“Look, Queen... Chrysalis, you said it was?”

I furrowed my brow at Princess Celestia and grimaced. “My name is Criosalaid, daughter of King Foiche and Queen Féileacán.”

“I see,” Princess Celestia said as she nodded. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Really? In front of all your subjects?” I said as I gestured with a hoof to the wedding attendees, all staring in shocked silence—presumably at the majesty of an Apex Síofra like myself.

“Besides,” I continued, pacing around the Solar Princess, “I have Canterlot by the throat latch. My past shouldn’t be the topic of discussion. Your future seems more applicable.”

That sounds good, start off vaguely threatening. It promises nothing while implying everything.

“How old are you?” Princess Celestia asked.

I swiveled my head. “What?” What does that have to do with anything?

“How old are—”

“No, no, no, I heard you the first time. I just find the question incredibly insulting, is all.”

The nerve of her to ask me my age! As if that has any bearing on the situation at hoof.

Princess Celestia smiled warmly. “No, you misunderstand. You see, I met with your parents about twenty-two years ago to offer Equestria’s aid.” She sighed. “They declined, unfortunately, and told me to never return again. I think they were insulted that I thought their changelings would need aid, just like you are right now about me questioning your age.”

I chuckled. “Well, of course they declined. The Síofraí are a proud nation. We don’t need help from outsiders. We take what we need.”

Subtly threaten. Imply the gravity of their current predicament.

“You weren’t born yet when I visited, were you?”

What in Gehenna does this have to do with anything? I feel like we’re having two different conversations! Here I am trying to threaten her, and she keeps asking me about my age! I feel like I’m talking to a leathcheann!

“Again, my age has no bearing on your current situation. What matters now is how thoroughly
fucked you are.”

Celestia chuckled softly. “That just confirms my suspicions. Only a teenager would think swearing makes them sound threatening—”

“—I’m not a fucking teenager! I’m twenty years old!” I screamed at her as my chest heaved heavily and my heart pumped fiercely at the baseless accusations she threw. The gall of her thinking I was a teenager!

“My apologies,” Celestia said. “When was your birthday?”

I glared at her. Why did she insist on asking questions about my age? It was frivolity for the sake of frivolity. Nonetheless, I decided to play her game—after all, it wasn’t like she could do anything. Her Royal Guard was subdued along with the five Element Bearers present.

As for the sixth… best not dwell on that.

“Three days ago,” I growled. “Why is this of any importance?”

“Happy Birthday, then,” Celestia said, still wearing that disgustingly warm smile. “It must have been difficult, not being able to celebrate it while masquerading as my niece. Where is she, anyway?”

“She’s—”

I caught myself, grinning slightly. I was impressed by my opponent’s guile. You clever soith. You almost got me to reveal Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s location. Not today, though. You’d have to wake up pretty early in the morning to catch this síofra off guard.

“She’s somewhere safe.”

If Celestia was bothered by that, she gave no indication. She circled around me like a wolf, that sickeningly saccharine smile still plastered on her stupid face. “Do you have any living relatives?”

I crouched low, wary of this line of questioning. First she’s asking me about my age, now my family?

“I didn’t come here for a therapy session. What are you playing at?”

“Oh, nothing,” Celestia said, still circling. “I just thought I’d get to know my enemy. I thought you, of all changelings—an apex changeling—would understand that.”

“How do you know what I am?” I asked through gritted teeth. That was supposed to be a secret! Nopony’s supposed to know exactly what I am!

Celestia stopped circling and look at me. “You forget: I’ve been around a very long time, Criosalaid—”

“—Queen Criosalaid!”

What’s the point of having a Royal title if no one uses it? She should at least show me that much respect, especially after my troops captured Canterlot with virtually no casualties.

I felt my throat tighten at the thought of what ‘virtually’ meant, in this case.

“Very well, then, Queen Criosalaid,” she said without missing a beat. “I met the previous apex changeling: a member of the warrior caste who went by the name of Cuileog. His form was perfectly suited for his position in life.” Celestia cocked her head to the side. “Do you know why that is?”

