Archmage - Chapter 16 “Deliberation and Duty”

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When Twilight awoke later that evening, it was to a splitting headache. She groaned inwardly, rolling out of bed and staring blearily into the mirror. There were bags under her eyes, and her mane was a mess. What’s more, each nuance of light in her dimly-lit quarters seemed like a lance piercing straight into her brain. As she raised a hoof to run through her frazzled mane, she realized why.

The first gentle touch to her horn made her wince and nearly cry out in pain. She had used so much magic learning about the shields yesterday that she was sore. Her horn throbbed in time with her heartbeat, and the slightest touch sent pain throughout her whole body. “Well, shoot...” She grunted into the mirror, using her hooves to clumsily maneuver her brush. “No magic for me today.” Sore horns were a common occurrence amongst unicorns, particularly the studious ones. Twilight hadn’t suffered from one for a long time, and had hoped she was strong enough to overcome any expenditure of magic. However, the vicious and unrelenting headache was evidence to the contrary. She was still just a unicorn, and was subject to the same aches and pains that any of them were.

She somehow managed to wrangle her mane into some semblance of order before making her way out of her quarters. It had been too long since she had assisted with the raising and lowering of the moon and sun, so pain or not, she had to help the princesses. Grumbling to herself, Twilight cursed her luck at developing soreness on the night she was likely needed most. She was surprised, then, when two ponies other than the princesses were already waiting on the observatory balcony.

“Oh. Night Dancer. Hello.” Twilight managed a smile at Harbinger’s replacement. Night Dancer was a very slender unicorn, standing maybe an inch taller than Twilight, but much more lean than her. Her coat was a pale milky white, and her mane a brilliant, fiery red. She sported a tight braid this evening, and even her short tail was tied tight. Twilight glanced down at her cutie mark, remembering what it was Night Dancer’s special talent was. Her cutie mark was a crescent moon wrapped with red ribbon, and mirrored her talent well.

She was a ballerina, for lack of a better word. Twilight had seen one of her performances in the past. She excelled at summoning very complex and intricate patterns of ribbons, her magic making the whole apparatus dance and swirl around her as she herself executed some complex choreography. Twilight hadn’t known that Night Dancer was Luna’s student at the time, but she had been mystified by her skill and technique nevertheless. It was an entrancing dance, one that still struck Twilight to this day. Before the interview, she had had no clue that the ballerina was actually an incredibly skilled purveyor of shadow magic.

Dancer or not, she was very competent and could cover Harbinger’s position well. Twilight was happy that she had picked this pony. The other guest, though, was a stranger to Twilight. She cocked her head and smiled warmly at the other unicorn. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve been introduced…?”

“My name is Warden, Archmage.” He said curtly, bowing his head low. “Princess Celestia has picked me to fill Golden Crest’s vacant position in his absence.”

“Oh. I see.” Twilight took a moment to look over him. He was roughly the same size and build as Shining Armor, though his coat was a dark blue, and his mane a steely grey. In the late-evening sun, Twilight could tell his mane shone with a brilliant sheen. In full light, he was probably a very striking visage. His mark was two swords crossed over a shield, but his demeanor seemed rather kind, as opposed to some other guard ponies Twilight had come across. “Well, I’m glad you’re here, Warden. Do you have any questions? Either of you?”

“I believe we can answer those,” Twilight spun around as Celestia and Luna emerged onto the balcony simultaneously, smiling at the small group before them. “Good evening, everypony. How are you?” Twilight managed a smile despite the throbbing headache. The sight of Luna, looking as majestic and regal as ever, still made her feel warm and happy inside. She fought the urge to rush forward for a hug, but settled for a sly wink instead. Luna smiled at that, standing beside her sister as they addressed the three ponies present.

“Warden, Night Dancer, Twilight. I’m glad you’ve all managed to make it here at the same time. I-“ Celestia paused, her expression darkening slightly as she looked at Twilight. “Are you feeling alright?” She asked. Twilight’s heart thundered in her chest as she blushed a little.

“I… May have overdone it with the shields last night. I’m just a little sore, is all.” She winced as her horn throbbed, almost as if to drive the point home. Celestia and Luna shared a quick glance before smiling at her.

