Tartarus Forged Friendship

by Mystic Sunrise

Reunions And a New Twilight

Luna was frozen in shock for a moment while Peumbra looked at her with an icey expression. Everyone else watched in some confusion as to what was going on. All but Princess Celestia and Cadance that is.

They alone knew what had gone one between these two. Of them, Cadance was the most worried.

She remembered well the feeling she gotten talking to Penumbra some months ago about this very topic. But that had been nothing compared to now.

Of course, seeing her in the flesh on her return to the surface was a shock, but after hearing how she had been able to crash the wedding's attempted hijacking, she was glad she was here.

Shining stood next to her. The mind control spell had been easy to break since Chrysalis was no longer a threat. Even now the Royal Guard was sweeping Canterlot looking for other infiltrators. With a spell Penumbra had provided to find and decloak them.

Cadance would be ripping Shining a new one later on how he had treated Twilight, and how he had taken the coward's way out of never telling her they were getting married. She had been telling him for months that he should.

But for all that, she still loved him. And for that matter, she would be ripping Twilight's friends and Aunt Celestia for the very same level of stupid they had shown in the last few days.

For the moment though, the girls and Spike stood next to them. All of them were uneasy, and Cadance couldn't blame them. Even though Penumbra's Aura had been toned down, it was impossible not to be afraid in her presence.

Right now, they were giving Luna and Penumbra odd looks. "Is there something we're missing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Cadance sighed. "Aunt Luna and Penmubra know each other. But the last time they met, they didn't exactly leave on the best terms."

"I feel there's more to it than that," Rarity added.

Cadance nodded. "They were lovers once. From what she's told me, Penumbra saw it as the best thing to ever happen to her. I can only guess Aunt Luna feels the same."

"But?" Pinkie prompted.

Cadance sighed. "Then Nightmare Moon happened. Luna tried to convince Penumbra to join her. She refused. Her love for her died in that moment."

"And Princess Luna?" Fluttershy asked. As afraid as she was at what had happened and was still going on, she still felt for them. For all her outward scariness, Penumbra still had a good heart. That much she knew.

Cadance shook her head. "There is still something there, I can feel it. But the feeling isn't returned."

"So does that explain what the hay happened to Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"What does it even mean?" Spike added.

Cadance looked at Penumbra's cutie mark. "I have no idea. This is something I've never been told about, and I feel like I should've been."

***

Luna for her part heard none of this. Her mind was stuck between flight and facing down what she had been avoiding for so long.

In the end, she opted for running. But before she could even begin to move toward the door or possibly teleport out, she felt an Anti-Teleport Field slam down around the room and the doors lock with a tinge of Solar Magic.

She glared at her sister, who glared right back. "No Luna. You've been avoidning this for far to long. We are not leaving until the two of you work this out." Her gaze softened. "You owe Penumbra that much if nothing else."

Luna wanted to argue that, but she didn't. Maybe it was a wish to stop running from this, maybe it was a hope the two of them could be what they once were, she didn't know.

Swallowing her pride, and making a mental note to get back at Celestia later for putting her on the spot like this, Luna nodded and approached Penumbra.

***

Penumbra for her part watched Luna approach with something close to anger, but not enough to lash out at her. Call it something she had inherited from Twilight.

Speaking of whom, she wondered how they were still like this. The connection should have run out by now and Twilight returned to herself while she returned to Tartarus. In time it would recharge and they could do this again.

But it hadn't. Not that either of them was complaining of course. But there was something else going on. For a brief moment, she thought she heard the faint echo of laughter, as if from a vast distance.

And why did it sound like she had heard it before?

Penumbra quickly dismissed the thought as her mind returned to the task at hoof.

***

Luna gulped as she came to a stop. "Hello Penny."

Penumbra almost gave in at the use of her old petname, but she stayed the course. "Hello Luna. I must say this is going better than the last time we met. Then again, you were so full of yourself then."

Luna glared at her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Penumbra glared right back. "What do you think? You came to me, not as I had known and loved you, but petulant and so convinced you were right and everypony else was just to stupid to see it."

Her wings flared as she stood up. "A petulant filly throwing a temper tantrum because she wasn't getting as much love as her sister. A sister she was too lazy to try and talk to to try and change things!" Her gaze dropped. "Did you really expect me to side with you? I loved you Luna. But I could see as clear as day the monster you were becoming."