“I’ve heard rumors.”

That was a lie. I hadn’t heard a damned thing. Just his name and that he was the greatest warrior in a thousand years.

“Because he was a brute of a changeling who only relished in death,” Celestia said as she relaxed her smile into a more neutral facial expression. “I can only hope that you won’t follow in his footsteps.”

I straightened up, aware of the insult flung at me while the pain of reality stung my chest. “You think I’m an animal, don’t you?” I growled. “Fine, I’ll tell you about my family if it will assuage your concerns.”

“That would be lovely,” Celestia said as her smile returned.

I pressed my eyes shut, then opened them. What was she doing? Oh well, if this’ll help Celestia trust my inevitable rule, I might as well sate her curiosity.

“I have two surviving relatives. An older and younger brother. The eldest, Cearnabhán, is the head of my military forces and is actually in this room right now—” I scanned around the room looking for my brother, finally spotting him and pointing him out to Celestia “—helping to restrain that blue pony right there.”

Cearnabhán smiled and waved as us, me smiling and waving back. He’s so precious. Celestia waved as well.

“The name’s Rainbow Dash,” the blue pony shouted, “and I’ll get your for what you did to Can—” she managed before her mouth was pressed shut by Cearnabhán’s magic.

I nodded at my brother. “Thank you, Cearnabhán."

“No problem, sis.” He’s so helpful. I’d promote him if there was a position to promote him to.

“He would have been King when Mother and Father died if I wasn’t born buaic.” I sighed deeply. “My younger brother, however, Feithid… he’s a little bit touched in the head.”

Celestia arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well—” How do I explain this correctly? Ah, yes “—He’s kind of… slow? Am I using that right?”

“That depends,” Celestia replied, “on what you mean by slow.”

I looked up at the ceiling, tapping my front right hoof on the tile floor. “Well, he can’t learn Equuish for the life of him… fuck, he can barely spit out ‘Síofra’ without sounding like a strangled cat,” I said with a nervous giggle, looking down as I did so and laying eyes on my nervous hoof. “It worries me, sometimes.”

Why am I dumping this all on my prey?

“He seems happy with his toys, though, even though he chews on most of them.”

It’s not magic, I’d sense some kind of mind-magic.

Could the legends about Princess Celestia be true? That she fended off a Griffon invasion with a smile and stopped a rampaging army of minotaurs with her oratory skills?

Focus, Criosalaid! This is your enemy!

“Then yes, you used that correctly,” Celestia said, cutting off my train of thought. “I’m sorry to hear about your brother.”

“I don’t need sympathy from food!” I roared, garnering no reaction from Celestia. I sat on my haunches and rubbed my temples.

What is she trying to do? She obviously doesn’t care about me, despite how much she feigns concern. It’s almost as if…

The realization hit me like a vein of iron. Sighing, I stood back up and faced Celestia.

“You’re stalling for time.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said.

“Don’t lie to a liar—it never works out.” I paced around Celestia in what I hoped was a menacing manner and narrowed my gaze at her. “I want to know exactly what you hope to gain from stalling me.”

“Once again, I have no idea what you’re referring to. I simply want to get to know my future ruler better.”

I froze at that comment. So, she finally admitted that she lost. To me. The Síofraí Queen, newly crowned just a few months ago. My first military venture, and I succeeded hooves down. I smiled widely, baring my fangs in the process.

“Well, Princess Celestia, it’s nice to see that you know when to fold your cards.”

Celestia smiled warmly at me. “What an appropriate metaphor, for I still have one trick up my sleeve.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense. You’re not even wearing any clothes. How could you have anything up your—”

I turned my head upon hearing a nearby window shatter. Luna dove through, holding a box in her magic, and landed on her hooves next to Celestia.

“It was a turn of phrase, foal,” Luna proclaimed.

“I’m not a fucking foal! I’m twenty years old!”

“Hmm,” Luna said. She turned her head to Celestia. “I have them, sister.”

Celestia nodded. “Excellent. Although their Bearers are a bit occupied at the moment.”

“And Twilight?”

