> Beloved
>  by Infernallight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Beloved
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beloved

The Fall of The Badlands
Circa 14 A.N.M.R.; After Nightmare Moon’s Return
During the Reign of the Princess of the Sun, 
Her Majesty Princess Celestia.

Fire was all there was throughout the land. The sun was blotted out by smoke and ash… the air was bitter, with the feeling of remorse and the feeling of triumph; no victory came without sacrifices.
The Queen’s Changelings were dead. 
Troops roared over their hard fought victory, yet there were some who had already begun mourning for the lost. 
Celestia was indifferent over the entire situation… she was elated over their victory, yet on the inside, she would forever live with the fact that she had killed a mother, only trying to ensure the safety of her children. Celestia could relate… 
She even would have been merciful for her cause, had she not done the unspeakable.
A tear rolled down her eye as she remembered his smile, and knew it would never return. So viciously torn away from her, and at such a young age. He had only just turned 20, and had just bought some property where he would have built a house, just for the two of them. 
Bittersweet memories flooded her as she remembered how happy he was that he finally had enough bits, and raced to meet her in order to sign off on the deed. She was more than happy to, and after they did, they embraced each other for a long time. Eyes of a rich brown stared directly into her soul… and she loved every minute of it. There wouldn’t be anyone like him ever again, not after this. In her sorrow, she had sworn off herself to anyone for the rest of her life, and had vowed revenge on the Changeling Queen. 
Now, she had what she wanted. But was this all worth it? The brave stallions who would never return home to their foals and loving wives, the trauma and the gore they had seen and would never forget, and most of all, her quench for revenge… was all she had sacrificed in her quest for revenge worth it? 
Of course it was… she regretted nothing. In fact, she savored the moment when she dragged her blade across the laughing queen’s neck, and spat on her lifeless corpse as it leaked life onto the field, only to sink into the ground.
Yet… she felt so lonely and empty. 
She had lost all that was dear to her… only recently her Beloved, and before that Luna. But, she was motivated somehow by the fact that she couldn’t mourn, or else she would fall apart. 
And with her, the kingdom itself would eventually fall to pieces. Thus forcing her to keep her sorrow to herself… this was an important time for the country, and her citizens seeing her weakened would do no good in showing them the confidence they needed.
One look to the sky showed that it was time for her to raise the moon, and lower the sun. Weary was she from the battle; it showed in her eyes. The last few months had been difficult for her, and she was beginning to slip.
‘Should an immortal have this much sorrow?’ She thought to herself.
To the East rose the moon, and to the West, the sun fell. Luna had always done a better job, but now, Celestia was too tired to care. Both physically, and mentally. 
The grass was moist and her hooves sunk into the mud as she walked towards the war camp. Noticing the group of generals and sergeants, she approached them with an air of authority.
“Status, General Bolt?”
The stallion in question turned to see Her Majesty, and quickly rose to salute; the rest of the group followed suit.
“At ease,” she gently told them, “You have worked hard and sacrificed much today. I shall disregard protocol for now.”
The group visibly relaxed, with every pony settling into a more relaxed positon. General Bolt walked up to the princess and politely asked her to accompany him to the strategy room. There wasn’t anything special about any of the tents, other than Celestia’s. Most were just made of standard canvas with the Equestrian Royal Guard logo on the side of them. Other than that, the important tents were much larger, and could fit much more into them if needed. The main strategy room was located in the middle of the camp, with several guards surrounding its inner perimeter. Guards noticed the upcoming company and pulled open the main flaps for the two of them… and inside, everyone noticed their arrival and paid respects to their superiors. 
“At ease,” Celestia said once more, “Please, leave us; we have matters to discuss with the Master General concerning the future of this operation. Dismissed.”
One by one, all the officers and other members of the Guard left, apart from Celestia, the General, and the Master General.
“Your Majesty, and General Bolt, I bid you welcome. Please, take a seat.” 
The Master General, a battle hardened mare that used to work with covert ops before being offered her promotion, went to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a cylindrical object and laid it on the table.
Celestia could only assume it was a map of the terrain, based on the fact they weren’t done dealing with the Changelings yet. 
“Your Majesty,” she began, “as you know, there is still the issue of the larva, and also the fact that we may have missed something. We haven’t been given your clearance to proceed with the more detailed search of the hive. For all we know, it may possibly go on for miles in length.”
As she spoke, she highlighted the area where the attack was planned and executed, indicating that it could go on for some distance.
“Yet,” she continued, “we cannot be sure. Based on previous records on Changeling architecture, they created their hives just like the ants; branching off into several different directions.”
Celestia wasn’t concerned in the least; she had already planned ahead of time.
“Master General,” Celestia said to the mare, “I want your soldiers to do a full scale rundown of their so-called ‘Hive’. If nothing is found by midday tomorrow, I shall deal with it. By four in the afternoon tomorrow, your troops shall be prepared to return to Canterlot by train. Keep me updates via Scroll… I expect a report tomorrow morning.”
The mare bowed deeply, and rose once more to salute. Celestia was about to leave with the General, but a thought had occurred to her at the last minute regarding the Hive.
“Master General…” 
The Master General turned once more to face the Princess.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
The look Princess Celestia gave the mare would forever leave its mark on her mind.
“Leave no survivors.”
“As you wish,” the mare gently whispered, “It shall be done, My Lady.”
With this, the princess nodded and swiftly left the tent, not casting another glance at the Master General or the General.



