Students of Heaven

[Gentian]

Forgive the Baneposting. This was originally one of my 4chan greens, and it fits so well I just had to keep it.

4 - Vae Victis

Canterlot
Present Day

I haven't heard from Sunset in a long time.

When Twilight returned to Equestria, she told me what happened; my dear little Sunset had actually used the crown. She put it on her head, summoned its power, and was consumed by it. As everypony knows, magic responds to emotion, and intent, and the magic of the crown injected its awesome power into her burning fury. Bluntly, it responded to her rage and malice, crudely searing away whatever might have remained of her Equestrian harmony, and remaking her in the image of those terrible passions.

But of course, her seed failed to sprout, as I knew it would

The Element of Magic is part of Twilight. It's attuned to her. It connects to her, as it once did to me. It is a part of her, not merely a tool to be used and then put away by anypony who fancies. Her crown is the Element's external manifestation, but it can only reach it's true power on her brow. For Sunset, it's nothing more than an artifact. A powerful one, yes, but one which responds slowly to her will, and crudely. For her, it is merely a prosthesis, for Twilight, it is...a graft.

The seed of apotheosis, my divine gift, will only fruit from the realized potential of the pony to whom I give it. Even Twilight, perfectly aligned with the Element of Magic though she was, remained a unicorn after receiving it; it waited for her own quickening, her own duende to bring it to life, and Sunset's is no different. Despite the incredible infusion of magical potential it brought, the crown does not belong to her, and Sunset, on her own merits, is not ready; a unicorn she remained beneath the twisting of her flesh, and while she might have been able to fight unicorn Twilight and win, no mere unicorn is the match of an Alicorn.

Twilight said that after her defeat, she had left Sunset in the hands of some humans. The very ones, in fact, whom she had terrorized for so long. It seemed an odd thing for her to do, cruel even; an indirect vengeance both far out of her character, and unbecoming one of her station. Then she said those humans are also that world's bearers of The Elements, so I let her judgment stand. Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter, and most of all, Kindness are just what Sunset needs now. I was surprised there had been no Element of Magic, but Sunset could do without that for now.

But where is she?

Shortly after Twilight returned, Sunset sent me a single letter. Two little words: “I'm sorry.” Then, no matter what I said, or how I tried to engage, she refused me. Eventually I stopped, thinking she would come to me when she was ready. Now, it seems she is. Our book dances and glows atop my desk, so I open it and begin to read.

Oh no.

My poor Sunset Shimmer. To say nothing of the natives of that world. The sirens have found them. It must be the sirens. Probably attracted to, or maybe even awoken by the surge of Equestrian magic.

If the portal were open, I could take care of this myself. I never did wholly approve of Starswirl's solution of banishment; it was incomplete, leaving open the possibility for the sirens to return, and worse, it inflicted their evil upon whichever world had been unfortunate enough to receive them. I would never have allowed such an action, but by the time I learned of it, the deed had already been done, and I could not undo it because Starswirl didn't know to where in the infinite multiverse he had sent them.

But now, I do. I finally know where, and when they are; this is the perfect opportunity to put an end to their menace. I can easily force the portal open. But to my regret Sunset has asked for Twilight's help, not mine. Perhaps that's for the best? With the portal closed, Twilight won't be in any danger, and if it comes to it, I can cross over, and stop the Beasts of Song once and for all.

But only if I must.

Equestria needs me, Twilight needs the experience, and Sunset needs a friend, not a mother-figure.

However, first things must come first; Twilight needs to know that she is needed. I could just tell her what's happened, but since she's unable to open the portal herself, she'll also require some way to talk Sunset through her new crucible. This book will fulfill both functions admirably. Later, I'll send her a letter if necessary, but I doubt it will be; when she reads the message, she'll recognize the sirens as surely as I did, and the requisite link to Sunset will already be in her hooves.

How unfortunate, the message hadn't come a few hours earlier; I'd sent a large number of books to Twilight as gifts. That would have been a convenient way to get it to her. They'd left the castle only this morning, and are probably there, or nearly so, by now. Maybe they can still serve?

My eyes remain open, but my sight leaves them far behind, as I cast it along the route to Ponyville. Nothing. Maybe they've already arrived in her castle? Through its smooth, gleaming walls I delve. Past the wards and spells meant to keep out farsight and teleportation. My faithful student improves all the time; they're much better than before, but still trivial for me to bypass.

There she is, at the round table, among her books and letters. When she's focused like this, I could teleport it right in front of her and she wouldn't notice. She hasn't even sensed my presence, though I've made no attempt to hide it. Indeed, I would also prefer to give her the chance to solve this problem herself; she needs the experience, after all. What to do?

There! My shipment of books is arriving. When he left, the courier was given instructions to deliver them to Twilight herself, so they'll be heading right to the table-room. Those will catch her attention if anything will! Effortlessly, I reactivate the book's message-alert, while beginning the teleportation spell, and the buzzing, glowing tome vanishes from my chambers with a soft pop.

Good luck, Twilight.


The Everfree Forest
c1000 years ago

The trees in this part of the forest are the remains of one of Luna's gardens. Apples trees, olive trees, cork trees, and every other kind of tree, or herb that will grow in this part of my world, and several that would not, kept alive only by Luna's careful attentions, once grew here. It was her prize. She used it as a source of materials for her magical and alchemical studies, as fodder for her craft-wine hobby, and as she aged, and sleep became less important for her, a pleasant place to spend her days. Many of them are dead now, abandoned by the Princess of the Night as she became increasingly withdrawn over the past century.

