Students of Heaven 1-43 (Complete)

Note: This is the original draft of this story, but not the best one. Another version, expanded, and rewritten in prose can be found here:
https://www.deviantart.com/poisonhorsie/gallery/62495852/Students-of-Heaven
and here:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/368234/students-of-heaven
I hope you'll check it out. It's much better than this one.



Students of Heaven


Post 1

>Dear Princess Celestia,
>Things are well here.
>The sun shines, the birds sing in the trees,
>and I see you were right again;
>life is so much easier with friends.
>Snips and Snails have taken quite a liking to me.
>They sulk around, destroy things, intimidate the students,
>and most importantly of all,
>they recognize my greatness.
>They do so much for me I can just sit back and bask in the misery.
>See? I'm making progress!
>You may have refused to make me an alciorn but it doesn't matter.
>There's no magic here anyway, and I already rule without it.
>This whole area is "under my thumb."
>Don't they have the cutest expressions?
>But it's true:
>I rule.
>I rule a school, yes, but the wails of a child are no less real.
>Their anguish is felt just as keenly.
>Their tears are just as sweet.
>I rule a school, yes, but it's a school of flypaper, and they're the flies.
>They can't run without tearing off their own legs;
>their society, even their families turn on them if they try,
>hurting them in ways I never could.
>In fact, their entire futures are destroyed if they don't graduate,
>so they find no rest no matter where they go.


Post 2

>They're trapped with me.
>In a way adults never would be.
>And it's all thanks to you.
>Every time Snips and Snails steal for me,
>every time someone is late for class because they're too afraid to pass me in the hall,
>every time I lie to Flash, and he lashes out in my defense,
>every downcast eye, every fearful whimper, every tearful breakdown;
>they're all because of you.
>I want you to remember that.
>I may be on the other side of the mirror,
>but I am still me:
>indomitable, unstoppable, me.
>And everyone here is mine.
>Remember that.
>You're the kind of pony who would care.
>They aren't your ponies, they aren't even ponies at all,
>but you care.
>Sleep well Princess.
>See my face when you close your eyes.
>Dream about what I've done, and so, what *you* have done through me.
>Dream too, about all the suffering still to come.
>The sweet, sweet suffering.
>I wonder how much longer it will be before I rack up a suicide?
>Wish me luck!
>Your faithful student,
>S


>I leave the book and walk slowly to my balcony
>Something's got to be done about Sunset.
>My poor little student, so very lost.
>Pegai flit between my towers.
>The faint sound of hooves on stone echo among my walls and gardens.
>Ponyville and Cloudsdale dot the horizon.
>All of Equestria spread out before me.
>But I don't see it.
>Instead, I see the past...


Post 3

>Nowhere
>Aeons ago

>I'm alone.
>I've always been alone.
>That's how it feels.
>Emptiness stretches out around me,
>cold, silent blackness above and below.
>Time passes.
>There's no way to know how much.
>I don't want to be alone anymore.
>I summon my power and a star springs into being.
>More magic
>I create a planet, beautiful and blue.
>Sunlight glimmers off the water and high cloud-tops.
>Eventually I descend, and call land from the waves.
>It makes me happy, but I can do better!
>Mountains, and prairies, islands and rivers!
>Sometimes I form them myself,
>but most of the time, I let the processes I set in motion do the shaping.
>Eventually, I am satisfied.
>I take pieces of my world and shape them further.
>Some please me, and some don't.
>Eventually, I create a kind I like more than all the others:
>4 legs, hooves, a tail and mane.
>It's pleasing. So much so that I adopt it myself,
>twisting and molding my own shape to mimic it.
>Larger, of course, to suit my majesty.
>I give life to my creations and scatter them across my new world.
>Now it's time to wait.
>Eventually, some will be born with the potential to ascend.
>I'll find them, and guide them, and when they are ready,
>I will help them through apotheosis.
>Then, I won't be alone anymore.


Post 4

>Canterlot
>Present Day

>Sunset was right, I hadn't made her an alicorn,
>but I hadn't made Twilight one either.
>I'd merely given them the seed of divinity, as I had a few others,
>and tried to guide them in a way it would sprout true.
>Sunset had so much potential, but she'd never had patience.
>She'd left before I could make her understand,
>and still carried the seed within her.
>That made her dangerous.
>Very, very dangerous.
>If it grew while she still harbored so much darkness the results would be terrifying.
>Even in that banal world she now inhabited, her powers would be immense.
>Made even more formidable by being the only magic there.
>It would be much the same as if Nightmare Moon had usurped my throne.
>I can not let that happen!
>But what to do?
>She won't come back, and even if she did, she would still be the same corrupted unicorn.
>How can I save her?
>I look down on the ponies preparing for the upcoming Princess Summit.
>They'd soon be on their way to the Crystal Empire, and I'd follow at my leisure.
>An idea forms.
>Sunset didn't know the origin of my "sister" Luna,
>or how close Starswirl had come to ascending himself.
>But Sunset does know about Cadance, and what she used to be.
>She doesn't know about Twilight, or Twilight's ascension, or her crown.
>But what if she did?
>I return to the book and levitate my quill.
>I close my eyes and summon all my knowledge of both ponies.
>I'll only have one chance to get this right.
>I compose the letter in my mind again and again.
>Eventually, my eyes open, and I begin to write.


Post 5

>Canterlot
>c1300 years ago

>I follow Luna through the cool air.
>It's always cool at this height, among the clouds.
>She'd woken up early this afternoon and asked me to come with her;
>to a meadow high up on Canterlot Mountain,
>with a large piece of gneiss jutting over the valley below.
>It's honeycombed with tunnels and passages, and had been an active jewel-mine in her youth.
>Now depleted, and abandoned.
>I know she visits from time to time.
>This time we're together
>We set down in the grass and make our way to the pond
>A beautiful, pure thing fed by a waterfall
>We sup and bathe, talk and play,
>then, as the time for night draws close,
>make our way to the tip of Canterlot Rock.
>A gentle breeze blows, and insects softly buzz in the flowers.
>I lay down and look out on my kingdom
>A contented sigh escapes my lips
>I smile
>"Surely there is no pony so lovely, and so well beloved as I."
>Luna laughs a little bit
>"What a thing to say, Sister!"
>"There's no harm in telling the truth, little sister."
>"We do not say it doth harm. We merely observe that...modesty hath never been among thy virtues."
>I say nothing and look out
>She's right, of course. But why should I be modest?
>The ponies are here to serve me.
>No, not me: us!
>At long last my dream is fulfilled!
>Another pony was born: gifted and beautiful!
>I taught her and trained her and eventually, gave her the spark of divinity.
>Not long ago, she blew that spark to flames and became an Alicorn.
>My very first!
>My dear Princess Luna;
>my sister from that day forth!
>But still so young;
>eventually she'll learn the ponie's proper place:
>beneath us.
>"We haven't offended thee, have we?"
>Now it's my turn to laugh
>"No you have not."
>"Good. We would not be pleased to have soured the mood."


