• Published 11th Sep 2019
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Twilight's Nightmare - Nightsclaw



Twilight in her most desperate of moments, issues a cry for help. She was not expecting the Nightmare to be her saviour.

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CH 41.3 Tough Love


Cadance glanced towards her husband, she put on her best confident smile despite the fear that gripped her chest.

The gentle touch as he rested his head against her’s said it all. This plan of her’s asked a lot of him. He knew, and he accepted it. He was there for her, he always would be. “This is for Twilight,” he said.

Cadance nodded and slowed her breathing. What she was about to attempt was not something to do in haste, Night had been adamant on that. She lightly placed her longer, shaper horn against his. Power flowed and warmth built in hers. "I love you."

Shining Armor’s mind, his very soul opened to her. The taste of their first kiss, Flurry Hearts first laugh. He loved her, he trusted her utterly. These were the bedrock of his reality. In that moment she knew she could do anything to him. Her soft wings wrapped around his firm body as she poured her magic into his willing essence, preparing him.

Her senses retreated from the physical, returning to her bastion. Once more, the familiar decadence of her bed embraced her. Despite being a daily occurrence now, the fact she could leave her body behind and return to her Empire whenever she wished was still almost unbelievable.

Something moved, disturbing the mattress. Garnet, her first fragment, lounged comfortably beside her, glittering wings splayed carelessly over the silken sheets without a single mote of effort dedicated to decorum. “So, a new sister?” Garnet asked.

Cadance wished she could get away with sprawling like that. It looked as comfortable as it was unbecoming of a Princess. “Yes,” Cadance nodded as she rose from the bed before being tempted to pick up any more bad habits. She stretched, luxuriating as she released all the nagging tension in her flight muscles. Resisting all the reflexive motions of her wings always left them stiff. As there was nopony but parts of her here to see, she relaxed her wings. After all of Celestia’s lessons, the freedom was guilty little pleasure. “How's recruitment going?”

Crystal feathers rustled over silk as Garnet shifted. “We have two more crystal pegasi sisters now, and four Eternalguards patterned after them.”

“Good work. Do any of them wish to be present for this?”

Garnet’s smile said ‘what do you think’, her wing pointed behind her. Cadance looked over her shoulder. Before she even saw them, she felt them. The two fragments moved through the crystals of her Bastion. The contact sent a shiver along her spine. She was still getting used to all the crystals in the empire being part of her. She pulled her senses back to her immediate surroundings. She did not have time to get distracted by all the ponies touching the crystal structure of her soul again.

A pair of nearly identical crystal pegasi stepped out of the walls. The only difference was their colour. One was a light orange-pink the other a rich red-pink

“Would not miss this for the world.” The light one said, she looked around. “So, anypony remember the cake?”

The redder one tilted her head with an ear cocked at an angle “Cake?”

The first rolled her eyes. “It's going to be her birthday.”

Cadance smiled. It was still so strange to see these fragments. These ponies had been willed into existence and were so alive, so vibrant. She could populate an entire city with ponies from her imagination made real.

“I’m sure Rose Quartz will have thought of that,” Garnet acrobatically flipped from the bed, being unnecessarily dramatic. Her hooves clacked on the floor as the breeze of her motion played over Cadance’s feathers. “Well, I guess I should introduce the twins.” She nodded to the orange-pink one then the red-pink one. “Morganite and Rhodonite”

Both the twins waved. "Hi," Morganite chirped.

Rhodonite nodded respectfully. "Princess."

A polite knock proceeded the door opening. A cart overloaded with cake entered. A mountain of cake, crystal berries and bottles of wine concealed whoever pushed it.

A crystal pony parked it to one side, a warm smile at home on her face. Rose Quartz to Cadance’s eyes was everything a mother should be. Soft features, kind eyes and the most comforting of hugs. She had envisioned her own long passed earth pony mother when she created her. Who better to trust to help raise little Flurry Heart?

“How is she?” Cadance asked.

Rose's face lit up with a fond smile. “She's been terrorising the staff as normal, but I finally got the little monster to settle down for a nap. She still misses both you and your husband.”

