to see you upset. You live your life to the fullest and keep those memories close to your heart."
Your sister loses her composure for a moment as her head bows, chest heaving. After a pause, she rises again.
"I went through the same thing, Luna. I lost you, I thought I would never recover. But I knew deep down, underneath the rift that formed between us - that little sister I fondly remembered - she would want me to be happy. She would want me to move on, to find happiness again. Through losing you, I found myself, I found who I am now. I go out of my way to help ponies because I remember that feeling of pain and loneliness. I realized living behind closed doors like we used to so long ago was detrimental when I could be doing so much more."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you learn from loss, you grow through loss as a being. You will find parts of yourself you did not know existed. Anon helped you so much, and in turn, helped me. He brought me back my lively young sister. He will continue to help you even as he is gone. A part of him will always be with you Luna - and he never truly dies."
With your sister's words, you feel your muscles lose their tensity. You lean forward, your nose touching hers as your horns make contact, a slight charge of energy between the two making the air slightly crackle.
But a sudden cacophony of sounds out in the hall rouse you both from your moment of comfort. Celestia is the first to move as she leaps off the bed, opening the door and craning her neck to look down the hallway.
"What's happened?" you ask, confused.
"I don't know, nothing good I'm sure," she says. Without another word, she trots out into the hallway, disappearing from view.
You steel yourself from your emotions, determined to help your sister if need be. You also rise from the bed, galloping out of the room to catch up with your big sister.
Down near the other end of the corridor, you can hear shouts and orders being barked as guard ponies and other personnel rush out of your room. Fear lances through your heart, pushing away your pain momentarily as your hooves pound the red carpet harder, catching up to Celestia as she sets the spurs to herself as well.
A couple of stallions try to stop the two of you, but neither of you heeds their warnings. Celestia skids to a stop right at the opening to your room, while you slow up and join her side, readying yourself for a possible confrontation.
Instead, you stand there, dumbfounded by a column of flame that is centered upon your bed, illuminating the room in a bath of bright blue light. But despite its ferocity, you sense no smoke, nor does it stray away from the exact spot upon your bed. But just as you make note of its bizarre behavior, the pyre suddenly fizzles out, leaving no trace of its existence.
"Luna, was that..."
"No, it can't be," you reply, inching your way into the room, your eyes wide with shock as you get closer to the bed. All traces of Anon are gone, as well as his blood that once stained the sheets. Instead, fine ashes remain, scattered in a few heaped piled here and there. Your sister stands on the other side of the bed, looking just as confused as you feel right now.
But perhaps more astonishing, the linens are not without mark; rather, they have been singed, an outline that makes no sense.
The outline of a large pony - an alicorn, complete with spread wings and horn.
Another flash of bright blue light interrupts your thoughts. You recoil in surprise, trying to shield your eyes with a wing to catch a glance of what is happening. But the sheer brilliance is too much to bear, forcing you to turn your head away. It isn't until your shadow cast upon the wall behind you begins to fade that you look back, as a collective gasp and murmuring can be heard from the small gathering of ponies outside the door.
Just like that, your friend is whole again - albeit stark naked, the realization making you blush. With a deep breath, he suddenly jolts upward, as if awoken from a bad dream.
"Anon!" you shout, giving him no time to prepare as you tackle him in a crushing hug.
"Luna, what the hell are you doing?!" he yelps in surprise. But you don't answer him, you can't answer him as you hold him tight.
"Wait, where the hell are my pants?! Why the hell do we have an audience?! "
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Oh man, this was... good.
So Anon got some other alicorn traits, eh? Honestly I was expecting him to come back as a pony, but butt naked works too lol.
*Chokes with sobbing*
This was amazing...
I knew he would come back, that NMM had a trick in her sleeve...
I was half hoping that Anon will be back in a reversed position with NMM, as in, Nighty is back with Anon in her mind
Apologize for making me feel pain, this story did not have to be this good ;-;
Damn...our deserved revenge. Gone reduced to atoms.
Back from the dead motherbucker!