> Twilight's Reign
>  by Flopinator1976
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
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Being a princess was hard work. Being a ruler was even harder work. While her friends took on various responsibilities as her fellow members of the Friendship assembly, it was she alone that perched upon a throne that once belonged to her mentor. It was she alone that signed decrees and smiled for photo ops with dignitaries that she barely talked to before being whisked away to another meeting. It was she alone that retired to her chambers, exhausted beyond belief by the duties of her reign. And it was she alone that stood in the mirror, day after day, wondering if Celestia was right when she told Twilight that she was meant to succeed her. 

Twilight sighed. Although she knew the importance of her responsibilities to the greater Equestria, she couldn’t help but long for the simpler days, where she and her friends could traverse landscapes for days just to get roped into some wacky adventure. She missed the days when a pile of books could take up her whole week, when she and Spike would bicker on their way to get apples from the market in her adopted small town. 

She sighed again, long-ago memories flooding her mind like crashing waves on a rocky shore. Her mind was sharper than those rocks, but the jaggedness was much the same. There were caves on her shore that longed to be explored, rabbit holes that were blocked by the business of her royal schedule. She wanted a break from being Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ruler of Equestria, and just be Twilight. 

“Your Majesty, are you decent? I have some changes to your schedule I need to go over.” 

Her chief of staff(and best friend) Spike, was knocking on her door, and it was then she noticed the sunlight filtering through her curtains. The curtains were velvety and rich purple hue, perfectly complimenting her starry bedspread and trusty Star-Swirl the Bearded-gifted coronation pillows. Raising the sun, a Celestian duty she once marveled at as a little filly, was automatic now, and it even surprised her sometimes that a sunny day was rising, as her horn seemed to raise the sun on autopilot. However, the simple task of raising the sun and moon each day wasn’t always so ingrained, and it was something she had learned the hard way a few moons ago, when she was faced with one of the worst moments of her royal career. 

Twilight became lost in thought even more as she recalled, just a few months ago, how her carelessness as a ruler had caused such a ferocious uproar from the pony public. It was an event so tragic, so unexpected, and so preventable that she could hardly sleep a wink without the horror of that day claiming her even in dreams. As she tried to move on from her mistakes, she was reminded that the stakes were different. The lives of Ponies everywhere depended on her, and their problems were her problems too. She was still trying to become herself again after days of grief and guilt following the disaster. The mood in the castle was still somber, still sad, and still self-destructive. 

Her friends and colleagues tried to reason with her that it wasn’t her fault, that sometimes tragedies just happen, but Twilight couldn’t move on, not now, not ever. As she attended memorials for victims and their families, she was faced with the duality of fervent, almost cultist support, and protests that swarmed her carriage wherever she went. The world of Twilight Sparkle was reaching a fever pitch, and she didn’t know if she would ever get to simmer down. 

However, another sharp knock on the door broke her out of her daily guilt-fest, and she answered quickly before it was found out again that she was blaming herself. Again. 

“Yes Spike! I’m ready. And I’m still Twilight, remember? You don’t need to call me that fancy title!” She answered, her words coming out strained as her voice was not accustomed to the daytime. She was, truthfully, still in her pajamas and slippers. Her mane was frizzy, and the bags under her eyes only seemed to get more pronounced every day. As she rushed to get into her royal garb, Spike came through the door, his scaly self fresh and shiny after one of his legendary seven-hour bubble paths. Twilight rolled her eyes playfully when he grinned sheepishly, picking up on her frazzled mane and eyes. 

‘Wow Twi, you look awful. Maybe one of those seven hour bubble-baths will fix-”

His words were cut off as he tripped on the cold crystal floor, which was so shiny Twilight often used it as a mirror. Spike had tripped on a teddy bear that Twilight still had for comfort, a coronation gift from Fluttershy. Spike got up and tossed the bear back onto the bed, and gave a steadying eye to Twilight, keenly aware of the mess she was in, both emotionally and environmentally. 

“You know, I was serious earlier about the bubble-bath thing, I think it would be great, if you can find time in your schedule, of course”. He said, simultaneously trying to reach a decorative gem on Twilight’s dresser, before he was swatted away with her hoof and she snickered. He had been trying to be sneaky with his claws, but she could see right through him. 

“Spike, there’s plenty of gems in the kitchen!” 

“I know, but they taste so much better when you aren’t supposed to be eating them!” He whined, before Twilight relented, taking the shiny red, heart-shaped gem off the wall with her magic and floated the object over to Spike, and he happily accepted it with a big smile, before clearing his throat and starting again. 

“You know Twi, it’s been a tough time for you lately, what with the Manehattan elections and the Neighagara Falls disaster, and maybe you should, you know….” Spike trailed off, knowing how the word “relax” triggered something in Twilight. 

As a ruler, she hated that word. It made her feel guilty, as if she couldn’t spend a moment without benefiting the world. Sometimes she wanted to “relax” to just lie back and read a good book or take a walk in the Castle gardens, but every step she took for her own self-care was rife with thoughts of guilt and shame. She was supposed to serve Equestria, not herself. Right? 

Right. 

A Few Months Earlier

Some moons ago, Twilight had turned in for an early night, allowing herself just a few minutes to read before her scheduled sleep started. As she had flipped through the pages of the latest Daring Do novel(a long-awaited collaboration between Do and her wife, Shadow Spade), disaster had struck the far North of Equestria, and it was Twilight’s fault. She had been so engrossed in the pages of her book that even her deeply ingrained task of raising the moon had gone unnoticed. She had just finished a chapter involving both Daring Do and Shadow Spade barely escaping a mysterious, probably haunted temple when she felt herself dozing off, and she entered the world of dreams, even as the sun still blazed in the sky. Ponies both within and outside of the castle were confused as to why the Princess hadn’t brought the nightfall, and a clamor of guards raced to her chambers, but the Princess was in a deep sleep, and it was forbidden for anyone but her to enter her room, as it was enchanted with a spell that only Twilight could break. Typically, this afforded her privacy, but unbeknownst to her now, it had brought her isolation from the disaster her unlowered sun was causing. 

Many miles away, the famous Neighagara falls was gearing up for another summer season of fun and adventure, and perhaps a little danger. Tourists loved to brave the rushing rainbow water and jagged rocks of the waterfall, and the night time was often the best time to do it, and the reflective, multi-colored water was almost blinding during the day. As the night was raised at a precise time every day, some daring ponies would time their treks to the fall to swim in the waters just as the sun set. It wasn’t illegal, necessarily, but anypony who ventured out to the “nightfall” as the area was called relied on the Princess’s specific timing of raising the moon. That way, the sun would fall as soon as they jumped into the vibrant water, allowing the dark night to illuminate rocks and other cautions, so tourist groups and their guides could swiftly avoid fatalities. 

Guides to this spot were specifically trained, down to the second, to give the all-clear. The tourists themselves forked up many bits to attend special safety sessions and classes for the chance to experience the adrenaline rush and natural beauty of one of Equestria’s most breathtaking spots. The tourists also knew the value of time, and the importance of the Princess raising the moon at the same time. One second earlier, and the ponies wouldn’t be able to see where to jump and where to avoid. On this particularly fateful night, guides and ponies jumped, either by themselves, or within inflatable crafts, to ride the waterfall down to the gorgeous lake that pooled below. The timing was so that for the first second, ponies would be blinded by the sun to their surroundings, and then the darkness would envelope the sky, and they would skillfully change course. 

This tourist spot was swarmed by crowds every year, and brought in tons of revenue to the small towns that bordered the area. Although Twilight never liked seeing the inevitable photos of ponies’s travels there, she had coordinated with the Equestria Tourism Bureau to implement safety measures for the trendy and picturesque spot. Day after day, the moon rose precisely, and ponies whooped and cheered as their moments had come. The number of visitors to this spot had increased tenfold after Discord himself had made a pilgrimage there, plunging to the murky depths of the colored water before briefly turning everything into cheese(he was permanently banned, but permanently beloved). 

On this particular day, Twilight was still wrapped up in her story and her dreams, and she hadn’t heard the knocks at her door and the increasingly frantic voices of her guards and Spike, who unsuccessfully tried to pick the lock with his claws. Eventually, Twilight had woken that fateful day with a pounding headache and a pit in her stomach as she looked at the clock and then outside the window, frantically lowering the moon before opening her door. She hoped that no one had noticed it was a few hours late, but she doubted that was the case. She lowered her head and opened the door. 

The first thing she noticed was the color drained from everypony’s faces, as she was rushed to her throne room before one of her most senior advisors trotted up to her with a grim look on his face. It was still the middle of the night, she had thought. What could possibly be so important in the middle of the night on a random summer’s day? She knew it was nothing good. 

Her guard carried with him a scroll that looked freshly written and stamped, as if someone had written it in a hurry. She saw the seal that indicated it was from the Northern Territory, and the put in her stomach grew as she remembered what she had messed up. 

The moon…

“Your Majesty, a terrible tragedy has occurred at the Neighagara Falls National Park.” Her senior guard hesitated, as he must have known how devastating the news would be for the neurotic princess. 