Through the trees, widely spaced in the uneven ground, I watch the moon sink below the horizon, though Luna herself is nowhere to be seen. That's not unusual. We raise and lower our celestial bodies dawn after dawn, and dusk after dusk without ever laying eyes on one another, and have for some time.

Silence.

That, however, is strange. Even at dawn there is always some kind of noise to be heard: singing birds, rustling animals, ponies at work, something. Especially here in the forest. Moments ago, I am certain there was, but as the moon vanished, so too did the forest's sounds.

I feel a chill up my spine and know Luna is watching me. She sometimes does, using farsight to spy on me without having to actually share my presence. No, not spy; she knows I know when she watches. Observe, would be a more apposite term. I do not mind, but it is so very quiet; I wish she would speak with me. Dutifully, I raise the sun, and turn to head back toward our castle.

Though I have absolutely no need to sleep, I will usually indulge in its luxury. Last night, I did not want to, and spent it in the forest, instead, watching Luna's sky. She'd become more and more upset over the last hundred years. Nopony seemed to appreciate her efforts, or so she thought, and one night, she'd simply stopped. She still raised and lowered the moon, but there was no more beauty. No more soul.

I was expecting yet another dull night with wan moon, and faint, sickly stars, and it was, at first. Then, near midnight, I sensed her watching me, and shortly thereafter the sky exploded in light and color. The moon blazed like a beacon, and the stars flared, literally flared up, bursting across the sky in hues and intensities I had never seen before. She even brought comets, and hung them in the night like great, milky eyes.

I stayed out and watched it all; after so much effort, I wanted her to know that I, at least appreciated her new found spark. “Thank you sister, that was beautiful.”

Silence.

__________________________________


I'm not even at the gate yet, and I know that something is terribly wrong. None of the guards are at their posts, none of the daily delivery-wagons are awaiting inspection. None of the coopers, or bakers, or gardeners, or any of the other numerous staff are at their tasks, and that silence; not even an insect disturbs it.

I rush through the gate, the sound of my hooves echoing from my walls. Where is everypony? “Hello?” Silence. Thunderous silence. I can still feel the chill that tells me Luna is watching. Why doesn't she say something?

“Luna,” I ask. “Do you know what's happened?”

No answer. “Luna? Sister?” Why doesn't she answer?

I spread my wings and fly to the the servant's buildings. I open the door and gasp in disbelief. Sitting at the duty desk is a guard, softly snoring with his head lolled back. How dare he sleep on duty!

“Guard!” I say in my booming royal voice. “Wake up!” He doesn't budge.

With head high, eyes narrowed, and ears pressed back, I trot over, but my anger abates with each step: his sleep is far from peaceful. His eyes are red and swollen, tears streak his fur, and sweat rolls down his body while muffled screams punctuate awful, foal-like whimpers. “Guard?” I say, shaking him with my wings. Still, he doesn't awaken.

“Luna, what's going on?” This time she answers, but I almost wish she hadn't.

“Hm-hm-hm-hm-hmmmm,” her soft laughter drifts through the air. “Oh, he's having the most marvelous dreams ssssister.” The way she hisses out that last word chills me to my core. “They all are, sleeping, and dreaming until mine night cometh again.”

“What have you done?”

“We sent the guards home, and lay them to bed. In fact,” her disembodied voice rises playfully, “everything on this planet that can sleep, is!”

“Why? Let them go!”

“Hahahahahaha! Oh, sister, thou used to love our jokes. How often did thee say thou adored our sense of humor?”

I looked at the guard, shivering and weeping in his sleep. “This...” I gestured to him. “This is funny to you?”

“No, Celestia, this is the set-up. The punchline shall begin when thee cometh to us.”

Come to her? Has she forgotten who I am? What I am? “I will not play your game, sister. Release them at once, then, I will speak to you.”

Without warning, the guard thrashes violently, and a high, keening wail erupts all around me; they're screaming! All of them: every pony, every animal, every insect. Mad, piercing shrieks shattering the dawn's quiet. Howls born from the deepest insanity, and mind-breaking terror. On and on, echoing and reverberating, assaulting me from all sides, and then, as quickly as it began, they fall silent. Luna's voice speaks again.

“Thou will, of course because thou cares for them, and wishes us to stop, dost thou not, sister?”

This...this can't be happening! She can't mean this! My sister! My sister! How could she do this? Tears well in my eyes, but I don't care. “Luna,” I manage to sob.

“Well, sister? Come and stop us. Thy surely knoweth where we are.”

“Luna, please...”

“No! Come to us. Now is not the time for fear. That comes later.”

Tears are falling freely from my face, and I don't care to help it. How could she do this? Oh, my dear sister...

I can end it now, release them myself, but if she's already this far gone, that might drive her mad. It might even enrage her such that I'll have to...

No! I won't let myself consider that. I'll have to talk to her, to make her understand there's only one way this can end. That hers is only to choose where she stands when it does. “Oh my dear sister...”

She was right, too; I do know where she is: the suites behind our thrones, where we used to meet before going out and changing the sky together. A quick teleport, and there she is, standing before me wearing a cruel smile.

