Twilight was returned, not to the ballroom, but the throne room. No sooner had her hooves touched the ground than she collapsed in tears. She let the knife clatter to the ground, and then kicked it away, as if it might force her to kill somepony else that she cared for.

It was only after a long period of time -- Twilight didn't know just how long, but it had to be close to an hour -- that she became conscious of the world around her. The throne room looked pristine, regal, and strangely empty. The usual gaggle of courtiers and nobles were absent. In fact, there was nopony there but Celestia and herself.

"I am so sorry, Twilight," said Celestia.

And Twilight ran over to her and leaned against Celestia and burst into tears. "Why'd she have to do that?" she cried. "Why did she make me do that? I... she made me kill her! And I..."

Celestia embraced Twilight and nuzzled her. "Child, I know how much you must be grieving right now. But your sacrifice has not been in vain. Believe me when I say that your service for this past week was truly beneficial to the country. We are assured of peace for many years."

Twilight nodded a little.

"Now, child, though I know your sorrow, I would ask one more task of you."

"What... what is it, princess?" She felt spent, unable to do anything but agree. "What do you want me to do?"

Celestia was all she had left now. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd finally made an irrevocable decision, that she could perhaps have backed out after dealing with the UPPR or the Dogs or Goliath or Trample's forces but no longer could. She'd chosen what was important to her and she had to go with her decision, however much she was regretting it.

'What if Celestia asks me to kill somepony else that I know?' she thought. But it vanished almost as soon as it entered her mind; she knew she didn't have the strength anymore to disobey any order from her princess, however much she hated it.

"First, I will give you time to carry out whatever remaining business you have. And then, after that... you will become the Moon."

Hours later, Twilight was sitting numbly in a cell.

There were three problems, Celestia had told her. The first was that the friends of the dead champions were going to be angry and ready to revolt when they learned that Twilight Sword had killed their neighbors and friends. They would want Twilight's head on a platter. The second was that the nobles and diplomats were starting to hint that Twilight was uniquely talented and skilled, and therefore not really representative of Equestria's military capabilities. "Maybe she can level an army by herself," Baron Trample had grumbled, "But suppose four attacked Equestria from all sides? There's only one of her."

And the third was Luna.

"She was the one who allowed Rainbow Dash to enter the competition. Her scheming necessitated this event in the first place," said Celestia. And Twilight didn't ask for reasons or evidence, but just kept nodding. Celestia, she thought, would protect her and help her. Celestia would do good for her. Celestia was good, after all. That was her only hope: that Celestia was good, and that following Celestia was good, even if it didn't feel like it.

"So what we are going to do is fake your execution..."

The citizens of the border territories and other nations, who of course didn't know anything about the champion matches but only that their friends were suddenly dead, would be placated by the news that the serial killer Twilight Sword had been executed. The nobles and foreign governments would be quietly informed that Celestia was willing to casually have Twilight killed, and would then infer that Twilight must not be anything special -- that there must be more like her capable of her feats. And the third problem would be taken care of by a powerful spell.

"Just before the execution, I will exchange your consciousness with that of my traitorous sister. This is an ancient alicorn spell that may be used once on any pony, even one as strong as Luna."

"Thought you were trying to... to redeem her..." Twilight didn't know what to think anymore. Hadn't she tried befriending Luna? No, that was in her other mind, in Twilight Sparkle's life. It had no place here. For that matter, why was Celestia trying to kill her sister? That was completely unlike her. It was like, she thought for a moment, that Celestia was trying to see exactly how depraved Twilight would act -- shattering a pony, slaying an ally, killing a friend, now regicide...

But it was beyond Twilight to care at this point. She was on a path that she couldn't back down from.

Celestia sighed and shook her head. "I tried, Twilight. I tried as hard as I could, but she is as irredeemably evil as the day she betrayed me. This is the only option. She will be in your, mortal, body, which will be immediately killed -- and her with it. And you will be in hers. The body of the alicorn who rules the moon and the stars. You will have the unlimited magical power you always dreamed of."

Twilight agreed. What else could she do now? And Celestia embraced her, and held her tightly, and assured her that she really was a good pony, one of the best, and that she knew how badly it hurt but that Twilight had made the right choice. She'd saved the country. Every pony who would otherwise have died of war, from combat on the front, or illness in overcrowded field hospitals, or starvation as the farmers were drafted and crops rotted in fields, owed her their lives. But it didn't help. When Twilight left Celestia's presence, she felt worse than ever, despite all of Celestia's reassurances.

