A boom of thunder tears you from your dreamless sleep and you bolt upright in your bed, clutching the covers close. Bright flashes of lightning burn in the sky, partially hidden behind the curtains which shroud the great glass doors lining the room’s far wall. Each bolt paints an intricate lattice of shadows throughout the large room for an instant before they disappear along with the ephemeral light. The sound of the driving wind rattling the glass begins to echo in your ears as you grip your head and try to pull a coherent thought from your mind.

“Where...?”

You move your legs beneath the silken sheets. No pain. That can’t be right. You could barely walk after climbing the mountain...

A hand instinctively reaches inside the perfectly sized shirt of your pajama top to pull it aside. Your shoulder, where you were touched by the wandering spirit within the crystal cavern of the Dark Star, is now completely healed.

“What...?”

It’s not right. It’s not right! What happened? You overcame the Trials with her. You had the completed Orb of Ascension, shining within the palm of your hand! What...

There’s another flash, and it all comes rushing back. Fluttershy. The letter. You were pulled to Twilight, bound and helpless. And then...

Your gift to her, gone. Everything you struggled for turned to dust. It was all for nothing...

You heave out a sob as the sense of loss washes over you. Your right hand reaches up to wipe the pooling tears in your eyes away before they can escape, and you notice a faint violet light from your wrists. You hold them in front of your face to observe the steady pulse of the radiant magic which dances seemingly below the skin.

A Geas. And there’s no question as to its source or its purpose.

Your primal screaming drowns out the sound of the raging wind as you cry and slam your fists against the bed. It’s all you can think to do now in the face of the overwhelming truth.

She won. She won, and these arcane bands that now bind you are the declaration that you’ll never see Celestia again.

“My Prince, is something the matter?!”

One of the large oaken doors swings open and an armored guard stallion charges in. You turn to face the entryway as he trots up to the side of the bed, eyes cautiously scanning the room for any threats. There’s another flash of lightning and your gaze meets his. You can see him visibly cower at the sight of you, and surprisingly, it almost causes you to laugh.

And really, Anon... why not laugh a little? You’ve lost everything worth caring about already, so there’s no point in holding back. You place your head in your hands and laughter fills the silence. You look up again to see the poor pony take a few cautious steps back, which only causes you to laugh harder.

From his perspective, this heaving, angry, unstable ape who’s currently half-chortling, half-crying like a maniac must be pretty scary. You were so lost in your rage that you almost fucking lunged at him when he burst through the door! From the way he’s slightly trembling, he must’ve realized it too.

But now? The utter absurdity of the situation, and of all that’s happened, is oddly starting to calm you down. Your breathing begins to regulate as your laughter subsides and the stallion backs away.

“It... appears everything’s in order here,” he stammers. “Please forgive me for disturbing y—”

“No! Stay.”

The lingering adrenaline in your system causes you to almost scream the command, and you catch him gulping with nervousness before resting on his haunches and saluting. You rub your face with your hands, removing the dried tears from your eyes and allowing the last of the anger to subside. In an attempt to defuse the situation, you give the guard an apologetic smile, but another flash of lightning and a glimpse of your incisors only serve to startle him further, the sight of which causes you to chuckle again.

“Water, please.”

He gives you a questioning look. “My Prince?”

“You’re my guard, right? I’d like a glass of water. And pull up a chair for yourself when you get back. We need to talk.”

“R-Right away.”

He sheepishly trots away and disappears through another door that you hadn’t noticed before, likely leading to a bathroom of some sort if the sudden sound of running water is anything to go by, before quickly returning with a glass carefully balanced atop an unfurled wing. Pegasus, huh?

You slide yourself to the edge of the bed as the guard approaches and carefully lift the glass away. Without hesitation, you down a few large gulps of the cool water and shake your head. It’s simple, but it goes a hell of a long way toward calming you down. The guard folds his wing and stares at you with cautious, questioning forest green eyes, almost as if he isn’t sure if you’re the fabled human or some monster that just stumbled out of the Everfree or something.

You let out a chuckle between drinks. “Well? Go get yourself a chair. That’s an order. And if you’d turn some damn lights on, you’d realize I’m nowhere near as scary looking as you think.”