“See, sister? We said thou wouldst come.”

“Luna, what are...Why are you doing this?”

“Luna?” she smirks. “Are we not sisters?”

“Yes,” I nod. “We are sisters, Luna. Because I made it so.” Her smirk changes to a snarl. “Have you forgotten what I am? What I have done? I am a goddess! The creator of sun, and moon. I made the world. I gave life to it. I made you, -” I thrust my hoof toward her “- and made you everything that you are. Who are you to defy me?”

My poor, foalish Luna, so angry her face is a twisted, livid mask of frustrated rage. Why? Can't she hear my words? Can't she understand how hopeless her position is? Why doesn't she yield to me?

“We too, are a goddess!” she screeches. “Thou said so thyself! That one day we would be thy equal!”

“And you think that day has already come?”

“We are the night!” she bellows. “We are the NIGHT! We are the darkness! Weee are the bringer of dreams, and the source of fear!”

“Luna...”

“And they will love mine nights! If not for their beauty, then for their solace from the terrors of the day! They will cower in fear at the mere thought of the light!” Her horn glows, and every poor creature is screaming again, every throat on my planet shrieking itself raw, and bloody.

“They will love us, they will love ME!” Louder and louder they grow with each moment, their mad voices penetrating even the thick stone walls of our castle, and distorting insanely as they howl down its blackened corridors. “They will worship the peace I allow them only when my darkness falls!”

“Luna!”

“Shut up, Celestia! Now is the time for fear! Stop me if you can!”

Oh my dear sister! Oh, my poor, innocent ponies, and everything else that shares my world! This isn't working, and every moment I delay, they suffer. Oh, sister, please forgive me. I must save them from you, but I'm also saving you from yourself. One day, you'll understand. You must.

I call on my power, only a very, very little bit more than I'm used to. Suddenly, the screaming stops. Luna's face jerks towards me, wide-eyed with shock. I force down tears.

“No more of this, Luna. You can't hurt them anymore.” Her horn glows more brightly in response, then blazes, throwing out dazzling lights, and waves of sparks which bounce and burst against the stone. Her face contorts with effort and rage.

Easily countered. My sleeping children don't even stir from her renewed attack.

“NO!”

I calmly raise my snout. She glares at me with a hatred and malevolence I'd never have believed possible, then all at once, collapses to the floor, sobs gushing from her in uncontrolled torrents. Her tears, and moans, and shrill, sniveling keening wracks her frame from nose to tail. Oh, Luna. I'm so sorry it's come to this. Why didn't I realize you had fallen so far?

“Please, let this be the end of it, Luna. Please, my dear, precious sister.” With pity in my heart I turn and march from our suites. Under the arch, between our thrones, and down the stairs. Across the Great Hall, almost to the Grand Door, when her voice rings out behind me.

“Not another step!”

Oh sister, please, no. Please, please, no. I slowly turn to face her.

“Did you expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light?”

Please, no.

“There can only be one princess in Equestria.”

Please, no.

“And that princess will be ME!” A frightful, cracking bang, as the stone dais shatters beneath her powerful hooves. A fissure shoots up the wall behind her, and it too crumbles away. Through the hole, I see my sun, shining in the clear blue sky...eclipsed!

[whobawhats]

I'm liking what I'm seeing Gentian. Keep up the good work!

[Gentian]

I'm liking what I'm seeing Gentian. Keep up the good work!

Thanks, Whobawhats! We appreciate you reading it, and are glad you like it.

[Rares]

Another awesome addition, thanks for providing this!

[Gentian]

Another awesome addition, thanks for providing this!

Thanks for your help, and encouragement!

[Gentian]

5 - Dawn

Canterlot
Present Day

My Dear Sunset Shimmer,

Congratulations!

Through the great strength true friendship provides, you defeated three of Equestria's ancient, powerful menaces. You are a brilliant, educated pony; you don't need me to tell you how this accomplishment shines, even though a part of me indulges in the idea of your relishing my praise, as you once did. This deed will see your name written into history, but it is not your only praiseworthy feat. What I wish to discuss in this letter is your other accomplishment: reformation.

We tell ourselves a myriad of stories about, and justifications for our actions. Our minds remember, forget, and reinterpret events in ways that make us appear laudable to ourselves. This protects us, yes, but it also stunts us; we cannot grow if we're blind to our own failings, and unfortunately, many are.

Intellectually, we know “Nopony's perfect,” but when it comes to it, we often lack the strength to see ourselves in the harsh light of reality. To drop our vanities, and see ourselves as we are, instead of as we imagine ourselves to be. They are never the same. To do this takes more fortitude than many possess, and still more, to realize when one is wanting.

It is difficult.

It is painful.

But you did it anyway, and more than that, you did not turn away. You faced the pain, and let it drive you to become better than you were. My dear Sunset, you are every bit the heroine, and so much greater than you realize. One day, you will be a princess. Because of this, there is one more thing I want to speak to you about.

You know of Princess Luna's rebellion, but will you let me tell you a bit more? When I took up the Elements of Harmony against her, it was not out of necessity, but hope. I'd hoped to intimidate her into giving up. Her rage against me, and her hatred lent her a reckless disregard for my own power, but even then the Elements were legendary, and I thought seeing me wielding them might bring her to her senses.