Post 6

>A gorgeous smile spreads across her face.
>"We hath prepared a spectacle of such majesty!"
>"This is why we hath asked thee to come:"
>"this is our favorite place in all the land, and we wish thou to savor it with us."
>I smile and lower the sun
>"Show us, little sister."
>She closes her eyes and channels her magic
>The moon rises
>Her eyes open, and she lays down beside me
>The soft light from her horn casts our shadow on the rock
>"Keep watching the sky!"
>Stars pop into being
>flashing silver and blue and red against the black
>then fading to steady twinkles
>shooting stars fall like rain
>brilliant streaks sheeting together from right to left
>Suddenly, it occurs to me the streaks are falling in formation
>taking the shapes of gryphons, dragons, minotaurs, and of course, ponies.
>They burn out as they reach the rows of new stars
>Falling in sequence so as to seem to walk along them:
>A road of stars with meteor-creatures dancing along it.
>Eventually the creatures reach the glowing orb of the moon and vanish.
>Then the star road winks out
>one by one until the moon alone remains.
>I nuzzle, and lean against her
>"That was beautiful sister."
>"We are glad thou appreciated it."
>"We wanted thee to know thy decision to grant us demense over the night was a proper one."
>I lay my head atop her shoulders
>"I had no doubts before sister, now I doubt I ever will."
>She smiles and looks at me askance
>"Good. As the beauty of mine nights becomes known, thou will rememebr not to become *too* jealous."
>I summon a mildly biting look and stare into her eyes
>"Sorry it has to be this way, princess, but the day will always outshine the night."
>Then raise my snout to the sky, letting my pink tresses fall between us
>A moment passes
>then two
>Have I hurt her more than I intended?
>At last she laughs
>"Just as we have said; modest as the sun itself!"
>She resumes our lean and we pass the night together.


Post 7

>The Crystal Empire
>Present Day

>The thing about Twilight is, she's not my apprentice.
>She never has been.
>Oh she's my student,
>and the most talented magic user I've ever encountered in my long life.
>I love her dearly.
>But she isn't like me;
>she's like my sister, Luna.
>Sunset though, is me.
>Younger, less magically potent, but so much like me it borders on the incredible.
>Her confidence, her power, her bearing and wit.
>Very much like I once was.
>Which is probably why I did it;
>gave her the seed before she was ready.
>I was sure, because I saw so much of myself in her.
>She needed guidence and temperance, but surely she could not fail?
>*I* could not fail.
>Not again.
>But I did.
>I learned from the mistake, and was able to turn Twilight in time,
>but I am the sun, and my sister the night.
>Sunset, too is the sun, and Twilight the night;
>there must be both.
>So here I am, about to risk everything I've accomplished:
>millions of lives, millennia of pony-history
>and the unknowable expanses of time since I created the world.
>All for the sake of one lost unicorn.
>And it's worth it.
>Because she has the potential to be so much more.


Post 8

>The mirror has been moved to a room close to Princess Twilight's.
>I have reduced the guard compliment.
>Now I wait, cloaked and obscured in my most potent magics.
>Even my dear sister would be hard-pressed to detect me.
>A flash of light tells me she's arrived
>I watch her stealthily creep among the corridors.
>Not stealthily enough!
>A bit of my subtle magic here and there ensures the guards don't spot her.
>How easy it would be to catch her now!
>But, she must be saved, not merely stopped.
>Oh Twilight, forgive me.
>You're a princess, and so, immortal; one day you'll be a goddess too.
>Then you'll understand.
>At last she finds what she's looking for.
>The Element of Magic rises in the darkness.
>This seems an opportune moment;
>I give the tiara a little push into the lamp.
>Damn it to Tartarus, she caught it!
>Well, let's try again;
>a touch of magic,
>Spike rolls in his sleep,
>Sunset trips,
>and the chase is on!
>A little magic to amplify the noise
>Now all the ponies are involved!
>Galloping and teleporting,
>all the way to the mirror,
>No! Twilight caught her!
>Sunset won't give up, especially with this incentive;
>I bounce the crown from one surface to the next,
>and finally, through the mirror.
>Sunset frees herself and turns,
>victory scrawled across her perfect face.
>"Sorry it had to be this way,"
>a smirking salute
>"princess."
>My jaw drops, and she's gone.
>I've often heard ponies invoke my name.
>But who does a goddess pray to?
>She's so very much like me.
>I hope I'm not making another terrible mistake.


Post 9

>Castle of the Two Sisters
>c1100 years ago

>"Here ye, here ye! All who gather, stand and bear witness!"
>Luna's Royal voice booms through the great hall.
>I gesture with my horn and all eyes fall on the Grand Door.
>As it opens my orchestra begins to play.
>A grand tune, full of triumph and honor!
>A lone unicorn stands tall, aged though he is,
>and proudly marches down the carpet toward us.
>All eyes follow him
>Not a trace of contempt or loathing on any of their faces.
>Stallions belong in the bedroom or the fields.
>That's the way it has been for as long as I could remember.
>They had said it to his face at first,
>when as a foal his magical talents began to outshine those of any mare.
>Then quietly, behind his back,
>when I decided to teach him.
>Now, they don't say it at all.
>Some of the other stallions even seek educations of their own.
>He stops before us, kneels, and smiles.
>Awed by us, of course, but also,
>by the sun and moon visible through the windows.
>Sharing the sky.
>Luna's idea.
>An appropriate display for one who has saved Equestria!
>The music fades, and Luna speaks again:
>"Know Ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of"
>"Starswirl the Bearded,"
>We do appoint him a Hero of Equestria!"
>"To be known as such from this day forth,"
>"and I do strictly direct and require all ponies"
>"to render appropriate respect thereunto."
>Her echos slowly die.
>My turn to speak
>"Starswirl the Bearded, Hero of Equestria."
>"For recognizing and defeating the Three Beasts of Song,"
>"receive this medal!"
>He rises to all fours and I place a Royal Seal around his neck,
>borne on a chain of solid gold.
>"Stand and be recognized!"
>he turns, and as one they all bow to him.
>I let him savor his moment.
>"Now, Hero of Equestria, speak!"
>"Name your reward. If it is within my power, you shall have it."


