Chapter 8 - A Celestial Past

The sun moves slowly over the snow-covered fields. In the distance, far away from civilization, there stands an ancient castle in a frozen forest known as Everfree Forest. the vast fortress is removed from any nearby village or city, standing in the middle of nowhere of the frozen world. The ruins look abandoned from the outside. But inside, there is definitly life moving around.

Everything is dark as the night, with only a constant buzz sounding in the mare's ears. The world felt like ending, the moment she touched the horn of the powerful alicorn. Twilight doesn't feel alive anymore. Either she is unconcious or something worse.

'Wake up, Twilight Sparkle,' a voice echoes through the mare's head, causing the buzzing sound to fade. 'Sleeping late as usually? You shouldn't study so hard...'

It feels nearly impossible to move. Forcing with all her strength, Twilight opens her eyes. She can only see a blurry sight of a white room, with something blue standing right in front of her.

'Hey, get up!' the voice shouts, followed by a hit against her hoof.

Twilight scares awake. She definitly felt the hit against her hoof, proving that this is no dream. Her brain begins to function completely again, allowing her to see and hear clearly again. A nice room temperature can be felt, unlike the freezing cold that she was enduring a moment ago. With a little trouble, Twilight pulls herself from the ground, feeling like she slept in a closet for a week.

'Though there's more than a thousand years between this and the present, this is NO time to sleep through a memory!' Trixie shouts down at her, being the one responsible for making the racket and kicking her.

'Wh-Where am I...' Twilight grunts, as she slowly comes to her senses.

'Where do you think?' the blue mare grunts. 'We are in Lady Fame's extensive memory. Ages back in time, to be more precise.'

'Ages back... in time?' Twilight repeats and looks around the large white room they're in, unable to recognize it. The architecture looks old, yet familiar. It reminds her alot of Canterlot, though it cannot have been founded yet in this time period. Obviously designed by magic, Twlight assumes that unicorns have created it. Which makes it all more confusing it between Canterlot and this place.

But Twilight's attention is drawn away eventually by the young white mare that is sitting at the desk, reading through a thick book. Completely absorbed in scanning the contents of the literature, she doesn't seem to realize that Trixie and Twilight are right next to her.

'Pfoe,' the white alicorn sighs and blows her messy pink mane out of her sight. She throws the finished book on top of a pile of other books, which are presumably literature she has already read. Sleepy, but eagerly, she picks up another book and continues to read.

'That mare...,' Twilight whispers. 'I-Is that...'

'Princess Celestia,' Trixie confirms. 'Hard to recognize, hm? Remove a thousand years and her colorful mane: This is what you have.'

Twilight walks amazed and curious towards the reading mare, who doesn't even look up when Twilight is standing right next to her. 'Ehm... Excuse me,' she mumbles. 'P-Princess Celestia?'

But the princess doesn't look away from her book, being once again absorbed in the long lines of text.

'She can't hear you,' Trixie tells her. 'This is only a memory brought to life. You can't alter it.'

Still, Twilight is astonished to see her mentor like this, reading a book like she always does too. This Celestia is possibly just as old as she is! She can't keep her eyes of the white alicorn, who continues to simply read her book. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the purple mare.

But then, a sneeze is heard, catching Celestia's attention. She turns away from her desk and walks towards Twilight. Before Twilight even tries to move out of the way, she realizes that she and Celestia can't make physical contact, considering it's all an illustion spun by the fabrics of memories. The princess passes through her like a ghost, looking at the crib, decorated by several shiny gems and containing a soft purple silk sheet with a moon pattern on it.

'Aw, how are you, little sis?' Celestia whispers into the bed where a little purple foal is trying to fall asleep. 'Goodnight, little angel. You’re big sister is here to watch over you, so no worries. You can always sleep peacefully.' she whispers and kisses the foal on her head.

'Princess Luna...,' Twilight whispers, looking at the purple foal in the crib while Celestia is walking back to her desk.

'Surprising, isn't it?' Trixie asks her. 'This is the youth of the princesses. Celestia is still a mare who wants to do nothing but read books and Princess Luna is not even old enough to remember this.'

Twilight barely listens to Trixie's words. She is too curious about the young princesses that she is standing with in one room.

Just as Celestia is about to head back to her book, she suddenly hears the large golden door open. A tall dark-blue female alicorn enters the room, catching everypony's attention. She stops right next to Trixie, which causes Twilight to recognize an awful lot of resemblance between the two alicorns.

'No way...,' Twilight whispers, while Trixie only smiles at her. the resemblance between the two mares is striking.

'Celestia, it’s time for another gathering. We're waiting for you to come to the great hall as soon as possible,' the alicorn tells Celestia with a gentle voice.  

Celestia sighs and presses her open book on her head in tiredness. 'Oh... Do I have to, Lady Fame?' she asks moody.

The tall alicorn chuckles, finding the young mare's childish attitude funny. 'I know it can be boring to listen to us all the time. But I assure you that it's absolutely vital for your studies to know what is going on in the present, instead of ONLY in history books.'

The young princess understands and somewhat agrees with the blue mare. Though she really doesn't feel like going, the young alicorn sighs and nods. 'Yes, Lady Fame. I will be there in a second...'

'Just don't take too long, yes? You know how much your presence is appreciated,' the tall mare tells her as she leaves the room with noisy clops from her hooves, echoing through the hallways of the castle.

Twilight quickly hurries to the hallway, which is also made of white marmer, going on for an unknown length. She continues to look at the behind of the tall alicorn, who heads towards a tall door at the end of the hallway.

'This part is a little long...,' Trixie grunts. 'Celestia never knew how to stop reading her books... I'm just gonna fast-forward thi-'

'No, wait!' Twilight interrupts her. 'I... I wanna see this.'

'Hm...,' Trixie sighs, noticing Twilight's wish to see her mentor like this while she reads. Feeling little need to rush things up, Trixie eventually shrugs. 'Fine. Have fun. But it will take a while...'

The white alicorn turns back to her desk and opens her book again, eager to read the information that is described inside. Twilight continues to lean on the desk, looking at the reading mare the whole time. She is simply unable to keep her eyes of the mare that is to become her mentor in her present.

***

When several hours have passed, Twilight notices that Celestia sighs again and drops the book on her desk. But just as the princess likes to pick up another book, the princess pauses and thinks.

'The gathering!' she yelps. 'By the sun, I'm too late again!'

Suddenly hurrying desperatly, Celestia jumps away from her desk, nearly causing the pile of books to drop on the ground. But Celestia quickly levitates all the books, afraid to wakeher baby sister if the books would drop with all the noise. Quickly putting the books back on a steady pile, she then turns around to her little sister again.

'I’ll be right back, Luna. I will join you in dreamland soon,' she yawns with a smile.

The little foal has fallen asleep, keeping herself warm under her purple blanket. With quiet hoofsteps, Celestia moves outside her room. But once the large golden doors are closed, she begins to rush through the hallway with hasty hoofsteps. Twilight and Trixie hurry after her, knowing that staying in the room won't help.

Celestia runs to a large door that Twilight saw before. She slowly pushes the door open to see if she’s too late, attempting to be unnoticed.

'-And yet no track to be found!' an angry male voice thunders through the chamber.

The large chamber has glass windows decorating the white walls. In the middle of the chamber stand two thrones, one bigger than the other. The one on the left is mostly red, decorated with several rubies and garnets, while the one on the right is white and slightly smaller, decorated with sapphires and azurites. One seperate, smaller throne stands close to the two main thrones, colored in white with one large diamond decorating the top.

Twilight looks curiously around the chamber, noticing the two conversating alicorns on their respective chairs. When she looks at the ceiling, the unicorn realizes that the windigos, serving as Lady Fame's agents, are stationed there and seem to wait for orders at any time. But her heart skips a beat only when she looks at the crimson stallion, looking just as terrifying as when she met him personally. He carries red unpenetrable armor and thunders with a cruel heavy voice. His intimidating yellow eyes could glow in the dark like flames. It's Lord Ignis, the Harbringer of Hatred: The beast that would control Brush in her present is alive and well here, unrestrainted to no crystal. Even though he can' see her now, Twilight is still scared by him and his yellow eyes.

'Wait... Why is the princess here with them? BOTH of them?' Twilight wonders out loud. 'Why is Princess Celestia with these monsters!'

'Because she is their student,' Trixie whispers in her ear. 'You being the the student of Princess Celestia? This is exactly the same. Your precious Princess Celestia is the student of the most powerful and dominating alicorns of this nameless continent: Lord Ignis and Lady Fame, the ones responsible for the racial hatred and the Great Blizzard!'

'No way...,' Twilight whispers. She would want to be able to ignore this SO badly. But she can't. She can't let the fact slide that the most terrifying alicorns were her beloved mentor's teachers.

But right now, Celestia has bigger matters on her mind than Twilights. She is late for the meeting. But lucky for her: the mare and stallion haven’t noticed her yet. If she moves slowly to her chair, she might get away with it.

'Ponies don’t just disappear into thin air, Ignis. They must have fled someplace else when they realized that they can’t live under the control of my Windigo’s,' the blue alicorn tells to the stallion that begins to walk nervously around with his heavy armor.

'I know that! But my main concern is WHERE they fled to!' he snaps back at her.

Only a few more little steps and she is in the safezone. 1 more, and…

'Pfoe…,' Celestia sighs relieved, now sitting on her white throne. She made it.

'…You’re late again, lass,' The red alicorn grunts at her with his back still turned towards her, having noticed her entrance after all.

Celestia gulps anxiously. 'Busted…,' she yelps anxiously.

'Do you have another excuse, Celestia?'  Ignis sighs impatient and turns around to her.

Before she could give any answer, the tall mare speaks before her. 'Easy, Ignis. She studies hard. It’s no wonder that she always shows up this late.'

Having no need to go up against Lady Fame's excuses, the stallion doesn’t argue with it further. 'Just let her know that I do not tolerate this any longer… Celestia, knowledge is good. Studies give knowledge. I’m fully aware of that,' he starts.

Celestia was afraid of this: The 100th scolding of Ignis.

'Knowledge helps you come with decision. Knowledge lets you predict the future to a point. But it is ACTION that makes change! Let ‘action’ change your world and let ‘knowledge’ be your guide. That INCLUDES coming on time to a meeting! You are still Fame's and my protégée. So try to act like one too! When we stop our rule over this world, you must be prepared to take over the throne. Understood?'

'Yes sir…,' Celestia sighs sleepy.

Ignis doesn’t argue further about that she probably missed half of his explaination, and leaves her be for now. 'Good.'

The stallion walks back to his own chair to continue his discussions with the dark mare, expecting Celestia to listen to them.

'In any case: I’ve already sent a scout out to find any clues. He should return soon,' Lady Fame tells him.

Ignis grunts, growing anxious again. 'Please, don’t tell me you’ve sent Spite out? That little worm works half as hard… And I KNOW he does it on purpose…,'

'Well, he’s still the best infiltrator and manipulator we got,' Lady Fame admits. 'My windigo’s can’t go scouting too far from me. You know that.'

The stallion grunts angry. There mere thought of ‘Spite’ seems to give him a bad taste in his mouth. But what he hates more is that Lady Fame is right. Before he could complain any further, they hear a loud knock on the chamber door.

'Enter!' Ignis commands.

The doors open slowly and a slender snake-like figure about the size of Celestia walks inside. Two grey horns are located on top of his head and two draconic feet and claws are attached to his relatively slim arms and legs. It makes him look innocent, rather than threatening.

'What is it, Twilight Sparkle?' Trixie asks the purple mare next to her, who looks puzzled at the dragon's appearance.

'I dunno...,' she mumbles. 'This dragon: He looks so familiar...'

'Spite, you have returned from your scouting mission. Have you relocated the citizens?' Lady Fame asks him.

'Yes, ma’am. I have,' the dragon nods.

'Well? Spill the beans already, worm!' Ignis shouts, having grown out of patience already.

The little dragon makes a little jump backwards, unable to get used to the stallion's outbursts. His white furry eyebrows twitch nervously by the echo of Ignis’ intimidating shoutings. 'Hold your hooves, you puffed-up old...,' he mutters to himself, unable for Ignis to hear him. 'T-They have moved away. Pegasi, Earth Ponies and Unicorns have started to settle in their own seperate kingdoms, further south.'

Both alicorns sigh and shake their heads, dissapointed by the seemingly bad news. 'Hm.. It seems they still oppose each other. We can still catch up to them so you can continue their hatred before your spell wears off,' Lady fame proposes.

'Indeed. Then we shall send your Windigo’s in pursuit. They will realize that they cannot escape their destiny: under our hooves! Even if they don't know that we're pulling the strings, they must know that they can't escape it either,' Ignis agrees, satisfied by the plan. 'We shall leave at noon tomorrow. Now tell us, Spite: Where are they now?'

The dragon begins to explain in full detail about his reports, keeping Twilight and Trixie distracted as well. All ponies in the chamber pay attention to the dragon, while Celestia yawns again from boredom.

The white mare feels completely at ease. For some unknown reason, she feels like a cloud. When she looks into a lake from the air, she notices that she truly is a cloud! Her legs have taken a fluffy form, hovering in one shape through the air.

'Hehe, How weird,' she simply giggles, not being surprised by it somehow. She continues to float towards the horizon, where  the sun is slowly rising from. 'The sun… It’s so pretty…,' she whispers softly while gazing at the distant fireball.

The warm rays feel very comfortable, and allow her to fly even higher. She notices a few towns in the distance below her. When she flies over them, she looks down and sees many ponies living together. Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies: Laughing, working, and feeling happy! Their old fueds have been resolved somehow!

