I Wasn't Prepared for This

by canonkiller

First published 8th of February, 2013

When a last-minute hug from her assistant interrupts Twilight's coronation, the spell goes horribly wrong.

This story, and the Kirin Chronicles as a whole, are being rewritten and published as a new story due to the size of the adjustments.

Part I of the Kirin Chronicles
-
It's Twilight Sparkle's coronation day. She's ready to go, all dolled up by Rarity, and the three Princesses await her okay on the spell. She nods. Their horns light, and a deep warmth spreads through her. She closes her eyes.

"Nn- Twilight!"

Her eyes open. Spike, running towards her. His claw brushes the magical aura surrounding her. A roll of thunder echoes, and he is thrown against the wall. The magic surrounding her rises in turmoil, battering and burning, and it's all she can do to stay awake. It ends with a snap, dropping her to the plush ground in a heap. The Princesses are crying, Spike is unconscious, and Twilight... Twilight is no longer a petty Unicorn.

But she's not much of an Alicorn either.

---

Initially featured from February 8th, 2013 - February 11th, 2013.
Part II of the Kirin Chronicles
Part III of the Kirin Chronicles

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** This story was written when I was 15, and the quality and content reflect that. Please be aware that my position on topics contained within may have changed in the time between publishing and now, and I apologize for any offensive material that I may have condoned in my younger years. **

Coronation

Rarity hummed as she fussed over Twilight's mane, the poor thing having been subjected to hundreds of styles in the past few hours. Twilight herself busied herself with reading books, a small stack of novels switching sides as she milled through their pages.

"I simply can't believe you're going to be an Alicorn, darling! What an honor!"

Twilight blushed, closing her third book of the hour. "I don't know, Rarity. What if I say something wrong at the ceremony? What if I mess up in front of hundreds of ponies? What if Princess Celestia is ashamed of me?!" She stood up, dislodging the towel wrapped around her head. "What if I'm not a good enough Alicorn and everypony hates me? Is there an Alicorn magic kindergarten? What if-"

"Twilight, dear, you're overreacting! You'll do fine." As an afterthought, she added; "We're all very proud of you."

The Unicorn sighed, sitting down to allow her friend better access to her mane. "Are you sure I won't let you down?"

"Positive. Now, turn your head a bit so I can get at those forelocks."

The preparations passed in a blur, leaving Twilight slightly confused, a bit scared, and a strangely large amount hungry. As she tried to find the nearest snack table, she was blindsided by Princess Luna and escorted quickly in the opposite direction.

"It is time for the ceremony, Twilight Sparkle!" The Princess shouted, losing her Equestrian voice in her excitement. "We cannot wait to have you among our ranks!"

"Uh, thanks, Princess, but-"

"No buts, Twilight Sparkle! We have arrived!" Grinning, the dark Alicorn pushed her sister's student in front of the tall double doors. "Please, enter when you are announced!"

Twilight stammered as the Princess teleported away, her voice echoing a few minutes later from the chamber ahead. The Unicorn wiped the nervous sweat from her forehead, shifted her hooves awkwardly, and took a few calming breaths. Nonetheless, it seemed like mere seconds before Luna's voice delivered her final line.

"We now welcome to the Equestrian Court, Twilight Sparkle!"

Cheering, hollering, the echo of hoof-stamps on the soft carpet. Ponies grinning, waving, her friends right along the carpet, smiling. Twilight didn't know whether to grin or cower.

It was Princess Celestia's warm smile that gave her the strength she needed to finish her walk, the stairs - which had proved only mediocre in difficulty - behind her, the cheers quieting as Cadence waved a hoof towards the audience.

"Twilight Sparkle." Celestia had moved forward instead of Luna, her dark coat complimenting Cadence's. "You have been my student since you were merely a foal, and have proven yourself worthy of the Element of Magic dozens of times." She lifted her head - Twilight hadn't noticed she had lowered it - and turned to the audience. "I ask of you, is Twilight Sparkle fit to rule Equestria?"

Cheers rose up. Twilight felt a huge smile fill her face, and immediately sought to control her emotion. She waved a hoof awkwardly, attempting to mimic Cadence's earlier instruction. An awkward one-pony hoofshake was the decided result, and she set her hoof down again.

Celestia smiled down at her, horn lighting with a soft golden glow. "Twilight Sparkle, do you deem yourself ready for ascension?"

Ascension. The very word chilled the air hauntingly, a tremor running down Twilight's spine. The minimal din of the crowd fell completely silent, only the sound of breathing and coats brushing filling the air.

Twilight took a deep breath, willing her voice to stay steady.

"Yes."

Celestia nodded, her horn glowing with a sun's light. Outside, the midday loomed into dusk.

"Then, my student, I grant you the patience of eternity to aid you in the eons to come, and "

Twilight's body glowed with her mentor's golden aura, a warmth with a touch of fire, and smiled softly, the heat bearable.

Luna stepped forward, taking her sister's place, though the golden aura around Twilight never dimmed. The Night Princess's horn lit with blue fire, her eyes shining like starlight as the moon rose to join the sun at the edge of the sky.

"Twilight Sparkle, we give to you the clearest judgement to exact punishment on those who need it, as well as the glow of the stars to light your way when you are lost."

The aura around her turned to a golden-blue marble, the magical energies challenging each other in constant swirls. The returned sister's magic sent a chill down her spine, a sensual memory of a thousand years away carried in her essence. Luna took a step back, a faint smile gracing her muzzle.

The final Alicorn took the center, her magic pale blue, twisting with rainbow shine with the magic of the Crystal Empire in the distance. Cadence dipped her head, touching her horn to Twilight`s aura.

"Twilight Sparkle, as your childhood guardian, I give you the love of a mother, a sister, and a friend to guide your hooves, and the glowing light of the Crystal Heart to ever shine for you."

Cadence's magic filled Twilight with unmatched joy, and pity, and dignity, and she could feel Cadence's gentle guidance reflected in her emotions. The magic bubble shone brightly, the swirling colors turning a deep, rich lavender. The sky outside took the same color as Luna's night and Celestia's day met a newly-shining beacon from the Crystal Empire across the desert.

Twilight felt an incredible magic surging in her, turning her blood to fire and ice, her mind racing. With a roll of magical lightning, The magic concentrated in two searing points on her back, her pain-wracked mind vaguely aware of it taking skeletal form. Her fur simmered with heat, magic solidifying along the tendrils it had created.

"Twilight! Don't go!" Spike, crying?

There was a yell - Pinkie Pie? - and a crash, the sound of thundering hooves and panicked gasps, the beginning of an indignant shout from a nearby guard, and something touched the magical sphere.

The air filled with light and fire, ponies screaming as magic sizzled against their coats. The Princesses stood firm, eyes squinted against the light, struggling to take their magics under control. The spell collapsed into itself with another flash, and all was still.

Spike slammed into the wall, thrown by the magical blast. His draconian resistance to the magic itself lent him his life, as his scales merely dimmed from the impact. The ponies in the crowd had also been mostly unharmed, most blinking away spots of light from their eyes, or licking char from their burns.

It was Twilight Sparkle herself who was the last to move.

From where the bubble had lain, she was in the center of a charred circle, her tail singed at the tip, her dress in tatters, her crown dented a few hoof-steps away. She, however, looked unharmed.

Nopony moved to draw closer, a primal fear that she might be dead, she might react badly, she might be dangerous, connecting their hooves to the floor.

Celestia dipped her head, but did not move closer. "Twilight Sparkle?"

There was no response from the Unicorn mare. Her back was arced strangely, but no sign of feathered wings broke her skin.

"T-Twilight?"

Luna brushed her sister's shoulder with a wing, gently silencing her. The darkest Alicorn lifted her chin to call to the collapsed pony in her place, but the mare shifted.

A tail flick, an ear lifted. Hooves shifted, sides inflated with a heavy sigh. Eyes opened, muscles moved, thoughts returned. How strange, her mind swirled, testing connection to senses, that I feel different and have no feathers.

She struggled to her feet, immediately supported by two of the closest guards.

"Spike." She croaked out, her voice tough and tight, "Spike..."

"Is alright." A guard replied, not waiting for the Princesses. "He is a dragon, and is strong."

Dragon. Her mind whispered, wondering.

Something was on her back, heavy on her spine, and she shook to remove it. A flap of skin unfolded, thudding to the floor. The crowd gasped, and Twilight stared at the skin.

She had felt it hit the ground, travelling up muscles she had not felt before. She tested them, lifting the skin up. Something on her other side moved as well, and she realized they were symmetrical.

Dragon, dragon, dragon,

She flapped the skin, the darker shade underneath matching her mane and defining the bones holding them up. She brushed her mane out of her right eye, the vision differently bright through it than through the other.

dragon, dragon, dragon,

Her ears felt strange, and a touch with her hoof revealed a cleft cut into the tip of each one. The short tailbone, normally covered by hair, marked her rump with bald, purple scales. Her horn twisted, gnarled by the magical energies, half-way to Alicorn-hood and bluntly pushed around afterward.

dragon, dragon, dragon,

Feeling returned to her back hooves, the rounded appendages turned to three-toed claws, thick stubs with sheathed blades. Her lips jutted with a pair of sharp canines. She faced her mentor, her guardian, her friend, and felt tears running down her face.

dragon, dragon dragon,

The crowd, frozen in fear, took to their instincts, fleeing, screaming, panic filling the air, blood leaping from trampled bodies. Her friends, lost in the fray, the Princesses battling their ancestry to stay with her, this broken animal.

dragon, dragon, dragon,

Spike, groggily awaking from his crash, stared on in horror. Blood seeped from his nose, probably broken, and he struggled to stand. "Twilight?"

The once-Unicorn panicked, emotion overtaking her common sense, and her horn lit with primal fire. The room lit brightly, and the shadows afterward mourned the escape of their lost, half-pony Princess.

And Celestia dipped her head to the teleport's lingering energy and mourned as well.

Author's Notes:

This will not update consistently, and do not expect regular chapters.

Outcast

Twilight landed in a small grove of trees, black flooding her vision as her head ached. Magic spurted awkwardly from her horn, lighting the dark area with flashes of purple. She could almost picture the demons shrinking from her light, redoubling their efforts to reach her with shadowed claws...

She screamed as something brushed her neck, only to find it was her mane, having grown longer during her transformation. She took a few deep breaths, struggling to overcome her fear.

Everything was alright. She was just weak and alone in some uncharted forest in the middle of nowhere.

Twilight scanned the area, taking into account the patches of Poison Joke and the glowing bulbs of the Magicwort above her, the texture of the soil and the consistency of the leaf litter. The air was heavy, probably close to fifty percent humidity, and a strange tang to the air that tasted like that one time she tried to create lightning in her basement.

She grinned. Not just any forest, the Everfree Forest!

She knew every square inch of this forest - months of exploration with Zecora had proven that - and she knew the basic map of the place by heart. Once she found one of the marker stones she had placed, it would be easy travels back into Ponyville, where she could find her friends and try to fix...

Her wings flapped as she thought about them, the leathery skin having hardened even in the short time she had had them. She could see the small glimmers of the dim light on each scale, felt the wind blow softly against them, but she still refused the thought they were hers.

Spike'll be so upset when he realizes I have wings before him.

No, she had to focus. She was still hungry, and nothing edible was in the immediate area. So, with her wings sagging with all the grace of a lumbering walrus, she set off to find some safe grass.

Even a few steps out of her arrival zone - regrettably charred with magical fire - she started to feel unequine eyes watching her every move. Twilight summoned her dignity and pride into her stance, her chest pushing out in a blatant threat display. Her wings spread open, their dark flesh gleaming.

Something growled in the bushes beside her, and she went to charge a magical blast. Nausea and pain surged through her, her horn flaring brightly before going out. She collapsed to her knees, biting back a scream.

A chilling howl filled the humid air, and a dark shape pushed free from the bush. Knotted bark made up its' face and shoulders, leaves running down its' back and tail. It growled, teeth like jagged thorns shining as the filtered light hit them. A Timberwolf.

Two more appeared on her left and right, distant howls proceeding the arrival of others. Twilight hissed in a breath, staggering to her feet. No magic, to weak to fight by hoof... she had only one other option.

