In Ponyville, Celestia anxiously waited for Palutena to arrive. ‘That’s if she arrives at all.’ Celestia doubted internally.

Several minutes passed by, before a flash and a bang announced Palutena’s arrival via teleport. Schooling herself, Celestia inwardly fought her increasing desire to pounce on the goddess to nuzzle her in a… friendly greeting and in thanks for what she had done.

As Palutena approached she smiled at Celestia, who returned the smile at Palutena.

At the moment that Palutena started to approach Celestia, a pony wearing royal guard armor barged past Celestia - knocking her over the side in the process - as he charged towards Palutena in rage, drawing out his blade.

Palutena immediately felt that something was off about that blade, as the night-black blade held firmly in the unicorn’s magic hold was lunged towards her.

“Don’t hurt her!” a little filly rushed off from her mother within the crowd with surprising speed, clutching around her legs, hugging Palutena with all her might as in an attempt to defend the goddess.

‘Star?’ Palutena thought in surprise, but she didn't have time to ponder as the enraged officer had covered the distance between Celestia and her.

“Star!” her mother called out in panic.

The guard, in his blind rage realised too late that there was a filly in the path of his slashing swing, and because of the strength he had used, he wasn’t able to counter the force he imposed upon the swing of his blade.

Ashamed, he closed his eyes as scared little eyes met his.

Without a moment of doubt, Palutena turned around after grabbing little Star, and covered her with her body, while her wings covered the filly as well… only for the blade to dig deeply into her bare back, blood spraying from the violently made wound. Palutena winced as pain lanced through her, the sword lodged into her back…

Only to start feeling how her sense of touch started to numb.

For the ones watching in impotence, as several guards homed in to subdue the one of their numbers who had just shamed them, they saw how Palutena’s skin around the blade began to turn to stone.

At the same time, Palutena felt something being pulled from deep inside her… as if feeding off her.

Captain Spark attempted to remove the cursed blade in vain, while Celestia rushed over and glared at the stallion who was now floating in her golden magic as the other guards kept their spears pointed at him.

Celestia ordered the gathered guards to take the imposter away.

Star’s mother rushed over towards them, and began checking on her daughter, who had to crawl from under the wings to meet her face.

“Miss Palutena?” Star asked, her voice trembling as she sniffed once.

She gently smiled at the foal and said, “Yes, my little pony?” I have always wanted to say that.

“Miss Palutena, are you okay?” Star asked innocently.

Palutena winced from the pull she felt from the blade, but smiled as reassuringly as she could to the filly.

Her mother was about to say something, but saw that Palutena's flesh was rapidly turning to stone from where the blade had lodged itself in her back. Her eyes widened and looked at Celestia, who was busy still glaring at what she thought was a guard who had possessed that sword, being taken away by her guards for questioning.

“Don't worry about me, Star, you’re more important than I am, you have a mother who loves you.” Palutena reassured the filly

“I am fine, Miss Palutena, see? I am safe!” Star happily replied.

“That's good, be a good girl for your mummy,” Palutena said as her face stiffened as she finished speaking and had her smile frozen in time as the petrification process reached completion.

Star gained a confused expression and started prodding Palutena's stone form with a hoof in confusion, “Miss Palutena?” Star asked louder and louder as she grew desperate as she continued to poked at her stone prison. Tears began welling up and falling down her cheeks. As her mother tried to pull the distraught filly away.

Celestia groaned in exasperation, as her whole plan to make peace with Palutena went up in smoke - plus adding to that the fact of all the ponies that sought Palutena and revered her… who wouldn’t be happy with her at all if the news spread about the culprit being one of her guards who attacked the deity and turned her into stone with a blade empowered with a powerful and illegal enchantment…

This enchantment, this curse called ‘Basilisk Fruit’, which would have needed at least two weeks to lay the spellwork, plus another two weeks to infuse the blade with it… The implications made Celestia shudder, ‘were they planning this…? who would do this!?’