'Wow, that looks so nice,' she sighs happy. She tries to wave at the ponies below, but as a cloud she has now hoofs or even wings to wave with.

'Hey, hold up!' she demands from herself as she keeps moving away from the town. 'I wanna go down there!'

And just like she says that she suddenly poofs back into an alicorn, plummeting down to the ground. But from pure instinct: the princess stretches her wings and soars down towards the village below. When she lands, she looks around curiously at how all kinds of ponies don’t hate each other and live together in complete harmony. It's strange: She has never seen anything like this before.

'Hello, Celestia!' a pony suddenly greets her from a house.

A little surprised, the princess looks at the pony and smiles. 'Hello!' she happily responds back. To be greeted so eagerly, it gives such a warm feeling. A feeling that shows acceptance and love to her. She feels more than alive here.

'Hey, Celestia!' another pony greets her. 'Good to see you!'

With a bashful smile Celestia walks down the street, being noticed by many inhabitants. It feels like they’ve known each other for centuries. When she reaches the end of the street, she enters into the town square. Continuing her walk, she moves towards a fountain, where another alicorn seems to be waiting for her.

When she looks the white stallion in the eyes, she feels yet another warm feeling in her stomache. He looks tough, yet gentle. The alicorn smiles at her when he notices how bashful she is. Celestia doesn't know what to say. For some reason she just felt like walking up to him and meet this pony.

'Celestia, Will you accept my friendship?' he suddenly asks her.

'Hm?' Celestia asks curiously. She never heard of anything called "friendship" before. 'Is that what keeps everypony here so happy together: Friendship?' she asks.

The stallion nods. 'Will you accept my friendship?' he asks her again.

Celestia feels like she must be dreaming. This alicorn who she never met before wants to be friends with her, whatever it means? This all seems too good to be true. 'Yes! I do!' she quickly says, afraid that her silence may be taken as a no.

'Celestia…,' somepony suddenly addresses to her behind her.

Celestia looks around to see who said it, only to realize that all the ponies in the village are suddenly gone! Showing no signs of leaving, it's like they all vanished into thin air.

'Celestia…,' the voice sounds again.

When she turns back to the stallion, she realizes that he disappeared too!

'What is going on here?' she asks confused. 'Wait… This has to be-'

***

'Celestia? CELESTIA!'

She scares awake by the loud yell, clearly having fallen asleep. She must’ve dozed off!

'Sleeping again?!' Ignis rhetorically asks in frustration.

Lady Fame sighs slightly disappointed. 'Celestia dear, please try to listen closely. This is important,' the mare asks calmly.

'S-sorry. It won’t happen again, Lady Fame,' she stutters nervously, feeling completely embarrresed about her nap.

Twilight snickers, unable to keep herself from laughing over her mentor's mistakes as a young mare. She always saw Princess Celestia as the perfect ruler of Equestria, which makes her mistakes as a young mare only more funny.

Ignis shakes his head in disappointment. 'Too late. We just finished… You’re dismissed, Celestia…,' he grunts and turns around, heading back to his throne.

Celestia gets up from her chair and walks out the room quickly. She couldn’t wait to hear those final three words. These meetings are always so boring.

The dragon servant that finished his explaination five minutes ago simply looks in surprise at how Celestia walks away. He can’t help but snicker over how humorously dizzy and wobbly Celestia walks when she’s sleepy, causing Celestia to feel more embarressed. When she gets out of Ignis’ sight she can breath safely again.

’You’re dismissed, Celestia’,” she quotes Ignis with a silly voice and sticks her tongue out towards the big door where the two alicorns still remain behind. 'You're brain is dismissed, Lord Irritatus...'

While Twilight and Trixie continue to follow the white mare back to her room, still snickering over Celestia's childish behaviour, the princess can’t stop thinking about her dream. Could this ‘friendship’ be simply that: A dream? It seemed so wonderful. She wish it would be real.

'Well that was unexpected,' Twilight chuckles. 'Princess Celestia doesn't act like a pony of royalty much.'

'Yes. Don't forget: She is the student of these two beings. She is marked to be their follower of the throne some day,' Trixie reminds her, putting Celestia in a bad spotlight again.'

'Yes, I know, but...,' the mare sighs, but stop talking when she notices that something quickly sneaks past them along the walls and floor.

The silent creature moves in on the white princess, who is still rolling with her eyes over bitterness about her mentor. But just as the being stands right behind her, Celestia can sense his presence.  

'W-watch out, Princess!' Twilight shouts, though it has absolutely no point considering this is a memory.

'Well, hello there,' the creature greets.

'Wow!' Celestia yelps and jumps up in surprise. She quickly turns around and recognizes the voice and slender figure. It's the dragon from the meeting!

'You are Celestia, correct? Pleasure to meet you. Allow me the introduction. I am Spite: Spy, solver, servant and scout under service of Lady Fame and Lord Ignis, my masters,' he introduces himself, as if he's joking about his professions.

'Y-You're all that?' Celestia stutters, still a little jumpy from being sneaked up upon. Raising her head back up to look back at him, she asks, 'Wh-What's with the being sneaky?'

But he's suddenly gone. Without even a footstep, the dragon has vanished from her sight, even when Celestia looks left or right into the long hallway.

'Because I'm pretty good at it,' he chuckles, standing right behind the white mare again.

'W-Wow!' Celestia gasps again, scared again. With a pounding heart she turns around to the wingless dragon, who continues to smile at her.

'Woops, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you,' he chuckles again, seeming like he's making fun of her. 'Can't help it. It's what I do. That's possibly why they named me Spite.'

'Fine...,' Celestia grunts, growing a little tired of the servant's stealthy attitude.

She decides to turn around and walk onwards through the hallway, trying to leave the dragon behind. But the creepy male doesn't give up that easily and quickly hurries after and walks along at her side.

'Wowow, I'm sorry. Please don't be upset about my... shady appearance,' he apologizes, though Celestia doesn't even grant him her looks. 'If Fame and Ignis find out I even spoke to their pupil, they'd probably pull me through the wrangler.'

Celestia isn't sure whether the dragon is merely joking or serious, considering that he is laughing again from his own joke.

'Tell you what: I'll make it up to you,' he says and smiles. 'A little token of apppreciation.'

Gaining her attention, the white mare looks back at him, clearly curious about whatever present he wants to give her. The slender dragon moves his arm on his back as if he's about to scratch it. But then he suddenly pulls his arm back in front of him, holding something surprisingly colorful.

'-Tadah!-' he proudly presents a boque of flowers, plucked from outside the castle.

The collection of different colored flowers are real eyecandy. Celestia hasn't been much outside in her life, having only seen some flowers in the castle that never whither, thanks to Lady Fame's magic. The mere sight and smells make the white alicorn happy.

'They're... They're beautiful!' Celestia comments and looks with joy at the pretty colors of the flowers, bundled together as a little gift for her. Gratefully she takes the flowers from Spite's claws, using her magic to levitate them in front of her face. She takes a deep breath to smell the flora and savors the moment, enjoying the sweet smell that they breath out. Though the slender dragon is rather creepy and a little bit crazy, he obviously has a good heart.

'Thank you very much, Sir Spite,' Celestia thanks, appreciating his gesture.

'You're welcome, dear,' he humbly tells her and gives a little bow back at her.

The white mare begins to laugh over his behaviour. '-Hehe- Did you call me"dear?" she chuckles at him.

'Eh?' he mumbles a little confused and looks back up at the smiling princess. 'Well... If you don't like me calling you "dear, I'll stop it now.'

But Celestia shakes her head. 'That's ok. You can call me "dear" if you really want to. I just find it a little unusual and funny to be called "dear" by somepo... someBODY I just met.'

'Well, technically we've seen each other before, haven't we?' he chuckles and brushes a claw over his chest, trying to seem like some gentleman. 'I just thought of it when I considered you to be a "Dear of a pony."

Twilight begins to laugh, finding this meeting between her mentor and the dragon refreshing. It feels both odd and funny to see her mentor like this, blushing like a cherry over the way how this dragon seems to be able to put the princess in a bashful emotion. If Twilight didn't know any better, she would suspect that the dragon is flirting with her. She and Trixie continue to follow Celestia, who is now being escorted by the strange spy of the royals.

'Cute, isn't it?' Trixie asks the purple unicorn next to her. 'Makes you wonder where went wrong...'

'Yea...,' Twilight mumbles. 'I still have this itchy feeling of that I know that dragon from SOMEWHERE... I just can't put my hoof on it.'

'Let us proceed further in time,' Trixie tells Twilight while she begins to channel a spell, tearing a glowing white hole into thin air, right in front of them. Causing a breach in the space-time, Trixie's magic fills the entire hallway with the extremely bright light of the portal.

Celestia and Spite simply pass through the portal like ghosts, proceeding down the hallway like nothing happens. But when Trixie and Twilight enter it, they are moving forward into time.

***

Stars twinkle in the sky, unhindered by clouds that would normally pass by. A bright full moon shines down on the snowy landscape. It is nighttime, even inside the sleeping castle. A white hole of pure energy pierces through the space, glowing with a bright radiance through the new chamber. Two mare's exit, entering the familiar room. Twilight jumps out of the tunnel and enters the white chamber in nighttime, feeling like she is burdened with a timelag all of the sudden.

They're in the bedroom of Princess Celestia and Luna, who are fast asleep at this time. The portal closes behind Trixie and Twilight with a fizzle, ending the buzzing tearing of the space-time and returns the silence and darkness in the room. The only thing that lights up is the moon, which shines it's rays of light through the tall window next to Celestia's bed. The princesses continue to sleep, unable to hear whatever the two mares are experiencing.

Twilight walks up to Celestia's bedside, watching as how her mentor is asleep.

'Haven't you "stalked" her enough, Twilight Sparkle?' Trixie grunts impatient. 'Watching how your mentor is living her youth isn't all THAT interesting.'

Twilight looks over her shoulder at the arrogant Trixie. 'Well, it's thanks to YOU that we're here in the first place... I might as well use it the best as I can,' she grunts, shutting Trixie up, and looks back at the sleeping white alicorn. 'I always wanted to know how it would've been if I got to meet Princess Celestia in this time... and now I finaly have.'

'-Hmpf- Suit yourself...,' Trixie mumbles and turns around, ignoring the purple mare.

Trixie walks over to the jeweled crib, which carries the sleepy little foal that would grow up into Princess Luna one day. The blue mare looks quietly at the little princess and thinks deeply, feeling a possible sense of regret and grief somehow.

'Look at you, Luna... So peaceful and innocent... To think that you and I work together in the far future, alongside Spectrum Brush...,' she sighs and continues to look at how the little foal yawns and turns around to sleep further. Seeing Princess Luna still sets a chain of emotions in progress for her. Even though she's a mighty mare with unlimited powers, it doesn't mean that she cannot feel anymore.  

One of the large golden doors of the bedroom suddely opens slowly, much to both mare's surprise. A tall blue mare sneaks inside, peering through the darkness.

'What is she doing here...,' Twilight grunts bittter as the memory of Lady Fame passes her, unable to feel or notice her presence.

'Celestia,' she whispers 'Celestia, wake up.'

The white mare remains asleep and only turns her back to the alicorn in response to continue her dreams.

'-Psst- Celestia. It's me, Fame,' she whispers again and softly pokes the white mare on her shoulder, causing the princess to wake up.

'Wh-Wha...?' she mumbles half asleep and looks over her shoulder. Seeing the face of her mentor, Celestia jumps up in her bed from shock. 'L-L-Lady Fame! Wh-What are you doing here around this time?'

'-Ssshhh-' she hisses and softly presses a hoof on Celestia's mouth, preventing anypony to catch notice of the noise. 'I wanted to talk to you,' the blue mare whispers.

The awakened mare calms down and nods, signalling to Lady Fame that she will be quiet. When she takes her hoof off slowly, Celestia sighs relieved. 'Is it so urgent, Lady Fame? Couldn't it wait for tomorrow morning?' she asks.

But the tall alicorn shakes her head. 'No. I need to speak to you in absolute privacy. It's about the dream you had during our meeting today,' Fame whispers.

Celestia's eyes jump open from the surprise, realizing that her mentor can see into her dreams! 'H-How do you know what I dream off?' she hisses, nearly having shouted the question out loud.

'I can read minds, Celestia...,' Lady Fame sighs, as if Celestia should know that by now. 'It may not be a skill I'm excited about, but it allows me to discover great potentials from time to time.'

Celestia looks back down to her bedsheet, feeling like her privacy of mind has been violated. Though a little mad at the blue mare, Celestia feels like it may be nice to share her dreams with somepony she can trust. She looks back up at the mare at her bedside, who looks very curious about her story. Considering her more like a friend, Celestia doesn't have much trouble now to tell her about the dream.

She speaks of every tiny detail about the dream, unable to forget it. She speaks about her being a cloud, the warm sun that shines on her, the pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies that greet her, and ofcourse the white stallion that asked her a very important question. 'Will you accept my friendship?' Lady Fame listens carefully at her pupil, leaning with curiosity on the side of the bed. Twilight listens carefully as well, finding it an experience to never forget to hear about the dreams of her beloved mentor. It feels odd. It feels like this age doesn't even realize the meaning of "friendship."

'And then I got interrupted when Ignis shouted,' Celestia ends her story.

'Amazing...,' Lady Fame whispers, completely baffled about the amazing dream her student speaks of. 'You were raised in this enviroment, having nopony but me, Ignis, and your little sister... and still you have learned about the meaning of friendship...'

It almost sounds like friendship is a taboo inside the castle, making Celestia wonder if this dream means she is in trouble. 'A-Am I in trouble, Fame?' Celestia whispers with hanging ear.

