One More Try...
Two guards stood in Harmony tower during a late shift. It had only been an hour since the guards began guarding the tower. Taking over for day shift. One of them let out a long yawn as they tried to stay alert in front of the special door guarding the Elements of Harmony. The Guard gave a long look to the Moon as it rose higher into the sky as the night progressed.
"Did...Did you hear what they found in Ponyville today?" The other guard hesitantly spoke up. The guard nodded as a worried expression fall upon his face. "About...Well...About those Elements of Harmony ponies?"
"Yeah...All six of them are dead. What do you think the Princesses will do now?" The Guard replied. Shifting in his standing position to find a more comfortable way to stand for the next five hours.
"Three weeks ago I would have told you, they will figure something out. They are the princesses but recently...Recently I am not so sure of that." The other guard admitted. Looking to the floor in embarrassment. The Guard perked up with new energy.
"So you noticed it too right? They are acting weird! Princess Celestia especially!"
"How could I not notice it? Her mane is suddenly short and her horn! What could have happened to her horn to make it red like that?"
"What about that weird small curve to it? I had to do a double-take! Princess Luna noticed and hasn't stopped glaring at me yet!"
"Princess Luna has been more...Moody than usual."
"When is she not moody? She makes life interesting when she starts yelling at diplomats about being too boring."
"She hasn't done that since...Well...Since...What was her name...Pinkie...Pie...Since Pinkie Pie died."
"I can't blame her. I heard Pinkie threw the best parties in Equestria. Ponyville was the unofficial party central for a while because of her. I wish I went to one."
"Same." A long moment of silence passed over them. Several minutes before either of them spoke again.
"Why do you think they died the time they did?" The Guard suddenly spoke up. Unable to keep his curiosity down any longer the more he considered that sad tragedy of the Elements of Harmony. The other guard looked over to him with a questioning look.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well...Think about. Those Conspiracy theories said the reason they all died is because-" The Guard purposely ignored the long groan the other guard gave out with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "The Elements of Harmony killed them. The magic that kept them together left them so they went mad and died. But the dragon died second, between the rest of them. He wasn't an element. And they all started to die about a month after Twilight died. What if they were murdered?"
"What if they were murdered? I went to one of the crime scenes, the Sonic Rainboom one. Believe me, Rainbow Dash did that to herself."
"What about-"
"Did you ever consider they just died because they wanted to?"
"Why would they want to die?"
"Their best friend was murdered and they had to hear ponies going on and on about it because of what a national tragedy it was, how it showed the corruption of the government, how it showed the Cloudsdale Weather Factory wasn't anywhere near as brilliant as the pegasi want us to believe. Do I need to keep going?"
"I get it. I get it. But they had families, businesses, I just doubt they would have given that all up for...Well...Because of one death? They still had each other."
"Think of it as a chain reaction."
The Guard frowned but his ears perked up at the distant sounds of hoofsteps. The other guard heard it as well. They both perked up, standing as straight as they could when yellow magic held a firm grasp on one of the large double doors into Harmony Tower.
The door swung open. Moonlight shining in through the stained glass windows, combined with the yellow magic shinning from the Alicorn walking in, showed them it was the Sun Princess. The Sun Princess had been looking more broken as of late. So it wasn't a surprise for them to see black circles under her eyes as she moved down the hall towards them.
The Guards tried not to react as she passed them. She barely noticed them as she focused on the special door they were guarding holding the Elements. The other guard finally spoke up. As if he was going to make a difference in how the scene would play out.
"Princess Celestia? Can we help you with a-anything?"
Celestia paused as she stared at the door.
"No. No...You two take the night off."
"P-Pardon?" The Guard stammered as he tried to process what she said. "Take the night off?"
"Correct." Celestia snapped back with a hint of annoyance. Not bother to look at either of them.
"But Princess, there is no one to replace us and we need to protect the Elements even if there is no danger present."
"I know. But...Just...I am ordering you to leave." She gave a sad sigh as she pressed her hoof against the door, sliding it down slowly. "Don't disobey the crown."