Post 10

>Canterlot Meadow
>that night

>Luna and I lie together, looking over our kingdom.
>"Why did you do it Celestia?"
>"Sister, please..."
>"We are not really sisters. Answer us."
>My dear sister is angry and embarrassed that the ponies still revere my days more than her nights.
>She has been for some time.
>But since the ceremony, she's turned frigid as ice, and now she says this?
>Luna; petulent and puerile even after all these years.
>But I will not rise to it.
>I will be an example to her, as I am to every pony.
>Eventually, she will realize how base her behavior is.
>I sigh
>"It was what he asked for."
>"But another, like us?"
>"He isn't an Alicorn yet, Sister."
>"He has a great deal to learn before the seed sprouts, if it does at all."
>A roll of her eyes
>"We know that, Celestia. We worked long and hard before our own took root."
>She lets out an incredulous laugh
>"But, Celestia, what will you do if it does? Send him to rule one of our protectorates?"
>I consider for a moment. "He isn't a mare..."
>"That's right Celestia, he isn't a mare. They won't accept him."
>"They'll play along. To his face, and ours, but nowhere else."
>My sister's words are sharp, and flung with annoyance.
>Why does she behave so?
>"He is not a mare, but I believe the job would suit him."
>Luna's expression changed to disbelief.
>"They will mock him, and maybe you too. It is no fault of his own,"
>"but his appointment will undermine our legitmacy in their eyes."
>Her expression darkens, and she glares at me.
>"But you know this, Celestia, don't you?
>I raise my nose and let my gaze ooze down upon her.
>"Meaning what, Sister?
>"You are no fool Celestia."
>A strange look flits across her face
>"But neither are we!"
>Her voice cracks
>"You think we have failed. You think us delinquent in our duty of the night."
>"You seek to replace us! To make him steward of moon and stars in our stead!"
>That's it?
>Oh how she is truly, my *little* sister.



Post 11

>I soften my gaze
>"Sister, I..."
>"Do not deny it! How strange that you would choose a male,"
>"but his name is so convenient, isn't it? 'Starswirl'."
>She spat it out like a rotten apple.
>Her eyes narrow.
>Then, she whispers so quietly no pony but myself would have been able to hear her:
>"It's to humiliate us, isn't it? That's why you chose a stallion."
>"Fields, bedroom, or replacing Luna... that's what they'll say."
>I lower my head and nuzzle her chin
>"Sister! I will never replace you."
>She looks at me, tears welling in her gorgeous eyes.
>"Look."
>I gesture with my snout
>"The land, the sky, everything in between."
>"Every rock, every plant, every creature, every pony."
>"I created this world to find you. You are my sister."
>"Immortal, powerful, and one day, when you have learned and grown enough,"
>"you will attain divinity every bit as splendid as my own."
>"If Starswirl ascends, he too will become immortal, and he will not be accepted right away."
>"But we can wait, dear sister."
>"We will hold the kingdom, the world itself together, as long as it takes to change."
>"Experience tells me, it will not be so long as you think."
>"But what will not change, is my love for you, or your place at my side."
>"You are my sister, forever and always, and I love you, forever and always."
>She looks away, and silently gazes at the horizon
>I lay my head on her shoulder
>"Is it time, sister?" she asks.
>I smile and nuzzle again
>"It's close enough if you're ready."
>I keep my head on her shoulder as she lowers the moon
>There's a soft dripping noise
>We linger
>Everything's going to be OK. I know it.
>At last I raise my head, and the sun.
>Now, in the light of dawn, I see Luna is crying.
>She looks over and smiles
>"We do love you, sister. We just wish they loved us too."
>"They do."
>A moment goes by, and she smiles sadly.


Post 12

>"We made something for you, Sister"
>"Oh?"
>"Yes, we have noticed something that all the ponies seem to love: an ornament for the day itself."
>"An ornament for the day?"
>Her smile is genuine now, despite her lingering tears.
>"mmm!" She enthusiastically nods.
>"Close your eyes, my sister."
>I smile back at her, and do as she asks.
>Her horn lightly touches my mane, and a brief tingle passes through me.
>"Open them, sister, and follow me to the pond."
>Among the rocks, shielded from the ripples of the waterfall it's clear and placid.
>In its surfce our faces look back at us;
>Luna's smile is as bright as the sun itself, and my own is awestruck.
>"My hair..." I whisper
>My pink tresses are transformed!
>A rainbow, dancing on a gentle wind that isn't there!
>Now it's my turn to smile.
>My sister, My dearest Luna! So thoughtful even now!
>"Thou can suppress it, when thy want to."
>"Why would I ever want to do that?"
>"Well..." Her tail swishes sheepishly
>"it takes a bit of magic to keep it going."
>"We gave thee a little of our own so thou could see how it looks,"
>"but If it's not kept charged the spell will falter."
>I shake my head
>"I don't want to suppress it! I don't want it to falter! I'll wear it with love for you, forever!"
>She giggles like a little filly and rubs her neck against mine.
>"We'll teach you the spell, but first..."
>"first?"
>"Come and play with us!"
>She leaps from the edge of the promontory at full gallop, then soars through the calm dawn sky.
>I am not far behind


Post 13

>Canterlot
>Present day

>I haven't heard from Sunset for a very long time.
>Twilight returned and told me what happened.
>My dear little Sunset actually used the crown.
>But of course, her seed failed to sprout, as I knew it would.
>Sunset may have been able to fight Unicorn Twilight,
>but, she was no match for an Alicorn.
>Twilight said she left Sunset in the hands of some humans.
>The very ones whom she had terrorized for so long.
>It seemed an odd thing to do, cruel, even.
>An indirect vengeance, unbecoming one of Twilight's station.
>Then she said those humans had also been that worlds bearers of The Elements.
>So I let her judgement stand.
>Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter,
>and most of all, Kindness were just what Sunset needed now.
>I was surprised there had been no Element of Magic,
>But Sunset could do without that for now, at least.
>But where was 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.
>The book dances and glows atop my desk.
>I open it and begin to read.
>Oh no.


Post 14

>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 introduction of magic from Equestria.
>If the portal were open, I could take care of this myself.
>I can reopen it...but to my regret, she asked for Twilight's help, not mine.
>Perhaps that's for the best?
>Equestria needs me,
>Twilight needs the experience,
>and Sunset needs a friend, not a mother-figure.
>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.
>Twilight needs the experience,
>and Sunset needs a friend,
>not me.
>Time is of the essence, and a teleport is faster than even my best pegasus courier.
>I'll send a letter once it arrives, but
>Twilight will recognize the sirens as surely as I did,
>maybe even before the message arrives.
>She'll also have a way to talk Sunset through her new crucible.
>I close my eyes, and cast my sight to Ponyville.
>To Twilight's castle,
>through the wards and spells meant to keep out farsight and teleportation.
>My faithful student improves all the time; they are much better than before,
>but still trivial for me to bypass.
>There she is, 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.
>What to do?
>How fortuitous! My shipment of books is arriving!
>And they're going right to the throne room.
>They will catch her attention if anything will!
>Effortlessly, I begin the teleportation spell, and reactivate the books message-alert.
>A pop as it disappears from my chambers
>Now to find a messenger...