But instead of a strict "yes," the blue mare snickers and strokes with a hoof through Celestia's mane, comforting her from her anxiety. 'Ofcourse not, Celestia. I'm very happy that you are who you are.'

'That wasn't so bad,' the young alicorn thinks to herself, glad to hear that her favorite mentor takes it up so well.

'But let's not tell Ignis about this, yes? I have a feeling he may not be entirely happy about this particular subject,' the tall mare chuckles, loving the idea of torturing Ignis with these tiny secret details.

'Will this stay one of our little secrets?' the white alicorn asks hopeful, always enjoying the idea of keeping Lord Ignis in the dark with the little secrets that go between Lady Fame and herself.

'This will be our little secret,' Fame smiles and winks. 'But there is.... something I'd like to show you now. It's very important to me. And I believe you may be able to help.'

Before Celestia asks what it is, Lady Fame has already turned around and silently opens the large doors. Giving Celestia a little nod to follow her, the young mare quickly jumps out of her bed and hurries after the blue alicorn, proceeding into the dark hallways together.

'Let's follow them,' Trixie tells Twilight, both following after the two mares together.

***

After a while, watching how Celestia and Fame sneak through the sleeping castle, the four mares arrive at a large steel door, decorated with the symbol of a tome. They all understand what lies behind it: It's the library. When Lady Fame and Celestia push the doors open together, using their magic, Twilight cannot believe her eyes: This library is the biggest she has ever seen in her entire life. The ceiling is almost as tall as the top of her home in Ponyville, and possibly wider than the town square. Towering wooden bookcases stand along the walls and around, creating a labyrinth of knowledge. Every case is filled with different books, all filled with different types of wisdom and studies. Even Twilight can't recognize some titles, which have possible been lost in the course of time.

'What is so special about my dream, Lady Fame?' Celestia asks her mentor as they pass the several rows of books, understanding that she won't need to whisper anymore. 'Why is so strange about it that it gets so much attention from you?'

'I'm just amazed that you are able to dream of friendship, while it's taboo in this castle,' the blue mare admits.

'Why? Why is it taboo?' the young mare asks in return.

Lady Fame sighs as they both pass under the ceiling window, which allows the light of the full moon to fill the chamber. 'Ignis chose that,' she answers eventually. 'Ignis said that friendship is unproductive and not something that a leader should possess. I... kind of believed him, accepting his ideals long ago. Often leadership must be carried above friendship, though Ignis is wrong about that it's pointless. The tales about friendship were long lost before I even got the chance to study them myself... Ignis was supposed to have burned all the knowledge down, believing to have rid the world from it for good. If Ignis were ever to hear the word "friendship," he would probably explode from anger. He isn’t really fond of the concept...'

'Why?' she asks again.

'Even I don’t know... I merely trust in fate. I believe that everything happens with reasons. If this is Ignis' path, I will follow it unquestioned...'

The purple and white mare listen carefully, horrified by the stallion's past actions. Whatever caused Ignis to preform such a crime... only he could be so black-hearted to actually do it.

'But... that all changed when we took refuge into these ruins in what we call Everfree Forest. I made a grand discovery, though it is not within my power to uncover it...,' Lady Fame sighs dissapointed, giving her student the impression that it must be way harder than it can be, considering that even she can't solve this supposed discovery. 'There is something I'd like you to see... I kept it a secret for long. But I believe now that you are truly the one that can pick up my research.'

Having arrived at a noticable small bookcase, only a head bigger than the tall alicorn, Lady Fame ends their walk. Giving a small push against the bookcase with her hoof causes the bookcase to move backwards, revealing a small passage into the darkness.

'Shall we?' Lady Fame asks the mare to follow after her, causing the bookcase to close as they move further into the darkness.

Twilight decides to shed a light on the hallway in order to see ahead, while Celestia and Lady Fame are forced to peer through the pitch-black shadows. But the passage is small, ending very quickly. When they enter the following room, six torches instantaneously explode in a bright fire, litting up the entire chamber.

Awing in surprise and astonishment around the chamber, shaped like a hectagon, Twilight notices the six bookcases that stand in the respective corners. The bookcases are all separated into six groups and lined up next to six long pillars that stands in the separate corners, all decorated with a big stone orb that hang near the ceiling.

They're all filled with ancient scrolls, dusty and untouched by ponies for atleast a hundred years. Only some are lying on a pedestal that stands in the center of the room, being the only scrolls that Lady Fame dared to inspect before.

'What is this place?' Twilight and Celestia whisper at the same time.

The blue mare nods. 'This is the hall of friendship, secret vault of the last remaining scrolls of Friendship. Even I don’t know who build this. I discovered it when I was searching for something uncommon to read, and stumbled upon this little secret years ago.'

Celestia heads to the pedestal and reads the unsealed scrolls, written in some odd language of scribbles. And yet, Celestia can somewhat understand it. They all tell stories of many different characters that have experienced something that they seem to call friendship.

'Does Lord Ignis know about this place?' Celestia asks when she looks over her shoulder at her mentor.

'Oh dear, no. If he did, this place would probably be burned to ashes. That’s why I urge you not to tell him,' she nods, hinting that Celestia remain quiet about this for ever.

'My lips are sealed,' Celestia giggles. 'It’s our little secret after all.'

Fame smiles at her. She knows that she can trust her pupil more than anypony else. 'Actually, there is a greater reason I show you this place.'

Celestia looks in wonder up at the blue mare, who's gaze moves along the stone orbs that decorate the pillars, each holding a different colored gem.

'I have read these scrolls many times, yet I cannot decipher the ancient tongue it is written in...' Fame tells as she turns her look to the closests bookcase and lifts one scroll carefully with her magic.

Moving it towards the white mare, Celestia takes it over with her own magic and opens it up. Blowing the dust from the parchment, Celestia begins to look at the scribbles again. 'Friendship...Report...,' she mumbles, making out the first two words that are entiteling the story.

She takes a quick peak in it, and sees what Fame meant. The language on this scroll is some unknown mumbo-jumbo that she mostly never seen before. Only a few ancient words are recognized from some study books she read before. But that's all.

'I have seen how eager you have read the books in the library: More than I ever could. That’s why I was hoping that you may have stumbled upon texts that could aid you in decoding them,' Lady Fame explains to Celestia, who continues to stare at the texts. 'Celestia, can I pass this matter on your shoulders? Can I trust in your skills to help me further in uncovering the meaning of Friendship?'

Celestia turns around from the scroll to look at her teacher. She feels honored to be given such a task from her mentor, given the importance it holds to her. Just like Fame, she is also nearly desperate to learn about this so-called ‘friendship’, thanks to the dream she had. And now the Lady is willing to trust her as far as to allow HER to understand this secret!

'I-I’d be honored, Lady Fame!' she replies both happily as astonished.

Lady Fame smiles. 'It makes my heart jump from joy to hear that you truly share the same passions as I do, Celestia,' she mumbles in herself, unable for Celestia to hear it. 'I couldn't be more proud of you as if you were my own flesh and blood daughter...'

'Hm? Did you say something, Lady Fame?' Celestia asks, able to hear the soft whispers in the background.

'N-Nothing, dear,' Fame shoves the subject aside and walks to Celestia, who has already begun to search through the bookcases. 'I think you'll find most answers in this book. It's rather thick and full of that language. But I'm pretty sure it's either a manual or a collection of stories like the scrolls.'

Celestia looks back up at her mentor, who levitates a ten inch thick book in the air. With a heavy sound, Lady Fame drops the book on the ground before the young mare. Like a mouse who has found cheese, Celestia leaps to the book and opens it, curious about the content.

'In any case. Don't let this business take over your life, Celestia. Our normal lives must proceed, ofcourse,' the blue alicorn speaks to the busy mare as she turns around to walk back into the small tunnel. Celestia is already too far focused on the book to notice her mentor's leave. 'Ignis must not find out. Don't cause any suspicion of what takes place here.'

The night carries on. Celestia remains in the torch-lit room, deciphering what she can from the seemingly amazing stories that are written on the paper. This possibly continues to carry on all night, though this cannot be proven. Trixie has already opened a new portal inside the space, which will carry her and Twilight further into the memories. Twilight looks over her shoulder as she follows her nemesis and sees how the young version of her mentor is fading away in the light that closes around them.

***

'Where are we going?' Twilight asks Trixie.

The blue mare looks down at her in response. 'This story carries on for weeks,' she tells her as they begin to flash-forward into different memories for a short time. Still inside the timeless void that leads to different timeperiods, Twilight looks up surprised when different windows begin to open one at a time. This continues to show in a speedy tempo, opening up a window to a different time from the upcoming weeks.

'Hey, Celestia,' What are you up to?' Spite asks Celestia, as she was walking down the hallway to her room.

'Hey, Spite! Not much. I just got a new book from the library!' she happily shares with the dragon, who's presence begins to be more appreciated every time he appears and greets her, usually leading to a little walk together through the castle.  

As expected, Spite doesn't hesitate to walk at Celestia's side, listening to what she has done for the day. Even though Celestia remains quiet about her research with Lady Fame, she still openly tells him about her studies and novels she read.

Twilight watches how her mentor is enjoying the time with her friend, though she may not even realize it right now that Spite can be considered her friend.

The window closes quickly again, which allows a new one to open up right next to the puzzled mare. She quickly turns her attention to the next window that followed, while Trixie silently watches at how Twilight continues to watch the memories.

The princess lies on her bed, reading through the thick book of friendship again. Occasionally throwing a glance at her little sister in the crib, the young mare is completely absorbed in the facinating stories that she manages to descipher.

'Celestia, are you in here?' a heavy voice speaks from behind the golden doors of her bedroom. It's easy to recognize it. The discipline nearly crawls from under the door, figuratively speaking.

'I-Ignis!' the white alicorn gasps, fearful of what may happen if he would discover the book. She looks around and notices her pillow as a good hiding spot, quickly hiding it beneath it and prays that it will be safe for now. If Ignis were to find it, there’s no telling how long the scold will be, and IF she could get away with it!

Without further warning, the golden doors open, making way for the alicorn with the flaming mane. 'What are you doing?' he asks the anxious mare, who sits up in her bed with a book about survival teachings.  

'N-Nothing going on. Just… Studying!' she lies to him nervously with sweat on her forehead.

'Look: I know that you may think my classes are boring... I'm smart enough to understand that from a studious pony like you that you may find other things more important than learning how to rule a kingdom,' he tells her, trying to sound compasionate about his student's feelings. 'But my teachings are as important as those of Lady Fame. Don't forget that you need two halves to become one.'

'I know...,' she sighs. 'It won't doze off again, Lord Ignis,' she answers, trying to sound as honest as she can to the intimidating stallion.

The second portal closes again in a fizzling spark, allowing a portal to open up next to Twilight again. The time is again in Celestia's room. Twilight remains quiet and looks at the memory, like it's a movie.

Princess Celestia has taken a break from her studies, spending some time with her baby sister, Luna. The little foal has already learned how to walk rather well. The white mare plays with her, walking around the room in small circles, allowing her sister to follow her.

'C'mon, Luna! You nearly got me!' Celestia roots for her baby sister.

But just as Luna is about to tag Celestia, who is slowing down on purpose, they both look up surprised when the doors of her room open up. A scaled snake-like head pokes inside, looking around until the reptilian eyes notice the two ponies.

'Ah, Celestia! I thought I'd find you here,' Spite grins and walks inside, without even having asked for her permission.

But Celestia doesn't mind, having grown used to actions like these from the odd dragon now. 'Hey there, Spite,' she greets him with a smile. 'Say, Have I ever introduced you to my little sister yet?'

'No. No you haven't,' the dragon chuckles and walks towards them, looking curious at the foal. 'Helloo there, sweetcheeks.' he kids with the little pony and presses his claws against his face, making a funny face.

But despite his attempt to entertain Celestia's little sister, Luna looks in astonishment at the dragon before she quickly hides behind her sister, using her pink mane as cover.

'Hm... Guess I'm not very good with kids,' Spite shrugs.

'It's ok Luna,' Celestia smiles at the foal. 'Spite is a nice person.'

Luna peeks over the mane at the dragon again, who looks a little puzzled at her. Unlike Spite's "funny face," she does seem to like the face of confusion that Spite gives her. Less anxious than before, the young princess starts to move in front of her big sister, taking a closer look at him.

'Hello there,' Spite calmly greets her, believing that his comedian-like attitude won't work on her. Acting like a calm and collected gentleman, Spite lowers his slender body down to the ground, allowing Luna to look at his face from her level.

Other than giving a few a blinks and a smile, Spite simply lies and watches with Celestia at how Luna moves closer to his face. When Luna suddenly presses her hooves against his snout, they both have to chuckle at each other.

'She likes you, Spite,' Celestia compliments him and snickers at how Luna proves to be stronger than most foals, being able to press the dragon's snout a little too far away for comfort.

'Myea... I beweeve fo,' Spite snorts and stands back up to allow his nose to recover. 'Tough sister you got, Celestia.'

They both start to laugh, confusing little Luna over their sudden change in attitude again. But then the laughing stops abruptly when the flowing window closes, surprising Twilight Sparkle a little as she was completely absorbed in the event.

'So cute...,' Trixie sighs. 'The princess actually found somebody with who'm she has all the best chance to be friends with. Even though behind the backs of Celestia's mentors, they are still happy with each other...'

Even though Trixie has become more maniac than mare, Twilight has the growing feeling that Trixie actually envys the princess. Maybe Trixie is more alone than she lets out, hiding it behind her attitude.

'And still it continues,' the blue alicorn sighs and waves with her horns again.

'-And that's why they helped him!' Twilight hears from behind her, coming from another window of time. She looks over her shoulder and sees Princess Celestia in the hidden chamber in the library again, accompanied by the tall blue mare who listens closely to her pupil. 'Do you see, Lady Fame? They help each other because they were friends!'  

