Chapter 11

Applejack looked towards the other escapees as they waited for Twilight to rejoin them. They had all managed to escape the city despite being spotted at the its edge. They had defeated the quartet of shadow creatures, but gave up stealth at that point and fled for the borders of the Crystal Empire. They had all looked over their shoulders as they had to run, fully expecting pursuit from more shadows or Tyranny himself. When none came, it left a sour taste in Applejack's mouth. Why hadn't Tyranny chased them down? Surely he couldn't let them get away. He had kept them imprisoned for a reason, so why didn't he come after them?

There was no sign of Twilight or Princess Luna, and Applejack grew worried. She was by no means a simple mare, but trying to figure out the Tyranny's machinations was beginning to give her a headache; combined with her worry for Twilight, she was about ready to scream. She snorted in irritation and looked at Fluttershy as she stood nearby, her gaze directed towards the city in the distance.

"Do you think Twilight is alright, Applejack?" she asked as the farmmare approached.

"Ah think so, Fluttershy. Twilight ain't one to put herself in too many situations she can't get out of." Applejack winced, recalling a few times where Twilight had done exactly that.

She rubbed at her foreleg nervously. "That's true, I suppose. It's just that Tyranny is so scary and mean. I'm afraid what he might do if he captures her again."

"Don't ya fret. Twilight will come back, and we'll all find a way to stop him fer good."

"Yeah, cheer up, Fluttershy. It doesn't matter what he does, Tyranny's going down," Rainbow Dash said confidently from overhead.

"Indeed, darling, that ruffian won't stand a chance against us all. We will win the day," Rarity added.

"Then it'll be party time!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly.

The five of them smiled and agreed to have one big party once everything was all said and done. The royal couple smiled at them and agreed to come after they liberated the Crystal Empire. Queen Chrysalis stood aside, looking at them in disgust.

The sound of flapping wings had them whirling to face the source, expecting another attack from the shadows. They sighed in collective relief as Princess Luna descended from the clouded skies above.

She looked at them in relief. "I am pleased to see you all—" Her eyes darted to the changeling queen and she scowled fiercely. "What are you doing here, monster!?"

Chrysalis bristled. "I won't tolerate others speaking to me in such a manner! Especially not you, Moon Princess!"

"What is she doing here?" Luna demanded, not taking her eyes off the dangerous changeling.

As the ponies informed her of the recent developments, her glare softened only a little.

"What are your intentions?" she finally asked.

"Revenge," Chrysalis said firmly. "The indignity I suffered at his hooves cannot go unpunished."

Luna nodded slowly, looking at the changeling queen intently. "Once Princess Twilight rejoins us, we will head for Canterlot to—" she stopped and looked to the side. Twilight quietly approached them from the hillside, her head lowered as she walked.

"Twilight!" her friends shouted in relief, but it was quickly replaced with worry.

"Twilight, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Fluttershy looked her over in concern.

Twilight looked at them with red, swollen eyes. They all could see that she had been crying for some time.

"I… I…" she started to say, but stopped as she looked to the ground. "I need to talk to Princess Celestia."

Rarity wrapped a sympathetic foreleg around Twilight's shoulder. "Twilight, you can talk to us. We're your friends."

"What did that scumbag do to you?!" Rainbow Dash turned her glare towards the tower in the distance.

Twilight looked at them and tried to say something, but what ever she meant to say, she left it unsaid. "I promise… I will tell after I speak with Princess Celestia." There was silence that followed as her friends struggled with wanting to comfort their friend but also wanting to respect her wish.

"Pinkie Promise?" Pinkie asked softly.

Twilight looked at her. "I promise to tell— Pinkie Promise—after I speak with Princess Celestia."

"What has Tyranny told you, Princess Twilight?" Luna asked.

Twilight looked at her fellow alicorn for a long moment before lowering her gaze. "I'm sorry, Princess Luna."

Luna looked at her for a moment and relented. She knew that the young alicorn saw her sister as her trusted mentor, and if Twilight were to find the answers, it would be best for her to get them from Celestia.

"Very well, but we must make haste. Tyranny will not allow us to remain unhindered for long. A train station is not far from here. Come, let us go." She lead them away from the crystal city. Cadance looked towards her city regretfully before her husband laid a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder. She gave him a sad glance before turning away and following the others.

The ponies left the Crystal Empire behind with no further incident. Along the way, Twilight was quiet and withdrawn, and any attempt at conversation by her friends was met with silence. She even looked away from her brother as he attempted to get some answers from her, and he could only sigh in frustration. He, like the others, was not happy at seeing her in such a sorry state. Chrysalis smiled inwardly at the whole ordeal, but knew it was best that she keep her thoughts purely to herself.

As they made it to the train station and onto the train itself, Twilight didn't pay much attention to the stunned conductor as he found three royal princesses, a royal prince, and a changeling queen boarding his train. Such passengers were not something he ever thought to see riding his train together.

