The two mares gazed at each other with their own measures of guilt and despair for what seemed like an eternity.

Twilight Sparkle had resorted to crying into her hooves once more, unable to deal with the consequences and the sheer disappointment expressed in Celestia’s eyes. Twilight's heart bled as fast as her eyes and her whimpering would not cease for a moment, fearful that she too would meet a similar fate as Nightmare Moon.

She would be banished.

Or worse.

Princess Celestia found her body heavy and numb. As if she no longer controlled or felt it; for her lies and deceit has wrought an outcome she could never had expected.

Celestia could deal with other ponies finding out the truth. by simply disposing them much like she had did Raven... but this?

For once in her life Celestia felt as if she had not a clue what to do, for Twilight Sparkle had wielded magical powers that was strictly taboo and rightfully banished for a very specific reason. Powers that were punishable by death or banishment into the darkest depths Tartarus.

Even Celestia herself would never stoop so low as to use Black Magic for any reason, knowing full well of its corruptible properties and ability to twist even the most kindest of ponies into the cruelest of monsters.

Why? Celestia lamented. Why has this happened to us?

“I… did not want to believe it when I heard about what had happened… none of it made sense to me. There is only one pony adept in magic able to pull off such a feat of reanimation and I really wanted to believe it was Nurse Redheart who had done the deed, but… I just knew, Twilight Sparkle, I just… knew… it was you...”

Celestia took a hoofstep forward, her mind reeling from the stench of Black Magic practically oozing out of Twilight Sparkle’s body. The corruption of the mare’s eyes an all too familiar sign for the Princess.

She had lost one pony before to its allure of power.

And now? She had lost another.

However unlike last time, this was all her fault.

If she had spared Raven's life then none of this would had happened.

“You still have it, don’t you?”

Twilight Sparkle lowered her hooves from her face, nodding silently as she chewed on her trembling lower lip, her eyes glancing to the bedside cabinet where she had hidden the root of her downfall.

That damnable tome she had stolen from Celestia's bedroom.

As Celestia approached the bed cautiously, her eyes glanced to the cabinet and then back to Twilight’s face.

Should practically feel that infernal book drawing her attention towards the cabinet, as if it longed to be read.

“It’s going to be okay.” Celestia soothed, lifting a hoof to touch the mare’s wet muzzle.

However, Twilight Sparkle recoiled from the hoof as it had scolded her, shifting further along the bed from Celestia’s touch.

“D-don’t touch me… I’m… I’m… disgusting."

An inner, unbearable pain caused Celestia’s eyes to squint, unable to fully absorb her student's conviction in her self observation. “Twilight—”

“I-I don’t deserve it… I don't.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Celestia whispered, lowering her hoof reluctantly. “Twilight, don't worry, we can fix this—”

“Fix it? That’s the very reason why I am in this mess in the first place! I shouldn’t had meddled with magics beyond my control—I should had never even thought I was capable—I murdered two ponies! I… I… to Nurse Redheart… and now, you know the truth...” Twilight Sparkle leaned up in the bed, panting heavily as stared at her pillow. “I’m a monster. I deserve to be locked away—no, worse… I should be banished for what I did!”

“If there is anypony that should be punished for their crimes, it is I, Twilight Sparkle.” Princess Celestia slipped into the bed, embracing the panicked mare against her chest.

"No... no you can't—"

“This is all my fault.” Celestia took a deep breath as she felt Twilight Sparkle nuzzle against her, trembling like a foal frightened by a nightmare that plagued her sleep.

“W-what do you mean?” Twilight tilted her head to stare up at Celestia, clearly not following what the Princess had just said.

As she gazed back down into those eyes, Celestia’s gentle smile faltered. “ You have nopony to blame but me. If I had not had killed Raven, none of this would had happened.”

“You can’t blame yourself for my mistakes... I was the one who—”

“I can,” Princess Celestia kissed the top of her head, “and I will. Don’t worry, Twilight Sparkle. I am not going to let anything bad happen to you. Nopony will ever know the truth, that much I promise.”

“But,” Twilight Sparkle pushed Celestia back, breaking the embrace, gazing up at her in disbelief, “I-I can’t live with myself knowing what I had done. I just… I just can’t! It’s wrong. It’s not what I believe in; it’s not what you had taught me! Those who commit crimes must be brought to justice—I must be punished for my actions. I... I willingly used forbidden magics... you didn't make me!”

“No.” Celestia firmly shook Twilight Sparkle. “I will not condemn you. I will not punish you when you were not in a right frame of mind. It is the Black Magic’s fault that you went as far as you did. It twisted your perception, it—”

“Was my choice!” Twilight wept. “I killed them! I-if you won’t punish me then… then I will!”

Celestia’s blood ran cold at Twilight’s words. “Don’t ever say that again.”

“If you won’t do anything, then I—”

Twilight Sparkle yelped as a hoof struck her across the cheek, dropping the mare back onto the bed with a whimper as she nursed her pulsing cheek, staring wide eyed up Princess Celestia as she pinned her down with her hooves.

“W-what...?” Twilight, stunned by the blow, made no attempt to struggle. She simply gawked up at the Princess, who simply looked down upon her with cold and emotionless eyes that almost frightened Twilight.