The words seem to snap him out of his trance and he quickly leaves the bedside to do as you requested. You close your eyes to take another gulp of water and when you open them again the room has been transformed by the warm light of the many magical candelabras that line the walls.

It’s your first opportunity to see just how massive the place really is. ‘Royal suite’ is nowhere near enough to describe it. The four-post bed is so large that you might risk getting lost if you venture too far from the edge, and the other furniture is also huge and most definitely hoof-crafted by master artisans. Priceless pieces of art line the walls, and the deep blue flowing curtains look as if they were woven from the very fabric of the sky itself.

Your pegasus guard, his golden armor reflecting the flickering candlelight, drags a chair over to the bedside with his mouth. He has the same white coat and blonde mane typical of the Solar Guard: the result of an illusion spell forged into the armor itself to make them indistinguishable from one another. He sighs with exhaustion once he finishes positioning the heavy piece of furniture and, after a nod of assurance from you, he leaps into it, resting his back against the ancient wood and flashing you a nervous smile.

You set the now empty glass aside and rub your eyes again. “So, do you have a name?”

The guard salutes before stammering out an answer. “E-Empyrean Blaze of the Solar Guard! But my friends just call me Pyre!”

He instantly claps his hooves over his mouth in response to his unintended slip into casual speech. You extend a hand toward him to show that no harm was done.

“Nice to meet you, Pyre. I’m Anon.”

Hesitantly, he places a hoof in your palm, and you shake. While the nervous looking pegasus is still a bit jumpy, the gesture seems to calm him down a bit.

“It’s... it’s a real honor to meet you face to face, Prince Anonymous. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I heard I would be assigned to you! Being personally assigned to guard a member of the Royal Family is every Guardspony’s dream! I swear on my honor, I’ll serve you to the utmost of my ability, and if there’s anything you need I’ll do my best to provide it!” He gives you another salute.

Damn, these guys are dedicated. Or maybe it’s just this one in particular; it’s not like you’ve talked to many guards in the past. Either way, you return the salute and hope doing so isn’t some sort of breach of protocol here.

“I’m, uh, I’m sure you will. What I need from you right now is to answer some questions, Pyre. Do you think you can handle that?”

“Of course! If the answer is known to me, I’ll be sure it’s known to you, My Prince! And if it’s not, I’ll find somepony who does know!”

You let out a sigh and steel yourself for what’s to come. Although it’s nice that he’s so willing to answer, you deeply fear what you’re about to learn.

“We’ll start with an easy one... where am I?”

“My Prince, we are currently in Canterlot Castle’s southeastern guest wing. This room specifically is the master chamber reserved for visiting Royalty from other nations. The castle is located within the City of Canterlot, which itself is in the region of Canterlot Mountain and its surrounding environs, which together form the central heartland of the Kingdom of Equestria. Our current co-ordinates are...”

You hold your hands up. “Whoa, okay! I think that’s good enough. Thanks, that was really... specific, but also exactly what I was looking for.”

The pegasus beams at your praise for a bit before regaining his composure. You let out a breath and try to calm yourself for what’s coming next.

“What day is it?”

“My Prince, today is Wednesday, the 4th of January of the year AU 2133. The current time is...” He glances to the nearby grandfather clock. “...10:22pm. The lunar phase is...”

Again, you hold up a hand to silence him while you briefly fall into your thoughts.

The 4th... you try to count back in time, but everything that’s happened since that snowy day Twilight nuked your house with a Rarity bomb has understandably been a blur. That happened on December 28th, which is the last specific date you remember. You fled to Latigo the next day, and...

Pyre looks on with concern as you ponder how much time has passed in your head. He shuffles in his seat a bit before speaking.

“Um... Prince Anonymous? Forgive me for interrupting, but if you’re wondering, you’ve been sleeping for about 36 hours. The royal physicians had to keep you asleep with magic so that your injuries would heal faster.”

You snap out of your trance and blink a few times. “...Oh. Thanks.”

Well, that answers your next question.That only leaves one left... the one you’re most afraid to ask.

“Why are you calling me ‘prince’?”

The pegasus’ pupils shrink and his face flushes with embarrassment. Before you can say anything else, he leaps from the chair to the floor and bows.