Her gaze rose once more. "I have said this to Celestia, and now I say it to you. You were lucky that you were defeated as you were, because you would not have liked the alternative."

Luna glared back defiantly. "And what would have been the alternative?"

"On the very small chance you had killed Celestia, your victory wouldn't have lasted. The Elements of Harmony would never side with you, and I would have risen. You would not have won that fight," Penumbra replied.

Now Luna was confused. "Why is that?"

Penumbra looked around the room at the others, who had been listening intently this whole time. "You have never seen me at my full power, when I have thrown off all restraint."

"The night would have been my help," Luna tried, but she knew it sounded hollow.

Penumbra snorted as she shook her head. "I am the darkness! What would you have done then when every shadow is mine to command if I wished? No Luna. Count yourself lucky you got what you did and deserved."

She walked closer to her. "I will always cherish what we had Luuwa, but we will never be what we once were." She softened her tone a bit. "We can still be friends. But it will be a long time before I fully trust you again."

That last bit bit harder than anything else for Luna as she let heard hang low, but there was nothing more she could for it. It was only then that she saw the mark on Penumbra's flank. "Then I hope that Twilight Sparkle takes better care of you than I did."

Penumbra felt Twilight gawk, blush, and sputter all at the same time in her mind. She held back a giggle but smiled all the same. "I don't think we have to worry about that."

Luna nodded, but finally gave voice to something that had been bothering her. "How are you still here? Should the connection not have run out by now?"

Penumbra nodded. "It should have. But something is keeping it going." Her body though began to tingle. "Though I think it won't last much longer now."

Cadance walked up to them. "Is it Twilight?"

Penumbra shook her head. "I do not think she minds. She's helped me so much, I am not going to spit on that trust now."

Rainbow Dash finally threw her hooves into the air in exasperation. "Can somepony please explain what the hay is going on?!"

Celestia, Luna, and Penumbra shared a bemused look. "Do you think we should tell them?" Celestia asked.

"They're going to find out anyway," Penumbra grunted as the tingle in her body grew. Even as she felt that, she felt Twilight begin to resurface. "More than likely in the next few minutes. My time is up."

This was more annoying than she had thought as Penumbra felt Twilight push herself to the front. It was a thought Twilight shared as well.

Before anyone could say more, Penumbra's body was engulfed in a black light. In the center, the group watched her form shrink back down into one they all knew and loved.

But something was different about her as the light began to fade. Something that shocked them all as Twilight finally emerged from the lightshow. Her mane and tail now resembled Penumbra's own, her cutie mark's colors had changed as fuschia became crimson and white became black. When she opened her eyes there was another shock as they had become draconic.

Twilight blinked a few times as she readjusted to being herself again. "Wow. What a rush," she said before noticing the looks everyone was giving her. "What?"

"Uh Twi?" Applejack said as she pointed at Twilight's back. When she looked back, she was shocked at what she saw. A paor of wings now lay folded at her sides.

She flapped them experimentaly a few times. They worked as easy as magic, maybe even more so. "Well. These are new," she said absently as she looked at Princess Celestia. "Is this normal?"

Celestia shook her head. "I am not sure. No one has ever done what you and Penumbra have Twilight. It might also have to do with the fact that you were not an alicorn to begin with." She raised an eyebrow. "I have to wonder why you did though?"

Twilight didn't back down. "I just couldn't leave her down there to rot away eternity princess. This was my choice. I'll face whatever comes with it."

Celestia was taken aback. Twilight had never used that tone with her before. A part of her was proud that Twilight, but another worried about what it could mean.

Even though she had departed and Twilight was herself again, Celestia could still feel Penumbra's influence on Twilight. It was partly why she had become an alicorn. But there was something else, something she recognized. The Element of Magic had aided in her transformation as well.

She shook her head. That was for later. "I am not mad Twilight," Celestia said as she put on her best smile. "And I would be lieing if I didn't say that I am proud of you for doing this."

Twilight blushed. Praise of any kind from her mentlr was something she always enjoyed, even if the circumstances could have been better. "As for your question Rainbow. Well I guess you could say that Penumbra and I are soulmates now," she explained.

"You mean like in a romantic way?" Shining asked.