She flapped her wings, feeling a little bit of lift. "Most Pegasi," she remembered telling Mrs. Cake, "take over a year to learn to fly, and an adult Pegasi who's never flown before, or hasn't in a while, can take months to regain that skill. It's really uncommon for your son to be flying this well."

Time to put all those studies of aerodynamics and pony anatomy to work.

She flapped her wings again, stronger than before, and managed to deflect a swiping paw from one of her captors. She hissed in fury, abandoning words for her primal voice. With a loud snort, she jumped over the closest Timberwolf's muzzle, leaping once off its' back, and landed heavily behind it, wings extending to carry her further. She plunged into the dark undergrowth, her horn beginning to spark again.

The ground blurred beneath her, Poison Joke on either side but never skimming her hooves. Dirt clouding in her wake.

Timberwolves on either side, leaping and howling, the hunt lighting their eyes with golden fire, teeth flashing as they barked to each other and to her.

A markstone, with the swirled sun that marked Zecora's flank engraved into its' surface, gone before she could see just where they were.

The wolves broke away from their chase, turning as one to run to her left. Twilight continued running, panic hindering her judgement.

The ground disappeared from below her feet, the dizzying plunge to the shallow pool below the falls all she could see.

Her wings flared, air billowing into their sails. She struggled to angle herself upwards, the water below churning with rocks and silt. The rushing air stung her eyes, and she closed them, her ears pinning as she imagined herself flying past the rocks instead of her sure death.

After a few moments, she realized she was not, in fact, dead, and opened her eyes.

The ground rushed past below her, branches wove above her, and she was flying! She laughed, dodging an extended branch with instinctual muscles. Spotting a break in the canopy - and, to a lesser extent, the awaiting maw of a Timberwolf ahead - she soared up through the thick leaves into the open air, the ambiance of night blanketing her in shadow and starlight. Scant clouds marked the brilliant sky above her, the pure, unfiltered light of the heavens shining down on her and her alone.

Now that she was out of danger, she found herself appreciating the serene forest, the animals calling out into the still air, the calm breeze blowing the scent of stunning Moonflowers into the air. Twilight sighed, her wings feeling heavy with guilt.

"I let everyone down." She muttered o herself, drifting in lazy circles over the subdued forest. "I was supposed to be Princess Twilight, but now I'm just... a monster."

She turned, winging her way over to Fluttershy's cottage. The animals outside were asleep, but the lights inside the cottage shone bright. She landed softly outside, sneaking around to the back of the house to see her friend.

Fluttershy was hunched over on the couch, staring into nothing. Her wings hung lazily, draped over the couch cushions. Beside her, Angel consoled her with a gentle pat, every so often, but she hadn't moved over than to wipe her face.

"I-I just miss her, Angel." Her voice drifted through the window. "I c-can't believe she's... gone..."

Twilight backed away from the house, spotting Fluttershy's feed shed in the dark. Her stomach growled, and she could smell the vegetables inside.

She won't mind. She thought, pushing away her guilt. If she thinks some animal got it, then she'll be alright. After all... I am an animal now.

Dropping her belly to the dirt, she stalked across the sleeping yard, the animals sleeping in their dens, no eyes bright in the dark but hers. The shed was unlocked, and she nosed it open, the moonlight shining down on the caring pony's organized stores. Daisies, freshly picked, hung to dry on nets strung overhead, various drawers smelling of every food imaginable. Twilight's hunger returned, full force, and the ruined Alicorn quickly set to gorging on whatever was closest.

A few bites in, she recognized it as a cabbage, no doubt for Angel's salads. She felt guilty, a bit, but there were many others in the shed. The stupid rabbit wouldn't miss one. Or two. Or five.

Apples rolled onto the floor as Twilight shifted, and she snapped them up as well, their sweet juice lost through her speed. She just wanted to eat, and eat, and-

"Don't worry, Angel, I-I'm sure one of the animals just got hungry."

Fluttershy! Twilight scanned the debris, half-eaten vegetables scattered on the floor, shelves broken, jars upturned, and guilt filled what little space hunger hadn't filled. Fluttershy couldn't see her like this!

With a burst of energy, she pushed through the shelves, digging her way into the very back of the shed. A small window cast a beam of moonlight onto the older stores, and herb-filled fumes wafted from every hoof-fall.

Twilight only heard a soft "oh my," before she shoved herself through the window, crashed to the dirt outside, and blundered away, only taking to the air as an afterthought.

Twilight's strength faltered as she landed outside a small cave, one she had checked and found completely empty while exploring with her zebra companion.

It had once been home to a young Draco, a cousin of the great Ursa, judging by the starstones speckled around the walls, but the starbeasts often flew back to their homes in the heavens long before the Ursa pair who lived in the Everfree had.

Nonetheless, the cave was warm, and comforting. A few discarded bones remained from the Draco's time there, and on some draconian urge, she collected them into a makeshift nest. Using her wings as both mattress and blanket, she curled up and fell into a dreamless, fitful sleep.

The next night brought a gentle rain, the small cave that Twilight inhabited remaining mostly dry. Not that she was there to notice.

She soared over Ponyville, circling slowly as the lights below her dimmed and went out, the calm of Ponyville overpowered by the solemn night air. She had found a torn tunic in the cave - perhaps, in the past, a knight had fought the star-born dragon within? - and it protected her from the slight cold quite nicely, not to mention the hood hid her face if she was confronted.

She was, tonight, expecting confrontation.

With a hesitant hoof, she tested her cloud-walking, the cloud itself having a solid core unlike the spell she had experienced in Cloudsdale. Maybe clouds were different in different parts of Equestria.

Unfazed, she stalked through the wafting tendrils, seeking her destination in the guise of night.

Rainbow Dash could not be heard snoring.

She halted, one hoof brushing against the door. No lights were on, but the pony within was not asleep. Was it safe? Twilight lingered outside the door, before she heard her friend's raucous laugh behind her.

She spun, ready to flee, only to see nothing but clouds and stars. She turned slowly, and yet still, there was nopony around.

Rainbow laughed again, and Twilight noticed it had a faint echo to it, like it had been far away and carried by the wind.

She was in Ponyville!

Twilight rushed into the house, her draconian eye gleaming in the dark. The room was, as she suspected, scarcely decorated. A large painting of Cloudsdale elegantly filled one wall, and the only other detail was the door that Twilight suspected led to the kitchen, and a small table with a dirty dish on it.

Ducking low to avoid a window's line of sight, Twilight snuck up the stairs, cautiously entering Rainbow's bedroom. The walls flourished with colors, hundreds of posters hung over every possible space. A small shelf held a set of Wonderbolts memorabilia, including plushies and autographed figures.

That was not what Twilight was here for, however.

She pushed open the closet door, spotting the five Mare-Do-Well costumes Rainbow had been given so long ago - "I'm just making sure you don't do that again!" - and a few other basic flight suits. She pulled the costumes from the racks and backed away, turning to flee out the window.

"Twilight?"

The pony turned, meeting the gaze of Rainbow Dash. A very tipsy Rainbow Dash.

"H-hey, Twilight. I guess that stuff - hic - Berry Punch gave me really works!" She burst out laughing, and her eyes started to cross.

Taking whatever ignorance she could get, Twilight fled, wings cold against the night. The costumes flapped behind her, full of warmth and material...

Twilight nestled among the capes she had lined her nest with, the jagged edges of the bones dulled suitably. Twilight sighed, her wings draped over the edges of her bed.

"What am I? I'm not a pony anymore, surely. A pony wouldn't steal from her friends, or abandon them. She wouldn't leave her live behind to live in a cave as a thieving hermit." She rolled onto her back, gazing up at the starstones embedded in the ceiling. "I'm not really a dragon, either. A dragon has honor, at least. Most dragons don't steal. But dragons hunt, and kill."

She sighed again, curling up on her side, dragon eye turned to watch the mouth of the cave.

"Maybe," she whispered, "I'm nothing at all."

Despite her heavy guilt, winter was coming, and she was forced to steal again. Ponyville had begun leaving lights on at night, and the few stallions about wore leather armor and wore heavy shoes to protect the streets.

Her cave, however, was beginning to resemble a home.

Rolls of fabric from Carousel Boutique lined the floor around her nest, upgraded into a bed by a few hay bales from Sweet Apple Acres. A small shelf filled with candies and sweets rested against the far wall, unwillingly given by Sugarcube Corner. Her nightstand from the library was returned to her, and it was overflowing with books she had yet to read.

From most of the other houses, she had taken necessities, like food, clothing, a couple unused toothbrushes.

For a distorted shade of an Alicorn, Twilight Sparkle was doing pretty well.

She awoke gently, as she did every day, and checked the curtain she had enchanted - by rune, for her magic was still horrifically painful to use - for holes, absently chewing on a gemstone she had taken from Sparkler during her last 'visit'. She couldn't quite figure out why Spike loved them so much, but then again, he had the teeth to chew them instead of just sucking on them until they diminished.

She checked her mane in Aloe's mirror, combed her mane into place with Lotus's brush, and donned Time Turner's leather jacket for warmth. With a quick shove of her hooves into Big Macintosh's farm-worn shoes, she trotted out into the billowing snow.

She flapped her wings to clear the space around her house, unsure of what to do. For the first time since the coronation, she had nothing to do.

Of course, the judging eye of the pony across the clearing said otherwise.

A mare, coat pale gray, watched her approach. She stayed to the relative shelter of the trees, and her dark red mane blew across her eyes as she shifted. Her eyes gleamed red as the light shimmered off of them.

"Who are you?" Twilight yelled, unwilling to get too close to the newcomer. She spread her wings as a threat, having grown into their usefulness despite their design.

"I am Blood Rose." She tilted her head in respect to Twilight's power, an action Twilight had seen among various animals and knew well. "I've been watching you for a while now. Who are you?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle. Why were you watching me?" She folded her wings, more curious than furious.

"Because you seem to be a vampony, yet you have different eyes and a horn. Why is that?"

Twilight tilted her head. "A vampony?"

"Yes. You have fangs and dragons' wings, you travel into town every night to feed, what else would you be?

"I am not a vampony!" Twilight yelled back, fury filling her. "I'm just... I'm just..."

Blood Rose picked her way across the snow, drawing closer to the deformed Princess. "You don't need to worry about confiding to me."

"I don't feed!" She screeched, glaring daggers at the other mare. "I steal! I don't drink blood, I eat pony food, and gemstones! I was never meant to be like this! I was supposed to be Twilight Sparkle, a Princess of Equestria! You should know that, it's not like anybody doesn't!"

Rose watched as Twilight's horns sparked, small embers burning holes into the snow.

"Well," she muttered, "if you ever come to terms with what you are, come to the Moonlight Ruins. I'll be there."

Twilight hissed furiously, and the second pony backed up into the trees, spreading two draconian wings and vanishing into the dark.

With a gasp, Twilight spread her own wings, dashing after the mysterious pony. "Wait!" She yelled, scanning the darkness, "I need to talk to you!"

Twilight soared through the forest undergrowth, unaware of a single pony hovering above. Her blue magic shone like a beacon, her darker coat blending in with the night.

Luna grit her teeth as her illusion reached it's full extent and the spell fizzled out. She took a few heaving breaths, struggling to stay aloft. She cast a short spell to alert another two ponies in the safety of the Moonlight Ruins.

Twilight Sparkle is on her way.

Two voices chimed back in reply.

Thank you, Luna.

Yes, thank you.

Luna flapped her great wings, blending into the night as her form melted into that of a navy bat-pony, golden eyes gleaming, and she soared down into the forest.

Twilight flitted about awkwardly ahead, crying out for the fictional 'Blood Rose'. Luna watched from the shadows, seeing the lost half-pony gather her wits and set off towards the Moonlight Ruins. Luna kept close behind her, banishing thoughts of attack from the animals around, and awaited the arrival of her sister's student into her sister's trap.

Celestia herself lurked in the dark of the ruin, Cadence held warmly under one wing. The trap below was designed to ensnare thieves and bandits, and it's worth against a crazed, magically unstable dragon-pony had yet to be tested.

It was about to be tested.

Twilight blundered free of the tree cover, soaring over the first wall of the ruins. The trap sprung at Celestia's command, weighed nets flinging from the shadows and wrapping the lost Princess in rope and rocks. She screamed and struggled, beating her rear claws against the rope, trying to tear it, only to fail.

