War Of The Five.

(One month later, Solstice capital.)

Winter walked into The Solstice Grand, a posh hotel located on the lowest Citadel level. It was one of the most renowned hotels in Solstice, used by executives and guests of the Prince and Princess. Winter had lodged Celestia here for her stay in Solstice, as The Solstice Grand was also regularly guarded, even if no VIPs were present.

"Which room is Celestia in?"

"Prince Winter," the bellhop said, "We were told you'd be coming to see her. She's in Room 205, Second Floor."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. She seems rather depressed as of late. Perhaps a visit from Princess Cadence might cheer her up some."

"Hmm," Winter considered, "that is actually a pretty good idea. Could you send word to Field Marshal Stormcry for me?"

"It would be my pleasure, Prince Winter," the bellhop said with a nod before hurrying off to perform the task given to him.The elevator ride to the Second floor was short, as usual, and Room 205 was quite close to the elevator. Gingerly, Winter stepped in front of the door and knocked.

"Who is it," came a voice from the other side.

"Prince Winter."

"I was alone, for an eternity," Celestia said. The mood was most certainly poor. Her mane and fur seemed paler than a few days ago, as of something was sapping the life from her, and faint red lines were appearing at the edges of her eyes. At this point, though, she seemed to be in her own little world.

"Tia-"

"The only other existence was darkness, which I was completely repelled from. Even if I spilt my own being and created others..."

Winter sighed. "Celestia, I've a-"

"It wasn't any different from simply speaking to myself. The animals crawling on the ground..."

Winter stopped completely. Celestia was starting to ramble, of course, but what she was starting to say was....disturbing.

"I prayed for the time when they could speak to me on equal terms. Yes..."

"Tia, what do you mean," Winter asked. This time, she looked at him.

"It all began with that wish. Hundreds of millions of years have passed since then."

"Wish," repeated Winter, "what wish?"

"Those on the ground now revere me as their God. And so I acted as the god they wished for. I forgot my reason for being lonely, and took on the role of a God. Before I realized it... I became dependent on their attention. Why did I desire them so? Did I simply want someone to talk to? Or did I truly wish to be a God over others? After this eternity of time, I can't remember my self. I must be a God. Because if I wasn't...Who would I be?"

As Celestia said that, Winter realized what she meant. She was talking about when she'd banished Twilight: how she felt about it. All those emotions she'd kept bottled up for the sake of her little ponies; her sorrow, her anguish, all were being released after so, so many years.

"If they forget their God, and don't require one any longer... Then what would I be? What reason does a Goddess have to exist, if she isn't wanted? A world that needs no God...I can't allow that...The meaning of my existence was wrapped up in the thought of being a god. Was it all a mistake...?"

At this point Celestia began to cry, falling into Winter's chest. Winter calmly placed a hoof on her mane and began stroking it. It was at this time Cadence arrived, but froze at the sight of Celestia crying, and her state.

"Winter, what's wrong with Celestia?"

Winter looked at Cadence with telling eyes. "She's suffering from old wounds that she's allowed to fester, but we can still heal them, in time. Cadence, I need you to find Luna and Twilight."

"But Twi-"

"I don't care," Winter said,

"She banished Twilight, which left a hole in her heart that she tried to fill in any way she could. She NEEDS Twilight, Cadence, whether any of us like it or not."

*Two weeks later. Forgotten City*

Cadence stood outside the door to Twilights private study and hesitated to open the door, nervous as to how Twilight would react to what she had to say. Cadence took a deep breath and opened the door to the study, to find Twilight relaxing with a book.

“ Hello Cadence. What do you need? I’m still upset with you.” Twilight stated as she turned a page in her book. Cadence could see it was the Book of Chaos that she was reading.

Cadence steeled herself for what was to come and said, “Twilight...I know you're upset-”

“ YOU THINK!? Of course I’m upset Cadence! You helping that traitorous bitch after everything she’s put me through would put me in a pissy fucking mood!!!” Twilight roared as Cadence stepped back from the outburst before the mare turned to look at her feeling like she was staring into her soul.