The blue alicorn nods and smiles at the proud mare. 'That's incredible, Celestia. You're even better at this than I thought!' she compliments her student with a nod and a pat on the head. 'Who knows... Maybe you will reach a day when your knowledge even surpasses mine.'

Celestia glows with red cheeks over the compliment she's been given and feels how her mentor strokes her hoof through her mane.

'I don't think so, Lady Fame,' she humbly tells back. 'You are so wise. I doubt I'll even get close to your wisdom.'

'But you have the courage to surpass your limits, Celestia,' the white-maned alicorn chuckles and encourages her student. 'In all honesty: I wish I was half as brave as you've shown to be.'

Twilight feels warm inside. Sometimes she isn't sure whether she is watching the young Celestia and Lady Fame or herself and Celestia. When she moves closer to the window, it suddenly shuts in front of her.

'Alas.... There are more urgent matters that happened from out of sight...,' Trixie tells the purple mare while she opens another window. 'Even though Lady Fame and Spite show to be wonderful allies to her, there's always a dominant evil that lurks within the shadows.'

The shows another memory of Ignis and Celestia, who stumble upon each other in the white hallway. The black-mane alicorn looks far from amused, confronting his student again.

'Celestia! This is the third time you've missed our session about tactics! What in the blazes are you doing?!' Ignis shouts at his student, growing tired of her constant absence.

'I'm...just studying, Lord,' Celestia stutters, finding it hard to lie against a mentor.

The red alicorn raises an eyebrow, having trouble to believe it this time. 'Oh, really? And would you mind to explain why I've seen you several times walking through the hallway with that worthless living piece of scales?' he asks, referring to Spite.

'That? -Eh- That's nothing. I simply ask him to escort me from time to time. You never know where the danger lurks,' she lies to him, hoping that the stallion will simply take it as a little paranoia on her side and tolerates it.

Ignis glares into her eyes, as if he's looking through her pupils into her brain to read her mind. Celestia tries not to choke in her words as she feels terribly intimidated by the powerful stallion, who is clearly running out of patience. If she hadn't stayed up so long to read all those scrolls, she wouldn't be this tired in his classes.

'If I find you lying... It will be your own fault!' he shouts as answer and turns around, walking away with angry hoofsteps.

'Ok, ok...,' she sighs relieved and watches at how the stallion walks away again. 'That was close...'

'She grows into a little rebel, Don't you agree?' Trixie asks Twilight, while the window of the time is closing in front of them again.

'Serve's Ignis right...,' the purple unicorn grunts. 'He's too pushy about his way of work. He shouldn't have destroyed the stories of friendship in the first place!'

Trixie simply chuckles in response. 'Alas... Ignis has different plans. Missing a few classes of him isn't the problem for him. But it's "this" action that creates the spark that starts the fire of a terrible turnout..,' Trixie tells her confused purple mare and stomps with a hoof on the bright floor, causing a window to open beneath their hooves, giving a view from the ceiling down to the mare and stallion again.

'Celestia! For the HUNDREDTH time: I won't tolerate it if you ever sleep during the teachings about confrontation and intimidation again!' the armored alicorn shouts down to his pupil, who looks quietly at the floor. this scolding is possible weeks after the previous one that Twilight just saw, considering the limit of the stallion's patience for his student. 'Fame and I haven't been in control over this world, unnoticed by the ponies, because we were slacking on the serious things!'

'I know...,' she grunts.

But he doesn't give her a break, scolding her further than neccesary again with his endless ramblings. 'If I find you sleeping off during my teachings, I'm going to tie you to your bed from early afternoon until the end of sunrise! Do you understand me?!'

'Enough, Ignis! Get off my back, will you?! I'm busy, ok?!' Celestia shouts, staggering the stallion with her reaction. 'As always: I'm STU-DY-ING! Ask Lady Fame! She'll say it's true!'

The white mare runs off into the hallway, not wanting to be around when Ignis comes back from his senses and begins to shout at her. This is the first time that she shouted at Ignis, causing Ignis to look astonished for possibly the first time. She had the urge to tell him what she thinks about all these tactics for combat and control, growing more and more tired as she reads further about friendship every night. Before she knew the book of Friendship, she never even reallized how aggresive Ignis' knowledge is about control over others.

'I'm sure she would...,' he hisses and glares at the fleeing white mare. Celestia's sudden disobiediance has set the fire on. Ignis lives through his way of assuming the worst at all time, causing him to think of his next steps that involve the white mare.

Twilight knows the dark look in Ignis' yellow eyes: It means that a storm is coming. 'This is bad...,' Twilight whispers. 'Do I even want to see what happens next?'

Trixie chuckles softly and shows a sadistic grin on her face. 'No... you don't want to see it...,' she whispers and casts another spell, sending them both to a period further in time.

***

Two weeks have passed since Celestia's outburst against Ignis. Lady Fame and Spite both know about it, but do not speak of it further. Life continues in the castle as usual, though Ignis seems to have stopped talking to Celestia when not needed. Even when she manages to doze off, he stopped scolding her. Celestia likes to believe that her outburst opened his eyes. But Spite and Fame both know that it's something else.

A glowing white portal opens in thin air again, giving access for the two mares to walk amongst the memories again. Twilight has gotten used to the timeskips. Instead of feeling dizzy, she immidiatly goes out to look for her future mentor. Trixie merely follows her, letting Twilight have her way here.  

Twilight looks over her shoulder at Trixie. 'Where is everypony?' she asks.

'Where do you think?' Trixie grunts and points with her horn to the nearest door.

Taking the hint, Twilight heads to the doors and passes right through them. As usual: The trip has led back to Celestia's bedroom. Twilight looks at the desk, where the white mare is studying once again. Relieved that nothing has changed, Twilight sighs with a smile. 'Nothing bad has happened...,' she says.

Celestia looks happy at the book she's reading, while Princess Luna is asleep again. Time goes on unchanged.

'Indeed. Nothing has happened YET,' Trixie tells her, breaking her hopes for a good ending again. 'Just wait... First she'll get a little visit...'

Just as Trixie says that, the doors open behind the two mares.

'Hey there, Celestia,' Spite greets her and walks unasked into her room again.

The princess looks up from her book at the slender dragon and smiles. 'Hello, Spite. How are you?'

'Ah, you know... Scouting and spying. Nothing uncommon,' he shrugs and brushes his nails over his chest. 'You're still studying, amigo?'

Celestia nods and looks back at her book. She has reached some strange chapter in the book about some artifact called Elements of Harmony, being a completely different type of story than all the others. Even though she's read it several times now, she can't figure what it means, aside from the words: Kindness, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity and Joy. There's something else that should be the connection between the five words, though Celestia hasn't figured it out yet.

'Well, I better get back to my job,' Spite sighs, growing tired of the wetworks he has to do all the time. 'I should find another job...'

Celestia giggles from his joke as the dragon leaves the room. When the dragon has closed the door behind him again, Celestia looks at the flowers that stand on her desk.  It's the boque of flowers that Spite gave her months ago when they met, unwhithered thanks to Lady Fame's magic.

She then begins to think: 'I've been reading and studying all the time, while Spite keeps doing his job all the time. Maybe we should do something together more often?' With that in mind, Celestia jumps away from her desk and hurries outside her room, hoping to catch up on Spite.

'Hey, Spite. I was wondering-,' she says as she opens the doors, surprised by the tall alicorn with the white icy mane that stands before her. 'L-Lady Fame! You scared me!' Celestia gasps with a rapidly pounding heart in her chest.  

The white-maned alicorn looks at her pupil with sad eyes. She needs a moment to be able to speak to Celestia, rather than simply greet her with joy.

'Hello Celestia...,' she mumbles. 'How are you today?'

Celestia looks puzzled up at the blue mare. She has never seen her mentor like this before. 'What's wrong?' Celestia asks, noticing the anxious behaviour of her favorite mentor.

'I just had a hard time just now... Some decisions are harder to make than others, you know,' Fame mutters, attempting to bring the words easily to her student. 'Sometimes... you just have to tell things openly, like I'm telling you now...'

'What are you speaking about?' Celestia mumbles, expecting some bad news.

'You must believe me... I tried to deny it. But Ignis, he...,' Fame tries to explain, finding it hard to talk about what had happened. 'I... spoke with Lord Ignis a moment ago... You.... You should probably not go to the library anytime soon...'

Both Twilight's as Celestia's eyes widen. The white mare's jaw drops, feeling that something snapped in her senses. From the words of her Lady Fame and the way she brings it, it sounds like her greatest fear must've come to realization.

'She told him...,' Twilight whispers, feeling as emotionally drawn into the memory as if it's a part of her life.

'You told him...,' Celestia repeats after Twilight.

Not waiting for a response, Celestia bursts off into the hallways. Twilight Sparkle takes no second longer and rushes after her mentor, knowing that she's speeding off to the library.

'Celestia, Wait! Come back!' Lady Fame shouts at her, afraid that this won't turn out well.

But Celestia doesn't stop, just like Twilight. Trixie simply stays behind with Lady Fame and begins to smile when Twilight is leaving into the hallways, expecting that Twilight won't like the sight as much as Celestia will. 'DON'T wait, Twilight,' she snickers. 'Go ahead and look at what happened to the chamber.'

During the gallop, as she gasps for air, Celestia can't stop thinking of several things. She cannot believe that Lady Fame told Ignis about the chamber, breaking their promise. How could Ignis have founded it out anyway? Ignis expects the worst usually. But still something must've signalled him that something is going on. Could it been her behaviour to him? Could Spite, the kind dragon servant of her mentors, have tipped it off? Before she can come up with answers to her own questions, she has already reached the giant doors with the engraved scroll.

Without taking a second longer, Celestia rams into the doors, opening them with a load slam that echoes through the entire library. The first thing that Celestia notices is the warm air that passes her, coming from the far end of the chamber.

'No. It can't be!' she gasps in denial, hoping that her fears are a lie.

The white alicorn doesn't stop running. She reaches the tiny bookcase, which has been cast aside by alot of force. Noticing the glowing flames in the distance of the passage, Celestia's breath stops for a second. 'Oh no…,' she gasps.

Quickly she runs inside to find out who has entered the room. As she moves closer to the chamber, she begins to her talking. Somepony is muttering words from the Hall of Friendship. It's a spell.

Just before she could enter the room and see who is incantating the magic, she is blinded by a flash. A raging heat bursts passed her, leaving the room through the tiny passage. Though the princess can't see anything by the light, hear anything by the raging fire, or feel anything over the heat, Celestia presses further until she's inside the Hall of Friendship.

But when the noise and heat calms down, and a stallion is heard breathing heavily, Celestia opens her eyes. 'AAH!' she cries, witnessing the destruction that was brought into this sensitive part of history.

Bookcase are lit on fire, the pedestal is crushed into rubble and the ashes of the scrolls move through the warm current. And in the middle of the devestation stands a crimson-red stallion, breathing deeply from growing fury. Ignis burned down the last vault of friendship.

'So this is where it was hidden, hm?' he grunts, having noticed the presence of his pupil behind him.

Celestia looks in fear at Ignis. He has discovered the room and burned it down to ashes. And he's not done yet. Celestia is more fearful of Ignis than ever, afraid that he may do more than simply scold her.

'I gave you a home... We taught you well... And STILL you defy me?! You disappoint me, Celestia… More than ever!' he shouts at her and turns around. His eyes are nearly burning with rage, his teeth are grinding over each other and his breaths don't slow down.

'B-B-But Ignis! I was just-' she mutters.

'SILENCE!' he shouts and bucks a burning bookcase against the wall, splintering it into a hundred pieces. 'I’m so furious right now that I can’t even come up with a good punishment for this insolence! Studying friendship... Just thinking about it makes my head boil! Return to your room NOW!'

Celestia is scared: Scared for her furious mentor. Without any resistance, Celestia surrrenders. She has lost the game and now she takes the fall for it. 'Y-Yes sir…,' she stutters as she walks outside.

Celestia's fear has taken over her mind so badly that her eyes are wet from tears. All those precious scrolls and stories are gone. The only thing that could teach her about friendship has been set aflame by the most brutal stallion of the world. Crying out loud, the princess bursts out of the chamber.

Twilight remains with Lord Ignis. She is also horrified by the stallion's actions. This is a second time that she has witnessed a traumatizing event that Lord Ignis caused, feeling like it cuts open the scars of the memories about Spectrum Brush' accident. It pains her heart, watching everytime how the stallion stomps on the sizzling scrolls that her mentor loved so much.

'I will have a little word with Fame about this…,' Ignis hisses, far from done with this.

***

Twilight walks back through the hallways, following after the upset princess. The purple mare is feels sickly, finding it hard to process another crime that Ignis brought, while she was unable to do anything about it. Celestia was having a worse time, having ran off back to her bedroom in tears and sweat.

Trixie has waited all this time at the bedroom doors, gloating inside over Twilight's face of defeat. 'Well... That must have been an "enlightening" experience,' she jokes, being the only pony that could laugh about it.

Twilight doesn't even answer to her, simply passing her and enters the bedroom. She expected as much: Princess Celestia feels awfull, muting her cries in a pillow. The purple mare simply sits next to her and watches at the princess. If she was able to do anything for her now, she would do it. She keeps looking at the white mare for several minutes, watching her squeeze her pillow and rub the tears off into it. But when she lifts it to throw it against the wall in a move of anger for the cruel stallion, Twilight notices the book that was hidden under it. Celestia quickly grabs it and holds it tightly against her, finding comfort in the last remaining book of friendship that is left.

'It's just not fair...,' is all that Celestia is able to mutter out loud.