Canterlot
The following morning…
Just like every morning, she rose early in the morning to raise the sun, and perhaps go for a flight. Recent events had plagued her mind, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted. Especially now. What she had just done with the Changelings was, put simply, an act of war and almost put the Changelings into extinction. As she entered her personal bathroom, she looked in the mirror and was saddened. It was becoming obvious; she was falling apart. Twilight had been suspicious for some time now… she was sure the princess wasn’t okay, regardless of what she said in her letters. 
Oh, Twilight… Celestia smiled fondly at the thought of her former pupil. Twilight was an Alicorn now. 

An Alicorn.
While the thought of forever having her star pupil with her was wonderful and happy, she felt dirty as if she had committed a horrible crime. After all, immortality comes with a price.
But she would always have Twilight. Just like…
Luna. 
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered her sister’s second banishment. It was difficult for the civilians to trust her when she returned… that trust had been smashed to bits and pieces. Who knew what would happen in the next few thousand years? Only time could tell. But, someone was bound to remember who Luna was, and again, it would take time. Wasn’t there a quote that went something along the lines of “fool me once, shame upon thou; fool me twice, shame upon myself”?
As the princess of Equestria, things were never easy. Between conflict, politics, and personal issues, she surprised herself with the fact that she was sane; or, at least, she thought so. 
Running her wooden hairbrush through her majestic mane, she contemplated her actions against the Changelings and what should be done about the Hive in the East… had she done what was right? Yes. Again, she thought so. They had committed a devious crime against the country that would not be left unpunished, and Celestia saw to that herself. Remembering the words of the Queen, she scowled and slammed her hoof into the tile floor.

“Chrysalis told you…we would be coming. Equestria and its naïve ponies always caught in their delusions of peace. Isn’t that right, Princess?”
The Changeling Queen spat at the hooves of Celestia. She smiled as she continued…
“Oh, Equestria, the supposed land of peace. Look past the lies, you bucking fools. You are shrouded in a veil of delusions… yet things never change, even over thousands of years, especially when the same ponies make the same mistakes. Can the foal ever learn if it is constantly coddled, Celestia? Can it?”
Celestia circled the fallen queen, like a timberwolf over a fallen doe in the Everfree. Nature never changed, either. 
“In the name of Equestira, you are under arrest for multiple counts of murder, and the murder of my consort,” Celstia’s tone was dripping venom, pure hatred coating each of her words. “How do you plead?”
The Fallen Queen giggled into her hoof. 
“I plead guilty, Your Majesty,” she said in a mocking tone. 
Her attitude infuriated the Princess. She had murdered so many, yet she had no remorse. When she thought about it, they had no emotions, anyway. Celestia stared at the Fallen Queen straight into the eyes as she made her judgement.
“I, Princess Celestia, condemn you to death. May the Maker have mercy…” she stopped mid-sentence, “No. May the maker spare you nothing in Hell.”
The Queen looked Celestia in the eyes and one more time and spat at her hooves. 
“I’ll see you there, you bucking horse.”

A knock on the door shook her from her day dream. Maybe was it the report she had been expecting? She quickly finished getting ready for the day and put on her regalia and other bits and pieces of her daily attire. 

As she opened the door to her chambers, she looked down to see one of her butlers with a scroll in his grasp with a crimson wax stamp on it. From what she could see, it looked to be the official stamp of the Equestrian Royal Guard. 