Twilight chuckled. "No, not like that." She blushed. "Though I did kiss Penumbra to form the Soul Bond."

Luna huffed, miffed that somepony else had kissed Penny besides her. Fluttershy though was still confused. "What's a Soul Bond?"

"It is a special bond only an alicorn can form with someone," Celestia explained. "The other being does not need to be an alicorn themselves for the bond to form. In essence they become two souls sharing the same life force. You've seen the maine effects of that."

"And the kiss?" Spike asked. He was still worried about Twilight, no matter that she seemed fine now.

Luna sighed. "Unknown. No alicorn as far as we know has ever done this before. So we cannot say for sure. That Twilight and Penumbra have formed one says it is a way to form one. There may be more we do not know of."

Twilight nodded. "It was the first idea that came to mind when I made up my mind to do this. It felt right at the time." She looked at herself and gulped. "Does this mean I'm a princess now? I don't think I'm ready for that."

Celestia chuckled. "Not unless you want to be Twilight. Yes you are an alicorn now, and all that comes with that."

Cadance stepped over and pulled Twilight into a hug. "But you can do what I did for so long."

"And what's that?" Twilight asked.

Cadance smiled. "Be a princess in name, but don't take on any responsibilities. I was a princess for years after I got my horn before I did anything royal. Remember how I was your foalsitter?"

Twilight nodded. How could she forget all the good times they'd had together?

"Well, that was because I tried to have as normal a fillyhood as I could. Aunt Celestia was more than happy to let me." She chuckled. "I did all the things mares my age did."

Twilight snickered. "Even the coltbands?"

Cadance nodded proudly. "Especially the coltbands."

Celestia giggled as well. "I can't count the number of times I had to yell at you to turn those down."

Cadance just stuck her tongue out at her. "You just never appreciated my great taste in music auntie."

Everyone chuckled at that, even Cadance did after a moment. But there was something else on her mind at the same time.

It had only come to light after Penumbra had departed. There was something else there between her and Twilight. Something she didn't think either of them knew of yet.

And it made her smile even more.

Author's Note:

And that, ladies and germs, marks the end of the first arc. Up next is a couple of filler chapters before we move on to the Crystal Empire and one last new character.

I do want to thank Eclipse Guardian for pointing out somethings that I missed in earlier chapters that needed to be explained. So I did. I didn't even think about them until they were pointed out.

One thing I do take pride in is how the aftermath of the wedding will be handled. I've seen stories bog down when they get to that part. Not here. It's not worth the time and space in the story.

Cadance's chewing out of everyone for their gross stupidity for at least not giving Twilight the benefit of the doubt will not be shown. Just Twilight's reaction to it. It might surprise you what it is.

Comments

[ILikeFanfiction1234]

well my questions was answered and i like that it was both the bond and the element of magic assisting in the transformation and not just the bond. I am excited to see whats going to happen with twilight and penumbra and i wonder if they will be able to communicate with each other telepathically with each other because that would be very interesting.

[TheYear2525]

"I am the darkness!" yess, well, you see "penumbra" is only half darkness. Umbra would be darkness. So I can't take that statement serious.

[Mystic Sunrise]

9929757
That mustache I can't take serious either. But it's more along what one of her domains is. Penumbra rules as much over the dark and everything that goes bump in it as she does Tartarus.

Luna only governs the moon.

[Nova_Wings]

Let us pray Rarity never finds out the connection Cadence did, she will never stop gushing over the two of them.
I really like how you've taken the canon timeline and steered it in your own direction, I look forward to seeing what happens next

[OP Omni God-Emperor Doom]

Luna huffed, miffed that somepony else had kissed Penny besides her. Fluttershy though was still confused. "What's a Soul Bond?"

Really Luna? It's your FAULT that your love relationship is broken in the first place, you idiot!

[DarkSnowGaming]

Cadance's chewing out of everyone for their gross stupidity for at least not giving Twilight the benefit of the doubt will not be shown. Just Twilight's reaction to it. It might surprise you what it is.

Well this will be interesting, and probably exciting.

Also I love Twilight's new look.

I'm guessing she looks like this?
https://www.deviantart.com/arkwing/art/Twilight-Sparkle-1st-Penumbra-Form-537079570

Although the cutie mark is a little different then what it was described, it's not crimson.