“What happened?” Twilight asked, her voice weak with worry. Somehow, she already knew. Magic works in funny ways, and even her horn seemed to be drained of color. 

“Well, um…” the guard stammered, clearly unprepared for the news he was reading from the scroll. “It seems that there have been a high number of fatalities at the waterfall.” 
The guard eyed her as he went on, the lines on his weary and aging face seeming to grow deeper every second, and he tried to muster up the specifics of what happened. 

“Your Majesty…” He said slowly, as if bracing for impact. “The moon was raised too late.” 

The moon was raised too late. 

The moon was raised too late. 

The moon was raised too late. 

The words rang in her eyes as her vision blurred, trying but failing to focus on the rest of what was being said. All she could think about was the little information that could be shared with the pending investigation into the tragedy. 

The guard's report haunted her as she could make out only sparse details. 
Over a hundred bodies. The waters were so bloodied that rescue teams couldn’t tell survivors from the deceased, and there were even reports of rescuers fainting when they arrived at the scene. The area was entirely evacuated, and the attraction would be closed to the public for the foreseeable future. 

All because the moon was “raised too late” in the words of the report. 

But Twilight, even in her sleepy and shocked haze, knew what that meant. The statement may have been worded passively, but it certainly wasn’t passive. 

She had raised the moon too late. 

She had been reading when she should have been working. 

She had been careless and selfish, and now she had caused the worst Neigahara Falls disaster in modern Equestrian history. 

Twilight had known all along she would make mistakes as a ruler. It was inevitable. But not like this. 

Not like this.  

Present 

In the months since the tragedy, news stations across every city were consumed with it. Stories of survival and demise seemed to be on every screen and in every paper. Tributes were held, and families gave tearful eulogies at the newly erected plaques in the castle’s gardens. Twilight herself gave a public speech, carefully tiptoeing around her own complicity in the tragedy. Since news had broken about Twilight’s unintentional role in the disaster, her public approval had plummeted to levels not seen since her disastrous, drunk appearance at Ponychella, when a few too many royal-box indulgences had prompted her bodyguards to whisk her away, just as Coloratura had started her highly-anticipating evening set. 

A night of silly partying had nothing on this horror, though. Twilight was generally well-liked among the public, and even her occasional breaches of royal etiquette only endeared her to the public even more. She was loved Equestria-wide for her authenticity, her fairness, her commitment to justice, and-of course-her friendships with the Mane Six. Together, the group were paragons of their respective, modeling the elements of friendship for a public that was eager to learn. For a while in her tenure as Princess, as Princess Celestria and Luna watched with pride from afar, her public image had remained mostly unscathed. 

Until now, that is.

The funerals and tributes were only the start. After the investigation revealed that it was indeed the unlowered sun that had caused ponies to plummet to their deaths, all eyes were on the Princess. She paced in her chambers with Spike at her side, away from the eyes and ears of her guards, some of whom had quit in protest after her mistake. 

“I’m telling you, Twi. It wasn’t your fault! It was a mistake, alright!” Spike yelled, an uncharacteristic moment of intensity from him. Noticing Twilight’s widened, almost shell shocked eyes, his voice softened. 

“What I mean is, I think taking a moment for yourself would be a good thing! Take a bath, go for a walk, or literally do anything that doesn’t involve meetings and ceremonies!” Spike’s big eyes were almost filled with tears as he tried to comfort the mare that had raised him.  

“I’m telling you Spike, it might have been a mistake, but it was my fault!” She shot back, her fuzzied mane and bloodshot eyes making her look almost deranged as she started to cry. 

Twilight couldn’t believe she had gotten to this point as she paced around her room, Spike following, giving encouragement that might have well have never been said at all. She couldn’t ignore the guilt that was so palpable it almost seemed to spill out of her body with her tears. It was as if there was so much sadness and negativity in her that it couldn’t even fit inside, and she half-expected some ghostly configuration of herself to rise out of her, tears and anger and all. 

Her much-too-large room was decorated with pictures of her friends and family. Her large, four poster bed was in one corner, a desk and lamp near the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out into the gardens, where the plaques of ponies, visible from her room, almost taunted her. There was a plush carpet beneath her hooves, giving her a brief reprieve of the cold floor that took up most of the room. Sunlight filtered through the room. Her sunlight. Casting everything in a glow that reminded her of the beauty she was surrounded with while the outside world grew increasingly ugly. Polaroids adored the walls, and bookshelves were built into the walls, although nowadays she rarely had time to read for herself, her personal collection overlooked in favor of official documents and the occasional wayward manifesto. 

There was a housing crisis in Canterlot, as ponies flocked to the dazzling city for increasingly smaller homes for increasingly larger prices. Neigahara Falls was still reeling from the horror of what happened, and the once tourist-swarmed towns that surrounded it were somber and prone to unrest. Manehatten’s contentious election for mayor had prompted riots, and the city had come under increased scrutiny for its pollution. Las Pegasus, the city that never seemed to stop partying, had been prone to increasing corruption within its resorts, as the Flim-Flam brothers continued their monopoly on the area which had once been a thriving place for small businesses and local markets. Phillydelphia and San Ponio seemed to be doing well, if you took out their ever-increasing storefront vacancies and the rising wealth gap. Even Ponyville was more chaotic than ever before. Even the castle itself seemed to sigh with relief as day turned to night, grateful for a chance to rest after the issues that seemed to envelop every day with increasing intensity. 

All in all, Twilight was at the center of a swirling storm of controversy and corruption, of progress and pitfalls, of support and dislike. Most days, she could barely get through her duties without breaking down. She wondered how Celestia and Luna made it through for so long. 

Then again, it used to be easier, didn’t it? 

Now more than ever, Twilight needed to become herself again.
> Chapter 1-Unexpected Guests
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The sun seeped through the curtains. The clock ticked on the wall, and Twilight was busy becoming acquainted with the various royal fascinators that were being shuffled out of Rarity’s massive suitcase. Today wasn’t just any other day, it was a wedding, one that Twilight had the honor of officiating. Whether Twilight truly relished the honor of officiating or was dreading another high-profile public appearance, she couldn’t say. 

“Darling, settle down! You can’t look gorgeous if you don’t hold still!” Rarity was practically chasing Twilight around her expansive room, as Twilight's knack for nervous pacing seemed to never let up. 

“I’m trying!” Twilight said. “My hooves practically have a mind of their own! It’s not my fault that Applejack and Rainbow Dash insisted on having a special Wonderbolts routine for their wedding…one that I mistakenly agreed to be in. I've been practicing with Spitfire practically every moment I get, and I can't do it right! I can’t get anything right!” Twilight wailed as she paced around like a nervous hummingbird. 

“Alright darling, I’ve had enough of your self pity!” Rarity was practically fuming, her dazzling purple mane usually ruffled and her typically perfect coat blushing an unruly shade of red. Her hooves clicked over the floor as she used her magic to wrangle Twilight into an elaborate, almost ostentatiously beautiful fascinator. It was a deep blue, fitted with white lace and embroidered with painstakingly accurate constellations in threads of gold. 

Twilight’s room was a mess, something that was expected as of late but still sent a shiver down Rarity’s spine, as it made her think of all the ways her friend had lost her way over the past few months. Twilight had always been high strung, nervous, and a perfectionist, but now that was replaced with something even more potent. Over the various challenges that her rulership had faced recently, Twilight had become someone else entirely. She wasn’t just frustrated and upset over the situations that had been plaguing Equestria. She was downright depressed. She was grieving, and she was showing no signs of moving on. 

Rarity sighed, an action that seemed to happen almost every minute she was around Twilight. It was almost inevitable that Twilight’s mood would overcome her too when they were together. The Mane Six were always there for each other, but even amidst their various efforts to help their friend, Twilight wasn’t getting out of this rut. Sometimes, Rarity wondered if she could ever move past this, but didn’t say anything, as she didn’t want to put that out into the world. So she pasted on a sympathetic smile as Twilight continued her wailing, and trotted over to envelope her friend into a much needed hug. She was careful to not budge the fascinator or wrinkle the carefully crafted, aerodynamic gown that she had spent months working on. 

They may have been hugging for a few seconds, or a few days for that matter. Time had seemed to stop in the castle lately, as the mood over the past few months had dipped to a level only seen when Celestia was forced to banish her own sister into the moon. 

Eventually, the two ponies untangled their embrace, and Rarity put the finishing touches on Twilight’s ensemble, smoothing the rich velvet fabric with her hooves before adjusting the straps on Twilight’s shoes, a pair of simple yet elegant black kitten heels, with matching silk gloves for her front legs. 

Twilight looked up at Rarity and inspected her hairdo, her eyes red-rimmed but no longer teary. “Thank you Rarity”, she said, her words almost a whisper, barely audible, even in the quiet early morning. Twilight’s mane was finished, and Rarity added a single flower, a rose, perched at the very edge of her fascinator. The red rose had been plucked from the castle gardens, grown specifically as a tribute for the victims of the Neighagara Falls disaster, something that plagued everypony’s mind even months after. As a royal, it was in Twilight’s best interest to honor the victims in any small way she could, as the public was still reeling from the knowledge that it was their beloved princess that had unknowingly caused such a horror. 