Post 15

>The Everfree Forest
>c1000 years ago

>Silence
>I watch the moon sink below the horizon.
>Luna is nowhere to be seen.
>Lately, that's not unusual.
>We raise and lower our celestial bodies dawn after dawn, and dusk after dusk,
>without ever laying eyes on each other.
>But even at dawn, there is some kind of noise: birds, guards, something to hear.
>Especially here in the forest.
>Silence
>I feel a chill up my spine and know Luna is watching me.
>She sometimes does, using farsight to spy without having to share my presence.
>No, not spy; she knows I know when she watches.
>Observe, would be a more appropriate term.
>I do not mind.
>Dutifully, I raise the Sun
>But it is so quiet.
>I turn and head back toward our castle.
>Last night, I did not want to sleep, and spent the night in the forest watching Luna's sky.
>She'd become more and more upset this last century.
>Nopony seemed to appreciate her efforts, and one night,
>she'd just stopped.
>She still raised 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.
>Shortly after, the sky had exploded in light and color.
>The moon shone like a beacon, and the stars flared, literally *flared* up,
>bursting across the sky in hues I had never seen before.
>Even a comet appeared!
>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


Post 16

>I'm not even at the gate yet, and I know 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 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 the 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, do you know what's happened?"
>No answer
>"Luna? Sister?"
>Why doesn't she answer?
>I spread my wings and fly to 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
>I trot over and see his sleep is far from peaceful:
>his eyes are swollen and tears streak his fur.
>Sweat rolls down his body while muffled screams punctuate his whimpers.
>"Guard?" I shake 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.


Post 17

>"Hm-hm-hm-hm" her soft laughter drifts through the air.
>"Oh he's having the most marvelous dreams sister."
>The way she hisses out that last word chills me to my core.
>"They all are. Sleeping and dreaming until my night cometh again."
>"What have you done?"
>"We sent the guards home and layed them to bed. In fact, 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 begins 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."
>Suddenly the guard thrashes in his sleep.
>A high keening wail erupts from all around me.
>They're all screaming. 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 from all sides.
>Then, as quickly as it began, they fall silent.
>Luna's disembodied voice speaks again.
>"Thou will, of course, because thee wants us to stop, dost thou not, sister?"
>This couldn't be happening
>She couldn't mean this.
>My sister
>*My* sister
>My *sister*
>How could she do this?
>Tears fall freely from my face
>I don't care
>"Luna..." I manage to sob
>"Well, come and stop us. Thy surely knoweth where we are."
>"Luna, please..."
>"No, sister! Come to us. Now is not the time for fear. That comes later."


Post 18

>I'm crying
>I can't help it
>How could she do this?
>Oh my dear sister...
>I could end it now, release them myself, but that might drive Luna 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 alcove 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 would 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 you so."
>Her smirk changes to a snarl.
>"Have you forgotten what I am? I am a goddess! Creator of both sun and moon."
>"I made the world! I gave life to it! Who are you to defy me?"
>Her face is a mask of frustrated rage.
>Can't she understand how hopeless her position is?
>"We too, are a goddess! Thou said so thyself! That one day we would be thy equal!"
>"And you think that day has come?"
>"We are the night! We are the darkness! We are the bringer of dreams and the source of fear!"
>"Luna..."
>"They will love the night, if not for its beauty, then for its solace from the terrors of the day!"
>"They will cower in fear at the mere thought of the light!"
>Her horn glows, and they're screaming again.
>Every throat on the planet screeching itself raw.
>"They will love us! They will love ME!"
>Louder and louder, their mad voices penetrating even the thick stone walls.
>"They will worship the peace I allow them only when the darkness falls!"
>"Luna!"
>"Shut up, Celestia! Now is the time for fear! Stop me if you can!"


Post 19

>This isn't working
>And I can't let my ponies continue to 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 little bit more than I'm used to.
>Suddenly the screaming stops.
>Luna's face jerks towards me with a shocked expression.
>I force down my tears.
>"No more of this Luna. You can't hurt them anymore."
>Her horn glows, then blazes. Her face contorting with effort and rage.
>Easily countered.
>My sleeping subjects 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 believed possible,
>then all at once collapses to the floor, sobs gushing from her in an uncontrolled torrent.
>Her tears and moans wrack her frame from nose to tail.
>"Please, let this be the end of it, Luna, my dear sister."
>I turn and march from the alcove,
>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.
>I slowly turn to face her.
>"Did you really 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!"
>The stone dias crumbles beneath her powerful hooves.
>A fissure shoots up the wall behind her, and it too falls away.
>Through the hole, I see my sun, shining in the clear blue sky...
>eclipsed!


Post 20

>Canterlot
>Present Day


>My Dear Sunset Shimmer,
>Congratulations!
>Through the great strength true friendship provides, you defeated 3 ancient, powerful terrors!
>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 you relishing my praise.
>What I wish to discuss, 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 laudible.
>This protects us, but also stunts us;
>we can't grow if we're blind to our own failings.
>Unfortunately, many are.
>Intellectually, we know "nobody's perfect",
>but when it comes to it, we 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.
>This takes more fortitude than many possess,
>and even 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.
>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 with you about.




Post 21

>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 in to giving up.
>She knew how powerful they were, and I thought seeing me wielding them would 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 it was an accident;
>that in the heat of the moment, my control over the elements slipped!
>In period illustrations, I am shown pink-haired.
>I ordered it so, to further convince myself that I was flustered, not malicious.
>So flustered, in fact, that even my hair-magic faltered!
>But it was a lie.
>I did it in anger.
>Pain at my sister's betrayal, and fear for my ponies,
>wove seamlessly into a spike of rage which bore an action that haunted me for a thousand years.
>Why am I telling you this?
>Not as an excuse, but as a warning.
>You will find yourself in desperate situations.
>It is inevitable as a princess.
>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, and saving them,
>because I still hope you'll return to me.
>Princess Luna has, and resumed her rightful place.
>I hope 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 hopes often go unfulfilled.
>Were you anyone else, I would not dare hold so much of it.
>But you are you. Indomitable, unstoppable you.
>I have faith in you.
>C


Post 22

>Canterlot Meadow
>c1000 years ago

>I lay in our spot and cry.
>Our spot
>Where we passed so many dawns, dusks, and gorgeous days and nights.
>This is where Luna invented the aurora;
>happily coloring her nights with the energy of my sun.
>This is where she painted my mane.
>This is where she played and explored.
>This is where she loved; her favorite place in all Equestria.
>Where our laughter echoed together time after time;
>now silent, but for the wind, and my pitiful cries.
>My sister!
>Oh, my beloved sister!
>If only you had listened!
>If only you had stopped!
>If only I'd had better control...
>My thin veneer of equanimity collapses.
>I am alone, and have no need for it.
>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.
>Eventually, my thoughts turn to my ponies.
>All my little ponies.
>So terrified, and so desperately in need of me.
>I'd freed them from her spell, but great damage had already been done.
>They need my magic to lull them to sleep now, so traumatized are they by her nightmares.
>Nightmare Moon
>That's what they're calling her now.
>All her beautiful works, and heartfelt love forgotten.
>Hers will be a legacy of terror.
>She deserved so much better.
>Again misery overtakes me, and I cry awful, wracking cries.
>My heart tears from me and spills over the meadow.
>Our meadow
>The workers are already repairing my castle, but it's filled with bad memories.
>My heart weeps every time I look on it.
>But our meadow is filled with happy ones.
>I lower Luna's now-marred moon knowing what to do:
>abandon the Castle of the Two Sisters, and raise one here.
>Canterlot Castle!
>The dawn breaks, and washes me in its brilliant radiance.
>A new beginning for my ponies, and also for me.
>No more the distant monarch
>No more the goddess
>From now, until the end of Equestria I will be the kind and warm leader they deserve.
>I love them all so much, and now they will know it!