“Twilight, why is it so difficult for you to believe that Celestia has changed? Both me and Winter have talked to her and been around her. Do you honestly believe that we would even think about supporting her if we had even a hint of still being who she was?” Cadence asked very carefully

“ Would you forgive me if I banished you to a shithole in the middle of a desert, where you were raped, beaten, mugged and homeless day in and day out. Could you forgive me? No you couldn’t. You would hate and despise me with every fiber of your being. I don’t care if the creator himself came down and told me she was a good pony and had changed. As far as I’m concerned the mare should be roasted on the very sun she controls!” She growled making Cadence flinch.

“Twilight....I am not ignoring what she did to you, Winter isn't either. But you can't let the past cloud your opinion of the future. Yes you gave her and the elements and second chance and they betrayed you once again. Yes she sent you into exile and she caused all those terrible things to happen to you. But she knows this now Twilight and I highly doubt a day goes by where she doesn't look back upon what she did to you and have nothing but a deep feeling of regret. Won't you at least try to understand that while she may not be receiving the physical punishment she deserves, she definitely is receiving the spiritual and emotional punishment she deserves?”

“ Of course she knows she did it Cadence. SHE FUCKING DID IT TO ME!!!!!” Twilight roared as she burst into flames glaring at her wife.

“I can’t believe you’re sitting here trying to make me feel sorry for that MONSTER! I’m glad she’s going through mental anguish. I would LOVE to dish out the physical but I’d end of killing her and that would be no fun. If she regrets it so much then why did she do it in the first place hm? I hope she suffers the rest of her life. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you.” She calmed down a bit going back to normal as she turned back to her book.

Cadence had a strange look on her face. At first glance it would seem terrified, but if you looked closer, it almost looked a bit sad.

“What am I to you? Am I your lover? Your wife? Or just a pony you have strong feelings for?”

“ You’re my wife. What does that have to do with this conversation?” Twilight looked back pissed but confused.

Cadence sat down and said, “Because you're not acting like I am your wife right now. Ever since me and winter came to you with this, you've stopped treating me as your wife. Your treating me like i'm a subordinate of yours or a member of your family,not the mare you married. You're trying to enforce your will upon me without even realizing it, this isn’t a relationship Twilight, its a dictatorship. I Love you, with all my heart I do, but I feel like I have no say here, no freedom to choose my own path without you refusing to understand my reasons for it. Right now I can't even see the mare I love, all I see is the boss of the Forgotten City. If this is how you are going to act as long as I follow this path….How can what we have survive? You asked me whether or not you were more important to me than Celestia. Well now I ask you, which is more important, me and what I believe, or you and what you believe? Which is more important, hate or love?” Cadence’s voice became sadder as it went on, until the end where it almost seemed heartbroken.

“ I’m trying to enforce my will on you? Is that how you see me protecting myself from that mare? That monster that you’re related to? You know I love you with every fiber of my being. The path you’re following has led us to this. I was behind you with supporting Equestria but THIS!? You want to help a that mare after I asked you who was more important to you. I guess I got my answer. So you want an answer heres mine.” She walked up nose to nose with Cadence tears streaming down her face.

“My children. My love for my children. My love for my home. My love for this empire. My love for YOU!!! Yet you continue to want me to be within striking distance of that monster. WHY!!! Why do you keep asking me knowing that I can’t? I love you Cadence that will never change but what you believe in I don’t support. You see me as my old self hurts when you have pushed me to that. If I have to be the Boss so you can understand that I HATE Celestia with a passion that could rival her sun then so be it. So I ask you again. Which is more important. Your WIFE or your aunt?” She looked down panting as Cadence could hear her sniff and her tears hitting the floor.