“No problem, dear. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to style my best friend for such a big day! I figured making outfits for all of us–plus two wedding dresses and a dragon-friendly suit–would be the best advertising a pony could get!” Rarity said, enthusiasm decorating her every word. 

Twilight huffed out a laugh, Rarity never failing to impress her with her savvy businesspony mind. Rarity’s boutiques in Ponyville, Canterlot and Manehatten were always the talk of the fashion world, each garment highly anticipated, and always the star of every Fashion week runway. Rarity’s designs were splashed on celebrities from every sector of the entertainment world, and she had expanded her shops to nearly every corner of the world, including new developments in Saddle Arabia and Neighhai, and even a Yak-style shop in Yakyakistan. Despite the monumental success she had experienced, Rarity’s shops always prided themselves on hoofmade, sustainable, and unique pieces. Her right-hoof mare, Sassy Saddles, had been instrumental in helping her expand her reach, and together they had ushered in a new, exciting era of Pony fashion. Thus, Rarity’s business smarts never failed to bring a smile to her face, even in the midst of such hardships. 

Rarity had spent months designing the dresses, and Pinkie Pie had slaved away at her bakery to cater a feast worthy of the thousands of ponies that would be attending the afterparty, and had planned a certified Pinkie Pie-approved bash, with the help of Cheese Sandwich and sprinkle of chaos from Discord. Fluttershy had been tasked to calm the animals and cultivate the castle gardens for the special occasion, a process that had taken months after a late-spring storm had destroyed many of the delicate bushes and flowers. Spike was constantly running around back and forth with a checklist that seemed longer every second. Trixie and Starlight were busy preparing the fireworks and magic candles that would be stationed around as the day would grow into the evening. The Cutie Mark Crusaders would be hosting a kid’s craft table to keep the little ones occupied as the main ceremony went on. And lastly, Twilight had to officiate for her friends and the thousands of ponies that would be watching, both across the world and just outside the castle grounds, where thousands of folding chairs had been set up for those who wanted an up-close view. 
Although Applejack and Rainbow Dash were not technically royals themselves, it was still widely considered a “royal wedding” nonetheless. The two ponies, who had impressed the world with their daring efforts and boundless spirit for hard work and adventure, were finally tying the knot. Twilight only wished that their long-planned wedding had come at a time when the world wasn’t so fractured. Not only would she have to keep a steady presence throughout the massive event, she was also attending the afterparty and pre-wedding festivities. Great. Another way for her to guilt-trip herself. Partying and enjoying Pinkie Pie’s fabulous cupcakes in the fairy-tale gardens of her crystalline castle while most ponies were lucky to get a shoebox apartment in the ever-packed capital city. 

It was an almost herculean effort that required the amalgamation of everypony’s efforts to bring the best of their work on the special day, but all Twilight could think about was how selfish it seemed, how out-of-touch she had become, how detached Princess Twilight Sparkle the Royal Celebrity was from Twilight, who would rather spend her days helping her friends save the world than roaming the halls of a yet another corrupt political institution. 

“Helloooo…Equestria to Twilight” Rarity’s high-pitched voice broke her from her near-stupor, and Twilight remembered where she was. In her bedroom, with its crystal walls adorned with gems of all shapes and colors, her built-in bookshelves collecting dust and her desk spilled over with papers, some of which had been ripped up in her ever-present frustration. 

Her vaulted ceilings and almost floor-to-ceiling bay windows reminded her of the grandness of her situation. From her windows, just beyond the perfectly-groomed gardens with its hedge maze and apple trees, sat the silhouettes of newly-constructed high-rise apartment buildings, complete with renderings of their interiors plastered all around the construction, which Twilight couldn’t quite make out, but figured they were very expensive, and very, very small. 

She quickly answered Rarity before she could suspect Twilight of staring into space yet again. The two of them made their way past Twilight’s spell-sealed doors and made the long journey down a dozen hallways and sets of stairs before they made their way to the wedding hall. Although the wedding wasn’t due to start until the late afternoon, ponies had already started to pack the hall, where a few hundred seats had been reserved for family, friends, colleagues, and other important figures. Rarity immediately rushed back through the doors they came, muttering something about Applejack spilling cider on her dress and Rainbow Dash trying to fly away from the castle after getting cold hooves. Twilight found herself in a sea of ponies, most of which she greeted with the polite but empty customs she was used to as a royal. She chatted for a bit with Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, who were busy trying to stop newly-minted big sister Flurryheart from zapping her infant brother with a glitter spell. 

“Honestly, Twilight, we need to hang out sometime when the fate of Equestria doesn’t hang in the balance or we aren’t guests at a massively important yet stressful ceremony!” Cadence joked, her sincere tone indicating that she was only half-joking. 

Twilight was selfishly grateful that she wasn’t the only one who looked like they could use a bit more sleep, as the now parents of two looked joyful yet completely exhausted as they paraded around their little one to a sea of well-wishers and friends. It was utterly tiring, but a necessary part of a royal life. Flurryheart was going to be a ruler one day, and as Shining Armor often commented, it was never too early for a filly to start networking. While both ponies prioritized the privacy and contentment of their daughter, they also knew that Flurryheart was destined for a role that would require a lifetime of preparing. 

As Twilight moved throughout the sea of ponies(which seemed more like a stormy ocean, to be precise) she spotted Spike and her friends hanging out on the deck behind the altar, which was still being set up by a crew of the city’s most dependable construction ponies. Twilight was relieved to see that Zephyr Breeze was not among them, as she figured he might try to weasel his way into being “helpful” today. Thankfully, the perpetually zany pony was helping get Applejack and Rainbow Dash prepared for their big day, as his talent for hairstyling had proved to be very fruitful recently. Twilight knew that Fluttershy was so proud of her brother for opening up a second location for his uber-popular salon company, even though he got on her nerves the better part of any given moment. 

They all looked so beautiful. Fluttershy’s dress was perfect for her, a bohemian-style gown adorned with a pattern of butterflies, and a flower crown with fresh roses and daisies picked from the garden outside. Pinkie Pie was dressed in pink, of course, her vibrant ball gown sparkling in the morning sun, and her equally colorful hair tamed nicely with a wide-brim cream-colored hat. While Rarity was still busy helping the brides get ready, Twilight was sure she had a gorgeous gown just waiting to dazzle when the time came for the brides to come down. 

Spike’s dragon-proof suit was dapper and his matching bow-tie had been enchanted to have wisps of dragon fire on both ends. Although the day had finally arrived and most of the work had been completed, his list still trailed down to the floor as ponies still came up to him to report on the latest news, both from within and outside of the castle. Twilight was enough in earshot to hear updates on the breaking news of the Griffin territory’s worrying population declines and the latest update on Star-Swirl the Bearded’s ailing health. 

Spike had relegated Twilight from her duties of the day, telling her that he would handle her royal meetings for the day while she prepared for her role in the ceremony. Twilight figured Spike’s head must be spinning with all of the meetings he had to attend and statements he had to make for her today, as the news never stopped, even though Twilight wished she could make the world pause for just today. She wanted to enjoy such a wonderful occasion, but she knew from the various looks in Spike’s eyes as he received scroll after scroll that she would be drowning in a pile of work as soon as the party winded down enough so she could slink away back to her chambers. 

“Hey Twi-Twi!” Pinkie cheered as soon as the group spotted her. She quite literally bounced on over to Twilight, cooing at her dress and giving her a bone-crushing hug. “How’re you doing?” Pinkie asked, the big smile never leaving her face. The tinge of worry in her eyes betrayed her, and Twilight didn’t want to confirm Pinkie’s concern by being truthful. 

“I’m doing better.” She lied, the bitterness of dishonestly stinging her tongue. She was just glad Applejack was too busy upstairs to see through her. “It’s been a tough road, but I’m hoping I've gotten through the tough stuff!” She was surrounded by hugs from all sides as her friends moved in to embrace her. 

“That’s great, Twilight!” Fluttershy spoke softly as she gently nuzzled her friend. “We know it’s been hard recently, and we’re so glad that you are feeling better! I’m just so…so…” Fluttershy hesitated, searching for the right word. “Happy that you are doing well! Discord and I were so worried when we saw you crying on that TV interview last week!” 

Before Twilight could cringe even more at that memory, a gust of wind blew in a blur of color as she and her friends were suddenly enveloped in a sticky substance. At the mention of his name, Discord had made a grand entrance. To her great relief, with an audible snap the cotton candy melted away, leaving their outfits damage free, only to be quickly replaced with a massive swarm of tiny Discords. They shouted in unison, but it was so loud that Twilight could not make out what he was saying. 

“Discord, stop!” Fluttersky reprimanded, before the tiny Discords fused together to bring the draconequus together in all of his chaotic, yet reformed glory. Discord’s frankenstein body snaked around Fluttershy as he attempted to snap his fingers yet again. Fluttershy quickly gave him a glare, and he hung his head, apologizing. 

“Sorry pony friends…” he said, his sarcastic words indicating that he wasn’t sorry at all, but they took it all in good fun. He may have been reformed, but it was useless to try and reign in his fundamentally mischievous spirit. 