Luna landed behind her, returning to her Alicorn form, and Celestia and Cadence soon appeared on her other side. Twilight stared up at them, eyes wide with fear.

"W-what are you going to do to me?"

Luna looked between the other two, as if she hadn't expected Twilight to be able to speak. Cadence shrunk back from the abomination, and Celestia just sighed. A golden aura lifted the two nets from her student, and Twilight sat up quickly, wings flaring defensively.

"Well, dearest Twilight," Celestia muttered, sitting down as well. "We're going to listen."

"T-to what?"

Your dying screams, Celestia bit back, aware of how seriously the joke could be taken.

"Well, Twilight, we're going to listen to you. So, what have you been doing in the weeks you've been gone?"

Twilight's eyes filled with tears, and she stumbled over to Celestia, collapsing in her embrace. She curled up against her mentor's warm fur, trying her hardest not to look in her eyes.

"I-I've been a bad pony."

Author's Notes:

Word boost.

Conversation and Explaination

Twilight looked up at Princess Celestia, her gentle eyes burning holes into Twilight's guilt.

"I..."

She stepped back from the Princess, flapping her wings in frustration, trying to wrap words around her thoughts.

"You know what happened at the... the Coronation. You might not have known, but it hurt. To move, to think. I couldn't understand why there was so much pain, why everyone ran. I felt so... disembodied. Like maybe I was okay, just... feeling someone else's pain. And then when I saw everyone panicking, I panicked too, and I just... teleported. I don't know what I was thinking! I wasn't going anywhere safe, I wasn't thinking... I could have ended halfway through a rock by the end of it, but I didn't care, as long as I didn't see..."

She trailed off, much to Celestia's disappointment, and began to pace.

"I couldn't use magic after that. It hurt so much it nearly killed me. I thought I was going to just die when I teleported. Not to mention I had no concept of where I was, reduced to an elderly Earth Pony for all purposes, magic-less and fragile. Next thing I knew, I was being hunted, and then, again, almost died.

"Through no work of study, I managed to fly my way out, and... and I couldn't go home like this! I was a monster! I had to figure out how to fix it, don't you see? I was Princess Celestia's personal protege! I had to have a solution!"

"Twilight, you didn't..."

The Alicorn in question turned to face her, eyes dancing with fury. "You're respected as a Princess. Deeds of old, legends, raising the sun. You might not get it, but since nopony even recognized me as an Element of Magic, when I was out saving the world, I had to work for my respect! I couldn't just hang around, some dejected lump of mangled flesh! I had to fix this, by myself! To prove myself to them, and to you!"

She started pacing again, her back hooves-turned-claws scraping on the stone.

"You might not understand why I didn't get your help first. After all, everyone else lets you solve their problems, so why not me? I wanted to show you I could do this, show them I was really meant to be a Princess! I don't know what I would have done if Spike hadn't interrupted; 'wow, look at Twilight Sparkle, raising the twilight, ooh'. Now I can do something!

"And when I was out here, I had to keep working, show my friends what I could do, how I could solve my own problems, but I needed to live to do that. So I," her anger subsided, momentarily replaced by guilt, "I stole from them. All of them."

She spat that word, 'stole', like a venom in her mouth. She paused, desperately searching her mentor's eyes for some kind of protection, a comforting word or two, but there was nothing. Twilight took a deep breath, wings unfolding again as she composed herself.

"I took little things at first, things that I needed, that wouldn't be missed. Some of the animal food from Fluttershy's, those Mare-Do-Well costumes from Rainbow's, a few bolts of fabric and a mouthful of gems from Rarity's, some food and a shelf from Pinkie's - well, the shelf was on the curb waiting for the garbage ponies - two bales of hay and a saddlebag's worth of apples from Applejack's, and a few of the books I would need from my own house.

"I researched everything I could, but every spell I could possibly use to reverse this needed a Unicorn to cast it, and my magic was debilitating to use then. So I stole more. Spell runes, ingredients, bowls... a new toothbrush and a comb, books, any items that could possibly help. A few nights ago, I finally figured out how to reverse the difficulty with magic I had, but the spell backfired. I was severely weakened since, which is why I had been out and about when that vampony found me, and not in Ponyville.

"Speaking of which, who was the vampony?"

Luna opened her eyes, having closed them to listen better. "A projected image of one of my guards. Not a vampony in her own life, merely a batpony, but she was the friendliest one I could recreate well."

Twilight nodded, somewhat pleased with the response, and continued. "I can't do any magic now. Even levitating a speck of dust brings me to my knees. I was so... disappointed. With myself. I ruined nearly everything I had tried to use, thousands of bits worth of supplies turned to ash. I hated myself for it, but there was nothing left I could do. So, when the vampony showed up, I thought maybe, maybe, they'd have some way to hide me, to let me back into society as somepony else, to reimburse the ponies I stole from. That's what I thought was right."

She sighed, sitting down, her wings draping at her sides. "I don't know if I was ever right."

Celestia waited for more explanation, but nothing came.

Her student had changed. Her coat was marked with patches of darker scales, her horn twisted like some mockery of an Alicorn's. Her face was divided in half by fur and scales, and the eye inset into the latter had the uncanny resemblance to that of her assistant. The very top edge of her tailbone showed through her tail, the surface marked with smaller scales, and her two back legs had expanded into a dragon's talons from the flank down. Her two wings, sprawled across the stone, had a surface similar to the color of her coat, a nearly invisible transition to the scaled flesh. Their underside, though she could not see them, she knew to be the color of Twilight's mane, a deep purple-blue that streaked with her coat's lavender where the bones ran underneath. She had seen a change in her student far more grotesque than that of her beloved sister into Nightmare Moon. But now, she could see past the fact that Twilight had a new skin. Twilight had a new heart as well.

This pony, weak and alone, had sought for answers by herself, so different from the pony that Celestia had seen with her friends. She was scared, worried, all for good reason. Ponies did not take kindly to difference.

She could still remember the uproar at the official introduction of Princess Cadence, previously ensnared within Canterlot Castle, allowed out only under a disguise and the protection of undercover guards. The neigh-sayers had rioted for weeks, charging at the gates and yelling slander at the Royals above. It had taken nothing less that Luna's untamed fury to scatter them, and nopony regretted the decision.

Thousands more had appeared at Twilight's ascension. The Unicorn, one known for fearing judgement, had been kept in the dark about such events; had never seen the anger at commoners for somepony just like them, but not them, becoming a ruler. This time, the three Princesses had to work together to clear them from the gates, and all available guards had been put on active watch for such ponies.

She remembered the triumphant faces of the mares and stallions around Pinkie and Spike, their murmurings ringing keen in Celestia's ear.

"She won't need that assistant of hers anymore."

"She'll have ponies to do that for her."

"What was the little runt's name? Scale? Scorch? Spine?"

"I bet she dumps him off on somepony else first chance she gets."

A few of them had gotten into the assembly, working so smoothly and subtly she hadn't noticed until it was too late.

"She's a monster!"

"It's just like Nightmare Moon!"

"She's not an Alicorn!"

"Run, before she attacks!"

"Twilight." She flinched slightly at that, her shout having been quiet only among the voices in her head. "You were wrong. Your friends would never judge you. There was one reason, and one alone, that they didn't come after you.

"We told them you had died."

Twilight flinched, visibly, staring up at the Princess. "...Why?"

"Ponies were upset that you had become a Princess." Celestia admitted. "They thought that, as a common pony, you should not be allowed the ascent. They saw nothing more than the color of your coat. If they had known you were still alive, they would have sought you out, and probably attacked you. Ponies are not as good everywhere as they are in Ponyville. In order to protect you, we couldn't tell anypony you were alive. Not even your friends, or Spike."

"They... were upset? Ponies?" Twilight said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Cadence managed to respond before Celestia, extending a hoof towards Twilight. "I was the same way. You were one of the few ponies that knew I even existed. Since the Crystal Empire's history isn't known by many, I was kept in Canterlot Castle until a few months before the marriage, when I was introduced to the Canterlotians. They responded with fury, incomprehension, wondering why I had been held from them for so long. They couldn't understand Celestia and Luna's fear that somepony would follow in Sombra's footsteps and attack me. I was devastated, and as the Princess of Love, I felt their hate more than anypony."

"Twilight, I meant only to protect you." Celestia continued. "I thought I was doing the right thing, too."

The four stood in silence for a little while, Twilight looking up at the passing stars.

"H-how long have I been gone?"

Celestia looked up from her hooves, her student having never turned her face from the heavens.

"I lost track of the days after five of them. It all just blends together."

Celestia grimaced. "A month."

"That long?"

"We had to find you, figure out how we were going to catch you. We thought you'd succumbed to the dragon instinct, one wild. But when crime reports started coming in from Ponyville, en masse, we guessed you were nearby. It took every whim we had to put this in motion. The only reason we're here alone is because nobody wants to work on hunches."

"What am I going to do? Everypony think's I'm dead. I can't go back without making any progress."

"Twilight," Celestia shook her head slowly, focusing her thoughts, "I haven't been able to find a solution."

"Hm?"

"The spell draws from the energy of those who touch the barrier. Myself, Luna, Cadence and you were to be the only ponies to take part in the transformation. When Spike reached out, his essence bonded with ours. It's irreversible."

"I'm going to be like this forever?"

"We can change enough to bring back your magic, but yes. You will look like this."

Twilight stood up, looking back up towards the stars. "A pony's skin is not its soul. You told me that once, do you remember? There was a colt in the castle with a mangled wing, and he liked me." She tilted her head, ears tilting towards the Princess. "I thought he was gross because he was different. He was really nice, though. I regret not spending more time with him now."

Celestia remained silent, her ears pinning back.

"Is that how others are going to see me, now?" Twilight sighed, meeting the eyes of her mentor. "As a defect? A blemish? Will anypony take the time to figure out that I am real inside?"

"You may stay at Canterlot Castle until you feel up to returning." Celestia muttered. "Would you like help gathering your things?"

"I'll need help transporting them." Twilight admitted. "If you want to come back to the cave, I'll be done in a jiffy."

"Go on ahead. We'll catch up."

Twilight spread her wings, soaring away above the trees. Celestia watched her vanish before turning to her companions. Luna's hadn't turned away from the moon, as if seeking some solace in it's pale light. Cadence's head hung solemnly as she fought some inner battle.

"How are we going to keep her away from the rioters?" Cadence whispered, looking up from her vigil. "They'll tear her apart."

"Nopony will know she has returned. She can use the Crystal Caves to travel around the castle during the day, and your guards," she turned to Luna, "will not mind her at night. Perhaps you can help her with her magic until she returns to a normal schedule."

"I will do my best." The dark Alicorn said.

"Cadence, I want you to work on her magic and find a way to get food down for her. I know that those caves are a difficult place for you to be in, but you need to do this for Twilight."

Cadence nodded, slowly. "I'll try my best to face my fear."

"I'll make sure nopony hears of her return, and aid her with her advanced magic, once she is able to cast it. Now, I think we'd better help her move. There isn't much moonlight left."

Twilight soared above the Everfree, the lights of Ponyville fading behind her and the glimmering beacon of Canterlot looming ahead. There was no doubt the Princesses were awaiting her arrival; hundreds of minor teleports to move her belongings had taken no toll on the Alicorn's power, and a final one to move themselves would not affect them.

Her wings tingled in the cold air, a kind of adrenaline she had never felt before. The dawn was nearing, but no light shone on the horizon.

"What would happen," Twilight whispered to herself, "if I just ended it now?"

She looked down at the ground, no vertigo assaulting her despite her height. It would be so easy to just... drop. There wouldn't even be anything left to bury from her altitude.

"Anypony who would have missed me has done so already."

She folded her wings, letting herself free-fall half of the way to the ground. Fear took over, and she snapped her wings open, momentum flinging her back into the air.

"I guess I'd be letting Celestia down."

She tilted her ascent back to level, redirecting towards Canterlot.

"And myself."

She flew the rest of the way in silence.

Cadence appeared as Twilight neared Canterlot, silently guiding her down below the glimmer of the city lights. She vanished into an icy waterfall, ducking behind the sheet of ice. Twilight followed her, wings silent in the chilly air.