Cadance’s good mood flicked and threatened to die.

“I know you are about doing important princess stuff, but you know my hugs are only a substitute for your’s and Shining Armor’s.”

Each second she had spent away from her daughter weighed upon her heart like a year. “As soon as I learn to safely bring him here physically, we will both be visiting at least once a day.”

Garnet snatched up a crystal berry tossing it to the air before catching it in her mouth. "So we're all here, get on with it."

Cadance grinned. Garnet was just how she was made. Adventure-seeking, athletic, supremely confident. The pegasi archer patterned after tails of ancient heroines. Garnet waved her wing, emphasising her desire for things to begin. Perhaps just a touch of Rainbow Dash’s impatience had snuck in with Garnet’s aerial prowesses.

For this, she was not just going to make a will-less defender. Such a thing would be too easy for her Auntie to outsmart. Not to mention, despite the thousand she already had it felt a little wrong to create another pony just to be her slave.

She let her eyes close, envisioning who she wished to create. Like Garnet, they would be somepony who she would be happy to be if she was not herself. She reaffirmed her oath never to make a real fragment that she would not be willing to be.

The image formed. They were tall, like Fleur de Lee, yet wrapped in firm athletically toned muscle like Spitfire. The unicorn mare’s body that she had shaped would look equally perfect on a recruitment poster as a movie advertisement. She had all the pose of a noble beauty and imposing barring professional guard. The crystal armour, sleek, deadly blade and pristine dress uniform completed her.

Next, Cadance let herself see, truly see the mare. Who was she, what did she dream of, how did she speak? Every memory of combat, the hours upon hours of watching Shining and the other guards train from her Canterlot window all poured in. They mixed with something older, centuries of experience donated from her Eternal Guard.

It all became very real. Imaginings became memories. She knew what it was like to have her coat lathered in sweet as the instructors pushed her to her limit. With each breath, they sharpened. The sounds of many hooves impacting the ground in unison only drowned out by barked orders. Burning in her muscles, competed with the mental haze from being driven far past what she thought she could do. The pride of standing at attention in her dress uniform, having made it. She stood with her cohort before the Crystal Heart as the Empress herself reviewed the ranks. Her parents had been so proud of her.

Cadance gathered all her love, care and protectiveness she could. Her drive to guard her family. Her ponies, those she loved and her Shiny most of all.

Her eyes opened, and the mare she envisioned stood before her, every detail perfect. Her new fragment opened her eyes. Another whole sensorium flooded into Cadance’s mind. She was the Princess as she looked into the eyes of the elite Crystalguard. At the same time, she was the consummate soldier as she looked at the Crystal Princess.

"Gleaming Shield, protect him, please.” As soon as the words left the princess’s mouth there was a disconnect. Something lost, yet something more gained. She had but one body again. With only one past, one set of experiences, she was Cadance once more. She smiled at her new sister.

Gleaming Shield blinked. Shook her reserved mane out of her eyes. She swiftly shifted to formal attention, her salute crisp and precise. Cadance admired her work, the pony before her. Just like that, a new life, a new pony. This was who she could have been if she had been born a unicorn and joined the guard.

Who knew all the daydreams her mind fled to when it sought to escape the tedium of some of her princess lessons would prove to be so beneficial.

"Happy birthday!" the Twins shouted.

Garnet held out the cake with a single lit candle in the shape of a zero upon it.

Gleaming Shield smiled, relaxing her stance. "Thank you, sisters."


Cadance strode down the corridor, Shining Armor at her side. He moved unhindered by the heavy crystal plate barding him. A few expressions crossed his face as his ears twitched. He would need lessons on concealing when he was talking to Gleaming Shield.

Despite the situation she kept her body relaxed, she moved with all the regal grace Celestia insisted she master. She was a princess, she was the Empress, it would be most unbecoming for her doubts, her worries to show.

