Interlude in Dreams
Sweetie Belle collapsed, coughing blood weakly as she tried to support herself on shaky hooves. Holding one close to her chest, she hobbled through the hallways of Canterlot Castle, glancing fearfully over her shoulder as she tried to escape, to find some exit, any exit. Her Gala outfit tangled her, tripping her up as she screamed in pain, narrowly avoiding the jagged splinter of bone protruding from her foreleg. Sobbing, she staggered down a dimply lit stretch of corridor. Hoofbeats, slow and precise, echoed off of the walls from behind her. The pony pursuing her was in no hurry. Sweetie Belle couldn’t get far.
Around the darkened halls of Sweetie Belle’s mind she ran, as the breath labored in her chest and she felt the icy claws of fear gripping her heart. The hallway narrowed, and she could hear the same steady beats behind her as she hobbled through the halls, crimson viscera staining her once-pristine coat. Rounding a corner, she felt a sob choke her, as she took in the dead end she had run into. She looked behind her. A shadow, one with a long and graceful horn, stretched on the wall ahead of her. She was almost here.
Eyes darting desperately from left to right, she spied one last bit of salvation. A single door, made of wood and sealed tightly, was set in a recess in the wall, offering her temporary refuge. Limping, she made her way to the door. It was stuck. The hoofbeats grew louder, closer, as she tugged on it desperately. Panting with fear and exertion, Sweetie Belle gave one last desperate yank before the door rattled open. She threw herself through it without a second thought, slamming it behind her. Her horn lit the way as she all but fell down a set of steep stairs. The door opened behind her, and Sweetie Belle shrieked in pain and panic, holding her hoof close as she fled the pony pursuing her.
She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t get away. She was going to die, she was going to die slowly, and horribly, and there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop it. She heard the same steady hoofbeats, right behind her, keeping perfect pace and even managing to catch up with her, despite the unicorn’s exertions. Another door flashed into her vision suddenly, bound with heavy metal. She threw herself at it, bursting through and damaging her leg further. It was no use, she was trapped.
She glanced around the room. Cold stone, chains, bonds. A hysterical laugh died in her throat. She had made it to Luna’s cell. The hoofbeats stopped. She scrabbled at the stone floor, backing into a corner, away from the light that filled the room. Her horrified sobbing quieted as she saw that alabaster head pass through the doorway, followed by a majestic set of wings and a tail that glowed with all the colors of the rainbow. Princess Celestia’s grin grew wide upon seeing her, impossibly wide. She calmly strode towards Sweetie Belle, with all the grace of a predator.
A jet of light, and Sweetie Belle felt something run out of her, spilling wetly onto the floor. She gasped, so far beyond pain that she could no longer feel. Her eyes fluttered shut gently, and she felt herself slipping away. Mustering the strength to gaze at Celestia one more time, she forced herself to stare into her eyes as she died. But something was wrong, even more wrong than she had thought. It wasn’t Celestia. It wasn’t Celestia at all.
“Look at me, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity crooned, smiling sweetly. “Look at me. I’m waiting for you, Sweetie Belle. I’ll be waiting for you, right here.”
“NO!” Sweetie Belle cried, shooting awake as she thrashed around, tangled in sweaty sheets. Her breathing slowed as she took in her surroundings. A bedside table, a lamp, a door made of simple wood. A window showing her the Manehatten skyline, with soft moonlight spilling silver across her sheets. Alone and frightened and far from home, she allowed herself the luxury of crying softly. There was nopony around to hear it.
The air was clear and crisp, fresh with the heady scent of pine as a full moon hung in the sky. Twilight Sparkle considered the place in front of her. Her home, her real home in Ponyville, was the same as she had left it, but not the same. All was quiet and still, save for the peaceful sound of crickets. Somehow she knew that she would be meeting nopony out on this night. So, she picked up her hooves, and walked the streets that were at the same time familiar and utterly alien to her.
It had grown, that much she knew. Several buildings rose above the town hall, still and dark in the night and the streets in the center of town had been cobbled. The lamps were still lit by flames, however, a comforting solidity in a changed town. Twilight’s hooves took her past Sugarcube Corner, which seemed oddly still, and past an official-looking building where Carousel Boutique had once stood. She passed town hall, noting that a flag appeared to hang still from the spire at its top. With no wind, however, she could not tell what it was. She moved onward.
The statue in the center of town had gone. Celestia no longer graced Ponyville with her stony presence. In her place stood a simple stone spire, engraved with only a few names. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Fluttershy. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Applebloom, Macintosh Apple, Roseluck, Bon Bon, Lyra Heartstrings, and others. Each name painstakingly carved and well cared for. Twilight felt the first stirrings of unease. What had happened here?