“Your Majesty,” the stallion said in a deep tone, “this arrived about five minutes ago from the Base Camp…It’s from the Master General.”
The stallion gently handed the scroll to Celestia, and she bid him thanks and sent him on his way. Then, the door was closed and locked, and just to be safe, she cast a soundproof spell and a refracting spell so she wasn’t visible to any prying eyes.
The smell of wax drifted forth as she broke the seal and begun to read the letter to herself


To Her Majesty Princess Celestia;
A full scan of the hive has indicated minor life forms, and the tunnel seems to go on for some time. Reports have shown that their system does indeed go on for miles. Apart from minor skirmishes, the entire system appears to be clean of any Changelings. With your clearance, we plan to destroy the Hive to prevent other swarms from using the system as a means of a junction.
The Guard is waiting for further instructions on regards of the next course of action.

Signed, 
On Her Majesty’s Royal Guard 
Master General Hail Fire

So progress had been made since then. It had been a difficult task, Celestia no doubt knew, yet they had done it. 
As for what to do next… court could be dismissed for now; there was more to be done with the Hive. One part of the Master General’s Letter did concern the princess… “Minor life forms”… 
Celestia could deal with it later. Yet she had to ensure none remained, at all costs, and she would be sure to prioritize this task.
Before she left, she made sure to inform the council that she would be parting early due to diplomatic issues in the East, and would not be returning until the following morning.
Her Royal Chariot had been prepared in advanced, and was all ready to take off. When she boarded, she got comfortable in her seat. There was another seat there, and it was a bittersweet memory for Celestia. It was designed for him, and it would have been a surprise for him on his birthday. She made a note to destroy the seat and replace it with the other section of her seat. She would not be distracted any further from her goals. 
The chariot took off from the landing area with a burst of speed as the guards sped forward with the strength of their wings and magic enhancement, and soon, Canterlot was a mere speck in the distance. 
It would be some time before they arrived, so Celestia decided to sleep for a while; she had been up late last night studying. As the wind gently whisked around the chariot, Celestia fell into a deep slumber.


Three weeks ago
Canterlot
His smile made everything so much more… colorful. It would be something she would cherish for the rest of her days, just like when Twilight had tried to make her pancakes and burned them on her birthday. Regardless, Twilight was proud of herself and it had made Celestia very happy (even if they were burned very badly). 
It was a beautiful day… there were a few clouds in the sky, and a warm breeze flowing through the air. The weather factory had nothing else planned for the upcoming weeks, as summer had just arrived. 
The love of her life lay beside her in a field near the beach. They had been swimming in an isolated cove with high cliffs and trees that stretched across the water and were high in the air, providing plenty of shade from the sun. Vines creeped down the side of the cliffs, dangling just above the water, making everything seem so calm. 
Now, it was mid evening and the two of them just lay in the field, each comfortable in the arms of the other. He caressed her chin with his delicate fingers and looked her in the eyes.
“It’s been almost three years, Cel,” he whispered in her ear
In return, she smiled and draped a wing over the two of them. 
“Do you regret these past years?” she asked in a soft tone.
Pulling her close, he wrapped his arms around her and sighed in content. 
“Not a single day…” he said, “other than the first one…”
Melodic laughter filled the air as she remembered the day he first arrived. It had been a wild chase throughout the city, a naked human running down the streets away from a squad of guards dressed in armor with spears pointed directly at him. He was screaming foreign obscenities at the top of his lungs as he tore through the streets. Multiple nobles yelled after him as he pushed them aside… Celestia mainly enjoyed the part where he told Blueblood to “fuck” himself with a rather large brick, though she would never admit it. The Prince’s reaction was worth it, as you could see a large vein on his forehead pulse and his cheeks became flushed.
Soon, he was cornered, arrested and brought before Celestia; she remembered being curious as to whom and what this creature was. 
Even more peculiar was the fact that the first thing he asked for was a pair of pants, or at least a towel. 
He was later charged with trespassing private property, and public nudity. There would have been more charges pressed against him, yet the princess wasn’t willing to listen to 30 different nobles whine about him. These charges were dropped later on when it was found that it was no fault of his.
“Come on, that wasn’t funny…” he pouted at Celestia as she snorted and then began to giggle even more.
“No, you’re right…” she managed to say through the laughter, “it was hilarious.”
He blew a raspberry at the laughing pony, and stood up. As comfortable as he was lying beside her, he knew it was getting fairly late into the evening. 
“Cel, love, I do think we should be heading back now… it is beginning to get dark out.”
Celestia groaned as she rolled over and pouted at him. It was hard for him to try not to laugh at her; the look she had was priceless. 
“Must we?” she complained, “Can we not stay for five more minutes?”
“No, Cel,” he told her, “Remember last time? Five minutes turned into three hours and you forgot to lower the sun. We can do this again later, I promise.”
Knowing that she had responsibilities, she forced herself to get onto her hooves. They began to walk back to the main road together and eventually made their way back to Canterlot.
The next morning, Celestia woke to raise the sun. She looked over to see her lover completely passed out, fatigued from the previous day. It was adorable, and she had to stop herself before she woke him from his peaceful slumber. 