The Guards were under oath. They really couldn't disobey a direct order for either of the Princesses. So they nodded, they began to slowly leave their posts. They made sure to walk slowly. Took short glances behind them to see if Celestia would turn into some villain at any moment. But she didn't. She simply watched the door without moving. They eventually entered the hallway and paused when a loud bang of the door shutting behind them rang in their ears.
"She has lost her mind." The Gaurd mumbled. "No pony protecting the Elements? Madness."
"A...Are we supposed to report this to somepony? Captain Shinning perhaps?"
"He wasn't on duty today."
"Princess Luna?"
"Do you really want to have that conversation?"
Celestia listened very carefully as she stood alone in Harmony Tower. She listened for more sounds of rustling armour. She heard the Guards moving further away from the hall. She stood deathly still for any minutes to make sure she couldn't hear them any longer.
She moved cautiously. She inserted her horn into the lock protecting the elements. She ignited her horn, her magic turning blue as she could hear clicks of locks snapping open. Celestia quickly pulled back to take a few steps back as the door opened to reveal a jewelled box.
Celestia opened the box with her magic. Lifting five jewelled element necklaces with a single crown into the air. Celestia flinched at the sight of them. Their colours weren't nearly as vibrant as she remembered. But they still held the form they had for their former element bearers.
Celestia pushed aside her guilt. She supposed it wouldn't matter very soon how they looked. Her plan might just destroy them.
"This better work." She mumbled. She tucked the six elements under both of her wings to hide them from the public. She placed the box back inside and shut the element door before quickly spinning around to gallop out of the tower. There was no time to waste.
The head Librarian, Bini Filters was staying up late in the Royal Canterlot Library. She let out a long yawn as she moved another stack of books to her cart before slowly moving back to the desk surrounding the large hourglass in the middle of the library counting down the night. She looked to the small stack of books surrounding her as she ignited her unicorn horn, latching her light blue magic onto the single book in front of her. Her eyes quickly flipped through the book before she grabbed a label and stuck it to the cover with the words "Non-fiction" printed clearly on it.
She levitated it into the cart, not bothering to get up to organize it as it fell into a mess of books. She grabbed a new book and placed it down in front of her, making sure the candle next to her was lit enough for her to read. She rubbed her tired eyes, readjusted her glasses before looking down to description.
Her ears perked up at the sounds of hoofsteps. She brushed them off as simple as a Guard on patrol as she went back to the book. She grabbed and label after a few more seconds of reading, barely caring that the hoofsteps were getting closer to the Library.
She slapped another label onto the new book and tossed it into the cart. Before getting up and hitching the cart to her back with the help of her magic. She grunted as she began to move the cart to the back of the Library. Where the beams of moonlight coming through the glass dome above her could not reach. She weaved past shelves, tables, and unlit torches until she made her way to the first section she needed.
She began the process of organizing the books with her magic to place them down on the large bookshelves when she heard the sound of the Library doors opening and loud hoofsteps echoing across the Library in a very distinct direction.
Bini carefully listened for another minute as the hoofsteps seemed to have increased in pace, heading in her general direction. Bini slowly placed the books down and looked through the space between the bookshelves to see a golden glow fall across the area.
Bini narrowed her eyes with a knowing look. It was Princess Celestia. If it wasn't the golden aura from her magic giving it away, it was the fact she had been coming through the Library for the past week at strange hours, always opening a secret passage and disappearing for hours and hours.
Soon enough, Princess Celestia appeared. Standing in front of a bookcase against one of the back wall of the Library. A rather well-hidden bookcase that Bini barely had to fiddle with because no pony ever took books from there.
The Princess was carrying the elements with her as she pulled two books as levers, causing the bookshelf to move to the side, allowing a passage into an unknown area. Bini, as she had since the Princess began these strange journeys through that bookshelf, considered following her. But ultimately considered it was a bad idea. Bini took a careful step forward as Celestia disappeared into the passage. But she paused, mostly because she was a coward. She sighed and reasoned she would see the Princess in a few hours. Maybe she was just making sure the elements were OK wherever she was going because well...The last element had died today. Terrible tragedy.