At last, she arrived at her destination. Home. A single light burned in the window, and Twilight Sparkle knew that somepony was expecting her company, and was not a pony to be kept waiting. So, she pushed open the door, and gazed toward the lit fire, stoked especially for her. There, sitting close to keep his hooves warm, was somepony she had thought dead and gone, long ago.
“Hello, Twilight.” Morning Star said, his voice warm and deep. He indicated a chair. “It’s been a long time. Have a seat.”
Twilight did so. It seemed to her the most natural thing in the world, to be talking in an alternate version of her town with the colt she had killed, the first life she had taken, all those years ago. “I don’t think you should be here. In fact, I’m almost positive I killed you four years ago.”
He laughed, a sound that she had never quite forgotten, though she had tried her best to. It was an intoxicating sound, and utterly irresistible. “Of course I’m dead. But I couldn’t resist making the trip back to congratulate you. You’ve accomplished quite a lot in the forty years since I left this place behind.”
Twilight shook her head. “You mean four.”
“Do I? Look out at Ponyville. It’s changed, hasn’t it? Too much since you last saw it. Everything quiet and at peace, a silent and still night. Equestria knows peace, and a guiding hoof to show it the way. And it’s all thanks to you.”
The tree creaked. A wind was picking up. “What do you mean?”
Morning Star pointed out of the window, towards town hall. “Look.”
The flag at the top of the building had caught the wind. As Twilight watched, it unfurled itself, displaying its emblem for all to see. A single star, in shimmering red and flanked by two dark wings. She gasped, as she realized exactly what had happened.
“Three and a half decades ago, you brought Celestia to her knees after freeing Princess Luna. With your powers combined, none could stand against you. Your armies marched out of the Everfree. You took Ponyville easily, and then Hoofington. Trottingham was consumed by revolution within, and it was there that you captured Rainbow Dash, and had her publically executed in the town square. A show of force was needed. This alienated your old friends, and Rarity had not forgiven you since her sister had died to free the Princess. One last battle was fought on the fields by Canterlot. You personally killed them all, as ponies flocked to your ranks, driven by fear and causing them to swell. Scootaloo and Applebloom were found lying next to one another, clearly having fallen after some titanic struggle. Scootaloo had her hooves at Applebloom’s throat. Luna and yourself, working together, defeated Celestia. She is now buried under the ruins of Canterlot, her spirit fled and prevented from returning by Luna. Cadance’s horn was removed, and she was sent to wander the icy wastes to the north, bereft of land and titles.”
Twilight’s mane waved as she violently whipped her head back and forth. “No. I would never do that. No.”
Morning Star’s voice took on that mocking edge she had heard before he died. “And that’s not all. Manehatten burned under Gryphon torches. Fillydelphia was ceded to the Minotaurs. No land south of the Everfree forest remains under Equestrian control. Your nation is humbled. But they were all necessary sacrifices to rebuild Equestria, you claimed after taking the throne yourself. No more would you exercise authority over lands not your own. You have funneled money into science and magic, things which unicorns excel at. You’ve reestablished the Houses, effectively returning Equestria to its feudal roots. Pegasi have been drafted into military service. Earth Ponies once more till the earth for food. But they somehow manage to love you, Twilight Sparkle. You’ve obliterated the old Equestria, and in its place is a new land, one where you rule unchecked.”
Twilight buried her head in her hooves. “No, no, no, no…”
There was no warmth in his voice now, and the fire began to die as he continued to speak. “But you’ve managed to have everything you’ve ever wanted! Revenge, safety, a world where ponies no longer fear manipulation by their queen. All it took was a few sacrifices. Some necessary casualties. A bit of cruelty to preserve kindness. Some betrayal to ensure loyalty. Deception to keep honesty, tears to keep ponies laughing, and you are very generous with what you’ve taken from others. All for you, Twilight Sparkle. All for you, and you alone.” he bowed, prostrating himself on the floor before her as the room spun, becoming something rather different than her library, the walls turning into cold stone. Twilight felt her hooves leave the ground, and she wasn’t in her library anymore. The audience hall at the Regia stretched before her, and she gazed out over a thousand ponies, clad in dark armor. Morning Star knelt, and so did they. His voice rang throughout the hall, mocking her. “Hail, Twilight Sparkle! Hail, the Evening Star!”
“Hail!” a thousand voices replied,
Twilight fought to lower herself, to preserve her place as a normal pony still. Something held her suspended, however. Glancing to one side, she saw, to her horror, a set of regal wings. Smoke ate at the edges of her vision, and she whipped her head to see that her mane had become as Celestia’s, gleaming with pale grey light as it flowed in an arcane wind. Tears rolled down her face as she surveyed her kingdom, over all that she had wrought. Morning Star’s voice rose on the wind, reaching her ears.