The three ponies looked at him, eyebrows raised. 

Discord sheepishly blushed before snapping his claws, creating a suit for himself to attend the party. In true Discord fashion, the suit was actually several smaller suits stitched together, creating an assemblage that was at once perfect for the occasion and almost blinding in its hideousness. Fluttershy only giggled at her partner’s display, knowing that if Discord had his way, the entire floor would soon be turned into an ice skating rink. It made sense then, that Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, and Discord had collaborated on the afterparty activities. If there was one thing that Discord’s chaos magic was good for, it was having a good time. 

Twilight was relieved that their early conversation thread had been cut by Discord’s characteristic arrival, and she found herself in a rare moment of gratitude for the honorary pony. Although Discord could be an absolute pain sometimes, he had been instrumental in helping forge pony-creature relations. His presence at various public events was always well-received by the public, and he had even grown to have a cult following of fans, which was something he evidently relished as Twilight often spotted him signing autographs with any one of his many claws when he was on duty in Equestria. While he still frequented his own dimension when he and Fluttershy had rare time off of their duties, his home base had become Canterlot, and he was a fixture at local events, often performing tricks for young kids and making balloon animals out of various materials that were certainly not balloons. 

In their early days, when Twilight and her friends had first freed him from his stone imprisonment, she would have never expected that the crazy creature would become one of the most influential, if a little baffling, political figures in modern Equestrian history. There was even a holiday in his honor, and a large stone statue stood in the outskirts of Equestria where he had first been taken out of his imprisonment. The Ponyville tourism agency was delighted that the statue and its surrounding tributes brought so much money into the local economy that the town was considering expanding the surrounding park and gardens into a theme park. They were also planning on adding more dates and times for the sold out trotting tours that ponies from all over flocked to on “Discord Day”. 

Again lost in her own daydreams, Twilight snapped out of it when Spike patted her hoof, alerting her to snap out of it. She was grateful that Spike could tell when she was getting too into her head. They had a shared agreement that if Twilight started “Twilighting” as Spike dubbed it, he would give her a discreet tap to bring her back to the present. Without Spike, Twilight wouldn’t know how she would ever make it through a day again without having an anxiety attack or crying. 

Suddenly, a loud scream pierced through the room. Twilight was suddenly tackled to the ground, before looking up to see it was one of her most trusted guards, evidently protecting her from danger, as she could see his armor was dented with what looked to be some sharp weapon. The crowd immediately dispersed, and a small group of ponies were left. They were dressed in identical crimson robes, a sick sensation creeping up on Twilight as she realized it was the exact color of bled. Each pony held in their hands a photograph, and as they slowly moved forward, Twilight could barely make out the faces in the photos. She had seen those faces before. 

In the photos of the accident that the grieving princess had to view for her own debrief of the tragedy, she could plainly see that the photos that this group of intruders were holding were the same as some of the victims she had seen in one of her meetings months prior. But what was this group here for?

Fortunately, or unfortunately perhaps, Twilight’s lingering question was answered as guards began to swarm the entrance, completely surrounding the small, robed group. 

Her most senior guard spoke in a booming voice that could be heard even by the birds outside. 

“How dare you endanger the life of our ruler! We should have you thrown in Tartarus immediately!” He bellowed, the anger on his face visible even from Twilight’s hampered view, as she was still being completely protected by one of her guards. She tried to wiggle her way out of his grip so she could get a better view of the group, but she was held down, and her guard whispered for her to be quiet, for her own safety. She didn’t like being told to be quiet, but she instinctively knew that something was very, very wrong. 

The biggest pony in the group, who Twilight assumed to be the leader, only snickered at the guard’s anger. “She’s not our ruler.” he said matter-of-factly. 

The guard was confused and shocked at the declaration. “What ever do you mean? How dare you question the rulership of Princess Twilight Sparkle!” If it was even possible, his voice got louder. 

Even Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who were themselves also forced onto the ground by guards, were confused. They looked at each other, then to Spike, and then to Twilight, all of them exchanging curious glances. What could that pony possibly mean that Twilight wasn’t their ruler? She was the ruler of the entire Equestria, and had a significant diplomatic and political presence in other territories, like YakYakistan and the Changeling Kingdom. How could anyone deny her rulership? It was such a bizarre statement it seemed comical, like this entire attack was some kind of wedding day prank. No one would be shocked if Rainbow Dash had something funny up her sleeve for her big day, but this seemed too scary, even though the rainbow pony loved a good scare. She wouldn’t ever consider trying to hurt Twilight, even for a prank. 

Plus, why would anyone try to remind Twilight of that horrible day just for laughs? It wouldn’t make sense, plus every pony in that group would be liable for jail time by attacking a royal official. The way the large pony had sneered “she’s not our ruler” without such venom dripping from his words made Twilight realise something frightening. 

Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Spike all seemed to come to the same conclusion at the same time. 

This wasn’t a prank. It was a warning. 

But a warning of what?
> Chapter 2-The Wedding Must Go On
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fear seeped through the castle’s halls not unlike the misty fog of the Everfree forest. Ponies were huddled together, their beautiful gowns and impeccable manes betrayed by their anxious faces. While the event hall was being repaired after the attempted attack on Princess Twilight, all the construction ponies in Equestria couldn’t repair the ache in Twilight’s soul. 

What was the meaning of their words? Why did they phrase it like that? Were they dissatisfied with Twilight’s work as a royal? Did they want her replaced? Were they trying to hurt her? Or worse….

Twilight wouldn’t put it past anyone to be unhappy with her handling of Equestria in recent times. With all of the problems plaguing the world, she wouldn’t put it past herself to want someone new. But couldn’t those cloaked ponies declare their intentions without violence? Without weapons? Without the potential of death? Her death…

She looked around again, as she was rushed up to her private chambers by her guards, trailed behind by her friends. Rarity was still somewhere helping the brides, and Spike had sent word of the attack but encouraged Rarity to keep Applejack and Rainbow Dash calm and ready for their big day. Even Zephyr Breeze, in all of his irksome self, needed to help keep the mood high and worry low. After all, the show must go on–in this case, a wedding. Such an important event couldn’t be canceled by such a rogue group of ponies, even if they had attempted to hurt Twilight. She refused to cancel the event even though her own fear crept down to her shaking hooves. The last thing Canterlot needed was to bring even more bad news to their citizens. 

Although Twilight’s public image had taken several hits in recent memory, the sheer spectacle of a wedding brought much-needed revenue to the city’s various food and souvenir vendors, as tourists swarmed hotels and restaurants. The Tasty Treat, a delicious and unique spot that Rarity and Pinkie Pie had helped fix many moons ago, was even more crowded than usual, with ponies lining around the block for a taste of one of the castle’s official caterers. In short, a wedding may have been an uncomfortably elaborate and grand affair, but it was also exactly what Canterlot needed right now. Nevermind that most ponies couldn’t even afford the hoof-stitched tablecloths that were custom patterned for the reception. Nevermind that Canterlot’s most treasured historical buildings were being bulldozed for yet another set of apartment complexes. Nevermind that Twilight’s hometown had become more like the overstuffed chaos of Manehattan than the elegant, academic haven of her formative years. 

But as the bells chimed across the city, signaling that midday had finally arrived, Twilight’s thoughts came to a screeching halt as she remembered her single responsibility for the day, something that had eluded her mind ever since the terrifying attack just a few hours prior. 

“Oh crap!” She muttered, nudging Spike awake, who had fallen asleep on her plush carpet rug while her friends were sitting around and chatting quietly, not wishing to disturb the princess when she was deep in thought. 

Spike shot up like someone had lit a firecracker under his scales. “I’m awake, I’m awake, I’m awa-” he started, but was quickly silenced by Twilight’s hoof as she caught her breath after Spike’s shouting scared her half to death. Even after raising him from just a hatchling she was amazed that such a loud sound could come out of such a tiny dragon. 

Spike grinned as he stood up and brushed himself off, glaring at Discord as he snickered and mumbled something about Spike’s laziness. “Like you’ve been soooo helpful Discord!” Spike said. “At least I’ve gotten most of my tasks done!” Spike gestured to his ever-growing list, with the majority of boxes checked with neat little claw marks. 

Discord huffed, and snaked himself over to the window where he gazed out on the view Twilight was currently pondering, glaring down at the various gardeners that Fluttershy had employed to help with landscaping. “Tsk tsk, Spikey Wikey… I can finish everything with a snap of my claws! Unlike your pitiful dragon self, the Lord of Chaos himself is able to rip the very fabric of reality with just a finger!” As if to prove it, he threw his mismatched arms up and started to chant some weird spell, before he was again silenced. 

“Discord!” Fluttershy yelled, kind but firm with her words. “No chaos outside of your duties, remember!” 

Discord’s entire body deflated like a balloon before he fell to the floor in a dramatic heap. “Oh, alright,” he begrudgingly said, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes muted but not gone entirely. 

Twilight just rolled her eyes fondly. Of course Discord was always up to something. Even on one of the most important events in Canterlot, his chaotic spirit was always ready to cause havoc. She was used to his theatrics and silliness, something that was to be expected even in the most important of his diplomatic work. 