As you know, they did not. So, when I knew I could not delay any longer, I banished her. Instead of purifying her. Do you know why?

For centuries after I told myself that it was an accident; that in the heat of the moment, my control over the elements had slipped! In your studies, you are sure to have come across period illustrations showing me pink-haired. I ordered it so, to further convince myself that I was flustered, and not malicious; so flustered, in fact, that even the ever-present magic which keeps my hair colored, and in motion had faltered!

But it was a lie.

I banished her in anger. Pain at her betrayal, disgust that I had failed to act on the warning signs, and fear for my ponies' safety wove seamlessly into a spike of rage which bore an action that has haunted me for a thousand years.

You will not find what I have just told you in any history, or record of the land. Not even in the restricted archives. It is a secret I have kept since that time. It would be an understandable question to ask, then; why am I sharing it with you now? It is not as an excuse, or a solicitation for forgiveness, no. I love you, Sunset, but you are not my confidant. I tell you now, as a warning. You will find yourself in desperate situations. As a princess, it is inevitable. I hope you will learn from my moment of weakness, and temper your wrath.

I know you will not see this letter for some time. Since giving Twilight our book, I've begun writing them on ordinary paper, and saving them, because I still hope you'll return to me. Princess Luna has, and resumed her rightful place at my side. I hope that one day, you will read them, and know that even now, far across the multiverse, my thoughts are of you.

There is so much hope in this one little letter. Long experience has taught me such hope often goes unfulfilled. Were you anypony else, I would not dare hold so much of it, but you are you. Indomitable, unstoppable you.

I have faith in you.
~C


Canterlot Meadow
c1000 years ago

It's darker now, beneath my moon. Its once radiant, silver face is now marred with the shadow of my sister, so no longer shines as brightly. It's just as well; beneath my moon, I lay in our spot, and I cry.

Our spot, among the grass, and flowers, where we passed uncounted dawns, dusks, and gorgeous days and nights. This is where Luna invented the aurora, happily coloring her nights with my sun. This is where she first dyed my mane with the power of her love. This is where she frolicked and explored as a filly, never quite growing out of her playful nature, though her years became decades, and then centuries. This is the place she loved; her favorite in all Equestria, where our laughter echoed together as generations of mortal ponies came into our world, lived full, happy lives, and left it.

Now silent, but for the wind, and my pitiful wails.

My sister! Oh, my beloved Luna! If only you had listened! If only you had not forced my hoof! If only I'd had better control over the Elemen...

Beneath my stained moon, my thin veneer of equanimity collapses. I am alone, and have no need for it; mindlessly, I scream my pain to the mountain and let my sobs blot out my grief. On and on, I don't know for how long, and then, though my tears continue to fall, the sweet mental oblivion is broken.

My ponies. All my little ponies, so terrified, and so desperately in need of me. I'd freed them from Luna's spell, but great damage had already been done. They recoil at the thought of sleep now, and need my magic to lull them to rest, so traumatized are they by her nightmares. Nightmare Moon; that's what they're calling her now. All her beautiful works, and heartfelt love are forgotten; hers will be a legacy of terror.

It is a tragedy, in the truest sense, and once more, my heart tears itself from my chest to spill its blood over the meadow.

Over our meadow.

But I am Princess Celestia, and my ponies need me. As dawn approaches, I swallow my pain, and pull myself together. Luna needed me too. I saw the warning signs of what she was becoming, but did not heed them. I thought she knew how much I loved her, even if I did not show it as much as I wanted to. I believed her to understand why my position as ruler demanded I kept her at hoof's-length, that there was no other way, though I wanted nothing more than to embrace her. I was wrong. I failed her; I will not fail them, too.

As I lower the moon, wishing for a way to honor the memory of my beloved sister, an idea comes to me. Luna once confided in me how sad she had been when I ordered Canterlot Mountain abandoned, all those centuries ago. How her family had intended to move to the new town growing up around the jewel mine and open a farm, and how much she had been looking forward to living there.

I also think of our ruined castle in the Everfree; the workers will soon begin repairing it, but I no longer want to live there. It's triumphs and happy memories are buried, now beneath the weight of Luna's betrayal and violations; a seat of perdition, a monument to my failure. But our meadow brims with love and fond recollections.

I reach out and grasp the sun knowing what to do. I will abandon the Castle of the Two Sisters, and raise one here, in her memory: Canterlot Castle!

The dawn breaks and washes me in its golden brilliance. Its light is a new beginning for my ponies, and also for me. I did not realize the error in rationing the expression of my love soon enough to save Luna, but I can use that lesson to better rule my children. That too, will honor her. No more will I keep them at hoof's-length. No more will I rule from on-high, the distant, divine monarch. From now, until the end of Equestria, I will be the kind and warm leader they deserve. I love them all so very much, and now they will know it!

[Rares]

Another awesome chapter, thanks for this! Came out great!

[whobawhats]

Again, this came out really well. Thank you for sharing

[Gentian]

6 – Deep Calleth Unto Deep

Canterlot
Present Day

My golden sun blazes down from a cloudless, sapphire sky, and my garden is filled with the perfumes of flowers. The breezes are cool, the marble and porphyry of my balcony are warm, and the sounds of water trickling off the mountain, mix with Philomena's soft, peacock-like cries; what a lovely day!