“She—” Celestia said as she bowed her head “—she never came to the wedding.”

My right eyelid twitched.

“I am sorry to hear that. You should be able to substitute for her though, correct?”

“Right.”

“Stop ignoring me!” I shouted. It’s like I’m not even here. How disrespectful could you get, especially to an occupying force?

“Well,” Luna said, “let me help you with freeing the Element Bearers.” Her horn glowed cerulean as, to my shock, she blasted my brother right between the eyes. Celestia broke off and started blasting the other soldiers holding the Element Bearers, but my eyes were on Luna.

I narrowed my eyes. “You diabhal! You’ll pay for this!” I roared as I took flight and lunged at her.

I didn’t quite make it, though, for at that moment she decided to open her mouth and unleash a sound that sounded like… like… like hundreds of banshees wailing all at once. It was a scream layered upon a scream a thousand times over, all directed at me. I dropped to the ground instantly and pressed my ears to my head, immediately reminded of Mother scolding me for picking on Feithid for being special. Or for lording my Princesshood over other síofraí who weren’t blessed with being born into Royalty, telling me constantly that I didn’t earn it and I shouldn’t act like I did.

Why am I thinking about Mother while facing down an alicorn Princess? That seems like an odd place for my mind to go…

It then hit me. There was some kind of magic in that yell. I tried to cast a spell to discern what type, but my magic was blocked.

Ah, yes. A submission charm. How clever of you.

I clenched my jaw and took a step forward, my motion hampered by the sheer force of Luna’s voice. Still, I trudged on, determined to end the aural assault. I smirked as I gained ground. Most beings would have probably been cowed into submission, or even vaporized. Not me, though. I thanked my lucky stars that I was born Apex.

Finally, I approached Luna, my mane whipping back at such a velocity as to sting when it touched my carapace. I pulled back my right hoof and jammed it into the alicorn’s fat mouth, shutting her up. I still couldn’t hear anything, though, due to the immense ringing in my ears.

I smiled at her as her eyes watered and she gagged around my hoof. I tested out my magic, pleased to see that it had returned. I used it to clamp her mouth around my hoof, preparing her for my next move.

“Silence!”

I’m pretty sure that’s what I said. I couldn’t hear it, but I felt it.

I lifted her over my head and slammed her into the tiled floor head-first. My eyes then popped open as I screamed and slammed her head into the floor again. And again. And yet again. At some point her eyes rolled back into her head—I’m not really sure when. I was too incensed at what she did to Cearnabhán. Furious at Luna for using the submission charm on me, furious at Celestia for playing me like a fiddle, and most importantly, furious at myself for—

“Criosalaid—”

“—Queen Criosalaid!” I shouted manically, temporarily pausing my pummeling.

“Fine. Queen Criosalaid, your mannerisms remind me of Cuileog right now.”

I blinked, taking in what Celestia had said. I dizzily awoke from my rage-induced haze and looked down at what I had done. My hoof was lodged in the unconscious Luna’s throat, and her blood filled the cracks I had made in the floor with her head. My eyes shot down in horror to her chest, which to my relief continued to expand and contract.

Thank Áine I didn’t kill her. I don’t think I could handle—

“There is no way you could have killed her, Criosalaid. Alicorns are tougher than they look. She will need to be hospitalized, though.”

I sighed in relief at that, not even caring that Celestia didn’t address me by my proper title. I didn’t think I could live with myself if another died today.

“I suggest you remove your hoof from my sister’s mouth immediately.”

I looked up and nodded, slowly sliding my hoof out of Luna’s mouth, then freezing when I laid eyes on what faced me if I did. Celestia had erected a shield around us which my warriors were dutifully trying to breach. On top of Celestia’s head was a tiara inlaid with amethyst gems. Behind her stood the other five Element Bearers, all of them staring at me like they knew what I had done. The blue one—Rainbow Dash, I think—was glaring particularly fiercely and snorted.

Most importantly, though, they were each wearing their Element of Harmony.

I quickly jammed my hoof back into Luna’s mouth. “No.”