Cadence had landed on a small ledge, a narrow cleft leading into the dark behind her. Twilight backwinged and managed to hook her claws on the edge of the platform, a talent that had taken days of practice and a few bruises. Cadence smiled, if not a bit sadly, and stepped back to let Twilight into the cave.

"This will be the entrance you use when greeting one of us formally, or going out for flights. In the summer, the waterfall hides the entrance, and is far enough away to not soak you when you pass."

"Oh. Good."

Cadence continued, following Twilight into the darkness. "We've got all of your stuff a little ways through the tunnels, to make sure nopony sees it by accident. I'll light the torches," her horn glowed, and pink fire flashed into existence in the small brackets previously hidden by the dark, "but you only have a little while until they go out. The main cave will stay lit."

"Alright." Twilight trotted ahead, turning back to wave a short goodbye at Cadence. The Alicorn smiled back, nodding her head before walking outside and taking to the sky.

Twilight edged her way through the tunnels, making her way slowly but surely to her new, hopefully temporary, home.

Author's Notes:

I'm honestly astounded at the attention this story has received, and I'd like to thank all of you who read, commented, favourites, upvoted or downvoted. In response, I managed to hit 100 followers, and am going to have a promotion blog that showcases one story from every author who wishes to submit. The blog can be found here, and I encourage you all to submit something.

I'm sorry if I didn't respond to your comment directly, there's just been too many to keep up with. Just know I do read all of them. Thanks, you guys. You really made my year with this.

Through the Eyes of Mortals

Twilight shifted uncomfortably; her spine coiled differently against her new mattress. She disliked the down-filled lump, but Celestia had insisted it was relaxing, so she had accepted it. With a growl, she rolled over again, burrowing her face in the soft fabric. She snorted, ears pinning back as she glared around the cave.

It had certainly been an upgrade; no discarded bones or spiderwebs hung around, and the glimmering facets of the crystals filled the room with a gentle, warm light. Her books had been transported to a shelf, and the delicate fabrics she had coated the cave with had been folded up and put away, a mirror hung on the wall behind her and a nearby cave held her kitchen supplies, as well as an enchanted vent to keep the place from smoking up.

The clock on the wall ticked off another minute, and Twilight rolled over again.

She wasn't really accustomed to any schedule at the moment, sleeping and waking when she felt like it. The Princesses tried their hardest to meet her every day - or night - but their schedules were busier than ever, and she was more often than not alone.

She missed Spike.

Whenever she felt lonely, he had been there. Obnoxious, and sometimes clueless, but there. She longed to just reach out and hug him, tell him none of this was his fault, tell him she was still here.

"He must feel horrible." She thought aloud, a habit she had picked up since she had transformed. "I wish Celestia would let me go out now that I'm feeling better. My wings are aching with all of this... nothing."

She tumbled off the mattress, dropping down into a crouch to stretch. Her back popped as she spread her wings, and she flinched.

"I bet Rainbow never has cramps, that unruly speedster."

She halted mid-bend, suspended awkwardly a few inches from the ground.

"Rainbow... she would be disappointed in herself too, wouldn't she? The fastest Pegasus in Equestria, unable to catch one baby dragon..."

She shook her head quickly, standing up straight. "That's it. I'm going back."

"What?"

Twilight turned around slowly, meeting the slightly-confused gaze of the Lunar Princess, still a bit disheveled from her trek through the tunnels.

"You're going to Ponyville?! No, Twilight Sparkle, you cannot! Our sister said-"

"I don't care what Celestia said! My friends need me!" She backpedaled, throwing on a fur-lined jacket and sliding her back claws into a pair of boots. "I need them!"

"Twilight Sparkle! You're endangering yourself by going to see them! I forbid you to go!"

"I'm endangering them by staying! Goodbye, Luna!"

She charged past the Princess - narrowly dodging a trapping wing - and ducked into the tunnels, muttering a few words to vanquish their glinting light. Luna cursed behind her, stumbling, and Twilight gained ground.

Breaking out into the open air, Twilight closed her wings in a sharp dive, hoping to break the treeline before Luna could see her. A few fearful seconds later, she blundered into the comparative safety of the branches and tumbled to a halt, positioning herself where she could see the cave.

Luna soared out from behind the waterfall, circling a few times before flying back to the castle. Twilight let out a long sigh, and slowly climbed out of the leaves, soaring southward to the place she had come to know as home.

She landed gracefully on her own balcony, pressing a cheek to the old wood in silent remembrance. No noise emitted from within, and all of the lights were out. Suspecting Spike - and perhaps one of her friends - were asleep, she pushed the door open, careful to tilt it so the hinge didn't squeak. The beam of moonlight spread a dreamlike glow across the scene within.

Dust lined the shelves, every book removed. Cobwebs hung from unused lights, and the bed-frame was empty save for a few scraps of fabric that must have caught when the mattress was removed. Spike's basket was gone, replaced by a less-faded circle in the wood panels, and the air inside was stale and thick.

"Spike?" She called into the dark. "Spike?"

Her voice echoed hollowly around the forsaken library. She felt her eyes water, and she leaned over onto a nearby shelf, sliding down to a heap on the dusty floor. Sobbing, she curled her wing over herself and waited for the dawn to come, or somepony to find her, whichever came first.

Sunlight streamed in, glaringly bright against Twilight's eyes. She hissed gently, unused to such a bright light. Color glowed around her, even under the blanket of time, but she was struck witless by it. The torches in her cave had done no glory to the spectrum the world had created, a series of shades she had forgotten despite the short time.

Even more so was the noise, probably close to a hundred ponies bustling about outside. Market day, she dimly remembered. Sneaking up to the window, she tried her hardest to spot ponies she knew among the crowd below.

There was the mailmare, Derpy Hooves - or was it Ditzy Doo? - trying to shove the letters in the wrong side of the mailbox. Her little sister, the Unicorn, bounced around her hooves, laughing and trying to get her to look at something across the road. A while away, the sofa salesman was hoofing out complimentary quills, and the stuffy waiter over at the restaurant she always forgot the name of was frowning at a mare who couldn't decide on her meal.

Applejack's stand was there, but instead of the ginger mare's beaming face behind the counter, her stoic older brother watched the passersby. Apple Bloom was, as always, trying to get her Cutie Mark, and had unsuccessfully attepted juggling a few of the lesser apples.

Now that she thought about it, the sky wasn't that clear after all. Clouds had gathered in large clumps, darkening with a threat of rain. A few weather Pegasi were attempting to clear them, but even she could tell they were disorganized.

The more she focused, the more she could tell was wrong. Carousel Boutique had an unfriendly 'closed' sign against one window, and all of the curtains had been closed. Sugarcube Corner still had the chimneys puffing, but the sweet smells didn't punctuate the library like they normally did. She had enough patterns already to assume that Fluttershy's cabin was in a similar state.

She growled, scanning the empty library. After fruitlessly searching for a blanket or a sweat, she pulled one of the faded curtains down, tying it around her neck and folding a hood over her face. She wished she had thought ahead and brought one of the Mare-Do-Well costumes with her, but she had enough to disguise her.

With her back claws still hidden in her custom-built boots, she gently nosed open the door to the library.

Attracting only a few odd glances for her attire, Twilight merged into the crowd, weaving her way over to Carousel Boutique. She paused in front of the darkened window, one hoof half-raised to knock.

"She doesn't live there any more."

Twilight dropped her hoof and spun, resisting the impulse to spread her wings. A mare, one she knew she had seen from somewhere, stood behind her. The other mare smiled sadly.

"One of her friends... passed away. She couldn't bear it here, with her house so close," she waved a hoof at the library behind her, "and went to live in Canterlot."

"One of her friends?"

The mare nodded. "Yeah, a Unicorn by the name of Twilight Sparkle. She was nice, but we never really talked much. She was the Princess's student, and she didn't really socialize outside of her circle. Anyway, something went wrong at the ceremony, and she was..."

"Killed." Twilight muttered. "You said circle?"

"Oh, she had four other close friends. Most of them have drawn away now; it really hit them hard. Let's see..." she tapped a hoof absently, "there was Rainbow Dash, who led the weather team. She's still here, but she's not really here. Spends most of her nights with a bottle of cider, if you get my drift. Then there's Fluttershy, another Pegasus, but she moved back to Cloudsdale to help with the bird migrations and to train new fliers. Applejack used to run Sweet Apple Acres - an apple farm - but she wouldn't stop working because it kept the sadness away, and she ended up seriously injuring her back hooves. I don't know the details, only that she's been permanently lamed, the poor mare. And then there's... Pinkie Pie. Used to cheer up the whole town, crazy mare." She paused to laugh, a sound so hollow it may as well have been fake. "We think she went back to the rock farm, if she's still alive."

"Oh."

"Yeah." The pony took a step back, as if she realized how much she had said. "I'll... I'll just be going."

Twilight lifted a hoof to stop her. "What was your name again?"

"Roseluck." The pony smiled, before trotting away.

Twilight noticed immediately how decrepit the farm looked. Leaves piled haphazardly where the wind blew them, and the dirt path winding through the fields was spotted with old, rotting apples and broken branches. The trees seemed alright, but the apples were much smaller than they should have been, and twigs lay where they had shattered from bucking. The whole area stank like rotten fruit, too.

Pulling the knot around her neck over her muzzle to block the smell, she started the trek to the farmhouse. Acres blurred into each other as she picked up speed, twigs snapping under her hooves and leaves billowing in her wake. She cantered up to the small house, skidding to a stop just in time to knock daintily on the door.

As expected, it was Granny Smith who opened the door. She narrowed her eyes at Twilight, and the Princess started to take a step back.

"Are you one of them fancy witch doctors?"

"Yes?" Twilight replied tentatively.

Granny Smith frowned, but let her in. "Keep yer mumbo jumbo out of my kitchen."

Twilight nodded briskly, trotting into the house. "Will do, miss."

Unlike the orchards, the house was nearly pristine, the only sign that anypony lived there being the pie half-finished on the table. Twilight mentally pinned it to Applejack's injury, and quickly trotted up the stairs to her friend's room, the door marked with a trio of red apples.

She knocked gently, leaning in to the door. "Applejack?"

"Go away."

"Applejack, please."

"Ah said go away!"

"Appleja-"

The door swung open, revealing the southern mare nearly aflame with anger. "Ah said ah didn't need your... your..." she blinked, watching as Twilight tossed her hood back.

"Applejack, please, let me in."

She stepped back hurriedly, and Twilight whisked into the room, shutting the door with a swift kick.

"Does Granny Smith know you're in here?"

"Kind of." Twilight admitted, shifting her hooves. "I told her I was a witch doctor. When she asked."

Applejack's eyes narrowed at the lie, but she softened instantly as the reality hit. "Oh, Twilight."

Twilight caught her in a tight hug as Applejack fell towards her. Without thinking, she unfurled her wings and wrapped them around her friend, feeling the pony flinch beneath them.

Through muffled sobs, Applejack managed to choke out a question. "What happened to you?"

Feeling tears running down her face as well, Twilight spend no time on replying. "I... I'll just show you."

Applejack let go, hesitantly, and Twilight pulled the knot on her neck loose. The old curtain fell to the ground, she kicked it away, and she pulled off her boots to reveal her claws. Applejack had a hoof to her mouth, horrified, but wasn't fleeing. Or screaming.

Twilight flexed her wings, the short claws on their tips brushing the walls before they were even fully extended. She was suddenly aware of just how monstrous she was to other ponies, and quickly folded her wings. Applejack's hoof stopped hers before she could re-tie her cloak, and she glanced up at the Earth Pony.

"Why'd yah tell everypony y'all were..."

"I didn't have a choice." Twilight replied. "Celestia said it was to protect me from other ponies who didn't like more Alicorns, but I... I couldn't stay away from you girls! You're my friends!"

"Hey, hey, it's alright. I suppose you know half of us have left?"

Twilight nodded.

"Well, fate has it I know where they're all livin'. If you'll have me, ah'll come along and help yah find 'em."

Applejack barely had time to smile before Twilight hugged her. "Thank you. Thank you, so much."

"No problem, sugarcube. Let's get going before I start hyperventilating or whatnot 'cause yah ain't dead."

Applejack nodded towards Twilight's disguise, and she hurried back into it, turning her attention away from her friend. When she looked up, hood folded down on either side of her horn, she couldn't stop a gasp.