They all took their seats as the train began its journey towards Canterlot. Conversation naturally turned to a discussion of what had transpired at the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor spoke of the battle in the tower. They told of the fate of their guards and others whom had fallen. The royal couple was taken aback when they learned what had truly happened to their subjects.

Queen Chrysalis grudgingly told the tales of her release and of the first outpost, which sparked a heated debate until cooler heads prevailed.

Twilight sat detached from it all, only offering a word or two as a question was sent her way. Her friends and family frowned when she did not offer her usual thoughts and opinions, but any attempt to get her to speak met with no success. After a while, Princess Luna suggested that they all should seek their rest. Though it was near morning when they boarded the train, it would be dark before they would arrive at Canterlot. Exhausted from their ordeal, they readily agreed with her suggestion.

The private cart was set aside for them, and they all soon found themselves asleep. Twilight tossed and turned, her bed sheets entwining her legs and torso. In her dreams, she saw herself standing over the graves of her friends in a rain-soaked field. They were dead and gone while she remained, her friendship with them lost to the passage of time. In her dreams and in the flesh, her tears fell, and there was no denying them. Try as she might to think of other things, she was always brought back to her grief.

Suddenly, a few more tombstones appeared that bore the names of her brother and parents. A few more appeared, for Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, and they were followed by even more bearing the names of the ponies she knew from Ponyville. More and more tombstones appeared and kept coming until the rows stretched out further than she could see. She felt the loss of each one keenly, each one a life she had known and loved only to have them taken away from her mercilessly by time.

Time had left her behind.

She mercifully awoke some time later. The dreams had been so real, so vivid, she couldn't believe her dreams could be so horrible. She thought about speaking with Princess Luna about her dreams, but saw it was in the afternoon and decided to leave her be.

With a sigh, Twilight tossed aside the covers and quietly made her way to the passenger cart. Thankfully, it was empty, and she took a seat near a window. She leaned against the window frame and watched distantly as the terrain swept past her.

Rationally, she tried to think out her troubles. All her years of study taught her to break down a problem to its core elements, analyze them, experiment and draw a conclusion. Yet for all of her rational, it was the unknown that kept her from finding a solution. The dreaded "X" in the equation, one she could not solve for. No matter what avenue of thought she tried, it always came up with no satisfying answer. She shook her head in frustration and hoped that once she spoke with Princess Celestia, she would have her answers.

As her train of thought went down that track, the first question that came to mind was if Princess Celestia actually knew. Did Princess Celestia know that Twilight would live far longer than most ponies? Did she know this when she put Twilight on this path to learn the magic of friendship? Did she even consider her feelings? What of Cadence? Did she know?

She had become an alicorn only a few months ago, but she understood so little. She hadn't even mastered flight yet! To learn the truth about alicorns in such a way— told by a cruel tyrant rather than her trusted mentor— left her feeling hollow. Had Tyranny been telling the truth all along, and Celestia had been deceiving her? Why couldn't the princess have been more straightforward with her? Why all the crypticness?

Princess Celestia had always been so kind, so loving towards her. Celestia trusted Twilight enough to make her a princess, and that was proof that Celestia thought highly of her. But why did she feel this way? Why did Tyranny's words seem to have a ring of truth to them when Celestia had always been so good to her? Twilight rubbed her face vigorously, trying to make sense of it all.

The burden of leadership hadn't been set on her shoulders as it had with Cadence. Celestia had allowed her to remain in Ponyville as she always had., but with Twilight's newfound alicornhood, how much longer would it last?

The day she became a princess was one of the happiest in her life. Her friends and family were there to share in the joy of her coronation. It was a day she would remember for the rest of her life. The thought that the happiest day of her life was also the start of an eternity of misery—and it being pre-planned by Celestia without her consideration—didn't sit well for her in the slightest.

Engrossed in her thoughts, she paid little to the passage of time. She didn't register the sound of the door opening and closing. She started as she felt somepony sit next to her. Fluttershy looked at her with soft, sympathetic eyes.

"Twilight, please tell me what is wrong. You look so hurt, what did Tyranny say to you that hurt you so much?"

Twilight gave her an apologetic look. "I… can't, Fluttershy. I don't want you or any of our friends to worry about it. Once I speak with Princess Celestia and I have my answer, I will tell you. I promise."

Fluttershy frowned faintly and looked at the ceiling of the train cart. "Do you remember when I was a model for Photo Finish? I was doing something I didn't like doing, but I did it for Rarity. Your letter to Princess Celestia said that one should not hesitate to show your true feelings with your friends. Maybe if you told us, it wouldn't be so bad."

Twilight thought back to that letter and found that Fluttershy was right. Not sharing their thoughts and feelings with each other had led to grief between Rarity and Fluttershy. It was only after they had shared their feelings that they were able to make amends and be friends again. Could this be the same thing? Jealousy was one thing, but could outliving your friends and seeing their memory fade with time be considered the same?

"We promise, dear, that we would think no less of you," she heard Rarity say she joined them.

"There ain't nothin' that's going to make us think so, sugarcube," Applejack added.