Celestia and the five of them just stood there, staring at me.

“I’m still wondering why you haven’t fired the Elements at me,” I said, looking down at Luna. It then struck me.

Maybe they didn’t because…

I tightened Luna’s jaw around my hoof with my magic and grinned at Celestia. “You won’t fire the Elements because you’re afraid of what they’ll do to Luna.”

Celestia gave me that same unblinking gaze.

“That’s it,” I said as I took flight, Luna dangling off of my hoof like a silkworm. “Your precious sister was once Nightmare Moon, wasn’t she? The same demon who was purified eight months ago and was previously banished to the moon by you yourself… right?”

Celestia pawed at the ground. My smile widened.

“That must have been so awful,” I cooed. “Having to send your favorite pony all the way to the moon for a millenium—”

“—you know not what you speak of, Queen Criosalaid—”

“—it must have been extremely painful as you wielded the Elements against your own flesh and blood—”

“—hold your tongue—”

“—one thousand lonely years as you lived with what you had done.”

Celestia’s horn took on a golden hue. “Quiet, foal,” she said as her horn charged up.

I held up Luna’s limp form in front of me. “I don’t think you want to do that.”

Celestia’s horn sustained its illumination, causing the other Element Bearers to glance at her.

“Oh, really?” I shook Luna’s body. “Would you really fire a beam so powerful as to lance through your own sister on the off-chance that it disabled me?”

“I will do what is necessary for the good of Equestria. Luna would understand,” she replied.

I raised an eyebrow at that. Seems rather cold of her. I looked out to the wedding attendees to gauge their reaction. Surprisingly, they didn’t seem shocked by that proclamation at all. Well, they still looked shocked, but not as much as I would expect from them hearing that their perfect little princess would slay her own sister for the good of Equestria.

I decided to test something out.

“You’re all stupid and you smell bad!” I screamed. No response, except from the Element Bearers, who all displayed various states of shock and disgust. Celestia kept her eyes trained on me, presumably looking for an opening. I looked at Celestia.

“This barrier you’ve cast… it blocks sound, doesn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes, to prevent you from giving your troops further orders.”

I nodded. “Hm, very wise of you… but it also prevents ponies from hearing that very cold proclamation you just made. Do you think your little ponies would share the same sentiment as you?”

Celestia kept staring, her horn shining bright.

“I don’t think they would,” I said with a chuckle. “In fact, I’m sure they would be shocked and horrified by your act of blatant sororicide.”

Celestia’s steely gaze met mine as I stared her down.

“Think about it for a second. Not everyone has the same long view of life as you do. What may be necessary to you would be callous and brutal to another.” I lowered myself to the ground, still holding my equine shield in front of me. “Even though I may be no more, ponies may never trust you again. ‘She killed her own sister! Who knows what she’s capable of?’ they would say.”

I chortled. “You might even develop a reputation as a heartless tyrant. How effective of a ruler do you think you’d be then? I can see it now,” I said as I looked upwards, “‘Harmony At All Costs’. Is that what you want your reputation to be?”

I looked back at Celestia, whose mouth curled into a snarl as her horn depowered. Fucking finally! I was wondering what I’d have to do to get a reaction out of her.

Something niggled at the back of my mind, though. If she was prepared to lance her own sister, then she wasn’t worried about what the Elements would do to her. So why would she have the Elements of Harmony out?

It then dawned upon me.

“The Elements were a bluff,” I said. “You would have used them already if you could have done so.”

“I would have blasted you a long time ago if you hadn’t decided to use my sister’s face like a sock puppet,” Celestia growled. “Seriously, what possessed you to do such a foalish thing?”

“Call it serendipity,” I said, winking at her. Her glare turned to ice. I snickered.

“Now, if you could please remove your hoof from Luna’s mouth—she really does require medical attention.”

I looked down at the alicorn whose mouth I was hoof-deep in and saw the blood leaking from her skull. I looked back up at Celestia. “I don’t know. She looks fine to me.”

Her expression changed slightly, her eyes slightly widening as her mouth lost the snarl, but kept a grimace. “Please. You have siblings. You understand.”

