By all accounts, what Celestia was forced to do to Luna was an inevitable outcome that could not have been avoided. For the protection of Equestria, Celestia would give her own life if it meant that her little ponies would continue to live on in harmony, so that they would never feel the need to fear for their very lives.

Rationally, many knew Celestia’s choice to end her own sister could not have been more difficult for the alicorn. But at the end of the day, the Princess did what was right in their eyes and had managed to survive and overcome the odds, even if they were significantly stacked against her.

Nightmare Moon was a powerful foe indeed, but it would seem the extent of Celestia's rarely displayed power caused the Nightmare’s lunar light to pale in comparison to the blinding rays of the sun unchained.

It would be a victorious and yet sad tale to be forever told in the annals of Equestrian history for future generations.

For she defeated an enemy in battle; there is nothing more glorious for a ruler of a kingdom than to single handedly strike down the head of the beast that threatens peace to their lands. Swiftly and without remorse. To reign supreme and to be praised forever more as a hero.

But what she did to Discord…

That was something she knew her little ponies would never be proud of.

By the time she had realized what she had done, Celestia had already returned to her chambers and collapsed upon her bed, laying there motionless, barely moving a muscle as her brain processed the scene frame by terrible frame.

She kicked the enemy when they were down.

Celestia tortured a prisoner as if he was nothing more than a filly’s plaything to be discarded when she grew tired. But that was not what scared Celestia the most.

Deep down inside as she stood amongst the comfortable heat that swirled around her in a torrent of hellfire, Celestia enjoyed what she did to him. Every second and every succulent scream that sang from the statue invigorated the mare to a near point of harmony.

Everything was made clear.

Is this how you deal with your enemies?

Is this how you deal with criminals against Equestrian perseverance?

Like leeches, do you burn them off the flesh and crush them underhoof when they are at their most vulnerable?

Celestia kept her face buried in her pillow as she wept, the dark thought and its methods making a twisted kind of sense, and it only served to frighten the mare. She could not quite believe what she had done or what she was thinking of doing. Once she had labelled such actions as barbaric and beneath ponykind. It was a thought process she would have associated with King Sombra and most assuredly not herself.

No matter how hard she tried, Celestia could not push aside the fact she had almost killed Discord without any real provocation.

Before this terrible night, her sister’s face would forever haunt her dreams… but now?

Now, she had to contend with the horrific screams of Discord’s agonizing wails repeating over and over again in her head.... combined with that laughter.

That terrible, heinous laughter that cackled over the crack and snap of burning grass and Discord’s pleas.

Laughter she refused to believe came from her own lips.

_________________________________

Twilight awoke in her old and yet still untouched Canterlot bedroom to a ray of sunshine spilling in from an open nearby window. Rustling under the covers, Twilight yawned and itched at her head, further creating a more frizzed style to her rather unkempt mane.

Blinking wearily towards the small clock nestled atop of a bedside cabinet just next to her head, Twilight had to blinked several times before the hands upon the clockface actually registered within her brain.

It was midday.

“Huh…? But I was supposed to wake up at eight o'clock sharp … Spike? Spike!” She called from her prone position upon the bed, hardly making the effort to get up, as for some peculiar reason the bed was surprisingly warm, thus making it extremely comfortable. “Spi—oh… oh! That’s right. I’m still in Canterlot, aren’t I?” Disorientated to her exact location and still somewhat half asleep, sure enough, Twilight Sparkle soon recognized that she was not in Golden Oaks library and that Spike was nowhere to be found.

Eyeing the alarm clock, she frowned at it as if it was the reason why she did not wake up at a more appropriately earlier time of the morning. Not that two minutes after midday was exactly the correct definition of morning.

“By Starswirl’s beard… I really did oversleep.”

That and she did simply forget to set the alarm. But who could blame her? After her brief meeting with Celestia last night, Twilight was both mentally and physically drained. She had been like that since the death of Nightmare Moon and Twilight did have to wonder just how Celestia was able to cope with what had happened.

Maybe that was why she adored her mentor so much?

No matter the adversary or the task, Celestia directed herself with a calm air of neutrality and professionalism, doing what was right by Equestrian law. A law Celestia herself hoofwrote over the thousand years of her singular reign.

“Urgh, why does this bed have to be so warm!”

Lifting the covers up over her head, Twilight groaned as she kicked out her legs in a rather childish display of resistance against the concept of getting out of bed. Instead, she flopped over onto her other side, bringing her face away from the tick-tock of that damn traitorous clock to nuzzle her-

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat.

Initially her brain screeched to a halt, more than likely crashing against the inside of her skull as she quickly jerked her head back from the sleeping, angelic face of Princess Celestia…

Who was sleeping in her bed.

Right next to me!

With wide eyes, Twilight’s heart had already started to pump her blood throughout her body in a quick and rather predictably alarmed response.

For she loved Princess Celestia, far more than any student ought for their teacher.

Swallowing hard, Twilight had become the veritable deer in the headlights at that precise moment in time. She was simply transfixed by the serene visage before her or perhaps more notably, how Celestia’s lips were subtly parted just enough to entice another more embarrassing reaction from the mare.

“Uhhhhhhhhhh, P-Princess?” Twilight stammered in an adorkable squeak, flushing red as her eyes came to rove anywhere but upon Celestia’s face.

Shifting only slightly on the spot, Celestia parted her eyelids by a mere fraction to regard Twilight as she was stirred from her slumber. “Hm? Oh. Twilight… I’m sorry. This is probably a little bit of a shock. I hope you don't mind the intrusion.”

Oh no! I don’t exactly have my mentor AND the mare I am in love with in bed with me or anything! Nope! Not a shock at tall! This is the complete opposite of shock! In fact this was very highly expected to occur at some point! Twilight practically screamed within the safe confines of mind. Or at least, she hoped Celestia’s powers did not extend into the realms of telepathy. Not that that’s a bad thing…

“Forgive me, Twilight Sparkle, I know you have to meet your friends later on this afternoon, but…” Celestia’s voice seemed strangely strained. Quite hoarse in fact.

Twilight’s embarrassment was pushed aside as she lifted her head from the pillow with concern etched upon her features. “Is something the matter, Princess?”

Gently, Celestia lifted a foreleg and draped it over Twilight’s midsection, bringing her head forward to press her face into the crook of Twilight’s neck. “Just let me stay like this for a little while. I’m so sorry to ask you of this, but I… there is no one else…”

Frozen in place, Twilight swiftly swept all of her embarrassing (and lustful) thoughts and feelings aside in favor of the task at hand. This unexpectedly pleasant encounter was not because Celestia was finally returning her unrequited love.

No.

This was something else entirely.

She needed Twilight.

Twilight nodded and curled her forelegs about Celestia’s head, drawing the older mare closer. “Of course, Princess, anything for you.”

With permission achieved, Celestia muttered her thank yous and turned her face downwards into Twilight’s chest.

After a beat of silence, Twilight felt Celestia's entire body tremble.

Finally, after so long, Celestia wailed Luna’s name into Twilight's fur and broke down.

Twilight Sparkle held onto her mentor, struggling to keep her own tears in check as the mare she had fallen in love with; a mare she held in such high regard, was reduced to a wreck in her embrace.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed the third chapter of this little corner of my world.

Like, hate, flame and comment! Got questions? I'd be happy to answer em.

Kudos for blazeofheat, for the sudden proof read of this. Cheers mate. /)