Post 23

>Canterlot
>Present day

>It's a lovely day.
>There isn't a cloud to be seen,
>my sun is warm,
>and my garden is filled with the perfume of flowers.
>Best of all, I have a new tea to try!
>For hundreds of years I've cultivated tea plants as a hobby.
>Some of my blends, and strains are enjoyed well beyond the borders of Equestria proper.
>Now, after nearly 4 decades of selective breeding, and magical tweaking,
>I think I've made yet another delight!
>Of course, there's only one way to be sure!
>I smile in anticipation as I bring the cup to my lips, it's delicate bouquet filling my nostrils.
>I pause a moment and marvel at the sight of my kingdom;
>Cloudsdale shines distantly in the bright sunlight,
>its alabaster spires contrasting beautifully with the blue sky.
>Ponyville nestled idyllically in the rolling hills to the southwest,
>their slopes dark with fecund apple trees.
>I close my eyes and sigh, savoring the moment.
>At last I drink,
>savoring also, the feeling of its warm astringence meeting my tongue.
>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.
>The sound of a door being hurriedly opened intrudes on my reverie.
>A guard pony canters down my 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 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 liquid on my tongue.
>Could it be?
>After all this time, has she at last come back?
>"Yes, has somepony come through?"
>"Not exactly, Your Highness..."


Post 24

>I'm on my balcony
>It's nearing sunset, and the air is cool.
>A speck appears on the horizon, toward Ponyville.
>It's so distant, it seems to hang motionless in the sky,
>but I know it's moving with considerable speed.
>Gradually, it draws closer, and my eyes resolve it:
>Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, glowing in my sun's red light.
>My eyes track her progress as my mind puzzles over the days events.
>Some pegasus guards intercept her, then quickly let her pass.
>She comes straight to me, landing quickly, her face filled with concern.
>"Is it true?"
>I quietly nod.
>Her ears and tail droop
>"Oh, Twilight...I came as soon as I heard. I teleported right to Ponyville 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."
>"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!" She finishes.
>I nod
>"The portal is gone, Princess Twilight is g...gone; 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! Princess Cadance! We have found a portal!"


Post 25

>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 at once, everywhere on my planet, their moods and dreams sweetened, though they didn't know why.
>I do:
>love.
>Pure, unconditional love powerful enough to bend reality itself.
>But what could have caused it?
>Instantly, I'd cast my sight across Equestria to it's source, not knowing what to expect.
>Certainly not expecting what I found!
>A little pink pegasus filly,
>standing in the snow, with a grown unicorn weeping at her hooves.
>I watch as the unicorn embraces her, and gives her a necklace:
>a crystaline heart bound in twine, blazing with invisible magic.
>Literally a heart,
>cut from the chest of a siren, meant to enslave it's victims, and deaden their souls.
>It's raw magical power dwarfs that of either the filly, or the unicorn, but it's different now:
>shining and pure.
>It's selfish malice somehow transformed by love.
>Her love.
>That's incredible!
>That's potential!
>The kind I've found only once before in my poor, lost sister.
>Unbidden, memories of her leap to the forefront of my mind. Still painful,
>but after all these years, a deep, dull ache, instead of raw, overwhelming anguish.
>I must sieze this chance!
>The unicorn steps into her cave, and I act,
>teleporting the filly, and myself to this special place.
>She blinks, looking thoroughly confused.
>"Where am...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?"
>"Cadance, Your Highness."
>"What a beautiful name."
>She breaks in to a smile.
>"Thank you, Your Highness."
>I beam back at her
>"You may call me Celestia, Cadance."


Post 26

>"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 be friends."
>She tilts her head to one side, and her candy-striped mane falls over her shoulders.
>She seems utterly 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 lot!"
>"Good!" I say with my warmest smile. "Cadance, do you know why I've brought you here?"
>"No, Pri...C...Celestia." Her voice shrinks to a whisper at my name. "I don't even know where we are."
>She finally pulls her eyes from me and looks around
>For what seems like the first time, she notices she is standing on "nothing":
>a floor of pure magical force, and far, far below it, my world spread out like a shining gem.
>A satisfying gasp as her little jaw drops.
>"We're high above Equestria. Right over Canterlot, in fact."
>She peers through the floor
>"Wow, Canterlot?"
>"Mm-hmm, and you're here, because I want to give you a present."
>"A present, for me?"
>"It's not a present you can hold, Cadance, but it's very, very special. One day, it will change you."
>Her brows furrow "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 is working furiously;
>she's young, but maybe she can understand even if I don't simplify it so much?
>"You'll become like me, Cadance. And if you do your job right, if you love your ponies, and take care of them,"
>"They will all love you in turn."
>"Like the way we love you?"
>What can I say to that? What words can adequately express the way they make my heart 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."


Post 27

>She nods with surprising solemnity.
>"I'm sure."
>"Then close your eyes, Cadance, and open your heart."
>For show, I gently tap her head with my horn, and silently will the spark to pass to her.
>Instantly, a burst of light shoots from her chest.
>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 with sheer bliss.
>"It's so warm!"
>She floats, engulfed in a brilliant light, growing, and feeding upon itself.
>It surges back through her body, and up her neck, pouring from her eyes.
>She lets loose an exhilarated yell as it bursts from her forehead in a searing flash of pure magic,
>leaving a radiant spire in it's wake.
>She floats, 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 from side to side, and turns 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.


Post 28

>The Everfree Forest
>Present Day

>The stench of the forest's air washes over me as my teleport spell completes.
>A fraction of a second later, Cadance pops in to being beside me.
>"Where is it?" she hurriedly asks.
>Luna indicates a 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 escapes Cadance's lips
>Luna gently nuzzles her, and softly:
>"But as we said, there was not much time."
>I look around at our surroundings.
>This part of the Everfree is notorious.
>More swamp, than woods, and filled with ghost-lights and strange, dangerous things.
>Even the few ponies who regularly brave the forest itself, avoid it at all costs.
>But 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 shoulders.
>We hold each other tightly until at last, Cadance is calm.
>"Please, Sister, tell us everything you can."
>Luna closes her eyes and concentrates for a moment.
>"First we felt great mirth overtake us, as if laughter, humor itself were a presence."
>I recall Twilight's mention of the Elements of Harmony in the human-world.
>"Then a purple glow appeared, and opened into a rift."
>"We rushed closer, and heard music, of a kind we've never heard before."
>Her snout scrunches in consternation
>"We didn't even recognize the instruments."
>"Also, there were 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: horizontal wooden boards, secured to an iron frame."
>"with gaps between them, and a strange creature was peeking through."