She used the time Celestia had given her for taking care of loose ends to deal with a few personal issues. Applejack, for one. She'd found Applejack in a cell, where she'd remained after having been hauled away by the guards for trying to interfere with the competitions. Twilight had informed Applejack that, though she held the farmer partially responsible for Dash's actions, she would still try to help Applejack -- because they were friends, and that was how friends acted. She had then explained that she would appeal to the guards, the courts, and Celestia herself to dismiss the charges against Applejack, that the farmer would be free in no time. Applejack hadn't been grateful, which would have been best, or angry, which might have been acceptable. She'd just stared at Twilight, stone-faced.

"What? I'm trying to get you out of here. Almost anypony else who tried to attack the princess's champion would be charged with treason, but I'll see that you aren't..." Twilight had trailed off. Applejack hadn't reacted in any way. "What now?"

"What do ya want, Twi?" Applejack's voice had, weirdly, lacked any inflection. Twilight had thought it sounded almost... bored. Like Applejack was talking to some stranger she couldn't care less about.

"I don't want anything..." Twilight had turned away, unable to finish the sentence.

"Ya can't make up fer what ya did ba tryin' ta give ma some token favor," Applejack had said, using the same neutral and blank voice. "It don't work like that. Ya killed Dash. Don't try ta get outta that by buyin' ma friendship 'gain."

"Well -- well, then maybe I won't help you get out! Maybe you can rot here!" Twilight had snapped.

Applejack had shrugged, lain down, and shut her eyes. Twilight, unable to provoke any other reaction, had stormed off in a huff. She had felt lower than ever.

There was also the matter of one last party with the guards. They had been informed of what would happen, and they made toasts to her in honor of her upcoming ascension. Spears and Turquoise Lightning had practically hero-worshipped her by this point, falling over each other to keep her glass and plate full, and she had even heard somepony say that it would be a good lesson for future guards -- how Twilight Sword overcame her traitorous urges of friendship to finish off an enemy of the country. Twilight had ignored the speeches as much as she could, and partook of the wine rather more than she usually did.

"You're the greatest ever! We love you, Twi!" yelled a drunken Turquoise Lightning.

"Yeah, I'm awesome!" Twilight had slurred. "Gimme 'nother glass! Gonna be the hoovin' moon!"

It grew foggy after that, but she distinctly remembered promising Spears that she'd give her personal training, then Pinkie Pie showing up and things getting all hazy, and then Pinkie being gone when Twilight began to remember things clearly again. Twilight didn't ask what happened to Pinkie Pie; she distantly recalled the guards chasing her off and telling her that they were Twilight's real friends now, and it wasn't like Twilight was going to correct them. Pinkie was probably on Applejack's side anyway, and had probably just shown up to yell at her and kick her while she was down.  

But then it was over. Two guards came to take her to a cell, so that the execution would look legitimate to foreign witnesses and to Luna's faction. The guards deposited her and left, even Spears, who tucked a small candy into Twilight's hoof before scurrying off. And Twilight was alone.

Twilight ate the candy without tasting it, then sat down. She just had to wait to become the Moon, and then she could rest. And think. There was plenty of time to think. Lots of magic to explore and books to read, and she'd have all eternity to do it.

Of course, she had time to think before her 'execution' as well.

She thought she saw Rainbow Dash out of the corner of her eye, though she knew that was obviously impossible. Dash's face didn't even seemed mad -- the mare seemed hurt and betrayed. "I didn't want to do it," she told the vision, first softly and then in a raised, almost yelling, voice. "But I had to. I had to do it to save the country. Celestia wouldn't lie about that. If I'd let you live, Luna would have destroyed everything!" Dash's gaze was unyielding. "I'm being honest! I didn't enjoy it! Dash, you have to believe me!"

The vision vanished... and reappeared a few minutes later. Twilight screamed.

She wondered what Celestia would tell the Ponyville inhabitants. They'd hear about the 'psychotic serial killer Twilight Sword' eventually, and would probably figure out that Twilight Sword and Twilight Sparkle were the same pony. How would they react? Especially her other two friends, who fortunately hadn't tagged along to Canterlot. How would Fluttershy and Rarity respond to the news?