The statue-like visage of the guards could not hide their curiosity from her sense. It radiated off them mixed with a few hints of doubt and worry. She could not blame them. It was not every day a princess of Equestria replaced most of their regalia. Nor was it every day that a different princess melted the roof of the Noble Council chamber.

The different weight and shape of the crystal moved unfamiliarly against her. It helped keep her focused on her goal. Replacing the regalia that her Auntie had gifted her was a powerful statement of her independence. She just wished it did not feel so much like a betrayal. Celestia had taught her so much and had made her the princess she was today. Still, Celestia had left so much out, that neglect had left both her and her sister vulnerable. It had led to so much pain for Twilight. This had to be done.

The engraved crystal had been shaped by the finest craft-ponies in the empire. The only thing she kept from her old set was the shoes. There had been a lot of improvements over a thousand years in the comfort department, and she was not willing to have them nailed on for the same fit modern spells provided.

It had been simplicity itself to bring it and Shining’s new armour to Canterlot. All it had required was to bring it to her bastion and then retrieve it. As the empire was her Bastion, she could summon anything within it with little more than a thought.

She was beginning to understand why Twilight liked her pockets so much. Now all she needed to do was learn to safely bring other ponies there. There would be time for that later. Shinny, Gleaming, are you both ready?

Yes. Was her new fragment’s simple reply.

Shining just nodded, resolve firm in his eyes and gait. The mental connection vanished. Gleaming must have successfully cast the mental ward spell Luna and ensured Cadance learned before allowing this plan. It might not be able to stop her Auntie if she put her whole magical weight behind it, but there was no way she was slipping past it unnoticed.

Just walking this corridor brought back so many memories. The many times she had accompanied the Solar Princess carrying on both a mental and verbal conversation about that day in court. The mental one: the truth or a lesson. The verbal one, an act, nothing but a fabrication for the spies that could be eave dropping.

Cadance braced herself. Turning up with new regalia and with Shining Armor by her side would definitely be a statement. She hardened her resolve and knocked on the Solar study door. "Auntie, we need to talk." Cadance’s voice was calm, collected. She knew why she was here, and she was not going to be pushed around by Celestia, no matter how much older she was.

Celestia’s deep sigh just reached Cadance’s ears. "Please do come in, Niece. My.door is always open to you."

Cadance offered a reassuring smile to Shining Armor then smoothly pushed the door open by hoof. Despite all her training in magic, it still felt more natural to use wing or hoof. Conveniently, it left her horn more receptive to keep an eye out for any of her auntie’s mental tricks.

The first thing to greet her was not words, but the near overpowering scent of Celestia’s calming tea. It hung heavily in the air, it made the breeze from the opening door feel sluggish to her Pegasus senses.

"Cadance, Shining Armor. Please, come in." Celestia’s voice and expression were a perfect imitation of a welcome invitation. Her Auntie's true emotions were irritation, frustration and a swiftly declining blend of guilt and lust.

What did I just interrupt?

She was no weather pony, but it only took a quick flick of her wings as she entered to disperse the vapours to a level Shining would not be affected by them. "Thank you, Auntie." Cadance kept her voice light and pleasant, despite the conflicted storm of feelings churning in her heart. She knew she would not fool her mentor. Celestia had taught her everything she knew about diplomacy and controlling what she presented to others.

The slightest tip of Celestia’s head offered praise for her diplomatic mask. "I take it you're not here to save me from this paperwork. So what can I do to help you two?"

"First thing Auntie, as a ruler of my own nation, I have made the decision to inform my consort of the truths about myself."

The slight tightening of Celestia’s eyes was the only external sign of the anger and disappointment the Princess of the Sun really felt. "Cadance, are you sure that is the wisest course of action?"

“He deserves to know, and in this, it is not your place to meddle.”

Celestia’s eyes hardened. “Have you truly considered all the implications?”

Cadance looked at her, they had done this before. They had taken opposite sides on issues back when Cadance was learning. Just this time it was for real and no mere test. “I have,” she kept her tone firm but civil. “And if you wish my help with dealing with the fallout from today's… incident, then you will not challenge me on this.”