Silently, I close my eyes and drink it all in. My head tilts skyward, and my suns golden rays smile upon my closed eyelids, as I do back up at them. Pleasant moments pass, and another scent on the air finally reaches maturity, telling me the best moment of this lovely day has arrived. Or possibly the worst. Certainly the most anticipated, for that unnamed scent, humid and mild among my flowers sweet pungence, is the new tea I have to try!

While I don't keep it a secret, few of my ponies know that for hundreds of years I've indulged in the hobby of cultivating tea. Camellia sinensis, primarily, but not all of them have yet been given names, and some are so much changed they would surely need new ones. It's just as well, I'm the only one who knows of them, and so the only one who needs to remember them.

Many of my blends, and strains have won contests. Some of them have won many, and are enjoyed well beyond the borders of Equestria proper, for both their flavor, and the beauty of their blossoms. They're entered anonymously, or by proxy of course; it's the only way to avoid favoritism, and the easiest way to hear my ponies honest opinions of my products. And hear it I do, using it to make Equestria's best teas even better.

Now, after nearly 4 decades of selective breeding, and magical tweaking, I think my efforts have yielded another treat with which to delight my ponies' tongues! Of course, there's only one way to be sure.

I smile in anticipation, and bring the cup to my lips. Its contents' delicate bouquet fills my nostrils. I pause a moment, and look beyond it, marveling at the sight of my demesne; Cloudsdale shines distantly in the bright sunlight, its alabaster spires contrasting beautifully with the blue sky. Ponyville nestles idyllically in the rolling hills to the southwest, their slopes dark with fecund orchards of apple, and pear trees. I close my eyes, again, savoring the moment, and allowing my anticipation to build. At last, I drink, smiling as its warm astringence meets my tongue.

Yes, this is delicious! Even when measured against the absurdly high standards of my gardens. I think I'll give it a name to honor Luna. She was the one who introduced me to tea, after all, back when she was still an earth pony, and another relished sip tells me this drink just might be worthy of her.

The sound of a door hurriedly opened intrudes on my reverie.

A guard pony canters down the arcade, looking rather worried. I nonchalantly take another sip.

He leaps from the top of the stairs with his wings spread, and glides to the grass. Such urgency! It was only a few little steps.

He stops a few meters away and bows deeply. I regard him with a calm smile, and take another sip.“Princess! You ordered to be notified at once if your alarms on the mirror were tripped!”

My heart skips a beat. I hold the liquor on my tongue. Could it be? After all this time, has she at last come back? “Yes,” I reply with a serenity I suddenly no longer felt. “Has somepony come through?”

“Not exactly, Your Highness...”

________________________________


It's sunset, and the air on my balcony is still. A speck appears on the horizon, toward Ponyville. It's so distant it seems to hang motionlessly in the sky, but I know it's moving at considerable speed. Gradually, it draws closer, and the acuity at which I usually leave my eyes is able to resolve it through the glare: Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, glowing with my sun's low, red light.

My eyes track her progress as my mind puzzles over the day's events. Some pegasus guards race to intercept her, as she draws near, then quickly let her pass. She comes straight toward me. Landing too quickly to stick, her momentum carries her in a circle, trotting around behind, then beside me, before coming to rest. Her tail flicks anxiously, and her face is filled with concern.

“Is it true?” she asks breathlessly. I quietly nod; her ears and tail droop. “Oh, Twilight...I came as soon as I heard. I teleported all the way to Ponyville, right to her castle, to check for myself,” her frown deepens. “Even when I couldn't find her, I still hoped she might have come here.”

“Not yet, Cadance, but if she does, we'll know; Equestria is on high alert.”

She licks her lips and begins to pace. “Yes, so is the Crystal Empire. This would be a clumsy prelude to attack, but I agree, it's prudent.” Suddenly she stops and looks at me, shifting her weight from left to right uncertainly. “What can I do?”

“Luna is patrolling the Everfree Forest, you may help her, if you wish.”

“What's she looking for?”

“Portals.”

Her brow furrows. “But I saw the mirror, still in Twilight's castle.”

“Cadance, as you know when she found a way to keep it open, I swathed it in alarm-spells...”

“Also prudent,” she says, too quickly.

“Thank you. Right now, those are the only enchantments it still carries.” Her brow furrows, and she cocks her head in the same way she did when I first offered her the spark. A sure sign her mind was racing.

“Was the portal dispelled?”

I shake my head. “Torn free, I think. Without the mirror to anchor it, the mouth will leap about unpredictably.”

“...And the forest's magical nature makes it the most likely place for it to appear!” I nod. “The portal is gone, Princess Twilight is g...gone,” she chokes. “Do you think she went through it?”

I am about to answer, when Cadance shivers visibly, and a familiar chill shoots up my spine. “Sister!” Luna's voice erupts from the aether. “Princess Cadance! We have found it!”


High over Equestria
A few years ago

Even as old as I am, I can still be surprised, and that knowledge pleases me greatly. Moments ago, an incredible burst of magic swept across my world. I felt it, and so did my ponies, all the way to the very cores of our beings. In an awesome front, rapidly rushing over the entire face of my world it sweetened their moods and dreams, and swept my anomie from me. They did not know what it was, but I do: love. Pure, unconditional love, powerful enough to bend the very fabric of reality. What could have caused it?