Applejack had her back legs supported by metal frames, her hooves steady on a connected board, wheels scraping below each foot. Metal bars and fabric bands ran up her flanks, connecting at a makeshift yoke around her neck. She shifted her back hooves slightly, the wheels grating in their sockets.

"Ah guess ah should've warned yah." Applejack admitted. "Yah'll ain't the only one with a change, Twilight."

"So, where's Spike?"

Applejack sighed, somehow scuffing a hoof on the dirt without compromising her gait. "Ah wish ah knew, Twilight."

"What do you mean?" Twilight's ears flattened under her hood, and she turned back to her friend. "Where could he be?"

"The dragon mahgration passed by a coupl'a weeks ago, and he went after them. Haven't seen hide nor hair of him since." She looked at the dirt, frowning. "Ah would'a stopped him, but... we were all such wrecks after you... left, none of us were in the right of mind to stop him. Since everypony else went after their dreams, we figured he should'a been able to too."

"Were the dragons in the same pattern as last year? Are they going to the same ground?"

"Ah haven't got a clue. Flutters left by then, and nopony know those dragons like her, other than you. So when Spike said he was ready to go be... well, a dragon, nopony thought twice about stopping him."

Twilight shifted her wings, tail flicking impatiently. "I'm going after him. After I talk to the others, I need to find him. He needs me."

"Twilight, have you ever thought that maybe... he was ready to grow up?"

She halted then, patches of scale glittering under the dimming sunlight. "He can't be."

"Maybe it's time to let go."

"I can't let him go! He has to know it wasn't his fault!" Twilight shouted, wings flaring as she turned on her friend. "He's..."

Applejack wound her into a hug as she quickly deflated, tears running down her muzzle.

"He's the only normal thing I have left."

Author's Notes:

See, the episode wasn't that bad, now was it? Also, sorry 'bout the chapter wait; as mentioned before, I read every comment and appreciate every bit of feedback. Also as mentioned before, I am going to set up a promotion blog for anyone who's ever done anything with my work - reading, faving, watching, commenting, voting - to submit their stories to. Your stories can be posted here for those interested.

Storm Clouds and Silver Linings

Twilight stared up at Rainbow's house, Applejack's sleeping form nearby. The moon illuminated the dilapidated cloud house; a large amount of it had turned dark and stormy from lack of care. Twilight shed her cloak, taking a moment to drape it gently over the sleeping farmpony, and spread her wings. In a few quick flaps, she rose over the edge of Rainbow's 'porch', taking care to tread lightly over the roiling patches.

"Rainbow?"

There was no response, but the house was still well-lit. Rainbow Dash, even when drunk, would never leave lights on. Ponies could steal her Wonderbolts figures that way.

Twilight pushed the door open, looking around. Bottles lay scattered on the cloud floor, enchanted like most items to not fall through. A few blankets were discarded around as well, matted and crumpled from lazy days.

"Rainbow Dash? Are you awake?"

There was a crash from upstairs, with a thud discernible as a Pegasus falling out of bed. "I'm coming Berry!" A voice slurred down.

Twilight backed up as Rainbow Dash thudded down the stairs, coming face to face with her.

There were large bags under the Pegasus' eyes, and her eyes themselves were red and bloodshot. Huge knots had tangled into her mane and tail, and her short fur was distressed and matted. Despite all this, she instantly focused and brightened to the second pony in her home.

"I told them you weren't dead!"

Twilight braced herself for another hug, but Rainbow Dash just pointed a hoof at her.

"They didn't believe me because you ran off! They thought I was crazy when I said I saw you in my house!"

"Rainbow, I didn't mean to-"

"You were the one stealing all that stuff! I couldn't see you at first, but then you started to be a bit more clumsy because nopony was awake, and I saw you all the time! Stalking around like a Diamond Dog on the prowl! They told me I was lying; I'm no Element of Honesty, but I don't lie!"

"Rainbow, I'm-"

"And now you're here, probably to take more of my stuff, and then you'll be gone again, just like... like everypony else!"

Twilight stepped forward, embracing her friend. "Rainbow, I'm not going to leave again."

"I-I stayed loyal," she sobbed, leaning on her friend, "even when everyone else was gone."

Twilight stretched out in the dust of the library, clouds lifting as she rolled onto her hooves.Today was the day. She could hear the unmistakable 'poomf's of clouds being kicked, and Rainbow's cheers as she soared around. The light leaking through the musty windows was getting brighter by the second.

There was a sharp knock at the door, sending her back into one of the darker corners.

"Ah wonder if there's any books left in here."

Twilight had to stifle a laugh at how fake she sounded, and trotted over to welcome her friend in. Applejack ducked through the door, only sneezing twice at the clouds of dust.

"So, how do you reckon we can find the others?"

Twilight sat down, curling her tail around her talons. "I don't think it would be too hard. They'd recognize Rainbow Dash, right? They'd come and greet her?"

Applejack scuffed a hoof, dust piling at the edge of her foot. "Ah'm not sure about that part. None of us really talked before you came here, and none of us really wanted to once you were... gone."

"You didn't seem to react as much as Rainbow did to seeing me." Twilight pointed out, staring out the window as she trailed off from their conversation. "Is it because you weren't waiting like she was?"

"That's not it at all." Applejack blurted, immediately covering her mouth with her hoof. She sighed, resigning herself to an explanation. "You know ah lost mah parents when ah was little. Ever since that day, Ah swore that ah wouldn't ever cry again, that ah would be strong for them. Ah knew if ah waited for yah, if ah believed you were really gone, ah was going to let them down. So ah just worked until my physical pain outweighed my inner hurt, and ah treated that outer pain instead." She laughed, bitterly. "Ah guess ah can't use that to escape any more."

Twilight blinked, shocked at how open her friend could be. Ages seem to lift off of the Earth Pony's face, tired lines and etched wrinkles replaced by a happy glow.

In fact, she was glowing.

"Uh, Applejack?" Twilight glanced from her friend's eyes to her coat.

"Yes, sugarcube?" Applejack followed her friend's gaze, staring blankly at the shine of her coat. "That's mighty strange."

"It's just like when your Cutie Marks got switched!" Twilight scrambled to her feet, sending dust spirals in all directions. "If the Elements fixed everything then, they can fix everything now! I can go back to being me!"

"Hey now, calm down. You don't know that."

"What else could it be?" Twilight grinned. "It's only ever happened when something really bad could be fixed!"

"It only happened once, and that was when we rediscovered our talents." Applejack rested a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "It might not be anything at all."

Twilight watched as her friend slowly returned to normal, the only sheen of the short fur being the natural shine. "I guess you're right." She muttered.

"Don't fret, sugarcube. Ah'm sure Celestia'll find some way to fix all this."

The calm, sentimental moment was broken by Rainbow Dash flying through the upstairs window.

"Hey, guys." She shook the shards from her mane, grinning. "Ready to go to Cloudsdale?"

Twilight held onto the edge of the balloon's basket for dear life as Rainbow veered around a drifting cloud. She could hear screaming, although she wasn't sure if it was her or not.

"You don't get out much, do you?" Rainbow laughed, slowing the balloon down until her harness's ropes went slack. "I wasn't even going that fast!"

"Yah darn near dropped us!" Applejack shouted, waving a hoof at Twilight's spread wings. "What good does it do travelling by balloon if the poor dear's gotta spread her wings to keep from dying?"

Twilight blushed, quickly pulling her wings under her cloak.

"Yeah, yeah, incognito." Rainbow sighed, blowing a stand of mane from her face. "Wasn't there any faster way of travelling? The dragons are going to migrate again before we're even halfway!"

"T-t-the dragons don't migrate for a-another twenty years." Twilight stammered, pulling herself together enough to recite facts.

"Exactly!" The Pegasus shouted, throwing her hooves up in annoyance.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Ah can see Cloudsdale from here, you lout. C'mon, then, let's git a move on!"

Rainbow sighed, muttering something under her breath, but pulled on. Twilight slowly released her terrified grip on the edges of the basket, though she was reluctant to pull her claws free of the woven floor.

"Where do you think Fluttershy'll be?" Rainbow called back, glancing over a shoulder. "Even if she's training foals like that mare said, I don't think she'd be at the Wonderbolts Academy or anything."

"Ah don't know anything about Cloudsdale!" Applejack shouted back, frowning. "Yer the Pegasus!"

"Cloudsdale has sixteen flight schools around the middle of the city. Any ponies outside the ring are home-schooled or have already graduated." Twilight zoned out as countless hours of studying surged fresh in her mind. "Out of all of them, West Wind Elementary is in the poorest area and has the lowest amount of staff."

"Teaching the poor? Sounds like something she'd do." Rainbow smiled, speeding up. "She'll be so happy to see us, I can't wait!"

Celestia's notes scattered as her younger sister threw open the door.

"Twilight Sparkle has been spotted in the airspace above Cloudsdale with two of the Elements!"

"That's nice." Celestia lifted up her papers, shifting back into order and resuming her work.

Luna balked. "You're not going after her?"

Celestia turned a page, squinting at the lopsided hoofwriting and scribbling down something of her own. "Why should I? She's not going to hurt anypony."

"You don't know what she'll do!"

"Luna."

"She's half-dragon!"

"Luna."

"She could hurt somepony without even meaning to! We need to capture her and-"

"Luna!"

The Princess of the Night blinked.

"I'm not going to trap her in some disguised prison again." Celestia stood up, facing her sister. Weary lines etched the pristine white fur of her face. "Have you already forgotten how much it hurt to be imprisoned by the one you loved?"

Luna's anger diminished like a stray cloud in a weather patrol. "Of course, sister." She muttered. "We will wait for your actions."

"Don't mope around like the world's dying, sister." Celestia turned back to her studies, lifting the papers and shuttling them across the room. "Just keep an eye on her like you have been, and if she does fall into her draconic side, feel free to intervene."

"And what have you been doing, locked up here?" Luna frowned, taking a short glance around the cluttered room.

"Starswirl left more than one unfinished spell. His student, an Earth Pony with Unicorn parents, was affixed on transmutation, if only to fulfill his parent's hopes of him. The great wizard took a liking in his student's endeavors, and he successfully managed to change a majority of things, as well as creating the first Philosopher's Stone."

Luna's hoof reached up to touch the glimmering stone in her chest-piece, the magic from it flowing untapped through her skin. "From fire and ash, from blood and from stone; let magic flow through this one of it's own." She recited.

Celestia smiled. "Rather nonsensical, but yes. He left many unfinished spells for such massive transformations when he passed, and, like any good historian, I have saved them."

Luna stepped back cautiously as Celestia lifted all of the sheets in the room, spinning them around so she could scan them. They all fell with off-white whispers as Celestia focused on a single sheet, hovering it in front of Luna's muzzle.

In dark, scratching strokes, a huge dragon curled around a small pony; calculations and scribbled hoofwriting spiraled around the impromptu sketch.

"What is it?" The Lunar Princess cautioned, taking the sheet in her own magic to inspect it further.

"It's Staswirl's last spell." She grinned. "He was trying to merge dragons and ponies."

"And that means?"

The Princess's smile grew wider, and her wings half-opened excitedly. "He included the reversal spell."

Author's Notes:

Short chapter, hope you don't mind. Thanks for sticking with me.

Reuniting Kindness

Rainbow Dash flared her wings and landed at a trot, collapsing into the soft cloud with a exhausted sigh after a few steps. Twilight only felt a bit sorry for her, but then, she had called her a wimp for not wanting to land during the day.

The Alicorn clambered out of the basket, stretching her wings out with a few pops. She turned, channeling what little magic she had tamed into lifting Applejack's weak back legs out of the basket. Her horn sparked viciously, but her head only ached a little; an improvement she knew she'd remember.

Applejack looked around as Twilight's magic continued swirling around her hooves, holding her above the cloud layer. "R-Rainbow, could you-?"

The Pegasus looked up from the cloud, dashing over to carry Applejack as Twilight's magic wavered. "Sorry, Twi, keep forgetting you're not as strong as you used to be."

"S'alright." Twilight gently laid Applejack on Rainbow's back, taking a few moments to quell her nausea before looking up. "Okay. You said you saw where she went after school let out?"

"Yeah." Rainbow shrugged her shoulders, jostling Applejack into a more comfortable sprawl, and trotted off. "She went just down this road, and then took a left. Turn here and here, and then... hah!"