“All through necessary sacrifices, Lady Twilight! All this because of your necessary sacrifices!”
The sun broke over the horizon, blinding her with its terrible power. She saw, through watering eyes, the visage of her teacher flickering deep within, her expression filled with pain and sorrow. Its brilliance ate at her, and she felt her wings catch fire, true smoke filling the air around her as she plummeted to the ground, smote in ruin, rushing towards to ground below…
Twilight Sparkle awoke with a gasp. One hoof went to her back, another to her mane. She breathed more easily, then. She felt her face. One hoof came away wet with silent tears.
“Cara Mia? What is wrong? Did you dream again?” Tarantella asked, her slumber disturbed.
Twilight forced calm into her voice. “It’s all right, Tara. Just a dream, nothing more.”
The Pegasus drew her into an embrace. “Come. Tell me of it. I am here for you.”
Twilight drifted back into sleep that night with wet eyes and comforting words in her heart. She had allowed herself to cry.
There was somepony there to listen.
Celestia was covered in ice. The bitter winds howled around her, and she could hear the shrieks of the Windigos below, drawn to this place by her pain and misery, potent enough to keep them there for a hundred hundred lifetimes. But the long winter of her discontent was about to end, and she was going to open a new era in history, a beginning peace that was going to become a reality. As naturally as breathing, she reached for Harmony. Gathering it to herself, she concentrated it into smaller and smaller points, drawing down the power of Harmony into its vessel. Six physical vessels, ones she had made, gleamed before her in the vibrant colors of the rainbow.
Once more, she bound them into these vessels of pure metal and flawless stone, pressing more and more Binding Magic upon them, forcing the vast power they represented to remain still. At last, they lay quiescent, and she smiled. They had fallen to her will after a long battle, but it was necessary that a sacrifice be made. Harmony maintained balance, after all. She was to use them to promote life, and peace. An offering of death and war must be made. With the six Catalysts in tow, she cracked the thick ice holding her down, and sped through the skies, seeking one of her oldest foes. Not Discord, trapped as he was in his prison of stone, nor her still-beloved sister, exiled on the moon.
Nay, her first foe upon manifesting, the one that had been spreading death and misery when her subjects’ cries had grown too loud for her to ignore, was not a god at all. Indeed, he was one of Discord’s lieutenants, and he had managed to flee into the northern wastes after she and Luna had defeated him, before doing the same to many of Discord’s minions and the manifestation of Chaos himself. His name was Ariothrax, and he was one of the last Great Dragons.
A mountain ridge rose ahead of her, and she let out a scream of rage as she angled down. The ridge shifted, cracking open one massive eye, and rose to meet her. One brilliant point of light plummeted to smite the great blackness of the dragon, and the air was filled with arcane lightning and oily, smoky fire. Great crashes and cracklings were heard across the frozen wastes, as life was traded for life, and war was waged for peace. The Dragon was old, and mighty, but Celestia’s attack was too powerful to stop, and it was a matter of minutes before the Monarch of the Sun was able to send a beam of ruinous magic into the throat of Ariothrax, cutting his last scream of defiance short, and causing a great torrent of dark blood to stream forth, staining what snow it touched before causing it to evaporate into foul steam.
Celestia’s once-pristine visage was spattered with blood, and as she soared towards her stricken foe, she pointed her hooves. Gracefully, the Alicorn disappeared under a torrent of blood, with the elements in tow. When she emerged, she felt different, far more powerful than she had before. The Elements shimmered, a terrible heat emanating from them as the pure gold they were set in gleamed as if freshly cast. As she watched, they cooled, shining brightly in the light of Ariothrax’s dying fires. But that was not the only change that had been wrought in the blood of the dragon. A blood price had been paid, and now the Elements were truly Bound to her will.
As the crimson dripped from her hide, Celestia felt a great heat fill her, seeming to emanate from her very core. Groaning, the Radiant Noon arched her neck to the heavens, feeling something building deep inside of her. A torrent of flame emanated from her mouth, a great pillar of fire that scarred the sky as she felt herself change. Upon opening her eyes, she noticed several things. The first was her mane. Though it had been pink, now it shone with every color of the rainbow, a beautiful field of pastel that billowed like flame or cloud.
But the second was far more interesting. The Elements burned, bright flames that pulsed in time with her heartbeat. She laughed, knowing that they were truly part of her now. And that wasn’t all. She could see that a group of Minotaurs were headed to the site of the battle, to investigate the vast commotion. She knew this because of the flames they also emitted, things which burned with a primal passion, in green and bloody red and dark gold.