'Princess Celestia...,' Twilight whispers and jumps on her bed. Even if she can't make contact with the memory of the mare with the same age, Twilight still feels like it helps when she can sit next to her, as if she's able to befriend the young version of her mentor. It makes the unicorn smile, never having felt as close to Celestia as this, even though Celestia doesn't even know that she's right next to her. 'It'll be alright... You will become the Princess of Equestria, along with Princess Luna.'

Just as she said that sentence, both mares look surprised up when cries are heard from the crib. Celestia jumps off her bed and moves to the cradle, feeling bad for awakening her baby sister with cries.  'I'm sorry, Luna,' she whispers and picks up the foal. Holding her in her arms, watching how Luna calms down and falls back asleep, Celestia feels alright again. She knows now that this doesn't have to mean the end of the world.

'Fame?' a heavy voice mumbles from behind the doors, alerting Celestia. 'It's time we have a little talk again...'

'D-Did you burn it down?' Celestia hears her other mentor, who seems to have been listening to the sounds from her room this whole time!

Fame wanted to speak to her student and explain why she told Ignis about it, but simply couldn't find the courage to enter the room and confront the white mare. Her cowardish is what keeps her from doing the right things, so it seems.

'Of course... But there are still some loose ends that we need to knot together,' he grunts, followed by eight hooves that move through the hallway, fading into an echo.

Celestia looks staggered about Ignis words. "Tightening some loose ends" usually means something VERY bad. Putting the sleepy foal back into her bed, Celestia decides to follow the two "traitors of mentors." Expecting they will head to the Throne Room, Celestia sneaks off into the white halls again. Twilight wants to know what happens now, forcing her to follow after the princess again. Trixie simply watches at how Twilight is rushing off, letting time takes its course.

***

'She’ll never be able to uphold our order now… good job, Fame!' a shout of Ignis thunders from behind the doors, followed by a loud stomp on the floor.

Twilight and Celestia peak through the narrow opening between the two doors, spying on the two alicorn's verbal fight.

'She had the right to learn, Ignis...,' Lady Fame tries to explain calmly. 'I just wanted to extend her knowledge and vision to one we never achieved.'

'And there's a REASON why we never achieved it! Because we don't NEED anything as pointless as friendship!' Ignis snaps back, as if he's trying to force Lady Fame in believing his words to be absolute truth. 'Friendship brings nothing but trouble! A true leader has no friends, GOT IT?!'

'Why? What makes you hate it so much if you don't even know what it means?!' Fame asks with a desperate tone, growing tired of the mysteries that surround the black-hearted stallion. 'You're just as oblivious about it as I am! you have no right to decide for everypony that we can find out what it means!'

'And that's where you're wrong, Fame... I HAVE the right!' he grunts. 'Don't you forget your place! No matter how you look at it: my title of LORD means that I stand above anypony else in this wretched world! That includes above you...'

Lady Fame has nothing to say in return, as if she acknowledges it. She humbly stares at the ground, unable to stare directly at the stallion, and listens to the raging alicorn.  

'The only thing you managed is destroying my faith in our protégée! She’s so interested in friendship now that it will hamper everything we worked for!' he grunts and scratches his face with a hoof, followed by sighing over the situation. 'The damage has already been done now... We can’t take care of her now... She must leave the castle.'

Twilight notices how Celestia's breaths are going deeper, obviously feeling scared now. But remaining quiet to continue to spy, Twilight turns her head back and proceeds to listen to the conversation that rises in tension.

'You can't do that, Ignis! She knows nothing about the outside world! Where would she go?!' Fame questions alarmed, fearful for Celestia's life. 'She would die on her own in the cold!'  

'Ironic, isn't it? Considering that the cold is caused by YOUR magic...,' Ignis grunts, remaining solid about his plan to ditch their student like rotten apples.

'Are you insane?! Do you really have no heart for her?! She's basically a daughter to us!' Fame cries out to Ignis, wanting to reach deep inside his mind and make him realize the mistakes he plans.

'Maybe to you... She's already dead to me now,' Ignis tells him, completely unmoved Fame's feelings or Celestia's decided fate.

'Graaaah!' Fame shouts in anger and leaps towards the stallion, who turns around when he hears Fame's sudden battlecry. Getting an alicorn horn pointed under his chin, Ignis continues to glare at the mare, who desperatly tried to control herself from doing anything she'll regret.

'….Really, fame? This again? Remember the last time you disagreed?' He speaks to her, completely unmoved by her threat.

Fame hates his unbreakable attitude and quickly summons the Windigo from the ceiling to join at her side, all pointing their magical horns towards the lone stallion. But he doesn't even cringe. The black-maned stallion looks deep into the mare's pale eyes, breaking her with his gaze. The stallion doesn’t even seem a bit concerened about the Windigo.

'We both know who is the strongest, Fame. The only reason you are this powerful is because I allow you to leech off the hatred and rage I create..,' he whispers at the mare. Ignis' horn glows for a little second, which has immidiat results in causing the three windigos collapse on the floor, as if they've been starving for days. 'I'm still the master around here. Your windigos are nothing when I refrain them from the rage they seek for all the time. You may try to call yourself an equal, while we both know that I shall always remain a rank higher than you. Don't make any moves that you will regret.'

Fame remains determined, proceeding to look into his eyes to show him her devotion for Celestia's sake. But slowly she starts to back away, like Ignis expected she would. The mare lowers her horn, not having the guts to stand up to him.

'Wise choice,' Ignis grunts, looking down at the saddened blue alicorn, who's eyes are slowly turning wet from tears by the tought that she was never truly able to protect her precious student. The windigos are slowly standing back up, being given their energy back from the stallion. He turns around, off to get Celestia. 'Celestia has been given a taste of friendship... She will NEVER be a good leader to this world now...'

Even Twilight's heart begins to pound faster, anxious for Celestia's sake and Ignis' terror. Yet, she still can't help but feel a little funny when she recalls Ignis' sentence about that the princess would NEVER be able to become a good leader to Equestria. If he knew, he would probably go mad over it.

'W-Wait! …Please... spare Celestia,' Lady Fame begs to the stallion. The red alicorn turns around and looks at the weak mare, who always seemed invincible in the eyes of Celestia. 'Wh-What if make another suggestion?'  

Ignis remains silent, giving the impression that he's willing to listen. As he turns around to listen to her, Lady Fame needs a moment to breath in order to talk, feeling weakened from the rush of emotions that coursed through her mind. And when she has recovered, she makes an awfull suggestion.

'What If we choose to train her Princess Luna instead... Will you leave Celestia alone then?' she asks, trying to persuade him to leave her precious student alone.

Celestia's eyes widen and her ears jump up, unable to believe her mentor just suggested that.

'And start all over again? She would just turn out like her goody two-hooves sister!' Ignis grunts.

'Yes… we would start over. But Luna is still so young. She could be tutored like soft clay. If we use our magic combined Princess Luna will remain obiediant to you and will never trust friendship...,' continues to talk him into this plan of madness.

Ignis goes into thought. He slowly thinks of developing a plan from her suggestion to see if this is worth it.

'…Agreed. Let's do it YOUR way, Fame...,' he finally admits. 'Celestia can stay if we can turn Luna into our rightful prodigee. If we share our abilities with her, she will be more than eager to follow in our hoofprints.'

The white mare gasps in horror, quicky holding her hooves on her mouth to prevent being discovered.  Lady Fame, who always had the best intentions for her, has suggested to Ignis to completely brainwash little Luna! Celestia bursts away from the door. As she storms aimlessly through the hallway, she can’t believe her ears. Twilight hesitates for a moment to hurry after her, but then follows her after all.

But Ignis wasn't done. He has some extra demands as safety caution to prevent Luna from becoming as good as her sister. 'But I want no "sunshine of a student"... Princess Luna must become more battle-hardened, tactful and disciplined! A bitter leader with great power that is capable of taking tough decisions and never looks back at them,' he demands from the blue mare, who humbly listens to him like some underling, rather than an equal. Ignis looks out the window, staring at the moon and the stars. 'She needs to become... "A Mare of the Night."

***

'Why? Why would they do this?! I-I can’t let them harm Luna! But what can I do?!' spooks through Celestia's head as the white mare rushes through the halls. 'I... Maybe I need to escape! I can't stay her and let Luna be turned around against her will and mine!'

Desperate for her baby sister's safety, Celestia feels like she has no other choice: They must leave the castle. She wants to rush to her room and quickly pack her things, making her not notice the windigo until she bumps into him. Stopping in the middle of Celestia's path when she notices him. Surprised by the being's abnormal attitude, Celestia looks at him in his ice-blue eyes.

'Eh, hello?' she mumbles to the windigo, expecting no response from Lady Fame's minion. 'I -eh- am just gonna move now...'

But the windigo moves in her way again, preventing exit.

'E-Excuse me? I'm Princess Celestia! You're supposed to step aside and let me pass!' she demands from him, growing desperate to escape from the windigo's unknown intentions.

A second windigo suddenly lands behind her, closing her in in the hallway. But he turns around and motions Celestia to follow him, which will definitly lead her back to the Throne Room! They must've been ordered telepathically by their mistress to bring Celestia to them. The first windigo begins to move forward, forcing Celestia back.

'NO! I won't go there! Tell your mistress that I have nothing to say to her!' she shouts at the equine being and quickly rushes passed him between its legs.

Feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins, Celestia is afraid that she has less time than she expected. Galloping down the halls, with the two windigos hot on her trail, Celestia rushes towards the golden doors that mark hers and her sister's bedroom. Giving one glance behind her to the rushing beasts, Celestia throws the doors open.

'Luna! Let's go! We're getting out of-' Celestia warns, but stops talking when she realizes that a windigo is standing in her room, preventing access inside. 'AH!' she gasps.

Celestia has to act quick. The two windigos behind her are closing in, making it impossible for her to escape if they catch up on her. She can see the little crib with her baby sister in it, but the path is blocked by the third creature. Desperate that neither of them will be able to do anything if they close them in, Celestia makes the heavy decision of rushing further into the hallway, leaving her sister behind.

'I'm so sorry, Luna! I WILL come back!' she shouts, behind her as the three windigos have formed a group and stampede after the princess.

Celestia needs time and space to think, being unable to come up with any plan while these beasts are right behind her. But she's all alone: Doomed to fail when she will run out of air. The cries of Luna are echoing through the castle. She can sense that something bad is happening and that her big sister is unable to see her. As much as Celestia would like to comfort her, she has to keep running now.

'-pant- -pant-' she coughs, running out of air. The white mare looks behind her with sweat on her forehead, noticing how the three beasts are closing on her. Unlike her, the windigos cannot run out of air.

Closed in by the three windigo in the hallway, Celestia begins to sweat further from fear. They are definitly ordered to keep an eye out on her and force her to come to their masters, who would probably seperate her from her sister for good!

'J-Just leave me alone!' she stutters as the windigos have cornered her against the wall. But when all hope seemed lost, being captured by the white creatures off magic, Celestia suddenly feels how cold stone suddenly presses against her flank.

'Hey, friend. Need a way out?' a reptillian head pops out of a hole behind the wall, normally blocked by a brick.

'S-Spite!' Celestia gasps astonished and takes no second longer for the windigos. The white mare hurries behind the stone and enters the hole in the wall, being her only escape now.

'Arrividerci, "Windos!" Spite laughs mockingly at the ghost-like beings and pulls the stone back into the wall, preventing access for the powerful windigos.

Twilight sighs relieved when Celestia has escaped, having grown anxious ever since the windigo showed up in the hallway. But a calm and collected heart, Twilight chuckles at the beasts' defeat.

'Well, seems the princess escaped the castle, hm?' Trixie shrugs, clearly not as surprised as Twilight.

'So good that Spite was nearby! He's a hero for doing this!' Twilight sighs with a smile, feeling joy for the needed help that her mentor got from the trustworthy dragon.

But Trixie chuckles, mocking Twilight. 'Really now? I'd like to hear you say that in our time...,' she mumbles, unable for the purple unicorn to hear it.

Without further talk, while the windigos head back to the Throne Room, Trixie conjures a new portal, allowing access for her and Twilight again to move further in time of the memory. Just when they enter the white gate, it closes behind them with a fizzle and crackle again.

***

Loud screams of rage and defeat are heard from behind the mare and dragon, coming from the windigos that failed to carry out their duty. The furious noises mean that they aren't able to catch them now, which calms the white mare slightly.

'Spite...,' she mumbles at the dragon that moves in front of her, being able to pass her in the narrow tunnel thanks to his slender body. 'Th-Thank you.'

'Ah, don't sweat it, Celi,' he shrugs. 'You would've done the same for me.'

'But if they would've caught me...,' she whispers, thinking of what would've happened if they Spite wasn't there to save her.

'What’s the matter, Celestia? You look a little glum, to say the least,' the dragon asks behind him, noticing how the crouching mare is quiet all of the sudden.

'You don't know what happened... I just overheard a conversation between Fame and Ignis...,' she whispers. 'I-I-'

'I know,' Spite tells her as he moves further into the tunnels, showing the way through the castle. 'I've heard and seen the entire speech.'

'You... You were there?' she asks, haven't seen any sight of the dragon when she was spying at the door herself.

'Why, yes. See? I'm pretty good at this,' he snickers, despite Celestia's painful feelings about what the conversation was about. 'Look... We can't do anything now. We should find a safe place and come up with a plan, don't you agree?'

'We?' Celestia asks.

'Why, yes, ofcourse!' he answers insulted. 'What? You expect me to let you out the front door without your sister or proper revenge? I thought we were more supportive, Celestia. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.'

The white mare takes his reaction as a compliment. It makes her happy to hear that even after all this trouble, she isn't alone.