“Twilight, we can’t expect you to properly shield yourself if you’re sore. It’s not a matter of pride, either. It’s your safety. No sense in hurting yourself by pushing too hard. If you’d like, Twilight… Night Dancer and Warden can cover you for the next few days.” Twilight perked up slightly, glancing over her shoulder at the confident expressions worn by the two ponies behind her.

“Would that be… Wise?” She asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

“I should think so. Luna and I can teach the two of them directly how to help with the transition from night to day. With a little help from you, perhaps, but all-in-all I think it’d be best for them to get some practice in.” Celestia smiled at Warden and Night Dancer, then over at Luna. “Go get some rest, Twilight. Luna and I will teach Warden and Night Dancer how to assist with the process. Perhaps you can do a little research, maybe get in touch with some of the committees?” Twilight flicked her tail as she thought of the possibilities before her.

“I think…” She smiled over her shoulder at Warden and Night Dancer. “That would be fantastic.”

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Twilight was surprised to discover she had quite a large influx of mail after the council meeting. Previously, she had had very few letters and memos, all of them minor and negligible, along with one persistent letter insisting that she should get a horn enlargement. Now, though. Twilight struggled to heft two full saddlebags of mail to her quarters. When she set them down just inside the door, she was fairly winded. Helping herself to a glass of orange juice, Twilight then dragged the two bags full of material to her study table and dumped them out.

“Oh thank goodness,” She breathed. “They’re time stamped.” Each letter had the date and time of delivery printed on the back near the crease of the envelope, so she could address them in order of first to last. “Got to thank the mailmares for their attention to detail…” One by one, Twilight began to go through each envelope, opening and reading every single one of them. Many of them were formal requests for her attendance to one function or another. Some of them were balls or charities that Twilight didn’t have time or patience to attend, others were important meetings, seminars, or committee meetings that needed to be addressed.

That made Twilight smile. She was very, very good with scheduling. Pulling a calendar close, Twilight began to map out committee meetings, seminars, and other important things that required her attention in detail. For schedule conflicts, she hastily drafted a return letter to the sender, explaining the reason she wouldn’t be able to attend. The whole task called for very minor telekinesis, which Twilight seemed to be able to manage with very little pain. She still took frequent breaks to rest her horn, using that time to read or take a quick walk.

She had slept through the entire day, and now her sleep schedule was off-kilter. That actually turned out to help her, since the castle was quiet as a whisper and nearly abandoned. She walked moonlit corridors and padded through expansive gardens, enjoying the quiet sights and sounds. It was on one particular trip outside of the castle proper that Twilight noticed somepony else…

“Is that… No way. Dash!” Twilight waved a hoof at the inky black spot darkening the stars above. As she watched, the spot shifted and dove low, gaining definition against the backdrop of the nearby mountain. Through the night, the cyan mare flapped her wings and stopped short of Twilight, grinning from ear to ear.

“I knew pulling night watch was gonna help me tonight.” She and Twilight hugged one another then, smiling brightly. Twilight realized then that she had spent next to no time with her friends since coming to Canterlot. How many weeks had it been since the funeral? She hadn’t even written any of them a letter.

“I missed you guys,” Twilight admitted with a blush. “I’m so sorry I’ve been busy…”

“Hey, it’s no big deal.” Dash shrugged. “I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t missing you, but I understand that you’re busy.” She flared her wings, grinning at Twilight. “You’re the Archmage. Not like I can expect you over for tea every Friday night.” Twilight smiled softly, feeling her dark mood lighten at that.

“And do the others share your sentiment?” She asked gently, nodding towards a nearby bench. She and Dash trotted over, setting easily on the cool stone as Dash smiled at her.

“I talked to Pinkie just the other day. She’s busy herself. Sugarcube Corner is doing really good in Canterlot. Rarity’s busy, as well. She had me model for a fashion show last week.” Dash blanched at the memory, cringing as she shook her head. “I don’t like modeling.”

“I bet you looked wonderful.” Twilight smiled at her.

“I look wonderful as I am!” She huffed, flapping her wings a few times. “That dress had too many frills. Those things are not aerodynamic.” Twilight chuckled as she bumped Dash’s side with her elbow. Dash bumped back, but in doing so her wing brushed Twilight’s horn.

“Ow,” Twilight hissed a breath between her teeth, making Dash look at her with worry.

“Your horn?” She asked.