Using her magic to open the balcony doors, she then walked through and prepared to do her daily morning ritual. Into the distance, she noticed a black speck that seemed to be growing. At first, it didn’t seem to be such a big deal. Continuing with her duty, she turned back to the hills and watched the sun begin to climb over the hills. Curiosity overcame her and she looked back and reared back in horror. The sun revealed that it wasn’t a mere speck; it was a seething mass of Changelings. An alarm rang through the castle. She knew this alarm too well; it was the order to arm defenses. She rushed to raise the sun to provide light to see the enemy. So many thoughts crossed her mind; why did have they returned? Why were they attacking? These needed to be answered. 
One last glance showed that her lover was still lying in bed, asleep. Quickly, she cast protection spells to keep him safe; she locked the doors and reinforced the room with even more spells. Now, she knew she was needed at the main council room. Her love was still sleeping soundly; she was very concerned for his safety. 
She kissed him on the forehead and bid him farewell, and left the room. 
“Guards?” Celestia called.
Four stallions attended to the princess, lining up in front of her in a salute. 
“Make sure this room is secure; two guards inside the room and two outside.”
They saluted once more as she left towards the council room. One of her guards was about to object to the fact that she was alone and without protection, when she turned around and told them she would be fine. 
The hall was quiet and empty as the Princess left. Nothing moved in the hall, yet the sound of the battle raging was evident. Explosions were sounding off into the distance, each coming closer than before, and screams tore through the air as ponies and Changelings alike perished.
Twenty minutes later, and things had died down a fair amount. The guards, as always, remained rigid and prepared to attack at a moment’s notice. There had been guards running by with wounded in tow, and many nurses and doctors running back and forth through the hall. 
It was eerily quiet; something didn’t feel right. The guards could all tell. Either they had lost, or they were too busy to celebrate. 
Celestia sauntered up the hall once more, covered in burns and various scratches. She was limping, but overall looked fine. One of her guards rushed over to help her. She was lightly panting as she made her way over to them.
Before they could ask, she said she was fine and needed to get the Elements in her room. 
“The 132nd Battalion is trying to hold the main entryway; they need every pony they can get. Go now; time is running short.”
Without questions being asked, the guards ran to do their Princess’s bidding.
Green flashed in her pupils as she smirked at the rushing guards. 

“Fools.”