Celestia held Cadance’s gaze for a heartbeat longer than polite. Then Solar Princess, lent back, her hoof rubbing her forehead. She sighed "Why not.” seemed more to herself. “You will, of course, make sure his mind is secure?" Fatigue, a bone-deep weariness lightly touched Celestia’s features. Oh, the signs were small, but after having spent so many years learning to read ponies from her, the subtle shifts practically screamed out to Cadance.

“That is already in hoof Auntie.” Cadance put on her best reassuring smile.

“That is good… may I offer you some tea?”

“Perhaps something a little weaker?”

Shining’s puzzled look was still cute, even after all these years. “It's an Alicorn strength calming elixir,” Celestia explained.

“In other words, it might put me in a coma or kill me.”

Cadance nodded gravely. “Yes.”

“It's not ‘that’ potent.” Celestia’s horn lit with the faintest trace of magic and a slip of paper vanished. “Your refreshments shall be here soon.” She refilled her own teacup with boiling liquid and drained it, savouring the still scalding beverage.

“Does that not hurt?” Shining asked his voice full of concern for his former ruler.

A warm laugh escaped Celestia’s mouth before it faded into a sigh. “I am the Alicorn of the Sun. No heat you will find on Equis will ever bother me. It is nice to drink something that is not as if ice to me.”

Shining Armor calmed, his voice taking on his professional guard tone. “Before we move on to what to do today, Princess. I need to know about the wedding.”

“Cadance being replaced or me being bested by Chrysalis?”

“Both.”

Celestia glanced at Cadance. How much do you wish him to know Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?

The thousand Eternal Guards stood ready in her Bastion. Their zealous protectiveness lent Cadance the strength she needed to continue undaunted. Even though he is not an Alicorn, he is my equal. Cadance put as much firmness in her mental voice as she could. The full power of the Crystal Heart, of her ponies pulsed within her chest. You will treat him as such.

Celestia's flinch took Cadance by surprise. As did the flash of literally burning hate in her mentor’s eyes. The three Heartlines stitching between Celestia and her were divergent. One flared with bright outrage before rapidly cooling to sorrow and guilt. The second danced with sparking amusement and admiration. The last held simple, calm indifference.

Celestia’s expression returned to its calm mask. She lowered her head fractionally, the almost imperceptible motion yielding the point. Candace’s eyes widened, Celestia never yielded, she might admit Cadance has done something right or had a good idea, but never a show of submission like that.

A hint of a forlorn smile flickered across Celestia’s muzzle as she turned her full attention to Shining Armor. “I detected Chrysalis and decided to use the incident to test Twilight and the Royal guard.”

“And her defeating you?” Shining asked, but Cadance could feel that was not the question burning in his heart, demanding to be spoken.

“I had the power to defeat her, but not the control to do so and leave Canterlot intact.”

Shining hesitated for a moment. “What exactly do you mean?”

“Destroying a city is a far simpler task for me than lifting this teacup.” As if making a point Celestia raised it in her aura. “To me, the world is made of paper and our ponies eggshells at best. I have to be so careful in every moment. Every gesture, every use of magic could kill if I simply lose focus.” A dark chuckle shook her chest. “And if I lost control, it would make Twilight ‘little’ outburst seem like a candle compared to the sun.”

Shining’s eyes widened.

Celestia loomed over the desk, her sheer size framed by her mantled wings. “Do you know why Equestria is never invaded? Do you know why we had a thousand years of peace?”

“Because of your wise rule?” Shining answered, an edge of hope in his voice.

Something truly ancient looked out from Celestia's violet eyes “That and the last nation to truly wage war on us I destroyed, personally.” The sound of Celestia pouring herself another cup was the only sound for a long moment.

“If Alicorns are that powerful? Then why do you even need Guards.”

“Three reasons,” Celestia started counting them off on raised feathers. “We can’t be everywhere at once. The amount of collateral damage we might cause. And to conserve our power for when it is truly needed.”

Shining stiffened and looked into Cadance’s eyes.