“I’m... I’m sorry! I know it’s not proper since you’re not officially married to Princess Sparkle yet, but I was only practicing! Please, Sir Anonymous, I beg your forgiveness if I’ve offended you!”

Not yet married... you release the breath you’ve been holding and flop back on the bed in relief. Thank. Fucking. God. You savor this small victory for a few moments before sitting up again so you can tell the flustered guard that everything’s okay. However, before you can even get a word out he’s back on his hooves, his panic intensifying.

“Oh no, I completely forgot! The Princess! I was ordered to inform her as soon as you awoke! I’m sorry, My Prince, I must see to this immediately! I shall return to you as soon as I’m able!”

And just like that he’s out the door, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

From what he told you and what you can remember, it’s been nearly two days since you were captured. Other than this Geas, which you have no doubt is designed to repel a certain white alicorn, you don’t seem to be any worse for wear. But what about the others? What about Cel...?

Your mind races through all the various things that could have happened to them after your capture until your thoughts are interrupted by a small crackle of energy in the air. There’s a rift in space, a portal opens, and out steps the Purple Princess herself. Now it’s your turn to feel the pull of fear deep within your heart as your eyes meet hers.

The small alicorn flaps her wings once and lands on the far edge of the bed, then takes several hoofsteps toward you. You scoot away until your back touches the headboard and you have nowhere else to go, but to your surprise she stops short and curls up atop the sheets several feet away, her wings folded neatly against her sides.

“How are you feeling, Anon?”

She almost whispers it, and you immediately notice there’s something different about her voice. It’s like she’s hesitant, or slightly nervous. She’s having a hard time looking directly at you, her eyes darting away to the floor or the far wall...

What’s happened here? Where’s the supremely confident Princess Twilight who’s pursued you all this time? Is she... afraid of you now? And if so, why? With her magic, she should be able to control you completely... the fact that you still apparently have a free will is baffling in and of itself.

You have no idea what this means, but you’re going to use it to your advantage. Instead of answering her question, you hold one of your wrists up and adopt a slightly angry tone.

“What’s the meaning of this, Twilight? What have you done?”

Again, she fails to meet your gaze. “It’s only temporary. I’ll remove it after the wedding. I’m sorry, Anon. I know that Celestia’s your good friend. She’s... she’s important to me too, but I’m afraid she’s not invited to the ceremony. It’s for the best. The Geas is just a safeguard.”

“Is that really all it is?”

“Yes!” She looks at you now, tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t intend to use the Geas to chain you, or confine you to this room, or anything like that! You’re free to move about the castle, or the city, or anywhere you want to go. That’s why I assigned you your own personal guard. I love you and I want you to be happy!”

She looks genuinely on the verge of crying, and it’s got you completely taken aback. This isn’t Rarity you’re dealing with; despite how powerful she is, you don’t think Twilight is truly capable of faking something like this. What the fuck has her so upset? You’re really curious now, but you can’t be complacent here, so you remain guarded.

“I’m free, huh? Sorry, but I don’t think I can believe that after all that’s happened.”

Again, she looks away. “There... there are limits. It’d be bad for you to miss your own wedding, so the guards won’t let you stray far enough away to risk it. But aside from that, you really can go anywhere you please.”

“...Why?”

“I just told you! I love you, Anon! And... and even if you don’t yet, I know you’ll come to realize your love for me...”

She stands and slowly closes the distance between you until her nose is right in front of yours. You glance at her exposed neck, dig deep, and try to summon the anger that gripped you on the airship, but now it’s nowhere to be found. You feel exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and on top of that her change in behavior has you completely on tilt.

Then, she exhales deeply, and you feel the heat of her breath travel across your nose and mouth. Unlike before, when she would do this to you back in the Treebrary so long ago, you now know what this gesture means. You immediately hold your breath and turn away from her, and a bit of that lost anger returns as your fists begin to clench.

But before you can move to act on it, you hear a hiccup from Twilight and see some tears escape from her eyes. She hops back and shakes her head a few times to clear them away.

“Once...” She sniffles. “Once we’re married, and we have our honeymoon, I know you’ll love me. You won’t even think to look at anypony else. We’ll be perfect together; a Princess and her Prince, and Equestria will enter a golden age...”