She entered the room and saw two guards; one posted by the door and the other by the window. The second hadn’t noticed her yet; the guard was intently watching the battle far below them.
She turned and cast a mute spell on the guard by the door, and swiftly grasped their neck. With a quick twist, the guard was dead in an instant. This hadn’t gone unnoticed by the other guard, as she looked at the princess with horror in her eyes.
“Princess, what are you doing?!”
Desperately, the guard tried to charge up a barrier, yet the Princess was so much faster.
Celestia growled and shot a bolt of energy, and the guard just barely dodged out of the way. The wall was blown out, sending concrete and wood outward and scattering it through the room. Now, the guard was well aware of the situation; “she” was a Changeling, and she was here to kill the Queen’s consort.
“It” prepared for another attack, but the guard jumped forwards, going for the offensive. That was her fatal mistake. It grabbed the guard by the horn and twisted sharply, breaking the bone-like structure off of the mare. The mare was sent barreling into the wall, causing a deep dent to form. Blood poured from the hoof-size hole in the mare’s head and spread on the carpet, dying the white coating into a deep crimson. 
“It” dropped the disguise in a flare of green flames. A crown adorned her head, accompanied by a jagged horn that was at least a foot long with several holes punched through the body of it, much like her legs. Many said she looked just like her mother, former Queen Chrysalis…
Which may have been true, yet there was something that clearly defined the difference between the two of them. 
Queen Aria walked over to the fallen body of the guard with the mare’s horn in hand. The mare’s chest rose and fell gently, yet its rhythm began to slow as she bled upon the floor. Aria raised the horn and plunged the horn into the mare’s skull, ending the mare’s life instantly. Her chest rose once more, and fell one last time.
Her mother was weak. She had too much mercy in her heart, and too little discipline. It showed that Aria had learned from her mother’s mistakes, and had done what her mother failed to do. She kept them fed, and they were fed well. They had progressed so much more, more than ever before, with new weapons, spells, and armor. It showed that Celestia wasn’t prepared; the queen walked over to the window and saw that her guards were retreating.
Now, she was ready to accomplish what she had come here to do. Lying peacefully in a deep slumber was the Human she had sought after for so long. Using her magic, she once again disguised herself as Celestia and approached the sleeping human. 
“Honey…” she urgently whispered, “Get up! We’ve been attacked!” 
She shook him vigorously as finally he awoke. He arose from the bed and rubbed the sleep out of his. Then, he looked around the room, too tired to see what was going on, and asked in a hoarse tone,
“What’s going on? What happened? Are you okay?” 
Genuine concern filled his eyes as he finally took in his surroundings. The wall was blown out, and there were two dead guards by the door.
“You were attacked, and would have been dead had these guards warned me,” she said in a depressed tone.
He rushed over to the guards. One was an obvious fatality due to brain trauma and the other he wasn’t sure about. He checked the pulse on both to be sure, and got nothing. Aria, all the while, watched him run around the room. He quickly made his way over to the hole in the wall and saw far below him several dead Changelings and guards. He gagged and threw up over the side of the hole and breathed heavily. He threw up several more times before he rose to recover himself. Aria feigned concern and asked if he was okay, with him saying he was. Once again, he stood to look over the courtyard, back faced to Aria. 
‘Now is the chance,’ she thought to herself, feeling the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She crouched, horn posed and read. She felt like a tigress about to leap upon her prey, waiting for that perfect moment. 
And that moment came. 
He was looking at a doctor aiding a wounded patient, when he felt a sharp pain into his chest. Protruding through the back of his chest was an ivory horn covered in his dripping blood. Surprise, anger, and sadness all raced through his mind at once. Why would she do this to him? Didn’t she love him? 
Blood spewed from his mouth in like a fountain, dribbling down his chin as she pulled her horn out from his back.
Blood was all he could taste… he fell and was flipped onto his back, provoking a strangled screech from him as pain coursed through his body like lava. Only one question remained in his mind; why?
As if she read his mind, she glared at him with pure malice in her eyes.
“I never loved you; you became more of a burden than anything these past years.”
‘Please, no…’ he silently begged, ‘don’t do this.’
She scowled at him as she continued. “You were more of a trophy than anything; I was bored with life, and there’s a reason I avoid taking nobles as consorts.”
‘Please, I beg of you,’ he desperately pleaded in his mind, tears rolling down the side of his face and blending in with the blood on the floor. His face was caked in blood and displayed extreme confusion and sadness.
“I never loved you. I did it only because you were something new and different.”
With this, he began to sob even more through the pain. It broke him physically and mentally. What had he done so wrong? He had done nothing but good for her, and she says he was a waste of time.
Her hair was dyed crimson in various places, yet it still flowed in the non-existent air. She approached his body, and spit in his face. 
“Good riddance,” she continued, “I’m doing a world a favor.” 
Her horn lit up and his body fell limp as he was levitated off the ground. Blood poured from the hole in his back and chest, and he began to see black spots in his vision. His head rolled back, and he saw he was being levitated not into the courtyard, but into the vicious river ahead. He screamed, fear gripping his body and pain only making it worse. This was where it would end for him; stabbed in the back and thrown into the river. Hovering over the river, she hollered over to him from the bedroom,
“I never loved you; you deserve this more than anything.”
Then, he felt weightless as he fell. All he saw was the sun in the sky, before he fell into the river, carrying him away forever. And then it was black.




Celestia awoke with a start; it took her a lot of control to not start screaming.
She sighed and looked through the window, seeing the base camp was quickly approaching. She knew that this would not be the end for her; she knew there was more for her in stock. The Hive, as far as she was concerned, was going to be destroyed. Even then, this would not satisfy her. Then again, after she thought she had found the one and he was murdered by an imposter of her, how could you replace the hole that it left? 
Only time could tell for the Princess.