The Pegasus stopped in front of a wide wooden door, a building that stood out blandly among the white clouds. Twilight had to run her hoof down the wall, just to make sure.

Fluttershy had built her house, in a city made of clouds flying hundreds of feet above the ground, out of wood.

"I knew she was kind of eccentric, but..." Rainbow hesitated, took a deep breath, and rapped her hoof against the door.

Twilight shrank back as a beam of light lanced across Rainbow and Applejack. There was a sharp intake of breath, and the door slammed shut.

"Was that her?" Twilight whispered.

Rainbow frowned, but nodded. She knocked again.

"Nopony's home!" The familiar voice called out from inside. "Uh... this is a recording!"

"Fluttershy, let me in!" Rainbow tapped the door again, sighing. "Please, I know it's been a while, but-"

The door swung open, narrowly avoiding Rainbow's nose. "'But' nothing!" Fluttershy shouted. "The things you said after... after..."

"I didn't mean it." Rainbow pleaded. "I was drunk, and exhausted, and hurt, and..."

"So was I!" She blushed. "Well, not drunk..."

"Flutters..."

"Don't call me that." She hissed in a breath. "Come on in."

Rainbow looked over at Twilight, ears flicking. "Uh... Blossomforth, come on in."

Twilight looked behind her, searching for the mystery pony, before realizing it was her. She ducked her head, replying in what she hoped was close to Blossomforth's tone. "Be right there, Rainbow!"

Twilight ducked inside the doorway, barely getting her hindquaters out of the way before Fluttershy closed the door behind them. Almost immediately, a whole menagerie of critters peeled themselves from the walls and wandered out of their houses. The large majority of them clustered around Twilight, purring and hissing and rubbing against her.

"They seem to like you." Fluttershy muttered.

"Uh, yeah." Twilight pulled a hoof away from a particularly large snake.

"You sound like you have a cold. Do you want some soup?"

"Uh, no, I'm fine."

Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't keep all bundled up with a cold, it's better to get air."

Twilight backed away from her friend's helping hoof. "N-no! I'm okay!"

The edge of Fluttershy's hoof caught the knot in Twilight's cloak, and the thin string unraveled. Twilight stood, suddenly naked, in a pile of brown cloth.

Her eyes shot up to meet Fluttershy's terrified stare. "I-"

"You lied." She whispered.

"What?"

The butter-coated mare turned away from Twilight, looking at Rainbow for only a moment before turning away from them as well. "You lied to us."

"I had no choice."

"It was you who stole all of that food from my shed, wasn't it? I needed that, Twilight! I barely scraped through the month!"

"I'm sorry! I was starving!"

"So were all of the animals!" Fluttershy yelled, shrinking back the moment the words left her lips. "All you had to do was ask."

Twilight ducked her head, looking around the small room. "I'm sorry."

Fluttershy jutted out her chin as if to shout, but she slumped before she could will her anger into existance. Timidly, she drifted closer to Twilight, brushing her hoof against her wing as the Alicorn turned her head away.

"You're-"

"I know. I'm a monster." She muttered, closing her eyes.

"-filthy!" Fluttershy finished with a shout.

All three other heads in the room shot up. Twilight extended her wing. "You're not... terrified?"

"Why should I be?" She stretched out the bones, testing the strength of the skin between them. "After all, Spike's been helpi-"

"Spike's here?!" Twilight shouted, snapping her wing shut. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He tried going with the dragons, but they excluded him from everything, so he was forced to come back home or starve. When he couldn't find anypony at the library or the farm - it was about when Applejack was in the hospital - he came over to the cottage and caught me leaving. I took him with me." She took a deep breath, smiling. "He's been helping me with my fear of dragons, and my shyness."

"He's always been a helper." Twilight sighed. "You said he's be back?"

"He works the night shift at the local library, sorting books and keeping the place warm for any ponies who need a place to stay the night. He makes a great soup for anypony who needs it. Cloudsdale has more starving ponies than you'd think."

The four sat in silence, Twilight opening and closing her wings nervously.

Fluttershy broke the tension by flying into the next room, waving a hoof for Twilight to follow. She found herself in a cozy little bathroom, in the most literal sense of the word. There was a wide basin taking up the greater half of thee floor space, while the rest was towels and cleaning supplies. Fluttershy twisted the knobs at the edge of the dish, steaming water slowly filling from the tap opposite.

"You're going to... bathe me?"

Fluttershy nodded, smiling. "Your scales are tarnished. I don't think you've been caring for them properly."

Twilight clambered into the bath, submerging herself in the hot water. "I was dead, I come back to life without warning, and you're giving me a bath?"

Fluttershy nodded again. "Open your wing."

"A bath." Twilight repeated, stunned. She stretched open her wing, the water working wonders on the membrane. She nearly hissed with pleasure.

Fluttershy frowned. "You should wash your mane and tail too, but I think you can do that on your own."

"Uh, yeah. I'll do that." She ducked her head under the water, suddenly aware of how long it had been since she bathed. How on earth had her friends dealt with the stench?

When she surfaced, Fluttershy had a bristled brush strapped on either hoof, and was rubbing some kind of foam between them. "This won't hurt a bit." She promised. "Could you open your wing again, please?"

Twilight watched as she rubbed the brushes on either side of her wing, scrubbing dirt and dust away with ease. "I thought you'd freak out. This seems like more of a Rarity thing."

Fluttershy dipped her brushes in the water for a moment. "Well, ponies are animals just like bunnies and dragons are, and I'm an animal caretaker."

"But a bath?"

"The first step in discovering the depth of injuries." Fluttershy happily replied, running the damp brush over Twilight's soapy wing. "Oh, wow."

Twilight looked over her shoulder, trying to see what had stopped Fluttershy's gentle brushing. She found herself suddenly stunned. The scales on the back of her wing, formerly a dull shade of her coat, glimmered with rose sheen. Experimentally, she lifted her wing. The darker underside gleamed with the color of her mane highlights, a dark blue shimmering with purple and rose.

"Whoa." Twilight glanced between her wing and Fluttershy, noticeably stunned. "How did you-"

"It's the same product I use to clean the snakes." She squeaked, blushing. "I-I'll leave you to clean up."

Twilight watched her fly out of the room, and started to wash her own mane.

"-and we have no idea what she'll do!"

Twilight halted, the damp towel around her neck swinging as she leaned back from the doorway. Was that Fluttershy?

"Come on, Flutters, it'll be fine."

"You don't get it! Spike's all dragon, and even he has trouble controlling his instinct! Yesterday, he nearly burnt down the bedroom because he sneezed 'the wrong way'."

"What does that have to do with Twilight?" Rainbow Dash's voice had taken on an offended edge. "She's can't breathe fire!"

"I'm scared." Fluttershy muttered. "None of us know what she's capable of, not even her!"

"She's still Twilight." Rainbow hissed.

Fluttershy frowned, an almost audible action. "Our Twilight wouldn't last a day without using her magic. Our Twilight would have inspected every part of her dragon anatomy. She doesn't even know that she was dirty! Is that the Twilight we knew?"

"Give her time, Flutters, it'll-"

"She's had months." Hoof struck wood. "If doesn't know what she is now..."

Twilight's tail vanished through the small bathroom window, towel draped forgotten across the floor, as a pair of glimmering wings snapped open and carried their bearer out towards the pale moon.

Fluttershy sighed. "Then she never will."

Rainbow frowned, draping a wing over Applejack's sleeping form. "And what do you suppose we do?"

"We get her to the Princesses, and they find a solution. Or keep her under lock and key."

"They can't do that to Twilight!" Rainbow slammed a hoof down on the wood. "She's Celestia's prodigy, she's an Element of Harmony, and she's our friend!"

"She's also a dragon." Fluttershy pointed out. "One that's escaped the Princess's care, broken into numerous houses, stole hundreds of items, and is a public disturbance."

Rainbow cast her eyes to her hooves.

"I get that she was our friend." Fluttershy brushed a hoof against Rainbow's shoulder, but the latter mare showed no sign of feeling it. "But she's not Twilight any more."

A dark silhouette against the moon dipped through a silver-edged cloud, beginning an descent towards the towering spires of Canterlot. Almost unseen save for the light shimmering from their surfaces, a light dusting of glinting tears fell in her wake, and a dark Alicorn raced along as a lost shadow below.

The shy Pegasus set her mouth in a firm line. "Twilight has been gone since the day she died. I mourned her death then, and I miss her dearly, but our Twilight can't come back."

Rainbow stared up at her, jarred by her calmness. "Goodnight, Fluttershy."

Kindness watched silently as Loyalty, a dim red glow around every strand of fur and the tines of every feather, gently lifted Honesty from the floor and left the quiet house.

Author's Notes:

It's so great that I can write a blog post with very important information about this story in it, tag this story, and receive virtually no feedback.

I have been informed that the story tag on blog posts may not be working. For those who missed it, please check it out here.

Blue Eyes and Moonrise

Twilight was blearily aware that she was flying. As she came to, she realized her wings were not flapping, nor were the wide feathers on either side of her her own.

Luna checked over her shoulder, her gaze meeting Twilight's gleaming green eye. "Hello, Sparkle."

Twilight realized she should respond. Her mouth tasted like dust. "Luna?"

"She's falling!" Luna dove forward, barely snagging the falling pony's tail in her magic. "You two, go back to Celestia and tell her to summon the Elements!"

Two Night Guards, hidden in the long shadow cast by the rocks below, took wing, looping off behind her to soar off to Canterlot.

Luna dipped a wing under the limp Princess, rolling her onto her own back. "Oh, Princess Sparkle. I fear your journey is far from over."

"I have been following you for quite a while, little one. You're lucky I was here when you fell."

"Fell?"

"Exhaustion." Luna clarified. "You fell asleep."

"Oh." Twilight sighed, dropping her chin onto Luna's shoulder with a sigh. "Why didn't you just let me fall? Nopony would have missed me."

"My sister would have. The other Elements would have. Spike would have. Your brother and your parents would have. All the ponies who mourned for you would have."

"They already thought I was dead. Let it stay that way."

Luna's breath caught in her throat for a moment before she was able to reply. "I know how you feel."

Twilight frowned. "You're not a monster."

"And the dark mare that overthrew the sun for her own gain was not myself?" Luna laughed softly. "The time since my return has lessened your memories, I see."

"But you weren't an... an abomination!"

"Of course the Alicorn, with pelt dark as night and feathers sharp as daggers was not a monster, despite her fangs, dragon's eyes and nebulous hair." Luna's eyes closed in memory as her wings tilted to catch a thermal. "Tell me, Sparkle, what between us is so different?"

The air between them grew sharp with tension as Twilight hissed in a breath.

"You had a chance to be redeemed." The kirin whispered.

Luna rose past the last of the clouds, nothing above the two but the wide expanse of night and a sea of glittering stars. The moon shone low on the opposite horizon, a beacon shining bright against the stark lines of the Unicorn Mountains.

"Do you know what your job was meant to be?"

Twilight shook her head.

"You were meant to be the Princess of Stars. You were the link between my sister's day and my own night. You were destined from the day you got your Cutie Mark to aid in my daily burden. You were to paint the stars."

"So?"

Luna flinched, eyes narrowing momentarily. "Sparkle, do you know what stars are?"

"Well, there's never been anything in the textbooks, but I from extensive research, I think I've discovered that they are giant balls of burning gas floating in space millions of miles away."

"They're the souls of the lost." Luna replied sharply. "Every single pony, when they die, is given a place in the sky so they can look down upon the ones they love, and the ones they love can look back. Wishing on stars is only fruitful when the star you wished on was somepony you loved."

Twilight frowned, mentally dismissing hours upon hours of studies and telescope adjustment.

"The Princess of Stars is the pony who guides the lost souls into the heavens, and brings the wishes of those in mourning to their lost loves."

"I'm the Grim Reaper?"

Luna continued, ignoring her. "There were many wishes addressed to you that night, many confessions and stories. The amount of ponies who wished you good passing were nearly overwhelmed by tales of ponies who found themselves strangely related to your pain.

"Ponies who had been marred by accidents, who had befallen tragedy, who had thought themselves triumphant before losing everything, who had lost. They all told the stars that they wanted you to be happy in their stead, because they were ordinary and they could bear their hurt. I had to gather every 'wish' and bring them back down the earth to keep from losing them."