She wipes her face with a hoof before flaring her wings with anger. “Don’t you understand?! This is why you were brought here! You were meant for me! Because of you, I gained this power, and I gained the throne, and all that’s left is for us to stop pretending and be together! I’ve seen it! It’s our destiny, fated by the stars and the very fabric of the world’s magic itself!!”

She turns away and hops from the bed to stand in the center of the room. You hear that familiar crackle of magic again and another portal opens. She moves to step through it, but pauses and speaks to you without turning back.

“The... the wedding will be at dawn the day after tomorrow. I plan to raise the sun as we kiss to usher in the first day of our new life together...” She shakes her head again, and the anger in her voice shifts to sadness. “I’m sorry I won’t have the opportunity to see you again before the ceremony. It’s a lot of work to plan a wedding and run a country at the same time, after all. Rarity will be by to fit you for your suit tomorrow, but aside from that you’re free to do whatever you want...”

She turns back, and her tearful eyes have been replaced by an icy stare that sends a chill down your spine.

“But let me make one thing clear, Anon. She’s not going to save you. I’ve accounted for all the variables and every possibility. You’re mine now... my very special somehuman. I love you, and I want you to be happy, and the sooner you come to accept that, the sooner you will be...”

Swishing her tail to accentuate her point, she steps through the portal and vanishes.

You’re left alone in the room. The constant flashes of lightning have dwindled and are now seen only every so often, so the storm must be passing. You stand and test your legs and realize you’re a lot weaker than you thought. Whatever magic they used to heal you must’ve really sapped your energy, because even though you’ve just woken up from a day and a half long nap, your body is screaming at you to return to the comfort of the nearby bed.

Regardless, you fight the fatigue and soldier on toward the great glass doors on the far side of the room. You move the curtains aside and to your surprise, you discover falling snow instead of rain outside.

“A thunderstorm in winter...?”

As you gaze out at the illuminated snow-covered city of Canterlot below, your thoughts wander to the pretty pony you actually do love, her smiling face and songbird-like laughter now only a cherished memory. You close your eyes and place a hand on the glass, hoping from the bottom of your heart that she and the others are safe, wherever they happen to be now.

The door to the room opens and Pyre steps in. He asks if you need anything, but you end up dismissing him to be alone with your thoughts. He nods, then dutifully returns to his post outside the door. You have a feeling that no matter where you go tomorrow with your newfound ‘freedom’, he won’t be far behind.

You stumble back over to the bed and crawl beneath the sheets. There’s no way in hell you’re gonna go through with this wedding. Something has to be done. Anything! But what...? You’re practically powerless here, and the Geas means that Twilight’s absolutely right: Celestia can’t save you this time.

Is this really the end? You can’t run from this any longer, and honestly you can’t see any way out anymore. But there has to be one! There has to be something she’s overlooked, and it’s up to you to find it.

You should get started right away. There’s not much time left. But you’re so tired... your mind and body are so, so tired...

“Cel...”

Slowly, your eyes close, and soon after your consciousness fades.

You reach out and pluck a ripe apple from the nearby tree, placing it in the crook of your elbow along with the others you’ve picked. Four should be enough, so you begin to make your way back to the large weeping willow tree in the center of the sunlit grove where your pretty white pony awaits.

She lies beneath the tree, her forehooves curled up underneath her and her back legs flush with the ground. Her waving multicolored mane gently flutters in the breeze, and her matching curled tail does the same. Her magenta eyes follow your approach, and a slight smile begins to pull at the corners of her mouth.

“And what have we here?” the alicorn hums.

“Red apples. I can’t tell you the specific name; you’d have to ask an expert about that. All I know is that they’re delicious.”

She peers at the apples in your arms. “Red Galas. Indeed, they are delicious. Come, lay with me and we’ll share.” She flutters her exposed wing against her body, beckoning you to recline against it, and you happily comply.

The soft feathers make the perfect backrest and you fight the urge to drift into a satisfied slumber. Instead, you hold out one of the apples, and soon enough a golden aura lifts it from your hand. You take one for yourself and bite into it, savoring the sweet flavor, and the two of you eat in silence, allowing the singing robins and blue jays that flutter around the grove to perform uninterrupted by your idle chatter.