“No Shiny, I'm not that bad.” She placed a wing over her husband. “I'm stronger than any earth pony, but I can't walk through walls accidentally or destroy nations.”

Cadance nuzzled Shining then looked to Celestia. “Why is none of this in the history books, Auntie?”

“It is for the best if our ponies do not know.”

“Why?” Shining asked.

“I wish our recorded history to inspire them to be better, to live peaceful, happy lives.” Celestia closed her eyes. “They could not do that if they knew what I knew, if they had seen what I have seen.” Dark knots of troubled memories infected Celestia’s heartlines.

"Surely the truth..." Shining started.

Celestia held up a silencing hoof. "I will admit some of our ponies may be strong enough to cope with the truth.” She carefully added too many spoons of sugar to her tea. She slowly stirred it, keeping her eyes on the liquid’s surface. “If you can survive a week of my sister's harshest dream training, you might be one of them."

Cadance felt her eyes narrow. "Auntie, there is no need for that." She forced a smile on to her face "We are on the same side."

Celestia looked up. "I merely stated a fact. There are things out there that even the sight of will drive our ponies mad."

You have been through so much Auntie. Cadance thought to herself.

You can say that again. Garnet unhelpfully added.

“Shiny can I have a word with Celestia alone? It won't be long.” A hint of betrayal danced along his heartline if only for an instant. It hurt to see it, even as his love for her defeated it. “You already know everything I am going to tell her, she deserves her privacy.”

Shining Armor bowed “Princess,” He said as he took his leave.

Celesta's eyes tacked him as he left, her eyes slowly returned to Cadance's own. “Please, proceed.”

“Auntie, there something I need to tell you about Twilight.” Cadance took a long breath. “She remembers. She remembers in a very visceral way what you did to create her.”

“What do you mean?” Celesta's tone was calm, collected, and at ease. It was everything her emotions were not.

Cadance closed her eyes as she drove away their remembered anger. The images her Sister’s rage had seared into her mind still burnt bright. She pressed her hoof to her chest. The coolness of the metal uneven due to the dents in it. The imperfections caused when she tried to smash her husband. She concentrated on the sensations as her lungs expanded, taking in a deep breath. She visualised all her hate, anger, everything negative and let it settle in that breath.

She pushed her breath out, her hoof extending out as if throwing something away. Cadance’s eyes opened, fixing on Celestia’s through the fading red haze of her expelled malice. “She remembers you killing her sisters,” Cadance stated with perfect serenity. “She remembers you wielding a flaming sword, executing them one by one, collecting parts. The ones you used to craft your Faithful Student from.”

Celestia’s eyes dimmed, and her chest stilled. It was as if she had become a statue. “That is not what happened.”

“Perhaps not, Auntie,” Cadance said. Celestia’s heartline had a spike of regret but no guilt, so she was being honest. Cadance softened her voice. She dropped all the lessons Celestia had driven into her and let all her care and concern show. “But that is what she subjectively experienced. That's what the part of her that remains form the original Twilight remembers seeing you do.”

Cadance had never seen Celestia lost for words for more than an instant. As the minutes started to roll by, she began to worry. Her auntie’s emotions spiralled, tipping one way then the next. Cadance slipped from her seat and trotted around the table. As she drew closer, she felt the second heartline changing, patience anticipation, awareness and humour. One of her Auntie’s fragments was paying attention at least. She lay a comforting wing around the larger Alicorn.

The Solar Princess snapped back to reality and took a deep breath. “It appears that the quality of my work was somewhat lacking when I remade Twilight.”

“Auntie Celestia, this is not about you,” Cadance tenderly scolded. “This is about Twilight and how we are going to help her.”

“Normally…”

Cadance tightened the embrace “Neither Twilight, nor I, will let you influence her mind again.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed dangerously before a proud smile formed on her lips. “So tell me, Niece, what am I to do? You clearly have a plan.”

Cadance tipped her head, admitting the point. “Do you fully appreciate what she is putting aside to trust you again?”

Her Auntie’s expression softened, and she nodded. “I am, I have always been aware of how remarkable Twilight is.”