"They wouldn't understand. I'm sure they all hate me now. They're probably burning the library in Ponyville as we speak," she said. The dungeons were cold and her teeth were chattering. "Why did Dash have to do that? Why?" She began to sob. "Dash, you... agh!" She stomped her feet. "Why did you make me kill you!" And then, a few moments later, "And Luna, you caused this too! It was your rebellion that got this whole thing in motion! I tried to help you at Nightmare Night! I'm glad you're about to die! I'm thrilled!"

No one answered. She was alone in the dungeon. Even Applejack seemed to have been moved somewhere else.

"WHY?" she screamed. No one said anything. "Why, Dash? I thought we were friends!" She screamed something else, something inarticulate, before breaking down into tears. "Why?" she repeated, this time in a whisper.

Her rationalizations were crashing down around her. No matter how many times she repeated that Celestia had made her do it, that it was justified, necessary, a required evil, would save lives... they fell apart. She'd killed her friend for some stupid political reason. She'd killed Dash, and Applejack and all the others, and not even her magic could bring them back. It was done.

She cried all night.

In the morning, as she was led out, she considered, briefly, the possibility of saying no. After all, Luna hadn't been convicted of anything. Celestia hadn't given any evidence as to why she had to be executed. But she couldn't summon the energy to deny her princess anything. She was doing all she could to put one hoof in front of the other.

She was led in chains by a rope around her neck to a crude pillar in a courtyard where nothing grew. The guards led her up three flights of stairs to the top of the pillar. She saw that the walls were ringed with guards, and the courtyard was packed with ponies. Everypony wanted to see her.

A voice, Celestia's, sounded in her mind. Twilight didn't know that Celestia could do that, but didn't bother trying to figure out how she had managed it. Nothing else made sense now, so why should this? The voice said that the transfer of consciousness would take place when Luna and Celestia ascended the pillar and passed Twilight. Luna would have to pass within a foot of Twilight, and as soon as she was, Celestia would cast her magic and their minds would be swapped. Then Luna, in Twilight's body, would be hung, and Twilight, as an alicorn, would begin studying how to raise and lower the moon.

Twilight didn't react. She just kept putting one hoof in front of the other.

And then she was at the top of the pillar, and she was wondering when they'd had this thing installed because she didn't remember it at all from any of her previous years in Canterlot. Were public executions more common now?

"There they are!" somepony yelled, and Twilight turned to see the alicorns starting to fly up the pillar. Celestia looked serene and confident; Luna, scared. Like she knew what was coming.

It was almost over, Twilight noted. She was almost done with this whole, horrible journey. But one thing remained; one fact kept poking at her mind. It had been elusive thus far, ducking into and out of her consciousness, but then, as she looked on the hangpony's stand, it popped into focus.

Alicorns lived forever.

Once this happened, Twilight would be in Luna's body for all eternity, waking up each morning knowing what she'd done.  Every day, she'd wake up seeing Rainbow Dash's helpless, screaming form. And Applejack too, now feeling only contempt towards Twilight, and also the bodies of Goliath, Growler, Stomp, Slam, Saberhoof... everypony she'd murdered or betrayed. But especially Dash, who had bet her life on Twilight doing the right thing and lost. Every single day, until the sun and moon themselves perished. She couldn't even try to swap her consciousness with some other pony in a mortal body to die that way; hadn't Celestia said that the spell only worked once?

No. She couldn't bear it. Not even for Princess Celestia.

Twilight laughed, a high-pitched and grating noise. "Hey, guys, hold tight, okay?"

"Huh?" asked one of the guards. This one wasn't in on it, to better maintain the illusion. He thought that Twilight was a real killer who was really being executed. Twilight nodded to herself a little -- she could count on him to react in just the right way.

Twilight paused, then tensed and took a flying leap off the edge of the pillar. The rope around her neck tensed as the guards grabbed on tight, then stiffened. Twilight heard a snap and had time to think that it was her neck.

She wondered if there was a place for very bad ponies to go when they died, and figured she was about to find out. Next Chapter: Twilight's decision (Giving up) Estimated time remaining: 24 Minutes