But enough musings about her colleague! She had to prepare for her officiating at the wedding, and as she looked at the clock it dawned on her that the wedding would be starting in just a few hours. Her quiet morning of getting ready with Rarity seemed like a lifetime ago as she started to panic. Countless hours of preparing for both the aerial show and the wedding itself seemed to slip away entirely as her vision began to blur. An anxiety attack was coming on. Her grip on her surroundings melted away as everything became a blur. Her eyelids grew heavy as she felt the coldness of her crystal wall fall away, replaced by the familiar softness of her carpet. She must have fallen down, but at this point she didn’t know if she was even in her room anymore. All Twilight could hear and see were visions of herself being torn apart, both literally and figuratively. The angry flyers that were plastered on her carriage every time she attended any event. An avalanche of tabloid articles flooded newsstands whenever she made even the most minor of transgressions. Think pieces and opinion columns about how she was the worst thing to happen to Equestria since Nightmare Moon. 

All of that and more flashed through her mind in the endless expanse of her memory. She could see ponies crying on television as they were interviewed about the Neigahara Falls disaster, or the missing pony posters that dotted every street corner, some families hoping that their children weren’t dead but had just gone away for a while. Twilight could see the raging wildfires that were plaguing cities close to the sparsely populated Foalwood forest. Before her mind flashed images of Cloudedale’s overworked weather factory employees, as they struggled to keep up with the increasing demands of the public. All of the mental waves she was trying to keep at bay crashed ashore, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She collapsed in a heap(her second breakdown of the day) and cried until her eyes were dry again. 

What had gone wrong in her time as leader? Well, it seemed like everything. Celestia and Luna had given her the reins with a conviction that was so deep it must have come from their very bones. The elements of harmony had designed her the power of magic, so why had everything gone awry? Why had her storybook ending given way to such a darkness? 

Why? 
Why? 
Why? 

━━━━

At some point, the world became clearer as she remembered where she was again.

“Twilight, breath!” A familiar chorus of voices surrounded her. Fluttershy was holding her hoof, Spike had brought her a cup of soothing tea, and Pinkie had closed her curtains to bathe the room in a calming glint of sunlight that barely trickled through the curtains. She was never more grateful for her friends, even the one that frequently scared the daylights out of her by way of a surprise party cannon. She loved them more than any poetry or song could capture. She had read more books than anypony she knew, and still didn’t have the words for how her friends made her feel inside. But enough musings on friendship, she had a romance gig to prepare for! 

As she managed to calm down, the ever-creeping nerves gave her the motivation to practice her speech a few times before everypony(plus one dragon, one Lord of Chaos) made their way through the labyrinthian hallways to the fixed-up wedding hall. The soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows looked polished so well that it was almost impossible to think that such a horror had occurred only a few hours before. Twilight filed away a thought to give the event ponies a bonus before making her way to the lectern. The lectern was placed in the exact middle of the altar, giving everypony from the front row to the standing-room back a perfect view of what was sure to be Twilight’s last invitation ever to do a public speaking gig. 


She took several deep breaths as ponies from all walks of life filed in, politicians and dignitaries sharing rows with Applejack’s family of farmers and Rainbow Dash’s beaming parents. Even Flim and Flam had managed to take a break from buying up small-businesses to show up to weddings in laughably bad disguises. Twilight had no idea how they made it past the hundreds of guards stationed through the castle to inspect every guest, but she bet Rainbow Dash was cackling with delight at pulling such a stunt on her big day. 

Speaking of the brides, Spike received a scroll from Rarity that the brides were on their way to the wedding venue after a few last-minute freak-outs. She cleared her throat and motioned to potions to take their seats and glared at Discord to be on his best behavior. She took her place at the altar, and was joined by Rarity soon after. The very proud maid of honor looked a little frazzled as she joined the bridesmaids, which for whatever silly reason included Discord in his dizzying choice of attire. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Starlight, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders rounded out the large group on each side. Rainbow Dash’s old pal Gilda came through the aisle as the flower griffin, and the ceremony started. Twilight let herself drown out the noise around her, only focusing on the big speech she was certainly not prepared for. 

It was going to be a long ceremony, and that wasn’t because of the dozen folksy stories Granny Smith would tell in her toast later. 

Like some kind of great cosmic joke, the wedding went off without a hitch, except for Twilight’s messy, rambling monologue about Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s love story. All the color-coded markers and notecards in the world could not contain her disaster of a speech, and the practicing she had done just a bit earlier seemed to leave her body with whatever remained of her dignity. Thankfully, as soon as she finished speaking, she could relax, and finally enjoy the ceremony to whatever extent her mind allowed her to. 

The picture-perfect gowns that Rarity had designed, different yet complementary, seemed to taunt her. Everything about the ceremony was perfect, except for her. Typical. After the vows, she finished her stint as officiator, and the crowd clapped as the two brides came down the aisle, married mares for all the world to see. 

As everypony made their way to the gardens for the afterparty, Twilight lingered in the hall for a few minutes to get her bearings. She looked around the nearly-empty hall, with its stained glass and velvet carpet. A few ponies had stuck around to help the workers gather up all the chairs, but from her vantage point at the altar, they could have been in another room for all she noticed. The hall was so large it was eerie, and the many ghost stories she had heard when she was a filly did little to absolve her of that feeling. She must have been staring into space–for the millionth time–because she didn’t notice the massive doors creak open. 

“Come on, Twi-Twi” Pinkie’s cheery voice rang throughout the spacious hall as she poked her head in. 


Twilight snapped up, her heart beating out of her chest. Why did she think the robed ponies had come back to finish what they started? She mentally chastised herself for thinking such an awful thought, as the castle grounds were stocked to the brim with guards, traps, and other safety measures. There was no way anyone could get it if they didn’t have clearance. 

But then again, those ponies had gotten in earlier, when the halls were already at their maximum capacity for guards. If everything was according to her instruction, then it wasn’t possible for them to have made it inside. Unless…

A startling thought creeped up as Pinkie Pie was busy oohing and aahing at the stained glass windows. 

Someone let them in. 
Someone here wants me dead…

But who? 

She quickly left the room(and her thoughts) with Pinkie before she could spiral again. The thought was troubling, of course, but that didn’t mean it was true. She quickly found the punch table, which was approvingly fitted with apple cider, and drank two full glasses before making her way to the crowd. She felt a bit woozy from all she had to drink, but anything was better than letting her mind wander to such scary territories. 

She watched from the sidelines as both brides tossed their bouquets into the crowd, before both were snapped by Discord, who looked positively thrilled as he handed both to an embarrassed but charmed Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie had continued her role as party planner extraordinaire, as the smell of yummy baked goods made Twilight’s stomach grumble. Nowadays with everything on her mind, she found it hard to take care of some of her most basic needs, and that was reflected in the beeline she made for the buffet. As she stuffed her face with Pinkie Pie’s delicious treats(which included several untouched strawberry cinnamon cilantro cupcakes), she was joined by CMCs, who hid under the table as they tried to escape the young ones that had become a bit too attached to them. 

Twilight giggled as it brought back memories of when those very fillies had acted the same way towards her. The circle of life is on full display, she thought, before chowing down on another cupcake. Although the day was marked by several crying fits and a very poor speaking effort, she couldn’t deny that it had turned into a pretty nice night. It was the first time in what seemed like forever that she seemed like something close to happy. 

As the day turned into night, Twilight’s mood changed as the sun did to the moon. There was only one thing on her mind, and it was something else entirely. Something welcome. Something missed. 

A new determination had set over her. She wanted to have more nights like this one, and the beauty of the evening had reignited a flame within her. Having her life back in shape was possible, and she would see to it that the castle gardens weren’t the only remaining carefree place in Equestria. Everypony deserved to feel the way she did, leaning up against a table and watching the birds say their goodnights. Everyone deserved to have these moments, and something long dormant had opened in her heart. 

One thing was clear. She was going to repair Equestria one hoof step at a time. The frayed fabric of her nation would have her very soul woven into it if that’s what it took. She was going to figure out who, if anypony, had betrayed her, and everything would be okay again. 

She gathered her things, and gingerly hugged Spike, leaving him a scrolled message as he slept soundly on the cold floor. As she watched him breath in and out, with a tinge of smoke every few seconds, she knew the second he realized she was gone that he would come find her. So she left a note explaining her absence, trotting over to her bed, fluffing up her pillows and bedspread. Even amidst the worst chapter of her life, she had to get some things in order. Her room was messy enough as is, the least she could do was make it a bit less of a hassle for the cleaning ponies that came every so often to clear out her mountains of paperwork, most of it trivial invitations and notices from neighboring rulers. 

“I sleep like a baby under these cold cavernous ceilings” he had once said to her, back when they lived in her Ponyville castle. She knew now that was only a cover for one of the kindest gifts she had ever received, a massive chandelier made of the remnants of her first home in Ponyville. How long ago that seemed, she thought. How simple, how nostalgic, and how beautiful it was. If her time in this world was an endless, stormy ocean-as it often seemed now–her early days in Ponyville were a slow stream, a sparkling blue hue she wished she could bathe in until the water reached her heart. 