Twilight frowned, but something she hadn't felt for a long time flared up in her chest.

"The thing is, Sparkle," Luna concluded, "I think Equestria needs you more than you know."

The two flew on in silence, Luna slowly turning and flying back towards Canterlot.

"Fluttershy thinks I'm a monster." Twilight blurted.

Luna nodded. "She is hurt more than you know. She wished for you to come back that night, and has wished every night since. But she has always wished for you the way you were. She may not have told you, but she was insulted so much for being 'different' as a filly that she wanted no other pony to bear that burden. She wants you imprisoned for your own good."

"But-"

"Her actions may be misguided, but her heart is in the right place. Give her time."

Twilight gently spread her wings, crouching precariously on the Lunar Princess's back. She dipped willingly, and Twilight flew up above her, dropping down to match her pace once her wings warmed up.

"How much time, Luna? How will I know when she's accepted me the way I am?"

Luna frowned pensively. "Maybe the same amount you gave her to think you were gone."

With that, she dipped a wing and banked lower towards Canterlot, leaving Twilight scrambling to keep up in her wake.

Celestia smiled gently as two ponies she had come to know very well were ushered into the room.

One looked somewhat disheveled by the rapid travel and probably her inability to pack fully, and was running a small comb through her mane to try and tame it. The other looked at the ground.

"Miss Rarity, Miss Pinkamena."

Rarity looked up, promptly bowing. Pinkie simply tilted her head so her mane hung further over her face.

"I know your travel here was rather impromptu, but please allow yourselves each a room in the guest suites and stay the night. There is an announcement tomorrow that you may wish to hear."

The Solar Princess had to withhold calling out as the two ponies softly left the room, absently following a mare who had come to guide them to their rooms.

Twilight landed on Luna's balcony, the Princess having given her no other place to fly to. She settled, claws wrapped around the railing, and waited for Luna to open the doors inside.

Instead, she trotted over to a large telescope, fiddled some dials, and began scanning the sky.

"What are you doing?"

Luna glanced up, scribbling down notes in a small pad beside the telescope. "I'm checking my sky."

"For what?"

"Anything, really." Luna leaned forward into the eyepiece. "My sister's day has a cluttered schedule, but not many ponies need court at night."

Twilight loosened her claws on the metal bars, spreading her wings to balance better. "So you just sit out here, all the time?"

"Just most of it. Sometimes I vanquish nightmares, sometimes I read, sometimes I try to find cats in the city."

"Cats?"

"Sister likes them." Luna clarified. "They aren't allowed in the official courtrooms, but they've nearly infested everywhere else."

The two sat in silence, Twilight shuffling around until she shared the same slice of night that Luna's telescope did. The gentlest edges of dawn seemed to creep up in no time at all, and Luna finally yawned and allowed Twilight into her quarters.

Luna's room was a dark blue, speckled with pale spots of white that Twilight quickly noticed had been painted to glow in the dark. Dim bookshelves lined most of the room, and a large star map covered the wall opposite Luna's bed. She didn't have too much time to gape, however, as Luna quickly shoved her out into the hallway with a dark blue robe.

"Sister wants you to join her for a private meeting today. She'll meet you in the Royal Archives at noon."

Twilight pulled on the cloak - momentarily wondering how something so thick could be so light - and trotted down the hallway, book radar in full swing.

Pinkie's ears flicked up as somepony knocked on her door. "Hello?"

"I'm kind of lost, and, um..."

Pinkie blew a strand of long, straight hair out of her face and got up, trotting over to see just who could get lost with so many guards around. She opened the door.

"Oh, um, Pinkie!" Fluttershy took a step back. "H-hello!"

"Fluttershy?"

Three more ponies appeared from the hidden hallway, each grinning. "Surprise!"

"Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Rarity?!" Pinkie's mane quickly inflated as she smiled with them. "It's been five-ever, like forever but longer!"

Rarity laughed. "I couldn't resist not giving you a party of your own. You looked so upset last night."

"I didn't even know you guys were here!" Rainbow laughed. "I thought Rarity's room was my one."

"So you guys all met up without me?" Pinkie threatened to frown, and Applejack's head shook.

"Nah, we only found each other a coupl'a minutes ago."

Still, Pinkie's smile wavered. "I just wish Twilight was here too..."

The two Pegasi exchanged a quick glance as Applejack sighed. "Pinkie, there's something we have to tell you."

"Are you five the Elements of Harmony?" A pegasus guard flew down the hallway, armor glinting. "The Princess has requested your presence at breakfast."

Applejack cast a meaningful look towards Pinkie, but nodded. Without another word, the guard turned and led them away down the hallway.

"Are you Miss Twilight Twinkle?"

Twilight glanced over at the librarian, an old mare who was leaning precariously over her desk. "Yes, I am."

The mare smiled. "Well, the Princess has granted you free range over the library for today. I wanted to stay behind, but she says that it's high time for me to take a vacation. Read whatever you want, dearie, but make sure no young rapscallions get their hooves on the books!"

Twilight watched as the mare teetered out into the hallway, shutting the door with a soft click.

"Hm. I get to sit alone in a library all day?" She looked around at the faded shelves, the musty air clinging to her muzzle. "Yay!"

"I wouldn't say 'alone', Twilight Twinkle."

She glanced up, seeing a particularly familiar gray head peering over one of the shelves. "Discord. I forgot they keep you here."

He laughed. "Didn't even need the three guesses I was about to give you! How's my favorite little monster doing, hm?"

"Leave me alone." Twilight sighed, trotting past him.

"That's rather harsh."

"Fine. You can stay if you help me out."

Discord frowned. "Helping's not really my thing, you know."

"I needed to access the Starswirl the Bearded wing."

"Hm, it'd be way more fun to watch you do it yourself."

Twilight raised her eyebrows. "Chaos magic."

"I'm in."

Author's Notes:

Don't worry, he's here for a reason.

Spells and Speeches

THWACK

Discord's head lurched into the shelf as a book flew away from the purple Alicorn with a brief burst of magic. "No no no no no!"

"Could you be a little more careful?" He growled, glaring at her and her teetering pile of books.

"They're all gone! Every spell with anything to do with dragons! Gone!" She threw herself down on the pile, pages and a few smaller editions flying up in her wake. "If you ate them, I swear to her holy flank I will strangle them out of you."

He stuck out his tongue, taking out a random book from the shelf and changing it's cover. "I don't want any of your educational junk. Tastes like school and roadkill."

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Twilight cast a glance along the shelves she hadn't ransacked, seeing nothing but familiar covers.

"I assure you," he tapped a shelf, turning the spines of the books on it into a bound rainbow, "nothing I've seen says anything about your particular problem."

Twilight pounced from her tower, blocking another set of color-changes with a hoof. "Stop that!"

Discord promptly turned her green and vanished.

"Ugh!" She shook her head in a vain attempt to get the color off, but only got dizzy.

Halfway across the castle, Discord appeared behind the latest Griffon Ambassador. Celestia gaped at him from the other side of the table.

He grinned. "Let's fly to the castle~ teeheehee!"

"I wonder why the Princess wanted us all together today."

Applejack stumbled, looking everywhere but at Rarity. "Ah - don't - quite - reckon - either."

Rarity glanced over. "Applejack, dear, are you alright?"

"She's fine." Rainbow interrupted, flying up between the two ponies.

There was the loud noise of breaking glass, and a small flurry of off-white pages exploded out of a window nearby. Pinkie and Rarity gaped as the rest of the group exchanged glances.

"Um, girls, there's something you should know." Fluttershy whispered. "Tw-"

"Get back here!" A breeze started up, sending pages drifting away over the castle gardens. Two green hooves scrabbled at the windowledge before hauling out a Kirin's body. Twilight spread her wings and growled at the breeze, watching countless spells flutter away on the wind. "That stupid draconequus. When he get's back, I'll-"

"Um... Twilight?"

"Fluttershy?!" Twilight jumped, bumping into the other side of the window and falling back on her rump, draconic talons waving in front of her belly. "Uh, girls. Girls! Hi!"

Rarity fainted.

Pinkie stared at her in wonder, her pupils growing steadily larger. "I knew my twitchy-tail-jumpy-feet-ear-flick when I got here had to mean something!"

Twilight hopped down from the window and embraced her friend, sighing as she noticed her color hadn't faded. "I'm not normally green."

"Of course not!" Pinkie snuggled into Twilight's shoulder. "Then I would have had a nose itch too!"

None of them really noticed the draconequus being tossed from a balcony above, nor the angry yells of a Griffon as he watched him fall.

"Girls, I... I'm so sorry." Twilight backed away from Pinkie, ducking her head. As if in recompense, her color was beginning to return to normal. "I left all of you, and... and..."

"Twilight, don't worry about it! You're here now, and that's what counts." Pinkie smiled. "I'm sure everyone else feels the same way."

"Rarity's unconscious." Twilight pointed out.

Pinkie shrugged, hugging her friend again. "She does that."

Rarity snipped through a series of stars with a grimace. Twilight shifted slightly under the fabric, awkwardly shuffling her wing into the gap created.

"That's much better. Thank you."

"It's the least I could do, darling!" Rarity folded the rough cut, resewing it for a much softer edge. "You could have come to me sooner, before all of this got out of hoof."

"I know I should have. I was just so scared of everybody, so scared of... scared of myself. I was afraid I'd hurt somepony."

"It's okay, Twilight." Rarity placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder, smiling. "I'm just glad that you still picked me to alter your gala dress, even though you could have had anypony in Canterlot!"

"What, and have some random mare ruin your hard work?" Twilight smiled, stretching out her wings. "I wouldn't dare!"

"My little ponies, you have all witnessed the fate befallen Twilight Sparkle." Celestia's gentle smile seemed earnest as ever, a true happiness shining through on the five ponies below. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"I'd never forgive myself if I didn't." Applejack tilted her chin up, smiling, an orange glow shining around her.

Rainbow puffed out her chest, a red halo shimmering over her. "I couldn't leave my favourite Alicorn hangin'. Uh, sorry, Princess."

"Of course! Twilight shouldn't have to be all sad!" Pinkie beamed, a soft blue light radiating from her coat.

"What greater gift could we give her than ourselves?" Rarity replied, white luminescence filling the air around her.

Fluttershy hesitated before meeting the Princess's soft gaze. "I said a lot of horrible things about Twilight while she was gone." A dim pink glow started to blossom over her coat. "I judged her by what I saw, not what she was. I... I'm ready."

Celestia nodded, looking to Princess Cadence and Princess Luna on either side of her. They lit their horns as one.

"Well then, my little ponies, it's time to fulfill your destinies."

"They said they'd be here!" Twilight whimpered, scuffing a hoof. "I can't do this without them."

"Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

She turned, her altered gala gown fluttering at her heels as she faced the Guard. "Yes?"

"It is time for you to speak. The crowds are getting anxious."

She took a deep breath, turning back to the large door ahead. "Of course."

With a second pause for courage, she pressed her front hooves to the door and pushed. The bright light from the risen sun blinded her momentarily, spots fading into the distant faces of tens, hundreds, thousands of ponies looking back. The crowd stilled with an eerie hush.

Twilight walked to the edge of the balcony, spreading her wings and tilting her chin to some point in the sky above.

"Ponies of Equestria!" She jerked her head down, jumping from face to face, halting occasionally to stare into news cameras. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I am Princess of the Stars! Months ago, I was transformed and outcast by an accident, followed and predated by hate for my ascension."

She surveyed the crowd again, finding the wondered, terrified stares of foals mixed into the increasingly disturbed faces of older ponies.

"I was told that I was not worthy. I was told that I, personal student of Princess Celestia and Element of Magic, was not worthy! Tell me, who would you rather have? Discord? Nightmare Moon? Queen Chrysalis? Tell me, ponies, what is worthy?"

The crowd remained silent, and Twilight took a moment to let the echoes of her voice fade.

"You have been lied to of my demise. I have lied, stolen and snuck my way back to Canterlot, where I have recovered. I am not proud of my failures, but I had no other ways to return. I was never perfect."

Mutters had broken out, cameras were flashing. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I am just like you."

The predicted yelling and turmoil broke out. Foals cried as older ponies yelled around them. Cameras flashed, words were jotted down. Twilight turned her head sideways, turning her scales to the crowd. She was to bear through, as Celestia had instructed. She was to wait, and hold on.