She also appeared to burn, a steady white flame that provided light wherever she flew. Below her, she could see every sentient being, every soul blazing as if consumed by an inferno. None, however, burned so brightly as herself. She flew south, admiring the way her mane trailed behind her. And as she did, she realized it was time to raise the sun.
And she did, drawing back the night and pushing the day forward, spreading it across the land as she soared unchallenged through the skies. She turned south, towards her little ponies. She could see their lives pulsing on the horizon. At last, she was returning. At last, she was home.
Gently, naturally, Princess Celestia woke from her slumber, breathing deeply in the quiet stillness of her bedchambers. It was almost time. Rising from her bed, she effortlessly affixed her regalia and strode forth onto her balcony. She could feel the sun, waiting to be raised if only she would command it. And just as she had since the beginning of time, she reached deep into the molten hot core of herself, and nudged the sun above the horizon. Moving it into the sky, she smiled gently. Her eyes, beautiful pools of violet, swept the city below.
It blazed with life.
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I like what you did here. Very nice exposition. The dream narrative is very cool. Let's hope that these dreams stay dreams.
Although I wouldn't mind a lil' Alicorn Twilight.
8luh i love this story
Foreshadowing galore... though I doubt Twilight is a prophet. Or is Morning Star really speaking to her from beyond the grave?
I don't know. All I know is the story keeps getting more interesting... The ending shall be something that NONE of us expect I think.
1957133
It's Airstream. If he can throw those whammies in the last fic, he can do it again!
This is secretly a Twilestia fic. As they survey the destroyed landscape and look into each others eyes they will realize it. The following make up sex will be intense.
1957492
1957492 1957594 Of course it's not a Twilestia Fic.
It's a Sweetie x Luna Fic. With Sweetie Belle as her shining knight, Luna will fall over herself in love and maybe break a wing when she lands on it wrong.
i.imgur.com/9uSv1.jpg
Anyway, another great chapter. Can't wait for the gala.
Sweetie Belle and Twilight both had bad dreams, while Celestia had a (relatively) good one. Sleepless in Ponyville showed Luna's mastery over dreams. Has she finally cracked? It seems like breaking her out might not be such a good idea after all...
Insert Mass Effect reference here.
The nazi reference was maybe too overdone, but I think the nightmare was benefical at long term... a good remind to Twilight of why she must uphold Sweetie´s promise.
To me this chapter is showing how far gone and cold/numb Celestial is. To her, everyone else in the world are mere ants and she feels no remorse or sympathy for anyone. Can't wait until Twilight kills the shit out of her!
This story is a true nerve-wracking, emotion-twisting piece of art. The sense of despair is growing chapter by chapter, at this point it seems like there is no way for anything but an ending that falls somewhere between apocalyptic and tragic.
I find myself hoping against all reason that there is a way for Twilight to emerge victorious from this whole ordeal, yet it seems that even if she does, the victory will be sour at best.
You have pitted my fondness of Twilight Sparkle against my beliefs that pretty much mirror Celestias. And I find myself on the edge of my seat, wishing with almost every fiber of my existence that Twilight perseveres. So much for sticking to my beliefs...
All in all, I bow down to your writing and storytelling skills and await further chapters.
Glad to see Celestia got a good night's sleep, at least!
I somehow doubt she'll be getting much in the way of redemption by the end here.
Hail the Evening Star!
There will eventually be Alicorn Twilight co-ruling with Luna.
Eventually Celestia will go down (if not dead or stoned at least down far enough to not be a ruler of Equestria).
Prophecy said so and so far it has been proven correct...
Wow, getting such a 'one day more' vibe here. I predict a similar ending .
Luna was high while she did this go figure.......................
Why, do no writers, take into account assassins. A knife to the ribs or a poisoned cup is all it takes. Maybe throw in a few eviscerations for good measure.
It looks like no matter who wins, equestria will lose.
2088290
that takes out all the drama though
it's like "boom, knife to the ribs, yer dead....the end"
the word "anti-climax" comes to mind
1958238 COMMUNIST SCUM!!!
Timing, it was perfect.
Celestia is not harmony, Celestia is order. Harmony is balance of chaos and order, something that died the day Discord took over Equestria. Celestia and Discord are far too powerful, with their power comes corruption. Luna was supposed to keep them in check, but her charges grew too powerful for her to stop more powerful than any being has any right to be. Twilight is fixing this, paying a steep price in the blood and trust of those people she cares about. This is a truly tragic tale.
6211811
Not in this AU; if I remember rightly, Celestia sent Luna to the moon with Radiant Zenith's assistance. Her and Luna did use the Elements to Bind Discord, but they weren't fully Bound to her will.
Also, what Celestia is doing is evil but she really isn't. Monstrous, yes, but not evil.