“Yeah… I’m picking up my duties one-by-one, but the council forced me to pick up one really big one in just three days. Last night, I went down into the caverns beneath Canterlot to learn about the shields… I guess I just went a touch overboard.” She rubbed her forehead, close to the base of her horn, groaning as the pain slowly faded away.

“Huh… But, you’re doing alright, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight smiled bravely, her eye twitching as another twinge of pain shot through her. “I’m taking it easy for the next few days, then I’ll be back on track.”

“That’s good. We all need a break sometimes. Oh! Hey, that reminds me!” She jumped up, spinning a circle happily before landing in front of Twilight. “AJ and Fluttershy are visiting again soon! You should try to hook up with us if you can!” Twilight blinked, thinking back to her unfinished schedule. She could fit the time in for her friends, couldn’t she? Yes, of course she could. Friendship was a legitimate branch of magic, and she couldn’t neglect it any more than the others. She smiled confidently at Dash.

“Count me in.”

“Yyess!” Dash jumped into the air with glee, spinning a barrel roll before swooping in to hug Twilight affectionately. “I’ll tell the others right away!”

“Woah, woah, wait a minute.” Twilight chuckled and disentangled herself from Dash. “When it is?”

“Hmm? Oh, the fifteenth. That Saturday night, we’re all meeting at Rarity’s boutique.” Dash fidgeted slightly, glancing around them. “Say, I gotta fly… I do have a patrol to finish. Will I see you around?” Twilight frowned again, heaving a soft sigh.

“I doubt it, Dash… I’m going to be really busy these next few weeks. But I promise,” She smiled up at her pegasus friend confidently. “I’ll be there the fifteenth. And I’ll try to write more letters.”

“Great!” Dash rushed forward for another hug, smiling as Twilight returned it passionately. “We’re missing you, Twilight. Keep up the good work.”

“You too, Dash.” Twilight smiled as she watched the cyan pegasus jet off into the sky. “You too…”

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Luckily enough, the fifteenth was a fairly open day. Twilight had a meeting with the weather team that morning, but it was supposed to be wrapped up shortly after lunch. She penned in the time for Rarity and the others, underlining and highlighting the event. Compared to all of the other things she had scheduled, that was by far the one she looked forward to the most. As the sun began to peek up over the horizon, Twilight shoved her half-finished calendar away and made for the observatory balcony. Luna was waiting for the small group, giving them just a few minutes together.

“Twilight,” She smiled as Twilight made her way towards the edge. “Have you been awake all night?”

“Yeah,” Twilight admitted with a soft blush. “I got my schedule turned around a little… But I just focused on replying to all the committee requests and stuff… There sure were a lot of them.”

“That’s good,” Luna smiled and stole a quick kiss, the kind that made Twilight’s knees weak. She blushed furiously, suddenly remembering that it had been quite some time since she had relieved some stress. She guiltily snuck in for another passionate kiss, moaning a little into Luna’s lips. “Somepony is awfully eager,” Luna teased. “You should have told me you’d be up this evening. I might have come by for some extra-curricular activities.” Twilight groaned and nuzzled into Luna’s neck, inhaling the clear scent of her coat.

“That wouldn’t have happened, I’m afraid…” Twilight muttered softly.

“Aah. Right. Sore.” Luna smiled and ran a hoof through Twilight’s mane.

“And… You know. That time.”

“Oh. Oohh! Really?” Twilight nodded to affirm, burying her face deeper into Luna’s mane. Thankfully, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in to kiss Twilight’s temple softly. “Still. I could have at least stolen a few more kisses.”

“Oh, bug off.” Twilight laughed and pushed Luna away playfully. Just in time, since Night Dancer pushed through the balcony door a moment later.

“Having fun, you two?” She teased.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Luna’s stoic expression flashed onto her face in an instant, making both mares frown a little. She was really good at killing a mood.

“Archmage. It’s good to see you again,” She offered a soft smile to Twilight, bowing her head.

“Please. You can call me Twilight. You and Warden.” Twilight smiled warmly at Night Dancer before continuing. “How are you adjusting to the position?”

“It’s… Different.” Night Dancer said quietly. “I’m used to using my magic on the move. Twirling, spinning, being flexible and fluid… Standing here to withstand an onslaught of energy is difficult for me. Well, not terribly difficult. Just… Different.” She shrugged, clearly at a loss for words.