"You're the most superest, awesomest, most wonderful pony there is, Twilight. You'll always be our friend," Pinkie Pie said with her usual energy. She wore a white T-shirt with "#1" written next to a picture of Twilight's face.

"Yeah, what she said," Rainbow Dash added finally. "You always said that when we work together we could handle anything. Well that includes Tyranny. So it doesn't matter what he does or says, as long as you have us, we can handle anything."

Twilight's heart swelled, and grateful tears came to her eyes. She truly couldn't have asked for better friends. No matter what they faced, they would believe in her and she in them.

"Thanks, girls," she said, sharing a group hug.

None of them could see the fresh tears that streamed down her face.

-0-

True to Luna's words, the train pulled into Canterlot Station as the sun was beginning to set. Luna had decided to raise the moon from the train, so as to not make a show at the train station. She bid the rest of them to join her sister at the castle and to keep watch on Chrysalis.

As they stepped off the train, Twilight could only stare at the towering castle overhead. Princess Celestia was there, and she held the answers to the awful questions in her head. Even after being comforted by her friends, the thoughts came back stubbornly and drove into her mind even further than before. Anger and frustration had set in, and Twilight was finding it hard to keep the emotions in check.

Rainbow Dash noticed her stare. "Hey, Twilight, are you ok?"

With a frustrated growl, Twilight took off towards the castle. Her horn glowed and she teleported. She did so again and again, getting closer with each teleportation.

"Twilight! Wait!" Rainbow called after her, ready to give chase.

"No, Rainbow, let her go," Applejack said.

"Huh, why?"

"She needs ta talk ta the princess on her own. She'll get there, just give her time ta sort it out first."

Rainbow growled softly and nodded with reluctance. She wanted to be there for her friend but knew this was something Twilight needed to figure out on her own.

-0-

Princess Celestia sat calmly upon her throne, looking over a few letters she had received from across her kingdom. Many of the correspondents were from other major cities reporting their preparations for an assault from Tyranny's forces. Thankfully, no such assault had come yet, though. She knew it would only be a matter of time before he would strike out from the Crystal Empire. Tyranny was not one to remain idle for long. She swore that no other city would be caught unaware as the Empire had.

Her correspondence with her sister and Twilight had lessened after Spike had returned to Ponyville. The last message she had received from her sister had said that they would be returning to Canterlot tonight along with Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, and an unexpected visitor. Once Celestia knew that they were all safe and sound, they could turn to formulate a plan to defeat Tyranny.

She looked up quickly as she felt a surge of magic nearby. It was a familiar aura of magic, but something was wrong. A violet aura surrounded the doors of the throne room before they flew open, and in ran Twilight Sparkle. Her face was streaked with tears as she glared fiercely at Celestia.

"Princess Twilight, it is good to—" Celestia began.

"How could you?!" Twilight demanded, her scream echoing through the throne room.

Celestia's eyes widened impossibly. Few had ever spoken to her that way. She had never, ever expected her beloved niece would speak to her so and neither had the two guards at the foot of the throne room, who stood just as shocked as she.

"Twilight, what is wrong? What has happened to you?" Celestia asked after her shock faded.

"How could you not tell me? How could you lie to me?!"

Celestia was about to say something but caught herself. She looked to her niece and saw the pain— a silent plea for answers to some inner turmoil that only she could answer.

She turned her gaze to her guards. "Please, leave us." They nodded silently and walked past Twilight without so much as a glance, closing the doors behind them.

"Twilight, please tell me what has happened. What has made you so upset, my little pony?" she asked again.

Twilight looked at her with gritted teeth, her expression hurt. Images of the tombstones she had seen in her dreams were still vivid in her mind. "How could you not tell me that I would outlive my friends? Did you know this when you made me a princess?"

Celestia's eyes widened again. "Where did you hear this?"

"Tyranny told me everything about what it means to be an alicorn, and what it does to you!"

"He told you—" she breathed, but Twilight interrupted her again.

"Did you know this, Princess Celestia?"

"Twilight—"

"Why would you make me learn the importance of the magic of friendship if it meant losing the very friends I made?"

"Twilight," Celestia said more firmly.

"How could you hide this from me?!"

"Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia said in a tone she rarely ever used.

Twilight looked to the floor, both in shame and in sadness. She knew she had overstepped her bounds, but she couldn't help it. The feelings of loss, betrayal, and grief were overwhelming.

Celestia looked at her for a quiet moment. "Twilight, what has Tyranny told you?"

Twilight looked to her. "He told me that becoming an alicorn, becoming a princess, would mean that I would live to see my friends and family die while I continued living." Her voice was a soft whisper. "To live out centuries while all I knew and loved faded in front of me. I… I… don't know if I could… Why didn't you tell me?" She looked to her mentor with wide, vulnerable eyes.

Celestia sighed sadly, it pained her to see Twilight in such a state. "You must understand. It is—"

"Must you continue to lie to your subjects, Celestia? It almost seems that you enjoy misleading them," said a dark voice.

Both of them started at the intrusion.

"Oh no…" Twilight's fur along her neck stood on end.