Instantly, I'd cast my sight across Equestria to its source, not knowing what to expect. Certainly not expecting what I found! A little pink pegasus filly stood at the mouth of a cave, in the snow. It came up to her knees, and lying in it, heedless of the wet chill, was a grown unicorn, openly weeping at her hooves.

She rose, tears still running down her face, and embraced the little filly. Though her snout was lost in the filly's mane, her eyes smiled as she caught sight of the child's flank. She reached out, and her hoof lingered over a cutie mark so new that even a normal pony would still be able to sense the magic of its arrival.

The unicorn began to cry again as she smiled, and, with a seemingly sudden thought, removed her necklace, and pressed it into the filly's hoof. It was a crystaline heart, like the crystal heart of the filly's new cutie mark, but bound in twine, and blazing with invisible magic. Literally a heart, cut from the chest of a siren. A heart filled with malice, bent on snaring its victims with desire, and enslaving them to feed the power of the monster it once beat within. That, or, unbeknownst to all but the most learned, or depraved of ponies, the one who chooses to wear it.

Its raw magical power dwarfed that of either the filly or the unicorn, but it was different. Certainly a siren's heart, but shining and pure. Its selfish cruelty somehow transformed by love. Her love. That was incredible! That was potential! The kind of potential I'd found only once before in my poor, lost sister. Unbidden, memories of her leaped to the forefront of my mind. Still painful, but after all these years, they brought a deep, dull ache, instead of raw, overwhelming anguish.

I had to seize that chance! Tears still falling from her eyes, the unicorn stepped into her cave, and I acted, teleporting the filly, and myself to this special place we now stand. She blinks, looking thoroughly confused.

“W-where...Princess!” her eyes widen the moment she sees me.

“It's ok, my little pony, there's no need to be afraid.” She regards me uncertainly for a moment, then relaxes.

“Not as long as you're here, your highness.” I smile at that.

“What's your name, little one?”

“Mi Amore Cadenza, your highness. But everyone calls me Cadance.”

“Cadance. What a beautiful name!”

She breaks into a smile. “Thank you, your highness!”

I beam back at her. “You may call me Celestia, Cadance.”

“Oh, no!” she shakes her head. “I could never do that, your highness!”

“Well,” I say with an exaggerated frown. “You don't have to, but I'd very much like it if we could become friends.”

She tilts her head to one side, and her candy-striped mane falls over her shoulder. She seems entranced by the possibility. “You want to be my friend?”

“Mm-hmm,” I nod. “And maybe talk a little bit. Would you like that?”

“A whole lot!”

“And I would, too!” I say with my warmest smile, and we do. Talking about this and that as we walk through my clouds. I ask her questions, and she asks me, too. I learn all about her home and family. She tells me about school, and her favorite sweets, and so many other things. My senses are sharp, my attention is focused, and in truth, even ignoring my gentle, magical probing of her mind, she's told me very much more than she realizes. I'm quite happy with what I've found; she really could be what I've longed for since that day.

“Cadance, do you know why I've brought you here?”

“No, Princ...C...Celestia.” Her voice shrinks to a whisper at my name. “I don't even know where we are,” she says, pulling her eyes away from me, and looking around. For what seems like the first time, she notices she isn't standing on the familiar surety clouds, but on 'nothing:' a floor of pure magical force, and far, far below it, so far the sky is black despite my sun, my world spreads out like a shining gem. There's a satisfying gasp as her little jaw drops.

“We're high above Equestria. Right over Canterlot, in fact.”

“Wow,” she peers through the floor. “Canterlot?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“We're so high,” she says in quiet awe. “I can't even see it. I've never even heard of anypony coming so high.”

“Very few ponies do, Cadance. Not even the clouds come this high, or the air you breathe. Nopony can come here unless I bring them, and I've brought you because I want to give you a present.”

“A present? For me?”

“Yes, Cadance. It's not a present you can hold, but it's very, very special.” She tilts her head, and furrows her brow, looking extremely nonplussed. “Special, like you,” I say, and she breaks into a sudden smile. “One day, it will change you.”

Her brows furrow again. “Change me?”

“Yes, child. One day, when you're ready, it will give you a new strength, and a very special job to do.” I can see her mind working furiously. Even as young as she is, she knows I wouldn't be here if it weren't important. If she can understand that, maybe she can also understand my meaning, even if I don't simplify it so much?

“One day you'll become an Alicorn, Cadance. And one day, long after that, you'll become like me, and if you do your job right, if you love your ponies, and take good care of them, they will all love you, in turn.”

“Like the way we all love you?” What can I say to that? What words can adequately express the way she made my heart mawkishly leap? Fortunately, she speaks up almost immediately. “If it means I can help more ponies, then I want it!”

“Are you sure? Once I give it to you, it becomes part of you. You won't be able to change your mind.” A lie; until it blooms, I can remove the spark as easily as I bestow it, but it is a white lie, and I must know her reaction. Once more, I expand my senses, and quicken my mind. Once more, her smallest expression tells me her deepest thoughts.

She nods with surprising solemnity. “I'm sure,” and she is.

“Then close your eyes, Cadance, and open your heart.” I will the spark to pass to her, and for show, gently tap her head with my horn.

