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It Still Rises
It was unusually quiet in Canterlot this morning, as it had been for the past few days. Besides her own slow breaths, preparing herself for her coming duties, all Twilight could hear were the faint hoofsteps of guards patrolling the halls and the serene chirping of birds in the castle garden, just outside the open window. The calm was comforting; Princess Celestia had been away for a week now, along with Princess Luna, and Twilight assumed that the city would have been in a panic without them.
She’d been worried when she first received the message, asking her to take their place in the cycle of day and night. For how long, they couldn’t say, but they had no shortage of praise and support for her. A few years ago she had done it, when Tirek’s rampage put the other Princesses’ powers under her protection, but her performance then left much to be desired. Still, it was needed now, and for the past six days, she left the silence of her room at dawn and dusk to perform her duties.
The act was taxing, draining most of her strength, and so the rest of her time was spent resting and reading, hoping that she could find a reason or answer in the pile of letters and books that littered Celestia’s desk. For now, however, she stared down at her crown, hoping that it could be the last time she’d need to wear it. Surely this morning would be the one where they would return, with praise and comfort, and the skies would be clear.
Her prayers were interrupted by a familiar knock at the door. Twilight did not need to turn to open the door, and see Spike standing in the doorway once again with a watch gripped in his claws and an exhausted look on his face. Before he could begin to speak, she picked up the crown and placed it on her head. It was so light, much lighter than it had any right to be. “I know, Spike,” she said, walking away from the desk and through the door, “you can go back to sleep if you want.” Spike didn’t respond, following beside Twilight as he stared down at the watch.
As Twilight walked through the dimly-lit halls of the castle, she made note of how few guards there were left compared to when she and Spike had arrived. Most of them had claimed illness or injury, but there were a few that had been honest: wanting to spend time with their families. She couldn’t deny them that; she didn’t need them here, for nothing more than watching empty halls and rooms. Still, she thanked each one she passed, reminding them that they could leave at any time.
After a few minutes, she reached the door to the balcony, just outside the throne room. She took deep breaths, trying to clear her mind of the doubt that kept welling up. Things were only calm in Canterlot because so many had fled to the west. If any of them had stayed and clamored for a solution, Twilight might have cracked on her first day. Thankfully, all she had to do for them was her duty.
She opened the door with her magic, and stepped out into the cold dark outside. The moon shone as brightly as it could manage, cut into a crescent shape by the looming dark orb in front of it, now easily taking up half of the eastern horizon. A month ago, it had just been a black speck in a telescope, unnoticed by everyone but the most astute stargazers. Two weeks ago, it was the size of a star in the night sky, but it devoured the light of those close to it and darkened the day. That was when the Princesses had taken notice. They assured Twilight it was nothing, but a week later it was half the size of the moon, always visible to the east, growing larger by the day.
That was when the public started to panic and worry, and the Princesses left to try and stop it. Twilight hadn’t heard anything since then, and part of her knew she never would.
Closing her eyes, trying to ignore the dark titan of awesome size, hurtling closer to them by the second, Twilight lowered the moon and rose the sun high into the sky to peek over the black edge, and shed its bleak light over a doomed world.
She’d been worried when she first received the message, asking her to take their place in the cycle of day and night. For how long, they couldn’t say, but they had no shortage of praise and support for her. A few years ago she had done it, when Tirek’s rampage put the other Princesses’ powers under her protection, but her performance then left much to be desired. Still, it was needed now, and for the past six days, she left the silence of her room at dawn and dusk to perform her duties.
The act was taxing, draining most of her strength, and so the rest of her time was spent resting and reading, hoping that she could find a reason or answer in the pile of letters and books that littered Celestia’s desk. For now, however, she stared down at her crown, hoping that it could be the last time she’d need to wear it. Surely this morning would be the one where they would return, with praise and comfort, and the skies would be clear.
Her prayers were interrupted by a familiar knock at the door. Twilight did not need to turn to open the door, and see Spike standing in the doorway once again with a watch gripped in his claws and an exhausted look on his face. Before he could begin to speak, she picked up the crown and placed it on her head. It was so light, much lighter than it had any right to be. “I know, Spike,” she said, walking away from the desk and through the door, “you can go back to sleep if you want.” Spike didn’t respond, following beside Twilight as he stared down at the watch.
As Twilight walked through the dimly-lit halls of the castle, she made note of how few guards there were left compared to when she and Spike had arrived. Most of them had claimed illness or injury, but there were a few that had been honest: wanting to spend time with their families. She couldn’t deny them that; she didn’t need them here, for nothing more than watching empty halls and rooms. Still, she thanked each one she passed, reminding them that they could leave at any time.
After a few minutes, she reached the door to the balcony, just outside the throne room. She took deep breaths, trying to clear her mind of the doubt that kept welling up. Things were only calm in Canterlot because so many had fled to the west. If any of them had stayed and clamored for a solution, Twilight might have cracked on her first day. Thankfully, all she had to do for them was her duty.
She opened the door with her magic, and stepped out into the cold dark outside. The moon shone as brightly as it could manage, cut into a crescent shape by the looming dark orb in front of it, now easily taking up half of the eastern horizon. A month ago, it had just been a black speck in a telescope, unnoticed by everyone but the most astute stargazers. Two weeks ago, it was the size of a star in the night sky, but it devoured the light of those close to it and darkened the day. That was when the Princesses had taken notice. They assured Twilight it was nothing, but a week later it was half the size of the moon, always visible to the east, growing larger by the day.
That was when the public started to panic and worry, and the Princesses left to try and stop it. Twilight hadn’t heard anything since then, and part of her knew she never would.
Closing her eyes, trying to ignore the dark titan of awesome size, hurtling closer to them by the second, Twilight lowered the moon and rose the sun high into the sky to peek over the black edge, and shed its bleak light over a doomed world.