The bookshelf closed with a click, making Bini flinch. She gave the bookshelf one more passing gaze before she returned to her tasks with a yawn.
Celestia quickened her pace through the corridors. The pressing need to fix the issue, that fact that her life was on the line, the life of her subjects was on the line and her mind not caring how hurt her body would be by the end of her equipment pressed her forward through the damp and dark cobblestone corridors.
She soon entered the old Library she had been in since she started to try to find a way to stop Twilight. Her breathing was laboured from her weak state. Her sleep, eating habits, paranoia, and constant use of dark magic weren't helping her body and had taken a very noticeable effect. An effect that Celestia refused to believe was happening in an attempt to increase her chances as if denial would make it go away.
She slammed the elements down on the table in front of her.
She flared up her magic, spinning books and notes around her as she checked her failed attempts and current calculations.
She connected all her information together mentally, she flared her horn. Ignoring the strain of her body as she lifted the elements into the air. She took deep breathes. She knew this was her last chance. Her only chance.
Her new theory consisted of the Element's connection. Twilight's unnatural ability might be connected to her element still being in this reality. The Element's magic was unwilling to let her go at her sudden death. Leaving her with a connection to the real world. Maybe triggered by her experimenting with the afterlife before her death, even though Twilight wasn't aware that is what she was doing.
The Elements were their last line of defence, but the tales of the pillars of Equestria entered Celestia's mind, her mind trying to rationalize they can make more if needed as her dark magic slammed into the element of magic.
She grunted as she heard the first crack from the element of magic. Then another, then another. A multi-shade of black reached out to the other elements surrounding her. Another crack. Her magic flickered, but she quickly refocused her efforts.
"Come on, come on." She pleaded before crying out in pain when her horn cracked. Celestia didn't have enough time to panic at her horn becoming more injured. She didn't even notice when small dark crystals broke through her fur. She felt the Elements pushed back against her with all their remaining magic, not that there was much because of the bearers' death.
"NO!"
She lost all concentration when something slammed into her body, burning one side of her torso. Throwing her into one of the old bookshelves, collapsing on Celestia from the force. Celestia blacked out for a moment, only a moment. When she opened her eyes, wakened by a sudden thudding headache and her body shearing with pain.
She heard the sound of the elements falling to the ground. Without shattering. She heard deep laboured breathing with an occasional growling sound, reflecting rage. She began the slow process of moving. She used her wings to push debris off to the best of her ability. Which wasn't much. She stumbled out of the wreck and fell to the cold floor before trying to pull herself up again.
"You." A raspy tired voice snapped out. A voice she hadn't heard since Twilight's death. Twilight herself. Celestia raised her head slowly to face her student...Or her former student? She wasn't quite sure. "How dare you try to stop me."
Twilight stood at the other end of the room. Holding a knife in her magic. Clearly under strain from her burst of magic at Celestia.
Celestia didn't respond as her vision struggled not to lose focus. Her eyes drifted to the Elements scattered on the floor around her.
"I thought you cared about me, Princess!" Twilight snapped. Taking steps forward, her translucent form certainly wasn't helping Celestia's vision. "Why would you try to stop me like...this?"
"Monster." Celestia whispered before she spat some blood out of her mouth to glare at Twilight. "Why wouldn't I try to stop a monster?"
"A Monster." Twilight gave a sarcastic expression of remorse. "Why am I a monster when I am giving everypony a chance at a better existence. You can't die in my world. You can live life as you always did without fear of death. A new Equestria. An Equestria that has been restarted. Not affected by your mistakes in Leadership. You can run this new Equestria without fear of having to live with the knowledge that thousands of ponies died under your command just so that the Nobility would try to overthrow you at every turn, that poverty plagues all the major cities, that at any moment, a sickness could kill the population."