After her guards took away the rogue guard for using an illegal sword enchantment, she turned to see the filly from before as she wailed and begged Palutena to wake up.

Seeing the filly crying herself as she asked for the goddess to turn back to normal, wrenched Celestia’s heart. As she got near the new statue, the filly turned to meet her sight… and started to glare at her with a face so full of hate…

Luna glared at her sister, as the nightmare slowly embraced her, eyes almost flaming as she bared her teeth, before lunging at her as she roared, “You set my subjects against me! You stole everything from me! You even made me redundant!”

“I didn’t do such things, Luna! Please, we can talk about this!” Celestia begged as she dodged her insanity-driven sister as she made her pass.

“You want to talk now!? What about before!? When I really needed you!? You turned your back on me when I cried out for help, and no one came! All for your glory-hogging, and pride-feeding! Your reign comes at an end, Celestia!” Luna roared before turning completely into Nightmare Moon… and actually hitting Celestia in the snout with a near-instantaneous buck.

The similarities of what was happening now compared with what happened several months ago, when her sister glared at her in a similar manner, caused her to step back slightly.

“You monster, what did Miss Palutena do to you!?” Star demanded Celestia flinched and wilted at the accusation.

“I didn't mean for this to happen, I …” Celestia was then interrupted.

“Why didn't you stop him?” Star screamed as she rushed towards the ruler, wailing on Celestia’s forelegs with her own forehooves, even though the filly’s hits weren't doing any damage to her.

For Celestia, who prided herself in being a good model to her subjects, reeled back as if struck by the Nightmare herself, with her ears folding back further against her head from the filly’s cries of rage and insults.

All this happened within moments, and when it registered on Aura Blast’s mind, her eyes widened in fear as she rushed over to try and stop her daughter… only to stop in confusion as Celestia shook her head to halt her effort. Soon enough, Star’s kicks slowly weakened as exhaustion seeped into her… until she stopped hitting her entirely and cried into her legs instead.

Waiting for several minutes after Star had cried herself to sleep, Celestia gently levitated the filly towards her mother… who gave her a dirty look before storming off with her daughter.

Feeling regret in levels she didn’t know she could fathom, Celestia turned to meet the sky, and set the sun before raising the moon - wincing from the strain as the moon fought against her hold.

The newly added silhouette on the moon gave the remaining sister a dark and permanent reminder of the terrible consequences that neglecting a seemingly insignificant problem could become.

The words Palutena spoke struck a chord in her head, causing her to remember her mistakes with her little sister and the very reason she had been chosen to unite her people in harmony, love, and friendship. I displayed none of them today. No wonder the elements became useless for me.

One thousand years later

It was night in Ponyville, the night before the Summer Sun Celebration. A hooded figure the size of a regular pony trotted up to a fountain with a strange statue, which had been there for as long as anypony could remember.

The pony rose up on the fountain and stroked the plaque that read, Palutena, goddess of light, wisdom, and craftsmanship. Experts throughout the ages had argued themselves to dust only discussing where the statue had come from, and whether it was a depiction of an elder goddess… or it it was something born of an artist’s muses or delirium.

Legend held that every year, a mysterious hooded pony would come and caress the plaque and the statue’s face.

The few attempts done by entrepreneurial ponies to capture this mysterious being had ended in failure, with the mystery mare disappearing from the traps being laid for it… or said entrepreneurial ponies ended up ensnared in them instead.

This stories made the ponies write the cloaked pony off as a spirit haunting the mysterious statue, as those who had witnessed the being would hear the figure wail and sob as it clutched at the statue.

Such an reputation quickly led for this fountain to become one of the most visited paranormal sites in Equestria.

“Soon, my love, soon you’ll be free… Just wait a little while longer. And then I can finally atone for my mistakes.”

Sniffs could be heard from under the hood as the pony obviously tried to hold back its despair. The hooded pony placed a kiss on the statue’s lips before leaving the site.