In time, all the apples are gone, and she uses the opportunity to curl her head around to steal a kiss.

“I’m glad you convinced me to come here. Everything’s been so hectic at the castle... I needed this, even though it’s tough to admit.”

“Just doing my job to look out for you, Cel. You’re good at hiding it, but I can tell when you’re getting overwhelmed.”

She giggles. “...That you can, and it means so much to me. I’m a bit tempted to take the rest of the day off to show you my appreciation. I’m sure Lulu wouldn’t mind...”

She moves her tail to gently caress the exposed skin of your arms and you feel a tingle of electricity run down your spine before you settle back and relax with the gentle motions.

“What do you think, my little human? Would you like that?”

You reach a hand out to stroke her muzzle. “How could I resist?”

You move in for another kiss when a familiar sensation washes over your body. Your eyes snap open to see Celestia staring at you with a fearful expression.

“No...”

You can feel the magic starting to pull you away from her. You reach a hand out, but even though it makes contact with her soft coat, you can’t feel it beneath your palm.

“Anon!”

“Help me, Cel!”

The world around you begins to fade as the teleportation magic takes hold and you’re ripped away and cast into a lightless void. You flail your arms and cry out to her again and again, but she can’t hear you now. There’s only darkness...

“There you are, Anon. I’ve been searching for you~”

You can’t see anything, but you know that voice. Your blood turns to ice as the Purple Pony Princess speaks, seemingly from all directions at once.

“Where were you? I needed you and you weren’t there for me. It’s not nice for you to ignore your wife, Anon, especially if it’s to spend time with another mare. I suppose I’ll have to do the same thing I did with the last few to this one too.” She giggles. “You never learn, do you~? So, who was it?”

“No one...”

“Liar.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

“LIAR!”

Her booming voice nearly shatters your eardrums, and you cower in the dark.

“I’ll find her, you know. I’ll find her, and then...”

“No, stop! Please! I’ll do anything!” you plead, but as your tears start to fall, Twilight merely laughs.

“I don’t believe you~”

“Please...”

You place your hands over your ears, attempting to drown out her voice. Maybe if you can’t hear her she’ll go away...

Surprisingly, it begins to work, and the laughter fades. It’s replaced by the sound of ripping fabric, and suddenly your eyes are assaulted by a bright light which consumes everything. In an instant, the dark void is now blinding, and an indistinguishable eyeless midnight blue figure begins to approach.

“Fear not... we shall not allow this nightmare to trouble thee further...”

You rub your eyes again, and the Princess of the Night stands before you in the empty white space, her mane and tail reflecting the light of countless stars.

“Luna...”

She blinks. “Ah, ‘tis Anonymous the Human. How unexpected.”

You begin to tremble with anger, your fists clenching as you stare the blue alicorn down. “You... you have a lot of fucking nerve to show your face in front of me after what you pulled.”

Luna gives you a questioning look. “We are merely performing our duty as the Guardian of Dreams. We know not of what you speak.”

“Bullshit! You helped Twilight capture me with that fake letter! You were in the room when I arrived!”

She nods. “Correct. And?”

“‘And’? ‘AND’?! Do you have any fucking clue what you’ve done?!” You rise and stand face-to-face with the dark alicorn, but she doesn’t flinch when confronted by your anger. “You begged me, BEGGED ME to bring your sister back by getting her an Orb! You even helped us reach the island! And then you betrayed us at the very last second! What was the fucking point of all this?!”

“Betrayed you?” Luna frowns. “Quite the contrary; we assisted you in ways you likely do not realize. Were you not successful in completing the Trials?”

“YES! But it doesn’t fucking matter now, ‘cause Twilight smashed the Orb! And all because of YOU!”

Without thinking, your hand shoots out to grab the pony by her neck. Again, she doesn’t flinch. Instead, she begins to chuckle, which only serves to infuriate you further.

“What’s so goddamn funny...?”

“Well,” she giggles again, “to start, your threatening behavior is pointless. This is the Realm of Dreams, and you are powerless here.” Her horn ignites and she vanishes from your grasp, only to reappear several feet away.