“Not going to work this time,” I said as I shook my head. “I’m running the show now. And the first thing you’re going to do is lower that shield if you want your precious sister whom you were about to kill to live to see another sunrise.”

Celestia flinched at that last comment. Yes, I made Celestia flinch! She then sat on her haunches, bowed her head, and lowered the shield to much consternation from the Element Bearers. My troops swooped in and subdued the five ponies quickly and efficiently.

“Remove the Elements of Harmony from them and put them back in the box. They’re useless now.”

The soldiers did as commanded as I looked in Cearnabhán’s direction, delighted to see that he was awake and being tended to by field medics. I wanted to hug-tackle him so badly, but I had matters to attend to.

“As you may be aware, Canterlot is currently in possession of the Sídhe,” I announced to the ponies and síofraí present. The ponies gasped, some breaking down in tears. The síofraí, however, whooped and hollered in victory. To say that I was pleased would be an understatement.

“Now,” I continued, “as for food.” I cleared my throat. “Every couple will be broken up, their partner replaced by a síofra, who will then convert them into a viable food source.” More shocked gasps escaped from the ponies’ mouths. “That would leave the single ponies, whom my síofraí have free reign of until ten percent of them are left. I assume you have a census, Princess Celestia?”

“I’ll… have one ready for you by morning.”

“Good. Now as for these five,” I said as I turned my gaze towards the Element Bearers, “throw them and their box of useless trinkets onto the next train out of here. If they are seen in Canterlot again, they are to be killed on sight.”

The soldiers subduing them nodded as they flew away holding them. Rainbow Dash, however, struggled free and made a beeline towards me. I grasped her entire body with my magic and examined her, her chest heaving and her eyes slit.

“You’re a feisty little filly, aren’t you?”

“You can’t call me a filly! I’m the same age as you, you mon—” she got out before I clamped her mouth shut.

“Put extra guards on this one. She is proving to be… troublesome.” At my command, five guards swarmed to her—four on her legs and one for her head—carrying her away as she struggled fruitlessly.

I looked down at Luna. She was getting paler as she lost more blood. I let her slide off of my hoof and watched her crumple onto the floor.

“Medics, bring her to…” I started. I looked at Celestia. “What’s the closest hospital?”

“Canterlot General.”

“Thank you. Take Princess Luna to Canterlot General for medical treatment. If anything happens to me, though, capture the doctors and delay her treatment.” I then looked at Celestia and smiled.

“In fact, if anything happens to me, anything at all, my final command for all of you to carry out is to cause apocalyptically irreparable damage to Canterlot’s infrastructure.” I grinned widely at the gasps and weird looks I attracted. “Then move onto the next town, descend upon it and repeat the process. Eat their crops, destroy their homes, tear up their railroads. You will continue until you have torn Equestria apart like a pack of ravenous locusts and the ponies will have nowhere else to turn for shelter except for the warm embrace of the Síofraí.”

My brother turned to look at me. “You sure about that? It sounds kind of… excessive.”

“Yes, Cearnabhán,” I assured him. “Consider it insurance,” I said as I kept my gaze focused on Celestia and winked, her growling in response.

“Okay, whatever,” Cearnabhán said as he shrugged and let the field medics attend to him. “You’re the Queen.”

“Indeed I am,” I said as I looked upon the aftermath of what I had wrought. My soldiers were busy breaking up couples and families in order to effectively convert them. The dragon—Spines, or something like that, I can’t be bothered to remember—was crying into Celestia’s leg, her wing draped over him. Shining Armor just… stood there.

Maybe I hit him too hard. He’s probably suffered brain damage from the oxytocin overload.

“Well, this day has just been perfect. Right, Criosalaid?” my brother said with a chuckle.

I snorted. “Yeah. The kind of day of which I’ve dreamed since I was small.”

“Are you sassing me, young filly?”

“Shut up.” He could be a real asshole sometimes.

“I’m not going in there, Celestia.”

“Why not, Queen Criosalaid?”

“The carpeting is pink. I hate pink.” I really did hate pink.