"What's the point of existing if there is no challenge?" Celestia asked in a low weak voice. "What's the point of progress if there is no reason to progress? Your world is too perfect, as you describe it. Within a year, ponies will start to resent their new reality if you drag them with you."
Twilight let a smile cross her face. A smile without remorse, clearly not believing anything that Celestia said.
"Let's test that theory shall we?"
Celestia flared her horn to teleport as Twilight within a brief second yanked back the knife and plunged it straight into Celestia's throat. A scream died as she opened her mouth, allowing blood to pour from her mouth. Her eyes grew wide as Twilight's eyes narrowed in concentration when she yanked the knife sideways to allow a bigger gap.
Blood pooled to the floor when she collapsed to her side. Struggling to breathe. Struggling to use her magic to do anything useful without success, struggling to live.
She looked up to see Twilight's smiling face of triumph. She heard the sounds of something opening behind her. This was followed by a gasp coming from the opening.
"T-Twilight, did you...?"
"Yes, Applejack. I told you I would do it didn't I?"
"Darling, I am not sure-"
"Trust me, Rarity. This was the right call. Is the Castle finished?"
"Yes."
"Wonderful." Twilight replied with glee. Celestia's stubbornness kicked in full force. She slammed her body up. Making Twilight yelp in surprise. She gave a passing glance to the window into the Afterlife Twilight had opened. Her eyes met the terrified eyes of Twilight's friends through the window as they watched the sun Princess pushed herself up.
Twilight stumbled back, her expression was of fury. Celestia tried to summon her magic, relying on the sun's energy from above when another slash hit her in the stomach.
"Honestly, why is she making this so hard?"
Celestia could hear Fluttershy crying and Pinkie trying to distract herself. Celestia collapsed with a gurgled weak scream of pain. She felt herself becoming weaker than she ever imagined.
"The Princess might be hard to pull in, Girls. Are you ready?"
"Y-Yes."
"Um...Yes?"
"M-Maybe."
"Yes."
"Yes."
She closed her eyes for only a brief second, not realizing she took her last breath when her soul was ripped from her body. She barely registered she was now looking down at her corpse on the floor when Twilight slammed into her body with all the force she could muster. Making them both stumble into the portal.
Celestia immediately weaved past Twilight the moment she got control of her body through the help of her wings as they entered. She started to make moves to push her soul out when Twilight barked orders at her friends. Applejack must have thrown a rope around her neck, yanking her back violently almost slamming her onto her back.
"Rarity! Now!"
Rarity pulled on Celestia's wings beside the Princess. Trying not to make eye contact as her magic tried to keep steady with the frantic flapping.
"Pinkie, party cannon now."
Rarity and Applejack managed to push her through enough for Pinkie to fit a small party cannon between Celestia and the portal. With her eyes reflecting remorse for her actions, she yanked the cord of the cannon. The force of the confetti threw Celestia back onto the grass of the new Equestria.
"Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, hold her down!"
Rainbow Dash and a very reluctant Fluttershy pressed themselves against the Princess with their hooves and the force of their wings pushing against her kept her from making any major movements.
Celestia, flared her horn to throw them off, immediately hesitated when her magic did not feel right. It didn't feel natural. More...artificial. Twilight flared her horn to close the window within seconds.
After a moment of dead silence between them all, the only noise being the sound of running water and small animals scattered around the land and sky, Twilight moved to stand above her mentor as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash moved away. Fluttershy crying and whimpering "sorry." over and over and over.
"It was the right thing to do." Twilight informed her. Her smile looked more forced this time. As if she was trying to convince herself it was actually right. "It was the right thing to do."
-The End-
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Holy this was a great story! I can only imagine the hate and resentment Celestia has for Twi will affect them. Would Celestia even take up a leadership role in this place? So many questions! But great job this was such a good story!
That was a good story. I wonder if Twilight regrets her actions or is too insane for such things.
An interesting justification for killing all sentients.., albeit a meaningless one
Congrats, Twilight! You just brought DAYBREAKER into the Afterlife! Enjoy the fact that you made your own Satan, you goofy lunatic!