She flipped over some of the gems in her hooves, careful not to wake Spike with her flight. The memories washed over her like the sun washes over an old church, the cracks in her spirit rejuvenated by the wonderful scenes she could see in her mind. Her first party in Ponyville, when she drank so much hot sauce she thought she would burst into flames. When she shared donuts with her friends after a disappointing Grand Galloping Gala. Lastly, she came across gems she had not seen before. Although her room was sealed shut with her own magic, the magic of the elements could never be transcended, and it dawned on her how many new gems had been added to the tree. It was beautiful to think that this tree was still alive in some sense, and that her time of making good memories hadn't come to a close. 

She took a survey of the room that she reluctantly called home, not knowing when she would come back. She had a kingdom to attend to, but herself to attend to first. It would occur to her later, when she was halfway across her trek to Celestia and Luna’s home, that she could have sent a scroll instead. But she was grateful for her lack of foresight, as the flowery plains of rural Equestria gave her the time she needed to think. Without the instant use of her teleportation, her mind naturally wandered, in tune with her wandering hooves. 

Eventually, she reached a small grove of plush flowers surrounded by trees, the perfect little place for privacy as she set up her tent. Was this spontaneous foray into Equestria’s countryside the safest idea? Probably not, considering that she was a public figure currently being hunted down by a group of rogue and robed ponies. She lowered the sun as the time for nightfall hushed across the land, hoping that Spike and the rest of her friends weren’t sending out a search party for her at that very moment. She looked up to the sky and wished upon a star, something that she hadn’t really believed in since she was a small filly with big dreams. Magic worked in unusual ways, and it couldn’t hurt to send out her wishes to the world that had given her everything. 

She imagined Spike finding her letter and reading her handwriting, eyes wide but soft with heavy agreement. She imagined him calming down the castle guards, and designanting roles to her entire team in her absence. She imagined that her closest confidant would respect her wishes to take a short time off to get advice from her mentor. She imagined that Celestia and Luna would welcome her with the kindness she needed. It wasn’t that her friends couldn’t help her, and they certainly did, but it was different with her mentors. They knew better than anyone Twilight’s plight, and they knew what it took to make the world better again. 

But that was still a few stretches of sun away. The fire that had lit inside her that night had dwindled just a bit as reality crept in. However, as long as the flame was still lit, she would continue through hell if it meant Equestria would recover. For now, there was nothing around her but the grass beneath her hooves and the trees that seemed to stretch infinitely above her. The sky above, partially blocked by the trees, was so enchanting she wished she could just be enveloped into the stars, escaping the hellishness that awaited on land. She wished in all her heart that the navy blue would hear her pleas, and lift her up into itself. But the ground needed her. 

Sometimes, she wondered if being banished into the moon wasn’t so bad of a fate. But then again, that was the guilt talking, right? She just needed to fix the entire world, which totally wasn’t a massive undertaking. 

If her talk with Celestia and Luna proved to be fruitful, then that fantasy of hers wouldn’t need to happen and she could fix what she had broken. 

She just didn’t know how….

A rustle of leaves broke her out of herself, and she almost screamed before a familiar face greeted hers, wide blue eyes meeting her tired face. Twilight had expected to see a dangerous creature or one of those scary ponies from the attack, but instead the pony that stood in front of her was one of her best friends. 

Twilight was the first to speak, and gave a small smile. 

“Starlight?” 

Her voice was quiet and raspy, a product of her sleepiness. 
“…How did you find me?” Twilight stammered, startled to be in someone’s company after spending most of the day with no one. 

“The Cutie Map sent me.” She said, “After you left, while everyone else was huddled with Spike as he read your letter, my cutie mark went off, and I found your location on the map. I ran, and I never stopped running.” 

It was then that Twilight noticed Starlight’s disheveled appearance and the small bag on her back, which looked to have been hastily assembled in her panic. Her face was flushed, likely because of the long distance she had galloped. 

Starlight continued, tears pricking her eyes. “Twilight, I came for more reasons than just the map. You’ve…” her words faltered, like whatever she was going to say next was going to pierce her heart. “You’ve changed. I know there’s been a lot on your mind, and it makes sense that you would go to Celestia and Luna for help…” she stopped briefly as her eyes weighed with all the words that were trying to claw out of her throat. 

Twilight waited patiently for Starlight’s next thought, because she knew that despite the empathy her friends back in Ponyville held for her, if there was one single pony that could understand what she was going through the best, she was standing right here. 

“Look, I don’t quite know how to say this. I’ve still got a lifetime to learn about this friendship thing, but what I do know is that I understand how you feel. I understand because, well, I let my own heartache destroy me and everyone in my village. I let my guilt fester until it became something far more dangerous…and…and…” Tears were streaming down Starlight’s face as she said something that shook Twilight to her very core. 

“Twilight, I don’t want you to become like I was.” Starlight said, and the two ponies shared a weighty glance in the sliver of moonlight that filtered in the trees. 

As she watched her friend’s eyes well up over and over, Twilight couldn’t ignore what Starlight was getting at. She was right. She needed help now, or things would only get worse. And if they got worse…well…

She didn’t let the thought finish before she let herself be wrapped up in a hug. Both ponies cried and shared a thousand words without saying anything at all. 

If Twilight’s life was a stormy sea, then her friend might have been the soft sand that pillowed her crashing waves. 

As dawn broke, the two ponies set out, with renewed hope and renewed vulnerability.
> Chapter 3: Advice at the World's End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight checked her map again, a holographic landscape she conjured up with her and Starlight’s combined power, and squinted. 

“How could this possibly be taking so long!” She huffed, and dug her hooves into the earth out of frustration. She wasn’t normally an impatient pony, but the longer she stared at the same set of trees she had wandered into for what seemed like days, the more she was losing her patience. 

Starlight, for her part, wasn’t doing much better. Even with her steadfast determination to help Twilight no matter the cost, she too could feel frustration in her bones. She peered at the map again, and both ponies took a long while to scan every detail of the magical conjuring. 

“Hmm…” Twilight’s eyes were brimming with her signature curiosity, something that was a welcome surprise after her tough few months. 

“I take it you’re thinking of something, Twi!” Starlight said, a tender smugness creeping over her as she mentally patted herself on the back. Perhaps her encouragement hadn’t been in vain, and they were getting somewhere with the whole “fixing Twilight” affair. Not that Twilight needed fixing…she was just a bit lost and needed some guidance. Starlight was happy to help her friend even in small ways. 

As both ponies stared intently, both could feel the absolute agony of running like dogs chasing their tails. It seemed like they were galloping in circlings, despite the map’s eye for detail. Ever since Celestia and Luna retired to a quiet town in rural Equestria, the former rulers made the pilgrimage out to the cities of Equestria for only the most special of occasions. Although they both could not attend the wedding, they had sent their heartfelt congratulations, as well as some characteristic housewarming gifts for the newlyweds. 

Celestia had sent over an antique sundial, a relic she wrote in the card was older than even Starswirl the bearded himself! In true Luna fashion, she had given a telescope that had once belonged to Grogar, the kind hearted brother of the infamous Tirek. No one, not even Celestia, knew how she had acquired such an item, but didn’t ask. Luna must have had plenty of gallivants across Equestria during the night, even when the two sisters were just fillies. 

Regardless of her lovely musings over her mentors, Twilight was almost seething. She wanted their help, needed it, and all that was stopping her was a stupid fucking map. Why couldn’t she find Celestia and Luna’s residence? Why did the map keep leading her and Starlight into circles? 

Unless… 
Celestia and Luna had something to do with it. 

Twilight’s mind raced with the possibilities her striking new realization brought her. Had the sisters enchanted the map? Were they hiding? Were they in danger, or did they just not want to be found? 

Or, more accurately, did they not want to be found by Twilight? 

No. No, that couldn’t be it, couldn’t it? There was no possible way that Celestia and Luna would be that cut off from the ponies they had been with through thick and thin. 

She zapped the map with her horn even with Starlight’s protest. She wasn’t going to rely on her magic to help her get where she wanted to be. In fact, most of the journey she had completed on hoof. There was no way she was going to give up just because her magic was being unhelpful. Somehow, she knew that there was a reason her magic wasn’t able to guide her. It must have been a sign. 

Was it a profound statement about Twilight’s emotional reliance on magic, or simply a mistaken spell? Either way, it wasn’t going to impede her success. 

So she continued on, determined to not let the emotion boiling through her to go to waste. She grabbed a startled Starlight by the hoof, and raced towards the line of trees that dotted their view. 

For what could have been many hours or just a few seconds, both ponies reached an area of Equestria not on their map, and probably not on any map. As the trees grew sparser and lighter, the leaves rustled as a salty wind picked up. Twilight could feel the breeze on her face, and it reminded her of when her mom would take her to the ocean as a young filly. She let the dirt caress her hooves and the wind ruffle her mane. Rarity would be appalled at her lack of brushing whenever she returned, but that thought faded with a glance at Starlight’s soft smile. 