Cadence tried to wipe the tears away, but was failing miserably before saying, “ I don't want to believe that you would actually say that, you're trying to force me to choose between you and my aunt. But….You ARE attempting to force me to choose, which is something you know that I can't do. I Love you, but you of all ponies should understand why i'm also supporting my aunt. Everypony or otherwise in the world deserve a chance for redemption. That is the only reason why I brought this up, but I don't need to make a choice, either choice I make is the wrong one. Your hate for her is so powerful that it truly does outweigh your love for me, I never thought that hate could be that powerful. If I choose to believe that my aunt, who did terrible things to the one I love deserves a chance to right her wrongs. I lose the Mare love the most-”

“I’ll do it.” Twilight whimpered as she held her wife her tears soaking her coat.

“I’ll do it if it makes you happy Cadence. But don't expect anything more. I’m doing this for YOU. You say your aunt changed, fine. I’ll go see her. But don’t expect me to forgive her or help you in this afterwards. I’ll see the beast but it better be chained and underguard. That is the ONLY way I will see her.” Twilight looked up at Cadence to show it was this or nothing.

Cadence nodded and said, “ Thank you, I'll make sure that Celestia will be unarmed and her magic sealed. But Twilight...The same must go for you. I dont want my aunt to die, not when she may have a chance, Please Twilight. I dont want to have you and her meet only for you to kill her in a fit of rage in her defenseless state.”

“I showed mercy on the battlefield I can show it again. But fine I’ll have my magic sealed and no weapons. But I'm serious Cadence. I want her in chains or no deal. A monster like her deserves nothing less.” Twilight said stepping away from her going back to her book.

Cadence looked down and said, “ I'll make sure of that...Somehow I don't think she would want to be in the same room as you without the chains on her either.”

Cadence walked out of the room and headed to the throne room as she felt the ground shake and a massive explosion go off making her turn to see a huge smoke cloud in the empty fields making her sigh.

“ I really hope that she doesn’t kill her with her own bare hooves. I guess that’s what the guar- We’re gonna need a few more guards with them.” She quickened her pace to get in contact with Winter.

*Three weeks later, Solstice Kingdom*

“So im to be in chains then? And have my magic restricted? Are you sure thats all? I don't know how I might react to what she has to say, I want to believe I've changed but...Who am I to make any judgements anymore? I personally think that being underground might be better, at least then you won't have to worry about burning or burying me, just collapse the chamber.” Celestia said, looking away in shame, unable to meet Cadence’s eyes.

“She didn’t specify that just the guards and you in chains. She agreed to have her magic sealed as well. The guards are more for your safety than anything.” Winter looked over the mare as she nodded.

“If she decides to try to kill me….We all know that an army wouldn't be able to stop her, magic or not. But...I need to talk to her, she at least deserves the chance to tell me how much she hates me, right to my face. But...Cadence, Winter...What I have to say back to her...I dont think youll want to hear this. Its not just personal but...If you hear this youll never look at me the same way again, in either of the two ways you have before.” Celestia looked away was being very vague in her wording,but something told both Cadence and Winter that what she said was very true.

A knock came to the door as Celestia was chained to the ground with them on each of her limbs wings and neck holding her in place.

“It’s time. We’ll do as you ask.” Winter said as they walked out and Twilight walked in. Celestia could already see the murder in the mares eyes along with untold amounts of hate that not even Sombra could hope to reach.

“Twilight…” Winter attempted to say, with caution in his tone, but was interrupted by Cadence.

“Winter we shouldn't be here, this is between the two of them, the seals on them are active and the guards are ready. What happens next, we have no say or place in what happens next.” Winter nodded at Cadence and the two of them walked towards the doors, Winter looked back in, hesitant to leave but quickly walked away when Twilight looked over to him. The doors shut leaving only Twilight, Celestia and the guards inside the room.

Celestia looked down at the floor, before saying, “ Twilight...What I have to say is...Difficult to say the least and I would like it if-” Celestia was cut off by Twilight grabbing her head and smashing it into the table, so hard it nearly cracked in half. Blood leaked down Celestia’s head but she was silent for a second before saying, “ I deserve far more than just that.”

“I wonder….” Twilight started as Celestia looked up at her from her position on the table.