'If anything were to happen to my sister-… I don’t even want to think about it...,'she shudders, while the mare and dragon must've moved for atleast thirty mintutes through the narrow tunnel, making Celestia a little claustrophobic on top of her current anxieties.

Spite looks over his shoulder at the crouching white mare, feeling sorry for her. 'Well... Let's start right now then,' he suggests to plan ahead to stop Ignis and Fame while they're in the tunnels.

'You know how their business works, right? From the dark they rule. Out of the sight of the many ponies that live down there. Ignis keeps the Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies to hate each other, so that they may never cooperate and bust the alicorns’ reign. And in turn, Fame’s Windigo feed off of the hatred they harbor for each other like harvest, and use it to keep that blizzard up that keeps them undernourished enough to prevent any resistance.'

Celestia knows this already. But hearing it like this from the dragon, she starts to realize that this reign is more terrible than she ever dared to believe. She was always told that it was for their own good, though that must’ve been just a lie. It makes it much easier for Celestia to think about turning against her mentors, even after thinking of knowing them for so long.

'I know where the kingdoms of the ponies are. Months ago, remember? Fame and Ignis sent the windigos after them weeks ago, repeating the blizzard process. But with the ponies on the move, and starting to see the urgency of battling together against a common foe, the whole game is turned around! New rules! They have done an action that could turn the entire gameboard! We have new rules for the game!'

Celestia understands the gravity of this matter and that it’s indeed a good thing for the ponies she never seen before. But what does this have to do anything with her little sister’s salvation? 'So, what are you getting at?' she asks as they have reached an wider tunnel where Celestia is able to stretch her wings again.

'…Fame and Ignis seem to want to have Luna take over their jobs... They want to turn her into some tyrant to take over their reign! But if there’s no kingdom to rule, there’s no point anymore, right? If all unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies stand against them, Ignis and Fame won’t have the chance to take your sister away.'

There is logic in his words. On her own she can’t even think of a way to keep Ignis and Fame at bay. If she has to sacrifise their corrupt kingdom to save these suffering ponies and her sister, then she will do it without hesitation. But there's one lingering matter that stops them.

'But... how will that help?' she asks.

Spite looks confused behind him at Celestia, not understanding the question. 'Wh-What do you mean?'

'We are talking about Fame and Ignis... AND three windigos... Even if combined, how can those ponies stop them?'

'-Haha!- Celestia, my dear, I wasn't saying that they should fight them,' he chuckles. 'Those ponies below don't have to risk anything.'

'B-But what do you mean...,' Celestia mumbles confused, having no clue what the dragon is talking about.

'The hatred they share is keeping Fame's windigos strong. Ignis' power comes from the hatred he is able to instill into the hearts of others. If we are able to forge an alliance between the citizens, it will weaken those two hotheads ALOT,' he explains, with a chuckle followed. 'I can know it. I've been working for them for a long time now.'

'Creating an alliance between the three kingdoms? Will that truly help us stop them from turning Luna into a monster?' she asks, still puzzled about Spite's farfetched plan.

But the dragon nods, promising that he's right. 'Ignis' hatred is weak against friendship. That's why he hates it so much! If we can finish your research, we should be able to find a solution to stop both of them!'

'Wait a minute... How do YOU know that I'm studying about friendship?' Celestia grunts, feeling like he's been watching her 24/7.

The dragon laughs again and stops halfway the dark tunnel. 'Did you think you and Fame were the only ones that knew about that hidden chamber? Somebody like me shouldn't deserve a job like "spy" if that thing would've gone unnoticed to me...'

'You knew all along... You knew all along that I was holding it a secret...,' Celestia mutters, feeling ashamed for keeping it from the dragon. Even though Fame, the mentor who was so precious to her, told Ignis, she wouldn't be able to break a promise herself.

'Hey, don't worry. You promised not to tell anybody else, I know and respect that,' he smiles and turns around to lay a claw on her shoulder. 'I call that a proffessional's abilities of staying silent. Maybe I should've shared my own stories with you first.'

Celestia looks up at Spite, who continues to smile at her. He's trying to tell her that he's serious about the respect for her personal secrets and doesn't think any less of her about it. When she realizes it, she's able to smile back at him.

'So you read the scrolls too?' she asks.

'Well.... I tried. Didn't got very far. I'm a proffessional sabotager, not a wizzkid,' he shrugs.

'But I am,' the young alicorn snickers. 'I've been able to translate alot of it and learn from them. I'd be glad to share it with you, Spite.'

She begins to tell everything to him: About the adventures of ponies that cooperated, even though they were so different from each other. The princess knows all the fascinating stories from her head, inspiring the dragon with her vast knowledge about friendship, which he finds facinating. Even though they're halfway out of the near-endless tunnel, the dragon and mare sit down, repeating the stories that were written inside the scroll of friendship.

'Interesting...,' Spite mumbles when Celestia is done. 'Very interesting... Could you repeat that part about those elements again?'

'The Elements of Harmony?' Celestia assumes. 'Well... I couldn't figure much out about it... It's some ancient artifact that was here before any records were wrote on parchment... It's supposed to be some myth about an elements that holds the power to force the wicked away. It's like they're being powered by the emotions that come with the bond between two friends.

'Emotions?'

'Honesty, Kindness, Joy, Generosity and Loyalty: The Elements of Friendship,' Celestia repeats. 'There should be a sixth element... But I never found out what it is.'

'I see...,' Spite whispers.

He looks at the mare, who looks a little clueless about this whole mess. Figuring that they haven't come up with ideas yet, Spite starts to think deeply about any new info that Celestia may have told him that could prove usefull. He closes his eyes, crosses his arms and thinks deeply. Knowing from his experience, the tiniest detail could already turn an entire table. When a minute or two have passed, making him think for a moment that he can't think of anything, it hits him: An idea.

'Alright, that settles it! Let's go make some friends!' he laughs and stands back up, ready to head to the end of the tunnel with a hurried pace.

'Wh-What? What are you saying, Spite?' Celestia giggles, surprised by Spite's sudden view on the situation. 'We are in the middle of a crisis. And you want to solve it by making friends?'

'Not necessarily us, Celestia. But the citizens! It's time we hand the fire of the gods to the ponies!' he tells her. Spite is excited, having an idea he deems gold.

'Hooves...,' Celestia grunts, critizing Spite's use of words. 'I got hooves...'

'Well... -cough- In any case... Let's go find us some Elements of Harmony, baby!' he picks up his joy and points towards the tiny light that marks the end of the tunnel. 'Luna is waiting for us both. I do not intend to let the ponies freeze to popcicles again and get terrorized by a crazy sister!'

'Really? Y-You think it's possible? ...Though you've never told me "Why," Spite...,' Celestia whispers. 'Why are you helping me?”

'Why?' he repeats after her.

'Yes, why?' Celestia asks again. 'You've always been a servant of Fame and Ignis. Why would you suddenly want to help me, knowing that it means you'd betray them?'

'Celestia, Celestia, Celestia...,' the dragon chuckles and faceclaws. 'Dear, ofcourse I would choose you above them. Just because I was their servant doesn't mean that I LIKE it.'

Celestia didn't see that answer coming, feeling a little surprised over how easy Spite is willing to do this. 'You don't?' she asks.

'Ofcourse not! I get treated like dirt that got dragged from the bottom of the swamp every day! All those rules, order and discipline... I've grown tired of it! Fame may be treating you like her little princess, but she would never stand up for me if Ignis lashes out against me! Something... I would actually think you'd be capable of...'

'Spite, ofcourse I'd help you! That's what friends do!' she tells him and looks up surprised when she realizes what she just claimed. 'We're.... friends... right?'

'Bingo, baby,' he nods and winks, confirming her hopes. 'I know you're different than them by far, Celestia. I know you're capable of leaving the track when you deem it needed: Breaking the rules when it's for the greater good. And just for that, I already think I should stick at your side. I like to break the rules sometimes.'

'Spite... I-I,' Celestia stutters, feeling honored about Spite's devotion.

'And besides... If we're both gonna wreak some havoc, I'm sure it's gonna be one heck of a fun time!' Spite laughs, making fun of a situation at the wrong time as usual.

The dragon's sillyness has helped, even though not sure how. His jokes and positive attitude give Celestia the confidence she needs now more than ever. If there was anypony she would wish to have at her side, it would be Spite.

***

Twilight watches as how a glowing portal starts to open in the void, leading to an entirely different place. The mare looks around the area as she moves through the gateway, noticing that she and Trixie have gone to some place in Fame's memory that shows a location on a hill, overseeing a frozen forest. The hill is in control over several ponies, surprising Twilight.

The robes of the ponies look incredibly old to her, just like they must've worn them a thousand years ago.

'Where.... Where are we now? Where are Princess Celestia and Spite?' Twilight asks Trixie while she looks around to find them. 'I can't see them anywhere.'

'We are currently two days from our previous time, seen at the encampment where the three kingdoms were attempting to find a connection between the their kingdoms to stop the remaining threat of Fame's windigos. Right now they should all be freezing in a cave...,' Trixie mumbles, clearly uncaring for the emotions and efforts that can be shown from the ponies in this time. 'About Celestia and Spite not being present: It's because they're not really in the spotlight... Why do you think there was never a known connection between the Great Blizzard and those two lovers? Celestia believed that they had to work from the shadows, aiding the citizens of Equestria in passing the information she learned subtle.'

'Information?' Twilight repeats.

The tall blue alicorn nods. 'They decided that to save Luna from a terrible future, they had to stop both Ignis and Fame. The only way to make that possible is to bring the three kingdoms together, bring the myth of friendship to life, and hope that it would lead them to finding the meaning behind the Elements of Harmony.'

Twilight looks surprised, hearing about the Elements of Harmony before she found it with her own friends. 'Th-The Elements of Harmony?' she repeats.

Trixie nods again in response before speaking further. 'Right now the ponies are fighting against the windigos... With a little of Celestia's and Spite's influence, the ponies should come to their senses and their leaders will discover a new way of treating each other... This procedure is a real "blast," Trixie jokes, which is followed by a loud bang in the background.

A flare of light can be seen from behind the purple mare, coming from close by. Twilight looks quickly behind her, noticing that the top of a mountain has exploded entirely, making way for a great pink burning heart that shines over the area like the sun. The ponies around them are in turmoil, rushing up and down through the camp in panic. Their leaders are gone, who have sought shelter in the cave that just exploded. Twilight knows this lesson all too well, considering she once played a character from the reënactment of the Great Blizzard: Clover the Clever, advisor of Princess Platinum. This is the story of the Great Blizzard, as it's known to all of ponykind. And she's one of the only ponies that is actually a witness of the point that changes everything.

The heart that lights the sky all the way to the horizon is the Fire of Friendship, which is the exact opposite of Lord Ignis' power of hatred. The power from the flame shares its radiance to the ponies who haven't seen daylight for a long time. It gives a feeling to them that they haven't experienced for a long time: Friendship.

Now they can see the sky again, feel the warmth again, and share the joy that they all feel coursing through their veins. The power of friendship has been brought to Equestria with a great explosion, marking the end of an old and cold era. Celestia has succeeded.

'S-So... it was actually thanks to Princess Celestia that friendship was brought in this time? B-But she always told everypony that it was thanks to Puddinghead, Smark Cookie, Platinum, Clover, Hurricane and Pansy!'

Trixie chuckles, finding Twilight's believes very gullible. 'Ofcourse she would never share it openly with Equestria... What would you think if you'd find out that Celestia was the student of these monsters? Would you really choose her to be a leader for an entire land?' she asks, making Celestia look bad again for her past.

'Well...,' the purple unicorn sighs, feeling like admitting to Trixie that she is possibly right if put this way. 'T-That's is of no concern now! We gotta go up there to that cave!'  

'Unnecesary!' Trixie claims. 'I just showed this to let you witness what Celestia and Spite have managed to do: Stop the hatred harvest of Ignis and Fame and end their dictatorship completely, having banished the windigos into a cryo state, due to the sudden removal of hatred in the hearts of any pony that lives here.'

'B-But... I wanna see how Clover the Clever really looked like...,' Twilight mumbles childish.

Trixie's eyes turn from the unicorn, growing tired of Twilight's inability to accept the facts she is thrown in her face. Her eyes open wide when she notices two cloaked ponies walk away from the cheerful crowd, heading out of sight. Trixie looks back at the oblivious mare and grins.

'You might want to check out those two ponies...,' she chuckles. 'You'll find them more interesting than the six ponies you just spoke of.'

'What?' Twilight asks and looks past the blue mare, noticing the two figures as well.

'We... We did it.... We actually did it!' the hooded mare cheers relieved and throws her hood off, revealing her pink mane. 'Spite! We've brought all of ponykind around!'

Before the other hooded pony gets a chance to say anything in return, Celestia loses herself and jumps for her friend, giving a hug of indescribable joy.

'Y-Yes we did!' Spite cheers along, surprised by Celestia. 'If Clover wouldn't have listened to us...'

'But he did! And now we've actually gone and brought friendship to everypony! It's.... It's just like my dream!' she ends in a whispering tone.

The stallion nods her and stands back up from Celestia's "jump of joy." He nods and starts to laugh, beginning to understand the consequences of this legendary day. But Twilight can't believe her eyes. Spite was a dragon in the castle and for months. How could he be a pony now?

'Celestia didn't only study history, if that's what you think...,' Trixie tells to the astonished mare. 'She has a vast knowledge about spells already at this age... Including one that allows the completely reform a being into a pony. They figured that a dragon wouldn't be much trustworthy, considering they're generally seen as a menace... But now he has a pretty face, don't you think?'