Post 29

>"Did it see you?" I asked.
>She shook her head
>"We don't believe so; the portal closed before we could approach it."
>"Well," began Cadance "at least you found something."
>She smiles, and gives a strained laugh.
>"Really, it's lucky it opened close 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, especially here."
>Says Cadance, echoing my thoughts.
>"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 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, then quietly, Luna continues.
>"There is more."
>The magic was a tangled mess, but we could recognize a few signatures: one was the portal itself;
>others were Elements of Harmony: Generosity and Laughter.
>Cadance's gasp tells me she is as surprised as I am
>"But how is that possible?"
>"We suspect, it's because the largest portion..." she pauses,
>"was siren magic."
>That would explain it. Sirens absorb life and emotion, why not 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, their gems broken."
>"You're sure it was siren magic?"
>"We are. 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 a weapon."
>Says Cadance.
>"Could somepony there have made something from the fragments?"
>A look of comprehension sweeps across Luna's face.
>"That's it!"


Post 30

>"The wall partially blocked our view, but 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's 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 stand silently, turning ideas over in my mind.
>As Cadance said, this would be a clumsy attack on Equestria,
>but it would be a good first move if the sirens wanted revenge.
>Kidnapping Twilight, and closing the portal would isolate Sunset and the humans from our help.
>However, Sunset's new letters to Twilight don't mention them,
>and my alarms would have tripped if anypony had crossed through.
>Also, without their gems, they are powerless, certainly incapable of this,
>or defeating an Alicorn, and extremely gifted unicorn working together.
>It's probably not them.
>In fact, it's unlikely that Twilight is on their side of the portal;
>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 where could she be?
>If I knew where the portal led I could open one, and find out immediately.
>But I don't, and it will do no good to open them randomly in an infinite multiverse.
>"There's nothing for us to do now, but wait for it to open."
>"Cadance," I turn to her.
>"it seems 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, but don't come looking for us. A royal must remain in Equestria."
>"Sister, I will remain here with you, and continue the beacon."
>She nods too.
>"Are there any questions?"



Post 31

>Midnight came.
>My dear sister wrought her magic, and I kept her safe.
>Dawn, and Princess Cadance asks to replace one of us.
>"I have never needed sleep" I tell her, "and Luna has been an Alicorn far longer than you."
>"Enjoyable as it may be, I doubt she requires it any longer."
>Reluctantly, Cadance had acquiesced, and we continued our vigil.
>Noon, but you wouldn't know it by my sun.
>Here the shadows are dark, and the waters deep,
>but my gaze penetrates it 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 glance at my sister, her eyes open, but unseeing, and 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.
>I feel it then,
>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 in to gates, and Luna rushes toward them.


Post 32

>Something leaps through from the swamp, and immediately returns
>pursued by a small, though terribly loud purple creature.
>They leap from puddle to tuft, and fall from one portal to another,
>their distorted shadows casting wildly about by the sunlight spilling from the portal's 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!
>A pendant, floating around the neck of one, blazing in it's 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, and they are too small for her to fit through anyway.
>As quickly as only a goddess can, I reach through the portal 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 undoubtably siren, but the one wearing it is only human.
>Worryingly, there 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 bobs her head and touches 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 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 not even Luna can hear.
>"Good luck."


Post 33

>Twilight did not go through the mirror.
>We finally knew, but the question still remained:
>where was she?
>The query burned within us all,
>but with no more clues, there was precious little we could do.
>I was all but certain we weren't under attack,
>but it was conceivable the Yaks, or Changelings would learn something was amiss,
>and try to take whatever advantage they could.
>So, Cadance continued her organisation of Equestria's defence.
>Luna resumed her patrols,
>no longer calling the rifts, but instead, keeping my ponies safe from them.
>I returned to Twilight's castle, in hopes of finding something,
>*anything*, that would tell us what had become of her.
>I wandered about, inspecting each room, and every strange device I found.
>Twilight infused the place.
>Her scent, her magic, her very essence.
>The hard crystal walls glimmered and shone and reflected images of her from my mind.
>But my search was fruitless.
>Sister called me some time later,
>her disembodied voice breaking the silence of the dark halls to tell me of another portal.
>I felt it then, too; Honesty.
>But it didn't close.
>It grew, and grew, and I knew it would be trouble.
>Luna told me later that the swamp's carnivorous plants pushed their tendrils through the portals.
>Some of them even fit their entire heads through.
>But they were far from Ponyville, and no longer held the promise of Twilight's delivery.
>She was content to watch from afar until they winked out of existence,
>and I was content to let her.
>Moments after it closed, another opened.
>Loyalty, that time,
>and worse, it wasn't in the forest.
>But it too, was short-lived, and vanished.
>The siren-magic was getting out of hoof, but I remained at my task;
>Luna and Cadance would protect my ponies, and I would find Twilight.


Post 34

>Eventually, I make my way to her grand hall.
>The roots of the Golden Oak hang in the gloom like some tentacled horror from the Immaterium.
>This isn't working, and I must not fail.
>I have to go deeper.
>I expand my awareness, and in an instant know everything there is to know about the palace.
>Every facet, every groove,
>every mote of dust and every atom.
>All the forces and energies binding them together,
>and each tiny measure of the time which stops everything from happening all at once.
>Here, far below the threshold at which I normally leave my senses:
>the lingering scent of an unfamilliar pony, and a faint frisson of magic.
>Time magic.
>I recoil in horrified surprise.
>Could their shared presence really be a coincidence?
>Unlikely, but of course,
>I wouldn't have believed that Twilight's and the portal's disappearances were either.
>Even though they seem to be just that, there's more here.
>Fear. Twilight's fear,
>and the other pony's scent stinks of anger.
>For the thousandth time, I cast my sight across Ponyville,
>but there were none I didn't recognize.
>I search more broadly, sending my awareness down roads and rivers,
>Through woods, fields, and buildings.
>All throughout my land I search,
>but find not a trace of Twilight, or this other pony.
>If Twilight entered a portal through time, this pony probably went with her.
>I loathe time magic, but Twilight must be found,
>and I'm the only one who can do it.
>So I gather my strength, ponder how best to use it,
>and beg the multiverse itself to give her back to me.
>That's when the screaming started.


Post 35

>Normally, the walls and distance between us would have prevented me from hearing them,
>but now, with my senses honed, they roared like thunderclaps,
>rising and falling with the tidal wave of siren-magic crashing over me.
>Another portal,
>spewing it's noxious stew of eldritch energies like debris in a flash flood.
>At once, my sight is beyond her castle, and I see it:
>yawning beneath a tree, right in front of the Town Hall!
>A half-dozen ponies are in panicked flight;
>it must have been them I heard.
>Beyond it's mouth floats a creature of terror:
>a human mare, bewinged, crowned with a single, malformed horn,
>whose mad glinting eyes are limned in cold fire.
>With easy waves of her hands, she tears hole after hole between our worlds;
>I can see Manehattan, Appeloosa, Rainbow Falls, and many others.
>Too many,
>and all of them echoing with the fearful screams of my ponies.
>This has to be stopped!
>Effortlessly, I begin casting all the spells I'll need at the same time:
>teleports to take me there,
>and to move any ponies or humans on the wrong sides of the gates;
>masking spells, so she won't sense my arrival;
>shielding spells to protect me from attack, in case she does;
>numerous closure spells, for the portals themselves;
>and a variety of attacks to annihilate her,
>before she can bring harm to any of my dear, dear ponies.
>Everything will happen in an instant,
>and it will be over before anypony knows anything is happening at all.
>Suddenly, my heart stops.
>Sunset Shimmer.
>Straight-backed and stern-faced,
>resolute, even beneath this monster's unhinged glare.
>"Twilight, you can't do this!"