“I wonder how much Claire BEGGED you for mercy as you sliced into her flesh and broke her laughing at her pain. You’re lucky they made me give them my dagger. Or I’d find out just how much I can make you scream and beg for death. It would be worse for you. You’re healing factor would only prolong your suffering at my hooves.” Twilight slammed her hoof into the side of Celestia’s head making her yelp as the blow dented the metal.

“ You are filth. If I had it my way you would be fed to Chrysalis’ hive and I would get a front row seat to watch you wither away. I may be bad or seen as a monster but I am a monster of YOUR creation. I am the way I am because of YOU. Did you plan to do that to me? I saw you a my MOTHER for god sakes! I trusted you! I believed in you! I LOVED YOU!! I looked at you and wanted to BE just like you! I would have done ANYTHING if it pleased you. But you betrayed me. You hurt my son, OUR son just to spite me?! I want to see your head on a pike outside my home and your body strung up for all to see what kind of monster you are and what kind you created. I guess in a why you were still teaching me when I got information from my enemies. But at least I didn’t keep going and make them suffer like you do.” Twilight growled from her position above the mares bleeding face from the blows.

“You can’t FATHOM the pain I and Spike had to go through to survive. I was raped more times than I can count in that cesspool. I was beaten along with Spike to the brink of death more than once. The fear of not knowing if some drugged out bastard would come to end you during the night plays with you mind.” She got a bit of a insane look on her face as she pressed down hard on Celestia’s head.

“ But I could. I could make you feel it if the damn seals weren't on me. I could make you live EVERY DAY as I did. FEEL every time I was raped or tortured because I was the only pony in the city. But I won’t, because at the end of the day. I’m better than you in that. I don’t see you worthy of sharing my pain. It’s mine and mine alone. You would sooner go insane from the first week let alone the first year. Eating from the trash and shitting where you sleep because you are to scared to go anywhere away from your safe zone. No that pain is mine and I’ll keep that pain. You can take joy in knowing that you caused it all. To a poor BABY dragon and an INNOCENT mare…….” She pulled back and sat down looking at her with a blank look on her face as if staring into Celestia’s very being.

“I should have killed you that day. You and your sister and taken Equestria as my own ruling with an Iron Hoof….. But I know Winter would have stepped in and Cadence wouldn’t be the mare she is today and mine….. You have no idea how much I cursed you and my family a painful death each and every night for 27 years.” She looked at Celestia who was nervous as she saw the mares eyes red like from when she last fought her.

“ Say what you have to say but I just want you to know that I don’t care if you were dubbed the saint of the world. I know the true monster that you are and that you made me.” Twilight said in a hollow voice as she looked at Celestia with the eyes of a demon.

Celestia then said, “ Are you sure of all you said? Because I would sell my soul, my flesh, everything I had...Just to go through what you did, just once. My past… Its...You can leave now Twilight. No matter how much horror and terrible things you've witnessed and seen and all of your experiences, I can assure you that you've never heard anything like what I will tell you. And a part of you will wish that you walked away right now and never heard this. Its not something I thought I would ever have to tell anypony...Tell me Twilight, I have two questions for you. One are you sure you want to hear this? And two, how old do you think I truly am?”

“ You want to know the truth I could give two shits about your age or your past. You think some little crusade you did or a few families you killed off is going to bug me? I wouldn’t be surprised if you were always a monster in a ponies body. It would actually make more sense. So go ahead tell your tale. I’ll be right here. But I will warn you. If you start with some little pity party of not getting enough of daddies attention then I will leave and I’ll bury you in this room.” She said face to face with Celestia before sitting back down.

Celestia looked down and then out the window at the sky before saying, “I was there, at the beginning, I don't know why and I dont know how I was created. I just...Existed, but…I was alone, for an eternity.”

“The only other existence was darkness, which I was completely repelled from. Even if I spilt my own being and created others…”

“It wasn't any different from simply speaking to myself, I don't know how long I was just there, a formless body of pure light. I began to doubt my own existence after a while, I had so many questions, but there was no one to answer them. I was Just...Alone. There was nothing except me and this oppressive Darkness that I couldn't even get close to. I was just...There.” Celestia looked over at the wall, before continuing.