Twilight continues to look amazed at the stallion. She never even heard of a spell that is capable of something like this. On one hoof: It's very awsome. But on the other hoof: The face of the dragon has only become MORE recognizable now that he has an equine face. The only thing that remains not-ponylike is one dragon's tooth that comes from his mouth.

'Wait... He looks an awful lot like...,' Twilight whispers, just before a light flash fills her sight.

'There! How does that feel?' Celestia giggles, having preformed a spell on her companion.

The stallion has turned back into its previous snake-like slender body, glad to be the way he was. 'Mmmmuch better, amica,' he praises her and flexes his thin arms, glad to see his body back the way it used to be. 'We have saved ponykind and brought an end to the windigos completely! Fame and Ignis are powerless now!'

'But...,' Celestia mumbles, suddenly saddened, to Spite's surprise. 'It's been two day after we left... What if we're too late? We still haven't found the meaning of friendship! We haven't found the Elements of Harmony! We don't even have anything else that we could use to break Ignis and Fame into submission!'

'Y-You're..... absolutely right, Celestia...,' Spite sighs, unable to contradict her despair.

Twilight feels awful to see this happen. Her mentor and her mentor's best friend have turned an entire era of darkness around into one that stays in light and friendship. And yet they don't have what it takes to secure this peaceful future as long as Fame and Ignis roam free to do as they please.

'We... We just haven't sought in the right places! This action was NOT for naught, I PROMISE! We just have to find the Elements someplace else! ...But where...,' Spite brings to realization, trying to outthink a way out of their mess. 'Those Elements must be ancient by now… If they do excist, they have to be kept someplace that hasn’t seen daylight for a looooooong time. But where could that be?'

Celestia hears what her friend says, and makes a small connection in her mind. She conjures a revelation that makes her eyes widen from sudden realization. How could she not have thought of it before? The Elements were right under their noses this entire time.

'Spite, I-I know where the Elements of Harmony are!' she tells the puzzled dragon and stretches her wings, ready to carry the dragon away with her. 'Quick! We have to go back to the castle!'

***

A bright flash is seen once again, filling the entire library of the alicorn castle with a white light. Twilight leaves it as the first one again, followed by Trixie, who continues to enjoy the torment that Twilight has to see.

'This... This is the castle!' Twilight speaks out when she notices it. 'Why are we here?'

Trixie sighs and rolls with her eyes, growing tired of having to explain everything. 'Didn't you listen, Sparkle? Celestia had a realization of the Elements' location! She believes that they can be found inside the castle!' she tells the purple mare. 'They entered through the same hidden passage that they also used to escape two days ago, unbeknownst to the two alicorns that remain here, even after they've lost contact with the windigos...'

But Twilight has already stopped listening, moving through the maze of bookcases to find the passage to the Hall of Friendship, which is the most obvious place Celestia must've gone to. It's the most ancient part they can think of, adding to the fact that it's a VAULT. When she has found the passage, with the broken bookcase next to the entrance, she hurries inside towards the noises that come from the chamber.

'So... what are we looking for again?' Spite asks as he crawls through the ashes that were part of the literature.

'I dunno,' Celestia tells him without much hope. 'But it HAS to be around here! We're looking for an artifact of Friendship! An ancient weapon of some sort than can banish the wicked! This HAS to be the vault where they are hidden!'

Spite shrugs and dives back into the ashes, searching for any clue or sign. 'What about that book you have left?' he asks when he pops his head out of the trash again.

'No.... Nothing...,' she sighs defeated and drops her flank on a rock that was once part of the pedestal, which Ignis broke in his rage. 'What if I was wrong? What if the Elements of Harmony are far away from here, someplace we'll never go?'

'Eh... is that despair I hear, Celestia?' Spite looks says and looks up from the ashes at the beaten mare.

Just as he he was afraid of, Celestia sinks into a depression. Getting the crawling feeling that their journey may end here, without being able to help Luna after all, is nervebreaking. They fought and still may have lost everything.

'Wait wait wait, dear. Don't get all moody now. Don't forget that we do this for not just us, but for everypony in this land! We can't just give up because things look a little bad!' Spite tries to cheer her up and throws an arm over her neck. 'Do you remember all the fun we had together so far? Messing around, much to Ignis' temper?'

'-Hehe-, yea. That was fun.' she chuckles.

'See? We had FUN! That's already a big thing that should keep you going! If we ever want to play a game of tag with Luna again, we have to keep searching!'

Unbeknownst to the dragon and mare, a crystal begins to glow near the ceiling, originating from a light-blue crystal that decorates the large orb on a pillar of the chamber.

'But... What is it all for? I trusted Lady Fame with all my heart... But she simply betrayed me!' Celestia sighs.

'I know you have trouble to to believe in somebody else now, considering how important we all know Lady Fame was to you...,' he sighs along, unable to say that it's not a big deal. 'But let me tell you, with absolutely honesty: You can ALWAYS count on me.'

Celestia looks up at the dragon next to her, who looks into hers. 'D-Do you mean that, Spite? Honestly?' she asks, afraid to be dissapointed again if she simply assumses.

'Honestly!' Spite promises with a nod.

A second gem begins to glow, green as grass. Still nopony realizes the lights that begin to glow above them. The gems react to the emotions that flow throughout the chamber, coming from the dragon and the mare that stand together in the ashes. Even when the day seems grim, they continue to stay together because of the bond that links between them.

It makes Celestia feel much better, growing back into her confident self like before. She stands back up from the rock and continues to look at the dragon. 'You know what, Spite? You're right! I know I can trust you always!' she agrees with joy.

'Hah! Now you get it!' Spite laughs and jumps in front of her, holding her shoulders. Kneeling at eye-level, the dragon wants to keep Celestia in this boost of optimism. 'Though I may betray Fame and Ignis myself..., I would NEVER ditch the bond we have between us! No matter what happens!'

'I know, Spite,' Celestia agrees. 'I don't call it betrayal. They never trusted you, right? I find it mighty generous of you cast your safety aside and move to my side, even though we're horribly outnumbered!'

Like a painting of different colors, two other gems begin to glow on their orbs, mixing together in half a rainbow on the ceiling.

'That's what friends do, right? You tell me, honestly... Because I never studied it!' he jokes.

Celestia continues to look into the lizard's eyes, who simply glow with confidence at her. 'Spite..., this whole time you've been so kindhearted to me... Why did you do it?' the white mare needs to ask again.

Without warning, Spite suddenly clamps himself around Celestia's neck, giving a firm hug. Celestia looks baffled at the dragon, never having experienced Spite this emotional this before. 'Its only natural that I return the favor, Celestia... You never saw me as low-life scum... but an equal instead,' he whispers in her ear. 'If someone deserves my kindness, it's you, Celestia.'

The fifth gem begins to glow purple, adding to the lightshow. The flickering gems begin to shine in a glimpse of Spite's and Celestia's eyes, causing them to look up to the ceiling in surprise.

'Wh-What is that?' Spite asks, astonished by the lights.

'I-I dunno,' Celestia mutters. 'It's almost like it's... Magic.'

The sixth gem starts to glow along with the others. Uniting, the lights burst out in a flare of bright white light that fills the entire room. Celestia and Spite cover their eyes in reaction, but realize that the light doesn't hurt their eyes. They are still able to look into the light, as bright as the sun, and see how the six orbs are hovering down to the ground.

Twilight can't believe her eyes. She looks astonished at the turnout, as if it's a fairy tale with a happy ending. She recognizes the orbs all too well, being the orbs that she found in her confrontation against Night Mare Moon. No doubt in her mind: These are the Elements of Harmony in their raw form.

'This... Is this it? Are THESE the Elements of Harmony?' Spite whispers.

'This feeling...,' Celestia whispers too, feeling the warmth from the light coursing through her body. 'It feels like the joy I feel when I am with... you!'

Spite looks back at the white mare, who nearly cries tears of joy, and chuckles. 'We actually did it, Celestia... We did it together,' he whispers and hugs her again. 'I think it's high time we picked your sister up from school, don't you agree?'

***

'Don't hold back, Fame!' the red stallion shouts at the intimidated blue mare next to him, who continues to channel a spell in the little crib.

'Y-Yes...,' Lady Fame sighs, conjuring a spell alongside Lord Ignis.

The two alicorn masters stand in the Throne Room, next to the little bed of Princess Luna. Due to the sudden change in the wind, the acknowledged defeat of the windigos and the melting of the nevermelting ice, Ignis and Fame are forces to push their schedual, enhancing the little foal directly with their own corrupt power.

'-Kgh- Why can't this little foal be quiet for a moment?' Ignis grunts, growing tired of Luna's endless crying.

'She misses her sister...,' the blue mare mumbles to him. 'Celestia has been gone for two days now...'

Completely against their expectations, the giant doors of the Throne Room slam open, nearly crashing out of their frame. A white mare and a slender dragon walk inside, with six large orbs rolling after them. The student has returned, more determined than ever.

'Stay away from my sister!' they suddenly hear echoing through the hall.

The mare and stallion look surprised at the door, noticing a glaring Celestia and a smirking Spite. Lady Fame is the most surprised pony, nearly unable to believe that her student has returned after two whole days.

'C-Celestia! Where have you been?' she asks, though she doesn't halt her spell on Luna yet. 'Don’t tell me that it was YOU who aided the ponies in defeating my Windigo’s!'

Celestia says nothing in return, only giving a glare at her former mentors. Spite, on the other hand, chuckles. 'It wasn't just her, Fame. It was US!'

Ignis finaly turns his gaze into Celestia's confident eyes. 'Quite amazing, Celestia... you've managed to anger me to my very limits,' Ignis says, remarkably calm.

'Ignis…,' Fame gasps, having no idea what Ignis is capable of doing now.

The armored stallion walks away from the little foal and stands before Celestia, blocking the view on Lady Fame. 'Now... Why have you returned to your doom?' he asks.

'I've come for my sister! What are you doing with her?!' she shouts, completely unintimidated by the beast.

Ignis looks back at the crib where Luna sleeps in. 'We give her power…Power to rule this land when she has grown up. Give us a few more minutes and she will be able to become the strongest mare that has ever ruled. A mare that will surpass you in any way!' he explains in a glorious way, as if he's a god that made a weapon out of a pony.

'Forget it! I will not stand by and watch you two corrupt Luna!' Celestia shouts back, and turns her head to the dark-blue mare that looks surprised at her. 'Fame, how could you? I trusted you. How can you be as black-hearted as Ignis to come up with a plan like this? How could you even think of using my sister?'

'You… You overheard us?' she gasps, caught surprised again. She had the best intentions for Celestia, though she was to cowardly to fully force against Ignis' plans. 'Celestia...I-I only wanted...'

'You wanted me to learn about friendship… You helped me in my times of need… But I can’t let you get away with this!' Celestia sighs, deeply hurt by her most precious mentor.

With a loud slam Celestia throws the six orbs on the ground around her and Spite.

Ignis and Fame look a little confused at the orbs, having no idea what it is. 'Would you care to explain what the meaning of all this is?' Ignis grunts unimpressed.

'This is called Coup D'état, Iggy,' Spite chuckles.

'I did what should've been done ages ago, Fame... I brought Friendship to Equestria,' Celestia calmly tells to the blue mare behind Ignis.

'E-Equestria?' she repeats, never having heard that name for the land before.

'That's the name Spite and I came up with,' the white alicorn confirms and nods. 'The ponies below, the ponies you two deemed weak and intolerant, listened to us and came to realization... THIS is what defeated your hatred-feasting minions...'

Fame holds her breath, while Ignis begins to growl with burning rage within him. They share one common emotion: They're scared.

'This is where it ends, "masters," Spite tells them and points a finger at them. 'You and your little list of laws and rules is hereby overthrown.'

'So... you actually went and did it...,' Ignis hisses, growing out of his calm act.

The common frown returns around his eyes and his teeth are seen, clamping on each other out of unbridled rage that spooks through the stallion's mind. Ignis has reached a level of fury never seen before, which doesn't even seem to have effect on the confident mare and dragon.

'YOU IGNORANT LITTLE WRETCH! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!' Ignis roars through the chamber and starts to storm towards them.

Lady Fame looks in horror at the outburst, afraid of what he'll do to Celestia. But even then, when her worries for her student are this great, Fame doesn't have the courage to step in and stop the stallion. And yet, Celestia simply looks unimpressed at the raging beast, waiting for him to come close.

But just as he's about to come within a two meter radius around the six glowing orbs, he's is suddenly struck back. Like walking into a mountain, with an amazing force, the powerful stallion crashes into the wall in the back of the chamber. Everypony is silenced over the overpowering on Ignis, with the exception of Princess Luna, who continues to cry for her sister.

He slowly stands back up, confused over what just happened to him. The orbs continue to glow brightly, while Celestia and Spite smile down at the beaten alicorn. 'N-NO! THIS CANNOT BE! WH-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!' he gasps, growing truly anxious. He recognizes the feeling that hit him: the power of Friendship.

'WE have began a new order, Ignis. One that replaces your foul dictatorship!' the dragon shouts and throws an arm around Celestia.

'You two always thought of her becoming the new ruler of Equestria?' Spite chuckles and looks down at his friend, who remains controlled and calm. 'You're wish has been granted. She's going to take care your home much better than you two dimwits ever could.'

With alot of effort, the stallion pulls himself back up. Taking a few breaths, like he's been galloping for the last couple of days, Ignis looks exhausted back up at the overpowering couple. Unable to accept defeat, Ignis drags himself forward, passing Fame and the crib again. Lady Fame can't believe her eyes. Lord Ignis has actually bitten the dust.

'We took you in like a daughter… We gave you an opportunity for greatness… We tutored you… AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US?!' Ignis roars through the hall while he continues to slowly move back in front of the two youngsters.