Post 36

>An image flashes to my mind:
>Sunset, still a filly, in Canterlot with me.
>We'd spent the day learning about Starswirl's victory over the sirens.
>"Celestia," she'd asked, "how could he be so brave if he was afraid?"
>"Oh Sunset," I'd replied, "that's the only time you can be."
>Pride and love swell within me.
>Oh Sunset...
>Magic hums and races along my horn, fighting powerfully to manifest,
>but I hold it in check, and watch; can she really handle this?
>"Why not!?"
>"There's a whole other world right there, and it's just filled with magic!"
>A flash of light, an extended limb,
>and she gleefully blasts another hole through the multiverse.
>Twilight told me there were human versions of her friends over there.
>Uncannily exact right down to their names.
>Knowing that, it makes sense that "Twilight" would be the one to make the locket.
>And seeing what she's doing with it
>is a sobering reminder of what my Twilight almost became.
>Of what Sunset *did* become.
>Until Twilight pulled her back.
>"But you're destroying this world to get it!"
>"So what? There's more magic there, and I want to understand it all!"
>I see it coming before Sunset does.
>The glimmer in the monster's eyes, the curl of her lips,
>and a thousand and one other clues that tell me an attack is imminent.
>But at the last moment, Sunset begins to dodge, and I know she'll be ok.
>The beam slams to the ground,
>sending clumps of dirt erupting from the gaping maw of another portal.


Post 37

>Another one.
>This isn't the way!"
>The largest one yet.
>"I know you feel powerful right now. Like you can have everything you want."
>Another portal to crack my world, and endanger my ponies.
>"I've been where you are. I've made the same mistake you're making."
>I'm sorry Sunset.
>"I put on a crown and just like you, I was overwhelmed by the magic it contained."
>This is far too dangerous to let go on.
>"I thought it could get me everything I wanted."
>With images of Nightmare Moon's banishment flitting before my eyes,
>I tally the gates, take note of where each pony and human is,
>and begin to unleash my blitz.
>Dimly, I'm aware of my sister approaching.
>She must have come all the way from the Everfree.
>It doesn't matter now though, this will be over before she arrives.
>I loosen my hold, and feel the bottled energies begin to slip...
>and my heart stops again!
>Another power touches me.
>Familliar, potent and wholly unexpected.
>The Elements!
>Passing in brilliant, colored streamers to the locket held defiantly over Sunset's head.
>There's something else too.
>I focus my attention on her,
>and start as Something else stirs.
>Not in the locket, but inside her.
>Suddenly, I'm laughing like a mad-mare among Twilight's dark, vacant halls,
>This is it! It must be!
>Instantly, I drop the other spells, and teleport to my sister's side.
>She must not interfere!


>Post 38

>Here, above and away from Ponyville, I watch Sunset slam the locket to the ground.
>It's pilfered magic bursts from the fragments,
>then quickly reforms and engulfs her.
>A shiver runs down my spine, and I know Cadance is watching, too.
>Luna says something to her eidolon, but I don't care to hear.
>I'm laughing and whooping and gliding to the surface.
>Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cadance materialize beside her.
>They trail me to the ground, regarding me with uneasy concern.
>They must think I'm mad.
>"Watch!" I flick my nose to the portal. "Can't you feel it?"
>Probably not, but I can!
>The seed inside Sunset is cracking open!
>It's roots are sprouting and setting her soul aflame!
>Divine fire burning away her mortality and forging her anew!
>My Sunset! My Sunset!
>My student turned protege,
>my protege turned devil,
>my devil reformed, and now, at long, long last:
>my demi-goddess!
>And I can FEEL it all!
>My sister and niece gasp as the radiance fades,
>I simply lay down in the soft grass.
>Sunset raises her arms,
>and in a flash the portal is closed.
>Two by two, all over my planet, I sense the rifts slamming shut,
>until only one remains.
>Cadance and Luna settle to the ground beside me in silence.
>I know they're watching me intently,
>but I am focused elsewhere.
>Long ago, when I was put to the test,
>my wrath bested me, and my sister paid the price.
>Now, across the multiverse,
>Sunset faces her own crucible.
>With furious eyes and terrible power she lashes out,
>the human wailing desperately as she's overwhelmed.
>Overwhelmed, but not destroyed.
>Sunset's visage is hard, and the girl cowers,
>but I can already read her intention.
>Closer she floats, in a column of light.
>"Take my hand Twilight. Let me show you there's another way."
>"Just like someone once did for me."
>I watch her take Sunset's hand.
>I watch the light of friendship burn away her bitter callousness,
>and sigh euphorically as the last portal is seared closed.


Post 39

>My song birds are singing again.
>Their high melodies perfectly suit my mood;
>Twilight has returned!
>I can't keep the smile from my face as I set out a table in my gardens.
>With my own 2 hooves, no less.
>And horn.
>Cups and saucers here, sugar and cream there.
>Leaves of my newest prize strain steeping in the kettle,
>and an assortment of cakes and treats laid out just so.
>I'm partial to the banana cake myself, but there are plenty of others.
>Twilight is coming for a visit,
>and she's bringing a new friend with her.
>It turns out, the pony I'd smelled earlier, was just as guilty as I'd thought.
>Starlight Glimmer, quondam leader of Our Town, had hunted my student down,
>and tried to take her revenge by taking Twilight's past.
>Of course, the multiverse being what it is,
>such a plan would never have worked anyway.
>Nevertheless, incredibly, Princess Twilight not only thwarted her vengeance,
>but actually turned her in to a friend.
>Ostensibly.
>Although she'd used Starswirl's magic, instead of her own to create the time-bridge,
>it was still a remarkable feat,
>so I am VERY eager to meet her.
>I trust Twilight's judgement here, but I also trust my own experience,
>and would much prefer to have a pony who is both so gifted,
>and so recently adversarial, somewhere she can be watched.
>Just in case.
>But, my ulterior motive does not counter my putative one.
>I truly hope her penitence is genuine, and until I know otherwise,
>will treat her as a friend of Twilight's deserves to be treated.
>So I prance about the table, humming to myself,
>and match my voice to those of the birds.