“Do you think you’ll be able to continue doing it?” Twilight asked gently.

“Oh, I’ll be able to just fine.” Dancer smiled confidently at her, nodding her head quick enough to make her braid flip over her head. “Warden friggin’ loves it, though.” She rolled her eyes. “I swear, that pony wouldn’t break under the weight of a mountain.”

“While I thank you for the compliment,” Dancer gasped and spun around as Warden slipped quietly through the door. “I don’t think anypony could withstand that much.” His eyes flashed as he glanced at Twilight. “Aside from maybe the Archmage here. Rumor has it you’re the one that caused that,” He pointed over the edge and off to the South, towards the mountain that still bore the scars of Twilight’s training.

“Oh. Yeah.” Twilight frowned at the dark scars visible even in the dark against the pale purple slope of the mountainside. “I should probably fix that…” Silence. Twilight blinked and looked around. All three ponies were looking at her incredulously. “What?”

“F… Fix a mountain?!” Dancer sputtered. “Th… That’s impossible!” Twilight chuckled and looked back at the wounded mountain with a grin on her lips.

“The Archmage is known for making the impossible possible.”

“Using my words, I see.” Twilight, Warden, and Night Dancer all spun at the sound of Celestia’s voice, bowing with warm smiles on their faces. “Oh please,” Celestia scoffed. “No need for pleasantries amongst us. I’d go crazy if I had to be formal all the time. How are you feeling, Twilight?”

“A little sore still,” Twilight massaged the base of her horn gently. “But better, now that I’ve had a little rest… Thank you, Celestia.”

“Good. We wanted your input on something, if that’s alright with you?” Twilight blinked at Celestia before glancing at the other ponies.

“Of course. What can I help with?”

“Dancer had a question about the azimuth angle of the southern constellation.”

“Oh! That’s right! Eer, I can’t really point it out now, though…” She frowned over the edge of the balcony, her gaze fixed on the southern horizon.

“I can stick around for the process…” Twilight said gently. “As long as I can sit inside one of your shields.” All five of them considered the options for a few moments, looking between one another.

“I can handle it.” Warden said confidently. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Great! Let’s begin, shall we?” Luna swept a hoof out as they all took place, Twilight standing close to Warden. It felt like the first time in forever since Twilight had sat in on one of these, though it had really only been two days. Shadow magic didn’t come directly from her horn, so she managed to shield herself adequately against Luna’s energy, while Warden shielded all three of them against Celestia’s. Twilight answered Dancer’s question in the middle, and with a little help from all three of them, the sun rose into the sky and the moon sunk below the horizon over the course of just two minutes.

“That’s our fastest yet!” Dancer spun a happy circle, her smile infectious as she threw her hooves around Twilight. “Thank you so much!”

“Hey, I should be the one thanking you two,” Twilight chuckled and returned the hug affectionately, blinking unevenly in the bright sunlight. Had she always been so sensitive to the daylight? Her horn seemed to throb worse now that it was daytime, and she tried hard not to close her eyes.

“Twilight?” Warden said cautiously. “You look awfully tired…”

“Hmm? Yeah, I guess I am…” Twilight fought to suppress a yawn, but ultimately failed. Blushing sheepishly at the other ponies, Twilight rose to her hooves. “I guess I’m going to turn in…”

“I am as well,” Luna said softly. “I have something to discuss with you first, Twilight. Might I follow you back?”

“O-of course.” Twilight barely managed to keep that blush under wraps, remembering that Night Dancer and Warden didn’t know of the relationship between them. Or at least, she thought they didn’t. If Luna’s behavior was any indication, she hadn’t told either of them.

“Well then,” Celestia nodded at all of them. “I have a meeting to attend. Have a good day, everypony. I will see you again this evening.” She took off over the edge of the balcony just as Twilight and Luna excused themselves. Twilight waited until they were well away from the observatory balcony before speaking.

“You really don’t have anything to discuss, do you?”

“Not a single thing,” Luna chuckled, kissing Twilight’s cheek softly. “But I figured… You might want just a little company.” Twilight glanced at Luna over her shoulder, smiling warmly as they rounded the corner to her quarters.