“The first and most important thing is to do nothing to anger her.”

Celestia nodded.

“The next is if she is angered don't draw her attention to you. That part of her that hates you is very narrowly focused with almost no attention span.”

“Should I have let her kill today?” Celestia asked, her calm voice bearing no hint of her hurt or outrage. It was as if she was simply asking for critique nothing more, nothing less. Her mentor was trying to bury her emotions again.

"No." She shook her head. "You did the right thing defending your ponies, Even if it cost you some points with Twilight in the short term, she will come around."

A little more warmth crept back into Celestia’s expression. "Thank you, after today you don't know how reassuring that is to hear."

The next point would be harder to bring up. So Cadance attacked it from a tangent. “I have an understanding at least about the scope of your mental powers, Auntie.”

“You're wondering why I let things go that far?”

Cadance nodded.

“I was hoping Twilight would put them in their place.”

A single raised eyebrow just like Luna would use was all it took to get Celestia to continue.

“I… miscalculated,” Celestia grimaced. “I expected Twilight to use words and reason. Her mind is more capable than any dozen nobles combined.”

“You truly did not expect this?”

“I should have.” Celestia sighed, her hoof withdrawing a long ornate pipe from her desk. Her magic started packing herbs and powders in it with time-honed, but rusty skill.

Cadance watched in fascination as endangered and restricted things were gathered, precisely measured and combined. “Auntie, what are you making?”

Celestia paused for only a moment. “Merely a past luxury, one that I am very much in need of right now.”

Cadance’s aura moved the pipe towards her. “ Auntie I'm not letting you drug yourself into a stupor.”

Celestia sighed. “This is a common supplement to aid control and focus. It calms both the mind and one's magic. I don't follow the original recipe. I fail to add the stronger narcotics to it. Though I will admit, today, I would be tempted to return to an old vice…”

"You?" After all of Celestia’s lessons and firm words about avoiding such things. To see her actually seeking narcotics out was unsettling.

"Everypony was, there were hundreds of varieties for different moods and preferences. There was a whole family of earthen, sorry, earth ponies dedicated to growing the main ingredients."

Celestia's eyes trailed over the sleek lines of the pipe. "You could tell a lot about a pony from their pipe. How they cared for it and what they smoked." The Solar Princess looked up. "And then there were the performers. True artists that shaped the smoke." Nostalgia seeped into Celestia's emotions. Her eyes seemed to look through Cadance as if she was not there.

"Auntie?"

"Do you know the last time I used this?"

“No.”

“It was the day I sent Twilight away. The day either my sister was to be saved, or I was going to have to kill her.”

“I know how you feel about Twilight.”

“You're wondering how I could send her into danger like that?”

Cadance nodded.

“It was what needed to happen for the optimal... result.”

“Optimal?”

“My sister returned to help keep the forces of darkness under control. Twilight starting her journey towards ascension.”

Celestia’s aura reclaimed her pipe, trivially overpowering Cadance’s own. "Now you are going to let me smoke this, and then we are going to have a little conversation about your Shining Armor."

A tiny incandescent spark seared into Cadance’s vision. She was grateful her eyes would recover quickly. With Shining gone, it seemed Celestia was barely putting the effort in to control her power. That or her Auntie was more unsettled than Cadance thought.

An acrid yet somehow floral scent tickled Cadance’s nose. It was alluring and appalling in equal measure. A few blinks and the world came back into view. Pipe smoke lazily wound its way towards the ceiling in long coils.

Celestia's eyes gleamed with intent. Her intellect shone through them with diamond-like clarity. An unnervingly calm smile graced her face. "We both know I can no longer alter your mind to my whims. Therefore you have left me with two options. Force…" Celestia casualty relaxed the control on her magic. The enormous weight of her power pressed down in the room. Parchment smoked and smouldered. Hot air pressed like a lead weight on Cadance’s lungs. "Or reason.” Celestia smiled as she restrained her power.

Garnet’s restraint was the only reason the room was not full of her Eternal Guards. Candace levelled her best-unimpressed glare. "Auntie, why did you do that ?"