Post 40

>I hear a pony approaching.
>I don't need to look to know who it is.
>"Aunt Celestia!"
>"Hello, Cadance" I smile. "Are you here for the party?"
>Her ears perk up as she surveys the table.
>"Party?"
>"Mm-hmm. For Twilight and her new friend. I've invited them to have tea with me."
>"Ummm..."
>She looks down and awkwardly scrapes the floor with her hoof.
>"Actually, I have a message from Twilight."
>"Oh?"
>"Yes...she asked me to wait a little before giving it to you, though."
>she pauses
>"I wouldn't have if I'd known you were having a party."
>"What was the message?"
>"Yeah, well...oh boy."
>"Cadance?"
>"She read the book you gave her. The one to communicate with Sunset?"
>"Mm-hmm."
>"You know how excitable she is."
>"Mm-hmm."
>"Well, she didn't let me explain what happened,"
>"and just rushed off through the portal as quickly as her hooves would take her."
>"Oh."
>Well, darn.
>"So she won't be coming. What about her friend?"
>"Twilight didn't mention her. I don't think she knows."
>I nod.
>"That sounds like something Twilight might do."
>Cadance nods, still looking sheepishly at the floor.
>"She does love pop quizes..."
>Her voice trails off and we look at each other for a few moments.
>"Well, my dear niece, there's no reason to let this all go to waste."
>She perks up again
>"Would you care to spend the afternoon with me?"
>"You bet!"
>Shortly after we begin, the sound of a door gently opening filters down to me.
>I ignore it, and the clip-clop of hooves on marble.
>"Twilight!" Cadance shouts through a mouthful of cake.
>"Hi Cadance, thanks for your help!"
>"Anything for my favorite filly."
>Twilight smiles somberly, then turns to me, her purple eyes heavy with import.
>"Princess Celestia, There's a vital matter we need to discuss."



Post 41

>I am calm.
>My breath is even and measured,
>my snout is level and my eyes are serene.
>Inside, I'm anything but;
>my stomach flutters,
>and I feel the room might drop out from under me at any moment.
>The feeling of my hair in it's etheral breeze adds to my discomfiture.
>"You're hiding it well, sister" Luna not-quite-whispers.
>I meet her smile with one of my own;
>her gentle voice and kind eyes give a much needed anchor for my emotions.
>"Not well enough, it seems."
>"Oh no, sister," she says with a light chuckle. "Not even we can pierce your facade."
>She winks at me
>"We simply know you better than you give us credit for."
>The feeling of Cadance's delicate nuzzle on my left cheek,
>then, as she presses her shoulder to mine:
>"That's right Aunt Cely, we're your family, and we're here for you."
>With a smile, I lean more firmly into her, and feel Luna's weight on my right side.
>They're nervous too, but not like me.
>I'd told Luna about Sunset, and Cadance even met her briefly, years ago.
>They were both delighted at the emergence of another alicorn,
>and when Twilight said Sunset had asked her to seek my permission to return,
>they'd all but begged to be there when she did.
>Not that they needed to, of course,
>but they don't share our history,
>and so, don't share my doubts.
>Idea after unwanted, distracting, idea runs through my mind.
>Slowly, carefully I breathe in.
>I pause, focusing on the heartbeats of my sister and niece at my sides.
>Slowly, carefully, I let it go,
>and send my rampant thoughts with it.
>The mirror begins to glow;
>They are here, and I am ready.


Post 42

>Side by Side, so close their flanks are touching,
>they step over the mirror's threshold.
>Sunset Shimmer, ice-blue eyes fixed intently on the floor, turns to me.
>She opens her mouth to speak, but only manages a soft gasp.
>Tears well in her gorgeous eyes, and she tries again,
>but no words come out.
>Trembling with effort she forces her face to meet mine,
>opens her mouth a third time,
>and breaks in to uncontrollable tears.
>Her legs give out beneath her and she sinks to the cold floor.
>Luna and Cadance are silent; undoubtably wanting me to take the lead.
>Twilight drops back as I step forward,
>one measured pace after another.
>I can't run, I can't speak; if I do, I'll lose control.
>She moans softly as my hoofsteps come to a halt.
>I stand over her, emotions churning wildly, my eyes never leaving this one little pony:
>the very center of my world.
>"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorryyyy"
>Her voice breaks as the last sound stretches out to a wail.
>Slowly, carefully, I lay down in front of her.
>Slowly, carefully, I wrap my wings around her.
>"I am too."
>And suddenly, we're crying together.
>She crawls closer and pushes my neck with her own.
>We nuzzle, and lean, and hold each other,
>sobbing away our pain, fears and regrets together.
>Our tears mingle hot and wet on the cold crystal floor,
>as our hearts finally begin to heal.
>At last, we are spent, and I look around to see my family smiling at us.
>My family.
>Cadance was right; they are my family.
>Luna, my sister;
>first to ascend, and show me my lonliness would not last forever.
>Cadance, my niece;
>whose unconditional love taught my heart to hope again.
>Twilight, also my niece, through marriage if nothing else;
>who returned my sister, and Sunset, and saved my ponies time and again.
>And Sunset...
>Poor orphaned Sunset.
>My adopted daughter,
>in whom I saw so much of myself I threw caution to the wind,
>and in so doing nearly doomed an entire world.
>Here we are, all together for the first time.


Post 43

>A smile spreads across my face, waxing larger and brighter as my happiness grows.
>Luna is the first to speak:
>"Welcome home, Princess Sunset."
>She looks up at me, brow furrowed in confusion,
>before her gaze slides to my sister.
>"Thank you Princess Luna. Princess Twilight told my you'd come back."
>She looks back at me, then at Luna again.
>"If it's not too late, I'd like to say the same to you, Princess."
>"It is not, and we thank thee, as well..."
>A mischevous twinkle flashes in my sister's eye "...Princess."
>Sunset looks between us again.
>"Princess Luna why do you keep calling me that? I'm only a unicorn."
>Cadance lets out a little laugh.
>"I bet Twilight would have told you, but she didn't know either."
>She grins at Twilight, open-mouthed with disbelief.
>"Serves you right for taking off again before we could tell you anything!"
>Sunset's head swivels between my wings, looking at the four of us.
>"What do you mean, Princess Cadance? Twilight?"
>With a gentle nuzzle, I whisper "See for yourself" and let our hug go.
>"I have wings?" she gasps.
>Luna snorts facetiously
>"To think a pony could undergo apotheosis and not even know."
>"I have wings! When did...?"
>A look of shocked understanding shoots across her face.
>"The school? But how? You weren't even there!"
>"I've never really been as far away you think."

>Time passes in its slow, inexorable way.
>There is laughter and tears.
>More of each are sure to come, but we're mending;
>at long last, I have my family, and they have me.
>We'll live each day and each night in love,
>for our ponies, and for each other.
>Forever.

And that's more or less how it ends, dear reader.
I could keep picking at random ideas, but I've gotten out what I wanted to,
and think it's a fine place to bring it to a close.
I hope you enjoyed it.



Note: This is the original draft of this story, but not the best one. Another version, expanded, and rewritten in prose can be found here:
https://www.deviantart.com/poisonhorsie/gallery/62495852/Students-of-Heaven
and here:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/368234/students-of-heaven
I hope you'll check it out. It's much better than this one.