“ But then...Something happened,A world, perhaps the first world came into being. And I saw them, small organisms, bacteria, plants all of them. They fascinated me and I tried to converse with them...But nothing spoke back, they could not hear me or even comprehend my existence. And I felt more alone than ever before, I was sitting there, watching them, for hundreds of millions of millennia at least but I had found something in that solace.” Celestia had a small sad smile on her face at that point.

“Peace, the beautiful plains of flowers, the sight of rain falling down and the cycles of the seasons, It was enough for me to see this and nothing else. I would have been happy. But then...They were destroyed by that Darkness, It forced me away from the only place I knew, I couldn't fight it. At the time I didn't know it was possible, but then...When I was alone again...I couldn't stand it. Being apart and just surrounded by nothing again...I couldn't take it, it was too much and so I returned to face that Darkness. I forced it away from my world and it fled into nothingness. But it was not gone, when I looked back upon the world I saw them, new creatures, replacing the old ones that were destroyed.”

Celestia looked distant now, as if she was someplace else. ”These ones grew, they evolved and for so long...I watched and waited as they grew, for so long I watched and waited. Thousands of years at least, but then they could speak, they could learn...They could feel and I was so happy...But then, I realised that I could not communicate with them, as before they could not comprehend me at all, let alone see me. And that….That was far worse than anything I had been through before. I wasnt alone, but I could not speak to those like me. I was...Nothing...For a long time, I simply wallowed in my despair, wanting so badly to be able to talk to one of them, feel one of them....Be one of them.” Celestia had saddened look upon her face now, it almost seemed...Empty.

“ And then one day, I don't really know how myself...I formed this body and I was able to touch, feel, smell, taste...But when I met them...They didn't accept me as one of them, no...They treated me differently, they bowed to me, never truly looked at me, they prayed to me, worshiped me, they even...Killed themselves for me and others….I was horrified that they could do such things. I did not understand at the time and so I left, feeling all the horrors that I had created.

But then after having secluded myself for so long...I realized what I did wrong, I did not guide them. I let them do as they pleased and so they became what they did, I saw their descendants fighting each other, for next to nothing, land here, water there, one of them died or went missing near the other group. It was all so insane, I realized that I had to do something and so I acted as the god they wished for. I forgot my reason for being lonely, and took on the role of a God. Before I realized it... I became dependent on their attention. I needed them...To even believe that I existed.”

Celestia looked down at the floor, with a strange look on her face, “Then came the tribes of Equestria, always in disputes with each other, always distrusting or hating each other...They needed help...They needed me and so… I united them, I told them that I would protect and guide them and so they followed me. I...Don't know when I realised it, but I know that one day I realised that I couldn't leave them. I was afraid, I couldn't go back to it...That loneliness...That empty void of existence, where there was nothing but myself. It was just...Terrifying to me, I wouldn't let it happen to me...I couldn't. I did..Evil things, I killed, I slaughtered, I butchered all so I could protect them...My little Pony’s. I don't remember when Luna showed up honestly, she might have been that darkness but...That Darkness felt evil, Luna didn't. But she was like me and so I called her sister until we both believed it.”

Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath rattling the chains a bit before saying, “But then after so many years...I started to let that fear guide and control me...I always thought that one slip up, one mistake and...Its back to nothingness. That fear eventually turned into arrogance and that arrogance turned into self-righteousness and a sense of superiority over all others. But then...there was you.”