“I thought I told you I was-“

“I don’t mean in that way, Twilight.” Luna nuzzled her neck gently, ushering Twilight down the hall past her own room. She stumbled a little, but followed Luna’s lead. “I think all will be clear when we get to my own quarters.” Blushing again, Twilight followed Luna up a few more floors and into the princess’ personal chambers. She sighed at the smell of so many books around them, and the warm memory of the night the two of them had shared on the nearby bed. Much to her surprise, then, when Luna made a beeline for the bed, hopping up onto it and flopping down with a soft sigh.

“Luna…?” Twilight said hesitantly. The princess opened one eye to peek at her before beckoning with a hoof.

“Come here.”

“Luna, I thought I told you I was on my-“

“For cuddling, Twilight. Nothing else.” Luna sighed, rolling her eyes at Twilight’s blush intensified.

“Oh… Okay…” Feeling slightly uneasy, Twilight plodded across the thick carpet, uneasily slipping up onto the bed, well away from Luna.

“I won’t bite, Twilight. Come closer.” Luna beckoned her closer. Twilight scooted maybe half the distance. “Oh for the love of… Here.” Luna’s horn glowed as she effortlessly picked Twilight up, making her squeak from surprise as she was suddenly pressed against Luna’s chest.

“I… Oh.” Luna pressed her lips gingerly against Twilight’s, stealing her breath and making her muscles relax almost immediately. When her eyes closed, she felt like she never wanted to open them ever again. Luna hummed softly into the kiss, which made Twilight sigh contentedly. She relaxed almost completely, her body sagging down into the sheets with relief. Luna gently held her close, lending Twilight warmth and comfort the likes of which she hadn’t felt in a long, long time…

Twilight had never slept so soundly in her entire life.

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“Twilight,” The soft, whispered tone of her name stirred Twilight out of her rest. She reached her hooves out blindly, seeking Luna’s warm body to pull herself closer to. “Not there, silly.” A soft pair of lips pressed to her cheek from behind, making her reluctantly open her eyes. She was alone on the bed, blindly groping the air in front of her for a pony that wasn’t there. Rolling over, she saw Luna standing off to the side, smiling serenely down at her.

“How long ‘s I out?” Twilight grumbled softly, rubbing a hoof into her tired eyes.

“Nearly fourteen hours. I thought you’d sleep through the night unless I woke you.”

“’M sorry…”

“Don’t be. The sun and moon have already been cycled, and I’m afraid I have business to attend to… You’re welcome to stay here, if you’d like…” Twilight blinked a few times, her thoughts still a little muddy.

“Can I?” She asked gently, peeking up at Luna with wide eyes. Luna smiled at her, leaning in for a soft, passionate kiss.

“Of course you can. Though you may want to get some water and maybe a little food.” As if to punctuate the point, Twilight’s stomach grumbled audibly, making her blush and shrink down into the sheets.

“Maybe I should go… I have things to do…” She mumbled quietly.

“If you’d like. Though I have to say,” Luna leaned in to nuzzled Twilight’s mane carefully, her lips brushing along the edge of Twilight’s ear in the most tantalizing, torturous way possible. “I really enjoyed sleeping with you.” Twilight blinked at that. That had been the first time since they made love that Twilight had slept alongside Luna. The only difference between this time and the last was that Luna was there when she awoke. That made her happier than she could ever hope to describe. With a happy whimper, she threw her legs around Luna’s neck and hugged her tight.

“Thank you, Luna.” She whispered. “That was amazing…”

“A little counter-productive…”

“Oh, shush.” Twilight nuzzled Luna’ ear gently before pulling away. “I’ll see you later on tonight?”

“If you’re feeling well enough, Warden and Night Dancer have had enough practice. You’re welcome to resume your duty of assisting Celestia and I.”

“Thank you.” Twilight smiled, focusing her attention on her horn for a few moments. No soreness. No pain. Her headache was gone, and she felt more rested and relaxed than she had in the past two days. “I think I will.”

“Of course. Oh, and I saw your schedule when I went to pick these up for you,” Luna hovered a small bag over to Twilight. Inside, Twilight could hear several items shifting about. Upon inspecting, she saw it was her toothbrush, hairbrush, some mane care products, and some other feminine hygiene articles. “It seems like you’re going to be busy for a few weeks.”

“Why did you bring this?” Twilight asked gently, looking up at Luna.

“In case you decided to stay,” Luna shrugged. “I know I can’t go anywhere without my own toothpaste… I hate using others’.” Twilight swallowed and closed the bag.