Instantly, a burst of light shoots from her chest, and I laugh in delighted surprise! So soon?

It swirls, and jumps around her, and carries her tiny frame into the air. Now she's smiling, too, her face shining in sheer bliss. “It's so warm!”

She floats, engulfed in a brilliant light which grows and feeds upon itself. It surges back through her body, and up her neck, pouring, then gushing, and finally blasting from her eyes in an unstoppable torrent. Still, it builds, and she lets loose an exhilarated yell as it bursts from her forehead in a searing flash of pure magic, leaving a long, radiant spire in its wake. She bobs subtly, laughing and languidly spinning about her axes, gradually sinking lower and lower as the light fades away.

At last her hooves touch the ground. Her eyes are crossed, focused on her new horn. She grins soundlessly, twisting her head this way, and that, and turns on her hooves in a complete circle.

“What happens now, Celestia?”

I'm not sure how to answer. Nightmare Moon announced her arrival with a spasm of hate and fear so keen that even a thousand years later its wound still has not healed. Cadance announced hers with a wave of calming love pure enough to wash the taint from a siren's dead heart. I don't know what happens now, but for the first time in far, far too long, I know genuine hope.

[Gentian]

7 – Ad Sumus

The Everfree Forest
Present Day

The forest's humid stench washes over me as my teleport spell completes, depositing me onto a soggy stretch of grass and mud in the Everfree's lowlands. A fraction of a second later, Cadance pops into being beside me.

“Where is it?” she hurriedly asks, paying no mind to the squishing beneath her hooves. Luna indicates the direction with her nose.

“It was there, for a moment.” Cadance follows Luna's gesture, then stares at the ground, tears welling in her eyes.

“Did you see Twilight?”

“No, Princess Cadance, we are sorry.” A single sharp sob pierces the darkness as Cadance's head bows. Luna tenderly nuzzles her, sharing breath and soothing her, then softly: “But as we said, there was not much time.”

I look at our surroundings. This part of the Everfree is notorious. More swamp than woods, and filled with dense fog, ghost-lights and strange, dangerous things. Even the few ponies who regularly brave the forest's outskirts, or its few, lonely paths avoid this area at all costs. Yet, here my fearless sister had come, alone, at night, without a moments hesitation. For Twilight. My heart would swell with pride if I weren't so worried.

I trot over and stand with them, wrapping my wings around their withers. Their own wings wrap mine, and we hold each other tightly, until at last, Cadance is calm, again.

With a final nuzzle behind Cadance's ear, I turn to my sister. “Please, tell us everything you can.”

Luna closes her eyes, head drooping and brow furrowing in concentration. “First, we felt great mirth overtake us. It was as if laughter, humor itself were a presence. Then a purple glow appeared, and opened into a rift.

“We rushed closer, and heard music. It was strange, of a kind we have never heard before,” her snout scrunches in consternation. “We could not even recognize the instruments. There were also voices, but we could not hear what they were saying.”

Cadance speaks up. “Could you see anything through it?”

“Yes. There was a wall, of sorts. It was of horizontal wooden boards, secured to an iron frame. There were gaps between the boards, and a strange creature was peeking through.”

“Did it see you?” I asked.

She shook her head. “We don't believe so; the portal closed before we cold approach it.”

“Well,” began Cadance. “At least you found something” - She smiles and gives a strange laugh - “Really, since it disappeared so quickly, we're lucky it opened closely enough for you to find it.”

“Oh, it was not mere chance, Princess Cadance; we used a beacon spell to draw it to us.” Again, I am impressed by my sister's selfless bravery.

“That's very dangerous,” says Cadance, echoing my thoughts. “Especially here, there's no telling what else might have come instead.”

“No, but we are as desperate to find Princess Twilight as you, or Sister. We would be remiss if we did not use all of the tools at our disposal.”

I set my wing on her back. “Sister, please,” I whisper. “Don't do that again, not alone.” She looks at me with a small frown, then nods.

“Not alone,” she agrees, pressing her neck to mine. We stand in silence a few moments, sharing breath, then quietly, Luna continues.

“There is more. The magic was a tangled mess, but we could recognize a few distinct signatures within it. One was the portal itself. Others were the Elements of Harmony: Generosity, and Laughter.” Cadance's gasp tells me she is surprised as I am.

“But how is that possible?”

An odd expression sweeps over Luna's face, as though she is hesitant to speak. “We suspect it's because the largest portion...” - she pauses, looking me in the eyes in an almost pleading manner - “...was siren magic.”

That would explain it. Sirens absorb life and emotion, some were known to have been able to temporarily drain magic, too, but I'd never imagined a siren could become powerful enough to destroy the gate.

“Twilight said the trio on that side were defeated, and their gems broken. You're sure it was siren magic?”

“We are,” she nods. “It was unmistakable, mangled though it was.”

“Mangled?”

“Yes...” Luna frowns. “We don't know a better word to describe it.”

“Prismia used the heart of a siren as jewelry, and as a weapon,” says Cadance. “Could somepony there have made something from the fragments?” A look of comprehension sweeps across Luna's features.

“That's it!” She says, stamping the sodden ground with a forehoof. “The wall partially blocked our view, but through the gaps, we could see the creature was wearing a locket.” Cadance looks at me worriedly. “It glowed with the same violet light that preceded the rift, and when the creature closed it, the portal disappeared.”