Celestia looked up at Twilight before continuing. “You were just like me, curious, inquisitive, willful...I saw myself in you, at first that gave me pride, that I was passing on my knowledge to you, and then one day...You'd be like me, an immortal. That way, even if all was destroyed, I wouldn't be alone with just Luna or Cadence. I would have you, my equal, my greatest achievement. My ultimate success.But..When the wedding happened and you saw what I could not...I refused to believe it, that a pony an ordinary unicorn that barely lived as long as a fly compared to me...Could see what I couldn’t. And so I exiled you, I thought you were a failure. But then the invasion happened, and I realized that I was wrong. Me, a god, was fooled by a mortal. And then the fear truly took hold in my heart. I saw you as my greatest threat after that. You were proof of my mistake, I had many sleepless nights thinking that I would go back to that loneliness again. Then you returned, stronger, tougher, powerful. Dominant, hateful and I despised you, you were in my mind trying to be me. I was all those things once, and then you showed up...And when I looked at you, I saw a young me staring back. You were now a rival, an equal in your own right and that terrified me. I had to destroy you, make you my puppet, a slave, a student something...So long as you weren’t dangerous in my mind any longer.”Celestia let out a small sad laugh.

“ The war was a game to me, until you faced me in battle over Canterlot...When you fought me, fear beat at the back of my skull...’If she kills you, you'll go back to it, you’ll be nothing again. You can't let that happen.’ And so...I threw all I had at you, well...All this body of mine could handle throwing at you at least. But you took it all and fought back with a vengeance and that made me hate you more and more all up until...Until the war was over, when I realised what I had done to you, all because I was afraid….I just...I was disgusted with myself. What kind of goddess fears a mortal mare so much that she seeks to destroy them? What kind of goddess is so afraid of being alone that they destroy an innocent mares life? What kind of twisted monster...Has this goddess let herself become?” Celestia looked down in shame before saying.

“ That is all that I think about now, how pathetic I became. How much of a coward I was, scared of you...For no true reason. But even now at this very moment, I still fear that nothingness...That void I once lived in...I fear it so much that even though I can’t...Im afraid to die. I will not tell you I'm sorry or tell you that I didn't want to do what I did, because I did. But let me tell you one thing, I would give up everything I have, to have just a fraction of what you do. All the scars, the pain, the love, everything. And I would give up anything, to go through everything you did...Just so I don't have the memories of that loneliness, that nothingness...I would give up everything...Just so I don't have to remember my own past.” Celestia looked up at Twilight, before saying.

“ I hated you...Because you were beautiful to me. You were me, only far, far superior. You are me. And no matter what I do...I can't change what I am...But you? You can be anything, and that is the whole truth Twilight. I'm pathetic, a being that has been alive far, far too long and just can’t die...I’m just a bitter, regretful pathetic excuse for mare...And deep down...I'm not even that am I?” Celestia looked at her blood on the table before saying solemnly.

“Im nothing but a cursed monster. Doomed to walk the earth and all of existence...Forever.”

Celestia looked up to see Twilight staring at her if it could be her hate just seemed to burn anew as she saw the runes on Twilight’s body crack and break as the guards in the room feel to the floor passed out as the mare got up and leaned across the table looking right at Celestia eye to eye.

“So you fear being alone and the darkness?” Celestia saw a cruel smile go across the mares muzzle making her pupils shrink at what this mare was saying.

“Then maybe I should banish YOU to eternal darkness. To reflect on your decisions of eons passed……” She leaned in as their horns rubbed against each other and Celestia could see the mares eyes as that evil presence that she had long thought was gone came back and sent a chill down her spine as the goddess seemed to shrink into the ground.

“I’m sure that it can be arranged. After all... “ She smiled as a book that she was reading before she came here. A book that Celestia hadn’t seen in a millenia appeared in the mares magical grip.

“I’m sure I can arrange it.” Twilight smiled sitting back down.

Celestia looked, at Twilight scared out of her mind, before saying.

“I do not fear the Darkness Twilight, I fear the loneliness...But, as I said before I do not want your forgiveness or anything from you, but you need to understand this... I am not like you, no matter how powerful you are...You can never destroy me, never truly harm me. You cannot send me to that Darkness because I am light. They cannot touch, not without catastrophic consequences. I do not expect you to understand...No being in existence can...But maybe, I have can make YOU understand.” Celestia closed her eyes and focused her will on her mind until she felt her mind and Twilights meld, allowing Twilight to see her past and feel what she felt. Celestias words echoed through both of their minds before saying.