“If… If it’s okay with you…” She blushed as she looked up at Luna. “Can I… Leave this one here?” Luna blinked at her. “For backup?”

“That…” Luna smiled before leaning in to rest her forehead to Twilight’s. “Would be amazing.”

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Twilight took the rest of that night to catch up on the backlog of requests, and finished out her schedule for the next three months. She had a healthy balance of committees, seminars, meetings, groups, studying, spending time with friends, and researching other forms of magic. If all went well, Twilight would have attended at least two of every committee within two months. Provided the council saw her fit to continue the duties of Archmage, she would be prepared to assume all of them within two short months.

A thought struck her near the end, however. She glanced at her calendar, flipping back two months to the current date. It was circled with a bold red pen. The council’s decision was that day. “Oh my…” Twilight’s heart hammered for a few moments. Had she done everything she needed to do? Was she prepared? Did she meet the requirements? Panicked, Twilight teleported halfway across the castle, appearing with a flash just outside of the barracks. Two pegasus guards had spears leveled at her sudden appearance, but relaxed upon seeing who it was.

“Archmage.” They saluted crisply. “What can we help you with?”

“Bastion.” She gasped. “Is he awake?”

“The commander is awake, Archmage.” They nodded at the doorway they were guarding. “Would you like to see him?”

“Immediately if I can.” She nodded. The guards pushed the doors open, giving her access to the closed barracks.

“First hall on your left, all the way to the end. He requested coffee just fifteen minutes ago.”

“Thank you.” Twilight trotted down the hall, pushing through the indicated door with a fluster.

“Bastion,”

“Good morning to you too, Archmage.” Bastion grunted over the rim of his cup.

“Am I ready?”

“Ready to ruin my morning? Yes. I just woke up. For pony’s sake, the sun isn’t even up yet.”

“Ready for the shields?” Bastion paused mid-sip, looking up from the paperwork he had presently been engaged in. The silence between them stretched for a few moments before he set his cup down and leaned forward across his desk.

“I thought I made it clear the morning after we were finished. You’re more than prepared to handle the shields, Twilight. I am both honored and proud to call you my Archmage.” Twilight’s hopes soared. She had done it! She had found Harbinger’s replacement, and assumed control of the shields. The council would have no reason to deny her her rightful position now.

“Thank you!” She cried out, throwing her fore legs around his broad shoulders with a laugh.

“Oof! Hey! Gerroff me!” Bastion grumbled at her, ineffectively pushing at her legs as she squeezed him tight. “It’s too early for this shit,” He grunted, finally managing to extricate himself from Twilight’s embrace. “Go. Get outta here. I got business to take care of.”

“Right,” Twilight was so elated she didn’t even feel his grumpy attitude affect her. “Have a good day!” She turned to bounce out of the door, but stopped at the threshold.

“Something the matter?” He asked, not even looking up at her. She looked back at him for a few moments, smiling at the sight of him holding a piece of important-looking paper, his brow furrowed with concentration.

“Shining Armor would be proud to call you his commander, Bastion.” That made him look up. She saw confusion and pride mingle together in his eyes as he looked at her.

“What?”

“My brother,” She turned to him fully. “You do him well. Celestia was right to pick you for his replacement.” It wasn’t customary, since Twilight wasn’t in the guard, but it felt proper. She clicked her hooves together and rose a foreleg to her brow. Bastion’s eyes went wide as he watched Twilight salute him.

“I… Thank you. Thank you, Twilight.” He blushed, clearly at a loss for words.

“Have a good day, Bastion.” Twilight grinned as she dropped the salute.

“Yeah… You too…” Without another word, Twilight left.

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The next time Twilight saw Bastion, it was when she strode through the double doors into the main court room. As with last time, it was packed from wall-to-wall with unicorns, though a few minor changes were to be noted. Warden sat where Golden Crest had previously, and Night Dancer took Harbinger’s chair. Aside from that, the situation was almost a mirror of what had happened three days prior. Twilight swallowed her anxiety and stopped in the middle of the floor. A silence fell, deafening in its oppressiveness. Bastion broke it with a clear, deep tone.

“Twilight Sparkle.” She rose her head to it’s full height, looking at the council of twenty ponies before her. “This meeting has been called with regard to your obligations, as set forth by the council three days ago. Do you have anything to share before we begin?”