Celestia sighed. “I think it gives the room a rather warm feel. Plus, it has a canopy bed.”

“Which is covered in stuffed animals.”

“You can move the stuffed animals to the floor.”

“But then the floor will be cluttered,” I said as I shook my head. “I am not a fan of clutter.”

“Well, seeing as your changelings are currently filling all of the guest rooms, Twilight Sparkle’s room is the only one available. Why they avoided it, I’ll never know.”

“Probably because it has fucking pink carpeting with fucking stuffed animals on the bed.” Dia, did she not understand?

“But there’s a wide selection of books to read.”

“I don’t care about the books—it has pink carpeting with stuffed animals on the bed that I’ll have to clutter the floor with.” I looked at Celestia. “Can’t I just take your sister’s room?”

“No, you cannot sleep in my sister’s room. I want everything to be as it is when she’s released from the hospital.”

“But come on,” I whined. “It’s not like she’s using it!”

“I said no, and that’s final.”

“It’s not like she’ll notice!”

Celestia shook her head. “What part of no do you not understand?”

“Fuck this, I’m going up to—”

Celestia grasped my muzzle with her magic and stared me down. “You already have Canterlot. You have already heavily injured my sister. There is no way that you will lay a hoof in my sister’s room. If you do, I will kill you where you stand and doom all of Equestria. Are we clear on this?”

I pulsed some magic around my muzzle to free it from Celestia’s grip. “Damnú air, I get it.” I looked into Twilight’s room and shuddered. “It’s still a shitty room.”

“It is a fine room,” Celestia said. “I’m sure you’ll grow to love it.”

“Whatever.”

“By the way, where’s Shining Armor?” Celestia asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know; he’s probably foraging for food in the kitchen. Why?”

“I don’t know, I thought you would want to… consummate your unholy union.”

“What?” I spun around to face Celestia and gagged. “I don’t play with my food! What do you think I am, a peasant?”

Celestia’s cheeks turned scarlet. “Oh, alright. I apologize for insinuating any impropriety.”

“You damn well better.” I turned back to the horrid room.

“So, where is Princess Cadance?”

“She’s in the Sídhe proper.”

“And Twilight? What have you done with her?”

I blanched as a lump formed in my throat. I scratched the back of my neck as my right front hoof regained its nervousness. “Um, I might have told her to go back to Ponyville and cool off.” That sounds… believable.

I could feel Celestia’s eyes piercing into my very soul, as if she knew of my bald-faced lie.

“Hmm,” she said as I heard her trot off. “Interesting. You’ll probably sleep well tonight, considering your military victory.”

I waited until Celestia had left the area, the let out a powerful sigh, releasing the tension I didn’t realize had built up.

Huh, I guess she’ll believe anything.

With that, I entered the bedroom and slammed the door behind me.

So, yeah. Here I am, alone in Twilight Sparkle’s room with the stupid pink carpeting and the bed covered with stupid stuffed animals that I’ll have to clutter the floor with. The walls also featured stupid wallpaper with lilacs on them, along with a writing desk that I hadn’t noticed before. Curious, I trotted to the writing desk which had a book on it. I examined the title, which read A Beginner’s Guide to Advanced Theoretical Thaumatology.

Hmmm, at least it’ll put me to sleep, I thought as I grasped the book in my magic, swept the stuffed animals onto the floor, and leapt onto the bed. I let out a contented sigh as I felt my body slowly sink into the mattress. I took a breath and opened the book, hoping to get some shut-eye.

The book did not put me to sleep. It should have put me to sleep, but it did not because my brain hurt so much trying to make sense of it. Now, I know the Equuish language almost as well as I know Síofra. This was written in neither of those languages.

It was a textbook written in such a way so as to convince me that a confusion charm activated upon whomever open its pages. It had so much information but said so little. It was like some poor professor was forced to write a textbook while being tortured and this was his way of letting the world know how much he was suffering. Disgusted, I shut the book and returned it back to the desk. It was then I noticed that a piece of paper had fallen out of it. I picked it up and examined it.