“Secondly, it appears there’s been a misunderstanding. You accomplished exactly what we requested. While we are grateful for your assistance, what comes afterwards is of no consequence to us.”

“Like hell it isn’t! Did you not just hear me say that Twilight DESTROYED THE ORB?!”

The Night Princess yawns. “Indeed she did. The Orb of Ascension you carried was destroyed, but the Orb of Ascension Sister carried is still intact, and that is all that matters. Only one is required to restore her power. As we said, you accomplished exactly what we requested.”

The haze of anger quickly leaves you, leaving only confusion behind.

“W-What...? She was carrying one too?!”

“Of course. One cannot pass through the Wayshrine Gates and enter the Trials proper without possessing an Orb. It’s odd that you weren’t aware. She was with you at the altar when you forged your own, was she not?”

You think back. Yeah... she was there, right with you at the altar. You were so focused on your own at the time that maybe you could’ve missed it. But why would she hide it from you? Did she assume you knew...?”

You stumble back. “But... but even if she has one of her own, she can’t use it! It won’t work! She told me herself!”

Luna nods. “Correct. She must pass it to another to free the magic, but the recipient can then pass it back to her to complete the ritual. There is only one in this world she would trust with such an exchange, given the potential power at stake, so when she returns from Latigo, we shall assist in her ascension. Once that is done, she shall be as she was, and finally this ordeal will be behind us. Again, we are grateful for your assistance.”

You collapse on the dream’s formless ground. “You... said you weren’t my enemy. You used me, and then sold me out at the end. I can’t believe it...”

She sighs. “We are not your enemy, Anonymous the Human, but nor are we your ally in these matters. We have no authority to interfere in the affairs of a fellow Princess. Who she chooses to marry is her own prerogative and ultimately matters little to ourself or Sister. It is regrettable that events had to transpire in this way, but there are bigger things in this world than the wishes of one wayward ape.”

You laugh and look away. “You’re... you’re one hell of a bitch, aren’t you?”

“Anonymous.”

Her tone, much more serious now, compels you to look back, and what you find strikes terror in your heart. You’re no longer looking into the eyes of a mere pony, but of an immortal ruler, with everything that entails. You’ve seen this look from Celestia before, rarely, but never from Luna, and it’s startling to say the least.

“Understand that we had no choice. Something has changed within the last several days and a great threat to this world is looming just beyond the horizon. We can sense it on the wind, and had we allowed you to remain with Sister, it would’ve forced a clash between herself and Twilight at a time when Equestria cannot afford it. We implored Twilight to return to Canterlot, but she refused to do so without you. We did what was necessary as a result.”

She turns away to stare into the void, her voice tinged with a hint of remorse.

“This petty squabble between them became a great problem which could no longer be overlooked when Sister’s power was lost. Now, more than ever, she is needed to help guide this world, until such time as Twilight Sparkle becomes truly worthy of the position she has come to inherit. We know, and she knows, all too well, that the responsibility is more than one pony alone can bear. This foalish fantasy of abandoning her duty to live in the past has resulted in an imbalance that is damaging to the order we’ve strived so long to build and maintain, and it cannot be permitted to continue. We are sorry, but this is the truth.”

She turns back to you, and it’s as if she’s looking beyond you, into the past, or perhaps the future.

“You shall marry Twilight, which will help temper her obsession with you and allow her to focus on her duties. We shall re-empower Sister, so that she might regain her station and her place by our side. With this, the strife will be over and balance restored, and this lingering darkness thwarted. The world will continue in Harmony. If nothing else, remember that you have done a great service for Equestria, and you shall be honored for it, even if not all of your wishes can be fulfilled...”

The dark alicorn begins to trot away from you and you feel the effect of the dream ending. You can’t help but start laughing as the white void vanishes around you.

“Okay, I get it. You don’t give a shit about me, and that’s fine. But what about your sister? Have you ever thought about what she wanted? What she wished for? Or does she have to be miserable for the rest of her life, too?”

You can hear Luna’s voice all around you as she replies, “It is a consequence of the choices we made. She understands this, which is why she runs from it, just as we did in the past. But it is inescapable, and she knows this in her heart...”

The lingering echo of her voice eventually subsides, and only the silence of the broken dream remains.