“A locket?”

“Yes! That was the source of the magic, I'm sure!”

“Then we've learned something,” I say. “Is there anything else, sister?” She shakes her head.

I take a few thoughtful steps past them and stand, gazing silently off into the black woods. Ideas turn themselves over in my mind, and the stink of the air, the clamminess of the mist, and the spongy give of the land on which we stand all fade into the background.

Like Cadance said, this would be a clumsy attack on Equestria, but it would be a good first move if the sirens simply wanted revenge; kidnapping Twilight, and closing the portal would isolate Sunset, and the humans from our help. However, Sunset's newest letters to Twilight didn't mention them, and my alarms would have been tripped if anypony had crossed through. Also, without their gems, they are powerless, certainly incapable of this, or of defeating both an Alicorn and an extremely gifted unicorn working together.

It's probably not them. In fact, its unlikely that Twilight is on their side of the portal at all; my alarms again, and the fact Sunset wouldn't be asking for her help via the book if she were. If Twilight isn't there, that makes Siren involvement even less likely. But then where could she be?

If I knew where the mirror's portal led, I could open one myself, and find out immediately, but I never bothered to trace the mirror to its destination, and it would do no good to open gates randomly in an infinite multiverse, hoping to chance upon the right place, and right time in the right one. It would not only be a terrible waste of time and resources, but expose my world and its inhabitants to great danger. However, the very portal we seek is likely to reappear in this vicinity, especially with Luna calling it, and when it does, I can discover all we need to know. It's our only lead, and thus, our greatest chance for success.

“There's nothing for us to do now, but wait for it to reopen. Cadance,” I say, turning to her. “It seems even less likely than ever that this is an attack, but I would like you to return to Canterlot, both to alert us if Twilight returns, and to coordinate a defense if it becomes necessary.” She nods.

“We'll contact you at midnight, dawn, noon, and dusk. If you don't hear from us, you may use farsight to search, but don't come looking for us. A royal must remain in Equestria.

“Sister,” I say, turning to Luna. “I will remain here with you, and we'll continue the beacon, together.” She nods, too. “Are there any questions?”

___________________________________


Midnight came. My dear sister wrought her magic, and I kept her safe.

Dawn, and Princess Cadance's voice speaks from thin air, asking to replace one of us. “I have never needed sleep,” I tell her. “And Luna has been an Alicorn far longer than you. Enjoyable though sleep can be, I doubt she requires it any longer.” Reluctantly Cadance acquiesces, and we continue our vigil.

Noon, but you would not know it by my sun, hidden beyond the dense, moss-strewn tree-tops. Here, the waters are deep, and the shadows dark, no matter the time of day or night, but my gaze penetrates all. I see things lurking around us: nightmares oozed, putrid and malevolent from cracks in reality. Products of evolution and feral magic also slink and crawl. None of these are creatures born of my work, but still they know me, and they dare not approach.

Hours pass in uneventful, if oppressive silence. I look at my sister, her eyes are open, but unseeing and she's still as a frozen lake. Exactly as she has been since Cadance left us. The steady light from her horn is the only clue that she is more than a statue, or a corpse, and even that is swallowed by the hungry gloom.

Suddenly, I feel it, a warm glow of swelling empathy: Kindness! Luna's eyes bat furiously as she pulls herself from her trance. Our gazes meet for an instant, then wordlessly, we look about, scanning frantically for what we know is coming.

There! Across the swamp, a purple light among the vine-cowed trunks, fantastically bright in the darkness. Then another, and another, each following as quickly as thought. As one they open into gates, and Luna rushes toward them.

Something leaps through from the swamp, and immediately returns, pursued by a small, though terribly loud animal. They leap from puddle to tuft, and from one portal to another, their distorted shadows casting wildly about in the sunlight spilling from the portals' mouths.

The glare doesn't hinder me, and I look through them. Bushes, grass, portions of a brick wall, 2 humans, and there, just as Sister said: some of the creatures Luna spoke of, one of them with a pendant floating around her neck, and blazing with an insane melange of sorceries.

She's almost there, but already I can see one of the humans wrapping her hands around it. Sister won't make it in time; the gates are already too small for her to fit through. As quickly as only a goddess can, I reach through them with my mind. My senses stretch, searching for Twilight and...

Sunset! Oh Sunset!

My heart leaps as I brush her essence, then, without warning, I see only the swamp again. The portals have closed, but that doesn't matter. I have already discovered what I needed to know. The amulet's base magic is undoubtedly siren, but the one wearing it is only human. Worryingly, contained within it, were also the elements of Generosity, Laughter, and Kindness. But more than anything else, there was Sunset.

“Sister, are you hurt? Why are you crying?” I blink in surprise as happy tears fall from my eyes.

“No, Luna, I found Sunset.” She stoops her head and approaches, touching my nose with her own.

“Tears of joy, then?”

“Mm-hmm,” I nod.

“And Twilight?”

I shake my head. “She's not there.”

“That is why you let them collapse?”

“Yes. And Sunset...Sunset is close.”

Luna looks at me quietly in response, her own thoughts nearly hidden behind her deep, placid eyes. “So she must solve this problem on her own.”

It wasn't a question.

It didn't need to be.

A few more tears fall, and I whisper so softly that not even Luna can hear. “Good luck.”