“I need you, Twilight.” Princess Celestia, much to Twilight’s horror, was crying. “I can’t punish a mare I love… I can’t punish the only pony I have left in this world. Please, Twilight, never say those things about yourself ever again because if I lose you, I’ll… I’ll have nothing. I’ll have nothing worth living for. I'll be an empty shell of what you love about me and I fear if I lose you... I might just break.”

“Princess… I-I don’t know how I can go on with this guilt…” Twilight clenched her eyes shut. “I keep seeing them; hearing them. When will it stop?”

“Then… erase them.” Princess Celestia kept her eyes closed, unable to bring herself to look upon Twilight Sparkle as she whispered words she knew she was going to regret.

“Erase it?”

“Erase their screams and be done with your guilt. They were merely victims of circumstances beyond your control.” Princess Celestia finally summoned the courage to look upon the mare, finding a smile for Twilight only she would ever receive.

A warm and loving expression that Celestia would give to no one else.

“B-but… that’s evil—”

“Then so be it. Call yourself; no, call us evil if that is what you think… but I don’t care what it is; in fact I don’t care what other ponies think it is, but Twilight, you can’t keep going on in this life thinking that their deaths were upon your hooves and your hooves alone… no, you are not alone in this. As far as I am concerned, you were looking out for my best interests. You were trying to find the true culprit and in doing so, you touched upon powers beyond your comprehension… a power that you could not control. We are both at fault here, for I should have taught you properly the dangers of Black Magic and what it entails. I should had taught you better, my student... this is not your failure. It is mine.”

Twilight Sparkle stared up at Celestia, shaking her head. “It’s not your fault and we can’t hide the truth. What I did was wrong... evil! You banished your own sister for submitting herself to darkness and yet... why not me?"

“We can and we will hide the truth, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia leaned down and kissed Twilight’s lips, seeking to calm the mare with a passionate gesture.

For the most part, it most certainly worked.

Twilight’s mind went blank as the lips of her loved one touched her own.

Nothing mattered in that instance except the sensation of warmth filling her chest and chasing away her dread.

Breaking the kiss, Celestia gazed lovingly into Twilight’s crimson eyes. “The Black Magic inside of you is only going to grow stronger. Eventually, you will become so corrupted you may not be worth saving, but, I will not condemn you. I won't punish you, even if you become everything I fear and more.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded her head slowly. “W-what do we do? There has to be something we can do to stop it? I-I don't want to become evil. I... I don't want to be like that.”

“There is nothing we can do… but accept it.”

“Accept it?” Twilight Sparkle whispered to herself, before looking up at Celestia with a perplexed expression. “You mean... embrace it?”

“Your studies in the Magic of Friendship is over, Twilight Sparkle… from now on, learning the art of Black Magic shall take precedence. Perhaps if you can learn to control it, you can learn to resist its corrupting properties.”

“Th-that’s… but Black Magic is against the law. If I am discovered, then—”

“You won’t be discovered, Twilight Sparkle, for I will make sure of it.” Celestia stroked the mare’s muzzle, nuzzling her nose against Twilight’s own in an affectionate manner. “We will perpetuate your story involving Nurse Redheart's involvement. Once she is silenced, no pony will ever know the truth except for us.”

“S-silenced?” Twilight questioned with a stutter. “D-do you mean…?”

“Yes, Twilight Sparkle, I mean exactly that. We have to kill her.”

Never had Twilight thought she would hear such words pass the lips of Princess Celestia.

Worse still, never had she thought she would agree to something so heinous.

“I-I don’t want to say this, but your right, Princess. If by some miracle she regains control of her mind… she could destroy everything… she could rip us apart.” Twilight nodded, her eyes drifting away from Celestia.

“We will make it look like suicide, Twilight Sparkle. That way, we can play it off as if she could not deal with the guilt of her crime and thus, took her own life. No pony will be the wiser to the truth of the matter.”

“But how?” Twilight lifted a hoof up to rub at her tear stained eyes. “She is heavily guarded and I... I don't think I can kill a pony...”

Princess Celestia’s smile wavered. “I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle, but this is the only way I can think of… you are still in control of her mind, correct?”

Twilight nodded.

“Then order her to do it.”

“B-but that would mean I would have indirectly killed her… I-I can’t do that! I don’t want to murder anypony; I don't want to be that kind of monster!”

Princess Celestia cupped Twilight’s muzzle with her hooves, directing her crimson gaze to her own. “She must be sacrificed, Twilight. For us. Severing all ties with Nurse Redheart will cement our innocence. No one will ever know.”

"B-but... I'll know," whimpered Twilight, "I'll have to bear with the guilt for the rest of my life..."

"No, Twilight. We, will share the burden together. I will be here for you... I promise."

As they both stared into each others eyes, Twilight eventually nodded her head.

“I’ll... I'll do it,” Twilight Sparkle tried her best to smile, though it felt sour upon her lips, “for us...”

Author's Note

Together they trot down the path of darkness, with Celestia's corruption spreading out onto the one she loves.

Watching the world burn around you is always better in pairs, no?

Like, hate, flame! Comment! Smash that thumbs up button if you are inclined that way.

Tis all good.