Screams broke out. Ponies were charging, Pegasi taking to the air and racing towards the balcony. Guards took from their posts, tackling most of the attackers back to the ground. A single stallion got through, rage filling his eyes and speeding his wings.

Twilight faced him with dignity, making no move to flee or defend himself. Only a few seconds of doubt crossed his face before a pair of dragon's wings filled the space between them, despite the fact Twilight had not moved.

Author's Notes:

Short chapter, oops. Sorry if some parts seem rather rushed, I wasn't quite sure how to expand them.

Everything is Going to be Fine

Twilight took a few steps back as a pale blue bat-winged pony landed on the edge of the balcony, front legs having wrapped around her attacker mid-charge. The pony spun and slammed him into the stone, holding him down with a back hoof as she flared her wings for balance.

As she spread her wings, the light refracted through thousands of small pearly scales on the underside of her wings, coating them in dancing rainbows. Pale blue scales raced down from the base of the wing to her shoulders, dappling her cerulean coat with a darker blue. She looked up through a multi-hued forelock, thin draconic pupils hovering over rose irises. Her rainbow tail flicked around her Cutie Mark.

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight whispered.

The mare dropped down to all fours, balancing on the back of the pony she had blocked. She folded her wings, tossing her mane behind her split-tipped ears with a grin. Short fangs gleamed in her smile. "The one and only."

"S-sorry we're late, Twilight." A second batpony landed beside Rainbow, edging her butter-yellow hooves around Rainbow's victim as her pink-scaled wings fluttered anxiously. "T-there was a lot of yelling, and we-we couldn't really get through."

Twilight turned at the familiar sound of claws on stone, seeing the last of her five friends. Applejack stood tall, her front half seemingly normal save for her eyes and ears, which mimicked those of the Pegasi. Her hind end, however, was almost fully scaled, and her broken back hooves had turned to a pair of talons, standing without the need for some cart. Beside her, Pinkie hopped around in small circles, her claws being the ones scraping obnoxiously as she pranced. Rarity ducked her head in respect beside them, one side of her face and her whole back coated in glittering silver scales. Her horn twisted in a more controlled spiral than Twilight's but it was visibly different. Her eyes and ears, along with Pinkie's, had changed as well.

"Twilight, that horrible colt didn't get to you, did he?" Rarity galloped over, fangs glinting as she pouted and fussed over the nearly unconscious pony still pinned under Rainbow.

"N-no, I'm fine, but you girls-"

"We gave up less than you did." Applejack interrupted, walking up to her and giving her a friendly shove. "Ah even gained a bit."

"Don't worry at all, Twily-wily!" Pinkie grinned, skidding over. "Claws are super-duper fun!"

"G-girls... you... you did this for me?" Tears streaked down Twilight's muzzle, and she fell onto her haunches. "Y-you... you..."

"We're not the only ones." Pinkie smiled. "So many ponies came out of that crowd after it got hostile! There's a whole wall of ponies blocking entry to the castle, and even more are grounding the hostile Pegasi! The guards are being way way way outdone!"

The sky rocked with a crack of thunder and filled with bright flames, a second roll mixing dashes and streaks of ice and night between the dancing tendrils.

"Ponies of Equestria, halt!" Princess Celestia landed with a crash on the edge of the balcony, coat glowing gold with the flames from her mane. A second mare, similar to Nightmare Moon save for her official Regalia, landed beside her, dancing with wisps of shadow.

Luna raised her voice above the crackling skies above. "Save your judgement, Celestia!"

The flames above died down, and Celestia seemed to shrink and cool back to her normal self. Luna did the same. "Continue, sister."

Celestia turned a wrathful gaze on the assembled ponies. "What in the heavens above made you decide to turn your anger on an innocent pony? You are lucky your fellow ponies stood up against you in the skies and at the gates, or my judgement would not have been so easily repelled."

Luna trotted back to Twilight, helping her to her hooves and beckoning the other five to come stand with her.

Celestia waved a hoof at the group. "Her friends sacrificed nothing to stand by her side. They are the same ponies they always were. They are no more monsters than she is, or than I am."

The crowd, shocked into silence, muttered and growled, but more and more ponies showed shocked recognition.

"I will not force you to accept her, but there will be responses to acts of violence, as there always have been." Celestia took a step back, letting the six mares take her place. With a flourish, she summoned the Elements and gently placed them around their owners' necks.

Twilight felt nothing short of amazement as Celestia placed her crown on her head.

"Behold, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of the Stars!"

And the crowd erupted in shocked and stupefied cheers.

Twilight wound her way down the spiraling steps, smiling at the ponies who looked rather worse for wear. The guards had withheld any ponies who had helped protect her, but many of them had slipped away into the crowd, not wanting recognition for basic kindness.

She knew most of the remaining faces from Ponyville. The mailmare, Derpy Hooves, her little sister between her wings; Rose, going from bashful to flat-out shocked as she realized she had seen Twilight after the accident; Lyra and Bon-Bon, leaning on each others' shoulders as they rested wounded limbs.

She thanked them hurriedly, shaking hooves and smiling, and rushed past them into the main lobby of the castle. A few VIPs had been waiting for her for quite a while.

She skidded to a stop - she'd pay to fix those scrapes later - and grinned, shaking her mane into a semblance of 'place'. "Mom, dad, Shiny, Spike."

Her parents, misty-eyed, smiled and withheld sobs, Shining managing to choke out 'it's liquid pride' before breaking down. Spike ran over, wrapping her into a hug.

"You'e grown so much." She whispered, hugging him back.

He sniffled, looking up at her. "You've changed more."

"I guess so." She muttered, wrapping him in an even tighter hug. "I'm so sorry, Spike. It was never your fault."

He cried, burying his head into her neck. "I-I-I thought you were d-d-d-d-d..."

"Sh, sh." Twilight sat back on her haunches, rocking him gently. "It's okay." She looked up, locking eyes with her parents and her brother, and her friends arriving on the scene. Celestia, Luna and Cadence watched from a respectful distance away, a small book with a dragon-wing insignia floating in Celestia's magic as she glanced over to a small crowd. A few ponies had already been given their new status, marked by scales and slitted pupils. The Guards stood at attention, the Nocte Pegasi joining them as the sun began to set.

Twilight nuzzled Spike's back, small wings fluttering at her touch. "Everything is going to be just fine."

Author's Notes:

COMING SOON
A TRUE, TRUE FRIEND

Thanks to all of your who held through the hiatus, and sorry for the short final chapter. I hope you were all pleased with this ending, and I hope you will all stay tuned for the sequel mentioned above! Once again, thanks for all reads, watches, favourites and comments - without you guys, this story would have never gotten to where it is today.

Deleted Scene 1: Twilight's Speech

The crowd, shocked into silence, muttered and growled, but more and more ponies showed shocked recognition.
"I will not force you to accept her, but there will be responses to acts of violence, as there always have been." Celestia took a step back, letting the six mares take her place. With a flourish, she summoned the Elements and gently placed them around their owners' necks.
Twilight felt nothing short of amazement as Celestia placed her crown on her head.
"Behold, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of the Stars!"

The crowd shuffled, withholding any major reaction. Twilight saw Celestia's expression falter into anger as the neutrality drew on, and she placed a hoof on her mentor's shoulder.

"I can do this myself." Twilight whispered.

Celestia nodded, taking a step back.

"Ponies of Equestria." Twilight shouted over the stunned crowd. "I know you have wanted me out of this place ever since I started my ascension. I know some of you enjoyed that fact that I was dead, if only because I did not rule you."

She cast a glaze over the audience, trying to gauge a reaction.

"The truth is, I didn't think I could do it either. I was just a pony, after all. I never thought I could measure up to what my mentor had done.

"I realize now, standing here, that I was never a regular pony. I was raised by the Crystal Princess, mentored by the Princess of the Sun, and fulfilled the Element of Magic when I saved the Princess of the Moon and Equestria. I defeated and aided in Discord's fall and redemption, and was a key piece in the defeat of the Changelings and the fall of King Sombra."

She stomped a hoof on the balcony, the sound ringing out over the silence.

"And you dare to call me unworthy?!" She summoned a newspaper from her caves, waving it towards the crowd. "You dared to call me 'Celestia's pet'? Who is to be more worthy of leading you than the sixth element?"

She tilted her chin up, glaring at the newsponies below. "I will have you know that I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of the Stars.

"And I am nobody's pet."

Author's Notes:

There's a few of these that didn't fit when I was writing the full story, so I'll be adding them as 'deleted scenes'. I hope you don't mind.

A True, True Friend has been released!

Canterlot bustled with the regular chatter of market day. Ponies busied themselves with haggling and chatting, and a few guards even snuck away to take off their armor and fraternize. Among the Unicorns, Earth Ponies and Pegasi, a few different types of ponies mingled.

On the left, sitting on a bench with an shading tree, a thestral couple snuggled, bat-like wings wrapped around each other. Walking past them, a Griffon with a red crest bickered happily with an undisguised Changeling. The fountain in the middle of the square splashed onto the ponies nearby as the small school of seaponies inside played under the warm sun. A small group of dragons sat on the edge, alternating between eating and tossing in gemstones for the seaponies.

On the corner, Twilight Sparkle sat inside a small cafe, her scaled back shimmering in the summer's light. Rainbow Dash frowned at the other side of the table, letting out an exasperated snort and flaring her draconic wings as she tossed her cards down. Applejack grinned, fangs flashing, and scooped up the pile of sugar packets between them. Rarity eyed them with disdain, using a small brush to shine the dirt off of her scaled hooves. Fluttershy gently sipped at a cup of tea, wbat-like wings shuffling as Pinkie tested the sharpness of her claws on the legs of the table.

Twilight's attention jerked away from the ponies outside as Pinkie's side of the table collapsed, leg having been fully clawed through. "Pinkie!"

"Sorry, Twilight. I guess my claws are super-duper sharp!" She pulled her hind legs up, flexing her claws in front of her face. "Same as always!"

"Consarnit, Pinkie, you're gonna dry up the treasury if you keep clawing through things! Can't you get a scratching post or something?" Applejack caught the sliding sugar packets with one hoof, only half-glaring at the party pony.

Rainbow grinned, flapping her wings as she stood up on her hind legs, sweeping the packets from Applejack's hoof and collecting them at her place. "I win!"

"Hey!" Applejack turned, snorting at Rainbow. "Stop that!"

Rarity rolled her eyes, levitating a napkin in her magic to help Fluttershy dab up her tea. The winged Kirin whimpered softly as Rarity's magic sparked, holding through sheer will. "Girls, please, we're in public."

"Rarity's right." Twilight added, re-folding her bat-like wings and levitating her spoon. She waved the utensil at her friends, frowning. "We should all be on our best behavior. And Pinkie, I'm taking the cost of this table from your allowance."

Pinkie sighed. "Yes, Twilight."

One of the stranger species in Canterlot trotted up to the table, frowning at the damage. Twilight knew her from many afternoon visits, and the Mountain Pony was relatively friendly, most of the time.

The long-haired mare tossed her curled mane from her eyes, a front hoof tapping on the tile. "Sparkle. Yur friends have bin causing mur damage than gud in hir."

"I-I know, Mist. I'll pay for it all."

"With tip?" The pony tilted her chin up haughtily, a friendly twinkle returning to her eyes.

"With a tip." Twilight relented.

The mare trotted away, long tail sweeping over the floor. Four of her hooves kept her steady while she gathered cups from other customers with her first pair.

"Who's that?" Pinkie asked, kicking up the edge of the table and sticking a napkin box underneath to hold it up. "She acted like she knew you."

"I come down here a lot. It's quiet, and gives me a chance to keep from being gawked at. Her name's Mist; she's one of the Northern Mountain ponies. They have six legs so they can steady themselves better when they climb." Twilight set her spoon down, not having noticed she was still carrying it. "But really, Pinkie, you can't kick tables like you used to, okay?"

Pinkie pouted, slouching with her chin on the table.

The door opened behind them, and a small group of armored guards trotted in. They located Twilight quickly, surrounding the table. "Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Yes?" Twilight stood up, glancing to her friends for them to do the same.

"The Princesses have requested your audience. Trouble is brewing in the south."