She looked even more at peace than Twilight as they both carried on, trees brushing their sides and soft grass petering out of the dirt they had been crossing for so long. The breeze picked up even more, and eventually what came into view was something so stunning that both ponies were left breathless. 

A stunning, almost blinding lake was before them, with trees dotting along the shoreline like ants. The cliff edge they were standing on was a few hundred feet up, and below them was a rocky beach. It was all so gorgeous, and all so…familiar. 

Twilight’s stomach churned at the site and she resisted the urge to vomit. It couldn’t be… could it? She looked down again, half expecting the water to be a crimson red and hear the voices of shouting paramedics, but nothing had changed. In the logical part of her brain that was currently screaming at her, she knew this wasn’t the place of her nightmares. It simply wasn’t possible. They were too far South and it was far too warm. She wanted to turn back, to scream and hide in the brush forever, but she couldn’t. Somewhere far deeper than where her intellect could reach, she knew she had come here for a reason. She couldn’t change the past, but she could shape the future. That’s what she was counting on. 

A smile almost reached her face as she surveyed the lake once more. There were no waterfalls, no crashing waves, and certainly no jagged rocks. She trotted back to the edge and peered over, motioning Starlight joining her. It was almost the perfect view, until she noticed something that made her heart stop. 

There was a tiny pebble right where Starlight was trotting over too. As her friend came over, time seemed to stretch out for an unbearable amount of seconds, and just like that, Starlight fell over the ledge, 

Twilight’s heart seemed to beat out of her chest as her hooves raced into action. She grabbed Starlight just as she fell over, but the force was too much to bear. Starlight screamed as she did her best to hold on, but both ponies could see that her grip was failing. 

A scene flashed through her mind. It was when she had first come to Ponyville, when she had ventured into the Everfree Forest to stop Nightmare Moon. There had been a point when all that was between her and certain death was the honesty of her friend Applejack’s words. Applejack had told her to let go of the cliff face she had been gripping onto. She thought her new friend was insane when she suggested that Twilight plummet down the edge. 

“I’m telling you the honest truth, Twilight.” She had said, and the look in her big green eyes was unmistakably sincere. Twilight trusted her, and she let go. After a few seconds of flailing terror, she was gently guided to the ground by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Applejack’s radical act of honesty had saved her life, and she wondered what her friendships would be like had she not trusted in the goodness of her fellow ponies. She was in Applejack’s position now, and she had to help Starlight. Both ponies were barely gripping onto each other, and Twilight’s wings seemed locked in place out of fear. Her hooves couldn’t hold on much longer, and she took a second to gaze in Starlight’s eyes, frantic and filled with tears. 

She closed her eyes again, and made a silent wish. She didn’t know what she was wishing for specifically, but she wanted things to just be alright. They didn’t have to be amazing or perfect or even good at all. Just alright, just okay. She breathed in and out for a few seconds and guided Starlight to do the same, trying to calm down the air of panic that lay between them both. Twilight looked at Starlight, and up at the morning sky. She gazed at the vivid green trees and the sparkling lake. She listened to the rustling leaves and the gentle serenades of the songbirds. She looked back at Starlight for what she hoped wasn’t the last time. 

“Let go.” Her voice was firm but commanding. 

“WHAT?!?!” Starlight looked like she was somewhere in the blurry bounds between laughter and a fit of crying. “No way Twilight, no way! I can’t! I’ll die!” Her voice was getting hoarse from the stress. 

If there was some kind of cosmic joke that had been played on her for the past few months, the universe was currently apologizing to Twilight with its guidance. She knew Starlight would be safe. She didn’t know why, or how, but she knew Starlight had to let go, and that would save her. For some reason, she looked at the lake’s shimmery surface and knew it was safe. The way the sunlight reflected off the water made everything else fade out for a second, and Twilight found almost the presence of Celestia in this random neck of the woods. Was this place where she was meant to be all along? Did the map send her in circles and because she needed to follow her heart to find it? Was “letting go” about more than the cliff face? 

The answers to those questions did not arise as the thoughts percolated in her mind. But somewhere between her visions of the future and her mind full of memories, in a place where her soul met her body, she knew everything would be right in the world. 

“Starlight, let go.” She said, the calm in her voice guarding her aching heart. 

“Twilight…I can’t!” Starlight was a complete mess. Salty tears streamed down her face, joining the iridescent water below. Her hooves were growing paler as her grip was loosening. The sandy cliff face was awash with her sweat as she hopelessly tried to cling on, fresh sobs coming from both ponies, for different reasons. 

Starlight looked straight into Twilight’s eyes, and the two shared a gaze as soft as freshly fallen snow. Almost imperceptibly, Twilight’s expression helped Starlight’s nerves just so, and the panicked pony was a bit more keen to listen. 

Twilight spoke for what she knew wouldn’t be the last time. 

“Starlight, let go.” 

And she did. 

Starlight screamed for all the heavens to hear as she plummeted down, the trip going by in such a whir that she didn’t even think to use her horn. With her eyes shut impossibly tight, she waited for the cold hand of water to grip her until she stopped breathing. She waited, and waited, and waited. It seemed like it could have been full minutes in the air, but no such water came to kill her. 

I must be already dead, she thought. An odd sort of peace came over her, as if all of her earthly troubles had faded like a mid-winter dusk. She slowly opened her eyes, surprised but spirited that she still had a pony from what she presumed to be the afterlife. She remembered that she could finally settle a debt with Twilight about what happens after death, but then she remembered that Twilight couldn’t be here to give her the bits she was owed. 

When her vision was now longer blurry, she gazed at her surroundings, or rather her lack of surroundings. All she could see was an endless sky, a rich blue and green hue that seemed to go on forever in every direction. She didn’t seem to be falling, but she wasn’t standing either, because there was no floor. She resigned herself to the idea that the afterlife isn’t a place exactly, but a non-place. A place that is nothing and everything all at once. What seemed to be stars twinkled in her view, and it reminded her of the pony she would miss most, the pony that had taught her the value of friendship. She hoped Twilight would be here soon, a selfish desire that the seemingly immortal princess would abandon her earthly obligations to live in this place that was eons and dimensions away from anything at all. She let herself marinate in that daydream before two familiar figures appeared in the distance. 

Celestia and Luna. 

Both those ponies weren’t dead like she was. They couldn’t be? 

Unless…Starlight wasn’t dead. But if she wasn’t dead, then where in the Tartarus was she? 

As if to answer her internal monologue’s burning question, Celestia and Luna came right up in front of her and the former began to speak. 

“Hello Starlight, it’s a pleasure to see you here.” 

“I…what?!?” She sputtered out, still too stunned to speak. 

The Princesses smiled warmly, and their manes flowed in a manner that all the haircare products in the world couldn’t replicate. They gave a quick glance to each other, and Starlight saw Luna give an almost imperceptible nod to her older sister. 

Celestia stepped forward, or rather floated, in Starlight’s understanding of the place she had found herself in, which was really no place at all. 

“I take it you’ve been traveling with Twilight to seek out our help, is that correct?” Celestia looked to Starlight for confirmation, although Starlight had a hunch that the sisters already knew the answer. She managed to find her voice and gave a quick yes. 

“Wonderful, Starlight. It’s been an absolute joy to see how you’ve grown, both as a pony and student since you joined Twilight’s cohort all those years ago.” Celestia’s regal voice was not as intimidating as Starlight remembered from past meetings, rather it was as soft and comforting as a cup of hot cocoa on Hearts Warming Eve. 

Starlight blushed at the kind compliment. “Thank you, Princess.” She found herself becoming shy at the thought of the two sisters–arguably the most iconic ponies in Equestria–being proud of her. She enslaved an entire village to rectify a trauma from her youth, and then traveled into the past just to get back at Twilight. And now Twilight was one of her closest friends, and her mentors had, in some way, become Starlight’s mentors too. It was a lot to take in, not to mention the unbearable amount of questions she had about her current state. 

“Um, Celestia, Luna….where are we, exactly? I’m well versed in the magic of alternate universes”-she cringed at the untimely reference to her past–”but I have never been in a place like this.” She finished, her voice becoming a bit meek. So much for being comfortable in the presence of royalty. 

It was Luna’s turn to speak, and the pony’s dark blue mane was gently swept out of her face so she could look Starlight right in the eye. Compared to her sister, Luna was a lot more blunt with her words. 

“We’re dying, Starlight.” 

All of Starlight’s thoughts seemed to vanish at that one sentence. Her eyes became blurry again, and she raised a hoof to her own face. She must be having a nightmare. Pretty soon she would wake up in the comfort of her own bed at Twilight’s Ponyville residence, and she would go back to her job as principal to the School of Friendship. 

But as she opened her eyes after squeezing them shut for what seemed like hours, she was yet again face to face with the pony that had uttered the most devastating news of her life. 

“I’m sorry, what do you mean? You guys can’t die? Alicorns don’t die…right? Right?” 

Luna gave no answer, and Starlight glanced at her elder sister, who’s eyes were shiny but without tears of her own. 

“Alicorns don’t die, Luna! Alicorns don’t die…they can’t die…” her voice trailed off when it became clear they weren’t joking around. 