“Know me.” And Twilight felt strange, like she was somewhere,but there was nothing...Just this emptiness and Darkness. She tried to summon her magic, but she was cut off from her own body and unable to summon any power.

Celestia could feel the mare fight for a quick second before panic set in. She waited for a while when she felt Twilight go deeper into her memories her own mind. She could feel her watch curiously as she watched the first organisms come to life before being snuffed by the darkness. She felt curiousness from Twilight as she did something she never thought of.

She embraced the darkness. She made it her own and accepted it as she dove deeper into her mind. Watching each and every memory she experienced and she could feel an understanding swell in Twilight while Celestia felt another presence beckoning Celestia to come.

She did and was pulled into Twilight’s own memories. There she experienced the horrors that Twilight did. Felt everything that she did, saw everything she did. The betrayal she felt at the trial, the hurt and the image she had of herself shattered when she hurt Spike. The disgust she felt with herself after her first rape and the questions and wishes of death for it all to end as the beatings and rapes became more until she was broken…. A shell of her former self until she took her first life. The very first one to violate her.

The realization and horror of what she did before Celestia felt the mares mind crack and a sudden calm came over her as she headed back to Spike.

Celestia saw her rise to power, the execution of many hundreds and the slaughter of any that stood in her way. The massive range of emotions that traveled through her when she saw her brother and friends, her parents, Cadence.

But for her there was nothing. A void itself when her eyes laid on Celestia.

As Celestia experienced the hell Twilight went through. Twilight could feel the fear of Celestia’s past self the fear of failing, the fear of loneliness, the fear of the darkness and then the arrogance and pride of a young Twilight and then jealousy and hate to her. She sensed no regret for years before she saw herself again in the Crystal Empire to sign the fake excused banishment form. The cleverness she felt when Twilight came back willingly to try to make amends and the joy carving up Claire.

She could feel the hate return when Twilight fought her to the very end and then regret…

Regret of the past. But still her own hate persisted more so at herself than Twilight. But there was still hate for Twilight but more regret. As she watched herself moments ago threaten to send her back to the void she felt the pure fear that gripped her heart when she saw the book of chaos.

Twilight sighed as they both exited their minds and Celestia looked at Twilight while Twilight stared at Celestia before standing up heading for the door.

Celestia then spoke, “I still stand by what I said before, I would give anything to have your past instead of mine...But now I think we both truly realise that there is more than one way to go through hell. I don't take back anything I said, but...Still, at least in your hell it didn't last to long and made you stronger. Mine...It was nothing but a seemingly endless one.” Twilight turned around and looked Celestia in the eyes, she stared for a second and said.

“You were right, a part of me does wish you didn't show me your past. The hell I went through was far more physical than yours, as far I cared, your hell was nothing compared to mine...Until I saw it through your eyes, felt what you felt. There is more than one way to go through hell. Yours was far more physiological… We both stared into the abyss and came out scared. I saw things I couldn't have imagined in your mind and you in mine. Im no fool, I'm not the kind of mare that will hold a grudge just to hold it. As far as I'm concerned the monster I hated is dead, but make no mistake. I might not hate you anymore or hold any ill will, but I will never be able to be friendly towards you.”

Twilight's eyes hardened before saying, “But If I see so much as a hint that the old you, that monster that turned my life into a hell is returning. I dont care if you are unkillable, I WILL find a way to kill you.” Celestia nodded.

“I hope that you do Twilight, I truly do.” Celestia sighed as she watched the mare take the book with her as she spared one last hard glare at Celestia before opening the door.

“Oh on second thought. If your old self comes back, I’ll make sure that you never escape your hell again. Death would be a sweet release for you. I’ll make you suffer the way I did and smile each day that you do.” With that she walked out letting her words seep into the mare who sighed and looked at the waking guards.

“Can I get somepony to uncuff me now? This is very uncomfortable” She said as a guard stumbled over to her.