“To make a point. I have listened to you and against my better judgement, I will allow you to share everything with your husband.” Celestia's tone was the goddess decreeing to the world what was going to happen.

"Thank you."

"I truly hope it brings both of you more happiness than pain."

Cadance smiled warmly.

“That being said, I have conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“Yes the information he already knows, let alone what you intended to tell him, can not be allowed in the hooves of others.”

“What are these conditions?”

Shining Armor is only leaving here with the truth if you make him your chosen. In addition, he is to be pact sworn to both of us not to reveal it to any other than an Alicorn that has passed their trial.

Cadance smiled, the start of her first lesson with Night coming to mind. "That seems more than reasonable, Auntie."

Celestia drew deeply from her pipe "Did Luna put you up to this? It has the hallmarks of her work."

"No. I just no longer wished to have to deceive my husband." Cadance fluttered her wings, driving the cloying fumes away. "What happened today merely brought things to a tipping point."

Celestia's smile was perfect. The only thing that spoke of her doubts were the subtle twisting of her heart lines. Those little sparks of colour only Cadance could see.

"You think Luna manipulated me into this?"

“It's a strong possibility.”

“Celestia. Auntie. If anypony caused this, it was you.”

Those intense eyes bore into Cadance’s soul even as Celestia’s words sounded so sweet. "How so, my Niece?”

Cadance focused on the heart lines. Not only were they more honest, viewing the world primarily through her domain meant, she did not have to see the gleam in those eyes.

"Learning what was done to Twilight started this. The fact you deliberately kept me defenceless. Hampered both mine and my sister's growth." Cadance forced her expression to show only steely determination. "Did you think I would blindly trust you after that Auntie?"

Celestia sighed, exhaling a long plume of smoke. "You know my reasons.''

Cadance nodded “I do.”

"I don't expect you to agree, but I truly had the best of intentions."

"I can see that, but I can no longer simply trust your choices are right automatically."

“Regrettable, but understandable. In private such doubts can be constructive. Though you are still the younger Alicorn. I will not have you defying me in public."

“Is that a threat, Auntie?”

“No. Merely politics.”

“There would be no point anyway. You would just alter the memory of any who witnessed such an incident.”

Celestia gracefully tilted her head. "You learn well, my Niece."

“So what was your plan for myself and Twilight?”

“You are exactly where I intended you to be. Managing the Crystal Empire for me.”

That's our Bastion, she has no claim on it. Garnet snarled.

Cadance agreed, but concealed her annoyance. “And Twilight?”

“Yes. The remarkable Twilight. Eventually, I would have let her have my throne.”

“You're going to...”

“No longer. She has proven too unstable. Too violent… too much like Luna.”

“So, now?”

“She can be the adventuring one. Travelling and solving problems Equestria may have.”

“Like she has been doing for years.”

Celestia nodded.

A flash of colour outside hijacked her train of thought. Cadance’s eyes lifted to the window.

Celestia’s eyes followed her own. “Cloudsdale made another mistake, the third this…” Another bust of colours silenced the Solar Princess.

The expanding rings from a Sonic Rainboom contrasted beautifully against the dark clouds. As she watched a new shock wave from a second Sonic Rainboom appeared. Then a third, the cloud of prismatic shockwaves crashed into the dark cloud bank simultaneously. Perhaps Rainbow Dash was just practising a new routine.

Instead of breaking up the cloud bank, it was only driven back. As it was forced towards the Everfree, two tears of red ripped their way through it. The clouds twisted, becoming a perverted mockery of a face.

Celestia stood and calmly approached the window, her golden aura already opening them “That’s no ordinary cloud… Cadance, gather Shining Armor and all the guard officers you can find in the war room.” The Solar Princess did not wait for a reply and lept more than flew to Luna's balcony.

Bolts of black cored lightning leapt from the clouds seeking the Wonderbolt. They bubbled with the tainted purple and toxic green of the foulest magics. Cadance watched just long enough to see Rainbow Dash evade the first barrage before she teleported out.


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