“I’m sorry, Starlight,” Celestia joined her sister in front of Starlight, and an uneasy silence fell over Starlight as she let Celestia continue. She wanted to speak up, to scream in their faces and tell them they were wrong. She wanted to get out of this place and go somewhere that was real, and help Twilight deal with her problems with the rest of her friends. But she felt compelled to stay, to hear out the voices of the two sisters. 

Celestia breathed out deeply. Clearly it was a difficult topic for her as well. “Alicorns can die. We can die. Magic has its way of helping us, but time is still only time. And ours has come.” Her vibrant mane was more bright than ever, and Starlight noticed just how relaxed and at peace the two ponies seemed. Not that they weren’t always regal and composed–royal etiquette and all–but this serenity that had overtook them seemed realer by the second. There was no doubt in Starlight’s mind that they were speaking the absolute truth, no matter how much her mind begged her to not believe them. 

Starlight followed their example and took a deep breath out before speaking: “So, you’re dying.” 

“That is correct, Starlight. We are, in fact, on our way out of this thing we call life.” Luna’s voice had a tinge of humor in it, and Starlight was happy to see that the princess’s trademark personability was shining through. 

Celestia continued. “For the past few moons or so, we’ve been given signs that our time on this mortal realm is coming to a close. We’re old, Starlight, older than anypony in Equestria. And we love life. It’s just time to say goodbye to it.” 

Although neither of the two sisters seemed fazed by their impending deaths, Starlight still was. She could feel hot tears start to trickle down her face as she was faced with the news. But she still had one question to get off her chest. 

“If you’re dying, then…am I dying too?” 

They were in the same weird place, after all, and Starlight wanted to make sure she knew the fine print of what the sisters were saying. If her theory was right, this place that they were in must have been some kind of limbo, some kind of place between life and death. She ended up here because she let go off of a cliff, and the two sisters were here because….they were dying. 
She didn’t even like to think about it that way, and quickly refocused on her own predicament to avoid the trappings of her mounting grief. 

Celestia gave a quiet laugh. “Heavens no, Starlight! We didn’t bring you here because you’re dying, we brought you here because we wanted to talk to you! Why do you think Twilight told you to let go?” 

Starlight was taken aback, and her mind feared the worst. “Did you cast a spell on Twilight, Celestia? Isn’t that, like, against pony ethics or something?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing! 

“For the love of Celestia, Starlight, no!” Luna was almost doubled over in laughter at Starlight’s umbrange. “There was nothing nefarious going on. We just needed to see you, and the elements knew that. It’s as simple as that. No mind-control, or parasites, or whatever crazy conspiracies those young ponies are into these days!” 

Starlight began to laugh too, both out of her own ignorance and because of the sheer absurdity of her situation. Here she was, talking to two dying princesses in a place that couldn’t even be considered a place, and she had just fallen off of a cliff. Crazy times, but it was nothing compared to some of the chaos that often befallen her and her friends in Equestria. There was a big ponderance that was still lurking however. 

“Does Twilight know? Are you going to tell her?” She asked. 

The two princesses sighed, and Celestia’s voice wavered ever so slightly as she spoke. “Honestly, telling Twilight is going to be the hardest conversation of my entire life…I know we will tell her when the time is right, but that time is not today.” 

Luna piped up and finished Celestia’s thought. “Starlight, we need you to keep a secret.” 

It felt Starlight was being punched in the gut for the millionth time that day. She just stared, month agape and eyes wide. Keeping a secret from anypony was hard enough, but Twilight? That sounded impossible. 

“Why? Why are you doing this, Celestia and Luna? Why have you entrusted me? Why? Why? Why?” She couldn’t hold it in anymore, and loud, embarrassing sobs racked through her body as the weight of the entire world seemed to crush her. 

“Because we need you to help Twilight through this difficult time in her career, and she needs to work on herself before we can truly depart. If she learns this news before she is ready to, then she will never be the ruler Equestria needs her to be.” Celestia’s voice, which was once as comforting as a warm blanket now felt like a stake right through the heart. The princesses were kind but incredibly firm in their insistence that Starlight keep this news from one of her dearest friends. 

“But why tell me at all? Why tell anypony if you can’t share it with the one that deserves to hear it most?” 

“Because you need to help her, that’s why!” Luna said. 

“How would keeping a secret from her possibly help her? Why couldn’t you just ask me straightaway to help her?” Starlight yelled back. 

Starlight’s voice seemed to echo right back at her, even though there were no walls surrounding her. She started to feel a bit bad for yelling in the faces of such important ponies, but her simmering frustration absolved her guilt immediately. 

Celestia put a hoof on Starlight’s shoulder, a touch that both calmed her and reminded her that the two sisters were still real, even if they were…dying. “I know this isn’t easy, Starlight, and we wouldn’t have trusted you with this if we didn’t think you could handle it. Frankly, we didn’t want to have to break such news to you, but there’s just no other way to convey how much we need your help. This situation is dire, Starlight, and if Twilight doesn’t fix her problems soon, it will become much worse.” She paused, and Starlight could have heard a pin drop, if there was any floor at all. 

“We won’t be around to help her much longer. It’s that urgent.” 

Starlight may not have understood their reasoning exactly, but she would take this burden for as long as she could if it meant helping the princesses. 

“I understand.” She said firmly. 

Both Celestia and Luna gave their nods of approval, and a small smile even graced the face of the ever-stoic Princess Luna. 

“Thank you, Starlight,” said Luna. “Look out for Twilight, okay? We fear there are forces working against her at this very moment. Time is of the essence, and we won’t keep you any longer.” 

Starlight took that as her cue to go back to the real world. But how could she go back? 

“Um, how do I get out of here exactly? Do I have to get resurrected or something?” She said nervously. 

Celestia chuckled softly. “Of course not, dear! You’ll come back to Equestria soon enough.” Both sisters waved, and it occurred to Starlight that this was likely the last time she would ever see them, right in this strange place that wasn’t anywhere at all, and had to say her goodbyes in the waiting room between life and death. 

“Goodbye Celestia, goodbye Luna.” She couldn’t help but shed a few tears as a blinding light started to envelop her. She could feel herself coming back to the normal world. Her last site in that other realm were the blurry outlines of two sisters, as regal and calm as she had ever seen them. And that was saying a lot, of course. 

Her tranquility was interrupted as the screams of Twilight came into focus. Her friend was laying over her, pumping air back into her lungs. She had apparently missed the rocky beach, which was relief for any injuries that could have been caused on those slippery rocks. She started to cough almost uncontrollably, and sat up. 

“Starlight! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight, for all her royal dignity and rationale, was still coming out of her “freak out” phase. Her eyes seemed red from crying, and her mane was mused, likely from her panicky wind-swept flight down to the lake. 

“Well, I’m not dead, if that’s what you’re referring to. How long was I out?” 

“You know, Starlight, it was the strangest thing! I expected so much worse when I pulled you out of the water. You had been down in the lake for a few minutes before I found you! But it looks like you never even got wet, aside from the coughing, of course!” 

Starlight could practically see the gears turning in Twilight’s head. Did Twilight know this wasn’t a normal lake? Did she know that Starlight had just been meeting with Celestia and Luna? 

Whatever the case was, Twilight had her reasons for telling Starlight to let go. Perhaps it was the elements that had given her the clearance to make that decision, as Celestia had said. Magic worked in funny ways. It was something that everyone was taught as a young filly, but Starlight now believed it with all her heart. There was definitely a reason that the Cutie Map had sent her on this mission with Twilight. 

“We should probably get you checked out at a clinic, Starlight. You can never be too safe!” Twilight said, a bit of her cheerfulness returning. 

“Yeah, that sounds great, Twilight!” Starlight said. 

The only problem was, they had no clue where they were, so Twilight conjured up the map again, which was conspicuously back to normal. The temporary “residence”(if anypony could call it that) of Celestia and Luna made no indication of its presence just a few trots away. Both ponies scanned the map until Twilight’s eyes brightened at the site of big bold letters on the map. 

“TROTTINGHAM”

Now Starlight couldn’t hold in her gasp. “Trottingham isn’t that far away, if we just fly to the train station a few hours from here! I’ve always wanted to visit there! They have cobblestone streets and old-timey Victorian architecture straight out of a movie!” 

Twilight couldn’t resist Starlight’s infectious excitement, and started squealing too. Although she had made plenty of visits to the region for Royal business, she had never gone there on a whim. Of course, this whim involved going to a clinic and probably getting some egregiously overpriced pastries, but an adventure was an adventure. After their little detour, it would be back to finding Celestia and Luna and getting advice. 

“Actually, a ton of movies have already been filmed there! The film franchises Harry Trotter and Shadow Spade have been filmed around those parts! My personal favorite was always The Mare Who Loved Me, if I’m being honest.” 

As Twilight continued to rant about Equestrian cinema, Starlight couldn’t help but feel her heart swell. The Twilight that she loved and certainly missed was coming back, bit by bit. She didn’t know how she was going to deal with the secret she was supposed to keep, but she would have to manage. She also didn’t know how exactly she was going to help Twilight, either. But all worries could be addressed in due time. 

For now, they had a train to fly to.