“I do not.” She said curtly. Bastion nodded before continuing.

“Previously, you were given two conditions for the council to officially recognize you as Archmage. The first was that you were required to find Harbinger’s replacement. Have you fulfilled that requirement?”

“Council member Night Dancer can attest to my success. Yes.” Twilight grinned at Night Dancer, sitting just to the right of Bastion. She shot Twilight a sly wink in return.

“The second requirement was that you must assume direct responsibility for the shields protecting the crystal caverns beneath Canterlot. Have you accomplished this?”

“You yourself have relinquished duty to me. Yes.” Twilight nodded.

“Very well. Twilight Sparkle, the council recognized you as the Archmage of Canterlot. Furthermore, future claims against your title will be disregarded in light of steady progress, or satisfactory duty.” Bastion turned to the circular dias behind him, looking up at Celestia and Luna seated above them all. “Princesses, the council has concluded it’s summary of grievances against Twilight Sparkle.”

“Understood, Bastion. Twilight, have you anything to add?”

“No, your highnesses.” Twilight said firmly, smiling at Celestia.

“Very well. Without any more delay, I have another issue to bring to your attention.” Everypony in the courtroom gasped. This hadn’t been a part of the proceedings… Twilight swallowed as she waited for Celestia to continue speaking.

“I am here to affirm or dismiss the rumors that have been circulating about the former council members.” Confused whispers and low murmurs rippled through the crowd as Celestia spoke, but died down when she continued on. “Harbinger has been imprisoned for the crime of treason, destruction of knowledge, and assault. After extensive questioning and much investigation, it has been discovered that an underground clique of ponies has been secretly plotting Nightmare Moon’s return to Equestria.” Celestia stepped back, glancing at Luna. “Here to explain is Princess Luna.”

“Thank you. Let me begin by assuring you that Nightmare Moon is no more.” Luna spoke loud and clear, looking around at all the ponies gathered in the courtroom. “Twilight Sparkle and her fellow elements of harmony cleansed me of my darker side. Seven years ago, she and her friends stood up to me, using a powerful and ancient magic to dispel the curse I had put on myself, and show me the light. Since that time, I have been nothing but kind and benevolent to everypony under our joined rule.” Twilight’s eyes went wide as she heard something else enter Luna’s voice then. It was anger. And sadness…

“To anypony who wants to bring back those dark, miserable days under my nightmarish reign, I say this to you: Step forward now, and maybe I will spare you from life in prison.”

Silence. Not a single whisper or word was spoken. Every single unicorn in the room, from Twilight to the council, all the way back to the highest row of risers, not a single pony even whimpered.

“Very well.” She rose her head high, addressing them all clearly. “Any and all ponies who are discovered as practitioners of malevolent shadow magic in an attempt to restore my previous self to it’s nightmarish form will be convicted of treason and sentenced accordingly. This is non-negotiable, and all cases of treason will be addressed by Celestia and myself together. Furthermore, let me assure you of this…” Luna’s tone softened, her lips curling in a sad smile as she looked down at them all.

“I do not hold any regret or remorse in my heart for what happened all those years ago… I am sorry if I mislead anypony into thinking I was a remorseless, evil ruler, as dark and frightening as I was long, long ago. I assure you that Celestia and I want only what’s best for every single one of the ponies in Equestria, and together with the Archmage, the council, and every pony willing, we will continue to guide Equestria through peaceful and prosperous times.” She raised her head high, smiling widely at everypony. Twilight smiled up at her, at the mysterious and proud beacon of hope that Luna embodied so well.

“Please. Spread the word. Let everypony who holds evil intent in their hearts that I mean no harm. That I will not turn back into my old, evil self. That together, Celestia and I are united as one. Your ruler. Your confidant. And most importantly,” She smiled directly down at Twilight, though her words struck a chord with everypony in the room. “Your friend.”

“LIES!” Twilight froze.

“She’s under Celestia’s spell! She’s been brainwashed!” A second pony cried out, his voice lost among the confused masses.

“Rise up now!” A third.

“Fight the oppressor!” An angry fourth voice joined the others. Twilight watched as dozens of ponies all throughout the courtroom suddenly shot to their hooves, their voices united as they chanted in unison.

”For Luna! For the Night! FOR EQUESTRIA!”

Pandemonium erupted.