It was a picture of Twilight Sparkle with her family. I could almost make out my own family in it. Her parents, I guess—that would be Mother and Father. Her older brother could easily have been my own with that winning grin. And Spike on the side… I guess I’ll go with Feithid. They’re both equally as useful. Mi Amore Cadenza was there, too.

Maybe I should send some food down into the caves.

And in the center of it all was Twilight, smiling wide.

That would be me.

My vision quickly blurred as I tried to repress recent events from my memory, wiping the tears out of my eyes with a hoof, but the warm liquid kept on appearing like an unwelcome visitor.

Why am I crying? She was just food.

I burned the picture to a crisp and buried my face in the pillow, wetting it with tears that would not recede. The memory of earlier today intruded on my mind, cursing me with a crystal-clear accounting of what transpired.

I was standing in front of Twilight Sparkle, who was crying her eyes out. I stared at her and arched an eyebrow

Well, I better get her attention so I can get this over with.

I timidly held my hoof out and stroked the top of her head. She looked up and gasped out, “I’m sorry!”

I sat on my haunches and held out my hooves, motioning them towards me. “It’s all right. Come here.”

Twilight nodded slowly as she stood up and leapt into my forelegs. “I didn’t realize that you were helping Shiny with his headaches and you were being so mean to everyone that—”

“—hush, Twilight,” I said while slowly stroking her back and locating her heart.

Twilight held me tightly, her crying staining my barrel. She then looked up into my eyes, tears in her eyes. “Do you think… do you think you could forgive me for being so mean to you?”

Our eyes locked.

Oh shit.

I gave her the warmest grin I could muster. “Of course, Twilight. I just wish you’d understand how trying the time before the wedding is for a bride-to-be.” I pulled her back into my barrel as I continued searching for her heart.

Ah, there it is. Ew, I can feel how slimy it is through my magic.

I gripped her tightly as I lowered my mouth to her ear. “Find peace in Magh Meall.”

Twilight pushed off and looked as me. “What? What does that—”

It was at this point that I detonated my magic in her heart, causing it to explode inside of her chest. She squinted and clutched her barrel before collapsing, rolling down the steps as she did so.

I don’t know how I felt. It was a viscous mixture of elation, adrenalin… and wrongness. I trotted over to her, shaking with each step. When I approached, I examined the body, accidentally looking into her eyes as I did so. They were so…

...lifeless.

I shuddered as I quickly swept her eyes closed with my magic, not wanting to look at that empty glare any longer. I uttered a prayer as I formed a green circle of fire around her, pulling her into the caves below Canterlot.

“Goodbye, Twilight,” I said as I exited the room.

At this point I was bawling into the pillow.

I killed her. I fucking killed her.

I had taken a life in cold blood. It’s not like I had any other option. If I had just dropped her into the caves alive, she would have found Mi Amore Cadenza. Maybe I could have let her attend the wedding? But then she would have pulled something out of her ass like she did against Nightmare Moon and Discord.

I did what I did for the welfare of my Síofraí, I told myself. But that didn’t make the pain in my chest lessen. It almost seemed to magnify it. But why?

Because I’m trying to justify cold-blooded murder of a sapient being who had a family who loved her. Probably as much as mine. Oh, dia, what have I done?

They say that when you kill someone, you lose a part of your soul. I certainly felt that way as I pulled one of the stuffed animals off of the floor close to me and hugged it tightly, crying myself to sleep.

Author's Notes:

Changelings speak Irish Gaelic. Here are their translations.

Criosalaid - Chrysalis
Foiche - Wasp
Féileacán - Butterfly
leathcheann - idiot
soith - bitch
síofra, síofraí - changeling, changelings
Cuileog - fly
Cearnabhán - hornet
buaic - apex or peak
Feithid - bug
diabhal - devil
Sídhe - Irish earthen mounds, which in Irish folklore and mythology are believed to be the home of the Aos Sí (the people of the mounds).
Damnú air - shit(expletive form)
Magh Meall - a mythical realm in Irish folklore that could be achieved through death and/or glory
dia - god