Destiny's Calling

by Crimson_Moon

An Ivory Jail Cell

Canterlot, the seat of an empire...

Or, at least, it had the political power of one. Celestia did much in her time as ruler to make sure of that. Every creature known to Equestria had an embassador, every city a representative of their province. It was a golden era of peace and prosperity. Currently, it had a different ruler at the head of it all, and she was peering out towards the horizon on the balcony in her private chambers.

"Peace..." The mare scoffed. "Is it really peace, or just a cease-fire?" Turning, she went back into the bedroom to prepare for the next court session. On the way, she glanced into the full body mirror laying in the corner. Twilight Sparkle had grown, becoming the same height as her predecessor. Truly, she became an Alicorn fit to rule...

Or so she thought. Once in office, she admitted a few laws and regulations regarding the new magic now leaking into this world- specifically, it regarded the one thing that still drives her subjects to ridicule and shun her rule- the one involving Witchers, and unfortunately, it now included her friend. Her reflection in the mirror showed an Alicorn, yes, but the stress and constant ridicule from her peers had given it baggy eyes, a frayed and greying mane, as well as wrinkles all along her face. "To think I became this all because of a choice I made a decade ago..." She sighed, casting a spell on herself to straighten out her appearance as well as disguise the obvious signs of stress.

After she was done, Twilight looked like her younger, happier self. It disgusted her. She couldn't even have her own body, that was how trapped she had become. "Imprisoned in Ivory Towers." The mare scoffed. "A fitting punishment for my crime. Jailed by the one thing I was so excited becoming." She sighed. Suddenly a guard knocked on her chamber doors, signalling her recess was up. Her work in the prison yard began...

---

"So, that is the situation your highness." Captain Blueblood of the Royal Guard explained, recapping the events that happened in Ponyville.

Twilight stood silent. A Nightmare? Breaching the barrier of dreams? It seemed impossible, yet...

"And Geralt defeated it?" She questioned.

Blueblood fell silent. He hesitated giving the right answer, knowing it might cause an adverse reaction to his charge. However, he knew what she did. The whole of Equestria did after her coronation, and it disgusted him. "No." He spoke with authority. "He didn't."

"Well then we need to contact the Council of Friendship. Find out if we can still call on the Elements of Harmony, even if we're short one." The mare got up from her throne, gesturing for her assistant to come closer. "Take a message to Ponyville. Tell them the Elements are-"

"It was Fluttershy that destroyed the beast." A lie, but Blueblood didn't care. He just wanted to see her reaction, if anything then for her wife's sake. Rarity was never the same after she left, and remains that way even moreso after her... Affliction. The look she had upon her muzzle made it all worth it. Her Royal Highness looked like she had seen a ghost.

"...Fluttershy." Her spell shattered slightly, revealing the worn out eyes and wrinkled skin, save for a moment. Quickly, the mare recast it and regained her composure. She cleared her throat. "That is... Surprising to hear. I-is she alright?"

Blueblood nodded. "It seems her time in the mountains had hardened her enough to make even an Ursa Minor seem like a kitten to her." He lied some more. It was true she had been altered drastically, but he didn't need to give specifics unless ordered to, and he was always in the mood to cause some slight damage to his charge's composure whenever he could. "Geralt had trained her well in the ways of her species-" He stopped, knowing certain boundaries were never meant to be broken. Clearing his throat, the stallion continued. "Apologies your highness, I meant to say-" Suddenly, he was interrupted.

"Thank you, Blueblood for your report. You are dismissed." Without even blinking, Twilight teleported away, leaving the stallion to sit in the throne room in silence.

"Good job Blueblood." He sighed, talking to nopony in particular. "Crossed yet another line, didn't we?" Walking away, Blueblood charged his horn and teleported to the Gardens, where he knew Twilight would be. It's where she always went when contemplating that incident more than a decade ago...

---

"A decade..." Twilight looked at the roses as she walked, a set of yellow and pink ones lining the stone pathway running through the Royal Canterlot Gardens. "A decade of not seeing you, and you come back..." Tears began to well up in her eyes as she walked to the statue in the center of the gardens. "And you come back a Witcher through and through!" She bawled at its base, the kind smile of the Pegasus it depicted shining down at her.

Blueblood teleported to the statue, but after seeing the Princess in the state she was in, quietly stood watch and listened. Not out of spite this time, but sympathy. It began to rain, but it didn't matter- he knew she needed to let this out.

"I-I know it was my fault that this happened. T-thats why I announced what I had done when I was first coronated." She looked back up at the memoir of her friend, tears streaming down her face, the statue mimicking her with the first droplets of rain. "I-I thought if I confessed my sin to everypony, it would somehow bring you back." She sighed. "I was a foolish young mare, I didn't think about any of it! I just wanted my friend back. I would do anything..."

Blueblood thought now would be a good time to intervene. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "My liege," he approached slowly, waiting for Twilight to wipe away her tears and become presentable. "It is raining. We need to get you inside."

"... Thank you, Blueblood." She turned and followed him back inside, leading her to a place she had seldom chance to visit:

The Royal Archives of Canterlot, or better known to the ponies living within the palace as-

"The Library?" Twilight spoke. "But why are we heading here? Court is over, Blueblood. I belong in my chambers until the next session."

"I had your assistant cancel them." He exclaimed.

"Blueblood, you can't do that! That's-"

"Well within my right to do so as Captain of the Guard." He interrupted. "Any guard noticing his or her charge experiencing extreme emotional or physical strain will be allowed Absolute Law to cease any and all various Political duties until such a time as their charge is deemed, in their eyes-"

"Healthy enough to rule again." She smiled, finishing. "Thank you, Blueblood. I know it was hard for you to hear what I did all those years ago. I do not deserve you as a friend."

"Me?! A friend?" He feigned insult. "I dread to think of my wife's friend seeing me as one!" He chuckled. "I am... Sorry about my remarks earlier. Your decisions still have weight to them, even today."

Twilight smiled softly. "Thank you, all the same." Levitating over a stack of books, she began reading one of the many volumes she never had a chance to in this Ivory Prison she had created...

Author's Note:

So kind of a sad chapter this time, but I hope it was a good one!

Fluttershy is definitely gonna confront Twilight soon here, so keep an eye out for another chapter ;)

Let me know what you think down below.

EDIT 6/9/20: Changed some lines to maintain character.

Comments

[Failsafe99]

And we see the choice of the condemned. Twilight is imprisoned to her choices. Yet she knew it would come. I still stand by my agreement of what she did, in choosing to save Fluttershy, and then sacrifice herself in order to keep Fluttershy safe.

[diablo4000]

I thought Celestia would become a problem or will she in the future?

[Crimson_Moon]

10082481
she definitely will be, but for right now, we can just pretend she's kicking back sipping on a margarita on some beach somewhere instead of plotting something ;)

[Alot Master]

I thought Blueblood hated Twilight? And so did Rarity? Why did you bother with the whole Rarity hating Twilight bit a couple chapters ago of they're apparently perfectly amicable?