Celestia not even a little intimidated by Ignis, even though he's never been this furious to her before. She can feel a claw pat her on mane. The princess knows that it's from her dragon friend, who will remain at her side at all time. Spite will help her through any hardship she has to go through.

'Let’s end this madness, Celestia,' Spite whispers.

It makes her much more at comfort to know that she doesn’t have to do this alone. With a friend like Spite, she doesn’t have to worry about any obstacle that comes her way! The orbs suddenly start to glow brighter, enlightening the entire room.

Celestia and Spite look in amazement at how the orbs start to hover through the room, brimming with more and more magical power every second. The artifacts begin to circle around the two friends, speedingup with more strength and light. Even Ignis and Fame gasp nervous when they look at how the stones become more powerful to a point that exceeds their powers combined.

'C-Celestia, I demand that you stop this instant!' Ignis tries to command her.

But Celestia doesn’t even pay attention to him anymore. She only looks at her best friend and recalls the adventure they’ve been through to come this far. From the day they met till this day, she's grateful for every moment they shared together.

'Amigos forever, Celestia?' Spite asks her.

'Friends for eternity, Spite,' she nods happy.

The Elements of Harmony suddenly halt in mid-air and blast off into six corners of the Throne Room and radiate an immense flow of magic that paralyzes Ignis and Fame. Fame looks up above the crib of Luna, where a raging torrent is generated in the center of the chamber, drawing in anything that is opposing harmony. Luna looks at the colors of the whirlwind and laughs.

'Celestia, wait!' are the only words that Lady Fame manages to yell before she gets sucked into the multicolored whirlwind.

Ignis tries to chain loose with all of his might, but it proofs fruitless. The current tries to draw him to the center of the magic, forcing him to hold on to the ground until he runs out of energy. He gives one final glance up to Celestia, who now stands one hoofstep in front of him. She mocks him by standing this close to him, showing that he can't even harm her now that she's standing so close to him.

'Celestia… This isn´t over… This isn´t over by a long shot! I will return! And when I do, I will punish you for this treason tenfold! Your sister has already been affected enough by my and Fame’s power: Affected enough for me to make her my hammer of retribution! The first time that she will feel TRUE hatred, I will be there to feed it and make her into your personal nightmare! You hear me? YOUR NIGHTMARE! Mark my words: This-isn’t-over-yet!' Ignis spews out in fury, right before he loses his grip and is sucked into the current, leaving his final message burned into Celestia’s memory.

A great explosion is followed that blows the windows out of their housing and cracks the floor. When the light lifts, Celestia and Spite can see that the two master are gone. The voices of Fame and Ignis echo in the wind, next to the loud bumps that are heared when the Elements of Harmony fall back on the floor. But other than that, the only sound that is heard is the laughter from Princess Luna. Equestria is finally safe.  

Celestia and Spite look in amazement at the spot where Ignis and Fame stood, nearly unable to believe that it all actually worked. When the smoke has been lifted by the warm breeze that comes through the broken windows, they notice 2 crystals of the size of a hoof: A Crimson-red one and a sapphire-blue. Ignis and Fame are no longer a threat, being crystallized into mere gems.

'We…We did it…,' Celestia gasps. 'WE DID IT!'

Cheerfully she jumps around Spite, who is also relieved that it’s finally over. Spite looks dazzled out of his eyes, hardly able to believe he's free from their tyranny.

'We did it… we did it indeed…,' he sighs happy and hugs the white mare back, while he can't stop staring at the gems that were once his cruel masters.

'It's over...,' Twilight sighs with a rapidly beating heart in her chest. She can't calm down. The joy of her mentor's victory is a sight to be cherished forever in her memory.

Celestia looks again at the crystals that glow from power. It definitely holds the two alicorns imprisoned, though not sure for how long. 'Now what should we do with them?' she asks.

Spite lets go of the mare and walks with her towards them over to the gems while thinking about it. Celestia heads to her younger sister and feels relieved to see that the purple foal is still as happy as she remembers. Despite Ignis' threats of corruption, Celestia is happy to be reunited with her usual sister again and picks her up from her crib.

Spite heads over to the gems and bends through his knees, listening to the humming sound that comes from the gems.

'I think we should bury them someplace. Put them where nopony will ever find them,' he thinks up. He reaches out to pick up the two crystals. 'Who knows, maybe we can-' he stops speaking as he touches the gems.

Celestia looks upwhen Spite suddenly stops talking. 'We can… what?'  she asks.

'GRAAAAAAAGH!' Spite suddenly screams out in agony, feeling a tremendous power surge through his entire body.

Unable to let go of the gems, Spite is forced to go through an entire torture. The alicorns have become more than mere gems. They are now powerful artifacts like the ones that crystallized them. The energy of the crystals start to cover his entire body, energizing it by an extreme amount.

'Spite!' Celestia shouts scared, forced to watch how her dragon friend is screaming it out like his soul is being torn out. The red and blue lights that fill the air circle around the lizard, refraining Celestia from coming close to him.

'Help me! They…They…They…-' he can’t finish his sentence. Spite is going through an alternation that couldn’t even be dreamt in the most darkest nightmare. His grey horns start to shape into a deer’s antler and goat’s horn, his claws start to turn into a lion’s paw and an avian claw, and his slender legs change into that of a lizard and a goat. And as final: his face starts to shape less like that of a dragon, but more like a pony, with only his sharp tooth, eyebrows, and goatie remaining of his original self. Two wings sprout from his back as final change: a Pegasus wing and a bat wing. Spite has turned into a horrible monster.

When he finaly manages to let go of the crystals, with smoke coming from his former claws, the damage has already been done. While the echoes of the screams and channeling are fading off, Spite looks dazed around the room, unable to apprehend what just happened to him. Celestia looks frightened at what could've possible happened, afraid for her friend who continues to keep his back turned to her.

'Spite? I-Is that you?' Celestia stutters, with Luna still in her hooves.

He doesn’t respond at all. Spite slowly looks at his horribly misfigured bodyparts, while giving no reaction of any kind. His eyes move over his arms, his body, his legs, and flaps with his wings a few tims.

'This is…,' he mumbles softly.

Celestia remains quiet when Spite suddenly starts talking. He slowly raises his arms into the air and starts to cheer happily.

'THIS IS JUST GREAT!' he laughs. 'Haleluha! Hahaha!'

Completely confused about this reaction, Celestia simply remains idle and looks at how her friend is suddenly so cheerful. 'Wh-What?!' she gasps.

The dragon turns around to his friends. 'Dear Celestia, you can only imagine what kind of rush I felt when I touched those crystals! I admit: It felt like I was under shock treatment... But still the outcome is amazing! Just look at me!' he says and continues laughing.

Celestia does take a look at him, but she’s nearly disgusted at the repulsive figure of him. Who could’ve expected something like this could possibly happen from merely touching the gems of Ignis and Fame?

'Ah, don’t judge the book by the cover, dearest,' he points out to her, realizing what Celestia thinks of his appearance. 'It’s the inside that counts! And in this case: I’m on fire, baby!'

He points his finger towards walls and concentrates deeply. In a magical flash, a brick has turned into what looks like a chocolate cake.

'And this is just basics! I had no magic at all at my disposal. But I only had to get a little touch on those two alicorn’s crystals, and badaboom: almighty dragon!' he proudly chuckles while he keeps zapping several bricks with his fingers in a revolver motion. 'I can do so much now! I can do… so much,' Spite sighs exhausted.

When he stops shooting bricks into chocolate, he turns his head back to the astonished Celestia, who is still horrified by his change.

'Celestia, don’t you understand? I have no rules to abide to anymore, forever! It is I who can make and bend the rules to my liking! We don’t have to answer to anyone!' he shares with her. He is clearly unaware that his plans are completely against what they were fighting for this whole time.

'My order-….no! My DISorder! For long enough this place was dominated by those two freaks. And now I shall liberate the ponies by placing them under my own rule! The complete opposite of Ignis’ and Fame’s law-bound dictatorship! They made reality such a bore, and I will be the one to set that thing right,' he laughs openly which echoes through the hallways, getting too caught up in his newfound powers.

'Look at what I can do!' he asks her attention while he conjures a heap of dirt from the chocolate cakes he made from the stone bricks. 'My powers have no limits! I can bend all of reality to my will! Birds swim, grass flies, rocks grow, and I drink wood as a cold drink for a hot winter morning!'

He points his fingers towards the dirt again, circulating it around the ceiling of the chamber like a tornado. Then he picks up the crimson gem again and stares deep into the flames that burn inside of it.

'Ah Ignis, Ignis, Ignis… You cannot fathom how long I have waited to be able to do "this,” he whispers to the crystal and drops it on the floor again. 'Now pay close attention…,' he says right before he snaps his fingers.

In a second, the dirt gathers around the red burning crystal that contains Ignis. When the dirt closes in to a pile, it has become a stone-hard crimson-red boulder that exhausts a red smoke.

'FORE!' Spite yells out as he pulls a hair from his mane, which turns into a golfclub when he readies it to swing it. With a loud slam he fires the rock miles away at the speed of sound, crushing it through the atmosphere into space.

'Heh, he’ll need atleast a century or two to come back and pay us a visit.;  he chuckles while he has his hands shaped like binoculars and looks through them. 'Now then: golfball #2!'

He draws more dirt out of the glass that lies splintered on the floor, and once again uses it to wrap the dirt like a boulder around the sapphire-blue crystal.

'FORE!' he yells out again. Celestia can only look amazed out of eyes at what in pony’s name is going on here. Spite has suddenly become something of a sadist, being too caught up in power. The dragon tries to slam the rock again, but unexpected to anyone in the room: his golfclub explodes in his face.

'-Cough!- O…..k? I suppose I do need a little more practice before I go change the world,;  he coughs, a little surprised over his lack of control over his abilities.

He looks through the window at the blue sparkle that soars through the sky. The explosion was strong enough to blow the crystal out of the chamber, towards the mountains in the distance.

'…In any case: We should get ready for when we take our righteous places as rules of Equestria, right Celestia?' the dragon asks her and hovers to Celestia, who steps back anxiously. Luna starts to cry again, feeling uncomfortable in the dragon's presence now.

'Spite! That’s enough!' Celestia shouts.

Spite looks surprised up. This kind of reaction comes completely unexpected to the draconic being. 'Wh-What are you talking about, Celestia? Isn’t this what we wanted: A kingdom of freedom? A kingdom that is opposed to that of your tutors?' he asks her.

Celestia shakes her head angrily. Her best friend has suddenly turned into a crook, just like Ignis and Fame. 'No, this is not what we want! We want a kingdom where ponies are free from the destiny that was forced by Ignis and Fame! Not to just change their fates and STILL force it down their throats! Get back to your senses, Spite!' she begs him.

Spite seems to have lost interest in their conversation, considering he’s very "busy" with picking his ear. 'I’m sorry, Celestia… you lost my attention at the word ‘kingdom’. But that’s another thing: My name. I’m sick and tired of hearing that name over and over again. It’s nothing more than a title of slavery, bound to the hooves of two stuck-up alicorns!' he points out irritated. 'My name should be way more… respectful…, powerful…, and above all else: a title that backs-up my endeavors to crush the rules and commands everyone must obey and follow each day!'

'Hm...,' he grunts as he ponders deeply. '-Hehe- Spite is a name of the past! From this day: Call me DISCORD!'

The clouds in the air start to rumble, striking lightning down to the land as far as the eye can see. It is an omen to the terrible future that awaits. And at the top stands one entity: Discord.

Celestia doesn’t wish to lose another second by remaining here. To her great disappointment; Spite is now an even more terrible force than the previous one. While the dragon stays caught up in his moment, she tries to make a run for the doors. But when she opens it, she is greeted by the same dragon that stood behind her just a moment ago.

'Oh, and Celestia? Don’t forget your marbles too. I know I won’t need them soon,' he chuckles cocky as moves past her back into the room. With another snap of his fingers he launches the Elements through the hallway, missing Celestia by an inch.

Celestia doesn’t pause for a minute and keeps on running. Running and running and running until she finally reaches the exit of the castle. She looks around the hallways and sees how the shapes all change into different forms and colors, because of Spite's vast power. His laughter can still be heared, haunting Celestia as she runs on and on. When the final doors of the castle is reached, stretches her wings and takes off quickly before Spite would even get a moment to change his mind and keep her in the castle.

'Ah, yes… I finally made it big-time…,' the dragons sighs satisfied while he lays back in the throne that once belonged to Ignis. 'Run all you want, Celestia. Since you are still my best friend, I won’t hate you for not chosing to take my side. Do whatever you like, and I will do the same then,' he mumbles to himself while he looks at the empty seat that belongs to Celestia.

Celestia is flying past the mountains and leaves the castle far behind. When she has traveled several miles, she dares to look behind her. With a heavy breaths and wide eyes she looks at the castle that has turned been altered completely, defying laws of gravity. 'What have I done… I made things only worse now! Now both Ignis and Fame are gone, but my best friend is now turned into a monster and all the ponies will still be dominated when he decides to take over Equestria!' she sniffs afraid, saddened over the loss of another friend.

'Mhm…,' Luna sighs asleep on Celestia’s back, having fallen asleep during her escape.

Celestia looks at her little sister; still at peace even after the tragedies. She will grow up in a way she deserves: by her big sister. And when she does, she will have a chance to live in a world where chaos is not at order or disorder.

She thinks back at the moments she shared with Spite when he still was the harmless friend she adores. She will also bring harmony to Equestria for him: A victim to corruption. But without a friend at her side, how can she possibly hope to use the Elements?

'I will set this right…,' Celestia whispers. 'It’s what a friend would do.'